A Sad Day for History

Well here we are again - just sitting down to write a few thoughts.

I think the only appropriate thing to talk about today would be Ted Kennedy - not the death of - but the life of Ted Kennedy - about one of his many causes.

Again, Health Care Reform is just in the forefront of my mind. I just can't imagine anyone today who isn't impacted some way by the inefficiencies of the system. There may be people who settle for the system and they way it works now - but I can't believe, in some way, don't think it could be better - that they wouldn't have to give something else up just to pay a doctor or medication or hospitalization bill.

I was watching Jon Stewart earlier this week - and he was interviewing Betsy McCaughey (She has her PHD in history and particularly the US Constitution.) , a lobbyist against health care reforms during the Clinton and now Obama administrations. First off, she was talking nonsense about the End of Life Issues. But more importantly she actually said - and I mean out loud - that what has changed over the years since 1960 is the amount of "disposable" money people can choose to spend on health care. I think her actual point was that since 1960, families have started to spend less money on food and clothing, a steady amount on housing and therefore this has permitted people to spend more of their disposable incomes on health care. OK - now I think this is surely a flawed concept. Let's just say, some of her words are true - that people do spend less money on food and clothing and more on health care - I would think the opposite - it doesn't permit them to do anything. I believe that because health care costs are rising and people have to pay for them, they can afford to spend less money on food and clothing. And just how sad is that ! Again, I believe this is just one other way some people are twisting words to convince others that Health Care Reform is not needed.

Just another thing to think about.

I'm sure you've heard this quote a million times today and will continue to in the following weeks - but I can't think of anything more poignant or appropriate in times like these.

"The work goes on. The cause endures. The hope still lives. The dream shall never die."

Let's get it done together. Have a great day ! Feel free to weigh in.