Two things in the battletide of health care reform. Notice I'm so non plused I'm not even bothering to capitalize 'Health Care Reform' any longer? Yeah. Me too. Because ultimately I believe the "public option" is narrowing down to equate to "expansion of Medicare/Medicaid" and it WILL happen, if not by majority vote, cloture or any other damn thing then by executive order if need be. Obama wants to grow a huge honking pair, he'd do it that way. Take responsibility for it all and when it is properly run and regulated and profitable, tell ALL the wingnuts to just go fuck themselves. Forever.
But I digress. Here's Wyden insisting there be a public option in the final bill, and here's old 'Independent' Joe putting on the squeeze play. Why the squeeze play? Because the only way it seems able to get through now is if there's an "opt-out" clause on a state by state basis. States rights. Still the possibility exists that the triggers may either be set too high and that having triggers in the first place PLUS insistence upon voiding the private insurers anti-trust exemption could possibly trigger the regionalization of medicine and medical treatment in America. In other words make it more hard to get competent, qualified medical care AND increase the travel cost! Brilliant! We already have that in Alaska so perhaps it won't effect us all that much.
So, yeah -- NO. Yes to the public option. Yes to the expansion of M/M. NO to any sort of trigger. It's part of the Medicare/Medicaid package, we're reforming and expanding the system to cover the uninsured, either you're in or you are out at the state level. Are any states presently NOT enrolled in both? End of story. Eureka. You have found the pot o' gold. You have freed the dragon. Public Option. Now move along.
Eventually and as stated I expect it will all be part of M/M so "no big whup..." THEN yes, reform of M/M is a must and please pass the anti-trust hammer. It's clobberin' time!
-Laz
Showing posts with label Health Care Reform. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Health Care Reform. Show all posts
10.27.2009
9.02.2009
Because I Could Not Have Said It Better...
Endgame. It is going to become the sound of inevitability. As our senators and congressmen thunder back from summer recess to D. C. for the start of the second session, that sound will be that Health Care is absolutely THE number one top priority. Period. Not only that, their jobs depend on it. Even the far right should realize that health care/health insurance and Medicaid/Medicare reform is coming. Whether they like it or not. The question has always been in what shape or form. I again suggest not as a lion, but as a lamb. A lamb with a big fucking hammer.
Let's review my previous predictions: The main bill is bloated and perhaps destined to fail. Except through the reconciliation process. Which would be a juicy process. BOOM goes the Hammer! Ferreting out all the hidden beneficiaries of the built in graft and loopholes of h.r.3200. It the only hope of saving this bill. I've suggested alternatives, a political bait-and-switch to more progressive bills as well. I've suggested that bipartisanship is dead, as if it was ever even alive in the first place. The GOP seems to have left the asylum to be run by the 'patients' and Nurse Michael "Ratchet" Steele. I've also suggested that since a simple majority won't be available because of circumstances on the part of BOTH sides of the aisle, whichever bill they choose will have to be put under the budget reconciliation hammer. BOOM goes the Hammer!
In short, our elected representatives, with their own good as gold private insurance will be 'earning' what we the people, the American taxpayer pay them to do, which is: work. Work for what the majority want. A Public Option. Singlepayer. Expand and reform Medicare if it's too much effort for you to re-invent the wheel again. Which is precisely what is happening at the moment... oh look, let's reinvent the wheel! Hey that wheel sure looks a lot like Medicare/Medicaid, doesn't it? If it was a snake, the idea would have bit them all on the ass by now.
If Medicaid/Medicare expansion and reform proves to be the wrong idea then at least by using the reconciliation model at the budget level you can go through everything with a fine toothed comb, dropping unnecessary or obstructive amendments like just so many nits. Then you squish them with the hammer. BOOM! Ultimately, in my opinion, it needs to go there. Imagine wave after wave of stimulus dollar funded flat panel screens everywhere, tuned to C-SPAN as they show the grueling blow-by-blow details of a budgetary fight. In both chambers! Senators having to teabag for themselves! Live from the house and senate... whew! It is not Watergate, but we have better modern production values, better visual effects. Plus, it would put all this recess nonsense to bed once and for all because the naysayers and obstructionists to the health care reform debate will have to declare themselves officially and on the record, not via shovel ready mass media soundbites and clown-like antics for the 'rubes' back home.
This fall it's either that or the live feed of the Iraq War Crimes trials from The Hague on C-SPAN3. Or that "Truth Commission" thing on C-SPAN2... hmm. Those can wait until January 2010, in my opinion. Get out the hammer, President Obama. Because it's hammer time. Time to hammer out some health care / health insurance reform.
