If the free market were given it’s free reign and medical malpractice lawsuits were capped (or the losing party had to pay the costs of the lawsuits), health insurance costs would drop like a rock.

We could still help the 3-5% who are genuinely needy.

Remember, 40 years ago, health care was not in “crisis”. Key reasons costs are so high now are because of government intervention, lawsuits, and health insurance masking the true costs from the medical consumer.

If I was going to mandate anything, I would mandate that every business that provides health insurance would have to offer a high deductable option (5 to 10K). That would have an immediate impact on costs that some have estimated at 20%, all by itself. The way it would work is that a lot of people would take the option, and then actually begin shopping for medical care. The competition would drive costs down very quickly, just like what has happened with plastic surgery and laser eye surgery, which are not covered by insurance.

It’s tragic that your sister has to endure pain because of systemic problems that could be easily corrected, and even sadder that it is much more likely to get worse than better. And the saddest thing of all is that the Universal Health Scare isn’t designed to improve health at all. It’s designed to increase the power of government.

All politicians should be thrown in jail. That may be the best fix of all.

And I say, “because I love it when bigots like yourself reveal yourselves for who you are.”

Thanks for posting, PQ!

I love Sarah Palin to bits !

Msnbc talks about her nonstop..
I am so sick of Maddow berating her non stop.
I am sick of everybody on MSNBC

Obama is turning out exactly how I pictured…an empty suit.
He is so out of his league.
This health care plan will be a disaster .

I have been in health care for 35 years.
MOST people like their insurance.
We are changing every bodies insurance for a small portion of Americans who don’t have insurance,or have not purchased insurance,whatever.

At the hospital,the waiting room had to be expanded to two rooms to accommodate the illegals…
Don’t kid yourself that all these people are working..hardly ever do we see one with insurance.
It really stands out when you do see their policy..it’s rare.

The welfare mommas will be taken care of..Obama loves em.

It’s the middle of the road workers that will be really taken for a ride..believe me,it will be a whole lot worse.
who on earth is going to pay for this ???

We have patients leave the hospital with pain and the Oxycontin that they took in the hospital is suddenly cut off..”It’s too expensive “..even tho it works so well for long acting relief.
The lady I speak of is on Medicaid.
She lost her job due to her illness and now is on Medicaid.

Can you imagine this…Obama wants millions of people to all be supported on the same system that can’t even afford to buy this poor soul her pain pills. She cried and said she had worked all her life,now has major collapse in her spine,and can’t work again.
She is 58 years old.

You have no idea of how many people need help when a major event happens with their health.
It is dismal.

I have a sister who is 62 who cries,not old enough for Medicare,and can’t find a job..
This woman is the finest person outside of my mom,that I have ever met.
She couldn’t find a job at the local animal shelter !!

They like her on the phone,but when the grey haired lady arrived.suddenly they don’t want her.

Her cobra will be between 500 and 600 dollars..
My heart breaks for her.

I am soon to be 61 and am working with collapse in my neck after injuring myself at work.
After one year you are “stationary” and you are on your own.
Hospital signs off…

I work because my Cobra will be same as sister..I will have a pension that the insurance will take up almost one half off the pension.
I will need insurance but I can’t afford to buy it at 62 retirement.
Sure..i can draw the S.S but gosh that will be close to 1000. ..
I will be barely getting by.

My sister and I are poster perfect examples of the boomers about to retire.

Hope I have not been too windy..

Energy – no shortage. Energy doesn’t damage the planet.
Poverty – hardly exists. “poor” people have cars, ipods, A/C, and more. Biggest poverty issue is obesity.
Health Care – not a crisis. People live longer than ever. Live even longer by not smoking or abusing food and drink.
Privacy – not an issue by any standard, ever
Global Warming – doesn’t exist, and even if it did, nothing can be done about it.
Economy – tanked by the liberals to get an idiot elected
Abortion – use birth control if you don’t want to have children
Crime – yes, an issue, but not when the criminals are in jail
Education – unwind everything that has changed since 1955.
Homelessness – nothing that impacts less than .1% of the population can be a big issue
Medicare – could be solvent in one minute by making this year’s funding = last year’s collections
Social Security – could be solvent in one minute by adjusting the retirement age for people under 50
Self Esteem – certainly no liberal has a self esteem problem
The Deficit – 95% a liberal problem. Can be fixed instantly by fixing outgo to income.
National Debt – 99% a liberal problem. Can be fixed quickly by fixing outgo to 95% of income.

and on and on

Besides, they never knew a properly made RBtini anyway.

