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WASHINGTON (July 21, 2009) – Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) has lifted his “hold” blocking the nomination of Harvard Law School scholar and animal rights legal strategist Cass Sunstein for the post of regulatory czar in the Administration of his close personal friend, President Barack Obama.

Sen. Chambliss had blocked the nomination based on concerns of farm groups because of Sunstein’s strong animal rights beliefs, including support of stringent regulation of people who raise animals and a ban on hunting. Last week, however, Chambliss met with Sunstein and announced on the Senate floor that he had lifted the hold on the nomination. The Senator added that the way is now clear for the U.S. Senate to confirm Sunstein before its August recess.

The American Sporting Dog Alliance is urging all dog owners, hunters, firearms rights advocates, farmers and civil libertarians to take immediate action by urging the U.S. Senate to reject the Sunstein nomination to head the powerful Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) in the White House. Taking action now is of the utmost urgency.

Sunstein has the strong support of the Humane Society of the United States, which is the political arm of the radical animal rights movement, according to a July 15 statement by HSUS Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Michael Markarian in The Huffington Post. Referring to the regulations to implement the federal Animal Welfare Act, and new rules about animal fighting and importing dogs, Markarian wrote: “These kinds of legal changes are precisely why Americans need a regulatory czar like Cass Sunstein in charge of OIRA -- to make sure the federal agencies properly implement regulations to enforce these new laws.”

The Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) “reviews and alters regulations created by federal agencies,” according to Congress Daily.

Sunstein, who has published 15 books, would have broad powers to review, recommend changes and possibly engineer changes in all federal regulations, including those about dog ownership, farming, hunting on federal lands, and enforcement of gun control laws.

In his published writings and speeches, Sunstein has advocated:

Giving animal rights groups the power to file lawsuits on the behalf of animals against their owners.

Very strict regulations about animal ownership, farming and hunting.

The elimination of hunting.

The elimination of the individual right to keep and bear arms.

Moving toward a vegan vegetarian society.

Rewriting the Constitution and Bill of Rights.

And restrictions on free speech.

Each of those assertions will be documented later in this report by direct quotations from Sunstein’s published books and speeches.

The American Sporting Dog Alliance believes Sunstein would have a severely negative impact on dog owners, farmers, hunters, gun owners and civil libertarians – Indeed, to all Americans!

This is underscored by Sunstein’s status as a close personal friend and advisor to President Obama since they met in 1992, when Sunstein taught law at the University of Chicago. This will give Sunstein unprecedented influence and access to the President.

It is further underscored by numerous mainstream reports that Sunstein is slated to be President Obama’s next nominee to fill a vacancy on the Supreme Court. This adds to the urgency of convincing the Senate that Sunstein’s beliefs are un-American and in direct contradiction to the basic principles outlined in the Constitution and Bill of Rights.

Although Sunstein’s nomination had been blocked by Sen. Chambliss until last week, Government Executive reported that he actually has been working at the job in the White House on a daily basis.

FIGHT BACK LIKE YOUR SPORT DEPENDS ON IT!

*Become a member of the LRC.

*Become a member of the Sporting Dog Alliance: http://www.americansportingdogalliance.org/

*Strenghten the AKC by getting your pups registered and insist they do not compromise on our rights.

*Educate your buyers to the threats to purebred pet ownership they are facing.

*Call your legislators.

This is some scarey stuff. It is a THREAT to our rights & freedoms as Americans. We should all be very frightened.

Please don't ignore this or lull yourself into thinking it isn't going to happen or that someone else is taking care of it. It will take everyone of us fighting back.

Obama's choice of someone with HSUS connections gives the HSUS both the agenda and the pulpit. The foxes have just been handed the keys to the hen house. This man represents a large, wealthy lobby and he is being nominated to write law on their behalf. It's an outrage and very real threat.

This is a outrage and our country is slipping away from us, please act on this!!! I am more upset over the fact that this guy (Czar), wants this: Moving toward a vegan vegetarian society. No way, I think they should find a steak and potatoe guy to nominate!!
How about we ask them to nominate Ted Nugent???

he promised change........here it comes

While I am totally against a person such as this in ANY position of power, I wonder about the accuracy of the original article since Obama's "czars" do NOT need Senate approval to be selected. That has been one of the many ways in which Obama has been running roughshod over the Constitution in his appointment of more than 30 czars now. The are NOT put through the normal vetting process that other Cabinet appointees are and they answer ONLY to the president...

"Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely" This is the change we can believe in.....

No way will this czar make us become vegans...that's laughable!!! I do believe we have to fight to protect our canine interests however.

I am a foreign but in love with United States and travel a lot to your country.

I realy don't understand very well what is going on.

Does this mean that americans won't be allowed to have all the dogs they want?

It means no such thing, it just an opportunity for some to exercise their right to free speech to bash the president who they has no use for.

not really laughable....
if the tax on cattle carbon prints (cow farts) goes through I know many diaries and beef cattle producers that say they will just sell out.
With the National livestock ID laws the government wants to know every animal born on your farm, names of who they are sold to, and for what amount.
Small livestock farmers are starting to bail now.

So if you no longer have enough meat to support the country what will you eat?

All of this just to raise taxes......on the farmers.....oh yeah most of them are middle class families.

Seems this is more of a czar bashing than a president bashing. That being said, there is more than enough crap to bash our idiot of a president for.

THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT IT MEANS!!!DOG OWNERSHIP IS ALREADY RESTRICTED IN MANY AREAS OF THE COUNTRY & DOG OWNERSHIP RIGHTS ARE LOSING GROUND EVERYWHERE IN THE US.

See what I mean, good example!

This is an immediate and serious threat to pet owners and dog lovers in the US. Cass Sunstein represents the most radical, extremist views of the Animal Rights coalition. What he advocates is published and very clear. There is no soft peddling or sugar coating of what he intends to do, given the power to do it. Obama has not had this person recommended to him - he chose him precisely because of his personal work with Sunstein on issues. This is not a 'sky is falling' warning.

The HSUS a very powerful, well funded lobby organization that exists to end pet ownership, breeding of purebred animals, the elimination of any form of hunting or using animals for food production and is firmly behind the creation of this Czar post for the purposes of enforcement.

Do not let this become about Obama. It's a mute point. Elections have consequences and we have to deal with that now. Cass Sunstein is an extremist on the fringe of most anyone's beliefs. He is a radical who will no longer be advocating at a distance like the rest of us. He will be in the White House writing policy. A strong voice in the House and Senate is our best hope.

The parent clubs, the AKC and the now scrambling PAC organizations that represent us are all that stand between us and this destructive agenda. We must strengthen the membership and finances of these organizations or WE WILL LOSE THIS FIGHT.

He has admitted to wanting to re-write the Bill or Rights, to eliminate hunting, the right to bear arms, just to name a couple. Scary for our nation.

Gregg,

Name all the great things that this President has
accomplished! He is a talking piece for special
interest. You can only blame the past President
for so long. He talks a good talk, that is how he was elected, he has NO experience and it shows.
Get ready for a very difficult 4 years. Those that
do keep jobs will be paying through the nose for those that will not work! Hope you like carrots.
You are correct in that I have no use for him.

While everyone should be concerned about these powerful animal right's organizations, you should be equally concerned about what Government Run Health Care Program means. Middle Class to the Rich getting taxed at a higher rate is the least of our problems. Try looking at it from the stand point of how will we all be able to take care of our beloved Labradors if we can't get to the Drs in a timely fashion because there is a long wait due to shortage of primary care Drs.
My husband and his entire extended family grew up in Canada and many of them are still over there dying of diseases due to the long waits. The older you are the longer you wait. My grandmother died over there waiting for her surgery when it could have been prevented had she been in the United States on our health care system...you know, the health care where you get to pick and chose your own Drs and don't have to wait more months on end to walk in the door to be seen.
People, those of you who support Obama on his rush to get Health Care reformed, you will regret the day you voted for him. I am neither a dem or a Republican but a individual who cares deeply for our freedom, health of americans and the ability to take care of our dogs until the day I die .

Things you can do without becoming a political activist.

Register each puppy as it is sold:

Collect a check made payable to AKC from the buyer at the time of delivery. Fill out the registration application together and mail it in. No risk of limited becoming full and no name changes without a subsequent application.

Give your buyers information about HSUS and PETA and the threat that these organizations pose to the future of pet ownership. Some of my buyers have called and asked me to sponsor them in a walk-a-thon for HSUS! They were horrified to learn the real purpose of that organization. These organizations are made up of animal lovers who think they are doing good. They are out to recruit your own buyers - warn them!

Join the parent club and your local all breed club. There is strength and voice in dollars and numbers.

Donate $5.00 per puppy, or more if you can afford it, to an effective Political Action Committee such as the American Sporting Dog Alliance. Recruit others to do the same. A small membership fee will keep you informed about legislation. The money they receive will allow them to hire lobbyists to represent your interest!

Secondly know how your district representative or candidate stands on issues. The House of Representatives is more easily replaced through grass roots efforts and the change can happen is as little as two years.

Most frightening is the denial and complacency that runs through our own. It is hard to imagine that someone we voted for or like would set out to do so much harm. But unless we want every aspect of our sport decided by those who hate what we do, we'd better snap out it.

Thank you and we can blame this President!!! He wants the nomination of this liberal idiot. Wake up Gregg, this is bad stuff and this country is being run by Liberal idiots, we will never recover from the damage they are doing and will do to our Rights as Americans.
We have every right to be alarmed and pissed at the President to his nomination of Liberal Idiots!!! Since when should wildlife and dogs have legal rights?
Maybe that is the new Change, they have legal rights, and we the people have no rights Does that make sense to you Gregg??? Like they said in our early birth of this country, " Don't Tead On Me"!!!!

I think we all need to work on educating as many as we come in contact with about the reality of what is going on before it is too late. Call our elected officials and if they don't respond, work that they are not re-elected again.

As for the health care--middle class is all ready supporting all the welfare people. So, why should the middle class be surprised that we're expected to do more. Take from those who have and give to those who don't have. Health insurance is not a right. We've been without health care for most of our lives and we have learned how to not participate in risky life-styles and to work on staying healthy.

That is fine if one already has health care either through their employer or a private policy. For the 46 million who do not have health care that is another story. A person might think that those 46 million are either too lazy to work or too cheap to buy it but in most cases that is not the case. Our daughter has a pre-existing condition and she cannot get a policy because she works a Temporary position she cannot get covered at work and no company will write her, she is just out of luck. To date we have had to cover her expenses out of pocket to help her out.
In the Canadian example above, here in the US we will always have a choice no matter what. If either private/government run system will not pay for a particular treatment or we feel the wait is too long, we are free to go to the doctor of our choice, get the treatment of our choice, assuming you are willing to pay for it out of your pocket.

