I have a feeling this rally will be big when you count people from all the different sides. Bring your cameras and send me any photos you want posted afterwards. If you have a video you need help posting send me an email and I will do it for you. Keep it classy.
A group opposed to the proposals in congress to reform health insurance is protesting against Rep. Lois Capps because she hasn't scheduled a town hall forum ( She has stated an event is being set up for this September.) They are gathering this afternoon outside of her office. As expected, local progressives are gathering to support her and to show they support the proposals to reform health insurance. Her office has already announced an event is going to be set up in September, whereas Rep. Gallegly is not planning to do an event.
Click on continue reading for details.
Click here for the news story from The Star from the Democratic Club Meeting.
Click here for the political report from RedCounty from outside of the event last night. I like Eric Ingemunson's posts because they focus on Ventura County politics.
How come people don't protest that Rep. Gallegly doesn't have town hall forums? If hundreds of people, including many Republicans, showed up to a Democratic Club meeting I am sure he could draw a crowd. Do people really not care to hear from him? I would think citizens of all political backgrounds would want him to do it. I disagree with him on many issues but I would like him to do it.
Do you agree with me that he should hold a town hall meeting? Leave a comment here or call his office at (805) 497-2224.
If anyone knows the last time he held a town hall forum was I will be very impressed. My standards are basic: it must be scheduled, open to the public free of charge, and announced before the event.
State Assembly candidate Das Williams is calling on people to show up to support reform. Click on continue reading to see his email.
State Assembly candidate Mike Stoker is calling on people to show up to show their opposition to the reform proposals and to protest against Rep. Lois Capps for not scheduling a town hall meeting on healthcare insurance reform although she has already announced they plan to do set an event up in September.
I emailed Mike Stoker to see if the wants Rep. Gallegly to hold a town hall meeting too, especially since he is encouraging people to protest against Rep. Lois Capps even though they are setting up a meeting.
Simi Valley Democrats are holding a panel discussion. Click here for details.
Even though there are always a few people that take away from an event I am glad that we live in such a vibrant democracy. Thanks for reading my blog and thanks to those of you that take the time to leave comments or go to events. Always bring a camera. If cheap digital cameras have a video feature. You might need it for evidence if someone does something stupid and people tend to behave better that way.
Here are some photos of the event submitted by State Assembly Candidate Susan Jordan:
Thanks to Susan Jordan for posting this photos on Facebook and allowing me to use them. If you have photos to the event let me know if you want them posted.
I heard that Mike Stoker was there but I haven't heard any reports if Das Williams was there.
While people were protesting against a member of congress that has scheduled a tow hall meeting on health insurance reform and ignoring the local member that has not this was happening in Los Angeles.
Here is the call for a rally:
Lois Capps' Town Hall Meeting
Since she won't come to us, we'll come to her!
Thursday, August 13
On the streets of Santa Barbara!
301 E. Carrillo St., Santa Barbara
(corner of Carrillo and Garden)
4:30 to 6:00 pmI, and many other citizens, have called Lois Capps' office repeatedly to request a town hall meeting with her. We have been told that she will be meeting with a few groups but will not be holding a town hall meeting while she is home for her break. I was able to attend a private meeting in Santa Barbara last Thursday night where Congresswoman Capps spent about 35 minutes talking about how great the health care bill is. She then said she would take "one or two questions" about the bill, but that the hour was getting late and the meeting should end soon. Distinguished physician and infectious disease specialist, Dr. Seth Anderson shouted out "You do have time and you will answer my que stion!". He said he has spent the past 30 years trying to get Medicare to pay for his patients, who are no longer sick, to be able to receive the remainder of their course of IV antibiotics at home rather than having the government mandate that those patients all be treated in the hospital. He said Medicare has been wasting billions of dollars on in-patient care when it has been unnecessary. Capps responded that she knew about this problem, having discussed it with him previously. She bemoaned the fact that when she went to Washington 11 years ago, she naively thought she could get that problem fixed. She then laughed and said Washington doesn't work that way and she has never been able, as a congresswoman, to correct that wasteful expenditure of money and inconvenience to the patient. I asked the next question, reading to her pages 31-32 of her House's health care bill. It states that the Health Benefits Advisory Committee, which will be created to determine who gets health care and who doesn't, ( who will live and who will die) will consist of 26 politically appointed members, from union reps to " an expert in racial and ethnic disparities", but is only required to have one physician on that committee and that is the politically appointed Surgeon General. To summarize her answer: maybe there will be more than one doctor on the board. She then attempted to leave. The 8 people who are opposed to the health care plan in attendance at this meeting, all rushed up to her to ask her other questions. At that point she stated "Look, this (meaning the health care plan) is an experiment. If you don't like it, we'll change it" to which we all said, "we don't want an experiment!" I was able to point out to her that the 8% tax on my family's business, if they don't sign up for the government option, would make it impossible for them to continue using private insurance for their employees and would be forced into the government "exchange" because it will be cheaper to do so. I said that private insurance companies would eventually be forced out of business not only because of that penalty but because private won't be able to compete with a government funded plan. There would eventually be no competition and the government will then be in control of all of our health care decisions. She glared at me and told me I was wrong, that private insurance companies would thrive under this bill. After a few more statements extolling the virtues of her plan, we were told by her staffer that that would be all. She left the meeting hall as soon as she could, taking only those 2 questions and one other about the government plan looking like it will deny expensive, but effective meds for arthritis, to which she had no answer. And congress wonders why the American people are so disgusted with them.
