Healthcare front news

Afternoon

I attended the Health-Care Now meeting in St. Louis Sat, April 26th and I made some remarks about our little group's position on "compromise". I said merely that our group did not wish to hear about "compromise" and that we would oppose such with a vehemence and fervour, holding our elected ones accountable. Note: I also attended another healthcare roundtable earlier this month with Ralph and some were on the "compromise trail". Note: I am solely responible for statements and this post:

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As an elected member of Soar 11-3, I believe this is the position of most of the members. We will oppose multipayer plans with vehemence for this method is not the correct path to solving health-care woes of the land. That some are already talking compromise before details are officially released, that is madness and shows a utter lack of political saavy. I care not whom gets credit or not, I want the problem fixed.

Now, for some whom do not know about the membership: All the members retired (some forced/early) and were made guarantees of life-time benefits. Those little promises were a lie and about everyone has insurance woes, including those on Medicare. Medicare is not "canco" insurance which we were accustom much of our adult life. Hard to explain to those folks whom have limited insurance is compared to what is presently called insurance.

For instance, I do not have Medicare and since the time of retirement (almost exactly a decade ago) and now I have seen my healthcare costs go up slightly over 1,000 percent or tenfold. The present system and say HR676, there is no comparison.

Some of the members of the group if you compare to HR676 are overpaying in the range of $10,000 a year in excessive costs and they do have medicare. Needless to say, those folks are a bit unhappy with this situation. Do the "compromise folks" believe that working folks have such deep pockets? Some of the members were forced to find other jobs post-retirement canco to pay for meds and more that should have been provided by company. Is economic slavery what some wish?

Within Soar 11-3, the group has several thousand years of union experience between the members. Folks from American Can and Continental Can were never known as timid lambs in the labor movement, nor are they today. Soar ll-3 members are some of the most knowlegeable and informed folks in the area with many politically active in the Missouri/Illinois region . Most have kin and friends in other geographic regions and although we work usually behind the scene; we have some notible successes in politics and getting out the word on varied issues. We do have the knowledge and skill troublemaking and hopefully will not have to excercise such tactics. However, if the elected ones and others think we are going to roll over on this issue; they are mistaken.

Note: Obama healthcare summits did exclude single-payer folks from the discussion. If anyone believes healthcare change for the positive will occur with the systematic prejudice against single payer options, I do believe them mistaken. One can attribute motives, but it is too early to do that.

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That said, I enjoyed the Healthcare-Now meeting. I think some very responsible and well-meaning folks were in attendance and some impressed me. Fair union turn-out as well with Steelworkers and UAW in attendance and a good cross section of the community.