Sen. Sanders Hits the Ground Walking on Health Care

We should be very careful about pushing anything remotely advocating socialism because it gives the media more opportunity to attack Barack Obama.

We should be advocating taking itty-bitty baby steps for health care reform so we don't scare off the high road capitalists.

We need to allow them to make some money or they might withhold health care completely.

Everything we do should advocate things being done in small increments.

A little suffering will toughen the American people up and prepare the next generation for a public health care system.

From there the third or fourth generations to come can talk about putting some people in corporate boardrooms.

in 150 to 200 years our people might be able to put socialism on the table.

I like the way Comrade Peter Molenaar, one of the good ones in Minnesota, placed the question on a list serve. Peter understands where this National Board wants to take the working class movement. Defend capitalism today so we can remove it from our lives in the future.

Here is what Comrade Peter Molenaar has written. When you get back to your easy chairs please forward this widely. Make sure Team Obama understands our position; maybe put them in touch with Peter he can help give them some direction. As you can see from Peter's posting, he is one of our brightest visionary leaders. Very clear, non-offensive thinking. Peter has things very clear in his mind now we have to work collectively to help Peter convey his ideas to the decision makers. Let's see if we can't set up an Oval Office meeting for Peter as quickly as possible.

Listen to what Peter Molenaar, a good Minnesotan, has written. Brilliant, just brillinant:

From: Peter Molenaar <hewah2000@yahoo.com>
Subject: [econmelt] Re: Careening Towards Disaster--What should our movement demand?
To: econmelt@yahoogroups.com
Date: Tuesday, March 31, 2009, 4:56 PM

Dear people: The administration is positioning the upper-crust of the ruling-class to purchase "toxic assets" with a government guarantee for a return on investment.! !! Supposedly, this would clear up the banking books and increase the flow of finance capital. But how to determine the price of such assets? 30 cents on the dollar? 40 cents? 50 cents? Well, it seems, no deal...What then, from a class-struggle standpoint, should we demand? I suggest that the call for a moratorium on foreclosures is not enough. In addition, I submit, we must demand that all home loans be modified as pegged to the loss of home values which occured subsequent to the burst and melt down... Let us say that home values have dropped by 20% as the national average. A 20% reduction in payments would amount to some hundred dollars in savings per month per household. A moratorium plus modification would save a lot of homes. It also would help set the price for the above mentioned assets at say 70 cents on the dollar which then migh t actually fly. Ironically then, we are forced to wage a struggle from "below" in order to save bloody capitalism. But trust me, the next round of class-struggle is not far away, and will surely make us much stronger. The demise of the capitalist state and the commencement of socialist construction will follow in due time. Sincerely, Peter Molenaar

Yes, this is very insightful. We don't want to wage a struggle to save capitalism. We are forced to.

Elena, make a note for me to send Peter Molenaar an autographed copy of one of my pamphlets.

Compare what Peter wrote to what we find in this PA Blog article that sounds like we are demanding big changes.

Elena, make another note. Remind me to ask Peter Molenaar to begin writing about health care issues.

Sen. Sanders Hits the Ground Walking on Health Care

by Phil E. Benjamin

Senator Sanders Hits the Ground Walking:
Introduces S. 703; National Health Care Bill

At almost the last possible moment, Socialist Vermont Senator, Bernie Sanders has introduced his version of a "Single Payer" national health care bill. This is the first such national health bill introduced into the U.S. Senate; Senate Bill 703.

Sanders' publicity for the bill recalls the single payer bill previously introduced into the U.S. Senate by Senator Paul Wellstone.

On the negative side; Sanders mimics the Wellstone version of single payer by stating that: "While federally funded, the program is to be administered by the states." State run programs would be a disaster. Fortunately, HR 676, the Conyers Bill, is a national health program; not a state program.

On the very positive side, S.703 would have the following provisions:

Patients go to any doctor or hospital of their choice;

Comprehensive benefits, including coverage for dental, mental health, and prescription drugs;

Community health centers are fully funded, giving the 60 million Americans now living in rural and underserved areas access to care;

To address the critical shortage of primary care physicians and dentists, the bill provides resources for the National Health Services Corps to train an additional 24,000 health professionals. [No tuition programs]

There are other vague references to saving money and limiting overhead and profits of insurance carriers, but no details were provided.

Sanders does a service by extending community health centers and training more primary care doctors and nurses. These provisions should be part of any program that the Administration is contemplating. They are an important part of the PUBLIC card.

All this talk about "public." Just going to scare away the low roaders and the high roaders. Then where will we get the money to remodel our other floors? Let's think ahead here. Maybe we can even rent some space out to a few surgeons.

I am going to be changing how I sign out in these meetings. See what you think.

Alright, everyone back to their easy chairs. God bless you. God bless the USA.

Sam Webb,

Chair, CPUSA