From Ft. Hood to the Internet

I recently re-read through most of my blogs and realized that most of them turned out to be rants. I guess I wait until I "well-up" enough to vent before I post anything. I don't always post links to the articles that have raised my ire, sometimes the news is just inundated with the same general story. Hearing or reading the same thing over and over sometimes leads to projecting the question of "How will this affect me?".

Take, for example, the Ft. Hood shooter. There are a lot of nationwide consequences that this single event can lead to. Not too far off-topic is the Columbine shooting. This is what the Columbine shooting has led to:

That event led to "bullying" becoming a crime in most schools. Maybe not as a legal ramification for most bullies, but certainly reason for expulsion from school. Instead of teaching our kids to stand up for themselves against bullies, and encouraging schools to support that silly notion, we've taken less-intelligent bullies and put in place measures to ensure that they remain undereducated.

That is a great service to society! I don't think we have near enough qualified stupid thugs running around in this country. Maybe if schools could again administer corporal punishment, these bullies would be corrected before they become adolescents.

Bullies seek out the weak. The weak are a target because they just put up with it or are afraid to act. The weak physically may also be mentally weak and then one day...bang-bang. These are the kids the schools should be watching and strengthening. The weak minded consider themselves "victims" of everything. This person may not bust caps into people at school, but what if he gets a job at the post office later.

The USPS isn't going to fire a bully-expel them, if you will, they'll just tell the young lad to deal with it. The next thing you know, this guy feels 'bullied' by everybody and is dealing with it from atop a clock tower.

He will deal with it this way because he never had to deal with it at school and never learned how. "...But he was a quiet kid in school and never got into trouble, no signs of this in his behavior. Wow, such a surprise." Sometimes people have to learn to take the bad with the good. Our country is making everybody victims, which makes everyone that is not you personally, bad.

Now, back to Ft. Hood

The shooter, in this case: had ties to extremists, had made extremists statements in the base chow-hall while standing on a table, written anti-American statements in emails, was questioned (behind his back) with the words "is he unstable?" by colleagues, was on an FBI watch list, gave away his possessions shortly before the shooting. He was Muslim. Whew, I certainly would not want to piss this guy off by doing anything that might be considered politically incorrect.

I know that all of these things were from individual incidents and were not combined into a single source until after the shooting. Their were no "signs" really to be missed. He was a psychiatrist. Getting the mindset of Muslim extremists is important to his task of helping soldiers deal with them. I think that if one were trying to get into the mindset of a terrorist, they'd have to pretend to exhibit some tendencies to gain their trust, so email exchanges between himself and a Muslim Extremist Cleric is not suspicious. But, because he shot up a base, it will justify monitoring all email traffic with all citizens, because you just never know where the next nut is lurking.

What if his anti-American statements were nothing more than a loud and clear objection to his orders to Iraq and the words were simply..."the wrong war, in the wrong place, at the wrong time" ? Hell, even John Kerry said that. That's not what his statements were I am sure and I am not defending this guy, I am just trying to show how our Government will use this as the rallying pole to take away more of your rights.

I support the war, I remember Desert Storm and 911. I think also that there is valid opposition to the war. I may not agree with those folks, but generally because I know that Sharia Law and the extremists that practice it will just keep on and on and on if they are not defeated. Their goal is terror, not victory. They attack soft targets, not strategic ones. They want to break the resolve of the US to fight, and with some, they have succeeded. They are the Bullies attacking the weak.

Now, Suppose that I didn't support the war, would verbal opposition be one day considered a possible threat to the security of the nation- would I look like an extremist instead of a newly self-proclaimed pacifist?

Colleagues questioned his stability, but did so behind his back. Was this just in general conversation and based on something benign? Was it a statement based on a psych. evaluation. I have questioned the stability of many people, usually people I've had to work with or around and usually in a non-serious manner.

Realistically, there is no evidence that the statement made by the collegue wasn't in response to something stupid, like not saluting a senior officer or something similiar. That is not a sign of instability. I saw an Ensign (out of uniform) get all pissed off and "go ballistic" on an airman when I was in the Navy. The airman was standing a post-watch and didn't salute the officer's ID card. We usually do question the stability of assholes, it's normal to do so.

The fact that he was a Muslim I also do not find suspicious. There is a rather large sect of muslim extremists who take the Quaran litterally. What they practice is called Sheria Law, but comparing all Muslims to this is like comparing the Westboro Baptist Church to all Christians. If there were millions of Westboro Baptist Church members, they would be a threat to you also. Muhammid Ali is also a Muslim, but was a pacifist during Viet Nam.

The shooter had been investigated by the FBI. I am betting it was because of his email communications with the Terrorist Cleric. I imagine that their investigation resulted in his communications being justified given his job in the military.

He gave his possessions away, does that mean he was suicidal and homicidal, or simply that he didn't want to store his crap for a year. The reason I am posing these as questions in such a way is to show that there really was no sign beforehand that this guy was a loon. Nothing indicates that he was going to try to go out in a blaze of glory for Allah.

If you watch the news, it seems that everything was suspicious. Many of our fellow citizens will buy into this. That getting suckered by the media will result in more loss of liberties, particularly in the ares of privacy, and more specifically, the exchanges of information that occur via Internet. I posted earlier that the net was going to be reigned in and probably turned into something that makes EVERY site fee based-similar to cable. Those fees generate taxes to the government and diminish the flow of information because people will visit fewer sites.

The Ft. Hood shooting IS the event that will be the "something needs to be done because" event that will get new Internet legislation passed to prevent this from happening in the future. If even email becomes fee-based, then electronic tracing will be easier. Some sites-like infowars.com and worldnetdaily.com will be "watch list" sites because they are conspiracy oriented. If they become fee based for any access, then there will a record of the transaction.

I believe that our current government will twist this heinous act on the very best our fellow citizens, -the American Military, into far reaching negative legislation. The deaths of these men and women will be the cause that is the opposite of their reason for volunteering to serve. I believe that instead of the name of freedom they swore themselves to protect, their deaths will be used as the reason to take more of our freedom away. I think this will make free speech more dificult to use in the future that there might as well be no right to privacy.

But then again, using the Internet to communicate is a choice, just like driving a car is. Maybe reigning it in will bring back company and conversation for dinner. Maybe limited internet will make neighbors 'neighborly' again. It has only been around for about a blink in our history anyway, and we managed to build the greatest country in the world without it.

