Our elected officials never cease to amaze me with their totally deplorable behavior. Latest case in point: Representative Alan Grayson of Florida (8th District, including Orlando). Last night, on the floor of Congress, he opined that the Republican health care plan was as follows: "1. Don't get sick"; 2. and if you do get sick (sic) 3. Die Quickly." You can see the utterly distasteful display here: http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2009/09/30/politics/politicalhotsheet/entry5353632.shtml
I thought that, as Article 1, Section 2 of the Constitution of the United States requires that all those elected to the House of Representatives be at least 25 years of age, we would be electing mature adults to the House of Representatives. However, Representative Grayson's display certainly proves that presumption wrong.
This utterly childish and reprehensible behavior does nothing to advance a civil discourse on the health care issue. In fact, it sets it back - way back. Show me where one single Republican said such a thing. This rant is, in my opinion, all the product of a very fertile and childish imagination.
While Representative Grayson remains in office, I for one will not be spending my hard-earned dollars vacationing in Florida (and for me not to visit Walt Disney World is quite difficult). As this Representative, in my eyes, is not worthy of the office, I will be boycotting Florida as a vacation destination for my family until he resigns or is voted out.
People, we really need to elect officials who are worthy of the office and who deserve to represent us. Not people who only try to advance partisanship with vitriol and misrepresentation (at best).
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Sunday, September 27, 2009
We the People take precedence over political parties.
Within the past few weeks there have been unbelievable examples showing that politicians just don't understand their jobs as our elected officials. We the people, the tax payers, the voters, elect them; not their political party. Once the elections are over, however, the politicians continue to worship at the feet of their political parties and the leaders of those parties.
Case in point - the State of Massachusetts. By now, everyone must have heard about Ted Kennedy's letter to Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick, requesting that Massachusetts law, which required a special election of his successor within 5 months of the vacancy in the office, be damned, and that the Governor appoint an interim Senator, for which there was then no provision in Massachusetts law. http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/2009/08/kennedy_headlin.html
http://news.aol.com/article/paul-g-kirk-jr-to-be-ted-kennedys-senate/639791 You may recall, that the law requiring a special election was enacted by the Massachusetts legislature in 2004, when the Democratic Party there had high hopes that Senator John Kerry would be elected President. In order to thwart Republican then-Governor Mitt Romney from appointing *gasp* a Republican should Kerry have been elected President, the Democratic legislature passed the law requiring the special election. Now, within the past few weeks, not only has the Democratic legislature told the people of Massachusetts that the Democratic Party and Ted Kennedy's wishes are more important than they are by changing the law and allowing the Governor (a Democrat) to appoint an interim Senator (a Democrat), because the legislation did not take effect immediately, the Governor himself signed an emergency letter so he could make the appointment immediately. How does anyone in their right mind not see this any anything but self-serving for the Democratic Party and detrimental to the people?
And the presumption to manipulate state politics appears to have continued with certain people contacting the Governor of Massachusetts with their endorsements of long-time friend of the late Senator, not to mention executor of his will, Paul Kirk. http://features.csmonitor.com/politics/2009/09/23/ted-kennedys-friend-paul-kirk-now-favorite-for-senate-seat/ http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2009/09/kennedy-successor-its-kirk.html How many regular tax paying citizens of the State of Massachusetts would have been able to personally contact the Governor and express their "choice" for the interim appointee? As you know, Mr. Kirk was indeed appointed, and was sworn in late last week by Vice President Biden.
I am so glad that I no longer live in Massachusetts. Had I remained a resident, you can believe I would be even more appalled at, and embarrassed by, the antics of the elected officials than I am now.
Now, you have the White House (via White House political director Patrick Gaspard according to numerous reports) meddling in New York State affairs by presuming to pressure New York Governor David Patterson not to run for election in 2010. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/thefix/white-house/paterson-white-house-adviser-h.html?wprss=thefix http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2009/09/white-house-tells-gov-paterson-he-shouldnt-run-for-reelection.html http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/21/nyregion/21paterson.html Patterson was Lt. Governor under former Governor Eliot Spitzer who resigned from office in 2008, and was sworn in as Governor after the resignation took effect. Once again, Democratic Party interests appear to be overriding the right of we the people to choose our elected officials. Good for Governor Patterson for vowing to stay in the race. If you truly put the people of the state of New York first, then do not kow-tow to the pressure from the political party. Joe Lieberman didn't and we independents re-elected him to the Senate.
