Good Kucinich News

[redqueen]

Great stuff! Enjoy!

Liberal candidate speaks in Oakland

"Kucinich said he believes in eliminating all nuclear weapons. He opposes the war with Iraq and believes the United Nations should handle contracts to rebuild Iraq and control its oil supplies for the benefit of the Iraqi people.

At home, Kucinich advocates universal health care run by not-for-profit corporations rather than big business. He would like to get rid of the North American Free Trade Agreement and the World Trade Organization, which he says are responsible for taking jobs away from Americans.

As president, Kucinich said he would cut the Pentagon budget to provide funds for early childhood care and education and create a system where students do not have to pay for college.

Audience members came from as far away as Fresno and Middletown in Lake County to hear Kucinich speak. He spent about an hour answering audience questions about his conservative voting history on abortion rights, his proposed solution to the Israeli/Palestinian conflict and his strategy to reach out to members of the Independent party."


President Boooosh. We Are “In A Pickle”

"I am a former staunch conservative Republican who has recently been “born again”. I have been “born again” into a progressive, populist and will vote for Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio). I really don’t care what his party affiliation is or whether is called a liberal, moderate or conservative. Mr. Kucinich is a man of integrity, honesty, common sense and sincerity.

Congressman Kucinich (D-Ohio) is straightforward, articulate, says what he means and means what he says. He writes his own speeches and delivers them without notes. He doesn’t read from a teleprompter and doesn’t need a team of a dozen speechwriters. He actually believes that the unemployment rate should be 0%. He believes we need to rebuild America before spending $600 billion rebuilding Iraq. He is for single payer, universal health care for all because one should not have to barter away their entire life savings to afford health care.

We now have 9 million unemployed with jobs disappearing at the speed of light. We have over 40 million individuals with no health insurance. (Howard Dean wants to provide health insurance for children and poor people.) That doesn’t help the 40 million people, since most of them are working people between 23 and 65 years old that can’t afford the health insurance premiums that are priced in the stratosphere."

[xultar]

1. Nice stuff, If I were a candidate ....

I'd want to be like Kucinich because he really cares.

[redqueen]

2. Thanks!

Glad at least one person liked it. ;)

I'm gonna skate out onto some thin ice and post a few more paragraphs from that second linked editorial. The publisher / author included permission for re-print so hopefully this at least can stay. :)


"I invite all Americans, whether staunch conservative Republicans, liberal Democrats, independents, progressives, environmentalists, small business owners, and corporate executives to join me in rebuilding America by electing a man of honesty, integrity and common sense, Dennis Kucinich in 2004. He is a man who will watch how our money is spent, and watch who is spending it for what purpose. He will set a goal of 0% unemployment so all Americans can work. He will provide all Americans with the right to high quality health care that is affordable. And he will restore the time honored trust of the doctor/patient relationship. He will spend American money on America, to rebuild our dams, our bridges, our roads, our national parks. He will restore the pride and potential of our educational system and give back to teachers the enthusiasm and dedication that they previously had in years past.

I truly believe that Mr. Kucinich is the only man capable of solving the Israeli/Palestinian problem. I encourage anyone and everyone who has an open mind to read and ponder his positions on all the issues of our day at his web site, www.kucinich.us.

I believe Americans are the most likeable people on the earth, and the most generous. We don’t need to dominate, threaten, coerce, and control, badger, bully and bribe the world. Yes, there are some brutal dictators in the world but we can’t declare war on the world, forever, and spend $50 trillion dollars to make it a picture perfect planet. If we don’t all come together and achieve Dennis Kucinich’s goals we are “in a pickle”. That’s for sure.

James Boyne [e-mail] is a computer trainer, and former sales executive for IBM, Sony and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. He is a former staunch conservative Republican who after becoming of victim of the health care industry, has researched, studied, and written about the health care industry as a freelance satirical writer. He has made a 180 degree turnabout an now supports Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) for President. Mr. Boyne has a B.S degree in Marketing, and MBA in Marketing/Economics, and a degree in Certified Financial Planning. This article is copyright by James Boyne, originally published in OpEdNews.com but permission is granted for reprint in print, email, blog, or web media if this entire credit paragraph is attached."

