I Don’t Hate America!

I just received this breaking news.  My beloved nurses association has endorsed Ashwin Madia (Distict 3), Elwyn Tinklenberg (District 6), and Steve Sarvi (District 2) for Congress!  This adds to their previous endorsement with the AFL-CIO for Al Franken.

The United American Nurses (UAN), a parent organization for the MNA announced on June 11th their endorsement for Barack Obama.   This was in contrast to the American Nurses Association (ANA) who previously endorsed Hillary Clinton.  It sounds like the ANA is moving toward Obama now, however.

Via press releases:

Minnesota Nurses Association Endorses Ashwin Madia for Congress

The Minnesota Nurses Association (MNA) announced today their endorsement of Ashwin Madia in his candidacy for U.S. House of Representatives, Congressional District 3.

” Ashwin Madia understands the broken state our healthcare system and he will fight for reforms that will produce real improvements, especially for those most in need,” said MNA Political Committee Chair, Tom Kelly, RN. “With his unequivocal support of the Federal Staffing Bill, HR 2123, he has also recognized the need to improve the nurse’s work environment which includes addressing safe and appropriate staffing.”

Registered Nurses have long advocated for reforms vital to the improvement of health care and are demanding legislative action to change a health care system that does not safely serve sick Minnesotans. Nurses are calling on elected officials to recognize a staffing crisis and its impact on the lives and well-being of all those in their care.

“Right now, nurses are demanding that health care is reformed to put patient care ahead of market share, put nursing over numbers and people before profits,” said MNA President, Linda Slattengren, RN. “On behalf of MNA we are pleased to endorse Mr. Madia and look forward to have him as the next elected congressman in support of
Registered Nurses.”

Unlike the Republican candidate in the House race, Mr. Madia has clearly demonstrated his commitment to implementing real change in the U.S. health care system to ensure high quality, affordable and accessible care. His health care platform incorporates important research that proves better RN staffing saves patient lives.

In addition to the endorsement of its 20,000 members, the Minnesota Nurses Association will forward a recommendation for Mr. Madia’s endorsement to the American Nurses Association and the United American Nurses federal PACs.

Uniting nurses in vision and voice since 1905. With 20,000 members, MNA is the leading organization for registered nurses in the Midwest and is among the oldest and largest representatives of RNs for collective bargaining in the nation. MNA is a multi-purpose organization that fosters high standards for nursing education and practice, and works to advance the profession through legislative activity. MNA is a constituent member of the American Nurses Association, the United American Nurses and the AFL-CIO.

The two other press releases state the same reasoning that both Tinklenberg and Sarvi support the Federal Staffing Bill, HR 2123.

We at IDHA are hoping to get exclusive interviews from these candidates before the election.  Keep an eye on the site as the election looms closer.

Following up from our previous post, our MN leaders successfully received disaster declaration for southern MN.

Via press release:

WALZ, COLEMAN, KLOBUCHAR ANNOUNCE PRESIDENTIAL DISASTER DELCARATION FOR MN COUNTIES

Washington, D.C.—After sending a letter to President Bush supporting a Presidential Disaster Declaration for four southern Minnesota counties severely damaged by recent flooding, Senators Norm Coleman, Amy Klobuchar and Congressman Tim Walz announced today the President has responded and a declared major disaster for Fillmore, Freeborn, Houston, and Mower Counties. The four counties sustained an estimated $8.3 million in damage due to the flooding. These counties are now eligible to receive aid through FEMA’s Public Assistance Program. Public Assistance is oriented to public entities and can fund the repair, restoration, reconstruction, or replace­ment of a public facility or infrastructure, which is damaged or destroyed by a disaster. State officials, assisted by FEMA, will conduct Applicant Briefings for State, local and PNP officials to inform them about the assistance available and how to apply for it.

“All four of these counties have experienced their second serious flood in just a few short years. This presidential declaration allows affected cities to obtain hazard mitigation funding that can help prevent flooding in the future,” said Congressman Walz. “Businesses like Austin Packaging Company are counting on federal dollars to help make it possible for them to continue operations in our area. I believe this declaration will make the difference for APC and others who are trying to recover and plan for the future.”

“These communities have shown tremendous courage and resilience since the floods hit,’’ Klobuchar said. “But at a time like this local communities should not be expected to fend for themselves. The federal government has an essential role to support communities as they recover and rebuild, and I’m proud that we will be able to deliver help quickly.’’

