Be sure not to protest against this...the union goons are merciless.

I hope people just realize and remember that UHC doesn't mean that you can't keep your own insurance. And there are no "death panels" - just "End of Life Council" which is already included in my insurance I get through my work. I don't know about you people, but I would gladly skip one of my weekend trips and shopping trips to spend that money on something that can keep hard working people who still can't afford insurance healthy.

Interesting! An editorial disguised as a news story.

It won't be my be my thumb going up if I see them going through washington county today.

Waste of time - medicare is over regulated, medicaid is under regulated, and both are broke, broke, broke.

Lets see in Canada you can wait years to get that heart operation or that leg sewed back on.

If you turn the reins over to the government forget medical treatment. They will say got some duck tape? tape that leg back on and come back next year and we'll see if you need and help then.

The government says we're broke, so tell me where is the money going to come from?

You know as well as I do Hilter tried this same sort of crap don't fall for it.

HA, HA, The Union! The Ambulance!? Disagree, you get beat up and thrown in the van.......but they won't take you to any hospital

Before you rush out to see the ambulance tour, please remember who you're dealing with. In case you don't already know, SEIU has direct ties with the infamous ACORN organization. One of the primary Maine connections has also been a major campaign and pet project supporter for Governor Baldacci and a variety of other Far Left democrats like Libby Mitchell, Hannah Pingree and Tom Allen. The local connection is called MSEA-SEIU Local 1989, which happens to be the largest union/PAC for our State of Maine employees...hence the cozy and powerful relationship in Augusta.

Here are some important facts about the SEIU-ACORN relationship for your review:

1. The “Muscle for Money” program funded by SEIU:

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/blogs/beltway-confidential/Unions-gave-ACORN-nearly-10-million--50390017.html

2. ACORN’s “Muscle for Money” does the bidding of SEIU:

http://www.sfexaminer.com/opinion/ACORNs-Muscle-for-Money-does-the-bidding-of-SEIU--50091427.html

3. Playbook of Dirty Tricks:

http://nygoe.wordpress.com/2009/08/06/seiu-front-group-declares-war-on-tea-party-patriots/

4. ACORN Covering Up SEIU Ties?:

http://spectator.org/blog/2009/04/22/acorn-covering-up-seiu-ties

Since we already have enough problems of our own here in Maine, we don't need their Chicago-style tactics to make the situation even worse. As promised by Barack Hussein Obama, our USA is certainly changing in a big way...God help us.

One other site you should really visit is that of the local union/PAC: www.mseaseiu.org

Since a lot of Maine tax dollars are now being going to this Far Left organization, which has proven they have little/no detailed fiscal accountability, We The People should a Procedural Audit of their books.

IMO, it's time for the political games with our tax dollars to be stopped!

"If you like your insurance you can keep it." ......NOT TRUE. If you read the bill you will see that the government insurance will undercut private insurance, and eventually employers will drop their private plans to save money and people will be forced into the gov option. In addition, if you change jobs you are put into the public option. You CANNOT have the private insurance anymore. The whole thing is a bait and switch for government control.

SEIU..whats in it for you?

Scintilate: Where do you get your information, certainly not from Canadians. They love thier National Insurance.

bmaturian: Nothing you state is true....NOTHING!

I don't think the Obama plan goes far enough! I want national healthcare for all. I don't care about the insurance companies anymore than they care whether I live or die once they have my money. We're paying about $11,000 a year for insurance and deductables not including our employer contributions. If we didn't have to pay insurance premiums our taxes could go up many thousands of dollars and we would still be saving money plus everyone would be covered. Forget the Canadian system, the demographics are all different. Try the French system.

No, not all Canadians love their health insurance. I have many friends in Canada, and am up there frequently, and know their stories. Like the woman who waited almost 2 yrs for knee surgery, and now, once done, is almost a cripple. I have a cousin, a parapalegic, who only receives care because her parents, both Americans, give fat contributions to the hospital. Most Canadians don't like the wait involved, and come to Maine, or other border states, for treatment, if they can afford it.

