Turning Polarity in Progress: How Progressives Can Win

Having a divide along political lines is far from a new phenomenon. What we must never forget is that issues can unite us where politics divide. For instance, while national healthcare has been politically divisive, there are few that would argue that our current form of health care coverage is successful. So it may be surprising to know that of all the people who had Medicaid or ACA coverage in 2016 , nearly three-quarters of adults said they are satisfied with their plans. According to The Hill, "Overall, 71 percent of people who have plans through the ObamaCare marketplace or Medicaid said their healthcare plans were good, very good or excellent, according to ... the nonprofit Commonwealth Fund." And yet, when Trump and the Republicans were successful in eroding funding and limiting access for the ACA, satisfaction went down to 22% in 2017.

So, what we now know is that people are again going without health coverage and still believe it is important to address. Governing listed health insurance as the second top priority for states for 2018. An AP-NORC poll showed that healthcare is the #1 concern on domestic and economic issues.

What is missing is a push from the public to make it front and center to our expectations from our legislators. Not uncoincidentally, voters believe that their lawmakers won't get far with their priority this year as 72% believe the government won't make progress on this as the survey below shows.

As usual, as long as politics divide us, progress on the things that matter to people get side-stepped. In this less than optimistic time, it is important to note that when we join together on the things that we hold in common, stuff gets done. A popular catch phrase is "pick a lane" and we all need to do it around the issues we mostly agree on.

Dear Mr. President: Learning from the Past

Image via Wikipedia

Dear President Obama,

You promised change and you have begun to deliver on that promise. By signing the Health Care bill, you have given people who have gone without health insurance the opportunity to be healthier and those who have been ill, the ability to once again have access to care without the onus of becoming bankrupt. And these are good steps.

Harry Truman believed that all Americans should have access to health care as a right and Lyndon Johnson signed legislation that allowed the elderly and the poor to have access. With uncertainties in the economy, it is impossible to know when any of us will be without work for extended periods of time. So thank you and Congress for making this first step.

Having said this, can a for-profit health insurance industry ever really sustain affordable health care for all? Chances are there will be future trade-offs to improve what has been signed into law. More important, will the need for health care providers be met and incentivized? Access to health care is great, but it also requires enough doctors, nurses and other allied health practitioners to be trained.

Beyond health, there is a general unease in the country. A general belief that we are in over our heads financially and, perhaps, politically. From the local school board to D.C., the message is one of "live within our means." The problem is, we as Americans have made bad investments--in the stock market, in banking, and in wars.

If ever there was a need for the type of leadership that people thought they would get by electing you is crucial, now is that time. FDR had it right with his fireside chats. He understood that people were distrustful of their government, but desired a personal connection to their elected Commander-In-Chief. In the age of the 24 hour news cycle, I do not know how it is possible to command the national stage like FDR did, but I do know that you can and must make every effort.

And you need support. I don't know why it is impossible for political adversaries to put party aside in doing the people's business at this very difficult period of our history, but it is clear that there can be no good that comes out of selfish, petty party politics. The same is true of grassroots movements that are short on solutions and long on vitriol.

The one thing that is certain is we only have one President at a time and that person deserves our respect regardless of whether we agree with all of his or her decisions. Conversely, the person in office must convey to the American people where he or she feels we are going and their roadmap to help us get there. You are a particularly gifted communicator. Communicate.

Musician Pete Seeger has a saying on his banjo that says "This machine surrounds hate and forces it to surrender." Those of us who value moving forward with hope need to be rallied to oppose those who are living in fear of what our country will become. The late Paul Wellstone said, "The people of this country, not special interest big money, should be the source of all political power. Government must remain the domain of the general citizenry, not a narrow elite." I think people on all ends of the political spectrum question whether this is the government we have.

I truly believe that those who question what has been happening in government mean well and are genuinely concerned for their and their children's future, but are allowing their uncertainty to cloud their thinking about what is best for the country. Ronald Reagan, for all of his faults, did one thing exceptionally well. He had the ability and gravitas to convince folks that the sun hadn't set on the USA--it is now your responsibility to remind all citizens that this is still true.

In faith,

Garry Klein
Popular Progressive

I Have a Dream: The Party Is Over

In my years being involved in the political process, I believed that party membership had it's privileges. However today, I am convinced that while I can and will support individual candidates for public office, my days of valuing party membership are nearing their end. And this is why.

