The Trump Administration's War on Black and Poor People

The Trump Administration is"Making America Great Again" by trampling on black and poor people. Trump seeks to:

1.  Suppress black and Latino voters

The Nation reports that:

The (President's voter) commission was set up for one purpose—to spread false information about voter fraud, like Trump’s gigantic lie that millions of people voted illegally, in order to build support for policies that make it more difficult to vote. Kobach and his ilk have long advocated for suppressive policies like strict voter-ID laws, documentary proof of citizenship for voter registration and voter purges, along with weakening landmark voting-rights laws like the Voting Rights Act and National Voter Registration Act.

2.  Escalate the War on Drugs thereby exacerbating the problem of mass incarceration

The Washington Post reports that:

Law enforcement officials say that Sessions and Cook (Stephen H. Cook) are preparing a plan to prosecute more drug and gun cases and pursue mandatory minimum sentences. The two men are eager to bring back the national crime strategy of the 1980s and ’90s from the peak of the drug war, an approach that had fallen out of favor in recent years as minority communities grappled with the effects of mass incarceration.

Crime is near historic lows in the United States, but Sessions says that the spike in homicides in several cities, including Chicago, is a harbinger of a “dangerous new trend” in America that requires a tough response.

3.  Reevaluate and reconsider police consent decrees

At a time when police have a license to kill black people with impunity, the Trump Administration is putting vital police reforms in jeopardy. If Trump has his way, there will be more Philando Castiles, Tamir Rices, Eric Garners, Terrence Crutchers, Michael Browns and Rekia Boyds. The New York Times reports that:

Attorney General Jeff Sessions has ordered a sweeping review of federal agreements with dozens of law enforcement agencies, an examination that reflects President Trump’s emphasis on law and order and could lead to a retreat on consent decrees with troubled police departments nationwide.

In a memorandum dated March 31 and made public Monday, the attorney general directed his staff to look at whether law enforcement programs adhere to principles put forth by the Trump administration, including one declaring that “the individual misdeeds of bad actors should not impugn” the work police officers perform “in keeping American communities safe.”

...The broad review announced Monday could threaten some of those decrees if the Justice Department seeks to change its past stance about systematic police abuses in the affected agencies. But the Justice Department would not be able to unilaterally unwind the agreements without court intervention.

This is not a surprise for a couple of reasons. Prior to his appointment, now U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions expressed his opposition to police consent decrees. Second, during the campaign, Donald Trump stated that he supports racial profiling and New York style unconstitutional stop and frisk programs.

4.  Drastically cut Section 8 and other housing programs

Truth-Out reports that:

The gutting of HUD would take money directly out of the hands of renters in need. The Post story notes, "Under the proposal, direct rental assistance payments -- including Section 8 Housing and housing vouchers for homeless veterans -- would be cut by at least $300 million, to $19.3 billion. Additionally, housing for the elderly -- known as the Section 202 program -- would be cut by $42 million, nearly 10 percent. Section 811 housing for people with disabilities would be cut by $29 million, nearly 20 percent. Money available for Native American housing block grants would fall by $150 million, more than 20 percent."

According to Rice's analysis of the Post report, if the cuts go through, "Housing Choice Vouchers that some 200,000 low-income households currently use to pay their rent would be eliminated in 2018." He explained, "Reducing the availability of this crucial support would increase and prolong homelessness for vulnerable people with disabilities, families with children and others."

These cut will adversely and disproportionately impact African Americans. As stated on Living Cities, "...there is another pernicious outcome of the lack of Section 8 resources for every eligible household. Lack of Section 8 fuels inequality and works a racial injustice. In 2014, one out of every 3.6 black households in metropolitan areas was extremely low income, a rate 2.2 times higher than white households. (Source: 2010-2014 ACS 5-Year Public Use Microdata Sample)"

5.  Substantially cut food assistance for the poor

As reported on Mother Jones,

The budget includes $193 billion in cuts over a decade to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), or food stamps—25 percent of the program’s budget. About 44 million people benefit from food stamps in the United States, especially poorer states in the Southeast. For example, 1 out of every 5 people in Louisiana receive food stamps in a given month, according to a report by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

Trump’s proposed cuts to food stamps will by and large hit the states that voted for him the hardest. Louisiana voted overwhelmingly for Trump, as did its Southeast counterparts Mississippi, Alabama, West Virginia, and Georgia. Out of the 10 states with the highest food stamp use by population, seven voted Republican in last year’s presidential election. (See more details in the list below.)

Similar to Section 8 cuts, food stamps cuts will disproportionately impact African Americans. Although African Americans are 13.3% of the U.S. population, we are 25.7 percent of those are on food stamps / SNAP (Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program).

6.  Eliminate health insurance for 22 million people, many of whom are African American
The Trump Administration health care bill would have caused 22 million to lose their health insurance. According to the New York Times, the Budget Office found:

that next year, 15 million more people would be uninsured compared with current law. Premiums and out-of-pocket expenses could shoot skyward for some low-income people and for people nearing retirement, it said.

