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If you listened to the President’s speech last night, chances are that you are more confused than ever. Sure, the President tried to reboot his crashing health care plan. The problem is the same as he has always had. Mr. President, no one knows what health care plan you are talking about. You can’t ask the American people to buy a pig in a poke.
The President trotted out some new buzzwords for us to use such as “market exchange,” “competition,” “rugged individualism,” and “tax credits.” He even said he wanted a bi-partisan bill, mentioning prominent Republicans by name. Unfortunately, he has forgotten once again that the American people want substance over style.
I think we all would agree that some health care reform is a good idea. The President hammered away on things like requiring insurers to cover preventative care, or doing away with pre-existing condition limits. He even talked about letting states do pilot projects to reduce frivolous malpractice lawsuits. Those are things we have been fighting for. We are glad there are some things we can agree on.
But he also admitted that he wants mandated health insurance, even though he said 95% of small businesses would be exempt. The President continues to advocate for his “government run” health care option. These kinds of statements in last night’s speech make it clear that the President is still determined to force his vision of health care reform down the throats of the American people.
He doesn’t give the American people enough credit. They are not buying his outrageous promises – promises that we won’t have to give up our current plan, promises that his plan will actually reduce the deficit. We are too smart to really believe that a new government run health care plan won’t have bureaucrats trying to come between us and our doctors, or that it will be anything other than another government program that will cost us billions of dollars.
The President’s biggest problem last night, however, is that as he spoke last night and made so many great promises, he forgot to read what Congress is getting ready to vote on. He talked as if the process is just starting. It isn’t. We are trying to decipher 1000 page bills and 600 page bills, and no one, including the President can explain any of it.
A Special Message From Mike Huckabee:
If you haven't already, I encourage you to visit www.huckpac.com and learn more about this organization and it's efforts to support conservative candidates.
If you are interested in helping me support conservatives nationwide, this is a way to help immediately:
First let me explain where Huck PAC stands on Obama-care.
Huck PAC will not endorse any Republican candidate that votes for the government takeover of health care. And if we have endorsed your campaign, and you vote for this monstrosity of a bill, we will revoke your endorsement immediately.
As Chairman of Huck PAC, I ask that you endorse Huck PAC’s stand with a contribution of $25 or more today. In fact, we are setting a goal of 1,000 donors by noon on September 17th. Reaching this goal will give us the dollars we need to support fiscally responsible candidates who are willing to fight back against the government takeover of health care. I am proud to report that 273 people have already made this commitment since noon yesterday.
Make a contribution today and show the candidates seeking Huck PAC’s endorsement that we are committed to conservative principles and they must be also.
With gratitude,
Mike Huckabee
Comments 1-50 of 85
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Litvak, VERONIKA
09/12/2009 02:01 AM
When,starting with the president,his family, each and every member of the senate and government employees gives up their health care plan to join in the same health care plan we will be forced to have........then maybe I will start believing in the United States of Obama!
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Bue, Harley
09/11/2009 06:57 PM
Dr. David,
You're right; I probably should have included Dr. Weil. I concur with and am familiar with his writings and videos.
He is a key proponent of and teaches "integrative medicine", an intelligent combination of mainstream with alternative; mainstream for crisis, alternative for prevention/maintenance. He says the focus on healing should be on the body's own internal healing mechanisms and system.
Having been to a cancer clinic and studied others in Mexico, I maybe lean more to the right toward alternative than Dr. Weil on crisis intervention due to new advanced modalities.
I tend to narrow an optimal, selective field to Christian Dr.'s,
some out of familarity, some due to adding the spiritual component can enhance health.That being said, I have benefited greatly from secular practitioners, and have benefited much as a patient and learner - Dr. Weil being part of the learning curve.
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Dr. David
09/11/2009 05:24 PM
Harley Bue 09/11/2009 2:04 pm. I'm with you. A name you omitted from your list, however, is that of Dr. Andrew Weil. I am always skeptical of physicians who sell books to the public, but after seeing him on TV recently, I found that I agreed with everything he had to say. He is for real prevention, as opposed to "prevention care", low tech as opposed to high tech, and complementary medicine as opposed to conventional medicine. He understands that drugs take with one hand as they give with the other. He understands that our most important challenge is to reduce the cost of health care.
I believe that Weil's approach is congruent with your own, and hope that Mike Huckabee will become familiar with him, if he is not already. I believe that the way to a new American medicine is in Weil's books.
PS What I don't understand, Harley, is how a "real doctor" could be so smart-ha.
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Bue, Harley
09/11/2009 02:04 PM
Dr. David,
I inadvertantly forgot to mention the previous blog was to be addressed to you and your concern about Kevin Trudeau. Obviously, there will be those who desire to maintain the status quo and silence the voices like Kevins contending for change. -
Bue, Harley
09/11/2009 12:52 PM
I did hesitate to include Kevin Trudeau in the aforementioned list, since he is a highly controversial figure. Mr. Trudeau is a consumer and health advocate, and like the others mentioned in the list believes the answer is not to fix the existing system, but to promote the alternative health care system that also exists.
