Question #10

Hello everyone! It’s Hump Day and we’re all another day closer to TGIF. As promised, I’m back with another question for you to ponder on. Enjoy! As we wind down the year and think of all that has gone on in the country, one of the most discussed subjects in the media and our homes is healthcare. This subject was one of the major platforms that were included in President Obama’s campaign. This issue is a serious and dire issue due to the fact that there are some 30-40 million adult Americans with little coverage or none at all. This is the only industrialized and advanced nation with such a huge problem.  Canada, our neighbors across the border, solved this issue for themselves a long time ago. So, why is it that the greatest nation on Earth has a problem with it? Well, that depends on who you ask.  The insurance industry says rising costs and a recessive economy. The Republicans blame the Democrats and vice versa. At this rate our population surely will dwindle in abundance due to this gross negligence. People are getting sick and dying everyday because of this issue that hasn’t been dealt with properly. A lot of people try to take care of their health issues at home with OTC medications and treatments instead of going to the emergency room. The motivation behind this pattern of action or rather lack of proper action is often due to a lack of funds to afford the enormous hospital bill that is often sent shortly after one of these ER visits. The average worker in a low-income household barely has enough money to cover their necessities let alone afford some of these ridiculous premiums that these rich insurance companies charge. I myself have been a witness to such. At my last place of employment when I and others in my company became eligible for the health benefit offered by my company, my boss brought out only one application for 4 of us and brought out 4 waiver sheets. He did such knowing at the salary we were getting paid that we would not be able to afford those benefits and  the sadder part of the equation was that we worked closely with the clients that offered the benefit and still couldn’t catch a break! Just the other day, I read a story about a man who had a infection in his leg and didn’t go to the ER because he couldn’t afford it, his friends begged him to go and he wouldn’t, don’t you know, he was found laying in his bed dead the next day by his friends. This has to stop! Point blank period! There is too much at stake for the victims (people who need insurance) to continue this trend of suffering. I know this issue amongst others weighs heavily on the president’s mind, but he’s not the only one with a hand in this. There are senators, congressmen,governors, and many, many more whom also have their say in this issue. At one point and time, there was even a larger amount of idiots(yes, I said idiots!) who were shooting down the idea of helping others at the cost of saving money for the future that isn’t even promised to them! They created a bunch of lies, and tales of deceit, often twisting the truth of the proposed policies that were on the table.  My thing is this, if you are opposed to what is being proposed, then what do you have as an alternative?  I think marching and calling names and creating chaos, doesn’t quite solve the issue at hand. It just slows down the process and people continually suffer. There is an old saying for this, “If you don’t having nothing nice to say then don’t say anything at all”.  My version of this statement is a bit more tactful and a lot more explicit but, I will not say such out of respect for the integrity I’d like this post to maintain. Meanwhile the insurance companies sit back, relax ,rest easy and get bailed out by the same people whom they are oppressing. There was even one major former vice presidential candidate, whose name I will not mention out of respect but also I’m not willing to give any more attention to, who had the biggest hand in twisting one of the options that would have come out of the healthcare reform. She riled up a bunch of people whom either have insurance and are therefore in a more privileged situation or just plain ol’ crazy! Once again, I say this must stop! We must stop this hemorrhaging of our moral fabric and goodwill towards our fellow man. In the end we may all differ in opinion on exactly what must be done, but it will be better is something is done than to have nothing done at all! So, back to my question, In your opinion, do you think that healthcare reform with a public option will be worked out and ready to go within the next 12 months? As always comments are deeply appreciated.

question #3

Hello all! It’s Friday, Thank God!  I’m back with another of those questions as promised so let’s get to it. If one word were to be voted on as most synonymous with the year 2009, chances are that word would be RECESSION. Though it started initially around 2007, peaked this year all of us have been affected by it at one point in time or another whether it be the loss of a job, someone you knew lost a job, your favorite store went out of business or simply you noticed less money in your wallet,bank account,etc. It has been tough! The obvious out of all of this is that the primary reason this has happened to us is a combination of things. For starters, there has been little if not any at all oversight over our financial stability as a country from crooked bonuses to the Madoff scandal. Some shady characters have been living high off of the hog for some time now. Now combine that with an impotent administration that had us in a war that really didn’t do anything for us but alienate us as a bunch of bullies around the globe all while spending a surplus and creating a deficit and there you have it: A recipe for broke person’s stew or as I call the “empty pockets syndrome”. People have gone absolutely nuts during this period of time and have gone through some extreme measures just to make ends meet.  However, in spite of all that is going on, there has been some bright spots with the election of a capable leader, who has a efficient administration, and who makes decisions that while all may not agree with them they are far better decisions than his predecessor. He has brought us back into the huddle of camaraderie with the rest of the world and though the recession isn’t over completely as some of us still need jobs and changes, he has brought a bright light over a dark dark situation. I believe that he stopped the hemorrhaging of our economy’s value to stand as a leader of the free world. While some may agree and most definitely some will disagree, once this recession is declared completely over, Do you think they will give President Barack Obama his credit due? Time will tell. In the meanwhile what do you think?