This Blog is created to stress the importance of Peace as an environmental directive. “I never give them hell. I just tell the truth and they think it’s hell.” – Harry Truman
(I receive no compensation from any entry on this blog.)
It is going to take some time to 'right' it again. One has to believe that the world wants peace. If one doesn't believe other nations are sincere, there can be a door left open to debate about the Nobel Peace Prize.
I know the world wants peace. I am confident the world wants peace. How? Easy.
The United States and Russia have been moving toward this venue of peaceful coexistance for quite some time now. It has been difficult through the years of The Cold War to stop both the USSR and the USA from posturing at each other. It was such a joke. The Cold War was like throwing stones at each other and it didn't make sense. The only thing The Cold War did was to allow the growth of hatred and fuel the industrial complexes of war machines. It is insane.
The USA and Russia share a program where by missiles armed with uranium are disarmed and the uranium is returned to be processed into fuel for energy. We have been doing that a long time.
The USA and Russia has been sharing the International Space Station as 'comrades' for a long, long time.
There are former leaders of Russia (at the time it was the USSR) that teach in the USA. They are friends to our society and stand as examples of vast outreach to bring understanding to us and to the leaders such as Prime Minister Putin and the current President Dmitriy Anatolyevich Medvedev.
China has never truly been confrontation to the USA. They have been allies of Russia since at least the year 2000 and more like for as long as they shared a border. There has never truly been a threat from China so much as they securing their own borders. Countries are allowed a 'National Defense Strategy.'
In many ways, that is what Iran is doing. They are solely the only major Shi'ite nation on Earth and they want to be 'as homeland status' no different than Israel. The Shi'ites had it very tough under the rule of Hussein. They will feel more comfortable when the USA footprint in Iraq is gone or near gone and they can feel as though their people will be secure on Earth as well. The problem with the Iranian issues is somewhat the same as with North Korea, Pakistan and India and Israel in that they should NOT have nuclear weapons. And of course, Israel will deny it. Someday Israel too will have to face the fact that their 'National Security' is better served without these weapons.
There are only five 'legal' nuclear countries and they have the right to 'contain' the growth of proliferation. It was an agenda before all this mess got out of control and out of control it is. Absolutely. It isn't as though President Obama has some strange and foreign 'pie in the sky' idea. This is a path that was abandoned for the past eight years. It is a well worn path for most of the major nations of Earth. It is time to return to that path, but, it had to be 'secured' by the words of the President of the USA. If we aren't a partner in Non-Proliferation, no one else will be either.
What is so incredibly unbelievable about the aggressive demands of the Bush/Cheney years is they claim to be Christians. There is such a thing as"The Christian Doctrine of Peace" (click here). The Neocons of the USA liked to bask in the light of their religious zealotry, but, they never wanted to practice it. They had no plans to, they wanted the domination of the world's resources. China was never viewed as a country to trust with ouR debt, it was viewed by the Neocons, the Right Wing, the Republicans as a National Security Issue now that they carried so much of the USA debt.
The willingness of China to extend the USA credit was viewed as a weakness by the Republicans and their people a place for fiscal exploitation by The West. There is the belief by many that have money, it takes war to obtain more. More control, more resources to exploit, more domination of the 'world forum' and the ability to do exactly what occurred last year at the end of the Bush White House.
Some lessons are learned hard in this world. It is my sincere hope and desire the people of the USA find the confidence they need again to believe peace and prosperity are possible. They have to demand it through their elections. What is so unbelievable is that people still think they did the right thing by lying to so many others as demonstrated by the health care issue and defaming the Democrats and the President when everything they stated was true. The Right Wing of the political system of the USA likes to say, "Who drank the Kool-Aid?" They need to look in the mirror and realize how victimizing they are, how out of touch they are and how misdirected their value system truly is.
But, I like Mike's letter. It is sincere as is most of his life. He has been pivotal stopping the unfettered escalation of hate in the USA and leanings toward violence. "Bowling for Columbine" is an absolutely magnificent portrayal of the extremes of violence in the USA culture and how it fuels permission for our out of control military industrial complex that needs justification by the act of war. He opened my eyes. I, no different than he, no different than many others in the USA want the wars to end. But, we have to believe in a man in the White House that sincerely wants peace and the end of violence just as much if not more than we do.
I'll say it again. President Barak Obama is a man of peace. He is not a man of 'weakness.' He has been walking this path for many, many years. He has dedicated himself through achievement that should have set him on a different path, but, he never left us. We never knew he was coming. But, he was determined to arrive.
It is too good to be true. But, now that it is true, we need to embrace what is rightfully ours to embrace that we have advocated and marched and died for along the way. Those students at Kent State would be proud of their President and now we can more proud of them than ever before. We need to remember whom we are in this world and we need to trust the men and women that have never been deterred from the path.
The Right Wing is attempting to 'game' the award for political gain.
It won't happen. Granted the Obama award is about government and its role in the world, it puts weight in his favor in 2012, however, the Nobel Peace Prize wasn't awarded to President Obama because of his accomplishments to date. It was awarded to him because of his Doctrine.
Why am I not surprised the Neocons are mocking a peace doctrine? It might actually cut into the profits of the USA Military Industrial Complex and the cronies of the party. The Republican Party and Michael Steele are making fools of themselves.
A United States of America President is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for advocating Nuclear Non-Proliferation at the very time Iran is a ticking time bomb and Michael Steele and the Republican Bozos are mocking the effort.
Dear God, what next?
They ought to be ashamed of themselves. Both for the insult it pays this country to the world and using it as a marketing tool. What as the GOP come to?
President Obama's Nobel Peace Prize win mocked in GOP fundraising letter (click here) BY Samuel Goldsmith DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER Updated Saturday, October 10th 2009, 3:02 PM The GOP is using President Obama's Nobel Peace Prize as a fundraising tool, by mocking the award in a send-money letter to Republicans. Russia's president congratulated Obama on Saturday for the surprising honor, and even Cold War foe Fidel Castro said he was happy for him. But Republican National Committee head Michael Steele is bristling with outrage, saying in a letter that Obama won the prize "for awesomeness." It shows "how meaningless a once honorable and respected award has become," he wrote, asking for contributions of $25 to $1,000 for the RNC....
Tax on those that earn more than $200,000 is more than appropriate and protects the Middle Class from exploitation of the entites that are 'too big to fail.' If the wealthy are going to play the game Elizabeth Warren explains so well here and demonstrated by Former Secretary Paulson, then it is up to them to fund their own failures, NOT The Middle Class of the USA !!!!
There have been other USA Presidents that have won the Nobel Peace Prize, but, NONE with less than a year of time in office. Barak Obama is a remarkable man. A brave, truthful and sincere leader.
I could not be more proud of our country at this moment. He bravely stepped 'out of the box' and put it on the table. There will be peace and there will be non-proliferation. Isn't that what the USA is all about?
I also don't believe we can foresake the peace of the people of Afghanistan either. Peace sometimes comes with a price and it sometimes means securing the USA away from any future 'infrastructure' failures, while, building alliances that will perpetuate a future of our children and Earth.
From the New York Times:
In Surprise, Nobel Peace Prize to Obama for Diplomacy (click title to entry - thank you) ...The award cited in particular Mr. Obama’s effort to reduce the world’s nuclear arsenal. “He has created a new international climate,” the committee said....
