Today is the BIG health summit….you know that piece of political theater that will set the stage for health reform….just wanted to add a thought or two into the mix…..
There have been a massive amounts of accusations that health reform is being beaten by the lobbies that are spending lots of cash on our diligent Congresspeople…..and if you think that is a bit harsh then you need to drop the playstation and pay a little more attention to what will be effecting you in the future…..I know….not an easy thing to do when you are so close to the high score….but give it try….
For months we have been bombarded with the facts that the health insurance industry has a anti-trust exemption and can basically gouge the crap out of its consumers with NO fear of reprisal by the government….in other words they have a Free Ride to make all the money they can off the plight of those insured……
The good news was that the Dems were fed up with the insurance companies and would do all they could to change the anti-trust exemption……they were going to make them more responsive and accountable…..well, that was the plan…..but as usual Washington is just full of surprises……the Politico’s Patrick O’Connor is reporting:
In an upcoming House vote to repeal the long-standing antitrust protections for the insurance industry. To most members of Congress, it seems like a no-brainer: Why should insurers be exempted from antitrust laws, anyway.
But Democrats look like they’ll scale back the legislation to protect insurance companies that offer malpractice coverage to doctors and other health care providers, bowing to industry pressure in the latest concession of the health care fight.
Democratic aides in the House said the final bill likely won’t include controversial new restrictions on medical malpractice insurers. Its authors also appear inclined to strip new authority for the Federal Trade Commission because it sparked similar unease.The concessions illustrate just how hard it’s been for the president and his congressional allies to overhaul a single sector of such an enormous segment of the economy.
Before you try to change anything else – BAN ALL LOBBYING!
Lobbying is seen as worthwhile and valid and so is not really subject to normal law or even logic. Take away THAT protection from prosecution for lobbyists and you’ll change the whole tone of politics. Lobbying it’s a form of BRIBERY and/or coercion and as such is ALREADY illegal and undemocratic if looked at openly and honestly!
OH MY GOD! YES! I gives credence to the term, “the best government money can buy”……I have railed against this practice to years, like so many others…..the American people do NOT like the practice and yet it continues…..shows how much we, the voters, account for with the thieves in Washington…..
I think (being the nice guy I am at heart – in spite of some of the things I say at times) I’ve always taken the slightly generous view that politicians are mostly rather selfish and misguided people who genuinely at least believe that what they are doing is a good job…
These days, more and more, I’m coming to the conclusion that they are in fact nothing more than a whole bunch of crooks who are cynically screwing everybody they can for as much as possible and their main (only?) attitude towards the public is – “fuck you!”
I too want to believe that they are unaware that they are a/holes….but like you I am thinking they are fully aware that they are do nothing morons….I keep hearing from them about what the American people want and so far they are wrong…..either they make this shit up or they are puppets…..either way they are not representing the public accurately….