Side Effects Include...

"A lot of the ideas in terms of the exchange...and improving the purchasing power of individuals in the insurance market originated from the Heritage Foundation."

 - President Obama

You better believe The Heritage Foundation feels slandered about this recent comment from our President.  Heritage will refute this from every angle.  

But they are now working on a feature of the Side Effects of Obamacare. After the bill was passed Obama said, "After I signed it, I looked around and no asteroids had hit the planet (chuckling) and no cracks had appeared in the earth."

Again with the arrogance. Of course, people didn't believe literal Armageddon would occur, but the side effects will represent a sure decrease in our liberties and freedoms.  Here are some already highlighted by Heritage:

FIRST - Higher health insurance taxes --> Remember the tax on so-called "Cadillac" health plans? Under the reconciliation bill, a provision was added to index the threshold of what is considered "Cadillac" to the general inflation rate PLUS 1%.  Do you know what that means?  "The high cost plans tax will hit the average family plan five years earlier."  Over time most plans will fall into the "Cadillac" category and be subject to the tax.  See more here.  

SECOND - The young to pay higher premiums --> A new provision in the plan makes it more difficult to charge older people more for their premiums (as is the case today). "So how will insurers make up the difference? It 'will be shouldered by young people in the form of higher premiums.'" Heritage then suggests these young adults will choose to opt out of increased premiums and pay the penalty instead, which will only "fuel a 'death spiral' of out-of-control premium price hikes." See more here.  

THIRD - Medical devices tax will cut jobs --> Obamacare puts a new tax on medical devices to generate $2.2 billion per year in revenue. The industry simply cannot stay afloat with such a tax burden. CFO at Zoll Medical Corp has said, "We could be forced to (move) manufacturing overseas if we can't pass along these costs to our customers." But either way, it's more cost to the consumer and job losses all around.  Read more here. 

FOURTH - Obamacare fatal for your HSA --> If you use a Health Savings or Flex Spending account you should check this out.  Obamacare limits these accounts as follows: (1) restricts what you can use the money for, (2) reduces the election amounts in your FSA, and (3) doubles the tax penalty for using HSA funds for non-medical expenses. "But the worst news for those using HSAs is the provision requiring all policies to cover at least 60 percent of the actuarial value of the benefits offered."  Basically, high-deductible plans which include HSAs may no longer be viable.  Read more here. 

FIFTH - Laws no longer mean what they say --> Did you hear the leaders of the House discovered a major snafu after the bill was signed?  They messed up the provision that children no longer be denied coverage because of a pre-existing condition. Oops.  They've since said it was their "intent to cover these children and the health care industry has kindly opted to go along.  "But is this any way to run a country? To have lawmakers and regulators coerce the private sector into doing what they simply declare to be their "intent," rather than what is actually written in the law?"  I'm pretty sure that's not how a country is supposed to be run. Be prepared for more of this...

Read more here.

If you want to know how Heritage believes the health care crisis should really be handled, read here. And in the meantime, stay informed. Don't let the press demonize you for opposing this hostile takeover of our basic rights and freedoms. Despite what the media reports, I'm not a racist nor a homophobe nor a feminist. I just refuse to tow the progressive line.

Happy Easter, everyone! We are taking a trip to be with some family. There will be no redistribution of easter eggs going on. It's a free for all, and I like it that way!

Surces:

http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site_040110/content/01125112.guest.html
The Heritage Foundation - Side Effects
Side Effects image from The Heritage Foundation

Grow Up Already...

From Mark Steyn today...discussing the new Obamacare provision allowing children up to and including the age of 26 to remain on their parent's insurance.  I referenced the craziness of this previously, but Steyn explained today many countries with a nationalized health care system have provisions like this, which may have directly or indirectly caused a delayed "growing up" of sorts. The existence is such that these late 20's and 30-somethings still living at home have a name...in Japan, Germany, etc.  But my favorite?

In the UK it's "KIPPERS"

Kids In Parents Pockets Eroding Retirement Savings

By the time I was 26 I had been married a few years...(I won't tell you how long so you won't know how young I really was).  

By 26, I'd had my first baby, a house, a college degree, a career, a husband...and, (gasp!) my own health coverage.

(accomplishments not listed in any particular order)

What had you accomplished by the age of 26? 

Should we consider raising the legal age to 26?  What about voting age, drinking age, age of consent etc.

Our government continues to underestimate the capabilities of our youth. Growing up is scary. I can remember being apprehensive about such responsibilities when I was headed to college, but getting started, making phone calls, and hashing out decisions is half the battle.  We must force our kids to be a little uncomfortable...the uneasiness is how they learn.  

Channeling Bing Crosby

"It's just going to be like Christmas, I mean it's going to be great. No worries, you know, the bills, we can go ahead and pay our copay and be all right."

 - DeCarlo Flythe

Mr. Flythe is obviously disillusioned about the provisions of this bill, but do you think Obama will correct him? 

In actuality, premiums are going to go up. Way up. And taxes begin in a few short months. Unfortunately for Mr. Flythe, unless you are on Medicaid a copay just isn't going to cut it from here on out.

I don't know about the rest of you, but my letters to Santa never read like this:

Dear Santa:

How are the reindeer? What about Mrs. Claus? I hope she's still pinching your cheeks in my absence. I'm still perfecting my sugar cookie recipe. I promise they'll be better this year.

I have a few things on my list this year and they are my greatest hopes and dreams, so I hope you can deliver because I have been so GOOD. I swear.
  

(1) Please let a group of government bureaucrats mandate that I purchase health insurance and how much insurance that will be? Please? I'm not responsible enough to make this type of informed decision on my own.

(2) Please let the government decide how much I will have to pay for my coverage. They are always fair and impartial when making decisions about money. They sometimes have trouble with solvency but that's just Bush's fault.

(3) Please allow me to continue to support my boomerang children well beyond their young years before they are really forced into adulthood and big-kid decisions. I mean, at age 26, these babies are not old enough to make health care decisions on their own.

