Strange these tears…

How strange to feel them at this time. At this particular moment. All day long the tee vee machine has been playing, over and over these snippets from the late Senator’s life, little pieces of that life, as if on an endless loop.

Is there anyone who now does not know that Edward Moore Kennedy was the youngest of four brothers born to Joe and Rose Kennedy? That he was born on the exact 200^th anniversary of the birthdate of George Washington? And that John F. Kennedy thought that his youngest brother should be named George Washington Kennedy?

We see the family portraits where he is barely six or seven years old, yet that famous Kennedy Smile, impish, beguiling; the arch of the eyebrow, even then establishing yet again the bloodline of America’s premier First Family. Here is the clip of young ‘Teddy’ cutting a ceremonial ribbon in Great Britain, failing at first, yet going at it again until the scissors sever the flimsy fabric; the triumphant smile illuminating his young face as if to proclaim, “I knew I could do it”!

A smile comes across my face.

We see him older, accompanying the funeral procession for his slain brother John. At one point, his arm wraps around Jaquelyn in solace and benevolence.

Now brother Robert is gone and he is addressing the Democratic National Convention in 1980, and even though his words are rousing and eloquent, Jimmy Carter wins the nomination only to be beaten by Ronald Reagan. One has to wonder if Teddy had been thinking to himself, “I could have beaten him (Reagan)”.

I find myself pondering that question myself.

At that point Teddy realized that chances of his becoming President were essentially nil; he threw himself into doing the work of representing his constituency, authoring, co-authoring or co-sponsoring more legislation than any other Senator to date.

Still, my eyes are dry.

Now he is the patriarch of the Kennedy dynasty. John Jr.’s plane has gone down off of Martha’s Vineyard. His young nephew has perished so close, and yet so far from the Kennedy compound, yet Teddy is in full crisis-management mode. He commands the situation. He knows the protocols, the formalities, the minutiae of such compelling moments in time. We are all calmed, reassured because Teddy is there.

I am awestruck by his composure.

Now the year Is 2008. There is Teddy, addressing the Democratic National Convention, yet again. And the words are strong, despite his being diagnosed with brain cancer scant months prior. “The torch has now been passed to a new generation…”. His passion undiminished for health care for every citizen as a right of citizenship, not just for the few, the rich, the privileged, those elected to high office. No. Everyone. Every Man. Every Woman. Every Child. As a Human right. As a right of all citizens of the most wealthy nation on earth.

As I watch this speech, I flash to the words of scripture, “…even these, the least of my brethren…”. The essence of Teddy’s noble quest. “There are those to whom much has been given. Of them much shall be required.” The Kennedy family has been given much. And they have given back. In the lives of Joe Jr. Shot down while in the service of his country. John and Robert, assassinated by zealots. Of the four brothers Kennedy only Teddy lived to have grey hair.

Only the infirmities of the flesh kept him from carrying his cause to it’s conclusion. His passion for and his dreams of affordable, accessible health care for all still inspire.

And now he is gone. At rest. At peace.

Yet, I sit in silence as yet another talking head praises his steady devotion to duty. One after another. A fellow Senator. A Historian, A pundit. They all take their turns.

I am not moved.

And then it happens. A camera catches Teddy’s boat, “Maya” at anchor. Her sails secured. Silent. Serene.

And my tears come up. And they well up and burst forth, as if from behind a dam torn asunder, rolling down my cheeks slowly at first, then pouring forth in a torrent.

Why? Why? Why? I’m not a sailor. Don’t know port from starboard, stem from stern. The greatest portion of my life has been lived as a desert rat in America’s Southwest. Cactus and Mesquite are my flora; lizards and jackrabbits my fauna. Sand and feldspar not cove and tide my domain.

Why am I so overcome by the sight of this one boat bereft of it’s captain?

Tell me. Please.

R. Roger Beck

Palm Desert, CA

Open Letter to Congresswoman Mary Bono Mack

Dear Congresswoman Bono Mack;

Thank you for your recent letter. As a progressive Democrat I am encouraged that you chose the enlightened approach by voting in support of ACES legislation. This was a courageous action in view of Republican National Committee opposition to that legislation. It tells me that you are a person who can be reasoned with and that you are open to constructive action when dealing with the issues of the day.

Regarding health care reform; a hot topic these days and I note your address to a local group a week or two back. It is good that you maintain communication with your constituents.

