Does it have to be a health care question, or can it be something important?

I kid, but serious question, at least the first half.

According to a study of US health costs and service by the Bloomberg School of Public Health at Johns Hopkins:

The United States..

1) has fewer per capita hospital beds, physicians, nurses, and CT scanners than the OECD median.

2) spends twice as much (US $5,267 vs. OECD $2,696) as other OECD nations without rationing

3) spends 53% more money per capita then the next highest country, Switzerland, but has lower life expectancy (77.5 vs. 80.6) and higher infant mortality (6.9 per 1000 vs 4.3)

4) spends only $16 per capita on malpractice claims vs. $12 per capita in the UK - $4 per capita hardly accounts for the $2,600 per capita difference between the US and aveage OECD country

5) the US has about 15% uninsured vs. 1-2% for the vast majority for OECD countries (save Turkey and Mexico)

http://www.cmwf.org/publications/publica tions_show.htm?doc_id=283969
- - -
In short why should the US continue to pay more for less?

Louisiana is roughly the same population as Ireland and spends as much on Medicare and Medicaid alone as Ireland spends on all health care costs. So Ireland covers all of their people for the same cost as LA covering those on public programs before they even get to working adults and their children.

In a world with free trade how can there be such an imbalance in the cost of a commodity - health care?

Roger Hickey, co-director of Campaign for America's Future (where I now blog), has a post previewing the debate and laying out five key health care questions for all the candidates:

1. Will the candidate's plan really cover everyone--with a decent guaranteed level of coverage--at an affordable cost?

2. Does the candidate offer a public plan, like Medicare, that has a predictable, guaranteed level of benefits that "cannot be taken away?"

3. Has the candidate thought through how his or her plan will be financed?

4. Will the candidate's health plan control spiraling health care costs?

5. Is the candidate's health plan simple and clear enough that they can explain it--and get us to describe it to someone else?

Hopefully, that's helpful. Have fun in Vegas!

Just EXACTLY why can't Bush be impeached?

For John Edwards:

Medical research priorities.  Not just for Elizabeth, or breast cancer patients, but for people everywhere.  Increasing research funding is critical, what sort of growth rate do you envision or whom do you see guiding your science/research policy?

-Zen Blade

Will it be single payer and universal?

1. I want them to give clear answers on whether they will support Medicare for all.

2. If Bush refuses to allow Rove, Miers et. al. testify about the USA controversy in response to subpoenas, would they support impeachment?

Ask Hillary when she is going to pull her head out of her ass and admit that thousands of Americans have died because she supported the biggest foreign policy disaster is a generation.

What will they do to expand workers' rights to form unions?

John Edwards:
1)  Why did you wait until November of 2005 to apologize for your war vote instead of doing it earlier?

2)  If you are sick, do you think about Ann Coulter naked on a cold day to induce vomiting?  (Kidding)

Barack Obama:  
1)Your past record shows strong support for progressive values, yet during the campaign many have commented that you have been mute on pushing these values versus John Edwards who has talked about them during pratically every campaign stop.  How would you answer your critics who are calling for you to tell us more of where you stand on various progressive issues?

2)  Why are you so wonderful?  (Kidding.. Kidding... Just joking)

Hillary Clinton:
1)  Why won't you apologize for being wrong on your war vote?  Why can't you say those two simple words...I'm Sorry?

2)  Are you or have you ever been the anti-christ?  (Kidding)

I'd love to ask all, but Hillary Clinton in particular, why did you fail to reform health care when you had an historic chance to do it? and why will next time be different?

I'll support her if the is the nominee but I remember 1993 & 1994 and take it seriously that the administration failed.  They had the Congress.  They had the White House.  They failed.

http://www.yesmagazine.org/article.asp?I D=1498

Pick a solution - make it happen - no excuses asap!

A FOUR year old , that's (4) who was diagnosed with being a CHILD, I mean having ADD and Manic Bi-Polar Disorder. (FOUR) years old now. She dies because she was so drugged up, the meds killed her.

I would like to ask the Panel to address the fact that an entire generation of NORMAL CHILDREN are being diagnosed with serious Mental Health problems in an effort to get the child out of their parents hair. Instead of raising their child, they would rather have them drugged up on meds. It is unfortunate that this is being allowed to go on. I would like their thoughts on this growing epidemic of doctors helping ignorant parents dope their children in an effort to make life easier for the parent who doesn't have the time or patience to teach a child as they grow.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17758170/

As I V-Logged HERE, in Oakland last weekend, Senator Obama said:

We can...make sure that every single American has basic healthcare in fact I want to be held accountable for that! We can have universal healthcare by the end of the next president's first term. By the end of MY FIRST TERM!

Watch video HERE

But, hey, it was a rally, he didn't get into specifics. So I wanna know, how does he intend to keep that promise?

