Thursday November 5, 2009, 6:51 am
This is REAL GOOD. Such blatant honesty is refreshing!

Thursday November 5, 2009, 6:58 am
I just got this from Mobilization for Health Care for All

As we send this out 8 people are sitting-in the office of Sen. Joseph Lieberman demanding that he stop taking money from the insurance industry. The massive campaign donations and lobbying spending of the insurance industry is blocking real reform that would provide everyone in America with access to health care. When 45,000 people are dying annually due to lack of health care it is a moral imperative that America act now to provide health care to all. We are able to do this for senior citizens, why not for all Americans?

Please take the following steps:

1. Call Lieberman and tell him to stop taking insurance money. His numbers are: (202) 224-4041and (860) 549-8463.

2. Sign the petition urging Lieberman to stop taking insurance money. Click here to sign the petition now. Urge everyone you know to sign the petition.

3. Make a donation to support the Mobilization. Donate for bail money for those sitting in Lieberman's office.

Since beginning just over one month ago thousands have signed up to participate in "Patients before Profits" sit-ins and over 920 have signed up willing to risk arrest. By the end of this week the Mobilization will have held 32 sit-ins in 28 different cities with more than 150 arrests and over 220 risking arrest. We started out wanting 100 people to risk arrest at "patients before profits" sit-ins and now more than 920 have done so. The Mobilization needs to continue to grow in order to achieve health care for all.

There is anger growing in the country at the failure of Congress to put forward a national health care plan that provides health care to everyone in the United States. It is important that people speak out now to push Congress and the president to achieve this urgent moral imperative. When President Obama ran for office he raised hopes in Americans that health policy would be reformed so that no one would go without health care. When the reform process began he talked about universal coverage now millions will go without health care access ten years from after the reform bill is passed. That is unacceptable. We need to demand that health care reform achieve the basic goal - that no one go without health care in a country as wealthy as America. We can achieve that goal if we speak up now and demand action. The United States has been effectively providing health care to senior citizens for 40 years through Medicare, we can do the same for everyone.

Thank you for your support. Please take action now.

Sincerely,

The Mobilization Team

Thursday November 5, 2009, 7:11 am

Excellent article, Jill!

It's important that people understand that those of us who do NOT support the Pelosi bill have not joined those who do not support healthcare for all -- quite the contrary -- and this post explains the predicament very well.

The following also pretty much echoes my opinion of the Pelosi bill:
 
Weiner Amendment Vote on Friday Will Fail and Serve as a Cover for Removing Kucinich Amendment
 
by David Swanson AfterDowningStreet.org Nov. 4, 2009
 
Word is that the full House will vote on national single-payer Medicare for All on Friday. This vote is a cover for the removal of an amendment that was in the House “healthcare” bill until Pelosi stripped it out. That amendment would have made it easier for states to enact single-payer, and still would if a conference committee is persuaded to reinstate it.
 
Of course we want to see a vote on a real national healthcare plan like Medicare for All. of course we want it to pass or to come as close as possible. But this vote is not more a real effort than John Conyers’ pseudo-impeachment hearing last July was a real effort to hold Bush accountable. This is a game and we are being played. There has been no debate, no discussion, no mark-up, no amendments. It’s a throw-away vote.
 
And perhaps that hurts nothing. Perhaps a good showing advances the debate in round two. But that’s if there is a round two. We have 57 Democrats who committed in a letter to Pelosi last July to not supporting a bill as lousy as the current one. If even 40 of them keep their word, the bill dies. If some Blue Dogs also vote no, then not even 30 are needed. But what if those members can go home to their constituents and brag about how they voted for single-payer before voting for the insurance corporation bailout? Not a bad deal, eh?
 
Meanwhile the best shot at real healthcare reform, at really saving lives in the near future, sits stewing in state capitals. Some advocates think they can get around restrictions in federal law without the Kucinich Amendment, some don’t. Few have any doubt that insurance companies will sue to prevent any state from providing its residents with healthcare.
 
Canada created a civilized healthcare system in one province first. If California or Ohio or Pennsylvania takes the lead, the United States will follow. The insurance companies know that and fear it and have fought it. The president has fought it on their behalf. The “leadership” in Congress has fought it. Congressman Kucinich and a handful of courageous representatives have pushed back. But we have not had their backs. We need to have their backs right now. Right now. Call your congress member and tell them to tell the leadership to put the Kucinich Amendment back in.
 