It's time elected officials remember that "we, the people" employ them - their political parties do not. Our elected officials have forgotten that they serve at our will, and not the will of their political parties. It's time to put the people over the interests, and demands of the political parties. And it's time to demand that our elected officials show us the respect we deserve.
Case in point - the State of Massachusetts. By now, everyone must have heard about Ted Kennedy's letter to Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick, requesting that Massachusetts law, which required a special election of his successor within 5 months of the vacancy in the office, be damned, and that the Governor appoint an interim Senator, for which there was then no provision in Massachusetts law. http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/2009/08/kennedy_headlin.html
http://news.aol.com/article/paul-g-kirk-jr-to-be-ted-kennedys-senate/639791 You may recall, that the law requiring a special election was enacted by the Massachusetts legislature in 2004, when the Democratic Party there had high hopes that Senator John Kerry would be elected President. In order to thwart Republican then-Governor Mitt Romney from appointing *gasp* a Republican should Kerry have been elected President, the Democratic legislature passed the law requiring the special election. Now, within the past few weeks, not only has the Democratic legislature told the people of Massachusetts that the Democratic Party and Ted Kennedy's wishes are more important than they are by changing the law and allowing the Governor (a Democrat) to appoint an interim Senator (a Democrat), because the legislation did not take effect immediately, the Governor himself signed an emergency letter so he could make the appointment immediately. How does anyone in their right mind not see this any anything but self-serving for the Democratic Party and detrimental to the people?
And the presumption to manipulate state politics appears to have continued with certain people contacting the Governor of Massachusetts with their endorsements of long-time friend of the late Senator, not to mention executor of his will, Paul Kirk. http://features.csmonitor.com/politics/2009/09/23/ted-kennedys-friend-paul-kirk-now-favorite-for-senate-seat/ http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2009/09/kennedy-successor-its-kirk.html How many regular tax paying citizens of the State of Massachusetts would have been able to personally contact the Governor and express their "choice" for the interim appointee? As you know, Mr. Kirk was indeed appointed, and was sworn in late last week by Vice President Biden.
I am so glad that I no longer live in Massachusetts. Had I remained a resident, you can believe I would be even more appalled at, and embarrassed by, the antics of the elected officials than I am now.
Now, you have the White House (via White House political director Patrick Gaspard according to numerous reports) meddling in New York State affairs by presuming to pressure New York Governor David Patterson not to run for election in 2010. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/thefix/white-house/paterson-white-house-adviser-h.html?wprss=thefix http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2009/09/white-house-tells-gov-paterson-he-shouldnt-run-for-reelection.html http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/21/nyregion/21paterson.html Patterson was Lt. Governor under former Governor Eliot Spitzer who resigned from office in 2008, and was sworn in as Governor after the resignation took effect. Once again, Democratic Party interests appear to be overriding the right of we the people to choose our elected officials. Good for Governor Patterson for vowing to stay in the race. If you truly put the people of the state of New York first, then do not kow-tow to the pressure from the political party. Joe Lieberman didn't and we independents re-elected him to the Senate.
It's time elected officials remember that "we, the people" employ them - their political parties do not. Our elected officials have forgotten that they serve at our will, and not the will of their political parties. It's time to put the people over the interests, and demands of the political parties. And it's time to demand that our elected officials show us the respect we deserve.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
A Cautionary Tale of Government Health Plans
Pancreatic cancer is an awful, terrible and painful disease. In my family, we lost two women, about 14 years apart. Both my grandmother and my second cousin died within five to six weeks of diagnosis. My grandmother was on Medicare; my second cousin was likely on public assistance, as she had not been able to work in years. My second cousin was sent home, without any support, with instructions to try drink Boost or Ensure, to die. The so-called medical professionals had tried to do that with my grandmother, too, but, because of their failure to treat her to keep her from forming blood clots, she suffered a stroke while they were moving her, and she couldn’t leave the hospital. The important lesson here: without treatment, pancreatic cancer kills in an extremely short period of time (generally five to six weeks).
