Try out now Ryan’s “premium support” by offering it to seniors age 55+ who have a private medical plan. Select a fixed number by lottery and try it out. If good enough for your Congressman it is good enough for the average citizen.
The Achilles heel weakness: In Ryan’s medicare reform plan the federal government imposes it by fiat on all recipients of a certain age There is a way to fix this weakness.
Instead of years out, offer the medicare reform plan now.
Instead of imposing it on millions, try it out by lottery on a few thousand people.
Instead of denying “premium plus” to those over a certain age, off it now to any senior age 55+ with current health insurance and wants to switch.
Dip Ryan’s “premium care” plan now into the healing waters of voluntary use by seniors age 55+.
This will heal the Achilles heel of Ryan’s medicare plan. When seniors who are not permitted coverage under Ryan’s plan (as too old) embrace it as good that will provide factual proof of its utility.
Who could set this up? There is a woman who, thwarted from political office in New York, created a terrific charter school in Harlem, New York. Students get entry to that school by lottery. That school competes successfully with the top private schools in New York City.
This is the kind of person who could quickly put together the necessary resources to try out a voluntary form of Ryan’s “premium support” medicare reform. What is her name?
DrCameronJackson@gmail.com
I for one, a licensed psychologist in California, welcome the Ryan “premium care” plan. Let’s try it out on a voluntary basis. I think it will work.
It’s time to cut up the federal government’s credit card, pay off what is due and save for rainy days ahead. Let’s face real death and ignore the phony death threat scare tactics put out by Democrats.
There’s much that happens unexpected in life and we need to be prepared. Just days ago, a tornado flattens an American town and hundreds of real people are truly dead.
In contrast, the Democrats create phony death and use scare tactics. Recently, the Democrats put out an ad depicting grandma in a wheel chair pushed off a cliff by Republican Ryan’s budget proposal to overhaul Medicare.
Real deaths are coming:
The real deaths that will occur are when your or my grandchild is denied a life saving procedure because 15 bureaucrats running ObamaCare or WhatEverCare decide that it is not cost effective and our grandchildren cannot have that medical procedure.
Another real death that’s happening is the declining value of the American dollar. Will we stop printing the $1.00 bill as it has the value of a nickel?
Instead of scare death threats against granny let’s deal with real issues in a grownup manner.
If a family had out of control debt and went to a debt counselor they would be told to stop adding to their debt. Likewise, the government must be told by voters to stop adding to the 14 trillion dollar debt.
Likewise — this is what we must tell our politicians and the government:
Cut up the credit cards. Figure out how to consolidate all debt. Prioritize what gets paid first. Work out arrangements with those you owe when to pay them back.
Because entitlements account for such a large part of the budget — about 50% —entitlement reform must happen.
So, read up on Ryan’s budget plan. It is sensible and foresighted.
The Democrats have offered no budget. The Republicans are offering one. Everyone needs to get into the conversation.
I for one think that the way to improve the Ryan plan for Medicare reform is to implement it on a trial basis. Let anyone age 55 plus who currently has health insurance the opportunity to switch to “premium plus”. By lottery select, say, 2000 persons. Then put the pedal to the metal and see how the program works.
The total number that want a chance to get selected will show how popular the Ryan “premium plan” actually is. And within a year or so we will have real data as to how senior citizens actually like the program.
This is a voluntary way to “try out” Ryan’s Premium Plus plan with seniors who — according to the Ryan plan — are stuck with Medicare as they are too old. Let the older folks age 55+ decide based on real experience.
The “Premium Plus” Ryan medicare reform plan is largely the same as what Congress persons get.
In my view, what is good enough for Congressman Sam Farr, age 69, is good enough for all of the citizens of California. And all U.S. citizens.
Walter Russell Mead writing May 25 in the American Interest:
“His [Obama’s] record of grotesque, humiliating and total diplomatic failure in this dealings with Prime Minister Netanyahu has few parallels in American history Three times he has gone up against Netanyahu; thee times he has ingloriously failed. This last defeat — Netanyahu’s deadly, devastating speech to Congress in which he eviscerated President Obama’s foreign policy to prolonged and repeated standing ovations by members of both parties — may have been the single most stunning and effective public rebuke to an American President a foreign leader has ever delivered.
