The Gleaners

Jean-Francois Millet painted The Gleaners in 1857 and the above print hangs in our kitchen. It's a fairly old print, you can see the wear at the top of the print, but it's one of my favorites. Three peasant women are gleaning a field of wheat after the harvest and it reminds me of the story of Ruth in the Old Testament.

I've been gleaning information regarding the proposed health care reform and I still have more questions than answers. Perhaps you can help me...?

Peter Fleckenstein has been blogging about his findings on the 1018 PDF pages of "A BILL to provide affordable, quality health care for all Americans and reduce the growth in health care spending, and for other purposes."

Before getting into the above, Medical News Today reported in May '09 that Medicare and Medicaid loses $60 BILLION dollars in fraud Every Year! That's absolutely obscene, imo. My gray cells are having a bit of a tussel wooling over that fact. So the same government that is losing $60 BILLION dollars in fraud every year in Medicare and Medicaid is now proposing to 'revamp' health care...? I'd rather they fix the Medicare and Medicaid fraud problem before going on to yet another problem they can't solve. Prove to me you're capable and then we'll discuss more responsibility. That's the way it happened with me and my parents when I was a teenager and I turned out fairly well. No substance abuse or alcohol problems, never been arrested so, needless to say, never been in jail, am an honest, law abiding, tax paying citizen. My parents started out giving me small amounts of responsibility and then, when I proved myself, they increased the responsibility.

Why can't the government do the same? Why can't our legislators and representatives do likewise? Are they better than me and don't have to abide by the same laws, rules and regulations?

Oh. Nevermind. For a moment, I forgot that President Obama, every Senator, Congressman and Congresswoman has EXEMPTED THEMSELVES from this fabulous health care plan they are trying to ram down my throat. Well Sirs and Ladies: if it's that dang great, why aren't you including yourselves? What do you know that you're not telling me and the rest of the US public?

Please don't think I'm against change IF it's positive change. However, I am totally against change that threatens my very existence as well as the life of everyone who is in poor health, elderly or quite young. Here's where I refer back to Mr. Fleckenstein. He's a former Marine...thank you, Sir, for serving our country..., a husband and a father and has been updating information regarding this health care plan on both his blog and on Twitter. As stated, the document is 1,018 pages long and I am indebted to him for doing an excellent job...but then, I wouldn't expect anything else from a Marine!

He begins his blog entry by stating, "the President & Congress are YOUR servants, not the other way around." Amen and Amen! Except I don't think the President and Congress agree with this sentiment.

Please go to his links and read...READ! I'm going to point out only a few bullet points, enough to entice you to do your own research and then, tell your friends, write your own blog entry, and CALL AND WRITE your Senators and Congress Representatives! They are out of session for the entire month of August but when they return to Washington, they will VOTE on Obamacare. Let them know your opinion. If you're done your research and you have no problem giving up your rights as a US Citizen, by all means let your representatives know you approve.

If, however, you do NOT want to give up your rights...as an individual, as a married person, as a employee, as an employer, as a doctor, as a vet, as a small business owner, as an entrepreneur, as a ____ fill in the blank YES it is THAT encompassing! By all means, contact your legislators and tell them Vote NO! We only have the month of August, a few measly days and then the vote happens and then, dear ones, it's all over but the tears.

Now for some bullet points:

Page 829-833 "Government will impose a fee on ALL private health insurance plans including self insured to pay for Trust Fund."

Hello?! I'm paying now without all the additional grief tacked onto this plan! Tax, TAX!

Page 769 3-5 Nurse Home Visit Services - "increasing birth intervals between pregnancies."

Doesn't China do this now? Limit the number of children a couple may have? What tha...???

Page 765 Sec 1711 - "government will require Preventative Services including vaccines."

You don't believe in intrusive vaccinations; tough! Your child gets them anyway! I suppose no one read the report that suggest early vaccinations are a probable cause for autism.

Oh, wait! The President, Senators and Congress representatives have OPTED OUT of this "health care plan!" So, I suppose it's only YOUR child that's at risk.

Page 624 - "Quality" measures shall be designed to profile you including race, age, gender, place of residents, etc.

Wait a minute...I thought profiling was wrong...airlines can't profile those of Middle Eastern descent when loading airplanes. Why is it okay now?

"Page 524 18-22 Comparative Effectiveness Research Trust Fund set up."

Uh...besides taxes and more taxes, what the hedoublehockeysticks does this MEAN???

The next few lines refer to "collection of data on citizens; data collection from any department or agency of the USA and would allow for public access of data. Registries and data networks would be built from YOUR electronic medical records and a Comparative Effectiveness Research Established."

Uh Oh. Uncle Sam just morphed into Big Brother.

Page 432 Lines 18-21 - the government will publish "quality measures" for an individual's end of life!

and

Page 430 Lines 11-15 - "the government will decide what level of treatment you will have at end of life."

and

Page 429 Lines 13-25 - "the government will specify which doctors can write an End of Life Order."

and

Page 429 Lines 10-12 - "advance care consultation" may include an ORDER for "end of life plans".

and

Page 429 Lines 1-9 - "advance care planning consultant" will be used frequently as patient's health deteriorates.

and

Page 427 Lines 15-24 government mandates program for orders for end of life. IOW, the government employee has a say in how/when your life ends.

and

Page 429 Lines 22-25, 426 Lines 1-3 - government provides approved list of end of life resources, "guiding" you in death.

Well, at the end of MY life I want it to be family, loved ones and GOD; NOT a government employee! Dear Lord, it sounds like we're all going to be dieing in the motor vehicles building!

I'm tired and will draw to an end by saying, no matter how I feel about the individual bullet points, above and on Mr. Fleckenstein's blog, I Absolutely Am Against this plan due to its Extreme Intrusiveness into my life, your life and the life of every one in this country. Oh, almost forgot to say...this plan covers Everyone in this country...legal, illegal, tax paying, tax dodging...doesn't matter; it covers Everyone. Well, everyone Except the President, Senators and Congress Representatives. They have opted out.

Ahem. Do you think $60 BILLION will even begin to cover this plan? I think not. It's already been estimated it will cost trillions and, knowing the government, that's probably a low ball figure.

Please, don't listen to the thirty second soundbites. Arm yourself with some facts and knowledge and then CALL AND WRITE your legislators! Remember, there's only thirty days to contact them.

Time is of the essence!

Blessings ~ Mr. Fleckenstein ~ people who arm themselves with facts, not emotions ~ fine art ~

May the Good Lord take a liking to you and the government leave you alone!