http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204251404574342170072865070.html
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/i-will-boycott-whole-foods-for-opposing-health-care-reform
I have hardly ever sent emails like the one below but please read and help this little girl and her parents. This is why we also need to support Obama's health care reform. This story will make you sad and angry.
Reno girl must get chemo in Oakland or pay more (Associated Press, 05-08-09) By SCOTT SONNER
Erica Schneider lives about 15 minutes from a Reno hospital where her doctors visit regularly from California to provide chemotherapy treatments to children like her -- a 5-year-old girl with leukemia. But unless her parents come up with more money or their insurance company relents, she'll likely have to continue to travel more than 400 miles roundtrip on a weekly basis for up to two years to receive the same treatments in Oakland, Calif.
Sound crazy? Her parents, Paul and Yvette Schneider, think so. So do the two widely respected oncologists treating her, a state insurance examiner, the governor's office and the majority leader of the U.S. Senate. But so far, their appeals for a compassionate waiver have failed to stir any sympathy at the Government Employees Health Association, a Missouri-based insurance provider for federal workers.
"As it stands, GEHA is forcing our 5-year-old who is sick with cancer to travel nearly 500 miles from Reno to Oakland and back every week for uncomfortable treatments that could be administered by the very same doctors 12 miles from our house at Renown," Yvette Schneider said in an interview. Drs. Robert Rafael and Joseph Torkildson are based at the Children's Hospital & Research Center in Oakland but travel to Renown Medical Center in Reno a day or two each week to provide such treatment to a number of children. That includes patients whose insurance companies' in-network policy dictates that, in normal cases, they receive treatment at the other major hospital in Reno, Saint Mary's Regional Medical Center.
However, the doctors and officials at both hospitals say that in most cases like this, other insurance companies grant temporary waivers to provide the treatment at Renown because Saint Mary's doesn't have an intensive care unit for pediatric cancer patients. GEHA, on the other hand, continues to demand that in order for the Schneiders to receive in-network coverage capped at $5,000 a year, they must travel to an in-network facility such as the one in Oakland.
Jane Overton, GEHA's vice president for claims, said she doesn't believe the company is being unreasonable because the Schneiders are welcome to choose any hospital they want if they pay the out-of-network rate capped at $7,000 annually. "We are fortunate she has our coverage," Overton said on Friday from the company's headquarters in Independence, Mo.
"Her costs (for treatment) will be hundreds of thousands of dollars," she told AP. "Proportionately, to pay that extra amount may or may not be reasonable" depending on one's point of view. Yvette Schneider, whose husband Paul works for the Federal Highway Administration in Carson City, said the family can't afford to pay any more and will have no choice but to continue to make the weekly trips to Oakland. And, she said, there's no guarantee the treatment will end in two years. She said the company's stonewalling is adding to the "physical, emotional and financial stress" of dealing with the illness of their young child.
"It's crazy," Schneider said after 12 hours of traveling and treatment earlier this week. "The money we already have to pay out of pocket is already more than we can afford. Saying that it is only $2,000 a year more -- it might as well be $200,000 a year more. It's already more than we have." Rafael said he is "furious about the whole situation." Torkildson said it's the first time they've met so much resistance to securing authorization to treat a patient who lives in Reno.
"To force a family to drive four hours a week to Oakland for therapy that she could get just down the road from their home seems absolutely atrocious," he said. Connie Goes, a nurse practitioner who works with the two doctors in Oakland and makes the trip to Reno once a week, said it is the first time they have been unable to reach an agreement with any insurance company who is contracted with Saint Mary's.
"The bottom line is this is a little child with leukemia and there is not a pediatric oncology program in northern Nevada outside what we travel to Reno to provide," Goes said. Goes said when she spoke with GEHA officials, the only explanation they would provide was that Renown is not in their network.
"They were very short, very blunt. I get very frustrated with these people," she said. Torkildson said his experience has been that Renown will negotiate a temporary contract in good faith and offer a rate equal, or similar, to the rate offered at St. Mary's. "But this company (GEHA), for whatever reason, doesn't seem to want to open that dialogue," he said. Don Butterfield, communications director for Renown Health, confirmed the situation is unusual. "Renown routinely cooperates with nonparticipating insurers to provide local health care that benefits both patient and family," Butterfield said.
