Support Proposition 15 in Texas

Read This Article: Taxes Won't Cure Cancer

Here's my response:

Liz Young is Wrong!

What were you doing in January, 2001? Like 50,000 other high school seniors across the world, I was writing my “Question 1” essay for admission to The University of Texas, but unlike any other applicant that year, mine was written on a laptop in the waiting room at the purple ward at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. Having survived an intensive, 10 hour long breast cancer operation, my mother was recuperating, and I took several days off from school to be by her side.

Fortunately, hers was discovered in a very early stage and she has had no major complications since her operation almost seven years ago. In fact, there’s nearly a 100% 5-year survival rate for Stage 1 breast cancer after treatment, and a 5-year rate across all stages is about 86%. The reason for this is research and awareness, and I find it important that we’ve fittingly raised this issue in October, breast cancer awareness month.

In 2007 more than 95,000 Texans are expected to be diagnosed with cancer, and more than 37,000 Texans will lose their lives to the disease. The illness costs Texans $30 billion each year in both direct and indirect costs. With the best medical center in the world right here in Houston, as well as excellent facilities in Dallas and around the state, combined with some of the world’s premier research institutions, we need to lead the way in all cancer research. We have a $4B budget surplus and now is the time to act.

Cancer affects all Texans, whether you personally know a victim, or you know them vicariously through others, but they’re out there. They’re out at walks across the country, raising awareness and asking for support. We ought to lend it to them. Support Proposition 15, support my mother.

Eric T. Tung
BBA-Marketing, 2005
Independent Blogger - NoriegaBlog.com

More from LIVESTRONG

Campaign Message: Junior John's Healthcare Voting

A recent Houston Chronicle headline states that Senator John Cornyn "touts" health care reform.

But Senator Cornyn has little to brag about: He voted against the reauthorization of health insurance for kids -- twice.

Next week, Senator Cornyn has to decide whether or not he will vote to override President Bush's veto of SCHIP (State Children's Health Insurance Program), the program that provides affordable health care for America's children.

Will you join me and demand that Senator Cornyn override Bush's veto and renew medical care for our kids?

Email Senator Cornyn -- tell him to override Bush's veto and reauthorize SCHIP so that millions of American children have access to health care today!

In the military, we often say, "Lead, follow, or get out of the way." Cornyn has failed to lead on health care in this country -- and when given the chance to follow, he followed in the wrong direction by voting against SCHIP.

Senator Cornyn can either choose to side with over 200,000 Texan children who were knocked off SCHIP in 2003 -- or get out of the way.

Email Senator Cornyn -- tell him to override Bush's veto and reauthorize SCHIP so that millions of American children have access to health care today!

Renewing SCHIP would help working parents, who work day-in and day-out just to make ends meet, provide health insurance for their kids. Don't our children deserve the same quality health care that our Senators in Congress enjoy?

The upcoming override vote is about upholding real Texas values. Real Texas values are about standing up for our children.

SCHIP is supported by members of both parties, including Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison; yet John Cornyn still can't rise above his partisanship -- voting against this legislation twice.

Please join me in this fight to ensure that all children in Texas have health care -- email Senator Cornyn today!

Sincerely,

Rick Noriega
Democrat for U.S. Senate

Email John Cornyn now!

Rick Noriega Takes No Time Off For Labor Day

The Galveston Daily News reported seeing Rick as he attended a breakfast supporting the Galveston County Central Labor Union, where there were three topics on the agenda: “health care, health care, health care,” said Lee Medley, president of the county’s consolidated organized labor council (as you may remember, Cornyn voted against Children's Healthcare).

Lee Medley:

“We know this is a complex issue. There is no single way to approach this. Our main goal is that everyone should be covered, maybe under a single-payer system. But, we do know that what we have now isn’t working, and it is time to stop arguing and start doing something.”

Rick also appeared at the Washington County Democrats annual Labor Day Barbecue (as reported by Hal at Half Empty). Hal, and a group of his fellow Ft. Bend Dems joined the Washington Co. Dems and watched as Rick Noriega spoke as the highlight of the event.

Hal:

I brought blanks of Rick’s petitions and Geri, Marsha and I swept through the room getting signatures. They’re a tough crowd in Washington County so we didn’t get as many signatures as there were heads in the room. But we managed to fill one sheet and nearly fill another. But I’m here to tell you, there were people who chased me down wanting to get their names on that petition.

You know, I don’t think Rick’s campaign is going to have a problem getting those 25,000 signatures.

Video coming soon.

If You Make $20,616, You're Not Poor

According to official poverty numbers, a family of four that makes $20,616 is not officially in poverty, while at $20,615 you are. Either way, a new report by an Austin think tank Center for Public Priority Policies says a household actually needs up to twice that to survive, $29,982 in the Brownsville area, to $45,770 in the Fort Worth area ($43,029 in Houston, $53,000 without health insurance).

If we do the math, minimum wage in Texas (the federal minimum as well) is $5.85 per hour. If both parents work full time, that's $11.70 per hour. Working approximately 2000 hours a year will yield $23,400 - most definitely not enough to live on, and many government programs fall off after reaching that $20,615 threshold, so those in the midrange, between $20K and $43K don't qualify for much assistance, but still can't make the cost of living.

"We've got a lot of hardworking people who don't make enough money to make ends meet," said senior researcher Frances Deviney.

What to do? (The Houston Chronicle) With the value of wages declining in real buying power and fewer employers offering benefits, the government should step in, Deviney said. Revising poverty standards and increasing access to the Children's Health Insurance Program and food stamps would be a good start, she said, along with enhanced job training and support for community colleges.

Great idea Frances! If you recall from this morning's post, Cornyn doesn't stand on very stable ground when it comes to children's health insurance. He's voted against the Children's Health Insurance Program..ps.. Since Cornyn isn't doing enough, let the rest of Congress know you support CHIP: Sign the SEIU petition

As for job training and community colleges, Rick is well known as a relentless champion of public education. His own higher education started in a junior college and ended at Harvard. Before being elected to the legislature he was a school teacher — and as well as an Adjunct General in the Texas Army National Guard. [fdl]

See poverty specifics about your city:
Dallas and Fort Worth most expensive Texas metros - BizJournals
Austin is 3rd most expensive Texas city - News 8 Austin
San Antonio ranked fifth most expensive Texas metro - BizJournals
Study: Even those above poverty level can’t pay for basic needs - Brownsville Herald