Healthcare Reform

I've talked about health care reform and I'm sure you've gotten the point that I don't like it. And this blog post will go into detail exactly what I don't like about it and why this health care reform bill should not be put into law.

1. Our country is in debt, HUGE debt. Around 12 trillion dollars in debt. If there is this guy named Joe, who has a house loan, car loan and credit card debt, what's the smart thing for him to do? Stop spending money and start paying of his debt. Stop eating at McDonalds, and buying stuff he doesn't need and pay off his debt. What's the government equivalent of Joe eating at McDonalds? Health care reform and stimulus plans and right now anything that is going to cost anymore money. What happened to lowering our dependence on foreign countries? How can we become more independent when we have trillions of dollars in debt to other countries? And let's think about the future for a minute, what is going to happen when we call China and ask for more loans and they say no? Or what is going to happen when they call us and ask for us to pay back the loans? Give them California? I work at McDonalds as I go to school and I want a car and a laptop and a Itouch. But my first priority is saving for text books and saving money for when I transfer. So as much as I want a car, I have to live without one for right now. As much as people may want health care, we have bigger issues to worry about, like paying off our debt.


2. No one is guaranteed to health care
" We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."-United States Declaration of Independence

Maybe we should rewrite it. "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness, and free health care from the government."-My Version


Our country was founded by hard working people who wanted a better life for them and their families. They left everything they knew and came to a strange land. Our country has survived this long without free health care from the government, and we as a country somehow managed to survive. Those poor pioneers, they didn't have anything. Oh the horror!! It's rather simple, you want health care, you buy it. You don't have the means to buy it, you deal with it. There are worse things in the world. The government is not here to give out everything we need, the government is here to "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed."

3. It's unconstitutional
The Tenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution says, "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people." Which means that the powers that are not given the the federal government and not prohibited the the states, the powers excluding those are left to the state, and the people. Health care, and social security and disability and all this stuff that the government pays out to is unconstitutional, because no where in the U.S. Constitution does it mention any of that stuff. Which means the federal government is taking away powers from the state, and the people. This should make people mad. Oh wait it is, but the media and the president and other people act like it's just a few people. It makes me mad. It's not exactly the same, but the underlying issue is similar as the one of the American Civil War. It all goes back to state's rights.

4. Higher Taxes
I know President Obama promised not to raise taxes, but I don't know how else he plans to pay for all this stuff he wants. The money has to come from some where. Who knows, maybe he won't pay taxes, but I would love to know how the president plans to pay for all this. Another thing is, if my taxes go up to pay for health care from the government, then that means I am helping to pay for some other persons health care, maybe its not nice, but, I wouldn't add some stranger to my current health care insurance, I don't want to pay for other peoples health care insurance because if they want, they get it not me.

5. It doesn't work
I mean really just think about it. The government can't run the post office, they keep making cuts on the post office. The government knows there are millions of illegal immigrants, but they can't find them. Anything the government does blows up in their face, and people want them to take over health care???!!! I don't want them messing with my health care. But besides that, here are some facts.




Canada, great free government health care they have. In another article, the average wait time for surgery or medical treatment in Canada is 18.3 weeks. Well what about England, people just love to talk about their system. Sure they have higher taxes, but they get a lot of their stuff. Maybe it's just me, but I would rather have my money and get what I want. Anyway, here is stuff for England. Here is a case of a three year old girl who's heart surgery was canceled three times because........ there was no space. Here is another, chocolate should be taxed, because to control obesity. Well then lets tax McDonalds, because they make people fat too. What happened to personal freedom, personal choice, if I decide to eat at McDonalds and get fat don't I have that choice? Well not under universal health care because it costs the government more money, so they take away more of my rights. I mean the list goes on and on. Here is a website with articles upon articles of stuff about socialized medicine, in England, Canada, other countries. Check it out. http://www.angelfire.com/pa/sergeman/issues/healthcare/socialized.html
These things cost more than the politicians thought they would. Shortages, long waits, short supplies, and people want this? Here is another article that talks about the problems with this idea. http://mises.org/daily/3586

