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Obama's War on Seniors

I blogged before about the Obama administration's blood lust for older Americans to, well, meet their maker in a more timely fashion. Behind every sweet-sounding platitute about policy created for "the good of society" are individuals that must be sacrificed for the ruling class to impose their will.

Dr. Betsy McCaughey, former Lt. Governor of New York and founder of the Committee to Reduce Infection Deaths, has created a website called Defend Your Healthcare.

Dr. McCaughey is exposing some more of the Obama healthcare reform's dark side that they don't want you to know about. One such aspect is their desire to turn the lives of human beings into mere statistical inputs in an algebriac equation:

The assault against seniors began with the stimulus package in February. Slipped into the bill was substantial funding for comparative effectiveness research, which is generally code for limiting care based on the patient's age. Economists are familiar with the formula, where the cost of a treatment is divided by the number of years (called QALYs, or quality-adjusted life years) that the patient is likely to benefit. In

Britain, the formula leads to denying treatments for older patients who have fewer years to benefit from care than younger patients.

When comparative effectiveness research appeared in the stimulus bill, Rep. Charles Boustany Jr., (R., La.) a heart surgeon, warned that it would lead to "denying seniors and the disabled lifesaving care."  

 

Couple that with the provision in the current house bill that would require "Advance Care Planning Consultation" (pg. 425-430)

One troubling provision of the House bill compels seniors to submit to a counseling session every five years (and more often if they become sick or go into a nursing home) about alternatives for end-of-life care (House bill, p. 425-430). The sessions cover highly sensitive matters such as whether to receive antibiotics and "the use of artificially administered nutrition and hydration."

.......... 

In Oregon, the state is denying some cancer patients care that could extend their lives and is offering them physician-assisted suicide instead.

 

So to recap, the government will devise mathematical equations to justify denial of treatment to older patients. Then the government will force seniors into a "consultation" in which end-of-life care decisions will be discussed. What will that "consultation" consist of when the doctor consulting the patient is fully aware that any treatment will not be state-approved because the patient is too old?

 

In related news, Dr. Jack Kevorkian is being considered for Surgeon General.

 

Now Hiring: Part-Time Pier Construction Observer

Duties to include calling stakeholders if a crane falls down as well as guided tours for elected officials. Prior experience with N. C. Aquarium projects preferred.

No, this is not a hoax.

With construction underway at the N.C. Aquariums – Jennette’s Pier, the Aquarium Division is hiring a part-time “on-site manager” to serve as the eyes and ears of the various stakeholders in addition to the current full-time site manager employed by contractor Clancy + Theys.

In justifying this hire to the Jennette’s Pier Advisory Board, Division Director David Griffin cited concerns regarding timely communication if a crisis arises as well as “if a Senator walks up on site and needs to be showed around”. Any guesses as to whom Griffin could be referring?

I wonder if an umbrella, lawn chair and cold beverage are included as benefits...

Just tally one more job created by this state-funded project.

Civitas Poll: Buyer's Remorse? McCrory 46 - Perdue 32

Are NC voters suffering from a bit of buyer's remorse on Governor Bev Perdue?

It appears so according to our latest poll results where Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory leads Gov. Bev Perdue 46% to 32% in a hypothetical matchup.

McCrory leads among Republicans (80-7) and Unaffiliateds (45-28), while Perdue is only garnering a bare majority of her own party’s support (52-21).

On a generic re-elect test, only 26 percent of voters say they would vote to re-elect Perdue.  55 percent said no.

Full text of questions:

If the election for Governor were held today, would you vote to re-elect Bev Perdue?

Yes – 26%
No – 55%
Not Sure – 19%

If the election for Governor were held today and the candidates were Republican Pat McCrory and Democrat Bev Perdue, for whom would you be voting?

McCrory – 46%
Perdue – 32%
Not Sure – 22%

Click here for full results and crosstabs.

Censoring Congressional Communications

Last week Robert Bowtwell posted the Obamacare organization chart .  The story has taken a curious turn.  When GOP members of Congress began to send the chart to their constituents, the Franking Commission ordered them to stop. In a memo sent Monday to Republicans on the House franking commission, Democrats argue that sending the chart to constituents as official mail would violate House rules because the information is misleading.

While I'm sure that the debate over the future of private healthcare in this country is certainly important, is it neccessary to keep duly elected rpresentatives of the people from communicating with the people? This is the first time I can recall that communications between a member of Congress and a constituent back home have been prevented because the majority didn't like what was said.

If this is the standard then I have a stack of mailings from David Price the Franking Commission may want to look at.

Broken Promises and Double Standards

I know that pointing out the broken promises and double standards of our rulers in Raleigh is like shooting fish in a barrel, but there are a couple of examples from today's news that need pointing out.

First off, kudos to Under the Dome for digging up the comments from then-candidate Bev Perdue and Senate President Pro Temp Marc Basnight (D-Dare).

..in October of last year, then-candidate Perdue said: "I don't believe you can raise taxes in an economy with folks struggling the way they are."

Basnight leads the Senate Democratic caucus, which agreed to the new tax package. But in January, he was asked about the prospect of broad tax increases this year.

