When you think of all the signs in the ACA protests that read ‘Keep your hands off my Medicare’, this would be humorous if it weren’t tragic.
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My congressman doesn’t give one shit what I think. He was flying around on Mike Pence’s campaign plane.
My senators are Ted Cruz and John Cornyn.
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So where are the “Hands off Medicare” Tea Partiers now?
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I spoke to Wenstrup’s office today. They haven’t a clue where the boss stands on the issue. When I pointed out that he voted in favor of House Concurrent Resolution 27 on 25 March 2015, which would have privatized Medicare over a ten year period, they were unaware of that. She also didn’t seem too pleased that I’d checked up on the boss.
They’ll get back to me.
Sure they will – shortly after hell freezes over. I sent my handwritten letter today.
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Only thing left to figure out is how the media will let the Republicans frame this as Obama’s doing.
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Don’t Forget Medicaid!
Josh - I really appreciate your leadership on this. As a current Medicare beneficiary, I’m terrified. Even if they promise to “grandfather” us in, such a change is bound to hurt us over time. Plus, I have younger brothers and sisters who will suffer.
That said, though, we also need leadership on resisting their proposals to block grant Medicaid. This is the program that serves the poorest and most vulnerable among us, and I think we have a moral responsibility to save it. Now, maybe they’ll do a block grant and keep the $$$ amount the same (ha!), but giving governors and Republican legislatures a free hand to transform this program is a recipe for punitive policies. Maybe, just maybe, if you live in Massachusetts or a few other states, a Medicaid block grant wouldn’t hurt you that much. That’s if the dollars aren’t cut. But the folks who live in red states are SOL unless we fight on their behalf. Already, states have pushed the limits on how mean they can be, reprogramming Medicaid dollars for other pet projects and doing other reprehensible things.
So, let’s work together to save Medicare AND Medicaid!
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Bless Ryan’s tiny Atlas Shrugged heart. He is determined to make the old and the sick pay for Trump’s tax subsidies to his sick-with-wealth pals at the 21 Club and others like them everywhere.
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Nancy Pelosi is Minority Leader of the HOUSE.
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I contacted both my representative and one of my senators. I sent them the same letter saying that killing medicare would stop any support whatsoever for any politician, republican or democrat, that supported such a move from dog catcher to POTUS that I could vote for. So far nothing but silence from John McCain. Rep. Martha McSally (R-AZ) sent a form note that the email had been received. I’ve yet to send a note to Jeff Flake. I think none of these 3 give a tinker’s damn what I think. The election is over so they have no reason to care what I think. That’s just the way it is. Now, my local state senator Steve Farley usually sends me a personal response within an hour or two because he actually cares what I think.
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I am 68 years old and I have never in my life had better, more comprehensive health insurance than I do now. MEDICARE!
As opposed to “market” health insurance, with Medicare health care dollars are spent on HEALTH CARE rather than advertising, shareholders, multiple rounds of paperwork, etc. Everyone contributes to medicare as soon as they get a paycheck even if they are 16 years old.
If I were a republican I MIGHT be glad that at least I won’t lose this coverage and screw everyone else, but I am a Yellow Dog Democrat, and I actually care about the future generations. I can just see a 90 year-old going on the internet to see who will take their vouchers for the next year. And who thinks that insurers will cover pre-existing conditions? What person of advanced years doesn’t have “conditions?”
This makes me sick. REALLY sick!. I would go on television to warn against this if I could. I HATE these people and I just want them to go away.
Personally, I honestly think this election should be nullified because of the obvious truth that the FBI and Russia colluded with the Trump campaign to act on his behalf.
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You know what? It’s not a joke. None of this is effing funny.
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You know what? You’re right. It’s deadly serious.
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Just called Congressman Heck in NV and was told I had to speak with his campaign office. I was then given an out of order number, probably because THE CAMPAIGN IS OVER.
