This will take you to the article about Michelle Obama.
Michelle Obama makes obesity campaign personal | ajc.com
Posted using ShareThis
Here is my take:
Interesting. Michelle Obama admits that she was surprised that her own daughter's BMI was higher than it should have been. She said she then made changes to their diet to help them by offering low fat milk, more water, more fruit on the table and smaller portions. Admirable.
But, Michelle Obama lives in the White House with a chef and kitchen staff to feed and shop for her family. So, if she is having a problem providing good food for her kids, then we are all doomed!
But I think that she is on the right track by leading with a good example.
I have been, among other things, a summer camp nurse. I have see hundreds of kids. As soon as you see the parents arrive, you know immediately which kids will be heavier. It is not uncommon to see a heavy-ish parent with heavy-ish kids. Is it genetic? Probably to some degree. Some people are just bigger than others. Is it environmental? Of course. If the parents are eating large portions of processed and sugary foods, their kids most likely are being fed the same.
So what is Michelle Obama doing besides talking about more PE in school and portion control? Is she in fact talking to her husband about the agribusiness lobby that is doing so much harm to our health? Does she talk to her husband about how our food is manufactured using very inexpensive high fructose corn syrup? And how the corn subsidies that the government doles out are part of the problem?
I know that Mrs. Obama has a really nice organic garden and is friends with Alice Waters. And that is a very positive thing. But is she friends with Michael Pollan, who talks about how cheap, processed food is killing us? Does she understand that processed food is made cheaply and that produce and milk are too expensive for many underprivileged families? Does she ever ask why that is so? Does she realize that many of the obese and unhealthy kids are fed this diet because their parents cannot afford to purchase fruit and vegetables? And does she further understand why fruits and vegetables are so expensive? (The answer is, of course she does)
But, do you?
Here is a quote from a NYTimes article from a real farmer in Minnesota to explain:
"The commodity farm program effectively forbids farmers who usually grow corn or the other four federally subsidized commodity crops (soybeans, rice, wheat and cotton) from trying fruit and vegetables. Because my watermelons and tomatoes had been planted on “corn base” acres, the Farm Service said, my landlords were out of compliance with the commodity program.
I’ve discovered that typically, a farmer who grows the forbidden fruits and vegetables on corn acreage not only has to give up his subsidy for the year on that acreage, he is also penalized the market value of the illicit crop, and runs the risk that those acres will be permanently ineligible for any subsidies in the future. (The penalties apply only to fruits and vegetables — if the farmer decides to grow another commodity crop, or even nothing at all, there’s no problem.)"
(Jack Hedin)
Small wonder then, why we, the consumer, have to make up the difference.
We all think that the FDA and others in government are protecting us and making sure that we all eat right and have safe food. Not true. Look into it. Educate yourself. Follow the money. It leads to big corporations. Not farmers.
What really blows my mind, and it should yours as well, is that right now, Washington is all over the Healthcare bill. And it is going to cost a fortune. But they are not dealing with what is actually make us all ill. Our food.
I just don't get it. But, what can we do?
Perhaps Michelle Obama can put two and two together. I hope so. For our kids future.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Why I am mad at President Obama today, even though I shouldn't be
Last night, as I was sitting in the living room of our Hospice House doing some patient charting, some of the families were watching the news. All of a sudden, up on the screen, was this picture of President Obama at the Duke-Georgetown game.
I was, at first, surprised to see him commenting on a college basketball game looking all normal like the rest of us. Then I tried to convince myself, well, he can have fun, too.
But as I was driving home, it continued to bother me. And I wondered why.
Suddenly, it occurred to me. I was mad! And why was I mad? Because I wanted him to be busy looking serious doing his job. I did not want to see him having fun.
Silly? I know. But let me give you an example.
When I was an ICU nurse, we had many patients critically ill all of the time. We got kind of used to it, and of course, we would joke and laugh and have some fun during down times. We needed the break from all of the stress and hard work taking care of a constant stream of very ill patients. Many very young. It broke the tension and usually lasted only a few minutes and then it was back to work. But we knew the rule and the rule was, do not show this type of jocularity in front of patients and families.
Once, however, a young MD was telling a joke in the hall to some of us and we were all laughing for a moment. Suddenly, a man, whose daughter was in the ICU bed adjacent to us, came storming out, angry and red faced.
"How dare you laugh and joke while my daughter is in there fighting for her life. You should be doing something, reading about something that could help her. Why are you wasting time?"
We were taken aback. He knew that we were just humans having a human moment,and he had joined us on occasion to chit chat, but I guess he did not want to witness us having fun, when his daughter, who did eventually recover, was so ill. I didn't understand where his bitter, sudden anger arose from at that time. I thought he would know that we were very serious about our care for patients and I remember thinking perhaps he could cut us a break and be more understanding.
But last night when I saw our President on TV in his jeans and sweater having a wonderful time, while so many in this nation are struggling and waiting for help from him, I felt the very same way.
