By SueN
- Quote: "A Bill of Rights is what the people are entitled to against every government, and what no just government should refuse, or rest on inference." - Thomas Jefferson
- "Is the media blowing America's health care crisis out of proportion?"
- Guest: Thom debated Dan Gainor, Vice President & T. Boone Pickens Free Market Fellow at the Business and Media Institute. Why do conservatives want Americans to continue to die for lack of healthcare? In this hour 150 people in the USA will go bankrupt because of health bills; 140 of them will have been insured. In this day 50 people will die directly from lack of access to health care, and that does not include those who would have survived if their condition had been known earlier. He called the current health care system viable, said a government run plan would be worse, but that is not the experience of the other industrialized countries, whatever their level of income. He said that was because some of our military dies defending them. He said emergency rooms cannot turn people away, but they do not provide preventative care or catch things early. The military hospitals have the highest ranking of customer satisfaction in the US, the VA is second, Medicare is third. Medicare won't go bankrupt if we fix part D. The salaries of the top 10 CEOs would pay for full comprehensive health insurance for 100,000 people. Natural monopoly, anti-trust protection. The public option is set up so that employers will dump people into the public plan; see the statistics of the Lewin Group. The group is owned by UnitedHealth. Tom Coburn proposed that if there is a public option, all members of Congress must take it. Chris Dodd was the only Democratic Senator who voted for it.
- Article: "Uncritical Condition: Network news fails to examine high cost and proven failures of government-run health care" By Julia A. Seymour and Sarah Knoploh.
- Bumper Music: Summer in the City, Lovin' Spoonful (video).
- Article: "A Secret Exposed -- Medicare Works Better Than Private Insurance.
- "Health care and the Federal Reserve".
- Congressman Dennis Kucinich told us about his state single payer option and how the Fed is paying banks not to loan money and he wants the Fed audited. His amendment in the House allowing states to have a single payer option. Automatic waiver from current law where states can be preempted by ERISA (Employee Retirement Income Security Act). Technical but huge. There is already case law blocking states. Waiver for single payer. Canada started its health care with a province. Justice Brandeis called states laboratories for development, some states are keen. Governors vetoing. Bernie last week mentioned Thom and Ron Paul and others pushing to get the Fed audited. He got an amendment passed HR2424 in the same committee to allow the GAO to audit it. Quantitative easing program. The Fed encouraged recipient banks to park money at the Fed. Excess reserves have skyrocketed. How it is working now. The Fed is paying banks not to loan money. Reserve money is there to be leveraged, setting the stage for another boom bust cycle.
- Bumper Music: Break On Through (To The Other Side), The Doors (video).
- Upcoming Events: Thom's book tour for "Threshold":
July 30th - Seattle, WA - Town Hall.
Aug 4th - San Francisco, CA - World Affairs Council.
Aug 5th - Santa Monica, CA - Santa Monica Library.
Aug 17th - Minneapolis, MN
Aug 19th - Chicago, IL
Aug 21st - Madison, WI. There will be "Brunch with Bernie" with members of the audience getting to ask the questions.
- Upcoming Event: Aug 8th - Seattle, WA AM1090 Presents - "Embracing Change: Moving Forward As The Majority" with Stephanie Miller, Thom Hartmann, Bill Press, Mike Malloy and Ron Reagan - Tickets are just $22 for Reserved Seating, $32 for Premium Reserved Seating, and $47 for VIP Floor Seating. Tickets go on sale Saturday June 27th @ 10AM. Purchase yours at the ShoWareCenter Box Office, or by phone at 253-856-6999. Doors open at 5pm, the panel discussion runs from 6-9pm. (not to be confused with the July 30th Seattle book signing).
- Article: Obama Names Thursday "Drink A Beer With Someone Who Arrested You Day" by Andy Borowitz.
- "Why is our media lying to us, when did the news die and will we ever get it back?"
- Guest: Charles Pierce about how stupidity became a virtue in the land of the free. He's a nationally-known American sportswriter, author, and game show panelist. Author of 4 books, his latest being "Idiot America: How Stupidity Became a Virtue in the Land of the Free." First chapter, William L Pierce, no relation, who commented on James Madison, a relative of Thom. Madison wrote up the details of the constitutional convention, Pierce wrote gossipy notes. "Torture in New Hampshire" chapter. Madison's notes were what was in the newspapers. Today it would have been Pierce's. There is a place for both, but can't let the Pierces drive the train. The consequences of believing nonsense. Thom did news at Lansing. would have been fired for talking to sales. Clinton's telecomms act tore that wall down. Reagan, demolition of fairness doctrine. Conservative saw it first, and acted. Rush started then with no advertisers, who funded him? Rush is brilliant, but there is no opportunity for a left wing brilliant person because there are not the funds. We sell ideas, if they sell well they must be true - journalists should not accept perception is reality. Only Amy Goodman is doing news. Jon Stewart is the most trusted person in news, and he is a comedian. He went on Crossfire and said I won't be your monkey, shattered the template. Liz Cheney is nothing unless the media makes her so.
- From the chat room: [EnBuenora] GOD-DAMNIT THOM, IT ISN'T $1 TRILLION!!! THE CBO SAID IT WAS $239 BILLION. GOD-DAMNIT, THOM, DO YOUR HOMEWORK. The CBO did not estimate HR3200 as net costing $1 trillion. It only costs $1 trillion if you exclude the federal government's savings of funds from other parts of the budget and from new revenues.
