Great Article by Fellow DUer AUTORANK-: "FAILURE BY DESIGN - The "Public" Option"

[Orwellian_Ghost]

Failure by Design - the "Public" Option

Triumph of the Money Party

Do you know what the "public option" does or who it covers? If you've had trouble finding out, it's not your fault. Reading the corporate media coverage provides little or no clue. It's hardly ever defined. There's a very good reason for the lack of clarity and definition. But first, a brief summary or a public debate that characterizes just about every public debate we have on critical issues.

If you think that the current version of the public option will provide a choice for a government administered health program, you're right. If you think that this option was designed for the general public, then you're wrong. It will apply to only the some of the uninsured, possibly as few as six million citizens. It's a kind of public option.

But, if you support true choice by the public, then you probably expect this as an option: a single payer system for health care -- one source of payment for doctors and others funded and administered by the government for the public. Medicare is such a program. But we don't get to hear about single payer proposals except from proponents like Representatives John Conyers (D-MI), Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), and Anthony Weiner (D-NY), who define single payer universal health care very clearly.

President Obama's outline of the public option in his September 9 speech to Congress is essentially unchanged in the current legislation. The Democratic plan offers "a new insurance exchange" for "Americans who don't currently have health insurance." This sounds good so far, but wait. This exchange will be "a new insurance exchange --a marketplace where individuals and small businesses will be able to shop." The option will be "available in the insurance exchange" and "it would only be an option for those who don't have insurance." (See What Obama Actually Said About Health Reform)

It's not really public, it's for a small segment of the population, and it is any where from four to ten years out in full availability. This reflects the Oct. 29 House proposal, H.R. 3962, and some aspects of the latest Senate claims for a public option.. The entire effort, limited as it is, will be compromised from the very start since Congress linked public option provider reimbursement rates to those of the health insurance companies.

When citizens see "Open to the public," they don't take that to mean only some of the public. When land is set aside for "public use," does that mean only 5% or 6 % of the public? All of this makes no sense unless you accept the deliberately confusing definitions and assumptions of The Money Party.

Why would any member of the public think that they were excluded from a public option?

Why would those controlling the debate want us to think that?

Here's why. The findings in this poll strikes terror into the heart of The Money Party.



The poll shows a clear majority in favor of a single payer, universal health care program as an option for all citizens. This poll is consistent with other polls despite the confusion from Washington. In a fair debate, the health insurance companies would get their clock cleaned and be out of business within a year or two. But we're not allowed an open and fair debate because the risk of vanishing corporations is never in The Money Party's game plan. Their political bouncers just tossed us under the bus.

The "Long Con" - How Things Work

"A ’short con’ is an opportunistic scam designed to instantly fleece the victim of all the money they have with them at that time. On the other hand, a long con takes much longer to execute and requires meticulous planning in order to scam the victim out of much larger amounts of money." Scam Types dot Com

The Money Party runs both short and long cons. When they weren't able to sell the Iraq invasion, the short con was: Saddam has weapons of mass destruction. He's ready to use them … on you! Get on board now or else! That short con operated within the long con of perpetual threats and endless war.

The current health reform debate is a classic long con. The debate is limited to only those positions that will work for the status quo. If reform fails, there's no change from the extortion perpetrated against citizens in need of affordable health care. If reform is adopted, the insurance companies are enshrined at the center of the program. The fight is then over the size of the rake off. That's called bending the curve of health care costs. Bend, don't break. It's a win-win proposition for The Money Party.

What do legislators do when their patrons demand that an irrational and deadly system remains in place? Confuse the dialog with weasel words and highly deceptive terms. Keep the public thinking that they're really going to benefit from a program and, better yet, that the opposition is trying to prevent that benefit. Get party loyalists whipped up to fight for your program even though it's a sham.

The current kind of public option is essential to The Money Party's long con on health reform. It allows people to think that there's a real debate going on. Someone is fighting for our option to choose decent and affordable health care.

It's all part of the long con that limits critical debate to unacceptable options advanced by allegedly differing parties. These debates always end the same way -- the perpetuation of the major corporate interests, the retention of those in power, and oligarchy; the triumph of The Money Party:

"The Money Party is a small group of enterprises and individuals who have most of the money in this country. They use that money to make more money. Controlling who gets elected to public office is the key to more money for them and less for us.

"In every campaign for major office, the party passes out money and buys candidates from both parties. Thanks to the candidates who get elected, this pay to play system remains perfectly legal … even though it looks like bribery.

'In return for contributions, the election winners come through by fixing the laws so that The Money Party cleans up. … Cost is no object, because in the end it’s all paid for with our tax dollars." Michael Collins: The Money Party, Sept. 30, 2007.

END

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0911/S00021.htm

This article may be reproduced in whole or in part with attribution of authorship and a link to this web site.

