Wounds Linger For Iraq Veterans

Al-Jazeera has a fine piece today about the lingering effects of combat on the troops. In the words of one American

You can't get over combat experience. You don't get over it, you don't move on, you learn to live with it.

Too many soldiers today are dying as the direct result of their inability to resolve the issues in their own minds. Many with PTSD commit suicide to escape the situation in their minds.

My homecoming in March, 1970, was met with much of the same terror today's veterans face. Loud sounds set off memories of times in country. In those days the Fourth of July was a time of hiding out and trying not to hear the fireworks, not a time to be enjoyed in the out of doors.

I feel for the veterans of today. They suffer and will continue to suffer for years to come without real help. Time and proper attention to mental health can heal the inner wounds, but the process is long and difficult. I wish today's veterans nothing but the very best of luck in their transition to civilian life and in their mind healing. May they all find peace in their lives one day.

Peace.

The Progressive Caucus Outlines a Public Option for Healthcare

In a posting I missed somehow earlier in the month the Progressive Caucus of the U.S. House offered the following requirements (PDF) to win their support of healthcare reform.

Enact concurrently with other significant expansions of coverage and must not be conditioned on private industry actions.

Consist of one entity, operated by the federal government, which sets policies and bears the risk for paying medical claims to keep administrative costs low and provide a higher standard of care.

Be available to all individuals and employers across the nation without limitation.

Allow patients to have access to their choice of doctors and other providers that meet defined participation standards, similar to the traditional Medicare model, promote the medical home model, and eliminate lifetime caps on benefits.

Have the ability to structure the provider rates to promote quality care, primary care, prevention, chronic care management, and good public health.

Utilize the existing infrastructure of successful public programs like Medicare in order to maintain transparency and consumer protections for administering processes including payment systems, claims and appeals.

Establish or negotiate rates with pharmaceutical companies, durable medical equipment providers, and other providers to achieve the lowest prices for consumers.

Receive a level of subsidy and support that is no less than that received by private plans.

Ensure premiums must be priced at the lowest levels possible, not tied to the rates of private insurance plans.

Looks like we may have a winner on our hands if enough of our elected officials fall in line. At least the power of the Progressive Caucus in combination with others may prevent passage of an undesirable healthcare bill masquerading as true reform. We shall see...

Peace.

The Facts About Healthcare Uninsured

There are many numbers being bandied about these days in times of economic and healthcare crises. The true numbers for today are not available, but some facts can be found to help put the figures into context.

* The Census Bureau estimates that 45.7 million lacked health insurance at any given time in 2007. But fewer lacked coverage for the full year, and more did without for one or more months during the year. All three numbers are likely to be higher for 2008 due to massive job losses.

* Twenty-six percent of the uninsured are eligible for some form of public coverage but do not make use of it, according to The National Institute for Health Care Management Foundation. This is sometimes, but not always, a matter of choice.

* Twenty-one percent of the uninsured are immigrants, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. But that figure includes both those who are here legally and those who are not. The number of illegal immigrants who are included in the official statistics is unknown.

* Twenty percent of the uninsured have family incomes of greater than $75,000 per year, according to the Census Bureau. But this does not necessarily mean they have access to insurance. Even higher-income jobs don't always offer employer-sponsored insurance, and not everyone who wants private insurance is able to get it.

* Forty percent of the uninsured are young, according to KFF. But speculation that they pass up insurance because of their good health is unjustified. KFF reports that many young people lack insurance because it's not available to them, and people who turn down available insurance tend to be in worse health, not better, according to the Institute of Medicine.

The facts and figures hide the personal stories of tragedy being told on a daily basis. We as a nation must face this situation and move to a system that guarantees the best possible healthcare for every person in the nation. We have no excuse for not having accomplished this chore in the past.

Peace.

Business as Usual in the Oil Business

On June 30 representatives of various international oil companies will meet with representatives of Iraq's oil ministry for a two-day bidding process in which rights to Iraqi oil will be awarded. The question of just how to award the drilling and processing rights is once again on the table. International oil wants all rights to accrue to themselves while many in Iraq want only to award technical development licensing rights in order to keep the proceeds from any sale of oil for the Iraqi people.

With proven oil reserves of around 112 billion barrels and up to another 150 billion barrels of probable reserves, Iraq is the greatest untapped prize for international oil companies.

Once again this is all about money and the exploitation of a region for its natural resources. International oil companies have no right to the property of the Iraqi people. This process must not be allowed to continue with the same old abuses of the past. Let us all hope for once reason and right prevail and the Iraqi people are given their rightful property to do with as they and not international cartels see fit.

Peace.

RIP Thurman Adams

Having been away from the net for a week my return is marked by the news of the death of Senator Thurman Adams a few days ago. The political landscape of Delaware is changed forever.

