Healthcare Legislation

Fortunately, it appears that the healthcare bills in the House and Senate will not be voted on before Congress' August recess. I hope that voters all over the country will try to learn as much as they can about said bills. I am posting a few links that can help you and if you want to suggest a link in the comments, please feel free to do so.

A link to the House bill (HR 3200) and a list of some of the provisions There is also a link to help you contact national reps about this bill.

"Trying to Talk Around the Facts"

"What to Ask Your Congressperson About Obamacare (First in a Series)" Some questions to think about

"CBO calls a TKO on the House health bill" includes charts and graphs

"Your Easy Guide to Democrat Health Reform" includes a chart of the bureacracy involved (the following article refers to this chart: "GOP Charges Dems With Censorship Over Sign" )

That is just a small bit of what's available out there. I would also suggest that you pressure your congresspeople to read each bill completely before passing it. They have no business passing anything that they aren't familiar with.

More of the Same

In all of the hoopla over the so-called stimulus bill, has anyone noticed that Congress is getting ready to vote on another half-trillion dollar spending bill? I didn't think so. Here is an article about it from Human Events titled "Another Huge Spending Bill Planned for Next Week" by Connie Hair. Republican House leaders are requesting, apparently in vain, that the bill be posted online immediately so that the American people can see what is in it. And presumably so that members of the House can also see what's in it. Didn't President Obama promise openess and transparency? Where is it?

Other evidence of the lack of transparency in this government is listed in Alan Caruba's "It Smells Like Facism" on his Warning Signs blog. He mentions HR-45 which is a Firearm Licensing and Record of Sale Act of 2009, an expectation that the EPA will regulate carbon dioxide, and a proposal to reintroduce the so-called Fairness Doctrine. This is all being done relatively quietly. Why?

Here's an article about another example from the D.C.Examiner titled "The RAT Hiding Deep Inside the Stimulus Bill" by Byron York. It discusses serious changes in the way "allegations of fraud and corruption are investigated — or not investigated — throughout the federal government." Hmmm. Then there is the healthcare item hidden in the "stimulus" bill. You can read about it at The American Spectator in "The Hidden Healthcare Horror" by Lawrence A. Hunter and at Bloomberg in "Ruin Your Health with the Obama Stimulus Plan" by Betsy McCaughey.

The above is just the tip of the iceberg. You can read the stimulus bill itself here. It's searchable text.

There are more issues that we aren't hearing enough about. Why aren't some investigative reporters in the mainstream media (MSM) digging into this: "RIGHT BEFORE THE ELECTION OF PRESIDENT HUSSEIN: 'A $550 Billion Electronic Run on the Banks' "? I'd like to see some evidence one way or the other about this. Go to the "News" section of Thought You Should Know for more news articles on various topics that you won't hear much, if anything, about in the MSM.

Thankfully, some of the American citizens are beginning to wake up to the attempt to expand federal government's interference in our lives and to shrink our freedom. One example is CNBC's Rick Santelli and his famous rant in the Chicago pit. See also Lawrence Kudlow's article "Subsidize Bad Behavior?" at GOPUSA. You should be able to watch Mr. Santelli's video in the right sidebar. If not, see it here. Other evidence that Americans are starting to be fed up with the Fed's attempted takeover can be found at Michelle Malkin's blog. See "Rebel Yell: Taxpayers Revolt Against Gimme-Mania" and "Tea Party U.S.A.: The Movement Grows". These are not heartless, selfish people, although I am sure some will attempt to portray them that way. These are people who understand the Constitution and freedom and reject the Obama government's attempts to violate both. Private charity is the way to go to help those who need help. It is wrong, wrong, wrong to legislate away our choices in any matter.

There are those, including Obama, who would use Republican errors in the past of continuing government's unnecessary spending as an excuse for their own spending. What's that old saying? "Two wrongs don't make a right." American needs to pull itself together and get back to the Constitution. You will greatly miss your freedom when it is gone. Read "Want 'Hope and Change'? Buy a Goat" by Oleg Atbashian at Pajamas Media. I hope you will follow the above links and give some thought to what they are saying.

