This is the Insurgent Radio Kiosk for Thursday, January 16th
Hightower Commentary
Action Calendar
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America’s healthcare border raiders
While Donald Trump fans the embers of xenophobia in our country by demonizing caravans of desperate Latinos headed north from Central America, there are other northern-bound caravans he doesn’t mention.
These are US citizens crossing our northern border into Canada, seeking relief from the profiteering cartels that run our country’s predatory health system. Specifically, these people are among the millions of Americans who’ve literally been sickened by the price gouging of pharmaceutical giants.
For example, the Washington Post reports that from 2012 to 2016, drug makers have nearly doubled the US price of life-saving insulin. It’s a massive highway robbery that Trump & Company ignore, even though it creates a financial strain so severe that many patients try cheating death by skipping some dosages – an always dangerous gamble.
Outraged and desperate, many diabetics and their families are taking matters into their own hands by making cross-border drug runs into towns just north of the US-Canadian line. They’re drawn there by Canada’s single-payer healthcare system, which protects consumers from price-gouging. As the Post reported, one small group of Minnesotans recently caravanned from their home into an Ontario border town where they could buy a supply of insulin for about $1,200 – versus the $12,000 they would’ve been charged in the US.
Good for them, but why should anyone in our incomparably-rich nation have to make border raids to get essential healthcare? As the organizer of this Minnesota caravan put it: “When you have a bad healthcare system, it makes good people feel like outlaws.” It’s demeaning. It’s demoralizing. It’s unjust.”
We the People must rise up, organize, and mobilize to make healthcare profiteering unacceptable, illegal… and indeed, unAmerican.
“As price of insulin soars, Americans caravan to Canada for lifesaving medicine,” June 16, 2019.
Hightower’s commentaries are brought to you by The Hightower Lowdown, the monthly newsletter with Hightower’s take on what Wall Street and Washington are up to. For information, visit hightowerlowdown.org.
It’s today’s Action Calendar!
A workshop titled “ When the Diagnosis is Racism”, offering a frank discussion about racism, will be held on Sunday, January 19th from 11:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Madison’s Grace Episcopal Church on the Capitol Square at 116 West Washington Avenue. Participants can share their feelings and frustrations about racism in a supportive space. This is the first in a series of four “Healing Racism” workshops. For information, phone 216-4072.
The Urban League of Greater Madison is in need of volunteer tutors to provide individualized academic coaching for middle school students as part of the League’s Schools of Hope Middle School Program. Make a difference by volunteering just 2 hours a week. Tutoring opportunities are available at 12 schools in Madison, Oregon and Sun Prairie. A variety of times are available to accommodate schedules. Phone 729-1226 for more information or to apply.
Are you a local news junkie? Put it to good use by joining the WORT news team as a reporter. WORT’s 6 p.m. news broadcast needs volunteers to report stories of local interest. No journalism experience needed. WORT will provide training. The ideal candidate will be open-minded, curious, meticulous and a bulldog about nailing the facts. Being comfortable working on deadline is also critical. Shifts are available on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from approximately 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, call the station at 256-2001 and ask for Interim News Director Chali (SHAH-lee) Pittman.
The Kiosk is available online at wortfm.org/kiosk.
This has been the Insurgent Radio Kiosk heard weekdays at 5:00, 6:30 and 9:00 AM and at 2:00 PM. With Engineer Alida, I’m Union Maid. Submit announcements at least ten days in advance of the event at wortfm.org/kiosk/announcements.