Healthy lifestyles, emphasis on prevention, education, and less-costly alternative therapies are a total paradigm shift in function and approach to the traditional, allopathic approach. The 2 paths have minimal congruity. A covert grassroots movement is already underway, and increasingly Americans are adopting the holistic, alternative approach. This represents both a pro-life prevention and cure chain to restore health. There are now insurance companies who specialize in alternative medicine with increased coverage at a fraction of most health insurers costs.
To some degree, alternative medicine is somewhat underground and often not highly visible in mainstream health circles or media. That’s partly political, but no one can stop alternative success unless it becomes a more observable threat to socialized medicine and drug/lobbying networks and they increasingly attempt to politically inhibit its operative.
Mr. Trudeau is more controversial than the others since he not only promotes the alternative methods, but unashamedly exposes the corruption within the mainstream health network. His book, "Natural Cures They Don't Want You to Know About" is a #1 New York Times Bestseller. He well defines the infrastructure within the health care network that profits immensely by maintaining the status quo and keeping us sick.
Having experienced a health collapse in my 40's, the only redemptive transition path for me was alternative, not traditional allopathic. Having benefited over the last 25 years from many of the alternative therapies mentioned in Dr. Trudeau’s book, I agree in concept, but also know by experience.
The new holistic transition path is God’s way to steward the temple that He has given us – self governing life style plus non-invasive, alternative redemption therapies with “do the patient no harm” as the underlying principle.
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Rusinowski, Jules
09/11/2009 11:19 AM
Our constitution says our elected officials are supposed to be for the people. We don't want a federal health care system! Also, our constitution requires if the federal government gives something to all, it means all, no matter what exceptions may be put in the bill. So, illegal aliens will be covered in a federal healthcare plan. The Supreme Court will make sure of that.
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Debbie in Texas
09/11/2009 08:28 AM
President Obama has missed out on yet another opportunity to gain support. Imagine the response from Independents, Republicans and Democrats if Obama would have said in his speech that he had listened to the American people through what they were saying at the townhalls and the teaparties. Imagine Obama saying that he was going to scrap HR bill 3200 and start over and that he wanted Republicans to help him with a new, less costly bill.
We can imagine it but in reality it would never happen because Obama is a far left, liberal idealogue. He cares more about getting his agenda passed than he does about serving the American people.
Just like he did in February with the spendulous bill. Imagine how the country would have reacted if Obama had scrapped Pelosi and Reid Stimulus bill by taking out all of the pork and the ear marks. Imagine if he had followed through on his famous campaign promises.
As the song goes...I can only imagine... -
Dr. David
09/11/2009 02:12 AM
Steve Goff 09/10/2009 10:26 pm. When I was a college counselor long ago, a young man came into the clinic, and announced he wanted to drop out of school. When I asked him why, he quickly replied "because it is interfering with my education"!
That has always been one of my favorite anecdotes. I think that what you learn at home as a child is the most important education you ever get. Don't be too hard on Barack Obama. He lost his own father when he was a little boy.
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Calabro, Madeleine
09/10/2009 11:41 PM
Don't we already have Universal Healthcare for Americans Who Cannot Afford Health Insurance? (UHAWCAHI)
I realised this after listening to Obama's speech about his new Obamacare plan. Oddly, though, Obama wants to take the money for his new Obamacare. Why does he want to create a new UHAWCAHI when we already have one? And why does he want to fund this new UHAWCAHI with money taken from our current UHAWCAHI?
What UHAWCAHI am I talking about, you may ask.
Medicaid...that's UHAWCAHI. Check it out on:
http://www.cms.hhs.gov/MedicaidEligibility/
This is how they describe it:
"Medicaid is health insurance that helps many people who can't afford medical care pay for some or all of their medical bills.
"Good health is important to everyone. If you can't afford to pay for medical care right now, Medicaid can make it possible for you to get the care that you need so that you can get healthy and stay healthy.
"Medicaid is available only to people with limited income. You must meet certain requirements in order to be eligible for Medicaid. Medicaid does not pay money to you; instead, it sends payments directly to your health care providers. Depending on your state's rules, you may also be asked to pay a small part of the cost (co payment) for some medical services."
That's UHAWCAHI. That helps everyone Obamacare promises it wants to take care of.
So why does Obama want to take money from Medicaid (and Medicare!) to fund a new UHAWCAHI?
Obviously, Obamacare is NOT about paying for poor Americans to get medical care. We already have that covered.
Sincerely,
Madeleine Calabro
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Goff, Steve
09/10/2009 10:26 PM
I have to disagree with Barack Obama’s statement that high school drop-outs are “letting their country down.” Maybe Mr. Obama can tell this to the people with GED’s who are currently serving in the military, or those who do not have a GED or a Diploma who are serving their country through the “Army GED Plus Enlistment Program.” The simple truth is that the only people that high school dropouts are letting down are themselves. The people who are really "letting their country down” are the highly educated elites like Pres. Barack Obama and Van Jones, who have dedicated years of their lives to education solely for the purpose of undermining our Republic through the passing of far left, progressive agendas, and the headwaters of the educational institutions who promote far left, anti-American curriculums in the hopes of achieving the same ends. Mr. Obama’s speech would have been far more effective if he wouldn’t have sought to tie the student to the state.
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Ron and Dottie in Fl
09/10/2009 09:48 PM
To Doctor David
09/10/2009 07:06 PMThanks for sharing.
