Found in last week's Southeastern Wisconsin Labor Paper

July 5, 2009 - Kenosha, Wisconsin Civic Veterans Parade

Sign created by Holly, age 6. It was attached to the back of my car as we rode in the Kenosha, Wisconsin Civic Veterans Parade.

See Kenosha News article HERE.

Happy 4th of July!!!!

Me and UAW Local 72 Legislative Committee Chair, Mike Underhill, celebrating July 4th by representing the Kenosha County Democratic Party in the Somers, Wisconsin parade. Mike used his brand new Dodge truck to pull the Dem party donkey!

Health Care Community Discussions in Janesville, Wisconsin

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Paulette Garin, 2008 Democratic Congressional Candidate and State Coordinator for the Leadership Conference for Guaranteed Health Care, will lead two Community Discussions regarding Health Care Reform in Janesville on Tuesday, June 30, 2009.

Paulette will present the various plans that are currently being discussed in Congress along with some of the pros and cons. In addition, you are invited to share your health care concerns.

The first event will be held at 29 South Main Street at 4:30 p.m.

The second event will take place at Basics Cooperative Natural Foods, 1711 Lodge Drive
at 6:30 p.m.

Please make an effort to attend and bring your friends and neighbors as well!!!

For more information go to http://my.barackobama.com/

Click HERE to read the Janesville Gazette's article.

Supporting Union Jobs Means Supporting the Middle Class

My Grandfather began working in 1913 for Thomas B. Jeffrey Company in Kenosha. The Jeffrey Company became Nash-Kelvinator, which eventually became American Motors, Corporation (AMC) and is now present day Chrysler. Grandpa was an original founding UAW member in the 1930's. He retired out of AMC after over 50 years of service.



SOLIDARITY!

UFCW Picketing, Sunday, June 14, 2009

Here I am picketing for my UFCW brothers and sisters with labor leaders from several different Kenosha locals.


The most important issue revolving around the worker's rights to have a union concerns health care.

Democratic Party of Wisconsin State Convention

Here is the message I had the privilege to deliver to the DPW Delegates on Saturday June 13, 2009.



Here is a brief clip of my message to the DPW delegates regarding health care reform.



The DPW delegates passed 3 resolutions regarding health care reform:

1. Support passage of H.R. 676 and S.B. 703 - legislation that creates and enacts a national health care program which provides comprehensive, guaranteed health care - publicly financed, but privately driven by the needs of the patients and the judgment of doctors - accessible to all U.S. citizens.

2. Support "Medicare for All;" using a single payer plan.

3. Support a Wisconsin Single Payer Health Care Reform Bill.

DPW will eventually post the 2009 resolutions HERE.

President Obama's Town Hall Meeting - Green Bay, WI, June 11, 2009

It was certainly an honor and a privilege to be chosen from 1,600 to ask our President a question at his recent Town Hall Meeting in Green Bay, WI, Thursday, June 11, 2009.



While this clip cuts off, you can watch the entire Town Hall Meeting by clicking HERE.

Organizing for America Event in Elkhorn, WI

It was my pleasure to present and define Single Payer Health Care for a recent OFA - Organizing for America - event in Elkhorn, WI, Saturday, June 6.



I have been graciously welcomed at events across Southeastern Wisconsin. Do not hesitate to contact me if you are planning a health care reform event.

In Support of Single Payer Health Care

Single Payer Health Care is a plan that would provide every American quality, comprehensive health care regardless of pre-existing condition. It is called single payer because all expenses would be paid through one publicly administered pool. Single Payer combines the best ideas of the left and the right – publicly funded, but privately driven by the consumer (patient) and their doctor.

As Congress addresses the health care crisis in this country, please take the time to contact them and tell them you support House Resolution (HR) 676 – legislation that will create a universal, single payer system to guarantee health care for all Americans.

HR 676 will provide:

* Automatic coverage for life for everyone, even if you lose your job or move. Your health care is no longer tied to your employment.
* Comprehensive medical services including prescription drugs, dental, vision, mental health, and long term care. No co-pays, no deductibles.
* Assures your choice of doctor and hospital.
* Eliminates the administrative waste of private insurance companies who spend 30 cents of every health care dollar for CEO salaries, profits, and paper work, mostly to deny you needed care.
* Puts you and your doctor – not insurance companies – in control of your health care.

HR 676 and health care reform is the only real economic stimulus we have. The number one factor affecting an American company’s ability to meet their bottom line and remain competitive in the global economy is the outrageous health insurance premiums they pay for their employees.

