Mob Rule

President Obama is to be congratulated.  He has accomplished what no other president has done before.  He has motivated the American people to finally get out of their chairs and speak up.  Throughout his campaign he kept preaching American's should get engaged.  Spread the word we need to tell American's the truth.      
 
So now that American's have taken his lead and have learned the truth especially about the health care bill, does he find himself wanting to eat those words?
 
The recent protests over his health care bill has led to the White House claiming that the attendance at the recent town-hall meetings is a Right Wing conspiracy led by conservative talk radio, right wing activists and insurance company lobbyists.  However, they have not produced a single person who claims they were enticed or organized by any lobbyist.  
 
The White House and Liberal Congressional representatives have called them out of control mobs.  Nancy Pelosi, (D.CA) stated publicly that some protestors showed up carrying swastikas. 

Yes, Nancy someone did have a swastika; however it was in a circle with a red line through it indicating 'Stop the Nazis'.  Talk about taking things out of context.  Go back  to a 2006  to Nancy Pelosi at a San Francisco anti-war forum, when hard Leftists start shouting and disrupting the meeting the moderator tried to discourage a shouting match.

Pelosi cut off the moderator and encourages her hecklers chanting "NO MORE WAR:" "I appreciate that. I appreciate that you as advocates can say that. That's okay. That's okay."  This dissent is patriotic?  But not when it comes to health care?

Senator Boxer (D.CA) stated that it was a Right Wing movement to hurt the President.  Boxer called them "Brooks Brothers protestors" because they showed up wearing suits.  Get your head out of the sand Senator Boxer.  They showed up wearing suits because they were on their way into or came from work to attend the meetings.  That is how concerned the American people are.  You are planning to take away their income with high taxes disguised as Cap and Trade [Crap 'n Trade as I call it] now you want to take away their health care insurance.
 
I attended a meeting ten days ago that was held by Rep. Ron Klein (D.FL 22).  In fairness to Congressman Klein the meeting was not set up as a town hall meeting, but was a monthly meeting his staff conducts to address individual problems his constituents may need help with. 

Normally there is one representative from his office to handle the approximately eight people that show up.   However, his office sent three representatives for this meeting and over 200 people showed up.  Did his staff assume something?  
 
As for the Right Wing radicals, a majority of the people present were registered Democrats or Independents. 
 
The latest rhetoric from the President during a recent town hall meeting was America spends more on health care than Canada or the UK  Get your head out of the sand Mr. President the reason we spend more is we get more.
 
In Great Britain, there is no preventive screening for breast cancer unless the woman is between 50 and 70.  If you are extremely obese at risk for heart disease or diabetes you don't get screened.  Patients needing hip and knee replacements are given pain medication not surgery if they are over 70-years old and not a productive citizen. 

In Canada you are put on a waiting list for so long that many Canadians travel to the U.S. for treatment; many time to save their lives.  There is little preventive testing and expensive drugs that are administered to treat cancer patients are not administered.  A survey done for Parliament in the UK revealed that 94% of British citizens want to go back to private insurance.
 
The French government taxes workers 18% for their health care insurance.  It is for the most part a single payer system. It comes with a 30% co-pay.  Ninety-two percent of French citizens have private supplemental health insurance to cover the high co-pay costs. 
 
If you want to bring our costs in line with the UK and Canada as you say, Mr. President, will you cut our medical care just to bring the costs down?  How else can you explain the disparity?  Do you really think we cannot see through your rhetoric and talking points?      
 
"The year's biggest survey on healthcare reveals most Americans oppose the very reforms that President Obama is trying to push through Congress.  By 52 percent to 40 percent, voters say they are against the healthcare bill introduced July 14 to the House of Representatives, a new Zogby International poll reports.
 
Co-sponsored by the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, the survey is based on interviews with nearly 4,000 adults nationwide the largest such survey conducted this year.
 
The poll's findings: Americans oppose raising tax rates to pay for a new healthcare system. Instead, they favor innovative approaches that would save money, which in turn could be used to fund health benefits for the poor.
 
Among those currently insured, Zogby reports, 84 percent are satisfied with their current health care. Also, four out of every five people surveyed agreed that rising healthcare costs are hurting American businesses."   
 
If the government wants to contain the rising health care costs, two things need to happen immediately:  The first is Tort Reform.  When doctors are ordering unnecessary tests so they can practice defensive medicine because American's have become sue-happy, insurance costs skyrocket.  