6. Bigger Government
Remember that the government can't run anything good. But when we keep giving the federal government more and more power we loose more and more freedom. It seems harmless to pass laws against junk food in schools or banning corporal punishment in school or health care for everyone!! Oh, it sounds so wonderful! But stop and think, why can't high school students, have the freedom to decide what to eat. Why can't the states decide what to do about corporal punishment and why can't people decide if they want health care or not? We give power to the government and exchange less personal freedom. Thomas Paine said, "the government that governs the best governs the least." Patrick Henry said, "Give me liberty or give me death." While I really don't think it's that serious, I can agree with the sentiment. This countries freedom is one of the things that makes our country great. But we are giving away some of that freedom. More freedom, less government equals more happiness and independence.




7. People Really Don't Want it

According to The Rasmussen Report, 53% of Americans don't want health care from the government. And 4% are undecided. 46% of the people that don't like this plan strongly appose the plan, I count myself as one of the 46% percent that strongly appose the plan. The president, Nacy Pelosi, Harry Reid, and the newspapers make it sound like its just a view rich people who are mean and greedy and don't want this plan. No, its actually quite a few.


I hate to be one of those people who act like there is some mass conspiricy that certain people are trying to destroy the country. I think that seems extreme, maybe it's true but I'm not going to say it. But I'm beggining to think it could be possible. But they are doing everything, kicking the republicans out, making all these deals, cutting corners, they seem a little desperate. Honestly I'm worried, this is going to be close. To borrow a line from Lord of the Rings, this country stands on the edge of a sword, stray but a little and we will fail. I don't think if this passes we will just all fall to pieces, but it opens the floodgates to all sorts of things that will have the power to ruin us, to ruin this great country. I'm praying and I hope everyone does too, our country and leaders need all the help they can get. We'll see what happens.






Sources

Declaration of Independence-http://www.earlyamerica.com/earlyamerica/freedom/doi/text.html

U.S. Constitution- http://www.usconstitution.net/const.html

10th Amendment- http://www.usconstitution.net/const.html#Am10


Thomas Paine quote-http://www.quotedb.com/quotes/1213



Graph for health care- http://www.liberty-page.com/issues/healthcare/socialized.html#canada (scroll down)

Average Wait Period- http://www.liberty-page.com/issues/healthcare/cansurgery4.html

3 Year Old Girl- http://www.liberty-page.com/issues/healthcare/ukheartop.html

Chocolate Should Be Taxed- http://www.liberty-page.com/issues/healthcare/ukchocolate.html

Patrick Henry Quote- http://libertyonline.hypermall.com/henry-liberty.html(at bottom)

Rasmussen Report-
http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/current_events/healthcare/september_2009/health_care_reform

It has been a year and what?

It has been a year since President Obama was inagurated. A year and two days, and what have we seen? Well not a lot. And that is what this blog post will be about. What has happened in a year.

Below is a list of things that the president promised he would accomplish.

1. the war in Iraq

2. healthcare reform

3. Guantanamo Bay

4. create jobs

5. turn the economy around

6. lower taxes on anyone who makes less than 250,000

7. transparency

8. improve Afghanistan

9.global warming

10.immigration reform

11.gays in the military/gay rights

12.limits on executive powers

13.torture prosecutions


1. Ouch, we are still in Irag, although I don't know if I would call it a war. You see when your running for political office I get that your supposed to find things to say you will do once your in office that will make people vote for you. But I guess the lesson to learn is be careful about what you promise. As much as people don't like us being in Iraq, it's not that simple to pack up and leave. I guess the president found that out when he stepped into office.

2. President Obama, Nancy Pelosi and others are certainly trying to pass this bill and reform healthcare, because you know, healthcare reform is what every American wants. Well not so much, polls show that fifty-six percent of voters don't want the healthcare reform bill. But they sure but up a good act about it's what America wants.


