Empathy & Sympathy -Things of the Past
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| Fri, 09-25-2009 - 9:24am |
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
At the Richmond Times-Dispatch “public square†forum yesterday, Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA) took questions from his constituents on the health reform debate for the first time this summer. One such constituent, Patricia Churchill, spoke about a close family member, now unemployed and thus uninsured, who is dying of tumors. Cantor suggested that Churchill’s relative seek “existing government programs†or find charity.
This is all interesting, because Cantor is against a public option, yet he wants Churchill to find a government program (or charity). Yeah, we know how easy that is.
CHURCHILL: I have a very close relative, a woman in her early forties, who did have a wonderful, high-paying job, owns her own home and was a real contributing member of society. She lost her job. Just a couple of weeks ago, she found out that she has tumors in her belly and that she needs an operation. Her doctors told her that they are growing and that she needs to get this operation quickly. She has no insurance. I am just wondering gentlemen, we can talk about high-flown ideas and we can talk theory all we want to. But this person is a very close member of my family, she's ill, and she has no way to get this operation. So I'm asking you, what would you do if this were your close relative
CANTOR: First of all, I guess I would ask what the situation is in terms of income eligibility and the existing programs that are out there. Because if we look at the uninsured that are out there right now, there is probably 23, 24% of the uninsured that is already eligible for an existing government program Beyond that, I know that there are programs, there are charitable organizations, there are hospitals here who do provide charity care that if there’s an instance of indigency and the individual is not eligible for existing programs that there can be some cooperative effort. No one in this country, given who we are, should be sitting without an option to go be addressed.
What? Cantor is saying no one in this country should not have an option? That would be the public option, or universal health care, that all other industrialized nations have, in one form or another.
But, truly, why would Representative Cantor CARE about anyone else? He HAS gold standard healthcare for himself and his loved ones. Everyone else can just go DIE.


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"If one moves between states or jobs, insurance coverage does not convey. Heck, it's easier to move a cell phone number complete with area code across state lines than it is to move insurance coverage! That's another one of the truly idiotic aspects of health insurance in a nation where people are mobile both in the work place and in geographic moves. Dumb, dumb, dumb."
This statement is contradictory. Somehow many people manage to move and remain insured.
"[Nobody, but nobody, needs insurance when they have a heart attack--they need quality timely medical care, NOT insurance. Ditto every other health condition. Insurance adds nothing at all to the quality or availability of health care."
If you are prepared to pay for the expenses accrued for your medical care I agree. The purpose of insurance is not now nor has it ever been to add quality or availability of health care. Is this the newest complaint of liberals? The insurance doesn't do what it isn't meant to?
What were you doing about your insurance need prior to developing your chronic condition?
Some already
" Others, like Maggie Yount's husband, work as consultants because that's the only work they can get in a recession where unemployment is getting into the double digits thanks to the buffoonery of BushCo."
BO is supposed to fix this, isn't he? Besides, Mr Yount was working as a consultant prior to the recession. Yes, his choice, but I don't care to support his lifestyle choices. If you can't support immigrant family, don't bring them over.
**but I don't care to support his lifestyle choices. If you can't support immigrant family, don't bring them over.**
**yawn**
The tired old "immigrant family", but I'm not a closet racist, Conservative argument. But it's just really more BS to try and justify nearly sociopathic tunnel vision. Because it doesen't matter if the "family" is "immigrant" or not. You don't even give a fig if it was an AMERICAN "family" that needed it.
We've heard the song. It's like a top 40 hit, played ad nausem. Like listening to a Biblical Fundamentalist spout scripture.
We know, we know. Anyone who failed to reach your level of insurance perfection, from DAY one. Manage to have all the resources available to mainatin it and not starve to death, deserve to die, even though we pay taxes too. Taxes that help pay for roads YOU drive on too, fire departments that would save YOUR house too, police departments and law enforcement that protect YOU too.
Exactly...but isn't that the modus operandi of the right?
"Because it doesen't matter if the "family" is "immigrant" or not. You don't even give a fig if it was an AMERICAN "family" that needed it."
Feel free to buy them insurance. I know of no one who will stand in your way.
"Some already had insurance which they lost with their jobs (& not everyone can afford COBRA)"
" They might have had COBRA, or they might not have been able to afford it (not all jobs pay that great, btw)."
Who will pay the premiums of those who can't afford their COBRA ? If these people can't afford their premiums how will they afford the tax increases or the premiums of the public option?
So many are losing their jobs.
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