Friday, July 31, 2009

Blogging Delayed

My computer is acting funny. I need to try to back everything up, then try to find out what the problems is. I'll be back ASAP.

Thursday, July 30, 2009

Swine Flu Hoax?

This week, “news” outlets all over the country have frightened us with scary stories about the impending Swine Flu pandemic. They continue to make dire predictions of hundreds of thousands of deaths from it during the next two years and to issue priority lists of vaccine recipients.

Meanwhile, the CDC website expects no more flu victims than in other years. Usually 5% to 20% of the US population or 15,000,000 to 60,000,000 people succumb to the virus each year. So far, according the CDC again, 1,000,000 people in the States have been diagnosed with Swine Flu and 302 deaths have occurred. That’s an extremely mild .03 death rate.

Frankly, I’m more frightened of a vaccine rushed into production and distribution than I am of the flu itself. I can still remember the tragic results from the 1976 scare when many people suffered dire results from the VACCINE.

If you’re interested in reading more in depth about today’s scare tactics, read it at Investor’s Business Daily. If you would like to review a “60 Minutes” interview with then President Ford about the seventies tragedy, go here.

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

No Rest for The Weary

I hope you’re not resting on your laurels thinking that we’ve won the health care debate just because of the recent flurry of negative activity. Actually, the reverse it true. The Dynamic Duo, Obama and Pelosi, are just doubling up on their efforts to ram this bill down our throats this week. They really fear the mounting opposition to the whole idea and want success at any cost. In response, they are cutting back room deals and watering it down here and there just enough to get key votes.

Remember, it’s not about your health care, it’s about forming the organization structures to control more of your life.

The original petition at Free Our Health Care Now is still up. If you haven’t already done so, sign it.

Grassfire also has one which they will deliver sometime today. If you read this early enough, go to their website to add your name in opposition to the bill.

Then email, call, and/or write your own Congressional Clowns as well as those on the Energy and Commerce Committee. This health care bill MUST be stopped and these people have your future in their hands.

The Energy and Commerce Committee Democrat members are:
Henry A. Waxman, CA, Chair
John D. Dingell, MI,
Edward J. Markey, MA
Rick Boucher, VA
Frank Pallone, Jr., NJ
Bart Gordon, TN
Bobby L. Rush, IL
Anna G. Eshoo, CA
Bart Stupak, MI
Eliot L. Engel, NY
Gene Green, TX
Diana DeGette, CO
Lois Capps, CA
Mike Doyle, PA
Jane Harman, CA
Jan Schakowsky, IL
Charles A. Gonzalez, TX
Jay Inslee, WA
Tammy Baldwin, WI
Mike Ross, AR
Anthony D. Weiner, NY
Jim Matheson, UT
G.K. Butterfield, NC
Charlie Melancon, LA
John Barrow, GA
Baron P. Hill, IN
Doris O. Matsui, CA
Donna M. Christensen, VI
Kathy Castor, FL
John P. Sarbanes, MD
Christopher S. Murphy, CT
Zachary T. Space, OH
Jerry McNerney, CA
Betty Sutton, OH
Bruce L. Braley, IA
Peter Welch, VT

Republican Members are:
Joe Barton, TX, Ranking Member
Ralph M. Hall, TX
Fred Upton, MI
Cliff Stearns, FL
Nathan Deal, GA
Michael C. Burgess, TX
Marsha Blackburn, TN
Phil Gingrey, GA
Steve Scalise, LA
Ed Whitfield, KY
John Shimkus, IL
John B. Shadegg, AZ
Roy Blunt, MO
Steve Buyer, IN
George Radanovich, CA
Joseph R. Pitts, PA
Tim Murphy, PA
Mary Bono Mack, CA
Greg Walden, OR
Lee Terry, NE
Mike Rogers, MI
Sue Wilkins Myrick, NC
John Sullivan, OK

How Do You Know When It’s End-of-Life Care?

That is one question that no one ever mentions when talking about the hospital expenses concerning end-of-life care. To listen to our Congressional Clowns talk, one would think that emotional family members just spend money wildly trying to eke out a few more hours of life during the last 2 or 3 weeks of a loved one’s life.

But the expenses in most cases are run up with the expectation that the patient will recover. For example, my niece recently passed away during a liver transplant operation. This was NOT a case of family frantically spending money against all odds. It was a case where a medical board at a large hospital not only agreed that she needed the transplant, but that the operation would be successful. These experts made their decision strictly on objective criteria about her condition and her prospects. They didn’t even know her. And since livers for transplanting are extremely hard to come by, they didn’t believe it was a frivolous or risky decision.

Politicians may “cluck cluck” all they want to about the expenses at the end of life, the fact is that no one knows when it’s coming. And one would hope that even politicians and bureaucrats would hesitate to play God and decide to withhold treatment that might save a life.

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

The Inmates Are Running the Asylum or The Truth Shall Set You Free*

The relationship of truth to freedom has been known for so long that it is warp and weft of human existence. Whether or not one believes in God and whether or not one always tells the truth to others, everyone believes freedom lies in knowing the truth and working within the framework of reality, at least for himself.

As James Lewis, in “Indulging Craziness,” reminded us last Sunday, psychiatrists and therapists know that crazy patients will never improve if those around him accept his warped view of reality. Indulging in a flawed version of reality makes the patient and, eventually, those around him crazier than ever. For the last half century, American society has cosseted those with grievances until our ability to function is almost permanently crippled. We have acted like indulgent parents who allow their miscreant children to ignore reality until they terrorize the whole neighborhood instead of growing up to become assets to the community.

