The five Democrats who joined 10 Republicans to kill the public health insurance in a Senate committee today are surrounded and coddled by a web of industry lobbyists. The barrier appears soundproof, from looking at the graphic below. The fact that 65% of Americans, and 73% of doctors, want a publicly run alternative to the abuses of private insurance apparently doesn't seep through.
CLICK THE LINK above to get the chart: The chart (click it to go to the original) by The Network Thinker shows only the lobbyists who surround Sen. Max Baucus, chair of the committee. But you can be sure that similar webs enclose every key senator on the committee of 23. They bring not just love but money--lots and lots of it. They sponsor political fund-raisers as well as haunt the offices of lawmakers.
And here are the donations from 2005 to 2010 from the medical, pharmaceutical and health insurance industries to the five Democrats who voted no today. Money is so, so loud.
Senator TOTAL Health Services/HMOs Health Pros. Pharmaceuticals/Health Prod. Hospitals/Nursing Homes
Blanche Lincoln $635,854.00 $86,050.00 $298,700.00 $153,304.00 $97,800.00
Max Baucus $1,727,130.00 $363,850.00 $504,641.00 $507,313.00 $351,326.00
Kent Conrad $647,678.00 $112,015.00 $239,533.00 $157,700.00 $138,430.00
Bill Nelson $570,144.00 $68,900.00 $332,179.00 $75,150.00 $93,915.00
Tom Carper $285,706.00 $22,330.00 $90,816.00 $139,520.00 $33,040.00
[ 10-05-2009, 01:01 PM: Message edited by: LymeLearned ]
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
- Thanks so much for the specifics on this. So very, very sad. However, I'm not sure which newspaper ran this but one of the best systems in the world (somewhere in Scandanavia) does not have a public option. They do not allow corruption, though, and that seems to be how it can work for the.
--
If you can't make it out, and if you get NetFlix (or have a favorite video store), you might go ahead and add it to your Queue for when it becomes available on DVD. -
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
41% of Americans suppport the current health care bill....not 65% and I seriously doubt very many doctors support it.
I guess we could argue all day .. but it comes down to what the Congress will do. Scares me to death.
Posted by LymeLearned (Member # 20565) on :
Side note: My daughter's Amoxicillin was just $9.95 for a TWO week supply without prescription coverage. She got a month, and they won't prescribe more. I'm still treating for headaches and popping/grinding joints. JUST HOW WORTHLESS *ARE* we to them???
I agree about the corruption, but as long as the super-wealthy healthcare corporate giants can legally avoid any regulation by paying off lawmakers, this is the crux of the problem of how democracy turns into an aristrocracy.
YES...Dr. Jemsek weighed in, and has posted this video discussing the matter.
Lymelearned - Thank you for the youtube from Dr. Jemsek. He is right that most doctors are not happy with the current system and want reform.
quote:Originally posted by Keebler: - Thanks so much for the specifics on this. So very, very sad. However, I'm not sure which newspaper ran this but one of the best systems in the world (somewhere in Scandanavia) does not have a public option. They do not allow corruption, though, and that seems to be how it can work for the.
--
If you can't make it out, and if you get NetFlix (or have a favorite video store), you might go ahead and add it to your Queue for when it becomes available on DVD. -
I am not sure if the "best" system is in europe at the moment, rather, according to a PBS documentary, it is Taiwan (given that some people might claim Taiwan is not actually a recognized country).
Switzerland had the closest system to US and their system now contains no offical government-run care. Is that what you were thinking about? Their fight years ago resembles everything we are going through now, but the system proves to be well ran after these years.
The foloowing video is the full PBS program in examining 5 "best" countries.