Nationalized Healthcare—Fraud will occur


I had a brain freeze Thursday. I wrote the post for Friday morning Thursday afternoon and then forgot to save it. When I looked for it Friday morning to post, it was gone. This post will be the last one on healthcare, if the House has indeed recessed, until they return or soon before they return. I will post Saturday’s post Saturday night, hopefully. Thank you.

“‘Healthcare Reform’: Of course, what is about to be considered in the House is NOT reform. It is a proposal for the federal government to TAKE CONTROL of healthcare in this nation—either immediately or ultimately.”

Because of the length of tonight’s post, I made only one short comment. There is a link to a petition at the end. I have checked none of the links except for the petition link. The following is from the Center for Health Transformation:

“According to a recent Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) report, public healthcare spending in CY 2007 reached $1.06 trillion—this is inclusive of Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP funding (SCHIP funding is, I believe, the program that covers children not covered by Medicaid—my addition). CMS predicts that this number will more than double by 2018—with total public healthcare spending expected to be at $2.23 trillion.

These government programs are rife with fraud, waste, and abuse, often from the hands of dishonest providers and patients who use various schemes to cost taxpayers money.

Though difficult to pinpoint an exact dollar amount associated with this waste, there is a longstanding estimate that 10% of all healthcare dollars come from fraud and abuse, based on a 2009 Government Accountability Office (GAO) report. Applying this percentage to the $1.06 trillion figure, fraud and abuse accounts for upwards of $100 billion. Inclusive of waste, in addition to fraud and abuse, we at the Center for Health Transformation believe that this number could easily go above $120 billion per year. Detailed below is how we arrived at those staggering numbers.

July 2008 Senate Republican Conference report estimated improper Medicare spending could be costing taxpayers $60 billion a year.

January 2009 GAO report found that, during 2007, CMS issued over $32.7 billion in improper payments.

November 2008 CMS report showed improper payments for the following programs: Medicare fee-for-service—$10.4 billion in FY 2008; Medicare Advantage in FY 2006—$6.8 billion; Medicaid—$32.7 billion in FY 2007; and SCHIP—$1.2 billion in FY 2007.

July 2005 New York Times article estimated that questionable Medicaid claims approached $18 billion per year—and that is in the state of New York alone. Although waste is more egregious in this state than the average, multiplying only a fraction of the $18 billion by all 50 states leads to an incredible number.

July 2008 GAO report estimated that almost $1 billion in annual Medicare payments for durable medical equipment is improper. GAO highlighted this by setting up 2 sham companies. A March 2007 DHHS report found that 31% of DME suppliers in South Florida did not maintain a physical facility or were not open and staffed during unannounced site visits. A further 14% were open and staffed, but didn’t meet at least one of three additional requirements: having posted hours of operation, a visible sign, or a listed telephone number. This means that only 55% of DME suppliers in South Florida were compliant.

September 2008 Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations report found that, in Medicare claims data from 1995 through 2006, there was over $4.8 billion in payments made on durable medical equipment with diagnosis codes that were invalid, blank, or unprocessable—almost $440 million per year.

September 2008 Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations report found that, of bill submitted by medical suppliers from 2001 through 2006, over $1 billion were questionable claims. For example, there were hundreds of thousands of claims for diabetes-related glucose test strips for patients who were diagnosed with the bubonic plague, leprosy, and cholera. This study also found walkers being issued for patients whose diagnosis codes included sinus congestion, paraplegia, and shoulder injuries.

July 2008 Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations report reviewed claims from 2000-2007 and found significant payments for medical services ordered by deceased doctors—up to $92 million, an average of over $13 million per year.

August 2008 Miami Herald investigation found that, in Southern Florida, dozens of clinics and doctors billed Medicare for more than $1.1 million in false claims for obsolete HIV-infusion therapy for a single Miami-Dade County patient, who then collected thousands of dollars in kickbacks for selling his government-issued healthcare number to them. This specific patient then used that money to buy crack cocaine. In fact, according to a 2007 DHHS report, Florida accounted for 72% of the drugs billed across the U.S. for Medicare beneficiaries with HIV/AIDS, even though the region had only about 8% of eligible patients.

The Department of Justice has set up a Medicare Fraud Strike Force in Miami. In 2007, this team indicted 74 cases and 120 defendants—contributing to a drop in Medicare billing of $1.4 billion compared to the previous year. South Florida is rampant with fraud—stolen Medicare IDs which are used to bill Medicare for care and equipment patients never got and didn’t need, particularly DME.

“Healthcare Fraud

Top 10 Shocking Fraud Examples

01) Improper Payments—According to a January 2009 GAO report, improper payments to providers that submit inappropriate claims can result in substantial financial losses to states and the federal government. Medicaid payments can be improper for various reasons, such as if people served are not eligible for Medicaid. Measuring improper payments within the Medicaid program is important to recouping and reducing them. For fiscal year 2007, CMS issued its first full-year Medicaid improper payment rate estimate of 10.5 percent, or $32.7 billion (the federal share is $18.6 billion). Identifying and reducing improper payments in Medicaid are important first steps toward improving the integrity of the program. [GAO, ‘High-Risk Series—An Update,’ January 2009]

02) Deceased Doctors—The Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations recently reviewed Medicare claims from 2000-2007 and found significant payments for medical services ordered by over 16,500 dead doctors—between $60 million to $92 million. Some doctors had been deceased for more than 10 years. [Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations Press Release, ‘Coleman, Levin Investigate Millions in Medicare Payments for Claims Tied to Deceased Doctors,’ July 8, 2008]

03) Sham Companies—The U.S. Government Accountability Office found that almost $1 billion of $10 billion in annual Medicare payments made for durable medical equipment (DME) is improper. GAO highlighted this lack of federal oversight by setting up two fictitious DME supplier companies with no clients or medical inventory to supply to patients, both of which were nonetheless approved by CMS for Medicare billing privileges. A specific individual, after stealing beneficiary numbers and physician identification numbers, submitted $5.5 million in claims for three fraudulent offices. [GAO, ‘Covert Testing Exposes Weaknesses in the Durable Medical Equipment Supplier Screening Process,’ July 2008]

04) Abusing Homeless—Facilities in southern California allegedly churned thousands of indigents through their sites and billed Medicare and Medi-Cal for costly and unjustified medical procedures. These facilities ran street-level operations, where runners collected indigents for unnecessary hospital services, and dropped them back off on skid row by ambulance. [LA Times, ‘3 Southern California hospitals accused of using homeless for fraud,’ August 7, 2008]

05) False claims for HIV Drugs—In southern Florida, dozens of clinics and doctors billed Medicare for more than $1.1 million in false claims for obsolete HIV-infusion therapy for a single Miami-Dade County patient, who then collected thousands of dollars in kickbacks for selling his government-issued healthcare number to them. The patient then used the money to buy crack cocaine. [Miami Herald, ‘Congress tight with Medicare anti-fraud funds,’ August 11, 2008] In fact, in 2007, Florida accounted for 80% of drugs billed across the entire United States for Medicare beneficiaries with HIV/AIDS, even though the region only had about one of 10 eligible patients. [Miami Herald, ‘Congress tight with Medicare anti-fraud funds,’ August 11, 2008]

06) Goods Never Received—A recent enforcement effort in Miami led to charges against 120 people and a corresponding $1.4 billion drop in Medicare billing in the area. Federal officials pointed to a red electric wheelchair seized from an illicit company. The wheelchair should cost about $5,000; by billing Medicare over and over, while never delivering the wheelchair to an actual patient, criminals charged $5 million for this one item alone. A retired federal judge also got notice from Medicare explaining a recent treatment he had received, including two prosthetic arms. FBI agents came to his house to take pictures of his real arms to prove that they had not, in fact, been amputated. No cross-checks had been made within Medicare to verify whether the patient actually had amputations performed. [Reuters, ‘Fraud and Florida’s Multimillion-Dollar Wheelchair,’ October 22, 2007]

07) Stolen Medicare ID—An 82-year-old patient had her Medicare ID stolen. Fake providers then used that number to bill Medicare for tens of thousands of dollars—for care and equipment she never got and didn’t need—including AIDS medicine, a wheelchair, and artificial knees, ankles, and an eye. The patient complained to authorities on several occasions, but no prosecutions were ever made. [NBC News, ‘Criminals Find Medicare Easy to Defraud,’ December 12, 2007]

08) Incomplete Claims—Investigators from the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations found that, between 1995 and 2006, $4.8 billion in Medicare payments were made for bills submitted with diagnosis codes that were invalid or blank. Some used smiley faces or exclamation points, but the bills were still paid. [USA Today, ‘Report: Medicare Spending Billions on Suspicious Claims,’ September 25, 2008]

09) Inappropriate Treatments—The Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations reviewed bills submitted by medical suppliers from 2001 through 2006 and found over $1 billion in questionable claims. For example, there were hundreds of thousands of claims for diabetes-related glucose test strips for patients who were diagnosed with the bubonic plague, leprosy, and cholera. Their study also found walkers being issued and claimed for patients whose diagnosis codes included sinus congestion, paraplegia, and shoulder injuries. [USA Today, ‘Report: Medicare Spending Billions on Suspicious Claims,’ September 25, 2008]

10) One State Alone—In 2005, the New York Times estimated that NY Medicaid fraud reached into the tens of billions. [New York Times, ‘New York Medicaid Fraud May Reach Into Billions,’ July 18, 2005]

Some specific cases:

A Brooklyn dentist ‘performed’ as many as 991 procedures in a single day.