[leveymg]

1. Excellent - captures the gist of the scam! This deserves widespread distribution!

The explanation about short and long scams is a classic. Nice connection of the Money Party to the issue. Very relevant and well-taken points. Happy to rec this, and thank you! A keeper!

[autorank]

136. Thanks levymg, much appreciated...and a Milione GRAZIE! Orwellian_Ghost

I couldn't resist posting the logo of the newest site where I post (not that they asked me;).
They're tearing Goldman apart.


Washington Bureau Blog

Failure by Design - the "Public" Option

a huge thanks to Orwellian_Ghost and all the posters here!!!!!!!

[DemReadingDU]

2. bookmarking

Thanks for posting!

[Vinnie From Indy]

3. Bravo!

An excellent summary of the current state of American politics. Corporate interests and wealthy elites have simply "acquired" ALL levels of our political system by making the level of entry so high that candidates are beholden to them. While this has been true to some degree since the founding of our nation, our current political system has dropped even the illusion of representing the general population. The nakedness of the control of these special interests on our politcial process is the greatest I have ever seen in my lifetime.

[bjobotts]

74. I've been saying the same thing for months.Trying to get people to look at the so called PO

[bjobotts]

75. It's a huge five away to priv. ins. just as Obama did with big pharma but

[bjobotts]

76. Not everyone belongs to the Money Party and this is our last chance to drive a wedge into them

[bjobotts]

77. That's why the HC issue is so important. Corporatocracy vs Democracy and the way to win=

[bjobotts]

78. = getting rid of the senate filibuster so the bribed senators cannot stop the majority

[bjobotts]

79. We elect the majority for a reason...not to be obstructed by a minority.

[bjobotts]

80. Great article and this needs to be reiterated over and over again

[Enthusiast]

118. Sounds reasonable to me. nt

[WatchWhatISay]

110. You are talking about symptoms

The money party is the illness.

[theFrankFactor]

102. Excellent! K&R

[autorank]

150. Thanks Frank

Article at The Frank Factor

http://thefrankfactorspace.ning.com/profiles/blogs/failure-by-design-the-public

Very cool web site by Frank & The Frank Factor (and it is frank!;)

[Enthusiast]

117. Alright, Vinnie.

You are exactly correct. Now, what are we going to do to correct the problem? I want to know because this is ruining our country.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

4. Fantastic! Thanks as always. nt

[Joe Chi Minh]

146. I know it's not germane to the topic, PhoebeLoosinhouse, but that is a wonderful name.

[HughMoran]

5. Yes, the public option is not single payer - we know that. But I will be able to use it

because I work for a small business. There are many potential benefits to people like us who are being offered rates of $40k/year for family coverage. Perhaps you folks should read the bill instead of simply complaining about "The Money Party". We know about the money and the graft, but the House bill is a good start and has the potential to lead to single payer as more and more small businesses "opt-out" and the public option is forced to pick up the slack. I have 1 choice now, even if this only spurs more competition, it's way better than the choice I have now - $40k/year or no insurance at all. We're on the right path - fight to make it better - single payer is like Rome, it won't be built in a day, we're going to have to do this incrementally due to some wimpy (and yes, money controlled) Democrats.

[emulatorloo]

9. ""insurers fear that Congress could change the rules later, opening it up to all people"

That's a quote from a lousy AP article that is mostly trying to spin the public option as useless.

I think it is far from useless.

Both social security and medicare were broadened out after the initial passage.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091101/ap_on_go_co/us_health_care_public_plan

[HughMoran]

14. It will expand and those who complain about it will find other excuses to be bitter

Some are pro-bitter and nothing else. I could care less what they think since when a person is always negative, you soon figure out that they can never be happy.

[bertman]

25. HughMoran, you are assuming that the forces of change will prevail as they did in '66.

This assumption is incorrect. The Money Party learned a hugh lesson from the Medicare "experiment": never leave these things to chance. They have already set the wheels in motion to make this "public option" a failure by building in roadblocks at every step of the way.

The whiz kids at Big Pharma and Big Insurance always think ten steps ahead of the politicians. That's because they pay strategists hugh sums of money to research what worked in the past and what can be done to influence public opinion and Congress. Witness the use of the sham term "public option". We Democrats have caved from our early demands for a "robust" public option to a "strong" public option to "any" public option and now we have a public option that is barely public and is NOT AN OPTION for 97% of Americans.

In the process of caving we have allowed the lobbyists who wrote the healthcare reform to GUARANTEE the Insurance companies that they will be getting BILLIONS more in premium payments from Americans while giving up little in return.

I'm glad that your $40K per year premium cost will be reduced--if you are in the LUCKY SIX-TO-TEN PERCENT, but I prefer to put a hold on this until we can get something that is REAL Reform.

P.S. I hope you get to buy your health insurance before 2013.

