Death pours from the HATEARTLAND,
dripping in money,
they turn a blind eye
as the HATEARTLAND
drinks blood.
Quick post... Just wanted to share my submission for the recently announced Health Reform Video Challenge.
You can see it here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XeGdldzBkXo
Thank you to all that participated today at the Health care Booth chit chat. At the empire theater, coffee house on Miracle miles. It was the opportunity to pass out flyers and phone numbers, and share valuable knowledge regarding the topic that concerns the precious health of Americans. Though the setting was not fancy, informal and relax, hey, what do you expect from a health care booth! A health care booth, is just a place with seats, and a lot of information. Just like a phone booth is where people talk and share information, same thing, for a health care booth. I wanted to sincerely thank Joyce, and Adrian, Esperanza and others that came out, and received flyers. Their presence added worth, and wealth to the effort of the president of united states toward achieving the goal of the American people.
Now, let's stay tune for further events, and keep pressure on congress.
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/
SUBMITTED TO THE AJC- DID NOT PRINT, SUBMITTED TO THE WASH POST-HOPE THEY PRINT
Dear Editor,
the old adage, "if you don't like the news, make some of your own." well, i don't like the news i'm hearing. i have watched, on CNN, the angry protesters, at town hall meetings across this nation. people are fired up over "government take over of healthcare." Obama has been compared to hitler, the joker and, of course, the S-word, "Socialism."
the REAL death panels? i'll come back to that. our own, Johnny Isakson, introduced this "end of life counseling" in the bill. it is something that is done, daily, by DR's and hospitals. i can remember taking grandaddy to the hospital and being told to make a decision as to, "how aggressive do you want us to be in treatment?" i'm thinking "SH*T!" it was just me and uncle robert. i start to think, "how can we make this decision?" a directive,done ahead of time, would have solved all doubts, worries over how to proceed, and alot of anxiety. a verbal directive or one in writing for all to see. Knowledge is Power. when is it more important, than to have power, over how you die. Isakson, just wanted DR's and healthcare workers to be compensated for providing this valuable service. now, back to the real death panels-CORPORATE AMERICA-the INSURANCE CO'S.
we all know how insurance co's deny coverage for pre-existing conditions and refuse patients treatment. another trick, their using, is rescinding policies. if you get diagnosed with an expensive condition, like cancer, the insurance co's pour over your initial health questionnaire. in most states, insurance co's can, retroactively, cancel individual policies, if any condition was not disclosed, even if the medical condition is unrelated and even if the person was not aware of the condition at the time. how this translate to real life-a texas resident found a lump in her breast. Wellpoint investigated her medical history and concluded she had been previously diagnosed with osteoporosis. the Insurer(Wellpoint), rescinded her policy and refused to pay for treatment of the lump. three large Insurers have rescinded almost 20,000 policies over 5 yrs, saving $300 million in medical coverage. employees performance evaluations reflect such savings. these insurance co employees are encouraged to revoke sick people's health coverage.* these are the real DEATH PANELS!!
a Public Option is IMPERATIVE! we have to have a public option to combat Corporate America. what's going on in our country, right now, is evidence of how we can make our government do the right thing. we can change the face of govenment, but we can't make Corporate America do the right thing. doing the right thing is last on their agenda. Corporate America has no ethics-only a fiduciary responsibility to their shareholders-which means cutting cost and producing profits.
WHEN IS ENOUGH, ENOUGH?
do you know where the catch phrase "government take over of Healthcare" came from? it was started by the insurance co's. they perpetrated this phrase, on purpose, to scare, anger and incite americans.**
Corporate America is laughing all the way to the bank. with all the scare tactics, misnomers and false information being bandied about and all the angry americans, reading and believing the lies, Corporate America's dirty work is being done. i wouldn't mind, so much, if the opposition to healthcare reform were honest and educated with the facts.
