So, the CBO estimate of the Baucus not-a-bill is out, and it well under the President's goal of $900 billion. The CBO even apparently estimates that the bill will reduce the deficit over 10 years.
So, now, Republicans and Conservatives who spent the summer all agog that it would be "too expensive!" are going to have to find some way to spin this. I'm not.
You see, for me it wasn't about the money. If it is right for the Government to do something, then the cost must necessarily be a secondary factor. The same is true of our Combat Operations in the War on Terror and any costs associated with defending our borders. So for me the question was always: Is this something Government should do?
My answer, from the beginning, has been 'no.' First, the Constitution does not grant the authority to tell me what to do about my health and health-care. So, the Government doesn't even have the right to stick it's nose in. Second, once the Government does interfere in health-care, the relationship between State and Citizen fundamentally changes from that of Governed/Government to that of Subject/Ruler. Yes, really.
Any form of Federal Health Care initiative must be killed, and killed soon. It's not the money, it's the morality.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Mr. President, you need some Moral Clarity
This Is Sick.
Mr. President, why on earth would you address the school children of America without their parents available? And why, exactly, on a day that will be the first day of school for many school districts?
Let me explain something: Children should be in school to learn to Read and Write, to do Arithmatic, and think logically (we call it "problem solving" now, but logic is an actual skill which has fallen by the wayside...) They should not be there to ask what they can do for you. They should not be there to ask what their parents or communities or teacher or even Santa Claus can do to help you. So, for once, shut down your narcissistic ego, shut your trap, and let kids learn.
I've seen some people asking why this should be a problem. So let me try this slowly:
The President of the United States is, before all else, a political figure. He is, in many ways, the most powerful man in the world. Children are very impressionable, and (since we take away all their rights) very vulnerable in school. It doesn't matter if this President tries to indoctrinate our children; by setting this precendent, he's opening the door for one in the future to do so. And, before you say it couldn't happen, look at Soviet Russia, or National Socialist Germany, or Fascist Italy, or Communist China. I'm pretty sure, had this happened back before their brushes with totalitarianism, they would have said it couldn't happen to them, either.
This President and his Congress are already trying to take away our liberty. This whole Health Care stupidity is Unconstitutional, the bailout was Unconstitutional, Cap and Trade is (barely) Constitutional, but will still deprive us of liberty we currently have.
And I'm supposed to trust him that he's not going to try to send some Left-wing, socialist/communist message to our children? Riiiight...
h/t: Michelle Malkin
Mr. President, why on earth would you address the school children of America without their parents available? And why, exactly, on a day that will be the first day of school for many school districts?
Let me explain something: Children should be in school to learn to Read and Write, to do Arithmatic, and think logically (we call it "problem solving" now, but logic is an actual skill which has fallen by the wayside...) They should not be there to ask what they can do for you. They should not be there to ask what their parents or communities or teacher or even Santa Claus can do to help you. So, for once, shut down your narcissistic ego, shut your trap, and let kids learn.
I've seen some people asking why this should be a problem. So let me try this slowly:
The President of the United States is, before all else, a political figure. He is, in many ways, the most powerful man in the world. Children are very impressionable, and (since we take away all their rights) very vulnerable in school. It doesn't matter if this President tries to indoctrinate our children; by setting this precendent, he's opening the door for one in the future to do so. And, before you say it couldn't happen, look at Soviet Russia, or National Socialist Germany, or Fascist Italy, or Communist China. I'm pretty sure, had this happened back before their brushes with totalitarianism, they would have said it couldn't happen to them, either.
This President and his Congress are already trying to take away our liberty. This whole Health Care stupidity is Unconstitutional, the bailout was Unconstitutional, Cap and Trade is (barely) Constitutional, but will still deprive us of liberty we currently have.
And I'm supposed to trust him that he's not going to try to send some Left-wing, socialist/communist message to our children? Riiiight...
h/t: Michelle Malkin
Time for the AARP to get some Moral Clarity...
From Hugh Hewitt's interview with David Certner of AARP(Click for Transcript).
Hugh interviewed Mr. Certner on Tuesday, and I believe Mr. Certner's responses are illuminating. Not because I believe a single word he said, but because I can prove that some of his statements are, at best, misinformed and, at worst, outright lies.
So, straight to it:
Hugh had just asked about from where savings from Medicare would come, Mr. Certner began talking about Medicare Advantage. Now, at first, I was pretty sure something was amiss. You see, I used to work for BlueCross BlueShield of Texas as a claim examiner, and something he said didn't ring true about Medicare Advantage plans. Here's what he said:
"DC: Well, right now, the insurance companies provide an alternative to traditional Medicare..."
