Trusting The Government To Take Care Of You: H1N1 Debacle
Monday, November 9th, 2009So you might die if you don’t get the vaccine. It’s a National Emergency. And yet, the government is flopping around. Jennifer LaRue of the Washington Post:
A poll released Friday by the Harvard School of Public Health found that two-thirds of parents and high-risk adults who want H1N1 vaccinations for themselves or their families have been unable to get it. It’s incredibly frustrating to be doing what we think we’re supposed to be doing — taking responsibility for our health and following government exhortations to get ourselves vaccinated — only to have our efforts thwarted by lack of supply.
But to me the most unsettling aspect of the whole mess is that nobody seems to be in charge. The right hand has no idea what the left hand is doing, and straight answers are hard to come by. And as this report notes, much of the advice out there for avoiding H1N1 flu is confusing and even off-putting.
Now, I bet Jennifer is all for socialized medicine. In fact, I bet government run health care sounds good to the very people complaining about vaccine shortages.
This disconnect is what disturbs me. The government has shown itself to be a terrible steward already. The corruption, the waste. And yet, here we have Congress putting together a health care plan when it can’t deliver a stupid vaccine on time.
Public Works Not Working, Mass Transit Not Moving: A Conservative Perspective
Wednesday, October 14th, 2009Matt Lewis writes a must-read piece about a conservative view on public transportation. I’m not going to get into the details of it, but I urge you to read it.
Here is where conservatives and Republicans need to get with the program: the government does have a role in public life. Infrastructure and defense are the two obvious roles. The problem for conservatives, is that they haven’t given enough thought to the implementation of tax dollars for infrastructure. This void has been filled with leftist fantasies. The results haven’t been effective or pretty. That is, both form and function have stunk.
I believe that it is a thoroughly conservative notion to use public monies for public purposes in positive ways. Conservatives need to give more thought to how. When conservatives get involved, their philosophy drives beauty. Since they triumph the achievements of the individual, they are more likely to prize a unique, local, and beautiful representation rather than a bland statist ideal.
Sid Burgess wrote to me on this subject. He said:
The start is making our communities communities again. Then those INDEPENDENT and strong places will create change in the government that are needed. Our founding father got it, we just forgot the purpose of local governments.
Sid also said of public transit:
As a conservative myself, I have often lamented at the wasteful and ultimately bankrupt ideas of moving hundreds of millions of people via car and highway. Until we build roads that have lifespans much longer than a decade, we must be willing to consider most financially sustainable methods.
Conservatives need to stop ceding this ground to liberals. Conservation, integrity, efficiency, and longevity are thoroughly conservative notions. It’s time to embrace them again.
Helping Republicans Help Themselves
Monday, October 12th, 2009After Obama and the Democrats swept the Republicans out of office it became clear that Republican leaders got one message and everyone else got another message. The Tea Party movement was not borne of Democrat failure.
I will say that again: The Tea Party movement was not borne of Democrat failure.
The Tea Party movement was borne of Republican failure and consequently, the fear of Democrat success.
While the Republicans ruled (and they did rule as imperious potentates), they expanded the size and scope of the government. They used the taxpayer as their personal checkbook. They disrespected and ignored their constituents. They manipulated the President financial during a time of war. It was an unholy alliance.
As frustration built, the Tea Partiers saw the press give Barack Obama a free pass. Unquestioned and never challenged, he sailed through his pre-election campaigning. His associations with communists, anarchists, criminals, etc. were deemed irrelevant.
Many Americans bought President Obama’s speech. He talked of responsibility. He talked of restraint. He was reasonable.
Where do Americans now turn?
I’ve been saying for a while that the way back to the promised land is not through a third party. It’s not through hoping the Republicans will get it. It’s through taking back the Republican party.
Erick Erickson of Redstate says this:
Erick Erickson, founder and editor of the influential conservative blog RedState, has urged Tea Party activists to “put down the protest signs” and stage takeovers of local Republican parties.
“Grassroots activists need to start infiltrating the party,” said Erickson. “The only way to start getting [the establishment] back is to start pounding them with every fist we have.”
