Democrats discuss healthcare reform
Published Thursday, August 27, 2009 3:07 PM
Summerville Journal Scene ®
The Dorchester Progressive Democrats participated in Progressive Healthcare Movie Night in North Charleston on August 20. The forum and the movie were well attended. The movie shown was called "Damaged Care," a musical comedy about healthcare reform. The panel after was moderated by Dr. James Spears. Panel members were Patrick C. Labbe, a Hospice RN and chairperson of the Dorchester Progressive Democrats, and Ed Faircloth, a Charleston filmmaker and community activist who discussed the film and healthcare reform. The 100 or so people in attendance were able to comment and debate in a civil and positive way.
Your idea makes much sense. But the issue is so complex and has so many aspects. We also need portability, a safety net, a cap on lawsuits- the list goes on and on. I too think it's such a massive undertaking that it needs to be stepwise. But the President knows his best chance to get anything passed is right now when he has a big majority and he has the political capital to get it done. Changing anything we're so used to-even if it's broken-is very scary, but with the economy in poor health, it has to be done. You have to admire the guy for at least trying to do something like he promised.
Posted by: Rational Independent
President Obama has said that 2/3 of the cost for funding national healthcare would come from eliminating waste in the current system and the other 1/3 from increasing taxes on the "wealthy". Why not just eliminate the waste from the current system (and don't raise any taxes) for the next three years, set aside the money saved, and see if you actually have enough money to do a free "test run" of the national healthcare program for the following two years. Kind of like saving up for something before you buy it. If a government run health care program makes fiscal sense, then prove to the voters you can actually save the money you claim you can before spending a whole lot more.
Posted by: Steve
The Democrats are holding meetings to try to find an answer to a pressing national issue. The Republicans are holding Tea Parties to complain because they got locked out by the voters.
Posted by:
September 2, 2009 Patrick C. Labbe, of Summerville SC, has been appointed as the South Carolina state coordinator for Progressive Democrats of America today. Mr. Labbe also serves as the Chairperson for the Dorchester Progressive Democrats and has been involved in political organizing since going door to door for Senator Eugene McCarthy's Presidential Campaign in 1968 at eleven years old. Mr. Labbe stated his goal for South Carolina is to build 10 chapters in the coming months in South Carolina from the midlands to the Pee Dee, from the low country to the Grand Strand and from the Mountains to the Piedmont.
Posted by: Dorchester Progressive Democrats www.dorchesterprogressives.org
I didn't see anywhere that the GOP closed any borders when they were in control of the White House, Congress, or Supreme Court.They didn't push their Pro-Life plank like they promised us. And it's odd that the same GOP supporters who okayed Bush snooping on us at every turn, (including trying to find out what we check out from the library) are against streamlining medical records and bringing the system into the 21st century. You're out of power, and Obama is in the White House, and you're scared to death. But you wasted your chance. Step aside. You had your turn and you blew it.Health Care reform is coming, and if you don't want to compromise and participate in the discussion, we'll do it without you. Your choice.
Posted by:
There are now 3300 lobbyists for health care interests assaulting Congress- 6 per Congressman. A quarter of a billion dollars has already been spent to sway opinion. Getting a sensible plan to help us tackle the health care we need is an uphill battle. What is so disheartening is to hear so many people in the GOP actively discouraging a give and take discussion of the issue, and lying about "death panels"- a provision inserted by a member of the GOP that actually pays for counseling about living wills. They have an orchestrated effort, financed by the health care industry, to shout down discussion at town halls. Something is gravely wrong when people are making threats against the lives of our elected representatives and showing up with weapons. Socialism? We've had social service programs like social security and medicare for years now. And the truth is, you collect more than you ever put in if you live as long as the national average.And military pensions are social programs too, MSG Mike. But we simply cannot continue to finance health care if the present trend continues. Costs must be contained; doctors rather than insurance companies need to make decisions; ambulance chasing attorneys need to be reined in. There's a lot of work to be done, and after all this time Obama is at least making an effort to fulfill a campaign promise.It's in our national security interest to widen access to health care too.If it can't be done in a compromising bipartisan way, the Democrats should push it through on their own.
Posted by:
The fallacy of the health care plan being put forth by the house and senate majority is that it does not provide an option once things change; ie., the contractual cost, change in doctors, change in your health, once any one of those things change you will automatically be placed on the wonderfully, so called carefully thoughtout, health plan contrived by the far left Democratic(Progressive) party. And, if you didn't care for Mr. Bushes' plan to listen in on telephone conversations, then you certainly won't care for the White House having every intimate detail about your life kept in their archives. These people who profess that they care for 'your well being and livelihood' really are more interested in your vote to take more control of your freedoms than of your health care. Do you really want illegal aliens to use up the health care planned by these people and not pay a penny into the system? If there are at least 14 million illegal aliens in this country at this date, how many will they have allowed to slip in our borders when the health plan finally kicks in? This is 'Azatlan!' for our friends south of the border! The land where milk, honey, and every need will be provided! Your taxes and hard earned Social Security and Medicare benefits that you have been paying for all of your working life will go toward paying for those who enter our borders illegally! By the way, when they fill their W-4 forms out they're smart enough to claim exempt, that means they claim they have 12 dependents and have zero taxes taken from their wages. Then they send a majority of their earnings back home, they don't invest or really spend their earnings here, they turn to our government for their basic needs. Trotsky lived in Mexico before being assassinated, he was able to influence the elite there, they grasped his ideology, and now they carry his socialist ideals into this country with the blessings of our lawmakers who ignore the people's call for border security. So don't let anyone tell you that anything is for free, you are headed toward serfdom!
