News, Entertainment, Enlightenment
The Heritage Foundation is reporting that the true cost of the Reid Health Bill to be submitted for debate tomorrow is going to be $4.9 trillion over 20 years. The bill will cut Medicare and fund abortionists.
If the Senate gets the 60 votes needed for debate the bill almost certainly passes. Both of Pennsylvania’s senators Democrats Arlen Specter and Bob Casey are expected to vote yes.
Something the Philadelphia Inquirer didn’t report with regard to President Obama’s health-care speech last night was Sarah Palin’s quite effective rebuttal. She placed it on Facebook last night at 9:26.
Here it is:
After all the rhetoric is put aside, one principle ran through
President Obama’s speech tonight: that increased government involvement
in health care can solve its problems.
Many Americans fundamentally disagree with this idea. We know from long
experience that the creation of a massive new bureaucracy will not
provide us with “more stability and security,” but just the opposite.
It’s hard to believe the President when he says that this time he and
his team of bureaucrats have finally figured out how to do things right
if only we’ll take them at their word.
Our objections to the Democrats’ health care proposals are not mere
“bickering” or “games.” They are not an attempt to “score short term
political points.” And it’s hard to listen to the President lecture us
not to use “scare tactics” when in the next breath he says that “more
will die” if his proposals do not pass.
In his speech the President directly responded to concerns I’ve raised
about unelected bureaucrats being given power to make decisions
affecting life or death health care matters. He called these concerns
“bogus,” “irresponsible,” and “a lie” — so much for civility. After
all the name-calling, though, what he did not do is respond to the
arguments we’ve made, arguments even some of his own supporters have
agreed have merit.
In fact, after promising to “make sure that no government bureaucrat
…. gets between you and the health care you need,” the President
repeated his call for an Independent Medicare Advisory Council — an
unelected, largely unaccountable group of bureaucrats charged with
containing Medicare costs. He did not disavow his own statement that
such a group, working outside of “normal political channels,” should
guide decisions regarding that “huge driver of cost … the chronically
ill and those toward the end of their lives….” He did not disavow the
statements of his health care advisor, Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, and
continuing to pay his salary with taxpayer dollars proves a commitment
to his beliefs. The President can keep making unsupported assertions,
but until he directly responds to the arguments I’ve made, I’m going to
call him out too.
It was heartening to hear the President finally recognize that tort
reform is an important part of any solution. But this concession
shouldn’t lead us to take our eye off the ball: the Democrats’
proposals will not reduce costs, and they will not deliver better
health care. It’s this kind of “healthy skepticism of government” that
truly reflects a “concern and regard for the plight of others.” We
can’t wait to hear the details on that; we look forward to working with
you on tort reform.
Finally, President Obama delivered an offhand applause line tonight
about the cost of the War on Terror. As we approach the anniversary of
the September 11th attacks and honor those who died that day and those
who have died since in the War on Terror, in order to secure our
freedoms, we need to remember their sacrifices and not demonize them as
having had too high a price tag.
Remember, Mr. President, elected officials work for the people. Forcing
a conclusion in order to claim a “victory” is not healthy for our
country. We hear you say government isn’t always the answer; now hear
us — that’s what we’ve been saying all along.
The Republicans have a health plan of their own on the table. The “Empowering Patients First Act,” or H.R. 3400, was introduced by Rep. Tom Price, R-Ga., and 27 co-sponsors on July 30. It was referred to eight House committees.
It’s only 63 pages long and will allow health insurance to be sold across state lines, provides insurance for low-income and high-risk people, allows insurance to be deducted regardless of who pays and provides for tort reform.
For information visit: HR 3400
The rules in the House assert thatbills will remain in committees “for a period to be subsequentlydetermined by the speaker.”
You see where Obama is seeking to cut Medicare payments to heart and cancer doctors by $1.4 billion
next year? I didn’t think so.
It was reported by Bloomberg.com, Aug. 28, but you wouldn’t really expect the Obama-cultists in the local media to mention it, would you?
