First Deputy Chief William "Bill" Feehan  

Project 2,996 9/11 - Remembrance 

The new media is a funny place to be, you never know what you’re going to find there, or who it might come from. Twitter is among the newer services and as a relatively new member I’ve been spending quite a lot of time reading and sending tweets. Several days ago I received a message looking for people to participate in Project 2,996 to write a tribute about one of the people lost on September 11, 2001. I thought that it would be something good to do. I hope everyone that reads this agrees.

Wow, William Feehan. This was a man who truly understood public service. He devoted his entire life to it, and on September 11, 2001 just less than three weeks from his 72^nd birthday, and only three months from his planned retirement; he gave his life attempting to save another when the 2nd Tower of the World Trade Center fell. He did not have to be there, he could have been at home watching it on television like most of the citizens of New York, the country, and the world. He could have been long retired and enjoying life without all the worries of a government bureaucracy, but he was there in the thick of things at the one place, the only place he could be ground zero.

Yes, it’s important that he was a decorated veteran of the Korean War, serving your country in the Army in combat certainly earns you some respect and gives you some perspective on life. It’s also important that he served at virtually every position in the FDNY (Fire Department New York) all the way to Commissioner of the Department under Mayor David Dinkins. What is more important is that while he was a brave hero who fought many fires, some of the most significant in the history of New York City, he did all that and came home to a loving wife and four children in Queens. Imagine how big a hero he was to them every day. He certainly set an example for his children that showed them hard work, dedication, and integrity. Every time he left home it could have been the last time they saw him, but he was lucky and so were they, and he was able to set an example for his six grandchildren. There is no doubt in my mind he was their hero too. William Feehan had two daughters, Elizabeth and Tara, and two sons John and William. His Wife of 40 years Elizabeth passed away in 1996.

William Feehan does have a professional story that needs to be told. After completing a degree in education from St. John’s University and Serving in the Army in Korea he began his 42 year career with the FDNY. He started at the bottom in 1959 on October 10^th as a Proby Firefighter, served in Division 3, Ladder 3 and the Bureau of Fire Prevention until 1963, and then was promoted to Lieutenant in 1964. He became Chief of the Department in 1991 and Deputy Fire Commissioner since 1992, though acting as Fire Commissioner in 1993 through 1994. He was First Deputy Commissioner on September 11, 2001 becoming the most senior ranking and oldest member of the department killed in the line of duty. Even though he had achieved the highest rank possible in both the Uniform Force and as a Civilian Bill Feehan never stopped fighting fires. “Any call he got in the middle of the night, he would be there. He always had his gear in the Fire Department car” his daughter Tara said. It is also important to note that Bill was a substitute teacher in the public school system for 10 years while working in the Fire Department.

So what have I learned today? I learned about a man who was selfless and a true hero in every sense of the word. I had no idea who he was before I started. I had no clue what I was going to find out if anything about him. I feel exceptionally honored to have his name to give tribute to on this 8^th Anniversary of September 11, 2001. If you have enjoyed reading this perhaps you will be inspired to participate next year.

See more Project 2996 tributes here: http:\\project2996.wordpress.com

None of us should forget what happened that day. The people who perished in New York City in the World Trade Center, on board the Airliners, and on the ground who were the first to feel the horror of that day. The people in Arlington, VA at the Pentagon and aboard that Airliner and the final flight United Airlines Flight 93 that was forced down by the brave passengers in a field near Shanksville, PA. I work close enough to the Pentagon to have been keenly aware of the events of that day. I did not personally know anyone there who perished, but the loss of any life is precious, particularly when taken in an act of terror. Take care, God Bless, and say a prayer for all those who continue to mourn the loss of their family and friends.

Before a Joint Session of Congress...

The President spoke last night for 45 minutes and outlined his plan for health care reform. What he said could have been drafted on one sheet of paper, and if that was all there was to it, most people would have been able to find common ground on enough of it to get something through congress this year. Unfortunately, the devil is in the details and if the details are all included in the 1,100 page catastrophe known as HR3200 then everything the President had to before the Joint Session of Congress was for naught. No one wants that bill. People have been telling their elected representatives for over a month back in their districts that they do not like the bill. National polling data has shown over and over again (it really doesn’t matter whose poll) that support for the House Bill as delivered was never there and quite frankly there were not enough votes in the Democrat controlled majority to pass the bill out before the public had a chance to take a look at it, and quite possibly now there may be less of a possibility of that happening. HR 3200 was scored (looked over for the purpose of determining the cost) by the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office and was found not to be “deficit neutral” in fact it created billions of dollars of deficits in the out years (more than 10 years out) that could not be controlled. In affect the bill could not pay for itself, certainly not with savings from Medicare and taxes on high dollar health care plans of executives. If it is going to be paid for it has to be through higher taxes.

