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Politics : A US National Health Care System? -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: John Koligman who wrote (13095)	1/15/2010 11:41:22 AM
From: longnshort	1 Recommendation Respond to of 42652

what is it with you libs and Marking people. I don't have anyone marked, why should I? the ignore feature is just a game the libs use. Aristi gets 700k a year to live in DC. The gov steals ever penny we send them. Keep sending them your money so some guy can live on the french riveria, PT Barnum was right

To: John Koligman who wrote (13095)	1/15/2010 12:11:32 PM
From: longnshort	1 Recommendation Respond to of 42652

Obama to send haiti 100 million, where do you think that comes from??? Obama's stash ?

To: John Koligman who wrote (13095)	1/15/2010 1:48:10 PM
From: longnshort	Respond to of 42652

EDITORIAL: Haiti's voodoo regimeRate this story By THE WASHINGTON TIMES The death toll in Haiti is climbing in the aftermath of the magnitude 7 earthquake that hit the Caribbean nation Tuesday. Much of the carnage could have been avoided. One can be forgiven for assuming that a country situated next to a geological fault line and in the middle of hurricane alley would have a well-developed set of building codes, but safety has never been a hallmark - or even an afterthought - of Haitian architecture. Cletus Springer, director of the Department of Sustainable Development at the Organization of American States in Washington, recently conducted a study on building standards in Haiti. He maintains that even a magnitude 2 earthquake would have been enough to level many Haitian structures. It's easy to blame poverty for the magnitude of the devastation in Haiti this week, but poverty is the result of poor governance. The island of Hispaniola provides a useful comparative laboratory in this regard, like the Korean Peninsula or the two Germanys during the Cold War. Haiti is on the western side of the island, and the eastern two-thirds make up the Dominican Republic, a functioning democracy with a relatively strong economy. The 2008 per capita income in the Dominican Republic was $8,200, making it 119th in the world. In Haiti, income was $1,300, ranking 203rd, the lowest in the Western Hemisphere. Satellite images of the island clearly show the divide between the two countries because of deforestation and a lackluster agricultural sector on the Haitian side. Haiti ranked 12th on Foreign Policy magazine's 2009 Failed States Index and came in 10th on Transparency International's Corruption Perception Index. The country has been given more than $2 billion in development aid in the past two decades, but this fortune has largely been diverted to underwrite the lifestyles of the ruling class. The infrastructure that developed societies require to function - unglamorous things like water and sewage systems, electrical infrastructure, roads and bridges, and sanitation systems - need planning, maintenance and - above all - a government that cares about and is responsive to the basic needs of the people. But as Denis Paradis, parliamentary secretary for the Canadian foreign affairs minister, said after a visit to Haiti in 2001: "If the Canadians treated their animals the way the Haitian authorities treat their citizens, they would be put in prison." When natural disasters occur, the United States responds swiftly with compassion, generosity and technical expertise. With justifiable pity for the suffering Haitian people, President Obama has pledged $100 million to underwrite relief efforts, in addition to private donations and military humanitarian assistance efforts. But rushing large sums of money to a location with a history of corruption and few mechanisms for accountability invites massive waste and fraud, as was illustrated in Louisiana during the Hurricane Katrina relief effort. Dumping cash into a place like Haiti after a disaster is a band-aid approach for a problem that requires more serious surgery. Mr. Obama's relief task force should make strong efforts to ensure that aid money flowing to Haiti is used judiciously. Funds geared toward reconstruction should be made contingent on construction projects meeting reasonable building codes, and any future development aid should be tied to stringent guidelines and metrics. Developed nations must impose discipline and common sense on a country held captive by the greed and corruption of kleptocrats who don't respect their own people. Maybe the collapse of Haiti's presidential palace got the point across to its rulers, but that's doubtful.

To: John Koligman who wrote (13095)	1/15/2010 1:54:51 PM
From: longnshort	Respond to of 42652

people are dying in haiti and Obama is doing nothing, where is the help. Obama is incompetent

To: John Koligman who wrote (13095)	1/15/2010 5:10:56 PM
From: longnshort	1 Recommendation Respond to of 42652

