Day to day as I pay bills, go Christmas shopping, put up trees and in general fall in line with the rest of gender dictated slavery I can't help but grumble about things and sometimes even want to scream at our government, including all branches of it. Now ladies don't get on to me about my depicting males as slaves when we all know how hard you have it and what slavery your gender has endured throughout the ages and no I am not going to propose that we pass a bill to authorize reparations for your suffering at the hands of men. Wow that feels good. I got that off my chest and now all I have to do is dodge the missiles that are being warmed up and will be fired at me for that sexist remark. But you get tired of politically correct tightropes sometimes and frankly guys, "jimmy crack corn and I don't care...”
Well I got sidetracked but these women have been doing that to me for years now. Every time I am working, playing or just kicking back with maximum skill and efficiency, some dame walks by with a caboose that, well you know what I mean. So anyway I mentioned Congress and my pet peeve for the day, week, month, heck year and lifetime, is this so called credit card reform bill that was recently passed. Our politicians prattled on about how the good people of this country do not deserve to be gouged and mistreated by the banks and credit card companies. So we waited for the bill and we waited and we waited.
Then after the lobbyists had made their phone calls and visits on the "hill" Congress passed the bill. Funny thing about that all my credit card interest went up 10 to 15 % per card in the meantime. Thanks guys and gals of Congress, you just made my day! How much did you get paid to wait??? How many trips and other freebies and perks did you get for waiting?? Want to pay my bills for me!! You are a bunch of charlatans, frauds and sanctimonious lying hypocrtical colonoscopic...... Oh pardon me but I am getting downright angry aren't I and I must do as my dear mother taught me and "restrain yourself child."
But really what the heck happened, my fellow followers of the cause of justice and equality for all? Is this the Congress that is going to give us healthcare? Can we trust them to give us a workable product? Can we trust them with anything? I am reminded of a song by Michael Jackson I heard my young grandson singing the other day, "It doesn’t matter whether you are black or white...” In this instance with Congress, it obviously did not matter whether they were black or white, Democrat or Republican because they were altogether corrupt and in full collaboration with the banks and credit card companies! Hey I have said what I have said. I am done and at 63 years old I should know I am only banging my head against the wall because no one in government today really gives a crap about any of us regular people or listens to us. Just take another 600 billion and give it to the banks and while you are at it tell them good job with the perks you received for letting them have time to raise their interest rates. Mr. Obama, you are looking more and more like Jimmy Carter everyday as those rates go higher and higher. Please do not let this dream of change we all voted for become merely déjà vu.
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Veterans Day Memories
For those of you who are history buffs the story below tells the experiences of the air raid on Easter Tuesday in Belfast, Northern ireland where I was born. It stirred a lot of memories and remembered stories of all the sacrifices and suffering that took place during World WarII. It is good look outside our own shores at what others experienced and I pray for all those that served both in the military, in factories and in simple family settings that died that night. Remember them this Veterams Day.
Memories of the Belfast Blitz
By Belfast Central Library
In one crucial respect the Second World War was unlike its 1914-18 predecessor: air power was to play an important part.
In the spring of 1940 the Panzer units swept through the Low Countries the Ardennes, and France fell in June.
Now that Hitler had control of airfields in northern France, it became increasingly clear that major cities in the United Kingdom were within reach of German aircraft. But few in Belfast believed there was much chance of their being bombed.
I was aged just seven and a half at the time of the first air raid on Belfast and I then lived with my family at No 16 Richmond Street, just off Agnes Street in the Shankill area of the city. Of course my memories are those of a tiny tot and are sketchy to say the least.
The Big Raid of Easter Tuesday, the 15th April 1941, which began that night and with the sound of the all clear siren, ended at 4.10 am on 16th April. The Luftwaffe came in over Newtownards carrying incendiary and other highly explosive bombs.
On that evening, 180 German bombers attacked Belfast and continued for several hours, dropping a total of 203 metric tons of bombs and 800 firebomb canisters on the city. All contact with a squadron of Hurricanes was lost and the Luftwaffe did not sustain a single loss.
Although things are now a bit hazy I remember after an exhausting day spent playing football up in Woodvale Park with my chums. At bedtime I was really tired and was ready for bed and it was not long before sleep had overtaken me. At some time during the night I was awakened by my grandmother shouting, “Get up the house is on fire!” I remember very vividly replying, “Leave me alone, I want to sleep,” not knowing that our house had been hit by an incendiary bomb dropped from the marauding German bombers.
After much trouble my grandmother eventually got me up and we ran out into the street which was brilliantly illuminated by the many flares dropped from the enemy planes, there were many of our neighbours standing in groups probably discussing the devastation caused by the Luftwaffe. The men when hearing my grandmother’s cry for help then dashed down the street to our house and after some difficulty extinguished the fire, using their water buckets, stirrup pumps and sand bags before it created too much damage. The rest of the night was spent in what was considered the safest part of the house the coalhole situated below the stairs in my aunt’s house which was across the street.
About a thousand people were killed. No city, save London, suffered more loss of life in one night’s raid on the United Kingdom.
I recall that a B17 bomber ploughed into the Cave hill and exploded with the loss of all the air crew. The Belfast Telegraph ran a photo of an infant, still in its cot, hanging out of what was left of a first floor bedroom somewhere in Belfast. People were caught unaware. ‘On the night of the 15th and the morning of the 16th April, great havoc and destruction was spread over the city, where over 700 persons were killed and 134 injured. In Belfast on that one night many people died and thousands more were injured. It was the highest number of people killed in one air raid outside London. Indeed more than half of the fatalities were women and children who should have been evacuated. North Belfast suffered serious damage with many people perishing in their own homes.
One of the more tragic events of the blitz was the devastation and carnage caused in Percy Street as can be seen from the picture. The Shankill Road largely escaped the worst of the night’s devastation, but for this one major incident that resulted in appalling carnage and that burned itself indelibly into the popular recollections of earth shattering events.
Percy Street which ran from the Shankill Road down to the Falls Road was lined with well kept terrace houses with a maze of side streets running to and fro from it. An Auxiliary Fire Service worker, was standing on the flat roof of a mill on North Howard Street when he seen a parachute with a landmine attached floating through the illuminated sky and land within a short distance of a crowded shelter in Percy Street. The resulting deafening explosion caused the shelter which could not withstand the blast to disintegrate; the huge concrete roof was lifted of killing many people and pinning others beneath the wreckage. People became confused and dazed; they came out of their damaged homes exposing themselves to even more danger.
That night almost 300 people, many from the Shankill, took refuge in Clonard Monastery in the Falls Road. The crypt under the sanctuary and the cellar under the working store had been fitted out and opened to the people, as an air-raid shelter. Prayers were said and hymns sung by the, mainly Protestant women and children, during the bombing.
I remember the next morning people crying at the news of the catastrophe which had struck a short distance away. Stories abounded about some of the tragedies which occurred the previous night such as the man who was at the Gaiety cinema a short distance down the road from Percy Street when it was flashed on the screen that the blitz had started rushed home to his family and found them in the shelter were he joined them with tragic results. He and his complete family were fatal casualties of the blast. This is another story about the family who wanted to go into the Percy Street air-raid shelter but then decided not to. Instead, they and their kids went into the house of their daughter boyfriend’s sister, a decision which was to save their lives.
Later on in the day a few friends and myself went down the short distance to see for ourselves the devastation caused by the German bombers the previous night. On reaching Percy Street we were confronted by the police and army who had the area cordoned off, probably still searching for casualties from the previous night’s disaster.
All the people of the Shankill grieved sorely at the terrible loss of life as most of them had friends and neighbours who had been killed or seriously injured. Rescue attempts started straight away while bombs continued to rain down on Belfast. People recalled that the volunteers who were assigned to look for survivors pulled limbs from the debris; hands with wedding rings were found. Bodies were strewn around the bomb site; whole streets had collapsed. Many dignitaries and their entourages were constantly visiting the devastated area gauging the damage and loss of life which had struck the Shankill community. As can be seen from the above picture the Duke of Gloucester was one of the more distinguished visitors to inspect the grief stricken area.
Premises in Agnes Street which is a busy thoroughfare running from the Shankill to the Crumlin Road were hit with a bomb which failed to explode. The area affected was between Meenan Street and Brennan Street and consisted of three shops namely Kelly’s which was then a large grocery shop, Diamond’s off license and a sweetie shop whose name I cannot recall. The authorities cordoned the damaged shops off and placed restriction notices around the building with the unexploded bomb. Several days later the bomb experts were drafted in to perform a controlled explosion. During this time I was happily playing in the Hammer playground which was a short distance away when the bomb was exploded.
The ground underneath my feet seemed to ripple and a great shower of debris plummeted above the skyline to be followed by a billowing cloud of thick black smoke which floated upwards to mingle and merge with the existing dark clouds. The area of the shops destroyed in this attack was later cleared and a square brick structure was built as a water tank. This construction was filled with water which was to be used in case of further incendiary bomb attacks but as time went by all sorts of rubbish was dumped into it. During the winter months when the frost was prevalent the water was frozen and became a mass of ice, people were seen walking on it which was extremely dangerous.
‘Bomber after Bomber came over the city to press home the enemy assault. A heavy bomb, narrowly missing a public shelter at the junction of Oxford Street and East Bridge Street, played havoc with the city’s system of telephone communications. This put an end to any effective resistance.’ So the citizens were exposed for more than three hours to the full force of the enemy attack. Not until dawn broke did they hear the welcome all clear of the city sirens
Industries, such as Ewart’s weaving mill on the Crumlin road, businesses, churches and housing suffered serious damage. A total of thirty business premises, although most but not all were involved in making textiles and clothing, rather than munitions. In addition seven garages, seven stores, two banks, two cinemas, two tram depots and eleven other buildings were hit. Firms to the north and west of the city bore a substantial part of the destruction and dislocation.
The Crumlin Road, Antrim Road and York Road were all on fire. Some parts of the east of the city also experienced some damage, but not comparable to the stricken north of the city. The Oval football stands were demolished, the pitch was severely crated and a wing of the Ulster hospital on Templemore Avenue was damaged.
There are some moments which I can still recall with great happiness even in those times of danger. Food shortages and clothing were scarce as the country had to import most of these commodities, so the government had to introduce rationing.
Each family was allocated a fixed amount of butter, sugar, bread, meat and confectionery per week along with clothing coupons which were handed over the counter when purchasing items of clothing.
The family always looked forward to seeing my uncle Jimmy Fortune who was in the merchant navy coming home on leave. He always came home with a bag full of goodies which were greatly appreciated by the family, the large catering tins of Apricot Jam stick in my mind as they seemed to last for ages.
On another occasion he opened his kitbag plunged his hand into it and out popped a very large coconut. My eyes must have lit up with excitement as a smile appeared on his face and as he handed it over to me he said, “Have you ever seen a coconut as large as that?” To tell the truth I hadn’t seen a coconut for years due to the food shortages. For the rest of the day I must have been the most popular lad in the area as all my friends gathered round me wanting share or wishing to have a drink of the milky liquid which flowed from the coconut. On another time he also presented me with the famous Australian hat known as the” Slouch Hat.”
The Australian Army's slouch hat, made famous by several generations of Diggers, had become a national symbol. All over the world Australian soldiers are recognized readily by the wide-brimmed felt hat with the left side cocked up and displaying the Rising Sun badge.
The history of the Australian slouch hat can be traced back for more than 100 years to colonial times. Like the pioneering squatters who adopted wide brimmed felt hats as protection from the harsh summer sun, several of Australia's colonial armies selected slouch hat for the same practical reason. The New South Wales Lancers, the New South Wales Mounted Rifles and the Victorian Mounted Rifles wore the slouch hat in the early 1880's. It was usually worn with the brim turned down all round and gave the wearer a somewhat fearsome appearance, particularly if he sported a large droopy moustache so typical of the times.
A happier boy you could not have met in Belfast, I was the envy of all the kids from far and wide who descended on Richmond Street just to catch a glimpse of this famous Australian hat. I could be found riding my imaginary horse up and down the street (minus a droopy moustache) singing that world famous Aussie song Waltzing Matilda with great gusto.
A month later Hitler began his invasion of Russia along a 900-mile front, and the Germans did not return to Northern Ireland. Because of its geographical position, Northern Ireland played a crucial role in the protection of convoys and Londonderry became the biggest anti-submarine base in the Atlantic. One hundred thousand people became refugees after the blitz. It took years to rebuild the lost buildings, reconstruct the lost homes and replace the industrial targets the Germans had so accurately pinpointed.
The effect on the city would be felt for years to come though it struggled bravely to return to normal. It is worth mentioning that Belfast suffered many more times the devastation in the spring of 1941 than it would in the entire 30 years of the Troubles which would follow.
Memories of the Belfast Blitz
By Belfast Central Library
In one crucial respect the Second World War was unlike its 1914-18 predecessor: air power was to play an important part.
In the spring of 1940 the Panzer units swept through the Low Countries the Ardennes, and France fell in June.
Now that Hitler had control of airfields in northern France, it became increasingly clear that major cities in the United Kingdom were within reach of German aircraft. But few in Belfast believed there was much chance of their being bombed.
I was aged just seven and a half at the time of the first air raid on Belfast and I then lived with my family at No 16 Richmond Street, just off Agnes Street in the Shankill area of the city. Of course my memories are those of a tiny tot and are sketchy to say the least.
The Big Raid of Easter Tuesday, the 15th April 1941, which began that night and with the sound of the all clear siren, ended at 4.10 am on 16th April. The Luftwaffe came in over Newtownards carrying incendiary and other highly explosive bombs.
On that evening, 180 German bombers attacked Belfast and continued for several hours, dropping a total of 203 metric tons of bombs and 800 firebomb canisters on the city. All contact with a squadron of Hurricanes was lost and the Luftwaffe did not sustain a single loss.
Although things are now a bit hazy I remember after an exhausting day spent playing football up in Woodvale Park with my chums. At bedtime I was really tired and was ready for bed and it was not long before sleep had overtaken me. At some time during the night I was awakened by my grandmother shouting, “Get up the house is on fire!” I remember very vividly replying, “Leave me alone, I want to sleep,” not knowing that our house had been hit by an incendiary bomb dropped from the marauding German bombers.
After much trouble my grandmother eventually got me up and we ran out into the street which was brilliantly illuminated by the many flares dropped from the enemy planes, there were many of our neighbours standing in groups probably discussing the devastation caused by the Luftwaffe. The men when hearing my grandmother’s cry for help then dashed down the street to our house and after some difficulty extinguished the fire, using their water buckets, stirrup pumps and sand bags before it created too much damage. The rest of the night was spent in what was considered the safest part of the house the coalhole situated below the stairs in my aunt’s house which was across the street.
About a thousand people were killed. No city, save London, suffered more loss of life in one night’s raid on the United Kingdom.
I recall that a B17 bomber ploughed into the Cave hill and exploded with the loss of all the air crew. The Belfast Telegraph ran a photo of an infant, still in its cot, hanging out of what was left of a first floor bedroom somewhere in Belfast. People were caught unaware. ‘On the night of the 15th and the morning of the 16th April, great havoc and destruction was spread over the city, where over 700 persons were killed and 134 injured. In Belfast on that one night many people died and thousands more were injured. It was the highest number of people killed in one air raid outside London. Indeed more than half of the fatalities were women and children who should have been evacuated. North Belfast suffered serious damage with many people perishing in their own homes.
One of the more tragic events of the blitz was the devastation and carnage caused in Percy Street as can be seen from the picture. The Shankill Road largely escaped the worst of the night’s devastation, but for this one major incident that resulted in appalling carnage and that burned itself indelibly into the popular recollections of earth shattering events.
Percy Street which ran from the Shankill Road down to the Falls Road was lined with well kept terrace houses with a maze of side streets running to and fro from it. An Auxiliary Fire Service worker, was standing on the flat roof of a mill on North Howard Street when he seen a parachute with a landmine attached floating through the illuminated sky and land within a short distance of a crowded shelter in Percy Street. The resulting deafening explosion caused the shelter which could not withstand the blast to disintegrate; the huge concrete roof was lifted of killing many people and pinning others beneath the wreckage. People became confused and dazed; they came out of their damaged homes exposing themselves to even more danger.
That night almost 300 people, many from the Shankill, took refuge in Clonard Monastery in the Falls Road. The crypt under the sanctuary and the cellar under the working store had been fitted out and opened to the people, as an air-raid shelter. Prayers were said and hymns sung by the, mainly Protestant women and children, during the bombing.
I remember the next morning people crying at the news of the catastrophe which had struck a short distance away. Stories abounded about some of the tragedies which occurred the previous night such as the man who was at the Gaiety cinema a short distance down the road from Percy Street when it was flashed on the screen that the blitz had started rushed home to his family and found them in the shelter were he joined them with tragic results. He and his complete family were fatal casualties of the blast. This is another story about the family who wanted to go into the Percy Street air-raid shelter but then decided not to. Instead, they and their kids went into the house of their daughter boyfriend’s sister, a decision which was to save their lives.
Later on in the day a few friends and myself went down the short distance to see for ourselves the devastation caused by the German bombers the previous night. On reaching Percy Street we were confronted by the police and army who had the area cordoned off, probably still searching for casualties from the previous night’s disaster.
All the people of the Shankill grieved sorely at the terrible loss of life as most of them had friends and neighbours who had been killed or seriously injured. Rescue attempts started straight away while bombs continued to rain down on Belfast. People recalled that the volunteers who were assigned to look for survivors pulled limbs from the debris; hands with wedding rings were found. Bodies were strewn around the bomb site; whole streets had collapsed. Many dignitaries and their entourages were constantly visiting the devastated area gauging the damage and loss of life which had struck the Shankill community. As can be seen from the above picture the Duke of Gloucester was one of the more distinguished visitors to inspect the grief stricken area.
Premises in Agnes Street which is a busy thoroughfare running from the Shankill to the Crumlin Road were hit with a bomb which failed to explode. The area affected was between Meenan Street and Brennan Street and consisted of three shops namely Kelly’s which was then a large grocery shop, Diamond’s off license and a sweetie shop whose name I cannot recall. The authorities cordoned the damaged shops off and placed restriction notices around the building with the unexploded bomb. Several days later the bomb experts were drafted in to perform a controlled explosion. During this time I was happily playing in the Hammer playground which was a short distance away when the bomb was exploded.
The ground underneath my feet seemed to ripple and a great shower of debris plummeted above the skyline to be followed by a billowing cloud of thick black smoke which floated upwards to mingle and merge with the existing dark clouds. The area of the shops destroyed in this attack was later cleared and a square brick structure was built as a water tank. This construction was filled with water which was to be used in case of further incendiary bomb attacks but as time went by all sorts of rubbish was dumped into it. During the winter months when the frost was prevalent the water was frozen and became a mass of ice, people were seen walking on it which was extremely dangerous.
‘Bomber after Bomber came over the city to press home the enemy assault. A heavy bomb, narrowly missing a public shelter at the junction of Oxford Street and East Bridge Street, played havoc with the city’s system of telephone communications. This put an end to any effective resistance.’ So the citizens were exposed for more than three hours to the full force of the enemy attack. Not until dawn broke did they hear the welcome all clear of the city sirens
Industries, such as Ewart’s weaving mill on the Crumlin road, businesses, churches and housing suffered serious damage. A total of thirty business premises, although most but not all were involved in making textiles and clothing, rather than munitions. In addition seven garages, seven stores, two banks, two cinemas, two tram depots and eleven other buildings were hit. Firms to the north and west of the city bore a substantial part of the destruction and dislocation.
The Crumlin Road, Antrim Road and York Road were all on fire. Some parts of the east of the city also experienced some damage, but not comparable to the stricken north of the city. The Oval football stands were demolished, the pitch was severely crated and a wing of the Ulster hospital on Templemore Avenue was damaged.
There are some moments which I can still recall with great happiness even in those times of danger. Food shortages and clothing were scarce as the country had to import most of these commodities, so the government had to introduce rationing.
Each family was allocated a fixed amount of butter, sugar, bread, meat and confectionery per week along with clothing coupons which were handed over the counter when purchasing items of clothing.
The family always looked forward to seeing my uncle Jimmy Fortune who was in the merchant navy coming home on leave. He always came home with a bag full of goodies which were greatly appreciated by the family, the large catering tins of Apricot Jam stick in my mind as they seemed to last for ages.
On another occasion he opened his kitbag plunged his hand into it and out popped a very large coconut. My eyes must have lit up with excitement as a smile appeared on his face and as he handed it over to me he said, “Have you ever seen a coconut as large as that?” To tell the truth I hadn’t seen a coconut for years due to the food shortages. For the rest of the day I must have been the most popular lad in the area as all my friends gathered round me wanting share or wishing to have a drink of the milky liquid which flowed from the coconut. On another time he also presented me with the famous Australian hat known as the” Slouch Hat.”
The Australian Army's slouch hat, made famous by several generations of Diggers, had become a national symbol. All over the world Australian soldiers are recognized readily by the wide-brimmed felt hat with the left side cocked up and displaying the Rising Sun badge.
The history of the Australian slouch hat can be traced back for more than 100 years to colonial times. Like the pioneering squatters who adopted wide brimmed felt hats as protection from the harsh summer sun, several of Australia's colonial armies selected slouch hat for the same practical reason. The New South Wales Lancers, the New South Wales Mounted Rifles and the Victorian Mounted Rifles wore the slouch hat in the early 1880's. It was usually worn with the brim turned down all round and gave the wearer a somewhat fearsome appearance, particularly if he sported a large droopy moustache so typical of the times.
A happier boy you could not have met in Belfast, I was the envy of all the kids from far and wide who descended on Richmond Street just to catch a glimpse of this famous Australian hat. I could be found riding my imaginary horse up and down the street (minus a droopy moustache) singing that world famous Aussie song Waltzing Matilda with great gusto.
A month later Hitler began his invasion of Russia along a 900-mile front, and the Germans did not return to Northern Ireland. Because of its geographical position, Northern Ireland played a crucial role in the protection of convoys and Londonderry became the biggest anti-submarine base in the Atlantic. One hundred thousand people became refugees after the blitz. It took years to rebuild the lost buildings, reconstruct the lost homes and replace the industrial targets the Germans had so accurately pinpointed.
The effect on the city would be felt for years to come though it struggled bravely to return to normal. It is worth mentioning that Belfast suffered many more times the devastation in the spring of 1941 than it would in the entire 30 years of the Troubles which would follow.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
What is Wrong Here?
I had my 63rd birthday this past July at the beach. I kind of like that because I can use something hopeful and happy to look forward to and measure another year reached, another piece of existence enjoyed and another to look forward to. You know not every morning but many many more than should be the case, I wake up do my little chores, get my coffee and settle down in front of the computer as I also listen to CNN and the news of the world. These days the news is troubling and deeply so to me personally.
In 2008, my belief system forced me to change direction in what political party I supported. I left the Republican Party and threw my heartfelt support behind hope and change as represented by Barack Obama. The election was hard fought and heartfelt. I experienced anger, sadness, ecstasy and victory all in one year and it was a great thrill even before we got to the beach again in 2009. What a year! Do you remember those millions of people from diverse backgrounds that stood and watched, many with tears in their eyes, as Obama stood and took the oath of office? Do you remember the surge of emotion, the unstoppable hope that made your heart swell and your eyes mist? This was victory. This was a new beginning, a messianic like arrival of a new age of hope and change! There were young adults with children, young college students holding hands, middle aged couples embracing, old men and women standing weeping with joy and the silent tears that marked and tracked through their wrinkled faces stirred those of us who watched from our homes. And then they left.
One of the fundamental causes that was a constant and a predominant factor in these millions of people who supported Obama was the promise of Health Care for all. The people of the United States elected this President to bring these promises to fulfillment and to stay the storm of resistance from the Insurance industry. It did not happen, it has not happened and it may never happen! What is wrong here?
What is wrong here? Where are those millions of people who stood and cheered the new President and supported his cause. Where are the young couples, the young students, the African-American young men and women and the many Hispanic-American men and women? The answer is sad and I cannot excuse it. They are not there. I was sent a racist video after the election by a prior fellow employee of the Post and Courier. It showed a young Black women singing, dancing and rejoicing that she was going to get money, she didn't need to work anymore and that Obama would bring her the wealth she deserved. This was a totally racist portrayal, yet taking her portrayed attitude and applying it to an over reaching attitude of complacency that exists today amongst all the many supporters of Obama, you have where we are now. For some strange and foolish reason, too many of those millions think that well, "everything is going to be all right now because we won." We won? We won what? We won an election. That is all we won and somehow we all forgot that was only a beginning, a major battle but by no means did it mean we had won the war! We fell for the same mistake that George Bush made when he stood on the deck of that aircraft carrier and proclaimed victory in Iraq.
If somehow the Democratic Party can reawaken the youth, the minority voters and the many older citizens that sit now in their complacency just expecting good things to happen, then and only then will the hopes for change come to fruition. It takes work! It takes hard work and sweat and grit to stay the course from all. Get back out there! I tried to go to a local "town hall meeting". I voiced my opinion over the cries of the loud and rabid right wingers that dominated the crowd. I donate my money to the cause when asked and when I can. However a deep sadness comes over me because I know in my heart that his fight for Health Care, for life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness is lost if all of us do not participate as we did during the election battle. Our voices must be heard, counted and heeded.
However, what is wrong here and why are we seeing hope ebb away yet again? When I attended that "town hall meeting" around 95% of those attending were over the age of 55 and I saw few if any minorities and zero Democratic politicians in a Democrat's town, Charleston. Old people cannot win this war. Remember those silent tears that marked and tracked through the wrinkled faces of the old men and women watching Obama take office? If the youth and minorities of this country now think all is good, then I can only tell them that they should not weep for me or their elders when we go to the grave. They should weep for their children, because they had the chance to change this country and let it slip away.
What is wrong here? Ask yourself this question and then ask yourself if you are really doing all you can to win not just the battle but also the war. We can win and we must win but it will be as it was before, we will win together.
In 2008, my belief system forced me to change direction in what political party I supported. I left the Republican Party and threw my heartfelt support behind hope and change as represented by Barack Obama. The election was hard fought and heartfelt. I experienced anger, sadness, ecstasy and victory all in one year and it was a great thrill even before we got to the beach again in 2009. What a year! Do you remember those millions of people from diverse backgrounds that stood and watched, many with tears in their eyes, as Obama stood and took the oath of office? Do you remember the surge of emotion, the unstoppable hope that made your heart swell and your eyes mist? This was victory. This was a new beginning, a messianic like arrival of a new age of hope and change! There were young adults with children, young college students holding hands, middle aged couples embracing, old men and women standing weeping with joy and the silent tears that marked and tracked through their wrinkled faces stirred those of us who watched from our homes. And then they left.
One of the fundamental causes that was a constant and a predominant factor in these millions of people who supported Obama was the promise of Health Care for all. The people of the United States elected this President to bring these promises to fulfillment and to stay the storm of resistance from the Insurance industry. It did not happen, it has not happened and it may never happen! What is wrong here?
What is wrong here? Where are those millions of people who stood and cheered the new President and supported his cause. Where are the young couples, the young students, the African-American young men and women and the many Hispanic-American men and women? The answer is sad and I cannot excuse it. They are not there. I was sent a racist video after the election by a prior fellow employee of the Post and Courier. It showed a young Black women singing, dancing and rejoicing that she was going to get money, she didn't need to work anymore and that Obama would bring her the wealth she deserved. This was a totally racist portrayal, yet taking her portrayed attitude and applying it to an over reaching attitude of complacency that exists today amongst all the many supporters of Obama, you have where we are now. For some strange and foolish reason, too many of those millions think that well, "everything is going to be all right now because we won." We won? We won what? We won an election. That is all we won and somehow we all forgot that was only a beginning, a major battle but by no means did it mean we had won the war! We fell for the same mistake that George Bush made when he stood on the deck of that aircraft carrier and proclaimed victory in Iraq.
If somehow the Democratic Party can reawaken the youth, the minority voters and the many older citizens that sit now in their complacency just expecting good things to happen, then and only then will the hopes for change come to fruition. It takes work! It takes hard work and sweat and grit to stay the course from all. Get back out there! I tried to go to a local "town hall meeting". I voiced my opinion over the cries of the loud and rabid right wingers that dominated the crowd. I donate my money to the cause when asked and when I can. However a deep sadness comes over me because I know in my heart that his fight for Health Care, for life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness is lost if all of us do not participate as we did during the election battle. Our voices must be heard, counted and heeded.
However, what is wrong here and why are we seeing hope ebb away yet again? When I attended that "town hall meeting" around 95% of those attending were over the age of 55 and I saw few if any minorities and zero Democratic politicians in a Democrat's town, Charleston. Old people cannot win this war. Remember those silent tears that marked and tracked through the wrinkled faces of the old men and women watching Obama take office? If the youth and minorities of this country now think all is good, then I can only tell them that they should not weep for me or their elders when we go to the grave. They should weep for their children, because they had the chance to change this country and let it slip away.
What is wrong here? Ask yourself this question and then ask yourself if you are really doing all you can to win not just the battle but also the war. We can win and we must win but it will be as it was before, we will win together.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Links to Keith Olbermann's Health Care segment on MSNBC
(1) Saving American Lives: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036677/#33217219
(2) A wake-up call to Washington: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036677/#33217592
(3) Respecting pain and patient: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036677/#33217446
(4) Companies betting on employee's lives: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036677/#33217346
(5) America's widening health gap: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036677/#33217296
(2) A wake-up call to Washington: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036677/#33217592
(3) Respecting pain and patient: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036677/#33217446
(4) Companies betting on employee's lives: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036677/#33217346
(5) America's widening health gap: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036677/#33217296
Afford to Live
At the urging of a friend, I just watched 4 news videos making up an hour of Keith Olbermann speaking to America about Health Care. He did it so well. It brought me to anger, to wanting to scream, to brimming tears and to resolution. To the resolution that there should never be a health care system that ones ability to stave off death for 5 years, 5 hours or 5 minutes is based on what a person can afford. To the resolution that this is not about politics it is about DEATH. I am dying, you are dying, we all are dying and although it may not be today, it will come. Should we or should you support a system where how long you live depends on what you can afford?! Olbermann lays out his case eloquently, emotionally and it is heart wrenching and mind boggling that the American public cannot see who the real enemy is that threatens their lives. It is not Doctors, Nurses, Pharmacists or for that matter disease. It is Insurance companies. Without insurance, you have a 43% higher chance of death sooner than those insured. A person who used to smoke but quit, only has a 42% chance of dying sooner than someone who never smoked. Your risks without insurance are greater than if you once smoked! Olbermann points out that that gap of life expectancy is widening by 1% per year. In 1843 in the year of Charles Dickens "A Christmas Carol" there was a 53% chance of early death, In 2014 in this country we call our own, the land of the American dream, those without insurance will have a 53% chance of dying sooner than those insured. Are we doomed to return to the world of Charles Dickens here in America?
I tried to write the following quote down accurately and I apologize if I mad any error in it but here it is: "Then there are the bills. How does one heal? How does one fight a cancer when you are lying in a hospital bed and the sound of the meter is running so loudly, you can hear it?"
For some 40 million Americans that have no insurance death waits, because they cannot afford insurance. Death is the issue and no other. It is death that at 63 years of age creeps ever closer. Whatever the argument, whatever the argued numbers of uninsured are, it is still MILLIONS. Can we afford it?
The links for each segment of Keith Olbermann's complete show on Health Care are below. PLEASE take the time to watch it in its entirety. I would rather have this shown in the schools than even a Presidential video. It is more important because there is nothing more important than life.
(1) Saving American Lives: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036677/#33217219
(2) A wake-up call to Washington: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036677/#33217592
(3) Respecting pain and patient: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036677/#33217446
(4) Companies betting on employee's lives: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036677/#33217346
(5) America's widening health gap: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036677/#33217296
I tried to write the following quote down accurately and I apologize if I mad any error in it but here it is: "Then there are the bills. How does one heal? How does one fight a cancer when you are lying in a hospital bed and the sound of the meter is running so loudly, you can hear it?"
For some 40 million Americans that have no insurance death waits, because they cannot afford insurance. Death is the issue and no other. It is death that at 63 years of age creeps ever closer. Whatever the argument, whatever the argued numbers of uninsured are, it is still MILLIONS. Can we afford it?
The links for each segment of Keith Olbermann's complete show on Health Care are below. PLEASE take the time to watch it in its entirety. I would rather have this shown in the schools than even a Presidential video. It is more important because there is nothing more important than life.
