People often forget, either due to distractions, blinding cynicism or a lack of education, how unique this country really is. The United States of America is a nation forged and grounded in a rich tradition of protest and persistent refusal to accept the status quo. In many ways this tradition has been in hibernation--recent decades will never be known as the years of particularly impressive citizen participation in government and policy. Indeed, the American people have become increasingly apathetic and stupid, but I believe that the spirit has remained alive--in fact, I predict that the drive to change our most negative aspects of society is building momentum; isn't it obvious?Take the town halls on health care, for instance. Though CNN, FOX and MSNBC only cover the crazies, there is some remarkable dialogue going on--and not just by the supporters of health care. When it comes to the Public Option, there is a genuine philosophical debate to be had. Remember that the whole point of the American Revolution was to establish independence from an abusive and invasive government that taxed excessively and unfairly. We have come a long way since then, and have perhaps gone full-circle in many ways. I share many Libertarian concerns of the expansion of the U.S. government, excessive spending and the limitations placed upon civil liberties; not to mention our often tyrannical foreign policies. Indeed, the United States became the very empire its citizens died to defeat. People think I'm a big gov liberal, but the fact of the matter is that the federal government IS WAY TOO BIG! The War on Drugs is a fiscal and societal disaster, the Iraq and Afghanistan wars are squandering our treasure. The IRS ought to be torn down and replaced with a simpler tax code, and the Patriot Act ought to make every single American extremely wary of what leaders know about our personal lives. Not to mention the militarization of government that has seeped into the media and saturated our culture. So when people say to me: "I just don't believe the federal government should expand! It's already too massive" I agree! The problem is that in this modern world, there are modern problems that require state intervention. Spying on Americans is not one of these exceptions. Drug abuse isn't either. Nor is Saddam Hussein or Ho Chi Minh! But to the people who believe the Public Option is some kind of government takeover and the onset of communism: should we not fight to end the excessive federal policies that actually hurtpeople? The War on Drugs fuels a culture of crime in the inner-cities. At least a million Iraqi citizens are dead because of the current conflict--not to mention the 4,339 dead American soldiers. But now you oppose a public health plan? A plan that will help your fellow citizens get the care they need? A report by the Institute of Medicine suggests that as many as 22,000 American citizens die annually due to the lack of an insurance policy--one that either could not be afforded or was cut by employers!And let us not forget that the Public Option is an OPTION! While the true Left wing of this USA would really like a single-payer system, it is simply not going to happen with this legislation. Big Insurance is the most powerful lobby in Washington, and certainly has great influence on the bill--in other words, the argument that people will be forced to take the government plan is bullshit. The truth of the matter is that most people will keep their private plans; plans, by the way, made more consumer-friendly due to other reforms that will be in the final legislation (including the preexisting condition issue and the ability to choose your own doctors).Though this is an expansion of government services, I want to tell you how the Public Plan is actually more economical and sustainable than the current system. You see, being private enterprise, Big Insurance seeks to charge as much as possible while providing as little as possible. I have no problem with capitalism (I am a Capitalist), but this is the reality of the basic operations of a firm. While this is perfectly acceptable in most sectors, health care is an entirely different beast. Since 2000, insurance premiums have nearly doubled! In 2007, the U.S. spent about $2.2 trillion on health care,* which comes out to approximately 16.2% of GDP--nearly twice the amount of the rest of the developed world! ** If you aren't worried yet, then you have read these numbers: by 2025, costs are expected to rise 25%; by 2082, 49% ! *** Oh, and did you realize that every GM vehicle is $1,525 more expensive because of employer-based health care coverage? Insurance is by far GM's biggest expenditure--even more than steel! ****And the numbers go on and on. This is the financial argument, and it is all tied to the Big Insurance practice of driving up costs for higher profit margins, and making up for their clunky and inefficient administrative costs. Medicare costs are skyrocketing because they are subsidizing these inflating premiums, and this must be replaced. The Public Option must establish a much simpler and transparent system that injects competition into this stale and unsustainable market. It is fiscally sensical and it is moral.But just any Public Option will not do. Next week I will tackle the question of "what must a Public Option look like in order to drive competition and cut costs?"Absorb it, discuss it, and hopefully support it. Leave your comments below.*Office of the Actuary, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, National Health Expenditure Data for 2007. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, available at: http://www.cms. hhs.gov/NationalHealthExpendData/02_NationalHealthAccountsHistorical.asp#TopOfPage**Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development. OECD Health Data 2008.***P.R. Orszag, Growth in Health Care Costs: Statement Before the Committee on the Budget, United States Senate, (Washington, DC: Congressional Budget Office, Jan 31 2008), available at http://www.cbo.gov/doc.cfm?index=8948****R. Wagoner, Testimony before the House Financial Services Committee, December 5, 2008.http://thinkprogress.org/2008/12/05/gm-health-care-reform/my blog: http://www.theskyewire.com
Denison University 2011
*Office of the Actuary, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, National Health Expenditure Data for 2007. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, available at: http://www.cms. hhs.gov/NationalHealthExpendData/02_NationalHealthAccountsHistorical.asp#TopOfPage **Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development. OECD Health Data 2008. ***P.R. Orszag, Growth in Health Care Costs: Statement Before the Committee on the Budget, United States Senate, (Washington, DC: Congressional Budget Office, Jan 31 2008), available at http://www.cbo.gov/doc.cfm?index=8948 ****R. Wagoner, Testimony before the House Financial Services Committee, December 5, 2008. http://thinkprogress.org/2008/12/05/gm-health-care-reform/
What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility -- a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character than giving our all to a difficult task.
Good people, please read the prospectus the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) - file PDF, 10.4 MB:http://ukraine.usaid.gov/lib/newsletter/catalog.pdf
BENEATH THE SPIN • ERIC L. WATTREEAn Open Response to Halliburton
Ms. Gabriel,I’m writing in response to your June 23rd request for an immediate correction to a statement made regarding the Halliburton Corp. in my June 20th article, Healthcare: Why Can't We Get the Congressional Option? Your communication reads as follows:FOR YOUR IMMEDIATE ATTENTIONThe article, “Healthcare: Why Can't We Get the Congressional Option?” posted Saturday, June 20, on The Wattree Chronicle contains information about Halliburton that is completely misleading and incorrect.
http://karldickey.org/press/20090604%20time%20to%20move%20forward%20past%20commissioner%20failings.htm
Moving forward
Time to Move Forward Past Commissioner’s Failings
Boca Raton, FL – Former Palm Beach County Commissioner, Mary McCarty, was sentenced this morning to 42 months in prison plus a $100,000 after pleading guilty to Honest Services Fraud. Recent years have been difficult for Palm Beach County citizens as they have had to deal with scandal after scandal.
Karl Dickey, candidate for Palm Beach County Commission, commented this morning, “This is the end of a sad chapter for district four, a chapter we can learn from and move forward to becoming a better county commission for the citizens of Palm Beach County. A county commission truly interested in being a servant to the people rather than a commission that is self serving. I look forward to being a true change from the status quo we have had in Palm Beach County for decades. ”
In July of 2008, Mary McCarty was speaking in regard to her successor saying, “…someone should come in with new ideas. People want us to continue all services without paying for it.”1 Mr. Dickey has been putting forth new ideas and some can be found at his campaign website www.karldickey.org/issues.htm.
