Janell Larocque's Blog

Far Left Disappointment: Change! Yes We Can

JLaroc1986 — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 10:55:21 EST

I am a devout Democrat even though I did vote for Reagan. The change that most of us worked for was to get the interest of the people to be put ahead of the interests of their institutions. We want something different - we want policies that encourage if not regulate this.

The administration is losing support in the healthcare debate because they just don't get a very simple fact: American's with insurance have been held hostage to the profit motives and unfair practices of the insurance and pharmaceutical industries for years - we don't trust them and we really don't want a solution that rewards them! I believe we would accept direct providers making a profit but to have what is basically an "adminstrative entity" operating for profit in the middle of the delivery chain is not acceptable.

We don't want Legislative games! We would have much preferred having every solution put to a yes or no vote before congress than the apathy inducing process we have watched where despite popular support we have scene myriad interests intervene in process to create change in appearance only.

As we look to 2010, I say it is time we throw out all incumbants and put new bodies in those seats. What we will get with such massive turnover will be chaos - but that will be much better than this Congress that has become too smart at playing games. Besides, think of the savings to lobbyists because they can start paying off our politicians at a much lower level.

Every Election Has Consequences

JLaroc1986 — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 21:43:22 EST

Months ago I commented: OFA needs to start sending the message that what was started with Barack Obama's election must be continued - his election was not a silver bullet where with one perfect shot he would fix politics. EVERY election is important and has consequences.

I also commented that I was very upset with the new tactic by those who want to discourage Barack Obama's supporters e.g. supporting the fringe and tea-partyers with lies and exageration to activate their base to come out for the midterm elections. The prediction is for this midterm to be like other midterms e.g. only the disgruntled participate.

I hear people are getting discouraged because nine months have passed and President Obama has not brought the change he promised. Remember he said: change is about us not him. Look at how he has been treated by members of both his party and the opposition. Lobbying money is stronger than anything we have except our numbers. We can't help him if we do not vote to support him every chance we get. This is how we create change! Without us he has little power to accomplish anything on his own. In Congress both members of our party and the other party must know we support him and will turn out for him when asked.

Now I sit at home waiting for tomorrow night when I expect to hear how President Obama's election was a fluck because the change he brings is not the change WE wanted and this is why his support is falling. Tomorrow's win by Republican's mascarading as Conservatives will embolden them to work even harder against him and any change he may attempt.

I also hate being misused by the Democratic Party! We are bombarded with emails for support and solicitation constantly. We should be treated as an asset that can be exhausted and used when we are really needed which is exactly the same concept we are trying to communicate about our troops and war.

Its too late to ask you to go vote with me tomorrow but I ask you to not let another election go by without going to the polls.

Thank you.

Liberal's can use this myth-information

JLaroc1986 — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 12:47:38 EDT

Liberal's can use this myth-information (part 2; 08/13/09)

Although I respect what President Obama is doing by being so professional and walking his talk as he calls to our better nature; I think that liberals could start health care myths and rumours of their own. One very easy annoucement is that Republicans intend to cut the social programs of social security and medicare to reduce the deficit. They will be keeping tax cuts and enacting a new capital gains tax cut. They will be eliminating these programs to pay for the tax cuts.

Truth: Medicare is Not Safe Even With No Action (part 1; 08/09/09)

Many of those who are so vocal at town halls appear to be in the social security age group. They don't want their medicare "touched" by government. They don't want the program that works for them changed. The truth is that there is no "status quo" in the future for social security or medicare. Combine the numbers of those who will be eligible for social security with the ever increasing costs of health care and the truth about the government deficit becomes clear that it will increase one way of the other: health care reform with an increase now or do nothing with an impact later. I can hear the demonstrations of the future talking about how providing health care for my mother is putting a debt on the heads of my children. This is the message that is not being addressed.

Shock and Awe Town Mauls: base activation for 2010

JLaroc1986 — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 11:54:16 EDT

Town Mauls (part 2)

I realized that the 47% against health care reform contains the 45.7% that did not vote for President Obama in 2008. They do not want the change that the majority (54.3%) voted for. They were against the stimulus and are now yelling for "less government invovement" in healthcare. They believe the economy can only be fixed through "tax policy" and are also firm believers in the doom that comes from a large government deficit. They are the other side and will be out demonstrating on anything the President does that they consider as "change". We do need to listen to them but we can't let them prevent us from taking action.

