FIX IT NOW !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The changes necessary to the REGULATIONS can be conducted administratively, it requires no further legislation. This is what happens when an incompetent has no compassion for the people of this country. This is incompetency and if Kathleen Sebelius doesn't understand that, then is speaks to illegitimate place in government. She has no clear understanding of the people she is SUPPOSE TO SERVE. The people are not suppose to serve to her whims. She is demonstratively incompetent.

Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium (click here)

Exchange Final Rule: Indian Provisions (click here)

The PPACA is about life and death. The regulation demanding the within 400% of the poverty line to pay for their subsidy for one year is hideous and cruel.

...In response to this need, (click here) the Kaiser Family Foundation with funding from Gilead Sciences has produced “Obamacare & You,” a new Greater Than AIDS consumer web portal Exit Disclaimer to help PLWHA learn about new coverage options and how the law could affect their care and treatment. Greater Than AIDS Exit Disclaimer is a leading national public information initiative developed by the Kaiser Family Foundation together with the Black AIDS Institute and supported by a broad cross section of public and private sector partners to increase knowledge, reduce stigma and promote actions to stem the spread of HIV in the U.S. -...

"Together we are greater than AIDS" (click here)

Fire Kathleen Sebelius ! She is incompetent in the rollout of the law AND the written regualtions.

She was once involved in government in relation to the health care insurance industry. She is owned by them. As a result when she wrote the regulations derived from the law she penalized the individual to keep the monies flowing in her parties direction at the time of elections. She needs to go.

...Enrolling in a new health plan (click here) on the ACA/Obamacare exchange requires payment of the premium at the time of enrollment. Many working class families live paycheck to paycheck or they are in the hole financially. They make too much to qualify for Medicaid but too little to make an additional insurance payment right now that can be put off until the last moment. To be even clearer: working class people like me do not have hundreds of extra dollars in the bank to make that new premium payment in advance of when it will take effect. 

For many, like me, we are already paying a huge medical insurance premium (mine is $875 every month for individual COBRA/Aetna policy), and we’re in the hole trying to make that happen. 

Hence, I will look at what’s available to me on the exchange – Connect for Health Colorado – but I will wait to actually enroll until I have the money to pay the premium. Will that be tomorrow or December 1 or right before Christmas on December 15th (the last day to pay for the January 1st coverage)? I do not know. I just got the Medicaid denial this week after waiting 36 days for that denial that stopped me from going forward to shop for coverage. So, that’s a working class reality....

If one recalls when President Obama took office there was a crisis in this country. People were losing COBRA benefits at a rapid rate. In order to keep the COBRA policies intact he allowed for a credit to be entered by the employer involved in their taxes while the consumer paid their normal fees. It was the employer that carried the burden of the subsidy and NOT the individual. 

That is the way The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act has to work. The individual CANNOT and WILL NOT BE ABLE to carry their subsides until their tax benefit is realized and applied to the upcoming year. 

The REGULATION regarding the subsidies and where the burden lies is written to defeat the law. 

Kathleen Sebelius is directly responsible for the pain the nation is feeling right now regarding this law. She has issued waiver after waiver because she is incapable of disconnecting from her loyalties to the profitability of insurance companies. She has to go. Her political career is now over. 

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is about life and death. It has been since the beginning and it is today. She has no right to cause any individual in this country the hardship of the burden of paying the subsidies for a year before receiving relief from it's cost. She is COMPLETELY DEFEATING the purpose of the subsidies. 

I don't care if the government pays the subsidy through a direct payment to the insurance companies on behalf of the people or they require the insurance carriers to do it, but, it will stop and the regulation recalled and written the way it was intended when the law passed in 2010. 

Sebelius is directly responsible and she has to go. She has incompetently written the regulations. She should have been dismissed when she wrote her first waiver. 

The way this regulation is applied not only states her incompetency in government it bring question to her dedication to the well being of the people of this nation.

I think some folks in the USA are completely demoralized of the value of their own lives.

Americans purchase all kinds of insurance and they look for the best rates. When they do they realize an event could destroy what they worked so hard for and seek to protect themselves. They understand the concept, but, health care is such a political hot potato for the Republicans because they can instill fear so easily in people.

The Health Security Act was defeated in 1994. It has been nineteen years that Americans have been compromised by the health care insurance companies. During that time they got used to being in danger of their life. They sought care at emergency rooms for their children. Did without preventive care. Looked the other way to health issues that needed attention until they were too sick not to attend to them. They have tried every measure under the sun trying to cope with a health care system that didn't care about them and costs were astronomical for average Americans.