(1) Saving American Lives: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036677/#33217219
(2) A wake-up call to Washington: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036677/#33217592
(3) Respecting pain and patient: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036677/#33217446
(4) Companies betting on employee's lives: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036677/#33217346
(5) America's widening health gap: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036677/#33217296
Friday, October 2, 2009
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
50 Helpful Facts About Health Reform
The Rapidly Rising Number of Uninsured and Underinsured
46.3 Million Americans Have No Health Insurance. “Nationwide, the number of uninsured has increased from 39.8 million in 2001 to 46.3 million in 2008.” [U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Press Release, 9/16/09]
25 Million Americans Are 'Underinsured.’ “The number of underinsured U.S. adults -- people who have health coverage but are not adequately protected from high medical expenses -- has risen dramatically. A Commonwealth Fund study published by the journal Health Affairs in June finds that as of 2007, there were an estimated 25 million underinsured adults in the U.S., 60 percent more than the 16 million who were underinsured in 2003.” [CommonwealthFund.org, 7/28/08; Accessed, 9/16/09]
14,000 Americans are Losing Their Coverage Each Day. “Even when the economy was growing, 46 million people in America did not have any health insurance. Since the recession began, an estimated 4 million additional Americans have lost their health insurance and 2 million have become uninsured. The recent turmoil in the job market is likely increasing the number of uninsured at the rate of 14,000 a day.” [Center for American Progress, February 19, 2009]
A full one in six Americans with employer-sponsored insurance in 2006 lost that coverage by 2008. If this trend continues, one in six Americans with employer coverage today will lose their job-based health insurance over the next two years. [U.S. Department of Health and Human Services report, “Insurance Insecurity: Families Are Losing Employer-Sponsored Insurance Coverage,” accessed, 9/16/09]
Half of all Americans Will Lose Their Health Coverage Sometime in the Next 10 Years. “A new report from the Treasury Department shows that about half of all Americans under age 65 will lose their health coverage at some point over the next ten years. The report also found that more than one-third of Americans will go without coverage for longer than one year.” [Treasury Department, 9/20/09]
More than half of the uninsured—26 million Americans—are small-business owners, employees, or their dependents. Small businesses pay higher premiums than their larger counterparts, and many cannot afford to offer coverage as a result. Among firms with 3 to 9 workers, fewer than half are able to offer health benefits to their workers. [Families USA, July 2009]
Fewer Small Businesses Are Offering Insurance: “From 2000 to 2007, the proportion of non-elderly Americans covered by employer-based health insurance fell from 66% to 61%.Much of this decline stems from small business. The percentage of small businesses offering coverage dropped from 68% to 59%, while large firms held stable at 99%.” [U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, “Helping the Bottom Line: Health Reform and Small Business,” accessed 9/17/09]
About 10% of small businesses are considering eliminating coverage over the next year, up from 3% in 2005, according to a recent survey by National Small Business Association. [Wall Street Journal, May 26, 2009]
A full 32 percent of working age adults and their families had a gap in health insurance coverage for at least one month in 2006 and 2007. [U.S. Department of Health and Human Services report, “Insurance Insecurity: Families Are Losing Employer-Sponsored Insurance Coverage,” Accessed, 9/16/09]
And an estimated 87 million people were uninsured at some point during 2007 and 2008. [U.S. Department of Health and Human Services report, “Insurance Insecurity: Families Are Losing Employer-Sponsored Insurance Coverage,” Accessed, 9/16/09]
Exploding Health Care Costs
The Average Family Premium Is $13,375, Up 131% Since 1999. “In 2009, the average annual premiums for employer-sponsored health insurance are $4,824 for single coverage and $13,375 for family coverage. Premiums for family coverage are 5% higher than last year ($12,680)…Since 1999, average premiums for family coverage have increased 131%.” [Kaiser/HRET Survey of Employer-Sponsored Health Benefits, 2009, 9/15/09]
Health Care Premiums Cost $1,100 More for the Insured Because of Cost Shifting from the Uninsured. “The Center for American Progress has updated a 2005 analysis by Kenneth Thorpe for Families USA and found that, on average, 8 percent of families’ 2009 health care premiums—approximately $1,100 a year—is due to our broken system that fails to cover the uninsured…The uninsured pay more for care—and get less—than those with insurance. But when the uninsured cannot pay, health care providers shift those costs to those who can pay—those who have insurance coverage. This leads to higher premiums for those who buy their insurance on the individual market, as well as workers who get insurance for themselves and their families through their job.” [Center for American Progress Action Fund report, “The Cost Shift from the Uninsured,” 3/24/09]
Employer-sponsored health insurance premiums have nearly doubled since 2000, a rate three times faster than wages. [Kaiser Family Foundation; Employer Health Benefits Survey 2008.]
Average family deductible increased 30 percent in just two years. “A deductible is the amount of money a person must pay out of his or her own pocket before health insurance begins to cover the cost of medical expenses. Deductibles have risen substantially over time. For preferred provider organization (PPO) plans purchased through an employer, the average family deductible increased 30 percent in just two years, from $1,034 to $1,344. This effect is more pronounced for small firms, where PPO deductibles increased from $1,439 to $2,367 — a rise of 64 percent.” [U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, “Hidden Costs of Health Care Report: Why Americans Are Paying More But Getting Less,” accessed 9/24/09]
Families Will Be Paying 1/3 of their Income on Health Care Without Reform. “A new report from the Center for American Progress shows that without reform, health care costs will eat up fully one-third of the average family’s income by 2019 – equivalent to a second rent or mortgage payment every month for many families.” [“Family Health Spending to Rise Rapidly,” Center for American Progress, 9/15/09]
Without significant marketplace reforms, if current trends continue, annual health care costs for employers will rise 166 percent over the next decade, from $10,743 per employee today to $28,530 by 2019
. [Health Care Reform: The Perils of Inaction and the Promise of Effective Action; A Report to Business Roundtable by Hewitt Associates LLC; September 2009]
If nothing changes, by 2019, total health care spending will reach $4.4 trillion, consuming more than 20 percent of the U.S. Gross Domestic Product. [Health Care Reform: The Perils of Inaction and the Promise of Effective Action; A Report to Business Roundtable by Hewitt Associates LLC; September 2009]
72 million, or 41 percent, of nonelderly adults have accumulated medical debt or had difficulty paying medical bills in the past year. “In fact, one recent survey estimated that 72 million, or 41 percent, of nonelderly adults have accumulated medical debt or had difficulty paying medical bills in the past year. A full 61 percent of those with difficulty had insurance.” [U.S. Department of Health and Human Services report, “Insurance Insecurity: Families Are Losing Employer-Sponsored Insurance Coverage,” accessed, 9/16/09]
Nearly three-quarters of Americans who tried to buy health coverage in this market never actually purchased a plan. “Over the last three years, nearly three-quarters of people who tried to buy coverage in this market never actually purchased a plan, either because they could not find one that fit their needs or that they could afford, or because they were turned down due to a preexisting condition.” [The Commonwealth Fund; “Failure to Protect: Why the Individual Insurance Market Is Not a Viable Option for Most U.S. Families,” July 2009]
The Average American Spends About $7500 a year on Health Care. “Health spending in the United States averaged $7,421 per person in 2007, totaling $2.2 trillion, or 16.2% of our nation's economy, up from 7.2% of GDP in 1970 and 12.3% of GDP in 1990.” [Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Office of the Actuary]
Employers Are Spending 131% More On Health Insurance To Cover Their Employees. “Since 1999, family premiums for employer-sponsored insurance have increased 131 percent, while wages have gone up 38 percent and inflation has gone up 28 percent.” [Kaiser/HRET Survey of Employer-Sponsored Health Benefits, 1999-2009]
Per Capita Health Spending Has Increased Faster Than The Consumer Price Index. “Over the past 25 years, annual increases in national health spending per capita have exceeded increases in the Consumer Price Index, most recently 5.1% vs. 2.8% in 2007.” [Kaiser Family Foundation calculations using NHE data from Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Office of the Actuary, National Health Statistics Group]
The United States Spend Much More on Health Care Coverage Per Person Than Any Other Country. “The U.S. spends substantially more per capita on health care than other developed countries. ($6,567 in the U.S. in 2006 compared to, for example, $4,311 in Switzerland, $4,223 in Luxembourg, $3,505 in Canada, $3,353 in France, $3,247 in Germany, in current health expenditures).” [Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development]
One-Third of all Young Adults Report Problems with Paying Medical Bills. “A lack of adequate coverage also can have devastating consequences for people just starting their financial independence. In a recent survey, more than one-third of all young adults (with or without health insurance) reported problems with paying medical bills, including having trouble making payments, being contacted by a collection agency, or significantly changing their way of life in order to make payments. One in four young adults reported medical debt. This problem is significantly worse for those without insurance. Nearly half of uninsured young adults (49 percent) reported problems with medical bills, and nearly 40 percent carried medical debt. [Young Americans and Health Insurance Reform: Giving Young Americans the Security and Stability They Need; U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, accessed 9/22/09]
A 2008 survey found that one in four adults responded that they had passed up another job opportunity, stayed at a job they would have quit, or declined to retire early in order to retain employer-provided health insurance. [Health Care Reform: The Perils of Inaction and the Promise of Effective Action; A Report to Business Roundtable by Hewitt Associates LLC; September 2009]
Between 2000 and 2008, the percentage of firms offering health insurance coverage to their employees declined from 69 to 63; for firms employing less than 10 workers, the decline was even greater – from 57 to 49 percent. [“Insurance Insecurity: Families Are Losing Employer-Sponsored Insurance Coverage;” U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, accessed 9/22/09]
Between 2001 and 2005, employers dropping dependent coverage accounted for 11 percent of the decline in employer-sponsored insurance overall. [Insurance Insecurity: Families Are Losing Employer-Sponsored Insurance Coverage; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, accessed 9/22/09]
A family that buys insurance on the individual market pays nearly 60 percent more in out-of-pocket costs such as deductibles and co-payments than a family that gets insurance through work. [Insurance Insecurity: Families Are Losing Employer-Sponsored Insurance Coverage; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, accessed 9/22/09
The Consequences of Doing Nothing: Tens of Thousands Die Each Year Due to Lack of Health Insurance
137,000 Americans Died From 2000 through 2006 Because They Did Not Have Health Insurance. “In 2002, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) estimated that 18,000 Americans died in 2000 because they were uninsured. Since then, the number of uninsured has grown. Based on the IOM’s methodology and subsequent Census Bureau estimates of insurance coverage, 137,000 people died from 2000 through 2006 because they lacked health insurance, including 22,000 people in 2006,” according to a January 2008 report from The Urban Institute, “Uninsured and Dying Because of It: Updating the Institute of Medicine Analysis on the Impact of Uninsurance on Mortality.” [The Urban Institute, January 2008]
The Consequences of Doing Nothing: Bankrupt Families
Almost two-thirds of all U.S. bankruptcies are from medical bills. “In 2007, medical problems and expenses contributed to nearly two-thirds of all bankruptcies in the United States, a jump of nearly 50 percent from 2001…Most of those bankrupted by medical problems were "solidly middle class" before they suffered financial disaster -- two-thirds were homeowners and three-fifths had gone to college.” Even those with health insurance had to declare bankruptcy after racking up $17,749 in bills. [American Journal of Medicine, 6/4/09]
Every 90 seconds another family files for bankruptcy due to medical bills. “In 2007, before the current economic downturn, an American family filed for bankruptcy in the aftermath of illness every 90 seconds.” [American Journal of Medicine, 6/4/09]
The Consequences of Doing Nothing: Millions of Americans Avoiding the Care They Need
The results of a recent study showed that two-thirds of the uninsured (68 percent) go without needed care – including seeing a doctor when sick, filling prescriptions, and following up on recommended tests or treatment – and 51 percent of the uninsured report difficulty paying bills, being contacted by collection agencies for unpaid bills, or changing their way of life to pay medical bills. [“Insurance Insecurity: Families Are Losing Employer-Sponsored Insurance Coverage;” U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, accessed 9/22/09]
U.S. Health System Ranked # 37 in the World Despite Spending a Higher Portion of GDP Than Any Other Country
"The U. S. health system spends a higher portion of its gross domestic product than any other country but ranks 37 out of 191 countries according to its performance,” according to the June 21, 2000 report“The World Health Report 2000 – Health systems: Improving performance” by the World Health Organization. The same report ranked Costa Rica’s health system #36 and Slovenia’s health system #38. France’s health system was ranked #1. As geographic.org notes, “The World Health Organization's ranking of the world's health systems was last produced in 2000, and the WHO no longer produces such a ranking table, because of the complexity of the task.” [World Health Organization press release, June 21, 2000]
Health Care Costs Doubled From 1996 to 2006, and are Projected to Rise to 25 percent of GDP in 2025. [U.S. Department of Health and Human Services report, “Insurance Insecurity: Families Are Losing Employer-Sponsored Insurance Coverage;” HealthReform.gov, accessed 9/16/09]
Health spending in the United States averaged $7,421 per person in 2007, totaling $2.2 trillion, or 16.2% of our nation's economy, up from 7.2% of GDP in 1970 and 12.3% of GDP in 1990.[Kaiser Family Foundation, accessed 9/16/09]
Over the past 25 years, annual increases in national health spending per capita have exceeded increases in the Consumer Price Index, most recently
5.1% vs. 2.8% in 2007
. [Kaiser Family Foundation, accessed 9/16/09]
Astronomical Insurance Industry Profits and What They’re Spending to Protect Them
For the five top-earning insurance companies in 2008, average profits were $1.56 Billion; That year, CEO compensation for these companies ranged from $3 million to $24 million. [Families USA, July 2009]
Health Insurance Company CEOs Total Compensation in 2008
:
Aetna, Ronald A. Williams: $24,300,112
Cigna, H. Edward Hanway: $12,236,740
Coventry, Dale Wolf: $9,047,469
Health Net, Jay Gellert: $4,425,355
Humana, Michael McCallister: $4,764,309
U. Health Group, Stephen J. Hemsley: $3,241,042
Wellpoint, Angela Braly: $9,844,212
Is It Any Wonder Insurance and HMO Industries Spend Nearly $700,000 Per Day to Kill Health Care Reform Measures; Industries have spent $585.7 million since 2007 on lobbying and campaign contributions. An analysis of insurance and HMO political contributions and lobbying expenses by campaign finance watchdog Public Campaign Action Fund “found the industries spent $126,430,438 over the first half of 2009 and $585,725,712 over the past two and a half years to influence public policy and elected officials. The analysis also “found that in the first part of 2009, the industries were spending money at nearly a $700,000 a day clip to influence the political process and that the monthly pace of political spending this year has increased by nearly $400,000 over the average spent per month in the previous two years.” [Public Campaign Action Fund, press release, 9/15/09]
Negligible Competition in the Private Insurance Market = Higher and Higher Premiums
94% of All Markets Have A Near Monopoly When It Comes to Individual Insurers. “The American Medical Association reports that 94 percent of insurance markets in the United States are now highly concentrated. Shrinking competition among health insurance companies is a major cause of these spiraling costs. In the past 13 years more than 400 corporate mergers have involved health insurers, and a small number of companies now dominate local markets…Contrary to industry assertions, these mergers have undermined market efficiency; premiums have skyrocketed, increasing more than 87 percent, on average, over the past six years.” [American Medical Association, 2008]
Outrageous Insurance Industry Practices
In 45 states, insurance companies can discriminate against people based on their pre-existing conditions when they try to purchase health insurance directly from insurance companies in the individual insurance market. [Insurance Insecurity: Families Are Losing Employer-Sponsored Insurance Coverage; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, accessed 9/22/09]
12.6 Million Americans Seeking Insurance Were Discriminated Against In Last Three Years Because of a ‘Pre-existing Condition. “A recent national survey estimated that 12.6 million non-elderly adults24 – 36 percent of those who tried to purchase health insurance directly from an insurance company in the individual insurance market – were in fact discriminated against because of a pre-existing condition in the previous three years.Another study found that among those with a health problem trying to purchase insurance in the individual market, 70 percent found it difficult or impossible to find affordable coverage, and roughly half were turned down or discriminated against. [Insurance Insecurity: Families Are Losing Employer-Sponsored Insurance Coverage; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, accessed 9/22/09]
In eight states and D.C., it is still legal for insurers to reject a woman’s health insurance application if she is a victim of domestic violence. “The eight states that still allow it are Idaho, Mississippi, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota and Wyoming, according to a report by the National Women's Law Center.” [National Women’s Law Center, accessed 9/16/09; Huffington Post, 9/14/09]
20,000 Americans lost their health insurance in the last five years through a shady insurance industry practice called “rescission.” “When a person is diagnosed with an expensive condition such as cancer, some insurance companies review his/her initial health status questionnaire. In most states’ individual insurance market, insurance companies can retroactively cancel the entire policy if any condition was missed – even if the medical condition is unrelated, and even if the person was not aware of the condition at the time. Coverage can also be revoked for all members of a family, even if only one family member failed to disclose a medical condition. A recent Congressional investigation into this practice found nearly 20,000 rescissions from three large insurers over five years, saving them $300 million in medical claims – $300 million that instead had to come out of the pockets of people who thought they were insured, or became bad debt for health care providers.” [U.S. Department of Health and Human Services report, “Coverage Denied: How the Current Health Insurance System Leaves Millions Behind; “Pre-Existing Conditions” Affect Millions of Americans,”HealthReform.gov, accessed 9/16/09]
During a 2007 investigation, California regulators uncovered more than 1,200 violations of the law by Anthem Blue Cross in regard to unfair rescission and claims processing practices. “In March 2007, the California Department of Managed Health Care fined Anthem Blue Cross $1 million after an investigation revealed that the insurer routinely canceled individual health policies of pregnant women and chronically ill patients. In order to drop individual policies, the insurer must show that the policyholder lied about their medical history or preexisting conditions on the application. As part of the state’s investigation, regulators randomly selected 90 cases where the insurer had dropped the policyholder. In every single one, investigators found the insurer had violated state law. During the investigation, California regulators uncovered more than 1,200 violations of the law by Anthem Blue Cross in regard to unfair rescission and claims processing practices.” [Americans Association for Justice, “Tricks of the Trade: How Insurance Companies Deny, Delay, Confuse and Refuse,” accessed 9/17/09]
In the past 18 months, California's five largest insurers paid almost $19 million in fines for marooning policyholders who had fallen ill. That includes a $1 million fine against Health Net, which admitted offering bonuses to employees for finding reasons to cancel policies. [Washington Post, September 8, 2009]
One in 10 People with Cancer Unable to Obtain Health Coverage; Six Percent Said They Lost Their Coverage. “In another survey, one in 10 people with cancer said they could not obtain health coverage, and six percent said they lost their coverage, because of being diagnosed with the disease.” [U.S. Department of Health and Human Services report, “Coverage Denied: How the Current Health Insurance System Leaves Millions Behind; “Pre-Existing Conditions” Affect Millions of Americans,” HealthReform.gov, accessed 9/16/09]
California Insurers Deny 1-in-5 Medical Claims for Insured Patients, Even When Recommended by a Patient's Doctor: “More than one of every five requests for medical claims for insured patients, even when recommended by a patient's physician, are rejected by California's largest private insurers, amounting to very real death panels in practice daily in the nation's biggest state, according to data released Wednesday by the California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee.” [Press release, California Nurses Association, 9/2/2009]
In most states, insurers can reject women for coverage simply for having previously had a Cesarean section (C-section). “In most states, insurers are free to reject individuals applying for coverage in the individual market. Many women face such rejection at this underwriting stage of purchasing insurance for a wide range of reasons. For example, women have greater health needs than men and are more likely than men to suffer from a chronic condition requiring ongoing treatment, like asthma or arthritis. These conditions can lead to rejection of coverage. In addition, if during the medical underwriting process the insurer discovers that an applicant underwent a past C-section, the company may charge her a higher premium, impose an exclusionary period during which it refuses to cover another C-section or pregnancy, or even reject her for coverage altogether unless she has been sterilized or is no longer of childbearing age.” [National Women’s Law Center; Nowhere to Turn: How the Individual Health Insurance Market Fails Women, accessed, 9/17/09]
About 805,000 Californians have insurance policies that specifically exclude maternity coverage. “The number of individual health insurance policies that do not include maternity coverage has risen dramatically in recent years, prompting concern among consumers and a legislative effort to require California insurers to include the benefit. About 805,000 Californians have insurance policies that specifically exclude maternity coverage - a number that has more than quadrupled from 192,000 in 2004, according to the California Health Benefits Review Program, which provides independent analysis of proposed health insurance benefits mandates. Ben Singer, a spokesman for Anthem Blue Cross explained to the San Francisco Chronicle: "Having a child is a matter of choice.” [San Francisco Chronicle, March 24, 2009]
In 33 states, insurance companies are permitted to charge higher premiums based on age, gender, and health status. “In 33 states, insurance companies are permitted to charge higher premiums based on age, gender, and health status without any restrictions whatsoever. Younger women are often charged higher premiums than men during their reproductive years. Holding other factors constant, a 22-year-old woman can be charged one and a half times the premium of a 22-year-old man.” [Young Americans and Health Insurance Reform: Giving Young Americans the Security and Stability They Need; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, accessed 9/22/09]
Women Pay Up to 48 Percent Higher Premiums Than Men. “NWLC found that among the plans examined, at age 25, women were charged between 6% and 45% more than men for individual market health plans; at 40-years-old, women’s monthly premiums ranged between 4% and 48% higher than men’s monthly premiums. [National Women’s Law Center; Nowhere to Turn: How the Individual Health Insurance Market Fails Women, accessed, 9/17/09]
Premiums can vary as much as 11:1 based on a customer's age. “In some markets today, premiums can vary as much as 11:1 based on a customer's age. That means the oldest customer could pay as much as 11 times more than the youngest customer simply because of his or her age. [New America Foundation; The New Health Dialogue Blog, 9/2/09]
Support for Health Insurance Reform That Includes a Public Option
Three out of four physicians nationwide support inclusion of a public option as part of health insurance reform. “A Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) study published in Monday's New England Journal of Medicine shows that 63 percent of physicians support a health reform proposal that includes both a public option and traditional private insurance. If the additional 10 percent of doctors who support an entirely public health system are included, then approximately three out of four physicians nationwide support inclusion of a public option.” [Huffington Post, 9/14/09]
By a 62% to 28% margin, voters support a public option regardless of whether they watched President Obama’s September 9th address to Congress. [Anzalone Liszt Research memo, 9/12/09]
By a 10-point margin, voters are more likely to re-elect a Member of Congress who votes for healthcare reform [Anzalone Liszt Research memo, 9/12/09] Majority Of Business Leaders Support a Public Option. A survey, conducted by Anzalone Liszt Research in advance of President Obama's address to Congress, showed that 57% of business leaders believe health care reform should be an important government policy. They support key elements of a reform plan, including…requiring insurance companies to cover pre-existing conditions (79%) and a public health option (51%). [CNBC.com, 9/11/09]
Here are some additional Resources if you're interested in finding out more about the health insurance debate: “Myths vs. Facts” AARP: “ HEALTH CARE MYTHS VS. REALITY,” ThinkProgress.org: For more health insurance reform myth busting, please click here. For more information on America’s Affordable Health Choices Act, please click here.
