"This isn't America anymore"

Here is the article this link was posted in.

Get Your Operation Overseas!

This link praises the thrift of getting operations overseas that cost as little as 1/10th of the cost of an operation in the US, and with American educated doctors. The healthcare laws and policies in the third world countries in which these hospitals reside should be taken into when finding solutions to the high-health care costs in the United States.

Good Questions About Healthcare

In an article by a surprising author, Chuck Norris, there are many questions that can and should be asked to our senators and representatives who are in favor of the proposed health care bill. They are listed here:

--What would the child development methods and values used in training parents during home visitations be?

--To whom or what would the national committee that would oversee the entire health care system be accountable?

--What would the extents of power and limitations or boundaries of the national committee be?

--Would the national and regional health care committees eventually run with the power of the Federal Reserve System, as Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, the health care adviser to the Obama administration, proposes in his book "Healthcare, Guaranteed"?

--Would Medicare be "phased out," as Emanuel proposes in his book?

--Would Medicaid be "phased out," as Emanuel proposes in his book?

--Would employee-provided health insurance eventually cease, as Emanuel proposes in his book?

--Specifically, how would the nation provide and pay for the additional medical and administrative personnel needed to cover roughly 50 million more people?

--Specifically, how would the nation provide and pay for the additional medical facilities and equipment needed to equip the new medical and administrative personnel?

--What are the specific cost projections for such extensive and extra medical personnel, practices, offices and equipment?

--What about the maldistribution of physicians?

--What about tort reform?

--What about class action suits?

--Would illegal immigrants be covered under this program?

--What about the specifics of abortion services? Would taxpayer funds finance them?

--What types and limitations of end-of-life counsel would be offered?

--Any guarantees that the middle class wouldn't be paying for Obamacare eventually?

--Have you investigated or read any other options for or alternatives to health care reform besides the most recent version of Obamacare? If not, why? If so, what are the pros and cons of each?

--Most importantly, will you write or sign amendments that guarantee the restrictions or explanations of the above points into law before passing any form of Obamacare?

A Desperate Plea

In an interesting turn of events, team Obama is attempting to counter the mass emails spreading about the negative effects of the health insurance bill. He is, and get this, spreading a mass email to people who even did not give them their email address. Below is a section of the original article.

"Fox News White House correspondent Major Garrett couldn't get an answer from White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs about how and why Americans with no connection to the Obama campaign, and who were unregistered with the White House Web site, were getting e-mails from the president's top political operative.

The unwelcome "Ax-Mail" is sure to fan fears that the White House has been collecting citizens' e-mail addresses en masse."

Does this attempt sound desperate at all? Oh, and where do I add @whitehouse.gov to a do not email list?

Regan Speaks for Today

National Defense

I know that Obama is a big proponent of world peace, and about dialoguing with countries in hopes of their good will, but I like what Teddy Roosevelt said: speak softly and carry a big stick.

We are currently cutting our national defense budget, as the article states, while Russia and China are increasing their arms. It must be asked, "Is president Obama thinking about this?"

You can find the article here.

1/3 vs. 2/3

Apparently, 68% of the population rates their health insurance as "good" or "excellent". This brings up the question as to why we should overhaul the entire system for 32%, or most likely less, of the population. Many that don't have health insurance simply don't want it.

Scott Rasmussen, the founder of a Rasmussen Reports, has written down some of his findings in the following article. I have put some interesting quotes of this article below:

Our polling in February found that by a 2-1 margin, voters believe that no matter how bad things are Congress can always make matters worse.

However, there are some numbers congressional Democrats can celebrate. Specifically, 63% of voters agreed with the president earlier this year when he said, “We must make it a priority to give every single American quality affordable health care.” Yet while they agree in theory, only 28% are currently willing to pay higher taxes to achieve that goal.

Polling last weekend showed that 48% of voters rate the U.S. health-care system as good or excellent. That’s up from 35% in May and up from 29% a year ago. Only 19% now rate the system as poor, down from 37% a year ago. It appears that the prospect of changing health care has made the existing system look better to a lot of people.

Sophomoric Actions?

