I've lived in Mtn Home since 1989, so that's...hold on...I'm thinking...WOW! Exactly 25 years! Boy, I think I can almost declare myself an Idahoan. But my family is British and I grew up in Louisiana around lots of other Brits so I still think I'm a little bit of a mutt. Those of you who have been around awhile may remember when I used to blog all the time. My opinions weren't very accepted and there was always an issue because I work for the county. That really wasn't fair because I NEVER blog at work! And I am still entitled to my opinions and thoughts about city and county issues, right? However, it stirred a lot of pots and those pots certainly can make a lot of noise! Since I'm a writer, I took what I wrote in my blog seriously so I spent a lot of time researching things which got exhausting to do when you're not even get a paycheck for it. So I stopped. That was a blessing to many! However, to this day, I still have people stop me and ask me why I wasn't blogging and t! hey missed it. I've missed it. Mainly because there are so many issues that come up and I have no voice except around my friends and I'm sure they are tired of it.

It's Unconstitutional! Throw it out!

Posted Tuesday, February 8, 2011, at 7:37 AM

"I must reluctantly conclude that Congress exceeded the bounds of its authority in passing the act with the individual mandate. That is not to say, of course, that Congress is without power to address the problems and inequities in our health care system. The health care market is more than one-sixth of the national economy, and without doubt Congress has the power to reform and regulate this market. That has not been disputed in this case. The principal dispute has been about how Congress chose to exercise that power here," Judge Vinson wrote of Pensacola Fl. "While the individual mandate was clearly 'necessary and essential' to the act as drafted, it is not 'necessary and essential' to health care reform in general," he continued. "Because the individual mandate is unconstitutional and not severable, the entire act must be declared void." Published January 31, 2011, FoxNews.com

Now here is a judge with some common sense! Finally, someone with some authority has made an important stand against a government that would mandate that it's citizens buy insurance. Oh, you may say that we are required by law to buy car insurance and therefore it must be declared void as well. Not the same thing! We are not required by law to buy a vehicle! So if we want to drive a vehcile on public roads, then by law, you must accept the responsiblity to buy insurance.

I have stated in the past that I am not against healthcare for those Americans who can't afford it. We've always had that! It's called Medicaid and Medicare! There are plenty of laws that protect citizens who walk into an ER that will make sure that they are given medical care without insurance. Most hospitals get funds from the local, state and federal levels and therefore are expected to offer people who are low income medical service at no cost or at a cheaper rate. People are also given plenty of time to make payments in order to pay off a bill.

WHY do we need a healthcare bill that is too long that the people who are voting on the HILL couldn't even read it? If you were buying a product or service, you are expected to read all of the paperwork that you sign connected to the buying of that service or product. It is not the job of the company or the Government to make sure that you do that. If you don't and become disenchanted with the product or service, you can't declare that you were "unaware" or "taken advantaged of" because you didn't read the paperwork! It is common sense that you would be an idiot if you signed paperwork or a contract willy-nilly without reading it! You get what you deserve. However, if you read the paperwork and disagree with a part of it, then the whole deal is voided when you refuse to sign it. Smart move!

We must continue the repeal. We must keep this healthcare bill from getting ahold of the nation. There are things that need fixing and we should address those issues one at a time. The rest of that BS can be thrown out for the welfare of a free people. No more riders, earmarks or government mandates! The people of America are not stupid.

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I agree Kim. Too many words and not enough action in addressing our problems by the government.

-- Posted by KH Gal on Tue, Feb 8, 2011, at 10:02 AM
Kim not everyone is eligible for Medicaid or Medicare and if you have no insurance and have to use the ER who pays? If the hospital writes it off who pays? If Medicaid or Medicare pays who in the long haul pays?

Wait until congress starts cutting and cutting the deficit who pays in the long run?

-- Posted by MsMarylin on Tue, Feb 8, 2011, at 10:31 AM
I got from the O'Reilly interview the other day that Obama really doesn't care what even the SCOTUS will say about obamacare. Seems as if this egomaniac sees this as his "legacy" and will do anything to push it on us, even though the majority of Americans don't want it and expressed this in thought, word, and deed, already.

2012 can't get here fast enough. Our only hope is that congress will challenge every issue of obamacare and that it will still be in the courts come late 2012.

-- Posted by Mtn.Homer on Tue, Feb 8, 2011, at 10:38 AM
I would just change that last sentence...

-- Posted by shockwave on Tue, Feb 8, 2011, at 10:52 AM
MsMaryin,

Who has always paid? Obamacare will do nothing to reduce the burden on the honest, taxpaying citizen. It will not reduce the cost of health care for those of us who have to pay for it.

-- Posted by jtrotter on Tue, Feb 8, 2011, at 11:36 AM
We can't win either way. If it doesn't pass those that have insurance will be paying higher premiums, just watch... If the poor don't have insurance who they going to get money from to cover their expenses?

-- Posted by MsMarylin on Tue, Feb 8, 2011, at 12:07 PM
well bazookaman,

I think Americans are waking up from their slumber and beginning to see what a nightmare not just obamacare will be, but other socialist policies from this administration as well. I was heartened last November when the House went so solidly back to conservative majority. We just can't give up the fight.... This is far from over yet, we must now vote conservative in the Senate and presidency as well.

-- Posted by Mtn.Homer on Tue, Feb 8, 2011, at 3:43 PM
I hope these conservatives you talk about have a magic wand to fix everything that is wrong with the Country now. I'm anxious to see how they fix our deficit, what cuts will pass and if you think its tough now, wait until the cuts are a done deal.....

-- Posted by MsMarylin on Tue, Feb 8, 2011, at 4:46 PM
Zook I don't think you will get everything you want. Wouldn't it be nice if we could have everything the way we see it ?

Republicans are no better then the Democrats, they are all self serving.....at least that's my opinion.

And I will not believe the Republicans will make things better for us until I see it has happened !

-- Posted by MsMarylin on Tue, Feb 8, 2011, at 8:20 PM
Great comments, folks. Marylin: there have always been hospitals who must offer free care or reduced cost care to those who fall below a certain income. Who pays for it? We do with the funding that these hospitals get from federal and state funds. These funds are there and don't change whether we have national healthcare or not. The county and cities of most states also fund the hospitals with programs that help those who can't pay. And if you don't fall below the "poverty" level, you can always set up payments and there isn't a hospital around that wouldn't gladly set it up to recieve monthly payments.

My hope is that people will stop thinking on the lines of Republican or Democrate. It is time for people to become just plain American Voter. We vote for those people who carry the same beliefs that we hold dear. Getting the long-term idiots out and replacing with fresh eager people who truly want to vote the way of the people is the only way to get our country back. I don't want to see REP. or DEM. but only the person and what they stand for. So I agree that there is still alot of housecleaning to do before we will see significant changes. The wonderful thing is that we are headed in the right direction since the last vote. We are becoming a force to be reakoned with. That is the most precious example to the young people that we can give. Majority must band together and RULE.

-- Posted by kimkovac on Wed, Feb 9, 2011, at 6:32 AM
Kim exactly my point "who will Pay" with or without health care we will pay. When they start cutting the deficit states won't be getting as much money as they are used to. They are already talking about cutting Medicaid and Medicare and you know they won't stop there. If the hospitals don't get the money from the government to pay off those bills what happens then?

Those that don't have a job how are they going to pay if they need to go into the hospital and funding is very limited for the poor?

I don't think they should throw out Obama's plan but throw out what won't work and get the bill workable so everyone will have health care coverage....

Do we have to be in the bottom for health care? Were in the bottom for education, and who knows what else.

Comparing states we are in the bottom for Mental Health, how we treat those with Mental problems.

Boise used to have a house for the Mentally ill to go to when they were having an episode. They could get their meds changed and get stabilized with out the big expense as having to go to Intermountain or St Al.s Well they did away with that and now when the Mentally ill have a full blown episode they go to St Al.s or Intermountain.... Most of them are on Medicaid or Medicare if they don't get treatment what happens to society when the mentally ill go untreated? If they would of kept the treatment house it would of been less costly....They plan on cutting more from the Mental Health Program. Who Wins?

Kim how would you like it if you didn't have a job and couldn't pay your hospital bill but they tell you they will write it off for you. Does that make you have pride? Will you feel good about yourself?

Everyone needs health care in this country, we need to take care of the unfortunate ones they are human too..

-- Posted by MsMarylin on Wed, Feb 9, 2011, at 8:59 AM
Kim:

we try to vote for the person instead of the party. There is too much division and blind devotion out there along party lines.

I lost my work health insurance this year. It is not easy to find a company to insure you when you have pre-existing conditions. I don't expect the government to fix it for me, but it would sure be nice if they would put something forward that actually helps all of us.

There is a great deal of greed in this country and unless we address that , nothing else will get done. And I don't mean redistributing wealth, I mean greed.

-- Posted by KH Gal on Wed, Feb 9, 2011, at 10:06 AM
Kim: "Your comment today" "And if you don't fall below the "poverty" level, you can always set up payments and there isn't a hospital around that wouldn't gladly set it up to recieve monthly payments."

I can't speak for today cause I don't know but in the past this local hosiptal didn't gladly set up any monthly payments to settle the bill. In fact they gave you 90 days to pay the bill in full or it got turned over to a Collection Agency.

-- Posted by Eagle_eye on Wed, Feb 9, 2011, at 1:00 PM
I know what I am taking about. I have lived through times in my life where I had no insurance and I know how frightening that can be. There was a short time that I used Medicare to help when I was pregnant. Another time when I had barely enough money to survive, I also was helped by the hospital because they do receive funds from the federal or state and therefore were required to set aside a certain amount for that purpose. Now, they didn't make it widely known cause what you don't know, you can act on. But if you specifically asked, and it was within the fiscal year and they had funds available, you could fill out the paperwork to see if you qualify. We did qualify and our bill was taken care of. I was able to use that once. Other times, I made payments; I know that there is a place for these programs and if not abused, it will help alot of people. However, I have also had a hospital bill that I had to pay. Yes, they use "scare tactics" to get you to pay within 90 days but if you talk to them and set up a sincere payment plan, they do work with you. As long as money is coming in every month, they are very happy. Sending someone to a collection agency was a long drawn-out process and little hope of the hospital ever seeing any money.

-- Posted by kimkovac on Wed, Feb 9, 2011, at 3:41 PM
I am not going to argue the point my comment was based on my own experience and I did talk to them and did make monthly payments and when the 90 days was up a collection agent starting calling me to pay the bill. I also know what I am talking about and I am not going into details of why I was there and why I got turned over to a collection agency.

-- Posted by Eagle_eye on Wed, Feb 9, 2011, at 4:23 PM
Zook get your story right........... STOP misleading people. Here's what actually happened

The Mustang Ranch was forfeited to the federal government in 1999 following Conforte's convictions for tax fraud, racketeering and other crimes. It was auctioned off and reopened five miles to the east under the same name but different ownership.

The Government took it away from them because they didn't pay their taxs . Government was never in the business to run the house !!

-- Posted by MsMarylin on Wed, Feb 9, 2011, at 10:42 PM
You would think the government would be professionals at this, they have been screwing the public forever. I heard they even claimed to have invented tang in the 60's.

-- Posted by skeeter on Thu, Feb 10, 2011, at 4:22 PM
One thing pops into my head our Government gave us MHAFB and without it where would Mountain Home be today? There's Jobs on the base and there's a rumor going around that the Saudi's want to double the housing & Construction from what was first reported because their bringing in more squadrons then anticipated.

They are the ones who will be paying for the construction, and with the construction comes more jobs

I would say the Government has been successful for us for over 70 years.

-- Posted by MsMarylin on Thu, Feb 10, 2011, at 7:15 PM
I don't think the government gave us the base. I think the hardworking people have been paying taxes to provide us with the base and all the jobs there. Just my opinion.

-- Posted by skeeter on Fri, Feb 11, 2011, at 6:30 PM
Well without our Government there would of been no Air Force Base here. They are the ones who decide not us. Just like our Government decided we should have the Saudi's here to train, even thought we pay taxes it wasn't our decision

-- Posted by MsMarylin on Fri, Feb 11, 2011, at 7:27 PM
Oh I thought you said the government "gave us" the base. Actually they can't give us anything without taking our tax money. We paid for the base. The fine men and women who worked til their fingers bled gave us the base. I don't think it was Divine Guidance from the government.

-- Posted by skeeter on Sat, Feb 12, 2011, at 6:37 AM
Skeeter

If you want to play the game of "lets get picky about words" then I will go with "the Government made the decision to let us have the base" lol ! Or GOD gave us the the Men and Women who worked til their fingers bled, that gave us the Government that Gave us the AFB, that gave AFB Jobs to people that needed work to feed their familys, and pay more taxes.........Did I miss anything or did I get it wrong?

-- Posted by MsMarylin on Sat, Feb 12, 2011, at 8:38 AM
Whats funny about the Air Force, is that they could offer so many more jobs for civilians out here, there are military guys that work at a gym. WHY? why isnt that another civilan job, they have guys in the military that are cooks, WHY? why arent there just civilian cooks?

-- Posted by shockwave on Sat, Feb 12, 2011, at 3:30 PM
I was not trying to play a word game. You missed my point. I was saying the government did not give us the base. They don't produce things. They confiscate money from the people. They need considerable watching.The primary reason we have the base here is air space, good weather, and large areas for bombing ranges. Beginning in the 60's through most of the 70's, aircrews dropped weapons that sometimes went 6 miles or more off of target.

-- Posted by skeeter on Sat, Feb 12, 2011, at 3:49 PM
And if our Government decided to put the MHAFB some place else where would Mountain Home be with out the base? I grew up on an AFB that doesn't even exist now days. Our Government leveled it. They give and they Take !!

-- Posted by MsMarylin on Sat, Feb 12, 2011, at 4:29 PM
I know you got the take part right, no arguments. I think it would have been another desert place that would have ended up with the base. Then some of us would be there.

-- Posted by skeeter on Sat, Feb 12, 2011, at 4:52 PM
lol, poor skeeter!

Now she will attempt to contort and twist your words like she does with others. I GET what you say skeeter! You don't need to clarify to anyone!

-- Posted by Mtn.Homer on Sun, Feb 13, 2011, at 8:04 AM
Skeeter

Don't pay any attention to Homer, he goes off his Meds from time to time and he just likes to stir up the pot. He always says he isn't going to respond to me, but there you go, he is back at it....... It likes me !!!! BTW Homer I seen where someone has a Nurse Homer for their care I sure hope it ain't you !

-- Posted by MsMarylin on Sun, Feb 13, 2011, at 8:34 AM
Glad you got my point Mtn. Homer. And maybe MsMarylin got it too and was just stirring the pot?

-- Posted by skeeter on Sun, Feb 13, 2011, at 8:58 AM
It is unfortunate that major bids are given to companies in far away places when local Idaho companies could have done it. That is a shame.

-- Posted by kimkovac on Mon, Feb 14, 2011, at 6:13 AM
BINGO!

-- Posted by Mtn.Homer on Mon, Feb 14, 2011, at 2:54 PM
Here's something for you all to sign and pass on to someone else...

http://act.credoaction.com/campaign/gop_healthcare_hypocrites/index2.html?rc=fb_...

-- Posted by MsMarylin on Tue, Feb 15, 2011, at 12:58 PM

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