[TN-Sen: Harold Ford, Jr., (D) vs. Bob Corker (R)]
I am very grateful for the powerful response to my recent diary on Bob Corker's misdeeds. However, I am going to take a very different approach today.
I want everyone to know that there are very strong and important reasons to vote for Harold Ford, Jr., beyond political calculus (six seats!) and his opponent's scumbaggedness (9-1-1! illegal land deals!).
I don't expect to get as many comments, tips or recommends for this diary because it is hardly as exciting or salacious, but I hope you will give this topic every bit as much attention because I believe it is even more important. Today, I'm going to talk about issues. Today, I'm going to talk about Congressman Ford's healthcare strategy.
It won't be boring. Really! I promise to throw in plenty of slams on Corker and Bush. (They've earned `em.)
Did you know if you take away all the new healthcare jobs in this country, we haven't added
a single private sector job since 2000??? A net gain of +/- 0! alizard did a great job blogging
this story and got a huge response over the weekend.
Here's a quote from alizard's source, namely BusinessWeek magazine:
Since 2001, the health-care industry has added 1.7 million jobs. The rest of the private sector? None.
This makes me sick. The only economic success we've had in five years comes from cashing in on sick people.
According to Business Week magazine, 100% of the (pitifully small) private sector growth we've seen since George W. Bush took office can be accounted for by the Healthcare industry.
The fact there are only 1.7 million new private sector jobs is bad enough, but for them all to come from one industry says something deeply disturbing. Especially, since that industry is plagued with...
out-of-control costs, the vast inefficiencies, the lack of access, and the often inexplicable blunders.
My point to this (besides that Bush sucks and so does his economy) is that Healthcare is a much bigger issue than just people's health (you know, life and death). It's about what's really important: Money! And jobs, and the economy, and pretty much the future prosperity of our nation.
Fixing the American healthcare industry so that it provides... what's the word? oh yeah... healthcare for Americans is one of Harold Ford, Jr.'s top priorities. Here's what he has to say...
As a nation, we spend $2 trillion each year on healthcare. Yet, when you look at the facts, we are not getting much bang for the buck. Forty-five million Americans and more than 700,000 Tennesseans - 1 in 9 of our neighbors - are uninsured, and the problem keeps getting worse.
We already pay more for healthcare per person than other countries, but we receive less access and suffer worse health outcomes. In fact, America stands alone in the industrialized world in failing to provide access to healthcare to all of our citizens.
Hell yeah. That's why I support this guy. He's no liberal, but he knows what Americans need from their government. Basic, everyday, vital services like education, the minimum wage, and healthcare. (Or 9-1-1.) Disagree with him all you want on some of those hot-button issues (hey, I do) like flag burning - but when it comes to what we need from Washington to help everyday people with everyday problems, Harold Ford, Jr., is right on the money.
Take a listen:
The problem is not limited to families; as healthcare costs continue to skyrocket, more and more of our businesses' bottom lines are being eaten up by health insurance premiums for their employees. For example, our nation's automakers spend more on healthcare than they do on steel to make their cars.
For those of you outside Tennessee, auto manufacturers are huge business here. Saturn and Toyota are vital to our economy, and Nissan is in the process of moving its entire North American headquarters here.
All right, Congressman - what are you gonna do about it?
Access to healthcare for all.
No Tennessean - rich or poor, young or old - should be without healthcare. And no business should be bankrupted for taking care of its employees. ...it is time to give universal healthcare coverage, but only if people are willing to accept universal responsibility.
Holy fuck, did he just say "universal"? You're damn right he did. Ford is pitching the plan they're pursuing in Massachusetts, where health insurance is manditory, just like car insurance.
Here's some more from the Congressman:
Of course, forcing people to buy health insurance makes no sense unless we make it affordable. ... Our plan features a multi-tiered strategy to lower costs for the three basic groups of uninsured who need our help:
Those who are eligible for Medicaid but don't sign up.
We should set up low-cost portals at hospitals and health centers to register them and begin addressing their needs.
...
Those who can afford coverage but decline it.
Usually, these people decline coverage because they are in good health and consider coverage too costly. ... The federal government should work with insurance companies to design high-deductible, low-premium plans to serve these people. States like Massachusetts and New York are already doing this. We need to take this successful program to the national level so the people of Tennessee can benefit as well.
Finally, those who cannot afford health insurance but who do not qualify for Medicaid, either.
These people deserve a system with sliding scale subsidies to provide affordable coverage with smaller subsidies as incomes rise. For people making three times the poverty line (individuals earning more than $30,000 and families of four earning more than $54,000), the subsidies would phase out.
I feel like should cut in here and add some commentary, but really I'm just nodding my head in agreement.
Covering the uninsured is critical. But we can even do more to lower the cost of care for everyone [with these specific proposals]...
Association Health Plans
George W. Bush championed this plan in the 2000 election and the 2004 election, but he has yet to take action (probably because it would pass both houses of Congress unanimously so there's no partisan points to be scored). It actually is a really good idea. It lets small businesses pool their resources to have the buying power of a big company when looking for employee healthcare plans.
Tax Credits for Employers.
We should give incentives to employers who assume responsibility by providing minimum levels of coverage to their employees.
A fine, solid step.
Allow Medicare and Medicaid to Negotiate Directly With Drug Companies.
A no-fucking-brainer for anyone not in the back pocket of the drug companies. Since Corker is in the back pocket of the oil companies, I'm not sure where he stands on this issue. In fact, I'm not really sure where he stands on any issue. And neither does he. Check out this unaltered image from his website (it stayed like this for more than two weeks, despite the fact that it was the top story on his front page the entire time!):
The plan has since been updated to have two entire bullet points. And the second one is so vapid that I can't wait to blog about it tomorrow!