To the friends and family of Senator Adams, my heartfelt sympathy.



Peace.

Poll Results About Health Care

From the Pew Research Center comes this poll today.
Pew Research Center Image

Looks like age and need for government sponsored healthcare may lead to less concern about that proposal. For me the solution to the broken mess is a lot more government action to fix what the private sector has ruined.

Peace.

Five Immigration Myths

The facts about immigration are sometimes difficult to ferret out while the myths continue to be put forth in our media. The Progressive Book Club blog site has a fine book review citing five major myths and the links to document the facts as opposed to the myth.

Evidence shows immigrants use less public health care than citizens.

The Social Security Administration (SSA) has concluded (PDF) that undocumented immigrants “account for a major portion” of the billions of dollars paid into the Social Security system under names or social security numbers that don’t match SSA records.

Undocumented immigrants file nearly 6 million of the approximately 130 million individual tax returns each year.

In a 2007 report, the White House Council of Economic advisers concluded that about 90% of native-born workers experience wage gains from immigration (PDF), which total between $30 billion and $80 billion per year.

While undocumented immigration has reached high levels, crime rates in the U.S. have declined (PDF), most notably in cities with large numbers of undocumented immigrants such as Los Angeles, San Diego, El Paso, New York, Chicago and Miami.

Given the facts we as a nation would be a lot better off finding ways to make immigrants a functioning part of our society instead of building ineffective walls to bar movement across the border.

Peace.

A Robust Public Option Proposal

The Congressional Progressive Caucus in the House of Representatives offers a robust suggestion for a public option in health care.

• Enact concurrently with other significant expansions of coverage and must not be conditioned on private industry actions.
• Consist of one entity, operated by the federal government, which sets policies and bears the risk for paying medical claims to keep administrative costs low and provide a higher standard of care.
• Be available to all individuals and employers across the nation without limitation
• Allow patients to have access to their choice of doctors and other providers that meet defined participation standards, similar to the traditional Medicare model, promote the medical home model, and eliminate lifetime caps on benefits.
• Have the ability to structure the provider rates to promote quality care, primary care, prevention, chronic care management, and good public health.
• Utilize the existing infrastructure of successful public programs like Medicare in order to maintain transparency and consumer protections for administering processes including payment systems, claims and appeals.
• Establish or negotiate rates with pharmaceutical companies, durable medical equipment providers, and other providers to achieve the lowest prices for consumers.
• Receive a level of subsidy and support that is no less than that received by private plans.
• Ensure premiums must be priced at the lowest levels possible, not tied to the rates of private insurance plans.

Now that is an idea in healthcare reform I can support for a change. We, the American people, deserve nothing less from our government.

Peace.

"Health care is more than a privilege"

In an opinin piece in today's News Journal (no link available just this minute), Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) gets the situation right on saying, "Health care is more than a privilege." Good for him. At last a real voice speaking for and to the people of the nation instead of leaning to the camp of the insurance and pharmaceutical industries. At a time when we have nearly 50 million uninsured in the nation with more than 100,000 of them in Delaware (including 8% of Delaware's children) there must be real change.

Today the insurance industry takes approximately 1/5 of all dollars spent on health insurance for profit and administrative costs. Medicare manages the same service for costs that range under 5%. Senator Sanders among others is pressing for a public option to include Medicare-like coverage for all who wish to join. I support him in his move. We, the people, can no longer afford to support the insurance and pharmaceutical industries if we wish to improve the state of our national health.

Today the United States spends more money for health care per citizen than any other nation in the world. For that expense we rank 37th in overall health according to the World Health Organization. This is intolerable on so many levels words escape me.

Businesses as well as individuals suffer today from the lack of a national health care plan. Small as well as large businesses cannot compete on a level playing field when other developed nations offer health care for which our industries must pay and then recoup those costs in the sale of their products.

We were promised change in the runup to the election. Now is the time to hold the administration and all our elected officials accountable. Insist today on full reform of the health care system including a public option. We as a nation deserve no less.

Peace.

Take Care When Crossing the Border

In a little noticed announcement (.PDF) in July, 2008, the U.S. Government gave border patrol officers (U.S. Border and Customs Protection (CBP)) the right to search or seize laptops from people crossing the border. The document gives the officers the right to search and seizure without cause of any sort.

CBP is responsible for ensuring compliance with customs, immigration, and other Federal laws at the border. To that end, officers may examine documents, books, pamphlets, and other printed material, as well as computers, disks, hard drives, and other electronic or digital storage devices.

In the course of a border search, and absent individualized suspicion, officers can review and analyze the information transported by any individual attempting to enter, reenter, depart, pass through, or reside in the United States, subject to the requirements and limitations provided herein.

