The Public Option is Gaining Momentum!

Thanks to the gutsiness of some freshman senators, a movement has begun to urge Senate Democratic House Majority Leader Harry Reid to reinsert the public option into the Health Care Reform Package, and pass the bill under House budget reconciliation rules. Reconciliation is a procedure that would allow a simple up or down vote with a majority of 51 Senators. There is NO filibuster allowed with reconciliation. These gutsy senators are Jared Polis (D-Colo) in photo left, Chelli Pingree (D-Maine) and Michael Bennet(D-Colo). They did not "run for the hills" in the aftermath of the Scott Brown debacle in Mass. They wrote a letter to Harry Reid, and so far 14 senators have signed on, and 40 have pledged support.

Even if there are not enough votes for a public option, an alternative would be to pass a Medicare buy-in which would allow people age 55+ to buy into a public plan. This idea was killed by douchebag senator Joe Lieberman(I-CT) who said he would filibuster any bill that included an expansion of Medicare. Well, sorry Joe, you cannot filibuster under reconciliation rules. So, come on Dems, let's get this done now. Polls have shown that the majority of Americans want to be able to choose a public option, which would lower costs for consumers. The recent 39% rate hike by Anthem BlueCross persuaded CA Senator Dianne Feinstein to sign on for real reform, and urge Harry Reid to include the public option. SCHIP, which is a really great government run healthcare insurance plan for kids, and a major health care reform bill, was passed through the House reconciliation process. So it is possible.

Sign a petition to demand a public option. http://www.citizensforapublicoption.com/
Democrats can get this done since they are the majority. Don't run for the hills wearing wet panties. Get this done NOW for the people.

Photo: Jared Polis (D-Colo)

The Public Option is Gaining Momentum!

Thanks to the gutsiness of some freshman senators, a movement has begun to urge Senate Democratic House Majority Leader Harry Reid to reinsert the public option into the Health Care Reform Package, and pass the bill under House budget reconciliation rules. Reconciliation is a procedure that would allow a simple up or down vote with a majority of 51 Senators. There is NO filibuster allowed with reconciliation. These gutsy senators are Jared Polis (D-Colo) in photo left, Chelli Pingree (D-Maine) and Michael Bennet(D-Colo). They did not "run for the hills" in the aftermath of the Scott Brown debacle in Mass. They wrote a letter to Harry Reid, and so far 14 senators have signed on, and 40 have pledged support.

Even if there are not enough votes for a public option, an alternative would be to pass a Medicare buy-in which would allow people age 55+ to buy into a public plan. This idea was killed by douchebag senator Joe Lieberman(I-CT) who said he would filibuster any bill that included an expansion of Medicare. Well, sorry Joe, you cannot filibuster under reconciliation rules. So, come on Dems, let's get this done now. Polls have shown that the majority of Americans want to be able to choose a public option, which would lower costs for consumers. The recent 39% rate hike by Anthem BlueCross persuaded CA Senator Dianne Feinstein to sign on for real reform, and urge Harry Reid to include the public option. SCHIP, which is a really great government run healthcare insurance plan for kids, and a major health care reform bill, was passed through the House reconciliation process. So it is possible.

Sign a petition to demand a public option. http://www.citizensforapublicoption.com/
Democrats can get this done since they are the majority. Don't run for the hills wearing wet panties. Get this done NOW for the people.

Photo: Jared Polis (D-Colo)

Teabaggers Saved by Government Healthcare Workers

In a delicious display of poetic irony, Teabaggers rallying against "government takeover of healthcare" (wink wink) in Washington this week were saved by government healthcare workers. Yep. One protester suffered a heart attack, and four other elderly protesters needed emergency treatment. Luckily, medical professionals from the Capitol's physician's office were on the scene immediately to save these NeoCon lives. The rally was organized by wacky right wingnut Michele Bachman (R-MN). The man who suffered the heart attack was being wheeled away on a stretcher just as House Minority Leader John Boehner stepped up to the microphone to talk about the dangers of the Democrat's socialized medicine and communist agenda. Why didn't John Boner intervene and protect the 4 fallen Teabaggers from the dangers of socialized medicine?! See story here

Above photo is of protesters holding a sign with picture of corpses from Dachau. How horrifying to compare the public option to The Holocaust! At this rally, Rep. Steve King(R-IA) actually autographed a teabagger sign that said "Ken-ya Trust Obama?" Nice.

