The Philippine American Los Angeles Democrats (PALAD) is eager to turn over the reins to younger folks; new, young energy is needed. Details of an upcoming meeting about this are below:

 

PHILIPPINE AMERICAN LOS ANGELES DEMOCRATS (PALAD)

MEMBERSHIP MEETING

Sunday, May 25, 2008, 2:00 p.m.

 

Bahay Kubo Natin Restaurant

2330 West Temple Street

Los Angeles, CA 90026-4948

 

Plans will be made for election of officers, PALAD’s participation in the presidential campaign and to put our club back on the map. Please RSVP to haru@ironlotus.org

 

The things we do to each other based on ‘race’ — the shallowest way to tell each other apart. This day has been a hectic, tense and disheartening. As a person of color, there are no words in any language that can describe with precision how intensely I feel about the absurdity of racial hate. The rationale for racism has to be beyond reason.

– Why are some White people so hateful of colored people?  Really, what is their good reason? What about dark skin still compels some today to hate?

One news report I recently read about the overt racism faced by Obama volunteers in Indiana will make you ask the same: 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/12/AR2008051203014.html

As I’ve said elsewhere, most recently in response to a comment by whymyvotedoesn’tcount, the decent thing to do is often what is least favorable, often that which is contrary to my interests as a colored person — and that is to take the higher ground and respect a bigot’s right to free speech. 

Obama’s campaign is essentially choosing this difficult road. While itself absurd, what is, after all, a better way?

Create then compete: R. Bong Vergara

 

Dear friends,

 

Please consider supporting my good friend and Cerritos native son Mark Pulido in his campaign for the Cerritos City Council.  Election Day is coming up fast on Tuesday, June 3. 

 

There are two fundraising events coming up this weekend on Fri Apr 25 and Sun Apr 27. Please see attached flyers. For subsequent fundraisers, please visit his official campaign website below. The goal is to raise $75,000 to cover outreach and GOTV work. Together we can do this!!! 

 

Mark’s campaign website is http://www.markpulido.com. Dig deeper for more info.  There is no better way to celebrate Philippine Independence Day this coming June than to campaign and vote for Mark Pulido. Lesdudis!!! 

 

For April fundraising flyers click here

 

red-mango-event-flyer1

 

arte-cafe-event-flyer1

 

 

For May fundraising events, see below:

 

Monday, May 12, 2008
6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Empress Pavilion
988 N. Hill Street, Los Angeles, California 90012 (located in the Chinatown Bamboo Plaza)

Please RSVP by contacting Trisha Murakawa, (310) 376-2236 or trisham@aol.com

 

Why did the chicken cross the road? That depends on who you ask … In the spirit of the circus that is the 2008 Presidential election year, find below a list of likely responses from our leaders. Enjoy this attempt at political humor inspired by an email sent to me this week.

 

 

JOHN MC CAIN
My friends, don’t listen to the liberals. I’m told by our latest intelligence that that chicken crossed the road to steal jobs from decent, hardworking Americans.

 

HILLARY CLINTON
Under great physical risk of being run-over by a speeding tank in very heavy traffic and driven by drunk driver, I personally helped the chicken cross the road, which was actually a six-lane highway. I held that chicken by its right wing (wink-wink) and dashed across to the other side, where I helped it lay a dozen brand new eggs with my bare hands. This experience makes me uniquely qualified from Day One!

 

BARACK OBAMA
Two hundred and twenty one years ago, in a hall that still stands across the street, a group of chickens gathered and, with that simple act of crossing the road, launched America’s improbable experiment in democracy. They were farmers and scholars; statesmen and patriots who had traveled across an ocean to escape tyranny and persecution!  

 

G. W. BUSH
“I’m often times asked, Why the chicken crossed to road? The answer means a lot. It means a lot morally, it means a lot from a — it’s in our national interest.”

 

“The real question is, who ought to make that decision to cross the road? The Congress or the commanders? And as you know, my position is clear — I’m a commander guy.”

 

“Simple — to find the best way to defeat the totalitarianism of hate, which is with an ideology of hope — an ideology of hate — excuse me –with an ideology of hope.”

 

Create then compete: R. Bong Vergara

 

MEDIA CONTACT: Naomi T. Tacuyan / 202.460.2644 / Naomi@apiavote.org

 

APIAVOTE TO HOST HISTORIC PRESIDENTIAL TOWN HALL:

PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES INVITED TO DISCUSS ASIAN AMERICAN AND PACIFIC ISLANDER (AAPI) ISSUES

 

IRVINE, CA—Over 2,500 AAPIs nationwide will attend the first ever APIAVote Presidential Town Hall on May 17^th. APIAVote has invited Senator Hillary Clinton, Senator Barack Obama, and Senator John McCain to discuss issues and policies important to AAPI communities.

