“83% of Americans have health insurance which leaves 17% uninsured. Health care should be made available, at low or no cost, to those uninsured AMERICANS.
However, reforming the entire health care system to accommodate 17% of the population is like taking your car to the mechanic to overhaul the engine when it only needs a tune-up and an oil change.
We don’t need 2000 pages of more regulations. How about just expanding Medicaid eligibility and then Congress can place a moratorium on ALL earmarks and pet projects in order to help pay for this health care.”….Jonah, comment on Citizen Wells Blog
Thoughts on Health Care Reform
The Citizen Wells blog has some great commenters. Hard working, common sense based Americans that care about this country. The above quote is an example not only of the comments on this blog but the opinion of most Americans.
I do not care for either political party, Republican or Democrat. However,
I applaud the Republican party for opposing the socialist health care bill before Congress and fighting attempts by the Democrat controlled Congress to spend us into ruin.
The modern day Democrat party is controlled by far left socialists and appears to be beyond help, save for a few courageous Democrats who voted against the health care bill.
We must continue to voice our concerns over government run health care and hold Congress accountable.
One of the lessons I learned along the way is this. It is not ok to simply criticize a plan. I learned this as a practical consequence of dealing with management. When one is in opposition to a plan or strategy, it is important to not just complain, but to offer a better plan. The Republicans have come up with several far superior plans that have been shunned by the Democrats. They have at their basis the strategem from above. Don’t ruin existing health care to fix it. Simply fix the problems.
The Democrat Health Care Bill is not about fixing health care. It is about control, bigger government, appealing to a support base of far left socialists, attorneys, pharmaceutical companies, abortion proponents and so on. Health care can be dramatically transformed by simply doing the following:
Opening up insurance policies across state lines.
Tort reform. That is limiting the role of trial attorneys and therefore reducing malpractice insurance costs to all segments of health care.
Providing for health insurance portability.
Providing basic health care coverage at a moderate price as a safety net for those that truly can not afford it.
Opening up the health care field to allow more doctors and PA’s. Of course lower malpractice insurance costs will help.
Republicans, Independents and some Democrats, if we allow you to enter or remain in Congress this is not a vote for status quo. We expect you to uphold and defend the US Constitution and function as statesmen and not career politicians. We also want you to fix health care and not politicize it. We are fed up with business as usual.
This is the Citizen Wells open thread for Thursday, October 15, 2009. However, I have a request. Before the general election in 2008, we created the US Constitution Hall of shame. We contacted state election officials and congressmen regarding Obama’s lack of eligibility to be president and asked these public officials to honor and follow the dictates of the US Constitution.
As I have stated repeatedly, the biggest single problem in this country is Congress. They allowed Obama to be elected. They contributed to the mortgage and financial meltdowns and subsequently, in tandem with the illegal, corrupt and socialist Obama administration, exacerbated our financial problems with rampant government spending. Now they are trying to ram down our throats a unpopular health care plan that will greatly worsen our health care and financial situation.
Now, with the upcoming 2010 elections approaching, is the time for united, single minded efforts, as Americans first, to change this un American, non constitutional, out of control Congress. We must put aside our differences of politics, religion and most certainly our egos.
Our efforts as well as other concerned Americans to contact congressmen and record their lack of respect for the US Constitution will be used as a springboard to move forward into and beyond the 2010 elections. We will use voting records on ACORN funding and the health care bill as score cards. Let them pass a health care bill.
Congress has acted in utter defiance of the US Constitution and the will of the American public. Their day of reckoning is near. Let them ramrod a health care bill down our throats. We will replace these politicians with statesmen who will do the job they are elected to do.
What I am asking you to do is this. Let’s begin the process of coming together to organize. This will not be easy and we will be fought to the end, tooth and nail.
First of all, provide your thoughts in comments here today. Begin compiling a list of trusted individuals, bloggers, talk show hosts, attorneys, etc. I plan to be part of this, however, we must combine our resources and efforts. When we choose who to align with we must be careful to pick only those who put God and America first, those with respect for the US Constitution and those who are not motivated by money.
Also, there are websites out there now that do a good job of covering certain aspects, perhaps they can be a central repository for that information.
SC Representative Joe Wilson, a patriot and statesman, will be our poster congressman.
