The following statement was issued today by Ed Coyle - Executive Director of the Alliance for Retired Americans - in response to the health insurance reform proposals unveiled today by President Obama.
The health insurance reform proposal released today by President Obama contains several major steps toward improving the health and well-being of current and future retirees.
President Obama’s plan recognizes the millions of seniors who are struggling to afford to see a doctor or get a prescription filled. Today’s proposal would close the ‘doughnut hole’ coverage gap in Medicare Part D, make long-term care more affordable for middle-class families, and finally end the $3.60 per month every senior pays in higher premiums to subsidize the big insurance corporations who run Medicare Advantage.
We are pleased that the proposal significantly delays the excise tax on some health insurance benefits. This tax, which the Alliance strongly opposes, would disproportionately harm retirees and older workers, as it may lead employers to eliminate or greatly reduce coverage for this age group. Moreover, these are individuals who sacrificed wage increases over the years in exchange for retiree health coverage.
President Obama took a bold step today toward ending the gridlock in Washington that has delayed meaningful health reform. For retirees, continued inaction would be devastating. Medicare premiums and out-of-pocket costs would soon eat up more than one-third of a retiree’s Social Security benefits. A typical older couple would need to save $300,000 for medical bills not covered by Medicare.
Help cannot come soon enough. We urge all participating in this week’s White House health reform summit to take bold, swift action to help Americans of all ages.
(The Alliance for Retired Americans is a national organization that advocates for the rights and well being of over 4 million retirees and their families.)
Charleston Democrats to Seize Saturday with Yes to Rational Solutions, No to Fear Event
N. Charleston, SC- Charleston County Democrats will respond to President Obama’s challenge that, “We don’t quit. I don’t quit. Let’s seize this moment – to start anew, to carry the dream forward, and to strengthen our union once more.” with a full day of activities Saturday, January 30th. This event will challenge the message of fear expected at the Glenn Beck and Bill O’Reilly event at the North Charleston Coliseum with a grass roots effort to explore rational solutions to the nation’s major problems of energy, economic development and jobs, education, health care and a productive political culture.
A breakfast featuring a debate between Candidates for Congress, Four topical forums, a legislative role-playing exercise, phone bank and digital presence initiative are planned for the day.
FULL UPDATED DETAILS AND LINKS IN THE EXTENDED TEXT
The Fair Elections Now Act (S.752, H.R.1826), is an answer to the ridiculous amount of money influencing Washington; which will increase with the recent Supreme Court ruling allowing corporate money into campaigns. The people of America spoke in 2008 and continue to speak today, they want their government back.
This bill would allow federal candidates to run for office without relying on large contributions, big money bundlers, donations from lobbyists, or now money from corporations. Members of Congress would be freed from the constant fundraising in order to focus on what people in their communities want and not the needs of the special interests.
The Fair Elections Now Act (S.752, H.R.1826), a bipartisan bill that was introduced in both chambers of Congress in 2009, would allow Congressional candidates to run for office using small donations and limited public financing, and not take any large contributions. Currently 6 U.S. Senators, 125 Members of the House, and 40 CEO's support this legislation.
• Candidates would raise a large number of small contributions from their communities in order to qualify for Fair Elections funding. Contributions are limited to $100.
• No contributions, fundraising, or bundling will be allowed from PACs or Corporations.
• Participating candidates could take only individual contributions of $100 or less for their leadership PACs.
• The Fair Elections fund will be fully financed and revenue neutral, with no funding from individual taxpayers.
In 2008, a poll by Lake Research Partners and the Tarrance Group, 67% support providing qualified congressional candidates a limited amount of public funding if they agree to take no large contributions. This support came from 69% of Democrats, 64% of Republicans, and 66% of independents all showing strong support.
Where do we already have public financing?
At the state level, Arizona, Connecticut, Maine and New Jersey, North Carolina, Vermont, and a number of cities have some level of public financing for state and local elections.
Presidential Public Financing
We already have public financing of Presidential Campaigns and a key goal of the presidential fund was to free candidates from the corporations and special interests. To be eligible for public funds, a Presidential candidate or a party convention committee must first submit a letter of agreement and a written certification in which the candidate or committee agrees to:
Spend public funds only for campaign-related expenses or, in the case of a party convention, for convention-related expenses;
Limit spending to amounts specified by the campaign finance law;
Keep records and, if requested, supply evidence of qualified expenses;
Cooperate with an audit of campaign or convention expenses;
Repay public funds, if necessary; and
Pay any civil penalties imposed by the Federal Election Commission.
