Bad Medicine

originally posted at: 2BucksWorth.com

Nolanbuck's note: I have worked in health care for nigh on 20 years, and while I am no expert, I do know a thiing or two about how the system works, from both sides of the reception desk. This blog on the current health care debate is long overdue. My apologies to those who I told I would be addressing this issue earlier for failing to do so. But better late than never.

That is....unless of course you are President Obama or the Democratic congressional leadership, is which case later is always a bad idea when right the heck now is so much better. Later would cause so many nasty side effects, like congresspersons actually reading the bill they are voting on, or the "3 days of sunshine" that Mr. Obama promised (but has yet to deliver even once) for every bill before the Congress.

And now again they are in an all-fired hurry to pass a health care reform bill. I guess a bad idea is better if you don't stop to think about it. For crying out loud, even Lyndon Johnson took over a year to pass the legislative kidney stone that became Medicare. Why the big rush?

Why, of course, is because the previous big spending bills and an "apologize-first" foreign policy have this President and his pals in Congress staring at some sliding poll numbers, so better to ram all of the pet projects through before the American people wake up completely from their coma. And now even the so-called "conservative Democrats" in Congress have grown a spine and have started telling Speaker Pelosi that they will lose their job if they keep being led around by the nose toward a big government agenda.

But why not have health care reform, if we can just slow down abit and actually talk about it? Well, it depends on the kind of "reform" you are interested in. Does health care in America need some work? Absolutely it does. Don't I want everyone to have decent health care? Of course I do.

But the bill currently before the Congress does the wrong thing in the wrong way. Government health care coverage plans like Medicare and Medicaid already make health care cost more for everyone by demanding care that patients don't need (like a three day minimum hospital stay before a patient can be moved to an outpatient rehabilitation center) and then setting their own price regardless of the cost of the care they insist upon. And who makes up the difference in the cost? Those of us who have private health insurance or pay out of pocket.

Ask yourself: why can practically everyone afford car insurance (which is required by law) and home insurance (required by the mortgage company) but we can't afford our own health insurance without help from our employer, the government, etc? Because the government is already knee-deep in the health care system, and they are the ones driving up costs. I'm no fan of the insurance or drug companies, but it makes me want to laugh when people blame the corruption of the big evil corporations for the problems in health care, when our own government's health care appendages are rife with corruption, graft, and incompetence, all of which make health care more expensive and less available for all of us.

If this bill passes, you will be required by law to have health insurance. Don't want it? Tough. you will be allowed to keep your current employer plan if you have one. But if you resign or are fired, you will be forced into the government plan. The plan would also hurt those of us who already have insurance by either taxing our previously un-taxable health benefits, or providing a cheaper-per-employee government subsidized plan that would force many companies to abandon their own plan to save the company money. So much for keeping your own plan if you like it, huh?

This bill could also hurt those who currently do not have insurance through their employer, by forcing companies to extend benefits or pay a fine. Either cost will force employer to reduce work force size to compensate for the cost of the new legislation. So some Americans who now have a job but no insurance will soon have insurance but no job. Awesome idea. (Not)

The bottom line is this, health care in America needs some help. It needs to be streamlined, cleaned up of corruption and waste, made safer by increased infection control, and yes, made available to everyone. The question is, do we need the government to spend $1 trillion of our money to fix it? Or do we need to have experts from every discipline of health care and business come together to make a better plan? A plan that includes co-ops for the uninsured to buy insurance at lower group rates, limits on federal manipulation of heath care funding and maybe even an insurance for your health insurance, a few extra dollars a week to make sure you have coverage to bridge the gap if you are out of work or hurt.

What we do not need is a government-run health care system, at a time when countries like Canada and Australia that have socialized medicine are backing away in favor of more private care. We do not need just sit by and trust our very well-being to the government that gave us Social Security (bankrupt), Medicare (bankrupt) and welfare, or to the President and Congress that rushed through a stimulus bill so far has only allowed unemployment to rise higher (9.5%) than they said it would go without the stimulus (8%).