I noticed this article the other day and have to admit that I didn't know how to respond to it, other than in shock. The writer, Linda Douglass, was a reporter plucked from the news and put into the White House where she currently is the Deputy Assistant of the White House Health Care Task Force. She is responsible for the infamous email line to the White House that is to report any "fishy" information about the health care reform bill, read: government snitch.

After reading this, I could not shake the overt sense of hostility this woman has for those who oppose her beliefs about health care. It is very clear to the reader, and somewhat frightening that one would have that kind of an attitude while in such a high position in power. It just reeks of pre-war Germany chants / sloganeering. It is just plain scary. The pent up anger this woman holds, and the "enemy" mentality are frightening. Also, it seems very unprofessional--I wonder if she can have a civil ordinary discussion about healthcare with one of the "dead-end bandits and saboteurs" that oppose her views. She is not public office material, and should resign for even contemplating writing such a piece.

You must read this article, click here; I have included some of her quotes here too.

"The truth can be told at last, that these so-called "protests" are merely the desperate rear flank mob actions of dead-end bandits and saboteurs in the pay of enemy insurance agents."

Pay them no heed, for these outside agitators in no way represent any threat to our great patriotic push forward for increased citizen heathfulness! These well-dressed prep school gangsters of reaction seek only to frighten and demoralize and intimidate you, with their confusing "facts" and hob-nailed Sperry Topsiders. Unfortunately they are joined in conspiracy by a well-financed network of unlicensed blogs and talk radio traitors, who exaggerate their numbers and percolate disinformation -- even cleverly staged YouTube videos of an impostor President Obama saying "quotes"!

Remain strong, citizen, for the day of their comeuppance is near!

You too can help by remaining ever-vigilant for health traitors in your local sectors.

Until we can find the fifth columnists who are leaking this classified information, it is important that you alert security forces to possible organized infiltrators before they enter the building and disrupt the applause sign schedule.

Note these mobs are so well paid for their agitation that they actually arrived in their own cars and expensive non-matching t-shirts. Fishy? You bet! Report them at once!

Spotting potential health care traitors online at first seems trickier than in person, until you remember that behind every opponent site lies a web of anti-patriotic conspirators.

The days of your deviltry are numbered, well-dressed running-dog lackey of gangster insurance plutocrats! You and your $250 suit are now entered into our monitoring data base!

That is all, citizen! Remain steadfast in your grassroots vigilance, and a healthy tomorrow will be yours!"

Since when are people with opposing opinions of health care "traitors"? "Security forces" to stop citizens of voicing their opinions on health care? "Report them at once"? I still don't realize how one can be unpatriotic for resisting something that we have not had in our entire history as a nation. It is not even mentioned in any political writings--and wasn't invented until the middle of the 20th century.

Desperately Seeking Swasticas

This is a mini article on the Opinion page of the WSJ. I especially like the Sean Sorrentino's report.

To Protect The Fish

A Good Start for Health Care Reform

The co-founder and CEO of Whole Foods Market has written an opinion piece on his thoughts on health care reform that is quite close to the solution. In it he gives the following main points:

-Remove the legal obstacles that slow the creation of high-deductible health insurance plans and health savings accounts (HSAs).

-Equalize the tax laws so that employer-provided health insurance and individually owned health insurance have the same tax benefits.

-Repeal all state laws which prevent insurance companies from competing across state lines.

-Repeal government mandates regarding what insurance companies must cover.

-Enact tort reform to end the ruinous lawsuits that force doctors to pay insurance costs of hundreds of thousands of dollars per year.

-Make costs transparent so that consumers understand what health-care treatments cost.

-Enact Medicare reform.

-Finally, revise tax forms to make it easier for individuals to make a voluntary, tax-deductible donation to help the millions of people who have no insurance and aren't covered by Medicare, Medicaid or the State Children's Health Insurance Program.

National Sacrifices ... but not for the Congressmen

Congress has appointed $550 million to be spent on new aircraft to be used to fly them around to places all around the world.

In this article, they speak of how flights have increased greatly over the past 14 years, which is stated here:

A Wall Street Journal analysis of congressional records found that foreign travel by members of Congress and aides was increasing. Last year, House members spent about 3,000 days overseas on taxpayer-funded trips, up from about 550 in 1995, according to the Journal's analysis.

