Andy Schmookler: Shutdown
Republicans push themselves as patriots, but something about the claim and the way they act bothers Andy Schmookler.
“In the last year-plus, three times they have basically threatened to do something that would be bad for the country if they weren’t given their demands met. A patriot doesn’t say, Meet my demands, or I’ll blow the kids’ head off. That’s just not how people show love for their country,” said Schmookler, a Democrat who is challenging Republican incumbent Bob Goodlatte for the Sixth District seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. Read more
Andy Schmookler: Global warming
Is global warming a real reason for concern? Sixth District Democratic congressional candidate Andy Schmookler doesn’t pretend to be an expert in climate science. He is smart enough to look at what those who are have to say.
“There are people who have been told that the way science works is that we have essentially a conspiracy of scientists from all over the world who are drumming up this hoax in order to frighten people so that they can get more research grants. That isn’t the world as it operates,” Schmookler said. Read more
Andy Schmookler: Health care
American consumers pay more than 17 percent of their annual national income on health care, roughly two times more than comparable Western democracies – with measured outcomes in the range of some Third World countries.
Andy Schmookler is among those who has a problem with this dichotomy.
“I was brought up to believe that one of the things about being an American was, you get yourself a good deal. To pay more for less, to pay twice as much for less, is not a good deal,” said Schmookler, a Democrat running for the Sixth District seat in the United States Congress. Read more
Jim Lindsay: GOP solutions on health care?
For all the rhetoric from the newly elected Republican House members on repealing the health care law, we hear absolutely nothing about their solutions to our health care crisis.
I have not heard one politician who talks of repeal propose a single viable solution to fix our dysfunctional insurance system. Maybe the Republicans offer no new solutions because they know they’re already included in the health care reform law? Lest we forget, the health care law considered the best ideas from both parties and provides consumers protections against the worst insurance industry abuses, covers millions, reduces cost and reduces the deficit by a trillion dollars.
The Republicans’ rush to repeal is an ill-informed, political pursuit, uncomplicated by the harsh reality of an insurance quagmire that wreaks havoc with the lives of thousands of Virginians every year. Polls show that 50 percent of Americans want to strengthen the health care law or give it time to work. Americans do not want to return to the status quo where the insurance industry is not held accountable to consumers. It’s time to cease the partisan campaign theatrics and start working to implement the health care law that will help millions of Virginians.
Arlington resident Jim Lindsay is a member of the Virginia Organizing Health Care Committee.
Jim Lindsay: Reform cannot come too soon
Thanks to health care reform, things will begin to get a lot better in our communities as the initial phase of consumer protections kicked in last week. Having doubts? Maybe you should ask the parents of children with pre-existing conditions who can no longer be denied coverage, or young adults without insurance who can now get coverage under their parents policies. Ask someone you know with a pre-existing condition who can finally get insurance coverage in a high risk pool, or someone who’d been afraid to seek treatment whose insurance can no longer be canceled when they become ill. Try asking someone facing long and costly treatment who no longer has to face lifetime limits on benefits. This could be any of us, and it affects many of us.
These protections are a critical first step in eliminating much of the needless suffering and loss of life which is the byproduct of our current health insurance system. I am grateful for those who had the vision to see the difference reform could have on our communities and the commitment to make it a reality. I look forward to the remaining badly needed reforms due to be implemented over the next few years. They can’t come too soon.
Letter from Jim Lindsay/Arlington
MBC partners with private colleges, universities on health-care benefits
Edited by Chris Graham
freepress2@ntelos.net
Mary Baldwin College announced this week that it has entered into a partnership with 11 other private colleges in Virginia in the formation of a newly created benefits consortium designed to keep health care affordable.
The Council of Independent Colleges in Virginia, an association of Virginia nonprofit private colleges, formed the program after studying similar efforts in a handful of states where private colleges have formed similar consortia. Read more
Constance Birch: Health care costs
Posted by afp on January 11, 2012 · 4 Comments
Fewer employers are offering health care and those that do are asking employees to pay higher costs each year. The cost of individual health care is beyond the reach of most individuals and families. The cost of health insurance for public employees is a very big item in state and federal budgets. Read more
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