Posted on Monday, 20th July 2009 by Roland_Melnick
Wisconsin Conservatives need to wake up and smell the coffee. I’ve been watching loss after loss and keep shaking my head. The warning signs were there all during Bush Jr.’s years…no longer did we come out of political contests, shake hands and go back to the business of running this country. After 8 years of sharpening their seething hatred for Bush and successfully linking his policies to all Republicans, somehow we thought it would be a good idea to nominate a moderate who collaborated with some of the most liberal Dems in the Senate…and we all know where that got us.
McCain wasn’t my choice. I’m still a little sour that the Republican Primary in Wisconsin didn’t mean anything. I believe there were a lot of Democrat voters who voted for McCain in earlier primaries knowing he would be a weaker opponent. That’s really when I started to believe that the GOP was in trouble. After watching the all out assault on Sarah Palin, I was convinced that the Dems were coming, they were churning out the effort and they were willing to fight dirty.
An interesting article by David Kahane in the National Review Online talks about this very thing. Despite the official liberal talking point that Sarah Palin was an incompetent, backwater rube…the reality was that they went after her and continued to go after her until her recent resignation. Had they truly seen her as a non-threat, we would not have seen the ruthlessness unleashed upon her that we did see.
Watch for this ruthlessness to slowly build over the next 13 months…most of it to be aimed directly at Scott Walker, not Mark Neumann. The new game in politics is what goes on outside the official campaigns. Websites and groups have already formed and will continue to form with the intent of accomplishing nothing more than defeating Scott Walker.
Last Wednesday, July 15th, a new group announced itself: Milwaukee County First. It’s opening declarations and mission statements include grand aspirations that no Milwaukeean in their right mind would argue against…err, I mean naive Milwaukeean. As soon as I heard about this new group, I went to this comment thread at a local liberal echo chamber. I attempted to draw out the Grand Poobah of Milwaukee County First, Chris Liebenthal, to get him to substantiate his repeated accusations that Milwaukee County parks have been run into the ground.
You see, Liebenthal (aka “capper”) has previously blogged that because of Walker, the parks are in shambles and a complete embarrassment. Photos provided in previous blog postings by him and other like-minded lefty bloggers included burnt grass/weeds, peeling paint, a broken stair and weeds growing in a gutter. Not particularly damning evidence worthy of the fiery rhetoric provided by Liebenthal, but it has become sufficient enough that he now operates under this foregone conclusion; enabling him to discredit Walker. Operating with a clear disregard of logic and truth is a hallmark of modern Democratic political operations.
Now, someone who did show up to debate the park situation was Dan Cody. I’ve never met Dan…I’ve scanned his blog and scanned his website for his parks organization. The “Park People” website appeared to be geared toward volunteerism and directly improving the quality of Milwaukee’s parks…respectable stuff. Maybe Mr. Cody’s group is politically active, but there is a stark comparison between websites that would seem to indicate capper’s venture will be all about the politics, while Mr. Cody actually wants to accomplish something. As I said last Wednesday, “I wouldn’t be surprised if this new non-profit is short on ideas “to make Milwaukee County a first-class economic region” and long on anti-Walker rhetoric.”
The Change brought to us by Mr. Obama is that “community organizing” will play a bigger role in politics. All of the special interests on the Democratic side (labor unions, trial lawyers, public employees, and in Doyle’s case, Indian gaming interests) fork over tons of cash to support all these “organizers.” On the national scene we got ACORN, a disgraced outfit that may have set out to do good at one time, but was twisted into a dirty political machine. This group, which has remained largely intact despite some name changing and PR spin, now receives a ton of taxpayer cash to keep the steamroller running (a topic wholly deserving of its own discussion). On the Wisconsin level, look for little ACORNs to spring up hither and yon.
Interestingly, in the first hour of Mark Belling’s Friday, July 17th radio show, he talks about these activities of Democrat operatives. Mark makes this point: Wisconsin Republicans and Scott Walker in particular need to wake up and realize the game for what it is…or we need to be prepared to “lose, lose, lose.” He said what I’ve been thinking since April 15th, 2009…this Doyle recall effort should really organize itself into an effective opposition effort in the 2010 elections. Mark is a bit harsh in his criticism, but we are living in a time when dead honest assessments need to be made. I was in Madison at the April 15th TEA party event…there was tremendous energy in that crowd, why not put it all into support for a solid opponent to Diamond Jim Doyle?
Here’s Mark in his own words. The “Liberals Better At Politics” is a label I applied to the audio file. The meat of the issue isn’t discussed until about 7mins 40secs into the first audio clip:
Mark Belling: \”Liberals Better At Politics\”
Mark Belling: \”Liberals Better at Politics, Part Two\”
Recognize them for what they are folks…the enemy. Once you think about it along those lines, you’ll recognize the fight we’re in.
Posted in "Milwaukee County First", Diamond Jim Doyle, Home, Scott Walker | Comments (75) |
75 Responses to “What Scott Walker Is Up Against”
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July 20th, 2009 at 2:16 am
Roland, you are right on. The demonizing and lies are out there and working - and cannot be ignored. Well written, critical piece for WI conservatives to read.
