Why Congress Doesn't Want Healthcare Reform for Themselves!

Everywhere you turn you can find a liberal Senator or Congressman or Woman, refusing to answer questions about, or flat out saying "NO" to the idea of receiving the same Healthcare that they are trying to ram down our throats!

So, I have to ask "WHY?"

What kind of Healthcare do members of Congress and the Senate receive?


As soon as members of Congress are sworn in, they may participate in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP). The program offers an assortment of health plans from which to choose, including fee-for-service, point-of-service, and health maintenance organizations (HMOs). In addition, Congress members can also insure their spouses and their dependents.

Not only does Congress get to choose from a wide range of plans, but there’s no waiting period. Unlike many Americans who must struggle against precondition clauses or are even denied coverage because of those preconditions, Senators and Representatives are covered no matter what - effective immediately.

And here’s the best part. The government pays up to 75 percent of the premium. That government, of course, is funded by taxpayers, the same taxpayers who often cannot afford health care themselves.Read more: http://public-healthcare-issues.suite101.com/article.cfm/health_care_for_the_us_congress#ixzz0MsLoNEQP

So, they get GREAT HEALTHCARE!! And then they want to give us this CRAP, that is in the Healthcare Deform Bill! They keep saying it's better than what we have, but that only applies to the 15% or so, who don't coverage, already.

The Healthcare they receive doesn't come with a mandatory "end of life" counseling every 5 years after the age of 65. It also doesn't have provisions making it illegal to "opt-out". They are allowed to pay the doctor out of their own pocket if the want to.

Again, if this plan they are trying to cram down our throats is so good, why don't they have to give up their current coverage, and join the "proletariat" in taking the coverage that is being offered? In fact, they even voted against a plan to simply let the American people opt in to the plan that they have!

When asked questions, this is how they respond!




Our Government is out of control, and we are reaching the breaking point! i beleive that our Founding Father's had a few things to say about out of control Government!

DO YOU HAVE THE COURAGE OF YOUR CONVICTIONS?!?!?!

Oklahoma Sovereignty Battle Looming?

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There are rumors flying that the state budget may end up with a shortfall this year, and if so, will have to dip into the "Rainy Day" Fund. In order to do so, the Governor will have to call for an emergency session of our state legislature. If that emargency session is called, that is every Patriot in Oklahoma's Opportunity! Last Session, the House and Senate both passed the Oklahoma Sovereignty Resolution, restating emphatically our 10th Amendendment Rights. Governor Brad Henry VETOED that resloution, but we had enough votes to get the resolution on the ballot for November. However, support for the resolution has been growing, and if we were to call for a reissuing of the resolution, it is believed that there are now enough votes to fully override Gov. Henry's veto.

What this means, is that even if the Federal Government passes the Cap & Trade (BIGGEST TAX INCREASE IN THE HISTORY OF THE PLANET!!) and the Universal Healthcare DEFORM bill, the State Legislature of Oklahoma will have emphatically stated our intent to ignore, as unconstitutional, those laws, and refuse to enforce them inside our borders. If Oklahoma leads the way, other states will follow, and also refuse to enforce these unconstitutional, and statist, laws.

Pay attention Patriots! A HUGE OPPORTUNITY is looming in front of us! When the session is called, we need to be ready, and start bombarding our State Legislature with calls, faxes and emails, calling for another vote on the 1oth Amendment Resolution that was sponsored by Randy Brogdon, and Charles Key!

I will be posting more on this, as news develops! Be Ready! Be Vigilant! Freedom requires actions!

DO YOU HAVE THE COURAGE OF YOUR CONVICTIONS!?!?

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The Grassroots vs. the GrassTops

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Former Tulsa City Councilman, and Local Talk Radio Show Host, Chris Medlock, has decided to run for Mayor of Tulsa, again. After a hard fought, and remarkably close campaign against incumbent, and MidTown "old Family Money" guy, Bill LaFortune, in the last Mayor's race, Chris Medlock parlayed his success into a morning Talk show on KFAQ 1170, and became an almost "instant hit" with the "Q" Nation. Chris' populist, yet ultra-conservative, viewpoint, struck a chord with many Tulsans. Now, armed with a better understanding of what it takes to win a Mayor's race, and much wider name recognition, Medlock is back for another go 'round.