Activists need to help Republicans save themselves. The word Republican is nearly meaningless as it has no contrast with Democrats. When people get involved and transform the party from within, real change will happen.
How To Fill A Pothole With Tweets
Friday, September 25th, 2009Guest post by Sid Burgess. Cross posted at sidburgess.com
First, to set the mood you should watch this video. It is going to blow your socks off.
As citizens, we have more and more options to reach our elected officials and leverage social media. Social networking sites are not for everyone and some people choose to leave them to their family life. But if you are interested in using your Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, or StumbelUpon account for good in your community, here is your how-to that is sure to fill your pothole.
1) Define your project/issue
Take a picture of your issue or project. Even if this isn’t something that is physically wrong in your community, a picture adds great context to your message.
Upload your picture(s) to your Flickr account. If you took a video (which would be awesome!), add it to your Youtube account and be sure to mention what community you are in, who you are, and define the issue while you narrate the video.
Go to SeeClickFix and and log in with your Facebook Account. In the “Location” type in your community. Zoom in and create your ticket. Then go to the Issue Page and check out all your options! Before you go on a sharing frenzy, let’s add some important people to your network.
2) Friend your leadership
First, find out if your local community has a web site that lists your elected officials. If they are there, grab those names and start searching for them on Twitter and Facebook or whatever social network you want to use. Once you have found them, ‘friend’ them! This is a great way to shortcut all the headaches of voicemail and unhelpful staff. Keep in mind that not all elected officials are hard to reach so don’t feel like you can’t at least try to use the phone before you drop your tweet on them.
Speaking of tweets, GovTwit is a great place to find your elected officials on Twitter.
3) Follow-up and engage your community
So you did it. You reported your issue, found your city councilman, and sent her a Facebook Direct Message. You are feeling quite proud at the moment I bet. You should be! You have just gotten farther than 95% of Americans at getting something done in their community. However, we can still capitalize on all your hard work by “sharing” what you have done. Send out the link to your project that you posted on SeeClickFix to your Twitter followers and ask them to comment or “vote up” your project. On Facebook you can share it right from the issue page. It is really that easy. When the issue is fixed or addressed, always be sure to post follow-up details for all of your friends and be sure to say thank you.
Don’t stop!
Again, what you have just done is so much more than most people ever take the time to do. The reality is our communities are falling apart largely because we are failing to let our leadership know that we actually do see and care about these things. As a councilman, I was always trying to look at the big picture stuff. It was easy to become oblivious to the small things that could be causing friction in the community. Never fall into believing that it is rude to bring up something that is wrong. These are your streets, your parks . . . it is your community! And more importantly, whatever doesn’t get fixed while we are around will get left for our children to clean up. Speak up and let’s get this stuff done.
Encore:
Try stepping up your game next time. A YouTube video with commentary is a great way to convey your message, especially if you can get helpers from your neighborhood. Here is a nice example of one.
Best of luck and be sure to report back to all of us as to how things went!
Peace.
PS: Do you have a story about how you were able to use the Internet or social media to solve an issue in your community? Would love to hear it!
Our experiences make us who we are, and I am no exception. I am a product of years of public service, small business & self-employment, and a family that believes in me. From combat in Iraq, to ‘combat’ on the city council, I have faced, learned from, and overcome challenges and opportunities. I value people over ideas, and ideas over the status quo. Please drop by my blog and share your thoughts and ideas.
Sarah Palin: Barack Obama’s Nemesis
Wednesday, September 9th, 2009The press alternately calls Sarah Palin stupid or irrelevant. However, both in political instinct and policy substance, it’s clear that she is neither.
Today, her Op-Ed appears in the Wall Street Journal. It’s good. Cogent, clear, and well-written. She’s got a ghost-writer, say lib operatives. Let’s hope! Does Barack Obama write all his own stuff? Surely, libs jest. His college thesis can’t even be found. Why would anyone quibble that Sarah Palin would have a ghost writer? Probably because she makes sense:
Instead of poll-driven “solutions,” let’s talk about real health-care reform: market-oriented, patient-centered, and result-driven. As the Cato Institute’s Michael Cannon and others have argued, such policies include giving all individuals the same tax benefits received by those who get coverage through their employers; providing Medicare recipients with vouchers that allow them to purchase their own coverage; reforming tort laws to potentially save billions each year in wasteful spending; and changing costly state regulations to allow people to buy insurance across state lines. Rather than another top-down government plan, let’s give Americans control over their own health care.