But in spite of the high flying words about limitations there is very little within the document to prevent any border patrol officer from perusing all the private data on any digital storage device. They may even request translation or decryption assistance at their discretion.

Once again we see the Department of Homeland Security prying into our lives without a care to the Constitution or its protections we are granted. To the traveler, beware. Big Brother is watching your every step.

Peace.

RIP Stephen Tyrone Johnson

Stephen Tyrone Johnson, may you find eternal peace. To the family and friends left behind, my sincere sympathy.



The senseless death of Mr. Johnson at the Holocaust Museum yesterday brings one more measure of great sadness to our entire nation. How can we continue to claim we fight "terrorism" around the globe when we fail to find ways to stop the violence on our own home ground?

Peace.

The Human Costs of War Continue to Increase

As time continues to pass and American troops remain as occupation forces in both Afghanistan and Iraq, the human costs in terms of loss of civilian and military lives grows day by day. Today comes news of the death or wounding of at least 49 people including one child and at least three American soldiers.

It was not immediately clear what caused the blast on Tuesday in Asadabad, the provinical capital of Kunar province, but several witnesses said a US soldier had thrown a grenade into a crowd of people.

If the story is found to be true one more soldier will carry the guilt of unjustified reaction to a situation.

As a nation we ask too much of our young men and women in the military. They are put into positions of responsibility in which instant reactions may lead to the death of innocent civilians. We as a nation followed the same course in Vietnam and are repeating our mistake today.

As the evidence mounts the failure of military force to contain or control insurgent activity mounts. And then the pressures on our troops increases as demonstrated by the numbers of suicides among our recent veterans and the incidence of PTSD as reported to date.

We cannot afford to continue down this dark trail. When ever will our administration, our Congress, and the American people awaken to our failure? We must find a new and different course. We have no more children to lose.

Peace.

Carper Stands in Opposition to Public Health Care Option

In spite of what looks like a positive stand in the News Journal headline this morning, Senator Carper sees a public option for healthcare as a "fallback position." In the meantime

In a letter to key lawmakers, (President) Obama wrote that he "strongly" believes Americans should have the choice of a public health insurance option along with private plans.

But the Republicans and their friend, Senator Carper, see that route as a way to end the insurance industry role in health care.

If the fallback option is taken by the government we can rest assured the insurance industry will find ways to circumvent the public option and insure their healthy profit taking for the foreseeable future. With a current margin of cost nearing 20% or more in the industry we can no longer afford to support the system. If we fail to find a way to move to either an open public option or a full single-payer system we will see the collapse of the entire system one day.

The time has come for our Senators and Congress crittes to pay attention. Too many Delawareans today have no affordable health insurance. This is shameful. We did not elect those folks to represent the industry, but rather to represent us, the voting and taxpaying public. We must let them hear our voices loud and clear. No system of healthcare reform that fails to offer a public option available to one and all is not acceptable.

Peace.

Obama In Cairo

The full text of President Obama's Cairo speech may be found here as well as at other places. The speech is typical Obama with fine points and flowing rhythm. The man may be the best orator in our nation today.

Some high points of the speech:

So long as our relationship is defined by our differences, we will empower those who sow hatred rather than peace, and who promote conflict rather than the co-operation that can help all of our people achieve justice and prosperity. This cycle of suspicion and discord must end.

Words alone cannot meet the needs of our people. These needs will be met only if we act boldly in the years ahead; and if we understand that the challenges we face are shared, and our failure to meet them will hurt us all.

Too many tears have flowed. Too much blood has been shed. All of us have a responsibility to work for the day when the mothers of Israelis and Palestinians can see their children grow up without fear; when the Holy Land of three great faiths is the place of peace that God intended it to be; when Jerusalem is a secure and lasting home for Jews and Christians and Muslims, and a place for all of the children of Abraham to mingle peacefully together as in the story of Isra, when Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad (peace be upon them) joined in prayer.

People in every country should be free to choose and live their faith based upon the persuasion of the mind, heart, and soul.

Our daughters can contribute just as much to society as our sons, and our common prosperity will be advanced by allowing all humanity, men and women, to reach their full potential.

We have the power to make the world we seek, but only if we have the courage to make a new beginning, keeping in mind what has been written.

And there is much more. The full speech is a worthy read.

Peace.

5,000

The grim milestone was passed in the last few days. American military deaths in Iraq and Afghanistan now total more than 5000.

These figures include both combat and non-combat deaths, as well as those servicemembers killed outside the main theaters of action.

The total does not include service members who may die after leaving the theater of action but died as a result of their combat wounds.

How many more must die before we as a nation come to recognize the futility of military occupation?

Peace.