[helleborient]

3. Excellent!

One more recovering Republican in our column!

[goodhue]

6. in a pickle

This is a great article. Thanks for posting.
http://www.opednews.com/boyne1103_pickle.htm

[redqueen]

4. KICK!

:kick:

[redqueen]

5. Another shameless bump!

:dem:

[Desertrose]

7. This was perfect timing.....

right when my repub ex accountant is visiting.......he says "my guy" is way too liberal...I take that as a good thing coming from him ....LOL

Now we just have to keep helping Dennis financially with as much as we can...

I bought a bunch of his books as holiday gifts!


Peace
DR

[diamondsoul]

8. "I bought a bunch of his books as holiday gifts!"

Er, from the campaign site, I hope? If not, it won't help with campaign funds.

Here's the deal, just so supporters understand-
In order to be allowed to sell the books for fundraising, the campaign has to agree not to promote the book in any way. Books sold through retailers deliver the profits to the Dept. of Peace organization, not to the Presidential campaign.

There's nothing wrong, per se, with buying from a retailer (and I'm not advocating against it in any way) because that gets him some recognition, but I didn't want you to think you were donating if you bought somewhere other than www.kucinich.us

[Desertrose]

9. I understand....

bought some from Amazon to help bump the book up the chart...and will also purchase some from the campaign....

I try to spread things around and have contributed directly to the campaign as well as donating time, graphic design skills and even my art for auction.

I just wish I could give more....glad also to help the Dept of Peace...

Peace
DR

[no name no slogan]

10. Kick it!

Oh, and check out the revamped www.minnesotaforkucinich.com site. It's mostly complete, but still "in progress" in parts.

(Full Disclosure: I did the design work and some of the server-side coding.) :D

[redqueen]

11. Bump!

And go vote!

unofficial DU straw poll

[diamondsoul]

12. More good Kucinich news, and a small problem

with the "straw poll" link-

The Bare Naked Ladies have endorsed Dennis, my oldest is thrilled, and so am I.O8)

He has been bowling me over the past few days with all his performances, and the PPFA Women's Issues forum was no exception!

Some future Television appearances are in the works.

The straw poll link doesn't work for me.*LOL*

[MrSoundAndVision]

13. I would have replied but....

I'd already read those articles. Thought the "pickle" article was a little long and slow. Nevertheless, any media coverage is good coverage, because it exposes people to the greatness that is Kucinich.

[burr]

14. Why attack Dean?

At least Dean presents a plan which offers community rated premiums, and provides tax credits for those paying the premiums. His plan would allow any uninsured worker to buy in, and these workers would have access to the same type of healthcare plans offered under the FEHBP. Also Dean would reduce the high premiums of COBRA that one must pay to stay insured between jobs.

This is better than the Gephardt plan, which does nothing to require community rated premiums and fails to help workers who are not offered health insurance in their line of work. And what about Edwards...whose plan helps uninsured middleclass children, but it does nothing to help their uninsured parents?

Those are the Democrats we should be questioning...ones who take the leap before you look approach! Candidates who think jumping off a diving board is fun, but why bother checking for water? :crazy:

[snoochie]

15. Pfft

Comparing something done successfully in other countries is jumping first without looking? Puh-leez.

And don't ask me to be impressed with Dean because he wants taxpayer money funneled to insurance companies so their CEO's can continue to live the good life on our illnesses.

What a joke. :eyes:

[burr]

16. you must have a very low opinion of me...

do you really think I would support funnelling taxpayer dollars just for enriching CEO's, without a fair return on our expenditures?

The FEHBP is known for providing best services for the best price to federal employees...not for ripping them off. This is why it's such a popular program with federal workers and members of Congress.

