HORRIBLE DETAILS OF GOVERNMENT HEALTH CARE

SPECIAL POST

Remember good old ACORN, the outfit that is under investigation in many states and under indictment in some for its election activities? Remember ACORN, the outfit that is taking charge of the 2010 Census from the Department of Commerce? Remember ACORN, with its internal fraud and corruption that Eric Holder refuses to investigate?

Remember the provision in the new Health Care Reform Plan that government agents will come to your house to discuss your "choices" about health care in your twilight years? According to this information, if true, guess who is going to do that? ACORN, that's who.

Read on.

Subject: Health Care, details
People are starting to read the health care bill being considered by the House. As they say, the devil is in the details. Here are some that have been noted. If you feel the need please call or email your representatives, the website below will get you to your "representative"

http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/

Also, forward this to others on your email list.

Note that this list only extends to page 498, and the bill is over 1000 pages.

Pg 22 of the Health Care Bill mandates that the Govt will audit the books of all employers that self insure

Pg 30 Sec 123 of HC bill - Establishes a Govt committee that decides what treatments/benefits you get

Pg 29 lines 4-16 - Rationing of health care

Pg 42 - The Health Choices Commissioner will choose your benefits for you. You have no choice

PG 50 Section 152 - Health Care will be provided to all non US citizens, illegal or otherwise

Pg 58 - Govt will have real-time access to individuals' finances & a National ID Healthcard will be issued

Pg 59 lines 21-24 - Govt will have direct access to your bank accounts for elective funds transfer

PG 65 Sec 164 - This is a payoff subsidized plan for retirees and their families in community orgs (ACORN).

Pg 72 Lines 8-14 - Govt is creating an Health Care Exchange to bring private plans under Govt control.

PG 84 Sec 203 - Govt mandates all benefit pkgs for private plans be in the Govt health care exchange

PG 85 Line 7 - Specifics for Benefit Levels for Plans = The Govt will ration your Healthcare

PG 91 Lines 4-7 - Govt mandates "linguistic appropriate services." Translation: for illegal aliens

Pg 95 Lines 8-18 - The Govt will use groups (i.e., ACORN & Americorps) to sign up individuals for Govt plan

PG 85 Line 7 - Specifics of Benefit Levels for Plans. (#AARP members - your care will be rationed)

-PG 102 Lines 12-18 - Medicaid Eligible Individuals will be automatically enrolled in Medicaid. No choice.

pg 124 lines 24-25 - No company can sue GOVT on price fixing. No "judicial review" against Govt Monopoly

pg 127 Lines 1-16 - Doctors/ #AMA - The Govt will set compensation for you

Pg 145 Line 15-17 - An Employer must automatically enroll employees into Govt plan

Pg 126 Lines 22-25 - Employers must pay for health care for part time employees AND their families.

Pg 149 Lines 16-24 - Any Employer with a payroll of 400k & above who does not provide public option pays an 8% tax on all payroll

pg 150 Lines 9-13 - Any employer with a payroll betwween 251k & 400k who doesn't provide public option pays a 2-6% tax on all payroll

Pg 167 Lines 18-23 - Any individual who doesn't have acceptable Health Care according to the Govt will be taxed 2.5% of income

Pg 170 Lines 1-3 - Any nonresident Alien is exempt from individual taxes. (Americans will pay)

Pg 195 - Officers & employees of Health Care Administration of Govt will have access to all Americans financial and personal records

PG 203 Line 14-15 - "The tax imposed under this section shall not be treated as tax" Yes, it says that

Pg 239 Line 14-24 - Govt will reduce physician services for Medicaid. Seniors, low income, poor affected

Pg 241 Line 6-8 - Doctors, doesn't matter what specialty you have, you'll all be paid the same

PG 253 Line 10-18 - Govt sets value of Doctor's time, professional judgement, etc.

