» Politico

smoke and mirrors

~ REVOLT PRO MEDIA ~ — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 17:56:04 +0000

We cannot be distracted by the debate over the public option. It matters very much to private insurance companies whether the government becomes their competitor, but, for the elderly (and the near-elderly), the key concern is not the public option by the rationing and cuts projected under the program.
During the Clinton Administration, the opposition worked hard to kill the proposed Medicare cuts and we should be no less committed to stopping them in the Obama presidency. That they were once proposed by the right and are now being pushed by the left makes no difference. A cut is a cut is a cut. And Medicare should not be cut. Dig it!

Cash for Clunkers disaster

~ REVOLT PRO MEDIA ~ — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 19:20:52 +0000

A vehicle getting 15 mpg and driven 12,000 miles per year uses 800 gallons a year of gasoline.
A vehicle getting 25 mpg and driven 12,000 miles per year uses 480 gallons a year.
So, the average clunker transaction will reduce US gasoline consumption by 320 gallons per year.
The claim states that 700,000 clunkers were traded in – so that’s 224 million gallons per year saved..
· That equates to a bit over 5 million barrels of oil.
· 5 million barrels of oil is about ¼ of one day’s US consumption.
· And, 5 million barrels of oil costs about $350 million dollars at $75 per barrel.
· So, we all contributed to spending $3 billion to save $350 million.
Your tax dollar at work!

Obamacare

~ REVOLT PRO MEDIA ~ — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 20:25:30 +0000

The fundamental question that the Obama Administration has never answered is a simple one: How can they treat 50 million new patients with no extra doctors?

A new report from the American Association of Medical Colleges underscores the urgency of this concern. The Association notes that the United States now suffers from a shortage of 15,000 doctors – a shortfall that is expected to grow to 125,000 in fifteen years. And, the Association reports, if universal health insurance is passed, the shortage will grow to over 150,000 by 2025.

While the number of elderly people in the U.S. is expected to grow by 60% over the next decade and a half, the number of doctors will increase by only about 6%. (Total U.S. population will rise by about 17% over the same period).

This shortage of doctors will, inevitably, lead to the rationing of medical care, more quickly and drastically if the Obama plan is passed. In Massachusetts, where universal health coverage was enacted under Governor Mitt Romney in 2006, the Medical Society found that the number of patients who reported difficulty in getting care has already risen by 50% up to a quarter of the patient population. The New York Times reports that “a main reason for the logjam was long waiting times for appointments.”