Don't Take Away Our Health Care

Don't Take Away Our Health Care
words by C.A. Matthews
photos by Adrian Matthews 
(watch a short video of Bernie's remarks below or at: 
 https://youtu.be/XIBbiOZHfyA)

 
Senator Bernie Sanders made a surprise visit to Ohio's capital on Sunday morning to rally the troops in the ongoing battle to save the A.C.A. and shut down Trumpcare 2.0, a thinly disguised tax break bill for the billionaire class at the expense of ordinary Americans' health and well-being. Bernie's coming to Columbus was on very short notice (a Friday afternoon email), so the packed to overflowing house of 2000+ enthusiastic attendees at the downtown music performance venue was a pleasant surprise. No doubt about it--Ohioans are serious about saving their health care.

The rally was sponsored by MoveOn.org and other Ohio groups, and its aim was simple: Convince Republican Senator Rob Portman to vote against the Republican bill. The crowd was urged to continue to call, email and visit Portman's offices throughout the state and share their health care stories, explaining how important Obamacare is to them and their families. (Here is a website that will help you make the call to your senator and tells you what to say: https://www.aft.org/call-now)  Photos and memes on the big screens before the speakers took stage gave sobering statistics and a few encouraging ones as well: Only 17% of Americans (16% according to Bernie in the very latest poll) approve of the Republicans' attempts to repeal and replace the A.C.A.  However, 23 million Americans are at risk of losing their coverage, adding to the 28 million without health insurance in those states that never accepted the Medicaid extension. The time to block this mockery of a health care bill is now.

Opening rally speakers included Ohio MoveOn organizers, a community health care center doctor from Dayton, a local pastor who has witnessed the good Obamacare has done for his members and could continue to do for them, and a veteran speaking for Planned Parenthood and women's health services which are threatened by the new bill. ("Republicans say they'll give you a choice of private insurers, but not give a woman the right of choice over her own body.") No one held back on their condemnation of Trumpcare. The young, the old, the disabled, pregnant women and anyone with a pre-existing condition (as determined by a private health insurer) could see their access to health care vanish overnight if the senate bill is passed.

Bernie was in great form, looking energized and determined to take on opponents of the A.C.A. He gave a straightforward and impassioned plea to his fellow senator, asking Rob Portman to listen to the cries of his constituents who can't afford to lose their health care coverage. The Medicaid extension program has been essential in helping Ohio fight its opioid addiction crisis; the state is a leader in opioid/heroin overdoses and death. Over half of the births in Ohio are covered by Medicaid currently, and it has a high infant mortality rate. By cutting back the Medicaid program and allowing private health insurers to cancel policies for pregnant women and their babies, addiction and mental health services and other pre-existing conditions, Trumpcare would leave some of the most vulnerable Ohioans without essential services, adding to the state's rising toll of preventable deaths.

Bernie noted that two-thirds of all nursing home patients in America receive Medicaid as well as Medicare. Where would these older/disabled patients go if they lost these programs? He remarked how many hardworking Americans are already working two or more jobs (often without health care provided) and are stretched as it is to make ends meet. Could they afford to take care of aging or sick parents on top of taking care of their children's needs? What if they had to quit their jobs to take care of an ailing family member? How would they feed and shelter all family members and afford their health care needs? The implications of not providing these life-saving programs are dire. The AARP, the American Medical Association and many other organizations have decried Trumpcare for allowing private health insurance companies to gouge older Americans by raising their premium from two to five times what they pay now.

The crowd booed and shouted as Bernie listed all those who would be hurt and how thousands could die if the A.C.A. is repealed and replaced by the Republican senators' legislation. He noted that the bill was written in secret by a baker's dozen worth of white males and never put before a committee or debated on the floor of the Senate. "Obamacare is far from perfect," Bernie admitted, but it is a first step toward implementing a Medicare for All program so no American ever again has to go bankrupt because of medical bills or live with the anxiety of not having health care. He urged everyone to call Senator Portman and express their outrage at this "immoral piece of legislation."

Morality--and the lack of it in our current government--isn't something Bernie Sanders shies away from discussing. He faces the issues and speaks with complete candor. "Our country is facing a moral crisis," Bernie stated.  "A nation is judged on how compassionate it is and how it treats its most vulnerable citizens." How does the U.S. measure up to those standards?  Not well under Trumpcare. Lives are at stake. 

We are in need of moral leadership--not simply leadership by well-dressed politicians spouting platitudes while accepting bribes from Big Pharma. Five months after Donald Trump stepped into office, Senator Bernie Sanders continues to lead ordinary Americans toward a future worth believing in and fighting for. Bernie's moral compass leads us along a straight and true path to a better, healthier America for all of its people.

More on this story--
The AARP Just Responded to the Trumpcare Bill with a Massive Threat to Every Senator: https://www.liberalexaminer.com/2017/06/23/aarp-just-responded-trumpcare-bill-massive-threat-every-senator/ 

Shifting Dollars from Poor to Rich is Key Part of Senate Health Care Bill:
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/22/upshot/shifting-dollars-from-poor-to-rich-is-a-key-part-of-the-senate-health-bill.html

Medicare for All vs. All the Healthcare that Each Can Afford (The Sanders Institute):
https://www.sandersinstitute.com/blog/medicare-for-all-vs-all-the-healthcare-that-each-can-afford 

Robert Reich -- "The Secret Health Care Bill": https://www.nationofchange.org/2017/06/26/secret-health-care-bill/

Lee Camp -- "Here's Why There's No Legitimate Healthcare Debate in this Country":  http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2017/06/lee-camp-heres-no-legitimate-healthcare-debate-country.html

Call your senator now and tell them, "Don't take away our health care!"  https://www.aft.org/call-now 

Sign up to sit in to #StopTrumpcare on July 6--nationwide!

https://actionnetwork.org/forms/sign-up-to-sit-in

This week's Chastise Rich Arrogant Pricks (C.R.A.P.) Award goes to the thirteen Republican senators listed above for trying to ram their secret "don't-care-much-about-ordinary-folks'- health-care" bill through Congress. Look at those dollar amounts, and you'll understand why they want us to pay higher insurance premiums and even more for drugs. Please chastise them on all social media platforms (you can right click on this meme and share it) and call/email/write them and tell them what you think about their efforts to deprive 23 million+ Americans health care.

Really American has a petition for you to sign to show these 13 senators how you feel...