Haiti: Where will all the money go? Jan 15 04:37 PM US/Eastern By SHARON THEIMER Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON (AP) - How difficult will it be for the United States and other donors to track the millions of dollars in earthquake aid headed to Haiti? U.S. government auditors pulled out of the country years ago after concerns over kidnappings and other crimes scuttled their efforts to monitor Haiti's spending of $45 million in U.S. aid after storms there killed thousands. Corruption, theft, violence and other security problems and Haiti's sheer shortage of fundamentals—reliable roads, telephone and power lines and a sound financial system—will add to the challenges of making sure aid is spent properly as foreign governments and charities try not only to help Haiti recover from this week's devastating earthquake but to pull itself out of abject poverty. Past efforts haven't been easy. The Government Accountability Office, the investigative arm of Congress, faced problems on a smaller scale in 2005 and 2006 as auditors tried to review the use of roughly $45 million in aid the U.S. provided after Tropical Storm Jeanne struck Haiti in September 2004, killing more than 2,000 people, injuring more than 2,600 and affecting an estimated 300,000 others. The inspectors wanted to visit projects funded with the money to measure progress. But after an initial fact-finding trip to Haiti, it was considered too dangerous for them to go back. They could visit only projects deemed safe as destinations. In summer 2005, many employees of the Agency for International Development—which is coordinating the current U.S. response to the earthquake—were temporarily pulled out of Haiti, according to government reports. Haiti is one of the poorest places on Earth. Most basic public services are lacking, people typically live on less than $2 a day, nearly half the population is illiterate and the government has a history of instability. The public has little opportunity to be sure that aid to the government is used honestly and well. Nor is following the money easy for donors, including the United States, 700 miles away and one of the country's biggest helpers. "It has been a challenge, and I think it really is one of the things we have to look at when the country has had such long-standing problems that it seems as though we have made little dent there," said Rep. Russ Carnahan, D-Mo., chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee's subcommittee on international organizations, human rights and oversight. The immediate focus is search and rescue and addressing immediate public health needs. But after that, "I think there's going to be a number of questions that arise," Carnahan said. Just last month, a private group, the Heritage Foundation for Haiti, urged Haiti's government to complete an audit of a $197 million emergency disaster program to respond to corruption allegations over how the money was handled. Haiti's senate cited the allegations when it removed Prime Minister Michele Pierre-Louis in November and replaced her with Jean-Max Bellerive. President Barack Obama promised at least $100 million in earthquake aid. That comes on top of substantial spending by the United States in Haiti in recent years for economic development such as the country's textile industry, humanitarian assistance, environmental programs, and law enforcement, including trying to stop the use of Haiti as a pass-through point for narcotics en route to the United States. Apart from earthquake relief, senators working on the next annual foreign assistance budget have proposed at least $282 million for Haiti; the House proposal would provide at least $165 million. Much of the U.S. government's aid to Haiti comes through the Agency for International Development, which has provided at least $800 million from budget years 2004 through 2008, agency figures show. At least $700 million more was pledged to Haiti by governments, international givers and charities at an April 2009 donors conference. Former President Bill Clinton, a United Nations special envoy to the country, told the U.N. Security Council in September that he was "100 percent committed to delivering tangible results to the U.N. and most importantly the people of Haiti." The Haitian government relies on foreign aid to keep itself and its economy operating. In a December 2008 Gallup survey, 60 percent of Haitians interviewed said there had been times that year when they didn't have enough money to buy food, and 51 percent said there were times when they couldn't afford shelter. Statistics about Haiti, as gathered by the U.S. government, chronicle a grim standard of living. According to the CIA and State Department, 1 in 8 children in Haiti dies before age 5. The life expectancy is 59 to 62 years. Malaria, typhoid and dengue fevers and other life-threatening illnesses long ago wiped out in the industrialized world still plague Haiti. Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

To: John Koligman who wrote (13095)	1/15/2010 5:33:30 PM
From: longnshort	2 Recommendations Respond to of 42652

Unsurprisingly, Rush Is Right H/T Sully Message 26248017 By: Jim Geraghty The Campaign Spot You knew it was just a matter of time before partisan angles emerged about the disaster in Haiti. The Huffington Post takes umbrage at Rush Limbaugh: "Limbaugh also seems to feel we've done enough already for Haiti: 'We've already donated to Haiti. It's called the U.S. income tax.'" Obviously, when people are struggling to crawl out from rubble and with meager medical systems stretched to the breaking point, you've got to mobilize. But on the facts, Rush is right. The tale of U.S. foreign aid to Haiti is maddening, as well-meaning Americans dump more and more money to alleviate suffering, only to see little or no actual improvement in the living conditions on the ground. Since 1973, the United States has been the world’s largest foreign-aid donor to Haiti, which ranks among the world’s poorest countries. From 1990 to 2005, the U.S. sent $1.46 billion to Haiti in aid from development assistance and children's health through the Economic Support Fund, the U.S. food program, the Peace Corps, and foreign military training (although that was only $4.6 million, with $3 million coming in 1995). More recently, <<< In May 2008, the Bush administration announced that it would send an additional $25 million in emergency food aid to Haiti, bringing its total emergency contribution to $45 million . . . Congress provided $100 million for hurricane relief and reconstruction assistance for Haiti and other Caribbean countries in the FY 2009 continuing appropriations resolution, signed September 2008. Haiti received an estimated $287 million in regular appropriations for FY 2009. >>> So why isn't all of this aid having an impact? Here's how Reuters gently put it: <<< A combination of factors has made it difficult to distribute aid effectively to Haiti, including poor governance, political turmoil and widespread corruption. Haiti's political system is unstable and plagued with infighting. Since 2004, a 9,000-strong U.N. peacekeeping force has been on the ground. Haiti is the third most corrupt country in the world, according to corruption watchdog Transparency International, compounding the difficulties agencies face in delivering aid in an accountable and transparent way. Power lies in the hands of a few elite, leaving ministries unable to implement policies and divert funds to the local level. Haiti's civil service is poorly trained and lacks the expertise to manage aid. >>> Should people give to charities to help the Haitians? Of course. But if the past is any precedent, a lot of today's donations will end up in the wrong pockets in the not-too-distant future. campaignspot.nationalreview.com

