General Meeting, April 13, 2009

Written by: Herb Best on Apr 20, 2009 5:00 PM EDT

Linked to groups: Hanover Township Democrats & Independents (HanDI)

HanDI General Meeting Minutes

April 13, 2009

The meeting was called to order at 7:17 PM by Trudy Zaja.  

Present were:

Maureen Stabile                                    Debbie Caruso

Linda Best                                            Nazneen Hashmi

Herb Best                                             Trudy Zaja

R Paddy Padmanabhan

Guests

Jessica Palys

Greg Brownfield

Prior to the call to order, general discussion was about the local election of April 7, 2009.  Trudy read comments about turnout from the Daily Herald that remarked that while people may not have voted, it did not prevent them from complaining.  It was further observed that this election offered the voter a chance to influence those officials that had a local voice in their local taxes, including property taxes.

Approval of the minutes for February and March general meetings were tabled for the May 11 general meeting.

(I would like to thank Debbie Caruso and Linda Best for their notes and reports for the period of time when I was incapacitated the last several weeks.)

Linda Best gave the quarterly Treasurer Report, reporting that HanDI has  a $149.20 balance in the account, up from $28 in the last report.  The major expense has been for the room rental at Park Place.  This expense should be eliminated when meetings are moved to the newly renovated Poplar Library.  An increase of 7 members also increased the money in our treasury, but these may reflect candidates’ contributions.

The Treasurer’s report was approved by voice vote.

There was a discussion of the Candidates Forum, jointly sponsored by the Streamwood Chamber of Commerce and HanDI.  Suggestions included one that close-ups of the candidates in photographs would have been better for publicity and the need for more copies of the agenda for the general audience.  There was also mention of the need to avoid members of the audience, including candidates, standing at the side and back rather than sitting down.

Jessica Palys and Health Care Reform

Jessica Palys has been a member of Citizen Action/Illinois, which has led efforts to end our military involvement in Iraq, political reform, and other progressive movements.  Currently, she is leading the effort in Illinois to reform American health care with the group Health Care for America NOW (H-CAN).  

H-CAN is an alliance of 800 organizations and 30 million Americans.  Nearly 200 Congressman have indicated their support, including many Illinois Congressional representatives and Senators Durbin and Burris.  Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid also support this initiative.  President Obama and Raul Emanuel at the executive level have indicated support.

The push is to end the roadblock of preexisting conditions and, coverage all Americans can afford with a choice between private and government health care insurance.

Jessica led a freewheeling discussion of H-CAN’s effort to mobilize citizens to get Congress and the President to act in the next 120 days to ensure that every American has access to affordable and adequate health care.  

She pointed out that the Health Care Industry has funded a counter movement at $100 million to protect itself from massive restructuring of American health care.  Essentially, their campaign offers a plan to ensure a continuation of their profit-making.

1.  The insurance companies would eliminate such restrictions as preexisting conditions that effectively "disinsure".

2.  The federal government would insure all that couldn’t afford health care now.

3.  People at the 100-400 percent poverty level would be granted government subsidies so they would be able to buy health insurance.

4.  Americans below this income level would continue to rely on the current health care insurance.

Such “reforms” would protect insurance companies from losing the golden goose of such profits of 20% as reported for Aetna by Jessica as well as such exorbitant CEO compensations as an average of $8.75 million a year.  They would continue a lucrative business while government would provide the uninsured with the guarantee of health insurance.  Their profits would be protected while the American taxpayer would essentially protect their profits and protect them from the more likely to need insurance.  Currently, the health insurance industry does everything to reduce their costs through denying the coverage they claim to provide.  This is done through such as denying coverage through claiming preexisting conditions, time limits, failure to inform, noncompliance with following procedures, etc.

Currently, hospitals are absorbing the cost of providing health care for the uninsured at a rate of $400 BILLION a year.  (The cost is passed on to the consumer.)

Jessica said that H-CAN wanted to establish a government offered health care insurance similar to the one Herb identified as similar to that offered by John Kerry in 2004.  This would be one that extended Medicare to all citizens.  It would not replace private insurance plans; it would simply be offered as a choice to all Americans.  They could continue their private insurance, but it would be available to any American.

The beauty of such a system is that it would not be mandatory; so, those who might object claiming it is socialized medicine would simply be told that you didn’t have to give up your previous insurance.  

Jessica concluded by reminding all that our voices are needed to pressure our representatives locally and nationally.  One such “reminder” is the rally scheduled for April 18 at 11 AM to 1 PM at St. Augustine College in Chicago.

Interspersed with Jessica’s remarks were various personal stories of the problems with private health insurance.

Greg told of his daughter’s broken leg that needed extensive care and the need to satisfy insurance provisions that there would not be too many doctors involved in the necessary procedures to insure proper recovery without complications.

As the meeting disbanded, Paddy remarked that such a discussion would never have come up in Canada where he lived for 8 years.  Canada has universal health care.  Australia does have screening of incoming visitors and immigrants, but after screening

Trudy wondered why businesses have not been more vocal in support of health care reform since it would seem to be in their best interests.  Jessica responded by saying that they have been, especially small businesses.

Debbie cited two cases, one where two older people were advised to divorce to retain health under Medicare.  Another involved a couple who had a child; but, because they were unmarried the woman could not receive coverage from her domestic partner and the child could.

Herb cited a circumstance where his son’s ambulance ride was not covered by his insurance because of a technicality.  Later, he refused emergency care for himself until he could be sure that it would be covered by his insurance.

As the meeting ended, Jessica repeated the need for people to demonstrate support for health reform through attendance at a rally on Saturday from 11 AM to 1 PM at St. Augustine College in Chicago.

Last minute reminders:

*   Town Hall Meeting with Noland and Farnham April 14 from 7 to 8 PM at Carpentersville Village Hall, 1200 W. Besinger Drive, Carpentersville

*  Rally for Real Health Care Reform April 18 from 11 AM to 1 PM, St. Augustine College, 1345 W. Argyle in Chicago

*  Northwest Suburban Women Democrats sponsoring basic information about running for office April 19, April 26, and May 2 from 9:45 AM to noon at Kenneth Young Center, 1001 Rohlwing  Road, Elk Grove Village 

*  Art Appreciation Around the World April 25 from 1 PM to 5 PM at Streamwood Village Hall, 301 E. Irving Park Road, Streamwood

*  “Date Night” (Come for the Food; Stay for the Movie; Enjoy a night out with your HanDI Friends) starting at 6 PM at Linda and Herb Best’s, 203 Plymouth Drive, Streamwood  (RSVP, 630 830-3345 or lmbest@wowway.com)

Respectfully submitted,

Herb Best, Secretary

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