In essence, Dr. Anderson has spent the past 30 years trying to get Medicare to save money and to allow his patient's the benefit of getting out of the hospital and going home to receive their meds. Yet Lois Capps had the audacity to tell the gathered group afterward that if we don't like their new plan, "we can change it". What? Who is she trying to fool?
Please join us on Thursday on the sidewalk outside of her office. I have informed SB Police that we will be there. They ask that we stay out of the street, stay on the sidewalk and obey all traffic laws. I told the officer that we are respectful and law-abiding and that I'm not concerned about our group causing problems. We want the police there to protect us from those who may try to harm us while we are exercising our First Amendment Right to Free Speech. Bring your questions and bring your signs. We will have a loudspeaker and we will ask Congresswoman Capps our questions from outside of her office, since she does not think that we are worthy of speaking to and will not have an open, honest discussion with us about what is in her health care bill. Bring your questions about the fact that she authored the part of the bill which allows the government to pay for abortions with your tax dollars, and bring your questions about the fact that she voted no on the Heller Amendment which would have prohibited illegals from receiving free care paid for by tax payers while denying care to old people because they no longer meet the criteria set up by the politically correct committee that is mandated to have only have the one doctor on it. And bring your questions about her yes votes on Stimulus, TARP, Cap and Tax, Cash for Clunkers, and any other role she has played in creating the national debt which today amounts to over 9.5 trillion, much of it owned by Communist China.
I hope to see you on Thursday. Let's make sure any changes to our health care system are patient centered, not government centered and that Lois Capps hears our concerns about all of the reckless spending she has been doing lately.
Kathi Heringer, RN"It will be of little avail to the people, that the laws are made by men of their own choice, if the laws be so voluminous that they cannot be read, or so incoherent that they cannot be understood; if they be repealed or revised before they are promulgated, or undergo such incessant changes that no man, who knows what the law is today, can guess what it will be tomorrow."
------Alexander Hamilton, Federalist No. 62, 1788
Here is the call for a counter protest:
Santa Barbara Democratic Party Stand Up to Radical Rightwing ExtremistsWhen: Thursday, August 13th, 3:30-6:00PM
Where: Congresswoman Lois Capps' Santa Barbara Office
301 E. Carrillo, Santa Barbara, CAThe Democratic Party will be holding a rally supporting Congresswoman Capps and countering the misinformation about the common sense health insurance reforms designed to reduce costs, guarantee choice, and ensure quality care for all supported overwhelmingly by Santa Barbarans.
Over the past several weeks, we have seen these so-called "teabaggers" use a range of disreputable tactics. Egged on by an hysterical right wing media, their movement has attracted a dangerous fringe that is trying to shut up and shout down public discussion of health insurance reform. Some have even have shown up to town hall meetings with swastikas and sent death threats to Members of Congress. One even tried to enter a Presidential event with a loaded gun. Now they have set their sights on Santa Barbara, with a protest outside Congresswoman Capps' office timed to allow them to scream accusations at her staff as they leave work at the end of the day.
Democratic Party spokespersons expressed outrage that these organizations would attempt to prevent the government from addressing a systemic crisis-- the lack of affordable healthcare for millions of Americans. Most of the anti-healthcare protesters will be travelling to Santa Barbara from outside of Rep. Capps' district.
While the Santa Barbara County Democratic Party is hopeful that the SB teabaggers will hold a protest respectful of basic dignity, it is important that the vast majority of Santa Barbarans who support health insurance reform show up and make their voices heard. Party Chair Daraka Larimore-Hall explained, "While we welcome open debate and discussion, paranoid fantasies and lies about government run death panels murdering the elderly serve no purpose other than to distract from the serious problems with our health insurance industry and needlessly scare people."
