Since our elected leaders in both houses of congress have taken leave of their senses and succumbed to the rabid ideology of the far left, it is obviously high time to force feed them a dose of reality. The evidence of this psychotic break is clear, with Obama publicly declaring that "a comprehensive bill dealing with health insurance reform is one step closer to becoming a reality, and was done in a way that was devoid of undue influence from special interests". What a load of crap. In fact, one might even say that the special interests were the legislators themselves, as one by one they were marched into the Oval Office and were bought off with pet pork projects for their own districts. Absolutely shameful behavior for any civil society to participate in. Though I am sure that they all sleep quite well at night, because they lack any semblance of a conscience.
Well, I am officially proposing that we hit them were it counts. No, not the ballot, that is too easy, too obvious, and actually rather ineffectual; no, what I am suggesting is instead that we citizens go straight for the jugular and choke them off at the wallet. That's right, a tax revolt, not entirely unlike the one that was at the very foundation of the greatest society to ever grace the planet. I vow, that if in any way at all, abortion is supported financially with public funds, or is condoned or encouraged in any way, I am fully prepared to be thrown into jail for refusing to pay any taxes to the federal government. I fear that it will take even more drastic actions to drive home the full measure of the displeasure of the vast majority of the population of this great country with the skulduggery of our leaders. Actions like violence, which was warranted as the basis of the revolutionary war was a similar disregard for the will of the people from the king of England. Or perhaps they have conveniently forgotten that rather important part of our established history. We know that they like to participate in creating revisionist histories for many issues rather than abiding in the truth and dealing with actual facts. They create their own versions of the facts so that they can manipulate the outcomes to their liking. Well, reality does not work that way.
Their objective is to destroy the capitalism that has created the wealth of our nation and distribute it among the poorer nations of the world. Us true patriots will not allow that to happen. They will be thwarted by any means including violence if necessary.
Here are the real facts; medical inflation took off in 1965, the very same year that our government stuck it's big nose into the insurance industry by creating the medicare program. They immediately started underpaying providers and caregivers for services rendered and the reaction from those providers was to shift costs to other entities that could and would pay the difference, the for profit insurance companies. And now the same government that caused that problem, proposes to fix it by creating yet more onerous restrictions and regulations upon the private for profit insurance market. They just don't get it. This will not produce the desired results, it will have the exact opposite effect. It will drive up prices and premiums for everyone and it will water down the quality of care delivered to match the payments received for them.
They like to point to the Canadian system and brag that they love the system. Well that is a lie because the only Canadians that love their system are healthy ones. I have talked to several Canadians that have chronic conditions and every single one of them loathes their system because it really only works well for those who are healthy to begin with. This is not just opinion, it is verifiable facts based on experience. Socialized health care is a disaster. Everywhere it has been tried it has become an abject failure. The best system in the wold is a private for profit capitalistic one in which the majority who have good insurance enjoy good care when needed, and for those without good insurance or who have no insurance, charities fill in the gaps. Someone always steps up to give a helping hand. We are without question, a very generous nation and not just with helping out our global neighbors, but also here at home.
No friends, this nightmare that they are hell bent on perpetrating upon us from the Hill is not at all about helping anyone but themselves to more power and control over our everyday lives. It is unconstitutional, immoral, and unethical what they are attempting to do to us through the guise of compassion for the poor. Can you think of any instance where the federal government has improved the lives of the poorest among us? While some are indeed helped, most simply game the system and I have known many who fall into the later category. The best way to help people is to encourage them to help themselves, not provide for them. Providing for them will only lead many to rely upon it as a trusted safety net, rather than being prudent and making sensible contingencies for hard times. Creating a large population that regularly relies upon that help only drags the entire economy down because a larger proportion of the scarce resources are allocated to them. There is only so much "pie" to go around. You cannot create more pie for everyone. Each will be able to purchase a small piece according to his means. This is the reality that Obama rejects as evidenced by his "spreading the wealth around" philosophy that he espouses so often. He is an ideologue, who lives in what Rush Limbaugh so aptly has coined "the universe of lies" otherwise known as liberalism.
While I pray that this monstrosity of vile legislative excrement dies in committee, which seems to be our last hope now. I know that there is still the chance that this may get passed into law. Which will be challenged on constitutional grounds. But in the meantime, I hope that others like me will stand up and be counted among those who truly love this country enough to do what needs to be done; resist with every conceivable armament in our collective arsenal. First with civil disobedience and tax revolt, then escalating towards civil unrest and protests, and finally if absolutely necessary, armed conflict. This is a patriotic clarion call my fellow citizens. Do not simply hand over your freedom, liberty and prosperity nor that which rightfully belongs to our posterity. As our forefathers pledged before us, let us "with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor." in order to keep the lights on in that "city on the Hill" that President Reagan referred to. Freedom is never free. It is never more than one generation away from extinction. Freedom is not passed on to each successive generation in the DNA, it is paid for with blood by the current generation.
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Friday, December 11, 2009
Fall From Grace, Public Disgrace, and Tabloid Race.
Recently there have been two high profile persons in the media here in Detroit. One, a national figure and the other a former local public servant. The common thread between them two involves a public fall from grace due to marital infidelity and the inability to face the truth.
Kwame Kilpatrick, the disgraced former Mayor of Detroit has been in Judge David Groaner's courtroom for the past three days this week answering questions from Wayne County Prosecutor Kim Worthy. She was probing his finances because he has not been paying the restitution that the court had ordered in his conviction regarding lying under oath. He was ordered to pay one million dollars as restitution to the city since the original case in which he lied under oath had cost the city over eight million dollars. He is living large in a Texas town with a million dollar job, and yet he claims that he only has six dollars left at the end of each month. He is supposed to be paying over six thousand per month. He has spent over 15 thousand on a new Motorcycle, and six thousand on a boob job for his wife so there is obviously nothing left to pay the city of Detroit.
Kim Worthy is pressing the court to revoke his bond and find him in contempt of court and place him back in jail. He obviously has no intention of paying his restitution.
And then there's Tiger Woods. Apparently he was thrown under the bus by two of his trysts who had it out for one another. One decided to hurt the other by taking the story to the National Enquirer and Tiger, his squeaky clean image and brand, and most importantly his family went up in flames. Never before has any public persona crashed and burned so completely so fast. His meteoric rise to super-stardom has now been eerily paired with a super-sized flameout. His sponsors did not even have the chance to drop him because the television networks pulled all of his advertising voluntarily.
And then just tonight he released a statement that he is taking an indefinite break from professional golf while he concentrates on healing himself and his relationship to his wife and his family.
Two very different people, with very similar problems; lying to themselves and believing the lies! Truly sad in both cases.
Kwame Kilpatrick, the disgraced former Mayor of Detroit has been in Judge David Groaner's courtroom for the past three days this week answering questions from Wayne County Prosecutor Kim Worthy. She was probing his finances because he has not been paying the restitution that the court had ordered in his conviction regarding lying under oath. He was ordered to pay one million dollars as restitution to the city since the original case in which he lied under oath had cost the city over eight million dollars. He is living large in a Texas town with a million dollar job, and yet he claims that he only has six dollars left at the end of each month. He is supposed to be paying over six thousand per month. He has spent over 15 thousand on a new Motorcycle, and six thousand on a boob job for his wife so there is obviously nothing left to pay the city of Detroit.
Kim Worthy is pressing the court to revoke his bond and find him in contempt of court and place him back in jail. He obviously has no intention of paying his restitution.
And then there's Tiger Woods. Apparently he was thrown under the bus by two of his trysts who had it out for one another. One decided to hurt the other by taking the story to the National Enquirer and Tiger, his squeaky clean image and brand, and most importantly his family went up in flames. Never before has any public persona crashed and burned so completely so fast. His meteoric rise to super-stardom has now been eerily paired with a super-sized flameout. His sponsors did not even have the chance to drop him because the television networks pulled all of his advertising voluntarily.
And then just tonight he released a statement that he is taking an indefinite break from professional golf while he concentrates on healing himself and his relationship to his wife and his family.
Two very different people, with very similar problems; lying to themselves and believing the lies! Truly sad in both cases.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
To The Anonymous Commenter.
To the anonymous commenter; first of all God created the earth in six days, not seven. (It was on the seventh day that he rested). Secondly, if you bothered to read the article close enough, you would see that I referenced an article written by Dr. Grady McMurtry in which he further references several other articles that were vetted and published in of all places, main stream media. So before you attack my article perhaps you should read all of the other ones first. Thirdly, by your own definition of renewable resources, oil and coal are in fact renewable precisely because they have been made by man in a laboratory! If they can be made in the lab on a small scale, then the chances are pretty good that they are still being made by natural forces on a large scale; large enough to sustain the prolonged reliance upon them as fuels for our global population. Fourthly, it was published in USA Today a few months ago, the announcement of the finding of the enormous deep crust oil field under the Gulf of Mexico. The field is so huge that it dwarfs all known proven reserves in Saudi Arabia today.
All of these facts have been vetted by main stream sources. Perhaps you should consider all the facts before jumping all over my article as being outlandish. You can leave you name if you want to, I have far too much to do than to be bothered with tracking you down to engage in a personal discourse. I write mainly to get this off my chest, since our leaders in DC have all taken what seems to be permanent leave of their senses. I am a truck driver for 40 to 70 hours a week, run my own business in communications, have several chronic health issues of my own that I manage as well as help my wife manage her chronic health issues. It is fine that you disagree with me, I don't care about that. But if you are going to comment on my articles, which by the way I do publish all comments, at least do me the courtesy of checking all the facts first. Thank you, David.
All of these facts have been vetted by main stream sources. Perhaps you should consider all the facts before jumping all over my article as being outlandish. You can leave you name if you want to, I have far too much to do than to be bothered with tracking you down to engage in a personal discourse. I write mainly to get this off my chest, since our leaders in DC have all taken what seems to be permanent leave of their senses. I am a truck driver for 40 to 70 hours a week, run my own business in communications, have several chronic health issues of my own that I manage as well as help my wife manage her chronic health issues. It is fine that you disagree with me, I don't care about that. But if you are going to comment on my articles, which by the way I do publish all comments, at least do me the courtesy of checking all the facts first. Thank you, David.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
New Age Religion of Greenness is Killing Our Society.
I went to my Cardiologist yesterday and we spent the first five minutes talking about Obama's political agenda! I had asked him what he thought about it all, and the floodgate was opened. My doctor is from either Pakistan or India, is Christian and is a very nice person. He said that Obama, tells everyone that he is a Christian, but he is not. He is a Muslim and a communist. I said that he was a Marxist and told him that they were taking over the country. he agreed with me. he said that a relative of his works in Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's office and had told him that Rahm Emanuel the White House Chief of Staff and Hillary can't stand each other. This was mainly because Rahm has a real potty-mouth; almost every other utterance out of his mouth is an "F" bomb. Hillary has told him to watch his mouth on more than one occasion. Now we know why they are seldom seen together.
Then today I went to see my Electrophysiologist for a check up on my implanted defibrillator/pacemaker, and I asked him what he thought about it all as well. He said that it was a shame that our government has decided that insurance companies make too much profit. I said that well after all, profit is so very evil, we can't have people or companies making profits. He agreed and said that was right and that no one should make a profit, not doctors, bricklayers, or salesmen. We both chuckled as he listened to my heart and looked over my chart before dictating a memo into his digital recorder for dissemination to my primary care doctor and the other cardiologist.
No professional person that I have spoken to, and that is a lot of them, has any kind words for what is going on is Washington D.C. these days. So it isn't just me. It isn't just hard line "right wingers". More and more everyday people are waking up to the fact that this administration is a complete disaster for our country, not just our economy. My cardiologist lamented that our forefathers were turning over in their graves now. He is absolutely right.
It boggles the sane and rational minds that everything this Obama administration has done has been to the detriment of our society. Not one single thing that they have done, has improved our situation. Our currency is wasting away. Our jobs are rotting on the vine because Obama hates business, innovation, and especially private property, liberty and freedom. He insists that greenness must permeate every crevice of our society, and that is crippling us. He has said that we can completely eliminate our dependence upon oil as an energy source, but do you have any idea just how many things are derived from petroleum?
Petroleum provides the clothes we wear, the worlds first and best wonder drug aspirin and many others, cosmetics, furniture, housing, cars, roads, the tires that traverse them, fuels for heating and energy, food packaging, sterile packaging for medicines, and hospital supplies, catalysts in water treatment and other processes, are just a few of the things that are made from petroleum products. God put petroleum here for us to exploit and use, and we have so far done a pretty good job of that. Not one byproduct of the petroleum cracking and distilling process is wasted, every single drop is utilized for something useful.
And contrary to popular mythology, there is virtually no limit to the supply of crude oil. Crude oil is made not from dinosaur fossils. It is made from decaying vegetable material, mud and clay, heat and pressure. The great flood of Noah's time created a very thick layer of mud and clay that covered up a lot of vegetation. It is still under pressure today and crude is still being made. Crude can be made artificially in very little time by putting decaying vegetation with mud and clay under intense pressure and heating it. Coal can also be made in this same way simply by varying the amount of water that is present in the mixture. So the idea that there is a finite quantity of fossil fuels is unfounded. In fact, recently Exxon Mobil used new imaging technology to find an enormous oil field deep under the Gulf of Mexico. Over six and a half miles under the ocean floor there exists an oil field that dwarfs the largest known oil field in the Middle East today. This was reported below the fold on the business section of the USA Today newspaper a few months ago. The imaging technology is new, and they are are very close to being able to drill that deep as well now. We need that fuel. There is not enough wind, solar, hydro, or nuclear power to meet our needs either now or in the future. Only tapping into that field will drive the growth of our economy that we so desperately need now. But Obama is too ideologically rigid to allow anyone to go after it. We need to fire his ass in 2012 period!
If you doubt the science behind my claims check out Dr. Grady McMurtry's article on dinosaurs and oil and coal on his Creation Worldview Ministries website. Click here to read the article for yourself. There is ample documentation that he references in the article itself.
Then today I went to see my Electrophysiologist for a check up on my implanted defibrillator/pacemaker, and I asked him what he thought about it all as well. He said that it was a shame that our government has decided that insurance companies make too much profit. I said that well after all, profit is so very evil, we can't have people or companies making profits. He agreed and said that was right and that no one should make a profit, not doctors, bricklayers, or salesmen. We both chuckled as he listened to my heart and looked over my chart before dictating a memo into his digital recorder for dissemination to my primary care doctor and the other cardiologist.