That said, your policy statement “Bono Mack Calls for Meaningful Health Care Reform, Not Government Takeover” is not helpful to the dialogue. One of the most hotly debated components of health care reform is the so-called ‘public option’. I believe that that component is what you were alluding to as integral to the ‘government takeover’. I’d like to be candid as well as non-confrontational on that concept. The ‘public option’ is just what it says, an option made available to people needing health insurance, but unable to qualify for private insurance due to either a pre-existing condition or that their employer simply does not offer any group insurance for their employees, or that they have changed employment or moved.

President Obama has repeatedly stated that people who are happy with their current private insurance can keep that insurance. No one will be forced into accepting the public option. There are other countries that have both private insurance and government-sponsored health care available to their citizenry. France and Germany as well as Switzerland utilize such an approach. It is also worth noting that the World Health Organization ranks those countries above the United States in quality of care. I’m certain that you want your constituents to have the highest quality care, yes?

There need not be any expansion of bureaucracy to make the ‘public option’ of use. And, we’ve all heard about ‘the rationing of care’ that is alleged will occur with government involvement, correct? Private insurers already ration care by denying claims and arbitrarily raising premiums to persons who make claims through no fault of their own. That sounds like ‘rationing’ to me.

There are structures in place that could implement the ‘public option’ almost from the day that reform is signed into law. One structure, of course is Medicare, now available only to seniors like myself. The other model is one developed by the Veterans Adminstration. This is the approach that I would favor. “Best Care Anywhere” by Phillip Longman outlines how the VA has streamlined procedures, incorporated advanced IT disciplines and lowered costs while delivering better patient outcomes at the same time. That’s a model that our over-priced private sector has yet to emulate, and without the competition that a ‘public option’ would bring, is unlikely that it would develop on it’s own. I would highly recommend that book to you. I believe that it would open your eyes as it has to other members of Congress.

Another phrase that you used, “…without threatening people’s ability to choose a plan that best meets their needs” seems to argue exactly for the public option. Why is that? Simply stated, most areas in the country are dominated by only one insurance provider. In many areas 75% of coverage is through one provider, such as Aetna or United Healthcare. And, in some geographic areas that percentage increases to almost 90%. Not too much competition there.

Now, Ms. Mack, even though I am a progressive Democrat, I also am a confirmed capitalist. I believe in the capitalist model. But the capitalist model shows that it is competition for market share that holds costs down more than any other factor. The ‘public option’ would be the competition that would help to lower insurance rates thus improving accessibility for middle and working-class Americans, those who need it the most.

One last item that I would like to bring to your attention. Fiscal conservatives have been fond of citing a projected cost of one trillion dollars should a ‘public option’ be enacted. That CBO figure is over a ten-year time frame, much less than the Iraq debacle has already cost since we invaded some six and a half years ago. That ten year time frame I alluded to works out to one hundred billion dollars annually. That is a significant cost, but I would suggest that the cost is an illusion. Allow me to demostrate:

Back in the 1990’s, the CBO did a study on the financial impact of the GI Bill. What it found was that for every one dollar spent for Veterans seven to twelve dollars in tax revenue was generated. Why was that? Well, returning veterans used their GI Bill benefits to allow them to enroll in college, thus enabling them to be more productive members of society. Simply by investing in fellow citizens, the American Middle Class arose to prominence in the 1950’s. I remember it well. I also remember that, for the longest time, the year 1955 was used as a benchmark for defining prosperity. And, yes, a Republican President, Dwight Eisenhower presided over that prosperity. Interesting, yes?

By the same token, I would submit that, by implementing the ‘public option’, we would make it possible for small business owners to offer affordable health insurance to their workers, alleviating a strain on their budgets. In turn, I suggest, they would then probably be able to hire more workers. More people working translates to increased economic activity as dollars begin moving around our badly crippled economy. Success begets success, and slowly we could find ourselves climbing out of this recession. Indeed, I believe that such increased economic recovery could go a long way toward reducing the deficit we inherited from the previous administration. I will even go so far as to suggest that at the end of the ten-year cycle we could experience budgets that are balanced, not on the backs of the middle class but due solely to a vibrant, full-employment economy. Every capitalist’s dream, you might say.

Now, Congresswoman, I am aware that this letter is not likely to come to your eyes save the attention of a staffer who might see the validity of my position; I would hope that would be the case. And I hope that you would, in your elected capacity, decide to support implementation of the ‘public option’ when time comes for such consideration by the House of Representatives.

Respectfully,

R. Roger Beck

Palm Desert, CA

Dear Mr. President

Dear President Obama;

Here’s your script:

Good evening ladies and gentlemen.

