Philadelphia NOW

You Should Run for Office

2011-12-16T09:21:00.002-05:00

Times will not change for women until their needs/concerns are more fully represented in government. You should run for office!

From our friends at Pennsylvania Women's Campaign Fund, a workshop series for feminist candidates:

The Pennsylvania Women’s Campaign Fund has devised a rigorous and comprehensive training program to teach candidates what they need to know for an edge against their competition. The 3 ½ day training in January will cover topics from messaging and dealing with the media; to fundraising and number-crunching the margin of victory; to opposition research, polling and volunteer management. Download the full agenda by clicking here (download a PDF of The Winning Edge Agenda).

Show your confidence in someone by suggesting that she attend The Winning Edge campaign training led by the Pennsylvania Women’s Campaign Fund, January 26-29 in Shippensburg PA. Send her this link www.pwcf.com/training-resources/campaign-training and remind her that she has your support when her campaign kicks off!

Participants will save $100 when they register before December 16.

More info: http://www.pwcf.com/2011/12/preparation-for-the-campaign%E2%80%A6/

Call Corbett to VETO SB 732 TODAY!

2011-12-15T14:19:00.003-05:00

Urgent! SB 732--the anti-choice regulations bill-- was passed.

Please call the Governor's office at 717-787-2500. Tell him that SB 732 should not become a law. His approach to the Gosnell indictment has been a measured one up to now, but SB 732 could cause a public health crisis in our state. There's no medical association that supports it, and some, including the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence, the American Academy of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the Pennsylvania Coalition Against rape, are strong opponents of the bill.

SB 732 threatens public health in our state, and we need the Governor to say no to it. Please call right away.

More info at http://www.wevehadenoughpa.org/about-the-attacks.html

Humor for the Holidays

2011-12-13T09:03:00.001-05:00

Please join us December 29th for a night of laugh-out-loud fun! Philadelphia NOW is organizing a "feminists night out" to go see 1812 Productions' hilarious This Is the Week That Is, an ensemble send up of politics both national and local.

1812 Productions
This Is the Week That Is
8pm, Thursday, December 29th
Plays & Players Theater
1714 Delancey St.
Philadelphia PA 19103

Tickets are $32, part of which will go to Philadelphia NOW to aid us in the advocacy work we do protecting women's rights. If you'd like to join NOW, for $50 we'll throw in a ticket to the show. That's a one-year membership plus a great night out! But you have to let us know by this Wednesday, December 14th. RSVP to info.phillynow@gmail.com.

Philadelphia NOW News 12-7-11

2011-12-08T09:39:00.001-05:00

OFFICER ELECTIONS, EXCHANGE WITH NICARAGUAN FEMINISTS, HOLIDAY POTLUCK

Join us next Monday, December 12th, 1606 Walnut, 3rd Fl., 5:30-7, when we will meet with Nicaraguan feminist leaders to exchange information and ideas about feminist organization building and confronting domestic violence. We will also be electing a new slate of officers for the new year, reviewing recent news and reporting on some of the campaigns the chapter is involved with. It's our holiday meeting so bring something for our potluck, if you can. No worries if you can't.

"THIS IS THE WEEK THAT IS" FUNDRAISER- 12/29

Join us for a fun night out Thursday, December 29th for 1812 Productions' This is the Week That Is, a hilarious send up of politics both local and national. Tickets are $32. Pay $50 and get the ticket plus a year membership to Philadelphia NOW- a great deal! There will be a get-together before the show in South Philadelphia, 6-7:30, show starts at 8PM. RSVP to info.phillynow@gmail.com by next Wed, 12-14.

That is all the good news, here's the bad:

OBAMA ADMINISTRATION DECIDES AGAINST FDA RECOMMEND ON PLAN B

"Stunning" is the word most used by feminist groups responding to this news. Yesterday HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius decided to overrule the recommendation of FDA scientists and physicians charged to determine whether or not emergency contraception should be considered an over the counter drug, made available to all women of child-bearing age to prevent unwanted pregnancy. Read NOW's statement, and RHRealityCheck.com.

TELL OBAMA NOT TO CAVE ON BIRTH CONTROL ACCESS

Send a message to President Obama telling him not to cave on providing access to birth control to ALL women. The Administration has signaled that it is willing to allow religious employers- including hospitals and colleges- the right to refuse birth control coverage to women employees. It's simple: women should be in charge of fertility decisions, NOT their employers!! Send a message today!

ANTI-CHOICE BILLS MOVING IN PA HOUSE

HB1977 and SB732 are two anti-choice bills on the move in the House. HB1977 would ban private insurers participating in the state insurance exchange from covering abortion. SB732, under consideration in the House, would force additional, unnecessary regulations, including ridiculous physical plant and personnel changes, on standalone abortion providers. The effect (certainly intended) would be to shut down most of them. Call your State Representative TODAY to make sure he/she knows you are pro-choice! More info at wevehadenoughpa.org. Follow their Twitter feed for continuous updates.

Fall 2011 Endorsements

2011-11-06T14:58:00.002-05:00

Sheriff
CHERI HONKALA

City Commissioner
STEPHANIE SINGER

Council At-Large
WILLIAM GREENLEE
BLONDELL REYNOLDS-BROWN

Council District 7
MARIA QUINONES-SANCHEZ

Council District 8
CINDY BASS

For Judge:
DIANA ANHALT, COMMON PLEAS
BARBARA McDERMOTT, COMMON PLEAS
KATHRYN BOOCKVAR, PA COMMONWEALTH
DAVID WECHT, PA SUPERIOR

See our current newsletter for Bucks & Montgomery County Endorsements

PA NOW CONVENTION THIS SATURDAY IN BUCKS

2011-09-30T12:06:00.000-05:00

"UNITED WE RISE" PA NOW CONVENTION - 10/1

Join National NOW President Terry O'Neill and Pennsylvania NOW at the PA State biennial NOW Convention October 1, 2011 at Crowne Plaza Hotel Philadelphia Bucks County, 4700 Street Road, Trevose, PA 19053 (215-364-2000), 8AM- 6:30PM. We will be focusing on the war on women and how, united, we can fight back.

Philadelphia NOW member Julia Ramsay will be running for State President, so please come and vote for her!

If you are a NOW member already, payment for the conference is on a sliding scale. It's $75 for non-members, which includes a one year membership. You can become a member of Philadelphia NOW here, just click on the "Buy Now" button and then on the membership button. Membership starts as low as $20. To register for the PA Conference, go to http://panowconvention.eventbrite.com/.

For more information, see below, or click to panow.org.

DESCRIPTION

This all-day conference starts with breakfast and is followed by a day of speakers and workshops. The workshops will focus on:

reproductive rights attacks,

school vouchers,

single-payer healthcare,

maternity care, and caregiving,

working in coalitions,

voting rights, and

election work to make sure our united voice is heard.

In addition, we will be electing new officers, holding a luncheon PAC fundraiser, voting on the proposed by-laws change, and hosting a cocktail reception in the early evening. Breakfast and the reception are included in the Convention Registration Fee.

Featured Speakers

There will be two featured speakers at the convention and luncheon.

PA PAC Fundraiser

The featured speaker at the PAC luncheon will be Siobhan “Sam” Bennett, President and CEO, Women’s Campaign Forum (WCF). The WCF, founded in 1974, is the only national, non-partisan political organization supporting women at all levels of office, during the earliest stages of their public life, when that support is needed most. The luncheon will also present current and past NOW PAC-endorsed candidates to the attendees.

Siobhan “Sam” Bennett has served as the President and CEO of the Women’s Campaign Fund (WCF), The She Should Run Foundation, and WCF PAC since March 2009. Under Sam’s leadership, WCF's and She Should Run's combined budget has more than doubled and the organization’s programmatic reach has expanded to every state in the country and been featured in national syndications, including USA Today and over 200 AP newspapers. Sam has lent her unique perspective as a candidate at the local and federal levels to broaden WCF’s impact on women leaders at all levels of government who support reproductive choices and options, and women who may run for office in the future.

This fundraiser will help get out our Voters’ Guide and to also support our endorsed candidates. Cost is a minimum $50.00/person. Deadline for registering for the PAC luncheon is Tuesday, September 27 at noon.

Convention Keynote

The featured speaker during our afternoon session is Terry O'Neill, National President of the National Organization for Women. Terry is a feminist attorney, former professor and activist for social justice; she was elected president of NOW in June 2009. She is also president of the NOW Foundation and chair of the NOW Political Action Committees, and serves as the principal spokesperson for all three entities. O'Neill oversees NOW's multi-issue agenda, which includes: advancing reproductive freedom, promoting diversity and ending racism, stopping violence against women, winning lesbian rights, ensuring economic justice, ending sex discrimination and achieving constitutional equality for women.

Philadelphia NOW News 8-1

2011-08-01T12:52:00.001-05:00

HHS GUIDELINES A VICTORY FOR WOMEN'S HEALTH

Great news!! HHS issued guidelines today to require new health insurance plans to cover women's preventive health services without co-pays or deductibles including: well-woman visits, breastfeeding support, contraception and family planning counseling, screenings for sexually transmitted diseases, and domestic violence screening and counseling. Find out more at the Raising Women's Voices website.

TELL YOUR LEGISLATOR "WE'VE HAD ENOUGH"! RALLY 9-27

Despite today's good news, women in Pennsylvania should expect more attacks on women's health and particularly safe abortion access when Harrisburg re-convenes in September. Tell your legislator you've had enough!! Join Pennsylvania women in Harrisburg, Tues, 9-27, in the Capitol Rotunda, 11AM to 1PM. PA lawmakers have spent about a third of their days at the Capitol this year in relentless attack on women's rights, following the lead of rabidly anti-abortion Kansas. Expect these attacks to continue when the House takes up a bill aimed at closing down health centers. Learn more and take action to fight anti-choice legislation NOW!

TOMORROW- SAY NO TO VOUCHERS 8-2

Please attend the School Voucher Roundtable TOMORROW, Tues, 8-2, 10AM - noon, at Philadelphia Community College, NE Regional Center, in the Community Room, 12901 Townsend Rd, 19154 for a public discussion of vouchers. Key legislators will be there to listen to presenters opposed to and in favor of school vouchers. It's important that our legislators see that there is significant opposition in Philadelphia to SB1, so try to attend. Learn more about vouchers at the Education Voters PA site.

SUPPORT BREASTFEEDING FRIENDLY PHILADELPHIA WEDNESDAY 8-3

Maternity Care Coalition provides lactation support programs for working mothers and encourages hospitals to promote breastfeeding after delivery. This Wednesday, 8-3, a film crew will be here in Philadelphia documenting the Latch On America cross-country tour which promotes breastfeeding. The film covers how cities are responding to the Surgeon General's call to support breastfeeding. Please attend this event at Houston Hall at UPenn from 2-5PM. More info at Milk for Thought site.

REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE NOW on PHILLYCAM

Reproductive Justice NOW, sponsored by Philadelphia NOW, examines sex education, contraception, maternity care and abortion as a continuum of related healthcare needs for women. Episode 1 is an interview with historian Heather Munro Prescott about the "morning after" pill, and how anti-abortion restrictions erode women's legal right to contraception. You can watch it "on demand" at PhillyCAM here, just click the "NOW" channel.

Tell Council YES for Earned Sick Time

2011-06-15T10:18:00.000-05:00

EARNED SICK TIME - COUNCIL VOTE ON JUNE 16th, CITY HALL 9:30AM!!

Almost there!! There is enormous support for Earned Sick Time in Philadelphia, but the Chamber of Commerce is fighting it tooth and nail. We need you to come out and show Council your support for the Promoting Healthy Families and Workplaces Act (Bill 080474).

Earned Sick Time is a basic worker's right to accrue sick time for use when sick or when a dependent is sick. This bill will effect over 200,000 workers in Philadelphia who currently do not have such a right, the majority of whom are women working in the healthcare and food service industries. With Earned Sick Time, these workers will not have to choose between getting better or getting paid. Find out more at earnedsickdaysphilly.com.

Please call your District Councilmember and at-Large Members Bill Green, James Kenney, and Frank Rizzo, as well as Mayor Nutter TODAY and ask for their support of the bill.

Mayor Nutter at 888-892-2110
Councilman Bill Green at (215) 686-3420 or (215) 686- 3421
Councilman James Kenney at (215) 686-3450 or (215) 686-3451
Councilman Frank Rizzo at (215) 686-3440

Find your District Councilmember here: http://www.phila.gov/cityCouncil/CouncilMembers.html

Come to City Hall TOMORROW, June 16th, and let Council know in no uncertain terms that Philadelphia wants Earned Sick Time. Meet on the 4th Floor of City Hall at 9:30AM. Register here and let us know you're coming. Help us get the word out, and bring friends!!

STOP EXTREME ANTI-ABORTION BILLS IN PA SENATE

2011-05-22T07:55:00.001-05:00

Pennyslvania Feminists:

On Monday, the PA Senate will vote on SB 3- a bill that will ban health plans that contract with the exchange from covering abortion and, even more damaging, they will vote on an amendment to SB 732 that would apply the ambulatory surgical facility regulations to abortion providers that provide abortions past 9 weeks - an incredibly dangerous and damaging amendment for all independent providers in the state. This amendment would turn SB 732 into a bill that resembles HB 574, that recently passed in the House. The State House recently passed HB 574, which will severely limit the facilities available to women in the state for abortion. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette calls it a "phony response" to the Gosnell case, just an excuse by extremists to further limit the constitutional rights of women, and it is. The combination of these bills will dramatically change abortion access in Pennsylvania and put women's health in serious danger.

Not surprisingly, anti-abortion advocates are using the Philadelphia Gosnell situation to push through these restrictions, and both bills are being billed as 'choice' votes. We must put up the best fight possible to defeat these bills/amendments and urge moderate members to stand up for patient safety and against the characterization of these votes as black and white abortion votes.

Find your PA legislator here and contact your Senator, asking for a NO vote on SB 3, and a NO vote to the SB 732 amendment which would reclassify abortion providers as ambulatory surgical facilities. This amendment, just like HB 574, if passed, will likely cause most of our 20 free-standing clinics to close, curtail the services they provide, and/or increase the cost of a procedure beyond many women's reach. This is not about protecting women, as conservative lawmakers allege, the intent is to make sure Pennsylvania women no longer have access to safe and legal abortion.

It is especially important to call these Senators Monday, if you are a constituent, or pass this message to people who are constituents:

Joe Scarnati
Dominic Pileggi
John Yudichak
John Wozniak
Mary Jo White
Jim Brewster
Tim Solobay
Jay Costa
Ted Erickson
Mike Stack
Stewart Greenleaf
Richard Kasunic
Lisa Baker
John Blake
Pat Browne
Andy Dinniman
Wayne Fontana
Kim Ward

Since the 2010 elections, the country and many states, including Pennsylvania, has taken on a more conservative agenda, which has serious repercussions for women, including drastic restrictions on access to health care, maternity care, contraception, and abortion. Your legislators needs to know you are pro-choice- remind them often!!

Pennsylvania law should support the provision of safe, legal abortion and not stigmatize the procedure and push it into the hands of illegal, dangerous practitioners who threaten and endanger women’s lives and health. The situation in the Gosnell clinic happened because the PA Department of Health was not enforcing existing regulations. If we want to avoid more “clinics of horror” like the one in Philadelphia, then we need to urge our senators not to support these unreasonable proposals that will in turn hurt women rather than help them.

Philadelphia NOW Endorses

2011-05-04T16:22:00.005-05:00

COUNCIL DISTRICT 1

Jeff Hornstein

COUNCIL DISTRICT 7

Maria Quinones-Sanchez

COUNCIL DISTRICT 8

Cindy Bass

COUNCIL AT-LARGE

Sherrie Cohen
Bill Greenlee
Blondell Reynolds-Brown
Andy Toy

ROW OFFICES

Stephanie Singer, City Commissioner

JUDGE

Kathy Boockvar
Diane Anhalt
Barbara McDermott

Philadelphia NOW's Annual Fundraiser- We Need Your Support!

2011-04-10T06:53:00.002-05:00

Philadelphia NOW will hold its annual fundraiser on Friday, April 15th, from 5:30-7:30 at the Philadelphia Ethical Society, 1906 Rittenhouse Square in Philadelphia. RSVP on Facebook.

This year we honor Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds Brown for her exemplary leadership on issues important to women and children; environmental activist Iris Marie Bloom for her leadership opposing under-regulated hydrofracking for natural gas in Pennsylvania watersheds; and long-time Philadelphia NOW officers Kathy Black and Louise Francis for their many contributions to the feminist community. We'll also hold a raffle of exciting items.

Your support has never been more crucial! This year, in what has been called a "war on women", the US House voted to slash funding of essential programs vital to women and children, including prenatal care, nutritional assistance, job training, and college tuition assistance. The House also voted to completely eliminate funding for Title X family planning clinics, which provide life-saving services like mammograms, pap test, HIV and STD screening, as well as birth control. Although the Senate managed to preserve this funding in the recently reached budget agreement, if the first four months of 2011 are any indication both nationally and in Pennsylvania, the attack on women, workers and the elderly will continue relentlessly. Donate NOW at www.phillynow.org.

As a multi-issue organization, Philadelphia NOW stands at the forefront of these fights, opposing policies at any level of government that will impose additional burdens on working women and their families. Philadelphia NOW endorses pro-choice, feminist candidates at the local level and supports feminist issues of particular relevance to Philadelphians.

Proceeds from our fundraiser sustain us in our grassroots effort. Tickets on April 15th are $35 (donation for students/hardship). Please come out and show your support for Philadelphia NOW.

We are also looking for event sponsorship for as little as $100. Sponsors ($100) will receive 1 event entrance, Advocates ($250) will receive 2 entrances, and Champions ($500) will receive 4 event entrances. Sponsors, Advocates, and Champions will all be listed in our event program. By donating today, you can help us stop the "war on women". Give through our Donate button at www.phillynow.org. Or send contributions by check payable to Philadelphia NOW to 1211 Chestnut St., Ste. 700, Phila., PA 19107. Contact Caryn Hunt at info.phillynow@gmail.com if you wish to be a sponsor/for further information.

Please RSVP on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=207964385899359

Blame the Witches

2011-02-19T11:13:00.002-05:00

by Caryn Hunt

Back in the 1500s, if there was a devastating plague or drought, religious authorities recommended a sound purging of the bad elements: Burn the witches and prosperity will return. So religiously motivated attacks on women are not so new.

Americans, feeling the pain of recession, looking for relief, voted for a Republican Party majority in the US House and many state legislatures last election. Republicans told voters they had the answer to fix everything, and it was deceptively simple. They said don't worry about climate change, or skyrocketing unemployment, or regulating Wall Street, or whether you can afford health care. Americans were soothed by the message they need do nothing more than promote Republicans to power. Nevermind that the economic crisis was Bush's legacy.

So is creating jobs at the top of our nation's agenda? No. House Speaker John Boehner has cast the lot of his Party with religious fundamentalists, and signaled that the important problems we face as a nation will surely best be solved by first attacking women's reproductive freedom. Responding to his fatwa, House Republicans have introduced various bills designed to set back women's rights by decades, including legislation to defund our nation's most vital and respected source for women's health care, Planned Parenthood, a long-time target for the religious right. Representative Chris Smith introduced the “No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion” bill, HR 3. Nevermind that taxpayer money has not been used to fund abortion for 35 years.

The Pennsylvania GOP is following lockstep with Senator Don White's bill to ban abortion in state exchanges, Senate Bill 3. Nevermind that during the national health care reform debate Congress incorporated pro-life Democratic Senator Ben Nelson's amendment into the Affordable Health Care Act, which obliges women to write a separate check to their insurance company to pay for abortion coverage. Nevermind that SB 3 is completely unnecessary.

And nevermind that abortion is a legal right and a common medical procedure one out of four women will go through in their lifetime, but that lack of access, stigmatization, and violence against practitioners makes a difficult decision a nightmare for many women.

Indeed it's high time taxpayer money was used for abortion care. For too long, low-income women have had to suffer unequal, inadequate access to reproductive health care in this country, including abortion care.

As long as our youth stumble ignorantly into sexual activity, as long as birth control is not 100% reliable or accessible, as long as pregnancies don't progress as planned, there will be a need for abortion. Abortion bans will drive more women to unscrupulous back-alley practitioners like Kermit Gosnell, and will lead to deaths.

SB 3, like its federal counterpart, is a purely politically motivated bill that would leave Pennsylvania women worse off than they are today. It treats women as second class citizens and denies them their full rights. It heaps misery on women simply because it is women who bear children and thus also the responsibility of figuring out, individually, when it is best for them to become parents.

So, would further restricting the rights of women set aright our course for this country? Considering that women are half the population and half the workforce, I wouldn't bet on it. A lot has changed in 500 years. The religious opinions of our lawmakers have no business being translated into laws regulating a woman's body.

Protest Attacks on Women's Health Care Thursday

2011-02-16T10:04:00.003-05:00

Philadelphia Feminists:

Stand up for Women!! Join us to protest the attacks against women's health care at both the state and the federal level this Thursday, 11:30AM, at Thomas Paine Plaza, outside the Municipal Services Building, across the street from the north side of City Hall.

Call your US Congressmember TODAY to make sure he/she is Pro-Choice, or at least knows you are, and ask him/her to vote NO, against eliminating funding for family planning and Planned Parenthood. This debate began yesterday and could come up for a vote either today or tomorrow in the US House. Click here to find your legislator.

The US House, led by Speaker John Boehner, has taken up a crusade against women's health care and reproductive rights, fast-tracking such bills as the "No Taxpayer Funding for Abortions" (even though taxpayer funds have not paid for abortion care in 35 years), the "Protect Life Act", which makes it optional for medical professionals to save a woman's life if it might endanger her pregnancy, and today's effort to defund family planning in the country. Republican-controlled legislators around the country are coming up with similar legislation. In Pennsylvania, Senate Bill 3 would ban abortion coverage from the state exchanges, despite the fact that women would already be obliged to write their own, separate check to insurers for such coverage.

Also on the chopping block:

* eliminating $1.1 billion from Head Start
* $758 million from Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), a program that provides food to infants and health care education to new moms
* reducing Maternal and Child Health Block Grants by $210 million, a program that supports special needs children, provides newborn screening and funds lead poisoning and injury prevention

* cut $1.3 billion from Community Health Centers that provide affordable health care to low income women, men and children.

WE NEED YOU TO JOIN OUR VOICES IN PROTEST ON THURSDAY!

STOP PA ABORTION BAN!!

2011-02-05T11:03:00.003-05:00

ABORTION BAN BILL WHIPPING THROUGH PA SENATE!!

SB 3, the Senate bill that would ban abortion coverage in PA's state exchanges, is on greased rails to pass the Senate, with a second consideration on Monday. Call and email your State Senator and let him/her know you are PRO-CHOICE and oppose Senate Bill 3!! Urge consideration be postponed. Find your State Senator contact info here. Put in your address, follow the link to your Senator's page.

If your Senator is a member of Leadership, it's especially important to urge a postponement of consideration of this bill!!

SENATE BILL 3 starts:

No hospital, clinic or other health facility owned or operated by the Commonwealth, a county, a city or other governmental entity (except the government of the United States, another state or a foreign na- tion) shall:

Provide, induce, perform or permit its facilities to be used for the provision, inducement or performance of any abortion except where necessary to avert the death of the woman or where necessary to terminate pregnancies initiated by acts of rape or incest if reported in accordance with requirements set forth in subsection (c)...

There is no exception for the health of the mother, there is no exception for fetal anomolies. This bill bans abortion coverage in the state health exchanges, despite this question having been settled at the federal level. The Nelson provision in the Affordable Health Care Act already provides, in drastic measure, for no taxpayer funds to be used for abortion care by requiring individuals who want it to pay for it to write a separate check. SB 3 is unnecessary legislation.

Abortion is a legal right for women in this country. Lack of access, stigmatization, and violence against practioners keeps it out of reach for far too many.

Indeed, it's high time taxpayer money was used for abortion care. For too long, low-income women have had to suffer unequal and inadequate access to reproductive health care in this country, including abortion care. As long as birth control is not 100% reliable or accessible, as long as pregnancies don't always progress perfectly, there will be a need for abortion.

SB 3 is a purely politically motivated bill that would leave Pennsylvania women much worse off than they are today (Currently, 80% of PA's insurance plans cover abortion). It is a bill that treats women as second class citizens and denies them their full reproductive rights. It heaps misery on women for being women. SB 3 will lead to women's deaths by further marginalizing access to safe and legal abortion. SB 3 is dangerous legislation for women.

BACKGROUND

The Republican Party is mounting an unprecedented attack on women at the federal level and also at the state level in Pennsylvania. Senator Don White, Chair of Senate Banking & Insurance Committee, introduced Senate Bill 3 on January 19th, put it on the B & I Committee schedule late on Monday, January 24 for a vote at 12:30PM Tuesday, January 25, where it passed. Only Philadelphia Senators Larry Farnese and Tony Williams voted against it (Please thank them if they are your Senators). B & I Minority Chair Mike Stack, although he avows he is pro-choice, voted to pass SB 3 out of committee, as did Democrat Lisa Boscola and allegedly pro-choice Republicans. It is now scheduled for a second consideration in the Senate this Monday, February 7th. It is possible this bill could be voted on as soon as next Tuesday.

Seems way too quick considering usual turnaround times? This bill is on rails! Please pass along this alert and urge your friends to contact their Senators to vote NO on SB 3, and to contact Senate leadership to urge postponement of consideration. These Senators need to know there is a pro-choice majority in PA!!

WOMEN'S LIVES ARE AT STAKE!

Here are stories of women who would be denied abortion care through PA's insurance exchange under SB 3:

H.D. is a young woman with two children. She makes $1,300 per month as a home health aide. Because the person whom she cares for has been hospitalized, she has had no income for a month. She was behind in her rent and feared eviction.

At age 2, Sarah underwent chemotherapy and surgery for bladder cancer. Now an adult woman with a wanted pregnancy, Sarah found out her bladder has a new lesion on it that can’t be treated while she is pregnant. She is also at risk for kidney conditions that pregnancy can worsen. She and her physicians reluctantly decided that she must terminate her pregnancy to save her health.

Q.M. is 30 years old and has two young children. She supports her family with welfare payments of $400 per month. Her fiancé just suffered a stroke and will need to be in rehab for many months. She contacted us from his bedside at the hospital. With sadness, Q.M. decided that this was not the right time to take on the responsibility of parenting another child.

G.L. is a sophomore at a suburban college living at home with her alcoholic and abusive mother and her little brother. Although her mother helps with college tuition, G.L. must cover her other expenses with savings from her summer job. She feared her mother would become violent if she turned to her for help with an abortion.

L.B. is a 30-year-old woman with a school-aged daughter. A few months ago, she was laid off from her job at a medical office. Since then, unable to find another job, she enrolled in SNAP (food stamps) and is spending down her savings account to pay her rent and other living expenses. L.B. had been using a hormonal contraceptive, so she was surprised to find herself pregnant.

R.B. is a 27-year-old woman who works as a community organizer. She suffered date rape at a party; someone slipped drugs into her drink and then assaulted her.

Senate Bill 3 Further Endangers Women's Health

2011-01-25T13:00:00.003-05:00

Today, Senator Don White unexpectedly put his Senate Bill 3, to ban abortions in the insurance exchanges, on the agenda for a vote in the Senate Banking & Insurance Committee, where he is Chair, demonstrating that the Republican leadership has no intention of trying to work in a bipartisan manner for the citizens of Pennsylvania, and will instead press divisive issues. If your Senator is a member on this Committee, call today and urge a NO vote on this bill.

Apparently, he is trying to seize the moment, as emotions are running high in the wake of the Philadelphia District Attorney's report on Dr. Kermit Gosnell, charged with murder, and his horrific West Philadelphia clinic, where he provided unsafe and illegal abortions. Senate Bill 3's goal is to further restrict abortion access, safety, and legality, when exactly the opposite is what's necessary to make sure more back-alley providers like Gosnell don't pop up. Senator White's bill would cause increased hardship and misery for women seeking safe and legal abortion, and further marginalize abortion, sending more women to sub-standard providers.

Planned Parenthood Advocates wrote a great letter you can use to contact your Senator, go to their site to send an email:

Dear Senator,
As your constituent, I am shocked to hear that the Banking and Insurance Committee's first order of business in the new legislative session is to vote to restrict coverage of abortion services and not address issues like jobs or the economy.

The issue of abortion coverage with federal money through health care reform has already been decided. Anti-choice Senator Ben Nelson raised his concerns on the federal level and as a result, women who want to use their own money to purchase health insurance which includes abortion care is completely separate and must be paid entirely by the individual. Additional restrictions are unnecessary.

The passage of Senate Bill 3 would push abortion care services to the fringe, away from additional regulation and oversight by the insurance industry. As we have all seen over the past few weeks, women who need abortion services and cannot readily access them are resigned to seeking care at the hands of dangerous practitioners who threaten women's health and lives like Dr. Gosnell. Further stigmatizing a legal medical procedure will, in reality, put more lives at risk.

I ask that my Senator focus on the priorities for which you were elected: creating jobs and improving the economy. Regardless of anyone's feelings on abortion, eliminating insurance coverage through Senate Bill 3 will only ensure that dangerous situations like Dr. Gosnell's clinic will continue to exist.

Signed,
Your Constituent

Here's an article that explains why the poorest women are most in danger from additional restrictions on abortion, and why abortion should not be separated out from other equally essential reproductive care:

Why Did They Seek Care There: How Abortion Bans Threaten Women's Lives

PA Reproductive Health Care Providers React to Gosnell Indictment

2011-01-25T12:55:00.001-05:00

Pennsylvanians for Choice/Raising Women's Voices
Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 19, 2011

PHILADELPHIA, PA: Today, a group of local providers and advocates of reproductive health care applauded the work of a grand jury convened by District Attorney R. Seth Williams and his staff in investigating and exposing the allegedly brutal, unsafe and illegal abortion practice in West Philadelphia.

“If the allegations in the report prove to be true,” said Jen Boulanger, Executive Director of the Allentown Women’s Center. “The women and girls who put their trust and their lives in the hands of Kermit Gosnell and his staff are victims of terrible crimes.”

The grand jury report confirmed that for two decades, reputable providers of abortion care, as well as patients, complained to the state Department of Health about Gosnell’s practices, but these complaints did not correct the unsafe and illegal practices at the West Philadelphia clinic.

