Greetings everyone,
We are once again calling on Grassroots support to help our president implement his change agenda. Organizing for America (OFA) has launched it's first major action, the Pledge Project Canvass that we're asking our volunteers to participate in on March 21 & 22. For all that you built, help us kick this off right! There is true grassroots activism that YOU stirred up - we still need your help to harness it.
Triple Package (3 people to a room) $185.00 per person Notice: Durham, Greensboro, and Winston-Salem now have a limited number of seats available ........ We have no Inauguration access opportunities beyond those who will be awarded to citizens who ride the buses ....
Dear President-Elect Obama, Please, Please, keep this site up! We, the Grassroots for Obama, have been vitalized, spirited and connected through mybarack. Many Grassroots organizations are continuing to work for your platform and issues after you take the oath of office. We need to communicate and share ideas! Please consider NOT SHUTTING DOWN THIS SITE! you said, "We are the ChANGE we need!". We cannot do it alone so please let us continue to support you through this site.
Our Fayetteville organization, Sandhills Grassroots for Obama will be starting new community involvement programs in two weeks. Let us HELP YOU make the Change. We are proud and happy that you will become our 44th President and we will help you, just as you said you can not do it alone....so let us use this technological vehicle to exchange ideas on what many of us will do . God Bless you and I'ld love to help send the Vans to the WH to move the Bushes back to Crawford.
When Early Voting began, answering the question of "Where are the Democratic voters in North Carolina?" was easy: in the counties with the highest Democratic registration. But now that Early Voting is over, answering that question is a little trickier, b/c it depends on who has already voted. Luckily the NC Board of Elections makes that data available to us.
Below is a table where I attempt to answer this question. For purposes of clarity, I've taken out the obvious examples of the top 3 counties in population--Mecklenburg, Wake, and Guilford. In the first column below, the % is that county's Democratic turnout by the end of Early voting. In the 2nd column, counties are ranked in descending order by their Democratic Registration.
But the 3rd and 4th columns are the important ones. Column 3 is where the counties rank after Early Voting by their numbers of Democrats who've not yet voted. Notice the counties in bold that are moving up the list from Column 2. Finally, Column 4 is a bit of guess work: based on Early Voting, how will these counties rank, after Tuesday, in terms of Democrats who did not vote at all? To arrive at this total I did a rough, across the board estimate: I multiplied the county's early vote turnout % by 150% (FYI, doing this across the state would give Democratic turnout of 80%--optimistic, but very possible). Again, note how the counties in bold continue moving up the list, if things go on as they have so far.
Is this alarming? Yes it is. The reason is that whereas in the 2nd column, registration, the counties in bold account for only 21.3% of Democratic registration (again, not counting Mecklenburg, Guilford, & Wake), in Column 3 they have increased to 24.3% of Democrats who've not yet voted. Not bad, one might say, but it gets worse. If those same turnout trends are extended through Tuesday, those counties in bold (column 4) will then account for (outside of the Big Three), 43.2% of all registered Democrats left at home. I.e., not Durham County, not Orange, or Buncombe, which look set to get their turnout, but these smaller, more rural counties, which probably have fewer volunteers and less GOTV organization. These counties look likely to leave voters at home (just as many of them did in 2004, especially Robeson, which has historically low turnout).
Can this pattern by changed in the next 54 hours???