Democrats have never seriously considered such ideas, instead rushing through their own controversial proposals. After all, they don’t need Republicans to sign on: Democrats control the House, the Senate and the presidency. But if passed, the Democrats’ proposals will significantly alter a large sector of our economy. They will not improve our health care. They will not save us money. And, despite what the president says, they will not “provide more stability and security to every American.”
Liberals also object to the timing of the piece. Geoffery Dunn in Huffington Post says today, “Yes, the latter continues her unyielding obsession with Barack Obama by trying to upstage his healthcare address to the nation today…”
In politics, timing is everything. Sarah Palin knows good timing. The President gives his big address today. And the press is not likely to pay attention to the Republican rebuttal. And Republicans still seem loath to take the fight to the president en masse lest they appear to be “obstructionist”. Even trying to work across the aisle, Republican are labeled such, anyway. And it’s no matter, their votes won’t affect the outcome one way or another–super majorities and all that. But Sarah Palin can help fight rhetorically and the best time to fight is when the opposition is on the battlefield. Today, everyone is paying attention. Today is a good time to fight. Liberals just hate being out-maneuvered.
And then, there’s the actual substance of Palin’s opinion piece. She makes sense. She continues to give voice to the “sick and elderly” and their very real concerns with government run health care. She is not backing down. She continues to point out the obvious: it will increase the debt.
The real problem Democrats have with Sarah Palin is that she accepts the President’s challenges where others cower. She isn’t going away. And when she does argue the points, she times her arguments for impact.
Sarah Palin is Barack Obama’s nemesis. He needs one.
Why Preventative Care Won’t Save Money
Tuesday, September 1st, 2009My practice consists of people who want to stay healthy and those recovering from some malady–often of the structural kind, but sometimes of the sub-clinical but bothersome kind. That means, people coming to my office hope to get back to doing what they want or make it so they’re always healthy.
These people are highly motivated. Since my practice is 90% cash, the patients seek out my services, value them so highly that they’ll pay money for them, and they will often be compliant. We have tough talks in my office. I have had this conversation many times:
Me: Here is what we need to do, but it will require a change of behavior on your part, a whole new lifestyle.
Patient: Okay…..
Me: If you are not interested in making these changes, you will not get the health benefits you desire. I do not want to waste your money and my time if you’re not ready for these changes.
Patient: Okay….
Me: How do you feel about (significant change in diet, new exercise regimen, changing sleep habits, changing exercise, at home rehab options, etc.)?
Patient: Well, I…..
And then, the patient thinks about it and decides. Even with paying for care and being self-selected to come into my office, only about 50% are willing to do the changes they need. Some don’t come back until they are ready. Some decide on symptomatic care and admit they don’t really want to change. I had one patient tell me, “I’d rather die than stop drinking Coke.” He was an alcoholic and diabetic. That’s good information to have–I can give him nutrition to supplement his horrendous lifestyle choices, but just the preventative care alone is not going to significantly help him if he won’t help himself. He will be in the hospital, eventually, and have a limb amputated or go into a diabetic coma. Those will be huge expenses.
So, while my practice centers on people taking control of their health and it’s profoundly satisfying because people are self-motivated, this is not the majority of American health care consumers. From the Washington Post:
Using data from long-standing clinical trials, researchers projected the cost of caring for people with Type 2 diabetes as they progress from diagnosis to various complications and death. Enrolling federally-insured patients in a simple but aggressive program to control the disease would cost the government $1,024 per person per year — money that largely would be recovered after 25 years through lower spending on dialysis, kidney transplants, amputations and other forms of treatment, the study found.
However, except for the youngest diabetics, the additional services would add to overall health spending, not decrease it, the study shows.
