Monday, July 17, 2006

Ray Meier is Totally Out of Touch on Health Care

On health care, Republican Ray Meier really doesn't get it. I mean, he really, really doesn't get it. Check out what Ray Meier has to say about health care, and you'll see what I mean:

"The key to better and more affordable health care lies in our nation's top notch medical knowledge and research, information and communication technology, and the desire of our people to direct their own medical care without interference from government or big insurance companies."

"Advances in communications and "telemedicine" can render the knowledge and skill of the best experts available anywhere."


Pardon me, but what the hell is this? Has Ray Meier lost touch with reality?

The problem with American health care is not with quality, but with access. Every year, more and more Americans can't afford health care at all, and those who can afford it are being asked to pay more for it every year. The number of people without health care, or partial coverage that only gets activated in case of medical catastrophe, is huge.

Setting up "telemedicine" centers where we can talk to doctors through an Internet connection is not going to solve this problem. Information technology systems are not going to solve the problem. If Ray Meier doesn't realize this, he's completely out of touch with the lives of people living in New York's 24th congressional district.

Michael Arcuri gets it. He understands the nature of the problem. Not everyone agrees with his solutions, and can debate with him the relative merits of single payer systems versus other alternatives, but at least Mike Arcuri isn't wandering around spouting off some right wing think tank egghead nonsense about the need for "telemedicine".

Here's how Arcuri describes the problem:
"Over 45 million Americans do not have health insurance, and the number increasing every day. Health insurance costs continue to escalate for those lucky enough to have it. Businesses are increasingly crippled by the cost of providing health insurance and are either dropping it as a benefit or passing on the cost to employees."


What Arcuri talks about is the nature of the health care crisis we're facing here in the 24th district. We need a representative in Congress who understands the reality of the health care crisis. That's reason number 17 to vote for Michael Arcuri.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

The clip you used from Arcuri does nothing but state that there is a problem. No kidding.

While technology may not be the answer, at least it is a possible solution. I'd rather have a suggested solution than a restatement of the obvious.

24thIndependent said...

I agree. Michael Arcuri needs to do much better than what he's done so far. He needs to come out with a coherent health care policy, and communicate it, not just in little rooms with a few people in the audience, but in a place where all voters can see it.

Les Roberts did that. But then, we've all seen the triumph of power over substance in the last six months.

Still Meier's statement of the problem gets it totally WRONG. At least Arcuri understands what the problem is. Ray Meier doesn't even get that right.

Anonymous said...

Make no mistake, Ray Meier gets it. He just doesn't care. He has great medical care and coverage. We should know, we pay for it.

NoMoreArcuri said...

I wonder if Mike Arcuri even knows anyone who can't afford their health insurance!

Wasn't it Dems like Bill Clinton that gave us the wonderful HMO mess in like '94 or so? Oh yeah, we were distracted by the Monica Lewinski oral sex in the oval office disgrace! And why is Hillary still with the guy anyway? Oh yeah, fame, graft and name recognition...

Mike Arcuri, as DA, has deficated upon the poorest most miserable people in Oneida County for years, and you expect him to give a flying fork about the poor?

The guy's a crooked loser Jon, who has made a living off recklessly and maliciously convicting people out of selfish zeal. Only in CNY, a third rate, backwater district, would ANYONE EVEN CONSIDER voting for a DA who has had several wrong/overturned convictions!

I'd give my eyeteeth to see what would happen to precious crook MIke Arcuri if he ran for ANY office south of Dutchess and Ulster Counties! Mike Arcuri would be the laughingstock of any other campaign!

NoMoreArcuri said...

In addition to Ray Meier's health care, we also pay for Mike's so that's a draw 9:06.

Anonymous said...

Yes nomore, but it wasn't Arcuri who made those remarks was it now? But one problem we do have in general, regardless of party, is our elected officials haven't got a clue what it costs to pay for their own medical insurance. They are all fat and lazy and doing just fine on their own. Now you may attribute that to Arcuri if you would like, but I certainly attribute it to Ray Meier. What's more, Meier has had the legislative opportunity to actually DO something about it for the last ten years. Instead he prefers to collect money from hospital and insurance PACS. The man has got to go and you know it as well as I do. While you may have a personal grudge against Mike Arcuri, I know that you know exactly what I am saying. He has been suckling at the breast of the taxpayer for decades, far longer than Arcuri has been a DA. He had brought us nothing legislatively but losses of jobs and people. At this point in time, I would vote for a housefly to get rid of Ray Meier and I am very happy to know I am far from alone.

NoMoreArcuri said...

I guess, 9:58, that I cannot argue you there. True, Meier has had the 'legislative opportunity' and seems to have done only a limp job... But what about Mike's "limp' job at DA? They have both demonstrated ineffectiveness at two different levels of elected office:

Mike is an error-prone, egotistical DA, who, while outside of public earshot, talks and acts like he's some God of Your Destiny, and Meier seems to be persuant of ever fatter jobs, with less real oversight.

At least we all seem to agree that we're in big trouble with both these guys. Which is the lessor of two evils?

I don't have a personal grudge against Mike, I have to deal with office occasionally, and have come to resent the attitude problem and "I'm the Ordained Solution" mentality, while doing nothing more than running unnopposed twice, and ruining Oneida County's families so he can look like a "Law and Order" type. Yet the record shows, he bends and breaks the Law in his Zeal.

At least Meier doesn't intentionally use an evil MO an a daily basis, he's more like Forrest Gump.