In Praise of Labor – Labor Day 09.02.13

[This was submitted to the Valdosta Daily News 08.29.13 as an LTE]

For years I have been hoping to see something in the Valdosta Daily Times on Labor Day that honors and extolls working men and women, as the holiday was intended. Sadly, for years I’ve been disappointed, when nary a word has been written in the paper in praise of labor, and its importance to our community, country and way of life.

Nothing gets done in this world, but that it’s done by a working person. It’s working men and women of every stripe that are the real producers and “makers” in this country, and always have been. It was the labor of working men and women that built this country into the greatest economy the world has ever seen.

Labor Day was established as a national holiday by Congress in 1894, and signed into law by President Grover Cleveland. According to the Department of Labor’s website, “the form for the celebration was outlined in the first proposal of the holiday – a street parade to exhibit to the public "the strength and esprit de corps of the trade and labor organizations" of the community, followed by a festival for the recreation and amusement of the workers and their families.” Sounds like a good time to me. When was the last time we had something like this? Maybe we should try it.

Labor Day has been sapped of its meaning in recent decades. Instead, it’s promoted as “the unofficial end of summer.” The three day weekend is mostly celebrated with retail sales and family barbeques. That is, if family members, workers, actually get the day off anymore. As it happens, thousands of our neighbors will be working this Labor Day. They won’t get to enjoy the holiday like most.

So let me give a shout out to all working people: to servers, cooks, dishwashers, maids, landscapers, carpenters, framers, roofers, sheet rockers, electricians, plumbers, farmers, sales people, police, firefighters, teachers, janitors, auto workers, steel workers, miners, truckers, mechanics, stewards, clerks, military, nurses, med techs, IT people, CSRs, field hands, and since I’m running out of breath and space, all the myriad other things workers do to make this economy go. They deserve to be honored, respected, and well compensated for their labor.

When I get off work this Labor Day, and it’s “Miller Time,” I’ll raise my glass and drink a toast to all of you. I hope you will, too. As the Good Book says, “The workman is worthy of his hire.”

Republicans and Obamacare

Congressional Republicans are stomping their districts during their summer recess, and other conservatives criss-crossing the nation in a campaign to overthrow their hated Obamacare. I'm not going to defend the Affordable Care Act, or ACA, what conservatives have dubbed Obamacare. My problem is that they are so vehemently opposed to it, even though this Act was hardly a liberal, let alone socialist, concept. In fact it was modeled on the very Republican Bob Dole's plan of the mid-nineties, and the last Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney's plan he implemented while governor of Massachusetts. It was not so much a Democratic Party idea. What is so socialist about requiring people to buy health insurance from private companies? Seems like a boondoggle for the insurance companies to me.

The problem is, and has been for over sixty years, the way we pay for healthcare in this country. After WWII, European countries instituted some form of a national health care system. Eisenhower instituted it in Germany and MacArthur in Japan. You can hardly accuse these distinguished generals of being socialists or commies. The Republicans in Congress effectively blocked Harry Truman's attempt at bringing a national health care system here. Consequently, we had a system in which insurance was employer based, people had to get their insurance through their employer. As a result, American companies were put at a disadvantage versus their foreign competitors that didn't have to foot the bill for their employee's health insurance. It was done a different way.

We only need to look at the comparative health care statistics between countries to see we are paying twice as much for our healthcare in this country than all other advanced industrialized countries in the world. Yet our results are near the bottom in nearly every category. We are paying more and getting less.

Anyone who has delved into the labyrinth of the medical system, has realized how fractured and nonsensical the system is. Yet even those with supposed business acumen tend to want to preserve the status quo, rather than make the necessary changes that would bring order out of the chaos, and remedy the inefficiencies that add to the cost.

I believe health care is a basic human right. If we have the rights to, "Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness," we can have none of these without our healthcare needs met. Healthcare is not a system where the free market can kick in, except at the level of our primary care doctor. After that, when we need more specialization, we're  at the mercy of our needs and primary doctor's network. When my primary doctor sees something that needs it, recently is was for phlebitis and swollen veins in my legs, he referred me to a specialist in that particular part of medicine. I talked once to someone that pushed the idea that it's up to the individual to decide his healthcare needs. I responded, I don't have the requisite knowledge to make that decision, and it's not like I'm not intelligent. I'm not a doctor., I do not have the necessary training and knowledge to judge a doctor's skill or diagnosis. The point is, when my health needs serious attention, I can only be at the mercy of my doctor(s). I can really only pray (s)he's good and knows what (s)he's doing. So far it's worked, and I'm thankful.

In our employer-based insurance system, I am subject to what my employer provides me, with my co-pay deducted from every check. Regarding the previously mentioned veins, the insurance company refused to cover the $3000 cost, even though my doctor used the phrase, "ticking time bomb." One would think, because I spend so much time on my feet doing my job, the company would cover it, but no. I won't even get into them not covering my visits to the cancer center. Pre-existing condition, don't you know. I'm an over five year cancer survivor.

This would not happen in a single payer system, Medicare for all. I have no problem paying a dime on the dollar of my income, if I can simply go and get my needs taken care of.  They can even charge a reasonable co-pay for the visit or procedure. I do have major problems with people making boatloads of money off our illnesses, but are not bringing anything to the table in terms of being an actual provider of healthcare.