A few days after the Nov. 2 election, the New York Times published a vehement editorial calling for the Democratic Party to adopt “moderate” positions and avoid seeking “progressive policies at the expense of bipartisan ideas.” It was a statement by the Times editorial board, which the newspaper describes as “a group of opinion journalists whose views are informed by expertise, research, debate and certain longstanding values.”

The editorial certainly reflected “longstanding values” -- since the Times has recycled them for decades in its relentless attacks on the progressive wing of the Democratic Party.

**  The Times editorial board began its polemic by calling for the party to “return” to “moderate policies.”

Translation: Stick to corporate-friendly policies of the sort that we applauded during 16 years of the Clinton and Obama presidencies.

This week we are calling the following Ohio House Energy and Natural Resource Committee Members. Please help us track the number of phone calls being made by responding with the word “Done” to info@benohio.org when you have completed your calls.

Call House Energy and Natural Resource Committee Member O'Brien, (614) 466-5358 (Ask him to Vote No on HB282), then Committee Member Reidel, (614) 644-5091 (Ask him to Vote No on HB 282), then Committee Member Wiggman, (614) 466-1474  (Ask him to Vote No on HB 282)

Script

Monday, November 8, 6pm, this on-line event requires advance registration

Losing a loved one to violence is unspeakably painful; the death penalty only prolongs this pain for the families of victims. This powerful discussion features Melinda Dawson and Jonathan Mann, both of whom lost loved ones to murder and still vehemently oppose the death penalty.

This event is co-sponsored by the Human Rights Center at the University of Dayton.

RSVP for this event by using this link.

Hosted by Ohioans to Stop Executions.

Thanks to the participants of the car caravan through the streets of Columbus on Saturday, 11-6-2021, sponsored by National Nurses United and partnered with SPAN Ohio. The purpose was to echo the ad in the Dispatch on Friday and Saturday, to ask our Congressional House Representative, Joyce Beatty, to sign on as a co-sponsor of Medicare for All, HR 1976. We were surprised early this year that her name was not on the cosponsor list, because she was an original cosponsor in 2019, and is a member of the Medicare for All caucus in the House.

Medicare for All is now main stream, desired by a majority of people, both Democrats and Republicans. The reason is too many people have been devastated by medical bills, from hospitals and meds, out of network nonsense, and pre-authorization refusals on the part of health insurers. With administrative medical costs now at 36% of medical revenue, people are realizing we have a health care payment system that is just plain "wacko." People who are poor experience a disparity of life expectancy of 25 years; maternal death rates and infant mortality that are 3 times the rate of more affluent people.