You can tell there are no "whiners" over at McCain Headquarters. Alternatively, they may be listening to Joe Lieberman. Kudos to Ned Lamont for sharing this update from the GOP camp
Town Committee Meets Thursday: Vacancies In Three Districts On The Agenda
The Democratic Town Committee will hold its July meeting on Thursday, July 24th, at 7:30 pm Reports are expected on voter registration, Justices of the Peace for the current and new term that begins in 2009 and vacancies on the Town Committee in Districts 6, 9 and 15. The DTC may also recommend a replacement for Constable to the City Council for the seat vacated by Joe Willis.
Democrats To Make New Push For Health Care For All
The Democratic Town Committee is expected to re-adopt a resolution calling upon the Governor and state Legislature to pass health insurance for all Connecticut citizens -- something Gov Rell's industry- (not patient) driven Charter Oak plan and previous legislative proposals have failed to do.
State Party Chair Nancy DiNardo recently called upon all DTCS to get behind legislation backed by the http://www.healthcare4every1org/ that would endorse the advocacy organization's campaign and urge legislative and state action for more comprehensive coverage of state residents. The healthcare4every1 group is a broad-based and nonpartisan coalition that is urging coverage for all based on the following criteria:
CONTINUOUS...stays with us from job-to-job and in between,
AFFORDABLE...for our families and our businesses,
SUSTAINABLE...for our state's economy,
HIGH QUALITY...supports good health.
The health-care-for-all sample resolution contains some familiar whereas's and data that show the difficulties and predicaments in the "best health care system in the world" [if you are rich and can expend unlimited resources on health care]. Below are excerpts:
Whereas, the United States has the most expensive health care system in the world in terms of absolute costs, per capita costs, and percentage of gross domestic product (GDP); and
Whereas, despite being first in spending, the World Health Organization has ranked the United States 37th among all nations in terms of meeting the needs of its people; and
Whereas, approximately one out of every ten Connecticut residents – an estimated 356,000 people – is uninsured and, with such, Connecticut has a higher rate of uninsurance than any other state in New England; and
Whereas, health care costs continue to increase, jeopardizing the health security of working families and small businesses;
Whereas, medical debt is the number one cause of bankruptcy in Connecticut; and
Whereas, racial, income, and ethnic disparities in access to care threaten communities of color across Connecticut and ..........
The above data confirms U.S. health care is expensive. And billions of the spending goes to inefficiencies (inadequate use of information technology, fragmented patient data) when there is a paucity of public investment in nursing and quality of care challenges.
Democrats should take Gov. Rell at her word when she said she would work with legislators after vetoing the health care partnership proposal this year. The Health Care Partnership bill pushed by Majority Leader Chris Donovan was hardly a step toward universal coverage. It did, however, allow local government employees and small businesses to opt in to the state health plan, creating a consumer pool that would extract improved benefits and less costs at a time when those costs are rapidly escalating for municipalities and many businesses are opting out of providing health coverage altogether.
Democratic leaders on the House and Senate side, along with State Comptroller Nancy Wyman and other Democratic officeholders, should work in unison next year (one voice, one plan) to extract some concession out of Rell on this issue. Without some tangible improvements in the system in terms of affordable coverage and reducing costs here and across the nation, voter cynicism will grow and the best you can hope for is not to get sick.
End Quote: Update on Joseph Lieberman (?-CT)
"WASHINGTON — Joseph I Lieberman, lapsed Democrat of Connecticut, strolled into the weekly lunch of the Senate Democrats last Tuesday, unaccompanied by a food taster."
from page one story in the New York Times, July 14, 2008, by Mark Leibovich