- "Taking back control of health care"
- Guest: Howard Dean talks with Thom about his new book and campaign to get real health care reform. His latest book, "Howard Dean's Prescription for Real Healthcare Reform: How We Can Achieve Affordable Medical Care for Every American and Make Our Jobs Safer ". They are in their own world. Republicans are not going to be on board, we need to pass health care without them. Wagner, Social Security acts. No Republican votes, Medicare they did not dare vote against it although they hated it. Insurers kicking people off to save money. The House bill is decent, he thinks there is a 30% chance of a vote before they go home, Senate bill no pace. Dodd's committee has a decent bill. Nobody knows what will happen. They can't ignore the Baucus bill. It is no longer conservative vs. democrat, it is corporatist vs. Americanist divide. Ads from pharma - Billy Townsend, Harry and Louise. Reform - force everyone to buy insurance. Listeners have to be active in August during the carpet bombing, call those not for the public option. 77% people want it, including over 50% of Republicans.
- Article: "Obama's Doctor: President's Vision For Health Care Bound To Fail" By Sam Stein.
- Blog: "Deconstructing the Right Wing Lies on the Health Insurance Bill". Please Cut the Crap.
- H.R.3200 - America's Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009 Section 1233: Advance Care Planning Consultation.
- Viral email: "Obama Health Bill: Those on Social Security - Mandatory Counseling on Asst. Suicide"
On Page 425 of Obama's health care bill, the Federal Government will require EVERYONE who is on Social Security to undergo a counseling session every 5 years with the objective being that they will explain to them just how to end their own life earlier. Yes...They are going to push SUICIDE to cut medicare spending!!! And no, I am NOT SH-ing YOU! So those of you who voted for Obama have now put your own parents in dire straights...Congratulations!
Also, planned denial of medical care for seniors.
It's about Advance Care Planning Consultation (see the newsletter for Friday 31 July 2009) - planning things like wills, consent forms, hospice, palliative care. Suicide is not mentioned.
- Bumper Music: Jai Ho Slumdog Millionaire Soundtrack.
- Bumper Music: Ghost Chickens in the Sky, Sean Morey.
- Can Congress override an executive order?
- "Everything you know is wrong...Larry's kidney"
- Guest: Daniel Asa Rose about the business of organ transplants. Worldwide. Impoverished desperate sellers. It is a terribly serious issue. 13 Americans die a day waiting, 80-100,000 waiting list. So many rules and restrictions, people are desperate. We should go to opt out instead of op in organ donation. Belgium, Norway, Spain did it. Who is opposed apart from religious sects? He was conflicted going to China. There is a lot of anti Chinese hysteria. He met decent people. Organs from prisoners. It took 2 months because they had to go through legal channels. China should do an opt out system for medical system. Thom wants to know of organization pushing for opt out.
- Article: "A Better Way to Get a Kidney" Daniel Asa Rose.
- Article: "How Does Kidney-Trafficking Work?" By Claire Suddath and Alex Altman.
- Article: Death Row Is Organ Source, China Admits, By Mark Magnier and Alan Zarembo, November 18, 2006.
- Bumper Music: The Heat Is On, Glenn Frey (video).
- It will be 107 degrees in Portland later today.
- Article: Escort girl at centre of Berlusconi sex scandal to host 'I Love Silvio' party in Paris By Nick Pisa and Peter Allen.
- "Health Care Reform; $220 Million Contest"
- Thom talks to Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. Announcing grants for health care and high growth areas. Retooling. Independent of health care, came under the recovery act. Slots, debts from medical school is separate. More Pell grants. What is the general state of labor? Employee Free Trade Act? Unemployment rise, may see more fall out of the work force, need more unemployment and health insurance coverage.
- Bumper Music: It's Five O'clock Somewhere, Alan Jackson.
- Bumper Music: Crazy, Gnarls Barkley.
- Article: Toupee 1, SC roller coaster 0.
- Article: Arizona may sell legislative buildings.
- Imagine people coughing in public places with TB, crime, can't trust stop lights, police and fire protection no good, calling 999 and nobody turns up, capitol for sale, signs of decay. Do what Mussolini did.
- Health Care for All California.
- Thom thinks there will be little land mines in health care like the donut hole, not being able to negotiate, in Medicare part d. They should have done it before recess, health insurers will spend a billion.
- Bumper Music: Democracy is coming to the USA, Leonard Cohen.
- From the chat room: [Marion Delgado] thomhartmann THERE IS A PERFECTLY GOOD TACO BELL THERE THAT WILL DO JUST FINE AS A STATE CAPITAL, OKAY, YOU WHINY LITTLE SOCIALIST?
- Ellen Ratner of Talk Radio News. Health care bill, blue dogs have revived it, at 4 will allow energy and commerce committees to start marking up. Concessions, reduce cost to under $1 trillion, increase number of small businesses exempt, weaken government insurance plan that competes with private. Tammy Baldwin not signed off. Solis caught self saying health care reform, I mean, health insurance reform. Watch the words. Obama said today, if cover everybody, still have to be pay for a third, two thirds will be covered by savings. Just by reducing the itemized deductions. Suggestions. Bob Ney getting good information from both sides. Trying to get concessions, may gut the bill. Taking some bills on house to help, Gary Miller Republican would allow banks foreclosing to offer residents a lease. From Media Matters, oil and gas companies spent millions lobbying in the second quarter. Cabby was listening to Obama speech, said they are so corrupt up there.
