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Health Care Lobbyists, Unions, Special Interests, and Politicians...Where Do We Fit In?

Thursday, October 15, 2009

The health care debate has become less and less focused on health care in recent months. Lobbyists and special interest have always been the focus of health care reform to many in Washington D.C.

"Labor unions, business organizations and conservative and liberal advocacy groups have timed advertising and grassroots campaigns to coincide with the Senate Finance Committee’s 14-9 vote that approved the bill."

"Groups such as Working America and Health care for America Now (HCAN), a coalition of liberal groups and labor unions, plan to intensify grassroots campaigns."


I don't think liberal groups and labor unions represent grassroots movements. Average citizens questioning politicians at town hall meetings about real concerns that affect their lives represent grassroots movements.

While some people are thinking of real health care reform others are just playing games.

It gets better.

"There are other massive earmarks in this bill. Up to $10 billion will go to VEBA, such as the underfunded retirement health care package of United Auto Workers retirees. This may or may not be a good idea, but it clearly does not belong in this legislation."


"Most importantly, and this is what the legislation is really about, the Baucus bill will transfer power from the American people to Washington elites — a power grab far more massive than it appears. Just think about it, the fiction (yes, some would call it lies) you're hearing about today is happening while people are watching."


"Imagine what will happen with earmarks, political favoritism and social engineering when the details are negotiated by government bureaucrats, lobbyists and the Obama administration's "health czar" behind closed doors."


The above comments come from this story.

It's amazing how little these elitist politicians have learned. Despite our growing outrage and their plummeting poll numbers they still don't seem to care about what's truly best for the country. It has become Washington D.C. (District of Corruption).

It's time to start voting many of these overpaid reckless elitist out of office. I'm tired of hearing campaign speeches about getting lobbyists and special interests out of Washington from politicians whose campaign's were funded by those same lobbyists and whose bills take care of the special interests.

We pay for it all and, like always, we end up with the short end of the stick. Left with nothing to show for all the money of ours that Washington wastes. CNN reported today that 30,383 jobs have been saved by stimulus. How about the millions that have lost their jobs? For all the money we're spending 30,000 jobs is a joke.

One last thing to think about. We keep hearing from the Obama administration that recovery will be slow etc. Some even claim as late as 2013. That unemployment will remain high until 2013 etc. Do you think that President Bush would have gotten away with saying in 2001 that we will have rising unemployment etc. until 2005? It would have been the end of him.

Every time we hear bad economic news while Obama's in office it turns into the argument that it would've been much worse if we didn't pass his stimulus plan. What do you think they'll say when health care doesn't go as planned? Something along the lines of "we'd have even worse health care if we didn't act". Will you let them off the hook with that kind of excuse?

Where's the lobbyist for the American people? Where's the working middle class special interest? As the title of this post asks.....where do we fit in?

2 comments:

Tom Degan said...

My younger brother Jeff is the shame of the Degan family. He not only lives in France, he actually likes it there. He has a French wife and two gorgeous little French daughters. Honestly I think the guy is a closet commie. Back in August, in a letter to his fellow countrymen and women regarding health care, he ended it by saying:

"In short, in the US, you pay more, get less, and die younger than we do in Europe. What part of that don't you understand?"

Well, hey there! That's a danged good question! What part of that don't we understand? Why is it that so many of us have to be dragged, kicking and screaming like half-witted little preschoolers, into the brave new world of change? What the hell is the matter with us anyway? How can it be that such a huge number of Americans cheerfully join movements of mass stupidity and salivate on cue to the sound of Dr. Glenn "Pavlov" Beck's bell? It kind of makes you wonder, huh?

http://www.tomdegan.blogspot.com

Tom Degan
Goshen, NY

Brandon Edsall said...

Why didn't I see it all so clearly before, thank you for the enlightenment Tom.

"Brave new world of change", what's wrong with wanting clarification on what we're changing into? Hitler was a great speaker who brought Germany into a "brave new world of change" but did that make him right?

"Pay more, get less, and die younger" I love comments like that. Let's see what I can do with that.

We pay more but have the best hospitals in the world. We pay more, yet develop many of the best medicines and develop some of (not all) the best techniques in the world. So the "get less" attitude is also up for debate.

We "get less" but the welfare class gets care for free since we have to pay for them also, (that ties nicely into the we pay more argument as well).

We "die younger". Well, what's the #1 cause of death in America? Heart disease mostly caused by obesity. Whose fault is that? I'd argue it's our own.

We need more Americans to live healthier lives. That is true but the government shouldn't tell us how to live our lives.

Many of the problems our society faces come down to personal responsability. People like you Mr. Degan have helped shift attitudes from "ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country" into the government should provide for me because I live here.

The Liberal nanny state view of governments role have caused most of the problems we now face. The Conservative attitude is one of strong families, faith, morals and personal responsability.

Liberals have destroyed family values through "progressivism". They have destroyed morals and respect by promoting atheism. You have abandoned personal responsability by turning everyone into a victim.

Every problem the Liberal agenda has ever claimed to want to solve has been made worse through the Liberal fix. Don't worry though, we'll most likely end up with some kind of socialized healthcare in the name of fixing healthcare. So far it's working out great for Massachusetts right?

I suspect Obama will end up with some kind of Liberal healthcare reform you can be proud of. Just don't go blaming people like me, (which you will), for why the "reform" you fought so hard for doesn't work. In return I promise not to say I told you so.

You'll probably criticize me mentioning Hitler to make a factual comparison about Liberal methods so let's just go all out.

Fact: Obama calls his critics "extremist" just as I'm sure you do. Right wing "extremist to be exact.

Fact: Hitler labelled those who opposed Nazism and his rise to power as "extremist".

I'm not calling the president Obama the new Hitler, but the 2 above facts are just that.....facts.

Who was the real extremist Tom?

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