Let Your Voice Be Heard. Today
Labels: government, national health care
Fiction Friday: The Missionary
Yesterday David Eller was an American missionary serving the poor in Venezuela. Today he's an international fugitive. If you like 24 or Alias, you’ll love The Missionary by William Carmichael and David Lambert. It’s a novel of international espionage with a Christian twist. And it’s a real page-turner.
David Eller rescues impoverished children in Caracas, Venezuela, with his wife, Christie. But for David, that isn't enough. The supply of homeless children is endless because of massive poverty and the oppressive policies of the Venezuelan government.
When the CIA gives David an opportunity to do something more-to heal the disease rather than working on the symptoms-he decides to go for it. But little by little, he falls into an unimaginable nightmare of espionage, ending in a desperate, life-or-death gamble to flee the country with his wife and son.
Was he wrong to resort to the political solution?
And was it really the CIA that asked him to get involved?
Labels: book review
Thursday, November 05, 2009
Reading Guide to the Pelosi Health Care Reform Bill
Mike Pence is running for Congress in the 6th District of Indiana. He may be one of the few politicians who has actually read the 1990 page Pelosi health “reform” legislation (H.R. 3962) introduced by House Democrats. The following notes were posted on his Facebook page. Today the AMA and AARP endorsed this bill. Speaker Pelosi has scheduled a vote for Saturday morning. Is this the bill you want for yourself, your parents, and your children? Forever? If not, please contact your Representative today.
Page 94—Section 202(c) prohibits the sale of private individual health insurance policies, beginning in 2013, forcing individuals to purchase coverage through the federal government.
Page 110—Section 222(e) requires the use of federal dollars to fund abortions through the government-run health plan—and, if the Hyde Amendment were ever not renewed, would require the plan to fund elective abortions.
Page 111—Section 223 establishes a new board of federal bureaucrats (the “Health Benefits Advisory Committee”) to dictate the health plans that all individuals must purchase —and would likely require all Americans to subsidize and purchase plans that cover any abortion.
Page 122—Section 233(a)(3) requires the Commissioner—the new insurance “czar”—to “issue guidance on best practices of plain language writing”—this from the same people who wrote a 1,990 page health care bill.
Page 183—Section 305(a) gives the Commissioner the power to enlist “appropriate entities” like Planned Parenthood and ACORN to engage in “outreach to specific vulnerable populations” about the bill’s new programs.
Page 211—Section 321 establishes a new government-run health plan that, according to non-partisan actuaries at the Lewin Group, would cause as many as 114 million Americans to lose their existing coverage.
Page 216—Section 322(b)(3) prohibits “any federal funds for purposes of insolvency” from being directed toward the government-run health plan—an anti-bailout provision that may seem implausible given Democrats’ role in advancing legislation to bail out Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
Page 225—Section 330 permits—but does not require—Members of Congress to enroll in government-run health care.
Page 255—Section 345 includes language requiring verification of income for individuals wishing to receive federal health care subsidies under the bill—while the bill includes a requirement for applicants to verify their citizenship, it does not include a similar requirement to verify applicants’ identity, thus encouraging identity fraud for undocumented immigrants and others wishing to receive taxpayer-subsidized health benefits.
Page 297—Section 501 imposes a 2.5 percent tax on all individuals who do not purchase “bureaucrat-approved” health insurance— the tax would apply on individuals with incomes under $250,000, thus breaking a central promise of then-Senator Obama’s presidential campaign.
Page 313—Section 512 imposes an 8 percent “tax on jobs” for firms that cannot afford to purchase “bureaucrat-approved” health coverage; according to an analysis by Harvard Professor Kate Baicker, such a tax would place millions “at substantial risk of unemployment”—with minority workers losing their jobs at twice the rate of their white counterparts.
Page 336—Section 551 imposes additional job-killing taxes, in the form of a half-trillion dollar “surcharge,” more than half of which will hit small businesses; according to a model developed by President Obama’s senior economic advisor, such taxes could cost up to 5.5 million jobs.