(4) Please ration who will receive care and when.  I know when I'm 90 I might want a better quality of life, but whatever you do, PUH-LEASE don't allow this decision to be made between me and my doctor.  I want men in suits detached from reality and the health care industry knowing absolutely nothing about me making the decisions about how I die.


(5) And even though our country is quite divided on the issue of abortion, please don't allow people to make up their own minds. Just force their tax dollars to support the cause and eventually they'll get the message.

(6) Please bring me a gorgeous pair of Mary Carillo's black riding boots. 

Yours truly all year long,

Reese

Source:
It's Going to be Like Christmas!

Conquering the American People

"But if the Democrats were waging war, 
who were they fighting? 
 If Obama and Pelosi won, who did they defeat?"

 - Joseph Ashby (American Thinker)

Did you see the fanfare today at the bill signing? Was it reminiscent of your high school pep rally? Pelosi was clapping just like a cheerleader yelling "Go, Fight, Win!"

And as you may well know, you can't have a rally without an opponent. The American Thinker identified who that was:

"The real reason socialized medicine has never passed is because the public has rejected it each time it is proposed.  Perhaps Obama, Pelosi and the others have won a war, but if that's true, it is the citizens of this country who they fought against; it is the American people who they have conquered."

Every Democrat who voted for this bill purposefully trampled public opinion. Even if you are an adoring fan of Obamacare you can't ignore the willfull ignorance of the American people. It's inexcusable. It's corruption at its finest...

or is that corruption at its weakest?  

Source:

The American Thinker

Get Your Game Face On

"Fortunately, there are no permanent victories or defeats in Washington."

 - Edwin Feulner, President, The Heritage Foundation

I spent most of today amid my own personal chaos...that's just the life as a stay-at-home mom sometimes.  But periodically as I tried to "check-in" and assess the mood across the country, I surprisingly did not feel defeated. It appears within the corners of this great nation people are ready for a fight. Something never before seen since the colonies declared their independence and our founding fathers set a course for freedom and liberty.  

I love The Heritage Foundation. The President, Ed Feulner, had an inspiring message today.  It brought the fight to the surface. If you are even the slightest bit hesitant about Obamacare, you should get involved. Numerous states are starting on the path to block portions of the new legislation. And while repeal will be difficult, we can assure change by electing officials willing to represent the true voice of their constituents.

And because I can say it no better than Mr. Feulner, I've included some of his direct quotes below.  If this makes you want to stand up and cheer then you are in the majority. Our collective voice is tuned out in favor of power, greed and control in Washington. But we the people have the ultimate say. We can be part of this fight...one that will be worth the effort to save the American dream.

"Large majorities of Americans oppose this legislation because it offends the historic American dedication to the principle of self-government. They understand that this new law will accelerate Washington’s intrusion into our most personal and private decisions."

"Those who supported this bill are our fellow Americans, and we do not question their good will or patriotism. In public policy, however, good intentions alone do not suffice. And let there be no mistake, our philosophical differences with supporters of this bill are profound."

"If there is one good thing about the past year—one in which we have witnessed unprecedented horse-trading, press stunts, midnight votes and political manipulation in both houses of the U.S. Congress—it is that the American people have come away educated as never before about the differences between these two visions for America."

"They understand this health care bill forces individuals and employers to buy insurance policies designed by government bureaucrats. This intrusion is intended to follow us from cradle to grave."

"Instead of empowering families and individuals to make their own choices, Obamacare empowers the bureaucracy to make those decisions for them. It is this unelected bureaucracy, unanswerable to the electorate, that will determine the content of health benefits packages, including medical treatment and procedures, and how much will be paid for those services."

"Americans will not stand for it. The American love for liberty prevailed in our founding, and will prevail once again."

"Fortunately, there are no permanent victories or defeats in Washington. For millions of Americans and for Heritage, Round One of this fight is over. Today, The Heritage Foundation is answering the bell for Round Two...Help us educate our lawmakers, as well as those who aspire to become tomorrow’s lawmakers. Together we can make the persuasive case for repeal of this Intolerable Act and thereby return us to our American destiny."

Mr. Feulner ends his letter with this salutation:

Onward!

My friends.  Do not give in.  Do not be complacent.  We must press onward!!  The fight begins again.

Source:
The Heritage Foundation - Edward Feulner Letter 03.22.2010

Don't Feel Defeated...It's Not Over!

"They are trying to win this with a sense of inevitability."

 - Michael Medved

You've seen the headlines today.  I felt a little defeated this morning when I saw on FOX the House was only one vote away.  Boo hoo.

But I got worked. It's simply not true.

Congress wants you to THINK  it's over. They want the public to accept defeat before the war is really over.

Obama wouldn't have submitted himself to FOX for an interview if he didn't have the votes.
Pelosi wouldn't keep dodging questions on actual votes if she had them.
Obama wouldn't have canceled his already delayed trip on Sunday if he had the votes.

They are scrambling.  They want the public to feel defeated.

But don't go quietly!!!

Here are the numbers again:
1.877.762.8762
202.224.3121
202.225.3121

I called this morning and hit redial probably 30 times before I got through. Take ten minutes.  It matters!!

Thoughts on Baier & Obama Interview

"I don't spend a lot of time worrying about what the procedural rules are in the House or the Senate."

 - President Obama

Well, of course he doesn't!  Obama is "the ends justify the means" kind of guy. And it's been glaringly obvious as he forces health care through this week.

Personally, I enjoyed the Brett Baier interview. Baier posed the questions I personally want answers to and I loved seeing Obama squirm.  

I mentioned yesterday how the entire legislative process feels "dark" and dishonest. Obama's answers regarding the deem-and-pass (Slaughter) rule did nothing to change my opinion. Besides the fact the bill stinks, I utterly despise what the process has turned into. In Baier's analysis of the interview, A.B. Stoddard (Associate Editor, The Hill), said "We're now debating instead of the substance of the bill, the process. And he [Obama] knows it looks terrible." 

Obama continues to talk about his 40,000 emails and the small businesses he's promising to fix, and a sob story from Sue so-and-so from somewhere. He neglects to talk facts and it's maddening!

