The White House.....1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW.....Washington, DC..20500.....202-456-1111
"You cannot legislate the poor into freedom by legislating the wealthy out of freedom. What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving. The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else. When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that my dear friend, is about the end of any nation. You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it."
—Dr. Adrian Rogers, 1931–2005
SAVE THE DATES for 2010!
AUGUST 3: August primary election
OCTOBER 4: Last day to register for general election
NOVEMBER 2: General election
*All important dates can be found here.
For important legislative updates, action items, and opportunities
for involvement,
sign-up with FreedomWorks.
FreedomWorks recruits,
educates, trains and mobilizes hundreds of thousands of volunteer activitsts
to fight for less government, lower taxes, and more freedom.
"The income tax created more criminals than
any other
single act of
government."
—Barry M. Goldwater
.
Obama adds 78,000 new employees to government payroll
2009 budget grows to a deficit of $1.8 trillion, more than four times higher than last year’s all time high and 50% of total budget
With the national debt already out of control, President Obama has added 78,000 new government jobs to the federal payroll since he took office. Obama’s increase in the number of government employees will add hundreds of millions of dollars to our debt. If history is any measure, these jobs will never be eliminated. They will simply add to the mountains of debt we are leaving our grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Government spending is filled with pork earmarks like this: The National Institutes of Health will pay $2.6 million in U.S. tax dollars to train Chinese prostitutes to drink responsibly on the job.
Obama and Congress continue to spend money the government doesn’t have. The deficit for the current year will be $1.8 trillion, 50% of the total budget. In order to pay interest on the debt, the government will have to cut spending, raise taxes, print more paper money or borrow from another country like China, which already holds billions of U.S. debt. With no end of spending in sight, some estimates project that our national debt could reach $8 trillion by the year 2014.
Obama and liberals in Congress are taking us down the road to socialism, seizing control of key banks, insurance companies, the automobile industry, etc. They are currently working on a government funded national health care program which is expected to cost roughly $2 trillion while rationing services.
Are you fed up with a Congress and a president who:
vote for a $500 billion tax bill without even reading it?
are spending trillions of borrowed dollars, leaving a debt our great-grandchildren will be paying?
consistently give special interest groups billions of dollars in earmarks to help get themselves re-elected?
want to take your wealth and redistribute it to others?
punish those who practice responsible financial behavior and reward those who do not?
admit to using the financial hurt of millions as an opportunity to push their political agenda?
run up trillions of dollars of debt and then sell that debt to countries such as China?
want government controlled health care?
want to take away the right to vote with a secret ballot in union elections?
refuse to stop the flow of millions of illegal immigrants into our country?
appoint a defender of child pornography to the Number 2 position in the Justice Department?
want to force doctors and other medical workers to perform abortions against their will?
want to impose a carbon tax on your electricity, gas and home heating fuels?
want to reduce your tax deductibility for charitable gifts?
take money from your family budget to pay for their federal budget?
We had a successful turnout for the Hudsonville TEA Party.
There was an estimate of nearly 1,200 people who turned
out
to express their concerns and protest against
Washington's reckless spending!
Video Footage from the Hudsonville TEA Party Rally - 4.15.09
Dan Salas, a Video Producer with Positively Michigan, gives you a look
through his camera lens at the Hudsonville TEA Party Rally on 4.15.09. Go to his website to view the video.
- TAKE ACTION! -
Below are two lists which provide the telephone numbers of your local congressmen
as well as state senators. The current health care "overhaul" bill proposed by
left wing Democrats comes with a price tag of well over 1 TRILLION dollars!
Call your local politicians and let them know that socialized
health care
and tax increases are not the answer.
MI FairTax wins vote of Michigan Tea Parties!
First Michigan Tea Party Convention results
June 19, 2009
(Lansing, MI - June 13) Michigan Tea Party activists, a growing movement across the state, convened near Lansing last Saturday to hear speakers, learn about grassroots activism, and show a sense of support for possible 2010 ballot initiatives. Organizers were pleased that nearly 300 representatives took part, including visits by several statewide and local candidates interested in understanding the concerns motivating attendees, many of whom are first-time activists!
