Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Civic Literacy Report - Civics Quiz
While trolling through google, which I do regularly, I came across this quiz. Out of curiosity I took it. I was quite surprised by the results. I linked to it in case some of you would also like to take it. Post your answers if you want or let's just talk about the quiz.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Git, Git, Git Outta Here
Gitmo. Even the word causes every one's hackles to rise. I really don't see the problem. Why do we put so much dependence on the weight of international condemnation? These hardcore leftovers are so virulent that no one anywhere wants them. Well, I've got news for you: WE DON'T WANT THEM EITHER!!! Why on God's green earth would we want them on our soil? It would be much easier terrorist target than Gitmo and then what would we do with 200+ terrorists and other criminals released into our countryside? What kind of devastating attack would be used to obtain their release and how much loss of life would ensue? Added to that insurmountable problem, while they were incarcerated, the proselytizing in our jails could be rampant. Think about the disaffected criminals wanting to belong to something bigger than themselves, along with gaining the feeling of superiority against the system that they feel has abused them (Isn't that what makes the poorest of our society prone to joining gangs?) And if any convicts escaped the devastation, these recaptured criminals (possible terrorists recruits), having serving their time would then be released to blend into our country until the opportunity to wreak havoc presented itself.
Here is an option that might quiet the foreign states and the liberal democrats here. Offer this opportunity for five or six terrorists, these selected by the terrorists themselves. Send them to the hardest lockdown maximum security prison for a period of three months and then let them share their experiences with the other Gitmo then poll them to see if they want to stay at relative comfort Gitmo or return to the maximum security prison. I would be very suspect of any of those terrorists' who wanted to return to the harshness of a mainland prison. Proselytizing, recruiting and a possible jailbreak would always be haunting the back of my mind.
I think that a public relations coup would be to televise a feed of one of their favorite movies or TV shows with a clock hanging in view of the camera. Do this when it is time for prayers. I would be interested in seeing what their reaction and decision would be. Offer popcorn and sodas and beers. I wonder if they would neglect their prayers. This would be a very telling tape to broadcast over the existing broadcasts (I definitely need to research this more.) into Islamic TV channels. Well the bloom would just be off the apple, so to speak. They would no longer be the martyrs of Islam, just a bunch of lazy guys hanging out in quarters much nicer than most Muslim families live in and eating much better, also. Something to think about.
Anyhow, back to the real world. President Obama's penchant to reword anything to do with terrorism could work in our favor. Terrorists are now "enemy combatants" (though Christian Americans are still "terrorists") while acts of terrorism will no longer be referred to as such, but rather as man-made disasters. This would be hysterical if it were not the serious problem that it is. We are not to refer to any terrorists as Muslims although most are Muslims. If they were a Black group, Native Americans, Whites, Japanese, Australians, or Aleuts that would be the descriptive noun that would be given out to the press in hopes of a quick resolution. Why tape our mouths when something is as serious as this?
Anyhow, I digress. With all the changes why don't we just change Gitmos name. Lets see...
O-Observation
B- buildings for
A-Avian
M-Migratory
A-Alleys
and
D- Detention
C- Camp
That's it! The new name That Gitmo will now be known as, is "OBAMA D.C."
Alright, alright so it's not the best... see if you can do any better!
"Middle East" ~ Sitting in a nowhere land, making all their nowhere plans for nobody.
Israel has a right to be concerned. If we fail them, they will stand alone, surrounded by hostile countries who funnel their misdirected anger toward Israel. Yet, it is not Israel, or even the United States, but Great Britain and France that are at the very root of the Palestinian and Israeli problem.
It really began with the Sykes-Picot agreement of 1916 with the British taking control of the Middle East and the French with the remainder of the Ottoman Empire. The British Mandate granted Israel a homeland in the Middle East area that Britain with the tacit agreement of the other European countries had divided up into the newly countries of Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Palestine. This was greeted with great anxiety by the Arabs, because The British Mandate stated that immigration of Jews into their new homeland should be bound only by the Jewish economy's ability to support such growth. The influx of 300,000 European Jews, adding to the 150,000 (already living in harmony with the Palestinians) was the basis of this anger, even though the Israeli growth had also been sanctioned by the League of Nations. Jews and Arabs had lived in this area for thousands of years with their populations coexisting peacefully side by side. The problem was with the Mandate itself which was so ambiguous that it could be interpreted differently by Arabs and Jews, exacerbating existing problems. We and our European allies' meddling started this mess and has kept this conflict brewing, growing larger and more violent even as we speak. The carving up of the Middle East was done by many European nations (but principally France and Great Britain) without the consent of the parties actually involved.. One bone of contention for the Palestinians is the Jewish acquisition of land from mostly absentee Arab landholders whose only concern is for the money they will receive. The Arabs want to stop Jews from purchasing the lands but are only furious with the Jews and not the landholders, which is hard for most people to understand. Obviously this is unfair to both parties as these are legal transactions. If the M.E. countries really wanted to put an end to this argument they could start by purchasing the properties, donating the land to a trust and putting any monies in a trust account for Palestinians to use for reclamation of the country once the hostilities cease. Consider the outlook for the future if hostilities continue to deteriorate…the ones who will suffer the most will be the very young, the very old and the women. Since both parties have an ancient claim to the land and the problem has escalated far beyond the original scope, it is time to put an end to this.
Countries surrounding Palestine are as small as Palestine with the exception of Egypt. A land consisting of equal parts of Jordan. Lebanon, Syria, Egypt and Israel would give the Palestinians a homeland in parts of original homeland (many Palestinians still live in Jordan and Lebanon and over 150,000 Palestinians have been granted citizenship in Israel where, by the way, they are treated better than in any of the Arab countries. Perhaps increased aid from the top worldwide economies and the U.N. could be an inducement, especially worldwide support for Israel's existence. Ending this nightmare must be a top priority for the world, and everyone has to "give a little to get a little...". Foreign aid could repair the Palestinian infrastructure and the stability would attract investors. Ironically, not one of the countries bordering Israel want to do this for the Palestinians…only Israel.
I wish I could shake this feeling that none of the countries in the Middle East want this problem solved because:
1. The uproar keeps the world focus away from their own very real human rights violations and/or terroristic tendencies (Egypt, Libya, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Somalia, Dubai, Yemen and Lebanon just to name a few.)
2. These countries need their Arabian populations to remain focused on Israel and away from the very real problems they have at home.
3. If the problem were solved, the United States would not feel the need to funnel untold billions to all of the counties in that region. I believe that they will do whatever it takes to keep that money flowing into their government's and ruling clan's coffers.
4. The amount of technology we send to these countries is incredible. This is in turn used against Israel, us and even their own people.
Until the moderates and others of like opinions come out from hiding and diligently work at this problem, nothing will be resolved and threatening or bullying will only harden minds and attitudes further. I am still researching this problem and all its complexities so please give it due consideration and let's talk. thetruthtzar.blogspot.com/
Jobs, Jobs and More Jobs…Yeah, Right!
The Obama Administration likes to tout the "fact" that many new jobs are being created, thereby lowering our out-of-control unemployment situation. Oh, really? Are these real jobs, or a temporary Bandaid on the Unemployment Cancer?
Too many of these new jobs are temporary jobs; census takers, home weatherizers, etc. Also included in these totals are many new government and service industry jobs, which skews and corrupts the numbers. I don’t think the view will clear up anytime soon because of the summer employment of students and temporary food harvesters. It will be October before things clear up and we can get an actual employment count. Any successes claimed before then are just political posturing.
Is our whole economic hari-kari situation the entire problem or is the problem also with NAFTA and the Chinese undercutting us with unfair tariffs and keeping their monies artificially jacked up?
More to come!
Too many of these new jobs are temporary jobs; census takers, home weatherizers, etc. Also included in these totals are many new government and service industry jobs, which skews and corrupts the numbers. I don’t think the view will clear up anytime soon because of the summer employment of students and temporary food harvesters. It will be October before things clear up and we can get an actual employment count. Any successes claimed before then are just political posturing.
Is our whole economic hari-kari situation the entire problem or is the problem also with NAFTA and the Chinese undercutting us with unfair tariffs and keeping their monies artificially jacked up?
More to come!
Cass Sunstein? You decide
How about this guy.