come on people! you CAN do better! you owe it to yourselves and this nation to do a better job and arm yourself with the facts. the internet is full of false information. here say, doesn't count. cable news is another HUGE problem. stop watching news to "fit" what you believe. FOX News delivers the news to fit right wing conservatives. Bill O'Reilly, Beck, etc. are not news anchors, especially not the likes of Walter Cronkite. they give performances based on opinion-not facts. MSNBC caters to the left. they have their pundits, as well, whom wax profusely with opinionated news. CNN has a worldwide audience, they deliver both sides of the debate and "you" the viewer can make up your mind. they don't come any better than Wolf Blitzer "In the Sitation Room." i dare you to step out of your comfort zone and try viewing the world from a different perspective. remember knowledge is power.
the problems our nation faces are HUGE! the President cannot fix our problems by himself. the government cannot fix our problems by themselves. that's reality folks! fixing our problems- bottom line - is going to require sacrifice- real sacrifice- by everyone. but i think the majority of the sacrifice should come from Corporate America. they are responsible, totally, for where we are RIGHT NOW! all the horrible things we are trying to fix about healthcare, Corporate America created. instead of fighting healthcare reform they should voluntarily sacrifice to save Healthcare. Obama is not a socialist. he does not want socialism. he only wants capitalism with responsibility. we do not have THAT, in this country. we have had a long era of nonregulation, deregulation and unregulation. we have given Corporate America free rein- LOOK WHERE THEY HAVE TAKEN US:
AN ECONOMY ON THE BRINK\
JOBS LOST
HOMES FORECLOSED
AND PEOPLE GIVEN DEATH SENTENCES, ALL DUE TO ONE WORD "DENIED" AND WHEN I SAY "CORPORATE AMERICA" I'M INCLUDING CORPORATIST POLITICIANS, CORPORATE LOBBYIST AND CORPORATE AMERICA.
we have to have a public option to keep Corporate America straight- not honest -Corporate America has proven they aren't honest and that they are not willing to do the right thing.
income inequality is at an all time high. from Clinton, beginning in '93' til the recession in 2007, the top 1% got half of all economic growth. during the Bush years, 2002-2007, they got 2/3. one of the scariest things this nation faces is the erosion of the middle class, especially when it's being pulled apart at both ends.
Citigroup, a massive bailout recipient under Bush($50 billion TARP), is reportedly asking to write a check for $100 million to a single employee. the head of the Energy Trading Unit at Citigroup is due to receive $100 million for his performance- this is the disconnect between Corporate America and "we the people." this is the disconnect President Obama is trying to fix. he cares, little, for taking over peoples lives. he has canvased this nation and listened "well" to the plights of Americans. he is only asking, that this era of politicians, lobbyist and corporate America manipulating things to their own end, STOP! what's wrong with that?
i am highly offended at what i'm hearing at the town halls. people yelling, "i want my country back." back from WHAT? a democrat? a black man? i say, back from Corporate America.
people are, also, incensed over insuring the 47 million uninsured. are we really, that selfish , as a nation? let's not be like Corporate America.
we're better than that! last sunday, i spent 2 hours making phone calls for organizing america. i asked everyone whom answered if they supported President Obama's three main core principle's of healthcare reform:
1)affordability-make healthcare affordable
2)availability-making healthcare available to all including a public option
3)choice-everyone has a choice of dr, etc.
i made 90 calls in 2 hours. the majority were answering machines or disconnected numbers. i actually reached 22 people. out of 22 people, 21 supported president obama's plan. all 21 pledged public support, which means their names will go on a list, showing support for president obama's healthcare reform. the lone dissenter, simply stated, "i don't have time for this." out of the 21 pledging public support, 4 signed up to volunteer. i was calling GA residents. we aren't even a purple state. we're red. this is not a democratic problem. this is not a republican problem. this is an american problem. i have come to the conclusion, that all dissenters at the town halls, although vocal, are a minority.