July 20th, 2009 at 7:12 am
As much as I cannot stand James Carville’s politics, he does have it right - this is war. McCain ran a wimpy, milquetoast campaign, and we’re paying for it.
And the only reason Capper is angry at the parks system is because he can…
July 20th, 2009 at 8:05 am
Conservatives need to quit playing nice and take the gloves off. Use the lefties’ Saul Alinsky rules against them instead of always reacting to them when they’re used against you. Lefties are nothing more than a different kind of thug. They want to intimidate you into submission. They’ll gang up on you, but if you stand up to them collectively as a group and fight back, they’ll cower. That’s when you’ll hear them cry, “That’s not fair. You’re picking on me.” At that point, you don’t reach out to them - you finish them off. And no, there is no danger of us becoming like them if we do this. We love our country unlike those who are trying to destroy it.
July 20th, 2009 at 9:01 am
A fundamental problem is, Liberal political victories tend to be far more durable than convervative victories.
For example, conservatives might win 8 “great victories” against national health care only to lose the ninth. But when national health care is approved, it’s likely to be here for at least 50 years- perhaps forever.
For the largest example, once a majority of taxpayers realize that they receive more benefits from government than they have to pay for, confiscatory taxes on the better-off will be here to stay.
On a smaller scale, massive state aid to public education in Wisconsin is here to stay, even though the QEO that made it politically possible has been discarded. Just as teacher-union dominated school boards realize that when a referendum is defeated four times and then passes, they don’t get zero or 20%- they get it all.
A basic difference between convervative and Liberal political vicories is that convervative victories just save the day for today, but Liberal victories create huge constituencies that benefit from each victory and thus prevent the victory from being rolled back.
And so, until and unless conservatives figure out how to stop or reverse this endless ratchet-effect, American politics will continue its long-term leftward drift.
July 20th, 2009 at 9:08 am
This is a see-saw. Some day the R’s will be back in power and the Dem’s will be writing this column. We need to get rid of the two-party system and get a good Center party.
See http://tinyurl.com/dcbtrq
July 20th, 2009 at 9:24 am
Albigensian, what you are really saying is that liberal victories are sustainable and conservative victories are not. That should tell you something.
Your example of national health care is a timely example. The best, simplest, least costly, most effective thing we could do is expand what has been working so well for years, Medicare. You get sick, you get care, and the caregiver gets paid. Nothing could be simpler.
Does this mean increased “taxes?†Probably, but we’d save $400 billion per year in the process (IF we do it right). We’d pay for it through our national infrastructure rather than in product prices and job losses. But the insurance industry has given $46 million to politicians to block true reform and keep them in the system (at a cost of $1.5 Trillion over the next decade). And conservatives are on the wrong side of this argument.
Go figure.
Jack Lohman
http://MoneyedPoliticians.net
http://SinglePayer.info
July 20th, 2009 at 11:30 am
You are absolutely right when you say that Walker must fight hard and ruthlessly.
We are already seeing ads for doyle from the Greater Wisconsin Committee, praising him for various health care initiatives.
But here’s what they did to Mark Green and what they will do to Walker.
They make trumped up charges and present them to the campaign ethics committee. This creates headlines in various newspapers. A few days later, you see ads with these headlines in them. Your campaign has to deal with these distractions. Remember with Green it was use of congressional campaign money for his run for governor.Six months after the election,oh by the way-Mark Green didn’t do anything wrong.
Saul Alinsky should be read by all campaign managers, along with Sun Tzu.
We don’t need a one party system tovarich, but we need a realignment of parties. Conservative and liberal, heck you could even call it Green Conservative because after this arrogant dummy is removed from office, there will need to be a major decontamination involved.
July 20th, 2009 at 1:58 pm
That site has a blog that allows comments. Nothing blogged there should go unchallenged.
July 20th, 2009 at 1:59 pm
The lefties should be glad that I am not in Scott Walker’s position. I’d close some parks and sell them off. They are a burden to our community and are there only to provide thugs and place to hang out.
Medicare, simple? I don’t think so. If the government got involved in health care the quality of doctors would drop dramatically. Who would go through all of that to get paid so little? Not only that the number of doctors would decrease and there would be a shortage of doctors thus creating a wait for even the smallest issue.
Take the time and watch this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2jijuj1ysw&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwissup%2Eblogspot%2Ecom%2F2009%2F07%2Fsteven%2Dcrowder%2Don%2Dobamacare%2Dconfessions%2Ehtml&feature=player_embedded
July 20th, 2009 at 2:23 pm
Wow, now that video is really scary. Insurance industry lies, but scary nonetheless. Forget that we are not proposing Canada’s underfunded system, we spend twice the dollars on health care than they do. And 80% of Canadians prefer their system to ours, and 60% of our doctors prefer a Medicare-for-all system.
See http://tinyurl.com/5appzb
July 20th, 2009 at 5:21 pm
The problem with your idea Jack is that it assumes that the Govt. will do the correct thing consistently. Kind of like the current crop of Lefties saying that Socialism is great if done properly and we’ll be able to do that this time!