What are some of the advantages over private financing:
Public financing curbs the influence of wealthy donors over politicians.
Public financing allows candidates with limited resources to seek office, broadening the prospects for greater citizen participation.
Public financing allows politicians to spend more time serving their constituents, and less time raising money.
It is time to return the control of government back to the people, not the corporations and not the lobbyists. The time to change how Washington does business is now. This bill will be the change necessary to improve public confidence in their elected representatives in Washington; especially considering the move by the Supreme Court. I encourage all Members of Congress to support this bipartisan effort to return our government back to the people. It is the people's government, not the special interests and/or corporations.
Charleston County Democrats had a positive and productive meeting, featuring a substantive discussion with Senate Candidate Chad McGowan on January 20. The meeting was followed by a dinner at the Crescent Connection Bistro celebrating the anniversary of the inauguration of Barack Obama. Despite the massive disappointment of the bungled campaign in Massachusetts, participants were positive at both events and extensive plans to prepare for the upcoming 2010 election were moving forward.
About 60 people crowded the Manigalt room at N. Charleston City Hall for the Executive Committee Meeting. The diverse group included young, old, black, white, gay, strait and students form the Citadel and the Charleston Law School.
Lowcountry Democrats and Progressives often complain about the vicious conservatism of local talk radio. Now they can pick up a phone on Monday evenings from 6 to 8 and do something about it by calling Rep. David Mack’s new show on WLTQ AM 730 at 843-225-7307.
The callers on WTMA have become so extreme an ugly continent of fear, prejudice and anger can now be seen to the right of Rush Limbaugh and Fox. It’s a landscape no decent person would want to visit, often frankly racist. It’s no longer recognizable as the lively community forum station I grew up listening to and whose studios I sometimes visited to go on air. That’s OK, WTMA has the right to broadcast what they like. What we end up hearing says more about our community than the station. That terrifying noise is coming from people who are really out there. We need to make sure that other people are heard.
David Mack, pictured left, (a member of the SC State Legislature) and Claudia Collins like taking calls, but their first few shows have required them to fill up a lot of air time between when the phones are ringing. They do a commendable job talking about local and national issues and supporting community initiatives, however the progressive, liberal and Democratic Lowcountry is not fully utilizing the opportunity to connect and be heard. Now that the holidays are over, it is time to make those phones ring.
If we want social justice, decency, fairness and understanding on the air in the Lowcountry, this show needs our support starting next week. Call in for yourself, your candidate or your cause. If you are a candidate, make a call yourself. It’s unreasonable to expect people to staff phone banks for you if you won’t call in for yourself.
There has been much talk over the last two months about the Obama Administration's decision to try Khalid Sheikh Muhammed and others behind the 9/11 attacks in civilian court in New York City. This issue has recently come back to the forefront in light of the Christmas Day airline bombing attempt. While the punditocracy is as blustery as ever, and while the partisan alarms are ringing at full blast, maybe now is the time to step back and take a few deep breaths. It seems that in the midst of color-coded alerts, full body scanners, and shampoo-powered crotch bombs, we have lost the ability to use common sense to resolve our problems. This isn't hard to understand, given the fact that we have been thrown into a war against not a particular organization or faction, but against terror itself. When we try to fight a war against a tactic such as terror, it shows that we left logic and reason behind somewhere on the ideological interstate just after Prohibition. Alas, there is still hope! For we in the blogosphere have the distinct privilege to pick up where the mainstream media left off and insert just a pinch of practicality into the sloppy porridge of political discusssion. Let us consider for a moment the basic lines of attack against Obama's policy.
1. We can't be assured the attackers will be found guilty.
This argument is derived primarily from the belief that the terrorists' confessions could be dismissed based upon the process used to extract these confessions. Were they read their Miranda rights? Was torture used in the process? These are all relevant questions. Yet, let us consider the context. These individuals were the organizers behind one of the most publicly documented and closely studied conspiracies in history. In the event that all of the confessions were to be thrown out (an extremely unlikely scenario), the mountains of evidence amassed by the Justice Department over the last 8 years would overwhelm any defense. This does not even include a great deal of evidence not yet released to the public. If somehow these considerations were surmounted, Muhammed and the other defendants would be subject to additional prosecution for terrorist activities.
