The Public Option is Gaining Momentum!

Thanks to the gutsiness of some freshman senators, a movement has begun to urge Senate Democratic House Majority Leader Harry Reid to reinsert the public option into the Health Care Reform Package, and pass the bill under House budget reconciliation rules. Reconciliation is a procedure that would allow a simple up or down vote with a majority of 51 Senators. There is NO filibuster allowed with reconciliation. These gutsy senators are Jared Polis (D-Colo) in photo left, Chelli Pingree (D-Maine) and Michael Bennet(D-Colo). They did not "run for the hills" in the aftermath of the Scott Brown debacle in Mass. They wrote a letter to Harry Reid, and so far 14 senators have signed on, and 40 have pledged support.

Even if there are not enough votes for a public option, an alternative would be to pass a Medicare buy-in which would allow people age 55+ to buy into a public plan. This idea was killed by douchebag senator Joe Lieberman(I-CT) who said he would filibuster any bill that included an expansion of Medicare. Well, sorry Joe, you cannot filibuster under reconciliation rules. So, come on Dems, let's get this done now. Polls have shown that the majority of Americans want to be able to choose a public option, which would lower costs for consumers. The recent 39% rate hike by Anthem BlueCross persuaded CA Senator Dianne Feinstein to sign on for real reform, and urge Harry Reid to include the public option. SCHIP, which is a really great government run healthcare insurance plan for kids, and a major health care reform bill, was passed through the House reconciliation process. So it is possible.

Sign a petition to demand a public option. http://www.citizensforapublicoption.com/
Democrats can get this done since they are the majority. Don't run for the hills wearing wet panties. Get this done NOW for the people.

Photo: Jared Polis (D-Colo)

The Public Option is Gaining Momentum!

Thanks to the gutsiness of some freshman senators, a movement has begun to urge Senate Democratic House Majority Leader Harry Reid to reinsert the public option into the Health Care Reform Package, and pass the bill under House budget reconciliation rules. Reconciliation is a procedure that would allow a simple up or down vote with a majority of 51 Senators. There is NO filibuster allowed with reconciliation. These gutsy senators are Jared Polis (D-Colo) in photo left, Chelli Pingree (D-Maine) and Michael Bennet(D-Colo). They did not "run for the hills" in the aftermath of the Scott Brown debacle in Mass. They wrote a letter to Harry Reid, and so far 14 senators have signed on, and 40 have pledged support.

Even if there are not enough votes for a public option, an alternative would be to pass a Medicare buy-in which would allow people age 55+ to buy into a public plan. This idea was killed by douchebag senator Joe Lieberman(I-CT) who said he would filibuster any bill that included an expansion of Medicare. Well, sorry Joe, you cannot filibuster under reconciliation rules. So, come on Dems, let's get this done now. Polls have shown that the majority of Americans want to be able to choose a public option, which would lower costs for consumers. The recent 39% rate hike by Anthem BlueCross persuaded CA Senator Dianne Feinstein to sign on for real reform, and urge Harry Reid to include the public option. SCHIP, which is a really great government run healthcare insurance plan for kids, and a major health care reform bill, was passed through the House reconciliation process. So it is possible.

Sign a petition to demand a public option. http://www.citizensforapublicoption.com/
Democrats can get this done since they are the majority. Don't run for the hills wearing wet panties. Get this done NOW for the people.

Photo: Jared Polis (D-Colo)

Teabaggers Saved by Government Healthcare Workers

In a delicious display of poetic irony, Teabaggers rallying against "government takeover of healthcare" (wink wink) in Washington this week were saved by government healthcare workers. Yep. One protester suffered a heart attack, and four other elderly protesters needed emergency treatment. Luckily, medical professionals from the Capitol's physician's office were on the scene immediately to save these NeoCon lives. The rally was organized by wacky right wingnut Michele Bachman (R-MN). The man who suffered the heart attack was being wheeled away on a stretcher just as House Minority Leader John Boehner stepped up to the microphone to talk about the dangers of the Democrat's socialized medicine and communist agenda. Why didn't John Boner intervene and protect the 4 fallen Teabaggers from the dangers of socialized medicine?! See story here

Above photo is of protesters holding a sign with picture of corpses from Dachau. How horrifying to compare the public option to The Holocaust! At this rally, Rep. Steve King(R-IA) actually autographed a teabagger sign that said "Ken-ya Trust Obama?" Nice.