“Abortion providers throughout Pennsylvania regularly undergo several different types of inspections from state agencies and national professional organizations,” said Curtiss Hannum, MSN, CRNP, Director of Center Affairs and Development at the Philadelphia Women’s Center. “The grand jury report refers to the excellent medical care and safety protocols of several providers that ‘are, in many ways, more stringent and more protective of women’s safety than’
the abortion regulations in Pennsylvania.”

The women allegedly harmed by Gosnell and his staff were predominantly low-income women of color.

“Medicaid, the health insurance program for low-income Americans, will not pay for abortion care in Pennsylvania except in very limited circumstances,” said Dayle Steinberg, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood Southeastern Pennsylvania. “It’s a heartbreaking reality that without insurance coverage, women who need to end their pregnancies consider cost as the determining factor.”

“Public policy about abortion has been driven by people who simply want to shut it down,” added Carol Tracy, Executive Director of the Women’s Law Project. “Instead, our laws should support the provision of safe abortion care, not stigmatize the procedure and the women who seek it and push it into the hands of marginal practitioners who threaten and endanger women’s lives and health.”

###

Pro-Choice is Pro-Women

2011-01-25T12:38:00.002-05:00

by Caryn Hunt

On the subject of abortion, we need to grow up as a society. Pregnancies don’t always go as hoped for. Birth control doesn’t always work.

Women are adults- half the population, half the workforce in the US, yet women are only 17% of Congress, hardly fair representation. And it shows, because it’s hard for some politicians to treat women as autonomous adults and full citizens. Women give birth to all of the babies. Thus they must have all of the say over what happens within their own bodies. This is every woman’s right as a human.

The bottom line on abortion is this: as long as birth control is not 100% effective or 100% accessible in the first place, as long as our youth are not taught the facts of life and stumble ignorantly into sexual activity, as long as pregnancies can become unpredictably complicated and life-threatening, or the fetus can develop in such a way as to not be viable outside the womb, abortion will remain a necessity for women. Legal abortion means women will not die or become infertile due to unsafe procedures. Access to abortion means women, not the state, are in charge of their reproductive function.

Passions burn hot on the subject of abortion. But it is far from a black and white issue. Abortion is a serious choice, but women choose abortion for many reasons. You can’t know why one woman chooses abortion and another one chooses to continue her pregnancy. The real point is, it’s her pregnancy, not the state’s, not anyone else’s. You can have an opinion about it, but it’s not your decision to make.

Michelle Goldberg, in her book Means of Reproduction describes how in countries where total abortion bans exist, pregnant women are treated as criminals. If they come to the hospital with a miscarriage, there is a police investigation. If the doctor has to choose between the health of the baby and the health of the woman, guess who’s out of luck? In one case, she documented a woman with an ectopic pregnancy, the fetus was developing within the woman’s fallopian tube and would never make it to term. The doctor refused to abort before the fallopian tube was ruptured, for fear he would be prosecuted as a criminal. Instances like these illustrate the absurdities women are forced to live with because of the religious opinions of their lawmakers. Unfortunately, heaping misery on women for being women is nothing new.

I recently heard of a couple where the woman became pregnant. Both she and her boyfriend were attending community college and hadn’t insurance. They were living with the woman’s mother and she was supporting them on $1000/month. Medicaid was covering the prenatal visits. At a routine ultrasound, the couple found out the fetus had developed anencephaly, where the brain and skull do not develop normally, and that, carried to term, the baby would not live more than a few hours. The couple chose abortion.

A routine abortion could not be performed due to the excess fluid surrounding the fetus; the procedure would require a hospital stay costing more than $3000. Because Medicaid is mandated not to cover abortion, this couple was on the hook to come up with the full amount. Luckily a service agency stepped in and helped to raise the funds.

But so often, this is not the case. So often, women who rely on Medicaid are forced to bear children they don’t want and aren’t equipped emotionally or financially to care for, simply because they cannot afford an abortion. Here’s a link to an article by a doctor talking about these instances. This is just one account. They are, however, ubiquitous, because 1 in every 4 women will have an abortion at some point in their lives, 60% of those women are already taking care of children, according to the Guttmacher Institute, and trying to do what’s best for the family they already have. Like it or not, access to safe and legal abortion is a necessity for women of reproductive age. Abortion cannot be separated out from women’s reproductive health needs, it is part of a continuum of reproductive rights that should be guaranteed women. Reproductive rights are human rights for women.

We don’t live in a perfect world and there is no chance for us to be perfect in it. Women bear the children, and they also bear the brunt of our society’s aversion to discussing what that entails, whether it be the biological specifics or just how in heck women are supposed to support themselves and their families and communities when they continue to be underpaid, underrepresented in government, and their contributions to society undervalued. Together we need to continue to raise these issues in public dialogue, and to give women their due justice and equality so women themselves are empowered to be the stewards of their own fertility.

(originally posted on FeministFieldGuide.com)

POSTPONED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE

2010-12-27T21:24:00.007-05:00

SPECIAL PHILADELPHIA NOW MEETING CO-HOSTED BY REP. VANESSA LOWERY BROWN IS POSTPONED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE

Join us on Monday, January 10 for our regularly scheduled monthly meeting at District Council 47, 1606 Walnut Street in Center City Philadelphia from 5:30-7 p.m.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: info.phillynow@gmail.com

Fall Election 2010

2010-11-01T08:50:00.002-05:00

Download our Fall Newsletter with our list of endorsees:

US Senate:
Joe Sestak

State Senate:
Leanna Washington (4th)

State Representative:
Pam DeLissio (194th)
Mark Cohen (202nd)
Babette Josephs (182nd)
Vanessa Lowery Brown (190th)
Mike O'Brien (175th)
Cherelle Parker (200th)
Curtis Thomas (181st)

For regional and state PAC endorsees, also see Southeast PA NOW PAC endorsements and PA NOW endorsements.

Representative Babette Josephs on Women in Politics

2010-10-28T12:34:00.006-05:00

by Caryn Hunt

From her early days as Executive Director for Pennsylvania's NARAL, to promoting energy conservation, to tireless advocacy for civil rights, public schools, and a more open and transparent government, State Representative Babette Josephs has serious progressive street cred. As Chair of the State Government Committee and a senior Democrat in the House, she's had a lot of influence on issues near and dear to Philadelphians, particularly civil liberties issues; this past year, the State Government committee kept an amendment to ban gay marriage in the Pennsylvania constitution from ever reaching the floor. She is the inspiration for many young women considering a future in politics.

Josephs learned advocacy from years as a community activist, working with neighbors to reform party politics, and to insist on accountable representatives. “It was the early '70s. And we were the Committee to Reform the Eighth Ward. It was a great acronym- we were 'the CREW'. I ran for committee,” recalls Josephs.

In the days when Roe v. Wade was working its way to the Supreme Court, Josephs became involved with the Women's Political Caucus and NARAL (now NARAL Pro-Choice America). There was an effort at that time to ban abortion quickly before the legal landscape changed. Representative Martin Mullen, a Democrat from West Philadelphia, introduced House Bill 800, a bill to ban all abortions in the state. “He was the Stupak of Pennsylvania, back then,” says Josephs. The bill was passed in both chambers and went to Governor Shapp to be signed into law.

Josephs and other Pennsylvania feminists went into high gear, organizing a campaign to collect authorizations for telegrams, back in the days without computers or email. “We were on the street corners, we contacted every organization we could think of,” she remembers. “We sent Shapp telegrams saying 'Veto HB 800'- he had big piles of telegrams on his desk. And we waited.”

Shapp waited too. When he vetoed the legislation, it was beautiful timing. The only day the House could convene to override the veto was during the first day of a two-day bear hunting season. Mullen couldn't get Republicans to stay in Harrisburg; they wanted to go hunting. He lost his majority. “And that's exactly what Shapp had in mind,” says Josephs. The bill never became law, “ I've always been grateful to the bears of Pennsylvania who sacrificed themselves for the women.”

The fight for reproductive rights for women is ongoing, and Josephs is a tireless champion. “I really love this issue although the burnout factor is something I had to deal with,” says Josephs, “When I left NARAL I went into energy conservation; it was so much easier. Nobody was calling me on the phone and threatening my life, which was kind of nice. But reproductive rights is the issue that keeps us honest. It's the issue that keeps us energized, and it's the issue that reminds us what they really think of us out there.”

When Josephs arrived in Harrisburg, she was one of three Democratic women in the state House. “It was discouraging,” she recalls, “There were more women who were Republican. But you know, Pennsylvania is very partisan. It's worse now, but it was bad then. We didn't interact much with the Republicans, men or women.”

Currently in Harrisburg, as in legislatures across the country and in Washington, DC, partisanship has a death-grip. Despite this, at the end of September, the State House passed a bill that would enact a severance tax on gas and oil companies drilling natural gas in the Marcellus Shale. This went part of the way to fulfilling a bi-partisan promise made during last summer's budget negotiations by legislators to deliver a natural gas tax before the mid-term break. Representative Josephs describes the give and take that led up to the final vote, bringing the floor to life:

“Republican Representative Kate Harper introduced a six word amendment to change the way the revenues were distributed, which was a point of contention,” she explains. This change made the difference to many of her Republican colleagues, much to House Republican leadership's chagrin, “When they saw it was going to pass, all of a sudden they wanted a caucus, whereas before they'd been standing up and saying, we've been talking about this forever, can't we move on,” recounts Josephs. Then she smiles, recalling Democratic leadership's reply, “'Mr. Minority Caucus Chairman, a lot of your caucus have been standing up and saying they want to move this process along. Everyone knows what's in the amendment. It's only six words long.' And so we wouldn't let them go to caucus, where they would have twisted arms”.

And thus a bi-partisan severance tax bill was sent to the Republican-led Senate. However, the Senate recessed without taking action. Whether or not to tax and regulate the state's gas industry looms large in the Governor's race, and Pennsylvania has always been starkly divided along party lines.

“In Congress, this kind of partisanship is new. I would go to conferences for state legislatures and be so jealous of people getting along in other states. And they would be so surprised when we would describe how partisan the Pennsylvania legislature was, because they worked across party lines. They had bi-partisan women's caucuses, for instance,” says Josephs, “There were women, and non-white people, and non-Christian people in both parties. Not in Pennsylvania.”

Women stay out of politics for many reasons, including deciding how they want to juggle career and family demands, and in general being more conditioned for a support role in society. Traditionally, women have not been encouraged to think about politics as a career. Slowly, this is changing.

But women are also wary of how female candidates are treated by their male opponents, notes Josephs. Sexual harassment is nothing new as a tactic to keep women out of jobs, so it's not surprising that it should be an issue on the campaign trail. “Women sometimes get this really vile reaction from their male opponents, that males don't get from their male or female opponents, and it echoes among women as a form of sexual harassment. And when they see that women candidates are treated in this disrespectful and disgraceful way, it doesn't encourage them to get into politics,” says Josephs.

“When I first started, there were more women than there are now in both houses, in both parties. If you look at Pennsylvania, you'll see we're still ranked near the bottom in terms of women in the legislature. We haven't moved up. Although the full-time legislatures are all like that, because those are good jobs. It's the part-time ones that don't pay well, or some of them don't pay at all, that have lots of women in them,”notes Josephs, “But there are more women everywhere in politics. And once you're there, colleagues tend to treat you with respect because they may need your vote some day.”

In the early days of the feminist movement, many Republican women were also pro-choice. But that has changed. Josephs says the consistently anti-feminist perspective of the Republican Party has got to be difficult for Republican women to defend.

“Now we have a new brand of conservative woman, Sarah Palin look-alikes,” says Josephs, “They're running on a platform that says, basically, women have no role to play in public life. If you're not constantly supervised by men, you can't do it right, whatever it is: pregnancy, child-rearing, jobs. So how can you be a woman in public life and advocate for a policy which says you shouldn't be there in the first place? It's hard for them to make their case. And I think that's why Sarah Palin is a media star right now, and not a candidate.”

In the past two decades, GOP “pro-life” candidates have become the rule, as the Republican party has become more socially conservative. A handful of Tea Party “mama grizzlies” go even farther, taking what used to be an extremist anti-choice view of abortion, opposing exceptions even in cases of rape or incest. Tea Party candidate Sharron Angle, running against Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid in Nevada, opposes abortion across the board, even when the mother's health is at risk because, she says, that's part of God's plan.

“I get these alerts from a group called Columbia Christians for Life,” says Josephs, “They are trying to do fetal personhood bills all over the country. Now they hate everybody, but mostly they hate the women in the Republican Party. When they talk about the Republicans, they are very vitriolic about the men who won't vote with them, and particularly the Catholic men. But they save their real fire and hate for the women. And they hate them for being in public office. You are not supposed to be in public office. Unless, I don't know, your husband dies. And even then you're not supposed to be in politics, you're supposed to have some really difficult low-paying job so you can keep your children out of the poor house. But you're not supposed to be powerful, you're not supposed to be a Governor. You're not supposed to be running around the country raising huge sums of money and influencing elections. Women aren't supposed to do that.”

“For Republican women in public office, in particularly if they're fundamentalists, what does it do to your psyche to say I'm going to be making decisions that effect my state, or the entire country, or the whole world, but I'm not going to let someone who looks just like me make a decision about her private life?” asks Josepsh. “I don't think you can sustain that and be healthy.”

“I think in their heart of hearts Republican women know they're not being supported by their party. Or, if they are, it's only in these sort of 'women-appropriate' roles- like they can be on the Burough council of some small town. And of course a lot of women get caught there. And that's another reason women don't run for higher office,” says Josephs, “Women do, particularly in Pennsylvania, get caught. We have so much local government, and they get there and there's no prestige, there's no status, there's nothing but work. And they do it, because women are conditioned to work under those kinds of circumstances. Women are told that's what we're supposed to do. The men won't put up with it. But women see there's a need and they throw themselves into it. And so they don't get to the General Assembly, and they don't get to DC.”

The two-year election cycle has made Josephs a veteran campaigner. Despite serious challenges along the way, Josephs has survived and thrived as her District's representative, with strong majorities of the vote. She freely shares her advice and support with younger candidates. Talking about the broad differences between men and women in terms of governing styles, Josephs comments that more often, women are other-directed and tend to have a more long-range mentality. “Of course, when you're running every two years it gets harder to think that way,” she notes, “It makes you more responsive, but it also makes you think in terms of shorter-range goals. There's always two sides to the coin.” Despite short election cycles, Josephs loves the House and is glad to serve there. She says, “I feel we are the House of the people.”

Pennsylvania...You Have a Gas Problem

2010-10-13T11:43:00.001-05:00

by Hannah Miller

I'm sorry to be the one that brings this up, but... Pennsylvania: You have a gas problem.

I'm probably not the only one that's noticed the layer of rock a mile deep in the earth under you, filled with little bubbles of....well, to put it politely, "natural gas."

And I'm probably not the only one that's noticed that there are multiple gas companies with heavy pollution records drilling mile-deep holes to crack that rock open with chemicals that cause nerve damage and leukemia and kidney damage...which are now beginning to leak into waterways that all run right to Philly.

I'm sorry. But it's a problem, and we can't really ignore it anymore.
It's not just the pollution... it's also the quantity. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection expects that over the next 10 years, the state will be punctured with 30,000 of these unsightly drill wells, which each suck 4 million gallons of water from our rivers to let the gas out!

It's too much for those of us who live on the Delaware. Especially since Congress exempted the gas drillers from the Clean Water Act in 2005 after being lobbied from Dick Cheney...and not to mention the Clean Air Act...

Can you just stop for a little while? There might be a way to let all that methane out safely. But right now, fracking is polluting our water supply so bad that we can set it on fire....and this gas problem, if not properly regulated, is going to do long-term damage to all the other industries Pennsylvania holds dear: agriculture, tourism, hiking and fishing, dairy, etc. More info here. http://www.landandwater.org/index.html

Penn Action and Conservation PA are co-sponsoring a statewide conference in Harrisburg on Saturday, October 16 to talk about what to do about our gas problem. We will come up with strategies on how ensure the voices of real people are heard in the debate - not just gas companies.

Saturday, October 16, 2010
11-5
Radisson Hotel Harrisburg
More info : http://www.pennaction.org/conference.htm
REGISTER HERE: http://www.topica.com/f/v.html?1700154514.1700096318

Pennsylvania: we can help you deal with your problem. We can prevent blowouts. Methane leaks. Poisonous water.

For more info or for questions, please email or call Hannah Miller at golden.notebook@gmail.com or 215-888-8036.

Hannah Miller
Cell 215-888-8036
www.pennaction.org
@hannahmiller215

PHILADELPHIA NOW AND COALITION OF LABOR UNION WOMEN INVITE YOU TO JOIN US

2010-09-25T17:31:00.019-05:00

FEMINIST AND LABOR MOVEMENTS: HOW WE CAN WORK TOGETHER TO ACHIEVE FULL EQUALITY FOR WOMEN

Special Guests

Erin Matson, Vice President for Action
National Organization for Women

Kathy Black, Philadelphia President
Coalition of Labor Union

Thursday, October 7, 2010 ● 5:30-7:30 p.m.
Tavern on Broad ● 200 South Broad Street ● Philadelphia

Half-priced drinks and appetizers

OTHER INVITED GUESTS

Karen See,CLUW President & Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses and Allied Professionals

For more info, contact:

Karen Bojar ● kbojar1@verizon.net
Emily Randle ● emily@phillyjwj.org

Letter to PHA Chair John Street

2010-09-17T10:03:00.002-05:00

This letter was sent August 25th to Philadelphia Housing Authority Chair John Street on behalf of Philadelphia NOW, asking for a thorough and open investigation into all allegations of sexual harassment against PHA Director Carl Greene:

Dear Mr. Street,

According to news reports, Philadelphia Housing Authority Executive Director Carl Greene has had multiple accusations of sexual harassment in the workplace lodged against him. According to your own reported statement, these have been settled without the knowledge or investigation of the Board. I hope you are serious about getting to the truth in this matter. It would be all too easy to focus on Mr. Greene's financial missteps and gloss over these cases of workplace sexual harassment. But sexual harassment is a serious form of workplace discrimination and must be confronted openly and publicly by the Board.

It's very possible that these many reported cases are just the tip of the iceberg as most usually the victims of sexual harassment are unwilling to report such abuse for fear of reprisal, and for fear of having to discuss sexual behavior. Indeed, before Mr. Greene was hired by then-Mayor Rendell, he was facing similar accusations in Detroit. This seems to indicate a consistent pattern of discrimination in the workplace that must be addressed in a public way.

It is incumbent upon the Board to fully investigate these cases, whether they are still open or not, in a way that provides a full accounting to the public of these instances of harassment, during which time Mr. Greene should be asked to take a leave of absence, pending the results. The Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations can be of assistance in launching an unbiased, fair investigation.

Sincerely,

Caryn Hunt
President, Philadelphia NOW

The PHA Board is conducting an internal investigation, but so are the Feds. The Philadelphia Inquirer is collecting its stories about the scandal as it unfolds.

Here's a sampling:

PHA Worker looked into case then trouble began

PHA Board never got key document

Street: Greene cover-up was deliberate

At PHA: Humiliation, groping, banishment

Carl Greene problem indicative of a bigger problem

JOIN PHILADELPHIA NOW AND YOUNG WOMEN'S INITIATIVE WITH REP. BABETTE JOSEPHS

2010-08-26T18:51:00.015-05:00

PHILADELPHIA NOW and YOUNG WOMEN’S INITIATIVE

Invite you to

An Evening with Pennsylvania State Representative Babette Josephs
Chair, State Government Committee
182nd District

And She Should Run, a program of the Women's Campaign Fund

Thursday, September 16, 2010
6-8 p.m.
TAVERN ON BROAD
200 South Broad Street (at Walnut), Philadelphia

Half-price drinks and appetizers

Interested in running for office? Join Philadelphia NOW and Young Women's Initiative for an Evening with State Representative Babette Josephs, Chair of the State Government Committee and veteran lawmaker. Come out to learn more about the She Should Run Program of the Women's Campaign Fund, which supports women in their elections!

There is a real need for more women to consider running for office. Currently, there are only 17 women in state office in Pennsylvania. Believe it or not, many women don't even think to run for office unless someone asks them. And even though women win elections at the same rate as men, they just don’t run as often.

Join us and learn more about how women are changing the face of democracy through plan and action--and how you can join them!

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE EVENT: Contact Dee at dee.phillynow@gmail.com or 215.266.9021 or Tiffany at tiffanybernice@yahoo.com

UNSHACKLED!

2010-08-26T18:08:00.007-05:00

By Executive Vice President Dee Johnson

Philadelphia NOW is proud to have been involved in the development of the Healthy Birth of Incarcerated Women's Act (SB 1074). The bill was introduced by Sen. Daylin Leach (D-Montgomery County), signed into law (Act 45) by Gov. Ed Rendell on July 2, and took effect on Monday, August 30, 2010.

It bans the practice of shackling pregnant women incarcerated in Pennsylvania's state prisons and county jails during transport to hospital, and while in labor, delivery, and recovery.

We celebrated this victory with a host of other groups involved in this effort at a press conference and reception. Well, that's one fight won for women in Pennsylvania, and so many others to go...

PHILADELPHIA NOW LAUDS PASSAGE OF SHACKLING BILL

2010-06-30T22:30:00.023-05:00

Fom Phila NOW Executive VP, Dee Johnson:

On June 29, 2010, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives unanimously approved The Healthy Birth of Incarcerated Women Act to end the shackling of incarcerated women during pregnancy, labor and childbirth. Gov. Rendell is expected to sign the bill, which would make Pennsylvania ninth state to ban the practice.

The bill, introduced by Sen. Daylin Leach (D-Montgomery County), unanimously passed the Senate in March and the House Judiciary Committee in April.

Without a doubt, because of the efforts of all involved, this bill is now on the Governor's desk. We have so many to thank: Sen. Daylin Leach and his staff, Sen. Stewart Greenleaf and the Senate Judiciary Committee, Rep. Thomas Caltagirone and the House Judiciary Committee, Rep. Babette Josephs who advocated with leadership to move the bill out of the House, the Pennsylvania General Assembly, the Working Group to Enhance Services for Incarcerated Women--a coalition of community service organizations and concerned citizens advocating on behalf of incarcerated women, the women who came forward to share their stories about being shackled while incarcerated, and the Pennsylvanians who contacted their legislators in support of the measure.

But it is imperative to give special recognition to Dr. Karen Bojar, former Philadelphia NOW president, whose commitment to improving this situation for women in prison was the impetus for this bill. She was passionate about working to ban the practice of shackling incarcerated pregnant women in Pennsylvania and helped create positive change.

Special thanks also to Kathleen Creamer, a staff attorney at Community Legal Services, who jumped at the chance to research and draft this bill when we brought it to the Working Group; and Naima Black, a program manager at MOMobile, whose presentation on the issue during a Philadelphia NOW meeting sparked the fire in Dr. Bojar. Without their vision and compassion, we might only still be talking about the problem instead of celebrating the passage of a bill to end it.

But, of course, this change came about because of the efforts of all involved. So, again, thanks to each and every one of you...we did it!

Is the future of feminism Meg Whitman, Carly Fiorina and Sarah Palin ? Or is it Hilda Solis, Mary Kay Henry, and the Coalition of Labor Union Women?

2010-06-17T16:32:00.004-05:00

Last week I read article after article about the rise of Republican women, sometimes framed as a triumph for feminism. According to this storyline, the feminist message is now so mainstream that even Republican women embrace women’s empowerment.

I had an experience last week, the annual awards event of the Philadelphia chapter of the Coalition of Labor Union Women (CLUW), which convinced me that the future of feminism lies in a very different direction.

I was honored to receive an award (for my service as past president of Philadelphia NOW) in the company of women who have done so much to improve the lives of women who have not been the primary beneficiaries of the feminist movement, working-class and low-income women, who are disproportionately women of color.

The extraordinary successes of the feminist movement have not been shared equally. Women with economic/educational advantages have advanced in the professions, business, and politics. Of course there is still a glass ceiling in American life, but as Hillary Clinton famously said, “there are now 18,000,000 cracks in the glass ceiling.”

The cultural change has been so pervasive that many affluent white men have been willing to make room for their daughters--the same men who have fought economic policies which would provide opportunities and a robust safety net for the majority of women.

And it’s not just the men of corporate America who block measures that would improve the lives of the majority of women and who demonize low-income women. Whatever you want to call their brand of female power, Republican women like Whitman, Fiorina and Palin clearly do not embrace the feminist goal of equality for all women. From Joan Walsh’s recent Salon article:

I was disgusted by a horrific Whitman anti-welfare ad that was straight out of Ronald Reagan's 1966 campaign. It was demagoguery: She promised to make welfare recipients seek and take jobs – as though California never passed its own historic welfare reform legislation, doing just that, way back in 1986. It was repellent to listen to her demonize welfare recipients, the vast majority of whom are women and children, at a time when California is already slashing services.

This is sure not my kind of feminism! The definition of feminism has always been contested terrain, and now that even Sarah Palin calls herself a feminist, confusion reigns.

Right wing feminists have argued that however society is structured, women should be equally represented in positions of power. A much more inclusive definition of the feminist project demands equal opportunity for all women and a robust safety net available to all women. We’re not going to get that with Republican women at the helm.

That said, I acknowledge that having women like Whitman and Fiorina in positions of power does normalize the idea of women holding top jobs-–in that sense, it’s a positive.

Much has been made of the fact that two women, Barbara Boxer and Carly Fiorina, will be competing against each other to be senator from California. Something potentially far more significant got very little attention: two women, Mary Kay Henry and Anna Burger, were the contenders for the presidency if one of the countries largest labor unions, Service Employees international Union (SEIU).

Mary Kay Henry, Newly Elected President of Service Employees International Union

This is not your father’s labor movement. SEIU represents the fastest growing sector of the labor movement and its members are increasingly women, particularly women of color.

Also, we now have a real friend of working women, Hilda Solis, heading the Department of labor:

Granted, the labor movement is far from perfect and I certainly had my problems with the teachers’ union which represented me, but the rise of women in the labor movement may have far more significance for the lives of most American women than the political victories of Republican women like Whitman and Fiorina.

PA Congressmembers Key to State Budget Funds!

2010-05-26T11:36:00.004-05:00

The PA Congressional Delegation is KEY to securing $848 million needed to balance the state budget. As of Tuesday night it appears likely that the US House leaders are short of the votes needed to pass HR 4213, the American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes Act (jobs/tax extender bill) before Memorial Day. Congressional failure to act on this bill will have a ripple and very negative effect on the state budget. This bill includes an extension of the enhanced federal Medicaid match rate (FMAP). If the bill doesn't pass, the 2010-2011 Commonwealth Budget will have a gaping $848 million hole on top of existing deficit projections, creating pressure for DEEP CUTS ACROSS THE BOARD.

The current enhanced FMAP is set to expire in December 2010. The pending legislation would provide states with another temporary (6 months) enhanced FMAP. Direct and immediate outreach with the following members of the PA Congressional delegation (and the editorial pages/radio shows in their districts) is critical:

Congressman Patrick Murphy (202) 225-4276
Congressman Joe Sestak (202) 225-2011
Congresswoman Allyson Schwartz (202) 225-4731

If you live or work in their districts, or serve people who do, please call their offices today!

Background: The H.R. 4213 also includes crucial extension of the provisions in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) related to unemployment (extended benefits/less state costs absent action benefits will be cut off), COBRA (federal subsidy of a % of the cost to workers when they lose their jobs and want to continue their health insurance), a temporary extension of the Emergency Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) fund, as well as other provisions.

The cost of the bill is causing push back from some members. Given the continued poor performance of the economy, staggering unemployment (9% for PA), increased demand for Medicaid and other health and human services, these temporary extensions are needed to promote continued economic recovery and to provide support to PA families who are suffering the fall out of the recession. Call and urge them to invest in PA's future. To shortchange efforts for continued economic recovery is shortsighted and harmful to Pennsylvania communities!

QUESTIONS THAT MIGHT BE ASKED

Q – Doesn’t the enhanced FMAP remain in effect through December 2010.

A – Yes, the enhanced FMAP rate (the federal government covering more of Medicaid costs as well as child welfare costs) remains in effect through December BUT the state fiscal year begins July 1st and that budget is being negotiated right now.

Gov. Rendell’s budget assumed the $848 million from an extended FMAP. Rendell wasn’t alone 29 other governors did the same thing given the positive/consistent signals from Congress – signals that included a May 7th letter to Democratic leaders that all of the representatives listed above signed.

Without Congressional action, Rendell and legislative leaders will have to assume that Congress likely never will advance the FMAP extension so they will have to adjust the 2010-2011 state budget blue print extracting the $848 million from the revenue bottom line.

Given the state’s $1 billion + deficit, the loss of $848 million will absolutely require dramatic revision of the pending budget including dramatic cuts already suggested by Governor Rendell (25% to child welfare, elimination of homeless and D&A services, 50% reduction to domestic violence and rape crisis, etc).

The vulnerable won’t only lose access to needed/critical services but any hope that the state can turn the corner on staggering unemployment will be overshadowed by additional job losses in the public and private sector.

Q: How do we justify such spending at a time of soaring national debt/deficits?

A: America’s immediate debt is disconcerting but the real threat to America’s ability to be restored to economic stability is linked to our long-term deficits and debt. This long-term debt is driven, in part, by rapid and dramatic health care costs and earlier Congressional decisions to enact tax cuts (i.e. the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts, including for the top 2% of the income brackets) that significantly reduced the degree to which the federal government had available revenues.

Tough choices must be made, but such choices must be balanced and recognize the need to undertake some short term degree of federal spending to strengthen the economy, spur employment, and help states respond to mounting demand for health care, nutrition services, child care, and other supports that help families faced with pink slips instead of paychecks.

Make the Call, Place the Email, Send a Tweet so PA’s delegation steps up to the plate!

PHILADELPHIA NOW PROUDLY ENDORSES:

2010-05-16T20:26:00.000-05:00

PHILADELPHIA NOW PROUDLY ENDORSES:

Governor
Joe Hoeffel

Lt. Governor
Jonathan Saidel

US Senate
Joe Sestak

State Senator
Leanna Washington (4th)

State Representative
Pam DeLissio (194th)
Mark Cohen (202nd)
Anthony Ingargiola (195th)
Babette Josephs (182nd)
Vanessa Lowery Brown (190th)
Mike O'Brien (175th)
Cherelle Parker (200th)
Curtis Thomas (181st)

State Committee
Karen Bojar (4th)

Our Spring newsletter with endorsees is available on our site, or you can print this post. Please distribute widely!! Help our pro-choice, feminist candidates by sending this link to friends and family!