No professional person that I have spoken to, and that is a lot of them, has any kind words for what is going on is Washington D.C. these days. So it isn't just me. It isn't just hard line "right wingers". More and more everyday people are waking up to the fact that this administration is a complete disaster for our country, not just our economy. My cardiologist lamented that our forefathers were turning over in their graves now. He is absolutely right.
It boggles the sane and rational minds that everything this Obama administration has done has been to the detriment of our society. Not one single thing that they have done, has improved our situation. Our currency is wasting away. Our jobs are rotting on the vine because Obama hates business, innovation, and especially private property, liberty and freedom. He insists that greenness must permeate every crevice of our society, and that is crippling us. He has said that we can completely eliminate our dependence upon oil as an energy source, but do you have any idea just how many things are derived from petroleum?
Petroleum provides the clothes we wear, the worlds first and best wonder drug aspirin and many others, cosmetics, furniture, housing, cars, roads, the tires that traverse them, fuels for heating and energy, food packaging, sterile packaging for medicines, and hospital supplies, catalysts in water treatment and other processes, are just a few of the things that are made from petroleum products. God put petroleum here for us to exploit and use, and we have so far done a pretty good job of that. Not one byproduct of the petroleum cracking and distilling process is wasted, every single drop is utilized for something useful.
And contrary to popular mythology, there is virtually no limit to the supply of crude oil. Crude oil is made not from dinosaur fossils. It is made from decaying vegetable material, mud and clay, heat and pressure. The great flood of Noah's time created a very thick layer of mud and clay that covered up a lot of vegetation. It is still under pressure today and crude is still being made. Crude can be made artificially in very little time by putting decaying vegetation with mud and clay under intense pressure and heating it. Coal can also be made in this same way simply by varying the amount of water that is present in the mixture. So the idea that there is a finite quantity of fossil fuels is unfounded. In fact, recently Exxon Mobil used new imaging technology to find an enormous oil field deep under the Gulf of Mexico. Over six and a half miles under the ocean floor there exists an oil field that dwarfs the largest known oil field in the Middle East today. This was reported below the fold on the business section of the USA Today newspaper a few months ago. The imaging technology is new, and they are are very close to being able to drill that deep as well now. We need that fuel. There is not enough wind, solar, hydro, or nuclear power to meet our needs either now or in the future. Only tapping into that field will drive the growth of our economy that we so desperately need now. But Obama is too ideologically rigid to allow anyone to go after it. We need to fire his ass in 2012 period!
If you doubt the science behind my claims check out Dr. Grady McMurtry's article on dinosaurs and oil and coal on his Creation Worldview Ministries website. Click here to read the article for yourself. There is ample documentation that he references in the article itself.
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Coming to a Town Near You Soon; The Second Revolution.
Whether or not you believe that health care insurance is a right or not, or that Insurance companies are evil, vile, and bloated with excessive profits, or that the best thing since sliced bread is indeed the medicare system which is going broke, all these things are irrelevant because it is unconstitutional to force anyone to purchase health care insurance. There will be many challenges. And they will most likely overturn this preposterous idea of forcing anyone to purchase health insurance. The weak justification that they try to use equating this to the States requiring people to purchase automobile insurance is a straw-man argument becuase only licensed drivers whom the state licenses are required to purchase insurance for their vehicles for the continued priveledge of driving. Who among the living legal citizenry of our country do you know of that has been granted a lisence to live, breathe, and consume health care services? Not one soul that I can think of. It is unconstitutional period. It will not stand, and if it does stand, it will get ugly here fast.
Even amongst those of us who consume a larger proportion of health services there will be challenges. One size does not fit all, and that is exactly what they are trying to craft here. That will never work. People will revolt with disgust and anger at the utter disconnect from reality that has become so pervasive on the hill. People need jobs, not another bill that they can not afford! Nazi Pelosi is a first class ass for driving this wedge between the people and hope, between the people and prosperity, between the people and those that they have elected to represent them in government. She will pay a high price for this when she is up for re-election.
If this is not stopped on the hill it will be taken to the streets, with armed conflict. The people have had enough of the power hungry elitism of the liberal horde in congress. Peolosi stood there and said that there were caps on what you pay into the system, but no caps on the benefits that you draw. How the hell is that actuarially sound? It isn't! I would like to know who her dealer is, so I can go and kill him for giving her that bad crack that she has been smoking. There is no tort reform in this bastard of a bill, severe rationing of care, the death panels are back in, and oh yeah, it will still leave over 14 million people uninsured, which is the same number that are currently uninsured. All that she has managed to do is to remove your freedoms, severely limit your liberties, and collect more money for the government (without calling it a tax) which is already the largest waster of our hard earned money.
The liberal horde wants to "revolutionize" our country. Well get ready, because a revolution is what they are certainly going to get if they insist upon trashing the Constitution with this unabashed power grab. This has nothing to do with health care, nothing to do with helping the poor, nothing to do with helping the elderly. This is all about power and they aren't ashamed to let you know that it is either. They think that they are revolutionaries, but they haven't begun to comprehend what is coming their way if they persist, mark my words. The second revolution is coming. The first salvo has already been fired on November 3, 2009. The next battle to be waged will come November 3, 2010. And after that, if this monstrosity of government intrusion into individual liberties and freedoms isn't reversed, the blood will start to flow. this crap is not what we want, nor what we need. We need real leadership, real jobs (not that green economy crap), we need an end to all the Chicago thuggery. Victory belongs to the people, victory will be ours.
Even amongst those of us who consume a larger proportion of health services there will be challenges. One size does not fit all, and that is exactly what they are trying to craft here. That will never work. People will revolt with disgust and anger at the utter disconnect from reality that has become so pervasive on the hill. People need jobs, not another bill that they can not afford! Nazi Pelosi is a first class ass for driving this wedge between the people and hope, between the people and prosperity, between the people and those that they have elected to represent them in government. She will pay a high price for this when she is up for re-election.
If this is not stopped on the hill it will be taken to the streets, with armed conflict. The people have had enough of the power hungry elitism of the liberal horde in congress. Peolosi stood there and said that there were caps on what you pay into the system, but no caps on the benefits that you draw. How the hell is that actuarially sound? It isn't! I would like to know who her dealer is, so I can go and kill him for giving her that bad crack that she has been smoking. There is no tort reform in this bastard of a bill, severe rationing of care, the death panels are back in, and oh yeah, it will still leave over 14 million people uninsured, which is the same number that are currently uninsured. All that she has managed to do is to remove your freedoms, severely limit your liberties, and collect more money for the government (without calling it a tax) which is already the largest waster of our hard earned money.
The liberal horde wants to "revolutionize" our country. Well get ready, because a revolution is what they are certainly going to get if they insist upon trashing the Constitution with this unabashed power grab. This has nothing to do with health care, nothing to do with helping the poor, nothing to do with helping the elderly. This is all about power and they aren't ashamed to let you know that it is either. They think that they are revolutionaries, but they haven't begun to comprehend what is coming their way if they persist, mark my words. The second revolution is coming. The first salvo has already been fired on November 3, 2009. The next battle to be waged will come November 3, 2010. And after that, if this monstrosity of government intrusion into individual liberties and freedoms isn't reversed, the blood will start to flow. this crap is not what we want, nor what we need. We need real leadership, real jobs (not that green economy crap), we need an end to all the Chicago thuggery. Victory belongs to the people, victory will be ours.
Saturday, November 7, 2009
PC Run Amok, 14 Pay Ultimate Price
With the disastrous failure of the policies regarding the ideology of "Political Correctness" that we as a nation witnessed on Thursday with the shooting spree of a crazed radicalized jihadist at Fort Hood that left 13 dead and 31 seriously wounded, it should become all too apparent that some form of profiling is indeed warranted in some situations. This should especially be true at any of our military bases either here or abroad. Our brave men and women deserve far better than being gunned down like vermin by anyone shouting in Arabic "Alauha Akbar". This guy was committing an act of terror on American soil. That makes him a terrorist. It doesn't matter if he was suffering from Pre-Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, it doesn't matter if he was upset at being deployed in theater soon, it doesn't matter that he had a psychotic break or not. He shot and killed 13 people. Actually the number killed was 14 because one person he killed was a 21 year old woman returning from Iraq because she was 3 months pregnant. That's right the coward killed 13 adults and 1 unborn baby. Didn't know that did you?
And then we have the Doofus in Chief get on Television, and after thanking everyone for putting his mug on the screen again as if he was accepting an award, (he just can't get enough coverage, he leaps at every chance to be on TV), he proceeds to tell everyone to "not rush to judgment until we have all the facts". This, from the same moron who sucked his toes in public when he told us that the Cambridge Police "Acted stupidly" regarding the hapless professor who forgot his keys. Perhaps he was angling for another "Beer Summit". What an ass.
And then we find out that this Nadir Malik Hassan character had been giving off warning signs for several months beforehand and due to PC policy was largely ignored! I find it absolutely unconscionable that 14 lives were terminated due to PC. In a post 9/11 era, we should not be afraid to act on suspicious behavior. It should be noted that there are sufficient avenues of redress for the wrongfully accused and that anyone would agree that it is far better to be safe than sorry. We need to reject the ideology that has put PC on such a high pedestal and embrace the fact that no one is above suspicion.
Anyone that espouses radicalized views or ideology should be reported immediately to authorities, regardless of their ethnicity, racial background, or religion. Does anyone remember the flying Imams of just a few months ago? The real tragedy at Fort Hood wasn't the heroes that were felled, it was the failure to condemn the culture of PC that allowed this massacre to happen in the first place.
God bless those who died, their surviving families and friends, and all the brave men and women who serve every day to preserve liberty and freedom for us and for others around the world.
And then we have the Doofus in Chief get on Television, and after thanking everyone for putting his mug on the screen again as if he was accepting an award, (he just can't get enough coverage, he leaps at every chance to be on TV), he proceeds to tell everyone to "not rush to judgment until we have all the facts". This, from the same moron who sucked his toes in public when he told us that the Cambridge Police "Acted stupidly" regarding the hapless professor who forgot his keys. Perhaps he was angling for another "Beer Summit". What an ass.
And then we find out that this Nadir Malik Hassan character had been giving off warning signs for several months beforehand and due to PC policy was largely ignored! I find it absolutely unconscionable that 14 lives were terminated due to PC. In a post 9/11 era, we should not be afraid to act on suspicious behavior. It should be noted that there are sufficient avenues of redress for the wrongfully accused and that anyone would agree that it is far better to be safe than sorry. We need to reject the ideology that has put PC on such a high pedestal and embrace the fact that no one is above suspicion.
Anyone that espouses radicalized views or ideology should be reported immediately to authorities, regardless of their ethnicity, racial background, or religion. Does anyone remember the flying Imams of just a few months ago? The real tragedy at Fort Hood wasn't the heroes that were felled, it was the failure to condemn the culture of PC that allowed this massacre to happen in the first place.
God bless those who died, their surviving families and friends, and all the brave men and women who serve every day to preserve liberty and freedom for us and for others around the world.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Independents Vote for Republicans, Conservatism and Liberty!
The voters are now speaking, and the Obama administration would be well advised to listen carefully. The governorship of Virginia has gone to the Republican candidate, and they may well sweep the top three spots in that state as well. The New Jersey Governor's race is still too close to call, and the congressional battle over the New York district 23 rages on. Voter discontent at all of the failed liberal policies of the administration is being voiced loud and clear tonight. This is public condemnation of the obvious disconnect between the liberal horde on the Hill, and Main Street America.
Why was our President waiting for election results in Afghanistan to make a decision on troop levels there? This President hasn't got a clue of what it takes to lead. To be able to make a decision and stick with it even if it isn't popular, and especially be able to change course if it isn't working; neither of these traits are within the repertoire of Obama. And this will prove to be his political undoing.
His waffling and dithering on matters of national security, his banal insistence upon carving up the best health care system in the entire world, his outright lies regarding the number jobs "saved or created", his unbridled hatred of innovation and prosperity within the private sector, his public disdain for our energy independence by utilizing clean coal, nuclear, and drilling for our own oil, his constant demonizing of the wealthy, his abject refusal to abide by the Constitution, all of these things and so much more, are not adding up to any kind of "hope and change" that anyone can believe in. In fact, he has become so transparent in his bid to fundamentally transform our entire society from a representative republic into a socialist dictatorship that he has risked all of his political capital. He has bet his whole wad on health care and this is why he has persisted with the strong-arm tactics against the blue dog Democrats in the House. If he loses this issue, he will essentially be a lame duck President for the next three years before being tossed out of office in the 2012 race.
Mark my words, Conservatism will recapture the soul of the Republican party and victory will be ours in 2012! The Conservatives have spoken loud and clear. Are you listening Obama, Pelosi and Reid? Your firing will come next! Thank God.
.
The Republicans have swept all the top three offices in Virginia. Thank God!
Now that we the people know what the real agenda of the Democrats is it will be much easier to defeat them at the polls. They cannot hide behind straw-man arguments and pure rhetoric anymore. They cannot get away with outright lies anymore. The electorate is much more informed and savvy than they ever could have estimated. It is to their detriment that they disregard the will of the people. The great people of the greatest nation on earth love liberty, freedom, and personal responsibility more than they love the State.
Why was our President waiting for election results in Afghanistan to make a decision on troop levels there? This President hasn't got a clue of what it takes to lead. To be able to make a decision and stick with it even if it isn't popular, and especially be able to change course if it isn't working; neither of these traits are within the repertoire of Obama. And this will prove to be his political undoing.
His waffling and dithering on matters of national security, his banal insistence upon carving up the best health care system in the entire world, his outright lies regarding the number jobs "saved or created", his unbridled hatred of innovation and prosperity within the private sector, his public disdain for our energy independence by utilizing clean coal, nuclear, and drilling for our own oil, his constant demonizing of the wealthy, his abject refusal to abide by the Constitution, all of these things and so much more, are not adding up to any kind of "hope and change" that anyone can believe in. In fact, he has become so transparent in his bid to fundamentally transform our entire society from a representative republic into a socialist dictatorship that he has risked all of his political capital. He has bet his whole wad on health care and this is why he has persisted with the strong-arm tactics against the blue dog Democrats in the House. If he loses this issue, he will essentially be a lame duck President for the next three years before being tossed out of office in the 2012 race.
Mark my words, Conservatism will recapture the soul of the Republican party and victory will be ours in 2012! The Conservatives have spoken loud and clear. Are you listening Obama, Pelosi and Reid? Your firing will come next! Thank God.
