In Ohio, Rep. Jim Renacci held a town hall meeting where the idea of repealing the Obama health care plan was brought up.
Suddenly a senior citizen, Dan Fonte, stood up and essentially made Renacci look like an idiot.
Here watch the exchange for yourself courtesy of Think Progress:
FONTE: You’ve said you want to repeal the health care law and replace it. There’s a lot of things that took effect that help seniors. Once you repeal it, what happens to all that? And what are you going to replace it? Why don’t you make a replacement plan before you repeal it so we can look at it? [crowd applauses] [...] There’s preventing screening in there that took place. There’s people between 45 and 64 that lost their jobs. Now you want to replace it, that’s fine, repeal it, but what are you going to replace it with we don’t know what’s going to happen. What do we tell the seniors out there, that there’s already stuff taking place, and it’s gone now? Let’s think about this before we jump and do whatever we wanna do.
RENACCI: Remember, it was the American people sent us down there, 87 new Representatives, and I agree there are some good things, but there’s also a half a trillion dollars in cuts to Medicare that are going to go in place real soon —
FONTE: And that’s through Medicare Advantage, which takes more out of traditional Medicare, than anything. That’s what you have to tell us. Why should insurance companies get more?! Now I’ll tell you something, I was involved in health care, and since 1993 health care has went up every year double digits, and it’s never come down. What’s going to make it come down? And tell me one job that’s been taken away from it, this new health care law.
RENACCI: I’ll take you around any time you want to go, to three businesses –
FONTE: I’m ready.
RENACCI: — that have lost seven or eight jobs because their health care went up 63 percent.
FONTE: It’s went up every year!
I would just like to point out that Mr. Fonte did not resort to screaming or name calling like many of the Teabaggers did when they tried to disrupt the town hall meetings before the passage of the health care bill.
He used facts and reason to make his point. And the Congressman obviously had nothing to use as a retort.
The more people learn about the health care bill, which is certainly not perfect but is a giant step in the right direction, the less likely they are to support the GOP working to repeal it.
What is shitty about our country now, is that this is not going to get any play. This should be on EVERY news show tomorrow. All those dipshit pundits who host talking head i-know-everything-because-the-GOP-hand-me-talking-points-every-morning crowd should be responsible and show this video and make the asstastic guests on the show watch this and respond. But they won't.
ReplyDeleteJust like they won't bring up the video that was posted on Gawker this week of Teabaggers screaming JEW at a party on Election Night.
Instead, they'll spend HOURS talking about Sarah Palin and Barack Obama's speech. And I love Barack and I want him to get credit for being awesome, but this is more important. Starting next week, the GOP is going to start debating repeal of this bill and no one -- NO ONE -- has asked any of them what they are going to do.
This morning, I'm going to send this video to every single news major news network and ask them why they're not asking the same questions.
As a Canadian, I cannot imagine having to worry about healthcare.
ReplyDeleteIs our system perfect? No, but I receive top-notch healthcare without thinking about some insurance company employee making a decision regarding what I need and whether or not I'm covered.
Come on America, join the rest of the civilized world and take care of your citizens.
Thanks for sharing this. This is exactly what is going to start happening at town meetings all over the country when these newly elected Republicans have to actually act like they have solutions to health care and when people who are now benefiting from parts of the new health care law realize what they stand to lose. I predict a loud chorus of voices from senior citizens and young twenty-somethings.
ReplyDeleteLet's face it. I have never seen such a bunch of completely clueless pols as the tea baggers that were elected to congress this go round. Its like they are being bred to be ignorant. They have no facts and think they can stand on rhetoric to mess with everything the current administration has done.
ReplyDeleteWe are talking about people's lives here and they are trying to stand on ideology. And we know who is going to get hurt. The american people---as always when the GOP is in the house.
I wish we had good health care access here in the United States. I need back surgery and it has been turned down by the insurance company -- doctor is going to put in another exception appeal in another 4 weeks. A relative in Sweden said she couldn't believe this -- if a doctor said something was needed but it wasn't life threatening, it might take some waiting to be scheduled, but it would be done. We have good health care -- but poor and expensive health care access for the majority.
ReplyDeleteLet us pray that the tide is beginning to turn.
ReplyDeleteNo single issue is tied more to the escalation of hyperbole, fear mongering, and outright idiocy than that of healthcare reform. The GOP has nurtured this climate of conspiracy theory bullshit to scare the hell out of seniors in particular. The GOP also has NEVER offered up any viable alternative. Renacci illustrates this perfectly. When confronted with the facts, he's got nothin'.