 

WHAT:                     First Asian American Pacific Islander Presidential Town Hall

Hosted by: Asian Pacific Islander American Vote (APIAVote), in conjunction with the 9^th Annual Convention of the National Coalition for Asian Pacific American Community Development (National CAPACD).

 

WHY:                       To provide an unprecedented opportunity for presidential candidates Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, and John McCain to discuss their views, positions, and proposals on issues affecting AAPIs.

 

WHEN:     Saturday, May 17, 2008, 3:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

               

WHERE:   Bren Events Center, University of California at Irvine

                                Mesa Road and West Peltason Drive, Irvine, CA 92617

                                *Simulcast in selected cities and venues. Please see website for updates.

                               

WHO:                       (INVITED) Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY), Senator Barack Obama (D-IL), Senator John McCain (R-AZ)

 

AAPIs are the fastest growing minority in the country. With more than 14.4 million Asian Americans and approximately 1 million Pacific Islanders, AAPIs make up more than 5% of the U.S. population. AAPIs are concentrated in Hawaii, California, Washington, New Jersey, Illinois, and New York, and also within the metro regions of Nevada, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Ohio, Massachusetts, and Louisiana. AAPIs can make possible powerful voting blocs if harnessed and courted. Nationally, nearly 7 million AAPIs are eligible to vote, and over half are registered, an increase from a 30% registration rate from 1998. Nearly 3 million AAPIs voted in the 2004 elections.

 

APIAVote is a national non-partisan, nonprofit organization that encourages and promotes civic participation of Asian Pacific Islander Americans in the electoral and public policy processes at the national, state, and local levels. Please visit http://www.apiavote.org for more information. National CAPACD is the first national advocacy organization dedicated to addressing the community development, organizing, and advocacy needs of the diverse and rapidly growing AAPI communities nationwide. Please visit www.nationalcapacd.org for more information.

 

The first and largest Filipino library in the country continues to share Filipino children’s books to families around Greater Los Angeles.  Through its new Children’s Reading Program and with the co-sponsorship of the County of Los Angeles Public Library, the Filipino American Library (FAL) will have its next two events on Saturday, May 31 at Carson Regional Library (151 E. Carson St.) and Saturday, June 7 at Artesia Library (18722 S. Clarkdale Ave.)  They will both be held from 2:00-4:00pm and are recommended for children ages 5-10.  To RSVP for these free events, please contact filamlibrary@sbcglobal.net or 213-382-0488.

 

The FAL Children’s Reading Program promotes the value of diversity to children in Greater Los Angeles through the reading of Filipino children’s books.  The May 31 event in Carson will feature the Filipino folktale The Monkey and the Turtle and the June 7 event in Artesia will highlight the theme of “handing down through generations.”  Admission is free and donations are accepted.  Snacks and drinks will be provided.  The program is coordinated by Celeste B. Diaz, the FAL Children’s Librarian, and funded by grants from Wal-Mart and Citigroup Foundation.

 

Founded on October 13, 1985 by “Auntie Helen” Agcaoili Summers Brown, FAL is the first and largest Filipino library in the country with a collection of more than 6,000 titles.  Its mission is to actively promote the history, culture, and professional achievements of Filipinos and Filipino Americans through the book collection, leadership development, and cultural programming, thereby contributing to the achievement of a culturally dynamic, multiethnic America.

 

Given that FAL primarily survives on individual donations and one major annual fundraiser, we hope we can rely on your financial support so we can continue our programs and services throughout the year.  Please feel free to donate online at www.filipinoamericanlibrary.org.  If you would like to send a check, please make it payable to “Filipino American Library” and mail it to 135 N. Park View St., Los Angeles, CA  90026.  All donations are 100% tax-deductible.

 

FAL is a division of the Filipino American Heritage Institute (Nonprofit Tax ID Number 95-4282571).  It is open Mondays-Fridays 1:00-5:00pm and by appointment.  For more information, please contact Jonathan Lorenzo, the FAL Administrator, at 213-382-0488 or filamlibrary@sbcglobal.net. 

 

(If you would like pictures to include for publication, please contact Jonathan Lorenzo.)

