Open Letter To Senator Toomey on Healhtcare

The following is an open letter I sent to Senator Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania. Feel free to share with your own officials in DC.

"Senator Toomey.

"You will find no one more invested in ridding this country of Obamacare (or as is more PC, the Affordable Care Act). When Rep. Pelosi said “you must pass it to find out whats in it”, I immediately went on the defensive. As a veteran, a citizen and a journalist, this is NOT what our country is supposed to be about. Our elected officials are beholden to US, the voter. Not the other way around.

"So, I read the proposed legislation. All nearly 2000 pages. I nodded off on numerous occasions from all the legalese, but I re-read the sections and plowed on.

"Once finished, I realized that only about 25% of the bill had any impact on healthcare, most all of it revolved around insurance and not around caring for the health of the nation, and much of it had to do with how to pay for and tax the people.

"I also realized that most of the things that would actually work at making healthcare affordable to the average American were purposefully left out. TORT reform would have limited the expenses by our doctors and health institutions on such things as compensation and malpractice insurance. These cost savings would have been seen by the average American in their medical bills. Any idea of holding pharmaceutical companies to accountability by limiting how long they can hold patent on a new drug before generic ones can become available, and also limiting how much they can recompense for “research” as other countries do, would be a tremendous boon to those who need these often life saving drugs. Just two examples of things LEFT OUT of the bill.

"Having said all that, having written a book with all of this included, having written many articles and many Opinion pieces on the subject, I am imploring you NOT to go through with any “repeal and replace” attempts.

"Repeal and Replace might be a good election rhetoric line, but the reality is that it is an irresponsible action to take as a legislator.

"Isolate and repair might be a more responsible strategy. Find the bad parts of the legislation. Institute corrective actions and make the “Health Care” of Americans the decisive driver for all you do.

"Yours is a position of responsibility. You are responsible to the American public. Your job is to not only “do what is best” but it is to listen to us. We are, in more than essence, your boss. SO I implore you to listen to the majority of Americans, not the political fringes.

"Repeal and Replace is NOT the way to go. Fix the problem, don't create a new one with legislation that just makes different problems."

Why ACA is bad . . . A Response to Facebook Post

A friend posted a negative comment about ACA, the Affordable Care Act - also known as ObamaCare. Another person responded to his Facebook post with a lt of drivel about ACA. SO I thought I would post some links here for him to check out.

* United Healthcare exits Healthcare Marketplace - leaving lots of people with no choices.

http://time.com/money/4300900/united-healthcare-obamacare-exit/

2017 will see a rise in ACA insurance costs.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-01-27/obamacare-will-probably-cost-more-in-2017-top-insurer-says

There are still millions "falling through the cracks", identified as the working poor. And, of course, if not insured, you get fined.

http://healthjournalism.org/blog/2016/02/a-look-at-those-still-falling-through-the-cracks-in-aca-coverage/

Job do come as the price of Obamacare. Not just in the loss of real jobs being replaced by low paying / low hourly jobs . . . 

"It's easier to find a unicorn than a Walmart worker who has gotten a meaningful raise, or hasn't had their hours cut," United Food & Commercial Workers Union spokeswoman Jessica Levin said via email. "America's hard-working families expect better from a company that makes billions in profit a year."

http://money.cnn.com/2016/01/20/news/companies/walmart-pay-raise-wages/

. . . but in the health insurance industry.

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20160204/NEWS03/160209875/blue-cross-parent-axes-workers-on-heels-of-obamacare-losses

These are just a few examples of the impact of ACA, in response to this individuals staunch defense. He obviously doesn't do much research and only believes what he is told to believe.

An example of a true American Sheep.

Don't be a sheep. Don't blindly accept spin.

But hey, as usual, this is just me Thinking Out Loud. Do your own research.

Have a great day.

Charles

Who To Blame Now?! Redux 2016!

COMMENTARY - There are some things to remember amidst all the new presidential campaign rhetoric being posted on social media sites, and throughout both mainstream and alternative media. Not everyone is honest. And social media is filled with accusations, claims and misrepresentations that people keep 'sharing' and touting as fact.

Take for instance Senator Bernie Sanders (D-VT). He has been railing against the Republican party blaming them for everything wrong in America. An old video of him slamming Alan Greenspan has surfaced and is labeled as him vehemently attacking the Republican party for the destruction of our economy.

Here's some realities.

In 1977, then President Jimmy Carter created the CRA (Community Reinvestment Act). This was to get banks / lending institutions to be more helpful to members of the communities in which they operate. However, this particular approach was made null and void with all the massive banking convergences. There are no longer local community banking / lending institutions. They are all national (and in some cases, international) conglomerates who don't really “operate” locally in the sense they did when the CRA was enacted.

Then in 1995 then president Bill Clinton lowered the standards about who could get low cost, no-cost housing loans, which – by all accounts – directly led to too many unqualified people getting loans they were never going to be able to pay back.