Karl Dickey is the only candidate filed to run for Mary McCarty’s seat in the November, 2010 election. Mr. Dickey was instrumental in bringing term limits for county commissioners to voters which passed overwhelmingly.
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1http://www.palmbeachpost.com/localnews/content/local_news/epaper/2008/07/24/a2a_jose_0725.html
I am proud of our Obama's announcement today.
It is wonderful to see a smart, strong young man stepping up to the plate and doing what needs to be done. It is wonderful to see one of my "Change This!" Wish List items getting attended to. (see earlier blog "Change This!")
We have a lot of housecleaning to do - at least it's springtime and time for it anyway. I can't wait to watch this Failed Lead Executive Extirpation Program (FLEE, for short ;) become common practice as we go about our economic recovery. I look forward to courageous, honest and deserving players taking the place of a too-long-entrenched uncaring régime - good thing you have a lot of résumes to choose from.
My prayers are with you folks and, for what it's worth, I'm around for ya.
All My Relations, Gramma Willi
P.S. Bringing the Indian Tribes into the UN is a sheer stroke of genius. Mad props to everyone who is behind it! Suggestion - put some of those savvy Native Elders at the helm of some of these organizations.
BENEATH THE SPIN • ERIC L. WATTREE
How Loyal is the Loyal Opposition?
From this point on I pledge to stop using the terms "conservative" and "Republican" interchangeably. I'm beginning to realize there's a big difference between the two. Conservatives are loyal and well-meaning Americans of good faith who just happen not to share my opinion of what's in the best interest of America. On the other hand, it has become clear that the Republican Party has crossed the line between the loyal opposition, and subversion.
BENEATH THE SPIN • ERIC L. WATTREESorry Mr. President, but We’ve Turned too Many Pages AlreadyPresident Obama has suggested that we “turn the page” on Republican misdeeds and move the nation forward. The president is a good natured sort, but there is such a thing as being forgiving to a fault, and I think we’ve long since reached that point with the Republican Party. The GOP reminds me of a woman who's been caught committing adultery, then when her husband confronts her with it the next day, she tells him that he's going to destroy their marriage if he doesn't learn to stop dwelling in the past.It’s time for America to take a long, hard, and objective look at the Republican Party. The American people have been played for fools long enough by these people. Once we begin to take a serious look at the GOP an unmistakable pattern is going to emerge. We’re going to notice the same arguments being put forth by the same names, who are engaging in the very same practices, leading to the same kind of corruption being recycled every generation.
The GOP: A 'Rush' to Obscurity
Those of us who pointed out that Michael Steele was elevated to Chairman of the Republican National Committee as both a token, and as attack-dog-in-chief against President Obama should feel completely vindicated. No further evidence need be presented than what recently took place when Mr. Steele had the audacity to say that he was the head of the Republican Party, not Rush Limbaugh. In response Limbaugh all but literally told him to stay in his place.
Limbaugh said, "Yes, said Michael Steele, the chairman of the Republican National Committee, I'm incendiary, and yes, it's ugly. Michael Steele, you are head of the RNC. You are not head of the Republican Party." Limbaugh went on to say, "Tens of millions of conservatives and Republicans have nothing to do with the RNC and right now they want nothing to do with it, and when you call them, asking them for money, they hang up on you."
..... Contact: http://Alex.Karoub@gmail.com
We have made historic headway by together pointing our nation in the right directions. After decades, we have America focused on the issues of fundamental importance. Now, each of us acting in concert can together move our country to lead the world to the fruitfulness of moral goodness. I have no doubts about my abilities and the abilities of fellow Americans to work smart and hard to achieve these goals.Barack Obama has the visions, leadership, and integrity for us to correct and redirect our country to once again lead the world for the fruitions of good. Let's closely listen, learn, and move forward based on that which we know deep inside is good and which we can validate with our hearts. I hope that those who had but a few reasons to support Obama, look further into the other issues more deeply. I found the more I explored, studied, and listened to Obama the more I found us in agreement. The couple of issues that I did not have depth of knowledge of, quickly became obvious in need. This was unusual for me since I have always refused to be any kind of a follower, and still am not. I find Obama to be a deep thinker who is articulate and inspirational; and, of most fundamental importance, Obama makes excellent moral sense.Hopefully, our country has learned lessons from the past of mistakenly following leadership blindly, as was done with Nixon and Bush. There are leaders who are simply in it for themselves and will cater to individuals or groups in order to grab for their own benefit. Corrupt and bad leaders hide at all levels. This is especially true in city government as well as county and state government. The corrupt deals of politicians need to be exposed, and those responsible need to be weeded out in the coming local elections. Others need to be investigated by law enforcement and be prosecuted for illegal dealings; for deals they often make for their hidden personal agendas. Let’s look at the bad experiences of the past as bitter medicines, let’s eliminate the need for such bad medicine in the future. Let us use what we know is good to go forward.I believe we have chosen wisely, not by greed and not by misguided retaliatory anger. I believe this time our country has chosen with open eyes, with each of us listening and examining our choice of leadership closely, driven and validated by our hearts.I hope we can continue to make our efforts even more inclusive (in many more ways than I touch on here). Far right republicans will be stubborn to change, but we will need to include them to change if we are to succeed. Sure a few more will leave our country, but that is not the American way. No, we really don't need their false fronts of power, money, insider knowledge, or other trappings that they have taught many to 'respect?'. Let's recruit as many as we can, that's the American way, evolving and changing together as one nation. Try to be understanding as we move forward; by better understanding each as individuals and people with various desires and needs we will find ways to reach out with friendship and have them join our causes of good.Be on the lookout, and root out bad leadership in government and business. Do not be intimidated by those who use the false fronts of power and give a false sense of security in order to lead. Be extra leery of those who say or imply ‘Trust me’; those who give a sense that they somehow omnipotently know better. No longer will Americans be dazzled by phony displays of brilliance or baffled by baloney. There are government aristocrats and business leaders who still believe in the old adage of: “If you can’t dazzle them with brilliance, then baffle em with bullshit”. We can embrace complexity by demanding true, fundamental, and understandable explanations. We can root out falsehoods by not accepting double speak. We as Americans know how to grow ourselves by first believing in ourselves. Don’t be a follower. Don’t be a follower of followers.However, when we find leaders who are good; a leader that thinks, speaks, and acts from their heart; one that is honest, has integrity, and leads by sincere examples; then we need to in a big way, join them, support them, and promote their causes of good. From much research, investigation, and scrutiny, I believe Barack Obama is such a person. I hope we search for and find many more who are similar, who we can add to service at all levels of government. We need to add/replace leaders in business with ones that have honesty, integrity, and show quality in leadership. We need more people in leadership roles who are moral, like Barack Obama.Remember, we are not fighting a battle, we are the artisans and sculptors of the future for ourselves and generations to come. Rarely do societies have opportunities to make such dramatic moves forward as we now have in this opportunity of today. Take pride and practice in being inclusive as we stride forward. In moving forward, create opportunity not only for yourself, but also for all. Hope is a wonderful thing to behold; but without opportunity, hope can become but a dream never achievable. We can, will, and must, create opportunity.In the coming year I hope that we do not lose our spiritedness, but instead continue to build and make headway. I hope we all continue our campaign for change in government and business. We will succeed in moving forward once again, it will take much effort and good oversight on the part of each of us. We will make great strides in the months and years ahead in order to achieve the fruitions of good. Let's keep our enthusiasm progressing through these coming toughest of times. Let us use the light of goodness and love to motivate us with historic momentum.I have chosen Barack Obama because he best represents my deepest beliefs in America. Please take time to read the issues that Barack Obama has published on this website. Also, give your attention to see how he leads us to move our nation forward in the time ahead. Most importantly, be part of America's great future, participate in the greatness that together we will make. Participate!We will each and all flourish, if we think, speak, and act, by using the love in our hearts.
