Letters: The health care debate continues
Bennington Banner
As the health care debate has unfolded over the past few months, I have been listening to the various opinions put forth, pro and con. Some people think that health care should be a privilege, a commodity, remain tied to a job, and to make sure the insurance companies can have a tidy profit margin. I am not one of those.
I think about the everyday people of our country. The widening dichotomy between those who have a lot and those who have very little. I think about responsible people I know who have lost their jobs, very good jobs, because of the economy in the construction field, for example. I think about people I know who work here in the manufacturing field, watching their co-workers be laid off around them. It is like a form of Russian Roulette, who will be next? Will the companies get contracts to fill? Will the jobs remain? Will the people I know be able to get their medical needs met?
The frustration that I feel when everyone, well, a good number of people, say that a "Medicare for all" system would be best for the people. But at this point it looks like we will get what we got in the House vote. That is, the preservation of the corporation, the free market, health care as a commodity, not health care as a human right, and not health care as a public good.
When I started with the Vermont Workers Center in mid-winter, I realized that what was going to happen on the federal level would never be
adequate. This brings me to what we can do. We can pursue health care reform here in Vermont. We can pursue getting two bills that are currently in the state legislature, S.88 and H.100 debated, so to speak. We can get the waivers necessary to make reform a reality.
On Thursday, Nov. 19, at 7 p.m., the first of two presentations, entitled "How Vermont Can Lead The Country and Why We Need Single-Payer Healthcare Now!" will take place at the Unitarian Universalist Meeting House, 108 School St. in Bennington.
Dr. Marvin Malek (Vermont Health Care for All), Phil Fiermonte from Senator Sanders’ office, and James Haslam from the Vermont Workers Center will help us to understand the process involved. Join us in this important community event to learn more about the issues and to get your questions answered.
On Friday, Dec. 11, the second part of our two-part series will take place at 7 p.m. at the Second Congregational Church. Dr. Deb Richter, who with co-authors Con Hogan and Terry Duran, wrote "Gridlock: The Unhealthy Politics of Health Care in Vermont," will be here to present her ideas on this topic and answer questions.
For more information call Charlie at 447-7119, or check out www.workerscenter.org
CHARLIE MURPHY
Bennington