Sunstein was confirmed by the Senate as the administrator of the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, otherwise known as the nation’s“regulatory czar.”
According to Red State.com, Cass Sunstein, President Obama's regulatory Czar, has championed creating fake websites and using outside 501(c)(3) interest groups to act as alleged independent champions of government policy and to, "cognitively infiltrate," opposition websites. WHAT?
According to Red State.com, Cass Sunstein, President Obama's regulatory Czar, has championed creating fake websites and using outside 501(c)(3) interest groups to act as alleged independent champions of government policy and to, "cognitively infiltrate," opposition websites. WHAT?
In other words, Cass Sunstein has favored the government using outside parties as government propaganda agents to paint their opposition as fringe and undermine their credibility, kind of like what's been happening with the Tea Party movement now. Let's see, wasn't that SEIU members pretending to be Tea Party activists, causing violence (beating and kicking that young black veteran who was just trying to sell American flags) in front of TV cameras? Where was their shame and where are their prison sentences?
Sunstein advocates that the government's stealthy infiltration should be accomplished by sending covert agents "into chat rooms, online social networks or even real space groups." He also proposes that the government make secret payments to those "independent" credible voices to bolster the government's message.
Is this an abuse of power? You decide.
Considering Sunstein's recommendations, it is not far removed to speculate that the Obama administration is behind a new anti Tea Party website called "The Other 25," which defends the government from Tea Party criticisms and attacks the Tea Party movement as a fringe. The website purports to be authentically grassroots, though one must wonder when the last time any grassroots activists took the time to defend the government. The designer is affiliated with moveon.org and other leftwing websites. But the most notable is the donation page. You can make donations to Democracy in Action. Democracy in Action is not for individual activists to use. It is for small and medium size 501(c)(3) organizations and others on the left. Democracy in action? Its clients include ACORN, True Majority, and the NAACP. Let's also remember that Center For American Progress led by Obama's transition team director John Podesta has a regular 8:00 a.m. phone call to coordinate activity on the left. To call authentic inauthentic and then create something inauthentic, demanding it be called authentic. Say what?
Sunstein advocates that the government's stealthy infiltration should be accomplished by sending covert agents "into chat rooms, online social networks or even real space groups." He also proposes that the government make secret payments to those "independent" credible voices to bolster the government's message.
Is this an abuse of power? You decide.
Considering Sunstein's recommendations, it is not far removed to speculate that the Obama administration is behind a new anti Tea Party website called "The Other 25," which defends the government from Tea Party criticisms and attacks the Tea Party movement as a fringe. The website purports to be authentically grassroots, though one must wonder when the last time any grassroots activists took the time to defend the government. The designer is affiliated with moveon.org and other leftwing websites. But the most notable is the donation page. You can make donations to Democracy in Action. Democracy in Action is not for individual activists to use. It is for small and medium size 501(c)(3) organizations and others on the left. Democracy in action? Its clients include ACORN, True Majority, and the NAACP. Let's also remember that Center For American Progress led by Obama's transition team director John Podesta has a regular 8:00 a.m. phone call to coordinate activity on the left. To call authentic inauthentic and then create something inauthentic, demanding it be called authentic. Say what?
What is it that he is supposed to regulate?
This is the person Cass Sunstein is, and this is what Cass Sunstein does. He nudges. He moves. He slides into positions.
I think this speaks for itself. I am appalled that someone with his mentality is this close to our President. In fact I am downright speechless (for the moment that is.) Are you rendered speechless also? If not blog me with your thoughts
Space Nuts!
The news just reminded me. Why are we ending The Space Shuttle Program, our only way to get to the spacestation, you know, (the one that the U.S. pretty much paid for?) Now we are going to depend on the Russians to get us there (Thanks, President Bush.) Oh boy, where have our heads been?(rhetorical question.) We let ourselves get caught with our pants down on this one and now with our economy as it is we can't do much about it. China, compliments of our technology, are building their own space program. They are going gangbusters and they can pay for it with all the billions and billions we are paying them in interest (Thanks, President Obama.) The Chinese are already working on their "star wars" program. They have used lasers to shoot and destroy old satellites. Hum... they invaded Tibet and are repopulating it with Chinese to perform social and religious genocide (They are trying to say they have even selected the Panchen Lama which is an extremely offensive to the Tibetans, which is a very solemn and sacred event which only the Dali Llama can select, not the government of communist China.) The Tibetan plateaus contain huge amounts of uranium so enticing to make and mount those long and short range nuclear tipped missiles. Hmm... they have the largest standing army(they dwarf ours), one billion plus, in the world, they are very secretive about their nuclear submarine program and now we have proof that they are constantly trying to invade our internets and our government and our individual lack of self-control has put them in the position to totally destroy our economy. Hmm...WHAT THE HELL ARE WE THINKING??
We need to support the private sector, as they are working furiously to get to the moon which should be our nation's next goal. How much vital minerals could be mined and even processed there that would help our country
/ Can we afford to let those be claimed by every other space faring nation? Can we really afford to allow other countries to stake their claims on the moon and stand between our country and Mars? We need to have the cuts in the space program decided by the people who work these programs with an overview by a panel of independent observers, scientists and accountants (notice I did not say czars). NASA knows what we need as a space faring country and how best to salvage it. In this tight economy we do not need to be laying off Nasa employees and those employed by 'satelitte' businesses that are scattered across the nation. Almost every state would be adversely affected.
/ Can we afford to let those be claimed by every other space faring nation? Can we really afford to allow other countries to stake their claims on the moon and stand between our country and Mars? We need to have the cuts in the space program decided by the people who work these programs with an overview by a panel of independent observers, scientists and accountants (notice I did not say czars). NASA knows what we need as a space faring country and how best to salvage it. In this tight economy we do not need to be laying off Nasa employees and those employed by 'satelitte' businesses that are scattered across the nation. Almost every state would be adversely affected.
It is imperative: we must stop spending except for the absolutely necessary and the only fair way to do it is to cut across the board. I can hear it now, but how can we ask one segment of our population to bear the brunt of this? The only logical plan is to cut and put all those monies to paying off our national debt as soon as possible. And that means every last cent of those hard earned tax dollars, starting with those unused stimulus dollars, and having the states return the funds they are not using on actual job CREATING.
Hey how about an pro-abortion tax. Say 1% of gross personal earnings. Everyone who voted for pro-abortion candidates (include Congress and the Senate) could have this tax levied on them. President Obama has all those names and addresses so it should be easy enough. That and the soda tax(Michelle Obama wants one to help with her obesity program anyway) should really make a dent in that deficit.
Just a thought.So lets' get that old blood boiling, pumping up to that brain infusing it with fresh thought. Like I said, just a thought.
Here's to whose health?
It is as we feared, that massive, constipated, bloated healthcare bill is now law. Oh, give me a break! The commerce clause, now really. The whole manner in which this law was initiated, written and passed stinks to high heaven. Now what are we to do? Unfortunately we must try and repeal this law, throwing out all of it because the wording is so dense and convoluted that it is nigh near impossible to tell the good, the bad and the downright ugly. Now it is time to create a bill that works for everyone, and I mean EVERYONE. We need imput from all, liberal, conservative and independent, libertarian and anyone else who might have a hand in the game.
My first question is WHY are we taking our young girls out of school, paying for a serious procedure (abortion) then bringing them back to school as if nothing had happened? I doubt that many parents would willingly give their consent if they thought that consent was for anything other than for sex education or transporting a child to the doctor or emergency room, while notifying the parents of the situation (accidents or illnesses). What if this abortion had caused severe bleeding... would the girl even tell her parents since the school authorities were in collusion with her to keep her parents from finding out? So the next morning (in this hypothetical scenario) Mom and Dad find her half dead from complications and profuse bleeding and are beside themselves when they find out the truth. And educators wonder why homeschooling is on the upswing. Parents should always have the final say in their children's healthcare, unless there are problems that should be addressed in the courts. Enough on that for now.
