Category: life

10/30/09 02:49 - 62ºF - ID#50154

South Buffalo Fall Photos / Healthcare

One little note about Healthcare... Right now, it's action time.

Now is the crucial point to make your voices heard. Over the next week big decisions will be made. The Senate needs to feel the heat.

You know why people always break their campaign promises? Because after the election the voters are out of the picture, and the politicians are in fundraising mode. So they listen to the lobbyists and they don't hear a peep out of us till next election.

We can't sit back and hope the politicians hear us screaming through the TV. We have to make phone calls and send emails to lobby and make sure people in Washington Listen to us.

To Contact Congress call this number and ask for someone, 1-800-828-0498 it's toll free, call somebody new every day.

Or you can write to them, type something up and send a copy to everyone. You can look at the letters I quoted in my last post for ideas.

Here are the Senators that may need a bit of persuading.
Joe Lieberman, Connecticut
Bill Nelson, Nebraska
Evan Bayh, Indiana
Blanche Lincoln, Arkansas
Kent Conrad, North Dakota
Mary Landrieu, Louisiana
Susan Collins, Maine
Olympia Snowe, Maine
I know none of them are in our state, but just shoot them an email anyway, that's how lobbying works. You find out who's making the decisions and you target them. If you know anyone in these states reach out and ask them to call.

Thanks,

Now the fun pictures

The House

Tuscarora rd. Cute South buffalo Street that runs paralel to Caz Park.

Love the brick roads.

This is a little triangle park, off Tuscarora

Caz Park Casino

Looking Out

Caz Park Soccer Game

Permalink: South_Buffalo_Fall_Photos_Healthcare.html
Words: 324
Location: Buffalo, NY

Category: healthcare

10/27/09 01:57 - 61ºF - ID#50130

Yay Healthcare!

Yesterday we got some pretty good news on the Healthcare front. The senate came out with their version of healthcare reform, and it includes a Public Option. It's not perfect, but I think that it's fair, and the most important thing is, I think it might actually work.

Of course I favor Medicare for All, but we didn't go down that road, so you gotta fight within the realm of the possible, so I've been fighting for the Public Option. Go here if you're not sure what the public option is

Go here to read the news about yesterday's Public Option announcement from Harry Reid

Or just Listen to Harry for yourself.

I really loved that press conference, it kinda seems like Harry's got his groove back. He's straight up, and ready to get something accomplished.

The Senate bill includes a provision that was just invented as a compromise between 2 senate bills, one had a Public Option and the other didn't. The new provision is for a National Public Option but individual states can opt-out if they don't think it is good for their state.

I think the Opt-out Public Option is kind of, brilliantly democratic.

If the people of your state don't like the Public Option, you have the freedom to chose another way, nobody is forcing you to accept the new way. But most of the American people want to be able to choose a public option. Medicare is a public option for people over 65, and it works fine, why can't I buy some of that? A few stubborn senators shouldn't prevent the rest of America from having that choice.

The point of a Public Option is to give us a choice. A non-profit choice.

The main complaint against the Public Option (socialism, marxism, fascism, communism, BOO!)..... well ok, the main rational complaint against the Public Option is that it will hurt a particular state or community, senators complain that it will hurt hospitals in their state, or that their constituents are afraid of it, or some other version of I'm responsible for my state above all else.

This provision throws the state based argument out the window. Now your state can opt-out if it wants to, but at least pass Healthcare reform and give the rest of us a choice. Arkansas, North Dakota, Louisiana, and Indiana, you can do what you want, but give the rest of us what we want. And if your constituents don't want the Public Option why don't we give them the chance to say no instead of taking your word for it.

I think this is a responsible compromise, it's all about democracy, let the people in the states decide.

But we have to bring down the costs somehow, cause we're probably wasting $850 billion per year on Healthcare in America.

This video pretty much summs up why I think the Public Option is so important

I've been lobbying about this for a while, and so have the Quakers.

I've been on the phone (1 800-828-0498) and writing letters.

here's my latest letter, I sent this to Harry Reid and Obama over the weekend:

I'm a small businessman in Buffalo NY, the healthcare issue is very important to me. We need healthcare reform that works. I don't see too many downfalls to the opt-out compromise, But I don't like the trigger idea, I'm worried that it is an empty promise. We need a public option to guarantee competition and bring prices down ASAP. I strongly oppose mandating that individuals or businesses buy insurance without a guarantee that we will be protected from fraud and abuse. The way I see it, no public option, no guarantee. You can convince the Maine Republicans to support the opt-out provision.

