Tag Archives: election

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Blue Cross rejecting payments for HIV/AIDS medication

02/17/2014 Nativegrl77 1 Comment

Mike Reitz: Stop AIDS discrimination by Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Louisiana.

By Robert Darrow

Shreveport, Louisiana

Due to a new policy from Louisiana’s largest health insurer, hundreds of people living with HIV and AIDS are in danger of losing access to essential medication.BlueCross BlueShield of Louisiana (BCBSLA) is rejecting checks from a federal program designed to help these patients pay for AIDS drugs and insurance premiums and has begun notifying customers that their enrollment in its Obamacare plans will be discontinued because it will no longer accept “third-party payments.” This funding was established through the Ryan White CARE Act of 1990 which has been crucial to ensuring that those living with HIV and AIDS can gain access to the medication they need.Several months ago, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) encouraged health plans to stop accepting “third-party payments,” but this weekend (February 8th), CMS stated unequivocally that “federal rules do not prevent the use of Ryan White funds to pay for health care plans.” BCBSLA said it is “reviewing and considering this new information,” but we need commitments to help save and extend hundreds of lives in Louisiana.

As someone living with AIDS who helped found the local organization in Shreveport that oversees Ryan White funding, I know these funds change lives — and I’m afraid that if BCBSLA gets away with denying this coverage, other insurers across the country could follow suit. Please join me in tell BCBSLA to accept federal funding for people living with HIV and AIDS and to stop this discrimination.

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Abusive & Racist Language Degrades Us All

02/05/2014 Nativegrl77

I am taking a stand for civility.

In March of 2010, we saw people with signs acting as if not only had they lost their minds but were transported back to a time when no person of colour wants, will go or be forced to accept in the 21st century. There is no place in our political discourse for the abusive, derogatory and racist language used against or by our members of Congress yet since the overwhelming GOP vote in 2010 a group called the TeaParty has decided racial activism is the only way to win . We have seen a generation prove that primitive behavior that I call hate speech has been given a pass by judges on all levels the first amendment is being misused abused by those in positions of power. I want justice for what is clearly racist hate speech, that used to be treated and prosecuted accordingly. Now, we see those with privilege acting out and getting away with using nasty ugly words we all know are racist offensive threats to the lives of the President. There are folks making ugly threats, hopefully our secret service, FBI and CIA visit the homes of people who keep feeling their words of hate are covered by the first amendment … No one has the right to make threats of bodily harm to any human being no matter what race creed or ethnic origin

This sort of language degrades us all and undermines our democratic process.

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Mayor Bill de Blasio …

01/25/2014 Nativegrl77

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Rights Versus Resources in the Amazon

01/15/2014 Nativegrl77

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Rights Versus Resources in the Amazon

Tar sands, hydraulic fracking, deep water drilling. All are examples that we are living in the age of extreme oil. With most major reserves of traditional crude found or tapped, the industry is encroaching into some of the most geologically-complicated, environmentally-risky and socially-conflictive terrain than ever before. As the price of crude hovers at $100, companies are eager to get at what was once impossible crude, much to the peril of people and the planet.

In some cases, this means pursuing non-conventional sources of oil, once technologically or financially out of reach, but now lucrative, despite being more energy intensive to extract than the final crude produced. In other cases, this means attempting to access “shut in” reserves – oil fields trapped by local resistance or above-ground ecological importance.

There is no greater example of this clash than what is playing out in the forests of Ecuador’s Amazon. There is a new oil boom underway, fuelled by the country’s rising debt, China’s energy demands, Ecuador’s leftist government’s plans to finance its “citizen’s revolution”, and the massive increase in public spending with expanded drilling.

Read the rest on Eye on the Amazon »

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Lonnie G. Bunch at The NMAAHC

09/20/2013 Nativegrl77

Thank you for signing the pledge on Care2 to support the preservation of African American history and culture through the National Museum of African American History and Culture. As the founding director, I want to be the first to welcome you to our online community.

When the Museum opens its doors in 2015, it will be far more than a collection of objects. It will be a place to remind us of where we’ve been, the challenges we still face and point us toward what we can become — a museum for all Americans!

In 2005, we began the journey to create the 19th museum of the Smithsonian family. And in February 2012, we broke ground, which was a major milestone in our development.

Take a moment to watch this short video about the kind of place the National Museum of African American History and Culture will be thanks to the support of friends like you.

As we approach our grand opening in 2015, we’ll be sure to keep you updated on our progress and provide ways for you to get involved in bringing the National Museum of African American History and Culture to the nation and the world.

Thank you for joining us in this truly historic endeavor!

All the best,