13 Senators met behind closed doors to decide on your health care, and they are all in the pockets of the health services industry! Click here to add your name if you want them all to be exposed and voted out of office!  "For the last several weeks, media outlets have reported that 13 Senate Republicans have been meeting behind closed doors to discuss legislation that could lead to millions fewer Americans having health coverage—and make it hard for many people with pre-existing conditions to buy an affordable plan," reported Time.com. Here are the 13 Senators in question, along with how much money they accepted from the health services industry, and/or their role in dismantling the Affordable Care Act... 1. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell Donations from health care industry: $207,950 "Louisville, Ky.-based Kindred Healthcare, a health care services company, was the third-largest contributor to McConnell’s campaign committee from 2011 to 2016, donating $104,650. Health insurer Humana was number 4, with $103,300 in donations," according to Time. 2. Senate Finance Committee Chair Orrin Hatch Donations from health care industry: $75,000 "Blue Cross Blue Shield came third, with $68,500 and Cancer Treatment Centers of America came rounded out the top five with $65,000," according to Time. 3. Senate HELP Committee Chair Lamar Alexander Donations from health care industry: $65,100 "Blue Cross Blue Shield was the second-biggest donor to Alexander’s campaign committee from 2011 to 2016, with $36,250 in contributions. Franklin Tennessee-based Community Health Systems, a hospital operator, is the fourth-biggest donor with $28,850 in donations," according to Time. 4. Senator Mike Enzi Donations from health care industry: $27,000 "DaVita HealthCare Partners is Enzi’s campaign committee’s top donor from 2011 to 2016, with $27,000 in contributions," according to Time. 5. Senator John Thune Donations from health care industry: $27,000 Sanford Health contributed $40,246 to Thune’s campaign committee, according to Time. 6. Senator Mike Lee "A pro-life politician, Lee writes on his web site that, “every individual, regardless of age, health, or condition of dependency, deserves the respect and protection of society.” The House version of the American Health Care Act would allow states to apply for a waiver to weaken protections for those with pre-existing conditions and strip Medicaid reimbursements from Planned Parenthood, funding that accounts for 40% of the organization’s annual budget overall," reported Time. 7. Senator Ted Cruz "In 2013, Cruz led a government shutdown that failed in its goal of de-funding the Affordable Care Act, but not before Cruz read the Dr. Seuss classic “Green Eggs and Ham” as part of a 21-hour floor speech. Cruz today is reportedly pushing to allow states to waive Obamacare’s requirement that insurers cover everyone, regardless of health status, and that they not charge people with pre-existing conditions any more than healthy people," according to Time. 8. Senator Tom Cotton An advocate of Medicaid reform, he supports repealing ObamaCare, according to Time. 9. Senator Cory Gardner Donations from health care industry: $58,500 "His fourth largest contributor was Blue Cross Blue Shield, with $33,000; United Health also contributed $25,500," according to Time. 10. Senator John Barrasso Donations from health care industry: $44,800 "Richie’s Specialty Pharmacy, one of Texas’ leading pharmaceutical providers, is Barrasso’s biggest contributor from 2011 to 2016, with $44,800 in donations," according to Time. 11. Senator John Cornyn Donations from health care industry: $57,450 His third largest donor, "was Mednax Inc., a medical solutions group and one of the nation’s leading providers of health services, with donations of $57,450," according to Time. 12. Senator Robert Portman "Another Senate Republican who hails from a state that expanded Medicaid under Obamacare, Portman has emerged as a leader of the effort to compromise on the issue. Portman has led efforts to get GOP leadership to accept a seven-year "glide path," which would allow for a longer transition period in which state governors could figure out alternatives to the program," according to Time. 13. Senator Pat Toomey Donations from health care industry: $101,300 His second largest donor "was the Rothman Institute, the internationally recognized orthopedic care center, which donated $101,300," according to Time. Don't you want to punish these 13 senators for meeting behind closed doors to decide on your health care? Then click here to add your name to ask three of the nation's major news networks to expose each of them so the American people will vote them out of office! Thank you for helping to hold these health care sellouts accountable! ​​​​​ ​​ Peace, Nathan Brown ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Really ​​​​​​​American Founder

***

From Brand New Congress:

Senate Republicans finally crawled out of hiding and revealed their version of Paul Ryan’s AHCA. While 13 Republican men decided the fate of your health behind closed doors, Senate Democrats rightly complained about the lack of transparency in this trainwreck. But they failed to put forward the most obvious solution: Medicare for All.

We need 100,000 signatures on our Medicare for all petition before this bill goes up for a vote. We’re only 10K short. Will you sign your name and share this petition?

The House AHCA was bad enough. Now the Senate version guts Medicaid, leaving millions of children and older Americans exposed without insurance or affordable treatment. If Republicans in Congress get their way, 51 million Americans will be cut off from medical treatment so a handful of the wealthiest Americans can have a tax break.

 This is not about politics -- people’s lives are on the line.

Congress needs to hear us. We’re done with expensive premiums, costly co-pays and sky-high deductibles. And we are NOT going back to the days a faceless corporation can cut off your coverage for pre-existing conditions or because you got sick and hit a lifetime cap. We demand healthcare for every single American, as a right, not a privilege.

It’s time to make some noise for Medicare for all. Help us get 10K signatures before the Senate tries to vote on this disastrous bill.

 

Yours for the revolution,

Cory Archibald

Communications Team Volunteer, Brand New Congress

 

 

 ***

From Climate Hawks:

A group working for Senate Democrats is running pro-coal television ads in West Virginia to prop up anti-climate Senator Joe Manchin. The ad even shows footage of Manchin cozying up to Donald Trump as he signed legislation killing the Stream Protection Rule.

Tell Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer: Don’t provide cover for Sen. Manchin’s pro-coal, anti-climate agenda.

The group behind the ad, Majority Forward, is the c4 arm of the Senate Majority SuperPAC. Run by operatives for Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, they operate together as outside-spending allies of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. Schumer has the power to stop this ad.

