Robert Reich: Economy looks grim? Pass healthcare reform

http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/feature/2010/03/05/healthcare_jobs_open2010/index.html

Economy looks grim? Pass healthcare reform

Why the continuing bad job numbers make it harder (but even more important) to push through a healthcare bill

By Robert Reich

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With employers still shedding jobs and consumer confidence down, Americans are worried first and foremost about paying their bills. Because most people aren't aware how much of their paychecks are being eaten up by rising healthcare costs but can easily be persuaded they’ll be paying more to cover those who don’t have health insurance under any new health plan, the continuing bad news on the jobs front makes it harder for the president to make his healthcare sale.

The bad news on jobs also allows economic illiterates (and scoundrels who know better) to continue to claim the stimulus is failing and what’s needed is less government rather than more, including not only a smaller "jobs bill" but less or no healthcare reform.

In politics as in economics and love, timing is everything. Obama can’t wait much longer if he wants to convince waivering and worried conservative Democrats to join him in a last-ditch 51-vote reconciliation measure to get healthcare through the Senate. We’re already in the gravititational pull of November’s midterm elections. But the economy is taking a longer time to turn around than anyone expected, and telling Americans the jobs numbers are getting worse more slowly isn’t exactly reassuring.

One small political consolation is the worst job numbers continue to be on the coasts and the old Rust Belt where Dems are relatively safer, and the best numbers in the Midwest and mountain states and South where Dems are weakest. So at least blue-dog Dems who are under the most pressure from their conservative constituents on healthcare aren’t grappling with the biggest job losses.

Another is that all across the nation, the people being hit worst by this continuing jobs recession/depression are the poor and lower middle class whom Republicans are trying to court. They’re in greatest danger of losing healthcare coverage if they haven’t lost it already, and in greatest need for subsidies to allow them and their families to afford it. Waivering and worried congressional Dems should be reaching out to them.

Americans desperately need healthcare reform. They also desperately need jobs. Even if it’s difficult for many to make the connection, it’s still possible for the nation to try to do two important things at the same time. We need a big jobs bill -- including especially extended unemployment insurance, aid to hard-hit states and cities -- and we need healthcare reform. The sooner we do the former and get the economy moving into positive job numbers again, the more quickly and easily we can afford the latter. The big question is whether the president can make the case.

Also the better the heath care bill, yes I mean single payer, the more likely we are to have a big effect on jobs.

And I know an mid-level exec at a major corporation who would love to start her own small company ... she has the business plan all set, even has access to funding. She wants to target a niche that the larger corp isn't interested in. Too small for them, perfect for a small business to capture.

But she has a serious long term preexisting condition ... so if she were to leave her current position to start the new company, she can't get insurance.

So, that's between 30 and 100 jobs that she could create, that she can't create, unless reform passes.

but my wife and I are too young for the current definitions of Medicare, so I stay in a job I don't like.

If I could retire, some unemployed SysAdmin could work there instead.

A whole line of folks could be promoted if she could step aside.

to keep their health care benefits. I personally know 2 women who are doing just that.

If a spouse gets a serious illness, they might get a divorce so the spouse can qualify for medicaid.

Just sayin. I'd vote for the health care bill. But, I just want to remind people that he is the NAFTA guy.

refused to prosecute thousands of blatant labor crimes.

He's a corporate stooge from square one.

in the beginning of this debate..that Health Care Reform would be an important part of our Economic Recovery.

people about this, "But the economy is taking a longer time to turn around than anyone expected,". The economy may not "turn around" for twenty years, you dufuss, and there are a lot of economists that are predicting just that. We may experience couple of "lost" decades just like Japan. What you should have wrote is "the economy is not turning around as fast as I expected", then you would be correct in showing us how wrong you were.

"Americans desperately need healthcare reform", true but not the current "insurance perpetuation and guarantee bill" proposed by the exalted ones. We need single payer, plain and simple. Since we have a single payer plan in action in the form of medicare we only need to expand that system.

"We need a big jobs bill" well yes and no. We need some type of "emergency" measure to provide temporary jobs to get our people back on their financial feet. We need trade laws to stop the flow of manufacturing jobs overseas (China, thank you, Bush/Clinton/Bush) and to start the return of the jobs that have left, back to America.

"One small political consolation" fuck you and your political consolations, REAL Democrats don't speak of or treat their fellow Americans as political consolations. I used to admire you and agreed with a lot of your ideas, but this piece shows your true colors......elitist pig.