Thoughts from Health Care Discussion

The Presidential Transition Policy Team has encouraged Americans to attend Health Care discussions as part of President-elect Obama’s continuing efforts to reach out and directly involve us in our own government.

The 30 people who met last night at the American Spirit Center needed no prodding to talk about their health care experiences and what kind of system we need for the future. The discussion was more than lively and, at times, became very emotional. Attendees were mostly for universal health care but some expressed concern that such a system would take away incentives for individuals to live healthy lifestyles.

I’ve tried to capture the spirit of the discussion with some quotes that are not exact but portray the thoughts and ideas as closely as I could capture them:

I want to have the same health insurance that our senators and representatives have.

Socialized medicine will cause us to lose the best health care in the world.

Because many people do not have health insurance, our mortality rates are too high. We are 37th in the world in infant mortality.

I am fortunate because my health insurance is from an auto company. If the auto companies do not survive, I may lose my good health insurance.

I haven’t had health insurance for 12 years because I work as a contractor with GM. I am doing everything I possibly can to live as healthily as possible but I feel that I have no safety net if something should happen.

My son was able to find major medical insurance at low cost by searching and comparing different companies so insurance is available if people look for it.

It worries me that lazy people will benefit from the rest of us paying into the system.

I am in favor of HR676, the Kucinich-Conyers health care plan.

We came to talk about FOCA (Freedom of Choice Act). It will close all Catholic hospitals if this passes.

Health care is a human right.

Participants filled out surveys as requested by the Transition Team and when they have been tabulated in the next few days, we’ll post it on livingblue.org along with input received from those who were unable to attend.

Health care is of number one importance to all Americans including Livingston County residents. It is closely tied in with the economic conditions, the D3 crisis and domestic policies that our government needs to address immediately. You are encouraged to post your thoughts on health care here and we’ll include them in our report to the Transition Team.

Biggest Obstacle to Health Care-WAR!

Letter to Newspapers Sent on 12-30-08
Dear Fourth Estate:

I have finally figured out a local angle for this story and it occured to me after reading what is going on for the Shifa Hospital in Gaza in the e-mail below. Please read it and consider covering this angle of the tragedy that is being played out with the billions of military aid - no strings attached- the US has given Israel over the years.

Yesterday at the Cromaine Library in Hartland, I attended a Health Care Community
Discussion organized by volunteers for the Obama-Biden Transition Project. After discussing from 2pm-3:30pm and filling out the survey questions, it occured to me to mention to Pastor Fred who was there taking notes that the biggest impediment to health care not only in this country but around the world is war. I had mentioned earlier in the discussion that we could find the money for universal health care in the United States by voting to take it from the billions that are being spent by the US government on weapons of mass destruction. What we need is a model for health care that is based on actually caring for people, not one based on a business model, offering universal insurance, individual savings accounts, etc. that measures success by statistics and the bottom line. Needless to say, there wasn't a box to check on the survey that mentioned that approach. I was able to add my own box on my own survey-hope the Obama team gets to read it.
To solve the health care crisis in this country will take a discussion that deals with peoples' values-how do they want their time, money, and energy spent-in the service of helping others or just helping ourselves. The reason we don't have universal health care in this country is not because we don't have the money-it's because we don't have the will or the belief that we can help ourselves in the long run by helping others. True health and security is having friends and family and community to weather the power outages, tough economic times, and realizing that you are not alone.

In peace,
Mares

P.S. We still don't have electricity but we have the hope that DTE will find Hartland eventually! The noise from our generator is nothing compared to what the community in Gaza are experiencing (noise wise) from the F16 fighter planes dropping tons of bombs on their small strip of land. And yes, our health care is better. We plan to donate to the Palestinian Aid Society as our taxes have gone to fund the weapons being used to stop their health so I want to do something to provide health care to those who are still alive.


P.S. Maybe this address could be published for those who would like to contribute?



