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Bernie Sanders traveled to Nebraska this week to throw his support behind Omaha Democratic mayoral candidate, Heath Mello, who is running against the incumbent Republican mayor,Jean Stothert. A Mello win, Sanders has said, would give hope to other progressive Democrats in conservative states.

But Mellos progressive credentials are questionable at best.As a state senator, he co-sponsored a bill requiring that abortion providers tell women they can have an ultrasound first, and mandating that providers who use ultrasound display the image in a way women can see if they choose. He said it represented a positive first step to reducing the number of abortions in Nebraska.

As a populist, Sanders has built a political career protesting economic inequality and yet by campaigning for Mello, he has demonstrated a willingness to separate economic justice from reproductive justice. (So has Democratic National Committee Chair, Tom Perez, who is also helping to campaign for Mello and who has defended that decision, saying the job of the DNC is to help Democratic candidates win.) But abortion access is not just a medical issue, or even a social one; it is, at its core, also an economic concern. Heres why.

Raising children in the United States is expensive. Like, more than $230,000 per child(from birth to age 17) expensive. That includes food, transportation, housing, education (but not college), health care and child care. Oh, and daycare for babies is now more expensive than college tuition in most states.

Women in this country already face a well-documented motherhood financial penalty. Research shows, for example, that mothers are less likely to be hired for jobs and they are offered lower starting salaries when they are hired. (Men dont appear to be similarly disadvantaged by becoming dads, and might actually benefit from it, career-wise.)

Having a baby is the most expensive health event that families face during their childbearing years. At the same time, a lack of workplace supports for many women during this critical time means a woman may not have paid sick days for prenatal appointments or well-baby care, or paid family and medical leave to use after giving birth. Addressing all of these issues is central to achieving economic justice for women and families, said Sarah Lipton-Lubet, vice president of the National Partnership for Women & Families.

Roughly 60 percent of women who have abortions are already mothers, which means they understand these factors not in some abstract way, but both deeply and personally. In fact, economic concerns are a major reason why women chose to end pregnancies. Estimates suggest that between 40 and 75 percent of women seeking abortions do so for financial reasons.

The most common reason women give for wanting to terminate a pregnancy is that they feel that they cannot afford to have a baby or to have another baby, Diana Greene Foster, director of research with the University of California San Franciscos Advancing New Standards In Reproductive Health (ANSIRH) told The Huffington Post.

In the United States, roughly 5 percent of reproductive-age women have an unintended pregnancy each year, and those pregnancies disproportionately occur among low-income and poor women. In 2011, the unintended pregnancy rate among women living well below the federal poverty level around $18,000 for a family of three was five times higher than women living well above the federal poverty line.

Low-income women also struggle to afford abortion, particularly because the Hyde Amendment has long restricted Medicaid coverage for abortion care. Research shows that in order to come up with the money necessary for the procedure, women are forced to forgo food for themselves and their children, to miss rent payments and to sell off personal items.

When women are unable to get an abortion, they are more likely to be poor, less likely to work full time and more likely to receive public assistance, Foster said. And this has important consequences for their existing children and their ability to care for a new child.

Also, because two-thirds of the unplanned births in this country are paid for by public insurance programs, namely Medicaid, unintended pregnancies weigh on the economy as well.

That means that any line separating reproductive rights from economic concerns is an imaginary one. True progressives would do well to remember that.

CORRECTION:An earlier version of this story mischaracterized the bill Mello co-sponsored. It did not require women to have ultrasounds before abortions.

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Reminder To Progressives: Abortion Is An Economic Issue - Huffington Post

I dont recall ever nodding my head in agreement with anything Ive read in one of Mona Charens columns. Until today. Shes right that the left isnt supportive of science across the board (March for Science threatens our faith in science April 20). They are guilty of championing some science and disregarding or disputing other science, just as the right does.

Fortunately, I was able to regain my composure when she made this claim: Whether temperatures are rising dangerously is a scientific question. What to do about it is a political question. This is not exactly true. Very often, prior to getting into the politics of something like addressing global warming, we need science to help us figure out which solution will be most effective, not just to identify the problem. That was an unsettling moment, agreeing with Ms. Charen. I trust it wont happen again.

Jim Morris, Evanston

SEND LETTERS TO: letters@suntimes.com. Please include your neighborhood or hometown and a phone number for verification purposes.