Oh, yes, please stop by my place, in Hancock county. I would love to tell this van of thugs, the reality behind Maine's health care. I retired from teaching in Washington county, and believe me, almost everyone there has FREE HEALTH CARE, including dental!! Give me a break!!! The dental wagons are out on the Barrens right now, providing FREE CARE to the immigrants raking the berries. There is only a very small group of people who do not have insurance. And, they can still access great care. They can arrange to have payments, or not pay. Liens can be placed on property, but most hospitals have chosen to simply pay the unpaid amounts, thus giving FREE CARE yet again. I know of some people who purposely choose not have insurance too, and they could afford it. They pay as they go,and don't worry. And there are some like me, who decided my family had to have care, due to health issues, and worked, 4-6 jobs along with my husband. Hmmmmm, is that called responsible? And how did we find jobs with insurance in Washington County? EASY! We drove long distances to work. While many others lay in bed gathering welfare. And I know this, because as teachers, we have access to all the social services provided to people. Amazing too!!!!! I know of many fishermen, who take their pay under the table, and get Medicaid. And we wonder why the doctors aren't getting paid properly? These are healthy men and women taking advantage of the system. There are so many.

So, stories, yes. There are a few sad stories, I do agree,and those are the people we should be helping. But very few. I don't want to help healthy people. Not after all the hard work, and years of sacrifice I had to endure, to have health insurance. And I would not change that either.

Let's just make this simple. Reform is needed. The best plan I have heard about, is to simply lift the state barriers to buying insurance, and have the govt give vouchers to those in need, so they can buy their own. This would bolster private insurance companies. The govt taking over, will be the nail in the coffin for insurance companies, long term. Or maybe short term. They will never be able to compete with the govt. Just look at the mess the clunkers is turning out to be. Places, local car companies, are struggling because of this, and some are perilously close to go out of business!!! Can't compete!

Nay, this isn't just socialism,as we have lots of socialism now, lots. This is communism!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Government sponsored health insurance plans no threat to private insurance. Take the Dirigo health plan--many of the folks that signed up for it had health insurance coverage but opted for the state subsidized plan. Keep it going and you have no private insurance just government. Health insurance in many states is very high due to the mandates added to plans by the states themselves. Every plan should have this covered or that covered damn the cost full speed ahead. The fault of socialism is you soon run out of other peoples money to paraphrase Margaret Thatcher.

Wow! A Union/Democrat press release disguised as a news story. Obama wants to take Dirigo Health national.

How'd that work out here in Maine? We were told it would cover all of the uninsured in 3 years. We were told it would "pay for itself" with savings generated by eliminating cost shifting. We were told it would lower health insurance for everyone.

Is any of this sounding familiar? Anyone.? Anyone? Bueler?

Here's how it worked out.

A whopping 3% of the previously uninsured are insured by Dirigo and enrollment is closed. Costs? The direct cost to the taxpayers is over $150 million and counting PLUS a tax on everyone who has private health insurance. Healthcare costs continue to rise and we have the among the highest percentage of the country on Medicare and the state doesn't pay its bills (some of which are 5 years old) to hospitals rasing the cost of HEALTH CARE to everyone else.

That's Obamacare.

8:24 am, the reason Dirigo is a failure is because of too much kow-towing to the private insurance industry. It isn't single-payer, government-sponsored health care as one might hope. You only get a choice of a Dirigo-sponsored policy from either Aetna or Anthem. The premiums are the same as private health insurance. For a Dirigo policy for one adult with two dependents, the monthly premium was the same, around $860. The only difference between the Dirigo policy and private insurance is the deductible, which is $1,500 as opposed to $2,500. It's something, but it still isn't affordable.

The uninformed mimic the disinformation they hear on the radio. Canadians love their health insurance plan. I just returned from Montreal and met some elderly folk who are afraid to visit the U.S. in case they experience an illness or accident. They would be in debt very quickly in the health system the U.S. presently has.

Why is the government being criticized so much? Supposedly "everything the government tries to run doesn't work?! Medicare, Medicaid, Postal Service". The reality is that Medicare and the Postal Service work far better than any profit motivated corporations could run them. Government programs do not have to answer to the investors who want large returns for their investment. There is 3% administrative costs for gov't run medicare compared to 12% to 15% for profit oriented health care corporations.