The blame game began in earnest which led to the current economic crisis America finds itself in.

In April of 2001, the Bush Administration first red flagged Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac stating that "financial trouble of a large GSE could cause strong repercussions in financial markets, affecting Federally insured entities and economic activity."

(Note - Bush also pushed for an audit of the Fed and experienced push back by the Democrats. Here is an interesting timeline on the White House's own archives.)

In response to the Bush's regulatory overhaul proposal, Barney Frank, a ranking Democrat on the Financial Services Committee, defended Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac saying,

“These two entities -- Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac – are not facing any kind of financial crisis, the more people exaggerate these problems, the more pressure there is on these companies, the less we will see in terms of affordable housing . . . I think it is clear that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are sufficiently secure so they are in no great danger. . . I don't think we face a crisis; I don't think that we have an impending disaster. . . . Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac do very good work, and they are not endangering the fiscal health of this country.”

Barney Frank railed against the Bush administration's attempts to regulate Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac as a racist move. Maxine Waters declared vehemently that they were trying to fix something that “wasn't broken”. Gregory Meeks stated in a hearing (where he felt he had more important places to be other than there) that there was nothing wrong with “you know, Fannie Mae” and even attacked the competency of the oversight agency. Lacy Clay claimed the whole thing was actually about the “political lynching of Franklin Raines” (who was black, thus invoking old time racism prior to the Civil Rights movement).

Democrat after Democrat came to the defense of a broken system that led directly to the financial crisis we have been facing for far too many years. And now Bernie Sanders, Democrats and the media rant against Republicans laying the blame at their feet. When in fact it is the fault of both parties. Democrats for their failed judgment time and time again in the name of social programs, Republicans for a lack of bravery (or cajones) to stop them. BUT MOST OF ALL, it is the fault of the American people as well for being asleep at the wheel and letting these self absorbed and self serving people do ALL of these things.

This is yet another reason NOT to elect anyone from the established political parties. They are all complicit in the decline of America. And any rant to the contrary is simply political showmanship and proof of business as usual.

There are many places to find out this information but here is one source where you can find this information out (See more at: http://www.thehispanicconservative.com/General/the-fanny-mae-and-freddie-mac-debacle.html#sthash.eEnRbonG.dpuf). However, I have always stated that you should never simply take someone's word for it. Go to many sources and form your own opinion from facts you find. (I repeat, FACTS you find.) I don't even want you to simply take my word for it. I am just giving you factual food for thought with my own opinion thrown in. (Thus, why this article is labeled as “Commentary” and “Op/Ed”.)

So, agree or disagree, I only ask that you do so from your own base of knowledge. Don't disagree with me (or even agree with me) because someone else told you to. In order for America to right this listing ship of state, we ALL must learn to think for ourselves and stop being sheep!

But whatever you decide, this is just me, Thinking Out Loud!

Have a great day!

Charles

Government shutdown . . . SMH

This was apparently an email that was sent out recently. Someone posted it on Facebook. Take a look.

From: Barack Obama

Subject: This has gone too far

Friends --

This has gone too far.

House Republicans are threatening to shut down the government -- and potentially default on our bills for the first time in history -- because they want to sabotage the Affordable Care Act.

Well let me state this as clearly as I can: I won’t let the Republicans prevent 30 million people from getting health insurance, and I won’t let them inflict economic pain on millions more just so they can make an ideological point.

But I need you standing with me. That’s why I’m asking you to step up before this fundraising deadline and help me defend everything we’ve fought for together:

Click here to give $3 or more today and your donation will be triple-matched.

House Republicans are promising to roll back all the hard-earned economic progress we’ve made.

I need you to show them that you won’t stand for it.

http://dccc.org/Do-Your-Part

Thanks,

Barack Obama

It truly baffles me how people can make (minimum $172,000 a year - for Obama its $400,000 a yr just from his job as President, although he is reportedly making in the million range) will ask hard working Americans to donate money so they can do their job. Don't they make enough to spend on themselves to "do their job". And really, we don't elect them to be intractable with each other, we elect them to go and represent us to work with those that millions of others elect to work with each other and so on. Dividing us on this point or that point is counter to their job description. If we went to work and were intractable with our co-workers and asked our bosses to give us even more money so we can be this way, plus we get our bosses to argue with each other, how long would we keep OUR jobs? yes, the President is right. This has gone too far.

And the link attached with the FACEBOOK posting took you to the website, "Democrats for 2014".

Here is what it asked for on this website.

"Support President Obama's Agenda

Will you chip in right now to help us fight back against Republican attacks and support President Obama's agenda?

The average gift today is $23.12

Your Contribution to DCCC

$25

$100

$250

$1,000

$ (fill in the blank here with what you are willing to sacrifice so they can stay in office)

(Disclaimer Note – that last part not in Italics I threw in.)

Then it has the gall to ask how many contributions you want to make. Its like you're renting or leasing a car. Instead, its renting or leasing a political party, a political candidate or a political ideology.

