Mad Dawg :: Bartram Trail Lady Bears 2010

Bartram Trail Lady Bears 2010 :: Madeleine Roberts, center

I am writing this because my niece Madeleine Roberts is not a self-promoter and I think that Jacksonville, Florida would love to know about a local role model for young female athletes. Madeleine has several articles in the St. Augustine Record about her basketball career but I would like to see a more in depth article that highlights her intelligence, kind spirit and beauty as well as her athletic skills.

When Madeleine was 3 years old, she fought and won a battle with Leukemia at Wolfson’s Childrens Hospital. To look at her now you would never guess that she was very sick in the hospital for three years and still has to go in once a year for a cancer check.

Madeleine is a senior at Bartram Trail High School. She is on the Lady Bears Basketball team and is the high scorer almost every game averaging 25 points per game. Her basketball career accomplishments: Started and lettered all 4 years, over 1,325 points and counting, all county selection – junior year, Jim Clark Classic – Tournament MVP, and Team Captain. Her teammates call her “Mad Dawg”.

On top of being a super athlete, Madeleine is smart with a 4.0 grade average. She is also very beautiful inside and out. She has been on mission trips with her church youth group to Haiti before the earthquake. She has a very kind and cheerful personality. She stands tall with dark brown hair, athletic build, with a very pretty face. She has wonderful self-esteem without being cocky or proud. We can all be proud of this wonderful young woman.

Here are some links to her sports articles, the Lady Bears team website and her Facebook profile.

American Government is Corrupt!

They are all corrupt! The only way to take back any amount of control is to take all private money out of campaigns, require people to vote thus becoming more democratic. However this would require all citizens to get off their ass, booze, drugs, sedatives, and pain killers long enough to have a rational thought and some follow through. No politician currently serving will support taking away the money that put them in power. Our representative will have to be strong armed by the public to change. The problem now is that they don’t even care about creating an illusion of freedom because they already have you. They bank on our stupidity and lack of motivation. You already have no rights and they already know if you are threat to their ruling class.

How will spending more on campaigns candidates be less corrupt?

The supreme court ruling today blows. Please tell me how letting corporations give unlimited amounts of money to campaigns will help them be less corrupt or promote democracy? American citizens are taking it in the bum again with no lube. We need to remove all private funding from campaigns and not allow them to lobby after they leave office. We need more democracy not less. Nobody is willing to stand up and fight these corrupt bastards. Both parties are corrupt. The two party system is a farce created to give the illusion of representation and freedom but at the end of the day the ruling class are all on the same team and it’s not your team. You don’t go to their school and they don’t care about you. Remember the bugs bunny cartoon where the coyote and sheep all punch in at the same clock before going to work trying to eat each other? Our political parties have gone the way of reality TV. Fake. They all need to go.

Rush limbaugh hospitalized

I used to want bad things to happen to Rush before I realized that he is just a pawn or an actor PAID to help create the illusion of freedom for Americans.  Just like Michael Moore and our network news. Maybe Rush has let out too many secrets of late and they are trying to take him out and replace him with a more controllable person. Maybe he is just falling victim to his unhealthy lifestyle.  The ruling class want to keep us fat, sedated and ignorant. They bate and trap us with entertainment, drugs, booze, unhealthy food and debt. We are already imprisoned without recourse. Taxation with out representation. Supporting the two party system is like watching inter-mural sports, they all go to the same school and you don’t go to the school. Reminds me of the old Bugs bunny cartoon where they show the sheep and the wolves both clocking in at the same tree before going to work. I votes for Obama because I wanted to believe along with everyone else that we the people had some voice and some control of our government. But as we can see, we have none.  Obama may have wanted to change the system but has not been allowed to do so by the ruling class. They are all corrupt. They have been corrupt for years and now there is no way to fight them. The illusion is shattered.

Healthcare Bill

Lowering health care cost and good coverage is what you should fight for.

I’m not communist.

I believe in capitalism, free trade, the bill of rights, the constitution, justice, paying your bills and hard work.

I believe that everyone in power right now is corrupt and that our government has been getting more corrupt for 50 years. They use people like Rush and Michael Moore to keep the public from focusing on the issues. It’s like watching inter-mural sports, but they all go to the same school and you don’t. Makes for a good drama but it does not properly govern. The only thing they agree on is spending more money for their earmarks and special interest.

Unless we take the time to sort through the legislation, hype and fight for what we need, they do what they want and it does not benefit the tax payer or consumer.

Have you ever tried to buy individual health insurance? I tried back in 2002 and the least expensive plan was from United Health Care with the least amount of coverage and the premium was $550.00 per month. Why so high? I have Asthma. Oh, I and I would have to pay for the policy for a year before anything Asthma related would be covered. It’s called a pre-existing condition. I shopped around again in August 2009 and there are now more companies offering individual coverage with a premium around 200 bucks. Just the threat of a public option, or competition, has brought down the price and that is a natural market response.

What we need is an insurance option for people who have jobs with no benefits. We need to take away pre-existing conditions from individual insurance coverage. We need reasonable premiums and adequate coverage. We need to stop letting the insurance companies and pharmaceutical companies control our access to doctors and procedures.

We already pay for health care for everyone on welfare who does not work and just lives in the projects. I’ve been living in New York for the past 2.5 years and you should see how much taxes I have to pay! It’s disgusting.