As any reader of this blog knows, I am a populist progressive. I believe that both parties are in dire need of embracing their grassroots and moving their agendas forward in a way that benefits people. As Paul Wellstone, the late FDL Senator from Minneaota said, "Politics isn't about big money or power games; it's about the improvement of people's lives." Clearly this is not the environment that we are in today.

I believe that the far Right has recognized this and it's Tea Party is a movement that feeds off the frustration that people have in mistrusting the government. Troubling is that the feeding of mistrust has burned from raw emotion and does not rely on much fact.

The far Left, on the other hand, is reeling in bitterness over helping to elect a President and Congress that may only slightly better than its predecessor on important issues. The left is not short on emotion either, but does value good information to make decisions from.

In following the debate on health care reform, it has become imminently clear that a world-class health care program for those without access will not happen and it is not because of demand or good information, it is because of ham-fisted politics. As long as those interests who fund campaigns and write legislation continue to hold sway, it does not matter which party is in power.

On this, the eve of Martin Luther King's birthday, I have a new dream. I dream of a multiparty democracy where no two parties can accomplish their will without collaboration from a third and/or fourth party. Said differently, it is in the national interest of this country to end our dependency on the two party system.

I have a dream that our children and grandchildren will support candidates from the Green Party and Socialist Party, as others support Natural Law or Libertarian candidates. I may not be there to see it with you, but I'd look forward to the seeds being sown in my lifetime.

I have a dream that a Green President will have to negotiate with a Republican/Libertarian majority House, and a Democratic/Socialist majority Senate.

My guess is it will create a challenging environment to get the People's business done, but I also believe that better legislation will come out of it. I also believe that people who have a genuine commitment to public service will step up and true progress can be made.

I look forward when the character of one's soul holds more sway than the letter on the person's voter's registration card. If we can arrive at a place where we can deal with our problems in ways that benefit people, we will be, in the word's of the spiritual, "Free at last, free at last..."

Krause, Fiegan, and Conlin: Grassley Challengers

To the point that Roxanne Conlin entered the race to be the Democratic U.S. Senate candidate, scarcely a peep had been made by the state's newspapers about the two other candidates running for the Democratic nomination. Bob Krause and Tom Fiegan have been pounding the pavement furiously trying to shore up support ahead of the June primary for months.

To be sure, neither Fiegan nor Krause are as well-known candidates as Conlin who is best known for being defeated in her run for Governor in 1982. And neither are women, which brings excitement to a core constituency, particularly as Iowans have not seen fit to elect a qualified female to Congress--ever. And, if you saw Rekha Basu's column in the Des Moines Register, Conlin has a compelling personal story. Still, since there is so much time to learn about each of the candidates and how they would represent Iowans, it is worth the investment.

For instance Bob Krause was one of the youngest elected members of the Iowa House. He is the only candidate calling for a draw down in Afghanistan. He ran unsuccessfully for State Treasurer and he served in the Transportation Dept. under Jimmy Carter.

Tom Fiegan, a former State Senator who hails from Clarence, is running because "based on my 21 years as a bankruptcy lawyer and an economics professor, I believe we need to do something positive to create a job for everyone who wants to work, provide healthcare for those without, and outlaw the type of financial piracy that got us into this mess in the first place." Fieganomics, as he calls his plans to improve the economy for Iowans calls for using federal monies to lead to full employment, universal health care, and "banning financial piracy on an individual and national level."

Roxanne Conlin's bona fides include currently running her own law firm (she graduated from the Drake Law School in addition to acquiring a Masters degree in Public Administration), serving as the Assistant Attorney General for the Southern District of Iowa, and being the first woman to serve as president of the AAJA (formerly the American Trial Lawyer's Association). She also tried the very 1st Iowa Civil Rights Act in 1969 and was the state chair of the Democratic party. She is running against the special interests and career politicians that run Washington and to help small businesses, creating jobs through alternative energy.

I'll be adding issue comparison's about each candidates in the coming weeks.

