Healthcare Craziness

One of the perils of actually being employed during the worst economic disaster in 70 years is that you sometimes have to put up with some pretty stupid stuff at work.  Take, for example, this email recently spammed to the company on the company network by the owner of the company (names have been removed to protect the ignorant):

—–Original Message—–
From: XXX XXXXXX
Sent: Tuesday, July 21, 2009 11:19 AM
To: All Outlook Users
Subject: HC disaster synposys (or: Healthcare Hell)

Just think about these for a second or two..
_______________
Following the mad recommendations of Peter Singer made in NYT’s Sunday
magazine, it pays to take a look at what is actually in the healthcare
bill.

It’s worse than you can possibly imagine. Somehow, it manages to be
Singer on steroids. Who wrote this bill. It has Singer’s footprints all
over it.

Peter Fleckstein (aka Fleckman) is reading it and has been posting on
Twitter his findings. This is from his postings (Note: All comments are
Fleckman’s) _______________

Here:

Pg 22 of the HC Bill MANDATES the Govt will audit books of ALL EMPLOYERS
that self insure!!

Pg 30 Sec 123 of HC bill – THERE WILL BE A GOVT COMMITTEE that decides
what treatments/benes u get

Pg 29 lines 4-16 in the HC bill – YOUR HEALTHCARE IS RATIONED!!!

Pg 42 of HC Bill – The Health Choices Commissioner will choose UR HC
Benefits
4 you. U have no choice!

PG 50 Section 152 in HC bill – HC will be provided 2 ALL non US
citizens, illegal or otherwise

Pg 58HC Bill – Govt will have real-time access 2 individs finances & a
National ID Healthcard will b issued!

Pg 59 HC Bill lines 21-24 Govt will have direct access 2 ur banks accts
4 elect. funds transfer

PG 65 Sec 164 is a payoff subsidized plan 4 retirees and their families
in Unions & community orgs (ACORN).

Pg 72 Lines 8-14 Govt is creating an HC Exchange 2 bring priv HC plans
under Govt control.

PG 84 Sec 203 HC bill – Govt mandates ALL benefit pkgs 4 priv. HC plans
in the Exchange

PG 85 Line 7 HC Bill – Specs for of Benefit Levels for Plans = The Govt
will ration ur Healthcare!

PG 91 Lines 4-7 HC Bill – Govt mandates linguistic approp svcs. Example
- Translation 4 illegal aliens

Pg 95 HC Bill Lines 8-18 The Govt will use groups i.e., ACORN &
Americorps 2 sign up indiv. for Govt HC plan

PG 85 Line 7 HC Bill – Specs of Ben Levels 4 Plans. #AARP members – U
Health care WILL b rationed

-PG 102 Lines 12-18 HC Bill – Medicaid Eligible Indiv. will b
automat.enrolled in Medicaid. No choice

pg 124 lines 24-25 HC No company can sue GOVT on price fixing. No
“judicial review” against Govt Monop

pg 127 Lines 1-16 HC Bill – Doctors/ #AMA – The Govt will tell YOU what
u can make.

Pg 145 Line 15-17 An Employer MUST auto enroll employees into pub opt
plan. NO CHOICE

Pg 126 Lines 22-25 Employers MUST pay 4 HC 4 part time employees AND
their families.

Pg 149 Lines 16-24 ANY Emplyr w payroll 400k & above who does not prov.
pub opt. pays 8% tax on all payroll

pg 150 Lines 9-13 Biz w payroll btw 251k & 400k who doesnt prov. pub.
opt pays 2-6% tax on all payroll

Pg 167 Lines 18-23 ANY individual who doesnt have acceptable HC accrdng
2 Govt will be taxed 2.5% of inc

Pg 170 Lines 1-3 HC Bill Any NONRESIDENT Alien is exempt from indiv.
taxes.
(Americans will pay)

Pg 195 HC Bill -officers & employees of HC Admin (GOVT) will have access
2 ALL Americans finan/pers recs

PG 203 Line 14-15 HC – “The tax imposed under this section shall not be
treated as tax” Yes, it says that

Pg 239 Line 14-24 HC Bill Govt will reduce physician svcs 4 Medicaid.
Seniors, low income, poor affected

Pg 241 Line 6-8 HC Bill – Doctors, doesnt matter what specialty u have,
you’ll all be paid the same

PG 253 Line 10-18 Govt sets value of Dr’s time, prof judg, etc.
Literally value of humans.

