Why we are not "winning" the health care battle.

[SoCalDem]

We sign the checks for our health care payments, or we see it in black & white on our paystubs. We KNOW what it costs us now.

Because there is not a "cut and dried" plan chosen to be "the one", all discussion about it is amorphous and impossible to explain in any cogent manner.

It's as if we are car buyers at a lot, and the saleman wants us to sign the papers, but he cannot tell us how much the car invoice price is, or how much the car payments will be, or for how long.. He will only tell us that it's a beautiful car, and we'll love it.

What's missing is a definitive head-to-head comparison of what is the norm NOW, vs what the "new" norm will/could be.

Of course the easiest thing would be to just let people 50-64 sign onto medicare, and just charge them a surcharge for early entry, and to extend S-Chip to children until they reach 21.(again with a surcharge).

For people 21-50, a basic public plan with "buy-ins" for maternity coverage, or chronic illnesses should be all that's needed, and just bump up FICA to cover it.

Another thing that would be helpful to people would be to have families from Canada, Germany, France, UK, etc, with 2.7 kids, comparable jobs & family situation, sit down at a table and lay out how it's paid for in their situations... how their care is given, paid for, and what the quality is... how much they pay out-of-pocket.

The congresspeople who are trying to hold these meetings have nothing concrete to tell anyone, and that makes them a juicy target for the goofballs who have their message clearly defined, and easily voiced ...LOUDLY.

Their message? NO..NO more taxes...Go slow.. You stink..You're a socialist.

Thinking people know they are full of shit, but the media eats this stuff up, and is really enjoying pounding the president for even suggesting that there's a better way.

The sad thing is that Obama had a mandate to change things, and in early Feb, he could have rammed this through, as a public/single payer..with 51 votes. Back then the republicans were reeling from their second electoral spanking in a row, they had no power, and it could have been done. The whole bipartisan charade was just a time-waster. republicans had NO intention of ever being truly onboard with anything this preseident had/has to offer.


The more time congress has to "kick around" an idea, the more convoluted & unworkable it gets. This issue is a prime example of how it ends up D.O.A., or if passed, weak and uninclusive.