Early turnout Rank, Dem. Rank, Dems Est.final rank,
registration not yet voted Dems. who stayed home
57% DURHAM CUMBERLAND ROBESON
46% CUMBERLAND FORSYTH CUMBERLAND
47% FORSYTH DURHAM FORSYTH
56% BUNCOMBE ROBESON CABARRUS
51% PITT BUNCOMBE NEW HANOVER
46% NEW HANOVER NEW HANOVER GASTON
58% ORANGE PITT DAVIDSON
23% ROBESON GASTON JOHNSTON
44% GASTON CABARRUS HARNETT
46% ALAMANCE JOHNSTON ALAMANCE
42% JOHNSTON ORANGE ROWAN
37% CABARRUS ALAMANCE COLUMBUS
52% UNION DAVIDSON PITT
52% NASH ROWAN DURHAM
56% WAYNE IREDELL ONSLOW
46% IREDELL UNION HALIFAX
37% DAVIDSON ONSLOW RANDOLPH
42% ROWAN HARNETT CLEVELAND
48% CATAWBA CLEVELAND IREDELL
43% ONSLOW CATAWBA CRAVEN
52% WILSON NASH ROCKINGHAM
44% CLEVELAND COLUMBUS BUNCOMBE
51% EDGECOMBE HALIFAX CATAWBA
51% BRUNSWICK ROCKINGHAM HAYWOOD
45% ROCKINGHAM CRAVEN UNION
38% HARNETT WAYNE SURRY
44% CRAVEN WILSON DUPLIN
41% HALIFAX BRUNSWICK BEAUFORT
37% COLUMBUS RANDOLPH LINCOLN
Hi Obama Friends,
Lucia from Rhode Island called our NC Campaign for Change Office to request we write letters to editors and I told her we could probably reach more editors by posting this to the Obama Blog. She was calling each state but I thought this would be a quicker way to reach more people. Will you please take a few minutes from your busy Obama Day and send this to your local newspapers and your groups? Also, send to your friends and ask them to help as well. We have got to do as much as we can to win this election! Thanks...Bev
To the Editor: I wonder if your readers are aware that John McCain’s father died of a heart attack at the age of 70, two years younger than McCain is now? And that his grandfather’s ticker also gave out--at the age of 61! Don’t let McCain’s feisty elderly mother be all we know of his genetic inheritance. We ought to be concerned that this potential Commander-in-Chief might succumb to a heart attack--at any moment.By choosing the least-qualified Vice Presidential candidate in memory, someone whom many members of his own party have said is not ready, John McCain hasn’t put “Country First.” Not by a long shot.(Signed)
Guess what – not only is Barack coming to Fayetteville on Sunday (Oct 19th) – but Cumberland County will open five One-Stop Early Voting locations on Sunday from 1:00 – 5:00 p.m.That’s right – you can see Barack and show your support for him by voting for him. All in the same day. Now that is one exciting and productive day!Barack’s Change We Need Rally will be at the Crown Coliseum at 1:30 – doors open at 11:00 a.m. The event is free and open to the public. Tickets are not required; however an RSVP is strongly encouraged. RSVP Here: http://my.barackobama.com/fayettevillechangeThen, head on over to a One-Stop Early Voting location that’s open this Sunday (Oct 19th): http://nc.barackobama.com/NCCumberlandCoOSEVOne-Stop Early Voting – make sure your vote counts. Vote Early. You can register and vote – all at the same time. It’s One-Stop Early Voting and it’s easy, even if you have never voted before.
Find the hours and locations for One-Stop Early Voting sites in your county now.
Election Day starts today.
You can One-Stop Early Vote now.
It's the easiest and surest way to make sure your vote counts.
You can even register and vote all at the same time. It's easy, even if you have never voted before.
Visit voteforchange.com to find a polling location in your county.
Saturday, October 11, 2008
VA chief says lack of communication to Congress members, veterans led to ill will
By Kathy Chaff
kchaffin@salisburypost.com
The director of the Hefner VA Medical Center admitted Friday that her communications plan did not work well when it came to informing members of Congress about upcoming changes in veterans services.
"And I will make sure that doesn't happen again," Carolyn L. Adams said at an afternoon news conference on "Improving Veterans' Access to Care" initiative.
When asked to elaborate, she responded that her efforts to ensure the medical center's 1,500 employees were informed before anyone else had led to other key parties — such as U.S. Rep. Mel Watt, D-N.C. — not hearing about it until the official news was announced in Sept. 18 e-mails and faxes.
"I missed a beat," she said. "That was not the best way for me to get it there."
News of the Hefner VA Medical Center's plans to eliminate emergency and inpatient services and focus mainly on mental health and long-term care has upset elected officials, veterans and employees alike.
Adams, who has been director since April of 2007, tried to put to rest warnings by two national union leaders that the changes could result in the loss of up to 1,000 jobs. She said only 140 to 145 positions would be affected, and that "each and every one of these employees will be offered job opportunities."
Eventually, as the mental health and long-term care programs are expanded, Adams said new positions will be added.
The expansion of mental health services will allow for better treatment of combat-related diagnoses such as post-traumatic stress disorder.
