Last week, Don Berwick held a town hall meeting to discuss his single payer, Medicare for All proposal at a packed Boston University auditorium, with around 250 people in attendance. I wasn’t able to attend, but my colleague, Rep. Denise Provost, compared the scene to an event early in Elizabeth Warren’s campaign (listen to the applause at the end). The mood was electric, and voters were excited to hear Don’s vision for the future of the Commonwealth.
The final audience question came from a medical student who asked how Don will tackle the global inequities associated with racism and classism. His answer reminded my what I am supporting his bid for Governor.
If you have a moment, please give it a watch. You will be glad you did.
Please share widely!
The video is worth a watch. It’s great to see Berwick talking about issues like poverty and single payer.
Great endorsement, Senator!
I was there and yes the energy of the event reminded me of the first official campaign event that was held for Elizabeth Warren in Cambridge, just a few days after she had announced that she was running. It was at a large private home and well over 200 folks showed up. They were literally lined up all the way down the block to get into the front door – needless to say we had to move the event to the luckily quite large back yard. The Berwick event absolutely felt like a pivotal moment in this campaign, when the grassroots begin to rise up and an idea really takes hold. Don made us believe! His bold vision would make him a transformational Governor for our state! Do watch the speech!
https://malegislature.gov/Bills/188/Senate/S515
Referred to committee six months ago.
Why can’t this idea get traction?
I enthusiastically support Don Berwick for Governor.
After we have government-sponsored single-payer health care in place, with health care providers paid by the government using tax dollars, how long will it take for some to insist that a patient with the criminal history of Isaiah (from the clip) be pushed to the back of the line — after “more deserving” patients?
I’m not sure Massachusetts (or America) is ready to eliminate racism and classism from our culture. Single-payer health care, at least in Massachusetts, is a political walk in the park compared to that challenge.
When we progressives get serious about racism — and, even more so, classism — we will learn a great deal about ourselves.
It is to treat all comers based on need and not based on history, income, or demographic factors.
I completely agree with your description of the theory.
I’m just saying that the reality is that at least some elements of our society have deeply-entrenched racism and classism. I expect those elements to complain about “spending taxpayer money” on “subsidizing undeserving exploiters”.
After all, there are large segments of the right wing who similarly view unemployment compensation as somehow subsidizing and rewarding “cheats”.
We hear Mr. Berwick’s story of Isaiah as a heart-warming example of healthcare professionals acting heroically. I suspect that the Howie Carr audience of Massachusetts will hear that story as yet another example of “squandering” precious health care resources on “the criminal element”.
I don’t think I’ve heard anyone complain that some don’t “deserve” to go to school.
It doesn’t sound like you’ve heard white middle-class legislators discuss school funding in a situation where some of the money will be spent on white middle-class schools and some on minority working-class schools.
It comes up ALL THE TIME in discussions about how to address the state’s over-dependence on property taxes. Of course, the “school autonomy” dog whistle is cited, but racism and classism is the real motivator.
You haven’t heard the complaints from the empty-nesters and private-schoolers about “waste” in public school systems? They would like all school funding to derive from activity fees and bake sales. So yes, I think they are saying that some don’t deserve to go to school.
The video claims a 30 year difference in life expectancy between a black child from Roxbury/Dorchester and a white child from Back Bay.
Aside from the important statistical comment that life expectancy discussions require an age of the people in question (your life expectancy at age five years is higher than at age 1 day), I gotta ask:
citation?
I’m extremely skeptical. Look, I don’t doubt that there is a difference, but 30 years? I’m not buying it, not without some data.
the 30-year claim is from the person asking the question, not from Berwick. Anyway, this source says there’s approximately a 10-year difference, measured from birth, between Roxbury and Back Bay. And this source says that if you further refine by individual census tract to the richest parts of Back Bay and the poorest parts of Roxbury, there is a 30+ year difference. So it’s not out of the question.
Thanks for the link. Great stuff inside.
A 33 year difference in life expectancy at birth between the highest and lowest census tract is certainly eye-opening, but it’s decidedly not what the person asking the question stated. BTW: the expectancies are 91.9 and 58.9. I doubt there are many census tracts in the country where the LE is 92 years old. That’s damned high. The national average is 81.0, and all of Back Bay comes in at 83.7.
This clip really is Don at his finest, speaking on the issues that matter most to him.
Full disclosure, I work on the campaign.
As important as it is, I would ask that we not just focus attention on the short clip from Dr. Berwick’s speech that Senator Eldridge included in his post, but rather view and discuss the whole speech. It is well worth the time! Here is the link:
http://youtu.be/oeAlYlMgFkY
After watching it, I’m not longer leaning Berwick. I’m voting for him. He’s from the progressive (Warren) wing of the Democratic party. He has substantial management experience. Is he electric? No, but he’s got enough pizzazz to motivate and turn out the base, and pull in some first time voters who are turned on by his authenticity. My one concern is that Berwick needs to avoid being a one issue candidate. If you read his website, he’s clearly not a one issue candidate, but I worry about perception becoming reality. Coakley’s from the opportunistic wing of the Democratic party and I’m concerned about her ability in the general election. She’s too packaged, too managed, too re-invented for me. Grossman’s from the old school “machine” wing of the Democratic party. With that many legislators supporting him, I’m concerned. I was a Wolf guy and after crying in my beer for months that he’s not running, I’ve got my candidate. Go Don Go!
From what I have seen he is trying mightily not to be. I was at a party meeting where he spoke and took questions. Most of the questions were on health care. He was practically begging to be asked about something else. Not his fault, but that is the area for obvious reasons with which he is most associated.