It is time to say no....time to say ENOUGH. Stop spending our children's money and our national prosperity on your own Voltairian social welfare-state dreams and start doing your jobs...which is looking out for the best interests of the people who hired you. The country needs some fixing, but it needs a tune up, not a new paint job and tinted windows. Call your congressperson, call the White House, tell them to slow down and stop trying to pull the wool over our eyes, act like adults and maybe they can do us some good for a change.

Nolanbuck

Just Leave Him Alone

originally posted at: 2BucksWorth.com

Leave Me Alone-Stop It! Just Stop Doggin' Me Around

"Leave Me Alone" - Michael Jackson

First of all, I'd like to apologize for not blogging for awhile, but that's what a full life and a borderline addiction to Mafia Wars will get you. I'm sure some of you wondered if I had given up blogging, and for a few it may have been a welcome respite.

Speaking of welcome respites, I for one will be glad when everyone stops talking about Michael Jackson. I'd be a liar if I said I wasn't a fan back in the 80's, when Michael was the biggest thing in music. I remember when I got Thriller for Christmas and played it from first to last over and over.

But all the talk about Jacko is beginning to make me both fed up and a little put-off. Firstly, it has been incessant for over a week now, and it's gets old. But more than that, the way some people are talking about the man strikes me as way over the top.

Some are hailing him as some sort of demigod, which is of course ridiculous and insulting to my intelligence. Michael was a supremely gifted individual, his talent and entertainment acumen are undeniable. He broke the color-barrier at MTV at a time when they did not play African American artists' videos. He was one of the first black men who could say he was the biggest star of the time. He was not, however, the greatest performer of all time - not even the greatest African American performer - Sammy Davis, Jr was better. And MJ was no Elvis, Jackson was around longer, but Elvis was the most famous person alive for over 25 years. I know it's hard to keep our perspective when we've recently lost someone so talented, but "all-time" is a long time.

Then there are others intent on reminding us of Michael's failings, and they are many. Calling him a weirdo may be close to the mark, but it's more than a bit uncharitable at this point. Michael was an odd-duck, to be sure, but most of it was harmless if distracting. And those who call him a child molester are being unfair to a man who was never found guilty of anything. And no, paying a kid to keep the secrets of a very private man is weird, but not proof of wrongdoing.

Now let me be clear, many of Michael's interactions with youngsters, even those he admitted to like sleeping in a bed full of kids, were very inappropriate, wrong, selfish, and not in the best interests of the kids. I have to wonder where the parents of these kids were and why they allowed their children to be put in this situation, but Michael should have known better and he can't be excused for inappropriate behavior. Did he ever cross the line with these kids? I don't know, and neither does anyone who wasn't there. I hope to God not, but we don't know.

Michael Jackson is neither a god nor a devil, he was simply a very talented and very damaged man who had a very hard time making good choices. He was robbed of his childhood and spent the rest of his life chasing what he could never have back. He was a study in indulgence, a cautionary tale of the pitfalls of no self control. Even though he veered into areas that we find inappropriate and reprehensible, in many other ways he is us, writ large. The reasons why Michael ruined his health, finances and career are the same reasons why America is a nation of overweight, in-debt couch potatoes...our access has outrun our self control. We eat too much, watch too much tv, stay on the internet too long, spend too much money...because we can. Sometimes we too have a hard time making good choices with our time, health, and money.

What we need to learn from Michael is that in this world of instant access and abundance... enough is still enough, too much is still too much, and wrong is still wrong.

Nolanbuck

You'd have to be crazy to be a dad!

originally posted at: 2BucksWorth.com

As we approach another Father's Day, I find myself a mix of emotions and thoughts. Those who know me well would not find that different from any other day, but at this time my heart and mind are travelling one particular road together, that of fatherhood.

Firstly for my own father, whom I love, respect and admire. For years now I have know we are two very different men; on the surface of it, I am probably the least like my father of his three sons. But with the wisdom of some years and the benefit of their reflection, I have come to find that we are not so different at all, he and I. He passed on the best of himself to me: his work ethic, his love of laughter, his quiet strength. I am my father's son, and I honor him for allowing me to stand on his shoulders like the trunk of a mighty oak and cast my branches skyward.