The insurance companies have been out of control for a long time. Monopolies, tax breaks, government set asides are not part of true capitalism of fair trade. Neither is bailouts for bankers or car companies. Our government, both parties, have already screwed us over with the economy corruption, war corruption, and now we are about to be taken even more for health care. I would rather it not pass than pass the way it is now.

—————–FROM MOVE ON ———-

In just about 48 hours, the Senate will vote on its health care bill, and then House and Senate leaders and the White House will meet to negotiate the final bill.
While the House bill is quite strong, the Senate health care bill is seriously flawed. And with negotiations about to begin, we have one last chance to fight for key fixes in the final bill.
Here are five key problems with the Senate bill that must be fixed. Please check this out, then pass it on! Click here to post on Facebook, or here to post on Twitter.
Five Critical Flaws in the Senate Health Care Bill
The Senate bill would:
#1—Deny Americans the choice of a public option. In contrast, the House bill contains a national public option, the key to real competition, greater choice, and lower costs.1
#2—Leave insurance unaffordable for some lower income and working people. Both bills require virtually all Americans to buy insurance. But even with the subsidies provided, some families could have to pay up to 20% of their income on health care expenses.2
#3—Impose dangerous restrictions on women’s reproductive health care. Unfortunately, both bills do this and the House provision is worse. Both versions would be a dangerous step and neither should be in the final bill.3
#4—Tax American workers’ health coverage to pay for reform. The Senate would pay for part of reform by taxing the hard-won benefits packages of some working Americans. The House, on the other hand, pays for reform with a small surcharge on only the wealthiest Americans—a far better approach.4
#5—Allow insurance companies to remain exempt from anti-trust laws. Under current law, insurance companies are actually exempt from laws designed to prevent monopolies and price-gouging. The House bill would fix this, but the Senate bill leaves it in place.5
Of course, these aren’t the only problems with the bill. Most glaringly, both the Senate and House bill would leave millions uninsured,6 a far cry from the vision of universal coverage so many of us have fought for. That remains a long-term goal.
But these five things need to be fixed immediately—and we need to spread the word to make sure House and Senate leadership and the White House get the message we’re counting on them to craft a final bill with these key fixes.
Can you spread the word? Forward this email, and click here to post on Facebook, or here to post on Twitter.
Thanks for all you do.
–Kat, Carrie, Michael, Joan, and the rest of the team
Sources:
1. “Comparing the House and the Senate Health Care Proposals: Public Plan,” The New York Times, December 19, 2009
“The House Bill and the Senate Bill,” The Now! Blog, December 21, 2009
“Why We Need a Public Health-Care Plan,” The Wall Street Journal, June 24, 2009
“Why a public health insurance option is key to saving costs,” Economic Policy Institute, June 25, 2009
2. “Assessment of Affordability Provisions in the Exchange in House (H.R. 3962) and Senate (H.R. 3590) Health Reform Bills,” Health Care for America Now
“Finishing Reform Right: Fixing affordability before the President signs a health care bill,” The Now! Blog, December 22, 2009
“Comparing the House and the Senate Health Care Proposals: Individual Mandate,” The New York Times, December 19, 2009
“The House Bill and the Senate Bill,” The Now! Blog, December 21, 2009
“Senate health bill is launch pad,” Jacob Hacker, December 22, 2009
3. “Comparing the House and the Senate Health Care Proposals: Abortion,” The New York Times, December 19, 2009
4. “Comparing the House and the Senate Health Care Proposals: Paying for the Proposals,” The New York Times, December 19, 2009
5. “Comparing the House and the Senate Health Care Proposals: Insurance Regulations,” The New York Times, December 19, 2009
6. “H.R. 3962, Affordable Health Care for America Act,” Congressional Budget Office, November 20, 2009
“Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act,” Congressional Budget Office, November 18, 2009
“REPORT: How the Senate Bill Compares to Other Reform Legislation,” Think Progress, November 19, 2009

A German’s view on Islam – very interesting!

I got this as an email, but it makes a good point so I posted it here for you.

————————

This is really an interesting opinion.

This is neither Democratic nor Republican. It is an opinion. You can take it or leave it.

A German’s View on Islam
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A man, whose family was German aristocracy prior to World War II, owned a number of large industries and estates. When asked how many German people were true Nazis, the answer he gave can guide our attitude toward fanaticism.

“Very few people were true Nazis,” he said, “but many enjoyed the return of German pride, and many more were too busy to care. I was one of those who just thought the Nazis were a bunch of fools. So, the majority just sat back and let it all happen.

Then, before we knew it, they owned us, and we had lost control, and the end of the world had come. My family lost everything. I ended up in a concentration camp and the Allies destroyed my factories.”

We are told again and again by “experts” and “talking heads” that Islam is the religion of peace, and that the vast majority of Muslims just want to live in peace. Although this unqualified assertion may be true, it is entirely irrelevant.

It is meaningless fluff, meant to make us feel better, and meant to somehow diminish the spectra of fanatics rampaging across the globe in the name of Islam.

The fact is that the fanatics rule Islam at this moment in history. It is the fanatics who march. It is the fanatics who wage any one of 50 shooting wars worldwide. It is the fanatics who systematically slaughter Christian or tribal groups throughout Africa and are gradually taking over the entire continent in an Islamic wave. It is the fanatics who bomb, behead, murder or honour-kill. It is the fanatics who take over mosque after mosque. It is the fanatics who zealously spread the stoning and hanging of rape victims and homosexuals. It is the fanatics who teach their young to kill and to become suicide bombers.