If you can volunteer on Election Day, distribute NOW's ballot at your polling place, or contact:

Joe Hoeffel for Governor
1420 Walnut St, Ste 1300

Phone: (215) 302-2010
Email: philadelphia@joehoeffel2010.com
Visit: http://joehoeffel2010.com/crmapi/! volunteer

Joe Sestak for U.S. Senate
2013 Sansom St

Phone: (215) 352-6213
Email: info@joesestak.com
Visit: http://joesestak.ning.com/events/philly-field-office-phone-bank

Reelect State Representative Mike O'Brien, 175th district
714 N. 3rd Street

Phone: (215)432-6090
Email: info@mikeobrien4pa.com

Reelect State Representative Babette Josephs, 182nd district

Phone: David Zaga (617) 216-115
Email: info@reelectbabette.org

Reelect Representative Vanessa Brown, 190th district

Phone: (267) 233-6281
Email: 2010vlbrown@gmail.com

Pam DeLissio for State Representative, 194th district

Phone: 215-914-6479/610-822-4245

Visit: http://votepam2010.com/node/6

Anthony Ingargiola for State Representative, 195th district

Phone: (215) 909-7384

Visit: http://www.voteanthony.net/volunteer-here

VOTE FOR KAREN BOJAR FOR DEMOCRATIC STATE COMMITTEE! BALLOT NUMBER #28

2010-05-16T20:19:00.000-05:00

VOTE FOR KAREN BOJAR FOR DEMOCRATIC STATE COMMITTEE! BALLOT NUMBER #28

Why I’m running:

Democratic State Committee endorses candidates in Democratic primaries, and thus has considerable influence on the quality of the candidates elected.

My goals are: 1) to elect more strong, progressive candidates to statewide offices, especially women, now greatly under-represented in the PA Legislature, and 2) to get the Democratic Party to do a better job of turning out votes in off-year elections.

I have the strong support of the progressive 9th ward and have been endorsed by the Democratic party, by the Political Action Committee of the Phila. Chapter of the National Organization for Women, the Southeastern PA Political Action Committee of the National Organization for Women, and the Southeastern PA chapter of Americans for Democratic Action.

About me:
I recently retired from my job as Professor of English and Women’s Studies and Coordinator of the Women’s Studies program at Community College of Phila. I now have the time to work as a full-time volunteer on feminist projects and grassroots electoral politics. I am really enjoying it!

I have served as a Democratic Committee person in the 9th Ward for the past 24 years. Now that I am retired, I intend to vote devote more time to voter education and get out the vote work.

I have recently retired as President of the Philadelphia Chapter of the National Organization for Women--a post I held for 8 years. I am still involved with NOW and am working to support our wonderful new leaders and to build the newly formed Southeastern Pennsylvania NOW Political Action Committee.

I have also been elected to the board of Philly Cam, our local public cable access channel. In that capacity, I have begun to organize local women’s groups to develop a regular program on women’s issues. Anyone interested in this project should contact me at: kbojar1@verizon.net.

Finally, I’ve started a blog intended for women who are retired or thinking about retirement at http://www.the-next-stage.com I would love to have your comments!

Philadelphia NOW Endorsements Spring 2010

2010-05-14T13:36:00.002-05:00

Phone: (215)432-6090
Email: info@mikeobrien4pa.com

Reelect State Representative Babette Josephs, 182nd district

Phone: David Zaga (617) 216-115
Email: info@reelectbabette.org

Reelect Representative Vanessa Brown, 190th district

Phone: (267) 233-6281
Email: 2010vlbrown@gmail.com

Pam DeLissio for State Representative, 194th district

Phone: 215-914-6479/610-822-4245

Visit: http://votepam2010.com/node/6

Anthony Ingargiola for State Representative, 195th district

Phone: (215) 909-7384

Visit: http://www.voteanthony.net/volunteer-here

Stand with Joe Hoeffel

2010-05-14T11:44:00.003-05:00

The National Organization for Women in PA enthusiastically supports Joe Hoeffel for Governor. He's got experience. He's got a record on our issues. But most exciting, he's got a backbone. He's a progressive, feminist candidate and proud of it.

He's also the smartest guy in the race with solid plans to grow Pennsylvania's economy, to keep money in the state, and to create 21st century, family-sustaining jobs. He recommends a sensible approach to the Marcellus Shale, and supports a moratorium to drilling in the Delaware watershed so potential harms to our drinking water can be evaluated. He proposes local control over handgun laws, which would give urban areas the legal foundation they need to drive down homicides, while leaving rural gun issues alone. He is a staunch advocate for women's rights: equal pay for equal work, equal access to healthcare, and reproductive rights. He supports gay marriage.

Dan Onorato, by contrast, does not support marriage equality. Onorato is also anti-abortion. He has stated he will support the status quo on abortion, but the status quo is harmful to women. His refusal to deal head-on with the reproductive issues so central to women's lives is a refusal seen at every level of government. It leads to chronic underfunding of access to family planning education, allows insurance companies to refuse to cover birth control, and has, by neglect, created broad negative consequences for maternity care. At the national level we saw that reproductive rights are vulnerable because they are not important enough to a majority of legislators to defend- they are viewed as 'chips' in the 'game'. Meanwhile women suffer. This attitude creates the conditions for back alley operations: it begets misery. Onorato is the Party-annointed frontrunner, which begs the question, how serious can the Democratic Party be about women's issues? Onorato's attitude, reflective of the Party stance, is to put reproductive rights on the backburner. Again.

Extremists nationwide come up with novel assaults on women's reproductive rights every day. Recently Oklahoma's state legislature passed a law allowing doctors to withhold information from women about their baby's birth defect, apparently to prevent abortions. Oklahoma and other states are pushing reproductive rights as far backwards as they can. They know there's a reactionary Supreme Court just waiting for the right case. Now is the time to move reproductive rights to the frontburner.

The basis of a woman's freedom is her ability to decide for herself when she will become a parent. Joe Hoeffel understands that. He also happens to be good on the economy, labor, government reform, and the environment. He's the total package. All along he's been direct and clear about his plans for Pennsylvania and on the issues. All along Joe Hoeffel has stood right up and championed women's rights, worker's rights, LGBT rights. But the ultimate decision will be made by voters on May 18th. With Joe a close second in polls, your vote is crucial. Now it's time for us to stand up with Joe Hoeffel.

by Caryn Hunt

Interview with Joe Hoeffel

2010-05-14T11:22:00.002-05:00

http://wduqnews.blogspot.com/2010/05/interview-with-candidate-joe-hoeffel.html

Just a few of the many good reasons PA NOW endorses Joe Hoeffel!

Joe Sestak, Best Choice for US Senate

2010-05-09T08:37:00.005-05:00

To kick off Mother's Day weekend, Joe Sestak brought his campaign and his mom to South Philadelphia to focus on women's issues. South Philly Moms got something they REALLY want - A TRUE DEMOCRAT!

I had the chance to say a few words about Joe Sestak for US Senate:

Joe Sestak has a record of standing up on behalf of women. He is the pro-choice, feminist candidate in this race. He was one of only 5 Pennsylvania Representatives that voted against the Stupak-Pitts Amendment to the Health Care Reform Bill, an amendment that makes the right of a legal abortion essentially meaningless because it will effectively kill access.

He authored the Gender Equity Act of 2010 to redress economic injustices to women in the workplace and to help those who are caregivers in their families. He has co-sponsored important legislation for women including the Lilly Ledbetter Act and the Paycheck Fairness Act which extends the time women have to report pay discrimination.

He is a strong supporter of the Equal Rights Amendment and full rights and privileges for civil marriages. He is pro-labor, a staunch advocate for small business and co-sponsored the Internet Freedom Act to establish net neutrality as the law of the land. For all these reasons and more, the National Organization for Women enthusiastically supports Joe Sestak for the Senate.

Joe Sestak's stance on women's issues is consistent, and illustrates his deep integrity; he does not blow with the wind.

We don't need another Blue Dog Democrat. We don't need another Senator whose only concern is political survival, who will horsetrade away rights and protections for women. We need a Senator who realizes women are half the population, not just another special interest group.

We need Joe Sestak in the US Senate!

To learn more about his campaign go to www.joesestak.com.
Caryn Hunt

PHILA NOW FUNDRAISER MAY 7th

2010-04-19T10:35:00.002-05:00

Join PHILADELPHIA NOW as we honor
PHILADELPHIA COMMUNITY BUILDERS:

JANE GOLDEN Executive Director, Mural Arts
PHOEBE COLES Executive Director, Keep Philadelphia Beautiful
LILY YEH Founder, Village of Arts and Humanities and Barefoot Artists

and SPECIAL HONOREES:

STATE REPRESENTATIVE KATHY MANDERINO
and
PAST PHILA NOW PRESIDENT KAREN BOJAR

FRIDAY, MAY 7th, 5:30 -7:30PM
PHILADELPHIA ETHICAL SOCIETY
1906 RITTENHOUSE SQUARE
PHILADELPHIA, PA 19103
Please R.S.V.P. At philadelphianow@yahoo.com
Suggested Donation: $100 (sponsor) $50 $35 to join
$25 or pay what you can

Join Us at the Philadelphia NOW Interact

2010-03-26T23:42:00.002-05:00

PHILADELPHIA NOW INTERACT
Thursday, April 1 • 6-8 p.m.
Tavern on Broad (formerly Zanibar Blue)
200 South Broad Street

Come out to interact with members of Philadelphia NOW in a more casual setting. Join us for stimulating conversation, good food, and delicious drinks. And, learn more about Philadelphia NOW and some of the things we're doing.

For more information, call 215.266.9021 or visit philanow.blogspot.com.

Philadelphia NOW is committed to protecting the rights of women and families; endorsing pro-choice, feminist candidates at the local level; and supporting feminist issues of particular relevance to Philadelphians, including:
• Finding remedies to health access inequities for women;
• Ending the shackling of pregnant prisoners;
• Protecting essential city services, like libraries and recreation centers;
• Combatting racism; and
• Fighting for equal rights for all.

Won't you join us?

Healthy Birth Act Unanimously Passes State Senate

2010-03-18T19:03:00.010-05:00

From Dee Johnson:

Well, we did it!

Senate Bill 1074, The Healthy Birth of Incarcerated Women Act, sponsored by State Sen. Daylin Leach (D-Montgomery County), unanimously passed the State Senate on Wednesday, March 17 (50-0).

The Healthy Birth of Incarcerated Women Act will prohibit the practice of shackling pregnant prisoners in Pennsylvania during transport to the hospital and while they are in labor, delivery and recovery. The bill must now pass the House of Representatives.

“This is common sense legislation that clears up an issue that should have been standardized years ago,” Leach said. “To endanger a woman and her unborn child during birth simply because she is under custody of the state is a misguided practice. I am hopeful that my colleagues in the House of Representatives will agree and will send this bill to the governor’s desk quickly.”

Thanks to the many organizations and individuals who worked diligently to ensure that this important measure passed.

WHAT'S NEXT? Please contact your State Representative to express your support. To find your State Representative, click on this link: Who's My State Rep?

Click on this link to watch a BBC Report on Shackling Pregnant Prisoners in Pennsylvania

Southeastern Pennsylvania Political Action Committee of the National Organization for Women (SEPA NOWPAC) Announces PANOW Endorsement of Joe Hoeffel

2010-03-12T17:59:00.001-05:00

NORRISTOWN, PA-On Thursday, March 11 the newly formed Southeastern Pennsylvania Political Action Committee of the National Organization for Women (SEPA NOWPAC) announced Pennsylvania NOW's Endorsement of Joe Hoeffel for Governor and their endorsement of several candidates for local and state office.

SEPA NOWPAC promotes a stronger grassroots presence for progressive, feminist issues by endorsing political candidates in support of our issues at the local regional level in Southeastern PA.

Voter rich southeastern PA is fast becoming the hub of progressive politics in the state. It is fertile ground for feminist organizing. SEPA NOW PAC was formed to recuit and support candidates committed to feminist issues and thus contribute to the growth of progessive, feminist politics in Southeastern PA.

“We are very aware that the people we elect in Southeastern PA don’t just affect their districts but the Delaware Valley region as a whole,” said President Helene Ratner. “It is our honor to announce our list of endorsed candidates and especially excited that PA NOW has endorsed Joe Hoeffel for Governor. Joe has a career of standing up for the rights of everyone and has been extremely supportive and active among Women’s and Pro-Choice groups for years. We know that he is the only candidate who will fight to maintain a woman’s right to choose and actively pursue equality for the thousands of LGBT voters in Pennsylvania.”

In response to the endorsement, Joe Hoeffel had this to say “I'm proud to have fought the fights I've fought throughout my career in public service to stand up for the rights of women, from fighting for economic empowerment, to protecting the right to choose. Together, with the support of Southeast PA NOW PAC, and Pennsylvania NOW, we will elect a progressive governor in Pennsylvania."

Among the other endorsees are State Senator LeAnna Washington, State Representative Vanessa Brown and State Senate candidate Ruth Damsker. “Whenever it is possible, NOW and our local PAC will be as supportive of Pro-Choice female candidates as possible” said Ratner. “I am very proud of the women we are endorsing today, for all of their accomplishments and look forward to them serving in our Legislature. We will also be endorsing more women this year and I am thrilled to see the list of women running for office, a more diverse government serves us best.”

From State Representative Vanessa Lowry Brown: "Of all endorsements that come my way, it gives me great sense of pride to receive the endorsement of Philadelphia NOWPAC and Southeastern Pensylvania NOWPAC. This endorsement has greater meaning to me because it takes place during March, "Women's History Month", and it recognizes the accomplishments and contributions women have made in our communities, in our families and in our work. My life's work of advocacy has been motivated by the 1966 NOW's Purpose Statement, especially the following passage, "WE BELIEVE THAT women will do most to create a new image of women by acting now, and by speaking out in behalf of their own equality, freedom, and human dignity."

State Senate candidate Ruth Damsker had this to add “As a lifelong public servant I have dedicated my career to helping those in need, especially women, children, and the elderly. I am eager to bring my experience and proven abilities to the daunting task of ending partisan gridlock in Harrisburg and finally giving Pennsylvanians the government they deserve. As a State Senator, I plan to focus my energy on economic revitalization, smart growth policies, property tax reform, ethics and campaign finance reform, and equal rights for all. I will continue to fight for a woman’s right to choose and the right for equal pay for equal work.”

SEPA NOW PAC includes the Philadelphia, Montgomery and Bucks County NOW chapters.

Help Break the Chains that Shackle

2010-02-10T14:49:00.012-05:00

Recently, the Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously approved Senate Bill 1074 to ban the practice of shackling incarcerated women in Pennsylvania during transport to the hospital, or while in labor, delivery, and/or recovery. And we anticipate that sometime in the next few weeks, the measure will be presented to the full Senate for a vote.

You can help!

Let your state Senator know that you support the bill. You can certainly give them a call or send them an e-mail to express your support. You can also send a letter or spearhead a letter-writing campaign.

Following is a letter you can use to prepare your communication. Below is also a list of facts about shackling.

Don't know who your senator is? Visit www.legis.state.pa.us for more information.

Dear Senator:

We are writing to request your support for SB 1074, which would ban the unsafe and inhumane practice of shackling pregnant women while they are incarcerated in Pennsylvania’s jails and prisons. Shackling not only endangers the lives of women, but also their infants. And the practice is so dangerous, it has been condemned by The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

As you are aware, pregnant inmates are always accompanied by security personnel when they are transported to the hospital. And those states and jurisdictions that have successfully banned the practice of shackling — California, Illinois, New Mexico, New York, Texas, and Vermont — have not experienced any incidence of flight or security breach.

It is high time for Pennsylvania to join the ranks of other states that have recognized the dangers associated with shackling. Therefore, I urge you to approve SB 1074 to ensure the health and safety of incarcerated women and their unborn children.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

SHACKLING: FACT v. FICTION

Shackling Poses Health Risks to Mother and Child
• Shackling endangers the health and lives of women and their infants.
• Shackling prevents mothers from properly positioning for treatment, delivery or movement necessary to reduce the risk of clotting and other serious medical complications.
• Shackling can result in decreased blood flow to the fetus.
• Studies have shown that pregnant prisoners have demonstrated high rates of perinatal mortality and morbidity, as well as an increased risk of unplanned or emergency events.
• Shackling poses a serious threat when complications arise and immediate emergency procedures are necessary; delays in removing shackles can impact the health of the mother and baby.
• Shackling interferes with a mother's ability to care for her baby immediately after delivery and can limit her ability to breastfeed.

Banning Shackling Does Not Increase Security Risk
• While states justify using restraints to prevent escapes, no women in labor have ever attempted escape.
• California, Illinois, and Vermont — states that have prohibited the practice of shackling for several years now — have not experienced increased security issues or flight attempts.
• Most women are incarcerated for non-violent crimes; only 14 percent of all violent offenders are women.

Support for Banning Shackling is Growing
• The Federal Bureau of Prisons banned shackling in October 2008 in all but extreme situations.
• California, Illinois, New Mexico, New York, Texas, and Vermont have enacted laws prohibiting the shackling of pregnant prisoners.
• Connecticut, Florida, Rhode Island, Washington, and Wyoming have prison policies prohibiting the shackling of pregnant prisoners.
• The Philadelphia Prison System banned shackling during labor and delivery in May 2008.
• In 2009, Sen. Daylin Leach (D-Montgomery) introduced SB 1074 to ban the practice in Pennsylvania; in January 2010, the Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously passed the measure.

Shackling Bill (SB 1074) Unanimously Approved By Senate Judiciary Committee

2010-01-27T14:19:00.012-05:00

The Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously approved Senate Bill 1074 to ban the practice of shackling in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Read more about it at: www.philly.com/inquirer/local/20100127_Pa__House_panel_approves_anti-shackling_bill.html.

THE PROBLEMS WITH SHACKLING

2010-01-23T21:52:00.014-05:00

Shackling legislation Philadelphia NOW helped to develop slated for vote in Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, January 26

There are so many mothers with horror stories about being shackled while pregnant in prison.

One mother said that when she attempted to step up into the van that was transporting her to the hospital, she almost lost her balance. Being handcuffed, she couldn’t use her hands to regain her balance. And while she was finally able to regain her balance, she realized how helpless she was, while shackled, to protect her child.

That’s just one story and one of the many problems with the practice of shackling pregnant prisoners. Today, with women becoming the fastest growing segment of the prison population because of tougher sentencing laws, that’s major cause for concern.

Besides being cruel and inhumane, shackling also poses serious health risks to the mother and her unborn child. In fact, the practice of shackling has been condemned by The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

Shackling is purported to thwart escape attempts. However, the vast majority of women in prison are incarcerated for non-violent crimes and pregnant inmates are accompanied by security personnel when they are transported to the hospital. Furthermore, jurisdictions that have successfully banned the practice of shackling have not experienced any incidence of flight or security breach.

And while childbirth should be a time women recall as a blessed, joyous event, incarcerated women remember it as a time of debasement. And for many, it is an experience that not only scars them for life emotionally, but also physically.

“Sometimes when I’m putting my lotion on, I look at the scars on my legs, and I’m reminded of it every time,” Tina Torres told Philadelphia Weekly. “I could have never prepared myself for that. Even animals in captivity don’t have to give birth in chains.” (Read more of her story: http://www.philadelphiaweekly.com/news-and-opinion/Giving-Birth-in-PA-Prisons.html.)

Philadelphia NOW has been diligently involved in the effort to ban the practice of shackling in Pennsylvania. In 2008, it joined forces with the Working Group to Enhance Services for Incarcerated Women — a consortium of nearly 30 organizations, including The Pennsylvania Prison Society, Community Legal Services, Maternity Care Coalition/MOMobile, The Pennsylvania Institutional Law Project, Women’s Law Project, and the ACLU, to name a few.

Together with the Working Group, we were able to successfully develop legislation to ban shackling during transport to the hospital, and while they are in labor, delivery, and recovery. Senate Bill 1074, also referred to as the Healthy Birth of Incarcerated Women Act, was introduced in 2009 by Sen. Daylin Leach (D-Montgomery County), Minority Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

And it is slated for a committee vote on Tuesday, January 26.

Over the past few years, six states — California, Illinois, New Mexico, New York, Texas, and Vermont — have recognized the dangers associated with shackling and enacted state laws to ensure the safety of pregnant inmates and their newborns. Philadelphia NOW is working diligently to get Pennsylvania to join those ranks.

We are pleased to note that this issue is steadily gaining momentum. And lately, there has been much interest and media coverage on the issue. Just recently, the BBC aired a report on shackling in Pennsylvania (View the report: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8442769.stm.)

We are hopeful that members of the Senate Judiciary Committee will vote in favor of this bill, which will ensure the safety and well being of pregnant prisoners and their newborns.

You can help!

Contact members of the Judiciary Committee and urge them to support SB 1074, the Healthy Birth of Incarcerated Women Act. Following is a list of members, e-mail addresses and fax numbers.
Senator E-Mail Address Fax Number
Senator Stewart Greenleaf, Chair, sgreenleaf@pasen.gov, 717.783.7328
Senator Mary Jo White, Vice Chair, mwhite@pasen.gov, 717.772.3459
Senator Daylin Leach, Minority Chair, leach@pasenate.com, 717.705.7741
Senator Joseph Scarnati, III, Ex-Officio, jscarnati@pasen.gov, 717.772.2755
Senator Lisa M. Boscola, boscola@pasenate.com, 717.783.1257
Senator Patrick M. Browne, pbrowne@pasen.gov, 717.772.3458
Senator Jay Costa, costa@pasenate.com, 717.783.5976
Senator Jane Earll, jearll@pasen.gov, 717.772.1588
Senator Wayne D. Fortuna, fontana@pasenate.com, 717.772.5484
Senator John R. Gordner, jgordner@pasen.gov, 717.787.9715
Senator Jane Clare Orie, jorie@pasen.gov, 717.787.8625
Senator Jeffrey E. Piccola, jpiccola@pasen.gov, 717.783.3722
Senator John C. Rafferty, Jr., jrafferty@pasen.gov, 717.783.4587
Senator Michael J. Stack, stack@pasenate.com, 717.772.2162

Rolling Back Abortion Rights

2010-01-20T14:06:00.003-05:00

Letter to the Editor, published 1-20-10 in Philadelphia Inquirer:

Re: For health care, a frantic ride (1-17)--

Once again, in their haste to pass a reform bill, Congress is leaving the hot-button issue of abortion language to the last minute, practically guaranteeing that access for women to a full range of health care will be denied, not in plain language, but inevitably. While women will benefit from almost any measure the US Congress enacts for health care reform, especially the prohibition against gender rating by insurance companies, it will be at the expense of rolling back hard-won gains.

It matters whom we elect. We need lawmakers who see women as half the population, not just another special interest group. Feminists who believe individuals, not the state, retain the fundamental right to decide what happens within their bodies should heed the newest installment of this old lesson: it doesn't matter if the legislator is a woman, or Democrat, or Progressive, if women's reproductive rights are not dearly held they will always be a political football, easily sacrificed for the sake of compromise.

Caryn Hunt
President, Philadelphia NOW

Philadelphia NOW in 2010

2010-01-20T13:50:00.002-05:00

For more than 40 years, the National Organization for Women (NOW) has stood for feminist values, effecting change at the local, state and national levels. Much has changed since NOW's founding in 1966, but too much has stayed the same.

A women's movement is as necessary today as it was then. Women make up 50% of the labor force yet continue to earn 78 cents for each dollar earned by a man. Women of color earn less. Women are more likely to work part time jobs, or for small businesses, or be self-employed, most often without access to affordable health care. Women are systematically penalized financially for bearing children, for being the primary caregivers in their families, for taking care of sick relatives.

In 2009, with House passage of Stupak's amendment, women learned again that it's not enough for legislators to be female, or Democrats, or Progressive; it is only too easy to sacrifice women's health care access for the sake of compromise for a lawmaker whose commitment to a woman's right to privacy is not personal. While women will benefit from almost any measure the US Congress enacts for health care reform, especially the prohibition against gender rating by insurance companies, it will be at the expense of rolling back hard-won gains.

As a member of the Raising Women's Voices Coalition, Philadelphia NOW continues to fight the anti-abortion language added to both House and Senate Health Insurance Reform bills. Philadelphia NOW is committed to endorsing pro-choice, feminist candidates at the local level and, in partnership with Bucks and Montgomery county chapters, regionally, to ensure women's issues are foregrounded for the candidates we send to Harrisburg. If you are a member of Philadelphia NOW, your membership supports feminist issues of particular relevance to Philadelphians like:

* Finding remedies to health access inequities for women in Pennsylvania;
* Increasing access to maternity care for women in Philadelphia;
* Ending the shackling of pregnant prisoners in Pennsylvania;
* Protecting essential city services like libraries and recreation centers, which so many families depend on;
* Combatting racism wherever it is encountered;
* Fighting for equal rights for all without regard to sexual orientation;
* Celebrating Philadelphia's cultural diversity;

Join us on Monday, January 11th for our first meeting of 2010. Your support of Philadelphia NOW makes a difference.

Caryn Hunt

SB400 Hearing Follow Up

2009-12-20T18:30:00.002-05:00

Hearing Follow Up:
Observations of Dr. Walter Tsou, former Philadelphia Health Commissioner, and Chuck Pennacchio, Executive Director of Healthcare for All Pennsylvania, on yesterday's (12.16.09) Pennsylvania Senate Banking and Insurance Committee hearing on SB 400.

Copies of the testimony of all participants, as well as audio and video of the hearing, will soon be available at www.healthcare4allpa.org

Chuck Pennacchio:

In addition to Walter's more detailed observations and insights below, I'd like to make a few key points intended to translate events and chart a path forward for passage of SB 400/HB 1660 at the earliest possible moment.

First, it was obvious that our SB 400 testifiers -- including Senator Jim Ferlo's tone-setting statement at the top -- were far better prepared, passionate, and on-point than our opponents. But no need to take our word for it. The glowing wrap-up comments of Chairman White, his decision to extend the hearing time an additional 50 minutes, his desire to continue the hearings and research and bill-writing process, as well as his personal congratulatory handshake while saying, "your panel did a terrific job," give us real hope that we are within shouting distance of accomplishing what all of us need -- a healthcare system that, in moral and economic terms, puts patient care and dignity first and foremost.

I was also pleased with the preparedness, comments, and questions of Senator Jake Corman, part of the GOP leadership team, Chair of Senate Appropriations, and member of Banking and Insurance. His grasp of issues, embrace of our "new ideas," openness to our fair-share health and wellness tax, and query of SB 400 opponents (exposing their ignorance of Single Payer) are all good signs.

This leads me to a broader discussion of the significance of what happened yesterday...

I know, I know, you say, we've been here before. Right? Politicians raising our hopes and then letting us down. Actually, so far and past and present experiences inform me, I perceive elements remarkably different and, I believe, promising.

For starters, it's time to imagine what is unimaginable to many (or most?) citizen activists. And yet, the "unimaginable" is a course Healthcare for All Pennsylvania has been on since 2006 -- a course that subsequent events have borne out.

Based on a repeatedly validated assumption that, because of the destructive effects of campaign contributions from health insurance, pharmaceutical, and allied interests to politicians in both major parties, as well as a political culture of "incrementalism," we must be fiercely non-partisan, evidence-based, organizationally sound, forthright and flexible, and mindful of our federalist constitution and political history.

In other words, we have long held that the winning coalition around the proven Single Payer Solution will be comprised of "conscience Republicans" and "conscience Democrats," beginning with one of our "modeling" fifty states. And, in the case of Pennsylvania, not only do we have political advantages that others do not, but we have what appears to be a thoughtful and courageous GOP leadership on the joined issues of healthcare delivery, healthcare economics, and healthcare financing.

Dr. Walter Tsou:

"My overall impression was this was an enormously successful and impressive showing for Pennsylvania state single payer. Yes, I may be biased, but our four panelists did a superb job in explaining the Family and Business Health Security Act. To explain why I say this, consider the concluding remarks of Senator Don White, Republican Chair of the Senate Banking and Insurance Committee. First, Senator White offered that "there were those who said I should not have this hearing" -- a clear rebuke of the fearful during this time of healthcare and economic crisis. Second, whereas in his opening comments he downplayed expectations for the hearing as a "fact-finding session only," by the end, his praise of the Single Payer presenters was so "positive," he declared that this opening act was just the beginning of a series of hearings on this most important topic.

The hearing began with Senator White, a former insurance broker, welcoming everyone and inviting Senator Jim Ferlo, the lead sponsor of SB 400, to present some opening thoughts. Ferlo explained the need to look at different approaches rather than be tied to the usual failed insurance model. Among other attributes, he said that the state Single Payer plan would free employers from the onerous burden of skyrocketing health insurance costs by, instead, providing healthcare for everyone at far less cost.

Chuck Pennacchio, Executive Director of Healthcare for all PA spoke next and further explained the particulars of the state-level, Single Payer approach, and how it represents values we can all embrace: freedom, choice, fiscal conservatism, personal responsibility, modeling solutions, constitutional federalism, fair-share taxation, efficiency, transparency, accountability, jobs creation, bureaucratic streamlining, investment and reinvestment, coordinated and comprehensive care, reduced rationing, restored patient-provider relationship, healthy outcomes, tort remedy, end bankruptcy fears, healthcare education, "medical home" data base, and more.

Patricia Eakin, RN from Philadelphia explained that she was a nurse in one of the busiest ERs in Pennsylvania at Temple and that she sees the problems of the lack of insurance on a daily basis. She gave some examples of the problems faced by people who lack insurance. She noted how her hospital was losing money because they had to spend limited resources on billing personnel, and had to absorb, and/or pass along, financial losses on people without insurance or on Medicaid.

Dwight Michaels, MD, a Republican, and family practice doctor from Gettysburg, spoke about how his experience with private insurance bureaucrats had driven him to support the Single Payer Solution. He said it is increasingly difficult to practice medicine because his five-person practice struggles daily with 20 different insurance plans, all with different rules. This bureaucratic nightmare makes it impossible to spend quality time with his patients because he is forced to justify more and more of his procedures with the insurance carriers. Dr. Michaels' testimony was a vivid description of the life of a family doctor in a dysfunctional system.

David Steil, a former Republican state legislator and head of a small manufacturing business was another inspired choice. Not only did he know all of the Senators but, as a creative-thinking lawmaker, he broke the stereotype that all Single Payer supporters are lefties. Mr. Steil spoke about how he tries to run a business, but the cost and hassle of health insurance has made his company more vulnerable in an international market where his non-American competitors have far cheaper health costs.