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The Republicans have swept all the top three offices in Virginia. Thank God!
Now that we the people know what the real agenda of the Democrats is it will be much easier to defeat them at the polls. They cannot hide behind straw-man arguments and pure rhetoric anymore. They cannot get away with outright lies anymore. The electorate is much more informed and savvy than they ever could have estimated. It is to their detriment that they disregard the will of the people. The great people of the greatest nation on earth love liberty, freedom, and personal responsibility more than they love the State.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
The Conservative Ascendency
How is it that our government has become so far removed from the people? I mean, everyone that I talk to has a very hard time squaring the venomous bills being penned in the halls of congress with the will of the people. If you read any one of them, it quickly becomes apparent that the administration has a private agenda that it is desperately trying to enact, despite the will of the people. Obama promised hope and change. He is denying the former, and delivering the later. Where are the jobs? Only jobs can restore the hope. But Obama does not seem too concerned with restoring hope. He keeps blathering on about fundamentally transforming our economy, but what he really means to transform is our society as a whole by changing the fundamental relationship between the people and government.
Instead of receiving power at the behest of the people, he seeks to usurp it because he feels entitled to it. He knows what is best for our society. There is no need for discussion. There is no need for public discourse. That would only get in the way of progress. He has said "stop all the talking. I don't mind cleaning up the mess". He is so damned full of himself. He raised all kinds of campaign money from both inside and outside the country over the Internet, purchased his way into the White House. And now thinks that he can force his will on the entire population. He didn't count on meeting up with any resistance from conservatives. He failed to comprehend the sheer number of conservatives in this country and the magnitude of their outrage over his animus towards our Constitution, and the values and traditions upon which it is built.
Rush Limbaugh has said that the Conservative movement is on the ascendancy and he is right. Witness the Congressional race in N.Y. district 23 where there was a three way between a liberal Democrat, a moderate Republican (incumbent) and a Conservative. Today the incumbent Republican withdrew from the race and endorsed the Conservative candidate! her record was tainted with several inconsistencies regarding conservative positions, and by the latest polls she could not have won re-election anyways. But the real thing that is noteworthy about this is that the National Republican Congressional Committee which had poured over $900,000 into Dede Scazafava's campaign is now suddenly left without a candidate in the race. This district has been a solidly red district since the beginning of the Civil War. Instead of it switching to blue, the republican incumbent has dropped out of the race and endorsed the Conservative party candidate. Simply stunning! The NRCC and the RNC should take notice here. The base will find a party that best matches their values, and in New York that party is the Conservative Party.
I believe that this is the start of something that will spread faster than H1N1 across the entire country. It is high time that the values of the majority of the people in our country hold dear are given face in Washington D.C. The Republicans will be marginalized by their own ineffectiveness at recapturing their base. Their base has moved on, and found a new voice in the Conservative movement. We are not lost; we just found a new voice.
Instead of receiving power at the behest of the people, he seeks to usurp it because he feels entitled to it. He knows what is best for our society. There is no need for discussion. There is no need for public discourse. That would only get in the way of progress. He has said "stop all the talking. I don't mind cleaning up the mess". He is so damned full of himself. He raised all kinds of campaign money from both inside and outside the country over the Internet, purchased his way into the White House. And now thinks that he can force his will on the entire population. He didn't count on meeting up with any resistance from conservatives. He failed to comprehend the sheer number of conservatives in this country and the magnitude of their outrage over his animus towards our Constitution, and the values and traditions upon which it is built.
Rush Limbaugh has said that the Conservative movement is on the ascendancy and he is right. Witness the Congressional race in N.Y. district 23 where there was a three way between a liberal Democrat, a moderate Republican (incumbent) and a Conservative. Today the incumbent Republican withdrew from the race and endorsed the Conservative candidate! her record was tainted with several inconsistencies regarding conservative positions, and by the latest polls she could not have won re-election anyways. But the real thing that is noteworthy about this is that the National Republican Congressional Committee which had poured over $900,000 into Dede Scazafava's campaign is now suddenly left without a candidate in the race. This district has been a solidly red district since the beginning of the Civil War. Instead of it switching to blue, the republican incumbent has dropped out of the race and endorsed the Conservative party candidate. Simply stunning! The NRCC and the RNC should take notice here. The base will find a party that best matches their values, and in New York that party is the Conservative Party.
I believe that this is the start of something that will spread faster than H1N1 across the entire country. It is high time that the values of the majority of the people in our country hold dear are given face in Washington D.C. The Republicans will be marginalized by their own ineffectiveness at recapturing their base. Their base has moved on, and found a new voice in the Conservative movement. We are not lost; we just found a new voice.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Sewage by any other name, still stinks!
Now, in eleventh-hour secret deliberations behind closed doors over a complete socialistic takeover of one-sixth of our economy (the health care industry), Nazi Pelosi has a "flash of Genius"; to rename the distasteful "Public Option" as the "Consumer Option". As if it will magically become more palatable to the public at large, and therefore become easier to ram through their holy grail of power grabs and enslave the public to government. She must have revisited her marketing 101 book from community college for that stroke of genius!
No matter what they decide to call it, it still can't pass the smell test. They should just incinerate the rotten corpse of an idea and start over by actually sitting down and talking with the conservative Republicans in Congress.
I spoke with one of my doctors today at the Infectious Disease Clinic at the hospital about the whole debacle. I lamented that the same government that can't even grow a damned virus competently (H1N1 shortage anyone?) desires to take over our entire health care system. She countered that it was private companies that actually are manufacturing the virus. I didn't correct her, but I have heard otherwise. Or at the very least, the government sets all the standards for the manufacturing of flu viruses. So in one way or another, the government is ultimately responsible for the failure of the system to produce mass quantities in a timely manner. As is usually the case, government "regulations" create barriers to creativity, and hamper the natural process of creative destruction that is required for any economy to grow and thrive.
When government controls the means of production and distribution, that is by definition, statism also known as socialism. Where is the "choice and competition" in that?
In late breaking news today, independent Joe Leiberman, and even Olympia Snow have announced that they are not backing Harry Reid's push for a government option! Way to go Joe! Now the only bi-partisan action regarding the whole health care debate is with the opposition! LOL.
The thousand plus page legislation is becoming more and more gangrenous by the minute, and the putrefied stench of decomposition hangs heavy in the rarefied political air on Capitol Hill. The liberal horde should smell defeat and cut its losses, but instead they may just be lurching in the death throws, posturing in that telltale fetal position; one can only hope!
No matter what they decide to call it, it still can't pass the smell test. They should just incinerate the rotten corpse of an idea and start over by actually sitting down and talking with the conservative Republicans in Congress.
I spoke with one of my doctors today at the Infectious Disease Clinic at the hospital about the whole debacle. I lamented that the same government that can't even grow a damned virus competently (H1N1 shortage anyone?) desires to take over our entire health care system. She countered that it was private companies that actually are manufacturing the virus. I didn't correct her, but I have heard otherwise. Or at the very least, the government sets all the standards for the manufacturing of flu viruses. So in one way or another, the government is ultimately responsible for the failure of the system to produce mass quantities in a timely manner. As is usually the case, government "regulations" create barriers to creativity, and hamper the natural process of creative destruction that is required for any economy to grow and thrive.
When government controls the means of production and distribution, that is by definition, statism also known as socialism. Where is the "choice and competition" in that?
In late breaking news today, independent Joe Leiberman, and even Olympia Snow have announced that they are not backing Harry Reid's push for a government option! Way to go Joe! Now the only bi-partisan action regarding the whole health care debate is with the opposition! LOL.
The thousand plus page legislation is becoming more and more gangrenous by the minute, and the putrefied stench of decomposition hangs heavy in the rarefied political air on Capitol Hill. The liberal horde should smell defeat and cut its losses, but instead they may just be lurching in the death throws, posturing in that telltale fetal position; one can only hope!
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Rush Limbaugh on Leno
The Rush Limbaugh appearance on the Jay Leno show the other night was something to see. Rush looked great as ever having lost 85 pounds on his diet. He was like a conservative machine gun, cramming in as much as possible in the nine minutes that his interview was given. His appearance as a guest was capped off by a visit to the eco-challenge track outside Jay's new studio where guests try to get the best lowest score by driving the electric Ford car around a track while avoiding obstacles. the obstacles included cardboard cut-outs of such green people as Al Gore and Ed Bagley Jr. and also streamers that shoot out of cannons. Now I listen to Rush just about every day, and I knew that he would be on Jays show that night, and I knew what he was intent upon doing for this eco-challenge. He was going to attempt to get the worst score possible by hitting every one of the obstacles. And he did it in spades! Not only did he hit every obstacle, but when Al Gore jumped out in front of him, he put the car in reverse, and hit him a second and then third time! He did the same with Ed Bagley Jr. What a hoot! I was howling with laughter at the entire segment.
But what was really great about his appearance, besides being funny and entertaining, was that he was on prime time television with as many as 40 million viewers! Now that is some serious coverage. Rush Limbaugh, the undisputed king of conservative talk radio has a three-hour per day show that starts at noon eastern time for five days a week. His show has over 20 million loyal listeners like myself. So his appearance on Jay's show, doubled his audience during prime time and his conservative viewpoint was teased to many who have never tuned in to Rush's show.
Our current President has had no real world experience running anything other than campaigns which is why he is in perpetual campaign mode. He does not have any plans, just talking points. He has not produced any plans for anything be it the stimulus, financial industry mess, energy policy, foreign policy, Wall Street mess, manufacturing mess, or even health care. He has no plan. he is just winging it with campaign style rhetoric, staying on point with his talking points. And he looks so good on camera, plus he reads a mean teleprompter. But he has fails to drill down to the details every time. It is getting old. I for one am tired of all the positive campaign like exposure that the mainstream media is giving him. It is a little like an old worn out record with a deep scratch that keeps skipping back to the same groove; annoying.
And then there are the constant put downs of America itself which are also just as annoying. He has stated that he does not like the Constitution, he thinks that it is flawed, and our society is just as flawed so he takes every opportunity to point to everything that he feels is wrong with America on the world stage; annoying and dangerous. Dangerous because it emboldens our enemies who view him as weak. They (our enemies) praise Obama publicly for his apologetic attitude while privately plotting their next move against us.
I for one am so glad that Benjamin Netanyahu stood up at the UN and called the President of Iran a Holocaust denier, anti-Semite and admonished those leaders that did not walk out during Mamouds rant. He asked "Have you no shame?"
Everything about Obama as President is backwards; his positions on all the things previously mentioned. What would make us stronger as a nation, he attacks. He is hampering the recovery that is already been underway. If he would just shut up and get the hell out of the way, we the people could get on with recovering already. But Obama is all about himself; building monuments to his ego. Did you know that every single one of those road construction signs for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act with the Obama 'O' logo on it costs the taxpayers $1,300? and there are at least two of them for every site. How many sign makers do you know? At least they are staying busy. His shameless self promotion is unending and disgusting.
But what was really great about his appearance, besides being funny and entertaining, was that he was on prime time television with as many as 40 million viewers! Now that is some serious coverage. Rush Limbaugh, the undisputed king of conservative talk radio has a three-hour per day show that starts at noon eastern time for five days a week. His show has over 20 million loyal listeners like myself. So his appearance on Jay's show, doubled his audience during prime time and his conservative viewpoint was teased to many who have never tuned in to Rush's show.
Our current President has had no real world experience running anything other than campaigns which is why he is in perpetual campaign mode. He does not have any plans, just talking points. He has not produced any plans for anything be it the stimulus, financial industry mess, energy policy, foreign policy, Wall Street mess, manufacturing mess, or even health care. He has no plan. he is just winging it with campaign style rhetoric, staying on point with his talking points. And he looks so good on camera, plus he reads a mean teleprompter. But he has fails to drill down to the details every time. It is getting old. I for one am tired of all the positive campaign like exposure that the mainstream media is giving him. It is a little like an old worn out record with a deep scratch that keeps skipping back to the same groove; annoying.
And then there are the constant put downs of America itself which are also just as annoying. He has stated that he does not like the Constitution, he thinks that it is flawed, and our society is just as flawed so he takes every opportunity to point to everything that he feels is wrong with America on the world stage; annoying and dangerous. Dangerous because it emboldens our enemies who view him as weak. They (our enemies) praise Obama publicly for his apologetic attitude while privately plotting their next move against us.
I for one am so glad that Benjamin Netanyahu stood up at the UN and called the President of Iran a Holocaust denier, anti-Semite and admonished those leaders that did not walk out during Mamouds rant. He asked "Have you no shame?"
Everything about Obama as President is backwards; his positions on all the things previously mentioned. What would make us stronger as a nation, he attacks. He is hampering the recovery that is already been underway. If he would just shut up and get the hell out of the way, we the people could get on with recovering already. But Obama is all about himself; building monuments to his ego. Did you know that every single one of those road construction signs for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act with the Obama 'O' logo on it costs the taxpayers $1,300? and there are at least two of them for every site. How many sign makers do you know? At least they are staying busy. His shameless self promotion is unending and disgusting.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Stimulus Spending on Art to Improve Outdoor Aesthitics in Clare Michigan
While I was in Clare Michigan a few weeks ago to haul steel for Alro Steel, I noticed a peculiar looking bicycle rack inside the plant of JD Metalworks (one of Alro's customers) where I was delivering a truckload of steel. upon closer inspection and some questioning, it was revealed to me that it was actually part of the economic stimulus money from the ARRA (American Recovery and Reinvestment Act). The project arrived there at their plant as a coil of tube steel and some flat peices. They worked the steel and welded it together according to the plans that came with it and then painted it to specifications.
The area around central lower Michigan, where Clare is located is fairly sparsely populated and remote. Sprinkled throughout the cornfields there rises an occasional corrugated steel building with lots of SUV's parked nearby. Some of these shops are just outbuildings close to a farmhouse itself! The predominate industry in the region is steel working and fabricating in support of building industrial grade wood chippers. Three world renowned brands are manufactured there; Woodsman, Morebark, and Bandit. These wood chippers are so big that semi-tractors must pull them! They can devour entire trees in seconds. They are used by developers who clear land for construction here and abroad. Nothing is wasted. The entire tree can be turned into mulch, packaged and sold in stores.
But this little curious project caught my eye as we were unloading the steel from the truck, and I inquired about it. I was told that it was an art project that was funded by the stimulus money of taxpayers.