**I could never be an interviewer...I would get so angry!**

So, yes, it totally bugs me Obama's dodging process questions, but even worse, he couldn't talk specifics about the substance of HIS bill. Steve Hayes (Senior Writer, The Weekly Standard) said, "It's astonishing to me that the president of the United States here three days before this bill could potentially become law couldn't tell you directly what was in it and what was not in it.  I thought that was rather striking."

The Reconciliation bill was released today so we can see for ourselves what's in it. If you want a good summary, go here...The Heritage Foundation. The CBO has scored the bill, which tells us how much it will cost, but they confess the numbers are preliminary. This is from the cover letter of the bill:

"Although CBO completed a preliminary review of legislative language prior to its release, the agency has not thoroughly examined the reconciliation proposals to verify its consistency with the previous draft. This estimate is therefore preliminary, pending a review of the language of the reconciliation proposal, as well as further review and refinement of budgetary projections."

Basically, it's anybody's guess...and I'm guessing it's ridiculously understated.  

Source:
Baier's Follow-up Analysis
Baier/Obama Interview Transcript
http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site_031810/content/01125106.guest.html

3000%!!...Insanity

"Your employer...would see premiums fall by as much as 3,000 percent, which means they could give you a raise."

 - President Obama

This is bad math...VERY bad math.  

Consider the equation as our president suggests:

Let's say your employer is paying $10,000 per year for your health care benefit.

If it goes down 100%, that would make it $0.00

If it goes down an additional 2900%, that means your employer would RECEIVE $290,000!

***

Here's the math in case you're interested: after losing the first 100%, which is the ENTIRE $10k premium, the remaining 2900% multiplied by the premium amount (10k) is 290,000

Again, 2900% x 10,000 = 290,000

Can anybody believe this!?  Do you know the audience actually clapped?!

If the Dems don't get this push for health care do you think Obama will resort to saying your premiums will go down by a "million ca-zillion percent"? 

Or maybe he'll start using his hands to illustrate the benefits of Obamacare, saying premiums will go down (stretching his arms as far as they can go) THIS much .  

I'm home with little kids all day, so that falls more in line with my every day lingo.

Mr. President, I don't believe anything you say this much {...........................................} 

(And I have long arms)

Source: Rush Limbaugh 03.16.10

Government Lingo Excludes "Efficiency"

Anybody who disagrees our government is inefficient and has difficulties conforming to a budget, here is a prime example:

"Census Bureau over budget as heavy counting gets under way."  

 - Fox News

Do you remember seeing the Census commercials during the Super Bowl? Or what about the advanced letter reminding us the Census was on its way? The Census website touts both of these actions as "cost-savings in the long run," but that's hardly believable now. The Census is now over budget before the real meat of the program even begins.  

Fox reports: "Auditors also found the Census Bureau provided training to some 15,000 workers who either worked not at all or less than a single day -- at a total cost of $5.5 million."

Are you kidding? They can't even manage the training or the staffing plan.

Just think of this in reference to health care.  

Mark my words, it will be mismanaged from the get-go.  

Starting with the revenues. The taxes to support health care begin immediately. How much do you trust the money will be left alone for its intended purpose? Social Security is in a hole, Medicare is in a hole, just wait for it...Obamacare will follow suit.  

Anybody who thinks the President is correct on his Obamacare price tag should raise the projected expense a few 100 billion dollars. Thinking a government program can be managed efficiently is an oxymoron.

The only thing better than modeling a government program after a private sector one is to just back off and let the private company continue to manage it.  

Consider if the Census were opened up for bidding and contracted out to a private company...

Cheaper?  YES.  More efficient?  Undoubtedly.  

Source:
FOX: Census Bureau Over Budget
2010.Census.gov FAQ

Encourage Motivation NOT Entitlement

"Losing her health care ended up causing her her life."

 - Marcelas Owens (11-yrs old)

Once again, rather than talk facts and empirical data, Democrats instead play on people's emotions and portray the opponents of government-run health care as horrible, despicable people.    

This is the basic story: Marcelas Owens (now 11 yrs old) was the son of a single mother who lost her job and her insurance and later died of a fatal form of high blood pressure.

Read carefully: Yes, this is tragic and sad.  Children growing up without a mother and father is a very sad thing.  

But these are the parts of the story that are causing me to twitch:

 - Owens mother, Tifanny, was a single mother. Where was the father? When a woman makes a choice bringing about not-so-easy natural consequences (i.e., conceiving three children out of wedlock without a supportive father) does it mean the American taxpayer should fill this void? Should we be responsible? What about Medicaid? She was unemployed with three children and they say she didn't qualify...it doesn't smell right.  If she can't get Medicaid then who can?

 - The woman was TREATED at two local hospitals.  On her final visit she was hospitalized for 8 days!  I'm still trying to figure out how insurance would have helped this woman.  She had a fatal form of high blood pressure, which is very difficult to treat and most patients die within a few years. Her death could not have been avoided even WITH insurance.

 - The politicians along with Owens himself kept saying, "70 uninsured people die each day."  A caller on the Rush Limbaugh program said, "what about the other people that die each day WITH insurance?"  Who can we blame for that? Are the evil insurance companies responsible for the deaths of the uninsured AND the insured?  

 - And if 70 people dying a day is your data point, then why the long waiting period for health care reform to begin?  They are promising a short-term fix that doesn't begin for FOUR years!  Implementation is scheduled for 2013-2014, so how does passing Health Care reform next week help this little boy in the near term?  

 - Most importantly, I feel terrible about how this cute little boy (did you see his chipmunk cheeks?!) is being exploited for the democrats' progressive agenda. Sen. Murray should be ashamed...they have brainwashed Owens into thinking his country is out to get him, and Pres. Obama could have literally saved his mother. But while our Congress goes out for cocktail drinks and fancy galas, do you think they'll check up on Marcelas Owens?  NO!    

This boy needs stability.  This boy needs to settle in with his Grandma and learn to accept life's challenges.  He's only 11.  Life is going to be hard.  It's hard for everyone, but why should we feed a hatred for his country? He's going to grow up his entire life with a sense of entitlement and wait around for his government to make it right.  THIS IS A PROBLEM!!  