I think this panel worked extremely well. Not only were they excellent speakers, but they spoke from real world experiences, not as paid lobbyists. And two were Republicans which was an added bonus. The committee had many questions, but none were nasty and all seemed genuinely interested in the real world experiences of the panelists. And the room was packed with 90% supporters of SB 400. I don't think this was lost on the committee.

The opposing panel were all known lobbyists for their respective interest groups. They gave the usual refrain of condemning single payer.

NFIB speaker - he simply declared that small businesses don't want Single Payer, but admitted that healthcare costs are the number one concern of businesses. They want the same outcomes that only Single Payer provides. But since that involves "government bureaucracy," it cannot possibly work.

PA Medical Society - wants tort reform but not Single Payer because it would be too powerful in controlling reimbursements (and costs).

Capitol Blue Cross - gave a confusing talk about the problems with the Washington federal bill and then simply concluded that SB 400 is just like the Washington bill and should be rejected. Of course, nothing in the federal bill even resembles Single Payer, which is why it is so unpopular.

Hospital Association of PA - opposes any government controls generically. Gave a knee-jerk opposition to Single Payer.

Insurance Federation of PA - same as the hospitals. They oppose Single Payer as "monopolistic" -- working from the assumption that the 35-cents-on-the-healthcare-dollar insurance "middle man" is indispensable, and that a little more regulation and industry "innovation" will solve cost issues.

There was not much time for questions but, frankly, they were special interest lobbyists and not a very interesting opposing panel. If this was a debate, the clear winners were the Single Payer SB 400 panel who did a great service in advancing state-level Single Payer today.

Phila NOW Supports SB400, PA's Single Payer Bill

2009-12-20T18:18:00.002-05:00

Senate Banking and Insurance Committee
Senator Don White, Chairman
281 Main Capitol Building
Harrisburg, PA 17120-3041
December 15, 2009

Dear Senators of the Banking and Insurance Committee,
The Philadelphia chapter of the National Organization for Women (NOW) asks for your support in passing SB400, the Family and Business Health Security Act, out of Committee to a full vote in the Senate. SB400 is vital to every working family in Pennsylvania, and to business owners small and large. For Pennsylvania women, this bill offers relief for long-standing systemic problems, problems that cost lives.

You will be asked today to consider the health and welfare of the citizenry versus the welfare of our current health care and insurance industry, which is a serious, difficult task, and your decision about this bill will be a tough decision. But just the fact that we, in this country, have evolved a system of care where ordinary citizens are pitted by the millions against an industry should be a signal that all is not right.

You are certainly familiar with the facts: Health care costs have skyrocketed, many times wages, crippling individuals and families and hampering business. And yet between 2000 and 2005, an estimated 450,000 fewer Pennsylvanians received health care through employment. In this same period, Pennsylvania health insurers profits soared, from $482 million in 2000 to $810 million in 2005, despite spending 40% less on actual health care.

It is also well known that women are underserved in the current system of health care delivery. Women receive less pay for the work they do than men to begin with, making insurance harder to buy. Women more often work part time jobs or minimum wage jobs that don't offer health care. They are more likely to own or work for the smallest businesses. In Pennsylvania, it's possible that if a woman does receive health benefits through her employer, it doesn't include maternity care, because this is not mandatory. And if an uninsured or underinsured woman becomes pregnant, she will have difficulty finding affordable insurance, since pregnancy in Pennsylvania can be considered a pre-existing condition.

Maternity accounts for 25% of all hospitalizations, and yet hospitals in Southeast Pennsylvania and elsewhere in the state have cut their maternity departments, overburdening nearby facilities. They rationalize their cuts by pointing to their bottom line and doing what's necessary to preserve it. That's fine if your business is manufacturing widgets. But if your business is providing health care, cutting a vital service to the community severely undermines the security of that community. These are just a few of the unfair market practices that leave the women of Pennsylvania, most often themselves caregivers to their families, more vulnerable to poor health outcomes than men.

Our current system is not a model of care at all, it's a model to protect profits. More and more public dollars are being asked to go to support this profit model. And it's a model that shoots itself in the foot. By making primary care so difficult for families to attain, even minor medical events become emergencies because people know they won't be denied care in a hospital emergency room. The General Assembly hears each year about the costs to hospitals of this behavior. All studies project these issues to get worse, not improve, unless intelligent regulatory course correction is implemented.

Certainly the health care industry as currently configured and entrenched underpins a large section of our economy and it's important to act with precision. SB400 is a precise tool. There will be disruption; it is provided for in this bill. But health care services, unlike widgets, are a necessity. It will not take long for the health care sector to rebound. There will still be hospitals, there will still be doctors. But there will also be a new freedom within which individuals and businesses can operate and grow that can only benefit the Commonwealth.

If you but acknowledge the value to our citizens and our economy of creating this security in the lives of regular folk, if you but acknowledge that this principle is more important than protecting the profits of an industry simply because they exist, then all the questions about how you translate this conviction into reality will begin to be answered.

Our state's debate takes place concurrently with the national debate. It is all too easy to delay doing what needs to be done here in order to wait and see what happens elsewhere. But delay continues to cost lives. What is right for Pennsylvania is SB400. The case for the Family and Business Health Security Act has never been more clear or more strong. All it needs is the courage from our Senate to do what is right.

Thank you,

Caryn Hunt
President, Philadelphia NOW

Philadelphia NOW has new officers! Statement from outgoing President and Profiles of New Officers:

2009-12-09T16:58:00.037-05:00

From outgoing President Karen Bojar:

I have very much enjoyed being President of Philadelphia NOW for the past eight years, but it’s time for a change, both for me personally and for the organization. We have an impressive team of officers, political action committee board members, and chapter activists who have done a great deal to advance feminist issues and raise the profile of Philadelphia NOW.

Six years go we started a political action committee to support our efforts to elect feminist candidates. Five years ago we set up the Philadelphia NOW Education Fund, a separately incorporated non-profit which supports our educational work. Our major effort in this area was the very successful, well attended 2006 Women of Color Conference chaired by Cindy Bass.

Our greatest challenge is attracting younger members who will remain committed to the organization. Many of the older progressive organizations are experiencing similar difficulties recruiting a younger generation of leaders who are committed to building the organization and staying involved through good times and bad.

It may be that a younger generation will build different organizations. However, a multi-issue, multi-strategy feminist organization that is active on the local, state, and national level is still very much needed.

Although the feminist movement has been extraordinarily successful, this success has not been shared equally. Women with economic privileges and access to elite educational institutions have made enormous strides in the professions, business, political and civic life. Of course there is still a glass ceiling in American life. However, many affluent white men have been willing to make room for their daughters--the same men who have fought the economic policies which would provide opportunities and a robust safety net for the majority of women in our society.

At this stage in its history, NOW must focus on expanding opportunities for the women who have not been the primary beneficiaries of the feminist movement—working class and low-income women, who are disproportionately women of color.

Lauren Townsend, who is running for chapter president is uniquely qualified to take on these challenges. She is committed to continuing and strengthening the partnership we have built with the Philadelphia Chapter of the Coalition of Labor Union Women (CLUW). Lauren has often referred to herself as a member of the bridge generation, women in their 40’s who can relate to older feminists as well as to a younger generation of women in their teens, 20’s, and 30’s.

We are incredibly fortunate to have a candidate like Lauren, who has extensive experience as an activist, a deep understanding of feminist issues, and who is very well-known and highly regard by local progressive community.

Lauren understands that if our organization is to continue to exist it must do more to address issues of concern to young women, women of color and low-income and working class women. She has recruited a strong team of NOW veterans and active members who are new to NOW leadership. Under their leadership, I am very optimistic about the future of Philadelphia NOW

Phila NOW Candidates
Lauren Townsend – President
Dee Johnson – Executive Vice President
Kathy Black – VP for Finance
Caryn Hunt – VP for Membership
Louise Francis – Treasurer
Terri Falbo – Secretary & Newsletter Producer
Francesca Alvarado – Representative to the State Board
Doris Pridgen – Representative to the State Board
Rosa Woods – Alternate Representative to the State Board
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Lauren Townsend – President
Lauren Townsend has been doing progressive organizing and advocacy since she moved to Philadelphia in 1984. For the last three years, Lauren has worked in partnership with Lou Freimiller doing general political consulting. Townsend Freimiller Associates has been at the helm of a number of winning campaigns. Some of these were with candidates endorsed by by Philadelphia NOW PAC including: Councilwoman Maria Quinones Sanchez; Superior Court Judge, Christine Donohue, State Representative Vanessa Brown and Democrat, Dawn Segal who was elected judge of Philadelphia's Municipal Court. Currently, Lauren and Lou are running Montgomery County Commissioner and former congressman, Joe Hoeffel's campaign for governor of Pennsylvania.

Before beginning her consulting business, Lauren was the Executive Director of Citizens for Consumer Justice (CCJ) for almost 10 years. CCJ was responsible for convening Pennsylvanians for a Fair and Independent Court that opposed the Alito nomination to the Supreme Court; coordinating the successful Pennsylvania arm of Americans United to Protect Social Security and the Emergency Campaign for America’s Priorities; registering over 25,000 new African American and Latino voters 2004; executing highly-publicized bus trips to Canada with seniors who couldn’t afford their prescription drugs; successfully fighting tort reform legislation through the pro-active Pennsylvania Safety and Justice Act; and convening the Patients Not Profits Coalition during the demise of the Allegheny Health System.

Lauren has also worked with the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, Pennsylvania Citizen Action, The Philadelphia Singers, The Clay Studio, New Jersey Citizen Action, Farm Workers Support Committee, Kensington Joint Action Council, Clara Bell Duvall Education Fund, NARAL-PA, Lutheran Settlement House Women’s Program and The League of Conservation Voters.

Lauren lives in West Philadelphia with her son, Alex , who is a junior at Central High School.

" I am honored to be asked to run for president of Philadelphia NOW," said Lauren Townsend. " If the membership of Philadelphia elects me and this incredible slate of women to the board, my top priorities will be, fundraising, aggressive recruitment of diverse young feminists, public and media relations about the campaigns on which we have been, and will be, working and solidifying our growing clout in elections"

Dee Johnson – Executive Vice President
Dee Johnson is currently communications manager/managing editor for The Pennsylvania Prison Society ― the oldest prison reform organization in the world striving to advance a humane, just and constructive correctional system. A staunch advocate for prisoners and their families, she has been an integral part of a recent effort to establish legislation that bans the practice of shackling pregnant prisoners in Pennsylvania.
A native New Yorker, Dee Johnson worked with members of the New York State Legislature for nearly two decades on Albany’s Capitol Hill before relocating to Philadelphia a few years ago. She served several members, liaising with elected officials, the press, and representatives of government and community organizations to ensure that legislative goals and objectives were met. She also managed legislative affairs, researching, developing and introducing bills that would eventually become state law and help improve the quality of life of New York residents.
“I look forward to working with Lauren Townsend and Philadelphia NOW board members, taking action to change those practices that serve as barriers to a woman’s full participation in American society,” said Johnson.

Kathy Black – VP for Finance
Kathy Black is running for her fourth term as VP for Finance of our Philadelphia Chapter. Her main duties are to organize the annual fundraiser with the President, and serve on the Executive Board. Kathy works as the Health and Safety Director for AFSCME District Council 47, representing professional and technical city employees. She is the President of the Philadelphia Chapter of the Coalition of Labor Union Women, the women's movement within the labor movement, which promotes many of the same issues as NOW. Kathy is also a national Co-Convenor of US Labor Against the War, the anti-war movement within the labor movement, founded in 2003. She serves on several other community boards and has been active in many political campaigns.

Caryn Hunt – VP for Membership
Caryn Hunt is a Philadelphia writer and activist. She's been involved since 2006 with planning along the Delaware River- from helping organize Neighbors Allied for the Best Riverfront (NABR) to advocate for sensible riverfront development, to covering planning issues before there was a planPhilly.com, to serving on the board of the Central Delaware Advocacy Group, whose mission is to implement the citizen-driven Civic Vision for the Delaware River. She's written extensively about environmental and other issues at www.GreenCityJournal.com.

Caryn is a proud and active member in Philadelphia NOW. She was a NOW Citizen Activist Honoree in 2009 for her work to keep maternity units open in the city. She represents NOW on Maternity Care Coalition's Policy Committee, and continues to push for building greater access to maternity care in Philadelphia. Caryn currently works as Political Liaison for the Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses and Allied Professionals. She is passionate about reaching out to citizens to help empower them in the political process, and about clarifying how complex issues like health care reform effect women and families.

Louise Francis – Treasurer
Louise Francis is the current Treasurer of the Philadelphia Chapter of the National Organization for Women. She has been the Chapter’s Treasurer since 1991. She has been involved in all aspects of the Chapter’s activities, including pro-choice marches in Washington DC, demonstrations against local employers that discriminate against workers, city-wide organized clinic defense when Operation Rescue staged an “operation” against Philadelphia’s abortion providers and helping to organize the 2009 International Women’s Day event. She is also a member of the Philadelphia NOW Political Action Committee and regularly interviews candidates seeking the NOW endorsement. On many elections she is an election worker at her local polling place.
Ms Francis is an avid gardener and is a member of the Waverly Gardens community garden in the Washington Square West section of Philadelphia.
Ms Francis is the Consulting Principal and founder of Francis Analytics and Actuarial Data Mining, Inc. where she leads predictive modeling, simulation and related actuarial projects and engagements. Ms. Francis has introduced insurance professionals to advanced modeling methods, including simulation, predictive modeling and text mining, both as a speaker at conferences and as an author of papers and articles. Six of her papers were awarded prizes by the Casualty Actuarial Society.
Ms. Francis was appointed by the Casualty Actuarial Society's board of directors to a three year term as Vice President of Research and Development. In this capacity, she is responsible for helping the CAS achieve its vision of being recognized internationally as a leader in sponsoring and conducting property and casualty insurance research. For a complete description of the company and listing of Ms. Francis’ awards, papers and presentations, please see www.data-mines.com.

Terri Falbo – Secretary & Newsletter Producer
Terri Falbo has been involved in many movements for social justice since coming to Philadelphia in 1974. After studying at the University of Pennsylvania and Temple University, she became a union steamfitter for over 17 years. While working as a steamfitter, Terri was active in Tradeswomen of Philadelphia/Women in Non-traditional work (TOP/WIN) working as an instructor in the pre-apprenticeship program. She also served on the Philadelphia AFL-CIO Women's Committee. She has been on the board of the Philadelphia Coalition of Labor Union Women (CLUW) for over 12 years.
Following her passion for social justice, Terri spent eight years as a union organizer for healthcare workers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Kansas City. She helped nurses to organize for professional respect and conditions for themselves, as well as for more influence to enable them to provide better patient care.

In 2004, Terri was selected by the Philadelphia Inquirer and the Anniston (Alabama) Star to write a series of 16 essays as a representative of a "Blue State" on various topics discussed during the Presidential election. In 2005, she received CLUW's Working Woman Award during Working Women's Awareness Week, as well as citations from State Representatives, partly because of the essay series.
Since 2006, Terri has been working as a Real Estate agent throughout Philadelphia and the surrounding counties. She has been the secretary & newsletter producer for Philadelphia NOW since 2008.

Francesca Alvarado – Representative to the State Board
Francesca Alvarado has a BS in Accounting; however, her work is not her life. Francesca’s passion is human rights, and she has been active in areas such as Health care, Education, Domestic Violence, Pro-choice, Fair Wages etc. She has been on the Executive Board of several organizations such as AFSCME District Council 47 Local 2187, Coalition Labor Union Women, PHILA NOW, and PA NARAL. She is a member of various nonprofit organizations. One of her favorite quote is “My address is like my shoes. It travels with me. I abide where there is a fight against wrong."
—Mother Jones

Doris Spivey Pridgin – Representative to the State Board
Doris attended Temple University and is a member of Delta Sigma Theta. In 1999 she retired after working as a teaching assistant, primarily with junior and senior high school social studies students. While working for the school district, Doris became active in the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers as a representative for her school. After retiring, Ms. Pridgin attended Community College. It was there that Doris became acquainted with NOW. Doris joined in 2000 and has shown exemplary service ever since! She always steps up to the plate when called upon to represent PhilaNOW at any event or speaking engagement.

Rosa B. Woods – Alternate Representative to the State Board
Rosa B. Woods is currently an elected Democratic Committee Person in the 22nd Ward in Philadelphia. For several years previously, she served as Committee person in the 9th Ward. Ms. Woods is a dedicated community activist and has worked diligently to seek changes to improve and uplift her community. Besides PhilaNOW, other organizations in which she is involved include: West Mount Airy Neighbors, National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Progressive Women of Pennsylvania, and Triumph Baptist Church.
Ms. Woods is a political strategist, advisor, and consultant. In 2007 she led the campaign for Cindy Bass a candidate for City Council for the 8th Councilmanic District. In 2002 she was a Political consultant for Democratic National Committee as a facilitator for Political Seminars in Washington, D.C. Also, in 2002 she Coordinated Get Out the Vote for Gubernatorial Candidate Edward Rendall in the 22nd Ward. In 2000 she Coordinated the Black Clergy and Vicinity Gospel Rally for Democratic National Committee. With her expertise, in 2000 she led the Philadelphia Get Out the Vote effort for the NAACP National Voter Fund and supervised fourteen coordinators with over 3000 volunteers.
In 1999 Ms. Woods Coordinated the Northwest Philadelphia region for Mayoral candidate, John F. White, Jr., in Democratic Primary. Also, in 1996 she coordinated Black Clergy and Vicinity Gospel Rally for Democratic National Committee. In 1995 Ms. Woods was the ward Coordinator for Hon. Edward Rendell – Mayoral Race. he identified, trained, and supervised volunteer staff responsible for literature distribution as part of the “Get Out The Vote” campaign.

In 1995 Ms. Woods was the Campaign Manager for Robert T. Vance, Jr., Esquire. She developed and implemented a campaign strategy aimed at capturing the 8th District Council seat. She supervised the day-to-day activities for staff of 85 volunteers and paid staff. Also, she recruited over 400 volunteers for election day. She monitored campaign operations and finances against measurable goals and timetables.

In 1994 she was ward coordinator for Hon. Chaka Fattah – 2nd Congressional District. she coordinated grass roots communications and fundraising activities with supporters, ward leaders, committee people, and block captains in the 9th and 22nd Wards, to increase voter participation.

Political Action Committee Board
The Political Action Committee Board consists of the officers with the President of the chapter serving as President of the PAC board. Francesca Alvarado is Treasurer of the PAC board.

In addition to the officers, PAC board includes:

Cindy Bass
Cindy M. Bass is a dynamic political strategist, community activist, public speaker and policy formulator. She is currently an elected Democratic Committee Person in the 22nd Ward in Philadelphia, PA and an elected member of the Pennsylvania Democratic State Committee. In 2000, 2004 and 2008, Ms. Bass was a delegate to the Democratic National Convention. Currently, she is the Senior Policy Advisor on Urban and Domestic Policy to sixth term United States Congressman Chaka Fattah. Congressman Fattah is a nationally recognized expert on urban policy and education who sits on the powerful Appropriations Committee. Prior to joining Congressman Fattah’s staff, Ms. Bass was Special Assistant to then State Senator Allyson Schwartz, who was recently elected to Pennsylvania’s 13th United States Congressional seat.
Ms. Bass holds a deep commitment to increasing the role and the number of women and minorities in the political arena. She is a board member of The Philadelphia NOW PAC and formerly for the Metropolitan Career Center, NARAL Foundation and New Directions for Women. She is also the former chairperson for the National Coalition of 100 Black Women’s National Public Policy Committee, and the former chairperson of the Political Awareness Committee for this organization’s local chapter. Ms. Bass has also been involved in various organizations throughout the years, which have included the Philadelphia Chapter of the League of Women Voters, Democrat Women of Philadelphia, The NAACP, The Coalition of Labor Union Women, East Mt. Airy Neighbors and the steering committee for 2000 African American Women PAC. She is a frequent presenter and panelist at workshops and forums aimed at increasing the role and number of women and minorities involved in politics, education, business, and the health care arena. In 2006, Ms. Bass served as conference Chair for the Phila NOW Women of Color and Allies Summit. This successful conference reached hundreds of women throughout the Greater Philadelphia region and beyond.
Most recently, Ms. Bass was a candidate for City Council in Philadelphia’s 8th District. Ms. Bass finished in second place in a crowded field of challengers. As a candidate, Ms. Bass received numerous endorsements including both daily papers, The Philadelphia Inquirer and The Philadelphia Daily News. The Inquirer described her as “poised, gracious and smart….. ready to put the skills and relationships she developed….. to good use on Council. She has walked the walk of neighborhood improvement in Northwest Philadelphia as a staffer at the superb Mount Airy, USA community development corporation and as a president of the East Mount Airy Neighbors. Her willingness to look anywhere and everywhere for best practices that Philadelphia could emulate would be a nice addition to an often-parochial Council”. The Daily News’ endorsement echoes this sentiment by stating “The district….is filled with possibilities. We believe Cindy M. Bass can turn those possibilities into realities…. Many things impress us about Bass….. But it's more than just her resume. Bass exudes the energy and political savvy needed to change things in the district and move it forward…. It's Bass who has the right experience, connections and drive to serve this district.”

Karen Bojar
Karen Bojar has served as President of Philadelphia NOW for the past eight years. She recently retired from her job as Professor of English and Women’s Studies and Coordinator of the Women's Studies program at the Community College of Philadelphia.
She has been a lifelong political activist and plans to continue her involvement in grassroots politics during her retirement and hopes to do what she can to support the new leadership of Phila NOW.
Her retirement projects include writing a history of the second wave feminist movement in Philadelphia and maintaining a blog about women and retirement at http://www.the-next-stage.com/

I’m glad I got it together to go to DC for the National Lobby Day to Stop Stupak

2009-12-05T17:40:00.002-05:00

I’m glad I got it together to go to DC for the National Lobby Day to Stop Stupak and Pass Health Care Reform.

A diverse group of women from all over the country gathered in DC; the really good news is that the majority were young women in their 20’s and 30’s. I think many women in my generation breathed a sigh of relief when we saw all these young women determined to protect reproductive rights.

Lobby days can be tedious as you go to one office after another, usually meeting with staff rather than with elected officials. (Thanks to Congresswoman Allyson Schwartz, one of the few elected officials who met with constituents.)

The lobbying may have been tedious, but the rally was inspirational. Leaders of major feminist organizations and women legislators with long careers fighting for gender equality affirmed their determination to stop this assault on women’s rights.

Many emphasized that that here has been a compromise in place for decades that federal funds can not be used for abortion but that women can purchase insurance coverage which includes abortion with private funds—-i.e.with their own money. The Stupak-Pitts amendment would overturn this compromise and dramatically change the status quo.

No other legal medical procedure has been singled out to be excluded from plans on the proposed newly created insurance exchange—just this procedure which applies only to women.

A common theme from the women legislators who have been fighting for real health care reform is “We are going to win this one. We are not going to pass health care reform which restricts access, which takes away a right which women currently possess.” As Carol Maloney (Dem. representative from NY) said, “I didn’t go to Congress to roll back women's rights."

We must make sure that in arguing that health care reform not undo the compromise in place for decades(the Hyde amendment), that we are not legimitizing this law's discrimination against low income women.

After we defeat Stupak, we will mobilize against the Hyde amendment which denies government employees and women on Medicaid access to abortion. And we will win!

Health Care reform must not come at the expense of chipping away at abortion rights

2009-11-08T19:17:00.004-05:00

I had come to terms with the fact that health care reform would not be all I wanted. I assumed that like previous major social reforms it would represent a step forward and the inadequacies would be remedied over time.

But unlike Social Security and Medicare, this legislation takes a step backward by mandating that plans included in the insurance exchange, including the public option, will not cover abortion. Some women who currently have abortion coverage would lose the right to it.

Major social reform has always been piecemeal. In order to get the votes to pass social security, FDR made a devil’s bargain with Southern Democrats to exclude domestic workers and share croppers, effectively excluding the majority of African-Americans. In many ways the New Deal was racist, but it established the principle that the elderly were entitled to financial support. In the 1950’s the laws were amended to ensure that the principle applied to all workers. (Those who had been excluded from social security or their descendants should have been compensated.)

Medicare was similarly a work in progress, with prescription drug coverage not included. Medicare established the principle that the elderly were entitled to health care, but it took forty years for prescription drug coverage to be included, and even then, the prescription drug coverage passed during the Bush administration was deeply flawed. The proposed health care reform should improve it somewhat.

I had expected similar gaps and inadequacies in the current legislation, but I didn’t expect an erosion of hard-fought rights.

Tomorrow I will be contacting my Senators. We’ve got to keep this erosion of abortion rights out of the Senate bill!

Remarks of Kathy Black, on behalf of the Coalition for Essential Services, 9/17/09

2009-09-18T16:15:00.004-05:00

Good morning. I am here today speaking on behalf of Philadelphia NOW and Philadelphia CLUW, which represents hundreds of members of many different unions from across our region. We have been an organizational member of the Coalition for Essential Services since its inception, and we are proud to stand with the city workers’ unions and the many community and constituency groups who are concerned about the well-being of our City and its citizens.

We reject as false the Mayor’s claim that draconian service and staff cuts are the only way to restore fiscal stability to our ailing city. There is no way that the delay of the hoped for additional $16-$20 million in sales tax revenue requires the cutting of 3000 jobs, or the closing of any libraries or recreation centers, much less all of them. Deferred pension payments are not due until the middle of next year, giving us plenty of time to find other solutions.

No one here is denying that we are in a recession or that the City has lost revenue as a result. But eliminating some of the most necessary and cherished services the City provides to its citizens is not an acceptable answer to these problems.

Last Spring, we all applauded the Mayor’s initiative to involve citizens in the process of planning the City’s financial future. Hundreds of us attended the four forums that were held around the City, and we spent hours thinking through the problems and proposing solutions. Many of our members attended these forums and reported back to our group. Obviously, we can’t speak for every small group in each forum, but we think it’s fairly safe to say that no group of citizens suggested, or would find acceptable, the laying off of 1000 police officers, or the closing of our court system, or the elimination of the critical programs for our children that libraries and rec centers provide.

We do know that hundreds of millions of dollars of revenue enhancement and cost cutting ideas were proposed through these forums - ideas that had been carefully researched by many of our Coalition’s member groups. What happened to those ideas? Why weren’t they implemented? Why did we go through that process if our ideas were to be ignored? We do hate to sound cynical, but in retrospect, it appears those forums were just window dressing. Cutting services and jobs appears to have been the real aim of the Mayor all along.

And so we call on the Mayor and City Council to go back to the drawing board. Look at the creative suggestions that have already been proposed and find others, including raising taxes if necessary, to fill the budget gaps. But please, do not tell the citizens of our beloved City that the only way out is to jeopardize the public safety, decimate the services that provide culture, education and recreation for our people, or eliminate the jobs that provide living wages and family benefits for thousands of City workers who are our friends, relatives and neighbors. Because we do not believe it and we will not accept it.

Regular folks are talking more about racism and sharing their stories

2009-09-18T15:43:00.003-05:00

NOW member, Jocelyn Morris

As a retired person I’ve had a lot of time to read the news and although I welcomed Jimmy Carter’s forthright statements about race, it’s clear many did not. I’m stunned by some of the responses such as these reported by Politico:

Democratic Rep. Chet Edwards, who has represented a conservative, heavily white Texas district for 18 years, said he didn’t believe there was any evidence to support Carter’s assertion that racial factors had motivated Wilson.
“I just don’t want a divisive dialogue on race to become a battering ram of division for our country,” he said.
Alabama Democratic Rep. Artur Davis agreed. “It’s not a productive or healthy conversation,” he said.

Read more: here

No evidence?? Not a healthy conversation?? Sure I am worried that focus on the racism of right wing extremists might fuel opposition to Obama, but enabling those who are in denial is what’s really unhealthy.

I do think a lot of regular folks are talking more and sharing feelings and stories on a personal level.

I'd like to share the story I received from my friend and NOW sister, Jocelyn Morris about her experiences. Jocelyn is a Philly native, former East Mt. Airy resident, former president of Germantown NOW and currently a member of the national NOW Combating Racism Committee. She now works for US Army in Missouri

My Story:

I have worked as a civilian for 23 years for the U.S. Army. My current
position is a combat Developer in the Maneuver Support Battle Lab doing
limited and other types of experiments on new equipment and concepts
before material solutions are developed. We have 23 employees in our
department. There are only 2 Black Females and no other minorities.

Yesterday, is typical in that most meetings I attend I am the only Black
and only Woman in the meeting. Yesterday was a little different because
there were 2 other women in attendance. However, I was the only Black
and no other minorities were in attendance.

We were doing an update on our programs to the Commanding General and
other schools and directorate leadership. During the briefing, a lower
ranking Soldier comes into the meeting with a mug of something to drink
to give the General. When I told my husband about it he said maybe he
is the General's driver and assistant. My comment was it was a
continuation of the Slave Plantation mentality to have a Black Man
(Soldier) serving/waiting on a White Man (General). Don't they see or
get it at all? I can't remember a time when I have seen this
relationship any different. Racism at its finest!

Is it because I am Black, that automatically when I enter a room, I
notice whether I am the only minority there? Do Whites notice the lack
of minorities in the setting they are in (Work, social, sports, etc.)?
The "Old Boys Network (White and male) is slowly being infiltrated by
women (One at a time mostly), because organizations like NOW are out
there fighting a daily battle for Equality for Women and other
Minorities. We should not let these incidences of racism go
unchallenged.

My husband said I should contact our new Black General (One star pinned
on 1 Sep 09) and see if he has a White Driver/Assistant). I might just
do that (Smiles)!!!

Yours in Global Sisterhood,

Jocelyn P. Morris

Philadelphia NOW, Bucks County NOW, Montgomery County NOW speak out against racism underlying right-wing opposition to health care reform

2009-09-16T08:24:00.005-05:00

The members of Philadelphia NOW, Bucks County NOW, and Montgomery County NOW urge our fellow citizens to speak out against the racism underlying right-wing extremists’ opposition to health care reform.

Yes, the extremists have a constitutionally protected right to racist speech, but the majority of Americans who abhor these ugly appeals to racial fears have a moral obligation to speak out against this poison.

