Workers' rights focus of health-care conference

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About 180 health-care workers from across the country gathered in Halifax on the weekend to discuss workers rights and the future of the public health system.

Hosted by Unifor, Canadas largest private-sector union, the conference aimed to highlight the challenges facing health care and rally the troops for the struggle ahead.

I think weve seen a steady erosion in the last 20 years of workers rights across the board, but also in particular those workers who are employed in the public sector, said Lana Payne, Unifors Atlantic director.

The 2004 Health Accord, an agreement between the federal and provincial governments that sets the terms for health-care funding and priorities, expired at the end of March. A new funding formula, to be implemented in 2017, could mean a drop of $150 million in health-care funding per year for Nova Scotia alone Payne said.

Both the lack of co-ordination between provinces, as well as the funding decrease, will spell trouble for health-care workers and residents alike, Payne said.

We have in Atlantic Canada the oldest population in the country, so that in itself poses a challenge, and then of course less health-care dollars from the federal government will also contribute to a funding crunch.

Shouldnt we be getting the same kinds of services in every province? Payne asked. If Nova Scotia is strapped for cash to be able to provide decent health care, does that mean we get lesser health care here than what you would get in a province like Alberta, which has more money?

Vancouver East MP Libby Davies said she hopes health care becomes a key issue during the federal election next year.

Stephen Harper has basically thumbed his nose and said, Well, I dont really care. You guys do what you want.

The fact that we now have a federal government that has basically washed its hands of health care is a really serious matter and I really hope that in the federal election ... it will be a vote-determining issue, she said.

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Workers' rights focus of health-care conference

Unifor gathering looks at challenges in public health care

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About 180 health-care workers from across the country gathered in Halifax on the weekend to discuss workers rights and the future of the public health system.

Hosted by Unifor, Canadas largest private-sector union, the conference aimed to highlight the challenges facing health care and rally the troops for the struggle ahead.

I think weve seen a steady erosion in the last 20 years of workers rights across the board, but also in particular those workers who are employed in the public sector, said Lana Payne, Unifors Atlantic director.

The 2004 Health Accord, an agreement between the federal and provincial governments that sets the terms for health-care funding and priorities, expired at the end of March. A new funding formula, to be implemented in 2017, could mean a drop of $150 million in health-care funding per year for Nova Scotia alone Payne said.

Both the lack of co-ordination between provinces, as well as the funding decrease, will spell trouble for health-care workers and residents alike, Payne said.

We have in Atlantic Canada the oldest population in the country, so that in itself poses a challenge, and then of course less health-care dollars from the federal government will also contribute to a funding crunch.

Shouldnt we be getting the same kinds of services in every province? Payne asked. If Nova Scotia is strapped for cash to be able to provide decent health care, does that mean we get lesser health care here than what you would get in a province like Alberta, which has more money?

Vancouver East MP Libby Davies said she hopes health care becomes a key issue during the federal election next year.

Stephen Harper has basically thumbed his nose and said, Well, I dont really care. You guys do what you want.

The fact that we now have a federal government that has basically washed its hands of health care is a really serious matter and I really hope that in the federal election ... it will be a vote-determining issue, she said.

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Unifor gathering looks at challenges in public health care

VA OKs more private health care for veterans

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By MATTHEW DALY

The Associated Press

Published: May 24, 2014

WASHINGTON More veterans are being allowed to obtain health care at private hospitals and clinics in an effort to improve their treatment following allegations of falsified records and delays in treatment.

In a statement issued Saturday, Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki also said VA facilities are enhancing capacity of their clinics so veterans can get care sooner. In cases where officials cannot expand capacity at VA centers, the Department of Veterans Affairs is "increasing the care we acquire in the community through non-VA care," Shinseki said.

Lawmakers from both parties have pressed for this policy change as the VA confronts allegations about treatment delays and falsified records at VA centers nationwide.

The department's inspector general says 26 VA facilities are under investigation, including the Phoenix VA hospital, where a former clinic director says as many as 40 veterans may have died will awaiting treatment.

Officials also are investigating claims that VA employees have falsified appointment records to cover up delays in care. An initial review of 17 people who died while awaiting appointments in Phoenix found that none of their deaths appeared to have been caused by delays in treatment.

The allegations have raised fresh concerns about the administration's management of a department that has been struggling to keep up with the influx of veterans returning home from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and Vietnam veterans needing more care as they age.

The directive announced Saturday should make it easier for veterans to get medical care at non-VA facilities, according to an agency spokeswoman.

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VA OKs more private health care for veterans

Lightning Strikes One World Trade Center (Freedom Tower) Twice | 05/23/14 – Video

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Lightning Strikes One World Trade Center (Freedom Tower) Twice | 05/23/14
Last night #39;s thunderstorm produced several lighting bolts that struck the now completed One Word Trade Center aka the Freedom Tower. We recorded this on an iphone (which you can see has trouble...

By: JRSFCP

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Lightning Strikes One World Trade Center (Freedom Tower) Twice | 05/23/14 - Video

Freedom Party falls to fourth place in election

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Far-right politician Geert Wilders: floundered in the wake of three solidly pro-Europe parties. Photograph: Michael Kooren

Geert Wilderss aim of positioning himself at the heart of a pan-European right-wing alliance lies in tatters this weekend after the Dutch electorate consigned his Freedom Party to fourth place in the European Parliament elections with fewer seats than he started out with.

