RomneyCare: Tax Penalties Instill Responsibility

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USA Today Excerpt:
“Our experience also demonstrates that getting every citizen insured doesn't have to break the bank. First, we established incentives for those who were uninsured to buy insurance. Using tax penalties, as we did, or tax credits, as others have proposed, encourages "free riders" to take responsibility for themselves rather than pass their medical costs on to others. This doesn't cost the government a single dollar. Second, we helped pay for our new program by ending an old one — something government should do more often.” – Mitt Romney, March 22, 2011

Running Away From His Own Principles, Romney Fails Leadership 101.

Here's Romney again:
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED INTERVIEW)

MITT ROMNEY: It's not a tax hike. It is a fee. It is an assessment. The great majority of employers in Massachusetts are assessed this fee right now. There's a small subset that has not been assessed this fee and that subset is those who don't provide insurance to their employee.

LIASSON: So, this is what the Democrats point to as they defend themselves against the tax charge. They say health care is a character issue, a leadership issue. Romney is running away from his health care plan. The president isn't running away from his.

Then we have our own mentally challenged congressman, Paul Ryan, who argues for statism and said Obama’s health care reform law should be repealed because rights come from “nature and God,” not the government.

But Paul, why does God refuse to give North Koreans their rights?
Why does God refuse to give Saudi women their rights?
Why does God refuse to give Iranians their rights?
Why does God refuse to give his own gay children rights?

COMALite J Comment Excerpt:
20 And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth.
21 Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the multinational megacorporations, and unto the hedge funds and derivatives investors, and unto the SuperPACs that they doth fund that in turn fundeth the candidates that doeth their will; that some thereby mightest “trickleth down” unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.

Excuses, Fearmongering and Sour Grapes Are Only Certainty In GOP's Response To Health Care Reform

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As a supporter of Medicare For All or a genuine public option at the minimum, I'm still only lukewarm to Obama's health care reform act despite the law being affirmed by the highest court in the land. I also suspect more fall-out from the court’s mixed decision, most notably in its weakening of the law’s Medicaid provisions in the name of states’ rights.

But if I were the republican governor of a state, I'd certainly proceed with the framework of state-run health care exchanges, knowing that the exchanges are a requirement in practically every proposal for health care reform written over the past 30 years.

Gov. Scott Walker however says Wisconsin will not proceed with implementing the Affordable Care Act because the SCOTUS decision he claims, creates uncertainty.

Channel 3000 Excerpt:
In the meantime, Walker says the state will not proceed with setting up a health care exchange as is required.[...]

He said the decision creates uncertainty for Wisconsin businesses and that's bad for job growth. Walker has also said businesses will be bullish about adding jobs since he won a June 5 recall election.

Bad for job growth but businesses remain bullish about adding jobs? Which is it?

But tell that to four (Minnesota, Michigan, Illinois and even Tea Party Mitch Daniels Indiana) of the six midwestern states that have all outjobbed Wisconsin in 2011 while instituting that "uncertainty" by building the framework for the state health care exchanges in the new health care law. Add to that the fact that two (California and New York) of the top three states in the country that have had significant increases in employment from May, 2011 to May, 2012 have implemented the ACA almost in it's entirety. While three states with dismal job growth, North Carolina, Alaska and New Mexico have literally banned the ACA. Beginning this week, New Mexico has finally initiated a task force to develop a proposal for creating a state health insurance exchange. So how can the decision be bad for job growth?

Even more ridiculous is to say the decision is bad for Wisconsin. But we'll have to go in circles here for just a moment to tackle that one.

Walker's belligerent failure to implement the law has the same impact on the state as if SCOTUS struck it down. So the decision can't be bad for job growth or create "uncertainty" for Wisconsin businesses if he refuses to implement it. Without implementing the Affordable Care Act, it's business as usual for the GOP and the state of Wisconsin. With the recalls behind us, the state should be gushing in certainty ...and jobs according to Scott Walker.

