Mary Ann West is a screenwriter located in Westport CT. A single parent, West is deeply committed to issues of health, child poverty, and homelessness. She has written countless essays about poverty, including the "$3 A Day Food-Stamp Diet" and regularly appeared on the Cable program "The Exchange." West attended college in California after growing up in the CT area. She is a contributor to Huffington Post and can be reached at mwestwrites@gmail.com.

Recently Mary Ann West followed her Jet Blue $599 All You Can Travel itinerary, a listening and writing tour: asking questions in different parts of the USA, Mexico, Canada and Barbados of residents and visitors about health care access, how the recession is effecting their families and how it has impacted their community.

Blog Entries by Mary Ann West

Candlelight Vigil for Health Care Reform at Senator Lieberman's Front Door

4 Comments | Posted November 16, 2009 | 01:42 PM (EST)


Stamford, CT -- More than 400 Connecticut residents, health care reform advocates, and clergy attended an evening prayer vigil that began at Senator Joe Lieberman's Alma Mater, Stamford High School. The vigil transformed into a candlelight march to the senator's condo building, where participants sang "This Little Light of Mine."...

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Singing Of The GOP Sirens, Joe... Joe... Joe...

Posted November 3, 2009 | 03:50 PM (EST)


As an Epic Fail saga, Joe Lieberman is hearing the Right's call and basking in the fading limelight that is diminishing with time. What will he come up with next to flip those who used to support him as he continues this mad journey? Is he the newest of Connecticut's...

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Dodd's Bill Protects Customers From Abusive Overdraft Fees

Posted October 19, 2009 | 07:05 PM (EST)


STAMFORD, CT - Ninety percent of bank overdraft fees happen to only ten percent of checking account holders, comprising those people who are also the most vulnerable. According to the Center for Responsible Lending, banks collect nearly $1 billion per year in overdraft fees from young adults and $4.5 billion...

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Thanks to Operation Gatekeeper, Death Toll Increases to Over 5,000

2 Comments | Posted October 5, 2009 | 11:41 AM (EST)


With numbing regularity news bulletins flash regarding groups or individuals suffering severe injuries, snake bites, or dying in the remote deserts or mountains along the 800 mile "Wall" as they attempt to cross the border between Mexico and the USA. In the 24/7 news cycle, this blip quickly fades...

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Death Toll Increases to Over 5,000 and Counting

18 Comments | Posted October 2, 2009 | 06:59 PM (EST)


Death Toll Increases to Over 5,000 and Counting Thanks to Operation Gatekeeper

San Diego, CA- With numbing regularity news bulletins flash regarding groups or individuals suffering severe injuries, snake bites or dying in the remote deserts or mountains or drowning in the river along the 800 mile "Wall" as they...

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If We Get This Wrong...

Posted September 3, 2009 | 02:23 PM (EST)


This is a video of Bishop Alvarez being heckled by the anti-health care reformers:

Come one, come all to one of the wackiest public events in a venue near you, see adults behave badly,...

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What to Do With a Cantankerous Caiman and Other Exotics That No Longer "Fit" In

3 Comments | Posted July 31, 2009 | 12:12 PM (EST)


What to do with a Cantankerous Caiman and other Exotic's that no longer "Fit" In.

The economy may be damned, Congress and the vested parties maybe battling it out on the heath care front, banks are quickly recovering thanks to billions in TARP and stimulus funds, bonuses are being paid,...

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Recipe Passed on to the Next Generation

Posted July 6, 2009 | 04:00 PM (EST)


Eleanor's Strawberry Jam

At 96 & ½ years old, Eleanor Wallace of Cresskill, N.J. commemorated another local Strawberry Festival celebrated this year at her local church, by buying the needed amount of fresh fruit to make enough containers for her own use and as gifts to friends throughout the year....

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Road Trip: Searching for Levels of BBQ Greatness

2 Comments | Posted June 25, 2009 | 01:02 PM (EST)


3100 miles, 17 days on the road, 21 Barbecue restaurants, a vehicle named Babe The Pig, indifferent waitstaff, passionate Pit Masters, cameras, reporters and nationally featured interviews = College credit, 1 case of food illness, large intake of gastric aids and 4 happy guys otherwise known as the

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Dinner with Newt: Why Would Anyone Want to Attend?