PG 265 Sec 1131- Govt mandates & controls productivity for private Health Care industries

PG 268 Sec 1141 - Govt regulates rental & purchase of power driven wheelchairs

PG 272 SEC. 1145 - Controls treatment given at Cancer hospitals - Cancer patients - welcome to rationing

Page 280 Sec 1151 - The Govt will penalize hospitals for what Govt deems preventable readmissions

Pg 298 Lines 9-11 - Doctors that treat a patient during initial admission that results in a readmission will be penalized

Pg 317 L 13-20 - Prohibition on ownership/investment. Govt tells Doctors what/how much they can own.

Pg 317-318 lines 21-25,1-3 - Prohibition on expansion- Govt is mandating hospitals cannot expand

pg 321 2-13 - Hospitals have opportunity to apply for exception to expansion rule, but "community input" (ie, ACORN) required.

Pg 341 Lines 3-9 - Govt has authority to disqualify Medicare Advanced Plans, HMOs, etc., forcing people into Govt plan

Pg 354 Sec 1177 - Govt will restrict enrollment of Special needs people.

Pg 379 Sec 1191 - Govt creates more bureaucracy - Telehealth Advisory Committee. (Health Care by phone)

PG 425 Lines 4-12 - Govt mandates Advance Care Planning Consultations. Senior Citizens must meet with Govt representatives on a regular basis (more often if ill) to discuss "end of life" issues

Pg 425 Lines 17-19 - Govt will instruct & consult regarding living wills, durable powers of attorney. Mandatory!

PG 425 Lines 22-25, 426 Lines 1-3 - Govt provides approved list of end of life resources, guiding you in death

PG 427 Lines 15-24 - Govt mandates program for orders for end of life. The Govt has a say in how your life ends

Pg 429 Lines 1-9 An "Advance care planning consult" will be used frequently as patients health deteriorates

PG 429 Lines 10-12 "Advance care consultation" may include an order for end of life plans.

Pg 429 Lines 13-25 - The govt will specify which Doctors can write an end of life order.

PG 430 Lines 11-15 - The Govt will decide what level of treatment you will have at end of life

Pg 469 - Community Based Home Medical Services (ACORN Medical Svcs)

Page 472 Lines 14-17 - Monthly payments to community-based organizations (ACORN)

PG 489 Sec 1308 - The Govt will cover Marriage & Family therapy. Which means they will insert Govt into your marriage

Pg 494-498 Govt will cover Mental Health Services including defining, creating, rationing those svcs

These details, if enacted, indicate to me that we are under the control of mobsters and gangsters, and they underscore why we have to take back control of our government before it's too late!

That's MY AMERICAN OPINION, scared to death.

MY PROBLEMS WITH HEALTH CARE REFORM PLAN

1. I’m on Medicare. I have a supplementary policy through AARP. I’ve got good coverage, have the doctors and the dentist I want, and I get good service. Why should I be forced to give this up for a worse plan?

2. There is so much fraud and waste in Medicare and in government in general. Why should I be forced to pay more taxes before they fix the management problems they already have?

3. Everyday, people go to the emergency room for a so-called “cold” or aching thumb, just so they can get out of work for the day. Why do I want to see that problem balloon?

4. Why can’t they rein in costs first, by capping malpractice payouts and allowing Canadian drugs into the country? They could also cap charges for hospital stays and insurance profits.

5. Since this is really a welfare proposal, why can’t it be handled like the Food Stamp program? You go in and qualify and get benefits tied into your ability to pay.

6. What do employers have to do with it? If an employee negotiates with his employer and the employer agrees to furnish the insurance, that’s part of the employee’s compensation package. If the employer pays the employee more wages and salary and tells the employee to get his own insurance, there’s nothing wrong with that. So, where do we get off telling employers that they have to provide the insurance or pay the penalty? Doesn’t that amount to taking the employers money or property, (a crime).

7. Why should a hard-working man or woman be forced to pay for the health care of someone who willingly sits on their ass and draws welfare?

8. If 12 million Mexicans are here illegally, where does Congress have the right to force ME, a natural citizen, to pay for their health care?

