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Saturday, December 12, 2009

health care reform???

I was reading some health highlights for December 11, 2009 today and there was this one particular highlight that bothered me a lot...

"Senate Bill Would Let Insurers Limit Annual Medical Costs

Patient advocates are upset about language in the Senate health care bill that would allow insurers to put yearly limits on medical care costs for people with expensive-to-treat illnesses such as cancer.

The bill would permit annual limits, as long as they're not "unreasonable," the Associated Press reported. But there's no actual definition of what level of limits would be permitted.

Such limits would have been banned under legislation passed by the Senate health committee last summer. However, a weakened version of that provision is in the bill the Senate is now considering.

The change surprised officials at the American Cancer Society Action Network, who said they haven't been able to get a satisfactory explanation, the AP reported.

"We don't know who put it in, or why it was put in," said group policy expert Stephen Finan.
"

The current health "care" discussions and proposals happening in the "other Washington" are really, really catching my eye. I'm not sure where anyone else stands relating to the proposed health "care" reform ideas being debated in this country but I think putting yearly limits on payment for care paid out by the insurance companies smacks of favors and sellouts to those companies. I'm of the belief that if there are to be any limits placed on anything relating to health care have those limits be for payouts relating to litigated monetary awards and settlements! Certainly not on yearly limits of those health care costs an insurance company pays out annually.

That's just another not so subtle attempt to create those alleged death lists. Cutting off care for the terminally ill or others in need of specialized care simply because it's too expensive isn't and should never be an option!

That IS unreasonable!

As the AP article mentioned, those limits were banned by last summer's legislation and now the politicos are trying to sneak it past us again in this boondoggled universal health care fiasco.

What gives? Why are our "representatives", those politicos we sent to D.C. to represent us... why are they trying to ram this legislation, this poorly written vessel of pork down our throats?

If there's to be universal health care do it right! Take your time, don't set a timeline on it. Gather your experts, your reasonable and practical people together (if they exist) and create a proposal that not only makes sense but can be fairly and reasonably applied to every citizen of this fine country without limitations. If you can't do that then get out of the way and let others do it. Don't do what you're doing! Don't piecemeal something together, don't cater to the special interests of lobbyists, insurance companies and the health care industry, don't play politics with our health... don't effect change just to effect change... it doesn't make sense.

Represent us, the citizens of this fine country who entrusted you to represent us not them, those who stand to gain politically and monetarily if or when the legislation passes.

This stuff simply makes no sense outside of greed!

Wednesday, October 07, 2009

Facts Relating to the Second Amendment...

These were sent to me in an email. How true they are!

1. "Those who hammer their guns into plows will plow for those who do not."
~Thomas Jefferson

2. “Those who trade liberty for security have neither.” ~John Adams

3. Free men do not ask permission to bear arms.

4. An armed man is a citizen. An unarmed man is a subject.

5. Only a government that is afraid of its citizens tries to control them.

6. Gun control is not about guns; it's about control.

7. You only have the rights you are willing to fight for.

8. Know guns, know peace, know safety. No guns, no peace, no safety.

9. You don't shoot to kill; you shoot to stay alive.

10. Assault is a behavior, not a device.

11. 64,999,987 firearms owners killed no one yesterday.

12. The United States Constitution (c) 1791. All Rights Reserved.

13. The Second Amendment is in place in case the politicians ignore the others.

14. What part of 'shall not be infringed' do you NOT understand?

15. Guns have only two enemies; rust and politicians.

16. When you remove the people's right to bear arms, you create slaves.

17. The American Revolution would never have happened with gun control.


Don't let Obama and his cronies take our rights away!

Sunday, August 16, 2009

What this government can do for you!

Whether you want it or not.

I read an interesting post over at the Blue Crab Boulevard site this morning. Gaius posts an interesting suggestion that the "left" in this country is far removed from liberal. It's argued that those politicos who comprise the current left "are more authoritarian than the culture that the Woodstock generation rebelled against."

I'm inclined to agree. I've thought this for quite some time... that the "left", the current politicos in power are beyond liberal. Granted, some of their ideologies were spawned in liberalism (social health care, immigrant amnesty, cap and trade, global warming, etc.) but that's where it ends.

Step back and take a look at what's happening. Peel back the rhetoric, the glossy spin by the media, the veil of deceit. This particular political administration is building a foundation of control! A foundation that will support total, tyrannical social and economic dependence. A foundation to support subtle (for now) yet suffocating government influence in our daily lives.

This government is not "liberal" or "conservative" as we know it. They tapped into the liberal base of this fine nation to garnish support for their overall agenda and got it with promises yet to be realized. They tapped into that base to divide, conquer and control... to deflect from their true agenda. Their agenda was not created for us, the citizens. It's not designed to be a four or eight year ride and it's certainly not a new, innovative theme. The basic plan is clear... control, AUTHORITY!

Given their current agenda, they propose that the government feeds off of communal wealth, the government shall provide to the populace what the government deems necessary, the government shall deny to the populace what the government forbids, the government shall punish and tax individual success.

It's quite frankly an agenda of control and authority that we're being force fed. Currently, we're not buying it. We're questioning their intentions, their goals and we need to! We need to continue to question, to deny, to resist this administration's attempts to herd us into their paddocks of authority, control. We're independent sorts with freedom, individuality, independence and pride flowing through our veins.

Why would we give up what we have, what we want, what we know... our dreams, our very existence to blindly follow a shadowy group of politicos into a future of servitude?

Nope, this new LEFT government is not liberal by any means! They're very authoritarian, very controlling and very focused on their goals. Quite frankly they're a threat to our freedoms, our very existence as we know it. To them it's all about control, authority, POWER!

Yeah, we were promised change! Personally, I can live without their proposed changes.

Power corrupts!

Friday, August 14, 2009

What the socialized health care proposal can do for you!

Here's the full Health Care bill that sits in the House. Here is a link to the House Bill, H.R.3200. It's a long read!

The following information was forwarded to me from a blogger in Montana. If you're even curious about whether the proposed socialized health care is good for us as citizens, as a nation you might want to look at the comments made by Peter Fleckstein as Peter wades through the 1,000 plus pages of the bill. He's taken the time to analyze in layman terms what the bill is all about.

Here's some of his comments he "tweeted" over the past several days:

Peter Fleckstein (aka Fleckman) is reading it and has been posting on Twitter his findings. I'm not sure who Peter is but I will google him after I make this post. This is from his postings (Note: All comments are Fleckman's)

