Obamacare cuts number of uninsured in California by 50%

Before Obamacare, 22% of Californians lacked health insurance; after Obamacare, its down to 11% according to this report by KPCC Public Radio.

From the story: “The survey of more than 4,400 people by the Commonwealth Fund, a national healthcare foundation, also found that nationwide, the uninsured rate fell from 20 percent to 15 percent during the same period.

The Commonwealth Fund survey found that 61 percent of those who were newly insured said they felt better off thanks to their new coverage. And nearly four out of five said they were somewhat or very satisfied with their new coverage.

Obamacare is far from perfect, but getting uninsured health insurance, especially those previously denied coverage, is very important. Perhaps if Republicans had ideas on getting the remaining 11% insured instead of repealing a good idea over partisanship, they’d give voters an excuse to vote for them.

http://www.theliberaloc.com/2014/07/11/obamacare-cuts-number-of-uninsured-in-california-by-50/

More fodder

It's complicated.

Why is understanding the Kent State Ohio Massacre critical?

To understand the events of May 4, 1970 at Kent State and the four dead in Ohio, is to understand much of what has happened in our history before, during and after.

In response to the DOJ whitewash report Congressman Dennis Kucinich issued a statement:

“The letter also failed to indicate any efforts to reconcile the evidence in the recording with any prior statements about the incident made by FBI paid informant, Terry Norman, who was on campus that day and was known to have brandished a gun that might have created the sounds caught in the recording.

“While I appreciate the response from the Justice Department, ultimately, they fail to examine key questions and discrepancies. It is well known that an FBI informant, Terry Norman, was on the campus. That FBI informant was carrying a gun. Eye witnesses testified that they saw Mr. Norman brandish that weapon. Two experts in forensic audio, who have previously testified in court regarding audio forensics, found gunshots in their analysis of the audio recording.

Did an FBI informant discharge a firearm at Kent State?

Did an FBI informant precipitate the shootings?"

Much more http://neilyoungnews.thrasherswheat.org/2013/05/more-kent-state-ohio-massacre-coverup.html

Gov. Jerry Brown grants 63 more pardons

By Paige St. John April 18, 2014

Gov. Jerry Brown's office announced pardons of 63 criminals on Friday, tying the clemency decisions to Good Friday.

They follow 314 pardons released at Christmas and Easter since Brown resumed office in 2011.

For the most part, those receiving pardons were involved in minor drug crimes. Some had petitioned prior governors for years to have their rights restored, clearing the way to own guns or hold jobs from which felons are otherwise excluded.

However, one man robbed a convenience store, two people committed welfare fraud, one was involved in a lethal knife fight and a Santa Clara County man killed someone while driving drunk.

United Unions Call for Diamond’s Removal from DPOC Leadership Post

by Dan Chmielewski • April 17, 2014

Two independent sources tell TheLiberalOC that at Wednesday’s special Executive Board meeting of the OC Labor Fed, that all 90-plus unions represented by the LaborFed united with the 20-plus Building Trade unions in demanding that the Democratic Party of Orange County remove Greg Diamond from his North OC Vice Chair post or organized labor will withhold support of Democratic candidates in the coming June primaries and November elections. Diamond, a candidate for District Attorney and a blogger for the Orange Juice Blog, also represents CATER, a secretive organization suing the city of Anaheim over the Convention Center expansion and alleged Brown Act violations concerns negotiations with the Angels. And its the lawsuits that represent thousands of union jobs that has raised the ire of organized labor.

“Organized labor was united in declaring Greg Diamond to be anti-Labor no matter what Greg Diamond says he is,” said a source granted anonymity by this blog.

The Building Trades sent the DPOPC a letter on march 31 calling for Diamond’s removal or else. Representatives told the Liberal OC then that the letter was “the tip of the iceberg” and they would be seeking support from other OC unions to join their effort. The Building Trades were successful in convincing the OC Labor Fed and its 90+ unions to sign on in support. We’re told each labor union at the meeting in Orange County as well as labor connections in Sacramento stood united and joined the Building Trades of OC and Los Angeles in demanding the Party remove Diamond. It is also highly unlikely Diamond will receive any labor support in his race to defeat Tony Rackauckas including LaborFed support he sought. Diamond’s campaign website currently posts no endorsements, no events and no issues.

The prospect of tight Democratic races in AD-65 and SD-34 without Labor support would be devastating to Sharon Quirk-Silva and Jose Solorio chances in November.

LA earthquake: City councilmembers want to see if fracking is to blame

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Seismologists say they can't pin Monday's 4.4-magnitude earthquake in Los Angeles on any one fault, but rather on the buildup of stress associated with the Pacific and North American tectonic plates. Could "fracking" be blamed for the quake? That's what three Los Angeles City Council members want to find out.

Councilmen Paul Koretz, Mike Bonin and Bernard Parks filed a motion on Tuesday, calling for city staff to investigate whether oil and natural gas drilling methods helped trigger the quake.

City staff would work with the California Division of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources, or DOGGR, the U.S. Geological Survey and the South Coast Air Quality Management District to put together a report to see if there are any links between fracking and the earthquake.

The councilmembers say the quake's origin was located near areas where active oil extraction activities have been reported. Fracking involves injecting wells with a high-pressure solution to free up trapped natural gas and oil deposits.

Typical Minimum-Wage Earners Aren’t Poor, But They’re Not Quite Middle Class

This is an OP in GD ( http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024683618 ) from here 538 .

The article implies that the minimum wage should be for people who need it; not that workers earn it.

Here's the graph:


I think there is something wrong with the methodology employed. For example, household income was included, yet household size received no consideration. Methodology is not spelled out so I do not know how to refute this attack on raising the minimum raise.

edit to add graph

Venice Drum Circle Turns Violent; 2 Arrested

California: State Democrats Call For Legalizing Marijuana For Adults

Los Angeles, CA: California Democrats have approved a plank in the party's platform calling for the legalization of marijuana.

State party delegates at the Democrats' three-day convention in Los Angeles gave near unanimous approval to language calling on the party to "support the legalization, regulation, and taxation of marijuana in a manner similar to that of tobacco or alcohol."

The party's adoption of the pro-legalization plank is at odds with statements made recently by Democrat Gov. Jerry Brown, who expressed reservations about regulating the adult use and sale of the plant. "If there's advertising and legitimacy, how many people can get stoned and still have a great state or a great nation?" Brown said on NBC's Meet the Press. ‘The world's pretty dangerous, very competitive. I think we need to stay alert, if not 24 hours a day, more than some of the potheads might be able to put together."

According to an October 2013 Tulchin Research poll, 65 percent of likely California voters - including 74 percent of Democrats - said that they would support a statewide ballot measure to legalize and regulate marijuana production and retail sales for adults.