REPUBLOCRAT WORLD

My favorite quote:

“Reinstate dueling and then let your lawyer handle it!”

IMMIGRATION ISSUES

Immigration: Points to Ponder

Okay, I see on the Network News, nightly, that we’re experiencing some difficulties with “South of the Border” people entering our country illegally. This little problem is compounded by these people exhausting our taxpayer supported benefits such as our hospitals, schools, welfare support systems, etc.; committing an assortment of crimes; and making it a requirement for Americans to speak Spanish while ordering fast food!

So, what do we do? First, we allow bleeding heart, politically-correct liberals' National TV air time to explain that we – U.S. Citizens – are really the ones at fault; that we, apparently, did a horrible (unforgivable) thing by becoming a wealthy and successful country; and that we apparently have more “stuff” than most other countries. These liberals go on to argue that these poor people (illegal aliens) should have the right to a piece of our pie; that it’s the humane thing to do.

I love it when I hear the part about how these poor people just wanting a better life, to assimilate and to become Americans, blah, blah, and blah! However, many don’t seem to want to do things like pay taxes, follow our laws, or even learn English. Now, is this the true definition of “assimilation”?

A challenge: I dare any U.S. Liberal to walk through an East LA neighborhood, some parts of Dallas, or certain areas of Miami after dark, etc., alone---- I bet these neighborhoods will assimilate the liberals, not the other way around!

Oh, I forgot, they (illegal aliens) do want to VOTE here, though – that’s what makes them popular with our elected officials! Ha, with several million potential votes, I doubt that our elected officials will want to “offend” any of these people!

We, being civilized, even allow these illegal immigrants to stage protests, have rallies while expounding on how horrible things are for them in the U.S., and to even let them demand they be allowed to stay in the U.S., etc. Sort of makes one wonder, doesn’t it, if things are so bad here, why would they even want to come and stay here!? Or, better yet, with all their enthusiasm, guile, interest and dedication in social/economic reforms – why don’t they stage their protests and have their rallies in their own countries – making their own countries a better place to live in? Geee, could it be that their countries won’t let them?

I know, I’m being too judgmental, I don’t know what I’m talking about, and I’m not politically correct enough, etc. Okay, then explain why we now have a huge problem with Hispanic gangs in our cities, towns, schools, jails, and prisons? Why are we now enjoying an increase in crimes involving “machetes”; did some kid in Idaho discover this weapon from a Hollywood movie and then spread this technology around the U.S.? Come on, wake up, we aren’t the bad guys here; the bad guys are the bad guys here!

In conclusion:

Theodore Roosevelt once stated that the biggest problem facing the future of the U.S. would be in using “hyphenated names.” Another smart historical person, don’t remember his name, said that the biggest danger facing any country's survival would be in not having a “common language”.

We seem to be violating both!

Retirement, the Pleasant Final Years

I recently retired and I’m on Medicare, you know, the Government will take care of me now plan – for me having paid into SS for 35 years!

I find that I must now pay (monthly – whether I go to the Doctor or not) for:

1. Medicare (original Medicare)

2. Supplemental Insurance

3. Prescription Coverage – because Medicare and the additional (supplemental) Insurance won’t cover prescriptions.

4. Many Co Payments

5. Bunches of Deductibles

[Co Pay and Deductibles are a cleaver, legalese, terms for saying that YOU PAY, they won’t!]

6. Not to mention, I have to pay for anything else that the Insurance Companies and Medicare won’t cover – which apparently are numerous services and medications!

7. And then there’s that “Doughnut Hole” thing!!!!!!

For example: I recently went to a Doctor – I was in his presence for less than 10 minutes. He gave me some simple “tests” and then sent me to another Doctor. I spent less than 10 minutes with this “Specialist”, too! And, my condition is still not fixed!!!! However, they both want me to come back for more consultations!

Both Doctors legally charged more (almost double) what my Insurance Company and Medicare will pay for. I also had to get (and pay for) prescription drugs that did nothing for my condition. They were "Let's see if this helps" type prescriptions – with co pay.

