Everybody In, Nobody Out

I've been mostly ignoring what's happened to the health care reform bill. Once the substance was removed, we were left with months of posturing and semantics. Who has time to follow the ins and outs of that? It's very discouraging, but I got a bit of hopeful news in my box this morning:

"To ecstatic applause from health care advocates, the California Senate today breathed new life into national prospects for fundamental health reform by passing on a 22 to 14 vote a major bill to guarantee healthcare in the state through creating a Medicare for all system that would cover every Californian...
Read the rest here via Common Dreams

Obama in his State of the Union address, said

“But if anyone from either party has a better approach that will bring down premiums, bring down the deficit, cover the uninsured, strengthen Medicare for seniors and stop insurance company abuses, let me know.”

How about Single Payer, Mr. President? Single Payer Action is a direct action group still tirelessly working for this simple and practical solution.  You can join them here. Their slogan: We're building to 1,000,000 nationwide for single payer. Medicare for all. Everybody in. Nobody Out. Onward.

On another discouraging topic, namely the Supreme Court's recent sale of the government to corporations, Keith Oberman gives a scathing indictment of that decision in one of his special comments. He opens by describing the 1857 Court's Dredd-Scott decision that led to the Civil War, and remarks that the one made on 1/21/10 may have even more impact. He paints a horrible picture of the future under corporate rule. 

It's satisfiying to hear the way he shreds the folks that brought us this mess, but what ARE we going to do about it? As he puts it, this decision may have murdered of what's left of our democracy.

Peace,
Jen

Comments

[thirdkraytwin]

Hi. On 1 July 09 you posted a picture of your plum tree. What sort of plum is that? I have them growing here in New Zealand but have been unable to find a good picture to figure out the variety. It's cool how your garden resembles mine!

p

[Jennifer]

That's a 2 in 1 plum. It's had 2 varieties grafted to one trunk. It's a sad statement on my record keeping but I don't remember the types. I know one is a yellow and one is a red.
It is cool to have similar sites across the world. You guys must be heading into fall right now while we are desperately awaiting spring!

[GoneWithTheWind]

I don't understand "everyone in nobody out". Does the constitution really say the government can force me to pay for your insurance? If I don't will they take it from my pay or take my assets and sell them to pay my "taxes"? If I still don't pay will they come and take me away at the point of a gun? Why? The constitution clearly does not allow such a big and offensive federal government. And WHY won't you and others pay for your own health insurance? Why do I HAVE to pay for YOUR insurance? I am a registered Democrat who intends to vote for anyone but a Democrat. And I'm not even sure I will ever get over this and be able to vote for one of those Socialist jerks ever again. I don't like any politicians but I would vote for anyone instead of the incumbent.

[Jennifer]

Whew! You are certainly angry. The system is really a mess and I get pissed off about it too. I'm not asking you to pay for someone else's insurance. If all citizens making over a certain amount per year, paid into one health care fund, everyone could have quality health care. We have to change the fact that 45,000 Americans die from lack of health access due to poverty each year.
I see it like the highway system. We all pay to maintain it, even if we don't use it. We all benefit from it's existence. Single payer will not raise your health costs, it may even lower them. What it will do is provide access to health care for all and take the profit motive out of the examination room.
Insurance companies have successfully made the story about insurance. No one needs insurance. What we need is health care, and the system of paying for insurance is just one (very flawed) way to do that. Time for something more direct.