Enabling a child to grow up feeling cheated is reprehensible.  Why doesn't someone actually HELP this boy?  He has his whole life ahead of him, and he needs:

• A counselor. For the last two years he's been angry about his mother's death.  He should probably have some grief counseling instead.
• A mentor.  A "Big Brother"?  He needs an example and a motivator.
• Involvement.  What about school programs and sports?  
• Encouragement and love. He needs to learn to work hard and earn his way through life.

We are all born into circumstances beyond our control.  But EVERYONE has the power and capacity to improve their station.  So rather than trapse this boy all over Congress telling him mean men/women are out to get him, they should be encouraging him to work heard and create a better life than the one he grew up in.

That's American. That's Hope. That's change I can get on board with.      

Sources:
Seattle Times Story
King5 News
Rush's Commentary...good!

Imploding?

"Most voters believe the current plan will harm the economy, cost more than projected, raise the cost of care, and lead to higher middle-class taxes.  That's a tough sell when the economy is hurting and people want reform to lower the cost of care.  It's also a tough sell for a president who won an election by promising tax cuts for 95% of all Americans."

 - Scott Rasmussen and Doug Schoen (WSJ)

It's coming down to the wire.  We keep talking about the "end game" but the supposed deadline (as imposed by Robert Gibbs...pah) is only a week away.  People are scurrying like mad. Consider these recent events:

People are literally going nuts --- hello, Massa?!

Pelosi is telling us she must pass the bill in order for us to find out what's in it---umm...what?

And we have Obama's Chief of Staff targeting members of Congress in the locker room wearing, well, nothing actually...he's naked (ewwwww...sorry for the visual picture).

What is going on people!?  You can't make this stuff up.

Even SNL and David Letterman are working their sketches around this chaos.

Can anyone say "FINALLY!"

It's like the end of National Lampoon's "Christmas Vacation" when Clark (Chevy Chase) gets his supposed bonus, which is actually enrollment in the "Jelly of the Month" club, and he's already promised his family a swimming pool...whoops.  His subsequent tirade (which my parents always had to edit when I was a kid) and childlike tantrum with a chain saw is classic.

I think Obama, Pelosi, and Reid are getting their "bonus" this week...and don't be fooled...it was a gift from us - the American people.  We KNOW what will happen if this bill passes and we don't want it.  Enjoy the jelly instead.

SOURCES:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704784904575111993559174212.html?mod=WSJ_hp_mostpop_read
http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site_031010/content/01125106.guest.html

Clarification From a Real Professor

President Obama on insurance companies: 

"they freely ration health care...on who can pay and who can't."

GMU Professor Don Boudreaux corrects: 

"Not exactly; coverage is rationed according to who PAYS and who doesn't.  Many folks - especially young adults - have the ability to pay but choose not to do so."

The meat of the argument is in the choice.  It's not about CAN/CAN'T, it's about CHOICE. I'm thankful we have a real professor here to correct our President.   

I referred to this last week regarding our own personal cash outlays for our health coverage (click here for post), but let me be a little more clear...

We are able to pay out the nose for our health care BECAUSE we make sacrifices in other areas of our budget.  

• Would I like to live in a nicer house? YES!  Someday my children will have a yard.  
• Do I wish we were saving more for my children's college education? Yes!
• Would I like to travel more? Yes!
• Would I like to have knee-high riding boots like Mary Carillo? Yes!!  (see this post) 
• Would I like to not stress every time I do my budget? Yes. I despise the stress.

Of course, there are poverty-stricken individuals in our nation truly unable to afford health care, and you know what??  They still get it!  It's called Medicaid.  It's an income threshold qualifying benefit.  If you're truly poor, you get health coverage.

Professor Boudreaux continues with Obama's determination to fix this rationing of a product to those who pay and those who don't.  Boudreaux's example is AWESOME.  He says:

"Not only insurers, but all producers who greedily refuse to supply persons who don't pay should be set aright...

"For example, the typical worker rations his labor services according to who pays and who doesn't.  That must stop.  Oh, and supermarkets!  Every single one rations groceries according to who pays.  Likewise with restaurants, clothing stores, home-builders....Indeed, my own county government has been corrupted by this greedy attitude: if I don't pay my taxes, the sheriff takes my house...Preposterous!"

You all know plenty of people who are cash-strapped, but do well enough to have cell phones and plasma TVs, the latter of which I am still denying my husband.  It's about choices and to each his own.

A friend of mine recently saw a man panhandling for money on the streets of Seattle.  She felt sorry for him until his iPhone rang and he had the gall to answer it. I wonder if he'd be upset if AT&T started "rationing" his cell coverage should he not pay his bill. "Preposterous!"

Source:

John Stossel commentary
GMU Professor Don Beaudroux

You Can't Argue With Liberals

"I am committed to continuing to fight for the revenue necessary to get folks back to work..."

WA State Rep, Geoff Simpson

[Reese translation: revenue = TAXES!]

"When you argue with [liberals], you are not arguing facts or statistics, you are arguing against a religion...Leftists' idealogy is not based in reality.  It is based in a belief....There is no rational thought or intellectual honesty or rigor involved.  It is simply something for the masses to opiate themselves on and feel good about."

 - Captain Capitalism (Why You Can't Argue with a Liberal)

I just don't get it.

Liberals are killing me...and my budget. 

I made a phone call last week to our Washington State Legislative office and in return received a nice letter from my representative, Geoff Simpson, where he outlined his position on taxes. His above quote is an oxymoron, and my eyes-rolled while reading the letter. 

Oh brother.

Please tell me....how does taxing the citizens of this state MORE help them get back to work?

I feel like a broken record. The folks in charge just don't get it.

Businesses will not hire until economic uncertainty dies down...they are waiting to see what their tax bill will become. Health care is killing it...so is Cap and Trade...and so is the "Jobs Bill", which is continuing to just throw money at the problem.  

But Captain Capitalism has it right...you can't argue with a liberal.  They are so rooted in their ideals it's religious-like and they continue to argue against empirical facts and evidence.  

