[courtesy of Blog for America]

Graduate Student Union at CMU

Graduate students who work on campus at Central Michigan University are organizing to form a graduate student union. This will give us power to participate in decisions regarding our pay, benefits, and working conditions.

Currently, pay is increasing at a slower rate than inflation, and CMU is the only one of the 5 largest Michigan universities that does not provide graduate assistants with health insurance coverage -- the other four universities all have unions.

Sign this petition to say you support our cause!

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/cmugsu/

[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

The PPIC's latest statewide survey is out, and it reveals an electorate desiring action on health care and term limits reform, but skeptical of our state's financial future.

Prop 93, the term limits reform, has the backing of 47% of likely voters, with 38% opposed and 15% unsure. While this is below the coveted 50% threshold, when the specifics of the initiative are laid out to voters, an even more promising picture emerges. 67% of likely voters support the reduction of maximum time spent in the legislature from 14 years to 12 years, while 58% of voters (including 60% of Republicans), support allowing a legislator to serve a total of 12 years in both or either chamber. And while 66% of likely voters think term limits are a good thing, 69% agree that changes need to be made to the system.

by CarlsbadDem [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

Give the orange version a rec if you're so inclined.

This is sort of a sequel to Rant: I hate my health insurance co.

Fresh of one of the most family-oriented holidays of the year, I'm sure all of you will know exactly what I'm talking about with the following scene:

Half a dozen extended family members crowded in a small living room trying to accomplish a task nobody really knows how to do. At least twice as many proposals as people. And somehow everybody gets to thinking that if they just repeat their idea often enough, at loud enough volume, it will become the best idea. Total chaos. "Too many cooks," as they say.

Except we're not arguing about how to tell if the turkey is done, or what the best route to the movie theater is. We're arguing about how you're supposed to put an I.V. into somebody's arm.

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

In the Democratic weekly radio address Assembly Health Committee. Committee Chair Mervyn Dymally talks about the new Democratic health care reform legislation. Assembly Bill 1X, authored by Speaker Fabian Nunez and Senate President pro Tem Don Perata that was approved earlier this week by his committee. He says the new health care bill is bold and realistic. He is joined by Assemblymember Ed Hernandez who addresses this issue in Spanish.

You may listen in English or Spanish or read the full transcripts of this week’s Democratic radio addresses follow:

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

• Comparison with Prior Democratic and Governor's Proposal
• Would Require Californian to Have Health Insurance, But Conditioned on Affordability

By Anthony Wright
Executive Director of Health Access California

Democratic legislative leaders on Tuesday announced out their latest health reform proposal, as the framework for a potential agreement with Governor Schwarzenegger. The press release is available at the website of Speaker Fabian Nunez.

The framework would provide more help to more Californians in getting affordable coverage than either the Governor's plan or the legislative leaders' previous proposal, AB 8. It also moves in the direction of the Governor's proposal in key areas, including spreading the financial burden among a broader range of contributors, and introducing a requirement that all Californians buy health coverage--although only if coverage is deemed affordable.

The new bill, AB X1 1 (the first bill in the first extraordinary session of the legislature) will be formally introduced as legislative language later this week. It is expected to be heard in the Assembly Health Committee hearing on November 14th. Financing elements of the plan, which include a hospital fee, employer fee and a $2-a-pack tobacco tax, would appear before voters in November 2008.