3. Guantanamo Bay, we're still there. Still open. Still fuctioning.

4. Creating jobs, well if he did than it's unimaginalbe how many were really lost but from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics here shows the unemployment rate in the past few years and throughout 20090, it didn't get better, it got worse. Sorry.



Year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Annual
1999 4.3 4.4 4.2 4.3 4.2 4.3 4.3 4.2 4.2 4.1 4.1 4.0
2000 4.0 4.1 4.0 3.8 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.1 3.9 3.9 3.9 3.9
2001 4.2 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.3 4.5 4.6 4.9 5.0 5.3 5.5 5.7
2002 5.7 5.7 5.7 5.9 5.8 5.8 5.8 5.7 5.7 5.7 5.9 6.0
2003 5.8 5.9 5.9 6.0 6.1 6.3 6.2 6.1 6.1 6.0 5.8 5.7
2004 5.7 5.6 5.8 5.6 5.6 5.6 5.5 5.4 5.4 5.5 5.4 5.4
2005 5.3 5.4 5.2 5.2 5.1 5.0 5.0 4.9 5.0 5.0 5.0 4.9
2006 4.7 4.8 4.7 4.7 4.6 4.6 4.7 4.7 4.5 4.4 4.5 4.4
2007 4.6 4.5 4.4 4.5 4.4 4.6 4.6 4.6 4.7 4.7 4.7 5.0
2008 5.0 4.8 5.1 5.0 5.4 5.5 5.8 6.1 6.2 6.6 6.9 7.4
2009 7.7 8.2 8.6 8.9 9.4 9.5 9.4 9.7 9.8 10.1 10.0 10.0






5. Turning the economy around didn't go very well. Ask anyone, I'm serious, most people have had to struggle a little, pinch some pennies, not that that is really a bad thing, but everyone know about the economy. But in case someone needs some evidence. look at the graph above, unemployment went up, the national debt went up, prices on just about everything went up.

6. Lower taxes

7. Transparency keeping out member of the republican party as they try to pass the healthcare reform bill, and whatever happened to being live on C-Span? Here is a link to look at that has an article about exactly what the president promised. http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2010/jan/05/charlie-crist/gov-charlie-crist-says-obama-breaks-transparency-p/

8. Improving Afghanistan, well we are still there and President Obama has increased the number of our troops in Afghanistan. I don't think we should just pull out and leave, but we should wrap this up but have we seen any actual improvements in Afghanistan? Not really?

9. Global wwarming and the environment well the president has attempted to do somthing, more than one thing, visit the white house website here, http://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/energy-and-environment and see what the president has done, or tried to do. But the question to remember has it done anything in real life, and when will the president learn that the government cannot force change on the economy, it will happen when it is economically possible. People are buying cars that run on gas because they are cheaper. When something is forced on the economy, well it usually doesn't go well.

10. Immigration reform not much has happened, but the Obama Administartion wants to do stuff, has things planned.

11. Gays in the military/gay rights not much has occured. President Obama supports including sexual orientation in job discrimination laws, he supports repealing the don't ask don't tell policy in the military and he is against banning same sex marriages. But support doesn't equal anything actually being done.

12. Torture prosecutions. Once again the president is in the process of trying to do that, seems to be a recurring theme.



You do have to give the man some credit, he is trying. But as the famous quote goes, "Do or do not, there is no try." Yoda. And with a year under his belt and nothing to show for it, but a couple of stimulus plan, he hasn't really show his worth. We have effectively payed billions of dollars for nothing. That's like paying someone to take care of your children and them sleeping, but you payed them. Last but not least here is a link for a SNL skit that talks about the same thing, while they are joking, this is kind of serious. But anyway take a look, it's pretty funny.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgRZSLuFBs8




Sources

What the president promised-http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/promises/


Unemployment Rate- http://data.bls.gov/PDQ/servlet/SurveyOutputServlet?data_tool=latest_numbers&series_id=LNS14000000

Gay Rights-http://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/civil-rights/

Scott Brown wins in Massachusetts

Scott Brown wins in Massachusetts, in the 2008 election President Obama won in Massachusetts sixty-two percent to John McCain's thirty-two percent and now a republican has won in this state. Scott Brown will take over Ted Kennedy's seat and this means many things for democrats, and our country.

