Stand and Deliver Indeed

What a profound coincidence that on the very day the House is voting on groundbreaking health care legislation, I came across an LA Times article about Jaime Escalante, the famed Los Angeles math teacher that was immortalized in the film Stand and Deliver. The teacher is battling bladder cancer and his family has run out of money to pay his medical bills. Now, the actors from the movie, including the man that played him, Edward James Olmos, are trying to raise money to pay for his care.

Actors paying medical bills? If this is not a wake-up call about how broken our health care system is, I don’t know what more evidence we need. Jaime Escalante taught and inspired inner-city kids to think about themselves beyond their gang-riddled neighborhoods. He led them to pass the AP Calculus test, not an easy thing to do, even for the brightest students in America. Now, he sits in a hospital in Reno, hoping that the generosity of Hollywood can give him the care he needs.

Just during the past few days, I’ve heard anecdote after personal anecdote about how incredibly expensive it is becoming for ordinary middle class families to pay for the most basic health care. The list is long and horrifying: $600 prescriptions, life-saving procedures denied as unnecessary (a three month old baby with a heart condition!) and 40-50% price hikes on plans in California.

I just watched a GOP congressman on the floor of the House argue that America used to be great because they required their citizens to be self-reliant, to pay their way to get their entitlements. I guess this guy’s parents are ripping up their Social Security checks and not using their Medicare benefits. These, my mentally challenged friend, are single-payer systems. If those who stand against this bill truly are standing on principal, each of them should have their parents relinquish their benefits as part of a socialist system. Each of them should have to pay full price for every procedure, every pill, every check-up they need. Each of them should have to pay out of pocket to help their parents navigate retirement with costs rising on everything from groceries, to gas to electricity.

Stand and deliver indeed. Let’s hope that our legislators have the courage to make the sweeping change that is needed for all Americans, including Jaime Escalante.

“Here’s a Fiver Mom, Happy Birthday!”

The kids woke me up this morning to wish me happy birthday. My daughter played Happy Birthday on the piano. Each of them gave me homemade cards. When I opened Max’s card, five dollars fell on the bed. “What’s this?” I asked. “It’s all the money from my wallet, mom. I want you to get a manicure or something.” I was so stunned, I didn’t know what to say.

The episode is just another surprising moment in my adventures in parenthood. While it shows that my son has a heart of gold, it also made me a little sad that he thought he had to give me money to make me happy. It’s like it’s no longer enough, in their minds, to give me a card. They're conditioned to think that a card should always be accompanied by some green backs. I will have to remind them, when I think that I won’t sound too ungrateful, that a birthday greeting in and of itself is a very, very fine gift.

The Conundrum of Healthy Eating

I have spent the last month comparison shopping my regular grocery store against Whole Foods Market. I’m sure you can guess the biggest difference. I was spending, at minimum, 40% more on whatever I bought, whether it was milk, meat, fruit, snack foods or juices. After watching Food, Inc. the movie and reading news reports about the dangers of processed food additives, hormones, antibiotics, nitrates, partially hydrogenated oils, enriched flours, high fructose corn syrup and all the rest, I was anxious to see if I could commit to buying all organic, fair trade and sustainable food.

Not surprisingly, people that work at Whole Foods, similar to those that work at Trader Joe’s in California, are helpful, conscientious and seem genuinely happy to be working there. Whether at the meat, seafood or deli counter, they are articulate, enthusiastic and good natured. They know their products and can recommend a good cheese from a sea of cheeses and a good wine from the hundreds they carry. They don’t sigh and roll their eyes when I take out my reusable bags (at every other grocery store, they look at me like I’ve just place a naked baby on the conveyor belt). On the contrary, they are elated at the end of my order to deduct the nickel a bag that I get for bringing my own bags into their store, whether or not it carries their logo. The store is also clean, well-organized and has the best hot food bar I’ve ever seen. I’ve been happy with every item I’ve brought home.

So, the question is whether my wallet can sustain a 40% increase in price for the long haul. With a family of six that goes through a gallon of milk every couple of days, I worry that attempting to sustain this change any longer, we’ll have to cancel our summer vacation plans. I’m guessing I’ll have to modify my shopping to buy only the most essential items to keep my family healthy. If anyone has any tips on how to make this transition any easier, let me know.