Conversely, he could have claimed Obama's health care reform was bad for job growth given the poor state employment results of the past year, but only if he had implemented it. He missed that opportunity by fighting it every step of the way. But this is where the rubber meets the road. The GOP's (and Walker's) biggest fear is not that Obama's health care reform fails - but if it would succeed. The idea of course is to never give it a chance.

So using Walker's fearmongering and certainty logic, only states that implemented the federal health care law have "uncertainty," yet those same states have experienced some of the most significant job growth over the past year AND if Walker was right, that should have translated into businesses and workers fleeing those states for Wisconsin.

But we know that's not happening and Walker is playing politics as usual and fabricating more uncertainty by hedging on not implementing the health care plan, with the intention to blame the health care law for all that fails in the state by not implementing it. That's full circle insanity.

Mitt Romney also found himself in a similar foot-in-mouth position earlier this week by saying if the nation’s highest court overturned what he derides as Obamacare, “then the first 3 1/2 years of this president’s term will have been wasted on something that has not helped the American people.”

Boston.Com Excerpt:
Yet the court, with the vote of conservative Chief Justice John Roberts, today upheld the law’s constitutionality.

Accepting Romney’s logic, that would mean that the bulk of Obama’s first term in office was spent on something that helped the American people.

Roberts is not someone Romney can dismiss, either. On his campaign website, he pledges to nominate Supreme Court justices “in the mold of Chief Justice Roberts,” as well as other court conservatives.

Epic backfire.

ADDITIONAL:

Political Environment - Who Does J.B. Van Hollen think he Is? The Party Boss?

Think Progress - Sen. Ron Johnson thinks freedom means having the freedom to deny health care to cancer patients.

Democurmudgeon - Tea Party Losers Whine, have Temper Tantrum, call for Armed Revolution.

Crooks and Liars - Republicans Biggest Fear: That Health Care Reform Would Succeed

Will Shadowy Doctors Group Have Hissy Fit Over Ryan's Devastating Cuts to Health care?

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In a defensive response to a political video ad last year showing a Paul Ryan-like figure throwing grandma off a cliff, a group calling themselves "AmericanDoctors4Truth," created a new video ad with a direct reference to Obama (and using his voice) throwing a senior off the cliff. The doctor's ad, (these guys are strictly non-partisan humanitarians) then takes issue with the $575 billion in savings to Medicare over the next ten years that would be used as a down payment expanding coverage to an additional 30 million Americans. The "doctors" note that, “President Obama and those Democrats who supported ObamaCare began throwing seniors off the cliff on March 30th, 2010, when they voted to cut Medicare’s budget by $575 billion.”

The problem for the doctor's group now is, Paul Ryan just offered the GOP's annual Medicare-killing budget again that not only aims to repeal Obama's signature health care reform, BUT intends on removing another estimated $205 billion in Medicare savings in addition to Obama's Medicare budget - THEN - quadruples that figure to $2.5 trillion in cuts to federal health care programs - over the coming decade, thus dwarfing the original $575 billion in federal health care cuts. Health care cuts are health care cuts and patients are patients, right?

Oh, doctors4truth, where art thou?

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but there's nothing like getting egg on your face before you throw an omelet.

A member of the doctor's group explains, “Patient-centered health care reform is the only ethical reform any health care provider should support. We are not politicians – we are doctors. We don’t treat Republicans or Democrats – we treat patients.”

Sure, they're not partisans. Oh, yeah.

Below is a nice video mash-up by the Democurmudgeon that includes the original "cliff" video and the new doctors video along with some Ed Show discussion.

Walker Plays Politics, Turns Down Millions For State Health Care Exchanges

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WEAU Excerpt:
Gov. Scott Walker says he will turn down $37 million from the federal government that had been awarded to help implement health care exchanges under President Barack Obama's health care reform law.

What is really troubling yet telling about Walker turning down millions to implement state health care collaboration and exchanges is that nearly all of the health care proposals floated around for the past several years call for the implementation of state health care exchanges, even Republican models. This can only mean Walker intends on breaking any possibility of health care security and stability the people of Wisconsin would otherwise gain from Obama's health care reform just to build a wedge of public opinion against the President. Walker is playing politics while the people lose the chance for health care reform. What does Walker care?

