It is all about Republican Priorities

Evidently, the health burden of the entire nation is more than Republicans can shoulder.

BUT.

When it comes to covering maladies of their own members there is no burden too great for them.

Ann Romney, in the later years of her husband's governorship, was an icon for a movement to address Multiple Schlerosis. Now, in Michigan there is legislation requiring coverage for autism. That is all fine and good, but, then does the electorate have to make sure when they vote there are sufficient enough health issues within those running for office to spawn coverage for themselves and their relatives?

I am really growing very tired of the attacks on President Obama's Affordable Care Act, when narcissism is everywhere when it comes to the Republicans' idea of health issues.

Lt. Gov. Brian Calley's daughter is 'stable' (see link below)

Updated: Aug 24, 2011 9:56 AM EDT

By Brandon Allendorfer, Internet Managing Editor

ANN ARBOR, MI (WNEM) -

The 1-year-old daughter of Michigan's Lt. Gov. Brian Calley has stabilized after going into cardiac arrest following a heart procedure at a hospital.

Gov. Rick Snyder spokeswoman Sara Wurfel said Wednesday evening that doctors report Kara's trends are "moving in a much more positive direction."

She remains on a ventilator....

Link: http://www.wnem.com/story/15154373/lt-gov-calleys-daughter-suffers-three-cardiac-arrests


Autism coverage signed into law in Michigan by Lt. Gov. Calley (click here)

by Mark Brush

April 18, 2012from MR

With Gov. Rick Snyder out of the country, Michigan's Lt. Gov. signed a bill he had a strong hand in pushing through the Legislature.
The Michigan Public Radio Network's Rick Pluta reports on today's signing of the autism coverage bill:

To the applause of families with autistic children, Lieutenant Governor Brian Calley has signed legislation that requires insurance companies to cover childhood autism treatments.

The new law, which will go into effect on October 1, requires insurance companies to pay for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis and treatment for children up to age 18.
The state law does not, however, compel "self-funded" insurance plans to carry autism coverage. Those health insurance plans are regulated by federal laws.
Most large employers, such as GM, Home Depot, DTE Energy, and even the State of Michigan provide benefits through a "self-funded health care plan."...

Amazing. Zimmerman can now go back to his vigilante ways.

He'll walk.


$125,000 bail is nothing. I am surprised he is not already out of jail.

...Wearing a charcoal suit,(click here) white shirt and grey tie — but also shackled and appearing to have on a bulletproof vest — Mr. Zimmerman took the witness stand to deliver a short statement to Mr. Martin's parents, who were there.

“I wanted to say I am sorry for the loss of your son. I did not know how old he was. I thought he was a little bit younger than I am. I did not know if he was armed or not,” Mr. Zimmerman said in his first public comments about the shooting.

The judge said he would hold another hearing on whether Mr. Zimmerman could go out of state if details could not be worked out with law enforcement....

Trayvon Martin was 'standing HIS ground' after being followed and PURSUED by Zimmerman, but, that doesn't count. What matters is that Zimmerman 'saw himself' walking down the road and believed Trayvon was capable of violence.


Trayvon Martin was a innocent teenager doing what was asked of him by the society he lives in and he was killed. He was killed while trying to defend himself after being wrongfully pursued by someone empowered to act as a vigilante. The law has become the enemy of the USA citizen and we are now seeign how the Plutocratic injustice of ALEC manipulation is destroying our democracy.


I ask myself what I would have done if I had a gun and I still don't see myself killing anyone when I knew nothing of them or their activities. I have called police about suspicious activity and it was my experience, while suspicious, the actions were legal and harmless.


A person cannot pass judgement on other human based on their own bias and then carry out their assassination based in self-understanding of the world.


It is easy to apologize and mean it when faced with Second Degree murder. It is easy to cry self-defense when a person is attempting to defend themselves. It is easy to say, "But, I could have died if I didn't defend myself."