The hard quantifiable fact is that the peaceful majority, the “silent majority,” is cowed and extraneous.

Communist Russia was comprised of Russians who just wanted to live in peace, yet the Russian Communists were responsible for the murder of about 20 million people. The peaceful majority was irrelevant.

China ’s huge population was peaceful as well, but Chinese Communists managed to kill a staggering 70 million people.

The average Japanese individual prior to World War II was not a war mongering sadist. Yet,  Japan murdered and slaughtered its way across South East Asia in an orgy of killing that included the systematic murder of 12 million Chinese civilians; most killed by sword, shovel and bayonet.

And who can forget Rwanda , which collapsed into butchery. Could it not be said that the majority of Rwandans were “peace loving”?

History lessons are often incredibly simple and blunt, yet for all our powers of reason, we often miss the most basic and uncomplicated of points: Peace-loving Muslims have been made irrelevant by their silence. Peace-loving Muslims will become our enemy if they don’t speak up, because like my friend from Germany , they will awaken one day and find that the fanatics own them, and the end of their world will have begun.

Peace-loving Germans, Japanese, Chinese, Russians, Rwandans, Serbs, Afghans, Iraqis, Palestinians, Somalis, Nigerians, Algerians and many others have died because the peaceful majority did not speak up until it was too late.

As for us who watch it all unfold, we must pay attention to the only group that counts: the fanatics who threaten our way of life.

Lastly, anyone who doubts that the issue is serious and just deletes this email without sending it on is contributing to the passivity that allows the problems to expand. So, extend yourself a bit and send this on and on and on! Let us hope that thousands, world wide, read this and think about it, and send it on before it’s too late.

And remember, the first thing the fanatics will do to the silent majority, is to disarm them.

Gerhard Grünewald
Franzensbader Str.19
14193  Berlin
Tel.: 030-825 3193
FAX: 030-3195 4075

The Informed Voter System

This is the best idea, please read.

If you’ve never been one to care about politics, or you make it part of your daily routine, I’m sure that you’re aware of the mess that our nation is in.  Chances are that you have been personally affected by the real estate crash, the failing economy, the incredible cost of war or the dismal state of our health care system.

Here is your chance to do something about it.
This is not about being a Conservative, Liberal, Democrat, Republican, or Libertarian.  It is about being an American.
It’s about a solution to the many problems we face as a nation,

The Informed Voter System

Hello.  To begin, I am not trying to sell you anything.  Secondly, this is about politics, but I am not affiliated with any political party.  What I am is an American who is disgusted with what our political and industry leaders are doing to us and our nation.  As Americans we are just as diligent, innovative and hard working as we have always been.  It is the condition of our government that is our problem.  It has ceased to function and all but a select few are paying dearly for it.  What you are about to read represents my efforts to do something about this mess.  It begins with clarifying the problems and ends with a very reasonable and possible solution.

The Informed Voter System

The Problem

Lately I’ve been hearing more and more about something that I believe is at the root of our country’s problems.  Our politicians are very aware of this situation and oddly enough, are the only ones who can fix it.  Unfortunately, they are unwilling to make an issue of this while they are still in a position to do something about it.  Rock this money boat and it’s the end of your political career.

In the not too distant past our elected officials spent the majority of their time reading, writing and voting on legislation.  They were, in some part, responsible to the people who voted for them.  This was evident in the way they cast their votes and in the issues they supported.  Sure, there was the ever-present influence of big business, but in the end, it was about people, votes and money, not just money.

In recent years, a few former politicians have come forward to expose what is behind the systemic failures of our government.  They’re telling us that raising campaign money has become such a burden that it is keeping our politicians from doing what we elect them to do.  Every year more and more effort goes into the quest for the almighty campaign dollar.  In addition to the time and energy that’s being wasted, our representatives find that they are increasingly bound to those who so carefully make those contributions.  Today the corruption has reached a point where there is little evidence of a government that is “of the people, by the people, and for the people.” Power and easy money have become the primary force behind the legislative process, not the quality of our lives.  Sure this game is great for the politicians and the leaders of industry, but as the “Great Recession” has shown, the rest of us are paying a terrible price for the gains of a select few.  Our politicians simply won’t act on our behalf because we cannot provide them with the millions of dollars they need to get and stay in office.  In fact, most of the time our so-called Representatives know where legislation is headed before a single vote is cast.  They all know because it’s clear who they’ll answer to if they dare vote against the whims of their contributors.  Trust me, they know they won’t have to face the grandmother who just had an eviction notice stapled to her front door.

Even today the Senate’s top pick for health-care reform is also the top earner of campaign money from the health insurance and pharmaceutical industries.  Yes, even you and your family’s health is for sale.

This charade and the issue of campaign money is not particular to any one political party.  Our entire political system is involved.  A senator rails against a bill from the opposing party and I ask why?  What is the motivation?  Is he thinking about the young mother who is desperately trying to make ends meet?  The unfortunate reality is that most of the passion on Capital Hill is no more than the Republicans and the Democrats scheming against one-other.  This makes for energetic speeches but has little to do with our quality of life.  The constant back and forth between them is nothing more than a well rehearsed distraction.  Indeed, it’s a clever and effective way to keep us confused, uninformed and  most of all, divided.  Liberal? Conservative?  Republican?  Libertarian?  Democrat?  With the obvious failures of our government, it seems absurd to have loyalty to any of these ideals.  In many ways it keeps us from seeing what’s going on.  Let’s focus on government that understands the meaning of the phrase “Public Servant.”  Then we can play out the differences of liberal and conservative that are, in fact, vital to our political system.