“What is 1,000 lawyers at the bottom of the ocean? A good start.”….Is this a joke? Wells
All you need to know about health care reform
What is the current attempt by Obama and liberal Democrats at health care reform all about?
Appeasing their far left core support.
More control over the American people to get votes.
Payback to trial lawyers and other big supporters (refer to contribution table above).
Achieving the goals of far left, socialist, communists who are controlling the party with the goal of redistribution of wealth..
Why do a high percentage of attorneys support the Democrat party? The Democrat party supports big government and that means more work for attorneys. Have you ever noticed the multitude of attorney ads on TV for representation with Social Security matters?
What will it take to really fix health care?
Tort reform. This has to do with medical malpractice lawsuits and insurance and the cost of litigation for doctors, hospitals and pharmaceutical companies. Trial lawyers such as John Edwards have become wealthy at the expense of the American Public. Obama and the Democratic party are controlled by their high contributor law buddies.
Open up health care policies across state boundaries. This is the only area the federal government should control, to allow a basic health care policy to be sold nationwide. If the states want to supplement this, the additional coverage can be taylored by state.
Health care policy portability. This would allow keeping the same policy when changing jobs.
Provide a basic safety net policy for those currently uninsured who cannot afford insurance now. Adding these people to Medicare is one proposal.
SC Representative and patriot Joe Wilson called Barack Obama a liar when Obama addressed Congress and the American people on health care reform. Who was telling the truth?
“Media must expose Obama’s calculated lying, scare tactics”
“Media Research Center President Brent Bozell issued the following statement this morning demanding the media report President Obama’s lies, distortions and exaggerations delivered in his speech on health care reform last night:”
“Barack Obama will not stop committing serial dishonesty with the American people until the media expose his false figures and bogus exaggerations for what they are: fraudulent scare tactics.:
“Last night Obama told a litany of lies. He said the total cost of his health reform would be $900 billion over ten years, but even the government-run Congressional Budget Office found it would cost $1.6 trillion. He claimed his reform would not cover illegal immigrants or abortions, but nothing in any of the Democrat bills requires citizen verification and several organizations including the National Right to Life Committee have shown exactly how federal funds would be used to pay for abortion-on-demand. He knows these are lies and he tells them because he is confident the left wing ‘news’ media will let him get away with it. ”
We have one of the best health care systems in the world. We just need to make some adjustments. We do not need government run health care. From one of the commenters on this blog:
“Write/Right on, Citizen Wells, we do not want govt. healthcare. My mom who came to this country from England is still alive thanks to good medical care here. Her younger sister, who stayed in England, died years ago from breast cancer that she wasn’t treated agressively for thanks to Socialized Medicine.”….maddie
The regulars on this blog may have seen the following videos. However, they provide excellent insight, from a variety of perspectives, on health care reform.
Anesthesiologist Dr. Todd Rubin on doctors demonstrating to have tort reform included in health reform.
Congressman Mike Rogers, Michigan
ABC’s John Stossel Destroys/Pulverizes/Crushes Obama’s anti-American ‘Health Care’ Plan
The most important message from this article:
We must change Congress next year during the 2010 elections.
This will cure a variety of ills and injustices including repeal of a government run or ruined health care plan.
“We must, indeed, all hang together, or most assuredly we shall all hang separately.“…Benjamin Franklin
I have been thinking about this for some time. We get a lot of comments on this blog. I thank you very much for your efforts and concern about this country. I have stated many times that I could not make this blog effective without the support of so many patriotic Americans.
I have tried to research and write about the major concerns of most Americans and cover the stories that the Main Stream Media has ignored or covered up. This has been a huge challenge that only could have happened with your help.
This article is the first in what I anticipate will be a regular if not daily effort to provide the commenters on this blog with a forum to read and report on issues that you find most relevant. This is a first step to make us more interactive and your input more relevant. We have been discussing some more ideas that will probably be implemented soon. Please be patient with me and at the same time persistent in those ideas that you believe will make us more effective.
I will continue to post articles that I believe are important and will certainly use your input as one of my guides. Please comment on any of the postings that you desire. My hope is that even if you are compelled to comment on the Open Thread, that you will also provide your input on the articles that I write or are provided by others.