2. The trials will be a platform for the terrorists to air their views; and, consequently, act as recruiting propaganda for their organizations.
We live in the age of the Internet, 24/7 news coverage, and Wordpress. Should we really believe that these trials will give more significant exposure to the terrorists? More importantly, a strategy of ideological suppression must be seriously questioned. Any strategy that relies on stifling free speech and open debate is terminally flawed-regardless of how radical the ideology might be. We should not be afraid of the terrorists broadcasting their ideologies. We should welcome their arguments and expose them for the ridiculous and backward ideals that they are. The so-called 'War on Terror' should be called the War of Ideas. If we must resort to trying to silence our enemies for fear of their beliefs being transmitted to others, we have already lost the most important battle.
3. The trials will bring back the terrible memories of 9/11 and increase the pain and suffering on the families of the victims.
I find the logic of this argument rather twisted when an entire genre of documentaries, movies, public investigations and media stories has been created to revisit the events of the day. The simple fact is that the events of that terrible day have been so well-documented, so heavily-covered, and so frequently revisited, that these trials will simply not add any more suffering that that which has already been brought forward. In fact, the trials could have the opposite effect. By finally finishing the long-frozen process of justice, the trials could give the victims' families something that until recently seemed beyond the realm of possibility: closure.
4. The trials and subsequent imprisonment will present serious security concerns.
New York City was chosen because it is the most secure location for a trial of this magnitude. The city has handled multiple terrorism trials, security threats, high-profile visits, and even oversees security for the United Nations. Do we really have such little faith in the highly-trained and experienced professionals responsible for securing these events?
5. We are giving terrorists the same rights as regular American citizens.
True. Except for the fact that we waterboarded the terrorists. And that we keep them in Guantanamo Bay. And that they have waited 8 years for trial. I would argue that those who believe in the age-old notion of American exceptionalism might suggest that giving rights to those who committed such atrocities is exactly what makes our nation great. America is one of the few places on earth where men who have committed acts of immeasurable injustice cannot escape a system built on justice itself. The American legal system was founded from its inception on the ideals of reality over ideology and evidence over emotion. The concept that all defendants, regardless of the severity of their crimes, should be tried in a system that treats them without preconceived notions is not something to be ashamed of. On the contrary, this should be celebrated. This line of attack against civilian trials is evidence of a sad decline in conservative support of equal justice for all.
In conclusion, the simple fact is that the decision to try the terrorists in civilian court is a pragmatic and logical conclusion to a long and difficult problem. Although it may seem foreign in the era of political cynicism, we simply have to show some faith in our tried and proven constitutional framework. The American legal system, as an institution, has served its country well since that very system was ratified in 1789. If we have such little faith in the ability of our own justice system to confront a major crime against humanity such as 9/11, then terrorism itself is among the least of our problems. I, for one, am not so cynical. This war will not be won or lost in the streets of Baghdad or the caves of Torah Borah. It will be won or lost-one high school graduation, one neighborhood watch, and one steady job at a time-both at home and abroad. If we hold to our ideals of equality and equal justice under the law, the final victory will be ours. If we don't, we have already lost the War of Ideas.
Despite approval by two Senate committees and terror attack investigations hanging in the balance, Senator Jim DeMint continues to block Senate approval of the prospective Transportation Security Administration appointee Erroll Southers, a former FBI agent and counter-terrorism expert tapped by President Obama to head the executive agency. Instead, DeMint is resorting to ad homenim attacks turning the fight to protect American citizens traveling to and within the US into a political fight over labor unions.
The American public strongly supports the idea of creating a government-run health insurance plan to compete with private insurance companies in order to keep them honest.
However the public option, or as it has become to be known "Medicare for Everyone", is under attack in the U.S. Senate thanks to millions of dollars from the health insurance industry.
The health insurance industry is scared that it won't be able to compete and these corporations are lobbying hard to block the public option.
I call upon Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to allow debate and a vote on Senate Amendment 2837, the single payer amendment as introduced by Senator Bernie Sanders.
On December 10, 2009, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid spoke to the media confirming the public option will be dropped in favor of a combination of a "nonprofit" arrangement and lowering the eligible age for Medicare to 55. The new nonprofit plan would see private insurance companies operating under the oversight of the Office of Personnel Management.
