health care

Paging Congresswoman Velazquez

Posted by Dana Rapoport

Two things happened this week. They weren’t really aware of each other’s existence, but they had a mutual impact.  Something like spring and allergies.

The Congressional Hispanic Caucus under Congresswoman Nydia M. Velazquez announced its priorities for the Health and Environment Task Force in the 111th Congress.

And a mildly ill – non-Hispanic resident of the 12th District, paid a visit to the Williamsburg Health Center in Brooklyn.

Being sick sucks. No matter what your ethnicity is.

On a warm spring Tuesday, she schlepped her sweatpants-influenza-ish- self all the way to the closest clinic. “It’s better to be on the safe side,” her mother always said. Even if that side is on the South Side of the neighborhood, 16 blocks away.

The CHC’s announcement came just in time, the recent visit to the doctor shows.

In the heart of the Hassidic neighborhood, signs in both Yiddish and Spanish advise on hygiene and health rules.  The Orthodox woman at the reception desk, tried to be efficient and sympathetic. It wasn’t easy as she was alternating signing in patients and answering a constant stream of phone calls.

The waiting area that only minutes earlier was filled with nothing but Dr. Sanjay Gupta’s voice, talking about beets and cholesterol on the health channel, soon became crowded with real people and coughs.

One floor higher and 40 minutes later it was already a zoo.

A nurse – THE nurse – was hidden under a pile of files, medical records, manually filling out the paper work.
When the door opened the nurse mumbled, “They’re trying to make us quit our job,” an answer to one’s question – why are you here by yourself?

Then, she put an ad-hock sign on the door: Please knock once and take a sit.

There were no sits available.

About a dozen chairs were occupied (plus few kids running around). Young parents, babies, an elderly women – all Spanish speaking. Hispanics were on the other side as well, along with Afro-American, Asian, Jewish, and Indian doctors and nurses. A real hospital melting bed pan.

By the end of your visit you wished you had gone to work.

The lack of IT or manpower at health facilities is what the CHC Task Force will try to cure this year.
Here are selected examples of what The Health and the Environment Task Force priorities include:

  • Community Health Centers: Latinos comprise 34.8% of health center users. We support the development and expansion of community and migrant health centers and increasing funding for Federally Qualified Health Centers.
  • Health IT.  We support access to appropriate incentives to enable health care providers in low-income and medically underserved communities to move forward in adopting HIT.
  • Expansion of the Primary Health Care Workforce.  We support short term programs and policies to address immediate primary care and nursing workforce needs.

Congresswoman Velazquez should care. Not only as the chair of the CHC but also because the health industry is keeping her in good shape.

“Health Professionals” is the leading industry in donating to her 2010 campaign with $33,500, according to Opensecrets.com (Dentists $7,5000, Orthodontist with $5,000 and optometrists $5,000).

Although a very energetic supporter of Health Care, Nydia Velazquez’s legislative charts show that health issues were ill treated in the last decade.

With no major legislation record, some efforts can be traced, but not many. A million dollar program here, $500,000 health initiative there, Velazquez targeted AIDS, asthma and Obesity in Brooklyn’s Hispanic community. But no significant breakthrough on file.

Velazquez should follow the wise maternal advice and not neglect her health initiatives – because even just a minor inconvenience can lead to a more serious ailment – if not treated with care.

Health care victory, health care defeat

Posted by Colby Hamilton

graf_map_REVAt 10am on Friday, April 9, the emergency room at St. Vincent’s Hospital stopped taking patients as the institution prepared to shut its doors and file bankruptcy. The battle to save St. Vincent’s has been one of the highest profile issues in Congressman Nadler’s district.

“After a tremendous effort by all stakeholders to save the hospital as an acute care facility, it has become clear that this option is not viable due to the economic realities facing the hospital,” Nadler said in a press release after hospital officials announced their decision.

St. Vincent’s closing leaves the west side of lower Manhattan empty of emergency room and inpatient care. The closest comparable care facility–Bellevue Hospital–is two miles away. Local activists, elected officials and the hospital itself have kept the financially troubled, privately-run hospital on life support for months, hoping to find a permanent solution to keep the 50,000-ER-patients-a-year facility from closing.

The blow to Nadler’s district–however anticipated–comes just weeks after the triumphant passage of health care reform in Washington. Nadler has been in-district defending the bill, according to the West Side Spirit. Unlike much of what cable news reports, Nadler’s constituents were putting the congressman on the defensive for not going far enough with the legislation.

Still, the fact now remains, despite the congressman’s support, his district is now down a major medical facility. He has promised to work to have an adequate medical facility in the West Village. St. Vincent’s is one of a number of hospitals in the city that have shut their doors over the past decade. Even if health care reform delivers for New Yorkers, residents of the West Side will now have a harder time finding it.

