TO LS et al: RE: HEALTH CARE REFORM AND OUT OF CONTROL COSTS: I am not smoking anything either LS. For your information, I just had to CANCEL my health insurance because they upped my premium $300.00 more ON MY BIRTHDAY... We ("we" being just the two of us, both self-employed) were already paying over $1,400.00 a month and it was not a great policy in the first place. The charming Blue Cross salesman said to me on the phone,"Well, we can't take away your policy just because you have a pre-existing condition, yet, but we can raise it to the maximum now. It IS your birthday." Exact words said to me on my birthday when I called to find out why my bill was so much higher. I have a broken ankle that won't heal and I have to get expensive treatment for it! "It is your birthday...!" Nice! Anyone who is against the health care reform bill had better have their head examined. This nation is now on life support. And don't think the Republican agenda plans any kind of health care bill better than what is on the table now!! The words "health care reform" would NEVER have even been uttered if we had ended up with a Republican in the White House! And as far as Scott Brown doing anything about health care reform, please, read this: FROM: Article by Michelle Chen w/ Video (can be read and seen at: http://airamerica.com/politics/01-17-2010/watch-brown-911-workers-drop-dead/) "In October 2001, Brown voted against a measure to provide financial aid to 9/11 Red Cross emergency responders. Those are the folks who made headlines for rushing into the billowing smoke and chaos of Ground Zero. In the following months, many were stricken with massive health problems that have been linked to toxic exposures at the site. Of course, it wasn't the first time these workers got the shaft from the political establishment. Their story was featured in the film, Sicko, which depicts their ongoing struggle to receive adequate medical care for their crippling illnesses.(They're now pushing for more federal relief through a pending bill.)" Here's an interview held by ThinkProgress (TP) with Brown at a campaign rally in Hyannis on Jan. 15th: (This is embarrassing to say the least... actually shameful!) "TP: In 2001 (10/17/01) You voted on October 17, 2001 to deny financial aid to Red Cross rescue workers who had volunteered with 9/11 recovery efforts. Do you have any comment on this story? BROWN: Yes, it was a time when our budget was down. We had a lot of cuts unfortunately, and we had to take care of our own priorities first. To his credit, Think Progress points out that Brown worked hard to serve his real priorities, and then some. (see below) Still standing by his vote to reject support for 9/11 aid workers, Brown proves the sad slogan used to describe the 9/11 workers' predicament: "zero for heroes." If his style of politics is rewarded with the critical Massachusetts Senate seat, those heroes will soon find themselves in very good company." Oh and this as well: http://thinkprogress.org/2010/01/16/justify-denying-911aid/ A little more detailed report: BROWN JUSTIFIES DENYING 9/11 Rescue Workers Aid: `We Had To Take Care Of Our Own Priorities First' "As the Plum Line reported yesterday, State Sen. Scott Brown (R-MA), the Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate special election on Tuesday, voted on October 17, 2001 to deny financial aid to Red Cross rescue workers who had volunteered with 9/11 recovery efforts. As a state representative at the time, Brown was one out of only three legislators who had opposed the overwhelmingly bipartisan measure. During the same month Brown was voting down efforts to support 9/11 rescue workers, he was pushing a bill to appropriate a tax-subsidized bond to build a golf course in Norfolk, a city in his district. ``Priorities,'' indeed. Also during the same period, he was busy fighting for tax subsidies for corporate interests. According to a 2002 article in the Lowell Sun, Brown scored a perfect pro-corporate tax subsidy rating in the months following his anti-9/11 rescue workers vote: House members who supported decreasing the minimum corporate excise tax which was rejected were also given credit. Positive marks were also given to representatives who voted in favor of term limits for the speaker, voted against increasing the auto excise tax, and voted in favor of freezing the unemployment insurance rates. (...) Rep. Scott Brown, a Wrentham Republican, and Rep. Brad Hill, an Ipswich Republican, were the other two lawmakers to receive 100 percent taxpayer friendly ratings. For Brown's ``priorities,'' golf courses and corporations are above the Massachusetts state Red Cross volunteers who rushed to the site of the twin towers after the terror attack." (Interesting aside, here in Norfolk we voted to NOT improve the working conditions for our police and firemen. I personally think some priorities went askew in THAT vote!) So, y'all still think that health care is not an important issue and that we don't need to worry if the possible loss by Martha Coakley could empower Republican senators to cause the health care bill to fail, leaving us without any viable reform bill? Think again. FINAL NOTE: Last night we had dinner with a prominent Boston neurosurgeon and his wife who works at a major hospital as well. They both heartily agreed. The health care bill is not perfect, but it is an important, workable and very positive step towards beginning to control prices, protecting patients' rights, improving conditions and covering many more people. And they both also agreed that it is really critical that the bill be passed as soon as possible so that changes can begin to be made for the better in this country. Here in MA we are not grasping the full tragedy of this nation's health care dilemmas. We have many great doctors and excellent hospitals in this state. We also have thousands and thousands of people who cannot afford the upwardly spiraling costs of health insurance. (I am one.) And remember, that costs everyone money! - PRR Norfolknet.com your community, on-line