The lack of health care was something no one really talked about because in all too many cases it was unattainable. I think people are going to have to start thinking about health care insurance in the same why they think about homeowner's insurance, renter's insurance, car insurance and even flood insurance. There is a reason to own a policy. That reason lives in the vapors of life and is unpredictable. Folks have been abandoned and abused in so many ways over the last twenty years it is going to take patience and persistence to help them find their ways back into reality about all this.

Everyone in the USA is better off with quality health care.

Health care costs have gone up for the sixth year in a row, (click here) increasing at rate higher than inflation. Those who can still afford health care are often finding that their benefits are being trimmed while their co-pays and deductibles are increasing. With these growing costs is the growing importance of getting the most out of your health care coverage. Unfortunately, health care policies are often complicated and confusing, filled with jargon that can confuse anyone without a law degree....

Purchasing Health Care Insurance isn't as difficult as it seems and the Gold plated or Platinum plated policies is not necessary the BEST for any individual or family in the country. The Platinum plated health care provides THE SMALLEST COPAYS for a higher subscription price. The wealthy may or may not subscribe to these plans, it is the anticipated health care costs any family or person expects in a year that dictates the policy they purchase.

My physician is the best. She worries about me and cares a great deal about my wellness. She and her colleagues are priceless. The least I can do is take her advice and care to heart and seriously follow her recommendations. But, for the visit to the office it costs $95.00. I have a $20.00 co-pay. That is all I pay to her when I visit that office. She bills the insurance for $95.00 and it is between them what she recieves, but, on the reconciliation statement I only look at the services charged to be sure they are correct and I look at the amount I owe and it is always $20.00. That is not the physicians invoice it is the reconciliation statement from the insurance company and when I go back to her office for follow-up or whatever, there is never a balance. I pay the $20.00 before my appointment and that is all I pay.

When I have a prescription, my out of pocket is $3.00. And no I don't have Medicaid. I have a Blue Cross and Blue Shield policy. I fill most of my scirpts at Walgreens. Why? Because Walgreens honors my scripts no matter where I am even Alaska when I visit the ice fields. That is why I go to Walgreens. They give me good service, always look for the most economical method of obtaining my medications and respect any question I have. 

$3.00

That is all I pay. My full year deductible is $6100.00. That means IF and that is fairly big IF. If I accumulate services and medications and whatever totaling $6100.00 over one year the insurance than pays 100% of those costs. I have met the yearly deductible and I pay nothing after that.

I will not accumulate $6100.00 out of pocket in any given year. It won't happen. I know it won't happen. Why would I pay for a more expensive health insurance policy for a lower annual deductible if I know I will never meet it anyway? That would be throwing money right into the profits of the insurance company and I would be a jerk for shooting myself in the foot.

The companies are in business for profit and completely let you believe the Platinum policy is where all the millionaires go. NOT. 

The only way to decide what policy to purchase is knowing what your REGULAR health care costs are. And the great thing about the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is that all the preventive costs are FREE. I don't have to put those costs into my medical budget in any year now. It is great. I don't have to pinch pennies to be sure all my preventive care is complete it is now included in my subscription costs. I like it that way. I have my preventive appointments made already. It is all taken care of. NO WORRIES.

If I didn't have my health care insurance I would be paying far more out of pocket costs every year to keep up with my preventive costs and any anticipated illness and prescriptions than my subscription costs. Absolutely would, no doubt in my mind. I could not achieve all this wonderful care without my health insurance company. Why? Because THEY have a contract with my doctors and I don't.

If I didn't have insurance I would have to pay my physician $95.00 per visit, not $20.00. She doesn't get $95.00 for her service from the insurance company and she is a very happy and comfortable person with her contracted services with many insurance companies. 

And because the insurance isn't paying her $75.00 knowing I paid $20.00 they are making money through their contracts. Absolutely they are. 

Everyone is taken care of, me, my doctors and all those providing me care and the insurance company. I don't begrudge them their subscription fees/PREMIUMS because I could not do alone what they do as a company. 

For all those folks that are falling into this TRAP by the Right Wing Politics in the USA; they are not doing the right thing for themselves. They are paying high out of pocket costs thinking they are saving on PREMIUMS and they doing themselves a favor by BEATING THE SYSTEM. NOT. They are avoiding care and even when it is covered by their bare bones policies they aren't covered for the 'bad news' should it come.

