jackiedoherty.org

I read this Globe headline last Thursday: “Bush vows to veto children’s health insurance bill” and felt sick to my stomach, literally. What kind of a country are we? I know we value individualism, free speech, and competition, but don’t we also value our children? The fact that President Bush is not inclined to cover low-income uninsured children reminds me of President Reagan’s claim that ketchup counted as a vegetable in school lunches. (Are there people who actually think this is okay?) Tonight, my sister told me about an old friend who has just been laid off. She suspects it was due to his age (late 50s), and health concerns (he’s had a heart attack and other issues). When I asked if he would lose his health insurance, she wasn’t sure—probably, he’s too young for Medicare and has pre-existing conditions. Providing healthcare with for-profit companies and funding it on the backs of employers is like funding our public schools solely on property taxes: it’s not effective or fair. Anybody else see a correlation between healthcare for all, public schools, and the postal service? If the government can run the post office well enough to get my letter to California in two days for 41 cents, it can provide decent healthcare for its citizens. Perhaps we should let the postmaster general run it to make sure the service is superior and efficient.