State Democrats Follow Clinton's Lead Against Single Payer Healthcare in Colorado

[portlander23]

ColoradoCare: universal healthcare plan has Democrats divided
Josiah Hesse
The Guardian

A ballot measure in Colorado that would, if passed, make the state the first in the country to have universal, government-run healthcare is facing resistance from a surprising group: state Democrats.

Some state Democrats argue that the state can’t afford universal coverage, that it will kill jobs, and that it will raise taxes for working families. But for Colorado legislators, there is serious political capital at stake as well.

“There is huge money from the [health insurance] industry involved in financing not only the campaign against ColoradoCare, but also in financing the politicians who decide on health care legislation,” said Owen Perkins, communications director for ColoradoCareYes, which is pushing for the measure. “The role that big money, big medicine plays in funding campaigns and influencing political votes is certainly a good reason to take [healthcare] out of the insurance industry and politicians and put it in the hands of the people.”

Some supporters of ColoradoCare remain optimistic that Clinton will come out in favor of the plan, even though the consultant firm behind Priorities USA is the same group fighting ColoradoCare.

Movement politics is hard enough when you have to fight a conservative opposition party. It's even harder when the conservatives are in your party.

[tonyt53]

1. They know the state of their state better than you do.

Universal healthcare is not nearly as easy to implement and Bernie evidently thinks it is. it will takes several steps and several years and most of all, a boatload of money to implement. One step at a time. Conservatives in the Democratic Party of CO? Not in this matter. Very smart is more like it and grounded in reality.

[think]

2. Ya. Canada has unicorns so they can do it. America doesn't believe in unicorns

So they do what the corporations who bought Clinton say

Prominent Democratic Consultants Sign Up to Defeat Single Payer in Colorado


INFLUENTIAL DEMOCRATIC CONSULTANTS, some of whom work for the Super PACs backing Hillary Clinton, have signed up to fight a bold initiative to create a state-based single-payer system in Colorado, according to a state filing posted Monday

~snip~

The anti-single-payer effort is funded almost entirely by health care industry interests, including $500,000 from Anthem Inc., the state’s largest health insurance provider; $40,000 from Cigna, another large health insurer that is current in talks to merge with Anthem; $75,000 from Davita, the dialysis company; $25,000 from Delta Dental, the largest dental insurer in the state; and $100,000 from SCL Health, the faith-based hospital chain...

https://theintercept.com/2016/05/03/single-payer-dems-colo/

[TexasTowelie]

3. 'Since I do read newspapers from around the country

I will also point out that part of the argument that is not mentioned in The Guardian article is that the legislators looked at the situation that transpired in Vermont when a single payer plan was proposed and it would have required a 151% increase revenue for the state ($2.6 billion in a state with 626,000 residents or about $4,150 per person). While I wouldn't expect the increase to reach as high in Colorado (pun intended), that is a significant increase particularly if the adjacent states don't raise their taxes likewise.

The only way that a single payer plan is going to pass is if all states pass a single payer plan and if all states have a similar level of plan (be it bronze, silver, gold or platinum plans).

[jeff47]

5. Yeah, that's why there are no businesses left in California.

They've all fled due to the much higher tax rate. Remember when San Francisco became a ghost town due to all the job losses?

Oh wait.....

[TexasTowelie]

6. I can't speak for the people in California,

but I do have a lot of friends in Austin that wish that the invaders from California would leave. Rents went up about 50%-60% there as the Californians fled there because the jobs went to Texas.

[jeff47]

7. No, the jobs didn't.

Remember how there's a huge rental and real estate crisis in San Francisco, with lots of people no longer being able to afford to rent houses there?

Or did you miss that in reading your newspapers from around the country?

[TexasTowelie]

8. Yes, I never could understand why anyone would want to pay so much for real estate

that will be submerged the next time a large earthquake occurs.

There are jobs in San Francisco, I never said that there weren't and I'm also aware of the real estate crisis in San Francisco which has existed for more than a decade. However, there are also a lot of people leaving California and coming to Texas since the companies moved because of the high taxes and the high cost of living. People have to earn more in California to meet the tax burden which makes it less competitive than locations the cost of labor is lower. California also had a housing bust in the past decade that didn't occur in Texas although there were a couple of areas in the state that went through the oil boom and bust. There are many things that I don't like about Texas and wish they were more progressive, but one thing that I do like is that we don't have an income tax.

As far as your comment about what I read in the newspapers you might want to check the California Group to see some evidence regarding the number of stories that I've posted. You can check the other state groups also if you need further proof or visit my site at http://democratsforever.freeforums.net/ where I've posted over 8,500 stories this year.

[JEB]

4. Gotta keep the gravy train rollin'.

Too many Democrats are part of the problem.

[MisterP]

9. VOTE BLUE NO MATTER WHO VOTE BLUE NO MATTER WHO VOTE BLUE NO MATTER WHO VOTE BLUE NO MATTER WHO VOTE