Thursday November 5, 2009, 7:54 am
It is sick. Did you know that the insurance industry has six lobbiest for every congressman and senator, giving bribes to kill the health care bill, or to water it down to make it worthless. Unless we the people start calling our representitve as much as possible, we all we get screwed in the end. The other thing you can do is give each of our politicians a million dollars, and they will listen to you much better. Of course, if you have that ind of money, you have no worries about health care ane medical costs.

Thursday November 5, 2009, 8:01 am
Actually, Nick, in a conference call with Congressman Kucinich, he said the Obama Bill got the number HR 3200 as a joke in the House because that is how many insurance lobbyists there are working on it. The House thinks it's a joke. They think we are a joke.

Congress wants to vote on and shoot down the Weiner ammendment so they can say "See, we voted on single payer and it lost." They want to shoot it down so they can put an end to single payer once and for all. Kuccinich said that. He said the Weiner ammendment is a mistake. it is a plan to kill HR 676 permanently.

Thursday November 5, 2009, 9:22 am
 
(From The Pen)
 
Dear Friends and Activists,
 
This is the second one of our brand new direct fax actions on health care reform, the first of which generated tens of thousands of faxes to the White House.
 
This one will add your signature (and any personal comments of your own) to a fax petition with the heading, "Pass Medicare For All Or Pass Nothing", and send it to each of your individual members of
Congress.
 
Fax Action On Medicare for All:
http://www.peaceteam.net/action/pnum1020.php
 
The fact is that from the moment early on that Max Baucus manipulated the hearings in his Senate committee to keep any spokesperson for single payer from even having a voice at the table, the entire congressional process has been rigged to keep any meaningful reform of our health care system from actually happening. The corporate medical interests whose business it is to gouge the American people have spent hundreds of millions of dollars to literally bribe members of Congress to look the other way, and to try to slam the door on any real reform.
 
But we the American people still have a choice. We can, as the deceivers in Washington hope, remain silent and simply capitulate to the unconscionable. Or in the alternative, we can speak out, and declare that we will not be fooled, that we will not be deceived, that we will not accept outright fraud as the best we get from our representatives in Congress. And speak out we must if we expect a different result.
 
Please go to the action page below now, read the actual text of the fax petition. We think you will find it candid and unequivocal. Then speak out and make your voice heard at this most critical of moments.
 
Fax Action On Medicare for All: http://www.peaceteam.net/action/pnum1020.php
 
We are expecting the latest bulk batch of Single Payer Health Care caps to arrive within a couple days. So if you had already requested one in the last week or so, we'll be getting that out to you as fast was we can, so you too can demonstrate your support for REAL health care reform. Or else you can get one from the return page after you submit the fax action page above. Or you can get one directly from the page below.
 
Single Payer Health Care Caps: http://www.peaceteam.net/all_gifts.php
 
And here is the one click Facebook page for this same fax action.
 
Single Payer Amendments Action: http://apps.facebook.com/fb_voices/action.php?qnum=pnum1020
 
And the Twitter reply to send, to send this message to all your members of Congress that way, is @cxs #p1020
 
Please take action NOW, so we can win all victories that are supposed to be ours, and forward this alert as widely as possible.
 

Thursday November 5, 2009, 11:15 am
We have seen the fine print.. and that means we do not have to accept the agreement on healthcare...

Thursday November 5, 2009, 11:29 am
Thanks Carol

Thursday November 5, 2009, 12:41 pm
Oh they are a slick bunch....get you coming and going.

Thursday November 5, 2009, 5:05 pm

From Congressmen Dennis Kucinich and John Conyers

Dear Friends,

We thank you for your continued devotion to the cause of health care for All Americans. We have worked together for many years to write, promote and campaign for HR676, a single payer, not for profit health care system. Your work, in communities across America, has been instrumental in helping at least ten states create single payer movements, with many more states to come.

Tomorrow, the House of Representatives is scheduled to consider a single payer bill. As the two principal co-authors of the Conyers single payer bill, we want to offer a strong note of caution about tomorrow's vote.