E-mail from State Assembly candidate Mike Stoker:
I wouldn't have weighed in but I just was forwarded this email. As many of you know I was recently in Washington D.C. with CA business leaders to lobby against the President's health care legislation. There is a lot that can be done to improve health care in the US. For instance allowing National Association Health Care plans could provide coverage to 10-20 million middle class small businesses. Tort Reform could reduce the overall costs by 25-30% of all us. Focusing on Fraud could reduce another 10-15%. And there are many more solutions involving increased competition and market based focuses that should, but are not, on the table. The solution is not moving our country to a "Public Option" which will essentially socialize medicine in this country.
As I said I wouldn't have gotten involved in this rally outside Congresswoman Capps' office today but now that I see my opponent Mr. Das has encouraged those that support the President's approach, I call on all of you who believe in the free market and common sense solutions to the health care debate, show up and be counted. The fact is Congresswoman Capps' has refused to have one town hall mtg. to address this issue. Now is your opportunity to send a message to Ms. Capps that you don't support nationalizing health care and you don't support her policy of "avoidance" in dealing with one of the most important issues of our times.
Hope to see you there.
Mike Stoker
PS-I will debate Mr. Williams anywhere, anytime regarding which direction this country should take in pursuing health care reform!
Dear Friends,
We need your help today. As the national debate over health care reform heats up, it is critical that we show our support for President Obama, Congresswoman Lois Capps and health care reform. Those opposed to reform are doing everything in their power to force Congresswoman Lois Capps to back down from her support. This afternoon, opponents of health care reform will be picketing outside of Congresswoman Capps' office.
We need to stand behind Congresswoman Capps and show that the community supports her and health care reform.
Today, Sherry Holland, with Organizing For America, is organizing a rally in support of Congresswoman Capps in front of her office (301 E. Carrillo Santa Barbara, CA) between 4 and 6:30 PM to make sure that our progressive majority is heard. Please come out and show your support for President Obama, Congresswoman Capps and health care reform.
Thank You,
Das Williams
"and that Lois Capps hears our concerns about all of the reckless spending she has been doing lately."
Now what nutjobs only a few years ago created the Iraq mess that will end up costing the taxpayer almost 1 TRILLION dollars when it is all over?
The VC Star reports that Rep. Elton Gallegly, R-Simi Valley, is taking some time off before Congress reconvenes Sept. 8.
“This is the first time this year my wife and I have had three consecutive days together,” Gallegly said at the beginning of this week. “We’re going to have a little private time for three or four days.”
I don't begrudge the slug a little time off with his wife but Elton Gallegly hasn't even bothered to hold anything resembling a townhall meeting in 23 years as our congressman. What's sadder, the insulation and intransigence of our congressman or the apathy of his constituents?
What's truly saddest is that the VC Star refuses to hold a magnifying glass up against Gallegly's sad ass-record AND that they'll willingly do the same for whichever successor Congressman Do-Nothing picks.
"If anyone knows the last time he held a town hall forum was I will be very impressed"
I do. NEVER. No kidding at all!!
JW,
Have we ever met? Thanks for reading and commenting on my blog.
When you leave a comment put the URL to a favorite charity, candidate, or cause to make it easier to see your name and to support them.
Ventura County Star fun fact:
Joe Howry has a poster of Elton Gallegly in a Speedo above his bed.
Shouldn't this be called:
a Pro- America rally?
RE: Kathy Heringer RN,
Are you nurse case manager?
I would be very interested to know if you work for an insurance company or HMO.
A Nurse Case Manager is a RN that works for insurance companies or HMO's. They are key members of the real and very active insurance company death panels. They make between $80k - $100k yr. "and tens of thousand of dollars in bonuses" to save the insurance companies and/or HMO's money by denying care. The insurance companies hire RN Case Managers because "RN" looks good in front of a jury when sued.
Why don't you tell us who you work for Kathy?
Kathi Heringer,
Are you related to "Kathy" Heringer the founder of the (Central Coast Patriots) a tea party group?
Did you try changing your name to Kathi to try and fool us? Fat chance... we're Dennert bloggers baby.
I drove past Lois' office at about 4:20, all four corners were packed with people with Health Care for ALL signs and Obama signs. There were at least 60 people there and I did not even see one tea bag type. The pro health care for all Obama people showed up in droves. My hubby turned 65 in March, the transition over to Medicare was not that difficult, he got a supplement. So his monthly health care cost went from over $1000 to around $400. He did not have to change doctors and it seems to be a smooth transition. The bottom line is that I don't mind paying more in taxes to help less fortunate individuals have health insurance. I think it might be best for individual states to decide on whether they want single payer health care. The tea baggers are screaming about their taxes going up, but I bet most of the screamers don't make over $500K per year and won't be affected by the tax increase, so why are they screaming, just to be screaming? Maybe they are upset that they are not the majority anymore.
