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Why I'm Running for State Rep. in West Philly.
by
James Kennedy | 09.25.2010
This explains why I am running for state rep. in the 188th district of Pennsylvania, and outlines my strong support for a state-wide single-payer healthcare system. Today I would like to take a few minutes to tell you about why I am running to be your state representative in 2012, and to request your support in being elected. There are certainly reasons to be skeptical about a 25-year-old running for office, and so I want you to feel sure that I take the campaign seriously. I grew up in a working class family in Upper Darby and Sharon Hill. Growing up, I was very lucky to have had access to quality public education, something which has been denied Philadelphia and other cities in our state due to institutional racism. I went on to enjoy the benefits of a state education at Temple University. I struggled for some time with the costs of tuition, and was in and out of school, but thanks to Pell grants and work study, I graduated with honors from the history department in 2009. One opportunity I was extremely fortunate to have as a child was full health coverage. My parents worked at good, unionized positions. After starting as a clerk, my father worked his way up to assistant manager at a local grocery store. Even after my parents divorced, and I lived in a single-parent household, I could count on my healthcare needs being met by the provisions in my mother's contract as a school secretary. When I was two, I had to have a growth removed from above my eye, which if left unchecked, could have blinded me. I barely have a scar. My glasses, dental check-ups, braces, and doctor's visits were routine and affordable. When I broke a bone, it got fixed. When I needed medication, it was paid for. Lo and behold, my parents never had to second-mortgage their rowhouse to pay for these things. I mentioned before that I had to quit school for some time before returning. One of the truly frightening consequences of that decision is that it could have cost me my life. In 2007, just months after getting back on my mom's insurance plan as a returning student, and just weeks before my age would have thrown me off again, my spleen ruptured from a mono infection. The doctors at HUP took incredible care of me, and saved my life at a cost of a quarter of a million dollars, all covered by my mom's union-job insurance. Being a student is the reason that I'm alive, and I don't mean that as an endorsement of my nerdiness. Since then, as an uninsured person, I've had to deal with the complications of that surgery, which luckily are not nearly as serious. The hernia I have from the surgical incision re-opening has had to remain untreated for years. Once, while picking groceries up for my house, a dog bit me. I had to sit in the HUP emergency room, and this time, some one came out to talk to me about how "I probably was fine" and to tell me not to worry so much about rabies shots. That's wrong. I'm here to tell you that I've been incredibly lucky, and privileged. In many respects my life has been easier than other people's in the 188th district. And yet, I share with you these experiences as a testament to how important I consider the progressive causes I stand for. Although progressives have worked very hard to fix the problems with our healthcare system, the solutions that our legislators have passed at the state and federal level have fallen short. For sure, some of the reforms that Democrats have supported have been good, and their record is somewhat different than the abysmal one of the Republicans. But none of the bills proposed or passed, either at the federal or state level, has solved the roots of the problem. We need a single-payer system to do that. My opponent in the 188th district is an honorable man, and has supported many half-measures to this problem throughout his twenty-plus year tenure. West Philadelphia could have much worse representation. But the time for half-measures was over yesterday. Today we must boldly move forward with solutions that solve the root-causes of the problem. A single-payer system will take profit out of the equation, will save our state's economy money, will cover everyone, and will leave decisions about medicine in the hands of medical professionals instead of people trained in reading actuarial charts. That's what we need. A lot of people feel afraid to vote for a third party candidate like me, because they think it will give the race to the Republicans. It's an understandable fear. But in my district, the Republicans are not a serious threat, and they often do not even run a candidate for state rep. Many people in West Philly don't even bother to vote in the elections, because there is no choice to be made on the ballot. In 2012, I would be the second party, even though I belong to a "third" one. The voters of West Philadelphia, who are sophisticated and left-leaning, deserve someone who will breathe fire and brimstone to get their goals accomplished. If I am elected, I will work tirelessly--not just here but throughout the state if necessary--to harangue and shove and cajole a single-payer bill through our state legislature, by any means I can think of. I will not forget the experiences that have led me to run--both of privilege and sacrifice. I envision a future where healthcare for all is as nonchalant and mainstream as votes for women. But that day won't come until we stand up and fight for it. Thanks for reading. I hope that this helps convince you that I am the best candidate to stand for you in Harrisburg. |
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