Op Ed: Half of American Families Facing Real Healthcare Hurts

New studies reported from widespread authoritative sources show that more than half of American families, some now comparatively among our “richies”, already are suffering from rapidly rising healthcare costs.

The American Heart Association found in a just completed poll that FIFTY-SEVEN percent state that the economy has affected their ability to take care of their health. ONE-THIRD of those surveyed, with income at $75,000-and-up, admitted they, too, were “feeling squeezed”.

THIRTY-TWO percent have “skipped some preventive care” --already a huge weakness in American healthcare, with costly consequences in the long run. But, perhaps most ominous of all these distressing numbers. TEN percent have halted or cut back on their use of medicines for chronic conditions.

For some, that failure can bring on extremely dangerous --and highly costly-- sudden-trip solution involving “the emergency room”; and driving hospital costs even higher.

Yet FORTY-TWO percent report they will be trimming healthcare-related expenses in the next six months; TWENTY-TWO percent have skipped such “normal” processes as a routine dental cleaning; EIGHTEEN percent a mammogram OR an annual physical exam; and THIRTEEN percent that saving shot to prevent the flu.

It is all too clear --and completely demanding of immediate Congressional action-- that this is absolutely not any ‘mass hysteria” manifestation, as some will still contend. It is the massive and mounting consequence of decades of neglect for an exquisitely painful pressure felt throughout the whole population, popularly and publicly reported widely by healthcare professionals ever since the early ‘70s.

Then only SEVEN percent of U.S. national output went to healthcare. In 2008, it reacher SEVENTEEN percent -- $2.4 TRILLION, more than we spent on housing OR food! Yet the myth of American superiority in healthcare still persists, despite the fact that we’re now far down the list for life expectancy: At 78, while Japan is now at 83, and even Costa Rica is better than we are.

The World Health Organization ranks America behind THIRTY others for commonsense concentration on preventive care, wise and careful nutrition, and exercise.

That emphasizes rising insistence that we move away from sick-care and treatments growing ever more costly towards much more effective emphasis on every form of prevention. President Obama’s Secretary of Health and Human Services told a Senate hearing: “We cannon achieve our ultimate goal --a healthier nation-- unless we shift away from a sick-care system.

“We pay for emergencies, not the care that prevents them, with little emphasis on the responsibility each of us has in keeping ourselves and our families well.”

Even the most “concentrated” conservative mustwelcome that emphasis, so clearly now apparent to any rational, reasonable person. Surely it is the best possible guide for pragmatic reduction of rising costs clearly approaching the “unsustainable” level under the current system --made even more vulnerable by capitalism’s long-proven profits-driven “cyclical aberrations”.

We’ve learned long ago --the hard way, by the long list of corporate-profit corruptions so concentrated as to demand rapid, radical Congressional remediation and restoration of effective regulation and supervision-- that in this 21st Century, even more than for decades earlier, it is our government which often now must act as the last-and-sole final resort.

While Congress continues its long-delayed and still far too lackadaisical --obviously “politically-cautious” - -approach to a rising torrent ot terrible impacts on our FORTY/FIFTY millions of Americans now UN-covered, distressing damage is multiplying still further heavy hurting conditions and inevitable human consequences.

Costs thus continue massively to mount still further from our common-sense/compromised failure to take the preventive path knowledgeable healthcare providers have been promoting futilely ever since the 70s.

Those following these developments over the past decades now see the same consequences of the changing corporate culture --and constantly growing emphasis on profit as the first, last, and ONLY criterion for “success”-- as one constant in the combination of rapid life-style and cultural-value developments forcing us all into this exceedingly painful and threatening status.

Many will also add the desperate denigration of essential government/function itself --attacked ever since Reagan-days as “...the problem”-- for the long continued delay in deep-probing reforms, demanded as always at the top of the list by well-understood public opinion for a decade.

They point to the billions-spent to defy, delay, and even defeat --as during the Clinton Administration-- any effective reforms, now surely demanded for continued American assurance for all of the Constitutionally promised “equal opportunity”.

When one must suffer unavoidable consequence from neglect of health, surely that prevents any equal learning, developing, working --LIVING-- “equal opportunity”. When millions find themselves involuntarily captured in circumstance set into motion by “cyclical aberration” in “the system”, it is surely time to rationally, reasonably, rapidly, radically, and remorselessly demand that our Congress decide, develop, and demonstrate what democracy can really DO --for all of us, together in this “richest nation on Earth”.

In the 21st Century, after 250 years of well-proven democratic power, building the private-endeavor prowess that made us what we are today: Is there any doubt that WE can DO what our Founders surely gave US the tools to accomplish?

Congress carries heavy continuing responsibilities. Every member needs YOUR guidance, OUR suggestions, forcefully and continuously delivered.

The power of pure, unalloyed PUBLIC OPINION honestly, openly achieved via democratic dialog --and backed by the “big bang” of the next VOTE !-- is still felt by these “elected rulers” of our nation.

THAT is OUR way of rebutting, reversing, and refereeing our elected representatives. They are now surrounded by lobbyists outnumbering them 100-to-ONE; every one of them bears that heavy bag of “corporate campaign contributions”, so loaded via the profit-motives at the heart of this whole matter.

Famous economist John Maynard Keynes stated: “In the long run, we are all dead.” That surely applies --”in spades”: no pun!-- to the current continuing climax of a century seeking some solid solutions for sensible, serious citizens on the major and now massive problems of healthcare and equalopportunity for all.

We dare not wait out another century of delay and denial forced upon us by “cyclical aberration” in our system. Change our healthcare we MUST DO NOW.

