(no subject)

[coldblossom.livejournal.com]

The Vote will take place shortly....Did you hear about the health care package that someone (now identified as Tom Daschle) "sneaked" into the "stimulus" bill? This healthcare package is bigger than the combined packages for all branches of the U.S. military, and will essentially put the U.S. government between you and your doctor:

The bill’s health rules will affect “every individual in the United States” (445, 454, 479). Your medical treatments will be tracked electronically by a federal system. Having electronic medical records at your fingertips, easily transferred to a hospital, is beneficial. It will help avoid duplicate tests and errors.
But the bill goes further. One new bureaucracy, the National Coordinator of Health Information Technology, will monitor treatments to make sure your doctor is doing what the federal government deems appropriate and cost effective. The goal is to reduce costs and “guide” your doctor’s decisions (442, 446). These provisions in the stimulus bill are virtually identical to what Daschle prescribed in his 2008 book, “Critical: What We Can Do About the Health-Care Crisis.” According to Daschle, doctors have to give up autonomy and “learn to operate less like solo practitioners.”

[link]

If this passes, we will lose.
Sen. Specter (sp?) was on FOX News discussing this and he could not promise to vote no if this isn't removed. Instead, he offered that it would be "fixed" before he would vote on it. I swear, he and the two idiots from Maine need to be kicked out of the GOP before this bill is voted on. Mr. Steele...where are you?

My day off is tomorrow; I am contemplating going to my state capital building with signs to protest if this bill passes.

Edit: CSPAN has put up a number to call if you oppose the bill: 202-585-3886. I have been trying to get through and the line is jammed. Please try to call!

Edit2: The bill passed, 61-37. Please blow up the phone lines and emails of everyone (Republican and Democrat) who voted for this bill. Tell them they've sold us all out. Remind them our fathers died to keep us from Communism. Tell them....just tell them.

Comments

[some-day-soling.livejournal.com]

Do you know when exactly the vote is taking place?

[coldblossom.livejournal.com]

According to C-SPAN, any time now.

[some-day-soling.livejournal.com]

Thank you.

[slm76.livejournal.com]

It's happening right now, I think.

[slm76.livejournal.com]

I'll tell you what would save money in the healthcare sector: a tightening of MedicAid. My husband can point to several repeat patients who are on MedicAid that are essentially playing the system.

How was Daschle able to put stuff in? Is he still a senator?

[coldblossom.livejournal.com]

I have no idea. It was attributed to him, however, though when I first heard the story this morning the identity of the author was "unknown." I don't understand how someone can "sneak" something that big and revolutionary into a bill and not only does no one notice, no one knows who put it there.

It makes me think of the Family Circus comics with the "Not Me" and "I Don't Know" ghosts.

[rightsaidred.livejournal.com]

I don't understand how someone can "sneak" something that big and revolutionary into a bill and not only does no one notice, no one knows who put it there.

I know how. It's 600 fucking pages long! I doubt most of our representatives have even read the thing in it's entirety.

[cakemaven.livejournal.com]

ya gotta love that, huh? when the government is allowed to weigh the number of years it thinks you probably have left with the treatment you need to decide whether or not it is "cost effective" to save your life. I guess that's how they plan to fix the problem with social security!

[coldblossom.livejournal.com]

They're already doing this in Great Britain; the government does literally rule on who lives and who has (to paraphrase) "outlived their usefulness."

[ex-annemarie10.livejournal.com]

I just set aside $300.00 to contribute to the primary opponents of Sen.'s Collins, Snowe, and Spector next time they run. I'm hoping Rick Santorum will run against Spector in 2010.

[slm76.livejournal.com]

I would love for Santorum to return. He's much stronger than Spector. Sadly, we no longer live in PA, but I know a lot of folks who would be happy to have him back.

[foxybrownsgc.livejournal.com]

I would LOVE it if Santorum ran again. I remember he got to speak at our church-- I was so impressed by him.

Frankly, Spector is an old fart who needs to G-O GO! Let the doorknob hit him right in the butt along with Murtha.

[la-christine.livejournal.com]

Do I pray, cry or scream?

I live in Silicon Valley, California so no one speaks for me here. All my representatives are liberal socialists.

[slm76.livejournal.com]

Spector voted yes.