School officials enrolled tens of thousands of low-income students in speech therapy without the required evaluation, garnering more than $1 billion in questionable Medicaid payments. One school official sent 4,434 students into speech therapy in a single day. (Do you think he/she received a “performance” bonus?—my addition)

Several criminal rings duped Medicaid into paying for an expensive muscle-building drug intended for AIDS patients, which was diverted to bodybuilders at the cost of tens of millions.”

“Healthcare Fraud

GAO Reports on Fraud and Abuse:

March 2009 – Medicare—‘Improvements Needed to Address Improper Payments in Home Health’

January 2009 – Report to Congress—‘High-Risk Series: An Update’

July 2008 – Medicare Part D—‘Some Plan Sponsors Have Not Completely Implemented Fraud and Abuse Programs, and CMS Oversight Has Been Limited’

July 2008 – Medicare—‘Covert Testing Exposes Weaknesses in the Durable Medical Equipment Supplier Screening Process’

May 2008 – Medicaid—‘CMS Needs More Information on the Billions of Dollars Spent on Supplemental Payments’

April 2008 – Medicaid Financing—‘Long-standing Concerns about Inappropriate State Arrangements Support Need for Improved Federal Oversight’

January 2008 – Medicaid Demonstration Waivers—‘Recent HHS Approvals Continue to Raise Cost and Oversight Concerns’

July 2007 – Medicare—‘Improvements Needed to Address Improper Payments for Medical Equipment and Supplies’

March 2007 – Medicaid Financing—‘Federal Oversight Initiative is Consistent with Medicaid Payment Principles but Needs Greater Transparency’

September 2006 – Medicaid Third-Party Liability—‘Federal Guidance Needed to Help States Address Continuing Problems’

June 2006 – Medicaid Financial Management—‘Steps Taken to Improve Federal Oversight but Other Actions Needed to Sustain Efforts’

March 2006 – Medicaid Integrity—‘Implementation of New Program Provides Opportunities for Federal Leadership to Combat Fraud, Waste, and Abuse’

September 2005 – Medicare—‘More Effective Screening and Stronger Enrollment Standards Needed for Medical Equipment Suppliers’

June 2005 – Medicaid Fraud and Abuse—‘CMS’s Commitment to Helping States Safeguard Program Dollars is Limited’

June 2005 – Medicaid Financing—‘States’ Use of Contingency-Fee Consultants to Maximize Federal Reimbursements Highlights Need for Improved Federal Oversight’

June 2005 – Medicaid Drug Rebate Program—‘Inadequate Oversight Raises Concerns about Rebates Paid to States’

June 2005 – Medicaid—‘States’ Efforts to Maximize Federal Reimbursements Highlight Need for Improved Federal Oversight’

July 2004 – Medicaid Program Integrity—‘State and Federal Efforts to Prevent and Detect Improper Payments’

March 2004 – Medicaid—‘Intergovernmental Transfers Have Facilitated State Financing Schemes’”

“Stop Paying the Crooks: The equivalent of the gross national product of New Zealand—somewhere between $70 billion and $120 billion—is stolen from U. S. taxpayers each year due to fraud in Medicare and Medicaid. This is both a stunning demonstration of government incompetence and a huge source of real reform of our health care system. Jim Frogue of the Center for Health Transformation (CHT) details the extent of fraud in government health care and what can be done about it in his new book, Stop Paying the Crooks.

Today, CHT is launching a petition demanding that government stop fraud in Medicare and Medicaid before spending any more taxpayer funds on government health care. If you want to end the theft of taxpayer dollars in government run health care, read the petition and sign our petition at http://www.healthtransformation.net/”

According to the site, 9,100+ have signed so far.

Nationalized Healthcare—A Republican’s comments


I heard on the radio Wednesday afternoon—July 29th—that President Barack Hussein Obama stated correctly that the present, proposed bill on “Nationalized Healthcare” would not allow insurance companies to use preconditions to deny health insurance coverage—all preconditions would be covered. What he didn’t say was that the practice of not insuring a precondition is because of cost. Statistically, insurance companies realize that covering preconditions will result in higher costs for the insurance company. Higher costs for the insurance companies tend to lead to higher prices for the consumer. Therefore, according to supply and demand principles to require covering preconditions is to require higher costs. He ignores that one will lead to the other. To him, supply and demand principles don’t exist. If he wants something to happen, it shouldn’t be prevented from happening and it will have no negative consequences. At least in WORDS; NOT in fact.

On yesterday’s post I included a link which was suppose to lead to “more information: http://www.healthcare.gopleader.gov/” When I checked the link myself, it did not work—perhaps it is not yet up and running. However, I tried http://www.gopleader.gov/ and did find some information. I’m posting two of the articles tonight. There are also links, at the website, to three additional articles.

1) “Boehner: Taxpayers Should Not Fund Planned Parenthood

Washington, July 24—House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) today issued the following statement after House Democrats rejected a common sense amendment offered by House Republican Conference Chairman Mike Pence (R-IN) to block abortion provider Planned Parenthood, which is under investigation for fraud, from receiving taxpayers dollars:

[John Boehner [R] (Ohio—8th District) [Minority Leader]
1011 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
http://www.johnboehner.house.gov/ (Website)

Mike Pence [R] (Indiana—6th District) [Republican Conference Chair]
1431 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
http://www.mikepence.house.gov/ (Website)]

‘Taxpayer dollars should not be used to aid the destruction of innocent human life. It’s a principle that has bipartisan backing in Congress and strong support across the nation. In 2007, Planned Parenthood performed more than 300,000 abortions, and approximately one of every five abortions in the United States occurs at a Planned Parenthood center. At the same time, Planned Parenthood is one of the largest recipients of taxpayer dollars under Title X of the Public Health Services Act, even though it is currently under investigation in multiple states for allegations of fraudulently using these funds.

Mr. Pence’s amendment was straightforward: taxpayers should not be asked to fund Planned Parenthood’s work in advancing the abortion industry. Congress should not reward organizations accused of committing fraud with taxpayer dollars, nor should it pave the way for the taxpayer-subsidized destruction of innocent life.’”

2) “Boehner Blasts Censorship of Chart Detailing Democrats’ Government-Run Health Care Labyrinth

The American People Deserve the Truth About Democrats’ Trillion-Dollar Health Care Takeover, GOP Leader Says

Washington, July 28—In a speech on the House floor this morning, House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) blasted Democratic leaders’ efforts to censor a chart that illustrates the bureaucratic labyrinth that would result for American health care with enactment of Washington Democrats’ proposed trillion-dollar government takeover of health care. Democratic leaders have attempted to block Members of Congress from using the chart, produced by Rep. Kevin Brady (R-TX) and the Republican professional staff of the Joint Economic Committee (JEC), in official communications with their constituents.” “… Transcript of Boehner’s remarks follow:

[Kevin Brady [R] (Texas—8th District)
329 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
www.house.gov/brady (Website)
rep.brady@mail.house.gov (E-mail)]

‘Mr. Speaker, Democrats in Congress don’t want the American people to see this chart. This is the chart that outlines the Democrat proposal moving through the House of Representatives that contains as many as 53 new Federal programs, Agencies and Commissions. That’s right; they’re trying to restrict Members of Congress from showing this to their constituents. They say it’s misleading. Well, there’s nothing misleading about it. They just don’t want anyone to see it.

Well, here it is. I’m using it. Are they going to turn out the lights, are they going to turn out the cameras? Why don’t they want the American people to see this?

Well, I think the American people deserve the truth about the Democrats’ $1.6 trillion takeover of our health care system. More bureaucracy, more taxes, more mandates—and more government involvement in your life.

And guess what? It also means less jobs for Americans. According to a model developed by the President’s own Council of Economic Advisors Chairperson, this proposal will cost Americans some 5.5 million jobs over the next 10 years; the National Federation of Independent Business says that at least a million small business jobs will be lost; and, even the Congressional Budget Office over the weekend made it clear that this will cost low-wage workers an opportunity to get a job.

(This, of course, is based upon supply and demand principles. If the government increases the cost of business by requiring businesses to provide healthcare insurance for all employees, that requirement automatically increases the businesses’ cost of production. Only three things and a combination of those three things can happen. Cut costs which is usually easier to do by cutting labor costs, increase prices, or absorb the costs by decreasing profit. But as I have repeatedly said, businesses can not continue to exist if they can not make a profit. Again, the Barack Hussein Obama administration seems to think that supply and demand principles either do not exist or can be controlled by government. They are WRONG!—my addition)

Listen, after the ‘stimulus’ didn’t work, most of my constituents are continuing to ask the question, ‘where are the jobs?’