With all that in mind and because originally I claimed I couldn't have said it better, because I can't -- I share Matt Taibbi and Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY) taking Maria Bartiromo to task for her debating on the "have" side of the column that reads "Do you have private insurance?" -- why yes you do, Maria. Congratulations! You're a full 5/5 of a human being. You get premium health care! At premium cost of course. While your co-workers rail about "the biggest re-distribution of wealth EVER" concerning Obama's plans for the future, none of you can even see that it already happened during the Bush/Cheney years with Paulson as the bagman? Amazing. Oh no, that's right -- you and some of your former hedge fund managing co-workers are now reaping the benefits of the financial raping of America, aren't you? Often even aiding and abetting, if I do say. Because I do. Say.
Those of us working poor -- without benefits, without insurance and without pensions politely applaud your stunning achievement, Maria Bartiromo. Now we would like to be able to buy some insurance, too. Something more pedestrian and five-figure-ish, please. Make it a public option, single payer, with no exclusions and no limitations. Then use it as an even BIGGER HAMMER as it becomes the largest private insurer in the nation and proves itself worthy enough to drive the profit motivated weasels out of the health care insurance business forever as it pounds, pounds away, straightening their bottom lines.
-Laz
Let's review my previous predictions: The main bill is bloated and perhaps destined to fail. Except through the reconciliation process. Which would be a juicy process. BOOM goes the Hammer! Ferreting out all the hidden beneficiaries of the built in graft and loopholes of h.r.3200. It the only hope of saving this bill. I've suggested alternatives, a political bait-and-switch to more progressive bills as well. I've suggested that bipartisanship is dead, as if it was ever even alive in the first place. The GOP seems to have left the asylum to be run by the 'patients' and Nurse Michael "Ratchet" Steele. I've also suggested that since a simple majority won't be available because of circumstances on the part of BOTH sides of the aisle, whichever bill they choose will have to be put under the budget reconciliation hammer. BOOM goes the Hammer!
In short, our elected representatives, with their own good as gold private insurance will be 'earning' what we the people, the American taxpayer pay them to do, which is: work. Work for what the majority want. A Public Option. Singlepayer. Expand and reform Medicare if it's too much effort for you to re-invent the wheel again. Which is precisely what is happening at the moment... oh look, let's reinvent the wheel! Hey that wheel sure looks a lot like Medicare/Medicaid, doesn't it? If it was a snake, the idea would have bit them all on the ass by now.
If Medicaid/Medicare expansion and reform proves to be the wrong idea then at least by using the reconciliation model at the budget level you can go through everything with a fine toothed comb, dropping unnecessary or obstructive amendments like just so many nits. Then you squish them with the hammer. BOOM! Ultimately, in my opinion, it needs to go there. Imagine wave after wave of stimulus dollar funded flat panel screens everywhere, tuned to C-SPAN as they show the grueling blow-by-blow details of a budgetary fight. In both chambers! Senators having to teabag for themselves! Live from the house and senate... whew! It is not Watergate, but we have better modern production values, better visual effects. Plus, it would put all this recess nonsense to bed once and for all because the naysayers and obstructionists to the health care reform debate will have to declare themselves officially and on the record, not via shovel ready mass media soundbites and clown-like antics for the 'rubes' back home.
This fall it's either that or the live feed of the Iraq War Crimes trials from The Hague on C-SPAN3. Or that "Truth Commission" thing on C-SPAN2... hmm. Those can wait until January 2010, in my opinion. Get out the hammer, President Obama. Because it's hammer time. Time to hammer out some health care / health insurance reform.
With all that in mind and because originally I claimed I couldn't have said it better, because I can't -- I share Matt Taibbi and Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY) taking Maria Bartiromo to task for her debating on the "have" side of the column that reads "Do you have private insurance?" -- why yes you do, Maria. Congratulations! You're a full 5/5 of a human being. You get premium health care! At premium cost of course. While your co-workers rail about "the biggest re-distribution of wealth EVER" concerning Obama's plans for the future, none of you can even see that it already happened during the Bush/Cheney years with Paulson as the bagman? Amazing. Oh no, that's right -- you and some of your former hedge fund managing co-workers are now reaping the benefits of the financial raping of America, aren't you? Often even aiding and abetting, if I do say. Because I do. Say.