The Michigan FairTax Proposal (MI FairTax) was selected by the majority of voting delegates as the proposal of choice to unify behind and support, from amongst four suggested initiatives. Ron Babin, volunteer Deputy Director of the Michigan FairTax Association (MFTA) commented on why the MI FairTax did so well, "Although the other proposals sought to address such things as state employee benefits, and requiring a larger legislative majority to enact tax increases, I think delegates recognized that the MI FairTax proposal does more, as a whole, to fix Michigan's economic situation."
The MI FairTax focuses on job creation and economic growth by changing the method and structure of the state's tax system from taxing income to taxing retail consumption. Mr. Babin elaborated, "Michigan is losing its tax base - its businesses and families are leaving the state, due to a complex and convoluted tax scheme. Enacting broadscope tax reform, represented by the MI FairTax proposal, would make Michigan the envy of, and model for, the nation."
MFTA points to the present income tax system as lacking transparency, stifling risk-taking, and penalizing established businesses and job-creating entrepreneurs every time they add employees or upgrade facilities and equipment. Said Mr. Babin, "A tax on business payrolls and income increases the cost of doing business. These costs are passed through to Michigan families as a 'hidden tax' in higher prices." He continued, "The MI FairTax is not just about tax relief and removing state-imposed barriers to wealth, but changing the system to a visible, transparent, fairer system that will irresistibly attract new business development here at home. We want to see 'Made in Michigan' on everything we can, and ensure that Michigan becomes the country's No. 1 destination for jobs and families."
Capitol City Baptist Ministries, in Holt, was the venue for this, the first, Michigan Tea Party Convention. Mr. Babin concluded, "We want express heart-felt thanks to the Pastor and congregation of Capitol Cities for being such an accomodating and gracious host for this notable, even historic, event!"
More information on the MI FairTax, including how citizens can become involved in the tax reform effort, is available at www.mifairtax.org.
TAKE OUR COUNTRY BACK RALLY - APRIL 15
We will be holding another rally on April 15 at the Gemmen's Parking Lot in Hudsonville
from noon-1:30 pm. Guest speakers include:
IMMIGRANT from COMMUNIST EASTERN EUROPE
FORMER CANADIAN RESIDENT with SPECIAL NEEDS CHILD
FREEDOM CHRISTIAN HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR
HILLSDALE COLLEGE DEBATE CHAMPION
MACKINAC CENTER for PUBLIC POLICY
LOCAL SMALL BUSINESS OWNER
SPECIAL OPS MARINE VETERAN
TAKE OUR COUNTRY BACK RALLY - APRIL 15
We will be holding another rally on April 15 at the Gemmen's Parking Lot in Hudsonville
from noon-1:30 pm. Guest speakers include:
IMMIGRANT from COMMUNIST EASTERN EUROPE
FORMER CANADIAN RESIDENT with SPECIAL NEEDS CHILD
FREEDOM CHRISTIAN HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR
HILLSDALE COLLEGE DEBATE CHAMPION
MACKINAC CENTER for PUBLIC POLICY
LOCAL SMALL BUSINESS OWNER
SPECIAL OPS MARINE VETERAN
If you would like to meet with other concerned citizens in the Hudsonville or surrounding cities, click on these topic links that pertain to your interest and concern.
"If the government is big enough to give you everything you want, it is
big enough to take away everything you have." —Gerald R. Ford
- - -
"The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not." —Thomas Jefferson
- - -
"Charity is no part of the legislative duty of the government." —James Madison
- - -
"I cannot undertake to lay my finger on that article of the Constitution which granted a right to Congress of expending, on objects of benevolence, the money of their constituents." —James Madison
- - -
"Remember, democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself. There was never a democracy yet, that did not commit suicide."
—John Adams
- - -
"The inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal sharing of the blessings.
The inherent blessing of socialism is the equal sharing of misery.
We contend that for a nation to try to tax itself into prosperity is like a man
standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle."