i was watching Dana Gould do a set about healthcare reform. he highlighted the protesters- all angry - holding up signs, shouting. a few miles down the road, people gathered at 2 in the morning to get in line for free healthcare. Remote Area Medical, whom are meant to service third world countries, have found an enormous NEED, right here in our country. most, were working americans with insurance. one little girl was trying to find a pair of glasses. if Remote had not given her a pair of glasses, her alternative, would have been to live without. these people were not angry. they were thankful, they were hopeful. the question was raised, "why are the people whom have the most, angry and screaming and the ones whom need help, are hopeful? this nation is so afraid his neighbor is going to get more than him. the blessed are begrudging the not so blessed.
healthcare is not a privilege. if you have good healthcare- your lucky - not privileged. if healthcare reform is not passed, don't look to have your healthcare forever. remember it's not a right. do you think Corporate America will think twice about cutting your benefits for the sake of the bottom line? nobody's safe. i do not trust Corporate America.
we are #37 in healthcare, yet we spend the most money. dollars do not equivocate quality. France is #1 and they have a hybrid- a public and a private option. you think having a public option will kill the insurance co's? think again, they're like roaches. they'll adapt and survive. it may not be business as usual but, "hey", "that's a good thing!"
Dana Lewis
*Washington Post
**CNN
Why do we treat healthcare and insurance as comparable things. To me insurance is for accidents in homes and cars and other things like butts or throwing arms. To me healthcare is just that, health care. If you accidentally break your leg you should use insurance or out of pocket to pay for it. If you have the flu, diabetes, aids, cancer or something else that effects your health and/or can be spread to other people, to me that would be something we should want our government taking care of and keeping an eye on (not the individual, the health issue).
For those whom can't afford insurance to cover for accidents, we could bring back non-profit or religious based hospitals.
If someone decides to be stupid and gets hurt from their actions - let the for profit and not for profit organizations handle it.
Peoples' health/healthcare should not be controlled by individuals whose primary job function is to turn a profit!!
Sincerely...Rick Dullard
On this Labor Day morning I sent this feedback through whitehouse.gov:
I campaigned for you, like many others. We elected you and majorities of Democrats bigger than Newt Gingrich ever saw to get the job done: end the war, close gitmo, end warrantless wiretapping, implement universal health care, and the other things you said you would do.I'm sure it's hard once you get there, but gitmo is still open and there's a lot of talk that you're thinking of abandoning the public option on health care. A public option is already a compromise. The real solution, as you yourself once said, is single-payer. Medicare for everyone!You can't please everyone. You really can't please Republicans in Congress, because they're not bargaining in good faith: their only goal is to defeat you by defeating health care and anything else you propose. Trying to do it in a bipartisan way was laudable. It didn't work. You held out your hand and they bit it. Time to get the job done.FDR didn't pass the New Deal by asking Republicans to approve every detail. He accepted opposition and actively campaigned to defeat it and to defeat those Congress members in the next election. His biographer Jean Edward Smith said recently:“This fixation on securing bipartisan support for healthcare reform suggests that the Democratic Party has forgotten how to govern and the White House has forgotten how to lead.”LBJ didn't pass Medicare by giving away the store to the Republicans. He said what he wanted and he twisted arms until he got it. If your Blue Dogs are standing in your way tell them to get in line if they want your support for their next bill or at the next election.You're losing us, your progressive base. We are the great majority of people in this country who want real health care reform, not some compromise with the profit-gouging insurers. Nobody else should have to die so a CEO can get a bonus.It's time to lead, Mr. President. It's time for you and the Democrats in Congress to do the job you said you would do; the job we elected you to do.
All you need to know is located at http://thepeasantscottage.com
President Obama,
You were elected with the greatest wave of hope that I have seen since the election of President Kennedy...
...and now I feel terribly let down.
You have allowed, yes allowed the radical right to capture the emotions of this nation.
Although your negotiating skills are important; although your intelligence is important; although your organizing abilities are important; the most important ability you have is the ability to inspire.
You have not been using that ability lately at all. You have gotten sucked into the endless chess game of power and politics, and you have neglected your constituency, big time!
