05JAN2010: health care reform: start again with a "what's good for the goose" approach...

[thotzRthingz]

Okay, so the House & Senate bills fall far short of SINGLE-PAYER and any real means of COST CONTAINMENT. Furthermore; neither provides guaranteed coverage to every American... not to mention any reasonable resemblance to "affordable" coverage for MOST Americans.

What these two plans manage to do is to give a HUGE GIFT to the health care industry FOR-PROFITs (HMOs, Insurance Companies, Pharma, etc.)... and that is completely unacceptable, period! Here's how HEATLTH CARE REFORM should have gone... and we need to START AGAIN with this as our uncompromisable outcome:

1. every American SHALL have access to good health care, PERIOD

2. every American SHALL pay their fair share for said access

Based on the current proposals, it seems to be quite alright that some will be paying as much as 20% of their income, for health insurance. So with items #1 and #2 as our uncompromisable foundation... let's begin building upon that "OK-ness"!

3. every American shall pay 20% of their GROSS INCOME for health care insurance (which shall include preventive and corrective medicine/surgery, mental health, dental, prosthetics, and pharmaceuticals). There shall be NO LOOPHOLES, period!

This 20% will apply whether one is SINGLE, or head of a household of 3, 6, 9, 12 (or whatever). Children/Dependents will not be excluded or punished, simply because they have no income... they will simply be included in the HOUSEHOLD's "20% of GROSS INCOME" payment. If you make $1,000/month then you pay 20% of that GROSS income. If you make $10,000,000,000/month then you pay 20% of that GROSS income.

[dionysus]

1. if the corporate dems won't vote for a public option, what makes you think they'll vote for this?

[Romulox]

2. Yeah...*they* would never go for it, would *they*?

(snort)

:silly:

[dionysus]

5. no, *they* wouldn't, as long as we have such a minuscule amount of educated,politically aware voters

Corporations wouldn't have the type of sway they have if the population at large wasn't asleep at the wheel.

you can even go on TV and explain the problem but not enough people are involved or care.

if you mobilized enough people, that could trump corporate cash. but most people won't leave their couch so long as they have beer and football.

[thotzRthingz]

3. I understand your cynicism... but I hold a different vision:

When the 2008 presidential election campaign got underway... it was pretty evident that OBAMA was a complete underdog. Then came the mud-slinging (re: Ayers, Rev. Wright, Non-citizen, Muslim, etc.). OBAMA faced what some considered to be insurmountable odds (the CLINTON machine, not the least of his worries)!

What happened? *we the people* had OUR say... and we can do it again.

But, there is one thing for certain: if we THINK it can not be done, you can bet your bottom dollar it WILL NOT be done. It is up to us, each and every one of us... I am a believer that we (collectively) control our nation's destiny... but if we remain silenced, apathetic, distracted... "they" (the few, the greedy, the immoral, and the unjust) will have their way with us.

FIGHT THIS THING... do not give up!

...just my 2cents

[chimpymustgo]

4. Sign these petitions: 1. FOR a public option; 2. AGAINST taxing decent plans. And kick the threads!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x7397383

"YesWeStillCan.org will air this TV ad in DC: a version will also air in Wisconsin, to encourage Sen. Russ Feingold to be a public-option hero. I don't know how to post video, but you can see it here, and sign the petition:

http://yeswestillcan.org /
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acc6Wn_BWlk&feature=play...

PETITION TO CONGRESS & THE PRESIDENT:
"Any health care bill without a public option is not change we can believe in."

-edit-

The YesWeStillCan.org petition has been signed by over 600 Obama campaign staffers, 40,000 Obama volunteers, and 60,000 Obama donors.

Obama promised a public option (July 17, 2009)

"Any plan I sign must include an insurance exchange -- a one-stop shopping marketplace where you can compare the benefits, costs, and track records of a variety of plans -- including a public option to increase competition and keep insurance companies honest."

Obama said mandates weren't the answer (February 5, 2008)

"I mean, if a mandate was the solution, we can try that to solve homelessness by mandating everybody to buy a house. The reason they don’t buy a house is they don’t have the money."

*****

Also:

Petition against tax on so-called "Cadillac Plans," etc:

http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/o/5831/p/dia/action/pub...

[thotzRthingz]

6. one of the links seems to be broken... I've substituted a TINYURL for it

... the broken link is referred to herein:

Also:

Petition against tax on so-called "Cadillac Plans," etc:

http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/o/5831/p/dia/action/pub...

Using this link instead gets you there: http://tinyurl.com/ydqy9rd

P.S. thanks for the kick, and will do likewise!

[thotzRthingz]

7. one good petiton deserves another -- PROGRESSIVES, let's do this thing the correct way!

Tell House progressives: Keep fighting for real health care reform>