new 30-second video from Rick Scott’s CPRights.org…
video: 3 Questions about Pelosi’s Plan…
November 6, 2009 by Matthew TaylorDemocrats Defect from Pelosi’s Health Care Plan…
November 6, 2009 by Matthew TaylorDemocratic criticism of Speaker Pelosi’s Health Care bill continues to mount. Highlights from NYTimes article:
Democrat Congressman Ike Skelton: “I oppose the creation of a government-run public insurance program and continue to have serious concerns about its unintended consequence for Missourians who have private insurance plans they like.”
Democrat Congressman Artur Davis: “Because we risk disaster if we get this wrong, I will vote no on the health legislation and continue to root for a final bill that fixes the holes in our health care system and contains soaring costs in both the private and public sectors.”
Democrat Congressman Bart Owen: “I cannot support it as it stands now. I am concerned about a mandated government-run public option, and I do not like this bill’s financial impact on the state of Tennessee. The Congressional Budget Office has also indicated that the House bill will not reduce the federal government’s spending on health care over the long term — something I believe is essential.”
Democrat Congressman Travis Childers: “First and foremost, I cannot vote for legislation with this big of a price tag in today’s economic climate. I would also like to see legislation that contains stronger language to prohibit federal funding for abortion and provides equal access to care for individuals in rural communities.
Would you rather fight cancer in America or Europe?
November 5, 2009 by Matthew TaylorFormer chief economist at US Labor Department, Diana Furchtgott-Roth is opposed to the idea of a public health plan. She says, “As we consider moving toward a public plan, we should remember that European health care may be less costly, but it is also less effective at keeping cancer patients alive.”
Furchtgott-Roth compares cancer survival rates:
US =66% for men and 63% for women
Europe = 47% for men and 56% for women
Why is this? Americans have higher cancer survival rates because the United States has more advanced equipment for early diagnosis and more routine screenings. We have the newest technology and we spend more than other countries on diagnostic tests.
Once diagnosed, we use more advanced medications for treatment than they do Europe. Many new drugs are available earlier in the United States than in Europe, because European governments negotiate prices from pharmaceutical companies before a drug may be given to patients.
Full article here…
new video: ‘Behind Closed Doors’ reveals lack of transparency in DC…
October 30, 2009 by Matthew Taylornew video from GOP.gov ‘Behind Closed Doors’ (1:46min) takes issue with lack of transparency around health care bill…
Will Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid yield to President Obama’s promise of unprecedented openness and transparency?
Medicare set to go ‘Bernie Madoff’ in 2017…
October 22, 2009 by Matthew TaylorNew report from Government Accountability Office (GAO) projects Medicare does a ‘Bernie Madoff’ in 2017 while Social Security funds exhaust in 2037.
Investors Business Daily editorial: “Government spending is burning our children’s futures to the ground, yet our “leaders” in Washington think it’s time to spray the kerosene of still more spending on the fire.”
Bailout Inspector General reports on ‘loss of confidence’ in government…
October 22, 2009 by Matthew TaylorHow exactly is Washington paying for bailouts? New report cites, ”government paid for 46% of its expenditures in 2009 by issuing new debt, compared with the 10-year average of 9%.”
Stu Barofsky, the man tasked with investigating Washington bailouts says: “With the potential of moral hazard and ‘too big to fail,’ the government could be setting itself up for an even more dangerous crisis in the future… The loss of confidence in the government could be one of the lasting legacies of this program.”
Maybe Reagan was right… “Government is not the solution. Government is the problem.”
Stu Barofsky CNN interview here.
Liz Cheney launches KeepAmericaSafe.com
October 22, 2009 by Matthew Taylorwww.KeepAmericaSafe.com seeks to ”influence public policy by encouraging dialogue between American citizens and their elected representatives in order to produce legislation and executive action that enhances the national security of the United States.”
Daughter of former Vice-President Dick Cheney and mother of 5, Liz Cheney recent article calls her, ”a Palin who could tie Katie Couric in knots”.
