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Surprise — among the advocates of improved, expanded heath care was former President Richard Nixon
Monday, September 21, 2009 6:30 AM PDT
Well, all I can say about last week's column is predictable. Not since I wrote that Elkhorn School should be closed have I received more calls and e-mail. As I write this, there are 203 blog comments about that column, a record for me, on this paper's Web site.
The blog entries, like the calls that I received, were generally from those who disagreed with me about the government providing an insurance option, paid for by premiums, and from those who agreed with Rep. Joe Wilson. I would describe most of the callers as conservative.
Well, for you "conservatives" who disagree with me, let me give you the words of one of your own:
"Turning now to the rest of the agenda for 1974, the time is at hand this year to bring comprehensive, high quality health care within the reach of every American. I shall propose a sweeping new program that will assure comprehensive health insurance protection to millions of Americans who cannot now obtain it or afford it, with vastly improved protection against catastrophic illnesses. This will be a plan that maintains the high standards of quality in America's health care. And it will not require additional taxes." Richard Nixon — January 30, 1974, State of the Union speech.
In February 1974, President Nixon made a proposal to Congress that included an employer mandate to provide health insurance, caps on individual and family out-of-pocket expenses for health care, improvements to Medicare and creation of Assisted Health Insurance. The Assisted Health Insurance was designed to provide insurance for anyone not covered at work or by Medicare. As Nixon put it himself, "... all Americans would have financial access to health protection regardless of income and circumstances."
The bottom line is that one of your fellow conservatives proposed health care and insurance reforms that included a public option for those not covered at work or through Medicare. Nixon wanted that.
What happened to Nixon's plan? Politics (the Democrats wanted even more) and Watergate.
Well, until the next phone call to me, enough about health care reform. Let's move on to trash cans and trash.
You have probably read that the city is going to spend some $53,000 of our tax dollars on 20 solar compacting trashcans with estimated useful lives of eight years. Compare that to concrete cans that cost less than $1,000 and seem to last forever.
City staff is justifying the purchase by suggesting that there will be "cost savings" of more than $57,000 per year because these new cans will notify staff, via text message, when they are full versus the old-school cans that need to be checked manually. In other words, no time will be wasted checking cans that don't need to be emptied so staff can do other things. Is that really a cost savings?
It might be an efficiency savings, but Lodi is still going to spend the same amount of money. Sorry, Councilmember Mounce, but there won't be any money to put into a savings account, and you should know that.
Will our parks be better because these cans allow staff to do other things? I sure hope so, because $53,000 is a lot of money. Oh — did anyone determine how the cans would be replaced in eight years? Of course not.
Sticking to trash, I have received a few calls about the pending increase in our trash collection rates. My position on this one is easy. Our City Council entered into a contract with Central Valley Waste, and the increases are being done according to the contract. While I think it is bad business to raise rates in this economy, Central Valley Waste did delay the increase, as they could have done it April 1. Finally, the increases are small and I think this is still a bargain. One option for you might be to get a smaller can.
Finally, you may have missed it that the city council approved adding a $1 maintenance fee to tickets at the Grape Bowl. Staff justified the tax by comparing it to charges at other facilities. Fine, but how much will be collected for a place that requires millions in repairs when most high school games are exempt? Not much.
I think staff would collect more money by passing a donation bucket at the high school games rather than charging the youth football parents an extra $1 per ticket.
John Johnson, CFA, is a Lodi-based business appraiser. Contact him at john@johnejohnson.com or 369-1451.
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Rhodie v2.0 wrote on Sep 30, 2009 10:06 PM:
I think the budget/deficit and the threat of runaway inflation should be the main concern of the government since if the economy collapses then the single payer healthcare Obama wants would be meaningless.
I believe you think providing needed medical treatments for those who can't afford it is a top priority.