—Winston Churchill (1903)
- - -
"I am for doing good to the poor, but I differ in opinion of the means.
I think the best way of doing good to the poor, is not making them easy in poverty,
but leading or driving them out of it."
—Benjamin Franklin
- - -
"The real freedom of any individual can always be measured by the amount of responsibility which he must assume for his own welfare and security."
—Robert Welch
A note from State Representative Dave Agema, 74th District of Michigan:
Government continues to increase spending while private citizens are losing jobs and taking pay cuts. State government workers already have outstanding healthcare -- far superior to most taxpayers -- and are now budgeted to receive pay increases during a time of severe economic recession.
The state employee union of over 52,000 people is not above a pay cut. It seems government jobs are currently the best and most stable in the state and government workers still believe they are entitled to a pay raise regardless of the economic climate.
Now is the time for some fiscal responsibility and spending reductions in government. My resolution, HR 0045, would reduce state employees pay and benefits by 5% and will save the state the $300 million increase the governor is going to provide, plus $165 million a year from the 5% cut that HR 0045 would require. This would total $630 million over 2 years. It is not justifiable to give pay raises to state employees out of taxpayer dollars when it's the taxpayers that are consistently losing and the state is quickly heading toward bankruptcy.
- NATIONAL ECONOMY -
"Government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases:
If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And, if it stops moving, subsidize it."
—Ronald Reagan (1986)
Obama Administration's Health Care Plan
HR 3200 currently under consideration in the House of Representatives
Reviewed, revised and adapted on July 29, 2009, by Liberty Counsel from the original authored by Peter Fleckenstein and posted on FreeRepublic.com and his blog, http://blog.flecksoflife.com. Download a PDF of this document.
Sec. 113, Pg. 21-22 of the Health Care (HC) Bill MANDATES a government audit of the books of ALL EMPLOYERS that self-insure in order to “ensure that the law does not provide incentives for small and mid-size employers to self-insure”!
Sec. 122, Pg. 29, Lines 4-16 - YOUR HEALTH CARE WILL BE RATIONED!
Sec. 123, Pg. 30 - THERE WILL BE A GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE deciding what treatments and benefits you get.
Sec. 142, Pg. 42 - The Health Choices Commissioner will choose your benefits for you. You have no choice!
Sec. 152, Pg. 50-51 - HC will be provided to ALL NON-US citizens.
Sec. 163, Pg. 58-59 beginning at line 5 - Government will have real-time access to individual’s finances & a National ID health care card will be issued!
Sec. 163, Pg. 59, Lines 21-24 - Government will have direct access to your bank accounts for electronic funds transfer.
Sec. 164, Pg. 65 is a payoff subsidized plan for retirees and their families in unions & community organizations (ACORN).
Sec. 201, Pg. 72, Lines 8-14 - Government is creating an HC Exchange to bring private plans under government control.
Sec. 203, Pg. 84 - Government mandates ALL benefit packages for private Health Care plans in the exchange.
Sec. 203, Pg. 85, Line 7 - Specifications of benefit levels for plans means that the government will define your HC plan and has the ability to ration your health care!
Sec. 205, Pg. 95, Lines 8-18 - The government will use groups (i.e., ACORN & AmeriCorps) to “inform and educate” (sign up) individuals for government plan.
Sec. 205, Pg. 102, Lines 12-18 - Medicaid-eligible individuals will be automatically enrolled in Medicaid. No freedom to choose.
Sec. 223, Pg. 124, Lines 24-25 - No company can sue the government for price-fixing. No “administrative of judicial review” against a government monopoly.
Sec. 225, Pg. 127, Lines 1-16 - Doctors – the government will tell YOU what you can make. “The Secretary shall provide for the annual participation of physicians under the public health insurance option, for which payment may be made for services furnished during the year.”
Sec. 312, Pg. 145, Lines 15-17 - Employers MUST auto-enroll employees into public option plan.
Sec. 313, Pg. 149, Lines 16-23 - ANY employer with payroll $400,000 and above who does not provide public option pays 8% tax on all payroll.