We have a ‘stimulus’ that’s not working, we have a national energy tax bill that came through here this month that will cost millions of Americans their jobs, and while this will ruin the health care system that we enjoy in America, let’s not forget, it will cost us millions of American jobs when most Americans continue to want to know, ‘where are the jobs?’”

Nationalized Healthcare—“The Chart”

I heard on the radio (4:55 PM—July 24th) that the Democratic leadership MIGHT postpone the August recess to continue to work and possibly vote on “Nationalized Healthcare.” Could it be that the Democratic leadership is afraid that, if the Democratic members of the House of Representatives returned to their home districts, the citizens of their districts would convince them to VOTE AGAINST this monstrosity of a bill that will make healthcare worse for most of our citizens—not better!

Another update: I was searching for other information from a previous post and came across the following paragraph. I thought I would repost it so that you could read the proposed bill (before amendments) if you desire. “You can download the PDF file at http://www.energycommerce.house.gov/. It is 1.69 MB. After you get to the home page, clink on Publications. The new page will have you clink on the healthcare publication. Scroll down to the end of this page and you have PDF files for the bill text, bill summary, and bill fact sheets. I just downloaded the bill text since the others are information the bill’s sponsors want you to read—it’s the bill’s propaganda report. No! I haven’t read the bill yet which probably puts me in the same position as most members of the House.”
The above chart (all the colored, nonwhite agencies are NEW agencies), which was produced by Republicans in the House of Representatives based upon H.R. 3200 to establish “Nationalized Healthcare,” can be downloaded from www.house.gov/steveking. According to House Republicans, the Democratic House leadership has prevented “The Chart” from being mailed to their constituents using the franking privilege (free mailing).

Are the Democrats afraid that our citizens will realize how complex this proposal is and how much control will be seized by the federal government if “The Chart” becomes public? Download it, study it, pass it on to other citizens. Five years after passage (which just happens to be after the next Presidential election—that’s right, the Democrats want to pass this bill within weeks after it was introduced and then not have it become fully operational until five years later), according to the Republicans, the “Health Insurance Exchange” (at the bottom of the chart with the two purple circles) will determine the contents of all insurance plans and the plans will all basically be the same based upon the determined contents.

The following is the beginning of the section of the bill (1017 pages long for the entire bill) that establishes the “Health Insurance Exchange.” In another section, the bill requires all insurance policies to be written in plain English. Unfortunately, that same requirement does not seem to be required in the writing of this bill. One individual, who was being interviewed about the bill, said it took her 4 days, including an all night session, to read through the bill to reach the point where she basically understood what the bill said.

(The statement above reminded me of a time when a major provision of the tax code was changed. When I had my first instance of dealing with the new law and going deep into the IRS to talk to experts—not the outer layer of people who normally talk to the public, I had to talk to three different agents on three different occasions to find an agent who understood the new changes. Then, we discussed those changes for over two hours before I was confident that I could prepare the return correctly. Will there be anyone who actually understands all provisions of this bill and the ramifications of this bill? P.S. From what I understand, the President also hasn’t read the bill although he keeps making all these promises of what will and will not be in the bill. Guess what! He doesn’t know!)

“TITLE II—HEALTH INSURANCE EXCHANGE AND RELATED PROVISIONS

Subtitle A—Health Insurance Exchange

SEC. 201. ESTABLISHMENT OF HEALTH INSURANCE EXCHANGE; OUTLINE OF DUTIES; DEFINITIONS.

(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established within the Health Choices Administration and under the direction of the Commissioner a Health Insurance Exchange in order to facilitate access of individuals and employers, through a transparent process, to a variety of choices of affordable, quality health insurance coverage, including a public health insurance option. (As I said in a previous post, it’s easy to say and write words like choices, affordable, and quality. Writing them and/or saying them doesn’t make it happen! And this monstrosity of a bill will NOT make it happen. It ignores supply and demand principles. Congress seems to think they can change supply and demand principles. They CAN NOT!—my addition)

(b) OUTLINE OF DUTIES OF COMMISSIONER.—In accordance with this subtitle and in coordination with appropriate Federal and State officials as provided under section 143(b), the Commissioner shall—

(1) under section 204 establish standards for, accept bids from, and negotiate and enter into contracts with, QHBP offering entities for the offering of health benefits plans through the Health Insurance Exchange, with different levels of benefits required under section 203, and including with respect to oversight and enforcement;

(2) under section 205 facilitate outreach and enrollment in such plans of Exchange-eligible individuals and employers described in section 202; and (3) conduct such activities related to the Health Insurance Exchange as required, including establishment of a risk pooling mechanism under section 206 and consumer protections under subtitle D of title I.

(c) EXCHANGE-PARTICIPATING HEALTH BENEFITS PLAN DEFINED.—In this division, the term “Exchange participating health benefits plan” means a qualified health benefits plan that is offered through the Health Insurance Exchange.

SEC. 202. EXCHANGE-ELIGIBLE INDIVIDUALS AND EMPLOYERS.

(a) ACCESS TO COVERAGE.—In accordance with this section, all individuals are eligible to obtain coverage through enrollment in an Exchange-participating health benefits plan offered through the Health Insurance Exchange unless such individuals are enrolled in another qualified health benefits plan or other acceptable coverage.

(b) DEFINITIONS.—In this division:

(1) EXCHANGE-ELIGIBLE INDIVIDUAL.—The term “Exchange-eligible individual” means an individual who is eligible under this section to be enrolled through the Health Insurance Exchange in an Exchange-participating health benefits plan and, with respect to family coverage, includes dependents of such individual.

(2) EXCHANGE-ELIGIBLE EMPLOYER.—The term “Exchange-eligible employer” means an employer that is eligible under this section to enroll through the Health Insurance Exchange employees of the employer (and their dependents) in Exchange eligible health benefits plans.”

Download “The Chart”, study it, pass it on to other citizens. Draw your conclusions and let your Congressmen know what you think of the “Nationalized Healthcare” bill.

For more information: http://www.healthcare.gopleader.gov/

“Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.” Galatians 6: 7-8 (NIV)

Boycott all PepsiCo products—http://www.boycottpepsico.com/

Free Medical Care—no insurance required


I lived most of my adult life in Tucson, Arizona. I believe it was in the mid-to-late 1980’s when a two hospital system—St. Mary’s and St. Joseph’s—was caught cheating on their Medicare reimbursements by the federal government. Surprising isn’t it? Not that they were cheating but that the federal government actually caught them.

As punishment, the hospitals had to accept and treat all patients who walked through the door—unusually through the emergency room door. I knew a nurse who worked in the emergency room at St. Mary’s. Soon, the emergency room often had more patients waiting for medical assistance for non-emergency treatment than actual emergencies. Word had quickly spread that someone could walk through the door with a toothache and be treated even if that person could not or would not pay. The emergency room became the “doctor” of choice.

Fast forward to the United States in the 2000’s. The following is from USA Today, May 18, 2005, page 3A.

“Mexicans go to Arizona for medical help”

“By Dennis Wagner
USA Today

Bisbee, Ariz.—Antonio Valenzuela Gomez, a retired factory worker who boasts 49 grandchildren, lifts his shirt to show the giant scar where American doctors cut into his chest a year ago.

Gomez, 79, was at his house in the dusty Mexican border town of Naco near here when his heart began to fail. There is no hospital in that part of Mexico, so family members loaded Gomez in a car and drove him a short distance to the U.S. checkpoint.

An ambulance (paid for indirectly by you and me—my addition) arrived from the Arizona side and rushed Gomez 7 miles to Copper Queen Community Hospital here. Emergency room workers stabilized him (paid for indirectly by you and me—my addition) and sent him 80 miles north to Tucson Medical Center, where heart surgery was performed (paid for indirectly by you and me—my addition).

Gomez, who spent three weeks in U.S. hospitals (paid for indirectly by you and me—my addition), thinks the bill was about $20,000—likely a fraction of the actual cost. He offers gratitude along with small monthly payments that will never cover the expense. (Probably won’t cover the interest—my addition.) ‘They saved my life,’ he says. ‘They treated me well.’

Along the border from Chula Vista, Calif., to Brownsville, Texas, U.S. hospitals serve as a medical safety net for undocumented immigrants (illegal immigrants—my addition) and residents of northern Mexico. Each year, their care costs American medical centers, consumers and taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars. (Or, is that actually billions of dollars?—my addition) During 2002, 38 Arizona medical centers surveyed by the Arizona Hospital and Healthcare Association reported losses on foreign–national patients of $153 million.”

Shouldn’t the Mexican government reimburse these medical facilities for the medical care provided to THEIR citizens? Why are you and I indirectly paying these costs?

“Hospitals are required by law to treat all emergency patients, regardless of nationality or legal status.”

DID you catch that? Hospitals MUST treat ALL patients who walk through the emergency room door! Did you know that? It does NOT matter if the hospitals never collect a dime from a patient? It does NOT matter if providing such free services will cause the hospital to close its doors or lay off workers to cover their losses. Hospitals are required by federal law to provide medical treatment to anyone who walks through the emergency room doors.