Here's the problem with that: Medicare Advantage isn't an "alternative" to Medicare. It's a supplement. You still have to pay your normal Medicare A & B Premiums, and usually an additional premium to the Insurance Company (probably why only about 20% of Medicare participants elect Medicare Advantage).
Here's the salient bit from Medicare's Website:
"To join a Medicare Advantage Plan, you must have Medicare Part A and Part B. You will have to pay your monthly Medicare Part B premium to Medicare. In addition, you might have to pay a monthly premium to your Medicare Advantage Plan for the extra benefits that they offer."
Next: Still talking about Medicare Advantage, here's the exchange:
"HH: How many people are in Medicare Advantage?
DC: Roughly 20% of the Medicare population is in a Medicare Advantage plan.
HH: So 20% of Americans over the age of 65 are going to be impacted by these, what did you call, changes to their benefit plans?
DC: Well, I would say that 20% are in the class that could be potentially impacted. I suspect that there’ll be a smaller percentage of those who may actually be impacted.
HH: So that’s millions and millions of senior citizens who are going to have their benefits diminished or their insurance payments increased?
DC: I would say potentially, there are a few million people. On the other hand, 80% are likely to see their premiums now be lower because they’re not providing these extra subsidies..."
Now, I don't know if any of this is factually inaccurate or not, but let me see if I can boil this down: 15% of Americans don't have Health Insurance (100% of Americans can receive needed health care), and that's terrible. But the AARP isn't concerned that 20% of it's members will (likely) lose (or have greatly reduced) the coverage they do like. (Hmmm... wasn't someone saying something about "If you like your plan you can keep it?")
Next: Medicare Premiums:
"HH: Now everything I’ve read does not tell me anywhere that Medicare premiums are going down for people. Now I have not read that anywhere. Is that part of a plan, Medicare premiums are going to go down?
DC: Well, as you know, Medicare premiums goes up with the cost of health care. So the more we can reduce the cost of health care, whether it’s reducing the subsidies to Medicare Advantage plans or other health care costs, we’ll keep premiums as low as possible."
To anyone who believes their insurance costs (especially premiums) will go down because of increased federal mandates: I have a bridge in California I'd like to sell you.
Still Medicare Premiums:
"DC: Right, because we don’t want them to continue to see their premiums double. We want to make sure that premiums are going up at an affordable pace. We need premiums to be fair so people can afford them, not to keep going up at these tremendous rates."
See that word "fair?" That word is a good indicator someone is trying to put one over on you. Note to Mr. Certner: Life isn't fair. To cripple an industry's ability to offset its costs is hardly "fair." I would even say that it is, perhaps, anti-business.
Well, there's far more than this in there as well, and you can certainly read the rest of the transcript (take some headache medicine first). I think this is enough to say: AARP Members- be afraid, be very afraid.
Hugh interviewed Mr. Certner on Tuesday, and I believe Mr. Certner's responses are illuminating. Not because I believe a single word he said, but because I can prove that some of his statements are, at best, misinformed and, at worst, outright lies.
So, straight to it:
Hugh had just asked about from where savings from Medicare would come, Mr. Certner began talking about Medicare Advantage. Now, at first, I was pretty sure something was amiss. You see, I used to work for BlueCross BlueShield of Texas as a claim examiner, and something he said didn't ring true about Medicare Advantage plans. Here's what he said:
"DC: Well, right now, the insurance companies provide an alternative to traditional Medicare..."
Here's the problem with that: Medicare Advantage isn't an "alternative" to Medicare. It's a supplement. You still have to pay your normal Medicare A & B Premiums, and usually an additional premium to the Insurance Company (probably why only about 20% of Medicare participants elect Medicare Advantage).
Here's the salient bit from Medicare's Website:
"To join a Medicare Advantage Plan, you must have Medicare Part A and Part B. You will have to pay your monthly Medicare Part B premium to Medicare. In addition, you might have to pay a monthly premium to your Medicare Advantage Plan for the extra benefits that they offer."
Next: Still talking about Medicare Advantage, here's the exchange:
"HH: How many people are in Medicare Advantage?
DC: Roughly 20% of the Medicare population is in a Medicare Advantage plan.
HH: So 20% of Americans over the age of 65 are going to be impacted by these, what did you call, changes to their benefit plans?
DC: Well, I would say that 20% are in the class that could be potentially impacted. I suspect that there’ll be a smaller percentage of those who may actually be impacted.