"Usually, when an insurer recognizes a clinical gap in their network, they promptly authorize care at Renown, even if your providers are outside of their network," he said. Shannon Reynolds, GEHA's network manager, said the preferred provider organization GEHA contracts with in the Reno market -- the Universal Health Network -- has been unable to come to an agreement with Renown that would bring it into GEHA's network. "It appears that the hospital isn't quite in the quality quadrant that UHN would like to contract with," Reynolds said Friday. "Not to say Renown is not quality ... but we believe there is very high quality at the hospital in Oakland."
Overton also acknowledged there's been some confusion over the Schneiders' coverage because a customer service representative mistakenly gave one of their doctors the impression there wouldn't be any coverage if they went out of network. "That was inaccurate. We regret any misunderstanding," she said.
The Schneiders have asked for help in letters to Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., and the Nevada Division of Insurance, among others. Reid spokesman Jon Summers confirmed the Senate majority leader's office is looking into the matter but said he couldn't discuss it further publicly.
Van Mouradian, chief insurance examiner for the Nevada Division of Insurance's Life and Health Section, said the state doesn't have any legal jurisdiction over the federal employees program. But he said in an e-mail to AP that the division has asked GEHA to review its procedures so Erica can be treated at Renown. He said a representative of Gov. Jim Gibbons' office has made a similar request. "The company is in the process of reviewing the situation on a priority basis and will let us know as soon as they make a determination," Mouradian said. Dianne Cornwall, director of the Nevada Department of Business and Industry, said she was glad the Division of Insurance was getting involved despite the jurisdictional issue.
"I know it is stressful for this family to have a daughter who is ill, so your assistance to them means more than you might think," she said this week in an e-mail to Mouradian.
Please email Senator Reid: http://reid.senate.gov/contact/index.cfm
or
Gov. Jim Gibbons of Nevada at http://gov.state.nv.us/ContactX.htm.
or call GEHA
GEHA's Customer Service Department : Phone:
Call (800) 821-6136.
cs.geha@geha.com
Thank you so much.Kay
I found this on DailyKos....
If you'd like to send Barack's Grandma a get-well postcard, you may send it to:
Mrs. Madelyn Dunham In care of: Obama for America Honolulu Headquarters 1050 Ala Moana Blvd Ste D2690 Honolulu, HI 96814
Andy Winer, the Hawaii state director for the Obama campaign, has confirmed that the campaign will get the postcards sent to the above address to Barack's family.
Postcards make it easier on the campaign so they don't have to deal with envelopes.
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/10/20/204939/79/721/636932
IndependentMovement.org is going to endorse a candidate for president -- and we want your input!Tell us which candidate you would endorse:http://survey.independentmovement.orgWe are a federal political action committee -- a PAC. We formed the PAC to be able to endorse candidates who we think will help us carry out our goals, and to leverage our power as independents. Here's What You Told Us In The Last Survey: You're looking for a strong leader who will fight to change how politics is done. You want someone who will end the war in Iraq, tackle the economic issues we face, provide health care for all, and create energy independence. You want someone who will create an environment where "we the people" can help create policies that benefit the country - not the special interests. So Tell Us: Which of the Presidential Candidates is best suited to move us forward on these issues?http://survey.independentmovement.orgSincerely,Jim Mangia, Linda Curtis, Fran MillerIndependentMovement.OrgPS. Want to read why independents are supporting the various candidates? Go to http://endorsement.independentmovement.org
PAID FOR BY INDEPENDENT MOVEMENT http://www.independentmovement.org/FEC ID # C00445890. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.
**********************
Dear all:
Please pass on this information on ID thieves using voter registration scams.
Here's an excerpt: Identity thieves are capitalizing on the excitement of this presidential election by running phishing scams with a voter-registration twist. They want to con people into divulging profitable data, such as Social Security numbers, bank account data or credit card information.
Read the rest here:http://www.bankrate.com/brm/news/advice/scams/20080917-voter-ID-theft-scam-a1.asp#continue
****************************** **
http://content.healthaffairs.org/cgi/content/full/hlthaff.27.6.w472/DC1
I think the campaign should make a flier of this!
