On a bright and beautiful late summer Sunday my younger sister & I created a banner, put on our tennis shoes, and headed to Upper Senate Park in DC to show our support for healthcare reform in general and more specifically, for the need for a public option. After 3 hours of marching around the fountain and listening to extemporaneous speakers we returned home disappointed and frustrated that fewer than 1,000 fellow citizens chose to attend.
For many months we have been engaged in what I'll call "passive" efforts to support healthcare reform. We have called, written, blogged, tweeted, and spoken with many on the 'net and in-person to encourage support for healthcare reform.
We support a strong public option and have been dumbfounded as the discourse has shifted from single-payer to 'a public option' to 'triggers' and 'co-ops' and ultimately, no public option. We read the newspapers and polls with chagrin as we've watched the support for even a small governmental insurance option diminish. Daily reports about the death of the public option have us asking: Will public apathy be the death of the public option?
In a city where Obama won by commanding margins one might think that more than 1,000 would come out to support healthcare reform or at least to refute the previous days "Tea Party." As we arrived at the Park a couple of leftover Tea Partiers asked if we were part of the Tea Party group, claiming that 1.6 MILLION people had been on the Mall the previous day. We inquired about their ability to count and said we were on our way to rally in support of healthcare reform. We were feeling positive and optimistic as we approached the Senate Park thinking that a at least few thousand people would be there marching and demonstrating... When we realized that fewer than 1,000 people were coming today but AND that more of them seemed to be from outside the DC region, we felt a mixture of embarrassment and anger. Where were all those who voted for Obama? Where were all those DC/MD/VA reformers who blog and tweet on a seemingly daily basis? Why such a small group of clearly committed supporters in a city of so many Obama voters?
I can only conclude that many liberals believe the mere act of putting Obama in the Presidency was all that would be needed to get a progressive agenda put in place. The scary, wacky and very vocal tea baggers and right-wingers have made it clear that a bit more effort will be required. Those who support healthcare reform with a strong public option need to get off their computers and quit blogging or tweeting long enough to make our voices heard in the REAL rather than virtual world.
“Public option” VS. “Health-care Trigger”
As I see it (and as I planned it) Health-care insurance companies stand to gain from a “public option” because every day these companies are losing customers i.e. when the recently fired and laid-off American worker who had insurance are going to be outside of Federal Cobra time guidelines and thus are going to be out of the privet insurance system. If a “public option” does not become available then more American companies are going to fold one after another until the American companies only have employees in other counties and do not need and will not buy privet Health-care insurance in the U.S., or these American Companies have so few employees that they go off the stock-market exchanges perhaps permanently due-to irreconcilable Bankruptcy proceedings outcome. Perhaps the Privet Health-care companies will be forced to downsize where they can and go out of business when they cannot because they shot themselves in the foot over the “Health-care Trigger” they so daftly crafted.
This is War on the American People this is War on America you must stand-up now
Republicans have figured out that they can't beat us on healthcare reform if they fight inclusion of a public option head on. So, instead they are looking for different ways to kill a public option without actually calling it that.This week they launched their first real attempt and it is already picking up a bit of steam among so-called Senate moderates.They call it "the trigger."They want Americans to keep the same broken system we have now and give the insurance industry one more chance to fix it on their own. Then, if insurance companies fail, the bill would "trigger" the public option -- you know, in like 7 years or so.We need to act right now. Call your Senators and tell them that a so-called trigger is a no go.Senate Switchboard(202) 224-3121Suggested script:"I oppose the healthcare trigger. Please ask the Senator to stand up against the insurance industry and the so-called ‘trigger' for a public option. We need the choice of a public healthcare option now, not more of the same broken healthcare system for years to come."REPORT YOUR CALL NOWThe real fight has begun. We need to act fast, make our position clear and fight for real reform. Please make your calls right now.Tell Congress we didn't vote to wait -- We voted for change.Thank you for everything you do.-CharlesCharles Chamberlain, Political DirectorDemocracy for AmericaDemocracy for America relies on you and the people-power to fund the grassroots organizing that delivers progressive change on the issues that matter. Please Contribute Today and support our mission.
BARACK OBAMA'S ANSWERS as found on choose your candidate washington post CHOOSE YOUR CANDIDATE http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/interactives/candidatequiz/?BARACK OBAMA SAYS:
TOP PRIORITIES:My top priority as president will be ending this warin Iraq, a war that should have never been authorizedand never been waged. In doing so, I will work to keepour country safe from terrorists and to restoreAmerican credibility around the world. Providinguniversal health care to the 47 million Americans whocurrently do not have it will be another top priorityof my administration, as will combating global warmingand putting our country on the path toward energyindependence. But all of the issues that I havefocused on in this campaign -- whether it's creating a21st century education system and fighting poverty orachieving comprehensive immigration reform andstrengthening our economy -- are vitally important andmust be prioritized by the next president. And all ofthese issues share one thing in common: in order tofully address them, we have to do more than changepolitical parties. We have to fundamentally change ourpolitics and transform the way business is done inWashington.
IRAQ WAR: 1IRAQ WAR: 2
SECURITY:
HEALTH CARE
EDUCATION:CHANGES IN EDUCATION:GAY MARRIAGE:CIVIL UNIONS:ABORTION:POOR:GUNS:GUN CONTROL:STEM CELL RESEARCH:
ENERGY: 1ENERGY: 2IMMIGRATION: 1IMMIGRATION: 2
AFFIRMIATIVE ACTION:BUDGET ISSUES: 1BUDGET ISSUES: 2ECONOMY: 1ECONOMY 2:SOCIAL SECURITY: 1SOCIAL SECURITY: 2
CLICK READ MORE TO SEE ALL THE ANSWERS BARACK HAS LISTED AT THIS WASHINGTON POST POLL SITE. I THINK IT GIVES AN EASY READ TO HIS PERSPECTIVES.
