Donna Smith is best known as one of the documentary subjects of Michael Moore’s 2007 movie, "SiCKO." Her journalism career includes 15 regional awards from the AP Managing Editors. Donna now works as executive director of the Health Care for All Colorado Foundation, and co-chairs the Progressive Democrats of America’s national "Healthcare Not Warfare" campaign.
Saturday Night Dead ---- Courtesy of the U.S. Health Care System
There are 123 fewer Americans watching and laughing at the 2013 season ender for Saturday Night Live tonight because they were killed by the U.S. health care system today. For those 123 people, it's actually Saturday Night Dead. And this program runs every day without end with the same producer -- the for-profit ...
Tornadoes, Suicide Bombs, and the U.S. Health Care Dead and Broke
The news today is grim, to be sure. Tornadoes in Texas with the dead and the missing, Roadside, suicide bombs in Afghanistan with U.S. casualties. All awful and all part of the nightly news coverage. Then we worry about the scandal at the IRS and who knew what when about ...
Protecting Angelina's Honor as U.S. Health Care System Kills 123 People Daily
Yesterday I wrote about the recent revelations from Angelina Jolie about her double mastectomy. I said nothing ill-willed about the mega-star nor did I imply she should have made a different decision or that she was not heroic. But, wow, the defenders of Angelina's honor sure came out in force. ...
My Breasts and My Life Not as Valuable as Angelina's
While women and men around the world applaud Angelina Jolie for her bravery in writing such a public opinion piece in the New York Times today about her preemptive double mastectomy, some of us know that our breasts and our lives just are not worth as much as hers. The topics for discussion ...
Thousands Dead in 2013 U.S. Health System Failure
Beginning tonight, I want to create the U.S. health care death toll count for all to see and read. These are the dead due to lack of access -- either no insurance coverage or no money or both. I've tried to get others to do this, but I have to ...
Selling Pain and Suffering to the Masses
From this point forward, as state health insurance exchanges begin to roll out their advertising and health insurance companies turn up the volume to advertise for more new, healthy, policyholders, we can expect even less truth-telling by the media about the sad state of affairs in the U.S. health care ...
Health Care Mayday! In Colorado – Leading Health Advocacy Group Calls for Action
It’s May. It’s American Bike Month, Asparagus Month, Asthma & Allergy Awareness Month, Better Hearing & Speech Month, Flower Month, National Bar-B-Que Month, National Egg Month, National Duckling Month, National Hamburger Month, National Mental Health Month, National Salad Month, National Photo Month, National Physical Fitness and Sports Month, National Strawberry ...
Health Care Injustice in America – Painful Reality
It is terrifying to live on the edge of health care and financial ruin in America. And it is so unnecessary. I read in the New York Times yesterday that President Obama wasn't awfully worried about health insurance costs rising under the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) because only about 10 to 15 percent ...
Congressional ‘Obamacare’ Issues Beg the Questions that Single-Payer Answers
In recent days, many of us have read and tried to follow the reports that Congressional offices are engaged in discussions about how to make sure their health insurance coverage available under the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) remains affordable for Congresspersons and their staff members. If you’d like to read more ...
Good Friday Health Care Options: Go Bare or Go Broke?
In America, we take our pound of flesh and our profits wherever we may find them. In our U.S. health care system, the opportunities to profit are plentiful no matter the pain, illness, worry or other suffering inflicted. For me, I now face a decision I have faced at other points in ...
Entrenching Pain and Suffering While We All Watch
How could any of us see the photo of John Lennon’s blood covered eyeglasses released by Yoko Ono recently and not mourn the senseless gun related deaths numbering over a million souls since December 1980 when Lennon was gunned down? The right to carry guns and “defend” oneself seems to have ...
Scrap the Cap: Let Social Security be Made Stronger for Longer
Scrap the cap, scrap the cap, scrap the cap… chant it, say it louder, and start telling every soul you know that the way we protect the social safety net of our nation for our future generations rests in being truly fair about collecting the money to pay for it. Sequestration ...
Churning Isn't Just for Butter Anymore
It isn’t often anymore that I learn a new word in the health care system discussion, but this week I did. Churning. I was at a meeting here in Colorado where I have taken on a new role in advocating and administering for a publicly financed, universal, single-payer system with Health Care for ...
Shouldn’t Every Life Have Value on the South Side of Chicago?
Does the University of Chicago believe every life that can be saved should be saved during the Golden Hour of emergency trauma care? Or is trauma care to be reserved for those with enough cash and enough insurance coverage or only those who live in the right neighborhoods? Many young ...
A Pauper’s Inaugural: Mrs. Smith Bids Washington Farwell
Today marked a new beginning of sorts for the nation. At least that’s what an inaugural celebration is slated to be. With much pomp and fanfare, public leaders, like President Obama are installed in their positions and the world pauses to watch. But some of us held different sorts of ...
Fat Cats Escape Responsibility While Fat Americans Face Shame
The headline of the story, “Obesity, lack of insurance cited in U.S. health gap,” and its first paragraph state the facts as outlined in a study showing that American life expectancy is lagging behind other nations and that the gap is widening. From the article: “Overeating, lack of health insurance access ...
Walking Toward Happier Me in 2013
It was with great interest that I read Michael Moore’s comments about his daily walks and being gentle with ourselves in the effort to live better. While I agree with so much of what Michael writes, I know that some of my happiness is grounded in a bit of a ...
Maybe Aetna Could Help Solve Gun Violence Crisis
With the slaughter of innocents at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut last week, gun violence in America has reached the point where there is a public outcry for action. Americans don’t want little kids shot at school. From that one single point of agreement, perhaps we’ll finally make some ...
In an Instant We Learn and Forget Again: Life is Precious
Nineteen years ago tonight I comforted my son, Russell, as he learned of the shooting that happened at his workplace. Five shot and four killed at the Chuck E Cheese pizza parlor in Aurora, Colorado, where he had just finished his evening shift. Marge, Colleen, Sylvia and Ben dead. Bobby injured. ...
Join in Vigils Lest Your Own Premature Demise Be Mourned
Monday, December 10, is International Human Rights Day, and we here in the United States have plenty to worry about. Though we join other nations in marking the 64th anniversary of the signing of the United Nations’ International Declaration of Human Rights, we also have plenty of our residents living ...
Dead Woman Working: Thankful for Cancer Struggle
It’s Thanksgiving time again, and I do take time to pause and remember the things for which I am thankful. This year, my struggle with cancer tops my gratitude list. There is nothing quite like facing serious health challenge to bring into clearer perspective what matters most in life and ...
No Need for Cliff Dive: Support Prosperity not Austerity
It seems like only moments ago when we were still hearing the polling about how close the Presidential contest was and our phones were ring incessantly with robo calls courting our votes. Then with lightning speed following the elections, the horrors of falling off the impending fiscal cliff were all ...
Dead Woman Working: Fear in Every Storm
Working people in America have so much more to fear than brutal weather conditions when horrible storms like Hurricane Sandy (aka, tropical cyclone Sandy or super storm Sandy) come into our lives. Of course we fear the physical threats that the news and weather stations forecast. But we also fear ...
Dead Woman Working: Who is the Best Looking Candidate?
Several years ago, it made me angry when I heard a family member remark that she was voting for the candidate who she felt was the best looking. How superficial, I thought. Certainly, we ought to be voting more for a person's policies and leadership qualities rather than having a ...
Dead Woman Working: Why Won’t Someone Make Social Security Stronger?
Gutting Medicare and Social Security would make looking forward to retirement much more frightening for millions of working class Americans. That seems a simple statement that anyone could understand. Yet, I don't hear or see a public outcry against the sorts of changes that everyone with any power in American ...
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May 19th, 2013
Saturday Night Dead ---- Courtesy of the U.S. Health Care System
There are 123 fewer Americans watching and laughing at the 2013 season ender for Saturday Night Live tonight because they were killed by the U.S. health care ...
May 16th, 2013
Tornadoes, Suicide Bombs, and the U.S. Health Care Dead and Broke
The news today is grim, to be sure. Tornadoes in Texas with the dead and the missing, Roadside, suicide bombs in Afghanistan with U.S. casualties. ...
May 15th, 2013
Protecting Angelina's Honor as U.S. Health Care System Kills 123 People Daily
Yesterday I wrote about the recent revelations from Angelina Jolie about her double mastectomy. I said nothing ill-willed about the mega-star nor did I imply ...
May 14th, 2013
My Breasts and My Life Not as Valuable as Angelina's
While women and men around the world applaud Angelina Jolie for her bravery in writing such a public opinion piece in the New York Times today about her ...
May 11th, 2013
Thousands Dead in 2013 U.S. Health System Failure
Beginning tonight, I want to create the U.S. health care death toll count for all to see and read. These are the dead due to ...
May 10th, 2013
Selling Pain and Suffering to the Masses
From this point forward, as state health insurance exchanges begin to roll out their advertising and health insurance companies turn up the volume to advertise ...
May 3rd, 2013
Health Care Mayday! In Colorado – Leading Health Advocacy Group Calls for Action
It’s May. It’s American Bike Month, Asparagus Month, Asthma & Allergy Awareness Month, Better Hearing & Speech Month, Flower Month, National Bar-B-Que Month, National Egg ...
December 24th, 2009
A Patient’s View of the Senate Christmas Healthcare Gift
So, all the great fanfare and all the king’s horses. The great and almighty U.S. Senate has spoken. I will have to buy private health ...
July 15th, 2011
‘Let ‘Em Eat Peas’ Can Be the Modern Age Elitist Mantra
It has been a challenging week for many people. While our elected officials have been broadly reported to be at odds about exactly how to ...
August 15th, 2012
Dead Woman Working: American Dream Died Long Ago
It was a slow and torturous death, my American dream. And for millions of others, I am guessing it is the same. Nothing this current ...
October 21st, 2012
Dead Woman Working: Who is the Best Looking Candidate?
Several years ago, it made me angry when I heard a family member remark that she was voting for the candidate who she felt was ...
September 5th, 2011
Worker’s Ode to Labor Day 2011
Work ‘till you drop. Stop. Drop. Get up. Do it again.Work. Be grateful to be working. Work harder. Work ‘till you drop. Stop. Drop. Get ...
January 11th, 2010
White House Believes “Liberal Angst” Over Healthcare Will Go Away
Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. Better it is to be of humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide ...
May 14th, 2013
My Breasts and My Life Not as Valuable as Angelina's
While women and men around the world applaud Angelina Jolie for her bravery in writing such a public opinion piece in the New York Times today about her ...
'Dirty Wars' by Jeremy Scahill
Why have you started a comedy festival in northern Michigan in the middle of winter?
Because if you were here in the dead of winter in the middle of nowhere (which is actually somewhere to us), you'd need a few laughs too ... Continue Reading
Michael Moore on MSNBC with Michael Eric Dyson, 3/22/13
Michael Moore on Democracy Now!, 6/28/12
Michael Moore on the Rachel Maddow Show, 5/11/12
Michael Moore on MSNBC, Super Tuesday, 3/6/12
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Michael Moore on the Rachel Maddow Show, 2/27/12