[la-christine.livejournal.com]

Why do Republicans still vote for him?

What a RINO.

[foxybrownsgc.livejournal.com]

I don't know but I've never, ever, ever voted for Spector.

My sympathies for folks living in CA. When I lived there the liberal socialism (i.e. The People's Republic Of Santa Monica) was absolutely infuriating.

[la-christine.livejournal.com]

We have wonderful weather and the worst state government in the USA. Its a trade off.

If there was a state where I could stand the weather and live free I would. *SIGH*

[mockingbird39.livejournal.com]

True - at least you have the weather. In Massachusetts, we have Kennedys, long winters, sauna-like summers and Harvard. *sigh*

[la-christine.livejournal.com]

So I guess I shouldn't plan on moving to Massachusetts then?

Don't you also have Ben Afleck and Matt Damon?

[mockingbird39.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't suggest it, no. I just want that Harvard degree and then I'm out.

And really, we don't have Ben or Matt much anymore. Matt lives in Miami most of the year (see above re: crappy Massachusetts weather) and Ben is, I believe, mostly in LA. They come back once in a while, though. We do have a couple of Wahlbergs, in case that interests you. They stay around more.

We also have the Red Sox, who are awesome. And quite a few Republicans on the team, as a matter of fact. Tom Brady is a closet conservative, too, I hear.

[la-christine.livejournal.com]

MS: Ted Kennedy, Barney Frank, lousy weather...

CA: Feinstein, Boxer, good weather....

Its a close call but I think I'll check out Texas first.

So you think Brady will be back next year?

[mockingbird39.livejournal.com]

Yeah, at least hold off until we get rid of our governor, Obama-lite. He's been such a total disaster that not even my Democrat friends want to vote for him again.

As for Brady. . .I think he'll be back, but perhaps later than originally expected. I'm glad Coach franchised Cassel. Honestly, I'd be perfectly happy to see Cassel play again this year. He was grossly underrated and most of the losses were NOT his fault. He can't complete a pass if no one is open, people! And hello, not letting the quarterback get sacked is sort of important. I mean, I don't personally PLAY football, but I've heard it's kind of a Thing.

[la-christine.livejournal.com]

Our next governor will probably either be Moonbeam Brown or Gavin "I'm the Mayor of San Francisco" Newsom. We'll be further screwed than we are already.

I have a soft spot for Cassel as a USC fan but I've never been a Patriots fan. NFL is rigged-->tuck rule anyone? :D

[mockingbird39.livejournal.com]

Oh, I'm totally with you on the NFL suckage. I just think Cassel is gorgeous. :-) And the Pats do a lot for the hospital where I work, so I have a soft spot for them.

Sympathy on the governor thing. We went from Romney to Deval Patrick, and I'm still nursing the whiplash.

[kimana83.livejournal.com]

Whaaaat? Brady may be a conservative?! Be still my ever-fangirling heart!! Mmm. His first year starting was the first year I watched the Pats (I was dating my now-husband who was born and raised in CT) and I must say I'd much rather look at him than any other NFL player. Yum.

[mockingbird39.livejournal.com]

That's the gossip around here. His dad is hard-core pro-life and said some pretty nasty things about Kerry in 04, and our boy Tommy is VERY silent about his affiliations. When he does step out to charity events (which isn't often, and kind of makes me not like him as much as I could), it's usually to something conservatives would favor, like the Salvation Army or Special Olympics. I also heard that he came to a leadership breakfast organized by a conservative men's group.

And for NFL hotties, have you seen Matt Cassel? Dude is smokin' hot, is all I'm saying. He and his wife are awesome with the kids at the hospital where I work.

[kimana83.livejournal.com]

Nice! Well, that just makes me like him more. I sure missed him this year (and not just for his looks), but was definitely pleasantly surprised by Cassel. He never looked that cute to me; maybe he's cuter in person? The photos they put up of the players during the games are always so horrid. Even Brady looks dorky in his. So have you met him (Cassel)?

I'm still annoyed that the Pats weren't in the playoffs. It drives me nuts that they weren't in there despite an 11-5 season (one of those 11 being the 8-8 in-the-Superbowl Cardinals whom they creamed by 40 points). I hate NFL divisions!