PG 265 Sec 1131Govt mandates & controls productivity for private HC
industries

PG 268 Sec 1141 Fed Govt regulates rental & purchase of power driven
wheelchairs

PG 272 SEC. 1145. TREATMENT OF CERTAIN CANCER HOSPITALS – Cancer
patients – welcome to rationing!

Page 280 Sec 1151 The Govt will penalize hospitals 4 what Govt deems
preventable readmissions.

Pg 298 Lines 9-11 Drs, treat a patient during initial admiss that
results in a readmiss-Govt will penalize u.

Pg 317 L 13-20 OMG!! PROHIBITION on ownership/investment. Govt tells
Drs.
what/how much they can own.

Pg 317-318 lines 21-25,1-3 PROHIBITION on expansion- Govt is mandating
hospitals cannot expand

pg 321 2-13 Hospitals have oppt to apply for exception BUT community
input required. Can u say ACORN?!!

Pg335 L 16-25 Pg 336-339 – Govt mandates estab. of outcome based
measures. HC the way they want. Rationing

Pg 341 Lines 3-9 Govt has authority 2 disqual Medicare Adv Plans, HMOs,
etc.
Forcing peeps in2 Govt plan

Pg 354 Sec 1177 – Govt will RESTRICT enrollment of Special needs ppl!
WTF. My sis has down syndrome!!

Pg 379 Sec 1191 Govt creates more bureaucracy – Telehealth Advisory
Cmtte. Can u say HC by phone?

PG 425 Lines 4-12 Govt mandates Advance Care Planning Consult. Think
Senior Citizens end of life

Pg 425 Lines 17-19 Govt will instruct & consult regarding living wills,
durable powers of atty. Mandatory!

PG 425 Lines 22-25, 426 Lines 1-3 Govt provides apprvd list of end of
life resources, guiding u in death

PG 427 Lines 15-24 Govt mandates program 4 orders 4 end of life. The
Govt has a say in how ur life ends

Pg 429 Lines 1-9 An “adv. care planning consult” will b used frequently
as patients health deteriorates

PG 429 Lines 10-12 “adv. care consultation” may incl an ORDER 4 end of
life plans. AN ORDER from GOV

Pg 429 Lines 13-25 – The govt will specify which Doctors can write an
end of life order.

PG 430 Lines 11-15 The Govt will decide what level of treatment u will
have at end of life

Pg 469 – Community Based Home Medical Services=Non profit orgs. Hello,
ACORN Medical Svcs here!!?

Page 472 Lines 14-17 PAYMENT TO COMMUNITY-BASED ORG. 1 monthly payment 2
a community-based org. Like ACORN?

PG 489 Sec 1308 The Govt will cover Marriage & Family therapy. Which
means they will insert Govt in2 ur marriage

Pg 494-498 Govt will cover Mental Health Svcs including defining,
creating, rationing those svcs

Wow.  I sure am scared now.  This sounds pretty much like the status quo.  God help us if all those health insurance bureaucrats ever get replaced by government bureaucrats.  The sender didn’t have the guts or decency to include a copy of the actual bill, though.  We’re supposed to accept this screed as fact and get all panicked and worked up about nationalized health care.  What bullshit.

Meet Maj. Cook, right-wing nutcase of the day

I thought this crap had been put behind us.