Sent: Tuesday, December 30, 2008 8:06 AM
Subject: FW: Support Shifa Hospital in Gaza


From: Farouq Shafie [mailto:fshafie@comcast.net] Sent: Tuesday, December 30, 2008 1:24 AMTo: farouq r shafieSubject: Support Shifa Hospital in Gaza


Dear Friends,Genocide is being committed in Gaza by the Israeli military in violation of international law, not to mention all sense of decency and proportion. We at the Palestine Aid Society (PAS) have been inundated with calls for action by fellow Americans of all faiths and ethnicities. We feel the pain and the hurt as we watch, with horror, the terrorized children, the dismembered bodies, the wounded crying in pain, the frustrated aid workers, all on our television screens. We also hear in disgust the support for this Israeli-conducted genocide by some of our representatives in Washington DC. At the time of this writing the number of dead has exceeded 345 and the wounded more than 1650, most of them unarmed civilians. And it seems that Israel is intent on carrying this orgy of violence for days to come, proclaiming that the people of Gaza are not Israel's enemies, but that their democratically-elected government is! The need in Gaza for immediate relief is immense. The Shifa Hospital is the major medical facility in Gaza receiving and caring for the majority of the victims and it has been inundated, especially after months of an inhumane and punitive siege that has left it short of medicine and other medical supplies. As a small gesture of solidarity with the people of Gaza and in order to help alleviate a bit of their suffering, PAS is calling on all people of good will in our community to donate what they can to a fund for Shifa Hospital. Your tax-deductible donations (100% of all monies contributed) will be transmitted by PAS to the International Red Cross with instructions to deliver them to Shifa Hospital. Please make your checks payable to PAS, earmarked to Shifa Hospital, and send it to:

Palestine Aid Society of America
P.O.Box 130572
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48113
Tax # 38-2381-291.Peace,Rabia ShafiePalestine Aid Society(734) 668-6430

Local Obama Volunteer Spolighted

Volunteers are the lifeblood of any campaign. They make possible the voter-to-voter contact that is so essential to educating voters about a candidate's views.

And in the Livingston County Democratic Party office in 2008, that was especially true. One of our volunteers -- Danielle Mann -- is featured in the Livingston Press and Argus.

You'll be hearing a lot from Danielle in the future!

HEALTH CARE COMMUNITY DISCUSSIONS IN LIVINGSTON COUNTY

President-elect Obama and Senator Tom Daschle, nominee for Secretary of Health and Human Services, are asking our help in designing a health care system that provides quality and affordable health care for all Americans. Community Discussions are taking place all over the United States. Our Community Discussion will take place on Tuesday, December 30, 2008 at 7 p.m. in the VFW/American Legion Spirit Center, 10590 Grand River Road, east of Brighton, MI.

This has never happened before in my memory – that is, where a president-elect has reached out to the grassroots and asked for our experiences and what kind of health care system we feel will best serve us. What a difference in governance! President-elect Obama is not asking professional lobbyists from the health insurance industry or Big Pharma, although I’m sure their lobbyists will be working hard for their companies’ interests. He is asking the citizens to respond to him and Senator Daschle directly through these community meetings.

Every participant will be given several opportunities to make their views about health care known. A written report will be submitted online and copies will be given to everyone who supplies their e-mail or street address.

Health care is a concern for every citizen – party affiliation, income, job status or whether you have health insurance now does not matter. The existing system is in such shambles that we must we reform it now. Everyone is encouraged to participate without regard to anything but the need we all have for health care.

Please RSVP to rovinswede@yahoo.com so we can plan for your participation. Light refreshments will be served with coffee and tea service.

Peace and Joy this holiday season!

Peace and Joy to all of you this holiday season-together all things are possible!

Mares

Another GOP Idea We Won't Hear About for Awhile

Say, whatever happened to that great George Bush idea that the government should dump the Social Security program, give everybody their cash, and let them invest the money in the stock market, where they could earn much more money that their payments into Social Security do?

I haven't heard much about that idea lately.

I wonder why.

Somebody Else's Turn to Pick on Perlberg

Livingston Press and Argus publisher Rich Perlberg is getting raked over the coals on somebody else's blog for his editorial in editions for Sunday (Dec. 21, 2008) on the smoking ban which failed in the 2007-2008 legislative session which ended Friday.

Perlberg's basic argument was that since casinos weren't covered, no businesses should be covered.

Michigan Liberal isn't buying it. And neither are the commenters.