I have always made sure my family was covered by health insurance that we pay for ourselves currently at $7000 a year.

To do this we work hard and fore go many luxuries, such as a new car every year with bling bling or a bigger than life flat screen TV with HD.

We all have choices just because some people choose badly should not mean I should have to pay for them.
Always burns my toast to see those getting the free food from local churches drive off in a $40K car

What if you could not get insurance due to a pre-existing condition? I pay $7,100 per year as my part of the premium at work. The total premium amounts to close to $13,000 a year.
Two of my wife's brothers, our youngest daughter, as well as our oldest son, his wife and 4 children cannot get insurance period due to pre-existing conditions. Just as a note, none of them drive a $40,000 car.

those with out insurance can get medical care. They will need to have money up front and most surgeons will discount for cash. Take the money that would normally go into health insurance and save it so when an emergency comes up there is the cash.

I have a family member with no insurance, due to lack of work ability. I have yet seen him or his kids go with out care. they walk into the emergency room and get care with a $25 a month payment.

Gregg, I'm sorry your daughter cannot get insurance and I know you are thinking about her in this thread, but how is forcing ALL Americans to take an experimental health care system that is trying to be rushed through better than what we have now?

I work and have health insurance. I DO NOT want to give that up. If I need to go to the doctor I go. I can call up that day and usually get right in. It costs me $20.

I'm sure you've looked into disability or medicare for your daughter. There is help out there. But please DO NOT advocate taking away MY choices of drs and insurance! We start doing that, what other rights are we giving away? We will then be moving closer and closer to that socialist society many have warned about. THIS IS ABOUT AMERICA, WHERE WE ARE FREE TO MAKE OUR OWN CHOICES!!

Yes, sometimes that is true but all of us pay for it. In reality we do have univeral care just without the price controls. One who goes without health insurance is crazy to ever try to have anything.
Some surgeons will discount for cash, others will not. Some folks just don't have cash as it is taking everything they have just to survive.

Hi Greg, I hear your frustration with some of your relatives not being able to get health insurance due to pre existing conditions. Here is my problem with what I predict will happen when we are forced onto Governement Run Health Care....my husband has worked for Boeing for 26 years now. I was 6 months pregnant when he first took his Boeing Position and their health insurance covered my pre existing condition. Now lets say everyone is covered through the new Governement Run Health Care Program once they pass it...Now I predict that most companies like Boeing will drop our " Good Health Care Insurance " because why would they want to pay billions of dollars in premium when the tax payers ( gov run health care ) will pay for all their employer's health care ? This is the crux of Obama's Health Care Plan. He tells all of Americans that we WILL have a choice to keep our same health care or come on board with his great Government Health Care. Duh...Now the problem will be, there is no more competition for all the current Health Care Insurance Companies which will eventually run them out of business including Regence, our health Care through Boeing. Can't everyone see how this is going to play out in the end ? Obama is not stupid but he thinks we all are. Just because the president promises us something verbally, does not make it true.

You would still have your choice of keeping your insurance and your doctor, this gives others a choice of living or possibly dying.
My youngest is not eligible for either one. She has worked her whole life, just got out of college and due to the economy, cannot find a position that offers insurance much less one in her chosen field. Because of a particular situation, BC/Bs has determined that they do not want to write her.
Deb's middle brother works for himeslf, again due to a prior health issue, he cannot get insurance.
Her younger brother due to his wife's high blood pressure cannot get written.
My oldest son lost his job in this reccesion, because his wife has Turetts, him, his wife, and 4 children now are without insurance.
I will try to retire next year but because Deb is younger and has high blood pressure, I am wondering if can get her written, if not, forget retiring as we cannot go without.
No one needs to tell me about our wonderful health care system, I see it 1st hand! I do agree, they are trying to push it too fast and not really looking at all the details. In addition, there is just too much "special interest money" in the picture.
Until one actually faces some of these situations you do not realize just how restrictive our current system is. To have pay out of pocket for any procedure, you might as well sign the rest of your life away.

I for one would give up my private BC/BS health care if everyone in my family could get covered, public or private, I would not care.
To go without health care in this day in time is only one step from financial ruin do to the unbelievable costs of even a simple procedure.

I would want the chance to CHOOSE if I wanted to go social or stay with my private chosen doctors.

Once the chance is made none of us will have a choice any more, we will be just like Canada the older you get the longer you wait for good care. very sad.

You can't argue with faith, so it isn't going to matter to some that the 46 million uninsured is a number pulled out of a hat. The number is pure fiction. Factoring in undocumented illegal aliens the number may reach 20 million but it's estimated by hospitals that more than half of the uninsured are not legals citizens. Additionally, smaller and smaller percentages of people seen in an ER have true emergencies. They are going in for a rash or a migraine knowing they cannot be refused treatment.

As an employer who pays 80% of the employee AND their dependent's premiums, I still have employees that elect to go without it. They want a larger take home pay and because they know they cannot be refused treatment in an ER, they do not believe they are putting their families at risk.

Pre-existing clauses are part of the fundamentals of insurance and shared risk. If we all bought flood insurance as the river was coming out of the bank, there would be no funds to save one house, let alone cities.