The rest of what’s required clearly becomes tomorrow’s work. But without healthcare-achieved that may never happen.

Reader’s Note: Many points reflect the comprehensive content of articles in PARADE Magazine published Sunday 5/17, with the writer’s appreciation of multiple sources otherwise difficult to accumulate for this summary. In addition, some twenty Internet reports, ten issues of TIME Magazine, and writer’s files since the ‘70s were also consulted. (Happens I also found my file copy of the early slide-show presentation titled “Health Care Costs: CRITICAL PUBLIC ISSUE” as prepared by LMA-Chicago for the then-Hospital Financial Management Association.)

He joined Dr. Amo DeBernardis at PCC, helping establish, extend programs, facilities, Oregon/national public relations; moved to Chicago as Editor/Publisher of oldest educational-AV journal, reformed as AV GUIDE Magazine; then established and operated Learning Media Associates as general communications consultant group. Due to wife’s illness, he returned to Oregon in 1981, semi-retired, and has continued writing intermittently ever since, joining S-N in 2004. His Op Eds now total over 560 written since then.

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Henry Clay Ruark May 25, 2009 5:47 pm (Pacific time)

TO A;;: Here's "see with own eyes link to one of world's leading economists, with surprising word re "crisis needed" on healthcare":A 'Crisis' America Needs By Robert J. Samuelson Monday, May 25, 2009 When the trustees of Social Security and Medicare recently reported on the economic status of these programs, the news coverage was universally glum. The recession had made everything worse. "Social Security, Medicare Face Insolvency Sooner," headlined the Wall Street Journal. Actually, these reports were good news. Better would have been: "Social Security, Medicare Risk Bankruptcy in 2010." It's increasingly obvious that Congress and the president (regardless of the party in power) will deal with the political stink bomb of an aging society only if forced. And the most plausible means of compulsion would be for Social Security and Medicare to go bankrupt: Trust funds run dry; promised benefits exceed dedicated payroll taxes. The sooner this happens, the better." ------------- Use link to discover WHY-HOW Samuelson thinks we must act NOW ! www.wpost.com

Henry Ruark May 25, 2009 3:07 pm (Pacific time)

Friend Davis: Yours-with-me appreciated also; we may just prove up prior priority for proper person-to-person pattern ! Agree absolutely with your last sentence; do NOT rule out ANYthing, and am as adamant re rotten-handling in Congress and other govt. sections as you are. Just do NOT AGREE with input suggesting govt. NEVER gets anything right, always coming from RIGHT (!); with striking successes over many past painful issues as offset to that monstrous myth, perpetrated by those leading a weakening Reagan for their own private (and profit) purposes. SO let's lay out every level of lasting well-illuminated problem and prospect, THEN MOVE. My intensities arise from fellow feeling with those who MUST have meds-on-time, or put in rapid call for 911-amb. ride. Automatic banning of any group or any part of major problems we now see every day is what may allow private profit interests to "deny, defy, delay, defeat" --AGAIN ! --what it is the American people now clearly demand, as doth every professional group charged with proper and heavy responsibilities for their fellow-citizens' healthcare. Thank you for your mirroring participation allowing us to probingly dialog on deep, dark and complex public issue.

Davis May 25, 2009 12:21 pm (Pacific time)

Friend Henry thanks for your patience. The book I mentioned earlier that discussed Ted Kennedy's less than sterling financial practices is "Do As I Say (Not As I Do): Profiles in Hypocrisy." The book reveals the glaring contradictions between the public stances and real-life behavior of prominent personalities. Henry there is also an illuminating section on self-described socialist Noam Chomsky who as you know has described the Pentagon as "the most vile institution on the face of the earth" and lashed out against tax havens and trusts that benefit only the rich. But Chomsky had been paid millions of dollars by the Pentagon over the last 40 years, and he used a venerable law firm to set up an irrevocable trust to shield his assets from the IRS. I do not have the book in my possession at this time, but I clearly remember that it was well sourced and I do not believe there has been any lawsuits against the author or publisher for any alleged untruths. It's a good read. As our most articles that address government run health care programs around the world so one can get a flavor of how they are working out, rather than just getting one side of the story. That's the best way to become informed objectively don't you think? With possibly 50 million people entering into a national health care program, on a logistical level, how do we care for them? What would be the acceptable ratio of patient to doctors? Nurses? other medical professionals? Diagnostic eguipment and lab testings? Seems that massive delays would set in and the government does not have a history of sorting out beauracratic red tape. Maybe we need to move cautiously and pragmatically before we do more harm than good.

Henry Ruark May 25, 2009 10:12 am (Pacific time)

To all: Here's "see with own eyes" link to allow YOU to "use own mind" re probabilities that private profit will ever alter its ways in providing widely available quality healthcare: www.alternet.org That Didn’t Take Long: Insurance Industry Breaks Promise to President Obama By Jason Rosenbaum, The Seminal Posted on May 16, 2009, Printed on May 18, 2009 http://www.alternet.org/bloggers/http://www.theseminal.com//140062/ Just four days after standing next to President Obama and declaring their commitment to control health care costs to the tune of $2 trillion over 10 years, the insurance industry, drug and medical device makers, and hospital groups are backing off their promise: Hospitals and insurance companies said Thursday that President Obama had substantially overstated their promise earlier this week to reduce the growth of health spending. Mr. Obama invited health industry leaders to the White House on Monday to trumpet their cost-control commitments. But three days later, confusion swirled in Washington as the companies’ trade associations raced to tamp down angst among members around the country. ... Health care leaders who attended the meeting have a different interpretation. They say they agreed to slow health spending in a more gradual way and did not pledge specific year-by-year cuts." ---------------- Much more deeply distressing detail, revealing realities of our universal predicament in further reliance on outmoded, distorted, perverted private profit pattern for what is broadly now recognized as an essential human right. The world doth still grow and change, demanding we do so with or ahead of that progress to maintain our own essential control over the unavoidable components of 21st Century life.