Pg 22 of the HC Bill MANDATES the Govt will audit books of ALL EMPLOYERS that self insure!!
Pg 30 Sec 123 of HC bill - THERE WILL BE A GOVT COMMITTEE that decides what treatments/benefits u get
Pg 29 lines 4-16 in the HC bill - YOUR HEALTHCARE IS RATIONED!!!
Pg 42 of HC Bill - The Health Choices Commissioner will choose UR HC Benefits 4 you. U have no choice!
PG 50 Section 152 in HC bill - HC will be provided 2 ALL non US citizens, illegal or otherwise
Pg 58HC Bill - Govt will have real-time access 2 individs finances & a National ID Healthcard will b issued!
Pg 59 HC Bill lines 21-24 Govt will have direct access 2 ur banks accts 4 elect. funds transfer
PG 65 Sec 164 is a payoff subsidized plan 4 retirees and their families in Unions & community orgs (ACORN).
Pg 72 Lines 8-14 Govt is creating an HC Exchange 2 bring priv HC plans under Govt control.
PG 84 Sec 203 HC bill - Govt mandates ALL benefit pkgs 4 priv. HC plans in the Exchange
PG 85 Line 7 HC Bill - Specs for of Benefit Levels for Plans = The Govt will ration ur Healthcare!
PG 91 Lines 4-7 HC Bill - Govt mandates linguistic approp svcs. Example - Translation 4 illegal aliens
Pg 95 HC Bill Lines 8-18 The Govt will use groups i.e., ACORN & Americorps 2 sign up indiv. for Govt HC plan
PG 85 Line 7 HC Bill - Specs of Ben Levels 4 Plans.#AARP members - U Health care WILL b rationed
-PG 102 Lines 12-18 HC Bill - Medicaid Eligible Indiv. will b automat.enrolled in Medicaid. No choice
pg 124 lines 24-25 HC No company can sue GOVT on price fixing. No "judicial review" against Govt Monop
pg 127 Lines 1-16 HC Bill - Doctors/#AMA - The Govt will tell YOU what u can make.
Pg 145 Line 15-17 An Employer MUST auto enroll employees into pub opt plan. NO CHOICE
Pg 126 Lines 22-25 Employers MUST pay 4 HC 4 part time employees AND their families.
Pg 149 Lines 16-24 ANY Emplyr w payroll 400k & above who does not prov. pub opt. pays 8% tax on all payroll
pg 150 Lines 9-13 Biz w payroll btw 251k & 400k who doesnt prov. pub. opt pays 2-6% tax on all payroll
Pg 167 Lines 18-23 ANY individual who doesnt have acceptable HC accrdng 2 Govt will be taxed 2.5% of inc
Pg 170 Lines 1-3 HC Bill Any NONRESIDENT Alien is exempt from indiv. taxes.(Americans will pay)
Pg 195 HC Bill -officers & employees of HC Admin (GOVT) will have access 2 ALL Americans finan/pers recs
PG 203 Line 14-15 HC - "The tax imposed under this section shall not be treated as tax" Yes, it says that
Pg 239 Line 14-24 HC Bill Govt will reduce physician svcs 4 Medicaid. Seniors, low income, poor affected
Pg 241 Line 6-8 HC Bill - Doctors, doesnt matter what specialty u have, you'll all be paid the same
PG 253 Line 10-18 Govt sets value of Dr's time, prof judg, etc. Literally value of humans.
PG 265 Sec 1131Govt mandates & controls productivity for private HC industries
PG 268 Sec 1141 Fed Govt regulates rental & purchase of power driven wheelchairs
PG 272 SEC. 1145. TREATMENT OF CERTAIN CANCER HOSPITALS - Cancer patients - welcome to rationing!
Page 280 Sec 1151 The Govt will penalize hospitals 4 what Govt deems preventable readmissions.
Pg 298 Lines 9-11 Drs, treat a patient during initial admiss that results in a readmiss-Govt will penalize u.
Pg 317 L 13-20 OMG!! PROHIBITION on ownership/investment. Govt tells Drs. what/how much they can own.
Pg 317-318 lines 21-25,1-3 PROHIBITION on expansion- Govt is mandating hospitals cannot expand
pg 321 2-13 Hospitals have oppt to apply for exception BUT community input required. Can u say ACORN?!!
Pg335 L 16-25 Pg 336-339 - Govt mandates estab. of outcome based measures. HC the way they want. Rationing
Pg 341 Lines 3-9 Govt has authority 2 disqual Medicare Adv Plans, HMOs, etc. Forcing peeps in2 Govt plan
Pg 354 Sec 1177 - Govt will RESTRICT enrollment of Special needs ppl! WTF. My sis has down syndrome!!
Pg 379 Sec 1191 Govt creates more bureaucracy - Telehealth Advisory Cmtte. Can u say HC by phone?
PG 425 Lines 4-12 Govt mandates Advance Care Planning Consult. Think Senior Citizens end of life
Pg 425 Lines 17-19 Govt will instruct & consult regarding living wills, durable powers of atty. Mandatory!
PG 425 Lines 22-25, 426 Lines 1-3 Govt provides apprvd list of end of life resources, guiding u in death
PG 427 Lines 15-24 Govt mandates program 4 orders 4 end of life. The Govt has a say in how ur life ends
Pg 429 Lines 1-9 An "adv. care planning consult" will b used frequently as patients health deteriorates
PG 429 Lines 10-12 "adv. care consultation" may incl an ORDER 4 end of life plans. AN ORDER from GOV
Pg 429 Lines 13-25 - The govt will specify which Doctors can write an end of life order.
PG 430 Lines 11-15 The Govt will decide what level of treatment u will have at end of life
Pg 469 - Community Based Home Medical Services=Non profit orgs. Hello, ACORN Medical Svcs here!!?
Page 472 Lines 14-17 PAYMENT TO COMMUNITY-BASED ORG. 1 monthly payment 2 a community-based org. Like ACORN?
PG 489 Sec 1308 The Govt will cover Marriage & Family therapy. Which means they will insert Govt in2 ur marriage
Pg 494-498 Govt will cover Mental Health Svcs including defining, creating, rationing those svcs

And Peter's not done!!! How in the hell can we expect our political representatives to adequately represent us when they're advocating crap like what's been divulged in this proposed bill so far?

Peter hasn't even got half way through the bill! And look at the common language, plain text explanations of what's being proposed.

Folks, THIS IS SERIOUS!!! I don't know about you but I for one don't want to lose my current coverage, doctor and existing health plan. I also don't want a bunch of fat cat politicos who think they're my supreme advisor making decisions for me that will eventually affect my and my family's quality of life.

I don't want our employees, those who were selected by us, the fine citizens of this fantastic nation to stuff an ill advised, socialized, dangerous health care bill down our throats against our will!

Those senators, representatives and other drones back there in Washington D.C. had better WAKE UP and LISTEN! They work for US! We sent them back to that political circus to get things done that we want done! Not what they think needs to be done even though we, the citizens are against it!

I say NO! to this health care reform bill! NO! to any politico who supports it! NO! to the Brian Bairds, Patty Murrays, Adam Smiths, Arlen Specters, Nancy Pelosis, Ted Kennedys, Howard Deans, Jim McDermotts, Barney Franks, Barbara Boxers, Joe Bidens, Barry Obamas and all others who insist they know what's best for us! NO! to those who support this bill!

I am not a political terrorist. I am not a Nazi. I am not a racist! I am not politically inclined! I am not a hooligan! I am in fact, more patriotic than you, our elected politicos evidently!. I am a blue collar, well educated, average, everyday, hard working, taxpaying, proud American family man, a citizen of this fine, fine United States of America! I don't need some political fat cat so far removed from my life, my existence to force feed me something I don't want for me or my family!

It appalls me to see some of these politicos who thought for years that they're untouchable try to belittle and degrade the very citizens of this country who elected them into that fat cat job they have in the first place. Where's that REPRESENTATION we were promised when you first campaigned and were elected into your office by us, the citizens of this fine nation!

Just because some of us speak out against your foolhardy, politically inclined socialist plans doesn't mean we're unpatriotic, racists, radicals, terrorists, nazis who have nothing better to do than complain and disrupt your process of gaining control.

We're done with you. We're speaking out and we're demanding answers. You work for US! Don't abandon your morals to gain control! Do what's right for once and listen to the citizens that put you where you are! Drop this socialized nonsense... health care reform, immigration, cap and trade, bailouts, etc. Drop this stuff and work on something real, something that will positively affect this country, us citizens as a whole!

If you want health care reform start focusing on TORT REFORM! Limit the damages awarded to attorneys and their clients when it comes to malpractice lawsuits! Tighten the rules and protect the health care we currently have. Reduce the costs of drugs by sharing the costs of development with the rest of the world. Provide free or reduced priced health care to those who truly need it but don't take away what's already here! Don't deprive my family and I of the health care I currently have!

Finally, if you're going to shove it down our throats... if you still insist on that politicos then abandon your health care that we provide to you and sign on to the plan you're proposing and insisting is better for us, the general population!

I say vote them all out and start over!

This whole health care reform idea currently on the table is a fiasco. It's poorly authored, caters to special interest groups, establishes unwarranted and dangerous controls on the lives of the fine citizens of this country and is wrought with greed, contempt and corruption!

Monday, August 10, 2009

The Manning Report...

I had the following link sent to me early last week. His "The Manning Report" is captivating. Watch it, WOW!

Reverend James David Manning is trying to make a difference? He sure is. He appears pretty fed up with the way things are going. Just listen in on one of his reports posted. After listening to him there's really not much left to say!

If you're interested in learning more about Reverend Manning and his views go to his ministries site HERE.







--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sunday, August 09, 2009

Now a Response From a Senator...

...to the same email.

Patty Murray (D- Washington State) answered the same email with the following message.

On Wed, 7/29/09, Senator@murray.senate.gov wrote:


From: Senator@murray.senate.gov
Subject: Response from Senator Murray
To: ########
Date: Wednesday, July 29, 2009, 2:49 PM

Dear ########:

Thank you for writing me to share your thoughts on health care reform. It is good to hear from you.

Health care reform is one of the most critical issues facing our nation. Our current health care system is unstable and unsustainable. Too many people do not have health care coverage and many of those who have coverage are worried about losing it in this uncertain economy. Businesses and families are finding it harder and harder to deal with increasing health care premiums.

In addition, Washington state family budgets cannot sustain the continual rise in health care costs and hidden taxes in the form of rising premiums to cover the uninsured. If we do not get health care costs under control, local, state and federal government budgets will have to take on the weight of rising health care costs. While health care reform may require an initial cost investment, I strongly believe that it will pay off in the long term and the cost letting the system become more unstable is much greater. Without reform to our health care system, premiums will continue to rise, coverage will become more uncertain, businesses will lose competitiveness and it will be harder for Americans to have access to care.

After months of hearings and over 50 hours of public markups, I was pleased that on July 15th, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee passed the Affordable Health Choices Act. The Affordable Health Choices Act lays out policy changes for health care reform in America. This package works to rein in health care costs with a goal of lowering them in the long term and ensure that all Americans have access to high quality, affordable health care coverage. It allows those who like their health insurance to keep it and provides options to those who do not have access to health insurance coverage.