I don’t think so!
July 20th, 2009 at 6:24 pm
Insurance idustry lies? It was done by average joes and shows what it’s like. Why do you think so many Canadians come to the states for treatment?
Talk to your doctor and she what he/she has to say. Think about this…if the government runs health care they will set the pay for the doctors. Who will want to go through all the hassle and get paid squat. Answer…no one, so there will be a short fall on qualified doctors. Do you really want a second or third rate doctor holding your life in his hands? I don’t.
Watch it again and see the truth, that there are long lines, waiting for years and a shortage of doctors:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2jijuj1ysw&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Ewissup%2Eblogspot%2Ecom%2F&feature=player_embedded
July 20th, 2009 at 6:59 pm
Walker is going to win.
I know it. I have always had an extremely pessimistic approach to WisTAXsin politics (includin g the bacon head Thompson whom alot of people think was conservative), but I think the absolutely clean cut and no bullsh*t approach Walker takes to everything has woken up alot of people.
Look at it this way.. he won Milwaukee county, that in itself is a miracle, he’s ahead in Madistan.
All he needs to absolutely crush an opponent is a few things:
1) Don’t run another Ed Thompson, he’s the reason we have the turd in power we have now.
2) Hammer on Doyle’s corruption and stupidity.
I personally believe this will be a cake walk, but i’m not going to sit easy, i’m still out praising his name.
Finally this damn state has someone who is actually responsible running for governor… FINALLY.
July 20th, 2009 at 7:42 pm
Martin, politicians do not need to get paid by the special interests to do the right thing. But they do have to get paid to do the wrong thing, and they do that well. Get the bribery out of the system and they’ll make more good decisions than bad.
Dave, I spent 40 years in health care, the last 25 as a CEO of an independent lab. I think I understand the system far better than the jocks that portrayed it in the video. Yes, doctors currently making $1M a year will likely have to cut back to $500K, and if they don’t like that they can go into plumbing and make $100K. But 60% of US docs like the current Medicare system and DISLIKE private insurers stepping between them and the patient, all to drive care down and profits up. Experience it, then come back and give me your opinion.
And Corbin, Walker may indeed win, and he can’t be much worse than Doyle. But Walker tolerated political corruption when in the state legislature, and nothing is going to change in Wisconsin until we get the private funding of campaigns out of our public electoral system.
July 20th, 2009 at 8:01 pm
Medicare. You get sick, you get care, and the caregiver gets paid
Except the “caregiver” only gets paid a fraction of what it costs to treat the Medicare patient (or goes to jail for refusing treat them). The only way to avoid losses on Medicare patients is fraud, and a good third of the money spent on Medicare goes to bogus claims. Honest docs with Medicare patients have to raise prices on everyone else to keep their practices afloat, or just give up. It’s a shitty system if you want reasonably competent/trained practitioners. But people don’t, they want “free.”
But, I digress. Roland, you’re dead on. The Alinsky rule I think would make the most headway is “make them play by their own rulebook.” (I’m also a big fan of removing targets by paralyzing them with ridicule.) Everytime Doyle or anyone else does something he said he wouldn’t do, or says he won’t do something and did, or holds an opinion the opposite of the “correct” opinion (I’m thinking of Barry O weaseling on gay marriage there) there needs to be footage and ridicule, and not just on talk radio.
And corbin, I wouldn’t call the election just yet. People can still vote as often as they like by registering in different precincts on Election Day with no ID, register the illegal aliens, ACORN filling out ballots for the comatose and mentally handicapped…you remember how Christine Gregoire got to be governor of Washington State? They kept “finding” ballot boxes until she won. In WI, all they need is another bus or two from Minnesota.
July 21st, 2009 at 1:15 am
The funny part is that Jack is still trying to pawn himself off as a Republican of some sort or another.
Nice try Jack.
July 21st, 2009 at 3:34 am
HeatherRadish, that is absolute rubbish. Medicare is optional for both the patient and the provider. If a physician were being paid below costs, 100% would opt out and 60% would not currently support a Medicare-for-all system, as they now do. Fraud (billing for services not provided) gets you jail time and loss of liscence. Over-billing (providing more services than needed) wouldn’t occur if payments were below cost. But let’s not let facts stand in the way.
July 21st, 2009 at 7:45 am
Jack, what is say is all well and good and doctors may like the current Medicare system, but Obamacare is NOT going to be like Medicare. Have you ever used Medicare? I have with my parents who were both ill. They had to have private insurance to help pay for a good portion of their care. So your plan from the get-go is flawed.
Ask doctors if they would choose the current way of doing things with private insurance and Medicare OR Obamacare and see what they have to day. I bet they will choose the status quo.
You yourself say the doctos may leave and choose plumbing instead…so who is left to care for us? It would be either the under qualified or a shortage of doctors which mean LONG LINE and LONG WAIT times.
Think it through first before you jump on the Obamacare Bus.