Sec. 313, Pg. 150, Lines 9-13 - Businesses with payroll between $251,000 and $400,000 who do not provide public option pay 2-6% tax on all payroll.
Sec. 401.59B, Pg. 167, Lines 18-23 - ANY individual who does not have acceptable care, according to government, will be taxed 2.5% of income.
Sec. 59B, Pg. 170, Line 1 - Any NONRESIDENT alien is exempt from individual taxes. (Americans will pay for their health care.)
Sec. 431, Pg. 195, Lines 1-3 - Officers and employees of HC Administration (government) will have access to ALL Americans’ financial and personal records.
Sec. 441, Pg. 203, Lines 14-15 - “The tax imposed under this section shall not be treated as tax.” Yes, it says that.
Sec. 1121, Pg. 239, Lines 14-24 - The government will limit and reduce physician services for Medicaid. Seniors, low income and poor are the ones affected.
Sec. 1121, Pg. 241, Lines 6-8 - Doctors, it does not matter what specialty you have; you’ll all be paid the same. “Service categories established under this paragraph shall apply without regard to the specialty of the physician furnishing the service.”
Sec. 1122, Pg. 253, Lines 10-23 - The government “validates work relative value units” (sets value of doctor’s time), professional judgment, methods etc. (defining the value of humans).
Sec. 1131, Pg. 265 - Government mandates and controls productivity for private HC industries. “Incorporating Productivity Improvements into Market Basket Updates that Do Not Already Incorporate Such Improvements.”
Sec. 1141, Pg. 268 - The government regulates rental and purchase of power-driven wheelchairs.
Sec. 1145, Pg. 272 - Treatment of certain cancer hospitals: Cancer patients and their treatment are open to rationing!
Sec. 1151, Pg. 280 - The government will penalize hospitals for what government deems preventable readmissions (incentives for hospital to not treat and release).
Sec. 1151, Pg. 298, Lines 9-11 - Doctors, treat a patient during initial admission that results in a readmission and the government will penalize you for that action.
Sec. 1156, Pg. 317, Lines 13-20 - “PROHIBITION on physician ownership or Investment.” Government tells doctors what/how much they can own.
Sec. 1156, Pg. 317-318, Lines 21-25, 1-3 - “PROHIBITION on Expansion of Facility Capacity.” The government will mandate that hospitals cannot expand (“number of operating rooms or beds”).
Sec. 1156, Pg. 321, Lines 2-13 - Hospitals have opportunity to apply for exception BUT community input required.
Sec. 1162, Pg. 335-339, Lines 16-25 - The government mandates establishment of outcome-based measures. Rationing.
Sec. 1162, Pg. 341, Lines 3-9 - The government has authority to disqualify Medicare Advantage Plans (Part B), HMOs, etc. This will force people into a government plan. “The Secretary may determine not to identify a Medicare Advantage plan if the Secretary has identified deficiencies in the plan’s compliance with rules for such plans under this part.”
Sec. 1177, Pg. 354 - Government will RESTRICT enrollment of special needs people! “Extension of Authority of Special Needs Plans to Restrict Enrollment.”
Sec. 1191, Pg. 379 - Government creates more bureaucracy – “Telehealth Advisory Committee.” HC by phone or the Internet – dial 1 for your health care advice?
Sec. 1233, Pg. 425, Lines 4-12 - Government mandates Advance (Death) Care Planning consultation. Think Senior Citizens and end of life. END-OF-LIFE COUNSELING. SOME IN THE ADMINISTRATION HAVE ALREADY DISCUSSED RATIONING HEALTH CARE FOR THE ELDERLY.
Sec. 1233, Pg. 425, Lines 17-19 - Government WILL instruct and consult regarding living wills and durable powers of attorney. Mandatory end-of-life planning!
Sec. 1233, Pg. 425-426, Lines 22-25, 1-3 - Government provides approved list of end-of-life resources, guiding you in death.
Sec. 1233, Pg. 427, Lines 15-24 - Government mandates program for orders for life-sustaining treatment (i.e. end of life). The government has a say in how your life ends.