This bill includes provisions to implement several key health insurance reforms. For example, insurance companies would no longer be able to refuse coverage to individuals due to preexisting conditions, patients' out-of-pocket expenses would be limited and all annual and lifetime caps on insurance coverage would be eliminated.

The passage of the Affordable Health Choices Act out of the HELP Committee is a major step in the longer process of health care reform. The Senate Finance Committee is also working on many aspects of health care reform and the Affordable Health Choices Act will need to be combined with this legislation in the future. The Finance Committee is expected to release their proposal soon. In addition, the House of Representatives is working on a separate version of health care reform legislation.

As the Senate moves forward on health care reform legislation, I will be weighing the many concerns that I am hearing from constituents all across Washington state. As this effort continues, I will certainly keep your thoughts in mind. You can find more information on my Website at http://murray.senate.gov/healthcarereform/.

Again, thank you for contacting me about this important issue. If you would like to know more about my work in the Senate, please feel free to sign up for my weekly updates at http://murray.senate.gov/updates. Please keep in touch.

I hope all is well in Lacey.


Post comments.

Again, general discussion about the professed evils of our current system yet no real substantive fixes. I took particular note of her comments...

"This package works to rein in health care costs with a goal of lowering them in the long term and ensure that all Americans have access to high quality, affordable health care coverage.

Yet the plan is to provide health care to everyone! Including the illegal aliens who are pouring across our borders daily. Once we get this health care reform shoved down our throats we won't be able to fit into the hospital's and clinic's reception areas. They'll be crowded with non-citizens demanding health care.

Further, she states "It allows those who like their health insurance to keep it and provides options to those who do not have access to health insurance coverage. But what she really fails to mention is the fact that we, those of us who chose to purchase health care, already have our coverage! and those who didn't opt to purchase health care already have coverage via the emergency rooms and free clinics throughout the nation! albeit lacking at times. But then again, they get what they pay for. That's the chance they took when they opted not to participate in a health care plan.

Now, a reply to Murray's letter:

Ms. Murray,

Does this mean you'll be participating in the same health care system you're trying to compel your constituents to participate in? Will you be foregoing your publicly provided blue ribbon health care as a Senator to participate in the version being prepared for us, the citizens? I'd be real interested in knowing the answer to that question... from you and your "colleagues", our public servants. I realize there's a proposed provision that "allows those who like their health insurance to keep it" however, with the proposed plan I see no incentives for the private Fee For Service providers to maintain certain coverages.

Unlike the health care plans Congressional, Judicial and Executive government employees are provided by the public I don't see those of us who do have reliable and reasonable health care coverages being carried much longer by the private companies after this proposed "plan" kicks in. Be realistic Senator, your plans are to tax us and them out of our coverages! Tell the truth!

So, until you and all of the other PUBLIC SERVANTS in Washington D.C. sign on to the proposed public health care plan (without perks!) I will continue to be opposed to it... and to you and to every other public servant who votes for it... republican, democrat, whatever.

If you want true control of costs associated with the health care system you should look to establish some sort of tort reform to the current structure. Eliminate those HUGE, exorbitant payouts to attorneys for attorney fees, etc. Face the REAL problems and fix those! Don't create a problem that really doesn't exist and certainly don't label it a "critical issue"!

Get on with the tort reform relating to health care lawsuits, not health care reform. My health care works great.

There's a bunch of us out here who aren't buying into government's health care proposals.

Thanks for your reply.

######,
A taxpaying Washington State, USA citizen.


P.S.

Things are fine in Lacey, thank you.

A Representative's Reply...

...to a health care query emailed to him in July.

Here's Representative Adam Smith's (D- Washington State) reply to an email to him addressing concerns regarding the government's proposed health care reforms. The letter was much like the open letter that I posted on this blog last month.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

--- On Fri, 7/24/09, Representative Adam Smith wrote:

From: Representative Adam Smith
Subject: Re: IMA MAIL ON WEBHEA
To: dher490@yahoo.com
Date: Friday, July 24, 2009, 8:12 AM

July 24, 2009

Dear ######,

The United States Congress is entering a critical stage in the effort to reform our country's health care system. I believe very strongly that, with the right legislation, we can provide quality, affordable care to all Americans while controlling costs and improving quality.

The House has now introduced, through a tri-committee process, its first bill aimed at substantially changing that system. I fear, however, that this bill doesn't recognize the need for reform that will not only create universal access for all Americans, but that also fundamentally changes our broken and inefficient health care system to control costs and improve quality. The cost of adding the nearly 50 million uninsured Americans into our current health care system without structural changes in health care delivery, as this bill does, could collapse the health system. And, by so doing, we will have missed a tremendous opportunity to change how all Americans receive health care in ways that will address the significant shortfalls that currently exist in the quality of that care.

The Tri-Committee legislation, while it makes great strides toward covering more Americans, is unsustainable. The draft is too expensive and misses the most fundamental problems with our current system. We will be unable to provide quality care for those Americans who would gain coverage under this legislation if we do not remedy the current wasteful spending and out of control costs in health care. Further, I am concerned that the Obama Administration has released several promising ideas but has not yet put forth a solid legislative proposal around which Congressional leaders can coalesce.

Achieving the essential goal of affordable health care and universal access to care can only be achieved and sustained through cost containment measures. In this country we do too many unnecessary tests, prescribe too many unnecessary drugs, perform too many unnecessary surgeries, and have too many unnecessary hospitalizations. With greater emphasis on primary care, prevention, and paying for quality outcomes instead the amount of services there is a way to reform health care that could not only rein in costs, but could also improve the quality of care dramatically.

If we are going to be able to provide universal coverage to all Americans without bankrupting our economy, we have to eliminate fee-for-service (FFS) medicine. It has led to massive overutilization of treatment and tests. The current FFS model, and basis of our health system, rewards the quantity of services provided rather than the quality of care. In this system, providers are overburdened and incentivized to fit in too many patients. Providers must rush through appointments, which means that they can often order treatments, tests, and specialists that they may have otherwise determined to be unnecessary if they were afforded more time with their patients.

Unfortunately, however, the debate on overhauling FFS medicine has taken a disappointing turn in Congress. The argument has been made that, if we move away from FFS, it will lead to rationing of necessary tests and treatments. Correcting the flawed FFS system is not about rationing medicine or valuing one kind of care over another. Rather, it is about more efficiently expending resources. There are studies that show that regions of the country that spend the most on health care and perform the most tests and procedures have a lower quality of care than those areas that have lower costs. The debate, then, should not be about denying care but about reducing overutilization of unnecessary services and promoting higher quality care, both of which save money.

The problem is particularly apparent in Medicare where the reimbursement rate formula fails to reward efficient health care regions at a fair rate and overutilization is rampant. As a result, Washington state and others like it with very efficient health systems, where providers order fewer unnecessary tests and treatments, have very low reimbursement rates compared to other regions of the country.

This system is not only unfair to states like Washington, it is incredibly wasteful and unsustainable for the entire health care system. Providers are paid for the amount of care whether or not it is of high quality and in the best interest of the patient. The Tri-Committee bill does nothing to reform this system, and also adds to the problem by basing the public option on this same failed fee-for-service reimbursement model.

If health care reform rewarded doctors for the quality of the care they provide, rather than the quantity of tests, referrals, and visits, we could greatly reduce the amount of services and provide better, more efficient care and cover more Americans in a sustainable way.

I believe a public plan option and broader health reform is our opportunity to get off of fee-for-service medicine. I am supportive of a public option that includes both a reformulated reimbursement system and a focus on preventative care with discounts for people that make progress on preventable and controllable heath conditions.

As you know, preventative care is about more than tests and taking medications, it is also about promoting healthy behaviors and individual engagement. Health care should be a shared responsibility between patients and providers and that should be reflected in how people pay for insurance. There are several common preventable, controllable, health conditions that can lead to larger problems such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity, and smoking. Pricing that rewards efforts to improve or control these problems is not only fair, but also incentivizes individuals to actively engage in their own health, ultimately driving down the cost of care.

Many companies that self-insure their employees have had great success with risk-based pricing. The system they uses gives discounts to people who make progress on or control the issues mentioned above and charges people who don't control them more. Using this model, these companies have had great success with not only improving the health of their employees, but also with keeping health care costs low while the rest of the country saw inflation in costs. There is no reason why this model could or should not be applied to all federal health care programs including the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) in which Members of Congress participate.

The Tri-Committee bill makes great progress toward covering more Americans. But, the introduced legislation makes minimal progress toward containing costs which will mean that our health system will remain unsustainable, our federal debt will continue to grow, and the burden of an excessively expensive health care system will continue to be an impediment to economic growth.

It is also important for the White House to take a more active role in formulating health care reform legislation. To date, the Obama administration, while very supportive of Congressional efforts to reform health care, has not yet introduced its own legislative text. It is necessary for the White House to contribute concrete ideas to this debate so that Congress and the American people can know exactly where President Obama stands. I would encourage you to contact the White House and urge the President to present his own version of health care reform legislation.

