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PROTEST HR 3962, Or Be Stuck With Corporate Medical Insurance Racket For The Rest Of Our Lives
By The Pen
> From: The Pen <activist.thepen@gmail.com>
> Subject: [Corrected] PROTEST HR 3962, Or Be Stuck With Corporate Medical
Insurance Racket For The Rest Of Our Lives
> To: Austin Kuder
> Date: Tuesday, November 17, 2009, 4:50 AM
>
> Who Else Wants To Get SERIOUS About Real Health Care
> Reform??
>
> We need the help of every one of our participants who has a
> website
> (if not please read on because there is an individual
> action page as
> well). We have created a simple and small sized (182x228
> pixels) web
> page module, perfect for the side bar of your web page,
> where people
> can watch the latest of the "I'm A Democrat, And I'm A
> Republican"
> videos. To get this feature for your website just put the
> following
> code anywhere on your web page.
>
> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://tcxs.net/1.js"></script>
>
> If you are on MySpace or Facebook or another site that
> disallows
> javascript, you can copy the alternate code from this page.
>
>
> http://www.peaceteam.net/mfa.htm
>
> We have already shot six of these incredibly professional
> looking
> videos, making the point (with wit and humor) that NEITHER
> the
> Democrats, NOR the Republicans, are actually interested in
> real
> health care reform. The Democrats are forcing consideration
> of only
> plans that further empower the medical insurance
> corporations that
> are ripping us off now. The Republican are only interested
> in
> derelict non-regulation, achieving the same end result by
> default.
>
> By getting more and more people to watch these videos, we
> will
> mobilize people to submit this fax action page, which sends
> a
> strongly worded but even tempered petition (which you can
> read on the
> page), stating in essence that we the people are demanding
> real
> reform and will not be fooled again. And you can add your
> own
> personal comments as well. WATCH the video also on this
> page.
>
> Medicare For All FREE Fax Action Page:
> http://www.peaceteam.net/action/pnum1020.php
>
> There will be a new video release in the "I'm A Democrat,
> I'm A
> Republican" series once a week, and the web page module
> will
> automatically update with the latest video. And we are
> asking you,
> our participants to submit the petition yourself ALSO once
> a week. We
> need to speak out and keep speaking out, until Congress
> finally gets
> the message, to stop fooling around and do what should have
> been done
> in the first place, pass economical and efficient Medicare
> for All.
>
> Folks, we are dedicating the next couple months of our
> lives to
> stopping the phony reform, and forcing Congress to get real
> about
> good public policy. The bill that passed the House last
> week, HR
> 3962, represents one of the most profound betrayals in
> American
> political history. Forget the fact that the Republicans
> oppose it as
> well, they would oppose anything coming out of a Congress
> where they
> did not have majority control. WE must oppose HR 3962
> because it is a
> transparent sham, a total sellout to the medical insurance
> industry.
>
> You don't have to believe us. Believe the corporate
> analysts
> themselves gloating about the additional windfall profits
> they are
> predicting from this fatally corrupt bill, that purports to
> FORCE all
> Americans to buy a plan from a lobbyist designed
> restrictive
> "market", where at least 90% of the American people would
> be excluded
> from participating in the feeble non-competitive "public"
> option
> provided, even if we wanted to. They might as well now call
> it the
> "welfare" option, because all it really represents is
> welfare FOR the
> insurance companies.
>
> The Republicans condemn the bill because they demagogue
> that it does
> too much. The truth is that it does so LITTLE, that by the
> time the
> Senate gets through with it we expect there will be nothing
> left that
> any progressive could cheer about. The ultimate Benedict
> Arnold, Joe
> Lieberman says HR 3962 is dead on arrival. So we might as
> well throw
> it in the medical waste bin where it belongs and start from
> scratch,
> then let him try to filibuster what the American people
> REALLY want.
>
> And we are especially ashamed of the Congressional
> so-called
> "Progressive" Caucus which, except for Kucinich and Massa,
> have
> demonstrated once again how utterly worthless they are as
> representatives for the people of their districts.
>
> From time to time we will get email from some of you
> arguing that
> there is no point in emailing hardcore Republicans, for
> those of you
> who live in such districts where that is your current
> representation.
> We disagree about that of course. Never should we let the
> worst
> members of Congress think that even people in their own
> districts are
> just going to roll over and take just keep taking it in
> silence.