From the Chicago Tribune:
Obama: Nobel Prize for Peace Posted October 9, 2009 7:55 AM by Mark Silva and updated President Barack Obama, who has pledged to place diplomacy ahead of confrontation and reached out to a skeptical world with offers of mutual understanding, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize today for what the committee called "his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples."...
From the Washington Post:
Barack Obama Wins Nobel Peace Prize (click here) By Debbi Wilgoren and Scott Wilson Washington Post Staff Writers Friday, October 9, 2009; 9:44 AM President Obama was awarded the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize Friday for his work to improve international diplomacy and rid the world of nuclear weapons -- a stunning decision to celebrate a figure virtually unknown in the world before he launched his campaign for the White House nearly three years ago....
From the Los Angeles Times:
President Obama wins Nobel Peace Prize (click here) The Nobel committee notes 'his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples.' By Mark Silva Los Angeles Times October 9, 2009 4:46 a.m. Reporting from Washington — President Obama, who has pledged to place diplomacy ahead of confrontation and reached out to a skeptical world with offers of mutual understanding, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize today for what the committee called "his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples." Obama is only the third sitting U.S. president to win the Nobel Peace Prize -- President Theodore Roosevelt won the award in 1906, President Woodrow Wilson in 1919....
President Barack Obama wins Nobel Peace Prize (click here) By KARL RITTER and MATT MOORE Associated Press Oct. 9, 2009, 8:12AM ...Nobel observers were shocked by the unexpected choice so early in the Obama presidency, which began less than two weeks before the Feb. 1 nomination deadline. White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said Obama woke up to the news a little before 6 a.m. EDT. The White House had no immediate comment on the announcement, which took the administration by surprise. The Norwegian Nobel Committee decided not to inform Obama before the announcement because it didn't want to wake him up, committee chairman Thorbjoern Jagland said. "Waking up a president in the middle of the night, this isn't really something you do," Jagland said....
From the Miami Herald:
In a surprise, Obama wins Nobel Peace Prize (click here) ..."Only very rarely has a person to the same extent as Obama captured the world's attention and given its people hope for a better future," Jagland said. Obama's election and foreign policy moves caused a dramatic improvement in the image of the U.S. around the world. A 25-nation poll of 27,000 people released in July by the Pew Global Attitudes Project found double-digit boosts to the percentage of people viewing the U.S. favorably in countries around the world. That indicator had plunged across the world under President George W. Bush. Still, the U.S. remains at war in Iraq and Afghanistan, the U.S. Congress has yet to pass a law reducing carbon emissions and there has been little significant reduction in global nuclear stockpiles since Obama took office. "So soon? Too early. He has no contribution so far. He is still at an early stage. He is only beginning to act," said former Polish President Lech Walesa, a 1983 Nobel Peace laureate....
I don't believe Walesa was ever nominated.
From the Boston Globe:
In a surprise, Obama wins Nobel Peace Prize (click here) By Karl Ritter and Matt Moore Associated Press Writers / October 9, 2009 ...The award appeared to be a slap at Bush from a committee that harshly criticized Obama's predecessor for his largely unilateral military action in the wake of the Sept. 11 terror attacks. The Nobel committee praised Obama's creation of "a new climate in international politics" and said he had returned multilateral diplomacy and institutions like the U.N. to the center of the world stage. "You have to remember that the world has been in a pretty dangerous phase," Jagland said. "And anybody who can contribute to getting the world out of this situation deserves a Nobel Peace Prize."...
I am pleased to see the newspapers are covered by AP, but, there needs to be some legislation somewhere that helps revitalize the art of journalism. Freedom of Speech also includes having newspapers as our Fourth Arm of Government, but, if that 'speech' boils down to 'one voice' regardless of how correct and benign that voice is there is danger to our right under the First Amendment.
The USA is just about the most powerful nation in the world by military standards. When their leadership makes a clear stance for the pursuit of peace, when even 'the concept' hung in the balance of extinction before, that speaks loudly of the people of our nation as well as our 'incubator' for leadership.
President Obama has reaffirmed the USA as a benevolent nation and one centered on justice and peace. He has taken the question of our ability to govern with peaceful intent out of question. He is a great man that looked into the future and saw a world of colleagues and not enemies. It is possible, very possible for the world's leaders to rid this planet of any malice, either through sovereignty, sustainability and environmental. It is possible.
President Obama took on the challenges he faced when entering the White House with determination and energy. He has brought the hopes and dreams of the International Community to life and within the realm of possibility. He has many years in his ambitions to accomplish some of the greatest tasks any USA President has adopted to his administration. Let there be no doubt, it will happen.
I can't say it enough, Barak Obama pursued a path to greatness and never before in history has a man of this caliper graduated as President of Harvard Law Review, shrugged off the opportunities to wealth and embarked on venues of change working with the grassroots of our society. He is an incredible individual with unmistakable vision and commitment. I am proud of him, his journey to date and the future he is promising.
It's content is more along the lines of "Bowling For Columbine."
By Adam Satariano and Beth Jinks Oct. 6 (Bloomberg) -- Goldman Sachs Group Inc., JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Intel Corp. may lead companies worldwide to the first profit increases in more than two years this quarter, ending the longest earnings recession on record. Buoyed by finance and semiconductors, profits at the world’s biggest companies are projected to grow 63 percent in the final three months of 2009, snapping nine straight quarterly declines....
At least JP Morgan Chase knows how to say 'thank you.'
The FDIC is still busy. I thought Bush and Paulson were conducting a Bank Bailout. Why didn't these banks get bailed out?
2009 certainly has not been a good year for banking. The FDIC closed 3 more banks this weekend bringing the total number of bank failures to 98 this year. FDIC projections put the number of failures to reach the 100 mark within a couple of weeks. Continuing bank failures have mirrored the poor health of the country’s financial institutions. Three more banks joined the list of recent bank failures. The FDIC announced this Friday that it has included Southern Colorado National Bank of Pueblo, Colorado; Jennings State Bank of Spring Grove, Minnesota and Warren Bank of Warren, Michigan in its list of bank closures.
Costs of Failures The FDIC has estimated that the recent bank failures will be putting a dent in their funds of at least $850 million. This will put an increased strain on the dwindling funds which previous bank failures have cost. The FDIC projects that over the next 5 years losses could reach $70 billion. In more troubling news, figures also show that problem banks rose to 416 from 305 the previous quarter. Analysts predict that the total bank failures this year could reach 150. This is a turnaround from 2005 – 2006 figures which posted no bank failures....
Chairman Ben S. Bernanke
At the Federal Reserve Board Conference on Key Developments in Monetary Policy, Washington, D.C.
By using our balance sheet, the Federal Reserve has been able to overcome, at least partially, the constraints on policy posed by dysfunctional credit markets and by the zero lower bound on the federal funds rate target. By improving credit market functioning and adding liquidity to the system, our programs have provided critical support to the financial system and the economy. Moreover, we have carried out these programs responsibly, with minimal credit risk and with close attention to the exit strategy. Our activities have resulted in substantial changes to the size and composition of our balance sheet. When the economic outlook has improved sufficiently, we will be prepared to tighten the stance of monetary policy and eventually return our balance sheet to a more normal configuration.
Climate - The climate of Washington varies within each region. (click here) The Cascades split the state and alter the weather patterns. The terrain east of the mountains, which includes Moses Lake State Park, receives approximately 12 inches of rainfall per year (rainfall map, click here), generally much less than west of the mountains. Since the area east of the mountains is landlocked, temperatures in this region are lower during the winter months. Frequent winds coming down from the mountains also contribute to the low temperatures of eastern Washington.