Sec. 1233, Pg. 429, Lines 1-9 - An “advanced care planning consult” will be used as patient’s health deteriorates.
Sec. 1233, Pg. 429, Lines 10-12 - “Advanced Care Consultation” may include an ORDER for end-of-life plans - from the government.
Sec. 1233, Pg. 429, Lines 13-25 - The government will specify which Doctors (professional authority under state law includes Nurse Practitioners or Physician’s Assistants) can write an end-of-life order.
Sec. 1233, Pg. 430, Lines 11-15 - The government will decide what level of treatment you will have at end of life, according to preset methods (not individually decided).
Sec. 1302, Pg. 468, Lines 16-21 - “Community-Based Home Medical Services means a nonprofit community-based or state-based organization.”
Sec. 1302, Pg. 472, Lines 14-17 - PAYMENT TO COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATION: One monthly payment to a community-based organization. Like ACORN?
Sec. 1308, Pg. 489 - The government will cover Marriage and Family therapy. This will involve government control of your marriage.
Sec. 1308, Pg. 494-498 - The government will cover Mental Health Services including defining, creating and rationing those services.
Sec. 1401, Pg. 502 - Center for Comparative Effectiveness Research Established. Big Brother is watching how your treatment works.
Sec. 1401, Pg. 503, Lines 13-19 - The government will build registries and data networks from YOUR electronic medical records. “The Center may secure directly from any department or agency of the United States information necessary to enable it to carry out this section.”
Sec. 1401, Pg. 503, Lines 21-25 - The government may secure data directly from any department or agency of the US, including your data.
Sec. 1401, Pg. 503, Lines 21-25 - The “Center” will collect data both “published and unpublished” (that means public & your private information).
Sec. 1401, Pg. 506, Lines 19-21 - An “Appointed Clinical Perspective Advisory Panel” will advise The Center and recommend policies that would allow for public access of data.
Sec. 1401, Pg. 518, Lines 21-25 - The Commission will have input from HC consumer representatives.
Sec. 1411, Pg. 524, Lines 18-22 - Establishes the “Comparative Effectiveness Research Trust Fund.” More taxes for ALL.
Sec. 1441, Pg. 621, Lines 20-25 - The government will define “NEW Quality” measures in HC. Since when does government know about quality?
Sec. 1442, Pg. 622, Lines 2-9 - To pay for the Quality Standards, government will transfer money from “qualified entities” (government Trust Funds) to other government Trust Funds. More Taxes.
Sec. 1442, Pg. 624, Lines 19-23 - Qualified Entities: “The Secretary shall ensure that the entity is a public, nonprofit or academic institution with technical expertise in the area of health quality measurement.”
Sec. 1442, Pg. 623, Lines 5-10 - “Quality” measures shall be designed to assess outcomes and functional status of patients.
Sec. 1442, Pg. 623, Lines 15-17 - “Quality” measures shall be designed to profile you, including race, age, gender, place of residence, etc.
Sec. 1443, Pg. 628 - The government will give “Multi-Stake Holders” pre-rulemaking input into selection of “quality” measures.
Sec. 1443, Pg. 630-31, Lines 9-24, 1-9 - Those Multi-Stake Holder groups include unions and groups like ACORN deciding what constitutes quality.
Sec. 1444, Pg. 632, Lines 14-25 - The government may implement any “Quality measure” of HC services that bureaucrats see fit.
Sec. 1444, Pg. 632-333, Lines 14-25, 1-9 - The Secretary may issue nonendorsed “Quality Measures” for physician and dialysis services.
Sec. 1251 (beginning), Pg. 634 to 652 - “Physician Payments Sunshine Provision” – government wants to shine sunlight on Doctors but not government. “Reports on financial relationships between manufacturers and distributors . . . and between physicians and other health care entities.”
Sec. 1501 (beginning), Pg. 659-670 - Doctors in Residency – government will tell you where your residency will be, thus where you’ll live.