9. In order to compete with foreign countries in the manufacture and sale of goods, won’t more businesses just simply ship their manufacturing out of the country, adding to the unemployment numbers?

10. Won’t small business owners lay off their employees and get their family members to help them run the business?

11. How many federal employees and agencies will be added to administer and oversee the new program?

12. Part of the problem of high costs is that we don’t currently have enough qualified providers in the system. The new plan will cap pay and prevent good doctors and providers from earning according to their professionalism and abilities. This will lead to a further decline in the patient/provider ratio.

13. We have the best health care in the world. Why do we have to tinker with it?

14. Why is the President and Congress targeting seniors by taking away Medicare and capping the benefits and treatments they can receive? Isn't this, like abortion, simply government-funded homicide?

That's MY AMERICAN OPINION, respectfully submitted.

AFTER THE PRESIDENT'S SALES PITCH...

SPECIAL POST

1. I can’t help but wonder if anybody has bothered to ask the medical and health communities if they can contribute a viable answer to the health care problem?

2. If we add 26 million people to the health care system tomorrow, how many of those 26 million people will be sitting in doctor’s offices by the end of the day looking for a free checkup?

3. What impact will the new plan have on service in the initial days and weeks?

4. How will we process those 26 million sign ups?

5. What about the 12 million illegals to be covered under this policy? Why?

6. Why was the Manager of the Congressional Budget Office called to the White House after he issued facts and figures which do not support the new Health Plan proposal?

7. Why won't the Members of Congress agree to read it before they vote on it?

8. Given its attributed costs, why won't the American public be allowed to see it before it is voted on?

9. Where does our President get the unmitigated gall to claim that the money we have spent and allocated has now saved the economy?

10. When we are the ones trying to slow this process down so that we can examine the new Plan and constructively debate it, why does the President say that we are the ones who want action now?

We do need changes in Health Care for our nation. But, we are talking a lot of money on top of a lot of money that, despite the President's statements to the contrary, has not been effective in straightening up our economy. And, we're talking about creating an entitlement to the American people that will last forever and ever. We need to move forward, but not until we have dotted the i's and crossed the t's.


That’s MY AMERICAN OPINION, respectfully submitted.

THE PRESIDENT'S INFECTIOUS SMILE ON STAGE TONIGHT

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President Obama goes to the famous teleprompter tonight again, (he's got more TV time logged already than most Presidents have in a full term). He's set to convince us that his health care reform plans have to be passed and passed right now or the sky is going to fall in, just like the stimulus.

This is the way I see it. We have 25 million people out of work. While we all acknowledge that changes need to be made to cap rising health care costs, the very first priority this country must face is to get people back to work. If we don't get people back to work now, the sky WILL fall in.

We have no business taking on more debt for anything while people are out of work.

The President's ballyhooing about how his "stimulus" and TARP and Omnibus were going to cure the economy have proven themselves to be wrong. We do not need to be pushed, cajoled, or bullied into another costly mistake.

That's MY AMERICAN OPINION, respectfully submitted.

WASHINGTON FULL OF MEAN-SPIRITED SCOWLERS

Have you ever seen Harry Reid when he wasn’t scowling? Well, what about Nancy Pelosi or Barney Frankfarter or Chris Dodd, or Barbara Boxer or…. ?? Have you noticed that even Barack Obama is now developing a glowering, sulking scowl? When you line their pictures all up together, the crows all leave the cornfield.

Nancy Pelosi comes out and accuses the CIA of lying to and misleading Congress on a regular and consistent basis. Then, in the face of denials from CIA Director Panetta, she stonewalls it. Finally, after weeks of shucking and ducking, stories surface that Dick Cheney and the CIA had worked on a plan to assassinate Al Queda leaders and then shelved it. The allegations are flying that Cheney and the CIA mislead Congress because they never told Congress of their “plans,” even though they never came close to the implementation stage. Pelosi would have us believe that every time somebody in the CIA starts conjecturing, she must be told about it. On that basis, Pelosi is guilty of micromanagement. The CIA has no obligation to inform Congress of any plans unless it intends to implement them. Therefore, Pelosi has simply manufactured a scandal smokescreen to divert attention from her prior statements.

