By Patricia Borns, MiamiHerald.com
U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a breast cancer survivor, used her personal experience Thursday to fire back at Republicans for their attacks on the Obama administration’s health reform program. Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/10/31/3723785/in-florida-wasserman-schultz-responds.html#storylink=cpy
Join us for a weekend of special events, trainings, and keynotes with National, State, and Local Democratic leaders as we gear up for the 2014 election cycle to defeat Rick Scott!
Information on becoming a conference sponsor, purchasing meal packages, registering as a conference delegate, and booking your hotel room can be found below.
For questions please contact Ms. Lydia Claire Brooks, Deputy Political Director, at 850-222-3411 or lcbrooks@fladems.com.
Following today’s Republican Study Committee Meeting, default denier Rep. Ted Yoho told reporters that “Somebody needs to convince me why we need to raise the debt ceiling.”
Well someone should show Congressman Yoho what top business leaders and economists have said about the economic impact of failing to pay our nation’s bills:
“Top Bankers Warn on U.S. Debt Proposal” [Wall Street Journal, 10/7/13]
“Debt Ceiling Deadline Gets Closer; Economists Warn of Dire Impacts” [WHNT,10/7/13]
“CEOs Warn Of ‘Extremely Adverse’ Effects Of Debt Ceiling Standoff.” [Reuters,10/2/13]
“Economists Fear Debt Ceiling Fight May Bring Recession” [CNN Money, 10/4/13]
“As Debt-Limit Deadline Nears, Investors Show Growing Concern About A U.S. Default” [Washington Post, 10/8/13]
“Debt Ceiling Concerns Drag On Wall Street” [Contra Costa Times, 10/7/13]
“IMF Chief Economist: U.S. Default Would Likely Cause Recession” [Reuters, 10/8/13]
“As U.S. Approaches Debt Ceiling, Fears Of Global Recession Increase” [Washington Post, 10/9/13]
“World Bank President: Debt Debate Could Be Dire” [USA Today, 10/8/13]
Floridians are gaining access to affordable, quality health insurance through the Affordable Care Act. Demand is high and projected to rise, with individuals and small business owners giving enthusiastic interviews to the press yesterday.
While the House GOP attempts to sabotage access to health care for millions of Americans by shutting down the government, Florida’s ACA marketplace has come online and is beginning to improve the lives of Floridians. Here is a quick look at day one.
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One of the first people in the office was 20-year-old Chris Dawson, a USF senior majoring in public health. He hasn’t had insurance in the two years since he aged out of a government plan for children.
While uninsured, Dawson has hurt his ankle and had bronchitis. He has gone to a student health clinic, but has never had his ankle X-rayed.
“The government is not perfect, but it is great to see a movement toward helping people,” he said.
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Anchor: “The government shutdown isn’t stopping today’s online enrollment for the Affordable Care Act here in Central Florida. There are four locations,in Orlando, Kissimme, Longwood, and Eustis, where you can get help finding an insurance plan that works for you. Here is some video of health care navigators helping people in downtown Orlando…Florida residents can also choose from 102 plans, that is the second highest of any state.”
Alex Taboas, Business Owner: “This navigation program is definitely helpful, I hope they get the word out to a lot of people.”
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“The first thing we’re noticing is that traffic to our various sales channels is up quite a bit from prior weeks, as we expected,” said Craig Thomas, senior vice president and chief strategy and marketing officer. “Calls into call centers, visitors into retail centers across the state and agents across the state — it’s been pretty heavy.”
Florida Blue has between 800,000 and 900,000 customers who buy individual insurance plans right now, and Thomas said the company expects to double that market segment in the first 12 to 15 months of the exchange.
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“For Florida, where an estimated 3.8 million people live without health insurance, the exchanges could make an especially big impact. The state ranks near the top of the nation in terms of plan choices, with an average of 102 health plans offered on the federally-run exchange.”
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“It’s very simple, it’s easy,” said Arjoonsingh, one of 20 application advisers for BHA.
The nationwide rollout comes after months of buildup in which the marketplaces have been both praised and vilified.
Tallahassee, FL — Today, DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz and FDP Chair Allison Tant held a call with the media to discuss the voter purge tour by Rick Scott’s Secretary of State Ken Detzner, which begins today in Panama City.
Worried that voters will see his purge as the politically motivated voter suppression tactic that it is, the Governor is sending his Secretary of State on a tour around the state to attempt to sell this purge to voters.
DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz said, “The results of Rick Scott’s last voter purge were an unmitigated disaster, and nearly all Supervisors of Elections abandoned the effort. Now, unbelievably, Rick Scott is at it again. With his reelection on the horizon, the Governor is asking voters to take his word for it that this time there’s no political motivation behind his attempt to purge voters. But Rick Scott knows he can’t win an election on the merits, so he has to try to suppress the votes of honest Floridians.”
FDP Chair Allison Tant said, “This vote purge tour is a political charade that creates far more problems for our Supervisors of Elections than it claims to solve. The supervisors of elections are not asking for this. They know that this is a politically motivated undemocratic re-election strategy. Voters deserve better.”
New Poll Shows Floridians Have No Faith in This Governor
Tallahassee, FL — The results of Rick Scott’s summer of constant campaigning for reelection are in, and it’s bad news for Rick Scott. Months of photo op after photo op have failed to get Floridians to forget his failed record as governor.
New poll numbers prove that voters have not forgotten that he cut over $1.3 billion from education, has doled out taxpayer-funded giveaways to big corporations, and has fought tooth and nail against expanding access to affordable healthcare in Florida.
“The voters of Florida have seen through Rick Scott’s governance by campaign photo-op and they are not fooled,” said FDP Executive Director Scott Arceneaux. “Rick Scott has nothing to show for a whole summer of campaigning. In fact, his approval rating is underwater by 22 points. It is abundantly clear that voters fundamentally do not trust this governor, and what’s worse, have no faith in his ability to help Floridians in this difficult economy. Voters are ready for change in 2014.”
A closer look at the new Public Policy Polling poll paints an even darker picture for Rick Scott. The Governor trails by double digits in every key demographic:
Rick Scott spent every spare moment of the past summer campaigning for reelection. He has nothing to show for it.