Could it be? Yes, it could. Something's coming, something good. Around the corner, waiting for you and me...

It is challenging to have the enthusiastic expectation of the lyrics in "Something's Coming" as the healthcare debacle rounded its own corner yesterday.  But I do want to believe the Senate bill to be, as Paul Krugman describes it in today's New York Times, "a great achievement."  Like me, that upbeat song from the musical, "West Side Story," contains a 1950s hopefulness.

Over these many months of strum and drang in Congress, our son, the urban historian, has assured us that something of substance would emerge.  Our daughter, the businesswoman working with people with disabilities, has held out hope too.  Since this is all more about their futures, what their children will experience, I think it's important to listen to them.  Nick says the bill offers hope for people in their twenties, younger than him, who feel so left behind economically.  Rachel too hopes the healthcare changes that  finally emerge will benefit her young employees.

Again, Krugman in today's New York Times:

         So progressives shouldn't stop complaining, but...congratulate themselves on what is, in the end, a big  win for them--and for America.

The view here is toward the north from our window on foggy Portland mornings.  Doesn't it appear to be  a storybook scene, a bit magical. One hopes...

Comments

[Hattie]

So glad to see you posting again. I imagine your crew keeps you hopping, though.
If Krugman says the Health Bill is a good thing, it's good; that's my motto. We do have to "front load," I fear, putting the young first. We've squandered our resources and now have to make do with what's left. Our guns and butter economy has sapped us.
And the stuggles of the young are really painful to see. A friend of mine's daughter, well educated in Italian schools, is thrilled to be able to find a job at the best McDonald's in town! No benefits, of course, she just has to count on staying healthy. With more generous Pell grants and medical coverage, she would be able to manage to support herself and finish her education. Without them...

[Martha]

Our health insurance was raised from a mere $1,400/month to $2,300/month for a family of 3. Needless to say we had to change to a different (read: worse) insurance company. Sigh. Being self-employed and finding insurance isn't fun.