We're not going to give up on destroying the health care system

What do 1217, 1917, and 2017 have in common?

Human behavior.

We have evolved in profound ways technologically. Human emotions and attitudes are evolutionary.

It is the responsibility of free societies as a whole to determine what is and is not acceptable behavior. As individuals it is our obligation and a matter of personal responsibility to decide how we are going to think and behave. Sometimes in the face of societal norms this can be easier said than done.

An Open Letter to Paul Ryan

Speaker Ryan,

Whether you are pass this bill or not tomorrow your political future is coming to a close. Your presumption that you have some mandate to deny 24 million of our fellow working class Americans is factually wrong.

1. Trump the candidate ran on implementing a health care plan that would  a.) make healthcare better that the Affordable Care Act; b)  cover more people than the Affordable Care Act; c) be cheaper the Affordable Care Act.
2. Trump won the electoral college which consists of only 538 people. He lost the popular vote by almost 3 million Americans that do not want the Affordable Care Act repealed. There are millions of Republican voters that do not want the Affordable Care Act repealed.

Those my friend are indisputable facts. A majority of the American public DO NOT want you to repeal the Affordable Care Act. But you or your party really do not care what working class families want.

You are an opportunist aligning yourself with a President that lied to his voters about health care to get elected. He LIED about something that is a matter of life and death for 24 million working class Americans.

If you pass this people are going to DIE! People have stood up at Town halls telling their heart wrenching stories to this affect.  You Sir are nothing more than a bought and sold politician that could care less about the average working class citizens. Your actions demonstrate and the actions of the vast majority of your party demonstrate this.

Message to All Conservatives: Start Acting Like Americans

Every damn day it is something new and beyond belief coming from the corrupt Republican Party.

FBI Director James Comey tells the Senate that Trump and his campaign are under active investigation and has been since last July for potential connections to the Russian government that we know purposely influenced our election in favor or Trump. [Source]

These charges amount to TREASON. The Republican response to this in the hearing is to basically ignore these charges. The response from the Republican party is milk-toast, head in the sand. Nothing happening here.

All the while our crooked, lying Republican President continues to not talk to the press. Continues to refer to the media as dishonest and crooked and fake. Y'all, want fake news head on over to Breitbart and Fox News and listen to the propagandist bullshit they are peddling. Then take a jog over to RT (Russian Television) News and watch and see the similarities between the three. Actually, you will likely find Russian Television being more objective than Fox and Breitbart. I am actually being serious here.

In the mean time Mr. "objectivity", Chairman Nunez, who is leading the committee conducting the investigation on the Trump administration is also briefing Trump on the investigation. No conflict of interest here. No need for an independent committee. [source]

Republican Leaders and Legislators maybe you should put up a picture of  Putin next to the one of Trump in your offices.

When 9/11 happened all Americans came together. Today our very Democracy is threatened by Russia. Russia,the former Soviet Union, a power we were in a cold war with for over 40 years.

We know they compromised our election from the Presidential race to the down ballot races. Each day it is becoming more likely that the Trump campaign was in collusion with them. The Republican response from the leaders to Republican voters is frankly lame and Un-American.

This moderate knows who the real partisans are. Republican voters, leaders, and legislator's are showing their true colors during this chilling time. Party over Country. Sadly, your own elected officials continue to screw you over. And, you continue to support them.

To my liberal friends and neighbors. Rock on. You and our Judicial branch are the last lines of defense we have left.

Thank you. I am fortunate to be working with you on these most disturbing developments.

Have you asked yourself this question regarding what Comey disclosed?

According to FBI Director Comey there has been an active investigation on the Trump campaign and their possible ties to Russia influencing our election since early last July. Why then did Comey come out 11 days before the election saying the investigation on Clinton's email server was again active but did not mention that the Trump campaign was under investigation?

Three Talking Points for the Repeal of the Affordable Care Act and the new Disasterous Republican plan.

First Talking Point: 14 Million People lose coverage in the first year alone.