The President is serious about getting a bill through Congress this year. Unfortunately, he won’t be able to bring the Republican votes he is going to need unless there are serious concessions made with regard to the ability of individuals and small businesses to buy insurance coverage across state lines, and allowing small businesses to band together to purchase insurance in larger groups to bring premium cost down. Republicans are also not going to support a “Public Option” plan. The President said that only 5 percent of insured would migrate to a Public Option if it were made available. It should be obvious more now than ever that the President has never run a business, certainly one that had to purchase health care for its employees. Employer’s will dump their policies in droves and send employees running to a Public Option plan and be happy to pay an 8 percent tax on their payroll not to have to deal with Insurance and all of the headaches that go with it. This is especially true for small businesses that are exempt from the President’s plan will flee from their plans. The government does not belong in any Health Care system outside of their own until they fix the one they have, just ask the VA.

I think the President needs to tell his leaders in Congress to scrap what they have and start over with the one page that was in his speech and keep it simple enough that an 8th grader can read it in a few hours. No legislation needs to be that complex. “Thou Shalt Not Kill” has been working pretty well since Moses came down from Mount Sinai. It has been translated into every language and found its way into every law book in the world. You don’t need a book to explain it. Congress doesn’t need to be involved with the number of tongue depressors that can be issued to a clinic or hospital in a single month or year. The Agency that has responsibility can write the details and Congress has oversight and can change anything it does not like. There is only one special interest group that needs to be considered and that is the American People. I would hope that Congress would remember that every time they cast a vote.

Remembering a Giant

The period of National Morning has begun, and US Flags on all Federal Buildings and Post Offices have been ordered flown at half staff by the President. The funeral plans have been announced by the family and Senator Edward M. Kennedy (d) Mass. will be buried with his brother's John and Robert at Arlington National Cemetery.

Regardless of your political leanings or what you believe happened that faithful night at Chappaquiddick one thing is certain, Senator Edward M. Kennedy was a Giant when it came to anything that happened in Washington for pretty much the last half century. He came from a family that arguably was the closest thing our country has come to Royalty since George Washington turned down the crown after accepting the surrender of the British. Like his brothers President John F. Kennedy and Senator Robert F. Kennedy who both fell to assassins bullets in the 1960's he has fought the good fight, and regardless of what anyone else thought. If he believed in something he went after it with every fiber of his being and over his career in politics accomplished many of his goals. His last battle was one he has been waging for many years; the right of all American's to have health care.

Listening to Mr. Rush Limbaugh this morning (Wednesday August 26, 2009) the generally pontificating conservative talk show host spoke with great reverence to Senator Kennedy saying something along these lines. Ironically he fell ill to a serious illness that caused him to have to use the best health care system available in the world, sparing no cost. Of course he would want no less for anyone else. The battle to win health care for all Americans carries on, and perhaps someday it will be won. Whatever we end up with should not be a disgrace to his memory. There is no doubt however his good name will be used for political gain to pass something. Mr. Limbaugh had predicted that upon the Senator's passing that the vulchers would circle and attempt to make political hay out of the misfortune of their fallen colleague. I can recall after the passing of Senator of Paul Wellstone Minnesota in October of 2002 a memorial service was held and it became so politicized that members of Senator Wellstone’s family were so offended they got up and left. Senator Tom Harkin of Iowa led a roaring crowd in a chorus of "Let's do it for Paul" that included a list of everything but the kitchen sink. I was offended and I only saw a clip. I cannot even imagine the agony and embarrassment felt by the family.

The Senator's long bout with brain cancer has been no secret and this day has been coming for many months. Media outlets have had ample time to put together exposes about his life and have them at the ready. They started running some of them within minutes of the announcement that he had died. . Likely these tributes will go on for days, and no doubt television movies about his life will follow. While it is a good thing for us to remember our fallen leaders, it is also good to give some respect to their family and friends. Constant coverage, interviews, etc. can only victimize people who are going through the grieving process. Yes it is true they can turn off the television or not watch the news, but why should they have to be a part of it themselves? A 24 hour news cycle offers no real excuse here. People should be afforded the respect they deserve, and the American people really deserve the same.
I have no doubt that he was a good man. I believe whatever happened at Chappaquiddick forty years ago was not an intentional act; even though the Senator may well bear responsibility, he expressed great sorry and remorse for the loss. Mary Jo Kopechne's death cannot be undone and whatever judgment is to be found has now come to pass. Senator Kennedy’s life has been in no way perfect since that night, but he has unquestionably done a substantial amount of good. I sincerely hope that both families will find peace in due time.

