Technorati Tags: Care, ELIMINATE, health, insurance, Obama, Plan, private, saying, SHOCK, UNCOVERED, WORDS

During my Illinois mayoral campaign this year, I held seven town hall meetings with topics ranging from improving education to accessing the healthcare system. Two trends stood out to me as I listened to the American people. First, I talked to people who had not voted in twenty years because they felt like they did not have anyone for whom to vote. These Americans felt voiceless in this local democratic system.

This sense of hopelessness and voicelessness caused me to reflect on what would cause a person not to exercise the right to vote for twenty years given the fact that Americans gave their lives for the right to vote. I quickly concluded that it must be more than apathy as described by many people. As I continued talking to people during my seven town hall meetings and on the campaign trail, I concluded that the reason for what we call apathy is actually disconnection. American citizens are disconnected from the democratic process because our leaders are disconnected from the American people.

The second trend I observed during my campaigns was the citizens’ inability to see the connections between local, regional and national elections. The local leaders of today become the national leaders of tomorrow. If they are disconnected from the people today, what can we expect tomorrow? The American people have a responsibilityto ensure that this does not continue. We have been too passive. It should not take an electoral crisis to bring people out to the polls. A crisis usually means something of value has already been lost. We can and must be more proactive with the future of our nation.

Disconnection does not eliminate men and women with sincere desires to serve in a servant leader capacity but it means two things. First, it means that we have to challenge each of them to reconnect. Second, disconnection requires what I call an “intentional leadership style “An “intentional leadership style” requires three things:

1.Continuous self assessments asking, “Am I connected to the American people? If not, what can I do to reconnect with the American people?You cannot be honest with yourself until you are honest with the American people. Are you personally aware of my struggle or just aware of my struggle through statisticians?

2.Create diverse ideological cabinet/team. You want someone who will disagree with you respectfully. Healthy dialogue is the birthplace of creativity. The phenomenon of group think creates unhealthy and disconnected policy.

3.In addition to ideological diversity, maintain fluid teams to ensure you have the best possible people during the life cycles of your public leadership. This means change is necessary. Stagnation breeds nothing but death.

We have a responsibility to our children and to the future of America to move pass name recognition generated by family legacy and wealth as the determining factors in our choices if we even decide to make a choice see and as a result of disconnection and frustration. Many have walked away from the democratic process and continue to walk away from the process in frustration or even worst did not feel invited into the process by the hypocrisy we now see. A last name does not make you a president and wealth does not prove to me of your ability to lead the country. It means you are a fundraiser.

Yes, the presidential candidates are disconnected from the American people? However, there are degrees of disconnection. The candidates do not have the same degree of disconnection from the American People. In response to what I heard from the America people as a two time mayoral candidate, I have developed a tool to begin to evaluate how connected our leadership is to the American people. I call this evaluation tool, the “Ten Degrees of Disconnection.” The “Ten Degrees of Disconnection” is a ten question litmus test. The ten questions are available at the virtual town hall meeting website.

In response to this disconnection, I have also launched a virtual town hall meeting to share with you what I see and to hear from you about your experience so we can support each other in making stand in our individual neighborhoods and communities and to make a national stand in our nation. Log onto the virtual website to reserve your virtual seat for the next national discussion.

Technorati Tags: Next, President, Questions, Reveal, Should, Some

Well, it has been 18 months. Why hasn’t the investigation taken place? If anything in recent years deserves an investigation, shouldn’t this recession, its causes and those responsible be investigated and, if appropriate, punished? And you know that despite their busy schedule given the push of their social agenda, if there was a way to hurt the Republicans they’d find the time to hold an investigation. They even claim, despite there having been no investigation, that it is all Bush’s fault. So, why haven’t they? If it WAS Bush’s fault, wouldn’t they want to wave that dirty laundry in the air? But they are not. I wonder whose dirty laundry it really is.

Technorati Tags: crisis, financial, going, Harry, into, investigation, Reid, Senate

Let the battle of the “queen bees” begin or has it been so doing ever since Hillary hit the Senate floor and Nancy was made top dog on the House floor? Whatever the case, both women are out to assert themselves, and may the best wo-MAN win! Nancy’s power comes from within and Hillary’s from without, but both control powerful political segments of the landscape.

A group of prominent Hillary Clinton donors sent a letter to House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Wednesday asking her to retract her comments on superdelegates and stay out of the Democratic fight over their role in the presidential race. Telling Nancy to “stay out” is like telling the Pope to become Protestant in his beliefs.

