Ariz. measure targeting single-payer reform fails

Proponents of an Arizona ballot initiative that would have amended the state Constitution to prohibit single-payer and similar healthcare reforms are conceding defeat.

This fall Massachusetts will have a measure on the ballot that will mandate a state single payer system, given Kennedy's role in the Senate, it is crucial that single payer advocates win in Massachusetts, so I hope the Massachusetts delegates to the Mighty Corrente Building will be helping us out with that.

Despite all the celebrations, an examination of the data from key states tells us that voters tuned out this election, rather than turned out for it.

105 million voted in the presidential election in 2000
121 million voted in 2004

so far, with 95% of precincts reporting, only 112 million voted (extrapolate that to 100% and its only 117 million.)

here is data from 3 key states

	2000	        2004	        2008	2008 % counted
PA	4,912,185	5,765,764	5,390,910	97.95%
OH	4,705,457	5,627,908	5,012,434	95%
FL	5,956,243	7,609,810	8,005,681	99%

here are the voter registration statistics for those states

       VOTER REGISTRATION
	2000 	        2004     	2008
PA	7,781,997	8,366,663	8,758,031
OH	7,531,555	7,972,826	8,164,823
FL	8,880,396	10,476,437	11,247,634 
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The King is Dead! Long live the King!  Read more…

I have no idea what makes Big Media Matt think that he is a better judge of what is politically practical than the Chair of the House Judiciary Committee, Chair of the House Finance Committee, Chair of the House Intelligence Committee, and 90 other members of the House of Representatives to say nothing of hundreds of candidates for office at the state and federal level. But I guess that is the sort of arrogance you need as an apprentice pundit.

Laying the Groundwork for the Backfire

Want to Shut Conservatives Out of Power for Good? Implement Universal Health Care

Candidates that are bolded and shaded yellow are known single-payer or HR676 supporters.

Please look for the down-ticket Democrats in your locality. Please notify PDA of any single payer supporters not on their list.

District 7 congressional candidates talk about priorities
"I believe we're way past time to have gotten a universal health-care system in place," she said. "It's a human right."

Armitage wants to see a Medicare-for-all system that would give people a choice in primary-care physicians, and still encourage employers to offer private insurance.

According to Armitage, universal health care could save Americans $350 billion a year.

"Thirty-one cents out of every dollar spent on private insurance goes to overhead and profit," she said. "Just 3 cents per dollar of Medicare goes to overhead."

Always non-violent, always a winner

Letter to the Rome Sentinel

Northup and Yarmuth square off on healthcare and economy in third debate

"Right now, 70 percent of Humana's business is administering programs from the government," retorted Yarmuth. "The idea that a single-payer program basically preempts the private sector is not true."

Yarmuth also defended universal and single-payer systems.

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Rabbi Dennis Shulman: Battling an "Enemy of the Environment"

Dennis Shulman: Listen, I'm just one member of Congress but I think the plans out there are pretty good. Hopefully with a Democratic Congress and President, nothing will stop us. Between the Obama/ Clinton and Medicare for All initiatives we have a lot to work with.

A rematch in N.H. 1st District contest

Shea-Porter has been unwavering in her dedication to getting health care to every American citizen.

"The plan I support is Medicare for all," the incumbent congresswoman said on her campaign Web site. "It is cost effective and the structure is already in place.

"With Medicare, health care is privately delivered," the site says. "This allows the freedom to choose your own doctors."

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The Democratic Wave: Could It Carry Anita Hartke ?

Barber is the choice

And Don Barber knows how to reduce property taxes: He backs publicly-funded, privately-delivered health care for every New York resident. This will take the burden off both county and school taxes, the two major components of the property tax.

Shattuck in bid unseat Rep. Schmitz

"People aren't getting the coverage they're paying for," Shattuck said. "I don't want to wait for what's going to happen at the federal level, because we don't know when that's going to happen. We're already paying for the people who don't have health care ... when people go to the emergency room because they can't pay their bills."

Rachel Shattuck for State Representative; Illinois 49

Is Sarah Palin fully qualified as Republican Party candidate for Vice President?

Yes!

NY-29: Wrap-up of first Massa/Kuhl Debate

Kuhl to Massa. You want to repeal tax cuts (Kuhl is talking about the Bush tax cuts) and you want to spend 1 trillion dollars on health care. (HR 676)

Massa deftly turned that around. Roughly paraphrased - “Sure I want to spend 1 trillion dollars on health care because right now we are spending 1.7 trillion dollars so that results in almost a trillion dollars in savings.

Eric Massa on Health Care

Round 1: No agreement today in KY-3 debate

Yarmuth said the legislation in question - specifically, H.R. 676 - was never going to pass and was intended only as a statement of his desire for universal health care.

Do you live in Yarmuth's district? Do you know anyone who does? Tell Yarmuth that you expect him to keep his promise to support HR 676.

Kentucky for Single Payer

2008 Candidate Profile: Dickey Lee Hullinghorst, Democrat

Colorado needs comprehensive health care reform to provide health benefits to every resident. I support moving toward a "single-payer" system, making sure all children are covered first. Then, I will work to coordinate a Colorado single-payer plan with a federal plan to cover every individual without regard to preexisting conditions or employment status. In the long term, a single-payer system will be much more efficient and less costly to administer.

Dickey Lee Hullinghorst for State Rep. HD 10

Registration Forms Going to Wrong Addresses

Voters in 37 states may be turned away from the polls because of misinformation on online Web sites, which follow the directions on the United States Election Commission Web site.

Barack Obama's and John McCain's Web sites, as well as Rock the Vote, help users fill out forms which can be printed out and mailed.

They are conveniently addressed to the potential voter's secretary of state, or an equivalent state office. All the potential voter has to do is add a stamp and mail it off.

Problem is, for at least 37 states, it's the wrong address.

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Avoiding a double disaster

Elections are underway in Canada and the United States, and health care is not high on the political agenda in either country. Yet health care reform could emerge as an important issue following the American presidential vote. A victory for Barack Obama will encourage fans of single-payer health insurance because the Democrats have a majority in Congress and a history of supporting Canadian-style health reforms.

I love the smell of conservative fear.

Letter to the Palladium Item

Health care and health insurance have been problems for a long time, but Pence is against universal, single-payer health insurance so more than 45 million Americans are left to the whim of the "free market" (free for the rich and corporations). The U.S. Conference of Mayors reports that about 18,000 Americans died last year due to lack of health insurance.

Barry Welsh for Congress, Indiana 6th Congressional District

Candidates not fans of single-pay health system

The Medicare-like system that many health care providers who spoke Wednesday at the downtown library favor has failed to win the support of either presidential candidate.

Dr. Woody Myers, a former Indiana state health commissioner and a senior health care adviser to Democrat Barack Obama, said such a system is difficult to define because it has been an evolving concept. “Sen. Obama's clear belief is we've got to start where we are,” Myers said.

Slater wants expanded healthcare

On the issue of healthcare, Slater said he believes in Medicare for all Americans. He also said the government should be able to negotiate drug prices to lower costs for the consumers.