46.3 Million Americans Have No Health Insurance. “Nationwide, the number of uninsured has increased from 39.8 million in 2001 to 46.3 million in 2008.” [U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Press Release, 9/16/09]
25 Million Americans Are 'Underinsured.’ “The number of underinsured U.S. adults -- people who have health coverage but are not adequately protected from high medical expenses -- has risen dramatically. A Commonwealth Fund study published by the journal Health Affairs in June finds that as of 2007, there were an estimated 25 million underinsured adults in the U.S., 60 percent more than the 16 million who were underinsured in 2003.” [CommonwealthFund.org, 7/28/08; Accessed, 9/16/09]
14,000 Americans are Losing Their Coverage Each Day. “Even when the economy was growing, 46 million people in America did not have any health insurance. Since the recession began, an estimated 4 million additional Americans have lost their health insurance and 2 million have become uninsured. The recent turmoil in the job market is likely increasing the number of uninsured at the rate of 14,000 a day.” [Center for American Progress, February 19, 2009]
A full one in six Americans with employer-sponsored insurance in 2006 lost that coverage by 2008. If this trend continues, one in six Americans with employer coverage today will lose their job-based health insurance over the next two years. [U.S. Department of Health and Human Services report, “Insurance Insecurity: Families Are Losing Employer-Sponsored Insurance Coverage,” accessed, 9/16/09]
Half of all Americans Will Lose Their Health Coverage Sometime in the Next 10 Years. “A new report from the Treasury Department shows that about half of all Americans under age 65 will lose their health coverage at some point over the next ten years. The report also found that more than one-third of Americans will go without coverage for longer than one year.” [Treasury Department, 9/20/09]
More than half of the uninsured—26 million Americans—are small-business owners, employees, or their dependents. Small businesses pay higher premiums than their larger counterparts, and many cannot afford to offer coverage as a result. Among firms with 3 to 9 workers, fewer than half are able to offer health benefits to their workers. [Families USA, July 2009]
Fewer Small Businesses Are Offering Insurance: “From 2000 to 2007, the proportion of non-elderly Americans covered by employer-based health insurance fell from 66% to 61%.Much of this decline stems from small business. The percentage of small businesses offering coverage dropped from 68% to 59%, while large firms held stable at 99%.” [U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, “Helping the Bottom Line: Health Reform and Small Business,” accessed 9/17/09]
About 10% of small businesses are considering eliminating coverage over the next year, up from 3% in 2005, according to a recent survey by National Small Business Association. [Wall Street Journal, May 26, 2009]
A full 32 percent of working age adults and their families had a gap in health insurance coverage for at least one month in 2006 and 2007. [U.S. Department of Health and Human Services report, “Insurance Insecurity: Families Are Losing Employer-Sponsored Insurance Coverage,” Accessed, 9/16/09]
And an estimated 87 million people were uninsured at some point during 2007 and 2008. [U.S. Department of Health and Human Services report, “Insurance Insecurity: Families Are Losing Employer-Sponsored Insurance Coverage,” Accessed, 9/16/09]
Exploding Health Care Costs
The Average Family Premium Is $13,375, Up 131% Since 1999. “In 2009, the average annual premiums for employer-sponsored health insurance are $4,824 for single coverage and $13,375 for family coverage. Premiums for family coverage are 5% higher than last year ($12,680)…Since 1999, average premiums for family coverage have increased 131%.” [Kaiser/HRET Survey of Employer-Sponsored Health Benefits, 2009, 9/15/09]
Health Care Premiums Cost $1,100 More for the Insured Because of Cost Shifting from the Uninsured. “The Center for American Progress has updated a 2005 analysis by Kenneth Thorpe for Families USA and found that, on average, 8 percent of families’ 2009 health care premiums—approximately $1,100 a year—is due to our broken system that fails to cover the uninsured…The uninsured pay more for care—and get less—than those with insurance. But when the uninsured cannot pay, health care providers shift those costs to those who can pay—those who have insurance coverage. This leads to higher premiums for those who buy their insurance on the individual market, as well as workers who get insurance for themselves and their families through their job.” [Center for American Progress Action Fund report, “The Cost Shift from the Uninsured,” 3/24/09]
Employer-sponsored health insurance premiums have nearly doubled since 2000, a rate three times faster than wages. [Kaiser Family Foundation; Employer Health Benefits Survey 2008.]
Average family deductible increased 30 percent in just two years. “A deductible is the amount of money a person must pay out of his or her own pocket before health insurance begins to cover the cost of medical expenses. Deductibles have risen substantially over time. For preferred provider organization (PPO) plans purchased through an employer, the average family deductible increased 30 percent in just two years, from $1,034 to $1,344. This effect is more pronounced for small firms, where PPO deductibles increased from $1,439 to $2,367 — a rise of 64 percent.” [U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, “Hidden Costs of Health Care Report: Why Americans Are Paying More But Getting Less,” accessed 9/24/09]
Families Will Be Paying 1/3 of their Income on Health Care Without Reform. “A new report from the Center for American Progress shows that without reform, health care costs will eat up fully one-third of the average family’s income by 2019 – equivalent to a second rent or mortgage payment every month for many families.” [“Family Health Spending to Rise Rapidly,” Center for American Progress, 9/15/09]
Without significant marketplace reforms, if current trends continue, annual health care costs for employers will rise 166 percent over the next decade, from $10,743 per employee today to $28,530 by 2019
. [Health Care Reform: The Perils of Inaction and the Promise of Effective Action; A Report to Business Roundtable by Hewitt Associates LLC; September 2009]
If nothing changes, by 2019, total health care spending will reach $4.4 trillion, consuming more than 20 percent of the U.S. Gross Domestic Product. [Health Care Reform: The Perils of Inaction and the Promise of Effective Action; A Report to Business Roundtable by Hewitt Associates LLC; September 2009]
72 million, or 41 percent, of nonelderly adults have accumulated medical debt or had difficulty paying medical bills in the past year. “In fact, one recent survey estimated that 72 million, or 41 percent, of nonelderly adults have accumulated medical debt or had difficulty paying medical bills in the past year. A full 61 percent of those with difficulty had insurance.” [U.S. Department of Health and Human Services report, “Insurance Insecurity: Families Are Losing Employer-Sponsored Insurance Coverage,” accessed, 9/16/09]
Nearly three-quarters of Americans who tried to buy health coverage in this market never actually purchased a plan. “Over the last three years, nearly three-quarters of people who tried to buy coverage in this market never actually purchased a plan, either because they could not find one that fit their needs or that they could afford, or because they were turned down due to a preexisting condition.” [The Commonwealth Fund; “Failure to Protect: Why the Individual Insurance Market Is Not a Viable Option for Most U.S. Families,” July 2009]
The Average American Spends About $7500 a year on Health Care. “Health spending in the United States averaged $7,421 per person in 2007, totaling $2.2 trillion, or 16.2% of our nation's economy, up from 7.2% of GDP in 1970 and 12.3% of GDP in 1990.” [Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Office of the Actuary]
Employers Are Spending 131% More On Health Insurance To Cover Their Employees. “Since 1999, family premiums for employer-sponsored insurance have increased 131 percent, while wages have gone up 38 percent and inflation has gone up 28 percent.” [Kaiser/HRET Survey of Employer-Sponsored Health Benefits, 1999-2009]
Per Capita Health Spending Has Increased Faster Than The Consumer Price Index. “Over the past 25 years, annual increases in national health spending per capita have exceeded increases in the Consumer Price Index, most recently 5.1% vs. 2.8% in 2007.” [Kaiser Family Foundation calculations using NHE data from Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Office of the Actuary, National Health Statistics Group]
The United States Spend Much More on Health Care Coverage Per Person Than Any Other Country. “The U.S. spends substantially more per capita on health care than other developed countries. ($6,567 in the U.S. in 2006 compared to, for example, $4,311 in Switzerland, $4,223 in Luxembourg, $3,505 in Canada, $3,353 in France, $3,247 in Germany, in current health expenditures).” [Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development]
One-Third of all Young Adults Report Problems with Paying Medical Bills. “A lack of adequate coverage also can have devastating consequences for people just starting their financial independence. In a recent survey, more than one-third of all young adults (with or without health insurance) reported problems with paying medical bills, including having trouble making payments, being contacted by a collection agency, or significantly changing their way of life in order to make payments. One in four young adults reported medical debt. This problem is significantly worse for those without insurance. Nearly half of uninsured young adults (49 percent) reported problems with medical bills, and nearly 40 percent carried medical debt. [Young Americans and Health Insurance Reform: Giving Young Americans the Security and Stability They Need; U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, accessed 9/22/09]
A 2008 survey found that one in four adults responded that they had passed up another job opportunity, stayed at a job they would have quit, or declined to retire early in order to retain employer-provided health insurance. [Health Care Reform: The Perils of Inaction and the Promise of Effective Action; A Report to Business Roundtable by Hewitt Associates LLC; September 2009]
Between 2000 and 2008, the percentage of firms offering health insurance coverage to their employees declined from 69 to 63; for firms employing less than 10 workers, the decline was even greater – from 57 to 49 percent. [“Insurance Insecurity: Families Are Losing Employer-Sponsored Insurance Coverage;” U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, accessed 9/22/09]
Between 2001 and 2005, employers dropping dependent coverage accounted for 11 percent of the decline in employer-sponsored insurance overall. [Insurance Insecurity: Families Are Losing Employer-Sponsored Insurance Coverage; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, accessed 9/22/09]
A family that buys insurance on the individual market pays nearly 60 percent more in out-of-pocket costs such as deductibles and co-payments than a family that gets insurance through work. [Insurance Insecurity: Families Are Losing Employer-Sponsored Insurance Coverage; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, accessed 9/22/09
The Consequences of Doing Nothing: Tens of Thousands Die Each Year Due to Lack of Health Insurance
137,000 Americans Died From 2000 through 2006 Because They Did Not Have Health Insurance. “In 2002, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) estimated that 18,000 Americans died in 2000 because they were uninsured. Since then, the number of uninsured has grown. Based on the IOM’s methodology and subsequent Census Bureau estimates of insurance coverage, 137,000 people died from 2000 through 2006 because they lacked health insurance, including 22,000 people in 2006,” according to a January 2008 report from The Urban Institute, “Uninsured and Dying Because of It: Updating the Institute of Medicine Analysis on the Impact of Uninsurance on Mortality.” [The Urban Institute, January 2008]
The Consequences of Doing Nothing: Bankrupt Families
Almost two-thirds of all U.S. bankruptcies are from medical bills. “In 2007, medical problems and expenses contributed to nearly two-thirds of all bankruptcies in the United States, a jump of nearly 50 percent from 2001…Most of those bankrupted by medical problems were "solidly middle class" before they suffered financial disaster -- two-thirds were homeowners and three-fifths had gone to college.” Even those with health insurance had to declare bankruptcy after racking up $17,749 in bills. [American Journal of Medicine, 6/4/09]
Every 90 seconds another family files for bankruptcy due to medical bills. “In 2007, before the current economic downturn, an American family filed for bankruptcy in the aftermath of illness every 90 seconds.” [American Journal of Medicine, 6/4/09]
The Consequences of Doing Nothing: Millions of Americans Avoiding the Care They Need
The results of a recent study showed that two-thirds of the uninsured (68 percent) go without needed care – including seeing a doctor when sick, filling prescriptions, and following up on recommended tests or treatment – and 51 percent of the uninsured report difficulty paying bills, being contacted by collection agencies for unpaid bills, or changing their way of life to pay medical bills. [“Insurance Insecurity: Families Are Losing Employer-Sponsored Insurance Coverage;” U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, accessed 9/22/09]
U.S. Health System Ranked # 37 in the World Despite Spending a Higher Portion of GDP Than Any Other Country
"The U. S. health system spends a higher portion of its gross domestic product than any other country but ranks 37 out of 191 countries according to its performance,” according to the June 21, 2000 report“The World Health Report 2000 – Health systems: Improving performance” by the World Health Organization. The same report ranked Costa Rica’s health system #36 and Slovenia’s health system #38. France’s health system was ranked #1. As geographic.org notes, “The World Health Organization's ranking of the world's health systems was last produced in 2000, and the WHO no longer produces such a ranking table, because of the complexity of the task.” [World Health Organization press release, June 21, 2000]
Health Care Costs Doubled From 1996 to 2006, and are Projected to Rise to 25 percent of GDP in 2025. [U.S. Department of Health and Human Services report, “Insurance Insecurity: Families Are Losing Employer-Sponsored Insurance Coverage;” HealthReform.gov, accessed 9/16/09]
Health spending in the United States averaged $7,421 per person in 2007, totaling $2.2 trillion, or 16.2% of our nation's economy, up from 7.2% of GDP in 1970 and 12.3% of GDP in 1990.[Kaiser Family Foundation, accessed 9/16/09]
Over the past 25 years, annual increases in national health spending per capita have exceeded increases in the Consumer Price Index, most recently
5.1% vs. 2.8% in 2007
. [Kaiser Family Foundation, accessed 9/16/09]
Astronomical Insurance Industry Profits and What They’re Spending to Protect Them
For the five top-earning insurance companies in 2008, average profits were $1.56 Billion; That year, CEO compensation for these companies ranged from $3 million to $24 million. [Families USA, July 2009]
Health Insurance Company CEOs Total Compensation in 2008
:
Aetna, Ronald A. Williams: $24,300,112
Cigna, H. Edward Hanway: $12,236,740
Coventry, Dale Wolf: $9,047,469
Health Net, Jay Gellert: $4,425,355
Humana, Michael McCallister: $4,764,309
U. Health Group, Stephen J. Hemsley: $3,241,042
Wellpoint, Angela Braly: $9,844,212
Is It Any Wonder Insurance and HMO Industries Spend Nearly $700,000 Per Day to Kill Health Care Reform Measures; Industries have spent $585.7 million since 2007 on lobbying and campaign contributions. An analysis of insurance and HMO political contributions and lobbying expenses by campaign finance watchdog Public Campaign Action Fund “found the industries spent $126,430,438 over the first half of 2009 and $585,725,712 over the past two and a half years to influence public policy and elected officials. The analysis also “found that in the first part of 2009, the industries were spending money at nearly a $700,000 a day clip to influence the political process and that the monthly pace of political spending this year has increased by nearly $400,000 over the average spent per month in the previous two years.” [Public Campaign Action Fund, press release, 9/15/09]
Negligible Competition in the Private Insurance Market = Higher and Higher Premiums
94% of All Markets Have A Near Monopoly When It Comes to Individual Insurers. “The American Medical Association reports that 94 percent of insurance markets in the United States are now highly concentrated. Shrinking competition among health insurance companies is a major cause of these spiraling costs. In the past 13 years more than 400 corporate mergers have involved health insurers, and a small number of companies now dominate local markets…Contrary to industry assertions, these mergers have undermined market efficiency; premiums have skyrocketed, increasing more than 87 percent, on average, over the past six years.” [American Medical Association, 2008]
Outrageous Insurance Industry Practices
In 45 states, insurance companies can discriminate against people based on their pre-existing conditions when they try to purchase health insurance directly from insurance companies in the individual insurance market. [Insurance Insecurity: Families Are Losing Employer-Sponsored Insurance Coverage; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, accessed 9/22/09]
12.6 Million Americans Seeking Insurance Were Discriminated Against In Last Three Years Because of a ‘Pre-existing Condition. “A recent national survey estimated that 12.6 million non-elderly adults24 – 36 percent of those who tried to purchase health insurance directly from an insurance company in the individual insurance market – were in fact discriminated against because of a pre-existing condition in the previous three years.Another study found that among those with a health problem trying to purchase insurance in the individual market, 70 percent found it difficult or impossible to find affordable coverage, and roughly half were turned down or discriminated against. [Insurance Insecurity: Families Are Losing Employer-Sponsored Insurance Coverage; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, accessed 9/22/09]
In eight states and D.C., it is still legal for insurers to reject a woman’s health insurance application if she is a victim of domestic violence. “The eight states that still allow it are Idaho, Mississippi, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota and Wyoming, according to a report by the National Women's Law Center.” [National Women’s Law Center, accessed 9/16/09; Huffington Post, 9/14/09]
20,000 Americans lost their health insurance in the last five years through a shady insurance industry practice called “rescission.” “When a person is diagnosed with an expensive condition such as cancer, some insurance companies review his/her initial health status questionnaire. In most states’ individual insurance market, insurance companies can retroactively cancel the entire policy if any condition was missed – even if the medical condition is unrelated, and even if the person was not aware of the condition at the time. Coverage can also be revoked for all members of a family, even if only one family member failed to disclose a medical condition. A recent Congressional investigation into this practice found nearly 20,000 rescissions from three large insurers over five years, saving them $300 million in medical claims – $300 million that instead had to come out of the pockets of people who thought they were insured, or became bad debt for health care providers.” [U.S. Department of Health and Human Services report, “Coverage Denied: How the Current Health Insurance System Leaves Millions Behind; “Pre-Existing Conditions” Affect Millions of Americans,”HealthReform.gov, accessed 9/16/09]
