Both sides demonstrate in Grand Rapids over plan for single-payer national health system

Source: Grand Rapids Press

Both sides demonstrate in Grand Rapids over plan for single-payer national health system
by John Agar | The Grand Rapids Press
Saturday May 30, 2009, 9:38 PM

GRAND RAPIDS -- As a local organizer of Single Payer Michigan, Chris Silva led a rally Saturday outside the Federal Building to build support for a single-payer national health system and dispel what he considers half-truths.

"(Opponents) kind of think what we're talking about is socializing medicine, rationing healthcare, but that's simply not true," he said.

"We're taking the best of both worlds: public funding ..., private delivery. "

The rally, one of 50 planned nationwide, brought dozens, some from as far away as Detroit, but not all bought Silva's message. As many as five groups showed up to support or protest a single-payer system, which supporters say would save $400 billion a year if for-profit health insurers are taken out of the equation -- and everyone would have health care.

Read more: http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2009/05/both_sides_demonstrate_in_gran.html

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Take note of the photo selected by the paper to accompany the story.

wallet and count her credit cards.

We don't have greedy, penny-pinching accountants standing between us and our doctors.

NOR does the government stand between us and our doctors.

Come join me in the Canadian Health care chant:

All the government does is PAY for health care

Thank you for speaking out on this issue. I'm always grateful when people from nations like Canada speak out against the BS propaganda that's spread around in this country regarding healthcare in general, and the BS about your system of healthcare. I can't describe how free I'd feel if I didn't have to worry about losing access to healthcare upon leaving a job, or getting a medical condition that will make me uninsurable. A toast to Canadians who worked and fought for their healthcare system. :toast:

I grew up there. I thank God every day for getting me out.

:patriot:

the way you describe it. :hi:

most of the people there don't have any idea how hypocritical their lifestyle is because they've never been anywhere else or experienced anything different. Pretty sad really. Glad you agree.
:hi:

Is it insurance companies or Drug companies?

The media will try its best to scuttle any improvement like it did before. They make too much money off the status quo. And this piece, in typical lazy fashion, dismisses the whole thing with this "he said, she said" nonsense.

Then someone in the comments section shouts that "healthcare is not a right!!11!!"

single-payer insurance instead. That's essentially what we're talking about. Instead of the doctor and hospital bills going to hundreds of different insurers, they will be directed to one government agency. The big change is that suddenly insurance CEOs need to search for new suckers to pay their billion dollar salaries.

payment processing jobs.

Something about water attracts these fundie religious types.

She asked for the RIVIERA, dammit!

To the best of my knowledge no one in power is proposing a single payer health system. Not even Kennedy.

Why are these dope heads protesting something which doesn't exist?

Dutch Reformers who are so anal retentive you could stick coal up their ass and they would shit diamonds. awful McMansionville.

I dunno about the McMansionville part but I grew up there, went to Calvin college and I'm Dutch even. Actually lived in Holland (I call it Hell-land) for a while. Nauseating. The rest is definitely accurate. Extremely hypocritical. There weren't any mega churches when I grew up there but there are a few now. The joke then was that there was a Dutch CRC on every corner and that was pretty true.