So why are we worried about whether or not to send more troops to Afghanistan? Just make a list of pros and cons and like Nike says "JUST DO IT!"
As long as people are getting health care whether in the ER or the clinic, let it go until the BASIC problem is solved. JUST GET WITH THE PROGRAM!
Illegals have been coming across the border for twenty years--so send them home or let them stay, but GET ON WITH IT until the BASIC problem is solved.
The economy? Do what Clinton did--just get out of the way and let tax cuts do the job-NOW!
Any other problem lower on the priority list? Give it a band aid until we take care of the most BASIC problem we have:
Fix our Schools!!!!
Not many of Obama's nominations have been stellar, but one does stand out. Arne Duncan, Secretary of Education. It appears that he knows what it will take to give the next generation the tools they need to become productive, competitive citizens.
He, Newt Gingrich and of all people, Al Sharpton, have been visiting different types of schools and really working at figuring out what needs to be done. Unqualified teachers need to be sent packing no matter what the unions say, good teachers need to be rewarded, parents need to care enough to get their kids to school on time every day and politicians need to quit paying lip service for votes. And instead of program cuts for the kids all the administrators and teachers together need to take a pay cut until the crisis is over.
Can you believe that Al Sharpton didn't know about the atrocious drop out rates at inner city schools? Has he been living in a cave? How many more people just dont know and don't give a darn? If you live in a rich district barriers must not be erected to create second class and third class schools.
Do you really believe that this country can survive and be world class leaders without a cooperative venture encompassing the entire country including all those intellectual types in their ivory towers. Come on down! Get with the program! Help develop the program!
The old cliche of giving a man a supply of fish for food vs giving him food for a day and a fishing pole still holds true. We need to teach them how to use their fishing poles whether they be computers or welding torches.
This is only the tip of the iceberg, but we really do need to come to agreement on this basic need. Drugs and violence are two components which should not be prevalent in and around schools.
Read everything you can get your hands on. Attend school board meetings even if you are senior citizens and your grandkids live 2000 miles away and go to a private school. Bombard your State and Federal Representatives and Senators plus Governors and the President with information and demand action.
Government is only there to do those things we cannot do for ourselves or cannot do as well. Defense and transportation come to mind, but education is still the closest to the people and we need to accept the responsibility.
Please?
God bless..........
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Saturday, November 14, 2009
The Big (YAWN) Schauer Town Hall Meeting on Health Care
Let's see now--
We had a scheduled hour and a half program. Started 10 minutes late. Spent 20 minutes on introductions and opening remarks. Gave the Union Nurse, the AARP Rep, and the Consumer's Lady about 4 minutes each. So we got started about 2:42 leaving about 48 minutes for questions which were halted about 3:24 for a grand total of 42 minutes out of the 90 for questions. (A part of the opening remarks consisted of a power point presentation which were copies of parts of the hand-out given us as we entered.)
A good number of 7-10 were denied entrance to the building due to fire codes; there were 18 people in the hallway waiting for someone to leave so they could enter. Out of all the questions there were 3-4 which were not softballs tossed by supporters. This was a "random" pull your number out of a bowl but later found out that the general public waited 40 minutes for entry. When they were allowed in a good share of the seats were taken.
One of the early questions had to do with the donut hole in the prescription drug program. A friend of his who has MS was there and she indicated she takes 18 different medications and uses up the full amount of $2700 allowed before the donut hole in the first month. Then she has to pay $4000 before she gets to the other side. Of course this is a huge cost for her. However, what was not explained was that the other side of the hole is considered catastrophic and she only has to pay 5% of that number.
So if her monthly cost is $2700 the total cost for 12 months at that rate would be $32,400. So she pays $2700, plus $4000, which leaves $25,700. Now 5% of that is $1285 for a total of $7985 as the total cost to her of her prescriptions. So, yes, it's too bad she is ill, but I'm sure that there is help for her if she needs it. What bothers me is that Mr. Schauer didn't explain what closing the donut hole actually means. If she has co-pays throughout rather than the 5% area, I'm not sure exactly what her exact costs are or would be.
None of the questions listed on the blog yesterday were asked. One woman who lived in Canada and still has family there described the rationing and Mr. Schauer agreed that single payer is bad--he is not in favor of it. What he failed to say, however, is that it may not start that way, but it doesn't take long for folks to go with the public option and supply and demand shows that with more people in the plan and no more doctors added to the mix, good care will be hard to come by.