It seems the “Obama wasn’t born in America” crowd has been actually gathering some steam lately, with a court ruling from a judge willing to examine the “merits” of the case (shouldn’t take long, since there aren’t any).  And now we have this:

Soldier balks at deploying; says Obama isn’t president

U.S. Army Maj. Stefan Frederick Cook, set to deploy to Afghanistan, says he shouldn’t have to go.

His reason?

Barack Obama was never eligible to be president because he wasn’t born in the United States.

Cook’s lawyer, Orly Taitz, who has also challenged the legitimacy of Obama’s presidency in other courts, filed a request last week in federal court seeking a temporary restraining order and status as a conscientious objector for her client.

In the 20-page document — filed July 8 with the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Georgia — the California-based Taitz asks the court to consider granting his client’s request based upon Cook’s belief that Obama is not a natural-born citizen of the United States and is therefore ineligible to serve as commander-in-chief of the U.S. Armed Forces.

Cook further states he “would be acting in violation of international law by engaging in military actions outside the United States under this President’s command. … simultaneously subjecting himself to possible prosecution as a war criminal by the faithful execution of these duties.”

Cook, a reservist, received the orders mobilizing him to active duty on June 9.

According to this document, which accompanies Cook’s July 8 application for a temporary restraining order, he has been ordered to report to MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Fla., on Wednesday. From there, the Florida resident would go to Fort Benning before deploying overseas.

Documents show Obama was born in Hawaii in 1961, two years after it became a state.

A hearing to discuss Cook’s requests will take place in federal court here Thursday at 9:30 a.m.

It’s distressing enough to realize that there are still people out there stupid enough to believe this line of bullshit, but it’s even more disheartening to realize that at least one of them is in a position of leadership, responsible for training and mentoring young troops.  What kind of example is Maj. Cook setting for the young soldiers he might command?  What kind of judgement is he showing by clinging so tightly to such a ridiculous and obvious line of right-wing lies and smears?

None whatsoever.  He deserves to be court-martialed, demoted to Private and sent to Fort Leavenworth.  He’s a disgrace to himself, the Army, and his country.

If he wanted out of the Army so badly, it would have been better if he’d just told them he was gay.

Update (7/15/09): Major Cook’s deployment orders have been rescinded.  In a curious twist to this sordid tale, it turns out the “Major” actually volunteered to deploy to Afghanistan in May of this year, six months after President Obama’s election and four months after his swearing-in.  If he had these concerns about the legitimacy of his commander-in-chief, why didn’t he quit the reserves six months ago?  Why volunteer to go, and then make up this bogus claim about the President’s birth certificate?

I smell a rat.  This looks like a transparent ploy to put this ridiculous conspiracy theory in the national media spotlight.  Major Cook is a disgrace to the uniform.

Update 2 (7/15/09): Keith Olbermann reported last night in his “Worst Persons” segment that Major Cook has now lost his job as a Pentagon contractor.

The craziest f***ing thing I’ve ever heard

Rep. Bachmann must be reading my blog.  This comment showed up today (e-mail address has been removed to protect the idiotic):

I have to make it public. It’s suppose to be secret, however most people in Austin, Tx knows about it. The police department has machine that can read your mind. A machine that can read someone’s mind will be used to violate EVERYONE’S CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS!!! It can also change the way you feel. Sexual impulses, anger, and paranoia are all feelings they can induce to you at their fingertips. This means it can cause a girl or boy to feel sexual, and get raped thinking they wanted to. Its like a drug. This is just one of the many crimes they commit with this machine RIGHT NOW!!!! They are using it right now to spy on their citizens RIGHT NOW!!! People will be spied on in there homes, without a warrant. (this means someone will be able to watch you during sex without your knowledge.) There are a lot of people all over the United States knowing about this machine. The police department is able to use it to spy on people in their own home. During interrogation they keep a person dazed, confused and not sound of mind to cohersed them into making certain statements. This is a violation of these people’s constitutional rights. Start thinking about how the government has given the police department a weapon to commit not only one of the biggest civil and constitutional rights violations of all time, but to commit war crimes such as rape, brainwashing, and toturing people without the victim’s knowledge. I know it is hard to believe, however if you happen to know someone in the police department who cares for you enough, just ask if they have a machine that can read and control people’s mind. After that, I would also like people to think about how we are able to get the government to stop letting the police department violate the people’s civil and constitutional rights, and committing war crimes against there own citizens. Major media companies have knowledge of this, but are not willing to broadcast it. People need to find out and talk about this issue.