To add insult to injury I have to use Doctors that are approved by the Insurance Company, and I must also get referrals to go to other (maybe qualified) Doctors! (They must give each other referral fees, or something!)

[I believe that my approved Doctor is actually operating a “referral agency”, to all his friends; it apparently helps spreads the wealth around! I can only guess what he has to do for the Insurance Company to become “authorized”.]

So, after paying for all these Plans and Policies and Prescriptions, etc. - and not even being cured - I still owe them an additional $200.00!

[It might be more palatable if they would have actually fixed my condition, but, I guess it’s difficult (not easy) to diagnose a medical condition in less than 10 minutes. Especially if you have 2 or 3 other Patients receiving help at that same period of time!]

Thanks to our Law Makers (love that term) the Insurance Companies, Doctors and Pharmaceutical Companies are all being legally protected - and guaranteed their profits - while we, on the other hand, can’t even break even – we just pay and pay and pay!

Suggestion:

My suggestion is that our elected officials (law makers) should stop passing laws to help us; we really can’t afford much more of their help!

Having been an engineering consultant for 30 years, I can guarantee you that if I would have tried to charged my clients' hundreds of dollars (just one of my Doctor's charged $351.00) for a ten minute consultation, and to not even fix the problem they paid me to fix, I would have either gone bankrupt or been sued for malpractice. But, I guess the Engineering Profession just isn’t “professional” enough to be protected by Congress and their laws.

If they would really want to help us, our Elected Officials should pass a law requiring Doctors to accept only what the Medicare/Insurance Companies "authorized" payments are, should they want to participate in Medicare. Maybe Doctors should have to itemize their claims to Medicare (actual time spent with Patient)! Hell, maybe even pass a law to prevent Doctors from charging huge fees when they fail to cure a patient! Wouldn’t that be novel, not being rewarded for failure.

Note: I was told by “Political Person” that if I was unhappy with my Doctor’s services I could initiate a law suit against him, maybe even a malpractice law suit. Hmmm, with all the other stuff I’m forced to pay for, how could I afford to pay a Lawyer, too!

A Small Clarification:

A False Sense of Security, Social Security, for your old age!

Okay, now, who are really the Bad Guys?

1. The Doctors for charging so much for so little effort?
2. The Insurance Companies for their high Premiums and many “we do not pay” loop holes?
3. The Pharmaceutical Companies for charging $100.00 for 10¢ pills?
   

Not really, it’s our elected officials and non effective regulatory agencies that are really the bad guys.

Our elected officials, our law makers - having obviously been bought - have essentially created laws that guarantee that most of your Social Security income will go directly to Insurance Companies, Pharmaceutical Companies and Doctors; the system is designed to do this. The little remaining money, left over, will sort of go there, too, through “deductibles”, “co-pays” and the infamous “penalty fees”! Funny how that works out, huh!

My recommendation is that for the next several elections “we the people” should “send a message” to Congress that we really can’t afford any more of their help and protection - by voting for anyone that is not an incumbent! Sure, we may get some inept people in office, but it will (eventually) send a message to Congress that we would prefer “inept” people to “corrupt” people! Ha, how much more "worse off" would we be? Maybe, just maybe, eventually we could get elected officials that are on our side!

DOCTORS

The Medical Profession

The medical profession is full of “professionals”; I think that means that they are above the rest of us – mainly because the amount of money they make is far greater than the rest of us!

It also appears that Doctors enjoy more professional prerogatives than normal working people. They can demand things of their patients that would put most other businesses out of business. As an example, if you went to a store to buy a suit and the salesman (not a professional) told you that you have to wait an hour before he could see you; that you’d have to fill out some redundant, irrelevant forms; and that you would have to prove that you could pay for his services prior to being measured – would you use that store?

Then, assuming you qualified to buy a suit, there, how would you feel about being charged for the “consultation”, even when after being measured you are informed that you'll have to go to another store, his friend’s store, because he doesn't do “Sports Wear”; that he only does “Evening Attire”? Heck, my Doctor is turning into a medical referral agency - I wonder if he gets referral fees from his friends!

