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From: Michele
To: U.S. Legislators
Re: Health care
Dear Fellow
Americans & National Leaders,
I am an underemployed
educator who has been looking for a full time permanent job for over six years. I
work five part time jobs, which total to less than 20 hours per week. I cannot
afford to be on my husband's health insurance policy. I do have some health issues,
but I try to eat right, exercise, and visit my chiropractor to prevent hospitalization.
However, what would happen if I got into a horrible accident or caught a serious illness? What would I do then?
Would we end
up losing our home? The trigger option is not a solution for the people, but
an option for greedy insurance corporations.
I know so
many people under and uninsured and some of my good friends are losing their homes because of the lack of work and need to
drop their catastrophic coverage.
How can a
trigger option be helpful? How can we wait until 2013? People are suffering now! I know my world history and when
people are left with nothing, including their human rights and dignity, they revolt.
Let's focus
on Americans not on Wall Street and multi-national corporate greed. People are
waking up to a cold reality.
****************************************************
To:
Michele
From:
Michael H.
Re:
HR 3962
Dated: 11/8/09
Hi Michele,
I see the
current bill that passed the House as more of a victory for the Insurance industry.
They want us to hope for a better compromise bill between the House and Senate committees, but I’m not holding
my breath. I agree with Denis Kucinich’s assessment (below). The token items such as not allowing denial of care for pre-existing conditions has nothing to preclude
pricing that insurance so that it is unaffordable. The mandate to buy insurance
is a boon for the insurance industry, and the claimed “assistance” for those who cannot afford it will be defined
the old-fashioned way – by using the absurdly low poverty level to determine who can “afford” insurance. That assistance, if ever given, will be yet another transfer of taxpayer money directly
to the insurance industry.
Cheers,
Michael
****************************************
From: Ken Gordon
Re: Election Reform
Dated: 11/11/09
Dear Friends
and Neighbors:
The other
day I got a ticket for speeding near a school. I'm not complaining. I deserved it. I hadn't gotten a ticket for many years and
I hadn't noticed that the speed limit had dropped on that section of the road. The
amount of the fine though was surprising--$230. The Denver police officer even
apologized. "The reason it is so high is because this is a school zone."
As I was driving
away I realized that I was the one who sponsored the legislation that doubled the fines near schools.
Democracy
doesn’t just happen. Too many Americans feel that working for policies
that are wise and just is someone else’s job. Nothing can be farther from the truth.
The lack of participation of ordinary Americans in our political system creates a vacuum that is filled by special
interests who selfishly seek only their own advantage.
Because the
primary method of financing political campaigns is by contributions from these interests, reforming health care, protecting
the environment, or regulating Wall Street face almost insurmountable difficulties.
Since they do not want to alienate their contributors, elected officials have a very narrow range of political options.
Frequently
doing the right thing does not fall within that narrow range.
Because I
cared about protecting Colorado’s beautiful but threatened environment, educating our children, and providing a health
care safety net, I spent a large amount of my time in the legislature working on process issues, such as reducing the influence
of money and increasing the participation of citizens. My one consistent ally
in this fight was Colorado Common Cause. After I left the legislature I joined
the board.
Please join
me for the Common Cause Fundraising Breakfast on November 18 at 7:30am (in downtown Denver at the Scottish Rite Center, 1370
Grant St, Denver). You can sign up online at Common Cause breakfast. There is no set amount requested.
Just contribute
whatever you feel support for democracy is worth to you. There is no other organization
in Colorado which is as determined to protect your rights as a citizen, rights that millions have sacrificed for.
If you are
willing to make a contribution but cannot attend the event you can go to the Common Cause website. (the preceding is a link)
Below is a
quote from a recent Wall Street Journal column discussing the importance of funding groups like Common Cause.
"A related
problem is the shortage of funds for advocacy and watchdog organizations that monitor and assess government policies, public
agencies, nonprofits, business and other major institutions. Among such watchdogs:... Common Cause... if we want a healthy and vibrant democracy, one that honors fair play and accountability, we must establish
and support more watchdog groups to patrol our vast number of public and private-sector organizations." (Wall Street Journal,
"What's Wrong With Charitable Giving..."November 9, 2009).
Thanks for
your consideration of this request.
Sincerely,
Ken Gordon
________________________________________
Ken Gordon
Web: www.kengordon.com
Email: ken@kengordon.com
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From: Michael H.
To: Michele
Re: Sen. Joe Liberman
“Any
politician who does not actively promote universal single payer should be actively opposed in the next election. We must see active, vigorous debate - give it all you have so we know you are serious. Stop conceding before the debate even begins. Would you support
a football team who conceded before the game even began just because they thought they would lose?”
Cheers,
Michael H.
****************************************
From:
Silvertip Musings
Re:
Single Payer
Silvertip
Musings has posted a new item, ''
Public Option
– Red Hering
http://www.silvertipmusings.com/?p=247
don’t
believe the lies about single-payer not being politically realistic.
That is politician-speak
for what they really fear - they are afraid of losing their substantial health industry lobbyist campaign donations. The more they say it is “politically unrealistic”, the more we know they
are afraid because it really is possible
********************************************
To: Michele
From: Rep. Jared Polis
Dated: 11/4/09
November 4,
2009
Dear Michele:
Thank you
for contacting me to express your support for clean energy that will help to curb climate change. I always appreciate hearing
from you on this important issue, and I apologize for any delay in my reply.