When Mayor Kathy Taylor announced that she was not seeking a second term, it through the race WIDE OPEN, and names started popping up all over the place. Democrat State Senator Tom Adelson, former City Councilor Dewey Bartlett, Jr. and 28 yr old entrepreneur Clay Clark were the initial 3 entrants. On July 4th, at the OKforTea Party, with Clay Clark emceeing, Chris Medlock unofficially announced that he was in. Later that week he made the announcement official with a Press Conference at the Tulsa Press Club. Within days, Clay Clark dropped his campaign and endorsed Medlock, saying

"After talking with our supporters and directly to Chris, it has become apparent that Chris and I agree on nearly all the major issues facing Tulsa. I believe that running against Chris would split the truly conservative vote, which would lead to the Mayor Taylor supporting candidate (Mr. Bartlett) being elected, and that would be like voting for Kathy Taylor Part 2."

Clark had been vocal in his stances against Kathy Taylor's running of Tulsa. When Bartlett came out and endorsed her, without knowing any of the Republican candidates for mayor, and then jumped into the race as soon as she was out, Clark issued a statement calling for Bartlett to "change parties, and run as a Democrat".

Now, after the filing period of July 13th-15th has passed, we have a total of 19 candidates. 11 Republicans, 5 Democrats, and 3 Independents. On the Republican side we have, Anna Falling, David O’Connor, Paul Roales, Michael Tomes, Norris Streetman, Kevin Boggs, John Todd, Nathaniel Booth and Michael Rush. On the Democratic side, we have Robert Gwin Jr., Paul Tay, A. Burns and Prophet Kelly Lamar Clark. And our 3 Independents are Mark Perkins, Cleon Burrell and Lawrence Kirkpatrick.

But, we REALLY still only have 3 candidates, Chris Medlock, the Conservative Republican from South Tulsa, Dewey Bartlett, Jr., the Mid Town RINO (Republican In Name Only) who endorsed the Ultra-Liberal Kathy Taylor, and State Senator Tom Adelson, a typical "tax & spend" Democrat, and another of the Mid Town old money "good ol' boys club" members, like LaFortune, Taylor, and Bartlett. Not that Party affiliation really matters in Tulsa. Like Chris Medlock said in his Interview with the UrbanTulsa Weekly,

"There are two parties in this town, but they're not Republican and Democrat," he said. "You really do have sort of the grassroots and the grasstops in this town."

Well, as far as I am concerned, Chris Medlock is the choice of the GrassRoots! No more being ruled by the "grasstops" Mid Town minority! If you live in Tulsa, VOTE CHRIS MEDLOCK! If you live in the surrounding areas, this still affects you, tell all of your friends & family that live in Tulsa to VOTE FOR MEDLOCK.

SOCIALIZED HEALTH CARE IS NOT THE ANSWER

I received this from Senator Jim Inhofe's Office Today.

SOCIALIZED HEALTH CARE IS NOT THE ANSWER

The mortality rate in Canada is 25% higher for breast cancer, 18% higher for prostate cancer, and 13% higher for colorectal cancer than the U.S.

Studies show that only 5% of Americans wait more than 4 months for surgery, compared with 23% of Australians, 26% of New Zealanders, 27% of Canadians, and 36% of the British.

Nearly 1.8 million British citizens are waiting for hospital or outpatient treatments at any given time.

The Fraser Institute reports that the average wait time to see a specialist in Canada was 17 weeks in 2008.

“I have long been dedicated to ensuring that Oklahomans and all Americans receive the best possible health care with the most choices. Health care decisions are personal and should be made by you and your doctor, not Washington bureaucrats running a government program - denying you the medical care you need.”