Jan. 28, 2011
Governor Walker signs executive order to create Office of Free Market Health Care

Jan. 18, 2012
Governor Walker repeals his executive order that created the Office of Free Market Health Care.

It begs the question: Did Walker demolish the Office of Free Market Health Care, only one year after he signed it into law, out of spite for the people of Wisconsin because of the wildly popular and highly successful recall effort?

In the meantime, Walker has no problem traveling across the country begging for money from wealthy out-of-state donors while painting the people-powered state recall drive up as an out-of-state campaign. Got to hand to him, at least he's looking out for his own health.

The Ed Show Video Clip - Democurmudgeon



Side note: Has anyone noticed that many newspapers and television stations released statements from Scott Walker about the recall and other issues over the past few days without mentioning his whereabouts?

Two-Faced Ryan Still Scamming With Old Tricks

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Ryan’s newest scam involves eliminating tax breaks for employees who are enrolled in their employer’s group health care plans and give workers the tax credit to buy health insurance on an individual basis.

In my humble opinion, this really is nothing new from the two-faced congressman. Embedded in his "Roadmap for America's Future" were provisions offering employees a "choice" to eat a baited T-bone by giving them a tax credit to buy health insurance on an individual basis. This credit would be paid for in part by shifting healthcare tax breaks away from the employer to the worker. Of course this would likely encourage most companies to drop their employer-sponsored group plans. This self-cannibalizing slow-death baiting of American workers is a popular gimmick from Ryan's bag of old sucker tricks. What is new however, is that he's now trying to pawn it off as a replacement for Obama's health care reform package.

PoliticusUSA Excerpt:
According to Ryan, his plan will give consumers the needed incentive to demand more value from their healthcare. He said, “Giving patients and consumers control over health care resources would make all Americans less dependent on big business and big government for our health security; give us more control over the care we get; and force health care providers to compete for our business.”

Okay, we know that Ryan wants to end our employer sponsored health care. But what about his own employer sponsored health care from the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program? Although he boasts that his proposals offer insurance plans to individuals the very same standard health benefits Members of Congress enjoy, he doesn't address how Congress and Federal employees would fit under his individual privatization mandate or have the incentive to opt-out.

But to use Ryan's own words then, IF giving consumers Congress and Federal employees individual control over health care resources would make all of them less dependent on big government for their health security and give them more control over the care they get; and give them more incentive to demand more value from their health care - why hasn't Paul Ryan lead the way and opted out of his employer's group health plan?

Nothing was more telling than when Democrats proposed a simple House resolution requiring members of Congress to publicly disclose whether they will continue to participate in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program. The entire Wisconsin Republican House delegation including Ryan voted "NO." Mind you, that wasn't a vote to opt-out of the Federal Employee Program, it was merely a request to publicly disclose their current status.

With that minor disclosure, they couldn't even muster the courage to stand with their own convictions.

Scammers.

Courageous Democrats Restore American Exceptionalism

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Without a public option or a genuine "everyone in, nobody out" single payer plan, it certainly wasn't the health care reform I wanted. But considering everything - I'm elated the House passed it without one single Republican voting for it.

Yet once again, Congressman Paul Ryan was his usual embarrassing self espousing the politically expedient "give them death now instead of our childrens' debt later" straw man slippery slope crony capitalist hypocrisy among others....

Ezra Klein Excerpt:
Well, the bill passed. And moments ago, Rep. Paul Ryan was on the floor of the House, bellowing against Democrats who would dare propose "across-the-board cuts to Medicare." This is breathless opportunism from Ryan -- he has proposed far deeper across-the-board cuts to Medicare, and is making arguments against the Democrats' bill that would be far more potent and accurate if aimed at his own -- but leave that aside for a moment.

