My friend Charles Pelkey, a.k.a. The Explainer, Live Update Guy, etc., et al., and so on and so forth, got a bit of good news for a change today — the fine folks at NYVelocity have set up a ChipIn account to help Charles defray a portion of his medical costs as he undergoes treatment for cancer.
Charles, as you know, was among those recently downsized by Velo‘s corporate overlords, Competitor Group Inc. CGI extended his health insurance for a period, but the sand is rapidly running out of that hourglass, and once he finds himself in COBRA country the costs will commence piling up like venomous snakes in an Indiana Jones movie.
If you’ve enjoyed one of CP’s famous live updates (and who hasn’t?) or gleaned some insight from one of his Explainer columns at VeloNews.com, please consider making a donation. You’ll find yourself in some excellent company. For example, I have it on good authority that a certain American winner of the Tour de France has kicked in a couple of bucks.
And no, it wasn’t the rubber-band guy.
Mad Blog Media 
What kind of fu__ing civilized country do we live in where a guy who gets cancer and loses his job has to depend on the kindness of strangers to pay for his healthcare? I still remember how our Italian friends laughed at us when we celebrated the passage of the (crappy as it is/was) US universal healthcare bill. They could not believe the wonderful, rich and powerful US of A had up ’till then not provided healthcare to all of its citizens. We’ll chip in something right away, especially as a TdF winning, non-rubber bracelet wearing guy has already done so! Thanks for the news.
Hey, Larry,
Civilized? The US of A? Man, you guys have spent too much time in Italy. It’s still the Dark Ages on this side of the Big Ditch. The Renaissance has yet to arrive.
Thanks for chipping in, and a belated happy birthday. Sounds like you folks had a blast.
Larry, where you been? Dontcha know that Obamacare bankrupted the country and led to the destruction of the American way as we know it? (What? What do you mean, it hasn’t gone into effect yet? Well, it’s still responsible, dammit. The NewsMax email I get every day said so.)
According to some, the Founding Fathers wanted it this way. But then the Founding Fathers believed bleeding was a sound medical practice.
A small contribution is on it’s way from this also soon to be COBRA’d American.
Ben, you’re a mensch. One of these days we need to put together a Gathering of the Tribes — get a bunch of us old mad dogs together in the same place at the same time for a little of the old bikey ridey, some Eyetalian chow from the Cycleitalia test kitchens and perhaps a few drams of this and that for purposes of rehydration.
We’ll be in Sicily right after Tour of Lombardy ends and the Hotel Gutkowski’s next door to our apartment on the island of Ortigia, in case too many show up to visit. Maybe we should figure out a “Mad Dogs in Italy” tour for the future? That would guarantee the great food, wine and cycling part of your Gathering of the Tribes idea. The only question is where in Italy to do it and when? We might even figure out a way to donate any profits to charity or anti-Repuglican political organizations — to encourage folks to join us.
Doggos and Dagos … I think we’re on to something here.
Doggos and Dagos? I see yet another jersey design in O’Grady’s future.
This type of story used to be the exception. Now it’s the rule. My last go-round with COBRA would have cost me $1100.00 a month for medium single coverage. Would have left nothing to live on, so uninsured it was for me. It’s only gonna get worse before the revolution.
Boz, I hear you. I won’t pass on the number Charles is staring down, because it’s too scary.
Sent in a contribution and posted a link on the BombTown bike page. All the best to CP.
http://labikes.blogspot.com/2011/08/chip-in-for-charles-pelkey.html
K, you’re a man among men. We kicked in a couple of bucks and I’ve been spreading the word through other sites, so here’s hoping. Last we looked CP already has a couple months’ worth of health insurance paid up and ready to rock, thanks to the NYVelocity folks and their Chipin account.
Andy and NYVelocity are godsent.
CP’s offer to return donations or send them to a worthy cause, should the Pelkey’s obtain insurance, is fine, but first and foremost CP needs to cover his and his family’s bases. If this turns out cheery, then I suspect one can think of various charities the money can support. There are plenty of folks in this world who can’t afford an inner tube, never mind a new bike or ISP subscription.
But first let’s send our warm thoughts and encouragement up to Wyoming.
As one who is also unemployed and insurance-less in this backward USA where our citizens are not respected and valued enough to be provided basic healthcare, but tax money instead goes to pay for 2-3 wars overseas, I have made a small donation for CP/LUG in his time of need—and thank you much to the folks on here for the links to donate and the updated information on CP. We all ride together. Hang in there, Charles !
We have to show proof of health insurance coverage as part of our visa application for Italy. They don’t want folks going there and trying to get onto their national program without paying any taxes, etc. Interestingly, a big deal like a broken femur cost one of our clients only $10K! His wife had to have the money wired from their US bank but said the cost of the same procedure they did on him in Italy would have likely been $100K back in the ‘states! Something is seriously wrong with the US healthcare system beyond the fact that so few have coverage.
Going to make a small donation … also reposted the link to Facebook.
Too cool of NY Velocity to get this started. There’s class, and then there’s class.
I’m so fucking steaming mad right now …
Look, I get the argument that Washington can’t do anything right and that national health insurance will create more problems than it will solve. I don’t buy it, but I get it.
But are we so fucking binary in our thinking that it has to be a humungous federal program or nothing?
There are so many hybrid options that were available, but we have the Party of Bad Ideas and the Party of No Ideas, and no one seems capable of finding any sort of middle ground.
And the very first idea that should have been put immediately into law about a hundred years ago is that an insurance carrier can’t terminate the coverage just because you change jobs. That one step would helped so many people, and the fact that the insurance companies were against it tells us the real problem: that the money isn’t being made on providing health services but on fees and charges associated with processing group plans.
You know what my wife says….
The insurance lobby has successfully created the idea that any modification to the status quo will result in “rationing” of healthcare, death panels, etc. Dimwits see this as somehow they will get less of whatever they have now, whether it’s medicare or private insurance or simply access to the hospital emergency room when they’re sick or injured. For this reason they support the efforts of the for-profit insurance companies to resist any form of change that might impact their bottom line. We spend more than any country on healthcare but any reasonable and fair comparison with countries who spend far less, shows the USA as getting less for its money than any other country. All the extra dough goes into the pockets of the insurance company bosses and their stockholders while millions suffer.
The hybrid ideas have to ensure Americans have access to insurance and sound medical care. I think we should couple that with a program like Eisenhower’s President’s Council on Physical Fitness. Rather than being a magic pill, a national health care plan has to work towards healthy, fit Americans. Tie in public health, access to decent food, and active transportation, i.e., make it safe to bike and walk.
Yeah, I know. Fuckin’ Socialist is talking again….