...According to local news, (click title to entry - thank you) the storm brought strong winds gusting to 43 miles per hour in places that propelled the dust across the southeast corner of the state. After numerous multi-vehicle accidents, sections of Interstate 90 near the town of Moses Lake and several local roads had to be closed for several hours. A thick, rippling plume of dust runs northeast to southwest through the center of the image. Dust stretches as far south as the cities of Pasco and Kennewick, which sit on opposite banks of the Columbia River. In the north, the dust seems to rise primarily from the pale golden squares of fields farmed using dryland agriculture (That is a lot of lost top soil.), a common practice in arid eastern Washington. The dryland fields are larger and less colorful than the bright green and gold fields of irrigated agriculture near the Columbia and Snake Rivers in the center of the image. Dryland farmers rely entirely on rainfall to sustain their crops, and as a result, do many things to preserve moisture in the soil. Some of these practices—leaving a field fallow after harvest to allow water to build in the soil for a year or covering the field with dry soil to prevent underlying moisture from evaporating—make dryland agriculture very prone to dust storms. These fields are likely either fallow or newly planted, probably with winter wheat, a common dryland crop in eastern Washington. The dust storm persisted for several hours...
I-90 in E. Washington reopened after dust storm closure (click here) 01:57 PM PDT on Monday, October 5, 2009 By NWCN.com and Associated Press MOSES LAKE, Wash. - Authorities reopened Interstate 90 between Moses Lake and Ritzville at about 8:30 p.m. Sunday, 19 hours after it was closed due to blowing dust....
Pacific Ocean 'dead zone' in Northwest may be irreversible (click here) Oxygen depletion that is killing sea life off Oregon and Washington is probably caused by evolving wind conditions from climate change, rather than pollution, one oceanographer warns. By Kim Murphy October 9, 2009 ...But the dead zone off the Northwest is one of the few in the world -- and possibly the only one in North America -- that could be impossible to reverse. That is because evolving wind conditions likely brought on by a changing climate, rather than pollution, are responsible, said Jack Barth, professor of physical oceanography at OSU."I really think we're in a new pattern, a new rhythm, offshore now. And I would expect [the low-oxygen zone] to show up every year now," Barth said at a news conference.Thursday's briefing coincided with the release of a National Science Foundation multimedia report that said the number of dead zones worldwide was doubling every decade.In the Pacific Northwest, the report said, the areas of hypoxic, or low-oxygen, water that long have existed far offshore began to appear closer to land in 2002, a phenomenon that may mean they are even deadlier to sea life that exists near the ocean floor....
Suicides rates in Police Officers are higher for the same reason many suicides occur, it is an act of opportunity. They have the guns, they are distraught and they kill.
Guns are the problem.
Officers should not carry weapons home with them. If they own their own personal weapons there is little that can be done to stop a person that is determined to kill.
Suicide is a killing, not just a desperate act of passion or dispair. Stop the ability to kill and stop the suicide. The 'opportunity' is just as much a part of this as the act itself.
If guns didn't 'free flow' through this society, there would be less suicides and murders. Just that simple. The NRA will use statistics to validate their greed, but, the truth of the matter is guns kill.
Someone killed someone else here as well as themselves. The gun was the weapon.
The warning signs that police officer Steve Martin was a suicide risk (click here) were clear enough in hindsight: erratic behavior, disgust with his job, heavy drinking, a strained marriage. But the lack of foresight is what leaves his wife, Debbie, angry more than a year later.... ...Suicide rates for police — at least 18 per 100,000 — are higher than for the general population, according to Audrey Honig, chief psychologist for the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department....
LEBANON, Pa., Oct. 8, 2009 Gun-Toting Soccer Mom, Husband Found Dead Meleanie Hain, Who Became Voice of Gun-Rights Movement, Part of Apparent Murder-Suicide A suburban mother who became a voice of the gun-rights movement when she openly carried a loaded pistol to her daughter's soccer game was fatally shot Wednesday along with her parole-officer husband in an apparent murder-suicide at their home in Pennsylvania Dutch country, authorities said. Police released scant details about the deaths of Meleanie Hain, 31, and Scott Hain, 33, but said more information would be released Friday after their autopsies. "I'm devastated. I lost my daughter. I lost my best friend. The children lost their parents," Jenny Stanley, Meleanie Hain's mother, told WGAL-TV. Stanley added that the three children, ages 2, 6 and 10, are "hanging in there." The children were at a neighbor's house by the time police arrived to answer 911 calls from neighbors, said Lebanon City Police Chief Daniel Wright. "What they did or did not see as part of this is not something we're going to release," Wright said. Neighbors said the children ran outside and said their father had shot their mother, but Wright declined to disclose what investigators have concluded about how the deaths occurred....
I am getting overwhelmingly tired of others questioning President Obama's integrity and his ability to understand issues and convey THE TRUTH to the nation. From the beginning of his proposed Health Care Insurance Reform he has openly stated there would be no addition to the deficit by the bill he was proposing.
The Right Wing of this country has done NOTHING but insult his integrity by complaining about absolutely insane issues created by their media. They have done nothing but complain about the cost and over and over and over again the President of the United States of America promised the bill would never add a dime to the US Deficit.
Enough already. Vote the measure into the laws of this country and do it NOW !!!!
Congressional budget analysts gave an important political boost Wednesday to a Senate panel's health-care overhaul, projecting that the $829 billion measure would both dramatically shrink the ranks of the uninsured and keep President Obama's pledge that doing so would not add "one dime" to federal budget deficits....
It seems difficult to understand why all Americans aren't clamoring for health care insurance reform. But, if I reflect on the fact that our current dysfunctional system of health care 'delivery' has been dominated by 'insurance delivery priorities' for the past three decades, it gets easier to understand how many Americans don't 'understand' a different reality.
Doctors aren't supposed to work for health insurance companies, but, to the draconian way health insurance 'delivery' is administered that is exactly whom they work for and they feel impuned at delivering the best care to their patients.
Health care delivery at one time was not as heavily weighted on insurance 'permission' to treat so much as appropriate diagnosis and the power of physicians and surgeons to deliver care. A 'fiscal' constraint was placed on hospitals and doctors in the 1980s called DRGs and that was a game changer.
Then, for the first time in American Medical History, the insurance companies had more power than the physician or surgeon. DRGs literally dictated the length of a patient stay and their course of treatment. In actuality, it was an outrageous reality that was subscribed to by allowing CEOs to determine the diagnosis and outcomes of patients. Not all people are created exactly the same. There are complications depending on genetics, wellness and physical condition. Why is it that a 60 year old with Congestive Heart Failure has a poorer prognosis than a 25 year old trauma victim with a flailed chest? The reason is the age, physical condition and ability to heal without complications, that is the difference.
According to Wiki, in 1991, the top 10 DRGs overall comprising 30% of DRGs were: normal newborn, vaginal delivery, heart failure, psychoses, cesarean section, neonate with significant problems, angina pectoris, specific cerebrovascular disorders, pneumonia, and hip/knee replacement. Of the top ten, four or forty percent are regarding the birth of a newborn. There is dearly little that can be done to change childbirth.
One would think that after 18 years of consistent use of these DGRs they would be a 'science' by now, but, they aren't. We have witnessed the drastic lack of compassion by CEOs toward women giving birth which required legislation to correct. We know that Pre-Mature delivary of an infant takes tens of thousands of dollars US to achieve a viable human being that can live off a neonatal unit. Strokes are still an issue in the society requiring more rehab today than ever. We learned through medical research that long term rehab literally retrains the brain to function. There are more hip and knee replacements today than ever in an active society that demands to have access to their lives through ambulation and activity. There are no drugs or livestyles that stop arthritis.
