The time to fight for a public option healthcare program is now. As reported on the Huffington Post, the Senate finance committee has offered a bi-partisan proposal that would drop the public option for health care:
These officials said participants were on track to exclude a requirement many congressional Democrats seek for large businesses to offer coverage to their workers. Nor would there be a provision for a government insurance option, despite President Barack Obama’s support for such a plan.
This is bad news for those of us who think that one of the most important groups to be considered in the health care debate are the 50 million or so who do not have health insurance at all. In an earlier post I wrote about Christianiizing the health care debate in which I said:
The impetus for our need to correct our health care system is not that it is failing the rich – it is that it is failing the poor, the fifty million or so Americans who have no or little health care and for whom getting sick requires deciding whether or not to risk bankruptcy to get healthy. Christianizing the health care debate would give the concerns of poorest of our society equal weight to the concerns of the wealthy.
This new plan by the senate finance committee does little or nothing for those who are most vulnerable. It may be telling that the members of the finance committee come from the great states of Iowa, Montana, North Dakota, New Mexico, Wyoming and Maine. Not states with big populations of people uninsured, although the rural poor in these states could probably use more assistance than they are getting.
President Obama made the mistake of leaving the country while health care heated up, and then distracting the country by getting involved in the Gates/police controversy. The health care debate has gotten dangerously off course. it is time for all of us who support the government option to call our senators and make sure that a government option is offered – health care is too important to be left in the hands of the insurance and pharma industries and their lobbyists
posted July 28, 2009 at 10:53 am
LEAD, FOLLOW, OR GET OUT OF THE WAY. (Thomas Paine)
We have the 37th worst quality of healthcare in the developed world. Conservative estimates are that over 120,000 of you dies each year in America from treatable illness that people in other developed countries don’t die from. Rich, middle class, and poor a like. Insured and uninsured. Men, women, children, and babies. This is what being 37th in quality of healthcare means.
I know that many of you are angry and frustrated that REPUBLICANS! In congress are dragging their feet and trying to block TRUE healthcare reform. What republicans want is just a taxpayer bailout of the DISGRACEFUL GREED DRIVEN PRIVATE FOR PROFIT health insurance industry, and the DISGRACEFUL GREED DRIVEN PRIVATE FOR PROFIT healthcare industry. A trillion dollar taxpayer funded private health insurance bailout is all you really get without a robust government-run public option available on day one. Co-OP’s ARE NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR A GOVERNMENT-RUN PUBLIC OPTION. They are a fraud being pushed by the GREED DRIVEN PRIVATE FOR PROFIT health insurance industry.
YOU CANT HAVE AN INSURANCE MANDATE WITHOUT A ROBUST PUBLIC OPTION. MANDATING PRIVATE FOR PROFIT HEALTH INSURANCE AS YOUR ONLY CHOICE WOULD BE UNETHICAL, CORRUPT, AND MORALLY REPUGNANT. AND PROBABLY UNCONSTITUTIONAL AS WELL.
These industries have been slaughtering you and your loved ones like cattle for decades for profit. Including members of congress and their families. These REPUBLICANS are FOOLS!
Republicans and their traitorous allies have been trying to make it look like it’s President Obama’s fault for the delays, and foot dragging. But I think you all know better than that. President Obama inherited one of the worst government catastrophes in American history from these REPUBLICANS! And President Obama has done a brilliant job of turning things around, and working his heart out for all of us.
But Republicans think you are just a bunch of stupid, idiot, cash cows with short memories. Just like they did under the Bush administration when they helped Bush and Cheney rape America and the rest of the World.
But you don’t have to put up with that. And this is what you can do. The Republicans below will be up for reelection on November 2, 2010. Just a little over 13 months from now. And many of you will be able to vote early. So pick some names and tell their voters that their representatives (by name) are obstructing TRUE healthcare reform. And are sellouts to the insurance and medical lobbyist.
Ask them to contact their representatives and tell them that they are going to work to throw them out of office on November 2, 2010, if not before by impeachment, or recall elections. Doing this will give you something more to do to make things better in America. And it will help you feel better too.
There are many resources on the internet that can help you find people to call and contact. For example, many social networking sites can be searched by state, city, or University. Be inventive and creative. I can think of many ways to do this. But be nice. These are your neighbors. And most will want to help.
