Vice: Buttigieg has an ambitious plan to make you less lonely

[femmedem]

"In the months since the Democratic primaries began, South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg has been criticized from the left for being an "empty suit," a young charismatic operator who speaks multiple languages but doesn't have much to say. But on Friday morning, he released a relatively detailed plan meant to combat suicides and overdoses, which he calls "deaths of despair," and address mental health concerns more broadly. In that 19-page white paper, the youngest halfway viable 2020 presidential contender highlights an epidemic that has hit his fellow millennials particularly hard and promises to "ensure that everyone feels that they belong in their community and in our country."

Evidence of this epidemic abounds. Almost a quarter of young people say they don’t have a single friend, indicating a shocking level of loneliness. They’re also hit hard by so-called "climate despair," anxiety related to the seemingly insurmountable disaster of a warming planet. Buttigeig's proposals include launching a national service program focused on climate and helping older Americans that will allow those young people to channel their existential anxieties into something productive while also forming bonds between the generations. His plan also calls for decriminalizing all drug possession and extending student loan forgiveness to people who work in rural hospitals, among other things.

At the center of Buttigieg's plan is a push to provide mental health services to everyone who needs them. He hopes to achieve "mental health parity," a term that refers to mental checkups being treated the same as physical checkups by insurance plans. "If a health plan offers unlimited doctor visits for medical or surgical services, it must do the same for mental health and addiction services," as the paper puts it.

There have been previous efforts to achieve mental health parity, including the Affordable Care Act, which 2020 frontrunner Joe Biden described to CNN as a "breakthrough" for parity. But requirements to cover mental health treatments are sometimes ignored by insurers, and there are still significant gaps in the system. According to data from Mental Health America, almost 56 percent of adults living with a mental illness in the United States went without treatment last year. Part of the problem, as Buttigieg's white paper points out, is that mental health checkups are five times more likely to be classified as out-of-network than other doctor visits. That leaves people wondering if they should go into debt to pay for necessary out-of-network therapy, a choice they shouldn't have to make in a well-functioning healthcare system."

More: https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/d3avmz/pete-buttigieg-has-an-ambitious-plan-to-make-you-less-lonely

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. I have so much respect for this plan, and his others as well.

And though I really hope that he will become our President, I can see that he is still a long shot. I support him fully and will, one way or the other, till it's all over, however it ends.

But it grieves me to see his amazing plans and knowing most likely that they will never come to fruition. It's hard to face that.

I so hope I'm wrong!

[True Dough]

2. This is a wonderful plan

but I was immediately shaking my head when I read the first paragraph from the article you're quoting:

"...South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg has been criticized from the left for being an "empty suit," a young charismatic operator who speaks multiple languages but doesn't have much to say."


Who in the hell has said such a thing? They're out of their mind!! Pete definitely brings substance and depth.

[femmedem]

6. I take issue with that as well, but I do think he was slow to roll out his policy proposals.

He decided early on that people needed to understand his values before he flooded them with policies. And I think in general that's a good strategy, because most people connect to candidates emotionally before they connect intellectually. But now that he's dropped a bit in the polls, his policy proposals aren't garnering as much attention as I wish they would. It's frustrating. But I remember when Warren wasn't looking very electable, but she persisted, and her detailed policies have gradually won her a lot of well-deserved support. I hope Buttigieg still has time to turn it around, too.

[True Dough]

8. I get your point

but I think some people blew the "slow with policies" bit out of proportion. Pete has had this website available for months now:

https://ask.peteforamerica.com/


It doesn't address every issue and, granted, Pete is no Elizabeth Warren who has been "in the game" for decades, but he's not just been wandering around smiling, shaking hands and kissing babies.

That's not directed at you, but at anyone who would accuse him of being an "empty suit." What a ridiculous and unfitting label!

[FM123]

3. What a deeply thoughtful & compassionate plan.

[kacekwl]

4. Whoever wrote this is blind in more ways than one.

The 1st sentence is beyond ridiculous if they were paying any attention at all.

[kacekwl]

5. I like the plan though.

[femmedem]

7. I like the plan, too. And I almost didn't post that first paragraph.

But I do remember when his website didn't have much in the way of policies. He's making up for lost time now. I hope the media notices.

[volstork]

9. I love this guy.

I hope he becomes president in my lifetime.

[not_the_one]

10. I support Pete. And I think there is a concerted effort to

minimalize (spellcheck says there is no such word) him.

Dare I say "conspiracy"? Well, almost... If I had a suspicious bone in my body I would be there... Just kidding. Probably EVERY bone is my body IS suspicious.

But seriously, he was an unknown. No one knew how to pronounce his name. Brand new to the national game.

First he had to just get his name and face out there.

Then he had to state is goals.

Then he went into policy, which for ANYONE, is above most of our pay scales to understand. But they are well thought out, and sound like real progressive steps to get to where we need to be.

It is still about 6 months before the first vote/caucus. He has time.

But the media so wants to supply the dominate narratives, when they should just sit back and report. But they MUST try to make this a ten way horse race. And LEFTIST is the new code language to tag us with, to equate us with the far-right.

He has received criticism about firing a black police officer (was he chief of police?), for ILLEGALLY taping other officers (who were using discriminatory language) without them knowing. I believe that is a felony. The officer was under investigation by the FBI. He couldn't just ignore it. He had to take action. He did, which to me showed a willingness to step up and address it. You break the law, you pay the price. A demotion is better than being fired.

Then there was the black man with the knife shot by a policeman who had his body cam turned off.

The body cam initiative was Mayor Pete's policy. He had no control over whether the man turned it off or not.

And he IMMEDIATELY left the campaign trail to go back to South Bend to be there to address it.

What I saw was protesters expressing their concerns about it. But, quite frankly, it seemed more of an exercise of video made of people, hoping it would go viral. Thanks to social media (and the Kardashians) we all want our 15 minutes. Mayor Pete stood there and took the abuse. In doing so he showed humility and humbleness. We need that in a leader.

I have NEVER seen Mayor Pete be anything but sympathetic, empathetic, concerned and caring for his constituents.

Finally, the gay thing and the black community.

We are democrats. We have basic tenets that we fight for.

Either get with the program or step aside.

This issue could be easily taken care of by black leaders and black pastors, preachers and ministers taking the same stance they all wanted when fighting for civil rights. Because this IS a civil rights issue.

Add to that the black actors, musicians, hip-hop and rap artists (maybe they can help undo all the damage they did while trying to build their reputations and fortunes).

As I type in every post about voting, I will vote for whomever the nominee is, and gladly.

But we are truly at a crossroads. This election will take us backwards further, result in us spinning our wheels trying the "centrist" option (yet again), or we can take a bold step forward.

We are facing scary times, and I don't think "half-way" is the answer.

YMMV

edit to add LEFTIST comment.

[Sherman A1]

11. Like this one?

https://www.yang2020.com/policies/mental-health/