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
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Why don't we just ban all fun in the world and build a huge play pen then we will not only be protected from the mean smokers and drinkers, but we would all qualify for this new health care bill. The No child left behind act or the once your 18 your screwed act. Vote for the bill, but adults are important also
With fun comes responsibility! Get a Life or grow up!
Phony Christians voting no on something Jesus Christ would admonish for doing. I'd like to be able to ask every one of those voting no on this bill if they really consider themselves a Christian, because there's no way God would refuse any child - REGARDLESS OF INCOME OF THEIR PARENTS - medical help if they needed it.
If you ever go to a Right Wing site, they'll explain to you how Jesus would be more like them if He were alive today.
Funny and sad...
Yes. Jesus has evolved to not want to help the poor. Jesus is against abortion, but does not give a rats ass about killing, executing, and torturing people. I would be very afraid if I were those right wingers. Jesus got real pissed off at the money changers, didn't he?
Thank you Paul,
Why don't you take a children's choir to Capitol Hill and sing "Mother and Child Reunion" for the SCHIP vote on Thursday! I'll meet you there and shoot it.
I'm 63 years old and they cancelled my health insurance cause I was a day late with the premium after losing my job, so I made SUCKO on Social Security
http://youtube.com/watch?v=YRJw0DJ9clE
getreel writes, "Why don't you take a children's choir to Capitol Hill and sing "Mother and Child Reunion" for the SCHIP vote on Thursday! I'll meet you there and shoot it."
One sincerely hopes the antecedent of "it" is not "children's choir".
:-)
AS SOME ONE SAID; HEALTH IS PART OF THE INFRASTRUTURE OF THE NATION. SOMEHOW, OUR GOALS HAVE CHANGED FOR THE GREEDY OBJECTIVES OF THE FEW. THE REPUG ADM. HAS REALLY THROWN OUR NATIONS TO THE PITS. HOW ARE WE GOING TO PAY FOR THE BUSH'S WAR...? BUSH IS NOT A COMPASSIONATE PERSON. HE IS A LAMEDUCK PRES. AND DOESN'T CARE FOR THE NATION AND ITS PEOPLE. HE SHOULD BE IMPEACHED. THANKS SIMON FOR WHAT YOU DO. BY THE WAY, CHARITIES WILL NEVER COVER THE NEEDS OF THE NATION. WAKE UP FROM THAT DREAM...
One hallmark of this regime is that they just ignore what is not in their playbook. One classic example is how George shrugged off all the pro-peace demonstrations before they attacked Iraq. Perhaps with the slow fund-raising for the Repubs they will begin to listen to voices of reason such as this appeal by Paul Simon. For the slow to notice, this veto is so blatant that even the near brain dead could see the reality in misplaced funding priorities of the Neo"cons". Only when the Repubs. wake-up to notice they are facing mass defeat will they attempt any type of compromise. That chilren have been fodder for lip-service is so clear. Divert some of your "killing funds" so we might believe that you recognize that "chilren are the future...let them lead the way..."! Peace
A Message to Republicans Who Voted Against the Children's Health Bill - THIS WILL COME BACK TO BITE YOU!!
Here's another message- vote against SCHIP is a vote against your own personal government run, tax payer funded health care plan. If taking care of our children is too dangerous in your mind to our profit based culture, then I demand you get off the Federal teet ASAP!
Yep, I wanna see some people challenge the Repigs on their insurance. How come they don't just buy their own???
Health care is not an entitlement. Those who work in our country, whether at someone else's company, their own company, in their home (many raising "our" children), are retired or a bum in the street, all deserve health care. The lacking of health care in our country is a national shame, caused by the greed of insurance companies and their accountants, not doctors, hospitals, and other health care workers.
Perhaps health care IS an entitlement: "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness"...none can be had with poor health.
The idea that a 9 month old baby has to "earn" the right to healthcare is ridiculous, and smacks of greed, self-centeredness, and an obvious lack of soul.
"life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" are part of the Declaration of Independence, not the Bill of Rights and the other articles of the Constitution, so those words have no interpretation under the law.
I see this misquoted all of the time to justify all sorts means and ends.
