Friday, August 14, 2009
Government Health Care and Terri Shiavo
Okay. I have heard this said places, but just wanted to pointed it out.
Apparently the government involvement in an individuals health care is bad, unless the person is brain dead and the local/state government isn't doing what I want them to do.
Labels: Health care reform
Health Care -The Kent Conrad Files
I heard this afternoon that Senator Conrad has announced that like his Republican counterparts, if there is a government backed option in the Health care reform bill, he will not vote for it.
Mr. Conrad, I am not one of your constituents, so you can ignore me. I have a problem with this, and I will work from out of state to see that you are replaced next year when you are up for re-election if you stand behind this statement when the bill comes up for a vote, and has a public option.
You have my word on that.
Labels: Health care reform
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Health Care - The Arlen Spector Files
The other day at a town hall Senator Specter encounter an amazing cross section of, in my opinion, dishonest stupidity.
Case 1: I don't know the woman's name so I will just refer to her as Mrs. Sleeping Giant.
She was interviewed on Hardball last night. Despite being nervous, she actually was quite communicative, up to a point.
She was asked about her political background and said she didn't really follow politics. Despite this a few minutes later, she mentioned that she was at a friends residence the night before and was involved in one of an on-going, and many over many years, discussion of political issues. While she said it was a civil debate. I felt that it clearly shows that she has been following politics for some time. She also asked the question she asked from a piece of paper. I am guessing the question was not her own.
When asked why she objected to the health care plan her reasons were that it wasn't Constitutional and she didn't want to pay more in taxes. She was then asked if she and her husband (who own a small business) made more than $250,000.00. After hesitating for a moment, she explained that she was not comfortable discussing that on TV, and that her husband handled all the bills so she really didn't know. (My reading of this, no they didn't and she didn't know of that being a cut-off.
The interviewer then asked if her parents were on Medicare and Social Security. She said not yet but that they would be soon. The host then asked if she felt that Medicare was a good program. After hesitating again, her response was that she felt the government had a number of programs that were not really covered in the Constitution.
Case 2:
Craig Anthony Miller, 59. Or as many people will recognize him, Angry Yelling guy.
The above link is to an article about Mr Miller. I am going to report a few items on him.
1. He is on Disability.
2. His medical coverage is provided through his wife's job.
3. He had a number of jobs before his disability.
4. He only became politically active in the last few months.
5. Miller likes to watch Fox News and enjoys commentators Glenn Beck and Sean Hannity.
6. He said he thinks Obama wants to set himself up as a dictator for life,
7. "I'm not against all government programs," he said, "just those where they are stepping in where they don't have to step in. Their main job is to take care of those citizens who don't have a voice."
Let's just look that list over for a few moments. I have a feeling that items 4,5, and 6 are completely related. I also like that he thinks some government programs are good. Apparently as long as they benefit him. He is upset with the government because he feels, essentially, that the FDA is preventing doctors from being able to prescribe medications that would limit his pain from Fribromyalgia, and allow him to go back to work.
I would like to now discuss this point for a moment. I understand his problem there, he wants to go back to work but can't because of pain. I have joint pain as a result of my Crohn's. If I was working in a job or industry that required me to do physical labor on a regular basis, I would likely not be able to. Up until about a year ago I was on a medication that would have made it possible, but I started to break through and went off. I am not having 'main line' symptoms of the Crohn's so I am not taking anything on the strong side. I am taking medications that help limit the pain and discomfort, but there are times I am in pain. The FDA had approved the medication I was on for long-term treatment for my condition at about the time I went on it.
All that being said, and my understanding of his situation, he is still an idiot. He thinks a President who has been in office for less than a year is trying to set himself up as dictator for life, I am sure if I found out more about this man I would not be surprised to find additional idiocy in his ideas.
To wrap this segment up I am going to repost something that was posted in a discussion thread on Fark.com
by a poster named Ozone at this link http://www.fark.com/cgi/comments.pl?IDLink=4572890:
This morning I was awoken by my alarm clock powered by electricity generated by the public power monopoly regulated by the U.S. Department of Energy.
I then took a shower in the clean water provided by a municipal water utility.
After that, I turned on the TV to one of the FCC-regulated channels to see what the National Weather Service of the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration determined the weather was going to be like, using satellites designed, built, and launched by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
I watched this while eating my breakfast of U.S. Department of Agriculture-inspected food and taking the drugs which have been determined as safe by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
At the appropriate time, as regulated by the U.S. Congress and kept accurate by the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the U.S. Naval Observatory, I get into my National Highway Traffic Safety Administration-approved automobile and set out to work on the roads build by the local, state, and federal Departments of Transportation, possibly stopping to purchase additional fuel of a quality level determined by the Environmental Protection Agency, using legal tender issued by the Federal Reserve Bank.
On the way out the door I deposit any mail I have to be sent out via the U.S. Postal Service and drop the kids off at the public school.
After spending another day not being maimed or killed at work thanks to the workplace regulations imposed by the Department of Labor and the Occupational Safety and Health administration, enjoying another two meals which again do not kill me because of the USDA, I drive my NHTSA car back home on the DOT roads, to my house which has not burned down in my absence because of the state and local building codes and Fire Marshal's inspection, and which has not been plundered of all its valuables thanks to the local police department.