ReplyDeleteThis is EXACTLY the kind of response that I wish President Obama and ALL of the Dems had when confronting the insane hyperventilating imbecility of the teabaggers or the outright lies of the GOP from the very beginning of this debate. I maintain that if the Dems had done so, the results in each case would have been much like it was for Dan Fonte. Maybe Mr. Fonte's schooling of Renacci can serve as an example of how to confront ignorant GOP buffoons.
If nothing else, it exposes the fact that other than a handful of easily refuted bullshit talking points, the GOP is peddling smoke and mirrors. Even cursory examination of their "facts" exposes the fallacy of the entire edifice of their "plan."
It's about fricken time.
ReplyDeleteWhat a non starter...a feel good moment for the tea party...a waste of time for everyone else.
ReplyDeleteWhy are these "constituents" whining? Do they want the super-rich to have tax cuts, or not?
ReplyDeleteMake up your minds people!
Still another good thing about the health care reform bill is that it has a provision for mental health, something that could have helped Jared Lee Loughner and can still help people like him.
ReplyDeleteThe people trying to get it repealed seem so disconnected from the realities that most of us face that they are even in denial about the cost of repealing it, which is $230 billion according to the CBO.
Unfortunately, they have the support of clueless people whom they are always successful at persuading to vote against their own best interests.
very well said Gryph "which is certainly not perfect but is a giant step in the right direction,"
ReplyDeleteThe problem is that people won't take the time to research what the benfits are.
One of the reasons I moved to Canada was for the health care. There are problems with it and long wait times for some procedures, but it is free and available, much like health care in other countries. Yes, people in Canada go bankrupt too. But not because of huge medical care bills.
ReplyDeleteGood find!
ReplyDeleteI am from this idiot's district...it's easy to make him look like an idiot..he is one! He is as crooked as they come. The good honest young guy whom he beat was taken down by the "christian" right. One minister's wife on FB posted an anti Boccieri comment every single day. Of course, she and her daughter in law brag openly that they never allow any news channel but Fox in their homes. Sad.
ReplyDeleteAnon @ 8:03- yes! The biggest problem is the lack of information. They have not educated the public on the healthcare bill, nor have the media shown the idiocy going on with the right's propaganda filled town halls.
ReplyDeleteI've been commenting that it's about time we got active,made phone calls to these lamebrains and next time they are up for election vote them out!It's up to us to stop this lying rhetoric and fear mongering .Hit those , that stand behind these faux politicians where it hurts "In the pocketbook" We must challenge the liars in the media by not buying the products that sustain them.We can do this with dignity .It's the American way and it's easy,It costs nothing but a little time.We have the power lets use it!They want to subjucate us.And they are very open about it.Guns in holsters,handcuffs on a reporter,violence against women,disruption at political gatherings ! This is well planned and executed with no restraint.They step on the very Constitution they so often quote.It's our turn and we can do it without violence.
ReplyDeleteThank you for posting this, this guy is a hero. I hope MSNBC has him on all day every day next week. He was having none of this BS from the Teabaggers.
ReplyDeleteGryphen, case in point. We had a client come in yesterday and proudly present her new insurance card to me and she will be covered 100% except for a $20 co-pay; she has some serious issues and has been suicidal in the past. She had student insurance which was paying nicely, but she has had to be in and out of school so could not maintain it; she is now back in school but can also be back on her mother's insurance until she is 25 so there will be coverage. (By the way, her mother and we did not let her drop the therapy because of the cost: her mother paid for some sessions full fee, but this will make it so much easier to keep her in therapy!)
ReplyDeleteWhen I read this, I was in the process of writing a letter to cancel coverage with my Medicare Prescription Part D insurer (Humana). After only one year on it, I am dropping the program. GW Bush set this up to shovel huge amounts of money to the insurers and big pharma while still keeping the price of drugs artificially high. I have glaucoma and the two eye drops I use were $47. They just went to $76 PLUS the $40.40 monthly premium.
ReplyDeleteI'm going back to mail order from Canada as I was doing before the year on Part D. Delivered to my door they are $65.65 a month LESS than on GW's Part D program ($116.40 versus $50.75).
This is another part of the legacy insurance & big pharma giveaway that really needs to be addressed.
One of the major protests I've heard to the healthcare bill is "our healthcare premiums went way up and it's because of Obamacare. The insurance company said so."