While my political views are for the most part diametrically opposed to Senator Kennedy's having a voice on the other side who can present a passionate argument allows for reasonable people to find common ground that can be made acceptable for all people. No one can be right all of the time, and generally speaking no one is ever completely right any of the time. There is always a second or third approach to a problem that will achieve the same or a reasonable end. Usually the difference ends up being cost or time or both. People talk at each other and not too each other far too much. Little children don't like to share their toys and chairmen of committees rarely ever want to share their gavels. If one thing can be learned from Senator Kennedy it is that if you truly want to get something accomplished you must work with someone across the aisle not against them. He did that, not often, but when he did some important things happened. That is not that is happening right now with this Health Care debate. In his memory perhaps folks on both sides of the isle can come back from their break and be truly bi-partisan. Maybe that way something good might actually happen.

Cash for Clunkers, Things to Consider…

While the Cash for Clunkers program included in the stimulus package passed earlier this year has caused new cars, albeit mostly foreign models, to roll off the show room floors by the thousands since it went into affect in July, not everyone is happy about the apparent success of the cash giveaway.

The program was designed to take inefficient older model vehicles off the road and replace them with more fuel efficient and more environmentally friendly new models. What it probably did not intend to do is rob automotive repair shops of their main business, repairs of older model cars and trucks. It also probably did not intend to create a windfall profit for salvage yards because only the engine of the Clunker has to be destroyed.

One auto repair shop owner gave an estimate to a customer to have a transmission repaired on a Chrysler minivan recently for $2,500. After some consideration the owner took the vehicle to a Hyundai dealer and traded it for a new car using the Cash for Clunkers program and received a $1,000 rebate on top of the $4,500 incentive from Uncle Sam. Now he has a new car with a 10 year 100,000 mile warranty and no transmission problem and still has his $2,500 in his pocket. The auto repair shop owner has an estimate that won’t ever turn into a repair ticket. If you multiply that by the number of Clunkers traded in the loss of business to auto repair shops is in deed staggering. That is not to say that these cars and trucks would not have eventually found there way to a dealer as a trade or to a junk yard on their own in due course, but the accelerated rate has created a virtual vacuum of business for repair shops everywhere.

Another consequence, although intended in an effort to become a more Green America, is that there are fewer low priced vehicles available for people who are not in the position to either purchase a new car or finance a newer model used car. These cars are generally cars purchased by poor families, second cars for middle class families, and cars used by college students. With the number of cars taken off the road with the Cash for Clunkers program people in lower socioeconomic situations are not going to be able to find affordable transportation.

Lastly, this program amounts to a tax rebate that many families are not able to take advantage of because of their credit worthiness or general financial situation. If they can’t get a new car financed or can’t make payments even if they could, the down payment doesn’t really matter. They could better use the money to pay for rent, health insurance premiums, or maybe even to put food on the table. They are stuck driving their Clunkers with poor gas mileage and paying higher gas prices.

This is just another reason that Members of Congress have to read bills before they are voted on so that reasonable debate can take place and public input can be given before they are signed into law. I’m all for selling new cars, but at what cost and to whom? Let’s think before we pay next time, how about it Congress?

The American People Deserve An Apology Speaker Pelosi and Majority Leader Hoyer!

"These disruptions are occurring because opponents are afraid not just of differing views — but of the facts themselves. Drowning out opposing views is simply un-American. Drowning out the facts is how we failed at this task for decades."

The quote above is taken from the joint Op Ed piece published in USA Today on Monday August 10, 2009 by Speaker of the United States House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi Democrat from California and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer Democrat from Maryland.

"un-American" is a term that is shocking coming from two of the highest ranking members of the Democratic Party and especially from the person third in succession to the Presidency when referring to vigorous protest of citizen who disagree not only with particular aspects of proposed legislation, but with the process by which that legislation is being crafted and pushed through the Congress.

What did Members of Congress expect to find in their districts when they returned home? Did they expect to find welcoming arms and smiling faces from lemmings willing to walk off cliffs for any measure that Congress came up with and the President signed? How could they honestly do that when they were not given an opportunity to review any of the proposed legislation before it was voted on, and sent to the President for his signature? How could they even find out the particulars of a bill when their elected representatives had not bothered to take the time to read the bills themselves before voting on them? Now Congress is trying to change something that will without question change the lives of every living American citizen and future generations as far as the mind can comprehend. Bills from 3 separate committees in the House are floating around to be reconciled into HR 3200 America's Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009. Several versions of a similar bill in the Senate are under consideration one of which is not even out of committee. The President claims that he has a health care plan and holds town hall meetings and prime time press conferences in order to discuss it, but has sent no detailed legislation of his on to the Congress and cannot be sure of what the final legislation will look like when it gets to his desk. All of this and it was push push push to have a piece of legislation for consideration before Congress went home for the August Break. People are reading from text provided by the Congress as HR 3200 that states one thing and are being told by members that the language they read will not be in the final bill, or that anything they have heard about it has been trumped up by lies. The American people are confused and upset, and some of them are damn mad.

