Saved Jobs

Today I'm proud to state that I have saved 20 jobs. It took very little effort. It was easy. Each one of us can do it. C'mon everyone. Pitch in. Individually we can save our country. Just imagine how great our economy would be if everyone made such an announcement.

There are millions of us. Step up and announce that you have saved some jobs. Money will start flowing again in the right direction; the government can quit throwing our money out in the wind.

We'll all be so much better off if we would save just at least 2 jobs.

THOSE NOT IN CHARGED WERE IN DC ON 9/12

We are no longer in charge. But many of us not in charge showed up in D C on Saturday, 9/12. I was unable to be there, but I believe each person there represented several others.

The appearance of that massive group was a message to the members of Congress. The visual effect had to be much greater than a letter from each of them. Those of us not in charge told the members that they must start representing US again. They should now consider us "special interest."

We can't increase their wealth nearly as much as other special interests. But we can control their political destiny. In Federalist Papers #57, Hamilton or Madison wrote about the two year terms in the House:

"The aim of every political constitution is, or ought to be, first to obtain for rulers men who possess most wisdom to discern, and most virtue to pursue, the common good of the society; and in the next place, to take the most effectual precautions for keeping them virtuous whilst they continue to hold their public trust. The elective mode of obtaining rulers is the characteristic policy of republican government. The means relied on in this form of government for preventing their degeneracy are numerous and various. The most effectual one, is such a limitation of the term of appointments as will maintain a proper responsibility to the people."

He went on to say about members of the House:

"Before the sentiments impressed on their minds by the mode of their elevation can be effaced by the exercise of power, they will be compelled to anticipate the moment when their power is to cease, when their exercise of it is to be reviewed, and when they must descend to the level from which they were raised; there forever to remain unless a faithful discharge of their trust shall have established their title to a renewal of it."

He was saying that if those members don't do right by us, they will return to live among us. That is our job now. Determine those who have abused their power and send them home.

We must fire the incumbents at the next election.

WE'RE NOT IN CHARGE ANYMORE

I read the ARRA (stimulus) , the ACES (cap and trade) bill, and the ...Health Choices bill (health care). Some of our Senators and members of Congress have admitted they have not read the health care bill. I seriously doubt they have read the other two.

I can draw only one conclusion. None of them contributed to the their content. So who wrote them? I can only guess.

The stimulus was presented in late January. Most everyone had been on vacation. It took me several days to read it once with limited comprehension. This thing had been pre-packaged and given to one of the Members who started the ball rolling. I can't find anyone with a direct benefit. Sure, a few people received some checks but they didn't write the bill. Those checks were just a form of bribery. "Hey, look what we're doing for you. Be sure to vote for us next election." So the Democrats may benefit; but they didn't write it. Who was it? The unions? Moveon.org? George Soros? Acorn?

The same goes for ACES. The people certainly don't benefit. Oh sure, they tell us a clean environment is good for us. In the background some cronies will make a ton of money. Someone will be in charge of the buying and selling of carbon offsets. Commissions will be made and some money will pass under the table.

So who else benefits with the passage of ACES? Companies in the renewable energy industry? They can sell their offsets; they are receiving and will continue to receive grants and other forms of cash from the government coffers. Did these groups write it?

What about the health care bill? Believe it or not, I see unions all over this one. I have read articles and have seen news accounts of various organizations which have a generous retirement package demanded by their unions. They are now in trouble. People have retired as early as the plan allows, generally while they are in their 50's. The organization, and in some cases the union, must pay their benefits. That includes health care. Sec 164 helps them with a "reinsurance program." It says that we taxpayers will "provide reimbursement to assist participating employment-based plans with the cost of providing health benefits to retirees and to eligible spouses, surviving spouses and dependents of such retirees."

Someone wants absolute control over us. They don't like us being a free people. They must find ways to control our lives. The stimulus bill - if we don't pass it, we'll have greater unemployment. We got it anyway. ACES - hasn't passed yet but will determine what we drive, how much electricity and other power we use, where we live and work, and how much we pay for the power we use. Health care - they will have the power to determine when and how much health care we get; they will control what businesses can produce by measuring their products effect on our bodies.

They are using fear to get what they want. If we don't pass ACES, the planet will disintegrate within 50 years. If we don't pass health care, people will die.

We must say no to these and all the other bills that are written for them.