ReplyDeleteI'm astounded by this. You believe the industry that's been bilking you for years, and that might stand to lose some of that free money with these reforms? How is the INSURANCE industry credible in this debate?!
The most asinine comment I saw--from a friend of a friend on FB--was that the government needs to butt out of healthcare completely and let the insurance companies handle it. Then everything would be resolved. I wanted to ask what weird alternate universe this person was living in and if he'd ever actually had to DEAL with an insurance company.
FWIW, my parents are pretty conservative Republicans. BUT I currently have no health insurance (because I quit a job that was low pay, high pressure, and driving people into the hospital because of the stress and long hours--and have been unable to find other full-time work for more than a year) and I have a couple of pre-existing conditions that could make it difficult for me to get coverage in the future. My brother, a police officer, has a wife and one child with another on the way. Their insurance premiums are higher than the mortgage on their home. So my parents are aware that the system is broken and that something needs to be done. I think this has made them a little more receptive to the healthcare bill and willing to learn more about it...which is half the battle.
The congressman doesn't seem to give a hoot about what his constituent is saying. He's got his GOP talking point: We have a mandate to get rid of Obamacare! The problem is the election was based on lies and fear.
ReplyDeleteWhy isn't lying to the public about legislation a violation of Senate and House ethics rules? I think establishing such rules would actually help tone down the political rhetoric and increase the public's trust in our Congress.
http://www.offbeat.com/2011/01/14/people-discover-palin-in-your-pocket/
ReplyDeleteAnonymous@9:28 - Unfortunately for all those people who get ALL of their news from Fox News, there is no way to educate them about the benefits of Health Care Reform. These people only hear the propaganda against Obamacare -- it's their "fair and balanced" method of gathering their misinformation. Many of these are good people who truly believe that they are getting a "Christian point of view". How do we educate people with closed minds?
ReplyDeleteAs Wendell Potter, former executive of Atena-turned whistleblower, has revealed that the insurance industry will stop at nothing to prevent loss of profits. He apologized to Michael Moore on air for participating in a smear campaign designed to discredit his documentary "Sicko" about the corruption involved with big insurance. He revealed meetings in which Moore's personal life was scrutinized and they were told to attack him on all fronts.
ReplyDeleteYou can be sure Glenn Beck was paid a hefty fee for putting out death threats on Moore and that big insurance, in coordination with the GOP created the term Obamacare and "Government takeover of healthcare". They also paid and bussed in insurance employees to attend town hall rallies to attack healthcare reform, acting like "grassroots" concerned citizens.
Just like big oil, wallstreet, the NRA, and big pharma, big insurance will do anything to sway public option to make misinformed decisions based on fear mongering tactics.
The repeal attempt will be the GOP's payback to the huge funding from big corporations that flooded into their fall campaigns, as they agreed to push these evil, corrupt agendas.
You guys are missing THIS ONE
ReplyDeleteSAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Detectives investigating the shooting of U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords in Arizona last weekend are considering a connection to California Sen. Leland Yee, who received death threats for criticizing former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin last year.
Yee, D-San Francisco, received calls on Monday from sheriff's detectives in Pima County, Ariz., where Giffords was among 19 people shot outside a Safeway store. Six people died in the shooting but Giffords, believed to be the target, survived.
Also this:
ReplyDeletehttp://motherjones.com/mojo/2011/01/health-care-industry-hearts-reform
"The health insurance industry turned against the Affordable Care Act before the law passed, arguing that the onerous new regulations and reforms would make their business unsustainable. But despite its vocal objections, industry insiders now appear to believe that reform will help health insurers and other big stakeholders. Politico reports that industry investors are becoming more confident that President Barack Obama's health care initiative won't massively disrupt the health industry and is likely to bring insurers new business."
GOP wants to repeal healthcare for one reason and one reason only - the 'black man' in the White House proposed it.
ReplyDeleteOT- Are we being fed misleading info from the Palin camp, specifically sending old pix of Bristol as if they were recent and stories of Todd w/ other women instead of other possibilities? It seems to me that illegal $ activities will be effective in causing a stir with the majority of people but somehow excused by her loyalists. Stories with guys, however, not so much. Maybe that's why she's nurturing a relationship with Tammy. To set the stage for upcoming revelations? Desperate times? I look forward to the day she is never in the news, again.