I realize personal decisions are important. But, when it comes to health care costs being a smart shopper for insurance is knowing what your costs will be per year and honoring your wellness by receiving vital preventive care and following physicians advice. 

I wish I had a magic wand to clear up the thinking of the nation because The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is the best thing that has happened to every American in this country. I believe that beyond any doubt. 

The sky is falling, the sky is falling!

FACT SHEET: New Administration Proposal To Help Consumers Facing Cancellations

“I've assigned my team to see what can we do to close some of the holes and gaps in the law, because my intention is to lift up and make sure the insurance that people buy is effective, that it's actually going to deliver what they think they're purchasing.  Because what we know is, before the law was passed, a lot of these plans people thought they had insurance coverage and then they'd find out that they had huge out-of-pocket expenses or women were being charged more than men.  If you had preexisting conditions, you just couldn't get it at all.

“And we are proud of the consumer protections we've put into place.  On the other hand, we also want to make sure that nobody is put in a position where their plans have been canceled, they can't afford a better plan even though they'd like to have a better plan.  And so we're going to have to work hard to make sure that those folks are taken care of.” – President Barack Obama, November 7, 2013....

In an article from the Christian Science Monitor Mr. Smith is complaining about having to pay more than $200 per month over his current costs. He admits he pays for coverage that basically isn't any type of coverage at all and that it would be nice to be accepted into a health care policy without any problems. This is exactly the problem. Now, if Mr. Smith or his spouse run into problems in the next year because they didn't purchase from the health care exchanges, they have a good chance of declaring bankruptcy and losing any footing they have now to their dreams of operating a restaurant business. 

There are times when government has to make the choices. These folks simply don't have a clear understanding of what good health care can bring to their peace of mind and their future dreams. This is a shame the media is exploiting people like this and causing such problems.

President Obama needs to proceed with the State Exchanges and ignore the complaints they are under educated to their best outcomes and exploited by the political Right Wing.

...When Smith and his wife, who are both in their early forties and who do not have children, relocated to Cape Coral from West Des Moines, Iowa, in 2012, they say they were refused coverage by Golden Rule, a division of UnitedHealthcare, which serves 27 million members. Smith takes lisinopril for high blood pressure and pravastatin for high cholesterol, so when a broker then hooked him up with a Humana policy, the Kentucky-based insurer serving more than 11 million customers said no to him, too.

Despite these preexisting medical conditions, after a few months in their new home the Smiths were approved for a bare-bones, high-deductible policy by Florida Blue. Now, just a year later, he has to go through this process again.

“It’s all myself – no employees,” Smith says. “So if I do get sick or anything – I mean, if I’m down, I’m in trouble.”

But he and his wife are happy to be in Florida. They even hope to open a Thai restaurant in the near future. And although they’ll be paying more for insurance, they feel a bit more secure.

Smith is shopping for a “bronze plan” now, the cheapest of the metallurgically-labeled coverage levels that many private insurers are using, echoing the labels of Obamacare. With the cheapest plan, Smith and his wife will each have a $6,350 deductible, or a $12,700 yearly out-of-pocket cost for health services they use. Until they cross that threshold, this type of plan pays only for a few primary-care visits and a basic drug benefit.

“I have more confidence that I’ll have real insurance now,” he says. “You know, I don’t like to pay more, but I have more confidence that I’m going to have some coverage that won’t get yanked from underneath me.”

Those deductibles apply only to the level of out of pocket expense paid before the insurances pay 100%. These folks do not have to pay $6350 per person before they are given coverage. That is their maximum out of pocket for the entire year. But, the health care coverage starts immediately in providing benefits for medicine and doctor visits. These poor people are run through the meat grinder to prove what exactly? That they have options to good insurance that will prevent profound tragedy in their lives?

People are being taken advantage of in that they do not understand what purchasing health care means and what exactly deductibles, no pays, etc. mean. For a healthy person a Bronze Plan is all that they need at this point, but, at least they have coverage if the worst happens. Mr. Smith and his wife will suffer more financial hardship if either of them in their early forties are diagnosed with an expensive diagnosis.

Honestly, one would think the world was coming to an end. 

Fri Nov 15, 2013 11:44am EST.

