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In my aud & crazy world I constantly have things running through my head. So rather then continue letting it take up space I'm putting it out there! My thoughts, opinions, fashion tips on a budget, hair tips for crazy unmanageable hair and other aud tidbits that include health and even some politics!
Showing posts with label decision. Show all posts
Showing posts with label decision. Show all posts

Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Decision 2012: Energy


It's been a few days since I last posted concerning the political boiling pot, and with hurricane Sandy hitting the east coast Monday; sometimes these other topics seem less significant.  Our thoughts and prayers go out to all the families who have been hit by Sandy.  Thousands have lost homes, cars, property, and more importantly, life.  It's always amazing to me to see how generous the American people are.  So many donate money, time, and energy in helping to restore the lives of those suffering. Likewise, I am always in awe at the tenacity and optimism that exists among those hit the hardest.  In a time of tragedy such as this, it is amazing to see the country coming together!

With that said, election day is five days away and it is important to make sure that these critical topics don't get swept under the rug.  It is now more important than ever to ensure these, and other issues that will inevitably come to light in time, do not become static in the background.  Although energy is not one of the hottest topics among the political warfare, it will prove significant in the future of each of us as we strive to move forward in a time that has been so stagnant.  So, please when making a decision, be aware of what will help us move the country forward.  Fortunately, energy is something we as a country should utilize so that we CAN get the economy going in the right direction, as well as make the US a leader among energy.

Original Post: Energy

Energy / Environment: Obama In my great hometown of Roosevelt, Utah, it's drill baby drill ... and it's causing a boom here! It's very exciting. I'm serious. I, personally, having visited here for several weeks, am excited about this. It's great. And I support oil drilling. However, I support broader thinking in terms of cleaner energy. So, Obama for the win. (Anonymous)

Clean energy is great.  Obama, however well intended, has wasted millions of dollars on supposedly clean energy companies such as Solyndra, which has failed.  His attempts to turn moss into fuel seems a little ridiculous, especially at the expense of taxpayers dollars and our childrens future.  Romney wants to continue research in this area, however, he believes as do I, that it can be done in the private sector.  It has been proven that every time government steps into to make something better, that it has actually gotten worse.  One example is the Post Office.  They do it slower and are more expensive.  So UPS, FEDEX and other PRIVATE companies stepped in and have figured out a way to do it cheaper and more efficiently.  

In Florida there is an airport; they opted to hire a private company, rather than the government to come in and see if they could run the airport cheaper and more efficiently than the so called efficient government run airports.  What they have found is that they have shorter lines in their airport, they don't lose as many bags, they don't waste tax dollars on employing too many employees, and they don't tolerate apathy among their employees.   This occurs because the employees actually have to be good employees to KEEP their jobs.  Through competition, through incentives, they have found employees strive to do better, be more efficient, and work harder than their so called counterparts.  So instead of government run airports with long lines, delayed flights, unhappy travelers, and wasted tax dollars, they have a well oiled machine (no pun intended).  This private company has found a way through the PRIVATE SECTOR, and through COMPETITION, to DO IT BETTER! The government run airports have proven to be a sliver in the side of progression; among other government run programs.  Government employees have proven they are many times (not always) lazy and intolerant, wasting time and YOUR money. The government says WE CAN MAKE IT BETTER, Stossel says, "NO YOU CAN'T" (Stossel).

In John Stossel's new book "No, They Can't: Why Government Fails-But Individuals Succeed". John Stossel makes a strong argument, "The notion that government action is the best way to solve a problem. From the myth that government can spend its way out of a crisis to the mistaken belief that labor unions protect workers, Stossel, a true libertarian, provides evidence that the reality is very different from what intuition tells us. His evidence leads to the taboo conclusions that; Government already dominates health care and that’s the problem· The state keeps banning foods, but food bans don't make us healthier. Government-run schools and teachers’ unions haven’t made kids smarter".

This is the smartest concept I've heard and believe.  Any time you allow the private sector to work and compete, there will always be someone who will figure out a way to do it cheaper and more efficient than government run agencies.

Finally, we need oil.  Drilling is now so high tech that it can be done virtually without harm to the world around it.  Fossil fuels are a great example of that.  Take a geography class and you can learn more about fossil fuels. Clean coal is another resource we need to utilize.  There are many ways we can get energy.  These options are not bad, and yes, they also create much needed jobs in a horrible economy.  Gas prices are killing us, as they are many other American families.  Anyone who has felt the crunch of the economy, has felt it in their pocket books, especially in relation to the gas pumps.  I would love to see gas prices down under two dollars.  Anyone who says otherwise is not filling their own gas tank.

So, let's continue the progression of renewable energy and let's allow drilling for clean energy such as, fossil fuels, clean coal, etc.  Let's use the resources we have here in America.  This will allow us to become a self sufficient, and put us at the top of the ENERGY progressive movement!

Sunday, October 28, 2012

Decision 2012: Obamacare


Again, in response to an original post which is shown below; I hopefully have laid out clearly why socialistic health care is not American and goes against everything our country was founded on. The freedom to choose!