I finally understood.
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Kosher cooking with Bubbe - The Boston Globe
Kosher cooking with Bubbe - The Boston Globe
Posted using ShareThis
This is a wonderful story. And I think it really speaks to an emptiness that people have for real connections with what really matters.
Namely, home.
So many of us left our small hometowns to go to college and establish careers and to make our own way. But somewhere along that path, we realize that Dorothy was right. There is no place like home. And even if we do, one day, return, not much is the same. We have to adjust to a new normal.
So much history is lost because we are too busy getting to tomorrow to really appreciate today. And then it is gone. Traditions used to be passed down through generations and now I see a lot of that gone, too.
I see a lot of death as a hospice nurse. I see a lot of regret for not paying attention to things when they were happening in our lives.
No wonder the world longs for a warm embrace from a Bubbbe*.
*Yiddish for Grandmother.
Posted using ShareThis
This is a wonderful story. And I think it really speaks to an emptiness that people have for real connections with what really matters.
Namely, home.
So many of us left our small hometowns to go to college and establish careers and to make our own way. But somewhere along that path, we realize that Dorothy was right. There is no place like home. And even if we do, one day, return, not much is the same. We have to adjust to a new normal.
So much history is lost because we are too busy getting to tomorrow to really appreciate today. And then it is gone. Traditions used to be passed down through generations and now I see a lot of that gone, too.
I see a lot of death as a hospice nurse. I see a lot of regret for not paying attention to things when they were happening in our lives.
No wonder the world longs for a warm embrace from a Bubbbe*.
*Yiddish for Grandmother.
Friday, January 29, 2010
News You Cannot Depend On
Wow, what a week. We have lived through the Scott Brown thunderbolt, the POTUS State of the Union Address and the Conan/Jay Leno debacle. This has kept the pundits very busy. Way too busy.
I used to love the news. I can remember when I was young and the news came on with Walter Cronkite or Huntley and Brinkley, and we sat quiet and transfixed in front of our TV. No nonsense, just-the-facts news. It was deliberate, sober and informative. We trusted the news. It was a big part of our daily lives. We admired it.
Fast forward to today. There is way too much news. News everywhere we turn. There is comedy acting like news that is better than the real news. There is real news that looks and acts like a comedy sketch. There are newscasters in short, tight skirts looking like a cheap prom date. There are guys who tell us their opinion, but act like it is real news. The list goes on and on.
So, who can we trust? Where can I actually find unbiased, factual news? Hard to really know. And that is sad.
Jon Stewart, who lampoons "real" news nightly on his 'fake' news program, recently had a show featuring clips from different news organizations reacting to the State of the Union address. One station could not say anything nice about it, another one all but gushed over it. It was a funny show, but at the end they showed a clip of Chris Matthews saying, "You know, I forgot he was black tonight for an hour." Geesh.....Weird. Could you imagine saying anything so disrespectful to anyone, even a stranger? Yet, he said that about the President. And he is still on TV allowed to jabber on because ratings trump everything.
So, the news is biased and weird and sometimes pure nonsense and we cannot trust most of it. Good thing we are smart enough to weed through the garbage and at least gather some insight on what is really happening in our world.
Small wonder the most watched show in America is American Idol.
Sad, but true.
I miss you, Walter Cronkite. You were a gentleman and a prince.
I used to love the news. I can remember when I was young and the news came on with Walter Cronkite or Huntley and Brinkley, and we sat quiet and transfixed in front of our TV. No nonsense, just-the-facts news. It was deliberate, sober and informative. We trusted the news. It was a big part of our daily lives. We admired it.
Fast forward to today. There is way too much news. News everywhere we turn. There is comedy acting like news that is better than the real news. There is real news that looks and acts like a comedy sketch. There are newscasters in short, tight skirts looking like a cheap prom date. There are guys who tell us their opinion, but act like it is real news. The list goes on and on.
So, who can we trust? Where can I actually find unbiased, factual news? Hard to really know. And that is sad.
Jon Stewart, who lampoons "real" news nightly on his 'fake' news program, recently had a show featuring clips from different news organizations reacting to the State of the Union address. One station could not say anything nice about it, another one all but gushed over it. It was a funny show, but at the end they showed a clip of Chris Matthews saying, "You know, I forgot he was black tonight for an hour." Geesh.....Weird. Could you imagine saying anything so disrespectful to anyone, even a stranger? Yet, he said that about the President. And he is still on TV allowed to jabber on because ratings trump everything.
So, the news is biased and weird and sometimes pure nonsense and we cannot trust most of it. Good thing we are smart enough to weed through the garbage and at least gather some insight on what is really happening in our world.
Small wonder the most watched show in America is American Idol.
Sad, but true.