Take it or leave it, the health care reform vote could be the momentum Democrats have been looking for, for years. No doubt some Democrats will face heavy opposition in tough districts in the Fall, but no one can accuse them of voting in favor of HCR just to save their own careers or kowtow to their campaign donors. That's an argument to save for "Hell No" Republicans.

Dems finally mustered the courage to stand up and show some spine against the phony rhetoric, hate and lies perpetrated by the desperate and fraudulent Right, and return to the core principles and values which they are identified with by the nation.

One year later: Democrats Ramming HC Reform Down Our Throats

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March 3 -- "I believe as we stand on the abyss tonight, for those Americans who are want to turn to God for answers that this is a time to be doing that, to ask for his help supernaturally so that we don't make this fatal step pushing our nation into socialized medicine..."
-- Rep. Todd Akin (R-Regressive) Missouri.

Is the GOP counting on the “Rapture” to avoid the lakes of fire, marauding demons and the destruction of mankind on Earth that are to come, if health care reform passes through on reconciliation? Check out the riotous Jon Stewart video featured in the left sidebar.

Health Care Subsidiaries Scheduled To Bump Heads At Summit

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President Obama invited congressional leaders and top committee members to a health care summit scheduled for today. The four House and Senate leaders were asked to choose up to four members each. Among those chosen to attend by House Minority Leader John Boehner was Rep. Paul Ryan leaving no doubt the private health care insurance lobby will be aptly represented.

JG Excerpt:
Ryan recently introduced legislation to give future Medicare beneficiaries vouchers to buy private health plans and to give future Social Security beneficiaries the option of investing some of their Social Security money in private accounts.

Paul Ryan's plans "give" absolutely nothing to Medicare or Social Security beneficiaries... his plans take away.

On another front in what can be viewed as "stand and brand" legislative action, Ryan voted no on the Health Insurance Industry Fair Competition Act thus identifying himself as one of at least 19 wholly owned private insurance representatives masquerading as congressmen in Washington, D.C.

"Republicans - Wholly Owned Insurance Subsidiary"

InsurCorp Miffed By Profits - Will Jack Up Premiums

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Insurer spent nearly $9.5 million lobbying against health reforms; CEO’s annual salary tops $10 million. Its parent, WellPoint Incorporated, has seen its profits soar earning $2.7 billion in the last quarter of 2009 alone.

According to recent reports, the company wants to raise its premiums by up to 39 percent for roughly 800,000 Anthem Blue Cross customers in California who hold individual policies.

The company, apparently complaining about the circumstances that led to it's windfall profits, then issues this statement...

Raw Story Excerpt:
“We regret the impact this has on our members,” the company said, according to The Washington Post. “It highlights why we need sustainable health care reform to manage the steadily rising costs of hospitals, drugs and doctors. As such, it is important to go back to the beginning and get health care reform done right.”

Woodman's Drops Mental Health Coverage

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December 16: Story on Woodman's employees in Janesville dropping union representation making it into the Janesville Gazette -- Union Rejected by Woodman's

Five days later.

December 21: Story on Woodman's grocery stores dropping mental health coverage not making it into the Janesville Gazette -- Woodman's drops mental health coverage

Two weeks later.

January 4: Editorial on Woodman's decision to drop mental coverage written by the Capital Times -- A deeply disappointing decision by Woodman's

Since the Mental Health Parity Act became effective Oct. 15, 2009, it certainly does look like Woodman's waited till after the union vote before dropping the benefit. But Congress delayed the effective date of the Act to January 2010 for bargaining agreements that otherwise would have been covered in 2009.

Still, there can be little doubt that the grocery chain waited until after the Janesville union vote to make their decision.

I'm convinced the management folks over at Woodman's think the parity rule along with the loophole exempting mental health coverage altogether was soooo terribly irresponsible that they counted on it, and are willing to defend it against any who dare try to "fix" it. The state can expect a huge battle with the WMC if they attempt to close the hole or exceed Federal provisions.

From both Congress and their employees, Woodman's got exactly what they wished for.

David Brooks Prefers Single-Payer?