(Reuters) - The dollar climbed (click here) to a fresh two-month high against the yen on Friday after Federal Reserve Vice Chair Janet Yellen lifted investor appetite for higher-risk assets by defending the U.S. central bank's current stimulus measures.
Comments widely interpreted as confirming Yellen's dovish stance and showing there would be no reduction of stimulus anytime soon dented the low-yielding yen, which typically falls when investors are looking to take on risk. She was nominated by President Barack Obama to succeed current Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke, whose term expires at the end of January. "The take away from Janet Yellen's comments (Thursday) was that a Federal Reserve led by her would leave many of the current policies in place, providing very little disruption," said Camilla Sutton, chief FX strategist at Scotiabank in Toronto. The dollar rose 0.2 percent to 100.22 yen, having touched a high of 100.43 yen earlier in the global trading day and giving it the potential to target the September 11 high of 100.60 yen. The yen fell broadly, with sterling hitting a four-year high against the Japanese currency....

The House first has to pass a special rule in order to bring the Upton bill to the floor. Really? 

Minority Leader Pelosi made a very interesting statement in regard to the Upton bill. She stated major health care organizations state the Upton bill is adverse to good outcomes for Americans, including, the American Cancer Society and Lung Association.

Ms. Pelosi also state the Upton bill is masqueraded as a benefit to the American people, and it is viewed in the real world as an adversity to the people.

She also went on to say the Democrats have a bill that would provide freedom to State Insurance Commissioners to investigate price increases and to receive notice of cancellation before letters are sent to the public. The reason for that being if the states are aware of cancellation of policies it can then seek to understand the reasons for the cancellation and act ahead of cancellation to provide options to the people and/or the companies issuing the policies.

I think it is a good point. The letters of cancellation went out to the public causing alarm before it could be reviewed and acted on by any government agency to ease the burden on companies and/or the people. The entire trauma over the cancellation of substandard policies could have been averted with authority to review the reasons for cancellation.

The buzz word for the Republicans is "UNSUSTAINABLE DEBT." They dont' see unstainability over a timeline, but, in an emergency to invoke fear in the electorate.

The Republicans are still talking about passing HR 3121. The same law that has been voted on 45 times before.

The CBO states if everything remains the same with the National Budget the debt will be 100% of GDP in 25 years.

In the Budget hearing where the CBO is speaking Ryan is very pessimistic about an agreement and Patty Murray states progress is being made and believes the differences will be resolved in a short period of time.

Ryan states the Budget hearing is very informal and any members of the panel can hold up their names to be recognized to ask questions. Basically, they have to raise their hands. Ryan is a joke. 

This isn't governance. It just isn't. The CBO, Douglas Elmendorf, comes to Congress and treated as if he isn't important. Amazing. 

There is no earnest effort by Ryan to take this seriously. This is obviously just drama. Ryan has no desire to settle into a budget before the deadlines. 

The American people have to take their elections seriously and elect serious individuals who actually care about the country and the voters. We are going to see more of the same come January and February. There are about 10 working days for Congress left this year and when they return in January they will be at the doorstep of the Budget and Debt Ceiling. Ryan is stalling in order to create another crisis. 

The lack of structure of the meeting is met with coping by other Senators in taking example and proceeding. It is causing confusion. 

The Republicans aren't governing. They are refusing to participate. They remind me of a two year old stuck on 'No.' I mean that. There is absolutely no impulsion forward into an agreement. It is all about finding fault and assigning blame. 

At this point, there should not be fact finding missions. At this point the Budget Committee should already have discussed the different budgets, resolved those differences and bringing NOT QUESTIONS before the CBO but the new agreement to make sure it will result in it's goal. 

This is still a fact finding meeting. It is a failure. Ryan is unable to lead. He is capable of a lack attitude that compromises reconciliation. There will be another dramatic Budget deadline followed by another Debt Ceiling deadline. Nothing is being done and it is completely obvious nothing will be done to avoid another fiscal crisis. 

Ryan's leadership is an abject failure. 

This is NOT difficult. This is a minor exercise in governing. Income and expenditures. This is not all that. Ryan can't get it done because he is an ideologue focused on politics. 

The CBO confirms to Senator Sanders there is significant inequality in wealth distribution. Senator Sanders pointed to 36% of the nation's wealth and income goes to the top 1% while the bottom 40% has 2.6% of the nation's wealth and income. 

Senator Sanders states the report by the CBO was absent of contemporary America. Mr. Elmendorf states he has some graphs that illustrates a raw picture of distributional wealth. 

Of course, Senator Sanders knows that when the nation's majority of population are poor, the nation is poor. The income to the treasury is from the nation's tax base. The better Americans receive wealth and income across a broad base the better the income to the Treasury. The point is cutting important monies to bring Americans to a greater level of earning isn't serving the sustainable economy of the USA. 