As I said it looked like a bicycle rack at first, but upon closer inspection it turned out to just be a work of art. Notice the Obama Administration's "going green" theme is promoted here by the form and color. If you are ever in Clare Michigan I hope that you get the chance to see this in person, but if not, you can enjoy this cell phone photograph below!
The area around central lower Michigan, where Clare is located is fairly sparsely populated and remote. Sprinkled throughout the cornfields there rises an occasional corrugated steel building with lots of SUV's parked nearby. Some of these shops are just outbuildings close to a farmhouse itself! The predominate industry in the region is steel working and fabricating in support of building industrial grade wood chippers. Three world renowned brands are manufactured there; Woodsman, Morebark, and Bandit. These wood chippers are so big that semi-tractors must pull them! They can devour entire trees in seconds. They are used by developers who clear land for construction here and abroad. Nothing is wasted. The entire tree can be turned into mulch, packaged and sold in stores.
But this little curious project caught my eye as we were unloading the steel from the truck, and I inquired about it. I was told that it was an art project that was funded by the stimulus money of taxpayers.
As I said it looked like a bicycle rack at first, but upon closer inspection it turned out to just be a work of art. Notice the Obama Administration's "going green" theme is promoted here by the form and color. If you are ever in Clare Michigan I hope that you get the chance to see this in person, but if not, you can enjoy this cell phone photograph below!
Your tax dollars hard at work in Clare Michigan!
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
The Ethics of Cost Shifting as Related to Liberty and Freedom
The current driver at the heart of the health care issue today is the ethics behind cost shifting behavior. To understand this we must first look at the definition of 'cost shifting'. "Cost Shifting is the moving of the costs of services or goods from the person who actually incurred the costs to another person or entity that is in a better position to pay those costs". This is also known as the Robin Hood effect and it frequently occurs in the health care industry and other government regulated industries.
The statement that the President has repeatedly made regarding "bending the cost curve" illustrates that they (liberals in power) just do not understand that the government's lower than market payments for health services have caused the very problem of cost shifting in regards to pricing. In other words, the government has caused the runaway inflation in health care costs. The under payments within all government run insurance systems (Medicare, Medicaid, SCHIP, and others) are exactly what has driven up health care costs. Government has caused the spiraling health care costs!
Let's take a look at the Massachusetts system as an example of what our government is determined to foist upon us all. Since it instituted the "universal coverage" system that covers everyone in Massachusetts, the cost of private insurance has fallen steadily. In and of itself, that is a good thing, but during the same period, payments from Medicare and Medicaid have also fallen. The reduced market power of hospitals as a result of the system structure has produced an inability for providers to shift costs, along with a corresponding precipitous dip in profit margins[1]. This situation has caused the providers to either lower the standards of care in order to maintain profitability (viability as an entity in the communities that they serve is dependent upon showing a profit), or file for bankruptcy, or simply close the doors and go out of business. So the wonderful system of Romneycare for everyone is driving up unemployment as clinics either fold or leave the state for better economies elsewhere. This type of invasive government intrusion into any market has this effect as a predictable outcome. The outcome will not be any different if our Federal Government attempts this same scheme.
And it was recently reported that the Massachusetts government was proposing to drop over 30,000 legal immigrants in order to cut costs because of a serious shortfall in funding for the program! Is this what we really want for the entire United States?
While the employer based system certainly has a few minor flaws, it is by far a better framework within which appropriate cost shifting can occur. Cost shifting enables our system to treat individuals who have no insurance, or who are under-insured to receive prompt medical treatment. Could our system be tweaked to help contain spiraling costs for the "haves"; yes. Does it need to be totally redone to accomplish this; no.
As Ronald Wilson Reagan said, "More government is not the answer, because government is the problem". There are simpler ways to affect the changes that would be welcomed by everyone. Legislation to allow individuals and small companies to pool risk, portability of policies, tax credits for those who are below the poverty level. Modification of the laws regarding how health care savings accounts are administered and treated for tax purposes (allow year over year rollover of unused funds tax free rather than the current forfeiture scheme). Tax incentives for employers to contribute to employees individual HSA's. Modification of the McCarran-Ferguson ACT of 1945 to allow for interstate sales of health insurance policies which would foster real competition within the industry nationwide and therefore drive down costs. Allow for temporary coverage for transients (those between jobs not of their own volition).
Would any of these solutions have a deleterious affect on cost shifting? certainly, but in a positive way for all! None of those methods mentioned above would drive the level of care down as has happened in Massachusetts. The real question at the heart of the issue; "is cost shifting ethical?" Yes it is. it is the most fair system that has ever been devised. It automatically maintains a high level of care for all participants. Whereas the system that congress is considering would produce a two tier system; public for the serfs and private for the wealthy elite. Think that is not possible? Look no further than just north of the border to Canada where the public system is coming apart at the seams because it isn't working. The Canadian doctors have started to open private clinics in defiance of the government because the demand for care is so high and the tightly controlled government supply of services has caused a vast gulf within the societal structure that can only be addressed by the free market! By the way, the doctors readily admit to advancing their family and relatives up to the top of the waiting lists for services! And government officials have access to private physicians and hospitals that regular citizens do not.
Is it ethical to require every citizen to carry health insurance? No! That is a direct assault upon our liberty. It was a direct assault on our liberty to require everyone who drives to carry automobile insurance (especially since we live in a "no fault" state in which every policy issued has an "uninsured motorist" clause in it)! How can there be uninsured motorists in a country where everyone who drives is required to carry automobile insurance? Yet we all pay for the clause anyway! This is not about health care. It is all about power and control over the population. What better way to enslave the public is there than to make them dependent upon the government for health care? None!
While there are legitimate small issues that could be addressed within American Health Care, the liberals are merely using it as a vehicle to make the population dependent upon a massive, bloated and all powerful government. That is the antithesis of the principles that our country was founded upon. Smaller and less intrusive government is what America was all about at the beginning and what it is still about today. Keep the faith my friends. We must not relent in our opposition to this socialistic dragon that is embodied by the liberals. We must not fail to defeat this vile threat to our liberty and freedom. I will not rest until this assault is crushed. Join me in this fight, call your representatives, go to a town hall and demand to be heard, write emails to your representatives and engage friends, family, acquaintances and strangers in a constructive dialogue that empowers them to see this for what it is; an all out assault upon their freedom and liberty!
[1] AcademyHealth report on Healthcare Financing and Organization as commissioned by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, charts and notes on pages 15 and 16.
The statement that the President has repeatedly made regarding "bending the cost curve" illustrates that they (liberals in power) just do not understand that the government's lower than market payments for health services have caused the very problem of cost shifting in regards to pricing. In other words, the government has caused the runaway inflation in health care costs. The under payments within all government run insurance systems (Medicare, Medicaid, SCHIP, and others) are exactly what has driven up health care costs. Government has caused the spiraling health care costs!
Let's take a look at the Massachusetts system as an example of what our government is determined to foist upon us all. Since it instituted the "universal coverage" system that covers everyone in Massachusetts, the cost of private insurance has fallen steadily. In and of itself, that is a good thing, but during the same period, payments from Medicare and Medicaid have also fallen. The reduced market power of hospitals as a result of the system structure has produced an inability for providers to shift costs, along with a corresponding precipitous dip in profit margins[1]. This situation has caused the providers to either lower the standards of care in order to maintain profitability (viability as an entity in the communities that they serve is dependent upon showing a profit), or file for bankruptcy, or simply close the doors and go out of business. So the wonderful system of Romneycare for everyone is driving up unemployment as clinics either fold or leave the state for better economies elsewhere. This type of invasive government intrusion into any market has this effect as a predictable outcome. The outcome will not be any different if our Federal Government attempts this same scheme.
And it was recently reported that the Massachusetts government was proposing to drop over 30,000 legal immigrants in order to cut costs because of a serious shortfall in funding for the program! Is this what we really want for the entire United States?
While the employer based system certainly has a few minor flaws, it is by far a better framework within which appropriate cost shifting can occur. Cost shifting enables our system to treat individuals who have no insurance, or who are under-insured to receive prompt medical treatment. Could our system be tweaked to help contain spiraling costs for the "haves"; yes. Does it need to be totally redone to accomplish this; no.
As Ronald Wilson Reagan said, "More government is not the answer, because government is the problem". There are simpler ways to affect the changes that would be welcomed by everyone. Legislation to allow individuals and small companies to pool risk, portability of policies, tax credits for those who are below the poverty level. Modification of the laws regarding how health care savings accounts are administered and treated for tax purposes (allow year over year rollover of unused funds tax free rather than the current forfeiture scheme). Tax incentives for employers to contribute to employees individual HSA's. Modification of the McCarran-Ferguson ACT of 1945 to allow for interstate sales of health insurance policies which would foster real competition within the industry nationwide and therefore drive down costs. Allow for temporary coverage for transients (those between jobs not of their own volition).
Would any of these solutions have a deleterious affect on cost shifting? certainly, but in a positive way for all! None of those methods mentioned above would drive the level of care down as has happened in Massachusetts. The real question at the heart of the issue; "is cost shifting ethical?" Yes it is. it is the most fair system that has ever been devised. It automatically maintains a high level of care for all participants. Whereas the system that congress is considering would produce a two tier system; public for the serfs and private for the wealthy elite. Think that is not possible? Look no further than just north of the border to Canada where the public system is coming apart at the seams because it isn't working. The Canadian doctors have started to open private clinics in defiance of the government because the demand for care is so high and the tightly controlled government supply of services has caused a vast gulf within the societal structure that can only be addressed by the free market! By the way, the doctors readily admit to advancing their family and relatives up to the top of the waiting lists for services! And government officials have access to private physicians and hospitals that regular citizens do not.
Is it ethical to require every citizen to carry health insurance? No! That is a direct assault upon our liberty. It was a direct assault on our liberty to require everyone who drives to carry automobile insurance (especially since we live in a "no fault" state in which every policy issued has an "uninsured motorist" clause in it)! How can there be uninsured motorists in a country where everyone who drives is required to carry automobile insurance? Yet we all pay for the clause anyway! This is not about health care. It is all about power and control over the population. What better way to enslave the public is there than to make them dependent upon the government for health care? None!
While there are legitimate small issues that could be addressed within American Health Care, the liberals are merely using it as a vehicle to make the population dependent upon a massive, bloated and all powerful government. That is the antithesis of the principles that our country was founded upon. Smaller and less intrusive government is what America was all about at the beginning and what it is still about today. Keep the faith my friends. We must not relent in our opposition to this socialistic dragon that is embodied by the liberals. We must not fail to defeat this vile threat to our liberty and freedom. I will not rest until this assault is crushed. Join me in this fight, call your representatives, go to a town hall and demand to be heard, write emails to your representatives and engage friends, family, acquaintances and strangers in a constructive dialogue that empowers them to see this for what it is; an all out assault upon their freedom and liberty!
[1] AcademyHealth report on Healthcare Financing and Organization as commissioned by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, charts and notes on pages 15 and 16.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Lies, Spies and Hypnotyze; The Real Obama Plan.
Well, the "Agitator in Chief" has felt the need to roll up his sleeves and show the hapless liberal Democrats is congress just how to schmooze and wow the crowd. He is, at long last, leading by example. Showing them just how to steamroller and bamboozle all the lowly serfs that are turning out at Town Hall meetings across the country. Using his cult of personality along with intense focus groups and hand picked attendees to his so called public town hall meetings, and of course liberal coverage by the Pop-Tart media he has attempted to quell the growing tide of public revolt against the plethora of bad legislation that has recently slithered out of the halls of Congress.
But lets take a look at the real facts here compared against what the President claimed yesterday. The President has said repeatedly that you can keep your current insurance and doctors if you are happy with them, but the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office has estimated that up to as many as 10 million people would loose their employer based coverage and be forced into the public option plan. (And that is most likely a very conservative number, the true number may be as high as 83 million as estimated by The Heritage Foundation).
The President said that "Insurance companies basically get $177 Billion of taxpayer money to provide services that Medicare already provides". But according to Robert Zirkelbach at America's Health Insurance Plans, a trade association, about 10.2 million Medicare recipients are in Medicare Advantage. Under that program, the government pays insurers a set amount per Medicare beneficiary. Obama ridiculed it as costly and redundant, but the plan provides benefits such as vision, dental, and hearing to seniors and helps coordinate health care for those with chronic conditions.
The President asserts that there is no death panels, but the fact is that the house bill (HR3200) would require that Medicare pay for end-of-life counseling sessions for seniors every five years starting at age 65 (read the bill section 1233). It would not require anyone to act, but this is a macabre and repulsive section in the legislation that counsels the vulnerable elderly, many of whom already feel as if they are a burden to remaining family members. The very idea that one would push them towards a Kevorkian decision with "counseling" is absolutely abhorrent to anyone who has a conscience.
The President has also asserted that the AARP has endorsed the plan. The AARP has issued a press release to make it clear that it has not endorsed any particular health care proposal. "Indications that we have endorsed any of the major health care reform bills currently under consideration in Congress are inaccurate".
So you see, the Community Organizer in Chief is himself, agitated at the fact that he is losing the PR battle here over his massive power grab, his socialistic agenda, his baby. In the words of an unknown soldier, "He has chosen this hill to die on" and he is fighting for his political life. He may well take the Democratic Party with him to the grave. And we can only hope so because of something that Norman Mattoon Thomas said in 1944. Norman was a leading American Socialist and a six-time Presidential Candidate. While campaigning in 1944 he stated that; "The American People will never knowingly adopt socialism. But, under the name of 'liberalism' they will adopt every fragment of the socialist program, until one day America will be a socialist nation, without knowing how it happened." he went on to say that, "I no longer need to run as a Presidential Candidate for the Socialist Party. The Democratic Party has adopted our platform."
Friends, let me be clear here, the people have read the bill, they do not like it because it is characteristically un-American in nature. And the demonizing and name calling from the left is not helping their cause here. There is no Democracy without public dissent. Public dissent can not be parsed from passionate emotions. This is a representative democracy, what is also known more accurately as a republic. This public unrest that you are witnessing is the normal state of our republic as it was designed by the founding fathers who framed the Constitution which guarantees each individual the right to voice their concerns. Intimidation against such is what is un-American.
The left is worried because they have underestimated the willingness to become involved, the intelligence, passions and depth of engagement of the public. The backlash that they are witnessing is organic, not organized. This is personal to each and everyone involved, just as the topic of abolition was years ago. And we all know what happened with that issue; it divided the country into north and south, Yankees and Rebels, and ultimately resulted in a very bloody civil war to end slavery in this country. Over 620,000 men lost their lives in those four years.
