Good Health to My Friend in Lowell.

Get well soon, wishes to my favorite Lowell blogger Lynne of Left in Lowell. She's been down for a week with a kidney ailment.

She's back today with a great post about the confusion over the new "Part D" of the Medicare prescription drug benefit. She makes the point that her grandmother was paying $12/month for eye drops that now, thanks to Republicans of the "let's drown government in the bathtub" variety, and their evil scheme to undermine ANY social program, grandma is now paying $50/month for the same eyedrops.

Hey Repugs, yeah government programs suck if you don't set it up right to begin with.

There is a great reply to Lynne's post at her blog from "Tim Little" It's all good, but this part is particularly on point:

I think that DP [Deval Patrick] made a good point the other evening: that government still has relevance, and that the stereotype of Big Government is neither workable nor applicable. Government can be effective and efficient and compassionate, and it can complement the private sector; we just need elected officials who have the vision and wherewithal to make it so, and the support of voters to put them in office in the first place.

- Tim

A lot can be said about a society by how they care for their children and the elderly. We are morally responsible for both. Can anyone really say that we don't need universal health care? Now.