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One Woman’s Story: Why I Will be Enrolling in the ACA (Obamacare) Marketplace

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By Lauree Benton

This 2013 article is a reminder of what is at stake in the efforts to repeal the ACA (Obamacare). The current GOP plan (AHCA) would let employers deny coverage for maternity and other care. Pregnancy would become a preexisting condition–again.

I didn’t know pregnancy was a preexisting condition until I was 8.5 months pregnant.

“You are uninsurable,” says the sales representative from Blue Cross of California. “Pregnancy is considered a preexisting condition.”

“You mean the preexisting condition that allows humanity to survive?” I snapped. I was furious.

To the sales rep’s credit, he thought it was ridiculous too.   [Read more…]

Photos and Coverage of May Day Protests in San Diego, North County, and Nationwide

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In cities from coast to coast, thousands of labor and immigrant rights activists took to the streets. The protests began locally with morning teach-ins at college campuses throughout San Diego County. Organizers say roughly 2000 students participated in events at City College, Mesa, Grossmont, Cuyamaca, and Miramar.

The afternoon included a kickoff rally at San Diego City College, followed by a march through downtown to the Federal Building for a second rally, a third march to Chicano Park in Barrio Logan and a final rally staged by Unión del Barrio.

In the North County, students from MiraCosta, Palomar, and Cal State San Marcos joined with community activists for a rally and march starting at Wildwood Park in Vista.   [Read more…]

Replacing District Attorney Dumanis the Honest Way

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Will the Supervisors Do the Right Thing? Don’t Count on it.

Here we go again. San Diegans are about to be told what’s best for them by the incumbent political class. We’ll soon see if elected officials can once again circumvent democracy’s vetting process.

County District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis has announced her retirement, effective July 7. Her anointed replacement, Deputy District Attorney Summer Stephan, is widely expected to be approved by the Board of Supervisors, following a cursory vetting process.

Or maybe not. A coalition of groups took out a full-page ad in Sunday’s paper urging the Supes to chose a candidate who signs a pledge not to run for District Attorney in 2018 and to open up the selection process for public scrutiny.   [Read more…]

May Day in San Diego: Remembering Who Brought You the 8-Hour Day, Resisting Trump, & Fighting for a Just Future

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9:00 AM to 2:00 PM Teach-in, Rally and March at San Diego City College
3:00 PM Rally at the Federal Building
4:00 PM March to Chicano Park followed by Rally in Chicano Park

Let’s stand together as a community this May 1st, educate, organize, agitate, and just say no to a future based on hate, division, inequality, and a reckless disregard for the future. In the words of the old labor slogan, we believe that “an injury to one is an injury to all” and that the beloved community we serve is worth fighting for with all we’ve got.

Let’s come out this May Day and make our voices heard like never before.   [Read more…]

Looking Back at the Week: April 23-29

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This week’s edition of Looking Back at the Week features articles, commentaries, columns, toons, and other work by San Diego Free Press regulars, irregulars, columnists, at-large contributors, cartoonists, and sourced writers on: Islamophobe anger at SDUSD, beyond 100 days, ZombieCare, Net Neutrality, People’s Climate Change March, no place for the homeless, calls growing for Gastelum’s resignation, the inevitability of Universal Health Care, a bike ride to heaven, San Diego Tenants United call for rent control, ACLU defending Ginsberg, and lots of other grassroots news & progressive views from San Diego’s friendly, neighborhood, all volunteer, slightly funky, community news site.   [Read more…]

Geo-Poetic Spaces: The People of Salamis

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The dead
rattle windows
open doors
lie down next to the residents of Paphos   [Read more…]

Persistence Pays! Progressive Activist Calendar for San Diego: April 28 – May 13

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The hard work and dedication of activists all over the United States continues to provide a ray of hope in this era of darkness.

There are two really big days– April 29 & May 1–in this calendar, and I’ve worked hard to provide as much detail as I could find about activities for the multiple events associated with the People’s Climate March and May Day.

There will be no calendar published next Friday (May 5), hence the bigger than usual window for this week’s posting.   [Read more…]

Chula Vista Joins Welcoming America Network; 4-1 Vote For Hector Gastelum’s Resignation

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BIG news: Chula Vista — the second largest city in San Diego County — had its City Council vote unanimously to have the city become part of the Welcoming America Network. Although, as news outlets reported, there’s no strict definition of a welcoming city, the declaration is a symbolic gesture meant to make people, in particular immigrants, feel welcome.

The new Chula Vista Police Captain, Roxana Kennedy, spoke during public comments and affirmed that the CVPD would not enforce immigration laws because it was the responsibility of the federal government. Instead, she explained that everyone in Chula Vista would receive equal enforcement of the law and would be fairly treated.   [Read more…]

Upcoming Net Neutrality Fight: More Than Netflix Streaming at Stake

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Two years after the Federal Communications Commission reclassified broadband internet providers as “common carriers” under Title II of the Communications Act Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai is proposing to reverse that decision.

From Ars Technica:

Pai’s speech was hosted by FreedomWorks, a group that Motherboard describes as being “perhaps best known for helping to launch the conservative Tea Party movement. (And also for producing a video depicting Hillary Clinton having sex with a giant panda. Seriously.)” FreedomWorks called last year’s court decision upholding the FCC’s net neutrality rules “a blow to Internet freedom.”

A press release making this announcement was titled “Restoring Internet freedom for all Americans.” Funny thing though, I simply don’t remember ‘losing’ anything having to do with the internet other than my privacy, which Pai and his freedom loving GOP buddies in Congress are already selling off.   [Read more…]

Readers Write: San Diego Tenants United on Rent Control

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By Rafael Bautista / San Diego Tenants United

San Diego is the 4th most expensive city in the United States. It is considered the second worst city for renters in the country and it is the largest city in California without rent control. Rents are increasing 4 times faster than incomes and the economic downturn actually created an upward spike in rental prices. According to Rent Jungle, as of March 2017, one bedroom apartments in San Diego rent for $1771/month on average and two bedroom apartment rents average $2197/month.

One full time minimum wage worker can’t even pay rent with their entire, pre-tax, monthly income. Thus, in America’s Finest City, two incomes are needed to live a life of mere subsistence. The truth is that too many working people are only one to two pay checks from being homeless. High rents, low incomes, a housing shortage and substandard living conditions are part of the 12 year housing crisis and the explosion in our homeless population.   [Read more…]

Will the Third Time Be the Charm for the GOP’s ZombieCare Bill?

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The White House is leaning on Congress to take action on yet another version of a healthcare bill.

Negotiated by Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.), chairman of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, and Rep. Tom MacArthur (R-N.J.), co-chairman of the centrist Tuesday Group, with help from the White House, this edition features further weakening of ObamaCare protections for people with pre-existing conditions.

The current requirement for health insurance to include basic coverage for maternity, prescription drugs, emergency services, lab tests, and etc., would be subject to review by the states. Women will be subject to higher rates than men. And if you get sick… well, let’s just say you can’t afford to actually use ZombieCare V.3.0.   [Read more…]

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