“When Washington proposed anti-coal regulations, Joe Manchin said no.” - Direct quote from an ad funded by Schumer’s Democratic donors

Sign the petition »

Climate Hawks Vote is partnering with Friends of the Earth Action, CREDO, and other organizations on a petition to tell Senator Schumer we strongly oppose Democratic-funded ads attacking our climate. We'll be delivering all of the signatures to Senator Schumer. In order to resist Trump, we need to embrace a strong climate justice agenda, not cozy up to his agenda of climate denial and destruction.

This dirty ad shows how climate polluters still have power over the Democratic Party. J.B. Poersch, the Schumer operative in charge of Majority Action, is a partner at SKDKnickerbocker, a Democratic firm that lobbied for Keystone XL on behalf of TransCanada.

Coal mining is poisoning our water, and coal burning is poisoning our air, and coal money is poisoning our politics. Every Democratic senator should be working to move our country to 100% clean energy for 100% of our people.

Sign our petition now to tell Senator Chuck Schumer to stop pouring Democratic money into pro-coal advertisements featuring Trump and Manchin.

Your fellow climate hawk,

Brad

References

PAC aligned with Schumer runs pro-Manchin TV ad, EE News https://www.eenews.net/eedaily/2017/06/13/stories/1060055936

Majority Forward Ad for Pro-Coal Joe Manchin https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0IcrDXWZDLU

Trump signs bill undoing Obama coal mining rule, The Hill http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/319938-trump-signs-bill-undoing-obama-coal-mining-rule

SKDKnickerbocker Does PR For Keystone XL Pipeline, Tar Sands Rail Transport, DeSmogBlog https://www.desmogblog.com/2013/05/03/obama-anita-dunn-public-relations-keystone-xl-pipeline-tar-sands-rail-transport

***

 From Open Media:

The Internet is in great danger, but we still have time to save it.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) under Ajit Pai is trying to destroy Net Neutrality — the idea that all content be treated equally on the Internet,¹ meaning innovative new startups can compete on a level playing field with giant corporations.

Big Telecom and special interest groups want to change all that. These powerful companies want to make it so their content is delivered to the user in a “fast lane,” and everything else — smaller blogs, content from independent competitors — is forced into a slow lane.²

The good news is that we can stop this, but we need your help. If you can take a few minutes to call Congress and the FCC now, we can convince them that the Internet is too important not to protect.

CALL CONGRESS NOW

 

Click on this link, and type in your phone number and it will automatically connect you with your local Member of Congress. (Don’t worry, your phone number won’t be used for anything else.)
 
We know these tactics work because we’ve won this fight before — in 2015 millions of Americans told the FCC and Congress they wanted to protect Net Neutrality,³ and this public pressure forced them to do the right thing.

Call now, tell Congress: “I oppose the FCC’s efforts to roll back Title II net neutrality rules — and I urge you to oppose them as well.”
 
Thank you for taking a stand for an open web. 

—Katy, on behalf of OpenMedia

P.S. Another way to support an open web is to donate even $5 today. Help fuel our fight to stand up to Big Telecom’s attempt to control our digital freedoms. 

Footnotes
[1] The Internet is Under Attack: Now This News
[2] Breaking down the FCC’s proposal to destroy net neutrality: The Verge
[3] Well, Internet, we did it. We stopped the Internet slow lane: OpenMedia

Curing America (And Jill Stein Live!)

Jill Stein Live!

We recently traveled to Capital University in Columbus, Ohio to see Jill Stein in person. More of our photos are posted below this week's topic of health care, which is one Dr. Stein has a lot to say about. (You can watch Jill's speech at Capital U. on  this Facebook video.)

Curing America
By Cindy A Matthews

There's a serious illness in the air, and it's highly contagious. I'm not talking about the Zika virus or the upcoming flu season, either. I'm talking about the disease of greed and the accompanying symptom found in its wake of its many victims, the sickness of despair.

We need a cure. Asking corporate America, those who created and nurtured the disease, to provide one for us is a good definition of insanity. Allowing the instigators of this disease, Big Pharma, to regulate themselves and continually exploit the sufferers goes well beyond anyone's definition of insanity. 

