It is amazing to me that the argument about revising and changing our national policy on health-care has become more a discussion about "Trust in Government", than anything else. Who trusts what the President and Congress has to say, when they are more concerned about vilifying the people who question them, than explaining their huge and expensive legislative proposal. They are talking about sweeping changes that will fundimentaly change our lives, in a most personal way (between us and our doctor)?
The American people have always been a suspicious lot of government, especially "Big-Government" since we told King George to "Pack-it-in! However, the way things now stand the second big push to revise health-care looks like it is going to burst into flames like Hillary Clinton exploding into raging anger about a question of what Bill thinks!..." This legislation is overly complex at more than two-thousand pages, including amendments and no one seems to really understand what is in it, or not... The talking-heads have described the issues in ways that only confuse the issues and the congress and President have only made it worse by attacking those who question them, rather than adressing the questions.
The real question to ask is: If our leaders really want to fix the health-care system, why is there no "TORT Reform" included to limit medical law-suits? The cost of excessive tests and procedures to protect health-care providers (Doctors), from liability has been one of the biggest drivers of higher and higher costs, but the present legislation is mute on the topic. Why? The American People are smart enough to know that what is proposed will not work without tort-reform and want to know why the legislators don't know it too...
Until Tort Reform becomes a major part of the discussion, it is clear that no one in America will take "Health-Care Reform Legislation" seriously. The American people know a snake-oil pitch when they see one and health-care reform without tort reform is "Snake-Oil". We as a society need to limit the legal demands for excessive and unnecessary medical tests and procedures, just to protect care-givers from almost unlimited liability claims. According to the AMA, the average doctor now pays almost 42% of his gross income to pay liability malpractice insurance premiums. That is where cost control must be reviewed, along with these other issues. Until then, "WE the PEOPLE" will not take the discussion of health-care reform seriously... COMMENTS?
Roger A. Leonard, MPA
20 comments:
I do not believe the American people will tolerate Socialism and this so-called plan is part of the planned push for Socialism.This could destroy the democratic party for years to come.The protestors are literally fighting for their lives/our health care.
Once again Roger, you have about said it all and I agree! What are we doing and why is our country being take from us? Are we really that stupid, or just lazy?
Until the influence of lobbiests is removed, both political parties will throw their constituents under the bus. Clearly the Dems don't care what we think and the Reps haven't got the guts to stand up against them. They will let the public take the hits to push back Obamacare while they cowardly wait to cruise back to power in 2010 without so much as a commitment of any kind. This happened back in 1994 under Clinton and frankly I am convinced we have two parties with the same goal. Americans must apply unrelenting pressure to our elected representatives or vote them out regardless of party affiliation. Until that happens nothing will change.
It would seem clear that we are stupid and lazy. The citizens do have the right to vote and look where it has taken us. People sell their vote to who ever will promise the most for it.
Trust in government is a lost cause and we are most likely going to have a real crash soon. Who will survive and what it will cost is still unclear. Will Norfolk look like Bagdad when it is all over? We have leaders like Del. Phil Hamilton with their hands out for themselves, so everyone now does it too.
Changing the election system appears the only alternative to the non popular selling votes method. Senators should be elected by state legislators. Rather than another beauty pageant the president should be elected by Congress. Members of the House shall continue to be elected by the people as will state legislators. Two term limits for Senators and six for the House. Set up a parlementary system of party coalitions and a no-confidence vote clause. A Constitutional Convention will be necessary.
The media won't like it, but heck they don't like or care about us anyway.
After reading the stories about Del Hamilton, one question comes to mind. How many others are doing the same thing or even worse to pad their pockets? With Virginia a "Pay to Play" state, where you have to PAY to get the right and connections to PLAY or get public funds or benefits, who is getting paid and who is paying? We already know that Councilman Brown has had some questionable issues with his "Development Company" and Councilman Parr quickly used his new found powers right after he got elected to cash-in to have a large tract of land near Turlington Road re-zoned, which increased its value by millions, so who else? The pay off does not jsut have to be CASH!
Did anyone make out on some of the deals like CenterPoint, or the McDonald project, or the many other projects that are approved by local political players, even if the projects don't pass the smell test? Time may tell, but I have my own beliefs and feel that some of it will not be pretty. Most will likely not be considered "illegal" given our weak laws, but most would be considered unethical and definetly improper. But as a political leader with your pockets full of our money, why worry, be happy! There appears to be little consquence in Virginia for demanding your share of the pie as a public offical, when the rules are: "Pay to Play" For the elected elite, it is a good time to be incharge in Virginia!
Are there any like Phil Hamilton in our own local Suffolk peeking-order? Will we ever even know, given the fact that we don't even have access to find out? Looks like YES and No!
It is bad when even the Republican admit that they have crooks like del Phil Hamilton who crooked a job for himself at ODU after legislating it into the budget.
I do not trust anone but the honerable councilman Brown on council. The rest are out to hurt the unwite community.
To anon, Watcher said: Yes we do have issues with our own Council, but unless our local media (where HAVE all of our investigative journalists gone) does their "investigating" nothing will happen.
I say post the conflicts of interest on Inside Suffolk.
Dumpster - are you saying that our council members want to hurt the nonwite community - as in non-white, or black? I do think Council makes some pretty poor decisions at times, but I certainly do not see them as wanting to hurt anyone (except for in their pockets and individual liberties). Clarify this please - you have an interesting item for discussion.
