Please read my article. It won't fit here.
Nearly every issue that prevents citizens from obtaining needed care is related to the insurance industry, not to those providing care. This is the reason we have such a poor system in terms of delivering the care to those who need it. Congress, Republicans in particular, seem perfectly willing to trade off the health needs of 50 million Americans in order to continue support for huge profits for the insurance giants.
http://joethevoter.org/health-care-shame.html
About Barack Obama
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost
Thursday, June 25, 2009
The Political Stakes in the Battle for Health Care
The Political Stakes in the Battle for Health Care
I just published an article that echos others thoughts. It is not "care" that is the issue, it is Congress protecting a golden goose in the insurance companies who stand in the way of delivering care.
Please read...I welcome comments.
http://joethevoter.org/health-care-shame.html
About Barack Obama
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost
Lobbyists on a Roll: Gutting Reform on Banking, Energy, and Health Care
Lobbyists on a Roll: Gutting Reform on Banking, Energy, and Health Care
I got busy...have you?
http://www.jacksonville.com/community/cc/pkruger/stories/052209/052209125837.shtml
Also pending http://opednews.com and sent via fax to Senator Nelson and Martinez.
Call - Fax - Write YOUR representatives. You have no cause to complain if you do nothing!
About Transparency
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Monday, June 22, 2009
The Biggest Problem With U.S. Health Care -- And How To Fix It!
So why do the Republican's who constantly support "no change" as reform feel the need to tell us how "Great" our health care system is?
Q: Why should the wealthiest nation have some of the worst ratings?
A: Our system is designed for profit not for care.
If there were a rating by nation ordered by how profitable health care is, I am sure we would be at the top of that list.
/
About Wellness
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost
Friday, June 19, 2009
A Strong Public Option
Last night at a Chamber after hours I cornered the "most Republican" member in our group. So much so he has photos in his office of himself along side Bush and Condi Rice. I specifically asked his opinion on the proposed health car reforms. He said: ( approximate quote here as I did not take notes )
"I am blessed to make enough to pay my premiums which are about $2,800 per month but most people can't afford that. Many people don't even earn that each month. We must have a public option for those who don't have the money" he went on to say, "today only those with the money have choice"
Remember these words are from a die-hard REPUBLICAN which proves not all of them have their head in 100 year old sand. Some understand the crisis...it just seems we can't elect any of those to Congress.
We need and want change but those with a financial stake will fight to preserve their profit structure and those people donate to political campaigns. We all ( Dems and Republicans ) have to write our representatives and DEMAND they do what is right for health care, not what is profitable for health insurance companies. Hospitals and Doctors don't care who pays them !
About Health
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost
Friday, June 12, 2009
Death at the Holocaust Museum and the Degradation of the American Dialogue
Re: "their party had been hijacked by racists and religious fanatics who derided education and achievement as "elitist."
Republicans fear the education of America for obvious reasons...they have nothing of value to offer anyone with education unless that person is among the top wealthy few percent. The days are gone when Republicans can dupe people into voting for them by lying and cheating their way into office.
People are learning who Republicans really represent...big corporations. They don't "represent" Christians...they use them for their own ends. The don't represent the working class...they use them as well...then try to stand in the way of health care, pay raises and having a voice of their own.
About Barack Obama
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost
The Health Insurance Mafia Deserves a Good Screwing
Ditto on most of this. I am self employed with no care. Premiums would bankrupt me.
At 63 and with a bad hip to boot I have no employment options to get a job with health care. I can't do much because of my hip and I can't afford a new hip to enable me to work more. Catch 22 created by greed.
I have heard all the nastiness from republicans about public health care but have yet to hear how they plan to assure 46 million Americans without coverage will be covered under any private plan.
Out of curiosity I called Blue Cross. I told them I have no money to pay for insurance but needed a hip replacement to enable me to walk and work again. They don't offer anything unless you have cash...they suggest you inquire about a government program and even provided phone numbers to medicare etc. ( Curious that the company who is paying for ads to block government programs have their numbers and refer those without money to seek government programs )
I'll take an "inefficient" government plan over one I can never afford.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost
Why We Must Reform Our Criminal Justice System
It first has to start with Mr. Citizen. Politicians write laws they see as popular and good for votes. As long as the vocal voters say they want "tough on crime" the politicians will respond then hold their hand out for your contribution and votes while pointing at the shiny new prison YOU just paid for.