Now to combat what it deems as "misinformation", the Administration plans to collect email addresses and names from volunteer spies, so that it can target and harass citizens who dared to read the bill and voice their concerns about it! John Solas, who confronted Congressman John Dingle at the Town Hall Meeting while pushing his 39 year old son who has Downs Syndrome in his wheelchair, was visited by Obama's union thugs in the middle of the night at his home in Milan Michigan that very night! Friends, this is not about health care, it is about power and money, and they do not care who they step on or maim in the process of the acquisition of it! This is just bad legislation, bad politics, and very un-American behavior from the radical leftist liberal Democrats now in power. They must be defeated in 2010. They must be routed from office, before they can inflict any more damage on our precious republic. Act now, decide to vote them out as soon as possible. Go to a town hall meeting and voice your concerns; Beat back their rhetoric with truth and sound reasoning, send out emails, make phone calls. Become an involved and engaged American; be Patriotic. The time to act is now!
But lets take a look at the real facts here compared against what the President claimed yesterday. The President has said repeatedly that you can keep your current insurance and doctors if you are happy with them, but the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office has estimated that up to as many as 10 million people would loose their employer based coverage and be forced into the public option plan. (And that is most likely a very conservative number, the true number may be as high as 83 million as estimated by The Heritage Foundation).
The President said that "Insurance companies basically get $177 Billion of taxpayer money to provide services that Medicare already provides". But according to Robert Zirkelbach at America's Health Insurance Plans, a trade association, about 10.2 million Medicare recipients are in Medicare Advantage. Under that program, the government pays insurers a set amount per Medicare beneficiary. Obama ridiculed it as costly and redundant, but the plan provides benefits such as vision, dental, and hearing to seniors and helps coordinate health care for those with chronic conditions.
The President asserts that there is no death panels, but the fact is that the house bill (HR3200) would require that Medicare pay for end-of-life counseling sessions for seniors every five years starting at age 65 (read the bill section 1233). It would not require anyone to act, but this is a macabre and repulsive section in the legislation that counsels the vulnerable elderly, many of whom already feel as if they are a burden to remaining family members. The very idea that one would push them towards a Kevorkian decision with "counseling" is absolutely abhorrent to anyone who has a conscience.
The President has also asserted that the AARP has endorsed the plan. The AARP has issued a press release to make it clear that it has not endorsed any particular health care proposal. "Indications that we have endorsed any of the major health care reform bills currently under consideration in Congress are inaccurate".
So you see, the Community Organizer in Chief is himself, agitated at the fact that he is losing the PR battle here over his massive power grab, his socialistic agenda, his baby. In the words of an unknown soldier, "He has chosen this hill to die on" and he is fighting for his political life. He may well take the Democratic Party with him to the grave. And we can only hope so because of something that Norman Mattoon Thomas said in 1944. Norman was a leading American Socialist and a six-time Presidential Candidate. While campaigning in 1944 he stated that; "The American People will never knowingly adopt socialism. But, under the name of 'liberalism' they will adopt every fragment of the socialist program, until one day America will be a socialist nation, without knowing how it happened." he went on to say that, "I no longer need to run as a Presidential Candidate for the Socialist Party. The Democratic Party has adopted our platform."
Friends, let me be clear here, the people have read the bill, they do not like it because it is characteristically un-American in nature. And the demonizing and name calling from the left is not helping their cause here. There is no Democracy without public dissent. Public dissent can not be parsed from passionate emotions. This is a representative democracy, what is also known more accurately as a republic. This public unrest that you are witnessing is the normal state of our republic as it was designed by the founding fathers who framed the Constitution which guarantees each individual the right to voice their concerns. Intimidation against such is what is un-American.
The left is worried because they have underestimated the willingness to become involved, the intelligence, passions and depth of engagement of the public. The backlash that they are witnessing is organic, not organized. This is personal to each and everyone involved, just as the topic of abolition was years ago. And we all know what happened with that issue; it divided the country into north and south, Yankees and Rebels, and ultimately resulted in a very bloody civil war to end slavery in this country. Over 620,000 men lost their lives in those four years.
Now to combat what it deems as "misinformation", the Administration plans to collect email addresses and names from volunteer spies, so that it can target and harass citizens who dared to read the bill and voice their concerns about it! John Solas, who confronted Congressman John Dingle at the Town Hall Meeting while pushing his 39 year old son who has Downs Syndrome in his wheelchair, was visited by Obama's union thugs in the middle of the night at his home in Milan Michigan that very night! Friends, this is not about health care, it is about power and money, and they do not care who they step on or maim in the process of the acquisition of it! This is just bad legislation, bad politics, and very un-American behavior from the radical leftist liberal Democrats now in power. They must be defeated in 2010. They must be routed from office, before they can inflict any more damage on our precious republic. Act now, decide to vote them out as soon as possible. Go to a town hall meeting and voice your concerns; Beat back their rhetoric with truth and sound reasoning, send out emails, make phone calls. Become an involved and engaged American; be Patriotic. The time to act is now!
Monday, August 10, 2009
On A Personal Note..
This past weekend was a good one for me. I attended my Half Sister's wedding and reception on Saturday afternoon and evening. The happy couple (Donald and Erica) will have a wonderful honeymoon in Paris. I had lots of fun catching up with family members that I had not seen in as much as 30 years! Had a few drinks, and even danced a little bit too! But not too much, living with heart failure can really be a bummer sometimes. I had a lot of fun regardless.
It was good also to visit with my Dad a little bit. He had a really good time at the reception, we will eventually download the video from youtube and post it here!
I also got to visit with my Mother at her house. I had not been there in almost two years. It was a very nice visit. (she even remembered to not smoke in the house while I was there!) I do wish that she could kick that habit. I am sure that she will soon because she is retiring this year. She only is going to go back for 28 days when school starts and then she is done. 29 years after she started, and a Masters degree plus 16 credits later, she is retiring with a very good pension for a teacher. She told me that she will receive only $200 less per month than she now gets for working! That is pretty darn good if you ask me. She is truly the last of a dying breed; hard workers that earned a defined benefit from a government entity.
However, the very best part of the weekend for me personally was that I got to catch up with my best friend Scott, whom I had not seen in over three years. We went out for a bite to eat for lunch on Sunday at Arthur Treachers. I got out of the car and walked over to the door of his pickup truck as he got out and I reached out to shake his hand and he grabbed my shoulder with his left hand and pulled me close for a hug. I responded in kind immediately, and we started talking about everything as if it were just yesterday when we last got together.
Like two chatty Kathy's we went on for about a two hour piece of time as we polished off our lunches together. We talked about how the economy and the landlord for his business were forcing him to close the doors for good after 18 years. It was just him and I that started it back then. I was his second employee, the first besides him. He looked good, but told me that he was stressed and burdened by the overwhelming struggle to keep the doors open at his shop. He has determined that he will be out of the building for good within 3 weeks.
But as one door shuts, another one invariably opens within view. He has good ideas all the time, and he is seeking out patents for some of them. That will help produce royalty income for him as he transitions into different income producing ventures.
I was glad to hear all of that especially since he hasn't been sleeping well or eating right of late. He is already handicapped by physical disabilities with plates in his head and rods and screws in his lower back, and a buggered up right knee (he was beaten severely and left for dead by five gang members five years ago this month). The cartilage of his right knee was destroyed and the entire meniscus had to be removed. So that knee is bone on bone and is a constant source of pain to him. Still he refuses to take anything stronger than over the counter Alieve for pain because he does not want to become dependent upon or addicted to pain pills, in addition to having drug allergies. So, like me on the dance floor, we both have to pace ourselves for the long haul of getting through each day.
He showed me pictures on his blackberry of all his MRI's and Xrays of all the hardware that he has in his body. I told him that when I got off the phone with his wife Tracy, the day that she told me what happened to him, I just cried for a while, and then I prayed for them. For him, his wife and their two girls I prayed every day till he returned home from the hospital. He thanked me for the sentiment. I just could not imagine loosing a loving husband, a doting father and a best friend in that way.
It was a very good visit. I will not wait so long before going to see him again. And he would like to come and visit us here in Michigan soon as well. It just does so much good for the soul to really connect with a good (especially a "best") friend every so often. Life only gives you a handful of them if you are lucky so they are very precious indeed! May God continue to bless you and your family until our next visit Scott.
Love, David.
It was good also to visit with my Dad a little bit. He had a really good time at the reception, we will eventually download the video from youtube and post it here!
I also got to visit with my Mother at her house. I had not been there in almost two years. It was a very nice visit. (she even remembered to not smoke in the house while I was there!) I do wish that she could kick that habit. I am sure that she will soon because she is retiring this year. She only is going to go back for 28 days when school starts and then she is done. 29 years after she started, and a Masters degree plus 16 credits later, she is retiring with a very good pension for a teacher. She told me that she will receive only $200 less per month than she now gets for working! That is pretty darn good if you ask me. She is truly the last of a dying breed; hard workers that earned a defined benefit from a government entity.
However, the very best part of the weekend for me personally was that I got to catch up with my best friend Scott, whom I had not seen in over three years. We went out for a bite to eat for lunch on Sunday at Arthur Treachers. I got out of the car and walked over to the door of his pickup truck as he got out and I reached out to shake his hand and he grabbed my shoulder with his left hand and pulled me close for a hug. I responded in kind immediately, and we started talking about everything as if it were just yesterday when we last got together.
Like two chatty Kathy's we went on for about a two hour piece of time as we polished off our lunches together. We talked about how the economy and the landlord for his business were forcing him to close the doors for good after 18 years. It was just him and I that started it back then. I was his second employee, the first besides him. He looked good, but told me that he was stressed and burdened by the overwhelming struggle to keep the doors open at his shop. He has determined that he will be out of the building for good within 3 weeks.
But as one door shuts, another one invariably opens within view. He has good ideas all the time, and he is seeking out patents for some of them. That will help produce royalty income for him as he transitions into different income producing ventures.
I was glad to hear all of that especially since he hasn't been sleeping well or eating right of late. He is already handicapped by physical disabilities with plates in his head and rods and screws in his lower back, and a buggered up right knee (he was beaten severely and left for dead by five gang members five years ago this month). The cartilage of his right knee was destroyed and the entire meniscus had to be removed. So that knee is bone on bone and is a constant source of pain to him. Still he refuses to take anything stronger than over the counter Alieve for pain because he does not want to become dependent upon or addicted to pain pills, in addition to having drug allergies. So, like me on the dance floor, we both have to pace ourselves for the long haul of getting through each day.
He showed me pictures on his blackberry of all his MRI's and Xrays of all the hardware that he has in his body. I told him that when I got off the phone with his wife Tracy, the day that she told me what happened to him, I just cried for a while, and then I prayed for them. For him, his wife and their two girls I prayed every day till he returned home from the hospital. He thanked me for the sentiment. I just could not imagine loosing a loving husband, a doting father and a best friend in that way.
It was a very good visit. I will not wait so long before going to see him again. And he would like to come and visit us here in Michigan soon as well. It just does so much good for the soul to really connect with a good (especially a "best") friend every so often. Life only gives you a handful of them if you are lucky so they are very precious indeed! May God continue to bless you and your family until our next visit Scott.
Love, David.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
The New Liberal Tactics For Town Hall Meetings
Well I attempted to attend the Town Hall Meeting that Congressman John Dingle held in Romulus Michigan last night. But instead of getting in to see and hear him, and participate by being heard by him, we stood outside in line for over an hour and a half while the meeting went on inside. The newest tactic employed by the liberal Democrats is that in order to appear to actually care what the public's true opinion is, (they cannot just cancel these meetings, or change it to a phone meeting), but instead the tactic is to hold it in a venue that is way too small to accommodate all who wish to attend. So John Dingle chose to hold this meeting at the Romulus Athletic Club, which has a maximum capacity of just 200 people in the meeting room!
Let me be perfectly clear, there were well over 500 citizens that showed up to participate, and "Team Dingle" knew full well how many were expected to show up. They not only deliberately chose a venue that was too small, but they also bussed in their own astro-turf. While we were standing in line at the main entrance to get in, the busloads of SEIU and ACORN members along with the state run, Obama worshiping, Pop-Tart media, and a few token planted citizen drones were ushered into the back door! They filled the room and effectively shut out the real public, just like they have shut out the conservative Republicans on the hill when it comes to authoring important legislation.
His wife, Debbie Dingle did come out and feigned concern that there would be a second session. She was being asked questions about the bill that she could not answer. Over 90% of the people waiting to get in were against this legislation. There were police everywhere inside and out. And of course the local Obama Mania Media was there to put the spin on it that we were just a bunch of angry mobsters. The people were civil towards each other, albeit loudly protesting at times. I started a chant a few times "Just say no" and "Read the bill".
Saul Alinsky would be proud John. You executed the rules for radicals verbatim. Pick the target (the real citizens), Isolated it (left it outside the meeting), froze it (out of the process), and effectively marginalized it (had the media spin us concerned citizens as far right mobsters). Good job John, you should be damned proud. Be sure and score yourself high marks with the head Marxist, Obama. You are a sell out. You are out of touch. You, the longest serving member of the House of Congress (50 years now) are a career politician, which is exactly why you will never understand just how far out of touch you are. You haven't lived in the real world in half a century! The people that you are supposed to represent love liberty, freedom, and the right to exercise free speech and personal responsibility, to be able to choose for themselves if or what coverage is right for them and not to have the government dictate what it thinks is best for them!
It is time to retire your crusty butt from public service John. You have outlived you usefulness to the people whom you are supposed to represent in this country.
This monstrosity of a bill will bankrupt our country, our grandchildren, and it will mete out care by rationing on some macabre scheme sanctioned by Obama and his henchmen; the brothers Emmanuel. Dr. Ezekiel "Mengele" Emmanuel's perspective is despicable concerning who warrants care and who doesn't. He would deny care for those who are disabled or are elderly or who have chronic diseases that cost too much to treat. And he is Obama's top go-to guy on the board of effective comparative care research!
Dingle, you sir are a traitor. The true tactics of the liberal far left Democrats is plain to see here. This is not about health care, it is a pure power grab. A consolidation of power over the people of this great country. Shame on you for participating in it John.