If you speak the TRUTH, back it up, don't apolagise little jellyfish

     "We want the people to reach their potential and so the dignity of work is very valuable and important and we have to re-emphasize work and reform our welfare programs like we did in 1996.....We have got this tailspin of culture in our inner-cities in particular, of men not working and just generations of men not even thinking about working or learning the value and the culture of work; and so there is a real culture problem here that has to be dealt with."- Paul Ryan 

Racist comment?!  
    I don't think so, but then again I would not arbitrarily make a statement like that. I would make THAT statement to pick a fight. A Fight I could win. Ryan wasn't prepared to defend this and had to go on an apology tour.
 Read these Articles: 1( MSN.com "Paul Ryan meets with black lawmakers after race flap) and more recently 2 ( Rueters: "Paul Ryan tries to ease tensions with black lawmakers on poverty)
     Spineless. What Caused the culture of poverty that he is referring to? Well, here, you try to figure it out:

     A few generations ago the government (local, state, federal) caused many inner-city businesses to close. These closures were the result of many factors-EPA standards, OSHA Standards, Taxes, labor laws, cost of compliance issues,...the list can go on and on, but essentially it was government big and small that killed inner city industry.
      When these businesses closed and there was high unemployment and poverty, designing men who coveted power and who saw a big voting block, said to these dis-enfranchised workers without jobs or new jobs to go to: "Don't worry! We (the Government) will cover your losses and help you provide for your family. We'll call it "welfare!" AND, as feeble as it was, the government did....
...well sort of, we'll get to the enslavement later.
      Men, of any color, had been the traditional breadwinners of families at this point. Accepting government charity was a disgrace and caused them to abandon hope. They were educated for their era, and recognized government help as the seeds of enslavement. There was not much to inspire a young man to grow and become something. Many of these Men abandoned more than hope. They took to drink or drug to escape the shame and some even abandoned their families.
       The next generation was raised with help from the government and fewer fathers hanging around which left many single Mothers to try to raise a family on her own. Once the Kids were grown, there still were no jobs to go to, and so they had no reason to add value to themselves as individuals to procure gainful employment. Many didn't even bother to finish school. Their Moms tried to tell them, but since when do young men and women listen to their parents?
       Again, Designing men stepped in, seeing a new voting block, and said "WOW. You are the victims of a failed system. That's why you are so poor! Don't worry, we'll help even more. We'll tax those rich guys-those evil bastards-and make them share the wealth. We'll provide you with housing, food, health care and even a free phone-but only for emergencies of course." And the government kept it's word....well, sort of. we'll get to the Laffer curve in a second.
        The next generation is here. A single woman need not marry to be provided for, so a "father" need not stick around to be the breadwinner. No Father to teach any value of character or the importance of freedom and independence. There is no one to teach things like being dependable or what a work ethic is. No man to administer punishment for wrongs and no man to be an example of what it takes to be a provider...well, except for the thugs dealing drugs.
       The teachers in the schools see the problems, but not the causes. They are trying to teach undisciplined children, but with little or no help from the homes of these kids, the teachers can do little more than re-enforce the hope that the government will provide. They repeat what the designing men say, and it just becomes the way inner city kids learn to think. It is, for lack of a better word, economics based political conditioning. You're poor because you are a victim of the system.
       What does this have to do with Ryan's statement?
       The culture he is referring to was CAUSED by government, big and small. The Government has conditioned people of all colors, but of a certain income level to become dependent upon government. WHY bother to learn anything? The government will take care of me. WHY bother to get married- the government will pay to raise my kids. Why get a job even? The government will give me food, clothing and shelter. Hell, If a person can't get benefits bestowed to them by the government because of need, just break a few laws and you can get "3 hots and a cot"!
       Ryan should have been the one to point this out. He's the guy who opened this can of worms and then spinelessly is running around apologizing for it.
       Now the government is facing a new conundrum. Many of the rich have moved their businesses overseas and can no longer be a resource used by the government to provide for the poor.The working class is shrinking as a result. The middle class is about tapped out so domestically, there are few new resources to be had. Because of the generational government help, we have lost skilled and educated people and because of so many regulations we have lost the desire to become business people. Who wants to be a villain -right?
     What the Government has done with the poor is created a slave class whose only job is to vote. Yes, The government provides food, phones, shelter, but by keeping the poor ignorant and dependent, they have designed a power structure that is killing this country and leaving the culture Ryan describes in it's wake.
     The problem is also that if the recipient class votes against the "government providers"  and votes instead for those who promise "opportunity" they risk losing the government benefits. So the culture of not working is really one more of "why bother?" and it is perpetuated by government.
     Without those benefits serving as a safety net, they are at an impasse. The designing men have set the benefits up in such a way that if a person works just a little bit, they could earn too much money to qualify for the benefits but earn not enough to live on. This is what gives rise to protesting to raise the minimum wage, which factors in to the Laffer Curve explained at the end of this entry.
This is how the poor dependent class have become slaves:
     The recipient class is told: What kind of food they are allowed to eat (by virtue of no junk food or fast food). They are told where they allowed to buy their food and how much food they are allowed to buy ( by virtue of the dollar amount provided on the card and only at places that accept the card). They are told where they are allowed to live and in what neighborhoods (by virtue of "section 8"). They are told where they are allowed to send their kids to school (by virtue of school districts). If they have a government phone, they are told who they are allowed to talk to and for how long. (The Obamaphone idea was originally only supposed to be used for emergency services or medical appointments and to arrange transportation to doctor's offices and essential services for the elderly poor).

   THROUGHOUT HISTORY, THE GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE HELD THAT KIND OF AUTHORITY OVER ANOTHER HAVE BEEN CALLED SLAVE OWNERS OR MASTERS.

  The government rules, taxes, regulations, and cost of compliance with all of these laws is what has driven the businesses away. The Laffer curve explains how.
   It looks like a bell curve but what it measures is government vs. business, or person verses taxes. At "zero" we have no taxes, but we also have no government- no rules, no laws or law enforcement- just anarchy.
   As the scale progresses, we have some government and we pay some taxes. There is an acceptable level of taxation that all are willing to pay. We all agree on things like law enforcement, emergency services, roads, and other necessary infrastructure. These are the tools we need to pursue happiness, but that none of us can provide as individuals. As new people move into government, often they try to grow the infrastructure by improving roads or schools or also by starting social programs designed to help the less fortunate.
   At some point along this scale, we end up with too much government and too much tax. At this point, businesses either fold or relocate. This causes unemployment or a shrinking of the tax base with segments of the population relocating. This leaves an infrastructure that still needs to be maintained, whether it be roads or helping the poor. The problem is, the infrastructure is the same size, but the bankroll needed to pay for it has shrunk.
   Now you have too much government with too little revenue coming in to cover the existing cost, BUT because businesses have folded or gone away, you have the added cost of more people being on the system with even fewer people paying the cost. Taxes or costs associated with government have to go up, causing even more businesses to fail, and all of this just continues to extrapolate until the system fails. If you want to know what it looks like when this happens, see Venezuela or think about what caused Detroit to go bankrupt.
   Now, knowing all of this, all of these things Ryan should have pointed out to defend his position, he could have looked at those members of the media, those people in institutions where racism is their cottage industry, He could have looked them dead in the eye and said "What the hell did you think was going to happen when you did all of these thing TO a group of people rather than for?" Then he could have asked for their help to fix this problem rather than suffer being accused of being a bigot.
    Instead, the spineless coward that he is will capitulate to their demands and there WILL be a bill granting even more benefits to the poor and his name will be on it as a sponsor. Who is left here to pay for it?
     He will be compromising his own beliefs rather than have the balls a leader should have to stand up and defend them. He is a spineless establishment politician and as much as I despise Obama, I am glad he is not our vice president.

WTF- How does Finland get our Tax money to build luxury cars

I RE-POSTED THIS FROM 09/25/09 BECAUSE THIS ISSUE WAS ADDRESSED ON "The Blaze" on 10/19/2011.

I can't blame Al Gore on this, but I really want to. Here's the link to the article:(http://online.wsj.com/article/sb125383160812639013.htmc?mod=WSJ_hpp_MIDDLTopstories) . If the link fails, it's at the WSJ and the article is Titled "Gore-backed car firm Gets large US loan" by Josh Mitchell and Stephen Power. I read the article, and then did a little googling, This is what I think about it:

In 2007, 27 billion dollars of our taxes was eamarked for car companies to develop new technologies to meet the EPA standards that are set for the coming years.
This year, the Department of Energy has lent nearly 1 billion dollars to 2 foreign cars companies alone to develop their own eco-friendly cars, while shunning American manufacturers.