But, wait! Her audacity is boundless! She has the unmitigated gall to suggest that the proposed Health Care Reform Plan is not going to cost the taxpayer one dime, but then announces with glee that Congress is going to raise our taxes anyway. And she scowls at us when we throw up our hands in disgust?

Then, you have the illustrious Barney Frank, Chairman of the House Financial Oversight Committee who was at the helm pushing Fanny Mae and Freddie Mac to get the money out the door to unqualified housing buyers and we who then has the temerity to say that there was not enough regulation of financial activities. Who was in charge there? And he scowls at us when we throw up our hands in disgust?

Chris Dodd, embroiled in controversies and whose wife sits on the boards of several Health Care related organizations and corporations… Chris Dodd, whose ties to Countrywide Financial are almost as endless as his seemingly outright lies and deceptions… now stands firmly behind Ted Kennedy’s Health Care Reform plan and asserts that we need to get this done. Less than 1% of the Connecticut voters say they will vote for his reelection and yet… he scowls at us when we throw up our hands in disgust?

Barbara Boxer dresses down a military general for calling her “ma’am” instead of “Senator, then wags her pointing finger at the Chairman of the National Black Chamber of Commerce and attempts to shout down his views on environmental issues that she champions and, when Harry Alford protests and voice his frustrations at her tactics, she dumps on him big time. He has since accused her openly of being racist, as it appears she is… and she scowls at us when we throw up our hands in disgust?

Nevada’s “Mr. Clean” Harry Reid has been trying to maintain a low profile ever since he raised the ire of millions of Americans when he tried to subvert the Constitution by refusing to seat newly appointed Illinois Senator Roland Burris last spring. Riding roughshod over the rest of the Senate herd, Reid has never hesitated to pull a dirty trick in order to ramrod his agendas down the throats of Congress or the American people. He scowls at us when we throw up our hands in disgust?

Finally comes our President, back from another international apology tour, who senses that the Health Care Reform Bill being tossed around the halls of Congress right now is in trouble because the American citizens are beginning to understand the future tax implications and losses of liberty that the bill embodies. In a true, tough Chicago basketball move, he puts on the full-court press and practically orders Congress to get the Bill passed before the August recess because he knows what Members of Congress are going to hear from Americans when they return to their states and he knows the Bill won’t stand a chance of passage as a result.

He too now scowls at us as we once more throw up our hands in disgust.

It’s as if they all would scowl together and lament, “Those damned, stupid citizens keep clinging on to their religions and guns!”

Don’t you think it’s time that we at least scowled back?

That’s MY AMERICAN OPINION, respectfully submitted.

OBAMA: WE WILL HAVE GOVERNMENT HEALTH CARE: "INACTION IS NOT AN OPTION"

Our Dictator Has Spoken

WHERE'S THE OUTRAGE?

REPUBLICANS STEPPING INTO MAJOR PILE OF DUNG

Let Obama’s favorability rating plummet a mere 15% to just a tad below 50% and the Republicans start ballyhooing and gloating as if they had just soared into control of the nation! Obama’s in trouble? No, the Republicans are in trouble.

As a matter of fact, the Republicans have been in trouble ever since Ronald Reagan left office. They’ve lacked cohesive leadership, a unifying platform, and firmness of conviction. They had the future of the nation in the grasp of their hands and they allowed their chance to assert positive control slip away with the sands of time. The party had crumbled to such an extent that, by the time of the November elections, they completely and totally waffled.

And, these guys think that somehow, through the horrible leadership of Barack Obama and his goons, the Republican Party has somehow gained stature among Americans? Don’t they understand that the failure of Democrat policy does NOT automatically mean that Americans are now rallying behind the GOP?