“Southeastern Minnesota is in need of assistance right now, and this disaster declaration will help the region recover,” said Coleman. “After visiting the flood-stricken areas, I saw firsthand the toll the storms took on these communities. A Presidential Disaster Declaration will deliver the assistance these counties need to rebuild their communities and their lives. I applaud the President for this decision — it will make all the difference for an area of the state that has endured great hardship.”

The support letter sent by Coleman, Klobuchar, and Walz, followed an official submission for assistance by Governor Pawlenty who requested federal assistance to help respond to the flooding of June 7-8th and 11-12th that severely impacted Houston, Fillmore, Mower and Freeborn counties.

The text of the letter follows:

Dear President Bush:

As representatives of communities devastated by last week’s flooding throughout the Midwest, we are writing to request your assistance as residents of southern Minnesota begin to recover.

On June 7-8, 2008, up to 10 inches of rain fell across southern Minnesota, causing flash floods, mudslides, evacuations, power outages, and numerous injuries. Just three days later, severe weather, including several tornado touchdowns, again developed over southern Minnesota. These storms dropped even more rain on already saturated ground and caused creeks and rivers to overflow their banks. This too resulted in devastation and one fatality.

Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty has declared a State of Emergency in Freeborn, Fillmore, Houston, and Mower Counties. Additionally, he has determined that this incident is of such severity that effective response is beyond the capabilities of the State, and to that end, he has requested a Presidential Disaster Declaration for these areas as well.

Given the degree of damage to the region, we strongly encourage you to issue such a declaration and allow FEMA to begin to supplement state and local recovery efforts in these flood-stricken areas.

Tragically, Minnesotans have faced several disasters in the past year, and nowhere has this been truer than in Southeastern Minnesota where less than a year after historic flash flooding, they have been hit yet again with massive rainfalls which have tested their ability to recover. We are confident that, just as they did with the floods of last August, the residents of southeast Minnesota will recover and rebuild, and we urge you to make the federal government a full partner in that effort.

Thank you for your consideration of this request and for your assistance in helping the recovery and rebuilding effort in southern Minnesota.

Via press release:

WALZ, KLOBUCHAR, COLEMAN URGE QUICK ACTION FROM BUSH ON DISASTER DECLARATION

(Washington, D.C.) – Today, Congressman Tim Walz, Senator Amy Klobuchar and Senator Norm Coleman asked President Bush to quickly issue a Presidential Disaster Declaration for four southern Minnesota counties severely damaged by recent flooding.

The request by members of Minnesota’s Congressional delegation followed an official submission by Governor Pawlenty that requested federal assistance to help respond to the flooding of August 7-8th and 11-12th that severely impacted Houston, Fillmore, Mower and Freeborn counties. The four counties sustained an estimated $8.3 million in damage due to the flooding.

“Time and again, the residents and businesses of southern Minnesota have had their communities turned upside down by severe flooding,” said Rep. Tim Walz. “Some residents of this area are still recovering from last year’s floods, only to find themselves back in the same position. Help from the federal government is essential to getting residents of these communities back on their feet.”

“At a time like this, local communities should not be expected to fend for themselves,’’ Klobuchar said. “The federal government has an essential role to support communities as they recover and rebuild. The people and businesses in this area are clearly going to need some assistance and we need to get it there as soon as possible.”

“Severe weather has once again hit Southern Minnesota extremely hard, and federal assistance is greatly needed,” said Coleman. “Between last fall’s devastating floods and last week’s massive rainfall and tornados, these communities have had considerable personal and material loss, in addition to significant agricultural damage. It is my hope President Bush will listen to our concerns and issue a Disaster Declaration in order for FEMA to start supplementing state and local recovery efforts in these flood-stricken areas.”

The text of the letter follows:

Dear President Bush:

As representatives of communities devastated by last week’s flooding throughout the Midwest, we are writing to request your assistance as residents of southern Minnesota begin to recover.

On June 7-8, 2008, up to 10 inches of rain fell across southern Minnesota, causing flash floods, mudslides, evacuations, power outages, and numerous injuries. Just three days later, severe weather, including several tornado touchdowns, again developed over southern Minnesota. These storms dropped even more rain on already saturated ground and caused creeks and rivers to overflow their banks. This too resulted in devastation and one fatality.

Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty has declared a State of Emergency in Freeborn, Fillmore, Houston, and Mower Counties. Additionally, he has determined that this incident is of such severity that effective response is beyond the capabilities of the State, and to that end, he has requested a Presidential Disaster Declaration for these areas as well.

Given the degree of damage to the region, we strongly encourage you to issue such a declaration and allow FEMA to begin to supplement state and local recovery efforts in these flood-stricken areas.

Tragically, Minnesotans have faced several disasters in the past year, and nowhere has this been truer than in Southeastern Minnesota where less than a year after historic flash flooding, they have been hit yet again with massive rainfalls which have tested their ability to recover. We are confident that, just as they did with the floods of last August, the residents of southeast Minnesota will recover and rebuild, and we urge you to make the federal government a full partner in that effort.

Thank you for your consideration of this request and for your assistance in helping the recovery and rebuilding effort in southern Minnesota.

Sincerely,

Amy Klobuchar            Tim Walz                   Norm Coleman

United States Senate   Member of Congress    United States Senate

After seeing John McCain’s new commercial, “Safe,” in which he states he hates war, I decided to take a visit to his campaign webpage. I went ahead with clicking on his e-mail signup, but was greeted immediately with a security warning. Not knowing what to do, I took a screenshot of this intrusive prompt. Could McCain’s staff be sending a virus to me? Am I being watched as I click around his website? Why would McCain’s site prompt me with a security warning whereas Obama’s site invites me in?   The security warning:

“You have attempted to establish a connection with “johnmccain.com”. However, the security certificate presented belongs to “*.johnmccain.com”. It is possible, though unlikely, that someone may be trying to intercept your communication with this website.

If you suspect the certificate does not belong to “johnmccain.com”, please cancel the connection and notify the site administrator.”

My message to everyone: be careful when visiting McCain’s site! Might as well go to Obama’s instead.

(Though this post is in good fun, the security prompt was completely real)

From MyFox 9:

MINNEAPOLIS — Former Vice President Al Gore thinks Al Franken would be “a fantastic senator,” according to a letter sent to Democratic delegates.

Gore’s endorsement of Franken’s bid for the U.S. Senate comes days before Franken squares off against opponent Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer for the DFL endorsement at the state party convention in Rochester, Minn.

One reason Gore endorses Franken is their shared goals of an effort to slow global warming.

The big day is this Saturday where Franken and Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer will fight for the DFL party nomination.  It should also be mentioned that the Minnesota Nurses Association (MNA) and AFL-CIO have endorsed Franken.  I do wish that JNP would voice his concerns for nursing more, like Franken has done on his website.  I have contacted JNP twice about it with no answer.  However, I cannot endorse Franken for his poor universal healthcare plan that requires each state to enact their own.

With low numbers in the delegate count, including the latest Rasmussen Poll stating that Ciresi has a better chance of losing against Coleman (than Franken), Ciresi decides to drop out of the U.S Senate race today. This was reported on KSTP’s 5 Eyewitness news:

Mike Ciresi announced he would withdraw his candidacy for the U.S. Senate Monday afternoon.Ciresi said in a statement that he was retracting his bid to relieve unnecessary fights.

“We are at defining moment in our nation’s history, and we have the opportunity to reject the failed policies of the past and write a new chapter in the American story. I am confident we will do so because of the spirit, creativity, and optimism of our fellow citizens,” Ciresi said.

In the statement, Ciresi also thanked the state and his staff members.

“I firmly believe that America’s best days are still ahead of us. As we return to private life, I will continue my efforts, as I have my entire life, to work with others in contributing to the common good of our state and nation,” Ciresi said.

From my post on Feb. 29th, Franken leads Coleman, latest poll,

Today’s latest Rasmussen Report shows Al Franken leading Norm Coleman, 49% to 46% if Franken were to be the DFL candidate. If Ciresi were to get the DFL nod, Coleman would be ahead, 47% to 45%. There was no mention about Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer.

Mike Ciresi’s statement, from MinnPost:

From: Ciresi, Michael V.
Sent: Monday, March 10, 2008 4:28 PM
Subject: MIKE’S STATEMENT ON WITHDRAWING FROM SENATE RACE

I am announcing today my withdrawal from the contest for the DFL endorsement and the conclusion of my candidacy for the U.S. Senate. In my judgment, continuing the endorsement race would only lead to an unnecessary floor fight. It is time to step aside.