**heavy sigh**

But, anyway, the battle for passage of ObamaCare is going to be in the House.  So,  

HERE IS WHAT YOU SHOULD DO....

Go to this website...find your Representative in the House and 

write them, 

email them, 

call them.  

My representative, Dave Reichert, also had a health care survey on his website. I'm really interested in the results, but he doesn't share.  Whoever your representative is, it's time to lay on the pressure.  Reichert will most likely vote against the health care bill, but it doesn't hurt to make your opinion known.

IT TAKES 5 MINUTES.  

And while uncertainty swarms the nation, my home state also faces some troubled times ahead.  Our State Congress is looking to impose MAJOR new taxes:

• Imposing a progressive income tax (yikes!...we currently don't have a STATE income tax)
• Increasing the sales tax 
• Imposing special taxes for: candy, bottled water, gum, soda, and cigarettes.  If you know me personally, you know my budget will be in a tight spot if this passes (minus the cigarettes...ick...but I can't live without a certain diet beverage and certain "nannies", aka candy).  

And so, my fellow Washingtonians, write your state congressional members as well.  

Here goes another week.  My stock of a certain diet beverage is dwindling fast as I deal with this chaos.


**Note: for people living in close proximity to me, the representative-finding website listed my representative incorrectly as Adam Smith...it's really Dave Reichert.  I am right along the border, so check your representatives map, just to be sure!

Sources:
Dave Reichert Website
Captain Capitalism 05.01.09
http://fns.blogs.foxnews.com/2010/03/07/house-dems-still-undecided-on-health-care/

Too Good to be True? Then it's not true...

"Yesterday Mr. Obama again invoked the 'nonpartisan, independent' authority of CBO*, which misses the reality that if you feed the agency phony premises, you are going to get phony results at the other end."

 - WSJ 03.04.10

"Hiding spending doesn't reduce spending."

 - Rep. Paul Ryan (R - Wisconsin)

In case you were wondering, I am still opposed to Obama's bill...although it has yet to be drafted. The abortion language is a major hiccup, especially for a large group in the House, and a MAJOR hiccup is the cost.   

The Wall Street Journal published an Op Ed Thursday discussing the blatant falsehoods with which Obama touts this bill. The commentary is based on Rep. Paul Ryan's comments from the Health Care Summit, which Democrats and the President himself have yet to refute...because they can't.  Ryan has this thing sorted out.  

BACKGROUND:  I used to work at Boeing.  In a nutshell my job required meeting with Engineers and Project Managers charged with developing new products to create a business case estimating total costs of production, how to amortize and allocate costs, and developing a pricing scheme based on a profit margin target.  It was extensive work...loads and loads of Excel spreadsheets...*sigh*...sometimes I miss it. 

It didn't take long to learn the most important aspect of my job and my estimates:

ASSUMPTIONS

The assumptions, which act as the foundation for an estimate, will make or break the outcome, final numbers and subsequent "Go - No Go" decisions.  

Obama claims his bill is "fully paid for" and "cuts the deficit" and brings the "largest tax cuts to middle class families in history".  But his claims are based on half-truths and deceptive assumptions.  Here are a few:

• Obama has accounted for 10 years worth of taxes but only 6 years of spending. 
• Obama claims the bill will only cost $100 billion/year, but forgets to take into account how the cost will increase every year the program is in existence.
• Obama says cost offsets will come from cuts in Medicare, but everyone knows they will postpone these reductions (they always do); thus the touted savings will evaporate.  And even if they allow the cuts to pass, "Using Medicare as a piggy bank...raids a half trillion dollars from retirees health coverage to fund the creation of another open-ended health care entitlement." Our government cannot run Medicare profitably, what makes you think they can run health care for the entire country?
• Some of the savings is claimed from increased Social Security payroll revenue.  This is an obvious double-dip...and a reason Social Security is upside-down...those funds should be saved/invested for OUR Social Security.
• Obama claims additional savings from CLASS Act long-term care insurance. "These so-called savings are not offsets, but rather premiums collected to pay for future benefits."  

Paul Ryan says, "When you strip [this] away...the deficit increases by $460 billion over first ten years and $1.4 trillion over second ten years."  And some aspects of Paul Ryan's estimate is pretty conservative.   

So despite our disagreements about Health Care reform and this plan's provisions, when it comes to the nitty gritty, the plan is expensive...and your grandchildren are already on the hook to pay for it.  Now that doesn't seem right now does it?

*CBO = The Congressional Budget Office, which aids the legislative body in analyzing bills and providing data to assist in making budgetary decisions.  AKA...they run the numbers.  

Sources:

WSJ Op-Ed

Paul Ryan's Statements from Health Care Summit

El Rushbo's Commentary

Professor Obama...He's in charge...and don't you forget.

The Summit's over...phew!  Now we can go back to where we were before this thing started.  It's fair to assume both sides want reform (I agree), but while the GOP wants smaller steps ensuring success along the way the Dems are prepared to dive in head first. The two sides are so polarized at the gate it's impossible to seek middle ground on specific provisions when you can't even compromise on strategy.  

Here are some quotes and thoughts... 

Harry Reid speaking of Obama said this today: "He sat through that and listened to everything and was so patient and responsive.  It was an issue-oriented meeting.  The president let everybody talk and talk and talk."  

And by "everybody" I'm assuming Reid is talking about his fellow democrats and the president himself considering the time breakdown looked like this:

 - President Obama = 117 minutes

 - Democrat lawmakers = 114 minutes

 - Republican lawmakers = 110 minutes

And what I love is this little bit of arrogance from our President (referring to the Republicans lack of speaking opportunity:

"You're right, there was an imbalance on the opening statements because I'm the president. I didn't count my time in terms of dividing it evenly."

So, yes, he's king...he's exempt from the rules. Or should I say, Professor/King.  The summit basically turned into an Obama lecture, but the embarrassing fact was Obama wasn't even too familiar with the material.  

See for yourself:

Exhibit A: When Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn) referred to the estimate from the Congressional Budget Office stating individual policy premiums would be 10-16% higher than premiums under current policy, Obama claimed this was "not factually accurate," when it's actually right in the bill. 

