Utah needs a choice

Readers,

Thursday, July 23rd, I lobbied for Obama's public option-inclusive health care plan with Organizing for America at the Federal Building at 125 south State in Salt Lake. I was chosen to lead the health care lobbying group. After security checks by somewhat hostile guards we were whisked to the Senate conference room, wherein which we (ten or so individuals) met with Senator Robert Bennett's health care aid. Small Business owners, a union representative, and insurance employees made up the contingent who spoke in support of Obama's health care plan- a plan which Senator Bennett's DC aid told me that Bennett doesn't support.

A retired Army veteran, Allan, posited that his wife's health care premiums rose drastically every year and that the costs were becoming too high to bear. He asserted that socialized medicine already existed in Utah- the Millitary's Cobra plan, which he thought highly of. He could've mentioned that Medicare is already a viable public option for older individuals.

Marlyn Smith, an insurance company employee, said that her insurance company-not identified, cut coverage for a baby that developed cancer,a common practice utilized to save money. She also near-laughingly asserted that she was told that she was "uncoverable" because of mild arthritis.

Lewis, a mental health-insurance employee, said that he saw many individuals who were forced to go to the ER due to lack of coverage, a practice which he said costs "$1,000 a visit". Lewis remarked that the number of kids an individual has sometimes determines their coverage eligibility, a fact which he found baffling. He said reform was needed because our current system was ineffectual, cost too much and was inferior to "socialized health care systems."

Jim, the Western Representative for an international Boiler worker's union, said that employees involved in boiler production,who had wive's with cancer, couldn't acquire insurance for their wives. He endorsed single-payer health insurance- health insurance run entirely by the government, without insurance companies. He said that the workers he represents are forced to pay over $8.00 an hour towards their health insurance, a cost that has skyrocketed from $3.45 an hour in 2001.

I couldn't catch everyone's names and stories, because the meeting was rushed and full of journalists. An owner of a small publishing company told me that health care costs were hurting her business and a real estate agent spoke of her consistent troubles with her insurance coverage. Everyone at the table agreed that a viable health care policy needed to include a public option that would be implemented immediately, cover everyone, exclude no-one for pre-existing conditions, and be entirely government run. Bennett's aid seemingly flinched when a public option was mentioned- the likelihood of Bennett supporting the imitative is not high. This meeting demonstrated that some Utah small business owners support Obama's plan and that this support stretched across the spectrum of employment.

As of today, I can't find a single reference to the lobby, even though the Deseret news, and Channels 2 & 5 covered it. I'll post pictures if I can find them.

Also, violence in the Congo continues as the government tries to expel ex-Hutu genocidaires from their country. 35,000 more civillians have been displaced from the fighting. http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/africa/07/25/congo.conflict.refugees/

Today was the Global day for human rights in Iran. I took part in a rally at 2100 south and state to support the pro-democracy movement in Iran. A few dozen people showed up and chanted pro-democracy slogans for 2 hours. I lead the chanting via megaphone. I saw many more non-Persian people at this rally. I hope the rally will remind our legislatures, and fellow Utahns, that human rights in Utah are inexorably tied to those in Iran, in fact, all human rights are interconnected.

Thanks for reading,
Cameron