- U.S. Senator Jim Inhofe

What Do We Do About Health Care?

As the national debt rises and health care costs continue to increase, Senator Inhofe is working with other Senators to enact legislation like the “Patients’ Choice Act” (S.1099). This bill provides a better alternative to government run health care by:

• Using choice and competition rather than rationing and

restrictions to contain costs and ensure that affordable

health care is available for all Americans without

interference from the Federal Government.

• Promotes healthier lifestyles and disease prevention

through incentives for States.

• Improves Health Savings Accounts making them more

accessible and easy to use.

• Provides tax credits of $2,300 per individual or $5,700

per family for health plans.

How Would the Currently Proposed Government Run Health Care Legislation Work?

The Congressional Budget Office’s (CBO) mandate is to provide Congress with objective, nonpartisan analyses of the economic and budgetary implications of proposed legislation. CBO estimates the subsidies in the Kennedy/Dodd Bill would cost $1.3 trillion over 10 years.

This estimate does not include the cost of provisions yet to be included such as the cost of a government run “public plan.”

Most significantly, CBO estimates that 15 million people would lose employer sponsored health insurance under the Kennedy-Dodd Bill meaning that under this plan millions of Americans will NOT get to keep their doctors or their health plans, 30 million Americans will remain uninsured, and the plan spends at least $1.3 trillion to cover 16 million which means the bureaucracy created in this bill costs taxpayers $62,500 per uninsured person.

What Kind of Care Would Government Run Health Care Provide?

In Alberta, Canada, Bill Murray waited in pain for more than a year to see a specialist for his arthritic hip. The specialist recommended a state-of-the-art procedure, but government bureaucrats determined that Mr. Murray, who was 57, was "too old". In the end, he was also denied the opportunity to pay for the procedure himself in Alberta. “‘Too Old' for Hip Surgery,” Wall Street Journal, Feb. 9, 2009.

Shona Holmes’ family doctor in Canada discovered a tumor in her brain. She knew it would take months for her to get an appointment with a specialist in Canada. “’I knew in my gut that I had to see someone and could not wait five to six months,” she says. She called Mayo Clinic and got an appointment the same day.” http://www.mayoclinic.org/patientstories/story-339.html.

Bruce Hardy, a patient living outside London, suffers from kidney and lung cancer, for which his physician prescribed the new drug Sutent. “If the Hardys lived in the United States or just about any European country other than Britain, Mr. Hardy would most likely get the drug.” However, in Britain, Sutent’s $54,000 price means “Mr. Hardy’s life is not worth prolonging.” “British Balance Benefit vs. Cost of Latest Drugs,” New York Times, Dec. 2, 2008.

Ian Dobbin, a patient in Yorkshire, England was informed by the British National Health Service that because the NHS would not pay for his life-saving cancer treatment, he needed to pay £25,000 (over $40,000) to obtain the treatment and survive. He said of NHS’ decision, “I've been paying my national insurance all my life and when it comes to the point that I need it to keep me alive, they are not prepared to help.” “£25,000...or die,” The Press (United Kingdom), May 2007.

What Else is Senator Inhofe Doing to Ensure Oklahomans Have Better Health Care?

Senator Inhofe is working with a bipartisan group of 8 Senators on the “Critical Access Flexibility Act” (S.1171) which protects rural hospitals and in many cases keeps rural hospitals in Oklahoma open by allowing the State to once again determine local need and designate hospitals as Critical Access Hospitals.

Senator Inhofe is leading a bipartisan effort with Senator Bingaman (D-NM) requesting needed reform for Disproportionate Share Hospitals (DSH) in the current health care debate in Congress. Inhofe’s and Bingaman’s work would have the effect of increasing funding for states like Oklahoma which currently receive low Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) formula based reimbursements when other states receive well more than their needs. DSH hospitals provide critical health care services. Many times, these services are provided to the poor and uninsured.