No way, Jose.

The Republicans were in charge during the first term of George Bush and, once past 9/11, all they did was to fight with the rest of Congress instead of buckling down and taking proactive measures to grow and protect the American economy and to improve our nation’s image abroad. Now that the economic crisis threatens to bring the country to its knees, the Republicans claim that the underlying problems with the housing sector started during the Clinton years. While that might well be the case, the fact remains that the Republicans did not correct the problem during eight years of the Bush Administration.

So, Republicans, don’t go running around throwing celebratory parties and crowing like happy hens because the nation is finally beginning to comprehend that we have a full-blown gang of idiots now in charge in Washington. The plain simple fact of the matter is that the Republicans are still pissing and moaning over November election results instead of picking up the shattered pieces and moving forward.

It’s been eight months since the elections. Do they yet have any clear leadership in the Republican Party? Not only “no” to that question, but “hell, no” is more like it. Have they even scratched the surface of defining their directions, goals, and platform? Another “Hell, no” to that one.

So, what do they have to gloat about? Are they insane? In taking this approach, all they are achieving is to totally convince the rest of the country that they have lost all touch with the reality of their position.

Here’s the real worry we Americans have right now. We have a Washington consumed with adulation for a “messiah” whose wheels are falling off and who has surrounded himself with the absolutely worst accumulation of idiots ever to occupy government office. But, if we were to find a way to get them out of their jobs right now… Who in the Sam hell could we replace them with? Who?

It seems to me, in my humble American Opinion, that the Republican Party is in so many pieces that even Humpty Dumpty cannot put them together again…. And there are no Kings Horse’s or King’s men around to lend a helping hand, either.

That’s what we’re stuck with, and it sucks big time!

That’s MY AMERICAN OPINION, respectfully submitted.

ARE GOVERNMENT CROOKS PILLAGING OUR TREASURY?

SPECIAL POST

Here’s a well-known fact: Whenever there’s a lot of money around, there’s bound to be loads of people trying to figure out a way to get their hands on it. And, if there’s enough money to be had, even those on the inside will be looking for a way to snatch it for themselves. In order to do that, of course, you want to get rid of anyone on the inside who might be smart enough to catch on and to stop you from succeeding.

Various government agencies have “Inspectors General” to audit and oversee the movement of funds within the agencies. When some influence puts up a roadblock against an I.G.’s ability to do his job, we taxpayers should beware. And, if that influence is an outside political influence, the danger signals should be flying at full force... particularly when top government officials are admitting that they cannot account for all of the TARP money or the Stimulus Bill money that has been spent.

Before I go further along this thought-line, let me stop long enough to mention the $134.5 billion is U.S. Treasury notes that were discovered in a suitcase in the process of being moved by two Asian gentlemen across the Italian-Swiss border last month. There were a whole ton of questions arising out of this story, but the U.S. Treasury refused to confirm or deny anything, the two Asians were released, and no one knows what happened to the $134.5 billion in treasury bonds. Now, that is a lot of money to leave hanging out in thin air like that, would you agree?

Back to the story line. In June, Gerald Walpin, an Inspector General for the Corporation for National and Community Service, was fired in the middle of his investigation into misuse of grant funds by St. Hope Academy; the founder is a close personal associate of… President Barack Obama.

Fred Weiderhold Jr., the I.G. at Amtrak, handed Congress a 94 page report stating that Amtrak’s lawyers were refusing to provide requested documents or were providing partially blacked-out documents in response to an investigation. The Administration immediately accepted his “retirement” papers.

At the International Trade Commission, Acting I.G. Judith Gwynne was pursuing contractor irregularities when commission officials allegedly forcibly removed purchasing documents from her possession. When she notified her boss, she was fired.

I.G. Neil Barofsky, who was overseeing the $700 billion TARP funds, was called in by the U.S. Treasury Department and told that he worked for them; he got sidelined when he protested that this could essentially amount to a conflict of interest and that Treasury would have the ability to withhold documents from him. This move came just as he started digging into Treasury’s decision to allow the AIG bonuses.