Since when did the Democratic process become the sole domain of Hilary and Bill. His presidency ended seven years ago. Who will run the Democratic convention this year anyway?

The 20 prominent Clinton supporters told Pelosi she should “clarify” recent statements to make it clear super delegates — nearly 800 party insiders and elected officials who are free to back any candidate — could support the candidate they think would be the best nominee.

So far, Ms. Pelosi has not endorsed any candidate; however, with such talk I am sure she won’t throw her support to Hillary now.

Super delegates have emerged as likely kingmakers in the fight between Clinton and Obama. The letter was another sign of growing Democratic tension over their nominating battle. Neither candidate is expected to have enough pledged delegates won in state-by-state contests to clinch the nomination when voting ends in June, leaving the choice in the hands of the superdelegates.

I don’t think a dream ticket is possible.

Both candidates have wooed them heavily, with Obama contending they should follow the will of Democratic voters and Clinton arguing they should vote for the candidate with the best chance of winning the presidential election in November — which she says is her. Surprise, surprise. And Hillary is now saying that even the pledged delegates can switch and vote for her. Amazing!

Are we having fun yet? John McCain sure is.

Technorati Tags: Nancy, Pelosi

Technorati Tags: America, complicit., healthcare, parties, Political, Reform..., violent

In recent times, there have been extraordinary events that put a pause on routine and threw our country into animated conversation but they have mostly been about bad news – 9/11, the invasion of Iraq and most recently the Wall Street bailout. The election was neither bad news nor a distraction like a celebrity meltdown, it actually mattered. And as a result of this incredible election season, America?s children have a chance to grow up unaware that there?s anything unusual about an African-American President or a woman running for the White House.

2008 Legislative Success
Now, it?s over – the excitement, the soaring and in some cases snoring oration, the primaries and the debates – the Presidential campaigns are over. It was my great good fortune to attend the Democratic National Convention and to have affirmed in speeches and by actions that our community has indeed made progress. We had Senator Kennedy?s bittersweet appearance and his steadfast commitment that was so critical to the passage of parity; Michelle Obama?s unexpected reference to mental health when she talked about universal healthcare; Bill Clinton?s description of a mom struggling with her sons? autism; the first ever “recovery room” at a convention; and a luncheon honoring the Campaign for Mental Health Reform that included A list celebrities as well as national and state political leaders all vocal in their support of accessible, affordable mental health and addiction treatments.

The rhetoric of the convention was matched by an extremely successful legislative year: the delay of damaging Medicaid rules on rehabilitative services and targeted case management and the introduction of the Medicaid Services Restoration Act; the passage of Medicare parity; veterans legislation that extends mental health and addictions services beyond the VA out to communities; improved collaboration between criminal justice and mental health; expansion of the disability definition in the ADA making it easier for people with disabilities to obtain protection against disability-based discrimination; and the passage of parity ending health insurance discrimination.

It is a hopeful time for people with disabilities. Our string of legislative and policy successes reflects tremendous progress. And substance use and mental health advocates – united by the Presidential campaign – can share a path forward into a new era.

The Economy and Service Capacity
But times are tough in communities across the country – and the world, people losing their jobs, their homes and their retirement savings. Many of us at the National Council have spent these last few months traveling from state to state and community to community. And we return from these trips filled with anxiety.

As states attempt to manage their budgets in a very fragile economy, increased demand for mental health services could be on a collision course with impending cuts to publicly funded services. Our already tattered mental health and addictions safety net is in grave danger of collapsing as unemployment rates soar, anxiety over the future grows and demand for services is at an all time high.

We urge states to resist cutting essential mental health and addictions services and we?re lobbying for federal stimulus packages that include Medicaid relief and financial supports so that communities can meet treatment demand in the difficult months and perhaps years ahead. At the same time, our industry -the behavioral healthcare industry – has to be ready to work with the greatest efficiencies and be accountable for every taxpayer dollar. And the National Council?s proud of the initiatives – our Access and Retention, Six Sigma and Process Benchmarking projects -that we?ve introduced to support member efforts to streamline access, creating more treatment capacity and more effectively engaging consumers and communities in the recovery process.

Our Role in a Progressive Era
Now the question being asked is what?s our role in a new administration, in a new era? One of President elect Obama?s challenges will be to harness the extraordinary idealism that he inspired in his campaign to a larger, national cause. We appear to be leaving behind the conservative agenda and entering a progressive era. A progressive era being shaped by the millenniums with their internet culture and by a new breed of the very rich that are using their wealth to support progressive causes and demanding accountability in return for philanthropy.