Thus, in Arizona, Mexican citizens routinely drive to Tucson hospitals’ emergency rooms to have a baby delivered in Arizona, USA. First, if they don’t want to, they know they will not have to pay for the services provided. And second, because every baby delivered in a Tucson hospital to a Mexican national IS AUTOMATICALLY a natural born United States citizen. And you and I are indirectly paying for all of it if they do not.

Will this change under the “Nationalized Healthcare” bill now before the House of Representatives. Not that I can tell. In fact, the Republicans in committee proposed an amendment to the bill that specifically EXCLUDES illegal immigrants from being covered in the “Nationalized Healthcare” bill and it was VOTED DOWN!!!

I moved to Illinois five years ago to care for a relative as family should. During the five years, I have spent some time in emergency rooms. On one occasion, we arrived in the afternoon and after she was taken to be examined by a doctor, I settled down in a chair in the waiting room to read a book.

Soon a gentleman, who was obviously homeless or nearly so, was being led out into the commons area. The hospital employee and he were engaged in conversation. I soon heard her say, “You are being released now.” as she led him to the door and out.

Approximately forty-five minutes later, he was back declaring that he was still sick and wanted to be admitted to the hospital. After some additional conversation, the hospital employee relented and said that he would be readmitted to the hospital. His first words after that statement were: “What’s for dinner?”

If you know the system, you can get FREE MEDICAL CARE and sometimes free dinners at any hospital in the United States. IT’S THE LAW!

Congress created the above system! And now they are going to make it better? If you believe that, I own a bridge in the middle of the Arizona desert that I’m willing to sell to you for just a few billion dollars. Are you interested?

Price, Cost and Supply and Demand—Economics 101 overly simplified for the Congress and the President


In my first economics’ class in college, my instructor said that, if we learned the material presented, we would know more economics that 95% of the public. From what I can tell from the “Nationalized Healthcare” bill before Congress, we also will know more economics than any member of the libertine Democrats in Congress and the President.

First, Congress and the President can NOT change economic realities by pronouncement! Thus, the title of the bill is “America’s Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009.” The stated purpose of the bill is “to provide affordable, quality health care for all Americans and reduce the growth in health care spending, and for other purposes.” (Both quotes are from page 1 of H.R. 3200 which is 1017 pages long.)

If Congress names it AFFORDABLE, it most be affordable? And yet, the bill establishes a massive, NEW bureaucracy that has, according to Republicans, 32 new agencies—NONE of which will provide a whit of healthcare. Has Congress and the President ever heard of the concept of K.I.S.S.? Perhaps they can’t keep it simple when they are planning to CONTROL 16-17% of the American economy. And they are planning to pass the laws necessary to establish that control in about seven months.

In general, supply and demand—NOT Congressional edicts or pronouncements—determines price/cost. Price is what we as consumers must deal with. Cost is what a business (or the government trying to act like a business) must deal with. (For our purposes, we will primarily concentrate on price.) When supply and demand are in equilibrium, the price of the product and the quantity of the product are determined. Also, demand moves more quickly than does supply since, for example, it takes time to educate citizens to be doctors.

Thus, it takes time for supply to adjust to new demand equations. New electronic gadgets in the market begin at a higher price (It costs more per unit to produce a few units rather than thousands of units.) and as demand increases, the supply tends to catch up resulting in lower prices. One of the tricky aspects of a business is determining the original price for a new product—eventually the price is determined by supply and demand. (Some products can’t be given away; some have people lined up at the door.) Over the long run, the price of a product can NOT be lower than the costs to produce that product. (Duh! THINK GM which has now become Government Motors!)

In general, supply and demand is now in equilibrium and thus the price of healthcare at this point in time is determined. One does not have to agree with the price to have it in equilibrium. If now in equilibrium, what must happen to change the price of healthcare?

Demand side of supply and demand:

In general, if demand goes up, the price goes up. Greater demand means that people are willing to pay more for the same product. Conversely, if demand goes down, the price goes down. Over time, if demand goes up and price goes up, the supply will also increase as the increasing price means greater profit and this pulls more quantity into the equation. At some point, a new equilibrium is established.

Supply side of supply and demand:

In general, if supply goes up, the price goes down. Greater supply means that people are dedicating more resources for the same product. Conversely, if supply goes down, the price goes up. Over time, if supply goes up and price goes down, the demand will also decrease as the decreasing price reaches a saturation point. Healthy people don’t have as much need for a physician. JESUS, the SON of GOD, recognized this obvious truth when HE declared in another context, “On hearing this, Jesus said, ‘It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.’” (Matthew 9: 12 [NIV]) At some point, a new equilibrium is established.

So, economically according to general supply and demand concepts, what will the economic results be of the proposed bill before the House of Representatives? A DISASTER! Providing “affordable” healthcare insurance will automatically increase the demand for healthcare as it did when Medicare was first initiated. Low prices will generate greater demand—basic economics. (Here, the price is pulling demand instead of demand pulling prices because the government’s goal is “affordable” healthcare. They want to control price instead of allowing supply and demand principles to operate.) If demand increases, then price increases—the exact opposite of what the government intends!!!

Consequently, the government will eventually start setting prices to meet there alleged mandate of “affordable health choices.” But the price is set NOT by increased supply or decreased demand but by government edict. The demand remains high but there is NO incentive for supply to increase on the PRODUCTION side because their COSTS are TOO HIGH. The end result: RATIONING of services, WORSE healthcare not better, and HIDDEN COSTS because of government inefficiencies, bureaucratic red tape, increased taxes (but only on the rich supposedly!) and the attempts to CONTROL prices outside of supply and demand principles.

Government control of supply and demand has never succeeded in the long run under any government run system including our Medicare and Medicaid programs. These two government “run” programs are two very important reasons WHY healthcare costs are so high today! And yet, the Barack Hussein Obama administration wants to drastically INCREASE government CONTROL over supply and demand. IT WILL NOT HAPPEN SUCCESSFULLY!

Have we learned nothing from the past? Is it possible to repeat the same mistakes and get different results? One supporter of “Nationalized Healthcare” claimed we are the only advanced economy that does NOT have “Nationalized Healthcare.” My response is: SO WHAT! If other nations have chosen to drive over a cliff, should we also?

Ultimately, government CAN NOT CONTROL supply and demand. Therefore, ultimately, government CAN NOT CONTROL price. The Supreme Court early in its history ruled that the power to tax is the power to destroy. Thus, States can not tax the federal government and the federal government can not tax the State. However, the power to CONTROL is also the power to destroy. This insane desire to control supply and demand can NOT succeed. It will, however, make our healthcare system worse NOT better and NOT more cost efficient.

The Barack Hussein Obama administration is an ARROGANT administration! Within the last six months, it has declared that it thinks it has the power to control CLIMATE with its “Cap and Trade” bill. IT DOES NOT! Now, it thinks it has the power to control supply and demand. IT DOES NOT!

Democrats opposed to the MURDER of unborn babies in the healthcare bill


Friday the 24th, I wrote about a letter sent by 19 Democrats who opposed any provision within the healthcare bill allowing the MURDER of unborn babies. Tonight, I’m posting that letter put into my format and including more information about the Representatives who signed it. Some of the Representatives also voted against the passed “Cap and Trade” bill. The letter:

“June 25, 2009

Dear Honorable Pelosi:

As the debate on health care reform continues and legislation is produced, it is imperative that the issue of abortion not be overlooked. Plans to mandate coverage for abortions, either directly or indirectly is unacceptable.

We believe in a culture that supports and respects the right to life and is dedicated to the protection and preservation of families. Therefore, we cannot support any health care reform proposal unless it explicitly excludes abortion from the scope of any government-defined or subsidized health insurance plan.

We believe that a government-defined or subsidized health insurance plan, should not be used to fund abortion.

Furthermore, we want to ensure that the Health Benefits Advisory Committee cannot recommend abortion services be included under covered benefits or as part of a benefits package. Without explicit exclusion, abortion could be included in a government subsidized health care plan under general health care. The health care reform package produced by Congress will be landmark, and with legislation as important as this, abortion must be addressed clearly in the bill text.

Furthermore, funding restrictions save lives by reducing the number of abortions. The Guttmacher Policy Review, a leading pro-choice research organization noted ‘that about one third of women who would have had an abortion if support were available carried their pregnancies to term when the abortion fund was unavailable.’

Thank you for taking the time to consider our request. By ensuring that abortions are not funded through our health care reform package, we will take this controversial issue off the table so that Congress can focus on crafting a broadly-supported health care reform bill.

