Area forums on health insurance

[Talking Stick]

I intend to add some commentary but this posting is intended primarily to pass on to people in North Georgia word of two upcoming panel discussions on health insurance legislation.

The first will be this Tuesday. Below is copied information from Sue:

I don't know if you or others from your necks of the woods can make this event, but I met the young man Andrew Wilkinson who is on the panel and helped organize this.  He is a very intelligent student (and a Brit who has only been here 2 years) AND who is going to be a great asset.  He is starting up the Young Dems at GSC. This public event is a perfect opportunity to amass a group of pro Health Reform folks to be visible - especially wearing t-shirts and being ready to ask pro reform questions during the Q&A.  Any help you can give in spreading the word is appreciated and of course your attended is valued, too!
Sue

Healthcare Reform Discussion Tuesday 9-22

Healthcare Reform Panel Discussion with Audience Q & A* Tuesday, September 22nd, 7:00 - 8:30 pm Gainesville State College, Continuing Education Auditorium Doors Open at 6:30 pm for Complimentary Refreshments Free and Open to the Public Panelists: Carlos Charry, Student, Debate Club, GSC Caroline Holley, Government Relations Director, BCBSGa Kelly Manley, PhD, Professor of Economics, GSC Doug Oster, MD, Family Physician, Northeast GA Physicians Group Kerry Stewart, PhD, Professor of Philosophy, GSC Andrew Wilkinson, VP, Students for a Progressive Society, GSC Moderator: Tom Preston, PhD, Professor of Communication; Debate Club Advisor, GSC Co-Sponsored by Students for a Progressive Society and the Debate Club For more information, contact Tonna, thboss...@gsc.edu or Anita, aturl...@gsc.edu.

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The Dawson County Democratic Party is also sponsoring a panel on health care legislation.. It will be October 8
Note from Bette Holland and Tom Foley:

The next general meeting will be October 8 at 6 PM at the Dawson County Public Library.  Please put this on your calendar!

 

We will be serving a light dinner, followed by a panel discuss on health care reform, and then some announcements and awards.  It should be fun and interesting.

 

We hope you can attend.

 

Bette Holland and Tom Foley

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At this point I do not intend to attend either but certainly we need to inform ourselves as copiously as possible and to remember
Even with all the moneyed blitz still!  Over 50% of the public and Over 60% (66% by the NEJ poll) of physicians favor public option or a single payer insurance plan.  Even the majority of Max Baucus'  constituency desire public option.

For what it is worth:  For 30 plus years we have been living in a culture where virtually any form of nurturing and most altruism has been  under assault, demeaned and debased as "soft and weak."  (One exception is the glorification of bloody sacrifice of  our most fit and able in wars for profit.)  There has been a steady dismantling of any community, (read government) programs that nurture the community as a whole, from Medicare to the Arts to roads and sewers.

The operative motto for the United States has been: "Everyone serving their selfish interests creates the best of all worlds." has it brought happiness to all or most?  I wondered why the conservatives along with the rest of us were so unhappy when they had complete control of the government and most of the public arena. And they are still not happy.

Now the item du jour is a study that indicates American women are approaching full misery.  The most unhappy? Mothers. It's just not cool to sacrifice self-interest for the young, the old and the vulnerable.

And even those in government who are promoting a modicum of "reform" are promoting it as an economic, self interest issue, and using the primary tools of criminalizing the uninsured while not offering much more than forgiveness of exorbitant fines  if they are too poor to purchase it.  Are we happy?

Who are happy with life in their country? I don't have the references but they can be found showing studies of general contentment which always rank the Scandinavians high. My recollection is Denmark is the highest.  All of the industrialized nations now have some government supported universal health care and most of their citizens are proud of it, not to mention most being healthier.

Why is our president and the Congress promoting change on the basis of economics and self-interest? Let's get radical and promote it on the basis of "It is simply the right thing to do."

Great letter to the NYT editor yesterday:
http://roomfordebate.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/18/what-socialism-means-to-the-masses/?scp=1&sq=lerrers%20norway&st=cse.

Have a great week and wear those T-Shirts!

Lorraine