There are many ways to stimulate business to offer plans and contribute larger percentages to the premiums without changing a single thing about the way the American health care system operates. That's not what this is about.

I'm sorry this thread was sidetracked. But, for those who want to convince us that a federal health care system would improve the quality of care for us, ship your boy's next collection by the US Postal Service. Let us know how it goes.

This is just not true....yes our fearless president says this in his wonderful speeches, but it is written buried deep with in that those of use who pay for health insurance, once you are dropped or try to change providers are no longer eligible and must go with the system.

one big government run monopoly.

Yes, those of us that fall into the 83.5% that have pretty decent jobs (don't fall into the 9.5% unemployed or the 7.0 working part time or just plain given up, there is no employment problems. If people would get off their lazy buffs and just go to work.
Those of us that are comfortable in our homes and not one of those one out of 200 and something that are in some stage of foreclosure, there is not a housing problem. If folks would have just bought something they could have afforded or not signed on to one of those adjustable rate mortgages, there would be no issue. Never mind maybe someone in the family got laid off, they did not have insurance and got overwhelmed by doctor/hospital bills.
For those that have health insurance through their company, there is not a health care issue, never mind those that do not or cannot get health insuance due to things like high blood pressure, diabetes, some female issues, over weight more than 20% over the recommended for your sex/height and many other numerous things that might/could effect profitability.
Let's all just live in our little glass houses and pray that nothing happens to us!

I weigh well over 20% of my ideal weight and have NEVER been denied health coverage. I think your arguments are becoming a little outrageous now Gregg.

For the MAJORITY of people, there is not a problem. Inevitibly some people will fall through the cracks, but with the new system, many many more will fall through those cracks! I do not want my right to private insurance taken away!

What I find sad about your reasoning is that you want to decrease the quality of your life rather than raise the quality of life for your family. If we lose private health care (and we will lose it) you will share your family's lot.
Ever been to a 'free' clinic? I had to use them when we were first starting out. They are shabby, cumbersome and dirty places full of incompetence but they're 'free'. You can't want that for everyone?
No one who is facing an illness would elect those clinics over private care.

Why not wait to give up your BC/BS until congress mandates the same coverage they are offering us for themselves and federal employees? Better yet, ask them to replace BC/BS with their own policy. They won't. They know GHC is a financial debacle with measley rationed care.

"I weigh well over 20% of my ideal weight and have NEVER been denied health coverage. I think your arguments are becoming a little outrageous now Gregg."

E-mail me privately and I'll send you a copy of my daughters rejection letter from BC/BS through ALPHA. If you are employed and get insurance within the group it is no issue.

Greg is making some good points.My son spent ONE NIGHT in the hospital with atrial fibrillation and it cost him almost $10,000 --- and that was seven years ago! The doctor reduced his fee to $500 but the hospital wouldn't budge an inch, AND hospitals bill insurance companies far less than individuals. My son was working two jobs at the time for a total of about 70 hours/week, but neither job would hire him full time because then they'd have to offer health insurance. He sure as heck makes sure he has coverage now, but he'll be paying off his bill for years to come. Oh, and his current company just switched insurance plans and, although his cardiologist told him he was still covered at his June visit, now the billing office is claiming otherwise. They want him to pay $800. Eight hundred dollars. At those rates, who can afford to go to the doctor's without insurance???

You're right, Greg. When you have good medical insurance you don't notice (or care about) the poor suckers who aren't quite as lucky.

By the way, I have excellent insurance and I'd hate like heck to lose it; but I'd hate it even worse if people like my son have to suffer because I'm unwilling to at least LISTEN to new ideas. Don't damn the plan until we know for sure what the deal actually is. Right now paranoia is the name of the game on both sides of the argument. There has to be a middle ground so everyone is covered without harming the quality of our care.

Barb

Well thankfully I just heard on the news that Obama's approval ratings are already slipping as is public support for his reform.

There have been times I've been without insurance, especially when I was younger. I've held part-time jobs that offered insurance. Eventhough some have had high deductables, I've been seen in the ER and when I got the bill from the hospital, there was a number to call to arrange payments or for financial assistance. My entire remaining bill of over $1000 was totally written off!

However, when I was in my 20s, single, no insurance and no kids, I needed a root canal ($1,500). I could NOT get any government assistance UNLESS I had kids. Ok now how messed up is that? But sadly here our state rewards those who have kid after kid with stay at home moms and fathers who are no where in site. Many people abuse the system because they know the more kids they have, the more money each month they'll get. I think welfare reform would be more prudent then health care reform at this time!

To be more specific, each sex has a recommended weight range. Anything over 20% above that is considered obese. In our daughters case at 5' 6" that equates to 187 pounds. It is a well known fact, anyone one who is obese is a greater health risk. Because BC/BS is a private for profit company, they chose not to write her, well within their right. Upon her family doctors certification that she has lost below that number, they would gladly reconsider.

Well I am the height but well above 187, not young anymore, but have NO weight related health problems, in fact, thankfully, no health problems at all.

I am not sure that being overweight necessarily increases your risks for health problems, especially after watching the documentary: "Fat, what they don't tell you". However I do think there is a HUGE weight bias in this country. If the insurance companies can find a way not to cover someone and get away with it, then so be it.

Pro Choice said, " Many people abuse the system because they know the more kids they have, the more money each month they'll get. I think welfare reform would be more prudent then health care reform at this time!"