The health industry in the U.S. is ranked 37th in the world in overall care. This is the most expensive in the world per capita and costs nearly twice that of Canada or Europe, both of which are FAR superior in overall health care despite the right wing disinformation campaigns which love to cherry-pick a few worst case scenarios to scare Americans. Profit driven corporations make vast profits by keeping the status quo (tens of millions of dollars per year go to CEO's in the health insurance industry). Health care should not be based on the profit motive. When it becomes profit driven most of you who think its so great will find that you are left out in the cold if you have prior health conditions or, more likely, you will cost the corporation so much that any excuse will be found to drop you.

I couldn't have said it better myself: "an editorial disguised as a news story". If this bunch of clowns had PUBLICIZED their little raid into the County in advance, trust me: I would have taken time off from work to go give them a piece of my mind. Maybe that's why they didn't want people to know they were here??????

Here's a little gem you should know about the BDN: a woman in Maine recently wrote an op-ed column about the atrocious socialized medicine her daughter received in Scotland while there on a trip..............it almost killed the young lady. Mom also discussed socialized health care in other countries where her family has lived, and how BAD it is. Any one who thinks the BDN accepted this op-ed submission and ran it, please raise your hand now...............ummmm, you would be incorrect. Mom was told it was too "harsh" and she needed to sweeten it up. Be less negative. Honest to God, if her daughter had actually died, THEN I bet the BDN would have ran it! Just the price of admission onto the editorial pages these days, I guess.....

KitteryKid: I will remind my wife's family that they do, indeed, "LOVE" their national insurance. I guess they just don't know it yet. And once they DO know it, then they will stop foolishly doing things like rushing their family members to the states for health care when serious medical issues arise. THANKS!

One way to start saving on health care costs is to go shopping. The state has a new web site that lists the costs for similar procedures at every hospital in Maine. You'll be surprised at the disparity in cost (http://www.healthweb.maine.gov/claims/healthcost/default.aspx) and pleased if you have to pay out-of-pocket to see you have options.

Just the way it's going to be, you have those who work and are self sufficient paying for health care and food and everything else that comes along for the people that think they don't have to work and rely on someone else. It will never change.

Go for it; we need your organization and each individual in the state/country supporting an obvious health reform need; It is a no brainer, people need help with respect to health care including those who have it if they have restraints and those who do not have it and get 'sicker and sicker' as a result and costing me and you more and more. Snowe and Collens will hopefully vote for it because they are about the only enlightened Republicans in the Senate and certainly more spunkly/creative and with it than the 'scared rabbi't blue dog Democrats who put their health care policy and contributions from the health/drug industries to survive in the Senate ahead of the poor and the middle class. Boot em out. Thanks for such a nice article as wel. Don Beattie in Winthrop, ME.

Go for it; we need your organization and each individual in the state/country supporting an obvious health reform need; It is a no brainer, people need help with respect to health care including those who have it if they have restraints and those who do not have it and get 'sicker and sicker' as a result and costing me and you more and more. Snowe and Collens will hopefully vote for it because they are about the only enlightened Republicans in the Senate and certainly more spunkly/creative and with it than the 'scared rabbi't blue dog Democrats who put their health care policy and contributions from the health/drug industries to survive in the Senate

MILLINOCKET….

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There doesn’t seem to be a politician that cares enough to help the economic Bermuda Triangle of Maine!

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Michaud, Collins & Snowe have avoided helping one of the most devastated communities in Maine and it appears that they won’t be doing so anytime in the near future!

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They have had “years” to do “anything” but haven’t------ they’re all as low as Baldacci!

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Maine may have Mount Katahdin, lobster to die for, nicest vacation spots and the best winters in the US, but------ it has the worst politicians in history!

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This ambulance tour is little more than a puppet show by the greedy union/PAC bosses at SEIU for their buddies within the Obama Administration... ACORN is on a roll!

Telefunkinu47 writes: "Just the way it's going to be, you have those who work and are self sufficient paying for health care and food and everything else that comes along for the people that think they don't have to work and rely on someone else. It will never change."