ReplyDeleteThis is what is stunning to me about the propaganda war the right has waged. Bush creates a huge unfunded government program that is essentially a giant subsidy to big pharma. Obama creates legislation which delivers some relief to those who truly need it, and at the same time reduces deficit spending. Bush is labeled a small government fiscal conservative and Obama is labeled a big government free spending socialist.
ReplyDeleteThe difference between the two is that Bush's program helped the powerful. Obama's program (which falls far short IMO) helps the powerless. Who runs the media through which our citizens learn what to believe? Oh, yeah... the powerful. And yet, somehow, we're supposed to believe the media is liberal.
So bizarre. People (especially in my community in super religious super conservative Idaho) are so freaking gullible. I swear, if you were wearing your "I love Jesus" t-shirt you could hijack a school bus, rape all the children on it, charge the parents for a day of bible school, and they would smile as they wrote you the check.
The teabaggers got elected on a disruption platform. Now they are faced with actual constituents who want them to govern. That is beyond the scope of their skills.
ReplyDeleteHi-- This is a little OT, but I thought (if you have not seen it) everyone might enjoy this beautiful video from BWD at 'The Only Adult In The Room' -- the URL is:
ReplyDeletehttp://wp.me/picRdS-K4
(Sorry, I do not know how to make a 'link')
Enjoy -- and have a nice day.
I would suspect that more and more are going to be standing up - in a dignified way.
ReplyDeleteThe health care issue by the right isn't going anywhere because they indicate it won't pass the Senate and even if it did, President Obama could veto it.
The Republicans will try to stop things via the budget!
Do the Teabaggers not realize that the majority of them receive wonderfl benefits w/Medicare? Social Security as well? I just don't understand their stand - 'take back my government'? It's bullshit!
But did you hear his answer? You people sent me up there! He's insulting his own constituents, but he's right. They signed a contract with the devil and now they're telling the devil that they want another look at the fine print? Unbelievable. He should laugh in their faces.
ReplyDeleteHe should tell the constituent, "well, it was romneycare before it was obamacare, but we told you it would kill you because we wanted to destroy a political party. And we knew you would help us do that because you hate minorities, women, gays, immigrants, and the unemployed, and would vote against your own interests if it meant that even one person in that bunch would go home crying. We also knew that if we lied to you, you would believe us, because you already believe every word your megapastor tells you. Our only problem was that we ran the country into the ground for 8 years as republicans....but we figured a way out of that one by forming the tea party and calling ourselves new conservatives. Thanks, again!"
Had decided not to post a comment, but after just reading "Doctors replace Giffords' breathing tube" on the MSNBC website, I came back here to post. Am a retired ICU nurse & that MSNBC post brought a lump to my throat, as it really hit me what this is all about. As a result of complex factors, an innocent productive human has a trach, a feeding tube, pain, most likely a long rehab, more surgeries, an emotionally suffering spouse, family, colleagues, and staff.
ReplyDeletePart of one person's comment on actual YouTube video site was " I am here to fix this crap and get on with my life not make this my new hobby."
We must make health care a mission, not a hobby. I agree health care needs to be fixed. It is too bad that most Republicans appear to want to demolish the positive aspects of the Health Care Bill, although they have no actual plan to make improvements. Like the older gentleman said, let us see what improvements the Republicans want to bring to the table.
For insight into the larger picture of what can go on in a mentally unstable person's life R/T vitriolic political discourse and a broken mental health system, I refer you to a poignant Mother's "Letter to the Editor" on page B6 of the January 12, 2011 edition of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette--entitled "Factors intertwined" (Am not including her name or town, you can look at Open Letters on PPG Staff Blogs).
"Many shallow-minded commentators today are seeking to blame the Tucson tragedy on one single cause. They typically cite the current vitriolic political climate or (italics) Americans' easy access to guns or (italics) mental illness, as if each of these three causes existed alone and in a vacuum. The possibility that all three contributed to the tragedy is overlooked or denied.
But a broken political system, an obsession with easy access to guns and a broken mental health care system do have consequences. I speak from the perspective of a person with a lifetime of experience with mentally ill family members and 20 years of work with NAMI (the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill).
My own nonviolent mentally ill son, now deceased, had four life-threatening crises in his life, all of which were touched off by vitriolic political discourse during presidential election years. In every case, he fixated on "politics," which aroused his deepest fears, which led him to stop taking the medicines he desperately needed. The result: months of crisis and combating the failures of a broken mental health system.
