Focus on the economy: McCain's health care plan means more taxes, less coverage
With the U.S. economy in a severe crisis, Georgians are wondering what the health care plans of Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain will do for families struggling to make sure that they can afford to see the doctor when they're sick or injured.
Democrats believe that if you work hard and play by the rules, you shouldn't have to worry about bankrupting yourself when your health is on the line.
Barack Obama's plan eliminates overpayments to HMOs, outlaws unreasonable rate and fee increases on health care premiums, and emphasizes preventative care.
In contrast, the McCain/Palin plan
taxes workers' health care benefits for the first time in history. And, under the McCain/Palin plan, the tax on your health care benefits goes directly to the big insurance companies in the form of tax breaks. The
McCain/Palin plan doesn't even address the tens of millions of uninsured Americans.
Know the facts: Five pitfalls of the McCain/Palin health care plan- Gives insurance companies a tax break while taxing employees' health care benefits.
- Forces at least 20,000,000 people to lose coverage through their employers.
- Undermines state laws that require insurance companies to cover services like health care screenings and vaccination.
- No plan for taking on skyrocketing health care costs.
- No plan for solving the problem of the tens of millions uninsured Americans.
Vote smart with these quick tips
With record turnout predicted on November 4th and a Secretary of State's office that could be unprepared to handle the crowds, here are some tips to make your voting experience as hassle-free and efficient as possible. Whether you're a first-time voter or a long-time voter, you can take action to make sure your voice is heard.
Vote early!
You can join the over 135,000 Georgia voters who have taken advantage of the opportunity to vote early. Early voting ends on October 31. To find a list of early voting locations around the state,
click here. (Adobe pdf format)
Note: under Georgia's Voter ID law, you must show an accepted form of photo identification in order to vote early. Please see the section on election day voting (below) for a list of acceptable photo IDs.
Vote absentee:You can also request an absentee ballot from your
local Board of Registrars. You do not need a reason for requesting an absentee ballot. Simply fill out an
absentee ballot request form, submit it to your local Board of Registrars via mail or fax (or you can drop it off in person), and when your absentee ballot arrives, fill it out and mail it back in. Please remember that all absentee ballots must be received by your local elections board by 7:00 p.m. on November 4th. You
do not need to show a photo ID in order to request an absentee ballot or vote absentee.
Vote on election day:
As always, you can vote on election day. Please allow ample time to wait in line and don't forget your photo ID. Pursuant to Georgia's Voter ID law, you must show one of the following pieces of photo ID:
- Any valid state or federal government issued photo ID, including a free Voter ID Card issued by your county registrar's office or the Georgia Department of Driver Services (DDS).
- A Georgia Driver's License, even if expired.
- Valid employee photo ID from any branch, department, agency, or entity of the U.S. Government, Georgia, or any county, municipality, board, authority or other entity of this state.
- Valid U.S. passport ID.
- Valid U.S. military photo ID.
- Valid tribal photo ID.
Of course, no matter how you vote, please vote in this crucial election.
Featured candidate: Pat Dooley
A former member of the Georgia House of Representatives,
Pat Dooley is challenging incumbent Republican Steve "Thunder" Tumlin in Cobb County's 38th District. Pat, a longtime advocate for children and families, will fight for our public schools, economic development that brings jobs to Georgia, and to make sure that every child in Georgia can see a doctor when they're sick.
In contrast, her opponent has fought for education cuts, cuts to Georgia's PeachCare program, and even to weaken Georgia's consumer protection laws - opening the door for predatory lenders who charge crippling interest rates.
Pat is a strong candidate with the right message. To learn more about Pat, visit
www.friendsofpatdooley.com.
Featured candidate: Roy C. Gibbs
A teacher and pastor,
Roy Gibbs can point to a lifetime of service to his community and his faith. Now, he's offering his commitment and principle to the people of Georgia as a candidate for Georgia House of Representatives in the 147th District, in the Cordele/Crisp County area. The 147th is an open seat, formerly held by a Republican."I believe a campaign shouldn't be about how much money can be raised or what businesses a candidate represents," Gibbs says. "Your vote should go to a man who can and will do the best job possible."