When the public option was dropped, this was and is not health care reform. The Democrats in the Senate will be putting the "fox in charge of the hen house" by allowing the health insurance industry to control health care in America, which is what we have already.
In a December 10, 2009, CNN poll, 61% of those polled oppose the Senate plan without the public option while 53% support a public health insurance option administered by the federal government. The Democrats in the Senate need to wake up and put aside the interests of the health insurance corporations and their monetary donations.
The Congress and President, past and present, have no problem spending almost $1 trillion on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, but won't allow Americans an option for real health care reform.
To date, $915.1 billion dollars have been allocated to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. In addition to this approved amount, the FY2010 budget shows a $130 billion request for more war spending. This would bring total war spending in Iraq and Afghanistan to more than $1 trillion.
The public option, especially single payer, will help all Americans, along with small businesses, and provide true health care reform. Senator Reid and fellow Democrats don’t undercut real health care reform, allow debate and a vote on Senate Amendment 2837!
The Charleston County Democratic Party and Organizing for America held a Healthcare Reform Rally on the steps of the US Customs House in Charlestoin, SC on Tuesday, December 8 at noon.
About 35 people attended. After opening remarks by George Temple, many participants spoke. When they were finished, they went up to DeMint's office in groups of five to leave handwritten notes in support of healthcare reform.
While it was considered unlikely that DeMint will abandon his efforts to "Break" President Obama and give the President his "Waterloo" many present felt it was important to register their belief that the country must act to deal with the growing number of the uninsurred, rising costs and the many working Americans who can no longer afford healthcare.
The Charleston Democratic Party plans to follow up with a day of phone banking on Wednesday. Here are the details from an email sent out Tuwesday night.
Well today is the day. Lowcountry vs. Florida. LET THE CALLING BEGIN.
. . . Let's show these guys how it is done in the Carolinas better yet the LOWCOUNTRY.
Hope to see you at headquarters today. Also, those of you who don't mind using your cell phone please bring them with you.
In solidarity,
Robert Fludd - 843.513.5415, 803.477.4843, bfludd@yahoo.com
Our country and others enjoy Freedom of Speech, thought, and expression. What, exactly does this mean? To me it is one of our most important freedoms. Many people think it is without limits. This, however, is not true. Expressions of hate that infringe on the rights of others are not necessarily protected. Expressions of hate that indicate harm to others are not protected.
My personal opinion is that anyone can think anything that they want, however, what is expressed through their speech, expressions, and actions has limits. People would do well to apply the Golden Rule before speaking, and acting, and expressing themselves. Additionally, like the code of ethics that doctors follow, “first do no harm” should be considered. This is my opinion.
Generally, I abhor constrictions on the expressions of free speech, expression and thought. I do not generally agree with any books being burned or censorship of words and ideas. My limits on this, however, are reached, if someone expresses hatred to the degree that it will cause harm to others, is seditious, or is an advertisement (in effect) to assassinate the President of the United States.
Organizing for America has asked us for our stories from last year's election. I'm working on this years election right now, but I punched this out to make sure the people in DC are reminded we've got some blue people in this red state.
I traveled from South Carolina to Florida for the President, joining the Florida Lawyer’s Voting Rights Project in Pensacola. I met a lot of wonderful people. Working out of state gave me a completely different perspective on national politics from my work at home. It was fun meeting new people, working in places I had never seen before.
I spent Election Day doing voter protection work in the parking lot of Brown Barge Middle School. My real contribution was to prevent the sort of misleading parking lot activity which had been common in the area in the past, which had suppressed turnout.
During mid afternoon, I helped resolve a woman’s registration problem, advising her on how to get her registration updated so she could vote. It worked fine. We weren’t allowed to ask people how they were voting and didn’t wear anything associating us with the Obama campaign. We were under strict instructions to help everyone vote.
She rushed out of the building, gave me a big hug and a peck on the cheek and thanked me for helping her vote for Sarah Palin. I smiled and said we wanted to be sure everyone got to vote. I don’t think she understood that I supported the President.
That evening, our precinct did well when the votes were counted. I was utterly exhausted, working on a sprained ankle for 13 hours. I got a call from one of my son’s high school classmates who sadly told me that Obama had not carried Florida. I asked her how we were doing in other states. She said we were winning. “Which states,” I asked. “All of them,” she answered.
That was when I knew we had won.