While it may be true that reasonable discourse cannot take place when people are yelling and screaming at each other or at Members of Congress trying to give answers to questions from their constituents, it is also true that their frustration is real and should not be dismissed out of hand. Claiming that everyone that disagrees with the proposed legislation with a more than timid voice has been put up to being their by a right wing group or special interest is a pretty sad commentary on the understanding of what grass roots politics is all about. Perhaps Members of Congress have been away from their districts in a real way for too long to remember what it was like to go door to door to try to win votes. Neighbors still talk to neighbors and conversations continue unabashed at water fountains. Bingo is played and folks go to Church and at all these places the kinds of things that affect the lives of Americans are discussed. Like it or not, not everyone is affiliated with a hate group or a organization that can be a convenient whipping boy for political purposes. Were that true the labor unions and groups like ACORN would not be struggling for membership? They would not need to have lobbyist on K Street or need to be given preferential treatment in legislation in order that there very existence is preserved.

Protest happen in America all the time. When they happen during Republican administrations they are deemed necessary or vital to getting out the truth. Freedom of Speech is never questioned and community organizing is encouraged to that end. However, now that for the first time since Jimmy Carter was President the Democrats have complete control of the government, decent of any sort is suddenly "un-American" or questionable behavior from an ungrateful or uninformed minority. The polls are consistently running against the Congress and the President on Health Care Reform and it is not simply Republicans included in that majority because they do not make up the majority of Americans. The President promised the American people transparency and to have all of the bills posted on the internet so they could be read before Congress voted on them. Gee… The Auto Bail Out Bill, The Stimulus Bill, and still no posting that I can see… There’s a Cap and Trade Bill working its way through the Senate… and of course this mess with Health Care which is posted but is meaningless because it represents nothing.

If Congress and the President decide to ram some version of Health Care Reform through on a Party Line vote or with a few token Republican votes to call it Bi-Partisan, then the one poll that does count will be in November of 2010 and that one will find them packing their bags and going back to their districts. Maybe that's a good thing. Legislation can always be undone, that's the beauty of our system of Government, nothing in law has to stay permanent given the right steps are followed.

The Speaker of the House and Majority Leader both have grossly overstepped and owe the American people a sincere apology. How likely are they to receive one... Well ask the CIA... they've been waiting a while now for an apology from the Speaker... the jury is still out on the Majority Leader, let's all hope he comes to his senses.

Why can’t you read the legislation you vote on Congress?

The grand design of the founders in crafting our constitution was to create a government that did not move too quickly. Decisions made in haste are generally wrong unless of course they are urgent and demand immediate attention as in cases of National Security or Natural Disaster. Otherwise government is supposed to simmer like stew. When all the ingredients are in and it has been properly cooked it’s ready to eat.

With that in mind, why is it so important that bills fly through congress without being read? Surely members of both houses understand it is the job of a Representative or Senator to Legislate which necessarily includes having a full understanding of what it is you are trying to turn into law. That is hardly possible if you cannot find the time to read a bill before you vote on it. If a piece of legislation is more complex than a newspaper to read then it needs to be rewritten until any reasonable person can read it in a reasonable amount of time. Legislation needs to be concise and it needs not to be filled with pages upon pages of bureaucratic nonsense that benefits no one except staff members paid to draft bills on behalf of members that are too busy to read legislation before voting on it. Citizens have a right to know what is in legislation and a degree of certainty that it can be understood by a reasonable person.

Representatives and Senators are in Washington at the behest of the voters. The voters in their Districts and States are not their meal ticket. They are sent to Washington to represent their constituents in a constitutionally limited Republic where the power remains with the people not the government. If they have forgotten that they damn well need to pick up a copy of the Constitution and remind themselves. The framers did not design Congress as a career for anyone. The framers certainly did not foresee lavish offices, large staffs, and pension plans. What they did see was a legislative branch that did their jobs and went home to their Districts and States. Originally the framers did not provide for Senators to be elected directly but rather sent by the legislatures of the several States. Later the Constitution was amended to provide for their direct election.

Congress has embellished itself, honored itself, and elevated itself to the point that they rarely require themselves to follow the same laws they pass for everyone else. Now they are too busy to take time to read the bills they write and send on the President for his signature. Citizens are not allowed an opportunity to fully understand what is included in legislation after the fact. No reading of Article 1 of the Constitution could possible bring anyone to the conclusion that this is nothing less than tyranny. The President under Article 2 has the power to Veto legislation sent to him by the Congress, which in the case of bills that have not been read one would think would be a foregone conclusion. When the President bothers not to read the bill as well and affixes his signature to make the bill a law he becomes equally complicit in tyranny.

