Rep. John Conyers’ (D-MI) single-payer health care bill – now HR 676, The United States National Health Insurance Act, (Medicare For All) – has been reintroduced. This from Health Care Now:

The United States National Health Insurance Act establishes an American-styled national insurance program. The bill would create a publicly financed, privately delivered health care program that uses the already existing Medicare program by expanding and improving it to all U.S. residents, and all residents living in U.S. territories. The goal of the legislation is to ensure that all Americans, guaranteed by law, will have access to the highest quality and cost effective health care services regardless of ones employment, income, or health care status.

The mental block so many big business supporters have on this issue still amazes me. The freakish skyrocketing costs of health care are one of the biggest expenses cutting into corporate bottom lines. In terms of small businesses and start ups, health care costs can be crippling. Yet a business culture that demands handouts and free rides from government all the time can’t get its confused ideological head out of its ass long enough to see that universal healthcare would be among the most advantageous “handouts” they could hope for. From HCN again:

In 2005, without reform, the average employer who offers coverage will contribute $2,600 to health care per employee ( for much skimpier benefits). Under HR 676, the average costs to employers for an employee making $30,000 per year will be reduced to $1,155 per year, less than $100 per month.

Now make no mistake – this bill will not pass – this time, but the journey of a hundred miles starts with a single step, and I firmly believe progressive legislation like this must be proposed, even if its chances are slim to none. Getting it out there gives it credibility, starts discussions, and that can snowball.

The bill already has 45 co-sponsors, including the Chair of the House Ways and Means Committee Charlie Rangel, which may give it a chance at actually getting a hearing, given that Health is a Ways and Means subcommittee. Here is a link to the current list of co-sponsors (and no, Peter Welch is not on the list. Time to harass him, methinks: 202-225-4115 and 888-605-7270). For those curious about the funding mechanism, here is another link to HCN’s page on that piece of the legislation.

An extra, more personal note: When you look at the sponsors of this legislation, you’ll notice that they are all Democrats. And yet, when the bill fails, the cry will inevitably be that “the Democrats” killed it.

Bull. Some “Democrats” may well kill it, but broadly saying “the Democrats” killed it (assuming it dies) is no more or less accurate than saying “the Democrats are all for single-payer!” given the sponsor list. If you’re activiely promoting a third party, this kind of one-sided, deceptive rhetoric may serve a purpose. Similarly if you’re striking some kind of internet pose as Vermont’s only free-thinking maverick, then yeah, go for it.

If, however, you’re trying to actually, you know – achieve universal health care, we would do well to use the stick on those politicians (of any party) that stand in the way, and use the carrot on those that don’t. Blanket condemnations that hit friend and foe equally – however convenient for pose-striking – alienate your allies and don’t help the actual cause.

< /rant>

Cross posted from Rational Resistance

“That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed”

I’ve written about this before. If government derives its just powers from the consent of the governed, the paramount crime that a government can commit is lying to the people, because it undermines the very legitimacy of the government and invalidating whatever consent it received from the people. This is especially true in matters of war, because the lives of thousands or millions, and the welfare of our country and other countries are put at risk.

This is what I keep thinking about when I read the two stories this week about the kidnapping and killing of American soldiers in Iraq this week.

The first story the government put out was that the Americans were killed trying to repel an attack.

As that story started falling apart, we have learned a new, and apparently true, version of what happened.

“The attackers went straight to where Americans were located in the provincial government facility, bypassing the Iraqi police in the compound,” he said. “We are looking at all the evidence to determine who or what was responsible for the breakdown in security at the compound and the perpetration of the assault.”

As the AP puts it, “The confirmation came after nearly a week of inquiries. The U.S. military in Baghdad initially did not respond to repeated requests for comment on reports that began emerging from Iraqi government and military officials on the abduction and a major breakdown in security at the Karbala site.”

This attack happened on January 20, last Saturday.

Now let’s see, what was happening this week?

Oh yeah, the State of the Union message. You don’t think that lying about the attack to keep the focus on Bush’s message on Tuesday had anything to do with it, do you?

If democracy means anything (and I know in this country right now it means little if nothing) then one administration or legislature cannot bind its successors.  Hoping as I do for impeachment and removal, I would like to see a successor before 1 20 09.  However, as an opponent to the invasion of Iraq, as Iraq under Sadaam had nothing to do with 9/11 and our presence in Iraq both fuels our enemies and distracts us from serious tasks at hand, my policy would be immediate and total withdrawal.  There is no reason we cannot withdraw everyone in a few hours.  This is what we should do.  That, yet another post WW 1 artificial state falls apart says more about the arrogance of the ‘peace’-makers of that era.  Yes, it would be better if Iraq could fall apart peacefully as the Czechs and Slovaks did. 

I am more and more convinced that the notion of a clash of civilizations is nonsense.  Why?  It takes two to tango, as it were.  I see the ‘civilization’ of the Islamic world as dead and dead for a very long time  probably since the writings of al-Ghazali. 

Name the Islamic Shakespeare or Bach or Mozart or …  Compare South Africa with any Islamic country and my point is made.  Where is the the Iraqi Mandela?

What bothers me most about Bush et al is that they want to kill our culture as dead as the Islamic world. 

My point is simple, get out of Iraq and lets talk about more important things.  Universal health care, the trade deficit, the income gap, bigotry and homophobia, the rise of India and China, a smaller and more flexible millitary,  and GLOBAL WARMING.  Frankly, Iraq is a waste of our time, treasure and military. 

I hate to see this, but there is bad news out of Fletcher Allen Health Care. According to a press release I got this afternoon, earlier this week a patient at the psych unit at FAHC committed suicide.  They haven’t released many of the details, but apparently, accoding to the release:

  “Through our review, we learned that Fletcher Allen made a mistake, and we apologize for that mistake.

We learned that we did not check on the patient at the prescribed 15-minute intervals that were required under the care plan.  We learned
that there was a gap of approximately one hour when the patient was not checked on, and it was during that gap, that the suicide occurred.”

The average patient stay in the psychiatric facility is nine days. While some patients are being held involuntarily, either before or after commitment, FAHC also treats voluntary patients.

WCAX has more.

Late update: on the 11:00 news WPTZ is reporting that the patient was a man, although no further details have been released.