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Healthcare Systems Going Bust
There is a growing and disturbing trend occurring now across the country as Obamacare implementation takes hold. It is like a domino effect that will eventually lead to both the disembodiment of our healthcare system and its eventual economic collapse. With Medicare reimbursements declining, uninsured patients rising, and high Obamacare deductibles going unpaid, hospitals are hanging on for dear financial life.
I’ll go further into some basic economics but first one of the scary trends going on in medicine is that hospitals are laying off employees. About 250 Crozer-Keystone Health System employees, including physicians and managers, were laid recently following the announcement that the health system has lost almost $16 million in the last seven months, according to system officials. This statistic may seem almost unbelievable or just to be an anomaly, but the truth is that most hospitals are watching their profits disappear.
You may ask how is that possible. Even on the Mike Church show, he was talking about the greed of the hospitals and some physicians. The simple truth is that because a large portion of patients entering a hospital are elderly and on Medicare and due to significant Medicare reimbursement cuts, an inpatient admission for a Medicare recipient is a money losing endeavor the the hospital. Plus, if the Medicare patient returns for any reason within 30 days, the hospital does not get paid for that admission.
Secondly, there has been a definite rise in the uninsured patient. Whether they are illegal aliens or just people down on their luck because of the bad economy, the numbers are rising. Again, the hospital ends up losing money for each of their admissions. Lastly, with the initiation of Obamacare, the hospitals are collecting even less. Because of the high deductibles, patients with this insurance are unable to pay for their hospital bill, creating another loss in the hospital’s overall revenue.
Taken together, hopefully you understand why we are now witnessing hospitals either going bankrupt or having massive layoffs. It’s not because the business isn’t there. As the population grows older, there is in fact a greater need for both hospitals and physicians. However, in a few years, will there be any physicians or hospitals left to take care of anybody?
Unfortunately, Friday rolled around again, and the Obama White House let out further disappointing news. No, they are not doing something incredibly stupid like the Carter administration and giving up the Panama Canal. Instead, they are doing something stupider—they are giving up American control of the internet to the world.
First of all, what agency in the world is now set to oversee the internet? Is it the New World order? Is it the UN? Could it be a band of international bankers? The truth is, we don’t know and no agency has yet has been established. Where is the common sense in this move?
PAT BUCHANAN: It’s very negative. I think you’re transferring the custody of this immensely important function from the United States to an international community which is susceptible to and could cave in to pressures—from places like China and others in terms of what they do. I think, far better that the United States do it themselves. I agree with Mike Huckabee. They made mistakes with NSA but you don’t do it because of that out of guilt.
When you consider the problem with giving up the internet to the national community, one cannot help but wonder how other countries without a First Amendment will respond. China, Russia, Venezuela, Iran and recently Turkey are all prime examples of nations already mandating strict censorship over the internet. If one world body controls the World Wide Web, there obviously will be some compromise as to its content—and unfortunately, that compromise will come at the expense of our First Amendment. There would be no other way for a United States to work with the previously mentioned countries if this outcome did not occur.
So the question thus arises: Why would the US give up control over the internet? Some blame Snowden, and state Obama is doing it to appease the national community. However, I think, and this is only conjecture, that Obama and his administration have much more loftier goals than simple appeasement.
I believe that Obama is giving up the internet to the international community to ensure censorship on the US internet. Yes, as strange as it sounds, it is a valid theory. Ever since Obama took office, he has been discrediting conservative blogs and all internet means of distributing conservative views. Time and time again, he publically trashes them in his speeches and implores Americans not to listen to them.
Obviously, with our First Amendment, he cannot directly censor the internet. Instead, he can have the international community do it without getting his hands dirty. It is both a convenient and simple solution. Honestly, with all that has been going on for the last few years at the Obama administration, I’m surprised no one else thought of this theory fist.
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It’s an Uphill Battle
It’s an uphill battle…but it’s one worth fighting.
Recently, Vladimir Putin threatened to cut off sales of natural gas to Kiev unless
£1.2 billion debts to their country are paid in full. This threat carries high stakes for Europe, a continent that relies heavily on Russian natural gas. Previous declines in exportation of Russian natural gas in 2006 and 2009 endangered European national grids and caused sharp rises in prices.
This threat is just the latest in political posturing made by Vladimir Putin in regard to the Ukraine crisis. Though he claims that he does not want a confrontation over Ukraine to spiral into a “new cold war”, the chill is definitely returning.