>
> But for crying out loud, at least the liberals ought to be
> listening
> to us. And for the presumptive liberals to wave through a
> bill that
> as a bottom line makes exploitive and overpriced corporate
> insurance
> MANDATORY, under threat of the police power of the IRS, is
> so
> outrageous it defies belief. Each and every one of these
> gutless
> wonders needs to hear our protests now.
>
> Medicare For All FREE Fax Action Page:
> http://www.peaceteam.net/action/pnum1020.php
>
> And if that wasn't bad enough, the Stupak amendment,
> forbidding a
> woman to even use her own money to pay for an abortion,
> because no
> plan in the new market will be allowed to provide such a
> service,
> even if the plan that woman was forced to buy was paid for
> with 100%
> of her own money, is so far out into reactionist
> wowee-wowee land, it
> is incredulous that any so-called progressive could have
> voted for
> final passage with such a provision in there, especially as
> they had
> already SWORN not to support a bill with such a weak joke
> of a public
> plan.
>
> So now, and only in response to our outrage, some of them
> are
> backtracking, SAYING that draconian anti-choice provision
> needs to
> come out of the final bill. Have you ever heard such
> worthless lip
> service in your life (apart from their lip service of last
> week, last
> month, the year before that, etc.)? Where were the voices
> of these
> miserable cowards in Congress, trying to pass themselves
> off as our
> progressive representatives, when they voted for FINAL
> passage in the
> first place? Who can count on them to put up a fight even
> one time
> any time in the future, if they could and would not do so
> last week?
>
> And the ultimate answer remains what it has always been. IF
> AND WHEN
> enough of us speak out at ONCE, and declare that we will no
> longer
> support their perpetual shinola, then and only then will we
> get real
> policy change. We live for the day when we can build such a
> base to
> make it so. That day can be today! So please submit the fax
> action
> page once a week, encourage everyone you know to do the
> same, put the
> video module on all of your websites so we can get hundreds
> of
> thousands of views, and like numbers of action page
> submissions. Then
> we will have a real movement for real policy change.
>
> And here is the one click Facebook page for this same fax
> action.
>
> Single Payer Amendments Action:
> http://apps.facebook.com/fb_voices/action.php?qnum=pnum1020
>
>
> And the Twitter reply to send, to send this message to all
> your
> members of Congress that way, is
>
> @cxs #p1020
>
> Please take action NOW, so we can win all victories that
> are supposed
> to be ours, and forward this alert as widely as possible.
>
> If you would like to get alerts like these, you can do so
> at
>
http://www.peaceteam.net/in.htm
GHOSTWRITERS FOR CONGRESS
By Austin Kuder
In the official
record of the historic House debate on health care overhaul, the speeches of
many lawmakers echo with similarities. Often, that was no accident.
Statements by more than a dozen lawmakers were ghostwritten, in whole or in
part, by Washington lobbyists working for Genentech, one of the world's largest
biotechnology companies.
E-mail messages obtained by the New York Times show that the lobbyists drafted
one statement for Democrats and another for Republicans.
Democrats emphasized the bill's potential to create jobs in health care, health
information technology and clinical research on new drugs.
Republicans opposed the bill but praised a provision that would give the Food
and Drug Administration authority to approve generic versions of expensive
biotechnology drugs, along the lines favored by brand-name companies like
Genentech.
(my conclusion) Clearly lobbyists have two much influence. That is why the right
to lobby Congress needs to be limited to citizens acting without being hired to
lobby.
DENNIS KUCINICH VOTED AGAINST NON-REFORM
By Austin Kuder
Dennis Kucinich
was unfairly criticized in a letter Wednesday. Dennis is right to object to the
health care reform. It will not reduce costs. It will increase costs because the
insurance companies will now have to cover even unhealthy people so they will
increase their premiums.
The only way to reduce costs and cover everyone is to replace the for-profit
insurance that we now have with Medicare for all. The current system takes $300
billion every year in administration costs. The 1,000-plus insurance companies
each have CEO's taking millions and we are spending more than twice as much on
health care as other countries and not covering everyone.
Dennis was criticized for eliminating health care jobs. That's a strange
complaint for a conservative to make. Maybe he just doesn't like Dennis.
STOPPING JOB LOSS
By Austin Kuder
The German
company that makes Hugo Boss clothing in Cleveland is threatening to leave in
search of the cheapest wage. Ohio has lost over 400,000 manufacturing jobs since
the year 2000. Our government must discourage more job loss.