Death Panels Again (Palliative Care)

Sec 1233 of HB 3200 covers topics related to end-of-life care. Questions were immediately raised about it. The President of the AMA, J. James Rohack MD, said "...the bill would create a new Medicare benefit to pay physicans for time spent on advance-care planning consultations with seniors."

That raises two questions for me:

Was there legislation approving heart transplants or kidney dialysis?

Do doctors currently hold advance-care planning consultations with seniors?

Approval of such consultations is an administrative function and should not require legislation. Surely, doctors have such consultations and find some Medicare code to provide payment. Dr. Rohack's statement is misleading.

In a paper by National Quality Forum ( National Priorities Partnership. National Priorities and Goals: Aligning Our Efforts to Transform America’s Healthcare. Washington, DC: National Quality Forum; 2008 - Page 39) it is stated: "Patients receiving palliative care in the hospital who were discharged alive saw a net savings of nearly $1,700 in direct costs per admission and nearly $300 in direct costs per day." And "When palliative care patients die in the hospital, the savings are nearly $5,000 in direct costs per admission, and nearly $400 in direct costs per day..."

Sec 1233 is not about paying doctors for their services. It's about cutting costs. And that is a good thing.

We are concerned about the decision-making process. When do we, the patient and family members, lose control. If we want to continue our fight for life, will Medicare step in and demand that we switch into palliative care mode?

President Obama and Personal Responsibility

I liked the President's speech this morning - encouraging the children to be responsible.

He named several young people who have become successful. They "set goals for themselves. And I expect all of you to do the same."..."Don't be afraid to ask for help when you need it. I do that every day."

Mr. President, you should take those same thoughts to the adults.

Discuss disparities in health care with them. The Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion defines disparities as differences in the prevalence, mortality, and burden of disease and other adverse health conditions that exist among specific population groups.

That organization has found there are five factors contributing to disparities:

• Individual - cultural, socio-economic position, biological and clinical, behaviors, and living conditions.
• Environmental - poor air quality, crime, contaminated water, and exposure to toxic chemicals.
• Social - characteristics of human society that contribute to health and health care disparities - racial segregation, social cohesion, income, and education.
• Policy - legislation
• Provider - the knowledge, attitudes, practice patterns, communication style and cultural competence of the health care provider.

Many non-profit organizations have written many papers about those who are not getting a fair share of health care. Mr. President, you told the children that the circumstances of their lives should not be used as excuses. Tell the adults that the circumstances listed above must not be used as excuses. Speak to those people as you did the children. If someone believes they are not getting appropriate care, tell them to ask questions. "Asking for help is not a sign of weakness, it's a sign of strength," you told the kids. Now tell the adults.

If someone cannot communicate with their doctor, encourage them to learn the English language better. Or encourage them to take multi-lingual person with them. Tell them to never "give up on yourself." Tell them that they can get good health care. Tell them to demand it. Demand it from their providers not from the government.

Tell them, Mr. President, that you can sign bills expanding health care or establish a health care czar, but..."at the end of the day,...none of it will matter unless all of you fulfill your responsibilities."

Health Disparities

Since about 2001 there have been numerous studies related to healthcare disparities. The 2007 National Healthcare Disparities Report, produced by the AHRQ, found these disparities among others:

• "Blacks had a rate of new AIDS cases 10 times higher than whites.
• Asian adults age 65 and over were 50% more likely than whites to lack immunization against pneumonia.
• American Indians and Alaska Natives were twice as likely to lack prenatal care in the first trimester as whites.
• Poor children were over 28% more likely than high income children to experience poor communication with their health care providers.
• ...The factor most consistently related to better quality is whether a patient is insured."

So it is not surprising to see the word disparities 30 times in hb 3200. For instance, on page 125:

"Sec 224 - Modernized Payment Initiatives and Delivery System Reform

(b) Requirements for Innovative Payments -

The Secretary shall design and implement the payment mechanisms and policies under this section in a manner that seeks to...

2. Reduce health disparities (including racial, ethnic, and other disparities).

In my previous post, I pointed out that hb 3200 appears to transfer health care from those who currently have it to those who do not. The frequent use of this term (disparities) indicates that one goal is to bring those who have insufficient health care up.

If the Universal health care is to be revenue neutral (which it is not, yet), then someone must be sacrificed. Medicare is being cut, so some of the elderly will be sacrificed. In the Disparities Reports, it is pointed out that Whites have the advantage. So will that group get less until everyone has equal treatment?