Blog #39 The LGBTQ+ Community gave courage to a victim of abuse

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Written by: Super User

• Tag: BillionaireRedemptionOrNot Blog

Subjects: A Thank you, Child Abuse, and Societal Abuse (specifically what has gone on in Kidney Dialysis) 

Loveland CO Reporter Herald newspaper
Wednesday June 24, 2026
Opinion page, pg. A4
by Chris Schwab

Pride month has given me a reason to send out a thank you to members of the LGBTQ+ community. They have had the courage to speak up about who they are. And when I was a young man, they helped give me the courage to speak up about who I was. I’m a 71 year-old straight man who ran into a baby-raping vulture when I was thirteen. For years I hoped to just forget it and will say one thing that held me back from saying anything at the time was getting stigmatized as being someone I wasn’t. Being gay was more frowned upon by certain segments of the population - even more so, then now. So that had been further incentive to stay silent and try and forget it – despite being hardwired as straight and wanting to scream out about the injustice and cruelty. But in my twenties I mustered up some courage along with an angry head of steam and did report what happened to the police – only to be told I would be torn up in court. However I’m still glad I did it, and did manage later to send out some non-violent payback.

Another reason I’ve felt the urge to speak up is watching the Epstein survivors and seeing the victim-blaming going on and their courage in dealing with it. It doesn’t surprise me to see the rich and powerful getting away with so much, though the scale of the current scandal does surprise me. I remember that sort of thing happening back in the day when Jimmy Carter pardoned pedophile Peter Yarrow who was married to Senator Eugene McCarthy’s niece. Yarrow was a member of the singing group ‘Peter, Paul, and Mary’. He penned the song ‘Puff the Magic Dragon’, which might have been better called ‘Puff the Magic Vulture’.

Some years ago I did get a chance to pepper a parking lot with flyers before Yarrow was due to sing in Denver – the appearance was canceled. Did I have anything to do with it? I can’t say for sure. But I’ll take credit for it, what the heck.

And the last source of inspiration comes from Australian book author Glen Fisher - YouTube channel.  If I had a hill of rubble to climb out of as a youngster, Mr. Fisher had a mountain! In his book “Predators’ Paradise” he writes about the physical and verbal abuse he endured from very screwed-up parents. This was followed by the sexual abuse he endured from pedophiles in the 80’s Kings Cross area of Sydney, a seedy neon-tarnished glitzy place back then. This is a perfect example of "out of the frying pan into the fire", this when he attempted to escape his abusive parents. Spoiler: near the end of the book we do see he does get some measure of justice against those who wronged him. He also gives us a look at what just might be Australia’s own “Epstein class”.

Yes, my experience as a youth did leave a mark. My angry, frustrated temperament nearly caused me to derail the work my friends (R.I.P.) and I did back in 2007 when we ran across what I’ll call societal abuse. We saw what just might be the worst of for-profit medicine, kidney dialysis – crappy care for high, high prices. Not only have patients been abused, but we as taxpayers have taken it on the chin. Fortunately in 2007 I kept a lid on my urge to explode and we got a bill through the statehouse for the certification of kidney dialysis techs. Unfortunately, I was the last man standing at this year’s renewal of the bill: HB26-1280. I think I did at least get the attention of the sponsors of the bill this year. For more about dialysis in general, I would highly recommend NYT’s best-selling author Tom Mueller’s book ‘How to Make Killing’.

To finish, I think I’ll dedicate this little tirade to the friends we’ve lost, both known and unknown. Much like author Glen Fisher dedicated his book to the friends he has lost. May the memories of their spirits continue to whisper to us and inspire us.

Blog #38 A Spring at the Capitol (2026): Remembering the Fight

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Written by: Super User

• Tag: BillionaireRedemptionOrNot Blog

Dialysis: Child Mortality+Petitions

This spring of 2026 should have been a time of shared purpose—a season for my fellow activists and me to return to the Colorado State Capitol to renew the legacy of our 2007 bill with this year’s sunset review bill HB26-1280.

