Why Do They Bother?

I truly am a political animal.

Yet I wonder, why do political parties even bother to have a presence on social network sites like Twitter & Facebook? I mean the whole idea is to get a snapshot of your life, of your thoughts, and yet if you follow any of the political parties, they are virtually silent.

I mean, in my main blog, Gay Talk, I generally make at least one post a day, on a topic from the news, that sort of gets me going. It isn’t all that hard to have an opinion, and yet the main political parties here, have zip to say, other than some vetted press release.

Surely they have an original thought, that can be expressed, or is it that they are too afraid to let us in, on exactly what they might be thinking? After all, we are supposed to trust them with our future, because that is what Government is about. Surely we are entitled to know how they think, what they are thinking about? Doesn’t mean they will do it, but what, the traffic didn’t tick them off, the rain didn’t dampen their spirits?

Using Twitter or Facebook, doesn’t mean you have to spew policy every second, but it would be nice to know, did they rush through breakfast, have a rough day with the family, get frustrated by being placed on hold?

Private or Government Health?

With Barack Obama moving towards some form of a National Health scheme, one has to wonder, just what is National Health, and how can its unbelievable price tag, be kept in check. I mean, we are in an economic recession, are throwing Trillions of Dollars into bailouts, while nearly SIXTY MILLION ARE LEFT WITHOUT HEALTH COVERAGE OR CARE.

Myself, I believe the first problem is on determining, the goal. Is National Health merely an attempt to appease those who are without care? Or is it truly a desire to insure that ALL CITIZENS are treated equally, and given full access to health care? 

Or is it a drive for cash?

Health Care today, has become a business, not a profession, not a calling, but a business. And there lies the problem, in my mind. If we are consumed by the need to make money, then National Health Care is not going to work. We are losing he focus, and that doesn’t equate with providing adequate, or better, health coverage, than what a millionaire can buy.

Thing is, if people are able to know, that they will receive the best health care possible, when necessary, and that it won’t cost them more than their mortgage payments, or car payments, they are going to be able to focus on other things, such as WORK.

At the same time, Business can concentrate on providing decent wages, because the work force is healthier, is more focused. Now, in my mind, that translates into higher profits, and that is the purpose of business, isn’t it?  So why combine the two? Private Business, no matter its field, has a bottom line, which is to make money. That means things get left out, that are too costly, just like machinery upgrades, are spread over time, so why do we think it will be any different, to those involved in providing health care?

Governments are there to provide services, for EVERYONE. It isn’t about making money, though it is a huge plus if budgets come in balances. However, that should not be a criteria, for health care, education, and law enforcement.

THINK ABOUT IT :  IF your citizens feel safe, are healthy, and are well educated, that translates into a society that is far more productive, far more focused, than if they are worrying about what happens if they get sick, if their kids get sick, or if they will come home to a vandalized house. They will achieve more, if they can read and write, than not. Kind of hard to follow written instructions to operate a machine, if they can’t read them. 

SO WHY THEN DO WE EXPECT HEALTH CARE TO BE PROFIT PRODUCING?

The role of Government, is to get value for the dollar they get from each of us. I firmly believe in that, but National Health has to be an area that isn’t about creating high paying jobs, or about giving some political hack a job as administrator. It has to be about providing health care, to let nurses be nurses, to let Doctors be Physicians. 

Today’s health care plans, private or public, do not do that.  The reason is simple, it is too focused on the money. It isn’t geared to provide treatment, but to mitigate the costs of that treatment, and that isn’t how you provide real health care, now is it?

The Forgotten Ones

Every politician courts various segments of society, to get their votes, but I wonder, do they even consider those they are ignoring? Young voters for example, aren’t all that enamored with politics these days, and that is even with a Barack Obama. I mean considering the numbers who voted, you’d think that most young people were all taking exams on election day.