Let me be perfectly clear, there were well over 500 citizens that showed up to participate, and "Team Dingle" knew full well how many were expected to show up. They not only deliberately chose a venue that was too small, but they also bussed in their own astro-turf. While we were standing in line at the main entrance to get in, the busloads of SEIU and ACORN members along with the state run, Obama worshiping, Pop-Tart media, and a few token planted citizen drones were ushered into the back door! They filled the room and effectively shut out the real public, just like they have shut out the conservative Republicans on the hill when it comes to authoring important legislation.
His wife, Debbie Dingle did come out and feigned concern that there would be a second session. She was being asked questions about the bill that she could not answer. Over 90% of the people waiting to get in were against this legislation. There were police everywhere inside and out. And of course the local Obama Mania Media was there to put the spin on it that we were just a bunch of angry mobsters. The people were civil towards each other, albeit loudly protesting at times. I started a chant a few times "Just say no" and "Read the bill".
Saul Alinsky would be proud John. You executed the rules for radicals verbatim. Pick the target (the real citizens), Isolated it (left it outside the meeting), froze it (out of the process), and effectively marginalized it (had the media spin us concerned citizens as far right mobsters). Good job John, you should be damned proud. Be sure and score yourself high marks with the head Marxist, Obama. You are a sell out. You are out of touch. You, the longest serving member of the House of Congress (50 years now) are a career politician, which is exactly why you will never understand just how far out of touch you are. You haven't lived in the real world in half a century! The people that you are supposed to represent love liberty, freedom, and the right to exercise free speech and personal responsibility, to be able to choose for themselves if or what coverage is right for them and not to have the government dictate what it thinks is best for them!
It is time to retire your crusty butt from public service John. You have outlived you usefulness to the people whom you are supposed to represent in this country.
This monstrosity of a bill will bankrupt our country, our grandchildren, and it will mete out care by rationing on some macabre scheme sanctioned by Obama and his henchmen; the brothers Emmanuel. Dr. Ezekiel "Mengele" Emmanuel's perspective is despicable concerning who warrants care and who doesn't. He would deny care for those who are disabled or are elderly or who have chronic diseases that cost too much to treat. And he is Obama's top go-to guy on the board of effective comparative care research!
Dingle, you sir are a traitor. The true tactics of the liberal far left Democrats is plain to see here. This is not about health care, it is a pure power grab. A consolidation of power over the people of this great country. Shame on you for participating in it John.
Saturday, August 1, 2009
True Healthcare Reform
If you think that our government is not pushing for a single payer system like they have in Canada and the United Kingdom, you need to watch the video posted below this article.
There are two resons that businesses exist. First they serve a need within the community, and secondly they provide income for the employees and owners of the business. Even Not for Profit busiensses like charities still meet these two requirments. When the government starts dictating profit levels within any business, it is distorting the market, not controlling it!
The free market system is the system that can most efficiently allocate resources within any market. Profit is a noble and legitimate desire for any business. In order to maximize profits a company allocates its resources as the market dictates. When the government inserts itself into business and dictates executive pay, a doctors pay, a clinic or hospitals fees, or which services should be rendered, it is distorting the entire market.
The best thing that government can do is to get out of the way! The market can do a much better job of regulating industries and busiensses. To understand this consider that if business 'A' and business 'B' both sell widgets. Company 'A' is gouging its customers while company 'B' treats its customers well. Word gets around and eventually people stop patronizing company 'A'. Company A will either fold or change its behavior, either way the market has regulated itself. That's right, governments do not regulate, markets do! Governments merely interfere with and distort markets. Treating customers poorly or gouging them is counter intuitive to good business practices. When the government over-regulates any particular industry, it sets the stage for all companies to treat customers poorly (usually by unintended consequences) which distorts the entire market. Any monopolistic approach, either through lack of competition or by overzealous governmental regulation (no matter how well intentioned) results in severe market distortion.
Market distortion is a hallmark of dictatorships, and regimes that are socialistic or communistic. It is not the idea that the United States was founded upon. Understanding this concept is key to understanding why the single payer health care system that our government wants to institute is a really bad idea. It will set the stage for rampant abuse, fraud, and very poor outcomes for consumers. It is very desirable for doctors, hospitals and clinics to make a profit for their services, because it is secondary to providing good services for consumers. No doctors get up in the morning thinking about how to make money that day! They are thinking about producing the very best outcomes for the patients that they will serve.
Why some services cost so very much is precisely because of market distortion. Market distortion in this case comes from governments lack of regulation in another industry. Lack of regulating tort-awards. Frivolous lawsuits with outrageous awards have driven up malpractice insurance costs, which impacts the costs for insurers and consumers. John Stossel did a report for the acclaimed television show 20/20 several years ago that chronicled how some doctors were driven out of the states that they were practicing in because of how expensive malpractice insurance was. This was producing a severe shortage of general practitioners and several specialists (like gynecologists) in those areas.
Now the Federal Government wants to shoot a mouse with an elephant gun by doing a complete takeover of the entire health care system! rather than just addressing the issues that they have created, they presume to "fix" the entire system! That is just ludicrous!
The best way for them to actually help in this instance would be first to implement true tort reform. Secondly allow doctors and hospitals to purchase malpractice insurance across state lines. Thirdly, change the way that HSA'a are administered by allowing pre-tax dollars that are put into them to roll over from year to year instead of forfeiting what is leftover in them at the end of the year. And allowing a 7% or $14,000 (whichever is more) employee contribution. Also encourage employers to contribute towards individual employees HSA's with a tax incentive as well. Treat unused HSA funds as a retirement supplement for employees (tax defered until death). Fourth, route out the existing fraud, waste and abuse within the Medicare and Medicaid systems. Fifth, scrap the Veterans Administration and allow our heros to participate in the best medical system in the world; the existing health care system! Better outcomes, less paperwork, less waste and fraud comes from free markets. Sixth, stop allowing illegal immigrants and convicted fellons access to our system and paying for the services that they consume! Bill the country of origin, or the families for God's sake! stop leaving the taxpayers holding the bag. Seventh and finally, cover the true number of uninsured and underinsured with tax incentives.
Notice that none of the seven real ways to actually "fix" the problems with our health care system today include a complete takeover of the system by a government run single payer plan. None of those seven fixes would distort the market either. And all seven of them combined would not cost anywhere near the outrageous money that they are want to squander now!
There are two resons that businesses exist. First they serve a need within the community, and secondly they provide income for the employees and owners of the business. Even Not for Profit busiensses like charities still meet these two requirments. When the government starts dictating profit levels within any business, it is distorting the market, not controlling it!
The free market system is the system that can most efficiently allocate resources within any market. Profit is a noble and legitimate desire for any business. In order to maximize profits a company allocates its resources as the market dictates. When the government inserts itself into business and dictates executive pay, a doctors pay, a clinic or hospitals fees, or which services should be rendered, it is distorting the entire market.
The best thing that government can do is to get out of the way! The market can do a much better job of regulating industries and busiensses. To understand this consider that if business 'A' and business 'B' both sell widgets. Company 'A' is gouging its customers while company 'B' treats its customers well. Word gets around and eventually people stop patronizing company 'A'. Company A will either fold or change its behavior, either way the market has regulated itself. That's right, governments do not regulate, markets do! Governments merely interfere with and distort markets. Treating customers poorly or gouging them is counter intuitive to good business practices. When the government over-regulates any particular industry, it sets the stage for all companies to treat customers poorly (usually by unintended consequences) which distorts the entire market. Any monopolistic approach, either through lack of competition or by overzealous governmental regulation (no matter how well intentioned) results in severe market distortion.
Market distortion is a hallmark of dictatorships, and regimes that are socialistic or communistic. It is not the idea that the United States was founded upon. Understanding this concept is key to understanding why the single payer health care system that our government wants to institute is a really bad idea. It will set the stage for rampant abuse, fraud, and very poor outcomes for consumers. It is very desirable for doctors, hospitals and clinics to make a profit for their services, because it is secondary to providing good services for consumers. No doctors get up in the morning thinking about how to make money that day! They are thinking about producing the very best outcomes for the patients that they will serve.
Why some services cost so very much is precisely because of market distortion. Market distortion in this case comes from governments lack of regulation in another industry. Lack of regulating tort-awards. Frivolous lawsuits with outrageous awards have driven up malpractice insurance costs, which impacts the costs for insurers and consumers. John Stossel did a report for the acclaimed television show 20/20 several years ago that chronicled how some doctors were driven out of the states that they were practicing in because of how expensive malpractice insurance was. This was producing a severe shortage of general practitioners and several specialists (like gynecologists) in those areas.
Now the Federal Government wants to shoot a mouse with an elephant gun by doing a complete takeover of the entire health care system! rather than just addressing the issues that they have created, they presume to "fix" the entire system! That is just ludicrous!
The best way for them to actually help in this instance would be first to implement true tort reform. Secondly allow doctors and hospitals to purchase malpractice insurance across state lines. Thirdly, change the way that HSA'a are administered by allowing pre-tax dollars that are put into them to roll over from year to year instead of forfeiting what is leftover in them at the end of the year. And allowing a 7% or $14,000 (whichever is more) employee contribution. Also encourage employers to contribute towards individual employees HSA's with a tax incentive as well. Treat unused HSA funds as a retirement supplement for employees (tax defered until death). Fourth, route out the existing fraud, waste and abuse within the Medicare and Medicaid systems. Fifth, scrap the Veterans Administration and allow our heros to participate in the best medical system in the world; the existing health care system! Better outcomes, less paperwork, less waste and fraud comes from free markets. Sixth, stop allowing illegal immigrants and convicted fellons access to our system and paying for the services that they consume! Bill the country of origin, or the families for God's sake! stop leaving the taxpayers holding the bag. Seventh and finally, cover the true number of uninsured and underinsured with tax incentives.
Notice that none of the seven real ways to actually "fix" the problems with our health care system today include a complete takeover of the system by a government run single payer plan. None of those seven fixes would distort the market either. And all seven of them combined would not cost anywhere near the outrageous money that they are want to squander now!
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Mr. Miagi Meets Obama
I witnessed a brief and rather sickening segment on MSLSD early this morning in which Obama was being interviewed, Obama is noticeably distracted by a fly that was buzzing around in front of him. So, with Mr. Miagi-like reflexes, he swats the fly off of his arm and then bends over to scoop it up with a tissue from the floor and all is captured in and conspicuously displayed in the new HDTV format. I could not hear the audio, but I am sure that he had some witty words about it by the brief levity that swept across both of their faces. It seemed comical and rather innocuous at first glance, but the way in which the media just grovels at this mans feet, is simply appalling and egregiously transparent that just a few seconds of it makes me want to hurl chunks.
He can't fix the damned economy,but he sure is good at looking good on the basketball court and he can grab a fly out of mid-air with a pair of chopsticks. Well, gosh darn, isn't that just so nifty! lets see it again and again in super slow motion please, as if that super feat will actually distract the nation from his super blunderings over the economy since he got into office. Lest we forget how he has taken over large swaths of the free market with typical socialistic flair, perhaps he is accomplished at something after all. Wax on, wax off Obama!
He can't fix the damned economy,but he sure is good at looking good on the basketball court and he can grab a fly out of mid-air with a pair of chopsticks. Well, gosh darn, isn't that just so nifty! lets see it again and again in super slow motion please, as if that super feat will actually distract the nation from his super blunderings over the economy since he got into office. Lest we forget how he has taken over large swaths of the free market with typical socialistic flair, perhaps he is accomplished at something after all. Wax on, wax off Obama!
Friday, May 29, 2009
Taxation Without Representation
Well, Obama has certainly stepped into it now. The latest buzz is all about a VAT (Value Added Tax) to raise enough revenue to pay for his pie in the sky dream of universal health care. But excuse me Mr. Obama, you may remember that the straw that broke the camels back was taxation without representation. That act ignited the American Revolution in the 13 colonies and eventually lead to the war for independence that gave birth to our glorious nation. A value added tax is a hidden tax. A hidden tax is taxation without representation. Do we really want to go full circle here? Or should the administration just give up on the ludicrous notion of universal health care because we cannot afford it.
The federal government under Obama seems hell bent on transforming itself into a national government. This has got to stop. He has to be stopped. He must be stopped if our country is to survive. The hubris of this administration is simply astounding to me. They willingly trash this country, its constitution, and blatantly disregard the laws that are duly enacted by congress. They trample on the rights of the individual States.
What I have a really hard time with is the fact that most people still actually like this guy. It is like they expect you to want him to take the knife that he put into their chest out and simply stand there and smile as he thrusts it into your chest! How much more of our country are we going to allow this clown to destroy before we rebel against this. He is a one man wrecking ball.
We cannot afford what they are proposing. Every single household in America is now in debt for an astounding figure of over $585,450! How many centuries will it take our descendants to pay off this outrageous sum with interest? It is simply an untenable position to be in. Wake up people!
The federal government under Obama seems hell bent on transforming itself into a national government. This has got to stop. He has to be stopped. He must be stopped if our country is to survive. The hubris of this administration is simply astounding to me. They willingly trash this country, its constitution, and blatantly disregard the laws that are duly enacted by congress. They trample on the rights of the individual States.
What I have a really hard time with is the fact that most people still actually like this guy. It is like they expect you to want him to take the knife that he put into their chest out and simply stand there and smile as he thrusts it into your chest! How much more of our country are we going to allow this clown to destroy before we rebel against this. He is a one man wrecking ball.
We cannot afford what they are proposing. Every single household in America is now in debt for an astounding figure of over $585,450! How many centuries will it take our descendants to pay off this outrageous sum with interest? It is simply an untenable position to be in. Wake up people!
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Audacious Hope for Sure!
There is hope after all. Yesterday, Californians voted for the real hope and change, not that awkward leftist bumbling crap that Obama had so adeptly marketed and sold the country on. The residents of California have had enough; of paying the highest taxes of any state in the union, of wasteful spending by a bloated and ineffective state government, of the fearmongering thrown about by a Governor who acts more like a spoiled brat than a politician with a spine. They have had enough of their government being beholden to ecoterrorist special interest groups. They have shut off the spigot with a resounding defeat of four proposals to increase taxes to continue funding a bloated and irresponsible government.
Yes, it is hard to believe, but even the bluest of blue, liberal states has had enough. Yes Virginia, there is still real hope for our country. Because as you know, trends that begin in California usually spread east across the country like a bad virus. Granted, most of those trends are hair brained ecoterrorist schemes, but this one might just have legs. I am all for lower taxes, and less government intrusion in our lives.