I'm also speaking as a registered Democrat, and my father in law spent weeks in Pennsylvania volunteering for the Obama campaign.

Here's the one from last week, this went out to my representatives and the important people in the Congress,

I'm urging you to pass healthcare reform that works. I'm a Small Business owner in Buffalo NY and I've been paying close attention to the healthcare debate.

I support a Public Option. We need a strong non-profit health insurance option in order to reduce healthcare costs.

We need successful Healthcare Reform. This is not about ideology or political philosophy, it's about what works.

We pay more for Healthcare than every other country in the world and we get less for it, that is the key problem. Healthcare Reform must address the inflated cost of healthcare, or it will be a failure, it will be a missed opportunity, and the Democrats will take the blame.

I've seen all the proposals, I'm looking for a bill that will improve the lives of ordinary people and business owners who are struggling to keep up with rising healthcare costs.

I think the Baucus Bill is ambitious, but does too little to reduce costs. It requires everyone to buy insurance, but we have no guarantee that the product we're being forced to buy is safe, effective, or fairly priced.

The way I see it, no Public Option means no guarantee. America's health will still be at the disposal of for profit insurence companies that have no incentive to reduce the prices they charge.

Insurance companies need competition, and Americans need a guarantee that Healthcare Reform is going to work.

Include a strong Public Option.

Thank you

one more funny video, this is fair and balanced fox

I love the part where they say, "Obama's Healthcare Plan, Scarier than Cancer?"

matthew writes at 01:04:01 10/29/09 - Comment #52478: I think you should spare (e:dcoffee)'s journal and have a live debate at the Halloween party this Friday!! :)

jason writes at 11:14:02 10/28/09 - Comment #52475: Yes, I was goofing. David is here being constructive, that is rare these days actually, and he deserved better than my sarcasm. So I'm sorry for that, David. I am all far eliminating fraud and abuse from the system, and making the system more efficient. Whatever we end up with, we have to demand that and stay on the politicians to make sure we get the best value for our dollar. We all know and agree about this, and about the fact that our current situation is unsustainable. It's about all I can say, I'm really tired of how bad things have become.

jenks writes at 09:18:44 10/28/09 - Comment #52473: sorry for hijacking david. I looked at that report the other day- thanks for sharing. Those all look like good places to start. Particularly the "ordering extra tests for fear of missing something and being sued". We call that CYA (cover your ass) medicine, and it is NOT a good thing.

heidi writes at 08:44:27 10/28/09 - Comment #52472: My understanding is that medical malpractice doesn't add much to the soaring health care costs. Here's one article, :::link:::

"Congressional Budget Office, using statistics from the government's Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, estimates that malpractice costs account for less than 2 percent of healthcare spending."

We can't lose sight of the biggest reasons for out of control health care costs...
Insurance companies. Drug companies. Corporations making huge profits off sickness. Out of control paperwork for a multitude of insurance companies and plans. under- and uninsured people going bankrupt.

(In general, not doctors' salaries for doing doctor things. Particularly primary care physicians.)

dcoffee writes at 08:19:01 10/28/09 - Comment #52471: I think doctors' salaries are the last place we should cut costs. They are the people who actually provide care. I also understand how expensive it is to become a doctor, all the school you have to go through. Check out this study, :::link::: :::link::: it identifies $550 - $850 billion in waste every year.

jenks writes at 07:02:31 10/28/09 - Comment #52470: but that's my point matthew- if the government controls (and reduces) doctors' salaries, people will leave medicine. If it's hard finding someone now, it will be even harder then.

I'm not trying to be an insensitive greedy bitch. You all know me. And since leaving Buffalo, my expenses are up. I am living paycheck to paycheck. And I bust my ass for my patients.... Not all doctors are monsters that care only about money, and it just infuriates me to hear them (us) portrayed that way.

metalpeter writes at 05:56:07 10/28/09 - Comment #52467: This is not a new idea and it had been used before. But what about trading school for giving people free care that can't pay for it. Some one my mother new did that a Portion of his school was paid and then he owed something like 2 years to a community clinic.

I think the tough part with cutting money is how do you cut down on fraud, and paper work at the same time, all the paper work is supposed to make it harder to commit fraud.

