The right direction
In response to the July 14 letter "No sustainable program," the Affordable Health Care Act is not a single-payer health care system like the U.K.'s National Health Service. The ACA seeks to regulate the practice of insurance companies so that they may not run amok with inflated costs or arbitrary rations of care. The ACA exists within the existing infrastructure of for-profit insurance companies providing health care to citizens.
I think this is a step in the right direction, though health care is not an ordinary "commodity," and therefore cannot be adequately distributed through a for-profit entity.
I lived in the U.K. for several years and, in my experience, found the quality of health care to be superior to what we experience here in the U.S. It is not a perfect system, though it is able to provide adequate care for all of its citizens at a fraction of the cost. Yes, there has to be discernment about what procedures are necessary, but this does not mean that people were denied the care they needed for life-threatening situations.
The World Health Organization states that for 2009, the adult mortality rates of the U.K. and the U.S. were 77 and 106 out of 1,000, respectively. The life expectancy in the U.K. is only slightly higher, however, and the U.K. spends 9.6 percent of its GDP on health costs, as compared to our 17.9 percent. Clearly, they are "getting their money's worth," and with even better results.
CATHERINE KNOTT
Clemmons
The greater tragedy
The July 19 Journal told the tragedy of a kitten who had to be euthanized after being stoned and held under water by a group of children ("Kitten attacked by children euthanized"). The greater tragedy is the adults those children will become.
Thomasville social services said that there wasn't evidence to support a case of child neglect, but obviously the children's parents were negligent. Compassion has to be taught, and the parents failed in this duty.
With hope, the judge who hears the case will require parenting classes for the parents as well as appropriate punishment for the children. Otherwise, in 10 or 20 years we will have a group of adults who see nothing wrong with torture and who will be able to amuse themselves with animals larger than kittens — maybe animals as large as humans.
DOROTHY MATHEWS
Rural Hall
Planning board strikes again
It was disheartening to read in the July 13 Journal that the City-County Planning Board had approved rezoning for more construction on Hanes Mall Boulevard ("Board OKs rezoning proposal").
Yes, certainly that is what we need; make it so congested that more people will want to go there. And to put it on the Lowe's corner is plain stupidity. Obviously, none of the board members ever drive or try to drive down that stretch of road. I do everything I can, and I doubt that I am the only one, to stay away from that area, especially on weekends and holidays.
I guess I will begin going to the readily available Lowe's in Mocksville.
Don't they or anybody else care about quality of life anymore? Those two big buildings on the corner across from Lowe's are ridiculous. I won't shop there or come anywhere close to them, either.
It really is good that they are going to add a connector to the Babies R Us area. Now they screw up two areas.
All they want to do is build in the name of money. Good luck with getting people there.
DON WITTE
Advance
Private enterprise
This spoiled child "occupying" the White House has really stepped in it this time. To say our entrepreneurs (job creators) owe their success to government is insane. President Obama totally fails to understand that government could not provide one single road, bridge or service without the taxes levied on private enterprise.
Why can't we see that government is the problem — not the answer? Just ask any small-business person. Ever-increasing federal rules, regulations and taxes are killing their ability to succeed and create jobs.
Look at Europe. High taxes and correspondingly low corporate output have effectively destroyed job opportunities. The "social welfare" countries of the EU are now drowning in unsustainable debt with little prospect of avoiding drastically lower standards of living in the future. We are next.
PETER T. WILSON
Winston-Salem
LTE #4...Private Enterprise
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of insane, President Obama never said that entrepreneurs owed their success to the government. Actually you just added proof to what the president was saying. If you build a successful business, you didn't do it alone. The infrastructure in place which made it possible for you to build a successful business was built by others, the taxes from other private enterprises and the citizens. If the individual entrepreneur is responsible for her/his success, then presumably they could have done the same thing in any country in the world and I know of no one who believes that.
Mitt: "You guys pushed yourselves, drove yourself, sacrificed, trained, and competed time and again, winning and losing. You Olympians however, know you didn't get here on your own power....."
DeleteMitt Romney's 2002 Olympic Opening Ceremony Speech.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8Yp9SVSWJU
Same holds true for our gold medal entrepreneurs.
Instead of enacting more gun laws, why don't we make a law against being 'nuts'. Oh! We can't do that, because we'd have to round up too many liberals.
ReplyDeleteHere's some more 'Batman' nuts.
http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory/arrested-separate-dark-knight-incidents-16842256
"I still believe that the Second Amendment is the right course to preserve and defend and don't believe that new laws are going to make a difference in this type of tragedy," Romney said on CNBC.