Netayahu beat Obama like a red-headed stepchild; he played him like a fiddle; he pounded him like a big brass drum. The Prime Minister of Israel danced rings around his arrogant, professorial opponent. It was like watching the Harlem Globetrotters go up against the junior squad from Miss Porter’s School; like watching Harvard play Texas A&M; like watching Bambi meet Godzilla — or Bill Clinton run against Bob Dole.”
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Let American citizens age 55+ with private medical insurance try out the Ryan “premium suppot” plan. Let all who want apply. Randomly select 2,000 and enroll them. This will test out how popular the Ryan plan is and also whether the plan delivers quality medical care at an affordable rate.
Choice for Ryan's Premium Care health plan for Americans age 55 Let seniors age 55+ voluntarily try out Ryan’s “premium care” health plan. The plan is quite similiar to what Congress gets.
To cut the huge federal deficit of $ 14 trillion, we must engage in entitlement reform. Ryan’s budget plan which includes entitlement reform is bold and imaginative.
The time is ripe to try out Ryan’s “premium care†health care on a trial basis. Can Ryan’s “premium care†plan provide senior citizens with quality medical care at an affordable price for taxpayers?
Let’s ask Congress to implement Ryan’s “premium care†plan on a small, trial basis. Akin to the school vouchers for 1,700 Washington DC students which Congress authorized, Congress can set up a block grant to test the popularity and success of Ryan’s plan.
What the Ryan plan is: Per the Ryan “premium support†plan, each enrollee has a fixed supplement paid by the government directly to the private insurance plan chosen by the individual. The fixed supplement is adjusted by age, income and health status. The Ryan plan is quite similar to the Federal Employee Health Benefits Plan which Congress gets. In the FEHBP plan the government contributes 72% of the average premium. In the Ryan plan the average supplement is roughly $15,000 per individual and raises are tied to inflation in the general economy.
Let’s see if Ryan’s plan is popular with seniors and how well it works: Offer any senior age 55+ with current private health insurance the opportunity to switch to Ryan’s “premium care†plan. Publicize the plan. Let all seniors who qualify and sign up via internet.
The number who sign up will indicate how popular the plan is with seniors over age fifty-five. Then, on a lottery basis, randomly select 2,000 seniors. Then put the pedal to the metal and see how well the plan works.
I, for one, would jump at the chance. I’m in my 60’s, work as a licensed psychologist and have private health insurance. I like working and don’t plan to stop. I also realize that so long as I work and have private health insurance I can stay off the rolls of Medicare.
I plan to have private medical insurance as long as possible. Why? My doctors do not take new Medicare patients. A 2008 survey found that seniors have considerable difficulty finding physicians who will take Medicare. I don’t want a Panel of Fifteen bureaucrats — whether it’s ObamaCare of Medicare – to ration my medical care or that of others. Philosophically I don’t want the federal government via ObamaCare taking over one sixth of the economy.
I, as many working seniors do, want choice. I’d like the voluntary choice to try out Ryan’s “premium care†program. Right behind me are the 76 million Baby Boomers who are starting to retire. They too may want to, or feel they must continue to work, given the hair cut their retirement suffered.
Let Arabs and Islamic countries absorb the refugees from the 1967 war with Israel. Israel is the only stand on its own democracy in the middle east. For its protection and survival the West Bank best belongs to Israel who won it fairly in war. Time that Arabs took care of their own. The West can help Israel by sending money and support to re-locate families to Arab nations. A two nation state is not tenable.
West Bank necessary to Israeil's survival
Israel is the only non-Islamic state in the Middle East. Attacked by Islamic countries Israel won in 1967. Israel won a huge area of Egypt, Gaza, and the West Bank.
Today, instead of a two state solution the Arab countries of Islamic faith need to take in the Palestinian refugees.
The West can help with money so that West Bank Islamic families can relocate to other Arabic countries of Islamic faith.
The West Bank best belongs to Israel by 2000 years of history and war. The West needs to make sure that Israel has the political boundaries it needs to survive and remain a model for democracy in the middle east.
If Islam wants to show that it is a religion of peace, then let the Islamic middle eastern countries collectively assist these refugees from the 1967 war.
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Thursday night, President Obama angered both the Israelis and the Palestinians when he officially stated his support for a Palestinian state within the borders of the land Israel seized during the 1967 war.
The two-state solution is nothing new, but many Republicans are using this as an opportunity to capture the Jewish vote and support from the powerful lobby group AIPAC (American Israel Public Affairs Committee).
According to potential 2012 Presidential candidate Mitt Romney, Obama “threw Israel under the bus.”
The position appears to be controversial to many on the right who vehemently oppose the two-state solution because they fear Israel will never be safe.
On the more left, many are angry that Obama essentially admitted that Israel needs to be protected from Palestine, not the other way around. Obama proved one thing Thursday night: Talking about the Middle East is never light.
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Some sensible actions the West has taken in the middle east:
We released former Egyptian ruler Mubarak’s money to Libyan rebels. We sanctioned Syrian dictator al-Asad and his close advisers.
Another sensible action is to prevent Iran from having nuclear bombs. So the Arab Spring continues and democracy flourishes, we must contain Iran’s nuclear bomb program. Solution: Put penalties on any government or entity that sells uranium to Iran. On the immediate horizon is a sale of 455,000 tons of raw uranium by Zimbabwe to Iran…
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With the drama of the Arab Spring and the death of Osama bin Laden dominating the headlines, you might have missed the most important development in months surrounding Iran’s nuclear program: Zimbabwe’s emergence as a key enabler of the Islamic Republic’s march toward the atomic bomb.
In recent days, officials in Harare have confirmed that the government of Robert Mugabe is finalizing a massive resources deal with Tehran, in defiance of United Nations sanctions aimed at derailing Iran’s nuclear push. That agreement, in the works ever since Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad visited the African state in April 2010, would provide the Iranian regime with preferential access to the country’s estimated 455,000 tons of raw uranium over the next five years. The deal sheds light on what amounts to a major chink in the Islamic Republic’s nuclear armor. For all of its atomic bluster, the Iranian regime lacks enough of the critical raw material necessary to independently acquire a nuclear capability. Indeed, according to nonproliferation experts, Iran’s known uranium ore reserves are “limited and mostly of poor quality.” As a result, it desperately needs steady supplies of uranium ore from abroad. Without them, the Islamic Republic’s nuclear plans would, quite simply, grind to a halt.
Associated Press
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, left,and Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, during a trade fair in Bulawayo, in April 2010.
.This vulnerability is deepening, moreover. Iran’s aging uranium stockpile, which the Islamic Republic acquired from South Africa in the 1970s, is mostly depleted. As a result, Tehran in recent months has been feverishly courting a motley crew of foreign partners in search of new and stable sources of uranium to fuel its nuclear habit. According to a confidential intelligence summary from an unnamed International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) member state this past February, the Islamic Republic has focused on Africa, home to a number of key uranium producers including Zimbabwe, Senegal, Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Tehran’s procurement patterns offer a major opportunity for the West. Over the years, Washington and its European allies have worked feverishly to prevent Iran’s acquisition of the technology needed for its nuclear program, with only limited success. Today, despite numerous covert initiatives ranging from the promulgation of deliberately faulty designs to the sabotage of critical materials, the IAEA currently estimates Iran to have some 11,000 operational centrifuges and a stockpile of more than two tons of low-enriched uranium—a sufficient quantity, nuclear scientists say, to build more than one nuclear weapon if it is refined further.
Other efforts have likewise had only limited impact. Even Stuxnet, the mysterious computer worm that ravaged Iran’s nuclear-control systems between mid-2009 and late 2010, is by now largely a spent force. The Institute for Science and International Security, a Washington-based nonproliferation think tank, estimates that at the height of its effectiveness, the malicious software destroyed just over 10% of the 9,000 uranium enrichment centrifuges at Iran’s Natanz facility, and that the virus “is unlikely to destroy more.”
Comparatively little attention, however, has been paid to the critical fuel necessary for Iran’s nuclear progress. Over the past three years, Western chancelleries have marshaled considerable diplomatic efforts to dissuade potential uranium suppliers such as Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Brazil from providing Tehran the raw material needed for its nuclear program. For all of their concern, however, Washington policy makers have not yet given serious thought to penalizing countries for their uranium sales to Iran, or crafted a legislative framework that makes it possible to do so.