On entering the race, I expressed my passionate belief that our country had lost its direction and that the middle class was being crushed economically. We have a failed foreign policy that has led us into a war that, despite the extraordinary service of our armed forces and the sacrifices of their families, has served to further destabilize the Middle East and led to a less safe world. Middle class jobs are evaporating and quality educational opportunity is being denied to our children. College education is increasingly unaffordable, and graduates are saddled with enormous loans. We have a “sick care” system rather than a health care system that is affordable and accessible to all. The environment is not being nurtured and protected. We have a tax system that has created the greatest wealth gap since the early 1900s. Staggering debt is being passed on to future generations, and yet those who seek political office say little about the difficult economic choices we must make.

We are at defining moment in our nation’s history, and we have the opportunity to reject the failed policies of the past and write a new chapter in the American story. I am confident we will do so because of the spirit, creativity, and optimism of our fellow citizens.

Ann and I have traveled our entire state for the past year, and the desire and sense of urgency for change is palpable. We believe that the people will demand that the tough choices be presented and that the vast majority of Americans will reject self-interest in favor of the common good and shared sacrifice. I firmly believe that America’s best days are still ahead of us. As we return to private life, I will continue my efforts, as I have my entire life, to work with others in contributing to the common good of our state and nation.

Ann and I and our family wish to express our deep gratitude to all of our fellow Minnesotans who have so graciously welcomed us into their homes, businesses, and towns and engaged us in heartfelt discussions concerning the issues facing our nation. We are also deeply indebted to all of our supporters and staff who passionately believe in our message and have worked tirelessly on our behalf. The memories and friendships forged are timeless. We encourage all to remain committed to changing the direction of our nation and to support candidates of their choice.

Fondly –

Mike and Ann Ciresi

Does Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer have a chance to scoop up more delegates? More to come soon.

In response to the comments on my previous post, ANA endorses Hillary Clinton, I did some investigating into why Obama may not have been chosen over Clinton.

The ANA endorsement process involves four steps. Here is a brief outline of the steps found at the ANA site (some material quoted directly to ensure accuracy):

Step 1: The ANA chooses four members from the ANA-PAC board to serve on the Presidential Endorsement Task Force. This year, it was the following:
- Sara Jarrett, RN, MS, MA, EdD of Colorado (Chair)
- Barbara Crane, RN, CRRN of New York
- Elizabeth Dietz, EdD, RN, CS-NP, of California
- Representative Erin Murphy, BSN, RN of Minnesota

Step 2: The task force works with the ANA Government Affairs to:
- Review candidates voting records,
- Work on drafting a questionnaire,
- Polling of Constituent Member Associations (CMA) and ANA membership for their preferred candidates, and
- Conducting interviews with the candidates.

Step 3: The ANA’s Board of Directors are given the recommendation from the PAC board (which includes the task force and their work with the ANA Government Affairs) and an endorsement process decision is made. The three options are:
- No endorsement or support of a candidate,
- Support one or more candidates during the primary elections, or
- Support of a candidate following the party nominating conventions

Step 4: “The ANA Board of Directors will vote to ratify the PAC Board’s endorsement recommendation.” This information is then communicated to ANA members, CMA’s, the candidates, and appropriate media parties.

———-

Six questions were chosen for the candidate questionnaire. Here is an example of an unanswered one. Click the names below to read the candidate’s responses in their entirety.

Hillary Clinton

Barack Obama

———-

My investigation:

Finding 1

Representative Erin Murphy (DFL 64A) has been an excellent advocate for nurses. Just recently, I wrote Strib: Minnesotans could save 12.3 billion in healthcare costs in which I mentioned Rep. Murphy’s continuing support. Since finding who served on the Presidential Endorsement Task Force, I did some searches on any personal endorsements prior to the ANA decision. My concern was for any bias before serving on the Task Force.

Clinton’s webpage specifically mentions Representative Erin Murphy’s joining of Clinton’s Minnesota Steering Committee in a January 25th press release along with nearly 50 other Minnesota legislators and community leaders. Curiously enough, this came on the same day as the ANA endorsement of Hillary Clinton. The timing was appropriate, but I wanted to find out more. Mike from Blog4President.US made the announcement of Rep. Murphy joining Clinton’s campaign on January 24th, 2008. Again, timing is very important as a personal endorsement should not come before the association endorsement, especially since Rep. Murphy was bound to ANA endorsement rationale:

However, as a professional organization ANA will consider candidates based solely on who will best serve the interests of the nursing profession and their patients. Political parties or personal agendas will not matter in this process. No political support will be offered by ANA without thoughtful analysis of a candidate’s past record and views on nursing.