Even the liberal Californians have put their foot down and drawn a line in the sand. Now that is truly audacious Mr. Obama! take a queue from the masses all you Obamanoids, sanity and reason will eventually rule the day. Because Obama is great at fear-mongering, he plays on your emotions by pandering to your fears. Get past the straw man argument by setting aside the emotions and deal with the real issues logically with reason. When you do that it becomes quite clear that this man, Obama is not only a neophyte politician, but he is a danger to our national security. All the diversionary tactics of never letting a good crisis go to waste by ramming through legislation regarding economic stimulus, domestic energy policy, health care, and the enormous power grab by nationalizing huge swaths of the private sector, will not detract from the fact that he does not know what he is doing in regards to foreign policy, or the economy.
He is doing a great amount of damage to our country. We have been weakened by what he has done. And until we stand up to him and the liberal hordes in congress, we will continue to suffer real damage as a country. The best thing that we could do is to remove him from office at the next election. In the meantime we should strive to replace the liberal horde as well in the midterm election in 2010.
Take heart my friends, all is not yet lost. If California can revolt at the ballot, we can too!
Yes, it is hard to believe, but even the bluest of blue, liberal states has had enough. Yes Virginia, there is still real hope for our country. Because as you know, trends that begin in California usually spread east across the country like a bad virus. Granted, most of those trends are hair brained ecoterrorist schemes, but this one might just have legs. I am all for lower taxes, and less government intrusion in our lives.
Even the liberal Californians have put their foot down and drawn a line in the sand. Now that is truly audacious Mr. Obama! take a queue from the masses all you Obamanoids, sanity and reason will eventually rule the day. Because Obama is great at fear-mongering, he plays on your emotions by pandering to your fears. Get past the straw man argument by setting aside the emotions and deal with the real issues logically with reason. When you do that it becomes quite clear that this man, Obama is not only a neophyte politician, but he is a danger to our national security. All the diversionary tactics of never letting a good crisis go to waste by ramming through legislation regarding economic stimulus, domestic energy policy, health care, and the enormous power grab by nationalizing huge swaths of the private sector, will not detract from the fact that he does not know what he is doing in regards to foreign policy, or the economy.
He is doing a great amount of damage to our country. We have been weakened by what he has done. And until we stand up to him and the liberal hordes in congress, we will continue to suffer real damage as a country. The best thing that we could do is to remove him from office at the next election. In the meantime we should strive to replace the liberal horde as well in the midterm election in 2010.
Take heart my friends, all is not yet lost. If California can revolt at the ballot, we can too!
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Why Liberalism Is Its Own Worst Enemy!
President Obama's ongoing openness for dialogue with fascist dictators in the middle east region should be seen as a personal snub against our good friend and ally, Israel. He does not realize the impact that his lack of warmth for Israel is having on foreign affairs in regards to the current tensions in the middle east. The enemies of Israel are emboldened by Obama's inept and frankly tactless behavior. To even consider a dialogue with the Iranian leader who is a Holocaust denier, is insulting, hurtful, and damaging to Israel. The fact that his administration has given money to Hamas should be viewed by Israel as a blatant betrayal of trust.
How, in good conscience can Obama, presume that his words and actions wouldn't be perceived as anything other than hostile by Israel. But this should not surprise any conservative. Obama is not a unifying voice, his Saul Alinski way is to isolate, attack, and neutralize whomever he perceives as a threat. Therefore, Obama has displayed his antisemitism by waiting until now to visit Israel.
As a conservative Christian, I am ashamed that our President has behaved in this manner. And furthermore, I am embarrassed that Notre Dame invited Obama to speak at commencement ceremonies. The fact that there is such a disconnect from both the teachings of the Catholic Church and the beliefs of the faithful with the leadership at a Catholic institution of higher learning. It runs afoul of the morals promoted by the Church. It doesn't pass the smell test. It is most distasteful and insulting to honor a man who approves of, and in fact encourages the murdering of the unborn.
Our country will be judged for what we have done, and that includes the government sanctioned murder of over 43 million unborn babies since the Roe v. Wade decision in 1973. Perhaps a part of that judgement is our current financial troubles. God's laws are not just applicable to the individual, but also corporately to nations!
The liberals in Congress are having their own toes caught under the crushing weight of the steamroller they have unleashed upon the public in regards to the Pelosi flap over the CIA information given and when she knew. I find it hilarious that her big fat dumb mouth has finally tarnished her own political patina! It was bound to happen eventually, but it is particularly poignant that it should happen now in this way to the "Speaker of the House" who is such a radical left wing liberal. She is a big fat liar, and Fox News has the video and audio tapes to prove it. In her own words, she is an idiot. ROFTLOL!!!!
How, in good conscience can Obama, presume that his words and actions wouldn't be perceived as anything other than hostile by Israel. But this should not surprise any conservative. Obama is not a unifying voice, his Saul Alinski way is to isolate, attack, and neutralize whomever he perceives as a threat. Therefore, Obama has displayed his antisemitism by waiting until now to visit Israel.
As a conservative Christian, I am ashamed that our President has behaved in this manner. And furthermore, I am embarrassed that Notre Dame invited Obama to speak at commencement ceremonies. The fact that there is such a disconnect from both the teachings of the Catholic Church and the beliefs of the faithful with the leadership at a Catholic institution of higher learning. It runs afoul of the morals promoted by the Church. It doesn't pass the smell test. It is most distasteful and insulting to honor a man who approves of, and in fact encourages the murdering of the unborn.
Our country will be judged for what we have done, and that includes the government sanctioned murder of over 43 million unborn babies since the Roe v. Wade decision in 1973. Perhaps a part of that judgement is our current financial troubles. God's laws are not just applicable to the individual, but also corporately to nations!
The liberals in Congress are having their own toes caught under the crushing weight of the steamroller they have unleashed upon the public in regards to the Pelosi flap over the CIA information given and when she knew. I find it hilarious that her big fat dumb mouth has finally tarnished her own political patina! It was bound to happen eventually, but it is particularly poignant that it should happen now in this way to the "Speaker of the House" who is such a radical left wing liberal. She is a big fat liar, and Fox News has the video and audio tapes to prove it. In her own words, she is an idiot. ROFTLOL!!!!
Thursday, May 14, 2009
The Dark Side of the Force
With the eminent collapse of the manufacturing base in this country as the White House plays dictator with Chrysler, GM, and all their suppliers it has become clear that the greatness that once belonged to the United States has been compromised. Now that Obama has been flip-flopping on the issue of releasing the water boarding photos, and shown exceptional weakness on the world stage of foreign policy by sucking up to perverted dictators, he is setting his sights on destroying our country from the inside out on the domestic side as well.
Witness his eminence as he destroys the free enterprise system in one fell swoop. But we free thinkers have a secret weapon, and it is called integrity. Integrity in believing in the free enterprise system and the free market. They will expect us to just roll over and give up when they start taxing us to death, but we will not go quietly into serfdom. Those of us who own businesses will not give over our profits for redistribution so easily. We will go underground and enter the cash market. It is a drastic survival tactic to be sure but one that is certainly warranted in these times of tyrannical oppression. But unreported income will become the only vehicle for protecting the profits and prosperity of hard working individuals.
Reagan understood this reality and it is why he acted as he did to reduce the tax burden on businesses and individuals. When businesses and individuals are allowed to keep more of their income, they are more willing to pay their fair share of taxes. But when the government becomes oppressive of the people they will predictably react to keep what is rightfully theirs by going underground and entering the black market of unreported cash income. This is why he cut taxes on businesses and individuals which actually increased participation in the system thereby increasing revenues. And at the same time he shrank the government in both personnel and expenditures which decreased the deficit. Personal responsibility and free enterprise will survive, but for the time being they will most likely be forced underground until us free thinkers can become more organized and regroup against the evil forces of Lord Darth Emanuel and the greedy liberal horde of congress.
The conservative resistance will prevail against the evil empire eventually. Many battles will have to be fought. Some will be lost, many will be won before the war against the Emperor Obama and his evil empire of liberal tax and spend storm troopers in congress is finally over. Obama's statist policies will inspire ingenious subterfuge within the rebel alliance of the conservative resistance. Join the battle and fight on for true freedoms my fellow free thinkers; my true fellow Americans. Fight to keep as much of what you earn as possible because you know how to better utilize it than any government could ever presume to know. Long live the conservative resistance.
Witness his eminence as he destroys the free enterprise system in one fell swoop. But we free thinkers have a secret weapon, and it is called integrity. Integrity in believing in the free enterprise system and the free market. They will expect us to just roll over and give up when they start taxing us to death, but we will not go quietly into serfdom. Those of us who own businesses will not give over our profits for redistribution so easily. We will go underground and enter the cash market. It is a drastic survival tactic to be sure but one that is certainly warranted in these times of tyrannical oppression. But unreported income will become the only vehicle for protecting the profits and prosperity of hard working individuals.
Reagan understood this reality and it is why he acted as he did to reduce the tax burden on businesses and individuals. When businesses and individuals are allowed to keep more of their income, they are more willing to pay their fair share of taxes. But when the government becomes oppressive of the people they will predictably react to keep what is rightfully theirs by going underground and entering the black market of unreported cash income. This is why he cut taxes on businesses and individuals which actually increased participation in the system thereby increasing revenues. And at the same time he shrank the government in both personnel and expenditures which decreased the deficit. Personal responsibility and free enterprise will survive, but for the time being they will most likely be forced underground until us free thinkers can become more organized and regroup against the evil forces of Lord Darth Emanuel and the greedy liberal horde of congress.
The conservative resistance will prevail against the evil empire eventually. Many battles will have to be fought. Some will be lost, many will be won before the war against the Emperor Obama and his evil empire of liberal tax and spend storm troopers in congress is finally over. Obama's statist policies will inspire ingenious subterfuge within the rebel alliance of the conservative resistance. Join the battle and fight on for true freedoms my fellow free thinkers; my true fellow Americans. Fight to keep as much of what you earn as possible because you know how to better utilize it than any government could ever presume to know. Long live the conservative resistance.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Obama's Report Card
The evidence is mounting against the Obama administration's liberal tax and spend policies; they are not working as they had hoped. The policy of "spreading the wealth" by taxing the wealthy and giving it to the poor is not working as expected. The gap between revenues required to maintain the enormous spending deficits introduced by Queen Pelosi and her liberal horde in congress and what is currently collected is growing exponentially by the hour. Because of this, all of the other lessor statists around the country at the state and local levels are scrambling to come up with ingenious ways to tax those who can least afford to pay. For instance, in New York Governor David Patterson has proposed to introduce a "Student Tax" on all college students of $150 per student, (although it isn't yet clear if this is per course or per year). As if higher education wasn't already too expensive, he actually wants to increase the costs for students, most of whom are underemployed and already deep in debt financing their education.
And if you drink soda pop, or eat sugary foods, they are actually musing around with the idea at the federal level with a "sugary foods" or "unhealthy foods" tax to fund their bastardized, bureaucratic, mess for universal rationed health care.
So let's see; in just four short months, this buffoon of a President and his incompetent administration have attacked with vigor and pretty much taken over or outright killed several key industries including, the banking and finance industry, the manufacturing sector in general (by decimating the automotive industry specifically), and still their ravenous appetites are not sated. The next industries in their cross hairs are the restaurant industry, agriculture, ranchers, entertainment, higher learning, transportation, and many others.
These clowns would be a side-splittingly hilarious side show if what they were doing wasn't hurting so many people, especially those whom they claim to want to help the most; the poor.
They do not get the free market at all. It will correct itself because the abuses and excesses of the past all have a self limiting effect. But instead of learning this, they are intent on meddling in it and causing great harm to the markets and to the populace at large. In fact, the market is already showing signs of self healing. They are oblivious of course, and yet they will claim that what they are doing is working. I give Obama a C minus so far, only because he could still do so much more damage, I wouldn't want to place any artificial limits on the depths of his depravity or the breadth of his idiocy just yet. That would just be premature at this point. AFter all, it has only been 4 months so far and we wouldn't want him to reach his nadir too soon.
And if you drink soda pop, or eat sugary foods, they are actually musing around with the idea at the federal level with a "sugary foods" or "unhealthy foods" tax to fund their bastardized, bureaucratic, mess for universal rationed health care.
So let's see; in just four short months, this buffoon of a President and his incompetent administration have attacked with vigor and pretty much taken over or outright killed several key industries including, the banking and finance industry, the manufacturing sector in general (by decimating the automotive industry specifically), and still their ravenous appetites are not sated. The next industries in their cross hairs are the restaurant industry, agriculture, ranchers, entertainment, higher learning, transportation, and many others.
These clowns would be a side-splittingly hilarious side show if what they were doing wasn't hurting so many people, especially those whom they claim to want to help the most; the poor.
They do not get the free market at all. It will correct itself because the abuses and excesses of the past all have a self limiting effect. But instead of learning this, they are intent on meddling in it and causing great harm to the markets and to the populace at large. In fact, the market is already showing signs of self healing. They are oblivious of course, and yet they will claim that what they are doing is working. I give Obama a C minus so far, only because he could still do so much more damage, I wouldn't want to place any artificial limits on the depths of his depravity or the breadth of his idiocy just yet. That would just be premature at this point. AFter all, it has only been 4 months so far and we wouldn't want him to reach his nadir too soon.
Saturday, May 2, 2009
The Soloist
I went to the movies last night with my wife Su and a friend. We saw The Soloist with Jamie Fox and Robert Downey Jr. It is based on a true story and what an outstanding performance is given by all. Once again Jamie Fox has shown such incredible talent. It must have been extremely hard to prepare for that role. I mean, just how does one study and learn how to accurately portray a person who lives with the mental illness of schizophrenia anyway? How do they do it? How do they cope with everyday stressors? How can they build and keep relationships? It is a devastating mental disorder that strikes without warning usually in the mid to late twenties. And the people it strikes are usually very bright and intelligent people.
Those whom the disease afflicts usually do not enjoy the same greater longevity that the general population does because they unwittingly cause their own demise trying to get away from the voices in their own heads. This story has a happy ending, but many lives touched by this disease do not. This story also puts a human face on the plight and suffering of the homeless. They are societies cast offs; swept under the rug of conscience and forgotten about.
If you have a loved one that suffers from any mental illness in general or schizophrenia in particular, you should go and see this movie. I hope that it opens up peoples hearts to the hellish suffering that these people endure every minute of every single day. I hope that people see that these people are coping with their tortured existence with every ounce of their being. I hope people see that these people are talented, gifted, people who deserve our compassion. I hope that this movie acts as a catalyst for understanding and compassion.