Now let’s make this clear; I have an enormous respect for the individual Senator or Congressman.  They work long hard days and shoulder enormous responsibilities.  Historically, they’ve sought to serve the people of this nation.  Today it is a corrupt system that dictates their efforts and rids them of their ethics and higher motivations.  The system itself is where the fix has to take place.

Here’s a typical scenario:

• Corporation X owns several coal fired power plants.

• Corporation X realizes that it can save tens of millions of dollars by emitting higher levels of pollution into the atmosphere.

• Corporation X finds a sympathetic ear in a young senate hopeful who really needs the help of Corporation X to get elected.

• Corporation X donates huge sums of money to the young senator’s campaign.  There are many channels through which they can do this and they exploit every last one of them.  Even though his campaign fund is off to a good start, the sickening sale of his loyalty has only just begun.  This quest for campaign money will continue throughout his political career

• The young senator outspends his opponent and wins the election.

• A huge chunk of the money that the young senator received from Corporation X pays for campaign commercials on radio and television.  Guess who owns these T.V. and radio stations?  You got it, Corporation X.

• In the young senator’s first year in office, Corporation X sends their top lobbyist to Capitol Hill with a proposal that would loosen pollution controls on coal fired power plants. The young senator proposes a bill that would make this a reality.  Most of this bill was actually written by Corporation X.  The young senator has to play along because, after all, he wouldn’t be a senator without his beloved corporate sponsor.

• By now Corporation X has gotten most of it’s money back from it’s campaign contributions.  Remember it owns the T.V. and radio stations.  These so-called contributions have magically reappeared as profit.  Call it the icing on the cake.

(Fact: In the 2008 presidential election, more than $400 million was spent on broadcast media.)

• The bill passes both the house, the senate, and the President signs it into law.  This happens because Corporation X is also playing this game with everyone else who votes for it.  Those who aren’t part of this particular scheme support it because the young senator promises to do the same for them in the future.  Yes, even the President plays the game.

• Corporation X will now save millions and millions of dollars by emitting more and more pollution into the atmosphere.  Can you say “Executive Bonus?”

• The young senator eventually leaves his senate seat to do what?  To become the all-star young lobbyist for Corporation X.  His up to the minute contacts in D.C. make him the perfect man for the job.

• In the coming years our not so young senator will rake in tens of millions of dollars as he bounces back and forth between government and big business. If he hangs in there long enough he’ll help himself to a $50K a year senate pension, for the rest of his life.

Not too long ago this was considered scandalous, today it is the way our government operates.

The founding fathers must be spinning in their graves.

A major player in this scam is what we might call main stream media.  The ‘news’ that is handed out by the media giants would have us believe that we are getting the facts.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  Turn on the nightly news and you’ll get a well crafted version of what they want you to know, not what you need to know.  Look behind the scenes and you’ll find highly creative and intelligent people who get paid very well keep us in the dark.  Our predecessors knew that effective democracy would not survive without unbiased journalism.  Do we understand this?  Unfortunately what was once a responsibility to tell the American people the truth has become a charade motivated by greed.  The government itself has done it’s part by gift-wrapping this vital part of our society for a select few corporations.  Their control over what we see, hear and ultimately believe to be truth is a must if their game is to continue.

How many of us remember when the endangered species act was nearly erased because it was a drag on corporate profits.

Where in all of this is the voice of the American people?

Given that most Americans now have access to the internet, it is possible to bring about drastic change for a fraction of the money that is being spent to elect those who represent us. For those who cannot access the internet, the cost of the postage would still be a drop in the bucket compared to the circus we have today.  The central element of this change is a system that will manage our new election process on the local, state and national levels.  It will make it easier than ever for us to keep up with upcoming elections.  It will also greatly simplify the choices we make and at the same time put an end to the rampant influence of greed and corruption.  Built in to the foundation of the system are safeguards to permanently prevent the influence of any individual, political party, organization or industry.  Think of what could be achieved if those millions of campaign dollars went into the research and development of new products and services?

That’s how America used to make it’s money.

Last but certainly not least, this change would require that Americans do more than ignore our government and blindly vote “Democrat or Republican.”  We can no longer afford to be wrapped up in partisan politics.  To impulsively support one party or the other is to ignore the mess that our government has become.

Has your allegiance to any of them really made a difference? Ever?

We’re all busy and that’s not likely to change.  So included in this idea is a model for effective democracy that is within reach of the busiest of us.

The Solution

• The first step is to put together a comprehensive list of issues that are important to Americans.  The list will be based on suggestions from us, the registered voters.  A simple index will make it easy to find the issues that are important to you.  The list would include everything from national issues like gun ownership down to the need for uniforms in public schools.  Spaces for local issues could be added for specific districts to answer special needs.  The ultimate size of the list would be a balance between what we need for effective government and the time we have to invest in the election process.

• Months before an election we would be required, either online or in writing, to choose 20 or so issues that are important to us.  This is for each election, on every level from local to national.  Completing this necessary step would put our names on a list that would be present when we show up to vote.  Yes, that’s effort on our part.  But representation requires participation.