I think that one key issue that unless you are Bill Maher that doesn't get mentioned and should be part of this plan is prevention. I'm not saying that the government should mandate that any place that gets any federal tax credits or federal aid in any way has to serve certain food and only certain food and also have a work out area. But maybe the government should have incentives and really put out a good education system. Again I'm not saying the National Gaurd storm Burger King and places like that. But why can't more healthy options be pushed.

matthew writes at 05:13:39 10/28/09 - Comment #52466: "Or, go ahead. Cut salaries. After that, have fun finding a decent doctor that will actually see you in a timely fashion." I ask you (e:jenks) to find me one now!

I agree with you (e:Jason).

jenks writes at 04:27:23 10/28/09 - Comment #52465: J, please tell me that's ALL sarcastic, not just the 'good for the environment' bit.

Particularly this:
"Clearly our docs are putting their Jaguars and their million dollar homes above caring for the people. Doctors should care for people, not money. Their GREED is killing people."

Two brief thoughts on that front-
1: the phrase "capping income" screams 'socialism' to me far more than of the obamacare talk to date.
2: Who in healthcare should make money then, if not the docs? (the only ones who actually help the patients). The insurance CEOs? The scumbag malpractice lawyers?

We need tort reform, first and foremost.

And as far as pay for outcomes- I'm with you on that. However, if you receive ten million dollars worth of care- but you still die (because you are an obese diabetic smoker)- as long as the care rendered was necessary and appropriate, I think you should still owe that money. If you die b/c the doctor is negligent, etc, that's a different story. But people die. It happens. It does not mean the doctor didn't do a good job.

And finally... Pardon me if this was all sarcasm and I'm overreacting. I'm sure I just come across as another "greedy doctor" trying to protect my income... and obviously, I am biased here. But that is really not my point. I just think there are a million other places we can save money, besides just slashing doctors' salaries.

Or, go ahead. Cut salaries. After that, have fun finding a decent doctor that will actually see you in a timely fashion.

dcoffee writes at 12:03:09 10/28/09 - Comment #52461: Anyway, this is kinda my main point, (I know I write a lot of background info) This is why I say Public Option or nothing at all. They want to expand coverage by requiring everyone to buy insurance, but we have no guarantee that the product we're being forced to buy is safe, effective, or fairly priced.

The way I see it, no Public Option means no guarantee. America's health will still be at the disposal of for profit insurance companies that have no incentive to reduce the prices they charge."

The public option being debated in the Senate is really mild, it' kind of like a free trial version, it's not forcing anyone to do anything, it's just barely introducing non-profit insurance into the system to see if it works. All this 'Government Takeover' stuff is overblown, I don't know what people are afraid of.

dcoffee writes at 11:41:50 10/28/09 - Comment #52460: In France Doctors also get their college education paid for. I think we could learn something from that, students in the medical profession should get a break. But also in France they own the hospitals and pay the providers, so it's like comparing Apples to Oranges. I've actually never advocated for a France-like system, Medicare for All is universal Insurance, but the doctors and hospitals are still private. I still don't understand what value insurance companies add to this equation... They add no value to the care we receive, and the different forms and procedures of each Insurance Company just causes headaches for Doctors. I feel like the redundancy of having multiple Health Insurance providers just wastes time, and therefore money. Competition in the Insurance Industry has just lead to denying sick people care. At least the public option won't have to play by those rules, they won't have to buy billboards and TV ads.

This is a good way to put it "Is there really any benefit to competition among insurers? Hardly. We don't need innovation as to who gets covered. We want everyone covered! Nor do we need it regarding the basic coverage package, which we need to standardize. " I don't think I posted this article yet, it talks about fee for service and stuff. :::link:::

PS Jason, I recognized the sarcasm. But the France comment brought up a couple interesting points.

jason writes at 11:24:04 10/28/09 - Comment #52459: Hehe. Of course, I'm just breaking balls here. I try to be a patient guy, but I've more or less lost my patience when it comes to this stuff. David is trying to make an effort here, and I have to respect that, so I'll stop derailing.

james writes at 10:57:59 10/28/09 - Comment #52458: You know, if we capped income in general that would make things much cheaper in general...

jason writes at 10:57:09 10/28/09 - Comment #52457: By the way, isn't it better for the environment for more of us Americans to be dead?

