People's Weekly World Forum
The Foreclosure Crisis, a presentation with ACORN.
April 19th, 2009
2 PM
Albuquerque Peace and Justice Center
(Harvard and Silver)
Free Admission
Refreshments !
For more information call : 505-892-3480
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add pic here Luchando, Educando, Celebrando:
Recuerda a César Chávez”
The theme of this year’s 16th Annual César Chávez celebration
was “Luchando, Educando, Celebrando: Recuerda a
César Chávez”. Over 1000 people took part in the
celebration,supported by the Albuquerque Hispanic Cultural Center,
the New Mexico Central Labor Council and its affiliates. March
28, 2009, under a brilliant sky, started with a morning of service,
a march and a fiesta.
With the election of Barack Obama, who began his career as a
community organizer, it is important to recognize and celebrate
the role that César played in President Obama’s historic victory.
During the presidential campaign, Obama ran a highly effective
voter outreach model developed by former United Farm Workers
(UFW) Organizing Director Marshall Ganz. He also adopted
the campaign theme, ‘Yes We Can,’ embracing the rallying cry
popularized by César and the UFW in the 1970s: ‘Si, Se Puede.’
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NM Insurance Industry Once More
foils the Will of the People
By Emil Shaw
Despite the fact that the NM Health Securities Act is the only universal
health care proposal in New Mexico that has the support of 144 organizations,
spanning 31 counties and cities, the health insurance industry was
able once more to prevent its passage in the state legislature.
Supporters made calls and packed the committee hearings. We had great
testimony from diverse interests. There was every indication that if the Health
Security Act would make it to the floor of either house and would pass. So
what happened?
On the House Side: Governor Richardson, who continues to insist on solutions
that rely on private insurance, was able to use his pull with the House
Speaker, Rep. Ben Lujan, to get the bill tabled in its first committee, House
Business and Industry. For all practical purposes that means that from the
House of Representatives side the bill was dead.
On the Senate Side: We beat the insurance industry and were thrilled to
see the passage of the Health Security Act in two committees (Senate Public
Affairs and Senate Judiciary). Unfortunately, the insurance industry’s
close relationship with Senate President Pro Tem Senator Tim Jennings,
spurred the latter to push hard to keep the bill bottled up in the Senate
Finance Committee.
Previously, a political struggle took place for the leadership of the NM Senate
between Senator Carlos Cisnero, the Senate sponsor of HAS, and Senator
Tim Jennings. With the help of a number of Republican State Senators,
Jennings won over Cisneros in a very close contest.
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Health Insurance Reforms Failed As Well
Preventing the Health Security Act from getting to the floor of the senate
and house for a vote was not the only goal of the insurance industry.
The governor pushed for the passage of three bills that would regulate health
insurance companies. These bills would (1) limit small-group premium increases;
(2) require insurers to offer health insurance policies to any individual
who applied, regardless of health status (guaranteed issue); and (3)
require insurers to spend 85% of the premiums collected on direct health
care services.
All three bills were killed as a result of the insurance industry influence. One
of many factors that may have impeded the passage of this legislation, was
the fact that the coalition of labor and community groups that made an
Obama victory possible in New Mexico and by extension throughout the
country, was not fully united in support of HAS. Absent from legislative committee
hearings were labor and some of the more prominent community
representatives. The fact that the Governor and also the Obama administration
took a stand against any Single Payer legislation, influenced the
decisions of a number of labor and community groups to either stand mute
or come out in opposition to the bill, fearing either lack of funding or negative
job creation legislations from the power structure.
One of the significant follow-up results from this legislative session, was the fact that the executive committee of the New Mexico AFL-CIO decided
to support HR 676, the Federal sngle Payer Bill. There is a
process of self evaluation taking place amongst the HAS leadership
so that the bill would pass at the next legislative session.
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Covert NM military economy to peaceful uses, without loss of jobs. |
Stop all immigration authority deportation raids on immigrant families - establish a clear and easy path to citizenship without financial penalties. |
| Support all efforts for NM health care reform. NM Health Securities Act is an important first step towards full health care coverage. We want affordable health care for all peoples. |
| Support the passage of the Employees Free Choice Act and the right of all workers to form unions and not be fired for it. |
End all forms of discrimination against gay and lesbian couples. |
A cost of living clause in the state minimum wage formula. |
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Add pic here
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Pass HR 676 NOW!
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This site is possible by the New Mexico Communist Party. Party meetings are held monthly at the Peace and Justice Center in ABQ, on the third Saturday of every month at 4pm. Everyone is welcome, you do not need to be a party member. Meeting agendas can be found here . Past meeting minutes are available to viewing here . General questions and inquiries about membership can be directed to newmexicocp@yahoo.com
Immediate Program of the Communist Party
- Living Wage for All Workers
- Universal Health Care
- Opposition to Privatization of Social Security
- Regulation and Public Ownership of Public Utilities
- End to the Iraq War
- Strong Regulation of Financial Industry
- Fair Trade Instead of "Free Trade"
- Nuclear Disarmament
- Civil Rights for ALL
- Election Reform
Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Links
Communist Party USA
Email: newmexicocp@yahoo.com
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