Teabaggers Saved by Government Healthcare Workers

In a delicious display of poetic irony, Teabaggers rallying against "government takeover of healthcare" (wink wink) in Washington this week were saved by government healthcare workers. Yep. One protester suffered a heart attack, and four other elderly protesters needed emergency treatment. Luckily, medical professionals from the Capitol's physician's office were on the scene immediately to save these NeoCon lives. The rally was organized by wacky right wingnut Michele Bachman (R-MN). The man who suffered the heart attack was being wheeled away on a stretcher just as House Minority Leader John Boehner stepped up to the microphone to talk about the dangers of the Democrat's socialized medicine and communist agenda. Why didn't John Boner intervene and protect the 4 fallen Teabaggers from the dangers of socialized medicine?! See story here

Above photo is of protesters holding a sign with picture of corpses from Dachau. How horrifying to compare the public option to The Holocaust! At this rally, Rep. Steve King(R-IA) actually autographed a teabagger sign that said "Ken-ya Trust Obama?" Nice.

Grayson's Got Guts!

Representative Alan Grayson (D-Fla) has become the new star of the Democratic Party because he has the courage to speak out loudly for the people. During a speech on the House floor, he said that the GOP's alternative healthcare plan is simple, "Don't Get Sick. And if you do get sick, die quickly." see this video

Grayson highlighted a Harvard study that found 44,000 Americans die annually due to no health insurance. We wrote about those facts here at LVS. We Must Have A Public Option

It's refreshing to finally watch a Democrat speak in a no-nonsense way, and to call out the RepubliCONS as "the party of no, and soon, the party of nobody." Seems like it is working. The "you get more bees with honey" approach is not gonna work here because people are dying, and because the majority of the American public supports a public option, or as it has been cleverly coined by Liberals, "Medicare Part E," i.e., Medicare for Everybody. Sometimes the truth has gotta sting and wake people up. Democrats have got to stand up to the bullying, lies, and smear campaigns of the right. Grayson says, "I don't remember hearing a lot about bipartisanship when we were talking about tax breaks for the rich."

Democrats are in power now and we gotta start getting things done. Let the tea baggers protest-- who cares. The facts speak for themselves. We the people want a public option.

Grayson has started a website called Names of the Dead as a tribute to people who have died due to lack of health insurance.

Grayson's campaign fundraising website is called A Congressman With Guts.

We're hoping Alan Grayson's gutsiness is contagious.

[Mr. Dottie contributed to this post]

Grayson's Got Guts!

Representative Alan Grayson (D-Fla) has become the new star of the Democratic Party because he has the courage to speak out loudly for the people. During a speech on the House floor, he said that the GOP's alternative healthcare plan is simple, "Don't Get Sick. And if you do get sick, die quickly." see this video

Grayson highlighted a Harvard study that found 44,000 Americans die annually due to no health insurance. We wrote about those facts here at LVS. We Must Have A Public Option

It's refreshing to finally watch a Democrat speak in a no-nonsense way, and to call out the RepubliCONS as "the party of no, and soon, the party of nobody." Seems like it is working. The "you get more bees with honey" approach is not gonna work here because people are dying, and because the majority of the American public supports a public option, or as it has been cleverly coined by Liberals, "Medicare Part E," i.e., Medicare for Everybody. Sometimes the truth has gotta sting and wake people up. Democrats have got to stand up to the bullying, lies, and smear campaigns of the right. Grayson says, "I don't remember hearing a lot about bipartisanship when we were talking about tax breaks for the rich."