Respectfully Yours,

01) Representative Dan Boren [D] (Oklahoma—2nd District)
www.house.gov/boren (Website)

02) Representative Bart Stupak [D] (Michigan—1st District)
www.house.gov/stupak (Website)—my addition

03) Representative Colin Peterson [D] Minnesota—7th District)
http://www.colinpeterson.house.gov/ (Website)

04) Representative Tim Holden [D] (Pennsylvania—17th District)
http://www.holden.house.gov/ (Website)

05) Representative Travis Childers [D] (Mississippi—1st District)
http://www.childers.house.gov/ (Website)

06) Representative Lincoln Davis [D] (Tennessee—4th District)
www.house.gov/lincolndavis (Website)

07) Representative Heath Shuler [D] North Carolina—11th District)
http://www.shuler.house.gov/ (Website)

08) Representative Solomon Ortiz [D] (Texas—27th District)
http://www.ortiz.house.gov/ (Website)

09) Representative Mike McIntyre [D] (North Carolina—7th District)
www.house.gov/mcintyre

10) Representative Jerry Costello [D] (Illinois—12th District)
http://www.costello.house.gov/ (Website)

11) Representative Gene Taylor [D] (Mississippi—4th District)
http://www.taylor.house.gov/ (Website)

12) Representative James Oberstar [D] (Minnesota—8th District)
http://www.oberstar.house.gov/ (Website)

13) Representative Bobby Bright [D] (Alabama—2nd District)
http://www.bright.house.gov/ (Website)
First term

14) Representative Steve Driehaus [D] (Ohio—1st District)
http://www.driehaus.house.gov/ (Website)
First term

15) Representative Marcy Kaptur [D] (Ohio—9th District)
http://www.kaptur.house.gov/ (Website)

16) Representative Charlie Melancon [D] (Louisiana—3rd District)
http://www.melancon.house.gov/ (Website)

17) Representative John Murtha [D] (Pennsylvania—12th District)
http://www.murtha.house.gov/ (Website)

18) Representative Paul Kanjorski [D] (Pennsylvania—11th District)
http://www.kanjorski.house.gov/ (Website)

19) Representative Kathy Dahlkemper [D] (Pennsylvania—3rd District)
http://www.dahlkemper.house.gov/ (Website)
First term”

At the end of my original post on July 18th, I wrote: “I do NOT advocate revolution. However, I personally will NOT participate in a “healthcare system” that MURDERS unborn children in violation of my religious and moral beliefs and I WILL NOT pay a fine for NOT participating in said immoral system. Be prepared to send people with moral convictions to jail! Ah, but we will lose our right to vote!

Terrorists don’t have to attack us to destroy us as a nation. It seems that libertine Democrats are determined to destroy us from within as they plunge us deeper and deeper into the abyss of moral depravity.”

MURDER is healthcare? WHAT!—updated


On Saturday, July 18, 2009, I posted comments entitled: “MURDER is healthcare? WHAT!” Tonight, an update on that post:

Our local newspaper finally published a story about the probability of the MURDER of unborn babies being included in the “Nationalized Healthcare” bill. The article was published in the Peoria Journal Star on July 22, 2009, page A3. (I discussed this issue four days before the Star did!)

Some pertinent paragraphs from the story include the following:

“Washington, D.C. (AP)—Democratic lawmakers opposed to federal funding for abortions said Tuesday the House leadership’s health care bill contains a ‘hidden mandate’ that would allow taxpayer dollars to be used to end pregnancies.” (Or to state it plainly: FORCE taxpayers, who oppose the MURDER of unborn babies, to help support those MURDERS financially!—my addition)

“But abortion opponents say the bill’s silence is precisely the problem.

Without an explicit prohibition on federal funding for abortion, it could be included in taxpayer-subsidized coverage offered through, the health overhaul plan, abortion opponents say.

‘We cannot support any health care reform proposal unless it explicitly excludes abortion from the scope of any government-defined or subsidized health insurance plan,’ a group of 20 Democratic representatives said in a June 25 letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.”

[Nancy Pelosi [D] (California—8th District) [Speaker of the House]
235 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
http://www.pelosi.house.gov/ (Website)—my addition]

“Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Mich., who helped draft the letter to Pelosi, plans to join lawmakers of both parties Wednesday at a news conference to criticize the legislation.”

[Bart Stupak [D] (Michigan—1st District)
www.house.gov/stupak (Website)—my addition]

“House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman, D-Calif., is trying to find a compromise. Not only do abortion opponents want to block funding, they also want to make sure that the procedure (the MURDER of an unborn baby! MURDER is now a procedure?—my addition) is not included in the benefits package.”

[Henry Waxman [D] (California—30th District)
2204 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
www.house.gov/waxman (Website)]

At the end of my original post on July 18th, I wrote: “I do NOT advocate revolution. However, I personally will NOT participate in a “healthcare system” that MURDERS unborn children in violation of my religious and moral beliefs and I WILL NOT pay a fine for NOT participating in said immoral system. Be prepared to send people with moral convictions to jail! Ah, but we will lose our right to vote!

Terrorists don’t have to attack us to destroy us as a nation. It seems that libertine Democrats are determined to destroy us from within as they plunge us deeper and deeper into the abyss of moral depravity.”

Naturally, some groups who are opposed to the MURDER of unborn babies are going to react to this possibility of being FORCED to participate and support a healthcare program that MURDERS unborn babies.

I received the following and downloaded more from the American Center for Law and Justice. Included in this material is a link to their website and a petition in opposition to any possibility of allowing the MURDER of unborn babies in any healthcare bill. I have already “signed” the petition.

WARNING: With the notification thanking me for signing the petition (an e-mail to me) was a solicitation to contribute. If you contribute, you will be deluged with more and more requests. I’m speaking from personal experience here.

“ACLJ Calls on Congress to Remove Abortion Services From National Health Care Legislation

July 20, 2009

(Washington, DC)—The American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), focusing on constitutional law, today called on Congress and announced a national petition campaign to convince lawmakers to remove abortion as a mandatory health benefit provided in government and private insurance plans as Congress works on national health care legislation.

‘Abortion must never become a mandated ‘health benefit’ in our country,’ said Jay Sekulow, Chief Counsel of the ACLJ. ‘The President Obama-backed health care package is certain to result in a disturbing change that will make abortion part of the mandatory health care services to be covered by both government and private insurance plans. That’s why it’s so important for Congress to take the action required to keep abortion out of the category of mandated health benefits. Congress must act to explicitly exclude abortion from any government mandated coverage or taxpayer funded health plan. This open door must be closed. We’re confident the American people will understand the grave dangers of this legislation and demand that Congress exclude abortion from any mandated health coverage.’

The ACLJ has provided an analysis of the issue and you can read the memo here.

At the same time, the ACLJ is launching a national petition campaign urging Congress to approve an exclusion to prevent abortion services from becoming part of the mandated benefits provided under health care legislation. That petition is posted here.

Led by Chief Counsel Jay Sekulow, the American Center for Law and Justice focuses on constitutional law and is based in Washington, D.C.”

“Add your name to the group of 40,631 people who have already signed using the net!”

“Congress: Remove abortion services from mandatory coverage!

There’s a new and very troubling legislative development underway on Capitol Hill. Congress is pushing for national healthcare coverage—including mandatory coverage for abortions. Abortion would be considered a ‘health benefit’ in both government and private insurance plans. This is outrageous! The American Center for Law and Justice is mobilizing and demanding that Congress insert a critical exemption—REMOVE abortion services from mandatory coverage. Stand with the ACLJ to keep abortion services out of national healthcare legislation. Please read the form below carefully and declare your membership with the ACLJ by adding your name to our Petition to Stop an Abortion Mandate.”

The Petition:

“Petition to stop an abortion mandate

To All Members of the United States SenateTo All Members of the United States House of Representatives

As a firm supporter of protecting life, I am deeply concerned by proposed healthcare reform legislation that poses serious risk to the unborn citizens of our nation.

Without abortion explicitly excluded from any government-mandated or government-funded benefits package, abortion will be included. I cannot, and will not, support abortion as a so-called ‘health benefit.’ Furthermore, in legislation as important and future-shaping as healthcare reform, safeguards must be enacted to ensure, beyond any doubt, that abortion is not mandated or subsidized.

As my elected official, I urge you to use the full influence of your office to uphold the sanctity of life and protect the unborn by including language that will explicitly exempt abortion services from mandatory coverage. Keep abortion services out of national healthcare legislation.”

Healthcare—we are at war for free enterprise!


I downloaded tonight’s post in June from Champion News. If you live in Illinois, it is a good source for Illinois politics with a conservative Republican slant—if you are a RINO (Republican In Name Only) you probably won’t like it. I receive updates which include recommended, informative internet articles which is the main reason I’m posting the article tonight—for the links to articles that deal with the Healthcare issue. I have not had time to check out the links yet, but plan to do so after I’ve posted.

The article as received and put into my format:

“Reports from the field: Our Country’s Second Health Care War
Posted: June 23, 2009

By John Biver

If ‘HillaryCare’ in the early 1990s was the nation’s first health care war, we’re well into the second war with ‘ObamaCare’ 2009.

As I noted here, and as commentary and news consumers across the nation are fully aware, the battle is fully engaged by both sides: those who want to increase government’s role, and those who want consumers to be in charge.

