Tag: Erik Paulsen

Patients can’t go back to pre-ACA

I am twice a cancer survivor.  With my first diagnosis in 1999 and my second in 2001, I felt lost.  I couldn’t see what the future would hold.  My fears lessen as time passes and my treatment has been successful, but a new concern has emerged.  I now have a pre-existing condition that health insurance companies used to claim made people too risky to insure.

The Affordable Care Act, aka Obamacare, prohibits such discrimination and implemented many other positive patient protections, that often get lost when we talk about its downsides. The ACA isn’t perfect. But cancer patients and survivors cannot afford to return to a time when insurance is unaffordable, coverage is inadequate and their treatment is at risk. Continue reading “Patients can’t go back to pre-ACA”

It’s time for a real town hall meeting

Thanks to John Mallo for posing questions to Rep. Erik Paulsen; my hope is that we have the opportunity to hear or see thorough answers to these questions, and not by way of “phone” town meetings. Constituents like me would like to meet with him, perhaps in a real town hall meeting. It’s an important part of what it means to be a democracy.

I would like to add questions about an additional area of concern:  health care legislation. Prior to the withdrawal of the Republican proposal (which I assume Paulsen would have voted for*) his position was:  “After many years and countless stories of patients facing skyrocketing premiums, losing their health care plan and not being able to see their doctor, we are replacement Obamacare with a plan that will lower costs and give patients immediate relief.” Continue reading “It’s time for a real town hall meeting”

Trump’s budget built on greed, fear

Former Vice President Joe Biden said:  “Don’t tell me what you value. Show me your budget, and I will tell you what you value.”

Republican President Trump has just released the short version of his proposed budget. The Trump administration proposes a $54 billion increase in military expenditures. This budget moves us to the ideals of the Roman Empire. Peace through military strength. Rebellions were ruthlessly put down by military might. The wealthy ruled, and the ordinary people were heavily taxed. Continue reading “Trump’s budget built on greed, fear”

Congress just made it easier for ISPs to sell your personal information

The commentary by the Editorial Board to the Star Tribune was posted March 31, 2017.  We wanted to make certain the people in CD3 are aware of this vote, and the fact that Rep. Erik Paulsen voted for the bill, for allowing internet providers to sell our personal information without asking us:

Before the public could even figure out what was happening, the Republican-led U.S. House and Senate acted with uncharacteristic speed to repeal Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rules that would have protected consumers’ personal information from the all-seeing eyes of their internet service providers, or ISPs.

While health care, the budget, climate change, the deficit and countless other issues linger, Republicans moved in quick lock-step to ensure that provider giants Comcast, Verizon, AT&T and others can collect your most personal information without permission and then profit from its sale to third parties if they choose. Continue reading “Congress just made it easier for ISPs to sell your personal information”

Selling Out Consumers

For the record, Rep. Erik Paulsen voted for allow the sale of this information.

The following article by Ernesto Falcon and Karen Gullo was posted on the U.S. News and World Report website March 31, 2017:

Congress sold Americans’ privacy to already wealthy internet providers.

Congress’ vote to roll back vital broadband privacy protections opens the door to a host of opportunities for your internet service provider to profit from invading your privacy. Continue reading “Selling Out Consumers”

Environmental Disaster Coming: The Stream Buffer Zone Rule

The following article was posted on the trumpaccountable.com website February 20, 2017:

Congress and President Trump began unraveling environmental protections put in place by the Obama administration last week. At issue is the Stream Buffer Zone Rule that requires mining companies to create a buffer of at least 100 feet around streams and waters. Since many mining companies practice “mountaintop removal” where they simply remove the top of a mountain to get at the coal beneath, the debris and runoff inevitably fills stream-beds and destroys habitat for fish and other animals.

Trout Unlimited, in a post on their website, outlined the following reason to support the Stream Buffer Zone Rule: Over 2,000 miles of streams have already been destroyed or degraded by coal mining. Over the past ten years Trout Unlimited has only been able to restore 60 miles of damaged streams. Repealing the Stream Buffer Zone Rule means that Trout Unlimited will likely never be able to keep up with the destruction. Continue reading “Environmental Disaster Coming: The Stream Buffer Zone Rule”

Have something to say to your member of Congress? These guys are making it easier to find them.

The following article by Colby Itkowitz was posted on the Washington Post website February 17, 2017:

Nathan Williams, a founder of the Town Hall Project. (Courtesy of Nathan Williams)

Nathan Williams is no novice to the political process. But suddenly there’s a crop of people newly engaged and eager to participate, and since the November election, he’s been looking for ways to help those people channel their desired activism.

He just didn’t know one idea would turn into a full-time endeavor.

The 36-year-old freelance filmmaker, who has worked on political campaigns off and on since Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential run, was talking to a friend, Jimmy Dahman, another campaign veteran, about the lack of easily accessible information for people who want to meet their members of Congress. So, with a handful of other volunteers, they started compiling schedules of congressional town halls, both in-person meetings and over the phone, and shared it through a Google document in late January, updating the spreadsheet with new information as they got it. Continue reading “Have something to say to your member of Congress? These guys are making it easier to find them.”

No Meaningful Comment from Rep. Paulsen

The following letter to the editor was submitted to the Minneapolis Star Tribune February 19, 2017, but not published:

This newspaper’s effort to solicit meaningful comment from Congressman Paulsen (February 17, A Taxing Challenge for Paulsen) was disappointing. It failed to substantively illuminate the congressman’s ‘big’ goals, challenge his misplaced loyalties, and contest his doublespeak. Most troubling though was allowing Paulsen to rewrite history.

The opening sentence states that ideal circumstances are at last in place for Paulsen “to finally accomplish the big goals that have driven his political career.” And his goals are … ? After 8 years, his district is still trying to learn what his ‘big goals’ are. His struggle with ‘juggling the polarizing priorities’ of the President, party loyalty, current roommate, and big businesses may generate sympathy, but not from constituents that he was elected to represent. Paulsen’s expressed support for “increased tariffs and border taxes” on one hand and support for free-trade policies on the other was doublespeak. The article failed to call him on this dichotomy. Dual positions may serve his multiple masters but not his district. Continue reading “No Meaningful Comment from Rep. Paulsen”

These 23 Republicans Passed on a Chance to Get Trump’s Tax Returns

The following article by Conor Friedersdorf was posted on the Atlantic website February 15, 2017:

Congress has a duty to make sure President Trump isn’t selling out the United States. These legislators are in more active dereliction of that duty than most.

More than 800,000 Americans have signed a petition demanding the release of Donald Trump’s tax returns. Polls show that a majority of the country wants to see the documents.

On April 15, tens of thousands plan to take to the streets in protest of the president’s refusal to release his tax returns to the public. Some worry Trump is hiding financial ties to Russia. Others want to understand all the conflicts of interest that flow from his failure to divest from his business interests. Twenty thousand people say they’re going to a Los Angeles protest. Eleven thousand are signed up to attend in New York City. Folks will protest in Boise, Indianapolis, St. Louis, Raleigh, Pittsburgh, Knoxville, Salt Lake City, and other municipalities throughout the U.S. Continue reading “These 23 Republicans Passed on a Chance to Get Trump’s Tax Returns”

Behind the online community organizing protests against Trump

From CBS Evening News: