Welcome Senator Marty, and thanks for being here. How goes the campaign?

It’s going great. Thanks to Fire Dog Lake for hosting this and for all the great work that you do.

Welcome to Firedoglake – glad you could join us today!

As you’ve watched the health care debate unwind, has it made you more or less hopeful for achieving change at the state level?

What is MN current state income tax rate and how much do you propose to raise it in order to pay for the proposed single payer cradle to grave system?

It has not made me more or less hopeful, but it’s made me more convinced of the urgency of state reform.

What is your opinion on accepting campaign money from corporations or committees and such. And who are the people you look to for campaign funding?

Welcome Senator Marty. How would your plan control costs?

The top state income tax bracket in Minnesota is 7.75% and I support raising it. However, we are describing the funding for the Minnesota Health Plan as premiums based on the ability to pay, not “taxes.” They would be collected by the Department of Revenue, but would not go to the state treasury but directly to the Minnesota Health Plan where they could be spent only on health care.

How many uninsured in your state?

Could you explain the evolution of the Canadian model a bit – how Provinces adopting single payer led to a national single payer system?

Minnesota does not allow corporate money. I am and have been chief author of campaign finance reform legislation for many years and personally do not accept any PAC or lobbyist money. I accept contributions from ordinary people who share our progressive values.

Thank you for being here and for fighting for a single payer system in your state.
This is about saving lives of children, their parents, and everyone through affordable preventive health care. This is something that, it seems to me, will make any state that adopts it a more attractive place for businesses.

That is the challenge — keeping corporate money from being so heavily weighted in politics (it’s virtually impossible to keep it out).

Ho have you attempted to address it legislatively on the state level?

We plan to control costs by the elimination of the insurance bureaucracy, by negotiation for prices, by annual budgets for health care facilities, by more efficient delivery of care, such as use of school nurses to administer flu shots instead of sending each student individually to an outside clinic, by increasing access to preventive services and early intervention, reducing costly emergency room and hospitalization expenses, etc.

About 8% or 450,000 people prior to the recession were uninsured, perhaps three times that many have insurance but cannot afford the care they need.

We intend to be the next Saskatchewan. As Governor, I plan to pass our bill within three years, and expect that the rest of the country will follow within the next decade.

Yes, that is one of the biggest problems of the current health care reform——- the cost of medical care and prescriptions even with insurance.

Thank you. We strongly agree. Single payer health care is the single most important thing we can do to stimulate the business economy.

Absolutely. For over 20 years, I’ve been calling for public financing with only small individual contributions of 100 dollars or less. This has been a top priority of mine throughout my legislative career.

Until some state breaks the insurance industries grip on our health care system, we will never get affordable health care for everyone. Minnesota is poised to break through and become a model for the nation.

negotiation for prices, by annual budgets for health care facilities

aka price controls. From what little I know about the systems in foreign countries with better outcomes at half the per capita costs, that’s the key. But it’s much easier to do for a soverign nation than it will be for one of 50 United States. Don’t you think that if you bear down too much, your docs & other facilities will leave MN?

I know there is talk of matching small dollar donations (perhaps $4 or $5 to $1) to offset the PAC or big dollar donations. Is that anything you’ve explored?

The Minnesota Health Plan will not have dictatorial power in price negotiations, however, smaller health plans already have powerful negotiating clout with doctors, other providers and the pharmaceutical industry — that’s why health plans pay so much less for prescription drugs than private pay patients. And the Minnesota Health Plan will have far more clout than any of the current health plans do.

Yes, my legislation will provide public financing for two-thirds of the entire cost of a campaign and if other candidates or independent expenditures are made in the race, the plan would provide a dollar for dollar match to counter those expenditures. I would be glad to provide more information about my campaign finance reform legislation if you are interested.

Would it have to start from square one, or would it piggyback on to existing deals with hospitals, doctors etc?

That amount of clout will not hold down medical costs by much. All it ends up doing is living off a discount from the aggregate costs, which continue to rise at a rapid rate. So after the initial bargaining windfall, costs will resume rapid increases.

MHP (the Minnesota Health Plan) would be at square one, but would be starting based on current spending and pricing levels from previous negotiations.

There are so many factors in terms of how we hold down costs. Negotiations are only a portion of the savings. By paying for more efficient delivery of service such as nurses and primary care doctors time with patients, we can avoid more costly procedures. We have an example in Duluth, where a group of hospitals cut rehospitalization rates of people with prior heart damage, by over 80%, through an intensive intervention. It cut costs by over 50% but was losing money for the hospital because intervention services were not reimbursable. We need efficient delivery of health care throughout the state.

