Nursing shortage harms nurses and patients
I’ve been a nurse for over 30 years and I never remember a time when there wasn’t a shortage of nurses. I worked in the newborn nursery of a hospital just after I graduated from nursing school. There was usually one RN per shift, with several nurse’s aids. The RN would care for the premature and sick babies and the aides the healthy, full-term babies. Sometimes I had so many preemies with tube feedings that I would just finish the last one and it was time to start over again with the first one.
Foreclosures on the rise
One of the several components of the 'American dream' is home ownership – that rent receipts could become receipts for payments on, 'a home for two, out in the blue,' as a popular western song of the ’40s had it.
Donald N. Wheeler, Communist, dies at 89
Donald Niven Wheeler, a scholar, dairy farmer and longtime member of the Communist Party USA, died in Seattle, Nov. 8. He was 89.
New Communist culture series at U North Texas
DENTON, Tex. – The University of North Texas (UNT) Young Communist League club showed the only U.S. blacklisted film, Salt of the Earth, to an audience of over 80 people here, Nov. 13. The presentation was the first installment in the club’s new Communist Culture Series.
Toronto International Film Festival 2002 Part 1
Progressive Cinema When’s the last time you went to see a progressive film and the theater was packed, standing room only? And the audience thundered approval throughout the film, climaxing with a standing ovation and applause throughout the entire final credits? And the filmmaker came running down the aisle through the cheering crowd like a hero at the Olympics? And then he stayed around to answer questions from the audience?
Growing Frankenfish out at sea
Opinion The Department of Commerce and a little-known sub-agency called the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) are pursuing a radical plan to develop fish feedlots two to 200 miles off our oceans’ coasts. This alarming plan would effectively privatize parts of the ocean for large corporations.
A personal tribute to Paul and Sheila Wellstone
I knew Minnesota Senator Paul Wellstone for 20 years. We met through our involvement with MPIRG, a Ralph Nader- organized and student-directed public interest group. When I started work at a rural legal aid office representing low-income farmers, Paul was working to organize farmers to push for a minimum price like the minimum wage.
Fighting for peace and justice
Students join with labor / Youth flexes power to stop war Over the past few years youth and students have become more active in living-wage legislation, union drives, anti-sweatshop campaigns and anti-globalization protests.
Bush funds voucher front group, targets Blacks
Reprinted from The Black Commentator The Bush administration is directly funding a media campaign by the Black Alliance for Educational Options (BAEO), the school vouchers propaganda outfit created by the far-right Bradley Foundation. The blatant political nature of the gift could not be plainer. “We want to change the conversation about parental choice by positively influencing individuals who are resisting parental choice options and get them to reconsider their outlook,” said Undersecretary of Education Gene Hickok, announcing a $600,000 grant to the BAEO.
Economic consequences of the elections
During the election campaign, the Bush administration and its allies may have set a new record for lying about their economic agenda. Tax cuts for the rich are cited as “economic stimulus.” Privatizing social security (and cutting benefits) is called “individual choice.” A bill written by the drug industry is called “prescription drugs for seniors.”