Insanity and injustice... Isn't this what was exposed to us in the recent EpiPen controversy (A $300 pen holding $1 worth of medicine) involving the grossly overpaid  CEO of Mylan, Heather Bresch, and her daddy, Democratic Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia? Isn't it insane to think that this isn't the first time something this despicable has happened in the good ol' USA? Remember Martin Shkreli? Isn't it insane to think this chart of drug price comparisons from a year ago is a good thing? (Add in the fact that in most other countries universal health care pays the full price of these life-saving drugs, and then you can truly see the injustices of our so-called "health care". (Consider this comparison of the US to other countries.)

 How do we cure ourselves of this disease of greed foisted on the American public by a privately-controlled system? Why do we shy away from demanding universal health care for all Americans? What should be our response to this unjust  system of non-health care?

 Yet another song lyric jumps into my head in reply. To quote the Twisted Sister rock classic: "We're not gonna to take it! No, we ain't gonna to take it! We're not gonna to take it anymore!"

That rock anthem should become our rallying cry. Why? A lot of folks lately have been expending energy arguing and moaning about how Bernie Sanders isn't the nominee and how the crooked DNC stole the primary election. Yes, those are sad things, rightfully to be mourned, but sitting around and doing nothing while there are positive things we could be doing to change America and the world for the better is a complete waste of time.

Bernie (and many other progressives) have given us plenty of ideas of what we should be doing besides catching--and spreading--the sickness of despair. We should be working together on a cure for the disease of greed. What better issue to start with, and make a big noise about, than insanely-priced vital medicines such as the EpiPen? This story by itself could sell universal health care if we put our minds and backs into it.

Think about it. How many ordinary Americans are affected by a 400%+ increase in the cost of an EpiPen or other life-saving drug? Wouldn't these  "non-political" people be angry like we are about what's happening? Wouldn't they be willing to join forces with us in calling out the perpetrators of the disease of greed (the pharmaceutical industry and its lobbyists) and our bought-and-paid-for politicians (such as Senator Manchin and others)? 

This heinous headline about the greed of the EpiPen manufacturers makes for a prime opportunity to bring more on board with the political revolution. 

So, get out there and start talking about it. Write about it to your local newspaper's Letters to the Editor column and post related article links online to get your friends and neighbors talking. Get out and join groups who are protesting the outrage of non-health care in America in the streets and attract media coverage (alternative and Periscope coverage count, too). Make some noise and demand change! (For example, Toledo area progressives are marching in their Labor Day Parade with SPAN--Single-Payer Action Network.)

Because, to quote both the classic film Network and the talented Twisted Sister, "We're mad as hell, and we're not gonna to take it anymore!"

 *** 

And now another look how the disease of corporate greed has affected our hopes for democracy.

The Slo-Mo Corporate Coup d'etat
by Adrian J. Matthews

It's been happening for years, decades even. The corporate world has stealthily infiltrated government at state and national level. Politicians have been bought and bribed. The proposed bills they espouse are more often than not put together by corporations determined to skew the laws of this country to their own advantage. One politician once boasted he could call a lobbyist at any time of the day or night and arrange for them to hold a rendezvous, where said lobbyist would hand over a suitcase full of cash, no questions asked.

Really.

As time passed the corporate behavior became more complacent, their trickery more blatant. Their contempt for ordinary people is manifest. On one occasion during the peaceful Occupy Movement, protesters staging a sit-in in New York City were treated to the spectacle of a one-percenter emerging from his office block to ostentatiously pour a bottle of expensive wine over the heads of those sitting in front.

Contempt, indeed.

US Senator Bernie Sanders woke us all up. His run for President was a roller-coaster ride of jubilation that ended on a sour note when it became obvious the so-called Democratic Party was anything but. It is in fact a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Clinton Family, and they had absolutely no intention of allowing anybody but Her to be the nominee. Allegations of electoral fraud have been dismissed by carefully-placed judges. Bernie Sanders himself was forced to go to New Hampshire, a place where he had great success during the primary to Her detriment, to give his endorsement for her as nominee. (I'm sure if she'd thought she could get away with it, she'd have cut the Senator's head off and held it up to the people of New Hampshire as an example of what happens to those who defy her.)

