Politics & Politicians: What’s Bugging You?
We hear so many people expressing frustration with the current state of affairs of politics, at all levels of government.
OK, so what’s wrong and why are folks feeling down about politics? What is bugging you and what will get you back in a more positive frame of mind?
More political humor or not..............
Hillary's Presidential Airplane!
posted by Blog Master @ 8:17 AM
80 Comments:
Good morning passengers. This is your pilot of Broomstick One speaking. Please buckle your seat belts and prepare for a very rough landing. Thanks for flying with us.
When New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer was sworn in on the first day of 2007, the former state attorney general chose the soaring "Fanfare for the Common Man" as his inaugural's musical selection.
Two days later in Tallahassee, another state attorney general, Charlie Crist, made the same musical selection for his inauguration as Florida's chief executive.
Stay tuned!
What’s frustrating? The political creed—Promise much, deliver little.
Property taxes, a good example.
Don’t miss the front-page story in the Star-Banner today about the head-up-the-ass financial happenings among local Republican big wigs. The main article is titled ”Web of Deceit: How Cathy Paris Built Women in Need Network on a Foundation of False Claims.” A related article is titled “Paris' organization gained support of local lawmakers: Elected officials say they did not verify whether charity was legitimate.”
The story is currently featured on the Star-Banner homepage at http://www.ocala.com/.
You can link directly to the main article at
http://www.ocala.com/article/20080316/NEWS/803160337/1025/NEWS.
You can link to the related article at
http://www.ocala.com/article/20080316/NEWS/803160339/.
Alternatively, you can reach the stories by using the term “Cathy Paris” in the search function on the homepage.
A Star-Banner video story on this is at
http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid294382118/bctid1457712376
I know fiscal conservatives on the PH blog will be especially interested in this story for what it tells us about whether Baxley, Kelly, and Cretul look before they leap. And how about that Republican State Committeeman Lewis Dinkins? There’s a guy with an iron grip on reality.
Why isn’t there a thread about this on the PH blog? The absence of a thread isn’t an example of that media bias I’ve been reading about here, is it?
P.S. I saw this woman in the audience at the Pat Strait trial.
None of the links work.
If anyone is interested in continuing the discussion about the Cathy Paris duping of several politicos and others, use this thread. Sounds like there will be more to this story (we know there will be), like criminal charges. Good work by Fred Hiers of the Star-Banner.
Articles:
Web of Deceit: How Cathy Paris Built Women in Need Network on a Foundation of False Claims
Paris' organization gained support of local lawmakers: Elected officials say they did not verify whether charity was legitimate
Video:
Web of Deceit
You can also get the video at the bottom of the first article.
Try clicking on the three hyperlinks I just posted. They're working for me.
I'm among those who gave money to Cathy Paris. She fooled me. Brian seems thrilled by the Republican Party involvement with Cathy’s cause. I could provide a long list of Democrat friends who were also contributors. I know many, like me, would prefer not to be on that list. I’ll be more careful from now on.
I don’t understand how any Democrat can allow the super delegate system to dictate who will represent their party. It is a stupid and unfair system. I discovered today what Hillary Clinton may be up to. It is shameful! Why trust any politician?
www.newsweek.com/id/123495
I'm on the same page with Lost Our Way.
A-OK on the second set of links.
Why is the woman not in jail?
Blogman wants to know what would get me more positive about politics. The election of Barack Obama would help. Then my wife and I could quit work and let the government take care of all our needs. We're sure we'll be better off doing that than working and giving most of our pay to the government in taxes. Rather take than give.