Champion News doesn’t spend a lot of time on policy issues like health care—but I link the following articles because it supports my central arguments. Republicans are not losing because we’re wrong on the issues or because we lack for ideas and solutions. We’re losing because too few conservatives are engaged in party politics—so too few good candidates win—and too few Americans hear the message.

Greg Scandlen of the Consumers for Health Care Choices this week noted:

‘Things in Washington get weirder by the day. It reminds me of a bunch of toddlers playing in the sand box. They move their toys around haphazardly—let’s put the Health IT truck over here, and Comparative effectiveness tractor over there, and the mandatory coverage wagon right here, then we’ll have the tax increase dinosaur come and smash it all. Cool!

It would be nice if they actually paid attention to what works, rather than focusing on fantasy scenarios and whimsical solutions. I had an op-ed published in the Boston Herald this week that explained how, instead of hoping for unproven remedies, policy makers should embrace the one approach that is achieving everything they have hoped to achieve for at least 40 years—consumer driven health care. It is lowering costs, reducing trend, improving health, and creating patient awareness and cost consciousness.’

Americans are now beginning to hear more from Republicans on Capitol Hill …, and the health care policy experts are in full battle mode. It’s a great time to be a health care policy geek—or to at least want to learn more about what is actually at stake. Great information abounds—below are a few examples.

First up—the Cato Institute has a website dedicated to the debate: http://www.healthcare.cato.org/. As expected, it doesn’t disappoint. ‘Reform, yes...but the right reform’ the site’s banner reads.

Here are a few of the articles on the home page in late June:

Will Obama Raise Middle-Class Taxes to Fund Health Care?

Why the Democrats’ Proposals Will Not Work

Health-Status Insurance: How Markets Can Provide Health Security

Click here to visit their excellent site.

The Manhattan Institute’s scholars have been prolific—a few recent offerings from ‘MI’:

Betting the future on it

By Douglas Holtz-Eakin, Washington Times

The danger is that partisan politics will drive the Democrats, who control Congress, to muscle through sweeping coverage expansions, offer yet another unaffordable health care entitlement and push the health care industry into the swamp of Washington bureaucracy and political micromanagement that has mishandled Medicare for decades.

Trying to Cover the Unenthusiastic Uninsured

By Steven Malanga, http://www.realclearmarkets.com/

[A]ny government plan would have to confront and overcome a troubling characteristic of the uninsured that rarely gets discussed in reform debates: Many of them, perhaps nearly half of the 47 million Americans without coverage, earn enough to afford insurance, or qualify for existing government health programs, but still remain without coverage. Why do they lack coverage, then? One reason is that some of them have simply decided to spend their money elsewhere.

Also on the topic of the uninsured:

The Phantom Uninsured (Please note: I inadvertently removed the hyperlink for this one—my lack of computer skills. As far as I can tell, all the others should work. SORRY!)

Editorial, Investors Business Daily

‘The notion that the uninsured are without health care is bogus... They consumed an estimated $116 billion worth of health care in 2008, according to the advocacy group Families USA. Many of the uninsured are young and healthy (40% are between ages 18 and 34) and at this point in their lives, particularly in this economy, choose to put their dollars elsewhere.’

(The above is a very important point in my opinion. It is also a point being completely ignored by President Barack Hussein Obama and his cohorts. There are millions of healthy Americans who pay less out of pocket expenses for healthcare in a year than they would pay in healthcare insurance premiums alone and have chosen NOT to have healthcare insurance—to SAVE money. It is called free enterprise and economic CHOICE—setting priorities. And the government wants to FORCE them to have health insurance so that they can help pay for all those who maintain an UNHEALTHY LIFESTYLE—obese, drugs, smokers, immoral sexual relations, alcoholic, ect., ect., ect. As I’ve said before, there will be only three groups in government healthcare—winners, losers, and those who break even. Unfortunately, the HEALTHY will most likely be the LOSERS and the UNHEALTHY will most likely be the WINNERS. [READ my post of June 25, 2009 entitled “Government Healthcare—winners, losers, and break even”—my addition.] It’s like being PAID to maintain an UNHEALTHY LIFESTYLE! It doesn’t make sense!—my addition)

And the Galen Institute’s most recent newsletter is packed. Click here to read it. Here is one example of the kind of quality materials that are presented:

Medicare: A Model Mess

Lastly, click here to read a piece by Heritage Foundation President Ed Feulner.

John Biver is the Editor of Champion News.”

Healthcare Nationalization = 32 new agencies


After attending a meeting Monday evening, I turned on C-SPAN after returning home. It was between 8:30 PM and 9:00 PM (I believe). I would recommend watching C-SPAN every weekday night until the House goes into its August recess which is scheduled to start on August 3rd. At the present time, the Republican Representatives have been discussing some of the aspects of the Nationalized Healthcare proposal of Barack Hussein Obama. (Last night they dealt with “Cap and Trade.” I’m not sure why—perhaps to stop its passage in the Senate.)

There is little question that the Obama Nationalized Healthcare plan will increase employment—at least for the federal government. According to the Republicans, the plan includes 32 NEW federal agencies to REGULATE and CONTROL healthcare in this country. 32 must be a favor number of Barack Hussein Obama. We already have 32 new “Czars” since Obama began his Presidency in January of this year. And now we may have the privilege of having 32 NEW federal bureaus to REGULATE and CONTROL healthcare in this country. Isn’t it marvelous?

32 NEW federal agencies will certainly require thousands and thousands of new employees. And of course, millions to billions of dollars will be necessary to pay for this NEW REGULATE and CONTROL. And yet, this money will NOT provide a WHIT of actual healthcare! And the costs have just begun! Don’t you just love it!

A Peoria Journal Star article printed on January 19, 2007 (Note: This is almost exactly 2 and ½ years ago), page A8 had this headline: “Retiring baby boomers could weaken economy.” The sub-headline read: “Bernanke urges Congress to tackle shortcomings in Social Security, Medicare.” A key paragraph declared ‘Thus a vicious cycle may develop in which large deficits lead to rapid growth in debt and interest payments, which in turn adds to subsequent deficits,’ he said. Ultimately, a big expansion of the nation’s debt ‘would spark a fiscal crisis, which could be addressed only by very sharp spending cuts or tax increases or both,’ Bernanke warned.” (One would almost think he was speaking of the present Illinois State budget—Barack Hussein Obama [Or California State budget—Nancy Pelosi and Henry Waxman].)

In 2007, did Congress do anything about this possibility? ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! In 2008, did Congress do anything about this possibility? ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! In 2009, has Congress done anything about this possibility? ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!

Instead, Congress has been spending billions of dollars MORE in:

1) “stimulus” money,

2) to gain control of/nationalize private business, and

3) increasing the 2009 general budget.

The result: a deficit for the 2009 budget year that ends in September (I believe) that is ALREADY ONE TRILLION dollars ($1,000,000,000,000) over the revenues received. Already, the interest payment on our national debt is approaching 50% of the budget. And yet, Congress wants to spend EVEN MORE money to NATIONALIZE HEALTHCARE! Have they LOST their collective minds? Is this the way they handle their own household budget? WHERE IS THE OUTRAGE!!!

Democrats in the House of Representative who voted against Cap and Trade


Update: I made a mistake on Monday’s post! (I know, hard to believe!) I had Lisa Murkowski listed as a Senator from Arkansas. Wrong! She is a Senator from Alaska. I should have known the abbreviation since I had a tax client who lived in Alaska for years until she finally moved back to Arizona a couple of years ago. Sorry for the misinformation!

Tonight, I’m listing the Democrats who voted against the monstrosity of Cap and Trade in the House of Representatives. First, they deserve our thanks for not voting for the largest indirect tax increase in our history even though the bill passed in the House. Also, because some to many of them may also be in opposition to the monstrosity now before the House—Healthcare Nationalization which will also cost huge addition amounts of money and make matters worse and not better for a majority of the citizenry. Hopefully this is a transition post to more information about Healthcare Nationalization.

Democrats in the House who voted against Cap and Trade—H.R. 2454:

01) Jason Altmire [D] (Pennsylvania—4th District)
http://www.altmire.house.gov/ (Website)

02) Michael Arcuri [D] (New York—24th District)
http://www.arcuri.house.gov/ (Website)

03) John Barrow [D] (Georgia—12th District)
http://www.barrow.house.gov/ (Website)

04) Marion Berry [D] (Arkansas—1st District)
www.house.gov/berry (Website)

05) Dan Boren [D] (Oklahoma—2nd District)
www.house.gov/boren (Website)

06) Bobby Bright [D] (Alabama—2nd District)
http://www.bright.house.gov/ (Website)
First term

07) Christopher Carney [D] (Pennsylvania—10th District)
http://www.carney.house.gov/ (Website)

08) Travis Childers [D] (Mississippi—1st District)
http://www.childers.house.gov/ (Website)

09) Jim Costa [D] (California—20th District)
http://www.costa.house.gov/ (Website)
congressmanjimcosta@mail.house.gov (E-mail)

10) Jerry Costello [D] (Illinois—12th District)
http://www.costello.house.gov/ (Website)

11) Kathy Dahlkemper [D] (Pennsylvania—3rd District)
http://www.dahlkemper.house.gov/ (Website)
First term

12) Artur Davis [D] (Alabama—7th District)
www.house.gov/arturdavis (Website)

13) Lincoln Davis [D] (Tennessee—4th District)
www.house.gov/lincolndavis (Website)

14) Peter DeFazio [D] (Oregon—4th District)
http://www.defazio.house.gov/ (Website)

15) Joe Donnelly [D] (Indiana—2nd District)
http://www.donnelly.house.gov/ (Website)

16) Chet Edwards [D] (Texas—17th District)
http://www.edwards.house.gov/ (Website)

17) Brad Ellsworth [D] (Indiana—8th District)
http://www.ellsworth.house.gov/ (Website)

18) Bill Foster [D] (Illinois—14th District)
http://www.foster.house.gov/ (Website)

19) Parker Griffith [D] (Alabama—5th District)
http://www.griffith.house.gov/ (Website)
Medical doctor in his first term

20) Stephanie Herseth Sandlin [D] (South Dakota—at large)
http://www.hersethsandlin.house.gov/ (Website)

21) Tim Holden [D] (Pennsylvania—17th District)
http://www.holden.house.gov/ (Website)

22) Ann Kirkpatrick [D] (Arizona—1st District)
http://www.kirkpatrick.house.gov/ (Website)
First term

23) Larry Kissell [D] (North Carolina—8th District)
http://www.kissell.house.gov/ (Website)
First term

24) Dennis Kucinich [D] (Ohio—10th District)
http://www.kucinich.house.gov/ (Website)

25) Jim Marshall [D] (Georgia—8th District)
www.house.gov/marshall (Website)

26) Eric Massa [D] (New York—29th District)
http://www.massa.house.gov/ (Website) First term

27) Jim Matheson [D] (Utah—2nd District)
http://www.matheson.house.gov/ (Website)

28) Mike McIntyre [D] (North Carolina—7th District)
www.house.gov/mcintyre (Website)

29) Charlie Melancon [D] (Louisiana—3rd District)
http://www.melancon.house.gov/ (Website)

30) Walt Minnick [D] (Idaho—1st District)
http://www.minnick.house.gov/ (Website) First term

31) Harry Mitchell [D] (Arizona—5th District)
http://www.mitchell.house.gov/ (Website)

32) Alan Mollohan [D] (West Virginia—1st District)
www.house.gov/mollohan (Website)
congressmanmollohan@mail.house.gov (E-mail)

33) Glenn Nye [D] (Virginia—2nd District)
http://www.nye.house.gov/ (Website)
First term

34) Solomon Ortiz [D] (Texas—27th District)
http://www.ortiz.house.gov/ (Website)

35) Earl Pomeroy [D] (North Dakota—at large)
http://www.pomeroy.house.gov/ (Website)

36) Nick Rahall [D] (West Virginia—3rd District)
http://www.rahall.house.gov/ (Website)

37) Ciro Rodriguez [D] (Texas—23rd District)
http://www.rodriguez.house.gov/ (Website)

38) Mike Ross [D] (Arkansas—4th District)
http://www.ross.house.gov/ (Website)

39) John Salazar [D] (Colorado—3rd District)
www.house.gov/salazar (Website)

40) Fortney “Pete” Stark [D] (California—13th District)
www.house.gov/stark (Website)

41) John Tanner [D] (Tennessee—8th District)
www.house.gov/tanner (Website)

42) Gene Taylor [D] (Mississippi—4th District)
http://www.taylor.house.gov/ (Website)

43) Peter Visclosky [D] (Indiana—1st District)
www.house.gov/visclosky (Website)

44) Charlie Wilson [D] (Ohio—6th District)
http://www.charliewilson.house.gov/ (Website)

“Hate crimes”—Senate Update


I wrote the following on my July 18th post: “The “hate crimes” bill was attached to a defense appropriation bill Thursday evening. I did not post about it (since I learned of the possibility Thursday morning) until Friday morning. While on the internet Friday morning, I learned that it had been already attached to the defense bill.

So much for public input! Don’t you just love our representative Congress? I briefly tried to find the vote but could not. I’ll try again and identify the Republicans who voted for the attachment—five in all. All Democrats voted for the attachment to the defense bill.

As I said in yesterday’s post: “I wrote about the ‘hate crimes’ bill with posts from May 5th through May 15th, May 19th, May 21st through the 22nd, and then June 6th and June 9th. This IS an important issue and one that deserves to be and SHOULD be voted up or down on ITS OWN MERITS! To NOT do so, is legislative COWARDLINESS! If they are successful, VOTERS should NOT FORGET. HOLD them ACCOUNTABLE!

However, if the voters do not, Democrats should know this—GOD WILL! If I were them, I’d rather answer to the voters than answer to GOD! HOLY destruction is in their future if they do NOT repent.

Terrorists don’t have to attack us to destroy us as a nation. It seems that libertine Democrats are determined to destroy us from within as they plunge us deeper and deeper into the abyss of moral depravity.”

Remember: The online petition dealing with healthcare insurance to have members of Congress who support the bill to also be under the provisions of the bill is available at http://www.fleming.house.gov/. There is a similar petition at the “Center for Health Transformation” website which you can sign here. As of Saturday morning, it said 9,700+ had signed so far. Finally, “Patients First” which is a project of Americans for Prosperity ® has a petition “opposing the Obama/Pelosi Health Care takeover.” If you wish to sign the petition, “please do so now here.” According to the website, 147,851 have signed as of Saturday morning.

Also: Therefore, unlike the ‘Cap and Trade’ bill passed by the House of Representatives which was amended—300 pages—the DAY OF the final vote, it is incumbent upon Congress to actually know what they are voting on! Consequently, the following pledge from every member of Congress—House of Representatives and Senate—should be required by the voters of this nation!

The Pledge is from http://www.letfreedomringusa.com/ and is available in PDF form for you to download and send a copy of to your Representative and Senators. (There are two pages: one for House members and one for Senate members.) The address for each is available at http://www.house.gov/ and http://www.senate.gov/. Please note, as stated on Saturday’s post, the stated desire of the Speaker of the House is to have this bill voted on and passed before the August recess. Time is of the essence.”

Below is the information I promised on the cloture vote to add the “hate crimes” bill to the Department of Defense appropriation bill in the Senate:

S.1390 (bill number in the Senate—my addition)
Title: An original bill to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2010 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes. (NOTE: This is a Defense Department appropriation bill!—my addition)
Sponsor: Sen Levin, Carl [MI] (introduced 7/2/2009) Cosponsors (None)
Related Bills: H.R.2647, S.1391
Latest Major Action: 7/16/2009 Senate floor actions. Status: Considered by Senate.
Senate Reports: 111-35

7/15/2009:

S.AMDT.1511 Amendment SA 1511 proposed by Senator Reid for Senator Leahy. (consideration: CR S7509)

To provide Federal assistance to States, local jurisdictions, and Indian tribes to prosecute hate crimes, and for other purposes. (NOTE: Amendment to the Defense Department appropriation bill which NOW includes the House of Representatives’ passed “hate crimes” bill into the Defense Department Appropriation bill! [I don’t know if the amendment is exactly the same as the House passed bill.] The amendment was first proposed on July 15, 2009. How exactly does a “hates crimes” bill relate to a Department of Defense Appropriation bill?—my addition)

7/16/2009:

S.AMDT.1511 Cloture on amendment SA 1511 invoked in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 63 - 28. (To provide Federal assistance to States, local jurisdictions, and Indian tribes to prosecute hate crimes, and for other purposes—my addition.)

Record Vote Number: 233. (consideration: CR S7635; text: CR S7635) [NOTE: The next day—July 16, 2009—the Senate voted for closure to prevent a filibuster over the amendment.]

Senate Amendment 1511

U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 111th Congress - 1st Session
as compiled through Senate LIS by the Senate Bill Clerk under the direction of the Secretary of the Senate

Vote Summary

Question: On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture on Leahy Amdt. No. 1511)

Vote Number: 233; Vote Date: July 16, 2009, 10:51 PM (NOTE: proposed on July 15, 2009 and voted on July 16, 2009! When exactly did the VOTING CITIZENS have a realistic opportunity to voice their OPINION on the proposed amendment! The Democrats’ attitude toward representative government and hearing the voice of the people!—my addition)

Required For Majority: 3/5th Vote Result: Cloture Motion Agreed to

Amendment Number: S.Amdt. 1511 to S. 1390 (National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010)

Statement of Purpose: To provide Federal assistance to States, local jurisdictions, and Indian tribes to prosecute hate crimes, and for other purposes.

