American Healthcare - Up Close & Personal

There are those life changing moments ..seconds really …that remind us of our mortality and lack of control over our environment. I won’t even pretend that my recent knee injury is comparable to the pain and suffering experienced by millions around the world on a daily basis. However, it did ‘knock me off my game’ and put me front and center in a world many navigate on a daily basis – The American Healthcare System.

First of all, let me say…..I have health insurance and for that I am grateful. With my husband and I being self-employed, and two kids, we pay
A LOT each month for our coverage…however, it is there when we need it, and I needed it last week when I fell and broke my patella.

As soon as you enter the emergency room door you are asked about insurance. Prior to surgery, I was informed my deductible would have to be paid in full. (We paid it, however I was erroneously asked two more times during my hospital stay to pay the deductible!)

Hospital recordkeeping is in the stone ages and doesn’t seem to take advantage of existing technology. I could twitter thousands of people my medical stats at any given time and they would have them instantly….however, in a hospital it can take a whole day to collect the info and get it to a patient’s doctor!

I am certain that my knee injury will generate many, many pages of documentation and cost us thousands of dollars….and again…I HAVE insurance. I am reasonably educated, however I don’t understand medical billing—one event generates bills from various doctors, labs, and medical offices! I have gone through this with family members and know it’s a headache…. I am still getting new medical bills for my late father who died three years ago!!

This is ridiculous!

Before I end this blog….I must comment on all the outstanding people who work in healthcare! The medical personnel I interfaced with (other than the billing department) were absolutely wonderful! Many went above and beyond in making sure I was comfortable and understood what was happening around me. I hope these people are appreciated within their industry and paid well—and I’m not just talking about the doctors and nurses—I mean the aides, the people that clean the rooms, the people that bring the food, etc.

So I’ll stop the ranting….I know that most of you can relate to this.

I’ll end by saying: The American Healthcare System is Sick!

People I HAD to Thank at the DNC -- Roland Martin

This is the second in my series of people I HAD to personally say thank-you to at the Democratic National Convention. Today I spotlight CNN's Roland Martin...commentator extraordinaire!

Roland S. Martin is an award winning writer, speaker, producer, radio show host, blogger, and commentator! This brother does it all -- with class, and grace, and a dose of that 'Old Time Religion' that has carried our people through many challenges in America.

Thankfully, CNN had the foresight to see what this brother could offer. He brings to the table wisdom and fairness and a needed perspective as an African-American male. Never has this been more needed that during this election process. Martin carried the torch and represented 'our' point of view against partisan heavyweights such as Begalia and Carville.

Roland Martin does not let up and he tells it like it is! Here is an excerpt from one of his recent blogs concerning McCains running mate:

With Palin, McCain now supports affirmative action/quotas
August 30th, 2008

"I’ll have more to say on this later, but please, give me a break? Does Sen. John McCain actually think he chose the most qualified - or even the second, third or fourth - person to be his vice president? Sarah Palin may be the governor of Alaska, but prior to that, she was the mayor of a 10,000-person town. This was all about being a woman. McCain knows it and we know it."

THANK YOU ROLAND MARTIN! Your voice is needed....keep up the great work!

People I HAD to Thank at the DNC

There were so many 'movers and shakers' I spotted at the Democratic National Convention a couple of weeks ago! Journalists, Politicians, Celebrities, and COMMUNITY ORGANIZERS (the hard working people who keep our country going.)

Among this distinguished group there were several people I HAD to personally say thank-you to. People who have served our country well.

The next five blogs will recognize these people I thanked at the DNC. They include: Representative John Lewis, CNN Correspondent Roland Martin, Latina Activist Dolores Huerta, Actress Angela Bassett, and Community Organizers 'Sweet Alice' Harris and Temo Fiqueroa.

Let's start with Congressman John Lewis of Georgia.