Obama later clarified the rise in premiums would be for "better coverage" than the "bad insurance" people currently have.  Yeah, all that insurance we currently have is "bad" alright.  If it doesn't have Obama's name on it, it must be "bad".  

And is that justification for lying to the American people?  Promising costs will go down, when actually they'll go up?  The Dems defense is yes, costs will go up but there will be subsidies to help defray these costs. But no matter how you slice it, the subsidies must come from somewhere...taxes...and it's still an increase.  

Exhibit B:  I don't know much about Sen Tom Coburn (R-OK), but from his talking points at the summit I think he and I might get along.  Here are a few great quotes:

Talking about fraud in Medicare/Aid, which is $1 out of every $3...can you say wow!?  Coburn said:

"I don't know many people that will disagree that one in three dollars doesn't help somebody get well...we ought to be going for that one in three dollars.  And we ought to do it NOT by creating a whole bunch of new government programs but by creating an incentive to reward people."  

Did you know Coburn is a physician?  I would suggest he has relevant and noteworthy background experience.  I am a big supporter of public incentives to encourage responsible management of one's health care.  As I mentioned in my last post, we pay a lot for our coverage but we are also much more cognizant of our health costs (we have a high-ish deductible).  It works people.  I am a living testament.  

Also, Coburn talked about doctors and how their fears of malpractice suits was "akin to extortion" that drives doctors to order tests for their own protection rather than for patients.  

It's no secret the people of this country are sue-happy...medical malpractice regulations could go a long way in cutting medical expenses and the cost of care.  

Exhibit C: Bob Moffit's analysis, as quoted by The Heritage Foundation, notes a scary provision in the government plan, which Obama continues to deny as a government takeover of the health care system:

"Since the inception of the debate, it should be noted that the President insisted that his health policy agenda did NOT constitute a federal takeover of the health care system.  In fact, it is very much a federal takeover...In the outline of his proposal...the President would add to the federal powers embodied in the Senate bill.  The most important would be a new Federal Health Insurance Rate Authority, which would provide federal "assistance and oversight" to the states conducting reviews of "unreasonable rate increases" and "unfair practices" of health insurance plans.  This, of course, establishes for the first time a legislative basis for the imposition of price controls on health insurance.  If government can control both health benefits and health care pricing, that's the proverbial ball game.  Private health care would be "private" in name only.  

Now, if that doesn't scare you, you must be so dang progressive you can't see the forest for the trees.  It's alarming.  Now THAT would keep me awake at night.  

And do you want to know what made me smile?  Seeing Obama distracted and lose focus so easily.  I felt he often pulled off topic and simply said, "That's just a talking point, we're not going there"....or to McCain, "We're not campaigning anymore" or my favorite?...

When Obama lays into Rep Eric Cantor (R-Va) about Cantor bringing copies of the health care bills calling it "stagecraft" and a "political stunt".  

Wait a minute...you mean, Cantor brought the background material that was the basis for the summit and Obama thinks this is a political stunt?   That's laughable!!  This WAS a discussion about the health care bills right? 

It's been suggested the entire summit was a political stunt for Obama and the Dems to put a face to the gridlock.  Well, it's done and I actually think the GOP had a decent showing.  Of course there was no compromise...of course the House and Senate will now work towards reconciliation...and, of course, our President and his congressional minions will forge ahead and rule against the will of the people.    

Sources:

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/02/26/obama-shows-testy-health-care-summit/

http://www.politico.com/politico44/perm/0210/obama_time_split_fair_10521388-b47d-4a4d-aeec-44e1ede585eb.html

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/02/26/obama-shows-testy-health-care-summit/

http://newsok.com/coburn-takes-center-stage-at-summit-on-health-care/article/3442300

http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site_022510/content/01125106.guest.html

http://blog.heritage.org/2010/02/25/health-care-summit-wrap-up/

On a more personal note...

"If you think [the people] want a government takeover of health care, I would simply submit you're not listening to them." 

 - Rep Paul Ryan (R-Wis)

I'm working on a post in reaction to the summit today, but the Olympics got the best of me tonight (I was three days behind on my TIVO-ed coverage) and I just want to leave you with a personal rant about health care:  

In case you didn't know, our family pays out the nose for our health insurance.  The hubster receives a portion of his health insurance premium as part of his employee benefits (about 55%), but for me and the kiddos we are basically self-insured.  We pay the entire premium and it's NOT CHEAP.  Not by a mile. You'd think I'd be the first in line for government health care...but let me be perfectly clear...I will fight the Dems and this bill tooth and nail.

Government-run health care will destroy the system as we know it by: contracting the field of medicine and eliminating the best doctors and medical professionals, lowering standards of care, increasing costs, and destroying  the private insurance industry and millions of jobs.  (Please note: this list is not exhaustive)

Please raise your hand if you have been served by a government program that was efficient, cost-conscious, provided a high level of customer care and was easy to work with?

What?  No hands?

Can this be so?  

Have you heard of "red tape"?  Well, under a government takeover, your health care will be wrapped cocoon-like in red tape.  

My point is this: our family is insured because we make it a priority. Anyone can purchase some level of insurance, if they so choose.  

But you have to want it...and you have to be willing to pay for it.  

And, another thing...all this talk about people dying because they don't have health care...is just plain RIDICULOUS. Any person can walk into an ER and receive care.  I will not allow the Dems to portray me as a greedy, unsympathetic, uncharitable, hateful person simply because I don't want the government to infringe upon rights to my health.   

I AM a nice person...and I stand by that...

...because I'm nice.  

Calling For Bipartisanship is a Joke

"The big reason for pessimism is that a deal requires compromise, and the two sides' very definitions of compromise are poles apart.  Democrats think compromise means trimming around the edges of the bills the House and Senate already have passed. Republicans think compromise means total abandonment of those bills."