Only a small percentage, less than 1 percent, of the mentally ill are violent, but, as seen at Virginia Tech, Tucson and elsewhere, few of those who are violent have any difficulty obtaining weapons of mass destruction.
If we are to avoid massacres, we must address the interlinked problems of a dysfunctional mental health care system, a broken political system that fosters hateful discourse and a failure to adopt a sensible policy of gun regulation."
We cannot afford more Gabrielle Giffords, nor any more dead or wounded. We cannot afford any more Jared Lee Loughners.
Truly, the factors are intertwined. It is up to rational people to forge rational solutions. Let's roll up our sleeves and get busy.
Part 1 of 2 (or 3)
ReplyDeleteHad decided not to post a comment, but after just reading "Doctors replace Giffords' breathing tube" on the MSNBC website, I came back here to post. Am a retired ICU nurse & that MSNBC post brought a lump to my throat, as it really hit me what this is all about. As a result of complex factors, an innocent productive human has a trach, a feeding tube, pain, most likely a long rehab, more surgeries, an emotionally suffering spouse, family, colleagues, and staff.
Part of one person's comment on actual YouTube video site was " I am here to fix this crap and get on with my life not make this my new hobby."
We must make health care a mission, not a hobby. I agree health care needs to be fixed. It is too bad that most Republicans appear to want to demolish the positive aspects of the Health Care Bill, although they have no actual plan to make improvements. Like the older gentleman said, let us see what improvements the Republicans want to bring to the table.
See below. Russ Baker author of "Family of Secrets" is becoming widely known. The book will knock your socks off guaranteed.
ReplyDeleteJanuary 17
On Monday, January 17, Russ will be a guest on Thom Hartmann's nationwide radio show. To find a local station that carries Thom's show, see http://www.thomhartmann.com/radio/stations .
Russ will also be on Thom's television show, carried by RT on cable and streamed on the Internet. For more on that, see http://www.thomhartmann.com/tv . You can also see Thom's show on Free Speech TV, carried by Dish Network and DirecTV. For schedule (the show repeats throughout the day and night) see http://www.freespeech.org/free-speech-tv-schedule
Also on Monday, Russ will be a guest on RT's own television show, available via cable, satellite, and online. RT is the Russian equivalent of CNN, with English language programming.
January 18
On Tuesday, January 18, Russ will be on GRITtv with Laura Flanders. GRITtv can be seen nationwide on Free Speech TV. FSTV is carried on Dish Network and DirecTV. For schedule (the show repeats throughout the day and night) see http://www.freespeech.org/free-speech-tv-schedule
You can also see or hear some of Russ's past appearances, on MSNBC with Dylan Ratigan, on Public Radio International's The Takeaway, and other programs, at www.familyofsecrets.com
We're just getting started! You can be part of the wave, by helping spread the word.
Give 'em hell average citizen man..... give 'em hell.
ReplyDeleteWe all know the repeal is about making the for profit insurance industry more profitable.
Part 2 of 2 (or 3, if this last part doesn't fit)
ReplyDeleteFor insight into the larger picture of what can go on in a mentally unstable person's life R/T vitriolic political discourse and a broken mental health system, I refer you to a poignant Mother's "Letter to the Editor" on page B6 of the January 12, 2011 edition of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette--entitled "Factors intertwined" (Am not including her name or town, you can look at Open Letters on PPG Staff Blogs).
"Many shallow-minded commentators today are seeking to blame the Tucson tragedy on one single cause. They typically cite the current vitriolic political climate or (italics) Americans' easy access to guns or (italics) mental illness, as if each of these three causes existed alone and in a vacuum. The possibility that all three contributed to the tragedy is overlooked or denied.
But a broken political system, an obsession with easy access to guns and a broken mental health care system do have consequences. I speak from the perspective of a person with a lifetime of experience with mentally ill family members and 20 years of work with NAMI (the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill).
My own nonviolent mentally ill son, now deceased, had four life-threatening crises in his life, all of which were touched off by vitriolic political discourse during presidential election years. In every case, he fixated on "politics," which aroused his deepest fears, which led him to stop taking the medicines he desperately needed. The result: months of crisis and combating the failures of a broken mental health system.
Only a small percentage, less than 1 percent, of the mentally ill are violent, but, as seen at Virginia Tech, Tucson and elsewhere, few of those who are violent have any difficulty obtaining weapons of mass destruction.