Today’s headline in USA Today concerned a doctor shortage as, for some reason, fewer people are becoming doctors. I didn’t see anything in the story which addressed either the aggravation caused by frivolous lawsuits or the crushing expense of liability insurance.
Nor did the publication remark on any concern potential doctors might have about surrendering professional freedom to political science majors who went into government.
The story can be found at: http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2009-08-17-doctor-gp-shortage_N.htm
Congressman Joe Sestak (D-Pa7) is having a town hall, 6:30 p.m., today, at Broad Street Ministries, 315 S. Broad St., Philadelphia regarding President Obama’s proposed national mandated-medical rationing plan.
You expect a lot of constituents Joe?
Having it outside the district is really slick but why not really throw the protesters a curve? Reschedule it for 1 a.m., Saturday at 18th & Diamond.
Another Protestor Threatened — Mike Sola lodged a protest against President Obama’s proposed health care plan at an Aug. 6 town hall sponsored by Congressman John Dingell, D-Mich. He had brought his wheelchair-bound 36-year-old son who has cerebral palsy to the meeting and demanded a direct answer as to what kind of treatment his son could expect.
When an answer was not forthcoming, things became heated and Sola and his son were escorted out.
Well, Sola now says “thugs” have located his home and delivered a threat which he has reported to police.
Sola told Fox News, Aug. 10, that “I will use every means available to me, lethal force if necessary, to protect [my son] and my wife. My wife is terrified,”
Obama seems to think that by putting ink on paper and giving a command all will have health care, and this perfectly illustrates that Obama, his advisers and pretty much everyone in the Democratic Party are clueless as to what health care is and how we get it.
Health care does not come from shuffling papers and empowering bureaucrats. It comes from people with the right aptitude who have acquired knowledge and developed skills — a taxing and time consuming process — to cure the ills of the body. They are doctors and nurses and paramedics and pharmacists and chemists in drug companies. They are engineers who improve wheelchairs, and walkers and diagnostic machines. They are hands-on people who are the farthest thing one can get from a 10-4 suit who takes two-hours for lunch.
To better our health care system the thing to do would be to increase the number of the doctors/nurses/druggists etc. and increase their efficiency so they could serve more people. Obama’s plan does not do this, however. It will actually likely decrease the number of competent professionals, who will then be motivated to serve the bare minimum they could get away with.
You think maybe this would be pointed out in the various reporting on the matter. Why isn’t it? It not so much a conspiracy but an incompetency. The dumbest have risen to the top of the pyramid at most old media outlets.
And so idiocracy has arrived.
Obama Supporters Assault Protesters — Following President Obama’s directive to “get in their faces” and “punch back twice as hard,” his supporters attacked protesters yesterday at a town hall meeting held by St. Louis Democrat Rep. Russ Carnahan.
Kenneth Gladney, 38, an African-American who had been handing out flags with the words “Don’t Tread On Me”, was taking to St. John’s Mercy Medical Center where he wastreated for injuries to his knee, back, elbow, shoulder and face.
Six persons were arrested at the event, most if not all, of whom appeared to be Obama supporters.
Opponents of Obama’s plan were also reported roughed up at an event in Tampa.
Buried on pages 425-431 of the 1018 page ObamaCare health bill are mandates for end-of-life counseling. The wording is very reasonable but don’t kid yourself — the idea is that people dependent on government compensation are going to try sell you something and, given human nature, that something is going to be guided by their own convenience and not your or your loved ones’ benefit.
To get an idea as to what the convenience would be rent Soylent Green and imagine yourself as Edward G. Robinson on that last conveyor belt.
If you are more heroically inclined rent Logan’s Run and think of yourself as leading Jenny Agutter to freedom.
That those who provide service can’t be harmed financially if you fail to use it is the big problem with government programs that for some reason is not taught in our government-run schools, which, coincidentally I’m sure, are staffed by people who can’t be harmed financially if you don’t use the service.
The entire 1018-page bill can be found at http://edlabor.house.gov/documents/111/pdf/publications/AAHCA-BillText-071409.pdf