Thanksgiving-What it Means to Me

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. The fourth of July being my most favorite; because without freedom I can’t very well celebrate the others. So, today I would like to express why I am appreciative.

First and foremost I am very grateful for my family. I am blessed with a very supportive and loving husband. He has been in my life for over 28 years and I truly appreciate him, even though I don’t always show or tell him so. He knows me better than anyone and loves me in spite of all his insight! I am indebted to him for bestowing me with two beautiful sons, who are the sunlight in my days and the joy in my heart. I never really understood unconditional love or the saying “I will die for you” until the day I looked into their eyes. I WILL die for my sons without hesitation. I have sacrificed for them since the day they were born to ensure they will be ready for adulthood and I do NOT regret one moment. It has been an honor being their Mom and I will always be proud of them and I will love them with all my heart…forever. They are THE two MOST perfect things I have EVER done in my life and I’m POSITIVE I will never do anything so perfect again.

I would like to say that I am blessed with awesome parents. They have been there for me in so many ways and I can’t thank them enough. They lead by example by loving and respecting one another which swells my heart with such happiness. I am always proud to introduce them to my peers and I’m honored when they introduce me to someone from their very large circle of friends because I know how respected they are in their community. I realize they are aware of how much I appreciate them, but I won’t stop demonstrating how very deserving they are of all the love, respect and adoration I feel.

I have a few health related issues; however, I am lucky they are not life threatening. Still, they have made my life difficult, but I’m a strong person who refuses to allow these “issues” to stop me from enjoying my life and those I love. I’m grateful I am strong, purposeful, determined and optimistic. I believe that we all have lessons to learn and this is another one of mine. I haven’t quite mastered it yet, but I’m hopeful the answer won’t be long in coming. Hope is what keeps me going…especially when I’m having a very bad day. I’m thankful for Hope. It’s a blessing unto itself. And just for the record: No one should ever take good health for granted. It’s extremely precious. No amount of money will ever buy one good health. It can purchase medication or something to aid in a recovery, but it will NEVER buy one into healthfulness. If you are lucky enough to be healthy, say “thank you” every single day and MEAN it.

I’m also thankful this year for the new friends that I made. Friends are cherished gifts. I say gifts, because they are given to us sometimes for no apparent reason yet they come when we need them the most. This is why we should feel appreciative and recognize we are worthy. Friends should be treasured, too, because a true friend is rare. So, when one is bestowed upon you, thank whatever higher power you believe in and know that you must’ve done something admirable.

I’m thankful I can read, write, do mathematics, and converse with people, even strangers, in a respectable manner. Heck, I’m grateful I HAVE manners! I’m appreciative I have the ability to feel proud but not arrogant; to feel compassion without pity; and sympathy while remaining true to myself.

And last but not least, I’m thankful for our great and glorious Country. Though we face many difficulties right now, I believe we Americans will prevail. We are unique people— Strong and courageous; loving and benevolent; intelligent and innovative. And with all our strengths, we will persevere and come through our darkest times stronger than ever. I thank my fellow Americans for their unwavering faith in our Constitution, our Military and in each other.

Happy Thanksgiving! May yours be blessed with everything that makes YOU happy.

Reid’s Health Care Propaganda

Harry Reid, Senate Majority Leader, has revealed his Health Care Plan and received a passing vote to continue the health care debate. His bill exceeded Pelosi’s 1,990 page monstrosity by 84 pages. One would THINK that with all the complaints about how HUGE and CONVOLUTED these bills are, maybe, JUST maybe, Reid would’ve shortened his a bit. But NO, he made his LONGER. Maybe his bill is a symbol of sorts; you know, kinda like a sports car to insecure men.

The first Health Care Bill, HR 3200 and Pelosi’s bill, HR 3962 were both horrible. The ONLY good thing about Pelosi’s bill is it disallowed pre-existing conditions. Other than that…well, you can use it in your fireplace, that’s where I believe it belongs and how much I believe it will help the American people.

I haven’t read Reid’s bill, yet. But, I’ll bet it’s pretty darn close to the other two. I can’t imagine Reid has much more vision than Pelosi. And these bills are written by pretty much the same people after all. What really makes me angry is this Health Care debacle isn’t about HEALTH or CARE. It’s about THEM and THEIR next election. My suspicion was proven to me when former President Clinton went to Capitol Hill and spoke to Democratic Senators on November 10th. He reiterated what the Obama Administration has been saying about it being more important to pass a bill even if it’s not perfect.