[eridani]

17. Only if they had the money

I am damned well not going to support someone whose "health plan" would leave people like my parents out in the cold. People who had to be selfemployed because they had too many health problems to be hired by anyone else, who couldn't get insurance at any price because of "pre-existing conditions." Let insurance companies continue to run the show and subsidize them even more? Not on your life, and no one advocating this could be my first choice.

[burr]

19. good, at least we agree about one thing..

don't vote for Gephardt or Edwards...

[MercutioATC]

22. Then you'll like Dean's plan.

Yes, it still uses private insurance companies, but it's an expansion of FEHBP. I have FEHBP, so I have first-hand knowledge of how this works:

To offer insurance to federal employees under FEHBP, private insurers have to meet certain requirements such as what conditions they'll cover and to what degree. Another requirement is that coverage CANNOT be denied for pre-existing conditions.

Every year during "open season" (a 2 or 3 month window) I have the chiuce of over a dozen plans ranging from HMOs to PPOs to PPV plans. Premimums vary by plan. Benefits may differ, but all plans meet the minimum FEHBP requirements. I cannot be denied coverage by any of the plans and they cannot deny to provide benefits for pre-existing conditions. I'm with Aetna right now because, whilr it's a little more expensive, they provide more comprehensive dental benefits and my son will be having some dental work done this year. Next year, I may switch to a plan with reduced dental benefits but with lower premimums and copays. I can switch plans once each year, every year if I choose with NO possibility of being denied coverage.

Don't be fooled into believing that FEHBP is the same as non-federal insurance provided by these insurers. It's MUCH different.

[burr]

29. one question???

of all your great choices in the FEHBP, why Aetna???

It's like picking a Charles Mansan over Prince Charming as a lover...or someone like Richard Nixon over Jimmy Carter to manage your personal estate.

[MercutioATC]

35. They had the most comprehensive dental last year...

Both me and my son are generally healthy, so I don't always look for the plan with the lowest copays for prescriptions or office visits. I knew he was gou=ing to need some dental work in the next year or so, so I went with Aetna.

Believe me, once the dental is no longer an issue (or if somebody offers comperable dental this year) I'm ditching Aetna.

[burr]

36. I don't look for the plan with the lowest co-pays either....

but, I prefer not having to go to the State Insurance Commissioner...as I was forced to do just to get any of my claims paid. Eventually my endocrinologist stopped seeing me, partly because Aetna was sending him $7 checks to pay for the doctor's visits. In reality his time was probably worth $30 a visit if not more!

Eventually the company I worked for got so fed up with Aetna they dumped the policy...and went with Blue Cross/Blue Shield. In the years since then I haven't had any of those same fights over claims, or doctors dumping me.

I just hope Aetna isn't the best FEHBP has to offer, because I have had some sorry experiences with this company. The occasional dental visit is one thing, but when you're dealing with a chronic medical problem in the family...by god, those premiums we pay ought to mean something!

[hippywife]

18. The problem with Dean's plan is this

"His plan would allow any uninsured worker to buy in..."

That would help those who are making a decent living, such as the successfully self-employed. I would wager that the majority of uninsured are uninsured because they don't have the money for insurance. When it comes down to a roof over the head and food on the table, it's a no-brainer that you have to eliminate the most costly additional expense that is based on the possibility that you may become ill. That possibility increases with no roof over the head and no food on the table.

[burr]

20. And this is the goal of Dean's healthcare plan...

to prevent a cronic illness from wipping out an individual's personal savings.

BUT NO HEALTHCARE PLAN WILL SOLVE THIS PROBLEM ALONE!

This can be solved by reforming unemployment compensation, so that it is guaranteed to all workers..and paid out to every disabled or unemployed worker for as long as they pay in. In other words..it should be more like the Social Security system.

