Politicians Are Beginning a New Circus

OPINION:

Has anyone noticed that politicians are acting more like entertainers than the people that hold our future in their hands? Politics has become a new way for people to T.V. stars! It has become an unending circus of politicians jumping through hoops just for you to like them and to get their faces on magazines.

Whatever happened to the the days of old political scandals? I miss the days where politicians were on the front pages of newspapers for sex scandals and dirty politics.

It all started last year, during the Presidential campaigns. Once Saturday Night Live started impersonating the candidates and their running mates, everyone wanted to get in their 15 minutes on the show. Once that began, they started appearing on talk shows. Michelle Obama and Cindy McCain even participated in the big show by co-hosting on The View!

It is one thing to be trying to get airtime during the elections, but guess what? The elections are over!!! Obama won and it's time to go back to your day jobs.

This three ringed circus should be over by now, but the elections were just the beginning. Now, Obama insists on showing up on late night talk shows to talk about not only his vision (without any strategy to reach his goals), but and his children and their new dog.

Now Republicans want a piece of the action. No, I'm not talking about Sarah Palin, we all know she loves the camera. I'm talking about former Congressman Tom DeLay appearing on Dancing With The Stars. This show should be for entertainers and athletes; Not for retired politicians! You have to be a STAR in order to be eligible for Dancing With The Stars!

Politics is becoming a sick sideshow! When these people are supposed to be finding ways to improve our country and our economy, they are off laughing and having a good time with other celebrities and sticking their faces in the camera. It's like being on a plane while the pilots are drinking and partying in first class!

I am seriously concerned for this country. We need more leaders than more Paris Hiltons! If not, this country, as we know it, will cease to exist. What are your thoughts?

Where Does Obama Himself Stand WITH YOU????

There's no other way to look at it, theres no other way to put it and there sure as heck is no other way to ask it. So I will get right down to it. Has Obama let the American people down? Campaining to millions of people with a vision in mind and a plan of action in hand, has it now become a distorted vision and perhaps a plan that is STILL yet to take action?

According to an online website www.politifact.com, it has compiled about 500 promises that have come from the president's campaign. While tracking the efficiency of those promises on the "Obameter," and how much progression, if any has taken place since he has been in office; it will read either, No Action, In Action or Stalled. If in fact it was completed, it will read Promise Kept, Compromise or Broken.

As the campaign trail has faded and the president is now 8 months in office, do the American people feel any improvement has occured or any course of action has taken place? Though it's only been 8 months, we can easily list the issues of the day and how he's screwed up on every single one. However, there are much bigger issues at hand, thus being, are the American people starting to notice Obama's lack of substance?

The American people elected Democrat President Obama on the perception that he could be the one to come in and get things done...essentially cleaning up after ex Republican President George Bush. Perhaps the American people elected a democrat this time around, on the pipedream that if the Dems had total unchecked power, they might actually get things done. Get something done. But have they?

Are Congressional leaders too far left to actually allow a bi-partisanship to take place? Does Obama lack the will power and the effort, or even perhaps the guts to officially take charge on breaking out of this recession and say "This is what has to be done!!!??" American's, including myself are tired of hearing the broken promises, seeing and hearing about the continuous layoff's, reading news article after news article on the bailouts and the trillions and trillions of dollars in debt that we face as a nation and continously lay in.

There is no way of sugar-coating it, President Obama did in fact inherit a terrible mess: a $1.3 trillion deficit, two wars, rising unemployment and unprecedented crises in our banking system. The Obama Administration has worked and is continuously working tirelessly to address our immediate problems of rising unemployment, falling home prices and dwindling credit markets, all while taking a longer view in laying a strong foundation for future economic growth that benefits all Americans.

In the presidents recent speech, regarding health care, an address to a joint session of Congress, President Obama explained how health insurance reform will provide more security and stability to those who have health insurance, coverage for those who don’t, and will lower the cost of health care for our families, our businesses, and our government. Though he is not the first president to attempt to pass this Bill, he certainly strived to be the last. Question is.."How do those who do and do not have health care feel about the speech itself?" Essentially, he did pretty much vow to have this Health Care Reform be unlike any other- having an open, inclusive, transparent process in which all ideas are encouraged. My question to you, "Do you believe it?"

Lastly, as for the President's late night appearances on Jay Leno and David Letterman, is it cliche and campaignish for him to continuously appear on these late night television shows after already winning office? Should he decline these television appearances and spend less time boosting television ratings and use more drive focusing on boosting the confidence and liveliness back into the American people?