I think Congress should pass a law that makes it a felony to remove used
commercial machinery and equipment from the Country. Such penalties for
attempting or actually doing so should be borne by the officers and supervisors
of the company not the workers ordered to do so. If a company wants to leave
they must auction the equipment and the facility within one month of the
cessation of operations.
It is a waste of fuel and bad for the climate to ship goods all over the world
that can be made locally. Commercial vessels generate pollution equal to 300
million cars.
I worry about the future of the USA. No country in history has been prosperous
without a strong manufacturing base.
MAKE 'EM CRY!
By Austin Kuder
Remember when the Republicans were in power and they voted unanimously for everything Bush and company wanted? Why can't the Democrats do the same thing? They should study what pressures were exerted on the Republican Congressmen. Did Bush threaten them with rendition? Did Cheney threaten to "take them hunting"? What was it that made George Voinovich cry like a baby when he violated his own principles to approve their deficit spending?
The Democrats have the numbers. What they need now is the muscle to make their members vote in lockstep like the Republicans did. I say "make-em cry"!
HEALTH CARE EMERGENCY
By Austin Kuder
Why is the Federal Government involved providing the vaccine for the H1N1 flu? Aren't they bad at such things? Why isn't the health care industry taking care of this problem? Something to think about with a dash of sarcasm.
REGARDING CASINOS IN OHIO
By Austin Kuder
Thomas Suddes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer is not supporting the issue that will permit Ohio to have it's own casinos. His article sounded like a Rush Limbaugh rant. After stretching the truth and obscuring the issues he exposed himself as ridiculous by saying that since issue 3 will permit us to have any game that our competition has that they are making the rules for us! That is laughable. One would hope that he would be honest and give his real reasons for objecting.
It is long since time for Ohioans to be able to keep our gambling money at home.
REBUILDING AFGHANISTAN
By Austin Kuder
I saw a public TV program in Afghanistan. They have our soldiers on patrol trying to win the hearts and minds of the people. These young men are no better able to do that now than they were in Vietnam years ago. A young soldier with a gun is dangerous and unlikely to convey protection or help. We are trying to protect the Afghans from the Taliban while the Taliban are trying to administer justice in their lawless society. The people are afraid to disobey the Taliban. The Taliban tells them not to co-operate with our military. The country is dysfunctional. The Taliban are performing a function that their government should be doing.
The only solution
is to deny the Taliban the money it needs to function. They get their money from
sympathetic fellow Muslim fundamentalists and from the proceeds of opium
dealing. The only way for the Afghan government to succeed is it must deprive
the Taliban of money and it must have money to provide law and justice instead
of the Taliban.
In order to help them we must cease all military operations, destroy all poppy
fields and compensate the farmers and protect them from retribution. They must
be convinced to grow other crops. We also need to convince Muslims to stop
supporting the Taliban. If we can't do that then we must give up and leave.
ENERGY MAMBO
By Austin Kuder
Our geniuses in
the Ohio State legislature passed a law requiring us to use less electricity!
Won't we need to create more electricity if we are going to replace fossil fuel
burning cars with electric ones? The problem is not the electricity, it is the
way it is made. We need them to work on smart grid technology and wind, solar
and nuclear production of electricity not to interfere with progress and the
free market.
Also, we don't need First Energy of Akron, Ohio ripping us off trying to jump
through their dumb hoops. We already buy those energy efficient bulbs.
Apparently, we are not as dim as our legislators are.
NEWS FLASH! CRIME IS INCREASING
By Austin Kuder
The Conservatives
are wringing their hands about any news about crime. Every
report of violence has them blaming the people. What they forget is that there
is no such
thing as a bad boy or bad people or bad workers. There is only bad parenting,
bad
management and bad government. We are failing and the people are suffering as a
result.
Our government has permitted our industries to leave the country along with the
jobs. Our
corporate leaders are taking too much money in income and dividends effectively
robbing
their workers and overcharging for their goods and services.
I'm no longer
loyal to US car makers because our CEO's are taking 500 times the
average wages of our workers. The Japanese CEO's take much less. I no longer
care what I
buy or who I buy it from because I have no idea if their CEO is a pig taking
millions or
not.
The only way to
get back on track is to prevent companies from taking their
equipment and machinery out of the country and to increase the upper tax
brackets. Right
now the maximum of 35% is reached at $330,000. A person getting a reasonable
executive
wage of $330,000 is in the same bracket as a hedge fund thief taking a billion!
The tax
rate should be 99% for people taking over $ 1 billion. and the rate should rise
from
$330,000 on a curve. We need the money to balance the budget and continue the
recovery.
