Uninsured Man Robs Bank for $1 to Get Access to Medical Care via Prison

Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to introduce you to yet another example of what it's like for the working poor in America in 2011. Naturally if you've been following this site for some time you'll know, that unemployment if high, there are millions still uninsured as health care costs continue to rise, and most importantly, the government doesn't give a damn. Or, they don't give the impression that they do, whilr attempting to convince us otherwise.

So what's a person in need of medical care to do while wealthy politicians sit around and squabble over cutting necessary services for poor folk and also Medicare & Medicaid? Well, I'll leave that up to you because only you can determine your level of desperation. However, meet Richard James Verone, and check out what he did about his situation, and what he did about his need for medical attention, Clearly his is an example of American ingenuity, that can do spirit, and all out desperation. Or simply put: a man doing what he has to do:

STON, N.C -- A North Carolina man suffering from an undiagnosed growth on his chest and two ruptured disks walked into an RBC bank and handed a note to a teller demanding $1. He then sat by the door and waited for police to arrive.

Richard James Verone says he needs medical attention and hoped that by getting arrested, he would have access to health care in prison.

"I'm sort of a logical person and that was my logic, what I came up with," Verone told WCNC. "If it is called manipulation, then out of necessity because I need medical care, then I guess I am manipulating the courts to get medical care."

Three years ago, Verone was laid off from Coca-Cola after 17 years on the job. He says he has had part-time work since then, but nothing with health insurance.

He is hoping for a three-year sentence, enough time to collect social security and obtain the medical help he requires, Verone says.

"If you don't have your health, you don't have anything," he says.

The 59-year-old was unarmed at the time of the incident.

He is being charged with larceny and is held on a $2,000 bond. He will appear in court June 28. (source)

Lemme tell you, as a person who for the last four years has struggled with major health issues for the last four years, I empathize heavily with what this man has done. For the past four years I've struggled to deal with complications from 17yrs of diabetes with my eyes. And as I've mentioned before, at one point and for a very long time I was legally blind. Most important to note, is that I dealt with this while having insurance, as well as without having any. And to understand where I'm coming from, I've had at least six surgical procedures done dur8ng this time. Yep, and I have the bills to prove it, by God.

Check out Ricard's jailhouse interview:



With 2012 being an election year, Democrats are going to try to convince us that the Health Care Reform bill was the best thing for America, while Republicans attack it. Hopefully someone will be audacious by asking just how are people going to be able to afford coverage wityhout jobs as costs continue to ricse? No seriously, where is the jobs bill, and why hasn't health care reform controlled cost? Surely our wealthy elected officials will have honest answers...