Now is the time to fundamentally reform our health care system in a way that expands access while containing costs to instill efficiencies in the system that pay for the expansion. I am hopeful that these issues will be addressed as health care reform moves forward and I look forward to working with my colleagues and President Obama on these important issues.



Sincerely,

Adam Smith

Member of Congress



AS:sm



If you'd like to receive occasional e-mail updates from my office, please visit my website to sign up - http://www.house.gov/adamsmith/IMA/newsletter.shtml.


Sincerely,

Adam Smith
Member of Congress


>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Post comments:

Obviously, from the response given by Smith it's apparent the government has every intention of shoving this half baked plan down our throats! Smith discusses costs, preventive care, Fee For Service care, availability, etc. but fails to provide any real substance to the discussion. He does allude to expanding access while containing costs but has offered up no real ideas.

Bottom line, he's offering cool aid to us. He's lost my vote!

Here's the reply that was sent to Smith. Short and sweet. Let's see what Smith's reply will be to this query. I'll bet he won't reply.


August 09, 2009 10:43 a.m.

Adam Smith
Member of Congress


Adam,

Does this mean you'll be taking the lead and abandoning your current health care plan(s) to participate in this one that is being advocated for all of us?

######
A taxpaying Washington State, USA Citizen

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

An open letter regarding health care reform

From: A United States Citizen

To: Every politician in America!

Re: That proposed health care fiasco you've all got in the works back there in Washington D.C.


Hi Folks,

Let me set the record straight at the "get-go" here... I'm a normal, well educated blue collar guy who has absolutely no political party affiliation... just contempt and disgust for the politics of the day.

You politicos are making us, your fellow citizens, your "constituents" the most recent victims of your political shenanigans. I'm tired of it. I'm tired of being lied to, cheated, deceived and taken for granted. Take your political crap elsewhere, you're ruining our lives here!

I'm a mid 50 yrs. old Washingtonian. I'm a son, brother, uncle, husband, friend, father and grandfather. Like my father and several brothers before me I served our country as a soldier the United States Army. I was and still am very well aware that my health would always be one of those priorities in life. I knew I had to provide for it's care. I also learned early on that our U.S.A. citizenship everyone of you politicos seem to want to trade off or give away nowadays is an earned citizenship and should be respected, cherished and protected by everyone who possesses it. It should not, cannot, will not be handed out willy nilly or traded off for political favors or future votes.

It needs to stay that way!

Anyways, back to this health care thing you got brewing back there in ol' D.C. land.

When I married in the mid 70's I took on those shared responsibilities associated with marriage, family... life. I've always worked... from the age of 13 years old through today I've always had a job of some sort. I've always willingly participated in a health care plan offered by any of my several employers. I sacrificed financially in other areas of my life so I could afford those health care premiums. That was my choice. Most of the time those "sacrifices" were nominal... including foregoing certain unnecessary "perks" such as premium cable t.v., coffee, "sin" comforts (cigarettes, candy, soda, etc.), fancy cars and trucks, season tickets to sporting events, recreational vehicles, vacations, gourmet meals, fine wines, trendy clothes, etc. to ensure I had the money to pay the necessities for my family. My wife and I both contributed to the cause of raising and providing for our family since we married over 32 years ago.

I've lived with, befriended and otherwise witnessed those who, unlike us willingly chose to forego some of those same "necessities" in life like health care in favor of some of those life's perks I previously mentioned. At times I've seen them scramble to sell what they can, to liquidate some of their "toys" just to make a medical payment of one type or another for medical services that resulted from some unexpected mishap or illness. Now more-so than earlier in life... attribute that to age and health. I watch as they now sacrifice what we sacrificed for years and realize they made the choice, the decisions earlier in life that brought them to where they are today... older with poor or no health insurance coverages and having those pre-existing conditions they never thought they, themselves would ever have.

I want to feel sorry for them and help them but then again I think about the overall situation they're in and realize they're the reason they're having the health and medical issues that they're having. They made bad choices earlier and now the results of those choices are difficult if not impossible to turn around.

I've made several bad choices myself over the years but I've learned to account for them, learn from them and adapt however difficult it was. That's part of what I thought being and American was all about… the freedom and ability to choose, to negotiate hardships and to reason and succeed, or fail if you so choose. I do believe in helping my neighbor but I don't believe in giving up what I know works and what I've sacrificed to maintain just so those who want what I have can have it without making the same sacrifices I've made most of my life.

I'm certainly not alone.

They see the care we've paid for all these years and now they want it too...

Let it be known that we have "free" clinics, medicare, medicaid, mandatory emergent health care requirements imposed on health care providers, reduced rate health care options, co-pay options, veterans care, etc. available for some of the best health care in the world. People who cannot afford or choose not to subscribe to private health care plans regularly utilize these "free" or reduced fee social health cares.

I truly don't want to see the health care that I've contributed to and participated in all of these years be taxed out of existence or otherwise rendered defunct because our federal government wants to socialize the whole health care system in this, our fine country. I don't want my neighbor paying for my government proposed health care simply because that fine neighbor took certain risks that I wouldn't take earlier in life and generated an income greater than $250,000.00. I don't want to have others carry my weight for me. I can do it on my own as I have for the past 40 or so years. I've planned ahead and realize I'll still have to make some sacrifices in life to maintain adequate health care coverage for myself and my wife... not to mention those in our family who aren't able to yet. I don't want to see our existing health care be reduced to another government boondoggle. I don't want the government making medical choices for me or my loved ones. I'll pay the premiums and I'll accept the service provided by my current provider but I surely don't want to see government interference in the care that we currently have.

I'm not in favor of the health care reform as it exists. You're all moving way to fast! You haven't convinced this taxpayer that you know what you're doing, you aren't being "fair and unbiased" and you certainly aren't looking out for what's best for us, the citizens!

Finally, I recognize health care in one form or another... primarily emergent health care should be available for everyone in this country when the need arises for that emergent care. However, I will not vote for any public servant who insists general, socialized health care paid for by the very citizens of this country should be available to those who are in this country illegally or without citizenship status.

For what it's worth politicos, I'm urging you to vote "NO" against this proposed health care reform. Democrat-Republican- I don't care! Lose the partisan politics crap and think about us, the voters, this country's citizens, your employers for once! This health care reform bill... it's a boondoggle and it's a very, very bad idea!

If reform's necessary (and in many ways I believe it is) then let's slow down, study it and do it right. I don't want to be force fed another federal government mess and I sure as heck don't want my children and grandchildren left to carry the water for me and others. It's a matter of practicality, principle and pride... not to mention knowing what's right from wrong.

Wake up, do the right thing and abandon this plan. It's a horrible plan and will surely cost us more than we can afford collectively as a nation!

Thanks for reading this. Hopefully it will be supported by scores of thousands of others who share the same or similar thoughts or beliefs.

Sincerely,

A proud, voting, blue collar, tax paying citizen of the United States of America

Saturday, July 18, 2009

World information, events and political contacts...

Links:

Honduras Information...

Wall Street article on Zelaya, Honduras' exiled president. Why was he exiled? This article is no longer available.

Dennis Prager regarding Honduras…

Kirk Florida posts. An interesting site.

Iran!

Tracking internet users, Iran style…

Polls...

Vote Of The Day. A place to go to vote for or against… whatever.

How Do I Contact My Senator or Representative?

U.S. Senate. Find your senator using the drop down menu on upper right side of the site.

U.S. House of Representatives. Find your representative’s contact information by using the zip code entry on the upper left corner of their site.

What about the White House?

White House. Dial 1-202-456-1111 and ask to speak to Barry (or Barack).

“The Ten Commandments According to Obama” - A Free Press for the Conservative Revolution

Obama's done a lot of damage to us in the little bit of time he and his cronies have been in office. We should all be up at night worrying about what he and his policies are going to leave us with (without) when they're defeated and removed in 2012.

In the meantime here's Barack Hussein Obama's ten commandments. Read them, study them, memorize them and obey them! Especially if you're a conservative, Republican or a christian.

“The Ten Commandments According to Obama” - A Free Press for the Conservative Revolution

Posted using ShareThis

Pass it around! Before we lose our freedom to do so. Many thanks to those at The Patriot for posting these commandments initially.

And remember, let's keep the limit on term limits! Protect our 22nd Amendment! Four years of this guy is too much!

Tuesday, July 07, 2009

shari'a law coming to a neighborhood near you...

Get used to it.

I was bouncing around my "links" list looking for active and inactive links, culling the inactive ones.

