Unions/Education/Medical System..

Several years ago when the unions started to form in the US, there was a great need for change and improvements in the work environment. The initial concept that founded the unions forming was correct, but the people and processes that were allowed to make the unions and keep them going were NOT the way to go.

In many cases the unions were ran by crooks, and the majority of the money acquired by taking “dues” from the members went into the crooks pockets and not back to the people the way it should have. Unions have also raised the cost of living for all people in the US and abroad by artificially raising the cost of creating consumables and such through inflated expenses within the company to cover high priced retirement plans (that are left un-funded by the Unions), high priced medical benefits, and many other things the unions push on employers.

One of the biggest things that unions push on employers is the inability to fire an employee based on performance, or advance someone based on performance over seniority, or to hire someone outside of the union. This leads to such issues as we are currently having in education and many other avenues, especially education. And yet, in education, they have done nothing to get the salary to a level that would retain the good, caring educators in schools. (However, the teachers pay a hefty “dues” to their unions for the privilege to work as a teacher for low pay…)

So, what do we do if we get rid of unions? We go back to the process of paying a person based on their skill level and what they do for the company. If a person isn’t able to do the work required, move them into a job they can do, or send them on their way (after giving them the right training needed for the job, and giving them the chance). Pay should be based on the job, ability and performance, not an a union contrived pay scale. Yes, there should be equity, but equity for all parties, not just one side or another. Yes, the employers will need to pay a bit better, and do a bit more for their employees to keep the good ones there. But it should be performance and skill based.

We need to revamp our education so that it is current, provides actual work based and life based training that meets our needs as a Nation and as a Super Nation. This education needs to be based on gaining knowledge about science, math, the spoken word, and real history, not re-written history. Our teachers need to teach, and not just babysit kids. If a kid isn’t learning, start teaching to their level and get them up to speed. Let us stop the drugs, alternative schooling, etc., and actually teach them what they need to know. If the students are causing problems, sit them down and make them learn by keeping them engaged in the learning. Not by yelling at them, having them arrested, or sending them to someone else to teach. I can understand the need today to lock down schools, because of the rapid growth of kids carrying weapons, but let us make them less like prisons, and take the school back to being a school.

Our next step is to take a VERY strong look at our medical insurance system and the associated cost. I work in the medical system, and see first hand the cost we pass on to our patients and how out of whack it is. The cost of medical supplies is way out of whack, deeply due to the unions mentioned above, especially as we as humans should be looking out for each other, not taking them to the cleaners over health issues. I understand that the cost of research for new equipment, drugs and process can be high, but in many cases it is offset by grants from the government, or through donations from many sources. The cost of medical support to humans should not be as high as it is now, taking over 43% of the income for many people. And so high than even more are unable to have medical care. I am not into socialized medicine, but our current process isn’t working either. We need to look at this very closely, and the current process, put into place by Obama, is NOT going to work in lowering cost, but will (and has) raise it significantly.

While we are on medical cost, let us talk about medical care in general. Our doctors need to get back to taking care of patients and not worrying about the money. Actually talk with and LOOK AT the patient! Listen to what they are saying and look into their problems. Don’t just go about it half way. Find their problem and fix it, don’t mask it through drugs and such to ease their pain/issue, but resolve the issue. This will also help in reducing the cost of medical care if we actually take care of the patient and not the symptoms.

Time for Change…

Obama was right we need change, and especially now. Things are not working well now, and as a Nation we are falling apart.

We are once again being over taxed on everything, often against our will, for a big government that we really do not need. Let us cut our deficit by shrinking our government down to a government that meets the needs of the nation, and get rid of the extras that really aren’t needed in the form of programs that are beyond stupid, meaning the various government ran research programs for mating practices of insects, etc. We should be restructuring our welfare programs and placing limits on who gets them and how. Instead of those that are not working, give the education programs to those working in low income jobs, and help them get better jobs. Then those that are not working can step into the jobs that are vacated by those moving up, and then those low paid people can start getting welfare training for better jobs after they work a few months to a year and get in the habit of working daily.

Next we need to install term limits to our House and Senate. Two terms and you are done, next! Now, don’t change the two sections of the Congress at the same time, and not in a year where we get a new President, but two terms is enough. The positions were not intended to be long term, and were not intended to be such high paid jobs with such great benefits.

