Monday, March 22, 2010

If it looks like a turd, smells like a tird, is it a turd?

But, then I ask - by whose standard determines if in fact it is a turd?

I'll bet you couldn't guess in a million years what's on my mind. Guessing? Ok, you're right - the Obama/Democratic party Healthcare bill.

I will give credit for some issues in the bill - the lifting of the ban on insurance companies refusing people because of their preexisting illnesses; allowing children to remain on parents policies until age 26; narrowing the donut hole - not too informed on that one yet, and there are a couple other items, however, what I object to is the method and the lack of common sense approach to passing the bill, oh yeah - THE COST!

It seems to me from my prospective, President Obama passed it on to the Senate and Congress to put something together on Heathcare, no matter what, and he would pass it. He was going to trim the big package the Congress came up with back after the election in Virginia - I guess he was scared another Republican got elected, but Nancy Pelosi got upset with him, and the President backed off and left it as it. I wonder if President Obama will ever know what is in the package - do you think he will read it before he signs it?

I know the liberals shake their fingers and say we don't want changes, that we want to let children suffer and seniors do without care - but guess what - in order to help pay for this new bill, they will cut medicare which will throw seniors out the window. I have it on good information there are physicians right now refusing some senior citizens health care because the physicians are afraid they won't get paid. And the physicians know this is only the beginning. They are just as afraid as we are.

Common sense seemed to jump out the dome with the liberals. There has been no compromise allowed - none whatsoever. To say the conservatives aren't concerned about the heathcare today is stupid and irrational. As usual they are being narrow-minded.

I am attempting to learn all I can about this bill. It is posted on Foxnews, I will continue reading. It will affect not only my husband and I because we have medicare and we do have our own insurance - I'll watch and see if our premiums go up - but I feel sorry for my adult children and how the rates will affect them and the care to their children.

God bless our country - we need all the help we can get!

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Smiling faces and fancy signing pen.

The Health care bill will be signed on Sunday! Oh, what a thrill! I think I'll get drunk! Oh, maybe I should make an appointment w/my surgeon and have my knees fixed and get everything else fixed that needs fixing before the bird doo doo hits the fan and the new health care laws go into effect. Because, well you know, we probably won't be able to have surgery on things like knees, fingers, toes, nose jobs, etc because nothing will be covered. It may sound silly but it really isn't.

Do you know what is in the Health bill President Obama is pushing and making deals with his Democrats over? Personally, I believe that he has no idea. I believe he just wants a deal passed because he promised he would - I really believe he doesn't care whether it would ruin our system as it is. Yes, we do need changes badly. The insurance companies need stronger regulations - oops, that means more government intervention - but how do we get away from that, they surely can't police themselves. The heath care system itself is a mess - how much do you pay for a band aid when you've gone to the hospital? Well, I know there's more than the cost of the band aid figured in on the cost, but holy macaroni, but the actual charge is just a big much, I think.

Also, what's good for one should be good for all - no discrimination allowed - be you black, white, Irish, Polish, German or whatever. If a white guy comes in with serious injuries from an accident and he just lost his job, and can't find work he will be harassed forever for payment, but if an illegal immigrant enters a hospital requiring assistance, there will be no searching for payment. It's not equal. The only alternative for the white guy is bankruptcy. So everyone loses on that deal. He doesn't want it that way, but he has no choice.

I was recently privy to information that some doctors in our town are refusing to care for Medicare patience because they are afraid they won't be paid. We know that Walgreen Drug Stores in Washington state w/not accept new Medicaid patience - and we are just beginning - the bill as it is hasn't passed yet!!!

I was an extremely healthy person when I was young, but since becoming a senior citizen everything seems to be going wrong. It's not because I lead a horrendously wild lifestyle, quite the contrary, at this time in my life we are very sedentary although we do have mild activity. I go in for regular check ups and mostly everything is good for me, except I have a few weird things wrong - like bad knees. I was a hard consistent worker, and I believe this had affect my knees. I have postponed any surgery until my husband has his surgery - both of us need both knees replace. I do fine - slowly and limited, but don't put any pressure on me to walk distances or be in a hurry, but we manage.