I listen to the news and the talk shows with dismay. I have been to a town hall meeting on health care with Lynn Woolsey. The passion and fear of the radical right was prominent, although not in the majority. It is hard to believe that so much credence is given to such outrageous lying. The right wing does not approach this subject, or any other, as far as I can tell, with logic or facts; its approach is on a crazy version of faith. It is like people who twist the bible to support their hate and then say, "The bible says it and I believe it." They forget that the people who hated Jesus were the ones who upheld the letter of the law, but not the spirit; the ones who were judgmental and divisive, not the ones who believed in love and community.
The greatness of the United States was NOT achieved by people acting alone, as much as independence is prized here. It was achieved by people acting together. People harvested their crops together, raised barns together. People helped each other. They were good neighbors. We developed a system of free public education, so all children could be educated, not just those of the rich and powerful.
Respect for the United States in the world was not born of military prowess, but of respect for the generosity, caring and fairness of the American people. It was because, at one time, we took the high road, the road less traveled!
Now we have fallen. We take the low road, talking about the necessity for something we don't call torture, but is. We kill, not to protect people from tyranny, but to protect *our* resources, even if they are located in the countries of others.
I find it so hard to believe, President Obama, that you seem to be cooperating with those who are so short-sighted as to believe that the well-being of the United States rests with military domination.
You talk about health care, but you have given away everything important that you might have done for health care. You talk about health care costs, but you are no different than President Bush in your spending our hard-earned wealth on death, on military adventures and military toys. Do you hope to save on health care and give those savings to the military?
Is it time for me to realize that I have been had? That in handing you this election, the American people have been had? Where is the man I voted for?
Yes we can...what? We can sit by while you allow the military-industrial complex and the insurance vipers to destroy America? I don't usually use that term, America - it applies to pretty much the whole western hemisphere, but I use it now, for the idea of American. The idea of people living together in freedom and peace, in community, caring for the well-being of all - not just our families, not just our town, not just our state, but everyone, everywhere. I thought we were nice people! What happened? Tears come to my eyes as I write these words. What happened?
I could understand the trend under President Bush - but you?
I know you cannot single-handedly do it all. But you have ceased to be a leader, because a leader inspires. A leader calls to the best and highest in us. The majority of Americans responded to that call when they voted for you. They were overjoyed at the opportunity to put their energy into positive endeavors at last.
You are gone, it seems. You have gone over to the fraternity of the rich and powerful.
I am dispirited, left behind, holding the (empty) bag of hope, while the mean-spirited rejoice.
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.
I ran into this blog that I had posted on another site of mine, I thought I'd share a few words because sometimes looking back you see how far you have come:
Saturday, January 31, 2009. I’m happy to hear that on last Thursday, the United States Senate followed the United States House in passing a reauthorization of a child health insurance bill. I do remember twice Bush vetoed this bill. Just imagine 4 million more children in America will have access to health insurance, isn’t that a huge post Bush phenomenon. Another positive sign that the boat has oars with a new helmsman anointed by none other than Senator Edward M. Kennedy, Chair, of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions.
Thank God for Kennedy, now hopefully Obama can step up to all the other healthcare needs called Universal Healthcare! Don’t know about you, but I am still praying for this major fete. Yeah, it may seem odd with my working for the industry now, however, AFLAC, I rationalize was created out of a need for additional healthcare costs. So technically, it wouldn’t exist if it wasn’t for the large “hole” in insurance coverage.
You see, the creators of AFLAC saw bankruptcy due to the illness of their mother who died of cancer. There were procedures the insurance company wouldn’t approve and even though the family had coverage, the costs were exorbitant so what they did have wasn’t enough. So you would think they would be on the side of the President, right?
Wrong, the new marketing director they told us in a Sheraton meeting that we needed to lobby the President to keep things as they are, our jobs were at stake, if there were any changes in the healthcare coverage we had much to lose, and if any of us were interested to see him after the meeting. I cringed. We are lobbying legislators for free? They aren’t paying us to be lobbyist? Is this part of the clean money concept? That was odd.
I thought we were the “good guys” in the insurance world. A promise I made to myself. I said if I ever go back to corporate, I wanted to work for a corporation that believed in “stewardship” as one of their core values and part of their mission statement, not gouging or "pretending to care" about customers, just to make money.