At least 2 U.S. eco-car companies have been declined to recieve any of these dollars for the development of cars in this country.That is too bad, because this country is the one that has set the standards.

Matt Rogers heads the DOE loans department, but according to the above article, refuses to comment on criteria for procuring loans.

Fisker automotive, of Finland has recieved $529,000,000.00 of The united States working man's dollars to build an $89,000 luxury hybrid called the "Karma" . Tesla Motors of Great Britian has recieved $465,000,000.00 to build an all-electric luxury car, to be priced around $109,000.00.
These 2 companies expect to sell only about 15 thousand cars. So, For the low,low price of $994,000,000 we won't even get to see some rich dude driving our $100k cars.

These 2 companies also contributed 2.2 million dollars to democrats' campaigns. Their biggest investors is Kliener-Perkins, a private company that has also invested heavily into democrats' capaign efforts.
Al Gore joined Kliener Perkins in 2008, according to Forbes Magazine.
The article appears in Feb, 2008 and is Titled "Al Gore's Next Act: Planet Saving VC". It was written byMark Gunther and Adam Lashisky. I didn't read this article, I was just looking for cross references of big Dem donors referencing the above article and Al Gore.

The only corrolation that I could find is that "Generations Investment Management" is based in London and publicly bills itself as investing in so-called green companies and then a blurb on their website- something about sustainability research. Al Gore is the president of the American division of that company. Generations Investment crops up whenever you hear the phreases associated with "Carbon Credits". So when Al says he is buying carbon credits as an answer to criticisms of his personal energy consumption, he is really saying "stock" in his own company.

American Companies mentioned in the above article that were turned down:
XP Vehicles- They are working on a deisel car that meets or exceeds the impending EPA laws and standards. They have locations in San Francisco, CA., Salt Lake City, UT., and Troy (Detroit), MI. They were declined a loan for only 40 million dollars to build a factory and put our own citizens to work. That is less than 10% of the loan recieved by the UK company or the Finnish one.

EcoMotors, based also in Detriot, was turned down for just 20 million dollars. I can't remember if they are working on a hybrid or all-electric, but still, they are trying to build a company that builds an affordable car. Either of the foreign companies mentioned borrowed 20 times as much to produce something that the average Joe can't afford to buy, or even travel to the countries to see the people who can.

WTF Matt, don't you want to see Americans go to work. This should be treason. Depleting out coffers by giving our money to foreigners to beat us here at home on the business front. I thought there was a "WAR ON POVERTY" in this country.

This crap just makes me sick! These cars are going to be nothing more than status symbols for the foreign wealthy and we are paying for it-to the tune of nearly a Billion dollars, and our taxes aren't even being used to put Americans to work.

So far we are only hearing about spending on healthcare and cutting CEO salaries, Where's our money? Finland and the UK. Oh, Ok.....
It's bad enough to fund the rich in this country with our taxes, but now the foreign wealthy too. I am going to go be sick.

Cumulative Fatigue not Sleep Apnea DOT

I was recently requested by my employer to participate in a sleep study program. The requirement is in preparation of DOT discussions that may likely take effect as law around October. This new series of laws and regulations will attempt to address the issue of sleep apnea as a causal effect of CMV related crashes.


The real issue is a condition called 'cumulative fatigue', and the only treatment for this condition is education. Cumulative fatigue is brought on by nights of interrupted sleep, or generally interrupted sleep cycles where not enough REM sleep is achieved. Sleep Apnea is but one of many causes, and addressing this alone will do nothing to improve the safety of the motoring public.

Interrupted and restless sleep can occur for a multitude of reasons, all of which can conspire to create cumulative fatigue, even if the sufferer doesn't 'feel' tired.

- Professional stresses can cause a driver to not rest comfortably or even wake up from time to time during the night just be sure he/she has not overslept. (Can I make it on-time if the weather turns or if I go through Metro during rush hour?)

-Personal Stresses, everything ranging from why did my wife take so long to answer the phone to is my paycheck going to be big enough, can cause restless sleep and REM deprivation.

-Perturbations from external sources while parked can wake a driver and disrupt REM sleep. These motions can be caused by everything from the wind rocking the vehicle, reefer units kicking on and off, and actually being bumped into by another truck that is attempting to park.

-Noises ranging from other drivers inconsiderate use of Jake Brakes through truck stop parking lots to people actually knocking on the truck doors disrupt and disturb slumbering drivers.

-Smells and odors can wake drivers on some nights. The wind can change and now the driver is downwind of a paper mill, hog farm, or fat rendering plant. The smell of unidentified smoke can wake a driver from a dead sleep to full throttle almost immediately.

-Illnesses such as colds or just common aches and pains can cause sleeplessness.

-Medications for conditions ranging from acute illness to chronic ailments affect REM sleep.

-Even something as simple as having to park for the break period in a 'seedy' neighborhood can interfere with a drivers ability to obtain a decent night's sleep with adequate REM cycles.

- Sleep Apnea, this is the process during the night where some people suffer from blocked air passages. Each time the air gets cut-off, the person awakens. Sometimes this wake/and go back to sleep happens in such short and rapid successions, that the sleeper is unaware that they even woke up.

Now, DOT submits that the sole cause of driver fatigue is sleep apnea. DOT, for bazaar reasons, believes that drivers who suffer this ailment is in the neighborhood of 30 per cent. It is true that some people that drive trucks do so with this condition.

DOT's solution to driver fatigue is the single minded approach of diagnosing and treating sleep apnea.
This is the commercial transportation equivalent of some random driver telling all of the handling abilities, braking distances, acceleration distances of a sight-unseen commercial vehicle and the length of travel time needed 'to the minute' based solely on the weight of the payload, with no considerations made for vehicle type, transmission, engine, distance between origin and destination, weather, or even route.

Any driver who could make such a claim would be laughed out of the industry for being such an idiot, yet we blithely accept this approach to SAFETY from those who govern our industry.

It is true that the DOT has solicited advise from a panel of experts, who truly are experts in how breathing affects the heart and body and how sleep affects the functioning of the mind. But-and this is important-These experts only cover 1 facet of a serious problem and the solution offered is not a solution at all.

THINK ABOUT IT: Is a 4 thousand dollar mini-fan blowing air directly into a person's face while they sleep realistically going to do anything to improve highway safety?

Rather than challenge this, some companies, despite having actual industry knowledge, are accepting this hypothesis with little or no argument. Some companies are even going so far as to not just lay down and accept these new potential DOT mandates, but have actually built 'sleep labs' for the implementation of this misguided approach to solving the fatigue issue.


There are already drivers who have been diagnosed with the condition talking about how the monitoring of the use of the CPAP machine can be circumvented-simply turn the machine on and put the mask on the floor-don't forget to turn the machine off when you crawl out of the sleeper.


The cure for driver fatigue is educating drivers of what it is, what it's symptoms are, and how to recognize those symptoms. Some symptoms are simple and easy to identify, things like clumsiness, forgetfulness, and re-doing the same tasks or missing known exits are good examples.