Standing up for progressives

Wedont have march fatigue, and science does deserve all the interest and publicity that it can get. According to Mona Charen, Science must be purely the search for truth, and she is right. What is also true is that the Trump administration has politicized science by voicing alternative facts that suit their political agenda and donors.

They deny climate change and promote coal and other greenhouse gases. They cut the EPA budget so the agency can no longer function as a guardian of air and water quality. They are frightening people by touting vaccines as the cause of autism. They are slashing NIH budgets, which will limit basic scientific research and cause a brain drain in this country.

Charen charges that progressives cherry pick science, but that is the antithesis of the progressive ethos. That is why millions will be marching to honor science as purely the search for truth.

Carol Kraines, Deerfield

Check with Congress onmilitary actions

Im a Vietnam era Navy veteran; my brothers name is on the Vietnam Memorial Wall in D.C. and my son is currently an Army Sergeant with multiple deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. We all volunteered and fully believe in the oath we took when we did to support and defend the constitution against all enemies foreignand domestic.We have engaged in four undeclared wars in my lifetime, sacrificing thousands of lives and untold wealth.

With the current militarization of the White House and the inflammatory talk, Congress has remained silent. I truly fear for my country with this current atmosphere. Please no more! Follow the Constitution. Military action must have prior Congressional approval.

Greg Marshall, Oak Forest

No cash for kids, plenty for lights

Sorry, kids. Chicago does not have money for you, your teachers or your schools. But Chicago does have money for new lights and the countless other pet projects that our politicians want completed. One day, maybe the children really will make it on the priority list in this city.

Justin Nowak, Dunning

More here:
Progressives dismiss science when it doesn't suit them - Chicago Sun-Times

It was Easter weekend and the sun was shining, so Brandon Wick, co-organizer of the Camas Progressives political group, wasnt going to count his eggs before they hatched.

Sure, his political group had been gaining members over the past few months and had a good track record when it came to people showing up for events, rallies and demonstrations. But the rally in question was taking place the Saturday before Easter Sunday and the sun had finally broken through the clouds, so Wick wasnt 100 percent certain that his groups Tax Day rally would win out over things like family gatherings, yard work and just plain fun-in-the sun.

We may get 10, maybe 15 people, Wick said Friday afternoon, one day before the Camas Progressives planned Tax Day demonstration in east Vancouver where local activists would call on President Donald Trump to meet his campaign promise and make his taxes available to the public.

But Wick was in for a pleasant surprise instead of the 10 or so activists he expected, about two dozen people turned out for the demonstration at the 192nd Avenue and Mill Plain Boulevard intersection, and held their Show Your Taxes signs held high.

Its a good turnout, Wick said. Better than I expected.

Some people at the rally like David McDevitt, a political candidate with aspirations of unseating U.S. Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, a Republican, in the 2018 general election are well steeped in the political arena, but most of the folks who turned out for the Camas Progressives April 15 Tax Day rally, described themselves as political newcomers. Several said Trumps unexpected victory in November had pushed them out of their comfort zones.

I was not active before at all, said longtime Camas resident Adriana Vela. But after the election, there was this shock and realization that the American people are asleep at the wheel.

Instead of letting her shock and dismay overwhelm her, Vela decided to take action. She discovered the Camas Progressives group, went to a couple of meetings and, when asked to lead the group with Wick, jumped at the chance.

I wanted to lead by example, Vela said. Ive been told by people, You lost, get over it, but this isnt about my team losing an election, its about the future of our society and I am very concerned about the policies that (Trump) is trying to enact right now policies that will hurt women, minorities, the elderly.

Meeting with like-minded people, said Vela, has helped her cope with the initial shock she felt after the November election.

I heard someone say they were no longer going to accept the things they cannot change, but, instead, change the things they cannot accept, Vela said. Thats how I feel.

Wick, who moved from North Portland to Camas last year with his wife, Summer, and their 5-year-old daughter, agreed that, like Vela, he could not sit back after the November election and be OK with federal policies that could negatively affect his country and local community.

I was watching the election with my wife and just felt shell-shocked, Wick said, recalling Trumps surprise victory. I knew that my apathy toward politics was over.

In the months since the November election, Wick has tried to keep up with the daily news coming out of the federal administration as well as familiarize himself with local and regional politicians like U.S. Rep. Herrera Beutler, who represents Washingtons Third Congressional District, which includes Camas-Washougal residents.

Its becoming clear that the majority of Americans dont approve of this president, Wick said. And people want to get involved, they just dont know how.