Your reply is welcome. Contact: Alex.Karoub@gmail.com
Dear President Barack Obama -As it is widely recognized, your election to the highest office of the USA reaffirms and strengthens the fight for democracy and justice waged by honorable citizens in nations around the world. We believe that there is, in fact, a struggle in progress that goes beyond the ocean dealing with the welfare of the whole human community. It is in this spirit that we are sending this communication to your attention.Brazil is living moments of fragility, as the evidence of corruption schemes that threaten the sovereignty of our country is currently being assessed in the USA. We therefore need your support. We know, after all, that international crime organizations have no interest in the public value of nations, but only in its decimation, which perpetuates the scourge and suffering of hundreds of millions of human beings in all nations.The Brazilian fight against corruption has become more intensified in recent months as the Federal Police Satyagraha operations have evidenced to the Brazilian people the involvement of all three powers of the republic in corruption schemes. This became public with the seizure and conviction of banker-gangster Daniel Dantas, the financial agent of numerous frauds and criminal acts done in the past 15 years in conjunction with the highest government representatives of the executive, legislative and judiciary branches.As the result of this deplorable picture, the powers of the Brazilian republic have acted in ways that are patently arbitrary and undemocratic in order to obstruct due processes of law and order, thus betraying the interests of 190 million Brazilian citizens by favoring criminals that have been already convicted by the laws of the country.The fact is that 2 billion dollars have already been seized with the help of foreign governments – from a total of U$ 16 billion embezzled by banker-gangster Daniel Dantas – which shows the veracity of the crime and also proves that the fight indeed goes beyond the oceans. Even so and despite having been arrested twice, sentenced to ten years in jail and to pay a fine of R$ 12 million for trying to bribe a federal police officer, the convicted banker-gangster responds the verdict in liberty after two consecutives writs of Habeas Corpus were issued in contradiction with the whole history of judgment and dockets of the Brazilian Supreme Court.Unfortunately, it is not only the judiciary that is on the payroll of banker-gangster Daniel Dantas. The president of the republic, Lula, just put los amigos to take control over the Brazilian Intelligence System (Sisbin) with a decree on February 19, 2009, to obstruct proceedings concerning the sovereignty of the nation – indeed, a move not far from the Patriot Act that cost the USA a setback which you can measure better than anyone. In this case, 11 autonomous entities, including the Brazilian armed forces, formed a council that coordinated Sisbin. This council has now been replaced by a committee of six individuals, friends of Lula, all with a highly questionable ethical legacy.It is public knowledge that the information from the Satiagraha investigation containing evidence of the mentioned above crimes are in 12 hard disks found inside a hollow wall in the residence of the banker-gangster, which are currently in the hands of the CIA in the USA in order to be analyzed and reveal the schemes of corruption in Brazil that echoes in your own country. It is not difficult to imagine the reasons why such evidence was taken away from Brazil when we consider the seriousness of the crimes committed and the power of the criminals involved, including representatives of the international financial system, some already well known to the American public.Like you, Senator Russ Feingold and millions of honorable men and women in your country, the vast majority of Brazilians believe that the law applies to all equally, otherwise democracy becomes a fraud and we put at risk the future of freedom and citizenship in the world. We must fight together for justice and transparency, day and night, so that corrupt forces are not imposed over the forces of good. That is why we firmly believe that there can be no postponement of the justice claimed by the Brazilian people in the face of the moral crisis that plagues the country.Finally, we are fighting for justice TODAY. As Martin Luther King Jr. said, "Justice delayed is justice denied." So, we appreciate your vigilance and support to ensure that the processes of data evaluation and dissemination contained in the 12 hard disks in possession of the CIA are not obstructed. We want only the truth; for we know that the truth is sufficient to guarantee the sovereignty of our people.God bless you, your family, the American people and all their initiatives aiming at the social improvement of mankind.Sincerely,Protógenes Queirozwww.protogenescontraacorrupcao.ning.com--------------------------(Français)Cher Monsieur le Président des États-Unis Barack Obama,Comme il est largement reconnu, votre élection à la présidence des États-Unis réaffirme et renforce la lutte pour la démocratie et la justice menée par les citoyens de bien dans toutes les nations à travers du monde. Nous pensons qu'il existe, effectivement, “une lutte en marche qui va au-delà de l'océan” pour le bien-être de l'ensemble de l’humanité et il est dans cet esprit-là que nous vous envoyons cette lettre.Le Brésil vit aujourd’hui un moment d’épreuve de sa démocratie et les documents concernant les schémas de corruption qui menacent sa souveraineté sont en cours d'évaluation aux États-Unis. Ceci dit, nous avons besoin de votre soutien. Nous savons tous que les organisations criminelles internationaux n’ont aucun compromis avec les valeurs républicaines des nations, mais seulement avec leur destruction afin de perpétuer le fléau et les souffrances de centaines de millions d'êtres humains dans tous les pays.Au Brésil, la lutte contre la corruption est devenue de plus en plus intensifiée au cours de ces derniers mois, au fur et à mesure que l'opération Satiagraha menée par des agents de la Police Nationale (Polícia Federal Brésilienne) a devoilé pour les brésiliens que les trois Pouvoirs de la République sont impliqués dans des schémas de corruption. Fait qui est devenu publique dès la prison et la condamnation du banquier-gangster Daniel Dantas, qui il y a 15 ans est l’agent financier responsable par nombreuses fraudes et actes criminels à coté des plus hauts représentants des Pouvoirs Exécutif, Législatif et Judiciaire au Brésil.