Speaking of said branches, my other thoughts this weekend are of course for my own offspring. I am intensely proud of my own sons; as they reach their late teens and early twenties I marvel at the men they are becoming and I cannot help but indulge in a little pride at my contribution to this miracle. And yet I know that much of what they have become, much of the wonder that I marvel at in them is not of my doing. Their wonderful mother, grandparents, countless teachers and coaches, and their heavenly Father have all played a role. And it strikes me that, in retrospect, my job as a father has been not only to have good influence on them myself, but to surround them with the best influences for their minds and hearts to soak up. I know I have failed at times, but I hope on the whole I have served them well.

I will spare you all that my heart is full of today, but I would like to pass along a some of what I have learned as a father for 18 years, particularly as a father of boys.

• Walk uprightly before them. When you walk through their view, there is an "S" on your chest and a cape flowing behind you. You are their hero, act like one. Treat your wife like a lady, show them how a gentleman behaves. Know that every step you take and every word you say, you are training little men. The cameras are always running, gentlemen.
• Love them freely. So many men in this country still suffer from emotional constipation in this day & age. Your kids crave your love and acceptance, pine for your approval, most of them well into adulthood. Be free with the hugs, liberal with the "L" word, an never, ever let them forget that you love them like crazy.
• Be proud of them and let it show. Let them hear you tell someone something good about them. Take an interest in their lives and show them that they can shine. Tell them that you are proud of them and never stop, even when they are grown.
• Be slow to wrath, and quick to forgive. Children need constant discipline, but always remember that discipline has nothing to do with how you feel about it. Resist the temptation to take revenge, even when they deserve it; and don't hold their mistakes over their heads. Deal with it appropriately and move on. Trust me, they will remember their mistakes longer than you will.
• Admit when you are wrong. You will be wrong, alot. Stop trying to be perfect, every Superman has his kryptonite. When you do wrong, acknowledge it, ask for forgiveness and try to learn from it. Isn't that what we expect from our kids?
• Share your beliefs with them. Take them to worship, talk to them honestly about your deeply held beliefs and opinions. Some people call it brainwashing, I call it engaging them as a fellow human being. Mark my words, they will chose their own way, so you need not worry your head over indoctrinating your kids, you aren't programming a robot here. Your beliefs are only the footing, they will build their own house. Let them roam freely in your house of thought and someday, wonder of wonders, you will be invited into theirs.
• Teach them to work. Let them help you do things, encourage them to put their hands on work, get the feel of it. Mowing the yard, fixing a leak, whatever you are doing that they can be involved in. It's not about being a lawnmower or a plumber, it's about learning to do work, whatever it may be. Safety first, to be sure; but let them help...especially while they are willing...even if it would be easier to do it yourself.
• Lastly, delight in your children. Enjoy every moment, even the frustrating ones, and yes, even the painful ones. I know it's cliche', but all to soon they will be gone, and those moments will go with them. So gawk with feigned amazement at every hand-scrawled drawing, clap and cheer like a fanboy at every game or concert or recital. No need to pressure them, just support them 100%. Let your children know they are awesome, and they will go out and be awesome someday.

Happy Father's Day everyone. If you are luck enough to have your dad still around, go see him or call him. And if you are lucky enough to have your kids within reach, hug them and tell them you love them. Like crazy. :-)

Nolanbuck

How The (Middle) East Was Won?

originally posted at: 2BucksWorth.com

By now, my disagreements on policy and politics with our President are legion and well documented. But, as a fair-minded individual, I have to give the man credit when it is due him.

His speech in Cairo this week, while containing a few items I disagree with and a couple of minor historical inaccuracies, was on the whole brilliant and well-worded. After a couple of days of reflections upon it, I'd like to mention a few passages from the speech.