[redqueen]

33. According to this, he will.

In fact, the uninsured, the self-employed, the owners and employees of small companies, and those who are temporarily uninsured will be able to sign up for the public plan, if they choose, in the very first year of reform. The Census Bureau reports that over 15 percent of Americans are uninsured, while 10 percent (including the self-employed and early retirees) pay directly for private health insurance. Together, they comprise 25 percent of the population.

http://www.healthbeatblog.com/2009/10/who-would-be-eligible-for-a-public-option-far-more-than-10-of-the-population.html

[bertman]

50. NOT according to what you just posted. It says very clearly that this happens in 2013.

So, Hugh will be looking at $120,000 of premiums for the years 2010, 2011, 2012 if he decides to buy insurance.

[Pavlovs DiOgie]

68. And what of the catastrophic plan that is put into place immediately

For those that currently cant get insurance? That should be available to him immediately.

Of course all of this is putting the cart before the horse as we don't actually have a bill yet.

[bertman]

71. HughMoran said he COULD get insurance but that it would cost him body parts to do it.

I'm not familiar with the catastrophic plan, but that seems like it ought to be the first item on the agenda.

[mother earth]

69. Bravo, tells it like it is, excellent. Thanks for posting this, OG.

:kick:

[blindpig]

10. Nonsense

Once this deal is done victory will be declared and the issue will be considered resolved.

k&r

[HughMoran]

13. You're opinion is well known and I chuck it instantly into the garbage can

You have no credibility on this or any issue as you're against anything the Dems do and would find fault in a perfect diamond.

[Truth2Tell]

28. How many times does Lucy need to pull the football

out from in front of you before you stop trying to run up and kick it Hugh?

Politicians love the gullible.

[HughMoran]

37. You again?

You have nothing to offer here as usual. Just more of the "don't trust anybody" logic that gets us nowhere. It's just not an option any more.

[Truth2Tell]

44. fool me once... nt

[HughMoran]

45. You make assumptions that will get us nowhere

Yeah, I might get fooled again, but at least I'm fighting for reform. You seem to be more interested in poking a stick in the eye of anybody who thinks that government can still do good. Good luck with your pessimism - it's not for me.

[Truth2Tell]

52. You've misidentified in whose eye

I want to poke a stick. It's not "anybody who thinks government can still do good." No stick for those people. It's the people who, when the government does bad, insist on calling it good. That's who needs the stick in the eye. Proverbially speaking of course. :)

[blindpig]

Is it all about 'the Dems'?

Or is it about the needs of the people? Get your partisan head out of your ass.

[Name removed]

39. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[blindpig]

46. Partisanship trumps the commonweal....

Nuff said...

[HughMoran]

49. Not true

Though partisanship is an important aspect of this site that many of us enjoy, it's only there to comfort us as we battle for real reforms. If you can find where I've ever said anything that was nice about Lieberman, Baucus, Ben Nelson or any of a host of "fake Dems", I'll eat my hat. The only issue I have with certain criticism is when a 100% harsh Dem critic who has never shown support for any Democrat feels like they can undercut people here without ever having been "for" anything or anybody here who is a Dem supporter. You don't play fair so I feel no compunction being harsher in my criticism of you versus others who I know have invested their time and effort into being part of the "team".

[blindpig]

29. Is it all about 'the Dems'?

Or is it about the needs of the people? Get your partisan head out of your ass.

[maryf]

81. Absolutely right! (Except for those of us who are going to refuse to shut up...)

and as even the smidgeon of a "public option" being offered won't be available until 2013, those of us refusing to shut up just might increase...

[autorank]

131. There was a different mindset after Medicare. Truman signed up right away

You see any member of Congress saying,

We'll accept the least that we offer the people.

Nope. Truman accepted Medicare but don't count on any MC accepting any part of this.

[blindpig]

11. Nonsense

Once this deal is done victory will be declared and the issue will be considered resolved.

k&r

[bvar22]

35. How much money do you think the new PO...

...with "negotiated" rates and a 2% enrollment is going to save you?

OBama and the CBO believe that the Public Option is going to be so unattractive and offer so little cost savings (or none) that 4 out of 5 people forced to buy coverage from "The Exchange" will prefer to buy it from one of the For Profit providers, and THAT was BEFORE the PO was weakened even more last week.

Why do you think Obama and the CBO believe that most people eligible for the PO will turn away from it?

[lumberjack_jeff]

40. I think the CBO is conservatively estimating.

I find their approach kind of schizophrenic, actually.

a) We think that only one-quarter of users of the exchange will choose the public option.
b) We think that the PO will charge more because payment for illnesses will be less likely to be declined.
c) We know that the subsidies are structured in such a way that purchasers don't really care what the plan costs... for all practical purposes, the plans all cost the same.

I'm no economics major, but I do know that given the choice between three equally priced products, I'll choose the one guaranteed to work.

[bvar22]

47. I certainly "hope" the CBO is wrong.

Obama believes them.

There is the likelihood that the Public Option will become a dumping ground (even with the NEW regulations) for the most "unprofitable". The initial population will be "The Already Uninsured" which includes ALL the "uninsurables" (already refused insurance from the For Profits).

