Political Insider

By Freddy the freeloader

November 9, 2007 7:16 PM | Link to this

Know why these freeloaders are mad? Its not that he voted against the child insurance it was a vote AGAINST freeloading parents making $80,000 per year getting free insurance and FREELOADING on our tax money!

By Churchill

November 9, 2007 11:04 PM | Link to this

Marshall is brave, but he’s brave because he knows that the political tide is changing in his district. Years of Democrat rule in Macon, and his district is wearing thin on the people of Bibb county and central Georgia. This stupid bill is a thinly disguised move toward national, state-run health care. Keep up the good work Jim, whatever your current motivation.

By jacksmith

November 10, 2007 3:59 AM | Link to this

For the first time in the history of America. The life expectancy of today’s children is less than that of their parents. This is catastrophic. And our infant mortality is equal to that of a third world country. Current U.S. adult life expectancy is down from #1 to #42. And dropping fast. These facts are what is known as EXTINCTION! indicators. These are the early signs of the final phase of the EXTINCTION of the American people.

You have to take the profit motive out of health care delivery. The profit motive does not work with health care. Or any other essential public service like police, and fire. The sooner everyone faces this truth. The sooner you will be able to adopt a real solution to the problem. The days of paying for health care out of pocket are at an end. Just like the mob days of paying for protection out of pocket came to an end.

HR 676 is the way to go. Single payer Universal National Health Care For All. Medicare for all. Accept no substitutes. The sooner you face this. The sooner you begin to heal the Cancer of private for profit medicine that is destroying this entire society. Other developed countries realized this years ago. It’s a no-brainer now. See sickocure.org

Money, greed, and the profit motive has just decimated health care in America. And killed, and injured millions needlessly. Just for profit. But that is what large amounts of money, greed, and a lust for power always does. No one is immune from this corrupting power. The smart ones know this. And avoid letting them-self be put in compromising positions. But that is easier said. Than done. And very few succeed.

Most in the US go into medicine primarily to become wealthy. That is who the medical schools mostly choose. Most of the medical schools faculty are in bed with the drug companies, and others. And like the story of Dr. Faustus. They end up selling their soles. One compromise at a time. Until Lucifer owns them.

In medicine. Compromised care means. Injury, disability, and death. It’s sad really. But HR 676 can fix this disgrace. Like it has in other developed countries. The only question is. How many more millions will be hurt, injured, and killed. And how many more of your children will die before their time. Before we fix this disgrace of private for profit health care in America.

I realize there will be a few people that have what they believe is good health care coverage. Who will want to opt out of a single payer system like HR 676. But let me remind you we rank # 37 in quality of health care for all. Down from #1. Never the less. A few opting out is not a problem. As long as all other Americans are automatically covered at birth through life. Unless they choose to opt out of HR 676. The government takes out 1.4% from your paycheck now for Medicare. All they have to do is substitute for HR 676 what they now take out of your paychecks for private health insurance. Remember, we already spend more on health care than any other country in the world. Right Now. We are being ripped off. And raped.

The SCHIP program is a desperately needed program for Americas children. But with the impending EXTINCTION of Americas children. And their current catastrophic health care condition. SCHIP needs to be extended to cover all of Americas children, immediately. Parents should have no hesitations, or financial worries about seeking medical care for their children. Whenever they have any concerns about their children’s health. Especially in the richest country in the world. I would submit that any President, or politician that fails to do this for the children. Betrays their most solemn oath to protect the American people. Especially when you consider that all other developed countries have done this. And that we are the richest country in the world.

So get on it America. Get it done. You have been doing great over the past several months. Keep it up. And step it up. You have to force it, and take it. It’s the right fight, and the right thing to do. Now is the time… Take no prisoners.

By Dr Coles

November 10, 2007 12:41 PM | Link to this

The government caused the problem with health care in America by over socializing (mandates) medicine to the extent it is not completive, and we want to exacerbate the problem? Kids have health care. The needy already have health care. The U.S. is not a socialist state ( see http://tinyurl.com/2znnvl ). No one is entitled to be given a house, car, food or health care, etc. If we want these things, we have to earn them. The government does not earn money. Perhaps some of us should take a civics class and learn about America. We all have to labor for what we want. For those who need help there are the charities and state programs. We need to fix the health care issue but we cannot fix it unless we know how it is broken. For the answer, please see http://www.InteliOrg.com/

By Churchill

November 10, 2007 2:40 PM | Link to this

What do you bet jacksmith is a Clinton supporter. He’s as socialist as she.

