I trust Dean to deliver health care for America --43mill. have no coverage

[cthrumatrix]

The word Vermonters use most often to describe Dean is "frugal." Coming into office amidst the early 1990s recession, he cut formerly sacrosanct welfare spending to keep the state out of debt. The Cato analysis shows that during Dean's first four years in office, Vermont's budget grew much more slowly than other states'. He cut income tax rates across the board (much as President Bush did). Although he raised overall business taxes, he approved millions of dollars' worth of incentives to lure smoke stacks back into the Green Mountain State. It was during these early years that the head of the state's powerful Progressive party called him "a very right-wing Democrat." And during a time when President Bush has been piling up mountains of debt in Washington and 47 governors face record budget deficits of their own, Dean admirably left Vermont with a $10.4 million surplus when he left office this past January--which would certainly be one of his trump cards against Bush. If Dean were ever elected president, I'm convinced he would be monomaniacal about balancing the budget--though certainly not in ways that would please conservatives.

Part of Dean's star appeal has been the refreshing genuineness of his campaign rhetoric, even when his ideas are cockeyed. By pledging to repeal the entire Bush tax cut--a move that would raise the average tax burden on middle income families with three kids by about $2,500 a year, Dean is attempting to prove that voters will swallow higher taxes to get more government largesse. In a recent debate, he confidently asserted that when working class voters saw his universal government-run health care plan, they would gladly pay for it. "If we're going to have a system of universal health care in America, we will have to pay more taxes," he said.

Of course, these are the kinds of unavoidable tough fiscal choices that voters should be asked to make, but that most politicians refuse to acknowledge. God save the country if voters actually buy into Dean's health care socialism, but at least he is honest about the sacrifices required. This is not a man who believes in the mythical free lunch.

http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/003/073ylkiz.asp?pg=2

We're at point where we don't need more "empty promises". Health Care is too big to promise and not deliver.

[TLM]

1. Dean has the experience getting this stuff DONE!

Kerry's has the experience of being a fence sitting DC insider who talks a lot but accomplishes almost nothing... other than making sure his own butt is covered.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

2. I don't trust Dean to deliver health care for America

Dean did an ok job spending the money he got from the Federal government for health care when he was Vermont governor, but his passion seems to be for balancing budgets, more than for helping people.


Well, the voters seem to agree with me.

[killbotfactory]

3. He made it an issue in this campaign

Without Dean we wouldn't have heard anything about it from the other campaigns.

[genius]

4. He's in bed with the insurance companies. He doesn't care about people.

Despite his claims, 3000 kids in Vermont didn't have health care while he was governor. He cut health care so he could give tax breaks to the rich. Don't take my word for it. Do some research.

[cthrumatrix]

6. you know...there is alot of research...Dean delivered on health care

it's not perfect...he tried to deliver Universal Health Care and it was defeated...

[killbotfactory]

10. I'm sure all the poor people and children he gave health care to...

Are very angry at him for being in bed with insurance companies...

whatever.

[KaraokeKarlton]

9. Those kids are eligible for coverage

Their families choose not to have it. Just like Bill Clinton said, there is NO ONE better on health care than Howard Dean.

Dean didn't cut health care to give tax breaks to the rich. Hey, why did Kerry send his kids to private school? Why didn't he just make the public schools better like Dean did? Dean sent HIS kids to public school and invested in Vermont's public school system. What has Kerry ever done for education? What seniors has Kerry gotten a REAL prescription drug benefit for? What has Kerry ever done to reduce child abuse, neglect and sexual abuse?

Face it, Kerry pales in Dean's shadow...even with the makeup, fake tan and botox.

[sandnsea]

5. Federal programs

I swear. The children's health coverage in Vermont was through SCHIP. Every expansion in Vermont came after Congress passed new health coverage, even Dr. Dynasaur way back in 1987. He did not do this by himself. And his balanced budgets? Pretty easy to do with Clinton's economy. But in the last 4 years, at least, his health care plan has not been balanced and has only been paid because of surpluses. We would be running a tax raising Democrat who wants us to implement his budget busting new big government health care plan. Which is very different from being allowed to buy into the existing federal health insurance program, with assistance to low income families. That's why Kerry's plan is better. Very few people are going to have a problem with uninsured small business owners, etc., being allowed to buy into the federal health plan.