If we are to avoid massacres, we must address the interlinked problems of a dysfunctional mental health care system, a broken political system that fosters hateful discourse and a failure to adopt a sensible policy of gun regulation."
We cannot afford more Gabrielle Giffords, nor any more dead or wounded. We cannot afford any more Jared Lee Loughners.
Truly, the factors are intertwined. It is up to rational people to forge rational solutions. Let's roll up our sleeves and get busy.
Part 2 of 3
ReplyDeleteFor insight into the larger picture of what can go on in a mentally unstable person's life R/T vitriolic political discourse and a broken mental health system, I refer you to a poignant Mother's "Letter to the Editor" on page B6 of the January 12, 2011 edition of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"Many shallow-minded commentators today are seeking to blame the Tucson tragedy on one single cause. They typically cite the current vitriolic political climate or (italics) Americans' easy access to guns or (italics) mental illness, as if each of these three causes existed alone and in a vacuum. The possibility that all three contributed to the tragedy is overlooked or denied.
But a broken political system, an obsession with easy access to guns and a broken mental health care system do have consequences. I speak from the perspective of a person with a lifetime of experience with mentally ill family members and 20 years of work with NAMI (the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill).
My own nonviolent mentally ill son, now deceased, had four life-threatening crises in his life, all of which were touched off by vitriolic political discourse during presidential election years. In every case, he fixated on "politics," which aroused his deepest fears, which led him to stop taking the medicines he desperately needed. The result: months of crisis and combating the failures of a broken mental health system.
Only a small percentage, less than 1 percent, of the mentally ill are violent, but, as seen at Virginia Tech, Tucson and elsewhere, few of those who are violent have any difficulty obtaining weapons of mass destruction.
If we are to avoid massacres, we must address the interlinked problems of a dysfunctional mental health care system, a broken political system that fosters hateful discourse and a failure to adopt a sensible policy of gun regulation."
Part 3 of 3
ReplyDeleteWe cannot afford more Gabrielle Giffords, nor any more dead or wounded. We cannot afford any more Jared Lee Loughners.
Truly, the factors are intertwined. It is up to rational people to forge rational solutions. Let's roll up our sleeves and get busy.
http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=111
ReplyDeletehere is a list of media outlets
I plan to write and ask why they are not asking these questions
Thanks, Gryph!!! That is my congressman here in NE Ohio who I campaigned against and I know Mr. Fonte's family via my former parish. They are good people.
ReplyDeleteAsk Jim Renacci about the nursing homes he owns where a patient was murdered and another family sued for wrongful death. Our previous congressman, John Boccieri, was targeted on SP's map and now we're stuck with this bozo. And trust me, I don't care if Attila the Hun runs against Renacci -- he's got my vote.
Keep the good stuff coming!!!
Video of Bill Maher's Opening segment
ReplyDelete(mostly all about Palin)
Watch it before it gets pulled down off of YouTube
Real Time, January 14, 2011 ( Opening )
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Spyfcb6TSOc
@Daisydem: That provision really benefits me too. I'm getting married this year, and until that, I was going to have no health insurance because my fiance's employer won't pay for a family plan. Now I'm covered through my graduation and until I can get a job.
ReplyDeleteAlso, a relative of mine had a young cousin who recently died of cancer. His parents' first insurance maxed out and they were able to purchase another policy since a preexisting condition can no longer deny you.
I had been feeling gloomy about the politics in this country, and then a friend directed me to this video. Dan Fonte put some starch in my spine. I felt like I was not alone with the loonies running the ship.
ReplyDeleteAs a Canadian I really feel for the people in the US who can't afford health insurance. Our system as others have noted isn't perfect but everyone has the ability to see treatment without the fear of losing all of their assets in order to get medical aid.
ReplyDeleteOne question that's been rattling around in my mind for the last week is whether or not Jared Lee Loughner had health insurance. From what I understand he would have been excluded from coverage under his parents' policies. So was the reason mental health care for him not sought by the family or the family doctor not advised of this matter because of money? That would indeed be sad if that was true.
As a Canadian I want to warn you Americans about socialized health care for everyone. Just this month my healthcare insurance went up to $107 A MONTH! That's for my wife and me and that's real Canadian dollars too!
ReplyDeletehttp://gatewaypundit.rightnetwork.com/2011/01/breaking-tucson-tea-party-leader-threatened-during-abc-interview-audience-member-screams-trent-humphries-youre-dead/
ReplyDeleteAnd the fact that "applause" was written on Obama's jumbotron? if thats not a wtf moment, i dont know what is.
