Karren Jo Pope-Onwukwe co-chairs Prince George's County's Action Committee for Transit. She also serves as a Maryland Democratic National Committeewoman. Today she has a worthwhile blog post about President Obama's health care plan and Black History Month on the DNC blog. Sorry DNC -- Maryland Juice is going to violate your intellectual property and cross-post this:
Karren Jo Pope-Onwukwe: "The Lord will make a way somehow." As we celebrate Black History Month, the words of this old hymn keep me encouraged and focused on re-electing President Obama. I was an early supporter of then-Sen. Obama because I knew that he “got it,” and I have remained steadfast.
In 1991, I was furloughed by my employer (later the company went bankrupt). As a part of the furlough benefit package, I was told that I could use COBRA to keep my health insurance. The COBRA coverage for my son and me would cost approximately $300 a month; I would receive a modest amount of severance pay; and I would be eligible to receive approximately $149 a week in unemployment benefits. But with a mortgage, a car payment, and other expenses, I could not afford the COBRA coverage. My ex-husband put my son on his insurance, but I went without health insurance for approximately two years.