The point is, CEOs haven't got a clue as to the future of 'health care delivery' in the USA. They didn't know in the 1980s and they don't know today. The 'state of American health care' is fluid and not a 'commodity.' The development of DRGs were punitive. It stated that hospitals and doctors and surgeons didn't know what they were doing and they needed to be focused and controlled. Basically, the Health Care Insurance Companies took on a 'patriarchal' approach to doctors, physicians and patients. It was draconian and uncompassionate. They had no right to 'talk down' to MDs and yet still today they do exactly that.
I don't mind if society wants to streamline recordkeeping to limit repeated tests, it is better we aren't exposed to repeated blood draws or x-rays; but; don't get in the way of a physician that feels as though there is a need for a repeated test when someone's well being is on the line. I don't know of many MDs that actually disregard 'the cost' to a patient when writing perscriptions or ordering diagnostics or treatments. They are people that care for people and while some might have bedside manners not of the best finishing school, they do interact with piers that will inform them of their demeanor and potential misstep.
The DRG experience in the USA took away the 'trustworthiness' of the Medical Profession and Professional and stated Corporate America knew better how to administer care than they did. It is the biggest farce for money this country has ever experienced and it has gone on from the 1980s through 2009. Three decades of 'managed' care through insurance companies that throw off their enrollments those people that aren't producing a 'profit.'
There is greatness in this country. There is greatness within the practice of medicine. There is greatness in the hands of a surgeon and I want this mess to stop and I want it to stop now. Women were protected from draconian insurance CEOs when they needed a hospital and MD to assist their infant to life outside the womb with a legislative action, it is time to recall the draconian form of 'insurance delivery' of health care and put it back in the hands of the physicans and surgeons that best understand it and the person they administer their art.
I think I life off with Page 775 of the House Bill:
There is a delineation to "presumed" eligible for a State policy and "determined" to be qualified. I mentioned this before. In the case of a newborn, it is considered eligible for any assistance at the time of birth, until qualified for disqualified for public assistance with their health insurance needs. On page 776, lines 1 thorugh 8 it states there is 30 days from what I call a percipitating event to move from 'presumptive' to 'qualified.'
‘‘(3) APPLICATION FOR MEDICAL ASSISTANCE.—In the case of an individual described in subsection (a) who is determined by a qualified entity to be presumptively eligible for medical assistance under a State plan, the individual shall apply for medical assistance by not later than the last day of the month following the month during which the determination is made.
During the coarse of this bill there are repeative statements to bring the law to bear. One of those 'repeative statements' is called a 'Conforming Amendment.' It states where in existing law the words will be changed. Page 776, lines 22 through 25 and Page 777, lines 1 through 5 is one of those statements. So, I'll include it here as an example:
(2) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— (A) Section 1902(a)(47) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396a(a)(47)) is amended by inserting before the semicolon at the end the following: ‘‘and provide for making medical assistance available to individuals described in subsection (a) of section 1920C during a presumptive eligibility period in accordance with such section’’.
Relatively mondane, boring and standard issue of wording. Why would the wording appear in a Medicare law? Because it is these laws that are being extended to 'eligible' individuals under age 65 in the Public Option. It has nothing to do with people already eligible.
Sorry, interruptions happen. Page 778. ;lines 9 and 10:
Subtitle C—Access SEC. 1721. PAYMENTS TO PRIMARY CARE PRACTITIONERS.
There are some language adjustments in this section, but, basically the reimbursement to them will be 80% of applicable services. That is a good rate of payment as far as I am concerned.
Page 778; lines 21 through 25 and page 779; lines 1 through 11:
‘‘(C) payment for primary care services (as defined in section 1848(j)(5)(A), but applied without regard to clause (ii) thereof) furnished by physicians (or for services furnished by other health care professionals that would be primary care services under such section if furnished by a physician) at a rate not less than 80 percent of the payment rate applicable to such services and physicians or professionals (as the case may be) under part B of title XVIII for services furnished in 2010, 90 percent of such rate for services and physicians (or professionals) furnished in 2011, and 100 percent of such payment rate for services and physicians (or professionals) furnished in 2012 or a subsequent year;’’.
This provision goes on to include more explanations of services, some reimbursalbe at 100%. The rates of payment or reimbursement are not less than 80%. States will be allowed to apply for a Medical Home Pilot Program that can have a life of upto 5 years.
Page 781, 7 through 18:
(1) IN GENERAL.—A pilot project is a project that applies one or more of the medical home models described in section 1866E(a)(3) of the Social Security Act (as inserted by section 1302(a)) or such other model as the Secretary may approve, to high need beneficiaries (including medically fragile children and high-risk pregnant women) who are eligible for medical assistance under title XIX of the Social Security Act. The Secretary shall provide for appro16 priate coordination of the pilot program under this section with the medical home pilot program under section 1866E of such Act.
The section is followed by definitions, evaluations, reports and provisions for interpretor services. Accurate interpretors are vitally important. Here is a story, it is profoundly truthful and does not have to do with HIV/AIDS.
There was a Hispanic woman, about 62 years old came in the hospital for a hysterectomy. She was evaluated by the physicians and an irregularity was found in the EKG of her heart. She was referred to a cardiologist who did a cardiac catherization. It was found she had coronary artery disease and it would have to be dealt with in open heart surgery before any other surgery could be performed.
The evening before her surgery her son came to visit with her. He happened to stop at the desk on his way out off the unit and asked when his mother would be going for her hysterectomy.
I was called to speak to him as he spoke perfect English. I reviewed the chart and realized she was going to have open heart surgery. The consents were signed and witnessed by an employee from the kitchen of the hospital that was supposed to have spoken Spanish well. I asked him what made him believe his mother was going to have a hysterectomy. He stated that is why she came to the hospital and it was his understanding that was what was to occur.
I asked him if he spoke Spanish well enough to speak to his mother and we went into the room. It was a double occupancy room. The husband to the woman was at her bedside. The son asked his mother what kind of operation was being conducted that she consented to and she and her spouse stated a hysterectomy. No lie.
I called around to the nursing units in the hospital until I found a Spanish speaking RN and she reported to the patient's room. She conversed with the patient and the husband who had been at her side the entire time. She stated, the patient and her spouse was under the impression she was having a hysterectomy in the morning.
I then telephoned the surgeon and explained the consent that was signed was invalid because the interpreter was not a licensed individual and did not convey the brevity of the expected surgery to the patient. He immediately cancelled the surgery. The next day, a certified interpretor was ordered in his orders and the hospital had to secure one from a nearby university that had a few on staff.
The woman would have had surgery on her heart, been admitted to a SICU after surgery and the spouse would have never realized that a minor procedure was actually a major surgical procedure that was far more life threatening than a minor procedure.
Needless to say if the son hadn't stopped to visit his mother before her surgery there would have been drastic consequences to any of the surgery because it would have occurred and the following orders without prior consent. There probably would have been legal issues as well as ethical ones.
So, the 'idea' that accurate and certified interpreters are a luxury and not a requirement in any medical setting is hideous.
Page 783, lines 19 and 20:
SEC. 1724. OPTIONAL COVERAGE FOR FREESTANDING BIRTH CENTER SERVICES.
