The Soap Box

Archive for June, 2009

Contact your Senator.  Make a difference.  If enough voters complain we still have a chance to stop this bill.   Senate Contact List may be found here Senate Contact Information .

The Climate Change Bill passed the house by a narrow margin.  219 Representatives voted for a bill they had not read, and did not completely understand. 

Our Rep’s were so intent on passing this bill, they couldn’t slow down long enough to study the Environmental Protection Agency’s report on the problems with the science of global warming.  Never heard about the EPA anti global warming report?  Not really surprising, since the bureaucrats at the EPA tried to kill the report.  This is what happens when science and politics meet.  Scientific truth is sacrificed on the alter of political correctness and social change. 

Americans say goodbye to your SUV’s.  You must buy the government approved light bulbs. Energy usuage may decrease, energy cost will definitely increase.  Jobs will be lost (see Spain’s experience with the effectiveness of creating “green” jobs, 2.2 jobs lost for every 1 created*).

The behavior of our Representatives in passing the Climate Change Bill was irresponsible.  What do we do?  In the coming elections vote against anyone voting for this bill. Final vote results may be found here Final Vote Results Climate Change Bill

We deserve better.

*Report on Spain’s Green Job Experiment  Study of the effects on employment of public aid to renewable energy sources

Don’t want the EPA to be in charge of your  ability to heat and cool your house?

Call the house switch board and stop this bill.

202-225-3121  or 202-224-3121

Your Representatives are now admitting they have not read and do not completely understand this bill.

Stop this insanity.

85% of the money collected from this new “tax” will go to special interest groups – not to pay down the deficit.

Worried about Greenhouse gases – this bill will not reduce  CO2 emissions - it will simply tax you for them.

Call now, or pay later.

The health care legislation being pushed by President Obama will affect every single person in the United States.  Where are the tough questions?  Forget the tough questions.  Just one question: how do we pay for Federal Health Care Insurance?

This legislation should not even be considered.  The cost of care will increase not decrease.  The quality of care will be inferior to what is now available.  Patients will depend on the Federal Government to determine what treatment should be provided.  The Federal Government. 

Examples of our efficient and effective Federal Government:

• Sent stimulus checks to dead people
• Helped cause the housing bubble and subsequent collapse
• US Postal Service – considering limiting delivery days due to cost over runs (private carriers are making money)
• Social Security
• Medicare
• Veterans Administration
• Posted list of “secret” nuclear sites on the internet
• Internal Revenue Service codes and regulations (imagine this complexity applied to health care – if that thought doesn’t make you break into a cold sweat you have never paid taxes)

 I find it fascinating that the same people who believe President Bush lied about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq and began a war for the “oil companies”, are more than willing to give this same government total control over health care.   

Not the same government? Trust President Obama completely?  What about the man or woman who will assume power after him?  Jeb Bush is available.

ABC will offer all day health centric programming on June 24th, 2009.  Broadcasting from the White House, various specials throughout the day will be centered around the proposed health care legislation.

ABC denied the  Republican Party the opportunity to participate, even with paid commercial announcements.  ABC claims the various programs will be balanced, and not simply infomercial’s  for the President’s plans. Considering the tone of the President’s press conferences, doubt must exist over the ability of ABC to present a fair and vigorous debate over the health care issue.

One question has never been answered:  how do we pay for a program that will add, using the CBO’s (Congressional Budget Office) figures, $1.6 trillion to the deficit.  The actual cost has been estimated to be well over $2 trillion.

Any fair and balanced debate over health care leaving this question unanswered is simply propaganda and should be treated as such.

President Obama has maintained that those currently insured will not be forced to change  insurance or doctors.  In his press conference today, the President explained that those with insurance may be forced to switch to the new Federal Health Insurance by employers seeking a cheaper alternative, but the Federal Government will not be responsible.  The President once again finds a way to dodge the issue.
 

Private insurers cannot compete with the Federal Government.  Private insurers (Blue Cross Blue Shield et al) do not print money.  The Federal Government, undercutting prices, offering a cheap alternative, can drive all others out of the health insurance business.
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Iranian leadership,  responding to demonstrations expressing outrage by citizens over a fraudulent election, turned off the telephones.  Suppressive governments use  control of communication and information to maintain power. The powers that be in Iran made one mistake.  They thought they could control the Internet.  They failed.

Iran is a very computer literate country.  A young population, using the latest technology, utterly defeated one of the most brutal regimes in history by hacking, twittering, and posting video on you tube.  As one channel of communication via internet was shut down by the Iranian government, hackers opened two more.  

Will Iran change dramctically overnight?  It already has.

The pen is mightier than the sword.  Ideas can bring down governments.  Twitter is more powerful  than Iranian Supreme leader Ali Khamenei.

Can’t spin this – the stimulus has been a colossal failure.

Has anyone noticed yet?

Health care in America is a popular topic of conversation as of late.  President Obama is determined to pass legislation providing all Americans with health insurance.  Estimates are that $1 out of every $6 earned  is spent on health care.  If the cost of health care continues to skyrocket, the drain on the economy will be far worse, and last much longer than the recent collapse in the housing market.  Republicans and Democrats both believe something must be done, but what?

Why are health care cost increasing exponentially?  Much of the blame must be placed on fear.  Physicians fear medical malpractice lawsuits, and order every test devised to protect themselves in the event of a lawsuit.  An interesting thing happened when Doctors began ordering test after test, consulting with specialists, expanding the normal scope of medical practice.  Income increased dramatically.  Doctors evolved from caregivers, to being the prey of any disgruntled patient, to businessmen.

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Government big enough to supply everything you need is big enough to take everything you have…The Course of history shows that as a government grows, liberty decreases.

Thomas Jefferson