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Crooks and Liars Excerpt:
Conservative columnist David Brooks expressed support for a system of health care that is most often demonized by the right wing. "I wouldn't mind a single-payer. I prefer it to what we have now," Brooks told ABC's Jake Tapper Sunday.

Well, at least David Brooks finally gets it. Besides the ever increasing and accelerating costs of health care on our GNP, the only way to compete for jobs in a single-payer global economy is to have single-payer health coverage here. Trying to keep the private insurance system fully monopolized with subsidies amounts to protectionism. As far as I'm concerned, without genuine competition the current Senate bill is little more than a pre-emptive bail-out for the out-of-touch American health care industry. Free market pressures are on the verge of collapsing the industry. Congress knows it. It's not reform.

Feingold Called GOP's Bluff - Local Media Annoyed

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Last week, when GOP senators wrote an amendment designed to ridicule the public option and embarrass Democrats, they got a little surprise. Several democrats including Sen. Russ Feingold endorsed the amendment by Republican Sen. Tom Coburn of Oklahoma and David Vitter. Both republicans are vehemently opposed to the public option.

The Beloit Daily News spun an editorial attempting to reframe the episode against democrats. The BDN editorial was republished in the Janesville Gazette on Thursday.

BDN Excerpt: (Titled: Feingold again annoys his party)
Somehow, we doubt a lot of Feingold’s colleagues will agree. It’s one thing to hang a public option around others’ necks, and quite another for members of Congress to give up what they have and join in the untested program.

Except there was one major flaw with the Republican's "if it's good enough for the people, it's good enough for congress" amendment. By trying to force mandatory participation for the public plan, their amendment actually took out the "option" from the public option. Never mind the fact they did not support their own amendment.

Of course, Feingold and his fellow Democrats taking Republicans up on their phony amendment had little to do with Republicans working in a constructive manner on health care. In my view, they exposed the house of cards the "party of no ideas" is built on. It was about political game playing of the same levity displayed in the House of Representatives months earlier by Rep. Paul Ryan when he co-sponsored the same legislation. Senate Democrats called the party of no idea's obstructionists out on their bluff and they buckled just like the phony phonies that they are.

For whatever the health care reform bill is worth right now and that ain't much, it didn't help that Democrats had to deal with the Republicans constant barrage of bogus legislation designed to undermine the political process.

"I reluctantly conclude that, as it stands, this bill would do more harm than good to the future of America." -- Howard Dean

I completely agree with Dean. The Public Option, but even more so with a genuine single payer health care plan, was key to accelerating America's economic recovery by shutting down the outsourcing of jobs to countries that already have universal health care. Without it, it's Republican-lite. Kill the bill!

"Deal" Looks like An Insurance Policy For InsurCorp Profits

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Soon after President Obama spoke to members of Congress about the need to pass health care reform, Senate Democrats struck a "deal."

Capital Times editorial Excerpt:
Their negotiators struck a tentative agreement Tuesday night to eliminate the “public option” -- the controversial but necessary plan to set up a government-run insurance program to provide competition (and an incentive to hold down costs) for private insurers.

Not only did they drop a genuine public option choice from the reform package, they caved into Insurcorp even further by alleviating the number-crunching profit mongers of their most unprofitable and risky customer base, the 55 to 64 age group. What can we expect next? How about the government making private health insurance mandatory (remember there's no public option) for the remaining UnMedicared constituency, the 18 to 54 age group? I mean, what privately held for-profit insurance company would oppose having their most troubled assets socialized at the same time are guaranteed a cash pool expansion among the least risky?

Expect huge health insurance company profits. That’s the change we got.

Wanda Sykes: "Mr. President, remember 'yes we can, yes we can?' Well, I wish you would."

Janesville Residents Petition For Public Option

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Channel 3000 Excerpt:
JANESVILLE, Wis. -- The organization Citizen Action of Wisconsin led an effort to deliver a petition signed by more than 2,600 area residents to U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan's Janesville office on Tuesday.

It's too bad they didn't present their petition to the Janesville city council last week.