He also said when asked whether he and other government employees would be put on the same plan as the general public that we would have an opportunity to "choose" our insurance plan the same way he chooses his subsidized plan. He was heard to say on the radio the other day that we could all have the plan he does. A bit misleading to say the least.
Another question had to do with home care services for children. A bit lengthy and wordy to repeat. Suffice to say: read pages 1178-1196 in the bill. Schauer said it was for emergency problems having to do with birth problems. Apparently this is not true.
So there you have it--a complete waste of time, but at least we know that he hasn't changed. He said he gets his support from the people he meets and talks to in person and on the phone. If he counts his Town Hall phone calls, and I'm sure he does, we all know 77,000 people did not interact with him. He hasn't a clue.
As for the guest speakers, forget it. They were a farce and represented very few people.
Have a good rest of the weekend--
God bless............
We had a scheduled hour and a half program. Started 10 minutes late. Spent 20 minutes on introductions and opening remarks. Gave the Union Nurse, the AARP Rep, and the Consumer's Lady about 4 minutes each. So we got started about 2:42 leaving about 48 minutes for questions which were halted about 3:24 for a grand total of 42 minutes out of the 90 for questions. (A part of the opening remarks consisted of a power point presentation which were copies of parts of the hand-out given us as we entered.)
A good number of 7-10 were denied entrance to the building due to fire codes; there were 18 people in the hallway waiting for someone to leave so they could enter. Out of all the questions there were 3-4 which were not softballs tossed by supporters. This was a "random" pull your number out of a bowl but later found out that the general public waited 40 minutes for entry. When they were allowed in a good share of the seats were taken.
One of the early questions had to do with the donut hole in the prescription drug program. A friend of his who has MS was there and she indicated she takes 18 different medications and uses up the full amount of $2700 allowed before the donut hole in the first month. Then she has to pay $4000 before she gets to the other side. Of course this is a huge cost for her. However, what was not explained was that the other side of the hole is considered catastrophic and she only has to pay 5% of that number.
So if her monthly cost is $2700 the total cost for 12 months at that rate would be $32,400. So she pays $2700, plus $4000, which leaves $25,700. Now 5% of that is $1285 for a total of $7985 as the total cost to her of her prescriptions. So, yes, it's too bad she is ill, but I'm sure that there is help for her if she needs it. What bothers me is that Mr. Schauer didn't explain what closing the donut hole actually means. If she has co-pays throughout rather than the 5% area, I'm not sure exactly what her exact costs are or would be.
None of the questions listed on the blog yesterday were asked. One woman who lived in Canada and still has family there described the rationing and Mr. Schauer agreed that single payer is bad--he is not in favor of it. What he failed to say, however, is that it may not start that way, but it doesn't take long for folks to go with the public option and supply and demand shows that with more people in the plan and no more doctors added to the mix, good care will be hard to come by.
He also said when asked whether he and other government employees would be put on the same plan as the general public that we would have an opportunity to "choose" our insurance plan the same way he chooses his subsidized plan. He was heard to say on the radio the other day that we could all have the plan he does. A bit misleading to say the least.
Another question had to do with home care services for children. A bit lengthy and wordy to repeat. Suffice to say: read pages 1178-1196 in the bill. Schauer said it was for emergency problems having to do with birth problems. Apparently this is not true.
So there you have it--a complete waste of time, but at least we know that he hasn't changed. He said he gets his support from the people he meets and talks to in person and on the phone. If he counts his Town Hall phone calls, and I'm sure he does, we all know 77,000 people did not interact with him. He hasn't a clue.
As for the guest speakers, forget it. They were a farce and represented very few people.
Have a good rest of the weekend--
God bless............
Friday, November 13, 2009
Town Hall Question Suggestions
From Nov. 12 blog:
#1-Qualified plans, Section 202
#2-Sign without reading? Section 224
From Nov. 11:
#3-Advance Payment-Refund?
#4-Pelosi Christmas "gift" requires recipient to pay
#5-Taking $500 billion plus Medicare Advantage with no increase in doctors will necessarily lead to rationing. How can anyone deny that? (Section ll61)
New:
#6-How can we keep our own doctors if we are forced to join Home health groups?