I myself, am very privelaged. I know I come from a hard-working family and most certainly know money doesnt grow on trees. Though we arent financially struggling, we know the importance of a dollar and we know that many many many people are. Though I may not know the EXACT in's and out's of President Obama's plans and promises, I can only continue to become more aware of the stuggles we face as a Nation and offer a helping hand to those who are struggling as individuals. It amazes me how far we have messed up and how much more we are going to have to loose and struggle until we can see a change again. The economic recession...A.K.A. DEPRESSION has only begun. Though our President has a few years ahead of him, my final question to you remains "With everything that has occured thus far, is he still the man that you once believed in?"


On A Sidenote: Should Momar Kadafi have been allowed to pitch a tent in Donald Trump's backyard? For those who are unfamiliar with this story, I myself just read the article on the following link. It's a recent story, posted today. Take a look. Let us know what you think?
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2009/09/libyas-kadafi-pitches-a-tent-in-upstate-new-york-neighbors-pitch-a-fit.html

Understanding Obama's Healthcare Public Option

For a citizen of the United States with no healthcare coverage, what does this mean?

Many independent students and unemployed individuals over the age of 18 and not covered their parents healthcare plan may be wondering what the new healthcare option may actually mean for them. Will it create an affordable insurance option when there was none before?

A healthcare public option is coming and no one can stop President Obama’s bill, so let’s go over the bill and dispel the rumors.

As of July 2009, there are over 46 million uninsured people in America and over 25 million Americans are underinsured. This is an alarming number on both sides.

In Japan, the entire population is insured. Their national healthcare covers workers, self-employed, and the unemployed and their overall healthcare ranking is first out of 191 countries. The US is ranked 24th. While Canada’s healthcare plan is not perfect, their healthcare rating is still ranked higher at 12th. Canada’s healthcare costs per capita is $2,989 while in the US is a staggering $5,711 per capita.*

Under President Obama’s plan, the answers aren’t specifically clear and actual costs and coverage isn’t totally apparent. However, the president’s address focused on the growing number of the unemployed. The greater number of unemployed citizens results in the great number of the uninsured, which in turn results in higher mortality rate due to no healthcare coverage or under insured individuals.

Will Obama’s healthcare reform fix everything? Not yet, but it will. As a capitalist country, we need a change and the new healthcare reform is absolutely necessary.

In the Presidential Address to Congress put emphasis that America is the only democratic nation that has less coverage than any other country in the world. Under his new plan, it will be the following:

If You Have Health Insurance

More Stability and Security

Ends discrimination against people with pre-existing conditions. Over the last three years, 12 million people were denied coverage directly or indirectly through high premiums due to a pre-existing condition. Under the President’s plan, it will be against the law for insurance companies to deny coverage for health reasons or risks.

Limits premium discrimination based on gender and age. The President’s plan will end insurers’ practice of charging different premiums or denying coverage based on gender, and will limit premium variation based on age.

Prevents insurance companies from dropping coverage when people are sick and need it most. The President’s plan prohibits insurance companies from rescinding coverage that has already been purchased except in cases of fraud. In most states, insurance companies can cancel a policy if any medical condition was not listed on the application – even one not related to a current illness or one the patient didn’t even know about. A recent Congressional investigation found that over five years, three large insurance companies cancelled coverage for 20,000 people, saving them from paying $300 million in medical claims - $300 million that became either an obligation for the patient’s family or bad debt for doctors and hospitals.

Caps out-of pocket expenses so people don’t go broke when they get sick. The President’s plan will cap out-of-pocket expenses and will prohibit insurance companies from imposing annual or lifetime caps on benefit payments. A middle-class family purchasing health insurance directly from the individual insurance market today could spend up to 50 percent of household income on health care costs because there is no limit on out-of-pocket expenses.

Eliminates extra charges for preventive care like mammograms, flu shots and diabetes tests to improve health and save money. The President’s plan ensures that all Americans have access to free preventive services under their health insurance plans. Too many Americans forgo needed preventive care, in part because of the cost of check-ups and screenings that can identify health problems early when they can be most effectively treated. For example, 24 percent of women age 40 and over have not received a mammogram in the past two years, and 38 percent of adults age 50 and over have never had a colon cancer screening.

Protects Medicare for seniors. The President’s plan will extend new protections for Medicare beneficiaries that improve quality, coordinate care and reduce beneficiary and program costs. These protections will extend the life of the Medicare Trust Fund to pay for care for future generations.

Eliminates the "donut-hole" gap in coverage for prescription drugs. The President’s plan begins immediately to close the Medicare "donut hole" - a current gap in its drug benefit - by providing a 50 percent discount on brand-name prescription drugs for seniors who fall into it. In 2007, over 8 million seniors hit this coverage gap in the standard Medicare drug benefit. By 2019, the President’s plan will completely close the "donut hole". The average out-of-pocket spending for such beneficiaries who lack another source of insurance is $4,080.