Well, I almost cried, kind of had a tear half-form there for a second, until I remembered
what it is you were talking about, and I need
a lot more convincing on the SCHIP issue
before I abandon my current opinion that
it's a sop to HMO's bent on leeching revenue
out of the government.
I guess you would rather Blackwater or Halliburton leech money out of the government?At least this would do some good right here in this country.
If it were a sop to the HMOs, the Bush administration would be supporting it, like the no-negotiation Medicare D.
It's only self-interest to insure that kids around us don't get infectious diseases to pass on to us, and that their disabling somatic and/or psychiatric conditions are medicated to the point where they are useful citizens (much cheaper than hospitals for life!)
Also, it's the right thing to do. If that counts.
I agree that smoking is a major health problem, what about achoholic beverages? Look at the medical cost that is accociated with the effects of achohol consumption. What about carbonated soft drinks? The epidemic of obesity in children caused by these drinks and fast food. Why not share the tax burden among them. Let us say 10 cents a pack on cicarettes, 10 cents a gallon on achoholic beverages and 10 cents a gallon on soft drinks. That would create about 150 billion dollars for childrens healthcare and would distribute the tax fairly.Or am I to logical to assume that people in this country want to be fair and compassionate?
Keep in mind that the original proposal was to have the entire population flit the bill for this increase, not just smokers. But the Republicans wouldn't go for that. This was a heavily bipartisan supported bill.
Meanwhile, how little would it have cost for us all to pay for this increase? Pennies per person?
Are you nuts! Since when does the govt need to provide heatlh care for anyone in a family making over $80,000 per year? 50% of the talked about kids already have private healthcare today. This is one incremental step towards govt healthcare for all and who wants to go to the post office to see their doctor? Rudy G. said it best last week--"if we adopt a Canadian style delivery system here, where will Canadians go for their healthcare?"
Note to LRS:
Obviously written by someone who either doesn't have kids, or is so rich he/she doesn't have to worry about paying for health care or health care insurance premiums.
By the way, what's so terrible about government healthcare for all? It's the latest Republican boogey man, isn't it? Right up there with mushroom clouds and WMD.
I think it would be a good idea to take control of our medical profession away from the insurance industry.
How many people reading HuffPo have been denied benefits because some pencil -pushing bean counter at their insurance company decided he/she knew more about medicine then the prescribing doctor?
And you're quoting Giuliani as a reliable source? Why am I not surprised?
Gramma Rose
That is because Rudy G has major stock investments in the pharmcutical companies and healthcare companies. You need to do your research before you comment.I wonder why the Canadian dollar is worth more than the US dollar for the first time in history? They have government healthcare.
And his wife, Mrs. Test-on-Doggies.
LRS, it's obvious you haven't read the bill and just swallowed what you've heard hate radio (also known as conservative radio) and the administration say.
Rudy G doesn't have a frigging clue. Canadians DO NOT come here for their healthcare; they come here for electic plastic surgeries and other cosmetic procedures.
Also, $80,000 isn't that much money any longer - especially if you have children and one of them becomes ill, say with leukemia. One platelet transfusion - $2500.00, and they get 3-5 a week. They need a bone marrow transplant - insurance companies will generally pay for a maxium of 3 family members to be tested. After that the family has to pay, at a cost of $7500 a test. The transplant itself - which some insurance companies balk at paying because their accountants say other, less expensive treatments are available - $25,000-40,000 dollars. And then there's the cost of traveling to a children's cancer center or other hospital that can do the procedures - not paid for by insurance, and can cost a family upwards of $30,000.
You're out of touch with reality, LRS, and obviously with your conscience.
Thats why people who make $80,000/year and have children should make it a priority to have insurance and most do, usually by making sure that they work for an employer who provides it.
If you don't do that and some terrible illness befalls your child, your child will get health care. But you may have to give up some of your possessions -- Is that really a tough choice? Give up your SUV or pay for medical care for your child?
If I live to pay off my mortgage, I'll still keep homeowner's insurance even though I don't have to but I'll want to be insured against something bad happening.
As a benefit to national healthcare, those prices would probably go down considerably. Hospitals and other medical facilities must charge more to make up for the un- and under-insured. Also, the cost of paperwork to the insurance companies is enormous.
My family will lose healthcare next year due to layoffs. Private insurance won't touch us due to pre-existing conditions.
