|
7/29/03
E
Messenger
The
Electronic Newsletter of the
Florida
AFL-CIO
New
Members according to the AFL-CIO Work in Progress
This
week's WIP: 753
Year to date: 91,953
AFL-CIO
Presidential Forum To Be Televised August 5th.
PRESIDENTIAL
CANDIDATES FORUM--Be sure to watch C-SPAN for live coverage of the
national AFL-CIO forum for presidential candidates focusing on working
family issues Aug. 5 in
Chicago
at
8 p.m. ET
, in conjunction with
the AFL-CIO Executive Council meeting. All current Democratic candidates
are scheduled to attend. President George W. Bush has been invited to
speak to the council in
Chicago
or at a specially
scheduled meeting. The AFL-CIO asked the presidential candidates to
respond to a detailed questionnaire about issues critical to working
families such as jobs, health care, retirement security, education,
corporate accountability, a strong and secure
America
, civil and human rights
and the freedom of workers to form unions. You can read their responses by
visiting www.aflcio.org/candidates2004.
AFL-CIO
WORKING FAMILIES PRESIDENTIAL FORUM
TUESDAY,
AUG. 5
BROADCAST LIVE ON C-SPAN
7 P.M. CENTRAL
8 P.M.
EASTERN
The
AFL-CIO Can Help You Host a Watch Party - Order
an AFL-CIO Working Families
Presidential Forum Watch Party Toolkit and copies of My Voter Guide by
calling 1-800-442-5645 (in Washington, D.C., call 202-637-5042). You can
also contact the Florida AFL-CIO in
Tallahassee
for assistance at (850)
224-6926.
This
is also a great chance to host a press event!
If
you host a watch party it could be a great chance to engage your local
media. Now is the time to let
them know that the House of Labor is determined to replace George W. Bush
with a president who will support the needs of
America
’s
families over the needs of the corporate CEO’s.
If you are interested in having a press event at your watch party
let us know and we can help you set it up!
WE NEED YOUR LABOR DAY NEWS
To
those of you have sent us your announcements thanks…to those who
haven’t… watcha waitin for?
Labor Day is OUR
holiday! The
Florida
AFL-CIO is compiling a press packet
to send out to state-wide media to help promote your Labor Day events.
This is the best time of year to discuss the working families
agenda and the press is already calling us looking for information about
labor day events across the state. As
you plan your events please let us know and we will include it in our
press packet. Also, we will
advertise your events on our website so that others can find out about
them and help you celebrate. Resources
and flyer toolkits are available at www.aflcio.org
and as always the state fed will be happy to help you plan for the media
at your event. Send your
information or requests for assistance to rtemplin@flaflcio.org.
Thanks!
Med Mal
still with us…
Miami
Herald: Finding a cure for malpractice rates not easy
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/6399238.htm
http://www.sptimes.com/2003/07/27/Columns/Malpractice_task_forc.shtml
What
about the budget?
Daytona
News Journal: Myth management
Budget
game is played in the dark
Last update:
28 July 2003
http://www.n-jcenter.com/NewsJournalOnline/Opinion/Editorials/03OpOPN01072903.htm
Education
in
Florida
…A+?
Orlando
Sentinel: Another misfire
Posted
July 28, 2003
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/opinion/orl-edped281072803jul28,0,3413586.story?coll=orl-opinion-headlines
Education
Writer
Posted
July 28 2003
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/palmbeach/sfl-ppay26jul28,0,2387159.story?coll=sfla-news-palm
Palm
Beach
Post:
Summit
on corporate voucher oversight foreseen
Tuesday,
July 29, 2003
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/content/auto/epaper/editions/today/news_f352de74a59052201021.html
St.
Pete Times: Who is accountable?
The
decision to suspend vouchers to the Islamic Academy of Florida didn't come
from the Department of Education, underscoring the image of the DOE as a
spectator to its own program.
A Times Editorial
© St. Petersburg Times
published
July 29, 2003
http://www.sptimes.com/2003/07/29/Opinion/Who_is_accountable.shtml
Special
sessions = campaign money
By
Paige St. John, The News-Press
Tallahassee
Bureau
http://www.news-press.com/news/local_state/030728junket.html
ARA
Protests heat up as
Florida
joins the effort
SENIORS MOBILIZE FOR DRUG BENEFIT--Five
seniors were arrested after staging a sit-down protest in the
Phoenix
office of Sen. Jon Kyl (R) on July 23. They were among 50 activists with
the
Alliance
for Retired Americans and other community groups who marched to Kyl's
office to urge him to convene town hall meetings to explain Medicare drug
legislation. Kyl is on the conference committee now reconciling the
sham Senate and House bills. On July 24 in
Batavia
,
Ill.