1. John Lewis.....the Congressman from Georgia paid the price for our American rights on the Edmund Pettus Bridge. Considered one of the 'big six' of the Civil Rights movement, Lewis has been a staunch advocate of voting and civil rights. Called one of the most courageous leaders in the movement, it was only fitting that Lewis addressed the thousands gathered at Invesco. Here is an excerpt of his comments:

"As a participant in the Civil Rights Movement, I can tell you, the road to victory will not be easy. Some of us were beaten, arrested, taken to jail; and some of us were even killed trying to register and vote.

But with the nomination of Sen. Barack Obama tonight, the man who will lead the Democratic Party in its march toward the White House, we are making a major downpayment on the fulfillment of that dream. We prove that a dream still burns in the hearts of every American. That this dream was too right, too necessary, too noble to ever die.

But this night is not an ending. It is not even a beginning. It is the continuation of a struggle that began centuries ago—in Lexington and Concord, in Gettysburg and Appomattox, in Farmville, Virginia and Topeka, Kansas, in Philadelphia, Mississippi, Selma, Alabama. and

Democracy is not a state. It is an act. It is a series of actions we must take to build what Martin Luther King Jr. called the Beloved Community, a society based on simple justice that values the dignity and the worth of every human being.

We’ve come a long way, but we still have a distance to go. We’ve come a long way, but we must march again. On November 4th we must march in every state, in every city, in every village, in every hamlet, we must march to the ballot box.

We must march like we have never marched before to elect the next President of the United States, Sen. Barack Obama. For those of us who stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, or who in the years that followed may have lost hope, this moment is a testament to the power and vision of Martin Luther King Jr. It is a testament to the ability of a committed and determined people to make a difference in our society. It is a testament to the promise of America.

Tonight we have put together a tribute to the man and his message. Let us take a moment to reflect on the legacy and the dream of Martin Luther King Jr. on this 45th anniversary of the historic March on Washington."

I saw Lewis twice during convention week and I prefaced each time with a heartfelt THANK YOU!"



Click Here for Video of Speech

Political Evangelism

This past Sunday, at the evangelical megachurch I attend, the Pastor threw
out a line during his sermon about how he "loves Sarah Palin!"  I thought
it was inappropriate and unfortunate that the Pastor felt comfortable
enough to say this.

My first thought was....he has received the Republican talking points and
evangelical churches across the nation are going to build this woman up in
the weeks ahead.  This is how they got Bush elected.....using these
suburban megachurches to push their agenda!!

My second thought was....people are losing jobs (and houses).... 
food, fuel, tuition, and health care costs are taking a MAJOR bite out 
of family budgets...and the Republicans offer us the distraction of 
Sarah Palin's personal life.

And the real question I MUST ask as an Evangelical Christian
myself....when are Evangelicals going to realize that they serve God and
not the Republican Party????



Linnie Frank Bailey

The Speech (8/28pm)

Oh What a Night!

I danced...I cried...I celebrated....and I thanked God for the night!

Wherever you were....wherever you watched the speech...I'm sure you felt
the electricity of this historic event. August 28, 2008 will go down in
history as the day a son of America...a son of color....led this country
toward a new day. To quote Governor Kaine (from his speech that night)
we 'told the mountain to MOVE!' We have truly come this far by faith!

Oh What a Night!

This past week has been such a special time for me and I have enjoyed
sharing brief notes with you! I've seen a who's who of politicians,
journalists, and celebrities. But, mostly I saw hard working people who
care about our country and are ready for a change.

Here are some of my personal highlights from the week:

1. Sunday -- the celebration of all of our major civil rights
organizations. Each organization had their leader(s) speak.
The celebration was followed by a concert with the soulful Frankie Beverly and Maze (I never miss a concert!) As is typical of a Maze concert, EVERYONE was up dancing. I enjoyed dancing in the aisle with my brother Carlton, who lives in Denver. We don't see each
other much and for me, it was a great way to kick off convention week! Dancing with us....Maxine Waters, Tavis Smiley, and Antonio Villaraigosa.

2. Monday -- walking into Pepsi Center. It became real to me as I saw
the state signs. I sat with my state delegation and met a wonderful woman
named Susan. Susan had been a Hillary supporter, but she is 100% for
Obama now. We sat together each night at Pepsi Center....enjoyed the
speeches, and...well here I go again...we danced to great music! And...we
were thrilled with Michelle's speech!