Then I called Senator Dean Heller’s NV office and was told he doesn’t have a position and won’t until the Medicare plan comes up for vote. When asked about the Paul Ryan budget, I was told he “probably” supports it but that he won’t take a position until it’s up for a vote. So yeah…bunch of wimps representing Nevada.
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How else is he going to pay for his wall, doubling the military, and tax cuts?
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I went to AARP site earlier and there are no specific front page pieces about threat to MCR. There is a letter to Trump about working toward common goals, blah,blah,blah. 250 comments and 99% of them were angry about MCR and accusing AARP of being unresponsive to Seniors in order to sell insurance. I posted link:
National Committee to Protect Social Security and Medicare
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The argument that need to be shouted from the rooftops is that the Ryan/GOP proposal to privatize Medicare makes no economic sense! Numerous reputable studies have shown that the overhead costs of Medicare are in the 1.5 - 3% range which means that 97% or more of Medicare expenditures are going for health care. By comparison, overhead costs of private health insurance range from 17% - 30 %. Industry studies dispute this but, surprise,surprise, most of these studies do not include advertising costs and profits. Privatization proposals have nothing to do with efficiency, quality health care, nor preserving Medicare. Privatization is all about insurance industry profits.
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It’s not. They will only voucherize Medicare for the 55 yo and younger. The current old farts get to keep it, they are all Trump and Ryan voters and perfectly fine with dismantling the system after they are through with it.
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It’s easy for me to say, because my Medicare eligibility is still some years distant, but to be brutally honest this a win-win for Ds. Either Medicare is preserved: good. Or the Rs trash Medicare, in which case there will be a core issue that Dems really can use as a big stick during the midterms. And–the kicker–promise to extend Medicare to anyone above 50. There’s the brunt of universal healthcare right there. Really double down on this issue.
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The Republican Party is against the people of the United States. And yet it continually wins elections.
Why?
I know what the answer most people give. However, if under 40ers voted to the same extent at geriatrics, this would not even be an issue. To me, the greater issue is that Democrats have taken for granted that younger people are not engaged. That, by the way, was the void that Bernie slipped in.
One other thing. The size of the United States precludes face to face contact in getting younger people energized. That means web (which is subject to bullshit), MSM (which is subject to bullshit) and other middle-actors keep people from meeting face to face.
If the U.S. were the size of, say, Montana, it would have been far more easy to mount a comprehensive program of
- Education of under 40ers in Civics
- Explanation of what is at stake
- Explanation of the the role of the Democratic Party in this
- Connections made between voting and desired outcomes for quality of life (including a short history lesson on some of the historical political events in which ordinary people have benefited from government involvement)
So it’s not easy. But it is necessary. If there is ANYTHING that the social media explosion HAS to do, it is to educate the under 40ers into that mental posture.
If that would have been the case, for example, pigs like Peter King would not have been calling those demonstrator kids “morons”.
King would have been afraid for his political life at having INSULTED A CONSISTENT AND DISCIPLINED VOTING GROUP.
After Black Tuesday, I have become far more interested in making observations as to how ridiculously easy it would be to stop Trump and his agenda immediately. Just make under 40er voter participation change. To throw up one’s hands and say that it cannot be done belies those youngsters after 7 December 1941 who willingly put their lives on the line to save themselves from Nazism.
The least we can do is to ENGAGE our young to step up and help rid this nation in 2016 from the new Nazism.
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Add Filemon Vela (D TX) to the I’ll get back to you list. I am his constituent, and I drove to one of his offices yesterday to ask–face to face–what was up with Ryan’s proposal. The office was closed, with no note, no posting of hours, nothing. So I called the D.C. office. I really don’t think the young lady who answered the phone knew what I was talking about, but she had no message about Medicare. Apparently, Vela was in a caucus meeting. So far I have seen nothing from his office. Also, no one took my phone number or address to respond. Apparently people like me are too small of a potato to care about. All we do is contribute small amounts of money and vote.
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