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Valerie B Jarrett, Senior Advisor and Assistant to the President for Intergovernmental Affairs and Public Liaison, is at BlogHer 09 to talk with a group of women BlogHers about health care.
BlogHers in attendance are (links to their blogs will appear later):
Jenni Prokopy
Kerri Sparling
Loolwa Khazoom
Casey
Kim McAllister, RN
Liz Henry
Loralee
Kelly Wickham
Shelia Bernus Dowd
Katie Loeb
Daphra Holder
Jaelithe Judy
Denise Tanton
Lisa Stone
Joanne Bamburger
Stefania Pomponia Butler
Erin Kotecki Vest
Ms Jarrett is moving through the room, meeting each of us individually - walking around the tables, shaking hands, listening to introductions.
She thought she was going to have a vacation but Adam (from her team) told her about us and here she is.
Lisa is speaking to Ms Jarrett about health issues in the news, asking Ms Jarrett for her thoughts.
Jarrett: It's been six months, what have we learned so far. As you know, President Obama inherited two wars - economic meltdown, health care crisis, energy crisis, education crisis.
We're traveling all over the country listening to people and learning about their experience.
Talking about the economy, we don't have a structure or a foundation that is secure. So it isn't just enough to come in and support banks to provide stability, that was short term. It's also not enough to pass largest stimulus bill - it's a short term. Teachers and Police tell her they would have lost their jobs if he had not done that.
Mayors across country (and governors) tell her they would have had to cut budgets and jobs, without stimulus.
We're still losing 700K jobs a month, which leads you to say what's wrong with the underlying structure. President believes we need a steadier framework.
"I believe the president should be able to multi-task."
All issues are related to each other - biggest problem is health care.
Part of wall street's out of control was lack of framework.
How does a stable economy help resolve health care and education?
If we really want to have an economy where our employees can compete, then we have to improve education. If we want to have workers who can compete, we need to make sure workers have access to health care.
Move slowly so government doesn't have to step in to resolve problems like this in the future.
She's telling the story about the President's mom, worrying about whether she was insured, while dying.
In this country, that shouldn't happen.
Telling a story about Ashley from SC - field worker. She asked people to introduce themselves, and she introduced her story. Her mom developed cancer when she was 8. She worked but as she became more ill, she had to quit her job - lost her insurance - had to declare bankruptcy. Ashley was 8 - so she told her mom she wanted a condiment sandwich, trying to do her piece to help save money. Ashley wanted to know why her mom was faced with the embarrassment of bankruptcy.
The President wants to bring people of all types together, to work together - get them all around the table to have a dialog.
Joanne: I was listening to news on radio - clip of Truman saying essentially what Obama is saying, how important it is to have health care... As a country, we've been trying to get to this place, how do we get there so in 60 years we aren't still just talking about it. What's different now?
Jarrett: Necessity is the mother of invention. Sometimes things just have to get really really bad before people realize they have to change. Change is hard. The fact that economy is so bad, more people are worrying about health care. Michigan has 15% unemployment. Everyone knows someone who has lost a job. It's closer to you.
Second, I think the process that the president put in place was a healthier process.
And, we have a different president. His popularity helps. He's stubborn. He's tenacious.
Kelly: My concern as education is the communication plan for this. I work with high poverty, the info out there is astounding but we're going to miss people who aren't going to get the info or understand the info.
Jarrett: often the people who need it the most don't speak up because they don't feel like they have a voice. Give the grass roots a voice, empower them, work together informing people within their communities. You can work to help them get their voice, get info that they don't have.
Lisa: you want us to advocate, does it mean writing to congressmen? form letter petition? what should we do.
Jarrett: everything, do everything. Benefits of blogging is that