Politicians are not educators they are responders. They fail to point out or even care that tough laws are not necessarily smart laws. We need to be SMART on crime to be effective and this means more focus on prevention and rehabilitation than on seeing how many we can cram in a cell like so many clowns in a phone booth. That increases the problem and does not contribute to public safety.
Probably 1/3 or more of our prison beds are filled with people who should never have gone there in the first place. Now they don't produce, they consume. When they come out no one wants to hire them and they can't pay for rent or food so go back to crime. What do we expect when we keep doing the same stupid things over and over? That is a classic definition of insanity...if it does not work the first few times...STOP DOING IT !
About Mexico's Drug War
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost
Why We Must Reform Our Criminal Justice System
It is long past time for this to take place. These are problems caused by legislation both national and at the state level...it is time those who created the problem fixed it.
Also to blame: Media who sensationalize rare crimes to the point politicians feel pressure to pass even more strict laws that do nothing to protect citizens. Prime example are sex offender laws that were spawned by sensational but rare crimes. These do not provide for the public safety and may actually have the opposite effect.
"War on Drugs" is causing more harm than the drugs do. It is because of our antiquated notions about drug abuse that we allow huge sums of cash to flow to gangs and to terrorists rather than to our treasury. Legalize drugs then treat them as they should be treated...a public health issue. This stops much of the prison growth, eliminates drug related crime and cripples gangs and cartels. It also halts many dollars destined to fund terrorists with our own money.
http://joethevoter.org/economy/15-stupidcongress/26-legalizepot.html for more on this.
About Mexico's Drug War
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost
Monday, June 8, 2009
Wall Street Pay Caps Are a Terrible Idea
After setting aside the anger we have when bail out funds paid huge bonuses, I agree that the government has no business regulating pay of CEOs. That said, such things as excessive pay and bonuses should be part of considerations in such things as mergers, anti-trust, and other governmental concerns, as part of a test of a company's management of its financial resouces.
If a company is moving toward bankruptcy based on faulty management practices, you must consider the wages paid to those who make bad decisions. One must assume you are paying big bucks to qualified people who won't ruin your business.
How many raises will you give to an assembly line worker who constantly breaks his tools and damages your products? How big will his bonus be when you finally do let him go? You need to ask the same questions regarding your CEOs.
About Barack Obama
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost
Fixing Health Care Does Not Require a "Bi-Partisan" Bill -- It <i>Does</i> Require a Public Health Insurance Option
Private insurance will compete...they will find out how to do so when they no longer have a free ride to dictate terms as they now do. Think they can't compete with government? Ask UPS and FedEx how they are doing against the Post Office. UPS just turned 100 this year.
People with the money will pay for the types of services they want despite having a government package available. Insurance companies are not in the business to provide care to patients, they are in the business of providing profits to shareholders. That means high premiums and low pay-outs so they have an incentive to with hold care to save money ( profits ). That is why it costs so much for care. Insurance dictates cost of care by controlling what they will pay and those costs have profit for shareholders built in. A government program does not need to build in profits for shareholders or CEOs.
No private insurance company has any plan to offer free care to those 49 million Americans with no protection at all...they suggest you look for a government program ( which they are against ) !!!
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost
The Bible's Vindication of Obama's Middle East Strategy
People seem to want to treat the people of Israel as if they were different nations on the same land. Palestinians ARE Israelis by nationality ! What is different is their religion, not their lands. The lands they jointly occupy were carved out by the UN to favor the Jewish who held that area to be their promised land with little consideration of those who's families had lived there since ancient times. Neither is new to the area, nor is the conflict between Jews and Muslims.
Each have vary different religious views they have problems living side by side. Each assumes their faith is the "correct" one. The Jews control everything and don't want their citizens of non-jewish faith to have anything approaching equality in their own nation.
Take a look at Northern Ireland and the continuing conflict, some times bloody, taking place between two Christian faiths. Al Quada uses "faith" to justify mass murder in the name of "God".
As long as religions exist and are allowed to dictate the law and behavior of nations and people of power, there will be conflicts.
The best we can hope for is a long quiet cease fire...kind of like we have had in Korea since M*A*S*H left the air.
About Obama's Mideast Trip
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost
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