The plan to transition the Hefner VA Medical Center to a Clinical Center of Excellence for Mental Health and Long-Term Care was based on the findings of an independent study of demographic trends and in keeping with the VA's latest model of care.
As part of the new offerings, the Salisbury VA will maintain a wide array of outpatient services and establish an Employee Learning Center on campus.
Adams, who served previously as associate director of the Salem VA Medical Center, said she has explained the upcoming changes at Veterans Support Organizations and focus groups.
Veterans appear to be the most concerned about the elimination of emergency services, she said. Some have said they fear waiting four to five hours to be seen in a private hospital emergency department.
In preparation for the transition in services, Adams said VA officials have talked with officials at Rowan Regional and other Novant facilities as well as the Carolinas Medical Centers system (which includes CMC-NorthEast in Concord) and Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center to ensure appropriate and timely care for veterans.
Of the 21,000 visits to the Hefner VA emergency department last year (including repeat visits by the same veterans), she said only 10 percent or 2,100 visits qualified as actual emergencies.
In the future, Adams said that 10 percent can be provided access to those services in local medical centers on a fee-for-service basis.
When the transition is complete, she said the other 90 percent can be treated at primary care clinics with hours to be extended into the evenings. Primary care clinics in Winston-Salem, Charlotte and Hickory will also be expanded so that veterans who had been coming to the Hefner VA won't have to travel as far for services.
Outpatient services will include general mental health, medical and surgical specialty care, diagnostic imaging, dental care and ambulatory surgery.
As for the elimination of inpatient beds, Adams said there are only 14 general medicine and six surgery beds. The average census in the intensive care unit for the past year has been four patients.
"So it's not a large number of beds that we're talking about not being here at Salisbury," she said.
As part of the transition, the Mental Health and Long Term Care Centers of Excellence will continue to provide inpatient services.
When asked about veterans' concerns, Adams attributed them to "the fear of the unknown." The plan ensures that veterans will get the health care they need, she said.
"We want it to be very seamless for the veterans," she said. "We want them to have the best health care."
As for the cost of veterans' inpatient services at private medical centers, Adams said it will be paid as long as the patients are referred by the VA. Emergencies would also be covered, she said.
Adams said no timeline has been set for the transition. "We want to make sure we have communicated well with the community," she said.
Why is the media in the Fayetteville/Raleigh/Durham, NC area keeping quiet and not following up on this story? See below article published in the Salisbury Post.
Salisbury Post, Salisbury, North Carolina October 14, 2008
By Kathy Chaffin
CLEVELAND — The town's Board of Commissioners took a stand Monday night against proposed changes in services at the Hefner VA Medical Center.
"I don't know who runs the VA," said Mayor Jim Brown, "but I think they've got their heads screwed on wrong."
Cleveland commissioners voted 3-0 to adopt a resolution opposing the Department of Veterans Affairs' plan to eliminate inpatient, emergency and surgical services at the Hefner Medical Center as part of its transition to a long-term care and mental health facility for veterans. The resolution was the same one adopted by Rowan County commissioners at their Oct. 6 meeting.
VA officials announced the changes Sept. 19, prompting an outcry from veterans, employees and elected officials.
Brown pointed out that the VA had recently spent millions of dollars upgrading the medical center's emergency and surgical areas. "I don't know why they would spend that kind of money and then turn around and shut it down," he said.
The need for the services has not decreased, Brown said. If anything, he said, it will be increasing as more soldiers return from the war in Iraq.
Also at Monday's meeting, Cleveland commissioners voted to award a contract for landscaping a 175-foot buffer along the east side of Town Hall to Blue Stone Landscape by Godley's Garden Center in Salisbury, which submitted a bid of $4,044 for the work.
The other bid of $4,450 was submitted by Hewitt Landscaping of Cleveland.
Brown said the buffer, which is required as part of the town's zoning ordinance when businesses or government buildings are located next to residential areas, should have probably been done when the new Town Hall was built.
Bids call for the buffer area to be planted in maples, crape myrtles and various shrubs.
Commissioner Pat Phifer said Blue Stone and Hewitt are both reputable landscaping companies.
Brown agreed, saying "I would hate to recommend one over the other." In situations like this, he said, commissioners should either pick the low bid or "have a good reason that you don't."