Democrats are in power now and we gotta start getting things done. Let the tea baggers protest-- who cares. The facts speak for themselves. We the people want a public option.

Grayson has started a website called Names of the Dead as a tribute to people who have died due to lack of health insurance.

Grayson's campaign fundraising website is called A Congressman With Guts.

We're hoping Alan Grayson's gutsiness is contagious.

[Mr. Dottie contributed to this post]

We Must Have A Public Option

I don't see how we can have real health care reform without the public option. Corporate control of our health care is resulting in people dying for the good of the insurance company. It's immoral. Corporations should not have control over our lives. A government run public option can co-exist with private plans. People can choose what they want, or stay with the plan they have. Obama's plan is NOT a government take over. The public option makes perfect sense and there is now an urgency to lower costs, and hold the greedy companies accountable for their many abuses, which have resulted in the deaths of American people. It is a serious crisis. The wingnut commentators are scaring people with lies. The Republicons want to see Obama fail, no matter how many Americans die. They hate Obama more than they love America. And they hate him because he is Black. We must have a public option, it's a human need.

Here are some facts and stats:

45,000 uninsured Americans die each year, according to research done by the Harvard Medical School. That's one person every 12 minutes.

See this article

46.3 million Americans lacked coverage in 2008. Uninsured adults under age 64 have a 40% higher risk of dying than those who have coverage. These people are dying from complications associated with preventable diseases such as diabetes because they can't afford proper care. The insurance companies run the real "death panels."

The New England Journal of Medicine reports that 73% of doctors favor a public option.

65% of Americans favor a public option.

14,000 people a day are losing their health insurance.

Where is our compassion for fellow human beings? We are all in this together, why not pool the wealth to help each other out? No one should have to die because they can't afford health insurance.

Did you know that young adults ages 19-29 make up 30% of the nation's uninsured? An average health insurance premium for young adults for the school year 2007-2008 was $850.00.

See this document

According to The Kaiser Family Foundation, the average cost of a family's health care policy is now more than $13,000 annually, having more than doubled in a decade. It is unaffordable for middle class people, especially those who (like us) are self-employed and have to pay the entire amount. Our policy is going up to $932.00 a month, and that's just for 2 people, since our child is enrolled in CHIP, which is a great government run program for kids. We would choose the public option.

We Must Have A Public Option

I don't see how we can have real health care reform without the public option. Corporate control of our health care is resulting in people dying for the good of the insurance company. It's immoral. Corporations should not have control over our lives. A government run public option can co-exist with private plans. People can choose what they want, or stay with the plan they have. Obama's plan is NOT a government take over. The public option makes perfect sense and there is now an urgency to lower costs, and hold the greedy companies accountable for their many abuses, which have resulted in the deaths of American people. It is a serious crisis. The wingnut commentators are scaring people with lies. The Republicons want to see Obama fail, no matter how many Americans die. They hate Obama more than they love America. And they hate him because he is Black. We must have a public option, it's a human need.

Here are some facts and stats:

45,000 uninsured Americans die each year, according to research done by the Harvard Medical School. That's one person every 12 minutes.

See this article

46.3 million Americans lacked coverage in 2008. Uninsured adults under age 64 have a 40% higher risk of dying than those who have coverage. These people are dying from complications associated with preventable diseases such as diabetes because they can't afford proper care. The insurance companies run the real "death panels."

The New England Journal of Medicine reports that 73% of doctors favor a public option.

65% of Americans favor a public option.

14,000 people a day are losing their health insurance.

Where is our compassion for fellow human beings? We are all in this together, why not pool the wealth to help each other out? No one should have to die because they can't afford health insurance.

Did you know that young adults ages 19-29 make up 30% of the nation's uninsured? An average health insurance premium for young adults for the school year 2007-2008 was $850.00.