During a 2007 investigation, California regulators uncovered more than 1,200 violations of the law by Anthem Blue Cross in regard to unfair rescission and claims processing practices. “In March 2007, the California Department of Managed Health Care fined Anthem Blue Cross $1 million after an investigation revealed that the insurer routinely canceled individual health policies of pregnant women and chronically ill patients. In order to drop individual policies, the insurer must show that the policyholder lied about their medical history or preexisting conditions on the application. As part of the state’s investigation, regulators randomly selected 90 cases where the insurer had dropped the policyholder. In every single one, investigators found the insurer had violated state law. During the investigation, California regulators uncovered more than 1,200 violations of the law by Anthem Blue Cross in regard to unfair rescission and claims processing practices.” [Americans Association for Justice, “Tricks of the Trade: How Insurance Companies Deny, Delay, Confuse and Refuse,” accessed 9/17/09]
In the past 18 months, California's five largest insurers paid almost $19 million in fines for marooning policyholders who had fallen ill. That includes a $1 million fine against Health Net, which admitted offering bonuses to employees for finding reasons to cancel policies. [Washington Post, September 8, 2009]
One in 10 People with Cancer Unable to Obtain Health Coverage; Six Percent Said They Lost Their Coverage. “In another survey, one in 10 people with cancer said they could not obtain health coverage, and six percent said they lost their coverage, because of being diagnosed with the disease.” [U.S. Department of Health and Human Services report, “Coverage Denied: How the Current Health Insurance System Leaves Millions Behind; “Pre-Existing Conditions” Affect Millions of Americans,” HealthReform.gov, accessed 9/16/09]
California Insurers Deny 1-in-5 Medical Claims for Insured Patients, Even When Recommended by a Patient's Doctor: “More than one of every five requests for medical claims for insured patients, even when recommended by a patient's physician, are rejected by California's largest private insurers, amounting to very real death panels in practice daily in the nation's biggest state, according to data released Wednesday by the California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee.” [Press release, California Nurses Association, 9/2/2009]
In most states, insurers can reject women for coverage simply for having previously had a Cesarean section (C-section). “In most states, insurers are free to reject individuals applying for coverage in the individual market. Many women face such rejection at this underwriting stage of purchasing insurance for a wide range of reasons. For example, women have greater health needs than men and are more likely than men to suffer from a chronic condition requiring ongoing treatment, like asthma or arthritis. These conditions can lead to rejection of coverage. In addition, if during the medical underwriting process the insurer discovers that an applicant underwent a past C-section, the company may charge her a higher premium, impose an exclusionary period during which it refuses to cover another C-section or pregnancy, or even reject her for coverage altogether unless she has been sterilized or is no longer of childbearing age.” [National Women’s Law Center; Nowhere to Turn: How the Individual Health Insurance Market Fails Women, accessed, 9/17/09]
About 805,000 Californians have insurance policies that specifically exclude maternity coverage. “The number of individual health insurance policies that do not include maternity coverage has risen dramatically in recent years, prompting concern among consumers and a legislative effort to require California insurers to include the benefit. About 805,000 Californians have insurance policies that specifically exclude maternity coverage - a number that has more than quadrupled from 192,000 in 2004, according to the California Health Benefits Review Program, which provides independent analysis of proposed health insurance benefits mandates. Ben Singer, a spokesman for Anthem Blue Cross explained to the San Francisco Chronicle: "Having a child is a matter of choice.” [San Francisco Chronicle, March 24, 2009]
In 33 states, insurance companies are permitted to charge higher premiums based on age, gender, and health status. “In 33 states, insurance companies are permitted to charge higher premiums based on age, gender, and health status without any restrictions whatsoever. Younger women are often charged higher premiums than men during their reproductive years. Holding other factors constant, a 22-year-old woman can be charged one and a half times the premium of a 22-year-old man.” [Young Americans and Health Insurance Reform: Giving Young Americans the Security and Stability They Need; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, accessed 9/22/09]
Women Pay Up to 48 Percent Higher Premiums Than Men. “NWLC found that among the plans examined, at age 25, women were charged between 6% and 45% more than men for individual market health plans; at 40-years-old, women’s monthly premiums ranged between 4% and 48% higher than men’s monthly premiums. [National Women’s Law Center; Nowhere to Turn: How the Individual Health Insurance Market Fails Women, accessed, 9/17/09]
Premiums can vary as much as 11:1 based on a customer's age. “In some markets today, premiums can vary as much as 11:1 based on a customer's age. That means the oldest customer could pay as much as 11 times more than the youngest customer simply because of his or her age. [New America Foundation; The New Health Dialogue Blog, 9/2/09]
Support for Health Insurance Reform That Includes a Public Option
Three out of four physicians nationwide support inclusion of a public option as part of health insurance reform. “A Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) study published in Monday's New England Journal of Medicine shows that 63 percent of physicians support a health reform proposal that includes both a public option and traditional private insurance. If the additional 10 percent of doctors who support an entirely public health system are included, then approximately three out of four physicians nationwide support inclusion of a public option.” [Huffington Post, 9/14/09]
By a 62% to 28% margin, voters support a public option regardless of whether they watched President Obama’s September 9th address to Congress. [Anzalone Liszt Research memo, 9/12/09]
By a 10-point margin, voters are more likely to re-elect a Member of Congress who votes for healthcare reform [Anzalone Liszt Research memo, 9/12/09] Majority Of Business Leaders Support a Public Option. A survey, conducted by Anzalone Liszt Research in advance of President Obama's address to Congress, showed that 57% of business leaders believe health care reform should be an important government policy. They support key elements of a reform plan, including…requiring insurance companies to cover pre-existing conditions (79%) and a public health option (51%). [CNBC.com, 9/11/09]
Here are some additional Resources if you're interested in finding out more about the health insurance debate: “Myths vs. Facts” AARP: “ HEALTH CARE MYTHS VS. REALITY,” ThinkProgress.org: For more health insurance reform myth busting, please click here. For more information on America’s Affordable Health Choices Act, please click here.
Friday, September 25, 2009
Roger Moore : Is Capitalism Dying?
Below is a video of a guy I used to hate and ridicule. Today I have to admit that I have to give him some respect. Much of what he warned 20 years ago, has come to pass. He warned us about the business practices of General Motors and that they would eventually hurt the country as a whole and not just the thousands of workers they laid off in lieu of new plants built in Mexico. He was one of the first to cry foul at the banks and mortgage companies for their practices that contributed to our present financial problems as a nation and in this video he calls into question the very foundations of our financial system which is Capitalism. He does not however as some of his critics say that we should all become socialists or communists. He believes as I do that all life forms, be they living and breathing or a business or corporation, must adapt and mutate as the environment and development of their abilities evolve. If the result of the 21st century is a morphed version of the old capitalism that has so long ruled the roost ten so be it. Just as Communism in its economic practices finally crumbled and died, I feels so to will Capitalism as we know it. It already has if you look at this latest financial debacle that has ocurred throughout the world. The video is well worth listening to and thinking about. Where should we be going from where we are now?
(Click on video to watch and then double click when it starts to see in full screen)
(Click on video to watch and then double click when it starts to see in full screen)
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Racism in Politics: Does it Exist? Whose Fault Is It?
I read a posting on the AARP Community discussion boards and was a little unsure of where the author was coming from about an email he sent to the Whitehouse regarding racism because as he stated in the post he did not include the original email, only his second email which more or less said he was disappointed because he had received no reply about such an important topic that could help unify America. It appeared that indirectly he was trying to call Obama to task for not unifying America over the issue of racism which was such an important topic.
A condensed version although somewhat ruder version of his email complaining about having receive no reply could be, "Hey Obama, we all agree that racism is an important issue. You promised to unify America over this. What happened Obama? You didn't even answer my first email."
So I wrote a reply stating how I felt about racism and how it relates to Obama.
I am unsure as to the intent of your posting because you did not include the original email. However for me the subject of racism was one of several reasons that I was more than happy to vote for President Obama. I wasn't just happy, I was ecstatic. I saw this as the last best hope for America to become "one nation under God, with liberty and justice for all", as was originally intended. America was so, so deeply divided along racial lines. There was virtually no communication and hostility more often than not simmered below the surface.
In that regard, Obama, or as a result of his election, has made great strides in unifying America over the issue of racism. We, as a nation, have symbolically anyway, repudiated racism by the election of Obama. I feel actual warmth and a welcoming openness amongst many African-Americans now, that would never have even said hello at the Walmart checkout or waiting in line at Starbucks in the past. We smile at each other, we are happier and there is a wanting by both white and black to communicate openly and I do.
I know that seems so ridiculous to so many skeptics but it is the possibilities beyond that smile and the conversation that excite me. This is the beginning! Where will we, Blacks and Whites together, find ourselves in a year, 5 years or a decade? I hope and dream that we will be unified, equal and enjoy the company of those of any race. I would love to see my grandchildren bring home all school friends without suspicion or doubt by their parents. The election of Obama was a huge step forward but only the beginning.
Unfortunately the election of Obama has on the one hand made a huge step toward a unity and fellowship of the diverse population of our country never before realized but it has also isolated and created a deeper divide between the small minority of Whites, who never changed in their attitudes towards people of other races and find themselves horrified by the actual election of a Black man. They are cornered, circling their wagons and seeking a means to vent their anger, hatred and bile. I saw them in West Virginia where in the Democratic Primary they denounced Obama and fled to Hillary Clinton in huge numbers. That says nothing bad about Hillary; she will make a fine candidate and President down the pike. But it revealed the dark underside of working class America and showed that bigotry and ignorance still was there and there in large numbers. It showed again in the Republican Primary when people at Sarah Palin rallies carried racist signs and told a Black security officer that he should "get his N A out of there." Those were a couple of the more obvious evidence showing that the small minority harboring racist views was out there still.
What Party will these people gravitate to and what will that Party do with them? How many white collared closet racists are there in this minority of haters? When we ask ourselves why does an otherwise well educated and seemingly friendly person working beside us get so bitter and angry when talking about any issue involving Obama, what is the answer and is an undertone of racial bitterness part of it? I am not going to go around saying, "You, you and you are racists." They will reveal themselves as that corner they snarl from becomes smaller and smaller, when they no longer feel anything in common other than skin color even within their own racial group. They are alone. They are angry. They are dangerous and I would advise and warn any Party that to welcome these types of people into your numbers and plan and strategize as to how to use them will endanger the existence and survival of that Party. They must stay isolated until their very exiled and solitary existence drives them back to society seeking to be part of the whole; part of the unity of mankind.
A condensed version although somewhat ruder version of his email complaining about having receive no reply could be, "Hey Obama, we all agree that racism is an important issue. You promised to unify America over this. What happened Obama? You didn't even answer my first email."
So I wrote a reply stating how I felt about racism and how it relates to Obama.
I am unsure as to the intent of your posting because you did not include the original email. However for me the subject of racism was one of several reasons that I was more than happy to vote for President Obama. I wasn't just happy, I was ecstatic. I saw this as the last best hope for America to become "one nation under God, with liberty and justice for all", as was originally intended. America was so, so deeply divided along racial lines. There was virtually no communication and hostility more often than not simmered below the surface.
In that regard, Obama, or as a result of his election, has made great strides in unifying America over the issue of racism. We, as a nation, have symbolically anyway, repudiated racism by the election of Obama. I feel actual warmth and a welcoming openness amongst many African-Americans now, that would never have even said hello at the Walmart checkout or waiting in line at Starbucks in the past. We smile at each other, we are happier and there is a wanting by both white and black to communicate openly and I do.
I know that seems so ridiculous to so many skeptics but it is the possibilities beyond that smile and the conversation that excite me. This is the beginning! Where will we, Blacks and Whites together, find ourselves in a year, 5 years or a decade? I hope and dream that we will be unified, equal and enjoy the company of those of any race. I would love to see my grandchildren bring home all school friends without suspicion or doubt by their parents. The election of Obama was a huge step forward but only the beginning.
Unfortunately the election of Obama has on the one hand made a huge step toward a unity and fellowship of the diverse population of our country never before realized but it has also isolated and created a deeper divide between the small minority of Whites, who never changed in their attitudes towards people of other races and find themselves horrified by the actual election of a Black man. They are cornered, circling their wagons and seeking a means to vent their anger, hatred and bile. I saw them in West Virginia where in the Democratic Primary they denounced Obama and fled to Hillary Clinton in huge numbers. That says nothing bad about Hillary; she will make a fine candidate and President down the pike. But it revealed the dark underside of working class America and showed that bigotry and ignorance still was there and there in large numbers. It showed again in the Republican Primary when people at Sarah Palin rallies carried racist signs and told a Black security officer that he should "get his N A out of there." Those were a couple of the more obvious evidence showing that the small minority harboring racist views was out there still.
What Party will these people gravitate to and what will that Party do with them? How many white collared closet racists are there in this minority of haters? When we ask ourselves why does an otherwise well educated and seemingly friendly person working beside us get so bitter and angry when talking about any issue involving Obama, what is the answer and is an undertone of racial bitterness part of it? I am not going to go around saying, "You, you and you are racists." They will reveal themselves as that corner they snarl from becomes smaller and smaller, when they no longer feel anything in common other than skin color even within their own racial group. They are alone. They are angry. They are dangerous and I would advise and warn any Party that to welcome these types of people into your numbers and plan and strategize as to how to use them will endanger the existence and survival of that Party. They must stay isolated until their very exiled and solitary existence drives them back to society seeking to be part of the whole; part of the unity of mankind.
Friday, September 18, 2009
"Give Peas a Chance"
Recently a group of moderate and liberals that I belong to, were discussing the Joe Wilson affair and we found ourselves invaded by right wingers seeking, probably, to get us to cancel the group. The discussions became very heated and then I started to have second thoughts. Below was my final entry to the group and it probably made some of my fellow moderates and liberals a little upset as they are "Yankees" but at least we can work that out. As far as the right wingers go, forget it, they live on emotion, instinct and chaos. There is no reasoning with them. The intellectual portion of their minds is dormant.
Given the complexity of the human spirit and also the human intellect one should try to understand why people do things rather than always attacking them for it. I view the human spirit and intellect as separate entities that are often at odds with each other, yet at other times merge beautifully and create some of the most wonderful and historic human accomplishments in art, music, literature and in human fellowship and unified effort. The human spirit is a complex mix of emotions and instinctive behaviors while the intellect is computer like in its logical functions in the mind.