Conclusion

The bottom line is this. The Trump Administration has declared war on black and poor people. We must fight back. We must resist. We must lobby Congress and fiercely oppose the Trump Administration's legislative agenda. We must vote out Trump's allies during the mid-term elections. We must do everything in our power to ensure that this is Trump's last term in office.

The Tea Party is Holding the Nation Hostage

We are at war. We have enemies. They are called the Tea Party. They lost their fight to defeat the Affordable Care Act. They lost in Congress and in court. They lost the Presidential Election. Now, those sore losers have gone insane and resorted to terrorism and extortion. They are holding this nation hostage. Like thugs, they are threatening to shut down the federal government unless the Congress delays implementation of the Affordable Care Act for one year. A government shut down will have a devastating impact on the American people.

Don't sleep. This is not just about the Affordable Care Act. It is about Obama. Those people hate that we have a black man in the White House with a Muslim name. He represents the end of their precious white supremacist world. The Affordable Care Act symbolizes Obama and his success. That's why they have labeled it "Obamacare". That is why they are willing to risk everything to defeat it. Like suicide bombers who destroy themselves and innocent civilians, the Tea Party lunatics are willing to destroy the American economy and themselves for the sake of political posturing.

You don't negotiate with terrorists and gangsters. You destroy them. We must unite, mobilize, organize and drive out those stinking cockroaches. In the electoral system, you destroy the enemy by voting them out of office. Vote people vote!

President Obama and Mitt Romney React to the Supreme Court's Decision Upholding Health Care Reform!

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Making History: President signs Health Care Reform Bill

After a century long struggle, President Obama signed the Health Care Reform Bill into law. I commend the President and the Democrats for a job well done. We witnessed history. In the plain words of Vice President Joe Biden, "this is a big f***ing deal!" Although this legislation is imperfect for the sound reasons articulated by progressives such as U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich and Ralph Nader on Democracy Now, this legislation provides major tangible benefits to the American people. As stated in Tara Siegal Bernard's New York Times article entitled "For Consumers, Clarity on Health Care Changes":

The legislation .... provide[s] coverage for as many as 32 million people who have been shut out of the market — whether because insurers deem them too sick or because they cannot afford ever-rising insurance premiums.

[Within] six months .... many plans [will] be prohibited from placing lifetime limits on medical coverage, and they [cannot] cancel the policies of people who fall ill. Children with pre-existing conditions [cannot] be denied coverage.

And dependent children up to age 26 [are] eligible for coverage under their parents’ plans — instead of the current state-by-state rules that often cut off coverage for children at 18 or 19.

And within three months ....., people who have been locked out of the insurance market because of a pre-existing condition [will] be eligible for subsidized coverage through a new high-risk insurance program.

That special coverage [will] continue until the legislation’s engine kicks into a higher gear in 2014, when coverage [will] be extended to a wider part of the population through Medicaid and new state-run insurance exchanges.

Those exchanges, or marketplaces, [will] provide much more competitive, consumer-friendly online shopping centers of private insurance for people who are not able to obtain coverage through an employer.

In 2014, people with pre-existing conditions [can] no longer be denied insurance, all lifetime and annual limits on coverage [will] be eliminated and new policies [will] be required to meet higher benefit standards.

While this landmark legislation is a major accomplishment, it must viewed as a single step toward the ultimate goal, free universal health care for all citizens.

House Rebukes Rep. Wilson

I commend the U.S. House of Representatives for passing the resolution rebuking Rep. Joe Wilson for his outburst. During the proceedings, Rep. Steny H. Hoyer stated that the House will not stand silent in the face of conduct that was universally recognized as inappropriate. To watch the proceedings on C-Span, click this link. The resolution states:

Whereas on September 9, 2009, during the joint session of Congress convened pursuant to House Concurrent Resolution 179, the President of the United States, speaking at the invitation of the House and Senate, had his remarks interrupted by the Representative from South Carolina, Mr. Wilson; and

Whereas the conduct of the Representative from South Carolina was a breach of decorum and degraded the proceedings of the joint session, to the discredit of the House: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the House of Representatives disapproves of the behavior of the Representative from South Carolina, Mr. Wilson, during the joint session of Congress held on September 9, 2009.

Since Rep. Wilson apologized to the President, Wilson’s supporters assert that Wilson should not have to apologize to the House. That argument fails for the following reasons. Rep. Wilson’s apology was insincere. He apologized only after Republican leadership pressured him to do so. In addition, he has exploited the spectacle to raise funds for his election campaign. On his website, he boldly proclaims that he will not be muzzled. Appearing on the Sean Hannity radio program, he embraced his new role as a hero of the right wing anti-immigrant movement. Rep. Wilson’s conduct not only offended the President, he offended the House, the Senate and the American people. If Wilson was sincere, he would have apologized to his House colleagues as well. Instead, he was defiant.