HH: So that’s millions and millions of senior citizens who are going to have their benefits diminished or their insurance payments increased?
DC: I would say potentially, there are a few million people. On the other hand, 80% are likely to see their premiums now be lower because they’re not providing these extra subsidies..."
Now, I don't know if any of this is factually inaccurate or not, but let me see if I can boil this down: 15% of Americans don't have Health Insurance (100% of Americans can receive needed health care), and that's terrible. But the AARP isn't concerned that 20% of it's members will (likely) lose (or have greatly reduced) the coverage they do like. (Hmmm... wasn't someone saying something about "If you like your plan you can keep it?")
Next: Medicare Premiums:
"HH: Now everything I’ve read does not tell me anywhere that Medicare premiums are going down for people. Now I have not read that anywhere. Is that part of a plan, Medicare premiums are going to go down?
DC: Well, as you know, Medicare premiums goes up with the cost of health care. So the more we can reduce the cost of health care, whether it’s reducing the subsidies to Medicare Advantage plans or other health care costs, we’ll keep premiums as low as possible."
To anyone who believes their insurance costs (especially premiums) will go down because of increased federal mandates: I have a bridge in California I'd like to sell you.
Still Medicare Premiums:
"DC: Right, because we don’t want them to continue to see their premiums double. We want to make sure that premiums are going up at an affordable pace. We need premiums to be fair so people can afford them, not to keep going up at these tremendous rates."
See that word "fair?" That word is a good indicator someone is trying to put one over on you. Note to Mr. Certner: Life isn't fair. To cripple an industry's ability to offset its costs is hardly "fair." I would even say that it is, perhaps, anti-business.
Well, there's far more than this in there as well, and you can certainly read the rest of the transcript (take some headache medicine first). I think this is enough to say: AARP Members- be afraid, be very afraid.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
And now some time for
Some moral clarity.
Last night, an important man in America died. Edward Kennedy was, yes, a scoundrel. He was a man-child of privilege. He was everything we on the Right despi... roll our eyes at. But he was an important man.
More importantly, today, he was a father, a brother, an uncle. And already the day which should have been used solely for his family's mourning has been desecrated. Almost before he had cooled, his supposed friends and allies were attempting to use his death for political gain. At the same time, his enemies were already reviling him.
Ladies and Gentlemen, can we have just a little decorum? Please? Can we not wait one week out of respect for the dead? How about one day?
I didn't know Ted Kennedy. I'm not from Massachusetts, so he was never my senator. He did some awful things. I'm sure he did good things, too. None of that matters now, because he's dead. Leave him alone for a week, or at least a day or two.
To his family: I pray that God will show him the same Mercy and Grace I hope to receive, and welcome him with open, loving arms. I hope the darkness of this world falls from his eyes, and that he is welcomed by the Light. Most of All, I know that God is willing to be with you, if you'll only lean on Him, and He will see you through this difficult time.
My Grand father passed away last year. He was 96, and wanted to die. God took him home swiftly and painlessly one night, in the presence of his wife, daughters, and sons-in-law. Despite the fact we knew it was coming, I was devastated. So I have an idea what you're going through.
May God's peace be with you, and His countenance be upon you. Amen.
Last night, an important man in America died. Edward Kennedy was, yes, a scoundrel. He was a man-child of privilege. He was everything we on the Right despi... roll our eyes at. But he was an important man.
More importantly, today, he was a father, a brother, an uncle. And already the day which should have been used solely for his family's mourning has been desecrated. Almost before he had cooled, his supposed friends and allies were attempting to use his death for political gain. At the same time, his enemies were already reviling him.
Ladies and Gentlemen, can we have just a little decorum? Please? Can we not wait one week out of respect for the dead? How about one day?
I didn't know Ted Kennedy. I'm not from Massachusetts, so he was never my senator. He did some awful things. I'm sure he did good things, too. None of that matters now, because he's dead. Leave him alone for a week, or at least a day or two.
To his family: I pray that God will show him the same Mercy and Grace I hope to receive, and welcome him with open, loving arms. I hope the darkness of this world falls from his eyes, and that he is welcomed by the Light. Most of All, I know that God is willing to be with you, if you'll only lean on Him, and He will see you through this difficult time.
My Grand father passed away last year. He was 96, and wanted to die. God took him home swiftly and painlessly one night, in the presence of his wife, daughters, and sons-in-law. Despite the fact we knew it was coming, I was devastated. So I have an idea what you're going through.
May God's peace be with you, and His countenance be upon you. Amen.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)