People in the South although viewed otherwise by their Northern counterparts have a resolving conflict going on. It is most often not something which manifests itself in action but continues quietly in their minds as their intellect struggles with old ideas and opinions regarding race. Believe me, 95% of Southerners have an intellect which is convinced and ready to admit that the actions of whites both in aggression against and in their inherent prescribed lifestyles did discriminate and did do an injustice to the blacks living beside them in their towns and cities. It is however, sometimes, the human spirit which causes people to inadvertently fall victim to instinctive reactions based on early childhood training and interaction with others of the same race during their development into adults. Instinct can save a life and create heroes but it can also remind us of our dark sides when ingrained ideas, taught in error, cannot be suppressed by the intellect and are instinctively brought to the forefront to unadvisedly defend and protect those who we identify with most and are more alike with, both physically and culturally.
That same human spirit can emotionally cling to a flag, not because ones intellect does not tell them that what happened before and after the Civil War was wrong as to slavery, the treatment of slaves and free black people. However their human mind is not ruled by one entity or the other but both by its spirit and its intellect. This is an evolving society in the South. Peoples minds are struggling, relearning and to so viciously attack Southerners as they struggle through this evolution of intellect and spirit is wrong. They are trying and with most, they are very serious about it and take great pride in their progress. They resent bitterly, "Yankee" criticism and see it as nothing more than a kick in the teeth and some even stop trying. Criticism is nice but when a man is struggling up a hill, encouragement is better.
I found the best communication between a black worker and a white worker who are at odds and then accused each other of racism is to open communication between each and let them learn from each others feelings so that they can recognize a commonality of spirit thereby allowing their intellects to return to reason and calm. In the latter days of my management career, I enjoyed resolving conflicts like this. To allow the conflict to continue was never a solution and usually only resulted in a much more unsatisfactory conclusion.
And that is why I would urge all to let the Joe Wilson matter go. I think that most of us know intellectually that this is over and done with, but our human spirit conflicted with emotion and instinct urges us to continue to fight and attack each other. There are other issues that so much more need our human minds, both spirits and intellect, with all the emotion and reason we can aggressively bring to bear.
Given the complexity of the human spirit and also the human intellect one should try to understand why people do things rather than always attacking them for it. I view the human spirit and intellect as separate entities that are often at odds with each other, yet at other times merge beautifully and create some of the most wonderful and historic human accomplishments in art, music, literature and in human fellowship and unified effort. The human spirit is a complex mix of emotions and instinctive behaviors while the intellect is computer like in its logical functions in the mind.
People in the South although viewed otherwise by their Northern counterparts have a resolving conflict going on. It is most often not something which manifests itself in action but continues quietly in their minds as their intellect struggles with old ideas and opinions regarding race. Believe me, 95% of Southerners have an intellect which is convinced and ready to admit that the actions of whites both in aggression against and in their inherent prescribed lifestyles did discriminate and did do an injustice to the blacks living beside them in their towns and cities. It is however, sometimes, the human spirit which causes people to inadvertently fall victim to instinctive reactions based on early childhood training and interaction with others of the same race during their development into adults. Instinct can save a life and create heroes but it can also remind us of our dark sides when ingrained ideas, taught in error, cannot be suppressed by the intellect and are instinctively brought to the forefront to unadvisedly defend and protect those who we identify with most and are more alike with, both physically and culturally.
That same human spirit can emotionally cling to a flag, not because ones intellect does not tell them that what happened before and after the Civil War was wrong as to slavery, the treatment of slaves and free black people. However their human mind is not ruled by one entity or the other but both by its spirit and its intellect. This is an evolving society in the South. Peoples minds are struggling, relearning and to so viciously attack Southerners as they struggle through this evolution of intellect and spirit is wrong. They are trying and with most, they are very serious about it and take great pride in their progress. They resent bitterly, "Yankee" criticism and see it as nothing more than a kick in the teeth and some even stop trying. Criticism is nice but when a man is struggling up a hill, encouragement is better.
I found the best communication between a black worker and a white worker who are at odds and then accused each other of racism is to open communication between each and let them learn from each others feelings so that they can recognize a commonality of spirit thereby allowing their intellects to return to reason and calm. In the latter days of my management career, I enjoyed resolving conflicts like this. To allow the conflict to continue was never a solution and usually only resulted in a much more unsatisfactory conclusion.
And that is why I would urge all to let the Joe Wilson matter go. I think that most of us know intellectually that this is over and done with, but our human spirit conflicted with emotion and instinct urges us to continue to fight and attack each other. There are other issues that so much more need our human minds, both spirits and intellect, with all the emotion and reason we can aggressively bring to bear.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Just Sitting on the seat outside waiting...
I'm just sitting on the seat outside Starbucks, typing on my mini and waiting for the phone to ring. Ring phone, tell me something I want to hear, the truck is on the way, call the carriers and get Tim to help unload. Get 'em up and get 'em out, yippee kiyay newspapers. Just another hot and sticky Tuesday and the truck is taking its time. You know I feel about as useful as the Republican and Democratic Party right now. Useless. Just sitting on my rump waiting for something to make the day worthwhile. Over and out. Time for another caramel macchiato!
Monday, September 14, 2009
"In so much as ye do unto the least of these..."
I have encountered some real changes in life since retirement and made some myself. I was a staunch Republican, always adhering to the company line for years. The promises and ideals that the Party kept repeating became stale and transparent. Their thousand points of light flickered and vanished as they became millions of elderly uninsured people living in the shadows cast by corporate America. I woke up to see how I had treated people as a businessman, how businesses treat their employees and how our political representatives are little more than emissaries of those same corporations.
I remember coming here from Northern Ireland as a young boy, growing up and seeing Mom and Pop stores, family farms and saw my cousin succeed as an entrepreneur plumber. No he wasn't "Joe the Plumber", he was just Billy. Comparing my cousin with his modern day counterpart, I knew that Joe was full of it and just a shill for the political machine. I don't see those Mom and Pop store anymore and Corporate farms have replaced family farms. Our food contains God knows what chemicals but "its all good" because they say so on TV.
I grew tired of all the lies, the dirty tricks, the slander. I found myself thinking, "gee Nixon is gone but now his style of politics has been made legal!" I am now an independent/Democrat and find myself, many times, without any representation at all as the prevailing politics go either to the extreme right or too far left.
However I do know where my decisions should come from. They should be based on the truths and ideals I was taught as a boy, by my parents and in Sunday school and church. When we look at the millions of uninsured in this country, myself included, and ponder over our decision as to what Health Care plan is right for America, it should not be "what would my Party do" or "what would a businessman do". It always and only should be, "what would Jesus do?" "In so much as ye have done it unto the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto Me." (Matthew 25:40) His word was clear. I guess you could say that I have become more involved in politics but actually I have only started to become more involved in trying to give back and help others as God has helped me throughout my life. That may not be our civic duty but it is clearly our moral duty. I believe it is both if this is truly, "One nation, under God".
To some my posting today may seem somewhat a repeat of my prior posts, however that verse in Matthew rings so true. It is so crystal clear that if there is one chance a passing reader should see it once, twice or maybe even again, their conscience will speak to to them and they will find truth and change their minds.
I remember coming here from Northern Ireland as a young boy, growing up and seeing Mom and Pop stores, family farms and saw my cousin succeed as an entrepreneur plumber. No he wasn't "Joe the Plumber", he was just Billy. Comparing my cousin with his modern day counterpart, I knew that Joe was full of it and just a shill for the political machine. I don't see those Mom and Pop store anymore and Corporate farms have replaced family farms. Our food contains God knows what chemicals but "its all good" because they say so on TV.
I grew tired of all the lies, the dirty tricks, the slander. I found myself thinking, "gee Nixon is gone but now his style of politics has been made legal!" I am now an independent/Democrat and find myself, many times, without any representation at all as the prevailing politics go either to the extreme right or too far left.
However I do know where my decisions should come from. They should be based on the truths and ideals I was taught as a boy, by my parents and in Sunday school and church. When we look at the millions of uninsured in this country, myself included, and ponder over our decision as to what Health Care plan is right for America, it should not be "what would my Party do" or "what would a businessman do". It always and only should be, "what would Jesus do?" "In so much as ye have done it unto the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto Me." (Matthew 25:40) His word was clear. I guess you could say that I have become more involved in politics but actually I have only started to become more involved in trying to give back and help others as God has helped me throughout my life. That may not be our civic duty but it is clearly our moral duty. I believe it is both if this is truly, "One nation, under God".
To some my posting today may seem somewhat a repeat of my prior posts, however that verse in Matthew rings so true. It is so crystal clear that if there is one chance a passing reader should see it once, twice or maybe even again, their conscience will speak to to them and they will find truth and change their minds.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Moral versus Civic Duty. What duties do you follow?
Ask not what your country can do for you, rather ask what you can do for your fellow man. A friend said that "charity is a moral responsibility, not a civic duty." Wrong my friend. Charity is a moral duty although perhaps not a civic one.
The choice is, do we wish to do our moral duty or just our prescribed civic duty? The choice is clear. One's decision defines them.
The number of citizens without Health Insurance nor the means to pay for it in this country is less than 5% of the population. They include the many retired individuals such as myself that do not have nor can afford the premiums of independent insurance companies. They include the millions of people who have lost their jobs in the past year through no fault of their own. They include the millions of children whose parents lost their jobs.
Do we as Christians and Americans choose to let these fellow Americans and fellow Christians to fall victim to sickness and possible death because we refuse to charitably offer an alternative choice for those who cannot afford the premiums of the independent insurance companies? Do we refuse to help our fellow men and women who are tired of the independent insurance companies taking away their choice of doctor or treatment? Do the elderly have to suffer the denials of treatment and the "death panels" of the independent insurance companies because they have no other choice?
Again I must repeat to my friend and others following his train of thought:
The choice is clear. It is our moral duty to help them. One's decision defines them. Do we follow the teachings of Jesus or man? "In so much as ye have done it unto the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto Me." (Matthew 25:40) His word is clear.
The choice is, do we wish to do our moral duty or just our prescribed civic duty? The choice is clear. One's decision defines them.
The number of citizens without Health Insurance nor the means to pay for it in this country is less than 5% of the population. They include the many retired individuals such as myself that do not have nor can afford the premiums of independent insurance companies. They include the millions of people who have lost their jobs in the past year through no fault of their own. They include the millions of children whose parents lost their jobs.
Do we as Christians and Americans choose to let these fellow Americans and fellow Christians to fall victim to sickness and possible death because we refuse to charitably offer an alternative choice for those who cannot afford the premiums of the independent insurance companies? Do we refuse to help our fellow men and women who are tired of the independent insurance companies taking away their choice of doctor or treatment? Do the elderly have to suffer the denials of treatment and the "death panels" of the independent insurance companies because they have no other choice?
Again I must repeat to my friend and others following his train of thought:
The choice is clear. It is our moral duty to help them. One's decision defines them. Do we follow the teachings of Jesus or man? "In so much as ye have done it unto the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto Me." (Matthew 25:40) His word is clear.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
I AM MAD & I'M NOT GOING TO TAKE IT ANY MORE!!
To Sarah Palin and other extreme right wingers I have something to say about their refusal to offer any realistic and worthwhile Health Care reform but instead offer Tax breaks. TAX BREAKS DO NOT PAY BILLS!!!! Is there some reason you rich right wingers don't understand that? Some of us have bills to pay, have not held political office and padded our pockets while in office and we have families to raise and real work to go to every day. We cannot pay a hospital bill with what we have and the fact we may get a tax break does not hold forth much promise as it does not impact the crises of immediacy that medical bills present. So here it is, TAKE YOUR TAX BREAKS AND SHOVE THEM.
Oh and by the way, doesn't a tax break decrease tax revenue and thus increase the national debt also? I thought you right wing idiots were concerned about that. Why you increased the national debt times 3 while you held office for 8 years. Yes and that $1200 check came in so handy too. Frankly as a Christian, I would gladly have let you keep that money and instead give it to all the uninsured children of this country. But no, you want to give it to us to win votes. Well that worked out real well for you didn't it.
Give it up for God's sake. You lost the election yet here we go again on your right wing affiliate, Fox News, this morning you start showing Jeremiah Wright again and film him saying that the racist right wing only objects to Health Care reform because poor people will be taken care of. Who cares what Jeremiah Wright says but are there shades of truth behind his statement? Are many of the extreme right wing racists? I don't know but it is no more ridiculous than Sarah "Appalling" Palin's "Death Panel" statements.
You permit 2 Republican Presidents speak to our children on TV in their classrooms and then turn around and stomp on the dignity of the office of President and tell us Obama is not fit to speak to our children. Censorship in any form is wrong and lying about as the school board here in my home town did, compounds the wrong. Pat Raynor, the Public Information official for the school board tells us that due to technical difficulties and a full academic schedule they could not fit the speech into the school day. THAT WAS A BOLD FACED LIE!! I know for a fact (this was verified and witnessed in all 3 counties during the actual speech on a Smart Board in classrooms) that the streaming video of the speech could have been broadcast without any difficulty at all. All each teacher had to do was to pull the speech up on their computer and transfer it to the Smart Board. As to scheduling, that is a total ridiculous excuse that Pat Raynor should be ashamed of offering to the public. Schedules can be changed and are when events arise during a school year. The truth is that Joe Pye, the school board and the Republican Party in Dorchester County conspired to announce these excuses at 4 p.m. on a Friday before a holiday weekend, knowing full well that this would prevent any organization of protest to either the school board or county government because their offices were closed until Tuesday, the day of the President's speech.
Here is the deal Dorchester County Republican Party and Joe Pye. Stand up like grown men and women and just tell me outright, "We do not care if Democrats won the Presidency, the majority in the House and the Senate. We do not care if what we are doing is morally repugnant and reveals us as moral hypocrites. We are going to prevent any children from hearing anything from the elected President because he is from the opposing Party whether it is right or wrong. Although some have called (less than 1% of the total parental population in District II) we are going to listen to their politically motivated calls and not allow our children to have the honor of listening to their President on TV, speaking directly to them." Now if you would say that, I would give you the respect that I would give anyone of differing opinion from me but you did not do that. You lied and lied repeatedly. That deserves no respect and indeed Joe Pye in allowing these lies should resign forthwith.
Joe Pye, whom I admired as my children's first Principal at their first school has now become a political pawn and has chosen to be an accomplice to a LIE generated by the political powers that be in Dorchester County. Joe, you have betrayed the trust that the parents of this county place in you. You are not the honest and upright man many of us remember when yo were a Principal. You have strayed from the mission of what is best for the education of our children to becoming a pawn of politics. Harry Truman coined the phrase, "the buck stops here" and Joe it stopped on your desk and when you faced a decision instead of telling the truth, you lied. You should turn in your resignation now. I am not talking about politics Joe, I am talking about being able to trust the man in charge of my children's education and that man lied.
Oh and by the way, doesn't a tax break decrease tax revenue and thus increase the national debt also? I thought you right wing idiots were concerned about that. Why you increased the national debt times 3 while you held office for 8 years. Yes and that $1200 check came in so handy too. Frankly as a Christian, I would gladly have let you keep that money and instead give it to all the uninsured children of this country. But no, you want to give it to us to win votes. Well that worked out real well for you didn't it.
Give it up for God's sake. You lost the election yet here we go again on your right wing affiliate, Fox News, this morning you start showing Jeremiah Wright again and film him saying that the racist right wing only objects to Health Care reform because poor people will be taken care of. Who cares what Jeremiah Wright says but are there shades of truth behind his statement? Are many of the extreme right wing racists? I don't know but it is no more ridiculous than Sarah "Appalling" Palin's "Death Panel" statements.
You permit 2 Republican Presidents speak to our children on TV in their classrooms and then turn around and stomp on the dignity of the office of President and tell us Obama is not fit to speak to our children. Censorship in any form is wrong and lying about as the school board here in my home town did, compounds the wrong. Pat Raynor, the Public Information official for the school board tells us that due to technical difficulties and a full academic schedule they could not fit the speech into the school day. THAT WAS A BOLD FACED LIE!! I know for a fact (this was verified and witnessed in all 3 counties during the actual speech on a Smart Board in classrooms) that the streaming video of the speech could have been broadcast without any difficulty at all. All each teacher had to do was to pull the speech up on their computer and transfer it to the Smart Board. As to scheduling, that is a total ridiculous excuse that Pat Raynor should be ashamed of offering to the public. Schedules can be changed and are when events arise during a school year. The truth is that Joe Pye, the school board and the Republican Party in Dorchester County conspired to announce these excuses at 4 p.m. on a Friday before a holiday weekend, knowing full well that this would prevent any organization of protest to either the school board or county government because their offices were closed until Tuesday, the day of the President's speech.
Here is the deal Dorchester County Republican Party and Joe Pye. Stand up like grown men and women and just tell me outright, "We do not care if Democrats won the Presidency, the majority in the House and the Senate. We do not care if what we are doing is morally repugnant and reveals us as moral hypocrites. We are going to prevent any children from hearing anything from the elected President because he is from the opposing Party whether it is right or wrong. Although some have called (less than 1% of the total parental population in District II) we are going to listen to their politically motivated calls and not allow our children to have the honor of listening to their President on TV, speaking directly to them." Now if you would say that, I would give you the respect that I would give anyone of differing opinion from me but you did not do that. You lied and lied repeatedly. That deserves no respect and indeed Joe Pye in allowing these lies should resign forthwith.