The bill presented tomorrow will not be HR676. While we are happy to relinquish authorship of a single payer bill to any member who can do better, we do not want a weak bill brought forward in a hostile climate to unwittingly accomplish what would be interpreted as a defeat for single payer.

Here are the facts: There has been no debate in Congress over HR676. There has not been a single mark-up of the bill. Single payer was "taken off the table" for the entire year by the White House and by congressional leaders. There has been no reasonable period of time to gather support in the Congress for single payer. Many members accepted a "robust public option" as the alternative to single payer and now that has disappeared. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has scored the bill scheduled for a vote tomorrow in a manner which is at odds with many credible assumptions, meaning that it will appear to cost way too much even though we know that true single payer saves money since one of every three dollars in the health care system goes to administrative costs caused by the insurance companies. Is this really the climate in which we want a test vote?

While state single payer movements are already strong, the national single payer movement is still growing. Many progressives in Congress, ourselves included, feel that calling for a vote tomorrow for single payer would be tantamount to driving the movement over a cliff. The thrill of the vote would disappear quickly when the result would be characterized not as a new beginning for single payer but as an end. Such a result would be seen as proof that Congress need not pay attention to efforts to restore in Conference Committee the right of states to pursue single payer without fear of legal attacks by insurance companies.

We are always grateful for your support. We are now asking you to join us in suggesting to congressional leaders that this is not the right time to call the roll on a stand-alone single payer bill. That time will come. And when it does there will not be any doubt of the outcome. This system of health care injustice will not be able to endure forever. We are pledged to make sure of that.

Sincerely,
Congressmen John Conyers and Dennis Kucinich

Thursday November 5, 2009, 10:11 pm
A slick bunch indeed..., very noted, still taking actions, and thank you.

Friday November 6, 2009, 2:39 am
Good Morning Jill, thank you so much for that article.

What a great newsletter, I bookmarked it!

The brutal honesty is always hard to hear but so necessary.

As your neighbor here in Canada, we too have politicians that play there slick games with the electorate.

My thoughts and prayers are with you as the US struggles to get what you all deserve and without deceit!

Thank you again, and have a great day Jill.

Nick J Davis
Toronto ON Canada

Friday November 6, 2009, 5:26 am
Very well written article. To help you guys with strategy, particularly since it's easy to tell that I am against any Federal plan, there is a way to get independent, "keep gov't small and local", people like me on board. Emphasixe this quote from the article,

"The Canadian health system was enacted province-by-province, and it seemed reasonable to expect the same here: the more “enlightened” states lead the way, attract a significant spike in businesses fleeing other states so as to cut health expenses, and gradually the states fall like dominoes."

I would support single payer at the state level because the experiment of whether it works or not would be done at a smaller level than the entire country. Even though I believe that it will fail to save money, even at the state level, experimenting state to state puts the plan to the test. State plans would most probably vary and maybe one will find the right approach. I would also support state level single payer because it is easier to relocate to another state than another country. And finally, I would support gov't programs at the state level or smaller because the closer our representatives are to the people they represent, the less fraud, lobbyist, mishandling of funds, inefficiency, etc.

My only other observation is that the congress people written about in the article are the same ones we are supposed to trust. After reading that very well written article, does anybody trust the congressional leadership?

No offense intended, I know you guys would probably prefer everybody on board, but hopefully this will help.

Friday November 6, 2009, 5:30 am

Excellent points, Paul!

Friday November 6, 2009, 5:36 am
Just Carole, didn't read the comments until after I commented and it looks like you are already thinking along State lines. Great minds think alike?

Friday November 6, 2009, 5:46 am
To all, Just posted article from NY TImes, unemployment rate jumps much higher than predicted to 10.2%. Not good news....

