So Many Rights, So Little Time

Who knew? I didn’t realize that one of my rights as an American is the right to “timely care”, no matter who that might inconvenience. Wouldn’t that make doctors and pharmacists slaves?
I wonder when that was written.

.It’s an upside-down world where pharmacists’ refusal rights supersede patients’ rights to timely care and the conscience of religious institutions trumps the rights of the individuals–religious or not–to access the health care coverage they need.

ht Ricochet via Maggies Farm

UPDATE: Tai-Chi commented below on the old “privilege of being an American” remark by Tim Geithner.
This is well put out of the WSJ today on the subject.

The Military – ugly stepchildren?

It’s an odd thing.

First let’s treat our military men and women as if they are children who never learned a thing about food while growing up. We will give them information about everything in the chow line, but not, you know, actual information, instead we will color code it because, it will be easier for them to understand.
Red means bad. Green means good. Yellow – think about it.

“In the military we all kind of know red means, ‘uh oh, there’s problems,’” Cable said. “Amber, middle of the road, we’re doing okay. And green is good to go, all is right. We took that same concept and we applied it to our menus.”

Then let’s treat them like ugly stepchildren who we really don’t want around as compared to the rest of the civil servants.

So these men and women who put their lives on the line, even getting murdered by coworkers from other countries get color coded foodstuffs and get to pay more for their healthcare than do the men and women who work as staff for the President and Congress or work…..all over the Federal government.

Yeah – you bet little Jimmy. Sign up.

UPDATE: Oh – and you want to learn a little more about the people with whom you currently live and fight? You’ll have to go through Amazon to buy a Koran. You, who we trust with guns to fight on our behalf, are not to be trusted with a Koran otherwise unless you already are a Muslim.
Stay childlike everyone.

Another Decree from HHS

Nope, that’s not how you can keep Medi-Cal/Medicaid solvent in your state. There are other ways. Oh, you want ideas. Sorry. That’s up to you. But no, you can’t have co-pays to keep poor people from overusing emergency services.

Why? Because I said so.

All This Rioting is Your Fault

All this rioting is the fault of people who are criticizing the apology. You/We are inflaming those people who are so backassword or unemployed that they think this rioting is going to instill respect for Islam and the Koran. Somehow.

In the meantime those in charge are actually admitting that the two days that have lapsed since having their men shot by their Afghan counterparts has NOT increased the level of trust between the two groups. Imagine.

U.S. officials acknowledged that tensions remain high in Kabul and that distrust has not dissipated since last weekend’s killing of two U.S. military officers inside the Afghan Interior Ministry, apparently by a rogue Afghan security officer.

And that apology? Apparently too insincere for the rioters. But really, what do they expect? Per Allapundit at Hot air:

As always when the world scrambles to condemn an affront to Islam, the urgency is driven not by “sensitivity” but by fear that innocents will start dying if proper respect isn’t quickly paid. The fact that there have been so many apologies this time — one from the president, one from the top NATO commander, and one from a Pentagon official to Muslims in Washington — is ironically proof of how insincere it all is, a frantic means to the end of getting people to calm down already.

Here’s a question? We’re drawing down this year – 11 years after going in.

The fratricidal attacks have fueled suspicions at a vulnerable time for the U.S. military and NATO, which are trying to partner more closely with Afghan security forces so they can take over responsibility for the war against the Taliban and other insurgents. Former U.S. officials and analysts have said the consequences of an erosion of confidence in the U.S.-Afghan partnership could be devastating for NATO’s strategy to end combat operations by the end of 2014.

Shouldn’t all this taking over of responsibility have been occurring over the last 11 years?! How long does it take to train an officer here? 4 years? Double that due to cultural differences/language barriers/local sensitivities and you’re at 8 years. That leaves 3 to sit back and see how they do and give critiques and let the people have their own country back while you continue to pound the Taliban.
Why is now the critical time for working together?

I wonder if part of the Afghan problem is just the problem of the teenager in college trying to get rid of his parents when being dropped off. Go already – I’m grown up enough.

We can’t leave now or we’re just running from a riot and the next one will just be bigger. But for crying out loud either give the country back or take the whole thing over. They’ve been having elections for years now.

Understatement of the Year

After an Afghan Security officer shoots an American Colonel and an American Major in the BACK OF THE HEAD while they sat at their desks because someone else tried to respectfully dispose of Korans that could no longer be used:

Meanwhile, Americans and Europeans are growing increasingly resentful of the mounting number of treacherous attacks by Afghan forces they are trying to train.

This is going around and I am happy to jump on the bandwagon.

The Apology Letter

A quick aside today….in the apology letter to Karzai to quell the unrest Obama says:

“The error was inadvertent; I assure you that we will take the appropriate steps to avoid any recurrence, to include holding accountable those responsible.”

Wouldn’t if have behooved him to say….”The error was inadvertent. In America, when we need to dispose of one of our most precious items, the American Flag, the proper way is to burn it. We will take the appropriate steps to avoid any recurrence, but please know that this error was done with deepest respect for your Holy Book.”

James Taggart, Live

I realize the world is complex.
I realize that business owners probably feel some responsibility for those in their employ.
I realize that there are so many regulations and incentives and whatevers that at some point, what is one more.

But seriously, would you as the president or business owner sign a letter that essentially kisses the ass of Obamacare because HHS requires it?!!!
Sign a letter!!!?

All this time, I’ve been outraged that
a) the Federal government thinks it can get away with requiring people and/or employees to buy something even when
b) it goes against their core values, when here, right here that same Federal government is
c) requiring people to sign away their thoughts! (oh, I meant to say business, right? since businesses aren’t people…except when you’re the owner or the business!) !

