http://pnhp.org/blog/2009/05/26/more-small-firms-drop-health-care/ PNHP's official blog Wed, 10 Mar 2010 01:04:31 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 http://pnhp.org/blog/2009/05/26/more-small-firms-drop-health-care/comment-page-1/#comment-1388 Ken Fabert, MD Thu, 28 May 2009 23:51:29 +0000 http://www.pnhp.org/blog/?p=300#comment-1388 If Senator Baucus were REALLY being honest, he would say that single payer is not on the table becuase it doesn't PAY--for campaign contributions, that is. I heard a similar response from my local Congressman, Jay Inslee-- WA 1st (D) who bluntly told me that "the votes aren't there" for single payer while declining to say why he was unwilling to try to work to garner the votes or even co-sponsor HR 676. While the 59% of physicians and the majority of the electorate that favor single payer may not have the cash to attract politicians' attention at present, we need to remind them that the de facto corruption that influences policy today can still be surmounted by the electorate. Those who are beholden to special interests and chose to ignore the will of the people on this basic human rights issue will eventually find that indeed, the votes aren't there for them either. If Senator Baucus were REALLY being honest, he would say that single payer is not on the table becuase it doesn’t PAY–for campaign contributions, that is. I heard a similar response from my local Congressman, Jay Inslee– WA 1st (D) who bluntly told me that “the votes aren’t there” for single payer while declining to say why he was unwilling to try to work to garner the votes or even co-sponsor HR 676. While the 59% of physicians and the majority of the electorate that favor single payer may not have the cash to attract politicians’ attention at present, we need to remind them that the de facto corruption that influences policy today can still be surmounted by the electorate. Those who are beholden to special interests and chose to ignore the will of the people on this basic human rights issue will eventually find that indeed, the votes aren’t there for them either.

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