 

JONATHAN LORENZO
Administrator
Filipino American Library (FAL)

     c/o Filipino American Service Group Inc

   135 N. Park View St.

     Historic Filipinotown
     Los Angeles, CA  90026-5215
Tel: 213-382-0488
Fax: 213-382-0478

Email: filamlibrary@sbcglobal.net

Donate Online: www.filipinoamericanlibrary.org

 

 

As the call for Clinton to end her campaign picks up momentum, some of her supporters choose to characterize the attacks on her as gender bias. Misoginy, they yell loudly. They lament that even today, there is a great divide along gender lines, and that Clinton-the-feminist-leader is its latest victim. There is likely some truth to this; after all, as is the case with many marginalized groups in U.S. society, women still have significant social justice real estate to gain.  

 

But if we must be probing – more importantly, if we must be honest – in thinking about where Clinton failed, we cannot limit our analysis to the larger gender bias at play. More to the point, we cannot dismiss the argument that she did this to herself. We cannot dismiss the grave miscalculations her campaign has made — and continues to make — about the 21st century U.S. electorate. Most recently, HRC’s comment about Obama not capturing the support of “hard working whites” has inspired a new round of attacks from all sides. Angry emails sent to superdelegates by Clinton supporters threatening defecting if Obama got the nomination have also made things even more ugly all around.

 

Is this the behavior of a stateswoman? Is this the behavior of a feminist leader?  As a member of this 21st century U.S. electorate, I speak from the heart to HRC handlers when I say:

 

I am not awed by tough talk, not impressed by aggression. I am not moved by negative electioneering. I will not be manipulated by spin. I am not a single-issue, single-service voter. I am not a passive consumer of information. I do not subscribe to divisiveness, however feminist.

 

I submit that HRC has not only failed in her campaign for the Democratic nomination but also in promoting the key ideals of feminism: fairness, commitment to social justice, genuine empowerment. Further, I argue that she has tainted feminism with her brutish, egomaniac demeanor.

 

Her bigoted and divisive comments in the campaign trail have betrayed the goal of feminism for social and political change — of widening and deepening citizen engagement in the political process to faciliate real change. Instead of cultivating idealism, she planted cynicism. Instead of inspiring honest dialogue about social justice, she championed hypocrisy and fear-mongering. Instead of leading with dignity, she led with egotism, arrogance and the same naked sense of entitlement that she and her supporters claim of combating in men.

 

One immigrant woman sums up what I think is so wrong about HRC’s failed campaign:

 

“She has hurt the cause of women for choosing, unwisely, to fight in the gutter and filth of the old-style politics of white men. She has turned out to be rather self-centered and blindly ambitious. These are not qualities I appreciate in a man or a woman.”

 

See a related post below where Executive Editor of the Nation, Betsy Reed, examines the debate raging within the feminist community regarding the Hillary Campaign:

 

Betsy Reed:  How Hillary Clinton’s Campaign Played the Race Card—and Drove a Wedge into the Feminist Movement

http://www.burningcane.org/2008/05/betsy-reed-how-hillary-clintons.html

 

 

Create then compete: R. Bong Vergara

Clinton is a conservative hack posing as a leader of the political Left whose operatives are old-style politicos unable to match Obama’s true 21st century campaign.

Given the desperate atmosphere pervading the Clinton campaign and its clear relative inability to reach thinking people and the young, I suspect there are quite a few of her campaign operatives masquerading as authentic bloggers just to crowd the blogosphere with the Clinton message, and compete with the growing community of bloggers rooting for Obama. 

I’ve been getting a couple of views from such ‘blogger poseurs’ lately.  What a sham … and what a shame.

As a new generation of voters — of citizens, really – is revealed on the political stage that is the 2008 presidential election, the Clinton brand of politicians is diminishing its shine, like a Ford automobile that is out of step with the needs of the present and too backward to set the tone for what is modern. Clinton and Democrats who choose to manufacture their stance based on old designs, are done.

Obama and more multicultural, hybrid Democrats who are unafraid to distinguish themselves from moderate Republicans cannot be defeated, subverted, denied their long-awaited role on the political stage.

Here, here to a new age for the US and the rest of the waiting world.

 

Create then compete: R. Bong Vergara

Clinton’s much paraded viability as a candidate is disgusting not because she does not have my support, but because it is manufactured by exactly the campaign impulse I feared when I first posted my very first blog: voter manipulation.

Mainstream media — ABC, CNN, FOX, even NYTimes — are tripping over themselves in drumming up support for Clinton by publishing/highlighting every single spin on her viability/electability, despite the factual reality of her faltering campaign.