Lawmakers disclosed they spent about $13 million traveling the world last year, a tenfold increase since 1995, when travel records first were made available electronically. The travel costs are covered by an unlimited fund created by a three-decade-old law.

This month, for example, 11 separate congressional delegations will swing through Germany. House Minority Leader John Boehner of Ohio is leading five other lawmakers on a trip around the world. Sen. Richard Shelby (R., Ala.) is taking a group of senators and their spouses to Europe for three weeks."

Congressmen are supposed to represent the interests of their respective states, correct? In a representational government, shouldn't the congressmen primarily stay with those they represent? They don't represent the people of those around the world, they represent those in their own state. Plus, they're public officials, so why don't congressmen travel on public forms of flight? That would be a novelty, now wouldn't it?

Kenyan Offers Livestock Dowry for Chelsea Clinton

Chelsea Clinton had yet another offer at a betrothal. I just had to chuckle at this article.

My favorite section of this article is this:

CNN's Fareed Zakaria, the session's moderator, commented that given the economic crisis at hand, Chepkurgor's dowry was "not a bad offer."

President's Great Race to Change America

Why does President Obama want to implement all at once radical changes in American foreign policy, environmental policy, education, health care and the tax code?

The answer is easy: If he does not achieve these initiatives soon, he never will.

Historical Deficits, a Comparison

As I was at a local fair, I decided to stop in at a Democratic Party booth and talk about healthcare, the ballooning deficit, and the future of America. I asked the representative if he had any concern about the massive amounts of debt we are amassing, and he spoke of former President Bush's deficits and the record amounts he spent in his terms in office. I made a comment abot how Obama's deficit is far greater than Bush's ever was, and he had no comment. Here is a simple bar graph showing the differences. Note that the highest deficit that Bush had was still lower than the lowest estimate the Obama administration projects over the next 10 years.

Just Who Are the Beneficiaries of Unions?

The simple answer to this question is those who pay dues to the union. A union's first priority is to look out for itself. This can be seen through many examples from auto unions demanding pay raises in the middle of a recession ... and while industries either go out of business or close shop and move overseas due to high costs of doing business. This isn't commonsensical, is it?

The following link is a very insightful article on how even teachers unions seek first to benefit those who pay dues to the union.

It is interesting to note that in NY, the parents even got involved in hiring teaching assistants that they funded without adding extra burden to the taxpayers and yet the National Federation of Teachers had qualms about this. It should be encouraged that parents take an active interest in helping their children learn in school, and yet they are penalized. Whose interests are more important, the students success in school or the union coffers?

Town Hells

Democrats are facing an interesting time in the fall recess when they traditionally go back to their home states and converse with their constituents about what they have been doing for them in Washington. In this case, many democrats are coming back to their home states to less than congratulatory town hall meetings. Notice some of the examples taking place around the country from an IBD Editorial:

"In one of the sharper exchanges, an angry crowd in Philadelphia hooted down Democratic Sen. Arlen Specter on Sunday when he explained "that we have to make judgments very fast" when considering large pieces of legislation such as the health care bill.

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, who shared the stage with Specter, also heard it from the group, which was obviously fed up with Washington's arrogance, from its habit of writing unmanageably lengthy legislation to its plans to force an ostensibly free people into a communal health care system.

On the same day Specter and Sebelius were challenged, Democratic Rep. Steve Driehaus "was heckled on several occasions by those opposed to the reform plans proposed by Democrats and President Barack Obama" during a town hall meeting in Cincinnati, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer.

Also on Sunday, Democratic Rep. Steve Kagen of Wisconsin endured "roaring chants," as the local media put it, at a meeting at a Green Bay library.

A day earlier, Rep. Lloyd Doggett, a Democrat from Texas, deserved the hostile reception given him at a town hall meeting in Austin. He has said that he will still support the Democrats' nationalized health care plans even if his constituents don't."

