We must be on watch

President Obama makes it a point to say that he will not sign any legislation that will increase the deficit in the next ten years. First ten years from now, if Mr. Obama is lucky he will be in the last years of his final term and it will no longer matter to him what the people think of him. Second has anyone read the two bills in Congress? H.R. 2252 – The national health care quality act, also know as S. 966 in the Senate, has a section on funding that should be read by everyone.

SEC. 944. FUNDING.

`(a) Trust Funds- For purposes of funding the activities under this part, the Secretary shall provide for the transfer from the Federal Hospital Insurance Trust Fund under section 1817 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395i) and the Federal Supplementary Insurance Trust Fund under section 1841 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395t), including the Medicare Prescription Drug Account in such Trust Fund, in such proportion as determined appropriate by the Secretary, of $150,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2010 through 2014.

`(b) American Recovery and Reinvestment Funds- At the end of the recession adjustment period (as defined in section 5001(h)(3) of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Public Law 111-5; 123 Stat. 496), the Secretary of the Treasury shall transfer any funds appropriated under such Act and not otherwise expended to the Agency for purposes of carrying out this part.

`(c) Medicaid and Medicare Improvement Funds- For purposes of funding the activities under this part for fiscal year 2014, the Secretary shall provide for the transfer of $100,000,000 from the Medicaid Improvement Fund under section 1898 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395iii), and $100,000,000 from the Medicare Improvement Fund under section 1941 of such Act (42 U.S.C 1396w-1).'.

(c) Technical Amendment- Section 937(b) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 299c-6(b)) is amended by inserting `except for part E,' after `this title'.

(d) Development of Quality Measures for Federal Health Programs-

(1) PERIOD OF CONTRACT- Section 1890(a)(3) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395aaa(a)(3)) is amended--

(A) by striking `4 years' and inserting `4 years, in the case of the first contract entered into under such paragraph, and 3 years in the case of each subsequent contract entered into under such paragraph'; and

(B) by inserting `for a period of 3 years' after `renewed'.

(2) PRIORITY SETTING PROCESS- Section 1890(b)(1) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395aaa(b)(1)) is amended--

(A) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A)--

(i) by striking `an integrated national strategy and priorities for'; and

(ii) by inserting `in a manner consistent with the national priorities for health care quality improvement (as defined in section 4(c)(1))' after `settings'; and

(B) in subparagraph (A)--

(i) by redesignating clauses (i) through (iii) as clauses (ii) through (iv), respectively; and

(ii) by inserting before clause (ii), as so redesignated, the following new clause:

`(i) that are consistent with such national priorities for health care quality improvement;'.

(3) ANNUAL REPORT TO CONGRESS- Section 1890(b)(5) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395aaa(b)(5)) is amended--

(A) by redesignating clauses (i) through (iii) as clauses (ii) through (iv); and

(B) by inserting before clause (ii), as so redesignated, the following new clause:

`(i) the extent to which the priorities set and the quality improvement measures endorsed by the entity under paragraphs (1) and (2), respectively, are consistent with the national priorities for health care quality improvement (as so defined);'.

(4) FUNDING- Section 1890(d) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395aaa(d)) is amended by inserting `and, for purposes of carrying out this section under a new or renewed contract, there are authorized to be appropriated such sums as are necessary, taking into consideration the results of the study contained in the 18 month report submitted to Congress under section 183(b)(2) of the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008 (Public Law 110-275), for each of fiscal years 2013 through 2015' before the period at the end.

In order to pay for this new health care with out ‘increasing the deficit’ the President and Congress are going to rob from Medicare. All seniors and disabled persons in America are going to take a hit in their coverage in order to pay for others. While the majority of working America may have some form of health care it is true that not all have health care coverage. Penalizing the people dependant on Social Security and Medicare is not the answer. Seniors on these programs have no other options.

Everyone knows that when the federal government gets into anything it usually gets screwed up. Over the last several years many new companies have been advertising on info-mercials affordable health care to individuals that don’t have healthcare. It seems to me that government should be supportive of programs from companies like these not taking it away to ‘handle it’ themselves. This would be supportive of supply and demand capitalist system. At the most the federal government who is responsible for regulating inter-state trade should put caps on the costs that making healthcare more expensive. Government run health care has not worked in any Country that has it. Ask anyone who lives in those countries. Why on earth are scores of Canadians coming into our country for health care? Because they can get the care they need without having to go through a government agency.