Mine was a tiny contribution to a huge effort. My son did door to door work that day in Charleston. I was one of twenty out of state attorneys in Pensacola, 8,000 in Florida working with 12,000 in state Attorneys of 200 thousand plus volunteers just in that state.
It’s turned out to be harder and more complex than that since. I’ve been surrounded by screaming teabaggers in the fight for healthcare.
I’ve seen the depths of hatred and deceit within the opposition. It’s harder to govern than to hold rallies. I do, from time to time, see the astonishing decency of the President in the presence of ordinary people and it’s an immense encouragement.
Tonight I’ll be making phone calls for a municipal election candidate who campaigned using the training and technology which helped make Obama our President. There’s no telling how that will come out, but we would have never even tried if last year had not happened.
I cannot believe the Senators would become so entrenched and in a sense, arrogant, concerning the MILLIONS who have exhausted their unemployment extension benefits. With Senator Shaheen attempting to give all states 4 weeks and the states above 8.5%-13 weeks will essentially kill the bill and cost more time, which the good people out of work don't have.
When the U.S. House of Representatives debated the issue of covering all states for 4 weeks of unemployment extension during floor debate in the last week of September, and they resolved to keep the minimum rate at 8.5 percent to ensure their $1.4 billion proposal did not add to the deficit. Any attempt to raise that number would likely require lawmakers to raise the unemployment tax from $14 a year to something much higher and probably cause this bill, S. 1699, and HR 3548 to stall or worse, die!
What needs to occur is to pass the 13 weeks now (S. 1699) for the states above 8.5% and create another bill to extend the other states the additional 4 weeks. Those who have exhausted their benefits in high unemployment states are in dired straits and it seems that Congress has no problem giving themselves an automatic pay increase, current salary of $174,000.
Write and/or contact your Senators to vote yes for the unemployment extension bill currently in the Senate (S. 1699).
Congress, specifically the Senate, has forgotten the term "We the People" and who actually elects them. We need to put the heat on them and make them truly do the "People's Work". This has went on since August 7, 2009, in the Senate and they had ample time to be prepared for this bill. The House was able to push through HR. 3548.
South Carolina's 1st Congressional District's Henry Brown says he can't stand behind this "unprecedented path" of government spending, and calls President Obama's stimulus efforts a failure.
Everyone agrees that the American economy is in bad shape. The President's "stimulus" package has failed to produce jobs while hundreds of billions of dollars from the package have gone unspent. Unemployment has risen dramatically, and each advance in the stock market is followed by a precipitous decline.
That's why it is so important that the federal government gets its spending under control.
President Obama recently announced his revised deficit forecast, which will put our nation an additional two trillion dollars in the hole over the next ten years. And that is based on spending plans he and the Democrat-led Congress have already enacted. They will only climb higher if the President is successful in his efforts to provide universal health care and tax carbon emissions.
Not a single one of my Republican colleagues supported this unprecedented path of spending, one that created the largest budget deficit in American history. But Republicans believed then and now that we can and must do better to protect our children and our grandchildren from overwhelming future debt.
Well, Henry. Isn't that a mouthful.
The stimulus package has produced jobs, sir. Maybe if you'd read some of the newspapers around the state, you'd see that. Here's an example of what I found below.
The Department of Energy (DOE) announced Tuesday that the Savannah River Site (SRS) will receive $1.615 billion in stimulus funds to accelerate decommissioning work and create as many as 3,000 jobs.
Around the country, we have seen adverse effect in the positive, even allowing Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernake to state the recession is over.
That's because Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke has apparently seen enough economic data to say that the worst recession since the Great Depression seems done. His comments came on a day when markets saw several reports that further buttress the view that overall economic output is again expanding.
There is going to be a slow turnaround. But that's where we are because of the stimulus package. If it hadn't passed, we'd be in a full-out depression.
But Henry, I must ask why you don't include your support for TARP funds to bail out the banks in any of your letters? Instead of worrying about the deficit then, you simply allowed CEOs to pocket huge bonuses - using our money to enjoy the high life. I guess the debt on us from that pales in comparison to the donations you receive from your finance friends.
Brown voted for the Fall 2008 Bank Bailout and Tarp program, without using his power in Congress to see that this Bush Administration effort included accountability, transparency and limits on bonuses. Billions of dollars in tax money has been paid out in bonuses by an economic sector where Henry Brown accepted more contributions than others during his career in Congress -- $470,805 from the Finance, Insurance & Real Estate industries, according to OpenSecrets.org.
