While the people of this country clamor for the Change that We Need (and were promised in the last election), Congress is busy making deals with the very people whose greed and contempt for the American citizenry caused the problems in our current health care system. The healthcare, pharmaceutical and insurance industries are paying up big time to bend ears and rules their way.
This is completely unacceptable and we all have to do something about it. Who cares if they pass any healthcare bill at all? Whatever they pass will not be the right answer to our problems, it will be the right compromise to continue the current unacceptable system. 
The people of this country are aware that the system is broken.
We are aware that changes must be made.
We are being bombarded with propaganda from the healthcare and insurance industries about what change will work and what change won’t. And yet, consistently, polls show that the American public supports a government-run system of healthcare over the current proposals in Congress, which focus more on changing insurance regulations. 
We know we are about to get screwed when we read articles like the one published in today’s Washington Post, “Industry Cash Flowed To Drafters of Reform.” (The title of this post is a link to the article-just click)
The voice of the people has been excluded from the debate and the new law is being written by private interests with only a profit motive. Unacceptable.
“Health-related companies and their employees gave Baucus's political committees nearly $1.5 million in 2007 and 2008, when he began holding hearings and making preparations for this year's reform debate." Unacceptable.
“During a Senate break in late June, for example, Baucus held his 10th annual fly-fishing and golfing weekend in Big Sky, Mont., for a minimum donation of $2,500. Later this month comes "Camp Baucus," a "trip for the whole family" that adds horseback riding and hiking to the list of activities." Unacceptable.
“…Friends of Max Baucus, and his political-action committee, Glacier PAC…collected $3 million from the health and insurance sectors from 2003 to 2008, about 20 percent of the total, data show. Less than 10 percent of the money came from Montana." Unacceptable.
“Many former Baucus staff members, including two chiefs of staff, lobby on behalf of the pharmaceutical industry and other health-care players and have been closely involved in negotiations on the legislation.” Unacceptable.
“Baucus and his aides strongly dispute any assertion that campaign contributions have an impact on the senator's policy views and proposals…During an interview earlier this year with the Missoulian newspaper, Baucus said that "no one gets special treatment." He added: "Your word is your bond back there." Unacceptable.
Just know this: The American People are not stupid. Members of Congress can SAY whatever they want and conveniently choose to BELIEVE anything they want, but the American people aren’t buying a word of it—not from ANY of these clowns. 
And, President Obama, you said that it was the hard work, determination and small donations of people like me that helped you to get elected. If that is true, then here is some advice from someone who worked on your campaign: DANCE WITH THE ONE THAT BROUGHT YOU. You better figure out a way to pull this healthcare bill out of the crapper. Anything less than real change is Unacceptable. (Can you say “one-termer?”)
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And a little sidenote to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee: Guess what? Blocked your emails. Until you can control your members and start choosing the best interests of the nation over party, you can kiss my small donations good-bye. Oh, I know; you can make up my measley funds with money from your corporate friends, but you risk losing it all again in the next election, don’t you?? YOUR ACTIONS ARE UNACCEPTABLE.
This graft and corruption is not happening behind closed doors, in back rooms or alleys, it is happening RIGHT in front of our eyes and for the television cameras. The news media is reporting it and anyone that is paying attention should be aware that Congress and Senate are FOR SALE. If the current sham of a health care plan gets passed, the people of this country will share some of the blame.
cry | COVID-19
4 years ago
4 comments:
I can't disagree with a single word you wrote. I'm discouraged and sometimes I admit that I'm scared too. My hopes were high.
I'm trying to wait to see what really comes up for a vote, not react in a knee jerk way to every news story (I can do that!), but in the meantime I'm sending daily emails to my Senators and Representative (like that will move Senators Roberts, Brownback and Rep. Tiahrt) (eyeroll). I can't help trying to communicate with them. I've also sent emails to those Blue Dog Democrats.
What should I be doing? What would be effective?
Brownback and Roberts will never vote for single payer and they will probably vote against anything that is proposed regardless of what it contains. They are party-liners and they don't go solo on anything, so our voices are not represented in the Senate. Even Congressman Moore (a Blue Dog Democrat) will most likely stick with the Blue Dogs, which ends up hurting any real change that we are fighting for.
That's why it is important to speak out in public, talk to your friends and family, allay their fears about "socialist medicine." People who use Medicare and Medicaid are generally very satisfied with the care that they receive. If the government is providing much of the health care, they can control costs better through regulation. It isn't "socialist medicine" until they completely remove all profit from the system.
When the people decide that they have had enough of the corruption that causes bad laws to be passed, they must march and cry out and let it be known that they are unwilling to accept this any longer. The truth is that our voices still do matter to the extent that we make them matter. Only by acquiescing to apathy do we lose our voice, which is what the special interests are counting on.
This post does not deserve a middle finger salute. It deserves a BIG THUMBS UP.This post is 100% ACCEPTABLE.
Sorry it took so long before I got to read this but forest fire season is upon us and Tango and I as a fire warden are working the back roads overtime.
Keep shouting KS you always do good work!!
Tango Daddy--Keeping an eye on the environment; now that's what I call walking the talk! The middle finger was actually my salute to the DSCC. They keep asking me for money but when the time comes to do the right thing, they keep voting with the corporate interests. So, I am dumping them and that is my special good-bye gesture to them.
You and Tango take care on those back roads and stay in touch!
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