 - WSJ

I'm really starting to hate the health care debate. "Hate" is a not-nice word in our house, but I'm making an exception in this case as nothing else is sufficient to explain my utter dissatisfaction with the whole thing. It's exhausting disliking something so much.  Good thing NBC is keeping me distracted. (see previous post)  

I've always disagreed with government-run health care (and I'm reminded every time I go to the DMV or the DOL how bad government-run programs can be).  But I'm really hating the "win at all costs" and "doubling down" attitude. How does any democrat sleep at night knowing they are completely disregarding public opinion? Our President and the democrat Congress are showing no signs of starting over or truly negotiating with the GOP. It just isn't going to happen...

It's gridlock. Total and utter gridlock. But you know what??...gridlock is good.  It's the only thing preventing this disaster from going through.  

But this is what's going to happen if the Dems get their way....(thanks to my friend, El Rushbo for helping me see the light):

They'll pass something...a full-fledged 10-year plan with lots of tax increases starting immediately, and program starting in 2012.  Either through under-the-table payoffs or through reconciliation (a sly 'back-door' process of sorts). They are focused on getting something - anything signed. 

And by the time ObamaCare is live in 2012, all of the "vote yes" democrat representatives will have been run out of office.  The public is too smart to let them be re-elected.

So who will support this legislation after all the dems have been thrown overboard? No one.  

In the words of El Rushbo himself:  "Nobody's going to love this bill.  Nobody's going to have any support for it.  It's going to be an unwanted, unloved bill, dependent on the expanding bankrupt government."

And didn't Obama repeatedly promise he was focusing on jobs?  If so, I'm left wondering why the heck he's back at the health care table.  I think he may have some short-term memory issues...

Do you remember in Disney's Finding Nemo, how Dory can't recall Nemo's name?

Chico, Fabio, Bingo, Rocko, Reeemo, Harpo, Elmo

No matter what Dory calls him, he's still Nemo.  It's the same with health care.  Unless you start over, it's still the same horrendous piece of legislation...you're just calling it something different...and it's still not providing private sector jobs.

I wish I could speak whale.

Sources:
Rush Limbaugh 02.22.10
Wall Street Journal - Don't Expect Miracles...
Dory's Quotes

One Year Later

Obama and George Stephanopoulos met for an interview yesterday.  It was a reflection on Obama's first year in office.  I saw the highlight reel on the news and most every response brought the same physical, involuntary response: the EYE-ROLL.

Just ask my husband...the eye-roll cannot be controlled...my eyes have a mind of their own...they know "ridiculous" before I do.  Here are just a few snippets and my thoughts...the eye-roll is inferred with each comment.

------------------------------------------------------

Stephanopoulos suggests in light of some comments by Michael Steele (the Republican National Committee President) is the anger of republicans goes beyond the bailout...that it's repudiation of Obama's entire agenda, notably health care.

OBAMA: "...when I got here and I looked at how we were going to get control of our long-term debt, I realized that there was no way for us to control our long-term debt unless we reformed how our healthcare system works."

Now granted, our health care might need some help, but the government swooping in and promising MORE services for LESS money (which is impossible, by the way) doesn't make sense without more government spending (aka taxes for you and me) and subsequent increases to our national debt.  Some of my fellow Washingtonians might know the infamous billboard along I-5 between Seattle and Portland which has some GREAT political one-liners.  A few months ago it said, "Think health care's expensive now?  Wait until it's free."  Awesome.  Obama's validation that health care reform will somehow save our long-term debt is backwards.

Moving onward...NEXT...

Regarding Obama's inaugural address Stephanopoulos says, "You said then, 'There are some who question the scale of our ambitions - who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans.'  Looking back now, don't those critics have a point?"

OBAMA: Most of the other issues that we took on were not ones that I chose. I didn't campaign on saving the financial system.

I have a real problem with his response.  FIRST, the position of the presidency is constantly complicated by unforeseen events requiring a temporary diversion.  Remember Bush? Our entire country was thrown significantly off course after September 11th?  He had been in office for less than eights months when the attacks occurred.  He came out stronger and firmer with a new plan...he adjusted his agenda based on those events.  Obama acts with an air of arrogance suggesting, "I didn't ask for this, it was a short diversion, but we're back on course."  It's obvious the terrorist actions over Christmas thwarted progress on some of his agenda items, namely health care, but as a citizen of this country I WANT a president that can multi-task.  You have to be able to prioritize, shift and change.  Isn't he the #1 proponent of change?  Why can't he see what's going on with health care and change his agenda!!!

And SECOND, the economy was well into its downward spiral at the start of his campaign.  He DID sign up for this.  The job of the president is not supposed to be easy.

NEXT...

Stephanopoulos continues, "But they're saying now, they want your health care plan to go away.  It's just not popular; the majority are opposed."

OBAMA: Well, here's what I know is that when they actually find out what's in the proposals for insurance reform, for making sure that we're making health care more affordable, those specific provisions are actually very popular.

He epitomizes the arrogance that plagues the liberals.  Obama really believes people aren't smart enough to KNOW what's in this bill.  He truly thinks he's smarter than everyone else.  I have real problems with the legislation, mostly because I think a great deal of the provisions are UNCONSTITUTIONAL:
 - Forcing people to have health coverage, and if they refuse they will be fined or jailed
 - Taking away my personal and my state's right to make decisions on abortion
 - Negotiating corrupt deals with Nebraska, Louisiana, and Unions
 - Medicare benefits posed to help seniors only in certain states

With the bill itself being such a monstrousity, it's obvious the legislation cannot possibly be sustained long-term without serious tax increases, which is just more money out of our economy and into the hands of our ever-growing government.  Mr. President, I know what's in the bill and I'm smart enough to know it's not a good idea.

My hope is the conservatives of this nation can press forward with the momentum from the Scott Brown win and avoid becoming complacent.  We must continue to raise our voices and make our demands heard.  Wasteful government spending and government expansion are not what we want.  Obama needs to get down with his own tagline...CHANGE.

Source: ABC Interview Transcript

The People Have Spoken

"This little campaign of ours was destined for greater things than any of us knew, and the message went far beyond the name on the sign."

- Scott Brown, Acceptance Speech

The last of the checks and balances came out in full force today: the people.  I was on watch most of the day and was elated when the numbers came through this evening.