American Style Health Care Reform That Will Work

Why are you blaming the insurance companies? You are demonizing legitimate American corporations for doing what they are supposed to do, make money for their shareholders. Regardless of whether the company is public or privately held, in a capitalist economy the bottom line is making a profit and they seem to be doing a bang up job. Contrast that with the programs that are run by the US Government like Medicare and Medicaid. Both of these programs are broken with hopelessly bloated bureaucracies and ramped with fraud and abuse from contractors and vendors alike. The US Government could take a lesson from the Insurance Companies when it comes to managing cost and personnel.

It is estimated that up to 1/7th of the US Economy is represented by some part of the health care industry. There is no possible way for any one entity to maintain control over that much money in as many delivery locations as are involved in health care. It frankly boggles the mind that any reasonable person could consider that a bureaucracy could attempt to find a way to do this even in a highly controlled environment such as the US Military. We’ve all seen what can fall between the cracks with military health care, so let’s not even go there.

The bottom line is quite simple; the US Health Care System cannot function without Insurance Companies. No Country in the industrialized world has to manage as many delivery points of health care as we do here in the US and maintain our level of quality. None of those countries have the number of citizens that the US has, and none consume as many prescription medications or take up as many hospital beds. It is a miracle that our system runs as well as it does. We rob Peter to pay Paul every day in order to absorb the cost of those who cannot pay and pass them on to those to can. Universal Healthcare is virtually present as we speak.

There is no question however that serious reform is needed. Medicare has been operating on a non-existent trust fund for decade. Medicaid is busting the budget of nearly every state. That system is woefully in need of reform and repair. It is going to cost all of us money and that has been no secret for a long time; how much money depends on what efficiencies can be found and implemented, and how quickly. Reform in the private sector cannot and will not work until the public sector issues are resolved. Once the changes take place in Medicare and Medicaid, real reforms can be made in the way health care is covered in the private sector.

The first place to start is where the cost is highest and that is in the high premiums paid for liability insurance by physicians, hospitals, and other parts of the medical community driven to a large degree by insanely high jury awards won by the Trial Lawyers. If doctors can work for a reasonable living without fear of losing everything no matter how well he or she does their job, the system cannot work.

The next area of substantial cost is in medication. There should be a standardized formulary for all States, Territories, and the District of Columbia. Doctors should be able to write a prescription for a drug by brand name or as a generic in any size or quantity regardless of where they practice. Hospitals should have the ability to purchase drugs for all of their facilities nationwide, as should pharmacies, long term care facilities, etc. This still protects the patent rights of drug companies, but it makes it much easier for volume purchases to take place across state lines and without more than 50 sets of rules and regulations to accommodate.

The next area is competition in the market place. Small businesses have to be allowed to ban together to purchase insurance in groups so that they have the same purchasing power as large companies. Small businesses often have fewer than 10 employees and many of those employees are part time or older in age. Risks have to be able to be spread more evenly, and that can only happen in more diverse groups. Association Insurance Purchasing has to become a reality in order for premiums to come down to reasonable rates and for more people to be insured.

The next area is expansion of COBRA so that no employee is left without insurance regardless of the amount of time he or she is left without a job. The insurance from the previous job follows them until they find a new job. Once new insurance is in place the COBRA ends. This solves the portability issue without having people maintain ownership of policies or forcing people to buy policies.

The next area is a program to increase the supply of primary care physicians. Medical students should be allowed to have a portion of their educational expenses deferred or excused for service in community hospitals and clinics. If they decide to opt out and go into private practice they can repay their debt to the treasury on a prorated basis. A serious commitment of at least ten years should be required of doctors. A similar program should be developed for highly skilled nurses(RN’s). They provide a huge amount of the health care burden and are depended upon by physicians and patients alike for the delivery of proper and responsible care. Nurses should be given an opportunity to receive an education for service.

Lastly, there should be a commitment to community health care and wellness centers. Hospitals should not be overburdened with insignificant non emergency cases. Lower cost community health care and wellness centers run by doctors and nurses in the program outlined above can extend primary care in both urban and rural areas so that private practices are not over run with a glut of new patients. These centers should be well equipped and focus not only on treatment but on community health education. They should work with local health departments to as part of our Homeland Security efforts and be a focal point for outbreaks of viruses and other disease.

These reforms will make our health care system work. These reforms will give our country the opportunity to remain the best hope for the world where medical science and delivery of health care is concerned. Our citizens deserve no less and they are willing to pay for a system that works. They are not willing to be taxed to death for another bureaucracy that will inevitably fail as all have before.