Teabaggers Saved by Government Healthcare Workers

In a delicious display of poetic irony, Teabaggers rallying against "government takeover of healthcare" (wink wink) in Washington this week were saved by government healthcare workers. Yep. One protester suffered a heart attack, and four other elderly protesters needed emergency treatment. Luckily, medical professionals from the Capitol's physician's office were on the scene immediately to save these NeoCon lives. The rally was organized by wacky right wingnut Michele Bachman (R-MN). The man who suffered the heart attack was being wheeled away on a stretcher just as House Minority Leader John Boehner stepped up to the microphone to talk about the dangers of the Democrat's socialized medicine and communist agenda. Why didn't John Boner intervene and protect the 4 fallen Teabaggers from the dangers of socialized medicine?! See story here

Above photo is of protesters holding a sign with picture of corpses from Dachau. How horrifying to compare the public option to The Holocaust! At this rally, Rep. Steve King(R-IA) actually autographed a teabagger sign that said "Ken-ya Trust Obama?" Nice.

Grayson's Got Guts!

Representative Alan Grayson (D-Fla) has become the new star of the Democratic Party because he has the courage to speak out loudly for the people. During a speech on the House floor, he said that the GOP's alternative healthcare plan is simple, "Don't Get Sick. And if you do get sick, die quickly." see this video

Grayson highlighted a Harvard study that found 44,000 Americans die annually due to no health insurance. We wrote about those facts here at LVS. We Must Have A Public Option

It's refreshing to finally watch a Democrat speak in a no-nonsense way, and to call out the RepubliCONS as "the party of no, and soon, the party of nobody." Seems like it is working. The "you get more bees with honey" approach is not gonna work here because people are dying, and because the majority of the American public supports a public option, or as it has been cleverly coined by Liberals, "Medicare Part E," i.e., Medicare for Everybody. Sometimes the truth has gotta sting and wake people up. Democrats have got to stand up to the bullying, lies, and smear campaigns of the right. Grayson says, "I don't remember hearing a lot about bipartisanship when we were talking about tax breaks for the rich."

Democrats are in power now and we gotta start getting things done. Let the tea baggers protest-- who cares. The facts speak for themselves. We the people want a public option.

Grayson has started a website called Names of the Dead as a tribute to people who have died due to lack of health insurance.

Grayson's campaign fundraising website is called A Congressman With Guts.

We're hoping Alan Grayson's gutsiness is contagious.

[Mr. Dottie contributed to this post]

Grayson's Got Guts!

Representative Alan Grayson (D-Fla) has become the new star of the Democratic Party because he has the courage to speak out loudly for the people. During a speech on the House floor, he said that the GOP's alternative healthcare plan is simple, "Don't Get Sick. And if you do get sick, die quickly." see this video

Grayson highlighted a Harvard study that found 44,000 Americans die annually due to no health insurance. We wrote about those facts here at LVS. We Must Have A Public Option

It's refreshing to finally watch a Democrat speak in a no-nonsense way, and to call out the RepubliCONS as "the party of no, and soon, the party of nobody." Seems like it is working. The "you get more bees with honey" approach is not gonna work here because people are dying, and because the majority of the American public supports a public option, or as it has been cleverly coined by Liberals, "Medicare Part E," i.e., Medicare for Everybody. Sometimes the truth has gotta sting and wake people up. Democrats have got to stand up to the bullying, lies, and smear campaigns of the right. Grayson says, "I don't remember hearing a lot about bipartisanship when we were talking about tax breaks for the rich."

Democrats are in power now and we gotta start getting things done. Let the tea baggers protest-- who cares. The facts speak for themselves. We the people want a public option.

Grayson has started a website called Names of the Dead as a tribute to people who have died due to lack of health insurance.

Grayson's campaign fundraising website is called A Congressman With Guts.

We're hoping Alan Grayson's gutsiness is contagious.

[Mr. Dottie contributed to this post]

We Must Have A Public Option

I don't see how we can have real health care reform without the public option. Corporate control of our health care is resulting in people dying for the good of the insurance company. It's immoral. Corporations should not have control over our lives. A government run public option can co-exist with private plans. People can choose what they want, or stay with the plan they have. Obama's plan is NOT a government take over. The public option makes perfect sense and there is now an urgency to lower costs, and hold the greedy companies accountable for their many abuses, which have resulted in the deaths of American people. It is a serious crisis. The wingnut commentators are scaring people with lies. The Republicons want to see Obama fail, no matter how many Americans die. They hate Obama more than they love America. And they hate him because he is Black. We must have a public option, it's a human need.

Here are some facts and stats:

45,000 uninsured Americans die each year, according to research done by the Harvard Medical School. That's one person every 12 minutes.

