| by: Lonegunman
A review of where we came from and where we are now:
After about two years of courtship America accepted the troth of Barack Obama,with great expectations of how things were going to change when we got the influence of the lobbyists out of the White House and the government.Well,it hasn't worked out exactly like that.
A point to ponder:
On healthcare,the reform most dear to my heart,since I had none from Nov.2,1985 until Jan.1,2004,when my wife put me on her policy at the nursing home where she worked,my story is not so different from millions of others.It does show how one medical problem can eat up all your savings and send you to bankruptcy court if you have no insurance.
Adding me meant an additional $80 deduction,each week,from her paycheck.Twenty days later I was told by my Doctor that I had prostate cancer.I said to him that I had heard men of my age were more likely to die WITH prostate cancer than FROM it.I also mentioned how I had been to a soldout Bob Dylan concert,AND a NASCAR short-track race,so my life had been full.He was NOT amused.My point was that if the insurance company decided to call the cancer a pre-existing condition,then there was no point in planning or starting any course of treatments which I couldn't afford.Well,they didn't deny me,and 42 radiation treatments,with the associated $25 co-pays and $10 CBCs later,I was declared cancer-free.Total cost:premiums $1920,co-pays $1175,blood tests $420,and the insurance company paid around $200,000.I was lucky the tumor was too small to show up on the ultra-sound.Even then,there was no way we could have paid for all that personally.
I used to send a long,well-reasoned letter to the editor,my Senators and Representative,and the Senators from other States.I don't bother doing that anymore,since we are now in the "Age of Stupid." The animosity and gridlock are so entrenched now that even after tons of CO2 have been emitted by the debators,only the most naive would still believe that"change gonna come." Reason doesn't seem to play any role in the deliberations of our legislative bodies.
The following is a note I emailed the U.S.Senate this morning:
"Personally,I favor Sen.Sanders'amendment,a single-payer,Medicare-for-All,healthcare plan.It would assure access for everyone,provide quality care,and control costs by getting the for-profit insurance companies out of healthcare financing.But it seems that there isn't the political will to do the right thing,so we will have to swallow hard and settle for a public insurance option.No more compromises,it is way past time to get this done."
The Pary of No is intent on delaying,deceiving,detracting,and eventually destroying this initiative,because they know that,like Social Security and Medicare,if a meaningful reform plan passes the People will love it,and the Republicans will never be able to get rid of it.Didn't the crocodile tears they shed over the proposed cuts to the Medicare Advantage program-a direct-payments-to-the-insurance-companies plan begun by the Republicans,and never funded,also bring tears to YOUR eyes?
I have been following the debate for the past few days,and I have come to the conclusion that my naivete,held strongly for many years,in believing that we didn't need term limits,since that was the function of elections,was misplaced.With incumbanct comes not only senioriy,but millions of dollars in campaign contributions,each and every cycle.The lobbyists and others give to the candidates they know,even if they don't agree on every issue,because the evil you know is better than the one you don't.Well,the spectacle taking place in the Senate chamber is causing me to re-consider term limits,because it is self-evident that these people are not representing the views expressed by their constituents in poll after poll.
Maybe we should all follow the axiom from the movie(I can't remember the title!),and write in "None of the above" on our ballots next time.Just a thought. |