DeleteColorado gun stores are seeing a big jump in demand for firearms since last Friday's massacre at a midnight movie showing in Aurora.
DeleteBackground checks for people wanting to buy guns in Colorado reportedly increased more than 41 percent after last week’s Aurora movie massacre. The Denver Post reports that firearm instructors have also seen increased interest in training needed for a concealed-carry permit.
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Boy, I'll bet this gives liberals indigestion.
Forty-five percent of Americans have a gun in their homes, according to a 2011 Gallup poll. And more than half of the 50 U.S. states have laws that allow people to carry guns in many public places.
Delete_______
More indigestion for liberals.
Obama wants to extend the Bush tax cuts for middle class Americans, but end them for Americans making more than $250,000.
ReplyDelete"So far, the only reason the middle-class tax cuts have not been extended is that Republicans in Congress continue to insist on cutting taxes once again for the wealthiest few," says the White House report.
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Here's some more goofy logic and deception by liberals. The Bush Tax cuts affect both the middle class and the wealthy. The Republicans want to extent the cuts for all, but that's not how the liberal Democrats describe them. They describe them as only for the rich when talking about the Republican tax cut plan.
Democrats are just devious people.
Actually, the truth is President Obama wants to continue the tax cuts for everyone on their first $250,000, everyone. It's the income over $250,000 not the people making over $250,000.
ReplyDeletePhargo, how in the world would you expect Dunce to know that.
DeleteThat would require him to find a reliable source, then read and actually understand what the source said, then copy and paste it all here.
Way, way over his head.
A bit of compromise would seem to be in order, with incremental increases after 250K, topping out at 1MM.
DeleteYes, I think 250k is the bargaining chip. When I was president of the student body at Southwest Jr High and we needed money for a dance, I would always ask for 500, knowing Mr Bridges, the principal, would bargain down to 250 which is all we really wanted or needed.
DeleteObama is going to crash the economy. I don't know why we should even think of putting it off at this point.
DeleteI'm glad we've got Rush in here. It sure makes my job easier explaining how 'nutty' liberals are.
DeleteThe Bachmann debacle has been illuminating. Now that Sensenbrenner and Norquist have made statements against her, she's toast. I did however learn something new. I did not realize that Grover was married to a Palestinian Muslim who worked for USAID. I wonder if that makes the Norquist Tax pledge terroristic?
ReplyDeleteThe Senate last week took up legislation that would require greater disclosure of donations. The measure would require groups to disclose all expenditures of $10,000 or more on election-related communications, as well as the names of contributors that give $10,000 or more to fund such efforts. Burr: NO Hagan: YES
ReplyDeleteShow us your ID to vote, but influence elections anonymously.
If that's the same weaselly bill that was introduced right after the CU decision, it should not be passed. That bill was deviously constructed to enable unions to fall outside its requirements.
DeleteHagan is a dope. She's in the same class as Perdue.
DeleteLet's find the dumbest women in N.C., and put them in positions of power. That had to be the thinking of the N.C. Democratic Party.
Sadly, the voters of N.C. went along with it.
Ad hominem.
DeleteCurrent tax law allows for the cost of moving jobs overseas to be deducted as a business expense. S. 3664, sponsored by Senator Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., would end that tax break while continuing to allow a deduction for jobs returned to this country or moved within the United States. Burr: NOT Hagan: YES
ReplyDelete“I hope it makes it easier for kids growing up gay that they know that another one of their heroes was like them.”
ReplyDelete- Sally Ride's sister, Bear Ride
RIP, Sally, and many thanks for your pioneering spirit.
Gay and lesbian consumers make 10% more than their counterparts.
DeleteDALLAS (AP) — Investigators say a man and two bystanders have been slightly hurt in the discharge of his gun at a Walmart store in Dallas.
ReplyDeletePolice on Tuesday did not immediately respond to a message about whether charges have been filed.
Police say the man was waiting in line to check out Monday night when he reached for his wallet and the gun fell and went off. Authorities say the man suffered a minor leg wound, while a woman and at least one child were struck by debris from the ricocheting bullet.
Police chased and caught the fleeing man. Authorities say he has a concealed handgun permit.
Why was he fleeing if he is a law abiding citizen?
He was fleeing for the same reason that he was carrying a gun...he's a sissy boy dunce.
DeleteThat sounds awfully sexist Rush, and a little bit bigoted.
DeleteYou gotta love liberals, they're always putting their feet in their mouths.
Lines are being reported outside gun stores.
DeleteI guess you can choose to be victim, like Rush advocates. Or you can do something to protect yourself from the 'nut' cases.
It's your choice.
Good afternoon folks!