 Whether or not our elected officials actually listen to the people remains to be seen. Brown had some great comments today. I wonder if our panic-stricken Congress listened in. Uncertainty abounds with respect to health care and it appears tonight the Dems have a few ideas floating around, but not a lot of direction. We'll see what the Obama-Pelosi-Reid trio have to say tomorrow.

Best case scenario: ObamaCare dies. I'm not naive...I know it will not die forever, but a girl can dream right? I hope it goes away at least until the election this fall. If "The Machine" continues on its crash course of ignoring public opinion the Tea Party movement will certainly affect the open seats and reclaim some ground in Congress. And maybe we'll see a significant stretch of time pass before health care reform can have some momentum. I said I could dream right?!

"We had the machine scared and scrambling, and for them it is just the beginning of an election year filled with surprises. They will be challenged again and again across this country. When there’s trouble in Massachusetts, there’s trouble everywhere – and now they know it." (Brown)

I've talked about the polls previously, but it's evident Obama and Congress are focusing on the wrong agenda item. Most of the country is worried about the economy and jobs. If I was unemployed I would be more worried about getting a job than my health care premiums. White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs gave nothing away today in speculating about a GOP win in Massachusetts, but he did elude to job creation taking priority over health care.

QUESTION: What's the President's agenda for his second year in office and what's the top priority?

MR. GIBBS: I think the top priority...is to continue to work hard on getting this economy back on track and creating jobs again...his primary focus will be on creating jobs.

Very interesting.  Could Obama be getting the message?

Here's another Brown quote:

"Raising taxes, taking over our health care, and giving new rights to terrorists is the wrong agenda for our country. What I’ve heard again and again on the campaign trail, is that our political leaders have grown aloof from the people, impatient with dissent, and comfortable in the back room making deals. And we can do better."

I'm hoping our country can have some economic focus. But in the economic realm Obama's lack of experience is evident. I fear Obama will push for another stimulus, which I've blogged about recently, and my opinion is "Are you freakin' kidding me?" Can someone please consider tax cuts!! Let's infuse some cash into our economy...give businesses some opportunity to hire...invest in their businesses. It's a complete no brainer. Tax Cuts = Job Creation. Maybe someone will get the message.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In a related item...THANK YOU!! I'm so happy with how the blog is being received. Thanks for all your comments and opinions. Obviously, with this being a conservative blog, most of the input and ideas are conservative...but liberal or conservative, keep 'em coming. Let your voice be heard. What we've learned from Scott Brown and his supporters is conservatives are NOT alone. The tea party movement is not to be ignored. Conservatives abound and they WILL stand up.

Source:

Robert Gibbs Briefing 011910

Scott Brown Transcript for Acceptance Speech

MSNBC Skepticism over Obama's Agenda

A Nation on Watch...

"He will always represent Massachusetts with an independent voice in Washington."

-Mayor James Sheets

Tomorrow is a big day. It's HUGE. I hope the voters go out and do their thing despite cold weather and freezing rain. Lots of sound bites and articles today. The nation is literally huddled knowing what's at stake on Tuesday. Let's hope Brown can pull off a victory.

TWO items on my blog agenda today:

(1) We knew it would happen. Obama swoops to Massachusetts. He pushed his own agenda. Not Martha's.

(2) The Mayor from Quincy, MA gave his support for Brown today. While that may seem like small potatoes, it's huge when you understand the Mayor is a Democrat!

ITEM #1

Obama came. He was in Massachusetts on Sunday trying to mop up Coakley's mess, but he kept talking about his agenda...not hers. He clearly understands he NEEDS her vote for HIS agenda. Here is Obama:

(FYI, Obama totally got heckled and didn't know what do to! Click HERE to see it. The teleprompters are not usually meant for situations like these and President Obama was a little out of sorts.)

Okay, back to his speech...here are a few bites:

"We've got so much work left to do. And as much progress as we've made, I can't do it alone. [REESE Sidenote: I'm still trying to decide WHAT progress he's actually referring to.] I need leaders like Martha by my side, so we can kick it into high gear, so we can finish what we've started.

"So understand what's at stake here, Massachusetts. It's whether we're going forward, or going backwards.

"It's whether we're going to have a future where everybody gets a shot in this society, or just the privileged few. If you were fired up in the last election, I need you more fired up in this election.

"And if you do that....then you won't just win this election. You will carry on the best, progressive, forward-looking values of this proud commonwealth [REESE Sidenote: Yes, this is called Socialism, and I'm not sure I would call it the "best". No wait, I'm certain I wouldn't call it the "best".] and send a leader to Washington who is going to work tirelessly every single day to turn this economy around, to move this country forward, and to keep the American Dream alive in our time and for all time."

Does Obama realize the American Dream for most people is to work hard and be rewarded for their blood, sweat and tears? His idea of wealth redistribution makes MY version of the American Dream completely moot. I refuse to believe it's right that my efforts should benefit someone who sits on the couch waiting for a handout.

Item #2

This is awesome. And Quincy isn't just some small podunk town. It's the seventh largest city in the state. Here is Mayor James Sheets' official statement:

"Despite being a lifelong member of the Democratic Party, I am endorsing Scott Brown for Senate, as I know he will always represent Massachusetts with an independent voice in Washington. Martha Coakley has repeatedly stated she would cast the critical 60th vote for the current health care proposal that would slash Medicare funding by nearly half-a-trillion dollars and dramatically impact the care so many seniors rely upon in their final years. As our United States Senator, I am confident Scott Brown will only support legislation that will benefit his constituents, and this is why I will be voting for him on Tuesday."

He's right. He understands ObamaCare is not in the best interest of the people in this great nation and certainly not in Massachusetts. He will most likely be scorned and thrown under the bus by the lefts, but this guy must have some sense of integrity to put his butt on the line and make his statement in support of Brown. Now that's what I call reaching across the aisle.

GO BROWN OR GO HOME

SCOTT BROWN FOR US SENATE!!

Source:

Obama Transcript from Coakley rally

http://blogs.suntimes.com/sweet/2010/01/obama_stumps_for_martha_coakle.html

Quincy Mayor's statement

http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2010/01/dem_mayor_of_quincy_ma_endorse.html