And then I log on to the internet -- which was developed by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Administration -- and post on Freerepublic.com and Fox News forums about how SOCIALISM in medicine is BAD because the government can't do anything right.
After that, I turned on the TV to one of the FCC-regulated channels to see what the National Weather Service of the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration determined the weather was going to be like, using satellites designed, built, and launched by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
I watched this while eating my breakfast of U.S. Department of Agriculture-inspected food and taking the drugs which have been determined as safe by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
At the appropriate time, as regulated by the U.S. Congress and kept accurate by the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the U.S. Naval Observatory, I get into my National Highway Traffic Safety Administration-approved automobile and set out to work on the roads build by the local, state, and federal Departments of Transportation, possibly stopping to purchase additional fuel of a quality level determined by the Environmental Protection Agency, using legal tender issued by the Federal Reserve Bank.
On the way out the door I deposit any mail I have to be sent out via the U.S. Postal Service and drop the kids off at the public school.
After spending another day not being maimed or killed at work thanks to the workplace regulations imposed by the Department of Labor and the Occupational Safety and Health administration, enjoying another two meals which again do not kill me because of the USDA, I drive my NHTSA car back home on the DOT roads, to my house which has not burned down in my absence because of the state and local building codes and Fire Marshal's inspection, and which has not been plundered of all its valuables thanks to the local police department.
And then I log on to the internet -- which was developed by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Administration -- and post on Freerepublic.com and Fox News forums about how SOCIALISM in medicine is BAD because the government can't do anything right.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Health Care Reform
I plan on writing on the health care reform quite a bit because I feel that this is a very important issue. As such I am going to give a little background on why this is important to me.
Both my wife and I have a 'pre-existing conditions.' I have Crohn's Disease, my wife has a mental health problem.
The problem is this. I have been unemployed several times over the last few years. None of these umemployments have been a result of anything on my preformance. My wife has, until the last couple of years, worked as a nurse. She is in graduate school and hasn't been working.
During the last year, we had to pay $641.00 per month for medical insurance, this we had to do with no income other than unemployment. We also had to pay rent, car payments, buy food, buy medications. pay for utilities, and all the other day to day expenses that everyone has. To accomplish this we had to borrow money from family and friends, as well as use ALL of our retirement savings.
I am not asking for a hand out. I am willing to pay for my insurance. But I strongly feel that changes need to be made. That being said I feel that I have given you the situation and basis for my perspective. Starting in the next couple of days I will start to discuss the issues as I see them. Hopefully Someone out there will feel the need to discuss the issues.
Labels: Health care reform
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Health Care Reform, Debate, Townhall Meetings, and Guns
I don't know about anyone else, but my headline makes me hum the 'One of these things' song from Sesame Street.
I am not really sure why someone felt they needed to take a gun to a town hall meeting, but someone did.
Also when President Obama appeared for a town hall meeting today, an opponent appeared on the lawn of a church across the street with a gun strapped on. Aside from what is obviously an attempt to intimidate people, what is the point. If you have a problem with a policy protest, speak out, don't threaten people with a gun. Bully tactics are both ridiculous and childish. And that is what is happening right now. The Right appears to be left with bully tactics.
Labels: Democracy under assault
Tuesday, August 04, 2009
Clinton and North Korea
Just a quick thought on this.
I find it interesting that President Clinton spent a few hours in North Korea, and was able to get the 2 young ladies being held in prison out.
I also found it interesting that the North Koreans were honored at the former President came for a visit and to discuss some issue with The Dear Leader.
It seems that this worked in every body's favor. It made the North Koreans feel good. It may have helped improve the relationship with North Korea, though that we have to wait to see, and the Obama Administration has some ability to disavow that they stepped in to the situation.
The situation with Iran is going to be more telling in some ways. There is no one in the US that is that well respected by the Iranians.
I'll be interested to see how this plays out.
Labels: Obama Admin, Some Thoughts
Monday, August 03, 2009
Something New
This is going to be a new start so to speak.
It has been some time since I wrote with any consistency, but I am going to try to do more for several reasons.
1. I am in a new place, and by myself at the moment. (More in a moment)
2. I feel a need to express myself again, something I haven't felt like doing much in quite sometime.
3. I miss just getting things that are bothering me off my chest, even if the outside world neither knows or cares.
I am sure there are other reasons as well, but this seems like enough for now.
Now the new place additional information.
I have relocated from Northeast Ohio to North Western New York. I have basically moved from the middle of Lake Erie to the Eastern end of Lake Erie. I am currently working and living in the Buffalo area.
I have been here for five weeks as of yesterday, and started a new job 5 weeks ago today. It was almost a year of living with out me or my wife working and that made for a very long and financially draining year. My wife is still living in Northeast Ohio, but will hopefully be joining me before the beginning of October.
The best way to describe my home situation is camping in an apartment. I am sleeping on an inflatable mattress, I have a card table to serve as both my table and desk. I have a camping chair, a lazy boy recliner (not really the most camping like item), no real eating utensils, (and I am getting really tired of plastic silverware) and a cat. Actually I have a TV but unfortunately it got dropped when I was moving it into the apartment and it doesn't work anymore.
That being said I am preparing to move forward with a new chapter of my life, and as I said earlier, I feel a need to express myself again.
So here I am.
Labels: Personal