In answer to your question, Das wasn't there.
"Maybe they are upset that they are not the majority anymore."
Absolutely. This kind of protest is what you do when you a) can't win an election and b) can't accept that you lost the election, and c) when you have nothing of any value to contribute.
It's the adult equivalent of a kid throwing a complete hissy fit in the market because Mommy won't buy him what he wants.
Anyone want proof that the conservatives are LYING about their concern over the so-called "death panel" becoming a part of health care?
42 GOP Senators voted FOR a "death panel" provision in the Medicare changes that were passed during the last administration. Same proportion of GOP House members voted FOR a "death panel". In fact, it was a GOP administration that pushed FOR a "death panel" provision.
Hey JW you have to admit it is pretty funny to watch all these republican wingnuts bend over in front of the the health insurance companies and scream "Please sir, may I have another!"
Actually, I think it is even funnier watching democratic party lemmings repeating their scripted talking points, while pretending that they even know what they are talking about. Public support for this ridiculous Obama heal plan is plummeting and these guys have their heads so shoved up their own rear ends they can't see it. Hilarious!
I'm pretty sick and tired of Wall Street Health Care.
Its frustrating for families who are working and working and and haven't had a raise in years. My friend runs a printing business, he says rising heath insurance premiums are taking just about every new payroll dollar.
Has your insurance co ever denied you treatment? We need to end the rip-offs of the insurance and pharmaceutical companies, and demand that insurance plans to be fair for families. No more exclusions for pre-existing conditions; no more cancelling my policy if we get sick.
Anybody out there on Medicare? If so, do you want to keep it? Or, if money was no object for you, would you prefer private medical coverage?
Did you know that if you're on Medicare you can purchase private insurance if you wish to? The Feds won't prevent you from doing so.
Since you're on Medicare, do you feel like a Socialist? Is Medicare a socialist program?
If Medicare ISN'T a Socialist program, why shouldn't we open the doors to everyone under 65? By doing so, those who wish to join could do so. Those who refuse to join could stay out. Those who wish to join and also purchase private coverage could also do that.
Maybe you feel that Medicare IS a Socialist program. If so, why is Socialism good for everyone over 65 and not good for anyone under 65?
Why would anyone be AGAINST changing the health insurance system to make it more affordable for everyone?
As usual the fight boils down on the left to either Obama-care -- a complete rewrite of healthcare in the U.S. -- or doing nothing. They never want to take a good look at the real problems and just fix them. After all, they think that they know better than the public what's good for us. Too bad they're wrong.
Conservatives rightly fear this hurry to redesign everything because it leads to too many unintended consequences and frankly, too many outright mistakes.
If it's so critical to redesign everything from the ground up then it's critical to go slow enough to get it right. But the President and Congress are afraid that if the people once get a full understanding of what's going to happen down the road they'll balk -- and rightly so. Indeed, that's exactly what's happening.
There are numerous problems as many point out. But the current proposal does not aim to solve them and leave the good things working. Oh no! Nothing will do but to move to socialized medicine with the government running it. And that's exactly the fate of the plan being pushed. The current bill doesn't matter half so much as what will need to be done in a few years to keep it running as they find out that it can't be paid for without limiting care and raising taxes on everyone. But then, they already know that, do they not?
If you don't believe me, believe the CBO, Congress' own supposedly independent number crunchers who say it will never work as proposed. If you don't believe me, believe what has happened in every country with government run single payer systems. If you don't believe me, believe Barney Frank who has admitted that this could lead to a single payer system. If you don't believe me, believe members of Congress who have stated that seniors better get used to not getting all the care they need.
Britain and Canada didn't start out to have long waits for a hospital bed or an MRI. They didn't start out intending to deny care to anyone based on this QALY (Quality Adjusted Life Years) monstrosity. But they ended up doing it because with no one paying out of pocket the demand simply swamped the supply.
Mr. and Mrs. America, open your eyes before it's too late. Be very afraid of Obama care!
Let's solve the real problems, not rewrite the whole system in such a hurry that we get it all wrong.
Roy, you're simply repeating the same lies and misrepresentations you anti-reform folk have become world famous for.
Let's get it straight: there is NO bill so the CBO hasn't done any analysis on any bill. All the CBO may have done is make generalized references to parts of the many ideas floating around...none of which have been accepted as of today.
And what's this bull about taking things slow? Should we go as slow as you folk have done on climate change...until it's too late? Isn't seventy years long enough to try and insure every American?