By next year 14 million people will lose their health care coverage. 24 million will lose coverage by 2026. [2]

14 million people! Let me put this number in perspective for you. 14 million people is about 60,000 people short of the entire population of the following 10 states: [4]

1. Kansas
2. Nebraska
3. West Virginia
4. Idaho
5. Maine
6. New Hampshire
7. Montana
8. Alaska
9. North Dakota
10. Wyoming  

Think about this... 14 million people losing heath care adds up to every person from all of these states losing their health care.

Now consider that real people in this population of 14 million are going to die because they do not have health care. This is a statistical inevitability! If only 1/10th of 1% die, not at all a far fetched number, that amounts to 14,000 of our friends and family.

And just like the days before the Affordable Care Act, once again many families will be bankrupted trying to save their loved ones because they cannot get and/or afford health care coverage.

Frankly, we could stop right here on this point alone. But we have two more important points to cover.

Second Talking Point: The CBO scored 337 billion in savings is actually a tax rebate that robs people that need health care the most and gives it back  predominantly to the top 1% income earners. [2]

There was no mandate for this!

Republican President Trump ran on...
“We’re going to have insurance for everybody”

“There was a philosophy in some circles that if you can’t pay for it, you don’t get it. That’s not going to happen with us.” People covered under the law “can expect to have great health care. It will be in a much simplified form. Much less expensive and much better.”
– From Washington Post interview with Donald Trump on 1/15/2017. [1]

And he said the same in an interview with 60 Minutes.




Third talking point: Premiums for the elderly and the poor will immediately skyrocket.

Here is just one example of what the disastrous Republican Health Care replacement plan would do to premiums on the poor and the elderly.

"A 64-year-old making $26,500 would pay $1,700 for coverage in 2026 under Obamacare, thanks to its subsidies. But under the GOP plan, his annual premium would be $14,600 since its tax credit would not offset as much of the cost."  [3]

The Republican plan charges a one size fits all pricing plan. How in the world can someone making $27,000 afford $14,500 for health care insurance premiums? THEY CAN'T. Taking away health care for 14 million of our fellow Americans and replacing it with something that is not affordable is a moral travesty. It is not what Republican President Trump got elected on. His message was to offer something a) more afforable than Obamacare; b) with better coverage than Obamacare; c) That covers more people than Obamacare.

Clearly, to even the most gullible person "Republicancare, Ryancare, Trumpcare" or whatever you want to call this plan does just the opposite.

Oh, and by the way here is a short but powerful list of who has come out against the disastrous Republican Health Care plan. [5]

• AARP
• AMA American Medical Association
• AHA American Hospital Association
• Most Governors (including Republicans) 

Sources:

1. Trump vows ‘insurance for everybody’ in Obamacare replacement plan
2. Health Bill Would Add 24 Million Uninsured but Save $337 Billion, Report Says
3. If you're older and lower income, prepare to pay more under GOP health bill
4. US Population by State
5. Doctors, hospitals and insurers oppose Republican health plan

Bi-Partisan Heads in the Sand

The Republican President who is the de-facto leader of the Republican party continues to...

• Discredit the media as "fake news", "dishonest", "enemy of the people".
• Has numerous and questionable ties (along with his Administration) to the Russians who we know hacked our election and likely were doing so partnered with the Trump campaign who included our current Attorney General, the Leader of the RNC, and our Vice President. 
• Refuses to release his taxes as he knows they will likely tie him to Russian mobsters who back and finance his business enterprise.

Leaders of the Republican party continues to ignore his shocking behavior and actions. They are stonewalling and backing a President that is on tape talking about sexually assaulting woman. On tape talking about walking in on naked teen age girls. 

And, where are the Democratic leaders speaking up on this? Being in the minority does not mean you have to be quiet. Everyday they should be on the stump demanding justice. Everyday they should be working to help us get to the truth. So many of them are not doing enough to put the pressure on to get to the bottom of this. Why are you are leaving this job to "we the people." I know the response by our Senators Murray and Cantwell has been quite weak.

My fellow Americans, pick up the phone and call 202-224-3121 and ask to speak to your Senator and ask them why they are not speaking out and taking action on matters that threaten our very Democracy.