By GodHatesTrash

November 10, 2007 4:39 PM | Link to this

Well, you could be a socialist, Churchill, instead of a stumpbroke moron like you are now.

Naw, ferget it - you are born and bred a moron. Trash.

By Churchill

November 10, 2007 5:33 PM | Link to this

Trash speaks as a true lib. They dare not engage in the arena of ideas rather, they trash the other side. Defend your socialist positions. Be proud of it. You spend half the time trying to disguise you hate for capitalism and the free market system. You guys hate a merit based society. I don’t blame you, you arguments, for the most part are without merit. And since you hate GA and the prevailing political winds in this state, I have a suggestion. Move. You can take a plane out of dead mayor airport anytime time you want. Hell, I’d pay for a one way ticket. I’ll be praying for you, Trash. I’ll even mention you to my Sunday school class in the morning. Peace.

By GodHatesTrash

November 10, 2007 5:41 PM | Link to this

Too late moron - I already moved. I’m less than 40 miles from Canada!

I don’t hate capitalism - I just hate stumpbroke morons like you. Is there anything wrong with that?

Now be honest - you can’t stand yourself either.

And save your “knee-time” for the dead mayor airport restroom…

Trash.

By Churchill

November 10, 2007 6:49 PM | Link to this

You make this too easy, Trash. Can’t defend your positions, so you attack. By the way can I rent you a Hybrid so you can drive the last 40 miles?

By gafarmer

November 10, 2007 7:02 PM | Link to this

We have great healthcare in this country.Medicare, medicaid, etc.,and other government mandates for care and their below cost reimbursements causes everyone else to pay more.

Insurance is jacking the cost of healthcare more than 40%. That’s what administration and profits take out of premiums. Think the insurance industry is your friend, just file a claim.

Insurance in any form adds cost to the service needed to cover risks we are unprepared to accept. Personal responsibility and savings instead of insurance would go a long way toward lowering the cost of healthcare. That ain’t going to happen.

I live in Marshall’s district and have never voted for him because we have better folks than him for the job. He is a good politician.

Marshall is absolutely correct voting as he has on this issue. Even a blind hog finds an acorn once in a while.

By Sen. Oldtimersmith

November 10, 2007 7:43 PM | Link to this

I do declare. Churchill done taken out the Trash. And GA beat Auburn. What great day.

By beachmom

November 10, 2007 9:04 PM | Link to this

I see the lie that the s-chip bill will allow parents earning 80K to qualify for the program is alive and well. Unfortunately, it is the president himself who is the one who started this lie.

Just ask Senate Republicans

*And that veto threat has angered one of the most important Republicans negotiating on the bill: Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa), the top Republican on the Senate Finance Committee.

After hearing Bush say Thursday that he was going to veto the bill in part because it would allow families of four making $80,000 to place their children on the the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), Grassley blasted the president, saying his assertion was dead wrong.

“The president has been served wrong information about what our bill will do,” Grassley said Thursday between Senate votes. “There’s nothing in our bill that would do that. His understanding of the bill was wrong.”

Bush, in a morning news conference, told reporters that “Congress has made the decision to expand the program up to $80,000. … This is a step toward federalization of health care.”

Grassley said that a waiver to allow higher income families to utilize SCHIP has been taken out of the conference committee compromise forged between House and Senate negotiators over the past two days.*

As to the assertion that it goes to “freeloading parents”; it actually goes to children. I do not understand why it is okay to live in a society where children are without health insurance, and Georgia is one of the neediest states, and will benefit a great deal from this legislation.

As to Mr. Marshall, well I am puzzled by his vote, especially since the money was already bargained down from $50 billion to $35 billion. Meanwhile, there are Georgian children who qualify for the program and are still awaiting federal funding so that they can have health insurance …..

By Typical Georgia Redneck

November 10, 2007 9:10 PM | Link to this

That Trash guy is mean. I think he hurt Churchill’s feelings.

Speaking of trash, Oldtimersmith, give my regards to your ma.

White power!

By Scott Wagner

November 11, 2007 2:41 AM | Link to this

The SCHIP expansion isn’t intended to help needy children in America. It is a socialist proposal to give government control over the one-fifth of the economy and remove the power of individuals to determine how they will receive medical services. It should be defeated along with those who vote in favor.