Here's an excerpt:
Achieving Senator McCain's vision would radically transform the U.S. health insurance system. His plan would alter the nature, source, and financing of coverage for the nearly 160 million Americans who now receive health insurance through their employers. We estimate that twenty million Americans--about one in every eight people with job-based coverage--would lose their current coverage as a result of the change in the tax treatment of coverage. Initially, this loss of job-based coverage would be offset by an increase in coverage in the nongroup market (although not necessarily for the same individuals). Within five years, however, the net effect of the plan is expected to be a net reduction in coverage relative to what would have been observed if the tax treatment of employer-sponsored coverage remains as it is now. The decline of job-based coverage would force millions of Americans into the weakest segment of the private insurance system--the nongroup market--where cost sharing is high and covered services are limited. Senator McCain's proposal to deregulate this market would mean that people in it would lose protections they now have. These changes would diminish the security of coverage for most Americans, especially those who are not--or someday will not be--in perfect health.
WHY DID THE CHICKEN CROSS THE ROAD?
BARACK OBAMA:The chicken crossed the road because it was time for a CHANGE! The chicken wanted CHANGE!
JOHN MC CAIN:My friends, that chicken crossed the road because he recognized the need to engage in cooperation and dialogue with all the chickens on the other side of the road.
HILLARY CLINTON:When I was First Lady, I personally helped that little chicken to cross the road. This experience makes me uniquely qualified to ensure -right from Day One!- that every chicken in this country gets the chance it deserves to cross the road. But then, this really isn't about ME!.......
DR. PHIL:The problem we have here is that this chicken won't realize that he must first deal with the problem on 'THIS' side of the road before it goes after the problem on the 'OTHER SIDE' of the road. What we need to do is help him realize how stupid he's acting by not taking on his 'CURRENT' problems before adding 'NEW' problems.
OPRAH:Well, I understand that the chicken is having problems, which is why he wants to cross this road so bad. So instead of having the chicken learn from his mistakes and take falls, which is a part of life, I'm going to give this chicken a car so that he can just drive across the road and not live his life like the rest of the chickens.
GEORGE W. BUSH:We don't really care why the chicken crossed the road. We just want to know if the chicken is on our side of the road, or not. The chicken is Either against us, or for us. There is no middle ground here. Chickens can be terrorists.
COLIN POWELL:Now to the left of the screen, you can clearly see the satellite image of the chicken crossing the road...
ANDERSON COOPER - CNN:We have reason to believe there is a chicken, but we have not yet been allowed to have access to the other side of the road.
JOHN KERRY:Although I voted to let the chicken cross the road, I am now against it! It was the wrong road to cross, and I was misled about the chicken's intentions. I am not for it now, and will remain against it.
NANCY GRACE:That chicken crossed the road because he's GUILTY! You can see it in his eyes and the way he walks.
PAT BUCHANAN:To steal the job of a decent, hardworking American.
MARTHA STEWART:No one called me to warn me which way that chicken was going. I had a standing order at the Farmer's Market to sell my eggs when the price dropped to a certain level. No little bird gave me any insider information.
DR SEUSS:Did the chicken cross the road? Did he cross it with a toad? Yes, the chicken crossed the road, but why it crossed I've not been told.
ERNEST HEMINGWAY:To die. In the rain. Alone.
JERRY FALWELL:Because the chicken was GAY! Can't you people see the plain truth?! That's why they call it the 'other side.' Yes, my friends, that chicken is gay. And if you eat that chicken, you will become gay too. I say we boycott All chickens until we sort out this abomination that the liberal media white washes with seemi ngly h armless phrases like 'the other side.' That chicken should not be crossing the road. It's as plain and as simple as that.
GRANDPA:In my day we didn't ask why the chicken crossed the road. Somebody toldus the chicken crossed the road, and that was good enough.
BARBARA WALTERS:Isn't that interesting? In a few moments, we will be listening to the chicken tell, for the first time, the heart warming story of how it experienced a serious case of molting, and went on to accomplish its life long dream of crossing the road.
ARISTOTLE:It is the nature of chickens to cross the road.
JOHN LENNON:Imagine all the chickens in the world crossing roads together, in peace.
