Landrieu Cares: Controlling Health Costs by Helping Millionaires, Hurting the Working Class

[t0dd]

After working very hard to kill many progressive idea about how best to control health care costs, Mary Landrieu has found one she likes. Too bad it is the one that will most benefit millionaires:

I can only support a bill if the Cadillac plans are taxed at the level they are in the Senate ” said Landrieu. “It’s not because I’m thrilled about taxing those plans, which I’m not, but it is the No. 1 cost-containment measure in the bill. It’s what is going to drive costs down over time

Well that is just a great justification for keeping the Cadillac tax. After Landrieu fought for months to kill the public option in the Senate, which would have brought down costs, and voted against drug re-importation that the CBO said would save American consumers around $100 billion, she is worried about cost control. I can only assume based on her vote on the Dorgan amendment that she would also be opposed to government price controls on drugs, to get them in line with prices in Canada, or direct Medicare drug price negotiations, since both would upset PhRMA. It seems Landrieu is against the progressive ideas for controlling health care’s spiraling costs, but uses the issue of “cost control” to defend only one provision.

With the terrible Senate bill already written, Landrieu has magically transformed into someone who cares about cost control. She has laid down a marker on the so-called “Cadillac tax” on health care benefits even though the CMS says it will cause millions of Americans to see increased co-pays and deductibles, while only reducing national health expenditures by a measly 0.3%.

More here: http://fdlaction.firedoglake.com/2009/12/28/mary-landrieu-magically-cares-about-cost-control-when-it-might-help-millionares/

[IndianaGreen]

1. When we vote for people like Mary Landrieu, we shouldn't act surprised

when they frak the working class. It is our fault for wasting our votes on blue dogs and conservadems.

[t0dd]

2. Landrieu was just re-elected. Hopefully it'll be a different story for Lincoln in 2010.

And yes, even if that means a Republican replaces her. After all, Lincoln is already a Republican (or even worse: someone that actively works against her constituents); she just calls herself a Democrat. I'd rather have less imposters in Congress.

[IndianaGreen]

3. Back in 1922, Emma Goldman had this to say about 'democracy'

The western model of parliamentary democracy could more accurately be characterised as a '4-year dictatorship'. The crucial difference between 'representative' democracy and 'direct' democracy is that under the former, voters have no part in deciding policy and are unable to recall their representatives. Instead they have nothing more than the illusion that by voting they are in some way able to control the political process.

http://struggle.ws/rbr/freerev.html

She also said that if elections really changed anything, they would be made illegal.