Howard Dean is first, and I should expect he would have brought us a health care bill largely similar to what Obama has, especially after having read this piece:
Ryan Lizza in The New Yorker, March 26, 2012 THE MANDATE MEMO: HOW OBAMA CHANGED HIS MIND
I got a good night's sleep last night, and intend to do the same tonight, even though I got home a bit later than I should have preferred. But first to finish (or at least read some more of) The Shadow of The Rope.
22°! Return of winter! Went to bed early last night, so da boi's up early this a.m. Which is fine: I was cold even under the covers (switched from winter quilts to summer quilts last week).
While the local tradition (at What Joy Farm) is for the peepers to get snowed on four days after emerging, they'll have to settle for a hard freeze this year, lol!
In other news, DFA hasn't been able or ready to answer my, listener's or Denise's questions on their facebook page about the end of the blog. So they're continuing their fine unbroken record of non-responsiveness, and/or incompetence in dealing with their chosen platform. I hate to admit it, but Donna's right: been a long time, if ever, that they were bottom up. Top down seems to be a much easier position, eh?
Here are the links if anyone chooses to check themselves:
Although Obama opposed the individual mandate during the primary campaign, I never believed him because it was so obvious that nearly universal health care was impossible without it. Although people who think they can freeload are stupid even in terms of their personal interests, there are a lot of them.
Cat may know more about "Romneycare" than I do, but when I was analyzing the plan on behalf of an Illinois State Senate compaign, what I saw was that it was not really Romneycare. It was basically created by the Democratic state legislature, although except on one issue Romney was willing to work with them to get something mutually acceptable rather than flaunting his veto power.
Outlawing the individual mandate would really leave no long-term alternative to single payer. But I think it would be at least 8-12 years, maybe much more, before we would see it.
I have now read the article. Reich says: "The President and the Democrats could have avoided this dilemma in the first place if they'd insisted on Medicare for all, or at least a public option."
But this is not true. With the public option, the law would still be absolutely dependent on the individual mandate. The public option simply gives the people required to buy insurance an additional choice. Drop the requirement and the freeloaders will still freeload.
I'm not even sure that Medicare for all -- if Reich means the term literally -- could survive without the individual mandate. Reich somehow seems unaware that Medicare Part B depends on voluntary payment of a monthly premium. If you're over 65, you can be pretty well counted on to pay this premium unless you have health coverage through an employer or the VA or somebody. But would an apparently healthy 27-year-old? Maybe, maybe not. I find it hard to guess how many would opt out, given the chance, and whether this would be enough to scuttle the program.
True single-payer, of course, is a different animal. It is the individual mandate in spades. But Reich makes the plausible argument that just calling the payments a tax rather than a premium would drastically alter people's views. Not always in a positive direction, I might add.
Renee, been raiding the blog bios for goodbye posting. Thank you both so much for *doing* it and for *keeping* it. . . .
Here's one of interest. . . .
Blog name: Alan in CA
I am 57 years old, real name Alan Barbour, a chemist by education (PhD UCSC '75), a medical laboratory technologist and forensic toxicologist by training and experience, living in Fresno, California. I am originally from a no longer extant hamlet in southwestern Humboldt County (Bigfoot country), grew up on the Mendocino County coast, and (like Joe Trippi) went to San Jose State College (major Chemistry, minor Asian Philosophy). My good wife (artist, translator, teacher, homemaker) and I have one daughter, a freshperson at UC Berkeley (economics major).
I consider myself a conservative Democrat, but words can hardly express my indignation at the hijacking of the adjective "conservative" by right-wing radicals. (What I consider conservative would probably be called "liberal" by a lot of today's so-called "conservatives.") I have felt for at least the past dozen years that the Democratic Party establishment has run off to the right and completely disregarded dedicated mainstream party members like myself, just taking our votes for granted, and I have taken to occasionally casting a protest vote because of it. Heaven knows our Republican brethren have had to cope with far worse, but I hardly felt that I had a party any more.