At first, many questioned their victim status, but churches, YMCA’s, and other groups began conducting “consciousness raising” workshops to teach different groups just how oppressed they were. It is now part of the curricula from kindergarten to graduate school.

As a result, entire groups of people, including our current President and most Congressional Clowns, know nothing of the generosity and bravery exhibited throughout American history as compared to other nations, but they can speak at length on a moment’s notice about every flaw and misstep of the last 234 years.

Thus, we just had the sad experience of watching a noted Harvard scholar screech “racial profiling” when a patrolman merely checked on the possibility of burglary at his home because of a neighbor’s call. We cringed when Obama insisted on taking sides without checking on the facts. And we suffered with an innocent policeman who was brave enough to answer the call without knowing what he would encounter behind that front door.

Police brutality happens, and rightfully outrages everyone when it does. But it hasn’t happened enough for innocent citizens to cringe at the sight of a policeman or to refuse to offer identification when requested.

After decades of allowing the insanity of grievance politics to dominate the public square, we have begun to accept symbolic acts in lieu of real, honest change by “perpetrators” or their “victims.” It has encouraged the festering of grievances, like cancerous tumors poisoning the whole body.

For example, many Americans believed last November if they did the symbolic act of voting for Obama, it would erase racial tensions in the United States. Instead, we just witnessed a wealthy, influential black professor yelling insane accusation to a while police officer in a town run by a black mayor, in a state with a black governor, while his black president agreed with his crazy accusations.
“The ultimate result of shielding men from the effects of folly is to fill the world with fools.” Herbert Spencer
It's time to grow up, forgive our enemies, and insist on facing the truth in every situation, not feel good platitudes or ill founded accusations.

*St. John 8:32

Fabulous New Visual on Deficit


Watch this short video to REALLY see how fast our debt is adding up, then share it with your friends. According to it, Obama is driving 174 miles per hour compared to Truman's negative 20 miles per hour.

Monday, July 27, 2009

The Devil Is in The Details

While we do need to tweak our present system of health care, this country still provides the best health care in the world. The United States is where Europeans and Canadians come for treatment if their situation is serious and if they can afford it. A few free market changes in our current laws will make it much more affordable without involving the federal government in our private lives. However, when you read the 1,018-page bill that the House is considering, you realize that it’s not about health, insurance, or poverty stricken people, but about control.

Here is a list compiled by a hospital administrator and sent to me by a friend of the devilish details that will forever change our government and our way of life. All references to the government in the following list mean the federal government and HCB refers to the Health Care Bill now available to the public. Go to Obama's Healthcare Bill if you want to check it out for yourself.


1. Page 22 of the Health Care Bill – MANDATES that the Government will audit books of ALL EMPLOYERS that self-insure!

2. Page 29 lines 4-16 in the HCB - YOUR HEALTHCARE IS RATIONED!

3. Page 30 Sec 123 of HCB - THERE WILL BE A GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE that decides what treatments/benefits you get, not your physician.

4. Page 42 of HCB - The Health Choices Commissioner will choose your health care benefits for you. You will have no choice!

5. Page 50 Section 152 in HCB- Health care will be provided to ALL non-US citizens, illegal or otherwise.

6. Page 58 HCB - Government will have real-time access to an individual’s finances and a National ID Health card will be issued!

7. Page 59 HCB lines 21-24 – Government will have direct access to your bank accounts for electronic funds transfer.

8. Page 65 Sec 164 – Provides a subsidized plan for retirees and their families in Unions and community organizations, such as ACORN.

9. Page 72 Lines 8-14 – The government is creating a Health Care Exchange to bring private health care plans under Government control.

10. Page 84 Sec 203 HCB – The government mandates ALL benefit packages for private health care plans in the Exchange

11. Page 95 HCB Lines 8-18 -- The Government will use groups, i.e., ACORN and Americorps, to sign up individuals for the government health care plan.

12. Page 102 Lines 12-18 HCB - Medicaid eligible individuals will be automatically enrolled in Medicaid. No choice.

13. Page 124 lines 24-25 HCB -- No company can sue the government for price fixing.

14. Page 145 Line 15-17 -- An Employer MUST automatically enroll all employees into public option plan. NO CHOICE.

15. Page 146 Lines 22-25 -- Employers MUST pay for health care for part time employees AND their families.

16. Page 149 Lines 16-24 -- ANY Employer with a payroll of $400,000 and above but does not provide the public option will pay an extra 8% tax on all payrolls.

17. Page 150 Lines 9-13 Businesses with payroll between $251,000 and $400,000 but does not provide the public option will pay a 2-6% tax on all payroll.

18. Page 167 Lines 18-23 -- ANY individual who doesn’t have acceptable health care according to Government official will be taxed 2.5% of income.

19. Page 170 Lines 1-3 -- Any NONRESIDENT Alien is exempt from individual taxes.

20. Page 195 HCB – The officers and employees of the Health Care Administration will have access every individuals' finances, private papers, and records.

21. Page 203 Line 14-15 HC - "The tax imposed under this section shall not be treated as tax." Yes, it says that!

22. Page 253 Line 10-18 – The government will set the value of each physician’s time and professional judgment.

23. Page 265 Sec 1131 – The government will mandate and control productivity for all private health care industries.

24. Page 268 Sec 1141 – The federal government will regulate the rental and/or the purchase of power driven wheelchairs.

25. Page 280 Sec 1151 -- The government will penalize hospitals for what Government deems preventable readmissions.

26. Page 298 Lines 9-11 -- Doctors who treat a patient during initial admission that results in a readmission will be penalized.