BILL GATES:I have just released eChicken2008, which will not only cross roads, but will lay eggs, file your important documents, and balance your check Book. Internet Explorer is an integral part of eChicken. This new platform is much more stable and will never cr a...#@&&;^(C%.........reboot.
ALBERT EINSTEIN:Did the chicken really cross the road, or did the road move beneath thechicken?
BILL CLINTON:I did NOT cross the road with THAT chicken. What is your definition of chicken?
AL GORE:I invented the chicken!
COLONEL SANDERS:Did I miss one?
DICK CHENEY:Where's my gun?
AL SHARPTON:Why are all the chickens white? We need some black chickens.
I get forwarded emails all the time and sometimes they annoy me but the list of videos below are compelling and I really felt the need to forward them on.
I kindly ask you to please share these with those you know and ask them to share them. We need these videos to go viral.
Have a great Sunday,Kay
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdJUCU1UH2w
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ioy90nF2anI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_4GfAsKvGU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEtZlR3zp4c
Sep 13, 2:29 PM (ET) By JOAN LOWY (http://apnews.myway.com/article/20080913/D9360EOO0.html)
WASHINGTON (AP) - A conservative political forum on Saturday sold boxes of waffle mix depicting Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama as a racial stereotype on its front and wearing Arab-like headdress on its top flap. The product, Obama Waffles, was meant as political satire, said Mark Whitlock and Bob DeMoss, two writers from Franklin, Tenn., who created the mix and sold it for $10 a box from a booth at the Values Voter Summit sponsored by the lobbying arm of the Family Research Council. Republican Party stalwarts Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney were among speakers at the forum, which officials said drew 2,100 activists from 44 states. While Obama Waffles takes aim at Obama's politics by poking fun at his public remarks and positions on issues, it also plays off the image of the classic pancake-mix icon Aunt Jemima, which has been widely criticized as a demeaning stereotype. Obama is portrayed with popping eyes and big, thick lips as he stares at a plate of waffles and smiles broadly. Placing Obama in Arab-like headdress recalls the false rumor that he is a follower of Islam, though he is actually a Christian. On the back of the box, Obama is depicted in stereotypical Mexican dress, including a sombrero, above a recipe for "Open Border Fiesta Waffles" that says it can serve "4 or more illegal aliens." The recipe includes a tip: "While waiting for these zesty treats to invade your home, why not learn a foreign language?" The novelty item also takes shots at 2004 Democratic nominee John Kerry, Obama's wife, Michelle, and Obama's former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright. The Obama campaign declined to comment. Asked if he considered the pictures of Obama on the box to be racial stereotypes, Whitlock said: "We had some people mention that to us, but you think of Newman's Own or Emeril's - there are tons and tons of personality-branded food products on the market. So we've taken that model and, using political satire, have highlighted his policies, his position changes." The summit was co-sponsored by the socially conservative public policy groups American Values and Focus on the Family Action.
More here:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/9/13/174134/243/251/597755
Call CNN and tell them DOBBS should be FIRED IMMEDIATELY! CNN Cable News Network 1 Time Warner Centre, New York, NY 10019 (212) 275-7800
http://digg.com/2008_us_elections/McCain_campaigns_admits_to_disenfranchisement_tactics
Ballot snafu endangers votesBy Jon Craigjcraig@enquirer.com
About one-third of the absentee ballot applications received at the Hamilton County Board of Elections have been ruled invalid because Republican Sen. John McCain’s presidential campaign printed a version of the form with an extra, unneeded box on it.
In a narrow interpretation of Ohio law, Democratic Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner says many of the McCain forms have not been completed properly. If the box stating the person is an eligible elector -- or qualified voter – is not checked, Brunner said, the application is no good.
Even though the box is unneeded, by not checking it voters are essentially admitting they’re not eligible, Brunner said.