I went over to the Anti Mullah blog, scrolled to the article entitled "Tuesday, July 07, 2009 ISLAM IN THE USA - SHUTS US UP - FORBIDS US USING OUR OWN NATIONAL FREEDOMS OR OUR RELIGIONS, WHILE THEY ABUSE THOSE AND US - YouTube Proof" and watched as they captured on video a blatant display of arrogance. See for yourself how the shari'a security use minors, women and other seemingly non-descript persons to help them run interference and eventually assault a couple of individuals who are simply trying to ask some questions at an islamic "informational fair" in Dearborn, Michigan.

Also check out the movie linked with the article. You can find that link HERE! It's a must see too!

islam, the religion of peace??? I think not!

UNDERSTAND THIS!!! They, the muslims want what you have!

And they're here trying to get it from you.

But then again, what would you expect from the followers of a murdering, slaughtering pedophile that is worshipped by their cult as a prophet? moohamood, muhammud... whatever you want to call that fool.

What a sham this "religion" truly is.

Saturday, July 04, 2009

Independence Day!

Have a safe and happy fourth of July everyone! Enjoy your family, friends and freedom today!

Stay safe, play sane and enjoy the holiday.

Friday, July 03, 2009

Honduras, from the inside...

I found this email posted on The Jungle Hut, a blog I recently discovered while reading posts at On The Skyline and following a link to it.

Rita at "the Jungle Hut" has a very good post regarding the Honduras situation. It's insightful and definitely relates to the local Honduran thoughts and attitudes about the recent Honduran reaction to their ex president Zelaya's attempt to create yet another Central and South American dictatorship. The people have had enough, it would appear.

Here's the email Rita received and posted to her blog:

Dear friends of the Mission,

I know you have heard on the news about the recent change in government in Honduras. I am writing in an effort to address the questions and anxieties you may be experiencing concerning the safety of our missionaries, staff and teams in Honduras.

The Honduran President was forcefully removed from office by command of the Honduran Congress and Supreme Court. For many months, the Congress and Supreme Court warned President Zelaya to refrain from specific activities which were deemed to be illegal and unconstitutional.

Last week, Zelaya fired the commander of the armed forces and the chief of the national police because of their unwillingness to assist Zelaya in carrying out the very activities that the Supreme Court and Attorney General deemed unlawful and unconstitutional. (Many understood these firings as Zelaya’s attempt to force change within the government at any cost.) Later, the Congress reinstated the leaders of these armed forces and the Supreme Court affirmed that reinstatement.

Unfortunately, the international media is portraying these events a military coup d’etat. However, it is absolutely clear that the Congress and the newly appointed President are in control of the government – not the military. In forcefully removing the ex-President, the Honduran military acted at the request of the Congress and Supreme Court. The Honduran government has clearly and plainly announced that if ex-President Zelaya returns to Honduras, he will be arrested and put on trial for eighteen outstanding warrants for crimes and treason he has committed against the country of Honduras.

I want to assure you that all of us missionaries feel that neither we nor our teams have been placed in any danger. We are evaluating the situation daily and will not permit any team to come to Honduras if we feel that they are in imminent danger. As of today, (Wednesday, July 1) business in Honduras is pretty much as usual; most schools and businesses are open and operating as normal. Public transportation is moving as well, although some highways have been closed due to damage by some of Zelaya’s supporters and/or due to some demonstrations in localized areas. For the most part, these demonstrations have been peaceful.

Please pray for Honduras, that tomorrow and all of the coming days would be peaceful.


Many thanks to Rita and all of the brave Honduran souls who are standing up to tyranny and marxism, defending their liberties in spite of what the rest of the world thinks!

Including Obama and his entourage! U.N., get out of our country!

I do love the cartoon she posts as well. It's so on the mark!

Long Live Freedom and Democracy in Honduras!

Sarah Palin calls it quits!

Announced by Sarah Palin earlier today, July 03, 2009.

Effective July 26, 2009 she will step down as Alaska's Governor.

Can you blame her?

Now maybe she can get some respite from the mainstream media.

She'll be missed but I'm thinking she's not out of the game entirely. Okay, I'm hoping she's not.

Good luck Sarah. Thanks for your service to this fine country and to the state of Alaska.

Relax. Go enjoy your family and be at peace with yourself. You've been put through crap that not to many of us would have subjected ourselves to. You're one helluva person! Thanks.

The Twenty Second Amendment...

It's under attack!

Remember when Barrack Hussein Obama said the constitution should be treated as a living document and should be susceptible to change? Remember his discussions on this before and during the primaries?

Well, there's a pretty big target of his hidden behind the current veil of those other pesty domestic and global distractions being tossed up in our faces. Those activities taking place in Honduras, North Korea, Iran although serious and in need of attention are not as critical to us as a nation than this latest assault by Obama, et.al. on our freedoms! Neither is the Crap and Trade... err, "cap and trade"... (my error), universal health care, illegal immigrations, financial meltdown, etc.

There's a move afoot by the Obama camp to modify the Twenty Second Amendment:

"Section 1. No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice, and no person who has held the office of President, or acted as President, for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected President shall be elected to the office of the President more than once. But this article shall not apply to any person holding the office of President when this article was proposed by the Congress, and shall not prevent any person who may be holding the office of President, or acting as President, during the term within which this article becomes operative from holding the office of President or acting as President during the remainder of such term.

Section 2. This article shall be inoperative unless it shall have been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several States within seven years from the date of its submission to the States by the Congress.
"

I have a problem with this movement... BIG TIME.

You should too! No wonder Obama went ballistics when Honduras enforced their law and ousted their president for trying to do the very thing Obama's cronies are trying. Honduras, by effectively removing the traitor from office exposed the whole dictatorial scheme to the rest of the world. A dictatorial scheme that has been used to change existing democracies into dictatorial, socialist states now ruled by tyrants and dictators. The very scheme used so effectively by Chavez, Ortega, Castro, Morales, et.al. to strip their country's citizens freedoms from them.

Yes, Obama's outrage has meaning now.

Obama's camp is doing the exact same thing! They're trying to eliminate the President of the United States term limits... quietly, behind our backs. Honduras inadvertently exposed that scheme to us. It all makes sense now why Barry was upset with Honduras yet kept relatively silent about Iran... until pressed.

If the link above doesn't work for you try THIS LINK or simply cut and paste this url "http://www.end22.com/" into your browser. As a fellow American you NEED to read it. Poke around on the site. Give it a good read.

Sure, the proposed changes have been tried before and failed but there's a full court press going on behind the scenes to get it done this time.

If they are successful IT WILL AFFECT YOU!

This must be one of those "major challenges" for Obama during his first year that Biden was referring to. You know, one of those challenges where Obama was going to have to make several "difficult decisions" that wouldn't necessarily sit well with us, the citizens of this fine country.

Well he's right, this isn't sitting well... with me at least!

Obviously, the challenge to Barry is how he and his cronies can get this passed quietly without upsetting us, the citizens too much. Surely they could try to do it by keeping it veiled... much like their amnesty plans, their socialized medicine (squeezing the private insurances out of business), their energy boondoggle, their "no pork" pork, etc...

It appears now that Biden knew full well those challenges, those threats to us and our constitution would be coming from within the United States, from the Oval Office and congress. From the very people we elected to represent us. Silly me, I thought he was thinking more along the lines of threats, challenges, influences that would have had foreign origins. Shame on me!

Shame on you!

This president is downright scary! We're totally screwed if this crap goes through!

Honduras has a cure for tampering with term limits. Maybe we should amend the 22nd. amendment accordingly. Let's have it say something to the effect of Anyone who attempts to increase the term limits of the President of the United States shall be tried for treason, immediately impeached, removed from office and imprisoned as a traitor!

Just thought I'd share this info and my opinion... for what it's worth.

Oh yeah as an aside... while you're out bumping around check out the availability and price of ammunition, primers, powder, bullets and casings in your local area, or for that matter on the internet. From 22's to high caliber.

I have to go for now. I have a new flag and want to get it hung out in front of the house before the 4th.

Take care all and STAY ALERT!

Saturday, June 27, 2009

Washington State was sold out!


...as was our nation!

Dave Reichert, Washington State Representative, Republican, how did you read the entire 1,500 plus pages of Cap and Trade bill in the very, very limited time you had to review it before you voted for it?

And after you read it (which I'll bet didn't happen) how the hell in good conscience did you bring yourself to vote for it?

What part of "Representative" do you not understand Reichert?

This is a sell out to higher energy prices, bigger government, special interests, more financial assaults on the working Joes and blatant catering to the George Soros' of the world!

ACORN, et. al. never had it so good. You helped line their nests at our (the taxpayers, the citizens) expense.

Those who tell us they read the bill in it's entirety and understood what they read are liars! Our whole national existence is GONE as we knew it! Our government has taken us hostage and is demanding unimaginable and unachievable ransoms for our freedoms... one chunk at a time.

We are very, very rapidly becoming a socialist, tyrannical state and our politicos are laughing all the way to the bank.

Even as we overloaded the phone lines to congress yesterday... even as we spoke to their staffers we were betrayed! Betrayed by the very people we put in those positions to "represent" us!

