New Office, New Challenge San Pedro clinic is the first line of defense By Hunter Chase, Reporter
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[See Community Health Care, p.4] Three employees of the Harbor Community Centers from left, Salina Chahal, senior clinical manager, Jennifer Chen, nurse practitioner and director of clinical operations and Evelyn Morris, medical assistant. Photo by Raphael Richardson
Coronavirus Stimulus Shows Big Government is Back By Paul Rosenberg, Senior Editor
Beacon House call for help receives large response p. 2
direction],” Politico’s Michael Grunwald wrote. “But Republicans won some huge concessions from Democrats … And Democrats didn’t get much that Trump didn’t actually want.” Significantly, they didn’t get automatic stabilizers — provisions that go into effect automatically the next time a serious downturn hit — which 74% of the public supports, according to a poll by Data For Progress. In fact, a series of DFP polls showed substantial public support for more robust progressive policies, many of which Democrats didn’t even attempt to push. For example, 51% of voters support a monthly (not one-time) payment of $2,000—enough to really keep families afloat for the duration—while another 36% support $1,000. Voters also favored a $2 trillion
[See Big is Back, p. 8]
April 2 - 15, 2020
Flix and chill while on lockdown p. 9
in effect, the government is paying workers’ salaries to keep them on the job. And there’s also restrictions banning stock buybacks while receiving government assistance and for an added year for those receiving government loans. But there’s also gaping holes, as well as an unprecedented de facto $4.5 trillion corporate bailout fund, using the Federal Reserve to leverage $450 billion from Congress tenfold. “It’s no New Deal,” market analyst Marshall Auerbach wrote in the Naked Capitalism blog. “Rather it’s a massive economic slush fund that does its utmost to preserve the old ways of doing things under the guise of masquerading as a response to a public health emergency.” “Democrats did manage to influence [the bill’s
COVID-19: Fight for safety and protection on the job p. 3
Speaker Nancy Pelosi was proud of how Democrats transformed the $2 trillion stimulus bill Republicans had proposed. “[House and Senate Democrats] were able to flip this over from corporate trickled down Republican version to bubble up worker first families first legislation,” she said at her March 26 press conference. “We did jiu-jitsu on it.” And from a relatively narrow perspective, there’s some truth in that. There’s expanded unemployment insurance — covering more workers more generously and for a longer period of time. There’s a one-time $1,200 check for the majority of adults and $500 for children under age 17. There’s $350 billion in small business loans that may be forgiven if used to keep workers on payroll —
Real News, Real People, Really Effective
hese days, when patients walk through the doors of any of the three Harbor Community Health Centers they must undergo a temperature screening and answer several questions about their recent health and travel. They are asked if they have had a fever or cold symptoms, or if they have travelled or been in contact with anyone who was infected. This is a procedure that probably should be in place at any clinic, airport or port of entry. To date there have only been 10 confirmed cases of novel coronavirus in San Pedro and just one death. Once known as the Harbor Free Clinic, the HCHC now has three offices, including one that recently opened at 425 S. Pacific Avenue in San Pedro. It has immediately answered the call to screen for COVID-19. “If someone calls in and says I have a cough, I have a fever, what we’re trying to do is meet them in the car,” said Tamra King, CEO of the local community health centers. “That can act as a further barrier.” The staff will do as much as it can outside the building,
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