After Al Gore announced in December '02 that he would not seek the nomination again, I started looking at the other prospective candidates. Right off the bat I figured that since there wasn't a VP running, the only viable candidate would be a governor--and there was only one of those: Howard Dean. How right that initial judgment would prove to be! I started looking for info on Dean over the Internet, and on one thing after another he seemed to be just the sort of candidate I was looking for; and that first address to the Democratic National Committee in Washington cinched it. Here was the first presidential candidate since Hubert Humphrey for whom I truly and actively wanted to vote. (I voted against Ford more than for Carter, fine President though Carter proved to be; and I gritted my teeth and voted for Clinton although I didn't like him--definitely too right-wing for my tastes.) Dean is the first candidate to whom I have ever given money, the first for whom I have undertaken any sort of supportive activity in about forty years, and certainly the first for whom I have written letters to Iowa, chatted up coworkers and friends, and the first for whom I have made a web page. I think 2004 will mark one of those evolutionary spasms that U.S. politics undergoes about every 36 years, and Howard Dean is the vehicle for it. I think this will be as big as FDR or Jackson, and I am part of it along with so many others. I want to see us take Washington the way Grant took Richmond, and think we have a darn good chance of doing just that. I blog too much, but the community is worth the loss of sleep. I had nearly despaired of seeing things turn around in our country during my lifetime, but near-despair has turned into hope and expectation.
I am Falling-Down-tired! =Whew!= A real Vermonter from town did a program at the Library tonight that showed photos of places all around the area "Then and Now" ~ basically the 1800's to early 1900's and today. Every chair in the whole Library, including the extras in the utility closet, got used and still there were people standing! It was supposed to run from 6:30pm to around 8:00pm (which is when we close), but it actually ran until nearly 9:00pm. Then we had to clean up. My feet hurt!
But there was a truly golden moment in the time. The speaker showed an old building in town which still stands, then showed a photo of it back when it was the town movie theatre. He added, "I believe they stopped showing films there in 1947." A white-haired gentleman sitting in a wheelchair said, "No, they were showing movies there into the 50's." The speaker said, "Oh, I don't know about that; I don't have any evidence that the theatre operated beyond 1947." The man replied, "Well you do now, and I'm your proof because I went there on Saturdays in the early 50's. The speaker immediately began taking notes. :-) Awesome.
Sweet! We had something similar at the fire hall when I lived in Cazadero. They even brought in one of the thirty foot saws used to cut down the redwoods in the 1800's. . . Took to men to carry it, even folded up.
Renee...I don't know whether Dean bloggers are going to start coming here en masse or what, but I have made it known over at the BBB that the HEP blog is friendly and not contentious. In my view you should feel free to disallow anyone who comes here just to fuss about topics or one another, since the purpose of this blog, originally, was to be something of a refuge from that sort of thing.
Toward that end, is there a link to easy directions for setting up a blog like this HEP one? If so, perhaps we could share that with any Dean blogger who might want to give it a go. Thanks for any help you can be.
Howard Dean is first, and I should expect he would have brought us a health care bill largely similar to what Obama has, especially after having read this piece:
ReplyDeleteRyan Lizza in The New Yorker, March 26, 2012
THE MANDATE MEMO: HOW OBAMA CHANGED HIS MIND
http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/newsdesk/2012/03/the-mandate-memo-how-obama-changed-his-mind.html
For the geographically challenged, here is a map showing Malletts Bay:
http://maps.google.com/maps?oe=utf8&q=mallett's+bay&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=VVBxT56lE8uzrAfVhfDBDQ&sa=X&oi=mode_link&ct=mode&cd=3&ved=0CA8Q_AUoAg
I got a good night's sleep last night, and intend to do the same tonight, even though I got home a bit later than I should have preferred. But first to finish (or at least read some more of) The Shadow of The Rope.
TTFN
No mandate = Medicare for all? Do the Dems have the guts to do this? They might, I suppose.