Unlike Medicare, the PO will have no access to Public Funds, but will have to pay its own way through collected Premiums. If it is pre-populated with the most expensive cases, there is the probability that the PO will be more expensive that the low-budget plans that the For Profits will be able to offer on "The Exchange".

Think of it like you own a small grocery in a small town, and a Super Wal-Mart moves in next door.
The HUGE already established Industries can afford to run at a loss until the small competition is exterminated.

There is absolutely no guarantee that the Public Option will be less expensive than the For Profits on "The Exchange".
Looking at the set-up so far, I'm betting that it will cost more, and that the CBO is being overly optimistic.

[Pavlovs DiOgie]

70. That may indeed be the case initialy

But if you are able to chose between several plans what difference does it make what its called?

[bvar22]

72. The difference is...

..that Public Money should NOT be spent to boost the profits of the For Profits.
PERIOD.

Forcing the Public Option to compete on a "level playing ground" with the For Profits in a privately administered "Exchange" is a recipe for failure.
This in NOT a system "like Medicare" which would take Public Money and provide REAL Health Care to Americans (minus about 3% for administrative costs.)

If you admit that "That may indeed be the case initialy"...then what do you see happening that will make the PO become more attractive?

[Pavlovs DiOgie]

97. how is public money being spent?

aside from any subsidies handed out to those that can least afford insurance.

I'll buy into the public option ASAP just to put my money where I know it is not being wasted on excessive salaries. I think many will do the same. Also they have to compete on a level playing field only as far as they must pay for themselves and can not be sustained by public money. In time even with a heavy caseload of high risk cases they will be able to offer more and more services for the same amount as any greedy insurer who wants to participate in the exchange.

If as you say the insurance companies will only try to rip you off which is partialy solved by the 85% minimum payout cap then it should be easy to quickly outpace them in services offered.

[eridani]

91. Who the fuck even wants to choose plans?

Geez. Would I rather have syphilis or gonorrhea? Some choice.

[Pavlovs DiOgie]

98. What a dumb thing to say

competition is not a bad thing or do you think we should all just shop at wall mart and be done with it.

[eridani]

99. When it comes to health care financing, competition is itself the cause of most of our problems

Public goods are not the same as market goods (stuff you get at MallWart). Competition ruins and destroys them. Put two competing fire departments in the same town, and the public has to pay for two sets of equipment without getting more service. Open up a new cardiac unit in a town with roughly constant population that already has one, and people are not going to oblige you by starting to have twice as many heart attacks. Prices go up to pay for the extra capital investment.

Maybe you think that a heart attack is just like an iPod, but most sane people think it's more like a house fire.

[Mithreal]

106. When it comes to health care, damn straight I want the walmart model

And by that I mean, force down costs and provide low prices.

[bvar22]

122. I don't want cheap. plastic crap HealthCare ...

...that rakes in Billions for the handful at the top.


I prefer the Medicare Model, or any one of the proven Health Care Models in the other 36 civilized countries.

There was really no need to build a "Uniquely American" system from scratch.

[Mithreal]

125. Agree, most of the walmart model is destructive

[sabrina 1]

111. There should be no for profit competition when it comes to

people's lives. I cannot believe how easily this grotesque concept has been accepted by progressive Democrats. It helps me to understand how people living in the Soviet Union's sense of what they were entitled to was so diminished by the propaganda they were exposed to all of their lives, that they were surprised at how horrified people from Western Europe were by their way of life.

Next, I expect to hear people on this board support the latest scam being cooked up on Wall St. of 'securitizing Life Insurance Policies' as they did mortgages. They will profit more if people die young as the insurance will pay out more. No, they have not given up on that idea after the initial shock expressed by the MSM when Michael Moore's film alerted everyone to the scheme. They know they only have to wait a while, and with a little indoctrination, more people will 'see how it is not really such a bad idea'.

We are lost. Too much Capitalist propaganda for too long. The country has lost its soul. Europeans are rightly shocked when they learn that American lives are considered a for-profit commodity. But here, even on the left, people are immune to the awfulness of that concept. It is actually tragic to see people so willing to be nothing more than a profit producing drone for what has become, American Royalty.

[Enthusiast]

119. Very well said, Sabrina.

And since we have such a wonderfully consolidated media there is little chance that this society is going to wake up anytime soon. Discouraging.

[bvar22]

129. Agree.

Even among the supposed "informed" many are expressing deep gratitude and support for a Public Option that is nothing but a crumb being thrown to them for diversion while Mega-Billions of PUBLIC Money is being channeled to the For Profit Health Insurance Industry

Obama was 100% correct when he said the Public Option was a "tiny sliver".

"Well, its better than nothing" is NOT a healthy political philosophy, and will usually result in "Worse than nothing".