Dear Senator


My name is Christopher Filby and I am a 50 year old citizen of Maryland. I was born in and live in Frederick, MD and my health care insurance premium each month is nearly $650.00 for HMO coverage through my employer. This is a fringe benefit so it is not an out of pocket expense. I have tried to shop for a less expensive policy to help save my employer money but I am not able to find insurance at a lower rate due to my weight and high blood pressure. If my employer goes out of business I will be faced with the COBRA option that will require me to pay the individual rate for my policy which I will likely not be able to afford.

I don’t know how much it cost to go to my doctor because I never see a bill other than the co-payment I give them when I receive service. I know approximately what the service cost because I’ve paid cash for it in the past, but I’ve have not seen an actual in years. If citizens do not know what they pay for health care services how are they supposed to judge whether there are real savings? Real savings are savings to real people, not savings in terms of relevance to the Gross Domestic Product. Average Americans cannot begin to imagine that kind of correlation. Any attempt to sell savings that way means nothing to Joe Six Pack.

It is obvious that health care reform is needed in the United States. However, the current plans being circulated through the Congress are not the answer. They fail to address important issues. They pander to special interest and fail to help citizens be able to afford quality health care and insurance premiums that are manageable. They are so complex that no one can understand them, and quite frankly no one has even read 100% of what has been written. If Congress does not read what it votes on and hurries bills through to the President to sign into law before he reads it how can the American people have any confidence whatever in the work that is being done on Capitol Hill. Health Care represents nearly 1/5th of the US economy. It deserves more than a rush job for political expediency. If you are not going to do it right, do not do it at all. It is not fair to the people who voted to send you to represent them, and even to those who did not.

Unless you address Medical Malpractice Insurance by capping punitive awards that cause doctors to have to pay premiums that are often more than their incomes in their first year out of medical school unless they work for a group that can spread the risk. Then the doctor can spend his or her income on the debt they have incurred in medical school that they often spend as much as five or more years to retire. Unless there is Tort reform that requires Courts to reject frivolous lawsuits that cause insurance premiums for clinics, doctors, and hospitals to have overhead cost that are so high it is nearly not worth staying in business. Unless you address these things and more there can be no real health care reform. Unless you provide a safe harbor for OBGYN doctors so they are not held responsible for deliveries of children until the child reaches the age of majority in the state in which they are born there can be no real health care reform. Unless you address the abuse, fraud, and waste in the Medicare and Medicaid systems there can be no real health care reform.

None of these things cost the American people a lot of money. None of these things make life harder for anyone except perhaps the Trial Attorneys and Mal Practice Insurers. All of these things will have a MAJOR SAVINGS IMPACT on the cost of health care and health care insurance premiums for everyone. The bottom line here is that you can make a difference in the Senate because in the Senate each member can use the rules to make sure attention is given to them, that their voice is heard; this is why it is known as the Greatest Deliberative Body in the World. You have the power to make sure that Health Care is done right. That real change can be made.

Americans do not want a single payer Canadian Style or European Style health care system. Americans are not going to pay high taxes for the benefit of government run insurance or government competing in the free market. Americans are not going to stand for the lies that Taxes on the Rich will not cost the Middle Class or the Poor. It all “trickles down” whether it is from an independent business person or a major corporation through higher prices for goods and services. People eventually will pay no matter how you want to package the lie. The American people are not stupid and they are quickly losing their ignorance. It is time to do the right thing, regardless of who is in the White House and regardless of who is in the majority in Congress. Health Care should not be a political football.


Sincerely,


Christopher Filby

Taxing Sin

With more than a Trillion dollar deficit and with many states pondering over more red ink than they’ve ever seen, it is only a matter of time before our sins become taxed far beyond the use of alcohol certain amusements and entertainment venues, and tobacco. Yes our real vices, the ones no one will talk about in public much less in mixed company. The subject has been broached with guarded lightheartedness in California where everything, yes everything is on the table when it comes to raising revenue. However, even the consummate liberals there have decided not to go there, at least for now.

Nevada is the only state in the union that legalizes prostitution. It is a revenue stream for them, but falls far short of sales tax collections even on a bad day. Several states, notably Oregon have all but legalized Marijuana, but so far haven’t figured out a way to control it to the point that it can be successfully taxed. Prostitution and Illicit drugs however aren’t our biggest sins, even though every pulpit in every church would have you believe otherwise. No, our biggest sin is one we don’t think about even for a moment, and most of us have a brush with it every day. We use the internet for some personal reason not related to work, or our business, or our family life, or for any legitimate purpose other than to satisfy ourselves. Regardless of where we venture on the World Wide Web it is a gluttonous adventure to be sure and it is soon to become the biggest cash cow that Federal and State governments can put their hands on. We’re all addicted and they know it and we’re all sinners and they know it, and we’ll all pay for it and they know that too.

Your income tax may not raise a dime if you make less than $200,000 if you’re a single person or $250,000 if you’re a couple. The cost of cooling and heating your home, driving your automobile, purchasing alcohol and tobacco, and in the not too distant future your access to be able to access everything you know is going up and in a big way. Everything that is associated with these costs with respect to manufacturing and delivery of products and services will be going up as well. Your food and your clothing will cost more and so will your toilet paper. We have all of this to look forward to without factoring in inflation.

I have an idea here. How about we all try to sin a little less, spend more time with each other and our families, and pay a lot more attention to what is going on in Washington, DC. If you do not know what is going on there you need to learn about it from more than one source (yes that means hearing “both sides of the issues”) of information, rather than allow yourself to be manipulated by a national media that has done nothing but provide wrapping paper what they perceive are the gifts provided by the current administration and Congress. Make a choice to be your own person, to be an American first, not some hyphenated politically correct robot. We did not win the war that gave us the right to live under this constitutionally limited republic by sitting back and waiting for King George to send us an invitation. Get off your ass! Go fight for your rights! Make a difference for you and your family! Stop being a whipping boy for the man! Be mad as hell and not take it anymore! Don’t let them tax your sin!!!!

It's Time to Contact the Senate!

Today the President is in Europe (specifically Italy) at the G-8 Summit trying to sell the leaders of the worlds most powerful economies (where's China by the way - they hold all of our debt) that Climate Change is an issue that can no longer be ignored and like the United States it is time for them to work out their own version of Cap and Trade (Cap & Tax) in order to reduce their green house gas (carbon dioxide) production. Further that money should be given to developing countries to insure they go the "Green" way as they join the rest of the industrial world. While all of this might seem like a wonderful idea to the politically correct environmentalist crowd, it reads like a recipe for disaster for the rest of us.

WE HAVE NO MONEY MR. PRESIDENT!!! You have admitted this fact yourself on several occasions at your own town meetings. We cannot sustain these kinds of deficits into the future or something to that effect came right out of your mouth right after you said We have no money. Now I don't know how it is that every idea you have will become revenue neutral, but as the unemployment numbers rise, and the tax base disappears, you have less and less money to work with than you did when you had NO MONEY. You have to stop. You cannot do everything for everyone. You especially cannot enter into agreements with foreign governments on issues like climate change when you know that the science itself is suspect if not completely flawed. Many scientists who only a decade ago talked of rising ocean levels now have a different opinion when faced with data that shows actual global temperatures remaining the same or falling slightly. Your own EPA issued a stinging report that refutes the science behind climate change altogether, and it was conveniently omitted so that no one in the congress could consider it before voting on the Cap and Trade legislation that passed by only 7 votes in the US House of Representatives.

With the swearing in of Al Franken (of all people) as the junior Senator from Minnesota this week the Democrat party now has 60 votes that will insure all of it's legislation will eventually make it to the floor of the Senate for a vote. Fortunately, it will not guarantee passage of any particular piece of legislation be cause Senators do want to be re-elected. This Cap and Trade mess has to be stopped in its tracks and the US Senate is our last best hope. Pressure from the people can make a difference. Senators do listen to telephone calls. They can track where calls come from and know if they are being bombarded by programmed callers or actual constituents. There is a good chance that Senators in coal producing states will hear a great deal from their voters, as should those in states with any kind of manufacturing base like Michigan where we are incidentally trying to save General Motors and Chrysler and through osmosis Ford. I dread the day when someone has to say their father's Cadillac or Lincoln was made in Beijing, China. It is time to pick up a telephone, buy a postcard and a stamp, do what you have to do to contact your two state senators to stop CAP & TRADE before it stops YOU. It's a bad bill and a worse way to screw your wallet. SAY NO to this one. We have to start somewhere, and if we take a stand here, it will make saying NO to Health Care much easier.

Sixteen years ago the health care industry represented roughly 1/7 th of the economy, now that number has grown to about 1/5 th or 20%. At that time a newly elected President assigned the task of reforming our health care system to the First Lady of the United States Hillary Clinton. "Hillary Care" as it came to be known was a plan drawn up in secret by a large group of experts that would modernize our health care system and guarantee coverage to every American if implemented. It was a campaign promise President Clinton had made, and one he would come to regret. A series of advertisements staring fictitious characters Harry and Louise rode rough shot over the airwaves in a campaign to put Hillary Care to bed forever, and it was so effective that it never made it to a vote in either house of congress. Americans were not ready then to give up their free will and freedom of choice when it came to their relationship with their doctor.