When dealing with Vladimir Putin one must remember that he is a product of the cold war. And although the USSR lost this war, he most likely still fights it every day in his head, lamenting in all that Russia has lost. He is a man also who wants nothing more than to reclaim Russia’s days of glory and retake what he thinks is rightfully theirs. He is a man not concerned with personal freedoms or of the sovereignty of the previous Eastern Bloc countries. His goal is both focused and single-minded. He wants the return USSR to spread communism worldwide. If this is not a cold war mindset, then I don’t know what is.
Now, with the vast riches of natural gas which his country possesses, he has found a way to exert his will without the use of brute military force. The man is both brutal and ingenious in nature. Day by day, we see him winning the political chess game against our community organizer president and our weakly united NATO allies. He has made a mockery of out of Obama in Syria and is again doing it in the Ukraine.
The sad truth is that we can once again beat the Russian in this new cold war without the use of any military options. Remember, the USA has one of the greatest supply of natural, combustible fuels in the world. If we were to really tap into our natural gas supply, drilling for oil and begin fracking, we could usher in a whole new economic era of prosperity. Not only would we would no longer rely on Middle Eastern oil but we would also negate the Russian natural gas threat. Plus, in the process, we would solve the national debt problem and create enough jobs to keep the American private sector thriving for another hundred years.
The ball is our court. I just someone would take it!
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Labor Force Lowest in 35 Years
Don’t be fooled by the numbers. While the Obama administration revels at the January unemployment number of 6.6%, the truth is much more disheartening. Most assume that the unemployment numbers reflect the actual work force and all those eligible for employment. Thus, a decrease would assumingly mean that more people are working. This misconception has been fueled by the liberal media.
However, this direct correlation is simply incorrect. In fact, the average annual labor force participation rate hit a 35-year-low of 63.2 percent in the United States in 2013, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Thus, more people are not working and more importantly, more people are not actively searching for jobs. What is scarier is that our population in 1978 was 225.1 million while in 2013 it was 313.9 million. This means that under our current administration about 30 million people more are not working than during the deplorable presidency of Jimmy Carter!
Worse yet, in January 2014, according to BLS, there were 92,535,000 not in the labor force. This is the legacy of an Obama administration. Our country has turned into a governmental welfare state with a crumbling military and loss of world credibility. This is what we are leaving our children?
Say what you may about the former governor, but she is looks like Nostradamus himself this week. If you remember, she warned us about the consequences of a weak Obama presidency, and now one of her predictions (among others) is coming true.
She certainly foresaw, along with Governor Romney, the threat of an economically rejuvenated Russia, led by an iron-fist ruler. Remember, Putin was an ex-KGB member and has a heart as cold as a Siberian winter. Men like this are not to be taken lightly.
As the Middle East burns, our threats on Syria have been discounted, our military has become decimated and our economy is heading towards economic ruins, Putin knew that now was the prime opportunity for him to take a decisive, military action. Plus, with a community organizer as a president and a man without any inward conviction, he knew that Obama would proved to be a laughable opponent.
In fact, Putin immediately scoffed off Obama’s weak threats by invading the Ukraine without hesitation. Though Obama demands a Russian retreat and calls the act of aggression a breach of international law, Putin scoffs off his threats easier than he does snow from his boots.
And what are the “consequences” Obama threatened Putin with…economic isolation? Apparently, this means nothing to Putin as they can trade with China and continue selling their natural gas without much interference.
Unfortunately Obama, and now the United States, is stuck again with another Obama foreign policy debacle. Just like with Syria, Obama has made both Washington and our country look both incompetent and foolish. I’m almost afraid now to ask what else she has predicted from a further Obama administration.
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Whats’ the Difference?
Though comical, this picture adeptly sums up the feeling that is emanating from Washington. Class warfare has begun. Not unlike that seen with the Russian revolution, class warfare has taken center stage. No longer is it taught or shown in the media that hard work is a positive thing. Instead, we are told wealth is bad, working hard only oppresses others and that too much success is too bad.
Are these the messages we want our kids exposed to? Are these the messages that will make our country continue to grow and prosper? When you watch TV, read the paper or hear anything coming out of Washington, just think of this picture and things will become much clearer.