In addition, Dean would fight for the rights of the disabled as Kucinich would...
<snip>
Fully fund the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). When IDEA was enacted, Congress promised to pay 40 percent of the average per-pupil expenditure educating children with disabilities. Federal funding has never come close to meeting that promise; in FY 2002, federal funds constituted 18 percent of this cost. This has been a burden on local ratepayers and has led to diminished services many note takers, interpreters and other individuals hired to assist persons with disabilities in the classroom have been terminated. The federal government should fully fund its promised share of IDEA.
Enact the Medicaid Community Attendant Services and Supports Act (MiCASSA). MiCASSA would provide a new Medicaid benefit allowing individuals eligible for nursing home care access to community-based attendant services instead. As I testified before the Senate Special Committee on Aging in July, 2001, "If a long-term care system were being designed from scratch today, I do not think we would conceive of building a system in which a bias is shown for institutional care, rather than for services designed to keep people independent in their homes or the community." Home health aides allow people to live more independently and relieve pressure on the family of individuals with disabilities.
Enact the Family Opportunity Act. This proposal would expand Medicaid coverage to children with severe disabilities living in middle-income families. Currently, such families face an untenable dilemma: stay impoverished, place their child in an out-of-home placement, or relinquish custody to secure needed health care services. My health care plan would expand insurance coverage for children up to 300% of poverty and this act would address the remaining need.
Provide technical support as states implement “Olmstead” plans to provide viable, sustainable options for community-based living. In the 1999 case L.C. v. Olmstead, the Supreme Court interpreted the ADA to require that individuals with disabilities be offered state services in the most integrated community-based setting appropriate to their needs. States are now modifying programs and activities to comply with Olmstead. The federal government must assist states make this transition by providing technical assistance and funding innovative models for full integration.
Ensure adequate resources for civil rights enforcement. The EEOC and the civil rights offices in the Departments of Justice, Education, and HHS need the tools to enforce laws vigorously that integrate people with disabilities into society. Funding is also crucial for the recently enacted Help America Vote Act that improves access to the ballot for Americans with disabilities.
Require every federal agency to demonstrate full compliance with laws protecting the rights of individuals with disabilities. The federal government should be a model of civil rights compliance; each federal agency should demonstrate on an ongoing basis that it respects the rights of people with disabilities. For example, agencies should ensure that newly purchased electronic equipment is compatible with existing assistive technologies such as screen-reading software and Braille display units.
Appoint a "Special Assistant to the President for Disability Policy." This staff member would be responsible for implementing my disability agenda and ensuring agency compliance with existing laws.
Include people with disabilities in a wide spectrum of executive appointments. Individuals with disabilities provide a valuable perspective on federal policy and contribute immeasurably to the fabric of our nation.
Hold a White House Conference on People with Disabilities. This conference would develop a long-term agenda to modernize federal programs serving individuals with disabilities so that they achieve full participation, independent living, economic self-sufficiency, and equality of opportunity.
<snip>

[MercutioATC]

21. That's not true. Have you even looked at his plan?

The idea is that premimums are income-based. If your income is above a certain level, you pay a maximum of 7.5% of your adjusted gross for healthcare. Below that, the premimums phase out. That's one of the selling points of Dean's plan. If you make $70k this year, you'll pay the 7.5%. If you lose your job and make nothing next year, you keep your insurance and your premimums drop to zero. If, in two years, you get a job that only pays $23k per year, you STILL get to keep the same insurance and make reduced premium payments.

[redqueen]

23. Cool!

So even the poorest of the working poor get to pay to enrich insurance companies!

Awesome!

[MercutioATC]

25. No, the poorest of the working poor get free insurance...as do the rest

of the "poor". Once a certain threshhold is reached, people start incrementally paying premiums, up to 7.5% of adjusted gross income.

I have philosophical problems with a single-payer system,but I think the best reason not to pursue it as an election promise is that it has almost exactly ZERO chance of making it through Congress. Dean's philosophy is let's get everybody covered. THEN we'll look at ways to make the system better.

[burr]

28. The key word is MAXIMUM...

the government doesn't give a shit what percent of your income you pay now for healthcare!

Some people pay 20%-40%...some more than 100% of their income if they aren't insured at all. But who cares about people who go into debt...let's argue over whether or not we pay 3% or 7% if we can!

