poverty

Many of us are pleased that the Occupy movement resonates with so many. While not everyone is prepared to join one of the hundreds of encampments that have grown around the country over the past two months, it is not uncommon for mainstream media to recognize that they are articulating widespread public discontent. From MSNBC to the New York Times to many local and online  outlets, the media recognize that dominant themes of Occupy—income inequality and the need for good jobs— have become very popular themes. 

The U.S. Census Bureau released new measures of poverty in November. According to the New York Times, “All told 100 million people – one in three Americans – either live in poverty or in the fretful zone just above it.”

“If there is a lesson in all this for both parties, perhaps it’s that merely piling up votes on Election Day doesn’t confer on you a mandate for any ambitious agenda — unless you have presented the voters with the difficult choices you intend to make”.  (Matt Bai, NY Times, November 3, 2010)

I agree.

But, who is responsible for creating an agenda with “difficult choices.”  Is it up to current and aspiring officeholders, or is it up to, well, us?

In the coming weeks, Kaiser Permanente will turn its attention to the extreme economic and social challenges the people in this country face. Two high-profile events, the Community Benefit Summit and the National Diversity Conference, give us an opportunity to discuss the challenges facing the country and how we must lead the nation as the model to provide the best care.

Let me begin with a lengthy quote from an article on last week’s report by the U.S. Census Bureau that poverty is at its highest rate in half a century. The facts are alarming and tragic.

I had the good fortune this Thanksgiving holiday to spend time with family, enjoy a traditional holiday meal and rest. I hope you did as well.

I also had the good fortune to see the film, Precious.

On November 16, the US Department of Agriculture reported that 49 million people in 2008 “lacked access to adequate nutrition.” That’s 13 million more people than in the previous year, and the most ever since the US began reporting this data 14 years ago.