• Restore habeas corpus to prevent the illegal imprisonment of American citizens;
  
• Prohibit torture and extraordinary rendition;
  
• Prohibit unconstitutional wiretaps, email and mail openings via warrantless searches;
  
• Protect journalists from prosecution under the Espionage Act for reporting on stories on national significance that do not reveal troop locations;
  
• Prohibit Presidential Signing Statements that allow the President to sign into law legislation passed by Congress while rejecting line-item aspects of that same law;
  
• Reform the ability of the federal government to win dismissal of constitutional grievances by private parties by claiming state secrets;

Could they pledge that they would place special emphasis on making a universal healthcare plan more beneficial to people rather than to insurance companies? In other words, would it be important to them for the bill not to be influenced by the corporate 'needs' of the insurance industry?

To me, that would be just as important as getting the program completed. I'd hate to see a 'compromise' plan that turned into a major tax giveaway to the insurance industry.

Politicians running for Congress and President are always talking about "fixing Social Security." Why is it that these same office holders have set-upan entirely separate insurance programs for retirement that basically lets them rest assured that the solvency of Social Security will never affect them directly? How do you justify this exemption from "sharing the pain"? Why do we have this aristocratic class in the U.S.?

Do you view housing as an American "right"?

In a capitalist society, should all Amerucans have the right to work a 40 hour work weeks that computes to ABOVE the poverty rate per annum?  

Have you ever studied the repeal of corporate licenses? Do you support any repeals in light of Enron, Adelphia, etc.? Do you believe a corporation deserves or should be granted rights equal to an individual?

A question for Hillary:We are in a genuine crisis in this country. Why has she stated that she is not going to go forward with a universal health care plan for America until a second term as president?

A question for all candidates: A good share of our health care dollar goes to support the profit, marketing, and administration of service delivery in corporate insurance, pharmaceuticals, and health care institutions, higher than any other country by far. Since the greatest efficiencies are to be found in the direct Medicare public system, why not create a Medicare coverage for everyone as a base coverage, and people can purchase those add-ons they so desire through non-profits like Kaiser or insurance pools.

How would you make social security sustainable indefinitely?

Are there any existing systems, either in the U.S., in the states, or in other countries that you would use as a model for your health care plan?

Do you think that income from investment should be taxed at the same rate as income from work?

With half the world living on $2 a day or less, what would you do to raise the standard of living around the world?

this is a very nice open thread. the chances of our questions ever making it to the candidates, are just about zero. be it as it may - here are mine

1. What, in your view, is the solution to the Iraq problem (ie, partitioning, etc.) ?

2. Will you decrease the power of the presidency, as it has been expanded by Cheney and Rumsfeld and the Patriot act? Will you restore it to its proper constitutional role?

3. If elected, will you start your own blog and write the entries yourself, and allow comments?

Thanks in advance!

Assuming you've already got enough about health care.

1. What should be done about the pension guarantee program, and it's critical underfunding, and the way it is abused by corporations breaking contracts with their longterm employees?

2. Aside from magically solving the Iraq problem, how would you rebuild America's image/respect in the world?

3. Would you support a significant increase in the gas tax? If not, how would you effectively reduce carbon emissions and stimulate new technology? If so, how would you protect the working class who will be hit the hardest, by this regressive tax?

4. What do you think is the appropriate top tax rate?

5. Is there a problem with intellectual property law in this country, and if so, what things could be done to address it?

6. Do you support agricultural subsidies, and if so, how do you suggest changing them to avoid impoverishing developing world farmers while enriching ADM?

7. Do you support fast track?

8. What is a president's most important job? (shaping policy, inspiring the nation, negotiating with other countries, appointing judges?)

9. How much should a public school teacher be paid? Is there anyway the president can affect that?

10. What are the major problems with our electoral system, how would/could you change them as president?

Sorry, i got a little carried away. these are more the debate questions I might like to hear, but don't ever expect to.

Why do we have a separate, broken medical care system for veterans?  What is so different about trauma care and post-treatment follow-up for combat injuries from auto accidents, shootings, stabbings and industrial accidents? Why shouldn't veterans just have the same  universal, single-payer health insurance as nonveterans?  Co-payments could be waived for treatment for injuries due to active military duty.

Why should Hillary apologize?  Because a handful of people who despise her are demanding it?

She is fully aware of the trap the netroots are trying to lay for her.  Give it up.  It didn't work.  You didn't "get her" and 90 percent of the dems across the country don't care anyway.  They want the war to end as soon as possible in the best way possible.

Case closed.

Q: Do you see Bush history repeating itself (Iraq)
now Iran: what are you doing to stop the Iran war?

http://www.stopiranwar.com

http://bellaciao.org/en/article.php3?id_ article=14589
Excerpt

March 23, 2007

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has canceled a planned visit to the United Nations, and Tehran's U.N. ambassador, Javad Zarif, on Friday blamed a delay in U.S. visas being issued to the crew of his airplane.

Ahmadinejad wanted to speak to the U.N. Security Council before a vote, scheduled for Saturday, on sanctions against Iran.

Iran, which contends the proposed sanctions are politically motivated, says it will still try to get high-level representation to the U.N. -- most likely the foreign minister.