July 21st, 2009 at 8:07 am
Couple questions for you Jack…
Where are you getting your “60%” figure?
When has government taken over something and successfully made it more efficient, less costly?
Since you admit that this will be a tricky endeavor to do right, why do you have such faith in goverment to do it?
Do you realize that if it’s not done right, we’ll be stuck with it?
What does any of this have to do with the topic at hand? I don’t care for people trying to hijack/sidetrack discussions.
July 21st, 2009 at 8:40 am
They should cap Oprah’s pay at 500k per year, take her profits, and if she doesn’t like it she can be a plumber. They should cut Jacks salary and wages in half so other people can get quality healthcare for free, at the expense of Jack.
What is wrong with society is out of touch nut jobs like Jack, Doyle and Barret.
Medicare is inefficient and corrupt like any other government programs (Badgercare). The money goes through the government, where the administration takes the lions share building even larger administrations, then figuring out that that are running out of money, they attempt to rip off the doctors and get more from productive taxpayers. Ultimately the people they were trying to help were helped very little some what like W-2.
If the efficiency is 5 times below out of pocket at the expense of the taxpayer and you have to buy a supplemental plan to get any coverage, what the hell good is it, creating unproductive government administration jobs that are killing the economy?
I am for Social Security, but Medicare and Medicad are a complete waste, like Badgercare and W-2. Much better to spend money on SEED program and get the neglected children educated to think for themselves.
July 21st, 2009 at 2:47 pm
The people who think they can run health care, the auto industry, the banks, Wall Street, the oil companies, etc., couldn’t organize a two-car funeral and haven’t even run as much as a lemonade stand in their lives, which have been spent sucking off the public teat.
Hell, I wouldn’t hire any of them to run my concession stand at Simmons Field.
July 21st, 2009 at 4:00 pm
AMEN!
July 22nd, 2009 at 7:14 am
I’ll give you that, Dave. Obamacare as it currently stands is absolute garbage. But both the D’s and R’s are on the take from the insurance industry, $46 million worth in 2008 alone, and I don’t think Obama has as much control as he thinks he has. But while it stinks and should not pass as is, few Medicare patients complain about that system.
I’m on Medicare and the right wing would complain like hell if I didn’t have a 20% co-pay. But like your parents I pay monthly for a Gap insurance which picks up the co-pay. It’s the same doctor and hospital as I have always had, they just send their invoice to a different payer; Medicare. And my care is given by the doctor, not a govt hack and not a CEO worried about keeping profits and salaries up.
And for the record, I am not an Obama supporter. I voted for McCain/Palin, and but I’m pragmatic rather than ideological. I agree and disagree with both sides on certain issues.
Roland, I didn’t start the health care discussion, Albigensian did. I and everybody else piled on, including you.
>>> “Medicare is inefficient and corrupt like any other government programs”
Medicare is not perfect but it is less inefficient than privates and has less fraud than privates (it results in jail time, the privates rarely do).
Peter and those who are misinformed on Medicare, remember that all doctors and hospitals are privately run. And if it had unfair reimbursement they could opt out. But they don’t because it is fair. The privates just increased their premiums by 13%. Go figure.
July 22nd, 2009 at 7:40 am
Any form of government has corruption and Medicare is part of the government. Both sides of the aisle has corruption. The lobbies have pull that is for sure, but government run health care is not the answer.
The folks that run to the ER for a hang nail are the problem.
The people who are uninsured by choice are the problem.
The people that file lawsuits over the smallest thing are the problem.
The people who go in for EVERY little thing are the problem.
Insurance companies that own golf courses and huge buildings are the problem.
Charging $100.00 for band aids is part of the problem.
If everyone had to pay a co-pay just to walk in the door I’m pretty sure the lines would be less. If everyone had a high deductible they’d think twice about going in for every little thing.
Government is never the answer to the health care problem.
July 22nd, 2009 at 8:28 am
A little more than a year ago, I encountered a blog posting by a former journalist (since deleted by its author) bemoaning the fact that health insurance was horrible because:
- He voluntarily left his job to return to law school, and coverage ended when he terminated
- Health insurance was offered through the university for $250 a semester
- He was “forced between choosing between groceries and health insurance”
I replied that for someone approaching 30, one would have thought he would have grown up by this point. Choices have consequences, and that nobody forced him to quit his job and go to law school. I endured a storm of criticism, which boiled down to “I got mine” syndrome.
Four months later, he was posting pictures from his Christmas trip to Turkey. Between leisure travel and “groceries,” I see that was a hard choice as well. I pointed out that much in response. Four days later, the idiot deleted his blog.
July 22nd, 2009 at 6:15 pm
No need to be defensive Jack…just trying to steer the conversation back toward Walker. I appreciate your comments and appreciate your honesty by admitting that what we’re being force fed by Obama, Reid and Pelosi is a load of crappy crap crap.
July 22nd, 2009 at 6:20 pm
At your website, I think you unfairly mark Walker as just another taxer or just as bad as Doyle. Walker has worked to keep taxes and costs under control. Doyle, by contrast, is out of control. For example, he’s still trying to ram a new rail system down our throats at a time when we should be prioritizing our spending.