It is completely obvious the Republicans are running the clock for their own priorities and unable to govern because of those priorities. 

Senator Grassley just lectured everyone. Basically, he said, "The USA needs a strong economy to have a strong military. Dissolving The Sequester in order to spend more on defense is very shortsighted." He stated his remarks particularly are directed at US House of Representatives. 

Senator Warner states it is a global trend that private industry no longer is seeking to train their employees, there is a movement for the public sector train their citizens for employment. 

Senator Graham is back peddling. He has returned to slashing Medicare and Social Security. He wants entitlement reform. SSI is not a budgetary issue. SSI is an autonomous trust that can't be spent on the USA Fiscal Budget. He is worried about 80 million Baby Boomers. 

Chris Van Holen stated the greatest influx to Medicare and Social Security will occur in 10 years realizing that contribution of the tax base will also fall. ?? Maybe ?? to some degree, but, not completely. This generation tends to like to make money one way or another. But, the worst case scenario is correct. Rep. Van Holen also stated the business loop holes are stubbornly persistent and suggested the CBO do an analysis of those loop holes so they can be closed. He was also concerned about the policy ending this year regarding unemployment. Yeah, but, ??? there has been job growth and we aren't looking at a shrinking economy. I don't think we are still in an unemployment emergency, are we? That only justification would be if jobs are being outsourced at a rate detrimental to the employment of Americans. The other aspect one of the other committee members noted was the existing job openings already existing in the USA economy without trained people to fill those openings.

Mr. Elmendorf states he discourages increases in marginal tax rates on overtime pay because it will remove vitality from the economy. Taking those extra monies away from the spending behavior of the nation is a mistake. He  also stated cuts in the budget are not best for the current economy. 

Senator Whitehouse states President's Council on Economic Advisers states there is $700 billion to be saved in the health care industry. He also notes several private independent study groups with the same figure if not more. He wants to know from the CBO how important it is to work on the cost of health care. Mr. Elmendorf states it would assist the federal budget and deficit a great deal to address unproductive spending in health care. Those monies if removed from the health care costs of the nation do not at all effect the quality of the care provided. 

End.

Iraq will never be the same after the Bush invasion. No the USA will not send them more aid to increase the civil war.

Thursday 14 November 2013

Hundreds of foreign workers (click here) are being hurriedly evacuated from Basra in southern Iraq following violent protests by Iraqi oil workers and villagers over two incidents.

In one of them, a British security man tore down a poster or flag bearing the image of Imam Hussein, a figure highly revered by Shia Muslims. The violence may make international oil companies more nervous about operating in Iraq, which is at the centre of the largest oil development boom in the world....

Foreigners in Iraq don't allow for the fact there is no Western Diversity within the country's borders. The British guy was lucky he was still alive. This is a high holy day for the Shi'ites. Tearing down icons of the holiday obviously was a huge mistake. 

This isolationism in the Mideast is becoming a real trend. It is strongly based in the hatred of the former dictators placed in power by the USA. I am not interested in being a nightmare to these people ever again.

...The Iraqi Oil Report website said that BP, the main operator at Rumaila, was scaling back its workforce and that employees of Baker Hughes and Schlumberger “were massed at Basra airport”. There were conflicting reports about whether the oil services companies were shutting down their operations.

In an earlier incident affecting Baker Hughes, an Egyptian worker had removed the flags commemorating Imam Ali and Imam Hussein from company vehicles. Protests prompted Iraqi authorities to arrest the Egyptian on charges of insulting a religion, while Baker Hughes suspended its operations in the country and declared force majeure because of “a significant disruption of business”....

I remember very shortly after the invasion into Iraq the Shi'ites held ceremonial beatings of themselves with chains. It was a ritual Saddam prohibited. If he was doing it for humanitarian reasons because they do hurt themselves I could empathize. Saddam was doing that because he hated the Shi'ites.

The point is these folks are sincerely not interested in being converted to any other religion or culture or political understanding. If an entire segment of their citizens held their beliefs in oppression by a dictator, there is just no way their cultural basis is going to change, nor should it. 

"W" tried to destroy the Shi'ite culture in southern Iraq by destroying newspapers and attempted attacks on a temple. It just ain't going to happen no matter how much fish the Shi'ites pull out of the wetlands. If Saddam couldn't destroy them for decades, there is no way there is going to be any submission to Christianity.  It isn't going to happen. Christians live within the borders of these nations in minority status and they are tolerated, but, they will never rule these lands. 