Health Care Report

The White House Council of Economic Advisors (CEA) issued a healthcare report yesterday. The findings are interesting to say the least. From the executive summary:

The findings in the report point to large economic impacts of genuine health care reform:

We estimate that slowing the annual growth rate of health care costs by 1.5 percentage points would increase real gross domestic product (GDP), relative to the no-reform baseline, by over 2 percent in 2020 and nearly 8 percent in 2030.

For a typical family of four, this implies that income in 2020 would be approximately $2,600 higher than it would have been without reform (in 2009 dollars), and that in 2030 it would be almost $10,000 higher. Under more conservative estimates of the reduction in the growth rate of health care costs, the income gains are smaller, but still substantial.

Slowing the growth rate of health care costs will prevent disastrous increases in the Federal budget deficit.

Slowing cost growth would lower the unemployment rate consistent with steady inflation by approximately one-quarter of a percentage point for a number of years. The beneficial impact on employment in the short and medium run (relative to the no-reform baseline) is estimated to be approximately 500,000 each year that the effect is felt.

Expanding health insurance coverage to the uninsured would increase net economic well-being by roughly $100 billion a year, which is roughly two-thirds of a percent of GDP.

Reform would likely increase labor supply, remove unnecessary barriers to job mobility, and help to “level the playing field” between large and small businesses.

The CEA estimates at the current rising rate of uninsured people there may be 76 million uninsured by 2040. The report focuses on the need to lower healthcare costs but does not address the need for radical reform in the industry. The entire report focuses on insurance companies and the need to change the way those businesses perform their tasks.

The best solution to the mess remains some form of single-payer system. Private insurance may exist to enhance the basic coverage as is seen in many other developed nations around the world, but the current system of insurance coverage offers very little or nothing in return for their massive profits.

Peace.

Another Suicide at Guantanamo

ABCNews.com

In the news today is a report of the apparent suicide of yet another Guantanamo Bay detainee.

Muhammad Ahmad Abdallah Salih would be the fifth prisoner to take his life at the detention center since the Pentagon began holding terrorism suspects there more than seven years ago.

Salih has been a prisoner at Guantanamo since 2002. Though he was accused of training in Afghanistan for terrorist activity no sort of trial has been held and no formal charges appear to be pending.

The continued costs of Guantanamo in terms of international shame for our nation in addition to the human costs are much too high. The time has come to close the facility, charge and try the prisoners owed due process, and free the ones for whom trial is not warranted. The disgrace represented by Guantanamo will stain our nation for many years into the future, but at least closing the facility allows a start to retribution.

Peace.

Goodbye, GM

The long, fun ride is over with the announcement yesterday the Boxwood GM plant will be closing in July. What will happen to the remainder of GM as a corporation remains to be seen. With taxpayers holding a large investment in the company we better all hope the reversal is successful.

Sadness reigns in my household. From the time I was sixteen years of age and driving my first car until very recent years I owned GM cars all the time. Shopping around was not necessary as Chevrolet offered enough good choices to satisfy my appetite for vehicles.

The last purchase bears the Toyota trade name and was purchased for pure fuel efficiency. The trade from a Chevy SUV down to the small car was tough, but the savings to the bank account and the environment were a fair trade. Still I miss by old cars and the Chevrolet name. Maybe one day they will return to our driveway, but for now, it is goodbye, GM.

Peace.

Joe Sestak for PA Senate

Good news for Pennsylvania these days with the announcement by Congressman Joe Sestak that he intends to run for the Senate held by converted Republican Arlen Specter. Sestak represents the PA district in which I work. Fellow employees report he is just what a Congressman should be, attentive to his constituents, hard working, and in general representative of the best interests of the district. On the other hand Arlen Specter is one more politician out to keep his place in the Senate for his own reasons without real regard to the needs of the people of the state of Pennsylvania.

The time for change is here. Huzzah to Sestak. I hope he wins the race. We need more people like Sestak in the Senate if we are to find the future our nation deserves.

Peace.

The Opinions of Judge Sotomayor

With the nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the U.S. Supreme Court the examination of her record is well underway. SCOTUS Blog has a summary today of some of the 150 opinions Judge Sotomayor has written in civil cases since her appointment to the apellate court.

To date, two of these decisions have been overturned by the Supreme Court; a third is under review and likely to be reversed. In those two cases (and likely the third), Sotomayor’s opinion was rejected by the Supreme Court’s more conservative majority and adopted by its more liberal dissenters (including Justice Souter). Those outcomes suggest that Sotomayor’s views would in many respects be similar to those of Justice Souter.

During her years on the Second Circuit, Sotomayor has decided cases involving race, sex, age and disability discrimination. In these cases, she has often - but not always - sided with the plaintiffs.

The legal eagles will examine these opinions carefully, but in the overall Sotomayer seems to be both well qualified both in terms of experience and legal thinking. Let us hope her confirmation comes soon.

Peace.