See this article

46.3 million Americans lacked coverage in 2008. Uninsured adults under age 64 have a 40% higher risk of dying than those who have coverage. These people are dying from complications associated with preventable diseases such as diabetes because they can't afford proper care. The insurance companies run the real "death panels."

The New England Journal of Medicine reports that 73% of doctors favor a public option.

65% of Americans favor a public option.

14,000 people a day are losing their health insurance.

Where is our compassion for fellow human beings? We are all in this together, why not pool the wealth to help each other out? No one should have to die because they can't afford health insurance.

Did you know that young adults ages 19-29 make up 30% of the nation's uninsured? An average health insurance premium for young adults for the school year 2007-2008 was $850.00.

See this document

According to The Kaiser Family Foundation, the average cost of a family's health care policy is now more than $13,000 annually, having more than doubled in a decade. It is unaffordable for middle class people, especially those who (like us) are self-employed and have to pay the entire amount. Our policy is going up to $932.00 a month, and that's just for 2 people, since our child is enrolled in CHIP, which is a great government run program for kids. We would choose the public option.

We Must Have A Public Option

I don't see how we can have real health care reform without the public option. Corporate control of our health care is resulting in people dying for the good of the insurance company. It's immoral. Corporations should not have control over our lives. A government run public option can co-exist with private plans. People can choose what they want, or stay with the plan they have. Obama's plan is NOT a government take over. The public option makes perfect sense and there is now an urgency to lower costs, and hold the greedy companies accountable for their many abuses, which have resulted in the deaths of American people. It is a serious crisis. The wingnut commentators are scaring people with lies. The Republicons want to see Obama fail, no matter how many Americans die. They hate Obama more than they love America. And they hate him because he is Black. We must have a public option, it's a human need.

Here are some facts and stats:

45,000 uninsured Americans die each year, according to research done by the Harvard Medical School. That's one person every 12 minutes.

See this article

46.3 million Americans lacked coverage in 2008. Uninsured adults under age 64 have a 40% higher risk of dying than those who have coverage. These people are dying from complications associated with preventable diseases such as diabetes because they can't afford proper care. The insurance companies run the real "death panels."

The New England Journal of Medicine reports that 73% of doctors favor a public option.

65% of Americans favor a public option.

14,000 people a day are losing their health insurance.

Where is our compassion for fellow human beings? We are all in this together, why not pool the wealth to help each other out? No one should have to die because they can't afford health insurance.

Did you know that young adults ages 19-29 make up 30% of the nation's uninsured? An average health insurance premium for young adults for the school year 2007-2008 was $850.00.

See this document

According to The Kaiser Family Foundation, the average cost of a family's health care policy is now more than $13,000 annually, having more than doubled in a decade. It is unaffordable for middle class people, especially those who (like us) are self-employed and have to pay the entire amount. Our policy is going up to $932.00 a month, and that's just for 2 people, since our child is enrolled in CHIP, which is a great government run program for kids. We would choose the public option.

Allentown Named "Playful City"

According to an article at the City of Allentown website,  Allentown is one of only two communities in PA to be named a "Playful City USA Community" by KaBOOM  a non-profit organization that promotes unstructured play. 

According to KaBOOM CEO Darell Hammond: 

“Allentown took a stand and determined that the future of their community—their children—deserve a commitment to the cause of play. This is an investment in the future, not an expenditure, and cities and towns across the country can replicate initiatives from these Playful City USA Communities so that they too can bring play back into the lives of their children.”

In the article, Allentown Mayor Ed Pawlowski  cites these two programs for city youth: SPP, a free Summer Playground Program available at most Allentown school playgrounds, and ACHIEVE, a program that partners with the Allentown School District, City Health Bureau, Wildlands Conservancy, Public Library, Fire Department, and Recycling Bureau.

My family and I are greatly looking forward to the new, handicapped-accessible, interactive, and free Destination Playground that will be built at Cedar Beach Park. This will be a great place for families from all over Allentown to meet for a common cause: our children. It's time for all the citizens of Allentown, young and old, natives and transplants, to start focusing on what brings us together, rather than on what separates us. Equal Opportunity for all. Our parks are for everyone to enjoy, even the "outsiders" who have relocated here-- as they are branded by the handful of Konstant Krankypants Kvetchers known kollectively as the "Defenders of the Parks" (wink wink) and "led" by embittered, vendetta-driven, 2005 Allentown Mayoral election loser Mike Molovinsky and his coded racist agenda.  

Oh and speaking of Cedar Beach Park, don't miss SportsFest there this weekend! 

Hooray for Allentown for being forward-thinking, for Moving Forward Together (well, most of us anyway), and for caring about our kids.