And what really gets me is the last comment you make in regards to looking out for our families. Henry, you've done no such thing. Under eight years of Bush control, you rubber stamped his policies, passed his agenda and ballooned the debt without paying for a single thing. That, sir, is what is effecting our country and families now.
Not a single one of my Republican colleagues supported this unprecedented path of spending, one that created the largest budget deficit in American history. But Republicans believed then and now that we can and must do better to protect our children and our grandchildren from overwhelming future debt.
What IS in bad shape is your party's unwillingness to stand behind something. As you boldly point out in acceptance, I urge you to reconsider following the partisan line in favor of standing with the American people. Stand with the state of South Carolina and forgo ideology. Use your so-called power to help out the citizens of the district you were elected from.
We cannot pass along this crushing debt to our children and grandchildren.
Sir, you have already done so - and with nothing to show for it. The former president thanks you, too.
Friends, we do not need this type of representation. I urge you all to do whatever is needed to help put Brown out of office and put the "workhorse" out to pasture.
That may seem to be a harsh title, but it is true! Just as Popeye would say "I've stands all I can stands and I can't stands no more!" You would think that Republicans would be on board, especially since they claim to stand for small business, for the debate on Health Care Reform. But once again we see no real effort put forward by the Republicans other than to derail the entire process.
Frankly, I am sick and tired of this and action needs to go forward. We can send billions of dollars to the quagmire called Iraq and Afghanistan but we can't take care of our own people. So let's go at the lies one by one..
No public option/Single Payer!-Well I would imagine then since the Republicans believe America should not have a public option or single payer, then they will be submitting legislation to end Medicare, Medicaid, V.A. system, military hospitals (especially seeing even Republican members of Congress enjoy use of Walter Reed and Betheseda Naval Hospitals), and any State sponsored plans, ie Wisconsin Badger Care and others. Even the Republicans in Congress would not be that suicidal!! Wake up everyone you already have a public option that is utilized by millions in Medicare, Medicaid, VA, and Military hospitals. If it is good enough for our disabled, seniors, and military why isn't that option good enough for all Americans?
Death Panels-This one is beyond belief that Republicans would say this and Americans would believe this, but then seeing Republicans including Senator Demint compare the Democrats and President Obama to Nazis what would we expect. The provision in the bill, which ironically a Republican Congressman had introduced originally, would allow Medicare for the first time to cover patient-doctor consultations about end-of-life planning, including discussions about drawing up a living will or planning hospice treatment. Patients would, of course, seek out such advice on their ownbut they would not be required to. The provision would limit Medicare coverage to one consultation every five years. This isn't a "death panel", but something many people need to do rather than not have a plan when an end of life issue arrises.
Medicare Will be Cut-Another bold face lie by the Republicans. What the President is going to do is cut the 10-year cost of $177 billion in subsidies paid to insurance companies to allow them to participate in Medicare Advantage. This is wasteful spending that can be eliminated to help Medicare.
Americans Don't Want a Government Ran Healthcare Plan-This is another lie. In a poll conducted by New York Times and CBS,
66% of Americans polled would like to see a government ran option similar to Medicare.
Rationing of Health Care-Another lie plus if you think our health care is not already rationed think again. Every day insurance companies deny coverage for a myriad of reasons. So how could it be any worse, maybe the pre-existing condition removal alone would help us all, and considering a public plan would not be able to cover all procedures, private insurance plans do not either.
Single Payer System Would Give Us Worse Healthcare-If the single payer system is so bad then why do we give to our military veterans and yet members of Congress call the VA system the best care for our veterans. A U.S. newspaper wrote that under the British system Steven Hawking would be allowed to die due to his deteriating condition, but Hawking said, "I wouldn't be here today if it were not for the NHS."
Why can't a rational discussion of healtcare reform occur without being called a communists, socialists, or Nazis. Even the Heritage Foundation has called on Congress to create a system similar to the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) for Americans which all members of Congress enjoy. However, the health insurance industry is and will do anything to derail any option that will be a benefit to the consumer and affect their bottom line.
Most small business would love to provide health insurance to their employees, but simply can't or the ones who do have very expensive plans with limited coverages. I know this first hand because I am a small business owner. The U.S. health care system is the most expensive in the world on both a per-capita basis and as a percentage of GDP, yet fails to provide Universal coverage.