• The twenty or so issues that get the most attention from the voters in a particular district then get handed off to the candidates.  The candidates will then have to give a brief explanation of where they stand on these issues.  These should be limited to a certain number of characters per issue, for truth comes when there are limitations.  No flashy graphics, no long winded explanations – just the facts on where they stand on what matters to us.  Included in this summary would also be a simple, structured bio of the candidates.  If the candidate has a political history, their voting record would be included in the bio.

• Before an election these summaries would be posted on the Informed Voter System website or be mailed to voters who cannot access the internet.  Now we can plainly see where the candidates stand on the issues.  Again, these are the issues that we are interested in, not the ones that candidates would choose to talk about.  It might be a bit to read, but again, representation requires participation.  The reality is that it would probably take less time to read over these summaries than to sit through the slew of pre-election campaign commercials we see on T.V. which, by the way, would no longer exist.

• Voters would have the option of making a donation to the Informed Voter System through the system’s website or by mail. When making a donation, we can choose to make it in support of a specific candidate, however, making a donation would not be necessary in order to vote.  Specific limits would be placed on the amount of these donations.  These limits would be set at a level that would keep the system functioning without giving anyone the ability to buy a politician.  The candidates would have to receive a minimum amount of pledged donations from individuals in their district to participate in the election.  This would ensure a strong desire on the part of the candidates to network within their districts and mobilize volunteers to get the word out.  If big business would still like to make a donation to the democratic process, it will be to the Informed Voter System itself, and would not be in support of any particular candidate.  Perhaps then we would see how deep the corporate pockets are in the absence of their powerful influence.  The donations would cover the cost of the system.  Times are tough indeed, but a small donation from every registered voter would put some muscle behind our new-found political voice.  Sure, there are details here that need to be worked out with this, but again… Would we rather keep the disaster that we have today?

• Debates and other public appearances will help us fill in the blanks.  The point is that the network logo at the bottom of the screen during the debate will be the only influence exerted on anyone.

• The process of going to the poll and voting will otherwise remain unchanged.

• Regulation of the voting machines and access to the polls will also have to be improved.  The Informed Voter System is the perfect entity to manage this.  If needed, federal funds could help support this function.  In past elections there have been abuses surrounding these issues that have had profound effects on election results.  This is absolutely unacceptable.

• A vital part of the system is the passage and enforcement of laws that regulate politicians who bounce back and forth between public service and high-paying industry and lobbying jobs.  Run the unethical folks out of government and we’ll see that those who remain would be happy to empower these laws with some serious teeth.

• Get rid of the mass mailings.  Get rid of the T.V. and radio commercials.  Get rid of the polling that helps the candidates in their quest to tell us what we want to hear.  Get rid of anything in print that isn’t from the unbiased Informed Voter System.  Get rid of anything that isn’t a volunteer talking face to face with you about the candidate they support and what do you have.

Politicians will have the time, energy and integrity to do what we elected them to do.

Will this be tough?  Powerful people will do their best to see that this level of reform never happens.  To let them win means more of what we see today, and it will only get worse.  I’m not telling you that this is the best or the only way to fix our broken government, nor am I saying that this system is complete or perfect the way it is.  The point is that this is the type of sweeping change is desperately needed.  The hope is that, if enough of us get involved and share these ideas, the Informed Voter System could re-open the door to “The Land of Opportunity.”

So what do I want from you?  Email this to everyone you know whose not happy with the way things are, who has seen their quality of life decline, whose expenses are higher and their efforts worth less.  Anyone who wants their children to have a better life.  Anyone who wants to see their investments truly multiply.  Anyone who wants to see our beloved nation prosper.  Feel free to post this anywhere, in any form.  I only ask that you respect the possibilities of it and require it’s post be unedited and in it’s entirety.

As the first sentence of the Declaration of Independence puts it…

It’s not only our right, but our duty to step in and fix our government should it become broken.

Thank you for your time.

15 Things Americans Can Do Right Now

October 22nd, 2009 5:51 AM

“Michael Moore’s Action Plan: 15 Things Every American Can Do Right Now”

You’ve Seen the Movie — Now It’s Time to ACT!

Friends,

It’s the #1 question I’m constantly asked after people see my movie: “OK — so NOW what can I DO?!”

You want something to do? Well, you’ve come to the right place! ‘Cause I got 15 things you and I can do right now to fight back and try to fix this very broken system.

Here they are:

FIVE THINGS WE DEMAND THE PRESIDENT AND CONGRESS DO IMMEDIATELY:

1. Declare a moratorium on all home evictions. Not one more family should be thrown out of their home. The banks must adjust their monthly mortgage payments to be in line with what people’s homes are now truly worth — and what they can afford. Also, it must be stated by law: If you lose your job, you cannot be tossed out of your home.

2. Congress must join the civilized world and expand Medicare For All Americans. A single, nonprofit source must run a universal health care system that covers everyone. Medical bills are now the #1 cause of bankruptcies and evictions in this country. Medicare For All will end this misery. The bill to make this happen is H.R. 3200 — but this bill is worthless without the amendment from Rep. Anthony Weiner that will bring us closer to the real bill that should be passed: H.R. 676. You must call AND write your members of Congress and demand that they support this amendment, no compromises allowed.

3. Demand publicly-funded elections and a prohibition on elected officials leaving office and becoming lobbyists. Yes, those very members of Congress who solicit and receive millions of dollars from wealthy interests must vote to remove ALL money from our electoral and legislative process. Tell your members of Congress they must support campaign finance bill H.R.1826.