Scott Wagner Loganville, Georgia 30052

By ARTHUR E. WASHER

November 11, 2007 8:37 AM | Link to this

HI HOW IT IS BROKEN! LOOK AT THE SYSTEMS PAST WELLFAIR DAYS ! THEN LOOK AT IT LAST YEAR COMPAIR COST AND DRUGS FOR THE LAST 5 TO 7 YEARS !NOW SEE THE BROKEN PART WELLFAIR ENDED AND AND CHANGED ALL PARTS OF THAT SYSTEM THAT IS WHERE YOU BROKE THE FEDERAL PART ! THEN THE COST OF COVERAGE AND DENIAL OF PERSCRIPSHONS AND DENTAL IS NOT COVERD GLASSES FAULSE TEETH NO IT IS NOT COSMETIC IT IS A NESSARYPART OF THE HUMAN BODY NO TEETH YOU GET STOMACH ULSERS AND COST MORE FOR HOSPITAL SURGERY ! NONE OF YOU ARE QUALIFIDE TO UNDERSTAND AND AS YOU PASS LAWS THAT DO MORE DAMAGE THAN GOOD IT BECOMES APEARENT TO ME FROM 7 BOOKS THAT NOTHING FOR THE MONEY IS COVERED FRAUDLANT AND PEOPLE DO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF GOOD WILL ! SO I HAVE NONE ILL GO TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM !YOUR ALL SO PENT UP IN FUNDING YOU CAN NOT AFORD ANYTHING SO SHOVE IT I DO NOT NEED FRAUD DENIAL AND THE DOCTOR IS FIRED ! YOU DON’T DO ME ANY FAVORS !

By Martin L. Adams

November 11, 2007 8:39 AM | Link to this

Essay on Health and Healthcare

The national institutes of heath reports that 67% of American adults are overweight and 34% are obese, 22% still smoke, about 8% use illicit drugs, 50% use alcohol and about 24% engage in heavy or ‘binge’ drinking.

I have family members who are obese and smoke. They are intelligent and they understand the probable long-term health consequences of their poor health choices. They also claim that they want to correct these behaviors, but they do not have the personal motivation and personal discipline to make the change, or they believe it is not possible for them to accomplish.

I am now 65. I have exercised all my life and weigh almost exactly what I weighed in college. I did smoke but quit about 40 years ago. My health, strength and energy are truly excellent. My family members believe that I am a ‘freak of nature’, not a normal human being. I believe that I am normal and the only difference is that I have decided to live my life differently.

Recently I read an editorial titled “Old Europe-New Public Health”. Something in that editorial resonated with me, and caused me to wonder why, here in the United States, we are not having the ‘correct’ public discussion. Two of the points in article that I particularly noted were:

· The Ottawa Charter (adopted by the World Health Organization) concluded that public health is directly related to the overall social setting and the environment, largely a responsibility of the state…and that the health policies of several European nations follow that concept.

· The US holds the notion that responsibility for one’s health is with the individual, not the state…and therefore the Ottawa Charter has never really caught on in the US.

This (my) essay is not an endorsement of the Ottawa Charter or European health care systems. Surely, what is correct for Ottawa or Europe is probably not correct for the US. Nonetheless the fundamental principles of that charter provide a framework to discuss public policy alternatives.

Several of the presidential candidates are proposing some form of government mandate to make sure all Americans have health insurance coverage. This strikes me as incomplete and avoids the ‘real’ debate. The problems we have with health insurance in this country are merely a symptom of much larger problems.

We should be talking about health in America, not just about insurance. If we persist in avoiding the ‘real’ debate, truly significant reforms will never be explored.

I am one of those Americans who believes the individual is (and should be) responsible for his/her personal health. I also believe our health care system is seriously distorted, needlessly overpriced and some of our public health policies and external factors, contribute to these distortions.

Because of the wide gulf between the haves and the have-nots in our society (that is another debate we are not having), I now believe (something I have resisted) we need some sort of universal health care system. However, ‘my’ system would be very different from any that I have heard proposed or discussed.

Most of the ‘haves’ in the US are very nervous about a public funded and Government-run health care system. I am one of those. That said, I believe there is some ‘middle ground’ that would address both the legitimate concerns of the ‘haves’ and also the true needs of the ‘have-nots’.