27. Page 317 L 13-20 The government will determine what and how much a physician can own or invest in health care related companies.

28. Page 317-318 lines 21-25 -- The government will mandate whether hospitals can expand.

29. Page 321 Lines 2-13 -- Hospitals have option to apply for exception to above rule, but community input and support will be required.

30. Page 335 Lines 16-25 and Pages 336-339 – The government sets and mandates establishment of outcome based measures any way they want.

31. Page 341 Lines 3-9 -- Government has the authority to disqualify Medicare, Adv. Plans, HMOs, etc.

32. Page 354 Sec 1177 - Government will RESTRICT enrollment of special needs patients!

33. Page 425 Lines 4-12 -- Government mandates Advance Care Planning Consultation about end of life issues for all senior citizens and residents of nursing homes every five years.

34. Page 425 Lines 17-19 -- Government will instruct and consult all patients regarding living wills and durable powers of attorney. Mandatory!

35. Page 425 Lines 22-25, 426 Lines 1-3-- Government provides approved list of end of life resources and guides patients as they approach death.

36. Page 427 Lines 15-24 -- Government mandates program for orders for end of life.

37. Page 429 Lines 1-9 -- An "advance care planning consult" will be used frequently as a patient’s health deteriorates.

38. Page 429 Lines 10-12 – The Advance Care Consultation may include an ORDER for end of life plans.

39. Page 429 Lines 13-25 - The government will specify which physicians can write an end of life order.

40. Page 430 Lines 11-15 -- The Government will decide what level of treatment each patient will have at end of life

41. Page 494-498 -- The Government will define which Mental Health services will be allowed or required.

42. Racial preferences for admittance to medical school and to obtain research grants are built into the health care bill, according to The American Thinker. Such preferences will forever stigmatize all people of that race and label them as ill equipped.

Friday, July 24, 2009

Just As I Suspected

According to Rasmussen Reports, the majority of Americans dislike the new law that will force everyone to use flouresent bulbs beginning in 2012. In fact, 72% think that it’s none of the Federal Government’s business what kind of bulbs they use. Many are quietly stocking up in preparation for the dreaded day. Others quietly hope that the Public Monarchs (We thought we were voting for Public Servants, but we got Monarchs instead.) now in control of our government will relent and change the law before it goes into effect.

Krauthammer Eviserates Obama

Charles Krauthammer has a great article in the Washington Post today. He skillfully disembowels the obvious contradictions of logic in Obama's defense of his healthcare proposals. I suggest you read it just for fun.

What Do Physicians Think?

Of the 15 Congressional Clowns who are also physicians, 12 are opposed to Obamacare:*
Senators Barasso (R, WY) and Coburn (R,OK)
Representatives:
Boustany (R, La.)
Broun (R, Ga.)
Burgess, (R, TX)
Cassidy (R, LA)
Fleming (R, LA)
Gingrey, MD (R, GA)
Griffith (D, AL)
Paul (R, TX)
Price (R, GA)
Roe (R, TN)

One, a Blue Dog Democrat from Arkansas, Rep. Vic Snyder, appears to still be hedging his bets.

The other two are also House Democrats: Steve Kagen from Wisconsin and Jim McDermott, a psychiatrist from Washington who has never been in private practice. Both are committed to liberal causes.

More and more Americans are saying okay to health care ONLY if all of the DC Clowns give up their health care provisions and submit to the plan they are trying to force on the rest of us. Or, as a friend of mine suggested: let them devise a bill and try it out for about 10 years, then when they get the kinks worked out, let us unwashed masses into it.

Meanwhile, please take note that no one in favor of the bill is defending it specifically. From Obama on down, arguments center on emotions and generalities. They’re selling us something they firmly believe we need whether we want it or not. But increasingly, voters feel like they’re selling a “pig in a poke.” On the other hand, those who oppose the bill state specific items found in the bill and explain the effect those provisions will have. That observation itself should stop the bill in its tracks.

*Some look at this list with disdain because the physicians are all from the South and West, as if no one in these states knows how to think and their ideas are therefore specious at best.

Thursday, July 23, 2009

The World View of A Community Organizer

As the Obama presidency continues, he reveals more and more about himself; many observers are less than inspired. Last night he based his sales talk about his health care proposals on “victim hood.” That should surprise no one since it pervaded both his foreign policy and campaign speeches.

The interesting thing about the victims he seeks to rescue and the villains he condemns is that he categorizes them by their status, not by their actions. Thus, he apologizes for the US because it leads the world financially and he ignores the many generous and kind acts the country has done for subjugated people. Who, besides the American soldier, will lay down his life for citizens of other countries and thus put into action Jesus’ words about the greatest love?

In last night’s press conference, he bewailed the insurance companies because they make a profit, ignoring the many needs they fulfill in our economy. Similarly, Wall Street was excoriated because the profit motive underlies their activities. And, like most liberals, he ignores the fact that nearly all Americans are invested in Wall Street, depending on profitability to fund their retirement programs. Wall Street is not just the traders on the floor, but anyone with money in a mutual fund.

He also threw physicians under the bus because they tend to be in the upper middle class once they become established. He ignored the years of exacting preparation, the enormous costs of obtaining degrees and certification, and the 60+ hours of work most perform every week. He also ignored their generous attempts to help patients without regard to payment in order to accuse them of unnecessary procedures that merely enhance their bottom lines.

