I received this via email from Yes! Magazine. The polling results come from a variety of sources.
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73% Say corporations don’t pay a fair share of taxes. A FAIR TAX STRUCTURE AND INVESTMENT IN AMERICA IS A GOOD START TOWARD ECONOMIC RECOVERY. READ MORE … |
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65% Believe same-sex couples should be allowed to marry or form civil unions. AND AMERICANS BELIEVE WE NEED TO BRING THOSE ADJUSTABLE RATE MORTGAGES UNDER CONTROL. READ OUR PRO-FAMILY AGENDA … |
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59% Would like the next president to do more to protect civil liberties. AND AMERICANS WANT A COURT ORDER BEFORE SOMEONE LISTENS IN ON THEIR PHONE CONVERSATIONS. HERE’S HOW TO PROTECT OUR CONSTITUTION … |
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79% Favor mandatory limits on greenhouse gas emissions. WE WANT SERIOUS INVESTMENT IN GREEN POWER, TOO. AND MASS TRANSIT. READ OUR PLAN FOR A STABLE CLIMATE … |
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64% Believe the government should provide national health insurance coverage for all Americans, even if it would raise taxes. ARE YOU LISTENING, SENATORS MCCAIN & OBAMA? READ MORE … |
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73% Favor abolishing nuclear weapons, with verification. LET’S ABOLISH UNILATERAL ATTACKS ON OTHER COUNTRIES, TOO. HERE’S OUR PLAN … |
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69% Believe we should use diplomatic and economic means to fight terrorism, rather than the military. WE CAN LEAVE IRAQ, AND AVERT WAR WITH IRAN, AND INSTITUTE A SANE FOREIGN POLICY. HERE IS HOW … |
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74% Favor voluntary public financing of campaigns. IT’S ABOUT GETTING OUR DEMOCRACY BACK AND LETTING VOTERS, NOT CORPORATIONS, CHOOSE OUR LEADERS. READ MORE … |
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87% Support rehabilitation rather than a “punishment-only” system. ISN’T IT TIME WE QUIT PUTTING 2 MILLION AMERICANS BEHIND BARS? HERE’S WHAT WE CAN DO INSTEAD … |
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64% Believe that on the whole, immigration is good for the country. BUT WE’D LIKE NAFTA RENEGOTIATED SO FEWER PEOPLE ON BOTH SIDES OF THE U.S.-MEXICO BORDER ARE THROWN OUT OF WORK. READ MORE … |
everyday theology 
Gee, looks like I agree with the majority. thanks for sharing this.
Doug and I saw a documentary a few weeks ago about different nations that have universal health coverage. I wish I could remember the name and which channel it was on. Sorry. I only listen with half my brain, as some may deduce anyway from my following observations:
Without exception, guaranteeing coverage for everyone also equals health care rationing for everyone. In order to avoid total economic collapse and also provide the same health care services across the population, everyone must accept lower levels of available services. Different countries deal with the rationing differently, but the bottom line is: guaranteeing something for everyone means that everyone’s health care is suboptimal.
We may say, well as a society, we’re willing to accept that people won’t get organ transplants (or reconstructive surgery after burns or catastrophic accidents or whatever else takes an inordinate toll on the health-care budget) in exchange for making sure everybody gets immunizations and dental care and other basic/universal needs met. However, as we observe with most technology, as it becomes more commonplace, and the instruments and techniques become more widespread and cost-effective to use, even more cutting-edge and costly procedures become cheaper, so that more and more people can afford them. That won’t happen if the system is crippled so that the expensive cutting-edge stuff isn’t happening.
The concept of health care as a right is an odd one, when you consider that in order for me to have the “right” to medical care, somebody else must invest their time and career into the skills to provide it. That’s different from the right to free speech, or the freedom of association and other rights guaranteed by the Constitution.
Despite what one may assume by reading my above opinions, I really do wish to provide care to as many low-income families as possible (my area being mental health care). I am hoping to open a grant-based clinic someday, to serve the low-income rural populations around here. I just don’t want Uncle Sam to dictate that I must provide care based on some formula calculated by Washington (or Austin).
Anyway, that’s my soapbox speech on just one of the points listed in your post … I won’t torture you with any more opinions (today).