R24189 for the Fair Tax, and less government. -
b, richard
09/10/2009 09:44 PM
[b]Early last month, the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee defeated an amendment which would have excluded illegal aliens from Obama’s totalitarian health care bill. The Democrat-dominated committee voted 23-18 to defeat the measure introduced by Rep. Dean Heller (R-NV), which would have required the use of the existing Income and Eligibility Verification System and the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements System before care is dispensed.
In other words, there would be no way to verify the citizenship of those seeking care under Obama’s government plan.[b]CNN reported last month the Congressional Research Service, the nonpartisan policy research arm of Congress, found that without a citizenship verification system illegal aliens would receive subsidies. Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Washington-based Center for Immigration Studies, told CNN the report “undermines the claims of the president and others that illegal immigrants would not be covered under the House version of the bill.”
“Democrats can keep claiming all they want that illegal immigrants will not be covered in this bill. But their actions speak louder than their words. Democrats have rejected opportunities to close the gaping loopholes in this health care bill that will allow illegal immigrants to participate,” House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Lamar Smith said after the CRS report was released. “If President Obama is committed to ensuring that illegal immigrants do not benefit from the bill – as he says he is – why not include the same verification mechanisms in this bill as already exist for other federal benefits programs?”
In addition, undocumented immigrants who live in the United States for a certain period of time during the year would be classified as residents and would meet the substantial presence test required under HR 3200 to have health insurance, according to the report.
Pelosi said Wilson’s outburst during Obama’s speech shows the “bankruptcy” of Republicans’ ideas on health care, the Washington Post reports.
In fact, it shows how the Democrats in league with the corporate media are attempting to ram Obama’s totalitarian health care plan down the throat of the American people and stifle opposition.
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West, Richard
09/10/2009 09:13 PM
Ihave to agree with the comments made by Sharon Hartung. We need to all act as grown up people...sit down and deal with the facts...determine once in for all how we can make sure all of us have equal health care. The President and the Congressional people deserve respect and certainly God requires us to PRAY DAILY for these people...especially for wisdom to do the right thing for all concerned. I am so sick of all this yak yak going on by everyone. We need to stop it. By doing all this we are showing the non-christian's what a bunch of fools we are. Where is the love of God being demonstrated? Lets get real.
This country is bankrupt...and if China, Japan and European countries decided to call for money on their notes...you would see a war for sure. Major, US Army Retired RC West...Combat Infantry Vietnam Veteran -
SSC - Hardcore Texan
09/10/2009 08:29 PM
After the speech I decided to listen in on what the pundits were saying on ABC TV and also their late program, Nightline. It only verified that this network is not willing to ask any hard questions or critique any of the President's claims or contradictions. No free press is very detrimental for citizens to know the facts. Fox News is not perfect but one of the few who gives an unbiased slant most of the time.
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Schram, Barry
09/10/2009 07:45 PM
I would like to know what they are doing about the Medicare/aid fraud that they seem to know about? Does this appear only if we have health care reform?
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Dr. David
09/10/2009 07:06 PM
Harley Bue 09/10/2009 9:14 pm. I know that, as an organized body, the medical profession vastly overrates the importance of genetic factors in disease, while vastly underestimating the importance of environmental and behavioral factors. I agree with you that much more effort should be paid to naturalistic methods to prevent and treat chronic diseases.
However, be careful about including Kevin Truseau in your list of experts on the subject. You might want to take a look at the following link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YN5ihrECJms -
Dudeck, Martin
09/10/2009 07:00 PM
Gov. Huckabee, the President and Congress need to forget about health care. Social Security needs to be the number one priority until it is taken care of. Social Security is poised to collapse with an unfathomable crash in the VERY near future. The bailout required for this will make the banking bailout/stimulus plan look like chump change!
Social Security may have looked like a good idea in 1935, but if they could have seen just 75 years into the future, not one person who cared about their children's future would have voted for it. Social Security got Mr. Roosevelt reelected a number of times, but it is poised now to be the death-knell of the American economy unless something is done NOW!
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Hartung, Sharon
09/10/2009 06:01 PM
I was not surprised to hear that the Dictator In Chief was so adamant in his insistance that they were not going to start over with a new bill. And I was not upset when the cry "Liar" rang out. I had been yelling the same thing at the TV screen for the entire speech. He should be ashamed at telling so many blatant lies about what is in the bill. I have read it. Obviously, Obama has not read it. Please, Mike H., keep on telling the truth and get the message across to our nation's seniors. These are dangerous times.
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Levin, Sandra
09/10/2009 05:28 PM
While I take exception at what is happening with our health care and do believe that reform is needed, I'm tired of hearing page by page 'documentation' and citing hateful things that just aren't there. We cannot debate in a meaningful way with vicious rumors spreading around like the numbered page post above. I went to every page cited and it reads very differently.
Please. Read the bill. If we expect our lawmakers to listen, we need to be informed. How many of you read the Stimulus Package before ranting and raving about it?
HR 3200 is online and you can download it and read it yourself. Before citing, make sure it's true before you forward it to 5,000 of your closest friends.
No, we don't agree on how it should be done but we aren't going to make any headway until people stop inflaming the situation.
Health reform has been needed for a long time, let's just try to come up with a plan that works for all of us - if that's even possible.