1. Health Care Reform

The news and democrats do a very good job of making those of us who don't support the health care reform bill sound like just a few, in reality according to Rasmussen, fifty-six percent of voters do not support this bill while only thirty-eight percent do. But still Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, our president and others seem intent on passing this thing at all cost. The whole open up the back room and let all Americans know about the discussions, now they won't even let in republicans in the final negotiations. The first thing this election shows is that people don't want this health care reform. I mean DUH! Haven't people been saying that all along, remember all those town hall meetings and mad and upset people? The act of electing a republican in a state that voted for President Obama certainly sends a message, maybe the democrats will pay attention this time, or maybe the will brush it off, but I am very interested to see how they take this one.


2. Rep. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, head of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, said his colleagues will continue to blame the previous administration for driving the economy "into a ditch" and running away."

For one representative Chris Van Hollen, he the last administration didn't really run away, his term ran up and he couldn't run anymore, not that anyone would have voted for him anyway. And learn a lesson from the last administration and pass it on to your friends in congress, he ran the economy into a ditch by massive spending and increasing the size of government.





3. "The Senate's Democratic campaign chief, Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey, seemed more humble. "We will sort through the lessons of Massachusetts," he said, including "the need to show that our commitment to real change is as powerful as it was in 2008."



I agree. To a point. Wasn't Obama's campaign slogan all about change? I haven't seen much. And we don't really agree on how to change, but if he is going to promise all this change, it would be nice to see something, I just doubt that the change I want to see and the change the president wants to bring are the same.



4. When is the next election?

NOVEMBER! So I think all those in office need to remember that and keep that in mind, many people are unhappy, and many don't want the health care bill, or stimulus plans, either way if our senators and representatives aren't careful some of them might be without a job come November. I know I will definitely be voting, I will do whatever I have to do vote.




I can't wait to see how this plays out. Most importantly this sends a clear message to those who hold political office, I just hope that they get the message. But if not, November will be here before I know it, and we are another year closer to 2012. I missed the 2008 election by a few months, I didn't help vote any of what I don't like it, but I certainly will help vote it out, and vote out whoever supports it. Again I urge you to vote, and to write your senators and representatives and tell them what you think, because at the end of the day, they are where they are because of us, and they are there to serve us. And no one can really blame them for doing stuff we don't like if we don't tell them what we want.











Sources



Election Polls in Massachusetts-http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/

Rasmussen Poll-http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/current_events/healthcare/september_2009/health_care_reform

Yahoo News-http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_massachusetts_senate_analysis

Yahoo News-http://news.yahoo.com/s/ynews/ynews_ts1044

Eight Years of Capitalist/Republican Ideas

NOT!!!!!!! Many people like to say we should try Obama's new policies because, "we've had eight years of your republican/conservative ideas and they didn't work." Well I'm here to tell you we didn't really have eight years of conservative, republican ideas. Maybe republican, only because the republican party is slipping to the right and not upholding ideas they are supposed to. That is what happens when you try to "open the tent." But conservative, well not really eight years of anything.

No Child Left Behind, government takeover of Fannie Fae and Freddy Mack, Medicare drug benefit program, financial rescue plan, Medicare Act, Clears Skies Act, George Bush was not really very conservative. Under his presidency spending increased 5.3%. Defense spending is up 5.7&, education spending is up 18%. The list goes on, and this is who people point to when they say conservative policies don't work. The last real conservative was Ronald Reagan, that discussion will have to wait for another post.