At various companies I saw how not being forthright, withholding information, to downright “verbal kung fu-ing” with the “bottomline concept”. Minerva, do you want to make money or not this week? When in the long run, the relationship with the customer would mean much more service, more referrals; new add ons (only if they needed them) and providing the customer the opportunity to choose what is best for them?) or was I back to the “gaming”, “selling” techniques and twisting the arm which could blow up in your manager’s face and they would ask you to “fall on the sword” because . . . they were the manager? Did I make that mistake again, or what? I really need to explore this new leadership more . . . hopefully I got the message wrong . . . I know the product does what it says it does, but why isn't the corporation supporting the president? Until I get a definitive explanation, I'm slowing backing away . . .
But could hope spring eternal and that even the Republicans are seeing change by having former Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael S. Steele, an African American at the lead. Depending on which Republican media pundit you listen to, they would have you believe that Steele’s role is just for PR purposes. Bull. Last I heard the person sitting on the top of the Republican Party had to be a “damn good fundraiser”, and in this economic market where money isn’t falling from the trees anymore, even banks are standing in line begging for governmental support. Now how effective Steele will be with his moderate views makes politics so interesting. Yes, bedfellows in politics get a little weirder and weirder if you take the time to read, to listen and to watch.
Some republicans are trying to say that media commentators weren’t saying that Mr. Blago Bully was a democrat. Blago was voted out of office and out of politics by a group of his own peers and the fallout from the criminal charges are still left to be resolved. Yes, he is a democrat and his behavior based on the information that we were provided was horrible. But I don’t remember anyone NOT saying he wasn’t the democratic governor from Illinois. What does raise my eyebrows was that Democratic strategist James Carvell originally poo-pooed the idea that Blago was under scrutiny in the first place and he said “there is wheeling and dealing going on all the time”. So is this why Blago doesn’t think he did anything wrong?
Hopefully there won’t be large court scenarios but the way Blago went out was heartbreaking to see a man who doesn’t know when he is caught. And if in fact this was politics as usual, I’m sure there are folks scrambling to clean house. Speaking of cleaning house. . . How many flaws can you find in this write up? On reading the “White House Blog”, I found this little gem:
George W. Bush, the 43rd President of the United States, was sworn into office on January 20, 2001, re-elected on November 2, 2004, and sworn in for a second term on January 20, 2005. Prior to his Presidency, President Bush served for 6 years as the 46th Governor of the State of Texas, where he earned a reputation for bipartisanship and as a compassionate conservative who shaped public policy based on the principles of limited government, personal responsibility, strong families, and local control.
President Bush was born on July 6, 1946, in New Haven, Connecticut, and grew up in Midland and Houston, Texas. He received a bachelor’s degree in history from Yale University in 1968, and then served as an F-102 fighter pilot in the Texas Air National Guard. President Bush received a Master of Business Administration from Harvard Business School in 1975. Following graduation, he moved back to Midland and began a career in the energy business. After working on his father’s successful 1988 Presidential campaign, President Bush assembled the group of partners who purchased the Texas Rangers baseball franchise in 1989. On November 8, 1994, President Bush was elected Governor of Texas. He became the first Governor in Texas history to be elected to consecutive 4-year terms when he was re-elected on November 3, 1998.
President Bush worked with the Congress to create an ownership society and build a future of security, prosperity, and opportunity for all Americans. He signed into law tax relief that helped workers keep more of their hard-earned money, as well as the most comprehensive education reforms in a generation, the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. This legislation ushered in a new era of accountability, flexibility, local control, and more choices for parents, affirming our Nation’s fundamental belief in the promise of every child. President Bush also worked to improve healthcare and modernize Medicare, providing the first-ever prescription drug benefit for seniors; increase homeownership, especially among minorities; conserve our environment; and increase military strength, pay, and benefits. Because President Bush believed the strength of America lies in the hearts and souls of our citizens, he supported programs that encourage individuals to help their neighbors in need.