"There are forces within the Democratic Party who want us to sound like kinder, gentler Republicans. I want us to compete for that great mass of voters that want a party that will stand up for working Americans, family farmers, and people who haven't felt the benefits of the economic upturn."---Paul Wellstone

[Shagbark Hickory]

6. Just because something's public doesn't mean it's available to anyone.

I am pretty confident that there will be numerous qualification requirements for this "public option" and just like with the Making Home Affordable program, only a tiny sliver will actually be able to take advantage of the program. But if it's true that it's open to all that don't work for a big company, then I don't see why people can't quit their jobs to be eligible.
Right about now you're thinking, why should anyone have to quit their job for insurance. And I would just point out that the sole reason millions of people have their job is for the insurance.

[redqueen]

34. If it's not affordable, you can simply refuse your coverage at your employer

and be eligible for the exchange. The affordability of the plans offered by employers is based on the percentage of your earnings that the annual premiums would take up.

I'm pretty sure this option is only available after 2013 though.

[Shagbark Hickory]

51. ^I heard about that just today.^

I'd rather give this bill a shot than nothing.
I was actually calling congress and telling them not to support a bill that had anything less than a robust public option but I think this is a minimally acceptable place to start since it does cover the uninsured, supposedly. Even though it's far to rewarding to the insurance companies, I'm grateful we could at least get a public option for the health denial company castaways.

[lumberjack_jeff]

41. Most of those ineligible for the public option already have free government care. n/t

[bread_and_roses]

7. Will give this a hearty Rec

Right on the money.

[ProleNoMore]

8. Captures Many Of My Sentiments - Thanks For Posting

eom

[EFerrari]

12. K&R

[HughMoran]

15. Did you read it?

All it says (more or less) is that it's not single payer and therefore "The Money Party" is scamming you. Problem is, there are no facts at all relating to the current bill - it's just a general complaint that the "system" is corrupt. OK, we all know that, so what are you doing to fight for something better - besides complain day after day after day that nothing will ever change? Want change? ...get away from your computer and do something. I'm sick of some of the "whiners" and "nothing can ever be good" people here - they are not productive and they only serve to sour the mood of people - only a Republican could come up with a better plan to demoralize Democrats.

[EFerrari]

16. Good morning!

[HughMoran]

17. Converting back to standard time screw up your internal clock too?

lol - I was up an hour early today - my solar clock is working just fine :)

I assume you kicked this because it was from one of the "malcontent" crew, so it must be good - right?

[EFerrari]

84. I read everything this DUer writes. He's one of our consistently

good writers. :)

[HughMoran]

89. So saying essentially nothing impresses you

Cool - so you now admit you didn't care what it said, you rec'd on reputation.

You've been duped by these ignoramuses. :rofl:

[EFerrari]

92. Nope. I just know what I like.

:hi:

[glitch]

93. Agreed. Wish I could save up recs and give them all to him!

Ok, split among tfc and octafish as well. And a couple of others. :hi:

[joeycola]

18. yes. I read it and REC

[HughMoran]

19. Why?

What does it say that isn't just beating the drum of opposition - something a monkey could do?

[joeycola]

20. A monkey can cheerlead the plan without critical appraisal also.

[HughMoran]

21. True, but certain monkeys here never promote anything the Dems do

So, their opinion is known and the tilt of their posts can be gleaned simply by looking at the authors name.

Now who's really cheerleading without critical appraisal? How many here are providing supportive arguments based on the actual bill in Congress?

[autorank]

132. Facts I've presented previously

This latest article in the series was my take on how the system works to keep meaningful choice off the table. "Screwing the Self Employed out of Health Insurance" is also focused on the details of the proposal and assumptions behind it. See Sep 10 "What Obama Actually Said About Health Reform" for a detailed analysis of the summary statement on the various approaches. It has not changed much.

Special Health Reform Series: the sickness unto death>

Do You Deserve to Die? Jul 28
Corporate Tantrums - Can We Trust them with our Health? Aug 7
Screwing the Self Employed out of Health Insurance Aug 22
What Obama Actually Said about Health Reform Sep 10
Fraud and Death Trump Citizen Health Oct 13
Failure by Design - the "Public" Option Nov 1

[Individualist]

22. K&R

[fascisthunter]

23. indeed... kick and rec(nt)

[joeycola]

24. I think the OP has pulled out enough points from the bills to make

his assertions.

[autorank]

133. Thank you!

This is the latest in a series. Lots of examples of the assumptions behind and implications of
the current package.
:hi:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=6907491&mesg_id=6922191

[bertman]

26. Recommend. Thanks for posting, Orwellian_Ghost.

[Kermitt Gribble]

27. K&R!! Best article on this yet.

"Get party loyalists whipped up to fight for your program even though it's a sham." - no shortage of this going on right here at DU.

[kpete]

30. memories...

autorank is simply the best, kp

[Kurovski]

42. He is also extremely handsome.

*sigh*

[autorank]

134. Me in my later years;)

[Truth2Tell]

31. K&R for Michael. Spot on as usual. nt

[inna]

32. Public Option is a ruse. It's nothing but a distraction ("shiny object") for the gullible.

This cruel joke of a reform is just another wealth transfer from the struggling working/middle class to the corporate/financial elites.