Other symptoms are a little more sophisticated because they involve actively paying attention to the act of paying attention. An example of this as a symptom might be a driver passes a car and as he gets back into the travel lane, another vehicle races by and passes him. IF,EVEN FOR AN INSTANT THAT DRIVER DOUBTS WHETHER OR NOT HE CHECKED HIS MIRROR OR CUT ANOTHER DRIVER OFF, that itself is a symptom of cumulative fatigue.


These potential DOT mandates are a waste of resources and money, particularly when one considers that in most cases, the people who are hired to conduct the sleep studies are the same people who are selling the CPAP machines. So far, the average failure rate on the sleep lab is over forty per cent. DOESN'T THAT RAISE A RED FLAG TO ANYBODY BUT ME?

The only people who will benefit from this are the people who are selling $4,000 fans. SHAME on the companies within this industry who have not even challenged or submitted any thoughtful counter arguments to these DOT proposals.

There will be many drivers who will have been wrongfully diagnosed with sleep apnea so some company can get a commission on a new machine. This is tasteless because that diagnosis is an entry into a medical record that will inhibihit that drivers future opportunities.

Now, on a more personal note, the idea of submitting myself to participate in an activity that I know in my heart of hearts is a fruitless endeavor and potentially a scam is one of the most appalling notions any employer could ask me to do.

The reasons I have been asked to undergo this idiotic lie is vague at it's best.."They saw some things that might suggest to some people that you should be a candidate for a sleep study".

BMI is the broadest net, and if that is a reason the solution should be to either lose weight by a certian time or submit to this test shortly therafter. Not being given the opportunity or even the reasons for being suggested as a sleep study candidate.....man, I cannot even think of a coherent response to that.

I know the executives researched potential sleep experts and settled on a service provider for the sleep studies. I also believe that just because a person finds what they think they are looking for doesn't mean that the search miraculously generates an immunity from scams. (people see fortune tellers everyday-do you think any of those people get scammed).

According to my terminal manager, his fleet is "only" suffering a sleep apnea failure rate of around 40 per cent. I know some terminals have a higher rate.

I look at things this way- while I am in this vehicle, either on or off duty, I am being watched, observed and monitored. The engine can have a function performed that can even tell my company when I've missed a gear based on engine over RPM. An ECM download can indicate if I am a 'tailgater' as it can provide information regarding 'hard brakes' and panic stops.
The quallcom satellite unit can track my motion, direction and speed at any given time. Anything that quallcom and satellite cannot provide I am required by law to record in a logbook which is then compared to satellite and computer for verification.

The only reprieve I am allowed from this observatory scrutiny is when I am in the sleeper off-duty. And now, the company I work for wants me to potentially sacrifice the ONLY vestige of privacy I have. They want me to submit to a sleep study.

This sleep study will do nothing to promote the general safety of the motoring public and it is a medical procedure that may result in my being scammed into having a bogus ailment entered into my medical records and potentially have to use a CPAP machine. SO, now, my employer wants to violate the only privacy I am allowed and monitor me while I sleep.

By asking me to do this, participate in an activity that I believe is a scam, is tantamount to asking me to place my career before a firing squad. The choice offered is to take the sleep study or decling to do so will be considered a resignation. I declined and it cost me my job.

I am lucky, I can afford to take some time off and have enough experience to easily be hired at a time of my choosing by other decent companies out there. My desire to NOT participate in this nonsense is stronger than my desire to stay with a weak willed company, despite the above average benefits. There will be many drivers who are not so lucky.

This should make you scream the F-word

We have given the government way, way too much say in our lives. The problem is, we can now sue or challenge the individual-the low man on the totem pole for exercising the authority of the position of their office rather than just saying "no". This does NOTHING to keep the government from exercising that authority-it just passes that operative authority to a different individual.

On the surface, this appears like we really have some control over our lives, because it creates the illusion that there are consequences for violating our rights. There are consequences, but only for the individuals in our legal system who do that.

This ability to legally wrangle against the violators rather than the institution only puts PEOPLE on either side of an argument in a position of being a victim of the state- even if their actions are on behalf of the authority of the state.

Many do not realize that the heads of our Government(s) and the heads of our government agencies consider themselves to be above the law. These folks only make up about 1000 or so people, and everbody beneath that level IS THE LITTLE GUY, unless they can buy their way up or out. We allow them to make the laws with a do-as-I-say...not-as-I-do vision that they only see as good for everybody else. That governing culture is bleeding down to the lower ranks, and the result is what this post is about.

Really, our government should be symbolized as a snake. Going after the individual is of no more consequence to the government than removing a single scale is of consequence to the snake. The departments or agencies survive, even if it has gotten rid of a few people. It is a process that is just like a snake shedding it's skin. We get shiny new faces to look at for the temporary appeasement of whatever was wronged.

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D9BBNUJ80&show_article=1 . That link is about a Louisiana Judge who denied a marriage license to an interracial couple citing that he thinks if they have kids that it'll be difficult on them. I agree that it will probably be hard on them. I don't agree with the Judge denying them the right to get married by denying the required license.

That is activism from the bench.

It doesn't matter whether I believe mixed marriages are right or wrong. What matters is that we have allowed the government to make life decisions for grown adults.

Yes, if they have kids, then those kids will face challenges, but those challenges will probably make them stronger in character when they get older. They may become intolerant of both races or embrace both as adults.

This couple hasn't had any children and is being denied a marriage license. There are no children in this relationship, so the kids are imaginary. Using imaginary kids to deny a marriage license is the same as punishing a person for something they "might" do.

This Judge will be forced to step down and and the couple will feel vindicated when they get their license. The Judge or court may even have to sacrifice money in a lawsuit by the ACLU. The ACLU will get rich, and the newly weds will have a small dowry to get started on their lives together.

Meanwhile, other courts across the lands will still be issuing dictum as to how we may live our lives. If we let this get out of hand, the next thing you know, we'll be told what type of television set we won't be allowed to have in our homes.

Shit, this next link proves my point: http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-bigtvs14-2009oct14,0,4908205.story This is the exact opposite of capitalism. If a person can't afford an "energy hog" TV, they probably won't buy one. Making Big screens illegal because they use too much energy is just stupid. The power company will just raise the cost of electric per kilowatt hour and slap a little more of the impending carbon tax to the bill. This law just looks like a test to see if the government, state or otherwise, can really do whatever it wants and make anything illegal.

We do a lot of complaining about activist judges and stupid laws. The real bottom line is that we are allowing too damn many laws to be passed and we have allowed too many agencies to be given autonomous authority. These agencies can impose fines or force businesses to shut down. The legal system is really just a reflection of the fast track we are on to giving all of our rights away.

The biggest problems are in the agencies and the bureaucracies. A couple of people can abuse their authority and be fired. So what...that culture of abuse has to start at the top and then be surrounded by the same types of abusers.

The CEO of a corporation rarely has the exact opposites filling all of the other executive offices. If a CEO gets fired or voted out by the board, he is usually replaced with the next in line. Most of the time, that replacement is just a mirror reflection of the same guy, just he hasn't been caught doing anything wrong yet. Government offices and Agencies are even worse.

There are many examples of abuse of power of just the agencies, that even if looked at independent from the legal system you'd be sick.
If you want a refresher of how abusive the agencies are, remember these:

The ATF in Waco,TX.- Independent arm of the Justice dept, answered to the Attorney general. Violated posse comitatus. The federal government basically sent troops into the compound for no criminal justification other than to serve warrants based on rumors of illegal firearms. Firearms are not even supposed to be illegal in the first place.