The option to experience a birth outside a hospital is an option. Page 784, lines 7 through 18:
‘‘(29) freestanding birth center services (as defined in subsection (l)(3)(A)) and other ambulatory services that are offered by a freestanding birth center (as defined in subsection (l)(3)(B)) and that are otherwise included in the plan; and’’; and (2) in subsection (l), by adding at the end the following new paragraph: ‘‘(3)(A) The term ‘freestanding birth center services’ means services furnished to an individual at a freestanding birth center (as defined in subparagraph (B)), including by a licensed birth attendant (as defined in subparagraph(C)) at such center.
There are definitions and effective dates that follow.
Page 785, lines 13 and 14:
SEC. 1725. INCLUSION OF PUBLIC HEALTH CLINICS UNDER THE VACCINES FOR CHILDREN PROGRAM
I think that is fairly self explanatory. Page 786 is a new major Subtitle, lines 1 through 3:
Subtitle D—Coverage SEC. 1731. OPTIONAL MEDICAID COVERAGE OF LOW-INCOME HIV-INFECTED INDIVIDUALS.
There are no extra allowances for HIV infected people. They have to meet the same requirements for service as everyone else. The provision does state a specific time frame for enactment of this portion of the bill which is no later than January 1, 2013. There are exceptions for USA Territories. They can qualify individuals differently and somewhat more generously. There is a two year extention for Transitional Medicaid Assistance (TMA) until December 31, 2012 simply to allow States to get their act together.
Page 789, lines 1 and 2:
SEC. 1733. REQUIREMENT OF 12-MONTH CONTINUOUS COVERAGE UNDER CERTAIN CHIP PROGRAMS.
This states that once a child is found to be eligible for Medicaid recertification does not take place for a year. The idea is to cut down on 'middle management' costs. Rarely do these children move off assistance that quickly anyway. The parents or guardians are required to report changes in circumstances and income during that period of time anyway. It is a requirement of receiving assistance. They have to report those changes or there can be consequences, but, they don't have to be scrutinized by government.
Page 789, lines 19 through 21:
Subtitle E—Financing SEC. 1741. PAYMENTS TO PHARMACISTS.
(a) PHARMACY REIMBURSEMENT LIMITS.—
Page 790, lines 1 through 6:
‘‘(5) USE OF AMP IN UPPER PAYMENT LIMITS.—The Secretary shall calculate the Federal upper reimbursement limit established under paragraph (4) as 130 percent of the weighted average (determined on the basis of manufacturer utilization) of monthly average manufacturer prices.’’
That is fair reimbursement. What that states is the manufacturer charges whatever they charge for the medication and the pharmacist can charge 30% above what it cost them. So if a drug cost $1.00 per pill the pharmacist can charge $1.33 per pill.
There are other cost provisions by manufacturers that are to be reported within 30 days to the Secretary that help sculpt the Average Manufacturer Price (AMP) to whole distributors, including mail order pharmacies that are not open to all members of the public, such as rebates from manufacturers, discounts or price concessions so long as they are not passed through to the retail pharmacist or cost reimbusement for the return of defective or damaged medications.
The idea here is to prevent higher prices to the consumer when in fact there are lower prices to wholesalers.
There is a transparency provision for the public. There is also rebates allowed for 'single source' medications. Single source are new formulations under patent. There are provisions that they will be allowed to provide rebates to enhance the marketability of the initial introduction to the market. The States are going to be required to attend to all this recordkeeping. They want to know the public monies used in Medicare are within reason while still allowing physicians to order the necessary and perhaps new medication if the patient needs it.
Page 797, lines 5 through 12:
‘‘(C) REPORTING ON MMCO DRUGS.—On a quarterly basis, each State shall report to the Secretary the total amount of rebates in dollars received from pharmacy manufacturers for drugs provided to individuals enrolled with Medicaid managed care organizations that contract under section 1903(m).’’; and (3) in subsection (j)—
Page 797, lines 21 and 22:
SEC. 1744. PAYMENTS FOR GRADUATE MEDICAL EDUCATION
Page 798, lines 5 through 8:
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘medical assistance’ includes payment for costs of graduate medical education consistent with this subsection, whether provided in or outside of a hospital.
Page 798, lines 13 through 24:
‘‘(A) the State submits to the Secretary, in a timely manner and on an annual basis specified by the Secretary, information on total payments for graduate medical education and how such payments are being used for graduate medical education, including— ‘‘(i) the institutions and programs eligible for receiving the funding; ‘‘(ii) the manner in which such payments are calculated; ‘‘(iii) the types and fields of education being supported;...
This provision goes beyond just three topics of interest, but, what it boils down to is a reporting by the States of monies spent on medical education and where the money is going including the 'specialty' areas being pursued. It is a 'tracking' of the trends in medical education to insure the country have enough graduates to fill the need, in the areas where need is expressed.
The Secretary and the Advisory Committee on Health Workforce Evaluation and Assessment then reviews the information and then make changes in where funds will be distributed to further enhance graduates to choose fields of greater need.
Page 801, lines 4 through 8:
Subtitle F—Waste, Fraud, and Abuse SEC. 1751. HEALTH-CARE ACQUIRED CONDITIONS.
(a) MEDICAID NON-PAYMENT FOR CERTAIN HEALTH CARE-ACQUIRED CONDITIONS
This provision takes nosocomial infections beyond the hospital into 'health care acquired' conditions. I've discussed before the dangers and increased costs to infections and conditions acquired due to exposure to the hospital environment.
I'll end here for today. There are a total of 1018 pages, so its nearly complete.
Mike needs to post the 'entire' interview he submitted himself to on "You Tube" so everyone can see what a completely horrible man Sean Hannity truly is.
People paid attention, Michael.
Sean Hannity interviews Michael Moore: You have been warned (click title to entry - thank you) posted by halboedeker on Oct 5, 2009 1:58:04 PM The noise level on your television could hit new, explosive levels Tuesday night. Sean Hannity, he of the conservative persuasion, will interview filmmaker Michael Moore, he of the liberal persuasion. Moore is promoting his new movie, "Capitalism: A Love Story," and should reach a lot of viewers. And that in turn should help the ratings of "Hannity," which airs at 9 p.m. on Fox News Channel. And to those of you who aren't interested in sonic booms, take this as a warning.
I am not surprised there is increasing unemployment, most of the economy over the past eight years should never have existed. It is going to be a slow recovery for many, many reasons. Just because corruption is illegal doesn't mean it doesn't contribute to the economy. It does. When enough people in power are on 'the take' it all seems legitimate.
These activities prevented legitimate businesses from conducting their activities. There is a chance those businesses were driven out of business or into bankruptcy because of the corruption that took their ability to conduct business away. It isn't funny.
Regenerating a legitimate economy in the USA requires destroying the corruption that has resulted in all kinds of issues.
Iowa Student Loan Liquidity Corp. opened their new College Planning offices on S. 68th St. with the help of Chamber Ambassadors on Jan. 16 (2007).