Friday November 6, 2009, 7:36 am
Thank you for posting the Conyers kucinich letter Carole. I was about to post it ansaw you had it.
Paul, I will never ever agree with you about the good of capitalism and private insurance and healthcare. It is inhumane, apathetic, and barbaric. it is because of the sacred capitalism, "Free Market" private insurance and pharmaceutic al industry that thousands of people are dieing every year and 2/3 declare medical bankruptcy, and many live in poverty. I am one of privae insurance victims. I would like nothing more than to see them wiped out and replcaed with a more humane system recognizing every human's RIGHT to healthcare. We tried private, free market insurance and look where we are. We KNOW THAT doesn't work
Ther is nothing experimental about single payer, Expanded Medicare for All. Medicare has been around for a long time. The troubles it has now are because of private, free market insurance companies and pharmaceutical companies stiking their sticky, greedy fingers into it. Every year they take more and more from Medicare, from taxpayers, from Americans. They get over $800 billion a year from Medicare money leaving the rest with little. Congress keeps privatizing Medicare more and more, dismantling it so people will have to go to private insurance which we all know is a disaster. If you don't realize that you are not paying attention.
We spend enough money in this country on healthcare to cover EVERY Amercian plus expanded coverage for long term care, dental and eye care. We spend more than any other country on healthcare. so why isn't everyone covered?? Because billions are given every year to private insuracne to pay their over paid CEOs and lobby congress. so explain to me how that is efficient? They have a 33% administrative cost. medicare has a 3% administrative cost. More money goes to health care (no lobbyng, no CEOs,..) just care. If we keep private, free market, God Almighty Capitalist insruance and theri greedy sticky fingers out of OUR budget everyone would be covered.
Insurance does not cover everyone nor all conditions. it is not profitable.
I dont believe people should suffer or die based on a person's income. Private insurance, and many in congress, do. Of course that is all the rich people who are completely out of touch with the rest of the world and don't have even an oounce of humanity or compassion.

Friday November 6, 2009, 9:52 am
Jill P, I agree that we will never agree. My apologies for horning in on these forums with a differing opinion. If single payer, medicare for all, or a National Health Care Plan, pass, I truly hope you are correct in your assumptions. I understand the passion on this issue, truly I do, having been declined twice by Aetna and Optima for low hdl's even though the Dr says I'm fine and my total health costs, not including insurance, are less than $1,000 for the past ten years.

The current system is broken, but the fiscal soundness of Medicare and Medicaid, which currently cover 85 million Americans is also suspect. Current unfunded liabilities, according to the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services a division of the US Health and Human Services department is over $38TRILLION. The program is also known to have substantial fraud within it. In addition, when my mother-in-law moved here, it took six months to find a doctor who would take new Medicare patients and that's in a city with over 300,000 residents. Finally, I know of a substantial number of doctors who are in the process of converting their practices to conceirge care, like a club with a large retainer for a limited number of wealthy patients. They do not want to operate under the National system and are making adjustments now to avoid it. AMA endorsed HR626 or HR 3200 or both, can't remember at the moment. We will know, by their membership numbers in a year or so, whether they were representing their membership or not.

So, clearly we disagree. In my opinion the greed of Wall Street pales next to the greed of politicians for power and money and that applies as much to Democrats as Republicans. It is not that I don't have an ounce of humanity or compassion, it is that I believe the government plan will result in fewer choices, fewer doctors, fewer hospitals, and more deaths. You believe the opposite, and that's ok. If everybody believed the same thing, although that would be nice for a change, there would never be growth or change.

No offense intended, in this comment or any other one.

Best regards.