I miss you, Walter Cronkite. You were a gentleman and a prince.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
What a mom can teach the President
I watched the President deliver his State of the Union address last night. I was watching in particular to see if he would mention the consumer protection bill, and he did, although he called it finance reform. He did send a direct message to Senator Dodd, the Chair of that committee. The message being, do not back down to the bankers. I liked that. Having that bill passed with an independent agency overseeing banks will help me feel much better about the future that my daughter will inherit. And that is important to me. Very important. So it was worth it to stay up to watch, even though I was exhausted, like most moms.
Anyway, as I was listening, I heard the President lose focus. Suddenly he was for this and then he was for that and then he was looking for applause from one side of the room, then another. What was he doing? He was not focusing on the essentials.
What do I mean by the essentials? This is where moms can teach President Obama a thing or two.
As a mom, we have many different things that we think need to be done. But if we take our eyes off of the main ones, the essentials, all hell breaks lose.
Let me give you an example. Laundry. Now, I hate laundry. And sometimes I let it pile up and up. And then my family is screaming and chaos reigns. I hear shrieks of "I have no clean underwear, I have no clean shirts". And then I am scrambling to get laundry caught up. Except you never really do get caught up. You have to do a little at a time all of the time. But it is essential for a smooth running home to have clean clothes. We need them everyday just as we need air to breath. We really cannot function without them.
Now, I have probably lost you here. She is nuts. What does laundry have to do with the President? Or with running our country.
So let me tell you.
There are about 3 essential things we moms need to provide to really keep a happy, well functioning home. Beside loads of love, we need food, clean clothes, and a full tank of gas.
Without these essentials, nothing else really matters. Oh, I could have a spotless house, beautiful floral arrangements, the latest fashions. But it really doesn't matter if everyone is hungry, naked and stranded.
And so, President Obama, understand that you have not provided your "family", the American public, with the essentials. We are hungry, we are naked and we are going nowhere.
We were hungry for change. We are still waiting for that home-cooked meal, now aren't we. We feel naked, because the banks took all of our clothes and covered themselves and wouldn't even give us a corner of the blanket to keep warm. And our energy is gone. We feel like we cannot get anywhere because we are just driving on empty. We were fed one empty promise after another and our engines just won't go anymore.
So, please give us what we need. The essentials. Get us jobs. Stop the banks from destroying us and taking our money. And take us somewhere, anywhere. We feel stuck and we are getting restless.
So, you see. A mom really does have some good advice. So maybe you might consider listening to our sage wisdom and not the advice of all the intellectual talking heads you have surrounded yourself with.
I would write more, but I have got to get to that laundry.
Anyway, as I was listening, I heard the President lose focus. Suddenly he was for this and then he was for that and then he was looking for applause from one side of the room, then another. What was he doing? He was not focusing on the essentials.
What do I mean by the essentials? This is where moms can teach President Obama a thing or two.
As a mom, we have many different things that we think need to be done. But if we take our eyes off of the main ones, the essentials, all hell breaks lose.
Let me give you an example. Laundry. Now, I hate laundry. And sometimes I let it pile up and up. And then my family is screaming and chaos reigns. I hear shrieks of "I have no clean underwear, I have no clean shirts". And then I am scrambling to get laundry caught up. Except you never really do get caught up. You have to do a little at a time all of the time. But it is essential for a smooth running home to have clean clothes. We need them everyday just as we need air to breath. We really cannot function without them.
Now, I have probably lost you here. She is nuts. What does laundry have to do with the President? Or with running our country.
So let me tell you.
There are about 3 essential things we moms need to provide to really keep a happy, well functioning home. Beside loads of love, we need food, clean clothes, and a full tank of gas.
Without these essentials, nothing else really matters. Oh, I could have a spotless house, beautiful floral arrangements, the latest fashions. But it really doesn't matter if everyone is hungry, naked and stranded.
And so, President Obama, understand that you have not provided your "family", the American public, with the essentials. We are hungry, we are naked and we are going nowhere.
We were hungry for change. We are still waiting for that home-cooked meal, now aren't we. We feel naked, because the banks took all of our clothes and covered themselves and wouldn't even give us a corner of the blanket to keep warm. And our energy is gone. We feel like we cannot get anywhere because we are just driving on empty. We were fed one empty promise after another and our engines just won't go anymore.
So, please give us what we need. The essentials. Get us jobs. Stop the banks from destroying us and taking our money. And take us somewhere, anywhere. We feel stuck and we are getting restless.
So, you see. A mom really does have some good advice. So maybe you might consider listening to our sage wisdom and not the advice of all the intellectual talking heads you have surrounded yourself with.
I would write more, but I have got to get to that laundry.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
A Must Read
http://www.newdeal20.org/?p=7578
We need to do all that we can to get the word out. Call your US senate office and demand that this bill be passed. If it is not passed, the banks will be writing all the rules and will continue to screw us every chance they get as they continue to make more money for themselves. The rich really do get unfairly richer and we will never stop that, but we can make it a bit more painful.
Seriously.