This Parris thing is interesting. Lets look at the people making accusations. Delgato, former politician in I think West Palm Beach, who has just moved to Marion and has filed a ethics charge against Margaret Cavanugh, and who is Cavanughs best friend, Kathy Parris, then Angie Boyton, who is black and was overlooked by the Rep. Exec. Committe to head up the committe to increase blacks in the party by guess who, Kathy Parris. Then you have the convicted liar Pat Sasso: Yes convicted, she accused Ms. Pat Strait of assulting her and Pat Strait was found not guilty, which means Pat Sasso was lying about the assault. Not such a great witness. Now the priest said he was taken so lets say that was true. But until she is arrested for a crime all she has done has not shown the Star Banner her personal records. Would YOU??? She has to pay a 1000 dollar fine, thats not a big deal, obviously not a criminal offense or they would have arrested her. We are going to find out that Boyton and Sasso used Delgato and got her fired to use Parrish to make a case to get Delgatos legislation passed. Lets not forget the Banner has a big problem with Conservatives, Parrish is a Conservative and Boyton and Sasso arent. The jury is still out on Delgato. Wasnt she supporting Guliano. Just food for thought. Until she is convicted of a crime all we have is a story with a lot of questions and holes. But I wont go on and bore you.
The fall out from the Bearn Stearns debacle and the resulting $2 a share purchase by JP Morgan is going to hit the stock market hard today. Trading curbs will have to be put into effect. Remote possibility the market will have to be shut down. The exit doors will not be big enough today.
This following my advise to sell last week.
Clayton Ellsworth 7:31 AM
True points 12:04 AM. Add to the story the entry of Creekbaum who just loves conservative Republicans and was likely so excited in seeing the story that he probably soiled his underwear on the spot. My what a mess that was! Creekbaum has never been able to get over Randy Harris constantly outsmarting him on every battle they have had. Randy always made Creekbaum look like the village idiot, no that’s wrong, the educated idiot all the time. As always, the Star Blunder has told us only half a story based on words from those with questionable motives. There may have been some wrongs done, but not as dramatic as the half truths we are being fed---again.
Libel, slander, defamation of character. Words from the mouth of the accused lawyers. The accusers better be on sound ground.
Things are not always as they seem. Yesterday I thought Kathy Paris should be in jail after reading the articles that were provided on the blog. Today, after talking to several people who know her and were involved with her on both sides of the claims about her being a con artist, I'm not so sure. There really is a side to what I read that did not come out. I wonder why.
What does C. Pariss have to do with the subject politics and politicians?
Here is what Dr. Doom & Gloom Ellsworth said this morning:
"The fall out from the Bearn Stearns debacle and the resulting $2 a share purchase by JP Morgan is going to hit the stock market hard today. Trading curbs will have to be put into effect. Remote possibility the market will have to be shut down. The exit doors will not be big enough today."
Well, the DJIA was up 21 points at the end of the day! Trading wasn't curbed and the exit doors weren't shut down. Someone is eating crow today! Right, Mr. Ellsworth.
I’ll give you some positive political news for Florida taxpayers. Good news out of Tallahassee today...thanks to Marco Rubio.
The Taxation and Budget Reform Commission voted 21-4 to put a Constitutional Amendment on the ballot in November 2008. The Amendment will eliminate school property taxes -- which make up 25 or more percent of an overall tax bill -- in favor of a 1 cent sales tax increase and other revenue sources.
Voice of Reason says . . .
The Paris lady story does reveal some things about the politicians involved:
1. Baxley, Kelly and the rest of the politicians are so eager to pander and try to look like they are going to solve every problem in th world. The result . . . they don't do any research about the lady and her "organization" before speaking and raising money for her "cause." The politicians want to jump right out and be the hero to everyone without having a clue about what they are talking about.
This is the same phenomenon as the Herring/Crawford cry to get a minority on the school board . . . they thought that they were the heroes but ended-up being zeros. That effort has cost Marion taxpayers dearly and and bit Lemming and Crawdad in the butt.
2. It shows the culture that our local politicians have allowed to fester here in Marion. as I have mentioned, going out to a mailbox in your pajamas to retrieve a government check is a highly sought after career in Marion. By setting low educational standards, investing in no high-tech infrastructure or businesses, and squandering public funds, careers in Marion are limited to medical scams (i.e. licensed doctors and hospital administrators), welfare, worker's compensation, plaintiff's lawyers and injury settlements, social security and Whopper floppers. This Paris lady fits right into the culture with her human trafficking scam.
VoR
Voice of Reason says . . .
This portion of the Paris article gets me furious . . . it shows what idiots Baxley, Kelly and Cretul are:
"As for Baxley, Cretul and Kelly, all three said they wanted to help if the human trafficking problem was something voters were interested in. They said they agreed to be guest speakers at Paris' events because she asked them to, but they didn't really know much about the issue."
