Received an email from my senator (Brownback) regarding Obama's healthcare proposal...

[KansDem]

The usual GOP talking points, but this paragraph angered me:

In Europe, we have seen how socialized medicine has failed. Long waiting lines and inefficiency plague hospitals; doctors are essentially government employees; and there is no incentive for innovation or new medical technology. Consequently, the U.S. is the leader in medical technology, and has some of the most efficient and well run hospitals in the world. This would not be the case if government takes over health care. My specific concern is the creation of new government-run health insurance plan. According to a recent report, creating a new government-run health plan would cause an estimated 70% of people with private insurance - 120 million Americans - to be dropped and forced onto the government-run plan, where coverage for treatments and other life-or-death decisions would be dictated by the federal government.

I wrote him back:

Dear Senator Brownback,

I read with amusement your assessment of President Obama's proposal on healthcare.

I must disagree with your statement: "In Europe, we have seen how socialized medicine has failed." European "socialized medicine" has not failed. I've lived there and know colleagues who continue to live there: US "health care" is the laughing stock of industrialized nations. Recently, the WHO ranked the United States as "37th" in quality of health care:

1 France
2 Italy
3 San Marino
4 Andorra
5 Malta
6 Singapore
7 Spain
8 Oman
9 Austria
10 Japan
11 Norway
12 Portugal
13 Monaco
14 Greece
15 Iceland
16 Luxembourg
17 Netherlands
18 United Kingdom
19 Ireland
20 Switzerland
21 Belgium
22 Colombia
23 Sweden
24 Cyprus
25 Germany
26 Saudi Arabia
27 United Arab Emirates
28 Israel
29 Morocco
30 Canada
31 Finland
32 Australia
33 Chile
34 Denmark
35 Dominica
36 Costa Rica
37 United States of America
38 Slovenia
39 Cuba
40 Brunei
41 New Zealand
42 Bahrain
43 Croatia
44 Qatar
45 Kuwait
46 Barbados
47 Thailand
48 Czech Republic
49 Malaysia
50 Poland
51 Dominican Republic
52 Tunisia
53 Jamaica
54 Venezuela
55 Albania
56 Seychelles
57 Paraguay
58 South Korea
59 Senegal
60 Philippines
61 Mexico
62 Slovakia
63 Egypt
64 Kazakhstan
65 Uruguay
66 Hungary
67 Trinidad and Tobago
68 Saint Lucia
69 Belize
70 Turkey
71 Nicaragua
72 Belarus
73 Lithuania
74 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
75 Argentina
76 Sri Lanka
77 Estonia
78 Guatemala
79 Ukraine
80 Solomon Islands
81 Algeria
82 Palau
83 Jordan
84 Mauritius
85 Grenada
86 Antigua and Barbuda
87 Libya
88 Bangladesh
89 Macedonia
90 Bosnia-Herzegovina
91 Lebanon
92 Indonesia
93 Iran
94 Bahamas
95 Panama
96 Fiji
97 Benin
98 Nauru
99 Romania
100 Saint Kitts and Nevis
101 Moldova
102 Bulgaria
103 Iraq
104 Armenia
105 Latvia
106 Yugoslavia
107 Cook Islands
108 Syria
109 Azerbaijan
110 Suriname
111 Ecuador
112 India
113 Cape Verde
114 Georgia
115 El Salvador
116 Tonga
117 Uzbekistan
118 Comoros
119 Samoa
120 Yemen
121 Niue
122 Pakistan
123 Micronesia
124 Bhutan
125 Brazil
126 Bolivia
127 Vanuatu
128 Guyana
129 Peru
130 Russia
131 Honduras
132 Burkina Faso
133 Sao Tome and Principe
134 Sudan
135 Ghana
136 Tuvalu
137 Ivory Coast
138 Haiti
139 Gabon
140 Kenya
141 Marshall Islands
142 Kiribati
143 Burundi
144 China
145 Mongolia
146 Gambia
147 Maldives
148 Papua New Guinea
149 Uganda
150 Nepal
151 Kyrgystan
152 Togo
153 Turkmenistan
154 Tajikistan
155 Zimbabwe
156 Tanzania
157 Djibouti
158 Eritrea
159 Madagascar
160 Vietnam
161 Guinea
162 Mauritania
163 Mali
164 Cameroon
165 Laos
166 Congo
167 North Korea
168 Namibia
169 Botswana
170 Niger
171 Equatorial Guinea
172 Rwanda
173 Afghanistan
174 Cambodia
175 South Africa
176 Guinea-Bissau
177 Swaziland
178 Chad
179 Somalia
180 Ethiopia
181 Angola
182 Zambia
183 Lesotho
184 Mozambique
185 Malawi
186 Liberia
187 Nigeria
188 Democratic Republic of the Congo
189 Central African Republic
190 Myanmar