We need to do all that we can to get the word out. Call your US senate office and demand that this bill be passed. If it is not passed, the banks will be writing all the rules and will continue to screw us every chance they get as they continue to make more money for themselves. The rich really do get unfairly richer and we will never stop that, but we can make it a bit more painful.
Seriously.
Senator Dodd lands a dud: He was for consumer protection, now he is caving into the banks
Senator Dodd, Chairman of the Committee overseeing Banking, is now backing away and caving into the bankers. Here is what a well known banker's blog states:
It appears we are already making inroads in the Senate, as Senate Banking Committee Chairman Chris Dodd has indicated he may drop plans to create a stand-alone Consumer Financial Protection Agency, and, instead, focus on strengthening existing regulators. (January 21, 2010)
Here is what WAS on Dodd's web-site:
Dodd Outlines Plan for Independent Consumer Protection Agency
Says Agency Should be the Foundation of Work to Modernize Financial Regulatory System
June 11, 2009
Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, today announced that he believes any effort to reform the regulatory structure of the American financial system should include an independent consumer protection agency that will regulate credit and bank products and protect American consumers from predatory financial practices.
“The economic mess we’re in is rooted in a spectacular failure of consumer protection. For eight years under the Bush Administration, the cops on the beat went on a coffee break while millions of Americans were led into mortgages they couldn't afford,” said Dodd. “If the financial crisis has proven one thing, it is that protecting the financial well-being of American consumers should be our first priority as we work to bring our financial regulatory structure into the 21st Century. I am committed to making this agency the centerpiece of my efforts as I work with President Obama and my colleagues to rebuild our financial architecture from the bottom up.”
Contact Senator Dodd and tell him to start looking out for us!
And they wonder why Scott Brown is so popular.
It appears we are already making inroads in the Senate, as Senate Banking Committee Chairman Chris Dodd has indicated he may drop plans to create a stand-alone Consumer Financial Protection Agency, and, instead, focus on strengthening existing regulators. (January 21, 2010)
Here is what WAS on Dodd's web-site:
Dodd Outlines Plan for Independent Consumer Protection Agency
Says Agency Should be the Foundation of Work to Modernize Financial Regulatory System
June 11, 2009
Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, today announced that he believes any effort to reform the regulatory structure of the American financial system should include an independent consumer protection agency that will regulate credit and bank products and protect American consumers from predatory financial practices.
“The economic mess we’re in is rooted in a spectacular failure of consumer protection. For eight years under the Bush Administration, the cops on the beat went on a coffee break while millions of Americans were led into mortgages they couldn't afford,” said Dodd. “If the financial crisis has proven one thing, it is that protecting the financial well-being of American consumers should be our first priority as we work to bring our financial regulatory structure into the 21st Century. I am committed to making this agency the centerpiece of my efforts as I work with President Obama and my colleagues to rebuild our financial architecture from the bottom up.”
Contact Senator Dodd and tell him to start looking out for us!
And they wonder why Scott Brown is so popular.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Monday, January 25, 2010
Why Martha Coakley lost my support.
I was astonished when I watched the Colbert Report the other night and he basically said that Massachusetts voters told the nation, "We got ours, so @#*% you." He was talking about healthcare, of course. And he was wrong.
I do not think for one minute that this was how voters here felt. I am not sure that most of the voters in Massachusetts really even understand how the healthcare that we passed actually works.
Anyway, as an Independent, I voted in the primary. And I voted for Martha Coakley. She seemed no-nonsense and she did a pretty good job as AG, so I liked her better than the other candidates. I knew Scott Brown was running as the Republican candidate and the only other choice was Robinson, so that primary was not really a primary, in my opinion. Scott Brown had the guts to try to win in a blue state, and you have to admire that.
Martha then started her campaign. And that is where she lost me. I could not figure out what she was all about. I looked at her web-site. Nothing really jumped out at me. I watched her on TV. She appeared wooden and out of her league.
Then she all but disappeared.
Scott Brown then captured my attention. I was getting to know him. He was clear and concise about what he stood for. I looked for Martha for rebuttal. Where was she? No where. So, I looked more at Brown. He was out there talking and buzz was building.
Finally Martha came out of hiding. And I looked for some substance from her on the televised debate, moderated by David Gergen. She did not fair well. She certainly lost me when she said that the Taliban were no longer in Afghanistan. She should have made a better point about why she did not support President Obama's decision to send more troops there. Instead, she made that ridiculous statement, and I thought, how could I possibly support her for a Senate seat. She does not have a clear grasp on international issues. Gergen also did her no favors by bringing up the "Kennedy Seat". Scott Brown jumped on the chance to call it the "People's Seat" and then he was off and running with that slogan that turned even more voters away from her.
She continued on her path of ruin. Not knowing who Curt Schilling was, lying about the reporter on the ground, not showing any personal warmth at all. And then the negative ads. They were bad. And turned people off.
