The GOP are trying to make hay over the problems with the Cash for Clunkers program.  Claiming that it's a prime example of how 'government' handles things, imagine what they would do with health care, they say.

Yes, let's look at the way government has handled health care.  Let's look at how they've handled federal and state workers health care and pensions.  Let's look at how they've handled our military's health care with the Veterans Administration.  Let's look how they've handled medicare and social security for centuries.

Gosh folks, who hasn't started up a new project at their work place only to find they've made a few mistakes along the way?  I can't tell you the amount of errors that were found during past conversions at my place of business or at past employments.

What the GOP, along with the media, seem to ignore is -- the GOOD that has come from this one particular project.  Thousands of newer, more energy efficient cars are now on the road, and thousands more will soon be. 

Thousands of car dealers are actually getting some business for a change instead of sitting at their little service desk in a chair with their feet on that desk, waiting and hoping for a customer to walk in. 

This helps the economy people -- that is in it's worse shape since the Great Depression.

I've said all along that this kind of deal for several items that are expensive and that use energy (refrigerators, stoves, furnaces, air conditioners, new roofs and windows) would not only create jobs it would help our environment and save on our energy bills.

What do Republicans think?  They think it's a poorly ran program (just like the Medicare and Social Security programs)....ignoring that 'anything' can be 'fixed' and should be, especially if it's 'helping' the economy, our seniors and disabled and our beautiful earth.

This reaction by the GOP should be used as an example of the way Republicans handle things.  Instead of trying to fix a problem, they junk it.

July 31 (Bloomberg) -- The first 12 months of the U.S. recession saw the economy shrink more than twice as much as previously estimated, reflecting even bigger declines in consumer spending and housing, revised figures showed.

The world's largest economy contracted 1.9 percent from the fourth quarter of 2007 to the last three months of 2008, compared with the 0.8 percent drop previously on the books, the Commerce Department said today in Washington.

"The current downturn beginning in 2008 is more pronounced," Steven Landefeld, director of the Commerce Department's Bureau of Economic Analysis, said in a press briefing this week...

Spending:

Consumer spending, which accounts for 70 percent of the economy, decreased 1.8 percent in last year's fourth quarter from the same period in 2007, exceeding the prior estimate of a 1.5 percent drop. Purchases also began sinking sooner than previously projected, registering their first decline at the start of 2008 rather than in the second half.

Recession Start:

The National Bureau of Economic Research, the accepted arbiter of U.S. business cycles, last year determined the recession started in December 2007...

Over the most recent period, the third quarter of 2008 underwent one of the biggest changes, going from a 0.5 percent decrease in gross domestic product to a 2.7 percent drop...

The deeper deterioration last year underscores why Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke and his colleagues at the central bank cut the benchmark rate to a record low and extended credit to non-banks for the first time since the 1930s.

The new GDP data also help explain why the unemployment rate shot up 2.3 percentage points last year, the biggest annual jump since 1982...

2001 Recession Milder:

The revisions showed that the 2001 recession was less severe than originally estimated, reflecting a smaller decline in business investment. The economy actually grew 0.1 percent from the fourth quarter of 2000 to the third quarter of 2001, erasing the 0.2 percent drop previously reported. ..

In my humble opinion this goes to show Americans just what kind of mess President Obama and the Democratic Party took on January 20, 2009.  It was much worse than what the Bush administration was letting Americans know about.

As for the recession of 2001, as first reported, it started in 2001 - NOT in 2000 as the Bush people would have you believe, and -- it was much milder than they were making it out to be.

This story in my view, just proves that the Bush administration lied to the American people from day one of taking office.

Awhile back it was reported that VP Dick Cheney wanted to hide from Congress a plan to assassinate high-ranking members of al Qaeda.  The action itself wasn't the story, it was that he hid the information from Congress. 

Soon after that, another story came out about six Yemeni-American men living just outside Buffalo suspected of having al-Qaida ties that were going to be arrested by the FBI back in 2002, but before they did, Vice President Dick Cheney wanted to have the U.S. military detain and hold the men as enemy combatants, denying them the legal process afforded accused Americans.

