Sunday, December 16, 2012
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Medicare Cuts - Who's Really Pushing Grandma over the Cliff?
Recently a political TV advertisement by the Democratic Central Committee showed a Congressman Paul Ryan look-alike pushing an elderly lady over a cliff. The advertisement was an attack on the plan to privatize medicare by GOP Congressman Paul Ryan from Wisconsin.
The advertisement is a little ironic considering the medicare cuts that President Obama and the Democrat-controlled Congress and Senate passed under the Affordable Health Care for America Act. According to the Congressional Ways and Means Committee summary, the legislation reduces Medicare spending by over 1/2 trillion dollars. A summary of the Medicare cuts by Democrats is provided below. You can decide who's really pushing granny over the cliff.
2009 • Medicare cuts to hospitals begin for patients in long‐term care on 7/1/09 and for inpatient and rehabilitation facilities in 2010.
2010 • Medicare cuts to inpatient psychiatric hospitals.
2011 • Medicare Advantage program cuts begin.
2011 • Medicare cuts to home health begin.
2011 • Medicare reimbursement cuts when seniors use diagnostic imaging like MRIs, CT scans, etc.
2011 • Medicare cuts begin to ambulance services, ASCs, diagnostic labs, and durable medical equipment.
2011 • Prohibition on Medicare payments to new physician‐owned hospitals.
2011 • Seniors prohibited from purchasing power wheelchairs unless they first rent for 13 months.
2011 • New Medicare cuts to long‐term care hospitals begin on 7/1/2011.
2012 • Additional Medicare cuts to hospitals and cuts to nursing homes and inpatient rehabilitation facilities begin in fiscal year 2012.
2012 • Medicare cuts to dialysis treatment begins.
2012 • New Medicare cuts to inpatient psychiatric hospitals begins on 7/1/2012.
2012 • Medicare cuts to hospice begin in fiscal year 2013.
2013 • Medicare cuts to hospitals who treat low‐income seniors begin.
2014 • More Medicare cuts to home health go into effect.
2014 • Government board (IPAB) begins submitting more proposals to cut Medicare.
2014 • Medicare payment cuts for hospital‐acquired infections begin by October 2014.
2015 • More Medicare cuts to home health begin.
2009 • Medicare cuts to hospitals begin for patients in long‐term care on 7/1/09 and for inpatient and rehabilitation facilities in 2010.
2010 • Medicare cuts to inpatient psychiatric hospitals.
2011 • Medicare Advantage program cuts begin.
2011 • Medicare cuts to home health begin.
2011 • Medicare reimbursement cuts when seniors use diagnostic imaging like MRIs, CT scans, etc.
2011 • Medicare cuts begin to ambulance services, ASCs, diagnostic labs, and durable medical equipment.
2011 • Prohibition on Medicare payments to new physician‐owned hospitals.
2011 • Seniors prohibited from purchasing power wheelchairs unless they first rent for 13 months.
2011 • New Medicare cuts to long‐term care hospitals begin on 7/1/2011.
2012 • Additional Medicare cuts to hospitals and cuts to nursing homes and inpatient rehabilitation facilities begin in fiscal year 2012.
2012 • Medicare cuts to dialysis treatment begins.
2012 • New Medicare cuts to inpatient psychiatric hospitals begins on 7/1/2012.
2012 • Medicare cuts to hospice begin in fiscal year 2013.
2013 • Medicare cuts to hospitals who treat low‐income seniors begin.
2014 • More Medicare cuts to home health go into effect.
2014 • Government board (IPAB) begins submitting more proposals to cut Medicare.
2014 • Medicare payment cuts for hospital‐acquired infections begin by October 2014.
2015 • More Medicare cuts to home health begin.
Do you remember President Barack Obama's health care pledge at the annual meeting of the American Medical Association on June 15, 2009? He said, “no matter how we reform health care, we will keep this promise: If you like your doctor, you will be able to keep your doctor. Period. If you like your health care plan, you will be able to keep your health care plan. Period. No one will take it away. No matter what. My view is that health care reform should be guided by a simple principle: fix what’s broken and build on what works.” Well, it seems his promise did not include our parents and grandparents on Medicare.
Friday, March 12, 2010
The Divisiveness Dilemma
"Let’s face it, when you get right down to it, all of this ideology is fueled by a singular strategy—a strategy which has been continually perfected and relentlessly executed over the past forty years. That strategy is to promote and exploit divisiveness.
Everything these politicians do is based on this simple principle. Tell the people that are given to hating the most, that they are the ones who are hated. Tell the people who expect the most, that they deserve more. Tell blacks to hate whites. Tell women to hate men. Tell the lazy to hate the motivated. Tell the poor that only a particular political group are rich, and then be sure to tell them to hate them for it.
Class warfare, race baiting, name calling and man-hating—all with a singular goal: to get themselves in power by promoting and exploiting divisiveness. Of course, once this divisiveness turns into frenzy, these same people suddenly act as if they actually want to solve a problem that didn’t even exist before they did everything they possibly could to create it.