I think that we should give them the opportunity to ask questions but we can't let them prevent us providing information. Perhaps we should actively call them on their shut down actions e.g. let them speak: challenge their incorrect information and ask them what they are proposing as an alternative. When they can't offer counter proposals ask them why they think nothing is the better option?

Shock and Awe Town Halls: base activation for 2010 (part 1)

I am very upset with this new tactic by those who want to discourage Barack Obama's supporter. I hear that elected republicans are supporting this action because it will activate their base to come out for the midterm elections. The prediction is for this midterm to be like other midterms e.g. only the disgruntled participate. OFA needs to start sending the message that what was started with Barack Obama's election must be continued - his election was not a silver bullet to fix politics. Every election is important and has consequences. Lets start by looking at incumbants who are most vested in the status quo.

The teachable moment behind "acting stupidly"

JLaroc1986 — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 11:50:01 EDT

Believe it or not, the reality of the situation in Cambridge is not race-based. It is about a personal sense of being disrespect and the response to them. This is the teachable moment. Race obscures the reality of the dynamics of the situation that happens in the US every day e.g. forced acceptance of authoritarian demands made by some individuals in public safety. Hypervigilance is defined as abnormally increased arousal, responsiveness to stimuli, and scanning of the environment for threats. Too many public safety employees come into situations primed to respond and reacting to individual responses in a negative way.

Perhaps the training we should be giving our public safety officials is sensitivity to and management of their own physiological state while being in the midst of an emotionally charged situation.

Is Government more inefficient than the private sector?

JLaroc1986 — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 14:31:19 EDT

Why is government so inefficient? Because the “other side” (determined by the party in office) refuses to allow any division/department/program to be funded in order to operate adequately. The President asks for so much money to fund a program. The House and Senate each write a bill with their own pet projects in it. Then they reconcile the bills to get one that both can sign. During this process dollars are changed, removed, and added, yet the almighty anxiety of the “deficit” gets dusted off and trotted out. There was a time when business was better than government but that was years ago. That was before the decade of self-interest dawned on the US.

Now health care providers and insurers look more and more like the government e.g. pushed to do more with less. Add to that the fact that those at the top of government want to live the life of luxury like corporate leaders. They too who want more and more. Government employees used to get better benefits than the private because they earned less. Today our government leaders want more pay and the best benefits. Does it really matter who takes our money and gives us little value in return? I hate paying for either corporate executives or elected officials to live a life I won’t ever see. I prefer to give my money to the government to share among more like me than to businesses whose primary mission is greed and whose power is our purse.

Until we change ourselves those we elect to government we will not change anything because those at the top like it this way! We must stop accepting unchallenged incumbants and poor business practices.

Look at this example of government waste (I'm using very rough estimates but as my mother said: take care of the pennies and the dollars take care of themselves): Take Mike Pence who stated on C-span that the cost of his health insurance benefit is over $1,000 a month. The cost of a family health plan at my company is $800.00. Take the $200 difference times the 534 in congress (434 representatives and 100 senators) times 12 months. This is a measly $1,281,600 per year that my taxes are paying for individuals to have better benefits than me. Why not review the costs of health care benefits imbedded in our government and make them more like those of the common citizen?

Harry and Louise in 2009: Where is the picture of the crowded exam room with Maud lying on the bed, the doctor sitting beside the bed on a stool, and Harold standing off to the side looking concerned. On one side is Harold’s employer, his arms are around Harold’s shoulders. Standing next to the employer’s is his health insurance agent. The agent’s arm is around the employer’s shoulders. The agent is speaking to Harold. “Do you really want the government in here with us?”

Where are the jobs? Why are you asking instead of taking action & creating them!

JLaroc1986 — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 14:26:12 EDT

I listened today to House Representatives give one-minute speeches. They all slipped the line “Where are the jobs” into their presentations. It was so obvious that this was a party strategy and subject of a talking points memo. Given the number of speeches decrying the stimulus plan, raising concerns about looming deficits, and taxing small businesses all as destroyers of jobs, I found myself wondering.