Clinton told Senate Democrats, “Just pass the bill, even if it’s not exactly what you want. When you try and fail, the other guys write history.”
Clinton told reporters after the meeting, “It's not important to be perfect here. It's important to act, to move, to start the ball rolling. There will be amendments to this effort, whatever they pass, next year and the year after and the year after, and there should be. It's a big, complicated, organic thing. But the worst thing to do is nothing."

Basically what Clinton means is pass the bill, even if it’s wrong. It doesn’t matter if you don’t give the American People a GOOD bill. It’s ALL about winning. It’s ALL about writing history as the Majority Senators and get “that ball rolling”! THAT to Clinton AND to Obama, Reid and Pelosi is MORE important than HEALTH and CARE!

Clinton also said, “I think it is good politics to pass this and to pass this as soon as they can. But I think the most important thing is it is the right thing for America. The worst thing to do is nothing.”

Of course they want to pass this “as soon as possible”. If they wait, it will be flushed down the toilet where it belongs! The longer these bills are out there, the more the public learns the TRUTH. The truth is, this is NOT about HEALTH and CARE.

Health Care is about the American People and we would have Tort-reform; Fraud and waste would be addressed NOW not in bills waiting to get passed that need to form yet MORE government agencies that NEED even MORE tax money; We would be able to purchase insurance across state lines; We would be able to take our insurance from one employer to another; We would NOT have ENORMOUS out of pocket expenses for costly life saving treatments…NONE of these bills save us from THAT AND THAT is what FORCES people into bankruptcy; Illegals WOULD be addressed with STRAIGHT talk without fear of the next election and Illegals would NOT be covered. PERIOD; There would be STRAIGHT talk about abortions, too, AND compromise, because OUR country is divided on the issue and we DO have rape, incest and situations where the mother’s life is in danger and THOSE issues ARE of grave importance; We would NOT have billions of cuts to our Medicare; We would NOT force the American people to buy insurance or GO TO JAIL; We would not be PENALZING the American people because they have “Cadillac Insurance Plans”; We would NOT force companies to cover employees if they can NOT afford it thus forcing them out of business; WE would NOT force the American People to pay for even MORE government bureaucracies to enforce even more mandates and taxes which will cost even more lost jobs and Americans to lose even more hard earned money.

Health Care would address the issues that Americans ARE facing. NOT impose yet more mandates, taxes and government jobs and programs. How does yet another Government official help an American that doesn’t have health care? It doesn’t. But, following the fraud money train of 64 billion a year in Medicare could help give hundreds of thousands of Americans coverage. No one, I repeat, NO ONE in Congress addresses the Medicare Fraud Train. Why is that? Is it because the tracks will lead to THEM perhaps? Are their pockets lined with some of THAT fraud? I’m beginning to suspect that it is. Or else they would be following it and STOPPING it. And if not, WHY the hell would we pay for yet another government department to stop fraud and abuse in a NEW health care plan? THAT is ridiculous! Wake up America!!

Clinton says we won’t have the “perfect bill”. I ask, WHY NOT? We are paying millions of dollars EVERY year, just in salaries, mind you, for the brain trusts on Capitol Hill. With all those “intelligent” people and all that money, not only should we have the Perfect Bill, but it should be written in GOLD!

Congress hands us crap and we accept it saying “Thank you” with smiles on our faces! THAT is NOT acceptable. We DESERVE the PERFECT BILL and we should NOT settle for anything less. We are their bosses! We pay them! They WORK for US. If THEY can NOT deliver the best damn bill, then we need to find people who WILL!

Why, as Americans, have we become complacent? Why have we just accepted that our Representatives are liars, thieves and cheats? It is NOT acceptable! Why have so many Americans declared that “it’s just the way it is” Or “there’s nothing we can do about it”?

For all you complacent Americans, don’t vote anymore— Stay home. But those of you who believe that we DESERVE more; we DESERVE better; let’s TELL Congress NO! WE WON’T SETTLE ANYMORE! And let’s vote this bill OUT! And make them work on a bill until it is PERFECT! That IS their job after all.

And how about no more 300 million dollar bribes tied up in Medicaid bows. There are 500 million dollars worth of cuts to Medicare in this bill, but we are going to give Louisiana 300 million in Medicaid aid, and for what? So people can STAY in poverty? Yeah, that works. Let’s not bombard them with education or job skills! Ah, no, Reid wants to give them money to stay poor. Goodness knows how well handing people money has helped them out of poverty for the last 50 years. Again, WAKE UP AMERICA!

I am one angry American. I want a REAL Health Care Bill, not some pet project plan that is actually a spending spree filled with more taxes, more government jobs and more payoffs to Senators. I want what is BEST for our Country and her People. I want EVERYONE to read this bill and see what is hidden inside. READ what it TRULY IS. Please, people, READ it and see the TRUTH.


