Why Doesn't Business Support Single Payer

It's hard to understand why corporations (burdened by ever-increasing health care costs) haven't been loud supporters of single payer health care plans. During the sixties and seventies the big corporations did push for joint agreements with labor unions for more government involvement in providing health care coverage. But now, with unions not as strong, they have abandoned that support. This essay on the Healthcare Now website has some insights worth considering.

http://www.healthcare-now.org/why-won%e2%80%99t-corporate-america-support-single-payer-medicare-for-all/

Bernie Sanders Offers Common Sense Solutions

Senator Bernie Sanders(D-Vt)appeared on The Daily Show to promote his book, a compilation of his remarks during his recent filibuster on the Senate floor. The dialogue is instructive to anyone insterested in common sense solutions to our nation's problems.

http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/wed-april-27-2011/bernie-sanders

GET REAL

Republicans live in a fantasy world where all young women are virgins and all young men responsible providers. In the Republican world only “immigrants” do drugs, only minorities carry weapons to kill; gays and lesbians are all willing perverts, and everyone who wants to work can get a good job. A job will give them access to doctors, dentists and pharmaceuticals if they need them.

The fantasy world can be seen by reading some bumper stickers: “I’m doing my part to fight the recession, I WORK!” says one self satisfied trucker.

“Young women stay chaste. Young men be sober minded” (at least there’s an implication that they might not be.)

“Your taxes pay for their welfare”, reads another (I guess forgetting the tax breaks for the rich and the tax breaks for the oil and gas industries. And forgetting that there is no more welfare.)

“Global Warming is a crock of…..” This usually from people who also “want to preserve the future for our grandchildren.”

Their fantasies would be amusing if these slogans didn’t form the basis for public policy.

Then there are the hateful bumper stickers: “US hunting license for illegal immigrants,” and one about President Obama’s re-election bid that is too disgusting to repeat.

I keep wondering: “what kind of world do these people want to live in?”

The facts are that even people with jobs don’t have health insurance, or have health insurance so diluted that the costs of going to a doctor make it a luxury reserved for serious emergencies. Those occur after illnesses like hypertension and diabetes don’t receive early detection.

The facts are that young people are sexually active in their early teens. And they need access to birth control information and the truth about sexually transmitted diseases and how to prevent them.

The fact is that thousands of gay couples would love to marry and to adopt children but some states bar them from doing so and thereby deny children a loving home. The fact is that sexual perversions are rife among heterosexuals (including priests and ministers).

The fact is that popular culture, whether it’s an ad for Victoria’s Secret or an evening at the Grammy awards, or Dancing with the Stars, promotes vulgarity and sexual behavior in public. So who are these guys kidding?

It’s time for the Republicans to “get real” and base policy initiatives on the world as it is not as they wish it were.

Back from the Depths

I missed the snow, the cold, the wind and the ice by hiding out in Rincon, Puerto Rico. Had some wonderfulscuba dives (see photos)and a great chance to try to capture Rincon's incomparable sunsets and the Caribbean Ocean. When I get back to my print shop I'll see if I suceeded. Not only did I have to deal with the cold when I returned but the drive by our new Republican governor to cut the budgets of state universities and social service organizations, while refusing to tax corporations extracting gas from the Marcellus shale.

Let's Hear it for Art and Poetry

Wonderful poetry reading and writing group gathered at our new Highline Cafe in Greencastle with interesting ideas and poems. Came there after attending the miniature art show opening in Chambersburg. Glad to have been juried in to this prestigious show. Tomorrow, another opening in Frederick where four of my prints are included in a group show with the Women's Caucus of the Arts of DC. Art and poetry and the love of family and friends will have to sustain me through these difficult times. Here's what Elizabeth Barrett Browning wrote in Sonnet XXIV:

Let the world's sharpness like a clasping knife
Shut in upon itself and do no harm
In this close hand of Love, now soft and warm,
And let us hear no sound of human strife
After the click of the Shutting. Life to life--
I lean upon thee, Dear, without alarm,
And feel as safe as guarded by a charm
Against the stab of worldlings, who if rife
Are weak to injure. Very whitely still
The lilies of our lives may reassure
their blossoms from their roots, accessible
Alone to heavenly dews that drop not fewer;
Growing straight, out of man's reach, on the hill
God only, who made us rich, can make us poor.

We Can't Give Up

Election night was not a good night for progressives and Democrats of all stripes. But we can't despair. Instead we have to resolve to keep the pressure on those still in Congress not to compromise on basic principles: health care for all; fair taxation; controls on Wall Street; curbing spending by unidentified donors to election campaigns. If we can do that during this next period, and give President Obama a second term, we'll have accomplished much.

Are You Ready to Vote on November 2?

If you were feeling wishy-washy about the need to vote in Congressional and Senatorial races, I urge you to watch President Obama's speech at the University of Wisconsin. He rallied the troops with an inspiring oratory that let the students know he was depending on them to carry forth his agenda by voting on November 2.

Hopefully everyone realizes that it wasn't possible for the President's administration to cure all our problems in 20 months and beyond that it was impossible to move ahead on all programs with the intractable Republican opposition. But I think the gains that have been made are important. And it should be enough for Pennsylvanians to Elect Rep. Sestak to the Senate and put Onorato in the governor's seat.


You can watch the rally on you tube. Go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dh2QcLq1ytc