“I have not seen a ruling that indirectly impacts voters to the enormity of this since I’ve been here,’’ Hamilton County Board of Elections Deputy Director John Williams said of his nearly five-year tenure at the board.More than 750 absentee ballot requests in Hamilton County have been invalidated because of Brunner’s ruling, Williams said. Absentee voting begins in 19 days, or on Sept. 30. If a registered Ohio voter’s application is rejected, Brunner said, “We said you have to notify them within 48 hours and we also suggest that (Board of Elections) send them a new application.”That means county Boards of Election must contact tens of thousands of voters and ask them to fill out a new, valid form in time to vote for the Nov. 4 election. The McCain campaign says it mailed out about 1 million of the faulty forms. "The form contains the necessary requirements and has been accepted in past elections, so this election should be no different,’’ Jon Seaton, McCain’s regional campaign manager,’ said today. "Qualified voters who request absentee ballots should receive them.’’
“If I were a voter, I wouldn’t be very happy,” Brunner said. “I’m stuck with the law. You shouldn’t have to check a box.”Brunner insists she would have ruled the same way if the absentee ballot applications were printed by Sen. Barack Obama’s Democratic campaign for president.Regardless, her ruling is likely to be challenged in court. Williams said he has asked a county prosecutor how to proceed. He said state law does not require a separate box on a form, only a printed statement that the voter is a qualified elector.“This has been a huge wrench in our operation,’’ Williams said. “There’s an enormous time and cost involved,’’ Williams said. “If that box was not there, but a four-leaf clover was there, what do you do with that? What if it was a circle that was next to that? What if it was an asterisk? Effectively what she is saying is it doesn’t need to be there, but if it’s there you need to check it.”Letters will be sent out to everyone whose absentee applications were rejected, with instructions on how to fill out the form properly. Williams wondered aloud what part of the faulty form should be returned to avoid new confusion, and not disenfranchise voters. Brunner was elected in 2006 on a campaign encouraging fewer restrictions on voters and more improvements in the election process to make the system easier and more transparent following two presidential elections in which Ohio was riddled with problems involving punch-card ballots, touchscreen machines, long lines and registration snafus. Brunner said state law does not require one standardized form to apply for an absentee ballot. While the Secretary of State prints its own application, the law says it need not be a particular form. A voter can merely send a letter with personal information that identifies him or her as a qualified elector to receive an absentee ballot, Brunner said.Some county Boards of Election have asked Brunner why they should pay to fix the application error. “The law is clear. The problem is with McCain’s form,’’ she said.But Brunner said she does not have the authority to order any campaign to reimburse counties for the new mailing costs to fix the problem.
http://www.suntimes.com/news/otherviews/1156080,091008ebertpalin.article
I think I might be able to explain some of Sarah Palin's appeal. She's the "American Idol" candidate. Consider. What defines an "American Idol" finalist? They're good-looking, work well on television, have a sunny personality, are fierce competitors, and so talented, why, they're darned near the real thing. There's a reason "American Idol" gets such high ratings. People identify with the contestants. They think, Hey, that could be me up there on that show!
My problem is, I don't want to be up there. I don't want a vice president who is darned near good enough. I want a vice president who is better, wiser, well-traveled, has met world leaders, who three months ago had an opinion on Iraq. Someone who doesn't repeat bald- faced lies about earmarks and the Bridge to Nowhere. Someone who doesn't appoint Alaskan politicians to "study" global warming, because, hello! It has been studied. The returns are convincing enough that John McCain and Barack Obama are darned near in agreement.
Five different schools in six years. What was that about?
And how can a politician her age have never have gone to Europe? My dad had died, my mom was working as a book-keeper and I had a job at the local newspaper when, at 19, I scraped together $240 for a charter flight to Europe. I had Arthur Frommer's $5 a Day under my arm, started in London, even rented a Vespa and drove in the traffic of Rome. A few years later, I was able to send my mom, along with the $15 a Day book.
You don't need to be a pointy-headed elitist to travel abroad. You need curiosity and a hunger to see the world. What kind of a person (who has the money) arrives at the age of 44 and has only been out of the country once, on an official tour to Iraq? Sarah Palin's travel record is that of a provincial, not someone who is equipped to deal with global issues.
But some people like that. She's never traveled to Europe, Asia, Africa, South America or Down Under? That makes her like them. She didn't go to Harvard? Good for her! There a lot of hockey moms who haven't seen London, but most of them would probably love to, if they had the dough. And they'd be proud if one of their kids won a scholarship to Harvard.