To: John Koligman who wrote (13095)	1/16/2010 1:24:22 PM
From: longnshort	Respond to of 42652

Obama is out Campaigning while people in Haiti can't get water , people are dying by the minute and Obama is doing what?? campaigning?? Did you vote for this slime ball ?

To: John Koligman who wrote (13095)	1/26/2010 9:08:09 AM
From: Peter Dierks	Respond to of 42652

What a difference 35 years make. The original moderator of this subject sent this to me by email. HE was in England last week. It is followed by my response. Read and see the future under Obama/PelosiCare: Lazarus Long: We got to sample their (England's National Health Service) 'health care'. My wife fell and injured her knee - a cut about 2 inches long, 1 inch wide, not very deep. About 1/2 inch gap between the skin that was intact and what had been torn loose. Surface wound. Still needed stitches though. Off to NHS. First you wait an hour. Then you see a nurse-practitioner who decides if you need a doc. Then you wait 2 hours for the doc to show up. Then cleaning, stitches, bandaging. Then the doc says you need to wait to see the nurse again to get wound care instructions. Why she couldn't give them is beyond me. Maybe she didn't know how. Finally you get to leave. Now if you're ready to turn in your doc for a nurse, you'll LOVE this place. Because that's how they save money - use as few docs and as many nurses as possible. NOW: Last trip she got pneumonia in Turkey. They have a public system and a parallel private system with docs, nurses, and hospitals. The private is supposed to be much better, so we went to one of those. They had no nightgowns, no sheets, no bars of soap, no .... You're supposed to bring those yourself. I find out the hard way. After 3 days she's definitely worse. Delirious. The docs look at me like I've got 3 heads when I bring this up. Either they're not paying attention or are incompetent or both. I decide it's time to get her the hell out of there while she's still alive. I arrange an emergency jet medevac to Basel, Switzerland for her. An ambulance meets the jet and takes us to the university hospital ER. They get a pulmonologist in (I'm not sure they've ever heard of those in turkey) and start finding the problem. Blood sample shows she has RSV - respiratory synctiatal virus, potentially fatal for someone with her lung problems. They counter-attack with anti-virals. She's in the hospital in Switzerland 9 days, but she comes out in good condition and alive. She still has to wait a week in Switzerland and see the doc again before they'll clear her to fly. We flew back on Lufthansa, a good airline, Good thing because she had to be rigged to a supplemental oxygen supply the whole way back to SFO. Now Switzerland has socialized medicine - sort of. They require that all Swiss citizens and permanent residents have medical insurance. The Swiss gov't will subsidize such if they prove they cannot afford to buy a health insurance policy. The docs and hospitals are private. Now that's a 'socialized medicine' plan that even a Republican or conservative or Libertarian can agree with. And the care is excellent. Socialized medicine depends very much on where it is and how it is set up. You wouldn't want to go into a a Mexican Social Security clinica for care. You might not come out alive. I could tell you some horror stories about them you probably wouldn't even believe. Peter: My last experience with NHS was in 1975. What a difference 35 years of cost squeezing makes. I dropped in without an appointment. I probably waited a total of 30 minutes. I saw a doctor who patiently interviewed me. I suggested that I might have strep throat. That term was not in use there at the time. He took the swab sample and gave it to a nurse for testing. A few minuets later he returned to pronounce that I had a sore throat and he gave me a prescription for penicillin. No money was due even though I was a foreigner. I don’t recall if the prescription was filled at the clinic or a pharmacy. I was left with a feeling that they provided very good care. It was as pleasant as can be expected. End - my comment to readers here: I understand that some people would not project the future to see the inevitable. If they see that this is what will become of the American medical system (under Obama/PelosiCare) it is difficult to understand why they would support such a plan.