OVERPAID CEO'S
By Austin Kuder
Don't buy from these companies. You are over-paying because they are over-paying their CEO's.
Abercrombie &
Fitch-$71.8 million
BJ Services-$34.6 million
Comcast 'A'-$40.8 million
International Paper-$38.2 million
Nabors Industries-$79.3 million
US HEALTHCARE IN CANADA?
By Austin Kuder
Canadians don't
think of their health care system as radical. To them, it's just right. And if
you want to really frighten them, you just need to talk about somebody's "secret
agenda" to bring in "American-style" health care.
Under the current health care system, losing a job could mean losing your good
health.
Criticisms of the proposed health care reform are counterproductive. No one is
offering a viable alternative.
THE TEA BAGGERS
By Austin Kuder
The racists are
coming out of the woodwork. They just want Obama to shut up and disappear. I
hope that he has the courage to ignore them and carry on. He hasn't done
anything to deserve the disrespect that he is getting. Where was all the concern
about the deficit spending when it was a white man doing it when it wasn't even
necessary?
If they want to balance the budget they wouldn't obstruct a tax increase on the
rich. The maximum tax rate of 35% is reached at $330,000 of income. Why does it
not increase from that point? The revenue that we need must come from the people
that have the money. That is only logical. There are people taking millions and
even billions in income and paying the same rate as those who are earning a
reasonable executive wage. Where is the outrage about that!
OHIO REPRESENTATIVE JOSH MANDEL
By Austin Kuder
Josh Mandel, who
has aspirations of higher office (even the highest) has been a ghost as my Ohio
State Rep. He never sends newsletters. I am never informed of his votes on
issues or even what the issues are. He never answers e-mails, he has assistants
respond by phoning and leaving messages asking me to call back long distance. My
former State Rep., Dean Depiero responded personally to every letter that I sent
him. It takes much less effort to respond by e-mail. What is he doing to serve
us?
Also, Josh Mandel collected his full State Rep. pay when he was activated to
military duty while receiving his full military pay. Why is that not a scandal?
When I was activated by the Ohio National Guard years ago, the only pay I
received was from the Army.
I want an explanation from Mr. Mandel and I want him to do his job better.
EQUITY IN HEALTHCARE & PRESCRIPTION COSTS
By Austin Kuder
I was just
prescribed skin cream by my dermatologist to treat a pre-cancerous skin
condition. The medicine costs $600! This is an emotional issue for me because of
my support for universal, single payer health care and my objection to the
health care for profit industry that has helped make the USA uncompetitive in
the world labor market.
It is against my principles to be favored over other people. You see, I only
have to pay $15 because I am lucky to have good health care coverage. You can
probably tell that I am not a Republican.
The real kicker is that my health care provider will not pay the full $600. They
will probably get about a 50% discount. An un-insured person would undoubtedly
do without. It is unfairness like this that makes me skeptical that we live in a
Christian society.
HEALTHCARE
By Austin Kuder
Some say they don't want
government-run health care. But it is already used by roughly 28% of Americans
on a regular basis, and what's more, they have a highly favorable opinion of it.
Health care reform advocates are allowing conservatives to fool the public with
the fallacy that the private market is somehow the solution. But there is a
profound conflict between market goals and public health goals.
SENATOR GEORGE VOINOVICH & HEALTH CARE REFORM
By Austin Kuder
The Senator's article in Sunday's Plain Dealer was a lot of words providing no answers. He wants a sustainable, innovative, patient centered, waste reducing, simple solution that covers everyone, removes bureaucrats (like the 1,000 insurance companies we now have to deal with) and reduces the financial burden on business. The only instrument that fills that bill is single payer, universal health care. The Republicans are totally against that! Voinovich has just joined the pathological liars club along with Rush Limbaugggh.
WING-NUT WORLD REVIVED
By Austin Kuder
A small provision in the
health care bill that would allow Medicare to reimburse doctors for time spent
consulting with patients about their end-of-life choices is being willfully
distorted by the newly rejuvenated wing-nut industry.
There are no "death panels" mentioned in any version of the health care bill.
None. Nobody familiar with the various proposals of health care reform could
credibly claim the government wants to kill the oldest and most vulnerable among
us, including children with disabilities.
Rush Limbaugh and Sarah Palin count on most Americans never reading the proposed
bills. They know that, in such an environment, misinformation works.
Apparently Sarah Palin has joined Rush Limbaugh in the pathological liars club
(my conclusion).
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