This is an audio file from the real American Medical Association before it was high jacked by the liberal elite.

I have dropped my AMA membership and implore you to contact your legislators to stop this power grab by the government which will devistate the worlds best health care system, bankrupt the country and corrupt the healthcare system to the detriment of all patients.

Don't believe me? Watch 20/20 tonight and see how it works for Canada and the UK.

Keep the faith, Take back this great country from the socialists



[www.youtube.com]

I wonder how quickly Dodd could schedule prostate surgery if he were a Canadian or British citizen? I doubt the ordinary Joe there can just slip it into a scheduled vacation period!

you ain't kidding!!!

Since I live in CT, I have no problem stating that Chris Dodd has done ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to represent the people of my state for years!!!

he is the perfect example of an "inside the Beltway" guy who lives off the public...and lobbyists!

As far as the AMA goes, I quit years ago!!!! The "bigwigs" in the AMA are also "Beltway" people, who almost never actually treat patients anymore. They are much
more interested in being "part of the process" than they are in whether or not the result will be good or bad.

The current healthcare "reform" plans are SO bad, that it is obvious Congress has NO idea of what actually goes on

I've always been annoyed by the abuse of the language to trick people. The current abuse is the use of the term "reform" to get a foot in the door for a single payer system. The absolute BS that millions can be covered by the government and that will be part of reduced costs is nonsense. The idea that the government can do anything better than private industry is BS. Been to the DMV lately? Followed the "cars for cluckers" fiasco? "Oh, it's a success even though it hasn't been administered well" I heard the other day. Yeah, administration is soooo over-rated, especially when your medical treatment is concerned!

Here's the one thing I think the government should start with as far as reform goes: Once an x-ray picture is taken and payment assured, the customer owns the film. I've got 4 boys and this issue is a pain in my buttstock all too often. One of the boys gets hurt and needs a diagnostic x-ray. The local hospital (where the staff knows us) is absolutely assured of payment for services but can I have the x-ray for our doctor to refer to during the follow-up? No, I have to come by the next morning and arrange for duplicates etc. Why duplicates. good question as the hospital does not maintain a treatment record for the boys that has ever been referred to during the emergency visits. Heck, they can't keep the alergy records straight between admiting and triage and treatment; it's like a freaking quiz in every room! Anyhow, I pay (OK, my insurance pays) for a tech to take an x-ray that is used for immediate treatment but I don't get to keep the product. Even though the hospital has been compensated for the service, they hold the film ransom and demand compensation to make copies for further treatment even though the original will never again serve any purpose (unless I sue them, which is another great topic!). Is there a law that compels this abuse of the patient? Probably.

I'd challenge the esteemed representatives in congress to fix this one simple little problem and advise them that I will never, ever believe a word they say about healthcare if they can't fix such a simple issue. How about a series of less than 1000 word "reform" bills that do something that we can see before we agree to a 1000+ page bill that NOBODY knows what it includes?

Here's a little "reform" that would seem logical to me. Stop playing games with who can be in a "group". Oh ... we have to pay far more because we're self employed, and we're not part of your "club"? Sure ... no problem.

There are dozens of common sense things that anybody who's run a small business could correct in an afternoon.

What it boils down to is an elite group of "shepherds" ... tossing a fence around their "sheep". And, at least half of the sheep are so clueless, that they are thrilled when the shepherd leads them over to the trough ... then to the water ... then to the barn. In the morning, we walk over to the voting booth ... then back to the trough. Good sheep.

Gary

Heard awhile ago ... in the health plan, they mention cutting down on the money spent on "back pain" in the US.

Guess I'm toast.

Great points guys! The federal government has no business in healthcare. The ONLY reason it is involved in it now is because they interjected tax payer monies via Medicare and Medicaid. Now the camel's nose is in the tent and they are determined to take over the rest. Every state that takes a federal dollar must now bend to the congress's wish or they will withhold monies. The did it with .08 drunk drivers, seat belts now they talk about texting and cell phone use in the car. Do it their way or no more highway funds. I even heard Fienstien instructing Sotomayor to be sure and allow the congress's will to be put upon the states without that pesky Constitution getting in the way! That was during the "hearings" and no one even flinched!! She was specifically refering to the NO GUN ZONES imposed around schools that was deemed unconstitutional in 1990's. Boy that has been a successful program..... for the shooting spree copy cats

Keep the faith, Vote?....Vote?....Vote them ALL OUT!!!