Those of us working poor -- without benefits, without insurance and without pensions politely applaud your stunning achievement, Maria Bartiromo. Now we would like to be able to buy some insurance, too. Something more pedestrian and five-figure-ish, please. Make it a public option, single payer, with no exclusions and no limitations. Then use it as an even BIGGER HAMMER as it becomes the largest private insurer in the nation and proves itself worthy enough to drive the profit motivated weasels out of the health care insurance business forever as it pounds, pounds away, straightening their bottom lines.
-Laz
8.25.2009
Regressives Extremists and Obstructionists vs. Progressives, Moderates and Centrists... OH MY!
In my personal effort to wrap my head around the swirling controversy that IS health care reform (or health insurance reform) I have looked at and read many bills, read many news articles online from many diverse sources while pondering long and hard about an issue so important to not only myself, but ALL Americans. I've cheered on The Wyden Plan dubbed the "Healthy Americans Act" both here and elsewhere on other blogs like Celtic Diva's Blue Oasis. Some may recall me mentioning earlier that this could be the REAL reform we're looking for in lieu of H.R. 3200. The official text on Thomas.loc.gov can be found by searching for the Senate (S. 391) also known as S. 391.IS) and House (H.R. 1321, also known as H.R. 1321.IH) bills there. I've even suggested that we resurrect H.R. 676 as a good clean slate from which to foundationally build upon into a powerful and clean health care reform bill.
As a side note, since all searches on Thomas.loc.gov often have an expiration time built in, I link to the ones from the more persistent GovTrack.us. -- otherwise the best way to search on the official government site is to already know the official names of the bills or to search for the bills using the official number. Which is both confusing and maddening at times. Be sure the little button to search for 'Bills' is clicked if searching for specific bill numbers as it defaults to a text search otherwise. Anyhow my solution has been to use the open source GovTrack to find out the official names or numbers then search at the official site. Once you find the correct bill there are also links on the thomas.loc.gov site to printer friendly versions (not wise unless you have tons of paper) and Adobe Acrobat .PDF versions you may save locally to your own hard drive (better idea... read at your leisure, print the parts you want, cut and paste from the documents as needed).
Yes, it's a bit of jumping through hoops to use search engines to track legislation, but it'll save you some ulcers in the long run. Research is always good especially if you're going to use the sharpened sword of intellect by reading through and understanding what your own legislators sometimes say they haven't even bothered to read themselves. Elected representatives who don't take the time to read and learn the legislation they vote on should find themselves a new job because they're obviously not cut out for the task of representing their constituency. You need a summer reading list Mr. President? What's on the top 10 reads for this recess, Senator? Congressman? Your answer had better be health care or health insurance reform or I can almost guarantee there are going to be some pissed off constituents, both Republicans and Democrats alike come election day 2010.
One other option that has been floated by many is to just expand Medicare. I'm almost convinced that ultimately this may be the correct move. Howard Dean makes some very logical and persuasive arguments in this clip from the Rachael Maddow Show (Allison Stewart was filling in) where he also highlights the stupidity of regressives, extremists and obstructionists with their usual "the goverment can't run the health care system but don't touch Medicare" (a government run, single payer health care system) flawed circular logic:
Unless the legislature can come up with an omnibus bill that ties together all the good ideas and ferrets out the bad ones, this may be our best choice. Otherwise we're left with the option of pushing H.R. 3200 through reconciliation (because no matter how many bi-partisan concessions you make to the far right, they are STILL going to vote against it) and the liberal use of President Obama's line item veto pen (to close all the loopholes that favor a corrupt and profit driven private insurance industry) to establish a workable and reasonable bill that is on the side of Americans, not tilted in favor of private insurers and lawyers. Yes they're Americans too, but far too many times lately, they mostly seem motivated by profits rather than the future health and well being of ALL Americans.
I have also, much to the chagrin of some, spoken out against H.R. 3200 or at least that may be the perception of some when I suggest alternatives like the Wyden Plan, but don't kid yourself. Let me assure you beyond a shadow of a doubt that I am working FOR health care and health insurance reform, not against it! If at times I seem somewhat less than thrilled about H.R. 3200 it is my way of speaking out against the graft and corruption exhibited by foot dragging legislators of both sides of the aisle as it relates to them milking campaign donations from the private insurance industry and the many loopholes that have been or will be tacked onto this bill that favor the industry rather than the best interests of ALL of the American people. If we the people do not speak up loudly, forcefully and most of all THOUGHTFULLY to express the need for rational reform NOW we're letting all the astroturfers, teabaggers, birthers, deathers and all the rest of the regressive, extremist and obstructionist crazies win. Thus NOW is the time for all good people to come to the aid of their country. Seriously. In a government of, by and for the people, the buck REALLY stops with THE PEOPLE. That would be you and me. The time for us leaving attention to government affairs on autopilot IS OVER. Look what results that got us during the Bush years! As many of our elected officials seem to fall asleep at the wheel they need a good, hard jolting to wake them up be it in the form of letters, emails or phone calls. For our elected representatives to continue to play games with meaningful health care and health insurance reform is to deny us of our inalienable rights. Those of "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness...". I've said it before and I'll continue to say it until most people get it, working against the inalienable rights and against the best interests of ALL the citizens of the United States of America is simply and unequivocally un-American. There WILL be hell to pay next election cycle if they don't do the right thing and complete the job of reform before 2010. Believe it.