I have a few thoughts on things that I want to share with you. We do need to help subsidize people who want to become doctors. We need to save gas, right? And the most vulnerable us, the elderly and our children need to have access to good healthcare. Why do we not have doctors fresh out of residency spend two years at our schools, at a modest salary, in exchange for a waiver of a portion of their school loans? Now our educators need some assistance and some of the elderly need companionship. I see five school buses going up my street with two or three kids and coming down with another one or two. Elderly volunteers could catch the buses and come to school. In the mornings the doctors could see the children and the volunteers could work in the classrooms, reading, helping kids who are having trouble and in general assisting the teachers. After they all have a hot meal (the only hot meal many will have that day), the elderly volunteers could see the doctor if needed and enjoy socializing with the other volunteers (many have become somewhat isolated because they are not able to drive or are not comfortable driving). At the end of the day, they board the buses and return home. This might cut down on problems now occurring one the buses thus allowing the drivers to fully concentrate on driving, possibly cutting down on accidents resulting in reduced insurance rates allowing more monies for actual education. Any thoughts on this?
Here There and Everywhere Else
I just read a story about 'anchor babies'. This is when people from all over the world come into the country to have their babies. This will keep them in the country and allow them to qualify for all available aid that the American poor can receive. Seems we now have a new twist to the problem. European travel agencies are aggressively promoting programs for what was once available to only a few wealthier patrons. Plane fare to a city of their choice a hotel or private home for ladies who will then have their babies, obtaining an American birth certificate which will keep them in the country and allow them to qualify for all available aid that the American poor can receive. The raping, I mean reaping of many benefits are what they are after. Looking down the road they see breaks on school tuition, and easy entry in and exit out because of the dual citizenship passports. This practice is catching on with other middle to lower-middle class Europeans, Asians, Africans and Middle Easterners who show up at hospital emergency rooms just in time to deliver and get that sought after birth certificate. You can see the possible problem. Then, of course baby's father and siblings come and stay and become eligible for all sorts of aid, complements of the U. S. taxpayers, which due to our own economic woes we now simply cannot afford. I must say, it kind of gets under my skin. I don't know about the rest of you, but I can't afford to raise another family. As my grandmother would often say, I've got enough on my plate! We must deal with illegal immigrations on every front and close loopholes like the anchor babies. Diplomats' American born children may have automatic immunity but they do not have automatic citizenship so no citizenship for these "anchor"children. We must change the law and put a stop to it immediately. Yes, just like that!
Next, we need personnel who have experience in what is essentially a paramilitary situation. Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California should be able to recall their own National Guard troops from other operations, both domestic and international, to reinforce the border guards. Many of our soldiers have been exhausted by far too many combat tours of duty. They need some time that they can slowly begin to unwind and begin to rebuild their relations with their families. They will become better soldiers and healthier and happier citizens, just by being closer to home. Congress should supply whatever equipment and supplies may be necessary to ensure the success of these operations and the safety of the personnel involved. We must remember these are primarily the states' militias, and as such should be used as the governor and the states militias' top brass deem necessary. We should never have U.S. military personnel performing police operations on our streets. They must come under state control when they reenter the country. Now, I know this might initially stretch us a bit tight, but how can we in good judgment send armed forces all over the world while ignoring the plight of our citizens in the border states and the increasing danger to our country as a whole? Secondly, we will need to assimilate a large segment of illegal aliens who are now hiding in this country. Yes, I said hiding, underground, lurking in the shadows . Many are here, trapped in low paying jobs, afraid of being caught or intimidated by their employers or landlords, huddled in mostly substandard housing, sending back almost every cent they earn to their families across the border. We need to find a way to offer citizenship to many and do it ASAP.
And here's how I believe we can accomplish this.
We should offer to all able-bodied men and women, between the ages of 18 and 27, who are in the United States illegally but are not convicted or charged with a serious crime, the opportunity to learn English if needed, join our military, go through training, and honorably serve the U.S. overseas for a period of from two to four years earning not a general discharge, but an" honorable discharge." In exchange, these individuals and their immediate families (spouse, children, parents and grandparents only) would be afforded U.S. citizenship status upon completion of their military obligation. The families could stay in the country on a provisional visas until this military obligation is completed. This time could enable the family to also learn remedial English if needed. Anyone who signs up are doing this for their families and the weight of this responsibility should help them to undertake this role very seriously.
By bolstering our troop numbers overseas with these new volunteers we free up our National Guard to return to America to begin to clean up our border, help our farmers and ranchers protect their property, thereby allowing the state, county and local law enforcement to do the jobs they were hired to do. Having soldiers closer to their families is something we need to make happen as quickly as possible..The amount of tours of duties some have been forced to endure is an absolute shame! So these solutions seems to be a win-win situation to me!