This essay presents some PBI’s…Partly Baked Ideas. I warn you, these ideas will not be popular with many interests and with a lot of Americans. Some people will have to significantly alter their belief systems to adjust to ‘my’ healthcare system. These ideas require ‘shared pain’. However, there is also much reward to be shared.

The two fundamental operating principles of ‘my’ system are:

· 1. Exercising good health practices is a personal responsibility of every individual and a requirement of participation in a publicly funded health care system, (more on that later).

· 2. There is no ‘right’ or ‘entitlement’ to unlimited health care…paid for by somebody else.

‘My’ system would propose delivery of healthcare services through a hybrid system of private and public providers. At the community level there would be public clinics for routine health matters, prenatal health care, treatments for non-life-threatening trauma, colds, flu, and fevers, regular checkups, vaccinations, etc., all with a focus on prevention and teaching individual accountability. These clinics should be staffed by nurse practitioners, well-trained medics, and mental health counselors and supervised by medical doctors. This service should be available to all, but is primarily intended too help the poor and take the burden off the hospital emergency room. Some nominal fee would be charged to those who can afford it. Family/individual financial status would be predetermined in the system enrollment process and monitored thereafter.

Everyone would have ‘insurance’ that would get them into a hospital when needed and pay for the doctor visits and dental needs. Individual health care decisions would remain with the individual’s doctor, not a government official. This is not government run health care.

However, there will be limits. Two years after launch of ‘my’ system, people who remain obese, or still smoke or abuse drugs will not be eligible for publicly funded health care for specified conditions reasonably attributable to their poor health/lifestyle choice. For those conditions they would have to pay for their health care outside of the publicly funded ‘system’ until they come into compliance with weight norms and discontinue smoking or abuse of drugs.

However, I would make some other changes to the ‘public environment’.

We should shut down the ‘war on drugs’ and treat drug abuse as a public health issue, not as a criminal matter. The money now being spent (ineffectively) on the drug war and incarceration should be shifted to health care and counseling and education.

Tort lawsuits for medical malpractice should be substantially reformed. The net effect would be to stabilize award payments to a standard, which makes the injured party whole and reasonably compensates for pain and suffering. Negligence would be restored to its original meaning…that is the failure to exercise the customary and usual due care expected from a competent medical practitioner in the totality of the circumstances. Negligence should be a medical decision. This would rule out lawsuits for ‘unfortunate medical outcomes’ where no negligence has occurred. The current system is an unholy lottery.

I am sympathetic to disastrous medical outcomes where no negligence has occurred and perhaps a system to compensate those who are truly devastated should be established, similar to the VICP…Vaccine Injury Compensation Program…a wise, though excessively bureaucratically administered program, set up by Congress in 1984

I would look at other policies that are counterproductive.

I would authorize and indeed assist people to purchase prescription drugs from offshore sources. This would help restore some competition to the prescription drug marketplace.

Publicly funded medical procedures and drugs would have to be medically necessary. This would exclude discretionary cosmetic surgery (as distinquished from severe burn or scarring cosmetic procedures), other discretionary procedures, Viagra and other similar non medically necessary treatments.

Mental health services should be included…again subject to some reasonable (individually controllable) limitations.

I would require health ‘premiums’ to be paid by individuals based on ability to pay, however, those premiums would be capped at a reasonable level. This would not be a scheme to ‘soak the rich’.

Clinical standards for what establishes ‘Obesity’, a smoker, or a drug abuser need to be defined with methods to verify. Those clinics, mentioned earlier, would be the primary evaluation centers, for determining who is obese, who smokes, who abuses drugs .. etc., and provide the psychological and other assistance to help people change their behaviors…but every enrolled person needs to understand…it is their responsibility to make the change…or be accountable for the health and financial consequences.

There should be some reasonable ‘exceptions’ based on true inability to personally control one’s health, e.g. mental impairment. However, these would be statistically a minority of individual situations.

There will be many useful and constructive adjustments that can and should be made to these ideas. What is important is to open the dialog. It should be obvious that elevating health through prevention and individual accountability and greater competition will rapidly drive down health costs.

We need a health revolution and everyone needs to share the pain and the rewards of it. First we need dialog.

Marty Adams Rockledge, Florida, USA

By roneida

November 11, 2007 9:52 AM | Link to this

Take from each according to his ability to produce and give to each according to his ability to need.

Clever , beautiful feeling.