But even in a new era, the reality, pace or shape of healthcare reform – is uncertain. Washington is already abuzz with health care groups lobbying their points of view and potential candidates for healthcare posts in the new administration polishing their resumes. But economics, politics, and history suggest that any major overhaul of our healthcare delivery system will be a difficult process at best. Healthcare is now bigger than the “military-industrial complex” about which we were warned in 1950s, 1960s and 1970s; and there?s no sector of the economy with more politically powerful special interests.

To date behavioral healthcare?s progress has received little mainstream attention. And our community has a good story to tell. While healthcare costs have skyrocketed, our services, historically underfunded, have seen little increases. Richard Frank, Harvard economist and co-author of Better But Not Well, uses data from the National Co-morbidity Survey to make the case that more money is being spent on mental health but mental healthcare?s share of GDP is constant and its share of health spending is declining while access, quality, and supports for people with mental illnesses have increased. We have data that tells a compelling story; and science that supports return on investment. So what about us?

It?s almost a sure bet that the next administration will include treatments for mental illnesses and addictions in any expansion of health coverage. We?ll be included in movement towards universal coverage, whether incrementally like the re-authorization of SCHIP or as part of more comprehensive reform like the plan offered by Ezekiel Emanuel (Dr. Emanuel, who is invited to speak at the National Council?s conference in San Antonio, is the brother of Obama?s new chief of staff Rahm Emanuel) in Health Care Guaranteed. But will inclusion in universal coverage strategies or general reform solve the fundamental problems we face? At best, reform will enable us to begin to solve our own problems.

Mental healthcare shares the problems of the larger healthcare system; and like health care suffers unintended policy consequences. We threw medicine out with the medical model, now we?re talking as if we?ve just discovered that mental health is fundamental to health and the result is people with serious mental illnesses are dying far too young. We brought Medicaid into every possible service, promoted decentralization and the marketplace, and now we?re faced with the same consequence – fragmentation.

Over the years, risk and responsibility have been downloaded from states to community organizations without the resources needed to keep pace with mental health, addiction and co-occurring treatment advances; without the resources to create organizational infrastructure that supports planned change; and without the resources needed to coordinate and ensure good general medical care for people with serious mental illnesses. Instead of investing in quality services, states have introduced intermediaries to manage what they still call their “system” – the result is a deskilled workforce and business as usual.

And in some cases, providers have lost the trust of their communities. As they?ve been increasingly relegated to and paid for only the treatment of people with the most serious mental illnesses, their communities have been left adrift. Mental health prevention and early intervention were very much part of the original concept of community based mental health care. We justified eliminating the funding for those services by labeling them as dollars wasted on the “worried well”.

Serving your community means running a receptive and responsive organization: flexible hours that fit the schedules of people who work; emergency availability; and a presence in all aspects of the community where help is needed – schools, jails, senior centers, foster homes, and on and on. It also means offering one stop shopping, sending people to multiple sites of service doesn’t work very well and doesn?t work at all when there is little to no coordination.

Can we transform ourselves into organizations that will be propelled by a progressive agenda and supported by new coalitions?  I think the question is answered by another question. Can we offer a vision of communities increasingly free from addictions and mentally fit; a vision of communities where those with histories of addiction and mental disorders are included not excluded from mainstream life; and can we be accountable for the quality of services we provide – with national standards and practices?  Can we do as education has done, combine vision with accountability? If the answer is yes, then perhaps the new entrepreneurial philanthropy will be by our side and perhaps one day President-elect Obama will write about the staff in behavioral health as he writes about teachers in The Audacity of Hope, “There?s no reason why an experienced, highly qualified, and effective teacher shouldn?t earn $100,000 … teachers in such critical fields as math and science – as well as those willing to teach in the toughest urban schools – should be paid even more.”

An Actionable Agenda
But even as we think big thoughts about health care reform, the National Council remains practical and ready to move an actionable agenda.

We need to be accountable for continuity of care for people with serious mental illnesses and addictions. The National Council?s Health care Collaborative Project successfully brings together behavioral health and primary care organizations offering a bi-directional approach for care, addressing the integration of primary care services in behavioral health settings as well as the need for behavioral health services in primary care. But far too often when the patient walks out the door, our responsibility ends – from hospital to community, from mental health to addiction treatment center to primary care, from the streets to the jails – we?ve created an array of disconnected even if well intentioned services. People with chronic illnesses and chronic problems need a home; and science has taught us that mental and addiction disorders are often chronic conditions. The patient-centered medical home – that provides care management; shifts the focus from episodic acute care to managing the health of those living with chronic health conditions; and emphasizes self-care that resonates with our recovery and resilience orientation – is a model we can embrace. And at the community level the idea of behavioral health care organizations providing a “health care home” for people with serious mental illnesses and addictions makes a lot of sense.