Edited to Add: See this JB Williams piece at Capitol Hill Coffee House titled "Obama's Failing Economic Recovery Plan". (hat tip JR)

What to Do, What to Do?

As a conservative, I'm very concerned about the upcoming term of a liberal president supported by a liberal congress. With so many issues on the table--the economy, energy, health care, etc.--it is easy to worry that we're about to be led down a primrose path to the left. So what can those of us concerned about the loss of liberty, property rights, religious freedom, and other precious freedoms we have enjoyed here in the USA do? I ran across an article at American Spectator with some ideas. It's titled "What Conservatives Must Now Do" and is written by Peter Ferrara.

Mr. Ferrara discusses grassroots organizations that can then grow and strengthen our nation, getting us back to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" and following the Constitution instead of wandering off into the wilderness. Mr. Ferrara writes:

First and most important is to build up mighty, grassroots networks across the country. This is something that conservatives must do, not Republicans, who need to work on their own grassroots party network. Conservatives have become too good lately in lecturing Republicans on what they must do. We need to lead by building a powerful political movement, and the Republicans will then naturally follow.

The radical, liberal-left agenda is tailor made for generating grassroots firestorms in opposition. Included in that agenda is national legislation to remove all state restrictions on abortion, all parental notification, waiting periods, informed consent, and partial birth abortion restrictions. Instead we are slated for taxpayer funding for abortion on demand. Another beaut is national legislation to remove all state protections of gun rights, such as conceal and carry permits. Then there is the federal takeover of health care, the federal shutdown of proven, reliable energy production, global warming regulation to shut down what is left of the economy, the "fairness" doctrine to shut down talk radio, and national legislation to take away workers' rights to a secret ballot election to determine whether they will be forced into a union in their workplace. That last item also includes forcing union contracts on businesses, small, medium and large, in place of the current system of free negotiation.

After this partial list of what we have to work on, he goes on to describe what a grassroots organization might look like and what it could accomplish. I like that a lot of the focus is on informing Americans on the issues. It seems to me that there are far too many people who have the idea that they are entitled to have everything provided for them and done for them, and it blinds them to the serious losses they would face if the government attempted that--loss of freedoms of all types, loss of property rights, loss of choices (where to live, where to work, how to worship), and loss of quality in what is provided.

Many people don't understand insurance, for example, whether we are talking about health insurance, property insurance, or any other type of insurance. Let's take health insurance for an example. From what I hear people saying, they think that in exchange for a small monthly premium, all their health expenses should be paid by the insurance company, right down to the aspirin they had to take when they woke up with a headache. That is assuredly not what insurance is for. Insurance is to protect people against large losses (expenses) such as surgery, long term therapy, major illnesses such as cancer, and so forth. People are expected to cover the small expenses themselves--the bottle of aspirin, the deductible on the insurance, etc.--because those are affordable and can be worked into the family budget. Compare it to auto insurance--you don't expect auto insurance to pay for gas and oil changes. The auto insurance is to pay for the large expense of repairing your vehicle after an accident. If you don't understand what insurance is for, it is your responsibility to learn. It is not the government's responsibility to step in and pay/force the insurer to pay for every tiny expense. If we turn our responsibility over to the government, we are no longer free to make choices and, with government's poor record of managing anything, we can expect to have poor quality health care, if we can get it at all.

With all the concern over the economy, health, energy, and the many other issues facing us, I am hopeful that people will be more inclined to learn all they can about these issues and decide what they can support and what they cannot, thinking things through to their logical conclusions.

I am also hopeful that people will re-evaluate their own lifestyles and do everything they can to promote prosperity in their own families. Go back to budgeting and saving. Go back to home-cooked meals with healthier ingredients. Go back to reading books and watching movies at home instead of going out for expensive entertainment. Have family game night or take the family to the park to play. Stop living beyond our means. If you have a lot of changes to make, make them gradually, if you must. Talk to your family and enlist their support. Look on such changes as an opportunity and an adventure, not a deprivation. It's a great time to regroup and begin living a more sensible life.