[killbotfactory]

14. Why don't all the other states have VT's level of coverage?

If it was all federal programs, that is?

Why didn't other states balance their budgets?

[tryanhas]

7. You should

He cut social programs like a mad man in Vermont to balance the budget and provide health care.

Provide Health care...he was a doctor?

Provide Health care......he was a doctor??

Provide Health care.........he was a doctor???

Sounds to me like Doctor Dean wanted to make sure that his doctor buddies, including his wife, got paid.

Now, sure some will say that "HOW CAN YOU SAY THAT? PROVIDING HEALTH CARE HELPED THE PEOPLE OF VERMONT."

Only problem with that is he screwed the poor in Vermont. He cut state aid to education ($6 million), retirement funds for teachers and state employees ($7 million), health care ($4 million), welfare programs earmarked for the aged, blind and disabled ($2 million), Medicaid benefits ($1.2 million) and more, amounted to roughly $30 million. Dean claimed that the cuts were necessary because the state had no money and was burdened by a $60 million deficit...(Rutland Herald: see Christopher Graff, "Governor set to cut spending," July 11, 1995. Also see, Chris Graff, "Dean balancing act enters tough phase," December 17, 1995 and Diane Derby, "Hundreds protest governor’s plan to cut Medicaid," November 2, 1993.)...but during the same period, Dean found $7 million for a low-interest loan program for businesses, $30 million for a new prison in Springfield, VT, and he cut the income tax by 8 percent (equivalent to $30 million)–a move many in the legislature balked at because they didn’t feel comfortable "cutting taxes in a way that benefits the wealthiest taxpayers" (Jack Hoffman, "Budget boosts housing; VIDA funds," Rutland Herald, September 9, 1992; Frederick Bever, "Dean wants larger cut in state tax," Rutland Herald, December 23, 1998; Jack Hoffman, "Dean outlines his case for cutting income tax," Rutland Herald, January 9, 1999.)...By 2002, state investments in prisons increased by nearly 150 percent while investments in state colleges increased by only 7 percent.Interview with Anthony Pollina by Democracy In Action at the Progressive Party offices in Montpelier, Vermont, July 9, 2002. Anthony Pollina ran for governor against Dean on the Progressive Party ticket in 2000. Available at www.gwu.edu/~action/2004/dean/dean0702/pollinaint.html.

He claimed that the cuts were NECESSARY BECAUSE OF THE DEFICIT.

"necessary because of the deficit."

"NECESSARY BECAUSE OF THE DEFICIT."

Umph, we are in a very large national deficit right now. "the cuts were necessary because of Vermont's deficit."

So, if Dean gets into office, he is going to cut social programs like a mad man because of the deficit just like he did in Vermont, on the backs of the poor and sick and middle/working class.

[killbotfactory]

11. All the poor who gained health insurance hate Dean

I'm very sure.

I'm also sure vermonters are very displeased with Dean for making health insurance a middle class entitlement.

Furious, I tell you.

[tryanhas]

17. The TWO who called into C-Span yesterday were

One of them said, "DEAN BALANCED THE BUDGET IN VERMONT ON THE BACK OF MY SON WHO HAS ******(don't remember the disability)" but two of them called in criticizing Dean's REAL LIFE CUTS in Vermont and the damage that it caused them.

Now, that's much different from a few people in NC calling in to C-Span criticizing Edwards for running for President because he didn't try to be Jesse Helms in the Senate, and they feel like he just "used them" to make a run for President. They are just dumb for believing that considering the fact, that the death of Edwards' son taught him that life is short and tomorrow is not promised. He believes his time is now, and if they refuse to accept that, then they can continue to complain about it.

But as for Dean, the CUTS that he made hurt the people in Vermont, A LOT.