"I am grateful for your hospitality, and the hospitality of the people of Egypt.
I am also proud to carry with me the goodwill of the American people, and a
greeting of peace from Muslim communities in my country: assalaamu alaykum."

Excellent greeting, but it would be nice for him to convey a greeting of peace from all Americans. Just a thought.

"We meet at a time of tension between the United States and Muslims around the
world - tension rooted in historical forces that go beyond any current policy
debate...Violent extremists have exploited these tensions in a small but potent
minority of Muslims. The attacks of September 11th, 2001 and the continued efforts of these extremists to engage in violence against civilians has led some in my country to view Islam as inevitably hostile not only to America and Western countries, but
also to human rights. This has bred more fear and mistrust."

Excellent, if perhaps self-evident, point.

"And I consider it part of my responsibility as President of the United States
to fight against negative stereotypes of Islam wherever they appear." (huge
applause from crowd)"....But that same principle must apply to Muslim
perceptions of America" (mixed reception). "Just as Muslims do not fit a
crude stereotype, America is not the crude stereotype of a self-interested
empire."

Bam! Best line of the speech. Brilliantly written and delivered.

"Much has been made of the fact that an African-American with the name Barack
Hussein Obama could be elected President. But my personal story is not so
unique. The dream of opportunity for all people has not come true for everyone
in America, but its promise exists for all who come to our shores - that
includes nearly seven million American Muslims in our country today who enjoy
incomes and education that are higher than average."

Even though his estimate of Muslims in the US is about two times too high, the thought behind the statement still rings true.

"In Ankara, I made clear that America is not - and never will be - at war with
Islam. We will, however, relentlessly confront violent extremists who pose a
grave threat to our security. Because we reject the same thing that people of
all faiths reject: the killing of innocent men, women, and children. And it is
my first duty as President to protect the American people."

A well-made contrast, putting a fine point on an issue that is too often broad-brushed.

"America's strong bonds with Israel are well known. This bond is unbreakable. It
is based upon cultural and historical ties, and the recognition that the
aspiration for a Jewish homeland is rooted in a tragic history that cannot be
denied."

I'm glad to hear him say this so unequivocally. The entire Israel/Palestine portion of the speech was bold and searing in its frankness and truth. It was an even-handed rebuke in front of a biased audience, and he did not wilt from its delivery.

"No matter where it takes hold, government of the people and by the people sets a
single standard for all who hold power: you must maintain your power through
consent, not coercion; you must respect the rights of minorities, and
participate with a spirit of tolerance and compromise; you must place
the interests of your people and the legitimate workings of the political
process above your party. Without these ingredients, elections alone do
not make true democracy."

(emphasis mine). While I agree with this statement, his relationship with groups like Acorn belie his adherance to this high-minded ideal.

I will not belabor the point, but the President went on to touch on nuclear weapons, democracy, religous freedom, and women's rights in the Middle East. Some will see this speech as kowtowing to Muslims, some will wonder why now it is ok to mention President Obama's muslim heritage when it was an outrage to do so a year ago (a fair point). This President has made his share of foreign policy gaffs in his brief tenure, many of which I have pointed out myself...but this wasn't one of them.

This speech took the moral high-ground without glad-handing or butt-kissing, but by simply stating right as right and wrong as wrong. It's nice to be able to say without reservation: "Well done, Mr. President". I don't expect it to last, but I'll enjoy it while I can.

Nolanbuck

I'm 4 Sotomayor

originally posted at: 2BucksWorth.com

There has been alot of sound a fury from the right over the nomination of federal appeals judge Sonia Sotomayor to the U.S. Supreme court. I've given it alot of thought and frankly I can't see the reason for all the fuss.

Yes, she is a liberal judge (what did you expect? President Obama is a liberal...President Bush appointed two conservatives to the court, why does this shock anyone?) No, she is not a strict constructionist (again, neither is the President, and he won the right to make the appointments). But some food for thought for my conservative brethren & sistren before they go hammer & tongs after this woman.

