Amendment 63

Salazar Defends Health Care Bill

I was reading in the Pueblo Chieftain that the Representative of the eastern part of the Third Congressional District thinks that the new Health Care Law will "save" Medicare.

Looking at the numbers that are listed in the article: The law is supposed to reduce the deficit by $2 trillion. Then the "Pelosi Puppet" said, "This bill is totally paid for," he said, in part by cutting waste, fraud and abuse by about $630 billion.

Using simple math $2 trillion - $630 billion = $1,370 trillion that supposed to be "reduced". Interesting that the numbers somehow don't add up? Maybe we shouldn't be taking advice from a guy that is in the hole, personally by 3 or 4 million dollars at last check.

Another quote in the article: Salazar said, "Employees and employers can get the same kind of insurance that members of Congress have. They can pick and choose from a large pool" of providers. Then you follow up that quote with this quote from the article:

"It begins to put the patient back in the driver's seat, and takes the insurers out," he said.

So what is it going to be John? Are we going to have more competition or less competition? You get the insurers out isn't that lessening the pool?

I just heard Mr. Salazar is supposed to be in town today. He will be at power company giving away our money and the Veteran's hospital for a photo op. If anybody gets a chance to actually see him let me know what happens. My bet is he won't be answering any questions. Debate is not too much of a priority with John Pelosi Salazar.

The White House Likes Bribery

The best way to get a job in the Obama Administration is to start a campaign against a Senator that President Obama wants to have elected. Then you will get a call from somebody like Rahm Emanuel or Valerie Jarrett and be asked to step down from your campaign and we (the administration) will give you this great job as Under Secretary of the [fill in the blank]....

This appears to be what happened to Rep. Joe Sestak, D-Pa. The White House appears to really like Arlan Spector, enough to offer a job to Joe Sestak, his Democrat opponent, just to get him to quit.

Are the allegations true? I doubt we will ever know. But I do know that there is something fishy about the whole story. We seem to be getting more and more of these kinds of stories; First there was the Illinois Senate seat payoff with Blaggo. Then Andrew Romanoff, was reported to have been offered a White House job to quit his run against Michael Bennet. Now we have the Sestak issue. Just gets me thinking if it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, eats like a duck, flies like a duck, is the color of a duck, has ducklings, and a name of Mallard the Duck, it is probably a duck.

This Presidency appears to be more and more like a hybrid (the White House likes hybrids) of an inept Jimmy Carter combined with a corrupt Richard Nixon. The payoffs are flying out all over the place. We have been seeing in the news that other politicians are saying that "This is how it is always done." Well just because that is how it is always done that doesn't make it acceptable. If a bank robber uses a knife instead of a gun when robbing a bank that doesn't make the robbery any more legal.

The Dems have appeared to have backed themselves into a corner with the Sestak issue though. Because the White House says nothing inappropriate happened with Sestak (essentially calling a former Admiral a liar), yet Democrats are supposed to support this "liar" for the Pennsylvania Senate seat. Interesting problem for sure. If you live in Pennsylvania just vote Republican and don't worry about the rest of the issue.

I have been taught that if you want to find counterfeit money, you don't study counterfeit bills. You have to study real money so that you can instantaneously recognize the difference between the good bill and the bad bill. I read the Bible, the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and study great Presidents like Washington, Adams, Lincoln and Reagen.
With that knowledge at hand.... I think Obama is a bad bill.

Young Cons- Health Care Nightmare

Here is another song by the Young Cons...The Health Care Nightmare

What can I do about the Health Care Law?

Gene, at Living the Grand Life, wrote in his post Get up - get moving , "One battle is not the whole war. The Socialist Democratic Party won this round, it's not over. Don't feed into gloom predictions about how hard it is to overturn entitlement legislation. That would be like a general fighting the last war."  I could not agree more with that paragraph.

There are currently lawsuits being filed all over the country about the health care law's constitutionality. There are amendments to the reconciliation bill being proposed in the Senate. So what can we do as average citizens?

VOTE

The most effective method that we as citizens have to change anything is, through the ballot box. So when the primary election comes around (in Colorado that is in August), take the time and vote for the candidate that best matches your values and principles. When the general election comes around, vote. 

Let me take a second and explain why even the elections that seem "less important" are very important in these times.  Of course, the government that is closest to you will change your life the most. Your school board will decide everything from when your kids go to class and how much that new school addition will cost. The city council decides when your road gets paved or what you pay in sales taxes, and so on... 

The coming election in November is important to start the cleaning out of the House of Representatives. What I believe is more important is, the elections of your state legislatures and Governors. These state elections will decide who in your state is doing the redistricting that will occur with the completion of the 2010 census. Just because your state does not gain or loose a congressional seat, does not mean the district boundaries do not change. They are all redrawn to reflect the population changes.  Those district changes are how a political party can control the House of Representatives. 

Don't let up

Don't let your elected officials breath. Question everything they are doing. They have built a level of distrust among the American people, and we need to hold them accountable. There will be more garbage being throw at us in the coming months; like amnesty, cap and trade, and card check. They have woke a "sleeping giant" in the American people. I don't know about you but I get mad when I am woke up.

Educate yourself

Everybody hated that civics class you took in junior high (middle school for the younger folks). It was boring and and they "made you take it" . There was a question you may have asked back then; "When will I ever use this class?"  The answer is; you can use it now. I don't suggest that you become a political geek like me, but I do believe you should refresh yourself on the basics.  I look at it like this: If I never learned to count money, I would never know if somebody was ripping me off. Same principle with politics, if you don't know the basics you don't know if they are stealing your liberty.

Get informed

Learn what is going on from multiple places. This is a great age of communication. Use it.  Don't believe one source about an issue. One person does not have all the answers. Read all the good and bad. The more information you have, the better decisions you can make that match your values.

Remember the passage of the health care bill is just a battle, not the war. Rahm Emanuel once said,  "Never let a crisis go to waste." Well the socialist takeover of our government is a pretty big crisis, so let's not let it go to waste. Get educated, get informed, and don't letup until we vote these crooks out of office.

The Colorado Commies

Of the seven of the Colorado Congressional delegation to the House of Representatives, five of them voted against the people and approved the Democratic Party National Health Care Plan.

Those who voted for the plan  Diana DeGette (District 1), Betsy Markey (District 4), Ed Perlmutter (District 7), Jared Polis (District 2), John Salazar (District 3).

Two that I really would like to give attention to; Betsy Markey and John Salazar. Betsey
Markey started out this process opposed to health care, then ended up voting for the heath care bill. I will be looking in the coming days and weeks to see what kind of special deal she got from Obama and Pelosi.

John Salazar on the other hand, submitted to congressional leadership like a newborn pup. No talk of a special deal, nothing. I mean if you were going to be voted out of office on the basis of your particular vote, wouldn't you try to get something for your district....hummm maybe not for your district, maybe you get something for yourself, say a cabinet post, ambassadorship, or head of the KGB. I'll be keeping a close eye on Mr. Salazar.

I really don't believe this health care thing is over. I will soon be making contact with Steve King and Josh Penry to see what we can do (or what has been done) to advance a bill in the Colorado Legislature that considers the forced purchase of health care unconstitutional because it is a states right, not a right of the federal government.

Democrats believe they have beat the system , beat the American people. It hasn't happened yet.  310,000,000 trumps 219.

Health care word game

As I was reading through the health care bill I started doing word counts. The following list is the word count of each select word in the Health Care Bill. The entire bill is 2409 pages long. The words are in no particular order, I put numbers is parenthesis to help distiguish the result from the search term:

penalty 125
tax 583
employer 465
employee 425
study 194
committee 198
board 278
council 100
efficiency 37
report 936
decision 103
amend 1555
doctor 17
nurse 154
social 787
fee 266
collection 91
grant 834
uninsured 21
Secretary of Health and Human Services 38
Congress 230
budget 69
Medicare 536
Medicaid 363
prohibition 44
penalty 125
application 491
physician 312
patient 658
Secretary 2955
requirement 614
compliance 101
documentation 19
abortion 37
grant 834
(2009) 2525
(2010) 340
(2011) 265
(2012) 198
(2013) 168
(2014) 242
(2015) 112
dollar 81
dollar limitation 7
Internal Revenue Code 116
striking 776
requirement 614
Insurance compan(ies) 2
(000,000,000) 35

House and Senate Doctors....

Democrats talk about health care bill facts

My physical in 2028

Approximately 2 years ago I went to get a physical. It was kind of a baseline physical for my health insurance. I hate going to doctors so I didn't look forward to the thing. It was fairly regular until they got to checking my chest. The doc stuck the cold stethoscope on my chest and listened. Then moved it and listened some more. Then they brought in the EKG machine and hooked me up. After several minutes and some time for her to read the ticker tape of my heart, she told me of my irregular heart beat. At that point my doctor and I agreed to schedule an appointment with a cardiologist.

Within the week I had a appointment to have a little meter hooked up to my chest, which I wore for a day. The meter measured all my heart beats for a day. A couple of days later I had an appoint to visit the cardiologist. When I arrived at the cardiologist and I did a stress test and talked with the cardiologist. He explained that my heart does not fill up with blood completely about 6% of the time, which sounds like a missed heart beat when you take my pulse. When I exercise my heart beat is "normal" when I rest it beats irregular. When I go from exercising to rest I know I will get dizzy as my heart reverts back to it's normal beat. So I have a medical condition which is annoying essentially, no real threat to my life. After I visited the specialist, I visited my regular doctor again and she did the followup and explained what I just wrote and that there was nothing that I could really do about it, but to just be aware of the situation and take my time when going from exercise to rest (I figured that I would just forgo exercise all together, then it wouldn't be a problem).

So to sum up the situation; I got a physical, had tests taken, visited a specialist who gave me additional tests, then I had a followup with my regular doctor, all in the span of 2 weeks. Grand total costs: $500; the amount that I paid out of pocket: $110.


Let's take this same scenario and move ahead to 2028. Let's say Obama care was passed. First, I make an appointment to see doctor for physical...wait time 3 months. During physical, the doctor discovers irregular heart beat, schedules EKG, wait 2 months to get EKG. Schedule appointment for heart monitor to be hooked up ..2 months. Schedule appointment to see cardiologist....wait 5 months. Follow-up appointment, 3 weeks later. Total time to wait for diagnosis= 54 weeks.

In 2028, I will be 59 years old. Since, I will have only have 16 years of work left until I retire (assuming they move retirement age up to 75 to help pay for Social Security). The "Federal Heath Cost Control Panel" may find that as I near the end of my life that some of the tests that I took in 2008, are not as important as they as they would be for a 25 year old man.

The new Nutrition Guidelines (that were adopted in 2021) for Medical Care; states that because of my decision to not exercise and continue to eat cheeseburgers, that an additional cost will be levied on me, over the top of the regular visits costs as well as adding a mandatory 2 week wait time to have a physical.

The Federal Government also added the additional charges to every health care procedure as of 2025; the "medical professional recruitment surcharge". That being said, I realize how important it is to have a physical completed now, before I turned 60 years old, because the "Federal Age Requirements for Testing, go into effect, which would require me to get approval from the Federal Health Planning Board, and you know how long that can take.

After filling the required forms, I finally get to make an appointment. The day comes for my physical and I arrive at the B. Husein Obama Federal Medical Clinic. I see I only have a 5 hour wait time to see the doctor, I was feeling pretty fortunate. When I get into the doctor, they tell me that my condition, could be life threatening and I would have to fill out the "Request for Specialist (Heart) Form" and my case would be referred to the Cardiologist Diagnosis Planning Board to see if I meet the requirements to schedule an appointment to see the Cardiologist. I give up at this point realizing that because I already have a health classification of C- (because of my love of cheeseburgers) that seeing a specialist could be years down the road.

This is the thing I do not want to see...ever. Not in my America! Please join the fight to oppose this Federal takeover of our Health Care! Call your Representative Today...Yes it is a Saturday but call anyway!

Making laws like making sausage

Otto von Bismarck once said "Laws are like sausages, it is better not to see them being made." Recently we have been told that there are a couple of procedures that have "been done all them time" or "have been done for years". Yet strangely, nobody in the general public seems to have heard of these procedures. They are reconciliation and the Slaughter Rule.

Both are rules that the Congress has set for themselves in order to expedite the approval of legislation. I don't like that either party uses these types of rules. I have to wonder about an organization that can make the rules (or change the rules) for a situation in which they are the only participant. To me it seems like when we were children in the school yard, and if the game wasn't going our way we would say "That's not fair! Then invent some new rule that would favor you or your team.

It makes me wonder how many of these "hidden rules" exist. I will be spending some quality time studying these and other congressional rules. I don't like the idea that the Constitution can be "skirted" for the gains of a particular party or situation. I thought I would throw this video in in case you for got how a bill is supposed to become a law. I did not see "reconciliation or "Slaughter rule" in there anywhere....

James Madison's Birthday

How fitting that on the day of James Madison's (Father of the Constitution) birth that the Democrats are looking at ways to disassemble it with the use of the Slaughter Rule. This rule would essentially allow for the House of Representatives to "say" that a bill is passed (even though it has not) so they could pass the host of reconciliation amendments. This is a back door way to pass health care.

This rule violates the Constitution. In  Article 1, Section 7 it states: "...But in all such Cases the Votes of both Houses shall be determined by Yeas and Nays, and the Names of the Persons voting for and against the Bill shall be entered on the Journal of each House respectively."

Evidently the oath to defend the Constitution means nothing to lawmakers attempting this "Slaughter Rule".

James Madison Quote: "A popular government without popular information or the means of acquiring it, is but a prologue to a farce, or a tragedy, or perhaps both. "

Why is Alan Frumin important?

Alan Frumin is the Parliamentarian of the United States Senate. In 1935, the Senate actually did something correct. They made a full time position of Parliamentarian. The Parliamentarian's job is to advise the Presiding Officer on parliamentary procedure and on the Standing Rules of the Senate. 

In a nutshell,  Mr. Frumin's job is to advise Senate membership what's in their own rules. Rules like when a particular vote can take place and when it can not take place. When can you use Reconciliation or when you can not use Reconciliation.

Yesterday the Parlimentarian told the Senate that a Reconcilation bill has to make changes in a current law. The Health care bill is not law yet, so they cannot make a reconciliation bill until they actually pass the Senate version of the health care bill and President Obama signs it into law. So now the health care bill's status is all left up to the House of Representatives.  Our current Speaker of the House already wants members to vote yes on the Senate bill with the promise that we will fix it later. Everybody knows the fix will never happen.   Please contact your House member and tell them to vote NO on the health care bill. For those in  Colorado District 3 the phone numbers for John Salazar are:

Washington D.C. - (202)225-4761
Grand Junction - (970)245-7107
Pueblo - (719)543-8200
Alamosa - (719)587-5105
Durango - (970)259-1012

On a side note about the Parliamentarian of the Senate...

Have you ever noticed how there is usually one person that knows everything that is going on in an organization? These people are always in the background always ready with the information. No one knows there names, but without them the organization would be lost. They are the little nerdlings that help everything run. The Parliamentarian of the Senate is one of those people.

These "Radar O' Riley" (from the television show M*A*S*H) types often go unappreciated. You may never know how the "Radar" in your organization helped you but they did, so say tell your "Radar" thank you and buy them a cup of coffee, that goes a long way when you need help on that next form.

Pass Bill, then Read Bill

First our Congressmen don't read the bills, now they pass them so we can find out what is inside. What is this? Are we opening Christmas Winter Solstice presents? Are we looking for the prize in the cereal box?
Do these people really think we are that stupid? What a total farce this Congress has become.

A note to John Salazar...Do you really want to follow this crazy lady off the cliff?

Reconciliation (Nuclear Option)

This is a list of people that do not want to use reconciliation for passing legislation. These are the same people who want to use the same plan for passing Health Care...




Maybe it's time to explore making a Constitutional amendment to eliminate the whole reconciliation idea. I think our founders wanted it to be difficult for legislation to be passed through the Senate so actual debate could occur. With reconciliation we rush to spend money and pass frivolous laws. We need to take the time make and make the right choices. The Senate is the forum for people who live in states with smaller populations, why do we allow for Congress to rob these states of their Constitutional powers. This seems very questionable to me.

10th Amendment

The 10th Amendment to the Constitution reads....

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

The Jon Caldara of the Independence Institute of Golden has proposed a ballot question that would create a new Colorado Constitution Amendment that would allow for Coloradoians the right to "opt-out" of any federal health care plan that is approved.

Mr. Caldara said mandating all Americans to have health care insurance is a violation of states’ rights. That “The citizens can decide to speak up and say no to Obama care,” Caldara said. “Colorado is defending itself from an unfunded mandate from Washington, D.C.”

What a novel concept: using the Constitution when we draft legislation instead of some political agenda. I hope that this becomes a ballot measure in November, defiantly one that I can support.

Here is the link to the Independence Institute on Facebook: Defend-Colorado-from-ObamaCare Facebook page.

Nebraska People It's Your Turn to Shine

The Senate is now debating the health care bill and it seems to be that the one deciding vote will be from Ben Nelson, Senator from Nebraska. So I am pleading to my friends and family that live in Nebraska, Please contact Ben Nelson's office and tell him to NOT support this bill. THIS IS URGENT! They are voting on this bill Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. He might be more inclined to listen to his own constituents, than the general public. For everybody else, it wouldn't hurt to give your own Senator a call either, this bill must be stopped.

Here are the numbers to reach Ben Nelson....

Omaha
Tel: (402) 391-3411
Fax: (402) 391-4725
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Lincoln
Tel: (402) 441-4600
Fax: (402) 476-8753
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Washington, D.C.
Tel: 1-202-224-6551
Fax: 1-202-228-0012
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Scottsbluff
Tel: (308) 631-7614
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Kearney
Tel: (308) 293-5818
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South Sioux City
Tel: (402) 209-3595

Public Health Care the commercial

Hey John Salazar, how would you know?

Here is a video of our Representative supporting the health care bill, on the House floor today ....



My question to you, John Salazar, is how would you know what would help your district? You were to much of a coward to actually talk to your constituents and ask them what THEY wanted.

Oh I forgot Pelosi owns you. What did she give you for your support of the bill...I was just wondering.

Remember John, you work for us not your brothers boss, at least for now...

Message To John Salazar - Just say NO!

The House of Representatives is going to vote on the Nancy Pelosi health care bill as soon as Friday. The key to the passage of this vote is the Blue Dog Democrats, which our own (Colorado's third District) John Salazar, is a member.

I don't want you to bother Mr. Salazar, if any of these listed things are true:

If you want to wait in line for health care.
If you want the government to take over 1/6th of the economy.
If you want to be put on a waiting list to find a doctor.
If you you want higher taxes.
If you want DMV style health care service.
If you want your Medicare Advantage taken away.
If you want someone else to choose what is good for your families health.
If you want to pay a penalty for not choosing to buy what the government wants you to buy.
If you want the small business you work for to cut employees or close down completely.

If you don't want these things then please call Representative Salazar's office at:

Washington D.C.
202-225-4761
202-226-9669 (fax)

Grand Junction, Colorado
970-245-7107
970- 245-2194 (fax)

Pueblo, Colorado
719-543-8200
719-543-8204 (fax)

Durango, Colorado
970-259-1012
970-259-9467 (fax)

Alamosa, Colorado
719-587-5105
719-587-5137 (fax)

Just a note: I attempted to call the local office of John Salazar and nobody answered the phone and the answering machine was full (Quality service being preformed by our local elected official). I will keep trying....