I trust the American people will see through Palin, and save the Republic in November. The most damning indictment against her is that she considered herself a good choice to be a heartbeat away. That shows bad judgment.
Warning... This is a rant...
Ok, I'm officially pi$$ed off and yes, worried. This high road to the White House is BS, yes, BS. We need to get out there and expose this pathetic Palin. WTF is America thinking? WTF are white men thinking (http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/09/09/palin.poll/index.html). Oh, so she looks good in a skirt and lipstick and now they are drooling to vote for her. AMERICA, Wake TF UP!!!!!!!!!!! We have the worse economy in decades, the worst housing market since the great depression, people DYING because they can't afford appropriate healthcare, people becoming HOMELESS due to housing crisis, a FAILED Iraq war, FAILED foreign policy, EVERYTHING has just friggen failed.
If you want to report me, go ahead, make my day! I've had it. I've tried to keep my cool for a whole year and we are 56 days from a better future or plain CHAOS and this campaign is praising McSame. Are we for real???????????? This campaign needs to strategize to FIGHT back, f*ck the high road. Let's make this a war! Our FUTURE is at stake. Where are everyone's donations going? I have not seen one POW in the face or WOW ad on TV in MONTHS! WTH is going on?????? And don't even try to calm me down by telling me "The campaign knows what they are doing"? HOW? HOW? HOW when all polls and indicators are reflecting that this election will be STOLEN from us because we are not fighting hard enough. We can FIGHT back with HARD blows and do it in a classy way.
My sentiments are not just of mine. My whole family, colleagues, friends, even strangers I've bumped into the supermarket wearing Obama t-shirts are waiting for him to get TOUGH.
I can't tell you in how many places I've read that people are not going to donate anymore (not the best to hear when we have the NYT telling us how Obama's funds are 'anemic' http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/09/us/politics/09donate.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin) until we see some tough action from this campaign. Don't tell me that I need to call, donate, canvass, etc. That goes without saying. I've been involved with this campaign long enough to know what I can do to help. BUT there's just so much of that I can do when the TRUTH behind McSame and PAIN (yes, PAIN not PALIN) is not exposed and pushed in people's faces. F*ck Karl Rove and all the croonies. I want my country back. I don't have time to think about Rove. I can't give him the time of day.
It's my turn to say ENOUGH!
Last week, Virginia’s Montgomery County, home to Virginia Tech, issued a press release regarding proper protocol for college students registering to vote. In interviews with Inside Higher Ed Tuesday, it was described by turns as “unsubstantiated,” “chilling,” and (more generously) as not “incredibly encouraging or friendly.”
It reads, in part: “The Code of Virginia states that a student must declare a legal residence in order to register. A legal residence can be either a student’s permanent address from home or their current college residence. By making Montgomery County your permanent residence, you have declared your independence from your parents and can no longer be claimed as a dependent on their income tax filings — check with your tax professional. If you have a scholarship attached to your former residence, you could lose this funding. And, if you change your registration to Montgomery County, Virginia Code requires you to change your driver’s license and car registration to your present address within 30 days.”
The county registrar of elections said Tuesday that the memo was intended to counteract the absence of cautionary information given to students signed up through the ubiquitous get-out-the-vote registration drives. Generally speaking, however, those interviewed for this article said the warnings are, at worst, farfetched and misleading, or, at best, overstated and not typically supported in reality.
And, in a year in which historic youth voter turnout is anticipated, and the Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama has been propelled by college students’ support, this case in the battleground state of Virginia is “not an isolated incident,” said Sujatha Jahagirdar, program director for the Student Public Interest Research Group’s nonpartisan New Voters Project.
“For a county registrar to issue what really are in our experience unsubstantiated warnings for a particular demographic is alarming,” said Jahagirdar. “It’s upsetting that this is coming up in Virginia. But it’s even more upsetting that the ability of young people to vote is questioned in many other states too.”
She added: “In 25 years of registering young voters around the country, none of the staff has ever heard of a single incident where a student has lost their tax status or their scholarship because of where they’ve registered to vote.”
Meanwhile, Obama’s campaign, which has been registering voters on Virginia Tech’s campus, has called the information propagated by the county “erroneous.” The campaign’s Virginia spokesman, Kevin Griffis, cited an exemption in the U.S. tax code allowing dependents to live away from home while attending school.
