Kidney Dialysis Intro:
Even KIDS haven't been spared!!!!
Petition (and see our visit to DC and DC Press Conference + Rally)
To start, it will be mentioned why Warren Buffett was chosen to be the focus of the Omaha Walk. He has been a major shareholder in the for-profit dialysis company DaVita for quite a number of years. DaVita's performance has been quite dismal, unless you are a shareholder! And it looks like this isn't just a fluke: 'America' Folksiest Predator', Warren Buffett's mobile home empire, Moody's-etc...-etc..., and for a deeper dive.
The above might give you an idea why a Walk was warranted. Why kidney dialysis was chosen to be in the forefront might be understood after taking a look at this writer's personal experience. And after seeing the particular horrific and egregious outcomes mentioned earlier (again, quite dismal) a person might further understand why dialysis was highlighted. Plus it should be mentioned EVEN KIDS HAVEN'T BEEN SPARED!!! (if you missed the above link)
Now for what occurred at this year's event. The attendance for the Walk doubled! My wife decided to accompany me! She claimed to only be there to see the sights. However she opened up on our stroll from the Omaha meeting place to the Warren Buffett event - opened up after pretending she didn't know me. She chimed in with one attendee about what we both had seen and experienced! One recollection she had was what the former CEO of DaVita, Kent Thiry had been making. He was once the highest paid CEO in Colorado. IMHO the only thing he should be making is license plates in prison - and he may have played into Buffett's "idiot nephew" theory about running businesses by the way.
It was nice to share this experience with my wife with it's lowering of blood pressure, peace of mind, and better sleep. I've felt like a glutton the last couple of years hogging all the warm, fuzzy feelings I've been getting from doing these Walks.
As it has been the last three years, the people we managed to talk to seemed friendly and receptive. It appears people who might be less receptive would wave us off. Here are the flyers that were handed out: 50 year overview of dialysis and Child Mortality Rates and History. Plus a Billionaire Information Packet was left in front of an Admin office in the event center.
We recall meeting a retired building inspector who had a neighbor dealing with kidney disease. We wound up having a nice, long conversation. Like many we met, he was shocked and disgusted by what has been going on. We also ran into a fellow vet who had been in the Navy and was working security. Then there was a young couple who had been in California and saw how Big Dialysis had shot down CA Proposition 8 which would have funneled money into better care for patients and staff education - the dialysis companies shot it down with a $110 million dollar war chest. Then along came California's Proposition 23, it would have done things like requiring clinics to publish all infection incidents (infections, a major problem) and have a physician on-site during treatments - shot down with a $105 million war chest. Even the NAACP was convinced to come out against Prop 23 after their CA president, Alice Huffman, had received $75,000 from Big Dialysis for her political consulting firm. This was part of $1.7 million the firm received in 2020 alone. Alice Huffman eventually resigned after conflict of interest accusations. [1]
The last person I talked to was the police officer watching over our meeting area and keeping an eye on the crowd going by. He wasn't allowed to take flyers, but I pointed out some highlights on the flyers - and he even laughed at one of my Dad jokes! If nothing else, this has been excuse to contact law enforcement. I let them know we were coming before we left town here. I hear a rumor they can get upset about crime - and this sure looks like murder to me!
So another year of raising awareness, even if we may not have hit a billionaire in the eye with our peashooters! We are just trying to save him from spirits like the Ghost of Charlie Munger - not to mention countless angry dialysis patients.
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P.S. There is a rumor Warren Buffett resigned this year once he heard our attendance for the Walk had DOUBLED. Or it could have been he resigned once he heard my wife was on board. This is entirely plausible, she scares me too.
Kidney Dialysis Intro:
Even KIDS haven't been spared!!!!
Petition (and see our visit to DC and DC Press Conference + Rally)
[1] Alice Huffman and California proposition info from NYT's best-selling author Tom Mueller's book 'How to Make a Killing', pages 184-186