The Blue Stone bid is $400 lower than the competing bid, he said, which amounts to about 10 percent of the total cost of the project.
Phifer responded, "So I don't see how we can not use it."
In other business, Nancy Brown, who chairs the town's Beautification Committee, announced the October Yard of the Month Award goes to Allen and Peggy Phifer, owners of a residence at 104 W. Main St.
Nancy Brown said the house is actually vacant, but you'd never know it by the obvious care that goes into the yard. "They do a tremendous amount of work there," she said. "There's flowers growing on the property, and the yard is mowed on a regular basis.
"It has really improved the looks of our small downtown section."
The Phifers were not at the meeting, but will receive a $100 check and Yard of the Month certificate.
Commissioner Mary Frank "Frankie" Fleming-Adkins thanked Brown for all the work the Beautification Committee has done in the downtown area. Cleveland natives who have driven through the town in recent months have commented about how much better the town looks, she said.
The ER is closing and the inpatient medical unit. Also the OR inpatient surgery patients. Hefner/VAMC will only do out patient procedures and ECT.
The Hefner/VAMC will be the center” for excellence in Long term Care and Psychiatry. “ per VISN 6.
The American Federation of Govrnment Employees , AFL-CIO have written letters to their congressmen:
Dear Representative, Watts, Hayes, Burr, Senator Dole:
I am writing to thank you for your opposition to the sudden and shocking decision to contract out or ER, OR and medical surgical units at the W.G. {Bill] Hefner VAMC.
NC’s Veterans served our country honorably. Now our country must keep its promise to provide them with the specialized care that only the VA can provide. Requiring the
Veterans who depend on the Hefner VAMC to use overcrowed community hospitals and ERs and face burdensome out-of-pocket medical co-pays is unfair and unacceptable.
Further, as details of the facilities closing decision have emerged, it is clear that the VA with the knowledge of top management at Hefner VAMC conducted a secret study
To justify their decision to diminish services. This leads me to believe the VA fully intends to expand the contracting out of health care this the Hefner VAMC, across NC. and the entire country.
This is outrageous! Quality, affordable veterans’ health care will disappear and the veterans will die.
I understand you are going to contact VA Secretary James Peak and urge him to reverse the decision to contract out acute care services at the Hefner VAMC Salisbury. I urge you to do that as
Soon as possible. Thank you for supporting NC’s Veterans.
---end of sample letter above----
Salisbury, NC VA Med Center is located in Senator Elizabeth Dole's hometown and in NC Congressman Robine Hayes district -- both Republicans, Bush supporters, and running again for re-election ... If this happened in their own back yard, allegedly without their knowledge, what do you think is in store for you and your state?
Union, VA leaders spar over potential job cuts
Salisbury Post Thursday, October 09, 2008 Two national union leaders visiting Salisbury Wednesday warned that planned changes to the Hefner VA Medical Center could cost 1,000 jobs — an assertion denied by a spokeswoman for the medical center.
"It won't be like a plant closing, it'll be more like a constant whacking away," said J. David Cox, national secretary-treasurer for the American Federation of Government Employees.
He admitted the predicted loss of jobs was a "very speculative number."
Carol Waters, pubic affairs officer for the VA Medical Center, said the planned changes won't result in any job cuts.
"That's not true," Waters said when told the huge job losses that Cox predicted. "It's unfair to our veterans and our staff to upset them by saying that."
Cox spoke to AFGE members during a luncheon at the VA. Also speaking was John Sweeney, president of the AFL-CIO.
The pair had spoken earlier in the day to a smaller group of union workers during a round-table discussion at Salisbury's Farmhouse Restaurant.
Both Cox and Sweeney said the job cuts will be devastating to veterans served by the VA, as well as the Rowan County economy.
VA administrators announced last month that the hospital will be making a transition away from inpatient, emergency and surgical services to a long-term and mental-health facility for veterans.
The news has been received with much criticism by both veterans and VA employees.
"What's happening here is outrageous," Sweeney said. "It's an insult to the courageous veterans who have done so much for our country."
Sweeney said the AFL-CIO includes 10.5 million members, which includes members of the AFGE.
He said the shifts planned for the VA are "part of an effort to privatize everything.
"They want to do with health care what they did for the financial industry," Sweeney said. "You see where that's led us."