The Camas Progressives group wants to attract those types of people, Wick said, and help them find a level of political activism that works best for their lives. The group takes its cues from the national Indivisible Project, a nonprofit formed by two former congressional staffers a few days after the November election to guide progressive activists on the best, tried-and-true tactics for making lasting political change.

Wick said the Camas Progressives group is not about shaming Republicans or people who support Trump. Instead, he said, the groups members want to accentuate what they consider positives Rep. Herrera Beutlers recent vote to not dismantle the Affordable Care Act, for instance and exert pressure on politicians when they make a move the group considers a move in the wrong direction.

As an example of the latter, Wick pointed to Herrera Beutlers lack of in-person town halls.

She hasnt done one in person for maybe six or seven months, Wick said. She is avoiding them.

Recently, Wick and Vela were able to meet with the congresswoman via a videoconference call. They asked Herrera Beutler very specific questions about her views on education and health care, but although the congresswoman seemed like a good person who was listening, Wick said, she wasnt easy to pin down on any one issue.

I think she is a very polished politician and she can be evasive, Wick said. But I do think we can find common ground and were going to need that.

Vela was more direct: I was very disappointed by (Herrera Beutler). I asked her if she would be voting on a Trump-Devos education budget and she said she believed in people having a choice. I said, Its great if they can afford a (school) choice, but what if they cant? Thats not a choice. Then I asked her a yes-or-no question would she demand ethical transparency at all levels of government and she said she couldnt comment. It was very disappointing.

With monthly meetups and several weekend events in the works, the Camas Progressives show no sign of slowing down. If anything, the group seems to be gaining momentum, making connections with other progressive movements in Southwest Washington, attracting political newcomers and, soon, training others who want to become more involved with local, regional, statewide and national politics including progressives who may want to run for political office someday.

Because progressives in Southwest Washington and throughout the nation are largely on the defense right now, Wick said, preventing burnout is important, and his group tries to find ways to stay positive and promote self-care among the members.

For me, I feel better when Im connecting with others and taking action, Wick said. Without that, its easy to feel powerless and stressed out.

For others who want to connect with progressives in the Camas-Washougal community, Wick encourages them to give the Camas Progressives group a chance.

I think people were shocked by what happened with this past election. I know I was, Wick said. But we have the opportunity to start bringing things back and to, hopefully, bring back a government that is truly reflective of the people.

The group will take part in several events in the Vancouver-Portland area over the next few weeks, including a Science March on Saturday, April 22 in Portland; a Climate March on Saturday, April 29 in Vancouver; and a town hall with or without Jaime Herrera Beutler from 6 to 8 p.m., Thursday, April 20, in the Foster Auditorium at Clark College, 1933 Fort Vancouver Way, Vancouver. The Clark County Progressives Coalition, a group that the Camas Progressives work with on regional events, will host a table at the Democracy Speaks event from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday, April 23, in the Columbia Room at the Vancouver Community Library, 901 C St., Vancouver.

To learn more about the Camas Progressives group, visit http://www.meetup.com/Camas-Progressives or look on Facebook under Camas Progressives.

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Camas progressives rally, forge ahead - Camas Washougal Post Record

Thirty-ninth Ward Democratic Committeeman Robert Murphy (l) and conservative talk radio host Joe Walsh View Full Caption

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CHICAGO A collective of progressive and Democratic Party groups will stage a protest outside a Republican fundraiser Friday featuring former congressman and provocative talk radio host Joe Walsh.

Set for 6:30 p.m. Friday at the headquarters of the Northwest Side GOP Clubat 6122 N. Milwaukee Ave., the We-Bellion Bash will charge $75 per person to boost the nascent political group's budget for bolstering Republican candidates at the local and state levels.

The fundraiser immediately caught the attention of the Gladstone Park Huddle, a local offshoot of the Women's March on Washington that meets bimonthly to discuss progressive organizing tactics, according to group co-founder Sonia Mozek.

"The event was described as an 'occupation to return power to the people,' so we thought we'd better show them that we're here too," Mozek said. "We want to show other progressives in the area that they're not alone that just because there's a big GOP banner hanging here, there are other progressives here who are supportive."

Independentof Mozek's group, 39th Ward Democratic Committeeman Robert Murphy has called on supporters to protest the fundraiser but his action is aimed squarely against Walsh, he said.

Elected to a west suburban U.S. House of Representatives district during the Tea Party wave of 2010 only to be unseated two years later byTammy Duckworth, Walsh has since gained popularity as the host of a conservative talk radio show airing in Chicago and New York.