It's not a bad thing that we disagree on what is more important. If we totally accepted one or the other, social services may decline or the deficit may explode. A balance between the two is what is needed. My concern is I see no hesitation from those in power to spend more and more money just giving up on controling the budget. Someone needs to voice the debt concerns. That seems to be me. "
Rhodie v2.0 wrote on Sep 30, 2009 9:47 PM:
Lodian wrote on Sep 30, 2009 4:43 PM:
Lodian wrote on Sep 30, 2009 4:41 PM:
Well, if you are distracted by pretty sunsets then that's your choice. Many Americans in the past were distracted by the pretty sunsets and now look where we are now. Obama has to make the tough choices where others were not willing/able to get the job done. I see all of this the complete opposite as you... we are now looking at the truth where before many were in lala land thinking all was fine, buying up everything in sight as if money was no object. Well, reality has hit and those that don't like it are blaming the messenger and attacking his ideas on how to get us out of this mess. At least he is doing something about it. It's time to pay for the party and some want to skip out on the bill. "
Lodian wrote on Sep 30, 2009 4:32 PM:
Rhodie: When the ship is sinking you don't start gutting the ship to rebuild, you save the ship first and then dig deeper. And who says Obama isn't addressing other issues? And for Pete's sake, how much should he have already accomplished in 10 months? Again, you seem to want all the wreckage from the past cleaned up in no time when it took many many years to get here. Let the man work. "
Rhodie wrote on Sep 30, 2009 2:33 PM:
For me, as I have said over and over, a collapsing economy is a bigger threat to everyone's health and wellbeing than forcing everyone to have health insurance (even those who don't want it). A collapsing economy leads to inflation. When food and everyday needs (including healthcare costs) start skyrocketing up every month who is going to benifit from having an Obamacare health card in their wallet? Is it all his fault, no, but he seems to be driving us closer to the edge while distracting us with a pretty sunset. "
Rhodie wrote on Sep 30, 2009 2:22 PM:
Rhodie v2.0 wrote on Sep 30, 2009 11:24 AM:
Acgtually let's look at whose to blame for the budget woes, Reagan, Bush, Clinton, Bush, and after just ten months Obama has only added to the debt. His administration just gave Gore 600Billion to build green cars in another country that will sell for $90K. He's mentioned increasing school time costing school districts more money which will come from where? Is that the kind of fiscal responsibility we should expect for the next few years? Where or how does Obama plan to balance a budget? Even his own people estimate that in the next ten years the debt will reach double digit trillions. What's their response, oh well it has to be done. Bush may have left a mess but Obama is driving us for a disaster that I think will lead to the econimical collapse of the US and if the US falls what happens to the world economy? "
Rhodie v2.0 wrote on Sep 30, 2009 10:58 AM:
It's taken thirty years to build this monumental debt, it will take at least that long to fix it. Any budget is fixed the same way, less outgoing and more coming in. Obama says he can cut 500Billion from medicare for his healthcare plan. Why not do it first to show he can? Before adding more expenses to a bloated budget, why not fix the current problems?
I think Obama has good goals in mind but is missing the way to get there. He seems to have bought into the American philosophy that debt is real money. It's not. His own party can't estimate how much the Healthcare reform is going to cost. I don't expect him to single handedly fix a thirty year debt slide, but I do expect him to not make it worse.
I take it by your response that you think the government under Obama's rule will be good stwearts of our money, I have yet to see anything to indicate that. "
Lodian wrote on Sep 30, 2009 9:59 AM:
" I didn't say the president did bankrupt a thing."
My point was that we can look to our current president for good choices and let's not blame what ails this country on the man just elected president a few months ago. Bush had 8 years. Why are you only allowing Obama 10 months to reverse all the damage? Seems like you don't want to blame your guy so you want to dump it all in Obama's lap. "
Lodian wrote on Sep 30, 2009 9:52 AM:
Rhodie wrote on Sep 30, 2009 1:33 AM:
And you're right, healthcare does affect us all. What's the number I hear, 7% of the US's economy is healthcare? I'd rather fix the problems with the existing system, which most people thinks works just fine, that create a new system that runs the country into economic ruin and takes all services away from healthcare to education (which Obama now wants to mess with) and road repairs.
Your 11:29 post didn't answer my question, Do you really think the same organization that bankrupted Medicare is going to run social insurance any better?
Debt is DUMB, and for the government to willingly and knowingly drive us twords economic collapse is malicious. Both Rep and Dem are responsible for this and I am just as vocal against Rep overspending. But in order for this country to survive it has to be stronger financially, not weaker as we're becoming. "
Lodian wrote on Sep 29, 2009 11:29 PM:
Our president didn't bankrupt a thing. "
Lodian wrote on Sep 29, 2009 11:28 PM:
Rhodie: This isn't only about the people without insurance. Healthcare in this country effects us all in one way or another. Just because you personally may not need to financially address your healthcare needs does not mean the problem with healthcare in this country will not affect you. "
Rhodie v2.0 wrote on Sep 29, 2009 9:24 PM:
Doesn't make it any less important but it does make it less affordable by the government. It is a cruel, harsh and unfortunate reality that the US is getting closer and closer to an unstable economy. Obama's social plans (starting with Bush) has pushed us to the edge of financial disaster. Adding trillions in healthcare costs will push us over the edge. Is insuring 15 million people today more important than a functioning government for 300 million in the decade? Is 5% of the population without insurance worth risking the countries financial security for?
