Brenda Kato's blog

A German’s view on Islam – very interesting!

brendakato — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 13:54:05 +0000

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

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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

Tagged: fanatics, history, Islam

The Informed Voter System

brendakato — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 19:11:34 +0000

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.

Tagged: americon, corruption in government, election process, informed voter system, uncle scam

15 Things Americans Can Do Right Now

brendakato — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 20:03:57 +0000

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.

Tagged: healthcare, what you can do

Sick For Profit

brendakato — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 19:53:42 +0000

(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.

Tagged: health care, sick for profit, single payer

Natural Highs

brendakato — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 14:39:51 +0000

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

8. Hearing

9. Lying

10. Hot

11. Chocolate

12. A

13. Gigglin

14. The

15. Finding

16. Laughing

17.. Looking

18. Midnight

19.. Running

20. Laughing

21. Having

22. Laughing

23. Accidentally

24. Waking

25. Your

26. Making

27. Playing

28. Having

29. Sweet

30. Hot

31.Road

32. Swinging

33.. Making

34.. Making

35. Having

36.. Holding

37. Running

38. Watching

39. Watching

40. Getting

41. Knowing

42. Getting

43. Knowing a drive on a pretty road.
your favorite song on the radio…
in bed listening to the rain outside.
towels fresh out of the dryer.
milkshake (vanilla or strawberry).
bubble bath.
g.
beach.
a 20 dollar bill in your coat from last winter…
at yourself.
into their eyes and knowing they Love you
phone calls that last for hours.
through sprinklers.
for absolutely no reason at all…
someone tell you that you’re beautiful.
at an inside joke with FRIENDS
overhearing someone say something nice about you.
up and realizing you still have a few hours left to sleep.
first kiss (either the very first or with a new partner).
new friends or spending time with old ones.
with a new puppy.
someone play with your hair.
dreams.
chocolate.
trips with friends.
on swings.
eye contact with a cute stranger.
chocolate chip cookies.
your friends send you homemade cookies.
hands with someone you care about.
into an old friend and realizing that some things (good or bad) never change.
the expression on someone’s face as they open a much desired present from you…
the sunrise.
out of bed every morning and being grateful for another beautiful day.
that somebody misses you.
a hug from someone you care about deeply…
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

Tagged: natural highs

Great WordPress template tutorial

brendakato — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 18:52:03 +0000

Thanks to Micha at Crystal Tech for sharing this awesome WordPress turotial blog!!!

Check it out

This is a step by step, how to blog.

Tagged: web design, wordpress tutorial

Cutest Dog Competition

brendakato — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 03:52:34 +0000

Nightmare commute home on 99s Coach USA from Port Authority

brendakato — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 23:37:43 +0000

Saturday morning, August 22nd my commute home was complete nightmare and the worst bus service I have ever experienced. Around 3:45am I purchased a ticket to Jersey City and went upstairs to Gate 304 to wait for the bus. At 4:00am no number 10 or 99s buses arrived. I waited with about ten other passengers until 6:00am and then we all relocated to Gate 114 for the scheduled 6:10 bus that did not come. The 6:40 bus came and broke down at the gate. Soon after, another number 10 bus arrived, we thought, to replace the broken down bus. The bus driver got off, used the restroom and got back in her bus and left us taking no passengers. She was rude and did not give us any explanation. This is when we found the complaint number and started calling. I spoke to Tony who provided no solution and hung up on me four times. No replacement bus was sent. The next working bus arrived one hour and twenty minuets later at 8:00am. Now we have been waiting for FOUR hours.

Needless to say, we are very upset that it has taken so long and that the bus drivers do not seem to care and are rude. The bus drivers hid their badges so we could not get their names or numbers. My bus driver was a white male with white hair in his 60s. The female bus driver was a very short, Latino with long curly black hair in her 30s.

To make matters worse, the bus driver would not take my ticket. He said that it was no good and that I had to pay $4.00. I showed him the ticket where it says that I paid $3.40 and told him that I would pay the difference of .60 cents but that, at this point, the fare should be waved to make up for such bad service. He snatched the ticket from my hand, tore it up and threw it on the ground. He said I had to pay or get off the bus. I said that there was no way I was gong to pay twice for such bad service. He said I had to pay or he was calling the cops. I told him to drive me home or call the cops. I would gladly explain the cops this outrageous, and unacceptable rude service. So, I paid .60 cents and he drove us home.

Monday morning I was finally able to get someone at the complaint number to give me the complaint address and fax.

Coach USA recetly have reduced their service from Manhattan to Bayonne to once an hour after peak time. This results in over crowding of the bus, which is not safe or comfortable. We pay $4.00 one way and deserve quality, safe, courteous service like their phone’s hold message claims to provide.

Tagged: 99s, asshole bus drivers, bad service, Coach USA, commute problems, rude service, shitlist

Recovery.com pulls a fast one! 18 MILLION for the re-design!!!

brendakato — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 23:21:05 +0000

Are you kidding me they spent 18 MILLION for the re-design!! Our Government is out of control!!REALLY??? Recovery.com pulls a fast one

This is really out of control. There is now way to justify this. Seriously this is rediculious. What a SCAM!!!!!!

Tagged: 18 million redesign, abuse, bogus, corruption, crazy, government waste, recovery.com

2009 Macy’s Fireworks are on the Hudson River!

brendakato — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 18:14:53 +0000

I’m so glad the fireworks will be on our side this year!!!! I think that it should be closer to the Statue of Liberty anyways.

I wonder if there are any special plans for Liberty State Park.

see below

Macy’s Fourth of July Fireworks in New York City

Where to View Macy’s July 4th Fireworks in New York

By Pamela Skillings, About.com

The spectacular Macy’s July 4th fireworks display is moving across town in 2009. To celebrate the 400th anniversary of the exploration of the Hudson River by Henry Hudson, Macy’s will stage their annual show stopping pyrotechnics over the Hudson River instead of the East River this year.

Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks 2009

The 2009 Macy’s fireworks show will feature more than 40,000 shells exploding at a rate of more than 1,500 per minute. The 26-minute display will be set off from six barges positioned between 24th and 50th Streets on the Hudson River.

The fireworks display will be synchronized to a score of patriotic standards, classic river-themed works, and original music. The legendary New York Pops will perform the musical score under the direction of Steve Reineke.

View Macy’s July 4th Fireworks In Style

Scrap those plans to spend July 4th in Brooklyn or on FDR Drive. This year, the best views will be from Manhattan’s West Side and New Jersey.

Please check back soon for our round-up of the best places to view the 2009 Macy’s July 4th fireworks and July 4th parties and events in New York City.

Tagged: Macy's 4th of July Fireworks Schedule, nyc 2009 fireworks for 4th of july