It's starting to look like nothing short of a betrayal on the administration/Democratic leadership's part.

[nightrain]

36. knr. Thanks for posting. Yes, the Money Party members have definitely

succeeded in protecting their interests on this one. Sad for most of us. And good that a few will get some health care insurance, if they can afford it, and can afford to use it.

I recall when "affordable" meant it didn't cost up to 12% of a person's income. More like $100-150/month to be covered.

Thanks for nothing Pelosi. Wait until Medicare becomes available and hope that the Money people haven't totally privatized that one by then either.

It's unconscionable to transfer real "public" funds to corporations.

[autorank]

135. It's only class warfare

when we fight back!

It's about the pilfering and subsequen preservation of that pilfered. Run out, The Money Party
just takes a truck and backs it up the the Treasury Department. What a deal.

[bvar22]

38. Do the math:

*New Price Tag for HCR = $900 BILLION Dollars for 10 years
(This is just Public Money and does NOT include the Billions of Out-of-their-Own Pocket dollars that each American will be FORCED to cough up to the Health Insurance Industry.)

*About 6 Million (CBO) enrolled in the "Public Option" after 10 years.

Where O Where is all this money going to go?



First, Wall Street gets their Trillion Dollars.
Now, The Health Insurance Industry steps up for their Trillion Dollar handout.

Who is next?

Oh Yes, Social Security.
It has always been a goal of the DLC to give Social Security to Wall Street.
"Entitlement Reform" (as Obama & the "Centrists" call it) is NEXT on the Democratic Hit List.

The Democratic Party is shoveling more Public Money to the Private Corporations that the Republicans could dare to dream about.

"Uniquely American Plan".......Indeed.

Follow the MONEY.

[Kurovski]

43. K&R

Our asses are so owned, including Obama's.

I think I may start screeching about publicly funded campaigns and equal time offered free to our candidates on our airwaves. I think I may end up yelling about it every single fucking day.

We'll see.

(I love DU! "fucking" shows up on spellcheck!)

[malaise]

48. K & R

Excellent

[Kurovski]

53. Kick

Hi, Lady M! :hi:

[placton]

54. drink some nice herbal tea

don't worry - there is nothing we can do or, alternatively, Obama is here to save us

[mod mom]

55. It's a totally rigged system-from our elections to banking & everything in between.

:(

rec'd

[truedelphi]

86. I would join you in having a sad face but

Let's :toast: instead.

Someday the People have to win one.


I won't give up till that happens.

[earth mom]

56. K & R! nt

[BrklynLiberal]

57. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

[kimmerspixelated]

58. What archery!

NAIL ON THE HEAD! Thanks for posting O. Ghost!

[Uncle Joe]

59. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks to autorank for the article and thanks to you for the thread.:thumbsup:

[autorank]

138. Hey Joe

:hi:

[Uncle Joe]

140. Where're you going with that gun in your hand?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLnKUiybiFo

Sorry, I couldn't resist.:)

Peace to you, autorank, it's good to see you kicking around.:toast: :hi:

[autorank]

148. Exactly!!!

:):toast::)

[Better Believe It]

60. K & R

[hay rick]

61. K&R

[ipaint]

62. Just one more first for the USA.

The only country in the history of the planet that reforms health care for it's citizens and ends up with the government run premiums costing more than the overpriced pro-profit private plans.

Yippee! We are number one for ass backwards, anti-citizen health care reform. :crazy:

[truedelphi]

88. And they said it couldn't be done!

Well Rahm and the other foxes in the WH sure pulled out a victory for industry, didn't they?

[glitch]

94. Uniquely American = Long Con. Ok sometimes also the Short Con. nt

[valerief]

63. K&R

[Joe Chi Minh]

64. Amid so much deliberate obfuscation by the Repubs, an explanation like this is

worth its weight in gold. Even at today's rates. Great work, Miguel!

[Egnever]

73. Sigh

When did the readers at DU become so easily lead? This piece3 is nothing more than fearmongering with 0 supported facts. So many so quick to join into the chanting yet they wonder why it is so hard to get health care reform.

When you will believe anything you read no matter how vacuos it is with no critical thought whatsoever its easy to see why the wool keeps getting pulled over the general publics eyes. One would think that people that visit DU with such a wealth of information at their fingertips would not be so easily lead.

[Kurovski]

87. The facts are that every major Dem against any public option

has garnered money and favors from insurance companies, drug companies, and other such players.

those facts have been all over the joint.

The DUers you condescend to already know the facts. The money party is the problem. Dems and Pubbies alike.

the majority of americans want a solid option. But we won't have it because the money party won't allow it.

and we'll get nothing but bullshit about it.

I think Americans will be figuring this "puzzle" out, even if you'd rather not.