Militarizing law enforcement agencies was not a consideration to our forefathers. They did not want a government strong enough to have a military to turn against our citizens. They wanted our citizens to be armed so we could be strong enough to defend ourselves. They did not put that caveat in the constitution as a "see if there's a way to circumvent this" clause.

Janet Jackson's boobie. FCC issued a $ 250,000 fine. Violates cruel and unusual punishment by charging excessive fines. There wasn't even 2 seconds of exposure and no one can prove that it was not accidental. Additionally, Janet Jackson got the fine- Not the NFL , Justin Timberlake or the network. All that says is that in incidents of free speech, the FCC can arbitrarily fine whoever they want and charge whatever they want.

Excessive fines were allowed to combat the war on drugs, and the DEA set the precedent for that. It is also why we have civil forfeiture laws now. Civil Forfeiture and huge fines were so the US could alledgedly deal with and fight the big druglords.

Now, because of the abuse of the law, it is just accepted that if someone plants dope on your land and the government finds it before you do, then you stand to lose your property. I am sure "The cost of freedom is eternal vigilance" didn't mean being stuck in the middle of being victimized by both criminals and the Government. We pay the government to protect us from criminals, not penalize us for their deeds.

OSHA can now restrict the amount of ammunition that people can sell. It is considered a class of explosive and the fines for violating the quantity/space or protective equipment vs # of employees ratio can exceed what gun dealers and pawn shops can earn in a decade. If they so choose, they can practically shut down every small auto-body repair shop in the nation for reasons ranging from flammable chemicals,improper storage, inadequate ventilation or improper storage of waste or disposal. This can also involve the EPA and double the fun.

The EPA can now impose fines for having too many head of cows per acre or fines for allowing a fence too close to live water. These fines, and sometimes the cost of clean up can be so high that they bankrupt the farmers.

The CPSA (Consumer Product Safety Administration) is now enforcing laws on people who sell anything that has been recalled- this includes anything with lead. They are going to Yard sales and Churches looking for this kind of stuff. Old books have lead in the ink, so they'll be trolling 2nd hand bookstores and public libraries before too long. Books with lead aren't allowed to be exposed to anyone under 12 years old, so get ready for the book burnings and confiscations to commence in the near future.

The USDA has alligned themslves to be more the advocates of big farming corporations than an inspection and watchdog agency for consumers. Their experts are used when a GMO (genetically modified organism) cross-polinates private property crops. Most of the time, the private farmer loses in courts because his all-natural privately grown corn isn't allowed to be sold. Many times, the private farmer is sued by the corporation for having an unauthorized and patented GMO produce. Wind does not count as an act of God, because of separation of church and state. In courts, the corporation attorneys make the small farmers look like packs of thieves.

Many older agencies are now under 1 mantle-DHS. This was done to "streamline communication and shrink the bureaurocacy", but since the implementation of the Patriot Act, the DHS has accomplished just the opposite. Did you know that even the local PD and state police are under her (Janet Napolitano) command now.

All this really means is that if you are ever acused of being a terrorist, local police can arrest and hold you without charge or council until a bigger agency within the DHS (like the FBI) completes an investigation.

More than 1/2 of the nation's police aren't even aware of this, and evidently the 70% of our legislators who signed on without reading aren't either. It has been abused and used for "other than it's intentions" in MI, AR, CO, and OH. I am sure it has been abused more than that, but most people get caught up in the story of the crime(s) rather the taking note of the abuse of the law.
Ms. Napolitano considers Veterans and people on the right as possible threats to national security. This agency now includes under a single authority-FEMA, Customs and Border Patrol, BATF, USCG (unless called under the Navy in a time of war), INS, among other formally independent departments and she also has the authority to exercise her office over local law enforcement. She is doing this now in AZ with Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpayo. He arrests illegal immigrants and has an illegal immigration enforcement task force-she wants it stopped.

We (as a country) are not doing enough to preserve our rights and we will probably end up in hell one day, because that choice too will be taken from us along with the rest of our priviledges, liberties, freedoms and rights.

Just a little Rant (Mom and Dad is a generalization of their generation)

You wanna know what I think is really wrong with America? Well too bad, I am going to say it anyway.

Its not the Government-but the current administration is the biggest symptom.

The problem with this country is us...all of us. We don't motivate our peers. Reagan said when he was President that we needed to pull ourselves up by our bootstraps and we did.

If more of us would try to work, even just make up something to do-sweep a sidewalk or rake a leaf,show some self respect and pride, then the government would be quickly dis-empowered from its current attempts of near tyranny.

Those that work don't like to have their efforts taken from them in the form of taxes. We hate seeing our money wasted on the able bodied but unwilling. If people were motivated to get off their own butts, then you would see a real "change we can believe in".

Most of our Grandparents and some of our parents can remember WWII. They were active participants, even from the home. "Wheatless Wednesdays and Meatless Fridays"...They were not too proud to sacrafice, not too proud to do without.

After the war, the men who faught the good fight were thanked and then they proceded to build us a country, a way that would make it easier for their kids to persue opportunity. There was no minimum wage, all they asked was a fair day's pay for a fair day's work, and much of the time they didn't even get a fair day's pay, but they got by.

They busted their asses when they got back. Dynomiting mountians to put roads through and "hot rivoting" high steel on skyscrapers together without OSHA fining the bosses for not providing earplugs for the dynomite or harnesses for the steel.

They were tough and did the tough jobs. They built the damns that harnessed the rivers and dug the coal that powered the factories. They strung the wire and brought light right into our nighttime homes.

Many-most in fact, did this with no more expectation of retirement other than making sure that their kids got a good enough education to excel and help out if they needed it later, have the house paid off and home-canned food, and maybe, some savings.

Everybody had a vegatable garden, and our Mom and Dad probably remember pulling weeds, picking up walnuts and pushing a lawn mower or swinging a scythe. Then, as they got older, Mom and Dad, not unlike the many previous generations, defied their parents.

Grandma and Grandpa built a country. Grandma and Grandpa made sure that Mom and Dad had the tools and the skills and the education to survive.

Mom and Dad, with their education and easy persuit of oportunity, they didn't want to just survive-so, instead of a country, they became hippies and rebuilt us a government.

They gave us a drug induced notion that "equal" is not just oportunity, that it is wealth. Grandma and Grandpa tried, gosh, they tried to reign them in, but they just couldn't. As with the young of all, they eventually can overpower the old, and that is what happened.

Those young became educated hippies, those gentle peace loving flower children, and they decided that effort should not be the deciding factor of the circumstances of a person's life-not in the land of opportunity.

They labeled bills with the words of "fair"(housing act) and "truth"(in lending) and "equal" (opportunity) and "freedom" (of information act).

That's not covert conditioning, that's what equal is. But in their stoned stupor, they didn't catch it (the hidden conditioning). They claim not to have inhaled and yet, do not know what the definition of "IS" is. And we trusted them, because they were our parents.

Later, Wealth re-distribution was seen as a way to make everyone even more equal, but it was disguised as Stimulis, Bailout, and Healthcare, and the do-nothing benefactors foment it as Free, fair, honest, and equal. They do this because they know no better.

Their education allowed them to smooth talk the "wants more" into believing that everybody else was responsible for their situation. They fomented the 'victim' mentality and made the "too-lazy-to-do-anything-to-improve-anything" believe that they were in fact, victims, and should be "entitled" to the bounty of this land just for being here.

That notion has been costing us every day since.