July 22nd, 2009 at 6:32 pm
Roland, my view of Walker is two-fold. First going back to when he was in the legislature he was as big a spender as the rest, and opposed cleaning up the political cash so the fuel for spending vanished. Secondly, I don’t like privatizing infrastructure, like airports and water and police and fire departments. Not even energy. Politicians like privatized services because private companies can give campaign cash and public entities can’t.
That doesn’t mean that I wouldn’t support him in the end, and I didn’t support Doyle. I supported the Green Party at the state level because I disliked the other two (though I favored the Dems slightly over the R’s because they had a stronger position on campaign reform).
But my number one issue is corruption in the political system, which if left unchecked will destroy democracy. Walker was terrible on the reform issue, and so is both Neumann and Doyle. If we get the bribery out of the system these yokels will start voting for their people rather than their pocketbook.
July 22nd, 2009 at 8:00 pm
Politicians like privatized services because private companies can give campaign cash and public entities can’t.
How can you say that when labor unions, govt employee unions, teacher’s unions, etc etc throw enormous support behind politicians?
July 22nd, 2009 at 10:22 pm
Roland, let me help you with that.
To liberals a lie is the truth.
July 22nd, 2009 at 10:24 pm
Walker is honest. He doesn’t need to have his campaign tactics “reformed”.
Doyle is a lying piece of crap and does.
Hmmmmmm.Which should we choose?
July 22nd, 2009 at 11:01 pm
I consider the labor unions that give campaign cash as corrupting as the private companies that give cash. They all intend to manipulate the outcome to the detriment of the public.
July 23rd, 2009 at 5:49 pm
And Roland, there WAS a Republican Primary in Wisconsin, I voted in it. But I crossed over and voted for Obama because the last person I wanted in was Hillary. McCain was a shoo-in and a vote for him would have been wasted. I did vote for him in November, but he ran a terrible campaign and deserved to lose.
July 23rd, 2009 at 6:45 pm
You voted in the Republican primary then crossed over and voted for Obama? Not following you, Jack.
My point was that by the time the Wisconsin primary came up, it was meaningless…like you said, McCain was a shoe in. And we now have Obama because he was.
July 23rd, 2009 at 7:20 pm
No, at the primary I voted for Obama because the Dems were leading in the polls and I DIDN’T want Hillary. In the November election I voted for McCain.
July 23rd, 2009 at 7:34 pm
“No, at the primary I voted for Obama because the Dems were leading in the polls and I DIDN’T want Hillary. In the November election I voted for McCain.”
Ugh.. I call that a “moist turd, wet turd” vote. Least of two evils has got to stop.
July 23rd, 2009 at 7:57 pm
So Hillary would have been better? Sorry to disagree. The least of two evils is with us until we implement Instant Runoff Voting, which levels the playing field and politicians don’t like level playing fields. Not even your beloved R’s.
July 23rd, 2009 at 8:15 pm
Well Jack,
When you get tired of being bent over a log, you will learn that the only way to vote is with your head. Voting based on lesser of two evils is nothing more than a slippery slope.
July 23rd, 2009 at 8:55 pm
In an ideal world, Corbin, you are correct. When we get there, you let me know.
July 23rd, 2009 at 9:00 pm
well jack,
I live what I preach. I don’t give up. I can’t, I have a child that has to inherit this mess.
there is right, and there is wrong.
July 23rd, 2009 at 9:08 pm
Well Corbin, then you must — you absolutely MUST — work on getting the corruption out of the political system. It is destroying our democracy. But put idealism aside and be pragmatic. It is what it is, not what we want it to be. That’s going to take some time and work.
July 24th, 2009 at 9:34 am
Medicare is as corrupt or more than any private programs, it is ran by the government. The money comes from a big pot that all pay into, where a bunch of corrupt/blind agenda politicians get to decide who gets it and re-decide where it actually goes.
They will choose to spend money elsewhere, like social security, benefits will be reduced, like social security. They will continue to build huge administrations to figure out how to reduce your freedom/resource further, now that they can not only use your retirement, but you life care to twist your arm.
This is a really really really crazy bad idea to put government in control of your life care, knowing they have already put the death clause panel through in the stimulus package.
July 24th, 2009 at 9:49 am
Well, John, think what you will. But a Medicare-for-all system makes so much sense for Americans that the insurance industry has given $46 million in bribes to block it. You ought to be very happy about that.
And as a Medicare patient I see the same doctor I have always seen… it is not the government determining my care. It’s my doctor. And if Medicare doesn’t cover something I can pay for it on the outside, the good, old-fashioned way… with cash dollars.
Medicare is also NOT a health care system run by a private CEO whose salary and bonus is determined by his ability to increase profits through the denial of care. Remember the 17 year old girl that was denied a kidney transplant and died? Cigna, not Medicare.
July 24th, 2009 at 10:10 am
If your motives are placed entirely on envy, they are miss-guided and sick. Trying to make stuff up will not help your cause.
How long do you have to wait to get appointment with doctor using Medicare/Medicad without gap?
