We can’t start over
President Obama has called for a bipartisan health care summit to start the stalled reform legislation moving again, but once again, Republicans are stalling.
First, they released a long list of conditions that can’t possibly be met. For starters, they want the Democrats — the party that won the last election, by the way — to agree not to pass anything through reconciliation. They won’t agree to an up-or-down vote, though.
Reconciliation was fine when the Democrats rejected the Bush tax cuts, and those were for the benefit of the wealthy.
This is life-saving legislation, and the majority of Americans and the majority of Congress want it passed. In fact, most people want stronger reform than is in the current Senate bill.
The Republicans are playing games with 45,000 lives a year for political gain, which is about as low as I’ve seen politics get in my lifetime.
The Senate can’t get everything done through reconciliation, but they can get some serious reforms — including a public option or an expansion of Medicare. They can get the ball rolling.
I’d love to see the Democrats force the Republicans to fillibuster. Go ahead, talk. Talk until you have no voice, then whisper. Pee in a styrofoam cup because you can’t leave the floor. Talk and talk and talk and let the American people know you’re just trying to obstruct legislation that’s for the benefit of all the American people.
And while you’re talking, pause for a moment once every 12 minutes in memory of the person who has died from your obstructionism.
As for me, I’ll still be working for health care for all because I don’t want even you to go through what my family has endured.
Have a beer in May
Stop into Altamont Brewing, 1042 Haywood Road, West Asheville, any time in May and ask for their "charity" beer of the day. Buy one and Life o' Mike gets $1. In fact, we get a buck for each one sold. So go in every day and have one to support Life o' Mike.
Thanks, Altamont!
Patient Pals & Family Friends
Life o' Mike has a peer support program for people with one or more serious or chronic medical issues or disabilities.
We aim to reduce isolation and fear among people who have conditions, including psychiatric illness, HIV/AIDS, diabetes, mild dementia or other cognitive disorder or disability, thereby reducing depression and complications as people learn to improve self-management of their medical conditions.
Patient Pals help alleviate feelings of isolation and frustration. They can help people develop a list of questions to ask the doctor and then accompany the person to the doctor to make sure all the questions are answered, taking notes to be sure the person understands the doctor’s answers.
Our trained volunteers also accompany their “Pals” to art exhibits, movies and walks outdoors, meet for coffee, call to check in and more.
Our Pals have experienced weight loss, improvement in diabetes, HIV, psoriasis, depression and more, just because they have someone who cares about them. Some relationships develop into longer-term friendships; other Pals move on to more independent lives.
Family Friends are there to help caregivers and other family members grow into their new role.
We need volunteers, who are asked to donate a minimum of one hour a week. Training is free and includes information on active listening, ways to help and when to know more help is needed.
And of course, we need funding.
To learn more, call Leslie Boyd at 828-243-6712 or e-mail lifeomike@gmail.com.
Start From Seed
Life o' Mike has a new program- Start from Seed (SFS).
SFS is a volunteer doula program aimed at providing non-medical, comprehensive support to low income, high-risk women and families of Buncombe County focusing on three areas:
1. We help new doulas with certification and training in return for their participation as a volunteer doula for SFS
2. We mentor volunteer doulas with their first few clients
3. Our volunteer doulas provide birth and postpartum doula services to low income, high risk moms, providing support and tools to empower them as a new parent.
A birth doula is a trained and experienced professional who provides continuous physical, emotional and informational support to the mother before, during and just after birth; a postpartum doula provides emotional and practical support during the postpartum period.
Start from Seed clients are referred to us from the Buncombe County Department of Health’s Nurse-Family Partnership Program, Western North Carolina Community Health Services, and Mission Hospital. The Program is intended and designed for growing clients’ inner strength and helping them gain empowerment to help them cope with the emotional, physical and mental challenges of childbirth, labor, and motherhood.
Our new moms and their infants have many needs. If you would like to help them get off to a good start, please visit our Start from Seed web site: Start from Seed, or call Program Director Chelsea Kouns at 804-814-9946.
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