Whether or not about 600,000 South Dakotans actually think Stephanie Herseth-Sandlin actually represents them or some group of rich and influential “stake holders” in the Health Insurance industry seems to be an open question. Whatever we do think, some lobbyist group is loading SD TV with ads claiming SHS is “Standing Tall for South Dakotans”.
My perspective on her standing tall has little to do with left or right, liberal or conservative or even up or down, but with her rank opportunism.
I did not hear the same radio broadcasts that Todd Epp heard and commented on his blog at KELOLAND Issues Blogs because both SDPB radio and TV have been off the air in the daytime out here in the boondocks. I did read the column Herseth-Sandlin got into the Mitchell Daily Republic and did not find it persuasive or even setting a plausible reason for opposing the plans to change health insurance.
There is one good reason to oppose it and that is not Herseth-Sandlin’s reason, but is that the current proposals are a hodge-podge of bandages on a wasteful system that sucks out something like $395 billion in insurance profits and overhead from actual health care. George McGovern has presented the only real reform of health insurance that makes any sense.
That is "Extend Medicare to every US Citizen”. That is not nearly 2,000 pages of ways to allow private insurers to ration health care with no regard for patients or their doctors, but with full regard for their own profits and incredible executive salaries.
"Medicare for all citizens" is the only idea that makes sense if one ignores the totally deceptive TV ads fussing about government control of health. This is not government control of health nor is it corporate control of health. It is health insurance for all something the US has needed for over 50 years. Herseth and Blue Dog Democrats of Blue Dog crap fame have not presented a real health reform package any better than the secret GOP plan (remember Nixon's secret plan to end the Vietnam War?).
Those wanting to get the government off their health-care backs are inviting continued economic gang rape by corporations. Thomas Friedman suggests that the lack of universal health care is the result of cowardice on the part of legislators in the face of corporate contributions or well-funded attack ads. They are not pushing for optimal government policy instead weakly push for suboptimal policies. They make little attempt to educate and inform on the real potential of policies and instead say upfront without discussion that such options are "off the table". The lack of universal health insurance separated from employment is also killing start up of innovative small business. He concluded today on Charlie Rose with something like, "A great nation producing sub-optimal policies will soon cease to be a great nation."
The other problem with this “reform” that Herseth-Sandlin is not mentioning is that it will be used as an excuse to not actually reform heathcare with a universal single payer system.
*** Stay tuned even if you are perfectly happy with sub-optimal politicians and policies --- Doug Wiken










Recent Comments