Stimulus Monies Shore Up Safety Net on Iowa's Medicaid Recipients

The Iowa Policy Project reports that the stimulus monies used for Medicaid in Iowa have been paying dividends. For every $1 that the state puts in, $1.70 is matched by the Federal government. The ARRA legislation includes certain “triggers” built in for the extra FMAP percentage increases, based on changes in state unemployment rates. Note that as more people have become unemployed that there is a proportional increase in Medicaid enrollment. When Iowa’s three-month average unemployment rate topped 5.2 percent in April, May and June 2009, the state qualified for an additional FMAP increase of about 1.9 percent, bringing the total Federal Matching Assistance Percentage to nearly 71 percent. Due to this raised matching rate, the federal government contributes about $2.42 for every dollar Iowa spends on Medicaid through October 2011.

Here are some interesting factoids about Medicaid courtesy of the IPP

Medicaid: Iowa’s Health Care
Safety Net
 In May 2009, Medicaid
provided essential health
care coverage for 410,857
state residents, or nearly 1
in 7 Iowans.

 Between October 2007 and
May 2009, Iowa’s Medicaid
enrollment increased by 13
percent. Children make up
the fastest growing
population of Medicaid
enrollees.

 54 percent of Iowa’s
Medicaid recipients are
children, a total enrollment
of 221,863 in May 2009.
However children
accounted for only 17
percent of Medicaid
expenditures in 2008.

 Elderly and disabled
populations together
comprise about 30 percent
of recipients, but account for
nearly 72 percent of
Medicaid expenditures.
This is largely due to the
high cost of prescription
drugs, home-based and
community-based services,
and nursing home care.

Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Truth

If happiness is so valuable (as our founders apparently felt it was to put it in the Declaration of Independence), it must be because it allows us to seek our truths. This is a good thing as long as these truths include facts, as well as feelings. One of the main reasons I began to blog was because I always felt that facts needed to be brought into arguments where feelings and emotions tended to get in the way of making good decisions.

Here are three issues where facts and feelings have gotten muddied: education, health care, and public safety. I've written a fair amount about health care as of late and was mostly pleased to see the President take a measured approach to making his pitch for 95% or "near universal" health care. I was surprised, as I imagine most Americans were to hear Rep. Joe Wilson shout "You lie" when the President was speaking about his conviction that his plan would not cover illegal immigrants to both Houses last night.

Throughout the summer recess a lot of lies have been spread about health care or more accurately health insurance reform. There is no need for me to rehash these. However, it seems to me that now that the planks of Obama's plan are outlined, a reasonable discussion of the facts should help to make a change to our broken system, allow most people to have basic care, and to reduce the long-term overall costs of health care. Again, the devil is always in the details (as members of the Houses reflected in their chuckling at the President's acknowledgment of this fact).

Ultimately, any change comes with compromise and consultation. In reflecting on a couple of issues that are going on in my community about education reform and neighborhood safety reform, it is clear that facts need to be weighed so that good decisions can be made.

With regard to the outcome of the school board election where the message seemed to be fix what is broken in an equitable, transparent fashion, the first order of business should be the naming a new school board president. Given the contentious nature of the meetings and public hearings, it is clear that the board will benefit from having a new voice as it's tacit leader. The next leader should have a consensus building ability and the patience to weigh both the facts presented in public input with those of consultants about redistricting, the Roosevelt repurposing issue and additional school facilities, and balancing the school's budget. The new leader should also have the independence to question the school superintendent and staff's recommendations.

With regard to the southeast Iowa City residents' concerns regarding the safety of their neighborhood, it would be good to balance the facts of crime statistics with the factual efforts of neighbors work amongst themselves to come up with solutions that aid community building. I readily agree and support that city resources should be made available to the residents in the area to improve conditions there, e.g., like making inclusionary zoning a mandatory tool to spread low-income housing out better in the city and police to respond to complaints. However, I disagree that additional laws are needed to deal with the safety concerns, as they can have a chilling effect on overall relations and exacerbate the wound that has been festering due to a lack of understanding and respect between members in that part of the community.

Just as Congress was waiting for the President to offer his calculated plan, the city should wait for the community to offer its plan for improving relations. To parents in the school district who are concerned about how schools will be affected by school district decisions, come up with a plan.

Feelings are easy, truth is harder to find. Fact finding is essential and collaboration key to solutions that work. Who knows, it might even lead to happiness or at the least "to form a more perfect Union."

