The Two Industries spending the most money on Lobbying were in 2010, 1) Pharmaceutical and Health Products at $2,019,336,707 and Insurance at $1,462,880,244. http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/top.php?indexType=i
I spent over 25 % percent of my income last year on Health Insurance, Doctors and Medications. (If I were to include Malpractice insurance, Auto Insurance and Disability Insurance it would climb to over 35%.)
The Congressional Budget Office, Congresses Nonpartisan Budget referees have estimated that repeal of The Health Care Bill will increase the deficit by $230,000,000,000.00.
So why does the Republican Majority in the House of Representatives want to repeal the Health Care Bill. After all didn't they run on a promise that they would decrease the deficit? The answer lies in the opening sentence. With the ruling in Citizens United vs. Federal Election Commission the unfettered bribery of the elected officials will continue.
What is the result of this debacle? Thankfully for now, repeal will never make it past the house. But the Insurance industry and the Pharmaceutical industries will still have its hands firmly on the neck of all Americans.
As a result we will have fewer Doctors (strangely not too much of the insurance money "trickles down" to the Doctors), Drug prices are controlled, forcing people to either chose breaking the law, by going to Canada or Mexico or chosing between the medications and other necessities of life.
I don't pretend to know the answer. However, I do know, that with the Roberts Court the way that it is currently constituted, it will only get worse.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Saturday, January 8, 2011
January 8, 2011. Peter Pan
"Of course there was Old Greggor and his son Young Greggor. Oddly enough, Young Greggor's son was older than Old Greggor. Nobody could figure out how that happened. " Woody Allen, Love and Death
There is supposed to come a time in life where roles between child and parent reverse. The time when the child looks out for the parent.
Due to numerous circumstances, least of which is not my own doing, that event has not completely occurred in my life.
My father died two years ago. My family is convinced, if not for my mother's dedication and diligence, it would have occurred much sooner. Out of respect for my mother, I won't say her age. But, you know my age, so you can calculate the range. She looks and acts 20 years younger.
Mom lives in a wonderful apartment in Manhattan. They purchased this about 25 years ago. This location affords her the opportunity to take classes, go to museums, the opera etc...It basically keeps her young.
Regardless of my mother having discovered "the fountain of youth," why am I still playing the role of child?
Is it Parkinson's? To a limited degree, yes. It would be easy to make PD a scapegoat for my shortcomings. To be frank, I never took the role that I should have. I've remained Peter Pan.
I'm lucky, my Peter Pan life style has only affected my ego. It could have been a lot worse.
There is supposed to come a time in life where roles between child and parent reverse. The time when the child looks out for the parent.
Due to numerous circumstances, least of which is not my own doing, that event has not completely occurred in my life.
My father died two years ago. My family is convinced, if not for my mother's dedication and diligence, it would have occurred much sooner. Out of respect for my mother, I won't say her age. But, you know my age, so you can calculate the range. She looks and acts 20 years younger.
Mom lives in a wonderful apartment in Manhattan. They purchased this about 25 years ago. This location affords her the opportunity to take classes, go to museums, the opera etc...It basically keeps her young.
Regardless of my mother having discovered "the fountain of youth," why am I still playing the role of child?
Is it Parkinson's? To a limited degree, yes. It would be easy to make PD a scapegoat for my shortcomings. To be frank, I never took the role that I should have. I've remained Peter Pan.
I'm lucky, my Peter Pan life style has only affected my ego. It could have been a lot worse.
Friday, January 7, 2011
January 7, 2011. If Doctor Seuss wrote this Blog
Apologies to Dr. Seuss
It was early December
The sky it was pouring
Quite cold He'd remember
Another day boring.
He was reviewing a Contract
and while making an annotation
The hand of Marc, The Attorney
was causing him frustration
His writing was shrinking
Microscopic some say
He hadn't been drinking
It just came out that way
He tried felt and ball point
He found no solution
Was Marc, the Attorney
Stuck with written diminution
Soon he detected
discomfort while driving
His foot was affected
the pleasure depriving
Now his arm remained stagnent
whenever he walked
"See a Doctor," his wife said
He no longer balked
He went to the First Doc
Doctor Howard was he
He conferred with his flock
Howard, Fine and Howard made three.
"We don't know the problem
But here is a pill
Please see the receptionist
she'll give you the bill"
He scoured the phonebook
for a Doctor to see
He'd see a urologist,
who just made him pee
The Doctors repeated
the same mantra they sung
"We don't take your insurance.
I hope it's cash that you brung."
About to quit searching
He scoured the nation
He found the one doctor
to ease his frustration.
"You have PD.' he said
"Please take this bill.
Now see the Receptionist
She'll give you my bill"
You've now heard his story
and if you hadn't guessed
the tale is about me
I'm the one so blessed.
Despite all the runaround
the Doctors and Nurses,
I remain optimistic
you'll not hear me curses.
For Depression I found
just wasted my time
I'm done with this tale
I can no longer rhyme.
It was early December
The sky it was pouring
Quite cold He'd remember
Another day boring.
He was reviewing a Contract
and while making an annotation
The hand of Marc, The Attorney
was causing him frustration
His writing was shrinking
Microscopic some say
He hadn't been drinking
It just came out that way
He tried felt and ball point
He found no solution
Was Marc, the Attorney
Stuck with written diminution
Soon he detected
discomfort while driving
His foot was affected
the pleasure depriving
Now his arm remained stagnent
whenever he walked
"See a Doctor," his wife said
He no longer balked
He went to the First Doc
Doctor Howard was he
He conferred with his flock
Howard, Fine and Howard made three.
"We don't know the problem
But here is a pill
Please see the receptionist
she'll give you the bill"
He scoured the phonebook
for a Doctor to see
He'd see a urologist,
who just made him pee
The Doctors repeated
the same mantra they sung
"We don't take your insurance.
I hope it's cash that you brung."
About to quit searching
He scoured the nation
He found the one doctor
to ease his frustration.
"You have PD.' he said
"Please take this bill.
Now see the Receptionist
She'll give you my bill"
You've now heard his story
and if you hadn't guessed
the tale is about me
I'm the one so blessed.
Despite all the runaround
the Doctors and Nurses,
I remain optimistic
you'll not hear me curses.
For Depression I found
just wasted my time
I'm done with this tale
I can no longer rhyme.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
January 6, 2011. Give me some of that old time Religion
I gather many people contract an illness and find God. Well unless he or she are on the E Train, there is little hope of that for me.
It's not that I don't believe. It's that I don't know.
I certainly don't believe in the vengeful God espoused in the First Testament and by such self appointed leaders as Robertson and Falwell. I also don't believe in a God that only looks after those who repeat the same empty words each day and night.
Don't get me wrong. I am Jewish and proud of it. That is my heritage. It has taught me respect of others, to honor family and how to tell a joke, among other things. By the way it also makes a great hot dog.
I also respect and envy those people who are truly religious. I'm not talking about those fakes who claim that they speak for God, and all those who dare to have an original thought be damned. I'm talking about those who are accepting and respectful of others.
I remember in Hebrew School, if someone was out of line, it wasn't unusual for the Rabbis to take a belt to him. We weren't even 13 yet. These people belonged in jail not in front of the Torah.
I have no problem with people who speak to God. I have no problem with people who think God speaks to them. My problem lies in those who think that God speaks through them. That illusion has done more damage through history than anything other than the tea party movement.
So you'll never catch me in a healing service. But, if the opportunity presents itself like Koufax and Greenberg before me, out of respect, I won't play in a World Series game that falls on Yom Kippur.
It's not that I don't believe. It's that I don't know.
I certainly don't believe in the vengeful God espoused in the First Testament and by such self appointed leaders as Robertson and Falwell. I also don't believe in a God that only looks after those who repeat the same empty words each day and night.
Don't get me wrong. I am Jewish and proud of it. That is my heritage. It has taught me respect of others, to honor family and how to tell a joke, among other things. By the way it also makes a great hot dog.
I also respect and envy those people who are truly religious. I'm not talking about those fakes who claim that they speak for God, and all those who dare to have an original thought be damned. I'm talking about those who are accepting and respectful of others.
I remember in Hebrew School, if someone was out of line, it wasn't unusual for the Rabbis to take a belt to him. We weren't even 13 yet. These people belonged in jail not in front of the Torah.
I have no problem with people who speak to God. I have no problem with people who think God speaks to them. My problem lies in those who think that God speaks through them. That illusion has done more damage through history than anything other than the tea party movement.
So you'll never catch me in a healing service. But, if the opportunity presents itself like Koufax and Greenberg before me, out of respect, I won't play in a World Series game that falls on Yom Kippur.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
January 5, 2011 The Caretaker
I think that this whole process my be tougher on the caretaker than on the inflicted. I saw this with my parents, when my Dad was ill, and now again with my wife.
The problem has multiple aspects:
1) The inflicted party presumably knows precisely how he feels and what he is capable of doing. The caretaker sees the difference from day to day;
2) The inflicted party doesn't want to constantly think about Parkinson's Disease or whatever ailment affects him. The caretaker has no choice.
3) In many cases the caretaker knows more about the disease than the inflicted party.
Although, I write these almost daily, I don't think of myself as ill. I'm more careful in my day to day activities, but that doesn't mean that I will curtail them. I don't know what the correct answer is 1) Giving in to the challenges and discontinuing some activities that might prove problematical. or 2) Pushing the envelope, regardless of, what I consider to be, the slight chance of problem.
The answer is in a compromise.
The problem has multiple aspects:
1) The inflicted party presumably knows precisely how he feels and what he is capable of doing. The caretaker sees the difference from day to day;
2) The inflicted party doesn't want to constantly think about Parkinson's Disease or whatever ailment affects him. The caretaker has no choice.
3) In many cases the caretaker knows more about the disease than the inflicted party.
Although, I write these almost daily, I don't think of myself as ill. I'm more careful in my day to day activities, but that doesn't mean that I will curtail them. I don't know what the correct answer is 1) Giving in to the challenges and discontinuing some activities that might prove problematical. or 2) Pushing the envelope, regardless of, what I consider to be, the slight chance of problem.
The answer is in a compromise.
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