jason writes at 10:53:29 10/28/09 - Comment #52456: And I agree with a pay for outcomes scheme. If I'm undergoing heart surgery and I die anyway, neither my estate nor my family should have to pay for the care I received.

jason writes at 10:51:36 10/28/09 - Comment #52455: Why not? In France docs make $3K a month or so. Clearly our docs are putting their Jaguars and their million dollar homes above caring for the people. Doctors should care for people, not money. Their GREED is killing people. Since they won't do it themselves, we should expand the practice of paying fractions of a dollar for the cost of health care. Eventually hospitals will be forced to make these choices.

vincent writes at 10:15:23 10/27/09 - Comment #52451: Uummm, Heather Graham!

mrmike writes at 10:09:11 10/27/09 - Comment #52450: Geez, Jason, harsh. My bigger issue especially with kids has been convoluted billing systems manned by people who didn't understand them It took me six months to get a dental discrepancy settled. It would cost a lot less to see a physician if they did not have to jump through so many hoops. I browbeat a pediatrician to get a handle on to what his minions were doing.

jenks writes at 08:02:59 10/27/09 - Comment #52449: "I know one way to help with our health care costs. Slash every physician's monthly salary by 5K."

Jason. Shame on you.

dcoffee writes at 04:56:40 10/27/09 - Comment #52446: Well this report :::link::: identifies a ton of wasteful spending every year, between $505 billion and $850 billion. Keep in mind that the cost of this healthcare reform stuff is over a period of 10 years, that study counts wasted dollars in just one year.

Sources of waste
Unnecessary care, such as the overuse of antibiotics and lab tests, to protect against malpractice exposure makes up 37 percent of health care waste.

"-- Fraud makes up 22 percent of the wasted expenditures, or up to $200 billion a year in fraudulent Medicare claims, kickbacks for referrals for unnecessary services and other scams.

-- Administrative inefficiency and redundant paperwork account for 18 percent of waste.

-- Medical mistakes account for $50 billion to $100 billion in unnecessary spending each year, or 11 percent of the total.

-- Preventable conditions such as uncontrolled diabetes cost $30 billion to $50 billion a year."

Some of these problems are symptoms of our Fee-for-Service system :::link::: Doctors get paid for the quantity of care, not the quality of outcomes.

Healthcare reform will also raise medicare reimbursement rates, paying doctors more.

James, I guess that's the issue, who will filibusterer this bill in the Senate. I don't see how any Democrats can do it in good conscience, unless they don't have a conscience, or they know that they have a high paid job lined up when they get voted out of office. But I guess it's up to us to lobby and target people on the fence. I don't know what they're so scared of.

jason writes at 03:26:31 10/27/09 - Comment #52445: I know one way to help with our health care costs. Slash every physician's monthly salary by 5K.

james writes at 03:03:29 10/27/09 - Comment #52444: I am sure this has nothing to do with Connecticut housing so many insurance companies.

Fuck him.

/angry blathering

james writes at 03:00:49 10/27/09 - Comment #52443: Fuck Joe Lieberman.

:::link:::

Permalink: Yay_Healthcare_.html
Words: 981
Location: Buffalo, NY

Category: life

10/24/09 07:39 - 49ºF - ID#50097

Summer fun picture stories

More Pictures!!

enjoy

Buffalo Small Boat Harbor, took this picture on a bikeride with molly.

This is the Beach at the end of Tifft Street, right next to the Small Boat Harbor on route 5. We like having a beach so close to our house, we go swim and canoe. It's so nice on those 90 degree summer days, you just go down and dunk yourself in the water.

the Fam at the same beach,

Molly on the boardwalk. There's a boardwalk and a pier at the beach too.

Labor day in Cazenovia Park, this was so fun, I love parties in caz park and I love Labor. It was a big homey barbecue nothing fancy, but just having the community get together and party after a parade, it's one of those wholesome things.

The labor day parade, Mickey Kearns in front, I marched with them and handed out fliers, helped tie balloons, fun stuff.

My favorite South Buffalo party, the Irish Feis and Expo. they have like 5-6 rockin Irish bands, like Jackdaw, Seven Nations, Emish... they also have Irish dancing troops, 2 stages, local businesses, food, drinks. The party starts around 2 and usually goes till 10:30. Bring your own beer or they have good stuff on tap like Guinness Harp, Spaten.. There's also a whole section for local businesses to set up tables. Very grassroots community oriented.

the women from Emish, I actually went to Fredonia with them, and they majored in Music :)

Irish Fest crowd shot.

