Sunday, November 22, 2009

One More Hurdle


The health care debate has passed one more hurdle. It got past the blue dogs in the Senate. The rest of the civilized world is scratching their heads wondering why the largest economy in the world doesn’t have single payer-not for profit heath care.

The employer based system we have started during World War II. The government was trying to keep inflation in check and put caps on workers’ salaries. Employers got creative and found other incentives.

Now we expect them to provide our health care. This is an enormous burden for them and is one of the main reasons companies move to other countries.

It’s also why I have to turn jobs I really want down. I’ve been offered good salaried jobs by UPS and Fed Ex but they only hire part time to avoid paying benefits. I can’t feed my family on the income from a part time job.

Okay, we’re so entrenched in a corrupt medical industrial complex that the compromise “Public Option” was introduced. We all need to be covered for a rational system to work and obviously some of us won’t be able to afford it so there you go.

The public option has not only gotten so watered down it won’t work, but it will probably drive the cost up. Allowing states to “opt out” defeats the whole purpose. And I know the red neck state I live in won’t participate.

If this stupid version of health care reform passes it will hurt all of us and the obstructionists will say, “See, told ya so!”

The blue dogs have a chance to really affect positive change in the American quality of life. The fear campaign leveled by the right has gotten to their constituents and the American attention span has never been strong. Politicians care more about being reelected than making a difference.

We are all subjects of a corporate oligarchy and I’m growing too tired to fight back.

No comments: