Well, once again, big tobacco has had it's way. A chance for the citizens of Oregon to act like humans and fund children's health care with an increase in the cigarette tax was soundly defeated through ignorance and $12,000,000 worth of propaganda from the tobacco giants. Think of how many truly needy children that $12,000,000 would have helped.
I am a 5th generation Oregonian. My ancestors arrived in this state in 1847. My gggg grandfather, Robert Young, was the kind of free-thinking rabble rouser that thoroughly scares the neo-cons. Oregon was built by folks like him. They were the predecessors of the Tom McCall's and Mark Hatfield's and Wayne Morse's that followed.
I also have to point a finger at the lack of responsible journalism that has been the standard fare for the last 6 years (at least). Recently I saw a clip of an old newscast by Walter Chronkite and the contrast between news reporting then (1980) and now was striking to say the least. There was none of the editorializing, tiptoeing around the issues, or kowtowing to sponsors that we've all grown used to, just straight reporting. It was an amazing contrast to the Fox "National Enquirer-esque" news propaganda. Thank you, Washington, for repealing the fairness doctrine!
Anyway, nearly a trillion dollars for the invasion is acceptable but a drop in the bucket for children's health care is "too expensive".
A few months ago when this same tax was proposed by the governor, it was quashed by, among others, state representative Greg Smith. I wrote an email to Mr. Smith letting him know how disappointed I was by his actions. He wrote back telling me that this tax would be "unfair to smokers". I wrote back and told him that he shouldn't let the tobacco companies do his thinking for him. He denied this. Neo-cons are always more concerned about funding for their next campaign than actual people.
It must be wonderful to live in a country that covers the health needs of everyone. Just think of the amount of stress it would remove from our lives to know that, when old age came, we wouldn't be making a choice between medicine or food.
Last weekend my 25 year old daughter (insurance went bye-bye at age 24 and due to her health history we aren't able to even buy her any) tripped in a sauna and fell onto the hot rocks. Her arm has 3rd degree burns from her shoulder to her elbow. When she came to show us what had happened, she was practically in tears, not from pain, but because she was concerned about burdening us with payments to the hospital. Obviously, this was not our primary concern but it broke my heart to see her worrying. Just a couple weeks ago as Generalissimo Bush vetoed the s-chip legislation he made mention of tax payers having to foot the bill for "children" up to age 25. His tone was quite disdainful. He apparently never considered chronically ill or injured older children whose treatment could very well be monetarily beyond the reach of even 2 parents with full time employment. Republicans never really have empathy for any situation that does not directly effect them.
You may ask, why doesn't this young woman have a job that provides some kind of health care? She's looked. It could be because the price of health insurance premiums have gone up 500+% in the last 11 years based on what my husband pays. In 1996 we were insuring 7 people for about $200 a month. We now are insuring 4 people for over $1000 a month. This same increased premium no longer covers the same blood pressure medication it covered 3 years ago. From the tone of the agent I spoke to I might as well be requesting payment for botox treatments!
I say, let's stop skirting the issue with PC terminology. Don't ask your representatives in the government for "universal health care". Demand socialized medicine. If they have a problem with it, demand to know why. Remind them that their job is to represent you. Demand that they do it.
Become like the pioneers.
Thursday, November 8, 2007
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