What a shame. It is lamentable that this charade of Clinton-as-viable-nominee must go on and the media, whom in theory ought to have our back — who ought to exist in opposition to the ‘establishment’ – is in on it. Communities least able to sift through the Clinton/big Media trash will be most manipulated. And once again, the fat elite will win. 

At some point, we need to turn the page and move on.

The current food crisis in Asia, particularly in the Philippines, is symptomatic of a largely unfinished development agenda resulting from a largely unaccountable elite and an anti-intellectual ’people’ leadership.

Philippines, for example, has had the worst leaders in decades. And the legacy of their incompetence continues to bring crises to her doors. Think of the US having a president like Bush (43 not 41), not for eight years, but instead for 100 years, and counting. Since that fateful day when local anti-Spain revolutionaries yielded to Americans in 1898, the interests of the Philippine nation has not fallen on competent, trustworthy hands; they have, instead, landed on the lap of the same elite that remains conservative about genuine change and suspicious of true people empowerment.

 

The tight grip of the elite on the Philippine and regional economy is the true source of continued public suffering. And there are no easy answers as to how to compel the elite to unhand itself of the economy. The elite has too much power at its disposal to be compelled by regulation, government is too beholden to special interests to stand for public welfare, and the public is largely too preoccupied with its subsistence to truly care in the numbers required in order for the elite and the government to change their ways.

 

Against this backdrop, how have the people reacted but with the same intellectual laziness that has kept them at the bottom: armed upheaval, destabilization, lack of follow-through, self-destruction. There must be a new way. To remain fixed on these same broken strategies is not only stupid it is ahistoric leadership. The 1986 People Power succeeded in large part because of the apparent lack of violence – compelling decent individuals to take notice and give support. Why it failed is because of lack of follow-through, lack of discipline on the part of the enlightened to stay the course and lack of imagination from everyone on how to re-create a new society with actionable programs for the public welfare.

 

The hope lies in not losing sight of the ideal: a nation and a region that is prosperous for all, not just for a few. It lies in a development agenda that is:

1)       generated by true consultation with segments of the nation, not by a decree from the top

2)       guided by a true regard for the welfare of future generations

3)       founded on ways to maximize the productivity of every citizen

4)       actionable and measurable in the immediate-term, not just mid-term and long-term

5)       open to making new leaders, instead of protecting the old circles of leadership  

 

Each possibility in making this ideal manifest is a fair attempt at pursuing change. Asia’s — and the Philippines’ – economic inequality is a result of a catastrophic failure of leadership: a greedy elite and a passive population. The economic inequality in Asia is nobody’s fault; more precisely, it is everybody’s. For too long, the rhetoric of genuine economic and social change has largely bankrupted the material, natural and human capital resources of the region.

Therefore, the solution must be in sowing better seeds of leadership so that the elite may be more selfless, and the public, more creative, more self-assured.  The way to achieve both is by committing to two things: 1) self-reliance and 2) continuous self-improvement so we may breed people better than us, deeper in thought, more broad-minded, more creative, more successful in optimizing self-rule.

 

Create then compete: R. Bong Vergara

ADB: A billion Asians at risk from soaring food prices

Agence France-Presse
May 6, 2008

MADRID - The head of the Asian Development Bank called on Monday for an “immediate response” to soaring food prices which he said threatened a billion Asians with a risk of malnutrition.

The head of the bank, Haruhiko Kuroda, also warned that the food problem could cut into decades of economic gains in the Asia-Pacific region.

“These are troubling times for the world economy. On the heels of turmoil in the financial markets and economic slowdown in the US and elsewhere, soaring food prices are hitting the poor very hard,” he said in an inaugural speech to the ADB’s board of governors meeting in Madrid.

“This price surge has a stark human dimension and has greatly affected over a billion people in Asia and the Pacific alone. Their purchasing power has been eroded placing them at a greater risk of hunger and malnutrition.”

He said the stocks of food grains were at the lowest levels for decades.

Reduced supplies and increased demand along with the sharp depreciation of the US dollar and trade restrictions by some countries have combined to cause the price surge in recent months, the ADB president said.

“The focus must now be on the soaring prices, and our immediate response,” he said.

He called for “prudent macroeconomic management” along with targeted income support to protect food entitlements and livelihoods of the most vulnerable.

“The absence of such measures could seriously undermine the global fight against poverty and erode the gains of the past decades,” he said.

“The ADB is prepared to respond with immediate financial assistance to relieve fiscal pressure on affected countries,” Kuroda said.