Since those two stories were reported, former vice president Dick Cheney has been surprisingly absent from the media scene.  I wonder why?  Where is he?  Why isn't he out defending himself like before?  Oh sure, his daughter came out for a bit; but not him, why?  Could it be that he has no 'comeback' or 'wise crack' to the media? 

Is he guilty of hiding facts from Congress?  Is he also guilty of wanting to use troops  to apprehend al Qaeda suspects which would have been the first time since the Civil War that active-duty troops were used without statutory authority in a law enforcement capacity on American soil?

Why isn't the media hounding this man for answers to these questions?  Will the U.S. Attorney General do anything about these accusations?  Will he do anything about any of the allegations about the previous administration?

Seems odd how the media will spend days, even weeks discussing an 'opinion' made by the president about an illegal arrest of a professor from inside his own home; but they can't spend any time looking into allegations of illegality by the Vice President of these United States.

Obama he will unveil the following, eight-part message, designed to convince the insurance masses that reform will be good for them:

* No Discrimination for Pre-Existing Conditions: Insurance companies will be prohibited from refusing you coverage because of your medical history.

* No Exorbitant Out-of-Pocket Expenses, Deductibles or Co-Pays: Insurance companies will have to abide by yearly caps on how much they can charge for out-of-pocket expenses.

* No Cost-Sharing for Preventive Care: Insurance companies must fully cover, without charge, regular checkups and tests that help you prevent illness, such as mammograms or eye and foot exams for diabetics.

* No Dropping of Coverage for Seriously Ill: Insurance companies will be prohibited from dropping or watering down insurance coverage for those who become seriously ill.

* No Gender Discrimination: Insurance companies will be prohibited from charging you more because of your gender.

* No Annual or Lifetime Caps on Coverage: Insurance companies will be prevented from placing annual or lifetime caps on the coverage you receive.

* Extended Coverage for Young Adults: Children would continue to be eligible for family coverage through the age of 26.

* Guaranteed Insurance Renewal: Insurance companies will be required to renew any policy as long as the policyholder pays their premium in full. Insurance companies won't be allowed to refuse renewal because someone became sick.

While I agree that all these points are good to know about and have, however, they don't tell me the downside.  There's always a downside to reform of any kind.  What's going to be take away or allowed?

There's nothing in here that says the Doctor and the Patient will make the decisions about the health care given -- not some group of so-called experts, whether they be from insurance companies or the medical profession.  Wouldn't that be one good reason to support this plan?  Why isn't it mentioned?  Could it be because that will not be the case.

Will patients that are obese, that smoke or drink alcohol, drive race cars, fly airplanes, work with dangerous chemicals, do construction on tall buildings, etc... be forced to pay more for their insurance based on their lifesyle?  Who decides that?

Will the insurance companies and/or health reform plan that currently offers prescription drug coverage force customers into the Bush prescription drug program instead?  In other words, will health, dental, vision and hearing(?) be included in one plan or split up into individual plans?

So many questions, very few answers.

I don't even know if this is possible but perhaps it's time for a VOTE OF NO CONFIDENCE of Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Majority Leader Harry Reid.

They just can't get anything done without begging for help or bowing down to to those in their own Party or those in the other Party.

That's one thing you can say about the Republican's leadership, they got things DONE and didn't beg for anything.

The Speaker and Majority Leader have caved in almost every major bill that's been passed over the past 9 years.  They caved on the war bills, on the stimulus bill, on the budget and now they are doing it again with health care.  What good are they as leaders? 

Vote of no confidence is needed ASAP!

Patient's Reform Bill

Imagine having the government tell you that you will now have more choices for affordable health care plans and that insurance companies cannot turn you down for pre-existing conditions and your insurance will follow you where ever you move to or even if you lose your job.  Imagine being told that you can keep your existing plan with your employer if you would like to.  Add to those the idea of having a non-profit cooperative to sell insurance in competition with private industry, rather than giving the federal government a role in the marketplace.  This keeps insurance companies honest, they say.

To top that off, the bill will be preventive care oriented and eliminate wasted testing and make the medical profession abide by set rules set by so-called experts on what should or should not be done to keep their patients healthy.

Wow, what else could a person ask for huh?

Now, let's look at these options in the mindset of the insurance company, pharmaceutical company and the medical profession.  Why are they seemingly so supportive of this plan?

Could it be that the insurance agencies are 100% behind the idea of not turning a patient away for pre-existing conditions, or stopping an insurance plan if you move or lose your job -- because by the time this plan is in full force, they will have 47 million more customers to help foot the bill for those 'special' customers?

Could the medical profession be behind this bill 100% because they can now claim they have to follow the 'rules' and can't do anymore testing or scans of their own?  Could it be that now it's up to the patient to stay healthy or else be refused care or be 'charged' more for that care?

Who exactly will this non-profit cooperative be?  Who will control it?  Will it be representatives of the insurance and medical profession?  And exactly who will benefit by 'their' decisions; Insurance and the medical profession of course.

This health care reform bill is turning out to be just a big farce; giving the insurance and medical profession more business and therefore more money, and giving patient's less.  It's a Patient's Reform Bill.

Remember the Prescription Drug bill that was passed during the Bush years?  Well, it started out as a big win for seniors.  I admit that in the first year it was a benefit for most of them; however, did you know that the premiums have almost doubled since that time.  Guess who benefited 'the most' from all seniors being signing up for those new "affordable prescription drug plans"?

Have you seen the latest commercial where a young girl is reading from a can of chef Boyardee that says it contains 'vegetables', and the girl asks her mother "what does VEGETABLE spell mommy?  And the mom thinks to herself (something like), "how can I lie to my child, mom's don't lie, and get her to eat what's good for her too?"  Well guess what, I think mom's lying to us about what's really in this so called reform bill.

I challenge anyone to tell me how this health care reform bill is actually going to benefit the patients and consumers?  In the beginning I thought along with everybody else that by getting everybody paying a portion of their own health care would save the rest of us on our plans - but will it really; who's paying for those subsidized customers that still can't afford their own coverage; we the taxpayer.  Who's paying for those that just refuse to get covered?

Now we're not even going to require companies to offer health care?  Who benefits from that?  Business of course.  Talk about giving the GOP what they want!

Do you really think we will be getting 'more' and 'better' care?  Will we really save money?  Show me where you get your facts on this please.  I 'need' to see something in writing proving we will save money and get as good of care or better.  I'd also like to see where the insurance, businesses and medical profession are hurting or even taking a hit in all this?

WASHINGTON -- After weeks of secretive talks, a bipartisan group in the Senate edged closer Monday to a health care compromise that omits a requirement for businesses to offer coverage to their workers and lacks a government insurance option that President Barack Obama favors, according to numerous officials...

You know I'm a strong supporter of President Barack Obama, I've backed him since the day he announced he would run for President; but I sure am getting sick and tired of him BACKING DOWN to those that are fighting his agenda, that includes Democrats as well as Republicans.

He and the Democrat's have done nothing but CAVE into these people hoping to gain a few votes and what do they get for it?  Half ass bills.

So now we're not even going to require that businesses offer coverage of health care?  And we're not going to have a public option to keep private companies honest?

Exactly what WILL this this bill do BESIDES give insurance companies MORE business and give the medical profession less to do by requiring more from the patient instead.

I'm beginning to think I had false HOPE for this President and the Democratic Party.

Just as the Patient's Bill of Rights bill ended up hurting patients, this Health Care Reform Bill....is sounding more and more like a Patient's Reform Bill.

President Barack Obama, if you plan on keeping your position and keeping the Democrats in power, you'd best be standing up and DEMANDING something for the PATIENTS instead of taking care of the insurance and medical professionals -- and SOON.

There are some out there still investigating whether President Obama is a national born citizen or not, and there are others going so far as asking those in Congress if they agree with the 'birthers' or not:

Blogger-activist Mike Stark has been staking out Capitol Hill recently, trying to get Republican congressmen on the record about whether or not they believe President Obama was born in the United States. Only a couple of GOP congressmen were willing to state without reservation that Obama is the legal and constitutional President of the United States. Many others said they "think there are questions" and would "like to see the documents." Rep. Tom Price (R-GA) began running away from Stark -- literally -- to avoid answering the question. Another congressman avoided Stark by hiding in a book store and pretending to look at pens.

Here's a another question someone should investigate.  Out of all the Republicans and Democrats currently in office in each State, and I mean clear down to our local mayors, how many have produced their birth certificates to prove where they were and when they were born?  Perhaps someone should begin digging that information up?

Another point to make is this, if you and your husband or wife go overseas and have a baby, is that baby a natural born citizen of America?  Can they run for president or even Senator?  I know the answer, do you?

WASHINGTON -- The feds are spending tens of millions of stimulus dollars to repair and build toilets across the nation, in an outflow of taxpayer funds that critics have branded "potty pork."

From humble sylvan outhouses to "historic" restrooms, cash from the $787 billion stimulus is going to spruce up or completely replace aging toilets, government releases show.

In New Mexico alone, the feds are spending $2.8 million for toilets in national forests.

Ok I agree, this name 'Potty Pork' is a bit funny.  I even grinned when I read it.  However folks, anybody that's ever visited a park or forest knows having a working toilet is a necessity,  and the people that are building those toilets, transporting those toilets and installing them is making money doing so.  They have a job. 

While to some it might be a 'crappy' job, it's food on the table and rent money for those doing the job.

I think those people complaining about spending money on these sort of things should be ashamed of themselves for wanting to deny the workers their jobs.

Cash for Clunkers Program

The Cash for Clunkers program started on July 1st.  If you've got a car that gets a combined gas mileage of 18 mpg or less you can cash in on this offer.

The Car Allowance Rebate System, informally called "Cash for Clunkers," was passed by Congress in June to help jump-start struggling auto sales and to improve the environment.

Information about the program is available at www.cars.gov...

Here's how it works: If you own a 1984 or newer vehicle that has been insured and registered to you for the past year and gets a "combined" 18 miles to the gallon or less, you can qualify. The car must also be drivable.

If you trade it in for a car that gets an additional four more miles per gallon or more, your reward is a $3,500 voucher, which can be used toward purchasing a new car.

If you switch to a vehicle that gets 10 miles-per-gallon or more in fuel efficiency, then the government gives you $4,500...

Chrysler Group LLC announced Wednesday it would match the government's incentive program for most of its 2009 Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep models. The automaker will offer consumers an additional $3,500 to $4,500 rebate or zero precent financing on top of the money they will already receive from the federal government.

My car doesn't qualify for this option but I sure wish it did.  Imagine buying a new Chrysler, Dodge or Jeep and getting up to $9000 ($4500 for cash for clunker program plus $4500 from Chrysler Group) off the sticker price up front.  That is a DEAL if I ever saw one.

I said something the other day on my own website that now I'm not sure was a statement of fact.  I'd like to know if any of you know the facts.

As for those that are trying to do reform, I'm trying to keep in mind that these people making these decisions about a new health care reform bill will 'also' be facing changes with their own families health care.  This reform doesn't just change the private sector of our nation, it covers government's health care plans too.  It effects some of these Representative's and Senator's moms and dads, brothers and sisters too.

Is it true that those working for the federal government will also face different plans and rules when it comes to their own health care?

I know President Obama claims that we will be able to keep our own plans if we want them; but I also know that unless our employers follow the new rules, things could change.  Does this include the Federal Government's health insurance offer?

The part about the representative's and senator's brothers and sisters, moms and dads 'is' true however.