Joe Pye, whom I admired as my children's first Principal at their first school has now become a political pawn and has chosen to be an accomplice to a LIE generated by the political powers that be in Dorchester County. Joe, you have betrayed the trust that the parents of this county place in you. You are not the honest and upright man many of us remember when yo were a Principal. You have strayed from the mission of what is best for the education of our children to becoming a pawn of politics. Harry Truman coined the phrase, "the buck stops here" and Joe it stopped on your desk and when you faced a decision instead of telling the truth, you lied. You should turn in your resignation now. I am not talking about politics Joe, I am talking about being able to trust the man in charge of my children's education and that man lied.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Today we should pray.
With all the hatred I see on TV, hear on radio and see in online conversations between friends of differing opinions I am troubled and I fear for the futures of my children and grandchildren. I remember a nation like ours, strong and prosperous, where the people mindlessly followed those who espoused and motivated hatred against fellow country men who differed with them. I always wondered how so many intelligent human beings could follow and endorse the acts of genocide and murder committed by Germany in World War II.
Today I listen to people like Rush Limbaugh and I am a little afraid. When I see the hired guns at these political rallies screaming at respected men and women who opened the floor for community discussion about health care, I start to understand and I see how it could happen if we do not stop and return to being civil, polite and agreeing to disagree. Today the leader of our country is censored, libelled, slandered and told that he cannot, as other Presidents have, address our children and grandchildren about the importance of education and the love and hope that is there for them to fulfill their dreams.
If ever there was a time to pray, today is that day and I ask each of you at 12:15 pm today, to stop what you are doing, pull off the road, stop in the store, sit still in the office and wherever you are, pray together.
Let us pray in the words of Jesus:
"Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever. Amen"
Then let us return to our lives and remember his words and let us turn away from the hatred that divides us and work together for the glory of God and not the glory of men.
"Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the
world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.” 1 John 2:15-17
Let the money changers in our state governments, our Congress, our banks, insurance companies and stock markets remember this and think on it today. Let us think what Jesus would do and not what a businessman would do.
Today I listen to people like Rush Limbaugh and I am a little afraid. When I see the hired guns at these political rallies screaming at respected men and women who opened the floor for community discussion about health care, I start to understand and I see how it could happen if we do not stop and return to being civil, polite and agreeing to disagree. Today the leader of our country is censored, libelled, slandered and told that he cannot, as other Presidents have, address our children and grandchildren about the importance of education and the love and hope that is there for them to fulfill their dreams.
If ever there was a time to pray, today is that day and I ask each of you at 12:15 pm today, to stop what you are doing, pull off the road, stop in the store, sit still in the office and wherever you are, pray together.
Let us pray in the words of Jesus:
"Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever. Amen"
Then let us return to our lives and remember his words and let us turn away from the hatred that divides us and work together for the glory of God and not the glory of men.
"Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the
world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.” 1 John 2:15-17
Let the money changers in our state governments, our Congress, our banks, insurance companies and stock markets remember this and think on it today. Let us think what Jesus would do and not what a businessman would do.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
3 Men & Their Baby?.
Sanford gets no support
MYRTLE BEACH -- Gov. Mark Sanford always has been a loner, but on Saturday he didn't have a friend in the House. Not a single member of the House Republican Caucus spoke up for the embattled GOP governor in this oceanfront city at an organizational meeting that wrapped up with a 45-minute discussion about why Sanford should resign or be impeached.
Kennedy eulogized for keeping dream alive
WASHINGTON -- Sen. Edward M. Kennedy was laid to rest Saturday night alongside slain brothers John and Robert on hallowed ground at Arlington National Cemetery, celebrated for "the dream he kept alive" across the decades since their deaths.
These two news snippets above reveal a lot about what two flawed men did with their lives after they fell to temptation. Let's throw in another, Bill Clinton. Kennedy as a young man of 37 years made the horrible mistake of (1) committing adultery, (2) drove under the influence (3) and after several attempts to rescue his female companion, left the scene of the accident. Arguably even a man from a less wealthy background would have had to pay huge fines for DUI and leaving the scene but bottom line it was an accident; a tragic horrible accident and rich or poor there would have been no imprisonment involved. Civil suits for wrongful death would be expected but not jail. Kennedy publicly and tearfully acknowledged the horrible mistakes he made. He was contrite and repentant and dedicated his life to righting the wrongs suffered by those with no one to stand up for them. He served in the Senate writing and passing more than 300 bills to help people who had no avenue to help themselves. He supported, voted and helped pass 1100 bills that again were the foundations for helping preserve individual rights for every citizen. He came back to the faith of his youth, sought counsel with the church and became a different man. He fulfilled the dreams and promise of his brothers whose lives were tragically cut short by assassination. He loved his family and was in his last days surrounded by their love.
Clinton was a politician of many accomplishments and I am sure, a man who loves his daughter and his country. However he was not someone I could admire for his moral fortitude, his faith in God and his willingness to confess his flawed acts and with contrition seek the forgiveness of the nation. I say the nation because when a man in office commits these acts of adultery, he does not just betray his wife and family but also betrays the trust of the nation and the trust of his peers. The consequences for that should be meaningful especially if in front of the public one seeks to escape these consequences not by truly asking forgiveness and meaning it but rather by building a screen of lies and calling in political favors to continue in office with the premise that although he is at fault, that fault lies in his personal life and is immaterial to how he does his job as President. Clinton accomplished a lot but it should not go without noting that his legacy will always have the name of "Slick Willy" and his statement of, "I did not have sex with that woman." attached to it.
Sanford seems to be modeling his defense on the Clinton model but it is a little more offensive and arrogant. There is no remorse at all evident. He is defiant both in his positions and verbally in staying in office and stating he has done nothing that should require him to resign. He seems to think that holding office is not a privilege but is his right. His legacy is yet to be written but I would not think he should be optimistic in that regard. he has broken the public trust, he has betrayed the public, his children and his wife. His record in office is more of an obstructionist rather than someone who is productive and creates a better place for his children and the children of the citizens of this state.
I would hope that the Republican Party in South Carolina is not just positioning itself by the overwhelming condemnation seen in the news article above. Is this just another bait and switch? In other words are they positioning themselves to convince the public of their "righteous" intent when in the end they will use the law to say well we could not legally impeach him and then just close the books with a public censure of the governor? I suspect this is what we are being set up for. I hope that either he will abandon his present position and seek to emulate Teddy Kennedy and carry on or I hope that responsibility, morality and love of family and country will prevail and he will be impeached and removed from office.
MYRTLE BEACH -- Gov. Mark Sanford always has been a loner, but on Saturday he didn't have a friend in the House. Not a single member of the House Republican Caucus spoke up for the embattled GOP governor in this oceanfront city at an organizational meeting that wrapped up with a 45-minute discussion about why Sanford should resign or be impeached.
Kennedy eulogized for keeping dream alive
WASHINGTON -- Sen. Edward M. Kennedy was laid to rest Saturday night alongside slain brothers John and Robert on hallowed ground at Arlington National Cemetery, celebrated for "the dream he kept alive" across the decades since their deaths.
These two news snippets above reveal a lot about what two flawed men did with their lives after they fell to temptation. Let's throw in another, Bill Clinton. Kennedy as a young man of 37 years made the horrible mistake of (1) committing adultery, (2) drove under the influence (3) and after several attempts to rescue his female companion, left the scene of the accident. Arguably even a man from a less wealthy background would have had to pay huge fines for DUI and leaving the scene but bottom line it was an accident; a tragic horrible accident and rich or poor there would have been no imprisonment involved. Civil suits for wrongful death would be expected but not jail. Kennedy publicly and tearfully acknowledged the horrible mistakes he made. He was contrite and repentant and dedicated his life to righting the wrongs suffered by those with no one to stand up for them. He served in the Senate writing and passing more than 300 bills to help people who had no avenue to help themselves. He supported, voted and helped pass 1100 bills that again were the foundations for helping preserve individual rights for every citizen. He came back to the faith of his youth, sought counsel with the church and became a different man. He fulfilled the dreams and promise of his brothers whose lives were tragically cut short by assassination. He loved his family and was in his last days surrounded by their love.
Clinton was a politician of many accomplishments and I am sure, a man who loves his daughter and his country. However he was not someone I could admire for his moral fortitude, his faith in God and his willingness to confess his flawed acts and with contrition seek the forgiveness of the nation. I say the nation because when a man in office commits these acts of adultery, he does not just betray his wife and family but also betrays the trust of the nation and the trust of his peers. The consequences for that should be meaningful especially if in front of the public one seeks to escape these consequences not by truly asking forgiveness and meaning it but rather by building a screen of lies and calling in political favors to continue in office with the premise that although he is at fault, that fault lies in his personal life and is immaterial to how he does his job as President. Clinton accomplished a lot but it should not go without noting that his legacy will always have the name of "Slick Willy" and his statement of, "I did not have sex with that woman." attached to it.
Sanford seems to be modeling his defense on the Clinton model but it is a little more offensive and arrogant. There is no remorse at all evident. He is defiant both in his positions and verbally in staying in office and stating he has done nothing that should require him to resign. He seems to think that holding office is not a privilege but is his right. His legacy is yet to be written but I would not think he should be optimistic in that regard. he has broken the public trust, he has betrayed the public, his children and his wife. His record in office is more of an obstructionist rather than someone who is productive and creates a better place for his children and the children of the citizens of this state.
I would hope that the Republican Party in South Carolina is not just positioning itself by the overwhelming condemnation seen in the news article above. Is this just another bait and switch? In other words are they positioning themselves to convince the public of their "righteous" intent when in the end they will use the law to say well we could not legally impeach him and then just close the books with a public censure of the governor? I suspect this is what we are being set up for. I hope that either he will abandon his present position and seek to emulate Teddy Kennedy and carry on or I hope that responsibility, morality and love of family and country will prevail and he will be impeached and removed from office.
Friday, August 28, 2009
Forgive Us and Help Us
Below is my reply to a friend who is obsessed with the fear that a health care plan run by the government will result in a Socialist state and other distractions and fears being planted by mis-information being spread by insurance companies and their lackeys.
You know recently I had to be hospitalized and like you was horrified at the bill. I could have stayed at the Plaza in New York for less. LOL. Unfortunately, I had to meet our deductible and out of pocket levels first, so my bill was a great deal more than yours. As far as the State Health Plan goes, it is far less than the plan I had before retiring from The Post and Courier but it is all we can afford. In South Carolina there are a lot of retired military men and woman and I don't think they realize what it is like for those of us who don't have that insurance or health system to fall back on. However I am like the majority of Americans and when retirement, unemployment etc. hits we are out of luck. When Mary retires, frankly, I don't know what we will do for insurance. I guess we just won't get sick.
Like you I am vehemently against a totally socialist health care system and I might point out that in Britain where the majority of my relatives still live, you still have a choice, if you have the money to pay for independent health care insurance. Some do (my better off relatives) and some don't and have the government run health plan and having just lost my Aunt Dorrie and knowing her experience with the government plan, she had no problems. She died and in talking with surviving relatives I do know that no test was ever denied and every avenue to help her was pursued up to the time of her death. She was 88 years old and until her heart started failing her she was a vibrant, involved deaconess in The Church of Ireland. It is because of her experience and that of my grandmother who died years ago that I don't have the same fears that some in this country do about a government plan. Nor do I fear that it will bring about socialism as it has not not done so in all the many European countries that offer some version of a government health plan option. Cold war ideas and fears don't apply here as far as I am concerned. As the generations of people that were born after World War II come into retirement age as I have, there will be more and more elderly citizens with no insurance because they simply cannot afford it. Medicare helps but it is nowhere near enough to foot the entire bill if a retiree becomes seriously ill.
Anyway bottom-line, it is not that I am totally in favor of the present healthcare plan being offered but rather it is that some kind of plan is direly needed or we, the aging are going to be abandoned and left with no insurance and all because this country is so obsessed with whether their political party is right or wrong and whether this issue can be used too get back into power. Both parties are totally guilty of this and it is this type of inaction over this issue and many others that has been going on for years. This is one of many reasons why I abandoned the Republican Party last year and decided to vote independently for someone, anyone, who would try to move forward and not stay with the status quo which if we stay in will result in the neglect, the abandonment and the death of millions of the elderly, uninsured and yes unemployed. I remember well how long it took as college graduates for both my daughters to find jobs that actually had benefits and health insurance. Theirs is an experience that millions of parents know about and have experienced, yet we equivocate until once again nothing will be done and the executives of the insurance companies sit and rub their hands with glee. Happiness because I and millions of others can die uninsured for all they care because really isn't life all about a free market?
And perhaps the greatest disgrace and it saddens me to the point of tears of frustration is that so many of us who are blessed with jobs and have insurance look down the ladder of life and say, "screw you" and kick those under us in the face until they drop off to their eventual deaths. It enrages me that some would hold up the cross or the flag and call this plan a plot of the devil and the eventual apocalypse for everything Christian and American.
Please, God, take their hearts and remind them of your words, "Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." "For I was hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in." Read the book of Matthew in the New Testament and Jesus speaks very clearly to us about how he wants us to treat those less fortunate than ourselves. I find that the apostle Matthew was best at telling us the story of Jesus's message of love.
God forgive them and God help us.
You know recently I had to be hospitalized and like you was horrified at the bill. I could have stayed at the Plaza in New York for less. LOL. Unfortunately, I had to meet our deductible and out of pocket levels first, so my bill was a great deal more than yours. As far as the State Health Plan goes, it is far less than the plan I had before retiring from The Post and Courier but it is all we can afford. In South Carolina there are a lot of retired military men and woman and I don't think they realize what it is like for those of us who don't have that insurance or health system to fall back on. However I am like the majority of Americans and when retirement, unemployment etc. hits we are out of luck. When Mary retires, frankly, I don't know what we will do for insurance. I guess we just won't get sick.
Like you I am vehemently against a totally socialist health care system and I might point out that in Britain where the majority of my relatives still live, you still have a choice, if you have the money to pay for independent health care insurance. Some do (my better off relatives) and some don't and have the government run health plan and having just lost my Aunt Dorrie and knowing her experience with the government plan, she had no problems. She died and in talking with surviving relatives I do know that no test was ever denied and every avenue to help her was pursued up to the time of her death. She was 88 years old and until her heart started failing her she was a vibrant, involved deaconess in The Church of Ireland. It is because of her experience and that of my grandmother who died years ago that I don't have the same fears that some in this country do about a government plan. Nor do I fear that it will bring about socialism as it has not not done so in all the many European countries that offer some version of a government health plan option. Cold war ideas and fears don't apply here as far as I am concerned. As the generations of people that were born after World War II come into retirement age as I have, there will be more and more elderly citizens with no insurance because they simply cannot afford it. Medicare helps but it is nowhere near enough to foot the entire bill if a retiree becomes seriously ill.
Anyway bottom-line, it is not that I am totally in favor of the present healthcare plan being offered but rather it is that some kind of plan is direly needed or we, the aging are going to be abandoned and left with no insurance and all because this country is so obsessed with whether their political party is right or wrong and whether this issue can be used too get back into power. Both parties are totally guilty of this and it is this type of inaction over this issue and many others that has been going on for years. This is one of many reasons why I abandoned the Republican Party last year and decided to vote independently for someone, anyone, who would try to move forward and not stay with the status quo which if we stay in will result in the neglect, the abandonment and the death of millions of the elderly, uninsured and yes unemployed. I remember well how long it took as college graduates for both my daughters to find jobs that actually had benefits and health insurance. Theirs is an experience that millions of parents know about and have experienced, yet we equivocate until once again nothing will be done and the executives of the insurance companies sit and rub their hands with glee. Happiness because I and millions of others can die uninsured for all they care because really isn't life all about a free market?
And perhaps the greatest disgrace and it saddens me to the point of tears of frustration is that so many of us who are blessed with jobs and have insurance look down the ladder of life and say, "screw you" and kick those under us in the face until they drop off to their eventual deaths. It enrages me that some would hold up the cross or the flag and call this plan a plot of the devil and the eventual apocalypse for everything Christian and American.
Please, God, take their hearts and remind them of your words, "Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." "For I was hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in." Read the book of Matthew in the New Testament and Jesus speaks very clearly to us about how he wants us to treat those less fortunate than ourselves. I find that the apostle Matthew was best at telling us the story of Jesus's message of love.
God forgive them and God help us.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Myths vs. Facts
Don't Let the Myths About Health Care Reform Scare You.
There are special interest groups trying to block progress on health care reform by using myths and scare tactics. Like the notion that health care reform would ration your care, hurt Medicare or be a government takeover. Actually, these are false statements.
All of the health care reform plans currently being debated in Congress would ensure that you and your doctor are the ones making decisions about your health. The majority of working Americans will continue to receive their health care through their employer. In addition, health care reform will strengthen Medicare by eliminating billions of dollars in waste while lowering prescription drug prices.
Throughout the debate on how to fix what's broken about our health care system, AARP pledges to help you cut through the noise and find the facts about what health care reform means for you and your family. When we see special interests using scare tactics, we'll make sure you're given the facts so you can make informed decisions about health care reform.
The following are some of the most common myths being spread about health care reform and the facts that prove them wrong – click here to watch a video by AARP on the myths and facts of reform.
Myth: Health care reform is socialized medicine.
Fact: Health care reform will preserve the employer-based health care system, meaning an estimated 200 million Americans will continue to get their coverage through their employers.
