AN HISTORIC MOMENT

Yesterday, Mon Feb. 11th, Carol and I were in Albany to attend the Press Conference celebrating the reintroduction of the New York Health Act. Those who know us can spot us if they look carefully: I'm the one wearing my trademark orange goggles, and Carol, holding a red sign, is wearing her brown wool hat.

There were a lot of speeches, hopeful words, and testimonials, among them the most striking coming from a man in a motorized wheelchair. Though his eyes were able to move, his head seemed fixed in position, and he chose his words very carefully. He said that he made a little money teaching, but had to be very careful not to exceed the income to which Medicaid limited him. If he went beyond it by one penny, they would take away all his support, which he needed to live.

By removing that limit, the New York Health Act would empower him to teach to his heart's content.

Of course I was profoundly impressed by this man who refused to be daunted by physical limitations which would overwhelm so many of us. Instead, what seemed his most daunting disadvantage was not his paralysis, but the cruelty of our health system, which stipulates that if  you earn more than $16,753 per year, you're on your own. But thanks to the reintroduction of the New York Health Act, he had hope.

So did we all. It was inspiring to hear how the inclusion of Long Term Care coverage in NYHA would improve the lives of so many, and relieve so many women of the pressure to drop out of the work force to care for a loved one. When the Press Conference was over, a woman said to me, "This is an historic moment, no?"

I told her that Carol and I had been in the crowd to hear The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. deliver his "I have a dream" speech, and, as far as I was concerned, the current occasion was similar to that one. But as soon as those words left my mouth, I silently wondered whether they were true. Eloquent and moving as some of the speakers were, none of their speeches measured up to King's matchless oratory -- how could they?!

But in other ways, the two situations were the same: Both then and now all the listeners had a fervent hope for the future -- despite what seemed almost impossible odds. Senator Rivera,  who, along with Richard Gottfried, is co-originator of the NYHA bill, repeatedly stressed what a difficult struggle lay ahead, but his words, to me at least, seemed to underscore not only the gravity of the current situation but also the beauty of our goal -- to get to where all our sick and vulnerable will be treated well -- not merely the rich.

Afterwards we lobbied a couple of our representatives -- Kevin Cahill (Assembly Member for both Carol and me, and for the two people with whom we traveled to Albany) and Jen Metzger (State Senator for our travel partners). Neither was available, being in Chambers. But in Cahill's office we met Kevin's Chief of Staff, who informed us that while discussions would begin in the Assembly, in the Senate negotiations were still underway, the chief issues being the treatment of union members whose current benefits might exceed the allowances under NYHA; another concern being what happens if the federal waivers needed are denied by the federal government -- a not unlikely occurrence in the current administration.  

We left in Cahill's office a personalized valentine stating that with a man like Kevin who continues to support the New York Health Act, every day is Valentine's Day. We left a similar valentine in Jen Metzger's office. These were very much appreciated -- at least by the staff in those offices, who told us that not too many valentines came into their offices, and that they go over very well -- which I totally believe: Politicians love to be loved. It's not too late to send your representative(s) a valentine, and you could always give their offices a phone call. I say again: Politicians love to be loved.

On the way out, we encountered one of the speakers, Rachel McCullough, co-director of the New York Caring Majority. I called out to her: "You did well!"

She called back, "we all did."

When I arrived home, I reflected that Carol and I participated in what hopefully would be the first of many historic moments as we march toward the goal of true single-payer healthcare. I feel strongly that when the general public signals its desire for change -- possibly by filling the streets the way it did in the March on Washington DC so many years ago -- that will be another historic moment.

Dio

PS: If you would like to share a comment -- which I encourage you to do -- simply click on the number of comments area and share your thoughts in the "comment rectangle" that appears.

PPS: If you or someone you know has had difficulty coping with our dysfunctional healthcare system, it's important to share that story, so that our legislators will be moved all the more to pass the New York Health Act, and the public will be all the more inclined to demand that the lawmakers do so.  You can have all the anonymity you like. Thanks!