The 12-man field in Pennsylvania's only open seat race keeps plugging along, now with added attention since the Obama and Clinton campaigns have set up shop here and are making a massive push for new registrations (at least Obama is for sure). The percentage make-up of Centre County Dem registrations reached a high water mark last week already. I expect this final week to continue that trend.
A number of my previous diaries have covered this race - from whether or not we can realistically hope to flip the district, to comparing the 3 Democratic candidates on Iraq and on the economy.
The local paper, the Centre Daily Times is also running weekly short Q&A sets from each of the 12 candidates. So far they have covered Iraq, the economy, and today they cover a local issue, the tolling of I-80 in Pennsylvania.
I won't cover the I-80 tolling thing in too much detail, as it is a local issue, and none of the candidates are saying what I personally want to hear. There really is no way to run in this district right now without being opposed to tolls - it's a requirement. I've written about my view in a previous diary and also asked Rick Vilello a question about it in one of his liveblogs here.
Instead, I'll compare the 3 candidates on their healthcare statements and plans. I imagine this will be an upcoming Q&A set in the CDT - but I usually pull from more sources anyway, so I won't wait for them . .
I'll start with Lock Haven Mayor Rick Vilello. His website issues section is pretty sparse on details:
We need to work through a private/ public partnership towards covering all Americans with health insurance. We need to work towards affordable prescriptions for all Americans. Health Insurance and prescription costs are out of control and affecting all of us. It is unacceptable as a nation to pay some of the highest costs and have some of the poorest results. Even the French health care system is rated higher than the United States. We can do better.
To take it a little further, Mayor Rick was asked about single payer here in his first liveblog. His answer:
Universal Health Care is the ultimate goal.
I am willing to consider any plan that will get us to that ultimate goal.
Clearfield County Commissioner Mark McCracken covers healthcare on his website as well:
A comprehensive health care solution is what is needed. My proposal would be to include 3 specific elements to solve the health care crisis and build bipartisan support.
Element 1: Affordable Coverage for those who need it.
The federal government would create an insurance pool fund to provide coverage to those currently on Medicare / Medicaid. Additionally, individuals and small businesses could opt in to buy either full or supplemental coverage through the national pool fund. It would not be mandatory for everyone to join, but the national pool fund would be an available and affordable option for everyone.
Element 2: Protection for our Doctors and Medical Facilities.
We must take away the constant threat of malpractice lawsuits that hang over our doctors and hospitals. Strict limits should be placed on malpractice claims and only the most deliberate mistakes should be eligible for multi-million dollar legal settlements.
Element 3: Grants and Low Interest Loans for research and upgrading hospitals.
We must insure that every medical facility, even in the inner cities and the remote rural areas have the ability to obtain the most up to date medical technology and equipment. Additionally, funding should be provided for research and development of new treatments and medicines.
Like most of you, I'm not a fan of element 2. Then again, we are probably not the typical 5th district voters. However, here are some actual results McCracken can point to:
Mr. McCracken also serves as chairman of the Northern Counties Heath Insurance Purchasing Cooperative Board. This board was organized in 2005 through the efforts of Commissioner McCracken working with commissioners in Clinton and McKean counties to form a multi-county health insurance purchasing co-op and create a self insured pool account. Participation in the co-op is up to 9 county governments and member counties are bringing health insurance costs under control which is saving tax dollars.
Finally, Iraq war vet Bill Cahir has a lengthy issue statement about healthcare. The first part covers the poor situation as it stands, complete with boilerplate quotes from former Democratic PA Senator Harris Wofford, for whom Cahir used to work. The statement ends with these proposals:
The next lawmaker from Pennsylvania's Fifth Congressional District must work with doctors and state and local financial leaders to:
- Create a voluntary purchasing pool that would let farmers, self-employed people and business owners with 50 or fewer employees join a broad risk pool and help them buy affordable private health care coverage;
- Ban discrimination against people with pre-existing health conditions, such as diabetes and high blood pressure, to ensure that all who apply have a chance to buy reliable health coverage;
- Reduce the required age of eligibility for Medicare from 65 to 60 to ensure that early retirees and workers from collapsed businesses get the care they need;
- Increase Medicare funding for rural hospitals and health care clinics;
- Strengthen the Medicare prescription drug benefit so that it is easier to understand and less riddled with loopholes;
- Provide federal funds to states like Pennsylvania that are launching their own health care coverage plans; and
- Finance health care initiatives by allowing President Bush's tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans to expire. That would mean allowing the Clinton era tax rates to take effect one more time for individuals earning $200,000 per year, for single head of households earning $300,000 per year and for married couples earning $400,000 or more per year.
One final note about this race: our preferred GOP hopeful, Matt Shaner, has spent $720,000 of his own money in 47 days of campaigning.
The $720,200 in Shaner expenditures began on Jan. 28 and continued through Friday, according to the Millionaires’ Amendment reports he has filed with the FEC. That time and amount averages to $16,004 a day, a rate that would come to more than $1.3 million by the primary election on April 22.
An analysis of the 2006 congressional elections by the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics found that the average of cost of winning a U.S. House seat was about $1.3 million, covering the full cycle of primary and general election campaigns. The analysis also found that the candidate who spent the most money won in 93 percent of the U.S. House races.
Mr. Shaner is making a serious effort at buying the nomination - I wonder if he'll succeed.