There had to be at least 25 speakers. If each speaker went out and helped even a small number of people create jobs for others then think of the ripple effect. It is not acceptable to allow any group to sit on the sidelines and cheer for defeat! They must be questioned about what they are each doing personally to create jobs through their elected positions. Yes, this is like the argument about “Republicans just saying no” but the creation of jobs is so important that no one can be excused from taking any action they could to create jobs. They can't get off the hook just by voting no and then hand wringing and naysaying. They have a fairly powerful job in their own right and how are they using it? How many jobs has Rep. Boehner personally saved/created in his district verses how many have been saved/created via the stimulus plan? It is up to everyone to get the citizens of our nation back to work not just the democrats in an elected federal position. It is also up to executives of global companies started here not just small businesses. No one should get a pass to sit on the side.

Stakeholders in Health Care Reform

JLaroc1986 — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 14:26:45 EDT

I was trying to put together a comprehensive framework to build a comprehensive committee for health care reform. As I was building this list I was amazed at how disproportionate the lobbying efforts are compared to the model. Take a look and make suggestions for changes. NOTE: when building the committee I advocate only looking for representation of sectors from 1.0 through 5.9.

Thanks - Janell Larocque

STAKEHOLDERS IN HEALTH CARE REFORM (created 07/14/09)

1.0 TYPE OF HEALTH CARE BEING DELIVERED:

1.1 Public Health

1.1.1 CDC

1.1.2 FEMA

1.1.3 Research

1.1.3.1 FDA

1.1.3.2 NIH

1.2 Personal Health

1.2.1 Routine (Includes Wellness, Dental, Vision)

1.2.2 Emergencies

1.2.3 Chronic Care

1.2.4 End of Life Care

2.0 DELIVERY LOCATION FOCUSES:

2.1 Urban and Suburban Care

2.1.1 Professional Office

2.1.2 Clinic

2.1.3 Hospital

2.1.4 Recipient’s Home

2.1.5 Rehabilitation Facility

2.1.6 Long Term Facility

2.1.7 Hospices

2.2 Local Health Departments

2.3 VA Hospitals and Health Care System

2.4 Rural Health Care

3.0 HEALTH CARE DELIVERY

3.1 Primary Physician

3.2 Specialists

3.3 Pharmaceuticals (Manufacturers and Pharmacies)

3.4 Laboratories (Equipment Manufacturers and/or Delivery Specialists)

3.5 Other Testing Resources (Manufacturers and/or Testers)

3.6 Other Treatment Resources (Manufacturers and/or Treatment Providers)

4.0 HEALTH CARE IMPACTED INSURER/INSURANCE PROVIDERS

4.01 Health Insurance Provider

4.01.1 To employer (Third Party)

4.01.2 Direct to recipient

4.02 Vision Insurance Provider

4.02.1 To employer (Third Party)

4.02.2 Direct to recipient

4.03 Dental Insurance Provider

4.03.1 To employer (Third Party)

4.03.2 Direct to recipient

4.04 Prescription Drug Insurance

4.04.1 To employer (Third Party)

4.04.2 Direct to recipient

4.05 Short Term Disability Insurance

4.05.1 To employer (Third Party)

4.05.2 Direct to recipient

4.06 Long Term Disability Insurance

4.06.1 To employer (Third Party)

4.06.2 Direct to recipient

4.07 Supplemental Insurance

4.07.1 To employer (Third Party)

4.07.2 Direct to recipient

4.08 Life Insurance

4.08.1 To employer (Third Party)

4.08.2 Direct to recipient

4.09 Specialized Short Term Health Insurance

4.10 Employers

4.10.1 Self-Employed

4.10.2 Small Business

4.10.3 Business

4.10.4 Government

4.10.4.1 For Career Employees

4.10.4.2 For Elected Officials

4.11 Medicare

4.12 Tri-Care

5.0 HEALTH CARE RECIPIENTS

5.1 Employees

5.1.1 Working Poor e.g. Full Time Low Income

5.1.2 Traditional e.g. Full Time Moderate Income and Above

5.1.2.1 Unionized

5.1.2.2 Non-unionized

5.1.3 Non-traditional

5.1.4 Retirees

5.1.1 Unionized

5.1.2 Non-unionized

5.2 Unemployed

5.2.1 No-choice

5.2.2 By Choice

5.3 College Students (non-dependent)

5.4 Veterans

5.4.1 Active duty

5.4.2 Reserve

5.4.3 Retired

5.5 Chronically Ill

5.6 Disabled

5.7 Mentally Ill

5.8 Elderly

5.9 Terminally Ill

5.10 Children

5.11 Pregnant Women

5.12 Victims of Sex Crimes

