Salem Progressive Film Series -- 6 years young and stronger than ever!

One of the best things going keeps going another year:

We hope you are enjoying the final weeks of summer. SPFS starts up again in less than 3 weeks! Please put us on your calendar, for Thursday September 13th. Our first film of the 2012-13 season, We're Not Broke, is the story about how US corporations have been able to hide over a trillion dollars from Uncle Sam. The film was shown at Sundance Film Festival this year. See the information below for more details. If you'd like to become a Member of SPFS, for only $50 we will mail you a pass that gives you entrance to all 9 films, from September through May. See the information at the bottom of this email. We look forward to seeing you in the Grand Theatre on Sept 13th! And as always, thank you for your support. This is the beginning of our 6th year and we could not have done it without you!

Upcoming Film

Thursday, September 13th 7 PM We're Not Broke! America is in the grip of a societal economic panic. Lawmakers cry "We're Broke!" as they slash budgets, lay off schoolteachers, police, and firefighters, crumbling our country's social fabric and leaving many Americans scrambling to survive. Meanwhile, multibillion-dollar American corporations like Exxon, Google and Bank of America are making record profits. And while the deficit climbs and the cuts go deeper, these corporations-with intimate ties to our political leaders-are concealing colossal profits overseas to avoid paying U.S. income tax. This film has won numerous awards, including Sundance Film Festival, 2012. Official website and trailer: http://werenotbrokemovie.com/ Guest Speakers: Karin Hayes Producer/Director Via SKYPE from New York http://werenotbrokemovie.com/the-film/ Chuck Sheketoff Executive Director of Oregon Center for Public Policy http://www.ocpp.org/ Become a member of SPFS Help support the Salem Progressive Film Series and become a member today. Your financial support will allow us to bring high quality films and expert speakers to Salem. Not only will you have personal satisfaction but you will also be helping to strengthen our community. And your donation is tax deductible. For only $50, we will mail you a pass for all 9 films, September through May. And, your name will appear as a member/supporter on our loop video. Mail your check to: PO Box 13184 Salem, OR 97309 Thank you!

Amazing

Wow.

RIP Gus

Gus, Gust-of-fur, Gus-Gus, Deiselpurr  ... By any name, the sweetest cat we've ever loved, taken by aggressive lymphoma today, not even  having reached his fourth birthday.  Survived by two grieving peeps and his yin/yang all-black twin and big brother, rescue shelter mate Simon, who comforted Gus in his illness with baths and snuggling  together.

The big lie: Don't Worry, There's Plenty of Oil!

WORD: We Just Don’t Get it -- Education Is All About the Teachers

http://truth-out.org/opinion/item/10130-we-just-dont-get-it-education-is-all-about-the-teachers

When I got out of the Navy In 1989, I looked into teaching, as I had been a teacher through several stints in the Navy and was very good at it, and owed everything to a handful of teachers I'd run into along the way in k-12.

I quickly figured out that no matter how much you liked teaching, teaching in public schools was absurdly masochistic and unrewarding, kind of like the worst parts of the military ("it doesn't make sense, it's just our policy") only with the best parts removed, and at ridiculously low pay and zero prestige, and with the only opportunity for advancement being to leave the classroom.

The bottom line is that teaching, nursing, and social work were and essentially remain women's professions, which means that we used to cream the best of them because there were such limits on opportunities in other fields, even as we paid jack (note which three major professions require unpaid internships -- while paying tuition-- as a matter of course). As other fields opened up to women, the cream left in droves, and the salary scales have never adjusted, because we just fill from the bottom of the barrel.

Given the lack of respect that teachers get and the abysmal job of "parenting" so many folks do (while holding insane expectations for what the teachers are supposed to do, despite total nonsupport from those same folks), the question I have isn't how to get more good teachers, it's whether the demolition of the public schools isn't intentional on the part of the GOPsters, just another public good to be destroyed in order to create another profit center for business.

New Long-Term Care Insurance Claims Protections | The Lund Report

Hat tip to the invaluable Lund Report:

New Long-Term Care Insurance Claims Protections

By: 

Oregon Insurance Division 

 

July 10, 2012 -- Oregonians who have long-term care insurance now have the right to have their claims paid promptly and to appeal an insurance company decision to deny benefits.

The changes are due to a 2011 law that became effective for people who buy new policies starting July 1, 2012. For those with existing policies, the law is effective when their policy renews, meaning it will be phased in over a year’s period.

“Consumers with long-term care insurance policies have not had the same protections as consumers with other health insurance claims, yet they are some of the most vulnerable Oregonians,” Oregon Insurance Commissioner Lou Savage said.

“Now, people with long-term care insurance or their representatives can more easily challenge claim denials or delays, which are the most typical complaints we receive,” Savage added. . . . . (more)