What do we say when a Senator Abandons his Constituents on such an Important Issue as their Health and Wellbeing ? You can click the title , but I also encourage you to read below.
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(Enigma Background with Ohio)
I live here in Cleveland, and have for over three years....I have been astounded HOW the Political leaders here treat their citizens....and sadly it is not just Repugs that seem to disregard the citizens and their plight, it is also Dems. This county is facing huge unresolved corruption issues.( What else can you say when the FBI & FEDS bring U Hauls to town to clear out garages and offices ?) And we all remember the Spectacle and Demise of the 2004 Election ( I was not here for that...thank heavens..) BUT....In that time I have been to a HCR rally with Marcia Fudge ( and got to see Teabaggers up close), and then there's Sherrod Brown who I admire and respect and sent me two very nice letters about HCR.
And then there is Voinovich....The Senator has been a disappointment over and over.His office will rarely let one leave a message( either office DC or here.) I have never gotten Any responses to any letters or emails. What really bothered me is that earlier last year I heard when I was canvassing for Obama that is how is as a Senator and how he was as a Mayor as well.
( and for anyone that does not KNOW our History here, Alot happened under Mayor Voinovich, and the City has never really recovered fully and suffered.Dennis Kucinich did try to repair much of the damage when he was mayor....but it has never recovered financially or on any level business to education ).
So then we come to Voinovich MISSING this Historic Vote in DC.....He was here, in Cleveland...Celebrating his Reign as Mayor 30 Years ago with a Party for himself. I can not even fathom with Thousands and thousands UnderInsured and UnInsured here, the Foreclosure Capital of the Great Lakes, and Hundreds of Thousands losing their jobs, and he was Giving himself a Damn Party. What do we call that ? Arrogance ? Greed ? Narcissism ? What message does this send to his Constituents ? His People who are struggling everyday with Financial Burdens and 190 lost their Health Insurance and Health care every day, What is the Message that he sent them tonight ?
4 comments:
Vote 60 to 39....
Voinovich did NOT show,
statement from his site:
SEN. VOINOVICH STATEMENT ON SEN. REID HEALTH CARE BILL
November 20, 2009
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator George V. Voinovich (R-OH) issued the following statement today on U.S. Senator Harry Reid’s (D-NV) health care proposal:
“Americans watching the health care debate in Washington should know that the actions of Congress will have far-reaching consequences on their lives and our entire economy.
“The two-thousand page, two-trillion dollar bill proposed by Sen. Reid cuts Medicare, raises taxes, increases premiums, hurts states and threatens the health choices that millions currently enjoy. This is not reform, and it is not what the American people are asking for. That is why I cannot support Sen. Reid’s health care bill and will not support the vote on the motion to proceed to the bill.
“At a time when Ohio's unemployment rate is at 10.5 percent, new health care legislation should first do no harm to the economy. Sen. Reid’s bill is full of budget gimmicks and will cost Americans $2.5 trillion over the next decade, ignoring the fact that we cannot even take care of our current obligations. The bill will also raise taxes on Americans by half a trillion dollars while cutting Medicare by nearly the same amount – hurting our nation’s seniors. And, CBO says this bill will increase federal health costs, not lower them like health care reform was supposed to achieve.
“Just this week, our national debt surpassed the $12 trillion mark. My colleagues know we face a fiscal train wreck, but are refusing to look at the health care debate from a financial viewpoint. As a nation, we already spend $2.2 trillion annually on health care. We must ask ourselves, ‘What is sustainable?’
“Paying for health care reform by placing additional financial burdens on American families and small businesses will only further impede our ability to compete in the global marketplace and, ultimately, our economic recovery.
“Additionally, I cannot support Sen. Reid’s proposal because I believe any health reform bill must protect all human life from conception to natural death and am adamantly against allowing federal funding for abortions.”
– END
The thing that I don't understand about the republicans/conservatives in Congress is their sudden "concern" for the deficit after 8 years of unrestrained spending under W. I have a blue dog representative and 2 republican senators in Congress from my state (GA), and neither one voted for hc reform, neither one does anything except complain about the deficit and spending. I could deal with their complaining if they were working to develop alternative solutions to the problems the nation needs to deal with. My representative is in a safe blue district. At his townhalls all he does is feed redmeat to the teabaggers who won't vote for him anyway. How stupid.
I find myself totally confused. I know we need reform, but after hearing the Mad as Hell Doctors speak last week, they were adamant that the current plan on the table is actually *worse*
because it leaves the insurance companies in charge, and forces others to have to participate... the ins companies are OK with it, because they will still gain profit from it, maybe lots of profit, depending on how they can tweak the rules and regs-- and lets face it- you KNOW they will.
Two other issues that were discussed was-
Lack of education early on.... lots of people still don;t actually know the difference between single payer (essentially medicare for all- real universal health care), and public option, a watered down sort- of universal health care.
One woman said she is on a very low budget and can;t afford to pay the $750 into the plan & is concerned about jail time & fines.
I said on the other hand, just like in the movie SICKO, I have insurance- but what I pay out of pocket is thousands more out of pocket....
new in 2010 $500 deductible, $50 meds co pays, we pay 20% of the total bill, plus premiums-- and all that on a pay freeze in a low paying job.
I had done a $1500 flex spending (pre tax deduction for medical expenses) & burned that up by September.
For the first time in their lives, BOTH my kids- now adults age 25 & 21, have NO health insurance. The older one does not because his employers plan is a crappy plan- imagine such a cheapo policy, you are better off without it?
Also when you are young, you think you are invincible.
I just got the other kid back on my insurance, because he is a full time college student.... but he is struggling so much financially, I just cover it for him.
No expectation of him paying back, just covering him for peace of mind. He needs dental work, and eyeglasses.
The Mad as Hell Doctors also said the teabaggers ran a successful campaign to denigrate "socialism".
Fire departments are socialist, libraries are socialist, Medicare is Social Medicine, Social Security is a Socialist program.
They said the think the idea we should accept the bad program they are offering & think it will morph in to something substantially better down the road is naive.
the ins companies run the show & they will not allow it to change.
Maui made the comment that Medicare is not the same program as when it first started out,
many changes over the years to have people now very much so satisfied w the program.
I'm not in the all or nothing camp-- we need to get **something** going- but the Mad as Hell Doctors say this current plan changes little & leaves the for-profit predators in charge.
All that being said....it was very funky & arrogant of Voinovich to blow off being present for the debate & vote.
Spineless of him to not show his face & cast a vote one way or the other.
An inspiration to get him on the unemployment lines. Maybe then he can meet with his former constituents?
thanks morb and fran...
we all have concerns...
this battle has left many of us if we are worth anything to our elected in DC...
do they have any reality...
I think if they are willing to vote against healthcare reform- when they vote they should sacrifice their own Government plan.
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