Iowa Student Loan to pay $16 million penalty (click title to entry - thank you) Penalty for making improper payments to ISU Alumni Association By James PuseyStaff Writer Published: Tuesday, October 6, 2009 11:17 AM CDT Iowa Student Loan is being penalized nearly $16 million for making improper payments to the Iowa State University Alumni Association between July 2005 and June 2008, according to a report from the U.S. Department of Education. The report quoted an Affinity Agreement between ISL and the alumni association that stated that ISL, a private, nonprofit lender, would pay a total of $45,000 in annual fees and application fees ranging between $25 and $70 per student applicant, based on the number of students applying for loans. “Essentially, Iowa Student Loan was paying the alumni association an inducement to steer loan business in this direction in a way that the U.S. Department of Education has found to be improper,” State Sen. Herman Quirmbach, D-Ames, said. Quirmbach, who also teaches at ISU, said this is not the first time Iowa Student Loan has had problems with payments it has made to the university. In 2007, the Des Moines Register reported ISL had given payments directly to the university financial aid office for directing students to its private loans. The current findings show payments paid to the university through the alumni association based on the placement of consolidated loans, Quirmbach said....
We already know the complaints about cost are irrelevant. President Obama has already balanced the cost of the bills. Cronies don't like the eventual elimination of Medicare Advantage, a private health insurance company that costs taxpayers more than government Medicare.
...Democrats repeatedly rejected Republican proposals (click title to entry - thank you) on a series of largely party-line votes through a long day that barely made a dent in hundreds of pending amendments to Chairman Max Baucus' proposal. Baucus and his fellow Democrats rejected Republican efforts to restore cuts in some areas of Medicare, the government-run insurance program for the elderly, and defeated a politically charged Republican measure sparked by the controversy over a letter from insurer Humana Inc. to its customers. Republicans also demanded more information on the bill's budgetary impact and called for the Democratic-controlled panel to slow its deliberations on the reform plan, which Baucus had hoped to bring to a final vote this week....
Overview The Medicare Modernization Act of 2003 (click here) sharply increased payments to private Medicare Advantage plans. As a result, every plan in every county in the nation was paid more in 2005 than its enrollees would have been expected to cost if they had been enrolled in traditional fee-for-service Medicare. The authors calculate that payments to Medicare Advantage plans averaged 12.4 percent more than costs in traditional Medicare during 2005: a total of more than $5.2 billion, or $922 for each of the 5.6 million Medicare enrollees in managed care. This issue brief updates an earlier analysis of Medicare Advantage payments in 2005 previously published by The Commonwealth Fund; the updated estimates in this report are based on final 2005 enrollment figures that were not available at the time the previous estimates were developed, and they include the effect of policy decisions that were not reflected in the previous estimates.
The reason so much of this is going on due to the past administration, is because Bush/Cheney wanted the entitlement programs such as Medicare to cost more than half the General Budget for the USA. If that were the case, there would be a potential for forcing the Legislature to disrupt or destroy the entitlements all together. Cost containment is a bogus reason for delaying the implementation of a new bill. The 'cost' of Medicare is already more than it should cost. $997 per year is a lot of money that will come off the cost of health immediately as people choose the Public Option or return to regular Medicare over the current Medicare Advantage. There is no reason for Medicare Advantage.
Medicare Advantage Costs the Government More Than Traditional Medicare (click here) Tuesday December 12, 2006 A Commonwealth Fund study shows that Medicare Advantage plans cost the government more money than traditional Medicare. Medicare Advantage plans bundle traditional Part A, Part B, and Part D benefits into one comprehensive benefits package for a single monthly premium. These plans have been gaining popularity since the new Part D benefit was launched. However, the Long Island Newsday reports that the government spends an additional $922 per year for each beneficiary enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan - money which could potentially be better used in different ways to make the Medicare program as a whole more robust.
Medicare Advantage accepts PRIMARILY those eligible for Medicare, but, don't require the insurance as much as the chronically ill.
The profit margin for Medicare Advantage is due to the 'type of client' it administers to within the plan. The government run Medicare is suffering because from a lack of diversity of those covered. Those requiring more insurance are dumped into the government administered Medicare program. The government doesn't have the opportunity of a 'blend' of clients.
The private Medicare Advantage, for profit, plan will never be a complete substitution for the government run Medicare as people will require care more frequently as they age and Medicare Advantage does not carry those clients within their plan. IF Medicare Advantage were to accept all the patients eligible for Medicare regardless of their 'need' for this insurance, its costs would escalate. With escalating costs and no public option, such as Medicare, the people that now receive Medicare would be paying a great deal more as there would be no option to it.
The profession, as the ANA (American Nurses Association) dictates it, has been demanding the 'entrance level' for nurses be the BSN (Baccalaureate of Science in Nursing), but it has demoralized the profession by supplying a venue of 'opportunities' for nurses to leave 'back breaking work' and 'unreasonable demands of CEOs of Health Care Conglomerates' to entire Graduate Schools in Business, Law or many other venues of opportunity, yet their programs remain congested with applicants attempting to achieve an AAS (Associates of Applied Science.) or ADN (Associates Degree of Nursing -click here).
Basically, the ANA shot itself in the foot to demand more nurses be BSN at entry than those that are Associate Degree trained individuals.
Universities benefit from the four year degree. The County Colleges can turn out qualified Registered Nurses faster than Universities can. If the USA wants better health care without the high prices of nurses currently, they need to produce them at the County College level before emphasizing the University BSN.
The nurse :: patient ratio would benefit immensely by increasing the amount of Nurse Assistants in most health care settings. Nurses and their assistants are vitally important in containing costs within the health care system of the USA.
NursesDesert Profession; Men Leave at Twice the Rate of Women, Study Shows (click title to entry - thank you) The Washington Post October 20, 2002 Joann Loviglio Recent graduates of the nation's nursing schools are leaving the profession more quickly than their predecessors, with male nurses bolting at almost twice the rate of their female counterparts, according to a recent study. About 7.5 percent of new male nurses left the profession within four years of graduating from nursing school, compared with 4.1 percent of new female nurses, a study by a University of Pennsylvania researcher shows. It was reported last month in the journal Health Affairs. "In general, nurses are looked down upon, especially by physicians," said Jerome Koss, a nurse since ...
The investment by the USA into County Colleges that produce AAS Registered Nurses needs to be the focus of this effort, the Universities produce BSNs that see their educational achievement as a stepping stone to another profession. Also, the LPN is an invaluable member of the Health Care Team and most of those diploma programs have been diminished in importance to the college degree.
While, the ANA can emulate the BSN as a pinnicle of entry to the practice of Nursing, it has to realize the shortage that effects the cost of health care within the country. The ANA needs to appreciate overwhelming all levels of nursing achievement and seek to provide; the bedside RN' with reasonable 'work loads' and abandon the concept of 'Super Nurse.' Super Nurse is scaring new grads and burning out the seasoned nurse.
Additionally, the career RN realizes their health is not of concern to its profession. There are definately health related realities to this profession and organizations, such as the ANA have never demanded better working conditions for its profession. The ANA recognize themselves as 'handmaidens' to a physician. They never seek to improve the 'work ethic' of CEOs so much as compromise the 'work environment' to licenesed individuals that are left on their own to defend their license.
This is not shallow complaining.
Women that have BSNs, when they realize the toll practicing within this profession takes on their health, leave at an early age; frequently with a year to three after graduation of a BSN program. When BSNs or MSNs (Master Degrees in Nursing) find their way into Hospital Management Infrastructure, they 'sell out' their old complaints to CEOs that have 'no clue' to the issues of the nursing staff.
The Nurse's Health Study (click here) The Nurses’ Health Studies are among the largest and longest running investigations of factors that influence women’s health. Started in 1976 and expanded in 1989, the information provided by the 238,000 dedicated nurse-participants has led to many new insights on health and disease. While the prevention of cancer is still a primary focus, the study has also produced landmark data on cardiovascular disease, diabetes and many other conditions. Most importantly, these studies have shown that diet, physical activity and other lifestyle factors can powerfully promote better health. Please choose from the links across the top of the page or the navigation menu on the left to find out more about the Nurses’ Health Studies....