Here's to your health!
Talk about your flashpoint! Everyone has an opinion about the health care crisis and all they want to do is shout each other down. I have my own and since this is my forum, here is my opinion! Although this is very a complex problem, I don't believe that 2000+ pages are necessary to put together a bill that can address our needs. First let's agree that everyone knows we need to fix this, and we also know that what is going on now is political posturing. So let's try to get beyond this. Getting the existing problems under control is an absolute necessity, and doing so will require a multi-pronged approach of reforming Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security and Immigration.
Medicare: a general overlook. Most elderly look at this as their absolute right…after all they paid into this program all their lives, and now at sixty two or sixty five they feel it's their just due, but consider this, 40-45 years ago FICA was a very small deduction because salaries were quite a bit lower. As wages increased so did the deductions up and until the $120,000 wage cap is reached (at which time any income over this amount is not subject to the Medicare tax.) Even at, say, 7% accrued interest on the amounts paid in are not that significant; an operation, hospital stay, expensive prescriptions, possibly physical therapy or nursing care can easily wipe out everything a person has paid into for their entire working lives. Now at sixty two - sixty five a large portion of our elderly population have another good 10-20 years of, unfortunately, slowly deteriorating health. As you can see, this problem alone has already bankrupted Medicare. Now about that income cap, it must be removed. It is unfair as it shifts more of the burden on the middle class.
Also one of the things that has bothered me for years has been watching actors on television making pitches for companies, usually insurance companies, stating things like,"if you are on Medicare like I am…" Why are they on Medicare? As I have stated I believe there should not be a ceiling limit on Medicare taxes, income, all income should be taxable, while lower family incomes should be the deciding factor on being able to qualify for this benefit. This Medicare deduction should just be considered a necessary existing tax on the wealthy, sorry Michael Moore, but you really did ask for it. Share the pain! I also get incensed when I hear people say that they really don't need Medicare, but since it is available, what the heck, they might as well take it. If someone hands you cash, grab it, morality be damned. So many people are barely making ends meet trying to pay their portion of medical expenses and not having to resort to eating catfood while you will draw yours to use for something frivolious. Where is your conscience? WAKE UP PEOPLE! This nation is in pain and sinking fast. And yes, I am talking to every man and woman of this country.
"Now is the time for all good men (and women) to come to the aid of their country"... hackneyed and trite yes, but relevant.
Medicare's billing errors are killing us (the taxpayers), affecting the quality of our healthcare and our economy, and we are paying the price for these errors. Too much red tape and too many hands in the pot. It is time we simplify this boondoogle of a program, not only for the elderly and handicapped who now depend on it, but also for the overworked and underpaid professionals who take care of us.
As many are not aware, Medicare puts a cap on what they will pay for each procedure. These payments are already inadequate and the payments have just been cut again, leaving many physicians and therapists disheartened and disillusioned; and with so much of their income based on an increasingly aging (Medicare) population, well, this, as you can see, is causing a generation of future doctors and nurses to question whether they want to saddle themselves with the tremendous burden of loans necessary to become a doctor while at the same time significantly delaying their income producing years.
Healthcare professionals sacrifice so much to achieve their goal and their commitment to our health is undeniable, especially primary care doctors, who are the most overworked and underpaid of all. These selfless doctors are the ones who see us regularly, they know our names, our histories and interact with secondary care for us. They are our number one defense against illness, and with Medicare's paltry payments to these doctors, it forces them to take on more and more patients to make ends meet, the results being that they can barely take enough time with each of us (to our determent,) Couple this with expense of running an office, their own charity with indigent patients and outrageous insurance premiums to protect against lawsuits (but torte reform is for another blog,) many are now thinking about retiring or going into research. I know, four of my doctors are considering their options.