Then, just in case one might still doubt his status as Whiner-in-Chief, he used a planted question to viciously slander all policemen in the country and defend his friend, Prof. Gates of Harvard. Does anyone other than community organizers and criminals believe that all cops are evil?

A Physician's View of Obamacare

Please watch this video of Dr. Tom Price, a Representative from Georgia, talking about the health care proposal now before the house. Like most people, he does not maintain that our current health care system is perfect, but that the remedy championed by Obama is much worse than the problem it supposedly solves.



In an earlier radio interview, Dr. Price questioned why Obama voted against all bills aimed at reform in health care while he was still a member of the Senate. If concern for patients were his true motivation, it does seem that Obama would have championed any reform possible before insisting on a complete redesign of the entire system. It also seems that he would be open to a lengthy debate in order to refine his basic ideas instead of rushing it through Congress without input from all sides.

In Case You Missed It

Here is the Republican chart demonstrating the organization of Obamacare as it is currently proposed. Democrat Clowns say that it is full of errors and refuse to allow Republican Clowns to mail copies of it to their constituents back home. Therefore, I am posting it myself to make sure that everyone has a chance to admire their expertise at bureaucracy.
Republican's health care maze Pictures, Images and Photos

Here is the link if you want to add it to emails or post it on your own website:

http://media.photobucket.com/image/republican%20health%20care%20chart/marabout40/republican_HC_chart.jpg?o=1

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Reconciliation Last Resort for Health Care?

With opposition to his favorite cause growing daily, this week Obama asked the left leaning blogosphere for support on his health care proposal. Apparently he held a conference call where someone asked him if he intended to use reconciliation process to get it passed. His answer was:
“Keep in mind that the way we had structured the reconciliation issue several months ago, we moved forward on the basis of the assumption that we can get a bill through the regular order and the regular process by October. If I think that that is not possible, then we are going to look at all of our options, including reconciliation.”

Reconciliation in the US Senate allows a bill to pass by rushing it to a vote by not allowing debate or amendments. Bills can pass with only 51 votes, not 60, since filibusters are forbidden. If you remember, back in April, Obama used reconciliation to pass his 2010 Budget. Incidentally, he even larded that budget with many health care measures. This man intends to change our health care system whether we want it or not.

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

$734,152,000,000

That’s the total amount spent if 1 million dollars were spent every single day from the time Christ was born until the end of 2010. It still adds up to less than $1 trillion.

According to the inspector general of TARP, the potential financial commitment of US taxpayers to fix the financial system could be $23.7 trillion. Now, you figure out how many thousands of years it would take to pay back $23,700,000,000 at a million dollars a day.

Then consider the current deficit (as of 7:22 am EST today) is already $11,614,505,913,666.00 or $37, 883.13 for each man, woman, and child in the country. Both the totals and amount each person owes grows by the minute. Just wait until the bills for health care “reform” come in.

Government of, by, and for the Czars, Part II

Finally, I have a more complete list of Obama’s Czars as of July 15. I have read, but not verified, that each one was hired at $172,000 per year. No one seems to know about the cost of their office staffs, rent, and equipment. Nor do they know where their offices are located or how to contact them. But what really should concern citizens is the fact that these appointees will be fashioning regulations that will control our lives, but they are answerable to no one except President Obama. Neither the voters nor their representatives have any input into their selection or oversight.

In an effort to counteract Obama’s moves, Jack Kingston (R GA) introduced the Czar Accountability and Reform Act (CZAR) in the House last Thursday. It would prohibit the use of government funds to pay the salaries and expenses of the czars or their staffs. The question is whether Nancy Pelosi will even allow it to reach the floor for a vote.

Af-Pak - Richard Holbrooke
AIDS - Jeffrey Crowley
Border - Alan Bersin
Car - Ron Bloom
Climate - Todd Stern
Copyright - Not yet named
Cybersecurity - Not yet named
Domestic Violence - Lynn Rosenthal
Drug - Gil Kerlikowske
Economic - Paul Volcker
Education - Not yet named
Energy - Carol Browner
Executive Pay Rate - Kenneth Feinberg
Faith Based - Joshua DuBois
Great Lakes - Cameron Davis
Green Jobs - Van Jones
Guantamano Closure - Daniel Fried
Health Reform - Nancy Ann DeParle
Info Tech - Vivek Kundra
Iran - Not yet named
Mideast Peace - George Mitchell
Mortgage - Not yet named
Persian Gulf and Southwest Asia - Dennis Ross
Regulatory - Cass Sunstein
Safe Schools - Kevin Jennings
Science - John Holdren
Stimulus Accountability - Earl Devaney
Sudan - J. Scott Gration
TARP - Herb Allison
Technology - Aneesh Chopra
Terrorism - John Brennan
Urban Affairs - Adolfo Carrion, Jr.
Weapons - Ashton Carter
Weapons Mass Destruction - Gary Samore

Previously, I mention a couple of things about the science czar, John Holdren. Go to A Czar Too Far to if you wish to read more about him.

Monday, July 20, 2009

President Obama Was Absolutely Correct!

Obama's speech in Ghana recently was spot on. Too bad, Obama does not follow his own advice. He chided the African nation for corruption and excessive taxes. "No business wants to invest in a place where the government skims 20 percent off the top," he told the Parliament of Ghana.

I wonder if his listeners realize that this pronouncement came from the leader of a country where the federal government skims off 39.4% in corporate taxes, the second highest of any industrialized country. Or that he has many plans for new taxes and regulations to further squeeze the business community? Maybe he should pay more attention to the words his teleprompter gives him.

