I'm in favor of health care reform, though not in favor of Federal takeover
of it. Remember that the Feds took over a Nevada whorehouse for back taxes,
and couldn't make it work? The President and his Congress have rushed into a
government plan without apparently considering other options.

For example, they should look at the Swiss program where health care is all
privately funded with close government oversight.

Over a thousand state and Federal mandates have forced health insurance
premiums through the roof.

Prohibiting drug purchases by the Feds from foreign sources is a budget
buster.

Disallowing insurance pools ought to be eliminated. Allowing interstate
purchase of insurance ought to be a no-brainer.

Tort reform must be a part of the fix, unless the lawmakers have been so
co-opted by the trial lawyers association they can't make a move.

I have read much of the House bill, (something the Congressmen haven't
done), and my mind is boggled at the creation of a bureaucrat's wet dream!
Who writes that crap? Where and when were hearings conducted to receive
input from experts in the field, and from the loyal opposition?

I'm no birther, no right-wing Republican, no neo-Nazi. I'm just a senior
citizen with conservative views on the role of government in our lives. I
think for myself, refusing to toe any party's line, unlike some folks in
this forum.

Now, Harry, et al, take your shot at killing the messenger rather than
offering constructive thought.

Lu Powell wrote:
I'm in favor of health care reform, though not in favor of Federal
takeover of it. I'm just a senior
citizen with conservative views on the role of government in our lives.

Congratulations, you probably have Medicare, which won't be "taken over
by the government," no matter what anyone tells you.

I think for myself, refusing to toe any party's line, unlike some folks
in this forum.

It's becoming more and more interesting looking at the people who are
protesting health care reform. Senior citizens, who clearly have
Medicare. And I've never seen anyone protest being eligible for Medicare.

I don't see young people, with kids, in those audiences, just people who
already have a government run health care plan, protesting against what
they already have.

I'd bet there is no one who has no health insurance among the protesters.

I believe the protesters have another agenda, for they can't believe
what their signs say, for they already have what they protest against.

Obama haters, closeted racists, "good" Republicans, who hate everything
that's not them. Taking their direction from organizations such as
"Freedom Works," maybe not even knowing that's where their directions
are coming from.

"Toeing the party line," indeed.


Now, Harry, et al, take your shot at killing the messenger rather than
offering constructive thought.

"Jim" wrote in message
m...
Lu Powell wrote:
I'm in favor of health care reform, though not in favor of Federal
takeover of it. I'm just a senior
citizen with conservative views on the role of government in our lives.
Congratulations, you probably have Medicare, which won't be "taken over
by the government," no matter what anyone tells you.

I think for myself, refusing to toe any party's line, unlike some folks
in this forum.

It's becoming more and more interesting looking at the people who are
protesting health care reform. Senior citizens, who clearly have
Medicare. And I've never seen anyone protest being eligible for Medicare.

I don't see young people, with kids, in those audiences, just people who
already have a government run health care plan, protesting against what
they already have.

I'd bet there is no one who has no health insurance among the protesters.

I believe the protesters have another agenda, for they can't believe
what their signs say, for they already have what they protest against.

Obama haters, closeted racists, "good" Republicans, who hate everything
that's not them. Taking their direction from organizations such as
"Freedom Works," maybe not even knowing that's where their directions
are coming from.

"Toeing the party line," indeed.


Now, Harry, et al, take your shot at killing the messenger rather than
offering constructive thought.



Don't know what "Freedom Works" is. Never was a "good" Republican. Do know
how to spot cynicism and blind allegiance to a liberal agenda.

"Jim" wrote in message
m...
Lu Powell wrote:
I'm in favor of health care reform, though not in favor of Federal
takeover of it. I'm just a senior
citizen with conservative views on the role of government in our lives.
Congratulations, you probably have Medicare, which won't be "taken over
by the government," no matter what anyone tells you.

I think for myself, refusing to toe any party's line, unlike some folks
in this forum.

It's becoming more and more interesting looking at the people who are
protesting health care reform. Senior citizens, who clearly have
Medicare. And I've never seen anyone protest being eligible for Medicare.

I don't see young people, with kids, in those audiences, just people who
already have a government run health care plan, protesting against what
they already have.

I'd bet there is no one who has no health insurance among the protesters.

I believe the protesters have another agenda, for they can't believe
what their signs say, for they already have what they protest against.

Obama haters, closeted racists, "good" Republicans, who hate everything
that's not them. Taking their direction from organizations such as
"Freedom Works," maybe not even knowing that's where their directions
are coming from.

"Toeing the party line," indeed.


Now, Harry, et al, take your shot at killing the messenger rather than
offering constructive thought.



....and the points about alternative solutions are merely ignored? Harry
isn't the only one trying to kill the messenger while failing to look at
ideas.

On Aug 7, 8:12*pm, "Lu Powell" wrote:
"Jim" wrote in message

m...



Lu Powell wrote:
I'm in favor of health care reform, though not in favor of Federal
takeover of it. I'm just a senior
citizen with conservative views on the role of government in our lives..
Congratulations, you probably have Medicare, which won't be "taken over
by the government," no matter what anyone tells you.

I think for myself, refusing to toe any party's line, unlike some folks
in this forum.

It's becoming more and more interesting looking at the people who are
protesting health care reform. *Senior citizens, who clearly have
Medicare. *And I've never seen anyone protest being eligible for Medicare.

I don't see young people, with kids, in those audiences, just people who
already have a government run health care plan, protesting against what
they already have.