I was in Vermont over the extended Labor Day weekend. Before I left I contacted Senator Patrick Leahy via email. Here is what I sent:
“You apparently do not conduct town hall meetings.
However, I would like to take part in any discussions with constituents
or interview you if you will be anywhere near Burlington over the Labor Day weekend.
Thanks.
Mr. Wells”
I received no response.
When I was in Burlington, VT, I called both senator’s offices and they were closed. However I discovered that Senator Bernie Sanders was going to speak at a Labor Day celebration. Here is part of the announcement:
“Burlington Labor Day Celebration & Benefit Concert
September 7, 2009 – 12:00pm – 3:00pm
WHEN: 12 noon – 3pm, Monday, September 7
WHERE: Battery Park, Burlington
WHAT: Senator Bernie Sanders will join hundreds of working families for the 8th Annual Burlington Labor Day Celebration sharing in a community potluck, music, street theater and ice cream. This year’s celebration is being sponsored by the Vermont Workers’ Center, a community-based workers’ rights organization who has been building a statewide grassroots organizing campaign called the “Healthcare Is A Human Right Campaign””
Senator Sanders, considered by many to be an open socialist, has been regularly featured on CNN and other MSM outlets. The video below has some exerpts from his speech, obviously crafted to appeal to a radical, “government owes me”, agenda. I was able to quickly ask Senator Sanders a question about tort reform before he departed.
The next day, as luck or whatever forces, would have it, I was in the Capitol building in Montpelier when State Auditor Tom Salmon, switched from the Democrat to Republican party. Tom Salmon’s father was a former Vermont governor. I present on video part of Salmon’s announcement as well as a question about his thoughts on healthcare reform.
I was also fortunate to obtain an interview with Vermont Republican Chairman, Rob Roper, regarding healthcare reform. Roper provided an opinion about Senator Patrick Leahy which may explain one of the reasons he was unavailable.
I was treated with courtesy, for the most part, at the Sander’s speech. However, I had the distinct impression that they were surprised that I was there and would be recording the speech. Senator Sanders has embarked on a new video campaign for Youtube and other outlets. Gee, I hope that I did not spoil any plans to control presentation or quoting of this speech.
The complete Senator Bernie Sanders speech can be viewed here:
Patriot Dreamer, a real American patriot from this blog, attended the Tea Party Express, big government protest in Washington, DC on September 12, 2009. First of all, I would like to thank Patriot Dreamer and all of the concerned Americans that voiced their displeasure with big government. Here is a YouTube video I assembled from photos taken by Patriot Dreamer. The photos are high quality and present well with the Youtube full screen option.
From commenter prairie
9.12
The Calvary has gathered,
To face the raging storm.
On the Eve of Revolution,
The enemy is warned.
Thunder echoes through the mountains,
The shore beats back the sea.
Above the cannon’s roar…
A call for Liberty.
The Calvary has mounted,
Red, White, and Blue they wave.
The wind rips at her seams,
As they cross the burning plains.
Her stars and stripes are bold,
In contrast to the sky.
Against a cloud of smoke…
Defiantly, she flies.
The Calvary advances,
Upon the Perfect Storm.
Embattled but not broken…
Patriots reborn.
A colorful horizon,
Beckons from the East.
The light of dawn is breaking…
Tyranny retreats.
Prairie
“Inspired by Beck- who used the phrase Saturday “The Calvary is gathering.” I loved it and could not get it out of my head.”
Here are some webcam images from Washington, DC at Pennsylvania Ave NW and 9th St N W. Thousands of Americans are present from the Tea Party Express and just concerned Americans. These images were just captured around 11:30 AM. God bless these American patriots and God bless America.
Several days ago I contacted NC Senator Richard Burr’s office via email and telephone message. I received no response. I was inquiring about a health care forum that was scheduled for today, Tuesday, September 1, 2009. I discovered today by an internet search, that Senator Burr is part of a forum with John McCain and other Republicans. What concerns me is that they are fielding questions from “invited parties.” Senator Burr is against the Obama backed public option and that is good. However, why is Senator Burr not hosting town hall meetings for the public?
From News 14 in the Carolinas:
“McCain brings health care forum to N.C. children’s hospital”
“Sen. John McCain will join a group of fellow republican senators in Charlotte on Tuesday for a discussion on health care reform.
