Hasn't It Become Obvious Enough Yet?

Simple proof that these protests have nothing to do with the protesters "having there voices heard"...

Because it's not about getting more information about the bill because there are a zillion different places they can go online for that. It's not about offering suggestions because certainly they have not contributed to a solution. It's not about reforming a broken health care system because they say ours is the "best in the world" and they just want to keep what they've got. Or even a moral opposition to a public plan, as many of these protesters openly admit to being on Medicare or receiving VA health coverage. It's not about health care at all! It's a tantrum. They want to shame, intimidate, and shock. If it were about simply having their voices heard, a meeting with representative seems to be IDEAL, but they don't want that either. They've been instructed to make a fuss (preferably on video)and an actual conversation between two individuals will not suffice. They will not be happy until they (bullying white conservative christians) are back in power. When Bush proposed the single biggest expansion of public health care since Medicare was created in 1965, AND PASSED IT with no plan on how to fund it, they were no where to be seen. Crickets. Tumbleweeds. I am sick with the hypocrisy of it all.

"Health Care for Dummies"

Interesting "Health Care for Dummies" article at TheHill.org detailing the intricacies of the Health Care debate.

HERE is a little something else to keep in mindwhile you are reading about how health care is "too expensive" for your government to provide.

How would you feel if YOUR child died because they could not get the medical/prescription coverage they needed? How would the dollars spent on these wars seem to you if YOUR child could be helped or saved for a few hundred dollars a year in prescription or medical interventions?

Or, if you feel the need to take it one step further...

In case you want to get even more worked up over the health care debate, buhdydharma, diarist over at DailyKos goes meta.

I Could Not Have Said It Better Myself!

I was lucky enough to catch Jack Lessenbery's essay on Michigan Radio... here are some highlights (rather, the lowlights) regarding Michigan's state budget:

"The government now thinks we are looking at a total general fund and school aid deficit of $2.7 billion dollars. But before we can tackle that monster, we first have to solve this year’s shortfall."

AND

"According to the latest forecast, the state has a current deficit of more than $1.4 billion in the general and school aid funds. We have only two months to make up the difference. The good news is we can do that. Thanks, that is, to the federal stimulus money. But that leaves a lot less to cover future deficits. In fact, there won’t be nearly enough to get us through the year starting October 1.

And after that, we are looking at the edge of a cliff."

(emphasis mine)


AND

"So here’s a suggestion for the governor: What your citizens need is for you to come on statewide TV and take some time to explain all this." "That what leaders do. That‘s why, in fact, we elected you."

Amen!You can hear the whole thing HERE.

All I can say is, "YES!!! What I can't understand is why this isn't the #1 news story on 6:00 news and the headline on every newspaper/newssite in the state right now! Or every day previous for the last year or two..."

This is coming folks, that's why I am harping on you to Build Your Safety Net!

Very Moving Diary On Race

"Dear Scared White Men of America

by Vita Brevis
Mon Jul 13, 2009 at 09:55:53 AM PDT

Let's talk. If you're not someone like Sessions, Hatch, Graham etc. this is NOT directed to you.

I can imagine that it's really an adjustment for you to see so many changes taking place in our nation. We have our first non-white President and we are on the cusp of having only our third woman and first Hispanic Supreme Court Justice.

You don't understand how someone's experience other than being a white male, which in your view is the norm...the baseline...the yardstick by which all is measured, is relevant to anything. You see the world through false equivalencies and rear projected ideals that don't and have never existed."

CLICK HERE to read the diary in full. It wonderfull perpective.

Crashing The Party

I would not try to pretend for a moment that Democrats are not just as guilty of this shit as the Republicans - I do NOT view this as a partisan issue!

The problem is that banks and corporations have unparalleled access to our politicians under the excuse of "First Amendment Rights" to freedom of speech. I am sorry, but a business is NOT a person and is not entitled to rights given to a citizen. It can not vote. It does not have the capacity to behave morally nor does it have any real responsibility for the negative consequences of its actions. It only functions to sell a product for as much profit as possible for the least cost. Our current campaign finance policies just serve to make the rich richer and to keep the same people and power year after year (regardless of the quality of their service to their consituency). What happened to a Government "...for the People"?

Check out the Sunlight Foundation's "Party Time" website HERE to read up on similar stories.

(**climbs down from soapbox**)