Next, since it is a full time job now, the breaks must end, and the members of Congress should be “in office” year around, not just less than half the year between all the breaks. There is no longer a need for such long and frequent breaks. They can do some time in their State, which they don’t do much now, but they should be at work 5 days a week, 52 weeks a year, like the rest of us. No more permanent retirement plans, that are not paid for either. If they want their time to count towards retirement, they can do it the same way the rest of us must, by paying into it. (Or return all of us to a defined benefit plan instead of a contribution benefit plan.) For those that have already retired, we leave alone, but all those currently in office start paying today, and when this term ends, if they have already had at least two terms, they are done. Loosing all benefits they received.

When it comes for a new Bill to be passed, the Bill must ONLY deal with the aspects of the Bill, and no add on passages that have nothing to do with the bill. (No earmarks or what ever you want to call them.) JUST the particulars of the Bill. Then, after discussion it is a straight up or down vote on the Bill.

Let us get back to running the country like a business and making it successful and one of the most powerful and riches Nations in the World!

President Obama and his birth certificate…

Ok, President Obama had an interview in the last couple of days:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/38914715#38914715

In this he says, and I paraphrase, he doesn’t time to go around with his birth certificate plastered on his face.

My question is, has it ever been shown yet, to the people of the US that is, and why does he think we want him to plaster it on his face, rather than in newspapers, and on the air? In a manner that we can verify that he was in fact born in the US, and not in Africa as his Doctor that was there has said, his Grandmother has said (early on, now she says Hawaii), and those that were there have said?

State of the US…

Over the last few years, I have felt more and more that the US needs to step back from the world to an extent and look at itself a little closer. We are spread out all over the world in other nation’s business, but we are not taking care of our own business here in the US.

As a nation we appear to be more worried about the sick, hungry and homeless around the world, and less so with those here in the US. We have many many people here in the US that are without work, hungry and homeless that we should be taking care of. We, as individuals and as a nation, tend to send a ton of money to other nations to help their homeless, hungry and those without work. I have no problem with helping others, and I highly recommend helping anyone we can, anywhere, but why are we forgetting our home front? Can’t a good portion of that money stay here and fix our own ailments?

Part of the reason we have so many homeless and hungry people here in the US is the cost of pretty much everything. Due to our

As our military continues to shrink, we continue to send troops to nations all over the world. We have our presence all over the world, and we try to control those areas any way we can. While our people are in these places, in many cases, dangerously so, we have many issues going on here in the US that require attention. Let’s bring our troops home, strengthen our boarders to stop attacks on our great nation, and work on ourselves instead of worrying about other nations, unless they, as a whole nation call us for help, and agree to foot the bill for us coming over to help. If a nation wants us there to help, let’s go to a process where they pay us to do so. And let’s only go if they ask us to come, not if we feel that we need to help them out to become more like us. (Being more like us is not always a good thing….)

The reason we have so many people out of work and homeless is the cost of pretty much everything in the US is too high. This is because each person wants to make more money than we probably should make. We need to look at the cost of making things, lower our wages (or freeze them were they are now), which will help in reducing the cost of producing new things. We need to then look at the cost of medical care. And not the way the President is currently doing it…. I also think that we could very much go back to more barter sales. They are there now, but it could grow!!

Many of the Christian Churches here in the US are busy sending their “Missionaries” to other nations in order to bring more people into their faith. I agree with the concept, very much… But I say we have MANY people in the US that need to hear the Word as well. Why are we sending our resources overseas, when there are many people in this nation that need us as well? What is a better way to taking the Word overseas is to train people from that Nation here, in the US, and then let them go back home and spread the Word to their people “their” way! Makes a lot more sense to me to go this way…

Many people are going overseas to adopt infants and small children. We have many, many kids in the system here in the US that are very much in the need of being adopted by a loving, caring family. We are we going overseas and taking kids from their heritage when we should be helping these kids locally? Yes, I know that the laws here in the US make it very hard to do so here in the US. But that can be fixed. We need to look at these laws and make it so that adoptions can happen in the US in a better manner, and with a bit of an easier path.

While I am not 100% behind bringing everyone home and locking down the boarders and totally closing in on ourselves, as I think International trade is important, but I do think we need to put most of our focus on US and not on other nations… Let’s regrow our nation into a strong, united nation and get all of us in the US in valid housing, be it hospitals, apartments, homes, etc, being feed daily, and cared for by the right people. Let us dig into why people feel the need to do drugs, as from where I sit right now, that is a key problem here in the US. We need to clear up the drug trafficking, and the only way to do that is to stop the users from using it, and to do that, we need to get a strong grip on why they do the drugs, and then snip that need…

Ok, sorry for the rambling and soapboxing. Had to get it off my chest…

Politics Today.