Visit, www.KeepAmericaSafe.com
‘Read the Bill’ resolution proposes legislation be publicly posted to internet for 72 hours…
October 14, 2009 by Matthew TaylorNew initiative, We The People Can Read, fuels support for “Read the Bill” legislation which would “require the Internet posting of all nonemergency legislation for 72 hours before it can be considered on the House floor.”
Resolution currently has 182 signatures from Members of Congress; 36 more needed consideration on House floor. Resolution spearheaded by Colin Hanna who writes:
An overwhelming majority of the American public agrees with the principles of this resolution. A new Zogby poll, commissioned by Let Freedom Ring, found that 91 percent of Americans – overwhelming majorities of Republicans, Democrats and independents alike – want all nonemergency legislation to be posted on the Internet for at least 72 hours before Congress votes on it. Even President Barack Obama agrees; during his campaign, he stated that he would not sign any nonemergency legislation unless it had been posted online for five days to permit the public to read and comment on it.
Full article here.
Six Democratic Senators ask Senator Reid for greater transparency in health care bill…
October 13, 2009 by Matthew TaylorLess than one year ago, Americans responded to promises of openness and transparency in Washington. Six Democratic U.S. Senators write Majority Leader Harry Reid, urging change, allowing for at least 72 hours to review and debate health care legislation.
Below is text of letter signed by Senators Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.), Evan Bayh (D-Ind.), Mary Landrieu (D-La.), Joe Lieberman (ID-Conn.), Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.), Ben Nelson (D-Neb.), Mark Pryor (D-Ark.) and Jim Webb (D-Va.)
Full text of letter:October 6, 2009
The Honorable Harry Reid
Senate Majority Leader
S-221 United States Capitol
Washington, DC 20510
Dear Leader Reid:
As you know, Americans across our country have been actively engaged in the debate on health care reform. Whether or not our constituents agree with the direction of the debate, many are frustrated and lacking accurate information on the emerging proposals in Congress. Without a doubt, reforming health care in America is one of the most monumental and far-reaching
undertakings considered by this body in decades. We believe the American public’s participation in this process is critical to our overall success of creating a bill that lowers health care costs and offers access to quality and affordable health care for all Americans.
Every step of the process needs to be transparent, and information regarding the bill needs to be readily available to our constituents before the Senate starts to vote on legislation that will affect the lives of every American. The legislative text and complete budget scores from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) of the health care legislation considered on the Senate floor should be made available on a website the public can access for at least 72 hours prior to the first vote to proceed to the legislation. Likewise, the legislative text and complete CBO scores of the health care legislation as amended should be made available to the public for 72 hours prior to the vote on final passage of the bill in the Senate. Further, the legislative text of all amendments filed and offered for debate on the Senate floor should be posted on a public website prior to beginning debate on the amendment on the Senate floor. Lastly, upon a final agreement between the House of Representatives and the Senate, a formal conference report detailing the agreement and complete CBO scores of the agreement should be made available to the public for 72 hours prior to the vote on final passage of the conference report in the Senate.
By publically posting the legislation and its CBO scores 72 hours before it is brought to a vote in the Senate and by publishing the text of amendments before they are debated, our constituents will have the opportunity to evaluate these policies and communicate their concerns or their message of support to their Members of Congress. As their democratically-elected representatives in Washington, D.C., it is our duty to listen to their concerns and to provide them with the chance to respond to proposals that will impact their lives. At a time when trust in Congress and the U.S. government is unprecedentedly low, we can begin to rebuild the American people’s faith in their federal government through transparency and by actively inviting Americans to participate in the legislative process.
We respectfully request that you agree to these principles before moving forward with floor debate of this legislation. We appreciate your serious consideration and look forward to working with you on health care reform legislation in the weeks ahead.
Sincerely,
Senator Blanche L. Lincoln
Senator Evan Bayh
Senator Mary L. Landrieu
Senator Joseph I. Lieberman
Senator Claire McCaskill
Senator Ben Nelson
Senator Mark L. Pryor
Senator Jim Webb
new iPhone app plugs single payer plan…
October 6, 2009 by Matthew Taylorit’s called iSinglePayer…
Engadget.com: ”the application tackles the hot-button healthcare issue in America by offering spending advice for consumers and a GPS lookup for local Congress members’ and their healthcare-related donations.”