Contrary to popular belief the central authority to our form of government is the American Citizen. Whether it be laziness or just the we have ‘better things to do’ Americans have felt content to let the professional politicians ‘handle’ the government and the affairs that effect us all. It amazes me the number of citizens that go through life and say that they don’t vote. What ever their reasons it just doesn’t make since to me. Don’t complain if you don’t put in your vote, and if you have something to complain about get involved even if its just reading the papers or watching news on TV and vote for your values and opinions in the election booth. We are the true power in America, exercise your power.

The Spoiled Child

We have all seem them, the child that we are all glad is not ours acting up in the store or some other embarrassing public place. The child locks in on something that they want and do not let up until they get what they want. They don’t care how much it cost or how it effects anyone else. That child does not care that the mortgage is due and other bills need paid and you only have enough to pay for the few groceries that are in your cart. What do we do? Whip out the plastic and go into debt to appease the spoiled child.

The reality of the situation is we all have that child now, and he lives in a big white house in Washington D. C. He wanted the stimulus bill passed and passed now and our representatives and senators gave it to him while we sat spinning wondering what it was going to cost us. Now it’s health care. We don’t know what it will cost, the details are a secret and the President says enough talking about it just do it. If you ask me it needs some more conversation on this. It is like Mr. Obama is standing there saying that ‘I want it and I want it now!’ It is time to tell him and the other spoiled children in D. C. NO!

Remedial Economics for all Law Makers!

 

     Some one needs to tell all the law makers down in Washington, D.C. as well as most state houses that all those red numbers in the budget sheet does not mean that it is Christmas time again.  (Can I still say Christmas in this country?  Who cares I still have rights under the Constitution.)  Anyway, red ink usually means that the outgoing money has become greater than incoming money.  To put it as simply as I can for most law makers, ‘you are spending more than you are making!’  For those of us not in government service that means that all the money is gone and we cannot spend anymore.  For those in government it seems not to have any meaning.  For those who collect over $169,000.00 a year from us for an annual salary they sure are free with our money.

     The President is saying that he will not sign a bill that increases the deficit in the next ten years,  meaning one of two things; first that he is not going to sign any bill during his term of office or that all costs will be deferred until he is out of office and will not be blamed for the cost.  I am voting for the second. 

     How do we know that proposed laws are bad for us?  They push them through with out giving anyone a chance to read it!  No one is saying how the proposed health care bill will be paid for except that the President is saying that payment will not be due while he is in office.  How good of a job will the government do running health care?  Look at Medicaid and Medicare as well as the Veterans Administration health care services.  Putting it simply, ‘IT SUCKS!’  In the 1960’s a democratic administration tried to give health care to those who did not have it and that system has fallen apart.  The George W. Bush administration tried to fix some problems with those services and added prescription drug coverage where there wasn’t any before.  But maybe that is what we need to do is fix what is already in place and forget about adding more flawed programs that are going to cost way to much for way to little.  Has any of you gone to the US House of Representatives site to look this bill up?  You should, it is HR 2252.  They are going to rob Medicare and Medicaid to pay for this plus what ever the Secretary of the Treasury thinks can be spared from repayment of all those bail outs.  What is left I guess will come from our pockets.  What is supposed to be health care for everyone will exclude millions of people.

     I have an idea.  Why don’t the elected officials in Washington, D. C. cut their pay by 50%.  The savings of some where near 45 million dollars could be put towards paying for some of these things they are asking us to pay.  Those who are elected to represent us should make what we do.  Not what top executives make but what the rest of us make.  Then they will hopefully have a better idea what it is like for the rest of us to make a living. 

Declaration of Independence banned on 4th of July

The home of the oldest fourth of July celebration has apparently banned for life a group that handed out a pocket copy of the Declaration of Independence, the US Constitution and the Bill of Rights during the 2009 parade.

Excuse me?! Isn’t that what we are celebrating on the 4th of July? I don’t understand the reasoning of this. The Declaration of Independence declared our independence from England. Upon the successful effort to obtain that independence we, as a nation, formed the constitution to govern this new nation. The Bill of Rights is the first ten amendments to the constitution of our country. It has been years since I was in a history classroom but I do remember those things being taught in class. I has only been two hundred and thirty three years since we declared our independence and the people of this nation have seemingly forgotten what the fourth of July is all about. It is not just another hallmark holiday! I would suggest that people ‘google’ the independence celebration of our nation to remind themselves as to why we have this holiday.