We believe that a relatively small number of people are responsible, but their influence is magnified by media coverage of their attacks on President Obama. The extremists gain legitimacy when leaders of our society appear reluctant to condemn implicit and at times frighteningly explicit racism. Although journalists (e.g. Maureen Dowd, Barbara Ehrenreich, and Joan Walsh) have begun to speak out forcefully, for the most part our elected officials have been silent.

This racism must be exposed for the lunatic fringe movement it is. It’s time for fair-minded citizens to make their voices heard.

Karen Bojar
President, Philadelphia NOW

Helene Ratner
President, Bucks County NOW

Kathy Shank
President Montgomery County NOW

Resolution requesting that national NOW officers address the racism underlying right wing extremists’ opposition to health care reform.

2009-09-15T08:01:00.002-05:00

At our September 14th chapter meeting, Phila NOW and Bucks County NOW passed a resolution requesting that national NOW officers address the racism underlying right wing extremists’ opposition to health care reform.

Although some of our members have concerns about some of President Obama’s policies, we are all appalled by the implicit and at times frighteningly explicit racism of right wing extremists’ opposition to health care reform. Our members want the national organization to take a strong stand and to encourage chapters and individual members to raise their voices in protest.

We are also very upset that although some journalists (e.g. Maureen Dowd, Barbara Ehrenreich, and Joan Walsh) have been quite vocal, for the most part, our elected officials have been silent.

Yes, the right wing extremists have a constitutionally protected right to racist speech but the majority of Americans who abhor these ugly appeals to racial fears have a moral obligation to speak out against this poison.

Last night I asked our members to forward links to articles by journalists who have forthrightly addressed this issue and that I would include these references with our resolution. Special thank to Caryn Hunt and Lauren Townsend for forwarding many of the following links:

http://www.salon.com/opinion/feature/2009/09/15/race/?source=newsletter

http://www.salon.com/opinion/walsh/politics/2009/09/14/obama/

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/14/is-it-because-hes-black/

http://www.openleft.com/diary/15084/on-racism-death-threats-the-blindness-of-those-who-will-not-see

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0909/27120.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/13/opinion/13dowd.html?_r=1

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/13/opinion/13ehrenreich.html?em

http://www.theroot.com/views/president-get-used-it

http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/blog/2009/09/bill_moyers_on_obamas_moment.html

http://www.salon.com/opinion/walsh/politics/2009/09/04/obama_back_to_school_speech/?source=newsletter

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/23/opinion/23rich.html?_r=2

http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/02/26/hate.groups.report/

Philadelphia NOW supports Acme workers

2009-07-02T11:30:00.001-05:00

Judy Spires, President
ACME Markets Inc.
75 Valley Stream Parkway
Malvern PA 19355
July 1, 2009

Dear Ms. Spires:

Philadelphia NOW is concerned that the four thousand Acme workers, in Philadelphia and the suburbs, have worked under a contract extension since February 2008. The majority of these workers are women and many of them are single parents.

We are contacting you as leaders of our community to urge you to return to the bargaining table to resume contract negotiations.

We have learned that on June 9, 2009 Acme issued a last, best and final offer. The company threatened to terminate the existing contract and implement its proposal unilaterally. Its proposals, rejected by 95% of Acme’s employees, would gut the health care benefits, decimate the pension benefits and lower the standard of living of workers who have labored for Acme for many years.

The Supervalu Company, the Minnesota-based company which owns Acme, may consider that the current economic difficulties justify its hard-nosed bargaining tactics. Here in Philadelphia, however, Supervalu/Acme’s tactics are increasingly seen as a low blow against the very workers responsible for a good part of Acme’s success. Even if Supervalu/Acme succeeds in imposing its “last, best, and final” offer, it may well generate such hostility that many Philadelphians, many of our members among them, will desert Acme and reduce its share of a very competitive market.

We urge you not to take an action against the best interests of the Philadelphia community, Acme’s employees and the Supervalu/Acme Company itself. We urge you to return to the bargaining table immediately to resume contract negotiations.

Sincerely,

Karen Bojar
President
National Organization for Women, Philadelphia Chapter

First thoughts on the national NOW conference

2009-06-22T22:27:00.009-05:00

I returned tonight from the national NOW conference and I am feeling very depressed about it all.The slate Philadelphia NOW supported, headed by dynamic leader Latifa Lyles, lost by 8 votes.

I’ve put a lot of time and energy into NOW and am convinced that a multi-issue feminist organization that operates on the national, state, and local levels is very much needed. However, I think the time has come for NOW to change its priorities.

Although the feminist movement has been extraordinarily successful,this success has not been shared equally. Women with economic privileges and access to elite educational institutions have made enormous strides in the professions, business, political and civic life. Of course there is still a glass ceiling in American life. However, many affluent white men have been willing to make room for their daughters--the same men who have fought the economic policies which would provide opportunities and a robust safety net for the majority of women in our society.

At this stage in its history, NOW must focus on expanding opportunities for the women who have not been the primary beneficiaries of the feminist movement—working class and low-income women, who are disproportionately women of color.

I was excited about Latifa’s candidacy because I was convinced she would move the organization in this direction. I have heard Latifa say on more than one occasion: “There is a tendency in NOW when we speak about recruiting more young women to focus on women on college campuses. How about the young women who are not in college? What are we doing to reach them?”

Under Kim Gandy’s leadership, NOW did address many of the issues Latifa would champion. However, it matters who is the public face of NOW. A young dynamic African-American woman who, although young, has many years of experience within NOW, would have dramatically changed the public perception of NOW.

Although I am very disappointed that Latifa will not be at the helm of the organization, I was heartened to hear that she will stay involved in NOW and work for change within NOW.

NOW missed a real opportunity by not electing Latifa, but the good news is tht many of the people galvanized by her candidacy are young, energetic, and committed to remaining involved in NOW.

Kathy Black was honored by Jobs With Justice

2009-05-28T14:55:00.002-05:00

Award Acceptance Remarks, Kathy Black, Jobs with Justice 10th Anniversary Awards Reception March 27, 2009

Thanks so much for this wonderful honor. Maybe I should retire now. Getting honored by an organization that represents the labor community, and our faith-based and community allies feels like a lifetime achievement award. Does a pension come with this?

I want to congratulate the other honorees tonight, most of whom I’ve worked closely with in one way or another - especially CLUW sister and Board member, April Logan, who chairs our Young Women’s Committee, and Dorian Lam, who will also be honored by CLUW next week (invitations here!) - all of whom are so deserving of recognition, and some of whom are critical parts of our youth vanguard of the local labor movement.

We have a keynote speaker tonight, so I am, uncharacteristically, not going to take advantage of this opportunity to talk about the issues and campaigns dearest to my heart - not even the war, if you can believe that. Instead I want to use my few minutes to thank the people who make it possible for me to do the work that earned me this acknowledgment.

My start in the labor movement came many years ago in SEIU in Oregon, but my union family for the past 12 years has been AFSCME DC47. I couldn’t have landed in a more perfect place. As most of you know, DC47 has a long history of supporting social and economic justice, and of viewing the union movement as more than just an advocate for its members’ wages, hours and working conditions. We take the word “movement” seriously, recognizing the connections, not just between unions and the community and faith-based groups, but also to the larger political arena, to many other interest groups, to American foreign policy and to international solidarity.

For many years, Tom Cronin was our leader and agitator-in-chief, a vocal advocate and voice of conscience on many issues that weren’t always popular with other unions and sometimes not even with all of our members. And for ten years he was my boss and the person who appointed me to represent DC47 as we helped start and lead Jobs with Justice through its early years. He supported pretty much every progressive initiative that was brought to the union and he trusted me to represent him and the union on countless occasions, from the Living Wage Campaign to US Labor Against the War, and many in between. He promised me he’d be here tonight, and I thought I would have the chance to publicly thank him for his leadership and vision, his friendship and support. I’ll be giving him a hard time later for not being here!

Cathy Scott is here tonight, and she has always been down with the DC47 progressive agenda. As our new leader, she carries on the tradition of involving our union in the pressing issues of the day, locally, nationally and internationally. She’s also a very committed feminist, serves on our CLUW Board and is extremely supportive of many feminist organizations and causes. She is now leading us through one of our toughest budget and contract battles with the City of Philadelphia that our union has ever had, and she’s doing a great job. Cathy is also the person most responsible for bringing me to the DC47. She recruited me to come work at DC47, created the job I have now and interviewed no one else for it, and she lobbied our H&W trustees to hire me.

I met Cathy while I was working on a losing campaign for a progressive candidate for State Senate, and I was already President of CLUW, so she knew what she was getting. And she too has invested her trust in me, gives me the space and latitude to do all the movement work I do, and she responds favorably to all my appeals for money and support on behalf of many campaigns. So thank you, Cathy, for your confidence and support.

And let me give a shout out to the great DC47 team I work with every day - many are here tonight. Thank you all.

So you can see I found the perfect union to do the broadly defined labor movement work I love, and thank goodness for that, because let’s face it, who else would put up with me?!

There are many others who have helped me along the way or worked with me on many campaigns and issues, and lots of you are here in this room - too many to thank individually, but let me give another shout out to my wonderful CLUW sisterhood! Thank you all.

And thanks to the leadership and staff, Fabricio and Eduardo, of Jobs with Justice for this award, and especially for building this vibrant, boisterous, diverse and very effective organization premised on our most fundamental labor principle - solidarity.

Finally, though she’s not here tonight, I want to thank my Mother, Marianne Black. Because it is my Republican, Episcopalian Mom who taught me social and economic justice values from the time I could speak, and that working for those values is the truest labor of love. In this, as in all things, she was right.

Thank you all so much.

May 1 Celebration of Local Women Leaders

2009-05-05T14:28:00.002-05:00

From left to right: Dee Johnson, Doris Pridgen, Caryn Hunt

Thanks to everyone who helped to make our May 1 Celebration of Local Women Leaders such an inspirational event!

We’ve posted the remarks of our honorees. (Doris Pridgen’s remarks will be posted very soon.)

From Dee Johnson:

I’m truly humbled by the honor Philadelphia NOW has bestowed on me and especially proud to be a part of the project to prohibit shackling of pregnant prisoners. I want to thank Karen Bojar for her commitment to changing this situation for women in prison, Naima Black for bringing the matter to the forefront, and Kathleen Creamer for her labor in developing the legislation. Without their efforts, I certainly wouldn’t be standing here.

We’ve certainly come a long way since we began this project last year. But we’ve still got a long way to go.

Today, women constitute the fastest growing segment of the prison population, and shackling pregnant prisoners is a policy that exists in most states throughout the country.

According to Amnesty International, 23 state departments of corrections have policies allowing restraints during labor and 47 states — including Pennsylvania —have no legislation protecting pregnant women in prison from being shackled. Only Illinois, California and Vermont forbid the practice, and New York has proposed legislation.

Can you believe a woman is shackled whether she has a history of violence or has ever attempted escape? Well, believe it!

Thank God that some changes have been made during the last year. In October 2008, the federal Bureau of Prisons banned the practice and last summer, the City of Philadelphia issued an Executive Order preventing the use of restraints on women who are in labor or delivery.

The Executive Order came at the urging of the Working Group to Enhance Services for Incarcerated Women. The Working Group is a consortium of about 30 organizations advocating on behalf of women in prison, including The Pennsylvania Prison Society, Philadelphia NOW, Community Legal Services, Maternity Care Coalition/MOMobile, Women’s Law Project, Pennsylvania Institutional Law Project and the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania.

And with their help, we have developed the Healthy Birth of Incarcerated Women Act — legislation that would ban the practice of shackling pregnant prisoners in Pennsylvania during transport to the hospital and while in labor, delivery and recovery.

Now, with a sponsor in the Pennsylvania House and a projected sponsor in the Senate, we’re hopeful this bill will eventually become law. However, in light of the recent defeat of a similar bill in Arkansas, we realize that we still have much to do.

Our toughest challenge will be garnering legislative support so that the bill not only comes out of Committee, but also goes to the floor of the Pennsylvania General Assembly for a vote and is ultimately approved. Here’s keeping hope alive!

From Caryn Hunt:

I am so proud to receive this award from Philadelphia NOW.

Thanks to my family and my friends who came out tonight to help me celebrate. It feels really good.

I learned about volunteering from my mother's example. She's been a lifelong volunteer. She volunteers even now at Hospice House. When I was little, she was the volunteer president for Third Century USA, the organization that planned Miami's Bicentennial celebration. An organization of 10,000 volunteers! And when I was 12 or 13, she took me to my first NOW convention. I was impressed then with the National Organization for Women and I remain impressed, especially by our Philadelphia chapter. Our NOW members are concerned, active and able- they get things done in the community. I am very proud to be receiving this award with Dee Johnson and Doris Pridgeon.

I learned about the maternity care crisis in early 2007. I was waiting to testify in Council on another issue and I heard Joanne Fisher present the findings of Maternity Care Coalition's report “Childbirth at the Crossroads”. I was shocked to hear that Philadelphia had lost 10 maternity units in ten years, since MCC had been tracking the issue, and I knew NOW would want to be involved. At that point, MCC described a city on the threshold of crisis. Since then, we've lost an additional 3 in Philadelphia. Now we're staring that crisis in the face.

Maternity Care Coalition has done a good job digging up the data and spreading the information. Philadelphia NOW is proud to be one of their sponsors for their “Insuring Healthy Births” initiative, which will kick off in Harrisburg Monday with a rally and press conference.

The trend is, a hospital closes a maternity unit, those births happen elsewhere, straining the resources of another unit until it in turn is closed. Thus the problem keeps growing without solution. Systems close their maternity departments, sometimes whole hospitals, because, they say, they're unprofitable. Childbirth is unprofitable.

That is just absurd in one sense, because profitable or not, we've got to have the babies, right? Now, in another sense it struck me, as it would probably strike any other parent, of course childbirth is not profitable. Profit is definitely not what happens when you have kids. If you're an uninsured or underinsured woman, you could be on the hook for tens of thousands of dollars after delivery, trying to pay that off while raising your baby. So this idea of unprofitability is kind of a no-brainer for women.

So women intuitively accept the notion that childbirth is not profitable, in the financial sense.

But it is predictable. You may not know when a specific pregnancy is going to happen, right? but you know as sure as the sun sets in the West, there will be babies. Like death and taxes. And you would think someone could figure out how to make that pay? Without incentivizing excessive medical intervention, I mean. Even though 25% of all hospitalizations are maternity-related, there's no money to be made in childbirth? That seems absurd too. Who created this system where childbirth is unprofitable? Clearly not feminists.

Temple's Northeastern Hospital is set to close at the end of this month. It's an illustration of so much that's wrong with our healthcare system and how it effects maternity. They went from around 700 births in 2003, and because of other closures in the area- and despite Temple's confidence that those births would transfer to Temple Hospital, they went to Northeastern- last year, Northeastern delivered nearly 1800 babies. In most business models, this would be a success. For Northeastern, it was the kiss of death, because of their “payer mix”. 50% of their patients rely on Medicaid, and they don't get reimbursed at a sustainable rate for their costs, so the more births they handle, the greater that deficit grows. And fixing Medicaid reimbursements in this state is a key recommendation from Maternity Care Coalition.

Now, we've heard a lot from Temple about their profits, but not much about how they'll continue to fill that need. 1800 births, 55,000 ER visits. Northeastern is a busy hospital. And the doctors there say Temple's plans for transitioning those patients are not just flawed, they're nonsense. Temple is dumping their problem on the city to deal with.

And no one can compel Temple to answer for their care responsibility. Legally, they only had to give a two month notice, and legally, there's no oversight to evaluate need in this kind of decision. Our state elected officials did not hesitate to get into this- State Senators Mike Stack and Larry Farnese, State Representatives John Taylor and Mike O'Brien have worked hard to bring Temple to the table and to turn this around. Councilmembers Maria Quinones-Sanchez and Marion Tasco questioned the city's health department at budget hearings about the impact of Northeastern's closure on the city, because they know that this will become the city's problem. They know this city can't afford the loss of that care. Neither can it afford the loss of those 850 good-paying jobs. If those were new jobs, what wouldn't the city do to attract them? But without legislation that requires an assessment of need, our elected officials can't really do anything.

In 1979, the state abandoned its Certificate of Need program, wherein need was evaluated, and there was a community oversight component to that. It was rescinded in this state, as in other states, to “liberate market forces” in healthcare, and this was supposed to benefit patients. Back in 1979, we had more than 40 maternity units serving the greater Philadelphia region. Now we have 24. In Philadelphia, we have six. Six hospitals where babies can be born. Representative Phyllis Mundy has introduced HB247 to revive a Certificate of Need program in the state. Maybe that will gain some traction and give lawmakers the tool they need to protect people. So these decisions are not made based just on profits, but also on care.

When I went to that NOW convention, I was just a kid. But as I grew and had my own daughter, I've become aware, as adults do, that the world is full of unconscious prejudices, ingrained, and sometimes accepted as unquestioned fact. Sometimes logic seems so pat, and assumptions are buried so deep, that we forget to question them. But questioning the dominant paradigm is a fundamental lesson of the feminist movement.

Either we must accept that birth will not be profitable, or we need to change our model and understanding of its nature and adapt to design something that is profitable. And do what we can in the meantime to help pregnant women.

Birth is a case where “less is more”, and in the end, restructuring the way maternity care is delivered will offer a more permanent solution, and may be the best answer to our local crisis. The US has one of the highest maternal mortality rates and the second worst newborn fatality rate in the industrialized world. Women do not need medical intervention in most cases, and yet it's those interventions that drive up billings and that ward off the threat of malpractice suits.

Childbirth is an incredibly personal, intimate event, yet we've created a system where a hospital needs to have 2800 births a year at least in order to break even. It's a natural event, yet 99% of women give birth in hospitals, an unnatural and alarming percentage by medically unnecessary c-section, and with an increasing array of monitors and gadgets that remove all ability of women to take an active part in their labor. Surely, we can invent something better than this.

This city has a large un- and underinsured population which, of course because of the economy, will grow. We've got to start where we are, with what we're given and question everything to find better ways to deliver care to people. And I commend Council for confirming Councilman Bill Greenlee's Resolution to support HR676, the single payer bill before Congress. We have all got to take responsibility for fixing healthcare absurdities, and at every battlefront we come across. While it can seem like we don't hold a lot of power at the city level, we hold more than I think we exercise. We should advocate directly, as a city, in the halls of power, both in Harrisburg and DC, for our healthcare needs. I challenge all of us to do that one more thing that can make a difference.

I see lots of people here I know from my community, from my daughter's school, from various issues and campaigns, and I'm inspired by you all. We know it matters what you do, and that one person can make a difference. Knowing that empowers us all to go forth and get the changes we need to live healthier, fuller lives for ourselves and each other. So, celebrate tonight, and then tomorrow, go back out and keep fighting the good fight.

Phila NOW at May 2 March for Equality

2009-05-04T13:04:00.005-05:00

Thanks to the Phila NOW members who came out yesterday in the rain to March for Equality! From left to right, Phila NOW members: Joanna Bouldin, Danielle Newsome, Kathy Black, Aimee DeWaal, Mealine Barbor, Karen Bojar, and Pennsylvania NOW president, Joanne Tosti-Vasey

Read more about the day’s events at: http://www.equalityforum.com/2009/event.cfm?id=80

Aimee E Dewaal represented Philadelphia NOW at the International Women's Dayrally

2009-03-17T19:26:00.002-05:00

Congratulations to Sherrie Cohen and the International Women's Day Committee for the wonderful celebration of International Women's Day on Sunday March 8.

Aimee E Dewaal represented Philadelphia NOW at the rally. Here is a transcript of Aimee’s inspirational speech:

International Women’s Day is a celebration of women from around the world. This event has taken place every year for about one hundred years. In 1909 the first National Woman's Day was observed in the United States on February 28th. The Socialist Party of America designated this day in honor of the 1908 garment workers’ strike in New York. On March 25th, the tragic 'Triangle Fire' in New York City took the lives of more than 140 working women, most of them immigrants. This disastrous event drew significant attention to working conditions and labor legislation in the United States. On the eve of World War I campaigning for peace, Russian women observed their first International Women's Day on the last Sunday in February 1913. And In 1913, International Women's Day was transferred to March 8th and has remained the global date for International Women's Day ever since. IWD is now an official holiday in China, Armenia, Russia, Belarus, Bulgaria, Kazakhstan, Macedonia, Moldova, Mongolia, Ukraine, Vietnam and more.

International Women’s Day is the time to celebrate dynamic women like Mary Harris Jones who is known as Mother Jones. She organized children working in mills and mines in the "Children's Crusade", a march from Kensington, Pennsylvania to Oyster Bay, New York, the home of President Theodore Roosevelt with banners demanding "We want to go to School and not the mines!" the incident brought the issue of child labor to the public’s attention. Mother Jones was also involved in the rail strike of 1877, in Pittsburgh and elsewhere, and she organized the coal fields of Pennsylvania in 1899.

On this day we celebrate the many women who have fought for women’s rights so that today, women can have executive positions and women can now be elected to office. But we cannot forget that there is still a great need for change in the world. Equality still does not exist for all of our sisters. Today we have the opportunity to create more positive change for women. All of us come here with different backgrounds and issues. But what unites us is that we are all women. And as women, we must unite to create change in the world. We cannot solve our issues alone. As Patrick Henry said, “United we stand, divided we fall”.

Take advantage of this day. Get to know one another, seek out the resources that surround you. We can network and fight for each other’s causes. International Women’s Day is a celebration of those women who have paved the way for us, but it is also a celebration of the freedom we have to progress the women’s movement even further. Mother Jones said, “Pray for the dead and fight like hell for the living! Now let’s enjoy our day, International Women’s Day! Thank you!

Philadelphia NOW protests CVS practice of practice of locking up condoms, especially in low-income neighborhoods and communities of color

2009-03-17T10:44:00.001-05:00

Tom Ryan
C.E.O.
CVS Caremark Corporation
One CVS Drive
Woonsocket, RI 02895

Dear Mr. Ryan,
The Philadelphia chapter of the National Organization for Women is part of a national coalition of community organizations, health care educators and advocates. We believe the practice of locking up condoms, especially in low-income neighborhoods and communities of color, is both short-sighted and dangerous.
On February 12th, organizations in New York, Boston, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles called on CVS to unlock condoms in all communities. We are very happy that your corporation has taken a positive first step by unlocking condoms in its Philadelphia and Boston stores. However, it is crucial that this same access be provided to consumers in all cities and in all communities.
We urge CVS to put the health of our communities first and adopt a written policy that ensures condoms are permanently unlocked in all communities across the country, regardless of race.
Please consider the following staggering statistics, evidence of the public health crisis our communities face:
• Nationwide, HIV/AIDS is the No. 1 killer of black American women between 25 and 34. And rates (of infection) for Hispanic women nationally are four times those of white women, while rates for black women are 15 times those of white women.
• Over the past decade, gay men and other men who have sex with men face rising rates of HIV infection, with the highest rates in young black gay and bisexual men. Nearly half - 46% - of Black gay and bisexual men are believed to already be infected.
• A sexually active teenager who doesn't use contraceptives has a 90% chance of becoming pregnant within one year, and approximately 750,000 teens become pregnant each year.
• Every year 3 million teens acquire an STD.
Clearly we cannot afford to stigmatize or limit access to condoms, creating unnecessary barriers to safe-sex practices. Your closest competitor, Walgreens, has a policy against locking up condoms in any of its stores. We hope that you will follow Walgreens’ lead in promoting better health practices in all communities.
We stand with communities across the country in saying “Cure CVS Now!” We will continue to keep a watchful eye on CVS and its role in providing care to our communities.
Sincerely,

Karen Bojar
President, Philadephia chapter of the National Organization for Women.

Phildelphia NOW joins campaign against CVS for offering expired goods for sale

2009-03-17T10:39:00.002-05:00

Shelley R. Smith, Esq., City Solicitor
City of Philadelphia Law Department
City Solicitor’s Office
One Parkway, 1515 Arch Street, 17th Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19102-1595

Dear Ms. Smith,

I am writing on behalf of the Philadephia chapter of the National Organization for Women.

A few months ago our members learned that CVS--the nation’s largest retail drugstore--has been repeatedly caught offering expired goods for sale including medicine, milk, eggs and even infant formula. We were particularly shocked to discover that quite a few of the expired products on CVS shelves are made for infants and children.
CVS’ expired goods problem was documented here in Philadelphia and cities throughout the country. The Attorneys General in both New York and California called on CVS to stop selling expired products.

In early January of this year, reporter Joyce Evans from Fox 29 exposed the continued presence of expired products for sale at CVS stores in Philadelphia. In response to her inquiries, CVS claimed to have addressed this serious problem.
Unfortunately, it has recently come to my attention that despite the public outrage and regulatory scrutiny directed at CVS, Philadelphia residents are still finding expired products on local CVS shelves!

Examples of expired products Philadelphia consumers recently found include CVS brand Non-Drowsy Allergy Relief (expired December 2007, purchased March 4, 2009) and Infants Mylicon Gas Relief (expired March of 2007, purchased January 29, 2009) among others.

Philadelphia residents deserve protection from this potentially harmful practice. Not only is selling expired goods against CVS’ own policy, but it threatens the safety and health of consumers. As City Solicitor of Philadelphia we ask that you help protect Philadelphia consumers. Please make CVS clean up their act!

Sincerely,
Karen Bojar
President, Philadephia chapter of the National Organization for Women.

2009-01-28T13:07:00.002-05:00

From Caryn Hunt:

Stopping the Closure of Northeastern Hospital

Twelve Philadelphia hospitals have cut their obstetrics service in the last decade. In the midst of a deepening maternity care crisis, Northeastern Hospital in Port Richmond appears poised to join their ranks. Northeastern is operated by Temple University Health System (TUHS). After closing nearby Episcopal and Neuman hospitals, TUHS assured the community of its commitment Northeastern. Similarly, after closing the maternity unit at Jeanes in 2007, TUHS assured the community it would concentrate resources on Northeastern's maternity unit. TUHS predicted the births these hospitals previously handled would transfer over to Temple University Hospital. In fact, Temple's deliveries have decreased.

Northeastern Hospital now says it plans to "restructure", but those close to the hospital fear they plan to cut operations (OR) and Obstetrics (OB). The hospital claims to be losing money. But TUHS as a whole continues to operate at a substantial profit. Maternity services are usually cross-subsidized by other, more profitable service lines. And while it's true that Northeastern deals with a large volume of un- and under-insured patients, TUHS has received substantial subsidies, $120 million in the last five years above usual hospital subsidies, to counterbalance those expenses, much of it directed specifically to Northeastern. These public dollars should be invested wisely to strengthen existing services and improve quality at that hospital. The public doesn't know how much TUHS or Northeastern has negotiated from managed care for their reimbursements, but the state pays a global fee of $10,500 to cover prenatal services and delivery for each Medicaid birth. How much has Northeastern negotiated from the insurance companies to reimburse them for maternity services? Is it less than for our hearts or bones? Why haven't they negotiated to cover their costs?

1800 babies were born last year at Northeastern, many absorbed in the wake of maternity ward closures nearby. Where will this year's pregnant women go? The community around the hospital is expanding, with lots of young people starting families. The demand for maternity services will likely continue to increase.

Northeastern Hospital is a busy, full-service hospital with 168 beds nearly always in use- 120 patients was last year's average daily census. Nearby communities rely on Northeastern for a range of care, including emergency care. It provides the last maternity services to Northeast Philadelphia between Center City and Bucks County. 750 people are employed there and Northeastern also operates a nursing school. The hospital anchors retail business along the Allegheny/Aramingo corridor.

Northeastern Hospital says it is awaiting the recommendations of an internal Task Force before deciding on next steps. Employees and members of the community who rely upon Northeastern have asked to have representation on the Task Force. They have asked that the process be made transparent to the public. Senator Mike Stack and other elected representatives have stated their willingness to help Northeastern find solutions. We join with community members and Northeastern employees in demanding an open and thorough process that involves the public before deciding on service cuts.

Times are tough for everyone, but that's no reason for Temple University Health System to slough off its responsibility to the Northeast Philadelphia community that relies on Northeastern Hospital. The Coalition to Save Northeastern Hospital hopes that by raising the alarm now, by asking TUHS and Northeastern Hospital to involve the public in its deliberations, the Hospital and the vital services it provides to the community can be saved. We ask Temple University Health System to work with their employees, their communities, and elected officials to find a way to continue to operate Northeastern as a full-service hospital.

The Coalition to Save Northeastern Hospital is:
24th District Police Advisory Council
Bridesburg Civic Association
Fishtown Neighbors Association
Maternity Care Coalition
Philadelphia Chapter of National Organization for Women (NOW)Northeastern Hospital Nurses Association (NEHNA)
Pennsylvania Immigration and Citizenship Coalition
Philadelphia Nurse-Family Partnership
Port Richmond Community Group
Port Richmond on Patrol and CivicPort Richmond Town Watch
Temple University Hospital Nurses Association (TUHNA)

2009-01-23T07:39:00.001-05:00

Transparency Urged for Northeastern

by NOW member Caryn Hunt
cross posted from http://www.greencityjournal.com/content/view/50793/35/

Community leaders met January 6th in a Port Richmond recreation center to discuss Temple University Health System (TUHS) plans for Northeastern Hospital amid rumors it will cut services. Staff within the system have been told that Northeastern is “restructuring”. Employees at Temple University Hospital have been told Temple will expand its obstetrics department (OB) once it closes at Northeastern. Northeastern officials contacted by members of the community have denied plans to close the facility, saying they are looking to "tighten their belt". What that may mean in terms of specific service cuts awaits the recommendations of an internal Task Force studying the restructuring of Northeastern within the Temple system, says Northeastern, but those close to the hospital fear maternity services will go. What so irks community members is that Northeastern's process is closed to the public and there are no community representatives included on the Task Force. “I think we need to meet with the Task Force face to face because this effects the whole community," said Cheryl, a longtime Port Richmond community member, "I was born in that hospital, I'm 61 years old. My daughter was born in that hospital. My grandfather suffered a heart attack and they saved him in that hospital. My mother just came out of there three weeks ago. This hospital has been around as long as I have.” Others attending expressed the same sentiments. Dr. Albert Pizzica, Director of Newborn Nurseries and Chief of Pediatrics at Northeastern, said, “Any restructuring at Northeastern that doesn't include OB is just unacceptable.” After acquiring Newman, Episcopal and Northeastern hospitals nearly ten years ago, the system promised to keep Northeastern open after closing the other two. Temple University Hospital enlisted community help four years ago in their effort to obtain property adjacent to their facility where a Walmart was planned. Patty-Pat Kozlowski of Port Richmond on Patrol and Civic said, “There are about 5 or 6 Port Richmond organizations here and we feel kind of boondoggled about what Temple and Northeastern's doing because we were their Davids when they couldn't fight the Walmart thing. We were the ones on the front line, we put our necks out there and won it for them”. Community members say Temple University Hospital assured them they would use the property to expand hospital facilities, to build a new maternity ward or nursing school. In fact, the location is currently a parking lot. “Now we make a call to say hey can you put someone from the same community group that saved you five years ago on the Task Force, we're not getting any calls back, they're not even telling us who's on the Task Force,” Kozlowski said.