During my day, I have the opportunity to review a handful of BLogs like this one, via BlogExplosion (which I think has lost it’s development and support crew, and many of it’s users?). There are MANY blogs out there dealing with today’s political theme of election time.

I have seen tons and tons of anti McCain and anti Obama sites, but none, so far, positive sites for either party. What happened to positive politics? Doesn’t sell?

In each of these negative blogs I read over, I find that name calling is predominate, and only partial truths are turned into major wrongs. Words are taken out of context and blown up. Histories are “re-written” to meet the goal of the poster. In a couple of instances, I was privy to “what really happened” (I was there in at least one case, involved in what was happening) about an event, and what I read was 180 out from what really happened!

Where do these people get their information? From like minded people, and from only one source, or sources “highly related” to their mind? Don’t they do deeper investigations and find at least three sources, not all of the same mind, to validate their information? Do they ever talk to someone that “was there” at the event?

I understand about posting for your Candidate (I like neither personally), but why not post the VERIFIABLE positive stuff about YOUR candidate, not the NEGATIVE, possibly NOT VERIFIED, stuff about the opposing side? I am betting that if these blogs ran a positive campaign on their blog, they would find less conflict and issues. I’m also betting that they WANT the conflict and issues to make themselves look bigger and better!

Now on to the Politicians themselves. Why do they insist on dogging the other side with negative comments? (Aside from the crappy press agents we have out there goading them into it!) What I would rather hear from the Candidates is a CLEAR, UNDERSTANDABLE and DEFENSIBLE position on:

And when these platforms come down, don’t tell me how the other side will do it, tell me how you will do it, why you will do it, and how you will get the support of the Congress and the People of the US. Negative campaigning turns me off on all sides. And it doesn’t tell me what YOU are doing. Let us get back to the good side of life and leave the negative behind. Let us stop pointing fingers and start taking POSITIVE action to fix things, action that is well thought out, agreed upon by the majority of the nation and helpful to one and all!

Our Press and media!!??

Ok, I haven’t been watching much TV for the past 10 or 15 years, unless I’m staying at someone’s house and they have it on, or when I’m at the gym (which has TVs in front of the treadmills that I use), etc.

In the last 4 weeks I have been watching CNN and local news when on the treadmills. 99% of the news I have seen politically has been on Obama, and ONLY in a favorable way. And I mean hours and hours of it! They tell us VERY little about his past, very little about the negative things in his life, etc.

Now, on the other hand, just about the only things I’ve seen on the McCain side have been all of the bad things about him. And in two cases, those “bad” things were 100% wrong. Same with Polin, all bad and speculation with no foundation.

I have seen 100 ads (I counted!!) from the Obama court to every 3 McCain ads. Is it because McCain isn’t buying ads, or is it because the press and media is only putting them up when they have to?

What happened (if it was ever so) to the Press and public medias being a place to get UNBIASED reporting on the FACTS and not posting an internal agenda?

Let’s get to posting facts, figures, and 100% verifiable information on BOTH candidates and their running mates, not speculation, innuendos, lies, etc. And for equal amounts of time on the air and in the papers! Both good and bad info on these folks, so we can make a REAL decision based on fact and not slanted mis-information!

Politics…

I don’t normally post much about politics, if any. But this article caught my attention and I agree with it. Now, I know that Ken Blackwell is a FAR right advocate. And I know you can find similar vein of stuff on anyone, but this echos my thoughts, and my research as well:

Wednesday, March 11, 2008 1:57 PM

by: Ken Blackwell – New York Sun

It’s an amazing time to be alive in America. We’re in a year of firsts in this presidential election: the first viable woman candidate; the first viable African-American candidate; and, a candidate who is the first front-running freedom fighter over 70. The next president of America will be a first.

We won’t truly be in an election of firsts, however, until we judge every candidate by where they stand. We won’t arrive where we should be until we no longer talk about skin color or gender. Now that Barack Obama steps to the front of the Democratic field, we need to stop talking about his race, and start talking about his policies and his politics.

