Comcast CEO Endorses Heath Care Reform, Says It Will Put Nation On Path To Prosperity

[kpete]

Source: The Plum Line

Comcast CEO Endorses Heath Care Reform, Says It Will Put Nation On Path To Prosperity

This is interesting: The CEO of Comcast — which is in the news today because of its huge takeover of NBC — has just penned a letter to the President, endorsing his health care reform effort as “critical to putting this country on a path of sustained growth and prosperity.”

The letter from Comcast CEO Brian Roberts to Obama — which was sent over by a source — puts the CEO of one of the most visible companies in the country directly at odds with claims by some business groups and Republicans that health care reform is a job killer and amounts to a threat to the private sector.

Here’s the key bit, in a discussion of today’s jobs summit:


Because of our announcement today that we have formed a joint venture with General Electric consisting of NBCU’s businesses and Comcast’s cable networks, I am unable to attend the Summit. I very much appreciate the outreach to the business community, and want to express one ofthe thoughts I intended to make at the Summit — that enactment of comprehensive health care reform legislation is, in my judgment, critical to putting this country on a path ofsustained growth and prosperity.…

While there has been much controversy and debate over hundreds of provisions and alternatives, it is my view that the current legislation pending in the Senate provides a workable framework for this country to take an important step toward enhancing health care accessibility, promoting operational efficiencies and technological innovation, and reducing the cost of health care and the federal deficit…

I want to commend you for your dedication to health care reform and for the remarkable progress that has been achieved in this area under your leadership. We cannot allow perfection to stand in the way of critically needed and very good legislation, which is why I support your efforts. Comcast stands ready to assist you and this nation in the effort to enact sensible health care reform.

Full letter here.
http://theplumline.whorunsgov.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/WH-Health-Care-Letter.pdf

Read more: http://theplumline.whorunsgov.com/health-care/comcast-ceo-writes-obama-your-heath-care-efforts-will-put-nation-on-path-to-prosperity/

[Vincardog]

1. Why don't I believe him?

[bc3000]

5. because it's probably part of a deal

Endorse health care reform and get a little leeway on antitrust inquiries?

Maybe that sounds paranoid, but from what we've seen over the last several years, I think it's rational to assume there is some sort of payola or corruption behind anything that happens in Washington DC.

It's also hard to believe that Comcast cares about people in any manner if you've been a customer for any amount of time.

[endless october]

2. glad to hear it.

break up comcast with antitrust action anyway.

[Alcibiades]

3. More corporations should come out for reform

Especially in manufacturing, where the high costs have driven many operations to places such as Canada, that don't have inherently lower costs except for this one item.

The only reason they do not, I think, is because they are ideologues, and perhaps some unwritten code that thou shalt not trespass upon the profits of thy fellow corporations.

[Pirate Smile]

4. Maybe somebody is trying to suck up to the regulators in hopes of getting his merger passed.

[onehandle]

6. He can kiss my ass. Anti-Merger site ----->

http://freepress.net/comcast

[fascisthunter]

7. rrright - prosperity for which Americans?

exactly

[onenote]

8. classic logrolling LBJ style

a lot of folks here have been complaining how the Democratic leadership should be more like LBJ, who really knew how to get things done. Well, this is how LBJ did it....log rolling: you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours. Anyone who doesn't think this was carefully orchestrated between Comcast on the one hand and either the WH or Reid (or both) on the other doesn't know how Washington works. Like I said -- if you want LBJ style governance (and sometimes we should want it) this is part of what you get.

[Hutzpa]

10. I concur

this is classic LBJ style and it will pass over the heads of many.

[bc3000]

12. That sounds like a good point. I hope you're right.

[tomm2thumbs]

9. if corporations were smart, they'd fight for single payer and lower their costs to do business

but who said corporations were smart - they're often run by people who voted for Palin as second in line to the most powerful office on earth.

[louis-t]

11. Maybe he figgers people will pay their cable bills on time

if they have a few more bucks in their pockets. :eyes:

[guitar man]

21. Exactly

He knows what side their bread is buttered on. I haven't had cable for 3 years, had to drop it due to increases in my healthcare premiums at work. Pay tv services are a luxury that can be easily done without and he knows that if more of the common folk get a little discretionary income back in their pockets they will start ordering cable again or upgrading their packages

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

13. It is just common sense

I deal with foreign companies operating in the United States or wishing to day in, day out. I have seen more projects die than I can count once the benefit costs of maintaining a US operation hit home office.

One European company went from planning an entire US operation that would have employed 400 people to a handful of sales offices with American salesmen employing no more than a couple dozen.

Why?

When the boys in Toulouse got a look at the costs of providing the benefits necessary to retain a professional workforce they had a conniption and in five minutes flat what would have been _________ of America Ltd, which would have established itself in San Diego became half a dozen regional sales offices. Our people were asked to leave the room and when we were invited back in their US expansion plans had been cut by almost 90%.

I have seen this time and time again, it is a huge impediment to attracting international investment when costs that are low or non-existant elsewhere are exorbitant here.

[santamargarita]

14. No way in hell does this fascist pig believe that!

:puke:

[harun]

18. Tell us how you really feel.

[onenote]

20. I'm no fan of comcast, but brian roberts has given over 75,000 to Democrats

(candidates or party campaign committees) in the last three election cycles (including the current 2010 cycle).

[Romulox]

15. Quid to the motherfuckin' pro quo, anyone? nt

[high density]

16. Health care reform is good for any corporation that isn't in the healthcare industry

None of these companies want these prices to inflate by 10% every year. That's more dollars flying out of their pockets into those of another business.

[groundloop]

17. EXACTLY

Foreign companies can do business cheaper because they don't have the high insurance costs that we do here. Simple as that.
Maybe if more US coroporations would get out of the GOP's rear end they'd start fighting for healthcare reform too.

[harun]

19. I would like to see them all push a little harder.

[madrchsod]

22. cheaper than providing insurance for comcast workers

even with an employer-employee tax comcast would save billions. billions it will need to rebuild their optical fiber network

[patrice]

23. he's a day late and a dollar short; I'm already lookin' forward to calling my Republican Senators

and telling them to vote against that lying piece of crap we're all supposed to be oh so thankful for.