[cthrumatrix]

18. he raised corp tax, cigarette tax and sales tax 1% ....and that killed ?

check out what he did...

[cthrumatrix]

15. Why not look at what he has done...?

Health Care – 96% of Vermont’s children have health care coverage thanks in part to Governor Dean’s Dr. Dynasaur program, and an additional 3% are eligible for coverage.

Access – Governor Dean expanded health care for children in low to middle income families. Children 18 or under, whose families are at or below 300% of the Federal Poverty Line, are eligible for insurance at virtually no cost.

Mental Health – Howard Dean was the first Governor in the nation to sign the Mental Health and Substance Abuse Parity Act. This bill guarantees coverage for mental illness and substance abuse at the same level as severe illness.

Women’s Health – During Governor Dean’s tenure, the breast and cervical cancer rate went from slightly above average to below the US average, thanks to Vermont’s comprehensive screening system. Vermont’s Medicaid program was also expanded to cover treatment for women diagnosed with breast and cervical cancer.

Teen Pregnancy – Under Governor Dean, teen pregnancy rates dropped 49%, to the lowest rate in the country.

“Healthy Families Visionary Leadership Award” – Presented by Prevent Child Abuse America.


http://www.doctorsfordean.org/healthcare.html

And your suggestion he would cut programs is a Gephardt attack that was already debunked.

[KaraokeKarlton]

16. Comical how off those "facts" are...

For starters, that prison in Springfield wasn't even planned in 1993. The thing JUST opened within the last 6 months. Building didn't even begin until under 2 years ago. I know this because I used to live in Springfield and drove by the site every day. Oh, and the cost wasn't all in prison construction. A slew of the cost was giving the town money for a new state of the art highschool with college annexes and a tech center on site, new state office building, a new community center and an investment in the town's infrastructure (roads, bridges, etc.). I keep telling people here that using this stuff from Pollina and the Vermont Progressive Party is dumb because it's nothing but campaign rhetoric attacking Democrats from the left unfairly. It's no different than when the GOP spins and misleads to try to benefit politically. This stuff you site isn't even actually true. It's spun and important information is left out completely.

Dean is one hell of a great leader who served Vermonters well. Anything contrary to that coming out of Vermont is coming from one of the radical wings of the political spectrum.

[kentuck]

8. i don't think we'll get any healthcare reform from any other candidate...

If we want healthcare reform, the best chance is with Dean, in my humble opinion...

[sandnsea]

12. Where'd SCHIP come from??

That program is available in all 50 states and provides excellent coverage to children, some states better than others. Most states have 93-96% coverage of children under it. Congress also provided the immunization plan for children which has created the highest number of immunized children ever. It's just not true that Dean is the only one to deliver health care, just like it's not true that he's the only one to balance budgets or create jobs or most of the rest of what he has to say.

[killbotfactory]

13. SCHIP passed in the late 90's

Dean expanded Dr. Dynasaur in the early nineties.

And it was up to states on how to impliment it.

[cthrumatrix]

19. Gep tried to smear Dean at the debate --- he was wrong -- but did it

DEAN: Many of the things that I suggested in 1995, which Dick Gephardt has attacked me for, were actually incorporated into the Clinton plan to save Medicare and Social Security, and has resulted in the savings of over $200 billion.
GEPHARDT: Howard said in 1993 that Medicare was the worst federal program ever. He said that it was the worst thing that ever happened. Howard, you were agreeing with the very plan that Newt Gingrich wanted to pass, which was a $270 billion cut in Medicare. We don't need someone who agreed with the Gingrich Republicans.

DEAN: That is flat-out false. Nobody up here deserves to be compared to Newt Gingrich. To insinuate that I would get rid of Medicare is wrong. I did say that Medicare was a dreadful program because it's administered dreadfully. I've done more for health insurance, Dick Gephardt, than you ever have, because I've delivered it to a lot of seniors and a lot of young people. And I'll stake my record on health insurance against anybody up here.

Source: Debate at Pace University in Lower Manhattan Sep 25, 2003
http://www.issues2000.org/2004/Howard_Dean_Health_Care.htm