In response to my column about what I believe to be the harms to Black Americans because of the Obama Care implementation, a woman with the initials P.N. called and told me that she has lost her insurance after eight years. With her old plan she paid $108 a month without a deductable. The woman now has to pay about $108 each month with a six thousand dollars deductable. Here is her reward of Obama Care.
MnSURE advised the woman that they would continue her policy, but only if she would reduce her work hours to about 20 hours each week. The woman asked me how she would continue to pay her rent, buy food and support her children having to reduce her hours to keep a good policy. My only answer was to ask Obama. I quickly realized that while Obama Care is causing such problems for single-parent Black mothers, that the woman had no chance at speaking to Obama directly.
Senate Democrats hurt Black America by their failure to act on several House-passed jobs bills. According to Speaker Boehner, “These bills would do things like increase the supply of American energy and build the Keystone pipeline; roll back red tape and unnecessary regulations; provide more flexibility to working families; reform and improve job training programs; protect Americans from cyber attacks; help schools to recruit and keep the best teachers; delay the individual mandate, allow the American people to keep the healthcare plans they like; or to scrap the healthcare law that’s wreaking havoc on our economy.”
I tried to come up with good reason for Senate Democrats blocking any effort to cut regulations making it impossible for Blacks to start up small business. I tried to come up with a reason for Senate Democrats blocking a bill that would provide more flexibility to working Black families, improve jobs training programs, help schools recruit better teachers, allow Black Americans to keep healthcare plans (such as the woman mentioned in my first paragraph) that would benefit Black America
However, it was not easy. I was simply, addle pated.
Black America, we cannot agree with every action of any Democrat and/or Republican when those acts obviously are harmful to Black America. Too often, Black America puts on blinders when it comes to Democrat policies that impede Black growth in business, our families and community. Worse, we listen to Black elected Democrats that go along with White Democrats as if they are involved in some kind of Margaret Sanger “Negro project.”
Shortly after Boehner’s floor speech, the House added to this list passing a small business jobs bill. However, because Boehner is Republican, one must ask why is it so difficult for Black Americans to see the positive in Boehner’s challenge to Senate Democrats failure to act in comparison to Boehner’s challenge and the House adding the small business jobs bill?
Black America, please hear me with an open mind. We have to move beyond Republican and Democrat. We have to stand with and/or against anyone — any politician — that impedes the growth of Black Americans. When Republicans have good policy — when Republicans challenge Democrats (as did Boehner) failure to act, for no other reason than using Black Americans for political gain and delaying our growth — we must support those Republicans that move policy supporting the Black American struggle.
Black Americans are wise people. It’s time we use this characteristic by supporting any politician pushing sound policies and against those delaying actions benefiting Black America. Somebody say amen.
Lucky Rosenbloom welcomes reader responses to 651-917-1720, or email him at l.rosenbloom@yahoo.com.
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Amen! However, when media tells people that Repubs have ‘no jobs bills’ or that Repubs hate them, why would any person, black or white, listen to anything GOP has to say?
It’s all a moot point now, since the bogus ‘budget’ has solidified the UniParty with left/right wings.
hey lucky! why do 92 to 93% of blacks don’t see what you see? Hmmmmmmmmmm