I know there are a few democrats that have been trying to obstruct TRUE healthcare reform too. But the main problem is the Bush Republicans. Removing them is the best thing tactically to do. On the other hand. If you can easily replace a democrat obstructionist with a supportive democrat, DO IT!
You have been AMAZING!!! my people. Don’t loose heart. You knew it wasn’t going to be easy saving the World.
God Bless You
jacksmith — Working Class
I REST MY CASE (http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/25/why-markets-cant-cure-healthcare/)
Republican Senators up for re-election in 2010.
* Richard Shelby of Alabama
* Lisa Murkowski of Alaska
* John McCain of Arizona
* Mel Martinez of Florida
* Johnny Isakson of Georgia
* Mike Crapo of Idaho
* Chuck Grassley of Iowa
* Sam Brownback of Kansas
* Jim Bunning of Kentucky
* David Vitter of Louisiana
* Kit Bond of Missouri
* Judd Gregg of New Hampshire
* Richard Burr of North Carolina
* George Voinovich of Ohio
* Tom Coburn of Oklahoma
* Jim DeMint of South Carolina
* John Thune of South Dakota
* Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas
* Bob Bennett of Utah
posted July 28, 2009 at 12:21 pm
Once upon a time, a group of people had all their healthcare, clothing, food, and shelter provided for them. They could practice their preferred religion. Everyone got equal pay. Everyone had a job. They were called SLAVES.
Somehow, I just don’t feel right abdicating that we return to slavery — for the working class in America. There’s a word I’m trying to think of. I think it was in the Constitution or Declaration of Independence or something….Oh yeah:
FREEDOM. I’d rather die in a gutter in a land of opportunity than live a meaningless existence of oppression like in another country. This is what so many have fought for. It’s what people immigrate for. It’s what we take for granted. And it’s what we are giving away, bit by bit by supporting socialized medicine.
posted July 28, 2009 at 1:12 pm
Power2thepeople
Your post amounts to a Non Sequitur. Slavery and Government backed health care are not analagous.
posted July 28, 2009 at 1:35 pm
You think power2thepeople cares that his analogy is laughable? He’s a moron.
posted July 28, 2009 at 1:45 pm
And it’s what we are giving away, bit by bit by supporting socialized medicine.
You know what? You’re right. Whenever we socialize anything, we become a little more like slaves. We should de-socialize everything.
Let’s start with that socialist public education system. Why should hard-working Americans have to pay so that everyone – even the children of the poor, for goodness’ sakes – has access to educational opportunities? Why even work, if we’re just going to be slaves to a system that rewards parents who don’t work by giving their children a free education regardless?
And those socialist libraries, don’t even get me started. A public library, where you can just waltz in and read books for free? Sometimes there are even waiting lists for popular books! Why would I go buy a book at a bookstore and support private enterprise, when I just have to get a little plastic card and I can read as many books I want on the dime of the hard-working American taxpayer? We should get rid of those socialized public libraries.
While we’re at it, let’s get rid of the socialized police force. It’s such a socialist idea, protecting everyone, supporting the people who are too poor to afford to hire private security on the backs of working Americans. We should get rid of the socialist police force, which puts us all into slavery, and give people the freedom to hire security to protect their homes as they see fit.
And socialized fire protection. Why should I have to pay taxes to help put out fires in the houses of people stupid enough to have badly-insulated electrical wiring or candles around the house? They should have to buy their own fire protection so that hard-working, taxpaying American citizens don’t have to subsidize them.
You’re right. Socialized services are slavery. Let’s dump ‘em all.
posted July 29, 2009 at 8:34 am
Yes, the “socialism” cliche is getting a little old. The right-wingers have been using it against any meaningful health-care reform since the days of Harry Truman.
Yesterday (July 28th) about 70 of us Indiana 9th District residents protested at the Jeffersonville office of Blue Dog Democrat Rep. Baron Hill. We let his staff know, we are tired of the obstruction the Blue Dogs are causing in real health-care reform and we didn’t re-elect Rep. Hill to vote like a Republican.
