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Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Senators Bond, Mitchell and McCain were way out of line

If you haven't read the front page story of The Kansas City Star today, you need to.

The three Senators listed above were in town and held a very small (100 people), "invitation only" meeting to discuss health care reform here in town at Children's Mercy Hospital.

What chutzpah.

They all said "compromise with Democrats hasn't been found."

Well, no kidding.

And why would it?

If the Republicans won't compromise, how can you get a compromise?

They were, it seems, in effect, blaming the Democrats for not giving them the compromise they were denying and wanting to deny.

Talk about blaming the victim.

"They blasted President Barack Obama's vision of health care reform, calling it outlandishly expensive, and predicted it could lead to rationing and outsized budget deficits for years to come."

There they go again--putting out nothing but fear.

Oh, and that rationing? We already have that, since rich people can and do get care and the poor and uninsured don't.

Get this beauty from Sen. McCain: "No country can continue to spend more than it takes in..."

That's good, coming from the Republicans. How come we got those huge deficits from that last 8 years of Republican rule, then? Where was the concern then?

Then there's this: "McConnell, the Senate minority leader from Kentucky, said if government got into the insurance business, it would wipe out the private insurance industry."

Ah, NOW we've struck on what--and whom--they're really concerned about--the insurance industry.

Their benefactors.

These Senators aren't concerned about you and me, ladies and gentlemen.

The insurance corporations are spending thousands and millions of dollars to make sure government stays out of the insurance business because then they won't be able to keep increasing our premiums while reducing care, all across the country.

What's stunning is that Sen. McConnell would even blurt that quote out for the press. He should know better than to make it clear who he's really working for.

"The three Republican senators said they are more interested in incremental health care reform..."

You bet they are. That way they can say they did something about health care in the US while ensuring that the insurance companies and other big business operations continue to clean the financial clocks of Americans.

But real, far-reaching, intelligent, all-encompassing health care reform that addresses the problems of the American public, their constituents?

No way.

Let me point out three simple, brief statistics, to show we need health care reform:

1) We have, above and beyond, the most expensive health care system in the world;

2) We rank, internationally, in mortality rates, 37th--behind Costa Rica and

3) Nearly 50 million Americans have no health care insurance or coverage at all and the number is growing daily.

There are more statistics available, quickly and easily. (See some here: http://www.michaelmoore.com/sicko/_media/SiCKO_sickofactoids.pdf)

So lets stop putting out all the fear, untruths and misrepresentations.

The health care system in America is broken. It is badly broken. It is financially breaking both households and businesses.

The Republicans need to stop being "The Party of No" and get behind a fix for this mess.

It's irresponsible to not offer true solutions and put the American public first and it's plainly bad for the country now and into our future.

Link to story: http://www.kansascity.com/105/story/1417107.html

3 comments:

Hyperblogal said...

I own my own business and I am just as much in favor of capitalism as the next person. But when that system starts causing more problems than it solves it's time to alter or abolish it with regard to healthcare. The problem began when we switched, beginning in the late 80s, from a health care system to a healthcare industry. A doctor swears a oath to put the patent first, the insurance industry has an implied oath to put the shareholder first. Doesn't work. After we live in a society not an economy.

Mo Rage said...

And the fact is, the cost of health care, especially health care insurance, is breaking the backs of both small and large business. The only ones it's not breaking is the hospital corporations, the insurance corporations and the like.

America's health care system is clearly killing us.

Doing nothing should not be an option.

Doing very little should not be an option.

Thanks for writing.

MR

Radioman KC said...

It would also be helpful to mention that every $5,000 we spend for a body scan is $5,000 we don't spend on local business.

Health takes some 15 perent of our spendable income. Yes, those are jobs too, but if you're not in health care, that money doesn't come to YOU!

I surely agree with all that's been said here. Its clear the GOP doens't want reform despite what they say outloud and I heard that on KCUR as well.

We need to get the public option started, we don't need to get it perfected. There'll be plenty of time for that later. lets hold the Dems feet to the fire, make em do it.

Forget the republicans, they want the Oman defeated over this, its' the only prayer they have for 2010's Congressionals. That's IT.

We need this done. Its the unnecessary expenses that are killing us. A Pharma guy told me the other day that KC has one of the highest percentages of scan machines per capita in the country. They have to keep them busy beause they're hugely expensive.

As Hyper said, its' the industry that did us in. They're a bit like car dealership garages... the object of the game is to run up the bill. but we don't care so much because 'insurance' pays for most of it. or so we think at the time.

An impossible situation.