So if surgery is needed on whatever - I am worried how things will be after this horrible Healthcare bill is passes - it is a nightmare for sure.

Sunday, March 7, 2010

Is this all there is?

You cannot say the Obama administration has been a boring event for our country, but I am personally getting bored with the repetition of the health care debate and the constant promises. At this point, I see our country going no where but it is also a world wide dilemma in one form or another.

I was surprised this morning when I found a link to a Frank Rich column in my Twitter list. Frank Rich writes for the NY Times and is definitely anti-conservative. He is a great writer, but I have disagreed with his opinions in the past. You may access his post at this link . His opinion was concerned with President Obama's first year in office and how he is handling the Health Care process today. Mr. Rich has written may opposing articles about President Bush, but since Mr. Rich is a liberal, I was taken back when I read Mr. Rich's article about President Obama.

I wonder if everyone is as skeptical about our economy as I am. It wouldn't matter whether a Democrat or Republican was in office at this point - we are in a mess and so is the world economy. Who would have thought Toyota vehicles would be having mechanical problems. Toyota had one of the highest rated reputations for a good vehicles in this country. It was to be admired. It's like the really smart brainy kids in school who went bad. Shocking! The US financial markets are in disarray. Retailers are struggling to sell their products. This all didn't start yesterday and we can blame the political for number one, having their hand in the pot and two, not doing anything to solve the problems sooner.

For years the citizen were and still are very irresponsible with their own finances. We can point our fingers at the politicians almost 95% for their misdeeds but we have to take some of the blame too. I believe it all started with the generation of my adult children. My parents worked through the depression then worked hard to get what they had and keep what they had. They retired comfortably and could enjoy life free from financial worry. Then my generation came of age and mass marketing became a new way of life. But I remember we were one of the last of our crowd to get a colored TV.

Market maneuvers were different with my kids and their friends and through TV commercials they wanted everything they saw then and now and they wanted it now - all of it. Credit cards were abundant and the companies didn't care who they sent them too - mommy and daddy would pay it, or so the companies were banking on. In the last ten years mortgages were given away to people who couldn't afford them. Foreclosures and bankruptcy became common and those words were no long evil as they would have been in my parent's day. My kids have friends who think nothing of charging a bunch of very expensive electronics and knowing they will file bankruptcy without any concern for their future or their children's future. It has all been too easy for my kids generation and those who followed and are coming of age now.

Who's fault is it? I put the blame on multiple sources. TV commercials, public and friend pressure, weakness of character which lacks responsible decisions, and also our elected officials who allowed companies to take advantage when we were so ignorant. Also, we depended and needed Fannie and Freddie to obtain real honest low cost loans to purchase home - but we were dupe by the same elected officials who put voted into office to protect these government departments. Then we got organizations such as ACORN who selected only certain folks for loan and knew they couldn't pay for them. As parents we can take some of the blame if in anyway we supported the stupid decisions our kids made which assisted them to overspend or use bogus credit cards. It is very difficult as a parent however to tell your 40 year old son what they are doing is wrong and they will not survive financially. They cannot see the outcome. They have been so brain washed, they have no idea how to save money and leave it alone. It is a sad situation.

It will take years for our country to recover what has taken many decades of overspending by the citizens and politicians. The blame should be shared by all political parties and the citizens as well. It is too sad that our elected officials can't get it together and work side by side. Their egos are too superior and they are more important than saving our country. Today we are so diverse in all realms of life there may be no turning back. The miracle of the Internet and technology has provided us with abundant knowledge but we haven't learned to channel the knowledge to a profitable base to the benefit of freedom and security of our country. Where will the compromise be or will there ever be any compromise? For the future of our country, we must band together.

I am in the retirement phase of my life. I am fortunate to have health insurance and a doctor I like and I also have Medicare. I was told by one of the receptionists in my doctor's office recently that she know physicians who are now refusing to treat Medicare patients because of the Medicare cutbacks by the Obama administration. I feel sorry for those poor souls. It has begun - will there be a turning back. Will there be a Savior to help? God only knows...........