Thank you for the reminder Heather. We really have some gaslit people in America, that they would vote against the best interest of themselves, family, friends, neighbors. The gaslighters themselves are the worst that humanity has to offer, thinking that it’s okay to let people suffer while they look down on others without compassion or empathy. I’m having one of those days that it seems so hopeless. I look back on history, on our ancestors, on our country and think, if they fought back, with so much less than we have today, we can too. Glad you are here.
Very appreciative that you have highlighted this extremely important topic. Particularly in these present times. Our exorbitantly expensive for profit for a few (CEO's, private equity firms, Big Pharma, etc.) over service of healing healthcare system has gone from being poor quality to being dangerous and negligent. It is inequitable and inaccessible. Currently, in the state that you and I share residency in, MA, MassCare Medicare for All (single payer) is once again putting forth a bill to our state legislators. But where is the discussion on this? We must go way beyond the ACA because as long as we still have this system that allows so many "middlemen" often with no medical expertise, our deductibles and premiums will keep rising while coverage diminishes. (https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/california-health-insurance-premium-costs-exceed-inflation-data-dataviz/) In MA, Mass General Brigham (MGB) CEO and President, Anne Klibanski, saw her pay rocket from about $4.3 million in 2020 to $6 million in 2024, and yet they had their second massive layoff of workers 2 weeks ago. (Boston Herald). As a disabled/chronically ill immune-compromised person of 40 years, I can tell you that while both the protections of ACA, those with pre-existing illnesses as well as allowance for coverage of dependents up to 25 (who are often full-time students in college or training schools) is is enormous, it is only part of the solution. Now, more than ever we must urge states to step up with single payer plans. In Canada, that is how they did it...province by province.
Sadly, we have some states, like Mississippi in which the governor refuses to accept Medicaid to provide for his constituents as there is a cost to the state. It is no surprise that MS is routinely on the list of least healthy and under educated Americans. Why? A totally uncaring Republican majority
Not so funny that one of the reddest states is also regarded (due to deliberately poor management) to be one of the most backward states of the nation! Republican sentiments at the state legislature and national offices reveals a total lack of concern, empathy or compassion for the people who perform all of the essential services that they, like us, depend on. They talk a big talk about God, but few of them still follow the teachings attributed to Jesus (they snort that Jesus is weak). Worse, they got the asinine Theocratic Dictatorship blueprint from the Meritless Foundation (Project 2025), and they’re so stupid that they decided to implement the blueprint in spite of a massive loss in public approval. Next they’ll declare a sure fire way to cancel Obamacare (‘cause it’s named after a black dude). Also: they’ve slashed something like $600 Million that was intended for training new physicians nationwide; and here when we’re in the middle of a severe shortage of physicians and nurses. Do they think that people who are not millionaires and billionaires have no value, as if they are mere serfs or peons - the “surplus population”?
What does she do with $6 million? And her system 'needs' to layoff massive # employees? Would be a nice message about how caring for others is her goal if she would refuse the wage increase.
The ACA helps protect all of us. As with vaccination programs, there is a ' herd immunity' level. If only the affluent can access health care, we all are at more risk of communicable diseases. If only the insured can afford care after an auto accident, we are all weakened by an increase in disabled people in our community. For a bunch of "Christian" nationalists, there seem to be few who read the directions to feed the hungry, heal the sick, help the widows, orphans and welcome the foreigners in our land.
Right. Wealth redistribution to the poor is “socialism , communism , evil” . Wealth redistribution to the rich is “ Making America Great Again”. Got it . 🤦🏻♂️ ffs.
Health care is a right not an entitlement. We live in the wealthiest country in the world. Trump and Musk and the rest of the mob Republican party want to do is to eliminate Health care from the middle-class and poor so they line their pockets. This is nothing but greed and it is inhumane. We need thousands of people to flood the streets with signs all over the states to rebuke this .
Thank you, Barak Obama, for the Affordable Care Act. Please help us preserve it...would Michelle consider running for President due to Mr. Trump's mental illness??
About that third-party option, Teddy Roosevelt started one! Along with so many I have heard, I seek another pathway. I refuse to wait. First, I detest the carnage wrought by Republicans (on the least of us) to get their tax cut for the rich. Theirs is more than an empty chair, theirs is an empty head to think we do not see their lies and subterfuge. Of our Democratic Party, I throw in the towel. I am extremely disappointed in the lack of leadership in this particular Democratic Party. It has the scaredy cat inability to present a rousing platform.
