Kill the Senate Health Care Bill
Keith Olbermann argues that we must kill the current Senate Health Care Bill. He says it's not health, not care, and not reform. It's a monster that will destroy the middle class. In his video Olbermann promises if the bill passes he promises not to buy the insurance. He calls Senator Lieberman a prostitute for the health insurance industry.
http://www.truthout.org/topstories/121709vh1
Olbermann says the bill does harm. Physicians have the number 1 rule--Do not harm. The bill promises to do incredible harm.
Kill the bill. This bill is a huge giveaway to the health care corporations. This bill will do huge harm to millions of Americans. In this bill a family of four with an income of $50,000 will be forced to pay $9,000 or 17% of their income for health insurance or face fines. That is an outrage and an assault on the middle class. This bill is aimed at bleeding and bankrupting the middle class. This bill is a travesty. This bill is a betrayal of democracy. Over 60% of Americans want a public option and want single payer. Les than 40% of Americans want this bill. This bill was made to cater to Lieberman and other prostitutes for the health care corporations.
Keywords:
About Julia
Julia Stein is a poet, fiction writer, and critic.
Her books of poetry are
Under the Ladder to Heaven (West End Press)
Desert Soldiers (California Classics)
Shulamith (West End Press)
Walker Woman (West End Press)
Connections
Causes Julia Stein Supports
Amnesty International
Doctors Without Borders
ACLU
Workman's Circle
Julia’s Favorite Books
War and Peace, Brothers Karamazov, Moby Dick, Golden Notebook,
God of Small Things, Bleak House, Links by Nuruddin Farah
okay, now what?
I am almost as despairing as I was during the Bush administration, over this one. If this doesn't prove to progressives that the Democrats are not significantly different than the Republicans in their politics, nothing will.
Evie, I've found out when my
Evie,
I've found out when my mother was in nursing homes that when a family has am extremely sick relative, the medical personnel think the family is so traumatized they will accept any bad treatment they shove out. They don't expect anyone to demand their rights, and they are surprised when patients and/or their family does. I also found out private health corporations are much weaker then they appear. Many people with sick relatives don't have the luxury not to fight for their relatives' rights and lives.
I think we have to put out we are totally against this socalled Senate health care bill. A lot of Americans, I think, don't understand it. When they do understand the government is trying to force them to pay outrageously high prices from inferior insurance and overpriced medicines, they will feel betrayed. Many of them cannot afford to buy the premiums and face the fines instead. We have expect a massive movement not pay the premiums.
Also, Democrats will face a mass movement against them both from their left-wing and from the Right. Already Moveon has raised $1 million to topple Lieberman.
you're right, julia!
I've been signing petitions and calling my senators, left and right (not in the ideological sense!), and will continue to do so. Every chance I get, I try to explain that this "reform" bill appears to be worse than the status quo, as I understand it. Here's hoping that collective action will do the work we need it to do...
I had hoped that my
I had hoped that my anarchist son was wrong, but he told me during the long election period that Democrat or Republican, it would make no difference. I tried to not believe him. I tried to not believe him when I had to buy his new health insurance when he turned 24, a policy that costs a great deal and offers so little. I tried to not believe him as all the petitions started coming my way.
I had hoped that all my intially pro Obama folk were right about the new course of our country. I moved from H Clinton to Obama because I had no other option, but I wasn't necessarily sold. I think I heard my son's words in my ear.
In any case, I keep paying the insurance bill each month, and I keep hoping that my son will not need to use it much because it will offer him little and cost me a ton--and what looks to be coming our way is not going to make matters any better.
Best,
J
Jessica Barksdale Inclan
www.jessicabarksdaleinclan.com
re; Obama
I think you, me and millions of others hoped that electing the Democrats would make a difference and hoped that electing Obama would, as you said, would charge "the new course of our country."
You and my brother pay monthly insurance for their children (my brother's Blue Shield premium for his daughter was just raised $7).
I don't see how people under 30, many of whom have to pay off monstrous college loans as they are attempting to start careers amidst this horrible recession, are going to be able to pay those monstrous health care premiums of the Democrat's health care bill. I think most people under 30 might flee Obama as your son already has.
I teach college students. For the winter session the course offerings were cut in half. 250,000 students were forced out of the California community college system where I teach. Many of my students want to transfer to the California state university system but that system plans to cut out 40,000 students this coming year.
The right-wing has lied called the Democrats corporate health insurance bill "socialism" ad nauseum. No socialist country nor any Communist country ever had a plan like the Democrats forcing the citizens to pay overpriced premiums and overpriced medications of big corporations. That Democrats are trying to impose an extremely right wing health insurance system designed to enrich corporations.
I teach at DVC, a communoty
I teach at DVC, a communoty college in Pleasant Hill, CA. I was recently informed that summer session 2011 was likely a no-go if things stay the same (versus, what in the hell will happen if it gets worse?). For spring, we cut 8 classes, at least, that was the first cut. So if we can't serve people who are weaned off their parents' health insurance, what are they going to do to get health insurance. Surely, they don't have the luxury of payoing what I can for my son, who actually tells me to not. I suppose the insurance is for me--and it also went up as of Jan 1 50 dollars a month.
I personally didn't assume or hope for anything other than no Bush. And so far, I do think that is exactly what I am getting.
J
Jessica Barksdale Inclan
www.jessicabarksdaleinclan.com
re: corporate health care
Dear Jessica,
Last year at this time my mother was in her 2nd corporate nursing home (she had broken her hip at 87). The first corporate nursing home would let her rot in bed (her surgeon wanted her up and moving--walking every day). I had a 3-week bruising fight with the nursing home staff to get the staff to get her out of bed daily. I won but then got a stress illness myself in November and was just coming out of my stress illness mid-December.
Fighting a corporate nursing home alone causes illness. I didn't fight the 2nd corporate nursing home,but found out after I moved her out Feb. 2 that they violated her rights from the first day she moved there. By law a patient is supposed to be able to pick a doctor. I told them I wanted a doctor for my mother but they said I couldn't have one and forced an idiot on us. A month after I moved my mother out I found out someone had a class action suit against the 2nd nursing home and my mother is in the class suing her 2nd nursing home.
This fall/winter millions are discussing health care so I no longer feel alone. I hope there is group action in resistance to corporate insurance companies and nursing homes violation of people's rights so nobody has to fight alone and nobody has to get stress illness from the fight as i did. It feels better this year having these discussions than last year when I was by myself.
Hi, Julia-- My mother has
Hi, Julia--
My mother has made provisions for herself, much as her parents did--housing for herself in a place where care is provided if necessary. We, her children, are all lucky--there is money enough to go around.
But where will my children go when I am that old? Who knows?
I am sorry to hear of your tale, and I know you are not alone in the stress and nightmare. We are in a mess, a pickle, a huge problem I don't know what will happen, but I know I feel blessed in that my mother has made provisions for herself and for me, really, for whatever happens next. Let's hope that things improve for us all, somehow. I can't let go of my hope, even as misguided as it may be. I can't go the way of my son, but I know that I will likely be disillusioned.
Best,
J
Jessica Barksdale Inclan www.jessicabarksdaleinclan.com