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Stop Taking Away Our Jobs
I am not writing this blog to argue with what is called a “Living Wage” nor am I here to adamantly say no to any increase in a minimum wage. What I wish only to do is to make a point of how “good” intentions of the government never turn out good.
This point almost seems contradictory. As a Christian, I understand that increasing the minimum wage would mean more money for the employees. Altruistically, it seems fantastic. However, pragmatically, it has the potential to be counterproductive.
The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office came out this week and said that the plan by President Obama and fellow Democrats to increase the minimum wage to $10.10 an hour would cost roughly 500,000 jobs but increase wages for roughly 16.5 million Americans. What makes matters worse is that the CBO analysts said their estimate of employment losses was approximate. They said the actual impact could range from a very slight employment reduction to a loss of one million workers.
“While helping some, mandating higher wages has real costs, including fewer people working,” said a spokesman for House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio. “With unemployment Americans’ top concern, our focus should be creating — not destroying — jobs for those who need them most.”
Though I agree with an increase in minimum wage, now does not seem to be the time. The Obama administration believes that increased wage would decrease the poverty level. However, an astute analysis of the numbers clearly shows that most of those under the poverty level are unemployed. Thus, by destroying more jobs, this number is bound only to rise. Simply put, it’s a totally nearsighted Obama plan with yet again far reaching negative, economic consequences.
If the government really cared about business, they would instead create economic incentives for companies that would entice them to increase their minimum wage. There could be tax brakes, savings initiatives or tax credits that would make raising employee’s both attractive and economically solvent. It is simple math. However, the government, unlike private businesses, does not understand the bottom line. They base their economic decisions on philosophy and ideology instead of hard economic truths. And now you understand why we are over 17 trillion dollars in the hole.
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Why I Like the Tea Party
The irony is that when I tell people that I support the Tea Party, they think I’m some right wing nut who has a shot gun in my trunk and go around preaching door to door with my bible. Neither is true. However, that is the picture of a Tea Party Patriot painted by the media. And it is the picture that most Americans, even Republicans, have of them.
What is more interesting is that when I begin to speak to my friends or colleagues about things I believe in, they all nod their head yes. To make a long story shirt, I begin to speak of how the national budget should be balanced, that our government has grown too big, that deficit spending must end, that special interest groups are corrupting politics or that reducing both personal and business taxes are essential. No one ever disagrees with my points. In fact, even the most ardent Democrats all seem to agree with every one of my points.
I would like to say that I’m persuasive when I speak. However, I would be fibbing. The truth is, the facts speak for themselves. All I do feebly sputter them out, hoping someone will listen.
Lastly, in the conversation, I’ll pull out my cell phone and show everyone what the Tea Party beliefs are on their web site:
1. Illegal aliens are here illegally.
2. Pro-domestic employment is indispensable.
3. A strong military is essential.
4. Special interests must be eliminated.
5. Gun ownership is sacred.
6. Government must be downsized.
7. The national budget must be balanced.
8. Deficit spending must end.
9. Bailout and stimulus plans are illegal.
10. Reducing personal income taxes is a must.
11. Reducing business income taxes is mandatory.
12. Political offices must be available to average citizens.
13. Intrusive government must be stopped.
14. English as our core language is required.
15. Traditional family values are encouraged.
2. Pro-domestic employment is indispensable.
3. A strong military is essential.
4. Special interests must be eliminated.
5. Gun ownership is sacred.
6. Government must be downsized.
7. The national budget must be balanced.
8. Deficit spending must end.
9. Bailout and stimulus plans are illegal.
10. Reducing personal income taxes is a must.
11. Reducing business income taxes is mandatory.
12. Political offices must be available to average citizens.
13. Intrusive government must be stopped.
14. English as our core language is required.
15. Traditional family values are encouraged.
These are all common sense answers to pressing issues that our country currently faces. The ideas behind them are not radical but those that oppose them are.
Then, those that still want to argue will point out that they don’t like Senator Cruz. When questioned why, they will say that he shut down government. When I tell them the facts about what the government shut down really meant and how minimally intrusive his filibuster was, most are in disbelief. None have attempted to argue any further. End of debate.
The truly unfortunate thing here is that the erroneous perception of the Tea Party propagated by the media remains. As a Tea Party supporter, all I want to see is that the next generation is safer and better off than I am. The Tea Party seems to be the only sanity left in Washington that can accomplish this wish. Spread the word.