Thanks, whoever you are.  I needed a laugh.  I think I’ll go put some tinfoil in my hat now.

Psycho bitch Laura Ingraham on Meghan McCain

This is what passes for rational dialogue on the extreme Right these days (from Think Progress.org):

Now, here’s a pic of Meghan McCain.

Is she “plus-size”?  Hardly.  Regular readers of this site know I’m no fan of her father, and have been a frequent critic of his policies and attitudes toward veterans.  But calling a beautiful, curvaceous young woman like Meghan “plus size”, especially coming from an anorexic bitch like Ingraham, is simply ridiculous.

So here’s a note to Ms. Ingraham:  Just because a girl has breasts and hips, doesn’t mean she’s “fat.”  Men like women with curves and soft bits.  So shit-can the faux-valley girl mockery and mean-spirited weight jokes.

Grow up already.  And eat a steak while you’re at it, or if you’re not feeling that hungry, eat Ann Coulter.  The country doesn’t need her either.  And it would be nice to see the Far Right actually eating its own rather than just figuratively.

Is this the worst they can come up with?

Referring to the McCain-Palin coattailing of Obama’s “Change” theme, Senator Obama said this recently at a campaign rally:

“John McCain says he’s about change, too – except for economic policy, health care policy, tax policy, education policy, foreign policy and Karl Rove-style politics,” Mr. Obama said. “That’s not change. That’s just calling the same thing something different. You can put lipstick on a pig – it’s still a pig.”

Predictably, the McCain campaign jumped all over it, claiming it was a direct insult to Gov. Palin.  Apparently, the expression, which predates most of our grandparents, referred to her because she mentioned lipstick last week in her speech.

How fucking desperate can you get?  This is on the same level as Cindy McCain’s assertion that Palin has “foreign policy experience” because she lives next door to Russia.

Desperate, sad, pathetic.

Those Musically Challenged Republicans

Pity the poor Republicans.  Every song they’ve tried to use in the futile effort to place John McCain in the Oval Office has resulted in either a lawsuit or a cease-and-desist order.  John Mellencamp, Van Halen, Jackson Browne, and now Heart have all kindly requested they knock it the fuck off.  Well, Mellencamp hasn’t actually filed suit, he just reminded them he’s a staunch Democrat who would rather roast in hell for eternity than vote for a lying hypocrite.  I’m sure he put it more politely.

So, in the spirit of bipartisanship I’d like to offer a short list of songs they might consider using at future events.

• The Bitch is Back – Elton John
• Ballcrusher – WASP
• Hot for Teacher – Van Halen (oops, maybe not)
• Got Me Under Pressure – ZZ Top
• Killer Queen – Queen
• Disposable Heroes – Metallica
• Dittohead – Slayer
• War Pigs – Black Sabbath

Hope this helps, gents!  See y’all in November!

Quote of the day

“The experience that she comes from is with what she’s done in the government. And also, remember: Alaska is the closest part of our continent to Russia. So, it’s not as if she doesn’t understand what’s at stake here.” – Cindy McCain on Sarah Palin’s (lack of) foreign policy credientials

Do the McCains think the Soviet Union is still flying bombers into Alaskan airspace?

Life in McCainistan – nine cars to grap a cappuccino

The L.A. Times reports that regular guy, non-arugula eating, definitely NOT elitist presidential candidate John Sidney McCain recently had a hankerin’ for a tall, hot mug of java juice. So, like any other ordinary, average guy who does not eat arugula or own ten properties, he got in his car and hit up the local Starbucks.