Superb acting, great cinematography, and the most beautiful classical music in the world combined together with the true story of heartfelt human connections and relationships create a film worthy of an Oscar for the best picture. If you see only one movie this year, make it this one.
Those whom the disease afflicts usually do not enjoy the same greater longevity that the general population does because they unwittingly cause their own demise trying to get away from the voices in their own heads. This story has a happy ending, but many lives touched by this disease do not. This story also puts a human face on the plight and suffering of the homeless. They are societies cast offs; swept under the rug of conscience and forgotten about.
If you have a loved one that suffers from any mental illness in general or schizophrenia in particular, you should go and see this movie. I hope that it opens up peoples hearts to the hellish suffering that these people endure every minute of every single day. I hope that people see that these people are coping with their tortured existence with every ounce of their being. I hope people see that these people are talented, gifted, people who deserve our compassion. I hope that this movie acts as a catalyst for understanding and compassion.
Superb acting, great cinematography, and the most beautiful classical music in the world combined together with the true story of heartfelt human connections and relationships create a film worthy of an Oscar for the best picture. If you see only one movie this year, make it this one.
Friday, May 1, 2009
Get Activated!
While I hold out very little hope that the politically engineered bankruptcy and takeover of Chrysler by Italian carmaker Fiat will bode well for either company, their suppliers or the Michigan economy overall. I believe that it will inevitably fail and here's why; First, Fiat is a small company to start with and it is not in good financial health either. Secondly, having been delivering parts inside of the Warren assembly plant where the Dodge Dakota and Ram trucks are put together when the filing was made public, I talked with several Chrysler workers on the loading dock, and learned that several suppliers had already stopped shipping parts, including the Warren Stamping Plant (another Chrysler facility)! No more floor pans were being brought in and you can't make any vehicles without that!
Chrysler is going to go away! It may take a few more months, but it will go away. And along with it many suppliers will fail. Once that happens, the community businesses that are supported by a robust automotive sector (like mom and pop restaurants, party stores, and bars) will also fall as the Michigan economy implodes.
It will be an exponential acceleration to the bottom as businesses fail, the population leaves, and tax bases evaporate. The Michigan government is already $1 Billion in the red this year, and next year's budget is projected to have a deficit of over $2 Billion! We aren't that far behind California as far as deficits go. Well we do have a little bit better looking jerkenator for Governor after all.
Even Michigan's most wealthy county, Oakland is starting to show signs of the economic strain. Oakland County Michigan is one of only 49 counties in the entire United States with an "AAA" bond rating, but that may be changing soon according to the County Executive, L. Brooks Patterson.
Ah, but we have "Hope and Change" to look forward to saving the day!
What is telling about the Government orchestrated Chrysler deal is that it gives the majority ownership stake in the new company to the union! That is such a transparent act of payback for the loyalty of the votes of the union in Obama's election to office. His administration is so blatantly transparent, so brazen, so unapologetic for their political pandering and groveling it makes me want to heave. He does not really care about the union, the workers that it represents, or the "microeconomy" that he views as Michigan; all that matters to him is political expediency.
Don't believe the "drive-by media" who experience those tingly feelings up and down their legs whenever Obama speaks. (They actually have Obamagasms whenver the Annointed One is near). If you really want to know what is truly going on with our government I suggest that you do three things. First, go to Amazon online and purchase the book "Liberty and Tyranny; A Conservative Manifesto" by Mark R. Levin, and secondly Go to the website for the Heritage Foundation and join and make sure that you order a copy of the pocket sized edition of the Declaration of Independence and The United States Constitution. Every American citizen should have one and know what is in it! Also go to Glen Beck's 9/12 Project and read up, join, and sound off on what you believe in! And above all, share all of this with as many people will be receptive. Activate yourself and others. It matters. It is important!
Chrysler is going to go away! It may take a few more months, but it will go away. And along with it many suppliers will fail. Once that happens, the community businesses that are supported by a robust automotive sector (like mom and pop restaurants, party stores, and bars) will also fall as the Michigan economy implodes.
It will be an exponential acceleration to the bottom as businesses fail, the population leaves, and tax bases evaporate. The Michigan government is already $1 Billion in the red this year, and next year's budget is projected to have a deficit of over $2 Billion! We aren't that far behind California as far as deficits go. Well we do have a little bit better looking jerkenator for Governor after all.
Even Michigan's most wealthy county, Oakland is starting to show signs of the economic strain. Oakland County Michigan is one of only 49 counties in the entire United States with an "AAA" bond rating, but that may be changing soon according to the County Executive, L. Brooks Patterson.
Ah, but we have "Hope and Change" to look forward to saving the day!
What is telling about the Government orchestrated Chrysler deal is that it gives the majority ownership stake in the new company to the union! That is such a transparent act of payback for the loyalty of the votes of the union in Obama's election to office. His administration is so blatantly transparent, so brazen, so unapologetic for their political pandering and groveling it makes me want to heave. He does not really care about the union, the workers that it represents, or the "microeconomy" that he views as Michigan; all that matters to him is political expediency.
Don't believe the "drive-by media" who experience those tingly feelings up and down their legs whenever Obama speaks. (They actually have Obamagasms whenver the Annointed One is near). If you really want to know what is truly going on with our government I suggest that you do three things. First, go to Amazon online and purchase the book "Liberty and Tyranny; A Conservative Manifesto" by Mark R. Levin, and secondly Go to the website for the Heritage Foundation and join and make sure that you order a copy of the pocket sized edition of the Declaration of Independence and The United States Constitution. Every American citizen should have one and know what is in it! Also go to Glen Beck's 9/12 Project and read up, join, and sound off on what you believe in! And above all, share all of this with as many people will be receptive. Activate yourself and others. It matters. It is important!
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
The Rule of Law
Our great country was founded upon the cherished principle that unalienable rights are bestowed upon all by the creator, God. To preserve what God ordained for man, we have instituted laws. All the laws ever enacted in the United States, have been expressly written in support of the highest law of all, God's law that says that all are created equal and have those inalienable rights of Life, Liberty, and the Persuit of Happiness. Our constitution is the highest law of our country. All subsequently written and enacted laws must support our constitution.
Therefore, what is going on inside the United Auto Workers union should alarm everybody. Washington is watching and learning whether this will fly or not. Because the automotive manufacturing sector is in so much trouble, the automotive suppliers are having an even worse time trying to stay afloat. As an excuse to circumvent the United Auto Workers union's constitution, President Ron Gettlefinger, who is nearing the end of his second term as Union President, is seeking to set aside the constitution of the union which states that he is term limited to just two terms, so that he can help maintain continuity for suppliers, many of whom have workers that are members. Now, if Ron Gettlefinger can do this at the union, why cant this be done for the country also? Washington is watching, and if this flies for the union, they will try it on the rest of us too!
New leadership is not going to harm the suppliers. The fate of the suppliers is not in jeopardy if Mr. Gettlefinger is not at the helm of the union.
Now, I am not opposed to repealing those term limits within the confines of the current constitution, like with a constitutional ammendment. But to just "set aside" the provisions in the current constitution is alarming, and it should alarm you too!
Therefore, what is going on inside the United Auto Workers union should alarm everybody. Washington is watching and learning whether this will fly or not. Because the automotive manufacturing sector is in so much trouble, the automotive suppliers are having an even worse time trying to stay afloat. As an excuse to circumvent the United Auto Workers union's constitution, President Ron Gettlefinger, who is nearing the end of his second term as Union President, is seeking to set aside the constitution of the union which states that he is term limited to just two terms, so that he can help maintain continuity for suppliers, many of whom have workers that are members. Now, if Ron Gettlefinger can do this at the union, why cant this be done for the country also? Washington is watching, and if this flies for the union, they will try it on the rest of us too!
New leadership is not going to harm the suppliers. The fate of the suppliers is not in jeopardy if Mr. Gettlefinger is not at the helm of the union.
Now, I am not opposed to repealing those term limits within the confines of the current constitution, like with a constitutional ammendment. But to just "set aside" the provisions in the current constitution is alarming, and it should alarm you too!
Friday, March 6, 2009
Dinner for Two!
After returning home from work this afternoon and being pay day, I suggested to my wife that we go out for dinner at Papa Vino's Italian Kitchen. We have not eaten there in a couple of months, and we really like the fare. It is five star Italian dining at three star price. It is not an uppity place either, it has a warm and fun family atmosphere. It is a place where you can open the menu, close your eyes, and place your finger anywhere on it, and be totally satisfied with what you get!
I had my favorite dish, Pasta Con Polo, which has grilled chicken breast strips, sun dried tomatoes, mushrooms, fresh basil and a light Alfredo sauce tossed with bow-tie pasta (magnificent). Su had the Combination Del Mare, which had seasoned Talapia fillet and shrimp over angel hair pasta in a white wine sauce and two crab meat stuffed Portabella mushroom caps with a light garlic butter sauce. We split a Papa's salad which has crisp mixed greens, bacon, blue cheese, calamata olives, and a lite house dressing. For my dessert we each had canolis.
While we were waiting for our diner to arrive, we shared a freshly baked loaf of bread which we dipped in olive oil and spices poured over freshly roasted minced garlic on a plate. We had a coupon for one free entre, so the entire outing including a generous tip for our server Mat, came to only 41 dollars!
A well deserved diversion from the droll humdrum of bad news lately. Thoroughly well worth the money. The next time you come to Pontiac, make sure you go there for lunch or dinner. You'll love it too! Check out their menu here
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Obama is a Domestic Terrorist
Today here in Michigan it was reported that the latest figures for the unemployment rate ticked up to 11.5 percent! which means that if you put 100 Michigan residents in a room, 11 have no job and 1 is going to be fired tomorrow.
Every time that Obama or anyone else in his administration opens their mouth, the market tanks. Why? Because of fear and uncertainty at just what the administration will do next! President "Doom and Gloom" is really good at fear mongering. He was termed as a "one man wrecking machine" in regards to the economy by one Democrat in the house!
I recently had to make a run to Brampton Ontario with parts for the automotive parts supplier Benteler Automotive. While I was there I spoke to two different Canadian workers who had health issues. One had sciatica that made him limp badly. I asked him what he did to his foot, and he told me his sciatica was acting up again. The other fellow had torn a ligament in his shoulder while on the job three years ago. He was on lite duty, and was in constant pain. His range of motion was limited for his left arm. His story was nightmarish. He waited for a year to get an MRI, then another year for it to be interpreted, only to be told that he needed to have another MRI done! All the while he suffered with excruciating pain. He had been given 30 days worth of Oxycontin and when it was gone his doctor told him that he was unable to prescribe any more for him because the government says that it was potentially addicting!
So three years later he is still in severe pain, and the doctors cant do anything for him. He just received a letter that states that the range of motion in his left arm was only 50 percent and the prognosis was that he would not get any better. There was no hope of scheduling a surgery to reattach the torn ligament in his shoulder (because the government deems that to be too costly a surgery)! This type of horrific situation is exactly what Obama wants to do for us! What a compassionate man he is.
Obama supporters say that "a little socialism is a good thing". This clown Obama is a socialist Marxist who must be stopped. The Obama supporters say, "give him a chance, he has only been in office for one month." and I say to that "just how much more damage are you willing to endure to our society before you wake up and see that this Marxist should never have been elected to office as President? Are you willing to wait until your retirement savings is completely wiped out? Are you willing to wait until you need a lifesaving surgery and the doctors tell you that the government says you can't have it because it costs too much? Are you willing to live in constant pain because the government deems pain medication is too addictive or not cost effective? Are you willing to endure all of this "hope and change" for the sake of advancing Obama's radical socialist, Marxist agenda?
He wants to "soak the rich" and give everyone a tax break at the same time. Good luck with that objective. He plans to raise everyone's' taxes by taxing the hell out of you at the gas pump, and for all energy you use. How the hell does that translate into a "tax break for 95% of all Americans"? It should be painfully obvious to everyone by now that he does not know what in the hell he is doing. And his gross ineptitude is destroying our society from the inside out! Watch out people, YOU are in his cross hairs!
Every time that Obama or anyone else in his administration opens their mouth, the market tanks. Why? Because of fear and uncertainty at just what the administration will do next! President "Doom and Gloom" is really good at fear mongering. He was termed as a "one man wrecking machine" in regards to the economy by one Democrat in the house!
I recently had to make a run to Brampton Ontario with parts for the automotive parts supplier Benteler Automotive. While I was there I spoke to two different Canadian workers who had health issues. One had sciatica that made him limp badly. I asked him what he did to his foot, and he told me his sciatica was acting up again. The other fellow had torn a ligament in his shoulder while on the job three years ago. He was on lite duty, and was in constant pain. His range of motion was limited for his left arm. His story was nightmarish. He waited for a year to get an MRI, then another year for it to be interpreted, only to be told that he needed to have another MRI done! All the while he suffered with excruciating pain. He had been given 30 days worth of Oxycontin and when it was gone his doctor told him that he was unable to prescribe any more for him because the government says that it was potentially addicting!
So three years later he is still in severe pain, and the doctors cant do anything for him. He just received a letter that states that the range of motion in his left arm was only 50 percent and the prognosis was that he would not get any better. There was no hope of scheduling a surgery to reattach the torn ligament in his shoulder (because the government deems that to be too costly a surgery)! This type of horrific situation is exactly what Obama wants to do for us! What a compassionate man he is.
Obama supporters say that "a little socialism is a good thing". This clown Obama is a socialist Marxist who must be stopped. The Obama supporters say, "give him a chance, he has only been in office for one month." and I say to that "just how much more damage are you willing to endure to our society before you wake up and see that this Marxist should never have been elected to office as President? Are you willing to wait until your retirement savings is completely wiped out? Are you willing to wait until you need a lifesaving surgery and the doctors tell you that the government says you can't have it because it costs too much? Are you willing to live in constant pain because the government deems pain medication is too addictive or not cost effective? Are you willing to endure all of this "hope and change" for the sake of advancing Obama's radical socialist, Marxist agenda?
He wants to "soak the rich" and give everyone a tax break at the same time. Good luck with that objective. He plans to raise everyone's' taxes by taxing the hell out of you at the gas pump, and for all energy you use. How the hell does that translate into a "tax break for 95% of all Americans"? It should be painfully obvious to everyone by now that he does not know what in the hell he is doing. And his gross ineptitude is destroying our society from the inside out! Watch out people, YOU are in his cross hairs!
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