What George Bush's presidency does show us is what not to do. He did cut taxes, but when someone cuts the amount of money coming in by cutting taxes but spends more does it surprise anyone that our national debt increased. Cutting taxes is great! I wish all presidents would do that, because when taxes are cut, the people have more money to spend and that boosts the economy, not Cash for Clunkers, which also will have to wait for another post. But please, can someone cut spending as well?! Is it that hard??????

In life there are opposites, good and evil, black and white, outside and inside, and democrats and republicans, and when they are mixed, things don't work out. Instead of picking on the former president, the democrats should like him and John McCain. I do think George Bush is probably a little better than John McCain, but this whole open tent thing the republicans seem to have lately isn't working so well. The end result is that the republicans as a majority are slipping to the left and becoming more democratic. Which is fine if that's what they want to do, but then why are they surprised why many people are leaving the party? They aren't sticking to their original ideas. Fine if the want to be democrats, then just go join their party, but don't drag down your own party. This is probably the reason why in the 2008 election the third party, Libertarian Party got more votes than any third party has in quite some time. The republicans aren't really the republicans that I remember from when I was younger. John McCain is referred to as a RINO by some, a republican in name only, which sad to say I think there are a few to many in the republican party.


The lesson for today is, cut spending and cut taxes and shrink government, and that is a republican, not really George Bush, or John McCain, think Ronald Regan.







Sources

George Bush spending- http://www.mcclatchydc.com/227/story/20767.html

Capitalism and You

I think I might just have seen the best example of how capitalism does work. My mother is a teacher, she teaches a combination class of kindergarten and first grade and last week she started paying them for different things. Now for the last few years she has done this thing in her class where her students have banks and they can get pennies and nickels for different things. A couple times a month she has class store, where they can buy different things with the money they earned, or they can decide to save it. If the kids save their money, they get a nickel for interest. Last week she decided to change this up a little, now as the week goes by, she gives her students points for keeping their tables clean, doing center work, being helpful to other students, different things. Then on Friday, she gives them a paycheck. The students go to the bank, they have to sign the back like real people do, she stamps it just like the bank does to make the check void, and they get money. Because I am a college student, I got an extra week of break and spent last week with my mom. It is amazing what took place in one week. The room was cleaner, the students were doing more work at centers, and less playing, the students listened better. They get points for keeping their pencil bags neat, Thursday when my mom checked the kids pencil bags, there was only one student who had a messy pencil bag.

According to Merriam Webster Dictionary, capitalism is, "an economic system characterized by private or corporate ownership of capital goods, by investments that are determined by private decision, and by prices, production, and the distribution of goods that are determined mainly by competition in a free market." The word private pops up in this definition a few times, and that would be the key to capitalism. Individual people make their own decisions. When you leave things up to the individual, they are going to make smarter and better decisions. Like the children in my moms class. When told they get money for keeping their table spaces, and chair pockets clean, what do they do? The clean, and now the room is cleaner. Besides learning personal responsibility of their own possessions, they are learning how to make their own decisions, learning cost benefit analysis. Why can't older people understand this. Why can't our president and many people in congress understand this. When you give people personal freedom, here is a shock, we run our own lives according to how we see fit. Yes there will be some who don't run it well, but they have every right to do that. And if people know they won't get help from the government, don't you think people would be smart enough to make smart decisions so they can survive? Maybe that's what it come down to. Maybe some people in government think that we are stupid, they are smart and they need to run our lives for us. Maybe we are stupid, maybe we can't run our lives, but at the end of the day, I would rather have my freedom then money from a government.

And to all the people who say it can't work, it worked before 1935, before President Roosevelt passed the social security act. I'm just thinking if capitalism works in a kindergarten/first grade classroom with six and seven year olds, why can't it work outside of the classroom. While it has its flaws(like every other system), it does work, when people don't try to combine capitalism and socialism. You cannot have a capitalistic economy with a government who taxes huge amounts to pay for a million different things, a government who spends too much money.