Exactly right Pro Choice. Much of the problem with rising costs of both insurance and medical care has to do with the glutteny of " Illegal Allians " coming in and taking advantage of the system...the use of OUR TAXES . A good example of this is the state of financial affairs in the state of California. I spent quite a bit of time in South Cal when I was younger and my brother and his family has spent his entire life in South California. They know how frustrating it is to live in a state where they work their butts off to live the American Dream, own a nice home, put their girls in a good school district, pay for health insurance, car insurance. Do you think all the illegal aliens buy health insurance and pay for car insurance ? Hell No. They pay cash for their cars and do not have driver's license. Where does this sense of entitlement come from anyway ?
When it was time for my brother's girls to go to college, the girls had moved out on their own to be more independant. They tried to get student loans and were denied at every turn they took. If you are an illegal immigrant or a lazy butt with no aspirations in life, you have more benefits from the government ( again, our taxes at their disposal ) than do the hard working legal citezens. The illegals are draining the system but do you see Obama spending his energy trying to solve the illegal immigrant problem and re-vamp our welfare system ? Before it's over with, Obama is going to sign a bill that will allow all illegals immunity once they step foot in America soil.
Greg, maybe you need to change health insurances. There are more health insurances out there than not who will accept you and your family members who have something as wide spread as high blood pressure.
You keep repeating the fact that Obama will give us a choice to keep our current health insurance or go with the Government. Again, the Government Insurance is going to force all the other major health insurance companies out of business. That is simple business.
I always wanted to know why Obama and Michell allowed his mother to die from her illness. He claimed that she died because she couldn't afford health insurance. What the heck kind of son who is making as much money as he and Michelle were making would not offer to purchase his mother health insurance ? This was his ploy that 2 yrs he was campaigning the need for a reformed Health Care. Does anyone else find this an odd thing in hein sight or is it just me ?
I feel as if Obama needs to spend more time reforming the problem with illegal aliens and their snotty little attitudes about self entitlement and this goes for all the low life white dead beats using the system and anything in between.
How has our Government allowed people to get by with irresponsible behavior like young girls getting knocked up time and time again so they can live off welfare. They are rewarding this type of behavior. Why is the Government allowing illegal pregnant women to come over to the states to have their babies and low and behold, the babies are now American Citezens so they just stay here in the states, living off of our taxes ? Something is very jaded about the way our Government has run our country all these years. To think of our Government running our Health Care System scares the crap out of me.

Gregg- I am a physician that follows this forum and I think you are spot on. I am seeing an increasing number of good hardworking people who cannot afford health insurance and cannot get coverage. I had a recent patient, uninsured (diabetic, could not get insurance) who was 62 and did not qualify yet for medicaid. His whole life savings was $100,000 plus his house. He developed an infected foot and did nothing about it because he was afraid of going to the ER because of cost. He got septic and needed an emergency amputation. Surgeons fees are waived, hospital cost reduced (not waived), but he now needs a nursing home and rehab. Cannot qualify for any assistance until his assets are pretty much all gone. It is tragic. There needs to be some sort of safety net for those in between poverty and wealth. It is heart breaking and I see it every day. I certainly don't have all the answers, but from inside the system I can tell you it is broken!

yes the system is broke but his ideas are not the answer. It will take away the right for me to choose you as a doctor. I will be forced to go to however is on shift at the time. And be forced to accept the care be it good or bad. I wont have CHOICES

Really you lack a basic understanding of finance. That $ 1,000 was not really "written off" but moved to what's called Allowances for bad debt. This amount is budgeted each year and becomes part of their pricing schedule. So that $1,000 was actually paid by other customers of that hospital. On a normal business thay probably turned you away from the ER because you were a poor credit risk, much like the insurance companies turn away applicants. But because they by law cannot turn anyone away, someone else gets to pay your bill. Maybe Barbara's son is paying for part of your bill in that $10,000....:o)

Well that is not really true. "If" you were willing to pay for different services out of YOUR pocket, I'm sure that would be available.

Thank you!
Just for everyone's info, I am employed, have pretty decent insurance, own our home plus another one but I see a huge problem in our health care system or lack of one for many people. In the case you brought up, the public will end up paying more in the long run because the poor gentleman you spoke of could not afford to get timely care. I see this happening every day, not only within my family but also with the employees that work for me. Even though our company provides a good insurance plan, it is expensive for the employee (family plan $710.00 a month, their share out of pocket), some just cannot afford it so they either go without or go to the emergency room so they can add that amount to some else's bill. It is a real problem, getting bigger, and something different has to happen.

No I actually had insurance at that time, just not that good of insurance (high deductable). I just happened to be working only part time and that was money I couldn't really afford to pay at the time. The hospital had a seperate "charity" fund that was kind of scholarship fund. I qualified for it and that money went to the hospital.

Momentary reprieve:
CLICK HERE

I've got to say that I've not read all the posts, but there has got to be something done with healthcare. My dad has just had a serious, on going illness. He has VERY good insurance, but I wish that everyone could see the details on his bills. A 15 min. consultation with his primary doctor was 250 bucks..just to ask him a few questions about his mental capacity. His bills are pages and pages long. When I looked at the bills, I could not believe it. The total bill was WAY over 100,000 dollars. Believe me I am glad the he has good insurance, but I think the doctors take advantage of the fact that he does. On the other hand my nephew works for the city...they pay for his insurance, but not for his families' It would be close to 700 dollars a month. He only makes a couple of K. He can't afford that!!. So, his wife and children have no insurance. Yes they have other options, but they are limited. We should all have the same access to health care. I certainly understand the many years of medical training for doctors, and they do deserve a VERY good salary, but this is all haywire. I don't have answers, I wish I did, but it is a sad state of affairs.