These circumstances were not aggrivated on Zimmerman's part. He pursued Trayvon Martin and proceeded in an unlawful way to act as a law enforcement officer in making judgements and taking the law into his own hands. Zimmerman acted to interfer with the peaceful transition of a young black man to his home. Trayvon was interrupted and Zimmeran gets $125,000 bail. That is an offense against this young black man. I guarantee you if Trayvon was caucasian this would never have happened.


A man that is charged with Second Degree Murder after taking the law into his own hands after being told by law enforcement to cease his interference with Trayvon will be out on $125,000 bail and due to hideous laws of the Plutocrats will walk away from murder. That is ludicrous and lacks any form of morality.


What is this going to do to the minority community in this country? What are they thinking right now? I know what I am thinking. "How do we protect ourselves from idiots like George Zimmerman and the money of the Right Wing Plutocracy, because our democracy no longer protects all citizens."

Dressage at this level is no joke, international competition and expensive.

This is Olympic Level competition. It is extremely expensive. In this picture "Rafalca" is performing an extended trot. I defy anyone to show me where in the natural world this gait exists. It doesn't. Dressage grew out of the practice of training 'stout' horses for battle, a long time ago. Like in armor plating. The horses used in battle did not have legs this fine or delicate.

The wild Mustang will never be found to run a collected gallop or an extended trot. These are not natural gaits for horses. They are possible because they can be leveraged in their 'balance' with bits, saddles and riders. They are at least a half a ton and can be controlled into developing their musculature to perform amazing feats. Their diet is high in protein and is not inexpensive. This horse most likely eats an alfalfa mix hay and is appropriate because it is not too rich to founder his hooves due to the high energy demand.

Jan Ebeling of Moorpark, CA and Ann Romney’s Rafalca (click here) followed up their strong performance in the Grand Prix test with another highlight in the Freestyle. From the very beginning, this pair was out to impress with a technically challenging first section. Their music was set to the soundtrack of the 1986 Robert De Niro movie “The Mission” and suited their choreography perfectly. Throughout their powerful trot work, Ebeling and Rafalca stayed perfectly in step with the music, helping them to earn a 72.589%. The pair completed the Grand Prix Freestyle in 11th place....

Ann Romney and I have a lot in common, but, not at this income level. My realtives too were miners. They worked as a blacksmith  for the coal mines and a coal miner at the age of 17 in the Anthracite mines in Pennsylvania. There is no more Antracite coal anymore, except, in an occassional mueseum piece.

I too have a chronic inflammatory disease and riding can be a passive exercise that does not cause the body as much stress as one might find in sincere equestrian sports. A person competing at the level as seen above is fairly fit. But, never in my days did I find a Romney Academy for the Afflicted. So, the idea of riding in this case was singularly a status issue that would contribute to Ann's well being. She married money. Smart girl.

There are many people that can benefit from riding horseback as a pleasure sport, but, it is an expensive proposition. I know because I was involved with people that competed within the dressage community. So, let's not equate this to backyard sportmen and women, they aren't. This is status pure and simple. It is a sport and it is out of doors in many occassion.

I have been involved with American Horse Show A Rated Shows and Grand Prix Competition, but, never outside the USA and never as an owner. I have owned and rode Quarter Horses, not European Warm Bloods.

The horses are at least upwards of $25,000 for an American throughbred wtih potential, the training, the riding lessons, the vets, the trailing/transportation and shoeing is enough to kill a household budget. Those that often ride at this level aren't cleaning their own horse's stalls.

So, she and I have nothing in common really, similar backgrounds, but I would probably never converse with her and feel a kinship. I could tell you more about these horses, their temperment and the fact they don't really look forward to exhibiting their skills so much as performing for their riders. That, by the way, is what dressaeg is all about. It is not about the natural skills of the horse, it is how well the horse performs the demands of it's dressage course for the rider. The rider can mess up a routine ride and then the horse has no status at all. So, this isn't a sport the average folks can cling to as a realistic part of their lives.

This level of competition falls between backyard horsepeople and racing. It is primarily unattainable to most Americans, unless there is someone in the family with the descriptor "millionaire' attached to their adjectives.  You won't find this level of competition at 4-H shows.