That’s a bold move right? The first Presidential candidate to say we shouldn’t be the only advanced country in the world without a plan for health care for all our citizens? So guess what all the media headlines emphasize?
Health care plan would raise taxes LINK (Baltimore Sun)
Edwards puts tax hike in mix for health care;
Universal plan’s cost could hit $120 billion LINK (AP via Chicago Tribune)Edwards Becomes the First To Promise a Big Tax Hike LINK (NY Sun)
Edwards’ Health Care Plan Includes Taxes LINK (ABC)
Edwards’ Health Care Plan Includes Taxes LINK (CBS)
Edwards’ health care plan includes higher taxes LINK (MsNBC)
Surprised? Me neither. If it’s one thing the media knows how to do, its employ standard Republican talking points like: “Tax and Spend” Democrats are coming to take all your money and give it to poor black and brown people! I don’t know the full details of Edwards’ plan (it doesn’t appear at first glance to be a true single payer health care program) but the emphasis on the taxes required to pay for it, rather than the details of the plan itself, in these media reports is telling.
(cont.)
The trouble with these claims is that a single payer Universal Health Care plan, if done right would result in a net savings. Why? No more outrageous health care premiums for current health insurance plans which have to also cover the cost of treatment for the uninsured. No more large drug costs, because the single purchaser (the government) could negotiate lower drug prices like they do in other advanced countries. Less cost for the consumers patients and less cost for most businesses who have seen their employee benefit costs skyrocket because of health care cost increases. Only the health care insurers and Pharmaceutical manufacturers come out losers in this scenario. Well cry me a river over that tragic outcome.
Nonetheless, expect to see a lot more of the “The Democratic tax increases are coming! The Democratic tax increases are coming” alarm bells ringing in the media each and every time universal health care proposals, by Edwards or anyone else, gets mentioned.
Forget that Republicans and President Bush have turned the Federal Government into the largest and most corrupt patronage system in our history in which major corporations have received sweetheart deals to provide outsourced/privatized government services that cost us far more than they would have if we had simply let federal employees do the work, as Paul Krugman so rightly observed in his column today in the NY Times. The costs to American taxpayers over this GOP giveaway to its major corporate sugar daddies and wealthy campaign contributors has been far more destructive to the lifestyle of ordinary Americans than anything the Democrats have and will propose.
The media take on universal health care proposals will continue to be that you can’t trust Democrats with your tax monies. It’s a big lie and demonstrably false (see, for example Clinton administration budget surpluses), but no matter. Big media has a monopoly on the story lines that get force fed to the American people, and they ain’t gonna stop the stuffing of this old canard down our throats just because the facts don’t fit the narrative.
Meanwhile, how much are we being asked by Bush to spend in 2008 for the occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan? Oh yes: 145 BILLION DOLLARS! Tax dollars for health care or for a futile, destructive war we cannot win? I know where I’d rather see my tax dollars going right now.
OMFG Steven.
That is just amazing. Such a nice catch. Your corporate media at work.
Yet another coordinated media onslaught. Very good work.
John Edward is proposing that at least one plan be a public plan. He is also hinting that he would require community rating for pricing and guaranteed acceptance and renewability in all plans. Now if what was covered at a minimum was also required, then with the above community rating and guaranteed acceptance, how could private plans ever compete with the public plans if all this administrative talk around here about how low such costs are in public plans is accurate?
Maybe Edwards has a plan that will be self-fulfilling toward single payer on its own without mandating such exactly upfront! It could work, but the keys are that guaranteed acceptance, community rating, and a mandated minimum benefit package. Those are the key elements in the final plan to watch out for, IMHO!.
Yes, I have to admit that this is rather astonishing. Not one, not two, but six major news providers emphasizing the same point, an increase in taxes. I’d say they have proven their bias quite nicely, thank you.
Or, looking at the similar headlines, they are just headless chickens. I’d say a bit of both.
This is just sick. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realize that universal healthcare is affordable. I would happily pay more taxes for it. My boss pays thousands of dollars for me and my kid’s health insurance. Give that to me in a raise and then take it away again in taxes. It all balances out. I’m so sick of insurance company execs making millions off the fear of illness of Americans. What we have now is just insane.
I’m taking a look at Edwards again because of his call for a tax increase. Shows a bit of honesty thats really lacking lately. The guy is tacking left and I like it. TAX me dammit bring it on! We have bills to pay and things like Universal Healthcare that need to be done. Global warming etc. This stuffs gonna cost money. The man wants to pay his way and take the political heat. I’ll be damned I didn’t think he had it in him.
I agree with you. Edwards is at least saying something besides platitudes. So far, he is the most impressive candidate.
The big corporate media better fight Edwards, because when he gets elected, guess who’s gonna get slapped with Sherman Antitrust Act suits?
The more the big-money ultra-capitalists squeal, the more you know they’re scared that we the people are putting them in position for us to take our country back!
Edwards’ Plan seeks to strengthen existing options and add more–especially a baseline public option–subsidized for the poor.
He would allow competition and plurality, but regulate standards of retention, inclusion and comprehensive coverage. He proposes “Health Markets” as regional networks of providers and consumers who would share costs and resources: cooperate, in other words.
If we think the media are doing a hatchet job on the former Senator from North Carolina, wait until the insurance companies come after him!
Edwards wants to promote his plan from the grass roots. He’s asking everybody to read his plan, and if they support it, to sign up to promote it and commit to bringing a few friends and colleagues to the same point.