À la suite de ce lamentable fait, les Pouvoirs de la République Brésilienne sont en train d’agir de façon manifestement arbitraire et antidémocratique, afin d'entraver les processus de la loi et de l'ordre, trahissant ainsi les intérêts de 190 millions de citoyens brésiliens et encourageant les criminels déjà condamnés par les lois du pays.Il y a déjà 2 milliards de dollars bloqués grâce à l'aide de gouvernements étrangers ce qui montre la gravité des crimes et preuve que la lutte contre la corruption croise l’océan. Il faut rémarquer que le montant total de dollars détournés par le banquier-gangster Daniel Dantas est de 16 milliards de dollars. Ceci dit et malgré le fait de Daniel Dantas avoir été condamné à dix ans de prison et à payer une amende de 12 millions de dollars après essayer de corrompre un représentant de la Polícia Federal, le banquier-gangster condamné répond au jugement em liberté puisqu’en contrariant l’histoire et les registres des procès de la Cour de Cassation Brésilienne (Suprema Corte), a fait droit a 2 Habeas Corpus successifs.Malheureusement, il n'est pas seulement le Pouvoir Judiciaire qui est sur “le carnet de paie“ du bandit-gangster Daniel Dantas. Le Président de la République, M. Lula lui-même, vient de nommer “les copains” pour diriger le Service de Renseignement de l’État (Sistema Brasileiro de Inteligência – SISBIN), décret du 19 Février, 2009, afin d’entraver les informations des processus concernant la souveraineté de la Nation, l’action de M. Lula a éte, d’ailleurs, assez semblable au Patriot Act du Président G.W. BUSH qui a couté aux États-Unis le prix que vous pouvez mesurer mieux que quiconque. En ce que concerne la SISBIN, il y avait 11 entités autonomes, y compris l’Armée Brésilienne, qui formaient un Conseil pour sa coordination. Maintenant, ce Conseil a été remplacé par un petit comité de 6 amis de M. Lula, tous les 6 avec des passés moralement douteux.Il est publiquement connu que les informations de l’opération Satiagraha et les preuves des crimes mentionnés ci-dessus qui lui appartiennent sont réunies dans 12 disques-dûrs qui ont été trouvé dans un mur creux chez le banquier-gangster Daniel Dantas. Il est aussi publiquement connu que ces 12 disques-dûrs sont actuellement avec la CIA aux États-Unis pour être analysés et révéler les schémas de corruption au Brésil lesquels doivent avoir des réflexes aussi dans votre pays. Il n'est pas difficile d'imaginer les raisons pour lesquelles ces éléments de preuve ont été mis en dehors du Brésil, il suffit de prendre en compte la gravité des crimes commis et le pouvoir des criminels concernés, dont la liste comprend des représentants du système financier international, certains déjà bien connus du public américain.Ainsi comme vous, comme le Sénateur Russ Feingold et des millions d'hommes et de femmes de bien de votre pays, la majeur partie du peuple brésilien croit que la loi doit s'appliquer à tous également car, du contraire, la démocratie n'est qu’un mensonge et l’avenir de la liberté et de la citoyenneté dans le monde entier est mis en risque. Nous avons besoin d´être ensemble dans la lutte pour la justice et pour la transparence des faits, jour après jour, sans cesse, afin d’empêcher que les forces de la corruption s’imposent aux forces du bien. Par tous les faits décrits et face à la crise morale qui a dévasté le Brésil, nous croyons fermement qu'il ne peut point y avoir des retards de justice dans nos revendications.Enfin, nos combats pour la justice sont pour AUJOURD’HUI. Comme a écrit Martin Luther King Jr.: “Une justice trop longtemps retardée est une justice refusée”. Nous comptons sur vous pour nous soutenir et pour veiller à ce que les processus de l'évaluation et la diffusion des informations contenues dans les 12 disques dûrs qui sont avec la CIA ne soient pas obstrués. Nous ne voulons que connaître la vérité, parce que nous savons que il suffit la verité pour assurer la souveraineté de notre peuple.Que Dieu vous bénisse et à votre famille, que Dieu bénisse tous les américans et toutes vos initiatives d’améliorer le développment social de l’humanité.Avec mes sentiments les meilleurs,Protógenes Queirozwww.protogenescontraacorrupcao.ning.com
Dr Linda Shelton, who has devoted her life to service of others and particularly to providing medical and mental health services to the poor will be completely destroyed in two weeks with a false conviction for Illinois Medicaid Fraud simply for trying to help people on Medicaid obtain mental health care. Please read the following and help any way possible. I thank anyone who will help me.
This is a story epitomizing government corruption and greed, retaliation against whistle blowers, and gross government incompetence brought on by decades of fraud, patronage, and nepotism in Illinois.
Judge Jorge Alonso ruled on my pending criminal case where I am charged with Medicaid fraud that “substitute billing is illegal”. This is where a doctor sends a bill to the insurance company for services performed by his employee such as the service of a nurse administering a vaccine or a psychologist administering a psychological test, or a cast technician applying a cast. In my case the Illinois Attorney General claims that if a doctor bills Medicaid for counseling (for drug addiction, post-traumatic-stress disorder after rape, obsessive-compulsive disorder, depression, dementia, etc.) if the counseling or psychological testing was done by an employee and not directly by the physician then it is a felony crime.
If substitute, also known as incident to, billing is illegal than ALL doctors in Illinois are guilty of a felony crime of fraud! God Help Us! Judge Alonso is so eager to railroad me and convict me that he is violating his oath of office to uphold the laws of the land and the constitution. Due process, guaranteed by the Bill of Rights REQUIRES that he follow the law. He is BLATANTLY violating the law, either maliciously or ignorantly due to his arrogance, incompetence, bias to run and support the alleged prosecutor AG Lisa Madigan, or his ego.
Physicians are NOT trained to do psychological testing for personality disorders or mental illness. Psychologists at the master’s and Ph.D level are trained to do so. These tests are invaluable in helping determine the right diagnosis and the right course of treatment. Judge Alonso has ruled that those on Medicaid are not eligible for this type of evaluation and treatment as a result of his illegal and unconstitutional ruling.
Many non-physicians are licensed in Illinois and all states to provide Psychiatric & Psychological Services:
1. nurses 225 ILCS 65,2. clinical psychologists 225 ILCS 15,3. licensed social workers 225 ILCS 20,4. licensed clinical professional counselor 225 ILCS 107,5. licensed marriage and family therapist 225 ILCS 55 and 68 ILAC 1283
Judge Alonso’s illegal ruling denies all of these people the RIGHT to practice their profession and denies the citizens of Illinois on Medicaid the Right under the Federal Medicaid Act to access to care equivalent to the care provided in the community.
Federal Judge Joan Lefkow ruled in August 2004, at the end of a 12 year civil rights class action suit that “Illinois Medicaid Policies and Procedures are in Violation of the Federal Medicaid Code because they Deny Access to Care” to children on Medicaid. This ruling is applicable to all Medicaid patients but the ruling only applies to children. It needs to be expanded to cover all Medicaid patients.
The Federal Medicaid Code, 42 U.S.C. 1396A(a)(30)(A), [regarding adults and children covered under Medicaid and the EPSDT program] REQUIRES any State Medicaid program funded by the federal government to provide care equivalent to that obtainable from private insurers in the community to Illinois Medicaid clients.
Therefore, Judge Alonso’s ruling is unconstitutional, unfair, illegal, and amounts to his ruling to overturn the Federal Medicaid Code as well as Illinois Statutes licensing non-physician providers of mental health services. As > 80 % of mental health services are provided by non-physicians this essentially shuts out mental health services to all but a few in Illinois who are poor.
The Federal Court and U.S. Attorney should intervene as this is illegal and also a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act in terms of discrimination.