On the morning of September 11, 2001, terrorists attacked our Nation. President Bush took unprecedented steps to protect our homeland and create a world free from terror. He was grateful for the service and sacrifice of our brave men and women in uniform and their families. The President believed that by helping build free and prosperous societies, our Nation and our friends and allies can succeed in making America more secure and the world more peaceful.
President Bush is married to Laura Welch Bush, a former teacher and librarian, and they have twin daughters, Barbara and Jenna. The Bush family also includes two dogs, Barney and Miss Beazley, and a cat, Willie. (http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/georgewbush/)
I thought it was an amazing play on wording and one day maybe I’ll meet the wordsmith who must have been having a hard time putting this together. See y’all later, Todd says there is no maid, so we have a house to clean today . . .
THE END
Oh well, I recall all of the comments being made about Kennedy, I do hope he rests in peace but I have to admit "his mantle" is really heavy.
Sorry, I never had the opportunity to meet him. But I'll never forget the time, I passed out when I saw President Kennedy on the corner of Rexall Drug Store, sitting on my daddy's shoulders dripping an ice cream cone! I passed out from the excitement it was like yesterday! Minerva
I am writing this somewhat wordy but pragmatic letter and hope it gets in the hands of someone who can make a clear evaluation and find it helpful or at the least noted as to one perspective to the current Health Care Debacle taking place and under careful consideration, could actually prove very beneficial and part of the future solution. I feel the Democrats are out to make a clear change for the good of the country and the Obama Administration is shaping up to be the best Administration I believe I have seen in my lifetime; however is having a clearly difficult struggle battling the concerns over healthcare. I voted for Obama and even made a contribution to the campaign which was the first time in my life to do so because I believe in his overall vision for the country. Currently I live in Tokyo, Japan, and am exposed to a very different healthcare system as well as have many friends from other developed nations who have socialized medicine, i.e. England, Canada, Australia, etc. I have had various debates and have a good understanding of these systems from the standpoint of their basic citizens and the rights thereof from these systems. Of all the countries, Japan has the most hybrid system between socialized medicine and our current system; however would not be a good political strategy to mention as a talking point. Actually these ideas should be applied as original ideas from the Obama administration to the public and will close this healthcare debate once and for all.
To get directly to my point, I feel the Democrats are doing what they always do, bring a good idea to the table (bring the right idea to the table) but back down based on pole numbers and a clearly, historically based fact, of not managing the emotions of the populous. With that being said, I feel many of Americas fears are superficial in nature and may not address a simple premise of government spending, influence and size. I pose the question, “if you add something, you take something away”, such as adding a public option and taking away the obviously broken, inefficient and burdensome Medicare system. This would have an overwhelmingly favorable impact on republicans and the right compromise with democrats and the masses of people who are looking for that right tax cut would be dancing in the streets. I understand we will be cutting a huge tax generator for the government but we will also cut off and stop the hemorrhaging of a government appendage that is infecting everyone as a whole. It is possible to subsidize those in the current system with the public option, under some “special program” and the democratic party has 3 years to win the Medicare constituency over, plus everyone will be satisfied to know they are not contributing to a possible other welfare system and the welfare system of others, and everyone can take care of themselves. The revenue generated in the public option should closely account for the loss of cutting the program, especially if there is a system where it is an availability for every small business, and for those who may not necessarily be able to purchase the public option program all the time can still fall under a special subsidization program under the public option program but maybe with premium adjustments in time. There could be grandfather clauses to alleviate the “the government is trying to pull the plug on granny“ debate. In order to offset the loss in tax revenue, include a tax incentive for those who have proof of insurance for the tax year and be adjusted accordingly if that is a concern with a favorable adjustment for those who do and an unfavorable adjustment for those who don’t; however if it is going broke it may be best just to cut the losses on it. The IRS has the people and infrastructure and can also be included in the debate to validate proof of insurance. That last point is a little complicated to wrap your head around but could make huge in rows in appealing to those who don’t like any of the current systems, who don’t like picking up the tab from one average American to another and don’t see a clear solution. I feel confident that in 3 years the Administration can satisfy its Medicare constituency and its proponents and this type of drastic change will, and I emphasize WILL, have a huge favorable reaction with the American populous as a whole.