Vote Counts:

YEAs 63

NAYs 28

Not Voting 9

Grouped By Vote Position: YEAs—63 (includes Republicans only—my addition)

Susan M. Collins (R—Maine)
Listed as Catholic
http://www.collins.senate.gov/ (Website)

Richard G. Lugar (R—Indiana)
Listed as Methodist
http://www.lugar.senate.gov/ (Website)
senator_lugar@lugar.senate.gov (E-mail)

Lisa Murkowski (R—Alaska)
Listed as Catholic
http://www.murkowski.senate.gov/ (Website)

Olympia J. Snowe (R—Maine)
Listed as Greek Orthodox
http://www.snowe.senate.gov/ (Website)

George V. Voinovich (R—Ohio)
Listed as Catholic
http://www.voinovich.senate.gov/ (Website)

Why did each of these Republican Senators vote for cloture instead of voting for the “hate crimes” bill on its own merits?

Grouped By Vote Position: Not Voting—9 (includes Republicans only. To be fair, there may have been a legitimate reason(s) why these seven Republicans did not vote i.e. it was obvious that the amendment cloture vote would pass. If I recall correctly, only New Hampshire of the States of the nonvoting Republicans allows homosexual “civil partnership”/“marriage.” Plus, a nay vote is not needed to prevent cloture. Cloture needs 60 votes in all circumstances. All Democrats, who voted, voted yea. [So did the two “Independents”.] Only two Democrats did not vote and those were Kennedy and Byrd and both have not been participating because of their physical condition although they possibly would have voted if needed—my addition.)

Alexander (R—Tennessee)
Bond (R—Missouri)
Bunning (R—Kentucky)
Corker (R—Tennessee)
Graham (R—South Carolina)
Gregg (R—New Hampshire)
Martinez (R—Florida)

Terrorists don’t have to attack us to destroy us as a nation. It seems that libertine Democrats are determined to destroy us from within as they plunge us deeper and deeper into the abyss of moral depravity.

MURDER is healthcare? WHAT!


As I said in yesterday’s post: “I wrote about the ‘hate crimes’ bill with posts from May 5th through May 15th, May 19th, May 21st through the 22nd, and then June 6th and June 9th. This IS an important issue and one that deserves to be and SHOULD be voted up or down on ITS OWN MERITS! To NOT do so, is legislative COWARDLINESS! If they are successful, VOTERS should NOT FORGET. HOLD them ACCOUNTABLE!

However, if the voters do not, Democrats should know this—GOD WILL! If I were them, I’d rather answer to the voters than answer to GOD! HOLY destruction is in their future if they do NOT repent.

Terrorists don’t have to attack us to destroy us as a nation. It seems that libertine Democrats are determined to destroy us from within as they plunge us deeper and deeper into the abyss of moral depravity.”

Tonight, I’m discussing the healthcare bill again. In the meantime, remember that the online petition to have members of Congress who support the bill to also be under the provisions of the bill is available at http://www.fleming.house.gov/. There is a similar petition at the “Center for Health Transformation” website which you can sign here. When I signed it yesterday morning, it said 5,600+ had signed so far. Finally, “Patients First” which is a project of Americans for Prosperity ® has a petition “opposing the Obama/Pelosi Health Care takeover.” If you wish to sign the petition, “please do so now here.” According to the website, over 127,000 have signed so far.

Update on the healthcare bill: I heard a report on the radio Friday that Republicans in one of the House committees dealing with the healthcare bill proposed an amendment that members of Congress also be included as participants under the bill. The amendment, naturally, was VOTED DOWN on a strict party vote. All Republicans voted for the amendment and the Democrats voted AGAINST the amendment. It seems that the Democrats believe that ANY healthcare bill that is passed in Congress is “good enough” for all Americans except MEMBERS OF CONGRESS! And we should trust them with this legislation?

From a previous post: “‘Healthcare Reform’: Of course, what is about to be considered in the House is NOT reform. It is a proposal for the federal government to TAKE CONTROL of healthcare in this nation—either immediately or ultimately.

Therefore, unlike the ‘Cap and Trade’ bill passed by the House of Representatives which was amended—300 pages—the DAY OF the final vote, it is incumbent upon Congress to actually know what they are voting on! Consequently, the following pledge from every member of Congress—House of Representatives and Senate—should be required by the voters of this nation!

The Pledge is from http://www.letfreedomringusa.com/ and is available in PDF form for you to download and send a copy of to your Representative and Senators. (There are two pages: one for House members and one for Senate members.) The address for each is available at http://www.house.gov/ and http://www.senate.gov/. Please note, as stated on Saturday’s post, the stated desire of the Speaker of the House is to have this bill voted on and passed before the August recess. Time is of the essence.”

I was watching C-Span again Thursday night—it is becoming a necessity because the mass media does NOT carry this information. Republicans were again speaking and saying what is an obvious truth but unspoken by the Democrats and the Barack Hussein Obama administration. If the “Healthcare Nationalization” bill becomes law, the MURDER of unborn babies will be covered under the healthcare insurance provisions!

Therefore, if this monstrosity becomes law not only will the federal government regulate our healthcare decisions and the doctors of this nation; Therefore, if this monstrosity becomes law not only will it increase healthcare costs by over a trillion dollars and more; BUT:

1) The MURDER of unborn babies will be financed by the federal government which means:

2) The MURDER of unborn babies will be financed by the American taxpayer which means:

3) The MURDER of unborn babies will be financed by American taxpayers who are absolutely opposed to the MURDER of unborn babies which means:

4) American taxpayers will be FORCED to violate their religious and moral beliefs in the “name of MURDER disguised as ‘healthcare’” which means:

5) I, for one, WILL refuse to violate my religious and moral beliefs by participating in such an IMMORAL FABRICATION which means:

6) Others may join in that refusal to participate in such an IMMORAL FABRICATION which means:

7) Civil disobedience, convictions, revolution? From the declaration of Independence: “But when a long train of abuses and usurpations pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.” Christians have this account in Acts 5: 21b, 27, and 29 “When the high priest and his associates arrived, they called together the Sanhedrin—the full assembly of the elders of Israel—and sent to the jail for the apostles.”

“Having brought the apostles, they made them appear before the Sanhedrin to be questioned by the high priest.”

“Peter and the other apostles replied: ‘We must obey God rather than men!”

“Peter and the other apostles replied: ‘WE MUST OBEY GOD rather than men!”

“Peter and the other apostles replied: ‘WE MUST OBEY GOD RATHER THAN MEN!”

“ALL CHRISTIANS replied: ‘WE MUST OBEY GOD RATHER THAN MEN!”

I do NOT advocate revolution. However, I personally will NOT participate in a “healthcare system” that MURDERS unborn children in violation of my religious and moral beliefs and I WILL NOT pay a fine for NOT participating in said immoral system. Be prepared to send people with moral convictions to jail! Ah, but we will lose our right to vote!

“Terrorists don’t have to attack us to destroy us as a nation. It seems that libertine Democrats are determined to destroy us from within as they plunge us deeper and deeper into the abyss of moral depravity.”

Cowardly Senate; Cowardly Democrats


I’m still having computer problems but did manage to post Thursday. I’m not going to discuss the healthcare bill tonight but will return to it tomorrow hopefully. In the meantime, remember that the online petition to have members of Congress who support the bill to also be under the provisions of the bill is available at http://www.fleming.house.gov/. There is a similar petition at the “Center for Health Transformation” website which you can sign here. When I signed it yesterday morning, it said 5,600+ had signed so far. Finally, “Patients First” which is a project of Americans for Prosperity ® has a petition “opposing the Obama/Pelosi Health Care takeover.” If you wish to sign the petition, “please do so now here.” According to the website, over 127,000 have signed so far.

Tonight’s post is the result of a news report I heard on the radio Thursday morning. It seems that the Senate leadership has decided to attach the “hate crimes” bill to a defense appropriations bill. This is a cowardly maneuver to achieve two objectives. The first is to pass the bill. Attachments usually occur when the leadership realizes that a bill WILL NOT pass on its own merits. The bill is then attached to a bill that is considered vital and that will almost assuredly pass. Thus, the attachment to a defense bill that Republicans would normally support overwhelmingly.

Secondly, and just as cowardly, there will not be a direct recorded vote on the specific bill. Thus, a Senator can claim, “Well, I wanted to vote against the “hate crimes” bill, but if I did, then the defense bill might not have passed. I didn’t want to take that chance so I reluctantly voted for the bill.” For any Democrat to claim such nonsense is an outright lie. Democrats are paying off a debt to homosexual activists who worked for their and the President’s election. They have decided to sell the United States out to appease the immoral, perverted behavior of a small group who are sinning against GOD! If there is one thing that Democrats are good at, it is APPEASEMENT.

I wrote about the “hate crimes” bill with posts from May 5th through May 15th, May 19th, May 21st through the 22nd, and then June 6th and June 9th. This IS an important issue and one that deserves to be and SHOULD be voted up or down on ITS OWN MERITS! To NOT do so, is legislative COWARDLINESS! If they are successful, VOTERS should NOT FORGET. HOLD them ACCOUNTABLE!

However, if the voters do not, Democrats should know this—GOD WILL! If I were them, I’d rather answer to the voters than answer to GOD! HOLY destruction is in their future if they do NOT repent.

Terrorists don’t have to attack us to destroy us as a nation. It seems that libertine Democrats are determined to destroy us from within as they plunge us deeper and deeper into the abyss of moral depravity.