The Childrens

Five days ago George Bush signed a decree marking October 1st National Child Health Day. Two days later he vetoed healthcare coverage for children. The amount of money we spend to occupy Iraq for two weeks could provide 9 million kids of 'Merka's working poor and lower middle class health care for a year. But instead Dubya McScroogepants says 'How's about we just give the adorable little knee-biters a freaking day instead?' What a great idea! Now the kids have a whole free day to celebrate in the waiting room of an emergency clinic. I can just imagine the National Child Health Day carol sung by the childrens in between their hacking coughs:



Today's the day we celebrate our health

And the fact it won't cost Republican's their wealth

True we may be sick and bleeding

But insurance companies won't be needing

To fear losing those profits they hold so dear

Their Congressional Friends will always be near

To take their campaign donations in exchange for a vote

Against free health care for kids whose parents can't afford a boat

So sing with us now, the children of the poor

We have a day named for our health but healthcare no more

Ya gotta love The Childrens, they are a scrappy bunch. At one time we were all worried 'Is They Learnin?' but after seeing this video I think we can conclude that The Childrens Do Learn. Word is while there is a veto-proof majority in the Senate, the House is a baker's dozen votes shy of the number needed to override Bush's veto of SCHIP. Who'd a thunk that there are some House Republicans that no likey The Childrens?

Sigh, but while The Childrens have proven they do learn can we say the same for The Adults? Eh...not so much. Extending healthcare to more children whose parents cannot afford monthly private insurance premiums of $1,500 is not 'going down the path of socialized medicine' as that pointy-nosed nasal-voiced White House spokes-hole Frau Perrino would have us believe. And the amount of tax revenue needed to cover these kids amounts to about $35.00 per American per year. I wonder how much that compares to how much the Iraq Occupation costs each American per year?

In a socialized medical system, the doctors work for the government which is not necessary with government administered single-payer programs. Private practice doctors currently accept SCHIP and Medicare payments for their services. In fact, private practice doctors have no trouble getting paid by Medicare but have to fight tooth and nail to get paid by private insurance companies. Doctors and hospitals have to pay through the nose to employ people to navigate the private health insurance industry. These government administered programs are run at 1/4 the cost of private health insurance.

But, that's the rub. The Insurance Lobby does not want to be put out of a job. Instead of working to lower their premiums and cover more people, they'd rather spend hundreds of millions a year paying off politicians and producing television ads to fight government assistance. Instead of lowering their CEO's salaries to say only 10 million a year they'd rather pay them four (or more) times as much. If insurance companies just did their freaking job efficiently and competitively we wouldn't need the government to do it for them. But no can do, instead these 'grown-ups' would rather deny health coverage to kids.

So, for those Liberal Drinkers out there that believe children are our future, you can find others just as wild about those little post-fetal buggers as you, right here. The Childrens need more than a 'special day' and a catchy tune to become The Futures. They need The Adults to grow up and do what's right.