That original legislation was a watershed moment for patient safety. It mandated that dialysis technicians pass a national certification exam within 18 months of hire. Crucially, we fought to tie that certification directly to a clinic’s license. In short: if a clinic doesn't prioritize qualified staff, they don't get to stay in business.

But this year felt different. I made the journey to the Capitol alone, carrying the memories of the giants who stood beside me nineteen years ago.

The Wise Counsel of George Bravdica

I think first of George Bravdica, who passed away shortly after our first hearings in 2007. George was a dialysis patient who turned a support group at Porter Hospital into a lifeline for the Denver community. He was the one who ensured younger patients didn't miss out on life’s milestones, like the "Renal Prom Party" hosted by the Renal Support Network.

It was George’s strategic mind that saved us. He advised us not to overreach for full technician licensing, but to stick to the achievable, ironclad goal of certification. That wisdom carried us through a "nail-biter" of a battle in the Senate Health & Human Services committee.

While the opposition—led by DaVita—tried to paint a "fairytale" picture of clinic life, we threw the kitchen sink at them. We managed to escape that committee by a single vote. One can’t help but wonder if DaVita’s performance would have been more "dazzling" if their then-CEO (and self-styled "Musketeer") Kent Thiry had shown up. I suspect his act would have been a better fit for a child's birthday party in need of a creepy clown than a legislative hearing.

(It should be noted since 2007, we have seen so much more evidence supporting our position, including the 2012 5280 article, “The Strangest Show on Earth,” along with a growing list of scandals and fact sheets. And a haymaker punch was thrown at the large for-profits with the 2023 book by NYT’s best-selling author Tom Mueller “How to Make a Killing”)

Bridging the Gap: Archie Jones

Archie Jones was another cornerstone of our 2007 and 2012 efforts. He not only helped George Bravdica with the support group, but was the head of the "Black Transplants Action Committee" (BTAC), Archie tackled the heavy lifting of medical distrust head-on.

He understood that the shadow of scandals like the “Tuskegee Syphilis Study” still lingers, contributing to the lower rates of kidney transplants in the Black community despite higher rates of kidney failure. Archie fought to break that stigma, encouraging others to seek transplants even though he was ineligible for one himself. He was the "cool head" in the room, keeping the rest of us from going off the rails when tensions ran high. He is dearly missed.

The Fierce Advocacy of Deborah Hayes

Then there was Deborah Hayes, who was like a sister to me. She testified in 2007, 2012, and 2019. We used to joke that she was the "Great Satan" of the Fort Collins clinic and I was her counterpart in Loveland.  We had the bad habit of believing our "lying" eyes.

Deborah had seen the industry shift from the patient-centered care of the early years to the deteriorated, profit-driven models of today. She spoke about nurses being the main givers of care early on, compared to techs now.

She wasn't afraid of the risks of speaking up. I can still hear her asking the committee: “Would you trust your car to a mechanic who only picked up a wrench two weeks ago?” This after meeting a tech who was allowed to work on patients after being hired only two weeks prior. Her fierce passion was always tempered by a kind heart, advocating for herself and others until the very end.

The Professional Courage of a Nurse who testified for us

Finally, I must honor a retired dialysis nurse who stood with us when few other professionals would. She provided the "receipts" we needed. She testified that technicians are a nurse's "eyes and ears"—the first line of defense in identifying a heart attack or a treatment emergency.

She paid a heavy price for her integrity, facing shunning from former colleagues and doctors. Because of her, we weren't just a group of "disgruntled patients"; we were a movement backed by clinical expertise.  (She requested her name not be used)

Looking Forward

Sharing these stories is about more than nostalgia; it’s about building a better environment for the patients of tomorrow. The good news is that this year’s bill is sailing through the legislature. The even better news? Sponsors of this year’s bill are already discussing new legislation for next year!

Much more remains to be done, but we move forward on the shoulders of those who refused to stay silent.

Dialysis: Child Mortality+Petitions

(Reference: Colorado State Capitol Hearings: 2007, 2012, 2019, 2026)

!!ANNOUNCEMENT: Operation Olive Branch has Been put on Hold!!