So that is why Martha lost. Sure, some voted against her because they just did not like her regardless of what she said or did, some voted against her because they truly wanted to send Obama a message, and some just simply did not vote for her because she was a Democrat and they vote Republican. But it is clear that she, and she alone, lost this election. 52-48 is not a landslide for Brown. He ran a good race, he kept on message and he made sense. He won votes on his own accord. People liked him.
Independents are just that, independent. We vote on what makes sense, not party rhetoric. And that should be the lesson here. President Obama needs to understand that. All the Democrats need to as well. And the Republicans. They did not win here. Let's be clear on that. Senator Brown may wear the Republican moniker, but that is not why he won.
Here is some unsolicited advice for the Coakley campaign when she again runs for AG. Talk about your accomplishments. Stay focused. Shake hands with people. Smile more. Take your dogs on the campaign trail with you (this is crucial). Show your husband more. Allow yourself to be little goofy. Understand Boston sports. Surround yourself with positive people. Do not wear black so much. Do not get a truck, it will not help. Talk about yourself, let us get to know you better. Tell me about growing up in North Adams. Remind us why you want to be the Attorney General of our state.
And by all means, apologize to Curt Schilling and to the reporter that was clearly knocked down. Admit to us that things truly did get out of hand and that you were sorry about that.
And move forward. Learn from the past, but keep moving forward. I know this sounds like simple advice. And it is. But sometimes keeping it simple is is the path to victory.
I do not think for one minute that this was how voters here felt. I am not sure that most of the voters in Massachusetts really even understand how the healthcare that we passed actually works.
Anyway, as an Independent, I voted in the primary. And I voted for Martha Coakley. She seemed no-nonsense and she did a pretty good job as AG, so I liked her better than the other candidates. I knew Scott Brown was running as the Republican candidate and the only other choice was Robinson, so that primary was not really a primary, in my opinion. Scott Brown had the guts to try to win in a blue state, and you have to admire that.
Martha then started her campaign. And that is where she lost me. I could not figure out what she was all about. I looked at her web-site. Nothing really jumped out at me. I watched her on TV. She appeared wooden and out of her league.
Then she all but disappeared.
Scott Brown then captured my attention. I was getting to know him. He was clear and concise about what he stood for. I looked for Martha for rebuttal. Where was she? No where. So, I looked more at Brown. He was out there talking and buzz was building.
Finally Martha came out of hiding. And I looked for some substance from her on the televised debate, moderated by David Gergen. She did not fair well. She certainly lost me when she said that the Taliban were no longer in Afghanistan. She should have made a better point about why she did not support President Obama's decision to send more troops there. Instead, she made that ridiculous statement, and I thought, how could I possibly support her for a Senate seat. She does not have a clear grasp on international issues. Gergen also did her no favors by bringing up the "Kennedy Seat". Scott Brown jumped on the chance to call it the "People's Seat" and then he was off and running with that slogan that turned even more voters away from her.
She continued on her path of ruin. Not knowing who Curt Schilling was, lying about the reporter on the ground, not showing any personal warmth at all. And then the negative ads. They were bad. And turned people off.
So that is why Martha lost. Sure, some voted against her because they just did not like her regardless of what she said or did, some voted against her because they truly wanted to send Obama a message, and some just simply did not vote for her because she was a Democrat and they vote Republican. But it is clear that she, and she alone, lost this election. 52-48 is not a landslide for Brown. He ran a good race, he kept on message and he made sense. He won votes on his own accord. People liked him.
Independents are just that, independent. We vote on what makes sense, not party rhetoric. And that should be the lesson here. President Obama needs to understand that. All the Democrats need to as well. And the Republicans. They did not win here. Let's be clear on that. Senator Brown may wear the Republican moniker, but that is not why he won.
Here is some unsolicited advice for the Coakley campaign when she again runs for AG. Talk about your accomplishments. Stay focused. Shake hands with people. Smile more. Take your dogs on the campaign trail with you (this is crucial). Show your husband more. Allow yourself to be little goofy. Understand Boston sports. Surround yourself with positive people. Do not wear black so much. Do not get a truck, it will not help. Talk about yourself, let us get to know you better. Tell me about growing up in North Adams. Remind us why you want to be the Attorney General of our state.
And by all means, apologize to Curt Schilling and to the reporter that was clearly knocked down. Admit to us that things truly did get out of hand and that you were sorry about that.
And move forward. Learn from the past, but keep moving forward. I know this sounds like simple advice. And it is. But sometimes keeping it simple is is the path to victory.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
The woman Democrats need - The Boston Globe
The woman Democrats need - The Boston Globe
Posted using ShareThis
Newest buzz in the Boston Globe. I looked her up, she is quite impressive. But most telling, her one-on-one with Jon Stewart.
I would love to ask her how our return on this huge investment is currently doing. Will we ever really see a return? Are we really "shareholders?"