McCain, along with Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., and Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Kent., will take questions from invited parties involved in the health care debate and discuss ways to make health care more affordable, accessible and available for American families.
The stop at Levine Children’s Hospital is part of McCain and McConnell’s cross-country tour, where they have been discussing health care and taking questions in various cities from those involved in the issue. The GOP lawmakers have challenged the plan offered by President Obama that could create a government option for health care that would compete with private insurers.
Burr’s health care plan would raise money by taxing health benefits, then use the revenue to give people tax credits to buy their own care.”
“This is a Constitutional Town Hall Meeting in Raleigh to which Senators Kay Hagan, Richard Burr, Representatives Brad Miller, Bob Etheridge, & David Price were invited but refused the invitation to…”
From Senator Richard Burr’s website:
“Issues
Reforming the Delivery of Health Care
Today, nearly 47 million people across America do not have health insurance, and this number is growing. In North Carolina alone, there are more than 1.5 million uninsured individuals.
Senator Burr believes we must make health insurance more accessible and affordable so that more families can have peace of mind that they can get quality medical care. As we search for long-term solutions, however, we must make sure people have the ability to choose their own doctor.
While some politicians support government-run health care, Senator Burr has a different approach. In order to give individuals and families choices in their health coverage and to avoid a one-size-fits-all program, we need to give people the means to purchase their own health insurance that fits their needs and the needs of their families. To address the growing problem of employees having limited or no access to employer-provided coverage, Senator Burr believes we should foster a broad choice of health insurance plans that stay with you through job and life changes so that you can access care when you need it. Americans should control their own insurance and not fear losing it with job changes.
As Congress works on proposals to reform health care system, Senator Burr firmly believes that any plan must:
Guarantee that every American can get affordable coverage
Demand we get more value for our health care dollar rather than imposing a new tax or passing on a new obligation to future generations
Transform the health care system so that we focus on keeping people healthy and well instead of only treating them when they are sick
Make health coverage affordable for those with pre-existing conditions
End the current discrimination in the tax code that benefits the wealthy and corporations but fails the poor and those who cannot get coverage through their employer
Guarantee that health care is accessible when people want it, where people want it
Be sustainable so that it will be there for future generations
With these goals in mind, Senator Burr recently joined with Senator Tom Coburn and Representatives Paul Ryan and Devin Nunes to introduce the Patients’ Choice Act, a bill that delivers on the shared principles of promoting universal access to quality, affordable health care, and does so without adding billions of dollars in new debt or taxes.
The Patients’ Choice Act would transform our health care system through the following key reforms:
Puts affordable coverage and choice within reach of all Americans. This is accomplished by first ending the discrimination in the tax code that rewards corporations and employers yet offers no benefit to the unemployed or those who do not have access to coverage through their job. Specifically, the Patients’ Choice Act would shift health care tax benefits to individuals and families, regardless of employment status, in the form of a tax credit worth about $2,200 for individuals and $5,700 for families. Americans would receive this benefit upfront, so they would not have to wait until they file their tax returns to get it. And Americans would be eligible for this benefit regardless of how much they pay in taxes. What’s more, under this plan, if you like the health care you have, you can keep it – but you’ll have more money in your pocket because you will still receive the tax credit.
Prevents cherry picking by guaranteeing access to coverage. The Patients’ Choice Act prevents cherry picking – when insurance companies choose to cover only healthy patients – by adjusting risk across insurance companies through an innovative reform called State Based Health Exchanges, which would be a voluntary, one-stop marketplace of insurance plans. These state exchanges — which would be open to all Americans — would offer a broad range of plans but all would be required to have the same standard benefits as those enjoyed by Members of Congress. Through this innovative reform, no individual could be turned down based on their age or health. This is because insurers who do cherry pick healthy patients would be penalized, and those that cover patients with pre-existing conditions and emphasize prevention and wellness would be rewarded.
Strengthens the health care safety net. Currently, about 40 percent of doctors and hospitals do not accept Medicaid patients because payments are so low. This means that needy moms and kids may have health coverage, but poor access to health care. The Patients’ Choice Act would remove the stigma from Medicaid recipients by giving them the ability to purchase the health coverage and care they need from any provider. We also provide simple new opportunities for automatic enrollment to help people who need coverage.