Friday November 6, 2009, 1:13 pm
The AMA supports HR 3200 which now has a new number since it was combined with other House Bills. The Obamacare is a disaster. It sully supports subsidizes and bails out private insurance and pharmaceutical companies. It is a corporate Bill. I am not atlking about that.
single payer, Expanded Medicare for All, HR 676 is the Bill that will cost less, save money and lives, and stimulate the economy. If everybody is in and nobody is out it will be a very good system. Once the rich are pulled into it, which they are now, congress is very happy with it, they will demand the best care and coverage as long as they don't get to opt out. Otherwise they will continue to do as they are doing now, letting theri greedy insurance cronies take from the pot. That is not to mention all the money taken from the Medicare Trust Fund to fund personal Congressional greed projects without them ever putting it back. THAT is why Medicare is in financial trouble. Also, the trouble it is in is highly exaggerated. You know, the fear mongering the rich and rich politicians are so good at. Lieing is a first language to them.
The AMA supports HR 3200, the Obama Bill. That is another group of trash.
As far as Medicare, I have yet to find a doctor, hospital, or specialist who does not take it. In fact my doctor has accepted less and less private insurance because she is sick of the paper work, the arguing, the restrictions and denials and she said she is not going to let them tell her she is only allowed to be with her patients for 10 minutes, which they tell her. She said "I;ll spend as much damn time as I please with my patients!"
The fraud in Medicare and Medicade is mostly, I have found, from the hospitals, doctors, agencies (Like nursing homes and home health care), medical supply companies, and pharmaceutical corporations. They charge for services never provided, they jack up rates and prices higher than if an individual were to get on the street and this Obama Bill is making it law to protect them. They are making it law that Medicare will not negotiate prices, nor cap them and will not regulate premiums. They may charge as they please.
THAT is why We the people are going bankrupt prsonally and as a nation. We have an open door for corporations to pillage and we make laws to allow it.
HR 676 throws private pillagers out of the picture and publicly funds health insurance, Medicare, but expanded to all people and covers everything. It also protects people from putting theri medical records on electronic file where they can be viewed by pharmaceutical companies, and even your employer.
Everybody In, Nobody Out.

Friday November 6, 2009, 1:17 pm

I might as well say this: Let's just take what our "masters" think we deserve (and work forward toward better).

Shameful, that we must be reduced to being servants to our "public servants."

Friday November 6, 2009, 1:29 pm
Shame on you Carole. How will you ever be in charge if you bow to your employees. They need to know their place or be fired.
BTW
Congressman Weiner pulled his amendment so it will not be voted on tomorrow or ever. This is a good thing according to Kucinich and Conyers. I trust Kucinich.
WHAT! Did I just say I TRUSTED a politician???/? WOW, what a concept! unfortunately he isn't MY Rep., well my state anyway. Mine is a sleezball.
This is not the right time for a single payer vote..but soon. So no more calls to your Rep.s for this amendment. They will tell us what to do next soon. We need to wait and vote on a stand alone Bill, HR 676.

Friday November 6, 2009, 1:36 pm

(You don't honestly think that anyone -- who knows me -- thinks I was doing anything other than "skinnin', grinnin' and calculating the distance from my foot to their arses, do you?)

ROFLMAO!

Friday November 6, 2009, 1:42 pm
Jill P, you know we really actually agree on many things. I think we both want everyone to have health care, no one dying due to care being withheld, and to get rid of the bad parts of the current system. Sorry the plan you liked isn't coming to a vote, even though I'm skeptical about it. Part of the reason is that if greedy congressman took money from Medicare in the past, how will they resist an even bigger pot? Maybe there is something in the Weiner bill that addresses that? Either way, I hope you consider me as a forum buddy, not an arrogant @$@#. I'm really not that bad, for a capitalist.... Actually I prefer the term, conscious capitalist as it emphasizes caring about people not just profits.

Either way, I admire your passion about the issues and respect your position.

Best regards, Paul

Friday November 6, 2009, 5:32 pm
Carole, of course I know better.
Paul, the Weiner amendment was a mistake according to those in the House who really support HR 676. It is too soon to vote on single payer. It was planned to shoot it down so they could say they gave it a shot and put single payer under for good. so I am not disappointed. I am relieved.
I keep my eye on the prize!
Having Expanded Medicare for All will not make it a bigger pot to dip in. It will still be the same amount of money just no one is dipping in it, especially private insurance. Besides, like I said earlier, if everyone is in and dependent on this newe Medicare health insurance, including the rich, Congress (that's redundant, I know, then it will be guarded.

Friday November 6, 2009, 5:35 pm

Jill, I so value your friendship.

Even when I'm ready to kick a$$, take names and throw in the grenade . . . you always talk sense to me.

Thank you, dear friend.

