How Much Will Ann Romney's MS Cost American Taxpayers, and Should We Have To Pay It?

Ann Romney Is Seriously Ill

As the governor of Massachusetts, Mitt Romney's greatest accomplishment was signing into law a bill that gave health care to every citizen in the state.  The bill included a mandate that individual persons, not companies/corporations had a personal responsibility to secure/purchase health care...this from the same man who stated in Iowa that Corporations are people too.  Romney Care was and is the model that Obama Care was based upon.  However, trying to prove that Zebra's can change stripes, Romney never mentions his own greatest accomplishment as governor, and instead has promised, that if elected president of the United States, he will eliminate Obama Care...what he intends to replace it with no one is sure.

There is an unwritten rule that a Presidential candidate's wife and family are off limits in the heated election season, and as a general rule, would tend to agree with this rule.  Problem is, Romney in promising to do away with Obama Care, is going to deny millions of Americans health coverage...Romney's wife has MS, and if elected President, the costs of providing health care to his wife Ann Romney will fall upon us the American taxpayers.  We will be saddled with taking care of his wife's health needs, covering the costs of her medical coverage for the rest of her life while her husband as President of the United States is taking health care access away from millions of Americans in the middle and lower classes.

The question then becomes, "Is it fair for us as Americans to have to provide Ann Romney with the best medical care money can buy, and pay for it through our taxes while he is denying us the same care?  The answer should be no, but what an answer should be, and reality are two completely different things.

I'm sorry that Ann Romney has (Multiple sclerosis)MS, but find it unacceptable that a man worth over $250 Million dollars will expect the American taxpayers to pay for her health care while he works diligently to take our health care away.  Such actions on Mitt Romney's part are hypocritical, and emphasize just how out of touch he is with the average citizens of our nation.

One last thought...can Ann Romney handle the stress and work load of being First Lady, and if she should have a serious relapse, considering how close she and Mitt are, could a President Romney mentally and emotionally handle the job of being president while dealing with a suddenly very ill and declining wife?

Breaking News...Obama Care UPHELD in Supreme Court

It's NOW THE LAW...Deal With It Tea Party

In a stunning defeat for both the Tea Party, and the Republican Party Obama Care was upheld in the Supreme Court by a five to four vote with Chief Justice Roberts being the swing vote.  Some might see Robert's being the deciding vote as shocking, yet if you look at his track record as a judge, he has always been reluctant to interfere with Congress's right to regulate interstate commerce.

The bad news...this will energize the radical right wing of the Republican Party like never before, and money will be flowing into Mitt Romney's campaign coiffures in unprecedented amounts.  Hopefully, this stunning Victory for Obama and the Democrats (who paid a heavy price in the 2010 elections by passing Obama Care) will also ignite the base of the Democratic Party, as the worst thing America can do is put Romney in the White House.

From a personal perspective, my biggest problem with Obama Care was never even at issue in the court battle that ensued after the bill's passage.  I have a problem with the section of the bill that allows young adults to stay on their parents insurance until the age of 26.  Fact is, that part of the bill now sees all of us who do not have children subsidizing those young adults through increased rates on us.  The bill is not perfect, and hopefully over time Congress can improve it, but Obama Care is a step in the right direction.  Now, people with pre-existing  conditions can get affordable health insurance.  Now, with the life time cap eliminated, people with serious health issues will have their medical costs covered, and now everyone will have to contribute to the whole...there is no more waiting till you are sick to get insurance.

The one big change I would like to see moving forward...would like to see Congress allow all citizens to shop ACROSS STATE LINES!  If I live in New York, but can get better rates by buying my health insurance from a company in say Indiana I should be allowed to do so...we are routinely told that a World Economy is the way of the future, and that protectionism is the proverbial road to hell...well, if protectionism is the road to hell, why then is protectionism within the health insurance industry a good thing?

Hopefully, the Supreme Court's decision today will end this debate, and the nation as a whole can move on to worrying about more important problems.

Are Judges Too Big For Their Britches?

I as a citizen of America am on the fence when it comes to Obama Care, though for reasons other than the mandate that everyone must participate in the program.  I have to have insurance, have to get tags to drive a car.  I must participate in Social Security even though we all know it is a scam, mainly because the Federal Government has stolen and mismanaged the money given to it by 79 million baby boomers.  Ditto on paying into the Medicare/Medicaid fund...sorry, not supportive of any system that sees my tax dollars giving emergency room service to illegal aliens, and young adults who would rather spend their hard earned dollars out drinking than having health insurance. 

What concerns me more than Obama Care and its mandate is our Federal Judges who have lost their ability to be bipartisan judges of fact, have lost their ability to DO THEIR JOBS, and quite frankly have gotten far too full of themselves, the latest example the three (Republican) judges who demanded that the Department of Justice provide them a three page, single type written response to their question.

A three-judge panel for the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday ordered the Justice Department to explain by Thursday whether the administration believes judges have the power to strike down a federal law.  

My first reaction on reading the FOX News story on this was a quick, "WTF" followed by a single fingered salute to the three judge panel.  That quickly got me upset at the entire United States Supreme Court, who in my opinion, needs to find themselves collectively neutered.  Want a perfect example...look at our 2012 Presidential Election Cycle, and all the corporate money buying all the candidates in the race...thank you Supreme Court for ruling that CORPORATIONS ARE PEOPLE TOO!  How about their decision on imminent domain?  Care to discuss the 2000 election when they gave the White House to George Bush?