In simple terms...the plan is going to cost something, especially if your self-employed. Who pays the 7.7% medicare tax for the self-employed and small business people with the Kucinich plan? And how would he help them with the burden of this cost?

Otherwise this 7.7% would likely be taken straight out of the worker's paycheck, and the smaller the business...the higher the percentage would be. In other words, if Kucinich doesn't help small businesses with these expenses, better not open one...or you be at an even worse disadvantage to your Corporate competitors!

The employees will be better off with any plan than with no plan, but the problem you presented with Dean's plan is actually more true with the Kucinich plan...because Dean's plan is voluntary and helps lower income groups with expenses imposed by the plan.

[eridani]

24. Not just affordability--

--but the goddam insurance companies that WON'T FUCKING INSURE YOU if you have a 'pre-existing condition. If Dean can't come up with a plan that would have included people like my parents, then screw him.

If your electric bill is $400, which you can't afford, and you check out your connection and find out that someone is siphoning off power before it gets to you, then instantly your lack of $400 is not your real problem. Dean and all the others propose to dump more public money into the thieving insurers' pockets and ask them to pretty please cover more people. Thanks, but no thanks.

[MercutioATC]

26. Dean's plan DOES adress this!

That's one of its biggest advantages. Under Dean's plan there is NO exclusion for pre-existing conditions. I'm a member of FEHBP. I know. Read my post above that details FEHBP. There's really very little not to like.

[LWolf]

27. Great news, redqueen!

Now, to wrest the thread back from hijackers...

1. The news was not about howard dean. It is a thread about Dennis John Kucinich.

2. Nothing in either article "attacked" dean, as one poster claimed. There is one paragraph comparing deans plan to Dennis'; the author prefers DK's plan. No attacking/bashing involved.

I support Dennis Kucinich's health plan. Here's why:

I grew up depending on a working single mother, who did clerical work during the day and waitressing at night to keep a roof over our heads. We never had health insurance. It wasn't provided by her employers, and we didn't have enough left over after paying rent and buying groceries to buy our own. Doctors were for life-threatening emergencies; we just did not go for anything else. I can remember my mother, in pain from a back injury, unable to sleep or even sit comfortably, still going to both jobs and working while she waited for the back to heal. She didn't get sick pay, either.

When she fell and broke her arm, the fees incurred in treatment took her years to pay off. When she was involved in an accident that broke a wrist and a pelvic bone, ditto. She still had no sick pay to help pay bills while she couldn't work.

In my 20s, my first husband and our family were covered by an HMO. I made the mistake of hopping over a 3 foot fence. I blew out my knee. When I got to the HMO office, a "physician's assistant" examined my knee. I couldn't stand on that leg. He asked me to do some deep knee bends so he could observe me. I fell down when I tried. They told me it was a severe sprain. Some ligament damage. That before they would look into anything else, I had to do 6 weeks of physical therapy. Daily. The only time their therapists were available was the same time I was showing up for my part time job. Which I couldn't afford to lose. So I didn't do the physical therapy. The knee never fully recovered. I haven't been able to plant that foot firmly anywhere in 20 years.

Now I've got decent insurance...as long as I don't really need it. Since my boys are over 21, they don't. Mine doesn't cover them. My oldest son is covered by another HMO through his job. He has spent 3 years in pain because they don't want to treat his hernias. Long story. Still in pain.

My younger son has no coverage at all.

My mother, finally, after a lifetime of no coverage, just qualified for medicare.

I want people to be able to get the health care they need. All people, regardless of income or status. I don't want employers cutting benefits salaries as they grapple with the rising cost of health insurance. I want to take the profit out of the equation. I don't want bureacrats making treatment decisions for my doctors.

I want universal, single-payer, health care.

[redqueen]

30. Thank you, LWolf.

You summed it up perfectly.

"I want to take the profit out of the equation. I don't want bureacrats making treatment decisions for my doctors."