Dining Room Tables, Democracy, and Health Care Reform

Unless you have been comatose, no doubt you have heard about Massachusett's Congressman Barney Frank's retorts to a woman at one of his townhall meetings about health care reform. The woman, who was holding a sign that was doctored to depict President Obama as Hitler, asked "Why do you continue to support a Nazi policy as Obama has expressly supported this policy? Why are you supporting it?" He said, "When you ask me that question? I am going to revert to my ethnic heritage and answer your question with a question. On what planet do you spend most of your time?" After being momentarily stopped, the woman continued her line of questioning and the Congressman, in sincerity said, "Ma'am, trying to have a conversation with you would be like trying to argue with a dining room table. I have no interest in doing it."

And it is a shame when two people, whether it is a Congressman or a constituent, resort to belittling. It is more so a shame when there is no real dialogue going on.

The town hall meeting in Iowa City this Saturday was not nearly vitriolic, but there were a number of people who were clearly not there to listen, but to engage in political theater. Two rows in front of me were two men, one sporting an American flag ball cap and the other wearing a union t-shirt, who engaged each other. The fellow in the ball was booing 2nd District Congressman Dave Loebsack's response to a question asked by an audience member and the fellow in the union t-shirt asked him to keep it down. The other fellow glared red-faced at the union fellow and asked him if he was going to make him. Fortunately a Loebsack staffer walked toward them and they settled into an uneasy truce.

For those who were there to listen and learn, it was no doubt troubling to them to watch normally civil people get bent out of shape over health care reform that may or may not happen and certainly will change as the kinks are worked out. How can anyone know what the plan is unless they actually have read it (and at the size of a phone book, that's not an easy read) or if they come to the townhall meeting to get the synopsis and have the chance to have their questions answered? Congressman Loebsack was quite willing to address questions, but also was encouraging of people to preface their questions with their feelings--an invitation that would be taken advantage of throughout the hour plus meeting.

While Congressmen and Senators are trying to do their jobs to help their constituents to understand what the bill actually is, it does not help that some on both sides resort to out and out lies about what the House bill is about. The Senate will have to forward its own bill (which will likely have its own problems for those who are fighting for or against a public option) and the two houses will have to recouncil the two bills before it goes to the President. If anybody should be pounding the pavement to try to hear what concerns their constituents, it is the Senators and they should not be making pronouncements about "Grandma" and her state of being. They should be genuinely having dining room table conversations about what it is that is scaring their constituents about their health care and then take this back to Washington to write legislation around.

Perhaps if the theater could be scaled back and real people's concerns could be addressed, we could end up with health care reform that is healthy.

Key Democrat Throwing the Towel on Public Option for Health Care Reform

According to CNN, Democratic Sen. Kent Conrad of North Dakota there are not enough votes in the Senate to put the public option on the table and "it was futile to continue to "chase that rabbit" due to the lack of 60 Senate votes needed to overcome a filibuster."

"The fact of the matter is there are not the votes in the United States Senate for a public option. There never have been," Conrad said on "Fox News Sunday."

His comment signaled a shift in the health care debate, with Obama and senior advisers softening their support for a public option by saying final form of the legislation is less important than the principle of affordable coverage available to all.

The question everybody should have when they attend a town hall meeting from now on is: if everybody is required to have insurance, who will insure that it is affordable?

The normal free market model tends to low ball costs to lure people to join a program hoping to drive other competitors out of the market and then up costs when there is no reasonable viable option to the consumer. I would like any Senator or President Obama to explain how they will prevent that from happening, if there is no public option or watchdog/oversight.

What if private insurers, like they have been alleged and known to do, collude with each other. The government hasn't enacted Taft-Hartley Act in a bazillion years. What tough measures will be in place and who will guard the guard, since many times agencies are stocked with veterans and lobbyists from the industries they are supposed to watchdog.

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• Time For REASONABLE Voices (deepbraindiary.com)
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It Takes a Nation of Millions to Get Important Things Done

With the national unemployment rate reported at 8.3% and states like California, Oregon, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Michigan in the 10%+ category, are we moving beyond the realm of recession? If history tells us anything, during the great Depression, the national unemployment rate in 1930 climbed from 3.2 to 8.7 percent. By 1931, the unemployment rate went to 15.9% and by 1933, it rose to 24.9%.

