Conservatives and health care in America
July 1st 2009 02:53
Just who are Senate conservatives working for, anyway?
I use the term Senate conservatives because there are enough turncoat Democrats on the take from health insurance companies that real health care reform is in danger. Senators like Mary Landrieu (D-LA) Ben Nelson (D-NE) and Max Baucus (D-MT) have come out against a public health care option just when we need a solid front for real reform.
Even Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) who is one of my home state Senators, won't come out and endorse single-payer or a public option. He has championed health care reform for years, and is behind his Healthy Americans Act that would go along way - but he hasn't come out for a public option. I admire so much of what Senator Wyden has accomplished for Oregon, I wish he wouldn't disappoint me.
What's a big potential problem? Pure and simple, money. The real power behind so much of what is wrong in America today, corporate money. With so much on the line, health insurance companies, big pharmaceutical companies, private hospitals - all have been stuffing the pockets of politicians for years in order to pre-empt change.
So much money and undue influence are in play that the health care battle may just represent the last, best chance for a restoration of American democracy. If the overwhelming majority of Americans who want at least a single-payer option are ignored, it may be the death knell for representative government in America for the foreseeable future. Corporatism will have won out, and we will find ourselves at the whim of the powerful corporate elite.
It's a given that the Republicans in Congress are bought and paid for by corporate special interests. It's a shame that many Democrats may be also. It will help now that Al Franken will be allowed to take his rightfully won Senate seat - yes, the Senate is that tight where one vote counts big.
Conservatives babble on about how including at least a public option will "destroy the best health care system in the world" although stat after stat doesn't bear that out. We pay double the next highest country for health care, and are behind in every measure of outcome. It's broken, and getting worse by the day.
Most Americans know it, and want real action. A recent poll indicated 76 percent of Americans want at least a public option, and 56 percent favor outright single-payer. Where is their voice? Common in the recent protests in Iran were signs that said "where's my vote?" Will Americans need signs asking "when will my vote count?"
I use the term Senate conservatives because there are enough turncoat Democrats on the take from health insurance companies that real health care reform is in danger. Senators like Mary Landrieu (D-LA) Ben Nelson (D-NE) and Max Baucus (D-MT) have come out against a public health care option just when we need a solid front for real reform.
Even Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) who is one of my home state Senators, won't come out and endorse single-payer or a public option. He has championed health care reform for years, and is behind his Healthy Americans Act that would go along way - but he hasn't come out for a public option. I admire so much of what Senator Wyden has accomplished for Oregon, I wish he wouldn't disappoint me.
What's a big potential problem? Pure and simple, money. The real power behind so much of what is wrong in America today, corporate money. With so much on the line, health insurance companies, big pharmaceutical companies, private hospitals - all have been stuffing the pockets of politicians for years in order to pre-empt change.
So much money and undue influence are in play that the health care battle may just represent the last, best chance for a restoration of American democracy. If the overwhelming majority of Americans who want at least a single-payer option are ignored, it may be the death knell for representative government in America for the foreseeable future. Corporatism will have won out, and we will find ourselves at the whim of the powerful corporate elite.
It's a given that the Republicans in Congress are bought and paid for by corporate special interests. It's a shame that many Democrats may be also. It will help now that Al Franken will be allowed to take his rightfully won Senate seat - yes, the Senate is that tight where one vote counts big.
Conservatives babble on about how including at least a public option will "destroy the best health care system in the world" although stat after stat doesn't bear that out. We pay double the next highest country for health care, and are behind in every measure of outcome. It's broken, and getting worse by the day.
Most Americans know it, and want real action. A recent poll indicated 76 percent of Americans want at least a public option, and 56 percent favor outright single-payer. Where is their voice? Common in the recent protests in Iran were signs that said "where's my vote?" Will Americans need signs asking "when will my vote count?"
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Obama's plan isn't a single-payer plan. I'm all for one, but that's not what he's trying to get passed. It does have a public option, however. If we don't get single payer, we at least need a public option. What most people don't understand is that uninsured or under-insured people aren't that way by choice. My family recently lost insurance. We had been on Cobra for the full 18 months, because my husband changed jobs and no longer works for a company that has insurance available. We are not able to get decent private-pay insurance because of diabetes. I also found out that even if he didn't have diabetes, my husband would be uninsurable because of his occupation! Apparantly, Blue Cross Blue Shield won't privately insure anyone in Texas (I don't know about other states) who works on a drilling rig! I find this more than mildly ironic since most drilling companies (as well as so many other companies) use BCBS as their employer provided insurance company.
Whether we get a single payer plan or a public option, we MUST get some kind of regulation on these companies who are out there only to make a profit! They don't care if people are healthy or not, they only care about making money. That is my main reason for being FOR a single payer system - it won't be about making a profit - it will be about making sure everyone - regardless of health or employment satus - will have access to decent health care!
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