Original post: Healthcare

"Obama, While Obamacare was poorly timed, I do think our current health care system on a national level is waaaaaaayyyyy too complicated and we'd do well to adopt a more socialist system... there I said it! P.S. The term "socialist" gets a bad rap in America ... I think there are many excellent things to learn from socialism.  Also Nicolas Kristof for president! He sums up a lot of what I think about health care needing to be more of a safety net (yes, even a mandated safety net!) wit that story.  The 6th paragraph from the bottom beginning with "My second argument..." really sums it up well I think.  So that's that." (Anonymous)

You're absolutely right, (pause) our healthcare system is NOT great.  We couldn't afford it before Obama, and we can't afford it now.  My own mother's insurance is going up under Obamacare, my son's good friend is primarily taken care of by his grandma, she was denied coverage for her grandson under OBAMACARE because her grandson has ADHD issues.  Another friend of ours who is a doctor down in Florida has voiced concerns about obamacare, saying it's going to limit the availability of good health care.  

I understand the plight about the cancer subject, my husbands brother also died from cancer while in college and did not have insurance. He left behind a wife, a child and one on the way. This is a huge issue in respect to the current health care system and it's limitability towards patients who have pre-existing conditions.  But, Obamacare has too many unknowns, too many issues that have  more to do with getting his people paid then taking care of those who need insurance or have pre-existing conditions.

Unfortunately insurance rates are rising, people are scared to hire more employees because they don't want to be forced to pay the required taxes if they don't comply, therefore limiting economic growth.  The bill included over 2000 or more pages of fine print and too many earmarks that have nothing to do with health care. Nancy Pelosi's "You'll have to pass it to know what's in it." is the best...what, are you kidding me?  So much for transparency.  Instead it was filled with a bunch of pork, promises, and funds for; again the companies who paid his way to the presidency.  Had he, the President been transparent, had the bill been transparent, and had it not been full of political jargon that has nothing to do with health care, then I do think it could have been okay.  

However, social health care is not good.  Jake (my husband) saw the effects of that over in England.  Hours and hours of waiting in the ER to see a doctor about an eye infection or the common cold.  If you think E.R. waiting room time is bad now, just wait for the effects of Obamacare to set it. You will foster an environment of doctors who don't care because they don't have to be competitive.  Anytime you take competition out of the marketplace you risk bad economics in all areas of growth, which we've already seen.  

Speak to anyone (okay there may be a few who favor socialistic health care), however the vast majority will tell you, IT IS A BAD IDEA! You are creating a generation (upon generation) of dependent people.  I should not have to pay for someone else's healthcare when they are not willing to go out and work for it themselves.  Yes, we are already paying for the uninsured, medicaid and parts of medicare patients healthcare.  Healthcare definitely needs to be revamped but Obamacare is not what we need.  It will not benefit the people and raising our healthcare costs by $4000 a year is not an improvement. 

The other issue I have with Obamacare, is the ability that the government will have to FORCE you to buy insurance, and if they don't think it's adequate, you will be taxed!

"Chief Justice John Roberts said this 'Buy health insurance or pay a tax. Your choice." They are sidestepping the issue by saying it is YOUR CHOICE. However, what they are not telling you is that you're still being FORCED to do one or the other.

In a piece written by Grace-Marie Turner, contributor to Forbes magazine titled "How Much Is The Obamacare Mandate Going To Cost you?" said this concerning Obamacare, "A family earning $120,000 will face a tax of $3,000 a year if they don’t buy health insurance with the government’s stamp of approval. For some, it will make sense to pay the tax and take their chances since health insurance companies will be forced to sell them a policy when they need it at the same price as if they had been paying premiums all along. That will, of course, send the cost of health insurance soaring....

Remember that the government will determine what health insurance policies meet its approval to satisfy the individual mandate. If citizens decide they prefer a different health plan, they would have to pay for that insurance as well as pay the new tax.

The individual mandate tax is only the newest in a long list of new Obamacare taxes, including a new 0.9% surtax on Medicare taxes for those making $200,000 or more ($250,000 joint) plus a new Obamacare 3.8% surtax on “investment income” for those in the same income categories. This added tax affects dividends, interest, rent, capital gains, annuities, home sales, partnerships, etc.
Over time, these new ObamaCare taxes will hit more and more middle income families. Recall that the Alternative Minimum Tax targeted only 155 taxpayers when the first version passed in 1969, but today it hits millions of people.
Now that the American people see that the Supreme Court didn’t rescue them from Obamacare, there is renewed focus on the details of the law. The individual mandate is only one of dozens of provisions that will slam into our economy, hitting American families like a freight train in 2014.
Grace-Marie Turner is president of the Galen Institute and a co-author of Why ObamaCare Is Wrong for America (Broadside/HarperCollins, 2011)."
Again, let me reiterate the importance of transparency, and the lack thereof on the part of the white house.  Romney has said there are some things in there that he will keep, but that the vast majority of it was full of loop holes, earmarks, and pork.  And lacked any real grounds for improvement as far as the healthcare system is concerned.  
Our country was founded on the FREEDOM to choose, and being forced to buy insurance no matter how rich or poor goes against everything our founding fathers fought for!
We should never be FORCED to do anything... food for thought.