The Medicare-for-All Moment

There is only one solution to the twin problems of escalating health care costs and the epidemic of the uninsured: a Medicare-for-All, single payer system.

Unfortunately, the healthcare debate on Capitol Hill has evolved without serious consideration of the Medicare-for-All single payer health proposal. There are many reasons for this, but one is that many who actually support Medicare-for-All have claimed that the proposal is "not feasible."
With the House leadership having settled on a single proposal, now is the time to set aside worries about feasibility. The House process is resolved. Members of Congress should have the opportunity to vote on the merits, up-or-down, on a Medicare-for-All single payer health proposal.
Whether they will have this chance is in the hands of Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Contact her right away to urge that the House be permitted to vote on a Medicare-for-All single payer health proposal.
Representative Anthony Weiner, D-New York, has proposed to introduce such a Medicare-for-All measure on the House floor in the form of an amendment to the leadership's healthcare package. If a vote is permitted, it will mark the first time either house of Congress has voted on Medicare-for-All, and will be a landmark in the inevitable march to a national Medicare-for-All system.

Who are the Uighurs?

At the weekend, six of the remaining 13 Uighurs in Guantánamo -- Muslims from China’s Xinjiang province -- were released to resume new lives in the tiny Pacific nation of Palau (population: 20,000). I have written at length about the plight of Guantánamo’s Uighurs, innocent men caught up in the U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan in October 2001, who were mostly seized and sold to U.S. forces by Pakistani villagers after fleeing a settlement in Afghanistan’s Tora Bora mountains where they had been living a Spartan live for several months, free from Chinese oppression. Some were hoping to make their way to Turkey, to find work, but had found their way hard, and had been advised to seek out the settlement; others nursed futile dreams of rising up against the Chinese government, and, while working to make the settlement habitable, occasionally loosed off a few rounds from their only weapon, an aged Kalashnikov.

The U.S. authorities knew, almost immediately, that these men had no connection to either al-Qaeda or the Taliban, but how, nevertheless, they flew them to Guantánamo, allowed Chinese interrogators to visit them, and tried, in their tribunals at Guantánamo, to make out that they were connected to a Uighur separatist group, which had been designated by the Bush administration as a terrorist group to secure leverage with the Chinese government in the run-up to the invasion of Iraq.
Five of the 22 Uighurs in Guantánamo were released in Albania in May 2006, and how the others had to wait another two years for a U.S. court to establish the right to examine one of their cases, concluding that the government’s supposed evidence resembled a nonsense poem by Lewis Carroll. I also explained how, last October, the government abandoned trying to claim that any of the other 16 were “enemy combatants,” but appealed after Judge Ricardo Urbina, ruling on their habeas corpus petitions, ordered their release into the United States, because they could not be returned to China, where there were fears that they would be tortured, because no other country had been found that would accept them, and because their continued detention in Guantánamo was unconstitutional.
The Obama administration shamefully defended its predecessor’s opinion in the Court of Appeals, and refused to push to release the men in the U.S., and how, as a result, officials were once more obliged to scour the world seeking countries prepared to enrage China by accepting any of them, finally persuading Bermuda to take four in June, and now persuading Palau to take another six.
I have written up the stories of these men, in my book The Guantánamo Files, in additional online chapters, and in articles over the last few years, but I am drawing them together here to tell the stories of six men who, nearly eight years after their wrongful and mistaken capture, are finally free from Guantánamo, even if an uncertain future awaits them on an island with no other Uighurs, and only a transient Muslim population of immigrant workers.

HOUSE OF INFAMY

Sunday, November 01, 2009

All the News, that's -
Well......NEWS!

BC Mary recently stated over at the bible of all things BC Rail related that -

I've found more BC news in the past week, since discovering Terrace daily online -- THAN I HAVE IN THE PAST 5 YEARS OF READING THE 3 CANWEST DAILY NEWSPAPERS IN VANCOUVER & VICTORIA.

In an e-mail to me she later elaborated as follows:

It was a pleasant surprise to discover that besides TERRACE DAILY ONLINE, there's also KITIMAT ONLINE DAILY telling the news we should be hearing. Maybe there are other small, local news services like this which are keen to get their real stories out. To my way of thinking, it raises a new possibility for restoring British Columbia to good health.

Is it possible that we should be building a province-wide News Network instead of trying to revitalize one of the old political parties or trying to create a new political party? I'm hoping that some of you will agree. Then comes the hard part: organization. And after that, the local expertise to keep the news coming.