[mockingbird39.livejournal.com]

I know - the NFL baffles me. It's one of the worst run orgs out there, IMO. I was home visiting my dad Superbowl weekend, and I dearly wanted to throw a hymnbook at some of the idiots wearing Cards jerseys in church. (1) Don't wear a stupid jersey to church - it's tacky; (2) You have never left the Northeast, so why in the world are you routing for a team from Arizona? and (3) Your team sucked wind for half the season, so shut up.

I have met Cassel, though. He is darling. His wife is drop-dead gorgeous, too, and extremely smart.

[kimana83.livejournal.com]

You should move to northeast Florida. Gorgeous weather (summer heat, sure, but not as bad as Orlando or south FL, and, having grown up in the Midwest, I know it's the same as Illinois and Missouri summers... except we have the beach), gorgeous un-crowded beaches, and we usually swing Republican. The state went for Obama, but Jacksonville (Duval County) stayed red. I love it here.

[la-christine.livejournal.com]

I lived in Florida (Homestead and Key Largo) when I was really little. I have cousins who live in Jacksonville and my grandparents are in Lady Lakes.

How close are you to swamps? Mosquitoes and I don't get along too well.

[kimana83.livejournal.com]

We have marshes near the FL/GA border and, of course, the Intracoastal (aka "The Ditch"). They're swamps but not at ALL like the Everglades. There are definitely mosquitoes here, but I really don't think they're much worse than the summer I spent in upstate NY or any of my many years in the Midwest. NY was the WORST. Bleh.

No one really hangs out outside in the summer much anyway (just like we didn't in central IL) unless they're a kid at summer camp. If you do, you're probably going to the beach, where, despite my being a mosquito-magnet, I've never gotten one bite, or to do some other water thing which means you'll be going too fast for them to get ya. LOL.

[rightsaidred.livejournal.com]

Sigh. Someone evidently abstained, and Minnesota lost one of it's votes because we don't have anyone seated. Excuse me, while I go die now.

[scarletumbrella.livejournal.com]

Is there a list of senators who voted for/against somewhere on the interwebs?

[autumnjoy.livejournal.com]

I think this (http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=111&session=1&vote=00060) is it.

[scarletumbrella.livejournal.com]

Yess - thank you! :D

Also, icon WIN. XD

[gotsparkly.livejournal.com]

What penalties are provided for doctors who choose not to abide by the "guidelines"?

[xahardaysnightx.livejournal.com]

Kerry's mailbox is full. Dammit.

[gracefallson-me.livejournal.com]

well i be damn! i'm tellin ya, my dad got lucky i guess when he died last year so he didn't have to put up with this bullshit! he would have been worse off i guess!

[ohinternets.livejournal.com]

Frakking heartbreaking. It's a big slippery slope we're on now.

[pat-t.livejournal.com]

Well, we all knew this was coming. Obama talked about it during the campaign. The government wants to control all health care and become a one-payer system. They get complete control. They get to decide who gets treatment and who gets declined. How many days you get in the hospital and who gets home health and who doesn't. If you are elderly you will be put at the bottom of the list. Hospitals will be paid such a small amount that they will have to cut services. I would be angry that the crazy bastards snuck it into the stimulus bill. Except for one thing. He warned us that he was going to do this. We talked about it before the election and knew it was coming. What I am angry about is the American public that has gone nuts over this man and allowed this to happen. We've been sold out by our own.

[ccr1138.livejournal.com]

I live in Canada right now, which has a one-payer system, and our medical care is on par with the poorest people in the USA who get Medicaid. In short, it SUCKS. I can't find a doctor (there's a shortage, wonder why?) and so I end up waiting for hours in a clinic. Elective surgeries and anything (like MRI) that isn't life threatening involves waiting for months or even years. It's crap. I can't believe that anybody would want this for the USA.

The Canadians are proud of their system, though, because everybody gets treated the same. Yeah, it SUCKS for everyone. Congratulations!

The only people who would be better off going to the Canadian system are the people who make too much money to qualify for Medicaid but can't afford private insurance. Why can't the USA simply fix the system for these people, rather than making it horrible for everyone?

I always have one saying for tom

[01524dnvyfeclfs.livejournal.com]

hypocrite at work..lol