As an aside, I strongly question the $1,000 price tag for diabetes education and prevention. That seems awfully low. Since one doctor’s office visit alone is around $100, I wonder what else is being covered here. Are meds included? Counseling? What?
Most people, if given a choice, will go to the doctor and want to be “fixed”. That is, they’ll want a drug or surgery that enables them to continue on their path without having to change their behavior. Should socialized medicine come to America, that impulse will be reinforced. Health care costs will soar.
Preventative care only works when a patient is motivated, and even then, it’s challenging. Those under Government Run health care will have less incentive, not more, to take control of their health care.
Do I think that preventative care saves money for my patients? Absolutely. A healthy person over his lifetime, will likely need less health care intervention. Since nearly 90% of chronic disease is preventable, steps to prevent them make a huge difference. A person who never develops heart disease or diabetes or employs dietary ways to prevent cancers makes for a very nice health care cost risk long-term.
In my own life, the life insurance guy was shocked: I have low blood pressure, low cholesterol, I’m on no meds, I’ve had no surgeries. And, yes, I’m overweight, but that doesn’t mean, necessarily, unhealthy. My own grandma who is 92, has spent a lifetime of living preventatively. She is the picture of health–mentally and physically. Prevention does matter. But the individual must be motivated and must take the steps himself to be healthy.
No government can force an individual to have motivation. But they can force behavior…and that’s what they’ll try to do, eventually. In that case, the cure is worse than the disease.
2% Too Much: Federal Employees Should Get Pay Cuts, Not Pay Raises
Tuesday, September 1st, 2009Federal government employees make nearly 100% more, on average, per year, than the average American worker. With the deficit soaring, Nancy Pelosi suggested a 19% pay increase. President Obama is getting props for saying it should be 2%.
Pardon me, but what the hell?
Private sector employees are either taking a cut in hours, are laid off or have pay freezes–because that’s what people do to stay competitive in a down economy.
But with the American taxpayer ponying up for Federal employees wages, the sky is the limit. What a disgusting system.
Rationing Health Care: Orgeon’s Example [Awesome Video]
Tuesday, August 11th, 2009Best video demonstrating who will make your health care decisions should the dreaded “public option” aka single payer aka Government Run Health Care become a reality:
I’ve also written about the taxpayer funded propaganda here.
Health Care: Obama’s Mercenaries Vs. Freedom Fighters
Sunday, August 9th, 2009How about a little something for the effort? The Democratic party and their grassroots organizers are paying workers to hold signs and show up. Who is the mob again? Here’s some Craig’s List examples in Sacramento:
Aug 7 – Make social change – Help Pass Obama’s Health Care Reform!!! – (Sacramento) img < Aug 4 – Help pass Obama’s Health Care Reform!!! Earn $9-14 an hour!!! – (Sacramento) img < Aug 3 – ***Help Pass Obama’s Health Care Plan and Earn $325-$500/Week – (Sacramento, CA) img < Jul 31 – Help Pass Obama’s Health Care Reform! Earn $325-550 per week! – (Sacramento) img < Jul 29 – Work to Pass Obama’s Plans this Summer! Earn $9-14/hr! – (Sacramento) img < Jul 28 – Build Support for Obama’s Plans!!! Earn $325-550 a Week! – (Sacramento) img < Jul 27 – HELP PASS OBAMA’S PLANS AND EARN $325-550 A WEEK!!! – (Berkeley) img < Jul 27 – HELP PASS OBAMA’S PLANS AND EARN $325-550 A WEEK!!! – (Sacramento) img < Jul 23 – HELP PASS OBAMA’S PLAN TO FIGHT GLOBAL WARMING! EARN $9-14/HOUR!!! – (Sacramento) img < Jul 21 – BUILD PUBLIC SUPPORT FOR OBAMA’S PLAN & EARN $9-14 AN HOUR!!! – (Sacramento) img < Jul 15 – Make $350-550 per Week Working for OBAMA’s PROGRESSIVE AGENDA!!! – (Sacramento) img < Jul 14 – SUMMER CAMPAIGN STAFF POSITIONS AVAILABLE!!! EARN $350-550 A WEEK! – (Sacramento) img < And here’s Austin Craig’s List: Aug 6 – Summer Jobs: Support Obama’s Clean Energy Agenda! – (Austin) img < Aug 4 – >>>Field Organizers Needed! Help Conserve TX Water for the Future! – (Austin, West Campus) img < Aug 3 – >>>Community Organizers Needed! Fight to Conserve Water in TX! – (Austin, West Campus) img < Jul 31 – >>>Community Organizers Needed! Fight to Conserve Water in Texas – (Austin, West Campus) img < Jul 28 – >>>Community Organizers Needed! Fight the Drought!! – (Austin, West Campus) img < Jul 27 – >>>Fight for Green Jobs in Texas! – (Austin, West Campus) img < Jul 22 – SUMMER JOBS: Support Obama’s Clean Energy Agenda! – (Austin) img < Jul 22 – >>>Work for Clean Energy and Green Jobs in Texas!!! – (Austin, West Campus) img < Really, they’re everywhere. Mercenary grassroots efforts. Meanwhile, the people who make up the Right grassroots efforts aren’t paid. These new activists adhere to a point of view they came to themselves and are organic, self-organizing groups. I’ve said it before, the Left is jealous. This is like a new civil rights movement (no one had to be paid back then, either). Common citizens are concerned about the direction of the country–the debt, the deficit, the future. Health care is just one more way the government is getting bigger and scarier. There’s astroturfing going on, but it’s not on the right. H/T Josh Trevino via Twitter
President Obama’s Report Your Neighbor Program: The Executive Branch Has Your Info Forever
Thursday, August 6th, 2009Byron York has an excellent piece up at The Examiner about the Flag.gov deal. Here’s the program:
On Monday, White House director of new media Macon Phillips posted a note on the White House web site complaining of “disinformation about health insurance reform.” “These rumors often travel just below the surface via chain emails or through casual conversation,” Phillips wrote. “Since we can’t keep track of all of them here at the White House, we’re asking for your help. If you get an email or see something on the web about health insurance reform that seems fishy, send it to flag@whitehouse.gov.”
Well, that caused serious outcry and some amusing responses, too. Americans have fun with fascism! There is a serious side, though. This information, must, by law, be kept forever. York says:
In addition, the lawyers say the collected emails likely will be covered by the Presidential Records Act, which requires the White House to preserve and maintain its records for permanent storage in a government database. Phillips’ request suggests that whatever information the White House receives on health-care reform “disinformation” will be used to further the goal of passing a national health-care makeover, which is, of course, one of the president’s main policy initiatives. Such material, and whatever the White House does with it, would qualify as presidential records. Only after more than a decade would such records be publicly available.
“So the White House, whether by design or accident, has requested information from the public that will become ‘records’ under the Presidential Records Act, yet would be impermissible for any government to otherwise collect under the Privacy Act,” writes one Judiciary Committee source. “Where were the lawyers in all of this? What is their legal basis for authorizing the collection of these records?”
Read the whole thing. So, the White House, the President of the United States, is asking you to inform on a friend even in “casual conversation“.
And, it’s likely illegal. Says Erick Erickson:
According to 5 U.S.C. § 552a, United States agencies, including the Executive Office of the President shall, “maintain no record describing how any individual exercises rights guaranteed by the First Amendment unless expressly authorized by statute or by the individual about whom the record is maintained or unless pertinent to and within the scope of an authorized law enforcement activity.”
The White House may take the position that certain of its offices aren’t subject to the Privacy Act (that is a longstanding Office of Legal Counsel position, see here), but most Presidents instruct their staffs to comply. This will be a the first significant time the White House has ignored the Privacy Act and may open President Obama up to litigation.
This is another example of the Obama administration ignoring long time precedent when it is no longer convenient for them. And ignoring this precedent lets them collect data on and potential harass individual American citizens.
The legality is troubling. The information is troubling. Perhaps the most distressing element is the knee-jerk reaction the President has to disagreement with his policies. He doesn’t view disagreement as legitimate. In fact, President Obama assumes that all disagreement is disinformation.
This seems like another revealing way that President Obama has statist tendencies.
