A Message to Republicans Who Voted Against the Children's Health Bill

My name is Paul Simon.

I earn my living by writing and singing songs. It's a very old and low-tech profession that feels increasingly age-appropriate. I am honored to have the opportunity to express my opinions concerning SCHIP.

I am the father of four healthy children, knock on wood, but if they get sick or need medical attention I don't knock on wood; I take them to a doctor whose care and attention I am, fortunately, able to afford. Millions of American children do not receive the same medical care. They are uninsured.

Twenty years ago, I co-founded The Children's Health Fund with Dr. Irwin Redlener. Our organization provides mobile medical units with doctors and staff to serve the pediatric needs of poor communities across the United States. In the twenty years since we began, we have grown incrementally, but as of last year we had recorded over 1.2 million doctor/patient visits.

In 1992, Hurricane Andrew devastated a large portion of Southern Florida. Our medical units were there to help. When Hurricane Katrina lashed the Gulf Coast with an almost Biblical force, The Children's Health Fund had units working in those communities within a week. There was very little outside help -- no FEMA, no Red Cross.

But there were scores of mini-vans and trailers loaded with food and supplies from hundreds of churches around the country. I watched with wonder and admiration as the church people opened their hearts and got to work helping people on the Gulf Coast whose lives has been destroyed. They did not debate whether they could find a compromise or alternative way of helping. They opened their hearts and started to repair a dire emergency.

The president's veto of the re-authorization of SCHIP was a heartless act.

Thanks to groups like Families USA and the Children's Health Fund, Congress is getting closer and closer to overriding the President's veto -- and children of hard working American families are getting closer to receiving affordable health care through SCHIP.

I am asking those of you who supported the veto to reexamine your conscience, to find compassion in your heart for our most vulnerable and sweetest citizens -- our children. I am asking you to change your vote. If you do, I believe it will be one of the proudest days of your life.

Thank you,

Paul Simon

To learn more about this issue and to take action, please visit www.familiesusa.org

Comments

[Wilburrr]

"And the leaves that are green,
turn to brown...."

[peacehappens]

If our tax laws were revamped in a way that eliminated corporate tax loopholes, at the very least, there would be more than enough money to pay for SCHIP and universal health care without raising any individual's taxes.

Walmart, over a six year period, skipped out on paying billions of dollars in state taxes alone.
http://www.ctj.org/pdf/walmart041607.pdf
They are not the only ones.

Oil companies enjoy subsidies in spite of the fact that they make very healthy profits
http://www.ctj.org/pdf/energytaxloopholes.pdf

Why is funneling billions and billions of dollars into the coffers of big business a priority for our politicians and paying medical bills for a child who is suffering a catastrophic illness is not? Why do so many average citizens agree with the status quo?

Making this a Democrat vs. Republican issue distracts us from the real issue which is providing health care at a time of serious illness. It is hard to believe that someone would let a child be denied care and possibly die when we are such a rich country.

I hope your plea is heard and responded to with kind hearts by the people who can do something about this.

BTW - I love you Paul Simon. Many thanks for the beautiful music you have given us for so many years. The world is a better place because of you.

[jbcowan]

Dear Paul: Your eloquent request seems simple enough...HELP our Children. The paradox however, asks those who voted against SCHIP to exercise two things that they do not posess--
Consciense and Compassion.

[waintmyprez]

Paul thanks for the decades of music.
Ladies and Gents of the USA,
The obvious is clear.For years now the goverment has been eliminating the need for a middle class by out sourcing every job and every service.By allowing illegals into OUR country they are cutting the wages we use to enjoy.Therefore we no longer have the money to pay for any medical expenses let alone insurance for our children.
It would not make sense for the goverment (a.k.a. BIG BUSINESS)to aide its citizens with SCHIP
Definitely time to be registering as an Independant.For I do not have "Diamonds on the Soles of my Shoes"

[crabcake]

If you want universal health care for all American children, you better be prepared to pay for every last child who happens to be in this country--this includes any Mexican who can sneak across the border and all those from Latin American countries and plenty from South American countries. What's wrong with you people? Do you have a death wish???

[Shizzlewhizzle]

The only thing the chicken hawks hate more that a GI is children.

[pizzmoe]

Unless I'm incorrect, this program will cost 9 billion dollars. It's easy. Just take that out of the Iraq war chest It'll never be missed.