They wanted to help IF human trafficking was something VOTERS were interested in?
First, what kind of a "leader" would only care about human trafficking if "voters" cared? Sounds like the cart pushing the horse.
Second, aren't these guys supposed to be pro-life and pro dignity of life? Human trafficking is only wrong if the voters care.
Third, are they so clueless about affairs that they question IF human trafficking is a problem? It is a huge problem.
Again, this area will never get any respect in Tallahassee with these low-frequency imbeciles.
VoR
All well and good if the legislature gives its agreement to the Tax Amendment. May not happen.
Doombuster,
Have I been wrong about the economy ? NO, DEAD ON and long before any body else around here and for that matter "the Experts "
I expected somebody to call me on my market post. I was wrong. But so was everybody else. I repeat, everybody else. I read all the overnight foreign market reports, watched CNBC and up to the opening everybody thought the market would take a big hit.
The word capitulation was voiced again and again, the theory was that market capitulation in the past had been signaled by one event like Bear Stearns. I think that Bear Stearns is just a first story. For instance over the weekend I learned that the Cleveland Federal Reserve had given National City Bank an emergency injection of cash, the source a former Federal Reserve official.
The market opened with a sell off by investors meeting margin calls. Then the buying came in by investors covering short positions and the Dow followed this pattern all day in an orderly fashion. However the NYSE was down more than twice the Dow and ended up down over 100 points which is a better measure some times. The Dow managed to be on the up side because Morgan Stanley who stole Bear Stearns is a component.
The true test of the market is ahead of us as it is still grossly over priced.
Did you see Mort Zuckerman on NBC nightly news with Brian Williams.Another doom and gloomer. or how about Warren Buffets comment about the market being over valued. How about Jimmy Rodgers and his negativity about the economy and the US Stock market.These are extremely wealthy and shrewd individuals whose perceptions of the market place got them where they are.
I value there judgement. If you want to think the economy is OK and the stock market is solid, thats ok. But if I were you, I would not bet on it.
Clayton Ellsworth
Voice of Reason says . . .
Yes, anon 8:10, I was wearing my sheet - I was in bed, snuggled in my sheets and typing on my laptop.
PS - I have probably broke bread with more friends from more (many poor) countries and more walks of life (i.e. minorities)at my dinner table than you have had government checks come to your mailbox. Don't try to pigeon hole me as some type of bigot you cranially challenged, anti-enlightened, and knuckle-dragging Java Man.
VoR
To: 11:21 PM (3/17/08)
The Legislature "does not" approve the recommendations of the Tax Commission. Once the Amendment is finalized and wording approved for ballot inclusion, that's all that is required.
"Munroe To Seek Public Tax Support "
It appears inevitable that Munroe Regional will need public tax support.
This should come as no surprise for those folks that read this Blog Site as Stan has talked about the three million dollar a month loss that Munroe Regional is getting hit with.
What does come as a surprise to me is the "head in the sand" approach toward this problem that the county commission is taking.
A long time ago I tackled the problem of illegal immigration in Marion County and the drain it is taking on all county services on this blog site.
I was told the county can't do anything about it as they have no enforcement ability. I countered by citing a new federal program that in effect deputizes local governments to enforce immigration laws. I was assured that was not workable here, strangely though the sheriff of Maricopa County Arizona and others are utilizing this very effectively.
Lets face it, this is not politically popular in a county where the equine industry depends on illegals. At that time all local contractors had to use illegals to fill the rosters, something we now don't have to worry about as much.
My e-mails to county commissioners went unanswered and they were diplomatic ones.
There are going to be more and more indigents as our local economy continues to weaken.
From what I am hearing from horsemen friends, the breeding sheds aren't very busy and as I forecast awhile back [confirmed by Fred Hiers of the SB in an article ] there is a recession creeping into the horse industry which will increase both legal and illegal indigents at the hospital and health departments.
We need to take a real hard look at the illegal situation and quantify costs which can be easily done. The numbers will tell a story no taxpayer will be happy with, especially this year, something the Republican controled County Commission should be very mindful of.
The problem and costs were there 2years ago, it looks like the commission hoped it would go away, possibly hoped I would not make an issue of it. I am now and will continue to make an issue of it until they pull their necks out of the sand.
Clayton Ellsworth
Lest we not forget our great humanitarian Sheriff Ed Dean and his department also got hood winked by the con-specialist Cathy Paris.
Clayton,
Indigent care, influenced by illegals, may be a part of Munroe’s declining hospital margins, but not the only influencer. I’m not trying to defend our county commissioners, but immigration needs a solution(s) well beyond what can be done by our local government. If you feel the Maricopa sheriff’s solution would work here, go directly to Ed Dean.
I don’t really know how much indigent care is illegals or just “legals” without health care insurance. I do know the Munroe emergency room visits are very high versus other comparable size hospitals (i.e., 92,000 visits last year--comparable size hospitals had 58,000). Shands, a larger hospital up the road in Gainesville, had 60,000 visits. Many of the Munroe visits are likely not “true emergencies”.
There are no easy solutions to the Munroe finance situation. Munroe management has been working hard to be sure productivity is the best it can be. Several cost savings initiatives in the patient-care areas have already been implemented. Non-patient care areas are now on the radar screen. Obviously, if a tax supplement is required Munroe won’t do that until it can assure everyone it has internally done all it can on productivity improvements.
There are several options Munroe is examining to address the financials. Some of them could be very painful to those requiring health care in Marion County; for example, cutting certain in/outpatient service areas that Munroe is not legally required to offer as a community hospital. I guess that would be OK if people don’t mind going to Tampa, Orlando, Atlanta, etc. to get those services at a much higher cost. There are other equally problematic options that I won’t detail here.
I have already received e-mails/calls from some of my friends telling me “no property tax increases!” A couple were downright curt with me and I’m not even an elected official—just an unpaid, volunteer board member trying to do my best for the community. I (and other board members) may come out of this with fewer friends!
More to come on the subject. Go to the BCC web site (meetings videos) and watch Steve Purves’ (Munroe-CEO) presentation to the BCC today.
What bugs me-politicians like Obama who cry out for the firing of Don Imus when he used racially offensive language but gives his own pastor a break when he is insensitive to many Americans. Why not ask him to resign from being a pastor? Double standard? You bet.
Voice of Reason says . . .
Well said Victor V. Also, the "audacity" of Obama to give us a lecture on that crap. Haven't we been lectured enough on this stuff?
As to the hospital stuff, why are salaries never even considered in the equation? Let's be honest here, I would estimate that Purves has a salary between $650,000-$850,000 per year. The argument is always that you have to pay the price for magnificent businessmen like these hospital administrators. But they can't have their cake and eat it to. Which one is it? Is it that Purves is worth the "Big Bucks" because he is able to operate without a $3.5 million deficit? Obviously no. Alternatively, is he an immensely overpaid business jackoff who is milking a sick hospital? I say the latter.
I don't want to pick only on Purves. All of the hospital administrators are way overpaid. They are performing the same functions as any other business administration but their salaries are bloated from 5 to 10 fold.
Then, look at the doctors who do "rounds." The purpose of rounds is to mark their name on as many charts as possible to make a claim for fees. All doctors do it but the Indians are the worst at it. My chart looked like a Rudyard Kipling poem after the Indians got through with me. I don't want to just pick on the Indians though because there are plenty of white bread doctors who do it also.
VoR
Day two following Dr. Doom & Gloom Ellsworth’s prediction of a stock market collapse.
Today’s DJIA: up 420 points or 3.5%. We’ll just have to keep waiting! Tomorrow??
Hospital money problems. Easy to solve. Shut down the emergency room. County commissioners do everything legally possible to discourage old people from moving here. Bingo, no money problems.
Stan,
Marion County is a de- facto sanctuary for illegal iimmigration.
It is a cop out to suggest that we need more than local enforcement without suggesting that Marion County can do more in enforcing immigration laws.
Marion County taxpayers have been subsidizing the horse farms and other employers of illegal immigrants by providing health care, human services and schooling to illegal immigrants who the farms pay low wages and no benefits for long hours and hard work.