In an ideal world I would love to see insurance for everyone, even if it was government provided. But this is not a perfect world and the government is an inefficent finanacial beast. It feeds on our tax dollars and leaves us with trail droppings.
Here is the real question from me: Do you really think the same organization that bankrupted Medicare is going to run social insurance any better? "
Lodian wrote on Sep 29, 2009 4:24 PM:
So, does that make the need for healthcare any less important? "
Lodian wrote on Sep 29, 2009 4:23 PM:
Wow, that's dramatic! lol! "
rantraves wrote on Sep 26, 2009 4:53 PM:
Rhodie v2.0 wrote on Sep 26, 2009 4:43 PM:
sparky595 wrote on Sep 26, 2009 11:45 AM:
Obama has made promise after promise about what he is going to have in his final healthcare reform bill. He has also promised transparency and days for the public to view all new bills before voted on. I would like to have his promises confirmed before the congress votes on it. As a freedom loving American, is that too much to ask of OUR government?
Shouldn't Obama ask the congress to let us have transparency? If not, shouldn't he live up to his promise and let us see OUR healthcare plan before HE signs it into law? "
sparky595 wrote on Sep 26, 2009 11:28 AM:
America, stop reading the tired democrat talking points and pay more attention to the fine print of these bills proposed. Their talking points take one page of space. There are still over 1000 more pages to examine. Stop being drones to this government. "
Lodian wrote on Sep 26, 2009 10:58 AM:
Lodian wrote on Sep 26, 2009 10:52 AM:
Lodian wrote on Sep 26, 2009 10:51 AM:
sparky595 wrote on Sep 26, 2009 6:37 AM:
So no. No they weren't calling Nixon a socialist. Obama, well, that's a different story.
With the internet and google, (and an actual care to know), it would take less than 1 hour to research obama's history and upbringing. In less than 1 hour, it will be crystal clear why people refer to him as a marxist/socialist.
I will bet not 1 single liberal on these blogs will do this, because they don't want to have to accept what they will find. "
Rhodie wrote on Sep 26, 2009 12:40 AM:
Lodian: Please post a link to Nixon's Healthcare reform plan so we can see apples to apples how similar (after all Nixon's was "the very type" Obama is pushing) they really were. It could have been that in 1974 the Pres. simply wanted to fix what was broken with the existing healthcare system. That in oppose to 2009 when the Pres wants the Government to run healthcare as effeciently as they ran social security and Medicare. "
Lodian wrote on Sep 25, 2009 10:38 PM:
I wonder if conservatives/Republicans, back in 1974, were calling their president everything from socialist to "wanting to take over the country" when their president offered and supported the very type of healthcare plans that are being offered today. I am guessing that would be a no. :-) "
sparky595 wrote on Sep 25, 2009 6:44 PM:
sparky595 wrote on Sep 25, 2009 6:36 PM:
Senators are negotiating on Senator Max Baucus' ObamaCare 6.0 proposal and it hasn't even been written yet.
Of course, to state the obvious, the fact that they're negotiating on something that hasn't been written means no one has read it yet either.
And, to add even more insult to injury, it's now clear they have no intention of letting you read it.
You read that right. On an almost straight party-line vote, Democrats in the Senate Finance Committee squashed an amendment by Senator Jim Bunning that would have required Baucus' ObamaCare bill to be posted on the Internet – for all Americans to read – for 72 hours prior to the Committee voting on it.