As you are aware, this administration has been seeking to craft bipartisan legislation since we assumed office on January 20^th of this year. In most cases we have been able to reach across the aisle and garner Republican support for many challenges that the American people have faced. For that support we are grateful.

Now we are engaged in a national discussion about the future of healthcare in our great nation; how it impacts families, businesses and even the government itself. I do not need to reiterate the importance of getting it right. We owe our very best efforts to enact legislation that protects the middle class from the devastating financial impact of continuing the status quo. America’s middle class bears the brunt of healthcare costs that outpace inflation by a ratio of better than two to one. While wages have basically remained flat, healthcare costs have doubled and in some instances even tripled for the average American family.

While we are appreciative of the efforts of our Republican colleagues to craft comprehensive legislation in this vital area, and there have been many good, constructive ideas that the Republicans have brought to the table, it has not been possible to include the ‘public option’ as a component.

Let me state unequivocally that the ‘public option’ is key to bending the healthcare cost curve downward. That must be achieved if we are to avert the calamity of following a course of doing nothing or just nibbling around the edges of this challenge. The public option will keep the private insurance industry honest. There are other industrialized nations that have both private and government participation in the healthcare sector of their economies; they work harmoniously to deliver freedom of choice for their populations so that all citizens need not fear illness or crippling disease. And they do it for less, both on a cost as well as a percentage of gross domestic product compared to the United States. That is an irony we need to appreciate.

As your President, I am disappointed that we have not managed to get the Republicans to come on board in crafting this vital legislation. We have exhausted our energies to frame this legislation in a bipartisan manner.

Therefore, today I am directing both the House and Senate leadership to move this legislation to the floors of their respective bodies for full debate and a conclusive vote.

Let me be perfectly clear; the final product must have the component of a ‘public option’ in order for me to sign this legislation into law. I will accept nothing less. I remain hopeful that even at this late hour the minority will have a change in heart and see their duty to the American people and become part of the process. We would like nothing better than to have a bipartisan bill become law, but I am prepared to move ahead without their participation if they so choose. The stakes are too high not to move decisively.

You’ve heard me say before that unless you set a deadline, in Washington, things don’t get done. Therefore, I am directing the House and Senate leadership to have this legislation on my desk prior to the Thanksgiving recess. That is ample time, given the input of the American people that was received during the August recess, to craft the final legislation.

Thank you very much for your time this evening; and God Bless America!

Respectfully,

R. Roger Beck

Palm Desert, CA

An open letter to President Obama

Dear President Obama;

I understand that only ten letters are presented to you each day as input from we, the people. In that case, this is one of the ten that you should see and I’ll tell you why.

Healthcare reform will be your “Waterloo” as one Senator put it if you fail, at this critical moment, to act decisively. Here are the actions you must take if meaningful reform is to happen:

Number 1: Your Administration’s message needs to be uniform and unambiguous. It serves no purpose for Mr. Gibbs to say, “There is no plan B” when queried in Wednesday’s press briefing as to what would happen should the lack of a public option cause House Democrats to bolt. On Sunday HHS Secretary Sebelius said that a ‘public option’ was not critical to healthcare reform; downplaying the signifigance of that option. Saturday, you, yourself said in Montana that the public option was “…only a tiny sliver” of healthcare reform.

The American people view your Administration as being ‘squishy’. How can the people have any faith in reform when the linchpin of meaningful reform is said to be “..a tiny sliver”. I respectfully disagree, Mr. President. The ‘public option’ is what will keep the private insurance industry honest. Without a real ‘hammer’, the private insurance industry will continue it’s avaricious rape of the healthcare consumer, i.e. middle and working class Americans and small private businesses. You said yourself that the current status quo is unsustainable going forward. One million people a year going bankrupt due to medical expenses will sap the economic vitality of the very people (consumers) who will be the driving force of economic recovery.

You need to make it clear to all of your cabinet officers as well as any other spokesperson that, from this day forward, the public option is non-negotiable. If the Republicans in the Senate wish to block reform, they will pay the price at the polls in 2010. By the same token, every Democratic Senator who supports the public option through to passage of healthcare reform will be assured of a ‘lock’ on rel-election, be it in 2010 or 2012. The Republicans have not bargained in good faith. That much should be clear to you by now. Let them know that the train is leaving the station and if they do not wish to get on board, they alone will reap the consequences.