Reichert! Did Barack Hussein Obama promise to make you a Csar somewhere? Somehow?

Are you going to vote for this absurd Health Care Reform Bill? In otherwords, are you going to vote for socialized medicine too? Are you in favor of diluting our medical care and making us a socialist or communist state? Or will it be a tyranny? Will you tell us now?

I doubt it... you're not that type of person. Not that type of individual who tells things like it is. Tells things as he sees them. I thought you were, many of us thought your were but you're not! You certainly showed your true colors yesterday.

Reichert, you betrayed us! You caved to desperation... caved to keeping your seat in congress. You've lost your spine you used to have when you were the local Sheriff in King County, Washington.

I'm not in your district, not one of your "voters" but I and my family are directly affected by your cowardly vote for this crap... err, excuse me... cap and trade fiasco!

The damaage is done! You've helped put a knife in the back of our freedom as we knew it! You and those like you are now twisting that knife.

What I want to know is just who in the hell do these politico nutcases like you Reichert think you are when it comes to deciding what is best for me and mine in every day life? We've managed to live our lives without much of yours and their unwanted intrusions until now, what makes you and them think you know what's best for us and ours???

In my humble opinion and for what it's worth Dave Reichert you're a coward, a sellout and a fraud. You are a disgrace to our state. I will do all in my power to ensure you do not get re-elected to that "representative" position you're so desperately trying to keep!

There was a day when I respected and admired you for your accomplishments. You lost all of my respect and admiration yesterday, Friday, June 26, 2009 when you buckled under pressure.

See there, republicans are no different than democrats! They'll sell your soul to keep theirs!

A Message From Montana...

While wandering around on the internet news this morning I found a citizen's post to a page at the Great Falls Tribune. Hopefully, if this link works you can read it HERE.

The post says a lot about how us, the normal everyday working Joe's perception is regarding what's happening behind the scenes in our "new" country, "Obamaland".

I'm posting it below in case the link doesn't work. It's entertaining and oh so onthe mark!

An interesting read!

"I would just like to say thank you"

Posted 6/26/2009 7:22 PM MDT on greatfallstribune.com


Ladies and gentlemen, I want to thank you for showing up. I know its been some time since we've had our last meeting and it was behind closed doors as was necessary. Mr. Soros, I thought now would be an appropriate time to give an assessment of the situation and convey my appreciation. Mr. treasurer, Tim I want to thank you and commend you on the way you've handled that nasty corporation scandal and affairs of General Motors and Chrysler. I think you did an exemplary job on the bailout and the stimulation package as well. I realize Mr. Barney Frank was in the background working side-by-side with you. Between the two of you, you managed to get control or least leverage on the banks and the mortgage industry, good job, well done. I do think the unions may become a problem later down the line however right now we have them mollified and they're happy with the situation because they are blind with greed. Nancy, Nancy, Nancy, you amaze me, every time I think the spotlight is about to swing onto me, you come up with some new diversion or stir up something in Congress and or in the news media. you totally and completely divert the attention of the public away from me and onto you and Congress, it's amazing I don't know how you do it. I thought the part when the news media captured you at that meeting with the illegal aliens telling them, it was un-American not to allow illegal aliens medical, dental, drivers licenses, and Social Security. It was really great and timely when once again you diverted attention from me and what I was upto,and onto yourself with that CIA fiasco, what was that all about anyway? did they really lie?or were you just having fun?. Joe you need to learn to clam up, you give too much away. Oh yes and Mr. Gibbs thank you so much, you have controlled the press releases in exactly the right manner. We now have almost total control of the media with the exception of Fox and the Washington Post. The Washington Post however is starting to swing our way since I quietly removed the chief editor.(that was almost as good as when I fired those CEO's, oh that was fun) OH yeah somebody needs to do something about Glenn Beck, he is starting to be a problem. Gibbs, see if you can handle that or at least censure him. also, another great bonus was that Republican Senator what's his name? You know the one that flew to Argentina so he could cheat on his wife? Anyway that's not important what is important was Gibbs arranged for the media to go into a feeding frenzy over this one senator cheating on his wife to divert attention away from the clean energy bill that was on the floor of the House. Of course you and I know this bill as a cap and trade bill. I was desperate to have attention diverted away from this vote I did not want all the people calling their congressmen and telling them don't vote for it. I just can't believe our luck, the day before this bill was to go in front of the house Michael Jackson passed away. It only took a little nudging from Gibbs (as we now have most of the control over the media) to turn this into a media frenzy. Even Fox failed to report on the cap and trade bill being passed. The whole news media much to my joy was entirely involved in the life and Times of Michael Jackson. OH this is great, Don't get me wrong, I'm very sad that he passed away but as Hillary said we need to make the most out of every bad situation and believe me I intend to make the most out of Michael Jackson passing away and totally diverting attention from the clean energy bill. Oh what a break. "Now let me be clear about this" please understand, we own General Motors, we own Chrysler, we have mostly control over the banks. With the passage of the clean energy bill we will have total control over people's heat over their lights and over their income and with the health bill we will be able to make people even more dependent our government. Stick with me and you'll see what I mean, Even as we speak acorn is gathering personal information from every person in this country(28 pages) that we will be able to use against them. Continuing though, I also want to thank homeland security, and the rest of you people that worked so hard to help us take over this country. I can honestly say I believe that the people of this country will be better off with a benevolent dictator such as myself who also has his appointed assistants or czars if you wish to be called that. We are the elite we know what's best for this country the general population does not. Do not look back, look forward, we have a great and growing partnership with China and together with China we can establish a world order in which we can rule the world.
Once again I want to thank you for a job well done, even though the clean energy bill has passed, there is still a lot of work to be done in the takeover and conversion of this country but we are well on our way. Just think of this as a giant shell game with the need to divert attention to win. allright everybody, thank you, now let's get back to work and would somebody please find my prayer mat and show me which direction is East?
"Obamas meeting"


Many thanks to the Great Falls Tribune for their service to the community!

And thanks for your post Rocco!

Before our very eyes!!!

We're being gang-raped as a nation. Obama and his entourage are accomplishing exactly what they've set out to do. They are changing America just like they promised they would... from the land of the free to the land of the subservient. They will not stop until we, as individual citizens and collectively, become slavish to them... to their changes!

I watch as the press villifies those dumb ass republicans and wonder whatever happened to all of the scandals brought out over the years... and currently being mentioned about the demoncrats. What about Senator "Cold Cash" Jefferson and his frozen bundle of "payoff" money? Why isn't he in prison by now? You and I surely would be! Hell, we'd still be in prison awaiting trial from back when we were first accused.

How about Barney Frank, one of the co-masterminds of the failures of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac? What about Frank and the ethical conflict of interest he had with his "boyfriend" who served on that there financial oversight committee or whatever it was? How about the charges that his boyfriend "allegedly" ran an escort service out of Frank's home? Why isn't Frank being held accountable for his inept handling and cover ups that led to the Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac banking failures and subsequent housing crash?

What about Harry Reid's sons "alleged" unethical lawyering and business "deals"? If I recall, information "suggested" these lucrative deals involved extensive inside information being sent their way... millions were and still are being made by them. Why is he not at least probed a bit more regarding these allegations? And why are the results not publicly posted?

Let's talk about Nancy Pelosi's husband making off with a great deal of cash in another sweetheart deal "allegedly" handed out by insiders in congress? What about her cozy arrangements with all of the illegals in waiting? Will it be amnesty or will it be amnesty? More voters for the dems. What about Chris Dodd's bundle he made by selling stock and other securities just before the market crashed worldwide? That kind of smacks as a conflict of interest. What about his part in the Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac fiasco? Why is there no accountability here???

...it can and should go on! Repubes and Demoncrats alike!

We could get into the Demoncrats backing the failure of the auto industries, housing markets/finance, health care "reform", witch hunt at Gitmo, etc. but why do the repubes work for them?

There's a feeding frenzy going on of the likes that I've never seen before and the repubes are running with their tails between their legs. Every friggin' politico has abandoned us, the citizens... their "employers" for the sake of saving themselves, of personal greed and to protect their individual nest eggs they've created!

I'm of the belief that the repubes are scattered and hiding in individual spider holes throughout this land when not at mandatory appearances in DC and elsewhere. I'm of the belief that these cowards are hiding and hoping that they individually are not next... abandoning any thought about protecting and serving us, the citizens of this once fine nation!

We're watching the demoncrat thugs as they travel in packs take out individual repube politicos throughout the world... let alone the country. I mean, it's a simple chore. All any politico from either party has to do is sit back and watch for a bit. Observe their adversaries activities, listen, collect information and strike like the belly crawling snakes in the grass they are!

The demoncrats have it down to a fine art. The repubes are in disarray and truly have no collective direction. They're simply looking out for themselves like a bunch of shell shocked hostages.