Fact: For people buying coverage for themselves, there would be a range of private health plans to choose from. Also, the so-called "public plan" option would seek to give American consumers another choice if they can't find affordable, quality coverage in the private insurance market. The goal of the "public plan" is to give consumers the best value for their money and force greater competition among insurance plans for our business.
Fact: Every proposal that Congress is considering would allow people to choose their own doctors and hospitals.
Bottom Line: Health care reform isn't about a government takeover. It's about guaranteeing all Americans a choice of health care plans they can afford.
Myth: Health care reform means rationed care.
Fact: None of the health reform proposals being considered would stand between individuals and their doctors or prevent any American from choosing the best possible care.
Fact: Health care reform will NOT give the government the power to make life or death decisions for anyone regardless of their age. Those decisions will be made by an individual, their doctor and their family.
Fact: Health care reform will help ensure doctors are paid fairly so they will continue to treat Medicare patients.
Bottom Line: Health reform isn't about rationing; it's about giving people the peace of mind of knowing that they will be able to keep their doctors and that they will always have a choice of affordable health plans.
Myth: Health care reform will hurt Medicare.
Fact: None of the health care reform proposals being considered by Congress would cut Medicare benefits or increase your out-of-pocket costs for Medicare services.
Fact: Health care reform will lower prescription drug costs for people in the Medicare Part D coverage gap or "doughnut hole" so they can get better afford the drugs they need.
Fact: Health care reform will protect seniors' access to their doctors and reduce the cost of preventive services so patients stay healthier.
Fact: Health care reform will reduce costly, preventable hospital readmissions, saving patients and Medicare money.
Fact: Rather than weaken Medicare, health care reform will strengthen the financial status of the Medicare program.
Bottom Line: For people in Medicare, health care reform is about lowering prescription drug costs for people in the "doughnut hole", keeping the doctor of your choice, improving the quality of care, and eliminating billions in waste that is causing poor care and medical errors.
Myth: Health care reform is too expensive – we can't afford it.
Fact: The President and Congress have committed to producing legislation that will be paid for so it won't saddle our children and grandchildren with debt.
Fact: If we do nothing to fix health care, families with Medicare or employer-based health coverage will likely see their premiums nearly double again in the next seven years.
Fact: If we do nothing to fix health care, the share of your income spent on health care will nearly double in the next seven years.
Bottom Line: When one in three Americans say someone in their family skipped pills, postponed or cut back on needed medical care due to the cost; when countless bankruptcies are related to medical expenses; when the number of uninsured approaches 50 million; when government spending on health programs rises so rapidly that it jeopardizes other priorities; and when employers struggle to pay for the costs of health care, the fact is, we can't afford not to fix health care.
Myth: Health care reform means the government can make life-and-death decisions for you.
Fact: Health care reform will NOT give the government the power to make life-and-death decisions for anyone regardless of their age. Those decisions will be made by individuals, their doctor and their family.
Fact: No one, including the government or your insurance company, will be given power to make life-and-death decisions for you.
Bottom Line: Health care reform isn't about putting the government in charge of difficult end of life decisions. It's about giving individuals and families the option to talk with their doctors in advance about difficult choices every family faces when loved ones near the end of their lives.
Help us fight the myths and demand health action now: Pass this email along to all your friends and contacts in your address book.
There are special interest groups trying to block progress on health care reform by using myths and scare tactics. Like the notion that health care reform would ration your care, hurt Medicare or be a government takeover. Actually, these are false statements.
All of the health care reform plans currently being debated in Congress would ensure that you and your doctor are the ones making decisions about your health. The majority of working Americans will continue to receive their health care through their employer. In addition, health care reform will strengthen Medicare by eliminating billions of dollars in waste while lowering prescription drug prices.
Throughout the debate on how to fix what's broken about our health care system, AARP pledges to help you cut through the noise and find the facts about what health care reform means for you and your family. When we see special interests using scare tactics, we'll make sure you're given the facts so you can make informed decisions about health care reform.
The following are some of the most common myths being spread about health care reform and the facts that prove them wrong – click here to watch a video by AARP on the myths and facts of reform.
Myth: Health care reform is socialized medicine.
Fact: Health care reform will preserve the employer-based health care system, meaning an estimated 200 million Americans will continue to get their coverage through their employers.
Fact: For people buying coverage for themselves, there would be a range of private health plans to choose from. Also, the so-called "public plan" option would seek to give American consumers another choice if they can't find affordable, quality coverage in the private insurance market. The goal of the "public plan" is to give consumers the best value for their money and force greater competition among insurance plans for our business.
Fact: Every proposal that Congress is considering would allow people to choose their own doctors and hospitals.
Bottom Line: Health care reform isn't about a government takeover. It's about guaranteeing all Americans a choice of health care plans they can afford.
Myth: Health care reform means rationed care.
Fact: None of the health reform proposals being considered would stand between individuals and their doctors or prevent any American from choosing the best possible care.
Fact: Health care reform will NOT give the government the power to make life or death decisions for anyone regardless of their age. Those decisions will be made by an individual, their doctor and their family.
Fact: Health care reform will help ensure doctors are paid fairly so they will continue to treat Medicare patients.
Bottom Line: Health reform isn't about rationing; it's about giving people the peace of mind of knowing that they will be able to keep their doctors and that they will always have a choice of affordable health plans.
Myth: Health care reform will hurt Medicare.
Fact: None of the health care reform proposals being considered by Congress would cut Medicare benefits or increase your out-of-pocket costs for Medicare services.
Fact: Health care reform will lower prescription drug costs for people in the Medicare Part D coverage gap or "doughnut hole" so they can get better afford the drugs they need.
Fact: Health care reform will protect seniors' access to their doctors and reduce the cost of preventive services so patients stay healthier.
Fact: Health care reform will reduce costly, preventable hospital readmissions, saving patients and Medicare money.
Fact: Rather than weaken Medicare, health care reform will strengthen the financial status of the Medicare program.
Bottom Line: For people in Medicare, health care reform is about lowering prescription drug costs for people in the "doughnut hole", keeping the doctor of your choice, improving the quality of care, and eliminating billions in waste that is causing poor care and medical errors.
Myth: Health care reform is too expensive – we can't afford it.
Fact: The President and Congress have committed to producing legislation that will be paid for so it won't saddle our children and grandchildren with debt.
Fact: If we do nothing to fix health care, families with Medicare or employer-based health coverage will likely see their premiums nearly double again in the next seven years.
Fact: If we do nothing to fix health care, the share of your income spent on health care will nearly double in the next seven years.
Bottom Line: When one in three Americans say someone in their family skipped pills, postponed or cut back on needed medical care due to the cost; when countless bankruptcies are related to medical expenses; when the number of uninsured approaches 50 million; when government spending on health programs rises so rapidly that it jeopardizes other priorities; and when employers struggle to pay for the costs of health care, the fact is, we can't afford not to fix health care.
Myth: Health care reform means the government can make life-and-death decisions for you.
Fact: Health care reform will NOT give the government the power to make life-and-death decisions for anyone regardless of their age. Those decisions will be made by individuals, their doctor and their family.
Fact: No one, including the government or your insurance company, will be given power to make life-and-death decisions for you.
Bottom Line: Health care reform isn't about putting the government in charge of difficult end of life decisions. It's about giving individuals and families the option to talk with their doctors in advance about difficult choices every family faces when loved ones near the end of their lives.
Help us fight the myths and demand health action now: Pass this email along to all your friends and contacts in your address book.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
A Grandfather's Perspective on...
Sometimes the things we say hurt other's feelings and we realize it and regret it but thoughts and emotions brought about by our everyday experiences sometimes fill us to the point we have to let them out. Sometimes, that's what a blog is for. Do we mean everything we say to the extent we have said it? No but if you are going to let off steam, the best thing is to preface it with an apology and then let it rip. Here goes.
Many things have changed and changed radically during my lifetime. No I am not talking about the price of a bottle of Coke (5 cents when I was a boy) or my weight or where I live. I am talking about changes in public opinions regarding previously accepted standards for ones lifestyle. I grew up never worrying about what my mother put on the table or whether she bought it from a local vegetable stand or a grocery store. We ate what she prepared and we were told by our Doctor that we were good healthy children and as long as we ate our meat, potatoes and vegetables and drank milk daily we would always be healthy and strong. We did and we are still relatively healthy and strong. In Biblical terms we are all going to make our allotted 3 score and 10 years and then some (barring any accidents or catastrophes).
My mother gave us oatmeal for breakfast and my Father gave us fried toast and eggs on weekends or Mother cooked French Toast or Pancakes. Lunch was a standard PB&J sandwich with Milk. Supper was meat and vegetables or a casserole. Mother did love casseroles (something she said was great about America, the casserole). I guess they don't make casseroles in Northern Ireland, the country of our birth. Saturdays all was the same except supper and that was a grand ensemble of leftovers and what was left from all of that, went to Lassie, our Cocker Spaniel and my first dear friend. However then came Sunday, oh Sunday. It was a day when we couldn't wait to get home from church and smell the excruciatingly wonderful aromas seeping through the house from the kitchen oven. Roast beef, chicken, ham and all the great side dishes that went with them were awaited with great anticipation until finally we heard, "okay, time to eat, let's go"! No one held back, no salads were served unless Mother was on a diet and then she had a salad for lunch during the week or cottage cheese and peaches. But not on Sunday! You ate, enjoyed and asked for seconds before your sisters got it. Then came dessert, simple fare during the week but always more magnificent on Sundays. No Jello or canned peaches or lemon bars or strawberries on lady fingers with whipped cream on Sundays. No Sundays there was a magnificent cake created and iced by the famed pastry chef, Ursula (my mother) or a presentation of a flaky crusted pie with ice cream. No boxed cake mixes or store bought pie shells allowed here. La Chef Magnifique made all from scratch and perhaps it was fitting that on Sundays we not only sang "Glory to God in the Highest" at church but that our tummys joined in a silent refrain of joy for which no musician has yet composed a fitting melody.
But all the culinary delectables aside, science and geeky men and women who probably never had a Mom who could cook more than a TV dinner, brought all this to a crashing halt. When we were already grown (and healthy) and in our 30's we were told our sacred Mothers had poisoned us! It was like someone stuck a razor blade in a Halloween Apple and America was forever terrified and stopped having Halloween at all. Oh God! What are we to do?! The lard that my mother used to fry with, bake with and flavor with was poison! The fantastically delicious Roast Beef that we ate on Sundays was toxic to our bodies! Potatoes, my heart's dearest love, potatoes and their calories spelled only doom for us all. Butter was toxic, gravy was taboo, milk would coat your arteries with sludge and what were we to do? Who stole the flake from the cake or the pastry!? Some evil geek Doctor raised on TV dinners and jello all his life! Find him, kill him and hang him up to display his perfidy and lies he brought upon us!
But no one listened to me. The geeks won. The war is over. I have come undone. Now we have vegetarians who give us dissertations on how to be humanitarians, how to save a leaf, a tree, a cow and be kind to our planet. Why is no one ever listening to me? I love a leaf, a tree and the beasts but I was taught that they all had a purpose and a place. Now you come and smack me in the face? You heartless soul, they say. You wastrel. You are the cause of all our impending doom. Your mother was a despicable murderer for feeding you the way she did they say. Your generation and theirs is responsible for every foul thing befalling this planet and your values and wants and desires should be packaged up and thrown in the trash. We disown you and your generations, they say. That is how a Grandfather feels. If everything he experienced in life and loved was wrong then his life was totally meaningless and his generation a total failure.
Then they say, oh no we didn't mean it that way. We just want to point out an improvement that you can make in your lifestyle and it will mean so much more to our health and our planet. What do I get, I ask? Your life will be extended 6 years. That is wonderful isn't it? Six more years to be old and now considered useless and my values and dietary habits to be tossed aside. Well my mother had something else in her possession, something we were not very fond of at all. So why don't you take that extra 6 years put it in Mother's enema bag and cram it where the sun don't shine. Oh and while you are at give me a piece of pie and a little ice cream.
I have had it and I am not going to take it anymore. It was my mother's generation and mine that brought us through wars, fought and conquered diseases like Polio, Smallpox, Measles Mumps and countless others. We developed and delivered the first space craft, the first man to walk on the moon. Oh yes we had our failures and our tribulations: the Edsel, Vietnam and others but we hung in there and kept coming and you know what; we also delivered the greatest accomplishments of our lifetimes. We gave life to our children. We loved them and raised them and I pray to God that in the big picture we did that right because now I am told we didn't do much of anything else right.
Please do me a favor when you see your parents today, tonight or whenever you can, say I love you, I still need you and your life was not worthless and all wrong. Then take them out to an ice cream parlor and buy them a sundae. Hey, they might even pay for it! LOL
Many things have changed and changed radically during my lifetime. No I am not talking about the price of a bottle of Coke (5 cents when I was a boy) or my weight or where I live. I am talking about changes in public opinions regarding previously accepted standards for ones lifestyle. I grew up never worrying about what my mother put on the table or whether she bought it from a local vegetable stand or a grocery store. We ate what she prepared and we were told by our Doctor that we were good healthy children and as long as we ate our meat, potatoes and vegetables and drank milk daily we would always be healthy and strong. We did and we are still relatively healthy and strong. In Biblical terms we are all going to make our allotted 3 score and 10 years and then some (barring any accidents or catastrophes).
My mother gave us oatmeal for breakfast and my Father gave us fried toast and eggs on weekends or Mother cooked French Toast or Pancakes. Lunch was a standard PB&J sandwich with Milk. Supper was meat and vegetables or a casserole. Mother did love casseroles (something she said was great about America, the casserole). I guess they don't make casseroles in Northern Ireland, the country of our birth. Saturdays all was the same except supper and that was a grand ensemble of leftovers and what was left from all of that, went to Lassie, our Cocker Spaniel and my first dear friend. However then came Sunday, oh Sunday. It was a day when we couldn't wait to get home from church and smell the excruciatingly wonderful aromas seeping through the house from the kitchen oven. Roast beef, chicken, ham and all the great side dishes that went with them were awaited with great anticipation until finally we heard, "okay, time to eat, let's go"! No one held back, no salads were served unless Mother was on a diet and then she had a salad for lunch during the week or cottage cheese and peaches. But not on Sunday! You ate, enjoyed and asked for seconds before your sisters got it. Then came dessert, simple fare during the week but always more magnificent on Sundays. No Jello or canned peaches or lemon bars or strawberries on lady fingers with whipped cream on Sundays. No Sundays there was a magnificent cake created and iced by the famed pastry chef, Ursula (my mother) or a presentation of a flaky crusted pie with ice cream. No boxed cake mixes or store bought pie shells allowed here. La Chef Magnifique made all from scratch and perhaps it was fitting that on Sundays we not only sang "Glory to God in the Highest" at church but that our tummys joined in a silent refrain of joy for which no musician has yet composed a fitting melody.
But all the culinary delectables aside, science and geeky men and women who probably never had a Mom who could cook more than a TV dinner, brought all this to a crashing halt. When we were already grown (and healthy) and in our 30's we were told our sacred Mothers had poisoned us! It was like someone stuck a razor blade in a Halloween Apple and America was forever terrified and stopped having Halloween at all. Oh God! What are we to do?! The lard that my mother used to fry with, bake with and flavor with was poison! The fantastically delicious Roast Beef that we ate on Sundays was toxic to our bodies! Potatoes, my heart's dearest love, potatoes and their calories spelled only doom for us all. Butter was toxic, gravy was taboo, milk would coat your arteries with sludge and what were we to do? Who stole the flake from the cake or the pastry!? Some evil geek Doctor raised on TV dinners and jello all his life! Find him, kill him and hang him up to display his perfidy and lies he brought upon us!
But no one listened to me. The geeks won. The war is over. I have come undone. Now we have vegetarians who give us dissertations on how to be humanitarians, how to save a leaf, a tree, a cow and be kind to our planet. Why is no one ever listening to me? I love a leaf, a tree and the beasts but I was taught that they all had a purpose and a place. Now you come and smack me in the face? You heartless soul, they say. You wastrel. You are the cause of all our impending doom. Your mother was a despicable murderer for feeding you the way she did they say. Your generation and theirs is responsible for every foul thing befalling this planet and your values and wants and desires should be packaged up and thrown in the trash. We disown you and your generations, they say. That is how a Grandfather feels. If everything he experienced in life and loved was wrong then his life was totally meaningless and his generation a total failure.
Then they say, oh no we didn't mean it that way. We just want to point out an improvement that you can make in your lifestyle and it will mean so much more to our health and our planet. What do I get, I ask? Your life will be extended 6 years. That is wonderful isn't it? Six more years to be old and now considered useless and my values and dietary habits to be tossed aside. Well my mother had something else in her possession, something we were not very fond of at all. So why don't you take that extra 6 years put it in Mother's enema bag and cram it where the sun don't shine. Oh and while you are at give me a piece of pie and a little ice cream.
I have had it and I am not going to take it anymore. It was my mother's generation and mine that brought us through wars, fought and conquered diseases like Polio, Smallpox, Measles Mumps and countless others. We developed and delivered the first space craft, the first man to walk on the moon. Oh yes we had our failures and our tribulations: the Edsel, Vietnam and others but we hung in there and kept coming and you know what; we also delivered the greatest accomplishments of our lifetimes. We gave life to our children. We loved them and raised them and I pray to God that in the big picture we did that right because now I am told we didn't do much of anything else right.
Please do me a favor when you see your parents today, tonight or whenever you can, say I love you, I still need you and your life was not worthless and all wrong. Then take them out to an ice cream parlor and buy them a sundae. Hey, they might even pay for it! LOL
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