They should have tried to make a list of all the people who attended Beck and Stewart's rallies - because thats the easiest way to find the crazies.
What I find interesting is during Stewart's rally and the socialist one earlier, attendees TRASHED the area. Beck's rally attendees left it pristine
@anon 12:21 - thank you for posting your story. i agree that all three of the components you suggest need to be corrected. it may not completely solve this from happening again, but in either case it will elevate the quality of life in our country. i have been thinking of the Loughner family as victims of this tragedy as well. if the young Loughner is ever stabilized with medications, he will be shocked at what he did. his parents love him, and must be in indescribable agony. surely, what he did was horrific, but people reading here, must realize this could be your child who grows up and has a mental illness onset, and does not get treatment/care.
ReplyDeleteI haven't read the entire bill, but there are three provisions that are life-changing for me:
ReplyDelete1. My three children (teenagers now) can stay on my health insurance until they are 26.
2. I cannot be cut off by a lifetime limit (as a cancer survivor, I got very close to the 1 million dollar limit on my policy).
3. I cannot be denied because of past history (see above).
DO NOT try to take this away from me!
As a Canadian I want to warn you Americans about socialized health care for everyone. Just this month my healthcare insurance went up to $107 A MONTH! That's for my wife and me and that's real Canadian dollars too!
ReplyDeleteYou're being sarcastic, right? I'm a single woman, over 50, and my health premium was over $500 a month! And it covered nothing! I had a hysterectomy and I had to pay $18,000 out of my pocket for the surgery. I'd be thrilled with $100 a month. I recently switched providers and my new premium is $360, fixed for a year. But I'm expecting it will increase as soon as the year is out.
@Anonymous 3:21 PM
ReplyDeleteGet real. How do you know that Beck's supporters left the area pristine while Stewart's rally trashed the place. Were you at both events? Or are you just parroting Faux Noise?
http://gawker.com/5733427/angry-man-screaming-jew-at-congressman-is-not-a-great-face-for-tea-party
ReplyDeleteThis is good for all to see.
See, I was wrong, the Tea Pary really loves Jews. i guess, if they have to...if it means they will eventually acquise and you know, become borne again, and... accept jesus christ as their savior...so that we can all get picked up in the Rapture, led by Sister Sarah, and go to heaven and have a good time (except for the Catholics, of course [pat buchanan, you know I am talking about you and my mom).
Anon 3:21 PM
ReplyDeleteYou've shown your cards.
What was shown on the jumbotron wasn't encouraging the crowd to applause, it's called closed captioning (look it up)and no one really cares about the amount of trash left at a rally. There was bound to be more trash at the Stewart rally because there were tons more people. Most people judge a rally by it's content and not by the amount of trash left after it.
Gryphen, every time you keep pulling in non-sarah stories, I start to think you're working on a real sarah eye-opener. Come on, give.
ReplyDeleteAnon at 3:09
ReplyDeleteMy non socialist American healthcare costs $313 dollars a month from husbands job.For that price we are allowed to only pay an additional $227 per month for our prescriptions.We can have $500 worth of wellcare a year,but if you have a condition like high BP,diabetes,high cholesterol,or have had cancer,no free wellcare for you,so we dont get that.The insurance does pay 80% of in network costs,so when I had an MRI of my hand,we only had to pay $600 for the Dr to say "yep,it confirms the swelling"We should have only paid around $2000 for my DH triple hernia surgery,but the hospital had no anesthesiologists who were in network,so that was a mere $5000 total.I forgot about our little $500 per year family deductible that we have to pay before insurance pays anything,whoops!
I sure would like to pay $300 per month.Maybe I could go for those 3 checkups a year my Dr wants,or if I get bronchitis or run into a table leg and break a toe.For now I just dont get my diabetes checkups,I dont go if I am sick,and I just wrap my toe to the one next to it,with the neuropathy I do that a lot.
Anonymous 3:51 said:
ReplyDelete@Anonymous 3:21 PM
Get real. How do you know that Beck's supporters left the area pristine while Stewart's rally trashed the place. Were you at both events? Or are you just parroting Faux Noise?
I see the teabaggers have come up with a few more lies.
At first the only one they could manufacture was that President Obama was lying about Gabby opening her eyes for the first time after he left her room.
Oops, her doctors confirmed that is exactly what happened.
Must really suck to be so gullible.