Does he not comprehend that corporate taxes become part of the overhead and every single customer ends up paying the tax, not the so-called evil corporation? Does he not notice how many companies have already moved their headquarters from the US and how many more are planning to in the near future?

Texas VS California

Way back in September, Nelson Guirado of Assymetric provided an excellent analysis of the current status of California and Texas. This is important now because California has been following the liberal program on taxes, the environment, and social services for years, while Texas has implemented more conservative laws and programs.

Here are Guirado’s highlights (remember these are figures from the middle of September):
1. Education results (with similar ethnic groups): Texas ranks 25th while California lags behind at 47th.
2. Unemployment in Texas is 4.3%, but in California, it’s 7.3%.
3. Taxes: Texas has the third lowest rate among the states while California is ranked eighth highest.
4. Deficits: California has a deficit of $15, 000,000,000 while Texas has a surplus.

From what I’ve observed since January 20, Obama and the Democrat Congress are rushing headlong to emulate or overtake California’s programs. Why? We have a proven life lesson right before our eyes.

Law of Unintended Consequences

Today Politico offers the public a breathless interview of Nancy Pelosi’s most exciting work ever. The pinnacle of her career will be successfully pushing Obamacare through the House. To do this, she, Robert Reich, Charlie Rangel, and other Democrat leaders gleefully insist that only millionaires will be taxed and surcharged, but everyone will benefit from their forced largesse.

There are several problems with Democrats playing Robin Hood with taxes beside the lack of morality in their tactics – forced compassion is still stealing, no matter how devious the public relations surrounding the program. One, which FairKaye has mentioned several times, is that estimates of costs ALWAYS turn out to be at least double or triple original forecasts. When that happens, invariably bureaucrats begin cutting back on benefits rather than cutting back on bureaucracy or systemic problems that were left unaddressed from the beginning. To corroborate this, just review the sad history of Social Security, Medicare, the War on Poverty, or other long-standing government programs.

But one problem that is seldom mentioned is that when “millionaires” are taxed more highly, the cost of consumer products invariably increases. Thus, even those who pay no income taxes, share the pain with the millionaires. True, some of these millionaires are parasites, living off of inherited wealth, but most millionaires function as the economic engines of our country, creating jobs, goods, and wealth for the rest of us. They are NOT the enemy.

Politicians who lie, cheat, and steal are our enemies. And we have far too many enemies in federal, state, and local governments. It’s time for average Americans to participate in our government from voting, to signing petitions, to calling Congressional Clowns, to attending neighborhood and PTA meetings.

Saturday, July 18, 2009

Please Share This Video


Please send this video about nationalized health care to everyone on your email list. You can either embed it in an email or send a link to this site.

Friday, July 17, 2009

How Do I Hate This Health Care Bill? Let Me Count The Ways

1. It ignores the obvious fact that at least part of reason for spiraling health care costs is because insurance companies, trial lawyers, and federal regulations increasingly insert themselves between the physician and the patient.
2. Imagine the result on grocery store prices if employers had to cover the costs of groceries for all their employees. (And groceries are surely more vital to employee well being and job performance than insurance.) Wouldn’t employees be less careful with their grocery shopping? Wouldn’t they tend to buy more of the allowed items and less of whichever items were not covered? Think how much more reasonable plastic surgery has become because most of it is not covered by insurance.
3. While each botched diagnosis or surgery is grievous and victims deserve some compensation, the trial lawyers have developed a cottage industry out of malpractice lawsuits. It is common for malpractice insurance bills to average $250,000 per year. And that has to be paid before caring for the first patient. John Edwards, for just one example, built up a fortune and encouraged numerous obstetricians to flee North Carolina because his lawsuits wrongly convinced juries that birth defects were caused by the physicians.*
4. Regulations by the federal government needlessly cause the price to be higher for selected procedures. For example, Medicare patients must endure multiple days in the hospital when a home health care assistant would be just as effective, less costly, and easier on the patient while simultaneously protecting him from hospital induced illnesses. For example, private insurance companies cover in-home IV infusions treating some cancers, arthritis, gastrointestinal disorders, and infections, but Medicare only pays if it’s done in the hospital.
5. All health care “reforms” now being considered focus only on insurance, not on the whole health care system in the United States. And what we know of the proposals so far reveal that Congressional Clowns are more interested in increasing government control than in caring for patients.
6. The bills now on the table ignore all common sense solutions such as those proposed by Herman Cain: change the tax code so that individuals could deduct insurance expenses just like businesses do, reduce costly government mandates and regulations (see above), allow insurance companies to operate across state lines to enhance competition, encourage retail clinics for basic services, and expand health savings accounts to allow people to make better choices for themselves.
7. The mass media has studiously avoided publicity about any proposals by Republicans. In May, Senators Richard Burr (R NC) and Tom Coburn, M.D. (R OK) along with Representatives Devin Nunes (R CA) and Paul Ryan (R WI) introduced the Patients’ Choice Act that received accolades from conservative groups, but hardly anyone knows about it. Apparently S 1009 just does not cost enough money or expand government enough to make it newsworthy. Just this week Rep. John Shadegg (R-AZ) introduced H.R. 3218, “Improving Health Care for All Americans Act.” Did you hear about it on television news last night?
8. The bill now on the table will allow government agents to enter private homes to vaccinate family members that they deem to have inadequate inoculations. And who knows what vaccinations from Big Brother may be in our future?
9. It costs too much money. The estimates now are $1,500,000,000,000 and we all know estimates are low-balled. The nation is in a recession and government spending is already way out of hand. We owe so much money that our creditors are becoming increasingly reluctant to buy our bonds. Yet our President and Congressional Clowns insist on ramming a new money-pit law down our throats. No one but Joe Biden believes that ‘we have to spend more money to avoid bankruptcy.’
10. The bill in all of its variations will damage, if not kill small business, the real engine of American economy and innovation.