Prices for the benchmark Thai variety of rice, a food stable across much of Asia, are at about 1,000 dollars a ton, up threefold from the last ADB annual meeting in Japan one year ago.

The jump in food prices is fuelling inflation globally and the ADB predicted it would hit 5.1 percent across Asia this year, its highest level since the Asian financial crisis a decade ago and is raising concerns of popular unrest.

Asian nations will see their fiscal deficits worsen because of the need to provide subsidies to offset rising food and energy costs for the poor, the ADB said in a report issued at the gathering.

The problem will be more severe in countries that already have a large deficit like Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, it said.

World Bank President Robert Zoellick has estimated that high food prices seriously affect about two billion people across the world and threaten to push 100 million poor people further into poverty.

Posted upon the request of reader pinoyHP. You can find out more and thank this reader by visiting http://www.FilipinoHealthPlan.com or by sending an email to pinoyHP@usa.com

Is there really a Filipino health care crisis?

If you’re one of the 700,000 Filipino families living without medical benefits, the answer is probably YES.

Results of an on-line study conducted by the nat’l health benefits survey group indicate a staggering 41% of Filipino families in the USA lack health insurance, and as many as 87% have no dental insurance.

The impact is widespread financially as uninsured Pinoys average paying from 50% to 200% more for health care services than insured Filipino Americans.

Of 9667 Filipino s participating in the poll, 51% said they have not seen a doctor in 3 or more years, and 73% say the single biggest reason for skipping medical appointments was the high cost of medical care.

While 19.27% surveyed said they do have health insurance, limits with their plan make it difficult to pay an expensive monthly premium and meet the out of pocket requirement when they see a doctor.

According to experts, the numbers in this poll are not uncommon.

In an age when nearly 47 million Americans are uninsured, and health insurance premiums are $500 to $1000 per month, it’s no wonder such a large percentage of people cite high cost as the greatest problem they face with their medical care.

But you may be surprised to learn the leading cause of bankruptcy filings is not over spending or living the good life, it’s unpaid medical bills.

With some 80 million Americans either uninsured or under insured, all it takes is one medical emergency to wipe out everything you have worked a lifetime to achieve.

But it doesn’t have to be that way. If you’re patient and do your homework, you really can get the benefits you need at an affordable price.

So where do you start?

First step is to educate yourself. The internet is full of free resources and is a perfect place to compile readily available information. Two web sites of particular interest are:

http://www.filipinohealthplan.com
http://www.ustreas.gov/press/releases/hp209.htm

Second, weigh your options. Establish a ‘true cost / use factor’ to help you determine whether it’s the ‘ABC benefits plan’ or the ‘XYZ plan’ that meets your individual needs.

Third, if you need a little help, call in an independent expert. Insurance agents sell insurance and have commission on the line.

Your friendly local agent is knowledgeable, but when her paycheck is in the equation, odds are you may not receive non-biased advice. So stick with an independent advisor.

And last, don’t risk it. Protect the ones you love. Do your homework and get a health benefits plan. The hospitals and bankruptcy courts are full of ill-prepared people who were positive bad things always happen to someone else, but not them.

For peace of mind, there’s not a Filipino health care crisis in America.
There is, however, an ‘access to health care’ crisis.

Many experts feel we need national reform. But until that day comes, it’s up to us, you and me both, to make wise decisions about our health and how we protect the well being of our families.

Choose wisely and you will avoid being just another statistic.

 

Don’t miss this ! Set your DVRs and Tivos:

 

“ Little Manila: in California’s Heartland” documentary will be shown by KVIE, Channel 6 on Wednesday, May 28th at 7:00 pm.

 

San Francisco Bay area

KQED Channel 9 and KTEH 54 on Sunday May 4 at 1:30 PM

 

New York

WNET Channel 13 on Sunday May 4, at 7:00 PM

 

Los Angeles

KLCS Channel 58 on May 1st at 11:00 PM

 

Boston

WGBH channel 2 on Friday May 30, at 7:00 PM

Saturday May 31, at 12:00 :PM

Saturday May 31 at 8:00 AM, 2:00PM

 

    

For more Filipino American history and/or to take part in recording your community’s history, contact the Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS). Click here http://www.fanhs-national.org/

 

Speaking of diabetes among Filipinos … eating too much of a good thing — in this case rice — may be one of the culprits.  No doubt, this will not change with a brand new organic rice being promoted, the Doña Maria Premium Rice. If it can be produced cheaply because it is grown locally, it may help feed the multitude of Filipinos for generations to come. Read more below.