They should. By identifying and then punishing Tehran’s current suppliers of uranium ore, the U.S. and its allies can slow its acquisition of the raw material necessary to realize its nuclear ambitions—and send a clear signal to potential future sources of uranium for Iran’s atomic effort, like Zimbabwe, that their involvement with the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program will come at a steep economic and political cost.
In its ongoing bid to derail Iran’s nuclear drive, Capitol Hill is now said to be contemplating new sanctions aimed at further tightening the international noose around Tehran. Iran’s flirtation with Zimbabwe strongly suggests that lawmakers would do well to focus less on trying to stop Iran’s centrifuges from spinning and more on making sure that Iran’s nuclear machinery is running on empty.
Rein in collective bargaining. Taxpayer forced to s pick up 100% of costs for 1,600 of 2,000 Santa Cruz County employees who are SEIU members and all SEIU members forced to pay $6 that went for polical agenda of SEIU. $40 million by SEIU to Obama. Califonia needs a Right to Work law to protect employees. Right to Work states allow union members to opt out of union dues.
What is known about the SEIU? In 2008 all members were forced to pay a fixed amount ($6) for political campaign purposes. Then the SEIU gave Obama $40 million towards his election.
It’s time that California enacts a Right to Work law to protect employees from coercive union practises. Let Califonia employees choose whether to join a union and whether to pay union dues.
Four out of five Santa Cruz County’s employees (1,600 out of roughly 2,000) are represented by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU).
Though they are designated to contribute 7 percent of their salary for pension costs in fact government SEIU members contribute zero. For about the last ten years taxpayers paid 100% of the cost of SEIU pensions (more than $5 million a year).
Exactly when did 1,600 Santa Cruz County employees stop paying towards pensions? From the Santa Cruz County article 5-22 all we know is that about ten years aglo lots of people showed up and the County CEO caved.
So what might be different if Califonia becomes a Right to Work state? California might attract businesses which have left due to the high costs of labor and heavy restrictions. More businesses means more private sector job growth for California not dependent upon government. California can well use more people with real life experience running business who can contribute their perspective to running local government.
The following is from the Right to Work website.
The following states have a Right to Work law:
Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Wyoming.
Under federal labor law and the state’s Right to Work law, you have the right to resign from membership in a union at any time. If you resign from membership, you may not be able to participate in union elections or meetings, vote in collective bargaining ratification elections, or participate in other “internal” union activities. If you resign, you cannot be disciplined by the union for any post-resignation conduct.
If you resign from union membership, you are still fully covered by the collective bargaining agreement that was negotiated between your employer and the union, and the union remains obligated to represent you. Any benefits that are provided to you by your employer pursuant to the collective bargaining agreement (e.g., wages, seniority, vacations, pension, health insurance) will not be affected by your resignation. (If the union offers some “members-only” benefits, you might be excluded from receiving those.)
The Foundation neither encourages nor discourages you from resigning. The decision is yours alone.
If you choose to resign and stop paying dues, and are on automatic “dues check off,” you should notify both the union and your employer in writing that you are resigning and revoking your authorization for automatic dues check off. While you may resign from union membership at anytime, you may be limited to a specific “window period” before you are able to end the automatic dues deductions. If that is what you are told, ask the union for a copy of the actual dues deduction card that you signed, and contact the Foundation for further information.
Your choice is protected by federal labor law and the state’s Right to Work law. If you have any questions, or feel that your legal rights need to be protected, please call the Foundation’s toll-free number, 1-800-336-3600.
—————————- What protections are there for California employees who are forced to join a union and don’t want to pay union dues or support SEIU’s political agenda?
road hog hybrids lose privlege of car pool lane soon.
hybrids lose special treatment
From 2005 through 2007, the state of California made a pretty tempting offer to get drivers behind the wheels of hybrid cars: Buy one and you’ll get a sticker that allows you to cruise in the carpool lane without having to have that annoying other passenger (or mannequin) next to you.
It was like a VIP pass on the highway. But those halcyon days are about to end.
On July 1, that yellow sticker adorning around 85,000 hybrid cars in California will only serve as a reminder to those drivers that they must now not act like snobs just because they drive overly expensive, underpowered,Tinker Toys.
So long as terrorists from the West Bank and Gaza attack Israel’s civilians, use a 2 for 1 rule — for every civilian injurred Israel will go after 2 terrorists of whatever organization plus territory. Stop terror and Israel’s political boundaries stay stable. Use terrorism and Israel’s boundareis increase as needed in self defence.