See the video for yourself and decide.
http://lincmad.blogspot.com/2009/04/tarp-cop-on-daily-show.html
Posted using ShareThis
Newest buzz in the Boston Globe. I looked her up, she is quite impressive. But most telling, her one-on-one with Jon Stewart.
I would love to ask her how our return on this huge investment is currently doing. Will we ever really see a return? Are we really "shareholders?"
See the video for yourself and decide.
http://lincmad.blogspot.com/2009/04/tarp-cop-on-daily-show.html
Great show on PBS about credit card companies and how there will be little the Government can do to stop them.
Frontline is showing here in Boston on WGBH Channel 2 on January 26th at 9pm.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline
THE HEALTHCARE BILL: the Senate Healthcare Bill, the one the House can vote on. Take a look.
I read some of it, scrolled through all of it. It is cumbersome and long, over 2400 pages. One thing that struck me over and over again were the millions of dollars going to "fund studies" Many were unlimited. That is not good.
Also, there is so much legal mumbo-jumbo, a team of lawyers could not agree on anything in this bill if it came to litigation. It could be interpreted in a myriad of ways.
The people, us, the ones this is supposed to help, want something we can read and understand. No wonder most of the people voting on this bill have not read it. And small wonder that we, the people, are suspicious. I am really not clear on how this is going to be paid for. It certainly does mess with our current insurance plans. So if you are lucky enough to have insurance, call your Senator and ask him or her to explain. I will bet you $100 they cannot. And that is a big problem.
Here is where you can find the bill:
http://democrats.senate.gov/reform/patient-protection-affordable-care-act-as-passed.pdf
I could not get it to become a link, so you will have to copy and paste on your browser.
Also, there is so much legal mumbo-jumbo, a team of lawyers could not agree on anything in this bill if it came to litigation. It could be interpreted in a myriad of ways.
The people, us, the ones this is supposed to help, want something we can read and understand. No wonder most of the people voting on this bill have not read it. And small wonder that we, the people, are suspicious. I am really not clear on how this is going to be paid for. It certainly does mess with our current insurance plans. So if you are lucky enough to have insurance, call your Senator and ask him or her to explain. I will bet you $100 they cannot. And that is a big problem.
Here is where you can find the bill:
http://democrats.senate.gov/reform/patient-protection-affordable-care-act-as-passed.pdf
I could not get it to become a link, so you will have to copy and paste on your browser.
Talking About Healthcare from a Nurse's Perspective
Okay, everyone needs to take a deep breath. A really, really deep breath. The anger and vitriol over healthcare 'reform' is amazing.
First thing to understand is, no one in our country is ever denied healthcare. At least the basics. You go to the ER and they help you if you have a life threatening problem. They do not care about insurance or your ability to pay at that time. We should all be very happy about that. We have some of the best life-saving measures in the world.
That being said, the ERs in Massachusetts, where we actually have almost universal healthcare, are full. Why? Because everyone here has insurance now. They call their Primary Care MDs and they are told they have to wait for an appointment. Sometimes weeks. They are also told by many, many MD offices, if you are that sick, go to the ER. So they do. In droves. I do not think that was an expected outcome. Surely the talking heads and big thinkers thought that ER use would decline because people would use their primary care doc instead. Well, that is the problem with these big policy decision makers. They don't ask the people who are actually providing the care for any input. The people writing policy have most likely never actually worked with patients. They have simply read data. They didn't ask the feet on the ground. The worker bees. The nurses.
We would have painted a very different story. We knew that ER use would rise. The problem we see, the main problem, is not the uninsured. It is the UNDER-insured. The folks paying $1500.00 per month for healthcare coverage who never really understood their benefits. Most have very basic services. So many have to pay out of pocket co-pays, they have deductibles, they have services covered at only 40% and are charged the balance of the charges, not the contracted, discounted rate that the insurance company has with the provider. I will give you an example of this. I went for a yearly physical. I did not know that BCBS changed my benefit to only one physical every other year. So the claim was denied. The office sent me a bill. Full charge, $200.00. I called BCBS. I asked what the contracted rate for that office visit was. After much ado, they told me. 60 dollars. And I was being billed 200 dollars. And I had to pay it.
And so it goes.
So herein lies the frustration. This just does not seem like a solution to the inherent problems with healthcare. This is not healthcare insurance reform per se. This healthcare bill is simply a medal of honor that the Democrats would like to wear to say that they passed healthcare reform. Some of them even say, something is better than nothing. Not true. The big insurance industry is making a lot of money off of this. We all know that. This is not about saving lives and making healthcare more available. It is like they are putting a band aid on a hemorrhage and saying, "all better now". No, not better. Plus, we simply cannot afford it. Not now.
To have any meaningful reform we have to start looking at the money. Follow the money. That will show you where reform is needed. And all I see are insurance companies getting richer, and the common man becoming poorer. And sicker.
I am not saying that I have the answers. I am saying that we need to start asking more questions.