We need cost based plus financing that supports clinical excellence – skilled staff delivering nationally recognized practices within organizations that live by the rule, if you don?t measure it you can?t improve it. People want and deserve high quality services but services depend on the staff skill, and skilled staff must be adequately compensated. Low salaries have created-and are perpetuating-a recruitment and retention as well as a quality crisis for behavioral health care. We need organizations and staff that can provide state of the science behavioral health interventions, can treat and triage general health disorders and can lead site of service performance improvements. The public increasingly accepts that mental illnesses and addictions are treatable disorders and that recovery is possible. Now we must be sure that there are effective organizations and skilled practitioners.

We need a federal mental health funding stream dedicated to mental health and integrated treatment services for the uninsured. The uninsured have exceptionally high rates of untreated mental illnesses with co-occurring addiction disorders and there is no safety net. State general fund mental health dollars were reallocated to the Medicaid match. And now state plans to cover the uninsured are floundering. We have large numbers of individuals with treatable mental illnesses in our overburdened emergency rooms, in jails and on the streets …and without access to the services that can engage them, treat them and return them to work. We?re denying our economy productive taxpayers. We?re wasting human lives.

We need a pool of funds to support investments by behavioral health care organizations in information technology. We talk about information technology and service transparency yet organizations that move forward to automate their clinical systems find little available support, funding, or technical assistance. A September 2006 National Council poll of community behavioral health care providers across the country indicated that 8 percent had implemented an EHR system with clinical components fully functioning. Technology offers critical support to the service improvement process; promotes the application of protocols and guidelines; helps maintain contact with individuals who move through complex systems; and holds the promise to reduce the enormous financial burden of paperwork and reporting duplication-all efficiencies that improve service quality. The time has come to walk the technology talk.

We must have increased emphasis on and greater funding for research-based education and prevention practices. We have prevention and education programs that work. Research-based prevention programs that reduce the risk of childhood serious emotional disturbance by treating maternal depression; and the Nurse-Partnership Program that has an array of consistent positive effects across multiple trials. We have research-based education programs that increase mental health literacy like Mental Health First Aid. The National Academies Institute of Medicine report to be issued later in 2008 is expected to underscore the importance of greater emphasis on prevention and health-promotion practices that can impede the onset or reduce the severity of mental health and substance-use disorders in children, youth and young adults. This report presents an excellent opportunity to place prevention practices on the new Administration?s table.

The “Key Contact” Club
We can provide healthcare homes for people with serious mental and addictive disorders; we can ensure a skilled workforce, effective organizations and quality care; we can help those that are mentally ill and uninsured become productive members of their communities; we can employ the promise of technology; and we can bring research-based prevention and education to our communities. But we know from our ?08 successes that we cannot do any of these things without the leadership of our members – members that have real impact, tackling what can appear to be intractable problems. We have a vision, we have an agenda, and we have a “key contact” strategy.

Under the direction of Chuck Ingoglia, our VP, Public Policy, our strategy is to establish and track a key contact system – a network of members, their boards, consumers and families who have good, and soon to be better, relationships with members of Congress. Key contacts must be committed to meeting with the elected officials and to keeping us updated on these contacts. Our plan is to have a key contact in every congressional district. We?re taking what has been an ad hoc arrangement of our members reaching out to Congress and nurturing what we hope will be a formidable rolodex.

When change is being debated in Congress, we will be there. We?ll leave behind references to a system in shambles; we?ll lead with data; with our history as good managers of public dollars; and with an actionable agenda. But we need you at our side, as John F. Kennedy said so very long ago, “Political action is the highest responsibility of a citizen.”

I look forward to hearing from you and to your involvement in the “key contact” club.

Technorati Tags: About, healthcare, Reform...

Technorati Tags: debate, healthcare, Political, video

“On the Finance Committee, we are working very hard to avoid unintended consequences by methodically working through the complexities of all of these issues and policy options,” Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) said in a statement. “We dropped end-of-life provisions from consideration entirely because of the way they could be misinterpreted and implemented incorrectly.”