ReplyDeleteLTE 1: If a person opposes ACA, the person could at least oppose it for a legitimate reason instead of one that doesn't exist. As Ms. Knott correctly points out, ACA is not a single payer system like the health care system in the UK. It's also interesting to hear the perspective from someone who actually lived in the UK as opposed to those who just repeat the horror stories. I wish GG (anyone heard from her lately?) had time to post to get her experiences with the health care systems in Europe.
LTE 2: I didn't even want to read that story. Too awful. The kids involved need some serious psychiatric help. Children who show no regard for the life of an animal tend to show no regard for the life of a human as an adult (Jim Jones, Jeffrey Dahmer among others).
LTE 3: I ventured out to that Babies R Us one time to get a gift for a colleague whose wife had just given birth. OMG - that traffic was horrible. Next time, I think I'll see if the registrys are on-line and just order over the internet.
LTE 4: Can't the one letter per person per month be extended to one letter per household per month? Another Wilson tirade (heavy sigh). If the entire speech is read, it is clear Obama is saying the entrepreneurs did not build the infrastructure that enabled their businesses to operate. Roads, bridges, even the internet all originate from the govt. If you want capitalism at its purest, then get involved in a black market such as drugs. No rules on what's in the product; prices set strictly by supply/demand; no rules governing how you pay or treat employees; no rules on how you deal with competitors...Btw, can you criticize Obama without the immature name calling? "Spoiled child" - is that really necessary? Also, Europe's woes have much to do with demographics (lot of old people, few young).
dotnet,
DeleteThanks for putting those spaces between your paragraphs. Who says liberals don't listen?
Regarding LTE1: Liberals say and write all kinds of things that are irrelevant to the discussion at hand. Have you ever read one of Rush's posts? If you have, you know what I mean.
That's right, we do listen, now if only conservatives would learn to follow suit. I won't hold my breath.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteWhen I speak, I am relating my own knowledge and experiences; when I listen, I have the opportunity to learn.
DeleteThe sickening torture of the kitten and the atrocity in Aurora are two sides of the same coin, the deteriorization of decency and values. Far too many of this country's parents are doing a p-poor job of rearing their children, starting with failure to use the off switch on TV remotes, computers, and other electronic entertainment. And it's always someone else's fault, and the wrongdoer is really a victim. It's about to the point where the feline abuse was the poor kitten's fault, not the sadistic little bastards who brutalized it. Fault replaced with victim hood; justice replaced with excuses and handwringing. Disgusting.
DeletePeter Wilson may be Dunce…they seem to share all the same areas of ignorance.
ReplyDelete"…government could not provide one single road, bridge or service without the taxes levied on private enterprise."
Really? Corporate taxes account for less than 10% of all Federal tax revenue. Individual taxes account for 82%. At the state level, in NC, corporate taxes account for only 5% of revenue. Personal income tax accounts for 56%, and sales taxes account for 28%.
Dumb and dumber…
'The "social welfare" countries of the EU are now drowning in unsustainable debt…'
Actually, a few of the weakest are…most are not. The countries best known as "social welfare" states, all of Scandinavia and Germany, are outperforming the US economywise.
Dumbest...
If Limbaugh ever goes off the air, where will these dunces get their parrot food?
Obama is the process of developing a whole group of underclass, losers. Why? That way, they will have to vote for Democrats, or starve.
DeleteWe're up to some 35% of Americans, or some 100,000 million people, that receive some type of federal assistance from the government.
Let's don't be a fools like Rush and his cohorts A/K/A the 'Nut Brigade'. Let's get the country back on track and vote Obama out of office, along with his Losercrat cronies too.
a class of underclass losers? Read my lips, NO more buckys.
DeleteAs always, Dunce has no idea of what is really going on.
ReplyDeleteAlmost half of American households receive some type of federal benefits, not counting such indirect ones as driving on public highways while sponging off others for half the cost, or attending public schools, community colleges and universities and many other sponge bob type activities.
That number was at 28% when the Great Reagan took office in 1981, whereupon a steady rise began. By the time Bush I left office in 1993, the number had risen to 37%, a nearly 1/3 increase during the Reagan/Bush I years.
The number continued to climb during the first Clinton administration, reaching a peak of 39% in 1997, then declined to 37%, the only decline in the last 30+ years, before rising back to 39% in the final Clinton years. The total increase for the Clinton years was 2%.
With the advent of Bush II, another steep rise began, going from 39% in 2001 to 45% in 2006 where it remained until the Bush II economy crash began. That precipitated another sharp rise which has continued until a couple of months ago when it again leveled off at around 49%.
The total rise during the Bush II years was 7%, during the current administration, 3%.