Surely you can agree that “Not going back” is not movement. I don’t see any movement in the right direction. I see stagnation. I see milling around “getting ready to do something”. That is exactly the same as doing nothing. I googled Ken Martin. I found 4 victory speeches from a month ago, and one other interview with no agenda discussed. Game over here. I am floating the idea of forming a new third party. I give my thoughts on that here:
The words “third party” sends a chill reaction to lifelong democrats. I’m thinking Ralph Nader, Ross Perot, and all the more recent smaller parties like the Libertarians, Greens, Papoon for President, etc. if you really want to start an effective third party, it would have to be called something appealing like the “Independence Party”, and tie people from all these groups. Like, how to appeal to the 89 million people who could have registered and voted, but did not.
It is amazing how many short sighted, mean spirited, backward, petty, and selfish people there are. Sadly they elect such moronic and sychophantic representatives
Another example is the administration's plan to emasculate the Department of Education and hand responsibility back to the states. A few days ago, the New Yorker's Jessica Winter pointed out that the raison d'etre for these plans was what Trump has called the department's "breathtaking failures", referring to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), known as the “nation’s report card, published in January. She points out that the department doesn't decide how pupils are taught nor monitor how closely public schools follow the Common Core standards. All they do is gather the data to produce the report card. So if your schools are performing badly, you need to ask your local legislators and school administrators about that, not the Department of Education. My guess is that people who vote Republican simply don't know this.
It needs to be constantly stated that it is the individual states (and their legislatures, etc.) who set the curriculum. Wonder how the several states compare?
That's presumably what the report card is for. If it were left entirely to the states then comparisons would be all but impossible, but that's presumably a side effect that Republicans are content to accept.
That's right, ronnbo97. See my reply to William. If you vote for fools, well this is what fools do. This morning you have Trump distancing himself from the fiasco ("I don't know anything about it....You’re telling me about it for the first time.”). The White House confirmed the leak and said that it was investigating how it happened. Meanwhile, defence secretary Pete Hegseth condemned the Atlantic journalist who was accidentally included in the message chain and denied that war plans were discussed., a patent lie. These events show that TFS is a far greater risk to the country. It falls short of a mental illness - it's just plain foolishness.
And it seems evident to me that Trump would have been notified within three minutes about this national security breach fiasco, by his chief of staff. He denied knowing anything about it: did Susie Wiles let him get blindsided? No accountability for Humpty’s personal selections for leadership office? Hegseth moved highly classier info to an insecure environment - he should be fired! DNI Tulsi Gabbard would not even admit to Senator Mark Warner whether she participated in the group chat. None of them questioned the discussion of (all classified) info on Signal. How many other “principals” meetings were conducted via unsecured lines? Does Humpty talk to Vladimir via an unsecured app?
Apparently those of us who have ANY need for help, particularly medically: handicapped, elderly, low income, etc... Do not matter to the billionaires and the power movers.. We are viewed as TAKERS that give nothing back . The fact that EVERY human being contributes something to our world, our humanity, our lives, is meaningless to the present administration.I believe that the " giving back" or "contributing" they seek is monetary mostly and ththey do not value those that cannot or who no longer and have contributed before. Well, the better of our leaders have understood our responsibility to each other. Unfortunately today we are NOT living with the better of our leaders, we are living with the worst IMO. Thank you , though for the history, it gives me hope.
In the last 5 years or so the wealthiest 0 .1% of Americans have increased their wealth by well over 50%. This statistic is all you need to understand our new oligarchy! And as this has happened, the bottom 50% of us have barely increased our wealth at all, meaning that those in the bottom 50% have only 4 to 5% of all of America's wealth!
Thank you for the reminder Heather. We really have some gaslit people in America, that they would vote against the best interest of themselves, family, friends, neighbors. The gaslighters themselves are the worst that humanity has to offer, thinking that it’s okay to let people suffer while they look down on others without compassion or empathy. I’m having one of those days that it seems so hopeless. I look back on history, on our ancestors, on our country and think, if they fought back, with so much less than we have today, we can too. Glad you are here.
Sending you a virtual hug, Susan 💖 (I hope that’s not creepy—it’s just that I feel the same way)
I'm a hugger in person and virtual! Virtual group hug! And a big FAFO to the people trying to bring down our country.
Happy Anniversary ACA!