And he said that while students should check with their individual health insurers, in the campaign’s calls to 10 top health insurance companies, none indicated that registering to vote at a college address would be grounds for dismissing students from coverage, “and in fact some of them laughed at us.” (In an interview with Inside Higher Ed, Lynne High, a spokeswoman for the mammoth United Healthcare, echoed that students covered on their parents’ health insurance plans aren’t affected if they register to vote in another state.)
“We should be trying to engage as many people as possible in the political process, and have them take part in the civic life of their communities. In the case of students at Virginia Tech, their community is Blacksburg. That’s where they live; that’s where they call home. They should be able to vote there,” Griffis said. (The campaign of the Republican presidential nominee, John McCain, did not return a call to its Virginia state office Tuesday.)
On Information
Montgomery County followed up its first dispatch with a somewhat more neutrally worded news release two days later, on August 27. This one raised similar issues but in the form of questions, which students were prompted to consider in deciding whether to register to vote where their family lives or where their college is.
Among them: “Are you claimed as a dependent on your parents’ income tax return? If you are, then their address is probably your legal residence.... Do you have a scholarship that would be affected if you changed your legal residence?.. Would your health, automobile or other insurance coverage be affected by a change in your legal residence? If you are covered under your parents’ insurance policy, your protection could be affected by a change in your legal residence.”
The language in the county’s second release was taken from the Virginia State Board of Elections’ Web site, which in itself is discouraging, said Jon Greenbaum, director of the Voting Rights Project at the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, in Washington. “If you were to look at this as a student, the suggestion that the State Board of Elections is giving you is, ‘You probably should not register to vote here. Don’t register to vote here.’ We think that’s the wrong message to be sending.”
In an interview, E. Randall Wertz, the general registrar of elections for Montgomery County, cited the State Board of Election’s guidance on college student registration as what he relied upon. He explained that, in sending the memo, he was attempting to combat either the misinformation, or lack of information, that college students have to consider when signing up through voter registration drives.
“What’s happening is they’re going out across campus over here and just getting people to sign the registration forms left and right and not telling them issues to consider, or telling them the incorrect information,” said Wertz. “Before they make the decision to register with us, they need to check with the accountant who does the taxes. They need to check if they’re on their parents’ health insurance. By being at a separate permanent address, does that affect their insurance?”
“I was just trying to inform them of things to consider, and then once they’ve made an informed decision and decide to come with us, we welcome them,” Wertz said.
“We don’t want to suppress them from voting and we certainly want them to vote. It’s just, what’s best for them is what they need to consider. Unfortunately, the campaigns, they’re not concerned with what’s best for the student. They’re generally concerned with just getting people signed up.”
From Tuesday through Friday of last week, voter registration drives at Virginia Tech brought more than 2,000 new registrations to the county, Wertz said. He also estimated that about 25 students have called to ask if the county could cancel the processing of their registration.