Turns out, John Edwards had already received an endorsement from Representative Erin Murphy following the launch of a “Women for Edwards” campaign on May 15th, 2007. If any of you remember, John Edwards was in the race until January 30th, 2008, just five days after Murphy’s joining of Clinton’s Steering Committee. Blog4President.US also announced Murphy’s support for Edwards.

I am very proud of Rep. Murphy’s accomplishments, but I bring up these issues since I worry about any bias when choosing the candidate for an association that represents 2.9 million nurses. This is especially important since she threw her early support toward John Edwards and now Clinton, with no mention of any support for Obama. I hate to pick on her, but I could not find any information on the others serving on the Task Force.

Finding 2

Step 2 of the endorsement process involves conducting interviews with the candidates. The ANA sent questionnaires to all candidates, but only received answers from Democrats Clinton, Obama, Biden, Dodd, Edwards, Kucinich, Richardson and Republican Ron Paul.

The only candidates that participated in the interview were Clinton, Kucinich, and Richardson. This makes Clinton the only candidate who participated in the interview who was still in the race at the time of selection. Because Obama did not participate in the interview, he consequently lost points throughout the endorsement process. This is despite his strong answers on the questionnaire.

Unfortunately, according to a letter sent back to nurses who were upset about the ANA endorsement, the following are the actual results of the member-base votes*:

Clinton - 42%
Obama - 21%
McCain - 8%
Edwards - 9%, Huckabee - 8%, Romney - 5%, Guliani - 3%, Thompson - 3%, Kucinich - 1%, Paul - 1%, Biden - 0.5%, Richardson - 0.12%, Dodd - 0%, Gravel - 0%, Hunter - 0%

*Despite my frequent activity working for nursing and political issues, I was not aware of this voting and consequently, my vote was not represented in the final tally. I am curious to know what the actual numbers are.

Finding 3

The California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee (CNA/NNOC) are vocal supporters of national single-payer coverage, which Clinton’s plan lacks. In advertisements that came out prior to the endorsement, the NNOC came out in full force challenging Clinton’s healthcare plan. Check out this YouTube video of one challenge:

It is only fair to say that Obama has been challenged as well because his plan does not include single-payer coverage either.

However, Obama has been consistent with the ideal that he supports a single-payer system. From Obama’s fact check:

Obama said, “Here’s the bottom line. If I were designing a system from scratch I would probably set up a single-payer system…But we’re not designing a system from scratch…And when we had a healthcare forum before I set up my healthcare plan here in Iowa there was a lot of resistance to a single-payer system. So what I believe is we should set up a series of choices….Over time it may be that we end up transitioning to such a system. For now, I just want to make sure every American is covered…I don’t want to wait for that perfect system…The one thing you should ask about the candidates though is who’s gonna have the capacity to actually deliver on the change?…I believe I’ve got a better capacity to break the gridlock and attract both Independents and Republicans to work together.”

Finding 4

The movie SiCKO pointed out the fact that many members of Congress receive contributions from the healthcare industry. Clinton is one who has, and still receives money from many of these insiders. The CNA/NNOC concluded an analysis on contributions and released a press release last summer. This was outlined on Fierce Healthcare:

The CNA/NNOC analysis concludes that healthcare industry players contributed $3.7 million to current candidates during the first quarter of 2007. It also notes that the industry–which it defines as including drug and insurance companies, doctors, hospitals, dentists and nursing homes–spent more than $2.2 billion on federal lobbying over the past decade. By CNA/NNOC calculations, Sen. Hillary Clinton (D) and Sen. John McCain (R) got the lion’s share of healthcare contributions of all presidential candidates, collecting 40 percent of the overall total.

Using data from the Center for Responsive Politics, Barack Obama receives 99% of his donations from individual contributors with a mere $25 received from PAC’s. Clinton receives 87% from individuals with over $1 million from PAC’s. She also recently donated $5 million from her own wallet to catch up with Obama’s advertising.