4. Each of the 50 states must create a state-owned public bank like they have in North Dakota. Then congress MUST reinstate all the strict pre-Reagan regulations on all commercial banks, investment firms, insurance companies — and all the other industries that have been savaged by deregulation: Airlines, the food industry, pharmaceutical companies — you name it. If a company’s primary motive to exist is to make a profit, then it needs a set of stringent rules to live by — and the first rule is “Do no harm.” The second rule: The question must always be asked — “Is this for the common good?” (Click here for some info about the state-owned Bank of North Dakota.)

5. Save this fragile planet and declare that all the energy resources above and beneath the ground are owned collectively by all of us. Just like they do it in Sarah Palin’s socialist Alaska. We only have a few decades of oil left. The public must be the owners and landlords of the natural resources and energy that exists within our borders or we will descend further into corporate anarchy. And when it comes to burning fossil fuels to transport ourselves, we must cease using the internal combustion engine and instruct our auto/transportation companies to rehire our skilled workforce and build mass transit (clean buses, light rail, subways, bullet trains, etc.) and new cars that don’t contribute to climate change. (For more on this, here’s a proposal I wrote in December.) Demand that General Motors’ de facto chairman, Barack Obama, issue a JFK man-on-the-moon-style challenge to turn our country into a nation of trains and buses and subways. For Pete’s sake, people, we were the ones who invented (or perfected) these damn things in the first place!!

FIVE THINGS WE CAN DO TO MAKE CONGRESS AND THE PRESIDENT LISTEN TO US:

1. Each of us must get into the daily habit of taking 5 minutes to make four brief calls: One to the President (202-456-1414), one to your Congressperson (202-224-3121) and one to each of your two Senators (202-224-3121). To find out who represents you, click here. Take just one minute on each of these calls to let them know how you expect them to vote on a particular issue. Let them know you will have no hesitation voting for a primary opponent — or even a candidate from another party — if they don’t do our bidding. Trust me, they will listen. If you have another five minutes, click here to send them each an email. And if you really want to drop an anvil on them, send them a snail mail letter!

2. Take over your local Democratic Party. Remember how much fun you had with all those friends and neighbors working together to get Barack Obama elected? YOU DID THE IMPOSSIBLE. It’s time to re-up! Get everyone back together and go to the monthly meeting of your town or county Democratic Party — and become the majority that runs it! There will not be many in attendance and they will either be happy or in shock that you and the Obama Revolution have entered the room looking like you mean business. President Obama’s agenda will never happen without mass grass roots action — and he won’t feel encouraged to do the right thing if no one has his back, whether it’s to stand with him, or push him in the right direction. When you all become the local Democratic Party, send me a photo of the group and I’ll post it on my website.

3. Recruit someone to run for office who can win in your local elections next year — or, better yet, consider running for office yourself! You don’t have to settle for the incumbent who always expects to win. You can be our next representative! Don’t believe it can happen? Check out these examples of regular citizens who got elected: State Senator Deb Simpson, California State Assemblyman Isadore Hall, Tempe, Arizona City Councilman Corey Woods, Wisconsin State Assemblyman Chris Danou, and Washington State Representative Larry Seaquist. The list goes on and on — and you should be on it!

4. Show up. Picket the local branch of a big bank that took the bailout money. Hold vigils and marches. Consider civil disobedience. Those town hall meetings are open to you, too (and there’s more of us than there are of them!). Make some noise, have some fun, get on the local news. Place “Capitalism Did This” signs on empty foreclosed homes, closed down businesses, crumbling schools and infrastructure. (You can download them from my website.)

5. Start your own media. You. Just you (or you and a couple friends). The mainstream media is owned by corporate America and, with few exceptions, it will never tell the whole truth — so you have to do it! Start a blog! Start a website of real local news (here’s an example: The Michigan Messenger). Tweet your friends and use Facebook to let them know what they need to do politically. The daily papers are dying. If you don’t fill that void, who will?

FIVE THINGS WE SHOULD DO TO PROTECT OURSELVES AND OUR LOVED ONES UNTIL WE GET THROUGH THIS MESS:

1. Take your money out of your bank if it took bailout money and place it in a locally-owned bank or, preferably, a credit union.

2. Get rid of all your credit cards but one — the kind where you have to pay up at the end of the month or you lose your card.

3. Do not invest in the stock market. If you have any extra cash, put it away in a savings account or, if you can, pay down on your mortgage so you can own your home as soon as possible. You can also buy very safe government savings bonds or T-bills. Or just buy your mother some flowers.

4. Unionize your workplace so that you and your coworkers have a say in how your business is run. Here’s how to do it (more info here). Nothing is more American than democracy, and democracy shouldn’t be checked at the door when you enter your workplace. Another way to Americanize your workplace is to turn your business into a worker-owned cooperative. You are not a wage slave. You are a free person, and you giving up eight hours of your life every day to someone else is to be properly compensated and respected.