Additionally, Senator Inhofe is continuing to work with a bipartisan group of 10 Senators on the “Craig Thomas Rural Hospital and Provider Equity Act” (S.1157). This is legislation named after the late Senator Craig from Wyoming, and the bill specifically ensures that rural areas receive better health care services and improved medical technology uniquely suited for rural health care delivery.

Tulsa Tea Party Mission Statement

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The Tulsa Tea Party, is in the process of incorporating as a non-profit organization. As such, we have written a Mission Statement, outlining who we are, and what we stand for. Comments are welcome.

Mission

We are a non-partisan, non-profit, issues based organization united by our shared core values to preserve the Constitutional Rights of WE THE PEOPLE of the United States of America, by limiting government; constraining government spending and taxation; and advancing a free market economy.

Our Core Values --What We Stand For:

• Limited Government – As our Founding Fathers recognized, restraint of government is necessary to protect the liberties of the people.


• 
  Fiscal Responsibility – Government at all levels must learn to live within its means. To saddle future generations with the crushing burden of our excess spending is unconscionable.
  


• States Rights – The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respective, or to the People.


• 
  National Sovereignty – We must maintain a strong national defense, effective security for our borders, and sole control over our land and our laws.
  


• Personal Responsibility – Liberty is unsustainable without responsibility. Each citizen must take responsibility for the consequences of his or her own actions while respecting the rights and dignity of others.
  


• The Rule of Law – Consistent, independent and uniform application of the law is critical to a free and prosperous society.

Code of Conduct -- What We Won’t Stand For:

• 
  Personal Attacks – We’re debating positions and policies, not demonizing people or groups.


• 
  Unfounded Rumors – The easily verifiable facts are bad enough. Don’t weaken our position by stretching the truth.
  

Objective and Goals:

Objective:

• Educate, motivate, equip and mobilize the citizens for informed participation in public debate and the electoral process
  

Goals:

• Conduct public events to allow citizens to gather and speak out on our Core Values


• Educate the public on our Core Values
  


• Provide a forum on our Core Values for conversations between citizens and candidates/officials
  

ObamaCare....What does it really cost?

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Last Thursday, I went to a Healthcare Symposium, put on by the Tulsa 9-12 Project.

The list of speakers included, Dr. Eric Cottrill, of the Tulsa County Medical Association, the Oklahoma State Medical Association, and the Oklahoma Alliance of Physicians for Tort Reform, www.okphysiciansalliance.com

Dr. Cottrill spoke on the need for reform of our current Healthcare system, and he emphasized the need for the reform to be local and state based, not federal. With strong Tort reform, the cost of healthcare drops dramatically. In order to be effective, Tort reform MUST have caps on the awards for "pain and suffering". These caps, however, do not have an impact on real monetary losses, from job loss, to actual medical costs. Also, another step to loweencyring Healthcare costs, is limiting "frivolous" lawsuits. Right now, in Oklahoma, it costs the plaintiff nothing, to file a lawsuit against a doctor, or medical facility, as lawyers take these cases on a contingency basis. If a "loser pays" law were to be passed, then only those cases with actual merit would be brought. The fewer malpractice suits are filed, the lower the cost of malpractice insurance. The lower the cost of malpractice insurance, the lower the cost of doctor's visits. Simple Economics.

He also spoke about the ramifications of the Obama Administration's proposed Healthcare Reform Bill. If we want to see an example of Government run Healthcare, we need only look at the VA hospitals. Restricted, and inferior, treatments, and drugs. All day for a Doctor's visit. As he put it, there are two ways that you can pay for healthcare, money or time. I don't know about you, but I would rather pay my own expenses, "out of pocket" than to be treated in a facility that just treats me as a number, and has no regard for my time, while giving inferior care, based on regulations and cost analysis. Noone goes to a doctor and says "Hey, Doc, I want you to cut every corner you can, make sure that my Healthcare costs as little as possible, no matter what!" No, we all want the VERY BEST CARE POSSIBLE!