Israel's boundaries under King Herod, 40 BCE to 4 BCE
What are correct political boundaries for Israel? To the left is a picture of Israel during the reign of King Herod (40 BCE to 4 BCE) roughly at the time when Jesus of Nazareth was born.
One might argue, set Israel’s political boundaries no larger than they were defined roughly 2,000 years ago. However, a country such as Israel has the right of self defense to strike back and take territory from terrorists and aggressors.
I disagree with President Obama who wants Israel’s political boundaries set much more narrowly, i.e., as they were before the Six Day War. No American President has ever agreed to what Obama suggests.
As Israel was not the aggressor in the Six Day War, there is no reason to concede Gaza or the West Bank which they took as a result of that war.
From 2000 to July 2006, terrorists organizations such as Hamas based in Gaza have terrorized, killed and wounded hundreds of civilians in 90+ attacks.
How does Israel today reasonably define its political boundaries when attacked by terrorists from the disputed territories — by Hamas in Gaza — and various other terrorists organizations in the West Bank?
In 5 1/2 years (2000 to 2006) more than 90 separate deadly attacks on Israel occurred. From 2006 to July 2006 Hamas, the Popular Front for Liberation of Palestine, Islamic Jihad and Fatah al-Agsa Martyrs Brigade launched 92+ separate deadly attacks against Israeli civilians. Some by rockets, most attacks have been by suicide bombers.
The various terrorists organizations are quick to say that they committed the attacks.
What about a 2 for 1 rule, for every civilian wounded or killed the Israeli government will go after 2 terrorists plus land from all or any of the known terrorists organizations?
So when Hamas located in Gaza lobes rockets then Israel goes after both physical territory and Hamas members or other known terrorists in a two for one basis. That kind of policy means that when terrorists from Jordan, Syria or Iran attempt attack then Israel will retaliate going after both territory and the lives of terrorists.
Radical Islam which includes Hamas has as its goal the destruction of Israel as a nation. All Islamic radicals need to know that Israel and those who support Israel’s existence will not tolerate terrorist acts.
From this perspective, Israel’s boundaries may continue to expand in response to terrorist aggression. Stop the aggression and the expansion of political boundaries stops. Peace brings stable political boundaries. Jehad by terrorist organizations or any country may, if deemed necessary, result in the expansion of Israel.
Obama’s lawful ability to wage a war in Lybia without the consent of Congress ends shortly. (Obama must get the consent of Congress after 60 days.)
It’s time that the United States stood behind and with democratic Israel against all terrorist organizations operating in or near Israel. As the middle east seeks change and freedom it’s wise for the United States that we stand strong in defense of existing democracies.
Put our missiles and rockets and drone planes at the disposal of Israel. Let Israel decide what it’s political boundaries need to be to remain a viable, strong democracy.
Carrots (rewards) work better than punishment (fines) for encouraging positive behavior changes (loss of weight).
Carrots (rewards) work better than sticks (a $50 fine) when encouraging people to change behavior (lose weight).
Imagine bringing joy to others by losing weight. What if losing X pounds means the person earns two free passes (one adult, one student) to a sports event or an amusement park? Publicize the program through the schools and local TV.
Let the kids cajole an overweight grandmother, aunt or father to please lose weight so that the two of them can go on a mini vacation.
Adults like to do nice things for their children. They know in their heart that losing weight means they will be healthier and more able to be there and enjoy their children and grandchildren.
Make it work two ways. Adults can cajole overweight Johnny and when Johnny loses the two go to an event. And the other way around, with children encouraging parents.
And in the spirit of the Tea Parties and keep government costs down, get business service organizations (Rotary, Lions, Moose) and philanthropists to organize and pay for the cost of the tickets. That’s a better way to go than policemen handing out $50 obesity tickets as proposed in Arizona.
DrCameronJackson@gmail.com
——————————————————— Obesity could become a fineable offense, at least in Arizona.
The state’s Republican governor, Jan Brewer, wants to institute a $50 annual fine for overweight Medicaid recipients who don’t follow a physician-supervised health regime.
“Do you think a fine would motivate people to lose weight?†That’s what Boston’s Public Health Commission asked its followers via Twitter this morning.
People responded, calling the proposal “terrible†and “unfair.â€