I'll be sure to tell my father-in-law (who works 40+ hours/week in the woods) and my mother-in-law (who works 40 hours/week at a daycare) that the reason they are going so far in debt with her medical treatments is because they don't work and want others to pay for their health care. Oh, wait, nope, they do work. They're just an average Aroostook County family with two family members working in places where health care is not offered.

You should think about that before you accuse everyone that would benefit from UHC of being lazy.

10:16 am, hmmm, that's odd. I believe that as a taxpayer I am paying for YOUR healthcare, Mr. government contractor. I guess that means, as you said, that you don't have to work and rely on someone else instead, like me, the taxpayer. (Obviously you're not working now!)

SUSAN COLLINS YOU DECEIT!!!! ANOTHER WASTE OF TAX DOLLARS!!!! SIMPLY ANSWER YOUR EMAILS INSTEAD OF TIEING UP AN AMBULANCE!!!!

THIS 'TOUR' IS MORE TO REACH THE LOW INCOME, LOWLY EDUCATED, AND SUCK THEM IN TO YOUR WAY OF THINKING!!! SOCIALISM!

OBAMA CAN YOU HEAR US???? EDUCATION BEFORE LEGISLATION!!!!! OUR REPS PRETEND THEY DO NOT HEAR FROM US!!!!

SEIU & ACORN are one & the same. Steer clear of this bunch!

Can't beat them join them, there are people who are always going to get something for free.....The thing Anne I pay more in taxes than you make...So I'm paying your way, sorry.

The insurance companies now add 3 lobbyists a day to the battle in Washington, which now includes more than 350 lobbyists that used to work in congress. They spend $1.4 MILLION A DAY to pressure our representatives into delaying, avoiding or reshaping the health care reform that America needs. That will give you a clue about how much in profits they are trying to protect. They are spending $millions every day on radio and TV misinformation and scare tactics in a desperate attempt to keep the strangle hold on us so they can keep bleeding their profits from us until we are dry. If you want to be afraid of something be afraid of these heartless corporations. Be very afraid.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/07/06/politics/washingtonpost/main5137285.shtml

Call, email or visit your representatives every day to even the odds.

The division is between Corporate Welfare and Social Welfare.

Would you rather prop up a corporation, like Anthem, thinking that it will someday, out of the goodness of it's heart, treat the people that work for it and buy it's products (namely the health care coverage most people need) fairly? The problem is that the Corporation has no heart. It has been legally removed. It exists only to make profits.

Or would you rather treat the people fairly directly, giving help to those in need even if they can't pay?

The "Free Market" hasn't existed for a long time. We are now in a Corporate Welfare state.

"Government for the People by the People" Does that ring a bell?

Wake up or die making them rich. Or would you rather do that than help somebody you've never met that is in need because that could be labelled socialist?

Kitterykid: Show me what Ive said thats untrue. You have no proof, just Obama's promises. Read the bill or at least get educated to see that private insurance will be gone in a few years and we will all be on the government plan, except Congress.

As for you BuyLocal: I'll take my chances with competition and not some government bureaucrat sitting in an office making life and death decisions and being the ONLY game in town. As for government by the people, your vision of what constitutes a republican form of governments responsibility makes me laugh. Free people who hand over the health of themselves to a government deserve no freedom.

They want to hear the voices of Maine?

I'll be in Bangor Friday so they can hear my voice and see my raised finger.

Several sources are protesting the "protests" to any government sponsored health reform. Too rancorous, rude (even profane), even scripted (check the David Broder editorial/comment in yesterdays BDN, etc.). The main intent seems to be the personal embarrassment (or worse) of politicians, (who are not of your party or political philosphy, of course), not presentation of your views (which may or may not be misguided or non-factual). The methods include shouting louder than anyone else. Vey effective (not). In addition, who's paying for the anti- ads I've been seeing on TV? Grass roots distrust or those with a stake in the status quo?

Union=MAFIA

So Gopher..I'll bite.

Using your "logic" lets look at the inverse of your statement about who is paying for the "anti" ads. Who is paying for the 80 million dollar ad by on your side? SEIU, Big Pharma and assorted other groups that stand to gain from big Government ObamaCare. I'll take the status quo over ObamaCare. Just think of this government running healthcare. Geesh.