Bush and buddies need to get over it and stop planning military cabals. The fact of the matter is Evangelicals don't respect other beliefs and their demands for conversion on a global scale is the policy and purpose of destroying cultures. A legal definition of genocide also includes when cultures are destroyed with intent by an outside force.

By Michael Luciano  11 hours ago

...Rob Eshman (click here) wrote in the Jewish Journal, "Bush … is helping to raise money for a group whose reason for being is to stop there being Jews. It sounds alarmist, but there it is. Success for the group Bush supports would mean no more Jews."...

To quote "W," "Fool me the first time shame on you, the second time shame on me." It won't happen again, so the intelligence agencies need to put their spy scopes away. These folks are going to have their land on their own terms. 

End of discussion. 

To irritate more fighting and violence endangers any peace settlement between Israel and Palestine and The West and Iran. There will be no Western intervention in Iraq again. There is no reason for it. Any reporting of al Qaeda is due to the fact the invasion happened in the first place and if they are in Iraq it is in support of rebels in Syria which is a completely different set of circumstances and why the Russia's point of view has brevity.

Any US funding to Iraq will be only humanitarian aid. John McCain and Lindsay Graham can take that to the bank. 

No guns. No munitions. No armored vehicles because it will find it's way into Syria and otherwise and only create more problems than it will ever solve as well as excuses to return to "The Forever War."

A "Means Test" for farm subsidies will return the Small Family Farm and a healthier food market in the USA.

The American people would love to have a return of the Family Farm. If Democrats ran in races where federal subsidies were "Mean Tested" while expanding those subsidies to the small farmer (They never receive subsidies. They were put out of business because of it.) they would win. There is not that large a voting base that supports corporate farms or their products.

March 1, 2011, 8:53 pm
By Mark Bittman

Agricultural subsidies (click here) have helped bring us high-fructose corn syrup, factory farming, fast food, a two-soda-a-day habit and its accompanying obesity, the near-demise of family farms, monoculture and a host of other ills.... 

...Farm subsidies were created in an attempt to ameliorate the effects of the Great Depression, which makes it ironic that in an era when more Americans are suffering financially than at any time since, these subsidies are mostly going to those who need them least....

This is what the American people want. And we want our Agriculture Yearbook back again !

We are a small family of first-generation farmers (click here) nourishing an old farm back to health again. Join us in our sixth season as a growing and sustainable CSA farm. Foster a relationship with your farmer and your community that nourishes everyone physically, spiritually and economically. Attend our on-farm events in the spring, summer and fall when we offer field and farm tours, potlucks and events such as pesto making and recipe sharing.

Unfortunately this is a first generation operation. The American Heritage at one time was one generation passing on the land, the plow and the livestock to the next generation and next generation. We want it back!

"We envision a future where Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is the backbone of a strong local food system; where all families have access to locally produced, organic food and have strong connections to their farms, food and community."

This is about the lost generation and finding their way back. This is the generation Wall Street forgot. They are happy being wholesome with hard work and dedication. It is important and can't be ignored by anyone. Many of these farms were developed by our Veterans returning from Afghanistan and Iraq. It is important and they aren't getting any subsidies either. They are doing it the hard way and producing superior products.

Once you’ve decided what’s important to you, it’s time to start searching for YOUR farm. (click here)

Search for farms by share type. See the full list of FairShare’s farms.

The Pick-Up Locations Map is an awesome tool. Type in the address of your home, workplace,gym, school, etc., here, to see which farms deliver nearby. 
You can also search the map by farm location.
Contact the farms directly by phone, email, or website for their current CSA brochure, which typically includes share types and prices, and delivery sites. Also, look at the farm’s Facebook page to get an idea of how they interact with members and to see photos of their shares.

Tennessee Congressman kills the fatted calf.

This level of crony corruption is not unusual in DC. There are huge subsidies to oil companies as well. The Republicans state the crony oil subsidies is to keep small operators in business. If that is true, then the subsidies of any kind needs a "Means Test."

There is a very real way to rein in DC spending and it starts with the best Congress to do the job and it isn't about food stamps. 

By Aviva Shen
May 21, 2013 at 1:29 pm

...As the Environmental Working Group (click here) notes, crop insurance subsidies have no limits on their recipients’ income levels. Therefore, the bulk of the crop insurance is paid out in million-dollar installments to a small group of large farm businesses, while the bottom 80 percent of farmers receive roughly $5,000 a year. SNAP, on the other hand, limits aid to income below 130 percent of the federal poverty line, or $30,000 per year for a family of four....