I was reading MSNBC and I'd like to quote this wonderful woman if I may:
NancyClarkRichmondVa said:
"First Read- I've never written before would you please publish- thank you. My Husband and I have been Registered Republicans for 45 years and fully planned on supporting the GOP again this year. Then came last night- My son has been a Community Organizer in Boston for the past 5 years and done tremendous and important work helping the less fortunate. My Husband and I are very proud of him and until last night were proud Republicans as well- but we've NEVER been so insulted in all our lives. Imagine if one of your children's chosen career was fed through the meat grinder the way ours was!!!!! We were sitting there and the entire convention felt like it was mocking us, our wonderful son and the choices he's made in his life - to try and give back and make a difference. I'm embarrassed to say this morning the whole thing had me in tears. This concept may be laughable to most in the GOP but it's not to us and we support him 100% and we could never support a Party that so willingly mocks members children. Furthermore, I found the tone of the whole thing to be rather Sophomoric and had virtually NO substance at all - especially Rudy G and Palin. We wanted to know more about Sarah Palin and instead got negativity and condescending attacks from WHO exactly? Who are you- we still don't know except that you can insult others- many of them! This whole thing came off as preachy, very divisive and just plain nasty. Must admit that I feel terrible and ashamed that I would support a ticket and a Party that so freely tossed people like my son under the bus for Political gain? Or is that just the way the GOP feels about Citizens that aren't up to their high standards of making a living? Who really are the elitist here???? Either way- the attack on Community Organizers may have initiated it and although if I relied on the speeches we still have NO Idea where Palin stands on the issues but- do know that she can recite nasty remarks that were supplied to her. What are her plans ideas hopes- who knows? Certainly what we have read is enough for us - along with this speech- this woman is WAY to far right even for us lifetime Republicans and seriously the wrong direction for this country. Our youngest son is a ardent Obama supporter and has been Campaigning here in Richmond Virginia for him for months - Today we are going to join him and work to get a ticket elected that is for ALL the people. We will try and convince close friends relatives and people at our catholic church do the same! I would have never in my wildest dreams thought this would have happened - that my own Party would make me feel so badly, completely ostracized and like the butt of a cruel and unnecessary joke. The bottom line is the GOP has moved even more to the Extremist Right and obviously there is no place for Moderates in this new Republican order- they have made that abundantly clear! We are done buying into the GOP hate and scare machine and urge any open minded and realistic Republicans to do the same. Thank you for allowing my thoughts to be heard. God Bless"
Just read this:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/9/2/1613/27485/447/581295
WAY TO GO, OBAMANATION! You’re AMAZING people!
191 of us have signed the pledge to be more respectful, tolerant, and informative to HRC supporters and others new to the blog. Here are those who are now part of the *** WALL OF KINDNESS ***:
I am so happy so many of you have signed the pledge for unity. Want to join us?
Read and sign the pledge at: http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/Kay/gGB9lz
Thank you to all!
Kay
Now that we have secured the nomination, I ask that we start help others from the HRC camp to heal.
I invite you to make a committment to unity of our Party so that we can all elect Obama as our next POTUS and help us start cleaning of the mess of this current administration.
Commitment:
I promise to be more positive, more informative, respectful, tolerant and welcoming to those of the HRC campaign in order to reach our overall goal of electing Barack Obama into the Office of President of the United States. I will be more hospitable and courteous to any and all coming to the blogs. I promise that before posting a backlash comment or responding out of emotion, I will take a DEEP breath and think about what Obama would say were I to post a retaliatory or defensive post now that he has asked us all to unite.
Let's share and educate others on the goodness of this campaign, the supporters and bloggers, and, of course, Barack Obama.
Please sign this agreement if you'd like to take part.
Please add your name to the very END of the list vs responding to another person. This helps me keep track of those who have signed so I can add you to the Wall of Kindness. :)
Kind regards,
P.S. Wanna be buddies? :) Just send an invite. :)
Well, today has come. Exactly 5 months ago in Iowa, I prayed for today.
So how do I feel. Well, I have a mixed bag of emotions. I feel incredibly happy, elated, joyous!! Over forty years ago when Martin Luther King gave his "I Have a Dream" speech who knew we'd be celebrating the history that we are celebrating today. When I woke up this morning, I said to myself "Wow, this is it!." Then I logged in and saw that the last pre-primary late thread had been posted and well, I actually choked up. I've waited to long for a day like today. So many have waited so long for this. To think that now the countdown to Jan 20 has officially begun is very emotional. We've been thru so much as a country, lost so many lives in Iraq, and some are fighting to make ends meet as I type this. I don't know if my sadness of the past 7 years is really sadness or accepted anger at the current administration. I just don't know. Freud (I think it was him) said that the inside out of anger is depression so I guess the 2 emotions I feel make sense.
I can only imagine what it feels like to be an African American today. In fact, that's the most emotional part of all this for me. With their incredibly painful yet resilient history, today must an absolutely magnificent day. I share this incredible moment of history with you.
I would like to thank the following people for so much given since Obama announced his candidacy for POTUS. I know I'd need a book to outline it all, but for now and, in no particular order I'd like to thank...........
I am sure I have missed many on this list but please know I am extremely grateful to anyone involved with this campaign to date or who contributed to today being a memorable moment in history!
Let the General Election begin!!!
Hugs and love to all,
P.S. If you'd like to be my buddy, please send an invite. :)