I don't understand how anyone could deny that health care is a right. I shudder to think what could happen.
Very appreciative that you have highlighted this extremely important topic. Particularly in these present times. Our exorbitantly expensive for profit for a few (CEO's, private equity firms, Big Pharma, etc.) over service of healing healthcare system has gone from being poor quality to being dangerous and negligent. It is inequitable and inaccessible. Currently, in the state that you and I share residency in, MA, MassCare Medicare for All (single payer) is once again putting forth a bill to our state legislators. But where is the discussion on this? We must go way beyond the ACA because as long as we still have this system that allows so many "middlemen" often with no medical expertise, our deductibles and premiums will keep rising while coverage diminishes. (https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/california-health-insurance-premium-costs-exceed-inflation-data-dataviz/) In MA, Mass General Brigham (MGB) CEO and President, Anne Klibanski, saw her pay rocket from about $4.3 million in 2020 to $6 million in 2024, and yet they had their second massive layoff of workers 2 weeks ago. (Boston Herald). As a disabled/chronically ill immune-compromised person of 40 years, I can tell you that while both the protections of ACA, those with pre-existing illnesses as well as allowance for coverage of dependents up to 25 (who are often full-time students in college or training schools) is is enormous, it is only part of the solution. Now, more than ever we must urge states to step up with single payer plans. In Canada, that is how they did it...province by province.
Sadly, we have some states, like Mississippi in which the governor refuses to accept Medicaid to provide for his constituents as there is a cost to the state. It is no surprise that MS is routinely on the list of least healthy and under educated Americans. Why? A totally uncaring Republican majority
Not so funny that one of the reddest states is also regarded (due to deliberately poor management) to be one of the most backward states of the nation! Republican sentiments at the state legislature and national offices reveals a total lack of concern, empathy or compassion for the people who perform all of the essential services that they, like us, depend on. They talk a big talk about God, but few of them still follow the teachings attributed to Jesus (they snort that Jesus is weak). Worse, they got the asinine Theocratic Dictatorship blueprint from the Meritless Foundation (Project 2025), and they’re so stupid that they decided to implement the blueprint in spite of a massive loss in public approval. Next they’ll declare a sure fire way to cancel Obamacare (‘cause it’s named after a black dude). Also: they’ve slashed something like $600 Million that was intended for training new physicians nationwide; and here when we’re in the middle of a severe shortage of physicians and nurses. Do they think that people who are not millionaires and billionaires have no value, as if they are mere serfs or peons - the “surplus population”?
What does she do with $6 million? And her system 'needs' to layoff massive # employees? Would be a nice message about how caring for others is her goal if she would refuse the wage increase.
The ACA helps protect all of us. As with vaccination programs, there is a ' herd immunity' level. If only the affluent can access health care, we all are at more risk of communicable diseases. If only the insured can afford care after an auto accident, we are all weakened by an increase in disabled people in our community. For a bunch of "Christian" nationalists, there seem to be few who read the directions to feed the hungry, heal the sick, help the widows, orphans and welcome the foreigners in our land.
AMEN!
Right. Wealth redistribution to the poor is “socialism , communism , evil” . Wealth redistribution to the rich is “ Making America Great Again”. Got it . 🤦🏻♂️ ffs.
Health care is a right not an entitlement. We live in the wealthiest country in the world. Trump and Musk and the rest of the mob Republican party want to do is to eliminate Health care from the middle-class and poor so they line their pockets. This is nothing but greed and it is inhumane. We need thousands of people to flood the streets with signs all over the states to rebuke this .
Again, we will need some strong & healthy people to clear the streets of bodies that were denied care & basic foods.
What has happened to our grit and sustained attention?
Thank you, Barak Obama, for the Affordable Care Act. Please help us preserve it...would Michelle consider running for President due to Mr. Trump's mental illness??
About that third-party option, Teddy Roosevelt started one! Along with so many I have heard, I seek another pathway. I refuse to wait. First, I detest the carnage wrought by Republicans (on the least of us) to get their tax cut for the rich. Theirs is more than an empty chair, theirs is an empty head to think we do not see their lies and subterfuge. Of our Democratic Party, I throw in the towel. I am extremely disappointed in the lack of leadership in this particular Democratic Party. It has the scaredy cat inability to present a rousing platform.