He's also repeatedly made racially inflammatory comments, at one point saying on his radio show, "I have a dream that one day black America will cease their dependency on the government plantation, which has enslaved them to lives of poverty."

Similar statements are routinely posted to Walsh's Facebook page, with messages like "Islam wants Christians dead" and "If you are here illegally you are not an American."

Murphy hopes Friday's protest signals that his ward, which represents large Muslim and immigrant communities in neighborhoods like North Park and Mayfair, "is not fertile ground for this kind of hate speech and fear-mongering," he said.

"We want to call attention to the fact that the Republican Party in this part of the state is turning to this bigot as a spokesman, who's trying to divide and demean people" Murphy said. "They open an office in my ward saying they're going to create an alternative to the Democratic Party. Is Joe Walsh the alternative they're looking for?"

In response to the planned protest, Northwest Side GOP Club President Matt Podgorski wrote in an email that he's "kind of confused as to what they're protesting/demonstrating against."

"I am looking forward to an exciting grassroots night with friendly right-leaning neighbors," he added.

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'Bigot' Joe Walsh Does Not Speak For Us, Northwest Side Progressives Say - DNAinfo

Progressivisms dark heart

I look at my flag and can only mourn. Our brilliant founders and their stellar documents have been disdained, distorted and maligned by perverse enemies of God and country. These anti-American progressives are the enemy within.

Progressivism is a communist ideology. It is a regressive force that gave death to our honesty, integrity, morality, lawfulness and godliness.

It has robbed the people of its heritage and its God. It professes love as it hates and accuses the peaceful of hate. Its dark heart is loyal to its agenda alone. Results dont matter, for destruction is its goal.

Lies flow easily to keep the people in step. It has tolerance and freedom for itself only.

Progressives work swiftly and diligently to lure generations into their lair, unaware of the eternal destruction that awaits them all.

Elizabeth Hutchins

Bangor

Tax week is a good time to talk about tax fairness. The Republicans like to make a big deal about cutting taxes, and voters fall for that ploy every time. But tax cuts go disproportionately to the wealthy through loopholes and other tricks that we regular folks dont have because we dont make enough money.

The fact is that people who are working and middle class pay a higher percentage of their income overall to taxes than those who are wealthy. Even though the wealthy tax bracket on paper is higher, they manage to finagle their actual tax rate down to a rate lower than even lower middle-class people. Most of this is legal. Remember how Warren Buffett said his actual tax rate was lower than his secretarys because of all the tax breaks?

As Congress comes back to work on tax reform, the guiding principle should be tax fairness. Its not about tax cuts because you and I wont benefit that much from our puny slice. Tax reform is about tax fairness.

We need good old American fairness so that everyone pays their fair share. It means that this reform wont be for the benefit of people like the president and their heirs. The tax reform we desperately need is fair to working people, small-business owners, the poor, retirees, and the wealthy alike.

Contact Sens. Susan Collins and Angus King, your representative, and your state legislators to let them know you expect tax fairness at all levels. Everyone should play by the same rules and pay their fair share.

Linda Buckmaster

Belfast

I am an avid sports fan and enjoy the time it gives me away from my own issues. This past weekend, I watched an ESPN interview with retired Lakers great Kobe Bryant. The commentators asked Bryant, What is it like being back in civilian life? Bryant answered the question in a professional manner, and this commentary is by no means directed toward him.

I come from a family of veterans who have served this country, police officers who have served the communities in which we have lived, and I am one myself. I have friends who have served and suffered in their service. I myself am dealing with my difficulties in the things that I have witnessed.

Someone returning to civilian life is someone who has served in uniform and put his or her life on the line. For us, it is an extremely difficult transition back to civilian life.

To take a sports figure, and granted an extremely talented one, and ask what it is to return to civilian life to me is not only an insult, but a disgrace. I hold no ill will toward Bryant or any of the sports figures out there. This is directed toward the commentators, the media and the people in charge with their indiscretion and ignorance in this regard. These people know who theyre interviewing and the questions they are asking. To equate someone who is making millions of dollars to play a game to someone who has to see and do and deal with things that no one would want is disturbing to me.

I have the utmost respect for most sports figures out there, but I would never compare them to those who serve and protect us.

Robert Mullins

Shirley

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Saturday, April 22, 2017: The dark heart of progressives, make the tax code fair, sports commentators show ignorance - Bangor Daily News