Comments on: Big, Fat, Rich White Guys…

By: Sheryl

Sheryl — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 23:04:40 +0000

I wish I had an answer; I have a child entering college next year with the dream of becoming an OB/GYN. She’s frustrated too because if socialized healthcare does pass what does this mean to her, willing to work hard for the next 10-12 years to become a doctor, incurring huge loans to make it through? Will her dreams cost more then her ability to pay for them under a socialized medical option?
I pay for the healthcare for myself and my two children. I pay dearly (even as Native Americans, we still are expected to have something to cover the other costs not covered under our “treaties.”)
And is the current healthcare we receive as Natives an example of what we will be promised? Do you really need it? Do you “really” deserve it? For braces it wasn’t about how badly they needed them (which they did) but whether or not they could pass a test to prove they took good enough care of their teeth to be deserving of braces. If after brushing their teeth for 3 minutes by a timer under observation by a nurse they won their right to get braces by having 80% of their teeth surface visibly clean after chewing a stain tablet.
Is this what we all have to look forward to? (Oh, and the dental insurance I carry for them was also billed.)
If the big boys really wanted to play rough with the health care and insurance industry I would think cost regulation should have been developed and put into place first. What they are doing right now is simply scaring these industries into billing the populace as much as possible before any limitations effect their bulging pockets!
If you want another signature to stop this madness on Capitol Hill – count me in as well!

By: Vanessa Ruane

Vanessa Ruane — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 15:01:09 +0000

Greed and gluttony, the mentality of getting mine, me first, super size it and getting the biggest tax return possible. That is sadly the vision I see when I look at those running my country.

But what is the solution, because these big fat white guys are causing more havoc then just leaving most of us without healthcare, or like me paying through the nose for crappy healthcare. I find myself sometime ignorant of what’s happening because it just is too upsetting to witness the truth. Can a country this large ever really get it right?

By: Stephen Gyllenhaal

Stephen Gyllenhaal — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 00:39:21 +0000

I just wanted to NOTE that I reworked this above blog and it seems (I hope) to answer a little of what you have asked, Amy. I reworked this piece to put it up on Huffington Post, something I do with a lot of my pieces…and I guess I felt what you felt — make it more activist — make it actually demand something. Because talk is talk and at this point, maybe some action can happen. Who knows? I always find it intriguing what happens when I throw a thought out there. I look forward to other people’s thoughts on this new version as well as the above people who have already responded.

In short, what I guess I’m playing with is hardcore democracy. The people, grassroots, reaching a point where they’ve had enough. Democracy — is it still possible in this country??

By: Amy Porter

Amy Porter — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 00:38:07 +0000

I should say then, let’s start the petition right now…here on the net, FB. all over the web. National and international, because I know this issue with you guys effect all people over the world…You can do it, we can do it. You have my signature allready.

By: Amy Porter

Amy Porter — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 19:56:06 +0000

and who is actually gonna do something about this healthcare problem of yours? Because overhere, we have only one minister and a couple of assistants to take care of everything …sorry. It’s so complicated with the US…no offense, I love the country and the people!!After all, Americans are warm hearted people, with a heart on the right place:)

By: david

david — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 21:55:35 +0000

Here’s everyone who was there:

Senator Harry Reid, D-NV, Majority Leader
Senator Mitch McConnell, R-KY, Republican Leader
Senator Dick Durbin, D-IL, Majority Whip
Senator Jon Kyl, R-AZ, Republican Whip
Senator Max Baucus, D-MT, Chairman of the Finance Committee
Senator Chuck Grassley, R-IA, Ranking Member of the Finance Committee
Senator Tom Harkin, D-IA, Chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee
Senator Mike Enzi, R-WY, Ranking Member of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee
Senator Chris Dodd, D-CT, Member of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee
Senator Chuck Schumer, D-NY
Senator Patty Murray, D-WA
Senator Kent Conrad, D-ND
Senator Jay Rockefeller, D-WV
Senator Ron Wyden, D-OR
Senator Lamar Alexander, R-TN
Senator John Barrasso, R-WY
Senator Tom Coburn, R-OK
Senator John McCain, R-AZ
Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-CA
Representative Steny Hoyer, D-MD, Majority Leader
Representative John Boehner, R-OH, Republican Leader
Representative James Clyburn, D-SC, Majority Whip
Representative Eric Cantor, R-VA, Republican Whip
Representative Charles Rangel, D-NY, Chairman of the Ways and Committee
Representative Dave Camp, R-MI, Ranking Member of the Ways and Means Committee
Representative Henry Waxman, D-CA, Chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee
Representative Joe Barton, R-TX, Ranking Member of the Energy and Commerce Committee
Representative George Miller, D-CA, Chairman of the Education and Labor Committee
Representative John Kline, R-MN, Ranking Member of the Education and Labor Committee
Representative John Dingell, D-MI, Chair Emeritus of the Energy and Commerce Committee
Representative Xavier Becerra, D-CA
Representative Louise Slaughter, D-NY
Representative Robert Andrews, D-NJ
Representative Jim Cooper, D-TN
Representative Paul Ryan, R-WI
Representative Marsha Blackburn, R-TN
Representative Charles Boustany, R-LA
Representative Peter Roskam, R-IL
Representative Bart Stupak, D-MI

By: Amy Porter

Amy Porter — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 19:23:00 +0000

What to think of this one…strange, but my very first thought was of “The Animal Farm”, where pigs took over the farm and made others work for them, while they had all they needed…don’t know why. I remember president Obama comming to Belgium to see how healthcare worked. I hate to admit it and mention it, but it’s thanks to Hitler’s passage that we have the best healthcare and social working environment going on in the world. Everyone, and I mean everyone (unemployed, poor, sick, healthy, wealthy..) is covered by descent en excellent working health care. The same goes for our unemployement system. We have the lowest rate of homeless people (sleeping on the streets). The president came here to see how things worked, problem:we have this going straight after the war (1945), he wants to install this system NOW. That is not possible, not for the next 2 years unfortunatly.The money that goes to the unemployed, sick and poor come from the gouvernment, money that healthy pay to help the poor and sick (a simple thing)…makes you wonder doesn’t it…America has put itself so highly above anyone else, worldleaders, but uncapable of descent healthcare (ex: Detroit, Michigan ( )sad….