There should be class action lawsuits against these CEOs of Health SYSTEM conglomerates, because they have 'unreasonable' power over the professions that practice. No different than doctors are complaining about their 'lot in life' in dealing with the current health care system, so do Nurses, but, they simply 'take it.' They aren't empowered by their professional organizations or their licensing boards.
The ANA and State Licensing Boards need to 'sell' the BSN as a concept so they promote 'education of the public' as a real 'up tick' to that level of entry. There isn't reason to believe an Associate Degree is less prepared to teach the public than a BSN. Associate and LPNs have more 'clinical experience' on entry into the profession. There are studies to back up these claims, but, the reality is any hospital can provide education to their staff to accomplish the best outcome to the patient.
BSN degree nurses are better prepared to meet patient needs (click here) The main difference in study between an ADN and BSN is the emphasis on additional education in leadership and management, wellness, and community nursing. BSN prepared nurses possess greater knowledge of health promotion, disease prevention, and risk reduction as well as illness and disease management and are prepared to assist individuals, groups, and communities to prevent disease and achieve optimum levels of wellness. As nurses expand their role and move further into providing more community based primary care delivery the need for BSN prepared nurses is apparent.
This is accurate. Associate trained nurses can contribute to the USA economy in two years rather than four with far less educational debt. Their longevity in the profession is better and they tend to be career nurses.
Essentially the base hourly rate for hospital based nurses in the same clinical areas are the same. Many hospitals will pay additional differential pay, based on the hospital policies (clinical ladder or other criteria). For this reason in entry level RNs the average BSN makes between $2500 to $3500 more per year than the average ASN....
I am confident Michael's investments 'took a hit' no different than the majority of the country after the 'Bush-Paulson Scam' was deployed. This documentary leaves no doubt about the etiology of the 2008 economic implosion.
I remind, J. P. Morgan Chase NEVER needed a bailout. They were the sole survivors to the Gold-Sachs End Game, which was to wipe out every other investment bank in the business on its way to domination.
When a democracy allows its 'power structure' to shift and a 'financial coupe' is possible, it sacrifices all its 'goal directed' incentives for 'profitable' businesses. In other words, now that J.P. Morgan Chase played the game the way the game was supposed to be played, they have no incentive to continue to abide by that paradigm.
It is my sincere and strong opinion, the people of the USA turned on their own values out of irrational fear instilled by Bush/Paulson.
Bush, most likely 'sold out' to Paulson when it was pointed out to him there was a bill in 2001 had actually financed the implosion. In other words, Paulson's loyalty belonged first to Goldman-Sachs and he made it clear that Bush's 2001 legislation 'CAUSED' the problem and therefore it was his administration that was responsible for the implosion. Bush may or may not have 'sold out' to Paulson, but that is completely irrelevant. Congress allowed the 'fear factor' to dominate the outcome and the dismantling of American values.
J. P. Morgan Chase stands as testiment to the values that should have been upheld in these circumstances. I find all other institutions incompetent, even today.
..."We are investing in people (click title to entry - thank you) and we hope to add an additional 10 percent in the next year," Catherine Keating, chief executive of JPMorgan's U.S. private bank, said at the Reuters Global Wealth Management Summit in Boston....
If I were an investor in today's market, I would boycott all but J. P. Morgan Chase and their 'goal directed' re-investment in the USA and its people.
...The bank, traditionally strong in the U.S. Northeast, is making a push to find new clients in the Southeast and on the West Coast, Keating said. JPMorgan acquired failed Seattle thrift Washington Mutual in 2008....
See the film.
Invest in J. P. Morgan Chase above all others, ESPECIALLY American Unions and let the others go to foreign interests to survive. J. P. Morgan Chase will 'grow' the country back 'the right way' not the 'subsidized way.'
JUST DO IT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
J. P. Morgan Chase needs to be as cautious, as they investment in different regions of the USA, as dealing with the Southeast and other regions of the USA is a bit different. I would expect them to be scrutinizing the corruption that exists in other regions of the country they may not be aware of nor have the infrastructure to handle.
I would expect The Federal Justice Department to take an active interest in fiscal corruption within States that have the highest unemployment rates and are strongholds for Republicans that don't care about the people so much as their money and gaming the system.
I would encourage the Federal Justice Department to add whatever personnel they need to 'assess' the laws of States that facilitate unemployment and poverty.
October 6, 2009, 2:31 AM
U.S. Attorney Jacks said, “At the end of the day, (click here) the citizens of a community are the ones that ultimately decide what type of government they will have in that community. Whether at the ballot box or, as in this case, through its verdict as a jury, the citizens decide what is expected of their elected officials. Through this lengthy investigation and subsequent trial, the government presented compelling evidence showing that an elected official and many of those non-elected officials working around him, sought to use that position as a means to line their own pockets at the expense of the public. The jury’s verdict today shows that the citizens of this community do not want a government where the game is rigged and the people in positions of power seek to further their own interests before that of the citizens they are supposed to be serving.”...
And one other thing, where Democrats of Blue Dogs States exist in Governorships and as House and Senate officials elected by the people, they are basically worthless to the well being and honest transacting of any fiscal entity. They may as well be Republicans.
McIntyre seduces the 'Right' by standing against the issues that Democrats are somewhat unpopular for. He 'rides' the 'populous wave' of any issue and is always popular for bring money to a North Carolina county with high unemployment and high insurance rates.
Wilmington, Noth Carolina is basically corrupt to the core. Its land use is poorly conceived and always uses the same 'crony' businesses in contracts for construction. Julia Bosemen is no help, she is on a China kick and doesn't see that the 'cranes' along the Cape Fear River could have been built in the USA.
In the past three years, the University of North Carolina, has spent billions on construction it never needed. The buildings are shoddy that were constructed. There initially was an entire new building that doubled the size of The Nursing School. Now, it is followed by still anther huge structure that is supposed to be mirrored in the next year. The Nursing School now occupies two, soon to be three buildings. It is ridiculous at a time when there is an economic collapse in the country and North Carolina just increased its tax rate.
McIntrye would never speak out in opposition of any of these so called 'improvements.' The chronic building that occupies Wilmington and New Hanover County is to include a 'Cement Plant' that will pollute the air and water.
We already know New Hanover County could not care less about the quality of any air or water in the region, they find the 'reality' of their wetlands a 'pain in the pocketbook' to the plans of the City Council, UNCW administration and New Hanover County Board members. They spend huge amounts of money in devising ways to divert water away from whatever land mass might be garnered as a place where construction can take place. What they don't do is manage the sediment that runs off in the face of 'flood management strategies.'
They inhibit the 'quality' the State reflects in restoring 'the native oyster' which does not survive in sediment laden waters. They don't care and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in North Carolina is impuned from carrying out tough laws that would stop unnecessary building. North Carolina doesn't even include 'State Endangered Species of Plants' on their State Endangered List.
The health clinic in Wilmington that McIntrye speaks of is a place that sees 'the poor' to control STDs and birth control. I doubt seriously there are ANY plans to expand the clinic as a health clinic where Nurse Pratitioners would primarily see patients. It would remove patients from the practice of physicians in the county where care would be more affordable.
