For much of America, the all-American values depicted in Norman Rockwell's classic illustrations are idealistic. For those of us from Vermont, they're realistic. That's what we do. When Norman Rockwell lived and worked in Vermont, the people he painted were from here. That town meeting depicted in the painting called "Freedom of Speech," it took place in Arlington, Vt., where, as it happens, I will be hosting a town meeting on Saturday in a public park.
I don't recognize the raucous and rowdy town meetings in other parts of the country that have grabbed big headlines this month. Those shouters and screamers talk about "freedom," but what they are doing is trying to disrupt meetings. That's the absolute opposite of what freedom of discussion is about. They are trying to shout down speakers and shut down town meetings because they are afraid to debate the real issues and the unprecedented set of problems our country now faces.
In terms of health care, they are afraid to debate the fact that we have a disintegrating health care system with soaring costs, that we have tens of millions uninsured and underinsured, the fact that over 18,000 Americans die every year because they don't get to a doctor on time, or the reality that some 1 million Americans will go bankrupt this year because of medically-related bills. These people are screaming and yelling so we can't have a real discussion of the real health care crisis.
If what you want is a real debate, let's have it. Let's ask why countries around the world have better health care outcomes than we do at half the cost. Let's ask why we are the only nation in the industrialized world that does not have a national health care program guaranteeing health care for all of their people. Let's ask why some 60 million Americans, including many with health insurance, do not have access to a physician on a regular basis. Let's ask why private insurance companies, which pay their CEOs outrageous compensation packages, deny coverage to people with preexisting conditions or refuse to extend their policies when they need it most. Those are the kinds of questions that we ought to be discussing.
There's a back story to the town meeting protests. The health care industry in America is doing everything it can to stop reform. Incredibly, it has spent $130 million just in the last quarter trying to influence Congress. The Washington Post has reported that $1.4 million a day is being spent by well-paid lobbyists to do everything they can do to stop health care reform. There is a reason for that intense opposition. Private insurance companies in America are reaping huge profits. Drug companies in America are charging the American people, by far, the highest prices in the world for prescription drugs. Of course, they don't want health care reform. Of course, they'll do everything to try to stop us.
I look forward to discussing those issues at town meetings in Vermont this month and, when I return to Washington after the August break, with Americans across the country.
I have had hundreds of town meetings in every corner of the state since I was elected to Congress in 1990 and the Senate in 2006. I do them because I like them and because they are what an elected official should be doing. I want to hear what's on peoples' minds, and I want to inform them of what my office is doing to address the very serious set of problems currently facing our country, problems that go beyond the health care crisis.
As Americans, we need a serious discussion about the collapse of the middle class and the growing gap between the very rich and everyone else. We need to find a way to address the incredible greed on Wall Street while, at the same time, our manufacturing base is collapsing. We need to determine how we can create millions of good-paying green jobs as we address the terrible threats of global warming.
Shouting down and intimidating someone from speaking their mind is not exactly a Vermont town meeting value, nor should it be an American town meeting value. It simply suggests fear of ideas that you may not be familiar with or disagree with. Unlike some other places around the country, I am confident that in Vermont people will be respectful of differing points of view. I hope we can be a good example for rest of the country.
UPDATE: Senator Sanders held two town meetings in Vermont on Saturday. Both showed a strong turnout and civil discourse. Watch the video here.
I hope you'll join me for my new show, Senator Sanders Unfiltered, produced by Brave New Films. Follow my show on Twitter at SandersShow, join my Facebook page, or subscribe to my YouTube page.
Stay up to date with the goings on in the Senate by signing up for my Bernie Buzz newsletter and joining my Facebook page today.
We've had it for almost 30 years.
I've expounded on this in many of Huffo's threads but let me simply say... America you deserve better, do not believe the Conservative lies.
Theres Amgen inc, a drug company that has 10 approved drugs for 15 conditions, Than theres Todd organization, specialists in executive benifits and long term care insurance,
Theres Clark/Bardes consulting---healthcare group, The nations leading executive and physicians compensation consultants, Theres DaVita inc another consulting company, Goldman Sachs? More law firms like Patton Boggs LLP,- Simmons cooper LIC,- New York life insurance, the list just keeps going on, and on, and on, too many to list.
People are angry at the town halls because of the arrogance of our government. The Fed has printed enormous sums of money with no accountability; our government added monstrous debt for our children in the stimulus bill and corporate bailouts. And there was no serious debate no follow-up audits before these were enacted. Now the democrats have promised to ramrod through healthcare reform with their control over Congress and the Presidency. If the government mismanages our health care, more people will get sicker and more people will die. So, yes, people are angry because of the arrogance and incompetence of our government.
I agree that debate is better than yelling in a town hall meeting and healthcare reform is necessary. I would like to hear answers to some questions. How will the proposed health reforms save money? Based on data from the Washington Post, we spend $1.1T in Medicare and Medicaid to insure 79 million Americans, at an annual cost of $13,924 per person. Simply buying all these folks a private plan, would save enough money to cover the uninsured. In these current proposals, how will you pay for the costs? How will you avoid rationing care? How will these improve the quality of our health care?