ReplyDeleteHealth Care Jujitsu
Robert Reich
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-reich/single-payer-health-care_b_1381382.html
22°! Return of winter! Went to bed early last night, so da boi's up early this a.m. Which is fine: I was cold even under the covers (switched from winter quilts to summer quilts last week).
ReplyDeleteWhile the local tradition (at What Joy Farm) is for the peepers to get snowed on four days after emerging, they'll have to settle for a hard freeze this year, lol!
ReplyDeleteIn other news, DFA hasn't been able or ready to answer my, listener's or Denise's questions on their facebook page about the end of the blog. So they're continuing their fine unbroken record of non-responsiveness, and/or incompetence in dealing with their chosen platform. I hate to admit it, but Donna's right: been a long time, if ever, that they were bottom up. Top down seems to be a much easier position, eh?
Here are the links if anyone chooses to check themselves:
http://www.facebook.com/DFAaction/posts/10150763996927502
http://www.facebook.com/DFAaction/posts/10150764054197502
Although Obama opposed the individual mandate during the primary campaign, I never believed him because it was so obvious that nearly universal health care was impossible without it. Although people who think they can freeload are stupid even in terms of their personal interests, there are a lot of them.
ReplyDeleteCat may know more about "Romneycare" than I do, but when I was analyzing the plan on behalf of an Illinois State Senate compaign, what I saw was that it was not really Romneycare. It was basically created by the Democratic state legislature, although except on one issue Romney was willing to work with them to get something mutually acceptable rather than flaunting his veto power.
Outlawing the individual mandate would really leave no long-term alternative to single payer. But I think it would be at least 8-12 years, maybe much more, before we would see it.
ReplyDeleteWarming up *fast*. I believe it was in the 30s again last night, but it's 65 now.
ReplyDeleteI have now read the article. Reich says: "The President and the Democrats could have avoided this dilemma in the first place if they'd insisted on Medicare for all, or at least a public option."
ReplyDeleteBut this is not true. With the public option, the law would still be absolutely dependent on the individual mandate. The public option simply gives the people required to buy insurance an additional choice. Drop the requirement and the freeloaders will still freeload.
I'm not even sure that Medicare for all -- if Reich means the term literally -- could survive without the individual mandate. Reich somehow seems unaware that Medicare Part B depends on voluntary payment of a monthly premium. If you're over 65, you can be pretty well counted on to pay this premium unless you have health coverage through an employer or the VA or somebody. But would an apparently healthy 27-year-old? Maybe, maybe not. I find it hard to guess how many would opt out, given the chance, and whether this would be enough to scuttle the program.
True single-payer, of course, is a different animal. It is the individual mandate in spades. But Reich makes the plausible argument that just calling the payments a tax rather than a premium would drastically alter people's views. Not always in a positive direction, I might add.
Got fifty eight. I'll live wit dat, lol!
ReplyDeleteSo, Brady's name was right on the plaque--which is not actually attached to the box anyway. It was only wrong on the routing slip for some reason.
ReplyDeleteGood. Relief. HugZ!
ReplyDeleteRenee, been raiding the blog bios for goodbye posting. Thank you both so much for *doing* it and for *keeping* it. . . .
ReplyDeleteHere's one of interest. . . .
Blog name: Alan in CA
I am 57 years old, real name Alan Barbour, a chemist by education (PhD UCSC '75), a medical laboratory technologist and forensic toxicologist by training and experience, living in
Fresno, California. I am originally from a no longer extant hamlet in southwestern Humboldt County (Bigfoot country), grew up on the Mendocino County coast, and (like Joe Trippi) went to San Jose State
College (major Chemistry, minor Asian Philosophy). My good wife (artist, translator, teacher, homemaker) and I have one daughter, a freshperson at UC Berkeley (economics major).
