Five Legislators I May Not Vote For Again

This past month, my health insurance company raised premiums across the board 34%. And this in the face of front page news about the desperate condition of both American health care and our economy. 34%! There was a time when purveyors of crimes like that were tarred and feathered.

Having had enough, I dutifully wrote to my Congressman, Henry Waxman; my Senators, Diane Feinstein and Barbara Boxer; my State Senator, Fran Pavley; and my State Assemblyman Mike Feuer. Pavley and Feuer, at least, sent back a form letter. I'm still waiting to hear from the other three.

They'll be waiting a long time for my vote the next time they run for office. It's do or die time. And that goes for President Obama too. With a huge majority in Congress, the Democrats are already making noise about giving in once more to their sugar daddies in the insurance business. Why, then, did any of us vote for these fools?

The real terror in your life
We've spent seven years and a trillion dollars chasing terrorists. Yet, the damage these terrorists inflicted upon us on 9/11 pales in comparison to the toll our lack of adequate health care inflicts on our population every year. The odds of you being harmed in any way by a terrorist are minuscule. On the other hand, your lack of adequate health care will very likely kill you.

Recently, a good friend of mine was told he needs tests to determine if a lesion on his kidney might be cancerous. He can't afford the test. This is not a guy who's spent his life laying on his couch, mooching off of others. He didn't just creep over the border to take advantage of our wonderful American public services. He worked his whole life but now cannot find a job so he cannot afford health insurance. As a result, his life is in jeopardy.

Bureaucrats versus bean counters
Many of us who can afford insurance are not a whole lot better off. As we watch our premiums climb, many avoid yearly checkups for fear that something will turn up that will raise their premiums or make it difficult to switch coverage. Insurance companies routinely reject people and procedures. Those who worry about Washington bureaucrats overseeing their health decisions are already at the mercy of far greedier insurance company executives and accountants. I know someone who was turned down for coverage because they were on heartburn medication. Imagine being turned down for a condition that could have been treated by a roll of Tums!

In this climate, small medical problems grow into enormous ones that impact our system in a far harsher way than they would if everyone got proper care at an early stage. Health care is too important to be a major profit center for any corporation. Sure, insurance and drug companies are entitled to reasonable profits. But when their greed causes the unnecessary deaths of thousands every year, then they have crossed the line into criminal extortion.

Time for action
Politicians need to reign in the out of control insurance companies and other medical providers. That the state of California lets an insurer raise rates by 34% in one year tells you something about the quality of legislators in this state and where their loyalties lie.

Congress must provide for a national public option for health care. They must see that every American can have access to the same kind of coverage the politicians already enjoy. If they give in once again to the lobbyists; if they once more put their big corporate donors' needs before the needs of the American public, then we must throw them out of office and start again. That includes Obama. It's time to get angry. It's time to take this to the streets. Our lives are at stake.

Update - Since writing this article I have heard back from Rep. Henry Waxman. In his message, he assured me that he was working hard for health care reform and that he had been working for better health care his entire career. I appreciated hearing this but didn't leave it at that. I wrote back to thank him for his efforts and to say that he must know better than anyone that we haven't gotten very far and that the time is now. Results are what matter. Stay after your representatives. Make sure they're working for you. And, although I've been tough on the Democrats here, it's worth pointing out that Republicans are lined up against a public care option. There's only one reason for this. Their corporate donors are more important to them than their constituents. Let them know how you feel.

Update # 2 - Just got a phone call from the state assemblyman's office.

Comments

[ncmom54]

Good article, spoke clearly to what a lot of us are feeling now.
Thanks

[Frenbar]

Some of us voted for Kucinich in the primary and Nader in the general.

[CanisLatrans]

" With a huge majority in Congress, the Democrats are already making noise about giving in once more to their sugar daddies in the insurance business. Why, then, did any of us vote for these fools?"

They cave in because none of this is about health care, it is about money. Health care insurers and providers are businesses-- their primary goal is to make money. Yes, they "make money" by "providing health care" but they want to provide as little actual care as possible at the highest profit ratio possible. They've made tons of money by promising health care when needed but refusing it with loopholes and/or shoddy delivery and oversharging. What do they do with all that profit? Buy control of politicians.

For a democratic republic, there is an awfullot of "corporate feudalism" going on just under the surface.

[force fed up]

Corporate Feudalism is exactly what is going on. The fact of the matter is our "democracy" is an illusion. Our politicians are bought and paid for by lobbyists. The people in this country trust in television commercials more than they do their own common sense. Corporations have been manipulating us since the 70's and until people start cracking down on them, nothing will change... not for the better at least.

[on2them]

these wanna be royalty slugs are a bunch of good for nothing thieves lining their pockets with the best for years to the detriment of the American people...

You can change your underwear but if you continue wearing 25-35 year old clothes that have never been washed...w­hat's the difference?

[mexamerican]

i agree one hundred percent. if the dems don't deliver real healthcare this time, then there's no reason to go on voting for them or anyone else.