To this party, every issue, every situation is an opportunity to divide. History, religion, the First Amendment, the Second Amendment, the death of a soldier, a political debate, the hurricane which devastated New Orleans. Every tragedy exploited to divide. Every victory belittled to divide. Every incident, every word, every distorted statistic, every holiday—you name it, they will find some way to divide it.
Unfortunately, it’s not just the politicians who promote and exploit divisiveness; it is the people as well. Malcontents, jealous of anyone with any sort of success, come up with any way they can to attack those who are more successful then they are. Someone is rich only because they stole something from them. Certain groups are more successful only because they took advantage of them. Work has nothing to do with it. Intelligence has nothing to do with it. Planning ahead has nothing to do with it. Even luck has nothing to do with it.
And what do these kinds of people view as the solution to this imaginary injustice? Why special rights, privileges and opportunities for themselves, of course. Level the playing field. Get something for nothing. Take from the rich, the white, the male dominated, homophobic society that has already given them everything. Take what they have, what they built, what they earned—whether it be money, property, liberty or opportunity—and find some way, some justification, some cause or some guise to redistribute it to the people who have done nothing to earn it. To people who refuse to compete on merit. To people who insist on taking more out of society than what they put in to it. To people who don’t give a damn that their inclusion comes only at the expense of someone else’s exclusion. The strategy is simple, really—promote divisiveness and then exploit it for your own benefit.
This party should thank God every day for differences between people because without them, the ideology they preach would be dead in the water. Without them, the country might have some stability. Without them, it might have a chance to survive. Without them, the problems between those who want and those who have might actually be manageable in some meaningful or productive way. But differences have given this ideology the perfect opportunity to stop any rational discussion dead in its tracks. Differences have led to polarization. Differences have led to countries within a country. Differences have led to the dreaded xist-ism-monger-phobia. Differences have allowed this ideology to add any of these four sounds to the end of any word they choose, virtually guaranteeing that they can get away with anything they want.
Worse yet, members of this ideology actually have the nerve to turn around and endlessly accuse their opponents of divisiveness. To them, the opponents— who believe everyone should be held to the same standards—are somehow divisive. To them, the opponents—who believe everyone should have the same rights regardless of the guises used to justify different ones for different people—are somehow divisive. To them, the opponents—who sacrifice their time, money, careers and often their lives to defend the true meaning of freedom and liberty—are somehow divisive.
But the reality is that divisiveness does not come from those who are trying to make some contribution to our society. The reality is that divisiveness does not come from those who expect others to at least try to do the same. The reality is that divisiveness comes from those who are always trying to get something out of a society far beyond what they are willing to put back in. The reality is that divisiveness comes from those who are always trying to get something for nothing…"
The above excerpt is quoted from a book, except that all of the words which indicated a political ideology or party were changed. After reading the information above, please determine which political party and ideology embraces and has mastered the strategy of divisiveness.
If you wish to read more, get the book "How the Left Was Won" by Richard Mgrdechian.
Everything these politicians do is based on this simple principle. Tell the people that are given to hating the most, that they are the ones who are hated. Tell the people who expect the most, that they deserve more. Tell blacks to hate whites. Tell women to hate men. Tell the lazy to hate the motivated. Tell the poor that only a particular political group are rich, and then be sure to tell them to hate them for it.
Class warfare, race baiting, name calling and man-hating—all with a singular goal: to get themselves in power by promoting and exploiting divisiveness. Of course, once this divisiveness turns into frenzy, these same people suddenly act as if they actually want to solve a problem that didn’t even exist before they did everything they possibly could to create it.
To this party, every issue, every situation is an opportunity to divide. History, religion, the First Amendment, the Second Amendment, the death of a soldier, a political debate, the hurricane which devastated New Orleans. Every tragedy exploited to divide. Every victory belittled to divide. Every incident, every word, every distorted statistic, every holiday—you name it, they will find some way to divide it.
Unfortunately, it’s not just the politicians who promote and exploit divisiveness; it is the people as well. Malcontents, jealous of anyone with any sort of success, come up with any way they can to attack those who are more successful then they are. Someone is rich only because they stole something from them. Certain groups are more successful only because they took advantage of them. Work has nothing to do with it. Intelligence has nothing to do with it. Planning ahead has nothing to do with it. Even luck has nothing to do with it.
And what do these kinds of people view as the solution to this imaginary injustice? Why special rights, privileges and opportunities for themselves, of course. Level the playing field. Get something for nothing. Take from the rich, the white, the male dominated, homophobic society that has already given them everything. Take what they have, what they built, what they earned—whether it be money, property, liberty or opportunity—and find some way, some justification, some cause or some guise to redistribute it to the people who have done nothing to earn it. To people who refuse to compete on merit. To people who insist on taking more out of society than what they put in to it. To people who don’t give a damn that their inclusion comes only at the expense of someone else’s exclusion. The strategy is simple, really—promote divisiveness and then exploit it for your own benefit.
This party should thank God every day for differences between people because without them, the ideology they preach would be dead in the water. Without them, the country might have some stability. Without them, it might have a chance to survive. Without them, the problems between those who want and those who have might actually be manageable in some meaningful or productive way. But differences have given this ideology the perfect opportunity to stop any rational discussion dead in its tracks. Differences have led to polarization. Differences have led to countries within a country. Differences have led to the dreaded xist-ism-monger-phobia. Differences have allowed this ideology to add any of these four sounds to the end of any word they choose, virtually guaranteeing that they can get away with anything they want.
Worse yet, members of this ideology actually have the nerve to turn around and endlessly accuse their opponents of divisiveness. To them, the opponents— who believe everyone should be held to the same standards—are somehow divisive. To them, the opponents—who believe everyone should have the same rights regardless of the guises used to justify different ones for different people—are somehow divisive. To them, the opponents—who sacrifice their time, money, careers and often their lives to defend the true meaning of freedom and liberty—are somehow divisive.
But the reality is that divisiveness does not come from those who are trying to make some contribution to our society. The reality is that divisiveness does not come from those who expect others to at least try to do the same. The reality is that divisiveness comes from those who are always trying to get something out of a society far beyond what they are willing to put back in. The reality is that divisiveness comes from those who are always trying to get something for nothing…"
The above excerpt is quoted from a book, except that all of the words which indicated a political ideology or party were changed. After reading the information above, please determine which political party and ideology embraces and has mastered the strategy of divisiveness.
If you wish to read more, get the book "How the Left Was Won" by Richard Mgrdechian.
Monday, March 1, 2010
National Debt Over 12 Trillion Dollars!
How much debt can America stand? The national debt is approaching 12.5 trillion and growing by 50 thousand dollars per second. Americans must take action before congress destroys the economy. To gain a better understanding of the crisis, watch this video and visit Defeat the Debt.com. Then please sign the petition at Defeat the Debt.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
The Second American Revolution (video by Bob Basso)
What would our founding fathers think of what we have become as a nation? Please view this video of Bob Brasso portraying Thomas Paine.
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Our National Debt - Who's the April Fool?
Take a look at the National Debt Clock at http://www.usdebtclock.org/. It represents government spending and the interest on our nation's debt.
Did you happen to notice that as each second passes, "Our Official National Debt" amount increases by approximately fifty thousand dollars?
Did you know fifty thousand dollars is more than the average American worker earns in one year? So in just one second, our national debt rises by the annual salary of an American worker.
No big deal, right?
What if that American worker was you? Could you imagine spending your annual salary in a single second? Probably not. Unfortunately, the government not only imagines it, but eagerly spends it for you.
Did you know that during a one minute television commercial our national debt grows by three million dollars? But don't worry, because after you get a good night's sleep (about 8 hours), the debt will only jump another 1.44 billion dollars.
If you're not that concerned about the 1.44 billion buck boost, go ahead and take the weekend off. Besides, what difference can a mere 48 hours make, right? Would you be surprised to find out the national debt clock ticked off 8.64 billion greenbacks during those two days?
Anyway, in about 30 days the U.S. will celebrate April Fool's Day 2010 with another $131.4 billion dollars tacked on to the over $12.4 trillion dollar national debt. And who knows, by April Fool's Day 2011, our government could help heap an extra 1.6 trillion dollars onto the debt pile.
So, who's the fool, the American taxpayers, the government, or both?
Did you happen to notice that as each second passes, "Our Official National Debt" amount increases by approximately fifty thousand dollars?
Did you know fifty thousand dollars is more than the average American worker earns in one year? So in just one second, our national debt rises by the annual salary of an American worker.
No big deal, right?
What if that American worker was you? Could you imagine spending your annual salary in a single second? Probably not. Unfortunately, the government not only imagines it, but eagerly spends it for you.Did you know that during a one minute television commercial our national debt grows by three million dollars? But don't worry, because after you get a good night's sleep (about 8 hours), the debt will only jump another 1.44 billion dollars.
If you're not that concerned about the 1.44 billion buck boost, go ahead and take the weekend off. Besides, what difference can a mere 48 hours make, right? Would you be surprised to find out the national debt clock ticked off 8.64 billion greenbacks during those two days?
Anyway, in about 30 days the U.S. will celebrate April Fool's Day 2010 with another $131.4 billion dollars tacked on to the over $12.4 trillion dollar national debt. And who knows, by April Fool's Day 2011, our government could help heap an extra 1.6 trillion dollars onto the debt pile.
So, who's the fool, the American taxpayers, the government, or both?
Friday, February 26, 2010
We the People!
It's time to take a stand against government incompetence. Let's take back America from the corrupt politicians in Washington, D.C.
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