New Huffington Post Column

Bob,This is inspired writing…”And it’s following several weeks when the entire Wingnut-Industrial Complex injected numerous lies, distortions and actual firearms into the health care debate. This succeeded in scaring the white plastic belts and warm-up suits off scores of old people and convinced a supermajority of Fox News viewers that affordable, reliable and portable health insurance is somehow the Fourth Reich”Funny, because it’s true.PS..how did you know my Dad’s got a plastic belt?

This is probably a dumb question but I just got into politics a couple of years ago and have a lot to learn.Isn’t there some provision in the constitution or elsewhere that provides for some kind of representation in congress in the case of illness.It just seems so unfair that Kennedy and Byrd’s constituents and the rest of us could be penalized if they’re not able to vote on such an important piece of legislation.If not, then the business of legisation is really messed up.

Adding…You’ve done a good job of fighting lies with facts. Not so sure this is a dupe, but it’s one that some of us can bring up to personalize the impact of current unconstrained (except by our ability to pay) health care insurance costs.My company provides a very good and I think generous health care package. Good coverage, good cost to the employee. So good, in fact, that until the recession right after 9/11, it was FREE. No co-pays either…I’m telling you that was great and I felt very fortunate.At that point they introduced co-pays. Having had it for free for a few years, I didn’t mind so much. The coverages have also been being scaled back. Copays, out of pocket max’s etc. We are asked to bear a certain percentage of the coverage.In the announcement that they were establishing a cost sharing, they started a communication process where each year they would announce the premium increases charged by the health care providers (on average). Since the employee is being asked to pay x percent, you can see the impact on the employee and on the company. I’ll have to see how many of them I can find, but my memory tells me that the lowest increase in cost was 12%, with the standard being around 15%-18%. That would be good figures to send to my representative. Real impacts to citizens and to corporations. Less take home pay for me. Less money for the company to either spend on investment and jobs, or return to the shareholders in the form of dividends (see, I’m not a total socialist).I’ll look for the info and send to my congressman and my senators. I’m from PA, and I think they lean that way anyway.

likala wrote:

Isn’t there some provision in the constitution or elsewhere that provides for some kind of representation in congress in the case of illness.

Unfortunately, no.

I mean, if we’re not looking at significant relief in how we deal with health insurance by 2012, there’s no amount of campaign platitudes that will ameliorate the continued pain and anger.There will be no relief by 2012. Whatever health care reform bill passes, it won’t go into effect until 2013. Imagine how many more people will lose or be denied insurance, go bankrupt, or die by then? If 14,000 are losing insurance per month, we’re talking another 600,000 people cut off from the system.This is one area of the various bills that very few people ever talk about

CORRECTION!It’s “Carrie Prejean” — not “Kelly Prejean.”

Bob wrote:”Unfortunately, no.”Yeah I figured or someone would have said so by now. That sucks. Too bad they can’t do it by proxy or something. Too bad for the people who worked to get them elected and won’t be represented. Like I said, legislation is messy.

Oh and Bob, I meant to tell you,”great article.”I read through the few comments that were there and some idiot said something about it not making sense and too bad about the lack of education in America, blah, blah, blah.You are brave to keep putting it out there time and time again only to draw such unwarranted critisism.I say, “keep up the good work.”

Thanks, likala! Cheers.

I just read it. Classic Cesca! Funny. Sarcastic. True.I had to get up off the floor after I read the “Sebilius/Prejean” thing.Thank you Bob.My internet connection is too slow in this RV park to get the benefit of your conversation with Lee. But you are both exactly the kind of thinkers I want to listen to. Right up there with Rachel.

What makes it even more messed up, Likala, is that each state gets to figure out which method is best for replacing legislators. Look at the mess we had here in Illinois because the governor gets to do the picking. I know that Florida is the same way, but there are states where a special election must be held in X number of days although sometimes there is a provision to appoint an interim legislator.

Thanks stacib. Yeah Blago put in a good one didn’t he. Too bad the dems caved and accepted him.