And, I’m sure I’ll find more reasons when I have time to think about it. To read past blogs about health care "reform" and socialized medicine, go here.

*My brother was a trial lawyer, and my niece and her son did suffer greatly because of a poor obstetrician, but that is much more rare than John Edward would have you believe.

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Reading The Bill

According to Investor's Business Daily, page 16 of the proposed Health Care bill has a provision outlawing private insurance. Of course, it's included in another one of those totally misnamed sections entitled, "Protecting the Choice to Keep Current Coverage." The bill states ". . . the individual health insurance issuer offering such coverage does not enroll any individual in such coverage if the first effective date of coverage is on or after the first day" of the year the legislation becomes law. Translation for people who speak plain English is that after the bill becomes law, individuals who have private insurance can not change their plan and those who leave a company to form their own business will not be able to buy from private insurance companies.

It is a Trojan Horse, no matter what President Obama claims.

Barack H(ubris) Obama

U.S. News and World Report has just reported about a dinner Obama held on June 20 with several presidential historians. No mention was made of the reason for the secrecy, but USN&WR did admit that the dinner revealed Obama's belief that he has uniquely positioned to bring about transformaltional change in the US. Chief among his goals is "reforming" health care.

The chosen ones were Michael Beschloss, H. W. Brands, Douglas Brinkley, Robert Caro, Robert Dallek, Doris Kearns Goodwin, David Kennedy, Kenneth Mack, and Garry Wills. Skeptics wonder, since Obama has already published two autobiographies, if the dinner was not a job interview for his chosen biographer.

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

The "Health Care" Proposal

Americans for Tax Reform has a link to download the proposal the House will be considering and voting on before the August recess. Since we can't depend on the Congressional Clowns to read it, we should. According to ATR, the bill includes:
* insurance mandates for both individuals and businesses
* an excise tax on health insurance
* steps towards full double-taxing of corporate income earned abroad
* a new surtax on small businesses and high income earners
Please read all 1018 pages (that's over two reams of paper) and then let everyone know what is in there. We can not continue to let these clowns act so shamefully with legislation. And, when you contact your Clown, try to make him agree to sign up for the government program if he votes for it.

On a related note, Friday, July 17 from 12 to 1, go to the local office of your Congressional Clowns to protest this travesty as part of the Tea Party Protest. If you think you don't have time, remember that freedom is not free; it demands citizen involvement. If we ask our finest young men and women to protect us in the military, then those of us at home must do our part politically.

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Great Minds Run Together Again

After I posted about John Holdren's unsavory ideas yesterday morning, Sean Hannity featured him last night on his Fox News show as he also discussed Obama's czars. Sean added a few more details, such as Holdren's belief that people who deny Global Warming should be prosecuted. You can read about it here.

Speaking of Czars, I neglected to mention Obama's Car Czar, Steve Rattner, who resigned yesterday. Please add comments if you know of others I missed. I'd like to keep an up-to-date list of our new ruling elite.

More Recession Woes

Last week while writing about various aspects of the recession, I mentioned that the real unemployment rate was closer to 16.5% or about 25,000,000 people who need jobs. Today both the Wall Street Journal and American Thinker add details to that statistic.

For example, the average work week for rank and file workers (80% of the work force) fell to 33 hours, the lowest since the government started tracking the data in 1964. Also the length of official unemployment increased to 24.5 weeks, the longest ever recorded. (This record keeping started in 1948.) Another unpleasant fact is that over the next five years the net increase in the labor force (new entrants less those who retire) will be about 1,936,600 per year. So as we try to find jobs for the people who lost them, we will have to also find almost 2 million additional ones for new workers each year for five years. These economic writers expect double digit unemployment to continue well into the future.

Sorry for Late Posting

I did Grandmother Duty all morning and I'm just now getting back to doing my stuff.

Monday, July 13, 2009

Government of, by, and for The Czars

Obama has named at least 21 czars that greatly increase the power of the Executive Branch of our government. None of these people face hearings or confirmations; their sole allegience is to the president. It is such a massive power grab that even Robert Byrd left his sick-bed long enough to pronounce the moves, which are outside of congressional oversight, violate the Constitution.

A president may have as many advisors as he wishes, however the Constitution does not provide for executive “czars” who directly dictate policy, such as Feinberg who will approve of executive pay for any business that receives government money.

After a two-hour search of the Internet I found the names and positions of 21, but I am not certain my list is complete. They are:

Af-Pak: Richard Holbrooke
Border: Alan Bersin
Cars: was Steve Rattner
Climate: Todd Stern
Cybersecurity: Rod A. Beckstrom
Drug: Gil Kerlikowske
Energy: Carol Browner
Executive Pay Rate: Kenneth Feinberg
Faith Based: Joshua DuBois
Guantamano Closure: Daniel Fried
Health Reform: Nancy Ann DeParle
Info Tech: Vivek Kundra
Mideast Peace: George Mitchell
Non proliferation: Gary Samore
Persian Gulf and Southwest Asia: Dennis Ross
Regulatory: Cass Sunstein
Science: John Holdren
Stimulus Accountability: Earl Devaney
Sudan: J. Scott Gration
TARP: Herb Allison
Terrorism: John Brennan
Urban: Adolfo Carrion, Jr.