In a decision unrelated to CAW's petition drive, the Janesville city council entertained a symbolic resolution in support of universal access to health care. That didn’t last long. Oddly, some members of the council did not want to project a political or partisan bias on the health care issue and demanded the word "universal" be stricken from the resolution. The final diluted endorsement passed but mattered little since there is a wide concensus in favor of some type of generic health care reform.

However in January of this year, the council not only passed a similar endorsement style resolution supporting the widening of the I39/90 expressway, they unanimously endorsed the legislative agenda of the politically active lobbyist group known as “Forward Janesville.” Had they shared the same partisanship as indiscriminately with the recent health care resolution, the council would have endorsed the legislative mission of a politically active organization like HealthCare Now or USaction or Citizen Action Of Wisconsin.

Today's Health Care Insurance Are Like Big 3 Before Competition Arrived

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In an editorial on Sunday, the Janesville Gazette wrote that they are looking forward to the time when Dean's will open a new hospital to compete with Mercy.

JG Editorial Excerpt:
We also recall the words of Congressman Paul Ryan, long a student of the health care industry. He looked forward to the new hospital in his hometown and told us that the health care system is broken because it is built "for price increases because it lacks true competition based on quality and prices."

Ryan’s compartmentalized view on health care competition is the same one U.S. automakers held for decades among themselves before foreign brands were introduced. Offering multiple lines of corporate models based on quality and price was little more than an exercise to fabricate a sense of competition among the Big 3. Consumers caught on quickly to that charade and gravitated towards the foreign makers despite knowing they held a huge material/labor/legacy cost advantage over the American industry. While the American auto industry was nearly crushed, consumers felt they got a better bargain. That's all that mattered.

Those tough lessons taught me that true competition can only best be created with the introduction of a completely different brand – not more of the same. But we are talking about insurance here and regardless of the number of hospitals, there is really only one brand of health care insurance selling multiple lines of health care models in America. The charade is over. The problem now is the insurance industry is fighting to shut down any introduction of competition. Who could blame them?

But that's a mighty novel way to describe someone (as a student) who has received nearly a half-million dollars in campaign contributions from the insurance industry Oh, I get it. It’s a scholarship in progress!

Alan Grayson Tears Down Snowe Mirage For Reform

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Rep. Alan Grayson of Florida continued his pointed truthiness on the House floor again, this time taking on fellow Democrats for their bizarre pursuit of Sen. Olympia Snowe's vote on health care reform. His latest statement provides for the possible consideration that Snowe, a moderate Republican, is being set up as either the hero or the scapegoat on the reform bill.

Global Competition For Jobs Driving Health Care Reform?

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Rep. Paul Ryan's "Patients Choice" health care is little more than a long winded essay explaining why you should drop your employer-based health care plan.

Ryan Q & A Excerpt:
2. Why create a tax credit ($5,710) that costs less than the average cost of insurance for a family of four? How are individuals and families supposed to make up the difference?
Ryans answer: As a result of biases in the current tax code, Americans who receive their health benefits from their employer pay roughly one-third of the total health coverage costs, while their employer pays roughly two-thirds. For example, the average family’s annual health insurance plan cost about $13,000 last year, with an employer paying about $8,600, while the employee only paid about $4,200 in annual premiums. Under the Patients’ Choice Act, all Americans would receive a tax credit – over $5,700 for families – which can only be used to pay for health insurance or medical expenses. Individuals and families will be able to use any overages to pay for preventive care, which can be rolled over at the end of the year.

Ryan laughably implies that families receiving the $5,700 tax credit will experience overages...overages!! because after all they only pay about $4,200 in annual premiums. And he doesn’t clarify the fact that if you enroll into his “Patients Choice” plan, you will no longer be subsidized the $8,600 from your employer. He does not acknowledge that the $5,700 tax credit will defund your employer's sponsorship. Ryan knows this will happen of course because this is his primary objective to health care reform. He wants demands that employers are taken out of the equation and spends most of his time trying to convince readers of the advantages, control and empowerment individual(ity) has over employer-based (group) insurance.