Mr Wilders had characterised this election as a turning point for anti-EU and anti-immigrant parties across Europe, convinced that more than five years of austerity had turned the political tide in their favour. But he was left floundering in the wake of three solidly pro-Europe parties.

Sixty five per cent of the electorate stayed at home, so we cannot conclude from this result that the Netherlands has suddenly become more pro-Europe, he maintained, after three separate exit polls confirmed him not as a mould-breaking winner but as the elections biggest loser.

We will carry on fighting, for national sovereignty, for less immigration and for less of Brussels, he told supporters wearing shirts emblazoned with Wilders Akbar.

And we will continue to work with partners across Europe who share our views.

However, Andre Krouwel, one of the Netherlands leading political commentators, said the result would damage Mr Wilderss prospects of forming an alliance on an equal footing with French National Front leader Marine Le Pen.

His loyal followers didnt show up. They werent interested. That makes it hard for him to portray himself as a victor.

The results were supposed to remain secret until Sunday, but seconds after voting closed at 9pm on Thursday, the definitive exit poll by Ipsos for NOS TV showed the big winners were the centre-left D66 and the Christian Democrats, with 15.6 per cent and 15.2 per cent of the vote respectively.

Moments later, D66 leader Alexander Pechtold declared: Everyone had the opportunity to choose today and the Netherlands overwhelmingly chose Europe.

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Freedom Party falls to fourth place in election

Organizations Seek to Raise Awareness of Eugenics Reparations

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CHARLOTTE Some 43 years ago, Janice Black of Charlotte underwent a procedure that would prevent her from ever becoming a mother.

She's one of more than 7,000 people who either through force or coercion were sterilized as part of North Carolina Eugenics Board Program between 1929 and 1974.

They didn't really tell me what they really were doing, you know what I'm saying. All they really were saying was that they were taking me to the hospital, said Black, now 62.

Black was 18 in 1971 when she was deemed mentally retarded by the state. She then unknowingly signed a form allowing doctors to sterilize her. She's one of less than 200 estimated survivors of the eugenics program.

In 2013, state lawmakers passed legislation to compensate victims of the eugenics program. Victims and their families can file claims to receive their portion of $10 million set aside for them, but so far only about 400 have been filed.

The NC Civil Rights Commission will be in Charlotte in June to spread the word about that repayment. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg chapter of the NAACP is trying to help.

"When you do something to somebody, it's just inevitable that you should want to compensate them and give them something to show that you want to apologize, some form of reparation for hurting them, Rev. Kojo Nantambu of the NAACP said.

Janice Black said she's already filed to collect her repayment, but that any settlement money she gets won't begin to repair the damage done to her and other victims of eugenics.

Lawyers from the NC Civil Rights Commission will be at the Little Rock AME Zion Church at 401 N. Caldwell Street June 5 from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. to assist victims with filing their claims.

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Organizations Seek to Raise Awareness of Eugenics Reparations

Seabase.org Launches Website to Help Home Owners Save Money on Electricity Costs

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(PRWEB) May 24, 2014

Wind turbines have long been used by industries to contribute to energy generation and to lower energy costs. Cheap and powerful, wind turbines are becoming easier to install and maintain, making them a cost effect energy source for most industries. Due to the recent improvements in wind turbine technology, the benefits that can be derived from wind turbines can also now be had by homeowners, especially those who plan on taking their homes completely off the grid for a sustainable, eco-friendly lifestyle. Seabase.org launches a new website to help homeowners save money by offering for sale home wind turbine kits.

Why Wind Turbines?

Wind is everywhere and it does not cost anything, making it an ideal power source if consumers are only willing to spend for the upfront costs of installing a home wind turbine. A regular home system can easily generate enough power to support the appliances and lighting fixtures in a home, which can translate to considerable savings in power bills over time.

Home wind turbines harness wind power in order to generate electricity that consumers can use in lieu of grid power for the home. As the blades turn, they catch wind and the wind drives the blades around, which moves the turbine and generates power. In areas with strong wind speeds, more electricity is produced. Wind turbines come in two configurations, a building mount and a pole mount. Building-mounted turbines produce less power than pole mounted turbines, but they are cheaper to install since they can installed directly on the roof of any home.

Benefits of Installing Home Wind Turbines

There are so many benefits of installing wind turbines for the home, from reduced power bills to cleaner energy use. A few of the benefits that consumers can start enjoying include the following:

Lower power bills: Installed wind turbines can take care of power consumption for a majority of the appliances and lighting fixtures in the house. With a major portion of energy consumption addressed by another source, homeowners can expect lower power expenditures from the grid.

Added income stream: Consumers have the option of channelling excess wind turbine power back to the grid for reasonable compensation. The credit that they can get from the local power company may be enough to cover monthly power charges and for those who are living totally off the grid, can actually serve as a good passive and steady income stream. This is also a good way to recoup the total installation costs for the system.

Stored energy sources for windless days: Wind turbine energy can be stored in batteries to be used for windless days. This eliminates the need for generators and other forms of backup sources of power.

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Seabase.org Launches Website to Help Home Owners Save Money on Electricity Costs