While many of my "rants" are related to politics and politicians, government waste and the waste known as Washington, D.C., I also rant and rave about various computer programs, the economy, the environment. Mainly combatting all the left-wing wackos out there and also post some good jokes from time to time.
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There also continues to be a large divide between the Political Class and Mainstream voters on the issue. While 73% of Mainstream voters favor repeal of the law, 86% of voters in the Political Class oppose repeal.
Of course, who are the "Political Class"?... they are obviously people with their heads stuck up Obama's "Donkey" (a/k/a Ass), since "they" think things are heading in the right direction while 84% of "Mainstream" Americans know better, according to this Rasmussen poll and report.
Now, back to the earlier poll, here's another important snip from the report...
Fifty-seven percent (57%) of Likely Voters nationwide now favor repeal of the new health care law, including 46% who Strongly Favor repeal, according to the latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey.
"Likely Voters" are the folks that are most likely to vote instead of some polls that question people who may never vote or are very unlikely to even vote.
The NCPA (National Center for Policy Analysis), through the http://www.policypatriots.org/ website has fully studied the ObamaCare Plan and has released the following FREE downloads for a Detailed Analysis, a Pamphlet and a PowerPoint Presentation, available for download here or at the next three links.
NCPA President John C. Goodman Defends Seniors in Wall Street Journal Editorial! In an editorial entitled, "How Seniors Will Pay for ObamaCare," Goodman addressed an issue conspicuously absent from the health policy dialogue: who will foot the bill for ObamaCare. As Goodman writes, Medicare Advantage plans efficiently provide high-quality care. Consider:
Medicare Advantage enrollees had 33% more doctor visits, yet 18% fewer hospital days and 10% fewer hospital admissions than conventional Medicare patients.
Medicare Advantage enrollees had 27% fewer emergency-room visits, 13% fewer avoidable admissions, and 42% readmissions.
ObamaCare Demolishes Medicare Advantage. Goodman revealed that ObamaCare's costs will fall hardest on Medicare Advantage enrollees, a group of Americans disproportionately comprised of low-income households, minorities, and seniors. According to a report published by the Administration's own Medicare Office of the Actuary, about 7.4 million Medicare Advantage enrollees will lose their Medicare Advantage coverage completely.
OK America... voting for Conservatives this November is more important than in 1994 when Newt Gingrich led the Republican Revolution and took control of the House for the first time in 50 years. That stopped HillaryCare from moving forward so we need to do the same thing to stop ObamaCare from moving forward.
I still have faith in the Courts that they will declare the mandate unconstitutional and that should make the entire ObamaCare law unconstitutional since the Dumbocrats failed to put in a severability clause in the law... which is put in nearly every law and contract so that IF a Court declares one part of the law or contract invalid, it doesn't invalidate the entire law or contract... but the Dumbocrats, in their zest to push this massive social program on America, failed to put in a simple severability clause which hopefully will be the downfall of this BIG tax and spend government program that will surely cost America far more than they project... just like every other social program has cost us 3X to 10X more than original projections.... and of course the taxes charged for Social Security are going to end up being 15X more than original projections.
All this said... God help America in November, 2010... so that we can restore our country back towards greatness once again.
The ObamaCare health care plan was written by a committee whose head says he doesn't understand it, passed by a Congress that didn't read it and whose members will be exempt from it, signed by a president who smokes, funded by a treasury chief who did not pay his taxes, overseen by a surgeon general who is obese and not properly financed by a country that is dead broke... and up to 70% of the people don't want it!
What could possibly go wrong?
Doesn't this put all your worries to rest?
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Click the ObamaCare link on the left for more about ObamaCare.
I got the below email a week or so ago but am just now getting around to posting info about it. Go HERE now and take the ObamaCare quiz!!!
Lenny Vasbinder
-----Original Message----- From: Jeanette Nordstrom, National Center for Policy Analysis [mailto:Jeanette.Nordstrom@ncpa.org] Sent: Tuesday, June 29, 2010 10:34 AM To: Leonard Vasbinder Subject: A Disaster for America
Because you opposed ObamaCare, you signed the Free Our Health Care Now petition from the National Center for Policy Analysis (NCPA) last year to oppose its passage.
