Corrupt Democrat Threatens Legitimate Health Care Reform

Happy Memorial Day Papamoka Bloggers! I hope we all honor the spirit of the holiday today and dedicate a moment of silence to remember the men and women who gave so much to keep us free. I would also like to pay special tribute to the members of my own family who fought in wars and who served during peace time.

It may not be an exciting topic, but it's important to each and every one of us. We need to discuss the lack of debate in Congress about America's broken health care system.

I wish I could say that it was the usual scenario where Republicans fight to maintain a bloated and broken system while Democrats ride to the rescue, but unfortunately that doesn't seem to be the case. It seems President Obama, the man we voted into office to reform our broken system, is allowing Congress to set most of his agenda. Unfortunately for all of us, very little reform seems to be on that agenda.

It's all being controlled by a very corrupt Democrat who has no interest in real reform. It is Senator Max Baucus of Montana, and he is doing everything he can to thwart actual reform. Senator Baucus and the Senate Finance Committee have been corrupted by corporate health industry profiteers, and their donations are now standing in the way of us getting the kind of health care reform we need.

To demonstrate just how important reform is, you need to consider that health care represents 15% of the U.S. gross domestic product - a very important money-making industry to America's money-changers. Health care costs rise rapidly every year, surpassing $2.4 trillion in 2007 - more than three times the $714 billion spent in 1990. The cost of health care is projected to reach $4.4 trillion by 2018. It's an extreme for-profit industry that most Americans cannot avoid.

Those figures are terrifying when you consider the risk to average Americans trying to earn a living - or businesses trying to cover employees. They point to incredible waste and profiteering where none should exist. I don't care how Republicans spin it, corporate health care profiteering is the biggest drain on both Americans and the American economy.

We are one of the few countries in the world that support extreme profiteering when it comes to health care - something many other countries and cultures find unethical and immoral.

The health care industry has invested heavily in Max Baucus and his friends who sit on the Senate Finance Committee. The reform that we voted for under President Obama is being perverted by the Senate Finance Committee.

They won't even allow any talk about a single-payer health care system, which is the only reform that would take the "profiteering" out of today's for-profit health care system.

The only bill being considered today is a pro-industry bill that will ensure trillions in profits for the health insurance industry, HMO’s and pharmaceutical industry. It isn't what we voted for, and President Obama isn't doing enough to deliver the reforms that he promised. A matter of fact, the White House is a little too quiet about the controversy, and so is the corporate media. It's all a little too coincidental in my opinion.

Baucus has held only two hearings (not enough) so far and has refused to allow advocates for the most popular reform – a single payer national health policy – to even testify.

Single payer, improved Medicare for all, is favored by more than 60% of Americans as well as majorities of doctors, nurses and economists. It's what Barack Obama campaigned on and what most Americans voted for. It is the most cost-effective and efficient way to provide health care to all Americans from cradle to grave, and it's BEING IGNORED! If you would like to learn more about it, or sign-up to help, visit SinglePayerAction.org. It's worth it!

According to Consumer Watchdog, Senator Baucus alone has received more campaign contributions from the health insurance and pharmaceutical corporations than any other current Democratic member of the House or Senate. The man is bought-and-paid-for! He's no better than a lousy Republican! According to their report, Senator Baucus received $183,750 from health insurance companies and $229,020 from drug companies in the last two election cycles.

It's disgusting and outrageous how our system can allow one powerful man to take "bribes" in exchange for denying us the health care reforms we need. The number of Americans who die each year because they can't afford health care is estimated in the tens or hundreds of thousands.

That figure makes 9/11 look like a drive-by shooting. It's an issue just as serious as the "War on Terror," yet the fat-cat Congress treats it like agricultural reform. As long as they have their excellent health care insurance - they do, I know after working on Capitol Hill - they could give a damn about average Americans. THEY ARE NOT TAKING OUR DESIRE FOR REFORM SERIOUSLY ENOUGH!

During recent Senate Finance Committee hearings on health care reform, Baucus refused to allow even one person to testify on behalf of a single payer health care system.

• During the May 5th hearing a group of doctors, lawyers and other single advocates rose inside the Senate Finance Committee hearing room and one by one asked that Baucus open up the hearing to single payer advocates. Baucus refused and had the eight arrested, handcuffed, and charged with “disruption of Congress.”
• During the May 12th hearing another group of doctors and nurses asked to testify on behalf of a single payer plan. Baucus again refused and had the five arrested and charged.

It's estimated that 60 Americans die each and every day from a lack of health insurance. Single payer is the only proven way to save the hundreds of billions of dollars in administrative overhead and profits needed to insure everyone, and save lives. President Obama knows it, and yet he's doing very little to fight the efforts of sell-outs like Max Baucus.

It's time WE THE PEOPLE stand-up to corrupt politicians like Max Baucus. As I often say on this blog, it's time we act ourselves. Please sign-up at SinglePayerAction.org today, and take some time to call your representatives in Congress as well as President Obama NOW! Tell them you disagree with the way Max Baucus is handling health care reform. Tell them you want them to support a SINGLE PAYER SOLUTION! It's the only path to real change.

Enjoy your Memorial Day Holiday - Michael Boh
Papamoka's Left Coast Contributor
from Our Rants & Raves Blog

PS - If you decide to take action, here are a few links that may help you. Email President Obama, or your national elected officials. If you wish to call, simply call the Whitehouse at 202-456-1414, or the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121.

