THE BREAKFAST BANANA ANTI-PUBLIC HEALTH CARE MUFFIN
54Government Can't Do It Better
Good morning. Today is Tuesday, June 23, 2009 and I am preparing Banana Muffins for my morning meal. Follow along if you like and we'll talk as we go along. We need 3 ripe smashed bananas, 1 cup of sugar, 1 egg, 1 cup canola oil, 1/2 cup applesauce, 2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking soda, 3 tablespoons low-fat buttermilk and 2 tablespoons vanilla extract. Let's preheat the oven to 300 degrees and mix the bananas, sugar, egg, oil and applesauce together in a large bowl. Add the flour and baking soda and mix until blended. Now add the buttermilk and vanilla and blend again. Grease your muffin tins and drop batter in, filling them about 2/3 full. While the muffins are baking for about 25-30 minutes, let's discuss the confusing and growing healthcare debate in our country.
...POP...A New York Times poll found that most Americans would be willing to pay higher taxes so that everyone could have health insurance. Did you get a phone call asking you your opinion? Actually, this sweeping poll consisted of only 895 adults and I can assure you that I wasn't among them.
The poll went on to conclude that that although these 895 people won't mind paying higher taxes, they were, at the same time, very concerned that the quality of their healthcare would deteriorate. They have good reason to be concerned.
To Illustrate my point, let's talk about a V.A. hospital in Philadelphia, PA that botched 92 of 116 Prostate procedures. The mistake was outrageous and the checks and balances that would have uncovered this tragedy failed to discover the problem. Peer review was a practice that didn't exist in the cancer unit. The V.A.'s radiation safety program failed to intervene and the Joint Commission, a group that accredited the hospital did nothing. This is your government and bureaucracy at work.
The procedure used to treat the prostate cancer involved the implantation of radioactive seeds. The equipment that measured whether patients received the proper radiation dose was broken. The safety committee at the Veteran Affairs hospital knew of the problem and did absolutely nothing to correct it.
This horrible, inexcusable incident speaks for itself and also speaks volumes of what can happen when the government gets involved in our business. The patients caught up in this mess suffered grievous injury that seriously impacted their quality of life.
Higher taxes will not translate into better care, particularly if the government is running the show. Although the New York Times didn't ask me what I think, I am firm in my belief that higher taxes will do nothing to solve the problem, so count me out.
I'm ready for my muffin now!
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taxlarry,
You make total sense. In fact, you have touched upon a subject I was thinking about for tomorrow's hub. The inmates are indeed running the asylum!
The poll taken in my "neck of the woods" was different. This poll showed that they want the opportunity to remain with the coverages they presently have and pay for it themselves (or through their employer). The ability to choose their healthcare was most important. But then, I live in an area with a predominantly Republican population.
The New York Times poll was skewed to Obama supporters. Not a fair representation at all.
taxlarry says:
7 months ago
Government thinks it has all the answers, at least the current government. In my opinion, once the government starts to "take care" of things, all we get is total failure. This is just another example of the socialst concept of spreading the wealth. Those who earn a living and take care of business will, under this administration, be compelled to support those who don't. This administration also wants its agenda passed quickly. Bills of a thousand pages are expected to be voted on without the opportunity for our wonderful legislators to even read, let alone understand, the content. But, the majority of the people misguidedly voted for this. Very disturbing.