I'd love for an open debate on these topics which includes the people not just the deep pocketed special interests like insurance companies and unions. Our rare chances to be heard by politicians are via the town hall meetings.
Frankly, all your talk about costs are a little late. You should have been posting and ranting when the previous president turned a surplus into a deficient. But they you were just being a good patriot, right. It seems a little ironic for all you fiscal conservatives to come out of the woodwork now when money is going to be spent on the people of America. You guys were nowhere to be found when my tax dollars were given to haliburton.
1) Healthcare amounts to 16% of GDP and is growing rapidly
2) The government insures about 1/3 of all those insured via Medicare, Medicaid, and VA while 2/3 of the insured are covered by private insurance companies. That means that government is a big insurer already.
3) Government insures those most in need of health insurance: the elderly, the malnourished, the maimed veterans.
4) Private insurance companies “spend” 50% MORE per person than government in providing coverage: insurance companies spend 12% of GDP vs 4% of GDP by government. But is it on actual health care?
5) The overhead of private companies is about 40% - 20% administration and 20% PROFIT! That means that they skim about 2.4% of GDP off the top as profit. The answer to 4) is a resounding – NO!
6) In order to maintain those profit margins private insurers put low-level case workers between you and your physician to throw stumbling blocks in quest for non-payment of medical bills.
Give me a government bureaucrat any day - with a few SNAFUs every now and then- rather than a corporate clerk trying to maximize profit standing between me and my doctor,- questioning ME on every recommendation, ME on every diagnosis, ME on every expense until I simply pay the bill or give up altogether. If you think government-run programs are so bad remember ENRON, MCI, WorldCom, AIG, Wall-Street Banks, etc, etc. Wake up America!
He had two doctors on, I guess to provide some TRUTH and FACTS, but these doctors and Don wimped out when Don says "I want to ask you about this euthanasiaa thing"
What? This was debunked at the very least days ago on many newsa shows. So, Don keeps asking if there's anything to it, and the doctors want to talk about rationed care. When pressed about euthanisia their responses were rather subdued. Eyes downcast, "I don't think that's a fair word to use" one said.
What is this? Friggin Invasion of the Body Snatchers? Doesn't CNN and Don Lemon know that Dick Armey and Rick Scott are the ones perpetrating the lies? FOR GAWD's SAKES, have they no decency?
One of the women featured says her segment is totally distorted and while she works for improvement within the NHS, she is overall satisfied and the way her story is represented in Scott's ad is false.
Years ago the FCC passed a truth in advertising law, because companies were making false claims about thier products. We need a truth in polical advertising laws as well. While I have no argument with civil disagreement or the need for opposing views to present their case in the best possible way (defense lawyers do it all the time). Out and out lying as in Rick's Scott's ad on the NHS need to be removed from the airwaves (including cable) and the company sponsoring them heavily fined.
Jesse Jackson - "The only justification for ever looking down on somebody is to pick them up".
Oscar Wilde - "Discontent is the first step in the progress of a man or a nation".
Senator Sanders comment that it is not true that the reform will not affect 55 or older in respect to health care is incorrect. You will be forced to pay more for coverage than the younger citizens. The reform of insurance companies where they give the insurance companies a reason to drop you using fraud is not reform but the exact same thing now being done.
The HR3200 does not have a public option that is backed by the government meaning it is just another insurance policy that will have to fend for itself. The restrictions on the public option will only be for people that do not already have insurance. There is medicaid that will segregate the low income. A single person making more than 1201 a month does not qualify.
If HR3200 gets enacted it will be a give away to the insurance company with no cost containment.
Addictions tend to lose power and to become a simple pleasure from restoring a certain comfort level. We see with foods how mother's milk leads ultimately to a person with a hunger for meat and potatoes. Addictions have no other purpose except to create an appetite with satisfactions similar to food. A person can live without them and, probably, more cheaply. So, addictions are waste, beguiling waste and a personal pleasure. It is sad that people in opposition to a personal pleasure will create vicious outlaw gangs.
Cybercorrespondent
It is sad that 18,000 people died because they couldn't get to a doctor in time. It's also sad that 440,000 died in 2005 from smoking, and countless millions from alcohol. Maybe we could fund national insurance by taxing cigarettes and bourbon three times the suggested retail price.
The poor due to their circumstances should be forced to live by the rules of the elite.
Where is your mavericky, free to choose, live free of government sayso NOW?
Don't you people ever think?
Doctors smoked. In fact, many still do. Just pass by any hospital or medical facility and see how many staff members are still puffing away. Secondaly, it's now accepted that nicotine is just as addictive as any narcotic.
While I quit smoking over 20 years ago, I still wonder if at some point it will come back to haunt me. Should I be denied care because I enjoyed a passtime promoted by my doctor?
It's not about politics it's about the insurance company keeping their loot. Their plan has always been the same as all those elites. Divide and conquer. Keep the Repubs and Dems fighting while we rake in the profits.
How well is it working? Read the HR3200 and you will see just how well it is working.