 

 

Doña Maria Premium Rice: An Emerging Filipino Brand

 

Source: Manila Bulletin Online http://www.mb.com.ph/BSNS20080430123028.html

 

Being in a country where rice is the staple and where news of a looming rice crisis has become a national concern, a Filipino rice brand promises to offer not only quality grains but also the benefits of naturally-cultivated hybrid rice.

 

Considered one of the best in the market today, Doña Maria Premium Rice offers three variants developed naturally through proven rice technology and practices pioneered by SL Agritech to give the public new ways to enjoy hybrid grains that are not genetically modified.

 

Through the continued advancement of its rice processing, SL Agritech began promulgating its own hybrid rice seeds and cultivating its harvest in its private rice technology farm in Laguna, ensuring the high quality of its grains packaged into the brand variants.

 

“The Doña Maria brand is the result of years of hard work and dedication, with SL Agritech employing proven and time-honored agricultural techniques to successfully combine the best features of the world’s most-recognized premium rice variants,” stated Henry Lim, SL Agritech Chief Executive Officer, who had named the brand in honor of his mother.

 

Lim explained that the Doña Maria Jasponica Rice combines the fragrant aroma of Jasmine Rice and the excellent eating quality of Japanese rice. When cooked, the grains achieve a soft, sticky and chewy texture enhanced further by its aroma.

 

Doña Maria Jasponica Brown Rice, on the other hand, offers the healthy benefits of brown rice to the Jasmine-Japanese rice mix. High in fiber with no cholesterol and fully-flavored by the natural nutty texture of brown rice, the variant is the perfect alternative for health-conscious, rice-loving Filipino families.

 

Not to be outdone, the Doña Maria Miponica Rice is a combination of the clear, translucent, long and slender grain quality of Milagrosa and the exceptional eating quality of Japanese rice. Fluffy and sticky with a pleasant, delicious aroma, Miponica Rice is easy to cook and stays soft throughout.

 

Lim also revealed that aside from its Laguna farm, the company also regularly taps farmers in Nueva Ecija and other parts of Luzon to grow the variants

 

“We recognize the role of our farmers as our partners in helping build up a sustainable, yearly harvest of hybrid rice. That is why aside from providing them with our seeds; we also invest in educating them on modern rice farming techniques to help them benefit more from our hybrid rice,” said Lim.

 

Aside from its adherence to product quality, Lim also stressed Doña Maria’s goal of making premium rice more affordable for the common consumer. All three variants come in two, five, 10 and 25-kilo packs.

 

Currently, the Doña Maria brand can be found in most major supermarkets and rice retailers in Metro Manila. Future plans of the pioneering rice producer include expanding its distribution to the provinces and other countries around the world.

 

For inquiries, log on to www.sl-agritech.com.

 

I hope you will find this information equally interesting …

 

 

The UCLA Center for Health Policy Research has just released a study that links the risk for obesity or diabetes to where people live. The key finding: people living in neighborhoods crowded with fast-food and convenience stores but relatively few grocery or produce outlets are at significantly higher risk of suffering from obesity and diabetes (Click here for more info http://www.healthpolicy.ucla.edu/pubs/files/Designed_for_Disease_PB_042908.pdf).

 

Very little Filipino-specific data on diabetes and obesity are widely available, but those that exist show that FIlipino Americans look more similar to Blacks than they do Whites when it comes to the number of people with hypertension and diabetes (Click here for more info http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/407432_4).

  

According to one non-governmental group, there is a diabetes crisis in the Philippines (http://www.operationdiabetes.com/crisis.htm). See below the alarming figures:

10th
The Philippines ranks 10th among countries with the highest diabetes incidence worldwide.

6 Million
Estimated number of Filipinos who know they have diabetes.

another 6 Million
Estimated number of Filipinos who have diabetes but do not know they have it. Health experts believe many more have impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and are prone to diabetes.

 

* Image from morphizm.com

 

                                                                                                                                           

SENATE PASSES VETERANS BENEFITS ENHANCEMENT ACT OF 2007

Comprehensive bill expands support for disabled veterans, job training,

and provides historic Filipino veterans equity

 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Daniel K. Akaka (D-HI), Chairman of the Veterans’ Affairs Committee, elatedly applauded his colleagues in the Senate for passing S. 1315, the Veterans Benefits Enhancement Act of 2007 by a vote of 96 to 1.  Prior to voting on final passage of the bill, the Senate debated an amendment to remove a provision providing a limited pension for Filipino World War II veterans residing in the Philippines.  This amendment was defeated by a vote of 56 to 41, with Akaka leading the charge for the Filipino veterans’ pension.    