On an interesting note, let's look at the example given of Rep. Lloyd Doggett, the Democrat from Texas. He sees that a large percentage of his constituents--the people he is supposed to represent--do not favor the nationalized health care plans, yet he's still going to support this legislation even if his constituents don't. Where is the representation in this? It is when congressmen and women overstep their "representative" position and begin to vote for their own pet legislations that they risk losing the vote that got them their job in the first place.

We can see this same disregard for the voters in the example of Rep. Tim Bishop of New York. This was written in a POLITICO article:

"'I had felt they would be pointless,” Rep. Tim Bishop (D-N.Y.) told POLITICO, referring to his recent decision to temporarily suspend the events in his Long Island district. “There is no point in meeting with my constituents and [to] listen to them and have them listen to you if what is basically an unruly mob prevents you from having an intelligent conversation."

I'll end this post with the closing section of the aforementioned IBD article:

"Lawmakers need to face the revolution they've fueled with their bailouts and takeovers. Washington has acted like King George III and "erected a multitude of new offices and sent hither swarms of officers to harass" Americans "and eat out their substance."

It is meddling in people's lives and has no business going into the private places it is invading. Americans have both the right and the duty to stand up to forces that want to subjugate them.

Polite discourse is always preferred, but when liberty is threatened by an aggressive government, civil dialogue is not enough. Voters need to exercise their right to press their representatives and influence legislation."

I encourage you to go to a local town hall meeting if there is one meeting in your area. Voice your opinion and since it's a town event, make sure you bring your like-minded friends as well.

Teeing Up the Middle Class

"Few of President Obama’s 2008 campaign pledges were more definitive than his vow that anyone making less than $250,000 a year “will not see their taxes increase by a single dime” if he was elected. And he was right, very strictly speaking: It’s going to be many, many, many billions of dimes."

The NY Times article referenced in this article is located here.

Trouble Brewing?

Just as California is getting it's financial house in order by cutting spending, they may have another problem brewing. As the case with most areas of infrastructure in the United States, California's aqueduct system--the largest and most complex in the world--is in need of an overhaul. Some of the levees in the system were built in the 19th Century! There is fear that a major earthquake or flood (rather common in the California area) could completely disrupt the water flow to 2/3 of the state population. This is problematic and unnerving considering the recent increased amount of seismic activity in the area and the recent 6.9 magnitude quake that rocked Baja California last night.

One can only imagine if "the big one" hits in the coming years, the possibility that it will leave 2/3 of the states population--22 million people--without water.

Unread Lips

Just as Bush Sr. was discredited for raising taxes after he made the famous "read my lips" speech, Obama should also face the same criticism from the public--yet does not. The following article goes further into this, and the video below is what is referenced in the article.

White House Tells CEOs to Pony Up for Meal After Lunch With Obama

The White House charged four of the most powerful business leaders in the country for a lunch with President Obama last month

Penny pinching at it's worst, or, more accurately, cheapest.

National Sacrifices in Washington

Penny pinching at it's best!

ABC 20/20 Takes on Health Care Reform

Why is only John Stossel showing the accurate picture of government run healthcare? ABC knows about the underside of government-run healthcare, so why doesn't George Stephanopoulos interview his friend President Barack Obama about this likelihood?

Pelosi, Seriously, A Tax on the Proletariat?

An oft used phrase that pertains to all generations and all nations is simply stated: money doesn't grow on trees. President Obama, who doesn't subscribe to the money doesn't grow on trees idea, along with his loyal followers in the Senate and Congress have created their dream legislation in the "Health Care for the Masses" bill. This will, as of now, cost the tax payers $1.6 Trillion over the course of 10 years. The problem lies in financing this legislation. But, it appears that the financial crisis has also hit our government hard in the form of forgetting the idea of financing projects before approving them. Thankfully, to our rescue, Nancy Pelosi has dug into her Democratic play book and found a solution--put a tax on all income earners. The thing to keep secret is that this tax will no doubt be costlier to families and individuals than the price of paying their current healthcare premiums.

A Warm Welcome

I have started a blog in order to share articles and ideas with others that I have read from various news web sites. This medium seems to be a conducive format in order to quickly update and inform others of news without having to wade through it all yourself. Hopefully this endeavor is profitable to you and enriches your political, economic, and social understanding of the world.