Weiner gets White Powder (not the fun kind)

Posted by Michael Drury

Nine people had to be  evacuated from Anthony Weiner’s office in  Kew Gardens today, because of a letter with “white powder” and a note that told him to “drop dead”. The Powder will be checked thoroughly, but initial tests deemed it to be neither fun nor dangerous. The FBI called the note potentially threating .
Aside from the fear that this might cause the representative, it’s probably a good thing for his political standing and for the Democrats in general.
As the anger of the right takes concrete form in hateful letters and telephone calls to supporters of health care, it serves to highlight a distinction between the two parties in terms of identity: The Democrat’s relatively principled handling of recent political conflict, versus the seeming incitement to lawlessness by the Republicans.

Since the coming mid-term electoral battle is for voters from the political center, Weiner and the Democrats stand to gain from lawlessness in two ways.
First, despite their general anti-inside-the-beltway sympathies, Independents probably will not be swayed by the insistence of Republican leaders that they have in not played a part in stoking these ugly displays. Democrats being attacked for voting their principles are likely to be seen in a sympathetic light.
Secondly, If one accepts that part of the purpose of the recent Republican obstructionism was to make the Democrats seem incapable of governing, the association of the Republican Party with lawless behavior by people inspired by their rhetoric will not help them earn the mantle of authority and stability.
The mid-term elections seem to be breaking badly for the Democrats, but if they do seem to benefit at the polls from ongoing outrageous displays from the right. Weiner, being one of the lighting rods for these developments will perhaps enhance his stature within the Democratic hierarchy, which is an important consideration for a politician who is widely seen as having ambitions beyond the confines of his current role.
The 9th District is fairly reliably Democratic, and many of the more conservative elements are likely to be Orthodox Jews, who will not be pleased at the sight of a fellow Jew being threatened, so it probably also benefits him locally.

Nadler drives. He shoots. He scores!

Posted by Colby Hamilton

[Update below]

Congressional Democrats are riding the high-tide of legislative victory after passing health care reform this past week. For Congressman Nadler, it was a week of press releases and speeches from the floor of Congress.

There were two big Nadler moments around health care. The first, announced prior to the vote, was an announcement that the New York congressional delegation was able to provide the state $2.1 billion in Medicare savings. In the original Senate version of the bill, New York State would have been paying even more to cover the needy.

“Instead of costing New York State $779 million and punishing us for taking a more progressive stance in the Medicaid system, as was directed by the Senate-passed health insurance bill, the Delegation has successfully added provisions to instead save the State $1.3 billion in costs,” Nadler said in a press release. “Providing a net gain of $2.1 billion is a critical improvement to the legislation and will mean a great deal for balancing our State’s budget.”

The savings will be greatly appreciated as Albany legislators are trying to plug a nearly $10 billion budget hole.

Moment 2: as we’ve seen across the country, the rhetoric against the passage of health care reform has become toxic.

Case in point: Carl Paladino, an upstate Republican who will likely run for governor, compared health care reform to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. “The day that that bill was passed will be remembered just as 9/11 was remembered in history,” he said.

Nadler, who represents lower Manhattan and did in 2001, didn’t take kindly to the statements.

“Every decent person should be disgusted by Carl Paladino’s comparison of the recently enacted health care reform bill with the attacks of 9/11,” Nadler said. “As the Member of Congress who represent the World Trade Center site and many of the people who were killed or permanently injured on that day, I believe that there is no place in public life for this kind of vile exploitation of their sacrifice.”

Take that, Paladino.

UPDATE: Apparently Paladino didn’t appreciate being admonished by Nadler reported New York magazine. “”I am not impressed that you kissed enough asses to chair a committee of politicians in the Congress,” Paladino told Nadler.

Staten Island says 'no' to health reform

Posted by Joseph Tacopino

Staten Island’s Rep. Mike McMahon was the only “No” vote on health care reform out of the New York City delegation.

In a sense he gave the district exactly what they wanted: blind obstruction.

It’s no surprise that most of the island, although grossly misinformed, is decidedly against the president’s health care initiative — or any other initiative he has for that matter.

I’ve done some reporting on this issue in the past and the feelings from the mid-island business community was generally weary of this elusive health care plan.

Here is a sampling for Sept 09:

“My husband has his own business and he pays $2,000 a month for insurance. We’re hurting but I do have three kids. I don’t know what I’m going to get (if reform passes).”

– Pat Siringo, clerk at Uniquely Yours

“It’s not the cheapest but at least I have insurance. I am concerned about the effect this plan will have on seniors. I don’t want any more change; I’ve had enough change.”

-Lorraine Graziano, owner of S I Quick Print.

“My wife had to get a job at (Staten Island University) Hospital so I could get health care. I went for two years without insurance. But, if you work 20 years to get to a certain point with your business why should you be penalized (with higher taxes). It’s not right, I hope it doesn’t pass.”

-Michael DiGuido, owner of The Animal Pantry.