Little is known about their backgrounds, about their direction from the President, or about the exact scope of their power. For example, few people know that John Holdren has co-authored a book praising forced abortions and mass sterilization, that his Cyber Security Czar claims to know nothing about IT, or that his energy czar is a member of the Socialist International who believes in one world government.

Next time, let's test the candidates for President on their understanding of basic civics and the Constitution. And maybe we need to re-read the Tenth Amendment ourselves.

Read The Bill before Voting!

Last Friday, Investors Business Daily took up my July 8 battle cry to make it illegal for Congressional Clowns to vote on bills they had not read. IBD goes into a lot more detail than I did, but our conclusions are the same, proving, no doubt, that great minds run together.

Let Freedom Ring is sponsoring a pledge drive to get all Senators and Representatives to sign that they will not vote on health care reform if they have not personally read the bill. I think that's great, but it should apply to all legislation. To do otherwise is fraudulent and should be grounds for impeachment.

Card Check!

Al Franken began his Senate career by becoming a co-sponsor of the totally misnamed Employee Free Choice Act (S. 560), better known as Card Check. That is no surprise since he received almost $300,000 from unions in his campaign to win that seat in a state where only 16% of the workforce is unionized. Membership in unions has been declining drastically in all states, so union leaders desperately want Card Check to pass so they can hold on to their power.

Americans for Tax Reform
has several articles discussing the effects on our economy if Card Check passes. But the best one is an interactive game, Get Card Checked!, complete with documentation for each decision chosen during the game. I highly recommend you play it, then send it to your Congressional Clowns.

Friday, July 10, 2009

Please Read the Encyclical before Commenting

Finally someone with access to the latest Papal encyclical, Love in Truth, actually read it before writing or speaking about it. It does NOT promote one world government or call for more power in the UN despite the claims of the New York Times, Reuters, conspiracy bloggers, et al. Non-Catholic reporters usually only skim Pope Benedict’s writings, looking for fodder to bolster their own preconceived notions whether they support “a new world order” or believe that the Pope is the anti-Christ.

His work to too dense to be treated so cavalierly. One must read the whole thing, noting his digressions and illustrations, as well as conclusions.

John Henry Westen of LifeSite News has an editorial explaining it that has also been carried by Canada Free Press. Check it out if you want a better understanding of Pope Benedict’s work.

You Vote for It; You Use It

Often the US Congress has voted for laws that apply to the taxpayers, but not to the law makers. Despite occasional protests from the more savvy voters, this practice has continued for decades.

The primary example is social security. Members of Congress do not participate; they have a different retirement program. And while every election cycle brings ominous predictions that social security will soon be bankrupt, there is no such concern for their retirement program.

Yesterday Rep. John Fleming (R LA), introduced a resolution calling for Congressional Clowns who vote for health care reform to sign up for it themselves and their families and to forego participating in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program. If it’s good enough for the people, it should be good enough for the people who impose the law upon them.

Representatives Wilson (SC), Burton (IN), Bartlett (MD), Linder (GA), Garrett (NJ), Blunt (MO), Scalise (LA), and Alexander (LA) joined him in co-sponoring the resolution. I believe that fed up voters should inundate offices on Capitol Hill with demands for passage of the bill AND we need to call for an amendment to make it apply to all past and future laws passed by Congress.

I, for one, am tired of Public Monarchs instead of Public Servants!

Thursday, July 9, 2009

When The Cat’s Away, The Mice Will Play

While the US media spent 12 days keening for Michael Jackson, our Congressional Clowns continued their headlong rush to pass additional damaging legislation.

The financially destructive Cap and Trade bill passed the House with provisions that prove the “green” movement is more about control of citizens than about the environment. Some of the items seldom mentioned are regulations that force bureaucrats to inspect your home in person before allowing you to obtain a building permit to remodel anything. Then they get to come again before you can put it on the market; if they decide anything is amiss, you have to correct it before it’s advertised.

Those freedom restrictions are in addition to increasing utility costs for every household and increasing costs on everything that’s manufactured in America and thus eliminating jobs in the process.

Not only was it passed without being read, the staffers had not even finished writing the bill before the final vote was taken.

The media didn’t mention those items because what little time they had left after covering Michael Jackson’s family, friends, influence, music, wealth, will, lawsuits, and needle marks was used to advertise the “need” for Democrat versions of health care reform. As frequently happens nowadays, competing bills by Republicans like Dr. Tom Coburn that promote natural market forces to effect savings in health care were deemed unworthy to be brought to public attention.

But, the coup de grâce was delivered by our dear friend, Barney Frank. He used the distractions in the news to introduce TARP for Main Street Act of 2009. As has become routine, the name of the bill does nothing to reveal its outcome. It’s anything but a bill for Main Street.

When Congress passed the TARP bill last fall, the law was written to force banks to pay dividends and loan payments to the general fund of the Treasury to reduce the public debt. Its supporters repeatedly reassured us that TARP was really an investment and we would eventually enjoy a profit.