As to my case, I am charged with billing for mental health services never done and substitute billing for mental health services between June 2000 and April 2002 while “working” at Right Frame of Mind & Associates (RFOM). Over the last six months when I obtained access to the old business records for RFOM I discovered the fact is that the year before I started working for a group practice called RFOM, part-time providing chart review for quality, consultation about medical and psychiatric policies and procedures, and limited patient care, two woman, who were partners with the CEO and without the knowledge of the CEO, in 2000 fabricated hundreds of patient encounter forms (filled out by doctors or therapists as to what patient they saw, the diagnosis, and what service was provided), that are later translated into bills or invoices by the billing agent, for services they never did. These two women, Itadel Shalabi and Nareman Taha never met me as they were fired before I started working there in 2001.
I had major neurosurgery in July 2000 due to a congenital spinal problem that was crushing my spinal cord and leading progressively towards quadraplegia. I was incapacitated for six months and heavily sedated with narcotics and other drugs for much of that time. I had agreed in early 2000 at the request of the CEO to be one of a dozen or more part-time medical directors to oversee quality of care, screen for medical disorders mimicking psychiatric disorders, help train the counselors to write better notes (many were foreigners with good counseling skills but a little difficulty with English writing), advise the CEO on best medical practices and standard of care, and provide physician services to patients needing medications.
I or my staff while I was in hospital gave the CEO my Medicaid provider number and other necessary documents so that the company’s billing agent Louise Moore of Data Medical Works could sign me up with Medicaid as a provider for the group so that they could bill for my services when I began to work, if I recovered, in 2001.
Ms. Moore I never met at the time was a sweet lady who is ignorant of a lot of things. She held herself out to be a expert at medical billing and she signed a contract with the CEO in early 2000 to set the group up legally to bill Medicaid. Nothing she did was actually proper, but it was not her own fault. She failed to tell the CEO he would be paid more if he had his group certified as a community mental health center. She was totally ignorant of the concept of community mental health centers (or the drug addiction and alcohol treatment centers - another center with its own enabling State Statue).
Under the Community Mental Health Service Act mental health groups that become certified bill Medicaid under the Center’s name and not under the doctor’s name. They also contract with the Illinois prisons, and/or DCFS (Illinois Child Welfare) or other agencies to provide comprehensive mental health services. They must have at least one medical director, but the director is an administrator and doesn’t have to see patients. Ph.D. psychologists or doctors or licensed mental health providers can supervise non-physician mental health service providers and bills can be sent in to Medicaid under the center’s name for all these services.
Ms. Moore ignorantly thinking (falsely) that her contract allowed her to sign the names of Right Frame of Mind employees on to any form signed my name in August and December 2000, without my or the CEO’s knowledge or consent, on a power of attorney form, an alternate payee form, and a blue cross/blue shielf electronic partner trading agreement form, which are all required to allow her to translate the patient encounter form to an electronic invoice and send it over the wire to BC/BS for adjudication, who then sends it to Medicaid, who then pays abut 30-40 cents on the dollar to the Alternate Payee (in this case RFOM).
Ms. Moore had spoken to the Medicaid Provider Service Unit about how to register the non-physician providers to bill Medicaid. She was told that non-physicians cannot bill Medicaid, was NOT told that a better way to bill was as a community mental health center or how to sign the group up as a community mental health center, and told that all bills (invoices) had to have a doctor’s name as the provider.
Then Ms. Moore, without my or the CEO’s knowledge changed the provider name in preparing invoices from Itadel Shalabi’s and Nareman Taha’s fraudulent patient encounter forms to my name so she could bill under my Medicaid Provider Number. I don’t believe that Ms. Moore had ANY knowledge of the fraudulent nature of the Patient Encounter Forms made by these two women.
Therefore the ghost billing charge is a result of ID Theft, resulting from both fraud by these two women and a comedy of errors by incompetent people advising Ms. Moore in the Medicaid Provider Service Unit, as well as her own blundering ignorance. I am totally innocent having not participated in any way in generating these bills or in receiving or using the money paid for them by Medicaid.
Ms Moore unfortunately is also guilty of mass fraud in all the work she has done in the past decade or more. It is illegal for an insurance biller to bill Medicaid based on a contract where they are paid by the percentage of funds received form Medicaid by the provider. Ms. Moore charged around 8% of all billings. This is illegal and considered fraud as it ties the billers service, which has nothing to do with the medical care provided, with the doctor’s service. Therefore, if she billed for a $100,000 procedure by a heart surgeon she would be paid $8,000 for sending in one bill, while when a family doctor bills $100, she would be paid $8. Providers of services to doctors are NOT ALLOWED to tie their services to the income from the actual medical provider. She MUST BILL ONLY by the piece of work such as $8 per bill. However, she has not been indicted for Medicaid Fraud and has not been sued by RFOM for Fraud in holding herself out to be an expert on billing when she was not.
The second aspect of the charge is substitute billing. I signed a Power of Attorney Form and Alternate Payee Agreement in August 2001. I was informed by the CEO sometime in late 2001 or early 2002 that the group was told by Ms. Moore that the counselors’ and psychologists’ services had to be billed under a doctor’s name so that bills on patients I had seen, but for dates of service when they were seen by a non-physician were being billed under my name. I had assumed that the billing agent was competent and doing the billing properly. I had assumed that substitute billing for employees services in mental health care was as legal as billing Medicaid for my nurse giving a patient a vaccine. I had no idea at the time that anyone considered substitute billing illegal. I had no knowledge that Ms. Moore had actually sent in tens of thousands of dollars worth of bills under my name before August 1, 2001 based on documents she forged and the fraudulent patient encounter forms from the above two women. Therefore, I told the CEO that was fine. I was not involved in billing or administration of the group except to fill out patient encounter forms when I saw a patient. I had a good faith belief that all was well.
I had also had an agreement that being part-time the business would limit my patient panel to 200 patients as I did not feel that part-time doctors should supervise the care of any more patients than this number.
Since Judge Alonso has unconstitutionally and illegally ruled that substitute billing is illegal I will be found guilty and likely sentence to prison for 4-15 years, as well as forever lose my medical license and reputation, along with my livelihood, future, friends, health as medical care is inadequate in prison and I am disabled with several serious medical disorders, and will to live. I have informed the U.S. Attorney, FBI, at the time Senator Obama, Senator Durbin, and now Senator Burris along with a lot of Congressmen and other Sentators and State legislators. I am receiving no assistance to solve this problem and restore mental health care in Illinois to those on Medicaid.
In late 2001 Ms. Lovett, Ms. Collins and others from the Office of Inspector General Medicaid contacted the RFOM and claimed that they needed to review some charts as a “standard review of a new practice to help us comply with the rules”. We completely complied and Ms. Lovett came out in 2001. She told the CEO the charts were well done and she would give us a report in 90 days. The CEO was actually very happy about this review because he wanted to make sure that our group practiced with the highest quality and had the best quality charting in the business. They never gave us a report or any feedback and their only response was to initiate a felony prosecution which culminated in the indictment of selectively me (and not one other of the dozen or so medical directors doing the same job - perhaps because only the CEO and I were whistle blowers about Illinois Governement Corruption and mistreatment of children in foster care and on Medicaid by the State) and the CEO.