6.0 OTHER ENTITIES INVOLVED WITH HEALTH CARE N.O.C.

6.1 Schools, Educational Institutions, and Specialized Training Programs e.g. medical schools

6.2 Professional Organizations/Agencies

6.3 Manufacturer’s Trade Organizations

6.4 Credentialing Agencies

6.5 Regulatory and Standards Compliance Organizations

7.0 EXPLOSIVE ISSUES IMBEDDED IN HEALTH CARE

7.1 Abortion Practices

7.2 Birth Control Programs

7.3 Programs Involving Sexual Identity Conflicts With Sexual Physiology

7.4 Research Activities Using Stem Cells

A Bush Administration Investigation could drown out

JLaroc1986 — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 11:31:57 EDT

A Bush Administration investigation by a special prosecutor could drown out the republican opposition's drum beat about the negative potential of a looming deficit. People have been so exposed to republican negativity that they have become nervous about looking forward. Unfortunately it is also being echoed by Congressional Democrats. The message "Yes we can!" has been changed to "Yes, we can - but - can we really afford it?" We learned from the last administration that you could run large deficits but we did not learn how to run large deficits with a conscience e.g. an opposition party droning on about the negative potentials of those deficits.

If we are against starting a "tit-for-tat" process going forward by investigating a prior administration for "crimes", then forget it until we change the dynamics of party politics. If we are against the distraction component then get over it because we are losing to the distraction of "fear of the future". As the pressure we felt from our "fear of now" during December and January has been converted into a "fear of the future" over the last few months we may need a distraction to get us through now without fearing tomorrow and ceasing to act for change.

Don't stop lobbying, tax it

JLaroc1986 — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 09:50:41 EDT

Now the chant is "Oh My God, beware of the Deficit"! Don't stop lobbying, get it out in the open by taxing it and using it for the benefit of all and not the select few. Tax corporate expenses that become mony spent to gain special access and consideration by Congress. Corporations despite the rights they have been given are not people. The expenses are not reasonable and necessary costs of doing business. Put a registration fee on lobbying firms and lobbyists based on their revenues and income. Tax gifts, donations, and contributions made to members of Congress by lobbyists. Define the term lobbyist so as to include any bundler of campain contributions who seek preferance through the act of bundling.

Lobbyists are "spending" 1.5 million on health care to get their Health Care "wants" to Congress. Access to money gives them an unfair advantage over me - my "voice" is too small to be heard. In return for cutting me out of the government law creation process at least reduce the debt I have to cover.

A response to those asking about a second stimulus

JLaroc1986 — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 09:31:35 EDT

How can President Obama do more? It was like "pulling teeth" to get the first stimulus package out.

During the Bush adminstration there was never the same loud drum beat about the debt playing incessantly in the background. When was the Bush Adminstration ever told no to spending? How can democrats be so inept to not be able to move legislation with 72% of the public behind them. When were Republicans ever called on the games they played with spending like what they did for the war?

The difference between the two parties is their sense of "ownership of the truth". Republicans act like they own the truth about government, economics, race, etc. while Democrats just don't act that way.

I give up!!! The American Populace deserves no better than to go back to giving tax cuts to those who don't need them, providing social security to those who got theirs before they got out while bankrupting medicare as baby boomers start drawing on it, and giving lifetime health care to elected officals who are pocketing the 1.5 million dollars in gifts from lobbyists.