3. Tuesday -- I went to the faith caucus where a well-regarded panel of
faith leaders discussed the challenges of combining faith with politics.
This is an area I sometimes struggle with, so it was refreshing to hear
the political issues of today discussed from a faith perspective.

4. Wednesday -- the roll call vote and the suspension of the vote by
Hillary Clinton was suspenseful and rewarding. Talk about a catharsis! At
the California delegation party that night I danced to old school music
and even did the salsa with my Latino friends including Dolores Huerta--
the well-known Latina activist who had nominated Hillary Clinton. We were
united!

5. Thursday -- the crowd...the music....the speakers...and THE SPEECH!
Yes...I was a dancing fool again...especially with Stevie's 'Signed,
Sealed, and Delivered' the Obama anthem!!

I'm home now..... resting my feet!! Jose Medina posted our pictures (300) on his Facebook page...so sign in and look for Jose Medina of Riverside.

Getting ready to continue my campaign work! Can't wait for Inauguration
Week!!

It's Official (8/28 am)

Last night I cried tears of joy as Barack Obama became our ‘official’ nominee! It’s been such a long road…especially for those of us involved in the campaign on a daily basis. I think all would agree that the Primary process was long and ‘dramatic’ (to say the least).

Last night, many were still on the edge of their seats wondering what the roll call vote would produce. We knew that Obama’s nomination was inevitable, however we have known this for many months and it didn’t seem to make any difference -- there was always another hurdle for him to jump over on his way to the nomination.

Many wondered why our California delegation passed during the roll call. It definitely added to the suspense! The ‘official’ reason we received this morning was that there were alternate delegates on the floor whom had not voted. However….we all know the goal during the roll call was to give our nominee the most votes possible from each state. Enough said.

There was pandemonium when Hillary Clinton suspended the vote! As an Obama delegate, I can tell you we’ve waited a long time for this! She was gracious, and we finally felt united as a party.

Once Obama was certified as the nominee, the emotions poured forth from many of us. Personally, I am so thankful to see this in my lifetime, but I couldn’t help to think of my dad and uncles who were talented and capable, however limited because of the color of their skin. I thought of the stories I’ve heard of my great-great grandfather who was lynched because he had the ‘audacity’ to run for office in Louisiana and would not take his name off the ballot.

WE know what this moment means. WE know the significance of the speech that will be made tonight on the 45th anniversary of Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech. WE know about dreams!

Tonight we will celebrate for those who did not live to see this. It was their blood, hard work, and perseverance that made this night possible.

Tonight we will celebrate for our children and the opportunities that await them. Never again should they say “I Can’t.”

Tonight we will celebrate for America…finally the promise of our great country….the promise of all men being created equal… is being delivered!

Tonight we will celebrate and tomorrow we will get to work…doing ALL we can to elect President Barack Obama.

The Vote (from 8/27)

The excitement is building!! Tonight we will hear from Bill Clinton and Joe Biden. I expect they both will give a rousing speech!

There will also be some kind of roll call vote tonight.... probably not all of the states, however at least as far as Colorado...which means California will get a verbal vote. We had ballots at breakfast this morning...so I already voted. Some of the Clinton delegates are meeting this afternoon to discuss how to proceed with their votes.

The bottom line is -- Barack Obama will 'officially' be the Democratic nominee for President after tonight! We can hardly wait for the acceptance speech tomorrow.

It is exciting being a part of this process.....there are many countries where this cannot happen!

I thought Hillary Clinton's speech was great! You know...for every speaker they pass out signs for us to hold up. Sometimes it gets confusing and I'm sure I have held up the wrong sign many times. Also, I have held them up upside down :) Oh well! The funny thing is....they went through a lot of effort to make this a 'green' convention and yet there are lots and lots of SIGNS!! People are keeping their signs as souvenirs. Lot's of heavy luggage when we return!

I'm off to the Pepsi Center early because it will be crowded!!

Thanks to all who text me when you see me on TV. There are cameras everywhere and I'm trying hard not to embarrass you all :)