I consider myself a conservative Democrat, but words can hardly express my indignation at the hijacking of the adjective "conservative" by right-wing radicals. (What I consider conservative would probably be called "liberal" by a lot of today's so-called "conservatives.") I have felt for at least the past dozen years that the Democratic Party establishment has run off to the right and completely disregarded dedicated mainstream party members like myself, just taking our votes
for granted, and I have taken to occasionally casting a protest vote because of it. Heaven knows our Republican brethren have had to cope with far worse, but I hardly felt that I had a party any more.
After Al Gore announced in December '02 that he would not seek the nomination again, I started looking at the other prospective candidates. Right off the bat I figured that since there wasn't a VP running, the only viable candidate would be a governor--and there was only one of those: Howard Dean. How right that initial judgment would prove to be! I started looking for info on Dean over the Internet, and on one thing after another he seemed to be just the sort of candidate I was looking for; and that first address to the Democratic National Committee in Washington cinched it. Here was the first presidential candidate since Hubert Humphrey for whom I truly and actively wanted to vote. (I voted against Ford more than for
Carter, fine President though Carter proved to be; and I gritted my teeth and voted for Clinton although I didn't like him--definitely too right-wing for my tastes.) Dean is the first candidate to whom I have ever given money, the first for whom I have undertaken any sort of supportive activity in about forty years, and certainly the first for whom I have written letters to Iowa, chatted up coworkers and friends, and the first for whom I have made a web page. I think 2004 will mark one of those evolutionary spasms that U.S. politics undergoes about every 36 years, and Howard Dean is the vehicle for it. I think this will be as big as FDR or Jackson, and I am part of it along with so many others. I want to see us take Washington the way Grant took Richmond, and think we have a darn good chance of doing just that. I blog too much, but the community is worth the loss of sleep. I had nearly despaired of seeing things turn around in our country during my lifetime, but near-despair has turned into hope and expectation.
Thanks for the map link, Alan! :-)
ReplyDeleteOh, that's really wonderful to read. Thanks for keeping it Renee, and thanks for posting it, puddle. Got any more?? (Got links?)
ReplyDeleteHOOOOOMME!!!
ReplyDeleteI am Falling-Down-tired! =Whew!= A real Vermonter from town did a program at the Library tonight that showed photos of places all around the area "Then and Now" ~ basically the 1800's to early 1900's and today. Every chair in the whole Library, including the extras in the utility closet, got used and still there were people standing! It was supposed to run from 6:30pm to around 8:00pm (which is when we close), but it actually ran until nearly 9:00pm. Then we had to clean up. My feet hurt!
But there was a truly golden moment in the time. The speaker showed an old building in town which still stands, then showed a photo of it back when it was the town movie theatre. He added, "I believe they stopped showing films there in 1947." A white-haired gentleman sitting in a wheelchair said, "No, they were showing movies there into the 50's." The speaker said, "Oh, I don't know about that; I don't have any evidence that the theatre operated beyond 1947." The man replied, "Well you do now, and I'm your proof because I went there on Saturdays in the early 50's. The speaker immediately began taking notes. :-) Awesome.
Sweet! We had something similar at the fire hall when I lived in Cazadero. They even brought in one of the thirty foot saws used to cut down the redwoods in the 1800's. . . Took to men to carry it, even folded up.
ReplyDeletehttp://dean2004.bmgbiz.net/blogfamily.html
ReplyDeleteWinnie ♥s her new nylabone.
ReplyDeleteSuch a nice face. ♥
ReplyDeleteRenee...I don't know whether Dean bloggers are going to start coming here en masse or what, but I have made it known over at the BBB that the HEP blog is friendly and not contentious. In my view you should feel free to disallow anyone who comes here just to fuss about topics or one another, since the purpose of this blog, originally, was to be something of a refuge from that sort of thing.
Toward that end, is there a link to easy directions for setting up a blog like this HEP one? If so, perhaps we could share that with any Dean blogger who might want to give it a go. Thanks for any help you can be.
She is *beautiful*!! And aren't nyabones wonderful? I've only had one dog I could interest in one, but what a helper it was. . . .
ReplyDelete