Kent

If we're going to play the game the way they do, we need to vote early and vote often to kick 'em out.

They aren't just talking about texting and cell phone use in Washington. They've already made it illegal, unless you're using a bluetooth or another hands free system. You don't think some corperation had a hand in that do ya?

I'd like to think my vote counted, Kent, but I can assure you that here in the great blue state of MD, it doesn't. Gary's and Jerry's votes don't count either, for that matter. It's vote disenfranchisement / apathy at its finest. We have a "liberal elite" ruling class that knows it can perpetually stay in power by pandering to Baltimorons (residents of Baltimore City) and Prince Georges and Montgomery Counties (suburbs of DC). The rest of us have no say and are left to pay for their never-ending spending and tax increases.

It's getting so bad that Cindy and I are considering re-establishing residency back in FL. MD is my home state, but I think politically it's beyond repair at this point.

-- Jim

It is true that we each get one vote. And, it only takes one guy to cancel out my vote. I can work and vote personal responsibility, while another will freeload, and vote himself handouts. He cancels out my vote.

What's left? Write, e-mail, phone? Maybe. And, what are you up against? I'm swamped with work and obligations. The other side seems to have all day to picket, protest, and scheme. Gives you alot more time if someone is paying your way. So, while we work, they undermine everything we've worked for. Yeah ... it's depressing.

Thing is ... any organization you touch with your small toe, will immediately become a parasite. They'll dump guilt on you by the truckload. They need every dime you have in order to "fight for you". Make you feel that you simply MUST stand up and load the muskets!!! Your obligations are nothing compared to "the cause". It's exhausting, all consuming, and relentless ... and they are on YOUR side!!!

A lady knocked on the door the other day when I was in for lunch. I could just immediately see that she was on a quest to just get in the door with her wheelbarrow of materials. I asked "bottom line" sorts of questions. While she made a show of fumbling her notebooks (would only be courteous of me to offer to let her spread that out on the counter ... right?) So; I just let her stand there dropping stuff, while she insisted upon going thru her "presentation" in her pre-determined order. I kept jumping to the bottom line - such as cost, etc. She was actually representing a lobby group to represent small businesses before the legislature in Annapolis. Probably a good thing. However; she was so annoying, so programed, that I just wanted to get rid of her. She finally disclosed that the cost was a "Donation" which was LIMITED TO $5,000 ... but could be as small as several hundred. I asked if there was a place where the materials on her organization was disclosed. And, she (in a clear attitude of defeated disgust), mentioned some url. As she turned away, clutching her notebooks, I told her that I seriously doubted she'd fine alot of small business owners, at home, in the middle of the day, with NOTHING to do. Amazing. And ... she was most likely on my side.

I get a dozen e-mails a day ... from organizations ... on my side ... who feel I simply MUST support a dozen different causes. If YOU DON"T ... WHO WILL???? It's the picture of the starving child, crying, covered in flies by a mud hut. And then, you see what your representatives are doing. Their lifestyles. Their work environments. And ... you realize that making you accept the guilt for the world, is THEIR JOB, and pays their bills. I've become very cynical ... here under my own burden of obligations. Some wisdom comes with age and experience.

So; I vote. And, I don't rush in with my tin cup for the government to fill from their spigot (which is really attached to other tax payer's wallets).

Even with this health debate, if I'm pleased to see the government takeover defeated ... all it will mean is that I'll still have the crippling health care costs I have now ... which will keep going up. It's only this debate that's providing the pressure for reform. So - if this fails, I'm not sure how much "relief" might ever be seen here.

So; now it's time to go work more. No time to go picket this afternoon. ;?)

Gary

Don't get me wrong . . . I vote too, and I'm not suggesting that others shouldn't. I'm just saying that in MD it's practically pointless unless you're lining up at the government trough. Even here in relatively moderate Baltimore County, on the last ballot I saw item after item dealing with the county wanting to borrow money (I'm talking millions and millions of dollars) it didn't have to accomplish various infrastructure tasks. I voted against all of them (save a provision to purchase and preserve rural land, I think), yet they all passed. If your average rank-and-file citizen runs their personal finances like the government does, we are really, really screwed.

"The American Republic will endure until the day Congress discovers that it can bribe the public with the public's money." -- Alexis de Tocqueville.



-- Jim