If you needed a diabetes test for your kid, how long would you expect it to take?
If you needed a kidney, and had a donor, I doubt you would have trouble obtaining funds for operation if you had spent money on quality insurance instead of SUV, hadn’t voted to take your neighbors profits, spent money on lawyer, spent money on transplant then sued insurance company,…
The proposed plan says you can not get transplant even if you have donor, unless the government says so.
Completely nuts to give government control of your life in order to reduce costs or profit to some CEO.
July 24th, 2009 at 10:25 am
John, as a point of disclosure, I am a retired CEO who spent 40 years in the health care industry, the last 25 providing cardiac services to hospitals and clinics.
I am also on Medicare, and I do not wait any longer for an appointment than does a non-Medicare patient. My last “wait” was one week to see a top-notch knee surgeon. Your wait would have been as long.
So there is no envy on my side, just sorrow that my friends and family do not enjoy the same care. And a diabetes test for my kid would be the same day, just as it is for private patients.
But you have put yourself out as an expert on the system. What is your background?
July 24th, 2009 at 12:32 pm
A diabetes test for my neighbors kid was 1 month, for the doctors had to limit the number of Medicare patients per day or go out of business. As a self proclaimed CEO, you should know there is more to a business than signing up patients and getsing a check. Apparently they don’t mess with healthy retired CEO’s from healthcare fields with reliable doctor, plenty of money to sue, plenty of money for gap, and plenty of time/knowledge to work/sort things out.
You are in complete denial, out of touch with what the rest of the population gets based on your experiences as a CEO. You provide examples with no back ground as to the details of who, what, where or when, typical liberal heart string pull push agenda forward crap.
July 24th, 2009 at 12:52 pm
John, I do not tell a doctor’s office that I am a former CEO to get an appointment, and even if I did, they could care less who I “am.”
I mentioned that to you so you knew my experience, and that I am not speculating wildly based on my right wing or left wing biases.
But you still did not mention your background. You must be an expert of some kind to be making these wild claims.
And incidentally, I have a grandchild with diabetes. Please do not expound on your grand expertise in this area. You do not know what you are talking about. The test is a two-minute process of taking a blood sample at home.
July 24th, 2009 at 1:30 pm
Jack, you are not making any sense, the doctor does care and they do look at past history, like the hospital does, like they do when you sigh up for a credit card. Your claims are wild.
Who in there right mind would have a diabetes test at home if they didn’t know they had diabetes, but the school nurse suspected they did and should get checked?
I starting to suspect you are really John Foust?
If the doctor knew you didn’t have the gap insurance would you gets you check up? Wouldn’t they like to know they are going to gets paid? Why do you think they ask how much you make, who your insurance provider is, what you social security number is, …?
When you neglect to pay your portion, are they going to gets you quick check up then?
You are in complete denial.
July 24th, 2009 at 1:34 pm
And incidentally, your neighbor’s kid is on Medicare? An old kid, or what?
And your doctor has to limit the number of Medicare patients per day or go out of business? Why doesn’t he simply opt out of the Medicare system??? Then he’d get rich!
John, forget I asked about your expertise. I have the answer.
July 24th, 2009 at 2:45 pm
Jack, medicare/medicad/social security (same dam pot, same dam problem), you are making even less sense than before, the doctor does care and they do look at your past payment history, like the hospital does, like they do when you sign up for a credit card. Your claims are wild, why do you even have gap insurance?
Who in there right mind would have a diabetes test kit at home if they didn’t know they had diabetes, but the school nurse suspected they did and should get checked?
If the doctor knew you didn’t have the gap insurance would you gets you check up so quickly? Wouldn’t they like to know they are going to gets paid? Why do you think they ask how much you make, who your insurance provider is, what you social security number is, …?
When you neglect to pay your portion, are they going to gets you quick check up then? Or are they going to ask everyone else to pay for it?
July 24th, 2009 at 3:09 pm
John, you are obviously more knowledgeable than I on the subject. Good luck on your choices going forward.
July 24th, 2009 at 3:57 pm
Thanks, but not more knowledgeable, less gullible.
What is promised by our government and politicians is rarely received. You paid for the Medicare that you now have, only to have to subsidize it with gap insurance. What about the people that can’t afford gap insurance, are you better than them?
Much like the government stimulus plan, where they where they going to tax the rich, stimulate economy, save peoples houses, and create jobs. And even though its doing the absolute opposite, like it did for Bush, Omama and Doyle can only propose taking more and loaning more money out in you name.
Social Security is where the line has to be drawn, no more handouts for adults that make poor choices, before they gets free stuff, let’s sift through what they already have and/or what they’ve spent it on, hold them responsible for what they created first, then blame the taxpayers.
Let’s not pretend that the government won’t use healthcare (your life) to separate you and your freedom! They already using roads and necessary government services to push unnecessary agendas forward, we don’t need this, no one deserves this, they deserve freedom.