Do you really think that a government that has a bankrupt social security program will be able to adequately care for YOU with its universal healthcare program?

What's really sad is that the HMO model could have worked if it wasn't for the greed of CEO's in the insurance industry. The government did nothing to crack down on the nefarious ways insurance companies withheld healthcare for their insured and reimbursements to their providers. That's because there are big lobbyists for the insurance companies. And...lobbyists fund elections.

It's also pathetic that Obama and his buddies refuse to address tort reform...why? they are all a bunch of lawyers; they are not going to cut their own throats.

What has driven up health costs...? 1. A huge illegal immigrant population that is flooding the health care system. 2. Greedy insurance executives that are self-serving and who have devised ways to skim more and more from the system. 3. Greedy lawyers who are working the system and who have build entire practices on unjustified malpractice cases.

And don't dare say the doctors and the hospitals....when you have people who have spent 10 years doing post graduate work go out of business and when you see hospitals closing their doors, because reimbursements from insurance companies won't make ends meet, you know that there will be little incentive but our brightest students to go into medicine....they will become CEO's of health insurance companies, or...they will get big salaries running Obama's Universal Health program.

It's pretty sad when my plumber gets $90.00/ hour to just set foot in my door, my local vet gets $170.00 for a well puppy visit, a fecal and a heartworm pill and my poor dentist gets a $25.00 reimbursement from the insurance company for a checkup. And...it's only going to get worse under a Universal Health Care plan. You get what you pay for...and if you want $25.00 medicine, that is what you are going to get.

"A 15 min. consultation with his primary doctor was 250 bucks..just to ask him a few questions about his mental capacity. His bills are pages and pages long. When I looked at the bills, I could not believe it. The total bill was WAY over 100,000 dollars."

But....you have NO idea what the actual reimbursements were. ASK the primary doctor what he actually received.

Debbie, what would happen if it had been your nephews wife that had been in the hospital?

My Dad died when I was 12 so we had no health insurance growing up. Didn't know we were suppose to have it! We made due and worked to stay healthy. We did not smoke, exercised, ate correctly.

My husband and I both have been self employeed. Who can afford the premiums? We choose to eat correctly, not participate in high risk life styles.

My concern as all ready spoked--how on earth can we trust a government that has bankrupted SS? Personally, I'd rather just die than be kept alive by all these drugs. I don't fear dieing. We have all our paperwork in order. Why pay outlandish doctor bills? Pleeze!!!!!!!!!

Gregg, I, too am sorry that your daughter has a pre-existing condition.

He was paid every cent of it. 250 dollars for 15 mins. He also insisted on coming to the nursing home instead of my dad going there because it would have been 35 co-pay at his office, but it was over 100 at the nursing home. Dad was capable of going to the office. My dad did not pay any of the 100,000 bill, and none of the nursing home bill. I said he had good insurance. He worked over 30 years for the US post office. Maybe offering good insurance is why they are going broke. I worked 30 years as a teacher..I have to pay for my insurance. It's about 200 dollars a month,for just myself, but it has a high deductible. I'm saying they charge as much as they can because people with insurance will pay for those that don't. Again, everyone needs healthcare of some sort. I do know that a lot of it goes back to illegal aliens, etc., but it's not fair to deny legal residents healthcare!! Oh and this didn't come up in the last 7 months. It's been around a long time.

Honestly, Gregg I don't know what would have happened. I guess Medicaid????? Their little boy had some medical isssues. I'm not sure what they did.
I just think everyone, if eligble deserves equal healthcare. You shouldn't lose everything you have to pay medical bills.

I don't disagree with anything you said but according to the AARP the doctors and hospitals get 71% of our health care dollars. There are many reasons why the hospitals are part of the problem. One of the big ones is duplication of services. Each feels they must be all things to all people which requires a lot of capital investment where money could have been spent much better in other areas. Another issue is the pay scale of upper management plus bonus's. A Hospital Administrator on average, will make 2 to 3 times the amount of a Manufacturing Manager, both have similar responsibilities. With the doctors, that is a whole story on to itself. As been mentioned many times in the news, they get paid by procedure not by resolving the issue. I really don't blame the doctors or hospitals, the system is just set up that way.
I'm sorry but with 71% of our dollars going to these two areas, it is ripe for being part of the problem.

I hope you can open this. It explains what might happen with Oboma's new Health Care Reform. This was started by no other then "Michelle".
http://www.foxnews.com/video/index.html?playerId=videolandingpage&streamingFormat=FLASH&referralObject=7217818&referralPlaylistId=949437d0db05ed5f5b9954dc049d70b0c12f2749

First Fox and the word "news" really don't go together. They aren't interested in being impartial. If you believe every story you see there is total truth you are pretty naive.

Second Michelle no long runs the hospital or the program so get over that one. Third have you ever been to a hospital ER? It is not uncommon to wait 3 hours especially if you have something minor like a sprain, sore throat, ear ache, etc.

I am in a health care field and I can tell you the poor ARE misusing the ER as the ER is not the appropriate place to be seen for sore throats, colds, ear infections, etc. Those should be seen at a primary care setting where cost of seeing them is MUCH lower, there is someone who is familiar with them and their family and there is continuity of care.