“He won’t vote for it, and it won’t pass. Financially it doesn’t make any sense. Staten Island is a conservative place in general. Staten Island can take care of itself.”
-Warren Crapo owner Crapo Realty

Every single business owner complained about the rising costs of health care. However, every single business owner was strongly against health care reform.

Is there a disconnect here? Where are they getting their info? Fox News? The Advance? The Marketeer?

By Tuesday, the media was sniping at McMahon from every angle.

The NY Daily News claimed that the White House was upset with McMahon’s intransigence.

The local paper spoke to a potential primary challenger, who had lost to McMahon in ’08.

Meanwhile McMahon’s opponents were unsheathing their right-wing rhetoric.

“It is a very sad day for all Americans when bribery and backroom deals beat the will of the people,” Mike Grimm said in a press release.

The other Mike, Allegretti, went to the NY Post to air his grievances

But what about the Island’s conservative base? They must be on McMahon’s side now right?

“As long as the congressman has a ‘D’ next to his name, he will be part of the problem in perpetuating the Pelosi Congress,” said Santarpia, the leader of Staten Island’s Tea Party, to the Staten Island Advance.

Looks like McMahon can’t please anybody.

Weiner smacks down Peggy Noonan and it feels so good.

Posted by Michael Drury

The problem with complicated things is that they aren’t easily explained. After public opinion scuttled the dreams of generals and their pals during the Vietnam War, certain interests in this country got together and funded Institutes to examine how to explain certain things to the American people.

That’s how the complex issue of the taxing inheritances over $3.5 million became the far more easily understood notion of “the death tax” and  how the regulation of multi-national corporation’s campaign contributions came to be understood in terms of “attacking the fundamental rights of all Americans to express themselves.”

Peggy Noonan likes to explain things like this, she did it for Ronald Reagan. When he was shifting the national agenda to wards the star wars program and she did it this week in the Wall Street Journal when she explained that Obama had wasted a year of the nation’s precious time dealing with the “tangential” issue of healthcare, when he should be doing more important things like visiting our friends in Australia.

Peggy is of the opinion that thinking about the economy and health care at the same time is too complicated to fit into a single understandable explanation. Anthony Weiner begged to differ. He explained the situation to her on Morning Joe. Please watch (it comes at the end).

Velazquez Joins the Anti-Rahm Emanuel Choir

Posted by Dana Rapoport

Obama’s Chief of Staff, Rahm Emanuel is the man everyone loves to hate recently – or once again. He’s being blamed for either being too pushy (and naked), or not pushy enough.

With a health care reform to pass, Emanuel has received growing attention for various reasons; mostly unsympathetic.

Immigrant and minority groups, who played a role in getting Obama into the White House, feel that their interests have been pushed back. Emanuel, possibly the closest man to the President, could have acted as the catalyst or the roadblock. It all depends on what his most pressing issue is.

And all other issues, inevitably, have to wait.

This week, Nydia Velázquez, Chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, expressed her concerns regarding “The Limits of Rahmism”.

“There are strong feelings about Rahm Emanuel among members of the Hispanic caucus,” Velázquez told The New York Times Magazine.

“People feel Rahm Emanuel has not been helpful in moving forward. He’s always about the numbers. He’s always about being the pragmatist. He’s always about winning,” Velázquez stated in the 8,000-word Emanuel profile. (A profile Emanuel himself didn’t take a part in.)

No legalization, no reconciliation

Velázquez and Hispanic lawmakers blame Emanuel for barring illegal immigrants from buying policies on new insurance exchanges in the Senate health care bill.

His caution on easing rules for immigrants, The Wall Street Journal wrote, derive from fearing such a position will hurt Democrats at the polls.

Immigrant rights groups slammed Obama for slow action with the bill legalizing the status of undocumented immigrants, and health care for illegal immigrant, but is the former Illinois Senator the (only) one to blame?

Frienemies

But Velázquez and Emanuel couldn’t have been in greater harmony over the years – at least throughout their shared time in Congress, between 2003-2007. They voted together 95.65 percent of the time, (23 out of 22 votes).

In 1114 floor votes, they disagreed only 97 times. And only one of those 97 instances was an immigration related bill (Border Security — Diversity Visa Program, HR4437).

Even with her BFF Nancy Pelosi, Velázquez voted the same way only 87.5 percent of all floor votes. On immigration issues, however, they voted together.

But even since he’s been in office, Emanuel hasn’t always been an immigration antagonist. Last year, he got credit for clearing the path for increased benefits for immigrant children and pregnant women in the State Children’s Health Insurance Program. It was Obama’s first major legislative victory.

As a religious pragmatist, Emanuel’s stance on immigration, may be, like Velázquez unintentionally suggested this week, the winning one. Focused on the health care bill, some say winning passage of an amnesty bill for the undocumented immigrants is unlikely.

Velázquez could be rightfully mad with Emanuel, and so may other minority interest groups, but right now, they all need to take a number. He’s set on finding a majority.