Already this week, these gentle little online services have told us important things we didn't know: that Gordo is implicated in buying off the Haisla on BC Hydro; that Alcan's Kemano project may soon be only an IPP power supply and not a smelter; and that when EuroCan shuts down, it will enrich the riding of the Forest Minister Pat Bell.

Considering the fact that this blog and her Legislature Raids were both started as a response to the frustration about the cone of silence that Canwest and the other so-called media in our province had lowered over the entire BC Rail issue, it shouldn't be surprising that she, and I, are gratified to find media that do recognize and report on these issues. She suggests some kind of network that incorporates these humble but "real" journalistic outlets, their readers and we of the blogosphere, to help counteract the toxic influence of the Asper and Public Affairs Bureau controlled "Lame Stream" media represented by Canwest/Global, CTVGlobemedia and all the rest who treat the Fraser Institute as relevant.

I've started a new category over to the right in my Links section, currently named "Genuine Newspapers." This section is for newspapers, often community based, that consider the issues affecting their readers more important than the latest Asper/PAB talking points memo and have someone wiser than Kirk LaPointe or Lucinda Chodan making the decisions about just what qualifies as news.

I invite readers to submit suggestions regarding other media outlets that remember the press can and should be an important part of democratic society. Canwest and Black affiliates most likely need not apply!

Recently in Real Papers

Is It Kemano Completion Time?

The only possible multi billion dollar investment, if that is what is coming, would be to do with the Kemano hydro electric power generation facilities. On Friday the BC Wilderness Committee released a news item on the BC Provincial Government ordering BC Hydro to purchase more power from private independent producers, 6000 gigawatt hours.

Government Orders Hydro to Buy Power

Requiring BC Hydro to purchase power that it doesn’t need is an idiotic decision and a gift to the private power industry. Three months ago, the BCUC said buying this power was not in the public interest, and yet the BC government is ignoring their own regulatory watchdog and ordering BC Hydro to spend billions of dollars on power we don’t need.

.........................

NEWS RELEASE · 31st October 2009

GOVERNMENT ORDERS HYDRO TO BUY POWER

BC Wilderness Committee

The Wilderness Committee today condemned the BC government's decision to order BC Hydro to buy an additional 6,000 gigawatt hours of electrical power from private power producers, in direct opposition to what the BC Utilities Commission (BCUC) has recommended.

“Requiring BC Hydro to purchase power that it doesn’t need is an idiotic decision and a gift to the private power industry. Three months ago, the BCUC said buying this power was not in the public interest, and yet the BC government is ignoring their own regulatory watchdog and ordering BC Hydro to spend billions of dollars on power we don’t need. This decision won’t reduce greenhouse gas emissions in BC by one iota, but it will damage a lot of streams and rivers in the process,” said Gwen Barlee, policy director with the Wilderness Committee.

“Private power coming from so-called ‘run of river’ projects comes mostly at the wrong time of year for British Columbians, is costing us far above market rates, and threatens our rivers and streams. Ratepayers are already on the hook for $31 billion in energy agreements to the likes of General Electric. The BC government's decision to order Hydro to buy even more of this power is irrational and unacceptable,” said Wilderness Committee campaign director Joe Foy.

The BC government justified the decision to purchase more expensive private power by over-ruling the BCUC and reducing the “planning” capacity of Burrard Thermal, a gas-powered plant in Port Moody. Since 2002, Burrard Thermal has run at about five per cent of capacity, being used almost exclusively to provide firm emergency peak power backup in winter months. Ironically, Burrard Thermal will continue to operate in the same manner it has for the last seven years despite the government’s recent announcement.

The BC government has come under intense criticism since the introduction of the BC Energy Plan in 2002 which prohibited BC Hydro from producing new sources of hydroelectricity. The Energy Plan resulted in a gold rush which has seen over 800 water bodies, including lakes, staked by private power corporations. Private hydro projects have been heavily criticized for low environmental standards, lack of public input, and a lack of provincial or regional planning process.

“It is sadly ironic that while the BC government is bailing out the private power industry under the ruse of addressing climate change it is blasting ahead with contradictory plans to promote carbon-producing coal mines such as Klappan and Groundhog in northern BC, axing Live Smart BC, radically increasing subsidies to the oil and gas sector, and promoting massive highway expansion. People recognize hypocrisy when they see it and are aware that this gift to the private power sector has nothing to do with addressing global warming,” said Barlee.

Kitimaat Offices Searched

BC Premier Gordon Campbell was implicated in the trial when Wilson acknowledged writing him a letter claiming he fulfilled his part of their conspiratorial arrangement to keep the Haisla from interfering with the electricity purchase agreement between Alcan and BC Hydro during the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC) hearings.