#7-Seniors were forced into Medicare at age 65-having learned to live with it and pay extra for "Medigap" are now said to say we are all very happy with it. The question should be "if we had it to do over again without force, would we?" Give us that choice, please.
#8-How many AARP members have quit due to their political positions? Did they do a survey?
#9-Will you sponsor a bill requiring Congress and the administration to have the same coverage you want us to have?
#10-The AMA represents about 10% of the doctors. What is the percentage of the nurses represented in your group?
#11How can you justify spending nearly a trillion dollars and still have 20 million people uninsured and forcing those already covered to change their coverage?
#12-Please address how a bill plus a separate arrangement to pay doctors adding up to over a trillion dollars won't cost anything or add to the deficit?
added Saturday
#13What is the rationale which gives preference to hospitals that are unionized in giving funds for improvements and programs?
#14-Since Obama has a precise number encompassing "fraud and waste" why is he not doing something about it now rather than waiting for a bill?
And the ONLY reason Voice of the People letters might call Schauer courageous or brave in voting for the bill is an admission that he voted against the wishes of his constituents--else why would it take courage?
Please make notes of these questions and add your own to share with folks at the Town Hall meeting Saturday afternoon at the Lily Baptist Mission.
God bless................
#1-Qualified plans, Section 202
#2-Sign without reading? Section 224
From Nov. 11:
#3-Advance Payment-Refund?
#4-Pelosi Christmas "gift" requires recipient to pay
#5-Taking $500 billion plus Medicare Advantage with no increase in doctors will necessarily lead to rationing. How can anyone deny that? (Section ll61)
New:
#6-How can we keep our own doctors if we are forced to join Home health groups?
#7-Seniors were forced into Medicare at age 65-having learned to live with it and pay extra for "Medigap" are now said to say we are all very happy with it. The question should be "if we had it to do over again without force, would we?" Give us that choice, please.
#8-How many AARP members have quit due to their political positions? Did they do a survey?
#9-Will you sponsor a bill requiring Congress and the administration to have the same coverage you want us to have?
#10-The AMA represents about 10% of the doctors. What is the percentage of the nurses represented in your group?
#11How can you justify spending nearly a trillion dollars and still have 20 million people uninsured and forcing those already covered to change their coverage?
#12-Please address how a bill plus a separate arrangement to pay doctors adding up to over a trillion dollars won't cost anything or add to the deficit?
added Saturday
#13What is the rationale which gives preference to hospitals that are unionized in giving funds for improvements and programs?
#14-Since Obama has a precise number encompassing "fraud and waste" why is he not doing something about it now rather than waiting for a bill?
And the ONLY reason Voice of the People letters might call Schauer courageous or brave in voting for the bill is an admission that he voted against the wishes of his constituents--else why would it take courage?
Please make notes of these questions and add your own to share with folks at the Town Hall meeting Saturday afternoon at the Lily Baptist Mission.
God bless................
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Mark Schauer the Businessman?
It occurs to me that a kid with a lemonade stand, a paper route, a lawn mowing or baby sitting service has as much business acumen and requires more skills and ability to work with different kinds and ages of people that someone who runs a consignment shop. Just thinkin'.....
Tomorrow's post will have a few few facts which can generate questions to be asked at Schauer's Town Hall meeting in Jackson or other locales. According to a blurb in the Jackson paper folks will be given numbers on entering the Lily Baptist Church Saturday afternoon and numbers will be drawn at random to identify those who would like to ask questions of the Congressman.
How about something like:
Section 202 requires you to enroll in a "qualified plan." If you get your insurance at work, your employer will have a "grace period" to switch you to a "qualified plan," meaning a plan designed by the Secretary of HHS. If you buy your own insurance, there's no grace period. You'll have to enroll in a qualified plan as soon as any term in your contract changes, such as the co-pay, deductible or any benefit.
That doesn't sound fair, does it? We should also have a grace period. What happens if we don't make the deadline? Fines? Jail time?
Section 224 provides that 18 months after the bill becomes law, the Secretary of HHS will decide what a "qualified plan" covers and how much you'll be legally required to pay for it. So, isn't that like signing a contract with a bunch of blank spaces in it? Whatever happened to "read documents before you sign them?"
I'll try to find enough so that you will be well prepared. I understand there is a Town Hall/Protest in Lansing Friday. If you want to look up www.defendyourhealthcare.us you'll be able to pick out something that is meaningful to you as an individual.