[Frenbar]

You had a chance to vote for a good candidate in the primary, but its always easier to jump on the bandwagon.

[Housewife]

I agree. Many of the spineless Democrats, whom I have voted for, rolled over for 8 years of Bush. They now have a chance at redemption. If they blow it this time I say clean house and start over. Newbies couldn't possibly do a worse job.

[Colaholic]

Had to drop my health insurance when it kept going up 30% or more per year. This was with a $10,000 deductible. Now have to hope i make it to Medicaire.

[DrFitz]

I absolutely agree with you. Democrats CANNOT waffle on this and survive politically. If they come out with an individual mandate and not a strong, well-structured and national public option, I will be beyond furious.

[MSB]

I agree that we should have a 'line in the sand' regarding single payer. Frankly, I have been saying that this country is headed for some sort of civil strife/revolution for the past several years. If the democrats continue to represent a 'slightly-­less-odiou­s' form of republicanism then I'm more convinced than ever.

The public needs to change this government. Health coverage is a RIGHT. We need to be in the streets over this.

[dbailey]

Agreed! And yes I'm angry! We all worked very hard to get a dem controlled government and if we don't get what we worked for now, we will never get it! It's just like a job, you negotiate for what you're worth prior to accepting the position. Single payer or nothing!

[scooperss]

I didn't vote for any of the fools now in office. After the last 9 years, I have no faith they will do anything but wail about being able to do nothing.

[Tyler-Durden]

single payer healthcare or nothing. if other countries can have it, why can't we? is this govt by the people for the people, or by the elite, for the elite?

[scooperss]

The latter.

[kathy001]

I agree - the American people have a right to single-payer. I'm still holding onto the hope that our government is "by the people for the people" but my grip is getting weaker and weaker.

[AurigaRa]

99% of congress deserve to lose their seats.

If we do not get reasonable coverage before the next election, voters will stay home in droves.
Why bother? Perfect recipe for a takeover by the right.

[kathy001]

That is terrifyingly true.

[budanatr]

We should have a 10,000,000 person march in Washington DC to demand single payer government sponsored universal health care. We must show these government officials that we mean business.

[Guggenheim]

Doctors can and will opt or refuse to join the socialist government universal healthcare sham. Barry Soetero can try to force feed all of the health care plans he wants, but last I looked, slavery was abolished.

[PR one]

Not many doctors have not opt out of medicare,

[jmpurser]

Thank you for telling our politicians that "elections have consequences" for the victors as well as the losers. If you win you're expected to DELIVER.

I too have written my entire congressional delegation (Dicks, Murray, Cantwell) and Governor (Gregoire) twice telling them of my concern that single payer wasn't even being discussed when we KNOW it's the only tried, true, and ethical solution. I closed by asking each specifically what they were doing to bring single payer health care to the United States.

To date I've received one form letter from Senator Murray that does not mention single payer at all.

As Bush and Iraq destroyed the GOP I do believe Obama and Health Care will destroy the Democratic party.

[Manx]

Single payer health care or meaningful change won't occur until we have serious campaign finance reform. Too many politicians, both Democrats and Republicans, are owned by the insurance, health industry lobby.

And although I voted for Obama, he hasn't shown much leadership so far. He's too willing to compromise. With Obama, I thought we would get a strong team leader but instead, we got a referee.

[vernonbc]

He hasn't shown much leadership so far???? He's been in office for five months and on top of the myriad of other problems he's been forced to deal with, he's going to have a health care bill on his desk this fall. Do you think it's some magic fairy that's gotten the proceedings moving so far so fast? It's been President Obama, with the help of a lot of other good people. Sheesh, I'm beginning to think some people really do think he's the messiah and has the power to just snap his fingers and get something done.

Presidents for fifty years have been trying to get some form of health care reform done. President Obama is very likely to get it done in nine or ten months. I'd say that proves his leadership abilities.

[Lemeritus]

Health care is the Rubicon, vernonbc..­. it's the issue to which we were told all others had to take a back seat; we couldn't push too hard for this or that because Obama needed all his cache for health care. Well, here we are -- Obama chose the time and it's time we learned whether we were right to subordinate everything else to this issue or whether we're just going to be "jacked" by leadership again.

[jmpurser]

As a Leader President Obama is working hard on being a total failure. And I can't begin to tell you how much it depresses me to say that.

He gives a nice speech. It's getting the work done that he falls down on.

[scooperss]

You're right he's done a lot.

Unfortunately most was a continuation of bush policies.

[bluedoctor]

Single payer is a great idea but solutions need to be found that addresses the potential of lots of insurance industry jobs lost (a lot of us may have negative feelings about the companies themselves and their practices based on bad experiences), the potential for high costs bourne by our government, and the means by which our health care system will be encouraged to be efficient. Good answers to these questions will reduce public opposition and increase the likelihood of congressional passage.