Now, let’s juxtapose the above cases with two other high profile cases: Patrick Swayze and Carnegie Mellon University Professor Randy Pausch (who co-wrote “The Last Lecture”). I do not begrudge these men the treatment they received – in fact, I think it’s the type of treatment all people suffering from and fighting pancreatic cancer should receive. These men apparently had private insurance and were not on any form of public assistance or Medicare. And they did indeed receive treatment. As a result of the treatment they received, Patrick lived approximately 20 months after diagnosis; and Randy lived approximately 23 months past diagnosis. These men were given the chance to come to grips with their diagnoses, accept them, get their affairs in order, and most importantly spend time with their families. There was also a public benefit to the treatment they received. With each victim of pancreatic cancer who fights, we as a society are benefited by learning what treatments work, and which don’t, which ultimately will lead us to a cure for this devastating disease. So, I have respect for these men, and thanks for them for fighting and for helping science improve its knowledge of this disease, what makes it tick, and how to fight it.
Finally, let’s compare the above cases to that of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Ginsburg, who was diagnosed, thanks to our tax dollars paying for her ultimate health care coverage, with pancreatic cancer early this year. Ginsburg, 75, was undergoing a CAT scan” during a routine annual check-up at the National Institutes of Health” when the small tumor was spotted. How many taxpayers get CAT scans during our routine check-ups, whether we are insured or on Medicare or Medicaid? I have never heard of such a thing. If I go to my primary care physician and request, during my routine annual checkup, to have a CAT scan performed, I can just imagine the hysterical laughter that would greet me in response. Yet, Ginsburg, older than my grandmother was at the time of her diagnosis, was not sent home to die, like my grandmother, for all intents and purposes was. Instead, she is getting treatment, state of the art treatment, no doubt, starting with surgery at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York this past February. http://blogs.wsj.com/health/2009/02/05/understanding-justice-ginsburgs-pancreatic-cancer/ All at taxpayer expense, thanks to the extremely generous health care package our elected officials have awarded themselves, the President and his family and the Justices of the Supreme Court, and others.
When and if the federal government rushes through a health care plan for Americans, rest assured it will never resemble the health care plan that Justice Ginsburg has. It won’t even resemble the health care Patrick Swayze and Randy Pausch had. You can bet on it that it will resemble what my grandmother and second cousin had, and you should pray that you never suffer from pancreatic cancer, because under any health care plan the government promulgates, you *will* be sent home to die. Our federal government, when it comes to health care, has acted like the pigs in George Orwell’s Animal Farm, saving the milk and cream for themselves, and giving us, the taxpayers, who do the work for the country, only poor and dwindling rations. Unless and until the Congress, the President, and the Supreme Court Justices, as well as any other officials covered by that plan, give up the “ultimate” health care plan, as I call it, and join their fellow Americans in the proposed health can plan, you can be sure that any plan they propose for taxpayers will be monumentally subpar to their own.
Now, let’s juxtapose the above cases with two other high profile cases: Patrick Swayze and Carnegie Mellon University Professor Randy Pausch (who co-wrote “The Last Lecture”). I do not begrudge these men the treatment they received – in fact, I think it’s the type of treatment all people suffering from and fighting pancreatic cancer should receive. These men apparently had private insurance and were not on any form of public assistance or Medicare. And they did indeed receive treatment. As a result of the treatment they received, Patrick lived approximately 20 months after diagnosis; and Randy lived approximately 23 months past diagnosis. These men were given the chance to come to grips with their diagnoses, accept them, get their affairs in order, and most importantly spend time with their families. There was also a public benefit to the treatment they received. With each victim of pancreatic cancer who fights, we as a society are benefited by learning what treatments work, and which don’t, which ultimately will lead us to a cure for this devastating disease. So, I have respect for these men, and thanks for them for fighting and for helping science improve its knowledge of this disease, what makes it tick, and how to fight it.
Finally, let’s compare the above cases to that of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Ginsburg, who was diagnosed, thanks to our tax dollars paying for her ultimate health care coverage, with pancreatic cancer early this year. Ginsburg, 75, was undergoing a CAT scan” during a routine annual check-up at the National Institutes of Health” when the small tumor was spotted. How many taxpayers get CAT scans during our routine check-ups, whether we are insured or on Medicare or Medicaid? I have never heard of such a thing. If I go to my primary care physician and request, during my routine annual checkup, to have a CAT scan performed, I can just imagine the hysterical laughter that would greet me in response. Yet, Ginsburg, older than my grandmother was at the time of her diagnosis, was not sent home to die, like my grandmother, for all intents and purposes was. Instead, she is getting treatment, state of the art treatment, no doubt, starting with surgery at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York this past February. http://blogs.wsj.com/health/2009/02/05/understanding-justice-ginsburgs-pancreatic-cancer/ All at taxpayer expense, thanks to the extremely generous health care package our elected officials have awarded themselves, the President and his family and the Justices of the Supreme Court, and others.