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Written by: Super User

• Tag: BillionaireRedemptionOrNot Blog

Dialysis: Child Mortality+Petitions

Common Defense: Partnership Coming?

This is a project in the works.  Partnering with the veteran-led organization Common Defense is being looked into at this point.  This writer is a member of Common Defense and looks forward to joining hands with his fellow 'Brothers and Sisters in arms'.  A "scouting mission" has already started across the Red-Blue divide with an attempt to contact Colorado's District 4 Representative Lauren Boebert: Emails 
(update 11/10/2025: messages to 2026 Midterm CD4 candidates now also added)

(update 03/12/2026: Rep. Boebert "has crossed a bridge too far" to continue (I'm sure she is upset) -- see Message 13 of this Bobert Email Webpage) 

(Bonus: Loveland CO "No Kings" protest pics")

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Blog #37 Dismantling of the Veterans Administration and for-profit Kidney Dialysis

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Written by: Super User

• Tag: BillionaireRedemptionOrNot Blog

Kidney Dialysis Intro:

Over the decades I’ve been lucky enough to see how healthcare ought to be run with my care from the VA system. But have had the total opposite experience with the care I’ve seen for people like my daughter who has been dealing with kidney disease.

 

I’ll start with my daughter’s example. She has a transplant now but for awhile had to undergo dialysis at a time when kidney dialysis had some of the worst numbers for mortality! And at this late date the US still has “one of the highest mortality rates for dialysis care in the industrialized world”! All this for the highest prices of course. In my decades of watching this, kidney dialysis has been the most egregious example of privatized, dancing-for-wall-street, for-profit healthcare gone a muck I know of! Crank up the assembly line, use as few people as possible (with as little training as possible), run staff ragged, get those patients out as fast as possible, and maximize those profits! My daughter was lucky enough to avoid some of the worst these for-profit clinics have to offer, but I know of so many others who weren’t so lucky.^[4] And looking back over these 25 years, I still think my daughter’s care could have been a darn sight better.

 

Now contrast that with my own care at the VA. The VA was there when I needed help while I was between jobs. It was there when I was jobless and my wife insisted we drop COBRA coverage on her and our sons to make sure our daughter would stay covered. It was there for me for a torn ligament in my knee and bouts of gout. And it may have kept us from going bankrupt when I had a heart attack 16 years ago – an incident I haven’t repeated since. I have always found the VA care top notch!

 

Yes, I’ve read about the problems the VA has had over the years. But put humans into any system and there are going to be problems. I believe my experience with the VA is more the norm than what some in the media have led us to believe. And it looks like I’ve got plenty of company. Here are just a couple of quotes from a 2024 article I’ve only recently read (I could find more):

 

“Patient Satisfaction Survey: VA outperformed non-VA hospitals in the most recent Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers…”

 

“Hospital Quality Ratings: In this year’s CMS Overall Hospital Quality Star Ratings, more than 58% of VA hospitals included received 4- or 5-star ratings compared to 40% of non-VA hospitals.”

I’ve also consistently read over the years the VA is providing our care at lower costs than non-VA patients.

 

So what are we doing with this shiny example of what healthcare could be for people like the rest of my family? It looks like the VA could be experiencing privatization and the outsourcing of patients to Community Care – something I understand will drive up costs. And I don’t need a crystal ball to tell you what might happen to care, I need only to take a look at for-profit kidney dialysis. It looks like the wall street bean counters are once again practicing medicine and eyeballing a big pile of money to be made off the backs of us vets.

 

And I’ll finish by adding I’m not the only canary in a coal mine. A fellow veteran from the organization Common Defense also wrote a letter to the editor printed in the Virginia-Pilot about a VA clinic in Virginia where they are already seeing 6 month waits for an initial appointment due to staff cutbacks! This is a strategy familiar to many of us, create a problem then say it was fixed with something like more expensive Community Care.

 

Then there is a fellow veteran and dialysis patient I met a few months ago. He experienced for-profit dialysis for a bit and was never so glad to get back to the VA!

 

I hate to say it, but it looks like we are on a path to kill what has been working.

 

(References for the above Reporter-Herald Guest Commentary)

 

Kidney Dialysis Intro: