What Obama Says On Health Care

WNCN Raleigh

Soap Box Ravings says there are a lot of people out there talking health care. Every one of them has an agenda. Each side puts out information that may be true or not.

As a retired police officer, Soap Box ravings understands that eye witnesses to an incident do not always witness every part of the incident in the same way, even when they really want to provide the correct information.

Then there are other citizens who may invent stories or just outright lie. Sometimes for personal gain and other times perhaps for their 15 minutes of fame.

With this in mind, I went to the factcheck.org website and looked at what the President of the United States, Barack Hussein Obama, is saying about "his" health care effort.

With the health care debate on Capitol Hill raging on, President Barack Obama held a prime-time news conference July 22, 2009 to make his pitch for a health care bill once again to the American public. Among his facts and figures, we found some false and questionable statements.

On Paying For Health Care

Among other things, the president promised that a health care overhaul “will be paid for.”

The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, a bipartisan group, said:

More access and broader coverage do not save money. However, greater coverage will increase health spending. Unless major changes are successfully implemented in health care delivery and payment systems, costs will continue to rise from a larger base at a rapid pace.

Moreover, potential savings are speculative, while costs are far more certain. That imbalance suggests that unless there is broad popular support for the measures that will be required to achieve savings, the nation’s health care bill could become that much more unaffordable.

On Near-Universal Coverage

The president also exaggerated the number of persons who would be covered by his health care plan.

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimated that the bill working its way through the House would result in 97 percent of Americans (excluding illegal immigrants) having insurance by 2015. The figure would be only 94 percent of those in the U.S., if you count "illegals."

On Uncompensated Care

Obama said: in fact, there’s going to be a whole lot of savings that we obtain from that because, for example, the average American family is paying thousands of dollars in hidden costs in their insurance premiums to pay for what’s called uncompensated care – people who show up at the emergency room because they don’t have a primary care physician.

In June, 2009, factcheck.org previously pointed out that President Obama was wrong in this area.

On A $5 Trillion Whopper

The president claimed he has cut federal spending by more than $2 trillion.
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) specifically estimated the "total effect on outlays" of Obama’s budget as an increase of $2.7 trillion compared with what’s called for in current law. So by CBO’s figuring, spending would go up $2.7 trillion, not down $2.2 trillion. That would make Obama’s claim a nearly $5 trillion whopper.

On the U.S. vs. The Rest of the World

Obama exaggerated the discrepancy between U.S. and foreign health care costs:

In fact, the U.S. spends nearly $7,000 per person total, or nearly $2,500 more than the next highest-spending country, according to the most recent completed data from the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development.

In Soap Box Ravings opinion the President of The United States needs to get his crap in one sock. Soap Box Ravings can not see why anyone would vote for a plan the man promoting it does not understand. Disregarding all of the talking heads, of either side, the presidents performance is to quote a term, "Piss Poor."

The full story may be found at:
http://www.factcheck.org/2009/07/obamas-health-care-news-conference/

The Great Oz, Behind The Curtain

Little Teddy Kennedy

The younger brother in a well to do family. Some of the Kennedy brothers were more heroic than others. However, in Soap Box Ravings opinion, Teddy was the most spoiled and the least heroic of the lot.

Teddy showed his mettle in the incident which killed Mary Jo Kopechne at the Chappaquiddick Bridge .

The media is doing their best to paint Senator Edward Kennedy as a super hero. In truth, he was the little brother trying to live up to the heroic achievements of his older brothers while trying to maintain his political position.

During his life, Edward Kennedy acted more like John Kerry than he did his older brothers. His brothers seemed to be more involved in doing what was "right" than in what was political although John and Bobby were political creatures.

Both Edward Kennedy and John Kerry seemed to operate more on looks than substance, generally a poor and embarrassing combination when viewed from a standpoint of honor, duty and country.

It would be a lot more appropriate if the media recognized him for the man he was instead of trying to make him a saint (lionize).

Musings On Health Care

Senator Edward Kennedy

Soap Box Ravings notes that under the proposed health plans being bandied about in Washington, DC, Senator Kennedy would most likely have died much earlier. An ordinary citizen of his age would not have received the medical treatment made available to him under these proposed health plans.

Soap Box Ravings would also like to bring to your attention the efforts of two other lawmakers, first Senator Tom Coburn:



Senator Tom Coburn MD, Oklahoma Republican, believes Congress should weigh the dangers of a nationalized health system much more seriously than it has. He successfully pressed the Senate Health Committee to approve his idea of requiring Members of Congress themselves to enroll in whatever "public plan" is passed to compete with private insurance companies.

His idea wasn't exactly greeted warmly by all committee members. Senator Jeff Bingaman (a lawyer) New Mexico Democrat, said "I don't know why we should require ourselves to participate in a plan that no one else needs to participate in. This bill goes to great lengths to show that the choice is there for everybody."

However, Senator Coburn disagreed, he said that his reading of the 1,000-page health care bill convinced him that everyone would end up being forced into the public plan as private insurance carriers were squeezed out of the market by mandates and regulations. Senator Coburn feels if Congress decides a government-run health plan is good enough for the American people, Congress should be willing to put itself under its care umbrella.

By a 12 to 11 margin, the Senate Health Committee agreed. Every Republican save for New Hampshire's Judd Gregg voted in favor of the Coburn mandate. Every Democrat except Senator's Dodd, Kennedy and Mikulski were opposed.

It would appear, many members of Congress already used to a generous and flexible set of health benefits have no intention of backing Senator Coburn's mandate and allowing it to become law.

And second, Representative John Fleming:



Congressman John Fleming MD, Louisiana Republican, has proposed an amendment that would require congressmen and senators to take the same health care plan they force on us (under proposed legislation they are curiously exempt).

Congressman Fleming is encouraging people to go on his Website and sign his petition: I have done that at:

http://fleming.house.gov/index.html.

For Those Of My Friends Who Feel Their President Has Let Them Down For One Or More Reasons

President Barack Obama, the sign says he is open for questions.

Soap Box Ravings would like to point out the following website for those Obama voters suffering a change of heart:

http://www.iamsorryivotedforobama.com/

The Stuff Of Legends

Soap Box Ravings presents this as a legend. Legend is defined as a non historical or unverifiable story handed down by tradition from earlier times and popularly accepted as historical. Many folks accept this as a fact, however, I am not able to verify the story hence the legend moniker.

A Letter From Granpa

No, I did not write this. It came to me from the Internet. If I knew who wrote it, I would be proud to give him or her full credit. I have found various renditions of this on the Internet but nothing giving the identity of the author.
Soap Box Ravings



John is 63 years old and owns his own business. He is a life-long Republican and sees his dream of retiring next year is now all but gone. With the stock market crashing and all the new taxes coming his way, John knows he will be working for many more years.

John has a Granddaughter, Ashley, a recent college graduate. Ashley drives a late model car, wears all the latest fashions, and also likes going out and
eating out a lot.

Ashley campaigned hard for Mr. Obama, and after he won the election she made sure
her Grandfather (and all other Republican family members) received more than an earful on how the world is going to be a much better place now that Obama won
the election.

Ashley recently found herself short of cash and cannot pay her bills, again. As she has done many other times in the past, she e-mailed her Grandfather asking for
some financial help.

Here is his reply:

Sweetheart,

I am replying to your request for more money.

Ashley, you know I love you dearly and am sympathetic to your financial plight. Unfortunately, times have changed. With the election of President Obama, your Grandmother and I have had to set forth a bold new economic plan of our own....the 'Ashley Economic Plan'.

Let me explain. Your grandmother and I are highly productive, wage-earning tax payers. We have lived a comfortable life and in return have forgone many things like fancy vacations, luxury cars, etc.

We have worked hard and were looking forward to retiring soon. But our plan has changed. Your president is significantly raising our personal and business taxes. He says it is so he can give our hard earned money to other people.

Do you know what this means, Ashley?

It means less income for us. Less income means we must cut back on many business and personal expenditures. Do you remember my Secretary, Mary? She always gave you candy when you visited my office. Did you know she worked for us for the past 18 years? I can't afford her anymore. That is a taste of the business side.

Some personal economic affects of Obama's new taxation policies include none other than you. You know very well that over the years we have given you cash, tuition assistance, food, housing, clothing, gifts, etc., etc.

By your vote, you have chosen another family over ours for help.

Judging from your Email requesting more money, I recommend you call 202-456-1111. That is the direct telephone number for the White House.

You, yourself, repeatedly told me I was foolish to vote Republican. You said Mr. Obama is going to be the people's president and is going to help every American live a better life. Based upon everything you have told me and things we heard from him as he campaigned, I am sure Mr. Obama will be happy to send you a check or transfer money into your checking account.

Have him call me for the transaction and account numbers, which by now I know by heart.

Perhaps you now can understand what I have been saying for all my life: those who vote for the president should consider what the impact of an election will be on the nation as a whole, and not just be concerned with what they can get for themselves (welfare, etc.).

What Obama voters don't seem to realize is all of the "government's" money that he he is “redistributing” to illegal aliens and non-taxpaying Americans (deemed "less fortunate") comes from tax money collected from income tax-paying families.

Remember how you told me, "Only the richest of the rich will be affected"? Well, guess what, honey? Because of our business, your Grandmother and I are now considered to be the richest of the rich.

On paper, it might look that way. But in the real world, we are far from it. But, as you said while campaigning for Mr. Obama, some people will have to carry more of the burden so all of America can prosper.

You understand what that means, right? It means that raising taxes on productive people results in them having less money. Less money for everything, including granddaughters!

Congratulations on your choice for "change". For future reference, I encourage you to attempt to add up the total value of the gifts and money you've received from us over the years, and compare it to what you expect to receive over the next four years from President Obama.

Remember, we love you dearly... but from now on you'll need to call The White House number 202-456-1111 when you need help..

Good luck, Sweetheart.

Love,

Grandpa