,
local police in full riot gear met five busloads of senior activists
arriving at the district office of House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R).
Carrying signs saying "Don't Privatize Medicare" and "The
Bush Plan Is the Wrong Prescription," activists planned to give
Hastert a letter detailing a better bill that ensures affordable
prescription drugs, but police blocked the building entrance. There were
no arrests. The
Batavia
event launched a series of coast-to-coast rallies and other actions in
which
Alliance
members and allies are telling legislators they need a meaningful Medicare
drug benefit, not those passed recently by the House and Senate. The
prescription drug plans now under consideration have huge gaps in
coverage, would privatize Medicare, include no guarantees on premium
costs, threaten employer-provided benefits and do nothing to bring down
the skyrocketing cost of prescription drugs. To send a letter to your
senators demanding a meaningful Medicare drug benefit, visit www.unionvoice.org/campaign/j24medicarerx
.
Miami
Herald: Medicare bill spurs protest
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/local/states/florida/counties/broward_county/6406031.htm
Elections
in
Florida
…will
they be any better next year or is the fix already in?
Posted
July 28 2003
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/opinion/sfl-40forum28jul28,0,7605733.story?coll=sfla-news-opinion
For
the second election in a row,
Florida
has decided to dispense
with primary runoffs. But they could be
saved in a way that's convenient for voters.
A
Times Editorial
© St. Petersburg Times
published
July 28, 2003
http://www.sptimes.com/2003/07/28/Opinion/Preserving_majority_r.shtml
Election
2004
http://www.gainesvillesun.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20030727/EDITORIALS0102/307270006/-1/EDITORIALS
Palm
Beach
Post: U. S Senate race heats up among
Florida
GOP candidates
Monday, July 28, 2003
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/content/auto/epaper/editions/monday/news_f3424938a590d0c30079.html
http://www.theledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20030728/NEWS/307280348/1004
Changed
By Terror, A Nice Guy Converted
New
'Outrage' Drives Graham
Washington
Post
Sunday,
July 27, 2003
; Page A01
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A50965-2003Jul26.html
Miami
Herald: Graham asks Bush to make parts of 9/11 report public
Top
Saudi official visits
U.S.
to discuss recent
controversy
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/state/6406404.htm
The
Republican coup
d’etat
continues in
California
Davis
allies move to rally Democratic base against recall
San Jose
Mercury News
Out
of Their Cages
It
was probably inevitable that
California
money guys
would
try
to recast the state's unimpressive top executive while
his
show was running.
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/07/27/opinion/27DOWD.html?th
California
's
Comeback Kid
Gov.
Gray Davis may find himself on the political ropes,
but
that's exactly where he does his best fighting.
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/07/27/opinion/27STEW.html?th
Davis
, Fighting
Recall, Is Ready to Stump Against 'Right Wing'
By
JOHN M. BRODER
Gov.
Gray Davis's strategy for survival, aides say, is to
make
the vote in
California
about anything
but Gray Davis.
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/07/26/national/26DAVI.html?th
Push
towards monopoly hits a speed bump…Bush presses on
HOUSE
BLOCKS FCC RULE--Pressured by a huge public outcry
and
mobilization, the House of Representatives voted July
23
to block new rules approved by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
that, if implemented, would scrap decades-old rules on the number of
television stations the networks can own. By a 400-21 margin, House
members approved an appropriations bill that prevents the FCC from
spending funds to implement its June 2 decision expanding television
station ownership by networks to 45 percent of the national television
audience, compared with 35 percent under previous limits. Unchanged, the
new FCC rules could drastically reduce the number of media owners and
eliminate diversity in news coverage. The White House has threatened to
veto the bill, but the 400 House votes are more than the 290 needed to
override the veto. For more information, visit www.aflcio.org
.
Republican
revolution?
The Washington Post this weekend published an eye-opening review of how
the Repuplicans have behaved since taking over the U.S. House: http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A48278-2003Jul25?language=printer
If
you have suggestions on how we may improve this online publication or have
information you would like to see posted please contact our communications
director at (850) 224 – 6926 or at rtemplin@flaflcio.org.
If
you would not like to receive future copies of this newsletter or would
like to be added to our subscription list please let us know at cbell@flaflcio.org.
Rich Templin
Communications Director
Florida
AFL-CIO |