The second speaker of the evening was Glenn Mulready of Health Insurance Underwriters Association. Glen spoke on the Myths and Facts of the uninsured Americans Debate.
The Obama Administration says that there are 46-50 million uninsured Americans. Well, let's take a look at those numbers. Of those 46-50 million, 14 million are already eligible for existing Government health programs. That leaves 32-36 million. 45% of the remaining are only without insurance for less than 4 months, as they change employers. That leaves about 18-20 million. 66% of those are the 18-34 crowd, who tend to choose not to purchase insurance, because they are still "invincible". That leaves just 8-13 million who are truly uninsured. Of those, an estimated 10 million are not even US citizensm according to the US Census Bureau. So, who is truly uninsured? Why do we NEED Government run Healthcare? Just to take care of the illegal immigrants, and indigents who refuse to take care of themselves? Why not do like Dr. Cottrill said, and Reform our current system, instead of scrapping it for one that we can't even afford, and that is inferior to the quality of care that is already available?

How can a bankrupt Government afford Universal Healthcare?!

The final speaker of the evening, was State Representative Dr. Mike Ritze, of Broken Arrow. Dr. Ritze spoke about the problems of our system, and offered solutions. As he stated, our current Healthcare system is widely acknowledged as being broken. Costs are increasing, ER wait times grow longer and longer, and illegal immigrants are flocking to America. The number of doctors who accept Medicare and Medicaid is shrinking, due to poor reimbursement, and massive amounts of red tape. Americans are calling for change.

There is a common misconception that we currently have a Free Market system, when it comes to Healthcare. The Federal Government already regulates and controls our Healthcare system. About half of all healthcare costs are paid by the US Government, and access is controlled by over 100,000 pages of regulations!! We need to get them OUT of the Healthcare business, not give them MORE control!! We are already seeing shortages of doctors in the US, due to the over regulation. Foreign doctors are recruited to the US to fill the void, oft times without having to go thru the same level of schooling, or credentials checks that American doctors go through! A large percentage of the malpractice suits filed in the US are foreign doctors who didn't have the necessary training to perform the tasks they were performing!

European experiments in socialized medicine are failing under the weight of delays in necessary medical procedures, a lack of healthcare professionals, and skyrocketing costs. In many countries with socialized medicine, there are talks of limiting, or eliminating, healthcare for smokers, the obese, and many others that the government deems not worthy of being treated. Allowing the Government to make life and death decisions, is dangerous, and absolutely contrary to the freedoms that our nation was founded on.

The real solution to our healthcare crisis is to get Government OUT of the healthcare business! Let free enterprise solve the problems, especially at the state and local levels. Encourage more doctors to run for office, instead of these career politicians, so that we have knowledgeable representatives at the local, state and federal levels. And do your own research and lobby your state and federal legislators to reduce the restrictive regulations, and pass Tort reforms

Over all, the evening was very informative, and educational. I understand better, the arguments against nationalized Healthcare, and the damage it will do to, not only our quality of healthcare services, but also to our Freedoms as Americans.

Please, stand up and fight against the continued attacks on our Constitutional freedoms, and the American way of life. Contact your legislators, let them know how you feel about these bills, and let them know that if they vote for it, we WILL retire them in the next elections. We ARE going to take back our country, and we will put back everything that they have taken from us!

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Is the Tea Party Losing Steam, or Just Changing Tracks?

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An Article in the Washington Independent, has suggested, somewhat gleefully, that the Tea Parties are starting to lose momentum, and therefore, relevance. The article points toward dwindling attendance, and MSM coverage, as proof that the movement is on it's way out.

I, however, disagree. Yes, attendance has been down, but the speed with which we are able to organize, and set up protests, is increasing, and the direct impact on local politics, is becoming noticeable. Grassroots candidates, who normally would get very little, if any, media attention, are garnering larger polling numbers, earlier. Those who have tied themselves to the Tea Parties, have become the most talked about candidates on local Talk Radio, and local blogs, and small town newspapers. Yes, the MSM, is still trying to ignore them, but it becomes increasingly difficult to do so.