What's so drastically different with the leading proposals anyway? In essence, those proposals simply ask that Americans under 65 be able to purchase Medicare, rather than go without health insurance. If you think that that's a radical change, you must still be wearing knickers.
If private insurers can't compete with the policies that government's offering, then they deserve to be relegated to the recycling bin of History. Obviously you believe that government can never be as efficient as private industry, so a public option should be a great bet for you AND for the private insurers both, so stop using such a hypocritical argument.
Lastly, let's drop the absolute lie that the government is getting in the health care business. All the proposals are that the government get involved in the health insurance business buy creating a nationwide buying group to purchase coverage at the lowest possible rates. That's NOT socialism and it's not government officials acting like doctors and nurses.
gs,
Be careful who you call a liar, because I'm well prepared with information to shoot you down if you want debate.
Actually there are bills in both the House of Representatives and the Senate. I don't know where you've had your head for the last several months. But do get back into the sunshine. Just off the top of my head the House bill is HR3200. You can look it up on the House web site. I don't remember the Senate bill at the moment, but I'll be glad to look it up for you if you want.
For any interested here's a link to a bit of research into the coverage of preexisting conditions.
http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2009/08/13/obama-health-plan-wont-cover-pre-existing-conditions/
Oops! I forgot, you don't look at both sides of the debate, do you? Well, if you are interested it's quite amazing that under the tangle of legalese there's rather broad leeway for insurers and the government plan to decide what they'll cover and what they'll not cover, whether it's one of your preexisting conditions or not.
Funny also that Obama talks about a government option to compete with private insurance. Where have you been? Everyone on both sides understands him to mean the government will run that system.
You all really ought to be looking into what's being thrown at you instead of swallowing it hook, line and sinker.
There are several proposals floating around congress, trying to drum up support or opposition, but there isn't a bill ready to be introduced to either chamber. Stop pretending like there is. And until there is, you're blowing smoke out of your backside about what "the bill" contains or doesn't contain, especially a public option.
Fox News??? Are you out of your mind. You may as well get your news from Cheney's Wyoming fax machine.
Oops! You're slip is showing...in so far as you at least agree that private insurers would have to compete with public insurance on a level playing field. In a nutshell, THAT's what the insurers and you are worried about cause the plain fact is...private insurers would have to lower costs and provide better service for more people if they want to stay in business. Meaning: no more $100M bonuses and cushy rewards for denying people coverage. Think about it. THAT's the system you and the private companies are trying to protect.
What inane argument are you trying to make...I made it clear that a government-sponsored public option would compete with private coverage. In any event you still pretend to believe that means that federally-appointed doctors & nurses will be doing your probing next time your visit the clinic. That's the lie. You can't defend the status quo on fact, so you make one up. The public option is for the purchase of health insurance, not for the practice of health care itself.
Roy,
American people are more important than insurance company profits.
We can't debate with the Republicans over "their" healthcare proposal because they don't have one.
When people are being killed Roy... you act quickly. You don't sit there like President Bush after being told "America is under attack" and wait for the pee to dry. A leader stands up and takes action. We are fixing healthcare now. The
Roy Hogues technical incompetence and way of always being wrong about everything has now made it to this blog. And now he is not only a scientific boob but one on healthcare also.
Nobody,
So now people are being killed? Please! That's what you accuse us of saying that healthcare reform will do. Where is your credibility now?
And Insurance company profits are fine with me. Their exemption from antitrust law that allows them to run roughshod over everyone is not. And who gave them that exemption? Congress did. They wrote the bill that allows it. And they can write another bill that will take it a way again, but they won't do it because that will endanger campaign contributions.
Republicans have put forth many ideas that will solve problems. But they aren't politically correct to you. You're driven by blind ideology that says the conservative voice is the voice of evil. So be it. You'll get what you deserve. Unfortunately you'll drag me in with you. Your free lunch will turn out to have a cost greater than you expect.
And Fox News ratings are kicking ABC, CBS, NBC, CNBC and CNN right out of the ballpark. The numbers should tell you something about who trusts who.
And to gs,
You are wrong! There is a bill in each house of Congress right now. What do you think Obama has been trying to get voted into law before the summer recess? You say you see but you are blind. Your ignorance is shameful. You have a computer. Look up HR3200 on the House web site and do some reading. Do your homework.
I don't put insurance company profits before the health of the American people. I guess we are different that way.
I am not dragging you into anything. If you like your insurance keep it.
In your letter to the editor you said seniors would be denied care.
Bob Johnson replied to you best:
"Earth calling Roy Hogue. Health care is already SEVERLY rationed under the current system. People of all ages are denied the best options everyday by greedy health insurers"..