The reality is this: Though the Democrats will not have a nominee until August, unless Hillary Clinton drops out, Mr. Obama is now the frontrunner, and its time America takes a closer and deeper look at him. Some pundits are calling him the next John F. Kennedy He’s not. He’s the next George McGovern. And it’s time people learned the facts.

Because the truth is that Mr. Obama is the single most liberal senator in the entire U.S. Senate. He is more liberal than Ted Kennedy, Bernie Sanders, or Mrs. Clinton. Never in my life have I seen a presidential frontrunner whose rhetoric is so far removed from his record. Walter Mondale promised to raise our taxes, and he lost. George McGovern promised military weakness, and he lost. Michael Dukakis promised a liberal domestic agenda, and he lost.

Yet Mr. Obama is promising all those things, and he’s not behind in the polls. Why? Because the press has dealt with him as if he were in a beauty pageant. Mr. Obama talks about getting past party, getting past red and blue, to lead the United States of America. But let’s look at the more defined strokes of who he is underneath this superficial “beauty.”

Start with national security, since the president’s most important duties are as commander-in-chief. Over the summer, Mr. Obama talked about invading Pakistan, a nation armed with nuclear weapons; meeting without preconditions with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who vows to destroy Israel and create another Holocaust; and Kim Jong II, who is murdering and starving his people, but emphasized that the nuclear option was off the table against terrorists – something no president has ever taken off the table since we created nuclear weapons in the 1940s. Even Democrats who have worked in national security condemned all of those remarks. Mr. Obama is a foreign-policy novice who would put our national security at risk.

Next, consider economic policy. For all its faults, our health care system is the strongest in the world. And free trade agreements, created by Bill Clinton as well as President Bush, have made more goods more affordable so that even people of modest means can live a life that no one imagined a generation ago. Yet Mr. Obama promises to raise taxes on “the rich.” How to fix Social Security? Raise taxes. How to fix Medicare? Raise taxes. Prescription drugs? Raise taxes. Free college? Raise taxes. Socialize medicine? Raise taxes. His solution to everything is to have government take it over. Big Brother on steroids, funded by your paycheck.

Finally, look at the social issues. Mr. Obama had the audacity to open a stadium rally by saying, “All praise and glory to God!” but says that Christian leaders speaking for life and marriage have “hijacked” – hijacked – Christianity. He is pro-partial birth abortion, and promises to appoint Supreme Court justices who will rule any restriction on it unconstitutional. He espouses the abortion views of Margaret Sanger, one of the early advocates of racial cleansing. His spiritual leaders endorse homosexual marriage, and he is moving in that direction. In Illinois, he refused to vote against a statewide ban – ban – on all handguns in the state. These are radical left, Hollywood, and San Francisco values, not Middle America values.

The real Mr. Obama is an easy target for the general election. Mrs. Clinton is a far tougher opponent. But Mr. Obama could win if people don’t start looking behind his veneer and flowery speeches. His vision of “bringing America together” means saying that those who disagree with his agenda for America are hijackers or warmongers. Uniting the country means adopting his liberal agenda and abandoning any conflicting beliefs.

But right now everyone is talking about how eloquent of a speaker he is and – yes – they’re talking about his race. Those should never be the factors on which we base our choice for president. Mr. Obama’s radical agenda sets him far outside the American mainstream, to the left of Mrs. Clinton.

It’s time to talk about the real Barack Obama. In an election of firsts, let’s first make sure we elect the person who is qualified to be our president in a nuclear age during a global civilizational war.

Subject: Kind of scary, wouldn’t you think? Remember–God is good, and is in time, on time, every time.

According to The Book of Revelations the anti-Christ is: The anti-Christ will be a man, in his 40s, of MUSLIM descent, who will deceive the nations with persuasive language, and have a MASSIVE Christ-like appeal….the prophecy says that people will flock to him and he will promise false hope and world peace, and when he is in power, will destroy everything. Is it OBAMA?? I STRONGLY URGE each one of you to repost this as many times as you can! Each opportunity that you have to send it to a friend or media outlet…do it! If you think I am crazy..I’m sorry but I refuse to take a chance on the “unknown” candidate.

—-Ken Blackwell – Columnist for the New York Sun—-

Obama scares me in many ways if he makes President. Clinton isn’t much better, but is a better choice if we must. I’m not overly impressed with anyone left in the running right now, but I do strongly feel that Obama is NOT the person we want in our Presidential Office.