After a number of months with NO feedback and strange comments from the Illinois State Police Medicaid Fraud Unit (part of the Illinois Attorney General’s Office), where the CEO had gone to inform them that he was concerned abut the integrity of our medical records because he had fired Itadel Shalabi and Nareman Taha for other administrative misconduct and inappropriate behavior with patients and they stole a hundred or so medical records (eventually returning parts of them) I began my own investigation of the rules of Medicaid. The State Police have not arrested them yet.
The CEO, I had learned over about a year was much more naive than I thought about running the business. I had assumed that he was qualified as an administrator and found out he was not. Finding out about the stolen charts and the lack of feedback from the OIG-Medicaid on this “routine review” concerned me. I was also concerned because in April 2002 the CEO told me that Ms. Collins at OIG-Medicaid had informed him to talk to Mr. Brown at Medicaid because there was a problem with the way our group was set up. Mr. Brown told the CEO that RFOM could not be a proper alternate payee under their rules and he apologized for misleading the CEO when the group was originally set up in 2000. He told the CEO that Medicaid could not continue to pay the group unless it was owned by the doctors. The group was the sole proprietorship of the CEO a master degreed psychologist. The CEO said OK, hired an attorney, and asked several of the doctors to be the officers of the group as it changed to corporate status. The corporation was set up so that the doctors would not actually profit from the corporation but were only paid by the hour for their work. The CEO was going to make a profit from managing the corporation. However, no profit was ever made as all the income went to overhead, particularly paying the counselors and doctors their salary and/or hourly rate. The CEO actually put in $100,000 of his own money to meet payroll before he closed the business as no viable financially. My total income from the group was about $5000 over all the time I worked there from 2001 to 2003. I always told the CEO to pay the other employees first and my work was only very limited and part-time.
Beginning in 2002, I researched the Federal and State Medicaid rules, policies, and laws so that I would be able to meet my fudiciary duty to participate in running the corporation at least from an advisory point of view. I discovered the following and this is why I told the CEO in mid 2002 and maintain this belief, that substitute billing is perfectly legal and actually REQUIRED by the Federal Medicaid Code as well as NOT PROHIBITED by Illiniois Statutes or Illinois Adminstrative Rules:
Federal and State Medicaid laws are extensive, complex, and immensely confusing. The State of Illinois is misusing them to indict doctors, psychologists, administrators of psychiatric and psychological practices for “Medicaid Fraud” when they are actually following federal law and providing needy services including counseling, drug treatment, suicide prevention, etc. Attorney General Lisa Madigan and Jim Ryan before her have targeted especially those groups run by whistle blowers, in order to falsely claim they are tough on fraud, to prevent Illinois from paying the bill for mental health services for the poor and needy on Medicaid, and reduce the bottom line.
A claim of “tough on fraud” will help AG Lisa Madigan win election as Governor. Failure to provide mental health care including drug addiction and alcoholism treatment leads to increased crime as drug addicts, alcoholics, and those that are so out of touch and mentally ill find alternatives to legitimate work to feed their habits or survive. Failure to provide adequate mental health care at the front end leads to much higher costs in the long run.
Code of Federal Regulations 42 CFR 414.34 states:“Payment for services and supplies incident to a physician’s service”“(b) Services of non[-]physicians that are incident to a physician’s service. Services of non physicians that are covered as incident to a physician’s service are paid as if the physician had personally furnished the service. “
United States Code42 U.S.C. § 1396d(a)(5)(A)requires reimbursement for “physicians’ services furnished by a physician.”
Code of Federal Regulations 42 C.F.R. § 440.50The HHS rule implementing the Medicaid Act defines “physician services” to include services provided:“(a) within the scope of practice of medicine or osteopathy as defined by State law; and(b) by or under the personal supervision of an individual licensed under State law to practice medicine or osteopathy.”
United States Code42 U.S.C. §1396a(a)(32)(C)Congress further authorized substitute billing under Medicaid for services furnished:“by, or incident to the services” of another physician
Federal Regulation66 Fed. Reg. 55268HHS makes clear in its preamble to this rule that it does not restrict the type of auxiliary personnel who may perform a given “incident to” service: “We deliberately used the term any individual so that the physician (or other practitioner), under his or her discretion and license, may use the service of anyone ranging from another physician to a medical assistant.”
Code of Federal Regulations42 CFR 411.15“Particular services exclude from coverage” specifically states that:“(m) (3) Exceptions. The following services are not excluded from coverage:…•(iii) Nurse practitioner and clinical nurse specialist services……•(v) Qualified psychologist services,”
FEDERAL PREEMPTION SUSTAINED BY FEDERAL 2ND CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEAL•A Federal suit for a psychiatrist against the New York Medicaid Program based on its refusal to approve Medicaid was agreed to for reimbursement for services provided by his employees under his supervision. Yapalater v. Bates, 494 F. Supp. 1349 (S.D.N.Y. 1980), aff’d, 644 F.2d 131 (2d Cir. 1981), cert. denied, 455 U.S. 908, 102 S. Ct. 1255 (1982).•The court determined that the federal Medicaid rule at 42 C.F.R. §440.50 defining “physician services” unquestionably included supervisees other than the physician, just as the same rule must apply here to vacate Plaintiffs’ indictments. Id. at 1363-64.
State Medicaid must Provide Services 42 U.S.C. 1396a(a)30(A)•Federal Code clearly mandates that State Medicaid plans must provide services to recipients of Medicaid and payment to their service providers equivalent to care and services provided to the general population by private insurers•Private insurance pays for psychiatric services provided by counselors and psychologists•RFOM CEO and other employees, besides the physicians were licensed counselors, nurses, psychological therapist, or social workers, per CEO
42 U.S.C. 1396a(a)30(A)“A State plan for medical assistance must –Provide such methods and procedures relating to the utilization of, and the payment for, care and services available under the plan . . . to assure that payments are … sufficient to enlist enough providers so that care and services are available under the plan … at least to the extent that such care and services are available to the general population in the geographic area“,
Ambiguous State Laws Must be Interpreted to Conform to Fed Law•The Federal 7th Circuit Court of Appeals has also construed ambiguous state regulations to conform to federal Medicaid requirements,•an approach worth revisiting here with respect to Sections 140.411 and 140.413 of the Illinois Administrative Code.•See Evanston Hosp. v. Hauck 1 F.3d 540 (7th Cir.1993), cert. denied, 510 U.S. 1091 (1994).
I (SHELTON) CONTINUES HER OWN INVESTIGATION OF BILLING PRACTICES – 2002-2005•Shelton discovers that Physician Medicaid Manual has inconsistencies, in one place stating bills for employees billed under doctor’s name, and in another place stating that no psychiatric services can be billed for non-physicians, yet in another place stating that non-physicians may provide psychiatric services and Medicaid may be billed. She also discovered the Illinois Community Mental Health Center Code.
