With the United States in dire need of a single-payer health care system, and with Democrats controlling both branches of Congress and the White House, you'd think the prospects for change would be great. But the Congress' and Obama Administration's unwillingness to stand up to the insurance and pharmaceutical industries will result in, at best, sham reform. Obama and the Democratic majority need to get behind Rep. Conyers and Rep. Kucinich's HR 676, the only health care bill in Congress that will truly cover all and cut costs.
The video below shows how--as of now--the Democratic majority will not even allow single-payer advocates a seat at the table. Shameful.
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The one word for lack of action on this is complacency. William Grieder, publisher of The Nation magazine, has recently said that the Democrats are out of excuses.
Well, locally I went to a istening session with Congressman Kagen at the Fleet Farm in Appleton last Saturday. I was going to bring up 676 and maybe somebody did. However as I was in line I had a chat with a local activist who was showing another plan. We talked about a number of things but I decided not to speak and let her take this timid agenda of private and public plan to Kagen and then find out what was said. Even from where I sat I heard the cliche
about "we haven't got the votes." The Republicans when in majority never have that problem or excuse. Why? Kagen accepted the fact sheet on that plan.
The meeting was peculiar in that A.) it was held after the budget debate so taking about the war was beside the point. B.) Few people and no Democratic party members as party members were on the robo call that informed me of the "event." Lastly the event was held in a conference manner where you couldn't hear him give any answers except to individual petitioners for whatever they had on their minds.
So an odd event at best.
Local and state-based action is the only alternative. Apparently Tammy Baldwin is introducing
legislation to make single payer easier to implement at the state level by reducing the road
blocks and restrictions.
Shameful indeed. But the activists are confronting the Congress in the same way that Code Pink has done with the war. There's a lesson in that.
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