Fact is, politicians are spending too much time, tailoring their appearances & speeches, to those ‘special interest’ groups, than in actually using some common sense. I mean come on, if you do the right thing, get the job done, you are more than likely going to get elected, and re-elected.  Right?  NOPE!

And whose fault is that?

I wonder if all these slick ads, and television sound bites, has helped us, or helped special interests more? Think about it for a second, because we have become turned off by attack ads, which makes more and more stay home on election day. Yet those who have a special interest, like the Religious Right, get out and vote. And the result?

George W. Bush in the USA, Stephen Harper in Canada, John Howard in Australia, Tony Blair in England. 

Kind of makes you want to puke, doesn’t it? YET, we are the ones at fault, because we have fallen for the tactics, those so called leaders, have employed. We have allowed big business & big unions, to polarize us, to set us up. Truth is, they are the one’s reaping the rewards, and we are the poor slobs having to pay for it. Just look at the now FIFTY PLUS BILLION DOLLAR DEFICIT IN CANADA, THE ONE TRILLION DOLLARS IN THE USA.

Who do you think is really benefiting? You, the taxpayer? NOT BLOODY LIKELY!

Assault on Health Care

I have to wonder, is there some grand conspiracy out there, that wants to insure that those with a low income, remain impoverished? Is there some elite class, that deliberately throws up obstacles, that make it nearly impossible for low income people to get a step ahead?

Today’s Time’s Colonist has an article  about VIHA (Vancouver Island Health Authority) and its budget cuts. One of the areas being looked at, to bring the budget in line, is to sell off land, that is adjacent to the Hospitals, owned by the Hospitals.

Is it just me, or do people simply not realize, that selling off land you own, that would be used for future expansion of the Hospital Facility, is just plain STUPID?

Yes, land is expensive, and will indeed fetch a nice dollar, that will go a long way to meet the current budget shortfall. So, what will they SELL OFF next year, when that budget is also short? Will it maybe offer a “organ lottery” so people can sell their organs to rich & needy folks? After all, that is what goes on in parts of India, where poor people are offered a chance to come to North America, get a kidney taken out, and then a few bucks for their trouble.

While the Hospital may not need that land today, you can bet the barn that it will in the future. AND that future isn’t all that far off. I mean just look at the Royal Jubilee Hospital now.  It is already becoming congested, with the new addition, and selling off any extra land, is going to mean either moving the whole complex, which is what happened with Victoria General, to buying back the land, when it is even more expensive.

Don’t get me wrong either, I realize that you can’t keep tossing money into the well, and all, but then again, isn’t that what all the corporate bailouts are about? Simply giving money away? 

In which case, why not give it away, to where it helps more than few executives and shareholders, and helps the people who are footing the bill anyhow? Thing is, that health care has become a cash cow, and not a program to help people. It is about making money, and I don’t know, just seems a bit wrong to me, that making money takes precedence over people’s health.

Seems to me, that if we truly want to make Health Care something to be proud of, we should be addressing budget issues on a long term basis, not on focusing on short term solutions, that put the very future of our health care, at risk.

Insanity of Governments

Common Sense would tell any dolt, that in tough times, there are certain aspects of society, that will be further tested. Law Enforcement comes to mind, as more people become desperate, and ignore the law. Health Care is another, because people will eat poor quality foods, will take less care of themselves, and get sick.

So what does Governments do?

Why those are the very areas they look to make cuts in, FIRST.  I mean, doesn’t that make perfect sense to you? Cut back on the very programs that will be used more during an economic crisis, or recession. I mean let’s not call it a depression, because God Forbid, the people might start to ask why nothing is being done about it.  Yet that is what we are in.

And it is Health Care & Law Enforcment, and other programs geared towards the low income citizens that gets cut, gets gutted, all so Government can claim it is being fiscally responsible, addressing the needs of a bad economy.  BULL!

How about cutting the huge pension payouts for executives?

How about cutting the enormous salaries for top executives of branches of Government?