See even this small portion of overhauling will need more than a few weeks or even months. There are no quick answers, we didn't get into this mess overnight and now that everyone sees the necessity of reworking such a huge entitlement program we could take the time and produce a healthcare program that would, indeed, be the model for all nations; after all, people now come to our country to receive treatment, because even in its existing form, we have the best healthcare can offer. We all know we want everyone to have not just adequate, but really good healthcare. We, whether Democratic, Republican, Independent, or whatever, know having healthcare as a good thing, but we simply cannot begin to add people to our current healthcare system (or the one just passed by Congress and signed into by President Obama) while we are bleeding so many doctors.
This is just one facet of the problems we face. So, any ideas? Why don't you give these problems some serious thought, discuss it around the dinner table or in the car with your children and then blog me at thetruthtzar.blogspot.com/2010/04/"here's-to-your-health_27.html with your serious suggestions. We can "build it stronger, better and cheaper," so let's hear from you and please keep it civil...because hopefully we can get suggestions from some of your children get them involved; plus I just don't like to hear inappropriate language, the kind that would get grandma to wash your mouth out with soap (homemade lye soap!)
Medicare: a general overlook. Most elderly look at this as their absolute right…after all they paid into this program all their lives, and now at sixty two or sixty five they feel it's their just due, but consider this, 40-45 years ago FICA was a very small deduction because salaries were quite a bit lower. As wages increased so did the deductions up and until the $120,000 wage cap is reached (at which time any income over this amount is not subject to the Medicare tax.) Even at, say, 7% accrued interest on the amounts paid in are not that significant; an operation, hospital stay, expensive prescriptions, possibly physical therapy or nursing care can easily wipe out everything a person has paid into for their entire working lives. Now at sixty two - sixty five a large portion of our elderly population have another good 10-20 years of, unfortunately, slowly deteriorating health. As you can see, this problem alone has already bankrupted Medicare. Now about that income cap, it must be removed. It is unfair as it shifts more of the burden on the middle class.
Also one of the things that has bothered me for years has been watching actors on television making pitches for companies, usually insurance companies, stating things like,"if you are on Medicare like I am…" Why are they on Medicare? As I have stated I believe there should not be a ceiling limit on Medicare taxes, income, all income should be taxable, while lower family incomes should be the deciding factor on being able to qualify for this benefit. This Medicare deduction should just be considered a necessary existing tax on the wealthy, sorry Michael Moore, but you really did ask for it. Share the pain! I also get incensed when I hear people say that they really don't need Medicare, but since it is available, what the heck, they might as well take it. If someone hands you cash, grab it, morality be damned. So many people are barely making ends meet trying to pay their portion of medical expenses and not having to resort to eating catfood while you will draw yours to use for something frivolious. Where is your conscience? WAKE UP PEOPLE! This nation is in pain and sinking fast. And yes, I am talking to every man and woman of this country.
"Now is the time for all good men (and women) to come to the aid of their country"... hackneyed and trite yes, but relevant.
Medicare's billing errors are killing us (the taxpayers), affecting the quality of our healthcare and our economy, and we are paying the price for these errors. Too much red tape and too many hands in the pot. It is time we simplify this boondoogle of a program, not only for the elderly and handicapped who now depend on it, but also for the overworked and underpaid professionals who take care of us.
As many are not aware, Medicare puts a cap on what they will pay for each procedure. These payments are already inadequate and the payments have just been cut again, leaving many physicians and therapists disheartened and disillusioned; and with so much of their income based on an increasingly aging (Medicare) population, well, this, as you can see, is causing a generation of future doctors and nurses to question whether they want to saddle themselves with the tremendous burden of loans necessary to become a doctor while at the same time significantly delaying their income producing years.
Healthcare professionals sacrifice so much to achieve their goal and their commitment to our health is undeniable, especially primary care doctors, who are the most overworked and underpaid of all. These selfless doctors are the ones who see us regularly, they know our names, our histories and interact with secondary care for us. They are our number one defense against illness, and with Medicare's paltry payments to these doctors, it forces them to take on more and more patients to make ends meet, the results being that they can barely take enough time with each of us (to our determent,) Couple this with expense of running an office, their own charity with indigent patients and outrageous insurance premiums to protect against lawsuits (but torte reform is for another blog,) many are now thinking about retiring or going into research. I know, four of my doctors are considering their options.