You see, Mom and Dad may have mowed lawns, sold newspapers, or collected cans, but only because Grandma and Grandpa MADE them get off their butts and do something, but the work ethic training didn't take, probably due to a drug induced haze.

Since the strong work ethic didn't take, and everyone is entitled to this land's bounty just for being here, the work ethic that Grandma and Grandpa tried to instill in Mom and Dad wasn't passed on. As a matter of fact, a strong work ethic today sounds more like a disease than a positive character attribute, thus "work-aholic".

What used to be referred to as "lazy" is now called "x-challenged" or "victim" or "dis-enfranchised", and no one knows what a fair days wage for a fair days work is. If one earns just a little, they aren't entitled anymore, so no one works except for the Psycologically Diseased Workaholics and the Illegal Immigrants.

We don't want to pick fruit, even as a summer teenage job. We don't want to risk our little snowflake losing a toe when there is a non-english speaking landscaper willing to mow our yard for not much more than the cost of gas.

Yes it's true, the Illegals will work for below minimum wage and they hide their income and don't pay taxes. They bust their asses all day long in the sun and not even for a right to vote. They harvest produce, work on roofs, in yards and on docks. They are met with disdain, distrust, and utter hatred for the benefits they recieve, especially by those of us that know what elbow grease is. And yet, we have nothing but pity and reward for our fat and lazy who are on 'the system' because they are citizens.

But you know what- I would much rather see a hard working illegal immigrant in the hospital next to me suffering a work-related injury than some lazy-ass pig bitching that the government is not doing enough to take care of her poor little precious snowflake that is throwing a tantrum in front of everybody, especially when I know that both bills will be paid by my taxes.

You know why, because Grandma and Grandpa would say that if you are in a bad way then you should "GET OFF YOUR DEAD ASS AND ON YOUR DYING FEET AND DO SOMETHING-WORK DAMN IT!!"

I don't think they'd appreciate listening to someone complain about the care they were receiving, especially if it was free. If they wouldn't tell them to get a job, at the very least they tell them not to look a gift horse in the mouth.

If given a choice, I'd use my taxes to pay the illegal workers bill-at least they are putting forth some kind of effort toward their own well being. Gotta respect that. They are trying to do something about it, they are trying to do what it takes to get out of a bad way, with the feeble best way they can. (I am not referring to the criminal element or the anchor baby scammers).

The problem with this country is this sense of entitlement that is being used against us. We don't do for ourselves like our Grandparents did, but then complain about those who would do for us. They do for us with no more expectation of reward than our Granparents had. They barely even ask a fair days wage also.

It's easy to blame illegals for many of the nations woes, and it can look like they are stealing our country from us. I have even bitched when I can't find "someone-who-speaks-f*cking-english" when I am trying to do business in some areas of the US.

Now I realize, or strongly suspect, that its not them stealing our country and robbing our coffers. It is something even more sinister than that kind of theft.

It is the "too-lazy-to-do-for-myself-people" that are giving our country away by default. We'll never see returns from these citizens because they have never been taught work ethics and therefore can't pass anything on other than how to usurp the so-called system.

Can you really resent an immigrant from Venezuela more than a drug dealer or meth addict? What about the welfare (whatever 'welfare' is called now) mothers that only have babies to get more from the government.

That is practically a cottage industry entirely funded by Tax dollars with no return on investment, and it is being conducted by our own "victimized" citizens.

We readily buy into the argument that Illegals are one of the biggest problems facing us, our pocketbooks, and our healthcare system.

We don't even hear about the cost of the 16-year-apart generations of uneducated drop-out baby making "victim" citizens, unless they are off-handedly referred to as throw-aways to guilt us into feeling sorry for them. I am referring to the Jerry Springer crowd types, the generations who think it is somehow honorable to not even know who the fathers of these kids are.

They aren't throw aways-they are the "don't-even-tries", and their parents have nothing and will have nothing to pass on to them except the ability to extract unearned money from the Government.

These people cannot be demographed by color either. I am talking about the massive amount of trash that has no will to learn anything other than how to get money from the government that they don't have to work for. They only learn that making babies is the easiest, and learn every trick they can to get you, me, and every other tax payer to chip-in on the rearing of this child for the next 16 or so years just so the cycle can repeat. We all freely yell about border security, but only shake our heads in disgust at this ?

Has anybody realized that historically, the only difference between the arguments against Latino immigrants today and the Irish of old is the century of the masses coming into this country. Irish cops and firemen are so common today because when they immigrated here, those jobs were beneath cosmopolitan society.

These jobs ranked along with street cleaner and garbage collector at the time. The Irish suffered exactly the same prejudices as the latinos do today.(remember-Mrs. O'Malley's cow kicked over the lantern that burned down Chicago, but there was no proof that such an event started the fire) The Latinos are blamed for the various South American Government sponsored drug cartels and related gangs.

How much responsibility do you personally have for the Neo-Nazi or Hell's Angels here? I would imagine if there was a rash of crimes from these gangs and groups in Canada, you'd be met with the same love up there as the Latinos are down here.

I'd be willing to bet that if the Illegal Latino Immigrants had a legitimate voice, they would say that the course the country is on will lead to the conditions they are trying to get away from.

What really makes it worse for the illegal immigrants is that they are just as despised by the Latinos who have already gone through the lengthy process to become citizens and they also believe that the majority of the illegal group are here under under dubious circumstances. What makes it tough on all Latinos, is that no one can tell the difference between the legal and illegal, so they are treated the same.

The Chinese were another class of immigrant that suffered the same prejudices as the Latinos do today. They were extremely instrumental in completing the Nation's first continental Railroad, and when it was finally completed, the Chinese were so despised by us "normal english speaking citizens" that they were relegated mostly to service jobs also, the non-Irish jobs that were beneath cosmopolitan society.

It was so bad for the Chinese that the chinese underground is physically underground. It was not meant as a description of the chinese mob back then as it is today.

When did the notion of "Illegal Immigration" crop up anyway. That is an argumentitive distraction to get our attention off of the ever growing government. This growth is being led in votes by the "you-need-to-do-something-for-me" crowd, while in the meantime, the "do-something-for-myself" crowd is busy working, and rightfully complaining about border security and crooked controlling government.

It's really ironic in a way. Those who do for themselves and try to benefit from the effirts of our Grandparents lack the resource of time to really effectively challenge government. Those who have the time want even more control from the government. They want the worker bees to be legislated to give more to them so they can make more babies instead of persue opportunity and they will demand even more from us later.

They are portrayed as victims and we believe it. They would work, but the illegals have taken their jobs; we believe that as well. They play on compassion and mercy, just like a professional con. We fall for the con, then bitch a little about government and go back to work.

They are worthless and have the time on their hands to make worthlessness a contagen. We have allowed this to spread to our government because we have not properly shamed the worthless into doing for themselves, no work ethic has been passed on. We see the jobs the worthless could be doing, but have been conned to curse the illegals for doing them instead.

Hitler conned a mass of people with the same arguments to believe the woes of a nation were the fault of immigrants, and to curse them. They were called Jews. I'd like to continue to believe that our Grandparents won that war.

Illegal Immigrants are not the problem. Having too many leaners and not enough lifters is.

HR3200 "America's Affordable Healthcare Choices Act of 2009

Google it.
Sec 401 "Tax on individuals without acceptable Healthcare coverage"
Sec 441 "Surcharge on Higher Income Individuals"
Sec 1173(a) references the "HITECH Act of 2009" and requires Electronic Medical Records
Sec 122(a) "Essential Benefits"
Sec 442 "worldwide interests" ?????
Sec 114 "substance abuse disorder?