"Make this contribution...

Once

Each month for the next months"

Don't get me wrong. The other side has done this for just as long and is just as bad.

But don't blame them. We did this. We made them this way. We allowed this type of person to hijack OUR government. A government that is supposed to be of, by and for the people. But our collective apathy has led them to think they can do whatever they want, pull whatever wool over our eyes they feel like and trample whatever facet of our country's history that doesn't fit with their personal agenda, or the agenda of those manipulating them.

We have allowed them, through a lack of our own understanding of how this country was formed, through our caring about ourselves and each other.

Let me step back just for a moment to head off some of the objections to my last statement that will most assuredly be forthcoming.

The cries will ring out “If you cared, you wouldn't object to Obamacare, unemployment extensions, (fill int he blank for entitlement programs of your choice here).”

To the contrary, I care more than you do. I say that because you want to hand out and hand out and hand out – simply because it makes you feel good. I want to help up, empower and shuttle people on their way because it is good for them, for me and for America to have useful, contributing members of society rather than useless, unmotivated leeches draining from the rest of us. I want REAL healthcare reform that will address the REAL problems our country faces, not just a smattering of nice pieces here and there bundled in with all the stinking parts. I want doctors to treat patients for reasonable fees so they can provide for their family. I want enough insurance companies providing insurance to fill EVERYONE'S needs no matter what they do or where they live. I want an end to irresponsible and frivolous people who think they will get rich off of a lawsuit (one of the top three ways Americans think they will get rich) and who think they are ENTITLED to something without having to work for it.

I want jobs for people - in THIS country. I want companies to act responsibly, pay their employees and offer them reasonable benefits. I want unions to revert back to their original function of making sure workers are not taken advantage of, rather than the current situation where THEY take advantage of the workers, destroy the companies and cater to politicians all in the name of solidifying a power base of their own.

I want kids to get an education. And I want them to be able to further their education after high school IF THEY WANT without having to contract their first born child to indentured servitude. I want industry leaders to realize an educated workforce is better for them and their bottom line of profit so they combine forces to help fund education in this country.

But I also want other things. And this is where both the bleeding heart, liberal idiots and the right wing extremists and I part ways.

But lest you think that the rhetoric being bandied about is a concern about government shutdowns – the very plea the President and others are blitzing out there on the airwaves, beltways and cyberwaves. It isn't. Because it (looming shutdowns) happens all the time.

Like in 2012. http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/09/22/us-usa-congress-shutdown-idUSBRE88L03720120922

And in 2011. http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/2011/0409/Government-shutdown-2011-avoided-with-11th-hour-budget-deal

In 2010 . . . http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2010/09/10/another-government-shutdown, 2009 . . . http://www.realclearpolitics.com/news/ap/politics/2009/Sep/25/house_passes_bill_to_prevent_government_shutdown.html . . .

In fact, threats of government shutdowns happen ALL THE TIME throughout our history. And there have been 17 times it actually happened. (http://uspolitics.about.com/od/thefederalbudget/a/Government-Shutdowns-In-The-Past.htm)

Before the 70's, arguments and late passing budgets happened all the time, and most people didn't care because it didn't affect them. But President Carter's Attorney General Benjamin Civiletti, passed a legal opinion saying that government workers could not report to work until Congress passed a budget. Thus leading to the modern phenomena of shutdown threats and all the political posturing associated with them.

Which is what they are, posturing. They are political maneuvering for one side or the other to get what they want.

All to dupe the stupid voter into feeling relieved when a shutdown is either averted or finally ended. Politicians count on your gullibility, naivete, ignorance and apathy to use these shutdowns to score political points.

For which I say “Shame on you, Washington! Shame on you, Mr. President! Shame on you Senate and House leaders! And shame on you America for constantly voting in these frauds, these charlatans, these dissension-makers, these greedy, power hungry jerks year after year after year after year.

So who is to blame? Civiletti? Carter? Obama? Congress?

Not really. We let them think they could do what they want. We fall under their “spell” and become outraged by what they TELL US to be outraged about.

Therefore, its our own fault.

Personally, I'd say let it shutdown. Then maybe people will realize we need to vote them ALL out of office and become more educated with the people we elect to serve us. Maybe we'd be more in tune with WHY we are SUPPOSED to be sending these “representatives of the people” to Washington for in the first place.

I'd say that, but I'd know it would never happen. Americans are too lazy. Americans could care less about each other except where it makes themselves feel good, or gain something from it. Americans deserve what they get. And God help us all because we have to live with the stupidity and general haplessness of the American majority.

But you know what, you can agree with me or disagree with me and that is your free choice. In fact, I want you to check things out for yourself before believing anything I or ANYONE else tells you so you can be truly informed about what is really going on in this country. So its no skin off my nose if you agree or not, because this is just me, Thinking Out Loud.

Have a great day.

Charles