But Barney’s fingers got itchy when a little bit of money began to dribble into the coffers the second week of June. So he introduced a bill to change the original intention of the TARP bill and instead use the money to fund some of his favorite causes. To wit:
1. Use a billion or so to fund a low-rental housing project that was previously mandated, but not funded. (Hasn’t fifty years of low rent housing proven to be ineffective in every city in the US?)
2. Give $1,500,000,000 to ACORN and other groups for the purpose of “neighborhood stabilization.” (That means that many neighborhoods inside the city are “stabilized” rather than allowed to "gentrify.”)
3. Allocate $2,000,000,000 to subsidize people who are delinquent on their mortgages. (In addition to the money that has already been allocated to allow dead beats to stay in their homes a few months longer.)
4. Hand over another $2,000,000,000 to "stabilize multifamily properties that are in default or foreclosure." (Assisting deadbeats with bigger bills.)

It’s going to be a long, hot summer.

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

The Real Recession (As Opposed to The One The Media Tried to Whip Up for Six Years)

It may take awhile to get back to normal economically. Even the Washington Post has admitted this week that the “Stimulus” is not working. Unfortunately, the knee jerk reaction by some politicians is to start demanding a second “Stimulus” bill.

I think the better reaction would be to pass a bill making it a felony for any Congressional Clown to vote on a bill he has not read. If anyone had bothered to read it before passing the blasted thing, they would have understood that is was nothing more than a conglomeration of Democrat pet projects cobbled together with no real regard for stimulating the economy.

Unemployment continues to rise everywhere except Washington, DC. The official figure, based on people filing for unemployment checks, is 9.5%. According to a Wall Street Journal article last week, the real unemployment figure may be closer to 16.9%. That percentage also includes those who no longer receive unemployment checks, either because they accepted part time jobs in lieu of full time work or gotten out of the job market all together.

Then there is an insightful article in yesterday’s American Thinker about the states with big deficits. When the talk centers on mere numbers, the figures vaguely seem bad, but when taken as a percentage of state budgets, one gets a much better understanding of the crisis. For example, California’s deficit of $53,700,000,000 represents 58% of its budget. According to AT, the reason for the deficits is that tax revenues are down. In fact, tax revenues have dropped more than they did during the Great Depression.

Sometimes Obama Does Meddle

Many were distressed to see Obama waffle during the uprising in Iran because the leader of the free world did not support people who merely yearned for more freedom in a country oppressed by religious tyrants. But these same people are flummoxed that a week later he vociferously supports a leader who was removed from office in response to a Honduran Court arrest warrant.

He says he doesn’t want to meddle, yet he repeatedly meddles in Honduran affairs.

Of course, he is not alone. Both the OAS and the UN have denounced Zelaya’s legal removal office. Has rational thought about the rule of law and national sovereignty ceased to exist?

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Socialized Medicine by Any Other Name Is Still Socialized Medicine

The Democrats keeping renaming their plans for total control of the health care industry in the United States with such appealing words as “reform” and “insurance.” But, as my grandmother used to say, ‘anyone with one eye and half sense’ can easily figure out that it’s still socialized medicine. Despite their protestations of deep concern and sympathy for people like me who were once caught with a catastrophic illness but without insurance, it’s still a grand scheme to increase bureaucratic control of our lives.

There are a few things to always keep in mind when discussing this issue:
1. No one, citizen or illegal alien, is ever denied necessary health care in the United States. Our current system of Byzantine insurance rules and federal regulations needs to be corrected, not transformed.
2. Our most egregious problems with delivery and cost of health care directly result from stupid laws passed by stupid Congressional Clowns in the past. We should work to eliminate their interference with physicians, patients, and hospitals, not increase it.
3. Socialized medicine has not worked well in any country where it’s been enacted; there is no reason to destroy our superior system and follow the same path to destruction.
4. Socialized medicine inevitably results in health care rationing and inferior treatment.
5. Federal bureaucrats will use cost cutting as an excuse to interfere with personal freedom for all citizens. Any activity they decide is counter productive will become illegal. *
6. Adding the U.S. government to the list of 1300 insurance providers we already have will eliminate private insurance, not increase competition. Do not be fooled by pious claims made to make a bill sound better to the general public.
7. Costs ALWAYS greatly exceed the original estimates and so far even the estimates of any Democratic plans are high enough to engender a round of heart attacks across the land.
8. Increased federal control will eliminate conscience clauses for physicians, pharmacists, nurses, and hospitals. Both abortion and euthanasia will increase.

Many of the changes Obama’s administration has effected are deleterious, but they can be changed by future administrations. However, entitlement programs never go away or diminish. This must be stopped! Sign the petition at this website because one petition with many names has more effect that several petitions with fewer names. Then call your Congressional Clowns and email them. Or, best of all, confront them face to face and explain your extreme opposition to any plan proposed thus far. Then recruit your friends and family to take up the cause. Their lives may depend on it.

We need to remember the closing lines of our Declaration of Independence because our country will always need patriots to defend its principles: "And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor."

To read all posts on health care, go here.

* Remember the egg. In the fifties, it was considered the perfect food. Then with the fat phobia of the seventies, it almost became contraband. There was no memory of the lecithin in the yolk or its benefits for health. Instead, families were daily encouraged to avoid eggs for their health. Recently, some semblance of sanity has returned to the breakfast wars. But just imagine bureaucrats let loose with the ability to put the latest food fad into law.

Yes, We Had A Wedding


Pictured above are Craig, Fr. Bolton, and Carrie inside Church of Our Saviour.

And after the wedding, we had to catch up with all the stuff we'd been postponing until after the wedding. But life is back to its new normal and FairKaye will help you keep up with politics and culture.

Universal Government Run Health Care?

Our favorite illustrator of political realities (see examples here and here) has a tiny video out on health care as it exists now. Watch it; it's well worth your time.