We find ourselves with a new President a decade and a half later having made a similar campaign promise, and who upon entering office claimed to have found himself inheriting the worst economy since the "Great Depression" and who along with majorities of his own party in both houses of congress stacked up nearly a trillion dollars in deficit spending in "economic recovery" and putting for a budget that spread red ink as far as the eye can see and the mind could imagine over the next decade (more than 13 trillion dollars) now wants to stack a health care bill, one that would represent the largest single spending bill in US History and a mandate to the States that would burden them in a fiscally impossible manner with no redress.

Harry and Louise are a bit too old to dust off and bring back, even though their message is as relevant today as it was then. The printing presses at the Treasury Department are going to collapse from the stress they are receiving. What's even more significant is the risk of inflation and high interest rates that certainly loom just over the horizon if we continue down this path. While reforms are without question necessary, and have been talked about for many years; there is no reasonable reason to toss the baby out with the bath water and reinvent the wheel.

Health Care as it is now is almost universal. The cost now pretty much reflects just how universal it has become. The price of treating the uninsured is reflected in the price charged by hospitals, clinics, and doctors offices every day. Generally speaking no one gets turned away in this country for health care. If they do, it's their own fault for now asking for help. Anyone that shows up at a Hospital Emergency Room gets seen regardless of their financial wear withal to pay. There are many free or almost free clinics in most cities. Every county in the has its own health department and offers some services to the poor. Medicaid is available to the destitute. Medicare is available to the aged and disabled. We are managing albeit at a high price.

The real problems that drive up the cost of health care are the hot button issues politicians will not touch because the lobbies put too much money in their pockets and make huge donations to their parties. The could make a start with Tort Reform (Medical Malpractice) legislation and then move on to allowing small businesses to band together to form regional alliances that produce purchasing power similar to large corporations or the Federal Government. They can work with the States to devise a standard formulary so that prescription drugs in one state can be sold for the same price in every other state. They could revise medical record keeping requirements so the cost of having a patient doesn't overwhelm the profit to a doctor.


Our health care system is the envy of the world. People travel here from all over the world to be treated for their ailments, to have surgeries that are not available or not going to be able to be scheduled for them for months or years in their own country. People gladly pay whatever it takes to have an American doctor and be treated in an American hospital. If we destroy our system by conforming with what is offered and where with they go to get good medicine? Where will the breakthroughs come from? Who will aspire to become a doctor, or to specialist in a difficult field? When the government becomes the payer of last resort it becomes the only payer because no one will want to pay more than is necessary to health care benefits. When the government becomes the only payer they sit in control of who receives what procedure and who does not. The government decides whose life is worth saving based on cost, not on medicine. What has the government ever done that they have done well?


These are real reforms that matter in significant ways that produce significant benefits in terms of cost savings. They take significant intestinal fortitude to pass. It's time for Congress to do its job and stop spending our money when they can save us some.

This should be our next Amendment to the United States Constitution...

"Congress shall pass no law that each member of the House of Representatives has not fully read and attested in writing to having done so to the clerk of the House of Representatives, and each Senator has not fully read and attested in writing to having done so to the clerk of the United States Senate two days prior to the final passage of that law."

There is no reason that 3/4 of the states of our union would not ratify this amendment long before the 7 year (more like 7 months) time frame required in order for its passage in Congress to become part of the living and guiding document we call the United States Constitution.

Not one member of Congress, not even the President himself read all or even most of the bill that President Obama signed on February 17th in Denver, Colorado before it became law. I am ashamed of our government. I am appalled that they have no more respect for the people they represent and who pay their salaries than to rush through the largest dollar amount of spending in one piece of legislation in the history of our country with nary a clue for what they were casting their vote.

A budget has been sent from the White House to Capitol Hill by the President in excess of Three Trillion ($3,000,000,000,000.00) that includes an amount three quarters the size of the bill just passed as a down payment for national health care. If your member of Congress and Senators won't take the time to read the most important legislation since the great depression before casting their vote to stimulate the United States economy with projects like a magnetic high speed train from Disneyland in California to Las Vegas in Nevada (one might argue a train from heaven to hell) how much time will they give to making good decisions about how to manage life and death for our least fortunate citizens?

Congress will obviously not enforce its own rules or even follow the campaign promises of the newly elected President of their own party. It is critically important that you contact your Member of Congress and Senators and tell them you want them to co-sponsor a Constitution Amendment requiring all legislation be verifiably read two days prior to final passage. Send them a copy of this proposed language and demand action. Your rights must be preserved regardless of your party. Your Congress must work for you.

Don't wait... e-mail, fax, pick up the phone, or write to them today.

Chris Filby