What about those who choose not to buy any insurance.....what right does the government have to force you to buy it......absolutely none
"And Fox News ratings are kicking ABC, CBS, NBC, CNBC and CNN right out of the ballpark. The numbers should tell you something about who trusts who."
LOL! Roy as usual is WRONG! Less than 10% total of the American people get their news from Faux.
Lyndon Johnson had his war on poverty...looks like obama his having his war on insurance companies and health care professionals....so what is obama's end game...to run everything himself?
There are still bills in both houses of Congress. Facts can be denied but they remain facts. Do you remember your history courses? That the Earth was flat was once accepted by all of western civilization without question. Then along came Galileo who built a telescope and committed the heresy of telling the world what he saw. He was imprisoned and finally recanted his position to save his life. He spent the rest of his years under house arrest. The Pope didn't like any challenge to the orthodoxy of the day! But the world was still a sphere, not flat. Stubborn things, those facts!
Several things:
I never denied that there are problems in the current system. I advocated fixing them, not rewriting the whole thing from the ground up.
I've experienced some of those problems myself. It angers me greatly, but I don't let my anger do my thinking for me.
Republicans have advanced good solutions to the real problems we have, but they don't meet with your approval because you have the preconceived idea that only redoing everything will solve your problem. Sadly, it won't. It will just bring a whole new set of problems. The plan as currently conceived simply can't be paid for (that nasty old CBO again, not to mention others). So watch taxes go way up on everyone and stringent cost controls come in, as in Britain and Canada. There is no free lunch.
Republicans are not perfect. But neither are the Democrats. Lawmaking dominated by one point of view scares me and should scare you. It scared me, a Republican, when Republicans controlled Congress. When laws don't satisfy all the major points of view they become a despotism of the worst kind where one side can literally take away the rights of the other. No thank you!
I don't put insurance company profits ahead of the health of the American People. I just realize that a healthy insurance industry is necessary if we want the kind of care we say we want. And I therefore do not mind their profitability. It's their abuses that we all mind, myself included. It's the abuses that we should fix.
As it's now written and being pushed by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, HR3200 (yes, the nonexistent house bill) will end up driving private insurers out of business. This will leave only the government run and financed monopoly. This opinion comes from Congress' own CBO (there they are again, as well as many others). So is the president telling you the truth when he says you can keep your existing insurance? Under HR3200, if you have employer medical benefits and lose that job you will not be able to get private insurance and will be forced into the government system. See page 16 of HR3200! As written, insurers will not be able to sell new policies to anyone. Where will they go but down the drain?
The government option can easily price itself lower than private insurance since the taxpayers will pick up the bill. And then many companies now offering good medical benefits will drop them and put you into the government plan simply because it will cost them less. So much for keeping the insurance you have if you like it.
We all want the problems solved. But it's foolish to not look long and hard at the solution being fed to you to see what's in it. If this proposed reform is so good then there's no need for the hurry that the President wants. Let people know the details and if it's really so good, then we'll all embrace it, not reject it. The very fact that he's in such a hurry tells me that he's afraid it will not be acceptable to the majority of Americans once they know what it contains. I've been around for a long time and I'm a good student of human nature. The push, push, push to get it done before the public could communicate with their lawmakers has an odor like dead fish.
If you all don't want to look at both sides it's your privilege. But do you really trust your government so much that you're willing to give them so much control over your lives? Do read the bills in Congress and make sure you understand them before you jump. Take a good look at what such systems have degenerated into in other countries. Oh! I forgot! There are no bills in Congress. Well, there are none so blind as those who can see but refuse to do so.
I wash my hands of you!
"Republicans have advanced good solutions to the real problems we have, but they don't meet with your approval because you have the preconceived idea that only redoing everything will solve your problem."
LOL Roy. The Republicans solutions are:
1. Keep letting insurance companies use death panels to deny coverage. Insurance companies will be permitted to pay bonuses to employees for minimizing costs(ie treatment)
2. Keep inflating the cost of insurance by 10% or more every year even though payments to doctors and hospitals have gone down for the last 3 years.
3 Keep supporting a system where 14,000 people a day lose their health insurance.
From the Associated Press today I find this headline, "White House appears ready to drop 'public option'." It appears that pressure from ordinary people does work. The alternative is insurance cooperatives which could offer insurance at lower rates, but would be independent of the government except for initial startup capital. They would be required to maintain the same reserves for the inevitable high payouts as other insurers and would be in every respect what Blue Cross was originally chartered to be, the insurer of last resort.