I'd bet there is no one who has no health insurance among the protesters.

I believe the protesters have another agenda, for they can't believe
what their signs say, for they already have what they protest against.

Obama haters, closeted racists, "good" Republicans, who hate everything
that's not them. *Taking their direction from organizations such as
"Freedom Works," maybe not even knowing that's where their directions
are coming from.

"Toeing the party line," indeed.

Now, Harry, et al, take your shot at killing the messenger rather than
offering constructive thought.

...and the points about alternative solutions are merely ignored? Harry
isn't the only one trying to kill the messenger while failing to look at
ideas.

JIm:

If you look in that link in my post on anti-obamacare protests you see
young people, old people, people with kids, women with babies, not all
retirees.

On Fri, 7 Aug 2009 20:12:26 -0400, "Lu Powell"
wrote:



...and the points about alternative solutions are merely ignored? Harry
isn't the only one trying to kill the messenger while failing to look at
ideas.

There's all kinds of "ideas." Then there's the "status quo" and fear
of change.
Tort reform should be a big part of any change. Knocks down defensive
medicine costs and malpractice premiums.
Big savings there.
Huge mistake by Obama not insisting on that. Undermines his
credibility.

--Vic

On Aug 7, 9:50*pm, Vic Smith wrote:
On Fri, 7 Aug 2009 20:12:26 -0400, "Lu Powell"
wrote:



...and the points about alternative solutions are merely ignored? Harry
isn't the only one trying to kill the messenger while failing to look at
ideas.

There's all kinds of "ideas." *Then there's the "status quo" and fear
of change.
Tort reform should be a big part of any change. *Knocks down defensive
medicine costs and malpractice premiums.
Big savings there.
Huge mistake by Obama not insisting on that. *Undermines his
credibility.

--Vic *

No dem on earth will ever get behind tort reform. Lawyers are big
contributors to the Dems. This is one big reason we will never have
real health care reform.

On Fri, 07 Aug 2009 20:50:47 -0500, Vic Smith wrote:


Huge mistake by Obama not insisting on that. Undermines his
credibility.

Maybe, but it's too early to say with certainty. I see this plan as
pretty mild, trying to get something passed without stepping on too may
toes, trying to get a consensus. That doesn't seem to be working.
Perhaps, he should have gone all-in and gone for a true single player
plan, screw the health insurers, screw the pharmaceuticals, and made the
choice much clearer.

The Republicans are also not without risk in this. Sure, if they kill
this plan, they damage Obama, but that will leave us without *any* health
care reform. Something, the majority of Americans want. Come the next
election, without any reform, would you rather be Obama who tried, or the
Republicans, the party of no? I could be wrong, but I don't see
Republicans winning on this. Americans have short political memories,
but our health care situation will remain a reminder.

On Mon, 10 Aug 2009 19:07:38 -0500, thunder
wrote:

On Fri, 07 Aug 2009 20:50:47 -0500, Vic Smith wrote:


Huge mistake by Obama not insisting on that. Undermines his
credibility.

Maybe, but it's too early to say with certainty. I see this plan as
pretty mild, trying to get something passed without stepping on too may
toes, trying to get a consensus. That doesn't seem to be working.
Perhaps, he should have gone all-in and gone for a true single player
plan, screw the health insurers, screw the pharmaceuticals, and made the
choice much clearer.

The Republicans are also not without risk in this. Sure, if they kill
this plan, they damage Obama, but that will leave us without *any* health
care reform. Something, the majority of Americans want. Come the next
election, without any reform, would you rather be Obama who tried, or the
Republicans, the party of no? I could be wrong, but I don't see
Republicans winning on this. Americans have short political memories,
but our health care situation will remain a reminder.

Yep. Agee with all that. Reps just solidifying their reputation as
The Party of No. Don't know about going single payer quickly though.
Too disruptive in many ways. The gov option would be a way to ease
into single payer over a long time, or for private insurance to get
competitive. Haven't heard about the gov option being required to run
on the black side of the line, but that should be required.
About Obama's credibility, that's my estimation as an Independent.
Tort reform would tackle the malpractice insurance and defensive
medicine costs on the cost side. I'm no expert on it, but I've heard
(think Lou Dobbs addressed it in one of his pieces on foreign health
care) that countries with national health care have more sane tort
systems.
It's just a question of doing the logical things to contain costs, and
since I don't question Obama's intelligence, what's left?
Trial lawyer politics. Not good. He should be above that, and could
actually carry it off. Same with pushing nuclear energy harder, which
he should be doing.
Besides, from a political perspective, he'd have the Reps voting "Nay
on tort reform. Because they won't vote "Aye" on any reform bill
put out by the Dems or Obama.
Most of the Reps are turning wacko. Sad to see.

--Vic

On Fri, 07 Aug 2009 14:25:45 -0700, Jim wrote:

Lu Powell wrote:
I'm in favor of health care reform, though not in favor of Federal
takeover of it. I'm just a senior
citizen with conservative views on the role of government in our lives.

Congratulations, you probably have Medicare, which won't be "taken over
by the government," no matter what anyone tells you.

I heard that in one of those town hall meeting on "question" to the
bigwig was a shouted, foaming "I want the government to keep its
filthy hands off my Medicare!!"
Weird way of thinking.
I think the people should be given a real choice.
Some form of health care/insurance reform legislated by the gov by
elected representatives, or the gov should get out of the health
business entirely by killing Medicare.
Give the folks a choice.

--Vic