We can also hold down doctor salaries by avoiding massive debt in medical schools. MHP would have the authority to buy down tuition or forgive loans for students practicing in primary care in Minnesota. This will enable us to have more med students willing to practice in primary care.

Good luck. I’ll be watching. Fee-for-service is certainly a license to steal.

We have over a third of the legislature, co-authoring my bill. As Governor, I am confident that we can overcome the millions of advertising attacks from the insurance industry and pass this legislation.

We will not succeed unless we have a Governor willing to go toe to toe with the industry. I have a twenty-three year history of taking on special interests in the legislature.

We believe there is a mix of ways to compensate doctors, including salaries. Well-administered hospitals can deliver health care efficiently paying doctors by salary. The legislation also calls for the MHP to end the conflict of interest where doctors make money by referring patients to facilities they have a vested interest in. This is key.

Senator Marty,have you had any input or assisstance from Wendall Potter, the insurance industry whistleblower?

Seems that his input could be invaluable.

We have not worked with him yet. That’s a great suggestion. We will follow up on this.

How are you polling?

We are a caucus/convention state. We are focusing entirely on the party nomination process at this time. Caucuses are on February 2nd. Our DFL (Democratic Farmer Labor) convention is April 23-25th. There will be a straw poll at the caucuses.

We really need your help in winning this election. I am proud to have a record of 23 years fighting for single-payer healthcare. Imagine having a Governor who is fighting side by side with our progressive allies fighting to implement a single-payer healthcare system. I’ve walked the talk, organizing over one-third of the legislature to co-sponsor the Minnesota Health Plan. As Governor, I will take the fight to the insurance companies.

I hope to earn your support during this campaign because I need the support of single-payer advocates around the country — that the only way to fight my opponents PAC and lobbyist money.

That is a very interesting idea. So you incentify them into going into primary care in the first place?

One of the advantages of single-payer is it much easier to prevent fraud, much easier to prevent kick-backs, much easier to end conflicts of interest. We require the MHP to aggressively pursue each of these issues.

What’s your opinion about women’s specific health care issues: birth control and abortion coverage? Are these sticking points in MN?

I hope to earn your support during this campaign because I need the support of single-payer advocates around the country — that the only way to fight my opponents PAC and lobbyist money.

Welcome to Firedoglake, Senator Marty. And thank you!

I’m sorry that I can only afford to contribute $25. Would anyone be willing to match and/or beat my contribution?

We have heard from numerous medical student who would prefer to go into primary care but recognize they could be paid far more in certain specialties. Facing student debt of as much as $250,000, they admit they chose a speciality because of that debt. This is a reason that certain specialties like psychiatry cannot attract enough students as well.

By paying off student debts or reducing tuition in fields where there are shortages, there is a strong incentive to get medical students into those fields.

Excellent idea! How many say they don’t want to practice in primary care because it doesn’t pay as well as becoming a specialist?

For many years, I have been the author of legislation for comprehensive sexuality education and universal family planning service access in Minnesota. Yes, abortion will be a big sticking point but this legislation is providing comprehensive health care that covers all medical needs, including reproductive health. We have some ideas on how to minimize the abiility of anti-abortion activists from killing our bill, but that would take more time than we have.

I am so happy to see State Senator Marty here on FDL. I have been a fan of Sen. Marty for some time. He is a throw back, a true DFLer (Democratic Farm-Labor). If only he were the rule rather than the exception. I wish all the best for him and his campaign and would absolutely love to see him elected governor. And if given the opportunity, I WILL vote for him. ABSOLUTELY!

Unfortunately, Democrats (and perhaps Republicans, but I wouldn’t know) are whores and if you don’t have the money, they don’t go to bed with you. And many (though certainly not me) consider Sen. Marty “too liberal” and “unelectable” and therefore are reluctant to back him. Such is the sad, sad state of the Minnesota Democratic Farm Labor Party.

Also, we have many people in the great state of Minnesota with their heads way, way, way up their ass (I don’t know how they can stand it) and are tax-o-phobic, like one of the earlier posters (“what is the current state income tax rate”? Answer: not high enough!!). That is why we are burdened with Gov. Tim Pawlenty, Mr. “NO NEW TAXES”. They can’t seem to see the relationship between the reduction of income tax revenue and the deterioration of state and local government services. But I can tell you that as a life long citizen of Minnesota of 57 years, I’ve never seen worse roads, worse bridges, worse education, worse public safety, etc. (maybe inside the gated communities it’s different, again, I wouldn’t know). The “Minnesota Miracle” was a long time, and more progressive tax table, ago.

It’s a shame and a disgrace. And it hurts to see how far we’ve fallen.