This is one of the Republican alternatives that has been suggested over and over, only to be ignored until public pressure made it a little too hot to keep proposing a government run plan.
I'm impressed with this change of course and I hope it happens.
Now we need some other things taken care of:
1. Remove the insurance company's exemption from antitrust laws. This exemption is an abomination. No industry should be allowed anticompetitive practices. None!
2. Require real portability of your insurance from one carrier to another without regard to preexisting conditions as long as you are currently insured by someone else. This makes it possible to lose your job and still get insurance from another carrier than your old employer's. A Republican idea by the way.
3. Allow smaller businesses to form cooperatives to enable them to purchase employee insurance at the much lower group rates that large businesses can get. A Republican idea.
4. Allow insurers from any state to sell medical insurance in any other state. We allow this with other types of insurance. Why is it not allowed for medical insurance? The additional competition would be good for everyone. Also a Republican idea.
5. If necessary, provide some subsidy for those who really can't afford the premiums, even those of the cooperatives.
6. Make everyone buy in. It only works if we all pay for it. Paying for it out of pocket is the best way to be sure that required coverage doesn't get out of hand because people will balk at the rising price when unimportant things are mandated for coverage by all insurers. This was the one thing in Hillary care that I liked and is the one thing in Obama care that I like.
7. Everyone needs to have an annual deductible and a co-payment up to some maximum. Insurers can offer policies with varying requirements to suit what you want. But without a direct stake in the cost by the patient or the person responsible for the patient there will be no demand limiting factor and the system will be swamped.
8. Quit thinking of healthcare as a right and realize that it has a very real cost and only those who are willing to pay for it should get it. This may be unpleasant to contemplate, but it's a necessary attitude to have if we want a workable system. As I said, we can adjust cost to people if necessary, but it can't be free.
We may be making progress here!
Roy,
There is no Bill being discussed on the floor of either chamber. Get that fact through your thick, narrow-minded skull.
Any proposal that a congressman submits to the House legislative counsel gets a "bill" number. Right now there must be a few dozen HR "bills" circulating among interested parties on The Hill but not one of them has gone through the vetting and discussion, amendments and changes that are required before it can be submitted to the Floor. thus there is no Bill that is ready for a vote in Congress and no one "bill" that Obama's shown any favor for. There are leading provision of a health care program; some from this "bill", some from that "bill" and others not yet submitted to the House legislative counsel for numbering.
In short, NO ONE knows which Bill or what form of a health care program will be submitted the the house, for legislative review, discussion, negotiation, change and amendment. To pretend to the American public that there IS such a Bill, with all the specific provisions that you and yours claim, is a lie. You've been bamboozled by the insurance industry into perpetuating that lie.
As for trusting government....I don't. That's why I vote across party lines, always for the best candidate. But we have no recourse at all when BigBanks destroy the economy and the livelihoods of tens of millions of families or when BigInsurers systematically makes us all sicker and puts us all closer to bankruptcy or when BigOil places the future of billions in jeopardy...so that they can reward their shareholders with an extra .23/share. Yet we can call on govt to force them all to compete in the best interests of all of us and you're standing in our way.
gs,
Well now -- why is it that Speaker Pelosi has been pushing so hard for the passage of HR3200 if there is no bill being considered? Please! I've been around a long time and you can't pull the wool over my eyes quite that easily. You should follow Congress more carefully.
I have advocated for fixing the real problems. Rewriting the whole system from the ground up will simply bring it's own set of problems to deal with. And frankly, when done is such a reckless hurry the problems will be worse than what we face now.
Here is the link to HR3200 in the library of congress.
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c111:H.R.3200:
You could have gotten this with the Microsoft bing.com search engine on the word HR3200. It's the very first hit that pops up. Google would also find it.
Now, do you dare to take a look at it? It really exists. If you read it as I have and if you're honest, it will scare you every bit as much as it scares me.
So now I've handed you on a silver platter the very thing you say doesn't exist. And since you say you don't trust government I think you owe it to yourself to read the bill. Then hopefully you'll let me know what you think of it.
gs,
Well then -- why is it that Speaker Pelosi has been pushing so hard for passage of HR3200 if there is no bill under consideration in the House? I've been around a long time and you can't pull the wool over my eyes quite that easily. You should follow Congress more closely.
I have advocated for solving the real problems we have. Rewriting the whole system from the ground up will only bring it's own set of problems. And when done in such a reckless hurry the problems are likely to be worse than what we have now.
Here is the link to HR3200 in the Library of Congress.
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c111:H.R.3200:
You could have gotten this yourself as easily as I did. The bing.com search engine searching on HR3200 brings this up as the first hit. Google would also find it.