We'll try to post early tomorrow.
God bless............
Tomorrow's post will have a few few facts which can generate questions to be asked at Schauer's Town Hall meeting in Jackson or other locales. According to a blurb in the Jackson paper folks will be given numbers on entering the Lily Baptist Church Saturday afternoon and numbers will be drawn at random to identify those who would like to ask questions of the Congressman.
How about something like:
Section 202 requires you to enroll in a "qualified plan." If you get your insurance at work, your employer will have a "grace period" to switch you to a "qualified plan," meaning a plan designed by the Secretary of HHS. If you buy your own insurance, there's no grace period. You'll have to enroll in a qualified plan as soon as any term in your contract changes, such as the co-pay, deductible or any benefit.
That doesn't sound fair, does it? We should also have a grace period. What happens if we don't make the deadline? Fines? Jail time?
Section 224 provides that 18 months after the bill becomes law, the Secretary of HHS will decide what a "qualified plan" covers and how much you'll be legally required to pay for it. So, isn't that like signing a contract with a bunch of blank spaces in it? Whatever happened to "read documents before you sign them?"
I'll try to find enough so that you will be well prepared. I understand there is a Town Hall/Protest in Lansing Friday. If you want to look up www.defendyourhealthcare.us you'll be able to pick out something that is meaningful to you as an individual.
We'll try to post early tomorrow.
God bless............
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Remember the Alamo? Update: Remember Afghanistan!
Wouldn't you think that with modern communications that our troops wouldn't have to go through the same experience as Davy Crockett and the rest of those guys waiting for the cavalry way back when? The guys busting their chops in Afghanistan are in the same position and don't have a clue if their call for help will be heeded or not. Go figure........
Mark Schauer is apparently going to try to explain his vote for the health care bill in Town Hall settings to his constituents. Questions we would like to have answered:
Since I have to start paying before the plan goes into effect, what happens if I die before it does? Will my estate be paid back? Sounds ridiculous? So does most of that bill.
How about what could possibly be the reason that I could be fined if I do not have the "right" type of insurance or even any at all and if I don't meet the government criteria I can be jailed?
His leader says this is Congress' Christmas present to the country. Does he always give presents that have to be paid for by someone else?
What makes him think that he can take $500 billion from Medicare and taking Medicare Advantage away from the 10.2 million folks who depend on it after being offered the plan by the government that they can depend on equal coverage by a public option? Taking away that much funding will ultimately result in rationing of services is a reason to vote for the bill?
There are so many questions that he didn't listen to before the vote was taken. What makes him think that anything has changed? His constituents still want those answers. This is an insult and a slap in the face to all of us. As Charlie Brown would say, "Good grief!"
God bless........
We certainly need it--
Mark Schauer is apparently going to try to explain his vote for the health care bill in Town Hall settings to his constituents. Questions we would like to have answered:
Since I have to start paying before the plan goes into effect, what happens if I die before it does? Will my estate be paid back? Sounds ridiculous? So does most of that bill.
How about what could possibly be the reason that I could be fined if I do not have the "right" type of insurance or even any at all and if I don't meet the government criteria I can be jailed?
His leader says this is Congress' Christmas present to the country. Does he always give presents that have to be paid for by someone else?
What makes him think that he can take $500 billion from Medicare and taking Medicare Advantage away from the 10.2 million folks who depend on it after being offered the plan by the government that they can depend on equal coverage by a public option? Taking away that much funding will ultimately result in rationing of services is a reason to vote for the bill?
There are so many questions that he didn't listen to before the vote was taken. What makes him think that anything has changed? His constituents still want those answers. This is an insult and a slap in the face to all of us. As Charlie Brown would say, "Good grief!"
God bless........
We certainly need it--
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Facebook?
I avoided Facebook because I thought it was something that young people used to communicate with their contemporaries. Frankly, I didn't want to intrude. However, a very good friend suggested that I would enjoy the experience and could extend my blog messages so when I received my last request to become a friend I took the plunge.
I still don't understand the entire sequence and frankly, don't understand the basic purpose. If I'm going to pursue this I need to know that folks who are on the "same page" are convinced of its worth.
So let's take a vote or a survey of sorts and if you think we should work with it, let me know.
Tomorrow let's talk about the upcoming Schauer Town Hall meetings which are so after the fact I can't see why he would bother, but maybe we can still educate him to the point that he will listen to the silent constituents next time.
