Gridlock in Washington, D.C.

 Broken Washington Politics Matters: It's About You

By Mildred Robertson

Sometimes we wonder whether what is going on in Washington D.C. has any real impact on our lives. I have all but tuned out on the debate on President Biden’s “Build Back Better” campaign.  The endless wrangling over the hard infrastructure package, and the contentious $3.5 trillion soft infrastructure package proposed by Democrats seem to be unending and unfruitful. As politicians debate about the various components of that package, such as healthcare, Medicare and Medicaid, many of us think, I am doing okay. I can afford my medications and doctor’s visits. The fact is, you do not know how broken the system is, until it breaks in YOUR life.

This past weekend, I spent time looking through old photographs. Needless to say, I am twice the woman I was back in my youth; both figuratively and literally. I, like many other women my age, have gained a lot of weight over the years. While I have struggled with diet, exercise, intermittent fasting and other purported remedies in an attempt to bring my weight down to a healthy level, nothing seems to work.  So I finally went to a nutritionist, and working with her I discovered that my problem is likely insulin resistance.

I felt really good to know that my weight gain was not just a matter of lack of control or exercise regimen. And, thank God, there was an injection that could help address the problem. So, they gave me samples of Wegovy, a medication that could help break my insulin resistance, and allow the other tactics I was using for weight-loss to work. They gave me two samples of the once-weekly dose, and I was on my new journey to a healthier body…I thought.

It turns out the medication is REALLY hard to keep stocked, and it is REALLY expensive. The Nutrition Center had a $25 coupon distributed by the manufacturer to make it accessible to patients. My pharmacy, however, told me they’d been trying, unsuccessfully, to get Wegovy in stock.  But that wasn’t all. The medication is not covered by Medicare, and the coupon cannot be used by Medicare patients. Understand, that with just two doses, I had begun to see results, and I was elated. You see, I am pre-diabetic, trying not to go to the next level. So it’s not vanity that motivates me, but health concerns. You must also understand that without insurance, the medication could cost as much as $1000/month.

So, there is a medication available that could help me achieve the weight loss I need in order to avoid diabetes and live a healthier life. But I can’t access it because America’s broken health-care system has allowed capitalism to dictate healthcare.

I do not purport to understand the mechanizations surrounding pharmaceutical prices, insurance and government regulation.  But I do know that people should not be denied needed healthcare due to the lack of wealth.  I do believe that Medicare should be allowed to negotiate fair prices for life-enhancing, life-sustaining drugs.

So this battle raging in Washington D.C. about President Biden’s “Build Back Better” plan will have a direct effect on MY life. I’m certain there is something in the plan that will directly affect your life as well.

If Democrats are successful in crafting a bill that will address run-away healthcare costs, I might be able to get and afford a medication that can positively affect my health and well-being. Their plan may result in better roads and highways in your community. Perhaps you’ll see higher paying jobs in your area, or more kids will gain access to higher education. 

So as difficult as it is to see endless news talk shows drone on about the battle in Washington, it really is relevant to each of us on an individual level. We must stay tuned in. And, if Washington D.C. does not deliver, we need to proactively seek representation that will give us results. We must make our voices heard. It really is all about us.

 

DEMOCRATIC RULE UNDER ATTACK IN AMERICA

 By Mildred Robertson

The foundation of American democracy is the participation of its citizenry. Our history is replete with stories of patriots who fought to the death to have a say in how this nation will be governed. One would think after close to 250 years, that matter would have been settled. But alas, we still struggle with who can lay claim to U.S. citizenship based on race, ethnicity, place of origin and religion. There are those among us who wish to rebut the unfettered immigration offered as a welcome to all willing to participate in this American experiment called democracy. The Statue of Liberty boldly proclaims, “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses…”

“Not so,” says the party of Lincoln.

Republicans have determined that this nation and its bounty should restrict the benefits of citizenship to those who are more melanated than the Europeans who sailed to this continent, slaughtered its inhabitants and enslaved an entire race of people. (That statement is not Critical Race Theory—It’s just facts.)

According to our constitution every native-born and naturalized citizen over the age of 18 is eligible to vote (with some exceptions such as individuals who are incarcerated or on probation.) But Republican legislatures across this country are waging an all-out war to make it difficult for qualified Americans to vote, ranging from erecting barriers to registering and casting a vote, to purging voting rolls of qualified voters.

Laws proliferating in many Republican controlled legislatures are designed to:

• reduce early voting days, which is a voting practice widely used by minorities.
• reduce the number of hours polls are opened, particularly in democratic areas.
• reduce the number of polling places, resulting in long lines, particularly in minority neighborhoods.
• Deny felons the right to vote (approximately 1.4 million denied access each election, many of whom are black or Latino).
• require photo IDs, forcing tens of thousands to obtain new ID just to vote. This places particular  hardship on the poor or elderly who may have transportation problems, or have difficulty getting off work to obtain documentation. (To illustrate the impact of such laws, the Charlotte Observer reported that, in North Carolina, as many as 800,000 registered voters lacked the necessary photo ID, and more than 556,000 had no ID at all.)
• block college students from voting where they attend school, and denying them the right to use their college photo ID to vote.
• bar people from voting over small discrepancies, i.e., women who have recently married and changed their names.
• eliminate registered voters from the voting rolls who have not voted in consecutive elections.
• hamper or eliminate mail-in voting.

Other tactics used include intimidation at the polls, sometimes using armed police; misinformation where GOP campaigns and GOP-led governments have sent out mailings with incorrect dates and locations for voting; and gerrymandering where districts are drawn to benefit Republicans, making it almost impossible for the opposition to win. That is how Hillary Clinton won nearly 3 million more votes than Trump, yet still lost in the Electoral College. And then, there is the Electoral College itself where less populous states have statistically more representation than more densely populated states where many minorities reside.

As many minorities and Democrats struggle to counter this assault on democracy, there are those who chose to sit out the fight. While this nation’s Founders may not have intended for the benefits of American citizenship to be extended to any but male, white land owners, thank God that the constitution is a living document that has matured as our nation has developed toward becoming a true democracy.

But we are becoming.  We are not there yet.

Those of us who still believe in the promise of America must not sit idly by while disloyal seditionists betray our heritage and tear our nation apart. We cannot give in to hatred, racism and minority rule. We must stand firm if we are to realize the full vision of what America can be…”One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”