But that’s not Senator John Marty’s fault. His has been a consistent progressive voice in the Minnesota State Senate. He’s the real deal.

It’s a consistent theme among med students, but I don’t know percentages.

Hasn’t he heard that a single-payer plan isn’t politically realistic, as they’re saying in Washington? Does he ever feel lonely being in the minority? “Yeah,” the seven-term senator chuckles during our Q&A. “I’ve felt in the minority about a lot of things…..Senator John Marty

WHY NOT go out on a limb? THAT’S where the fruit is!

(Will Rogers)

It’s a bit off the topic of this post, but at some point it would be very helpful, I think, to have a legislator like you, experienced in the issue, critique and review (if only by reference to Minnesota’s situation) the existing proposals at the federal level for (voluntary) publicly-financed Congressional campaigns:

1. The parallel House (H.R. 1826) and Senate (S. 752 & 751) bills introduced last March.

2. The multiple pieces of legislation that Alan Grayson introduced in the House just this week:

Grayson introduced a handful of bills on Wednesday — the Business Should Mind Its Own Business Act, the Corporate Propaganda Sunshine Act, the End Political Kickbacks Act, and two other measures.

The Business Should Mind Its Own Business Act would impose a 500 percent excise tax on corporate contributions to political committees and on corporate expenditures on political advocacy campaigns. The Corporate Propaganda Sunshine Act would require public companies to report what they spend to influence public opinion on any matter other than the promotion of their goods and services. The End Political Kickbacks Act would restrict political contributions by government contractors.

The other measures would apply antitrust regulations to political committees and bar corporations from securities exchanges unless the corporation is certified in compliance with election law.

“This case is basically about an effort to get around that. Citizens United took corporate money and tried to influence an election,” said Lisa Gilbert of the U.S. Public Interest Research Group. “These are all pieces of good policy. I hope they draw attention to the potential frightening implications of Citizens United.”

ABCNews reported on Wednesday that Democratic leadership is hard at work on a legislative response to the Supreme Court’s expected ruling. Grayson told HuffPost that he had consulted with leadership before launching his preemptive strike.

It would be particularly helpful, I think, to have such an experienced critique made with an eye out for any subtle or obvious barriers designed into the proposals that would discourage candidates who would like to run for federal office without enrolling in either of the two dominant national Parties.

Thank you for your work on a single-payer solution for Minnesota, and best of luck.

Thanks for your comments and thanks for your support.

Thank you. We are going to turn this state around. We need a strong progressive vision and a governor with consistent progressive values. As Governor, I will provide that leadership.

Beat yours by a little. *g* After I hit the final button it occurred to me I should have made it a matching grant. Next time.

Yes, single-payer is called “politically unrealistic.” So was women’s suffrage and civil rights.

However, people with a conscience said that that the status quo wasn’t acceptable and they changed it in the past. And we’re going to change it now.

I’d be happy to comment on the federal legislation at some point. You’re welcome to email me at info@johnmarty.org. Thanks.

I agree, something like that would be extremely helpful. If you’d like to do a diary on the Seminal about it Senator Marty, we’d love to have it.

People are thinking a lot about campaign finance reform right now, for all the obvious reasons.

I just made the contribution at ActBlue. Thank you!

Welcome, Senator Marty! I know your dad and brother Peter, and wish you the best in your race for the governorship. Minnesota would be blessed to have you as its chief executive.

I’d be glad to work on that and will post something on FDL as soon as I can. Check out a recent column I wrote on campaign finance reform at http://www.apple-pie.org.

On your wiki, it sez that your self-imposed campaign contribution constraints put you at a severe disadvantage in a statewide race. Your thoughts?

Thank you. We appreciate your support.

I rarely hear the word conscience used…except possibly in the phrase “conscience of convenience.”

Evidently convenience has not been your watchword,thankfully.

It’s tough being the voice in the wilderness,but your message is echoing loudly and clearly-all the way from the wilds of Minnesota.

Gee, I wish I could vote, in the Marty Party….

Thank you. A lot of Minnesotans know and respect my dad and brother, and that helps our campaign.

For the last 20 years, I had limited by campaigns to nothing more than $100 contributions. This year, I am taking larger contributions but will always reject PAC and lobbyist money.

Thank you. We need a politics of principle, not a politics of so-called pragmatism.

As a Canadian who enjoys our single payer system I fully endorse this idea. When Tommy Douglas (Jack Bauer’s grandfather, lol) set up medicare in Saskatchewan it was a hit and in only a few years it became national policy. Canada has had single payer now for more than 40+ years. We have no medical bankruptcies, no uninsured and our cost is half that of the US and we have better outcomes where the average Canadian lives a longer than the average American and while GOP like to talk about waiting lines this is only for elective procedures that get done eventually at no cost to the patient and noone dies becuase of lack of essential medical care despite the nonesense you folks hear about Canadian health care.