In an article entitled, “Deborah Burger and Maureen Caristi: Guaranteed healthcare, not just insurance,” the author’s look at the bigger problem of healthcare reform. Pieces quoted from the article:

“…simply adding more Americans into a flawed insurance system will not solve our national health care crisis. Especially when you let insurers continue to charge as much as they want, and do nothing to stop their callous, all too routine practice of denying medical treatment or blocking access to specialists or diagnostic tests because they don’t want to spend the money.

Mandating people to buy insurance is at the center of the debate on health care between Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama — she’s for it, he’s against it…”

“Obama has a point that the cost of insurance makes it a bad bargain for many Americans. Insurance policies now average over $12,000 per family just for the premiums, not including skyrocketing deductibles, co-pays and other costs that have made medical bills the leading cause of personal bankruptcy.”

“The individual mandate cheerleaders claim that if you don’t put everyone in the insurance pool, only the sick will buy health care and insurance companies will raise costs. Have any of them noticed that insurance premiums have gone up 87 percent nationally the past decade without a national individual mandate?

But individual mandates are popular with the insurance industry and those close to it. Insurers reap millions of new customers with minimal requirement to change their behavior. It further entrenches a broken system, expanding the reach of an industry that treats every dollar spent on care as a “medical loss ratio.”

It distorts the role of government, which should be to protect people, not act as an insurance agent.”

Finding 5

Many people across the internet are looking for the quote that Clinton apparently said about nurses being “overpaid and undereducated.” There are also rumors about her calling nurses “glorified waitresses” at one point. I scoured the net, including searching my graduate school databases with no evidence of these quotes. However, the website, Snopes, thinks they found the source for the “overpaid and undereducated” quote.

In remarks by Hillary Clinton for the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women (Sept. 5th, 1995 in Beijing, China), Clinton said the following,

As long as discrimination and inequities remain so commonplace around the world - - as long as girls and women are valued less, fed less, fed last, overworked, underpaid, not schooled and subjected to violence in and out of their homes - - the potential of the human family to create a peaceful, prosperous world will not be realized.

Full text and video can be found here. There were multiple statements made about nurses which could have caused this to be misinterpreted. However, many people still swear that they heard Clinton make the rumored comments.

Finding 6

Here are excerpts from the letter sent by ANA president, Rebecca Patton, in response to those against the ANA endorsement of Clinton,

In making this endorsement, the ANA Board recognized Senator Clinton’s longstanding commitment to nursing and health care. During her time in the Senate, Clinton has been an advocate for nursing issues. Clinton was in support of the Title VIII Nurse Reinvestment Act programs which provide much needed funding for nurse education. She recognizes the need for more nurse practitioners and supports increased authority for and utilization of nurse practitioners as a means of improving access to health care. She has a long history of advocacy for health care reform, and her current plan emphasizes the need to reduce costs, improve quality and ensure affordable health care for all Americans. She was a co-sponsor of the Mental Health Parity Act of 2007 which would improve mental health services.
From its inception in 1896 to the present day, ANA has recognized that individuals can shape health care policy consistent with the goals of registered nurses and in the best interest of their patients.

Obama’s Views:
- Regarding the Title VIII Nurse Reinvestment Act, Obama not only supports it, but he calls for greater funding in this statement:

I support reauthorization of Title VIII training programs with greater financial incentives for students and nurse faculty, including scholarships and loan repayment. Given the dire shortage of nurses, no less than $200 million should be allocated for Title VIII programs and the Nurse Reinvestment Act.

- Regarding APRN’s, Obama endorses this idea heavily in his statement,

I will support inclusion and expanded reimbursement for APRN services through federal health programs, my new public plan, and private plans offered through my plan’s National Health Insurance Exchange.

- S.558 - Obama is also a co-sponsor of the Mental Health Parity Act of 2007.

- From Advance for Nurses, Kate Hartner sums up Obama’s responses,

Obama proposes: supporting minimum staffing ratios, limiting overtime, reauthorizing Title VIII training programs with scholarships and loan reimbursement, health system reform, paperless systems, supporting nursing unions and expanding APRN practice.

I think it is only fair that a rationale letter would address how Obama and Clinton differ in their views, rather than explain most of the same things the candidates agree on.