“There is no denying that as the world becomes more industrialized, we need to reform our energy policy and become less dependent on foreign energy sources.”
I could deny it. So could she.

“We must move in a new direction. We are ripe for economic growth and energy independence if we responsibly tap the resources that God created right underfoot on American soil.”
Why responsibly? Why not burn the stuff up with reckless abandon? We are not running out of oil.

“Many states have abundant coal, whose technology is continuously making it into a cleaner energy source.”
Why does it always have to be clean coal? Good old fashioned dirty coal still works just as good as it always has.

My old man gave me just two words of advice (1) Never argue from a weak point & (2) Don’t get arrested. “AND IF YOU GET ARRESTED,” I remember him booming, “I won’t be bailin’ your ass out like I did your brother!” (The result of a minor disturbance in a bar in Pearl River back in the ’70′s). Funny, I’ve found over the years that if I take care of number one, number two takes care of itself.

About the Governor: Can’t quite say I know what the motives behind Governor Palin’s unexpected departure. Let’s look at the essence of her reason for resigning so that Lt. Governor, Sean Parnell, could take over the state’s chief executive position; She (1) decided not to run again for governor & (2) that remaining on as a lame duck was not something she was interested in. Hmmm…Seems there’s some mighty lame ducks (Harry Truman, Reagan & GW Bush – with his side kick Richard Bruce Cheney of course) in our history. What gives?!

Perhaps the governor’s time was more dedicated to answering & having thrown out all but 2 of the 18 ethics charges that were frivolously cobbled together (with two still pending until they too are dismissed by year’s end). Funny, I don’t remember the media trumpeting her victory with the same vigor as they reported on the numerous charges when they were initially brought. I suppose the “If it bleeds it leads” principle has more to do with it than any political bent the media may have; right \;-)?

The facts on the ground tell us that in fact Lt. Governor Parnell was working as acting governor since Ms. Palin’s nomination for the Republican VP slot including after their Presidential candidate’s fabulous face plant last Election Day. In fact, while the state spent millions on defending the governor from the aforementioned ethics charges, Sarah “Barracuda” dumped in a 1/2 million clams (no pun intended) of her own not to mention her time spent with her lawyers & state attorneys, which would otherwise have been dedicated to actually running Alaskan affairs.

So, in reality, it’s really no big whoop that Ms. Palin is officially resigning her position as governor because for all intents & purposes she had delegated the office’s duties to her lieutenant long ago, thereby making the impact minimal while at the same time taking her off the table as an issue in state affairs.

Now What?! Well, seems the Barracuda is headed down stream (no pun I swear!) to the lower 48 where she will undoubtedly make a bigger splash (uh, OK I admit it, I’m a pun sucker) with the media who zealously tried to sink her (I’m hooked!) on one side & like minded less government/taxes/regulation political movement types manning the opposite oar (how can something so wrong feel so good) by pumping millions into her PAC ice chest (got a cigaretter?)on the other.

Simply, there isn’t a person in Washington that knows more about the logistics & requirements of delivering oil to the lower 48 than Sarah Palin; not since Dick Cheney left town anyway. This combined with her Western Lifestyle & working knowledge of stewardship of a wild frontier that is twice the size of Texas (but without the really great BBQ), will make her a formidable force.

Remember how successful Bill Clinton was against the majority Republican Congress? (His acquiescence on 70% of the Contract with America notwithstanding of course); how they became so twisted in their hate for the guy only to have him escape with even higher approval ratings? Perhaps Sarah Palin is the conservative’s Bill Clinton (without the immoral sexual escapades, God Willing).

Both prove the old adage, “Though people hate you, they can not destroy you. But when you return that hate, you destroy yourself.”

Richard Nixon said that the day he left the White House as our disgraced President.

Just something to think about as we go through the coming years with our new fearlessly feckless leaders.

It’s far better than any of those emotional screeds by NYTs editorial writers such as Krugman, who accused opponents of cap and trade of being “traitors to the planet”, or Maureen Dowd, a catty trollop who writes obsessed satires about Palin.

The liberals have so much arrogance and not much to show for it.