I am ready to seriously consider Senator Obama. His rhetoric and enthusiasm are compelling and exciting. Obama’s throngs at his appearances suggest a movement being made much like those of us that were early supporters of Howard Dean. I was drawn to Howard Dean because on the majority of the important issues he was pure. I am not a one issue person but before I decide there are five issues that the candidate must be "pure" on for me. 1) Ending the Iraqi war and occupation including supporting the troops.. 2) The Employee Free Choice Act and other labor reforms that make unions more accessible to every worker.. 3) Trade reform measures that require that our "free" trading partners allow for worker rights, environmental regulation and human rights to gain access to our markets.. 4) A commitment to reducing our society’s footprint that affects global warming – with a serious eye to alternative energy .. and 5) Universal health care through a single payer system. After reviewing issues on the Obama ’08 website I feel disappointed. See why after the fold....
Senator Obama has not offered a vision of ANYTHING about how to improve the healthcare crisis in America. Here is his statement –
The United States is one of the wealthiest nations in the world, yet more than 46 million Americans have no health insurance. Too many hard-working Americans cannot afford their medical bills, and health-related issues are the number one cause for personal bankruptcy. Promoting affordable, accessible, and high-quality health care is a priority for Senator Obama, who is a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. Obama '08
Nice platitudes but no beef. An issue that has not only worsened in the last 6 years but is ignored by the Republicans does not deserve a 69 nine word position statement where 42 words are used to tell us the problem we all know about and 27 words telling us that "health care is a priority", and oh by the way Senator Obama is a member of the Health Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. Come on where is there some kind of substance?
I would dearly like to support Senator Obama but where is the beef?
Sure the web link that I have provided goes on to talk about other health related issues like aids in Africa and fostering healthy communities. But what is point if Americans continue in their decline in health nationally and access becomes a "haves" versus the "have nots".
I have to tell you that hospital report cards are among the dumbest ideas that I have ever heard of in health care. Yet we see Obama advocating this as a solution to the healthcare crisis..
Consumers do not have enough information to make good choices about their health care. Senator Obama introduced the Hospital Quality Report Card Act to require hospitals to report on the effectiveness, safety and timeliness of the care they provide. This legislation, which is similar to a bill that Barack Obama passed in the Illinois State Senate, would help patients make healthcare decisions and help providers and insurers get the right information to improve quality and contain costs.
Obama '08
Medical choices are made on a whole list of other more compelling factors than a stupid report card. Like is the hospital in the network of providers that my insurance covers? Can I afford to drive that far away and miss work with after care visits? Where will my family stay while I am in the hospital and can we afford that?
Its really no choice most of the time for rural citizens and that is more and more true in mid size cities as the health care providers consolidate their business like other business interests today.
Senator Obama, most communities in the Untied States are lucky to have even one hospital. Frankly, in my rural community in Oregon the one hospital that serves my community would be stronger and better if everyone in the community had equal access to it and the hospital could reasonably believe that it services would be compensated. That would be the effect of universal single payer health care.
Having a report card to tell me that the Medical Center in the Community 100 miles away is better does not give me much help the way the system is designed now because report card or not, the same medical corporation that owns my community hospital also owns the regional medical center.
Senator Obama’s issue stance on health care fails me and for this reason I am dubious of his candidacy. This is has to be one of the five most important issues in rescuing the middle class in our country. I need more than a declaration that this is a priority. At this stage in the game of governance, if you are a leader and want to put yourself out as a candidate for President, one would have to think that a plan would have to be offered. At the very least Obama should tell us in his issue brief if he supports Senator’s Wyden’s approach or Senator’s Kennedy’s "Medicare for All" solution. This issue deserves more than just being a priority.
I would dearly like to support Senator Obama but where is the beef?