http://www.photius.com/rankings/healthranks.html

This is appalling.

Please embrace President Obama's plan for health-care reform so we Americans--all Americans--can be the recipient of a much-improved system as enjoyed by European "socialists."

Sincerely,
KansDem

PS--So how's that government-provided health care working out for you and your fellow Republicans in Congress?

[spanone]

1. i doubt that mr brownnose is interested in facts.

[KansDem]

5. Sen. Brownback has one of the worst voting records in the Senate

He votes something like 2/3 of the time, so I'll be happy if he reads 2/3 of my letter.

*sigh*--he votes 2/3 of the time although we pay him 3/3 of a paycheck...:(

[Vickers]

2. I love your P.S.

:thumbsup:

[MountainLaurel]

3. Terrific letter!

I'll have to keep it in mind should I need to harangue my representatives about the issue.

[imdjh]

4. Yeah, I got something similar from my Congresshole

June 3, 2009



Thank you for letting me know of your support for a real health care reform plan during this 111th Congress. You can be sure that I share your interest in this matter and appreciate knowing of your thoughts.

As you know, one of President Barack Obama's campaign promises was to make sure every U.S. citizen has access to reliable and affordable health care coverage. Some in Congress believe the best way to achieve this goal is to set up a one-size-fits-all government-run system, otherwise known as a universal health care plan. Others here in Washington feel that a less bureaucratic free-market system is more beneficial because patients, families and the physicians would make decisions about what treatments are appropriate and not the federal government. Whatever ideas are put forward during the next several months, I think it is paramount that congressional Republicans and Democrats alike agree to work together to craft a plan that will put patients first and work for all Americans.

Because of your interest in this matter, and in an effort to be of all possible assistance to you, I have taken the liberty of sharing your thoughts with my colleagues on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which has jurisdiction on all matters pertaining to health care reform proposals once they are introduced in Congress. As they continue their work during this session, please know that they will keep your views on a public plan option in mind.

Again, thank you for taking the time to contact me regarding this matter of mutual concern. It is my hope that you will continue to keep me apprised of your interest in legislative issues important to you. With best wishes and personal regards, I am


Bill Young
Member of Congress

[Rosa Luxemburg]

6. We should all write in to the Editors to get over the point

good letter. The GOP have no clue when it comes to healthcare.

[liberal N proud]

7. I hope I get one from my republican Senator

I will tell him about our friend who is dying of cancer

[ejpoeta]

8. i love their lies!! what bullshit. gee, if it's good enough for our representatives.

how come it's not good enough for the rest of us. Perhaps the talking heads who interview these yahoos ought to ask them why they participate in the public plans available to them if they are so bad. I mean, they support private health insurance, then they should BUY their own private plans instead of getting the government provided one. They piss me off!! Thanks for posting this and thanks for responding.

[RDANGELO]

9. I haven't even bothered with my Republican. Sen. Burr.

It's like they are on another planet.

[gratuitous]

10. God forbid we pass legislation to the benefit of 120 million Americans

Brownback is more interested in passing legislation like the "Let's Meddle in the Schiavo Family Tragedy" Bill. Micro-legislation designed to interfere in the life of one person and override years of litigation and consideration by courts of competent jurisdiction.