Had Enough? - October 2006
I've had enough of incumbent legislators who tout their so-called "records" on issues when they haven't really done squat. Or those who have been in office for many years, yet keep promising "this is what I'll do next term." Well then, why didn't you get it done before? I guess it really wasn't a priority, huh.
Case in point: State Senator Ron Brown (R-Eau Claire) of the 31st Senate District. He's on the committee responsible for bills that would reform our healthcare system. And there were three bills in the committee this past session that would have done so. Now, granted, the bills do need more work before they're ready to pass. But why wasn't the issue made a priority? We have 500,000 uninsured people in this state; clearly, reform is urgently needed. And Brown's answer is that the proposed bills would have cost too much (yes, some of the plans would have had additional expenses at the outset to provide for much greater long-term savings) and that tax-exempt Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) and incentives for companies that promote healthy lifestyles are the answer. Yeah, tell that to someone with no health insurance who has kids in school bringing home various germs on a daily basis.
So, you may ask, why would someone with such a poor record on healthcare even bring it up? Well, one, polling says it's a big issue in his district (nearly as big as taxes), and, two, his opponent, Kathleen Vinehout, has made it her number one issue. Which, you know, isn't surprising, since she has a Ph.D. in Health Policy. If you want real healthcare reform for the citizens of Wisconsin (as opposed to what preserves the profits of big corporations), the choice is pretty clear. I hope my fellow voters in the 31st will send a clear message on November 7th that they've also had enough of waiting for real healthcare reform.
Case in point: State Senator Ron Brown (R-Eau Claire) of the 31st Senate District. He's on the committee responsible for bills that would reform our healthcare system. And there were three bills in the committee this past session that would have done so. Now, granted, the bills do need more work before they're ready to pass. But why wasn't the issue made a priority? We have 500,000 uninsured people in this state; clearly, reform is urgently needed. And Brown's answer is that the proposed bills would have cost too much (yes, some of the plans would have had additional expenses at the outset to provide for much greater long-term savings) and that tax-exempt Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) and incentives for companies that promote healthy lifestyles are the answer. Yeah, tell that to someone with no health insurance who has kids in school bringing home various germs on a daily basis.
So, you may ask, why would someone with such a poor record on healthcare even bring it up? Well, one, polling says it's a big issue in his district (nearly as big as taxes), and, two, his opponent, Kathleen Vinehout, has made it her number one issue. Which, you know, isn't surprising, since she has a Ph.D. in Health Policy. If you want real healthcare reform for the citizens of Wisconsin (as opposed to what preserves the profits of big corporations), the choice is pretty clear. I hope my fellow voters in the 31st will send a clear message on November 7th that they've also had enough of waiting for real healthcare reform.
Let's start by saying what we've had enough of.
I've had enough of the Bush administration's stunning abuses of power.
I'm really sick of watching everything I believe in being systematically demantled: the right to a fair trial, separation of church and state, a woman's right to choose, our right to privacy, basic human rights ... the list goes on and on.
I'm so tired of their "deny, deny, deny" cover-up mentality and even more frustrated by how effective that strategy has been.
Enough!
Now it's your turn. What have you had enough of? See others' responses in the Had Enough? group.
I've had enough of the Bush administration's stunning abuses of power.
I'm really sick of watching everything I believe in being systematically demantled: the right to a fair trial, separation of church and state, a woman's right to choose, our right to privacy, basic human rights ... the list goes on and on.
I'm so tired of their "deny, deny, deny" cover-up mentality and even more frustrated by how effective that strategy has been.
Enough!
Now it's your turn. What have you had enough of? See others' responses in the Had Enough? group.
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