Here’s a hint of heartening news out of California. The nation’s most populous state — it’s so big it could stand on its own as one of the globe’s most economically powerful countries — will consider a universal/single-payer health insurance system.
Yep. This week legislators Ricardo Lara and Toni Adkins intro’d SB-562 in the state senate calling for every one of Cal.’s 39 million citizens to be covered. Acc’d’g to KPIX TV-5 in San Fran., “The plan would include coverage for medical, emergency, dental, vision, mental health, and nursing home care. Co-pays and insurance deductibles would also be eliminated.”
Should the plan be enacted, that’d mean 11.8 percent of this holy land’s pop. would cease having to worry about being destroyed, financially, by a case of cancer or the need to have a kidney transplant. People could go in and have their teeth fixed, for chrissakes. Those on the brink of suicide just might be able to see a professional skull jockey and perhaps avert that horrible fate. And ricketty old folks could live in homes with around-the-clock medical care without having to piss away every dime they’re ever earned in their entire lives.
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Imagine that!
The Republicans around the nation over the past few years have indeed imagined that. Their response: Never.
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Spring
Tomorrow, of course, is my favorite day of the year: Opening Day of the Major League Baseball season. And my beloved Chicago Cubs — World Series champions of 2016 (man, does it feel great to type that out!) — will open in St. Louis against the Cardinals in a nationally televised game Sunday evening.
Bliss
[Chicago Tribune Photo]
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To celebrate, last night I baked up a batch of oatmeal cookies (with chocolate chips and walnuts, natch). I’ll be sugared up, pepped up, amped up, and boozed-up tomorrow e’en, probably at Nick’s on Kirkwood.
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