G'nite--
God bless............
I still don't understand the entire sequence and frankly, don't understand the basic purpose. If I'm going to pursue this I need to know that folks who are on the "same page" are convinced of its worth.
So let's take a vote or a survey of sorts and if you think we should work with it, let me know.
Tomorrow let's talk about the upcoming Schauer Town Hall meetings which are so after the fact I can't see why he would bother, but maybe we can still educate him to the point that he will listen to the silent constituents next time.
G'nite--
God bless............
Monday, November 9, 2009
"Happiness is Elusive, but Pleasure can be Created"
Quote found as a closing comment in a letter to the magazine "Road and Track" which is not my usual reading fare, but an article on the cost of gasoline was recommended by the resident Engineer. Actually even a business/econ major found it interesting reading.
The author went to great lengths acquiring statistics to explain where the oil is found and in what quantities, who buys it and in what quantities, etc., etc. The end result was Mr. Simanaitis' premise that any place that gas is cheaper than in the good old USA is not a place he or anyone else would want to live. And I totally agree. The best part, however, was the updated barrel of crude showing the refined percentages of the contents of the barrel, from gasoline to diesel to heavy fuel oil, having changed since I last saw it.
However, although much appreciated, he certainly earned his fee doing the necessary research with interesting tidbits along the way which I won't include here because I did the same thing a few years ago with just some pretty accurate guesstimates as follows:
When I learned to drive in 1945 and Dad returned from the War, gas was $.20 per gallon. A new Mercury in 1946 was less than $1000 so I figured I'd use that as the average cost of a car. Moving forward 55 years I figured the average cost of a car
would be about $20,000 and if gas kept up the inflation price it would be $4 per gallon without taxes. Kept the math simple.
The variables would have included the fact that in the 40s a car might get 15 mpg, but didn't have A/C and a lot of electronic gizmos plus safety features. Newer cars have all of those features plus more and still get more mpg than half a century ago. So guess what! We are getting a bargain when we stop at the pump and fill up our cars with cleaner fuel and catalytic converters and all that stuff including a good 50 cents or so for taxes depending on where you live.
If you can afford a car priced at $20,000 and upward, consider yourselves very, very lucky to not be charged over $6 per gallon as is the case in the Netherlands and Norway.
I know, I know--there's a lot more to the transportation story than the price of gas, but it is one of the major griping issues day in and day out. It's all a matter of perspective. There are still laws of supply and demand even with OPEC in the mix--we should be cognizant of the story behind the story if we are going to do any complaining, right?
Sleep well--
God bless...............
The author went to great lengths acquiring statistics to explain where the oil is found and in what quantities, who buys it and in what quantities, etc., etc. The end result was Mr. Simanaitis' premise that any place that gas is cheaper than in the good old USA is not a place he or anyone else would want to live. And I totally agree. The best part, however, was the updated barrel of crude showing the refined percentages of the contents of the barrel, from gasoline to diesel to heavy fuel oil, having changed since I last saw it.
However, although much appreciated, he certainly earned his fee doing the necessary research with interesting tidbits along the way which I won't include here because I did the same thing a few years ago with just some pretty accurate guesstimates as follows:
When I learned to drive in 1945 and Dad returned from the War, gas was $.20 per gallon. A new Mercury in 1946 was less than $1000 so I figured I'd use that as the average cost of a car. Moving forward 55 years I figured the average cost of a car
would be about $20,000 and if gas kept up the inflation price it would be $4 per gallon without taxes. Kept the math simple.
The variables would have included the fact that in the 40s a car might get 15 mpg, but didn't have A/C and a lot of electronic gizmos plus safety features. Newer cars have all of those features plus more and still get more mpg than half a century ago. So guess what! We are getting a bargain when we stop at the pump and fill up our cars with cleaner fuel and catalytic converters and all that stuff including a good 50 cents or so for taxes depending on where you live.
If you can afford a car priced at $20,000 and upward, consider yourselves very, very lucky to not be charged over $6 per gallon as is the case in the Netherlands and Norway.
I know, I know--there's a lot more to the transportation story than the price of gas, but it is one of the major griping issues day in and day out. It's all a matter of perspective. There are still laws of supply and demand even with OPEC in the mix--we should be cognizant of the story behind the story if we are going to do any complaining, right?
Sleep well--
God bless...............
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