Let's add something new to the name of "Labor Day"... It should be "Labor & Universal Health Care Day". Or perhaps "Labor & Defeat of The Soul Eating Bastards Day".
(If anyone can tell me how to turn on the spellcheck here PLEASE let me know...I miss it and I really need it)
As I slowly start to get back up to speed after the death of my former computer I had a thought that we should target Labor Day to eventually be Labor & Universal Health Care Day.
I think It fits pretty well because of the work a lot of labor is doing to make "SPUHC" (Single Payor Universal Health Care) a reality.
Therefore it is time to lean on Montana Max and President Obama to man up (men up?) and seriously consider Single Payor. Because until profit is taken away from the parasites called Health Insurance Companies things WILL NEVER CHANGE.
Some things I suggest we do is:
1. Refuse to allow the interchangeable use of Health Care and Health Coverage They are not the same thing.
2. Constantly remind our representatives that a Health Insurance Company's FIRST RESPONSIBILITY is to it's shareholders, NOT THE PATIENT. The law need to be changed to make the first responsibility of the health insurance industry is TO THE PATIENT/POLICY HOLDER AND NOT THE SHAREHOLDERS
3. Constantly remind our representatives that on average the Health Insurance Industry takes 25% of health care dollars away from actual health care and sends it to shareholders of the company and CEOs. And that figure doesn't count the huge administrative costs that the health insurance industry seems to need.
4. Constantly remind our representatives that administrative costs of Medicare are 90% less than the administrative cost of the Health Insurance Industry.
5. Constantly remind our representatives what the benefit to business would be if they didn't have to cover health care costs for employees. And tell them about all the people you know that would start a new business if they didn't have to worry about dying because they couldn't afford health insurance as a one person start up business.
6. Tell everyone you know just how much money our representatives get from the Health Insurance Industry and their lying lobbying group AHIP
7. And Finally, Constantly remind our representatives what LYING, SOUL EATING BASTARDS, AHIP and the Health Insurance Industry is.
PLEASE ADD ANY THOUGHTS YOU HAVE ON HOW TO REALLY PUT THE HEAT ON THOSE THAT JUST DON'T SEEM TO GET THAT THE TERM HEALTH INSURANCE IS ACTUALLY AN OXYMORON.
PS: "ss" let me know a good time to call.
Two thoughts:
1) So you really don't think the single-payer ship has sailed at this point?
2) What good is it going to do if I tell Sam Johnson (R-TX-3), John Cornyn (R-TX) and Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) that a single-payer system is the one that really makes the most sense right now? When I e-mailed Hutchison last summer and pleaded for her to condemn the Palin pick, I received (instead of the usual, topically relevant reply) a brief explanation of the Republican platform!!!
And after watching the Democratic legislators cave on Guantanamo--when was it, last week?--I'm beginning to lose faith in the idea that any of this is in the control of anyone who earns anything less than a sky-high salary.
May 29, 2009 10:06 AM | Reply | Permalink
WC,
The SP ship might be ready to sail, untied from the dock and everything. But I don't think it has weighed anchor quite yet.
Actually what I hope to accomplish is to AT THE VERY LEAST get a public option in the legislation. If we don't, and allow AHIP to talk their shit, health care reform will be a waste of time.
I have emailed EVERY rep and senator, not just mine but ALL of them. I am 75% through calling ALL of them. When I finish I will start over and take Montana Max up on his offer "to listen to everybody".
WC, all that I would ask is just keep sending the message in whatever way works best for you.
May 29, 2009 10:50 AM | Reply | Permalink
7. And Finally, Constantly remind our representatives what LYING, SOUL EATING BASTARDS, AHIP and the Health Insurance Industry is.
See, that's what I'm talkin about!!! I hereby render unto you the Dayly Line of the Day Award for this here TPMCafe site, given to all of you from all of me.
Capitalist bastards not only trying to reap untold profits from off of the pain and suffering of our people, but SUCCEEDING AT IT!!!
May 29, 2009 10:34 AM | Reply | Permalink
2D!
Thanks! Sorry I missed the parteeee. Hope all is well and the new ride is flying down the information super highway!
May 29, 2009 10:41 AM | Reply | Permalink
Here's something I've started to do.....every time I get one of those e-mails from Barack or Joe or Mitch Stewart or David Plouffe or (I'm just going down the list in my in-box) whomever, and they provide me with a 'tell us your story' or comment box, and they want me to donate to the cause, they are getting this from me: To Whom it May Concern: You are not getting one more dime from me until Single Payer is ON THE TABLE, or at the very least, a Public Plan is ON THE TABLE. Get it? NOT ONE DAMN DIME.
Will I get in trouble for cussing at government officials?
Ah, well.
May 29, 2009 12:48 PM | Reply | Permalink
I've done the same!
May 29, 2009 7:18 PM | Reply | Permalink