Henry Ruark May 25, 2009 8:20 am (Pacific time)

TO ALL: Davis wrote:"From my informed perspective, and that is what one becomes when they review the above link, an open market system is the best way to go. For those with limited funds, then a voucher system can be implemented. We should never allow anyone not to receive comprehensive care." His words show dependence on biased politically-produced single-source, while he agrees with what we economically and morally MUST DO, rapidly. But then cometh the wriggle and rapid recasting, relying on very same old system, now broken, we inherited from Reagan/neocon policy now proven precisely a precursor for the present real disaster, worldwide, economically, culturally, threatening ALL healthcare everywhere -- with 50 MILLION NOW without ANY coverage in our own country. THEN he has ironcast gall to refer to Thatcher's impotent pattern preventing precisely the kinds of healthcare change we now must have, with fully predictable market-based mass disasters further perpetrated on our British friends. What he's pandering here --strictly for badly-failed "political principle"-- is more/of-same multiple market mess-ups we've seen so badly "balanced" between private profit and quality healthcare for all, for far too long ! Latest studies from within broad range of professional healthcare practitioners shows extremely strong support for precisely what Op Ed reports. Summary underway for rapid, full additional disclosure here ASAP as fully concluded. Meanwhile "Be not benighted" by brute betrayal of fact for outmoded, disprove "miracle of the market" fantasies. Even Adam Smith knew better and declared market pattern worked only when open, honest, and balanced for fair, honest exchange from both sides. Do YOU really believe THAT is now accomplished in our "healthcare system, driven by "the profit motive", STILL its mainspring in the face of the proven necessities for life of those now deprived in "the richest country in the world" today ??? If you do, I have a great free-market investment for you in oceanside property in that wonderful state, ARIZONA... JUST SEND MONEY ON MY FINE ADVICE --NO NEED TO CHECK IT OUT WITH OWN MIND FROM SEE WITH OWN EYES EVIDENCE. OR to know from whence cometh my fine words with no possible ID for credibility.

Henry Ruark May 24, 2009 7:31 pm (Pacific time)

Davis et al: Been reading plain English ever since 4 yrs. old, Edit level for 60 years. IF you are familiar with MJ article you either did not understand, or you dissembling here per other points. You claim expertise, full pertinent background but fail to ID that in slightest fashion. That is sure sign of some reason to conceal facts known in every trustworthy human conversation, per every guide taught in communication research. Re link you "recommend highly", DID check and REPORT already here, so you obviously did NOT read, or do you again misunderstand plain English ? It is self-labeled as shown in my comment, libertarian as day is long. Thus. purposely or only by political-shaped background, stories selected reek with that open, admitted bias. ALL national healthcare progams have both good and bad situations, unavoidably; but again you miss the point here: WHAT do we DO, NOW, for our own FIFTY MILLIONS ? YOU offer nothing on that except same old pap repeating "miracle of the market" so abysmally failed in current crisis and recurring similar ones (at least 20 since Civil War !) of increasing violence to middle and lower income groups. Do you question reports cited ? If so,share your links to offset national groups well identified in PARADE ? Did you read it ? If so, quote word for word from any section, ID by page no. for easy check. OR did you give it away, as for book you mention re Kennedy smear ? Do you recall name of book ? IF you read it, you can surely recollect author and some part of title, right ? Please note we ID any ref. here with whatever it takes for "see with own eyes", with ISBN for every book mentioned. I.E.,you offer us here still more propaganda by personal proclamation only, with no reliable national nonpartisan sources, no further word re YOUR own healthcare status. I repeat to all: "Be not benighted" by more big/word/ no-proof, biased claims from masked man who dare not utter own name and proof of put-outs via ID to Editor with phone which answers when called... I await the ID AND the phone no., and AGAIN invite your checkable links to proven nonpartisan sources AND our intriguing dialog via your checkable phone. Failing that, yours here further simple waste of space and effort to prolong proven avoidance to prove up your simple, demanded good will. Wellknown Oregon car service company states in TV ads that "We won't sell it if we cannot guarantee it !" So if you expect us to BUY your product, prove up why YOU can guarantee it, via links, checkable phone contact, and answers to my prior queries illuminatimg easy to share information we can check --AND then report on here, openly, honestly --and democratically. WE DO provide precisely that level of "see with own eyes, evaluate with own mind" source information, and continue to advise all to do so for our own stuff. Our purpose here is to strengthen and concentrate public attention on crucial issues for honest,open dialog. We state what we see as the commonsense summary from true sources, in some detail. Our sources are available on true and honest request with that checkable phone number that really answers. Surely we have obligation and responsibility to expect as much from anyone who wishes to participate, in all due deference to every reader who pays even a nickel's worth of attention, and spends some few moments in cogitation...

Henry Ruark May 24, 2009 4:10 pm (Pacific time)

To all: Apologies for unintentional double-up on recent Comments here...this is either anomaly in my old eMac or perhaps in S-N system. BUT distortion/perversion so potently prevalent in so much Internet material that it is now recognized as national problem, with Congressional and FCC studies underway to isolate and refine some ways to reduce it. SO hang on, your attention is worth all you give it here and yoy can count on being better equipped for your own "informed opinion" !! For insider view of how this ties directly into political pandering and those who perpetrate it constantly, see new book by WPostlongtime editor Robert Kaiser: TOO DAMNED MUCH MONEY: The Triumph of Lobbying and the Corrosion of American Goerrnment", at any library or bookstore, or by discount from Amazon.

