WHAT WE ARE UP AGAINST

A few days ago, there appeared in the Kingston Freeman the following:

Dear Editor,

To all those seniors who voted Democratic, I hope you noticed that now that the Democrats control the entire New York state government, they’ll be coming after your Medicare.

This week, the Democratically controlled New York City Council passed a resolution asking the state Legislature to pass a single payer for all of us. Among the provisions the federal government would turn over all Medicare payment to New York state so everyone would come under the state-controlled medical plan (no choice for you). It would also cover all illegal immigrants in the plan.

What seniors can be guaranteed is, if this plan is adopted, the quality of our coverage will decrease. If it’s such a good plan, why can’t seniors have a choice of continuing to use Medicare or the state plan? The reason is obvious: The state plan won’t be good. How long before they begin denying seniors some procedures, since, given your age, it’s not “cost effective”?

While the City Council resolution has no legal force, they are appealing to Democratic legislators, some of whom were elected from this county, and it may pass.  Hopefully, there will be a lawsuit that will give seniors a choice.

Those of you are still working and have company-paid insurance: Watch out that the state doesn’t take their premiums and include you in the state plan. If this passes, one result will be an increase the exodus of seniors and working people to other states, as the plan also calls for an increase in payroll taxes, further encouraging businesses to relocate.

John Habersperger

I’m sure you must have noticed some classic conservative scare themes – big government’s aim to confiscate what belongs to you (“they’ll be coming after your medicare”),  death panels (“denying seniors some procedures, since, given your age, it’s not ‘cost effective’), racism (“it would also cover all illegal immigrants”). Above, and underpinning the whole thing, is the theme of governmental overreach, depriving you of “freedom.” It makes a big deal of the fact that you must be in the program, that “there’s no choice for you.”  “Freedom, for conservatives, means the right to do – or not to do -- whatever you want, regardless of its effect on others.  This “freedom” is insisted on selectively. I have not heard anyone insist on one’s right not to have the Fire Department come to save your house and your life. Please check out my reply below:

To the editor:

Contrary to John Habersperger's letter of Dec. 24, under NYHA Medicare will NOT be weakened but actually strengthened, enlarged and enhanced. In addition to the benefits it currently offers, Seniors (and every other New Yorker), will get dental, vision, hearing, mental health, prescription drugs, and long term care -- all with no deductibles, no co-payments. There'll be no need for supplemental insurance: the New York Health Care will cover it all!

True, there'll be no choice but to be covered by NYHA. but that's a very good thing. Only when the pool of risk is spread as wide as possible can costs be minimized -- that's what's obvious about it. If people did have a choice, that would indeed be something to worry about.

If your house were burning down, would you try to wave off the firemen as they arrive? I suppose you might try, but since you've been paying taxes to support the fire department, you might as well let them save your house -- and your life, while they're at it. It's exactly the same situation with the New York Health Act. NYHA turns health care into a public resource -- supported by everyone, and accessible to everyone.

Mr. Habersperger would seek to frighten us with nightmarish visions of workers relocating to other states. Personally, I think he's got it backwards: If we actually succeeded in passing guaranteed health care here in New York, we'd more likely have not an exodus but an influx of workers, because we would then have what the vast majority in this country have proven they want, but are afraid they'll lose, thanks to the depredations of the Republicans.

Indeed, if Mr. Habersperger wants to scare us, I'd advise him to concentrate on the lawsuit originating in Texas, one of whose Federal judges has decreed the ACA unconstitutional, because of one of its provisions has been slightly modified. That should be enough to give us all nightmares!

Please note: Mr. Habersperger didn’t overtly mention nor did I address an underlying fear that our New York State government has been so corrupt that it’s possible it might make the current situation not better, but worse.  That’s a very real fear, and I don’t know enough to gainsay it. Our Federal government has indeed been corrupted – a sad percentage of them have been bought by special interests, and some of them, despite their mealy-mouthed protestations to the contrary, are hostile to any government “interference” in healthcare delivery whatever!  If this is so, what’s to prevent state assemblymen and senators from doing likewise here in New York?

The answer – only we the people can prevent it. We must make clear that the current state of affairs – where healthcare is a privilege and not a right – is unacceptable, nor will we put up with any tinkering to appease the interests of big money.

That’s big talk, and it must be matched by big action. For be assured, the plutocratic powerful will use their formidable arsenal of money to make our representatives offers they cannot refuse, and fill the air with so many lies that some will accept them as truth.

This is what we are up against.

What can we do? First step: SPREAD THE WORD.  While it is true that more than 50 percent of the people I meet for the first time have never heard of NYHA, nobody I meet for the second time is ignorant of it.  But I am only one person.  But what would happen if hundreds and hundreds of people were out proselytizing?

I said it before and I’ll say it again: HOW CAN THE PEOPLE RISE UP TO DEMAND NYHA IF THEY DON’T KNOW WHAT IT IS?

Dio

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