Wilson also admitted the signature of the highest Haisla Hereditary Chief supporting Alcan in the BCUC application was a fake and the stamp used to fake his authorization was improperly used.

If the RCMP have now raided the Kitamaat Village Council offices; a BC legislative assembly, and if this has anything to do with Steve Wilson and the alleged fraudulent deal he had made with BC Premier Gordon Campbell, the entire Haisla First Nations Trial, which resumes Monday, may be a small precursor to the BC Rail sale to CN Rail 'Fraud trial', which resulted after the BC Provincial Legislature was raided.

Are the political leaders of BC really involved in corrupt, fraudulent activity? We will continue to dig and report on what turns up. We have been informed the RCMP wish to keep this quiet as their investigation is ongoing. The Haisla community consists of only approximately 750 people. Quiet is unlikely.

Lawyer Starts Laughing in Haisla Trial

During the arguments being made as to whether or not an aboriginal elder could provide testimony on the culture and traditions of their first nation group, which would be considered as expert by the Court in making decisions, the lawyer for the Plaintiffs (Steve Wilson and the Kitamaat Village Council), Roger McConchie, burst out laughing after the Judge, Justice Punnett stated his friend, the lawyer for the Defense, Daniel Burnett, “Just wants to establish that [the court] existed.”

It was a classic case of theater watching this lawyer belittle all of the attempts to legitimize the Hereditary Chiefs and the aboriginal culture in a Canadian Court.

Justice Punnett even seemed amused as he chuckled along. He also, however, had to acknowledge the antics of McConchie continuing to jump up and object every time the defense team, Morris Amos and Burnett, started to ask a question or the witness on the stand began to answer, were becoming obstructive to the process

Lumber Giants Don't Like CN Anymore?

Now let’s see, these mills are complaining about a monopoly by CN rail but yet, want to have the government create one for them? That’s double speak operating at its finest.

It’s rather strange that a few rag tags with no lumber experience could see through the plan that CN put forward and the Liberal government tripped through its shorts to okay, but lumber barons who earn a million dollars a year couldn’t see the future. All the more reason that they shouldn’t be put in charge of our forests.

Eurocan Closing - Blow to the Entire North

Eurocan was not getting sufficient chips to enable it to operate efficiently, bearing in mind that the Port of Prince Rupert has been the area from which a lot of raw, round logs, are being exported . There are ships full of product heading out of the country to be milled overseas and there is little that either Eurocan, the Province or for that matter the federal government could do about it.

These local papers usually have engaged comment threads following articles dealing with items of local interest. It is illuminating to read comments by people involved and affected by the decisions of the Campbell Crime Family. By the time comments have passed the gamut of the Chodans and LaPointes of Canwest, there generally isn't much left but more of the same. Getting a letter published in the dead tree version of the Times-Colonist or Vancouver Sun may be more difficult than having an article published is for their (choke) professional journalists - of course we readers don't have the advantage of a Ms. Chodan or Mr. LaPointe pointing out what we are supposed to say (and not say)!

Click Here for More!

Gordo packing for his Holiday Trip to Maui
early December 2003
BC Mary left the following comment on my last post here last night:

I went back to my place and checked out two of the most significant reports:

* There was time to destroy evidence before the raid, posted Jan. 16, 2008.

* Ken Dobell went through Cabinet files before police, posted May 15, 2008.

It's important and it's shocking.

Posted by BC Mary to House of Infamy
at Monday, September 21, 2009 8:50:00 PM PDT

Lumber Giants Don't Like CN Anymore
http://www.opinion250.com/blog/view/14359
/7/lumber+giants+don%27t+like+cn+anymore?
By Ben Meisner

Thursday, October 22, 2009 03:45 AM

Back when the opposition was growing over the sale of BC Rail to CN, (did I say sale? Forgive me, 999 year "lease") the forest industry jumped into the mix by saying this was a very good move by the government because BC Rail couldn’t operate efficiently and quite frankly couldn’t compete with CN.

In return for that support they got a 5% break on the rates they were paying to CN, but the honeymoon lasted only a few short months before grumblings began that companies like Canfor and West Fraser were having a tough time getting cars and the service had actually fallen from the old BC Rail days.

Ah but CN and the Liberal government had done their job arguing that even the mayor’s up and down the line, (there were about 6) including our Mayor Colin Kinsley, supported the sale, sorry, "lease".

