Five candidates are on the ballot on the Democratic side:
• Linda Andrei
• Ian Golden
• Tracy Mitrano
• Max Della Pia
• Eddie Sundquist
I have met and/or listened to all of these candidates. They all have their own strengths. I became a volunteer for Linda Andrei back in March because as a retired cardiologist, she can speak authoritatively about the health care system. My initial impression of her was she had an intelligence and empathy that had been shaped by a long career of making life-and-death decisions.
All of these candidates support health care reform in some measure, and it is high time to realize this country needs a single-payer system.
A few anecdotal reasons why I think so:
• Chicken dinner fundraisers
As admirable as it is for members of a community to band together and raise money for a family with a kid sick with leukemia or a dad injured in an accident or a mom with some form of cancer, you have to realize there is something wrong when families have to go to such a struggle to pay hospital bills. These would not be needed with a single-payer system.
• The recalled ambulance
As a reporter, I'd sometimes hear about a car accident on the newsroom scanner. Then we'd hear the ambulance dispatched to the scene. Then, a few minutes later the ambulance would be recalled. The injured person has declined care. They didn't want to go to the emergency room because they couldn't afford it.
• My $34,000 hospital bill
In 2006, I was hospitalized for two weeks with a clot in my liver. At the time, I was covered by Blue Cross, provided by the Star-Gazette. But a few weeks after I came home from the hospital. they sent me a bill for $34,000. Sticker shock! This had been caused by a billing error, and after repeated calls between Blue Cross and the Arnot Ogden billing department, it eventually got resolved. But I would not forget this lesson on how it felt to not have health insurance. Scary!
• My sister Jane, who has Multiple Sclerosis
In March 2017, I was headed to a town hall meeting with Congressman Tom Reed. I asked Jane to toss me some facts to throw at Reed. She said, "It's very scary to have a disease that can knock you out of life without warning. It's scarier still to worry that you won't be able to get the treatment you need. There's no cure (yet) but there are meds and treatments that can help folks live an easier life, but meds can cost $50-80k annually. It's difficult to communicate the level of fear, but it's very real."
• The numbers
The costs of public vs private insurance coverage can be debated, but Medicare operates with a much smaller overhead (about 3 percent) than private health insurance (about 10 percent to 20 percent). Why does private health insurance cost so much more? Bureaucracy -- at both the insurance companies - who often require patients to jump through hoops to get their treatment approved - and at the hospitals and doctors offices where staff must fill out the documentation to get the bills paid.
...
Old habits die hard, so when I attended the debate of these congressional candidates in Elmira a couple of months ago, I jotted down some observations.
"Tracy spoke with an authority and expertise and used compelling devices to capture our attention. 'Call me progressive' over and over effectively. Punctuating every point she made."
[... I make a big distinction between "progressive" and "liberal." I don't like the word liberal because in any kind of fiscal equation, liberal means "I will waste your money." But I do believe it is possible to be careful with money but also be socially progressive. The slogan for this blog "Do what you can, with what you have, where you are," comes from Teddy Roosevelt, the original progressive president ... and a Republican. I do like the way Linda describes herself as a progressive because she believes we still need to make progress.]
"Linda still brought through her commitment and compassion for health care reform ... The only contentious moment of the night was when Tracy said Linda was attempting a straw man/dog attack on single payer. Both support single payer, but Linda insisted it could happen immediately. Tracy argued for a plan to implement it in 5 years to avoid a tax impact. It seemed an attempt to artificially create division. I think either Tracy or Linda could do the job. They are both well-educated, insightful in their own way and hard working."
"Ian was the common man who displayed an undeniable compassion for others. He offered a lot of insight into issues. He would be an excellent Congressman. He might have more of a problem of overcoming the "Ithaca liberal" label when going against Reed. Tracy and Linda have the same issue, but Tracy overcomes it with a diverse and impressive educational resume. Linda, because of her education and experience, but also because she worked as a doctor throughout the Southern Tier, including Arnot Ogden."
"Eddie always came across as smart and well-prepared. I liked that he was able to talk about growing up in farm country with guns as part of the family tradition. He is quite far from an 'Ithaca liberal' but he was the one who adamantly embraced the "extreme liberal" label."
I have had a few conversations with Max, and I have been impressed with him because of his military and legislative experience. He commands a respect that goes across party lines, and that would serve him well in a general election. That one fact may be the deciding factor.
So, I'm volunteering for Linda, but I'm not going to tell people who to vote for in the primary. We have nearly two months until the June 26 primary, and I would encourage everyone to do research on these candidates and decide who you would prefer. The links to their websites are above.
Here's a copy of the flier handed out in advance of the candidate's debate in Elmira:
Sadly, Rick Gallant has since dropped out of the race. As a teacher and union organizer, he brought a lot of useful perspectives to the issues.
I would also be remiss if I did not mention there are two independent candidates in the race:
- James Classy
- John Hertzler
Hertzler poses a problem of loyalty for me, only because I am an avid Star Trek fan. Hertzler played General Martok, a Klingon warrior, on Deep Space Nine. He was a popular and brash character as a Klingon, and he is just as colorful when you meet him in person.
K'plah!
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