Not only that. Bunning's amendment also called for requiring the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office's official tally of how much Baucus' ObamaCare 6.0 will cost the American people and what the real impact will be on health costs to be released before the it was voted on. "
Lodian wrote on Sep 25, 2009 3:05 PM:
This make me giggle. ;-)
Well, I know we won't be getting a smaller can for awhile... a lot of garbage to toss every week! "
sparky595 wrote on Sep 25, 2009 12:33 PM:
http://blog.heritage.org/2009/09/25/morning-bell-obamacare-puts-transparency-and-accountability-on-death-bed/
What ever happened transparency. Well, just because the strictly partisan democrats voted to not allow the American people to see the final healthcare bill before they vote on it, all is not lost. When it gets to obama's desk, HE believes in transparency, so I'm sure he'll give the American people a chance to read it before he signs it. 5 days if I remember his campaign speeches. I'm taking all bets that he won't allow us the 5 days for transparency that he promised in his campaign lies. "
wtf wrote on Sep 25, 2009 10:17 AM:
wtf wrote on Sep 25, 2009 10:12 AM:
WELL SAID! "
sparky595 wrote on Sep 25, 2009 7:23 AM:
sparky595 wrote on Sep 25, 2009 7:20 AM:
Now obama is putting a gag order on info mailers that Humana is sending to their customers about how this plan may affect them. The white house doesn't agree with their view, so they are trying to silence them. Do they remember that we have constitutional rights that protect our rights to free speech? Doesn't the government's over-reaching all of the time bother anyone? I don't care if you claim to be liberal or conservative, as and American, this has to bother you. "
sparky595 wrote on Sep 25, 2009 7:08 AM:
The New York Times released a new poll today finding that 55% of Americans believe President Obama has not clearly explained his plans for changing the health care system and 59% said they thought the health care changes under consideration in Congress were confusing. In a follow-up interview, Paul Corkery, a Democrat from Somerset, N.J, said: “The Obama administration seems to have a plan, but I’m not understanding the exact details.” Corkery shouldn’t feel that bad. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the independent nonpartisan agency responsible for reviewing legislative initiatives with budgetary implications, has no idea what is in the legislation either.
Let's just keep shoving a plan down America's throat without explaining it to them so they can understand it.
Obama has been giving an obamacare speech once a week, and 59% of America is still confused about it. Also, the democrats voted down a republican amendment to allow the public to read the final bill for 3 days before voting on it. What are they hiding? "
sparky595 wrote on Sep 25, 2009 6:37 AM:
"It's a beautiful thing to watch America wake-up."
I couldn't agree more. Fortunately, they are waking sooner than I thought. Unfortunately, some people keep hitting the snooze button.
There are some people that like having the government be responsible for their entire life. You will never change them. They just can't wait for the next government grab so they can get another hand-out. They will never wake up, the couch is too comfortable.
This is not a republican or democrat issue. It's a government issue. Bush fought unpopular wars. Obama is implementing unpopular policies. Congress doesn't listen to what their constituents want. Wake up America. The 536 people in Washington work for us. When will they wake up and realize that. "
rantraves wrote on Sep 24, 2009 10:20 PM:
Lodian wrote on Sep 24, 2009 7:10 PM:
sparky595 wrote on Sep 24, 2009 4:43 PM:
I did not vote for bush either time. However, other than the Iraq war, we were doing pretty good his first 6 years. Then what happened....hmmmm.....3 years ago the democrats took over control of the entire congress. Bush had very little control once that happened. Kind of like what obama is going to experience in 2010.
The democrats in congress are just as much at fault for our current situation, if not more, than Bush. Our economy has been crumbling since pelosi, frank, reid, dodd, rangle and now obama have taken control. "
dogs4you wrote on Sep 24, 2009 2:38 PM:
Lodian wrote on Sep 24, 2009 1:18 PM:
Lodian wrote on Sep 24, 2009 1:17 PM:
Yep, you've seen that look on American faces for the last 8 years thanks to Bush. I'm sure you are quite familiar with it. lol! "
Inquisitor wrote on Sep 24, 2009 11:22 AM:
sparky595 wrote on Sep 24, 2009 9:19 AM:
"Nope, I don't like you enough to enjoy such an exchange...."
That is liberal code for " I have no clue about any facts, so if we are to continue talking, I can only attack you with childish statements". "
sparky595 wrote on Sep 24, 2009 8:54 AM:
The senate plan will mandate that you buy insurance or else pay a fine.
tax [taks] Show IPA
–noun
1. a sum of money demanded by a government for its support or for specific facilities or services, levied upon incomes, property, sales, etc.
2. a burdensome charge, obligation, duty, or demand.
Sounds like mandatory/fine is inline with the definition of tax. These won't be "rich" people forced to do this.
Also, the senate bill requires a hefty tax on higher end insurance plans. I have one of those, I pay for it myself, and I love my healthcare. So I will be taxed (punished) for having it.
One could say we are paying for the uninsured when they go to the ER. I can say I'll still be paying for them with this new plan. "
sparky595 wrote on Sep 24, 2009 8:41 AM:
"Nope, I don't like you enough to enjoy such an exchange...."