Post-convention, propaganda moves to discredit Senator Sanders' new Our Revolution movement have been ramped up. Proposed head of the organization Jeff Weaver has been slammed for acting like a traitor and turncoat, a real Benedict Arnold. People who have supposedly been Bernie Sanders supporters all along have vilified him on social media and in the press for appearing to support Her.

It's ugly stuff and so irrelevant.

Why? Because it's not about Jeff Weaver. It's not even about U.S. Senator

Bernie Sanders, although he is owed a yuge vote of thanks for waking us up. Our Revolution is about You and Me, our children and their descendants, and the world we want them to have. For myself, I don't want to leave a world that's owned by the multi-national corporations, where people are no longer citizens of their country but slaves for the rich.

Let's leave this idea of personalities behind and carry forward the idea of progressive values. It's the last thing the one percent want us to do, and so it must be the first thing we do.

We must get involved in government at all levels, beginning with local affairs such as school boards, county commissioners, sheriff, judges and so on up the scale. Our Revolution is the lubricant that will loosen the one-percenter's grip on our world. 

***

Jill Stein at Capital University

September 2, 2016:  Jill Stein arrived in the Columbus, Ohio area about two hour later than her scheduled time of noon--all a part of the challenges third parties face because they don't have big travel budgets. Here's Jill with human rights attorney and activist Bob Fitrakis (to her right) who is running on the Green Party ticket for Franklin County (Ohio) Prosecutor. The Greens are quite active in the Columbus area, and they're currently collecting signatures to put an anti-fracking measure on the city/county ballot. Good luck, C-bus Greens!

Capital University's campus Green Party group arranged Jill Stein's visit to their school. It's heartening to see the Millennial generation working  hard to bring political and environmental issues to the public's awareness. We can only hope and pray they have a better future in spite of their elders' selfish ways.

Former Ohio Green Party gubernatorial candidate Anita Rios talked about how she overcame many obstacles in her life to get where she is today, and how she's never going to quit fighting for a brighter future for all our children.

 Dr. Wasserman of Capital University helps Jill with the question and answer portion of her presentation. Yes, Jill actually takes questions from her audience and the press, unlike another presidential candidate who has avoided speaking to the press for over 280+ days now. And  once again Jill got asked the "Why are you against vaccines?" question.  Dr. Stein repeated that she was trained as a medical doctor and isn't against vaccines. She's for bettering the public's health, which includes vaccination. In fact, she co-authored a book, In Harm's Way, on how toxins in our environment adversely affect child development. You can download the pdf file of In Harm's Way for free at this link.  

Jill is also against the so-called "War on Drugs," which has done nothing but create a "school to prison pipeline" in communities of color in order to make money for private, for-profit prisons. Jill pointed out that the bloated U.S. Defense budget makes up 54% of the total budget and the next items get 7% or less. The Green Party plans to bail out our students from their burden of college debt instead of bailing out "too big to fail" banks.  Greens want to invest our tax dollars into a "Green New Deal" to provide jobs and education to transform America into a first world country. All Americans will have the dignity of work and live free from fear of losing their credit ratings and homes due to medical debt because of universal health care.

We were sunburned from sitting out on the lawn for several hours, but still very happy to have met Jill Stein in person. Jill is a very polite and approachable person. I think that's what makes her a good candidate--you get a vibe that she actually likes people and wants to help them and our world become healthier, happier and safer. Her motto is "People, Planet and Peace above Profits." She's not in the race for the glory or millions. She's in it because she really cares. 

A lot of Berners have picked up on this sense of "Not Me Us" in Jill's Green Party message. Progressives of all stripes can rally around the Green platform with its emphasis on ordinary people and saving our planet, a far cry from the corporate-owned-and-operated establishment parties. The new "Green Party Anthem" debuted this past week at the famous Bernie Cafe in Los Angeles. Rap along with Kor Element's Power to the People on Jill's Facebook page or listen to it on this Truthdig You Tube video.  To misquote Kor Element: Let's "get outta line and vote Jill Stein." Power to the people!