Posted by: MSGMike
Come off it - a government option for health insurance isn't "socialist," not when the participants have to pay for it themselves. The "socialist" claim comes from the insurance companies, and their objection to competition makes THEM look socialist. We have the highest costs for health insurance in the world, the highest costs for medical care in the world, and still only rank 27th in healthcare quality. Give us the option that gives me more coverage for less money, and stop leaving people to die because some businessman at an insurance company decides they aren't worth it.
Posted by: bor
I guess these socialists don't realize that some people actually enjoy the freedom's this country has to offer and does not want or need the governement to take care of them. Isn't progressive the new buzz word for "socialist"?
Posted by:
A previous post states: "Here's an idea. Take care of yourself and don't expect the government to do it." That's an interesting idea. Do we as a country want people dieing on the street because they can't afford basic servicessuch as healthcare? Are we going to privatize police, schools and fire departments? The government has a RESPONSIBILITY to provide basic services such as FIRE, POLICE, DEFENSE, EDUCATION, and HEALTHCARE. These are in line with thewords that founded this country: LIFE, LIBERTY and THE PURSUIT of HAPPINESS. We need healthcare now and it needsto cover every person in this country like every other Industrialized Country in the World.
Posted by: Patrick C. Labbe, Dorchester Progressive Democrats
There was some discussion about funding health care reform, by both sides of the issue. Strict time limits were enforced and a there was a great variety of opinion. Both sides handed out literature as well. Cost was also a significant focus of both films shown.
Posted by: William Hamilton
I wonder if they addressed just how this new system would be paid for???? Of course not. Only give me, give me, give me. Here's an idea. Take care of yourself and don't expect the government to do it.
Posted by:
Provided
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Sunday, September 13, 2009 8:27 AM
Your idea makes much sense. But the issue is so complex and has so many aspects. We also need portability, a safety net, a cap on lawsuits- the list goes on and on. I too think it's such a massive undertaking that it needs to be stepwise. But the President knows his best chance to get anything passed is right now when he has a big majority and he has the political capital to get it done. Changing anything we're so used to-even if it's broken-is very scary, but with the economy in poor health, it has to be done. You have to admire the guy for at least trying to do something like he promised.
Posted by: Rational Independent
Why not take it one step at a time
Sunday, September 06, 2009 11:38 PM
President Obama has said that 2/3 of the cost for funding national healthcare would come from eliminating waste in the current system and the other 1/3 from increasing taxes on the "wealthy". Why not just eliminate the waste from the current system (and don't raise any taxes) for the next three years, set aside the money saved, and see if you actually have enough money to do a free "test run" of the national healthcare program for the following two years. Kind of like saving up for something before you buy it. If a government run health care program makes fiscal sense, then prove to the voters you can actually save the money you claim you can before spending a whole lot more.
Posted by: Steve
The Difference
Thursday, September 03, 2009 11:09 PM
The Democrats are holding meetings to try to find an answer to a pressing national issue. The Republicans are holding Tea Parties to complain because they got locked out by the voters.
Posted by:
Labbe appointed PDA State Coordinator for South carolina
Thursday, September 03, 2009 5:19 AM
September 2, 2009 Patrick C. Labbe, of Summerville SC, has been appointed as the South Carolina state coordinator for Progressive Democrats of America today. Mr. Labbe also serves as the Chairperson for the Dorchester Progressive Democrats and has been involved in political organizing since going door to door for Senator Eugene McCarthy's Presidential Campaign in 1968 at eleven years old. Mr. Labbe stated his goal for South Carolina is to build 10 chapters in the coming months in South Carolina from the midlands to the Pee Dee, from the low country to the Grand Strand and from the Mountains to the Piedmont.
Posted by: Dorchester Progressive Democrats www.dorchesterprogressives.org
Time's Up!
Wednesday, September 02, 2009 10:50 PM
I didn't see anywhere that the GOP closed any borders when they were in control of the White House, Congress, or Supreme Court.They didn't push their Pro-Life plank like they promised us. And it's odd that the same GOP supporters who okayed Bush snooping on us at every turn, (including trying to find out what we check out from the library) are against streamlining medical records and bringing the system into the 21st century. You're out of power, and Obama is in the White House, and you're scared to death. But you wasted your chance. Step aside. You had your turn and you blew it.Health Care reform is coming, and if you don't want to compromise and participate in the discussion, we'll do it without you. Your choice.