[TJoad]

Ok, set your watches. . . within 12 hours the right-wing noise machine will unleash the Coulter/Li­mbaugh/O'R­eilly/Malk­in hyrda-headed spin-monster to spew its venom against Paul Simon.

Coulter will screech what does Simon know, he's just a Jew still waiting to be perfected. Limbaugh will belch that Simon is a phony liberal songwriter schilling for Hillary. O'Reilly will whine that Simon's blog was a veiled threat against him. Malkin will cackle that Simon never wrote any of his songs and will stalk him.

The wretched beast will then slither away temporarily into darkness, colied and ready to strike out to slime again.

[gerrylong]

With regards to the controversy about the 12-year-old Graeme Frost, the Democrats are missing a great opportunity.

They should put together a series of ads made of bright middle school kids who do their own research on S-Chip, on Iraq, on the environment, etc., and feature them in ads.

Imagine the effect of a fourteen year old saying this in a national TV ad.

“This is for Mr. Limbaugh, who seems to think the kids of my age cannot think for themselves.

I have researched the matter of health care in the US, and have reached my own conclusions. We need universal health care, and we do not need to be told by someone as uninformed as Rush Limbaugh how we should think. Perhaps Mr. Limbaugh should go back to school and do some objective research so he can speak more intelligently about health care, and about kids of my age. Mr. Limbaugh might learn to stop preaching hate on his program.”

[Shizzlewhizzle]

Concerning Limbaugh in my area during ad breaks the local churches run commercials. Is this good or bad? From listing to the cazllers they can use a little more Christianity. Or is a call from preachers to gather like minded types.

[Professor73]

Maybe now both parties will come together and write a law that is meaningful. The political postering is over, the real test starts now.

[transendentilist]

http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?DR_ID=46083

Good info on the progress of the SCHIP legislation.

[twillercat]

To Mr. Simon's comments I would add this:

Next time SCHIP comes up, don't let the Republicans try to fund it by taxing only 20 per cent of the population, the smokers. It's an important program and everyone, based on income, should pay for it, not just a demonized minority.

The plan to tax smokers was the brainchild of Senator Gordon Smith, R-Oregon. Gee what a surprise..­.regressiv­e sin tax proposed by a Republican. See Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, July 11th, for further info....

http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?DR_ID=46144

[levibatgirl]

Sorry Paul.

The "compassionate republicans" worship the powerful and despise the vulnerable.

They have the lies of the right wing radio/tv thugs as their talking points.
There is no real world outside of this bubble.

[BeerHolder]

I say take away Bush's crayons if he can't play fair.

[Bladernr1001]

Paul Paul Paul,

I like your music but you are not helping the children by creating an ever larger wealth transfer that will somehow have to be paid by the very "children" you are trying to protect. How on earth will this all get paid for. What the pols and citizens are saying is...."who cares, I got mine, I will be dead and gone by the time the bill comes due"

How is this doing the right thing?

[DMSmith]

How it will be paid for is clear, and it's not going to burden future generations. You don't seem to understand the program you speak against.

Learn the truth about it before you blast it.

And what do you mean by 'wealth transfer' for god's sake? Are you using your brain at all?

If you're so concerned about the debt to be paid by our children, what is your position on the Iraq War?

Make some sense, please!

[Bladernr1001]

Oh please spare me....

That's how they sell ever larger government. "Well, we will do a cigarette tax for this one" How much tax can we absorb from all sources before we collapse? The cig tax is a declining tax as less people take up smoking. So how is this paid for 10 or 20 years from now? Do we just end the program when there is not enough money? I have never seen that happen in our government. We couldn't even get rid of the WWII honey bee subsidy let alone anything major.

You liberals never ever talk about that. We have created a wealth transfer house of cards that is going to implode someday and all you guys want to do is add more. stop it already...we don't need to insure middle class families though the government.

[TJTelecaster]

Paul; I think it's time to tell these corrupt perverted Republican war monger ruinous wasteful swine sycophants to, "Get on the bus Gus..!"

Can you dig it..?

I knew that you could..

[wagonjak]

Appealing to the Republican's "Conscience" is like throwing a pig into a pool of sharks and appealing to them not to tear it apart....it just ain't real...

These Rethugs HAVE NO CONSCIENCE...if they did they wouldn't still be supporting this horrifying war!