DL Open Thread Wednesday Oct 5 2022
These are John Kowalko’s Opening Remarks From Yesterday’s RISE Rally
We are gathered here today to raise our collective voices in a resounding NO to privatization of our health care. NO to privatization of Medicare. No to this Governor and his administrators attempts to sellout Delaware retirees benefits to conglomerates such as Highmark so they can profit at the expense of retirees.
No to the secret backroom deals that deliberately violate transparency and open
government obligations and thereby violate the PUBLIC TRUST.
No to the word for word regurgitation of misinformation, false information, and distorted information that the SEBC continues to spread at every public disinformation session they conduct.
No to any contract conceived, negotiated and created with no retiree input or knowledge.
We are here to reject Secretary DeMatteis’ claim that this Medicare Advantage contrivance is not privatization of your healthcare.
We are here to tell Ms. DeMatteis that selling your access to doctors, to hospitals, to necessary medical procedures, tests and treatments to a private company is PRIVATIZATION of your healthcare.
We are here today to reject Director Cerron Cade’s fabrication of alleged abuses tolerated in the current system. We are here today to reject Director Cade’s fanciful imaginings of sick and suffering retirees, in need of immediate medical care, who are merely trying to game the current system.
We are here today to reject Secretary Geisenberger’s false contention that imposing this Medicare Advantage plan on retirees is necessary to satisfy Delaware’s fiduciary responsibility to control outstanding healthcare benefits shortfalls. In his haste to shift the burden for growing healthcare expenses on to the state retirees he deliberately and conveniently avoids the reality that, until this year, this growing obligation has not been addressed with a budget line item. He fails to mention that during his entire tenure in the state’s financial structure, spanning two administrations, he has not crafted budget proposals that would set aside money to help relieve these benefit cost obligations. He proudly states that the 1% funding in this current budget will help slow the buildup of arrearages but
conveniently fails to acknowledge that 1% of the budget ($45 million or so dollars), pales in comparison
to the hundreds of millions of dollars that we gift to the richest corporations in the world. Over $250
million was gifted to the richest corporations in the world, during the Markell administration.
Additionally hundreds of millions of dollars in corporate welfare has been distributed during the Carney
era. Millions of dollars of taxpayer money was given to Amazon, JP Morgan, DuPont, Barclays,
Walmart, Astra Zeneca, Chemours and others. And every year the budget has additional funding
inserted for corporate giveaways by the Delaware Economic Development Authority (DEDA),
recommended by the public/private Delaware Partnership for Prosperity to the tune of $25-$50 million
a year.
So, Secretary Geisenberger, I am not impressed by your drop in the bucket approach of allocating 1% of
the budget to slow the health benefits arrearages when the brunt of the obligation is thrust on fixed
income retirees.
We are here today to reject the notion that this is a contractually obligated “done deal” with no
recourse other than to BETRAY our State retirees. Those DelDot employees who plow our streets.
Those UNDERPAID AND OVERWORKED social workers who try so hard to help families in need. Those
teachers and educators who nurture and teach our children. Those policemen and women who risk
their lives every day to protect us. Those university and college employees who provide us with
opportunities for a higher learning experience. Those everyday staffers who help our citizens negotiate
the corridors of government agencies.
These are just some of the people who have dedicated themselves to TRUE PUBLIC SERVICE, at a lower salary
than the private sector, with the assurance that they will have benefits provided to them
to ease their burdens during their hard-earned and well-deserved retirements.
And these are the people who This Administration has chosen to ABANDON with a betrayal of trust and little if any remorse.
Representative John Kowalko
We need someone with this kind of clarity to run for Governor.
Anyone know if there is a way to listen in to today’s vote by mail appeal at the state supreme court?
2030. That, according to Karen Peterson, is the number of prescriptions and procedures that will require prior authorization. As opposed to the current zero:
““These are terrible for older people, because there is troubling evidence that Medicare Advantage denies and delays necessary medical treatment. That’s scary,” she said. “We can’t let this happen. We tried to talk to the state about it and they just didn’t want to hear it. They said it was a done deal and we could take a hike, and we thought, maybe we won’t take a hike. Maybe we’ll file a lawsuit to try and stop it.”
She took issue with the recently released contract between the state and Highmark for the plan, which showed that prior authorization would be required for 2,030 prescription drugs and procedures.”
It’s easy for bloodless bureaucrats to lie about the burden they’re inflicting on retirees. Carney and DeMatteis are bloodless bureaucrats. And liars.
Or we could just say the state government is bought and paid for by the rich, corrupt AF it just goes on and on. Suggest state workers take up arms and march to the polls for the Big Payback James Brown style. This game stinks, would love to see all involved be audited.
June Eisley, longtime Delaware peace activist and liberal extraordinaire, passed on Monday evening.
One of my all-time favorite people. June Eisley and Ken Potts, we are weaker without them.
I loved joking with June about the time (there were probably more than one) when she got thrown in jail at a demonstration. Just a tremendous person.
June was my down the hall neighbor in our building for 4 years, truly a renaissance woman! Just one thing she did among many make her a hero and that was the little boy from Gaza she virtually adopted to get him lifesaving surgery!