Another cool part of being a Doctor, a professional, is that they have no qualms about insisting that you (the patient) get sick, needing their professional services, between the hours of 9:00am and 4:30pm, Monday through Friday - except for Wednesdays afternoons and Fridays, when they’re not available. It appears that Doctors must visit their patients - in Hospital - so they can bill their insurance companies for additional, follow-up “consultations”, even when they had nothing to do with admitting you to the hospital. Having been there I can tell you that these “consultations” usually consist of saying things like “Hi, how’re you feeling?” followed by, “You’re looking much better now.” These consultations will usually be billed at around $125.00 per patient! This can be a very profitable afternoon’s effort!

Then there’s the “McDonald’s" office appointment practice that Doctors love to do (Fast Food approach). Ever notice that your Doctor spends very little actual time with you? That’s because the Doctor’s seeing 2 or 3 other patients during that same 15 minute period that you thought was allocated for you. This helps the “professional salary" thing because the Doctor can bill 2 to 4 customers for the same period of time. Remember, you are really a “customer” but they call you a “patient” because you must be extremely patient while there!

In addition, a Doctor must pay the 5 or 6 medical assistants’ that do his/her billing paperwork, answer his/her telephone calls, and file your insurance/Medicare forms, etc.

Now getting back to your suit; can you imagine how expensive your suit would be if your salesman would employ 5 or 6 “clothing assistants” – to hold his tape measure, write down your measurements, file your forms, bring his coffee, etc.? Plus, the follow-up consultation visit - to verify the fit, a week after you received your suit - would have to increase the cost, too!

Then, there's the huge insurance premiums that Doctors must pay their insurance companies. You know, for when they didn’t perform professionally! This might not be as big a problem if Doctors would actually spend the entire 15 minutes (or even more) with their patients; actually communicate with their patients; and didn’t try to multi task for the revenue advantages. But then again, defending them, it's not easy diagnosing an illness in less than 15 minutes - they do their best!

Remember, the Doctor's Professional Code: “Doctor’s make a lot more money by treating disease and illness than by curing them!”

Solution:

The only real way to get around these medical problems (should you get sick) would be to get into a Medical School and become a Doctor, yourself. It might take less time, money and effort than you'll have to expend going through all the scheduling, Insurance Plans research, Doctor Participation Verifications, referrals, and other research requirements. Remember the only real health code: "Citizen, heal thyself!"

Or, force our elected Public Officials - House and Senate - to put up with the same system as we have to put up with!

POLITICAL EDUCATION

Congressional Logic - 101

Okay, our Representatives and Senators are elected because they are (in theory) going to (supposedly) help us, right!

So, what do they do, how do they help us? Well, they write and pass “offshore” business laws that economically benefit large U.S. companies; they negotiate with foreign countries and create “offshore” trade agreements that also benefit large U.S. companies; and they then provide large U.S. companies with all sorts of tax benefits (loopholes) for taking American business “offshore”.

Now, why are they doing all this? That’s an easy question to answer, they do all this because it makes large U.S. companies more profitable (less operating costs) and that’s good for us Americans; lower priced goods.

Okay, now here’s where the logic gets a little fuzzy, when American citizens (not big businesses) want to buy their medical prescription drugs from an “offshore” company (like a Canadian company) because it’s cheaper, our Government passed laws making it illegal for us U.S. citizens to buy prescription drugs “offshore”. You may ask; “why did they do that?” Another easy question to answer, they did that because the large U.S. companies wouldn’t be making their huge profits – the profits would be going “offshore” – and we all know (from the trade agreements, tax laws, etc.) that big profits for large U.S. companies is good for us and the country.

Yep, that’s why they passed the first pro "offshore" laws for large businesses and then the anti “offshore” laws for us citizens. Get the logic?

So, I guess that means that what’s good, viable and needed for large U.S. businesses (to reduce costs and to make a lot of money) is not good for private U.S. citizens!

Hmmmmm, could this mean that our elected officials maybe aren’t really working for us, but are actually working for big businesses?

Of course not, we elected them and they love us for it!

MEDICARE - A JOKE?

