If you weren’t mad enough about our government’s response to Katrina or the state of our national health care non-system, see this article from the LA Times (reg. required but recommended — thanks to cousin Erik in LA for the tip):
WASHINGTON ? Like most of those whose lives were upended by HurricaneKatrina, 52-year-old school bus driver Emanuel Wilson can thank thefederal government for the fact that he has money to pay rent. He’salso been given food stamps to make sure he can buy groceries. And ifhe had young children, the government would almost certainly be helpingthem get back to school.
But what Wilson needs is chemotherapy, and that is something thegovernment seems unable to help him with. Wilson was being treated withmonthly chemo injections for his intestinal cancer before thehurricane.
He has been denied assistance largely because,before the storm, he had what the government says it wants everyAmerican to have: health insurance.
(Some good folks in CA wrote letters in response calling our system a "national disgrace".)
That hurricane may be a death sentence for Mr. Wilson. We’ve seen cruelty upon cruelty — some natural, some human — visited on the most vulnerable before, during, and since the storm.
But don’t worry, the Republicans in the House are on it:
Beginning this week, the House GOP lawmakers will take steps to cut asmuch as $50 billion from the fiscal 2006 budget for health care for thepoor, food stamps and farm supports, as well as consideringacross-the-board cuts in other programs. Only last month, then-HouseMajority Leader Tom DeLay, a Republican from Texas, and other GOPleaders quashed demands within their party for budget cuts to pay forthe soaring cost of hurricane relief.
Just in case you forgot about our other national disgrace: the utter moral bankruptcy of our congressional leadership. (Although, interestingly, was Tom DeLay our hero last month? Strange bedfellows indeed.)
In recent years I have grown more and more shameful to call myself an American- a designation I once held so dear. But now, I have difficulty accepting what the word has come to symbolize. It seems to me that the word “American” conjours thoughts of corruption, greed, an uncompassionate drive for what is best for “me”. As a country I would describe the US as the spoiled cry baby bully that always wants its way and does not consider the impact on others. Where am I going with this? Well, I think our national and state leadership has failed us and caters to the wishes of the wealthy and neglecting the poor and middle classes. After reading such an article how can one hold their head up high and be proud to call themselves an American. WE MUST MAKE CHANGES IN OUR LEADERSHIP!!! And this is just not a federal government issue. Afterall, we are “Liberal Massachusetts”, so how is it that we do not have a state healthcare system that provides insurance to the hundreds of thousands of our uninsured friends, family and neighbors. If we cannot accompllish this in “Liberal Mass.” where can we expect to accomplish it? Texas? Or perhaps we are hoping that President Bush has a change in heart. Folks, we need to take a careful look at our state and federal leaders and start focusing on the BIGGEST ISSUE facing us and ask the tough questions about what our elected officials are going to do to prevent this from happening to us or the people we love. We are at the beginning of state election campaign cycle and healthcare MUST be the #1 issue on our minds. Those of you who prefer to talk about cutting taxes, education, or the economy imagine if we were able to take control of healthcare. Healthcare is the single largest growing expense in our state. That means if it is not controled it will result in higher taxes, and will suck resources (financial and others) from other important issues like education. Finally, healthcare is chasing small businesses out of MA and adding hundreds of people (without anymore insurance) to our unemployment rolls. Do you see the slippery slope of this later point. The more uninsured we have the more expensive healthcare becomes for those paying for it, the more expensive it becomes the fewer people can afford it and they also become uninsured, and small businesses let people go because health insurance is their largest expense per employee, so even more people will be uninsured. DO you see where this si going? We must act now, before it is too late. And we must demand more from our leaders and elected officials in terms of what they can do to reform our healthcare system. Let Massachusetts become the National Model for all other states to envy.
It is unfortunate to see they are cutting the health insurance by as much as 50 billion. There are many people in need and they deserve to have health coverage.
It is unfortunate to see they have cut as much as 50 billion in health insurance. That can be a major problem for many as health coverage is crucial.