 

“The Filipino veterans of World War II fought bravely under U.S. military command, helping us win the war only to lose their veteran status by an Act of Congress.  I commend my colleagues for supporting those veterans who stood with us,” said Akaka. 

 

Akaka continued, “I am also very pleased that the Veterans Benefits Enhancement Act of 2007 can finally move forward.  This bill makes needed improvements to veterans’ benefits by expanding and increasing support for veterans, their families, and their survivors.  I urge my colleagues in the House to act swiftly on this much needed bill.”

 

This comprehensive, budget-neutral omnibus veterans’ benefits bill was approved by the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs last June and reported to the full Senate last August. 

 

The Veterans Benefits Enhancement Act of 2007 would provide a veterans’ pension to Filipino veterans of World War II residing in the U.S. and in the Philippines.  Under the proposed bill, veterans residing in the Philippines would receive a smaller pension than those residing in the U.S., to account for differences in cost-of-living in the two countries.

 

The Veterans Benefits Enhancement Act of 2007 also includes a multitude of improvements to veterans’ benefits, including provisions to:

 

1) Establish a new program of insurance for service-connected disabled veterans;

2) Expand eligibility for retroactive benefits from traumatic injury protection coverage under Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance;

3) Increase the maximum amount of Veterans’ Mortgage Life Insurance that a service-connected disabled veteran may purchase;

4) Provide individuals with severe burn injuries specially adapted housing benefits; and

5) Extend for two years the monthly educational assistance allowance for apprenticeship or other on-the-job training

 

The bill now moves to the House of Representatives.

 

  

“As far as history goes and all of these quotes about people trying to guess what the history of the Bush administration is going to be, you know, I take great comfort in knowing that they don’t know what they are talking about, because history takes a long time for us to reach.”— George W. Bush, Fox News Sunday, Feb10, 2008

  

Spoken like a clown … The NY Times a while back solicited reader opinion on the Bush years (see article below).  If the page is no longer active, feel free to post your opinion — your grade or personal story — of the Bush years here on this blog, instead. If the link is still active, please add yours; mine is #111 (see “Comment” below).

 

There are those who will likely compare him to Millard Fillmore, James Buchanan, Andrew Johnson, and Franklin Pierce, also former U.S. presidents whom some regard to be the worst of the presidential worst. Will Bush come in dead last?

 

While I have low admiration for Bush 43, my blog is not hostile to those who support the man. So don’t feel censored if you like him. Feel free to post your side of the story; I encourage you to do so.

 

… But if you support this catastrophic dumb-ass, you must know that you are dumber than he is!!!

 

 

The Bush Presidency: The Historians (Start to) Weigh In

By The NY Times Editorial Board  http://theboard.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/04/14/the-bush-presidency-the-historians-start-to-weigh-in/

 

The nonprofit History News Network is reporting that in an informal survey of 109 historians, 98.2 percent considered President George W. Bush’s presidency to be a failure, while 1.8 percent called it a success.

 

On the question of whether he is the worst president in history, there was greater difference of opinion: 61 percent said he was, while others disagreed or are withholding their opinions. (The survey also made clear that James Buchanan has some work to do rehabilitating his whole catapulted-the-nation-into-Civil-War reputation.)

 

We take most unscientific surveys with a large grain of salt, and this certainly falls into that category. On the other hand, we like the idea of historians starting to think about the George W. Bush presidency, and how it fits into larger patterns of American history.

 

We’d be interested in knowing more about the 1.8 percent of historians who regard this presidency as a success.

 

Given the disastrous Iraq War, the sub-prime mortgage meltdown, the economy hurtling toward recession, the huge budget deficits, the plummeting dollar — to name just a few problems — these historians sound a lot like the 20 percent of dentists who don’t recommend sugarless gum for their patients who chew gum.

At 12:00 PM EST today, April 22, 2008,  the US Senate will take a vote to proceed to debate S.1315 the Veterans Benefits Enhancement Act. Below is a link to a short video clip of Senator Reid speaking in favor of the Filipino veterans provision.

 http://democrats.senate.gov/dpc/dpc-video.cfm?vid=042108reid-2

Friends,

Senator Burr and Senator Craig both just spoken out AGAINST the veterans.  LET THEM KNOW THIS IS NOT OK!!  There are 30 hrs of debate available.