Posted by:
Every American Deserves Equal Access
Wednesday, September 02, 2009 10:30 PM
There are now 3300 lobbyists for health care interests assaulting Congress- 6 per Congressman. A quarter of a billion dollars has already been spent to sway opinion. Getting a sensible plan to help us tackle the health care we need is an uphill battle. What is so disheartening is to hear so many people in the GOP actively discouraging a give and take discussion of the issue, and lying about "death panels"- a provision inserted by a member of the GOP that actually pays for counseling about living wills. They have an orchestrated effort, financed by the health care industry, to shout down discussion at town halls. Something is gravely wrong when people are making threats against the lives of our elected representatives and showing up with weapons. Socialism? We've had social service programs like social security and medicare for years now. And the truth is, you collect more than you ever put in if you live as long as the national average.And military pensions are social programs too, MSG Mike. But we simply cannot continue to finance health care if the present trend continues. Costs must be contained; doctors rather than insurance companies need to make decisions; ambulance chasing attorneys need to be reined in. There's a lot of work to be done, and after all this time Obama is at least making an effort to fulfill a campaign promise.It's in our national security interest to widen access to health care too.If it can't be done in a compromising bipartisan way, the Democrats should push it through on their own.
Posted by:
So you think health care is a right? So you think you have an option?
Wednesday, September 02, 2009 2:19 PM
The fallacy of the health care plan being put forth by the house and senate majority is that it does not provide an option once things change; ie., the contractual cost, change in doctors, change in your health, once any one of those things change you will automatically be placed on the wonderfully, so called carefully thoughtout, health plan contrived by the far left Democratic(Progressive) party. And, if you didn't care for Mr. Bushes' plan to listen in on telephone conversations, then you certainly won't care for the White House having every intimate detail about your life kept in their archives. These people who profess that they care for 'your well being and livelihood' really are more interested in your vote to take more control of your freedoms than of your health care. Do you really want illegal aliens to use up the health care planned by these people and not pay a penny into the system? If there are at least 14 million illegal aliens in this country at this date, how many will they have allowed to slip in our borders when the health plan finally kicks in? This is 'Azatlan!' for our friends south of the border! The land where milk, honey, and every need will be provided! Your taxes and hard earned Social Security and Medicare benefits that you have been paying for all of your working life will go toward paying for those who enter our borders illegally! By the way, when they fill their W-4 forms out they're smart enough to claim exempt, that means they claim they have 12 dependents and have zero taxes taken from their wages. Then they send a majority of their earnings back home, they don't invest or really spend their earnings here, they turn to our government for their basic needs. Trotsky lived in Mexico before being assassinated, he was able to influence the elite there, they grasped his ideology, and now they carry his socialist ideals into this country with the blessings of our lawmakers who ignore the people's call for border security. So don't let anyone tell you that anything is for free, you are headed toward serfdom!
Posted by: MSGMike
why are insurance companies so socialist?
Monday, August 31, 2009 1:27 PM
Come off it - a government option for health insurance isn't "socialist," not when the participants have to pay for it themselves. The "socialist" claim comes from the insurance companies, and their objection to competition makes THEM look socialist. We have the highest costs for health insurance in the world, the highest costs for medical care in the world, and still only rank 27th in healthcare quality. Give us the option that gives me more coverage for less money, and stop leaving people to die because some businessman at an insurance company decides they aren't worth it.
Posted by: bor
Monday, August 31, 2009 9:07 AM
I guess these socialists don't realize that some people actually enjoy the freedom's this country has to offer and does not want or need the governement to take care of them. Isn't progressive the new buzz word for "socialist"?
Posted by:
HEALTHCARE IS A BASIC RIGHT
Saturday, August 29, 2009 9:12 AM
A previous post states: "Here's an idea. Take care of yourself and don't expect the government to do it." That's an interesting idea. Do we as a country want people dieing on the street because they can't afford basic servicessuch as healthcare? Are we going to privatize police, schools and fire departments? The government has a RESPONSIBILITY to provide basic services such as FIRE, POLICE, DEFENSE, EDUCATION, and HEALTHCARE. These are in line with thewords that founded this country: LIFE, LIBERTY and THE PURSUIT of HAPPINESS. We need healthcare now and it needsto cover every person in this country like every other Industrialized Country in the World.
Posted by: Patrick C. Labbe, Dorchester Progressive Democrats
Good Discussion
Friday, August 28, 2009 1:13 PM
There was some discussion about funding health care reform, by both sides of the issue. Strict time limits were enforced and a there was a great variety of opinion. Both sides handed out literature as well. Cost was also a significant focus of both films shown.
Posted by: William Hamilton
Thursday, August 27, 2009 8:35 PM
I wonder if they addressed just how this new system would be paid for???? Of course not. Only give me, give me, give me. Here's an idea. Take care of yourself and don't expect the government to do it.
Posted by:
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