There needs to be a "Means Test" for farm subsidies.

By Matthew Yglesias

...Here in Tennessee, (click here) Mr. Fincher embraces that view. “We have to remember there is not a big printing press in Washington that continually prints money over and over,” he said in May....

...Surrounded by corn and soybean farms—including one owned by the local Republican congressman, Representative Stephen Fincher—Dyersburg, about 75 miles north of Memphis, provides an eye-opening view into Washington’s food stamp debate. Mr. Fincher, who was elected in 2010 on a Tea Party wave and collected nearly $3.5 million in farm subsidies from the government from 1999 to 2012, recently voted for a farm bill that omitted food stamps.

“The role of citizens, of Christianity, of humanity, is to take care of each other, not for Washington to steal from those in the country and give to others in the country,” Mr. Fincher, whose office did not respond to interview requests, said after his vote in May. In response to a Democrat who invoked the Bible during the food stamp debate in Congress, Mr. Fincher cited his own biblical phrase. “The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat,” he said....

While the President was talking to the American people today, Minority Leader Pelosi stated she has enough votes to pass ENDA and Immigration Reform.

What was the House Speaker doing at the same time? Asking to have "The Journal" accepted to the record. It was going well until a Tea Party Republicans noted there was not a quorum to do so.

Donna Leinwand Leger
USA TODAY  
10:35 a.m. EST November 14, 2013
 
WASHINGTON — When a decades-old law (click here) banning undetectable firearms expires less than a month from now, federal agents say a plastic weapon created on a 3-D printer could emerge as a national security threat.

The homemade plastic gun, known as the "Liberator .380" and made with a computer blueprint, a 3-D printer and plastic resin, could pass through security checkpoints without setting off metal detectors.

The gun uses only the smallest bits of metal for ammunition and a firing pin the size of a roofing nail.

The Undetectable Firearms Act, passed in 1988 and renewed in 1998 and 2003, expires at midnight Dec. 9. The law, which envisioned gun manufacturers using more plastic as technologies improved, requires guns to have enough steel to set off a metal detector....

Published time: November 14, 2013 21:22
RIA Novosti
 
The United Nations has nearly doubled the death toll from the devastating typhoon that struck the Philippines to over 4,400 people - a substantial rise from the 2,357 estimate released earlier in the day by the Filipino president.
Typhoon Haiyan has also displaced more than 900,000 people, with the city of Tacloban expected to run out of fuel within a few days. Almost 12 million people have been affected by the storm, which is thought to be one of the most powerful to ever strike land, Reuters reported citing UN. 
These numbers are in stark contrast to the death toll of 2,000 to 2,500 which was forecast by Filipino President Benigno Aquino earlier this week, but still less than the 10,000 deaths initially estimated by local authorities.

So far all the Senators complaining are Republicans. They are riding the elements of fear and not that of empowerment.

This map was developed by The Institute of Southern Studies. Their statement about the organization is here:

Since our founding in 1970 (click here) by veterans of the civil rights movement, the Institute for Southern Studies has established a national reputation as an essential resource for grassroots activists, community leaders, scholars, policy makers and others working to bring lasting social and economic change to the region....

Some of the most profound problems when it comes to poverty is within the high rates of the uninsured. They are poorer and more the victim of a poor economy. Within the USA is a reality few talk about. That is the fact our longevity is not equal throughout the country. There are higher death rates in some areas than others.

Below is a graph in Wiki about the poverty rate in the USA. This is not a joke.These are real issues of real Americans and just because they don't have six figure lobbyists in Washington, DC, does not mean this country is any less theirs.

Legend:

   <6%

   6%-7.5%

   7.5%-9%

   9%-10.5%

   10.5%-12%

   12%-13.5%

   13.5%-15%

   15%-16.5%

   >16.5%

There is a direct relationship between wellness and longevity, between income and longevity and between employment and longevity. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act took all of the problems of  the nation and set down a law to fix it. Young people are able to stay on their parent's policies longer, there are no lifetime maximums, no disqualifying conditions for insurances, INCLUDING BEING FEMALE AND FERTILE and there are subsidies for those that are employed but uninsured. 

States Rights does not apply to the incidence of disease or the cure or treatment. States Rights does not apply when there are large numbers of uninsured and it puts a drag on the USA economy and tax base.

These figures and statements come from the US Census. 