Thank you Gregg for your knowledge and understanding. Something must be done. I believe that decent health care should be a right rather than a privlege.
Why is it that this country can spend trillions on an unjustifiable war,not to mention thousands of lives lost, yet when the subject of health care for it's citizens is brought up all he** breaks lose? Could it that it's coming from the "wrong" side of the fence?
Doctors..example, my husband had an x-ray taken and blood work done at our local hospital. He was referred to a specialist, he ordered the same x-ray and blood work that was done at our local hospital. Did the specialist get a kick back from the hospital where the 2nd tests were done??? I don't know but that is definately a question that needs to be answered. I can't believe all the horrible things that are said about our President. Why is it you never hear any hate things from the other side???? This is America, why do some people have to be filled with so much hate? We need fair health care. JMHO

Of course people misuse the ER! And one of the most under used places is the urgent care centers! When my brother recently needed medical care on a Sunday afternoon, I told him to go to the urgent care instead of the ER as I knew he'd be waiting for hours. He was seen within 10 minutes! He told me it wasn't even that busy. But then he also has insurance, but I can't imagine those who are uninsured thinking it would be cheaper to go to the ER vs. urgent care.

You know, the same thing was done when Bush was president except from the other side. It is really confusing to me how someone can consider themselves a patriotic American and bash our president, no matter who he/she might be. I disagreed with Bush on several things just as I don't agree with Obama on some items, that is my right. It is fine to disagree on an issue but some folks just carry things too far.
Just to be honest, anyone that thinks there is not a problem in our health care system is completely out of touch.

Breeder XXV, what you are perceiving as hate towards the president is most likely people's frustration and resentment. I have alot of heated resentment towards americans and illegals who have a sense of entitlement. Why in the world do we want our governement to run our lives so we are so freegin dependant on them that we don't even know how to be independant ?
I also think it depends on which side of the economic scale you are on. If you below the middle class income and don't have any plans to financially grow, then " Free Health Care " without having to pay the high taxes is a win win. I'm not going to be so gullable to believe Obama when he says that only the wealthy or people making $250,00 or more will be the ones to pay the highest taxes to cover the health care and massive debt load the government owes since the market crashed last year. It's going to eventually come out of any middle class american's check.
My biggest beef and fear is this current president and his administration not taking care of the illegal immigration system so they are not draining all the states they sneak into. There are plenty of people who come over to the states legally. They go through the process and pay their dues so why can't everyone else who want to become an american citezen ?
This idea of rewarding the lazy people who have zero motivation in life to improve their lives and punishing the hard working middle class to wealthy people is fundamentally wrong. The health care system is broken, most people will agree. It's the way that it's now being handled that has many americans up in arms, all the while doing nothing to stop the illegal immigrants from sucking the system dry.

"First Fox and the word "news" really don't go together. "


they are about the only ones that tell it like it is are not government run. wake up people or we will be one huge pasture full of socialist cows that will not have ANY choices.

Thank you. I was just ignoring that comment from the Obama enthusiast Fox is one of the few channels that show the truth. How many national news stations have actually said anything about the Obama new Czar???? I haven't heard anything on that subject, because they want to hide it from the public if you ask me. It is just as much news as the new health care bill of Obama's.

Re Independant...I have worked all my life and had excellent health care and don't fall under the classifacation of an illegal or a lazy person. I believe all U.S. citizens deserve to have decent health care. Rich or poor.
It is my understanding that anyone that is satisfied with their current health care can keep it.
I should not have put the statement about hate and lies under this post. I simply meant anyone who believes the hate and lies that come out of Glenn Beck or Rush Limbaughs mouths.
The middle class has always been the people who pay the most taxes, why not allow the richer ones to at least pay their fair share?
I will not post again, but I will always believe everyone should be able to get decent health care. You won't change my opinions, I won't change yours.

Just as you are entitled to your opinion, so is the likes of Glen and Rush. I, for one, love to hear their opinion on subjects as well as what they uncover about subjects we should all know about, yet the liberal media tends to hide. And don't think for one minute, that our media isn't control primarily by liberals. I am so sick of this new administration and what it is beginning to stand for: Animals Rights. Just today my local newstation has ran three different stories all talking about what Animals Rights people want. The first was warning labels on Hot Dog saying they cause cancer, the second is trying to tell Madison Square Garden not to allow Ringling Bros Circus there because they use sticks and whips to keep animals intimidated (well hell if you work with wild animals you HAVE to keep them intimidated), and finally they are worried about the new animated movie that has computerized Guinea Pigs it for fear people will all run out and buy Guinea Pigs. OH BOY! Where is this country going when the AR people now have their pulpit: The liberal controled media, with a sympathetic presidential administration.

And as for taxes, if you think the rich should pay more taxes, I have to share my favorite story with you. Why can't they be entitled to what it is they earn without being unfairly taxed or have to pay for all the lazy americans and all the illegals? It's their money, they earned (and yes I have a good friend who is very rich-the taxes he paid this year were about what I make and I am in the middle class category).

Anyway, I love this story, really puts things into perspective:
"The wealthy pay most of the taxes, so it should be no surprised that they get a larger percentage of the tax cut total back! It is only fair.