Blue Heron Music Festival, near Jamestown NY

Main stage, it was muddy the first day

Tent Setup, this is where we slept at the festival. Dry and cozy :)

Anne

Night

Muddy ruts, cars and... cows.

Parking lot was a bit of chaos. I got splattered pushing somebody out. but I did not get stuck thank you very much.

lots of sun, no rain that weekend. This is the last day.

That's all for now :)

Permalink: Summer_fun_picture_stories.html
Words: 370
Location: Buffalo, NY

Category: life

10/20/09 10:57 - 53ºF - ID#50066

Summer Garden Photos

Hi All, I want to share some photos. Sorry for not posting more over the summer, it was a beautiful summer and I was happy to be away from my computer.

Here's some of the summer in photos.

Our house with sunflowers in front.

Our front garden when we just started.

Our back Vegetable Grden when it just started.

The first plants

Garden Sprouts

Mid Season, lookin pretty good

Tomatoes on the left fence, cucumbers in the middle, I think I'm switching them next year and making a bunch of changes, I grew a little bit of everything this year to experiment, now I know what works.

lettuce

some daily harvest, pretty nice

One of our absolute favorite ways to eat fresh garden veggies!! mmmm
Mozzarella, tomatoes, basil, and olive oil, classic italian dish, the taste is purely the ingredients,salt and pepper is optional.

cherry tomatoes, I'm growing these next year. Most of the other tomatoes got molested by squirrels. The cherry tomatoes are delicious.

I did not grow this tomato, it came from Molly's parents in the country, but it is huge!! almost 2 pounds.

Yes the sunflowers were 8-9 feet tall

Molly on the steps

Permalink: Summer_Garden_Photos.html
Words: 235
Location: Buffalo, NY

Category: religion

10/05/09 06:31 - ID#49936

Bible too Liberal?

I need to post more often. It seems like every time I post it's about some crazy news that's about to make my head explode.... well, here's another one..

Conservatizing the Bible

It seems like the "Conservative Bible Project" is really just some dudes with a website. Maybe it's just a fringe project, but something about it just strikes me as wrong.

I guess it bothers me that many of today's conservatives act like they own Christianity. But Conservatives conveniently ignore core principles of the bible and Jesus' teachings. Jesus preached non-violence, and he helped the poor, and told people to love thy neighbor as thyself. Jesus rejected greed, violence, the glorification of power, wealth.....

Some bible quotes to back me up:::::
"Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions. [Luke 12.15.]
Truly, I say unto you, it will be hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. [Matthew 19:23]
You cannot serve both God and Money. [Matthew 6:24.]
If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. [Matthew 19:21]

"But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. [Matthew 6:15]
Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. [Matthew 5:9]
I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despite-fully use you, and persecute you; [Matthew 5:44]

I guess that's the point right... the Bible has a liberal bias. "Blessed are the peacemakers"?!?!? That's some hippie commie pinko subversive stuff. (maybe they don't think that belongs in their religion)

I think the big idea behind the bible was to establish a guidebook that helps humanity live to the best of our potential. Martin Luther King described it as the "Blessed Community". That's what they mean by "Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven" the idea is that Heaven is in perfect harmony, achieving that on earth would create a Blessed Community.

I know this is a bit of a touchy subject, and the same people who defend low taxes and limitless wealth may also be the first to organize a bakesale for a friend in need.

But what we tend to see from the conservative movement, is indifference to the poor, an increasing list of enemies to hate, glorification of wealth.... And for people in need, of say, healthcare, we hear, 'you're lazy, you made bad choices, you didn't earn my mercy, I deserve more than you do.'..... I don't know if that's fair, I'm trying to generalize without exaggerating.

Here's some excerpts from the Conservative Bible Project

framework
"Express Free Market Parables; explaining the numerous economic parables with their full free-market meaning"

"Socialistic terminology permeates English translations of the Bible, without justification. This improperly encourages the "social justice" movement among Christians. "

It just rubs me the wrong way. I'm no expert on the bible or religion. But I just wanted to talk about this for a sec.

Permalink: Bible_too_Liberal_.html
Words: 540
Location: Buffalo, NY

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