By Will Jones

November 11, 2007 10:53 AM | Link to this

Which way to Triage?

America has been defiled by the Roman Anti-Christ’s “Bad Cop” tool (“Some call you the haves and have-mores, I call you my base.” - GWBush at the Roman Catholic Al Smith Dinner, NYC, 2000), in Washington, having removed any sense of moral or fiscal integrity from our once proud Nation: driving us into debt and printing trillions of new dollars, a pernicious, corrupting “hidden tax,” to pay for false war for heroin and oil after committing 9-11.

Now their “Good Cop” “Catholics United” “will be running a radio ad” to “sympathetically” tell us how to feel about healthcare for children?

One hopes Congressman Marshall will see the “Writing on the Wall” and clearly frame the issue: Bush’s Fifth Column faction is a cancer feeding off America’s Soul and must be excised from our Body Politic and Economic to best enhance a healthy, moral, and prosperous environment.

Ignoring the real problem won’t make it go away. The People will just “get sick” more.

With righteous government and rectitude restored by trial, expropriation, and execution, The People will heal.

The utility of the Electoral College, chartered under the Constitution, was to be found in “integrity transitivity:” Presidential Electors were to be persons of proven and popularly confirmed integrity, in widespread communities, staking their sterling reputations on the integrity of their chosen candidates. The Electorate, We the People, theoretically persuaded by locally known citizens of probity, ideally vote for those of virtue, “confirmed” by persons of high repute.

Publicly chartered corporations should serve The People no less well.

Corporations “choose” candidates by spending money gained, in large part, under legal advantage granted through submission to public charter. Corporate entities supporting those found to be criminals in government must be recognized to have violated the People’s charter. Enron brought us Bush - the son of a JFK assassin and the grandson of Hitler’s banker - is it any wonder?

Inducements such as liquidation and full expropriation must be leveled against combines of power unwilling to limit their considerable influence to candidates of probity. The People must assert Sovereignty.

Purging the poisonous false-elite now ruling will immediately remove America from the “critical” list. By “Annuit Coeptis” we will spring back to full health almost miraculously.

By shainberg

November 11, 2007 11:46 AM | Link to this

health care for adults only allows adults who make less than 50 thousand to apply. Above that they have a plan called Healthy New York that cost about $350. per month or about 30% discount to average HMO’s. In NYC if two adults make about 50 thousand a year you are considered at best lower middle class. So why all the talk about a five member family at 80 thousand a year? After tax that would not allow parochial schooling nor vacations nor eating out( outside of McDonalds),etc. Guess what? These things were affordable to the average middle class person. The bottom line is how we finely define the line between lower middle class and poor. This is really the fight between liberals, moderates and conservatives.

By Freedem

November 11, 2007 3:15 PM | Link to this

Its the Accountability (stupid)! I find it amazing that folks still think of Russia (or Eastern Europe) as Socialist just because they had that in their name. They had Democratic in their name as well and that was just as untrue!

If you want to see the way things really work out, look Here at Gapminder’s United Nations Data or this KFF Report that shows how much we spend overall per person even though nearly 40% of those are, at least partially, not covered at all.

If you want to see how terrible actual Socialist countries like Finland, Sweden, Norway, and Iceland do, look for them in the Gapminder gadget.

Every one is far beyond the US in both child mortality and life expectancy figures, but more interesting they are twice as far as England, Canada, and Austrailia.

Apparently it is not the Socialists in the Government, it is leadership accountability, that makes better government, and the antisocialist Gang Of Pirates that make life worse for most people, in proportion to their influence.

By Jimbo

November 12, 2007 1:47 AM | Link to this

So what if Jim Marshall is cold & cruel when it comes to healthcare for kids? It’s a cruel world. Screw those deadbeat parents that can’t find enough money to cover their kids healthcare. Get a second job. Cancel your cable TV. Go out to eat less often. Don’t let your kids get sick. Took some guts for a Democrat like Jimbo to back the President.

By Will Jones

November 12, 2007 3:24 AM | Link to this

Regardless of the merits of any S-CHIP argument, at this point any proximity to Bush constitutes political suicide.

By Anonymous

November 12, 2007 8:17 AM | Link to this

Finally, Will says something coherent!

By Will Jones

November 12, 2007 9:15 AM | Link to this

You read “The New Pearl Harbor,” yet; or does having a traitor in the White House just not bother you?