Medicare Part D, Prescription Drug Coverage

Lest you think that our “elected officials” aren’t actually looking out for us – the unwashed taxpayers – carefully study the laws our “elected leaders” have recently passed for these wonderful benefits designed to help us, the public, called the Medicare Part D, Prescription Drug Laws!

After reviewing these Prescription Drug coverage laws you will soon see that our lawmakers apparently have vested interests in ensuring that pharmaceutical and insurance companies become very wealthy; maybe the Oil Companies aren’t donated enough anymore. Anyway, everything in these new laws is designed to ensure that by the time you die these companies – and the U.S. Treasury – will have most of your money; all the money you’ve worked for and saved! It’s kind of the reward you get for working hard, paying into Social Security and paying your taxes for the past 45-50 years! Yep, these laws are kind of like our Government saying, “Thanks, you suckers!”

This is the cool part, these companies have “plans”, many plans, and within these plans are “tiers”, exceptions, and a host of other “but we won’t do this” kind of legalese. Then, when you are about financially even, when you almost got your prescriptions at a discount, they stop coverage. But you’ll still have to pay them their membership fees, etc. This is required to make sure these companies will get their inflated profits and thus ensure a better America!

Now don’t worry, they also passed a law that takes the pressure off you while you’re trying to select a suitable plan, one from the hundreds they offer. If it takes more than 30 days for you to decide you’ll get to be penalized with a penalty fee for not signing up earlier! Nope, you’re wrong, it’s not illegal to be bullied by these Mobsters, oooops, I mean Companies, into quickly giving them your money. It’s only against the law to be intimidated by companies, like this, if you don’t have elected officials passing laws making it legal to bully and intimidate citizens.

However, one good side, if these companies have too many drugs in their warehouses and can’t get rid of them – you’ll probably be able to get them relatively cheaply. But remember, if you must take specific drugs that will actually prolong your life – it will cost you a fortune – remember; if you want a long life it will cost you! Well, if you’re not an elected official it will cost you, that’s why it’s good to be an elected official!

Now, our elected officials got even smarter, at the end. They even passed a law making it illegal for them (the Government) to be allowed to negotiate with these companies for lower drug prices, etc. Yep, they’re off the hook now, completely, by law they can’t get involved anymore! You’re on your own, Sucker!

Now, why were these laws passed, that’s simple, these companies required our elected officials to pass these laws or they wouldn’t offer our elected officials the fantastic health benefits packages they (and their families, for life) get – for nothing! And, loyalty being what it is, don’t forget, these companies “donate” a hell of a lot more money to our “elected officials” than do you!!! Realistically, you only actually do something for our elected officials once every 4 years, or so, by electing them; Hell, what do they really owe you!

Solution:

The only real solution to this dilemma, and other Government problems, is to demand “limited terms” for our elected officials. This may even allow for an honest, moral person to be elected once in awhile. God only knows what this might eventually do to/for our country!

Or, another way to get around these medical problems would be to get into a Medical School after retiring and become a Doctor. It might take less time, money and effort than you'll have to expend going through all the Insurance Plans, Doctor Participation Verifications, and other research requirements. Remember the code: "Citizen, heal thyself!"

Or, get elected to Public Office - House or Senate - they get (essentially) free medical care for life - once elected - paid for by us while giving themselves salary increases.

Banks & Financial Advisors

Beware of Banks and their professional Financial Advisor's-----

First, remember that financial advisers are usually regulated by the Federal Government, in one form or another. The Government passes laws intended to protect the Financial Institutions, and other campaign fund giving institutions, they do not normally pass laws necessarily designed to protect private citizens using these institutions. Why, that’s easy, large financial institutions (Banks), insurance companies, brokerage firms, law firms, and pharmaceutical giants all contribute (heavily) to election campaigns. It’s sort of like the gift that keeps on giving.

However, the people that actually vote for the politicians, the unwashed public, can only do that if the politicians can get enough campaign money to out-campaign their opponents! In other words, we are now, and probably have always, been electing to best candidates based on their abilities to get funding! That’s why our elected officials must protect these entities, remember, they get more money from these companies than they do from private citizens.

