I listened to President Obama's speech tonight. He made some very good points. He and I even agree on a few things. Things that I totally agree with President Obama on: The current health care system is broken and needs some reform. It is wrong that people can be excluded from insurance or dropped when they become ill. There needs to be more competition when it comes to health insurance companies (and oil companies, utilities, phone, cable, satellite). But I think some of the proposed ways are wrong. We do not need any more laws (excluding people for preexisting conditions would be illegal). What we need is change.
In the states where car insurance is mandatory, the "uninsurable" are divided equally among all of the insurance companies licensed to do business in that state. And there is a cap on the amount they are allowed to charge. But this is regulated LOCALLY by the state department of insurance. Do the same thing with people who have preexisting conditions. You want to do business here, you will share in the risk.
Do not mandate that companies provide insurance for their employees. The number one thing on our families list of required job benefits is insurance. Not offering insurance does not give a company an "unfair advantage over their competitors". It makes them less attractive to qualified candidates. Some companies offset not offering insurance by paying higher wages. Hint, use those increased wages to buy a minimum of catastrophic insurance! But forcing an employer to offer insurance is not an option in my book. It infringes upon the free market. Instead, offer tax incentives to companies that DO offer insurance (above what they can currently take).
It is none of the governments business if I do not have insurance. What are you going to do, have a health police? If I choose not to have insurance, that is my choice. It is also my responsibility. Maybe it should no longer be mandatory for a hospital to offer care if you are uninsured or unable to pay cash. Hate to say it, but that would sure cut down the lines. It would also keep the illegals from swamping our hospitals for things like colds and then leaving the hospital stuck with the bill (I will rant on THAT later!). Health care is a choice you make. If insurance companies are now taking all buyers at fair rates, not having insurance is a personal choice. I have class based on real life. My students choose what insurance they want (if any). I hand out life happens cards. Sometimes, there are medical situations. Their choices affect their class finances. They do the same thing with homeowners/renters, car, liability. Our choices have consequences.
I am concerned about this "temporary" insurance option that will become immediately available for those who are not currently insured. They say it will be replaced in 4 years by the "insurance marketplace" (why does that take 4 years, but the "temporary" option is available now??) Who is handling this "temporary" solution? If it is the government, I have REAL issues with that. The only things that government has ever imposed that they backed down from was prohibition and slavery. It took them 300+ years and several wars to realize that slavery was a bad idea. I am worried that this "temporary" plan might become the long term solution, and gee, since it works so well, we can do away with the private insurance. What better way to ensure that everyone is complying with the mandatory insurance law than to have it all handled by the government. It will save money and do away with the agency required for tracking compliance. Yes, keeping the temporary government ran insurance is a much better idea than the proposed market place.
President Obama never addressed the REAL issue behind the huge increases in insurance cost. (yes, I agree with him, they are out of control) Tort reform is the first thing that is needed to help reduce the cost of health care. But you will not see that come out of Washington. The majority of our members (on BOTH sides) are trial lawyers. They earn their money from other people's misfortune. They are very good at finding someone to blame for every bad thing that happens in your life. Spill hot coffee in your lap? It is McDonald's fault. Smoke your entire life and get lung cancer? It is the tobacco companies fault. Your child is born with drug addiction because you are a crack head? It is your doctors fault for not making you stop doing drugs. The list goes on. Lawyers and frivolous lawsuits have driven the cost of malpractice insurance through the roof. Even if the claim is unfounded, a doctor must pay the legal fees and their reputations are often put in ruins. And they have no recourse. Just try suing a lawyer.
The second issue that would help the out of control cost of insurance is to stop forcing health organizations to treat everyone. If you are here illegally and you get ill, the hospital should stabilize you and ship you off to your country of legal residence. In Mexico, they hold you hostage (even when you are there legally), refusing medical treatment, until your family delivers the ransom, I mean cash deposit. In Canada, they treat you, but then hold you hostage until you pay your bill, even if you have insurance!! (The Canada incident happened to my sister in law, so I know from personal exposure to this!) She had to cough up $12,000 CASH before they would let her leave the country. We are the only nation in the WORLD that offers emergency medical care to EVERYONE, regardless of ability to pay, and then allow them to walk off without paying their bill. Yet 36 other countries have better health care??? Hm, I wonder how those countries treat foreigners who need medical attention?
Yes, we need a change in the health care system. I am sickened by the loss of our Kids Care program here in AZ. That is a real program that actually helps working parents get affordable health care, even if they are not "poor". But I don't want more big government control. Make the reform on the state level. Enforce existing laws (anti trust regulations). The only additional control I want to see is on the LAWYERS. Make them more accountable for bad lawsuits. If it hits them in the pocketbook, frivolous lawsuits would go away. Don't force me to have insurance if I don't want it. Don't make it a crime to exclude preexisting conditions. Don't let the government create a "temporary" fix. Nothing is ever temporary when a politician gets their hands on it (and it is never cheap!).
I want change, but not more laws. I want change, but not more government control. I want change, but on a local level. I want real, meaningful change. Not more political lies and the same old hag in a new dress.