Even when there is a lot of upheaval going on in the world, we can avoid making ourselves ill and depressed with worry. Look for the good. Appreciate what you have. Seek out the good in life and look for ways you can improve your life. It's the beginning of a new year. Make it a good one!

Last Minute Thoughts

Three days to go before election day on 4 November. I hope and pray that everyone who intends to vote is studying the issues and the candidates, local and state as well as national.

While I disagree with John McCain on some issues (for example, global warming), I am certain that he will be a better president for America than Barack Obama. Senator McCain is a known man of character and courage. He is far more knowledgeable about foreign affairs and other important issues than Barack Obama. We can count on him to not make foolish diplomatic errors that could prove disasterous not only for ourselves, but for other countries around the world.

Senator Obama is secretive and evasive and a known ally of socialist/Marxist/communist people and organizations. He has lately been lowering the taxable ceiling from $250,000 to $120,000 annual income in various speeches by himself and his supporters. His planned expenditures total several trillion dollars. The only way he can pay for all that is to tax more and more people. Too often, the words "redistribute wealth" make people think of taking money from millionaires and billionaires and distributing it to the poor. There aren't enough millionaires and billionaires to pay for all of that, so much of the middle class will find their incomes taxed to the max. What people aren't thinking about, either, is the fact that it is the people with the most money who invest and start businesses and give to charity (usually--the Bidens and the Obamas haven't been all that generous with their own money). It is the wealthier citizens who do things that create jobs and other opportunities, which is far more helpful to people than just giving them some dollars.

There are also countless questions about Senator Obama's honesty. Why won't he prove that he is a naturalized citizen and therefore eligible for the office of President? Why won't he release his donor lists? Why won't he get specific about his plans for America? And what about the known instances of him and his campaign trying to intimidate to silence those who disagree with him? He's tried that in Missouri and in Pennsylvania, at least. What about ACORN's voter registration fraud being investigated in a dozen states?

Another thing about Obama that would be funny if it weren't so serious for our country is his lack of accomplishments. And yet his campaign dares to claim that Governor Sarah Palin isn't qualified! That is laughable. She has far more serious, executive experience than he has. She is far more ready for higher office than he is. Then, too, there is the race issue. It is Obama's campaign and not McCain's that has been playing the race card by labeling everything as racist.

America was founded on freedom and must remain that way. Why are we strong? Because we have had the freedom to work our way up from wherever we start to wherever we want to be. We have had the incentive to create and invent and improve life for all. We have had the freedom to create a strong military. That will all disappear if Obama's wealth redistribution, reduction in military, and other socialist policies are put into practice.

When it comes to healthcare, the more the government interferes, the more it costs. Let the free market capitalism reign. We will see competition driving prices downward. It's the same with education. Let there be competition among public and private schools. Let people have vouchers so that they can choose the best schools for their children. Competition will improve the quality of education faster than any government program.

And let's talk military. Senator Barney Frank wants to cut the military by 25%. If we do not have a strong military run by men of character who know what is at stake, we will never have world peace. Other countries will see no reason to hold back on their attacks, including here in the United States, if our military is weakened. Preparation for war is the best incentive for peace.

The last thing our wonderful country needs is to be run by liberal Democrats such as Barack Obama, Harry Reid, and Nancy Pelosi. They want to cripple our economy by preventing our use of our own energy deposits, by going along with extreme environmentalists, and by taxing and spending. We all know it was liberal policies by Democrats and a refusal to heed warnings made by conservative Republicans that caused our current financial problems. That is just a sample of what we can look forward to if we elect those who ignore the Constitution or reinterpret it to suit their own agendas. Make no mistake about it--it will not be the elite liberals whose wealth is redistributed. They will exempt themselves from the policies they wish to inflict on the people of the United States.