We need to stop these out of control Bureaucrats NOW. We DESERVE better; We DESERVE so much more. If WE don’t stand up to them, who will?

Veterans Day

Thank you for all you’ve done.

For the sacrifices you made so that I didn’t have to make any.

Thank you for sleeping on the hard ground so that I could sleep in my warm bed.

Thank you for eating out of a nappy sack so I could eat at my kitchen table.

Thank you for wearing the same clothes, day after day, so I could wear clean clothing.

Thank you for staring at a picture of your loved one so that I could hold mine.

Thank you for reading letters from family and friends so that I could talk to mine.

Thank you, Dear Veteran, for your courage and honor.

Thank you for defending our Country so that I could live within her freely and safely.

For that I will always be grateful.

HR 3962 Health Care the Pelosi Way

Speaker Pelosi’s 1,990 page Health Care bill was unveiled Thursday, October 29th. Nancy Pelosi said they were at a historic moment with lawmakers and “on the cusp of delivering on the promise of making affordable, quality health insurance available to every American — and laying the foundation for a brighter future for generations to come.” Affordable? For whom?

I’m not sure how small and medium size business owners and middle class Americans will be able to afford much of anything with this monstrosity, which includes 13 new taxes and will grow government to an even more colossal size. Our government already owns 30% of our private sector with car companies, banks, mortgage companies, student loans, credit card companies and Fannie and Freddie. Once they get hold of our Health Care, they will own another 18%. That’s almost 50% of our economy, which currently, is fragile, at best.

This bill doesn’t even address tort-reform. That doesn’t surprise me, with half or more of our elected officials being lawyers and all. I’ve heard the argument that tort-reform “won’t really save money”, but when I read this:

SEC. 2531. MEDICAL LIABILITY ALTERNATIVES.
(a) INCENTIVE PAYMENTS FOR MEDICAL LIABILITY
REFORM.— (1) IN GENERAL.—To the extent and in the amounts made available in advance in appropriation Acts, the Secretary shall make an incentive payment, in an amount determined by the Secretary, to each State that has an alternative medical liability law in compliance with this section.

(4) CONTENTS OF ALTERNATIVE MEDICAL LIABILITY LAW.—The contents of an alternative liability law are in accordance with this paragraph if—
(A) the litigation alternatives contained in the law consist of certificate of merit, early offer, or both; and (B) the law does not limit attorneys’ fees or impose caps on damages.

So, tell me again how tort-reform isn’t a factor. Because I’m really curious as to WHY Section 2531 would be in the bill if it weren’t. That section is to protect the lawyers—but forget the American people. Screw the doctors who have to pay exorbitant malpractice insurance premiums. Just make sure the LAWYERS get their money at ANY price, even if it means raising taxes on Americans.

Health Care Reform doesn’t have to be so complicated. Medicare and Medicaid have more fraud than our Representatives will admit. Why don’t they start there? Let’s save $60 Billion a year FIRST. Because when I read this among the 2 thousand pages, I wanted to scream…

TITLE VI—PROGRAM INTEGRITY
Subtitle A—Increased Funding to Fight Waste, Fraud, and Abuse
Sec. 1601. Increased funding and flexibility to fight fraud and abuse.
(A) establish procedures to protect against fraud, waste, and abuse under the program;
and (B) provide for other program integrity methods.


If they can implement a program under Government Health Care for INTEGRITY and PROTECTION AGAINST WASTE, FRAUD, and ABUSE, why the heck aren’t we doing it NOW? This just blows my mind! Let’s start a whole NEW program and spend EVEN MORE money to begin an honesty and fraud protection program; but don’t do it with the existing program when we KNOW it’s hemorrhaging at least $60 BILLION a year in DECEIT. I’m not sure, but I think this would be listed under the category of utter stupidity. Not to mention just another way to spend OUR money, when they COULD be finding ways to recoup the money that has been wasted, or dare I say STOLEN, already.

One of the big arguments for a Government Health Care plan was because “the number one reason for bankruptcy in America is due to medical bills”. The stats on medical bankruptcies are sketchy. I’m not saying that people haven’t filed bankruptcy due to medical bills. What I’m saying is that many people who have filed bankruptcy would have filed regardless, and the medical bills just exasperated the situation. But if you read this:

(4) COST-SHARING.—The term ‘‘cost-sharing’’ includes deductibles, coinsurance, copayments, and similar charges, but does not include premiums, balance billing amounts for non-network providers, or spending for non-covered services.

(C) the maximum cost-sharing with respect to an individual (or family) for a year shall not exceed $5,000 for an individual (or $10,000 for a family).