Back in April, the U.S. Treasury said, after persistent questioning, that it had $134.5 billion in TARP funds left at that time. Is that a coincidence, or did the money actually end up in a suitcase in Italy?

Why are these Inspectors General being dismissed in the middle of ongoing investigations?

Why has the Federal Reserve Bank been stonewalling a request by the Inspectors General and the Government Accountability Office to audit its books?

Is our Treasury being robbed by those who have the power to do so and to cover it up?

Is the Mob in charge here, or what?

That's MY AMERICAN OPINION, respectfully submitted.

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Check out the new website: Burney Mountain Hermit

LONG OVERDUE SHORT SHOTS

Ted Kennedy has taped a campaign ad to support Chris Doddledung. Chris, ever the daring kind of guy, declined to take a ride with Teddy over the bridge at Chappaquiddick.

ACORN is changing its name, ostensibly to avoid continuing scandal and criminal charges. I don't know what they are worried about; neither the Attorney General, Department of Justice or Congress is willing to investigate anything to do with ACORN. Is the Mob in control here, or what?

Now that we've almost completely pulled out of Iraq, we can expect that the radical Muslims, such as Osama and his cronies, will now quit their campaign against the United States, which means that we can fold up the Department of Homeland Security. Isn't that just dandy? All of which explains why our illustrious Prez had invited Iranian diplomats to attend July 4th festivities at American Embassies and, we hear, at a White House Barbecue. Obama said that he had wanted to extend a hand of friendship and understanding, (while Iranian citizens were protesting in their streets over an obviously phony election?) Press Secretary Robert Gibbs announced with great aplomb, that none of the Iranians had RSVP'd anyway. (Do you suppose they were so busy assembling IED's for the events that they forgot?)

Hacker numbers are rapidly increasing as attempts to get into our national security systems, military websites, banking institutions and utilities climb. Predominantly, these attacks are originating in Russia and China. This fact leaves the door wide open for the Administration to insert its increasingly intruding and bulbous regulatory nose into the Internet, and to start charging Americans a "use" tax or some other fee to cover the associated costs.

In one month alone, at one email address, I received over 400 emails from Nigerian sources promising to make me rich. The latest wave of emails purportedly comes from the FBI and, if you open one, your computer is going to be infected, big time. Now all we have to do is to figure out a way to redirect the FBI emails back to Nigeria.

Further on the fascism scene... Part of the proposed Health Care package provides for "random" home visitations by health care bureaucrats to determine whether or not safe and best health practices are being followed. If not, they would write out mandatory referrals that you would HAVE TO follow up on, or face the governmental consequences. To get you to buy into this, the line is going to be that we "owe it to our children."

More on the "Big Brother is Watching" scene: Remember those video cameras at intersections? There was an uproar of sorts when they were first introduced shortly after 9/11. The governments, (federal, state and local), were quick to assuage our fears by stating that they were there only for the purpose of helping to catch terrorists or to serve as a source of information in the event of a traffic accident. Besides, they insisted, there was no way that they could read your vehicle license, anyway. In 2009, however, there is a growing use of such video cameras to cite drivers for running red lights, failure to wear seat belts, and similar offenses. How can they do that if they can't read our license plate numbers? Do you think there might be some bureaucrat or politician out there plotting to put video cameras in homes to make sure you eat healthy foods and do not take in more calories than your allotted intake? No? Did it ever occur to you folks out there with video cameras in your laptops or desktops that Big Brother could be watching you right now? (As I type this, I can predict that 25% of readers will quit picking their noses immediately, 25% will adjust their bras or check their lipstick, 25% will go put some clothes on, and 25% will flip me the finger. )

In a not-so-puzzling case of "Big Brother is NOT Watching," the United States Attorney General decided to drop all criminal charges against the Black Panther Party for blocking and trying to intimidate Philadelphia votes in the November elections:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2OsPDW7p74

The Attorney General had originally filed charges, tried the case and won but, out of the clear blue and for no explicable reason, he decided to drop all charges on May 15th. Is the Mob in control here, or what?