"Is it likely? No, not at all," Basnight said, as quoted by The Insider, a daily newsletter on state government.

When regular citizens engage in such deceptive promises, it's called fraud.

Second, the "tax surcharge" that has been added (and apparently will be approved) as part of the $1 billion tax hike soon to be approved by the General Assembly provides another example of double standards that the political class imposes upon its subjects.

But when tax time rolls around next year, North Carolina residents would be forced to calculate the taxes they owe the state and then add 2 percent.

So when I file my taxes in April and it shows that I owe the state, they will basically levy a 2% fine against me - payable immediately. But what if it turns out I overpaid during the year, and I am owed a refund from the state? Do I then get a 2% bonus on my refund - just to make it fair? Of course not.

And while we're on this subject, have you noticed that if taxpayers submit their taxes owed to the state late, we are fined. But when the state owes us money, they can take their sweet time sending us the refund.

Such double standards further exemplify that anyone still believing that our elected politicians are "pubic servants" rather than a ruling class is completely delusional.

Tax Plan Negotiation Update

According to The Insider (a state government news service), budget negotiators are getting closer to a tax plan deal.

Budget negotiators continued pushing ahead with a $990 million tax plan that would rely heavily on a sales tax increase. Senate Democrats met this morning, emerging from the meeting still backing the plan. They released additional details: Negotiators are now in agreement on a 1-cent sales tax hike, a 10-cent per pack increase on cigarettes, a 2- percent surcharge on income tax liability, and a beer tax hike of about 5 cents per six pack. House Democrats had gone into a closed-door caucus after recessing the floor session to determine whether they have the votes to pass the plan. At least a few rural Democrats want cigarette tax hikes dropped. (THE INSIDER, 7/22/09).

So much for all that talk about "reforming the state's tax structure" or "expanding the tax base to lower rates." Looks like budget makers are looking to finance their refusal to reform state expenditures on the backs of the poor and working class.

One prediction: if the sales tax hike ends up getting approved, look for the state to increase its Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) to help "offset" the burden of the sale tax increase on the poor. Nevermind where the money for the expanded EITC will come from. 

Budget Scare Tactics

The Daily Tar Heel (UNC-Chapel Hill’s paper) ran this article recently about budget cuts. The article focuses on cuts to building projects and possible cuts to academic programs.

 

Cutting bureaucracy wasn't mentioned as an option. I sent the DTH a letter pointing out this omission, but they didn't think it was worth printing.

It looks like UNC learned a thing or two from Bev Purdue. They seem to be taking the “pretend to cut something people like, so they will agree to pay more” approach to budgeting.

 

Unfortunately for UNC bureaucrats, the secret is out. The Bain report on University efficiency officially tells us what we already knew:  UNC is spending far too much money sustaining bureaucracy when it should be focusing on educating citizens.

 

I doubt UNC fundraisers will change their strategy, but the Bain report certainly makes things more difficult.  If officials sacrifice bureaucrats, they should have no problem funding academic programs.

 

Donors don’t be fooled. You will get phone calls begging for money to save academic programs. Before you send that check off to UNC make sure it is going to go to something you believe in rather than some bureaucrat’s salary.

"Hands off my Health Care!"

“Hands off my Health Care” was the motto at yesterday’s Patients First Tour, a two day event visiting Raleigh, hosted by Americans for Prosperity. Several speakers, including Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory, were present to share their perspectives on the current government health care plan.<

The night kicked off with several personal accounts, one shocking story was that of Barbara Wagner a resident of Oregon, whose health care system functions on a state run plan. A plan which denied chemotherapy treatment for her cancer even after several appeals, but was willing to fund a cheaper option - physician assisted suicide.

Stories such as these reiterate concerns about a government run system – long wait times, limited treatment alternatives, and government calling all the shots, including whether you are worth the cost of treatment.

Furthermore, how can a system that will force an estimated 120 million people out of their private health insurance plans, raise taxes for nearly every income bracket, and drastically lower the quality of health care in America possibly be a good option for our country?

It is not for a lack of options that we are faced with this government subversion of health care. Mayor Pat McCrory voiced several alternatives to the proposed government health care reform. Such as, providing incentives to individuals to take ownership of their health insurance, creating a system allowing people to transfer insurance from job to job, giving people more choice in building a health insurance policy that suits their needs, and removing excess government mandates that serve only to make private health insurance more expensive. The federal government is unwilling to consider or acknowledge these alternative options, even given the evidence to suggest that consumer driven health plans consistently result in lower costs.

Experience and history suggest that doctors work to serve their patients or to serve the state – and never can the two be reconciled.  Health care is just another industry in the United States that the government is hoping to control – unless we let government know:

 “Hands off my Health Care!”

* AFP Patients First Tour is taking place July 21 and 22 in Raleigh.    

Obama Weakening 287g Program?

Well, it has been seven months since the inauguration of BHO and he has finally gotten around to gutting the 287g program.  As used by seven North Carolina counties (Alamance, Cabarrus, Cumberland, Gaston, Henderson, Mecklenburg and Wake) the program authorizes sheriff's staff to interview any person booked into their jails to determine if they are lawfully present.