Tort reform is a good place to start and if we all stop being such a litigious society that a hot cup of coffee is deserving of a lawsuit things might change. When a Doctor cannot deliver babies anymore because her malpractice insurance premium is over a Million Dollars a year, we need to stop and think. Don't blame the system, blame ourselves for trying to work the system to our advantage.
We Americans get the government we deserve. Get informed, read and write letters. Run for office, volunteer your time, make the world a better place right in your neighborhood. If we all start, things will change.
A Conservative Tea Party Attendee
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Shelley Ahlersmeyer
09/10/2009 04:49 PM
The more that President Obama says, the more I don't trust him.
Gov Huckabee is right . . . let's push the reset button.
There are things that everyone agrees we need to do: tort reform, portability and opening up the markets across state lines. Let's work on those things and see if we can bring costs down and increase access since insurance will be more affordable.
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Lawson, Mary
09/10/2009 04:29 PM
I think the pres forgot a lot of things last night. The thing bothered me most was it seemed more like a campaign speech, definatley partism.
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Lori Jungling
09/10/2009 04:22 PM
Gov. Huckabee,
I got your email today about the things you posted here but you also stated in the email that you would revoke your endorsement of any candidates who vote for his health care bill. All I can say is THANK YOU! I knew you were a person of conviction and this proves it. You have endorsed Senator Charles Grassley of Iowa and he has embarassed conservatives here with his desire to work out a "compromise" with Democrats on this bill. He is not listening to us because we don't want any part of government take-over of our health care. If Grassley votes for this bill I fully support you pulling your endorsement of him and will stand up and loudly cheer about it.
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Skoglund, Elizabeth
09/10/2009 04:02 PM
Reply:Obscurity seems to be part of the approach the gov. is taking, puposely! Truth only exposes the problems. It would seem prudent,however, to at least have a real bill to refer to. Or if they have reference which one they are talking about. I still don't believe most of Congress have read HB3200.
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Gooderham, Pam
09/10/2009 03:20 PM
I am SO pleased you will not endorse any Republican candidate that votes for the government take over of health care! I knew there was a reason I directed my hard earned cash to you and not the RNC or the CRP (CA Rep).
If you don't know about www.ourcaucus.com, please, please, if you do nothing else, please go look at this web site. I have never seen the problem we have electing the right people outlined so completely and so clearly, and they have a proven solution. They have proven their plan by getting elected a candidate that was out spent by the incumbent by 7/1.
Please look at this. With ourcaucus.com and with what you are doing with Huckpac, Governor, we can turn this tide - I'm certain of it.
Pam -
Watters, John
09/10/2009 03:13 PM
What if
- We support tax-free Health Savings Accounts for insurance premiums and health care expenses
- Eliminate the concept of group rates
- Eliminate tax breaks on employer subsidize coverage
- Require insurance to be personal and portable
- Eliminate state limits on insurance competition. (For once I'll agree the Interstate Commerce language in the constitution could be used for a good thing)
- Require insurance companies to provide a choice plans that have
1. A range of deductibles with corresponding rates
2. Unquestioned coverage of all medically necessary health-care treatments recommended by licensed practitioners
- Ban rescission
- Ban denial of coverage. In other words if you pay for the policy, it's yours.
- Allow post-graduate med school costs to be tax deductible for licensed practitioners
- Tax-supported catastrophic coverage for low-income individuals -
Klein, William
09/10/2009 02:40 PM
The hypocrisy and arrogance of Congress is almost unbelievable. They want to impose government run health care/insurance on the general population, but they will be exempt.
Has anyone tried to get an answer out of their congressmen as to whether or not they will be on the same health care they expect us to be on ?
I think they should try it out for two years before they force it down our throats. -
Pile, Donna
09/10/2009 02:37 PM
I too wanted to hear the words last night "American TAXPAYERS were not happy with the bills now introduced as we learned in August town hall meetings.... so we are going back to the table and figure this out for the AMERICAN TAXPAYERS.... and do the right thing for a free society."
Unfortunately, we did not hear those words. We did even hear what the bills really say according to Obama. We just a lecture on the high moral ground we should be seeking... no matter what the bills actually say..
In my opinion..if it takes a while to take the first step toward reforming health care.... so be it...... IF we balanced , cut and saved....... and took out all the earmarks, implemented proper oversight.. implemented tort reform .. we would go a long way toward fixing the problem. If there is Medicare fraud NOW and the governement does not catch it NOW... how are they going to do that later with some 53 new federal beuacracies. ? IT would be embarassing for me to say we are going to save $500 billion in medicare fraud..??? because we know that is how much we are losing now????? geeeeeeeeez.... Incremental steps forward are better than trying to throw a whole new system at us in a very difficult economic period. It cannot be solved by misunderstanding how the system works now and thinking the magic wand of government intervention is going to make it all better. Too many on the Hill do not even understand how this works now, much less how they are going to fix it. We need some fixes that is a given..... but we do not need a government run pulic health system. Unfortunately there is no panacea to make it "all better" even with the big brother government. It will just make us a third world country a few years earlier. To make a statement that "they" were coming after the naysayers last night was an unconscionable political statement if I ever heard one.. "We are going to call you out.?" Really ??? -
Mincer, Cristina
09/10/2009 02:26 PM
I have never really been into politics. Maybe there are a lot of other Americans out there that have been like me. I'm thinking, "how did things go so astray", and realizing that I should have been on top of things a long time ago, and so should have the rest of America. I am pretty sure that our freedom's started being taken away a long time ago. We just continued to work, play and sometimes pray. Got fat, depressed and forgot that we were blessed. I for one have decided, although it may be too late and the natural part of me would like to make sure my passport is up to date and I have plenty of reserves money wise in case I have to flee, that I am going to stand up for this Country and fight. I'm done complaining, and ready to put in some action! The first action?? PRAY!!! The next?? Where God leads me! Enough is enough!