“Does anyone here believe that left to themselves, Temple will make the right decision?,” asked Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses and Professionals (PASNAP) representative Stacy Harris. “I think that part of their goal in saying we have this Task Force, we haven't made any decisions yet, is everybody will sit back and say OK, well maybe they'll do the right thing, we don't have to be prepared. Then, all of a sudden, like at Newman or Jeanes, maternity is already gone and we're fighting from the outside. We have to fight this from the inside now because it's the best chance we have of saving maternity and other services at Northeastern.” PASNAP estimates up to 700 jobs could be lost if Temple decides to transform Northeastern into a “portal of care”, an outpatient facility with an emergency room.“Keeping the pressure on now is very important,” said Pizzica, “Temple receives a lot of public money. The public in this area should be part of the process of any organization that receives so much public money. To me, that's the reason we should demand and get public representation on the Task Force.” The Temple system has received over $120 million in public funds in the last five years, due to the large number of under and un-insured patients they routinely deal with in their service area.According to 2006 Department of Health statistics, Dr. Pizzica pointed out, 1800 babies are delivered in the area per year. “Temple cannot absorb 1800. Temple cannot absorb 500, probably. And we know that the other places that are contiguous cannot take many more if any at all. So if we go down the line that OB will be closed, the community has to demand a written plan from Temple, what's going to happen to these 1800 or more pregnant women?”, said Pizzica, “This is a bit negative because the presumption here is OB is going to close, but if it comes to that and it's irreversible, I think we still need to look at this as a community, where are these people going to go? Where is the ten week premature labor patient that comes in every day... they're not going to reach Temple, they're not going to reach Einstein. They're going to deliver in the streets, they're going to deliver in a cab, they're going to deliver in the emergency room at Northeastern. And we know a baby born outside of a delivery room, in an emergency room, and needs transport, does ten times worse than a baby born in a delivering center. So this is a public health problem if we go down the negative route.” Pizzica pointed out that when Temple closed Episcopal Hospital, they believed Episcopal deliveries would transfer to Temple University, but Temple's deliveries have declined. If Northeastern should discontinue its OB department, that would mean the loss of the last maternity department to serve the population between Center City and Bucks County. A staggering 17 hospitals have closed their maternity departments in the greater Philadelphia region over the past 11 years. Northeast Philadelphia communities are banding together to form a Coalition to Save Northeastern Hospital. Their first demand is for an open, transparent process as Northeastern evaluates need versus cost. They plan another meeting for January 20th at the Samuel Recreation Center, Tioga and Gaul Sts., 2501 E. Tioga.

2009-01-17T18:40:00.003-05:00

Swearing-In-Gate
by Louise Francis

On January 6 two busloads of people left the West Philadelphia office of Pennsylvania State Representative Vanessa Brown. Vanessa is a first time state rep who was endorsed by the Philadelphia NOW Political Action Committee. The group was headed to Harrisburg to share and celebrate her swearing-in day with her. Included in the group was a class of children from the Darrell elementary school. Also two members of our NOW chapter, Louise Francis and Dorris Pridgen were on the busses. The fact that there were two busloads (and additional people driving to Harrisburg) was a testament to the enthusiasm and level of support for Vanessa’s candidacy and election victory. Philadelphia NOW was among Vanessa’s first and most enthusiastic supporters and we wanted to share this celebration with her. We have very high expectations for this new state representative and her ability enable real change in her district and the state.

The trip to the state capitol was approximately two hours, including a short stop near Harrisburg. While on the way there a raffle was held. Everyone on the bus was given a ticket and the tickets were placed into a bag. Four prizes were awarded based on random drawings from the tickets. Louise was asked to make one of the selections, and drew her own ticket. The prize was two beautiful ceramic and glass candleholders.

Once we arrived in Harrisburg, we were directed to a relative large conference room, where refreshments were provided. After we were settled in our chairs, Vanessa gave a speech to the group, recounting the struggles that led to become an activist and then a candidate for political office. As a single parent in a shelter for victims of domestic abuse, she was urged to obtain welfare. Because of the difficulties of her experience with the welfare system, Vanessa was led to testify at a Congressional hearing on how the welfare system abuses the people it is supposed to be helping. This then led her to become a community activist involved in a number of initiatives, including lobbying congress in DC to extend unemployment benefits. This led to her becoming a committeeperson, the entry level into politics in the city and then to her candidacy for State Rep.

Before her speech could be completed, Vanessa was called to go the floor of the House for the swearing-in ceremony. Her supporters were left in the conference room to watch events on what was supposed to be a “large-screen” TV. The “large screen” turned out to be about the size of the television many people have in their living rooms and was completely inadequate to the number of supporters in attendance and the size of the room. To make matters worse, the audio portion of the technology was not nearly loud enough. Part of the way through the ceremony, the audio sound from a nearby room showing the swearing-in ceremony of the Pennsylvania Senate could be heard, and the sound drowned out the House if Representatives swearing-in. When people from our group complained, they were told that nothing could be done. As a person who has attended many meetings and conferences, I have never experienced such incompetence in the provision of audio-visual technical services.

After we had lunch on our own in the Capitol’s cafeteria, we regrouped to attend the swearing-in of the Pennsylvania Legislature Black Caucus. Again we experienced snafus. The representatives in the House were detained after the swearing–in to debate some proposed legislation, the contents of which we could not understand, but it had something to do with committee composition, now that Democrats had the clear majority in the House. The debate dragged on and the Black Caucus swearing in was delayed over two hours, while Vanessa’s supporters, including the school children, were left watching the boring and incomprehensible debate on a screen.

The Black Caucus swearing-in finally took place and we were all please to witness Vanessa sworn in as the treasurer of the group.

Finally, several hours late, we piled back into the buses and headed back to Philadelphia. Fortunately, the terrible winter storm that had been predicted did not materialize, and the trip back was uneventful, although it had been a long day for many of us and we were tired. Once back in Philadelphia, I learned from Vanessa that she was told that the contingent from Philadelphia had been a problem – they had been noisy and had complained about the inadequate AV equipment in their conference room (Vanessa was told that there was absolutely nothing wrong with the equipment. Presumably the problems were all a figment of our imaginations.)

I have neglected to mention up to this point that the overwhelming majority of people making the trip to Harrisburg for Vanessa’s swearing-in were black and from Philadelphia. I cannot help but suspect that there were people in Harrisburg with an attitude problem, and they were not Vanessa’s supporters.

PHILADELPHIA NOW CHAPTER WORKS TO BAN PRACTICE OF SHACKLING PREGNANT PRISONERS

2009-01-02T09:29:00.002-05:00

From Dee Johnson, NOW member and Program Director, Pennsylvania Prison Society:

PHILADELPHIA NOW CHAPTER WORKS TO BAN PRACTICE OF SHACKLING PREGNANT PRISONERS

Members of Philadelphia NOW and the Working Group to Enhance Services to Incarcerated Women—a consortium of nearly 30 organizations working to improve the conditions of women in prison, will meet with Charles Duncan, legislative director for Sen. Vincent Hughes (D-Pa.) to discuss comprehensive legislation to ban the practice of shackling pregnant prisoners in Pennsylvania.

Currently, the Commonwealth allows pregnant prisoners to be shackled during transport to the hospital, and while in labor, delivery and recovery.
The new measure will mandate that when a “female prisoner is brought to a hospital from any Department of Corrections facility or county jail for the purpose of delivering her baby, no restraints of any kind shall be used during transport, except that where the officer in charge of the institution has determined and documented that such woman presents a substantial flight risk, such woman may be handcuffed. Under no circumstances shall restraints of any kind be used on any pregnant woman while she is in the hospital awaiting birth, during labor or in recovery after giving birth.”

The bill was drafted by Kathleen Creamer, Esq., a Working Group member and staff attorney for Community Legal Services.

The City of Philadelphia currently bans the use of restraints on pregnant women in the Philadelphia Prison System during labor and delivery. Only three states—Illinois, California and Vermont—currently have laws that prohibit this practice.

Some thoughts on the NOW conference

2008-07-21T21:46:00.000-05:00

As always, there were great speakers and informative workshops. However, I have some concerns I would like to share: problems with the process of passing resolutions about political candidates and concerns about the stand NOW seems to be taking with respect to the Obama campaign.

From what I heard at the conference, it appears that the strategy is to focus on the evils of McCain (and the man is truly scary) without saying much good about Barack Obama. In one session I attended, Kim Gandy noted briefly that Obama had called her and that they had a conversation. She said that he was aware that the NOW conference was taking place, and sent his regards to our members. That was it.

At a session on the upcoming presidential election, I was able to stay for two of the speakers who stressed the importance of getting rid of the Republicans. Ellie Smeal, as always, gave an impassioned, informative speech which focused exclusively on the horrors of McCain. I did not hear Kim Gandy’s speech but it appears that in this session, as one of our members said to me, “Obama was the invisible man.”

The subtext here (although I assume not the intended one) is that our motivation to vote is a solely a negative one—defeating Mc Cain.

I do not see Barack Obama as the lesser of two evils and I know that Ellie Smeal and many others NOW members do not view him this way. He has an excellent voting record on our issues, has done an amazing job of bring young people into the political process and has been way ahead of other political leaders in foreign policy matters (the folly of the Iraq war, the greater danger posed by Afghanistan). He is a strong candidate with much to offer. This needs to be part of the message as much as the nightmare of a McCain presidency.

In a presidential election, most voters want to vote FOR someone—not just vote against a horrible candidate. There are so many reasons to vote FOR Barack Obama. We need to weave these pro-Obama points into our message about the evils of Mc Cain.

With regard to the process, it is unclear how members are to have input into political decisions. Philadelphia NOW had intended to introduce a resolution that National NOWPAC endorse Barack Obama. The resolution was ruled out of order, as was the resolution from another group, that National NOWPAC sponsor a write-in campaign for Hillary Clinton. The argument was that 501c4 organizations can not in any way support or urge support for a political candidate.

I am surprised by this because the National NOW Board, a 501c4, had urged the National NOWPAC to endorse Hillary Clinton.

The organizing manual I refer to when I have questions about election law (Organizing for Social Change, published by Midwest Academy) states that “Unlike a 501c3, a 501c4 may carry out some partisan political activities without jeopardizing its tax-exempt status as long as such activities do not become the primary activity of the organization.” The section on the Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA) states that a 501c4 “may endorse a candidate to its members and announce that enforcement through its usual press channels.”

In view of this, I question why these two resolutions were deemed to be in violation of FECA. (I am not a specialist in election law and of course may be missing something here.)

It may be that National NOW for its own internal reasons (as opposed to being required to do so by election code) wants to prohibit any political activity by the 501c4 and to have all such political action handled by the NOWPAC.

Whatever the reason, banning all resolutions involving partisan political activity leaves members with no avenue for input.

The PAC is not a membership organization. I have never had experience with a PAC which is a membership organization, although most progressive PACs I have dealt with are affiliated with membership organizations. However, a PAC probably could be constituted as a membership organization.

Right now the subset of NOW (NOWPAC) which handles political activity is not a membership organization, and recommendations from the membership of the 501c4 organization to the PAC are ruled as in violation of election law. So how are ordinary grassroots members to have input regarding political candidates??? This is a serious issue which needs to be addressed.

Resolution to recommend to the national NOWPAC to move quickly to endorse Barack Obama

2008-06-26T14:50:00.003-05:00

Phila. NOW would like to express its appreciation to the members of the PANOW state board who supported our resolution to recommend to the national NOWPAC that:

Given that Hillary Clinton is no longer in the presidential race and given that she has endorsed Barack Obama and urged her supporters to do likewise, and given that Barack Obama is a strong supporter of women’s rights, including abortion rights, we urge national NOWPAC to move quickly to endorse Barack Obama. We also encourage the NOW officers to invite Barack Obama to address the NOW conference in July.

In addition to support from PANOWPAC and Phila NOWPAC, Northwest NOW chapter is also in support of this resolution. Susan Woodland, President of Northwest NOW announced she had polled her board members prior to the state board meeting and they voted unanimously to support the resolution.

We would like to extend special thanks to Kathy Black and Susan Woodland, who argued so effectively that we must get behind Obama now so that he is in the strongest possible position going into general election

Pro-choice organizations are well aware of the dangers ahead. NARAL has endorsed Obama and Planned Parenthood Action Fund has launched a campaign to get out THE TRUTH ABOUT JOHN MCCAIN. The Planned Parenthood Action Fund has publicly committed to mobilizing one million pro-choice voters and bringing them to the polls this November.

Ellen Malcolm wrote a message to members on the Emily’s List Web site June 6, expressing her sadness over Clinton's failure to capture the nomination and "wholeheartedly" congratulating Obama, whom she called "our new leader."

It’s clear that women voters are rallying around Obama. The June 16 LA Times had an article titled “Women voters lining up behind Obama.” See:

http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-women16-2008jun16,0,5593581.story

According to the latest Gallup poll, Obama is now running as strongly against McCain as Hillary. He’s up 13 points among women since Hillary dropped out, and up six points among older women. See:

http://www.gallup.com/poll/107806/Obama-Gains-Among-Women-After-Clinton-Exit.aspx

Frank Rich makes a similar point in June 15 NYT editorial:

New polls show Obama opening up a huge lead among female voters — beating McCain by 13 percentage points in the Gallup and Rasmussen polls and by 19 points in the latest Wall Street Journal-NBC News survey.

How huge is a 13- to 19-percentage-point lead? John Kerry won women by only 3 points, Al Gore by 11.

The real question is how Mr. McCain and his press enablers could seriously assert that he will pick up disaffected female voters in the aftermath of the brutal Obama-Clinton nomination battle. Even among Democrats, Obama lost only the oldest female voters to Clinton. For complete article go to:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/15/opinion/15rich.html?em&ex=1213761600&en=157adb17eb6d3493&ei=5087%0A

And Gallup poll reports: Since Clinton suspended her campaign, older women's vote preferences have shifted toward Obama, so that he now enjoys a six-point advantage over McCain.

But helping Obama solidify his lead is not he only reason why national NOWPAC should endorse Barack Obama. If NOW is to grow, we must reach out to the younger women who voted in larger numbers for Obama and to African-American women of all ages who voted in record numbers (80-90% depending on the state) for Obama. In an increasingly diverse America, NOW must shed that unfair image that it is the National Organization for White Women. The image unfortunately persists despite many efforts to address issues of women of color. Support for Obama’s candidacy would do much to enhance NOW’s image among young women and women of color.

Endorsing Obama is important in building the progressive coalition which will rid us of the Republicans; it is also important for the future of NOW as we seek to encourage younger women and women of color to invest in our organization.

Endorsing Obama now is an opportunity to influence him to speak out more forcefully on women’s issues. His positions on issues are in accord with NOW’s. See:

http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/womenissues

However, he can do more; he can become a powerful advocate for gender equality. As Anna Quindlen wrote (in the article KimGandy recently sent out):

Most candidates who want the women's vote try to get it without ever really talking honestly about what it's like to be female in America. Instead there are cutesy labels: soccer moms, security moms, minimizing names for political Polly Pockets. Talk instead about equal pay, universal child care, reproductive rights, the women warriors in Iraq, the empty purses of the working class. This is a moment when you and yours will be tempted to run a race just like any other, slicing and dicing the country and then cherry-picking parts. Don't give in to the omnipresent fear of engaging in complexities. A man who can speak eloquently about all the ways in which women carry this country in their arms and all the ways government can help them do so would represent real change. For many American women, Hillary was their surrogate. You have a chance to be their champion. Don't blow it.
URL: http://www.newsweek.com/id/141491

NOW can have an opportunity to influence an Obama presidency. He understands and supports our issues. It’s time to endorse his candidacy.

Letter to Rep. Allyson Schwartz regarding her refusal to sign on to Congressional letter in support of Iraqi labor rights

2008-04-04T14:06:00.001-05:00

Dear Rep. Schwartz:

Your e-mail inviting me to your April 7th reception just arrived. Your timing is amazing. I just got off the phone with your aide, John Sherry, who informed me that you feel "the timing isn't right with all that's going on in Iraq right now" to sign on to a letter with many of your Congressional colleagues to PM al-Maliki, urging him to promote fundamental workers' rights in Iraq.

Much of what is going on in Basra right now is directly related to the repression of union rights for oil workers, who oppose the privatization of their industry and have been campaigning against the so-called "benchmark" laws which would provide a wholesale giveaway of future oil field development and revenue to multinational oil corporations for up to 30 years. The timing couldn't be more important.

Even without the Basra situation, I wonder when you think is the right time to express concern about the outlawing of their labor organizations, freezing of union bank accounts, raiding of their offices, confiscating of their computers and records, and assassination of their leaders.

The AFL-CIO has been lobbying for signatures on this letter, though they initially authored a stronger version. Yesterday, the PA AFL-CIO Convention delegates reiterated their opposition to this blood-soaked, immoral war and their support for Iraqi union rights, and they affiliated with US Labor Against the War (USLAW). I am a national co-convenor of USLAW, the anti-war movement within America's union movement, and we too have been lobbying congressional representatives to sign on to this letter. Other PA legislators have willingly done so.

Your response to this appeal is beyond disappointing. You have long had the support of organized labor for your many campaigns, and you have had my personal support, both financially and with significant volunteer time. Your refusal to take this simple, principled step in support of human and workers' rights is truly bewildering and very upsetting.

Consequently I will not be attending Monday's reception. Nor will I provide any support for your campaigns unless and until you exhibit more concrete, progressive positions on this war and the working people who are among its principal victims.

Sincerely,
Kathy Black, President
Philadelphia Coalition of Labor Union Women
Co-Convenor, US Labor Against the War
VP for Finance, Philadelphia NOW

International Women's Day in Australia!

2008-03-23T19:33:00.002-05:00

For three weeks in February and March, 2008, I toured Australia at the invitation of the Sydney Stop the War Coalition, to speak about the American labor movement’s involvement in the US anti-war movement through our organization, US Labor Against the War (USLAW). My appearances also helped build support for the demonstrations that were planned around the country to mark the 5th anniversary of the US invasion of Iraq, and solicit suppor for Iraqi unions, their quest for labor rights and their opposition to the privatization of Iraqi oil. (I'll be writing about this more for CLUW and USLAW, if you are interested in hearing more.)

My sponsors also arranged for me to speak at the Sydney International Women’s Day action, which featured an opening rally at their City Hall, a spirited march of several thousand women through the streets of Sydney, and then a festival in Hyde Park. The festival featured kiosks for dozens of women’s organizations, featuring the same issues we work on at home, plus a fabulous huge tent full of memorabilia, books and exhibits about Australian women’s history. From an open stage we heard poetry, musical performances, speak-outs and more speakers. I spoke during this portion of the event to a diminished but still enthusiastic crowd. Following are my remarks on behalf of NOW and CLUW.

Kathy Black, Vice President for Finance
Philadelphia NOW

Remarks of Kathy Black
International Women’s Day Rally
Sydney, Australia
March 8, 2008

Greetings and solidarity, Sisters, from the American women’s movement, and from the women of the mighty American trade union movement. I am thrilled to be here today representing both the National Organization for Women, the largest women’s rights group in the U.S., and the Coalition of Labor Union Women, CLUW, the women’s movement within the union movement. CLUW’s mission is to lift women into power positions within their unions, to organize unorganized women, to advance working women’s issues within the union movement and in the broader political arena, and to promote Affirmative Action in the workplace. We are in the vanguard of the fight for pay equity, comprehensive reproductive and contraceptive rights, an end to domestic violence, healthcare for all, and broad political and economic empowerment for women.

My own city of Philadelphia is holding a mass action today as well, the first time in many years that large scale activities have been planned. No doubt we are inspired to be more visible this year because for the first time in our country’s history we have a viable woman candidate for President. Win or lose, whether we vote for her or for another candidate, Hillary Clinton has inspired millions of American women to believe that true equality is within our grasp!

But we are just as motivated by the need to fight back against the renewed attacks on the rights of women and racial minorities coming from America’s political right wing. As we heard toward national elections in November, the Republican Party’s dirty tricks team is already going full steam ahead. In many states, they are mounting ballot initiatives aimed at stripping away our reproductive freedom and canceling affirmative action programs which have helped millions of American women and people of color conquer entrenched discrimination, and rise into higher positions in the workplace, in academia and in political life.

Let me assure you that women in the U.S. will resist with every fiber of our beings, with every resource we have, any attempt to tamper with our hard won rights or to turn back the clock on women’s inevitable march toward full equality and complete control over our lives and our life choices. We are indeed still fired up and going strong, moving into the third wave of the international feminist movement!

In CLUW and NOW, we know that to achieve the progress for women we need, we must also work to end war – our current wars and all wars – and redirect the obscene amount of money spent on militarism to address the needs and provide the services required to support women, children and all members of society.

In fact, I am here in Australia on a speaking tour representing US Labor Against the War, the peace movement within the U.S. union movement, which calls for an end to the foreign military occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan, solidarity with and support for all workers of the world, and redirection of our massive military spending to funding human needs at home and abroad. Not surprisingly, many women are in the leadership of this group, as they are always in the forefront of struggles which value universal humanity and peace over war. Women know a war economy hurts the poor and vulnerable most, and women and children are always disproportionately the innocent victims of war.

It has been a great thrill to march with you and stand with you today, as we raise and renew an international demand for full equality for all women, an end to all forms of discrimination, and peace and justice for all humankind. Thank you for having me!

Long live the international women’s movement!

2008-02-03T20:44:00.000-05:00

I would like to express my thanks for NOW VP for Action, Melody Drnach’s remarks in her Below the Belt column this week.

I especially appreciated the following remarks from her column:

Right now, there are many women and men who are volunteering and committing precious time and dollars toward electing the first woman president of the United States. There also are feminists and other social justice advocates who are working to elect other candidates.

As a result of NOW PAC's endorsement of Hillary Clinton, and the desire to change our country for the better, many feminists have thrown their hearts, hands and energies into winning this contest. There are also those who dream of seeing great historic change through the election of the first African- American president. Devoted feminists, who have similar reasons for throwing themselves into the contest, dream of standing in front of the Capitol on Jan. 20, after a lifetime of struggle, and feeling a sense of accomplishment. To challenge those feelings and that commitment does not serve thewomen's movement, or the tireless struggle for social justice and equality.

Unfortunately, discussion during this primary season sometimes has taken a tone that is not conducive to our common goals. We must not fall to the idea that one oppression is greater than another. Race and gender are inseparable. Those who seek to drive a wedge between allies using race and gender are missing the invaluable lessons of the history of this nation. Using this same history as a foundation to claim that gender is more important than race is damaging and does not have a place in any movement for social change.

The choice is ours. I trust that we all will keep fighting to make history and to achieve social change so that in the end, on inauguration day next January, we are all there -- together.

Melody is right both for the progressive/feminist movement and for NOW.

Hillary is the odds-on favorite but she will need Obama’s supporters to work enthusiastically for her if she wins the nomination. This November will be the mother of all battles and we need to work like we’ve never worked before .

I was happy to see both Melody’s comments and the national officers' statement that they still had respect for Senator Kennedy although they disagree with his choice.

The polling data indicate a generational divide in this election; some of the young women we hope will join NOW and become part of our movement are now supporting Barack Obama. If we are going to build a strong feminist movement and build NOW, we must accept that feminists working for gender justice/racial justice will make different choices in the primary election.

Elvira Arellano: U.S. immigration policy and family values

2007-09-10T06:56:00.000-05:00

Elvira Arellano: U.S. immigration policy and family values

I don’t know how much coverage the Elvira Arellano case got in Philadelphia. I was in Mexico at the time and there it was pretty much all Elvira, all the time.

I was very happy when I returned to learn that the National Organization for Women had taken a position in support of Arellano and against the raids and deportations which are tearing immigrant families apart. Here is the NOW statement:

NOW Denounces Deportation of Immigrant Rights Advocate Elvira Arellano
August 22, 2007

The National Organization for Women (NOW) is urging its members to speak out against the recent deportation of immigrant rights activist Elvira Arellano, president of La Familia Latina Unida (United Latino Family). La Familia lobbies on behalf of families that could be split up because of deportation.
Arellano, an undocumented worker who took refuge in a Chicago church last August to prevent being separated from her U.S.-born son, was deported to Mexico after she left the church in order to lobby House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for fair and comprehensive immigration reform. Arellano's case represents one of many in which mothers are being separated from their children and deported without any consideration being for the rights and needs of their minor children who are U.S. citizens.
"It is an outrage that the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE), in a deplorable operation called 'Return to Sender' is violating the rights of U.S. born children and placing their well-being in jeopardy. In a cold-hearted and punitive manner, ICE ignores pleas from mothers and fathers who have lived, worked, paid taxes and formed families in this country not to be separated from their dependent children," says Olga Vives, Executive Vice President of NOW.
NOW's response to the Arellano case is part of the organization's larger call for an immediate moratorium on the immigration raids and deportation that have been devastating families and communities across the United States, and our call for the U.S. government to pass real immigration reform. Fair reform must address many issues, including a way to afford families like the Arellanos, with U.S.-born children, a path to legalization, residency and citizenship.
NOW recognizes the contributions of immigrant women and encourages equitable and fair immigration policies that provide legal and safe immigration options, a path to citizenship, reproductive freedom and economic justice, and urges Congress to enact real, just and humane immigration reform legislation.
NOW Executive Vice President Olga Vives is available for comment on the Arellano case and other issues related to immigrant women's rights in the U.S.

I don’t know what the best immigration policy would be, but it is clear that this country can not deport 12 million people. And once again the so-called advocates of family values are pursuing anti-family policies.

Olga Vives, national NOW executive Vice-president, will speak about this issue at Community College of Philadelphia on October 16 at 12:30 p.m. The event is open to the public. I hope some of you can join us.

National NOW’s early endorsement of Hillary Clinton discussed at our June chapter meeting

2007-06-15T12:46:00.000-05:00

National NOW’s early endorsement of Hillary Clinton has caused some controversy in Phila. NOW chapter. (See Kathy Black’s letter to Kim Gandy at http://philanow.blogspot.com/2007/04/philadelphia-now-endorsements-for-may.html)

Linda Berg, the national NOW political director, came to our June chapter meeting to explain the thinking behind the early endorsement of Clinton and to hear the concerns of some of our members.

There were several issues: the timing of the endorsement, the process by which the decision was made, and the merits of the endorsement.

First, the timing. Linda Berg stated that there was very strong feeling among members of the national board, particularly the long-time NOW members, that this endorsement should be made as soon as possible. The push for the speedy, fast-track endorsement came from the national board members, not the officers.

Kathy Black raised the issue: What leverage do we have with Hillary Clinton if we have already endorsed her? Doesn’t this reduce our chances of influencing her position on Iraq?

Linda Berg said that if NOW had not made the early endorsement, there would have been no leverage and that national NOW President Kim Gandy now spends considerable time with Hillary Clinton and is in a position to have influence.

Linda acknowledged that some of NOW’s coalition partners(e.g. Code Pink) were unhappy about the early endorsement , but recognized that there was value in an inside/outside strategy, with Code Pink pressuring Hillary Clinton on the outside and NOW in a position to influence her from the inside.

Kathy Black stated that the influence seems to be going in the other direction as the national NOW website has much less about the war than it did before the endorsement of Hillary Clinton.

The chapter members present were divided about the wisdom of an early endorsement. Hannah Miller, who was in favor of the early endorsement, stated that she would have been disappointed if NOW had not made an early endorsement.

The next issue was the process. Linda Berg stated that national NOW sent out an email to chapter leaders asking for their feedback before the endorsement decision was made. She said that the response of the approximately 200 who replied was overwhelmingly in favor of an early endorsement of Hillary.

However, the heading of the email which went out to members was: “[NOW Leaders] Tell Us What You Think!” If the heading had been "Should NOW make an early endorsement in the presidential races?" more people would have noticed it and opened it.

Linda was surprised that there had been no communication from the mid-Atlantic national board members to solicit members’ opinions before the decision was made. She noted that when she was on the national board she was in close communication with the members in her region. (National board members are supposed to represent the members in a particular region.) Linda always solicited members’ opinions before voting and she said that it was clear that this time the process had broken down.

Gloria Gilman said that it is responsibility of leadership of an organization which relies on mid-level representatives to make sure that the mid-level representatives are in touch with the grassroots membership; top leadership should not just assume communication is taking place.

Among members present, there was general agreement that there were problems with the process.

Finally, the decision itself: Linda Berg presented Hillary Clinton’s record. See http://www.nowpacs.org/2008/hillary/issues.html

There was general acknowledgement that her record was strong on women’s rights but that her record on the war was distressing. Kathy Black also mentioned concerns about Hillary’s record on labor issues.

We then discussed the reaction to the endorsement among NOW members with whom we had spoken and with members of the feminist community who might not be NOW members but who strongly identify as feminists.

Kathy Black stated that anti-war feminists were dismayed by the timing of the endorsement.

Francesca Alvarado stated that young feminists of color, such as her daughters, were undecided and were favorably impressed by Obama.

Hannah Miller stated that some young women she knew like Hillary Clinton a lot but were uncomfortable about supporting her openly—the silent, under-the-radar vote for Hillary, perhaps.

I’ve asked those at the meeting, including Linda Berg, to add their comments about points I may not have included, additional thoughts, etc.

My personal opinion: Like many chapter members, I am deeply concerned about Clinton’s position on the war. But I am supporting Hillary Clinton because:

I believe she is the strongest Democratic candidate and we must get rid of the Republicans.

She has a very strong record on women’s rights: pay equity, affirmative action, LGBT rights, abortion rights. Not only will she be an inspiration to young women in this country, but she will inspire women’s right activists around the world

On a very personal note, I want to see a woman as president. It’s time.

I realize that for many feminists Clinton’s gender is not enough and agree that gender issues must be viewed through the lens of race and class. The war is having its greatest impact on low-income and working-class women, particularly women of color—-both because they are more likely to have lost their lives or the lives of loved ones in Iraq and because resources now being squandered in Iraq could be used to address unmet domestic needs.

