Incumbent Sen. Rosalind Kurita explains the write-in process to early voter Tom Altman

As I was campaigning for Senator Kurita to educate people about how to vote for a write-in candidate yesterday, it was clear to me that the Democratic party is wasting a lot of time, money, and energy of some of their very best people.  All those loyal Tim Barnes supporters (including many good friends of mine) and all those loyal Rosalind Kurita supporters (including myself) would probably be out campaigning for Barack Obama if this controversial Democrat AGAINST Democrat race had not been instigated by the leadership of the Tennessee Democratic Party.

I believe the PRIMARY job of the Tennessee Democratic Party Leadership is to win seats against REPUBLICANS, not their own party.  They are the ones that need to be scrutinized here.  Who exactly hatched the plot to run a Democrat against another sure-fire winning Democratic incumbent in Senate District 22?  I know about the Wilder vote; this has to run much deeper than that.

I’m working to elect Senator Kurita based on her voting record.  She’s endorsed by the Sierra Club and other green organizations. She’s rated the highest Tennessee senator for supporting green legislation by the TN Conservation Voters.  She was instrumental in passing the legislation to ban smoking in restaurants in the state and to increase the cigarette tax.  She supported verifiable elections in Tennessee.

I feel so disenfranchised by the Democratic Party action in throwing out the Kurita election that I don’t want to go to the Montgomery County Democratic headquarters.  I guess some Republicans are rightfully laughing at us all the way to the polls/bank.

When the Supreme Court made the wrong decision to decide the presidential election in favor of Bush and not count the votes, I was dismayed.  My vote was stolen.  We all know the ramifications that has had over the past eight years.

1 Person, 1 Vote?

Jessica Cameron made a statement at last night’s session without saying a word.  She is a veteran of the Iraq war and a strong advocate for the environment.  Last year, she was the president of the APSU’s Students Organized to Advance Renewable Energy.

Protesting last night's tri-county convention and its selection of Tim Branes as state Senate District 22 candidate, Jessie Cameron protested the disenfranchising of 4000+ Kurita votes in the primary.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Please take a moment to send a message to your senator holding them accountable for their vote on the recent FISA bill. Either thank them for voting against it, or hold them accountable for voting for it. With just your zip code and a couple of clicks, you can send either a pre-filled message or customize it to send your own message.

Since the beginning of this year nearly 325,000 people have lost their jobs and the unemployment rate is rising. As of May the unemployment rate stands at 5.5%, up nine percent just since April. With the cost of gas, food and medicine many families are suffering.

As a candidate for federal office I support House Resolution 5749, the Emergency Extended Unemployment Compensation Act, which will provide an additional thirteen weeks of extended unemployment benefits in most states. This means that 3.8 million citizens will continue to receive benefits through March of 2009.I fully support the intentions of this legislation and would support companion legislation in the US Senate if elected to public office. It is only the first step towards a clear path out of the current economic recession, but it is a sign to the American people that our representatives and those candidates who are running for office believe that the government is there to serve the people. We know that families are suffering right now under the high cost of food, medicine, fuel, housing and other basic goods.

The reason that we are in this economic crisis is clear. The Bush tax cuts which provided tax breaks for billionaires and wall street bailouts have broken the back of the American treasury. Hundreds of billions of dollars thrown down a hole in Iraq has not helped the situation any further and the mushrooming federal deficit, which currently stands at nine trillion dollars, have all played their role in the current situation. It is clear that what is needed are policies and legislation which supports working families and puts Americans to work.

Now is not the time to take away unemployment benefits for people who have worked hard and contributed. The cost of extended these benefits is just a sliver of the billions we are wasting on death and destruction in Iraq. Let’s reinvest in America and let’ start by investing in the American people. By doing so we will ensure a more secure and prosperous future for everyone.

For more information on HR 5749 please visit: http://acorn.org/?12383

Congress passed the Indian Health Care Improvement Act in 1976 to address health disparities between Native Americans and the rest of the populace. Since 1992, when the act was last reauthorized, the U.S. health care delivery system has been revolutionized, while the Indian health care system has not.

This bill lays the foundation for program change, including shifts from acute care to prevention and the provision of mental health services for children. It addresses health crises such as diabetes, youth suicide, and drug addiction that have escalated among native peoples in the past 15 years. It facilitates greater input to program operation from the local tribal level and enhances recruitment and retention of health professionals in facilities serving native populations.

As a candidate for the US Senate I believe it is vitally important that the United States consider major health care initiatives to improve the quality of life for all Americans. I also believe it is important that the Senate take steps to honor the health care needs of the first Americans by passing the Indian Health Care Improvement Reauthorization Bill.

About the Indian health care improvement act

Issue

The Indian Health Care Improvement Act (IHCIA), Public Law 94-437, expired on September 30, 2000, and was extended through 2001 in anticipation that Congress would consider the reauthorization proposals pending in Congress. Since 2001, the Congress has held hearings on the reauthorization proposals. While there have been various versions of the bill considered by the Congress since that time, the work on reauthorization of the IHCIA has not been completed.

Background

The IHCIA is considered to be the cornerstone legal authority for the provision of health care to American Indians and Alaska Natives. This authority builds upon the Snyder Act of 1921, which is the basic and first legislative authority for Congress to appropriate funds specifically for health care provided by the IHS. The IHCIA of 1976 was enacted into law based upon findings that the health status of Indians ranked far below that of the general population. The Act declared that it was this Nation’s policy to elevate the health status of the Indian population to a level at parity with the general U.S. population. Since its first passage in 1976, the Act has been reauthorized four times.

Situation

During late 1998 and 1999, the IHS actively consulted with Indian country on amendments to the existing Act to provide tribal and urban Indian health programs with the programmatic and administrative capabilities to provide high quality health care to their constituents. A National Steering Committee (NSC) on the reauthorization of the IHCIA was established in the summer of 1999 to review the recommendations received during the consultation process, to reconcile differences in the recommendations from the various areas of Indian country, and then to complete a legislative draft that reflected the final recommendations. In October of 1999, the NSC forwarded their legislative proposal to the leadership of the Executive and Legislative Branches, as well as to tribal governments and urban Indian health programs. The House Committee on Resources and the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs both introduced legislation almost identical to the NSC draft. Both chambers have held hearings on the reauthorization proposals since 2000 and both reported the reauthorization bills out of committee on September 22, 2004. During the second session of the 108th Congress, the IHS and the Department worked with the congressional committees to resolve areas of concern with the pending legislative proposals. Time ran out before a bill could be finalized that would address the Department’s concerns. A reauthorization proposal, S. 1057, was reintroduced in the Senate in the 109th Congress and was favorably reported with amendments by the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs on October 27, 2005. The IHS and Department have been working with the Senate committee staff in order to ascertain the impact of the bill and to develop an Administration position on the proposal.

Options/Plans

By the end of the 109th Congress, the IHS and the Department had testified at 11 hearings on the reauthorization of the IHCIA. Work will continue on Senate reauthorization bill in the 110th Congress. It is anticipated that re-introduction of a bill will occur in the in the 110th Congress. Tribal governments and urban Indian health program leaders will continue to push for passage of the reauthorization legislation.

For Additional information

For referral to the appropriate spokesperson, contact the IHS Public Affairs Staff at 301-443-3593.