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Dr. David
09/10/2009 02:24 PM
I listened to President Obama's speech on health care, and soon thereafter received an email from him in which he summarized what his plan would accomplish in one page.
I decided to reply to the email as follows: Mr. President, Albert Einstein once said that everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler. I just received a message from you that listed what your health care proposal would accomplish in one page. Yet, the media repeatedly inform us that the Congressional health care bills are 1000 pages long. Given that, how are we to know what you didn't tell us about what is in your plan?
What we don't want is a product of negotiations between the special interests and the Congress that protects them, instead of the American people. What we do want is a health care system based on reason and justice, not politics and power.
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Moore, PT
09/10/2009 02:21 PM
Goverenor Mike Huckabee,
I am so confused...At age 68 I have had so many marvelous experiences living in this world and being an American...I was 12 years old before my family had a television...what great things have happened since that time that have provided all Americans an easier and enjoyable life...the opportunities we have had as Americans have been unlimited..the number of millionaires as well as billionaires have expanded over the las 50 years...we have gone through many changes like our civil rights as well as equal rights, which being a woman this has been very important to me,and I could go on and on...When I was in school starting in 1947, every morning we said the pledge of allegiance to the flag and the Lord's prayer... and I still remember the wrapped up feeling that I had as a child and what I was taught by my parents, my church and my school was that in this wonderful land that we lived in was that I could accomplish anything that I wanted to if I was willing to work hard...I lived in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, my father worked for Union Carbide and which was producing a very important part of the Atom Bomb...we were a government town..everyone lived in goernment housing which as Mr Obama would classify as distributing the wealth..our schools were subsidized by the government as well as everything else..from the time I was in the fourth grade our shcools were intergrated and the lowest paid employee of Union Carbide was paid $420.00 per month which was a little above national average....private business such as groceries stores,retain business, the local newspaper, physicians and other business were had the opportunity to determine their own incomes and profits...our community swimming pool was even run by the city which was controlled by the government...our town had fences and gaurds at gated to even get into our city...anyone visiting had to be approved..so I know that I have experienced a semi-socialistic enviorment and what is considered redistributed wealth......Well it doesn't work...because of the number of private businesses even though they did have to rent their offices from the government..all buldings in Oak Ridge were owned by the government...but the govenment did not control how much income these business made or what salaries they paid or how much profit the made...Over just a few years when I reached Jr. High some of my friends parents were going just outside the city limits and building beautiful homes and commuting into the city....they wore nicer clothes and money to spend...the managers and supervisors at the plants of Union Carbide were also doing the same thing...What happened through out the city that had no railroad tracks was that people started dividing themselves into classes based on their beliefs, desires, intellect and based on their incomes and what they had the ability to have in life...in our schools the students started forming social clubs, the city had a women's club which was by inviitation only and a bridge club...I suppose I could go on forever..The government had brought people in from all over the world, such as scientist and so on...our next door neighbors were from Aulstralia and my best friend was from New York City and I was born 23 miles away in Maryville, Tennessee...so what I grew up in was a melting pot that gave me one of the best academi and social educations that anyone could have...the fact that my best friends had more than I did and some lived in mansions even though my father was a supervisor and had a good income...I had a lot of financial limitaitons...so I started babyitting so that I could shop in the exclusive shops in our town and have what I wanted..so I learned very early that in order to have what I wanted that all I had to do was work...I was in the Band, played basketball, was in the leaders club and had many advantages that many did not have but I did not wait for someone to give it to me I was willing to work to have what I wanted...My mom and dad always encouraged me, my sister and brother to work so we could have the things that we wanted in our lives.. and my dad felt very blessed that he had his position and that we had the life that we had........But Govenor, what I learned was that people to not want to all be equal...some are very satisfied to have what is provided for them but the majority want more and are willing to work to have more...and during my early life it never occured to me that the fact that I was earning approximately $20.00 a week by babysitting and cleaning houses and because some of my friends chose not to do additional work that I would ever be asked to share part of my money with them so that they could have more....but many times I paid for some of my friends to go the movies , swimming or the the local drive-in for a rootbeer float with me simply because I wanted to.....I have heard that you can take all of the money in the world from everyone and fly it in 747's all over the world and just drop it and within just a few years it would be back in the hands of the same people that it was taken from....so what am I trying to convey....well I always felt proud that I lived in a country that was will to go to war and fight for other people to have all of the priviledges that I had...I was very proud to be an American and believed without a doubt that I could go out into the world and be anything I wanted and could make as much money as I wanted and it would be mine....Social Security already existed and my Grandmother told me that it was a good thing...then along came Medicare and my dad told me this would be good...so as I started my career I didn't begrudge this taxes being taken out of my paycheck..I never begrudged taxes because I believed I lived in the land of the brave and the home of the free and I was