That said, this is a conservative country and I don’t think anyone could be elected president who advocated immediate withdrawal. So bottom line: I support Hillary Clinton. I realize this is little more than article of faith but I expect her to end this nightmare—maybe not as quickly I would like, but I believe she will work to get us out of Iraq.

Karen Bojar

Philadelphia NOW Endorsements for the May 15, 2007 primary election

2007-04-30T16:58:00.000-05:00

Philadelphia NOW Endorsements for the May 15, 2007 primary election:

CITY COUNCIL

Blondell Reynolds Brown (At Large)

Bill Greenlee (At Large)

Caryn Hunt (At Large)

Marc Stier (At Large)

Vern Anastasio (1st District)

Maria Quinones-Sanchez (7th District)

Cindy Bass (8th District)

Marion Tasco (9th District)

PHILADELPHIA COURT OF COMMON PLEAS

Linda Carpenter

Ellen Green-Ceisler

Beverly Muldrow

Angeles Roca

PHILADELPHIA MUNICIPAL COURT

Joyce Eubanks

Diane Thompson

For more information about our endorsed candidates, check our website www.philanow.org on May 1 for the online edition of our election newsletter!

National NOW’s Endorsement of Hillary Clinton

2007-04-30T16:32:00.001-05:00

National NOW’s Endorsement of Hillary Clinton

At our April meeting, we discussed National Now’s Endorsment of Hillary Clinton. Even those of us who are supporters of Hillary Clinton and plan to work to get her elected, had questions about the timing of this endorsement, given Hillary Clinton’s position on Iraq.

The members present thought the leadership should have waited until the national convention and invited all the candidates to address the membership as was done for the last presidential election. Kathy Black sent the following letter to NOW president, Kim Gandy, expressing her concerns.

Dear Kim -

I'm a long time member of NOW, Financial VP of our Philadelphia Chapter, and I have been proud of NOW's stance on many issues and proud of our principled endorsements. I too want a woman President in my lifetime, and you correctly point out the areas of agreement we have with Senator Clinton.

However, you left out our stark disagreement with her on the most important issue of our time - the war in Iraq and our disgraceful foreign policy in the Middle East. How convenient. This way you don't have to mention how different her position on the war is from NOW's stated "troops out now."

Senator Clinton has consistently disappointed in her statements on the war, and as long as that is the case, she will not get my vote or any support of any kind. In fact, of the three leading candidates she has by far the worst position. And her excuses for voting for the war, and refusing to disavow that mistake, have just made things worse.

NOW isn't my only affiliation. I am also a co-convenor of US Labor Against the War, a NOW partner in many anti-war activities. As long as this war rages on, I can't support Hillary or the other measured apologists for anything. My allegiance will be to USLAW and the other peace organizations who take a position against the war and make sure their other actions are not contradictory.

NOW's endorsement of Hillary seems hypocritical in the face of our position on the war. Electing a woman at any cost should not be our ambition. We didn't need to come out for her now. She just reported raising $26 million!! She's doing fine. We could have used this time to push her to take a more progressive position on ending the war and bringing our troops home. Now we have no leverage, and I for one, am disapponted - no, disgusted - by our hypocrisy.

Kathy Black
Philadelphia

2007-04-16T15:54:00.000-05:00

Kathy Black, Philadelphia NOW VP for finance, is assembling a coalition of local women’s organizations to co-sponsor the following resolution which will be introduced by Blondell Reynolds Brown on Thursday, April 26 at City Council at 10:00.

PROCLAIMING APRIL 24, 2007 AS EQUAL PAY DAY.

WHEREAS, Despite the passage of the Equal Pay Act and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, women continue to suffer the consequences of inequitable pay differentials; and

WHEREAS, Wage discrimination laws are not often enforced and cases are extremely difficult to prove and win; and

WHEREAS, Although women’s earnings have been slowly catching up to men’s over time, the National Committee on Pay Equity (NCPE) tells us that this reduction in the wage gap is in part due to a fall in men’s earnings rather than an increase in women’s earnings; and

WHEREAS, Despite the fact that women make up almost half of the American workforce, women on average still earn only 77% of men’s earnings; African American women earn 71.7% of men’s average earnings; Latinas, 58.5%; Asian American women, 87.2%; and

WHEREAS, even when experience, education and time in the workforce are factored in, a significant percentage of this differential can only be attributed to discrimination; and

WHEREAS, according to U.S. Department of Labor Statistics, women earn less than men in every occupational classification for which data is available, including occupations dominated by women; and

WHEREAS, over a working lifetime, this wage disparity costs the average American woman and her family an estimated $523,000 in lost wages, impacting Social Security benefits and pensions for the family, and the American economy overall;

WHEREAS, A vast majority of households depend on wages of a working mother and working families are often just one paycheck away from hardship; and

WHEREAS, Fair equity policies can be implemented simply and without undue costs in both the public and private sectors; and

WHEREAS, two bills before the U.S. Congress seek to address these concerns. The Paycheck Fairness Act would strengthen enforcement of equal pay laws, and The Fair Pay Act would require employers to provide equal pay for work of equal value; and

WHEREAS, April 24, 2007 symbolizes the day on which the wages paid to American women so far in 2007, when added to women’s earnings for all of 2006, finally equal the 2006 earnings of American men; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, that the City of Philadelphia proclaim their support for The Paycheck Fairness Act and The Fair Pay Act before the U.S. Congress; and be it

FURTHER RESOLVED, that the City of Philadelphia calls on local employers to examine their compensation policies for gender inequalities and take steps to rectify any discriminatory pay practices; and be it

FURTHER RESOLVED, that the City Council Committee on Gender Parity will consider holding public hearings on pay inequality in Philadelphia; and be it

FURTHER RESOLVED, that April 24, 2007 be designated “Equal Pay Day” in the City of Philadelphia; and be it

FURTHER RESOLVED, that the City of Philadelphia recognizes the efforts of the following organizations to eradicate gender inequality – the Coalition of Labor Union Women, WomenVotePA; WOMENS WAY; the National Organization for Women; National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Inc., PA Chapter; Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Omega Omega Chapter; the Women’s Law Project; 2000 African American Women; Working America; and the YWCA Philadelphia; and be it

FURTHER RESOLVED, That an engrossed copy of the resolution be presented to the Philadelphia Coalition of Labor Union Women to further express the sincere sentiments of this legislative body.

Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds Brown Councilwoman Marian B. Tasco
April 26, 2007

(Note: Statistics contained in this resolution supplied by the National Committee on Pay Equity, unless otherwise noted.)

The single-payer solution

2007-03-21T07:34:00.000-05:00

Posted on Tue, Mar. 20, 2007 In Philadelphia Inquirer

The single-payer solution
By Linda Hunt Beckman

It is no secret that health care in this country needs a fix. About 47 million people don't have any health insurance, including more than a third of families with incomes of $40,900 or more.

And for those who can get a policy through their jobs, premiums are sky-high, with cutbacks in benefits. Many jobs don't provide health insurance anymore, and the cost of private insurance is prohibitive. Americans pay more for health care than people in any other country, and there is a reason: Administrative expenses, created largely by the many layers of the health-insurance system, and insurance-company profits take one out of every five health-care dollars.

Many Pennsylvanians welcomed Gov. Rendell's announcement in February that he had a health-care plan. What many did not know is that there is another plan our state legislature could pass and that it offers a cheaper, better fix. Senate Bill 300, the Family and Business Health Care Security Act, would provide single-payer universal health care to all Pennsylvanians (there will be a counterpart House bill). The national bill, H.R. 676, providing single-payer coverage for all Americans, has been in Congress for several years; it may be easier to pass the state bill first.

Single-payer health care in Pennsylvania would be much like Medicare for all (but better, because it would cover all costs; offer medications at a fair price; provide dental, optical, and mental-health care, and allow a relatively straightforward and just settlement - within the system - for malpractice). Just as senior citizens get almost all of their health care through a publicly funded, privately delivered system, the Family and Business Act would mean you could go to a doctor or hospital of your own choosing, and these physicians and facilities would not be working for the state or run by it (it would no more fit the negative notion Americans have of "socialized medicine" than does Medicare). The term single payer means that the money for the health-care system would come out of a single tax-supported fund, just as the money for Medicare does. And if we compare Medicare with the administrative expenses created by health-insurance industry, the overhead on our Medicare system is less than 4 percent.

Why don't we know about the option these bills provide? Health care is excellent in countries - including Canada, France, Australia, Denmark and most other developed nations - with single-payer plans. These programs are accessible to everyone, regardless of income; simpler to understand; less troubled by bureaucratic complications and expenses, and, most important, offer affordable care of high quality. We in the United States are unfamiliar with the single-payer option because tremendous amounts of money are spent by the medical-insurance and pharmaceutical industries to keep us in the dark. They would lose big bucks if we chose to go this route.

That health care elsewhere is less expensive is easily established: The United States spent an average of $6,102 a person on it in 2004, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, while Canada spent $3,165 a person, France $3,159, Australia $3,120 and Britain just $2,508. Medications offered by those systems are affordable because those governments, unlike ours in running Plan D for those on Medicare, can negotiate with pharmaceutical companies for lower prices.

We could be as healthy and spend as little. S.B. 300 calls for funding by a 3 percent income tax on all citizens and a 10 percent tax on employers. These taxes, unfortunately, cannot be progressive because the Pennsylvania Constitution mandates a flat tax. Still, 3 percent of income is far less than most of us pay now for health insurance (with more spent out of pocket), and the legislation would offer the same services to people who have no income.

The governor's plan would not cover even nearly everybody, would not pay for medications, would not be as comprehensive in kinds of care provided, and would cost the state far more. Rendell's plan, like other supposedly universal health-care plans now in operation in Massachusetts and Maine and proposed in California, would be far more expensive because health-insurance companies, which require costly layers of administration and demand large profits, are the middlemen.

The corporate opposition to single payer exaggerates flaws that some systems have, or had, ignoring the fact that our health care is rationed by income. If you are poor, you may well get inferior health care all of your life. We could learn from problems elsewhere and thus develop the best truly universal health-care system of all.

Linda Hunt Beckman (beckman5@verizon.net) is a professor of English at Arcadia University and a coordinator for Neighborhood Networks.

Engendering The Mayoral Race

2007-03-14T21:55:00.000-05:00

Engendering The Mayoral Race: Report From The Bar Association's Civil Rights Committee Panel On Women's Issues

Cross posted by Jennifer on Young Philly Politics

From what I could tell, no one from the campaigns was anywhere around. I'm not sure why, and not sure how to read the statement that specifically gendered issues have been absent from the race so far. What formal communications and connections are there between the candidates camps and the represented organizations? Is there some concerted plan to engender the race that is failing or are these errors of omission from a field of all-male candidates? Some highlights:

CRIME

The most interesting conversation involved analysis of the gender dimensions of the crime wave. Crime (from violence to prisons to reentry) has gotten tons of attention, but not so much the question of how it affects women and children, possibly because recent studies have allowed us to pinpoint a specific group of people (who are men) who are statistically most likely to be involved in homicides.

Homicide. Cynthia Figueroa, Executive Director of Women Against Abuse, spoke about the huge proportion of homicides that are domestic violence related. She identified the power the new mayor will have through his commissioners to set an agenda across agency divisions. Specifically, they've been able to identify repeat calls to 911 that are coded as domestic violence, creating an opportunity to target resources to those individuals. there needs to be a coordinated response, including within the court system, where rulings in family and dependency court are often in tension.

Domestic violence. Jennifer Dickson Keith presented data from the Philadelphia Women’s Death Review Team Report (a public/private project released last year). The report examines all women's deaths in Philadelphia, focusing on 2002 - 2003 and describing trends between 1997 and 2003. Among other findings, 27% of female homicide victims had known domestic violence histories. 40% of the total deaths were caused directly by "intimate partner violence." This is another facet of the homicide problem that has maybe been marginalized in the current discussion. That data also suggests that at least some of those deaths could be prevented by effective intervention when the domestic violence problem is identified.

Prisons. Ann Schwartzman, Director of Policy of the Pennsylvania Prison Society, described the huge effect the incarceration rate has on women and their families. Since 70% of women in the city system have children and are heads of household, their incarceration effects those children, the neighborhoods, and the social services system. She advocated a wide range of reforms at all levels, from sentencing alternatives for women (including early release, alternative incarceration in the community, drug treatment programs for those only charged with low-level offenses) to reentry programs helping women with employment and--essentially--housing (many of these women find themselves ineligible for public housing).

Continued...

WOMEN'S HEALTH

JoAnn Fischer, Executive Director of the Maternity Care Coalition, was concerned that the new mayor have a regional approach to issues such as maternity and childbirth, since issues regarding access to care and services often cross city/suburban lines. Worryingly, she observed that there is a significant shortage of both hospitals that provide obstetrics (particularly in the Northeast, where several hospitals have closed those departments as less profitable, way over-burdening others) as well as a shortage of OB/GYN and midwifery students that stay in the area after training. She also discussed the need to deal with the problem of ensuring medical care to undocumented city residents, whose families may cross citizenship lines.

ECONOMIC AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

Carol Goertzel, President & CEO of Pathways PA, reviewed their recent report, "Investing in Pennsylvania's Families." She outlined a range of workforce program and legislative and tax reforms, many of them on the state level. They are working on a gender breakdown of the rate of working poor families, and a really wonderful and comprehensive review of the issues and proposed reforms is available in the report, linked above. Maybe I can talk about some of the specifics in comments.

AND, ALWAYS, SEPTA...

Cynthia Figueroa pleading for a fix, saying how her organization's woman clients "could not sustain any aspect of their lives, much less jobs, if SEPTA becomes more expensive." She said that nonprofits already have to subsidize their clients' getting to services.

Specter is considering sponsoring bill to ensure that college students with drug convictions are not barred from receiving financial aid

2007-03-14T21:36:00.000-05:00

Pennsylvania NOW received the following request for support from the Students for Sensible Drug Policy for a bill Sen. Specter is considering sponsoring to ensure that college students with drug convictions are not automatically barred from receiving federal financial aid:

Joanne,

As a Pennsylvania-based organization, Pennsylvania NOW could play a huge
role in making sure that college students with drug convictions are no
longer automaticaly strpped of their federal financial aid.

Sen. Arlen Specter is considering sponsoring a bill to reinstate aid to
affected individuals, but he needs encouragement from organizations like
yours to make this a priority for action.

As you may know, nearly 200,000 aspiring students - including more than
6,000 in Pennsylvania alone - have been affected by the penalty since it was
put into force in 2000.

More than 325 organizations around the country - including national NOW -
have already called on Congress to overturn the aid elimination penalty.

Do you think Pennsylvania NOW could write a short letter to Sen. Specter,
urging him to take a leadership role in removing this harmful roadblock to
education and recovery?

Additionally, it would be incredibly helpful if you could ask your members
to visit http://www.SchoolsNotPrisons.com/aid/ where they can easily send
messages to Sen. Specter and other legislators about the penalty.

I'd be more than happy to answer any questions you may have about this issue
and to work with you on putting together a letter to Sen. Specter.

Many thanks for your consideration,
Tom Angell, Government Relations Director
Students for Sensible Drug Policy
1623 Connecticut Ave. NW; Suite 300
Washington, DC 20009
phone: (202) 293-4414
cell: (202) 557-4979
fax: (202) 293-8344
e-mail: tom@ssdp.org
web: http://www.SchoolsNotPrisons.com
blog: http://www.DAREgeneration.com
AIM: ThisIsTomAngell

Sign up for SSDP news and action alerts at http://www.ssdp.org/signup/

HOW TO GET MORE WOMEN TO RUN FOR OFFICE

2007-02-28T11:59:00.000-05:00

Printed in Philadelphia Daily News on Tue, Feb. 27, 2007

HOW TO GET MORE WOMEN TO RUN FOR OFFICE

THANKS TO columnist Phil Goldsmith for pointing out the absence of female candidates in the mayor's race. And why out of 15 at-large Council candidates is there only one woman running? Philadelphia NOW has spent some time trying to figure out why.

We've come to the conclusion that we will have more women running for office when we have real campaign finance reform - public financing of elections. Some of our Philadelphia NOW members have considered running, but backed out or decided not to enter the fray. Money was a major issue.

But money hasn't been the only obstacle. Historically, women have run for political office when their children are grown. If you begin a political career in your late 40s or early 50s (say running for state rep), your chances of becoming governor, U.S. senator or president are slim indeed.

The guys tend to get started in their 20s - state rep in their 20s, state senator in their early 30s, Congress in mid- to late-30s, senator or governor in their 40s. (Granted, given a famous name or tons of money, or a really compelling issue, a candidate can skip some steps.)

Younger women may not follow this model of family first, politics later. Also, there is some evidence that more and more young men are wiling to share child-care responsibilities, thus making a political career for women more achievable.

Another recurrent theme: the ugly nature of so many political campaigns. Women are often reluctant to subject themselves (and their children) to the kind of mudslinging all too common in political campaigns. And more opportunities are open now to ambitious young women and the hassles of politics may look a lot less attractive in comparison.

Why does it matter? There is considerable evidence (according to the National Women's Political Caucus and Center for Women in Politics) that women bring different issues to the table. We need a female perspectives at all levels of government, and campaign finance reform is the essential first step. Granted, the under-representation of women in politics is not just a matter of money-there are deeper issues of gender socialization at work. However, we are not going to close this gap without campaign finance reform.

Karen Bojar, President

National Organization for Women

Philadelphia Chapter

Phila NOW endorsed candidates come out against Councilman Kenney's attempt to gut campaign finance reform law

2007-02-01T19:04:00.000-05:00

Councilman Kenney has introduced abill to repeal the contribution limits in the city’s campaign finance reform law. NOW on the national, state and local level is on record in favor of campaign finance reform, including strict contribution limits. This is the only way we are going to get more women, especially working class women and women of color, elected to political office.

I am so proud of our Phila NOW endorsed candidates ( Maria Quinones Sanchez, Vern Anastasio, and Marc Stier) who have issued strong statements in opposition to Kenney’s bill. Please read their statements on campaign finance reform and call your council representatives to let them know you don’t want to repeal contributions limits. Contact info for council members can be accessed at www.hallwatch.org)

From Maria Quinones Sanchez :

The proposed legislation to repeal certain provisions of the campaign finance law smacks of political cynicism at it's worse. This proposal, if adopted, will continue the sad legacy of pay to play that has permeated city politics for so many years. The citizens of this city deserve better than politicians who vote one way, than change their minds when the laws that they studied, discussed and voted for, are no longer convenient for them or their allies.

I challenge my opponent, Dan Savage, to do the right thing and vote to maintain the current contribution limits. The supposed negative effects of benefiting millionaire candidates are minimal compared to the advantages of working to eliminate pay to play.

I've seen this game for many years and I'm convinced that campaign contribution limits are extremely important if our Democracy is going to work for the citizenry. The residents of the 7th District, where I live and am running for City Council, don’t have the ability to give thousands of dollars to candidates. They are regular working folk who want their voices and votes to be heard but are turned off by the effects of large contributions. The many people who have given my campaign $10, $50 and $100, should not be over-shadowed by suspiciously generous contributions from a select and privileged few. Most cities and states have reasonable campaign finance restrictions. Why can't Philadelphia?

This is one more reason why we should have public finance laws.

We are at a crossroads in the history of this great city. The talk is about change and getting the City on the right track; it’s about our future together. And the end of pay to play is a key component of reforming this city. Don't let City Council dash our hopes for a more efficient, transparent and honest government. I urge every City Councilperson to vote no on the repeal.

Maria Quinones Sanchez
www.maria2007.com

From Vern Anastasio:

I am appalled that City Council would even consider repealing the campaign ethics law that limits contributions to candidate committees.

It may not be obvious why this is important.

But campaign finance laws aren't some abstract thing. They have REAL, concrete effects on how our city works and doesnt work. On the fact that we have no social services. Schools that dont work. Children dying in DHS custody. Parks that are never built. Abandoned buildings that are never torn down.

These things happen to us because our city is corrupt.

Here are just some of the hundreds of examples:

- Before these limits, for instance, the people that run Comcast could give an unlimited amount of money to members of City Council.

Shortly thereafter, council members turned down a rival cable company’s request to enter the Philadelphia market.
Council actually turned down the rival company’s check for $250,000,000 that could have gone to put 500 new police officers on our streets, extend the hours of our recreation centers and develop comprehensive urban plans for every neighborhood in the city.

- Before these limits, billboard companies and surface parking lot owners could dump thousands into the war chests of councilmembers. And then, perhaps by coincidence, those members of council would propose wrapping public buildings in giant billboards.

- Before these limits, those same council members abandoned a proposal for property tax reform that lifted the burden off of homeowners and placed it on those surface parking lot owners. Again, contributors came before citizens.

- Before these limits - do I even need to mention the unfortunate and shameful circumstances that unfolded in the 7th Council District?

My grandmother used to tell me lots of things. One of her words of caution was this: a leopard never changes his spots. The same can now be said for well-connected councilmembers who talk about reform but who ultimately owe their lives to the machine and the money that fuels it.

And as Philadelphia continues to be stuck in its Era of Corruption, many of us want to force the spring of honest change, advance independent leadership and finally realize reform.

And so, I respectfully ask the members of our City Council – many of whom I know and admire -- to help us end the Era of Corruption. Help us stop the influence of big money. Help us take some of the politics out of our government. Help us to believe that you put people before the party. Help us to reform this great and beautiful city.

There’s no such thing as being almost pregnant. You either are or you aren’t.

Either you’re for reforming this government or you’re not.

Vote to maintain these limits or we will elect others who will.

Respectfully,
Vern Anastasio
www.vernanastasio.com

From Marc Stier:

City Council at Large Candidate Marc Stier today denounced legislation, proposed by Jim Kenny and ten other Council Members, that would eliminate all contribution limits in the 2007 Mayoral election. The legislation is a response to Mayoral candidate Tom Knox's willingness to contribute up to $15 million of his own money to his campaign.

"Campaign contribution limits were a small step forward in our efforts to fix the broken politics of this city. Eliminating them is a major step backwards." said Stier. "Allowing unlimited campaign contributions raises the possibility that pay to play will dominate the next mayoral administration as it has done the last few." he added.

"The ability of a millionaire to outspend other candidates by an enormous amount does raise a serious question for our democracy. But we can solve that problem by moving forward toward better regulations on campaigns rather than by abandoning the regulations we have now."

Stier has called for public financing of political campaigns, although he acknowledges that this cannot be instituted this year. However he argues that, "We can limit the impact of personal wealth on the Mayoral campaign by reducing either the cost or the importance of television advertising on the election."

Stier has proposed a number of steps that can be implemented now. The first is to require television stations and cable companies to offer free or low cost political advertising to candidates. Stier argues that "The public airwaves and the cable companies are public trusts-and cash cows. They have both the responsibility and the financial capacity to provide very low cost political advertising."

Stier also has called for limiting the number of television advertisements that any television station or cable company could accept from one candidate. Or, alternatively, he suggests that the city could tax the money candidates spend on television advertisements beyond a certain threshold and redistribute that money to the other candidates.

Stier concludes that "We should not destroy campaign finance reforms that were meant to deal with one of the most obvious ways in which politics is broken in this city."

For more details on Stier's views on this issue go to http://www.stier2007.com/node/182

Philadelphia NOW Chapter Meeting Dates for 2007:
Feb. 12
Mar. 12
Apr. 9
May 7
Jun. 11

Meetings are held at 1606 Walnut Street, 3rd Floor 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Women’s issues and the 2007 mayoral primary

2006-12-28T17:25:00.000-05:00

Philadephia NOW had hoped to hold a forum on women’s issues with all candidates for mayor of Philadelphia in 2007. We held such a forum in 1999, a year in which there were multiple candidates in the Democratic mayoral primary.

Given our limited resources and given that so many candidate forums are already scheduled, we are going to encourage our members to attend these forums and make sure that women’s issues get raised.

In 1999, we found that our greatest challenge was to formulate women’s issues in such a way that they could be addressed on the municipal level. This was a real challenge as many of these issues are addressed on the state and federal level.

So we are once again trying to think of ways to formulate women's issues in ways that make sense on the local level.

Any ideas you have would be greatly appreciated. What questions should feminist groups pose to the candidates for mayor (and for city council) in the May 2007 primary.

The Juarez Murders: Outrage, Activism and Creativity

2006-12-01T12:32:00.000-05:00

The Juarez Murders: Outrage, Activism and Creativity

by Ellen Slack, NOW member and CLUW executive board member

Some 400 women murdered and many others missing in a Mexican border city, a sizeable percentage of them young women who were sexually assaulted in conjunction with their brutal murders, their bodies then dumped in isolated areas. Many of them worked in factories owned by U.S. corporations and were abducted after leaving work at night. These were the murder victims of Juarez. Years pass, the numbers rise, and there are no real answers.

The first response of the authorities was to call the victims (incorrectly) “hookers,” as if that excused murder. Then add more appalling official misogyny, misconduct and ineptitude, family members attacked and threatened, reports that wealthy and powerful men were involved. All of this takes place against a backdrop of general lawlessness that is heavily fueled by narcotrafficking—and the economic displacement caused by NAFTA. International outrage has been developing since at least the late 1990s and it continues to grow, including political action and, rather unexpectedly, a great variety of artistic expressions.

NOW has been involved with this issue. Last year, attendees at the Women of Color and Allies (WOCA) Summit saw an award-winning documentary about the murders of women in Juarez. NOW’s national board of directors voted to hold their December 2005 meeting just across the border from Juarez in El Paso, Texas, where their activities included a press conference and rally intended to raise awareness of the Juarez killings.

Higher education has begun to look at the murders, with a number of academic symposia and conferences on various campuses. An innovative sociology course taught by Janja Lalich at Chico State in California requires that students not only learn about the Juarez murders, but then participate in activist projects to let others know. In different semesters the students have built a display, conducted a letter-writing campaign, organized a film screening for the public and pressured U.S. owners of Juarez factories to improve safety for women employees as they travel to and from work.
At the beginning of May 2006, the U.S. House and Senate both finally passed a resolution that condemns the murders and urges the Mexican federal government to take real action to solve them. Unfortunately, in August the Mexican government returned a group of cases to the state of Chihuahua, where Juarez is located--in other words, seeming to drop the ball. At the same time, the Women’s Media Center reported that murders of women had increased in Juarez. There had been disturbing related news earlier: on May 4, the Houston Chronicle ran a story about similar murders in six other Mexican cities, all places which are plagued by organized crime, transient populations and areas of high poverty.

However, also this year Patricia Gonzalez, state attorney general for Chihuahua, has fired 30 state officials for bungling the murder cases, even bringing criminal charges against six. Further, Gonzalez hired an expert team of forensic anthropologists to examine unidentified bodies, and established a training program in proper investigative procedures for local officials. This is an important positive step because the murder investigations have been plagued by mishandling of evidence and other forms of negligence in investigations.

This past August brought news of several arrests in connection with some of the most gruesome of the Juarez murders--but then doubts began to emerge as to whether the arrested men could possibly have committed any of these murders. With the history of botched investigations and especially of people being arrested in the past as scapegoats, relatives of the murdered women did not feel too optimistic.

In the midst of this demoralizing picture, art has grown like the Tree of Life, an archetypical Mexican symbol. In the words of New York Times writer Pat H. Broeske (May 21, 2006), “Juarez has become the heart of an impassioned grass-roots artists’ movement.” Broeske suggests that the “catalyst” for some of this work was the documentary film Senorita Extraviada (Missing Young Woman) made in 2001 by Chihuahua-born Lourdes Portillo. (This was the film that the NOW Women of Color and Allies conference screened.)

A few years after Portillo’s film was completed, and now it would be a project to catalog all of the documentaries and other kinds of film projects about the women of Juarez. More are on the way, and they are only one aspect of this “movement.” There have been songs, books, at least one play and many visual art works. Patricia C. Johnson described a current Houston gallery exhibition titled “Frontera 450+” in the Houston Chronicle (Nov. 15, 2006). All of the works sound powerful, but one description of a sculpture by Sharon Kopriva stands out:

Titled Who Are You, it consists of a small figure huddled in fetal position on a mound of sand, covered by produce sacks in green, yellow, white and red — in simulacrum of the Mexican flag. The artist states, ‘The girl wears only a produce sack. She is a Product of Mexico but her blood is on the hands of Mexico, the USA and the world.’

Another piece, by Angela Dillon, is a Tree of Life formed from hundreds of “small, blood-red . . . crosses.” With so much violence against women in this world, why have the deaths of these poor, young factory workers inspired such an outpouring of anger and creativity? Perhaps because Juarez is at the doorstep of this rich and powerful and supposedly egalitarian country called the U.S.A.

Places like Juarez exist as a kind of underbelly, a dark side to the consumerist, economic-free-for-all American dream. It is a place where the reality of globalization knocks on our door, and then the next day its victims are found dead, mutilated in the surrounding desert. It is very importantly The Border, a place of collision and death, passage and change, cross-fertilization and birth.
Something is happening there—and in this age of global communication Juarez can be everywhere. Can it be the place where energy gathers to stand down everything that would use women as objects and products, to debase and throw away?

“Our wise people say that the mouth of the earth
has swallowed her fruit, but the eagle and snake
will stand for the truth, when the mother
of corn has spoken.”
--Mexican/American singer-songwriter Lila Downs

An inspirational event: Women’s Way conference, Women & Influence, 2006

2006-11-21T18:42:00.001-05:00

The euphoria I felt after the election has passed—a euphoria tempered by the defeat of Lois Murphy, a great candidate who I hope will run again.

With a Democratic congress we are in a better position to tackle deep-rooted structural problems, but the problems are so enormous, it’s real easy to get overwhelmed.

The Women’s Way conference, Women & Influence, 2006 held on Saturday, Nov. 18 provided me with the inspiration I need to keep plugging away. The conference focused on the challenges facing low wage women & families in America

For me the highlight of the conference was the keynote address by Donna Copper, Secretary of Policy and Planning for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. She focused not only on the need for economic supports but also as she put it, the need to address the “poverty of not being fulfilled.” She emphasized the restorative power of culture—e.g. The Shakespeare in Prison Project—and the importance of drawing on a broad range of cultural resources to enable women to find “their own cultural center.”

