Louisiana and the Health Care/Insurance Reform Controversy:
How We Can Help
The current controversy about "health care reform" seems to be everywhere these days. Maybe you have heard people speaking about it on local or national newscasts. Perhaps you have heard politicians speaking about it on television. Or you may have read about it in the papers, or even seen demonstrators for both sides of the issue. And if you watch TV, you can't help but see dueling commercials from one political action groups or another. But what is this controversy really all about? How do the positions of the various political parties really differ? And what does it mean for you, as a resident of Louisiana? In short, why should you care about this reform?
If you have asked yourself any of these questions, you are not alone. Policy controversies can be confusing, and it doesn't help to have politicians on either side of the aisle throwing out accusations or spreading misinformation based primarily on what they think their constituents want to hear. So where do you turn for information that you can trust? We created this site to help you answer these important questions. We want to share with you our understanding of the controversy, the positions of differing political parties (including your Louisiana senators and representatives) and what you can do to make the best decisions for your family.
How can we help you? We created HealthForLouisiana.blogspot.com to help Louisiana residents like you to find answers to the questions that surround the health care controversy. Our goal is to help you understand what the real issues surrounding the health care reform controversy are most likely to be, so that you can make the best decisions for the health of your family. Our site is in no way affiliated with any political action group - meaning that we're not involved with any of those commercial campaigns, and we don't have any financial stake in your vote. We are just a family, residents of Louisiana, with professional backgrounds in the social policy and reform processes. We know how to break apart, analyze, and follow a government policy, and how to advocate professionally for policies in which we believe strongly. Collectively, we hold graduate degrees in Social Work and Social Policy and in Law. We live and work in Louisiana, and we stay as informed as possible about policy matters. But we also know that not everyone has the luxury of doing the same. So we decided to create this site for you, to share what we have learned, and to help you consider the multiple complexities of local and federal policies surrounding the health care controversy.
Why do we care about this issue? The reason is simple. We feel strongly that the issue of "health care reform" is the most important issue facing our family, our community, our state, and our nation today. Over the next few weeks, we will explain why we feel the issue is so important. What you need to know right now is that we have been both personally and professionally involved in many government policies throughout our adult lives and careers, and while our community faces many important issues today, including "rebirth" after disastrous hurricanes, widespread poverty, joblessness, housing problems, and more...it has been our experience that health care and health insurance reform are in many ways the most pressing of issues affecting our entire community. Without a strong health care policy, our state simply cannot move forward on finding lasting, effective solutions to the multitude of other issues we face today.
Why should you care about this issue? Again, the reason is simple. How much money do you pay to the state and federal government in the form of taxes? That money is meant to be your guarantee that your representatives will listen to you, and will advocate for your needs in the local and national government arenas. You pay their wages. You pay for their health insurance. So don't you have the right to be heard when it comes time for them to listen to what your family needs? And yet, how many of us really feel "heard" by our representatives? How many of us even know how to contact them? We want that number to become 100%, and we want to help you make that goal a reality. You deserve a voice in our legislature, no matter who you are. If you buy goods or services in Louisiana, you pay taxes here. If you have a steady job, you pay taxes here. If you live in Louisiana, you pay taxes here, and you have an opinion and a voice. We want to help you use it!
Do we have an opinion on the issue? Of course we do. Anyone who tells you that they don't have an opinion on an issue for which they are advocating is trying to sell you something.
Look, we don't want your money. We're not interested in donations or payoffs. We're not working for or with any politician, political action group, or political party. We have nothing to gain by our site beyond sharing our own voices. We feel that we have something important to say, something that you may or may not already know about, and we want you to hear us out. We welcome your questions, comments, and responses. We will gladly hear you out too, and share our replies. We feel that we have a strong position, but whether you agree with it or not, we think you will find some answers by reading our site. At the very least, we hope that we can motivate and encourage everyone who visits our site to become involved in the political process, and to realize that even one family, even one person, even one opinion, can make a difference.
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. ~ Margaret Mead
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