5. Take care of yourself and your family. Sorry to go all Oprah on you, but she’s right: Find a place of peace in your life and make the choice to be around people who are not full of negativity and cynicism. Look for those who nurture and love. Turn off the TV and the Blackberry and go for a 30-minute walk every day. Eat fruits and vegetables and cut down on anything that has sugar, high fructose corn syrup, white flour or too much sodium (salt) in it (and, as Michael Pollan says, “Eat (real) food, not too much, mostly plants”). Get seven hours of sleep each night and take the time to read a book a month. I know this sounds like I’ve turned into your grandma, but, dammit, take a good hard look at Granny — she’s fit, she’s rested and she knows the names of both of her U.S. Senators without having to Google them. We might do well to listen to her. If we don’t put our own “oxygen mask” on first (as they say on the airplane), we will be of no use to the rest of the nation in enacting any of this action plan!

I’m sure there are many other ideas you can come up with on how we can build this movement. Get creative. Think outside the politics-as-usual box. BE SUBVERSIVE! Think of that local action no one else has tried. Behave as if your life depended on it. Be bold! Try doing something with reckless abandon. It may just liberate you and your community and your nation.

And when you act, send me your stories, your photos and your video — and be sure to post your ideas in the comments beneath this letter on my site so they can be shared with millions.

C’mon people — we can do this! I expect nothing less of all of you, my true and trusted fellow travelers!

Yours,
Michael Moore
MMFlint@aol.com
MichaelMoore.com

UPDATE: My position that a single-payer system is the only solution to the health care crisis remains the same. I do not support H.R. 3200 unless it includes Rep. Anthony Weiner’s amendment, which would essentially gut H.R. 3200 and replace it with Rep. John Conyers Jr.’s H.R. 676. In July, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi promised Rep. Weiner an up or down vote on his amendment before the end of the year. At that moment this became our best chance for a single-payer, universal health care plan for all. In the heat of the health care debate, strategies change from day to day, but as it stands right now, Rep. Weiner’s amendment to H.R. 3200 is the best chance we have at achieving a single-payer system in the U.S. This is the same position held by the foremost activist groups for a single-payer health care plan: Physicians for a National Health Program (PNHP), The California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee, and Healthcare-NOW! Let’s ride his Trojan horse out of this mess. Write your congressmembers to demand that they support Rep. Weiner’s amendment. One thing remains clear: No health care system will be safe until every for-profit insurance company has been removed from it.

Sick For Profit

(read this letter below first and then my response)
————————-

Date: Wednesday, October 28, 2009, 9:45 PM

My letter to Gingrey must have made him mad. Our exchanges !!!!!!

I don’t know what I said to jerk Congressman’s chain so,
considering he has made Olberman’s worst list but whatever it was, he dictated a letter to me today that
was definately not a form letter. My answer was not as
nice as my first letter. This may turn out into an all out debate issue with me and the ultra conservative doctor here in Ga. He wants to hear from me. Bet that
changes after the last letter.
Here is his letter to me, in response to some message I
sent on a vie for healthcare blitz. I send them all the time to Washington. Obviously it was not well received.

His letter.

Ms. Amanda L. Kato

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

xxxxxxxxx Ga. 30179-xxxx

Dear Ms. Kato:

Thank you for contacting me to express your opinion regarding health care reform. As your Congressman, I appreciate hearing your thoughts and welcome every opportunity to be of service.

As a physician for nearly 30 years, I am keenly aware of the problems that our current health care system faces ranging from quality of care to increasing costs. Please be assured that I am interested in supporting health care legislation and proposals that will promote the health of all Georgians.

One particular focus to improve health care is to lower the overall cost of care for all patients. As the author of the Assisting Doctors to Obtain Proficient and Transmissible Health Information Technology (ADOPT HIT) Act of 2009 and the Help Efficient, Accessible, Low-cost, Timely Healthcare (HEALTH) Act of 2009, I believe that we can accomplish these goals by providing tax incentives to physicians to invest in electronic medical records, as well as significantly reforming our medical malpractice liability system.

That said, I believe that this year will be a very important year in health care reform. I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to accomplish meaningful reform to ensure patients in the U.S. continue to receive the best care in the world, increase the number of Americans who receive coverage, and lower the overall cost so that health care is affordable.

At the same time, please be assured that I will not support any legislation that will put the U.S. down the path toward a single payer health care system. Patients and their doctors – not Washington bureaucrats – should be the ones making decisions about the best course of care. Please be assured that I will continue to advocate for the rights of patients throughout the 111th Congress.

Again, thank you for sharing your concerns. If you feel that I may be of additional assistance on this, or any other matter of importance to you, please do not hesitate to contact me. I also invite you to sign up for my weekly email newsletter, or to share your ideas and opinions, by visiting my website at http://gingrey.house.gov or emailing me at gingrey.ga@mail.house.gov.

MY response
_____________

Dear Representative Gingrey,

Thank you for your quick response to my concerns. You are my legislator but
you are very wrong on many levels and may I please express my thoughts on this.

You said in your email and I quote, ” believe that we can accomplish these goals by providing tax incentives to physicians to invest in electronic medical records, as well as significantly reforming our medical malpractice liability system.
That above quote is well and good and should be already in place but what
good does it do for people who are not seeing doctors due to the economic
collapse and unaffordable and unattainable health coverage, that do not have
any records to access? They are not seeing medical professionals. They do without.

My son, a voting republican lost his business due to this economy and
never made a great deal to begin with. He PULLED his own tooth. He has back
problems and Lord knows what else because he has no access to affordable
healthcare. Being a republican, he would not dare ask for indigent care only to
be refused or worse, non quality health care treatment. He has had tonsils
swell to the point he could not breathe. He does not drink but his wife and he separated, divorced, he lost his home and we adopted their children.
This is not an isolated case. You folks have insurance.