Now, to the Financial Advisor's; these people will tell you that they are there to help you to make money and to not have to pay taxes. However, they (and their companies) get their fees/charges, etc., if you make money or lose money – great jobs!! They will also tell you that every recommendation they give you will make you money based on the tax loopholes, etc. However, when you go to do your taxes they (the expert advisor's) will not help you (especially when they have recommended something that makes you pay even more taxes than normal) and will tell you that they can’t legally help you because they are not licensed tax experts. Getting the picture, now?

I, myself, followed the recommendations of a Financial Adviser and ended up paying the Government my own Social Security payments for the next year and a half. How did this happen; I did not understand all the pencil-neck terminology he was throwing out and thought he was trying to help me. Then, when I confronted the Bank he worked for, about the excessive taxes I was forced to pay, they told me that “technically he was correct.”

Hmmm, back to those legal protections, again. They then told me that it was really okay, though, because I had never really paid taxes on the original money and that I would have to eventually pay taxes on that annuity investment, anyway. That’s like saying, “Go ahead and go shoot yourself in the head, because eventually you're going to die anyway!”

By the way, my expert, personal financial adviser has since left the Bank he worked at and the Bank has no apparent legal obligation towards me, at all; hence, thank God for Congress and Regulatory Agencies.

So, either get your own CPA credentials or get a second and maybe even a third opinion on everything your Financial Advisor’s recommend, and especially from a Tax Expert! The only difference between these legal/regulated financial institutions and organized crime is that they get the Government to “come break your legs” instead of a “gangland enforcer”! Being legal is so much easier!

Regulatory Agencies:

Now here’s a great concept, government regulatory agencies are/were created to help “the people.” What’s actually happened is that they exploit the people they are supposed to be helping by passing laws benefiting important industries, politically powerful individuals and large companies – so they can make huge “bucks” from the public. But, they also get their own rewards for doing this important work – while helping the people (hee hee) they create taxes, fees, penalties and fines that help support government agencies.

Ever wonder why it’s legal for airlines to “overbook” flights; why financial/lending institutions can legally do things (financial/lending practices) that if a private citizen would do - would put them in jail; or pass laws that make them exempt from laws they require the poor, ignorant, unwashed citizenship to follow? (By the way, the last example is also applicable to Congress and the Senate!)

Now, lets’ take the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), for instance. With all their GS-14, 15 and 16 lawyers, accountants and economists, how did ENRON ever get away with all their corruption, for so long? Makes you kind of wonder what they were doing while ENRON was ripping off their own employees----- Let’s see, probably going to lots of “power lunches”, attending a marathon of meetings, writing new Rules (to protect – someone), and then there are the internal awards ceremonies. Yep, the Government loves to give out awards to their “deserving” employees! Remember, "the Government will protect us!"

My Solution:

Allow citizens to decide (select on their tax forms) what percentage of their tax dollars they would like to go to specific government agencies, groups, organizations, etc.

"At the end of the day" any agency, group or organization not getting enough money to operate on – dissolve them! (Yeah, right, this’ll happen.)

News Media:

The News Media is now comprised of “Stars”. All are “experts”, “analysts”, and “commentators”; no one just reports the news any more. Why, that’s easy, because they all earn far more money than the people/subjects they are “reporting” on. And, like politicians, they have to keep their “ratings” up or they will be “out of office.” So, like politicians, they will say and do just about anything to keep their ratings up – even if it means stretching the truth a little, or inferring bad situations (spreading rumors).

The one nice thing about News Media Stars is that they generally don’t look like the more weight-challenged, old, rhetoric-spouting politicians – many are young, attractive, alpha-type females that were/are lawyers. Yep, I hear them “roar!” Was wondering if modern News Director’s employ a “casting couch” when hiring their “Media Stars”. I guess “journalism majors” just aren’t smart enough or attractive enough to be Network TV News Anchors.

My Solution:

I don’t think there is one, now, they are bigger, smarter, and even have more power than elected officials – they can make or break elected officials! An alternative use for them, Media Stars, would be to have them run for public offices and "run the country!" After all, they always seem to know “what should be done!”