The better news for us is that many of the safety nets in the securities and banking industry were installed as a result of the earlier depression. It is important to say that statistics lag behind reality so it is likely we will see poorer employment and GNP numbers before they go the other way. The one thing that is for sure is that job creation should be our number one priority and those jobs should be in the sectors that enhance human and structural infrastructure, reduce oil dependency, and reduce our carbon footprint.

Regardless of the economy of today, the bigger picture tells us that we need to change our business models to reflect the state of the world as it is and as it will be. Stabilizing banks and the auto industry without a thought of where the economy should go is short-sighted. With all of our taxes being gambled, the least that the government should do is demand that the money be utilized in the development of the next economic engines, e.g., electric or other alternative fuel vehicles, mass transportation, wind and solar power and improvements to the electric grids.

Money should also be invested in a nationally-networked health care system to which everyone has access. As long as health costs are keeping businesses at all levels from investing in research and development, job creation will be difficult to sustain.

Also, we need to move away from and "us and them" mentality when it comes to jobs. I have long been a supporter of unions, but I recognize that perhaps more could be done for the quality of life for workers of this country if liveable wage legislation were the tool for getting there. Then the time spent by management and workers could be focused on developing needed high quality products and services.

Finally education needs retuning. As long as we don't acknowledge that public education has a multi-purposed agenda: to have a highly literate, skilled workforce, to blend cultures to develop equity, and to form social tolerance through shared experience. However, what is lost in the picture is that schools of today must be more focused on the task of fundamental education at the lower levels and vocational preparation at the higher levels. Ultimately local school boards and workforce/economic planners should be engaged to have curricula that stress the practical as well as the intellectual needs of its community.

In these topsy-turvy times, we can choose to see our future as one where the sky is falling or we can see it as things are looking up. The one thing that is certain is that the rules of the game are changing and we need to look forward for the answers and we need everyone to pull in the same direction.

Sebelius a Good Second Choice

As much as I personally wanted Gov. Howard Dean to be appointed to the Secretary of health and Human Services post, Gov. Kathleen Sebelius is a solid choice for two very good reasons. President Obama needs a nominee that won't embarass him by having some dark cloud hanging over his/her head and by all accounts Gov. Sebelius is as baggage free as they come. Secondly, she is well-liked by President Obama and has valuable experience to push his important health care agenda.

She is best known to the party faithful for the Democratic response to former President George W. Bush's last State of the Union address--which went marginally better than Gov. Bobby Jindal's and likely caused her name to fall off the list for VP candidates--nonetheless, she has been a popular Democratic governor in a state that Republican-dominated. She also brings a breadth of experience as she served as Kansas' Insurance Commissioner before she ran for Governor.

In that capacity, according to CQ Politics:

Sebelius walked the line between government regulation and a free market. “Competitive markets and solvent businesses and having people feel good about doing business in the state is not only good for industry, but for consumers, since it leads to better rates and services.”

And she also pushed to eliminate duplicate or cumbersome regulations. “What we’re trying to pull off is a balancing act between being effective protectors for the consumers of this country and not having lots of regulations and laws in place that impede the market,” she said in 2001.

In 2005, she won an $85 million increase in Medicaid dollars for the state, boosting doctors’ pay for the first time in a decade. “The payments are still low, but it certainly helped shore up the safety net system,” said Barnett.

She has called for universal health care, a major theme for Democrats during the 2008 presidential campaign. “We must commit ourselves to universal coverage, improved quality of care, and increased affordability,” she said in her Jan. 10, 2007 state of the state address. It was not enacted.

There is praise in Kansas for her bipartisan approach, a theme Obama has emphasized.

“When you’re a Democrat in Kansas, you get nothing done if you’re not bipartisan—it’s the nature of the beast,” said Neufeld.

Any Obama health overhaul plan likely will demand sacrifices from the health insurance industry, which Sebelius knows well from her time as state insurance commissioner from 1994 to 2002.

She already has fought one major battle with the health insurance industry, at the state level, conducted during her gubernatorial election campaign. In 2001, Indiana-based health insurer Anthem announced it would buy Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas. Unlike private, for-profit health insurers, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas is owned by its state policy holders.

