The key to health care reform

Barack Obama's misfortune in the polls has turned into our possible good fortune... we now have something to bargain with Barack Obama and the Democrats in exchange for health care reform: our votes.

Our country is embroiled in controversy and debate over health care reform. Focus on the purpose of health care has been lost. Health care has two purposes:

1. Keep people healthy.

2. Get people well when sick.

Barack Obama and the Democrats have killed single-payer universal health care which was by far the most popular alternative. Now they are confusing the issue with talk about a "public option" when the only real "public option" is something like VA or the Indian Health Service; both of which could be combined and expanded to include everyone under a Public Health Service.

Obama and the Democrats have confused the issue even further by now veering from discussing legislation for health care reform by derailing this discussion and diverting the discussion to "health insurance reform."

Our public officials squander our limited and scarce resources--- during a period of a crumbling capitalist economy--- financing wars in three countries; subsidizing the Israeli military machine; and spending trillions of dollars financing 800 U.S. military bases on foreign soil dotting the globe; and then they tell us there is no money for health care. Instead, we should be building 800 public health care centers stretching out across the United States providing a public health care system which includes:

• No-fees/No premiums

• Comprehensive (cradle to grave)

• All-inclusive (general, dental, eyes, physical therapy, prescription drugs)

• Universal (everybody in; nobody out)

• Publicly funded

• Publicly administered

• Publicly delivered

The United States is the wealthiest country in the world.

We can afford to provide a first-rate, world-class, free public health care system for our own people--- if we get our priorities straight.

We need health care reform based upon: Everybody in; all the profiteers out.Health care is supposed to be about people, a human right; not about profits.

We must not let Barack Obama and the Democrats do with health care reform what Bill Clinton did with welfare reform.

There are those that confuse what needs to be done by suggesting that some kind of massive grassroots coalition brought Barack Obama to power when the fact is that what brought Barack Obama to power was no organized coalition seeking anything; just plain old resentment and disgust with a thoroughly corrupt, warmongering Republican Party--- and the Democratic Party has proven to be no better.

There are those who want to turn the need for real progressive health care reform into nothing but a struggle to save Barack Obama's worthless political butt.

We need to begin discussions about creating a real all people's united front to win real progressive health care reform before Barack Obama gives us the shaft and sticks us with mandatory health insurance that is no better than the high-priced automobile or home-owners insurance which are good until needed.

Some people pawned Barack Obama off on us as a progressive when all we got was an insurance salesman.

Our initiatives for real progressive health care reform as articulated above require that we inform Barack Obama and the Democrats that they will not be receiving our votes in 2010 or 2012 unless real progressive health care reform legislation is enacted.

No health care reform; no votes... it really is as simple as that.


Alan L. Maki
58891 County Road 13
Warroad, Minnesota 56763
Phone: 218-386-2432


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