On the gun control front, White House Chief-of-Staff Rahm Emanuel, Attorney General Eric Holder, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, "Call Me Senator" Barbara Boxer and others are quietly working up a new theory.... Their argument will be that the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution prevents Congress from passing any laws to take away the right to bear arms, but it does not prevent a state or local government from doing so. Boxer was heard in April saying that she will sponsor a national gun registration law, it's just a matter of choosing the right time.

I vote that we also ban fireworks and fireworks displays. Fireworks do kill people and they start fires.

Don't know why the media is so upset with the "discovery" that Obama has been staging his "Town Hall Meetings" designed to drum up support for his Health Care Bill. By now, everyone should be aware that this President is a spoiled little brat who will do anything, and I do mean anything, to get his own way. Besides, the move was a strategy straight out of the old Clinton "Play Ball By My Rules" playbook and it's not as if this particular play has never been used before.

Tim Geithner, the financial genius who is going to save the country, is saying that the government needs to make homes more affordable. Tim, you're the money Czar. You and your cronies have managed to change the terms of mortgage loans and to make signed, sealed, written and notarized contracts as worthless as used toilet tissue. So, why don't you guys just pop off with a new regulation giving you the power to say that a new or used house cannot sell for more than $90 per square foot? It's just that simple, pal. My God, is the Mob in control here, or what?

Now that Washington has given all citizens one great, big headache, the Food and Drug Administration may be poised to take Tylenol, Excedrin and similar headache medicines off the shelf. Not to be outdone, the nice folks over at DHHS seem to favor some kind of penalty on overweight people on the basis that they have a higher risk for life-threatening maladies. Why not impose a "FAT TAX?" Of course, people who are underweight would get a tax rebate. You bet. Count on it.

Bernie Madoff's gone on an extended vacation. Do you suppose he'll hook up with O.J.?

Rumor is... South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford and Nevada Senator John Ensign may team up to pitch Cialis on the tube.

Have you ever wondered where the nation would be economically right now if McCain had won the Presidency? Well, for one thing, we wouldn't be looking at an extra $5 trillion in future tax bills heading our way. (Yes, $5 trillion. That's why they never mention the TARP, the Stimulus Bill that they still haven't read, and the new budget all in one breath.) The rest, of course, is purely speculation, but I'm inclined to think that the unemployment figures would not be as high as they are now. And, I won't be surprised if they happened to leak out the news late on a Friday afternoon a few weeks from now that the 9.5% unemployment rate just announced was actually understated by a few percentage points. That's another strategy out of the old Clinton book.

Speaking of "not read yet." maybe their excuse is that they have been busy "not reading" the Energy Cap & Trade Bill the House just passed... This new bill requires that homes be brought up to energy standards before they can be sold. Now, it's bad enough that most people who are in the process of selling don't have that kind of money to spend until the house has already sold, but I can just see the bureaucratic argument coming now: I want to sell my house and lot to ABC Company so they can tear down the house and build a car lot there, but I will have to bring my house up to Energy Standards first. You bet it will happen. (On the plus side, I guess they can't foreclose on a house until it is brought up to energy standards, either?)

Since Al Franken has been declared the winner in the Minnesota Senatorial race, none of the above matters any more. Congress is filibuster-proof and they can now do whatever they want, whenever they want, and however they want. As a matter of fact, if you think you've seen some weird legislation coming out of Congress, you're in for one major surprise. I hate to keep asking the question but, is the Mob in control here, or what?

That's MY AMERICAN OPINION, respectfully submitted.

ENJOY THE 4TH OF JULY, OR ELSE!

SPECIAL POST

The way this Independence Day is shaping up, it may well be our last.

That's MY AMERICAN OPINION,respectfully submitted.