Page 520—Section 1161 cuts more than $150 billion from Medicare Advantage plans, potentially jeopardizing millions of seniors’ existing coverage.
Page 733—Section 1401 establishes a new Center for Comparative Effectiveness Research; the bill includes no provisions preventing the government-run health plan from using such research to deny access to life-saving treatments on cost grounds, similar to Britain’s National Health Service, which denies patient treatments costing more than $35,000.
Page 872—Section 1433 requires the director of food services at nursing facilities participating in Medicare and Medicaid to hold “military, academic, or other qualifications” as determined by federal bureaucrats.
Page 1067—Section 1729 requires States to cover incarcerated juveniles previously enrolled in Medicaid after their release “unless and until there is a determination that the individual is no longer eligible.”
Page 1174—Section 1802(b) includes provisions entitled “TAXES ON CERTAIN INSURANCE POLICIES” to fund comparative effectiveness research, breaking Speaker Pelosi’s promise that “We will not be taxing [health] benefits in any bill that passes the House,” and the President’s promise not to raise taxes on families with incomes under $250,000.
Page 1183—Section 1904 provides $750 million in federal funding for a new entitlement program to offer “knowledge of realistic expectations of age-appropriate child behaviors” and “skills [for parents] to interact with their child.” (And this is related to health care how??)
Page 1255—Sections 2231-2235 make veterinary students eligible for up to $283 million in federal scholarship and student loan forgiveness funding. (Why is THIS in this health care bill?)
Page 1432—Section 2531 provides incentive payments to States that enact new medical liability laws—but only if such laws do “not limit attorneys’ fees or impose caps on damages.” (As opposed to the Republican bill that offers serous tort reform.)
Page 1515—Section 2572(b) imposes labeling requirements on all vending machines nationwide, in addition to new mandates by the federal government on all restaurants with more than 20 locations.
Page 1925—Section 3101 creates a new program within the Indian Health Service to provide federal funding for “perpetrators of child sexual abuse who are Indian or members of an Indian household.”
If you would like to read the entire 1,990 pages yourself, you can find the legislation here: (Note: the above notes were posted a few days ago. Page numbers and details may have changed.)
Labels: government, health care reform, national health care
Friday, October 30, 2009
Fiction Friday: The Swiss Courier
It is August 1944 and the Gestapo is mercilessly rounding up suspected enemies of the Third Reich. When Joseph Engel, a German physicist working on the atomic bomb, finds that he is actually a Jew, adopted by Christian parents, he must flee for his life to neutral Switzerland. Gabi Mueller is a young Swiss-American woman working for the newly formed American Office of Strategic Services (the forerunner to the CIA) close to Nazi Germany. When she is asked to risk her life to safely "courier" Engel out of Germany, the fate of the world rests in her hands. If she can lead him to safety, she can keep the Germans from developing nuclear capabilities. But in a time of traitors and uncertainty, whom can she trust along the way? This fast-paced, suspenseful novel takes readers along treacherous twists and turns during a fascinating--and deadly--time in history.
This book reads like an episode of “24,” (which I love, BTW). It starts out innocently enough, and then like a roller coaster, takes the reader on twists and turns, switchbacks and dead ends. Being impossible to put down, it’s responsible for far too many late nights for this writer. I was particularly impressed with the detailed historical details. It’s well researched, making it feel quite authentic. If you enjoy mysteries, suspense or historical stories, you’ll love The Swiss Courier. I sure hope there's a sequel!
I’m delighted to be part of the Swiss Courier blog tour, sponsored by Litfuse. Check out other tour stops here.
Labels: book review
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Pelosi Reveals House Health Care Bill
Today House Speaker Nancy Pelosi unveiled the house version of health care reform – all 1990 pages of it. She claims the measure will cover 96 percent of Americans once fully phased in, and it includes the much-debated government option. But it also carries a $1 trillion price tag over 10 years. She expects to bring it to the floor next week. She pays for "reform" by cutting seniors' care, raising costs for small businesses and taxing middle-class Americans. It still covers abortions and probably covers illegal aliens. From a quick skim-through, it looks like it covers everything for everyone while disguising the real cost by moving a huge spending provision ($200 billion) to a stand-alone bill and claiming it's not related to health care reform. The whole bill has been written behind closed doors with no input from Republicans or the American people.
You can download a copy of the bill here. You have until early next week to read it. If you care about your own health care, or that of your parents and children, you need to start calling Washington. Happy reading.
Labels: health care reform, med
Monday, October 26, 2009
Health Care Bill Being Negotiated in Secret
Does it bother anyone else that the health care bill is being crafted by three senators and a handful of White House officials, with no input from the Republican leadership? The Washington Times offers an excellent article today exposing the refusal of the Democrats to allow any participation by the Republicans. The closed door approach also leaves out the American people, who will be affected by whatever eventually passes.
Remember how during the campaign, candidate Obama promised the ultimate in transparency? For example, he told a town hall audience in Chester, Va., in August 2008,
"I'm going to have all the negotiations around a big table," "We'll have the negotiations televised on C-SPAN, so that people can see who is making arguments on behalf of their constituents and who are making arguments on behalf of the drug companies or the insurance companies. And so, that approach, I think, is what is going to allow people to stay involved in this process."
Well, that’s not quite what’s happening and whether you voted for him or not, this ought to concern you. So far, the only parties to the Senate discussion are Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada, Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus of Montana, and Christopher J. Dodd of Connecticut, who led the work on the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee bill. White House officials seen attending the meetings include Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, health care "czar" Nancy-Ann DeParle, and Peter Orszag, director of the Office of Management and Budget. Republican leaders have been summarily uninvited, and no bill has been posted for either the American people or the rest of the Congress to review.
Folks, this is not how government should be conducted. This bill will affect one sixth of our economy and every American (and more than a few illegal’s). If you're my age, the outcome is going to affect you, your aging parents, and your children and grandchildren. It will contain something that everyone will hate, and little that most of us will like. If you agree, be sure to write your representatives and express your outrage. If you are anywhere near the Tea Party route, consider showing up with your sign. You can find a schedule here.
Labels: health care reform, legislation, national health care, tea parties
Friday, October 23, 2009
Fiction Friday: Daisy Chain
Daisy Chain is perhaps an unusual book to start off Fiction Fridays. At multiple levels, it isn’t an easy read. It’s complex, literary, and heartbreaking. It’s also a book with more truth than many of us want to believe. It’s a story of many questions, many layers, and few answers. But it’s worth the effort to read.
The location: Defiance, TX.
The year: 1977.
Jed Pepper and Daisy Chance are best friends. In fact, Daisy’s decided that 14-year old Jed is going to marry her. Then she goes missing. Suddenly, immediately after they’ve left their usual meeting place: the church. Jed knew he was late and in trouble, so he didn’t walk her home. Now she’s disappeared and he’s the last one to see her. And her last words were, “You’ll regret it…”
Now he feels guilty. Confused. He’s investigated. Meanwhile, life at home is unpredictable. Unfair. Abusive.
Weeks pass. No word from Daisy. Life goes on. The investigation turns up nothing. Jed copes. Sort of. And he never gives up hope, even when everyone else does.
This book is haunting and challenging, but the complex characters make it well worth the read. My only complaint is that many of the story lines don’t resolve. There are loose ends that will hopefully be addressed in the next two books – and the second one, A Slow Burn, just came out. It’s in my stack and I can’t wait to read it!
Labels: book review
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Introducing Fiction Friday
I’ve been receiving a lot of fiction books lately, so starting tomorrow, I’m starting something new: Fiction Friday. At the end of a busy week, we all need a respite. I’m finding that reading a chapter or two of fiction refreshes my mind and lets me think about more pleasant things than caregiving, aging, health care, and all the other heavy topics we deal with here. I hope you’ll enjoy some of my reviews and that you’ll be motivated to pick up a good book and relax for a bit.
Photo Credit: PicApp
Labels: book review