Liberals:

Well, many liberals are fairly wealthy people that seem to subliminally feel guilty about all their success. Usually, they’re not real working people; they’re usually actors, comedians, life coaches, personal trainers, writers, and "Soccer Mom's". They tend to have too much time on their hands and therefore have an inherent need to “help” others - less fortunate people, trees, whales, swamps, birds, etc.

Liberals tend to enjoy being “big frogs in little ponds.” Their fellow liberals (mostly Media people) help out, too, by giving them a lot of “air time” and media coverage. Common traits, of most liberals, include their superior attitudes (almost to 100% omnipotence) and their preoccupation with needing to “feel good about one's self!” Of course they are superior, they have all the answers – just ask them! And, they really do feel good about themselves because “at the end of the day” they know they've helped many less fortunate (inferior) people. Bless them!

Take Hollywood/Rock Stars, for instance. Their preoccupation with poverty in Africa is amazing. Of course, their (Africa's) problems have nothing to do with their own inept/corrupt Governments, lack of social/economic development, or just plain cultural problems, it’s the fault of the Industrial/Capitalist, successful, countries – like the U.S. Gee, do you think liberals are promoting socialism or communism?

My Solution:

Maybe these Stars should run for President in some of these countries – I bet they could turn them around - they seem to have all the answers! Then, they might want to come back home and fix our social, economic, Government and cultural problems---

Political Correctness (PC):

This is probably the most dangerous ploy ever pulled on the American taxpayer. It’s hard to figure just where to start!

Due to PC we now have LAWS that allow Police to stop your car, to see if you’ve been drinking – I might add, without “probable cause” (which they used to have to have).

Several States are trying to pass new laws to make it required that “the State” prove you guilty – in court – instead of an individual having to prove their innocence in court. Gee, what happened to the old “presumption of innocence”?

Oh, that’s right; some bleeding hearts got some PC laws passed for the good of someone less fortunate, or something!!

Then, we now have the problem of not knowing which words are correct to use, or not correct to use, in public. This gets very confusing, since some are allowed to use those words while others are not allowed to use the same words.

Geee, why wouldn't we want anyone that can’t/won’t learn English to vote for American politicians? Congress (The House) just passed a Bill requiring States to offer multiple language voting ballots. Hmmmm, do you think they’ll pass a law making it a mandatory requirement that all politicians must be at least bilingual? If they aren’t, how will they understand the people that voted them in?

Then, one of my favorites; instead of saying things like “you shouldn’t have gotten pregnant at 14”, or “you should have waited until you could afford to get married”, we now hear phrases such as “I’m a single, working Mom” - as some type of “badge of courage” - requiring special treatment. Yep, let’s reward stupidity, ignorance and selfishness – they have rights, too!!!!!!!!

And, last but not least. If the liberals want Gay Marriage to be legal, because it’s the fair thing to do, then it seems to me that anyone claiming to be bisexual should be allowed to marry “one of each!”

Caution: Listening to Blue Grass music could be dangerous to one's “liberalism.” Studies have indicated that listening to Blue Grass music may make one want to be an American and even to be Patriotic!

My Solution:

Find all laws passed for purely PC reasons since 1962, revoke them and start all over again – and this time do it right!

Politicians:

We have a lot of politicians that seem to forget why they are in “public office”, or more correctly, why they were voted into office. After getting there it apparently becomes a full time effort to remain there – it’s a good job and pays well!

One aspect that really pisses me off (ooops, I bet I offended someone) is that most politicians will say and do just about anything to keep their “positions”, even when it means the American people lose out! One political technique they use that really irritates me is when they (both parties) disagree on an important issue. Now remember, they must disagree because that’s what makes them different parties – different parties can’t agree on the same issue; it’s a rule. Anyway, to save their bacon (and keep their jobs) they do things like “look for middle ground”, “search for a political compromise”, or just plain “do the politically correct thing!” By doing either of these things both parties can walk away claiming some kind of victory – thus, allowing their constituents to think they are working very hard; even though nothing substantial or real was actually accomplished.

Yep, that’s what gets them their votes!

My Solution:

To start, have limited terms in office. Too many of our “elected officials” have been there too long, have lost touch with the real world, and have more power than God. Oooops, can I still say “God”!