With more than 1,367,900 signers, it was the largest online policy petition ever delivered to Capitol Hill!
Now as part of the effort to repeal and reform ObamaCare, the NCPA is conducting a National ObamaCare Quiz so you can test your knowledge about what's in the law!
But be warned: The answers may raise your blood pressure! ObamaCare is bigger, badder, and uglier than you probably ever imagined. How bad is it, really? Find out here.
Sincerely,
Jeanette Nordstrom National Center for Policy Analysis
It has come to my attention that some inside-the-beltway pundits, strategists and operatives are telling opponents of ObamaCare that they stand a better chance of victory in November if they simply TALK about repealing ObamaCare, but avoid any substantive attempts to ACTUALLY REPEAL IT. Nothing could be further from the truth. Repealing ObamaCare should not be reduced to a campaign slogan. The American people want real action and will only give their respect to those elected officials who take active and substantive steps... right here and right now... to ACTUALLY REPEAL OBAMACARE.
As Congressman Steve King recently put it: “We cannot have a country that lives in freedom and have Obamacare. They are not compatible.”
To that end, I urge you to support H.R. 4903, sponsored by Representative Michelle Bachmann and 57 co-sponsors in the House, which will repeal ObamaCare in its entirety. Furthermore, I also urge you to support S. 3502 and S. 3501, sponsored by Senator Orrin Hatch in the Senate, which will repeal the most egregious and constitutionally-suspect provisions of ObamaCare – the individual mandate and employer mandate. It’s time for less talk and more action. These three pieces of legislation should be brought to a vote immediately. And if they fail, they should be brought up again and again… before the election, not after, as some are suggesting!
Sincerely,
Leonard Vasbinder
(NOTE - The above is primarily directed towards the following but it also applies to ALL Republicans and the few Democrats that aren't SOCIALISTS!!!)
TO: The Republican and Democratic Leadership of the United States Senate and United States House of Representatives: The Hon. Harry Reid, The Hon. Robert C. Byrd, The Hon. Richard J. Durbin, The Hon. Charles E. Schumer, The Hon. Patty Murray, The Hon. Robert Menendez, The Hon. Byron L. Dorgan, The Hon. Debbie A. Stabenow, The Hon. Jeff Bingaman, The Hon. Blanche L. Lincoln, The Hon. Barbara Boxer, The Hon. Thomas R. Carper, The Hon. Bill Nelson, The Hon. Russ Feingold, The Hon. Mitch McConnell, The Hon. Jon L. Kyl, The Hon. Lamar Alexander, The Hon. John R. Thune, The Hon. John Cornyn, The Hon. John Ensign, The Hon. Nancy Pelosi, The Hon. Steny H. Hoyer, The Hon. James Clyburn, The Hon. John B. Larson, The Hon. Xavier Becerra, The Hon. Chris Van Hollen, The Hon. Rosa DeLauro, The Hon. George Miller, The Hon. John A. Boehner, The Hon. Eric I. Cantor, The Hon. Mike Pence, The Hon. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, The Hon. John R. Carter, The Hon. Thaddeus G. McCotter, The Hon. Pete Sessions
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I also sent this as an email to ALL of my State and Federal elected officials using the Tea Party Citizen Action Center's FREE service located here... http://teapartycac.com/index.php Just click on the "MORE" link at the end of the first paragraph.
Here is a copy of my email using the TPCAC:
-----Original Message----- From: donotreply@votervoice.net Sent: Saturday, June 26, 2010 7:38 AM To: Leonard Vasbinder Subject: Hey Republicans... No More Empty Promises, Repeal ObamaCare Today!
***Please do not reply to this email--this confirmation simply lets you know that your message was sent.***
Leonard Vasbinder:
Your message has been sent to the following recipients:
* President Barack Obama * Vice President Joe Biden * Senator Mary Landrieu * Senator David Vitter * Representative Steve Scalise * Governor Bobby Jindal * Secretary of State Jay Dardenne * Attorney General Buddy Caldwell * Senator Conrad Appel * Representative Kirk Talbot
The content of your message is as follows:
Subject: Hey Republicans... No More Empty Promises, Repeal ObamaCare Today!
Dear [The message(s) you sent had each recipient's name here]:
It has come to my attention that some inside-the-beltway pundits, strategists and operatives are telling opponents of ObamaCare that they stand a better chance of victory in November if they simply TALK about repealing ObamaCare, but avoid any substantive attempts to ACTUALLY REPEAL IT. Nothing could be further from the truth. Repealing ObamaCare should not be reduced to a campaign slogan. The American people want real action and will only give their respect to those elected officials who take active and substantive steps... right here and right now... to ACTUALLY REPEAL OBAMACARE.
As Congressman Steve King recently put it: "We cannot have a country that lives in freedom and have Obamacare. They are not compatible."
To that end, I urge you to support H.R. 4903, sponsored by Representative Michelle Bachmann and 57 co-sponsors in the House, which will repeal ObamaCare in its entirety. Furthermore, I also urge you to support S. 3502 and S. 3501, sponsored by Senator Orrin Hatch in the Senate, which will repeal the most egregious and constitutionally-suspect provisions of ObamaCare - the individual mandate and employer mandate. It's time for less talk and more action. These three pieces of legislation should be brought to a vote immediately. And if they fail, they should be brought up again and again... before the election, not after, as some are suggesting!
Sincerely,
Leonard Vasbinder
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Also click the ObamaCare and Tea Party Citizen Action Center "label" links on the left side to read all of my other related articles related to this post.
You can click on the Comments link below to open the Comments section to leave your comments.
Please join me in signing the "End The Mandate!" petition and include YOUR NAME along with the hundreds of thousands or even millions of others who are signing the petition. http://www.chooseliberty.org/hr4995.aspx?pid=em02
Also, send a copy of the below letter to ALL OF YOUR POLITICIANS using the Tea Party Citizen Action Center, http://teapartycac.com/index.php. Just click on the MORE button at the end of the first paragraph below "Send A Message To The Politicians".
See the below letter I sent to ALL of my elected politicians.
Sincerely,
Lenny Vasbinder
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Leonard Vasbinder:
Your message has been sent to the following recipients:
* President Barack Obama * Vice President Joe Biden * Senator Mary Landrieu * Senator David Vitter * Representative Steve Scalise * Governor Bobby Jindal * Secretary of State Jay Dardenne * Attorney General Buddy Caldwell * Senator Conrad Appel * Representative Kirk Talbot
The content of your message is as follows:
Re: END THE MANDATE!
Dear [The message(s) you sent had each recipient's name here]:
Big Government statists have launched a scheme designed to do two things they love more than anything else: vastly increase the size and power of government - and give our federal masters more control over our personal business.
It's getting harder and harder for them to conceal their true intentions. And people are waking up to it.
Now you and I have a choice to make. We can give up and give in. Or we can FIGHT BACK.
C4L is working to contact millions of Americans about Ron Paul's END THE MANDATE ACT, H.R. 4995, which would repeal ObamaCare's mandate forcing Americans to carry government-approved insurance - a requirement that will be enforced by our old pals at the IRS.
Your signed copy of the first page of Ron Paul's bill, along with those from millions of others all across the country, will show the statists in Washington that we are not ready to surrender our health freedom.
This critical battle cannot succeed without your help.
H.R. 4995 To restore the American people's freedom to choose the health insurance that best meets their individual needs by repealing the mandate that all Americans obtain government-approved health insurance. ....................................................................................... IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES April 13, 2010
Mr. Paul introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on Education and Labor, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned. ....................................................................................... A BILL To restore the American people's freedom to choose the health insurance that best meets their individual needs by repealing the mandate that all Americans obtain government-approved health insurance.
1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives 2. of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 3. SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE 4. This Act may be cited as the "End the Mandate Act of 5. 2010".
In their 1993 article, “The Medicare Monster, A Cautionary Tale,” Reason Magazine contributing editors Steven Hayward and Erik Peterson wrote:
“The two primary lessons of Medicare are the chronic problem of woefully underestimating program costs and the impossibility of genuine cost control… At its start, in 1966, Medicare cost $3 billion. The House Ways and Means Committee estimated that Medicare would cost only about $12 billion by 1990 (a figure that included an allowance for inflation). This was supposedly a 'conservative' estimate. But in 1990 Medicare actually cost $107 billion.”
In recent years, workers’ compensation and Medicare have taken up a greater proportion of employers’ legally-required compensation costs, while the share for unemployment insurance has declined. Unemployment insurance accounted for 21.6 percent of legally-required compensation in 1966, but only 7.9 percent in 1998. In contrast, the portion of legally-required benefits that pays for workers’ compensation rose from 17.6 percent in 1966 to 21.5 percent in 1998, and that for Medicare rose from 5.9 percent to 14.1 percent over the same period.
First, since 1960, health care costs have grown 2.7 percentage points faster per year than the economy as a whole. This growth in overall health care costs is particularly problematic for the Federal Government because it is the Nation’s largest purchaser of health care, accounting for approximately one-third of all health care spending in the country.
The Government provides health care to seniors and low-income individuals through its two largest health care programs, Medicare and Medicaid, and to veterans, active duty military, and civilian personnel through a number of other programs.
In 1966, Medicare and Medicaid accounted for only 1 percent of all Government expenditures, but now they account for 20 percent.
Medicare's Operational History and Impact on Health Care
Kulesher, Robert R. PhD
Medicare was originally designed in the 1960s to fit into the existing health care delivery system. However, the program's early years showed an inflationary impact on health care costs. Medicare was the second largest federal domestic program and the fastest growing one, making it a target for those concerned about the size of government in general. By 1980, Medicare constituted 15% of the nation's expenditures for personal health care; and Medicare's administrators recommended substantive changes in provider payments through the introduction of the prospective payment system. Prospective payment system legislation impacted hospitals initially and later skilled nursing facilities and home health agencies. As policymakers made changes in Medicare payments to providers, providers made changes in the way services were delivered. What eventually evolved, in an insidious manner, was implicit management of the nation's health care delivery system by the Medicare program.
Wait times
Health Canada, a federal department, publishes a series of surveys of the health care system in Canada based on Canadians first hand experience of the health care system.[41]
Although life threatening cases are dealt with immediately, some services needed are non urgent and patients are seen at the next available appointment in their local chosen facility.
The median wait time in Canada to see a special physician is a little over four weeks with 89.5% waiting less than 3 months.[41]
The median wait time for diagnostic services such as MRI and CAT scans [42] is two weeks with 86.4% waiting less than 3 months.[41]
The median wait time for surgery is four weeks with 82.2% waiting less than 3 months.[41]
Another study by the Commonwealth Fund found that 57% of Canadians reported waiting 4 weeks or more to see a specialist, broadly in line with the current official statistics; 24% of Canadians waited 4 hours or more in the emergency room.[43][44]
Dr. Brian Day was once quoted as saying "This is a country in which dogs can get a hip replacement in under a week and in which humans can wait two to three years."[45] Day gave no source for his two to three years claim. The Canadian Health Coalition has responded succinctly to Day's claims, pointing out that "access to veterinary care for animals is based on ability to pay. Dogs are put down if their owners can’t pay. Access to care should not be based on ability to pay." [46] Regional administrations of Medicare across Canada publish their own wait time data on the internet. For instance in British Columbia the wait time for a hip replacement is currently a little under ten weeks.[47] The CHC is one of many groups across Canada calling for increased provincial and federal funding for medicare and an end to provincial funding cuts as solutions to unacceptable wait times [48]. In a 2007 episode of ABC News's 20/20 titled "Sick in America," host John Stossel cited numerous examples of Canadians who did not get the health care that they needed.[49] The Fraser Institute, a conservative think tank, claims to do its own research and found that treatment time from initial referral by a GP through consultation with a specialist to final treatment, across all specialties and all procedures (emergency, non-urgent, and elective), averaged 17.7 weeks in 2005.[50][51] However, the report of the Fraser Institute, an organization advocating a "prosperous world through..markets"[52] is greatly at odds with the Canadian government's own 2007 report.[53] Canadian pysychiatrist Dr David Gratzer, who is also employed by the libertarian Cato Institute, was once asked by U.S. congressman Dennis Kucinich if he knew what the wait time for diagnostic imaging procedures such as CT scans and MRIs was across Canada. Gratzer began his reply "I can tell you what the Ontario government said it was for cancer and..." when Kucinich cut him short and gave him the true figure of 3 weeks, just as Gratzer was uttering the answer of "six months" to his preferred question.[54]
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I could compile and publish so much more but if you do not open your mind to the above facts, then all the facts in the world will not help you.
How many times during the ObamaCare PR offensive did you hear the President say, "if you like your healthcare plan, you can keep it" or "our plan will bend the cost curve?"
And time after time, critics were accused of fear-mongering. These critics pointed out that under ObamaCare, healthcare costs would increase, not decrease. They also made the simple point that to remain competitive under ObamaCare, businesses were likely to drop their health coverage and pay a fine instead of paying the additional costs.
Well, the critics are now being proven right. When several companies reported that they would have to write down millions of dollars because of ObamaCare, Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA) demanded public hearings and that these companies turn over internal documents. His goal: to humiliate businesses and prove that that they were misrepresenting their healthcare costs.
But then a funny thing happened. Congressman Waxman abruptly canceled his show hearings.
And now we know why.
The news media has now uncovered that these companies are not only following the law on public disclosure in taking these write downs, but the documents originally requested by Rep. Waxman show that many large companies are indeed contemplating dropping their health coverage altogether because of ObamaCare.
When this was first uncovered, we were in Greenville, South Carolina for our Real Jobs Summit. Watch the video below as Speaker Gingrich challenges Rep. Henry Waxman to come clean:
Once you watch the video, please take a moment to call Rep. Waxman, and ask him to be honest with the American people, and hold his hearings. The public has a right to know the true cost of ObamaCare.
You can call him at (202) 225-3976.
Thank you. Together, we can continue to get the truth out, and repeal ObamaCare.
Sincerely,
Vince Haley
Vice President for Policy
American Solutions
This email was sent by: American Solutions for Winning the Future
1425 K Street N.W., Washington, DC, 20005, USA
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Amended May 24, 2010 -
GOOD NEWS COULD BE COMING!!!
Investor's Business Daily published an editorial reporting that there is no severability clause in the ObamaCare law so when part of it is declared unconstitutional, the entire bill should be found unconstitutional, throwing the whole thing out. Here is their editorial...
Health Care Reform: One analyst says the Democrats were amateurish in writing their overhaul bill. This might be worth more than a snicker. It could mean the courts can strike down the entire law at once.
Various parts of the Democrats' health care reform law have been held up as pieces that might not stand up to a constitutional rigor.
The individual mandate that requires those who aren't previously covered by insurance to buy a plan is the most likely place for the legal objections to begin. Another provision that is being disputed at the constitutional level is the expansion of Medicaid that forces states to increase their spending on that program.
But those are only two pieces of a legislative leviathan. Even if one or both were stricken, the bulk of the law's burden would remain.
However, Greg Scandlen, a senior fellow at the Heartland Institute, says due to a little-known legal concept the entire law would unravel if a single part was found to be outside the Constitution.
"Apparently there was no 'severability' clause written into this law, which shows how amateurish the process was," he wrote. "Virtually every bill I've ever read includes a provision that if any part of the law is ruled unconstitutional the rest of the law will remain intact. Not this one. That will likely mean that the entire law will be thrown out if a part of it is found to violate the Constitution."