July 24th, 2009 at 4:24 pm
It is pretty obvious that you know little about Medicare, and you should really learn so you don’t sound so uninformed. There is a 20% co-pay, and if there weren’t the right wingers would complain like hell because there was no incentive to keep doctor visits to a minimum. So we have that 20% incentive. But Medicare patients have the option of rolling the dice. They can pay the 20% or buy Gap and have zero co-pays. I chose to buy Gap, but have friends who chose not to.
There is also a Medicare Advantage system which is run by private insurers, but it costs taxpayers 17% more than traditional Medicare. So much for private being more efficient than public, eh?
But you really should learn the details before presenting as an expert. Oh, sorry. “Less gullible.”
July 27th, 2009 at 8:53 am
Jack, you are in complete denial when you quote costs.
Do you have any idea how much money you personally (not to mention your employer) put into Medicare over the years. Imagine if you put that into bank, Mr. Not So Expert, and say collected interest on it for the last 44 years/yearly/monthly. Would a CEO even need Medicare?
Medicare is not efficient and is going broke, where do you think your money went when they build vast administration with it? You paid for administration for the last 44 years, to get very little medicare that you have to subsidize.
You choose to pay the gap, because you can afford to pay the gap, but what about the people that didn’t choose and can not pay the gap? Are they still covered, will doctor treat them next time if they do not pay the 20%, because they can not pay the 20%?
Jack got ripped off and is in complete denial, because he thinks he’s some sort of expert on health care, but does not know how much he paid for it.
I suspect the average worker could have put away 250k - 1.5 million, we capable of covering their insurance cost through out retirement, but the government took the money and spent it elsewhere, Medicare is going broke.
July 28th, 2009 at 11:24 am
John, I have a deal for you. Let’s put single-payer on the table and let the CBO cost it out with all of the other options and mandate that the results are implemented. Simple, isn’t it?
Surprize!!! Congress will not allow it because they know it will win and their funders (the insurance industry) does not want it to win! So, best to block it from the discussion.
Aren’t our corrupt politicians just great? Isn’t that the way we all want our government to be run? By the highest bidder?
July 28th, 2009 at 2:09 pm
Let’s not force free people to put more money into big pot for others to spend and to ultimately be used to twist their own arms to push unknown agenda forward, with their own money, which might actually be making them jobless.
Save you own money, if you don’t, the government will promise the world, but then spend it to figure out how to make you pay more, in the end, when you actually need it, you will get very little.
I suspect you are in great denial and are not very dependent on your Social Security/Medicare income to survive. Quit voting to take your neighbors money/resources/jobs away in the name of life care. We do not need our government withholding life care when they need more, which they always do. You can’t possible believe Diamond Doyle, who’s got you coming and going is not going to use it to force his agenda forward. The government is corrupt and inefficient, not trustworthy for life care, period.
July 28th, 2009 at 2:33 pm
You win. The country’s doing just fine, healthcare is not a problem, and everybody should fend for themselves.
July 28th, 2009 at 3:59 pm
Capable free Adults must fend for themselves, they are after all adults. They don’t deserve anything from anyone else and money should not be taken by force, from anyone, to be given to perfectly capable adults.
Every capable adult I know is fending for themselves. They are not only expected to fend for themselves, but take responsibility for their actions/choices and fend for others, not so capable.
The only good the government can do is to protect our freedom, not entitle perfectly capable adults to take their neighbors money/resources/freedom for health care because they freely decided to spend money elsewhere. Do these people have cars, car insurance, houses, house insurance, tv’s,cable tv, DSL, cel phones… The answer is yes, for they, as adults, freely choose to spend unwisely. I can work out a budget for you, but I’m pretty sure if you cut out monthly cable tv/DSL (110), eating out every night (300), and cut loose the cel phones (150), you would have enough for quality health insurance.
Not my problem…Yes, free capable adults must fend for themselves, the government can’t help them, no one can, only they are free to choose, unless government takes freedom away like Omama is trying.
July 28th, 2009 at 4:07 pm
Lohman, Obama took a $500,000.00 book advance 5 days before entering office.
Why didn’t he pay for others health care with that money?
Liberals are good at spending other peoples money.
Problem TODAY is. Obama is not a liberal. He is a Marxist, and most liberals are following this immoral disaster of a man like lemmings.
Goverment is not the solution to most problems, but Obama seems to think HE IS the SOLUTION to all problems.
He’s never so much as run a Popcorn stand, but you libs follow right along, because it makes you feel morally superior. You aren’t.
July 28th, 2009 at 7:27 pm
Albigensian, what you are really saying is that liberal victories are sustainable and conservative victories are not. That should tell you something.
It does.
Liberal victories tend to involve increasing the public’s dependence upon growing government.
Government is unfortunately extremely difficult to trim down to acceptable levels, while simultaneously being far too easy to grow to inappropriate proportions.
This of course is coupled with the fact that the leftist is generally unrelenting in their political naggery, and almost zealous in their unwillingness to allow individuals to determine their own destinies. In essence, the leftist is incapable of simply leaving people alone.
These are the two factors that contribute to the lingering nature of progressive solutions that the public citizenry is forced to endure for excessive periods of time.
