Chapter 30: Kaiser

{I’m sorry for the short Chapter, but my Pug, Blue really was Run Over by a Car this week, dying. Red & I are Grieving, & I’ve found it hard to Write. I hope to be back in the groove next week.

-Ralf}

“Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t, you’re right.”

-Henry Ford

Henry Kaiser was an amazing man. He had his own Car Company, Ship Building Company & the 1st HMO in America. He died in 1967.

His son, Edger Kaiser, Sr, was currently Running the Kaiser Empire, including the HMO, Kaiser Permanente.

I had convinced my other Top-5 Partners into Buying Kaiser’s HMO.

As Ralf, I finally saw the handwriting on the wall about my future, & went to work for Seattle’s King County. Before that, I worked for a bunch of mediocre Companies, mostly in Florida. Being mediocre myself, I fit right in.

Florida is a Right to Work State.

I call it:

Get Paid, Not What You Are Worth, State.

A great Philosopher, Rodan of Alexandria, once said:

“Money flows like Water, sometimes you have to go to it, as it doesn’t always come to you.”

I went to the Money, as Working for King County, I got:

Free Health Care Premiums, State Retirement, Sick Days, Vacation Days, Union Seniority, & Top Pay in the Country. Plus, I got to Play with Buses & Trains, even Playing Bumper Cars, every so often.

I paid my Dues for the last 20-Years of my Working life, leaving me a nice Retirement. I’ve always said, that my Benefits were equal to my Pay, in Value.

But as great & wealthy as the USA is, it is a fukin Sin that we don’t have Universal Health Care from Birth. We shouldn’t have to worry about our Health Care between Jobs.

Of all Developed Nations, the USA pays the MOST per capita for Health Care, with the WORST Outcome. The UK, Germany, France, Holland, Belgium, Switzerland, Australia & Canada, all have great Systems. Canada not as much, but still better than the Good ‘ol USA.

The Top-5’s Plan, was to take over Kaiser Permanente, expanding it to serve our needs 1st, then take it National.

D-Rock knew Edger Kaiser well, both worked together as Advisers to JFK, before JFK was Shot.

It worked out great, as Edger was happy to let us Run Kaiser Permanente, as he was swamped with his Shipyards & Steel Companies.

We were buying 90% of Kaiser Permanente, with the Kaiser Foundation retaining 10%.

Another way I wanted to improve America, we were also working with Vice-President, Gerald Ford, to create the 1st US Government Controlled Universal Health Care Plan. Ford had just left Congress, as the Republican Leader. He was respected by both sides, so he was the perfect person to work spearhead the Plan.

As Vice-President, he was a Vote Breaker, when needed anyway, so it should work out.

Most soon began to call it the Ford Health Care Plan.

I suggested that the easiest way to implement Health Care for all, was to expand Medicare to everyone, not just for those over 65yo.