For instance, Oklahoma State Senator Randy Brogdon, who is running a Grassroots campaign for Governor, still isn't getting a lot of MSM attention, but he was the ONLY Gubernatorial candidate represented at the Tulsa County GOP open meeting last week. His main competitor, Mary Fallin, did not have ONE T-shirt, bumper sticker, or sign in sight. Nearly one-third of those in attendance were wearing a Brogdon for Governor T-shirt, and MANY more were wearing Brogdon Stickers on their shirts. The fact is, in the second largest county in Oklahoma, the GOP party leadership candidate, had ZERO support, and the Grassroots, Tea Party associated candidate, had a huge following. These are the kinds of differences the Tea Parties are making.

“I think of the Tea Party Movement as a play in three acts,” said Michael Patrick Leahy, a Nashville activist who has clashed with other Tea Party organizers, but who is speaking at the Dallas event. “Act one was to protest the socialist statism that we don’t believe in. The second act is happening on Saturday when we celebrate the Constitution that we do believe in. The third act will be taking actions to restore limited government.”

No, it's not as glamorous, as having 20,000 people, and Sean Hannity, at the rallies, but it's MUCH more effective. The Tea Parties are being used to ignite the Grassroots, in a wildfire effort to "throw the bums out!", and replace them with strong Constitutional Conservatives, who stand for the values this country was founded on!

Tea Partiers, KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!

"Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness......A gift, a responsibility, and an opportunity"

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Sarah Palin Running for President?

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The news came out today that Sarah Palin will NOT seek reelection, and is possibly stepping down, as the Governor of Alaska. This, of course, begs the question, is she running for President in 2012? Not being Governor of Alaska, frees up her time, which allows her to get out and make speeches, and be a rallying point for the Conservative movement. (I can see the Tea Parties lining up now to get her to come speak!) This also allows her to start raising campaign funds, and increasing her, already significant, name recognition. As of right now, she is the only Republican candidate that I see as a potential threat to the Obama campaign. In order to be successful, she needs to sharpen her message, and continue to build her image as a mother, and one of the "regular" people. She needs to make appearances at Tea Party Rallies, and speak out, clearly and succinctly, against things like Cap & Trade, and Universal Healthcare. We need Sarah to be a leader, and to inspire the Conservative Grassroots.

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Dallas Tea Party Invites Janeane Garofalo

The Dallas Tea has issued a 2nd open invitation to Janeane Garofalo, to attend the July 4th Tea Party at Southfork Ranch. The video addresses Garofalo's statements that all Tea Party participants are racist, white trash, redneck, "teabaggers".

The Bronze Rat

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A Tourist walked into a Chinese curio shop in San Francisco. While looking around at the exotic merchandise, he noticed a very lifelike, life-sized, bronze statue of a rat. It had no price tag, but was so incredibly striking the tourist decided he must have it. He took it to the old shop owner and asked, "How much for the bronze rat?"
"Ahhh, you have chosen wisely! It is $12 for the rat, $100 for the story," said the wise old Chinaman. The tourist quickly pulled out twelve dollars. "I'll just take the rat, you can keep the story."
As he walked down the street carrying his bronze rat, the tourist noticed that a few real rats had crawled out of the alleys and sewers and had begun following him down the street. This was a bit disconcerting so he began walking faster.
A couple blocks later he looked behind him and saw to his horror the herd of rats behind him had grown to hundreds, and they began squealing.
Sweating now, the tourist began to trot toward the Bay. Again, after a couple blocks, he looked around only to discover that the rats now numbered in the MILLIONS, and were squealing and coming toward him faster and faster.
Terrified, he ran to the edge of the Bay and threw the bronze rat as far as he could into the Bay.
Amazingly, the millions of rats all jumped into the Bay after the bronze rat, and were all drowned.
The man walked back to the curio shop in Chinatown.
"Ahhh," said the owner, "You have come back for story?"
"No sir," said the man, "I came back to see if you have a bronze Democrat."

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