And the propoganda about Canadians going to the US for health care. The truth is less than 1% of Canadians cross the border for health care and it is STILL PAID for by our government and is a way to manage capacity since it makes little sense to build more hospitals that would only have a 1% utilization rate.

Oh and yeah there is a 85% satisfaction rate with our system and if a party wants to lose power, all they have to do is suggest that we move to an American style system – imagine if Barack Obama had a 85% approval rating.

Wonderful points. That’s why, as Governor, I’ll make Minnesota the next Saskatchewan.

Entirely too logical.

Also, just wanted to thank Jane and FDL again for this wonderful opportunity to speak with you regarding single-payer healthcare and other progressive issues. We really appreciate this opportunity and we need your support and that of other single-payer advocates around the country.

“A politician thinks about the next elections — the statesman thinks about the next generations.”

James Freeman Clarke

Primary care is key. That’s how the Canadian system is organized. Also delivery is by private clinics and doctors, the only part that is ‘socialized’ is the payment. We visit our doctors who we chose, we swipe our OHIP card (Ontario Health Insurance Plan)and the doctor gets paid for the visit NOT the procedure.

Good points.

Do you know — ballpark — what the typical Canadian primary care doc earns per year? Just asking.

Senator, how do we ensure that your position doesn’t change once you win and the “burdens of governing” takes over; ALA President Obama – who now thinks is good to pick fights with his left flank. NO one would have predicted his actions over the last number of months if one only paid attention to his speaches to the rank and file during is campaign.

How do we know you won’t be pulling the football, the Charlie Brown act by politicians is wearing thin and that’s why instead of being an endangered specie, Republicans seem resurgent.

Its low six figures but I don’t have the specific numbers. But here in Canada we measure EVERYTHING so I am sure its available somewhere.

It would be great if you could post the proposed health legislation on the site so we could lobby in our own states.

Plus much of the cost of medical school is subsidized by the government.

I was just looking. Haven’t found it yet. In the U.S. the average is about $150k. But there’s a very broad std deviation.

I’ve got a twenty-three year record in the state Senate unmatched in having the courage of my convictions. I’m known for walking the talk. I’m known for speaking truth to power. I’m known for standing up to political pressure.

For example, in 1999 the anti-tax climate in Minnesota was fierce and our Governor and Republicans were pushing for massive income tax cuts. They won by a 64-1 vote in our state Senate.

Despite the fact that I represent a suburban, Republican-leaning district, I was the only “no” vote — the only one who stood up to the anti-tax fanatics — to defend education, human services, housing, and other urgent needs. These are my values. I believe in this. I’m not going to sell out.

You can find text of the legislation and lots of other information at http://www.mnhealthplan.org.

Did you try Statistics Canada? That’s the first place to start when you want numbers on Canadian programs.

Say, for the sake of (realistic) argument, you’re a newbie U.S. solo FP doc. You see 25 patients a day for 48 weeks a year (that’s ~3/hr). Your average visit (a “level III”) reimbursement is 80 bucks. Your expected gross is, then, $480k. Out of which you gotta pay minimally a front/back ofc person and an M.A. (medical assistant), plus all your clinic overhead & liability insurance, etc.

No mystery why they all wanna do specialties. Follow the money.

Thank you everyone again. If you have any further comments or questions, please feel free to e-mail me at info@johnmarty.org . Please consider making a contribution at http://www.actblue.com/page/fdlblueamerica – We need your help. Also, please feel free to visit http://www.johnmarty.org

Thanks again everyone – If you could consider making a donation of $25 or $50 or any amount you can, it would really help get our message out. We need the help of single-payer advocates everywhere to battle our opponents PAC and lobbyist money. Please visit http://www.actblue.com/page/fdlblueamerica

Thanks FDL!

John Marty

Thank You Senator. Best of luck!!!

My American cousins (I have family and business interest in the US – ergo my meddling, lol) deserves single payer.

You guys have no idea how emotionally freeing it is to know that you have nothing to worry about when it comes to coering your health care costs. You want to see your doctor, pick up the phone make an appointment, swipe your health card – that’s it! Your kid get sick, go to the hospital to see your pediatrician. You lose you job, now worries you are still covered.

Honestly, Canadians cannot understand why this is not a non-brainer for Americans, who are some of the smartests people on the planet.

