Steve Everett's Blog

Nowruz: Obama extends an open hand to Iran... again

2010-03-20T06:57:52Z

I'm not a religious person but many in the world are. One verse in the Christian religious book says "blessed are the peacemakers". I too admire peacemakers.

In my opinion there is no greater peacemaker on earth at this time in history than American president Barack Obama. Since his presidency has began Obama has quietly worked to end American entanglement in Iraq. Obama is making one last push in Afghanistan and I believe he will bring Afghanistan to as successful conclusion as possible for America in the next few years.

Obama also continues to reach out to the cultural wealthy nation of Iran. I believe this is a wise action to take. Hopefully the good people of Iran will not allow this window of opportunity to join the nations of the world pass them by. If Iran ignores the Obama administration they are not likely to see another American administration in the next century that will be as welcoming.

Obama's Nowruz message to Iran:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2010/03/19/president-obamas-nowruz-message

While on the topic of peacemaking I believe that a global educational system offers the most hope of for accomplishing and sustaining world peace. If the children of Israel and Palestine are educated together they will likely grow up to be adults that can live together.

-----
cross posted to Steve Everett Blog .com and Daily Kos

Health insurance reform just a beginning in bringing down costs

2010-03-18T07:04:01Z

My oh my the debate is certainly hot and heavy now on the proposed health reform bill in Congress. Yes, if the bill is passed it will finally bring some long overdue oversight of the health insurance industry, but it will have only a very small effect on the total cost of health care in America which is now about 2.5 trillion dollars a year.

The bill is projected to bring down those costs by 3 to 4 percent. Why is oversight of skyrocketing insurance rates only going to have a very minor effect in bringing down cost? Because skyrocketing profits in the insurance industry is just a piece of the puzzle of annual double digits increases in health care costs.

You see, like it or not the primary cause of runaway increase in insurance premiums is not insurance company profits, it is the skyrocketing cost of the claims the insurance industry is being asked to pay. Physicians rates, hospital costs, drug costs and so on.

Yes, the insurance industry without oversight has been taking advantage of skyrocketing physician, hospital and drug costs in recent years to pad their profit margins but the overwhelming reason for the increase in premiums has been the exploding costs of the care being delivered. Addressing that problem must be the next task to take on and it should be addressed without delay.

So what can be done? I'm a big believer in competition and free enterprise as the most efficient way to bring down costs in any industry. But in my opinion free enterprise doesn't mean free from rules, free from laws and free from oversight any more than a free society means a society without laws and rules to live by.

I believe a few rules the health care industry should be required to live by is public disclosure of all cost of all procedures and care. Every physician and hospital in America should be required to post their cost online in a national database. That database should also allow for consumers to rate the quality of care they received. Anyone who has ever used ebay knows we can shop for best price and customer service on anything and everything. Americans should also be able to do the same when it comes to their health care.

I had the thought for health care comparative shopping before I read it anywhere else but just recently I ran across a blog post calling for just the same (link). I believe it can happen. Other than the industry being regulated who else would not be for being able to see the price of something before the purchase instead of after the purchase as is currently the case?

How would we feel if grocery stores would allowed to place their products on shelves and we just go pick up what we think we need or want and after we've gone through the checkout that's when we find out how much the price is?

-----
cross posted to Steve Everett Blog .com and Daily Kos

45,000 American lives hanging by a vote

2010-03-16T04:59:05Z

Soon the American Congress will likely get an opportunity to vote on health care reform. According to a study by Harvard Medical School (link) last fall 45,000 Americans die annually because of lack of health insurance.

With the upcoming vote in Congress the lives of 45,000 Americans annually are on the line. Over the next twenty years, assuming no future reform is enacted, there will be almost a million American lives in the balance with the health care reform vote in the next few days.

In effect a no vote will be a death sentence handed down by congress for a million Americans. Can any congressman who votes no actually sleep at night? If there is a congressman reading this who expects to vote no on heath insurance reform I'd be interesting in knowing how you expect to find a way to sleep at night with your vote causing a million Americans to spend their time in coffins in 20 years instead of spending time with their families and friends.

If the health reform vote fails will the stock prices of coffin manufacturers and mortuaries spike up the next day? Most businesses with the prospects of a million new customers and orders would see a nice jump in their share prices wouldn't they?

Do you think I could make a few dollars if I go ahead and buy a few shares in coffin manufactures before the vote? Well I probably should but this time I'm not.