Davis May 24, 2009 1:11 pm (Pacific time)

Henry I am familiar with the Mother Jones Fiscal Therapy article you mentioned below. That is what my primary point is about regarding educating oneself about government run health care programs/policies of other countries, and the superbly objective and highly informing link: http://www.angelfire.com/pa/sergeman/issues/healthcare/socialized.html ...it allows those who truely want to engage in developing knowlege about government healthcare. Have you been to this link Henry? It addresses all concerns with a chronological framework that exposes all the good, and the mostly serious pitfalls that has impacted all government health care organizations since they began. From my informed perspective, and that is what one becomes when they review the above link, an open market system is the best way to go. For those with limited funds, then a voucher system can be implemented. We should never allow anyone not to receive comprehensive care. Please note that in England, after 40 years of just government run care, they started opening up to some market coverage and care improved considerably for those who had it (see above link). So we should look to improving our private health care system and minimize govermental intervention because as you know, one really cannot show where our government has been very successful running anything very well. You get what you pay for, so we need to do it correctly. Debates and all bills should be completely transparent, as was promised, so all Americans can be part of the legislative process and provide feedback before anything is passed unilaterally. We clearly see what happened when they steamrolled the Stimulus Bill, which no one read, and what a mess that is still becoming.

Henry Ruark May 24, 2009 11:42 am (Pacific time)

To all: For tose seriously concerned with healthcare reform costs --as you shoul be !-- check out FISCAL THERAPY by David Cay Johnston, Pulitzer Prize winner investigating the entire range of our economy, in Mother Jones Jan-Feb. 09 issue. Please note M/J won the most prestigious "best magazine" national award recently, never handed to single-side, oneshot propaganda purveyor. Some 20 similar ref. used for this Op Ed, per Reader's Note on preceding Part One, as well as main source in PARADE, national Sunday-issue newspaper supplement also award-winner for factual reports. You pays your nickel here, by investing time and your own full attention, so choose very carefully where you wish to place your credibility on this literally life-threatening issue !! We tell you true, then send you to "see for yourself", as some others seek to divert attention, distort realities, and pervert your actions on the issue involved.

Henry Ruark May 24, 2009 10:57 am (Pacific time)

To all: Check of Davis' other link shows it to be Mark Valenti's Liberty site. He is self-dscribed there as: "*Socialist Democrat (1990-1997) *Small government Libertarian (1997-2002) *Free-market libertarian and anarcho-capitalist (2002-present) --------------------- Again, nothing wrong with honest, open, democratic ID of what, whence it cometh, and why. BUT dialog in good faith demands reference in good faith to solid, substantial, confirmed, nonpartisan, open, honest, democratic detail of factual information checked by "see with own eyes, evaluate with own mind". That was definite part and plan of The Federalist Papers, derived from probing study of leading philosophers from all of history-then. Readers should --and most serious ones DO !-- resent being sold a bill of goods under false pretense of open, honest, democratic dialog. That simply emphasizes that attitude that makes politics into war, to be won by any means, no matter how bloody or distorted or perverted, OR costly in both dollars and damage to our democracy. But easy-check of link does surely show up WHY Davis et al always refuse full, revealing ID, a further act of contempt for readership here. Worth noting is that the Articles of Confederation, rapidly abandoned by wise patriot Founders for what they then wrote, was weak-govt. with wide-open capitalistic license for entirely unregulated entrepreneurs... major reason for change our Founders realized, then moving to three-components of current governance --LEGILATIVE, EXECUTIVE, JUDICIAL-- meant to offset BY THEIR COORDINATION precisely the growing power of potent dollar interests from which we now suffer so exceedingly it is major cause for worldwide economic crisis.

Henry Ruark May 24, 2009 10:46 am (Pacific time)

Davis May 24, 2009 10:26 am (Pacific time)

I strongly recommend the below link that has a well designed comprehensive review of different government run health care programs. It provides actual empirical data with easily read graphs and narratives that in a no-nonsense way shows why just reading individual one-sided opinions (regardless of their viewpoints/agenda) is not sufficient to grasp this very important health care program. http://www.angelfire.com/pa/sergeman/issues/healthcare/socialized.html

Henry Ruark May 24, 2009 8:45 am (Pacific time)

To all: "Friend" Davis now refers us all to a notorious PR-purveyor whose own site states purpose to make dollars from what he provides. Here is "see with own eyes": "Kelly S. Eustis is President, Chief Executive Officer, and Founder of Eusatrix Corporation, a strategic public relations and political consulting firm specializing in public affairs, campaign management, online advocacy, and media relations. Founded in 2007, Eusatrix serves conservative political and issue-advocacy campaigns, non-profit organizations, and corporate clients." Having "been there, done that" for some years, quite successfully, I KNOW he never can operate and retain clients without making sure what he writes satisfies their politic principles. Note date and experience, tallying with renewal of big noise machine still funded by Far Right billionaires... Do YOU wish to accept him and his product in lieu of a national magazine or one of many registered nonpartisan sources ? Check out those we supply for you in S-N. From a propaganda-writing person who refuses to inform us of his OWN background, his OWN status via healthcare, and his OWN operational status NOW while ostensibly agreeing with GREAT NEED while sabotaging any RAPID REFORM for those in that FIFTY-MILLION/STRONG real everyday bind, some hanging by a thread of everyday necessary meds ?????? !!!!! Ref. to paid propagandist should surely destroy any small remaining credibility for this one, serve as example of what is ALWATS their last-step, as reality sets in for readers here. It is NOT GOP stance under fire here, but use of paid provider for political propaganda, when surely many objective sources open for factual presentation. Those go un-used here since huge consensus backs up Op Ed comprehensively on each point.

