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O pinion
June 23, 2004
Opinion articles do not necessarily reflect or
represent the views of The Portland Observer
F ailing in Healthcare
Solutions from both
political parties
fall short
Democratic and Republican conventions this
summer, 44 million uninsured Americans are
cal parties and their Presidential candidates
ance for them and their fami­
lies.
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July 12-16 and July 19-23
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insurance needs ofourcitizens. President Bush’s
proposals to help people buy
insurance through tax credits
fall short in meeting the desper­
working poor, who are the ma­
would have little impact for the
ate need for major changes in
jority of the uninsured. Demo­
our national healthcare system.
cratic candidate John Kerry’s
In the meantim e, uninsured
plan would expand healthcare
families, small business employ­
coverage for more people but
still falls short of an overhaul
ers, as well as corporate lead­
ers are all holding their breath
that would provide universal
access to health care.
hoping that the government will
intervene in what is rapidly be­
coming America’s number one
domestic crisis.
Both political parties regard
universal healthcare, which pro­
Judge Greg Mathis
vides healthcare coverage to all U.S. citizens, as
nearly four years o f business and jo b loss,
too expensive. However, emergency room treat­
ment, which is where most of the uninsured go
increased health care costs threaten to stall
when they are sick, costs nearly as much as it
any m eaningful econom ic recovery and cause
more Am erican workers to lose their cover­
would to provide insurance to those without
coverage.
age. H ealthcare prem ium s have increased by
double digits over the past few years.
When people without insurance obtain high
The Congressional Budget Office reports
that for every 1 percent increase in healthcare
cost emergency care, U.S. taxpayers end up
footing the bill - so we might as well pay on the
front side by investing tax dollars in a program
cost to businesses, 200,000 w orkers lose
that provides access to quality preventative
healthcare coverage because their employers
healthcare and treatment to all Americans.
can no longer afford to pay the high insurance
Judge Greg Mathis is chairman o f the
Rainbow PUSH-Excel Board and a national
board member o f the .Southern Christian
Leadership Conference.
premiums. The situation has gotten so bad that
even the leaders of the nations’ largest corpora­
Quiet Form of Racism Persists
by
R on W eber
For decades I have heard
the surface, much racism re- racism as possible and hope
how well African Americans
mains underneath.
someday it is eradicated com-
Today, minority students have pletely.
are doing today in comparison
better access to college grants,
We don’t have to look very
with earlier times. Reports tell
scholarships and low interest
far these days to hear about the
of how the Civil Rights era of a loans than ever before. Lending
prisoner abuse in Iraq. If our
Ron
Weber
«
ELECTRICAL
TRAINING
CENTER s
appear to fal 1 short of meeting the healthcare and
and health savings accounts
tions are now calling on the government to
The NECA-IBEW Local 48 Electrical Training
Center is accepting applications for the Inside
Electrician Apprenticeship Program:
The current proposals from both major politi­
Unfortunately, the proposals
made by both parties thus far,
As our econom y struggles to recover from
Quality Training
both looking to the government to reform a
As the country prepares for the national
J udge G reg M athis
undoubtedly waiting to hear of a healthcare plan
that will provide medical insur­
A ccepting
A pplications
Free market capitalists, such as General
Motors Chairman Richard Wagoner and Bill
Ford, chairman of Ford Motor Company, are
healthcare system they say hurts corporate
A m erica’s ability to compete in the global
economy.
by
CARTOON BY BEN D iB B
intervene.
Our job as humans is to try
to limit as much racism as
possible and hope someday it
is eradicated completely.
few decades ago did so much agencies in the housing market prisoners of war had been white
for black Americans. I have no longer “redline” the way they British or Russian soldiers, I
even preached this myself. How­ did in the mid-20lh century. Em­ doubt they would have been
ever, a few years ago I decided ployment opportunities have treated nearly as bad as the
to take a closer look. What 1 opened up for more minorities. Iraqis. There always seems to
found was that although we have Many black Americans are bet­ be some kind of myths surround­
seen many positive changes on
ter off than they were decades
ago.
ing people who are different
than us. Preconceived ideas of
So things are much better entire populations keep racial
hatred alive.
Get real
MAX weighs 55 tons
now, right’Think again. Behind
this façade of hypocrisy, fear
Like many U.S. wars before,
and stupidity continue to lurk.
thousands o f black soldiers
While African Americans and
other minorities may be free to
helped win the peace so that
pursue their portion o f the
and Native Americans have also
American dream, it does not
mean that they will necessarily
fought in this country’s battles.
Right now, American soldiers
get it. Although discrimination of all races, including Hispanic
may not face us as outwardly as and Middle Eastern are over in
it once did in America, a quiet Iraq and Afghanistan fighting
form of racial hatred still exists. and dying for the American way.
Look both ways before crossing tracks
Most people do not want to
It’s time the “whites only” signs
admit it, but racism is there, and
sometimes it cuts both ways.
come down for good; even the
ones still in our heads.
Whenever you have a minority
T R IM M E T
A d ve rtise w ilh d iv e rs ity
in
J r"‘|.lri v tla tih (P b s r ru c r Call 503-288-0033ot email .id St"
America could be free. Asians
Ron Weber is a regular con­
tributor to the Portland Ob­
some mistrust between major­ server. He is a writer and
ity and minority. Our job as hu­ speaker on African-American
mans is to try to limit as much history.
situation, there will always be
p o rtlu n d o b s e r v i