My wife and I have a very dear Canadian friend who now lives in Ottawa. She was married to a former American friend of mine, and lived in Denver. They divorced. She returned to Canada and was then diagnosed with colon cancer.

They bumped her straight away to the head of the line and saved her. Done. Period. Paid for.

Had she remained in the states with Michael she would have died, after a lengthy interval of financial ruin. Period.

It’s crazy.

Monty,
I agree it would be great. I am all for it—emotionally feeing is a great description. My only question is—is your government as corrupt as ours? The greed, fraud and corruption of both of our political parties is disheartening. I am happy to pay more taxes when it goes for the purpose intended–but not to politicians, bank, corporations and special interests who live the highlife on our hard earned tax dollars.

We do not stand taller as a nation by elevating ourselves on the broken backs of our sick and dying fellow Americans.

I don’t see any supporters for Senator Marty showing at the ActBlue page yet. That can’t be right. I contributed. Others said they did, too. Is there a delay in processing because it’s the weekend?

Nope, not as corrupt, but we have business influence though. The thing with Canadian politicians are that unlike yours, most of our guys are teachers, small business people etc., not lawyers or former ‘masters of the universe’. Also we have a more politically response system where the ruling party can be toppled by the other parties if it gets out of favor enough with the people (in our parliament there are 4 parties represented) and the ruling party is a minority (meaning they have less than 50% of the seats) so if the piss the people off enough the other 3 parties gang up and topple them with a no confidence vote which triggers and election.
Why do you you think our realestate and banking industry was UNSCATH while yours imploded? Better laws becuase the corporations are not as strong in our political system as in yours. Also Canada is a more left leaning country than it is right leaning. We are fervent believers in Capitalism but we also believe strongly in the role of government to deliver ‘public goods’ such as education, health, policing etc., etc.,. In short we have a better governance structure than you guys.

Three supporters show now, and I am the fourth. Act Blue’s tallies update regularly, but not immediately.

Book Salon a couple of flights upstairs with Jean Sasson’s Growing Up bin Laden hosted by AJ Rossmiller

Here is the current table ranking corrupt governments:

http://www.transparency.org/policy_research/surveys_indices/cpi/2009/cpi_2009_table

A bit further indication of what high esteem we Canadians hold Tommy Douglas. A few years ago the CBC decided to hold a nationwide contest to name the “Greatest Ever Canadian”… yup you guessed it… Tommy Douglas the Father of Medicare was named “Greatest Canadian”

http://www.cbc.ca/greatest/

Wow!!! Thank you Jane. I just met with John last night and he is the real deal. if people really want to do something to get single payer in this country, support John. He is taking NO corporate, or pac money.

Which means he has far less money than say, Matt Entenza, one of the other candidates, who is worth over 200 million because his wife worked for united health Insurance.

Welcome John.. I am the one who greeted you outside the door in Grand Rapids with my enthusiam, but after listening and speaking with you, if you can beleive it, I am even more enthused. Thank You for all the you do. I look forward to working on your campaign. janice ward

I second Senator Marty’s comments here– he is a true progressive with a long record of fighting the good fight for all of us in Minnesota. I moved here from Nebraska in the eighties and remember what an impression his passion and courage made on me then- a real fighter with the guts to stand up for justice -economic justice- never sell out. He has always been a strong voice for the progressive causes and I am so glad the Senator is running for Governor so we can rid Minnesota of the snake known as Pawlenty. And I am glad to see that the Senator is speaking to a national audience on the pages of FDL!

I vouch wholeheartedly for John’s statement that he will not promise one thing to get elected and do something else when he is elected.

It’s difficult these days for anyone who doesn’t know a legislator or candidate well to feel confident saying that. But I do feel confident saying that about John Marty because I’ve known him well for 15 years. I have been organizing for universal coverage in MN since 1986 and for single-payer since 1989. John agreed to be the chief author of our single-payer bill in the MN Senate in the mid-1990s at a time when the single-payer movement was not as influential as it is today, and at a time when the Democratic-Farmer-Labor leadership scorned anyone who wasn’t on the HMO bandwagon. (They still do, but now they have to be much more circumspect about it.) John’s willingness to take on the DFL leadership (never mind the insurance industry) marked him in my mind as a gutsy man who walks his talk. He hasn’t changed one bit over the years.

He is also well known here for his stance on other important issues, including campaign finance reform.

I will be speaking at my Minneapolis DFL District 62 caucus meeting on February 2 for John. I have contributed to his campaign twice already. Jane, thank you very much for bringing John to the attention of the whole country. John, it’s really fun to see you here. I wish you the best.

Kip Sullivan

Sorry I missed this discussion! Sounds like he’d make a great governor of a great state. Cheers.