[zeos3]

90. +1

[Joe Chi Minh]

124. Ah, the magisterial superiority of the pseudo-intellectual troll. Awesome. Just awesome.

[autorank]

144. Whenever I see "sigh" I think of febble;)

Can't help the association. It makes me laugh and wince at the same time, but it's more laughter;)

[Joe Chi Minh]

145. Gee. Thanks for that, Mike! I'd been trying to remember her name. There's an Irish horse

maybe called after her pal, On the other hand.

[autorank]

147. ;)

[autorank]

143. Here you go

This is part six of an ongoing series on the health care reform.

Special Health Reform Series: The Money Party and the sickness unto death:

* Do You Deserve to Die?

* Corporate Tantrums - Can We Trust them with our Health?

* Screwing the Self Employed out of Health Insurance

* What Obama Actually Said about Health Reform
(http://tinyurl.com/pxtlrh)

* Fraud and Death Trump Citizen Health

* Failure by Design: The "Public" Option

There's no fear mongering here. Look at "What Obama Actually Said about Health Rreform" published the morning after the president's Sep 9 speech. It outlines what he supports and the basics of H.R. 3962. It's all there. My focus here is on the process of confusing the public and allowing people to think that the public option is actually for the public and will turn into an option. It will cover a fragment of the population 2-5% and it will bake four to nine years to implement.

Those are facts and they're throughout the series.

[Kurovski]

65. Kick.

:kick:

[ProgressOnTheMove]

66. I really don't see it as that pessimistic, it is a break from the status quo just not...

immediate and dramatic one. I think the predictions that it's dead on arrival are over exaggerated, try it and see. Cash for clunkers was predicted as a waste of time at one point even by our side. The plan will grow and strengthen if we stay in the game. The end is nigh has been a constant critique of the Obama administration and we keep turning up roses, so will this, if we keep moving those mountains and turn up for Corzine in NJ a very, very important race. It's as vital as the no on prop 8 vote, as far as I can see.

[pleah]

67. K&R

[riverbendviewgal]

82. I am Canadian and thankful I am not in the USA

My son and husband were diagnosed with cancers, brain tumor and Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma two months apart in 1998. Son had 3 brain surgeries, radiation, chemo, home nurse visits, meds from cancer clinic, psychotherapy, group and solo, 4 weeks in intensive care, one week in palliative care in the hospital. Husband had 1 surgery, rad,stem cell transplant for chemo (month long stay in hospital, meds, and 3 months in the hospital's palliative care and home nursing care before entering into palliative care. We all had psychotherapy, as a family and individually, including our other son and my sick son's wife. Free.

Cost for us - zero, except for parking and the tv rental.

I didn't lose a cent of my husband's pension and earnings.
Our son died 10 years ago this past Wednesday. My husband died May 2001.

At same time I was being treated for fybromyalgia and depression. Cost - nothing.

I now am a retired widow. Don't pay anything except for the supplementary insurance of semi private, eye, hearing aid, and dental care. I deducted the extra expenses including the cost of the supplementary insurance from my income taxes last year. I paid less than 20 percent on my income taxes, Federal and Provincial last year. That covers more than health insurance....for all govt services. I had 5k of those extra expenses and got back 3 k on my income tax return.

Us Canadians don't understand Americans...why is the fight going on against one payer? Health care is a right up here. It is sickening to hear of all the sad stories from those denied coverage from the "for profit" insurance companies down in the USA.

It appears that in America only the richest and fittest survive. It's all about the almighty dollar. There is no compassion.
I feel so sorry for you all.

[CLANG]

96. You've critiqued our problems quite nicely.

It sucks to be U.S.

[Skittles]

103. aw riverbendviewgal

to go through all that and still have compassion for us - you're very sweet

[Enthusiast]

120. You Canadians don't understand.

I'll explain it in simple terms. We have allowed the influence of money to rule supreme in the political process. This is on every single issue. You will see this on climate change legislation, financial services reform, labor rights reform legislation and every single vital issue. Even though the American electorate threw the "bums" out in the last two elections powerful interests control the legislative process more than ever. Do you have room for me and my family up there?

[bvar22]

123. The problem in America is that...

...the population is so brutalized and disoriented that they will beg for crumbs at the rich man's table, and then feel grateful when they get one "because its better than nothing."

You can see them on this thread, and these are supposedly "well informed" people. :shrug:

[maryf]

83. K&R

Let's crash this money party...:applause:

[truedelphi]

85. Reading this, I am reminded of a thought that I had about a week ago

A Constitutional Amendment - such that for every dollar spent by our nation on endless wars, 50 cents would have to go to the administration of a Single Payer Universal HC program.

And if the money was ever not made available, then NO MORE WAR.

When you consider that the Iraq war started in March of 2003 and has already cost us in the 1.5 trillion to two trillion dollar arena, we could all have decent health care and decent dental and vision care too!