Excerpt:
4. Doesn't this undermine existing employer-based health care, and push workers into the private market to fight big insurance companies on their own?
Ryan's answer: No.

But the congressman not only explains that individuals should have the power to make the decision to drop their employer health insurance, he also offers several reasons why workers should leave the system, disingenuously implying that by keeping it, they are victims of arbitrary tax rules among other things.

Excerpt:
Ryan's answer: But individual Americans should make that decision – instead of falling victim to arbitrary tax rules or staying in a job only because they can’t afford to lose their health insurance. Tax breaks should go directly to every individual with a health insurance plan.

Tax breaks, remember the $5,700 tax credit? Instead of it going to your employer to help subsidize the $8,600 portion of your insurance, he’ll give the tax credit to you. What happens to the employers premium co-pay? Poof! It disappears. Congressman Ryan of course doesn’t say it like this and consistently avoids the connection.

Except single-payer, there can be no doubt that the core objective of the other health care plans is to remove employers from the health care equation - one way or another. Ryan accuses the public option plan of sneakily dumping workers out of their employer plan over a number of years. While the "Patients Choice" plan is banking on workers (victims trapped by employer-based coverage!) taking the carrot to do the dirty deed themselves.

I believe that is what's driving nearly all of the reform. While partisans from either side of the aisle disagree on many facets of the different plans - they all however agree to separate American businesses from the unwritten responsibility of employee health care benefits. It doesn't compete in the new world order economy. This is where they share common ground.

In my opinion, unfortunately, the current health care debate is not about the 50 million uninsured Americans. It's not about lowering costs or expanding access. And it's not about socialism or undermining the free markets. Those are all tactics and diversions to undermine whatever part you might agree with just to keep the status quo. We've got about ten different reasons and their corresponding groups expressing why reform shouldn't happen and what's left over in the opposition say they like the plan they have. All the reform plans essentially offer the same care through the private American health care industry. Would patients still like it if they were on their own without employer compensation? Ryan thinks so.

Has anyone noticed how businesses are relatively quiet in this debate? While few are advocating against employer-based insurance, none are advocating for it. There's a giant void out there. Sure, some have fallen into the phony socialism scare or Ryan's Randian individual empowerment trap like Whole Foods, but even Wal-Mart has taken the side of the public option. Never mind that they have been unilaterally practicing it by dumping employees into state insurance programs at every chance they get.

Although I support single-payer first and foremost, congressional progressives have smartly drawn a line in the sand by insisting that without the choice of a public option - there will be no health care reform. Without the public option, HR3200 devolves into Ryan's "Patients Choice." If that happens, employers would be relieved of sponsoring health care benefits - and little else. It would be a failure of monumental proportions.

Note: At his listening sessions, Rep. Ryan has been gloating over Democrats voting against an amendment requiring all Members of Congress to get insurance through the proposed public option plan. However, not only does Ryan lack the same confidence in his own "Patient's Choice" plan, his plan doesn't contain the same amendment and never addresses how his employer (us!) will be relieved of sharing the payment on his (all federal employees) health care premiums.

Government Scorned While Ryan's Supporters Reap Benefits

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From the moment Paul Ryan walked into the Craig auditorium and received a loud round of applause was when I knew most in attendance were his hometown partisans. It caught me by surprise because a good half in attendance looked to be Social Security and Medicare recipients or only a few years away - the very people Ryan has been working against most of his career. Go figure.

Ryan spoke fast and loose during his well rehearsed power point presentation on HR3200 as well as throughout the meeting before taking questions from the audience. He offered no new information or willingness to collaborate with the majority party.

As far as attendance goes, I'm not good at counting heads but if I had to guess there were at least 600 people in attendance for Ryan's InsuroCorp meeting. Possibly more.