This time I'm placing my bet on the majority of the members of the American Congress having at least a shred of morality within themselves and after almost a hundred years of talk finally voting, yes voting, for health care reform in America.

-- cross posted to Steve Everett Blog .com

AP reporting that BIN LADEN and AL QAEDA endorsing the REPUBLICAN health reform filibuster

2010-03-05T10:52:56Z

Political satire
--------------

Reports are breaking in Pakistani media that Osama Bin Laden and Al Qaeda will be releasing a tape later in the week endorsing and supporting the Mitch McConnell led Republican filibuster preventing health care for 40 million Americans.

According to northern Afghan sources a text of the video has already been passed along to Afghan and Pakistani political leaders.

In the Al Qaeda press release Osama Bin Laden is quoted saying, "We thank Allah that the holy people of Massachusetts elected Scott Brown to the Senate. Allah willing the Republicans will succeed with their filibuster which will cause the deaths of almost a million Americans over the next 20 years. Allahu Akbar and may the curse of Allah be upon all Democrats in America who wish to save American lives."

Again, the video has not yet been broadcast by the media and those who are saying they have seen the video say they cannot be 100% certain that the video is from Bin Laden and Al Qaeda.

This diary will be updated as more information on this breaking story is received.

------------------
Political satire

cross posted to SteveEverettBlog.com

Yes we did!

2009-11-06T05:29:45Z

One year ago the American voters chose hope over fear. Chose intelligence over mockery of intelligence. Chose a diplomacy-first foreign policy over a bomb-first and ask questions later foreign policy.

Chose a presidential candidate who told us, yes we can, instead of no we can't. One year later under the leadership of the current administration and support from many in Congress and in the private sector we can say, yes we did to many things.

Due to the passage of a strong recovery and economic stimulation package our economy has stabilized and avoided a second economic depression. Yes we did.

The current administration has kept it's promise on Iraq and is bringing and end to American entanglement there. Yes we did.

We can now look one another in the eye and know that we no longer live in a nation whose political leadership authorizes torture. Yes we did.

Under the leadership of the current administration health care reform is closer than ever. Solving health care is a tough problem but so was going to the moon, developing the atomic bomb, surviving a civil war and defeating the British to give birth to our nation. Most other industrialized nations have solved health care... and we can too. I suggest looking at the Singapore solution.

The Department of Justice has been restored to being the third branch of government and not the personal lawyers for the White House. Yes we did.

We now have an administration who believes in science. Who recognizes the importance of education especially in the critical areas such as math, science, engineering and technology. The 20th century was an American century. The 21st century does not have to be, but it can be and there will be nothing more important to our nation's success this century that the quality of our educational system. I would actually like to see the Department of Education renamed to the Department of Preparation with an emphasis on a much closer connection and association between the educational system and industry and the private sector.

Under the leadership of the current administration we now live in a nation that is once again admired and respected by the international community. We now live in a nation that has respect for international law and treaties. Yes we did.

We now live in a nation with an administration who believes in conserving and preserving our environment. Yes we did.

The next three years will continue to bring historical progress for America and hopefully the American voters will be wise enough on November 6th, 2012 to give give these guys another four years to continue to repair the widespread damage done to America from the Executive Branch from 2001 through 2008.

But for now we can look back over the past year and in so many areas say... YES WE DID!

-- cross posted to Steve Everett Blog .com

RepowerAmerica.org. Please be part of the solution, not part of the problem.

2009-11-03T07:30:21Z

We must realize and that we are not in an energy crisis we're in an energy opportunity. We would be in an energy crisis if there were no alternatives for fossil fuels. Fortunately there are multiple opportunities to replace fossil fuels. As the technologies advance it will become much cheaper (and cleaner) to produce energy by converting the sun, wind and waves into energy than by drilling thousands of feet underground to pump up the liquid remains of decomposed animals.

If you aren't already involved please visit
http://www.repoweramerica.org/

Clean and renewable energy is perhaps the biggest economic opportunity in human history.

cross posted to Steve Everett Blog .com

On the public option... the yeas have it.

2009-10-20T06:06:27Z

Fifty-two votes, that's what Senator Tom Harkin said yesterday is the number of "solid" votes in the Senate for a public option. That should be two more than needed. With a 50-50 tie I kind of have a hunch VP Biden would vote yea.

Surely, surely there is not one Democratic Senator in America that would vote to filibuster a vote on the upcoming health care bill. If there is even one Democratic Senator in America who will lock arms with Mitch McConnell and vote to block, to deny, to filibuster the representatives of the American citizens, our U.S. Senators, a floor vote on a health care bill that will save half a million American lives over the next ten years then let them stand up NOW and say who they are.

What Democratic Senator in America wants to look themselves in the mirror in ten years and know that Kevorkian may have assisted in the deaths of a hundred or so people who wanted to die but they themselves will have assisted in the deaths of half a million of Americans who wanted to live?

Who are you I ask? Stand up and tell us now or either commit to yourself that when the health care bill comes to the Senate floor that you may or may not vote for it but that you will not prevent your colleagues from doing what they were elected to do... voting on legislation. The filibuster has been abused by both sides of the isle many times in the recent decades. With half a million American lives in the balance, now is not the time to abuse it again.

-- cross posted to Steve Everett Blog .com and Daily Kos

Thank you Karen Ignagni & AHIP.org for defining exactly why a public option is a must

2009-10-13T06:18:04Z

If there was is anyone in Congress who was still on the fence on the public option surely they aren't now. No one could have made the case better that a public option must be included than the insurance industries themselves yesterday when they said that if the current health bill in the Senate passes that premiums will go up. They argue that premiums will have to go up in order to maintain their profits.

I'd just like to personally say thank you to Karen Ignagni over at AHIP.org for reinforcing to the American people that without a public option to keep the insurance companies in check that premiums will go up. Of course I think that most Americans already knew that without Ms Ignagni telling us again yesterday. But still, thanks again to Ignagni for telling us again.

I think we all know that the best way to cut costs of anything is to cut out as many middlemen as possible. I have believed and continue to believe that it's just a matter of time before we as a society finally realize that the insurance companies do nothing to help in providing health care in America except drive the cost up by them being one extra stop between and ill American and the American getting care.

I don't think it's a matter of if but a matter of when the last health insurance company in America exists. At least for basic care. There may continue to be a few that would provide insurance for some type of above and beyond premium cutting edge or experimental care but in the future about 95% of health care in America will not involve a private health insurance company.

Very simple. The government will collect the money needed for health care either through premiums or taxes or both and the single payer system will then be in effect and it will be that way for the rest of the life of our nation. We must not forget that this is not just a financial issue it is also a moral issue.

Let me just also add that health care costs can't be brought down simply by a better and more efficient system of collections and payments. Bringing down health care costs will also have to involve a renewed effort in America to have a healthier population. Programs and initiatives to encourage better fitness, better diets and less stressful lifestyles.

Yes, lowering health care costs I believe will be about a 50/50 effort with half going toward a better system of fixing and paying for sickness and half going toward initiatives of preventing sickness in the first place. But first things first, and right now that is a major reform of the health care system in America. I think it will happen. I think it's about to happen. It's the primary reason I donated about 20 hours a week to Obama's presidential campaign and I hope I'm not disappointed.

One more thing. I promise this is the last. It doesn't take 60 votes to get a public option. It merely takes 60 votes to end discussion on a pending bill. I have to believe that there has to be a handful of Senators who even they they may not vote for the public option they still will have the decency to not vote to prevent the bill going to a vote. When that happens we only need 51. Actually only 50 because I kind of have a hunch in the case of a tie that the public option can count on Joe Biden voting yea.

-- cross posted to Steve Everett Blog .com and Daily Kos

4000, 40,000 or 400,000, armies are not the answer for fighting international crime.

2009-10-09T06:59:19Z

There's a lot of debate going on lately after a top general in Afghanistan requested 40,000 more American troops to be moved there. That would probably help him accomplish what he wants and thinks should be accomplished. Eighty thousand would probably help him even more. I think it's the wrong approach.

I think it was and continues to be a mistake to use the American military to attempt to fight and respond to a crime of international hijacking and mass murder. The FBI and CIA in cooperation with other international law and intelligence agencies could have been used and should have been used to locate the 9/11 planners and preferably arrest, but if need be, kill them. Case closed.

What happens when a group of radicals in China send 19 to attack America? Do we send our armies into China?

What happens when a group of radicals in Russia send 19 to attack America? Do we send our armies into Russia?

What happens when a group of radicals in India send 19 to attack America? Do we send our armies into India?

If America politicians and citizens choose to continue to react to international crime by sending our military into the nations where the planning may have occurred then we're going to have one heck of a defense budget in our future and Afghanistan and Iraq will likely be just the beginning of us sending our young men and women into harms way into foreign nations in the 21st century.

What if a group of American radicals hijack and fly a plane into a downtown Beijing skyscraper? Does China then have a right to send its military to America to attempt to root out all potential threats to their homeland?

Hopefully the insanity will soon end. I believe the best, and possibly only hope, of this planet avoiding a horrendous unleashing of weapons in this century is the development of a strong and functioning international justice system to prosecute international crime and resolve international disputes. I believe it can be done. I believe it must be done.

John Kennedy said, "The world is very different now. For man holds in his mortal hands the power to abolish all forms of human poverty, and all forms of human life."

With a robust, adequate and enforceable international justice system to resolve international disputes we could avoid Kennedy's concern over the abolishment of human life. International armies would no longer be needed and with the money saved from that we could also accomplish Kennedy's hope of ending poverty.

-- cross posted to Steve Everett Blog .com and Daily Kos

We know who Mitch McConnell is fighting against. But just who is he fighting for?

2009-10-07T07:03:51Z

We know who Mitch McConnell is fighting against. But just who is he fighting for?

We know McConnell is fighting against the 50 million Americans who don't have health insurance. We know McConnell is fighting against, by my estimate, and additional 40 or 50 million Americans who are either under-insured or have counterfeit insurance. That is insurance they think they have until they file a claim and get the news that, sorry, that procedure is not covered. Didn't you read the fine print?

So who, who is Mitch McConnell fighting for? It is widely reported that McConnell has received over $3 million dollars from health industry interests, more than any other U.S. Senator.

If that's who Mitch McConnell is fighting for then it appears they picked the right politician to rent because McConnell is surely putting up one "heckuva" fight, to borrow a complimentary adjective from a previous administration.

But can McConnell last 15 rounds going toe to toe with Obama on the issue of health care repair? I doubt it. I don't expect him to throw in the towel but I expect this political battle will leave McConnell, politically speaking, with a bloody nose, swollen eye and staggering back to his corner.

I have a hunch if real health care reform passes then a large percentage of the millions of Kentuckians who will then be able to buy an honest health insurance policy will remember who was for reform... and who was against, when they enter the voting booths next November and for the next several elections to come.

-- cross posted to Steve Everett Blog .com and Daily Kos

Time to get out of Afghanistan... and Germany, Korea, Japan, Italy, Britain, Turkey, Bahrain...

2009-09-17T05:32:16Z

President Obama, bring our troops (citizens) home. What need -- or right -- does our nation have in having a military presence in over 100 countries around the globe? Iraq 140,000; Afghanistan 45,000; Germany 57,000; South Korea 27,000; Japan 32,000; Italy 10,000; Britain 9000; Bahrain 1500; and so on.

How would Americans feel if there were a military presence of over 100 nations from around the world in our country? Flying their planes over our homes?

America's infrastructure is crumbling, our debt climbing. Our education system is failing our youth in many critical areas such as math, science and engineering. A side effect of cancer or getting sick in America is bankruptcy. In other words we have plenty that needs to be done here rather than sending our citizens out on global patrol that isn't wanted, isn't needed and isn't appreciated.

So President Obama if you have four years or eight years, before you leave office, as commander-in-chief please bring ALL Americans troops back to American soil. We don't want foreign troops on our soil, and other nations across the globe don't want foreign troops on their lands. We can't afford to continue this policy and I believe in the ethics of reciprocity, the golden rule, and I believe this policy is contrary to that.

We, as a nation, have allowed this policy of a global military presence to continue year after year because we can, not because we it's right. It's now time to get it right, not just out of respect for other nations on earth, but for our own good. The enormous amount of taxpayer money saved would benefit Americans much more if spent right in the U.S.A.

-- cross posted to Steve Everett Blog .com

Mitch McConnell... do SOMETHING or get off the pot.

2009-09-10T05:48:47Z

Since the Democratic takeover of the Senate in 2006 the senior senator from the great commonwealth of Kentucky has done one thing for the people of Kentucky and the nation. That one thing he has done is NOTHING. Mitchie has done NOTHING except break the Senate record for filibusters.

Senator Mitchie, how about doing SOMETHING or get out of the way of progress in America. If Kentucky would have had a strong Democratic candidate for the Senate in 2008 then Senator Mitchie, despite being the most bought and paid for Senator in American history, would have still been thrown out of the Senate.

But Mitchie is still there. Filibuster McConnell is still there. Kentucky deserves better. America deserves better. Senator Mitchie and his pack continue to do anything and everything possible to deny President Obama's effort to finally implement a moral health care system in America.

Senator McConnell and his band of merry men continue to say no to any type of health care reform despite the fact that the current system will bankrupt America in the not too distant future. They eagerly spent a trillion dollars on Iraq which wasn't on the books. Why are they now howling when Obama wants to spend a trillion on America, which he will pay for and not just pass the cost along to the next administration like the last crew did.

Senator McConnell and his throng continue to say no to any type of health care reform despite the fact that the current system is unnecessarily allowing the deaths of many Americans by the day. If it were not for long ago written Congressional voting protections would they not legally be guilty of criminally negligent manslaughter which occurs when a death is cause by negligence, willful blindness or omission to act?

So McConnell, do your state a favor, your nation a favor. Get busy doing SOMETHING.... OR GET OFF THE POT!

-- cross posted to Steve Everett Blog .com

Obama: Stabilize economy (check). Begin bringing Iraq War to an end (check). Up next, real progress in the Middle East?

2009-08-26T04:49:36Z

Barack Obama has been in office now for about seven months. Not a bad start in my opinion. He came into office as we all know facing probably the most wide range of problems and mess that have ever been left over from a previous presidency.

Due to actions taken by Obama, Congress and the private sector the worst of the economic uncertainties seem to be behind us. Long term economic recovery and prosperity will still be up to whether or not the private sector in America can continue to innovate as it did in the twentieth century.

I agree with Obama when he often says that the nation that leads the world economically in the twenty-first century will be the nation that is first to innovate in clean energy and green technologies. The nations that lead in that, and other areas such as bio genetic engineering, those will indeed be the nations whose economies flourish over the next decades.

So... let's take a look at the Obama Presidency so far. I'd say great job on the economy. I'd say good job on taking steps to finally end American military involvement in Iraq. What's next? Could it be... real progress for easing Israeli/Palestinians relations? This has been talked about for how long? Reports are out in the past few hours from The Guardian in the U.K. that Obama may be on the "brink" of a deal in the Middle East.

Even if he fails on health care, which personally for me is a top issue, if he makes a Mideast deal that would significantly improve the lives and safety for both Israelis and Palestinians then the economy (1) Iraq (2) and the Middle East (3) would appear to me to give Obama a fantastic trifecta in the first year of his presidency.

If he can also lead the way for real and substantial health care reform in America, which I think he will do next month, then that could give Obama a year that what will be considered by many political pundits now and in the future one of the most successful years for any American president in the history of our nation.

-- cross posted to Steve Everett Blog .com

America ignored Obama on Iraq. Will we ignore him on health care?

2009-08-23T07:34:14Z

In late 2002 when much of the nation favored a military invasion of Iraq a state senator in Illinois tried to warn America of what was likely to happen. America didn't listen.

Some said the war would cost no more than $50 billion. Some estimates now have the long range costs at $3 TRILLION. Some said the war would be a cakewalk.

What did Obama say in 2002?

Barack Obama on October 2nd, 2002:

"I don't oppose all wars. And I know that in this crowd today, there is no shortage of patriots, or of patriotism. What I am opposed to is a dumb war. What I am opposed to is a rash war. What I am opposed to is the cynical attempt by Richard Perle and Paul Wolfowitz and other arm-chair, weekend warriors in this Administration to shove their own ideological agendas down our throats, irrespective of the costs in lives lost and in hardships borne.

What I am opposed to is the attempt by political hacks like Karl Rove to distract us from a rise in the uninsured, a rise in the poverty rate, a drop in the median income -- to distract us from corporate scandals and a stock market that has just gone through the worst month since the Great Depression.

That's what I'm opposed to. A dumb war. A rash war. A war based not on reason but on passion, not on principle but on politics.

I know that Saddam poses no imminent and direct threat to the United States, or to his neighbors, that the Iraqi economy is in shambles, that the Iraqi military a fraction of its former strength, and that in concert with the international community he can be contained until, in the way of all petty dictators, he falls away into the dustbin of history.

I know that even a successful war against Iraq will require a US occupation of undetermined length, at undetermined cost, with undetermined consequences. I know that an invasion of Iraq without a clear rationale and without strong international support will only fan the flames of the Middle East, and encourage the worst, rather than best, impulses of the Arab world, and strengthen the recruitment arm of al-Qaeda.

So for those of us who seek a more just and secure world for our children, let us send a clear message to the president today. You want a fight, President Bush? Let's finish the fight with Bin Laden and al-Qaeda, through effective, coordinated intelligence, and a shutting down of the financial networks that support terrorism, and a homeland security program that involves more than color-coded warnings.

You want a fight, President Bush? Let's fight to make sure our so-called allies in the Middle East, the Saudis and the Egyptians, stop oppressing their own people, and suppressing dissent, and tolerating corruption and inequality, and mismanaging their economies so that their youth grow up without education, without prospects, without hope, the ready recruits of terrorist cells.
You want a fight, President Bush? Let's fight to wean ourselves off Middle East oil, through an energy policy that doesn't simply serve the interests of Exxon and Mobil.
The consequences of war are dire, the sacrifices immeasurable. We may have occasion in our lifetime to once again rise up in defense of our freedom, and pay the wages of war. But we ought not -- we will not -- travel down that hellish path blindly."

Yes, so much of what Obama warned about and predicted unfortunately came true. If only America had of listed to him then.

Obama now predicts that without reform the cost of health care in America will in not too many years ahead, overtake our entire national budget. Will America listen this time or ignore Obama once again? If we as a nation choose to ignore him again we can only hope that this time he is wrong.

I guess the choice basically comes down to on health care is will we as a nation listen to the politicians and predictors who have been wrong time and time again over the past several years or will we as a nation listen to those whose predictions have been correct? It would seem to be an easy choice wouldn't it?

-- cross posted to Steve Everett Blog .com

Reducing health care costs? Eliminate the middle man.

2009-07-23T07:13:20Z

As President Obama pushes harder and harder to finally bring affordable health insurance to all Americans the fatcats who are making billions are pushing back equally as hard. Who will win the tug of war? I hope (and believe) that this time the winner will be health care that will be affordable for all Americans.

There are many ideas floating around and legislation has also recently been passed in the House. I believe the easiest, best and fairest way to bring about health care reform is to reform the basic fundamentals of the system. One of the biggest, most profitable and unnecessary component in the current system is a highly profitable middle man, the health insurance industry. This industry IS NOT needed and is the single biggest cause of skyrocketing costs and immoral denials of coverage. The billions saved annually, along with other proposals, would likely be enough to make basic coverage affordable for all Americans.

This would leave us with a much simpler, efficient and less expensive single payer system. The government could operate the collection of premiums and payment of claims or with government oversight this could be done in the private sector with a nationwide non-profit coop or exchange. If delivering a postal letter is important enough for the U.S. government to be involved with then making life saving health care affordable for all Americans should also be important enough for government involvement.

A few other random thoughts I have on health care:

Physicians who test to see if a surgery is necessary and the physician who does the surgery must not continue to be the same person. There is TOO much conflict of interest in this situation.

Actually future health care will likely need to be a three step process with three types of physicians involved. One who focuses on prevention and determines if and what tests should be performed. One who performs the tests and the physician who does the surgery or needed corrective procedure.

(1) Dr. Prevention, who would work with their patients to prevent medical problems. Probably Dr. Preventions will more and more rely on genetic testing and genetic analysis along with traditional preventative procedures.

(2) Dr. Tester, who would receive patients referred from prevention specialists. They would be licensed to ONLY see patients referred from prevention specialists who suspect a medical problem. That would reduce the overall cost of medical care by drastically reducing the number of unnecessary tests.

(3) Dr. Surgery, who would do the corrective procedures and who would only be allowed and licensed to do surgery on patients referred by testing physicians.

Using this three level system of care would enormously reduce the number of unnecessary testing and surgeries thereby greatly reducing the overall cost of health care in America.

Back to the health insurance industry for a minute. No, I haven't changed my mind, the industry should be eliminated and done so as soon as possible. This will be an enormous savings to the citizens of our nation. The nation as a whole however should not just throw these health industry employees to the curb. A portion of the savings should be allocated for transitional financial support as their current jobs are phased out and for retraining and doing what needs to be done to get as many of the former employees new jobs.

Health care in America can be improved. It must be improved or at it's current trajectory it will in years to come cause financial ruin in America. I think it's time. I think the right person is at 1600 Penn Avenue and I think major health care reform in America is just around the corner.

I used to be a regular blogger but not so much anymore. On Tuesday President Obama asked for bloggers to get involved in the push for reform. Mr. Obama, I hope I have now done my part... and in the coming weeks I know you will. Good luck Barack. I know you will never forget what your mother experienced in her final months and I believe that, along with your incredible intelligence will be enough to get a moral health care system for America so that fewer and fewer future mothers will have similar experiences.

-- cross posted to SteveEverettBlog.com, DailyKos and various other media outlets.