First thing to understand is, no one in our country is ever denied healthcare. At least the basics. You go to the ER and they help you if you have a life threatening problem. They do not care about insurance or your ability to pay at that time. We should all be very happy about that. We have some of the best life-saving measures in the world.
That being said, the ERs in Massachusetts, where we actually have almost universal healthcare, are full. Why? Because everyone here has insurance now. They call their Primary Care MDs and they are told they have to wait for an appointment. Sometimes weeks. They are also told by many, many MD offices, if you are that sick, go to the ER. So they do. In droves. I do not think that was an expected outcome. Surely the talking heads and big thinkers thought that ER use would decline because people would use their primary care doc instead. Well, that is the problem with these big policy decision makers. They don't ask the people who are actually providing the care for any input. The people writing policy have most likely never actually worked with patients. They have simply read data. They didn't ask the feet on the ground. The worker bees. The nurses.
We would have painted a very different story. We knew that ER use would rise. The problem we see, the main problem, is not the uninsured. It is the UNDER-insured. The folks paying $1500.00 per month for healthcare coverage who never really understood their benefits. Most have very basic services. So many have to pay out of pocket co-pays, they have deductibles, they have services covered at only 40% and are charged the balance of the charges, not the contracted, discounted rate that the insurance company has with the provider. I will give you an example of this. I went for a yearly physical. I did not know that BCBS changed my benefit to only one physical every other year. So the claim was denied. The office sent me a bill. Full charge, $200.00. I called BCBS. I asked what the contracted rate for that office visit was. After much ado, they told me. 60 dollars. And I was being billed 200 dollars. And I had to pay it.
And so it goes.
So herein lies the frustration. This just does not seem like a solution to the inherent problems with healthcare. This is not healthcare insurance reform per se. This healthcare bill is simply a medal of honor that the Democrats would like to wear to say that they passed healthcare reform. Some of them even say, something is better than nothing. Not true. The big insurance industry is making a lot of money off of this. We all know that. This is not about saving lives and making healthcare more available. It is like they are putting a band aid on a hemorrhage and saying, "all better now". No, not better. Plus, we simply cannot afford it. Not now.
To have any meaningful reform we have to start looking at the money. Follow the money. That will show you where reform is needed. And all I see are insurance companies getting richer, and the common man becoming poorer. And sicker.
I am not saying that I have the answers. I am saying that we need to start asking more questions.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
The 'Scott Brown Effect' from the heart of his district.
Everyone, it seems, is talking about the Scott Brown victory. He lives in the town next to me. I have met him a couple of times at our Town Meeting and at the Senior Center here in my town. (No, I am not a senior, but was a member of the Council on Aging Board) He was very nice and personable, nothing too outstanding, nothing of too much note. Except for one thing I did notice. He was nice. And he really listened. He didn't act like you were wasting his time nor did he act as though you couldn't possibly have a thought in your head. He even made jokes. I liked him immediately. In our town, his nickname is "Scotty the hottie." But I digress.
When he announced he was running against Martha Coakley, our own AG, I thought, he does not have a chance. She will win just by virtue of the fact that she is a democrat. But then Martha disappeared. And people started to see Scott Brown. And hear Scott Brown. And see his truck. And hear his message. And they saw something remarkable. A guy who seemed to listen! How exciting. And he was not bashing his opponent. But the listening thing, we loved that here. Maybe he just understood how well your ears work when your mouth is closed. Anyway, he caught fire.
Then Martha came out swinging. Except, she was punching air. Nothing worked. She made mistake after mistake. Her worst mistake? Lying about the reporter on the ground. If she had had a human moment and had actually gone over to him and asked if he were okay and then made a statement that said perhaps things got out of hand and I am sorry, she may have been the new Senator. But she didn't do it. Then she lied. And it was over. Couple that with not knowing who Curt Schilling was and add in the statement she made about the Taliban in Afghanistan, and you have a losing combo right there. Personally, I did not find her worthy of Ted Kennedy's seat. Say what you will about the Kennedys, but Ted was a legend.
So all Scott Brown really had to do, which he did brilliantly, was to show up, stay on message, stay out of the mud-slinging, and continue to be himself, goofy and all. And it worked. Congrats to him. I wish him even greater success.
The thing people who run campaigns should remember is that people vote for people. So be a good person on top of your message. And don't fake it. Moms can see a fake from a mile away.
When he announced he was running against Martha Coakley, our own AG, I thought, he does not have a chance. She will win just by virtue of the fact that she is a democrat. But then Martha disappeared. And people started to see Scott Brown. And hear Scott Brown. And see his truck. And hear his message. And they saw something remarkable. A guy who seemed to listen! How exciting. And he was not bashing his opponent. But the listening thing, we loved that here. Maybe he just understood how well your ears work when your mouth is closed. Anyway, he caught fire.