If You Don't Have Insurance

Quality, Affordable Choices for All Americans

Creates a new insurance marketplace – the Exchange – that allows people without insurance and small businesses to compare plans and buy insurance at competitive prices. The President’s plan allows Americans who have health insurance and like it to keep it. But for those who lose their jobs, change jobs or move, new high quality, affordable options will be available in the exchange. Beginning in 2013, the Exchange will give Americans without access to affordable insurance on the job, and small businesses one-stop shopping for insurance where they can easily compare options based on price, benefits, and quality.

Provides new tax credits to help people buy insurance. The President’s plan will provide new tax credits on a sliding scale to individuals and families that will limit how much of their income can be spent on premiums. There will also be greater protection for cost-sharing for out-of-pocket expenses.

Provides small businesses tax credits and affordable options for covering employees. The President’s plan will also provide small businesses with tax credits to offset costs of providing coverage for their workers. Small businesses who for too long have faced higher prices than larger businesses, will now be eligible to enter the exchange so that they have lower costs and more choices for covering their workers.

Offers a public health insurance option to provide the uninsured and those who can’t find affordable coverage with a real choice. The President believes this option will promote competition, hold insurance companies accountable and assure affordable choices. It is completely voluntary. The President believes the public option must operate like any private insurance company – it must be self-sufficient and rely on the premiums it collects.

Immediately offers new, low-cost coverage through a national "high risk" pool to protect people with preexisting conditions from financial ruin until the new Exchange is created. For those Americans who cannot get insurance coverage today because of a pre-existing condition, the President’s plan will immediately make available coverage without a mark-up due to their health condition. This policy will offer protection against financial ruin until a wider array of choices become available in the new exchange in 2013.

For All Americans

Reins In the Cost of Health Care for Our Families, Our Businesses, and Our Government

Won’t add a dime to the deficit and is paid for upfront. The President’s plan will not add one dime to the deficit today or in the future and is paid for in a fiscally responsible way. It begins the process of reforming the health care system so that we can further curb health care cost growth over the long term, and invests in quality improvements, consumer protections, prevention, and premium assistance. The plan fully pays for this investment through health system savings and new revenue including a fee on insurance companies that sell very expensive plans.

Requires additional cuts if savings are not realized. Under the plan, if the savings promised at the time of enactment don’t materialize, the President will be required to put forth additional savings to ensure that the plan does not add to the deficit.

Implements a number of delivery system reforms that begin to rein in health care costs and align incentives for hospitals, physicians, and others to improve quality. The President’s plan includes proposals that will improve the way care is delivered to emphasize quality over quantity, including: incentives for hospitals to prevent avoidable readmissions, pilots for new "bundled" payments in Medicare, and support for new models of delivering care through medical homes and accountable care organizations that focus on a coordinated approach to care and outcomes.

Creates an independent commission of doctors and medical experts to identify waste, fraud and abuse in the health care system. The President’s plan will create an independent Commission, made up of doctors and medical experts, to make recommendations to Congress each year on how to promote greater efficiency and higher quality in Medicare. The Commission will not be authorized to propose or implement Medicare changes that ration care or affect benefits, eligibility or beneficiary access to care. It will ensure that your tax dollars go directly to caring for seniors.

Orders immediate medical malpractice reform projects that could help doctors focus on putting their patients first, not on practicing defensive medicine. The President’s plan instructs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to move forward on awarding medical malpractice demonstration grants to states funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality as soon as possible.

Requires large employers to cover their employees and individuals who can afford it to buy insurance so everyone shares in the responsibility of reform. Under the President’s plan, large businesses – those with more than 50 workers – will be required to offer their workers coverage or pay a fee to help cover the cost of making coverage affordable in the exchange. This will ensure that workers in firms not offering coverage will have affordable coverage options for themselves and their families. Individuals who can afford it will have a responsibility to purchase coverage – but there will be a "hardship exemption" for those who cannot. **

Is there a drawback to this new reform? Not really. If an individual has healthcare coverage, it would remain the same, but with healthcare changes so extreme, more than likely, the effects could be astonishing.

The other issue is all American citizens will be required to carry insurance like an “auto insurance policy”. Only a limited number will be exempt.

While taxes for the common working citizen won’t be affected, taxes increases will be imposed on employers, which will affect wages all across America.

Is this fair and balanced? Until the bill is passed, we won’t know the affects until the bill is passed and in effect.

*Data provided by World Health Organization

*Information from Whitehouse.gov