Though Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas’ members approved the sale to Anthem, Sebelius used her power as insurance commissioner to block the move, taking the fight all the way to the state supreme court, where she eventually prevailed.

As recently as last Tuesday, Sebelius signed into law a bill that reduced the Kansas budget by about $300 million to address a $6.4 billion deficit, but the legislation in large part avoided reductions in spending for health care programs, such as Medicaid. With the need for health care coverage for all increasing, Sebelius will be a position to push Obama's agenda with credibility.

Condolences to Senator Dick Durbin and His Family

Illinois senior Senator Dick Durbin's 40 year-old daughter, Chris, died yestersday after years of battling congenital heart disease. Chris Durbin worked for 16 years for the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Washington in the emerging markets division. She lived with her husband, Marty Johnson and son Alex in a suburb of Washington.

Senator Durbin has been a long time fighter for health care issues. Among his health care achievements, Durbin has worked successfully for increased federal funding to prevent childhood asthma, increase immunizations and expand medical research. He has successfully fought to increase the share of federal funding dedicated to combating AIDS worldwide. He has also been a leader in promoting organ and tissue donation. In the spring of 2004, Durbin put forth a plan to give small businesses affordable choices among private health insurance plans and expand access to coverage for their employees.

Health Care: The Issue for 2008

American workers are by in large less entrepreneurial than other western countries and one reason may be health care costs.

In 2006, employer health insurance premiums increased by 7.7 percent – two times the rate of inflation. According to the National Coalition on Health Care, the annual premium for an employer health plan covering a family of four averaged nearly $11,500. The annual premium for single coverage averaged over $4,200.

Imagine trying to afford to run a $100,000 business where, if you had a family of four, no less than 11.5% of your gross income would need to be set aside for insuring your family's health.

I believe the wedge issue for the Democrats will be Health Care simply because the Republicans 1) Don't have plans that are workable: Health Savings Accounts, are fine if you are in the top 35% of income earners, but for most people, they are undoable (you can't save money you haven't got). 2) defy their base to discuss anything but "free market" solutions.

The middle of America is ready for universal health care, the Republicans and the health care lobby will use considerable resources to tell us we are giving in to the "nanny state" to get it. But when you consider that our elderly, and our uninsured young get better care than most of us, I think we are foolish to keep doing what has largely been to our nation's detriment.

Health Has No Fury

On the light side...sort of...my sincere thanks to P-C opinion page editor Jeff Charis-Carlson for his editing prowess.

Health Has No Fury (Today's Poetic License)

Billions on anti-depressants each year get spent.
So what in the world's making us a "Prozac Nation"?
(Well, OK ... there's climate change, a war without end,
an energy crisis and the Prez's secretive administration.)

Still didn't one of our greatest presidents propose,
"The only thing we have to fear is fear itself?"
Things on earth could be worse, I suppose,
And, if nothing else, at least I have my health!

But speaking of health, there's been a delay.
Michael Moore's movie "Sicko" has yet to hit town.
Is there some hidden agenda at play?
Or just not enough copies to go around?

Regardless, I worry for the 47 million of those
folks who need health insurance badly.
Because whenever "Sicko" comes, and long after it goes,
The uninsured will still be left without any -- sadly.

Maybe Wellmark should flout its university cynics --
those nonbelievers at the UI College of Public Health --
by offering $15 million to Iowa's free medical clinics.
That'll prove they're only out to help share the wealth.

Iowa A Progressive Star State

State Senator Joe Bolkcom's Networker reports:

On June 14th, Progressive States Network and the Center for American Progress Action Fund hosted a panel in Washington, D.C to highlight the series of progressive victories being won in states across the country. I was invited to participate in a panel along with legislators from Maryland and Washington to discuss our Iowa legislative accomplishments.

I reviewed our accomplishments addressing climate change and energy policy as well as reviewed a series of other progressive accomplishments of the General Assembly and Governor Culver.

Iowa was one of six states that received a Star State designation. The report can be seen at Progressive States Network.

A long time ago, (April) I was also invited to participate in the Progressive States Network Gala. See a YouTube video of my comments at the Gala at YouTube Video.

Also check out this link if you wonder what folks like Joe are doing about health care.

It's Depressing!