The Blind Leading the Blind.

      Senator Al Franken.  No it is not an introduction from “Saturday Night Live” when Al Franken did skits on the show or wrote the jokes that were not all that funny.  This might be the scariest thing in decades.  Franken who has lately tried to make a living doing nothing other than complaining and blasting conservatives with out any real solution for what he is complaining about is now a United States Senator.(Try not to be to scared children.)  Screaming and name calling is not a solution nor does it help anything but anyone, if there was anyone, who listened to Al Franken when he was on the radio knows that Franken is not capable of much else.  The State of Minnesota has unleashed something scarier than, Oh heck I can’t think of anything scarier.  Franken is going to be seated on a few key committees but sadly not for comic relief(if only).

     What is really unnerving is just who is going to mentor Franken in the ways of Congress.  Hopefully not the former Senator, now Vice-President who admitted Sunday that the Administration ‘misread’ the depth of this countries economic troubles.  Not only did they not know what was going on but they continually want to throw money in the bottomless pit.  Hidden taxes and price tags yet to be seen on government projects, we really need to be watching what is going on with the executive and the legislative branches of government.  Neither has any idea of what is going on nor do they show any desire of finding out what is happening out here in the trenches of everyday life.

     Do not get me wrong, I am not letting the Republican and Independent politicians in Congress of at all.  They are all mostly career politicians who for the most part will do anything to stay in office.  Why is the office of President the only national office that has term limits?  George Washington, our first President, had self imposed term limits as he saw the danger of people holding political office indefinitely.  Anyway, all these professional politicians have been running this country into the ground for years and even though some have been trying to warn us for along time no one has been listening.  We are responsible for putting these people in office.  Ever wonder how much we are paying these people for the job that we have given them?  A member of congress is paid one hundred sixty nine thousand, three hundred dollars a year($169,300.00).  The minority and majority leaders are paid one hundred eighty eight thousand one hundred dollars($188,100.00) and the speaker of the house makes two hundred seventeen thousand four hundred dollars($217,400.00).  This is of course not counting the benefits received.  We are paying them a great deal of money to make decisions on our behalf and how many of us are happy with the job that they are doing?  By the way I obtained the salary figures here, https://www.opm.gov/oca/compmemo/2008/2008-01-attach1.pdf  the “EXECUTIVE ORDER 13454 ADJUSTMENTS OF CERTAIN RATES OF PAY”.    I say that we the people need to make a move.  We need to hold these people more accountable.  We need to remove the ‘dead weight’ from government, push for term limits and reset their pay.  Remember the promise not to raise taxes to those making less than two hundred fifty thousand dollars($250,000.00) a year?  Well those in Congress fall under that bracket!  Small businesses all over the country are going to fail but your Congress person and Senator will not get a tax increase!  I say that they need to put their money with ours since we are the ones that are paying them!  We should be the ones to approve their raises and benefits, after all when was the last time you gave yourself a raise or increased benefits? 

     We need to pay more attention people to what is going on.  Don’t just blindly go into the voting both(if you actually vote – you should vote) and vote.  Make the decision based on what is best for you and your family and your community not what is best for the politician.  Think, read, investigate, and decide for yourselves.  Don’t rely on biased media to decide for you.  Do not put blind trust on career politicians that only want to stay in office and are more than willing to blindly lead you.

Report: N. Korea fires four test missiles

Report: N. Korea fires four test missiles

http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2009-07-03-nkorea-missiles_N.htm

Talk, talk, talk, talk, and more talk. It seems to me that some one needs to forget that North Korea is going to listen to anyone other than who bank rolls them and supplies them. Some one needs to slap North Korea down and tell China to get it's little dog back in it's yard.

I realize that it is more stylish to talk to people and take the bureaucratic path, but some one has to wake up and come to the realization that some people will not listen to reason. Oops!, forgot that there is no intelligent life in Washington, DC anymore.

Palin Quit and Seals Political Future.

Today Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin up and quit the Governor's Office. Whatever her motives Gov. Palin has sealed her political future. Her term was to last through 2010. Resigning from office half way through her term will not go well if she decides to run for another office as she will be labeled as a quiter who leaves when pressure is too much. Something that we do not want in the top two offices in this country. I wish her and her family well and the peace that a private family should expect.