BlackPerspective.net
Discussing the Diaspora as seen through an internal Black lens
Howard Dean Says The Public Option Is The Compromise (Video)
August 25th, 2009
At a reception being held by Dean’s Democracy for America in a Downtown Pittsburgh bar on August 14th Dean said that the public option is the liberal’s compromise, and told his favorable crowded that they should strip any bill of all the money that doesn’t have one.
First hand video that I recorded live:
* Dean calls the Public Option the compromise. He’s saying it’s the compromise as opposed to either a single-payer government run insurance system, or what is referred to by proponents as a “free” universal healthcare delivery system.
Problem with that is they have no chance in hell of getting single-payer government insurance, nor univeral government run health delivery; so pursuing a public option is not a compromise, it’s their starting point of negotiation.
* Dean says he and they do not want to hear about co-opts or anything else; and that’s exactly the problem. This demonstrates what I posted about the fringes on both sides poisoning the public debate around healthcare.
When people in a conversation start the conversation off by declaring that they don’t want to hear other peoples concerns, and will not even consider other alternatives; even ones that aim to get to the same place as their proposal – when they only want what they want, and screw you – when it’s my ideological way, or the highway; you have no conversation.
* Dean says to strip all the money from healthcare reform if he doesn’t get his way. This is the problem with Dean and all other ideologs who care more about their ideology than getting things done that benefit the people. He’d rather people get no help and there be no reform of an unsustaniable systems; then to not get his ideological win against his political opponents.
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I will be posting my thoughts on healthcare reform and what it should look like soon.
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5 Responses to “Howard Dean Says The Public Option Is The Compromise (Video)”
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Yobachi Boswell is creator and publisher of BlackPerspecitve.net. I’m a writer, activist and political watcher based in Nashville, Tennessee. I’ve also been know to do some spoken word and MCing in my day.
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Isn’t the problem with co-ops that they will be ineffective unless they are large enough to have some clout, and the possibility to get them large enough is not too likely. From my perspective, this “no to co-ops” is a strategy to not fall into a trap of creating something that will be doomed from the start.
Can’t really argue about ideology , but the real issue is if what happens will benefit people or not. If it won’t then it isn’t reform.
Thanks for your comment Thomas.
Well first things as far as the post, this is not so much about wether or not you can get the job done with co-opts; it’s that folks like Dean don’t want to discuss it or anything that’s not their thing.
You are correct, co-opts don’t work unless they’re large enough to have bargaining power. But like with most things if legislation is designed that favored and incentivized people joining co-opts, allowed co-opts to move better in the market, and maybe even with a level of assistance for certain folks joining them; then the notion that you could get lots of people into various co-opts is not unreasonable. It’s already being done in the current climate with system as is.
Further, most people who favor co-opts see it as part of a large systematic solution in conjunction with other reform factors, not a complete solution unto itself.
But we can’t even discuss the possibilities and how it might work, because Dean and company don’t even want to hear about it or anything else. When the suggestion comes up, he’s taking his ball and going home.
And the flip side is that their are major issues with the public option. What stops every employer from dropping their healthcare coverage and pawning everyone off onto the public system? You then have a massive new entitlement that we are not budgeting for and cannot afford. The ones we already have are going bankrupt.
Oh, so you charge 8% payroll tax to business who don’t have health insurance. What about small businesses (and I mean real small gross revenue business, some where even the owner doesn’t have insurance)? So now all of a sudden you’re charging a company that pays 4 house hold’s salaries an 8% tax on payroll for a business they can barely afford to keep operating as is. You’ve just put 4 people out of work.
But hey, who cares about them? Only the people that Dean and company decide are deserving should be considered.
Yobachi this all is so hard to understand so thank you for all your insightful input.
I keep thinking this all will end up being more of the same. With the middle class & small businesses being forced to pay even more in taxes to pay for this while also being forced into this new plan because of jobs no longer being able to offer Private Insurance as an incentive to work at their company. We are already paying for something like this (Medicaid/Medi-cal) and it is out of money & being rationed as the people on it qualify because they make very litte or don’t work etc. What happens when you add the people paying for it into the mix who are no longer getting their Insurance from their job? Won’t the cost skyrocket when the people paying for it for those who can’t start to use the service? It would seem the only people who would have good insurance will be the rich as they can supplement or get full private Healthcare Insurance.
I would hope to be able to buy supplemental Insurance, but I don’t get how this is going to play out any different than it has over and over again with other programs, the only difference is paying more in taxes.
Sorry if this reads like babble but trying hard to wrap my head around this.
[...] I broke down the fallacies of his argument in a previous post. [...]
[...] Once, all cost and access barrier reductions that are in a bill fail to still reach some people to allow them healthcare insurance, an insurance subsidy componenant should be established (or beafed up, as one already exist) that allows for insurance payment assistance for as many people as a set fund will allow. Extending such assisntance to many more people will keep more liberals from bailing who are pondering following the Howard Dean all-or-nothing philosophy. [...]