——

Suppose that every day, ten men go out for beer and the bill for all ten comes to $100. If they paid their bill the way we pay our taxes, it would go something like this:

The first four men (the poorest) would pay nothing.
The fifth would pay $1.
The sixth would pay $3.
The seventh would pay $7.
The eighth would pay $12.
The ninth would pay $18.
The tenth man (the richest) would pay $59.
So, that’s what they decided to do. The ten men drank in the bar every day and seemed quite happy with the arrangement, until one day, the owner threw them a curve. ‘Since you are all such good customers, he said, ‘I’m going to reduce the cost of your daily beer by $20. Drinks for the ten now cost just $80.

The group still wanted to pay their bill the way we pay our taxes so the first four men were unaffected. They would still drink for free. But what about the other six men – the paying customers? How could they divide the $20 windfall so that everyone would get his ‘fair share?’ They realized that $20 divided by six is $3.33. But if they subtracted that from everybody’s share, then the fifth man and the sixth man would each end up being paid to drink his beer. So, the bar owner suggested that it would be fair to reduce each man’s bill by roughly the same amount, and he proceeded to work out the amounts each should pay.

And so:

The fifth man, like the first four, now paid nothing (100% savings).
The sixth now paid $2 instead of $3 (33%savings).
The seventh now pay $5 instead of $7 (28%savings).
The eighth now paid $9 instead of $12 (25% savings).
The ninth now paid $14 instead of $18 (22% savings).
The tenth now paid $49 instead of $59 (16% savings).
Each of the six was better off than before. And the first four continued to drink for free. But once outside the restaurant, the men began to compare their savings.

‘I only got a dollar out of the $20,’declared the sixth man. He pointed to the tenth man,’ but he got $10!’

‘Yeah, that’s right,’ exclaimed the fifth man. ‘I only saved a dollar, too. It’s unfair that he got ten times more than I!’

‘That’s true!!’ shouted the seventh man. ‘Why should he get $10 back when I got only two? The wealthy get all the breaks!’

‘Wait a minute,’ yelled the first four men in unison. ‘We didn’t get anything at all. The system exploits the poor!’

The nine men surrounded the tenth and beat him up.

The next night the tenth man didn’t show up for drinks, so the nine sat down and had beers without him. But when it came time to pay the bill, they discovered something important. They didn’t have enough money between all of them for even half of the bill!

And that, boys and girls, journalists and college professors, is how our tax system works. The people who pay the highest taxes get the most benefit from a tax reduction. Tax them too much, attack them for being wealthy, and they just may not show up anymore. In fact, they might start drinking overseas where the atmosphere is somewhat friendlier.

David R. Kamerschen, Ph.D.
Professor of Economics, University of Georgia"

very good representation.

most of that money that supported our charity will end up overseas.....oh well....everyone wanted change.

Breeder XXV- Amen, with you 100%. This conversation is pretty much fruitless. It just gives people a place to vent is all. No one's mind is going to be changed on either side of the aisle on a Labrador Breeder's Forum! You are either going to be preaching to the choir or offending someone. Half of my family is liberal, and half conservative. We don't talk about politics at family gatherings because there is no point and it just gets everyone worked up. The place to do something about it (no matter what your opinion is) is to get involved-call your senators, reps, etc., vote, volunteer, go to political meetings, whatever-it really doesn't do much in this venue. JMHO

This debate is a good example of why we are fighting for our right to breed and show our dogs. The same arguments that have been made to support a government take over of 1/6 of the U.S. Economy are being used against us.

Abused animals are publicly paraded and exploited as examples of our sins. We are characterized as greedy, ruthless monsters with only a desire to win. We have no more feeling for our dogs than we do for an old hand towel. Poor medical science is over wrought trying to cure the diseases we've created. Shelters and pounds are nothing more than landfills for our excess profits. Doesn't matter if it is true or pure propaganda. It is meant to prime the pump. If AR activists are successful in convincing Americans that this is who we are, we will lose our dogs.

Joseph Goebbels was a master of this tactic. He succeeded in making otherwise normal people comfortable with killing. But first he had to vilify the insane, the retarded, the old, the slow, the Jews, the Catholics and even the ugly. Once he had made these groups monsters, there was tolerance for government solutions.

It's interesting to hear some of you do the same to institutions and people that you don't like and have only third hand information about. You demand that people richer than yourself insure and pay medical expenses for people they don't know. You aren't satisfied to save their lives in an emergency, you demand others remove their moles and cure their poison ivy.

Remember the adage that those that live by the sword, die by it. When you're done 'shoud-ing' on the insurance companies and medical professions and have allowed their freedoms and assets to be seized and controlled by the government, you'd better batten down the hatches, because you're next.

Hyperbole!

that all the AR, HSUS/PETA anti breeder/animal/vegetarian stuff just came into existence on January 21st of 2009........In my state we've fought off several bills over the last few years that were anti-breeder and there was a republican majority, not a democrat majority.

You are right! These movements have been around a long time.

No it didn't start just start this year, but with a republican majority, they were less likely to get the support they needed to pass this legislation. Every time this stuff came up, I'd contact my republican legislation and they would tell me they won't be supporting it because it meant higher taxes. The liberals didn't earn the nickname "tax and spend" for nothing.

Republicans do not care about limiting spending. They do not support or not support things based on cost. They like to buy votes of less than thoughtful people but lowering taxes on certain folks. But, if they like an idea, they just run a deficit to finance it.

Stick to the issue.