July 28th, 2009 at 7:56 pm
I am not an Obama supporter, and voted for McCain. If you have followed my work you know that I oppose corrupt Democrats as well as Republicans.
Special interests give cash because cash works. It buys politicians, and spending, and higher taxes. The right wing hasn’t found that out yet.
July 29th, 2009 at 7:31 am
Jeason, so let’s just say it. Liberals are bad and conservatives are good. Simple as that.
Look, there are extremists on both sides, and one is as wacko as the other. And the righties have this hatred of anything government run.
But in my view we must all be willing to contribute to a fair society. What I object to, which seems to go over conservative heads, is our corrupt political system that fuels “unnecessary” society and government spending. And incidentally, unfair taxes.
July 29th, 2009 at 8:27 am
“Fair” who gets to decide what is fair? The Left?
What’s fair is to let people earn what they want, spend what they want, choose their own health care, choose where they want to send the kids to school, choose where they want to live, choose what sort of vehicle they want to drive, choose what foods they want to eat, choose to smoke or not. Currently all of things will soon (if not all ready) be in the hand of BIG government.
July 29th, 2009 at 9:16 am
Well, “fair” is now decided by the special interests that give cash bribes to politicians, but righties don’t seem to get it. Or maybe they do! Yes, rich people who want the freedom to stick it to the public are on your side. But eight years of unfettered and deregulated capitalism has gotten to where we are. Are you happy with that?
At 72 I won’t have to worry about it long, but I fear for my kids and grandkids. We already have citizen marches against taxes and for health care. How long before we have violent marches?Remember Iran? Burma? How long before the rich have to use their wealth to build fences around their homes and hire security forces to protect them from the peons?
But to answer your question, fair should be determined by the majority and their non-conflicted politicians, not the moneyed interests. But before we get to that point we need to get the cash bribes out of the political system.
July 29th, 2009 at 11:39 am
Jaeson, so let’s just say it. Liberals are bad and conservatives are good. Simple as that.
Yes. But I would also say that centrists are good.
It’s a matter of historical fact, that leftist ideology leaves behind it a trail of hell on earth when allowed to run unfettered.
Here in America, we can look to the Crown Jewel of Liberal Socio-Economic Policy: Detroit, for physical evidence of this. They took over the city, and have left behind a dry husk.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JbGxIR8JTk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9z1CbjOECg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5MohVvbja8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1v_tac9DR0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URoxfkE8VQc
Everything the leftist wants to accomplish, must be paid for by someone else.
They are a burden on society.
July 29th, 2009 at 11:40 am
Dozens Nabbed in Medicare Fraud Busts
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,535281,00.html
July 29th, 2009 at 12:17 pm
This exists at all levels, but more so with private insurers because the Feds don’t get involved and it rarely involves jail time. Even nursing homes have put patients in front of a TV and billed Medicare for a therapeutic session.
We should mandate that any entity that bills Medicare put 100% of their employees through a fraud educational seminar, then strengthen whistleblower laws so employees provide the oversight and are rewarded for reporting legitimate fraud.
It’s free oversight, but beyond that it stops it before it gets started.
July 29th, 2009 at 1:29 pm
Jack there is at least one flaw in your comment. We elect the policitians. If you think they are corrupt then boot ‘em out. Problem is lefties refuse to throw their own under the bus. Remember Chappaquiddick? How long has Kennedy been in office. How about Barney Frank and the Brothel he ran out of his house? How long has he been in office.
See the Republicans are at least willing to clean house…liberals are not.
Also, why the class war fare? Talk about a blanket statement. Gee, I wonder who help build the “Bradley” Center or the “Petite” National Ice Rink?
You say “fair” is now decided by the special interests. So who do you want in the future to decide what “fair” is? Is that “fair” for you to decide? Are things unfair because people have more than you? That some people got lucky, worked harder, were at the right place at the right time? Should these rich people stop making money and be miserable like you seem come across? Will that make you happy to see others miserable?
I think it’s great for people to strive to better themselves. After all why would we want to work harder if we aren’t going to gain some reward for it. Jack, have you ever turned down a raise at work?
July 29th, 2009 at 1:56 pm
Jack, you can fool no one, when they put all the money in the big social insurance pot, it going to be a free for all.
Solution: Act like an adult and take care of yourself. Invest in yourself, your own retirement, and quality insurance if you choose. This is America, you are free till Omama takes it away from you.
July 29th, 2009 at 2:48 pm
Jaeson, so let’s just say it. Liberals are bad and conservatives are good. Simple as that.
My response is awaiting moderation.
July 29th, 2009 at 3:28 pm
Why public health care is philosophically wrong
http://www.americanthinker.com/2009/07/why_public_health_care_is_phil.html
July 29th, 2009 at 7:46 pm
Lohman, the Rich pay most of the taxes that liberals hand out to keep the poor poor.
You know that. You’re just a liberal.
July 30th, 2009 at 2:50 pm
One might even say a jealous liberal?
October 25th, 2009 at 7:28 pm
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March 27th, 2010 at 3:52 pm
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