“The bill passed by the House committees is so poorly cobbled together that it will have all kinds of unintended consequences, including making taxpayers fund healthcare subsidies for illegal immigrants,” Grassley said. The veteran Iowa lawmaker said the end-of-life provision in those bills would pay physicians to “advise patients about end-of-life care and rate physician quality of care based on the creation of and adherence to orders for end-of-life care.

“Maybe others can defend a bill like the Pelosi bill that leaves major issues open to interpretation, but I can’t,” Grassley added.

Isn’t this what the protesters have been saying all along….”SCORE ONE FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE” !!!!!!!!!!!!

OK, WE STILL HAVE A LONG WAY TO GO !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
source…the hill….i hope you on the left know this is only the beginning….
so far it appears only one has even some comprehension of what i’m talking about. if you read the transcript, the bill(s) have been so “poorly” written that it left too much open to interpretation. we have not been saying that this is not a needed requirement but the wording is so vague along with the agencies and bureaucracies involved would have too much authority in this implementation of the mandates, that this was a travesty to the senior population. don’t worry you on the left…you can thank us later for saving your grandmother !!!!!!!

Technorati Tags: Aren't, healthcare, Party, Protests, Says, Working

As groups get bigger I swear their collective intelligence decreases. Nothing could be a truer example of this than one of the largest groups in America, the American Association of Retired Persons. Often affectionately known as the AARP I prefer to call them the Anti-American Retired Persons because I believe in truth in advertising.

Here you have a group that on one hand uses the power of capitalism. They flaunt the purchasing power of their vast membership to negotiate with companies all over the globe to get special discounts and incentives for their members in return for promoting these same companies to their members. But on the other hand they pimp anti-American ideas such as socialism and collectivism.

Case and point, the AARP has been running ads featuring cute, and dare I say naive, children who are reading from their given script and pleading with Americans to support candidates that promise universal health insurance coverage. They’re basically promoting Democrats and other liberals.

It’s no real big surprise. Their constituents are on two of the largest unconstitutional programs ever devised, namely Social Security and Medicare. You knew it could only be a matter of time before they decided that they needed to try and expand that base and their power.

So this push by the AARP just ahead of Hillary’s big announcement of her new and improved socialist plan for America shocks none.

Forget that she already tried to float this idea past American citizens in nineties and that it was soundly rejected. But hey, try, try again right?

So here comes Senatorette Clinton this week giving us Clintoncare Part Deux.

All you need to know about Hillary Clinton is that she said of her grand scheme, “At this point, we don’t have anything punitive that we have proposed”. The key words being “at this point”. You got to love the way they couch their plans and telegraph their future intentions don’t you?

At this point there is no punishment. How about tomorrow? Well, we’ll get back to you…

You just wait for those “future” plans Comrade Hillary slyly discusses. Because what is going to happen if Americans do not join? If even one person chooses that path then the whole claim of universal health insurance (not care mind you) falls apart and you can bet your bottom dollar that all sorts of punishments will be created to deal with those people who won’t fall in line.

Clinton did however slip up and let out what she though at least one punishment for not joining Hillarycare will be. She envisions a day when, “you have to show proof to your employer that you’re insured as a part of the job interview — like when your kid goes to school and has to show proof of vaccination”.

So join or you can’t work?

On a side note, and unfortunately for Hillary, her claim about vaccinations and public schools is not true. For example in Pennsylvania you do not have to be vaccinated to attend public school. So I am not sure where Hillary is getting her “facts” from. Perhaps she is just making things up again? She seems to do that quite often and has shown that she is certainly not above letting the “facts” get in the way of a good story.

I apologize to those of you who have decided not to vaccinate your children. For I am sure I’ve just given Comrade Clinton a new item to add to her list of “things to order the unwashed masses to do”. After all, mommy knows best!

Hillary Clinton also said of her rehashed socialist agenda that her plan, “expands personal choice and increases competition to get costs down.” You have to love how liberals claim that having no choice is actually a “choice”. Mandating that you must participate in this plan as in her own self-professed future vision, if you want to work is, is somehow a “choice”?

In further nanny state fashion, Senatorette Clinton thinks that she can wield the power of government to coerce people to act the way she desires them to. Most notably, she plans to use the tax code. She has said of her plan, “We’re providing incentives and tax credits which we think will be very attractive to the vast majority of Americans.” And what if Americans disagree? Well, were back to the “at this point” clarification of there being no “punitive” measures. This is the same government that used the tax code for years to punish couples for getting married. Remember that.