HR 676 would be funded through a 6.6% payroll tax. Currently, it costs an individual $8,000 annually to buy private health insurance with a $2,000 deductible – no dental, vision, or prescription coverage. Under HR 676, only individuals making well over $100,000 a year would even get close to paying $8,000 and it would be for far better coverage.

As more and more companies drop their employer provided plans and more retiree’s benefit packages fail, the 6.6% payroll tax becomes an attractive bargain.

President Barack Obama said if he were building the health care system from scratch, a single payer system would be the best approach. Senator Russ Feingold said he'd support a single payer system over our current system, which he called a "mess.”

HOWEVER, both President Obama and Senator Feingold recognize that our nation has a long tradition of health care through private insurance companies and that trying to eliminate their influence is an almost insurmountable task.

This is why it is imperative for each of us to contact our President, Senators, Congresspersons and all other elected officials stating our support for a single payer system. They need our help to overcome the powerful well funded lobbyists working against Single Payer.

Health Care Reform is the Civil Rights Movement of our time; it will require all of us who believe in a National Single Payer system to stand up and ask those who are opposed to kindly step aside.

This op-ed originally appeared in the Kenosha News.

Bill Moyers to discuss Single Payer Health Care

Bill Moyers Journal
Friday, May 22, at 9 p.m. EDT on PBS (check local listings)

Washington's abuzz about health care, but why isn't a single-payer plan an option on the table? Bill Moyers speaks with advocate Donna Smith about how our broken system is hurting ordinary Americans. Then, policy analysts and physicians Sidney Wolfe of Public Citizen and David Himmelstein of Physicians for a National Health Program join Bill Moyers for a frank discussion about the political and logistical feasibility of a single-payer system amidst the troubled economy and a government dominated by lobbyists.

If you missed Bill Moyers excellent program, you can read an article written by Bill and Michael Winship regarding Single Payer Health Care by clicking HERE.

Milwaukee County Democratic Party Health Care Forum

It was my pleasure to address a standing room only crowd at the Pettit Ice Center in Milwaukee last night at the Health Care Forum.

Here is my opening statement.



You can watch the entire forum on Wisconsin Eye.

For those experiencing problems with volume, you can read a transcript of my opening remarks below. Thank you.

Milwaukee County Dems – May 18, 2009

Good Evening. Thank you Milwaukee County Dems for hosting this evening’s forum on Health Care Reform.

I am Paulette Garin, Wisconsin Coordinator for the Leadership Conference for Guaranteed Health Care. The Leadership Conference is an independent, non-partisan, voluntary collaboration of over 70 nationwide organizations including doctors, nurses, labor and faith organizations working to mobilize massive public support for passage of HR 676- Single Payer Health Care for all Americans.

As a 2008 Democratic candidate for congress in Wisconsin’s 1^st Congressional District, Health Care was the number one issue on my platform and HR 676 was the health care plan I supported through out my entire campaign.

I need look no farther than my own congressional district to see the devastating impact that our current mix of employer provided and restrictive private health insurance plans have produced. The recent closing of the GM plant in Janesville, the probable close of the Chrysler plant in Kenosha, and the hundreds of other jobs lost across my CD means that thousands of people will soon lose or have already lost access to employer provided health care.

And good luck trying to apply for or afford a private health insurance plan once you lose your employer provided plan. As a self employed individual, paying for a private plan, I have seen my insurance premiums sky rocket increasing 30% as of the first of this year alone. I currently pay almost $8,000 a year in premiums for myself and carry a $2,000 deductible. Last week I received a notice from my insurance company that my premium would increase again as of July 1. The only solution offered to me was increase my deductible to $7,500.

Critics of a single payer system claim that health care will be rationed under a national plan. We already have rationed health care in this country it’s called - lose your job and your employer provided health care and be unable to afford an outrageously priced private plan.

Nationwide, 14,000 Americans are losing their employer sponsored health care each day. This is over and above the well publicized 45 million un-insured. These are new cases each day. We are the only industrialized nation that does not have national health care.

I heard on the radio yesterday that due to the economy publicly funded health care institutions, such as county hospitals, are seeing dramatic increases in the number of people seeking medical care. Officials have already expressed concern that the quality and quantity of care will diminish. Another example of Health care rationing in an indirect way.

Health care reform is the only real economic stimulus. The number one factor affecting American business’ ability to meet their bottom line and remain competitive in the global economy is exorbitant health care costs.