The United States currently spends twice as much on health care per person than other industrialized nations, yet we are not twice as healthy. The solution is not for the federal government to spend and tax Americans more, the answer is to get more value for our health care dollar through more choices. And this is exactly what the Patients’ Choice Act would accomplish.
Senator Burr understands the growing cost of health insurance, and as a Member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, he will continue to work on solutions to this problem.”
US representative Trent Franks of Arizona, conducted a Town hall meeting, Saturday, August 22, 2009, in Kingman, AZ. Health care reform, national defense and illegal aliens and even fraudulent ACORN were discussed. However, what was most interesting about Trent Franks’ comments was his questioning Obama on not producing a birth certificate and indicating he may initiate a lawsuit. I am not certain if representative Franks really understands the eligibility issues, but at least he understands that there may be a problem.
Here are three action items for us to address:
1. Make certain that Trent Franks understands the serious eligibility issues surrounding Obama as well as his complete hiding of his past.
2. Encourage Trent Franks to initiate a lawsuit and provide data and resources.
3. Let Trent Franks know that we will support his efforts to represent the American people and uphold the US Constitution.
Here are some exerpts from the Mojave Daily News:
“Franks goes on the attack
Sunday, August 23, 2009 12:01 AM CDT
PACKED HOUSE: U.S. Rep. Trent Franks, from Arizona’s 2nd District, held a town hall meeting Saturday in Kingman discussing issues ranging from health care reform to President Barack Obama’s citizenship. JIM SECKLER/The Daily News
Congressman critical of Obama’s policies”
“KINGMAN – A big, boisterous crowd largely supported an Arizona Congressman, who lambasted the Democratic president and his policies.
Rep. Trent Franks, a Republican representing Arizona’s 2nd Congressional District that includes Mohave County, held a town hall meeting Saturday afternoon at a jammed-packed Kingman church.
Franks started the town hall off by showing a half-hour video on the country’s missile defense system. The movie warned of threats of a missile attack by rogue nations such as North Korea and Iran and the need to protect the country with a missile defense shield.
Franks then criticized President Barack Obama on every issue starting with the president’s lack of understanding of the threat by terrorists to launch an attack against the United States. The conservative Republican also said he voted against the federal stimulus bill and the Cash for Clunkers program, which he said benefited foreign car makers. He also said it would take 34,000 years to pay off the debt that Obama is accruing.”
“The other main issue dealt with numerous speakers questioning Obama’s birth certificate and why there wasn’t an investigation into whether he is a naturalized citizen. One woman said a newspaper announcement of his birth in Hawaii was not sufficient. Another asked how he could have a passport without a birth certificate.
Franks said there was not enough evidence that Obama is not an American citizen. He did say there was a lot of conflicting evidence of Obama’s citizenship and that he was considering filing a lawsuit, the only congressman to do so. Franks asked why the president did not simply produce a birth certificate.”
“Franks also called Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now fraudulent and said it should be investigated by the U.S. Attorney General. He also said the organization was committed to hurting the country and blamed the organization for requiring sub-prime loans that led to the country’s economic downturn.”
I am not certain if the people were quoted correctly or not regarding the use of the words “citizen” and “naturalized citizen.”
We must make certain that Representative Franks understands the difference.
**** UPDATE ****
I just received this from a AZ citizen:
“I have emailed Rep Franks several times,…. and He has responded to me each time….by email and also snail mail letter. Pretty much saying that obama has been vetted and all is in order. MAYBE we should email him some info to WAKE UP his mind a little bit. You prepare what you want and I will make sure he gets it. I will email it and I will also send him a certified letter. WHAT do you think? (I also emailed Sen Mccain,…. but never received any response at all)”
I certainly hope that Trent Franks did not utter words to placate his audience.
“It’s Possible the FBI Has Been Working with Hunter Biden” – Tucker Carlson Discusses FBI Mole Named “One-Eye” (VID… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…1 day ago
BREAKING UPDATE: Maricopa County Judge Issues Order Setting Schedule For Kari Lake’s Signature Verification Fraud C… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…1 day ago
Pray for:
Joe Biden,
Kamala Harris,
Katie Hobbs
removal 1 day ago
Citizen WElls 