Don't forget:

1) That the Senate proposals are far more conservative than the House bill and the public plan won't get past a Senate filibuster,

2) Most Americans won't accept health care as a right,

3) The White House is not behind us,

4) The bills scuttle local efforts by leaving the States no choice but to participate in private insurance,

5) The long, drawn out reforms will leave Congress the ability to have us waiting years before we can properly evaluate and criticize the bills.

It's time for a mid-term election strategy. This battle's over. It's time to dig in for the war.

Action suggestion for certain parts of the country:

Fry's/ Safeway workers may strike in AZ. This issue is making employees contribute to medical coverage for the first time.

http://www.abc15.com/content/news/phoenixmetro/central/story/Strike-could-cripple-Safeway-Frys-stores-across/dQ432PgWWUiMpQPrJdCHdw.cspx

Now, we can be like the crotchety Scrooges decrying the fact that it will be only $5-$15/ week, that other people, like ourselves, have been contributing more for years, or think they should be grateful to their masters when unemployment is running high. But, I think this is an opportunity to make some statements:

- It's a wage cut, no matter how little it seems.

- Just because many of us put up with contributory amounts doesn't make it right. Too often, there's a hazing mentality in wanting to inflict like troubles on others - very un-Christian - malice toward fellow citizens on our own level or below and look upward to the powerful for approval of the stomping order.

If where you live you have these grocery chains, it might help to boycott them altogether.

At this point we should tell our legislators that we insist on a Medicare 4 All PO. I am still wondering if that is what they are trying to accomplish. 

If not, then the next thing is civil disobedience. Don't purchase insurance. Sit in at your legislators office until you get an appointment. 

Listen, the more people who find out that everyone is handing hard earned money over to the health insurers, the sooner we will see Congress do the right thing. As hard as it is to believe, alot of Americans are clueless about what is in the bill and what the results will be. They have insurance through their employer.

Of course we all wanted this to be over, months ago already. To tell you the truth I am sick and tired of spending all my spare time on the internet and god knows my family is wondering whether I can talk about anything other than health care reform. We all need to take a deeeeeep breath and think where we would be if the house had not passed a bill. This isn't over yet. We have to use all our resources to help educate people about what is in this bill and how, even though it provides some protections, does not control costs and offers the health insurance industry millions of customers.

Listen, the whole stupid thing isn't supposed to take effect until 2013. There is time to craft a bill that will solve the problem. I hope we don't have to wait THAT long. but it truly is up to us. I agree with Harold, it's time to play a tougher game.

Thank GOD this Titanic of a Bill (or should I say the iceberg) will be completely sunk by common sense.  Pelosi had her hollow victory, and heads will roll in 2010 and beyond if this debacle goes any further.  These left-wing nut jobs like Pelosi are are unwittingly creating their own term limits.

Abortion is the only activity where the government steps in and says that taxpayer dollars ought not fund it because some people have a conscionable moral objection to it based on religious faith. 

Millions of Americans were against the "police action" in Vietnam. Did their tax-dollars go to it? You bet they did. Love it or Leave it! Millions of Americans were against our invasion of Iraq. Did their tax-dollars go to it? You bet they did. Love it or Leave it! Millions of people are against abortion. However, this is a country where State and Church are separate. Love it or Leave it!

Abortion is a medical procedure which health insurance should cover like any other medical procedure whether under a Single Payer system or the sort of health care reform now being advanced that relies on taxpayer subsidies.

Until we all get 401K's that provide a checklist of government funded projects that we can choose to support or not with our tax-dollars, Catholics, Protestants, and other religious persons should shut up about subsidized stem cell research and abortion. Love it or Leave it!

I've had probable swine flu for two weeks (just now recovering).  Had to go to the ER because my lungs wouldn't work well enough- my asthma was trying (again) to kill me- even after it was under control my 02 stats were borderline.  I was also tacycardic (140 beats per minute while half asleep).  Basically I was a mess.  I'm sure the bill will be lovely, they can add it to my tab.  The ER doctor prescribed Tamiflu- I am in the group that is suppose to take it.  I couldn't afford the price tag.  I ended up coughing up blood and on an antibiotic- probable pneumonia, but I didn't want to go to the ER for another chest x-ray.  I seriously wonder if tamiflu would have prevented all of that ugliness.

I just want healthcare.  Affordable, accessible healthcare.  I can compromise a LOT.  I can compromise single payer, I can compromise government option, I can compromise reproductive rights (to a point, at least).  At one point of time I was more picky- I am no longer.  Politicians who won't compromise are no more helpful that the ones who want to keep what we have.

I just received my annual renewal notice from United HealthCare in the mail today and have determined that the health insurance reform that I (and so many others here) have been advocating for so long must be passed along with the inclusion of a strong public option or a single payer system.

I own a small business in Pinellas County and the annual premium for two (2) employees has increased by 27% from Calendar Year 2009 to 2010.  The CEO of United Healthcare made $3.2 Million dollars in cash compensation for Calendar Year 2008 not including stock options and other executive perks, so I am sure that he can afford to pay in excess of $15,000 per Year for health insurance, but this proposed increase could put me out of business. 

I work with numerous other small businesses in this area and I cannot list a single business in this area (other than Progress Energy or other businesses without competition) that has the ability to pass along a 27% cost increase to their clients or customers with the state of our economy.  At this rate, my annual health insurance premium costs will exceed my total for annual mortgage payments, car and property insurance costs as well as my real estate taxes. 

The National Coalition on Health Care reports that premiums have increased 131% over the last decade.  Based on the rate of increase proposed for this Year alone, this would make my health insurance premium increase run more in the range of 270% over the next decade.  I can hardly wait to pay $45,000 per Year for coverage!!  I am not sure how much more of this we can take as a Country, but I am thinking that Canada or England sound like really good places to retire about this time.

Does anyone in Washington get it??  Without real reform (and meaningful Governmental competition), we will always be stuck in this vicious cycle of ever increasing premiums with no real alternatives.  I wish that I could get the same health care coverage that our elected officials receive (and at the same cost), but we are not being represented by our elected officials and I think this is a shame.