Friday November 6, 2009, 5:46 pm
It's hard and tiring but we have to keep at it, with breaks now and then.
As infuriating as this is, it is also exciting. Our country is falling apart, we are on the verge of crashing and burning and people are FINALLY fed up enough. This is prime time for REAL change, not empty promises. people will listen now and want to change, not compromise.
We have an incredible opportunity to make history, not just with healthcre but the environment, our war budget, etc..
people have to suffer and lose a lot before they are motivated to act or change. This is it. That is why I am so vigilent and won't let people forget. It's NOW! We may never have this chance again to reshape our country the way we want. Europe did it after WW II. They were devastated and in shambles. They were fed up and wanted to start over. Enough was enough. They demanded it be done their way for their benefit this time, not the rich crooks. So...
they got universal healthcare, college paid for, labor rights,...
We missed our opportunity then. 60 years later we have another chance.
Let's not blow it folks. it's time to clean out the trash and take charge!

Tuesday November 10, 2009, 7:46 am
A very sobering but realistic article on how shameful the American health care industry is currently conducted and how a hopeful realized passage of health reform has been watered down.

None of us who want real reform aren't going to be happy with the final legislation, if indeed if we ever do get passage of a reform bill. It still has a long way to go through the senate and for sure more substance with bite will be taken away.

Personally, I am just grateful to get some form of measured reform to get passed. Hopefully after passage, ammendments can start being attached to give more substance. But for now, lets fight to get a bill into the loop, it won't please us all, but at least the historic event will get us onto the right path to later build from.

I cannot open the petition site, but have wrote down Lieberman's number and will let his office people in no particular benevolent tone know of how I exactly feel about his Benedict Arnold ways as of late...

Tuesday November 10, 2009, 8:02 am
Check this out
Options: Don't Work, Get a Divorce, Pass Single Payer, Move to Canada if you are not depressed enough.

Wednesday November 11, 2009, 1:02 pm
Single payer Expanded Medicare for All HR 676, the ONLY economical and humane way to go.
This if from the PEN
A couple weeks ago the Democratic Senate Committee put out a video
called "I'm A Democrat, And I'm A Republican" (itself a play on the
cultural icon Mac ads), begging us for more campaign contributions
based on the premise that even 60 votes in their caucus is not enough
to pass a decent bill. So we decided to produce a series of our own
issue advocacy satire videos, to propagate the truth that NEITHER the
Democrats NOR the Republicans want real health care reform. And you
can watch the first one on this page.

Medicare For All Fax Action Page:
http://www.peaceteam.net/action/pnum1020.php

And from the same action you can also send a fax (for no charge) to
all your members of Congress (or special new advocacy capability)
calling for the passage of Medicare for All, instead of the
ridiculous sell out to medical corporation special interests that
barely squeaked out of the House over the weekend, and only at the
additional price of a total betrayal of a woman's right to choose.

For this special fax action there is a prepared petition text which
you can read on the page above, calling on Congress to get serious
about doing something the American people all want, and pass to
economical and efficient Medicare for all. But you can still add any
personal comments of your own you like.

And if you are represented by any member of the Congressional
so-called Progressive Caucus, you might tell them how profoundly
ASHAMED of them you are, given that outside of the courageous
exceptions of Dennis Kucinich and Eric Massa not one of others voted
against this terrible, awful bill (HR 3962). Remember back in June
they all signed a letter that they would only support a bill with a
"robust" public option. Instead they all voted for a total corporate
insurance take over of our national health care system, and they were
so anxious to sell out any principle they ever claimed to have, that
they threw a woman's right to choose under the bus along the way.

Please take careful note we said a CORPORATE take over of health
care. Because the only thing more dishonest that the Democrats
claiming there is some kind of meaningful public option in the bill
are the Republicans braying that it is a government take over. It is
not "socialized" medicine as the "one smear fits all" demagogues on
the right shout, but instead capitalist medicine, with the most
feeble possible public plan they thought they could pass off to the
American people.

And of course, nobody expects the Senate to turn it into something
better. Instead, it will be a monumental struggle now to even derail
the horrible anti-choice provision, which dictates that after a woman
is forced to buy one of the official overpriced insurance exchange
plans, even if she paid for it with 100% of her own money, that
provider cannot cover the expense of an abortion.

For those who argued we should just pass SOMETHING, even if it was a
bad bill, because they said we could fix it later, this is what you
get from a strategy of perpetual compromise, a bill that is utterly
beyond redemption. It's time to throw HR 3962 in the medical waste
bin, and do what should have been done in the first place, build a
new national health care system on what actually DOES work, by
extending the existing economical and efficient Medicare plan to all
ages.