As a friend commented on me today - You may have challenged me to draw but I know I will win - unlike you I have nothing left to lose.

Read this book The Family: The Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Power. It talks about politicians who are being told they have been "chosen by God to lead". The author was on the Rachel Maddow show. Rachel was talking about the recent politicians in the news who are members of the "C Street Band". They live at a Christian (as in the Family) boading house on "C Street. The book is about a group who espouse a belief that "Godly, powerful rich men should get anything they want and they get to choose what they want to provide to those less favored". To put their belief about the way power should be wielded another way "more power to the powerful who have been chosen by God to be leaders with trickle down to others".

BOOK REVIEW: Checking in on a friend's brother at Ivenwald, a Washington-based fundamentalist group living communally in Arlington, Va., religion and journalism scholar Sharlet finds a sect whose members refer to Manhattan's Ground Zero as "the ruins of secularism"; intrigued, Sharlet accepts on a whim an invitation to stay at Ivenwald. He's shocked to find himself in the stronghold of a widespread "invisible" network, organized into cells much like Ivenwald, and populated by elite, politically ambitious fundamentalists; Sharlet is present when a leader tells a dozen men living there, "You guys are here to learn how to rule the world." As it turns out, the Family was established in 1935 to oppose FDR's New Deal and the spread of trade unions; since then, it has organized well-attended weekly prayer meetings for members of Congress and annual National Prayer Breakfasts attended by every president since Eisenhower. Further, the Family's international reach ("almost impossible to overstate") has "forged relationships between the U.S. government and some of the most oppressive regimes in the world." In the years since his first encounter, Sharlet has done extensive research, and his thorough account of the Family's life and times is a chilling expose.

Complexion and Fit

JLaroc1986 — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 09:20:45 EDT

Phrases like "group complexion" and "organizational fit" have become accepted. Yet they are ways that have been found to allow small minded people to maintain the comfort of their own cultural identity within a very small protective bubble. Without diversity groups and organizations cheat themselves because they do not expereince the whole range of human conditions & expereinces and the unique gifts bestowed by those events.

Please break the control of the employer and monolith companies

JLaroc1986 — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 09:48:52 EDT

I am sick and tired of begging when accessing MY employment benefits and I am tired of big companies who pay top management so much that they can not afford to staff their consumer contact positions adequately. It's time to throw them all out of this country, they do not bring value to our daily activities they only feed on my wallet like the parasites they are. No economy has to be better than jumping through their hoops on a daily basis. Fix health care and break the control of the employer over the life of the employee.

Republican Catch 22

JLaroc1986 — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 10:23:48 EDT

I was listening to Dick Armey on C-span this morning and something he said got me to thinking. He was talking about how poorly President Obama was bringing to Washington "the change he promised us". He was criticizing the President as a member of the "us". I stopped multitasking when I heard this! I don't think Dick Armey voted for the President. If he did vote for the President, I can't believe he did so because he wanted to see change come to Washington. Come on - there were a lot of people who voted for John McCain to keep the Republican view point in Washington. This is why Rush Limbaugh and Bobby Gentry want our President to fail - his view of Washington is not their view. The next time you hear Republican's talking about President Obama failing to keep his promise to bring change to Washington, think about what that means. Does it mean that from a Republican's view he is succeeding in changing a Republican-controlled Washington or that he is failing non-Republican's by not changing a Republican-controlled Washington. If you get a chance, listen to the Dick Armey interview as he talks about why President Obama scares him. He used the phrase: action based on partisan individual objectives as opposed to what is best for the nation!!!!

During the interview I also realized why I am for taxing the rich at a higher rate than others: because being rich gives you more access to the institution of government than most people have. Taxation is at least one way to charge the rich for their inequitable ability to manipulate government to their advantage. The biggest manipulation by the rich is the personage that has been bestowed on business. The only purpose of business is to make money. It's only "peopleness" (concepts of ethical behavior and conscience) is introduced through boards and executive leadership which, as we have seen, can not be induced naturally or legislated. This is why our government has become sociopathic e.g. loss of differentiation between the goals of people and business. It is also why businesses have Alzheimers disease (loss of short time memory) they constantly use the same models over and over because it favors individual objectives as opposed to what is best for the business and it's community.