———-

Summary

Needless to say from my week of exhausting investigation, I am disappointed in the American Nurses Association. I feel they prematurely endorsed a candidate that has a history of supporting nurses, but lacks the necessary ideas for a new direction for healthcare in this country. Obama’s healthcare plan, though not single-payer, works better in this country that seems entirely focused on their wallets. Clinton has gone as far as to say she’s willing to garnish wages as an enforcement mechanism. How can we force people to purchase coverage from insurance companies, feeding into our already broken healthcare system more, then go on to say we will punish our own citizens by taking away their hard-earned money if they don’t buy? And that dubious statistic that Clinton throws out that Obama’s plan will leave out 15 million people? That was already proven false at FactCheck.org. Blueollie has another excellent analysis on this topic.

I will say that I am slightly disappointed in both candidates as they do not provide true single-payer universal healthcare. However, Obama’s plan will best address the cost control issue currently plaguing our system. Mandating insurance will frustrate consumers while limiting options for those with low incomes. The question here is… is it better to have stripped down insurance (to satisfy a mandate to have coverage), or to buy into affordable, full coverage, which includes subsidies if you do not qualify for SCHIP or Medicaid?

As a registered nurse, I wait for the day when I don’t have to tell my patient that the life-saving drug they are prescribed costs $4 a day, since I worry they will have to choose between taking the drug, or eating a meal. As a registered nurse, I wait for the day that I can treat my patients out in the community, before they end up in the hospital bed, since preventing a disease will cost much less for everyone. As a registered nurse, I wait for the day that a patient of mine can see any doctor or APRN of their choosing, without having to get prior-approval from their insurance company. As a registered nurse, I can’t wait for the day that Barack Obama becomes our next president.

In a campaign e-mail sent out yesterday, Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer stated his campaign is now second behind Franken and one ahead of Ciresi. This is quite a change in momentum for all the candidates. Duluth just had their district convention which JNP garnered 10 delegates to Franken’s 10 and Ciresi’s 2. Tonight is “Super Saturday” which will distribute between 100 and 200 delegates among the candidates in over 30 senate and county conventions. We may be seeing JNP continue his upward trend tonight! More to come later.

Via press release:

MAYO CLINIC SAYS RAILROAD SAFETY PLAN FAILS TO PROTECT ROCHESTER
Specific mitigation proposed to address increased hazardous material shipments and DM&E’s chronic safety problems

Rochester, Minn. (March 5, 2008) – Mayo Clinic asked federal regulators today to require specific improvements to the Safety Integration Plan that is supposed to protect communities affected by Canadian Pacific Railway’s acquisition of the Dakota Minnesota & Eastern (DM&E) Railroad. In comments filed with the U.S. Surface Transportation Board (STB) on behalf of the Rochester Coalition, Mayo Clinic also today proposed specific mitigation measures that could ease local safety concerns.

The STB currently is reviewing the Canadian Pacific’s bid to take over DM&E, which has among the worst safety records in the railroad industry and presently operates on substandard tracks. If approved, the acquisition will cause a dramatic increase in traffic, including hazardous materials shipments on DM&E tracks, and may, according to the agreement between the railroads, result in sending more than 43 high-speed, coal-unit-trains through Rochester and within a few 100 feet of Mayo Clinic every day.

Flaws in the current proposed safety plan include:
- Fails to require a timetable for rehabilitating faulty tracks.
- Neglects to make track improvements a condition for allowing increased hazardous materials shipments.
- Ignores conflicting statements from DM&E about the amounts of ethanol, anhydrous ammonia and other hazardous materials expected to be transported through Rochester.
- Fails to prioritize track maintenance or require specific emergency plans for responding to derailments in densely populated areas such as Rochester, which represents 40 percent of the total population located along the DM&E rail line.
- Overlooks the need for a specific emergency plan that in the event of a hazardous material derailment accounts for Mayo Clinic’s 1,000 daily inpatients, 200 ICU beds, 200 daily surgeries and 30,000 doctors, nurses and staff.
- Fails to address the involvement of DM&E management in the operation of the merged railroad, providing no assurances for when or if DM&E will be required to meet Canadian Pacific’s minimum safety standards.

“It needs to be abundantly clear that the DM&E will be a safer railroad as a result of this merger,” said Glenn Forbes, M.D., CEO of Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.

An incident involving a release of hazardous materials such as anhydrous ammonia near Mayo Clinic in Rochester would put at risk many thousands of people, including patients in critical health situations and the more than 30,000 physicians and staff who would not leave their sides.

