Republicans were out in force, trying to kill the kind of healthcare reform that Americans — if opinion polling is any indication — desire and expect. All are claiming to support reform, but none seem to be listening to the majority, which repeatedly says it wants a public plan as an alternative to the current system — and that it trusts the government to manage health care coverage better than the insurance companies.
Author: hankkalet
Hank Kalet is a poet and freelance journalist. He is the economic needs reporter for NJ Spotlight, teaches journalism at Rutgers University and writing at Middlesex County College and Brookdale Community College. He writes a semi-monthly column for the Progressive Populist. He is a lifelong fan of the New York Mets and New York Knicks, drinks too much coffee and attends as many Bruce Springsteen concerts as his meager finances will allow. He lives in South Brunswick with his wife Annie.
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Hank Kalet 
(1) Put me down as a naysayer. And, I am not an R. Nor am I a D.(2) Hope you're not relying on that NY Times \”poll\”. Non-partisan stats lookers find that they polled 66% D's versus 33% R's. Polling partisans isn't really polling. (3) While the insurances companies may not be the ideal gatekeeper of health care, do you really want some version of Amtrak or the Post Office doing it?(4) How about some \”baby steps\”, to make sure that we don't kill what we got, disconnect employment from health insurance. Allow health care to be tax deductible to the individual and treat it like life insurance. (Note: see how cheap life insurance is and how expensive health insurance is. Why is that?)(5) When Hillary tried to nationalize health care, everyone saw it as socialism. (Which works so well else where.) Her methods turned everyone off. Here is is again. Methods are slightly more \”open\”. BUT again, like the bailouts, we are being hustled and rushed. DO it now! Can't wait. That's the clear sign of a scam.(6) The Government can not be both the participant in and the referee in this future fiasco. It will set the rles and then \”compete\” in the marketplace. Please lets not fool ourselves. EVERYONE knows that the Left's objective is to takeover healthcare. It's always been that. They have even said that in leaked audios and video. Sometimes they even say it in rare moments of honesty. So let's not kid ourselves. It's the Communist Manifesto playbook. This is all about ensure Democratic voters forever. This is all about control. This is a giant scam!Government is the meme that kills and enslaves its citizens.
The private for profit health insurance companies are criminal and violate human rights. They have killed people with their capricious decisions. People pay their insurance premiums for decades only to be refused timely coverage at their most vulnerable time. The for profit insurance companies have huge bureaucracies devoted to denying claims.We need Medicare for all, the public option still keeps the criminal private insurers in the mix, to play games with the public. Medicare does work, try talking to more than 1 or 2 people on Medicare and you will find that the overwhelming majority of seniors do like Medicare. Medicare seniors do not get dropped from Medicare but private insurers are always dropping people. Oh sure, there may be some libertarian freakazoids who object to getting Medicare but they're silly. If not for Medicare, the average senior would be unable to afford any coverage even if there were a remote chance that they could get private coverage. But of course libertarians don't give a damn if seniors have health insurance or not.The USPS (post office) is not really supposed to make a profit, it's a vital service that all functioning nations need. Without the USPS, commerce would come to a screeching halt. The army, navy, air force, marines and coast guard don't make a profit. The FBI, CIA and NSA don't make a profit. The police departments and fire departments don't make a profit. They are vital services that all civilized societies need to function, ditto the USPS.Private delivery companies like UPS, FEDEX and DHL (whoops, DHL is going out of business in the US) can only exist because there is the USPS to do all the grunt work that the private companies won't touch. The USPS is great and I haven't used the private companies in more than a decade. The staff at the tiny post office in Kingston are polite and helpful to a fault. The USPS is really underrated.
>The private for profit health insurance companies are criminal and violate human rights. Then why hasn't YOUR ferderal gooferment prosecuted them? And, what rights did they violate? >They have killed people with their capricious decisions. Sure, and it will be all better when the gooferment makes those decisions to ration care.>People pay their insurance premiums for decades only to be refused timely coverage>at their most vulnerable time. Yes, I see all the regulatory and court judgements against them?>The for profit insurance companies have huge bureaucracies devoted to denying claims.Yeah, and that really keeps costs down! Why do people buy policies anyway?>We need Medicare for all, the public option still keeps the criminal private insurers>in the mix, to play games with the public. Oh, please! First of all, Medicare prohibits competition. And, don't worry the public option will be the ONLY options after a few years of \”competition\”. Then will come the rationing. And it will be IMPOSSIBLE to unwind. Just like Medicare!>Medicare does work, try talking to more than 1 or 2 people on Medicare and >you will find that the overwhelming majority of seniors do like Medicare. OF COURSE they like it. It virtually costs them NOTHING! And, the taxpayer foots the bill. >Medicare seniors do not get dropped from Medicare but private insurers are always dropping people. Wait! They don't get dropped because the costs are transferred from Medicare to all the other people. Who do you think pays when Medicare pays below market? >If not for Medicare, the average senior would be unable to afford any coverageCase you haven't noticed but the old folks are the \”richest\” segment of the population. Transfering costs to others and collecting \”social security\” welfare.>even if there were a remote chance that they could get private coverage.The governemnt has OUTLAWED anything but Medicare for old folks.> But of course libertarians don't give a damn if seniors have health insurance or not.Yeah, let us seniors die in the streets. Not like you compasionate liberals who will let them die in the hospital because it's too expensive to treat them!>The USPS (post office) is not really supposed to make a profitOh really, they sure act like they ar suppoesed to break even. And, competition is illegal! Why is that? >it's a vital service that all functioning nations need.Sure! You can really make us laff!> Without the USPS, commerce would come to a screeching halt.Yeah, fax, email, and FedEx couldn't possibly handle the problem!>They are vital services that all civilized societies need to function, ditto the USPS.If they were \”vital\”, the marketplace would provide. Maybe they aren't so vital.>Private delivery companies like UPS, FEDEX So why do USPS subcontract package delivery of express mail to FedEx?>The staff at the tiny post office in Kingston are polite and helpful to a fault. No doubt; they have a cushy racket.>The USPS is really underrated.Overpriced and underfunctional.>Sigh!