President Barack Obama said if he were building the health care system from scratch, a single-payer system would be the best approach. However, he has also said the nation has a tradition of employer-based health care using private insurance companies, that a lot of people are satisfied with it and that his goal is to improve the current system.

Congressional leaders have said a single-payer plan is politically impractical. The translation of this means that they would no longer receive generous campaign contributions from PAC organizations funded by Big Pharma and the insurance industry.

What Congress has found to be politically practical is give insurance industry giant AIG $170 Billion in mostly unregulated bail out funds. That $170 Billion could have been the down payment to change over our health care system to single payer. If we are going to have to pay for something, let’s make sure we get something for it.

Health Care Reform is the Civil Rights Movement of our time; it will require all of us who believe in a National Health Care system to stand up and ask those who are opposed to please stand aside.

Thank you.

Garin Gives Health Plan A Boost

Published May 11, 2009 | 12:34 a.m. | Kenosha News

Garin leads the charge in Wisconsin for single-payer system

BY JOE POTENTE

jpotente@kenoshanews.com

Former congressional hopeful Paulette Garin has a new campaign: a national, single-payer universal health care system.

Garin, of Kenosha, is now a Wisconsin coordinator for the national Leadership Conference for Guaranteed Health Care, lobbying locally for passage of H.R. 676, the United States National Health Insurance Act.

She pitched the bill to a Kenosha County Board committee last week, but got no formal support — for now.

The Legislative Committee tabled for 60 days a resolution supporting the plan.

Some supervisors bristled at the 6.6 percent payroll tax to back the plan.

“I personally do not want to pay another 6.6 percent to the government,” said Jim Huff, the committee chairman. “That’s a lot of an employee. That’s a lot.”

Garin countered that individuals are already shouldering those costs — through insurance costs laden with administrative overhead and a general sharing of the costs of caring for uninsured patients.

“We already pay for it,” Garin said. “And what you’re really doing in a system like this is making sure you’re never without coverage, with a single-payer system.”

H.R. 676 would require all Americans to enroll. In turn, Garin said it would provide complete coverage, with no co-pays or deductibles. The public pool of money generated through the tax would fund care given by private providers.

Responding to criticism about the quality of universal care in Canada and other countries, Garin said the United States can learn from the mistakes of others.

“We already have health care rationing in this country — it’s called your HMO,” Garin said. “When you lose your job at Chrysler, you’re not going to have access to your health insurance because you don’t have any.”

Supervisors, most of whom said they supported some form of universal care, batted the issue around before concluding they were not ready to act.

“My problem is we don’t have all of the facts,” said Supervisor William P. Michel II.

Garin also supported the legislation during her unsuccessful 2008 run for the Democratic nomination to oppose Republican Rep. Paul Ryan.

She said she was glad the Legislative Committee was willing to revisit the measure, rather than tabling it altogether.

“I don’t think this is a defeat,” Garin said.

Congress may not want to discuss single payer, but Milwaukee County Dems do

The Issues Committee of the
Democratic Party of Milwaukee County presents

A special forum on
Health Care Reform
Monday May 18, 7:00 p.m.

CLICK HERE FOR FOLLOW UP TO THIS FORUM

Featuring:
• Shirley Ellis, Senior Adviser to Congresswoman Gwen Moore (4th CD)
• Robert Kraig, PhD, the Director of Programs for Wisconsin Citizen Action
• Paulette Garin, Wisconsin Coordinator, Leadership Conference for Guaranteed Health Care
• Siavash Sarlati, an MD candidate who participated in the recent health care reform forum in Washington DC
• Dr. Rene Settle-Robinson, a practicing physician in Milwaukee

Moderator:
• State Representative Jon Richards, Chair of the Assembly Committee on Health and Health Care Reform

Pettit National Ice Center @ State Fair Park
500 S. 84th Street (just off I-94 at the 84th Street exit)

This event is free and open to the public
Please forward this email to anyone who may be interested in attending

For more information, email chair-issues@milwaukeedems.org

DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF MILWAUKEE COUNTY
http://milwaukeedems.org

Paul Ryan - Part of the Problem, Not The Solution

Paul Ryan’s editorial, We need to move from frustration to revitalization (May 6, 2009, Kenosha News) is just another slick example of how our Congressman supports his corporate cronies while disguising himself as a champion for his constituents here in Wisconsin’s First Congressional District. He proposes eliminating the corporate income tax and replacing it with a business consumption tax. This does not eliminate the tax burden, but simply shifts the tax burden to the end user – the consumer who will pay higher prices. The business will include the consumption tax in its Cost of Goods Sold, increase its sales price, and pay no tax on the profit/net income derived.