Senator Burr’s phone number is 202-224-3154

Senator Craig’s phone number is 202-224-2752

 

Call the Capitol Switchboard at (202)224.3121 or check online directory at
 http://www.congress.org/congressorg/directory/congdir.tt
 
Or log on to http://www.veteransequitycenter.org/legislative.htm to find list of Senators and their corresponding fax number and contact information.
 
MESSAGE SHOULD BE:

“I urge you to support  our Filipino World War II veterans and to vote in favor of S. 1315 Veterans Benefit Enhancement Act.  Yes on S.1315 as is.- oppose amendements to the bill.”

 

Dear Senator ________________,
 
 I urge you to support our Filipino World War II veterans and to vote in favor of S. 1315 Veterans Benefit Enhancement Act.
 
We must correct the grave injustice done to Filipino veterans when they were divested of their rightful US veteran status.
On July 26, 1941 when the Philippines was a colony of the United States, President Roosevelt issued a military order calling all organized military forces of the government of the Philippines into the service of the Armed Forces of the United States.

 

The Filipino veterans are those individuals who responded to the call of President Roosevelt and served under the U.S Armed Forces during World War II. They fought as American nationals under the American flag and under the direction of the US military leaders.

These veterans have been waiting for far too long.  Let us not forget these heroes.  Support cloture on the motion to proceed and VOTE YES ON  S. 1315.
 
Sincerely, __________________________
 
Name
ADRESS

We will hear the loud and incessant barking of ‘attack ads’ very soon as the fight between Clinton and Obama remains close (despite the nearing Democratic Party convention) and as we approach the inevitable battle between the Republicans and Democrats for the Presidency.

 

But this is not what motivates me to speak up. What does motivate me is what bothers me – and that is the likely manipulation of Asian Pacific Islander (API) and Filipino American voters as these ‘attack ads’ run with far more frequency between now and November.

  

Absent fact-checkers, especially for API and Filipino American communities whose ethnic media cannot mount the needed resources to unpack the truthfulness of the ‘attack ads’ to come, voters will be manipulated, indeed. APIs make-up a wedge community, after all: simultaneously critical and dispensable. 

 

‘Attack ads’ manipulate – they twist issues and redirect public attention — because that is what they are designed to do. And the players of the political campaign game do not police themselves because doing so brings little incentive: candidates attack their opponents to sway voters in order to win the election, the media air ‘attack ads’ then write about them in order to sell news, and, finally, interest groups condemn them in order to rally their base and grow in power.

 

 All stakeholders in the political campaign game are complicit because as they behave rationally in the political campaign game, inadvertently or not, they promote and consummate the dirty process of voter manipulation. 

 

We all have a responsibility to defend against the voter manipulation to come. Manipulating voters erodes the principles of democracy for it cheapens the vote and inherent in a manipulated vote is a naked attack on voter independence. For what is democracy if its citizens are not independent voters and a government does not derive its powers from its free-thinking citizens but in spite of them?  

 

 

So what are API and Filipino American bloggers to do? For one thing, blog the fact-check and invite our communities to think critically. 

As you must have learned, Sen. Obama is getting noticed for going negative on Sen. Clinton; the rags are talking about it, including The NY TImes.

What I think is likely to happen — what I’m hoping will happen — is that this next chapter in Sen. Obama’s campaign, his strategy of fighting fire with fire, will help ease the criticism of his campaign as being too idealistic, maybe even naive from the perspective of others.

I’m hoping it will communicate the decent humanity he has grown to represent, as people still on the fence about him understand and appreciate the honesty of his explanation for taking this negative, more muscular turn. In the NY Times article referenced below, Sen. Obama says, “if you get elbowed enough, eventually you start elbowing back…” Yo ucan’t help but feel for the guy, and inversely, you can’t help but feel contempt for Sen. Clinton’s chosen path to the nomination.

Instead of the gaffes each campaign has made, instead of twisting these as symbolic measures of ‘character’, I submit that the a better test of character, of integrity, of trustworthiness, is an honest evaluation of the Obama and Clinton campaign strategies and how they differ in delivery and class. Don’t you agree??? If not, lapel pins, instead, then??? Georgie Snuffalafagus, you’re a dimwit!

And as voters focus on who has been elbowing him too much (i.e., Clinton), I’m hoping they will reprimand her with their votes.

We’ll see Tuesday night.

Read the article titled “In Push Before Vote, Obama Sharpens Tone” published by The NY TImes by clicking this link. 

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/21/us/politics/21dems.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin