Sunday, November 9, 2008
The basic necessities.
Programs that benefit ordinary folks. Like universal health care. That's what I'm looking for out of the Obama Administration and the Democratic Congress. Yes, programs that provide the basic necessities of life. Even in bad economic times. Yes, I want people who aren't rich to have what it takes to survive. To make ends meet. I want our nation's wealth to be spread around. To serve the common good. Let's start defining the basic necessities. Probably, that should include a decent education. For everyone. Guaranteed. I heard a startling statistic today. That we spend three times more incarcerating a prisoner than we spend on educating a student. Shameful, isn't it? We put more people in prison than most nations. Maybe if we spent more on education we'd see a drop in the prison population. Also, we'd have more money to spend on the basic necessities if we found an alternative to costly, idiotic wars. --Jim Broede
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3 comments:
Jim---Everyone has different ideas over what a 'basic necessity' is. If people had to live with what I considered basic necessities, they would probably think that they were dwelling in a 3rd world country.
Most would consider education one of them. Some would consider a high school education as satisfying the definition of a basic necessity. Others would say that a college education would fit the bill. Still others would say that a degree from an Ivy League college is about as basic an education as they would be willing to settle for.
We live in an age of mass marketing. Houses are getting bigger. A house is often not considered a home unless it has a separate bedroom for each unmarried individual,is equipped with a few TV sets (connected to Direct TV instead of rabbit ears), and at least 1 computer (preferably a lap-top) with DSL service. Food frequently comes out of boxes and single serve packs, instead of being prepared from scratch in a kitchen and enjoyed with the entire family. Water (unless it is in a labeled bottle) is something to wash-up in instead of a beverage accompanying a meal. Simple things like a single land line telephone for an entire family have been replaced by cell phones for most family members.
Maybe the people of the US need to lower their 'material' expectations...Spend a little less time chasing after the brass ring and a bit more time being thankful for what they have.
Let's just serve everything to everybody on a silver platter. Let's just make the U.S.A. a lazy, fat, mindless nation, that cannot sneeze, unless they ask permission on which way to turn their head.
Sorry, this will not work.
#1. We(I) cannot afford it. Those who abscond paying taxes now, would continue to do so, thereby not helping to fund this. Those who can afford it, will pay "under the table" to get their medical care, ahead of everyone else.
#2. We would be looking at say, hospitals that set compound fractures only on Thursdays. Sorry, come back tomorrow, or next week.
#3. Medical care would be rationed and prioritized.
#4. Private health care would be available only to the very well off. Rates of current private insurance would sky rocket.
#5.NO malpractice suits allowed. Sorry.
#6. Time is precious in the USA, and we do not have time to sit all day, or longer, waiting to see a doctor.
#7. You never "have" a doctor.
#8. It is NOT just elective surgery that has to be waited for. Non-life -threatening injuries or surgeries are put on the back burner. You could be crippled by a back injury, before you get the needed surgery.
#9. We will no longer have CHOICE. All decisions will be made by the Government. I do not trust the Government to be able to make these decisions for over 300,000,000 people.
#10. What doctor is going to want to give up their private practice, for a much lower-paying Government job, where all of THEIR decisions are made by the Government? .Imagine specialists, having to say, treat flu-like symptoms day to day. Doctors who now treat medicaid patients supplement their practice with private pay patients.
Other healthcare workers, nurses, etc., would probably make twice as much, working in the private sector.
#11. End of life decisions would be made by the Government, not Families, or Loved Ones.
#12. In some countries with National health care, it is ILLEGAL to seek private care.
#13. Citizens in National healthcare states, come to the US for healthcare, because there can be such a long wait to get critical, but not lifesaving treatment. “Around the world, government-run health care systems often mean long wait-lines, a diminished quality of care and denial of life-saving treatments.”
I DO think the Government needs to fix the current system. They need to eliminate the gap between those who can afford health insurance, and those who are dependent on Government programs. We need to eliminate those workers who have no $$ for health care, yet make too much money for medicaid.
We need to make sure that NO ONE that is not entitled, is allowed to use our system, without taking the time and effort to become legalized citizens.
Health care needs to be made more AFFORDABLE. Benefits need to be regulated, so we are not paying up the wazoo for insurance, and are denied certain coverage. Prescription medication needs to be less costly. My insurance company just paid $448 to have a TEST READ! The costs charged are outrageous! My Hubby was in the ER, and our insurance co. tried to charge for a PRIVATE ROOM! Insurance companies should be punished for these types of things.
I have no problem whatsoever, in helping those who are needy, children, the elderly, etc., but I do not want to help provide EVERYBODY with healthcare.
Put the Government policies and departments behind eliminating waste and fraud. Put more energy behind letting citizens KNOW what they are entitled to.
Let's concentrate on giving hand-ups, instead of hand-outs.
As for education, for goodness sake, do you know how many scholarships are available to students that actually LOOK for them, and apply themselves?? THOUSANDS!! For many, many of them, they simply have to write an essay. They need to PROVE THEMSELVES WORTHY of a hand-out. My Niece will be eligible for 23 scholarships next year, at the beginning of her second year in a Dental Hygienist program. She is a single Mother of three young children, and a psychotic ex-husband(who refuses to pay his court-ordered child support amounts), who is putting HERSELF through school fulltime. She is not able to work for 2 years, because of her school schedule, so the entire Family is helping them out. NOT the Government. She received a cash award for writing an essay on single parents trying to put themselves through school, to help pay for her first two years, and was able to work 2 part time jobs then.
Parents need to become more involved with their children's education. They need to stop expecting the "system" to do THEIR jobs. They need to impress upon them hoe important an education is.
Again, like medical care, I have no problem helping those who are indeed needy.
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