Finally we can agree on something.
Thanks, Rhodie. Lodian doesn't want to admit that obama will tax us to death and cut many benefits to pay for this. It is all a part of his "spreading the wealth agenda". Take from those who have, and give to those who have not.
I wish I could see the look on all the obama lover's faces when they finally wake up one day and say "what the hell just happened to our country?". "
Rhodie wrote on Sep 23, 2009 11:15 PM:
In a nutshell Obama plans to take wealth aways from the wealthiest (because we all know they make too much money anyway) and give it to the poor (just like Robinhood). This will remove money from people who pay more in taxes already than the rest of the country AND spend more (thus creating jobs) to give it to people who may or may not want government mandated insurance.
The other half comes from fixing medicare, or so Obama says. Sounds like he plans on doing this by requiring drug companies give the government bigger discounts AND not paying Medicare insurance all of what is filed for. Sounds like a good way to get drug companies, hospitals and doctors to NOT want to work with Medicare or risk not getting reimbursed. But, hey, it's the government, if you're successful then the Demo.'s think your money is their to spend.
Some money will also come from enviromental permits Obama wants the Government to issue, those are the cap-in-trade controls which will cause businesses to close, just what we need in tough times. "
Lodian wrote on Sep 23, 2009 9:26 PM:
sparky595 wrote on Sep 23, 2009 7:48 PM:
Lodian wrote on Sep 23, 2009 7:12 PM:
Cogito wrote on Sep 23, 2009 3:40 PM:
sparky595 wrote on Sep 23, 2009 12:26 PM:
Lodian, I read as much as I could of your references. I could have missed it, but what is obama's exact plan to pay for this? "
Lodian wrote on Sep 23, 2009 11:50 AM:
Lodian wrote on Sep 23, 2009 11:50 AM:
http://www.barackobama.com/issues/healthcare/
http://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/health_care/
http://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/health_care/plan/
http://www.healthreform.gov/
. "
Lodian wrote on Sep 23, 2009 11:48 AM:
rantraves wrote on Sep 23, 2009 7:52 AM:
sparky595 wrote on Sep 22, 2009 4:59 PM:
Why are so many people so eager to give the government control over your healthcare? "
4AStrongLodi wrote on Sep 22, 2009 4:53 PM:
I hear a lot of complaints about money, but the end result is that it would save us all money. I think they would just rather watch a fellow American get sick and die rather than help "pay" for them to get basic health care that could save them.
Keep up that American Spirit, conservatives. Oh, wait, we only demonstrate that when we want to go bomb other countries. "
4AStrongLodi wrote on Sep 22, 2009 4:45 PM:
As for the trash cans, I'm assuming it could eliminate someone's job. With unemployment at over 12% in this County and the life-span of 8 years for the trash cans, wouldn't the money be better spent on having employees do this as part of a regular route? I think it would probably be cheaper in the long run too. "
wtf wrote on Sep 22, 2009 10:34 AM:
wtf wrote on Sep 22, 2009 10:33 AM:
"On Constitution Day (September 17,) 2009, Dr. Paul announces that HR 1207 has reached 290 cosponsors and is now eligible for consideration under suspension of House rules."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyNfmn0HiiU "
wtf wrote on Sep 22, 2009 9:56 AM:
Also, please look at my post which you paraphrased; in my own post, I use the word "virtual" before monopoly regarding Comcast while I note you simply used monopoly. That one word gives the sentence a whole different meaning. Please look up the word "virtual" "
Rhodie wrote on Sep 21, 2009 2:05 PM:
Rhodie wrote on Sep 21, 2009 2:01 PM:
One annoying thing, and it is kind of mild, is that in order to turn on captioning (I perfer cationing at night so I don't disturb the fam during my insomnia) you have to run through the menu rather than DirectTV which was one click and you got it. The wife isn't convinced of the HD benifits, but I see them and she wears thick glasses. "
dogs4you wrote on Sep 21, 2009 1:44 PM:
A short message I read in the Record yesterday, The dollar. Our massive debt will cause it collapse.
