Who's correct on the economy, Obama or Romney?

It's impossible to be an Involved Voter today without a willingness to dig below the surface and get more familiar with economic causes and solutions.

I recommend taking a look at what Henry Blodget has written at Business Insider.  Here's a link to a recent post: http://www.businessinsider.com/obama-vs-romney-economy-2012-6

In the article, Blodget points out that who is right depends on the goal.  Is the goal to heal the overall economy gradually while minimizing pain and disruption, or to try to cure the problem by going "cold turkey"--without any regard for the (hopefully temporary) pain, unemployment, GDP shrinkage, and increased debt, deficits, and inequality that will result from this approach?  He then gives reasons why the former goal is the preferred one.

If charts are your thing, here's a post for you: http://www.businessinsider.com/politics-economics-facts-charts-2012-6#weve-had-an-amazingly-prosperous-run-for-the-last-70-years-but-we-just-had-a-big-unusual-hiccup-in-economic-growth-1

It's the responsibility of Involved Voters to make time to understand the issues, and then vote accordingly.

Is Romney Lying about Health Care? You Decide.

Ed Kilgore at the Washington Monthly's Political Animal blog has an excellent post, Disguising "Repeal and Reverse".  He points out that despite what Mitt Romney keeps saying about his plans to "repeal and replace" ObamaCare (aka the Affordable Care Act), there is no "replace" in sight.  Romney is offering at most a return to the laws that existed before the act was passed - including the ability of insurers to deny coverage for pre-existing conditions.  You have to "read the fine print" to figure out what he's actually supporting - including the "Ryan budget" which will shred what's left of the "safety net" many of us count on.

To quote Kilgore:

...it’s important to understand the GOP’s agenda for health care is not “repeal and replace,” or even “repeal and do nothing”—it’s “repeal and reverse,” and a cruel trick on anyone looking for genuine reform.

Good News from Local Democratic Presidential Caucus

It was no surprise that the folks who attended the Democratic Presidential Caucus in Dexter yesterday voted unanimously for Barack Obama.  But that's not the good news I'm talking about.

The best news is related to candidates for office closer to home.

• 7th Congressional District - Yes, there is a real, serious Democrat running to unseat Tim Walberg: Ruben Marquez of Jackson just announced his intentions.
• 52nd State House District - Gretchen Driskell, 7 term mayor of Saline is running for State Representative against the "really nice guy" who has let us all down with his voting record and refuses to discuss the issues. www.votegretchen.com
• Washtenaw County Commission 1st District - Kent Martinez-Kratz, Chelsea City Council member since 2005

For more inspiration, check out the first official Obama/Biden campaign rally May 5 in Ohio.

Happy Birthday, Affordable Care Act!

Even though some of its key provisions - for example, no denial of coverage or ability to charge you more because of a pre-existing condition, including a disability - don't go into effect until 2014, the Affordable Care Act has already begun working.  Here are some statistics relevant to those of us in Michigan:

• Health care works for women, children, seniors – everyone. More than 2.9 million Michiganders received preventative care such as mammograms and colonoscopies for free in 2011.

• Health care works for young adults: 57,527 Young Adults in Michigan are now insured because of the new health care law.

• Health care works for seniors: 84,168 Medicare beneficiaries saved more than $48 million on prescription drugs because of the new health care law.

• Health care works for small businesses: A growing number of businesses offering health care coverage are taking advantage of tax credits available under the law.

The facts show that the ACA is working, but Republicans are still doing everything they can to try and repeal the law.  By calling it "Obamacare," they have been tapping into the resentment that many Republicans feel toward Democrats in general and President Obama in particular for winning in 2008.  This and the fear-mongering and demagoguing that are so common on the campaign trail are diverting attention from the benefits of the law.  Ask people if they support many of the specifics of the ACA and the majority say yes, definitely.

Involved Voters can find information about what portions of the ACA have already been implemented and what's still to come on the healthcare.gov timeline page.


On Monday, March 26th, the Supreme Court will begin oral arguments about the constitutionality of the law.  The proceedings will be worth following.  


If you or someone in your family has already benefited from the ACA or will in the future, I encourage you to write a letter to the editor or comment online during this important time.

"The Road We've Traveled" - What a Contrast with the Rhetoric from Republican Candidates

Here's a link to the trailer for the new film about President Obama's first term.

http://www.barackobama.com/news/entry/first-look-the-road-weve-traveled

The film, which is 17 minutes long, will be released March 15 at Obama re-election campaign venues.  Get re-inspired, and get to work - Obama 2012!

Whose religious freedom is actually under attack?

Catholic bishops and the radical right are screaming foul because of federal requirements to include contraception among the preventive health services for women covered by health care plans - despite the exceptions for employees of churches.

The way I see it, when a religious entity runs a hospital, university, or charity that takes money from and employees people for whom contraception is the choice of an informed conscience, they need to avoid doing things like denying coverage for it in the health plans they offer. I consider it a violation of these women's religious freedom for the hierarchy of a church to impose the church's view of morality on them.

Blogger Kevin Drum points out in a recent post just how far removed the Catholic hierarchy is from the practices of most Catholics.  Here's the link: http://motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2012/02/catholics-do-not-have-moral-objection-contraception.  And, I would remind the bishops, not all Americans are Catholics.  Where is the respect for people's freedom of conscience that one could reasonably expect from those who should be exemplary followers of Christ?

What America is About

From President Obama's speech at the University of Michigan, January 27, 2012:

We do not begrudge wealth in this country. I want everybody here to do well. We aspire to financial success. But we also understand that we’re not successful just by ourselves. ... We’re successful because somebody made an investment in all the federal research labs that created the Internet. We’re successful because we have an outstanding military -- that costs money. We’re successful because somebody built roads and bridges and laid broadband lines. And these things didn’t just happen on their own.

And if we all understand that we’ve got to pay for this stuff, it makes sense for those of us who've done best to do our fair share. And to try to pass off that bill onto somebody else, that’s not right. That’s not who we are. That’s not what my grandparents' generation worked hard to pass down. That’s not what your grandparents and your great-grandparents worked hard to pass down. We’ve got a different idea of America, a more generous America.

Everybody here is only here because somebody somewhere down the road decided we’re going to think not just about ourselves, but about the future. We’ve got responsibilities, yes, to ourselves but also to each other. And now it’s our turn to be responsible. Now it’s our turn to leave an America that’s built to last. And I know we can do it. We’ve done it before and I know we can do it again because of you.

When I meet young people all across this country, with energy and drive and vision, despite the fact that you’ve come of age during a difficult, tumultuous time in this world, it gives me hope. You inspire me. ...You know that doing big things isn’t always easy, but you’re not giving up.
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We do not shrink from challenges. We stand up to them. And we don’t leave people behind; we make sure everybody comes along with us on this journey that we’re on.

That’s the spirit right now that we need, Michigan. Here in America, we don’t give up. We look out for each other. We make sure everybody has a chance to get ahead. And if we work in common purpose, with common resolve, we can build an economy that gives everybody a fair shot. And we will remind the world just why it is that the United States of America is the greatest nation on Earth.