9/12 Protest Washington DC Time Lapse Footage 0800 - 1130

This shows time lapse photography of the crowd in DC on 9/12. When I arrived at about 1:00 I could hear the crowd from three blocks away and was impressed by the volume compared to what I've experienced at sporting events in the past.







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Politics, Constitution, Taxes, TeaParty,

My First Town Hall Meeting Fredericksburg, VA

I have heard the stories of various Town Meetings throughout the country. Try as I might, I could find no meetings scheduled for my district or by any of my Senators.Then my Representative, Mr Rob Wittman announced he was hosting on on September 1, 2009 in Fredericksburg, VA.

All arrangements made to accommodate the farm animals, we made the hour journey, parked three blocks away and made it with time to get at the end of a very long line. Few people had signs. The most who did had preprinted signs made by the pro-government organization Health care for America Now. A woman for that organization came walking along the line toward us. She stopped suddenly when she recognized someone she knew, then gave him a sign and lapel sticker. Having done so she turned and walked back the other way.

I turned to my wife and wondered why the woman did not ask us if we wanted a sign. Then I had an idea.

I caught up with her and asked, "May I have a sign?"

Surprised she replied, "Yes, which one would you like?"

I chose the one most likely to serve my purpose. She asked if I wanted a lapel sticker, I said "Nagh."

Back in line I looked at the wording of the sign and wondered aloud how I could modify it to suit my need. It read,"INSURANCE PROFITS ARE BAD FOR MY HEALTH." I asked people in line if any had a pen, getting one I got on the ground and began to cross out "PROFITS ARE" and adding above INSURANCE, the word GOVERNMENT. At this moment the woman who gave me the sign had come back demanding I return the sign.

I stood up incredulous that she make such a demand. She repeated her demand so I replyed in as childish a manner as I could, "No! You gave it to me, It's mine!"

"Well I'm calling the police." She shot back.

"Go get him and bring him here." I replied.

Not long after she stomped off the line began to move. When we reached to door she was there waiting with Officer Friendly. Pointing me out he asked me to step aside. My wife went on in to secure a place to sit. Officer Friendly says to me, "She says you took here sign."

"No Sir, I asked her for a sign, she offered me a choise as to which one, I chose this one and she gave it to me."

Turning back to her he asked if she gave the sign to me when I asked. She said acknowledged that she did, then Officer Friendly let me go in.

The meeting was generally orderly. The Congressman was not in favor of the bill so he had a positive response from the crowd most of the evening. There were a few supporters of the bill but they were rather quiet. Speakers were chosen from 3x5 cards with names in a hopper. I was not chosen. As we left the sign woman and her grew were outside the door. She asked if I enjoyed my sign which I affirmed. We stopped at a BBQ place in Fredericksburg. As I was putting the tip on the table who should walk in but my friend the sign lady. She laughed when she saw me. I told her to have a nice evening and went out to catch up with my wife.






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Virginia, Politics, Health Care

The Great Health Care Debate

I can't turn on the tube without hearing about some politician yammering about fixing the heath care crisis or some such headline grabbing cliché. They all talk from the assumption that people in this country can't get seen by a doctor unless they have someone else paying for it. The truth is anyone can get health care. If that were not the case the waiting rooms of the nation's hospitals would not be full of illegal immigrants. If one wants to go some place where you can't get health care just go to Canada or the UK.

In those countries you can be turned away simply because you are too old. They don't say that, they just say there is nothing they can do for you. The debate is not about people getting health care, it's about buying votes from people who think they will get something for nothing. With the government involved in getting everyone insured you will get nothing for a lot of somethings.

Think about this. Every program the government runs is running out of money every year. Have you ever heard an elected official say that such and such program has met its goals with money to spare? They are always carping about not having enough. They never come in at or near the projections of cost. If something that is working needs to be broken, get the government to run it. They are still paying farmers not to grow crops for heaven's sake.

Secondly, with private insurance even outside of any government mandate, one must consider that it is essential for the future of any company to make a profit to stay in business. Your premium is going to be more that what the average for your demographic pays for heath care. I'm not saying this is a bad thing. It is just one factor one must consider when one is deciding if insurance is necessary. That is right. If it is necessary. If one is under thirty, don't smoke, abuse drugs or alcohol or do stupid things like riding bulls than you will probably not need health insurance. One could deposit an amount similar to your premium into a savings account and come out way ahead.
If anything needs to be done it would be getting the lawyers and their leach clients out of the business of suing every time something doesn't come out perfect. Doctors make mistakes and should be accountable, but just because one did not get the outcome one was hoping for does not mean the doctor screwed up. The threat of law suits greatly increases the cost of delivering care. Lawyers get rich off chasing ambulances, just ask John Edwards. Since most politicians are lawyers there is small hope that they will stall the gravy train.

Even so if the government is in charge forget about any compensation for the neglect one will suffer. If Canada and the UK are any example that will be quite a lot. It owns the courts and makes the laws so bet on the politicians finally putting the breaks on that when it's their heads on the block despite the fact that health care professionals will become just more members of the bureaucracy. Think of that for a minuet. The DMV as a doctor's office.

This brings me back to the issue of illegal immigrants. The hospital waiting rooms are full of them. They get care and you and I pay for it. Clean up the illegal mess and watch the cost of running a hospital come down. If there is a crisis this is where it is and one need only point to the government as the source. Politics is a great scam. Create a problem, pat yourself on the back for discovering it then invent a program to fix it. When the program makes matters worse just ask for more money. What's not to like? If we are lucky this wont be the future of health care.






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socialized medicine, politics, Democrats, immigration