According to House Ways and Means Committee chairman, Charles Rangel (D-New York), says his committee must come up with $600 billion in new money to make sweeping changes to our health care system and cover everyone with health insurance. It looks like the Democrats are about to agree on some new taxes to fill that deficit.
I say Democrats, because the Republicans don't want change and will vote "no" on any bill introduced that changes the current system. Repubs have been bought and paid for by the insurance industry.
The Democrats are seriously considering a 3% to 3.5% income surtax on indivuals with an adjusted gross income of more than $200,000 a year ($250,000 for couples). I know the right-wingers will bitch and moan about this new tax, but I like the idea. For one thing, if you have $200,000 left after all the income tax adjustments to income, then you can afford this small new tax.
The conservatives will whine about the high taxes, but that's a lying load of crap. Taxes on the upper income groups are lower than they were when Ronald Reagan (their hero) was president, or any time before that all the way back to World War II. The fact is that wealthy Americans pay less in taxes than the wealthy of any other industrialized nation, and it's time to fix that.
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi also promised that the House bill will not tax health benefits and WILL include a public health insurance option. She said, "We will not be taxing benefits, health care benefits in any legislation that comes from the House. And it will have, coming out of the House, a public option. The only debate on that is what it will be called: a patient option, public option. Write in your suggestions."
I think the House will probably come through with a decent plan and the money to pay for it. It's the Senate that I'm worried about. The Democrats in the Senate have a very weak Majority Leader (Reid) and too many thoroughly spineless "Blue Dogs". I think it's entirely possible that the only thing that comes out of the Senate is a massive payday for private insurance companies, and the problems with our health care system will still be there.
We must keep the pressure on the Senate to do the right thing. And the right thing is public health insurance.
AMERICA’S NATIONAL HEALTHCARE EMERGENCY!
ReplyDeleteIt’s official. America and the World are now in a GLOBAL PANDEMIC. A World EPIDEMIC with potential catastrophic consequences for ALL of the American people. The first PANDEMIC in 41 years. And WE THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES will have to face this PANDEMIC with the 37th worst quality of healthcare in the developed World.
STAND READY AMERICA TO SEIZE CONTROL OF YOUR NATIONAL HEALTHCARE SYSTEM.
We spend over twice as much of our GDP on healthcare as any other country in the World. And Individual American spend about ten times as much out of pocket on healthcare as any other people in the World. All because of GREED! And the PRIVATE FOR PROFIT healthcare system in America.
And while all this is going on, some members of congress seem mostly concern about how to protect the corporate PROFITS! of our GREED DRIVEN, PRIVATE FOR PROFIT NATIONAL DISGRACE. A PRIVATE FOR PROFIT DISGRACE that is in fact, totally valueless to the public health. And a detriment to national security, public safety, and the public health.
Progressive democrats the Tri-Caucus and others should stand firm in their demand for a robust government-run public option for all Americans, with all of the minimum requirements progressive democrats demanded. If congress can not pass a robust public option with at least 51 votes and all robust minimum requirements, congress should immediately move to scrap healthcare reform and request that President Obama declare a state of NATIONAL HEALTHCARE EMERGENCY! Seizing and replacing all PRIVATE FOR PROFIT health insurance plans with the immediate implementation of National Healthcare for all Americans under the provisions of HR676 (A Single-payer National Healthcare Plan For All).
Coverage can begin immediately through our current medicare system. With immediate expansion through recruitment of displaced workers from the canceled private sector insurance industry. Funding can also begin immediately by substitution of payroll deductions for private insurance plans with payroll deductions for the national healthcare plan. This is what the vast majority of the American people want. And this is what all objective experts unanimously agree would be the best, and most cost effective for the American people and our economy.
In Mexico on average people who received medical care for A-H1N1 (Swine Flu) with in 3 days survived. People who did not receive medical care until 7 days or more died. This has been the same results in the US. But 50 million Americans don’t even have any healthcare coverage. And at least 200 million of you with insurance could not get in to see your private insurance plans doctors in 2 or 3 days, even if your life depended on it. WHICH IT DOES!
If President Obama has to declare a NATIONAL STATE OF EMERGENCY to rescue the American people from our healthcare crisis, he will need all the sustained support you can give him. STICK WITH HIM! He’s doing a brilliant job.
THIS IS THE BIG ONE!
THE BATTLE OF GOOD Vs EVIL!
Join the fight.
Contact congress and your representatives NOW! AND SPREAD THE WORD!
God Bless You
Jacksmith – WORKING CLASS