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HCR: A Proud Day For Chicanos!
As a Native American/Chicano/Military Vet, permit me to provide the first “After Action Report” on Healthcare Reform, and written before any vote has been taken in the House with respect to the Senate bill and the reconciliation “fix”.
By way of introduction, I write the Cactus Juice Commentaries for the Chicano Veterans Organization (and this is not an advert plug of any sort, just stating a fact.) and consequently, it’s incumbent on me to keep my feet on the ground and the proverbial ear nailed to the rail, for truly understanding and appreciating the complexity that has become our nation’s toxic environment and for which is the continuing accrual to the Party of Equality.
Moreover, my politics revolves around the current evolution, and for which I ascribe to heartily.
1. “Confused” Conservatives.
2. “Regressive” Moderates, and for which the subtlety and nuance for politics, one easily find the Neo-Liberal Nexus located and deeply entrenched.
3. “Aggressive” Moderates and which is composed of the Center-Left in today’s vernacular, although the various ‘wedgie’ labels such as “Progressive” and “Socialists” can be easily recognized.
Therefore, when I view our national politics, and even to some extent, our local politics here in the Sonoran Desert, the current Neo-Liberal Nexus, is my focal point for political frustration, as well as my disappointment for a “new and improved” brand of Morality. As such, let me further explain.
When I found that such internet stalwarts such as Yglesias and Drum, among many others, ‘trashing’ Jane Hamsher, I found her response re-invigorating for knowing that the ‘trash-talk’ from these assorted pundits, conveniently missed the bigger point. African Americans and Latinos—Reps and Senators in Congress—would accept just about anything since they have done so to date, been ‘representing’ their respective constituencies. Otherwise, a primary challenger would quickly surface, especially in the Chicano Community. And which brings me to Sanchez of California and Quellar in Texas. Both are Bludgeon Dogs and reflect the Neo-Liberal ‘attitude’ and as measured and assessed on my part and per their individual history. And interestingly, both are highly supportive of military veterans given that they are in constant search of “certitude and credibility” on National Security Issues.
Of equal importance, is that after the respective public announcements from both the Black Congressional Caucus and the Hispanic Congressional Caucus, is only time when President Obama took to his brand of political utterances, and equated HCR as being equivalent to the Civil Rights of the early Sixties, and alluded to in both scope and size. And to me, this too, reaffirms for me and continues to makes him a part and parcel to the Neo-Liberal Nexus.
And as for me personally, my original advocacy has been and continues to be for “open access” to the VA, Medicare, and Indian Health Services. And I will continue to advocate so for far into the future, as will be necessary, since white America has yet to come to the realization the America continues to remain a Society for the Criminally Stupid, and all created and propounded by the Bush/Cheney Effect, and which I am depending on, should I be correct on my ‘assessment’ that comes from evaluating the political behaviors and voting patterns of the voters from the ages of 18 to 29, in order to overcome this current political dilemma. And therefore, I continue to remain the ever-present Optimist for America’s future of the ‘new and improved’ sort.
And finally, anyone among the “aggressive” Moderates or the Center-Left, not one person one should feel ANY angst and anger for any presumed or presumptive ‘defeat’. To the contrary, America’s Spanish-speaking community, writ large, will get its “unmet needs” met to the extent that 32 million will be served, and which leaves the remaining 17 to 19 million, still not receiving any political benefit from our historic component of the Party of Equality. Long story short, the ‘barrier’ to achieving further success, will be this Neo-Liberal Nexus. So, be advised!
And keep in mind, we—here in the Sonoran Desert, will continue to ‘get our licks’ in as this debate continues into the weeks, months and years that are sure to come. Or until the “Three Clowns About Town” (McCain, Lieberman and Graham) are rejected by the White House.
Jaango
3 Comments
Glad to see you back jaango; based on what I have read/heard, even legal immigrants would not be able to participate in what the legislation purports to offer.
“CLARISSA MARTINEZ DE CASTRO: Well, we—granted, we understand that the fight over healthcare is very difficult. We also believe that one of the purposes should be to remove the structural barriers to those people who are having a hard time either obtaining healthcare or obtaining quality healthcare. In the case of the Latino community, we have one of the largest uninsured populations. And we feel that there was a real opportunity here to right a wrong that was done in the past, where we started treating legal immigrants and US citizens as if they were different classes of people. There was a real opportunity to do that. We know that many folks try to manipulate the immigration issue to block healthcare reform. This is a recurring problem and, there again, one of the reasons why we need to do immigration reform.
But there was—but instead of standing strong on principles of healthcare reform, what we saw was that instead of undoing that wrong that prevents legal immigrants who are contributing to our society from that being treated differently, that that stayed in there. So there was an opportunity to do that, to remove structural barriers that had been artificially created, and instead of that, they stayed in place, and we added some others. ”
She is Director of Immigration and National Campaigns at the National Council of La Raza and they are opposed to the legislation.
Your perspective?
Just heard Grijalva state that this legislation provides healthcare for Indians for the first time. Would you clarify?
He was referring to the Yaquis which are a large part of his normal constituency. In keeping with this ‘norm’ there tends to be more “off-Rez” than there is “on-Rez” and consequently, if your employer provides insurance through Cigna for example, the Indians will take advantage of the services afforded through Cigna than signing-off at the local branch of the Indian Health Services. Consequently, with tax subsidies, more Indians will get more access to a much wider array of services via health insurance policies, should this actually occur in the current legislation. Obviously, Grijalva thinks that these insurance policies can be “assigned” to Indian Health Services in order to provide the “medical care delivered” and he is for the most part correct given that his intimate knowledge of health care is considerable. He spends a great deal of his time on the Rez attending to the concerns of his constituency.
Jaango