6 Comments | Posted May 30, 2009 | 05:25 PM (EST)


Your Invitation from Newt Gingrich

Trolling through my e-mail spam collector stacked high with the usual Starbucks, Barnes & Noble, Starwood, press releases etc. from both Democrats and Republicans, I was chagrined to actually open what I knew would be the usual rantings from the Right, an invitation to join...

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Xerox Targets Retirees: Can Today's Workers Be Far Behind?

6 Comments | Posted May 25, 2009 | 10:43 AM (EST)


Promises made are promises broken when it comes to the early retiree benefit packages in the New World Order of Xerox for some of their retiree groups. In October 2008, Xerox announced that the early retirement and medical benefit agreements made after 1995 would no longer be honored as of...

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Fail BBQ: Flipping Burgers & Weenies for a Failed Cause

Posted April 18, 2009 | 11:41 PM (EST)


On the campus of The George Washington University, Washington DC:

...Fail? A quick hop onto Urban Dictionary shows the use of Fail... as in today's slang term for "suck" that can be inserted in places where suck isn't appropriate, like "You Fail".

With a posted invitation to stop by GWU's...

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Smack Down on Education: WWE's McMahon Nominated for CT State Board of Education

Posted February 4, 2009 | 05:24 PM (EST)


In the you can't make this stuff up category, Connecticut's Governor Jody Rell has nominated World Wrestling Entertainment Inc.'s CEO Linda McMahon to the 11-member state Board of Education, which establishes academic standards and sets policy for Connecticut's 149 local and 17 regional school districts. The state legislators vote on...

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Smack Down on Education: CT's Gov. Nominates WWE CEO

Posted February 3, 2009 | 06:23 PM (EST)


In the you can't make this stuff up category, Connecticut's Governor Jody Rell has nominated World Wrestling Entertainment Inc.'s CEO Linda McMahon to the 11-member state Board of Education, which establishes academic standards and sets policy for Connecticut's 149 local and 17 regional school districts. The state legislators vote...

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19th & Constitution: Lining up for the Concert of a Lifetime

Posted January 18, 2009 | 10:27 AM (EST)


19th and Constitution: The roads are closed; people from all directions are streaming towards the security portals on their way to the Lincoln Memorial and the kick off uber-star studded concert. Security is tight, once inside the security tents you are instructed to open your jackets and go through a...

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Lap Dance for Santa and other Off The Wall Gift Ideas

Posted December 23, 2008 | 01:31 PM (EST)


With the economic meltdown putting us all in a funk, here are a few ideas to lift your spirits, help others as well and be kinder to your bank account.

Yes, a Lap Dance for Santa or your partner, so get your eyeballs out of the gutter and print out...

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College Students Travel to New Hampshire to Volunteer for Obama

Posted November 2, 2008 | 02:51 PM (EST)


In the quintessential town of Keene, New Hampshire, volunteers waved as cars honked in support while standing on the picturesque Village Common, hoisting Obama sign poles. Like the traffic circling the green, people came in waves to stand and wave, replacing those who started out earlier in the day. Groups...

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Has the Presidential Campaign Finally Moved Beyond Race Or Do We Stay Stuck?

Posted October 31, 2008 | 04:07 PM (EST)


The phone rings, you answer and the Robo Call asks: "If you find it disturbing to think of long lines of African Americans who had been improperly registered?" This is the newest salvo from the Republican guns. Umm, are they referring to ACORN's registrations that have brought in tens of...

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All's Well In Posh Connecticut Where Bloomberg Stumps For Rep Shays

Posted October 14, 2008 | 11:55 AM (EST)


Westport, Conn. -- "I will say it's nice to know that all of his constituents live well, have great views, good food. I had a beer inside, it was very good. Thank you. A number of you I've met, actually. I've met a number of people here I used to...

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A Dozen Joe Six-Packs at the VP Debate Party

Posted October 7, 2008 | 01:01 PM (EST)


Norwalk, CT: That Bailout will help no one out, it doesn't help me, my family, my company or anyone I know, it only helps the banking industry and those who aren't struggling to live paycheck to paycheck like I am. You know who it helps? It helps those who stand...

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