So who has been putting the most people on the dole? Reagan/Bush/Bush added 16%, Clinton/Obama just 5%.
I realize that facts mean nothing to dunces, so you might say I'm just wasting my time here, but sometimes I like wasting my time just to see what kind of stupid response, if any, will be forthcoming. Call it another little psychological test of the subject in hand.
There you go again, OT.
DeleteOur Obama, recovery GDP is growing at about 1%, under Reagan it grew at 4,5, and 6%.
DeleteI guess when Obama's 'real' recovery kicks in, it'll grow at 1/2%.
Do you ever feel like Al Gore is teaching math to the Democrats?
We tried that and it didn’t work,” Obama said of Mitt Romney’s proposed tax cuts and spending cuts, which he dismissed as a Bush-style “top down” economic policy. “Just like we’ve tried their plan, we tried our plan — and it worked,” he added later in the speech. “That’s the difference. That’s the choice in this election. That’s why I’m running for a second term.”
Delete__________
Not only are we dealing with fuzzy math, we're dealing with fuzzy definitions of words.
One of my all time favorite politicians is Nixon's one-time VP, Spiro Agnew. He was as crooked as the "Road to Hana" in Maui, Hawaii, but he had a great speech writer, William Safire, who knew how to turn a phrase, and Spiro knew how to deliver it.
ReplyDeleteSpiro's problems were never his fault. In his most famous moment, he blamed them on the "nattering nabobs of negativism". No doubt, he had people like the Dunce in mind as he said it.
In 2004, during the final year of the Bush II 1st administration, two big events occurred. Ronald Reagan died and Bill Clinton published a book which became one of the best selling presidential books ever. Naturally, that triggered a hot debate among partisans as to which was the better President.
Forbes magazine, a politically conservative publication, said that the debate would never be settled, comparing it to the ongoing argument over whether Willie Mays or Mickey Mantle was the better ballplayer. They did not add that that debate was irrelevant, because neither was the best player ever, that honor belonging forever to the unmatchable Babe Ruth, an extraordinary pitcher, hitter (both for average and for power), base runner, fielder (when he retired, he held the record for most base runners thrown out by an outfielder) and general winner in the history of the game.
But Forbes decided to try to settle the debate by focusing on economic numbers. They set up a rating system using six economic indicators: GDP, Real Disposable Income, Employment, Unemployment, Inflation and Deficit Reduction, then averaged those to find the best President of the most recent ten, from Harry Truman through Clinton.
When the dust had settled, they were surprised to find that Clinton and Reagan had not finished one, two. Clinton had easily won , but Reagan lagged behind two more Democrats, JFK and LBJ. And when it came to GDP, Reagan had finished behind the much maligned Jimmy Carter, who finished well ahead of Truman, Nixon, Eisenhower and G.H.W. Bush, who was dead last in almost every category.
The whole thing is an excellent example of how little people know about what is going on when it comes to politics…it's all about smoke and mirrors and narrow single issue thinking...Carter was "weak", Clinton was a "scumbag"...none of which matters when it comes to governing...only the results really matter.
You can read the entire story here, with some terrific analysis of why things came out the way they did:
Presidents and Prosperity
Man shot at Greensboro restaurant, suspect wanted
ReplyDeletehttp://www.wxii12.com/news/local-news/piedmont/Man-shot-at-Greensboro-restaurant-suspect-wanted/-/10703612/15667052/-/1xpp7t/-/index.html
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This is the kind of event that Rush says never happens.
"Teach Condom Sense." One of the wrappers on his head belonged to a Barack Obama condom, with the tagline "The ultimate stimulus package."
ReplyDelete____________
Liberals are always up to something.
LMAO...as always, Dunce has no idea what he is talking about.
ReplyDeleteLet's see...we have a gold Lexus 300 (drug dealer car...gold Lexus is to drug dealer as Dunce is to idiot) and the perp picks these guys up on Douglas Street...having lived in Greensboro at one time and being familiar with the city, I know that Douglas Street is a scary place...the average 3-bedroom home there is about half the size of my loft...say under 1000 square feet. In fact, I'll bet I know exactly where the perp grabbed them.
In other words, it is a neighborhood that Dunce would be terrified just to drive through and would mess his pants before he emerged on the other side.
What were these guys doing on Douglas Street? Well, you know...
And if you don't, look at what happened later...instead of just doing what the perp told them to do, they try to "trick" him by driving to some dump and acting like fools.
In fact, that's what you've got, three drug addled fools who knew each other looking for a place to screw up and they found it.
Dunce would fit right into that scene.
You won't hear any more about this one, because it happens every day in places like that.