Progressive Democrat Issue 224

Healthcare remains a hot issue this week. And this is really the critical moment. Now is the time for you to contact your Congressional Reps, your Senators, and your local media to give your opinion on healthcare reform. Remember the real facts, the numbers that show America spends top dollar for mediocre medical outcomes. We are on par with Slovakia, Albania and Cuba even though we spend more than almost any other nation on earth. Sweden, Canada, The Netherlands and the UK have the best overall cost to outcome ratio.

This could be our last chance for decades to reform our healthcare system, and it really needs your input both to Congress and the media.

Related to healthcare reform, there is now a boycott of Whole Foods because it's CEO has been both anti-union and anti-healthcare reform. The CEO is also a loyal Republican. I should add that Whole Foods has never struck me as a good company because they charge higher prices for mediocre quality and have never been up front about their business practices. I prefer Trader Joe's and my local food co-op. A particularly enlightening post about the issue comes from a former Whole Foods employee who is both sympathetic and antagonistic about Whole Foods. I basically suggest avoiding Whole Foods because they are overpriced, mediocre quality and conservative biased. Since I am currently focusing on many boycotts, take it for what it's worth and make your own decisions.

Also in this issue of the Progressive Democrat are boycotts of Glenn Beck advertisers (a boycott that has so far been VERY successful, but needs us to keep up the pressure) and of Chevron/Texaco over their alliance with the military dictators in Burma and their poor environmental record. If you avoid Whole Foods and Chevron/Texaco, and you contact the Glenn Beck advertisers I suggest, you will be helping three very critical progressive movements that are on their way to working. I always like recommending alternatives to the companies I suggest boycotting. Alternatives to Whole Foods include Trader Joe's, local food co-ops, community supported agriculture and local farmers' markets. Alternatives to Chevron/Texaco are harder, but for diesel vehicles I highlight in the newsletter many biodiesel alternatives and for regular gasoline vehicles, I suggest Citgo, BP, Arco, and Sunoco. None of these are ideal, but they are better than average.

For those who follow blogging more closely, you may remember one of my colleagues in Nigeria (Leo Igwe) recently was beaten up for standing up to a Christian cult that abused children. Leo is okay despite being attacked by a mob and he and I are asking for your help in spreading the word about this child abuse and donating to organizations fighting this child abuse. We can really make a big difference here. For more information and the latest update, please go to this Culture Kitchen article. A letter from you to the Nigerian embassy and a small donation to the organizations I highlight are critical for helping Leo and the children he is trying to protect.

Here is this week's newsletter:

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Continuing the Chevron Boycott

Trees: Fighting Famine, Fighting Global Warming

Continuing the Glenn Beck Advertiser Boycott

Rush Limbaugh's Nazi Rhetoric Must Stop

NYC FOCUS: Working Families Party Scandal

Brooklyn, NY Focus

Queens, NY Focus

Bronx, NY Focus

Rochester, NY Focus

NEW YORK STATE FOCUS

Silicon Valley Area, CA

San Diego, CA Focus

Orange County, CA Focus

CALIFORNIA FOCUS

Coweta County, GA Focus

Georgia Democrats Work

Georgia Action for Health Care

GEORGIA FOCUS

Dallas County, TX Focus

Austin/Travis County, TX Focus

Houston/Harris County, TX Focus

TEXAS FOCUS

Virginia Organizing Project: On Predatory Lending, Legislators Say, "Let Them Eat Cake"

Virginia Focus: Creigh Deeds Launches Tour of Rural SW Virginia

VIRGINIA FOCUS

Sussex County, NJ Focus

Warren County, NJ Focus

Passaic County, NJ Focus

NEW JERSEY FOCUS

COLORADO FOCUS

Washington State Focus: Seattle Police Department LGBTQ Advisory Council

WASHINGTON FOCUS

Arizona Focus: Sheriff Joe Arpaio and the Neo-Nazis

ARIZONA FOCUS

Illinois Focus: Melissa Bean and Bill Foster, Give Us Our Healthcare

ILLINOIS FOCUS

Florida Focus: CFO Alex Sink's Florida Housing Help events provide assistance in America's foreclosure hotspots

FLORIDA FOCUS

Pennsylvania Focus: Stop Blackstone Coal

Pennsylvania Focus: Joe Sestak for Senate

PA-15: Democrats Land Another Top Recruit In Swing Territory Hotlist

PENNSYLVANIA FOCUS

Wisconsin Focus: Get the Facts on Health Care Reform

WISCONSIN FOCUS

MICHIGAN FOCUS

NORTH CAROLINA FOCUS

IOWA FOCUS

Nevada Focus: Stop Blackstone Coal

NEVADA FOCUS

MINNESOTA FOCUS