Medicare should be extended to 55- to 64-year-olds
I'm a Medicare enrollee. Why (President) Obama and (Sen. Joe) Liebermann would deny this precious resource to 55- to 64-year-olds is beyond belief.
Both are frauds who only claim to represent the people, and both are in the pocket of Big Insurance and Pharma! Both should be removed from public office now, along with Buacus and all Blue dog Democrats, replaced with genuine progressives the likes of Brown, Kucinich and Sanders.
Republicans will always represent monied interests. But the ordinary people require a party that represents their interests. If a genuine left of center Progressive Party, constituting a majority cannot be forged, this country may well need a revolution, like that of 1775-1783, in order to set the public/private order right once more. And then let the chips fall where they may!
Leonard Jay Hastings Manchester
Comments
Diagenes
Thu, Dec 24, 2009 : 10:28 a.m.
Dear Mr. Briegel, we finally agree on something. Yes the purpose of corporations are to make money for the owners. That is not a bad thing. GM (hopefully) will make money for its owners, the UAW and the federal government. If Blue Cross Blue Shield of MI does not have revenue that exceeds expenses it go out of business. Corporations and the profits they generate have contributed in so many positive ways. Medicare revenues do not exceed expenses and will be insolvent in about 6 years. Adding millions to the roles is not a sound decision.
outdoor6709
Thu, Dec 24, 2009 : 9:09 a.m.
I keep getting the story Medicare is a great program. Medicare is a program that taxes every working person to pay most of the cost of benifits to a smaller group of people. No wonder the left likes the program. No politicain will asnwer the simple question. How much is the true cost to provide Medicare to 1 person a year? My guess if Medicare reciepients had to pay the true cost of Medicare, Medicare would not be as popular a program. The belief that health care should be or can be free absurd.
Michigan Reader
Mon, Dec 21, 2009 : 7:38 p.m.
The Dems and Republicans are yin and yang to each other. I disagree that the ordinary people aren't represented by the "conservative" party. Think right to life, right to bear arms, freedom of religon, lower taxes (the right to keep more of your own money) freedom to chose schools, and so on and on. The reality is the liberals and the conservatives are EQUALLY liberal and EQUALLY conservative, they're diametrically opposed. Where one is liberal, the other is conservative. The conservatives are liberal on the above mentioned rights and others.
David Briegel
Mon, Dec 21, 2009 : 4:02 p.m.
treetowncartel, I agree wholeheartedly! The purpose of the corporation is to line the pockets of the owners. Delivering health care is a side line activity. They take premiums, deny care and profit handsomely. Then they take those same profits and rent the two headed monster. And then we foolish lemmings argue over abortion when real live people are dying! We argue over waste and abuse when the whole system is corrupt and abusive from it's very core.
treetowncartel
Mon, Dec 21, 2009 : 1:30 p.m.
Lets not and say we did. Until the fraud and abuse associated with federal payer programs is in check there should be no expansion. This whole health care thing has gotten out of control and the reforms that are proposed are not the type of reforms that will make any significant change. At some point Mmdicine went from a healing art to a business mode which has made healthcare a mockery. There is nothing altruistic about the delivery of care we see today.
David Briegel
Mon, Dec 21, 2009 : 10:21 a.m.
We do not have a "two party system". Both parties are two heads of the same beast. Billionaires rent both and you both believe money is "free speech". How naive! We currently pay for the health insurance for everyone that has it. Either through our taxes for all public and gov't employees or in the cost of the goods we buy for those fortunate enough to work for a progressive, civilized or unionized corporation. The only people we don't or won't pay for are the poor and less fortunate among us. Because we are civilized and "Christian"? How noble we are! Merry Christmas!
Diagenes
Mon, Dec 21, 2009 : 9:23 a.m.
Mr. Hastings, Democrats are in the tank for the "monied interests" as much as any Republican. The dems cut a deal with big Pharma to support the health scam bill. Thats why they defeated the re-importation of drugs, that would have lowered drug costs here.
Top Cat
Mon, Dec 21, 2009 : 8:54 a.m.
Imagine the threat of a revolution to expand a Federal Government entitlement. My guess would be that Mr. Hastings and those of a similar sentiment would have no idea how to start such a revolution. They would probably want the Federal Government to pass a bill to provide them free guns and ammo. What's scary though is that Oborrow, Pelosi and Reid might consider this a shovel ready project for the next stimulus.