The year of not so much change
Monday, August 4th, 2008
By Chris Fitzsimon
In case you are not already frustrated with the nature of the debate in statewide races in North Carolina in this watershed election year, consider the coverage of a recent appearance in Greenville by Democratic Senate candidate Kay Hagan, who is challenging the incumbent Senator, Republican Elizabeth Dole.
The Greenville Daily Reflector reports that Hagan told a crowd of supporters that North Carolina needs a Senator who does more for the state than Dole, a standard theme in her stump speech.
Hagan said she'll be a Senator who pushes for alternative energy solutions and improvements in education and access to health care, issues that not coincidentally always show up at the top of the list of voter concerns in most polls.
Like those of many candidates, Hagan's proposals on the issues seem to be poll tested too. Hagan told the Greenville crowd that one way to tackle the health care problem was to give tax breaks to nursing students and forgive their student loans.
There's nothing wrong with that, the state needs more nurses, especially in rural areas, but that is hardly a solution to the national health care crisis with 47 million people uninsured, more that 1.4 million of them in North Carolina.
Hagan's campaign website has a few more details, most notably touting her support for children's health care in the North Carolina Senate. Dole voted against the reauthorization of the federal children's health care plan.
Hagan also mentions tax credit for businesses that offer coverage, eliminating waste, and more funding for Medicaid, though for several years she has defended the state Senate's proposal to kick 65,000 people who are blind, aged, or disabled off the state Medicaid. The House wise rejected that idea.
Hagan's health care proposals are cautious and safe but the lack of specificity and boldness is hardly unique. Dole's campaign website doesn't appear to mention health care much at all. There's no issue section to speak of, but her vote against expanding children's health care reflects her general philosophy that the market will take care of things, a view shared by Republican presidential candidate John McCain.
Democrat Barack Obama has a much bolder, detailed proposal that at least talks about universal coverage, though progressive pundits like New York Times columnist Paul Krugman believe the plan may not actually achieve it. But at least it is a reasonable effort, one that Hagan has apparently been advised to stay away from, judging from her website and campaign appearances.
All this comes against a backdrop of a political establishment still unwilling to confront the health care industry and adopt fundamental reform that provides universal coverage. The Democratic leadership in Congress has said as much. New York Senator Charles Schumer said a few months ago that he is not sure Congress is ready for "national health care plan."
Later this month, the U.S. Census Bureau will release new statistics on the uninsured and they are likely to worse than last year. No one expects them to improve. And judging from the nature of the election year debate, it is getting harder and harder to believe that most politicians in either party are likely much to do much about it.
And you thought this was the year of change.
Last 5 posts in Fitzsimon File
- Not so affordable college - December 3rd, 2008
- Funding gaps and double taxation - December 2nd, 2008
- A day to recommit to save lives - December 1st, 2008
- Settling for too little anti-smoking efforts - November 25th, 2008
- A troubling and ignored transition - November 24th, 2008
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