Good for Business, Bad for the Average Working American.

While we may have one of the highest corporate tax rates in the world, the effective rate (the rate at which the business actually pays) is one of the lowest. How so? The generous loopholes and unfair tax breaks a corporation has access to that the Average Working American does not. Corporate America does not pay its “fair share” of taxes now. Ryan wants to eliminate the corporate tax before the Obama Administration eliminates the tax loopholes.

Ryan blames the Obama Administration as continuing to advance the dangerous precedent set by the Bush Administration. Wait a minute. Didn’t our Congressman support the Bush Administration 94% of the time with his extreme conservative voting record for the past decade? Ryan is correct when he says, “Crony capitalism has never looked uglier and the consequences have never been more painful,” except he fails to acknowledge he is part of that problem and not the solution.

This Editorial has been posted on the Racine Post. It has also been printed in the Racine Journal Times, the Capital Times and the Kenosha News.

First Congressional District Convention - May 2, 2009- Racine, Wisconsin

It was my pleasure to address the 1st CD Delegates this past Saturday in Racine at our Annual Convention. Racine Post provided the only press coverage.

We Already Have Health Care Rationing

In a community meeting held by Barack Obama in New Hampshire in March 2007, a member of the audience explains that we already have health care rationing. A great discussion on how Health Care is already rationed in this country. Sadly, it is from 2007, which means nothing has changed or improved, but continues to get worse.

Asking Paul Ryan to Endorse HR 676

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to ask our incumbent congressman here in Wisconsin's 1st District to endorse HR 676 - The United States National Health Care Act.

Single Payer Health Care is in sharp contrast to the proposals Congressman Ryan promotes as his solutions to the health care crisis in our country.

UAW Local 72 Meeting, April 4, 2009

It was my privilege to address UAW Local 72 and ask their support for H.R. 676 - The United States National Health Care Act. Thank you Local 72 for the opportunity.

The Real Economic Stimulus

TARP otherwise known as the Wall Street Bailout

Yesterday, Elizabeth Warren, Harvard Law Professor who now chairs the Congressional Oversight Panel responsible for reporting on the billions given away through TARP (Troubled Assets Relief Program) or "Wall Street Bailout" told Congress yesterday that the government "overpaid" $78 Billion for the purchase of troubled assets. Click Here for more details.

Let's see, our GOP Congressman here in Wisconsin's 1st District voted for the TARP Bailout. Click Here. In fact, he took credit for being one of the main architects to revamp the bill so that it could pass through both houses of congress and be signed by our now former president. I wonder if he has a plan to recover the $78 Billion?

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act 2009 or Economic Stimulus Package

As I write this post, the U.S. Senate is debating the Economic Stimulus package which has now ballooned to an amazing $900 Billion plus. This does not even take into consideration the interest that will accrue, because we will have to borrow all the money needed to pay for this piece of legislation. Granted there are some very good items to consider in this bill, but how much of it will stimulate our economy now versus how much is intended for one or two years from now? How much of the bill will actually stimulate our economy period? Do we have to pass one massive bill immediately or under duress conditions only to realize that decisions made with calm heads and careful deliberation may produce better more fiscally responsible long term results?

What is the real economic stimulus? HEALTH CARE.

Single Payer/Medicare - An Economic Stimulus Plan for the Nation

In an article by Bruce Dixon for the Black Agenda Report he highlights the following:

"According to a study released January 14 by the California Nurses Association, adopting a single payer system of universal health care in the US would create 2.6 million new jobs, as many as the Bush economy destroyed in 2006, and boost the revenues of private employers by an annual $317 billion. A single payer health care system would put more than $100 billion in the pockets of employees and add $44 billion to state, local and federal budgets in badly needed tax revenues."

"The California Nurses Association study goes a long way toward proving that universal single payer national health care may be the best medicine not only for our health care holes and disparities, but for the economy itself. Whether the politicians who ran just weeks ago promising a national health care plan will take the prescribed medicine depends on our insistence, our tenacity, and our refusal to be distracted. People deserve universal health care, and the 2.6 million jobs created by single payer health care are equal to the president's claims for the entire stimulus package. It's time to take the medicine. "

Click Here to read the California Nurses Association's Institute for Health and Socio-Economic Policy's report.

Click Here to read Bruce Dixon's entire article and link to the California Nurse's Association website.