A study published in 2008 in Annals of Internal Medicine, a leading medical journal, showed 59 percent of physicians “support government legislation to establish national health insurance,” while 32 percent oppose it and 9 percent are neutral.
Here is the proposal from Physicians for a National Health Program key features:
"Key Features of Single-Payer
Universal, Comprehensive Coverage Only such coverage ensures access, avoids a two-class system, and minimizes expense
No out-of-pocket payments Co-payments and deductibles are barriers to access, administratively unwieldy, and unnecessary for cost containment
A single insurance plan in each region, administered by a public or quasi-public agency A fragmentary payment system that entrusts private firms with administration ensures the waste of billions of dollars on useless paper pushing and profits. Private insurance duplicating public coverage fosters two-class care and drives up costs; such duplication should be prohibited
Global operating budgets for hospitals, nursing homes, allowed group and staff model HMOs and other providers with separate allocation of capital funds Billing on a per-patient basis creates unnecessary administrative complexity and expense. A budget separate from operating expenses will be allowed for capital improvements
Free Choice of Providers Patients should be free to seek care from any licensed health care provider, without financial incentives or penalties
Public Accountability, Not Corporate Dictates The public has an absolute right to democratically set overall health policies and priorities, but medical decisions must be made by patients and providers rather than dictated from afar. Market mechanisms principally empower employers and insurance bureaucrats pursuing narrow financial interests
Ban on For-Profit Health Care Providers Profit seeking inevitably distorts care and diverts resources from patients to investors
Protection of the rights of health care and insurance workers A single-payer national health program would eliminate the jobs of hundreds of thousands of people who currently perform billing, advertising, eligibility determination, and other superfluous tasks. These workers must be guaranteed retraining and placement in meaningful jobs.
from the American Journal of Public Health January 2003, Vol 93, No.1"
(Editor's Note: I've changed the title of UpstateGirl's post to create a thread to share info on upcoming congressional Town Hall meetings across SC. Please see the comments section for more info on August Town Halls planned for your Congressional District. - promoted by Jennifer Read)
Bob Inglis has the following Health Care town halls scheduled at 7:00 p.m. at the following locations:
Mon. Aug 17, 2009 - Sue Cleveland Elem, Piedmont, SC
Tues. Aug 18, 2009 - Traveler's Rest Library
Thurs. Aug 20, 2009 - R.D. Anderson Applied Tech Center, Moore SC
Mon. Aug 24, 2009 - New Prospect Elem, Inman, SC 29349
Tues Aug 25, 2009 - Lake Forest Elem, Greenville, SC 29615
N. Charleston, SC- Charleston County Democrats will respond to President Obama’s challenge that, “We don’t quit. I don’t quit. Let’s seize this moment – to start anew, to carry the dream forward, and to strengthen our union once more.” with a full day of activities Saturday, January 30th. This event will challenge the message of fear expected at the Glenn Beck and Bill O’Reilly event at the North Charleston Coliseum with a grass roots effort to explore rational solutions to the nation’s major problems of energy, economic development and jobs, education, health care and a productive political culture.
Connection Bistro celebrating the anniversary of the inauguration of Barack Obama. Despite the massive disappointment of the bungled campaign in Massachusetts, participants were positive at both events and extensive plans to prepare for the upcoming 2010 election were moving forward.
Lowcountry Democrats and Progressives often complain about the vicious conservatism of local talk radio. Now they can pick up a phone on Monday evenings from 6 to 8 and do something about it by calling Rep. David Mack’s new show on WLTQ AM 730 at 843-225-7307.
David Mack, pictured left, (a member of the SC State Legislature) and Claudia Collins like taking calls, but their first few shows have required them to fill up a lot of air time between when the phones are ringing. They do a commendable job talking about local and national issues and supporting community initiatives, however the progressive, liberal and Democratic Lowcountry is not fully utilizing the opportunity to connect and be heard. Now that the holidays are over, it is time to make those phones ring.
About 35 people attended. After opening remarks by George Temple, many participants spoke. When they were finished, they went up to DeMint's office in groups of five to leave handwritten notes in support of healthcare reform.
I traveled from South Carolina to Florida for the President, joining the Florida Lawyer’s Voting Rights Project in Pensacola. I met a lot of wonderful people. Working out of state gave me a completely different perspective on national politics from my work at home. It was fun meeting new people, working in places I had never seen before.