Sec. 1503 (beginning), Pg. 675-685 - Government will regulate hospitals in EVERY aspect of residency programs, including teaching hospitals.
Sec. 1601 (beginning), Pg. 685-699 - Increased funding to fight waste, fraud, and abuse. (Like the government with an $18 million website?)
Sec. 1619, Pg. 700-703 - If your part of HC plan isn’t in the government’s HC Exchange but you qualify for federal aid, you don’t have to pay.
Sec. 1128G, Pg. 704-708 - If the Secretary determines there is a “significant risk of fraudulent activity,” on HC provider or supplier, the government can do a background check.
Sec. 1632, Pg. 710, Lines 8-14 - The Secretary has broad powers to deny HC providers and suppliers admittance into HC Exchange. Your doctor could be thrown out of business.
Sec. 1637, Pg. 718-719 - ANY Doctor who orders durable medical equipment or home medical services is REQUIRED to be enrolled in, or eligible for, Medicare.
Sec. 1639, Pg. 721 - Government MANDATES that Doctors must have face-to-face with patient to certify patient for home health services.
Sec. 1639, Pg. 723-24, Lines 23-25, 1-5 - The same government certifications will apply to Medicaid and CHIP (Children’s health plan: Your kids).
Sec. 1640, Pg. 723, Lines 16-22 - The government reserves right to apply face-to-face certification for patient to ANY other HC service.
Sec. 1651, Pg. 734, Lines 16-25 - Proposes, for law enforcement sake, that the Secretary of HHS will give Attorney General access to ALL medical data.
Sec. 1701 (beginning), Pg. 739-756 - The government sets guidelines for subsidizing the uninsured (and you have to pay for them).
Sec. 1704, Pg. 756-761 - The government will shift burden of payments to Disproportionate Share Hospitals (DSH) to states (your taxes).
Sec. 1711, Pg. 764 - The government will require preventative services - including vaccinations (no choice).
Sec. 1713, Pg. 768 - Government-determined Nurse Home Visitation Services (Hello union paybacks).
Sec. 1713, Pg. 768, Lines 3-5 - Nurse Home Visit Services – Service #1: “Improving maternal or child health and pregnancy outcomes or increasing birth intervals between pregnancies.” Compulsory ABORTIONS?
Sec. 1713, Pg. 768, Lines 11-14 - Nurse Home Visit Services include determinations of economic self-sufficiency, employment advancement and school-readiness.
Sec. 1714, Pg. 769 - Federal government mandates eligibility for State Family Planning Services. Abortion and government control intertwined.
Sec. 1733, Pg. 788-798 - Government will set and mandate drug prices, therefore controlling which drugs are brought to market. (Goodbye innovation and private research.)
Sec. 1744, Pg. 796-799 - Establishes PAYMENTS for graduate medical education. The government will now control your doctor’s education.
Sec.1751, Pg. 800 - The government will decide which Health Care conditions will be paid. Say “RATION!”
Sec. 1759, Pg. 809 - Billing Agents, clearinghouses, or other alternate payees are required to register. The government takes over private payment systems too.
Sec. 1801, Pg. 819-823 - The Government will identify individuals “likely to be ineligible” for subsidies. Will access all personal financial information.
Sec. 1802, Pg. 823-828 - Government sets up Comparative Effectiveness Research Trust Fund. Another bottomless tax pit.
Sec. 4375, Pg. 828-832, Lines 12-16 - Government will impose a fee on ALL private health insurance plans, including self-insured, to pay for Trust Fund!
Sec. 4377, Pg. 835, Lines 11-13 - Fees imposed by government for Trust Fund shall be treated as if they were taxes.
Sec. 440, Pg. 837-839 - The government will design and implement Home Visitation Program for families with young kids and families that are expecting children.
Sec. 1904, Pg. 843-844 - This Home Visitation Program includes the government coming into your house and teaching/telling you how to parent!
Sec. 2002, Pg. 858 - The government will establish a Public Health Fund at a cost of $88,800,000,000 (That’s Billions).