1. She's replacing a liberal justice, so it's not like this is tipping the balance of the court.
2. She's going to get confirmed anyway. the GOP doesn't have the votes in the Senate to do anything about it.
3. She'll be the first Hispanic justice. Now, I know that shouldn't matter, and it truly doesn't matter to me. But if you think it won't matter at the ballot box if you savage the lady in the Senate, you're nuts.
4. She's turning out to be more conservative-ish than originally thought. While she'll never put Rush Limbaugh out of work ,she has sided with the conservative member of the appellate court more often than her liberal colleague. And she has made some very strong anti-abortion statements (she's a Catholic, you know...and she'll make 6 Catholics out of 9 justices. Again, that shouldn't matter regarding her confirmation, but it can't make pro-choice activist groups very comfortable.)

So if I were running the show for the senate GOP (which I decidedly am not), I would make sure she was asked some tough questions and given a chance to explain some of her more controversial remarks; then I would not only vote for her confirmation, I would applaud it. It's a win-win for Republicans. If she turns out to be far left, we got what we expected. But if she is indeed closer to the center than originally suspected, the court shifts to the right even more.

Nolanbuck

Obama's Gitmo Plan Falls Short

originally posted at: 2BucksWorth.com

In his first week in office, President Obama declared that the terrorist detention facility at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base would be closed. He didn't say how he was going to pull it off, but you have to give him credit for trying to keep a campaign promise.

From that day to this week, his opponents have been allowed to frame the argument about the closing of the controversial prison, and his lack of details led to Congress refusing to fund the closing of the facility.

Now yesterday, the President gave a speech at the National Archives to take back control of this issue. I'm not going to break down the whole speech (which was very long) but here's some thoughts...

1. I find it tacky at best to give a political speech at a sacred place like the National Archives. Make no mistake, the plans he talked about in this speech are political calculations to endear us to other countries and please the U.S. left.

2. While I agree that "enhanced interrogation techniques" are not always the best option, they are occasionally a better option than waiting for something bad to happen. We know that water-boarding revealed a plot for a 9-11 style attack on Los Angeles. If the President thinks that our "torture" could be a recruiting tool for terrorists, what do you think successful attack on a major U.S. city will do for terrorists recruiting?

3. For a guy who says he is not interested in rehashing the past 8 years, the President spent an awful lot of time taking about the last 8 years.

4. I'm all for deporting some of the illegal combatants if other countries will take them and can assure us they will not be released or escape.

5. I'm all for reviewing these cases, as the President proposes, and getting on with prosecutions where warranted.

6. Some of these terrorists cannot be tried here in the U.S., and should not be housed here, even in federal super-max prisons. Even if they can't escape (there's a 1st time for everything), these baddest of the baddies are rock-stars in the terrorist and anti-U.S. crowd, they will preach their hate to the most willing listeners and radicalize those who will someday be released (like the home grown terrorists who were recently caught trying to blow up New York synagogues and military planes, they were radicalized while in prison).

One more point: I know that some of you think I hate President Obama, but nothing could be farther from the truth. He's a very smart man who probably really does want what he thinks is best for the country. The "he thinks" part is where I begin to disagree. Despite all of Mr. Obama's charm, he's still a politician...which means I probably won't trust him; and he's a liberal...which means I probably won't agree with him often. Trying to make that disagreement into hate, or worse: racism, only cheapens the tradition of debate that our country holds so dear.

Nolanbuck

The Prez Snubs Kindergarteners

originally posted at: 2BucksWorth.com

I thought President Obama was for the "little people", but apparently that doesn't apply if you're little because you are five years old.

http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/Kindergarteners-Snubbed-for-Steelers.html

That's just cold. They're little kids for crying out loud (and apparently, they were...crying out loud, that is).

Best line in the story:

"Here we have President Obama and his administration saying, 'Here we are for the common, middle class people,' and here he is not letting 150 5- and 6-year-olds into the White House because he’s throwing a lunch for a bunch of grown millionaires," Stine said.

Ouch. Good thing he won't be running for reelection in 2022.

Nolanbuck