So now I've given you on a silver platter what you say doesn't exist. And since you say you don't trust government I think you owe it to yourself to read this thing. If you're honest it will scare you as much as it scares me. Hopefully after you've read it you'll let me know what you think of it.
Now you're talking sense, Roy! Most of your suggestions ARE a sign of making progress. So forget my last post.
Yes, the Public Option will be dropped but that was almost a sure thing when Rahm Emanuel floated that trial balloon a couple of months ago. That was the event that emboldened the Blue Dog Dems to oppose the PO and which gave the Insurers the congressional clout they needed to stop it.
What it all means is that Obama is now a lame duck president. The GOP's attack policy worked and The Man Who Never Met A Problem He Couldn't Compromise Himself Out Of will lose the vital support of those Dem & Repub legislators who stuck their necks out to support Obama's PO. Why should they risk their careers for a guy who pledges to fight for something and then gives in to avoid the fight? For sure he's made enemies of Reid and Pelosi. I can't imagine Obama can get the support he needs to win ANY major initiative after today.
gs,
I've always been talking sense. I never cared to destroy President Obama. I've avoided personal attacks. If he becomes a lame duck it's because he stuck his neck out ill advised and then tried to bluff his way through. It didn't work because too many critical thinkers started to read the stuff Congress is proposing. Exposure felled the President if indeed he's now become a lame duck. I fall back on my original suggestion. You must read the bills that are being considered to implement his plans. That knowledge is the power the people need in this republic of ours. All of them are in the Library of Congress.
Banks are being blamed for doing exactly what the government gave them an incentive to do. Medical insurers are doing exactly what the federal government and states have given them an incentive to do. Your children do exactly what you give them an incentive to do and you understand this I'm sure. So why do we not understand that the wrong incentives have been given to critical parts of our economy and that with the right incentives things will get fixed? There will always be the dishonest. But the right incentive and competition is the best and only real safeguard against it.
gs,
I've always been talking sense. I never cared to destroy President Obama. I've avoided personal attacks. If he becomes a lame duck it's because he stuck his neck out ill advised and then tried to bluff his way through. It didn't work because too many critical thinkers started to read the stuff Congress is proposing. Exposure felled the President if indeed he's now become a lame duck. I fall back on my original suggestion. You must read the bills that are being considered to implement his plans. That knowledge is the power the people need in this republic of ours. All of them are in the Library of Congress.
Banks are being blamed for doing exactly what the government gave them an incentive to do. Medical insurers are doing exactly what the federal government and states have given them an incentive to do. Your children do exactly what you give them an incentive to do and you understand this I'm sure. So why do we not understand that the wrong incentives have been given to critical parts of our economy and that with the right incentives things will get fixed? There will always be the dishonest. But the right incentive and competition is the best and only real safeguard against it.
gs,
Here is a link to HR3200 in the Library of Congress.
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c111:H.R.3200:
Please take a good look at it. You owe this to yourself if not to anyone else.
Apology for the same thing getting posted twice. I'm using a different computer today and it had a problem right at that point. In trying to recover I may have gotten the same post through again, but it wasn't intentional.
Roy,
Thanks for reading and commenting on my blog.
jeff93024, Marcia,
Thanks for reading and commenting on my blog.
Can you pls publish Lois Capps e-mail address. Made several calls to her office requesting to set a date for town hall meeting. She will not commit.
Gallegly's office has told me that he has no need to hold a town hall meeting and listen to his constituents.
Proof of Health Insuance when filing 1040 Tax return is required, or heavy fine from IRS,
under this bill.
Is there a phone number that I can call to
report on my neighbors who don't have health
insurance, or do I simply give their name to my
Local block commander ?
Joe,
She has now set up a town hall forum. Rep. Gallegly has not set up a forum and hasn't publically expressed interest in doing so.
Rod,
Everyone already has health insurance if you count emergency rooms. Do you think people that can afford health insurance should be required to buy it so that the rest of us don't pick up the bill?
Dear Elton Gallegly,
I am sure you heard about someone getting their finger bit off in your district over health-care reform. Please put a stop to this violence and debate Lois Capps on "Brian Dennert Here" on the Ventura County Star website. Regular town hall meetings require tax dollars for police protection and other public services that require tax-payer money.
If Tony Strickland is reading this the "Brian Dennert Here" blog is a green way to reach out to the community as well.
Please help Americans make a more informed decision in regards to health-care reform.
Please have a debate with Lois Capps on the "Brian Dennert Here" blog on the Ventura County Star website. It's the most popular local politics blog in your district and it's also a more relaxed way of having a discussion.
I look forward to hearing from you,
Regular Citizen