“Accidents happen, even to safe railroads,” added Forbes. “We can’t leave the safety of our patients and staff to chance, which is why we remain adamant that everything within reason be done to ensure their safety.”

As currently proposed, the Canadian Pacific says it will provide approximately $128 million in capital safety improvements to DM&E over the next three years, in addition to DM&E’s prior commitments of approximately $172 million. However, these funds fall well short of DM&E’s previously stated needs, which were estimated at $875 million 10 years ago.

DM&E president Kevin Schieffer recently was asked while under oath during a deposition to confirm his compensation as a comparison to the amount the Canadian Pacific is contributing to safety improvements. He did not answer. Mr. Schieffer’s personal compensation has been a topic of widespread speculation since the Canadian Pacific announced it was acquiring the DM&E for $1.48 billion and it was reported the deal included financial incentives tied to completing DM&E’s controversial Powder River Basin (PRB) expansion.

“Given the DM&E’s deplorable safety record, it is appropriate to compare the money going into the pockets of DM&E’s executives and shareholders from the sale of DM&E, including incentives tied to the proposed PRB expansion, with the amount being put toward safety improvements,” said Steve Ryan, legal counsel for Mayo Clinic. “The public has a right to know about what is motivating DM&E’s rush to advance the PRB expansion and if there is a disproportionate investment being made in personal gains over public safety.”

Proposed Mitigation

The STB has previously ruled that it will require mitigation only if the Canadian Pacific decides to proceed with DM&E’s controversial PRB expansion. Mayo Clinic maintains that any increase in hazardous material shipments through Rochester without adequate mitigation – regardless of the PRB expansion – poses an unacceptable risk to the community and the patients and staff of Mayo Clinic.

As a condition of the Canadian Pacific’s acquisition, Mayo Clinic today requested the STB require specific mitigation for Rochester, including:
- Regulatory/contractual speed limits on local hazardous materials traffic.
- Pre-notification for Rochester emergency services of hazmat cargo.
- Whistle-free crossings for non-grade separated road crossings.
- Increased inspection and installation of wayside detectors, such as hot box/loose wheel detectors, to the west and east of Rochester to provide timely warning of potential problems prior to entering Rochester city limits.
- Fencing for bike paths and pedestrian crossings and sound barriers.
- Consultation on how best to minimize project-related impacts to Mayo Clinic, including limited transportation of hazardous materials through Rochester.
- Multiple grade separations for specific in-city road crossings. These grade separated crossings should be designed and located to facilitate the movement of emergency vehicles to and from medical facilities providing emergency services in Rochester, including Saint Marys Hospital and Rochester Methodist Hospital, which are both Mayo Clinic hospitals.
- Negotiate voluntary contractual limitations on the total number of through-traffic trains moving through Rochester with Mayo Clinic and the City of Rochester.

“The Surface Transportation Board should require mitigation for Rochester as a condition of the DM&E sale,” said Dr. Forbes. “Absent adequate mitigation and mandated safety improvements, DM&E will not be a safer railroad as a result of this acquisition but it will have more opportunity to make mistakes that could prove catastrophic for our patients, staff and community.”

Tim Walz recently endorsed Steve Sarvi for Congress, as announced on Sarvi’s campaign website. In his statement, Walz says,

“Steve’s experience serving his community and country prepare him well for service in Congress. Change began in 2006 with my election and now we must strengthen that change in 2008.”

Also announcing his endorsement is construction contractor Dan Powers, who recently dropped out of the race for the 2nd district seat. His statement says,

“I have decided to support Steve Sarvi because the 2nd Congressional District needs to be united, today, around a candidate who will defeat John Kline in November. In Steve Sarvi, we have a candidate with the vision, values and experience to help our nation change course – something Democrats, Republicans and independents all are calling for. In Steve Sarvi we will find the solid leadership and strength of character needed to move us forward on a path of hope. I believe Steve will unite people from all sides of the ‘aisle’ to bring meaningful, needed change to Washington.”

Steve Sarvi is an Iraq war veteran and has given 19 years of military service. His fresh perspectives, especially on the war on terror, will hopefully move voters in a traditionally red district. We saw Walz do it in 2006 and we can bet Sarvi will put up a good fight as well.

*Update - Ollie at Bluestem has more analysis of Sarvi’s endorsement.