Henry Ruark May 23, 2009 7:20 pm (Pacific time)

"Heart of the matter" here is undoubtedly due to corporate fat-cat attitudes, remorseless drive for corporate "profits", now becoming meaningless in view of many rapid world-changing events reflected remorselessly in world economic crisis NOW. Best possible next-step is rapid-change, forced by huge public outcry on healthcare, education, wasting wars. "See with own eyes" WHY and WHAT in CREATIVE CAPITALISM; Michael Kinsley;SimonandSchuster;'08'; ISBN-13: 978-1-4165-9941-8. FORTY world leaders in wide variety int'viewed,questioned, dialog with each other. Tough, honest, probing, hard hitting,hard-headed stuff --if you can take it. Be careful, involuntary cogitation may occur.

Henry Ruark May 23, 2009 7:17 pm (Pacific time)

"Heart of the matter" here is undoubtedly due to corporate fat-cat attitudes, remorseless drive for corporate "profits". Best possible next-step is rapid-change, forced by huge public outcry on healthcare, education, wasting wars. "See with own eyes" WHY and WHAT in CREATIVE CAPITALISM; Michael Kinsley;SimonandSchuster;'08'; ISBN-13: 978-1-4165-9941-8. FORTY world leaders in wide variety int'viewed,questioned, dialog with each other. Tough, honest, probing, hard hitting,hard-headed stuff --if you can take it. Be careful, involuntary cogitation may occur.

Davis May 23, 2009 9:24 am (Pacific time)

The below link (an excellent source!) will provide the reader with a superb cornucopia of material (much is straight from newspapers around the world) that acknowledges the many problems associated with government run health care systems. I'm sure all of you readers will find this link objective and highly informational. On a personal note, I would like to see everyone covered, but we must familiarize ourselves with what has failed so as not to duplicate. Pragmatic and earnest debate must be pursued and maybe we'll have a chance to really help people rather than in the long term collapse all health care benefits by allowing government to replicate past failures, which they have a pattern of doing. "Great Britain's National Health Service (NHS) was created on July 5, 1948. As with all government programs, bureaucrats underestimated initial cost projections. First-year operating costs of NHS were 52 million pounds higher than original estimates1 as Britons saturated the so-called free system. Many decades of shortages, misery and suffering followed until 1989, when some market-based health care competition was reintroduced to the British citizens2. Unfortunately for those requiring care, a mostly socialist health care system has problems. The articles and commentaries in this section identify some disasters caused by government intervention... in various countries around the world." http://www.angelfire.com/pa/sergeman/issues/healthcare/socialized.html

Davis May 23, 2009 9:02 am (Pacific time)

Friend Henry I gave several books away to friends recently and one dealt with Ted Kennedy's offshore tax shelters that was fully documented. I, like you I'm sure have a big distaste for hypocrites, and Ted Kennedy does act differently than how he speaks. The below statement with link is for your review and I shall try to get my original source material. Glad to hear that medicare is working for you, that is what it's suppose to do. Later I will provide you with an excellent source that shows the pitfalls of nationalized healthcare using actual case studies from different countries. "Ted Kennedy, U.S. Senator from Massachusetts. His love of the environment and tax increases, along with habitual arrogance, puts him as a great leader in the Democratic Party. However, Ted’s claims become void in his actions. He is quoted wanting high taxes for the rich and believes in estate taxes but puts the Kennedy riches in off-shore tax shelters in countries like Fiji. On energy and the environment, Ted wants clean energy technologies and less dependency on natural resources for America. But a little known fact is that Senator Kennedy’s family owns oil companies and he was against the wind power project of the coast of Massachusetts because it was too close to the Kennedy compound. " http://www.kellyseustis.com/newsroom/opeds/op102706.html

Henry Ruark May 23, 2009 8:44 am (Pacific time)

To all: While 50 MILLION Americans find themselves in danger of faltering healthcare, banks and corporations continue to fund their top-level favorites in far-flung dollar-distorting ways: www.alternet.org Just When You Thought the Corporate Rip-Off Schemes Couldn't Get Any Worse... By David Sirota Using employees' life insurance policies as a back-door way to pad the boss's salary ... wow. This month, the Obama administration unveiled a plan to reform the taxes that apply to life insurance. Not surprisingly, the insurance industry freaked out, paushing out its spokesman to say "This is absolutely the wrong time to make it more expensive for families, as well as U.S. businesses, to obtain the security and peace of mind our products provide." That sounds reasonable, until you read this incredible new report from the Wall Street Journal about how insurance companies use current tax rules not to help "families obtain security and peace of mind" but to help fat-cat executives pad their salaries: Banks are using a little-known tactic to help pay bonuses, deferred pay and pensions they owe executives: They're holding life-insurance policies on hundreds of thousands of their workers, with themselves as the beneficiaries. The insurance policies essentially are informal pension funds for executives: Companies deposit money into the contracts, which are like big, nondeductible IRAs, and allocate the cash among investments that grow tax-free. Over time, employers receive tax-free death benefits when employees, former employees and retirees die. -------------- Sirota is awrd-winning investigative reporter known for his probing, proven,potent books and major articles. "See with own eyes" the "rest of the story" via the honest, open link above.