Then Martha came out swinging. Except, she was punching air. Nothing worked. She made mistake after mistake. Her worst mistake? Lying about the reporter on the ground. If she had had a human moment and had actually gone over to him and asked if he were okay and then made a statement that said perhaps things got out of hand and I am sorry, she may have been the new Senator. But she didn't do it. Then she lied. And it was over. Couple that with not knowing who Curt Schilling was and add in the statement she made about the Taliban in Afghanistan, and you have a losing combo right there. Personally, I did not find her worthy of Ted Kennedy's seat. Say what you will about the Kennedys, but Ted was a legend.
So all Scott Brown really had to do, which he did brilliantly, was to show up, stay on message, stay out of the mud-slinging, and continue to be himself, goofy and all. And it worked. Congrats to him. I wish him even greater success.
The thing people who run campaigns should remember is that people vote for people. So be a good person on top of your message. And don't fake it. Moms can see a fake from a mile away.
David Gregory posted my comment on his blog
And here it is at http://www.davidgregorytv.com/
Who does not love David Gregory? I never thought anyone could replace my favorite TV guy, Tim Russert, but David is doing okay.
Who does not love David Gregory? I never thought anyone could replace my favorite TV guy, Tim Russert, but David is doing okay.
What? Did Arlen Specter just say "Act like a Lady" to Rep. from Minnesota?
Well this didn't get much press, but Arlen Specter, the Senator from PA, who once was a Republican, but is now a Democrat (and obviously an old curmudgeon) was doing an interview in Pittsburgh when he said this to Rep. Michele Bachman of Minnesota.
You can read about it here: Arlen Specter to Michele Bachmann: `Act Like a Lady` - CBSNews
This is simply rude and a put down to women everywhere. Look, I know he is old (80?), and he has had cancer. I understand that. As a hospice nurse, I really understand and have empathy towards anyone struggling with cancer. But that does not give someone the right to put down another person. And what does he mean by, "act like a lady?" Sit there and shut up? Be subservient to me? I would bet one million dollars he would not say that to another man.
I grew up in PA. Come on PA gals, really look into this man and see if he deserves your vote. At the very least, let him know how disturbed you were by his behavior.
http://www.specter.senate.gov/
You can read about it here: Arlen Specter to Michele Bachmann: `Act Like a Lady` - CBSNews
This is simply rude and a put down to women everywhere. Look, I know he is old (80?), and he has had cancer. I understand that. As a hospice nurse, I really understand and have empathy towards anyone struggling with cancer. But that does not give someone the right to put down another person. And what does he mean by, "act like a lady?" Sit there and shut up? Be subservient to me? I would bet one million dollars he would not say that to another man.
I grew up in PA. Come on PA gals, really look into this man and see if he deserves your vote. At the very least, let him know how disturbed you were by his behavior.
http://www.specter.senate.gov/
Minivan Mom Revolt
This is my new blog, Minivan Mom Revolt. But this is not a blog to complain about being a mom. We have plenty of those. This is a blog for all the smart, informed moms who read and hear every day what our politicians are doing, or not doing, not only on a local level, but on a national level as well, and say to ourselves, we could do better than them. If only I did not have to drive my kids back and forth to school, to play dates, and to twenty activities. If only I did not have to volunteer at yet another school function, bake 75 peanut-free treats and sell candles for the fund-raiser. If only I did not have 5 loads of laundry each day and dinner to make every night. If only....
This is our chance to revolt. To revolt against the stupid, lame decisions made on behalf of the "people". Well, we are those people, and yet I don't think anyone is listening to me, to us. Where is the common sense?
Most of us moms have oodles of common sense. Yet, no one takes us too seriously. Well, it is time for them to start. We are the largest voice in America. Black, white, short, tall, democrats, republicans, independents, liberals, conservatives, pro-life, pro-choice, thin, thick, educated, book-smart, street-smart, hard-working, blue-collar, white-collar, stay at home.....All of us could unite. We are all moms. We want what is best for our children. Their future is at stake. So let's stop staying quiet. Let's organize and seize the power we all have. Soccer moms were once a threat. We still are. My daughter doesn't play soccer, so just call me one fed up mom. Let the Minivan Mom Revolt begin.
This is our chance to revolt. To revolt against the stupid, lame decisions made on behalf of the "people". Well, we are those people, and yet I don't think anyone is listening to me, to us. Where is the common sense?
Most of us moms have oodles of common sense. Yet, no one takes us too seriously. Well, it is time for them to start. We are the largest voice in America. Black, white, short, tall, democrats, republicans, independents, liberals, conservatives, pro-life, pro-choice, thin, thick, educated, book-smart, street-smart, hard-working, blue-collar, white-collar, stay at home.....All of us could unite. We are all moms. We want what is best for our children. Their future is at stake. So let's stop staying quiet. Let's organize and seize the power we all have. Soccer moms were once a threat. We still are. My daughter doesn't play soccer, so just call me one fed up mom. Let the Minivan Mom Revolt begin.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