Just as John Backhouse got a reward for his help in the Ramsey Recall, I have always wondered what promises were made to Colin Kinsley. Is it still to come? The City Council of Prince George didn’t support the "lease", but the deal had the necessary grease to make it happen.

So fast forward today when Peter Ewart, CNC instructor and Opinion250 editorialist writes that the major logging companies don’t like what CN is doing to them. They want to be able to establish rights on the CN line so that they could go into competition with CN because, surprise, surprise, the costs are too high and the service is not what it was supposed to be.

Hunter Harrison meantime of CN rail, is retiring after telling his shareholders what great profits he has been able to generate with the addition of BC Rail to the fleet.

To add insult to injury, the lumber giants are suggesting the province needs to hand give them forest tenure of 99 years if they are to compete in a meaningful way.

They also suggest there may only be room for a couple of super mills, of course owned by some super companies in the north of BC.

Now let’s see, these mills are complaining about a monopoly by CN rail but yet, want to have the government create one for them? That’s double speak operating at its finest.

It’s rather strange that a few rag tags with no lumber experience could see through the plan that CN put forward and the Liberal government tripped through its shorts to okay, but lumber barons who earn a million dollars a year couldn’t see the future. All the more reason that they shouldn’t be put in charge of our forests.

I’m Meisner and that’s one man’s opinion.

Eurocan Closing - A Blow To The Entire North
http://www.opinion250.com/blog/view/14422/7/eurocan+closing++-+a+blow+to+the+entire+north?
By Ben Meisner

Thursday, October 29, 2009 03:45 AM

It is the most severe blow that the City of Kitimat could have ever received.

535 people will get their walking papers at the end of January, and Eurocan Pulp will cease to exist in that city.

Eurocan is the second largest industrial contributor of taxes to the city, and with that payroll is a very important part of the well being of that community.

It is a blow that Kitimat will have a hard time surviving.

Coal Ash: 130 Million Tons of Waste
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/10/01/60minutes/main5356202.shtml

French Firm Pushes Carbon Capture Solution at us Coal Plant
http://www.thegreeno.com/news/environment-news/french-firm-pushes-carbon-capture-solution-at-us-coal-plant.html

The Inflated Promise of Natural Gas

Electric utilities have expanded their use of gas because gas-fired plants can be “turned up” to meet high peak power demand more quickly than can coal-fired plants. Natural gas is also more climate-friendly than coal and less menacing than nuclear energy.
With the discovery of drilling techniques that can extract natural gas from deep shale formations, the authoritative Potential Gas Committee estimates that the total of confirmed and potentially accessible reserves has grown 35 percent in just three years.
Climate bills in the House and Senate contain strong incentives to increase

drilling and burning of natural gas. Seized by anti-coal fervor, most major environmental groups have gone along with the gas rush.
But natural gas is “clean” only in contrast to coal — just as a bacon cheeseburger can be regarded as healthful compared with a double bacon cheeseburger. Per kilowatt of electricity generated, gas releases 55 percent as much carbon as coal, based on total 2008 energy output and emissions for the two fuels. And gas drilling poses a growing threat to our water supplies.
The investigative news organization ProPublica has documented thousands of cases of surface and groundwater contamination caused by drilling in conventional and shale deposits in six states.
Concern is now growing over hydraulic fracturing, in which water laced with sand, clay and “fracturing fluids” is pumped deep underground to create fissures and free gas trapped in rock formations. Most of the polluted water returns to the surface and must be handled as waste.
Drilling in shale, which depends heavily on fracturing, can consume hundreds of times more water per well than does drilling in traditional gas fields.

U.S. cat has the H1N1 virus

http://www.examiner.com/x-27656-West-Palm-Beach-Health-Examiner~y2009m11d6-Officials-Cat-tests-positive-for-Swine-Flu

Is there life after Tuesday 19 January 2038?
http://my.opera.com/nepmak2000/blog
Ever realized the secret of Tuesday, 19 January 2038? At 03:14:07 UTC that very day you could try your microwave oven to find things burned, or the machine not working at all. Your car electronics could fail, its doors staying locked forever. Industries working with certain embedded computer systems might come to a sudden halt. Your Ubuntu 37.10 could fail to run, as would many other computerized, large and small systems. Unless the 2038 timer 'bug' is removed on time, which means years before that hour and date! Some software will fail several years earlier when trying to apply data passed January 2038. The problem? Nobody realizes or even knows today what equipment will be carrying the 'bug' still. It is no 'bug' after all, but simply a clock limit for many non-64-bit chip-sets. They are everywhere
( I guess Y2K was too quiet. )