With November 2 Vote Looming: Eric LeGrand NOT on their Minds

Brian Sokolowski, fan blogger By Brian Sokolowski, fan blogger
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on October 30, 2010 at 8:50 AM, updated October 31, 2010 at 2:52 PM

Some say that politics and sports do not mix.  With many of the recent indictments in baseball about steroids, it's time to move past that logic.  Politics and sports are really one in the same.  Both involve a winner and both are influenced by public opinion.  Both also have points to prove and both try to prove them well.  Both struggle to keep equity in their system and are concerned with fair play.

So when I see in the paper and online that there are no politicians to be found reaching out to Eric LeGrand and his family, it's very disturbing.  With all the politicians that have attended Rutgers football games, we've basically heard mum from all of them.  No supportive ads on TV, no addressing of the situation in the press, nothing.

I guess all that bad press about the stadium expansion has caused them to forget they even have a state college football program.  It really does seem that after the LOAN for the stadium, which may have been a solid investment for the state to partake in since there's clearly return on the investment right now, fell through no one wants to associate with Rutgers sports.  Former Governor Codey hasn't been overly vocal recently and the most vocal group for Rutgers' LeGrand has been a Russian billionaire's basketball team that sponsored "The Eric LeGrand Believe Fund".

You'd think that Governor Christie would be right there to support a person who was born and raised in his own state and offer at least his condolences, but he's busy supporting the candidates of OTHER states when people in his state need him.  Meanwhile, OUR state was promised jobs and accountability and all we've seen is a screwed up Education Application, our governor asking the federal government for money routinely (so if you think you aren't paying extra taxes, you will federally but that will be the Fed's fault), no more jobs created, and someone who barely knows how to say "yes" to anyone.   

This would be a good time to say "yes" and be there for a resident of this state who has been tragically and publicly injured.  Everywhere I go when I have a Rutgers shirt on, someone asks me about the well-being of LeGrand.  Yet if it does not inolve a tunnel project he's saying "no" to or a candidate of ANOTHER state he's saying "yes" to, it seems like a bother.  Not that Rutgers should expect support from an administration that cut Rutgers' state funding to the lowest it's ever been percentage wise.  At least some form of outreach would be nice, rather than nothing at all.

Funny thing is no candidate has appeared to jump on this topic and handle it.  No one has come out and said they support stem cell research so injuries like LeGrand's have more hope and a solution rather than a foregone conclusion.  I thought that was what humans were about, being there to help one another and to achieve heights greater than what there previously were.  While we do support one another in a time of need, we also tend to let our personal concerns affect our actions at times.

Former Governor Corzine attempted to tackle the issue, but voters eventually repealed support for stem cell research because the timing was not right.  I understand the need then to avoid using taxpayer dollars to provide funding for research 3 years ago.  But with all the people around the state asking about the well being of LeGrand, the timing now could be more supportive with someone so publicly injured.  Only problem is the supportive government is not in play anymore. 

With no candidate or political outreach involving what happened to LeGrand and the Rutgers football team, it's a little disheartening in a season of negative political ads.  All support in the LeGrand case has been from other sports teams (including pro sports) and the Rutgers community.  The outreach has been countrywide and has been frontpage on ESPN and other media outlets, except in the minds of politicians.  It seems that they are more focused on listening to the wealthy and focusing on the negative.

So while the politicians are worried about getting elected, we should be worried about our future.  People who become injured like Eric are the reason why we are trying to change the system in play.

I learned in college when I got sick, and in class as I was a Environmental Health policy major, about the healthcare system in this country and what Eric's family will go through is bureaucratic and not fun.  Lucky for him, he has a great support group around him helping to fund his medical bills.  Others are not so lucky.  When I was a part time student at Rutgers, I had no insurance (because my dad's insurance didn't cover me) and landed in the emergency room.  Lucky for me, since I made so little money I could apply for charity care and have my bills paid by a non-profit org or as a tax write off.  Others are not so lucky.

The problem with heathcare and politics is we need to take healthcare decisions out of the hands of businesses and offer it to everyone.  True capitalism is insurance companies competing for your business, not the business of your company where someone else is making the decision for you.  It could be government regulated and funded through your taxes and be tax free just like buying from your business.

By putting the decision in the hands of your company, you have no other choice but to go outside of your company and paying an arm and a leg for full coverage.  Your COBRA is how much your company funds your insurance and whatever you pay monthly is what they don't want to fund.  If you have a free HMO, they may pay $320 a month for you.  If you have a PPO that costs $100 a month, they pay the other $350.  Then, companies will compete for us and not our companies as insurance holders and you don't have to rely on hoping your benefits are good, when there is no disclosure law regarding insurance by your company.  After all, I should be seen as the buyer, not them.

Why can't your company pay you that extra money for you to go find an insurance company you could use that is better for you?  Because it's easier for them to SELL to a group than an individual and insurance would almost become like banking.  You don't like your bank, there are others out there you can change to.  That is wrong and why the system needs changing as a whole.  Then you make the money YOU are owed and you don't NEED to be susceptible to the insurance company your company has hired as a provider.  YOU get the choice and can change your insurance if you feel there is a better option you are willing to pay for.

Then, a person like Eric LeGrand would have his own insurance that he's chosen and is paying for.  Everyone would have their own choice and selection they could make for their future.  A higher risk player like LeGrand would be able to carry more because he's a football player trying to make it in a field where injuries are very prevalent.  It's only fair and American to give us a choice.

Maybe it's time for us young people to start making our voices heard and to start voting for OUR future.  After all, we are the ones whose future is in play here as we are coming of age.  Eric LeGrand is one of us, the new generation after the baby boomers that has a choice to make.  Older people have chastized us for too long that we don't know what we are doing.  However, we are now grown and turning to our kids and saying "When you turn 22, you'll be surprised how much your parents know."  It's time for us to support what our agenda has been and vote for our future in the face of us not having social security til we're 80 and have had our jobs held up by a slowly about facing market and older people whose 401k's have tanked so they are working longer.

We may not be that generation that had to live through world wars and had to walk uphill both ways in 2 feet of snow.  But we are a generation that helped dig those people who did do that last year from a record snowfall.  Makes you wonder, if that was the record, how much snow was that 2 feet originally?  Now, it's R time.

Regardless, make your voice heard and no matter where your allegiance lies, not making your voice heard helps no one.  Keep in mind, however, that a person like Eric LeGrand's future will be decided by how we make our voices heard.