Wait – make that one of NINE cars:

McCain, who huddled with advisors at his desert compound in Sedona, Ariz., said nothing in public. A nine-car motorcade took him to a nearby Starbucks early in the morning, where he ordered a large cappuccino. McCain otherwise avoided reporters.

I understand the need for security on the presidential campaign trail, but how dangerous is it, really, in Sedona, Arizona?  And what about the sheer scale of this operation?  Here’s a photo of one of the vehicles:

Looks like a Chevy Suburban or something similar.  Probably gets about 18 MPG.  And there are five people in the photo, two of whom appear to be the McCains.  That leaves three others, including a driver and some bodyguards.

Let’s assume every car had four people in it (wouldn’t want them to be too crowded, after all) and the vehicles had a full tank of gas.  Without delving into the specifics of Secret Service pay scales, nine cars with four people apiece, minus two McCains = 34 people.  Since there’s a Starbuck’s on nearly every streetcorner in Arizona, we can safely assume a trip of less than ten miles.

That’s still a lot of gas wasted for a $4.00 cup of coffee.

But then, I suppose he deserves it – he was, after all, a POW who didn’t have cappuccino for 5 1/2 years in Hanoi.

Get a grip, dude

Long-time Clintonisto and unapologetic propagandist James “Serpent Head” Carville recently commented on Gov. Bill Richardson’s support for Barack Obama, describing it as

“An act of betrayal,” … “Mr. Richardson’s endorsement came right around the anniversary of the day when Judas sold out for 30 pieces of silver, so I think the timing is appropriate, if ironic,” Mr. Carville said, referring to Holy Week.

Really, Mr. Carville?  Are we really supposed to believe that Hillary Clinton is Jesus Christ?  Please.  Bit of a stretch, don’t you think?

More campaign stupidity

I don’t know why this “issue” keeps coming up, but it’s been the stench at this season’s electoral meal ever since Obama entered the race. The only reason I can think of is to scare people into voting against the “scary black man”. It is this:

Is Barack Hussein Obama a Muslim?

The answer, of course is an unqualified “NO” (he’s a Christian) but that hasn’t stopped his opponents, both on the Red Team and the Good Team, from raising the question as though it were relevant. The implication, of course, is that Muslims are bad people because some of them are terrorists, and by repeating the man’s middle name often he becomes associated with a well-known Muslim dictator who, as we all “know”, supported terrorism during his reign.

The most recent incident came from the Right, from which all such things are expected to originate, in the form of talk show host Bill Cunningham “working the crowd” at a McCain rally in Cincinnati. He mentioned “Barack Hussein Obama” no fewer than three times during his warm-up act. McCain later repudiated the man’s statements, to his credit.

Earlier last month a photo surfaced last month of Obama visiting Kenya and wearing traditional Muslim clothing. Exactly where the photo came from isn’t entirely clear, but the Obama camp blamed the Clintonistas. Really, though, lots of people have visited foreign lands and worn the clothing appropriate to the culture. “When in Rome,” after all.

Hillary Clinton has been photographed wearing a traditional Muslim head scarf, so does that make her a Muslim?

George W. Bush was recently photographed wearing whatever this is, does that make him a cross-dresser?

 

 

Bill Clinton was once seen wearing a traditional Jewish shawl. I guess that makes him an orthodox Jew?

 

I’m pretty sure someone has a picture of me wearing tights and a sword. Does that make me a 13th century mercenary? Or maybe a pirate? No, of course not. I like Ellen Degeneres, the Indigo Girls and k.d. lang, I’ve been known to wear flannel, and I’m not bad with power tools. Does that make me a lesbian? (just kidding) No. Obviously I’m being ridiculous to illustrate ridiculousness. Both sides need to move beyond this divisive, racist and irrelevant garbage and stop, as Hillary recently put it, borrowing “tactics straight out of Karl Rove’s playbook.”

If the photo came from the Clinton camp, as Obama alleges, then that’s pretty much as Rove-ian as you can get.