Is it too much to ask the County Commission to provide some leadership on an issue that if left unaddressed will cost taxpayers a lot of money ?
When I find time I will research the federal program that other communities are utilizing to combat illegal immigration.
Clayton Ellsworth
The federal program is section 287G of the 9/30/96 Immigration And Naturalization Act- Delegation of Immigration Authority.
41 state and local governments are participting including the Florida Department Of Law enforcement.
This act empowers local law enforcement to arrest and detain illegal immigrants that are criminals. The cost of detention is paid for by the federal government.
Dodge County Wisconsin has found a new revenue source by becoming a holding facility for these prisoners.
Clayton Ellsworth
Correction : 9/30/ 2006
Mr. Stan and your Monroe hopital cronies, read my lips NO NEW TAXES!
There are numerous ways that ICE- [Immigrant And Customs Enforcement ]works with local governments to aid them in deportation of criminal illegal aliens.
The source for this is ICE Access programs.
The fastest growing program is the CAP program where ICE officials train and team up with Federal, State and Local correctional officers to search the criminal records and data bases on incarcerated alien criminal records.
The CAP plan has been used in Collier County [Naples] Florida for 8 months very successfuly.Road deputys have also been trained by ICE to spot offenders before they are jailed. See Naples News 2/16/2008.
357 criminal aliens have been deported to date with a 100 more finishing their sentences before being deported.
The CAP plan insures the health, safety and welfare of residents, the responsibility of all local governments.
There has to be a first step in dealing with our illegal aliens to offset the unconsious welcome signs we have in Marion County.
Some are welcome some are not."With some good comes some bad ".
Numbers are very hard to come by as to the number of criminal illegal aliens because these numbers have either been not kept or kept in such a way that there is no uniformity.
I refer you to the web site illegalaliens .com which discusses criminal aliens in depth and says there is a "dispreportionate number" in our society. A study has shown that they have averaged 8arrests averaging 13 offenses.
Will this bring down the costs of providing services to Marion County illegal aliens [ politically correct term] ? Yes, but not a lot right away. As the illegal criminal element realizes they have problems in Marion County there will be a more pronounced effect on lowering the costs that we all are now sharing.
To me the importance of these suggestions is that they are possible without any questions of legality as has been the case with some community efforts. No laws or ordinances neccesary, just do it.
Clayton Ellsworth
Now we know there's a WAY--need someone to show the WILL to do something about it.
Stories like this one keep me from getting too upset with politicians.
After escaping from her overly controlling campaign manager for the evening, Hillary sneaked off to visit a well known local fortune teller.
In a dark and hazy room, peering into a crystal ball, the mystic delivered grave news.
"There's no easy way to say this, so I'll just be blunt: Prepare yourself to be a widow. Your husband will die a violent and horrible death this year just after you lose the election."
Then the soothsayer looked up and locked eyes with Hillary, who was
visibly shaken at this news. Hillary stared back at the woman's lined face, then at the single flickering candle, then down at her shaking hands.
She took a few deep breaths to compose herself. She simply had to know. She looked back, deep into the fortune tellers gaze, steadied her voice, and asked her the big question:
"Will I be acquitted?"
I’m disappointed in the Presidential election. There is way too much attention being spent on small things and not enough on the big issues. Candidate’s religious practices, who lobbys them, how many girlfriends they have had, poll results, etc. are nice to know. But I’d like to know more about how they are going to solve the many problems they will be facing. We aren’t getting those answers. I’m losing interest.
Rev. Wright isn't the only controversial advisor Obama has. Search you tube for Reverend James Meeks. There's video of him making the same type of racist comments. Meeks is also a close friend and spiritual consultant to Sen. Obama. Meeks appeared in TV ads for Obama’s US Senate campaign.
Voice of Reason says . . .
Night Owl, just look at the record of the candidates and who they associate with - the records and associations tell the whole story.
Stan, if you are able to, I think it would be a great service to get a listing of the salaries for Purves and his underlings. I know another hospital recently hired a new CEO at $750,000/yr salary (no mention of his benefits package). If they want public funds they should be public with their salaries. I'd be curious to see the publics' reaction to his salary.