The House did the right thing by condemning him for his breach of civility and decorum. Now, lets focus on getting health care passed with the same efficiency. I hope that Rep. Joe Wilson’s 15 minutes of fame are over.

Time for Censure

During his address to Congress, President Barack Obama stated that illegal immigrants would not be covered under his health care plan. In response, U.S. Representative Joe Wilson yelled, “You lie!” His outburst was completely disrespectful and undignified. Didn’t he realize that he was not at one of those town hall meetings? Would he have done that if the President was white? It is no coincidence that Mr. Wilson represents South Carolina, one of the most racist states in America. South Carolina was the bastion of the Confederacy. In that state, they continue to boldly and proudly fly the Confederate flag, a symbol of slavery and segregation.

Later, Rep. Wilson issued this apology:
“This evening I let my emotions get the best of me when listening to the president’s remarks regarding the coverage of illegal immigrants in the health care bill. While I disagree with the president’s statement, my comments were inappropriate and regrettable. I extend sincere apologies to the president for this lack of civility.”

Although White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emmanuel accepted Rep. Wilson’s apology on behalf of the President, Rep. Wilson needs to hear from the American people. He can be reached by phone (202) 225-2452, (803) 939-0041, fax (202) 225-2455, (803) 939-0078 and email joe.wilson@mail.house.gov. An apology is insufficient. He should be formally censured by Congress.

No More Compromise Part 2

I salute the Congressional Black Caucus and the Congressional Progressive Caucus for standing up. Yesterday, both Caucuses sent letters to President Barack Obama stressing the importance of a robust public option. The Progressive Caucus actually stated that they would not vote for a health care bill that does not include a public option. The Congressional Black Caucus's letter emphasized the need to maintain provisions addressing racial disparities in health care. Click the highlighted links to read the Congressional Black Caucus’s letter and the Congressional Progressive Caucus’s letter.

No More Compromise

Earlier in his political career, Barack Obama supported single payer health care. A single payer system would provide free, universal and quality health care for all citizens. Every major industrialized democracy has some form of single payer health care.

It is a national disgrace that over 47 million Americans have no health insurance. Private health insurance companies’ primary objective is maximizing profits for shareholders. They actually increase profits by denying coverage. Many health insurance companies refuse to sell or renew policies due to a person’s health status. In addition, they deny coverage for treatment of certain pre-existing conditions. Moreover, due to escalating premium costs, fewer employees will be able to afford health insurance in the near future. According to a new Commonwealth Fund report, health insurance premiums increased “119 percent between 1999 and 2008, and could increase another 94 percent to an average of $23,842 per family by 2020 if cost growth continues on its current course.” [1]

To build a census to address this crisis, President Obama embraced a pragmatic approach. He has rejected the proposal of U.S. Representatives John Conyers and Dennis Kucinich for single payer legislation, United States National Health Care Act H.R. 676. In attempt to reach a compromise, the private companies would continue to provide health care insurance. However, under America’s Affordable Health Choices Act H.R. 3200, citizens would have an option to enroll in a public insurance program. H.R. 3200 would prevent companies from refusing to provide coverage based on an individual’s health status or pre-existing conditions. The legislation includes “new data collection efforts to identify and address racial health disparities.” Finally, people will receive credits to purchase private or public insurance.

Despite efforts to develop a bipartisan compromise, most Republicans and the Blue Dog Democrats continue to oppose the President’s health care plan. The right wing critics have called President Obama a socialist. A lunatic fringe has even compared him to Adolf Hitler. Instead serving as a medium to convey a clear message to the American people, the town hall meetings have degenerated into chaos. Consequently, the President’s poll numbers are declining.

Under intense pressure, the Obama Administration has expressed a willingness to eliminate the public option, the cornerstone of any progressive legislation. The public option was designed to create competition in the market place. As the summary of H.R. 3200 states, the public option "will be a new choice in many areas of our country dominated by one or two private insurers today."

Eliminating the public option will allow insurance companies to continue to raise costs. Their monopoly over the market and the political process must be brought to an end. The President has already compromised by rejecting a single payer system and by proposing to establish credits to enable more citizens to purchase in private insurance.

U.S. Representative Maxine Waters[2] is correct. The time for bipartisan cooperation is over, no more compromise. The Obama Administration needs to enforce party discipline and start twisting arms to bring the Blue Dog Democrats in line with the President’s agenda. The President and progressive members of Congress should reject any proposal that does not include a public option and they should support the Kucinich Amendment. That amendment would allow states to establish their own state based single payer health care plans. Surrender is not an option.

[1] Commonwealth Fund, New Report: Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance Premiums Increase 119 Percent from 1999-2008; Project to Double Again by 2020 (August 20, 2009). http://www.commonwealthfund.org/Content/News/News-Releases/2009/Aug/Employer-Sponsored-Health-Insurance-Premiums-Increase-119-Percent.aspx

[2] Rong-Gong Lin II. “Rep. Maxine Water a hard liner for public health care option.” Los Angeles Times. 23 August 2009.