Think about that, it works, it really does, when the system is allowed to function like it is supposed to. And I wish I was some doctor of something in some big university because I would totally love to do an experiment about this, have two different classrooms, one like my moms, the other where I would pay the students equally regardless of what they did.




Sources

Dictionary-Capitalism: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/capitalism

Social Security Act: http://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?flash=old&doc=68

"If at first you don't succeed, keep on sucking till you do succeed."

This quote is one often repeated, it is a rather old one. Well not this exact one, this one has been adapted, it comes from a Three Stooges episode. But the point is the same. And it is a great quote, no one should just give up if something doesn't work the first time, or the second, or third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh.....well you get the point. But there is also another quote, "everything in moderation." And I think that many of our politicians, and people in general have used the first quote too much, and the second one not enough.

I don't agree with the idea of the government bailing out companies and banks, and I don't agree with all these stimulus plans, but if they are really needed, and the first two don't seem to be working, then why pass a third?


The fist quote does mean keep trying, but I don't think it means try the same thing, the same way. The first quote means to keep trying, but you can't do the same thing repeatedly and hope for a different outcome, that doesn't really make sense.


I think the best way to fix the economy is to leave it alone and it will take care of itself. But if a stimulus plan is the way to go, well maybe it isn't becauese the first two didn't work so well.









Series Id: LNS14000000Seasonally AdjustedSeries title: (Seas) Unemployment RateLabor force status: Unemployment rateType of data: Percent or rateAge: 16 years and over Year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Annual
1999 4.3 4.4 4.2 4.3 4.2 4.3 4.3 4.2 4.2 4.1 4.1 4.0
2000 4.0 4.1 4.0 3.8 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.1 3.9 3.9 3.9 3.9
2001 4.2 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.3 4.5 4.6 4.9 5.0 5.3 5.5 5.7
2002 5.7 5.7 5.7 5.9 5.8 5.8 5.8 5.7 5.7 5.7 5.9 6.0
2003 5.8 5.9 5.9 6.0 6.1 6.3 6.2 6.1 6.1 6.0 5.8 5.7
2004 5.7 5.6 5.8 5.6 5.6 5.6 5.5 5.4 5.4 5.5 5.4 5.4
2005 5.2 5.4 5.2 5.2 5.1 5.1 5.0 4.9 5.0 5.0 5.0 4.8
2006 4.7 4.8 4.7 4.7 4.7 4.6 4.7 4.7 4.5 4.4 4.5 4.4
2007 4.6 4.5 4.4 4.5 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.7 4.7 4.8 4.7 4.9
2008 4.9 4.8 5.1 5.0 5.5 5.6 5.8 6.2 6.2 6.6 6.8 7.2
2009 7.6 8.1 8.5 8.9 9.4 9.5 9.4 9.7 9.8 10.2 10.0


This shows that unemployment has gotten worse since teh begining of 2009, so I'm thinking that maybe we need to do something else besides make new stimulas plans and spend more money we don't have.

And I have a suggestion. I know this is a crazy idea, but maybe we should be more patient and leave the economy alone. There will always be ups and downs in the economy and the economy takes care of itself. But not many people want to be patient, we want it NOW! Which would be nice, I wish we could all wake up tomorrow and the economy be magically better, but that is not going to happen.


So if the last two didn't work then why is there reason to believe a third will? I don't know. Another stimulus plan is a dumb idea, our national debt is 12 trillion, and some change. Why are we even considering going into more debt? I don't understand the thinking, we are going to go deeper into debt to get out of debt? I really don't think that works. The government keeps printing off money like it grows on trees, which only makes the dollar so down more in value which doesn't help the economy any better. Please, please stop all this outragous spending! And please people email your representatives and tell them to stop. I have a link on my blog for the senate, house of representatives and the white house. Please tell them, because we can't really blame them for doing something we don't like if we don't tell them.








Sources


Unemployment Rate- http://data.bls.gov/PDQ/servlet/SurveyOutputServlet?series_id=LNS14000000