VoR
I’m back!
What’s my complaint about politics? We kicked out the old Dunnellon City Council and some others. Now we’ve got a new group that is showing signs of being just as bad as the one we removed. Some things never change.
"River Rat for City Council"
If you don't like it go fix it yourself.
Go to:
anncoulter.com and check out her 3/19/08 column on Obama "Throw Grandma Under The Bus".
She actually makes sense, for a change!
This comment has been removed by the author.
Coulter can be off the wall. She must have taken her meds yesterday. A sensible article which I agree with.
Voice of Reason,
You can get a report (IRS 990) on the compensation of the Munroe executives in two ways:
1. Go to: www. guidestar.org and do the search or
2. Contact the office of Rich Mutarelli at Munroe and request the report.
The 990 report is a public document and is updated each year.
Compensation is like politics, you can’t get everyone to agree. If someone is making $10 an hour, they feel anyone making $15 is overpaid. And that thought process continues up the line.
I once had a local talk radio show host tell me the hospital could get a CEO for $50,000-$75,000 and there are plenty of local people who would take the job. Could be, but that would be like having you or me perform surgery. We’d love to do it for the money, but the results would probably be a disaster.
There is much more to being a hospital CEO than people can imagine.
Lanny Davis, a Hillary Clinton supporter and frequent participant in many political discussions, asked a couple of good questions that weren’t addressed in Obama’s speech:
-- If a white minister preached sermons to his congregation and had used the "N" word and used rhetoric and words similar to members of the KKK, would you support a Democratic presidential candidate who decided to continue to be a member of that congregation?
-- Would you support that candidate if, after knowing of or hearing those sermons, he or she still appointed that minister to serve on his or her "Religious Advisory Committee" of his or her presidential campaign?
I also have a question: why did the Senator wait until he was put on the defense to give such a race-relations important speech?
Has Obama been endorsed by the Black Panthers?
From what I heard on a radio program, the answer is yes and no.
Yes he was endorsed, but no Obama did not accept the Black Panther endorsement. At least that's what he said he did about the endorsement. Could be one of those wink and a nod things.
Voice of Reason says . . .
I went to the website Stan and was able to see the tax form from 2005 (latest year shown). The relevant portion of the form list all salaries over $50,000/year. There was no CEO listed, only 5 VPs. Each VP made about $150,000 in 2005. Looking back over several years, it seemed they got a raise of about $10,000/year so I would estimate that the VPs are making about $170,000/year right now. I don't know how the CEO is compensated. I didn't see other offices like CFO.
So, I'm still not sure about Purves. You would think that others on the payroll make over $50,000/yr so I wonder about the tax forms or how the "not for profit" MRMC is structured. Maybe others get paid through some other corporation.
VoR
Voice of Reason says . . .
Here's something to bug you . . An Af. Am. Florida Rep. Gary Siplin (who was found guilty of felony grand theft) wasted taxpayers time and money sponsoring a bill to make it illegal for kids to wear droopy drawers around. Now it appears that Crist, as a result of pressure from none other than Adora Obi Nweze (I didn't make that name up in jest) of the Florida NAACP. It appears that Crist and Obi fear that the law will disproportionately affect blacks and Hispanics.
Remember that the next time government asks for more of your money.
There is no way that this Country can continue to lead the world. Something is going to give soon.
VoR
The CEO of Munroe was hired at $475,000 and has been given a raise since to $525,000.
“River Rat for City Council”
That is something I have thought about. I may just do it. Thanks for your excellent suggestion.
Voice of Reasons says . . .
Let's compare Purves job to running the Marion Co. School System. The school system is the largest employer in Marion with a $700,000,000 annual budget. The system is run by a superintendent and 5 school board members. I assume that the superintendent makes $100,000/yr. Also, records show that the board members make $36,000/yr each. Combined, that is six people at a cost of $280,000/yr.
Purves individually makes double that and can't run a balanced budget.