Number 2: You must take a stronger leadership position. You must do more town halls right up until Congress returns. Be the strong leader that we voted for in the election of November 2008. The electorate perceives of Congress as being weak-willed for good reason; too many are dependent on support of their re-election campaigns by the special interests who want to maintain the status quo. Be resolute in your actions and the people and thus Congress will follow.

Though I often disagreed with President Reagan, he, more than most before him, understood that principle. As an ironic twist of fate, it was Ronald Reagan who, in 1961, led the fight against Medicare. Those of us fortunate to have Medicare now see that it was the right thing to do; it has stood the test of time.

Number 3: The public option, as integral part of healthcare reform will allow small businesses to thrive, relieving small business owners of the onerous burden of providing health insurance for their employees. In turn, those small businesses will hire more persons; more people working will generate greater economic activity and the cycle will repeat and recovery from our economic woes of the past two years will finally occur.

Number 4: KISS-“Keep It Simple, Simon”. Structure the plan as ‘Medicare for everyone who needs it’. That way it can be implemented much earlier than 2013. Or, in the alternative, structure reform along the lines of what the Veterans Administration has been doing for the past four or five years; getting health care done right, patient-doctor focused and utilizing the latest IT to keep costs under control and prioritizing successful outcomes the first time. This also can be accomplished much earlier than 2013.

There you have it, Mr. President. Your ticket to re-election in 2012. Success with healthcare reform will make enactment of subsequent legislation much easier, and, more likely, with Republicans realizing the political reality that “You can’t win if you don’t get in the game”.

Best wishes,

R. Roger Beck

Palm Desert, CA

Dear President Obama

Dear President Obama;

I am writing today to express my extreme disappointment in your administration’s handling of the healthcare reform issue.

In seeking bipartisanship for passage of healthcare reform you have, it appears, bargained away the best vehicle for true reform of a badly broken, poorly functional system. I do not understand why you would seek bipartisanship with the Republicans when they have indicated time after time that they are not going to even meet you half-way. As my dearly departed mother used to say, “It takes two to Tango, but these people haven’t even come to the dance”.

What is even more galling is that, by your own definition expressed in Colorado this past Saturday, the only way we are going to get the budget deficit down is to get healthcare costs under control; caving in to the insurance industry in abandoning the ‘public option’ is a sure-fire recipe for disaster. The ‘public option’ is the only way that the insurance industry can be kept in check. It’s the reason why a pitcher will ‘climb the ladder’, so to speak, against a batter that is crowding the plate; it keeps the game honest.

What is more disturbing is that, when polled, popular support for the ‘public option’ was at 72%. The greatest majority of respondents want the option of a government-backed mechanism for obtaining health insurance at a reasonable price. Such a mechanism would, by necessity, not cancel coverage when a person needs medical care, or not be covered for a pre-existing condition, or the plethora of reasons that private insurers utilize to cancel coverage at their own caprice; recission.

Health insurance ‘co-ops’ as they are termed are not a viable alternative. Their success has not been firmly established; indeed, there are many that have failed, as they do not have the financial power to negotiate prices with hospitals and other providers. Essentially, ‘co-ops’ are a bad solution, compared to Medicare or the Veterans Administration. As a model for a successful system, the VA outperforms even the private sector by utilizing the latest technology to deliver better patient outcomes at lower cost.

Phillip Longerman has detailed the best way to provide healthcare for this country in his excellent work, “Best Care Anywhere”.

Mr. President, we have looked to you for leadership on this most vital issue. And you have made an excellent case for the ‘public option’. I fail to understand why you would not be willing to ‘go to the mat’ for the people who elected you. We went out and knocked on doors, made phone calls and hundreds of thousands of small contributions to your campaign to get you elected President. Now, at this most critical moment, you appear willing to appease those who have openly stated that they want you to fail as our leader. This is not “change you can believe in”, to quote one of your themes during your presidential campaign. It may be a cliché that “when the going gets tough, the tough get going”, but in this case I feel it to be apropos. Failing to draw a line in the sand and then stand up for the right course is a sure path to defeat and loss of Democratic control of Congress, not to mention insuring that you will be a one-term President.

I do not wish to see that happen. And I am confident that I speak for many of my fellow citizens; most particularly those 47 million Americans who currently do not have health care coverage, when I say, “Stand up for what you believe in, to hell with the easy, cowardly way of compromise with your opponents who only seek your destruction anyway”.

It’s up to you, Mr. President.

Respectfully,

R. Roger Beck

Palm Desert, CA