You can visit Roy online at
www.roycgibbs.com.
Georgian competing in "Battle of the Blogs"
David McLaughlin, host of the progressive online radio show "The Kudzu Vine," has been selected as one of four Democratic bloggers to participate in Blog Talk Radio and FOX News Radio's "Battle of the Blogs." The competition starts with four liberal and four conservative bloggers. In each round, two bloggers will compete one-on-one, with each being given five minutes to respond to the same topic.
Listeners will then
vote, either through an online poll or text message, and the winner will advance to the next round. Friday, October 10th, the winning liberal will compete against the winning conservative.
The two winners, along with host Spencer Hughes, will co-host a weeklong election special live on Fox News Radio at 8 a.m. the week of October 20th.
David's segment will be on Wednesday, October 8 from 2:00 - 3:00 p.m. EST. To listen, and to vote for David McLaughlin,
click here.
Dem volunteers contact over 25K Georgians Thanks to all of those that stepped up to help last week,
we have reached our goal of contacting more than 25,000 Georgia voters! Thank you for helping us get this far, and I hope you will keep up the great work and encourage others to join us as we embark on the last month of this election!
This week we will begin our Get Out the Vote efforts across Georgia. If you're interested in being a poll watcher, giving rides to the polls, or a number of much needed Election Day activities, please contact our office for more information.
For those that have already signed up we will be getting in touch with you in the next two weeks with specific details of how you can help.
Our themed evening phone banks include:
Youth & Young Professional Mondays 6:00 – 9:00pm
Calling for Change Tuesday 6:00 – 9:00pm
Women's Wednesday 6:00 – 9:00pm
Calling for Change Thursdays 6:00 – 9:00 pm
Veterans to Veterans Sunday 4:00 – 7:00 pm
Please keep in mind that our doors are always open to volunteers Monday through Friday from 10:00a.m. to 9:00 p.m. and on weekends from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Our headquarters is located at 1100 Spring Street, Suite 408 in Atlanta. Any time you have to spare we can put to great use and help get good Democrats elected across Georgia!
To sign up for these events or to find out about other activities please contact Kelli Persons at (678) 278-2109 or
kelli@georgiademocrat.org.
U.S. Congress: Did Linder fib about term limits? Democratic candidate for U.S. House of Representatives
Doug Heckman is calling shenanigans on his Republican opponent, John Linder, over a statement Linder made recently concerning term limits for congressmen. In an October 1 interview on NPR-WABE radio, Linder denied making a 12-year term limit pledge after his election in 1992. Linder is currently seeking his 17th and 18th years in the U.S. House of Representatives.
A little under 6 minutes into the interview, the following exchange took place between Linder and his interviewer, Steve Goss.
Goss: Is it true you once said you'd limit yourself to just twelve years in Congress?
Linder: In my first race, in 1990, I said that and I lost. I didn't say it in any other race again.
Goss: Ok, so when your opponent claims that, you know, this is a violation, that you've gone back on your word, 16 years in Congress, that's not true?
Linder: No. I told you, I did it in 1990, that was part of my commitment, I was defeated in that race, I never made that commitment again.
But John Linder did make that commitment again.
In a December 1,1992 article in the USA Today newspaper, Linder is quoted as follows:
``I've pledged to come home after 12 years,'' says Rep.-elect John Linder, R-Ga.
Furthermore, in 1995, Linder voted for a constitutional amendment requiring 12-year term limits on lawmakers in the House and Senate . The amendment failed, but if it had passed, Linder would have been subject to its restrictions like all other legislators.
Doug Heckman, Linder's opponent in District 7, said the following:
"I don't know whether John Linder has forgotten the promises he made or whether he just hopes voters will forget them. Either way, one thing is clear: John Linder is determined to continue breaking his promises, and it is time for him to go. I think John Linder was right on term limits and he should honor his pledge. As with many of our representatives, the longer they remain in Washington, the further they are pulled from the interests of their constituents."
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