Henry Ruark May 22, 2009 8:08 pm (Pacific time)

To all: Be not benighted by big, bad propaganda gurus spending more billions. Internet is open access to facts you can check by "see with own eyes" links. See www.ourfuture.org for whole list on healthcare. Here is 2nd of six open there now: 2. New Report by Health Care for America Now Details Need for a Public Health Insurance Plan to Combat Health Insurance Consolidation Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) joined Health Care for America Now (HCAN) the nation's largest health care campaign in releasing a new report today that shows extreme health insurance industry consolidation has resulted in a market failure where a small number of large companies use their concentrated power to control premium levels, benefit packages, and provider payments in the markets they dominate. As a result, health insurance premiums have skyrocketed, going up more than 87% - on average - over the past six years. "To try to reform healthcare in the current market structure is like setting sail across the Atlantic on a raft," added David Balto, former Policy Director of the Federal Trade Commission. He noted while renewed antitrust and consumer protection enforcement is essential, it is not sufficient to begin to restore some semblance of a functioning market. Only a public health insurance option will be able to force private insurance companies to adopt new pro-consumer policies. Read the whole report at link given at www.ourfuture.org.) Local coverage of the report release Lack of competition driving up health costs By Erica Peterson West Virginia Public Radio 2 health insurance companies have 'near-monopoly' in Florida, reform activists say By Fernando Quintero Orlando Sentinel ------------------ Copy shows what's on link at www.ourfuture.org, with access there for all reports listed by check-and-see for your own-mind evaluation. We run honest, open, AND democratic S-N channel, on which you can depend for "see with own eyes" for our stuff (as well as sought for others) AND "evaluate with own mind". That's dialog as it was meant to be --and as Founders used it when they achieved the freedom we call "free speech", anchored in First Amendment, which deserves respect and proper, honest, documented use from all of us --including those who now pose behind false-front without reference to public records; federal act or other access links;reliable publication name, date and page numbers; OR actual "take me there" link for what they profess as the facts for honest background. You pays your nickel here, then take your choice of those who report by their word-only OR by those who give you the easy-access open and simple for all to use honestly.

Henry Ruark May 22, 2009 3:53 pm (Pacific time)

To all: FYI for all: One of my two daily-demanded meds costs me $15.83 via Medicaid. Its list price without that aid is now $111.99. Must have daily dose within two hours of regular time or I face sure ambulance rusn to hospital or other emergency aid for special treatment. Without Medicaid, I would struggle to afford continued life, made possible only by that precise med. Many others far younger take same meds, MUST HAVE DAILY. If now unemployed, they risk the ambulance trip and the emergency room to save life. That follows as inexorably as sun coming up tomorrow. Which is why we MUST NOW have some form of healthcare for everyone, recognized as new "right" we must support for cost-reasons if nation is to continue to move forward. SO much from personal shared experience,thus further surely "documenting" fact and reality vs personal, unsupported, and propaganda-based statement.

Henry Ruark May 22, 2009 3:16 pm (Pacific time)

To all: Davis' smear of Ted Kennedy is meant to offset the fully documented detail in the NATION article: "Here's another..." is old propaganda distortion and attention move. It seems to have originated due to Kennedy involvement in '87 discussions re the Danforth Amendment, a strong effort to control "earmarks" in Congress, a notorious way around the allocation of funds from the public purse. Will NOT cite documentation here, simply to make more difficult any response from youknowwho, but full ID to Editor with phone no.will bring LMA documentation on proper request. SO credibility hangs on full response from our distorting friend. Mine is established in STAFF section and by Op Eds on record.

Henry Ruark May 22, 2009 2:26 pm (Pacific time)

Davis et al: Sir, nearly every one of your points shrieks out its genesis in heavy-propaganda action now underway, costing into billions eventually, mounted by the same private interests that killed off healthcare for all in three prior situations. I note that not one of your points is supported by any documentation for what is only personal statement with no ID for your own status as expert in any area mentioned. Ours cites publication with dates and authors, for rapid self-check by any reader here. Yours re workers leaving healthcare and schools cutting back on standards flies right in the face of information in the industry and pleas to Congress for funds to assist in the proper training you now call for so intensely. I.e., sir, you reveal your own motivation by what you profess, which directly now contradicts the authoritative surveys and sources we cited. IF you have documentation, cite it by source, with link, for reader rapid access to check out what you claim. Again, as in instances past in other open dialog channels, the pattern of seeming agreement or judicious inquiry is then followed by what is ostensibly damaging statement --but NEVER with source or any link for further checkout. The only proper answer for that is to seek documentation for unsubstantiated personal statement. If the public mind can be so influenced, count on it being done in depth at the cost of billions, extending the lobby industry now perverting our Congress in D.C. itself. That's how we arrived in the sour/pickle situation we now recognize so painfully via the documented information in my Op Ed. It is still possible to tell the truth and document it via authoritative source and well known publication, as we have done on this and other topics in S-N. For those who do honestly dissent, we welcome honest dialog, but unproven, biased and distorted/perverted stance will be challenged, as this one by Davis is here and now. So, "masked man at the door", snatch away the black mask of single-name, show us who and what you are, and then supply links for each of your proffered points you state so confidently in public record here. We laid out our facts with the sources and documentation. You can do no less if you wish any credibility for your unsupported statements here.