No matter what arguments are put up to keep insurers from losing their cash cow, it is undeniable that we need real change, not just tweaks to make a broken system less of a failure.

How many people will still be uninsured under the other plans? I think it might be a good idea to dig up those numbers.

Let's ask those people, who will be left out in the cold under other plans, what they think of all the caveats being hurled by other candidates and their supporters.

[LWolf]

31. Those would be interesting numbers.

Would young adults who are not covered by their employers be covered?

I know they want to cover all the children. But once they become adults, but not yet senior citizens...what then?

And how will making sure everyone gets the insurance currently offered make sure they will actually be treated for what ails them? Ask my son. I can outlift him.

The other son says he "threw his back out" yesterday while repairing my fence. He's moving funny and grimacing. And he went to work last night and spent the whole night toting 50 lb cases. No insurance. No sick pay. So he went to work.

:hi:

[burr]

32. if posters are not welcome...or considered hijackers use the alert button!

Or else you could post a list of people who are not welcome participants. Otherwise...I think attacking those who express their political ideas and opinions as hijackers is the kind of attitude which forced many to hide in priest holes during the dark ages.

Secondly..I did not imply that the article attacked Dean's healthcare plan, but was responding to attacks made on his plan in this thread. However, I would also do the same if some Dean posters decided to criticize Kucinich's single-payer healthcare plan. My opinion is not always right...but it is not always wrong, after all the best debates are based on facts used to justify opinions.

[snoochie]

33. You're funny!

Find a post above your first one, where you complained about people attacking Dean, where anyone but the person that wrote those articles said anything at all about Dean!

:+

And nobody is attacking you, just your ideas. We see the problem fundamentally differently is all. :)

Peace!

[burr]

34. Who's complaining???

I just thought the idea of suggesting another poster is a hijacker was funny...

Why would anyone attack my puritan ideas...principles refined by eternity and divine providence you know, such a pious combination?:evilfrown:

I began by asking "why attack Dean?..."

The article does more to rip Dean's healthcare plan flaws, than it does to explain how the Kucinich plan would solve them. At that point I saw disagreement with Dean's healthcare plan, but no explanation for how the Kucinich plan would not have the same problems!

I can understand a difference based on philosophy, but not based on lack of information. Actually the best healthcare plan is one not being pushed by the candidates IMHO...it would require employers with 5 workers or more to provide the same health benefits to their workers...as are available under the FEHBP. Small businesses would get help paying the premiums, and the self-employed would be able to buy insurance through a national pool. All premiums would be community rated, so people would not be discriminated against because of pre-existing conditions.

The tough part...getting something like this passed!!

[LWolf]

37. Wrong.

All posters are welcome, as far as I'm concerned. I just think they ought to stick to the topic of the thread. There are other threads out there comparing debating Dean/Kucinich, and many other combination of candidates. There are other threads questioning Dean and every other candidate's policies. The topic of this thread is "Good Kucinich News." It includes an article about his platform that doesn't mention any of the other candidates at all. And it includes an op-ed piece by a former staunch conservative Republican who after becoming of victim of the health care industry, has researched, studied, and written about the health care industry as a freelance satirical writer. He has made a 180 degree turnabout an now supports Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) for President. The article is 30 paragraphs long, with one short paragraph devoted to howard dean. I don't see an attack anywhere in this paragraph:

We now have 9 million unemployed with jobs disappearing at the speed of light. We have over 40 million individuals with no health insurance. (Howard Dean wants to provide health insurance for children and poor people.) That doesn’t help the 40 million people, since most of them are working people between 23 and 65 years old that can’t afford the health insurance premiums that are priced in the stratosphere.

I'd say that was great news about Dennis; both articles.

I sure wouldn't hit an alert button to overwork poor moderators over petty hijacking; I'll just call the hijackers on it. I'd rather have my conversations "keyboard to keyboard." I've hit the alert button exactly once, to remove a clear hate message offensive to all of DU. So...since the thread topic is good news about Dennis...what would you like to discuss? I'm always up for a chat about that topic!