As an additional selling point, Americans should be able to “double down” on their health insurance and drastic changes need to be set in motion as to insurance regulation reform. This is a version of the Clinton play book in areas such as telecom, etc; which WILL be good for the health insurance industry, and everyone as a whole and would probably have them off the governments back for a while because they will be too busy creating/selling and purchasing new products and helping to “stimulate the economy” in many many ways. This is not a non-manageable endeavor, just a little unorthodox. That is one good point about Japan’s current healthcare system, to include insurance products such as hospitalization and rehabilitation remuneration, double coverage, etc. People, in general, like to know they can get something back when paying so much into a system that does just that and actually make some money in the event of such a challenging time in their life and this adds a great since of security and satisfaction in those moments. By the way, this is a homerun idea that will leave a lasting hurt on the republican party and brand because everyone benefits as a whole but carries some of their self-reliance and capitalistic ideals. To add to this point and to expound on the “pre-existing” condition problem of the current system, legislation should also include a wide range of other procedures that are deemed not a necessity and allow coverage of these programs at a price to include allowing the private sector to compete for these dollars and to compensate for the losses they will be incurring with having to cover pre-existing conditions. This could even include aesthetic procedures with a regulatory consultation practice. Deregulating that industry but with the right quality of care in the minds of everyone involved is good for everyone. Personally, I don’t like the whole system but these are the right decisions for everyone as a whole.
I don’t quite agree with this but also monetary penalties could be put in place and deemed necessary by the doctor in the advent of non-life threatening problems clogging the emergency room system. A doctor is qualified to make that decision and should, which would help all commercial entities in the system and help the system as a whole in this day and age in curbing the mass influx of those who use the system. On another point with that debate, people have to work and can’t afford to lose a day’s work when their child has the flu and they sacrifice their sleep and wellness in order to go to work the next day but ensure their child is seen, diagnosed and put on the right treatment regimen. With that being said, maybe a system that rewards afterhours care facilities should be looked at such as a tiered payment system by the industry to the facilitators that addresses this.
I have a few other points to add about this and I don’t want to sound like I’m pulling only the positive points of other systems without recognizing the negative points, yet being that so many systems have been in place and for such a long period of time, I think we can get it right and my points could aid it.
A clear plan needs to be outlined with someone reading charts and tables, pros and cons, and an informative debate needs to be made with a clear vision. There is enough time to regroup and get this done this year and not to be rushed and to have people put in the corner on the issue without all the CLEAR facts. Open debates should be held with the public having easy access to make informed decisions and people should be thinking outside the box such as this letter. I have read the top 5 myths about the new reform and the stats on people polled regarding this debate. I would like to make a statement to the Democratic party as a whole that I am ashamed to see that they cannot debunk the death panel debate and strategically, they should look at and put resources into how to overcome this and future situations such as this. I’m sure they can get a good team of psychiatrists and marketing gurus to look at how their messages get drowned out by basic human emotions of fear and distrust. To add, the immigrant debate is a valid one but no one seems to be showing that who pays into the system only helps support the system in revenue, etc. and should get treatment accordingly. We can look at the Denver Olympics at those facts and it would actually be good for the system for allowing as many of those who can pay into it, do so; to include people with student visas and short term visas, etc. The new program should be run like a private system alleviating people’s fears of the government keeping tabs on them and regulating what they have and don’t have and maybe compare it to the postal system or collegiate education system.
In conclusion, thank you for taking the time to read this and would personally like to see how these above mentioned points would not work. I have solutions for some of the other internal problems plaguing the system but can’t remember them all at the time I’m writing this; however many of the new options are definitely headed in the right direction. I just felt compelled to offer my “.10¢” after seeing the reform offered getting slaughtered by the American public in the news and it seems more people are buying into the stats shown to them, therefore buying into some of the current falsehoods. By the way, if the right person reads this and finds it beneficial and would like to ask my opinion on other problems facing the system, please feel free to do so or debunk my points.
