Today I celebrate(?)my 35th anniversary as a advocate for the poor in legal services. The last 20 years has been spent at the state back-up center for legal aid, where I specialize in Medicaid policy and related administrative and legislative advocacy for poor people's access to health care.
Someday I'll do a diary on why I think the Massachusetts reform plan, though imperfect, is a model that the nation should embrace in devising national health reform. The devil is in the details, and I have spent my life looking closely at the details. I know the devil well. But today I don't want to get into a fight with those who say that single payer is the only way to go. It's my anniversary and I don't feel like fighting.
Why would someone work the whole adult life in this field? Clearly I must have a strong stomach for tiny incremental changes, and a willingness to re-fight battles over and over again. Sometimes I amuse myself by pulling out fact sheets I did 15 years ago on some legislative bill, and realize that all I need to do is a small update and they are useable again in this year's legislative battles. The targets are always the same- immigrants, lazy welfare mothers, the malingerer who claims to be disabled, the homeless alcoholic. Its an endless battle to make the case that the poor are not disposable members of our society, but that they are our brothers and sisters. In the present economic collapse, poor people suffer the most, but their services are the first to be cut. A rational person would have given up long ago.
Thankfully,I'm not a rational person. I can still celebrate modest gains in social justice, and find great pleasure in playing a role in great social experiments like the Massachusetts health reform law. I can still find a reason to fight back against social welfare cuts, even when the odds are clearly stacked against us. I don't know why I haven't burned out completely, but I'm still here, 35 years later- ready to start a new day.
I'm off to meet with some senior Medicaid officials on a bunch a bureaucratic nonsense, but I'll check in later to see if any of you have some advise or words of encouragement.