Part of an hugely bloated salary like Purves has is, in a sense, blood money. He's like the guy in the old west who gets paid to do bloody work that other people don't want on their conscious. What type of work is that? Cutting salaries, getting rid of "sweetheart deal" suppliers, shutting down dumb and ineffective programs, telling the doctors to take it or leave it, etc.
I say, he can operate without the deficit, he is doing his job and is worth the salary because he cut out $3,500,000 of waste. If he can't, tell Purves he's a terrible businessman who belongs with Bear Stearns, Worldcom, Tyco, or some other crock or crap like that.
VoR
And the Marion County school system gets tons of our tax dollars and the hospital gets none. Let's ask the schools to operate a public system without any taxes. BAD COMPARISON!
Bad comparison, who would want a hospital as poorly run as our school system.
6:36 AM.
You are incorrect.
Purves was hired at $425,000 and was given an increase to $450,000.
Hey, Stan the Man--Another subject for you.
Did you notice yesterday’s S-B had a page with two positive articles and one negative article about Obama (a.k.a. “The Immaculate Deception”) touting his earth-moving speech on his preacher’s vile comments? Fair and balanced?
Also, how about that New York Times? McCain’s alleged tryst with a female lobbyist got front page coverage and Preacher Wright’s comments were buried inside the paper. Fair and balanced?
And now we discover that all this attention to Obama’s passport security being violated—how about the fact the same thing happened to Clinton and McCain. Fair and balanced?
Stan, why haven’t we heard from you?
When I go to a hospital, my insurance company has to pay higher amounts than do those on Medicare and Medicaid. That means the hospitals take more from me than those on Social Security. Also, causing my insurance rates to go up. Seems to me the hospitals should stop taking any of the Social Security people and make them get health insurance like the rest of us. No wonder the hospital money situation is in a disaster with all these old people who use the hospital at such low rates compared to those with regular insurance. Most of the old people are the very ones who will bitch about the hospitals needing tax money to keep going. Yet they are the cause of the problem.
Anonymous,
You are incorrect in saying that your insurance company pays more than medicare, medicaid yes.
Ask your insurance company if they will offer you a discount on your deductible, in otherwards what they pay and if they do that [Golden Rule / United Health does ] you will see that the insurance companies pay at highly discounted rates. This is the reason that the hospitals in the Tampa Bay Area boycoted and would not honor Blue Cross? Blue Shield of Florida at some of the hospitals a few years ago .
It is a catch 22 situation . The hospitals can't function without the insurance companies who have the hospitals over the barrel because of what they pay.
Seniors who have Medicare and Medicare supplements or Medicare Advantage plans pay there way simply because the hospitals always get their money.
It is the people without health insurance which of course includes illegal aliens that cost the money.
County hospitals [ Munroe ] have to take these folks.
Get your facts right before attacking the elderly, you will be old sometime yourself.
Anonymous At 12:37
You facts are incorrect also.
The passport story was first covered Thursday by the Washington Times and that story covered Senator Obama.
The new York time lead story on line is about the breach of all three candidates as of 5:12 PM
Insurance companies suck! One of the biggest rip offs, next to homeowner insurance, is health insurance. I hope Charlie Crist takes all these crooked insurance companies to task and gets our rates in line. They are unreasonable. I agree with the person who says we have to support too many elderly people with SS health care.
Insurance, now that's an area our politicians get a failing grade. Like they need more.
Gun Nutt says…
Anon 8:23am, VOR’s comparison is valid. Yours is not. The hospital gets paid by the users (the sick people). The school system does not get paid by the users (the students). The only money the schools get is from the government. The hospital is charging to treat people. Then, since the administrators do such a bad job, the hospital has to hit up the government for more money. I would expect this if the CEO of the hospital made $50,000 per year but when he makes over $400,000, I expect better.
Gun nutt says...
What's buging me? March Madness! Every year I see news reports on how much businesses lose each year due to March madness basketball. These losses result from decreased worker productivity due to checking their computers for updates, talking with co-workers about the games, and filling out there betting choices. All of these are done on company time.
The media would have you believe that these sports "heros" are what makes America great. The reality is that worker productivity is what makes America great. This is the same worker productivity that is being harmed by sports. Don't get me wrong, I'm not completely against sport; but they are way over-rated.