He said the moves at the VA will push more veterans to privatized hospitals that are already overcrowded. Sweeney said doing so would saddle veterans with out-of-pocket co-pays and force them into long lines in emergency rooms.
"We're not going to stand by silently," Sweeney said. "We're going to win this battle and we're going to win it soon."
At Wednesday's VA luncheon, union workers distributed form letters they asked members to sign and send to congressmen Howard Coble, Robin Hayes and Mel Watt, who represent the area.
"I urge you to immediately contact VA Secretary James Peake and urge him to reverse the decision to contract out acute care services at the W.G. "Bill" Hefner VAMC in Salisbury," the letters concluded.
Cox said while the VA has denied that jobs will be cut, it was important to look for "code words" in a Health-Care Center Facility Leasing Program document released by the VA.
He said jobs will be lost throughout the VA, both in Salisbury and at other VA centers across the country. Attrition will take care of some, Cox said, with employees not replaced when they quit.
Other jobs will be out-sourced to private companies where workers can be hired at pay rates far lower than what union members make.
"Is all this going to happen overnight?" Cox asked. "No, but it will happen."
No, Waters countered, it won't.
She said some workers may change jobs through the planned changes, but denied that cuts are forthcoming. Waters said between $60 million and $100 million in improvements are planned for the local VA.
"Our center is going to grow in staff and service," Waters said. "We have an incredible potential to be a model for the country."
She admitted that not all involved with the forthcoming changes is known, and VA administrators are still learning.
She said that in 1996, the number of patients treated through the VA was 24,896. This year, that number is expected to exceed 65,000.
"That's incredible growth," Waters said. "We've got so many great changes. It's a shame that these people don't look at the glass as half-full. The potential is over-running."
Essie Hogue, president of the local chapter of the AFGE, said about 1,600 workers are employed at the local VA and its outpatient clinics in Charlotte and Winston-Salem.
"We are in the fight of our lives," Hogue warned her fellow union members.
Alma Lee, president of the National VA Council, said much the same. She referred to the planned changes as "the latest attempt to dismantle the VA as you know it.
"This is part of the national plan by the VA to radically alter how veterans receive care by the VA," Lee said.
Dear Fellow Democrats, Obamacans and Independents, My name is Donna Mansfield and I have been asked to be the Regional Coordinator for Women for Obama. Some of you know me and some do not, so allow me to take a minute to introduce myself. I am a resident of Fayetteville, a wife and a mother to a wonderful 6 year old. I came to Fayetteville via the US Army and have been actively involved in our community, currently as Board Chair for the Partnership for Children of Cumberland County ;. I was very active in the Primaries on behalf of the Obama campaign and was a Alternate-Delegate to the Democratic National Convention this year in Denver. I am writing to invite you and any other women you may know to join our Women for Obama team here in Fayetteville. Barack Obama’s Campaign for Change will rely on Women for Obama participants like you across the state to make a difference in this historic election. I know that as women we wear many hats and have many different responsibilities but I urge you to become involved and voice your support for Barack Obama. Below I have listed an overview of what we will be doing to help Barack Obama's campaign succeed here in North Carolina.
I was one of the people watching Governor Palin's speech last night with so much enthusiasm to see who she really is and what she really stands for. All other issues aside, I was most appalled with the parading of their pregnant daughter with the boyfriend.....What messeges are they sending to the teenagers across the nation! I was watching this with my 17 year old son...In his own words(my son) he said "this is not right mom!"I asked him to explain to me why he thought that. He said that what he gets from the whole display is that it is ok to get pregnant when you are still in high school and that you should keep the baby...When I asked him what was so wrong with that, he explained to me that, they were rich, they could afford to have their daughter to keep the baby..."what about the rest of us mom"? he asked. "You cannot afford to help me take care of a baby if I had one now!". Now this is my son, and he saw through the hypocrisy of all this. He said they should be teaching young people to avoid being pregnant in high school instead of saying it is ok!...That is one view from a 17 year old...maybe more teenagers should be asked what the "very positive public display" of a "normal" family meant to them!
Hi guys,
Bev and I are here in Denver waiting for the roll call. We are staying near the airport and are far from the action right now.
We hope to hook up with denverobamicans to show us around the town.
Peninnah for Obama
Bev for Obama