The problems we have in America today were caused largely by the socialists policies of FDR and LBJ and others who have had the foolish notion that the government can manage our money and our lives better than we can. Government has its essential uses, but interfering in the free market and in people's lives are not among those uses. The more we get government out of our lives, the better and stronger America will be. A free people is far more generous than a forced people, who cannot afford to be charitable because all their money is going to a bloated government who uses much of that money just to pay for administering programs, never mind actually helping people.

As much as possible, government should be small and should be local, where the people can keep a closer eye on what is being done and can put a quick stop to waste and fraud. There have certainly been Republicans who have bought into the tax and spend and big government foolishness. They can be voted out of office, too, if they show no signs of mending their ways.

There is a lot at stake for America these days. Think about freedom and liberty. Reread the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States of America. Think seriously about the lessons of history. And whatever happens on Tuesday, think seriously about keeping a close eye on government and contacting your representatives at both state and national levels and letting them know how you expect them to govern on your behalf.

And may God continue to bless America.

New Superfoods

I found an article at Science Daily about some new superfoods you can add to your diet for good health. Not that they are new foods per se, but science has discovered more about how healthful they are. The article is called "Try Adding These Superfoods to Your Thanksgiving Dinner This Year". It's a little late for Thanksgiving, but try them with your leftovers.

Kiwi is a delicious fruit with a strawberry-like flavor. Apparently, they are also extra healthy! The other foods mentioned are barley, cranberries, kefir (anyone know what this is?), and broccoli sprouts, which I'm not familiar with, but I like broccoli, so I'll probably like them.

I just made a trip over to Wikipedia. Here's what they have to say about Kefir:

Kefir (alternately keefir, kephir, kewra, talai, mudu kekiya, milkkefir, búlgaros) is a fermented milk drink that originated in the Caucasus region. It is prepared by inoculating cow, goat, or sheep's milk with kefir grains. Traditional kefir was made in skin bags that were hung near a doorway, and the bag was knocked by everyone passing through the doorway to help keep the milk and kefir grains well mixed.[1]

Kefir grains are a combination of bacteria and yeasts in a matrix of proteins, lipids, and sugars. This symbiotic matrix forms grains that resemble cauliflower. Today, kefir is becoming increasingly popular due to new research into its health benefits. Many different bacteria and yeasts are found in the kefir grains, which are a complex and highly variable community of micro-organisms.[2]

Traditional kefir is fermented at ambient temperatures, generally overnight. Fermentation of the lactose yields a sour, carbonated, slightly alcoholic beverage, with a consistency similar to thin yogurt[3].

I think I'll pass.

What About Health Care?

Townhall.com has a column from Dr. Walter E. Williams, economist, titled "Do We Want Socialized Medicine?". I consider it a must read for those who think we want to pattern our health care system after those of Canada and Britain.

Dr. Williams' second and third paragraphs should give us pause:

London's Observer (3/3/02) carried a story saying that an "unpublished report shows some patients are now having to wait more than eight months for treatment, during which time many of their cancers become incurable." Another story said, "According to a World Health Organisation report to be published later this year, around 10,000 British people die unnecessarily from cancer each year -- three times as many as are killed on our roads."

The Observer (12/16/01) also reported, "A recent academic study showed National Health Service delays in bowel cancer treatment were so great that, in one in five cases, cancer which was curable at the time of diagnosis had become incurable by the time of treatment."

That's a pretty serious consequence for some. I have to wonder how much thought, if any, Hilary Clinton has given to her desire for socialized medicine in the USA. Of course, no one calls it socialized medicine here, but that's what it would amount to. And it could cost people their lives.

Dr. Williams also discusses the situation in Canada, and then concludes with this:

Some of our politicians hold up the Canadian and British nationalized health care systems as models for us. You can bet that should we ever have such a system, they would exempt themselves from what the rest of us would have to endure.

There's a cure for our health care problems. That cure is not to demand more government but less government. I challenge anyone to identify a problem with health care in America that is not caused or aggravated by federal, state and local governments. And, I challenge anyone to show me people dying on the streets because they don't have health insurance.

Think about it.