Democrats vow cheaper drugs, higher minimum wage(radio address)

[cal04]

New Direction for America' includes tuition tax breaks
If they retake control of Congress, Democrats will act quickly to increase the minimum wage, lower prescription drug costs and slash interest rates on student loans, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said Saturday.

The ideas are part of the Democrats' new domestic agenda, named "New Direction for America," which the party rolled out during the past week. Pelosi, D-California, promoted the plan in the Saturday radio address.

"A new direction means expanding access to affordable health care for Americans. We will begin by lowering the cost of prescription drugs by putting seniors ahead of pharmaceutical companies and HMOs," Pelosi said.

"A new direction means broadening opportunity by addressing the soaring costs of higher education. We will begin by making tuition tax-deductible and cutting the interest rates of student loans in half."



http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/06/17/dems.radio.ap/in...

[BOSSHOG]

1. And why would middle class bush supporters oppose this?

[BayCityProgressive]

3. you would be surprised

my Partner's entire family is republican. They all are supporting Devos for governor of Michigan. His mom is an IT Manager at a hospital and makes about 70k a yr. His sister and brother in law are state cops. The cops are pissed at Granholm and want her gone. This family even though they are middle class, side against unions, against minimum wages, environmental laws ect. They do now oppose the war and want out. Many Many middle class people do not like liberal ideas and think someday they are going to be rich. Even now, this family will probably pull the GOP lever. That is why I am not holding a lot of hope out for November.

[BiggJawn]

5. You hit the nail right on the head.

"...and think someday they are going to be rich. "

Cargo-Cult ReTHUGlicans. They worship at the Church of the Mysteries of the Holy Trickle-Down and believe AM Hate Radio when the shills tell them "Just keep those LIBERALS out of office and you'll protect your future fortune!"

[aquart]

8. They'll get pie in the sky when they die.

[nealmhughes]

18. Indeed, the myth that so many are middle class is amusing.

What a great plotline for a novel or a political system.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

2. If the brain dead government would tell the seniors just how

important micronutrition is at their ages, they could reduce the number of prescription drugs by 50%. This is a no brainer, but again, it is about who is contributing to whom... and no, I don't mean Centrum Silver is an answer to anything, much less preventing the progression of disease.


http://www.fisherinstitute.org/drreg.htm
Dr. Mackel has set up a series of meetings with leadership of the European Union Health Sector located in Brussels. The potential for micronutrition to reverse objective biomarkers associated with the disabilities of aging and reduce the costs of public health expenditures by prevention of disease in the elderly will be stressed. This is a major and growing government expenditure for all the Western Democracies and the projections for the future are dire. Massive use of micronutrition offers an alternative to improve the health for all ages at a major reduction in costs borne by the public sector.

[pooja]

9. Healthcare would be cut drastically if there were reductions in price for

people who take their health seriously. All it takes is a nice walk everyday. Stroll with the family after dinner. Go to the park and play with the kids on the playground.. Munch on berries and fruits for that sweet rush. Reserve the cakes and cookies for birthdays and christmas, not every day after school... But its america, the right to the ever expanding waiste line and the diabetes and heart disease that follows it.

[BiggJawn]

4. Increasing the Minimum Wage to seven and change an hour...

Would bring it up in buying power to 1983's 3 bucks and change.

Now, businesspeople were doing OK back in the Ray-Gun era ("I did just fuckin' GREAT under Reagan, I dunno what YOUR problem was " is how I always heard it) paying their help $3.35. WHY, since the same rising tide (inflation) is supposed to float all boats equally, can't Capital afford bringing their serfs up to parity so they can enjoy the same ability to barely pay their bills that *I* did back in the mid-80's? Surely their profit margin is as great as it was in 1983...

[woo me with science]

6. lol cheaper drugs. nt

[aquart]

7. "Expanding access to affordable health care"????

Now there's a worthless, gutless, piecemeal, gerry-rigged position.

In other words, no change, just a few fixes.

[SoCalDem]

13. We have always had ACCESS.. but access without MONEY is nothing

Ordinary working people have too many claims of their paychecks already. What's NEEDED is a national health care SYSTEM.. Medicare should be available to all US citizens..not just the elderly, and it should be affordable.. We claim to be the richest country on the planet, so there is NO reason why we should not have a system like Canada's..On steroids

College should be included in the "free public education" system (for B student or better)..greatly reduced prices for C students.. (people who get Ds or less probably aren't interested anyway)

We need a "Moon-shot" mentality towards mass transit too. Removing millions of people's dependency on individual cars would go a long was towards curiing traffic problems and fuel waste.

We need plain-talking politicians who mean what they say, and DO what they promise..

Until corporate lobbyists are outlawed nothing will happen though..

[badgervan]

10. Forgot Something.....

Any list of dem positions should have: 1. Iraq 2. Iraq 3. Iraq
Pelosi and Reid, although well meaning, are killing us. We need spokesfolk who are sharp, speak with passion, and are not afraid to get mad as hell and tell it like it is.... not to mention, being able to stand up to bush/cheney/rove, and call a lie a lie. We need a Paul Hackett type in front of the cameras - badly.
We desperately need dem spokesmen and women are can INSPIRE!

[Warren Stupidity]

15. Exactly.

[thethinker]

11. Why can't they show some guts

we need National Health care instead of war.

We have spent enough on war to pay for it.

Every one needs this - the employers, the employees, the unemployed.

[lovuian]

12. CHeaper drugs LOL!!! Try Universal Health democrats

I really wonder what planet they are on sometimes???

[Warren Stupidity]

16. Planet Corporate Corruption. nt.

[Warren Stupidity]

14. Very nice but

The Democratic Party ought to also be demanding an immediate end to a bad war.

[sweetheart]

17. incrementalism

Are they selling this to corporations or citizens?