skippy the bush kangaroo

Wednesday, July 08, 2009

don't pressure democrats...pressure republicans

i have not let up on my republican representative on the subject of health care. i've not only written him about 30 emails containing the arguments in favor of either a strong public option or single payer or expressing my support for those options and my disdain for other options. in particular, i have told him what is wrong with the medical rights and reform act that he and a couple of other house republicans put together so that they can pretend that they're trying to help their constituents.

previously, in reference to that awful medical rights and reform act, i called his office to try and find out who had input into this bill. the only answer i received was that they consulted "stakeholders". i wrote back and asked who these "stakeholders" were, but never received an answer. today i called again and made my question clear. in fact, i was very informative, but always polite. i told the staffer who answered (i got the name of the staffer who handles health care for my rep, but forgot to get the name of the young woman with whom i spoke) that i could never support the congressman if he did not support either a strong public option or single payer. i told her that i had sent something like 30 emails to his office that clearly demonstrated the superiority of these options and that i had not received any response on any of these emails. i told her that i had never received an answer to my question as to who the "stakeholders" involved in drafting medical rights and reform act were (and i told her the fatal flaws in that legislation). i did find out that the bill was drafted by house lawyers who took the "ideas" (her words) that the congressman and his fellow congressmembers had and drafted the bill, and they then "bounced it back and forth" (her words) until they had something to introduce.

i let her know in no uncertain terms that i wanted to know who those stakeholders were, that i regarded myself as a very interested stakeholder in health care reform legislation, that the congressman's constituents were the only stakeholders he should ever be concerned about, and that, having read what he introduced, the congressman seemed to have no interest at all in what was best for his constituents.

please call your congressmembers (phone numbers at the link) and tell them you support either a strong public option or single payer, and call them more than once. the insurance industry lobbyists talk to your congressmembers every single day and they regard themselves as the most important stakeholders. let your rep know who the real stakeholders are in no uncertain terms and keep letting them know. if you don't, we'll lose this battle pretty quickly.

i think it is more important to call republican representatives on this than democrats, because the democrats seem to have made up their minds on it, but the republicans are the ones who are struggling to regain power. if they think hey can make a comeback by supporting real health care reform, they might just abandon their corporate insurance masters for a change.

ps: in an earlier posting i was highly critical of cnn's coverage of the health care issue. i should give credit where it is due. they are doing a great job of showing every possible aspect of michael jackson's funeral.
posted by DBK at 9:34 AM |

4 Comments:

You have a point but only for the grassroots folks like you and I. My rep is Dave Reichert and he's very fluid on the issue. he might be swayed.

However, in the big picture, the Repugs are hoping for the attention. They want the Dems to come knocking at their door just so they can slam it in their face. If we make a point in leaving them out, corral up the loose guns in our own house; we can pass this legislation.

Then the American people will see just how isolated and worthless the GOP is. The Party of No will have that word tattooed on their collective foreheads for years.

Then, after this legislation is forwarded, will those Repugs in our districts start to feel the heat and listen to us.

Deputy Dave (8th WA) is a fair weather freak. He'll bend easily to the winds of the moment.
commented by Blogger David Aquarius, 11:27 AM PDT  
I can't get involved in this except with attaboys and attagirls.

My last statement from one of the largest banks in the US had some strange little "charges" that appeared at the end of June. Calling, emailing got no response except when I got a supervisor who "would look into it and get back to me since no one had complained otherwise." Two hours later and 50mg of Valium and I contacted one of my dirtier contacts on the internet, who turned me on to a service that for $100 would get me the bank president's home phone number listed or not. I bought a $101 debit card and called. Got phone number, map showing where his house is and the phone numbers of all of the neighbors. I called the prez's wife and politely explained my concerns and that I wanted the charges reversed permanently, then I screamed out her home address and said "don't make me fly over to see you."

Within half an hour my email overloaded, my cell phone had at least ten call back numbers. I checked that my debit card still worked and picked out the emailer who seemed to have the most pull.
I now have "a personal banker who will TAKE CARE of ANY problems that I have. The unlisted home number is now disconnected.

Oh, well, but overkill with politicians isn't safe.

Rent a sound system, get a flat bed truck and wake them up every morning by turning the sound system up to 10 and screaming, "single payer, you shithead."

Fuck 'em nobody drafted them.

They eat shit for the job, and whore to stay in "power" make them pay.
commented by Anonymous Anonymous, 12:18 PM PDT  
The whole "stakeholder" concept is a disturbing choice of word.....

I feel like the gvmnt is holding a stake to our hearts.

they gots monies for wars, but they gots no monies for healthcares.

Soooooo perplexing.

NOT!
commented by Blogger Fran, 9:37 PM PDT  
Fran, Fran , Fran.....nevermind....you are right.

But DBK, as far as writing to or even communicating with by phone ....my "local" Representative is yet another of those turncoat "Life-long Democrats" that suddenly switched parties in the nineties and were transformed into Neo-Cons.
She Did write back to me once years ago to tell me that she was Not Interested in hearing from Democrats about anything. Seeing that is , since they were all so immoral and corrupt.

I was so completely disheartened by that terse little tirade that I vowed to grant her wish at least so far as this Democrat was concerned.. (tho I am now Independent / Moderate / Unafilliated)...


And OT a bit, I apologize to all for my posts being sloppier than usual lately...my spouse gifted me a 'Berry and I am in the berry patch wi'briars learning how to use the damn thing...sorry. :((
commented by Blogger Essaress ; Prior of the F.C.F.J., (C), 5:46 PM PDT  

Add a comment