US: Health Care Must Be a Priority

It appears that Governor Kitzhaber may be launching his health care initiative at the right time. A new Gallup Poll has 2/3 of Americans saying they worry "a great deal" about the affordability and availability of health care. That number is huge. The number of Americans worrying "a great deal" about future terrorist attacks, for example, is 45%. The crisis state of our health insurance system provides progressives with a major opportunity to lead, with proposals to expand health care to more workers, with improved prescription drug proposals for the elderly, and with plans to get health insurance to all children. And, as Governor Kitzhaber lays plain, this is an opportunity to also advance new ideas to achieve affordable health care for all. Americans are waiting for leaders on this issue. What ideas are coming out of your state?