**DISCLAIMER** Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, KTAR, KFYI, Fox News, and any related right wing wackos or their associates did not "brainwash" this poor "idiot" into posting these thoughts. They are mine, and mine alone. I am not a lawyer or a politician, therefore I am capable of independent thought.
This blog is thoughts from an average American wife, mother, and teacher. I am fed up with the way things are going (from BOTH sides!) and I hope this becomes a productive way to vent that frustration and maybe make a small difference in the way things are going in this country.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Friday, September 4, 2009
Rights in the US
I heard today that one of Obama's appointees has cleared the way for the US to be sued by former occupants of Gitmo for violating their "rights". I have a problem with this is, a BIG problem with this. I am tired of hearing about it!
First, the ONLY people that are supposed to have the full rights in this country are those who are here LEGALLY, and who are LAW ABIDING. I am tired of hearing of the "rights violations" when the Border Patrol catches someone crossing the border illegally and detains them. Or a land owner holds illegals at gun point waiting for the authorities to come and retrieve them for trespassing and destruction of property. Or of the rights of people (I call them that lightly) who were held for plotting acts of terrorism against our country. Or the rights of a criminal who was injured in the process of committing a crime.
If you are not in this country LEGALLY, our Constitution and Bill of Rights does not apply to you!!! That applies to our CITIZENS and those we have invited into our country. If you are in the process of committing a crime and are injured, you do not have the RIGHT to sue your victim. If you attack (or want to attack) our country, do NOT hide behind our Bill of Rights. You wanted to destroy it, quit wrapping yourself in it!
And for those who are protected by our Constitution and Bill of Rights, if YOU have the right, so do I. Just because I believe differently, does not mean your rights supersede mine. Despite what you think, you are not superior to me just because you are more "open minded". You are only open minded to those things that you agree with. I have the right to the Freedom of Religion & the Freedom of Speech. That means that I have the RIGHT to speak about my God ANYWHERE I choose. I also have the RIGHT to disagree with your life style! I do not have the right to try and physically harm you because of your lifestyle, but neither do you have the right to take away my rights to speak what I believe. Saying that I think homosexuality is a sin is no more hate speech than saying that I believe theft, murder, adultery, lying, and lust is a sin as well. But why is it okay for "the enlightened elite" to spew hate and filth about my faith and my Saviour, even saying that we should die, but that is not hate speech?
Why is it that anyone who believes in doing what is right, anyone that wants to hold their faith, morals, and freedoms are considered whack jobs, or extremist when we tell others how we feel/believe? Yet when the other side tries to force us to accept their lifestyle, they are just standing up for their rights? I have yet to understand why if you are anti-Christian, your rights are inviolate, but if you are a Christian exercising your rights, you are a hate monger? To me that seems like a double standard. But then again, I am not one of the "enlightened elite", so I probably just don't understand...
First, the ONLY people that are supposed to have the full rights in this country are those who are here LEGALLY, and who are LAW ABIDING. I am tired of hearing of the "rights violations" when the Border Patrol catches someone crossing the border illegally and detains them. Or a land owner holds illegals at gun point waiting for the authorities to come and retrieve them for trespassing and destruction of property. Or of the rights of people (I call them that lightly) who were held for plotting acts of terrorism against our country. Or the rights of a criminal who was injured in the process of committing a crime.
If you are not in this country LEGALLY, our Constitution and Bill of Rights does not apply to you!!! That applies to our CITIZENS and those we have invited into our country. If you are in the process of committing a crime and are injured, you do not have the RIGHT to sue your victim. If you attack (or want to attack) our country, do NOT hide behind our Bill of Rights. You wanted to destroy it, quit wrapping yourself in it!
And for those who are protected by our Constitution and Bill of Rights, if YOU have the right, so do I. Just because I believe differently, does not mean your rights supersede mine. Despite what you think, you are not superior to me just because you are more "open minded". You are only open minded to those things that you agree with. I have the right to the Freedom of Religion & the Freedom of Speech. That means that I have the RIGHT to speak about my God ANYWHERE I choose. I also have the RIGHT to disagree with your life style! I do not have the right to try and physically harm you because of your lifestyle, but neither do you have the right to take away my rights to speak what I believe. Saying that I think homosexuality is a sin is no more hate speech than saying that I believe theft, murder, adultery, lying, and lust is a sin as well. But why is it okay for "the enlightened elite" to spew hate and filth about my faith and my Saviour, even saying that we should die, but that is not hate speech?
Why is it that anyone who believes in doing what is right, anyone that wants to hold their faith, morals, and freedoms are considered whack jobs, or extremist when we tell others how we feel/believe? Yet when the other side tries to force us to accept their lifestyle, they are just standing up for their rights? I have yet to understand why if you are anti-Christian, your rights are inviolate, but if you are a Christian exercising your rights, you are a hate monger? To me that seems like a double standard. But then again, I am not one of the "enlightened elite", so I probably just don't understand...
Labels:
criminals,
hate speech,
illegals,
rigthts,
violation of rights
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