When and if the federal government rushes through a health care plan for Americans, rest assured it will never resemble the health care plan that Justice Ginsburg has. It won’t even resemble the health care Patrick Swayze and Randy Pausch had. You can bet on it that it will resemble what my grandmother and second cousin had, and you should pray that you never suffer from pancreatic cancer, because under any health care plan the government promulgates, you *will* be sent home to die. Our federal government, when it comes to health care, has acted like the pigs in George Orwell’s Animal Farm, saving the milk and cream for themselves, and giving us, the taxpayers, who do the work for the country, only poor and dwindling rations. Unless and until the Congress, the President, and the Supreme Court Justices, as well as any other officials covered by that plan, give up the “ultimate” health care plan, as I call it, and join their fellow Americans in the proposed health can plan, you can be sure that any plan they propose for taxpayers will be monumentally subpar to their own.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Still weeks behind
So, Fifth District Representative Chris Murphy finally changed his web page. Today, Sunday, September 13, he indicates that his meetings with his constituents are as follows:
"Congress on Your Corner
Chris' Public Events on Health Care Reform
Over the last few years, I have held dozens of supermarket office hour sessions, known as "Congress on Your Corner" events, and town halls across Connecticut's Fifth District. At every stop, we had the opportunity to talk about what was going on in your community, and what you wanted Congress to work on to improve our lives here in Connecticut.
I can't do my job without hearing from you, so I hope you can join me for breakfast Tuesday September 1 through Friday September 4, from 8-9am, to talk about health care reform. I'll bring the coffee, you bring the conversation.
Tuesday and Friday - Library Park, Waterbury
Wednesday and Thursday - CityCenter Danbury Green, Danbury
And I will be hosting a town hall meeting in Washington, CT, on Wednesday, September 2 from 5:30-7pm. The meeting will take place at Shepaug Valley High School, 159 South Street, Washington."
http://www.chrismurphy.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=274&Itemid=33
Once again, it's great to see that these appearances are listed well in advance and are timely (NOT!). These appearances were very poorly publicized (never saw anything about them in my local paper), and as you can see from today's entry and the postings below, it is worthless to check Representative Murphy's website for timely updates as he doesn't update this particular web page often (ex: today is September 13, the last meeting listed above took place almost 2 weeks ago).
Once again, at the next election, I urge all voters to vote incumbents out, no matter what party they are in of you are in. It is time to make sure Congress hears the voice of the people.
"Congress on Your Corner
Chris' Public Events on Health Care Reform
Over the last few years, I have held dozens of supermarket office hour sessions, known as "Congress on Your Corner" events, and town halls across Connecticut's Fifth District. At every stop, we had the opportunity to talk about what was going on in your community, and what you wanted Congress to work on to improve our lives here in Connecticut.
I can't do my job without hearing from you, so I hope you can join me for breakfast Tuesday September 1 through Friday September 4, from 8-9am, to talk about health care reform. I'll bring the coffee, you bring the conversation.
Tuesday and Friday - Library Park, Waterbury
Wednesday and Thursday - CityCenter Danbury Green, Danbury
And I will be hosting a town hall meeting in Washington, CT, on Wednesday, September 2 from 5:30-7pm. The meeting will take place at Shepaug Valley High School, 159 South Street, Washington."
http://www.chrismurphy.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=274&Itemid=33
Once again, it's great to see that these appearances are listed well in advance and are timely (NOT!). These appearances were very poorly publicized (never saw anything about them in my local paper), and as you can see from today's entry and the postings below, it is worthless to check Representative Murphy's website for timely updates as he doesn't update this particular web page often (ex: today is September 13, the last meeting listed above took place almost 2 weeks ago).
Once again, at the next election, I urge all voters to vote incumbents out, no matter what party they are in of you are in. It is time to make sure Congress hears the voice of the people.
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