This is the first chance in my lifetime (I'm one month shy of 59) that I have seen any attempt at real reform in my country. Up until January of this year it has always been more of the same. Sure, there were small inroads, but for the most part, Congress has used us as a cash cow and milked us for every dime they can squeeze out of us. They work in cahoots with pharma, insurance and other big business to make sure they get the big profits. They keep the majority of us on the verge of bankruptcy and wonder why we have so much crime. Granted, there will always be outlaws, but it is my belief that the Republicans have ruined this country for their own gain and power. They are the biggest outlaws of all, IMHO. Now, their latest tactic is to scare the you-know-what out of our citizenry by telling out and out lies regarding what kind of health care they will receive. When I see that kind of behavior, I know they are running scared.
Oh, and just for the record, it is my belief that people who hide behind an almighty god and religion abdicate their responsibility for making informed decisions based on common sense. It is entirely possible there is NO little man up in the sky looking out for you. You need to be informed and look out for yourself.
The people spoke last November, and they are mad as hell and not going to take it anymore! We are not the government's herd of cattle, we are human beings who deserve to live healthy productive lives.
~~ Since I wrote this as a reply to another comment thread, I have another thought to add. One of my friends has been having many conversations with her father in the last couple weeks as he recovers from hip surgery. This man is a retired minister and so as he had more spare time than usual to
watch TV, he's been watching Fox news (I think of it as the Republican channel) and listening to their diatribe on the health care debate. They have this man so scared that he actually said to his daughter, "If they pass this bill, please don't let them kill me". This in reference to DNR (do not resuscitate) comments the news channel has made. It is a sad, sad thing when our elderly have to be afraid their government is going to kill them.
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CLAIM: The House bill "may start us down a treacherous path toward government-encouraged euthanasia," House Republican Leader John Boehner of Ohio said July 23.
Former New York Lt. Gov. Betsy McCaughey said in a July 17 article: "One troubling provision of the House bill compels seniors to submit to a counseling session every five years ... about alternatives for end-of-life care."
THE FACTS: The bill would require Medicare to pay for advance directive consultations with health care professionals. But it would not require anyone to use the benefit.
Advance directives lay out a patient's wishes for life-extending measures under various scenarios involving terminal illness, severe brain damage and situations. Patients and their families would consult with health professionals, not government agents, if they used the proposed benefit.
whenever the usual suspects post any type of anti Obama claptrap...........
The Pledge of Allegiance is a promise!
I pledge allegiance
to the flag
of the United States of America
LET US SHOW OUR LEADERS IN WASHINGTON "PEOPLE POWER" AND THE POWER OF THE INTERNET. LET ME KNOW IF YOU ARE WITH ME ON THIS BY FORWARDING TO EVERYONE IN YOUR ADDRESS BOOK.
=0 A
IT DOESN'T MATTER IF YOU ARE REPUBLICAN OR DEMOCRAT!
PLEASE KEEP THIS GOING!!!!
Propose this in 2009:
START A BILL TO PLACE ALL POLITICIANS ON SOCIAL SECURITY
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SOCIAL SECURITY:
(This is worth reading. It is short and to the point.)
Perhaps we are asking the wrong questions during election years.
Our Senators and Congresswomen do not pay into Social Security and, of course, they do not collect from it.
You see, Social Security benefits were not suitable for persons of their rare elevation in society. They felt they should have a< FONT color=#323c50 size=7 face=Arial> special plan for themselves. So, many years ago they voted in their ownbenefit plan.
In more recent years, no congressperson has felt the need to change it. After all, it is a great plan.
For all practical purposes their plan works like this:
When they retire, they continue to draw the SAME PAY until they die.
Except it may increase from time to time for cost of living adjustments.
For example, Senator Byrd and Congressman White and their wives may expect to draw $7, 800,000.0020(that's Seven Million, Eight-Hundred Thousand Dollars), with their wives drawing $275, 000.00 during the last years of their lives.
This is calculated on an average life span for each of those two Dignitaries.
Younger Dignitaries who retire at an early age, will receive much more during the rest of their lives.
Their cost for this excellent plan is $0.00. NADA..! ZILCH...
This little perk they voted for themselves is free to them. You and I pick up the tab for this plan. The funds for this fine retirement plan come directly from the General Funds;
"OUR TAX DOLLARS AT WORK "!
From our own Social Security Plan, which you and I pay (or have paid) into,every payday until we retire (which amount is matched by our employer).. We can expect to get an average of
$1,000 per month!!!
After retirement.
Or, in other words, we would have to collect our average of $1,000 monthly benefits for 68 years and one (1) month to equal Senator Bill Bradley's benefits!
Social Security could be very good if only one small change were made.
That change would be to:
Jerk the Golden Fleece Retirement Plan from under the Senators and Congressmen. Put them into the Social Security plan with the rest of us
Then sit back.....
And see how fast they fix it.
If enough people receive this, maybe a seed of awareness will be planted and maybe good changes will evolve.
How many people CAN you send this to?
Better yet......
How many people WILL you send this to?
________________________________________
You write much younger than 59!
It's been a long while since I threw stuff on the wall here at Gather and I see I am late on this.
Let me ask this:
1) Why over 1100 pages of legalese in the proposed bill?
2) Has it not gone from a policy of "Health Care Reform" to "Insurance Reform"? (See "War on Terror" and "1984" by George Orwell.
3) Oregon has state-run health care. Oregon has assisted suicide. Which is a less expensive option for a state run, cost-efficient operation?
Grateful Al
Oregon's risk assessment: "According to Oregon Health and Science University, the Oregon Health Plan (administered by the State of Oregon) "will not cover the cost of surgery, radiotherapy or chemotherapy for patients with a less than 5% expected 5-year-survival. However such patients are eligible to receive comfort/palliative care, which includes 'services under the Oregon Death with Dignity Act' (physician-assisted suicide), 'to include but not be limited to the attending physician visits, consulting physician confirmation, mental health evaluation and counseling, and prescription medications'."
Such a comforting phrase, "Death with Dignity Act", you think?