One person getting a chance with the microphone claimed to have a degree in accounting, described himself as neither a Democrat or a Republican, but admitted he voted for Ryan before taking verbal potshots at Pelosi and Reid. Who would'a known? Still, this guy was representative of the audience when he complained about the amount his social security was being "taxed" to pay for his current health care (Medicare, I suppose he expected it was free), at the same time insinuating we don't need no "socialized medicine." The crowd roared in agreement. This general theme was repeated throughout much of the event.

Ryan of course came pre-loaded with all the talking points and only used the word "insurance" when he really had to while overusing "government" at every chance available. Regarding his own plan, he described the $5,700 tax credit as a "subsidy" that would help families pay their premiums under their current plans. Never mind the fact that if you accept the subsidy, you are no longer a member of your employers' group plan. Apparently, Ryan's plans never add to the deficit because the money to fund "Patients Choice" comes from out of nowhere. And how does Ryan's "Patients Choice" work for employees of the government? It doesn't.

Neither does Ryan ever clarify the reality that the public option is merely government sponsored insurance, meaning the actual health care is still administered by private health care professionals.

A spokesperson from the League of Women Voters gently implied that Ryan’s rigid opposition to HR3200 is premature since many changes can happen before the bill is finalized. This was a sharp observation because Ryan has disengaged himself from the architectural planning of HR3200. Instead of working with Congress, he has chosen to present his own weakly written and unworkable insurance proposal.

Ironically, the one person from the audience who asked Ryan to take a stand against the astro-turf thugs disrupting health care town halls held by democrats was the only person who was heckled and almost shouted down astro-turf style by Ryan's cane-carrying brigade. But it was a mild outburst and the citizen was given the chance to finish her statement. Other than a few more rounds of loud applause mingled with a few grunts and boo's, the meeting went along without any real shout-downs or threats. None was expected after all since Ryan is a Republican.

It did seem like there were one or two applause starters near the center rear of the auditorium. Ryan could have passed gas and they would have clapped. But by far the most glaring irony of the event was the insanely illogical mindset and gullibility of the socialized pensioners in attendance supporting Ryan and his deceptive plans. As long as they got theirs (Social Security and Medicare, etc.), they are fully prepared to take a stand to make sure others don't.

SNL or Comedy Central can't touch it.

WKOW's report on the event

Paul Ryan's Insurance Clinic Coming To Janesville

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Fact.

JSonline Excerpt:
Top donors for Madison Democrat Tammy Baldwin this year include the National Association of Retail Druggists, which has given $2,000 to her campaign. Doctors, nurses and other health professionals have made roughly $295,000 in donations to Baldwin since she was elected to the House in 1998.

Fact.

JSonline Excerpt:
Health professionals have given Kind $335,000 in donations since his first congressional election in 1996, putting them among his top contributors.

Fact.

JSonline Excerpt:
The Janesville Republican has collected more money from the insurance industry - $493,000 - than from any other interest group during his 10 years in Congress.

There's no denying the numbers, they're out there for all to see. This is the ugly part of politics that I will always detest no matter who is collecting the money.

Still, all things being equal, certain facts remain. The two Democrats above have the weighted support from health care professionals. You know, the people who come between you and the insurance spreadsheet analysts. Paul Ryan has the total support from the insurance industry. They have little to do with health care and all to do with profits coming at the expense of our health. They're the ones who stand between us and the health care professionals. Who would you rather have in the operating room?

That is the stark reality.

"Everybody knows where I stand," said Ryan. We sure do congressman.

Believe it or not, the opening act for Ryan's "health care" event with the Waukesha Chamber of Commerce was a sales pitch coming from an insurance executive!

Ryan's Janesville insurance clinic is scheduled to start today at 3:30 PM. It will be held at Craig High School auditorium, 401 South Randall Avenue.

Note: It is important to note here that the location has changed. Ryan's InsuroCorp clinic was originally scheduled to be held at Janesville city hall.

Dr. Cuffe or Dr. Kevorkian?

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Doctor Admits Current Health Care Industry Inadequate To Serve America



So how many sick people has Dr. Cuffe denied care to?

If your answer is "none," then those 50 million patients he's talking about - don't exist.