Six people live under
this roof with no food stamps because my husband’s VA disability gets us by.
He is a 100 percent disabled combat Vietnam veteran and we are Christians.
We thank God for Medicare and Champ VA and the Veterans Administration.
This is a government run system and it works. We receive healthcare but there
are millions like some of our grown children who will never live to see their
American dream. They are one pandemic or catastrophic illness away from
death. You and many who find so much fault with insurance for all do not live
in this reality. Your ideas are from the 20th century and very narrow and limited
to people who have either been blessed with a huge inheritence or the education
and fortune to go to college and become professionals. Not all people fall into
that lifestyle and kudos for that achievement in your life but don’t think people
do not want a better life. Common sense prevails to one who will acknowledge
that a healthy body is productive and can create wealth and jobs and a better
America.

You are blessed in this life Congressman to not have the pain of hearing your
grown children moan in pain or feel agony that you may have to let your light
bill go so they can get relief. You are blessed that you were not fighting a war
in a far away place and a severe disability resulted., thus limiting your earning capabilities and impacting one’s children. There is however, another
life beyond this one, and the one I would be concerned with., is the next life. Jesus said,”……In as much as you have done unto one of the least of these, my brethern, ye have done it unto me.” Matthew 25:40 KJV.
And who is my brother? According to Jesus See Mark 3:35 KJV.
That is what I would be concentrating upon when I cast my vote.

By the way, since you recognize the fact that the VA is a government single
payer system, does this mean you care less about veteran care than
other patients? If you really believe it is all a bureaucracy and not a good system then why is it good enough for men and women who have borne the
battle and not good enough for everyday patients?

Sincerely,
Amanda Kato

My Response

Wow! That was a great letter! I can’t wait to get his response.
People don’t realize how in bed our government is with the insurance companies. Our representatives on both sides are invested in these insurance companies and do not want to rock the boat or change anything that will make them less money.

They say they believe in competition, capitalism and the free market but they have made those lost concepts of our past. With the amount of tax laws, special interest groups and set asides, there is no such thing as free market competition. When wall street crashed, they were the first ones to ask for a bailout and nationalize our banks. That is not capitalism, what they did was socialism and once again it is OK to pay for corporate welfare but not to help the poor or the working class.

I have suffered asthma my entire life and I have had to work for companies large enough to have full medical coverage. In 2001 I was in business for myself for one year but the lowest insurance premium I could find (with the worst coverage) was $500.00 a month. This is a huge overhead expense for a start up business. I am thankful that I have been able to have health care through my work, but to say that the insurance I have is good or adequate is a lie. I have had to think twice before moving to a new company, I can not afford to work freelance. I would have to pay for a year before individual insurance would cover my asthma.

Those who oppose a single payer solution are trying to keep the focus on the “undeserving poor” but I think the focus should be on the greedy insurance companies who have abused us for decades and who dictate what an how much I pay for medication and procedures. They try to keep Americans sick by not paying for preventative and alternative healing practices.

Our government has not protected us as consumers because they own the companies that hurt us for profit. It’s disgusting, and if our forefathers were alive today they would shoot most of them for treason.

Watch Sicko by Michael Moore and go to www.sickforprofit.com and see how much money the owner of United Healthcare makes per hour by denying coverage to the insured!

Our health care system is broken. It’s time to fix it.

Natural Highs

I recieved this as an email and thought it was good enough to share… Natural Highs Think about them one at a time before going on to the next one. It Does Make You Feel Good. 1. Falling in love. 2. Laughing so hard your face hurts. 3. A hot shower. 4. No lines at the supermarket … 5.. A special glance. 6.. Getting mail. 7. Taking a drive on a pretty road. 8. Hearing your favorite song on the radio… 9. Lying in bed listening to the rain outside. 10. Hot towels fresh out of the dryer. 11. Chocolate milkshake (vanilla or strawberry). 12. A bubble bath. 13. Giggling. 14. The beach. 15. Finding a 20 dollar bill in your coat from last winter… 16. Laughing at yourself. 17.. Looking into their eyes and knowing they Love you 18. Midnight phone calls that last for hours. 19.. Running through sprinklers. 20. Laughing for absolutely no reason at all… 21. Having someone tell you that you’re beautiful. 22. Laughing at an inside joke with FRIENDS 23. Accidentally overhearing someone say something nice about you. 24. Waking up and realizing you still have a few hours left to sleep. 25. Your first kiss (either the very first or with a new partner). 26. Making new friends or spending time with old ones. 27. Playing with a new puppy. 28. Having someone play with your hair. 29. Sweet dreams. 30. Hot chocolate. 31.Road trips with friends. 32. Swinging on swings. 33.. Making eye contact with a cute stranger. 34.. Making chocolate chip cookies. 35. Having your friends send you homemade cookies. 36.. Holding hands with someone you care about. 37. Running into an old friend and realizing that some things (good or bad) never change. 38. Watching the expression on someone’s face as they open a much desired present from you… 39. Watching the sunrise. 40. Getting out of bed every morning and being grateful for another beautiful day. 41. Knowing that somebody misses you. 42. Getting a hug from someone you care about deeply… 43. Knowing you’ve done the right thing, no matter what other people think. Lord, keep Your arm around my shoulder and Your hand over my mouth!!! Natural Highs