Even the title is a lie. If you have ever been across the US border, stating "America" as a declaration of citizenship to get back in is an unacceptabl answer. The Correct answer is "United States of America". So my question is who is this garbage legislation intended for? America encompasses a large section of the continent and is not United States exclusive. There are provisions in there for Puerto Rico and terretories.
Dingle,Rangle, Waxman, Stark, Pallone, Andrews and Miller all made sure their name was put on the header of this bill. Rangle-sits on weighs and means which is the guy in charge of tax code and he can't even stay out of trouble with the IRS. Good thing Dems are investing him. He donated 2 million dollars to the DNC, so they should have enough money to do a real thourough investigation. Isn't he the same moron who stated that they didn't read the laws they voted on because they needed a team of lawyers and more time to read the bills? I don't think they know what this thing really is- just a tax on the poor disguised as fee for the wealthy.
I only read through the document until I got PO'd at some of the crap I saw. There's a so-called Grandfather clause. Basically, Insurance can't change your coverage after after the law is inacted if you have a policy in force 1 year prior to day 1 of year 1, but if you have a policy older than that they can still have the exclusions (drop condititions they already have) which is exactly what BHO is saying what is wrong with the insurers and why he is urgently trying to get this passed.
Also it looks like the hr3200 is only going be be good for 5k for individuals and 10k for families per year, at least that's the most sense I could make of it. The is going to be a commitee headed by the SG and then 8 Pres. appointees to preside over it. A trust set up with a 10 billion dollar start. Oh, and JOE WILSON was right about illegals, the medicare/medicaid provisions cover them (not to mention the very title of the document), also the Social Security Act. The only way illegal Immigrants wouldn't be covered under this is if they are specifically excluded from the benefits and they are not.

AZ has passed a resolution that is going to public vote that will not require AZ residents to participate in Federal HC. MN,NM,IN,ND, and WY are working on similiar legislation.( article by Fred Lucas; cnsnews.com/news/article/50304) Maybe we an send enough emails to MO to get something akin tothose pieces of state legislation. We already have bills introduced to exercise state sovreignty.

Why Government run healthcare is a bad idea-besides the obvious

There are so many reasons, that I don't know where to start. I was once told that the only successful government program was the eradication of the Indians....hmmmm, kind of looks like the government is real good at destroying.
I do believe something DOES need to be done,but this program is not it. Maybe just simply banning no drop and no pre-existing exclusions is the simple answer. Just more funding to medicare and the VA would accomplish the objective of insuring the "5%" that have no healthcare insurance.
Make those programs easier to qualify for. Right now, if you make more than Minimum wage at a part time job, it overqualifies you for the benefits that the 'hardcore unemployed' can recieve. If you make enough money to pay your own rent, then you make to much to qualify for the government run medicare. Maybe there should be incentives to work without loosing the government benefits that we have extended to the destitute.
US Government run healthcare, even if its from the public option on insurance completetly undermines "The American Way", and here is how:

1)- Folks who can't afford healthcare now probably won't take the option either until they become sick and need a Doctor. This will circumvent money generated by premiums and our tax dollars will pay for their treatment, thus putting the US Gov. Healthcare Company in need of a bailout in really short order. ( Sen. Baucus' plan to fine persons for failing to carry health insurance is illegal, the government cannot force us into a contract-its in the constitution; auto-insurance is different because driving is voluntary) We already have devices(laws) in place and laws to enforce these devices (other laws) for Emergency treatments.

Sen. Baucus plan will penalize the folks who can't afford health insurance. These fines will be imposed on people effectively for no other reason than for being poor. Congress has stopped talking about the 'public option' because it is not an option, Baucus' bill will get sneaked through,probably on a revenue bill in October.
The folks who will bear the brunt of this dispicable legislation will be the very folks congress is claiming to help, and these folks lack the income to pay an Attorney that is competent enough to challenge the matter all the way up to the US Supreme Court. We will get stuck with Government Healthcare if we don't al least bring it up in conversation, that's how the word spreads-through our normal interactions with our fellow citizens.

Medicaid and medicare, the VA are all government sponsored and they are going broke and are working on deficits. The only solutions to try to reverse the trend is to try to cut spending on these programs. Cutting spending in these programs means cutting treatments, dropping care for particuliar diseases, closing facilities, downsizing medical staffs-including MDs, cutting salaries of administrators, and putting ceilings on what the government will pay for certian conditions(required surgeries, dialysis,etc) or drugs.

Lessening the payroll of competent people to save bucks deminishes the quality of performance at those levels, whatever levels they may be. Why would you work for for the Government if you were competent and skilled enough to work in the private sector for triple wages and only have to deal with 1/2 the beaucracy and associated paperwork.

Saving money also means foregoing the latest technologies in healthcare at these facilities. Some early detection and scanning equipment costs can run into the hundres of thousands of dollars and then there are the associated payrolls of the certified technicians to operate that equipment, so whatever Technology is available at the facility will be doomed to obselescence because it will not be replaced with the latest and greatest.

2)- "Salary Caps" in healthcare is not a good idea. There is nothing directly in the several heathcare bills that cap pay levels of medical proffessionals, but, by setting maximums on the cost paid by the government (in already existing policies) leaves no choice other than to deminish the Dr.s' fees that constitute as part of the treatment.

Recently I read where they tried(or are trying) this with banks. The article referenced Kenneth Fienberg as Obama's 'pay czar'. He was setting max pay and bonus for the TARP banks and was bragging about being able to "claw back" bonuses that were paid before TARP took effect. (Article is by Michelle Malkin, just google "pay czar" and you can read it yourself)

The problem is that many of the banks have already replaced their incompetent leaders with folks that can fix the problems, make the banks profitable and get out of the TARP debt. These competent people do fetch the very high salaries and because of the Revenue Reconcilliation Act of 1993, salaries over a certian amount have to be made in the form of "bonus".

The attack on the word bonus makes it sound like these CEOs are getting extra rewards for failing, but in reality, the bonus is part of their salary, and that is what the 'pay czar' is clawing back.

Because of this, the competent CEOs will work for other banks, even banks in other countries like the RBS(Royal Bank of Scotland) that do a lot of business in the US. These highly competent and qualified people will be working against the very banks that our tax dollars bailed out on loan because the task with the TARP banks is now worth more than the job pays. I think this type of pay schedule will drive potential Doctors into the other high paying proffesion of Lawyer. Lord knows we don't have enough of those.

3)- Quality of care will deminish because there is no incentive to improve treatments and no real way to compensate for that.

The original idea behind healthcare costs was to implement maximums that could be charged to everybody- remember when the healthcare mantra was "the same cost for the same treatment"?

That notion will be implemented eventually because (see reasons 1) we'll want to stop the green hemmoridge of money spent on healthcare, and a fixed cost will seem like a good idea.

If there is ever an implemented fixed cost or maximum per dose charge, what would be the incentive to spend millions of dollars to research and develop new drugs and treatments if there is a potential that the maximum revenue generated over time may be less than the cost of development? I think the prudent thing for business to do in such a situation would be to save the R and D money and apply it to advertising. Doncha already want that little purple pill?