[glitch]

95. That's good, only it should be reversed: for every $.50 on war, $1 on domestic welfare

including healthcare. That would have them squawking to their graves, so very, very worth it.
(remember when welfare was a positive term? fuck the pukes)

[truedelphi]

126. + 1. n/t

[Enthusiast]

121. And the worst part

of this massive military expenditure is that it is most likely counterproductive. It is alienating the world's Muslim population toward the U.S. for no better reason that the profits of the military industrial complex. If there are no future terrorist attacks it would actually come as a shock.

Is this really what the founding fathers had in mind? I don't hardly think so.

[earcandle]

100. I think the reason they won't let it happen is that there is a whole industry that will lose jobs

suddenly. The industry that sells health insurance, an elite group who do nothing but collect,will lose their source of funding. Some of them have holdings and payments, some just have jobs. The administrative personnel that hold up the insurance industry will be jobless. Of course, they can just stay on for the government medicare administrative work and not lose at all. But the majority of people who cannot afford to be effected are not guaranteed yet that they can continue their work under the government or resign with severance pay while the government begins to administer the fee and charges part of health care, and the doctors and patients and medicine men can do what they do well. So the manufacturing industry, the steal industry, etc... all had to face job loses. These people should get the same protections as everyone else if they cannot afford to lose their jobs, like others.

We really need to get this economy into the enlightenment phase. I mean, we need to socialize and we need to learn how to use the media for those purposes, not for machiavellian industries anymore. We can still do capitalism, but goods and services flow through a consumer protection unit before licensing and sales can occur. We need some federal guidelines that practice enlightened capitalism. Where goods and services serve the planet and its organic life and preserves the oceans and rivers and lakes and streams, and the lands, and the atmosphere and each Other.

Please, don't accept this crap. Check out the Integrity Tone Scale
climb beyond normal and be a #1:Power Source of games and liberty instead of living in the #16:Pits.

There is a big red blotch with an green arrow in near bottom right to click through to read all. Once you do that you can just click the numbered buttons at any level with an understanding and recognition.

[nilram]

101. Medicare took 11 months to implement --

from the date the bill was signed by President Johnson on July 30, 1965, to the date they opened their doors. And the current bills will take years and years to implement. Peh.

[msedano]

104. thanks for this link

michael collins reliably makes effective arguments. i'm holding onto the hope that the public option will become the little program that could. once congress puts it in place, watch it expand.


recommended

mvs

[WatchWhatISay]

109. what 10 years after they put it in place in four more years?

Too many of us will be dead by then.

[puebloknot]

105. Excellent overview of a depressing scenario. Michael Collins tells it true! nt

[autorank]

139. The Great Awakening

Nothing will wake the people up like getting totally screwed on an issue that relates to theyr physical well being and life span. When the bill fails or passes and then produces little, it will be Hell to pay. Congress is now doing something about the credit card increases but will leave the 25% in place and only bar future increases. They're like automatons, doing the wrong thing again and again. But health, OMG!

[Major Hogwash]

107. Other People's Money - they want it at the cost of your life, but it's not called murder

We can put them in jail for shooting us, running over us in a car, or for even making us drink the water.

But, over time we all eventually get sick.

[Mithreal]

108. K&R especially for hughmorans of the world

[Hubert Flottz]

112. K&R

[Pooka Fey]

113. Sighhhh. KnR

[timzi]

114. Recommend!

I see that the folks I call the "circle-jerkers" here on DU are at it again defending
the pitiful bills being considered. But this fine post has drawn so many recs that they
are unable to un-rec it. GOOD.

[freddie mertz]

115. K & R. It may not be pretty, but the truth WILL set you free.

The promise of change has been scuttled by the usual suspects.

[Kurovski]

149. I love your choice of name.

:D

Or is that your actual name?

Belated Welcome to DU! (iz'zat Louise Brooks?)

[Enthusiast]

116. Thanks, Ghost.

The problem with AUTORANK's article is that it presents us with unpleasant realities that many of us do not want to face.

I think most of us have us have long suspected we are being played, and we are.

The question becomes what to do about it.

[yurbud]

127. kick

[Greyhound]

128. Yep. The naivete hurts. n/t

[maryf]

130. Worth another kick, nt

[autorank]

137. Kick

:kick:

[soarsboard2]

141. People are SLOWLY Seeing the Long Con

but too slowly for anything to happen.

[autorank]

142. It's like watching paint dry but ...

... when the Kabuki Show is over and the people look for their plan, what will happen when they realize
it's all total bull shit? This isn't a war 6,000 miles away or some arcane regulations change. This is about being able to stay well, stay alive. People WILL notice, be stunned for a short while, and then be totally enraged, those who lack needed health care and find they'll continue to lack that care. The "rulers" really put it out there. They think that they can fool people into thinking they've got something, when they're no better off. That's when the moment of truth comes for the people and the great unraveling begins for those who think we're fools.

The pace should pick up then.