Post written by Mr. & Mrs. Dottie.

Allentown Named "Playful City"

According to an article at the City of Allentown website,  Allentown is one of only two communities in PA to be named a "Playful City USA Community" by KaBOOM  a non-profit organization that promotes unstructured play. 

According to KaBOOM CEO Darell Hammond: 

“Allentown took a stand and determined that the future of their community—their children—deserve a commitment to the cause of play. This is an investment in the future, not an expenditure, and cities and towns across the country can replicate initiatives from these Playful City USA Communities so that they too can bring play back into the lives of their children.”

In the article, Allentown Mayor Ed Pawlowski  cites these two programs for city youth: SPP, a free Summer Playground Program available at most Allentown school playgrounds, and ACHIEVE, a program that partners with the Allentown School District, City Health Bureau, Wildlands Conservancy, Public Library, Fire Department, and Recycling Bureau.

My family and I are greatly looking forward to the new, handicapped-accessible, interactive, and free Destination Playground that will be built at Cedar Beach Park. This will be a great place for families from all over Allentown to meet for a common cause: our children. It's time for all the citizens of Allentown, young and old, natives and transplants, to start focusing on what brings us together, rather than on what separates us. Equal Opportunity for all. Our parks are for everyone to enjoy, even the "outsiders" who have relocated here-- as they are branded by the handful of Konstant Krankypants Kvetchers known kollectively as the "Defenders of the Parks" (wink wink) and "led" by embittered, vendetta-driven, 2005 Allentown Mayoral election loser Mike Molovinsky and his coded racist agenda.  

Oh and speaking of Cedar Beach Park, don't miss SportsFest there this weekend! 

Hooray for Allentown for being forward-thinking, for Moving Forward Together (well, most of us anyway), and for caring about our kids.

Post written by Mr. & Mrs. Dottie.

Solving Autism

Several of our relatives and friends have children who have been diagnosed with some form of autism. 1 in every 150 kids has autism. There is mounting research suggesting that exposure to EDCs (Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals) could be a cause of autism. Please check out this interesting article at the Huffington Post by Harvey Karp, Cracking The Autism Riddle.

Toxic EDCs are found in everyday products such as food cans, plastic water bottles, cosmetics, fire retardants found in sofas, and computers. These items are found in most American homes.

EDCs have been found to be linked to human disease, hormone related disorders, low sperm count, cancer, and many other illnesses. There is evidence that even miniscule amounts of these chemicals can disturb fetal brain development.

In 2000, a CDC (Center for Disease Control) study found that 99.9% of people tested had detectable levels of these chemicals in their bodies.

In 1996, during the Clinton administration, there was a push by pediatricians for the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) to test these chemicals. The testing process had begun under Clinton, but then during the Bush administration (The Dark Ages of Science), the research was halted and its funding was cut.

To counter President Bush's efforts to ignore the health of our children, a group of dedicated pediatricians started the National Children's Study (NCS). Even though Bush refused to fund this important research, the NCS was able to continue for 8 years.

The Obama administration has committed over $3 billion to NCS research. Thankfully, scientists may soon be able to detect which chemicals could be linked to autism, and its heart-breaking mystery will start to get solved.

Solving Autism

Several of our relatives and friends have children who have been diagnosed with some form of autism. 1 in every 150 kids has autism. There is mounting research suggesting that exposure to EDCs (Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals) could be a cause of autism. Please check out this interesting article at the Huffington Post by Harvey Karp, Cracking The Autism Riddle.

Toxic EDCs are found in everyday products such as food cans, plastic water bottles, cosmetics, fire retardants found in sofas, and computers. These items are found in most American homes.

EDCs have been found to be linked to human disease, hormone related disorders, low sperm count, cancer, and many other illnesses. There is evidence that even miniscule amounts of these chemicals can disturb fetal brain development.

In 2000, a CDC (Center for Disease Control) study found that 99.9% of people tested had detectable levels of these chemicals in their bodies.

In 1996, during the Clinton administration, there was a push by pediatricians for the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) to test these chemicals. The testing process had begun under Clinton, but then during the Bush administration (The Dark Ages of Science), the research was halted and its funding was cut.

To counter President Bush's efforts to ignore the health of our children, a group of dedicated pediatricians started the National Children's Study (NCS). Even though Bush refused to fund this important research, the NCS was able to continue for 8 years.

The Obama administration has committed over $3 billion to NCS research. Thankfully, scientists may soon be able to detect which chemicals could be linked to autism, and its heart-breaking mystery will start to get solved.