See this document

According to The Kaiser Family Foundation, the average cost of a family's health care policy is now more than $13,000 annually, having more than doubled in a decade. It is unaffordable for middle class people, especially those who (like us) are self-employed and have to pay the entire amount. Our policy is going up to $932.00 a month, and that's just for 2 people, since our child is enrolled in CHIP, which is a great government run program for kids. We would choose the public option.

Meet The New Boss

Many are saying that Obama's powerful speech last night was the greatest speech ever by a US President in front of a joint session of Congress, and we here at LVS agree. He kicked ass. He took CHARGE.

One high point of the speech was when Obama said that his "door is open" to GOP ideas, but he will "call out liars." He spoke directly to senior citizens who have been the target of the ridiculous lies about "death panels." He said his plan is "not a government takeover." A low point of the speech was when Representative Joe Wilson from South Carolina yelled out "you lie" (or some sources report that he said "it's a lie") when Obama stated that his plan does not cover illegal immigrants. Wilson showed complete disrespect for The President, and proved just how low the hateful wingnuts will go to make sure our President fails.

Another high point of Obama's speech was when he spoke about the late Ted Kennedy, and the letter Kennedy wrote in defense of liberalism. Kennedy strongly believed that health care is a moral issue and that it speaks to the character of Americans. To deny sick people health care coverage due to a pre-existing condition, or loss of job, is a social injustice. We are all in this together and should help each other. No one in America should die because they can't afford medical treatment. Quality health care is a human need, not a privilege just for people who can afford it. Evoking Kennedy at the end was LIBERALISM at it's best. Obama spoke directly to the American people , referencing real life stories of people dying and going bankrupt because of the current abuses of the health care industry.

The root of Obama's speech was that comprehensive regulation of the healthcare industry is long overdue. Obama stressed that he does not want to put HIC's out of business, he "just wants to hold them accountable." He wants to make it illegal for HIC's to deny coverage for a pre-existing condition, or when you lose your job. Obama's brilliant plan has pluses for everybody: the American people, the Republicans (Obama has much GOP input including McCain's ideas, and GOP goals of reforming malpractice litigation) and even insurance companies will gain millions of new customers via Obama making minimal coverage mandatory for everyone, similar to car insurance.

Get on board Republicans, the train is leaving the station with or without you. It's time to stop playing partisan politics with the lives of American citizens.

Meet The New Boss

Many are saying that Obama's powerful speech last night was the greatest speech ever by a US President in front of a joint session of Congress, and we here at LVS agree. He kicked ass. He took CHARGE.

One high point of the speech was when Obama said that his "door is open" to GOP ideas, but he will "call out liars." He spoke directly to senior citizens who have been the target of the ridiculous lies about "death panels." He said his plan is "not a government takeover." A low point of the speech was when Representative Joe Wilson from South Carolina yelled out "you lie" (or some sources report that he said "it's a lie") when Obama stated that his plan does not cover illegal immigrants. Wilson showed complete disrespect for The President, and proved just how low the hateful wingnuts will go to make sure our President fails.

Another high point of Obama's speech was when he spoke about the late Ted Kennedy, and the letter Kennedy wrote in defense of liberalism. Kennedy strongly believed that health care is a moral issue and that it speaks to the character of Americans. To deny sick people health care coverage due to a pre-existing condition, or loss of job, is a social injustice. We are all in this together and should help each other. No one in America should die because they can't afford medical treatment. Quality health care is a human need, not a privilege just for people who can afford it. Evoking Kennedy at the end was LIBERALISM at it's best. Obama spoke directly to the American people , referencing real life stories of people dying and going bankrupt because of the current abuses of the health care industry.

The root of Obama's speech was that comprehensive regulation of the healthcare industry is long overdue. Obama stressed that he does not want to put HIC's out of business, he "just wants to hold them accountable." He wants to make it illegal for HIC's to deny coverage for a pre-existing condition, or when you lose your job. Obama's brilliant plan has pluses for everybody: the American people, the Republicans (Obama has much GOP input including McCain's ideas, and GOP goals of reforming malpractice litigation) and even insurance companies will gain millions of new customers via Obama making minimal coverage mandatory for everyone, similar to car insurance.

