Re: Rants & raves

ccc530 — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 21:13:32 -0000

Town Hall Meetings
The uproar this summer, that we are seeing at Town Hall meetings all over America are not only about health care. The uproar is about Americans standing up and peaceably (yes, yelling is still peaceably), opposing the direction that they see their government is taking. This direction is a continuation of what was started with FDR with The New Deal: Progressivism or Statism. Today, the federal government controls the money supply, senior and indigent health care, retirement, a number of banks and investment companies, General Motors, some CEO salaries, for starters. Their appetite is insatiable. Now they want to control energy (cap and trade, "Smart Grid"), health care ("public option"), right to work (card check) and more. What these average Americans are saying is: "Enough big government". Now, they are learning that The President has surrounded himself with shady characters like Van Jones (a self avowed communist, racist, cop hater and 9-11 "Truther"), Mark LLoyd, and other people ("Czars") whose views (found with a simple internet search), are so far off Main Street USA, that any average American would be utterly shocked. They are asking why would our President rely on such characters? Many of these Town Hall attendees are decent people who wanted change but this isn't what they voted for. They are Democrats, Republicans, Independents and people who have never even registered to vote. They have realized that they cannot sit back on their sofas while their government spends tens of trillions of dollars and takes their liberty away. The numbers of this movement is growing into the millions and there is no sign of them going away. Those involved in politics would be wise to take notice.

Re: Rants

ccc530 — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 16:51:29 -0000

I am truly concerned about health care reform in America. However, I do not want to see The Federal Government take over control (not even "a sliver") of it.

Mark Steyn, sitting in for Rush today, discussed the difference between health care and health treatment. All Americans currently do have access to health treatment anytime for initial care. The ER's are full of people receiving such care. Our EMS system is another example of health treatment which is available to all. That being said, we can examine these two systems and predict what will happen if we allow even a "sliver" of nationalized health care. I have been involved with fire fighting and EMS for over 40 years. Although I am retired from that, I still enjoy listening to the emergency calls on my radio. Today, I heard my city and county paramedics (2- two person crews), along with 1 police officer and 1 animal control officer being dispatched to a person with a dog bite to the hand. I wonder how much that cost the taxpayers of this city and county? Years ago, I responded with my ambulance and engine company (6 person crew) to a 2 month pregnant woman with stomach pain. Upon arrival she met us at the door with her suit case packed and walked out to the ambulance. One more: how about a 5 person crew responding to call for a woman who cut her finger when she was cutting the lid off the can of dog food. Of course, there are millions of calls just like these; costing millions of dollars. This is how I break it down. 1) Often, our medics and PD would push people "to get checked out". Min. Cost: $300 for transport. Our city needed the money. 2) If someone calls 9-1-1, the call takers must dispatch a crew to check it out or face liability. 3) If it's free, people will take advantage of all they can get. Every city has their "frequent flyers", as we call them, who abuse the system. 4) Some places, at certain times of the day, because of the call volume, emergency response must be "rationed" in one way or the other. In some cases, the medics will actually call for a cab (paid for by the county) then leave. 5) In some places, like Nassau County, N.Y., the EMS system that was originally started by volunteer fire departments back in the early '60's is collapsing under the weight of the demand for service and the lack of trained medics willing to perform the service for free. Just like in the ER's and hospitals around the country, many medics are getting burned out from the abuse and leaving EMS. It's easy to see what will happen if our federal government were to take over providing health care. I see exactly the same thing happening.

The bottom line as I see it is: there is no such thing as "free health care". It's an impossible concept (outside of missionary work). People do not work for free. Hospitals require equipment and electricity and supplies, which aren't free. The best we can get are the "not for profit" hospitals, however they still must make money or they go out of business.

While some reform, like tort reform is needed, we don't need a complete take over.

Also, if Congress has such great ideas for health care, why don't they try it out on themselves first, then reform medicare, Social Security Disability, and the VA; then let us decide if we want it for the county? The Federal Government should prove that it can efficiently provide a good service to it's own first, don't you agree?

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