It's sickening, maddening and downright wrong watching our country being torn to shreds by these selfish, fat cat, greedy, grubbing, scum of the earth politicos... repubes and demoncrats alike!

And it's happening to us right before our eyes! We're just not collectively understanding how we've allowed these freaks to ruin our nation as we know it!

They have no soul... and they're taking ours one soul at a time.

Saturday, May 30, 2009

a bit of clarity here, please...

Hi, it’s me. Just another human being, another United States citizen, another man on the planet here. No more, no less.

I've been wondering lately, thinking about the plight of our grand nation.

I'm considered to be a "moderate" politically because I tend to believe in a mix of things, some conservative, some liberal and some off the charts one way or the other. I'm also somewhat literate, educated and prefer to review those facts presented to me as the foundation of a discussion... whatever that discussion may be. That's one of my many quirks: I want to review what's being discussed with an open mind and if relevant, possibly change my belief (heaven forbid!) … or at least have a more educated, well rounded view of the topic at hand. Simply put I can be and have been persuaded by facts presented to me.

For the most part I’m a simple, fact oriented guy. I try not to engage in personal affronts, name-calling, party bashing, etc. but must admit I haven’t been all that successful in avoiding that crap. I've voted for candidates from the independent side and almost every party at one time or another in my life so I'm certainly not party bound.

In many comments following particular articles I’ve read in the “news” lately there are threads of facts posted by some that are interrupted by very personal affronts, drivel if you will from individuals who seem to represent the beliefs of this fine country’s current administration.

It appears the common theme, the common practice amongst a lot of supporters of the Obama administration are to attack the messenger, not the message of those who dare question Obama’s rationale, his direction.

For some time now I've been longing for some factual data that will help me understand exactly how we got into this mess as a nation, why we're addressing our woes as we are and how the proposed corrective actions employed and suggested by Obama, et.al. will truly benefit us as a nation, as a world.

I'm at a loss. I don't see where we’ll benefit from printing money without security, where more taxation leads to a more robust economy, where socialization of health, commerce, and manufacturing contributes to independence and prosperity. I as an individual citizen, as a father, grandfather, husband, brother, uncle, friend and veteran am concerned we're not heading in the right direction and I implore anyone out there to provide me with relevant details and facts that will support the arguments that we ARE better off now than we were two years ago, four years ago, six years ago... and we'll be much better off in 2012 than we were in 2004, 2002, 2000... etc.

So please save me the name-calling, the drivel. Direct me to as many of those facts that you can which support, or at least lend to the explanation of this current administration's assertions. I really don't care about revisiting the talking points of Democrats, Republicans, Independents, Socialists, Communists, Libertarians, etc. I really don't care about full party politics. I'd just like to get a bit more educated, a bit more assured that we're heading in the right direction.

Because quite frankly friends, I don't think we are.

I realize I'm only one individual out here and folks don't really need to put much stock in what any one individual might think or do. But collectively, all of us 'one individual' types do eventually add up.

I do care about our country, my neighbors, my family, my friends... about where we're heading and whether the choices being made, the directions we're heading are the most prudent, the most worthwhile, the most rewarding for us as a nation and subsequently, as a world.

As a friend, as a neighbor I'm simply asking for some clarity here not party line politics.

Thanks in advance.

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Ah, Obama sells us out...

...again. All in the interests of appeasement, apology... enablement, the ultimate goal.

Those select, hand chosen, redacted, classified documents obama and his political cronies released to the world last week... You know the ones that allege "torture", immoral conduct, illegal shenanigans perpetrated by president Bush and his administration on those helpless, God fearing, misunderstood clumps of humanity we incarcerated at Gitmo and elsewhere.

Yeah, those documents. Not ALL of them, just some of them... choice documents... redacted documents... documents that serve obama's purpose, documents that individually tell a tiny fraction of the whole story of how this country, we the citizens were kept safe for seven years by the previous administration.

Yup. Those documents. The ones that define torture, define "enhanced" or "harsh" interrogation techniques and afford our protectors to practice these enhanced or harsh interrogation techniques on some folks who were (and most likely still are) hell bent on slaughtering the whole lot of us. They'd slaughter us wholesale if they could... no doubt. Just ask them.

Yep. Those documents that were declassified, released to the "press" and exported to our enemies throughout the world. The ones that go into detail, define the parameters of the business of "enhanced interrogations". The documents that ensure those practitioners of these techniques do not cross the line and stray into the "torture" side of things.

Those very documents that help prepare our protectors for a more humane extraction of information from their subjects than say, well... their Al Qaeda or Taliban or... hmmm... radical muslum counterparts. The documents that define waterboarding, sleep deprivation, humiliation, face "slapping" as the type of "torture" applied to me and other soldiers decades ago when we were in this fine country's military and being trained on resisting minimal interrogation techniques commonly practiced by "civilized" nations.

Those documents that define "enhanced interrogation techniques" not necessarily practiced by our "enemy" at the time... the North Vietnamese (and their allies... uh hum... Soviets, Chinese, etc.) because they weren't intense enough... didn't really do much to extract the information desired from our fellow countrymen who fell into their hands as captives. Or they were modified... increased by our enemy in frequency, duration and intensity to apply the fear of God, the pressure on their subjects, our countrymen to chat it up and give up information they might or might not really have.

Yeah... those vile, vicious enhanced interrogation techniques that were cast aside by our earlier enemies as ineffective, not intense enough for them to employ as a part of their own information gathering game plan.

It seems our enemies have softened considerably. They're weak... Though the al qaeda, taliban... radical mooslums who live to see us destroyed tend to lean towards drilling holes in knees, faces, arms, legs with drills, cutting off fingers, hands, heads... burning their prisoners and much worse to extract information... it seems they can't really stomach our country's "enhanced interrogation techniques" (that are applied to our very own warriors in training) when those very same techniques are applied to them. It seems our soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen and contractors who are subjected to this training are far, far more resilient, able and immune to this "torture" than their al qaeda, taliban or radical muslim "counterparts" are.

Either way the hapless, self serving, inept president... obama and his corrupt den of politicos have stooped to a new low and have declassified documents that have effectively weakened our defense, threatened our existence... once again.

I just can't help it. I'm inclined to think it's all by design. I'm thinking he's trying to do as much damage as he can to our fine nation in the four years he's got. I'm thinking he's all about failure and shame. I don't know why but I'm thinking he's intent on ruining our life as we know it.

In a nutshell... here's a comment from obama's snake in the grass attorney general sham Eric Holder regarding some friggin' Spanish Judge's decision to open an investigation of the torture and atrocities allegedly practiced at Gitmo. Spain's feeble attempt to play their socialist card and police the world accordingly. A Spaniard's attempt to try those in America responsible in an open "world" court in Spain... a laughable concept at best.

This is from a recent AP article:

"U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, speaking with reporters in Berlin before the investigation was announced, did not rule out cooperating with such an investigation.

"Obviously, we would look at any request that would come from a court in any country and see how and whether we should comply with it," Holder said.

"This is an administration that is determined to conduct itself by the rule of law and to the extent that we receive lawful requests from an appropriately-created court, we would obviously respond to it," he said.

Asked if that meant the U.S. would cooperate with a foreign court prosecuting Bush administration officials, Holder said he was talking about evidentiary requests, and would review any such request to see if the United States would comply."


You really have to respect Holder's position of "an administration that is determined to conduct itself by the rule of law..."

Hey Eric, have you paid your taxes for 2008 yet? How about '07? '06?

I wasn't sure... I just thought I'd help you out and remind you...

Just in case.

I mean, you gotta carry that "rule of law" torch high Bub... you know, set an example, live as you preach type stuff.

Ah what the heck, 1,360 days left of this senseless, dhimmifying age of appeasement and change.

We can only hope that we, as a nation can survive this idiocy.

CHANGE! An obama promise. We're getting it! Royally!

Sunday, March 15, 2009

Gun Control...

...as designed.

From an email...

Shooting in Butte , Montana
Shotgun preteen vs. illegal alien Home Invaders:


Butte, Montana November 5, 2008

Two illegal aliens, Ralphel Resindez, 23, and Enrico Garza, 26, probably believed they would easily overpower home-alone 11 year old Patricia Harrington after her father had left their two-story home.

It seems the two crooks never learned two things: they were in Montana , and Patricia had been a clay shooting champion since she was nine.

Patricia was in her upstairs room when the two men broke through the front door of the house. She quickly ran to her father's room and grabbed his 12 gauge Mossberg 500 shotgun.

Resindez was the first to get up to the second floor only to be the first to catch a near point blank blast of buckshot from the 11-year-old's knee crouch aim . He suffered fatal wounds to his abdomen and genitals.

When Garza ran to the foot of the stairs, he took a blast to the left shoulder and staggered out into the street where he bled to death before medical help could arrive.