Colorado has
a proud history of leadership in climate science, green technology and innovative solutions for our current energy challenges.
This leadership is in no small part due to our State's unique combination of abundant natural landscapes with cutting edge
research facilities and a forward thinking mindset.
Globally,
nationally and locally, we currently face an ecological challenge of immense proportions. An overwhelming majority of credible
and independent scientists and researchers, including Nobel Laureates from Colorado, agree that global warming is occurring
and human activities are driving the change. Climate changes are likely to increase severe weather conditions and alter long-stable
run-off patterns. It will alter snow pack and increase non-native species and infestations such as the lodge pole pine beetle.
Addressing this issue means bringing fundamental change to our nation's energy systems, its sources and infrastructure.
I have and
will continue to vote for responsible legislation that will substantially cut our dependence on coal and oil, invest in new
clean forms of energy, and slow the emissions of green house gases while growing our economy at the same time. I have worked
to ensure that our energy infrastructure is being pushed in the right direction by actively supporting renewable energy in
the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. As a member of the Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition, I worked with
my colleagues to see that important provisions in the house version of the bill, with regard to supporting renewable research
and implementation, made it into the final version signed by the President.
The American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) provided an incredible opportunity for our nation to fundamentally reinvest in energy
sources and research and development that will rebuild our energy infrastructure from the foundation up. The ARRA contained
nearly $175 million dollars in direct investment in the state of Colorado to fund our new energy economy. Our state stands
to benefit even more with the many national programs that Colorado companies will take advantage of. The bill contains $16
billion for the Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy development programs at the Department of Energy, $300 million for
the Alternative Fueled Vehicle Pilot Grant Program and nearly $5 billion for Smart Grid investments and the Energy Star energy
efficiency program. These investments will fundamentally reshape our energy infrastructure, and paired with a national renewable
energy standard and cap and trade bill, will begin to fundamentally change our energy sources.
We will also
begin to address climate change directly through a cap and trade program and other carbon reduction policies. The Energy and
Commerce Committee has just released a draft framework for a cap and trade bill, and I am optimistic with the reduction targets
it sets. As we work to develop and modify the various carbon mitigation strategies we will make sure that the broad changes
they make carry out their intended goals and avoid unforeseen problems. A well designed cap and trade bill will help our economy
to not only grow, but develop more stable and renewable forms of energy at the same time. As the 111th Congress moves forward,
the Energy and Commerce Committee will soon begin work on the arduous process of designing legislation. As this discussion
continues, I look forward to working on solutions that are based firmly on the recommendations of the scientific community,
chief among them the International Panel on Climate Change (I.P.C.C.), to curb the growth and consequences of carbon in our
atmosphere. The I.P.C.C. recommendations must be at least met if we hope to minimize the effects of climate change that are
already beginning to alter Colorado.
Thank you
again for contacting me on this important issue. I hope my letter addresses your particular concerns. If I can be of any further
assistance on this or any other issue, please do not hesitate to contact me at (303) 484-9596. I also encourage you to visit
my website and sign up to receive my e-newsletter.
****************************************
From: Carolyn B.
Re: Healthcare
To: Colorado Daily
Dated: 11/13/09
No to Phony
Health Care Reform
We need the
real thing
By Carolyn
Bninski
Colorado Daily
Nov. 13, 2009
H.R. 3962,
the health care act that squeaked by the U.S. House of Representatives last Saturday, is an insurance industry-written and
-driven bill that will enrich private health insurance companies by requiring Americans to buy their defective and expensive
insurance.
According to progressive Congressman Dennis Kucinich: “In H.R. 3962, the government is requiring at
least 21 million Americans to buy private health insurance from the very industry that causes costs to be so high, which will
result in at least $70 billion in new annual revenue [for the insurance companies], much of which is coming from taxpayers.
This inevitably will lead to even more costs, more subsidies, and higher profits for insurance companies - a bailout under
a blue cross” (http://kucinich.house.gov).
Dr. Steffie
Woolhandler, co-founder of Physicians for a National Health Program (www.pnhp.org) says that: “They’ve merely
made private health insurance mandatory for middle-income working people and are forcing those folks to take lots of money
out of their pocket to buy this defective product….”
Regarding the public option, Woolhandler points out it is “incredibly puny” and that according
to the Congressional Budget Office, fewer than two percent of Americans will enroll (people who have coverage from their employer
are ineligible) and that premiums will be higher than in the private sector. Ralph
Nader points that the public option “will be a receptacle for the sickest of patients among the meager number of people
who qualify for its coverage”.
Ralph Nader
also criticizes the lack of any effective cost containment (wasn’t that supposed be a key goal of Obama’s reform?)
or prevention measures. And the bill won’t even take effect until 2013.
The Rocky Mountain Peace and Justice Center agrees with Kucinich, Nader and Woolhandler that we need to
go back to the drawing board, reject the phony reform and work for Single-payer national health insurance, a system in which
a single public or quasi-public agency organizes health financing, but delivery of care remains largely private (i.e., Medicare).
Let’s fight for what we really want-healthcare for all as a right at a cost our society can afford.
Call Senators
Michael Bennett and Mark Udall and Congressman Jared Polis (who voted for H.R. 3962) at 1-800-828-0498 and tell them we want
Singe payer, Medicare for all, not phony insurance industry-driven reform. Call RMPJC to get involved at 303-444-6981x2.
Carolyn Bninski
is on the staff of RMPJC.
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