when push comes to shove

I've gotta admit it ya'll, the events of the past 24 hours have surely given me a reason to believe in miracles what with dead DOMA and that big filibuster party up in the TX capitol building in spite of the fact that I'm in the hole which is beginning to be a way of life for many folks. If I had just 1/10 of what was spent to defend DOMA I'd be set for life and that's absurd. Remember separation of church/religious beliefs and state? Look in the constitution of the USA, for a start.

Here's the thing. Back when I was growing up being a Republican was an honorable and politically acceptable thing to claim. Howard Baker, Goldwater et al. Somewhere along the road from there to here, the democratic party managed to put a Tennessee governor or two in office and Phil Bredesen's TNCare model was a workable answer to the health care exchange concept until all the robber barons like John Ford's(D) family managed to dismember the piece limb by limb on an opportunistic binge that paid for lots of tropical vacays and payoffs to big pharm. It was a perfect program for the uninsured that got torn apart by abusers in the medical field so that now the ones who really need it can't qualify. True story from a healthcare pro who has seen it all. That was about the time that the feds started reimbursing hospitals by DRG which was a freakin' nightmare. Big insurance followed right behind them and there you go. Big old mess. Dems do it too when they listen to the devil whisper "greed".

As for "entitlements" I think that the word is used too loosely to describe such pre-paid monies as SS and Medicare. We earned that by working all our lives all the while paying the medical bills of those who didn't or couldn't. I'm cool with that as long as it doesn't consume my budget, but it has begun to. A full 1/4 of my gross wage goes to the feds and for a lifetime loan that I can't seem to ever get out from under in spite of valiant effort and good intentions. I've been in a situation lately where I've been able to observe the best and worst of those who depend on government aid and accountability seems to be the key. So many times substance abuse is involved and that's a no win situation, especially when mental health issues are also on the table. During the 80s hospitals got paid really well to do two week in patient rehab programs and they popped up everywhere. Then the rules changed and these people were out on the street rather than getting the help that they needed. The same thing happens now with methadone clinics. Nobody ever addresses the root cause.

Anywho, onto other more happy subjects like that fact that for 31 bucks we wormed two dogs and the vet had his fifth child. Oh, and the grands visited the dentist today. I'm sure he wasn't real happy to see daddy coming, if you know what I mean. Hey..it's what friends do.

^j^