willing pay for it....I don't feel lke this today...I never made it to being a millionaire but I have always had the opportunity to go out and work and earn as much as I was willing to work for..but since October 08 I do not believe that I have the choices nor will my children or grandchildren ever have these choices.. Mr. Obama proved that you can become presiden every though you are black and that you can accomplish anything you want...and all he has done since proving this is to do everything that he can to equalize everyone by takeing from those that haved worked hard and earned more and redistributin it to make everyone equal....Well I know from my childhood that everyone being equal does not work and just by the nature of individuals and Mr. Obama is a prime expample that he was not willing to accept that being black and not having a father and all of the other inequalities he was dealt coming into this world that it was not neccessay to stay like that....I wonder where he would be today if America had been controlled by a government in the 1960's that had provided everyone health insurance and his mother would not have had to fight with her insurance company to be covered and protected and believe me I would have preferred that she had not had to do this...and if the Americans at that time that were earning more money that had possibly worked harder than most or they were willing to take a risk or whatever opportunity they took advantage of were being told that they had to give up more of their imcome than others to live in America so that everyone had the same advantages.....does not commpute with me...when I took my friends to the movies or shared the money I earned with them it was my choice and my choice alone.....and what I learned living in Oak Ridge, Tennessee was that all Blacks, Whites, all children of God and anyone that lived in America all had the same opportunities and could be anything they wanted and could earn as much money that they were willing to work for and as long as they lived by the laws of the land no one could take it away from them.....where or where would Mr. Obama be if he had not had this belief and if thought that no matter what he went out and did and no matter how hard he worked that he would still be kept a the same station in life because he would be required to make sure that all others had equal benefits wheter ehy had earned them or not.why are we fighting in Iraq and Afganistan to guarantee others democracy while at the same time we are havein ours removed from us..why are American's giving their lives or fighting there so that if they do get to come back home they will not even have the same benefits and rights or freedoms that they have been attempting to give others.....what has happened that American's think it is more importnat to be a democrat or a republican than to be an American.....I appreciate you reading this...I watch you all the time and voted for you in the primaries....my living in Oak Ridge and watching capitalisiam at work at it's best caused me to be a republican....I have just had a knee replacement and have had the luxuary of watching a lot of the news as I cannot work at present and I am really scared and concerned and not sure what to do and I respect all that you do but I know that we all could surely do more to stop whatever this is that is happening to our America....I just wish I knew what..my husband and I have gone to the tea parties and would like to know that we could really be heard...but I believe that many are not listening...expecially our president who is supposed to be the leader of all Americans but he isn't....would love a response from you my e-mail address is ptmoore4444@hotmail.com again I express my respect for you and all you are doing... thank You, PT MOORE -
Bue, Harley
09/10/2009 02:14 PM
I previously suggested a panel of experts could be interviewed on FOX to bring real issues and solutions to the health care issues.
The following lists a number of credible practitioners in their respective fields whom I've heard and respect. Most of these have been on TBN. Other HuckPAC folks may have suggestions.
Valerie Saxion
Kevin Trudeau
Dr. Jordan Rubin
Dr. Don Colbert
Dr. Scott Hanson
Dr. Julian WhitakerIn addition, there are clinics in Mexico who use holistic practices to deal with all degenerative diseases with non-invasive modalities and nutrition. It would be good to give visibility to these.
A networking of these experts with proper media exposure and interaction with legislators would go far in enacting proper legislation. This would appeal to the American people, inhibit fraudulent lobbying and aid to elect those legislators who stand for truth and integrity.
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Avari, Michael
09/10/2009 02:09 PM
Governor,
I agree completely. Americans are not only queasy about government expansion into the most personal and private decisions in their lives, we are disquieted by an engorged state telling us "you must buy this or that."
The conservative alternative can be simple and effective, and should empower individuals with greater choice and smaller government. What's more, it can achieve all of the President's objectives. I wrote about this at:
americancivility.townhall.com
"Five Health Care Reforms You Won’t Hear the President Propose:
1- To lower medical costs, increase supply.
2- To lower insurance costs, make policies personal, portable, and open.
3- Allow derivative insurance products and financial incentives for maintaining good health.
4- Limit liability in medical malpractice to all but the most egregious negligence.
5- To help the poor and uninsured, encourage self-reliance and participation in the private system available to others."Keep up the great work, Governor!
twitter.com/freecapitalism
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Goettsche, Lori
09/10/2009 02:04 PM
Wow! Remember when the government had the attitude that "He who governs best governs least?" If you read the works of the signers, that was a common theme among them. It is impossible to have a government that knows our needs better than we do, it is ruining this nation.
A real call to prayer has been issued by this administration's policies. I hope we survive long enough to elect Mike to straighten out this mess.
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Hogan, Kyle
09/10/2009 01:59 PM
There are obviously issues with change regarding health reform that are on both sides of the fence. Hopefully we can make something that works to keep both the left and right happy without the controversy. Great blog post Huck.
<a href="http://www.myfloridahomesforsale.com/">Kyle Hogan</a> -
Schwartzwald, Jeanne
09/10/2009 01:48 PM
Dead on as always Gov. Huckabee. I always have more questions than answers after listening to the President speak.