Obama made a speech prior to his vacation and in it he stated that he wanted to shorten the patent expirations so that these new drugs could be available through the generic and discount suppliers sooner. If you couple that with maximum per-dose charge, there is no incentive to produce anything new because manufactures will be competing with their own product and sooner. If there is a counter to make the original maker the lifetime patent holder, then there is no incentitive to improve that drug.

4)- Regulation of Doctor's fees. If MD becomes a government job (and basically that's what it looks like) Then there will be fixed costs on treatment and office visits, covered by the 'public option'. This also means that a person who suffers a minor ailment (sniffles, Jammed finger, minor sunburn) that would not ordinarily seek medical treatment for such 'nuisance' maladies will begin going to the local hospitals. We already have a problem with certian demographics using the Emergency room doors as a substitute for the general practitioner (which is why medicaid is broke).

These nontreatment maladies will certianly take up more of the MD's time. A serious ailment could be overlooked or mis-diagnosed, because there are many other patients to tend to. There are no good solutions for this scenario.

The MD could delegate minor symptoms to be handled by lesser qualifed members of his staff. (I have already experienced this 1st hand with a treatment for bloodclots stemming from a surgery. The staff looked at bi-monthly bloodtest results and told the Dr. what she saw,the Dr. then advised her what to tell me on the phone. After a few months it was discovered she was giving him the the readings from the wrong part of the test results).Would you want a CNA examining you for a headache symptom that could be a bloodclot or tumor or a child's exposure to a poison? Mmmmm...Aspirin.

Right now we have some of the best MDs in the world working right here in the US. If they become overwhelmed with patients the other 2 solutions would be to a) make more DRs or B) set quotas on the minimum number of patients a Doctor has to see in a day.

Making more Doctors would require lowering the bar to make it easier for people to become Doctors. I really don't think I want the D student treating me, if I have a choice.That is another way quality of care will be deminished (but it be affordable).

Seting quotas will probably be imposed by Hospital administrators so that they don't lose funding qualifications by Uncle Sam. This won't be good either if you read the third paragraph up from this one. I don't like the idea of being examined by a doctor who is in a tremendous hurry and I really dont like the potential of a lessor qualified aid trying to tell a doctor what they think my prognosis is, and have the trusting Doctor make a diagnosis and treatment based on that.

If you don't think Doctors offices will be overrun with minor ailments, consider this: We all know of atleast 1 person who runs to the Dr every time their kid sneezes. Imagine how many more will be able to do that if the care is cheap.

Look at how much we are spending on medicaid. If you know anybody who has kids that are on it, pay attention to how often they take their kids to the doctor verses how many times you take yours. It will really make you mad when you compare their cost for treatment to yours.

Imagine the whole country doing that.

As a parent, you have probably told your young son to "shake it off" or Had Mommy kiss it and make it better. Maybe the cost of treating your kids for injuries will drop in the short term, but remember that you get what you pay for. Would you rather see a splint on a broken arm that needed surgery or an arm not deformed because the Doctor was astute enough to recognise that it needed surgery?

Some people don't have the sense to recognise non-scarring, non-permanent, and non life-threatening injuries. These people will begin pouring out of the woodwork if there is a government option. Doctors will end up conditioned to the fact that most of their office visits are by over concerned parents or hypochondriacs believing the sneeze 2 days ago was either caused by swine flu or toxic mold. It'll be so bad that a Doctor will miss the compound fracture and slap a band-aid over the hole in the skin caused by the bone that poked through, because the skills and abilities will be deminished because of..see above paragraphs.

5)- Because of reason 3 (efforts to stop hemmoridging money to this prgram), Government WILL eventually dictate what kind of treatments will be administered, and to whom.

If you know a smoker, do you think it is fair that they are going to pay the same for a smoking related heart and lung transplant as say a peson who has never smoked. What if a 20 year old non-smoker and a 79 year old lifelong smoker need the same treatments, is it fair that both should pay the same? One has paid a lot more into the system than the other, but also, that same smoker has already outlived his life expectancy. Is it fair for the tax payer to foot the same amount of money for both? Even Obama made a comment about how truly unnecessary were hip replacements for our nations elderly. (I can't remember what exactly he said but it was around the same buzz of Sara Palin's death panel comments).

If we are to be fair, then there will have to be some kind of incentive to take care of ourselves, but that is a broad and subjective task.

Running everyday is hard on joints, why should a non-jogger be forced to pay for orthopedic surgeries of wannabe athletes? Why should a smoker be forced to pay for that, they don't even have a life expectancy long enough to wear out joints. What about paying for the long term care of motorcycle or mountian climbing accident victims who are now paralized?
If you choose to eat fatty food and have a heart attack, well that's not the tax payer's fault. Do you have a high stress proffession? Stress causes everthing from heart disease to cancer, Government should not fund the treatment because the causes were the voluntary actions of the sufferers of the ailments. Ironically, MD is a high stress job, so who'd want if their pay is going to be deminished and they become ineligible for the treatment of the associated stress-related ailments.
I hope you can see where I am going with this. There is nothing specifically addressing this now, but the current healthcare plan opens the door to all of this if it gets passed. The very lifestyle you lead involves risk and those risks lead to some kinds of health problems down the road. What will happen is you will end up paying for a system that your very lifestyle makes you ineligible for. You may not think that denying payment for the healthcare of a smoker, junk-food junkie, or stunt man is even in the realm of possibility, but there are people who will raise hell over paying for such treatments and then politicians will use that notion as the next "healthcare overhaul" platform.

6)- There are already provisions for EMR (Electronic Medical Records). Many healthcare offices are already being paid to talk their patients into going this way. That's fine if you don't care about your privacy. What if an STD at age 20 was a reason to disqualify you from a treatment at age 60? Right now these programs are funded by Government (40 bilion dollars worth) and outsourced to private companies.
I can see the bonefied convenience of this, particulairly in areas of prescription drugs, but I think that is all that should be on the EMR. I can see where it can stop abuse and fake or forged prescriptions and where it will also keep people from "shopping" doctors to get more prescriptions.
We have medic alert bracelets for allergies and diebetes, maybe that info can go on an EMR also, but I don't want anyone other than the Medical Proffessional I am doing business to know My ENTIRE medical history.
This program will need a separate and unique beaurocracy of its own pretty soon. It was proposed as a way to save money and time, but the privacy aspects and potential of abuse are too great to do without some kind of better oversight.
Can you imagine being labeled as a potential suspect of terrorism or as disgruntled postal employee crazy because the 6 hour wait in the lobby to see a doctor made you pissed-off by the time you actually spoke to one? A day like that could bound you to a no-fly list for the remainder of your days, just because of a commnt posted to your EMR by a staffer who didn't appreciate your demeanor that day.

7)- Right now they are talking like insurance companies will not be able to cancel your policy if you ever have to put it to use. There is NOTHING that will keep the insurance companies from denying to take you on as a customer in the first place. They are like any other business that has the right to refuse service to anybody. That means there may be an ailment or a condition that the Insurer will not want to take a chance on and that you, as a potential customer may not even be aware of.
Maybe that insurance questionaire from your last employer (the one where you checked "smoking" or maybe "non-smoking", but the urinalysis tested pos. for nicotine) or perhaps something in your EMR indicates that you are high risk- and you may not know what that factor is. Since those folks are deemed un-insurable in the private sector, those high risk patients will be forced to take the so-called public option, and guess who'll be stuck with even more treatments to pay for. (Hint-it won't be the private insurance compaies).