Sports is one of the best character builders our school system has. People like Gunn Nut were most likely the nerdy non-athlete who likes to discount sports because they were so bad at them.
Perhaps sports might have helped Gunn Nut's disposition and improved his negative outlook on everything. If your name reflects your interests, I can also say what a total waste of time. Guns kill and hurt--sports build! Get a life my man!!!
Lay off Gun Nutt. He's vice president of that group PWF told us about---the CAVE Society.
Insurance is a problem. If the solution to outrageous property taxes is an example, then we better not ask for insurance to be fixed. The cure could be worse than the disease.
Voice of Reason says . . .
First of all, as the old wise saying goes: sports do not build character, they reveal it. Sportster is probably one of these bozo jocksniffers who can regurgitate all of the ESPN SportCenter talking heads' blather all day while his country and community sinks further into the John P. Crapper.
Commercial sports, as we know them today, is a distraction for the American male. It is a drug just as bad as marijuanna. What do people on pot do? They sit on a sofa and stare at a TV or listen to music and laugh to themselves. What do the sports stooges do? They sit on a couch and watch an imbecile run around with a ball and laugh like a pavlov dog at anything the ESPN guy tells him to laugh at.
Go to a church in town. What do the men talk about after the service?: "Hey, I thought of a new way to minister to my neighbor"; no, "We are seeing an increase in violence against Christian missionaries in the Muslim World"; no, "How can we stop our sons and daughters from having premarital sex"; no, "Hey, how 'bout that new freshman on the Gators underwater pole vaulting team?" YES.
Second, Gunn Nutt was talking about the drug addiction of commercial sports. You can't even go into Sonny's anymore and see a man talking with his family. Instead, he's locked like a laser beam to the new TV sets (with a game on of course).
I know Gunn Nutt. He lifts weights every day like I do. We were not nerds and we played and play sports.
Sportster is probably one of these aging hot-heads that you see on the local softball fields with a big mouth and ace bandages on every joint. He probably wastes his family's money on silly looking sports clothes and memorabilia. All of it made in China.
VoR
Right On!
Sports gets more attention than even local news or politics. Read an article that said the newspaper web sites get more hits to the sports section than any other section of their site. Bet that goes for Ocala as well. What’s that tell us about the state of our country?
Sorry, to leave you but I have to get back to the Purdue vs. Xavier NCAA game!!!!
Gun Nutt says...
I thought by putting that last sentence in my previous post I would head off any comments like the one from sportster. I guess he isn‘t smart enough to understand there is a difference between not liking sports and thinking they are overrated.
Anyway, let me say that family is the best character builder we have, not sports. Secondly, I’m pretty certain my prowess with firearms has more real world value that being able to throw a spherical basketball through a circular hoop. The whole basketball thing makes me think of that toy for small children where the child has to put the round peg in the round hole and the square peg in the square hole and so forth. It makes me think of that toy because I notice that with the basketball guys they make it easier. They only have a round object and a round hole, that way it removes all that difficult intellectual stuff. What I’m really saying is, I don’t need some guy with a single digit IQ and a triple digit waste line telling me that I’m not athletic or giving me his hapless attempts at psychoanalysis.
My suggestion-- all state public schools, including colleges & universities, athletic programs should be run and paid for outside the school systems. No taxpayer money should be used. Let those wanting athletics pay for them on their own. Any current school athletic facilities could be rented at reasonable fees to private athletic associations.
With the budget cuts to public education, athletics should be the first area to be cut.
P.S.-- Think we have any politicians with the guts to propose it?
What’s bugging voters? Back in 2002, Thomas Patterson wrote a book “The Vanishing Voter”. He followed that with five articles that basically summarized his studies on voter apathy. His work is about six years old. However, I believe much of it still applies today. Read each of the five articles and see what you think.
http://hnn.us/articles/1104.html
One of Patterson’s articles somewhat counters the argument of political-party-specific media bias with a finding of overall “negative bias” in the media’s coverage of politics.
Is history going to repeat itself?
NO SPORTS--A GREAT IDEA!
Stan,
Some good articles. Could be a repeat. Apathy is high among the Republicans--that could be a killer in the election.
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