However you feel about President Obama's historic health care bill, it's a done deal. I never understood how some people got the idea that it was a bad thing. Oh, that's right. Lies and misinformation from greedy people who make a fortune from hard working, poor people by providing unaffordable health care products. For example pharmaceutical companies and insurance companies. Let's not forget politicians who rely on campaign contributions from these huge corporations. Or unscrupulous health care providers who receive kickbacks for every prescription they write, or who defraud government health agencies. Now we need laws that force insurance companies to actually pay out on claims without costly legislation required by the policy holder. Until these obstacles to medical equality are abolished, our health care system will always be broken.
I'm not up on all the details of the bill, but I'm hoping there are provisions to reign in these vampires. I don't care about the cost of more affordable health coverage for more people. I'd rather have our tax dollars spent on improving our quality of life than destroying the homes, lives, cities and nations of other people. Wouldn't you? (feel free to comment.)
Affordable health care for everyone who wants it is a humane social move that will make the U.S. a better place for its citizens. This week's links include other good ideas that help homeless people, and some not so good news about income in Utah, as well as homelessness in New York City and Australia:
Utah
Utahns sees personal income drop in 2009; per capita ranking falls to 49th by Lois M. Collins Deseret News
Nation
Reviving a Poor Neighborhood for Its Inhabitants by Linda Baker The New York Times-A Portland, OR neighborhood...to provide shelter and servies for
homeless people
A Shelter for Families in Need of a Push by Julie Bosman (NYT)
Number of People Living on New York Streets Soars by Julie Bosman (NYT)
Tally soars 34% [photo: Damon Winter NYT]
World
Editor's note: Tuberculosis, or TB, is a great concern for homeless people, because many are forced to live in very crowded or unsanitary conditions. TB is predominently transmitted by airborne means. It is easily detected and very curable. To get a free TB test locally, visit 4th Street Clinic .
Learn more about stopping tuberculosis at Stop TB
Homeless lose sleeping spot at Australia's Bondi Beach By Phil Mercer BBC News, Sydney
London receives £362,000 grant to save food from landfill by Hélène Mulholland guardian.co.uk
The funding will pay for the equivalent of 800,000 meals to be distributed to vulnerable groups by the FareShare network
Audio and Video
Women - The Hidden Homeless BBC's Radio 4 Claudia Hammond speaks with homeless women.
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