Illinois Administrative Code (IAC)89 IAC 140.12“Services Not Covered by Physician”DOES NOT MENTION psychiatric services by non-physicians
Illinois Administrative Code89 IAC 140.400(a)“Payment to Practitioners”“2) A practitioner may bill only for services he or she personally provides or which are provided under his or her direct supervision in his or her office by his or her staff.”
Illinois Administrative Code89 IAC 140.411“Covered Services by Physicians”“The Department shall pay physicians for the provision of services not otherwise excluded which are:. . .c) Provided by the physician or by a member of the physician’s staff under the physician’s direct supervision
Illinois Administrative Code89 IAC 140.413“Limitations on Physician Services”that “limitations” on physician’s services include that psychiatric services will be paid for if they are “. . . provided by a physician . . .” [It does not exclude non-physician services and it is a reasonable inference to conclude the definition of "physician" include the services of non-physician employees, under the doctor's supervision as defined in 89 IAC 140.400 & 411]
How does this negate previous definition of “physician services” which include incident services by his employees?
UNCONSTITUTIONAL STATE CLAIMState falsely claims use of word “physician” in 89 IAC 140.413 negates definition of“physician services”, which includes incident services by physician’s employees as defined in 89 IAC 140.400(a), 89 IAC 140.411
State falsely claims that federal law does not apply and statutory construction rules don’t applyJudge Alonso previously illegally ruled that the Federal Medicaid Code does not apply in this case despite the fact the Illinois Medicaid is a joint federal/state program partially funded by the Federal Medicaid Code!
IAC TOO VAGUE•Criminal Laws are invalid if too vague to understand (”void for vagueness doctrine”)•Illinois Administrative Code too vague in sections:89 IAC 140.12,89 IAC 140.400,89 IAC 140.411, and89 IAC 140.413Illinois Administrative Code•Why should 89 IAC 140.413 have more weight than 89 IAC 140.12?•Why should the definitions of physician services in and 140.411 not apply to the term “physician” in 89 IAC 140.413?
STATUTORY CONSTRUCTION RULES REQUIRE (Regarding interpretation of conflictin State Statutes)Specific Controls over General•89 IAC 140.400 & 89 IAC 140.411more specific “physician services” includes non-physician employee services•89 IAC 140.413 general word “physician” with no definition of what services this includes cannot by exclusion negate previous more specific definition of services provided by physician
Federal Law Rules42 CFR 414.34Services by Physician’s staff are billed as IF the Physician Performed the Services Himself
If State and Federal Law conflicts, Federal Law RulesDue to the Supremacy Clause of the United States Constitution
FEDERAL LAW REQUIRES PAYMENT FOR EPSDT SERVICES•The Federal Medicaid Code requires that State Medicaid programs pay for periodic mental health screening and treatment of any defects in mental health for children under 21:• 42 USC 1396d “Definitions For purposes of this chapter• (r) Early and periodic screening, diagnostic, and treatment services••The term ‘early and periodic screening, diagnostic, and treatment services’ means the following items and services:• (1) Screening services –• (A) which are provided –•(ii) at such other intervals, indicated as medically necessary, to determine the existence of certain physical and mental illnesses or conditions;• . . .•(5) Such other necessary health care, diagnostic services, treatment, and other measures described in subsection (a) of this section to correct or ameliorate defects and physical and mental illnesses and conditions discovered by the screening services, whether or not such services are covered under the State plan.”
STATE LAW REQUIRES PAYMENT FOR EPSDT SERVICES•89 IAC 140.485 states:•“Healthy Kids Program•Program Description–The Healthy Kids Program is the Early and Periodic Screening Diagnostic and Treatment Program [EPSDT] mandated by the Social Security Act (see 42 U.S.C. 1396a(43), 1396d(4)(B)(Supp. 1987)). The goals of the program are to:•Improve the health status of Medicaid-eligible children ages birth through 20 years through the provision of preventive medical care and early diagnosis and treatment of conditions threatening the child’s health•…• Treatment. The Department shall pay for necessary medical care (see Section 140.2), diagnostic services [i.e. psychological testing], treatment or other measures medically necessary … to correct or ameliorate defects, physical or mental illnesses….”,•The Illinois Public Aid Code [AKA Medicaid Act], 305 ILCS 5/19(f) requires that EPSDT screening and mental health treatment be provided to children in the Medicaid program:•“5/19. Healthy Kids Program•(f) Covered Medical Services. The Illinois Department shall provide coverage for all necessary health care, diagnostic services, treatment and other measures to correct or ameliorate defects, physical and mental illnesses, and conditions whether discovered by screening services or not for all children eligible for Medical Assistance under Article V of this Code.”
Dr Shelton was a Medicaid Registered EPSTD Provider
Therefore ANY REASONABLE person would conclude that the law permits substitute billing for mental health services whether it be another physician covering for the doctor, or a non-physician supervised by the doctor or her colleagues. If you don’t agree than the void for vagueness doctrine should clearly negate and prevent any criminal charges for substitute billing.
God Help Me! I am innocent and destroyed. This is my reward for devoting my life to service particularly of the poor and needy. If you want to help, contact the Illinois Reform Committee and flood them with letters. Contact the U.S. Attorney and FBI and flood them with letters. Contact your legislators and Congressmen and flood them with letters. Come to the trial on February 17, 2009 which will last two weeks and fill the gallery so that the judge knows your opinion. Contact the press. Donate to my legal fund anything possible. I need tens of thousands of dollars. Shelton Legal Fund, C/O Albukerk & Associates, 3025 W. 26th St. 2nd Floor, Chicago, IL 60623. Thank you if you help.
ELIZABETH -- The city council president's sister has filed a lawsuit in federal court charging officials in the administration of Mayor J. Christian Bollwage with racial discrimination.
Linda J. Perkins filed charges in 2005 complaining that Community Development Program Director Susan Ucci treated her unfairly because she is black and other municipal officials in the Bollwage administration failed to take any action.
Linda Perkins is a sister of Councilwoman Patricia Perkins-Auguste, a Bollwage ally who was rejected by the Union County Democratic Committee in a special August 19 election to replace former Assemblyman Neil Cohen.
According to the complaint, Linda Perkins claims that the Bollwage administration violated her constitutional rights, the federal Civil Rights Act, the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination and the state's Civil Service Act.
The suit says Linda Perkins was hired as a program monitor by the city on July 23, 2001, but assigned to a lower paying job title as senior planning aide.
When her job title was changed to program monitor in 2004, Linda Perkins claims that her salary remained at the lower pay grade. Linda Perkins also claims that throughout her tenure in city government, Ucci has degraded and ridiculed her and other black employees.
"Ucci would yell at (Perkins) and speak to her in a demeaning tone," according to the complaint. "Ucci did not speak in this manner to the non-black employees."
The complaint alleges that Ucci rearranged the office to inconvenience Perkins and that when she got no response from approaching Ucci's supervisor, Planning and Community Development Director Oscar Ocasio. Perkins said Ucci had acted in a discriminatory manner against other city workers, including Jumilah Abdul-Baatin and Viola Cade, who have asked supervisors for assistance.
"The city and Ocasio have done nothing to address this pattern of racial discrimination," said Perkins, who claims that she was unable to locate a municipal official responsible for handling racial discrimination or affirmative action.