-Janell

It's time to break the control of the finance industry

JLaroc1986 — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 14:40:40 EDT

My credit history should never be used by employers, potential or existing, unless I am working with money. Once employer's started using credit reports instead of doing research on workers themselves - we started growing the credit reporting industry and reinforcing negative values within the finance industry culture. How can corporate executives talk about the low productivity of the american worker when all I have see on Wall Street are executives getting paid the most they can negotiate for the least real work they they can do in a short period of time (required so they don't get caught).

This may have been the beginning of the "extortion" - type values now prevalent in the finance industry e.g. give us what we want or else. (Isn't what they tell our government representatives?) We've given them too much control and they've become too big with to much control.

Being able to sue employer's who use credit reports to determine my value as an employee would be a tiny first step in breaking control. A big second step would be to enforce the any and all rules in order to prosecute the Board of Director at AIG whose oversight failed to question the liability inherant in actions taken by the Financial Products Division and protect the owners of AIG from this and subsequent financial misdeeds. The third step comes from my laying awake at night working out the difference between a monopoly (laws) and a business too big too fail (no laws).

Our current mess is from unbridled capitalism at it's best. The only real reason for a business is to make money. It is people of the business who bring in the values. It is a tension between Boards and Executives that should keep values in line - but you must enforce laws. You can also legislate values through taxes: no taxes on good behavior, lots of taxes on bad behavior. We will never get to this point unless we break the control.

-Janell

My Story: Why I need hope

JLaroc1986 — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 11:32:09 EDT

The great responses I got to my first blog were encouraging. Thank you. I have always thought that most people would prefer to mirror the good of humanity instead of the bad. Currently there are just too many obstacles placed in our way and too many situations that decry our ability to rise above them. The way to change is to first lose our ability to automatically pilot our way through everyday, next we have to face the chaos that comes as networks and boundaries breakdown, and finally we reform into new ways of behaving.

I need hope because I am a 58 year old with a personality disorder. I was a gifted but dyslexic child and was able to figure out how to perform successfully in school. I have not been so good in life. It has been an oscillation between successful and destructive periods of functioning e.g. on and off usage of the mental health system. Hence my successes have not always been contiuous and able to build one on the other.

I have a good job but no retirement savings. I live paycheck to paycheck and after 10 years of continuous employment am clinging to my job after a recent meltdown. I am married to a Vietnam Veteran who has not worked for a long time. We were a couple who started out well with one of us working and the other staying home. He gets service related compensation but it is not much. Now my husband is showing signs of early dementia and short term memory degradation. He is in denial of these problems. We have withdrawn from many social activities and do not have much of a social network. When we are out among people everyone has their own issues and I feel so helpless and needy. We have ran out of time to have a family or buy a home.

On a daily basis I question why we are here, why we should stay, and what we have to look forward to. I know our old way of functioning are changing during this turbulant time but there are so few clouds that have a silver lining and so few signs that what will survive and will endup being better.

Janell

Too Many News Stations; Too Much Need for Stories

JLaroc1986 — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 12:51:08 EDT

I am depressed and unfortunately I am depressed even in good times. I had hoped the election of Barack Obama would give us more uplifting and rewarding news stories; stories that talked about heros and those among us who display values we cherish and cling to as the best we have to offer. But with too many 24 hour news channels all we get is a pack of teleprompter readers dreaming of investigative journalism careers who watch our new administration's every move to catch the next topical issue, to judge, criticize, and create the next scandal. In today's culture a story becomes about the coverup and not the deed itself because too many are trying to scoop a story where none may exist. Every player is taken apart and played off each other by off the cuff comments in front of a camera.

Everytime a lawmaker walks outside he is in front of the news camera. News has become the way to destroy anything positive that might be shared between people because it turns us on each other with the winner gets 15 minutes of fame on every channel - even the Hero of the Hudson tried to resist. Day in and out we hear of the latest faux paux; every when and who that knew what and where at a microscopic level. What good comes from seeing people compete for a little attention at the basest human level? What good comes from 6 figure salaried "news analysts" destroying community, optimism, and hope!

Janell