Exercise your right, your sacred duty as a progressive, moderate or centrist American and work hard to fight against the regressives, extremists and obstructionists -- the party of NO. Please do so NOW, before it's too late. Use the tools the internet affords us to counter their crazy shouting and non-solutions. Eventually with enough persistence and patience, we progressives, moderates and centrists will WIN this battle. We'll look back and laugh at their lack of input, their lack of solutions or lack of acting in good faith on behalf of the majority of their constituents and at how they marginalized themselves into obscurity by using their idiotic scare tactics. Oh how we'll laugh! But now is the time for action, for grim determination.
-Laz
As a side note, since all searches on Thomas.loc.gov often have an expiration time built in, I link to the ones from the more persistent GovTrack.us. -- otherwise the best way to search on the official government site is to already know the official names of the bills or to search for the bills using the official number. Which is both confusing and maddening at times. Be sure the little button to search for 'Bills' is clicked if searching for specific bill numbers as it defaults to a text search otherwise. Anyhow my solution has been to use the open source GovTrack to find out the official names or numbers then search at the official site. Once you find the correct bill there are also links on the thomas.loc.gov site to printer friendly versions (not wise unless you have tons of paper) and Adobe Acrobat .PDF versions you may save locally to your own hard drive (better idea... read at your leisure, print the parts you want, cut and paste from the documents as needed).
Yes, it's a bit of jumping through hoops to use search engines to track legislation, but it'll save you some ulcers in the long run. Research is always good especially if you're going to use the sharpened sword of intellect by reading through and understanding what your own legislators sometimes say they haven't even bothered to read themselves. Elected representatives who don't take the time to read and learn the legislation they vote on should find themselves a new job because they're obviously not cut out for the task of representing their constituency. You need a summer reading list Mr. President? What's on the top 10 reads for this recess, Senator? Congressman? Your answer had better be health care or health insurance reform or I can almost guarantee there are going to be some pissed off constituents, both Republicans and Democrats alike come election day 2010.
One other option that has been floated by many is to just expand Medicare. I'm almost convinced that ultimately this may be the correct move. Howard Dean makes some very logical and persuasive arguments in this clip from the Rachael Maddow Show (Allison Stewart was filling in) where he also highlights the stupidity of regressives, extremists and obstructionists with their usual "the goverment can't run the health care system but don't touch Medicare" (a government run, single payer health care system) flawed circular logic:
Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy
Unless the legislature can come up with an omnibus bill that ties together all the good ideas and ferrets out the bad ones, this may be our best choice. Otherwise we're left with the option of pushing H.R. 3200 through reconciliation (because no matter how many bi-partisan concessions you make to the far right, they are STILL going to vote against it) and the liberal use of President Obama's line item veto pen (to close all the loopholes that favor a corrupt and profit driven private insurance industry) to establish a workable and reasonable bill that is on the side of Americans, not tilted in favor of private insurers and lawyers. Yes they're Americans too, but far too many times lately, they mostly seem motivated by profits rather than the future health and well being of ALL Americans.
I have also, much to the chagrin of some, spoken out against H.R. 3200 or at least that may be the perception of some when I suggest alternatives like the Wyden Plan, but don't kid yourself. Let me assure you beyond a shadow of a doubt that I am working FOR health care and health insurance reform, not against it! If at times I seem somewhat less than thrilled about H.R. 3200 it is my way of speaking out against the graft and corruption exhibited by foot dragging legislators of both sides of the aisle as it relates to them milking campaign donations from the private insurance industry and the many loopholes that have been or will be tacked onto this bill that favor the industry rather than the best interests of ALL of the American people. If we the people do not speak up loudly, forcefully and most of all THOUGHTFULLY to express the need for rational reform NOW we're letting all the astroturfers, teabaggers, birthers, deathers and all the rest of the regressive, extremist and obstructionist crazies win. Thus NOW is the time for all good people to come to the aid of their country. Seriously. In a government of, by and for the people, the buck REALLY stops with THE PEOPLE. That would be you and me. The time for us leaving attention to government affairs on autopilot IS OVER. Look what results that got us during the Bush years! As many of our elected officials seem to fall asleep at the wheel they need a good, hard jolting to wake them up be it in the form of letters, emails or phone calls. For our elected representatives to continue to play games with meaningful health care and health insurance reform is to deny us of our inalienable rights. Those of "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness...". I've said it before and I'll continue to say it until most people get it, working against the inalienable rights and against the best interests of ALL the citizens of the United States of America is simply and unequivocally un-American. There WILL be hell to pay next election cycle if they don't do the right thing and complete the job of reform before 2010. Believe it.
Exercise your right, your sacred duty as a progressive, moderate or centrist American and work hard to fight against the regressives, extremists and obstructionists -- the party of NO. Please do so NOW, before it's too late. Use the tools the internet affords us to counter their crazy shouting and non-solutions. Eventually with enough persistence and patience, we progressives, moderates and centrists will WIN this battle. We'll look back and laugh at their lack of input, their lack of solutions or lack of acting in good faith on behalf of the majority of their constituents and at how they marginalized themselves into obscurity by using their idiotic scare tactics. Oh how we'll laugh! But now is the time for action, for grim determination.
-Laz
8.23.2009
Dear Mr. President...
Whatever Senator John "I knuckled under to the neocons by cravenly picking Sarah Palin as my running mate AND LOST" and "the fundamentals of the economy are basically sound" McCain says -- do EXACTLY the opposite. This man has totally lost all credibility and any respect I used to have for him BEFORE he got in bed with the people who killed his 2000 campaign, the very same people who pushed Palin on him.
The time for bi-partisanship is over. If you drop the public option or a single payers solution, these neocon idiots will STILL vote against it anyhow just to embarrass you. Remember, DO EXACTLY THE OPPOSITE! Time to dig your heels in and make it happen, time to grow a pair and take a stand against these obstructionists in the PARTY OF NO. They not only make me ashamed to be a Republican, they make me ashamed to be an American.
-Laz
The time for bi-partisanship is over. If you drop the public option or a single payers solution, these neocon idiots will STILL vote against it anyhow just to embarrass you. Remember, DO EXACTLY THE OPPOSITE! Time to dig your heels in and make it happen, time to grow a pair and take a stand against these obstructionists in the PARTY OF NO. They not only make me ashamed to be a Republican, they make me ashamed to be an American.
-Laz
8.22.2009
*** UPDATED *** It's good to have friends...
Celtic Diva is an old friend who has put up with me for many years. I like the fact that her blog allows community input so I often post there to reach a wider audience than my little blog. I have recently posted some ideas about the current health care debate and updated it with new links to possible alternatives to the steamy pile of crap that in my opinion H.R.3200 has now become due to undue influence and industry lobbyists. Please take a moment to jump over there and check it out. You can comment there and add to the debate if you take a moment to register or please feel free to comment about it here if you wish. Thanks.
*** UPDATE ***
I have added links to S.391/H.R.1321 (Ron Wyden's (D-OR) "Healthy American Act") in the comments section below the original posting over at Celtic Diva's Blue Oasis. I respectfully ask that all please take a moment to either visit Blue Oasis for those links or Ron Wyden's website, OR -- if you're "super-wonky" like me, follow the links at Blue Oasis or at Thomas (search for the bill names, S.391/H.R.1321) for .PDF versions of that bill. The easiest way though is to follow the links over at Linda's place, Blue Oasis. Also please stay involved by continuing to put the pressure on our elected representatives. Our voices do still count! Thank you.
*** UPDATE ***
-Laz
*** UPDATE ***
I have added links to S.391/H.R.1321 (Ron Wyden's (D-OR) "Healthy American Act") in the comments section below the original posting over at Celtic Diva's Blue Oasis. I respectfully ask that all please take a moment to either visit Blue Oasis for those links or Ron Wyden's website, OR -- if you're "super-wonky" like me, follow the links at Blue Oasis or at Thomas (search for the bill names, S.391/H.R.1321) for .PDF versions of that bill. The easiest way though is to follow the links over at Linda's place, Blue Oasis. Also please stay involved by continuing to put the pressure on our elected representatives. Our voices do still count! Thank you.
*** UPDATE ***
-Laz
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