Davis May 22, 2009 11:29 am (Pacific time)

I agree we should get those with offshore accounts who are maintaining them to avoid taxes. Though in the short term it will not impact health care costs in a meaningful way. One of the biggest users of keeping their money out of domestic banks has been Sen. Ted Kennedy who was reported to have kept over 500 million in a bank in Guam. When they passed a bill to disallow this going on in U.S protectorates Kennedy had his situation "grandfathered in" to avoid a tax liability. I wonder what type of heath coverage Kennedy has? As it is if they pass a huge healthcare program real soon, then they will be winging it and it will be a big growing mess, like all government programs. Currently you have people leaving the health professions because they're fed up with government regulations. I expect that the schools will begin to drop standards even further, including courses needed to finish different programs so as to get more health personnel online. We will have an overburdened system with longer and longer waits, continuous rationing and a medical staff that will continue to spin into the abyss of mediocrity. Once again it is not a matter of money in the short term, it is a matter of having medical resources (manpower and equipment) available, and it will take years to get more trained people. Please keep in mind as government power grows, individual liberty and freedom shrinks. When the government no longer fears the citizen's anger, you will have lost what the Founder's gave us. We need more thoughtful and pragmatic debate about national health care, but we won't and one better make sure they engage in preventative individual heath care behavior, like diet and exercise, brush and floss. We can begin a process of cutting spending and reining in out of control entitlement programs and eliminating fraud. We need to have more privately owned organizations involved in running different government programs, and having congress just in an oversight role.

Henry Ruark May 22, 2009 7:47 am (Pacific time)

To all: Please forgive partial content re Cayman and other corporate "lost" tax-refuges. (Unfortunate eMac anomaly.) Details come from NATION 6/1 article (pp.6,7) titled: LAX LITTLE ISLANDS, by David Cay Johnston,2001 Pulitzer winner. He has authored two NYTimes best-seller books on topic. There are 12,000 "paper companies" operated by one law firm from one building there, described by Pres. Obama as "Either this is the largest building in the world or the largest tax scam". What do YOU think ? With all of that lost-revenue by act of Congress previously, should we not NOW be reversing some of this colossal give-away, known as scandalous for decades ?? Congress created them, under corporate pressure; Congress can change them, under citizen pressure --IF we CHOOSE that and make sure our ELECTED representatives KNOW we MEAN ACTION NOW.

Vic May 22, 2009 7:28 am (Pacific time)

Intersting that "the worlds only superpower" cannot provide basic health care for its citizens..something that evry other industrialized nation does. Taxpayers in Oregon will pay $6.7 billion for total Iraq and Afghanistan war spending approved to date. For the same amount of money, 1,360,174 people could receive full health care for one year. An interesting parallel can be found in ant colonies. If a colony produces more army ants than workers, it will fail, as army ants consume food but do not provide or forage for it. In types of ants, like the Australian bulldog ant, the large mandibles of the soldier ants require that workers feed them as they cannot feed themselves. Colonies that invest too heavily in soldiers instead of workers many times will starve.

Henry Ruark May 21, 2009 5:45 pm (Pacific time)

Davis et al:
IF you are truly worried about rising taxes, you will naturally join activists who seek collection by the IRS of fair & equitable taxes on $1.9 trillion segregated and sheltered in Cayman Islands alone.
VP Cheney, when heading Halliburton, set up 21,000 employees for payment by a "paper corporation" there, to avoid SSecurity/Medicare tax, with that cozy arrangement still in action while he now debates Pres. Obama on "how best to provide national security", today.
One way is to pay the fair and equitable tax decided by Congress, rather than use the "paper corporation", along with more than 12,000 others, all operating out of the same law firm building there.

Henry Ruark May 21, 2009 9:13 pm (Pacific time)

Friend Davis: Surely agree on what a hell of a pickle we find nation in now. We can beat away on where, why, who and how it came about --or we can FINALLY cooperate, coordinate, and if need be coerce, to bring about changes obviously demanded. One is to mobilize, motivate many now out of service to return and use med-skills from past days, while we multiply and magnify training we should have been doing for a decade, and import, oversee, surveil and subsidize others from any source nation available. Another is to force fees and costs --AND profits--back to reasonable,rational levels. Despite myths, gov't. can and HAS done well in emergency as in New Deal via H. Hopkins, employing millions in massive payout for stimulus, but also proving up protocol and pattern. Given current crisis, same situation demands ANY similar solution possible,as payoff can come from huge savings of solid program AND honest tax collection effort now demanded for national survival. Another is to collect all those island-buried "lost" taxes from Cayman and other corporate-dollar-lined holes. (See note re NATION article, not yet up here but coming.) Re dereg., that's myth. We need MORE sensible, rational control over corporate greed, not less, per WSt.perps and bailouts and bonuses. We allowed this to generate via 30-yr. apathy, inattention to our national business and concentrated malignity via neocon policy proven impotent for powerful prosperity prolonged, just as impotent for any return from present pickle, too. So, friend, fire away on what YOU think we should do NOW, besides abrade each side in frustration and further massive public bewilderment. We might just trigger off someone with wise, creative, well-informed, experienced and INVOLVED judgments to add to wit, wisdom, will of our American people, equal to all tasks for over 250 years !! THEN we get to VOTE, too !!

Davis May 21, 2009 1:17 pm (Pacific time)

I see no easy solution to any of the pressing problems facing our nation or the world. But it is pretty clear that with limited resources there is little we can do at this time in a manageable way. Sure we can print some more money, but that will not create more health professionals to magically appear to help alleviate our manpower resource shortage. Maybe if we just let our fellow Americans loose, and for them to go out and use their innate skills to create new wealth, new jobs and a climate of prosperity will help us grow out of this economic downturn. What's stopping us from doing that? Well high taxes/ high user fees and over regulation certainly takes away motivation. It seems that we are in quite a pickle, and once again say they enact a huge healthcare program, well you have no medical personnel available. So let's start by getting more of our people trained in the medical field, which will take many years. In the meantime we just have to do what we can. It's not a good situation and it really all boils down to a growing population that is outstripping available resources. This is probably not the change people want, but it's not the fault of any particular political party in my opinion. And yes I know what bad times are and what it means to sacrifice. But the welfare of the American people come before anyone else.