The most prescribed drugs by doctors, according to a new U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study are anti-depressants. The US CDC looked at 2.4 billion drugs prescribed in 1.2 billion visits to 352 hospitals and about 1,200 physicians throughout 2005.

118 million of the prescriptions were for antidepressants or roughly 5% of all drugs prescribed. This number is equivalent to 39.5% of the entire US population being on anti-depressants at any given time.

High blood pressure medications followed at 113 million and arthritis or headache drugs were mentioned in 110 million patient records.

The study also found that hospital and doctor visits have surged 20% in the past five years.

The full CDC report is available online at http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/as/ad388.pdf.

With fear and anxiety seemingly at an all time high, should any of us really be surprised?

Edwards Looking for Union Label To Help Campaign

The Press-Citizen reports:

Labor unions will play a key part in expanding the American middle class, Democratic presidential hopeful John Edwards said Saturday.

“If we want to strengthen and grow the middle class, … the organized labor component is critical for that,” said Edwards, a former senator from North Carolina.

The comments, part of a 15-minute address before about 75 state union leaders, came at the Iowa Change to Win conference Saturday at Northwest Junior High. The conference was a meeting for a consortium of seven labor unions.

Edwards, who later spoke at a town hall meeting at the Johnson County Fairgrounds and appeared without wife Elizabeth Edwards, said labor unions provided workers a voice in the workplace. He advocated for the banning of the hiring of permanent replacements for striking workers and said workers should be able to unionize without opposition from businesses.

“If anybody can join the Republican Party by signing a card, I think anybody should be able to join a labor union in the same way,” he said to applause.

He also pushed for his universal health care plan, which he said would be paid for by revoking tax cuts President Bush pushed through in 2002. He said health care coverage was needed for workers to get the pay and benefits they seek in negotiations. More from the Press-Citizen

Iowa Outlook: Relatively Healthy

Iowa is doing very well compared to other states in keeping people healthy the Commonwealth Fund's State Scorecard shows. It also points out that the US can do a whole lot better. Go to their website for the full story or check out this article in the Gazette.

Emergency funds Found to Save CHIP (HAWK-I) in Iowa

Good Job Dave!

From Rapid Response Iowa--Ironic that it takes an "emergency" to fund basic health insurance for kids while it is "necessary" to fund a war.

Rep. Loebsack, Local State Officials, HACAP Officials and Local Families Announce Federal Funding Will Save Children's Health Insurance in FY 2007

Emergency Federal Funding Will Fix HAWK-I Shortfall, Thousands of Children Will Keep Health Insurance

Cedar Rapids, IA - Today Congressman Dave Loebsack (IA-02) was joined by local elected officials, Hawkeye Area Community Action Program (HACAP) officials and local families to announce Iowa will receive emergency federal funding to eliminate the FY 2007 funding shortfall for the state children's health insurance program. As a result of this emergency funding, The Health and Well Kids in Iowa (HAWK-I) program which provides health insurance to over 30,000 low-income children, will not have to eliminate or reduce health care coverage to the thousands of children they serve.

"I am pleased to announce today that no child currently covered by the HAWK-I Program will lose their health insurance for the remainder of the year because we were able to secure this emergency federal funding," said Congressman Loebsack. "We are all here today because we agree there is a moral obligation to protect and nurture our children and provide them with every opportunity to succeed. The foundation of this promise is ensuring every child receive proper healthcare."

The HAWK-I Program is a low-cost or no-cost health insurance program for low-income children. Benefits include doctor's visits, eyeglasses, vaccinations, prescription drugs and other critical services. Because of a funding shortfall that was left unresolved by the previous Congress, almost 16,000 low-income children in Iowa were in danger of loosing their coverage for the reminder of 2007.

In addition to securing the emergency funding necessary for the HAWK-I program to continue operating at current levels for the rest of 2007, Congress is working on greatly increasing funding for all state children's health insurance programs starting in 2008. If this increase is included in the final appropriations bill and signed into law, Iowa will receive approximately $373.3 million in new federal funds for the HAWK-I program over the next five years. This significant increase will allow Iowa to expand health coverage to include many of our state's still uninsured children.

Michael Moore is a "Sicko"

Go here and see a preview of his film about health care in America. It should stir up some conversation