The national Green Party convention kicked off yesterday with a national press conference (four of us showed up) where they proceeded to say Democrats cannot be trusted to pass and support single payer universal health care. The comments were made by John Murphy, a member of the National Committee and were unrebutted by any other member of the Greens.
Murphy stated that only the Green Party can be trusted on this issue in spite of the fact Rep. Dennis Kucinich is a co-sponsor of just such a bill, HR 676. He mentioned Kucinich by name several times. At last week's ACORN presidential forum Kucinich actually opened his remarks speaking about single payer universal health care. In fact the only bills introduced on the federal and state levels have been sponsored by Democrats with Republican co-sponsors. Many Republicans even see this as a solution for a very onerous and costly entitlement program whose costs are borne mostly by businesses.
Dennis Kucinich is a staunch supporter of such reform as are many Democrats. It's the Green Party which has been out to lunch on this issue. I challenge them to do more than be johnny come lately's in supporting the bills and actually help us pass them. Today's organizational meeting on SB 300 in Harrisburg will be revealing to me when I ask how many of those present are Greens. Meanwhile I think the Green Party owes Rep. Kucinich an apology.
Sounds like EVERYONE is out to lunch on the issue. (or at least not enough people are on the issue as u point out with Kusinich)
I figured, as long as the buck gets passed, than the resolution can be lost in the argument.
Its a shame that the healthcare issue has become a political one wrapped with pharmacetical companies, big business and insurance companies.
The goal now is not to get us well because that will lose money.
The other goal is NOT to have you sick in a hosital more than a day because it costs to much. What PAYS is doctor visits supported by medicaltion most people could do without WHICH effectively pushes the people out that really ARE sick because they are reduced down to a 10 minute BLOCK of time for their care.
You know I had a doctor once tell me I either had to hurry up and tell her my symptoms or make an appointment for the following month because they only allowed her a certain amount of time per patient. God forbid I pay for health insurance to be told I had 10 minutes!
sSo yes, I waited and wound up needing surgery on something that could have been PREVENTED (which was hell to get the insurance company to pay for)
When are all Americans Democrats and Republicans realize that we ALL get sick and if we allow someone else like big business to take over our care, we will be like those soldiers at the end of WWII....
Out in the 65 below degree cold with coats for 40 above degree weather while you build a road to Alaska that no one needed while soldiers lost their lives. People are DYING and its wrapped in politics.
People who have to fight for their care, have over the years become like soldiers in their fight for their own care that THEY pay for!
I don't think they MISSED the boat can they even SPELL BOAT?
Posted by: Carla J | July 13, 2007 at 04:58 PM
Our screwed-up health care system is a lot like the hopeless war on drugs. Everyone knows both aren't working - at a huge cost to society. But too many groups with too much political clout have a vested interested in maintaining the status quo.
If the United States legalized and taxed the drugs that are currently illegal, we could use the savings and revenue to provide health care and drug treatment to all who needed it. Legalizing drugs does not mean encouraging drug use. It means taking drug distribution (and $500 Billion) out of the hands of criminals and treating drug abuse as a mental and physical health issue rather than making it a criminal industry.
Nicotine is one of the most addictive drugs available, and smoking kills 440,000 people per year. But it is legal, taxed, and regulated. It has also been reduced by 60% in the last 30 years. Despite millions in prison and nearly a TRILLION DOLLARS, can we say that about any drug we have targeted in the drug war?
Sorry, I digress. With decent universally-available health care, we can also work toward real solutions for this country's drug problems. This would cut crime in half and reduce expenditures by 2/3. Perhaps linking the two may be the key to solving both!
The absurdity of the war on drugs is one more place Kucinich is right! Jump on board the drug policy reform boat, John!
Posted by: InsanityRules | July 13, 2007 at 05:40 PM
That's been my position for years. I even convinced a U.S. Senate candidate to take that exact stand way back a while.
Imagine how many rehab centers we could subsidize by taxing the drug trade and how much crime we'd eliminate?
Posted by: John Morgan | July 13, 2007 at 08:57 PM
It's time to abandon the moribund status quo. We know it's not working. Even if a new approach does no better, we can at least cross it off the list of possible solutions. That in itself is more progress than we are making in many areas.
Posted by: InsanityRules | July 13, 2007 at 11:04 PM
You CAN'T go after the war on drugs WITHOUT going to WAR on Pharmaceutical companies. Legalizing drugs ie cocaine, marijuana, ecstacy for a tax would then force a tax on the already LEGAL drugs and we KNOW the pharmecuticals will NEVER ALLOW this to happen.
Although maybe a good idea, the drug companies would be all over it. You can NOT make a drug legal, tax it then expect for no one to say anything about the tax on already legal (pharmecutical) drugs. (That's our Democracy working folks!)
Too many from children to elderly are hooked on pain and prescription medication, pills are one of the easiest and biggest transport of drug activity within each individual state and the influx of cash is substantial where drug companies are concerned and they are still not happy with their stock!
Legalizing these drugs would DESTROY big business pharmecuticals and I know Kucinich knows this.
Legitimate argument but does it have realistic substance?
We will see. I'm not convinced.
Posted by: Carla J | July 15, 2007 at 05:44 AM