She also argued against what she characterized as a knee jerk, left-wing approach to faith based programs. I may be one of those knee jerk leftists. As someone with secular values, I’ve been deeply troubled by the use of federal funds to support programs which discriminate in hiring. However, I think Donna Cooper has a point that dramatic benefits can result from “harnessing the power of religion and spirituality.’” She gave me a lot to think about.

I was inspired by the energy and dedication of the speakers and the hundred or so women in the room. And there were a few men in the room, including Paul Vallas who after his address to the group made himself available to people who had issues /questions they wanted to ask, but preferred not to raise in a public forum.

Other highlights: Dana Barron challenged us to question why care-giving (largely performed by women) is not seen as a public good the way defense of the country is considered a public good.

Blondell Reynolds Brown (who really can connect with an audience) described her efforts to increase child care options. She stressed the importance of electing women who themselves are juggling work/family issues. These women will put affordable, quality child care on the front burner.

Blondell challenged us to pay attention to what the mayoral candidates have to say about after school programs—a major problem facing families in our city.

Carol Goertzal focused on empowerment of single women who are becoming a significant voting bloc which will demand that elected officials address issues such as child care. She noted that women on average pay one third (!!) of their income on child care. Women making 25,000 tell their employers not to give them a raise because the raise will make them ineligible for subsidized child care.

Jean Hunt, who is very skilled at explaining complex economic issues to a non-specialist audience, described the impact of predatory lending practices—-exorbitant interest rates on credit cards, pay day lenders, predatory mortgage lending. She urged us to demand regulation of banks which are sucking money out of our communities through these predatory lending practices.

A group of my Women’s Studies students at Community College of Philadelphia attended the conference and were so impressed they got permission to take extra program booklets filled with valuable information about working women’s lives. They distributed them in class today to the students who were not able to attend the conference.

Thanks so much to Melissa and Tamela and the rest of the Women’s Way staff for organizing this event!

Karen Bojar

Can you volunteer some time on Election Day?

2006-11-04T04:46:00.000-05:00

Can you volunteer some time on Election Day?

We all know how critically important this election is. Many NOW members have been working long and hard to turn this country around.

If you can give some time on Election Day, join other NOW members who are working with Neighborhood Networks or with Philly Against Santorum.

To volunteer with Neighborhood Networks contact Stan Shapiro, Chair, NN Campaign '06 at shapsj@comcast.net.

To volunteer with Philly Against Santorum got to http://www.phillyagainstsantorum.org/go/volunteer

Or go out to 6th congressional district in Montgomery and Chester counties and volunteer for NOW endorsed candidate Lois Murphy. For information about volunteering for Lois go to http://www.loismurphy.org or contact her campaign headquarters at 610.667.5061

If you or anyone you know has problems on Election Day, please call the Lawyer's Committee for Civil Rights Under Laws Election Protection Hotline at 1-866-OUR-VOTE (1-866-687-8683).

Lynne Fox of UNITE/HERE receives Philaposh Award

2006-10-20T15:29:00.000-05:00

The following is a transcript of a presentation made by Kathy Black to Lynne Fox, Business Manager for UNITE/HERE, Philadelphia Joint Board, the largest garment workers’ and hospitality industry union. Lynne is a feminist, and one of the strongest, smartest, most accomplished women in the Pennsylvania labor movement. The occasion was the annual awards night for Philaposh, the Philadelphia Area Project on Occupational Safety and Health. Lynne received an award named for Tony Mazzocchi, the leading labor advocate for safe workplaces in the 20th century. He was the motivating force behind establishment of the Occupational Health & Safety Act and Administration. He was a prominent leader in OCAW (Oil, Chemical and Atomic Workers), and worked closely with Karen Silkwood, famous whistleblower who was killed while trying to expose the nuclear industry’s unsafe workplaces.

Intro of Lynne Fox, Tony Mazzocchi Award
Philaposh Awards Night, October 20, 2006

It is my great honor and pleasure to present the Tony Mazzocchi Award to one of the most prominent and respected women labor leaders in our state, and Philaposh’s new fundraising champion - thank you very much - Lynne Fox of UNITE/HERE.

We all know Lynne, but as I looked over her resume I found a couple surprises in her background. Apparently she had other dreams as a young woman. Her Bachelors degree from Penn State is in Foreign Service and International Relations - usually considered preparation for a career that would take you very far from the Philadelphia labor movement, in more than just physical distance. Who knew she once aspired to be a member of the diplomatic corps!
She did leave Philly for a bit, but then returned to graduate from Temple Law School in 1984. She practiced law with two local firms for the next ten years, (Think they are well represented here tonight and in our ad book) but then succumbed to the call of the family business. Maybe unionism is in the genes; and certainly she was thoroughly schooled as a girl about the dignity of all workers and the righteousness of our social and economic justice movement that advances and defends workers’ rights. That schooling came from her famous father, the long time business manager of ACTWU and renowned Philadelphia labor leader, John Fox - who is here with us tonight. (Applause please for the many great contributions John made to our labor movement.)

Lynne joined UNITE as General Counsel in 1999 and worked her way up to Manager, a position she has served in since 1999. Her bio in the program tells you about some of her many other leadership positions, so I won’t repeat them. I will add though, that she is a longtime member and strong supporter of other labor constituency groups, including A. Philip Randolph Institute, the Jewish Labor Committee and CLUW (Coalition of Labor Union Women), and a former honoree of CLUW, and of organizations that work for cures for multiple sclerosis, breast and cervical cancer. She’s been a champion fundraiser for all of those causes too.
And of course, Lynne has long been a supporter of Philaposh as well. And no wonder. The workers represented by UNITE do a lot of seriously dangerous, difficult work - from the extreme heat and steam of the laundries, to the textile dust of the garment shops, to the life and limb threatening machinery industry-wide. Lynne has long recognized the importance of safety and health issues for workers, and the protections that can be provided through a union contract and a unified labor movement.

Most recently, Lynne’s been the local leader of UNITE/HERE’s new "Hotel Workers’ Rising!" campaign. If you go to the campaign’s excellent website - and you should go to it, by the way, and sign up for their action alerts , http://www.hotelworkersrising.org/ - you’ll see that health and safety issues are front and center on their home page. Many might view hotel housekeeping as little more than extra housework, but the speed-up, and the increasing demand of hotel guests for more and more amenities, bigger beds and heavier luxury linens are all leading to record injury rates and disabling conditions for these mostly minority and immigrant women. And I believe you’ll be hearing from them directly in a few minutes too.

On this campaign, and on so many others, Lynne has been a passionate, compassionate and savvy leader. She is a terrific role model, admired and beloved by her members, her staff, and her colleagues past and present. She is also a devoted wife and mother of three school age kids. Truthfully, we don’t see Lynne at a lot of evening labor events. Her days are pressure packed, and her responsibilities huge, and she gives them her all during business hours. But she makes sure she’s home most nights with her family, and in this too she is a great role model, performing admirably that precarious balancing act between work and family.

Tony Mazzocchi was smart, passionate, fearless, and totally committed to workers’ rights, and especially their right to a safe and healthy workplace. Lynne too exemplifies all those terrific qualities, and so it is entirely appropriate that she be presented with Philaposh’s annual award made in Tony’s name. Congratulations, Lynne.

PA NOW opposes amendments to CARE bill that allow hospitals to opt out of providing emergency contraception (EC) to rape victims.

2006-10-19T15:56:00.000-05:00

From JOANNE L. TOSTI-VASEY, Ph.D., President of Pennsylvania NOW

PA NOW opposes religious facilities exemption in SB 990
Harrisburg, PA October 18, 2006: Pennsylvania NOW opposes the current version of SB 990—also known as the Compassionate Assistance for Rape Emergencies or CARE bill. Our opposition stems from the fact that the Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee gutted the original intent of the CARE bill by adding amendments that allow hospitals to opt out of providing emergency contraception (EC) to rape victims.
The original version of the bill appropriately guaranteed all rape victims information and immediate access to emergency contraception when they presented themselves at a health care facility. The current version (SB 990, PN 2109) allows health care facilities to opt out of providing EC. As amended, this bill will deny a rape victim the right to access legal, necessary and time-sensitive medications for herself should the woman need and want this medication.
Recently a woman in Lebanon County was denied emergency contraception from a hospital emergency room due to doctor’s alleged religious scruples. She was denied this medication even when her mother called the hospital back and specifically asked for the medication for her daughter.
The mother of this woman could not be here today; she sent a statement that she asked me to read to the press. (Note: The statement expressed her outrage at the lack of complete information and medication provision by both the doctor and the hospital when they refused to provide emergency contraception information and medication to her daughter because of a religiously-based policy. She then went on to say that no sexual assault victim should experience this kind of treatment.)
Incidences such as this should never happen again. If, however, the religious exemption clause remains and the bill passes in its current form, the original intent of the bill will be destroyed.
EC is an important, safe and legal medication that all women should have access to if needed and requested by the woman.
Does a hospital corporate board’s policies trump the necessary medical and healthcare needs of a rape victim? Should she be denied information and access to Emergency Contraception — which, just like penicillin — could be a life saver? The answer is NO!
The woman needs to make this decision for herself. And the only way she can make a fully informed decision is to have full information and access to emergency contraception in a timely manner.
Pennsylvania NOW therefore recommends that the PA Senate remove the amendments made in committee, revert to the original version of the bill, and then pass the CARE bill without any religious exemption clause.
Only in that way will the CARE bill protect all women across the Commonwealth from a pregnancy that resulted from a rape. Otherwise this bill should be tabled and die.

Our Disappearing Right to Vote

2006-10-13T14:28:00.000-05:00

From Louise Francis:

The day after election day, 2004, we woke up to news that 1) George Bush won the election for president and 2) the night before exit polls had predicted a landslide for Kerry. As pointed out by Mark Crispin Miller in Fooled Again, in most countries a significant discrepancy between exit polls and election results is generally considered evidence of tampering with the vote. In contrast, on the day after the elections, the media was replete with post-hoc assessments of the flaws in the exit polling procedures (i.e., democrats were differentially interviewed or were more likely to report how they voted). Indeed, the major polling organizations decided to abandon polling in future presidential elections. After a couple of days the issue disappeared from the newspapers and we all went about our business, assured that George Bush had won the presidency, and this time, even carried the popular vote. However, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania has put together some compelling statistics indicating that the discrepancy between exit polls and actual votes could not have happened by chance: they were evidence of systematic, widespread problems on election day intended to deprive voters of their right to vote. Now, two years after the election, coverage of what probably was a seriously tainted election is starting to appear, but it is not yet on the major networks (although Lou Dobbs of CNN covers the issue of voting machine malfunctions and voter fraud regularly). For instance Robert Kennedy Jr. writes in Rolling Stone “Across the country, Republican election officials and party stalwarts employed a wide range of illegal and unethical tactics to fix the election. A review of the available data reveals that in Ohio alone, at least 357,000 voters, the overwhelming majority of them Democratic, were prevented from casting ballots or did not have their votes counted in 2004(12) -- more than enough to shift the results of an election decided by 118,601 votes.” (http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/10432334/was_the_2004_election_stolen)

Shortly after the elections, Congressman Conyers convened hearings about the electoral shenanigans that took place in Ohio, and the results were published in What Went Wrong in Ohio: The Conyers Report on the 2004 Presidential Election. If you have a constitution that can tolerate reading about all the outrages that were committed in Ohio, I recommend the book (the report is in fact available for free on the internet, but you can also buy a paperbound copy from any major book retailer). The campaign to deny voters the right to vote in Ohio began before the elections, when Secretary of State Blackwell issued arbitrary rulings intended to frustrate the effort to register voters. For instance, if a registration was not supplied on white uncoated paper of not less than 80lb. text weight it was rejected (at least if it was a democratic registrations). Republican groups running voter registration drives were reported to have been seen shredding Democratic registrations. On election day, there were not enough voting machines in Democratic wards, where people stood on line for 5 hours (if they could last that long) in order to vote. However, machines were plentiful and lines short in Republican wards. The Republican party also engaged in a practice dubbed “caging” where targeted at newly registered voters in minority areas. The sent registered letters to the voters, and if they refused to sign them, the Republican operatives challenged the legitimacy of the person’s right to vote. On and after election day, more outrages were perpetuated. There were widespread allegations that machines had been tampered with. Among them, during a post election recount in one county, hand counts failed to match machine counts by a significant margin twice. A repair technician was summoned, and a hand count compared to the machine count of the “repaired” machine. It was deemed sufficiently close, so the rest of the “recount” was conducted by machine and a vote that was likely seriously in error, was validated.

Lest you think Ohio, a decisive state in the election, was the only one with voting fraud and voter suppression problems, I can assure you that this was not the case. Moreover, minority groups such as African Americans, Hispanics and Native Americans were often targeted. In South Dakota, while Bush had a significant lead in the presidential election, a close senatorial race was taking place. Among the shenanigans, Republican party operatives harassed Native American voters by following them out of the polling place and writing down their license numbers and by photographing them. Flyers were circulated in white districts that said “the dogs are lining up to vote for Daschel (the Democrat).” The reference connecting “dogs” to Native Americans was related to a dispute between farmers and Native Americans over handling an overpopulation of prairie dogs.

Numerous activities are under way to address the problems of voting fraud and suppression. Among them are initiatives in Pennsylvania to require paper verification of the vote actually cast. It should be noted that a number of studies, including a GAO study, has found the new electronic voting machines to be error prone and subject to manipulation and security breaches. In fact, the old lever machines, which due to heavy lobbying by the manufacturers of electronic voting machines are widely being replaced, are among the most effective and accurate voting equipment. With a high profile senatorial campaign in our state, a campaign that threatens to unseat an important right-wing Republican senator, the importance of a clean and problem – free election is crucial this fall. Activists are also hoping to wake the media from its slumber and get it to begin covering the issue. Check out the web site www.saveourvote.com for resources on this issue and information on how you can help.

Nightmare on American Street: Right to Choose Denied

2006-10-11T21:10:00.000-05:00

Nightmare on American Street: Right to Choose Denied
A haunted house & performance

Enter if you DARE! Nightmare on American Street will be a terrifying eye-opener, depicting the real hell of women in the US who simply wish to have a safe legal abortion.

While public attention has focused on the basic legality of abortion under Roe v. Wade, for thousands of poor women, young women and rural women, Roe is nothing more than an empty promise.

Take our frightening tour to learn about the plight of these women! Bring your join us on Friday October 27, 7-10 pm or Saturday October 28, 7-9 pm at 829-851 N. American Street in Northern Liberties .

Help us fight to make reproductive choice a reality for every woman and mark the 30th anniversary of the Hyde Amendment - the Congressional rider that made abortion a near impossibility for low-income women.

FREE and open to the public.
Friday October 27, 7-10 pm or Saturday October 28, 7-9 pm
829-851 N. American Street in Northern Liberties
PG-13 - some material not suitable for children.

Sponsored by the Women’s Medical Fund, www.womensmedicalfund.org

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Join the Sister Study and help researchers find the causes of breast cancer!

2006-10-11T14:23:00.000-05:00

The Coalition of Labor Union Women recently teamed up with the Sister Study, sponsored by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences of the National Institutes of Health. It is the nation's largest research effort to find the causes of breast cancer. The study's objective: to recruit 50,000 women between the ages of 35 and 74 with a sister (living or deceased) who has had breast cancer. The women who join the Sister Study must never have been diagnosed with breast cancer themselves.
As the United States marks Breast Cancer Awareness Month this October, researchers still don't understand what causes the disease. Doctors know very little about how the environment may affect breast cancer. The Sister Study has successfully recruited more than 27,000 participants, but more volunteers are needed.

For many, participation is a way to honor their sisters. "My sister, Susan, died from breast cancer just 16 days before her 40th birthday," says CLUW Pennsylvania State Vice Pres. Barbara Barnes, a member of the plumbers and sprinkler fitters' union. "I was with her when she died, and I had accepted that the only way for her to escape her pain was to leave her painful body." The loss of her little sister devastated Barbara, who joined the study in Susan's memory and has poured time and energy into enrolling other women.

Breast cancer affects women from every walk of life, so the Sister Study is seeking women of all backgrounds, occupations, ages, and ethnic groups. CLUW is the only national organization of union women, and this collaboration opens the door to the broad diversity of unions and jobs represented in our membership. A program at our September National Executive Board meeting brought an enthusiastic response.

The 10-year study begins with participants answering questions about diet, jobs, hobbies, and things they've been exposed to throughout their lives -- to determine what may influence breast cancer risk. Later, a female health technician will collect small samples of blood, urine, toenail clippings, and house dust, to provide researchers with a better picture of the woman's environment and genes. Women who join are not asked to take any medicine, visit a medical center, or make changes to their habits, diet, or daily life. The survey is currently available in English and Spanish. There is a great need to reach women in the African American, Asian, Latina and Native American communities as well as senior women.

"With all the myths and misperceptions circulating about women's health, CLUW is pleased to lend our organizational clout to provide accurate information," says CLUW Pres. Marsha Zakowski.

For more information contact Carol Rosenblatt, CLUW's Executive Director, at 202-508-6951 or at csrosenblatt@cluw.org or visit www.cluw.org. To volunteer contact the Sister Study at 1-877-4Sister or www.sisterstudy.org. For Spanish, visit www.sisterstudy.org/spanish. The Deaf/Hard of Hearing number is 1-866-TTY-4SIS.

We can't excuse violence against women

2006-10-11T13:30:00.000-05:00

From JOANNE L. TOSTI-VASEY, Ph.D., President of Pennsylvania NOW

AS I SEE IT JOANNE L. TOSTI-VASEY
We can't excuse violence against women
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
On Sept. 27, a man in Colo rado took several girls hostage in a high school and sexually assaulted them before shooting one. Then on Oct. 2, a 32-year old man walked into an Amish schoolhouse in Pennsylvania and shot and wounded 10 girls; at least five have died.

In one instance, young girls were sexually assaulted; in the other, the shooter spoke about wanting to molest girls. In both, girls were the targets of the shootings. And again in both instances, reports indicate that the men perpetrating the violence against these girls may have been mentally ill.

These two instances also show evidence of two major social problems. First, we live in a culture of violence. Women and girls are often the target. Second, there is a lack of comprehensive mental health care and mental health insurance coverage. This denies people with mental illness the needed care and services that might have prevented such attacks as the ones on these young girls as well as the deaths of the female victims and of the alleged mentally ill perpetrators.

Attitudes, behaviors and policies need to be changed to help prevent future tragedies such as these. Attitudes toward violence, particularly violence against women, need to be critically examined. People need to speak out, tolerance needs to be taught and people need to be trained at the local level on how to deal with potential violence. Better training and coordination of services related to both mental health and domestic violence in all communities would help reduce these types of events. And the public at large needs to have information on local services so that they can immediately call the appropriate professionals whenever they believe that there may be a potential problem.

As a community, we each need to watch out and care for our neighbors. Polices to provide health care coverage, including mental health care, for everyone needs to be reviewed and implemented. Programs that track people with a history of violence across jurisdictions would also help in determining if a person's level of violence is escalating.

We cannot excuse this violent, negative behavior. Nor can we continue to avoid addressing the challenges of those afflicted with mental illness. And we have an equally important, moral obligation to provide a safe and nurturing environment for our young boys and girls. Until we address these issues of health care coverage and attitudes toward women and girls, this will not happen. SPEAK OUT. Learn what's available to assist your community. And teach your children tolerance.

Pennsylvania NOW extends our sympathy and condolences to everyone in West Nickel Mines and Bailey, Colo.

JOANNE L. TOSTI-VASEY, Ph.D., is President of Pennsylvania NOW, Inc., Bellefonte.

©2006 The Patriot-News
© 2006 PennLive.com All Rights Reserved.

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month

2006-10-06T15:56:00.000-05:00

From CLUW President and Phila NOW Vice-President, Kathy Black:

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Read on for an interesting perspective about the most recent horror in the news. Consider donating to a local domestic violence agency - Women Against Abuse is the one CLUW has partnered with the most, but there are others, including Lutheran Settlement House, Women In Transition, Women Organized Against Rape.

Women Against Abuse celebrated 30 years of service to women and children victims of domestic violence last night. CLUW donated and attended. We encourage our members to donate individually, and or volunteer, as well.
In Sisterhood,
Kathy Black

There’s a label for girls’ deaths

To reach Mike Hendricks, call (816) 234-7708 or send e-mail to mhendricks@kcstar.com.

The story that touched our hearts this week was about 10 little girls shot point-blank in Pennsylvania’s Amish country.

Not 10 children, as some news reports put it. But 10 girls. The shooter wanted to harm only the girls.

Does it strike you as curious — the way it did me — that more wasn’t made of that?

Had he singled out and shot 10 black men or 10 Jews or 10 gays or 10 of almost any other group, we’d be calling it a hate crime — whether it fit the legal definition or not.

And on the talk shows and in the newspapers, wouldn’t the question have been asked over and over, “What causes such intolerance, bigotry and bitter resentment against one type of people?”

But the shooter at Nickel Mines, Pa., singled out his victims based on gender. And I found only one article that used the term “hate crime,” and it said that the killings merely “followed the pattern” of a hate crime.

Gee, you mean like the crime committed a week earlier in Bailey, Colo., when a sex offender burst into another school, singled out the girls, then molested them and killed one before turning the gun on himself — that kind of hate crime?

Or any number of other killings, rapes and beatings committed by males against females purely because they were female?

We didn’t hear the Nickel Mines story framed that way. Instead, the first question was, “Did he have a grudge against the Amish?”

And when the answer turned out to be “no, the Amish were simply convenient victims,” public discussion turned to the peculiarities of the case. To the spread of school violence. To the need for gun control.

Hard saying why the broader theme of violence against women didn’t come up more.

Certainly, the National Organization for Women saw it that way. The group has been trying for years to pass legislation that would make gender-based violence part of hate-crime laws.

“Every woman saw this and said, ‘Oh, my God, ” they sent all the boys away and targeted all the girls,’ NOW President Kim Gandy told me Thursday.

Maybe it’s because we so often hear of crimes perpetrated by men against women that it tends to wash over us. We see the killer in Pennsylvania as just one more sicko taking out his anger on the opposite gender, rather than as a pattern of violence.

That’s what women’s groups and advocates for victims of domestic violence have been saying for years.

Too many of us would rather isolate crimes against women, rather than look at them the way many women do — as just more evidence that they are victims of hatred by men in general.

It’s easier than facing the fact that there’s a sickness in this society in need of a cure.

What that cure is, I don’t know.

A starting point would be to recognize misogyny for what it is. And then to give its victims names.

That’s the purpose of a report issued this week by the Kansas Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence.

You can read “Beyond Statistics: Lethal Domestic and Sexual Violence Against Women” by going online at .pdf.

But be forewarned. If you’re like me, it’ll make you depressed and angry as you read the names, ages and circumstances of 21 women murdered by their husbands and boyfriends over the past two years in Kansas.

Every story is different. But like those schoolgirls in Pennsylvania, as a group it’s clear why these women were singled out for death.

They just happened to have been born female.

2006-10-03T14:37:00.000-05:00

Phila NOW set up a PAC several years ago with the goal of electing strong feminists to local offices. Many of the candidates we’ve supported who are not tied into the local Democratic Party have had a tough time gaining support.

Phila NOW has been part of a coalition to try to open up the process. Not only do progressives not allied with party operatives have difficulty getting support, the Party will sometimes tacitly support local Republicans rather than progressive Democrats.

There has been some discussion on http://www.youngphillypolitics.com about local Democratic Party’s refusal to seriously challenge Republican legislators. I contributed an account of Democrats lack of support for one of our own, Tammy Gavitt:

Perzel is not the only Republican tacitly supported by the local Democratic party. Phila NOW member Tammy Gavitt planned to run against John Taylor. She was concerned about the deterioration of her neighborhood, the lack of services to people in her district, the unresponsiveness of politicians.

Tammy started doing all the right things—going door to door, raising money early in the game. Also, she had lived in the district a long time and was born in the adjacent district in Fishtown. She had deep roots in the community which counts for a lot in Philly politics. Finally, the district is majority Democratic and demographics are changing, so Tammy thought unseating Taylor was doable.

Tammy was relatively new to electoral politics, but had a long history as an activist. She had become a committeeperson and worked hard to get out the vote and provide constituent services. This is what Councilman Kenney advised today—get involved in party politics, “don't approach the politics as inherently evil.”

However, her work as a committeeperson didn’t count for much. When she declared her intention to enter the race, she was very surprised by the lack of support from the Democratic Party operatives in her district. In the course of working on her campaign, I was told by a local ward leader, that in that district, “they don’t really think about whether somebody is a Democrat or Republican. What counts is where you went to high school, who your buddies are, who your relatives are.” Tammy was clearly out of the loop.

See Oct.3 Inquirer article, “Family tradition a key to city office” at http://www.philly.com

Also, Tammy was taken aback that a local labor union she had worked with organizing demonstrations against Wal-mart also seemed happy with Taylor and not interested in supporting her. Taylor had voted their way on a few key issues but Democratic control of the house would do far more to advance the agenda of organized labor (and the interests of the people organized labor represents) than a few crumbs from Taylor.

Tammy had a lot to offer (young, progressive, committed) but she wasn’t from a political family, wasn’t part of the byzantine world of local Democratic politics. She didn’t have a lot of personal money or wealthy contributors and therefore could not quit her job to run for office. The local reform network was in its very early stages, so there wasn’t a network to substitute for the Democratic party structure.
She decided it wasn’t fair to her supporters to continue a campaign which looked hopeless, so she decided to close the campaign and returned the money to her contributors (I wonder how many candidates have done that.)

One of you young progressives out there should consider taking on John Taylor. How are the Democrats ever going to take back the house when the Democratic Party allows majority Democratic districts to be represented by Republicans?????

2006-09-21T21:31:00.000-05:00

Philadelphia NOW is a supporter of Neighborhood Networks. We hope our members will support the Neighborhood Networks conference on September 30. The following post describes the goals of Neighborhood Networks:

Building Democracy Ward by Ward, Division by Division
by Stan Shapiro

So the deed has now been done, our new Councilpeople have been annointed. Some of us from Philly for Change, Neighborhood Networks and others came together at Lucy's Hat Shop and said we won't tolerate this. But as we knew the City Committee would, they did their all in the family thing anyhow.

So what do we do now? We're just 8 months away from the primary election in which the machine will flex its muscles to get its choices ratified.

This is what Neighborhood Networks is doing. We're creating shadow ward organizations throughout the city to take on the machine on behalf of progressive candidates. We choose not to accept permanent rule by this thing that presumes to speak for all Democrats. We ourselves can build and be the organization that the Democratic City Committee ought to be.

NN is having its annual conference Saturday, September 30 at Temple University Law School. The theme is "Building Democracy from the Ground Up." We will have inspirational speakers like Chris Bowers and Anne Dicker to tell us what they're doing every day to build an inclusive politics. And then I hope we will all accept the personal challenge of doing some building ourselves. We'll have the chance to do that starting at 3PM when we break down into small groups organized by ward and division. There we will talk about taking responsibility in the neighborhoods in which we live to be the eyes and ears of the progressive movement. When we have enough of those -- along with boots on the ground that can go door to door on election day right behind the machine pols -- then we will have an answer to City Committee that it has to pay attention to. (And many good but frustrated committeepeople and ward leaders already in place will, I predict, be with us when we deliver that answer.)

And, btw, once we have this organization in place informally, we can make it official by getting waves of us elected committeepeople and ward leaders. We did some of that last Spring and we can do lots more next time. But the next opportunity to elect committeepeople isn't until 2010. In the meanwhile we can practice, practice, practice. And nominate lots of solid progressive Democrats along the way.

So if you're -- as they say -- sick and tired of being sick and tired -- join us on September 30, and meet your likeminded neighbors. Here's the link to our website which will let you register online. http://www.phillynn.org/

Ann Richards

2006-09-14T22:40:00.000-05:00

From Lauren Townsend:

Hopefully, there's a little bit of Ann Richards in all of us...

"I did not want my tombstone to read, 'She kept a really clean house.' I think I'd like them to remember me by saying, 'She opened government to everyone,'" Richards said shortly before leaving office in January 1995.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/nation/4186314.html

She was a very cool woman. My grandmother would have said she had IT.

2006-09-11T13:40:00.000-05:00

Something is Happening Here

Last Wednesday night I attended the progressive candidates’ forum sponsored by Philly for Change, Neighborhood Networks, and Philadelphia NOW, along with many other progressive organizations. Candidates for the special elections were invited to address the voters. Progressive candidates like Maria Quiñones Sanchez, the NOW-endorsed candidate for the 7th councilmanic district, were there. The ward leaders (Savage and Sabatina), one of whom will be anointed by Democratic City committee to the 7th councilmanic district seat, were not.

I was overwhelmed by the large turn-out. We just may be on the cusp of real change in Philadelphia politics. A new generation of progressive young people is raising questions about the way political decisions are made and challenging the Democratic Party to become more open and inclusive.

Those of us who have lived here a while can remember other movements for change which resulted in new political alignments and practices. In the 50’s, we had the Dilworth/Clark reform movement which cleaned up Phila politics. In the 70’s, we had a new generation of African-American political activists led by Bill Gray who demanded that the Democratic Party become more racially inclusive.

Now we have new groups such as Neighborhood Networks and Philly for Change which are questioning the closed nature of the ward system and demanding a more open process. A recent article in the Philadelphia Tribune described the frustration of young African-American political activists who consider themselves blocked by an older generation unwilling to make room for them.

The catalyst which just might turn all these stirrings into a real movement for change may have come with the decision of the local Democratic Party to cut the voters out of the process and anoint a trio of ward leaders to three City Council vacancies. This has struck a nerve. Both the Inquirer (“Heck, they give voters this much say in China”) and the DN (“Special election neither special, nor election; City council vacancies should be filled by the people, not the party”) have written editorials about this. Local blogs have been abuzz.

Underlying all of this seems to be recognition that Phila. can no longer afford mediocre leadership. We lived through Jim Tate, Frank Rizzo, and Wilson Goode. But the economy was booming back in the 60’s when Jim Tate was mayor, and Frank Rizzo’s budget-busting policies were to some extent offset by the Federal money that then Congressman Bill Green was sending us.

So in the past, we survived weak leadership and a culture of corruption which sure did not start with the Street administration. A consensus seems to be emerging that we can no longer afford the luxury of mediocre leadership and a party structure which blocks talented, innovative candidates.

Are we about to experience one of those political shifts of the magnitude of those initiated by Richardson Dilworth and by Bill Gray? Am I indulging in wishful thinking?

Or is something happening here and you don't know what it is, do you, Mr. Brady?

Karen Bojar
Phila NOW