[Peace-discuss] Dennis Kucinich's take on health care bill

[Stuart Levy]

On Wed, Aug 19, 2009 at 08:05:27PM -0500, John W. wrote:
> On Wed, Aug 19, 2009 at 12:30 PM, Robert Naiman <naiman.uiuc at gmail.com>wrote:
> 
> Brother Dennis is a bit more pragmatic than one might think from the
> > rhetorical flourish of this note. He is a signatory to the bloc of 60
> > House Democrats who have pledged to vote no in the House on any health
> > reform bill that does not include a robust public option. If the bloc
> > of 60 hold together, the public option is not dead.
> 
> 
> Why is that, Bob?  Aren't there over 400 representatives in the House?

I assume that means, if that many Democrats refuse to go along with a
no-public-option plan, they'd be joined by most of the Republicans in voting No,
so that the whole plan will fail in the House -- leaving the fight to be re-fought
another year.  That's bad, but abandoning even the public-plan route would
leave us with nothing to counterbalance the overwhelming power of the
insurance and pharma companies.
 
> 
> 
> > On Wed, Aug 19, 2009 at 1:03 PM, Ricky Baldwin<baldwinricky at yahoo.com>
> > wrote:
> >
> 
> > > Of course as usual Dennis is right about what the health care proposal
> > ought
> > > to be and what it isn't.  What isn't clear to me what he means we should
> > do
> > > about it, besides contributing to his campaign - which is of course
> > > worthwhile.
> > >
> > > Ricky
> > >
> > > "Speak your mind even if your voice shakes." - Maggie Kuhn
> > >
> > > --- On Tue, 8/18/09, Dennis Kucinich <reply at kucinich.us> wrote:
> > >
> > > From: Dennis Kucinich <reply at kucinich.us>
> > > Subject: Health Care Wanted: Dead or Alive
> > > To: baldwinricky at yahoo.com
> > > Date: Tuesday, August 18, 2009, 5:03 PM
> > >
> >
> > > HEALTH CARE WANTED: DEAD OR ALIVE
> > >
> > > The masquerade is over! The "public option" is ... dead.
> > >
> > > Health care reform is now a private option: WHICH FOR PROFIT INSURANCE
> > > COMPANY DO YOU WANT? You have to choose. And you have to pay. If you have
> > a
> > > low income, under HR3200 government will subsidize the private insurance
> > > companies and you will still have to pay premiums, co-pays and
> > deductibles.
> > >
> > > The Administration plan requires that everyone must have health
> > insurance,
> > > so it is delivering tens of millions of new "customers" to the insurance
> > > companies. Health care? Not really. Insurance care! Absolutely. Cost
> > > controls? No chance.
> > >
> > > You will next hear talk about "co-ops." The truth is that insurance
> > company
> > > campaign contributions have co-opted the public interest.
> > >
> > > I need your help to spread the word and rally the nation around true
> > health
> > > care reform which covers everyone and maintains fiscal integrity without
> > > breaking our nation's bank! Your contribution will empower our efforts to
> > > continue to fight for the single-payer, not-for-profit health care bill,
> > > HR676 "Medicare for All," which I co-authored with Rep. John Conyers. The
> > > bill now has 85 sponsors in the House.
> > >
> > > The hotly-debated HR3200, the so-called "health care reform" bill, is
> > > nothing less than corporate welfare in the guise of social welfare and
> > > reform. It is a convoluted mess. The real debate which we should be
> > having
> > > is not occurring.
> > >
> > > Removing the "public option" from a public bill paid for by public money
> > is
> > > not in the public interest. What is left is a "private option" paid for
> > with
> > > public money. Why should public money be spent on a private option which
> > > does not guarantee 100% coverage nor have any cost controls? A true
> > public
> > > option would provide 30% savings immediately which would then cover the
> > > 1/3rd of the population who presently have no health care.
> > >
> > > Unfortunately, under HR3200, the Government is choosing winners and
> > losers
> > > in the private sector; proposing to spend public funds on subsidizing
> > > insurance companies who make money not providing health care. This
> > process
> > > will insure only the expansion of profits. Gone is the debate over cost.
> > >
> > > As a result of current negotiations, the Medicare Part D rip-off will
> > > continue for another decade, further fleecing senior citizens. Drug
> > > importation has been dropped, so no inexpensive drugs can be accessed
> > from
> > > other nations.
> > >
> > > Instead we are told the pharmaceutical companies will accept a 2% cut in
> > the
> > > growth rate of their profits - they call this cost control!
> > >
> > > If the matter were not so serious, it would be farcical: The executive
> > > branch pretends that the proposed health care reforms are something they
> > are
> > > not. The legislation is being attacked for something it is not.
> > > Congressional leadership and the White House defend the legislation,
> > > pretending it actually is the very proposal that is being attacked. But
> > it
> > > is not.
> > >
> > > A commonsense government health care reform policy would insure that
> > every
> > > single American has full access to health care by expanding Medicare to
> > > cover everyone under a Single Payer System. We are already paying for a
> > > universal standard of care, it is just we are not getting it.
> > >
> > > I need your help to spread the word and rally the nation around true
> > health
> > > care reform which covers everyone and maintains fiscal integrity without
> > > subsidizing insurance and pharmaceutical companies and breaking our
> > nation's
> > > bank!
> > >
> > > My voice in Congress will continue to challenge the special interests who
> > do
> > > not want "single-payer" to succeed. I need you to join me in combating
> > the
> > > special and corporate interests who spend millions to try to win this
> > > Congressional seat. With your help WE will win again. With your help I
> > will
> > > continue to represent your concerns, be YOUR VOICE in the United States
> > > Congress, and be the voice for health care for all Americans!
> > >
> > > Please contribute $25, $50, $100 in support of my campaign. Please
> > > contribute now.
> > >
> > > With your help, we can accomplish ANYTHING in America. Persistence,
> > > dedication, truth and courage will lead the way and win out in the end.
> > >
> > > Thank you.
> > >
> > > ________________________________
> > >
> > >   Facebook Twitter MySpace Digg
> > >
> > > PO Box 110475 | Cleveland | OH | 44111 | 216-252-9000
> > >
> > > Forward email
> > >
> > > This email was sent to baldwinricky at yahoo.com by reply at kucinich.us.
> > > Update Profile/Email Address | Instant removal with SafeUnsubscribe™ |
> > > Privacy Policy.
> > >
> > > Re-Elect Congressman Kucinich Committee | PO Box 110475 | Cleveland | OH
> > |
> > > 44111
> >

> _______________________________________________
> Peace-discuss mailing list
> Peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net
> http://lists.chambana.net/cgi-bin/listinfo/peace-discuss