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Today's Poll: do you think we'll ever get any kind of health care reform?

By Howard B. Owens
bud prevost

No. And I blame Republicans and Democrats equally.

Thats my vote. And let me add lobbyists, lawyers, healthcare CEO's, and crooked manipulators of the system. How business is done in an area that should not be a business is appalling.
Health care is an issue that affects every single American, across all social classes and is the one of two things that our federal government should be concerned with(the other being the military). As long as there is profit to be made, pharmaceuticals, devices and services will be vastly over priced and passed along in the form of double digit premium increases. I agree with Mr. Obama on this point....where we are headed is unsustainable.

Jan 29, 2010, 12:39pm Permalink
Dave Olsen

I voted Yes, because sooner or later, something has to happen. I agree the road we are on in not sustainable. Someday.....I'll probably be dead by then, but I can hope.

Jan 29, 2010, 1:49pm Permalink
Dave Marien

I believe that something will get passed at some time. However, it is likely that it will not fix most existing problems, only it will cost more, and we will have the issues we have now.

Jan 29, 2010, 1:55pm Permalink
bud prevost

Paul Krugman concluded-"I’m sorry to say this, but the state of the union — not the speech, but the thing itself — isn’t looking very good."

My sentiments exactly

Jan 29, 2010, 1:59pm Permalink
C. M. Barons

The blame for lack of health care reform needs to be applied squarely to the responsible parties: the health care/insurance corporations and their respective PACs. In terms of philosophies and/or political differences between the two major parties, those differences and the contamination of public opinion are directly proportional to the billions of dollars that the health care industry spends guaranteeing its own profits. The recent Supreme Court decision affording free speech rights to corporations, unions and other influence groups will serve to cement the gridlock postponing effective reform.

The Declaration of Independence evokes "Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness" as inherent rights of all men by nature- not to be construed as derived from kings, governments or corporations. Life is synonymous with health, and a healthy life presumes equal access to health care; not to be earned or measured according to income, religion, race or mental/physical condition.

No one should be deprived of medical service, however in our country thousands are turned away from hospitals because they lack health insurance. The stories of ambulances detoured from emergency rooms are well-documented. The stories of sick being denied insurance benefits because of pre-existing conditions are well-documented. We condemn a Nazi named Mengele, who used a yardstick to determine which children were gassed and which were interned. The measure of who receives health care and who doesn't is no less arbitrary or cruel.

Jan 29, 2010, 3:28pm Permalink
Jeff Allen

I voted yes because I believe the process of this past year has at the very least shined light on most if not all of the corruption, backdoor dealing, bad politics, and bad policies on both side of the aisle that have blocked meaningful healthcare reform in the past. The public has been educated ad nauseum and as a result I hope will hold their elected officials(both Republican and Democrat)accountable to come up with a solution to a problem that all of America wants solved.

Jan 29, 2010, 4:15pm Permalink

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