I’m glad my Christian denomination (Presbyterian Church USA) is a strong supporter of Single-Payer Health-Care (HR 676). Any health-care reform without a strong public option will not be worth voting for.
posted July 29, 2009 at 9:25 am
The only businesses really opposed to a public option/single-payer system are the health insurance corpoartions and Big Pharma. Most of the rest of the industrialized world has government run single payer health care which frees their businessesfrom the burden. It’s hader for MAerican businesses to compete withThe only businesses really opposed to a public option/single-payer system are the health insurance corporations and Big Pharma. Most of the rest of the industrialized world has government run single payer health care, which frees their businesses from the burden. It’s harder for American businesses to compete when they must absorb the cost of health care for their employees.
Sure just because it works better and cheaper in Canada, Japan, France, Sweden, etc doesn’t mean the same system would automatically work here, but it’s definitely worth looking into especially when you look into the average lifespan and cost per citizen.
posted July 29, 2009 at 10:16 am
You can’t honestly believe that the government will be able to effectively run healthcare!!! This is just another way of his promise to spread the wealth and increase the size of government. This is not a bipartisan bill! Bills are being written and rushed thru Congress without our representatives even reading them! I want elected officials to do their jobs and do it fairly!!
posted July 29, 2009 at 11:40 am
You can’t honestly believe that the government will be able to effectively run healthcare!!!
You shouldn’t have a problem with the public option plan, then. In fact, it’ll prove your point. If the government can’t effectively run health care, then the government program – which will be in competition with private insurance – won’t get any subscribers. Those who think government can’t run health care should be excited about a public plan competing with private insurance, as it will prove their point that government-run entities can’t provide the same level of service for a lower price.
This is just another way of his promise to spread the wealth and increase the size of government.
Given the fact that a relative few greedy people are hoarding the bulk of this country’s wealth, we could use some spreading of it. It’s a basic teaching of the Bible that those who sit on obscene wealth while their brothers and sisters starve are in deep sin… yet I don’t see the Christian Right preaching against the rich.
This is not a bipartisan bill!
Oh no! How terrible! It’s almost as if the American people put one party in charge by giving them the White House, a 20-seat majority in the Senate and a 50+-seat majority in the House!
Oh wait, that is what happened. Unfortunately, the Democrats are weak, and this bill gives far too much away to obstructionist Republicans who are just going to vote en masse against the bill anyway. If I were in charge, I’d tell the Republicans that if they wanted a bipartisan bill, they should have won more elections. America put Democrats in charge; if you don’t like that, take it up with the American people.
Bills are being written and rushed thru Congress without our representatives even reading them!
Huh? There isn’t going to be a floor vote on this bill in the Senate – and probably not in the House either – until after they come back from their August recess. If your representative and senators can’t figure out the intricacies of health care policy in a month – to say nothing of the months and years we’ve been debating health care – perhaps you should replace them with people who can.
I want elected officials to do their jobs and do it fairly!!
So do I. That’s why I want a strong Democratic bill, with a strong public option, to be passed before the August recess. But it isn’t going to happen, and the 42 million Americans who lack the basic human right of health care can (and should) blame centrist Democrats and obstructionist do-nothing Republicans for that.
posted July 29, 2009 at 1:01 pm
Why is it that the same people who rail against government bureaucrats running healthcare have no problem with insurance bureaucrats doing the same?
Why is it that the same people who want to make things cheaper and more efficient are willing to let the most expensive healthcare systems in the world be run by virtual monopolies?
Why is it that the same people who don’t want the government to stand between them and their doctor are willing to let the insurance bureaucrats stand right there?
Why is it that the same people who worried about the government rationing and denying care have no problem with insurance companies telling you which doctor you can see, which hospital you can visit, how many times a year you can visit a physician and which procedures you can have and which you can’t, etc.?
Just curious
posted July 30, 2009 at 8:34 am
gilmore and hootie: yes. exactly. the germans, the japanese, the swiss look at us and go, huh? if we can’t get a public option with this white house and congress, it is unlikely to ever happen. it’s sad. sorry to say, but i think this country, as whole, just doesn’t care. and just doesn’t get it, why you should, how it makes the country stronger, safer, better. and it will be our downfall. you watch.
posted August 16, 2009 at 2:27 pm
Having seen what the big guys did with the TARP money, it is amazing to me that people would trust them a second time and with their most important possession—their health. Insist on government-run option.