No argument from us. The bill writers and lawmakers who voted for it without reading it were unprofessional.
That was obvious in the haste in which the 2,400 pages of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act were passed and signed into law. The Democrats' rush to get the bill through was a clear act of desperation that looked like the work of novices — or despots.
As history will remember, it was hurried House Speaker Nancy Pelosi who said that "We have to pass the bill so that you can find out what is in it." Evidently it had to pass for her party to find out what wasn't in it, namely the shield of a severability clause.
Constitutional scholars aren't saying it's impossible, but many don't seem to have much confidence that the courts will overturn the law. Jonathan Turley, a George Washington University Law School professor, told the New York Times that if he had to make a bet, he'd put his money on the courts upholding the policy.
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With every week that passes, we learn more about ObamaCare and it just gets worse. The recent report on the practical effects of ObamaCare from the Chief Actuary of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) is devastating.
Here are the salient findings of this report:
* Health care costs will go up, not down. National health expenditures will increase from 17 percent of GDP now to 21 percent under the new law and will be higher than without the legislation. Net federal spending on health care will also increase.
* Health care shortages are "plausible and even probable." Because of the increased demand for health care, "supply constraints might initially interfere with providing the services desired by the additional 34 million insured persons."
* 14 million employees will lose their employer coverage. Employees of small firms are especially at risk (despite small employer tax credit subsidies).
* 2 million employees who lose coverage will have to enroll in Medicaid.
* A Medicaid insurance card is not a guarantee of care. An estimated 18 million people will be added to Medicaid. However, because there is no corresponding increase in the supply of caregivers, "it is reasonable to expect that a significant portion of the increased demand for Medicaid would be difficult to meet, particularly over the first few years."
* One in ten insured workers will see their health benefits taxed. By 2019, more than 10% of insured workers will "be in employer plans with benefit values in excess of the thresholds (before changes to reduce benefits) and this percentage would increase rapidly thereafter."
* Higher taxes will lead to higher premiums. The new taxes on medical devices, prescription drugs, and insurance plans "would generally be passed on through to health consumers in the form of higher drug and device prices and higher insurance premiums."
* There are more than one-half trillion in Medicare cuts. The new health law cuts "$575 billion" from Medicare.
* Medicare cuts would threaten almost one in every seven hospitals. About "15 percent of Part A providers would become unprofitable within the 10-year projection period."
* Overall access to care for seniors would go down. Because of the law's payment reductions, "providers for whom Medicare constitutes a substantive portion of their business could find it difficult to remain profitable and, absent legislative intervention, might end their participation in the program.
* 7.4 million people will lose access to Medicare Advantage plans. Enrollment in MA plans will be cut in half (from its projected level of 14.8 million under the current law to 7.4 million under the new law).
* False advertising: The new "Medicare Tax" doesn't go to Medicare. "Despite the title of this tax, this provision is unrelated to Medicare; in particular, the revenues generated by the tax on unearned income are not allocated to the Medicare trust funds."
* False advertising: Budgetary double-counting does not improve Medicare's solvency. Medicare cuts "cannot be simultaneously used to finance other federal outlays (such as the coverage expansions) and to extend the [life of the Medicare] trust fund, despite the appearance of this result from the respective accounting conventions."
* The new long-term care insurance plan (CLASS Act) is unsound. The program faces "a significant risk of failure" because the high costs will attract sicker people and lead to low participation.
* The promise to those with pre-existing conditions is unfunded. "By 2011 and 2012 the initial $5 billion in Federal funding for [high risk pools] would be exhausted, resulting in substantial premium increases to sustain the program."
* The law does almost nothing to limit actual fraud and abuse. The fraud provisions in the law will save only about two percent of $47 billion in suspect claims.
The National Center for Policy Analysis is committed to leading the fight against ObamaCare and in favor of patient-centered health policy reforms. Our policy solutions are only possible with your support. Please consider donating to the National Center for Policy Analysis. You can donate online or mail a check to:
National Center for Policy Analysis
P.O. Box 650098
Dallas, Texas 75265-0098
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