Let’s say a wife gets cancer in July and needs treatment and her insurance doesn’t cover all her medical expenses. She pays out of pocket from July through December that year to the tune of $10K. The next year she has treatment from January thru August and pays another $10K. Her family is now in debt $20K for medical “cost-sharing”. They have a mortgage, a car payment AND $10K in credit card debt. There is a good chance they will file bankruptcy. So, again, HOW does Pelosi’s Health Care bill HELP Americans from filing bankruptcy? It doesn’t. THAT argument has NOT been addressed in THIS bill and will NOT be addressed; because medical bankruptcies are NOT a major factor and Congress KNOWS it. They used those stats for their own agenda, even though the stats were not accurate. Had the stats been accurate, they would’ve addressed them in THIS bill.

There are other goodies in this bill. Like Section 340L a Health Corps. Yep, we are going to fund and repay loans for people to go into the Health Profession. I guess we’re going to have to bribe them somehow because with price fixing no one is going to want to be doctors or nurses anymore. But a Health Corps? That’s an odd title, isn’t it? And has the cost of THIS program been added to the trillion dollar price tag? How could it, when we don't even know how many people will enroll in years to come!

Or what about all the expenses fast food restaurants and vending machine companies are going to fork out now that they have to divulge all the calories and nutrients on the contents of the food and snacks they sell. Yes, you read that correctly. A vending machine company has to list all the candy and its calories, etc., on the vending machine now. You mean to tell me that people DON’T know candy is filled with sugar and calories? If they don’t then they are NOT living in what we know as REALITY. But the American people are going to pay higher prices for everything from a Hershey bar to French fries because Congress wants to dictate what we’ll eat and when we’ll exercise. Because they are going to give incentives to employers who participate! Like in THIS section:



SEC. 2535. COMMUNITY-BASED OVERWEIGHT AND OBESITY PREVENTION PROGRAM.
Part Q of title III (42 U.S.C. 280h et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 399W the following:

‘‘SEC. 399W–1. COMMUNITY-BASED OVERWEIGHT AND OBESITY PREVENTION PROGRAM.
‘‘(a) PROGRAM.—The Secretary shall establish a community-based overweight and obesity prevention program consisting of awarding grants and contracts under subsection (b). ‘‘(b) GRANTS.—The Secretary shall award grants to, or enter into contracts with, eligible entities— ‘‘(1) to plan evidence-based programs for the prevention of overweight and obesity among children and their families through improved nutrition and increased physical activity; or ‘‘(2) to implement such programs. ‘‘(c) ELIGIBILITY.—To be eligible for a grant or contract under subsection (b), an entity shall be a community partnership that demonstrates community support and includes— ‘‘(1) a broad cross section of stakeholders, such as—
‘‘(A) hospitals, health care systems, community health centers, or other health care providers;‘‘(B) universities, local educational agencies, or childcare providers; ‘‘(C) State, local, and tribal health departments;
‘‘(D) State, local, and tribal park and recreation departments; ‘‘(E)employers; and‘‘(F) health insurance companies;‘‘(2) residents of the community; and ‘‘(3) representatives of public and private entities that have a history of working within and serving the community.


‘‘(f) PREFERENCES.—In awarding grants and contracts under this section, the Secretary shall give preference to eligible entities that— ‘‘(1) will serve communities with high levels of overweight and obesity and related chronic diseases; or ‘‘(2) will plan or implement activities for the prevention of overweight and obesity in school or workplace settings.


This means that grants will be awarded to companies and schools for implementing programs that prevent obesity. So, as an employer you’ll get money if you make your employees exercise? Eat fruits and veggies every day? Stop drinking and smoking? How will they monitor an employee’s behavior AFTER work? Will there be “snitches”? Who knows WHAT this COULD entail. All I know is I don’t like the mere SOUND of it.

I’m an ADULT. If I CHOOSE to eat unhealthy food, shouldn’t that be MY choice? By the way, I don’t eat junk food and I don’t drink alcohol or sugary drinks, but what if I did? What about the millions of Americans that do? Do “I” have the right to tell THEM they should stop? Do employers have the right? The Government? Where, exactly, does the line of freedom get crossed?

In closing, I will admit that I have NOT read the entire 1,990 pages of the bill. I read the sections that I thought looked interesting, although I haven’t listed all of them. I believe this so-called “Health Care for Every America” will cross a line that we can’t even begin to comprehend and we will pay monetarily and we will pay with liberties. I truly don’t believe that anyone wants that. Health Reform is necessary, but THIS bill, with its taxes and mandates, isn’t THE ONE. I truly believe our Representatives can do much better and it’s up to US to force them to give us a bill that is TRULY worthy of the title HEALTH CARE REFORM.