Mr. President:
Why do you assume that people who do not have insurance do not pay their medical bills?Do you understand that there is a difference between "required to" and "forced to"?
How would you inforce mandatory coverage?
Why not open the existing Fed. Government Employees' Health insurance options to the public?
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Bue, Harley
09/10/2009 01:46 PM
Suggestion;
What if Mike Huckabee queried the FOX folks to sponsor interviews of a panel of selected experts on health care issues.
Credible and relevant information would be provided to the American public on a total, coherent storyline in the prevention to cure chain.
This would establish both a vision and a pattern/process for incorporating into our society.
Mike could be the interviewer and have several panel forums summing up to a final coherent set of principles forming a total solution.
Legislation would then be discussed to support this process. This process is already in place in the holistic arena in the U.S. Its kept covertly silenced by the media and networking operatives.
Mike could be a key figure in enhancing the knowledge database in this area to the American people.
If not a panel, interview them on the Huckabee FOX show.
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Toth, Nancy
09/10/2009 01:44 PM
Thanks for your blogs!
Watching Obama's speech last night, I had the feeling he was trying too hard, almost begging, for everyone to believe what he was trying to sell on his health care plan. My husband is a small business owner and he cannot fathom putting an 8% tax on already struggling small businesses. Does Obama really think we believe we will not have to pay for this health care plan? -
Coleman, Alison
09/10/2009 01:36 PM
It was a great speech but didnt tell us anything new...it was more of the same...no details...no specifics...just more empty promises we are afraid to believe. It was rude for the rep to shout out to the President "You Lie" but I better millions were shouting out at their TVs over the same comment.
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Jett, Nadine
09/10/2009 01:36 PM
Has anyone thought about the consequences to mandatory enrollments in health coverage? What about those who don't sign up? Are we now prepared to criminalize people who in essence, do nothing? Who will find these people, arrest them, try them in court and jail them? Are the cost for that included in the $900 billion or is that given back to the States and Cities? Our jails are overflowing and we don't enforce the laws we have now. Seriously? Can they think we are all that stupid?
Is forcing American citizens into health plans against their will even constitutional? At least if we choose not to work or drive, we are not forced into anything... this would mean all we have to be is a citizen of the U.S.- no more freedom, choice, you are under force of law to sign up for health coverage. Doesn't anyone see the MAJOR issue with this?????? -
Bue, Harley
09/10/2009 01:31 PM
Scoggins, Patricia
09/10/2009 12:03 PMI agree with your consensus w.r.t. the food industry - it is a primary causative factor at the prevention end of the health chain. I also contend that holistic medicine introducing natural, non-invasive cures is the the answer at the cure end of the chain.
For a complete storyline on the corruption and networking in the health arena, read Kevin Trudeau's book; "Natural Cures they don't want you to know about.
He has factual data proving that the FDA, drug companies, and food industry have withheld natural cures from the public in order to keep making bigger and bigger profits.
I agree with Patricia that education on these issues is a key to educating the American people in their decision-making.
There is an old saying - for a thousand hacking at the leaves, there is only one hacking at the roots. The current political system keeps hacking at the leaves, thereby supporting the status quo with minimal overall real effect.
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Pottinger, Becky
09/10/2009 01:31 PM
I'd just like the government to simplify, rather than add more responsibility to itself. Stick to defending our country and protecting our freedoms. Things are just way out of hand.
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Lichtenberg, J.
09/10/2009 01:30 PM
I found the following news story and buzzed it up
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0809/25779.html
---------
And at the end of the story, it said:
This story says at the end:
"The video the White House seeks to rebut, labeled “SHOCK UNCOVERED,” was linked by Andrew Breitbart on his video site, Breitbart.tv, after a site called Naked Emperor News brought it to his attention.The clip is labeled, “SEIU Health Care Forum 3/24/07,” and shows Obama saying: “I don’t think we’re going to be able to eliminate employer coverage immediately. There’s going to be, potentially, some transition process: I can envision a decade out, or 15 years out, or 20 years out.”
Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0809/25779.html
#ixzz0QeOr1obU
"
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So apparently Obama's actual long-range goal is to eliminate employer based health care.Do you think he's changed his mind?
He said in his speech on 9/9/09 that nobody will be "required" to change their healthcare insurance, but he never says he's going to force your employer to keep insuring you.
If there is a "public option" available, no matter how putrid the coverage, any sane employer would move to dump employees into it, even if there's a fine involved.
Already doctors refuse to take Medicare patients. I lost a really good doctor that way when I was forced into Medicare by an age-limit imposed by my employer-based insurance.
And this bill wants to soak more money out of Medicare so that it's less and less advantageous to take Medicare patients.
To fix Healthcare, 1) do it incrementally and watch for results, 2) increase supply of doctors and nurses, hospitals (which are now going bankrupt and closing) 3) Only when there's an oversupply of great medical workers, then you add more patients.
You have to increase doctor's pay, not decrease it. We need our smartest to become doctors. Pay them Wall Street sized bonuses for running a clean practice. Cushy early retirement. Free education.
4) while waiting for that to produce more medical supply, invent PERFECT computer security, then get all medical records onto computer, with access controlled by the patient.