Screw the publicans and their phony compassion.
Where will Canadians go for their health care ?
Cheap shot.Very very cheap. Sure some have been sent to US facilities but they are by far a very small minority.
Using this same line of thought I would deduce from your rhetoric that all Americans were idiots.
He does think Americans are idiots if he expects us to believe Canadians come across the boarder in very large numbers for health care. Some may come across to see specific specialists but we Americans also go to other countries to see specialists. If he thinks our medical care is so great here why do Canadians live longer than Americans, as well as the the citizens on almost every country in Europe. They have better health care. And it is available. This spring I had a lump in my breast. It took 3 weeks to see a doctor, nine weeks to get in to a mammogram, and another 5 weeks to get a biopsy then 4 weeks to get the result because the pathologist was busy. I have insurance. I pay quite a bit for it. I would be more than happy to pay the same or more for a government run system. I had the same situation in Canada 12 years ago and it was 2 weeks from beginning to end. A far superior system.
Note to LRS:
It would be nice if you had original thought occasionally. Do you or Adolf Guliani believe that anyone with family health insurance will drop their children to go on a government program?
Do you have any idea how cumbersome that would be or how little money it would save? If you're going to post nonsense go to a right wing blog. They'll appreciate your lack of common sense.
We must understand that the republicans could not give a damn about the amrican people. They just do what their party tells them to do and that is, protect their rich and powerful friends and the corporations. When is the american public going to realize that this party is bad for America.
A few questions for those who oppose:
if you are in Congress, why is it ok for you to have free healthcare? Why is it ok for me to pay for you?
If you receive healthcare from your employer, why is it ok for the employer to pay for you? Do you know that is one of the main reasons American companies cannot compete with other countries anymore?
Why is it ok for the military to have "socialized" medicine via VA? Why is VA, despite Bush cutbacks, still rated one of the best systems in the country?
Do you know that your employer may be dropping your coverage, as many, many have? What do you do then?
Have you ever tried to purchase health insurance as an individual? Do you know that the insurance companies can flat out deny you coverage if you have a pre-existing condition?
My own situation, just so you know I'm not one of the "freeloaders." Retired at 60 (5 years short of Medicare) to care for my dying husband. He was able to get care through VA (thank you, thank you, VA). I have had to purchase an individual policy (after Cobra ran out) which has risen 150% in 2 years. Does that seem fair? Mind you, both my husband and I worked at good jobs (we do have savings), always contributed to our coverage, paid taxes, etc, but without VA, we would be destitute.
Mr. Simon, thank you, thank you, thank YOU!
Your heart is open -- wide open.
To Congress, mellen poses two simple questions: "why is it ok for you to have free healthcare? Why is it ok for me to pay for you?"
I ask the same questions daily, as I struggle to pay for my children's medical care. I understand what mellen is going through as I've seen my parents battling the same concerns. Only one Congressman (that I know of) has declined his health benefits until all his constituents are covered -- why aren't there more of you making this "sacrifice"?
SOMETHING IS TERRIBLY WRONG with a country that cannot help the most vulnerable of its citizens - the children and the elderly. We should all be covered, but let's start somewhere!!
Excellent post. Thanks
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Our local Presbyterian church is great. If you need help you can call them up and someone will come right over; go to the store for you; prepare and deliver a meal. When you get sick you really find out who your friends are.
Being a small dynamic church allows the flexibility to respond quickly and deliver the help.
The Mormon church can also be very helpful but structured more around a central control. The Bishop asks the Prophet, the prophet talks to God. God talks to the Prophet and the Prophet gives permission to the Bishop. The Bishop directs the ward members.
I find the Presbyterian’s can just DO IT! The local committee members have absolute authority to act. I really like that.
But I agree with Paul Simon and others, we should be spending our tax dollars on health care, not weapons and munitions.
Unfortunately these congresspeople do not have a mind to change! They are controlled by the money-men[Insurance--Pharma--etc.etc.]who buy and run their campaigns.They would much rather take a chance at an angry electorate than turn on their Puppet-Masters.Maybe they can win an election but not without the MONEY-MEN!!!
If a minor cannot be tried in court as an adult, then why would you say a minor should have to pay for their own health care? Could anyone here who agrees with the veto vote answer this question?
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