Take for example the woman who was put to bed in her seventh month of pregnancy; her doctor's orders saved her life and the life of her baby.  She then sued her doctor because she developed excessive stretch marks.  The court system has become the new lottery.  People are using the courts because the odds of getting a quick settlement are better than winning the lottery. 

The second item is Medicare fraud, which is in billions of dollars each year.  The Medicare Fraud Reduction Act has done little to bring it under control.  The government wastes billions of dollars each year on fraud.
 
During a press conference on July 23 Obama said Pediatricians check pay schedules before treating you child's sore throat.  The doctor may decide to remove the tonsils because he gets paid more to do so.    You still have your head in the sand Mr. President.  Pediatricians don't remove tonsils,  surgeons do.  So removing the child's tonsils means the doctor may not see that child anymore.  How stupid do you think we are?
 
Paul Krugman of the NYT has said this is a race issue White America against a black President.
 
Let's look at some of the myths and facts about healthcare.  These are right out of the Health Care Bill.
 
Myth:  There are 47 million Americans without health care insurance in the U.S.
 
Fact:  According to the U.S. Census Bureau the number is actually 35.9 million.  If we reduce that figure by the number of Illegal Aliens, those eligible for Medicaid who have not applied for coverage, children who are eligible for the State Health Care Insurance Program ( SHCIP) who have not applied and the childless couples who can afford the insurance but won't pay for it.  The true number is less than four million.
 
President Obama wants to change health care for 300 million Americans to cover four million people.  
 
The fact is these people who do not have health insurance have access to the finest health care in the world.  Any emergency room in any hospital in the United States must treat them.  The problem is the hospital has no way of being reimbursed.  
 
Another major part of the problem is portability.  People should have the ability to change employment and keep the insurance they have with no penalty for pre-existing conditions. 

Also, there are over 1,300 medical insurance companies in the U.S. They are prohibited by law to write policies except in the states they do business.  Congress should mandate that they be allowed to write policies nationwide.  This will increase competition among carriers and help to reduce the cost of premiums.
 
Obama wants to reduce the cost of drugs by shortening the patent time on drugs from twelve years to five.

His reasoning is that it will make drugs more available and cheaper because generic pharmaceutical manufacturers will be able to get the drugs to the market sooner.   What he fails to realize is that when a drug company spends $1-$2 billion to research and develop a drug they have to spread their costs over the 12-years, so they can recoup their costs.  Shortening that time by seven years will only make the drugs more expensive when the drug companies have to recoup their cost in less time.    
 
 Myth:  Obama said, "This is the best most comprehensive health care plan we can give to all Americans.
 
Fact: Obama said during the campaign, "There is no reason that all Americans cannot enjoy the same health care plan that is afforded members of Congress."  If it is so good why won't members of Congress sign on to it.
 
Myth:  You can keep your private insurance.  If you change jobs you will be able to keep the same health insurance.
 
Fact:   The bill States that if you have insurance at the time of the bill becoming law and change jobs, you will be required to take a similar plan.  If that is not available, you will be required to take the government option!  P. 16.
 
Myth:  Your medical care decisions will be between you and your health care provider. 
 
Fact:  A government committee will decide what treatments and benefits you get (and, unlike an insurer, there will be no appeals process) P.30  The "Health Choices Commissioner" will decide health benefits for you. You will have no choice. None. P. 42.
 
Myth:  Persons in this country illegally will not be covered under this plan.
 
Fact:  All non-US citizens, illegal or not, will be provided with free healthcare services.  So will persons residing in American Samoa, Puerto Rico, Guam or any other U.S. protectorate including the U.S. Virgin Islands. P.50.
 
Myth:  You will not be paying for your neighbor's health care.
 
Fact:  Taxpayers will subsidize all union retiree and community organizer health plans (example: SEIU, UAW and ACORN)  p.65
 
Myth:  There are no penalties for having your own private or group insurance through your employer.
 
Fact:  Any employer with a payroll of $250K-400K or more, who does not offer the public option, pays a 2 to 6% tax on payroll. P.150

"First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win."  - Gandhi

 

And, that is my opinion.

Michael Solomon

Author of "Where Did My America Go?"

To read back issues of Michael Solomon's newsletters.

_________________________

- Forward this newsletters to your friends. -

Buy the book today, "Where Did My America Go?"

Contact

Appearances

Visit BLOG to post comments

E-mail: michael@michaelsolomonbooks.com

Web site: http://www.michaelsolomonbooks.com