The facts are, that beyond talking points Hillary Clinton still has given little details about her health insurance (not health care) for all plan. But that reality hasn’t stopped those who fawn over Marxist ideas from touting Senatorette Clinton as having “detailed” her plans. Break it all down and here is what it comes down to; government nebulously mandating how insurance companies and private industries operate and even how the citizenry must behave. And of course, it would be “paid for” in part by the left’s favorite past time; raising taxes. Don’t complain. Don’t you know that it’s their money?

What? You disagree? Be careful. The re-education camps await you.

If you are an insurance company and don’t want to insure pre-existing conditions because you are rightfully scared of people only buying insurance after they have been diagnosed with a disease only to drop it once they have been treated, taken tens of thousands of dollars in care and before they have paid enough in premiums to even cover the cost, oh well! Too bad. Government says otherwise, so you will comply if you want to be in the health insurance business.

Freedom to contract and freedom of association be damned. It’s just not the liberal way.

The truth they are trying to hide is that everyone in America has “health care” if they seek it out. What everyone does not have is “health insurance” to help defray the costs when they do. Nor should they. Insurance is a luxury. Not everyone has a 50’ yacht either and I doubt many would suggest government should provide such for the people that do not.

People like Clinton claim that we need universal coverage because the uninsured cost the rest of us in higher premiums and other costs. But who do you think is going to pay for those that would be covered under this plan but don’t have insurance now when the government runs it? The Tooth Fairy? Or will the money just come from the magical, mystical money tree Hillary has in her back yard? Heck no! The cost of the current “uninsured” will still be carried by the rest of us. It is just a shell game to try and hide that fact and grant more power to the government. Hence why she needs to raise taxes.

Clinton can’t even discuss her ideas without the obligatory double speak saying, “My Republican opponents will try to equate healthcare for all Americans with government-run healthcare.” Well, uh yeah Comrade Clinton because it is! If the government is mandating that all Americans have to have healthcare, creating laws regarding how the system works, dictating what you must do once in the program and enforcing that doctors, hospitals and insurance companies do what government says they must in order to cover all Americans then it is “government-run healthcare” by default. When you pass a law it isn’t a “recommendation” or a “request”. It’s a law! Did you ever take a civics course that you actually passed? Because this is pretty basic stuff here!

But then again, this is from the frontrunner for the nomination of the party that claims that it is a “pro-choice” yet is forcing you to pay into a government retirement plan. And let’s not forget that the party she represents frequently gets endorsements from the Communist Party USA for their presidential candidates. Are those little red lights in your brain going off yet?

Clinton said of her plan, “I believe everyone – every man, woman and child – should have quality, affordable healthcare in America. I intend to be the president who will do that.” Well, that’s all well and good that you believe that. Now do you mind pointing to where in the Constitution you and your fellow travelers are granted the power by “We the People” to mandate how we manage our own choices with regards to healthcare? Are you going to point out to us, finally after all these years of waiting patiently, where you are given the power to dictate what price something should be and hence its “affordability”? Or are you just going to ignore that major problem with your plans like you always do?

Uh huh. Silence. That’s what I thought.

We already have Medicaid for the “poor” who supposedly can’t afford health insurance and Medicare for the elderly who are dubbed by the left as too stupid to save for their own needs after retirement and Congress wants to make families with an income of up to $80,000 eligible for SCHIP. How much more do we have to give?

Once again, please let myself and other Americans that still actually believe in liberty have real choice and chose to pass on this and chose not to contribute to the program. But then again, that “choice” isn’t one of the government approved “choices” now is it?

For the left, “choice” is simply a mandate from them. And you will abide by it “or else”. If not they will eventually get you with future punishments that don’t exist at this time while they stick the camel’s nose under the tent today.

“The sad reality is that the uninsured don’t just struggle with costs themselves, they impose costs on the rest of us,” Clinton said. And why is that? Is it because politicians and the courts let them impose these problems on us by allowing them to get out of paying their debts, bailing them out with tax payer dollars and maybe only at best paying a fraction of the cost to those that provide their services thus increasing costs to the rest of us? There once was a time in America when if you owed a debt you paid it you either paid it, rotted in jail or were ordered to work off you debts to those you owed them to.

But then again, hard work scares liberals. Responsibility is too much to ask them to promote. So those concepts are certainly not on the table. But government mandates? Heck, that’s the way they think they can create utopia!

Technorati Tags: Aarp, Charge, Clintoncare, Liberals, Spearhead