Section 1: Prevalence of Disability Among Working-age People (click here)

1.5. How do the states differ in the numbers of people with a work disability?

With the exception of Maine and Oregon, the states with the highest percentage of people with a work disability are in the southern United States. The eight states with the highest percentage of working age persons with disabilities are ranked as follows:

State	Percentage of working age persons with disabilties
West Virginia	12.6%
Kentucky	11.4%
Arkansas	11.2%
Mississippi	11.0%
Louisiana	10.3%
Maine	10.2%
Oklahoma	10.2%
Oregon	10.0%

I really don't want to hear how Congressional representatives in these states are complaining about The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Their states are among the worst performing states in the nation when it comes to taking care of their citizens. If they had done a good job before the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act was passed they might have a reason to complain, but, they sure as hell don't now!

The southern states are the worst performers in the country when it comes to safe work environments and quality of life. There is more dependence on federal tax monies there than anywhere else in the country. Now, they haven't been able to stop the decline of the health of their citizens, so the rest of the country set a limit on the early deaths of Americans in those states. These areas are some of the most extremist political dogmas still attached to post slavery American and it will STOP !

Morality?

In the South?

WHERE?

Rather than over reacting to changes of individual health care policies find out your facts.

Kaiser (click here) has a Health Care Subsidy Calculator. This is the type of input required to realize the subsidy received for the individuals market through the exchanges.

They ask about tobacco use.

People will complain anyway, but, the subsidy in this case is a family of four with no smokers with an income of $50,000 per year. 

The payments for the policy for this particular family is 40% of the actual cost. It is about $280 plus change per month. That is not a lot of money for four people in a family.  Americans receiving health insurance from their employers sometimes pay more than that for the same exact coverage. Few Americans receive free health care coverage from their employers and have to subscribe through their Personnel Office. It is not unusual at all for a twice month subscription fee to be taken out of paychecks at or exceeding $100 or more for employer policies. And $100 per month for a family of four is a exceptional deal, it is usually more like $150 or more. So stop the bellyaching and sign up for a quality policy.

Very little of the media actually does research to back up Right Wing rants; they simply seek the attention and ratings along with them.

...By law, (click here) the first year’s open enrollment period for Part D ran until May 15, 2006.  DHHS reported numbers that included everyone who signed up by that date.  As the graph shows, enrollment grew at a steady pace across the six months of the first open enrollment period....

I found ONE reference on the net discussing the way health care enrollment actually happens in the USA. 

This is the rate of enrollment to Medicare Part D in 2006. The complaints are ridiculous. The federal website has problems and may be mishandled by those hired to build it, but, the enrollment rate has very little to do with the website, if anything the Right Wing rants have brought more attention to the enrollment period. 

American don't really pay attention to deadlines until it is upon them. That is the case with tax returns as well. The beginning of the year sees those entitled to refunds, while those owing taxes are more present at the end of the reporting period. The entire lack of interest in enrollment has very little to do with the federal website, there are plenty of other options to enroll outside the federal website. 

This FACT only goes to prove "The squeaky wheel gets the grease."  

The US Constitution is not written into the US Constitution, it is the Tenth Amendment

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

The perverted definition of States Rights was the excuse for the Civil War, so any Republican or Democrat that see States Rights as the dominate laws in the USA are pandering to extremists, not the US Constitution.

The political extremists refer to "The Federalists" as still the problem in the USA. They also count on the US Supreme Court to dissolve the authority of the USA in regard to issues that satisfy the rich guys funding the extremists. Those that would see the federal authority dissolve are anti-constitutionalists. They are treasonists, that includes their politiicans.

During the American Revolution, (click here) the founding fathers were forced to compromise with the states to ensure ratification of the Constitution and the establishment of a united country. In fact, the original Constitution banned slavery,...

The dynamics of extremism are exactly the dynamics at the time of the Civil War, there were equal North and South states that disagreed about slavery. And, of course, slavery is all about wealth!

The extremists that cause so many obstructions to good governance are well studied in exactly this same dynamic, stoking hatred, self-righteousness and dissolving the federal authority of the USA Constitution. Their financial backers are exactly the same greed merchants as existed in the south. They seek to pay for their right to play on their own terms by putting treasonists within the federal government. So, when the religious extremists, such as the Koch brothers, back extremists with faux facts about the US Constitution they are paying to play on their own terms. It is far worse a definition than the 'pay to play' often assigned to Democrats by the Republicans and their media hate mongers. 

The Right Wing's 'pay to play' is not to 'work with the US constitution for high salaried positions,' but, to destroy it. They like to point fingers at others to take the focus off themselves.