Henry Ruark May 21, 2009 11:09 am (Pacific time)

Davis: You wrote, among other good points: "I see no easy solution, but in this case we must move prudently." Most of us activists agree fervently with you on that. Other points are also potent and pointed --but that's what honest, open dialog is s'posed to bring out. See mine to Phil: May I now ask YOU the same questions ? You can pretend to answer them as you would to any solid family-Dad with five kids and ailing wife, now unemployed and seeking any kind of help whereverthehell he can get it now !! "This one" already far worse due to global changes in what we all do, need, and demand, far beyond G/Dep., since whole world and all its parameters have changed so drastically. What ELSE, WHO ELSE, HOW ELSE to manage all those new millions hurting in so many bad ways ? we MUST act NOW. That's heart-of-matter, now our American challenge to find new, stronger, better, more equal, and workable solutions. As in all else for any rational, reasonable forward step, that demands we face the facts --however deplorable, however arrived-at AND however desperately difficult and demanding of us NOW. Your participation honestly appreciated; now add partial progress towards some of the solutions we must find, if you can do so. Denial, recognized or not, will only delay what we must do, and can defeat anything we may decide, even by the best and most honest of dialog. IF you question impacts of surveys, sources, situations cited, how about "see with own eyes" sources for evaluation with own minds here by links ?

Davis May 21, 2009 10:22 am (Pacific time)

I certainly agree with anyone who states that we simply do not have the resources to start another entitlement program. As far as the recent rejection by the California voters re: new taxes, this was clearly the voters saying enough of this out of control spending, so start cutting the state (and federal) budgets all over the country. That's what we as private individuals do, or at least most of us. As far as past history that reflects bad times, well they are happening currently and may get even worse. But they will definitely worsen in the long term unless we get control of this out of control spending. Right now the state of Indiana is suing the administration for destroying the bond market (their states teachers and pensioner's are only getting 29 cents on the dollar for premium purchased bonds) so the UAW union could be bailed out by our tax money. It appears that we have some decision makers that are simply winging it, and that will most likely be what to expect in future funding of new entitlement programs. I sure hate to see people suffer, but try to imagine a national health care system that has not enough medical personnel to accomadate millions of new people (even now we are short-handed), especially if we fast track illegals to citizenship and then add tens of millions more as their relatives stream in. Of course the about to be bankrupt social security system will fail because of new burdens that would cause. It will take years to train new medical personnel, years. Otherwise the waiting periods for a doctors appointment will be quite long and getting to see a specialist will take even longer. I see no easy solution, but in this case we must move prudently. To move like we did with the so far failed stimulus bill, may just collapse what we now have, as imperfect as it is, for it is still better than nothing.

Henry Ruark May 21, 2009 7:47 am (Pacific time)

Phil:
Yours indicates ignorance of both event and trends, clearly set forth by some 20 separate national polls and studies reported here.
Yr 1st two sentences are directly contradictory of each other.

Financial resources are not in question since we now find waste and excess gain, well-demonstrated by Big Pharm and Big WarTools, decimating what we are already doing, per facts fully on the public record.

Check percentages of current and past national budget costs, sir, which some of polls cited have already done.

Is YOUR healthcare paid up and working, sir ?
Does it depend on job ?
Are YOU still employed, able to support family ?

OR retired and well able to relax via corporate holdings or private profits from entirely proper business operations ?

Questions entirely fair here, since many millions of our compatriots now face the future out of work from no action of their own, with the heavy load of family --now without healthcare and even facing eviction.

Have YOU ever "been there"?
I have; my 1st teaching year I had kids fainting in class from hunger, in Maine, in the late Thirties...
Are YOU old enough to recall that Great Depression, sir ?
Experience sharpens both perceptions and sensitivities.

Do we let them "suck it up, tough it out" in the streets of the "richest country" still burning billions and bleeding our youth in two wasting wars?
What will YOU (and others !) DO with allathose perhaps soon dying in the streets ?
Disease decimates deprived decidely and desperately, sir.

Better check YOUR healthcare setup and make sure that it is SECURE.
IF it depends on YOUR still- working income, good luck.
OR perhaps YOU are already on "Social Security" ? !!

Please understand "nothing personal": only open, honest, democratic dialog.
When one speaks publicly there is the responsibility for accountable credibility; establish yours for any welcome response, so we can get on with our dialog.

Us old geeks from "the first one" (G/D !) have some special responsibility to do so, as I know you will appreciate...

Henry Ruark May 21, 2009 8:04 am (Pacific time)

Phil: California voters demand the right to rebuild their state Constitution, today's national reports are stating. See NYT at www.nytimes.com. That's entirely expectable given the debacle in health costs and other matters-needed too, which we ALL know must conform to Constitutional review. Facts are facts, and we can change them rationally and reasonably only by mature and informed sensitivity and solid democratic governance --always muscled by massive power of the VOTE we still hold...!!

Phil May 20, 2009 11:40 am (Pacific time)

We simply do not have the financial resources to embark on a government health care program. Maybe there is a way to begin one on a private business level. I heard some members in congress are tuning up some possibilities. I fear no debate will take place and another failed entitlement program will break the bank. The government is incapable of running any business. Winston Churchill, to paraphrase, that though "capitalism may not be the best, it is the best we have." Once again, we do not have the resources, and we have reached the breaking point for new taxes as the California election yesterday clearly shows.

Anonymous May 20, 2009 8:30 am (Pacific time)

http://www.infowars.com/obamas-health-care-fascism/ at least I can say "I TRIED to warn ya"

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