Buylocal: You don't even make SENSE!! Because I am sure thta you already KNOW that Big Insurance and Big Pharma are two of the biggest PROPONENTS of Obamacare!! So why the fake ignorance?? You KNOW this!......

No, those who are pushing this fiasco are truly immoral. Because their efforst are driven by a desire to see NOBODY "gat ahead" medically............not the rich, not the healthy..............nobody can have it better care than any one else. So.... let the horror stories flow! while ignoring the MULTITUDE of horror stories from countries (and Oregon) with socialized medicine!

Now, along comes Mr. Government Man, saying " I agree with that! I'm from the Government, and I'M HERE TO HELP YOU!" (Stop me if you've heard this one before......). We ALL know what that means...............everybody will suffer EQUALLY under this fiasco. We'll zoom to the lowerst common denominator. Which is OKAY, because "it's MORAL": after all, the well off should not get better care than the poor, just because they're more wealthy.

HOW OBSCENE and IMMORAL....................because the proponents KNOW that this plan will sacrifice quality health treatment, reduced pain, longer lives, etc. etc. for some perverse sense of EQUALITY that they have grown up dreaming about.

(Oh wait............that's what good little socialists and communists ALWAYS dream about, true. My bad. Sorry).

Immorality cloaked in piety...................now THAT's gross and disgusting. What's been done in the name of "social justice"!!!

How anyone can defend the Baldacci train wreck that is Dirigo Health is beyond me. DHHS can't even design a system to merely pay the hospital bills without losing hundreds of millions of dollars in the process, and you people want us to trust that they'll be able to handle health insurance for everyone???

Can't you see that Obamacare is exact same arguments as Dirigo all over again. increased coverage...pays for itself...lower health insrurance costs. We've tried this and the exact opposite happens.

We barely have enough doctors to service rural Maine now. See how many we have when they all get paid (or more often not paid) like Mainecare.

Wake Up People!!!!!

12:41 pm, you're not paying my way. Currently my taxes pay for your health care, but your taxes do not pay for my health care. So in that regard you and all government employees are no "better" or "more deserving" than people on Medicaid or Medicare.

The SEIU (Service Employees International Union) is not an ordinary organization.. it's a well funded gang of thugs, paid gun slingers if you will, pretending to be acting in the public interests, but in reality are intent to remodel America into their grotesque image of world socialism. The reporter of this article should have added this background information, and not presented the story as some kind of local grass roots movement.

I just want to remind all Mainers....

I don't know about you, but this all boils down to this

"Those that have a job and are willing to work, will be paying the health bill for those who either refuse to get a job

and those who have been on welfare most of their existence."

..that is what the Obama Healthcare will bring about, redistribution of the wealth!

In othger words, "SOCIALISM'!

It never works out......there is no such thing as "Something for nothing" folks!

and that's why Maine is in the pickle it's in right now, because we thought you could get something for nothing.

Folks, You have to get out there and ean it, Get it!

Out of the 47,000,000 uninsured......there is only about 8% of these who deserve to be cared for....not the illegals,

not the no workers, and not the never workers, ....and that's all we should be concerned about

what is 8% of 47,000,000...a drop in the bucket.

and that's all we should be concerned about.

We are bleeding to death on credit in this Country, now is no time to put a band-aid on open heart surgery.

I say, "Cancel ALL Freebees!"

./...only take care of those who are really needy

Gene Graves

Rockport, Maine

It's just too bad that the State of Maine has to depend on only one side of the issue of healthcare,

and as far as I'm concerned ....the wrong side!

The silence from our U.S. Senators and Representatives is deafening!

I'm quite sure that most of them are pleased that the Unions have come in to their rescue in the matter.

My advise to Maine residents....and taxpayers

Remember, whatever anyone says to you, nothing is for free.

They love to spend money they don't have.

Gene Graves

Rockport, Maine

Hey, Gov2Big 8/18

You're right on.....with the facts to prove it

Keep up the good work

Gene Graves

Ropckport, Maine

Most people who look at the information that I have collected from many sources on my blog would conclude that we need universal health care

http://healthcare-global-review.blogspot.com/