What the hell am I talking about? From CMS (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services – an arm of HHS):

The Affordable Care Act requires health insurance issuers (issuers) to spend a set amount of premium dollars on health care services and activities to improve health care quality. This is known generally as the Medical Loss Ratio (MLR) standard or the 80/20 rule.

And what must it send? A letter with this requirement under “instructions for completing each form notice” (for the signature line):

Enter the name of the President/CEO of the health insurance issuer. It must be signed by the President/CEO. No exceptions are permitted.

And what must they sign, no exceptions?
Bold is mine.

The 80 / 20 rule in the Affordable Care Act is intended to ensure that consumers get value for their health care dollars.

(That line is in each of the 4 sample letters and the link in this sentence is for the group health version All 4 versions can be found here.)

Dear Health Insurance Purchaser,
There is a new rule out there called the 80/20 rule. This year we sucked and spent more than 20% of our premiums on overhead. Overhead! Can you believe it?
We hired lobbyists and congresspeople and Catholic priests just so that someone would fight for our right to sell whatever the hell we wanted to, to you if you should decide to purchase from us.
Apparently that gave you little actual VALUE for your dollar because Obama is king and his requirements are benevolent.
It would probably be best for you to shop around for a better valued insurance company lest you accuse us of windfall profits being thrown into the wind.
All my best
President/CEO of Acme Insurance Company

Little Jimmy Taggart would not see any problem with this. Why aren’t health insurers up in arms? Why are they still running their businesses? I would shut the place down in a heartbeat.
– yes I realize that is probably Obamacare’s final intention. I would still just shut her down rather than sign a letter like that.
Just unbelievable what we’re finding in the law that finally passed so we can see what’s in it.
(ht JG)

UDPATE: I realize that these insurance companies put themselves in this position by jockeying for the mandate which theoretically will make them a lot of money. And, to be fair, though completely unconstitutional, is only fair since they are required to cover everyone no matter how sick and to cover “children” to the age of 26 etc.
However, they didn’t speak out against the mandate. Now look where that got them.
First they came for …….Luckily for them there are still a few of us left willing to speak up even when we aren’t an insurance company president/CEO. You’re welcome.
………………..
In other news of Mr. Taggart, he’s apparently out there working to make all the poor in all the world buy his product lest he lose his market with the people who have already been forced to buy his product and don’t need/want to buy more.

A presentation (embedded below) by Rudy Provoost and Martin Goetzeler, CEO of Philips and COO of OSRAM, respectively, calls on the UN’s Environmental Programme to “lead the engagement required with developing and emerging countries, governments and the private sector to achieve a global market transformation” to the types of bulbs that their two companies manufacture.

Yes – that’s what’s important to developing countries. Let’s make certain they have fancy, expensive light bulbs that don’t even produce heat that you can hover around on a cold night when you have no other source. Why? Because of the warming people! We must think of the children….no, not those children who don’t have enough to eat because someone making $2 a day needed to buy a lightbulb.

Those other children who won’t have to deal with a warmer climate because cold is better and finally you will be thinking of our future. So please, force others to buy our light bulbs! It’s for the children.
ht JK at Three Sources.

UPDATE: Spelling fixed on Taggart.

Don’t Fence Me In

A great song played by a true believer in liberty!
In this day and age of required funding for each school (despite taxpayer specific requirements), required (yet often uneaten) vegetables, required purchases, and whacks to your freedom of religion, it’s a good day to sit back and listen to an excellent, excellent song.

Don’t Fence Me In from liveatthecoffeehouse on Vimeo.

It Must Be Friday

Because I am laughing out loud.

In this article from Drudge about how the new 50% tax rate in the UK has left them with less revnue than before this rate there is a classic comment:

Does no one understand where the money actually comes from?????

Good one eh. Then in the news you get Obama suggesting reducing corporate taxes while cutting loopholes, BUT:

In his proposed rewrite, Obama will target oil and gas companies for tax hikes while promising special breaks for manufacturing companies, according to a senior administration official.

So we get a solution from this guy, Ron Klain, who is worried about how higher gas prices actually affect real people, especially as compared to the payroll tax deduction:

One idea might be a “pocketbook protection” plan, which would work as follows: If the average price of gas exceeds $4 a gallon, an additional, automatic payroll tax cut of 1 percent would kick in, as much as $50 per month, per person. The cut would stay in place for at least 90 days; it would disappear when the price fell below $4.00 per gallon………………The plan could be almost entirely paid for with a modest, no-loopholes surcharge on corporate taxes on profit derived from the higher gas prices. The administration would be able to avoid pejorative terms such as “windfall” or “excess” profit tax, because the tax is neither confiscatory nor punitive.

(ht Maggie’s Farm)

Can you imagine?

Dear Potential Human Doctors

Be a veterinarian instead.

You still get to practice medicine but you don’t have to put up with this bullpucky.

In short…..ER’s are required to see everyone. ER’s are abused. Medicaid (the government) will stop paying for visits that they think are abused – after being seen.

ps – the same state is working to require any insurance that covers maternity to also cover abortion…..will this include medicaid?
Yes.

So while tax dollars are not going to the pockets of ER doctors who are forced by law to see everyone, they will go to fund abortions if requested….so long as it’s not an emergency?

Go – be a veterinarian. They are in short supply, you can practice medicine on a more species than just one, your patients are all cute and there are a lot fewer requirements from the state about how you are to be paid.