There are a number of reasons why the federal government, the private health insurance industry and the Oregon legislature have been unable to provide affordable health care to Oregonians and Oregon's public institutions. At the top of the list is the prevailing, currently acceptable rejection of the "Common Good."

A majority of Americans and possibly Oregonians show evidence that they have been persuaded to accept the premise that we are not a single, united people with common ideas and aspirations. We do not have to look out for each other because we are not all in this together. We do what we can for our own kind and the rest can go to hell.

We have a moral and economic health care crisis in our state. But do you hear any voices from the communities of faith wailing about the moral magnitude of this dilemma? Do you hear any voices from the business community, elected public officials or candidates for public office ranting against the spiraling and unstoppable health care costs in Oregon's public and private institutions? Is the press even in the game? Has any Oregonian, clergy-business leader-community leader-journalist-candidate for public office-elected public official, come up with legislation which is more likely to resolve Oregon's moral and economic health care crisis than the Oregon Community Health Care Bill?

I used to think that the first and greatest hurdle to solving Oregon's moral and economic health care crisis was the challenge of getting Oregonians to accept the fact and the hard truth that the private health insurance industry in America is a FAILED institution and that any and all health care solutions that continue to depend on that model cannot compete with the Oregon Community Health Care Bill and are doomed to fail. Now, I'm persuaded that before we get to that fundamental exercise we must grow a majority of Oregonians that are willing to believe in the "Common Good." Perhaps it's because I believe in the spirit of Oregon's former great governors, Oswald West and Tom McCall, and I've been a successful organic gardener for more than 35 years that I believe, in Oregon, we can cultivate a bountiful harvest of "Common Good" plants. We can produce enough "Common Good" for the community we call Oregon.

But I cannot tend this garden alone. In the coming months I will be contacting those leaders in the religious community, the business community and those seeking public elective office, especially for the Oregon legislature, to lend a hand. From time to time I'll report to you, my dear readers and fellow Oregonians, and tell you what I find.

The first installment is below my signature. It is a copy of an email I recently sent to governor and candidate Ted Kulongoski.


Richard Ellmyer
Oregon Community Health Care Bill author and project champion
President, MacSolutions Inc. - A Macintosh computer consulting business providing web hosting for artists and very small businesses.
Writer/Publisher - Oregon Health Watcher commentary - Published on the Internet and distributed to 17,000 readers interested in public health care policy in Oregon.
http://www.goodgrowthnw.org/health.html

*************************************************************************************************************************************
From:   Richard Ellmyer
Subject: A Pox On Both Your Houses - Without Health Care
Date: July 7, 2006 2:09:41 AM PDT
To:  Ted Kulongoski
Cc:  Ron Saxton

"Any candidate for public office in Oregon that tells you that making health care affordable to every Oregonian and reducing the health care costs paid by public institutions in Oregon by twenty percent is NOT the most important issue on the public agenda in Oregon is either ignorant or lying, neither of which are character traits desirable in public officials."
Richard Ellmyer
Hi Ted:
Today I received yet another letter asking me to contribute to your campaign. A few weeks ago I received a similar request. In the first letter you talked about, "issues that Matter to Oregonians: Health Security" and defined "The Problem" as, "More than 117,000 children in Oregon live without health insurance." After almost four years as governor of our state and THAT is what you think is Oregon's health care, "Problem?" No Ted, that is NOT Oregon's "Problem."

Our state has a moral and economic health care CRISIS NOT a "Problem." The crisis is based on the following:
1. Huge numbers of Oregonians have no health insurance.
2. Huge numbers of Oregonians pay for such costly health insurance that they can afford little or no actual health care.
3. All of Oregon's public institutions are facing skyrocketing and unstoppable increases in health care costs which significantly diminish the quality and quantity of services that need to be provided to the public.

In addition, a report issued by your own administration stated that the best way to get kids health care was to get their parents health care.

Today's missive asks me to send you money because you will be, "Reducing the cost of health care through better use of technology, prescription bulk purchasing and helping patients make informed decisions about their health care." Then you say that your opponent will be, "Asking for more tax breaks and credits for health care, leaving the taxpayers to subsidize the failing health care system."

Our health care system is not failing it has already failed. Senators Wyden and Smith just introduced a health care bill that will spend millions of taxpayer dollars to "subsidize the failing health care system." Saxton doesn't want government to pay for those Oregonians and Oregon public institutions that can't afford the skyrocketing price for health insurance he wants charitable institutions to pay for it. You can't even figure out how to use that unbelievable policy nightmare to your advantage. Who's running your campaign, leftovers from the Michael DuKakis debacle?

I recently spoke with your Health and Human Services Policy Advisor, Erinn Kelley-Seil, and told her that there was only one question on the table for you and everybody else, Please tell us how your health care plans are more likely to resolve Oregon's moral and economic health care crisis than the Oregon Community Health Care Bill which is the most market driven health care plan in America and reduces health care costs to Oregon‘s public institutions by 20%? Apparently you didn't get the message because you obviously have no plan. Your begging letter is an insult to the intelligence of every Oregonian and especially those without health insurance. It is thoughtless and pathetic.

It seems apparent that neither you nor Ron Saxton intend to seriously address the health care issue during your campaigns. That being the case, neither one of you deserve to be governor. Shame on both of you.


Richard Ellmyer
Oregon Community Health Care Bill author and project champion
President, MacSolutions Inc. - A Macintosh computer consulting business providing web hosting for artists and very small businesses.
Writer/Publisher - Oregon Health Watcher commentary - Published on the Internet and distributed to 17,000 readers interested in public health care policy in Oregon.
http://www.goodgrowthnw.org/health.html