http://www.pbs.org/now/shows/512/obama-health-care.html
The reason I want you to read this is because of the absolutely remarkable and stunning admissions that appear in this article. As far as I am concerned, it proves every point (well almost every point, it doesn’t address the “death squad” thing:) that those on my side of the health care debate have been so vocal in complaining about. Let me address some of those issues that he brings up.
My friend, Keith, from New Orleans, just emailed to say he attended a local "town meeting" on health care and tried to get a word in favor but was almost hounded out of the room.
Why are these meetings brimming with so much anger? Because Republican Astroturfers have joined the same old right-wing broadcast demagogues that have been spewing hate and fear for years, to create a tempest.
But why are they getting away with it? Why aren't progressives—indeed, why aren't ordinary citizens—taking the meetings back?
Mainly because there's still no healthcare plan. All we have are some initial markups from several congressional committees, which differ from one another in significant ways. The White House's is waiting to see what emerges from the House and Senate before insisting on what it wants, maybe in conference committee.
But that's the problem: It's always easier to stir up fear and anger against something that's amorphous than to stir up enthusiasm for it.
“Mainly because there's still no healthcare plan” Well there you go, Duh! I am so glad that someone has the guts to say it! This is a significant part of the opposition's anger and concern. There is no plan! That is what he said. This is not the Republicans saying this, this is a diehard Democrat. Oh, there are plenty of ideas, but nothing solid and a great deal of rhetoric, but no plan! What the opposition (namely me) is concerned about is that just like the Stimulus Bill. Something, who knows what, will be rammed through the congress in the middle of the night and not even the legislators will really know what is in there until it is too late. This is way to important of an issue, affects too many lives, and costs way too much to be done in such haste. Thank-you Secretary Reich for your honesty!
But that’s not all…
“Admit that taxes will have to be raised and that cost-savings won't be sufficient to achieve nearly universal care. But be absolutely clear that taxes will be raised only be raised on the very top. He needs to decide whether he favors a surcharge on the top 2 percent, or a cap on tax-free employee benefits (which would affect only the very top), or some combination, and then announce which he prefers and why.”
Oh, so it’s ok, thank-goodness, they are only going to raise taxes on the top 2% whoo hooo that doesn’t include me so that makes it Ok. Uhhhhhh NO! It is not ok. We pay enough taxes. We should be looking for ways to reduce the burden not increase taxes. Oh and by the way, something else he said was important, cost-savings won't be sufficient to achieve nearly universal care, if you think that it will only be the top 2% who will pay more, then as my mother would say, You have another think a-coming!
Say unequivocally that the public option is essential for controlling costs and getting private insurers to offer people better deals, not at all a step toward a government takeover of health care.
Yeah Right! You have got to be kidding me, I didn't just fall off the turnip truck yesterday! Read on!
Being the one public plan, it will have large economies of scale that will enable it to negotiate more favorable terms with pharmaceutical companies and other providers. (Here, he must clear up any confusion about any deal made with Big Pharma.) But this won't lead to a government takeover of health care. The whole point of cost containment is to provide the public with health care on more favorable terms. If the public plan negotiates better terms—thereby demonstrating that drug companies and other providers can meet them—private plans can seek similar deals“Being the one public plan, it will have large economies of scale that will enable it to negotiate more favorable terms with pharmaceutical companies and other providers.” I don’t want to be rude to my liberal friends, but this is exactly what my side is saying will happen. The government will by its very size be able to negotiate deals that private insurers couldn’t possibly receive. And going out of business is exactly what will happen to these businesses. (Which in case you haven’t figured it out already, that is exactly what Nancy Pelosi and President Obama want to have happen.)
Sorry, Not done yet…
It will have low administrative costs—Medicare's administrative costs per enrollee are a small fraction of typical private insurance costs—but that's no problem, it's a strength. One goal of health-care reform is to lower administrative costs. Competition with a public option is the only way to push private plans to trim their bureaucracies and become more efficient.
“It will have low administrative costs… a small fraction of typical private insurance costs.” Once again, this will not push private plans to become more efficient as Reich implies, it will drive them out of business. This isn’t rocket science people! This plan will ultimatly force all Americans into a one sized fits all government plan with a total government takeover of health care!
While it's true that the public won't have to show profits, plenty of private plans are already not-for-profit. And if nonprofit plans can offer high-quality health care more cheaply than for-profit plans, why should for-profit plans be coddled? The public plan would merely force profit-making private plans to take whatever steps were necessary to become more competitive. Once again, a plus.
Uhhhh Duh, Once again it shows how unfair, and if you ask me, un-American, this “Public Option Plan” is. First, the for profit insurance companies go out of business, then the "not for profit" ones follow suit, and then there is only ONE, the government plan! Trust me; these people know exactly what they are doing. And as much as they would like for us to simply follow along like “Lemmings,” to use their terms, I am personally grateful for those who have been willing to speak up and say. Not on my watch!
Now's the time for specifics. It's impossible to fight fearmongering lies with nothing but positive principles.
Well, I certainly agree that now is the time for specifics, perhaps it was time for those before they made every effort to pass this bill in the dark of the night to begin with! And, he is absolutely right, it is impossible to fight fearmongering with lies. He does a pretty good job making the case against this bill with his facts!
One final point and then I promise I will shut up and let this go. What was one of the biggest Democratic complaints about George Bush? That he went into war preemptively without even a plan for how to get out! Hmmmmm Does anyone see a comparison here? The American people are being expected to support a bill that really doesn’t exist, and simply trust that all the little details “like death squads” (LOL Sorry I had to put that in there just to cause a little more irritation than I already have:) will all work out in the end.
Put me down as a solid NO! on this one. Now, let’s put this government take over of insurance aside, and talk about the 15-20 things we could vote on tomorrow that we can all agree upon and make some real changes in insurance and in the lives of everyday Americans!.
Blessings
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