The Republican members of Congress, who were thrilled with the vicious Tea Party attacks organized by the John Birch Society and paid for by the likes of the Koch brothers, are now bemoaning the raucous "paid attendees" at their own "town hall" meetings.
The problem as I see it, is these politicians holding these "town hall" meetings are probably the only paid attendees there--- they are paid, bribed, by Wall Street, the Chamber of Commerce and the American Medical Association.
How are "We the People" going to get a voice in the decision-making process if we don't organize and raise hell?
Out of sight, is out of mind.
No wonder the politicians, both Republicans and Democrats, would rather working people keep their mouths shut.
The Democrats are really no better than the Republicans because they are trying to contain us by using these town hall meetings to build support for Obamacare which is really nothing but the Romneycare developed by the reactionary Heritage Foundation and it should be rejected and called what it is:
"The Health Insurance and Pharmaceutical Industry Bailout and Profit Maximization Act of 2010."
What don't need the private, free enterprise, for-profit health care schemes the Democrats or Republicans are selling are selling on behalf of the AMA, the insurance companies and the pharmaceutical industry...
What we need is very simple and straight forward but we are not going to get it without an organized movement demanding it:
A National Public Health Care System.
Publicly funded.
Publicly administered.
Publicly delivered.
This is nothing controversial... it is just like public education.
Free health care dispensed through a national network of community and neighborhood health care centers.
Pay for it all with the Peace Dividend that would be derived by putting an end to this insane military spending and financing these dirty wars.
Now is the time to speak up and speak out.
Wall Street has its high paid lobbyists trying to sell us their schemes.
What we need is a powerful and well organized "People's Lobby"--- of you and me and our friends and neighbors and fellow workers (We the People)--- to insist on a National Public Health Care System paid for with a Peace Dividend.
Tell these politicians you want peace and real health care reform.
Write a "Letter to the Editor" and make sure these politicians see it. Print it as a leaflet with a petition on the other side...
Here is my Letter to the Editor published in the Austin American-Statesman which every single politician in Texas reads:
Re: Feb. 9 article, “Trump looks to stabilize health insurance market”
So, the “health” — read: profits — of the health insurance industry supersedes the human right of access to health care?
Left out of the discussion is the real solution to this health care mess, which would eliminate the health insurance industry: national public health care based on the public education model. Publicly financed. Publicly administered. Publicly delivered.
It makes more sense to finance a network of publicly funded neighborhood and community health care centers across the country dispensing free health care for everyone instead of squandering the precious wealth of our nation maintaining over 800 military bases dotting the globe protecting Wall Street’s interests and wasting trillions of dollars on these dirty wars from which only the Wall Street merchants profit.
ALAN MAKI, LAKEWAY
Something like this... Distribute this at a town hall meeting... just add your name and a contact number or e-mail address at the bottom:
Campaign for a “21st Century Full Employment Act for Peace and Prosperity”
We are fed up with politicians campaigning on promises of “Jobs, Jobs, Jobs” and then failing to make themselves legislatively responsible for attaining and maintaining full employment.
We are fed up with our tax dollars being squandered on militarism and wars instead of being used to create jobs by solving the problems of the people and defending our living environment… its time to beat swords into plowshares. Put people to work solving the problems of the people.
A National Public Health Care System would create over twelve-million new jobs paying real living wages providing people with free health care--- general medical, eyes, ears, dental, family planning and mental health--- through a network of neighborhood and community health care centers; this is a better use of our tax-dollars than wasting our human and financial resources on a far flung empire of over 800 U.S. military bases around the world. Or, it could be financed the same way Social Security is financed. Public funding. Public administration. Public delivery… nothing controversial; just like public education.
A National Public Child Care System would create over three-million new jobs providing working class families with free child care.
We need to restore C.E.T.A., WPA and CCC.
“At Will Employment” legislation in states across the country needs to be rescinded to expand democracy in the workplace and provide workers with the right to freely participate in the communities where they live.
All attacks on immigrant workers, documented and undocumented, need to end.
Planned Parenthood needs to be defended and programs expanded.
We insist Congress and the president enact full employment legislation which makes them legislatively responsible for attaining and maintaining full employment; assure everyone who wants a job employment at real living wages in line with the actual cost-of-living.
Full employment would provide stability for Social Security; everyone paying in; everyone getting something out. Pensions must be honored and protected. The Wall Street swindle of pension funds must end. Restore the Glass-Steagall Act.
We are entitled to a Peace Dividend.