When Congress returns to Washington in a couple of weeks, it will likely be consumed by the debate on health care reform. But there are other important issues to be discussed in Washington that will have an impact on things here at home.
That is just one example of a Blue Dog Democrat. There are 55 more, including Rep. Baron Hill (IN-09), Blue Dog Co-Chair for Policy, whom appears in the Moore film and its trailer.
Corruption within Afghanistan has a place in these circumstances. It is my opinion, the corruption in the region is primarily due to the opium culture and its lucrative cash business. That cash, of course, provides for weapon procurement by the Taliban. Al Qaeda's specality is big bombs faciliated by suicide attackers. There isn't that sophisticated or that expensive about that weaponry. That is why the Taliban persist. They can run a 'dirt cheap' chaotic rebellion.
I don't believe this corruption assessment overshadows any of the reports by General McCrystal or Secretary Gates. I am not willing to cast the word of the USA military aside in favor of a private rating entity on the ability of any form of Afghan government under democratic principled leadership aside.
One of the failures in Vietnam was that the leadership was removed from the reality of the soldiers. We need not repeat those mistakes. There needs to be a way for 'word' to get to the commanders in Afghanistan to know the logistics and best venues for success.
...McChrystal's assessment, (click here) as reported by The Washington Post, which obtained a copy of the document, laid out in blunt terms the magnitude of the problems facing the coalition forces in Afghanistan, with a warning that without additional troops by next year, the conflict "likely will result in failure." The requested troop surge would be in addition to the 68,000 U.S. soldiers expected by the end of this year. "Failure to gain the initiative and reverse insurgent momentum in the near term -- while Afghan security capacity matures -- risks an outcome where defeating the insurgency is no longer possible," McChrystal wrote in his report. He also noted in his summary, "While the situation is serious, success is still achievable."...
Innocent people at the United Nation mission in Afghanistan were killed and wounded by those that use 'innocence' as a weapon. This attack is contrary to every provision of the Geneva Conventions, yet, it happens. This is not a 'fighting force' Afghanistan is dealing with, it is a Taliban Revolutionary Force seeking to 'undermine' the military presence in the country. There is no other way to a victory for the Taliban and al Qaeda. They have only crude weapons that cause chaos and confusion. The way to victory for any revolutionary force is for people to become intolerant of the violence to allow the oppression in its wake.
If the USA simply pulls up stakes and leaves, the face of the Afghan conflict will not end. Our allies will be forced into calling in all available forces through NATO. Europe has a much larger stake in this than the USA does.But, considering the recent suicide threat to the USA, whereby new recruits to al Qaeda still find access to the USA and its infrastructure, there is a question about the 'return' of the USA at some future date. I really don't believe we have a choice but to fight this war and succeed in creating a large enough Afghan force to hold the country in the face of Taliban infiltration.
A U.S. Soldier scans the adjacent mountains above a base in Kamdesh, Nuristan in 2006. This past weekend insurgents attacked the base and killed at least 8 US soldiers, one of the deadliest single attacks since the war began eight years ago.(Courtesy Sergio Caro)
The USA will be obligated to its presence in Afghanistan through NATO. President Obama has visited with the Secretary General of NATO. (click here) It is imprudent to sacrifice allies for a failed effort to date which lacked a strategy since 1980. This was the view of the NATO Secretary General as of September 28, 2009.
...Which brings the second benefit: boots on the ground. (click here) There are 35,000 non-US troops in the mission. That’s 40% of the total. And that number is going up. Over the last 18 months, about 9,000 extra troops have been provided to the mission from the non-US members. Sixteen countries have increased their contributions over that period. None has cut back. I’m not sure all of this gets as much visibility in the US as it deserves....
If we are going to be in Afghanistan through our NATO alliance; we may as well resolve to destroy the advantages of any Taliban insurgency and build Afghan forces to provide stability. This is more than a USA decision, quite frankly. This is not "Obama's War," it is however the failed war of Bush/Cheney. The NATO alliance has been 'hanging on' for a change in administration in DC. They know they can't fight this war alone. They couldn't defeat Hitler alone either.
Under attack: A Royal Marine firing mortars in Afghanistan
US military deaths in Afghanistan region at 774 (click title to entry - thank you) The Associated Press Of those, the military reports 595 were killed by hostile action. Outside the Afghan region, the Defense Department reports 72 more members of the U.S. military died in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Of those, three were the result of hostile action. The military lists these other locations as Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, Cuba; Djibouti; Eritrea; Ethiopia; Jordan; Kenya; Kyrgyzstan; Philippines; Seychelles; Sudan; Tajikistan; Turkey; and Yemen. There were also four CIA officer deaths and one military civilian death. ___ The latest deaths reported by the military: — Eight soldiers died Saturday when enemy forces attacked two remote outposts in the Kamdesh district of Nuristan province, Afghanistan. — One soldier died Saturday from a roadside bomb southwest of Kabul. ___ The latest identifications reported by the military: — Army Sgt. Aaron M. Smith, 25, Manhattan, Kan.; died Friday in Wardak province, Afghanistan of injuries sustained when enemy forces attacked their unit using small arms fire; assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum, N.Y. — Army Pfc. Brandon A. Owens, 21, Memphis, Tenn.; died Friday in Wardak province, Afghanistan of injuries sustained when enemy forces attacked their unit using small arms fire; assigned to the 118th Military Police Company, 503rd Military Police Battalion, 16th Military Police Brigade, XVIII Airborne Corps, Fort Bragg, N.C. — Army Sgt. Roberto D. Sanchez, 24, Satellite Beach, Fla.; died Thursday in Kandahar province, Afghanistan of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit with an improvised explosive; assigned to the 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Hunter Army Airfield Ga.... ___ On the Net: http://www.defenselink.mil/news/
It is customery when soldiers 'take the hill' they don't usually end up in the valley were they are surrounded by hillside. It seems the base should be on top of the mountain, where they can easily monitor activity on both sides of it and at every approach.
There isn't anything to say they have to close the base in the valley, but, all surrounding elevations should have secured outposts from the base to monitor activity and dispatch troops from the base as needed. The outposts can't be abandoned either for the sake of an early warning system, they have to be secured and sustained outposts that receive reinforcements as soon as trouble arises. Better though, to have additional 'bases' at the top of the mountain to stop this hideous victimization of our troops.
U.S. Afghanistan Base: Death Trap From The Beginning (click here) 'We're Sitting Ducks' Soldiers Told Reporter on 2006 Visit By MATTHEW COLE Oct. 6, 2009 The remote base in northern Afghanistan where eight U.S. soldiers were killed this weekend in a deadly battle was well-known inside the military as extremely vulnerable to attack since the day it opened in 2006, according to U.S. soldiers and government officials familiar with the area. When a reporter visited the base a few months after it opened, soldiers stationed in Kamdesh complained the base's location low in a valley made most missions in the area difficult. "We're primarily sitting ducks," said one soldier at the time. Known as Camp Keating, the outpost was "not meant for engagements," said one senior State Department official assigned to Afghanistan, and brings "a sad and terrible conclusion" to a three-year effort to secure roads and connect the Nuristan province to the central government in Kabul. The boulder strewn road that led into the valley was referred to by U.S. soldiers stationed there as "Ambush Alley." In addition to the eight dead Americans, at least two Afghan Army officers were killed, with as many as a dozen Afghan National Policemen missing, according to military and Afghan officials.
This war should have been over a long time ago, if the USA assets and resources weren't squandered in Iraq ! If one recalls, President Obama voted against any deployment in Iraq.