Surely you can agree that “Not going back” is not movement. I don’t see any movement in the right direction. I see stagnation. I see milling around “getting ready to do something”. That is exactly the same as doing nothing. I googled Ken Martin. I found 4 victory speeches from a month ago, and one other interview with no agenda discussed. Game over here. I am floating the idea of forming a new third party. I give my thoughts on that here:
https://hotbuttons.substack.com/p/independent-american-national-party?r=3m1bs
The words “third party” sends a chill reaction to lifelong democrats. I’m thinking Ralph Nader, Ross Perot, and all the more recent smaller parties like the Libertarians, Greens, Papoon for President, etc. if you really want to start an effective third party, it would have to be called something appealing like the “Independence Party”, and tie people from all these groups. Like, how to appeal to the 89 million people who could have registered and voted, but did not.
Thank you a million times over President Obama. You and President Biden are true Americans!
Get up every morning and find a way to do your part to fight fascism!
Amen
I've read that five Republican lawmakers in Minnesota have proposed a bill that would require what they call 'Trump Derangement Syndrome' to be classified as a mental illness. - https://thehill.com/homenews/5200463-trump-derangement-syndrome-mental-illness-minnesota/
Do they seriously want half the country's population on welfare?
It is amazing how many short sighted, mean spirited, backward, petty, and selfish people there are. Sadly they elect such moronic and sychophantic representatives
The calamitous accidental disclosure of a high level discussion of war plans for Yemen yesterday shows the risks of voting for people like this - https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/24/journalist-trump-yemen-war-chat-reaction
Another example is the administration's plan to emasculate the Department of Education and hand responsibility back to the states. A few days ago, the New Yorker's Jessica Winter pointed out that the raison d'etre for these plans was what Trump has called the department's "breathtaking failures", referring to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), known as the “nation’s report card, published in January. She points out that the department doesn't decide how pupils are taught nor monitor how closely public schools follow the Common Core standards. All they do is gather the data to produce the report card. So if your schools are performing badly, you need to ask your local legislators and school administrators about that, not the Department of Education. My guess is that people who vote Republican simply don't know this.
It needs to be constantly stated that it is the individual states (and their legislatures, etc.) who set the curriculum. Wonder how the several states compare?
That's presumably what the report card is for. If it were left entirely to the states then comparisons would be all but impossible, but that's presumably a side effect that Republicans are content to accept.
Penney wise, pound foolish...
What about TFS - Trump Fealty Syndrome ?
That's right, ronnbo97. See my reply to William. If you vote for fools, well this is what fools do. This morning you have Trump distancing himself from the fiasco ("I don't know anything about it....You’re telling me about it for the first time.”). The White House confirmed the leak and said that it was investigating how it happened. Meanwhile, defence secretary Pete Hegseth condemned the Atlantic journalist who was accidentally included in the message chain and denied that war plans were discussed., a patent lie. These events show that TFS is a far greater risk to the country. It falls short of a mental illness - it's just plain foolishness.
And it seems evident to me that Trump would have been notified within three minutes about this national security breach fiasco, by his chief of staff. He denied knowing anything about it: did Susie Wiles let him get blindsided? No accountability for Humpty’s personal selections for leadership office? Hegseth moved highly classier info to an insecure environment - he should be fired! DNI Tulsi Gabbard would not even admit to Senator Mark Warner whether she participated in the group chat. None of them questioned the discussion of (all classified) info on Signal. How many other “principals” meetings were conducted via unsecured lines? Does Humpty talk to Vladimir via an unsecured app?
How bad is the leakage? Clean up on Aisle 6!
So many unanswered questions.
Apparently those of us who have ANY need for help, particularly medically: handicapped, elderly, low income, etc... Do not matter to the billionaires and the power movers.. We are viewed as TAKERS that give nothing back . The fact that EVERY human being contributes something to our world, our humanity, our lives, is meaningless to the present administration.I believe that the " giving back" or "contributing" they seek is monetary mostly and ththey do not value those that cannot or who no longer and have contributed before. Well, the better of our leaders have understood our responsibility to each other. Unfortunately today we are NOT living with the better of our leaders, we are living with the worst IMO. Thank you , though for the history, it gives me hope.
To repeat an email of mine, on this discussion:
In the last 5 years or so the wealthiest 0 .1% of Americans have increased their wealth by well over 50%. This statistic is all you need to understand our new oligarchy! And as this has happened, the bottom 50% of us have barely increased our wealth at all, meaning that those in the bottom 50% have only 4 to 5% of all of America's wealth!