If they are found to be illegal aliens, they serve their local time and are them turned over to the feds for deportation.

The Obama administration has rewritten the agreements with the counties and now turns more illegals loose back into North Carolina.  The Charlotte Observer ran the story but left out some of the more damning details (naturally).  But not to worry. Representative Sue Myrick's Chief of Staff, Hal Weatherman calls the unObserver on the carpet at his blog.

Here's the quick and dirty:

"This past week, the Mecklenburg 287g program and all other similar programs nationwide were presented with a revised Memorandum of Agreement by the Obama Administration.

The MOA says that local 287g programs like Mecklenburg and Gaston are no longer to turn over to ICE "minor offenders" who happen to be illegal. Specifically, the MOA says that no illegal alien without a prior criminal conviction will be deported. The key words here are "prior criminal conviction."

Why would BHO turn illegals loose?  Maybe he needs more of them here so they can be counted in the "uninsured" catagory.  Good catch Hal.  I'm glad somebody is watching.

Spell Waste: U-N-C

Did anyone else notice the beautiful juxtaposition on the News and Observer's website this morning?
If not, check it out here.

It almost seems that the News and Observer is trying to tell us something. Maybe, just maybe, the government is very good at wasting money and very poor at allocating resources. It's a stretch, I know. The main headline is "The new plan: more taxes for all." and shows a picture of an elderly couple in a Target department store. Scroll down a little to the third story and you'll see this: "Report finds bloat at UNC". Wait wait wait... More taxes for all... UNC-CH is wasting money... how odd...

The report in the N&O states that upwards of $18 million could be saved at UNC Chapel Hill alone. Imagine how much could be saved statewide at all of the public universities. I urge you to read this article and decide for yourself if raising taxes is the best way to fix the budget.

Waste at UNC-CH? Tell me something we don't know

So you think there is too much bureacracy in the UNC System? You're not alone. Yesterday Bain and Company, a management consulting group, released a report that said administrative layers at UNC-Chapel Hill are ten layers deep in some places.  Is this news? Minus significant incentives to do otherwise, bureacracies grow.  Reward departments for efficiency and for keeping costs low -- that would produce cost savings  -- and be newsworthy.

Polling Coming this Week

We released Gov. Perdue's favorability rating today (30%) and we'll have much more on her unpopularity this entire week. 

Tomorrow, we'll have a look at voters' opinion of her tax package.

Thursday, we'll look at whether voters are having "buyers remorse" and how she'd fare if the election were held today.

And maybe this week a little something on bringing California and Gray Davis to North Carolina.

Stay tuned.

Attack of the Plastic Bags

You might remember this parody that the Civitas interns made about the General Assembly’s recent ban on plastic bags in selected counties.

It turns out that the legislators aren’t quite sure how they feel about plastic bags. Plastic bags are now available at the front door for people who want to store their wet umbrellas.

No word from Sen. Apodaca yet on whether or not the bags are multiplying within the walls of the General Assembly.

Remember - the cure can kill you

Blame the law when you break the law; that is what Scott Mooneyham does on behalf of Mike Easley and Jim Black in his article “A Root of Corruption” in the Capitol View, INSIDER AFTERNOON UPDATE, July 20, 2009.  It is Mooneyham’s contention that there is a loophole in a campaign finance law and he thinks it should be closed. He joins Democracy North Carolina in their call for the Board of Elections to hold hearings due to “troubling patterns” of party contributions to Easley’s Campaign Committee.

In his article Mooneyham makes it clear that he does not want to blame the transgressor.  He rests the blame squarely on the law.  He writes “It's the law that spawns much of the political corruption in North Carolina. It's a campaign finance law that, weak as it is, foments abuse of power.  The law in question allows the state's political parties to make unlimited contributions to candidates. ”   He even goes on to say “Human nature is human nature, and politicians have always been and will always be susceptible to temptation.”

Wow – let’s all take a minute to “soak” up this point of view.  I guess Mooneyham thinks we are wrong to expect anything resembling honesty and integrity from our elected leaders.  I can’t help it, I expect so much more from someone who makes me promises and begs me for my support.

Mike Easley didn’t come straight from the backwoods to the big city to lead our State.  He was a District Attorney for ten years (according to his biography, “a top drug buster”), North Carolina’s Attorney General for eight years and elected Governor twice.  He knows North Carolina’s laws, he knows right from wrong; I will hold him entirely accountable, if he is found guilty.

For some reason Jim Black gets slipped into this argument for changing the state's political party’s ability to make unlimited contributions to candidates.  We would have to throw away all of North Carolina's laws to cover all of Black’s transgressions; public corruption, bribery, obstructing justice, accepting kickbacks in public restrooms...

Before we ask our elected representatives to rewrite campaign finance laws, we should remember John McCain blamed the law after he was investigated in a political influence scandal in the 1980’s – does anyone remember the Keating 5?  McCain then made campaign finance reform a priority and we got McCain-Feingold.  Remember - the cure can kill you.