Get on board Republicans, the train is leaving the station with or without you. It's time to stop playing partisan politics with the lives of American citizens.

We The People Want Public Health Care

The very sad news of the death of actress Farrah Fawcett today made me think about the many Americans without health insurance who suffer and die from cancer due to not being able to afford treatment for the deadly disease. Farrah was brave for documenting and calling attention to her battle with cancer. I think what the media needs to call attention to right now is the close to 50 million uninsured Americans. And many of those people are middle-class. We have a health care crisis in this country. The majority of Americans (72% according to a NY Times/CBS News Poll)

http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2009/06/21/health/policy/21poll_graphic_ready.html

favor a government administered health insurance plan. According to EBRI (Employee Benefit Research Institute) http://www.ebri.org/ a conservative organization, 83% of Americans favor "creating a new public health insurance plan that anyone can purchase."

Ironically, the demographic with the biggest opposition to a public plan are the over age 65 group, the same people who are currently in a government run health insurance plan called Medicare. Older Americans seem fearful of any change.

Obama promised us the same quality health care coverage that Congress receives. Everyone deserves health care, it is not a privilege. A public option is the only way to bring about universal affordable health care. In Obama's words, the public plan would "keep insurance companies honest." He is willing to compromise for Republican support, but most R's seem to just want to obstruct everything Obama wants to do. There are some Democrats against it too. And I think the Democrats need to grow a set and challenge the obstructionist Republicans. Let the R's filibuster. Obviously bipartisanship is not going to happen with this issue, so Congress needs to fight for the people's interests. They need to be in touch with the people. I like Howard Dean, he seems to be aware of the seriousness of this crisis . http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howard_Dean

Meanwhile, the national media is focusing on the infidelity and shenanigans of some governor, while Americans are dying due to lack of health care coverage. And in our local "newspaper", The Morning Call, headline news is constant updates on puppies in need and some hot dog vendor crisis. They need to get their priorities straight.

Photo: Protesters in Maine

We The People Want Public Health Care

The very sad news of the death of actress Farrah Fawcett today made me think about the many Americans without health insurance who suffer and die from cancer due to not being able to afford treatment for the deadly disease. Farrah was brave for documenting and calling attention to her battle with cancer. I think what the media needs to call attention to right now is the close to 50 million uninsured Americans. And many of those people are middle-class. We have a health care crisis in this country. The majority of Americans (72% according to a NY Times/CBS News Poll)

http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2009/06/21/health/policy/21poll_graphic_ready.html

favor a government administered health insurance plan. According to EBRI (Employee Benefit Research Institute) http://www.ebri.org/ a conservative organization, 83% of Americans favor "creating a new public health insurance plan that anyone can purchase."

Ironically, the demographic with the biggest opposition to a public plan are the over age 65 group, the same people who are currently in a government run health insurance plan called Medicare. Older Americans seem fearful of any change.

Obama promised us the same quality health care coverage that Congress receives. Everyone deserves health care, it is not a privilege. A public option is the only way to bring about universal affordable health care. In Obama's words, the public plan would "keep insurance companies honest." He is willing to compromise for Republican support, but most R's seem to just want to obstruct everything Obama wants to do. There are some Democrats against it too. And I think the Democrats need to grow a set and challenge the obstructionist Republicans. Let the R's filibuster. Obviously bipartisanship is not going to happen with this issue, so Congress needs to fight for the people's interests. They need to be in touch with the people. I like Howard Dean, he seems to be aware of the seriousness of this crisis . http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howard_Dean

Meanwhile, the national media is focusing on the infidelity and shenanigans of some governor, while Americans are dying due to lack of health care coverage. And in our local "newspaper", The Morning Call, headline news is constant updates on puppies in need and some hot dog vendor crisis. They need to get their priorities straight.

Photo: Protesters in Maine