In an amended complaint, Perkins says she was forced out of work and spent a year on disability while prescribed anti-depressant medication until officials compelled her to return under a promise that she would be protected against Ucci's harassment.
That complaint says Ocasio and Ucci have since engaged in retaliatory actions against Perkins, denied her reinstatement because her position had been assigned to another employee and instead place her in a part-time post as juvenile curfew officer.
Perkins is demanding a pay raise and promotion, as well as compensatory damages for her claim of lost wages plus an undisclosed amount in punitive damages under six counts.
Cranford attorney Robert F. Renaud, who has been hired by Elizabeth officials to represent Ucci, filed papers with the court denying all allegations against the supervisor. Bollwage declined to comment on the case through an administration spokesperson.
I think this may have been a hard day for Obama but I believe in the long run the Daschle's withdrawal is a good thing for the future of the administration. It was not the man's tax issues or petty theft at stake here, it is the notion of integrity itself. The car and driver were merely symptomatic of a deeper strain of corruption that can not be tolerated, if our message of Change is to be taken seriously.
If we're going to change the culture of Washington the "revolving door," pay-to-play culture must be torn out. There aren't bad Republican opportunists and good Democrat opportunists. It's my hope that Daschle's withdrawal will frighten away Democrats who have used their "public service" to enrich themselves. I don't begrudge anyone making a fortune, however I prefer they not make it selling access or influence.
Now, I'd like to see Senator Dodd be a little more forthcoming about his VIP home financing arrangement with Countrywide Financial. And, as a New Yorker, I'd like to hear Charles Rangel admit that he took advantage of his position to take possession of four rent-stabilized apartments. He can take action to correct it and we can move on.
Obama's election promises so much. But these promises can only be realized if we look at our party with colder eyes than the most partisan Republican.
I usually don’t take Republican makeovers very seriously, as most have simply tried to re-hash some version of trickle-down, small government, Reaganomics. But the other night I was watching an infomercial by Mike Huckabee on Winning Back the Middle Class that seemed to focus on changing Washington politics as usual.
Isn’t that supposed to be Obama’s line?
Well, with two cabinet picks who have admitted to failing to pay taxes and only admitting to their tax liability “after” the nomination process had begun, and another withdrawing due to pay-to-play type accusations resulting in an indictment, ethics and undue influence in Washington may actually be an opening for the Republicans, particularly if Obama does not get REAL campaign finance done in his first term.
So what exactly is REAL campaign finance reform…the kind that doesn’t create additional loopholes for influence peddlers?
Publicly funded elections for all federal elections, and “reasonable” Supreme-Court-proof limits on the free speech of so-called independent groups like 527s so that they cannot run campaign ads for or against a candidate within 90 days of a primary or general election would be REAL campaign finance reform.
If Obama does not get this done in his first term, much of his change agenda could be thwarted by the handful of special interest groups that have dominated the agenda in Washington for quite some time. And as stated above, he could create an opening for the Republicans to portray him as a “change is only a slogan to drum up votes” type of candidate while Washington continues business as usual.
Such an appeal to ignore empty change rhetoric will resonate with the very swing voter that put Obama over the top in previously red states like CO, NV, NM, IN, OH, VA, FL, and NC. This is therefore a critical issue for Obama to pay close attention to if he wants to hang on to these voters.
With an 80% approval rating, NOW is the time for Obama to push for this kind of reform, as there are enough Democratic and Republican votes, especially if one vote meant they did not have to face reprisals from these same special interest groups in subsequent elections. Obama’s popularity will not always be this high, and if he waits until his popularity slips, it may be too late to get this done.
Let’s take money completely out of politics now!
-Metteyya Brahmana
If you have read my post on the Auto Industry, then the following couple of paragraphs about Mitt will not surprise you. ( Here is an actual quote from his father that he said in 1963: "The Big Four Automakers don't have to worry about giving the Unions what they want, as long as the benefits will not be due for decades. By that time the labor plants will be outside the U.S.")Not surprising to hear Mitt Romney, son of George Romney, and his states version of mandatory medical insurance. Mitt's approach goes pretty much like - You'll get only what you can pay for, and move to another state if you undeserving poor don't like it. Massachusetts has worked long and hard to become one of the wealthiest per capita states and does not want the burden of 'lower income individuals’. Best to wash our hands of them by financially crowding them out. If you are ‘in’ with the wealthy, you will find that "financially crowding them out" is a favorite. This is not a direct quote of Mitt; but, after rubbing elbows with enough aristocratic politicians in private you would be aghast to hear how dehumanizing they speak of those below their ‘class’, or as they prefer to call it ‘standing in the community’.Incidentally, it’s interesting how George and Mitt Romney amassed tremendous wealth, $80 billion or so privately held now by Mitt et al. And how did they originally do that; they did it by becoming suppliers to the Big 3 from the Romney parts plants in Mexico; true leaders in forging the path to Mexico and overseas. It's also interesting to view the ancestral history of the Romney family and Mexico, as to why they originally moved there and still have strong ties there, all on Wikipedia. A common theme that shows in multiple generations of Romneys is disregard for fundamental American laws and ways they sneak around them. Also, shown at corporate websites, are interesting ties between Mitt Romney and the fanatical right wing radio talk shows that he owns for propaganda purposes. For the spread of propaganda Mitt Romney owns 'Clear Channel Communications' with 1,100 stations including all the 'Premiere Radio Channel' programs with Limbaugh, Beck, Noory, Hannity, .… All are talk radio shows that use propaganda to sway the masses. It is so much more than the false wrapping of throwing it up against the wall and seeing what sticks. They actually use highly professional underlying tactics of sophistication, complexity, planning, and decisiveness that the average Joe the plumber would never catch on to, nor George the political 'sideline hobbyist?'. It's not all the fun and silly games that they wrap it up in, for simple entertainment, all for ‘free’ delivery to you. Give yourself a quick introduction to propaganda tactics by reading a bit of what's written in Wikipedia under ‘Propaganda’, look at ‘Techniques’ as a first preview. You will begin to recognize the rightwing tactics used on their talk shows, lots of trickery and deception, far beyond the wrappings of bias. You will easily see the professional use of propaganda if you become knowledgeable of the methods of propaganda. Fox cable television News is closely associated. Talk about greed of control, influence, ideology, and knowledge. Whether Mitt Romney returns to again run for higher office or remains behind the scenes driving GOP political directions, he will continue, and continue with greed. (Has anyone looked to see how much of Bush's original $700 billion dollars has gone to the web of companies that Romney has woven? I really don't know, but wonder if the good old boys network continues?) Also, see my other posts about Libertarianism, a driving force at the top of the Republican Party. I have focused my education of Libertarianism to come directly from what they have written themselves, such as their own websites, rather than what others have said about it. I am finding Libertarianism to be immoral; I believe most Americans will find it offensive when looked at in depth. As it is thought through, there are hard-nosed uncaring consequences for those not in control and for those who don’t have power. A game to Libertarians, Survival of the Greediest.
Reply here if you are a member, or anyone is welcome to email me at: Alex.Karoub@gmail.com