It was found out later that Resindez was armed with a stolen 45 caliber handgun he took from another home invasion robbery. That victim, 50-year-old David Burien, was not so lucky. He died from stab wounds to the chest.

Ever wonder why good stuff never makes NBC, CBS, PBS, MSNBC, CNN, or ABC news? An 11 year old girl, properly trained, defended her home and herself... against two illegal immigrants... and she wins, she is still alive.

Now that is Gun Control !

Thought for the day:

Calling an illegal alien an 'undocumented immigrant' is like calling a drug dealer an 'unlicensed pharmacist.'

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

OBAMA, CEASE AND DESIST!

Obama!

Don’t apologize for me, for my family, for my friends, for my neighbors, for our country to our enemies!

CEASE AND DESIST!

Stop it!!!

Don’t grovel to Cuba, North Korea, Iran, Al Q’aida, Hamas, radical Islam and so many others you’re planning on humbling up to! You’re only here for four years… eight at the most. I’ve done no wrong… my family, friends and neighbors have done no wrong so don’t apologize for us!

If anything tell THEM we realize we showed our weakness multiple decades ago... back when we bailed out and defended those in need, back when we showed our weakness by being compassionate, responsive. Back when we believed in global peace, back when we believed in open and honest communication! We fell into their traps by acquiescing to their “demands”, by relinquishing our identities and selling our souls to them for peace!

Obama, stop selling out our country.

We’re good people who are and will protect what we have. We’ll help neighbors in need, we’ll work with those who are suspicious of us to ensure they know we mean no harm. But Barack, I can’t follow you down this path of giving up our soul to our enemies… apologizing to them for having provoked an attack on our country on 9/11. I’m not into dhimmifying myself, my family, my friends, my neighbors.

If you’re up to that Barack then do it alone. Leave our country out of it.

Quit kissing ass with our collective lips!

For what it’s worth.

Mine aren't kissing.

Sunday, January 04, 2009

Nations condemn Israel's Gaza invasion!

"by Samer al-Atrush Samer Al-atrush – Sun Jan 4, 7:10 am ET

CAIRO (AFP) –

(Picture: This religious freak's creed to his fellow muslims.)

Israel's ground offensive in the Gaza Strip was roundly condemned across the Middle East on Sunday, with Egypt also accusing the UN Security Council of failing to act quickly to resolve the crisis.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit said Israel's incursion into the impoverished territory on Saturday night came in "brazen defiance" of international calls to end the fighting.

"The Security Council's silence and its failure to take a decision to stop Israel's aggression since it began was interpreted by Israel as a green light," he said in a statement as Israeli forces rumbled into Gaza."


(Picture: hamas freak with missile)

Okay, you hit a nerve here...

Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Syria, Turkey… hell, all of the middle east fanatics are condemning Israel… CONDEMNING ISRAEL for kicking ass on the friggin’ Hamas clan! You know, the same clan that launches missiles into Israel on a daily if not hourly basis. The same clan that uses “peace” as a weapon and hides behind women and children. The same clan that's killed Israelis over and over and over again without provocation.


It's a given that the middle east zealots CONDEMN ISRAEL. The question is where were these same biased sons of pigs when Hamas missiles rained down on Israel over the years. Where were these piglets when the Hamas tribe terrorized innocent citizens of Israel?

(Picture: hamas missiles they claim they don't have)

You, you middle east "leaders"... where was your CONDEMNATION OF HAMAS when all of that was going on you friggin’ one sided islamic, ass kissing, piglet pricks?

Your “condemnation” carries no weight, means nada when it’s not equally enforced.

Piss up a rope you middle east fanatics. You're all nothing but a friggin' bunch of pompous cowards. Your supposed condemnation is a poorly veiled, pathetic attempt to protect a nest of terrorists bent on destroying Israel. Let the terrorist be destroyed!

(Picture: jihad terrorists with mortar)

You CONDEMN a nation for defending itself? You CONDEMN a nation for wanting to stop the killing of its innocent citizens? You CONDEMN a nation for wanting to end the fight once and for all? You CONDEMN a nation that simply wants to live in peace?

You’re all sick. You’re so full of yourselves over there in that cesspool of sand called the middle east. I can only hope the proud and valiant Israelis finish their fight this time rather than succumb to your shameless global politics.


“Saudi's Al-Riyadh attacked US President George W. Bush "who started his first presidential mandate with wars of occupation in Iraq and Afghanistan and ends his (White House) days welcoming the spilling of Palestinian blood."

(Picture: Remnants of terrorist missile in Israeli field.)

Damned straight Riyadh baby! Take it up with your pedophile prophet mohamud if it bothers you so. What would you, a Saudi know about protecting your citizens? You've always relied on others to do that for you. George Bush is only doing what the Jimmy Carters of this world wouldn’t and couldn’t do. Bush is standing up to all of you fanatics and is finally bringing the fight to you... you know, we call that taking the fight to the enemy. Something you and your saudi royalty know nothing about.

Israel is protecting it's very right to exist... plain and simple!

And furthermore SAUDI idiots, where was your condemnation when we were hit on 9-11? If I recall you tried to dhimmify us by telling us how wrong WE were and what WE did to provoke the attacks. Then you tried to buy our good will with a check, a handout of corrupt oil money… money that Rudy Giuliani promptly and righteously turned down.

Yeah, Middle Eastern “CONDEMNATION” means nothing to us. The clans of the middle east have always condemned what Israel and the United States have done. Why change now you freaks.

We CONDEMN YOU, our middle eastern friends!

Israel, go kick some terrorist ass! Don’t stop with Hamas!

Friday, January 02, 2009

Don't poke sticks at a beehive...

(Photo by Michael Freeman)

Here's a lesson in life... when I was young growing up in the great Pacific Northwest, U.S.A. I learned a lot from my four older brother’s accomplishments and mistakes… primarily their mistakes. I'd watch and listen to what they did that just didn't work out the way they thought it would at the time they did it. I'd listen to them rationalize their failed activity to themselves and those who would listen and I'd watch them re-enact their fruitless (and quite often painful) activity... fine tuning everything for the next go 'round. Yeah, I watched and learned. By the time I was able to experience some of my own life activities I had a pretty well rounded education as to what worked and what didn't work... basically.

So, I've never poked a stick at a bald faced hornets nest. I've never teased yellowjackets, animals with young and geese up close. I've thrown rocks from a distance at bee’s nests but never really stood close enough to poke sticks at an active hive. That's just not logical. It's not a wise thing to do even for those who aren't all that wise. You don't mess with wildlife and you don't taunt your neighbors. Those are facts of life learned early in life... at least they should be. Most sensible people realized these things within their first six years.

Most...

So, what the hell is going on with that freaky Hamas clan? Are they brain dead or something? Are their skulls thicker than believed? Are they high?

Blithering lunatics! What the hell are they thinking?

They had a truce with a neighbor who simply wanted to be left alone. I have neighbors. I don’t like all of them but I don’t throw rocks over the fence at them. I don’t sabotage their property, I don’t harass or kill their children or pets and I don’t dig tunnels into their back yards.

That’s just not right! It’s not sane!

In a nutshell Israel and Hamas arrived at a cease fire/truce/whatever months ago. Hamas saw the truce as an opportunity to rebuild, resupply and retrain their obsessed and utterly insane “army” of miscreants. All the while they’d lob a missile or two towards Israel at whim, improve their crazy little tunnel system, arrest and abuse dissenters (Christians) within their communities, terrorize bordering Israeli settlements, kidnap, torture and maim innocents and otherwise carry on their Hamas business as usual. Nothing really changed for Hamas during the cease fire/truce/whatever. They viewed it as a sign of Israeli weakness… a time for Hamas to regroup.

When the truce ended they showered Israel with rockets and mortars for days on end. Israel like the bees in the hornets nest stirred, complained, called for the activity to cease to no avail. Hamas viewed Israel’s refusal to fight as cowardice.

Eventually Israel had enough. Using necessary force Israel hammered the Hamas network in Gaza leveling buildings, killing Hamas commanders, militants and their supporters. Hamas was hit and hit hard… on the chin and boy did they feel it!

Hamas cried and continues to cry to the international community to make Israel stop. Israel continues to pummel Hamas (and those who support Hamas) mercilessly, making a very loud statement… LEAVE US ALONE!

To this day the international community condemns Israel… the victim in this fight. The neighbor who has had enough. The patient, bullied neighbor now kicking the bully’s inept ass.

I say let the fight end the way it will end. Let the bullied teach the bully a lesson they’ll never forget. A good ass whupping promotes respect, at least for those who have any semblance of sanity.

There are calls from the islamic community to rise up against Israel and the United States of America.

Hell, they’ve been making that call for decades. Mooslums everywhere, always calling for our heads. Citing the pedophile prophet moohamad’s name somewhere in their never ending gibberish. So what’s new?

In short, Hamas don’t poke sticks at the beehive. You’re going to get stung and stung bad!

Lesson in progress.