Haiku #14 Wedding day

Anticipation
We'll be partying tonight
Uniting of two

Our family grows
A second daughter to love
Share the joy we feel

Wrong problem

Census data published this week shows by area of the country percentage of people without health insurance. Those states with the lowest percentages invariably have the fewest illegal aliens. Maybe tackling the problem of health care reform should start with the illegals.

We can't truly judge the costs of our health care while we allow 8-12 million people to abuse the system. Reform proponents are often touting the cost of treating the uninsured at E.R.s. My guess is that if we had data broken down demographically about which groups abuse the E.R most often Illegals would head the list.

We need to cure the problem not treat the symptoms.

Do you trust politicians?

If your like most people you find it hard to trust our elected officials. I sat down at the computer before and though it wasn't really a surprise I read that Massachusetts was changing their law again. This is the law that governs how they replace a representative due to death or retirement. Thay change in 2003-04 in case Kerry was elected to keep a Republican govenor Romney from naming a replacement. Now there is a Democrat in the govenor's chair so they need to put it back so a replacement can be named for Kennedy. These type of shenanigans are exactly why people don't trust their elected officials.

The Dems aren't the only ones playing games. Anytime there is a census and districts need to be redrawn they carve the states up in to as many safe districts as they can.

Arbitrary rules that only serve to advance political aims are trust killers.

Apathy

Jockeystreet posted the other day bemoaning the racist tone of some of the signs and comments at tea party rallies and elsewhere. Taken individually you might argue that this shows a negative trend in our society. After all no one wants to be thought a racist. Certainly I don't condone racist talk or attitudes.

However politically this shows a vibrancy and enthusiasm no matter how misdirected.People in the spot light often say publicity of any kind is better than being ignored. The importance of what is happening in our country now is evident by the reactions on both sides. After all this doesn't just affect you and me but our children and grandchildren.

There is a definite need to do any legislation right but especially entitlement legislation. Because entitlement legislation is the hardest to amend or repeal. That means no going back if we make a mistake.

While the debate has been less than civil at times at least we care.

I'm not stupid

Sometimes you just have to check.

Politician just don't get it.

In Ohio a recent court case in which the attorney general Richard Cordray sued all Ohio grocery stores a verdict was reached. The court ruled that grocery stores would have to pay a commercial activity tax. This is a tax on gross receipts. The grocers argued this amounts to a tax on food Ohio's constitution forbids this. The AG argued that this was a tax on being allowed to do business.

Now I don't know where politicians get their ideas but who do they think is really going to pay this tax.

My bet is a lot of grocery store employees are walking up and down aisles as I type marking prices up.

Question

If taxation without representation is tyranny is representation without paying taxes also tyranny?

I don't think so

Last week in the paper twice in letters to the editor and once in an editorial President Obama was referred to as a centrist or center right. What do you think?

Pre- existing

A story out of Indiana explains the pre-existing dilemma. A pizza shop hired an obese male 340lbs to work in the kitchen. This guy hit his back on a freezer door and the pain was so persistent that it required surgery. The pizza shop agreed to pay for this being that it happened at work.

So how is this describing a pre-existing condition. His doctor told him for the best results any back surgery would require him to lose weight. So he sued his employer to pay for weight lose surgery costing between 20,000-25,000 dollars The courts found in his favor ordering payment for both surgeries.

This is why insurance companies don't insure pre-existing conditions. You can't insure against something that has already happened.

I never thought I would say this

Dennis Kucinich, Ohio congressman, and former presidential candidate said something smart the other day. In discussing the on going health insurance reform Dennis said when dealing with such a big issue you have to discuss the issue and prepare people you can't just cram things down their throats.

Haiku #13

Body stiff and sore
Blistered and callused
One more day of work


Sometimes I think I work harder on the weekends than I do at work.

Responsiveness

I read a letter to the editor this morning she wrote that she had written several letters to our senator Sherrod Brown asking question concerning health insurance reform. She states that questions were answered only once in an e-mail and the answer was look how good medicare is.

I had a similar experience when Senator Brown was a congressman I wrote asking his opinion on the fair tax a consumption tax to replace the income tax. I was respectful and courteous but got no reply.

My question is how responsive should legislatures be to their constituents?