I am a supporter of Universal Single Payer Healthcare. If we are forced to buy insurance, stoking the bloated insurance companies, then I am not supportive of a reform. I do not support putting everyone into a private program, or even a coop. I would rather be taxed universally and have that money provide universal health care just as our taxes provide court systems, police protection, education, etc.
The only way to provide preventative care, health education, and truely universal care is to do it through the government which does a terrific job with social security, which has a lower overhead that any corporate health program. I don't understand why people aren't fearful of corporate overlords rather.
If we cannot have a single payer program, then I would rather see the present bill take the form of regulations on the insurance industry, and extend a medicare type program to cover low income eligible people, and then let those that don't want any insurance take that risk. If insurance is just a risk program, then we should have the option to take the risk to survive without insurance.
I don’t want to be insulting. Its just frustrating that so many people in the US think that having a "choice" of private insurance is somehow beneficial. Insurance companies work to maximize profit, that’s all. They maximize profit by providing as little care as possible, and by denying payment whenever possible.
You have to be blind not to see what’s going on with the current system. The insurance companies are spending millions on a disinformation campaign and are counting on people to come out and scream loud against their own interests, and people are doing it. Because of these people we may even loose the public option (and single payer was disgracefully never on the table in the first place), so forgive me for calling them morons. People are so worried about "gubmint healthcare, " yet they ignore the fact that United States is the only country in the industrialized world without universal health care. All of those countries have longer life expectancies, lower infant mortality rates, higher health care satisfaction, and lower per capita health care expenditures than we do. Yet the US can’t think rationally because of its irrational fear of anything that seems like "socialism." Despite this, many of these same reform opponents would riot [justifiably] if any politician were to threaten to dismantle Medicare or Social Security. The worst part is that the plans that are being offered by the Democrats are relatively impotent themselves as they would allow the insurance companies to continue their pillage of the US population. What we need to fight for is single payer, and, while my intention is not to offend anyone personally, I stand by my statement that opposition to single payer is in fact downright moronic.
We need to replace HR3200 with HR676. There is absolutely nothing for the public to gain from pandering to profit based insurance.Wake up!!!! We need single payer now!
A) Portability. If I change jobs, I’d like to be able to keep my healthcare as long as I paid my and my employers part. Same person, same deal.
B) Competition. The real trick is ‘how to create competition without a government insurance option’ I see a few ways to do it, here are a couple B.1) allow for insurance companies to compete across state lines. B.2) create more USAA insurance companies. It kind of like a really big credit union but its insurance.
C) No exclusion for pre-existing conditions, this just isn’t fair and it is holding DNA medicine back.
D) Tax soft drinks, salty snacks, and all corn syrup products if possible.
E) Expand S-chip
F) Improve CORBA healthcare insurance
G) No mandatory involvement; but incentives to join.
H) HCAP to include preventive care (e.g. sunscreen, helmets, athletic shoes, etc.)
A big fat government plan will be just like Fannie Mae; great for many years then it’ll implode.
Whether you believe in the right for a woman to have an abortion or not, a very large segment of the population believes it is wrong. So, if you're trying to pass a sweeping, historic and controversial healthcare bill, why would you give your opponents the ammunition they need to shoot it down? Including abortion coverage in the current healthcare bill language is the surest way to abort this healthcare bill right on the Senate floor.
It's a move so unwise that I wonder if the Democratic leaders really want this bill passed. We live in a democracy and the voices of those who oppose abortion are not neccessarily those that oppose universal health coverage. However, by covering abortion, the Democratic party is building a bridge between these two camps.
I myself am on the fence when it comes to abortion, but I had been a rabid supporter of universal health coverage. I'm a member of this site, I gave money to the campaign. If this new move gives me pause, imagine how it galvanizes those independents who we desperately need to support this bill.
Honestly, between the Cambridge police incident and inclusion of abortion in this healthcare bil, I wonder if the White House has taken the George Bush approach to ignoring polls.
