T.E.A.’d Off
Yet even with the most expensive health care system in the world, significant problems persist. For example, our rate of preventable deaths — that is, those that could have been avoided with timely and effective care — is 33 percent worse than that of the best country. Our life expectancy is nearly a year below the average in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OEDC), a multinational nonprofit that includes 30 countries, from Canada to Mexico, Germany, Switzerland and France. These sobering stats may or may not be related to the nearly 46 million Americans — 18 percent of the population under the age of 65 — that had no health insurance in 2007.
So who has a better idea? Miranda suggested a system similar to car insurance, wherein individuals would be responsible for choosing their own coverage, with minimal governmental assistance. Kohse, the man in full revolutionary costume, suggested loosening restrictions on medical research. Stafford said the bottom line is this: “I just think that the government does a lousy job of managing things.”
Such mistrust crosses party lines. And if there’s one thing that hasn’t changed with the latest ideological swap-out of marching malcontents it’s the abiding tendency to minimize some problems while exaggerating others — to cast one’s own positions as heroic and the opposition’s as wicked.
“Everyone can complain and find problems about everything,” said Renee Taylor, who was protesting with her husband Richard. “That is humanity. So you can just keep making a mountain out of a molehill, or you can really look at hard, cold reality and recognize that what we have is damned good. Damned good. It’s worth fighting for, and that’s why we’re here today, because we feel very deeply that what is coming at us is evil.”
*View video from the protest here.*
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on the cover
Railroad!
Proposed lines ‘set rich blood a-tingling’ in early 1900s
Some Other Proposed North Coast Railroads
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Exposing this east-west rail nonsense
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Will chides Andrew for lack of attention to detail and makes plans for his inevitable victory.
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Today
44th Annual Kinetic Grand Championship Race
STAFF PICK / events, art, outdoors, sports, for kids, free / 9 a.m.-6 p.m. A 3-day, 42-mile kinetic sculpture race over land, sand, mud and water! LeMans start at the Noon Whistle on the Arcata Plaza. Follow the race through Manila, Eureka and into Ferndale on Memorial Day for the Glorious Finish. kineticgrandchampionship.com. 889-3024.
Flow 2012 Fashion Show
STAFF PICK / events / 8 p.m. Arcata Theatre Lounge, 1036 G St. Student designed and produced clothing. Fundraiser for Arcata Arts Institute. $35/$25 students. artsinstitute.net. 822-1220.
Woodside Preschool's Rummage/Bake Sale
events / 8 a.m.-noon. Woodside Preschool, 900 Hodgson St, Eureka. www.woodsidepreschool.com. 445-9132.
Lanphere Dunes Restoration
STAFF PICK / outdoors / 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Meet at Pacific Union School. Help remove non-native invasives at the Lanphere Dunes Unit of the Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Tools and gloves provided, wear work clothes and bring water. Carpool to the protected site. 444-1397.
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