I do not care that Judges Samuel A. Alito, Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas are world class arrogant assholes, and have a special dislike of my own for Sonia Sotomayer who ought to be impeached on general principles...what I do care about, is the fact that they as a collective court see themselves as God like, ruling over the rest of us, act in a condescending manner to the rest of us, including the President of the United States of America...the Department of Justice should have told the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals to stick their order where the sun does not shine.  Who cares that they did not like the President's statements...can we say FREEDOM OF SPEECH?  Last I looked, we are all entitled to express our opinions no matter how distasteful they may be, and that is what the President did, and that does not give the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals the right to demand that the Department of Justice provide them with a three page, single type written reply to their question.

Here is a CLUE, a means by which to put some of these RADICAL JUDGES in their places...use the constitutional power given to congress to CLIP THEIR WINGS.  Bring the whole lot of them up on charges in the Senate with the intentions of moving toward having the House of Representatives Impeach them.  Sure, might not be successful in removing any of them from office, but dragging them through a VERY PUBLIC TRAIL would put them in their place, knock them down a few pegs in the ego department.

Thursday "News on The Run" and Some Weekend Events

What a beautiful blustery spring day here in downtown Mountaindale NY.   Enjoy the day, as it is looking like the weekend is going to be A) a lot colder, as in downright wintry, and B) very wet with the forecast saying we have a chance of SNOW!  You've GOT TO BE KIDDING ME...ugg, I know we had a mild winter, but with the forsythia and daffies dazzling our senses, and having had now a few days in shorts, so NOT ready to go back to a wintry mix of weather. "Say it ain't so Joe."

Special SHOUT OUT to "Joe The Gardener" who followed us on Twitter!...Thanks Joe!  Everyone should watch his show, and visit his website which is full of some great information.

Some great events are going on this weekend as Hurleyville plays hosts to a multitude of GREAT EVENTS in two different locations.

First up is Nadia's located at 222 Main Street.  

Friday March 30:  Fresh from yet another gig in NYC, part of her tour coinciding with the release of her newest CD...Donna Singer comes home to Nadia's Friday night with Doug Richards on bass and Roy on keyboards. Sing along to what the Midwest Record calls "cool, finger popping 50's club jazz'!!

Saturday Night March 31:  Brad Scribner, house drummer with Little Sammy for 'Imus in the Morning' and host of the Wednesday night Hyde Park Brewery Blues Jam graces the stage with singer/songwriter Debbie Fisher Palmarini and classical guitarist/composer Bonnie Law in what will be a most memorable evening of fine music!

Come for the music, come for the buffet. Never a cover charge and all you can eat $15 (including coffee or tea... BYOB)

Also in Hurleyville Friday, Saturday and Sunday, don't forget to get your tickets for "Vaudeville in The Catskills" with the proceeds going to charity.

In local news here in Mountaindale...Ed's Mountaindale Inn (Bar and Eatery) is getting really close to opening its doors for the season...hope everyone comes in and admires the NEW LOOK...we might have some sneak preview pictures for you later in the weekend.

Thursday "News on The Run"...do I have to?  Seems like the news this week has centered upon the same three tired stories.  First, Obama Care and the Supreme Court-the thinking is that Obama Care is going to be overturned, as the judges are not wanting to go through the 2500 page law piece meal...uhhh, excuse me Clarence Thomas, but isn't that YOUR JOB?  My own issues on the subject...A) don't feel the rest of us should have to pick up the tab for letting children stay on their parents health insurance until they are 26...let those young adults stop driving new cars and get their own insurance, B) don't feel it is fair that all those people with pre-existing conditions that have been helped by the law might now be back where they started, and C) on one hand, have issues with government requiring me to do something, but also tired of paying the tab for all those young adults who want to play Russian Roulette by not buying health insurance...the rest of us have to pick up the tab when they go to the emergency room.  How about if we change the law that requires emergency rooms too provide service to any one walking through the door...including illegal aliens and their children.

Then we have the Republican Primary race...who cares any more?  I mean come on, Rubio just endorsed Romney, so the race is over now right?  LOL...the Republican Party is self destructing right before our own eyes...and by the way, could Romney, Santorum and the Republican Party tell us their plan to help all those people with pre-existing conditions if Obama Care goes down the toilet?

Last but not least...we have the shooting of the teenager down in Florida...I'm sorry, but that whole thing at this point has gotten way out of hand.  First, it was/is a tragedy, and feel sorry for Trayvon Martin's parents.  Secondly, as much as everyone would like to turn this into a NATIONAL race issue, it is not.  Go look at the statistics, and you will find that there are very few instances of white on black murders...what you will find though, is a very high number when you look at black on black murders.  Lastly, Trayvon is not exactly the goodie two shoes his parents originally tried to paint him out to be...based on the information that has come out, he smoked pot, he destroyed property by putting graffiti on it, and some reports claim his knapsack or hoodie has a tool in it that could be used for breaking and entering...so maybe, just maybe there was/is wrong on everyone's parts, and some self inspection is necessary?  Let justice run its course, but lets not create a national race issue where none exists, and lets stop with the Vigilante justice mentality that seems to be running rampant.