I suggest complaining to Max Baucus directly, Senator Harry Reid's office to complain about how he's running the debate, or your local newspaper. Please let them all know that you want a single-payer health care solution, and that we must minimize profiteering in our health care system.

Here is an example of what I wrote to various elected officials:

Dear _____________:

"I would like to encourage you to support a single payer health care reform solution.

To that end, I promise to give you financial support if you ignore the health care industry and its donations and support health insurance reform for the good of ALL Americans. I also promise to recruit other support if you actively support a single payer solution that minimizes a for-profit solution.

Senator Baucus is currently blocking all single payer reform debate in the Finance Committee, and it's discouraging to Democrats like myself who support real change and reform. Americans are dying. We need reform that protects them, not the industry.

Respectfully - your supporter,
Michael Boh"

AIG Greed Surpasses Common Sense

AIG took in a huge bailout amount of money from the government which also means you the taxpayer signed part of that check to AIG. AIG is still loosing tens of millions of dollars a month and yet they feel the need to once again reward the staff responsible for the companies original collapse with mega bonuses! I live in the real world and if you screw up so bad that it hurts the company, you loose your job, you get a pink slip, or you simply get fired for gross negligence. Over at AIG they give you a mega bonus for sinking the company because their lawyers say they have too? That is the latest excuse for the latest round of “Screw you America, we are AIG” bonuses about to be handed out. Just a hint for ya, these will not be the last bonuses for these under performers either. $173 Billion in taxpayer money is now part of a bonus program instilled by failure and lawyer speak.

Not for nothing, I would prefer our government give bailouts to industries that actually produce a product other than an insurance firm mired in failure. Detroit and its auto plants could use some serious investment capital, the steel industry could use a serious helping hand, the textile industry could use some research and development money too. I won’t even think about how much the farming industry in America could use a helping hand of this magnitude. Nope, one company that doesn’t make a damn tangible thing received $173 Billion dollars in bailout cash.

CEO Edward Liddy of AIG sent this letter to Treasury Secretary Geithner and Fire Dog Lake has a copy if you want to see it. He was defending why AIG had to pay out a half billion in bonuses. Chalk this response from Liddy up to a mega OOOPs.

Over at the Wall Street Journal they have this little tid bit on AIG and the bonuses…

March 15,2009
AIG to Pay $450 Million in Bonuses

American International Group Inc. will pay $450 million in bonuses to employees in its financial products unit. That division was at the heart of AIG's collapse last fall, which compelled the U.S. government to provide $173.3 billion in aid to keep it running.

Chief Executive Edward Liddy told Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner in a letter dated Saturday that the next payments to employees of the financial products unit -- whose woes caused massive losses at the giant insurer -- are due on Sunday, and added "quite frankly, AIG's hands are tied." - Wall Street Journal

I’m finding myself with no sympathy for AIG or its survival in the business community. Maybe, just maybe, some of the folks on the right side of the aisle are right in letting these people face bankruptcy court. $173 Billion in bailout cash and they are handing out almost a half billion in bonuses? If General Motors or Chrysler pulled this crap then all of Washington would be at the CEO’s throat politically. AIG is no stranger to having its hand out for money and then blowing hundreds of thousands of dollars for its employees for perks. Can I site a few for you?

AIG Splurges Again
AIG Bailout Smack in the Face

When do we say that AIG is no better than a drug dealer on the corner just sucking the life blood out of our people? When do we say enough is enough when that drug dealer starts feeding your children the poison that could kill them? When do we say enough is enough when the government feeds the poison to that drug dealer and all it is in the end is bailout cash? AIG is no better than a simple drug dealer with a clientele that needs them. When they tell everyone around them, including the government that has fed them $173 billion dollars in bailout cash, that they will still do whatever they want to, regardless of what you or I think, then enough is enough. Bankruptcy court is not always a bad thing when the abusers of the business that is bigger than life community run shot gun over corporate abuse and idiocy and then defend it blindly.

You may think at this point think that I sound like a die hard fiscal conservative Republican but you would be wrong. I’m just a Dad thinking that $173 billion could have been better spent fixing roads, schools, bridges and investing in our communities where real life happens. In one report AIG averaged the bonuses out to $120,000 per person and that is one hell of a lot more than most people make in a year. And that is just the bonus for failure in your job at AIG that put the company in a position near collapse. What ever happened to common sense in big business? Apparently, Edward Liddy, aka CEO has no future in stock options when it comes to his time spent at AIG. Failure and rewarding that failure is not common sense to those that once had shares in AIG.

President Obama should sick his Attorney General, Secretary of the Treasury, and the FBI on AIG, its Board of Directors, and its CEO for simple gross negligence. AKA hand them a pink slip for doing a real crappy job. Something stinks over at AIG but this is all just my opinion. What do you think is going on?

One thing is certain when this wash load at AIG is done, many of the corporate executives across America will look at Ed Liddy and learn from his mistakes. You don't take cash out of the taxpayers pockets without serious repercussions and simplistic results. Ed Liddy will or should resign within the next couple of months as AIG's CEO. If he doesn't, he will be indited for fraud and multiple other charges. I'm pretty sure that no corporation wants the IRS to put a magnifying glass on their books.

Most states are receiving bailout money just in the tens of billions of dollars to rebuild our economy, AIG grabbed $176 BILLION with no questions asked under President BUSH and is passing out bonuses?

Shouldn't you be pissed off too?

Papamoka