Something else to ponder, Big Government is the next bubble to burst. We`re already deep into it. The way it plays out is another Ronald Reagan comes to save us, or we go down the tubes as a nation and start cleaning toilets for the Chinese. There`s more, but I don`t want to spoil what seems to be a good day, weather wise. "
gcamp wrote on Sep 21, 2009 12:46 PM:
wtf wrote on Sep 21, 2009 12:08 PM:
Think health "insurance" mandated for all by the government will be any different? "
wtf wrote on Sep 21, 2009 12:08 PM:
In a sense, government **has** mandated cable...or at least "digital TV" which gave the cable companies many new customers since not having cable, one would have to purchase a special converter box or subscribe to satellite. "
dogs4you wrote on Sep 21, 2009 10:50 AM:
Sparky: Government and trash cans, looking at this subject closer, they do go hand in hand.
Even though Watergate was Nixion`s Waterloo, most people wish to not remember, or want to forget that Millhouse did put an end to the Vietman War. He did what Kennedy and Johnson dare not do, he did the unthinkable, he bombed Haiphong harbor in North Vietman, saying, I`ll bomb them all the way to the peace table, he did and it worked. The End
Without a doubt trash cans need to be empty on Monday mornings, anything mechanical can discontinue operating at any given time. Concrete doesn`t have that problem. Perhaps the Lodi CC should watch them in operation, from the inside. Solar at night?
Gray Cloud, hard to argue that 80% of the people in this country are satisfied with their health care plan. I can`t agree with your medicne, bad smoke singles. "
gray cloud wrote on Sep 21, 2009 10:41 AM:
http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/016/973rqxkx.asp "
gray cloud wrote on Sep 21, 2009 10:30 AM:
http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=33623 "
gray cloud wrote on Sep 21, 2009 10:25 AM:
gray cloud wrote on Sep 21, 2009 9:32 AM:
wtf wrote on Sep 21, 2009 9:08 AM:
I believe that something of this nature is in the pending bill since Ron Paul is one of the few congress-critters who actually read a bill before he votes on it. In fact, he has a bill before congress that would require after a bill is in its final form, at least four days are allowed for the bill to be read before being voted on. "
wtf wrote on Sep 21, 2009 9:02 AM:
Rest of article:
http://www.house.gov/htbin/blog_inc?BLOG,tx14_paul,blog,999,All,Item%20not%20found,ID=090914_3520,TEMPLATE=postingdetail.shtml "
wtf wrote on Sep 21, 2009 9:01 AM:
continued "
wtf wrote on Sep 21, 2009 9:00 AM:
Obama Wants to Extend Patriot Act - Just Like Bush
http://www.opposingviews.com/articles/opinion-obama-wants-to-extend-patriot-act-just-like-bush-r-1253135357
Obama adopts many Bush administration legal rationales
http://www.citizensforethics.org/node/40496
Once again, Ron Paul pegs it:
"Last Wednesday the nation was riveted to the President’s speech on healthcare reform before Congress. While the President’s concern for the uninsured is no doubt sincere, his plan amounts to a magnanimous gift to the health insurance industry, despite any implications to the contrary."
continued "
wtf wrote on Sep 21, 2009 8:56 AM:
HMOs
Those monsters that now masquerade as "health insurance" when they are really "health maintenance organizations" whose sole goal is to get healthy, young "subscribers" to sign up for their scheme, and who, when "coverage" is needed, get declined for various and sundry reasons.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_maintenance_organization
NO, we definitely do not need more of this. ;) "
sparky595 wrote on Sep 21, 2009 7:49 AM:
What point were you trying to make? Conservatives do want to reform healthcare, too. Or is it that government can't even spend money wisely on a garbage can, so they shouldn't take over our healthcare system? "
Observer wrote on Sep 21, 2009 7:45 AM:
sparky595 wrote on Sep 21, 2009 7:42 AM:
"What happened to Nixon's plan? Politics (the Democrats wanted even more) and Watergate."
Precisely what is happening today. The republicans are trying to work in bi-partisan fashion to reform healthcare, but again, "the democrats want even more". They won't stop pushing until they have a complete government take over of the entire healthcare system, John. The democrats would rather have no reform if they cannot swallow up the entire system and have complete control of the lives of all Americans. Wake up Mr. Johnson. "
joanne wrote on Sep 21, 2009 7:25 AM:
Thanks for the mention! If you really watched the council meeting, you know I was the only councilmember who even doubted the solar cans. After questioning staff about replacement costs, I was not convenienced that the cost savings would be set aside. In fact, the city rarely sets aside the depreciated value for replacement costs of our assets. With that said, I voted yes for the cans because I do believe they will save money in the long run. What we do with the savings will be the next battle.
JoAnne "
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