PIED TYPE
health care reform
Carrots, sticks, and health insurance
We insure things of value because we know if something happens to them, repairs won’t be free. Our health is a thing of value. Therefore we insure it. Except a lot of people don’t. They don’t because repairs are free at the nearest ER. Why pay to insure something when free repairs are readily available? … Continue reading
Follow SCOTUS activity on the ACA
For those wanting to follow the current Supreme Court hearing on the Affordable Care Act (aka “Obamacare”) or any other Supreme Court activity, a good source to check is the SCOTUS blog. It may take a minute or two to load; traffic today is very heavy.
What’s sauce for the goose …
President Obama, in his recent jobs speech, noted the next election is 14 months away and the people American people can’t wait that long. Interesting he should chide Republicans for holding out until the election. A CSPAN telecast last night pointed out that the administration is doing everything in its power to delay court challenges … Continue reading
Ron Paul: No free lunch, no free health care
Rep. Ron Paul, Republican candidate for president, is being blasted for indicating in the Sept. 12 GOP debate that a critically ill 30-year-old man with no health insurance should be allowed to die. At least that’s what his opponents would have you believe. The audience applauded and yelled, “Yes!” when moderator Wolf Blitzer asked if … Continue reading
How to tackle complex legislation
President Obama held a press conference this morning. Nothing new in that. In this election year, I’ve pretty much glazed over whenever he shows up. He did, however, propose something today that got me thinking. He talked about the minority GOP blocking all kinds of Democratic legislation, but noted that the parties agree the middle … Continue reading
I’d rather be wrong
According to a just-released AP story, HHS budget experts have concluded the health care reform bill is actually going to increase costs, not reduce them, and its Medicare cuts may be so unrealistic that Congress will have to roll them back. Well, DUH! Where were these experts before the bill was passed!? Sometimes I hate … Continue reading
A 22-pen signature
When President Obama was signing the health care reform bill, I was not thinking about the meaning of the bill or of the historical significance of the moment. Nope, none of that high-falutin’ stuff. I was wondering just how big a mess that signature would be after starting and stopping often enough to use 22 … Continue reading
HCR plans to combat doctor shortages
I was chatting to someone a few posts back and one of the points I hit was how this new health care reform is all about extending coverage to 32 million more people … without doing anything to bolster the already overburdened medical delivery system. Well, I was wrong. A little bit, anyway. The bill … Continue reading
The devil we don’t know
The topic has been thoroughly thrashed over the last year. Health care reform, of course. Now it’s the law of the land. Or about to be. I share the hope of those who supported it, but none of their confidence. And I share the fear of those who opposed it, for many of the same … Continue reading
Civility and America’s dying values
The continuing coarsening of America has taken a new and very ugly turn today. At least ten Washington lawmakers have requested extra security due to threats to their safety and that of their families — because of their votes on health care reform. Haven’t the issuers of the threats, those paeans of virtue, heard of … Continue reading
The loneliest man in Michigan
Did you hear the one about Rep. Bart Stupak (D-MI) selling out his pro-life friends for $726,409 in airport grants? Heh. And you thought he rolled over on just the strength of a promised Executive Order from President Obama. An order that could be revoked at any time by any president. No, no, no, mon … Continue reading
‘Demon pass’ should doom Dems
The much cussed and discussed “deem and pass” procedure that Nancy Pelosi is threatening to employ for the health care reform bill, if actually used, should mean the ouster of every Democrat in Congress. “Deem and pass” is a sneaky, back door, constitutionally questionable way to pass a bill without anyone having to go on … Continue reading
Best reason for health care reform
Regarding health care reform: “I’ll just tell you this, if this passes and it’s five years from now and all that stuff gets implemented — I am leaving the country. I’ll go to Costa Rica.” – Rush Limbaugh Hey, Washington, hurry up with that bill!!!
In the soup: Starbucks, Bing, Congress, et al
Education funding cuts Cutting funding to education? No wonder students are protesting today. The resulting tuition hikes in many cases will be so large that students already on tight budgets won’t be able to stay in school. Teachers will be fired, some classes will be eliminated, others will get much larger. I don’t agree with … Continue reading
Half a loaf is better than none
A recent Zogby poll shows the majority of respondents (57%) think Congress should start over on health care reform and 56.4% think the approach should be step-by-step instead of comprehensive. I’m with the majority. I’ve wondered for months why Congress insists on trying to pass a huge, all-things-to-all-people kind of bill, which is bound to … Continue reading
Mass-ive headache looms for Dems
Tomorrow is the special election in Massachusetts to fill the late Ted Kennedy’s U.S. Senate seat. “The Kennedy Seat” has been Democratic for so long, it’s almost unthinkable it might be taken over by a conservative Republican in this bluest of blue states. Nevertheless, Republican Scott Brown is running neck and neck with Democrat Martha … Continue reading
How to change the modus operandi in DC
I have to laugh at Republicans who are questioning the legality of the Medicaid deal Sen. Ben Nelson got for his state of Nebraska. Ten of them, apparently all attorneys-general in their states, are questioning the constitutionality of Nelson’s deal. Considering that every bill going through Congress contains some kind of pork, and every state, … Continue reading
I wouldn’t feed it to my dog
They say lawmaking in Washington is like sausage making; we’re better off not seeing what goes on behind the scenes. We should just ignore the process and enjoy the end product. But what if the end product isn’t even sausage? What if it’s dog food? The really cheap kind that’s full of fillers and assorted … Continue reading
Don’t let the Senate ban abortion coverage
The health care reform debate has moved into the Senate now, and so has the abortion issue. The bill that passed the House contained the infamous Stupak Amendment that would deny millions of woman any insurance coverage for abortion, a legal medical procedure in the U.S. The health care reform debate has not stopped for … Continue reading
Health care reform: for men only
First came the Stupak Amendment. Now come the new mammogram recommendations. Suddenly I’m feeling like the goal here is doing away with health care for women, period. Women do cost more to insure, after all, with all their abortions (we’re all just dying to run out and get one, you know) and mammograms and reproductive … Continue reading
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