Councilman Brown as an honorable person? Pleeeaaase. Not only is he disrespectful to people who are not the same color as he is, but he has his own issues he should come clean on - or be forced to come clean on.
For example, look at a conference he attended this year. He attended as a Councilman from Suffolk but participated in a presentation with his business partner and another city; a city right here in Virginia in which they are proposing and doing consulting and business.
Should a councilman use OUR citizen dollars to make a presentation whose purpose is to enhance his own business? ISN'T THIS A CONFLICT OF INTEREST?
Is anyone interested in knowing more?
To Dumpster said . . . .
Well, it doesn't matter which party Hamilton is from. What he did is unacceptable and wrong and I rather admire his own party taking offense at his action rather than giving it a brush off. How about those dems? How about all of those folks who are in office now - in our own city - who might have similar connections and deals. What about the lawyer who worked the real estate deals for Centerpoint? I believe I heard somewhere that he is related to a council member. Oops - that conflict of interest thing going on - right here in the city of Suffolk.
ACORN said that if we vote for Obama we wouldn't pay rent, gas or taxes. Both failed to live up to expectations and will pay for their lie. Councilman Brown however is wise above all, he doesn't promise anything. That's the kind of politician we need, one that won't do a thing for anyone except of course himself. Please send your contributions to: Cash-4-Charles
As my councilmen the honorable Charles Brown has told me on several visit times there are unhappy people here in our town. He told me that he is one of the few people on council who do speack for thinking outside the box to do more for the poeple and we see it all. He is admired person in our community for what he has done to make things right. He was only one beside the honorable councilmen Bennett to stand up and say no to the indian project and loss of valuable land that could be developed for big money! He was only one to stand up to the white plans to have our people services building put out on the edge of the city and got it moved to where it needs in the downtown where we all live. He has our support and we elect him to more terms again.
The hnorable councilmen Charles Brown is a smart man and when he makes good by making some business deals for himself the white people pick on him when they dont on the other people on council like the mayor who makes money off house deals all the time. Even her man is a lawyer who makes money from projects the city apporves like the big one out on Holland rd where he was the lawyer for the big money people buying up the land that was appoved for expansions and more traffic that we cant affrod to fix. He is honorable epecialy when you see how the other people on council do ti to us all the time. It is not about repubs of dems, it is about who does any stuff for the poeple like him. We all support him and will hope he gets elected again and again. We do not trust Mr. Pairr from downtown as he is always doing for himself jsut like how he got our manager fired and his land increased in value to sell it to build houses on on turlington road. Councilmen Brown does not do that so why do anll you not talk about them instead of Councilmen Brown?
I did not mean to go on, but i did want to talk about how the city has hurt us by not picking up trash unless we dump it in the ditch of other people like we now have to do to get it picked up. The honoeable councilman Brown will fix this soon and we can all thank him!
Well we heard hy threre is no TORT REFORM in the healthcare bill Howard Dean explained it so well. Stop the presses: a Democrat politician has actually spoken honestly.
At a town hall meeting in Reston, Virginia, a patriot acceded to Dem Rep Jim Moran's insulting demand that he present ID, then asked a question that has been on many minds: if the Dems have any serious interest in lowering healthcare costs, why don't they do something about the looting bonanza by ambulance-chasing shyster lowlife like John Edwards, the astronomical cost of which is passed along to consumers?
As Rep Moron scuttled away in search of a safe crevice, Howard "Dr. Demento" Dean took the mic and amazingly told the truth. Via CNS News:
The reason why tort reform is not in the bill is because the people who wrote it did not want to take on the trial lawyers … and that is the plain and simple truth.
Moron courageously crept back out and confirmed it.Dems don't dare aggravate trial lawyers because they have been bought and paid for by these thieving parasites, as well as by corrupt unions (which are granted a cash bonanza in the ObamaCare bill) and the ultra-left, Soros-financed Shadow Party, which wants to move toward totalitarian socialist rule — the true purpose of ObamaCare.
Virginians you got what you wanted hope and change. You should be so proud.
Meanwhile, Dem attempts to shove ObamaCare through by rebranding it as KennedyCare are sinking like an 1967 Oldsmobile Delmont 88:It deserves a slow dying death.
Can anyone explain WHY Teddy Kennedy is being buried at Arlington? John and Bobby have have a pass because their lives were terminated by murder. Teddy passed because of natural causes. Arlington is the final resting place for veterans and their spouse. What possible reason could justify Teddy taking his final trip on the taxpayer's tab.
I have trust in our government and all the politicians we have all voted into office. That trust is that they will screw us at every turn if it is in their won interest. I also understand that there is an office being setup on East Washington Street by ACORN. Any news on that?
Just what we need is ACORN doing to us locally, what they have done to us on a national level.
With the Sheriff now running against someone new, who will the voter trust? What will the Sheriff say about doing his job and will the good-old boys rally around him to protect his job? Do you trust the Sheriff?
The Sheriff of Suffolk has kept his head low for years. He is not like the Sheriff of "Knottingham", but is very close to the Queen and her minion. This alone should send some chill up the collective spine and demand weighing if one shold vote for him or the new guy.
I will do the safe thing and vote for the new guy and hope he is better than what we have. How much could that bet cost?
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