5) Understand Medicine is still 90% ART and 10% science. That means you can't impose a "best practices" rule, because that's statistically determined and statistics only work one way - to predict the behavior of GROUPS. You can't use statistics to predict the behavior of an individual, therefore the whole concept of "best practices" is based on a fallacy.
Except for one thing. "Best Practices" is not a fallacy if the objective of "healthcare delivery" is to benefit the country as a whole, not the individual patient.
That is, "Best practices" is a euphemism for socialized medicine that benefits the state, and thus wants the non-average person to die as soon as possible.
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Keen, Brently
09/10/2009 01:07 PM
There's another reset button that should be pushed. This will make your blood boil...
http://blog.getliberty.org/default.asp?Display=1549
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Bishop, Linda
09/10/2009 01:04 PM
A buzz word for me was required, as in we will not be "required" to use the public option. When the insurance companies can not afford to stay in business and employeers will save money by not offering insurance to their employees what "choice" will we have? And how about the jobs lost in the insurance industry? I suppose the government will hire them and need to raise our taxes to pay them.
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Boven, Mary Jo
09/10/2009 12:47 PM
Our government should be paying more attention to the economy and creating jobs. This president and his cronies just keep their "want" list needy and our "need" list wanting!
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Bue, Harley
09/10/2009 12:38 PM
For Mike and HuckPAC folks,
A U.S. Army translator has been found who speaks "Washington Doublespeak" and he decoded the health care bill and posted his plain-language findings. Some are listed below. The rest can be found at the following website;
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2300451/posts
• Page 16: States that if you have insurance at the time of the bill becoming law and change, you will be required to take a similar plan. If that is not available, you will be required to take the gov option!
• Page 22: Mandates audits of all employers that self-insure!
• Page 29: Admission: your health care will be rationed!
• Page 30: A government committee will decide what treatments and benefits you get (and, unlike an insurer, there will be no appeals process)
• Page 42: The "Health Choices Commissioner" will decide health benefits for you. You will have no choice. None.
• Page 50: All non-US citizens, illegal or not, will be provided with free healthcare services.• Page 58: Every person will be issued a National ID Healthcard.
• Page 59: The federal government will have direct, real-time access to all individual bank accounts for electronic funds transfer.• Page 65: Taxpayers will subsidize all union retiree and community organizer health plans (example: SEIU, UAW and ACORN)
• Page 72: All private healthcare plans must conform to government rules to participate in a Healthcare Exchange.
• Page 84: All private healthcare plans must participate in the Healthcare Exchange (i.e., total government control of private plans)• Page 91: Government mandates linguistic infrastructure for services; translation: illegal aliens
• Page 95: The Government will pay ACORN and Americorps to sign up individuals for Government-run Health Care plan.
• Page 102: Those eligible for Medicaid will be automatically enrolled: you have no choice in the matter.
• Page 124: No company can sue the government for price-fixing. No "judicial review" is permitted against the government monopoly. Put simply, private insurers will be crushed.• Page 127: The AMA sold doctors out: the government will set wages.
• Page 145: An employer MUST auto-enroll employees into the government-run public plan. No alternatives.
• Page 126: Employers MUST pay healthcare bills for part-time employees AND their families.
• Page 149: Any employer with a payroll of $400K or more, who does not offer the public option, pays an 8% tax on payroll <>BR •Page 150: 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
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Gordon, Sarah
09/10/2009 12:36 PM
I agree Mike...the president is bypassing what the American people want...his speech was a bit contradictory...he's laying out all these benefits, but not telling us how he plans to pay for it...I'm thoroughly disgusted, but I will continue to pray for our government and direction...it's never too late with God.
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Ron and Dottie in Fl
09/10/2009 12:36 PM
I watched the speech last night expecting to hear some common sense solutions to some of our current problems with the health care system.
Instead I heard what sounded like a salesman attempting to sell a product with the frame, but the engine is missing. I have to admit a lot of what he said, sounded too good to be true.
It is great the people stepped up to let their Congressional leaders know the bill is not good enough. The Congressional leaders are going to have to do more than create 4 or 5 versions of a bill and expect the people to accept it, without knowing a lot more.
I heard President Obama say the government has been trying to get this done for 3 decades. You would think if a product was 30 years of work in progress, it would be one of the greatest products ever. Instead it is another 1000 plus page bill that was written so lawyers can't even read or understand it.
There needs to be a complete break down of the bills where
The main points are clearly understood.Any additions need to be written so we will know if it is there to buy votes, or makes the bill better.
If any part of the bill is piggy backing something else, that needs to be made clear as well.
R24189 Supporter of the Fair Tax and less government
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Foster, Grady
09/10/2009 12:24 PM
Mike, Check out how the government handles insurance for its own employees -- it raises insurance rates 25 percent for a program that was billed as increasing benefits "year after year without causing an increase in your premium". And now Helmut (I mean Herbert) Kohl has introduced a law to get the Federal Government to stop lying to itself. This is too good to be true. Reference the Federal Page in today's Washington Post http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/09/09/AR2009090902807.html
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Johnson, Linda
09/10/2009 12:18 PM
As I listened to the president I was more aware than ever that HE HASN'T READ THE BILL. Until he does he's wasting his time trying to convince people he is sincere about "what isn't in it".