See even this small portion of overhauling will need more than a few weeks or even months. There are no quick answers, we didn't get into this mess overnight and now that everyone sees the necessity of reworking such a huge entitlement program we could take the time and produce a healthcare program that would, indeed, be the model for all nations; after all, people now come to our country to receive treatment, because even in its existing form, we have the best healthcare can offer. We all know we want everyone to have not just adequate, but really good healthcare. We, whether Democratic, Republican, Independent, or whatever, know having healthcare as a good thing, but we simply cannot begin to add people to our current healthcare system (or the one just passed by Congress and signed into by President Obama) while we are bleeding so many doctors.
This is just one facet of the problems we face. So, any ideas? Why don't you give these problems some serious thought, discuss it around the dinner table or in the car with your children and then blog me at thetruthtzar.blogspot.com/2010/04/"here's-to-your-health_27.html with your serious suggestions. We can "build it stronger, better and cheaper," so let's hear from you and please keep it civil...because hopefully we can get suggestions from some of your children get them involved; plus I just don't like to hear inappropriate language, the kind that would get grandma to wash your mouth out with soap (homemade lye soap!)
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Illusion or disillusion? Solution or Dissolution? Two Thousand Twelve BE THERE!
The Announcement
Throughout the primaries right up until now I
would sometimes rather ferociously, vent my
frustrations at the television, the radio, computer,
my spouse and my children (who now try to duck
me whenever they see me starting to get wound
up) and anyone else I happened to waylay, so to
speak. I make no excuse for my opinions, I am
proud to be a citizen of this great country, and of
my state, my county and my fair city. We all
love our homes dearly but I am afraid we are not
dealing with our problems in a timely and
deliberate manner. It will require a lot of
discipline to getus back on track but we can do
what is necessary; and besides I would love to
tell my children "Itold you so" for years t come.
And so, to thatend, I am climbing down off this
fence where the bobbed wire is snagging just
a little too closefor comfort, to declare my
intentions.
To Run Or Not To Run...aahhh That Is The Question
or is it?
Well, well, some week we had. Everyone scurrying
around, registering, paying their fees and trying to
get their faces in front of as many camera as possible.
Why has it become such an expensive and annoying
process to offer oneself for public service? So in
protest I have decided to "throw my hat into the
ring (so to speak)" and run as a non-funded, write-in
candidate for the presidency in the 2012 election!
Why? Why Not?
I like most of my ideas better than many I have
heard from quite a number of people and I will listen
to or argue the merits of any other ideas that are
rooted in common sense. Just keep any and all
suggestions PG13 or mildly R-rated. I reserve the
right to delete any comments or arguments I find
to be specious, offensive or just downright stupid!
OK In The Beginning
This blog may not appeal to every one's taste but
hats alright. I just need to set these thoughts free
or I'm afraid my head will explode.
But not now. It's tired...I'm late
So I'll just say,
And in the end, the love
you take
is equal to
the love you...
proud to be a citizen of this great country, and of
my state, my county and my fair city. We all
love our homes dearly but I am afraid we are not
dealing with our problems in a timely and
deliberate manner. It will require a lot of
discipline to getus back on track but we can do
what is necessary; and besides I would love to
tell my children "Itold you so" for years t come.
And so, to thatend, I am climbing down off this
fence where the bobbed wire is snagging just
a little too closefor comfort, to declare my
intentions.
To Run Or Not To Run...aahhh That Is The Question
or is it?
Well, well, some week we had. Everyone scurrying
around, registering, paying their fees and trying to
get their faces in front of as many camera as possible.
Why has it become such an expensive and annoying
process to offer oneself for public service? So in
protest I have decided to "throw my hat into the
ring (so to speak)" and run as a non-funded, write-in
candidate for the presidency in the 2012 election!
Why? Why Not?
I like most of my ideas better than many I have
heard from quite a number of people and I will listen
to or argue the merits of any other ideas that are
rooted in common sense. Just keep any and all
suggestions PG13 or mildly R-rated. I reserve the
right to delete any comments or arguments I find
to be specious, offensive or just downright stupid!
OK In The Beginning
This blog may not appeal to every one's taste but
hats alright. I just need to set these thoughts free
or I'm afraid my head will explode.
But not now. It's tired...I'm late
So I'll just say,
And in the end, the love
you take
is equal to
the love you...
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