Sec. 2201, Pg. 864 - The government will MANDATE the establishment of a National Health Service Corps.
• Sec. 2201 - “Fulfillment of Obligated Service Requirement”
• Sec. 2201, Pg. 864-875 - The NHS Corps is a program where Doctors perform mandatory HC for 2 years for partial loan repayment.
Sec. 2212, Pg. 875-891 - The government takes over the education of Medical students and Doctors through education and loans.
Sec. 340L, Pg. 897 - The government will establish a Public Health Workforce Corps to ensure an adequate supply of public health professionals.
Sec. 340L, Pg. 897 - The Public Health Workforce Corps shall consist of civilian employees of the United States as Secretary deems necessary.
Sec. 340L, Pg. 897 - The Public Health Workforce Corps shall consist of officers of Regular and Reserve Corps of Service.
Sec. 340M, Pg. 899 - The Public Health Workforce Corps includes veterinarians. Will animals have heath care too?
Sec. 2233, Pg. 909 - The government will develop, build and run Public Health Training Centers.
Sec. 2241, Pg. 912-913 - Government starts a HC affirmative action program under the guise of diversity scholarships.
Sec. 2251, Pg. 915 - Government MANDATES cultural and linguistic competency training for HC professionals.
Sec. 3111, Pg. 931 - The government will establish a Preventative and Wellness Trust fund, with initial cost of $30,800,000,000 (Billions more).
Sec. 3121, Pg. 934, Lines 21-22 - Government will identify specific goals and objectives for prevention and wellness activities. More control of your life.
Sec. 3121, Pg. 935, Lines 1-2 - The government will develop “Healthy People & National Public Health Performance Standards.” They will tell us what to eat?
Sec. 3131, Pg. 942, Lines 22-25 - “Task Force on Community Preventive Services.” More government? Under the Offices of Surgeon General, Public Health Services, Minority Health and Women’s Health.
Sec. 3141, Pg. 949-979 - BIG GOVERNMENT core public health infrastructure includes workforce capacity, lab systems, health information systems, etc.
Sec. 2511, Pg. 992 - Government will establish school-based “health” clinics. Your children will be indoctrinated and your grandchildren may be aborted!
Sec. 399Z-1, Pg. 993 - School-Based Health Clinics will be integrated into the school environment. More government brainwashing in school.
Sec. 2521, Pg. 1000 - The government will establish a National Medical Device Registry. Will you be tracked?
I’ve been asked to speak about health care today because I am the parent of a child with special medical needs and I also spent a decade living in Canada under their single payer health care system. That does not make me an expert on either sick children or Canada, but it does give me a little bit of a different perspective.
For those of you who know what it is like to have thousands of dollars worth of medical bills to pay, I’ve been down that road. For those of you who’ve had to fight with the insurance company for payment, I’ve been there too. Those things shouldn’t happen. We also purchase supplemental insurance through a special Medicaid program designed for children with pre-existing conditions. Just a couple weeks before the massive health care bill passed Congress, I received a letter from the state that said that our Medicaid premiums would be increasing and our coverage would be decreasing due to state budget deficits – all while Congress was planning a way to mandate that the state expand and increase the Medicaid program! Where is the money coming from??
Did you know that almost half of all health care spending in this country is already spent by the state and federal governments? And that was before this health care bill passed!
While there are weaknesses in our system, there are also great strengths. We enjoy a quality of care in this country that is unrivaled. I have never once been told that my son would not be able to receive treatment; we have never been denied coverage for a major necessity, and we have always received excellent care from all of his providers. (And in the one case we did not receive excellent care from a physician, it only took a single phone call to find another specialist to take his case.)
Having lived in Canada for a decade, and with most of my family still living there, I can say that there are also advantages to a single payer system – most notably, there is equality of care. You are not financially penalized if you get sick and obviously that is a good thing. The problem is, the equality is an equality of mediocrity – everyone gets care, but no one gets very good care. The simple fact is that everyone in Canada waits for service. One of my relatives is currently suffering from a very uncomfortable and embarrassing condition and was just told she would have to wait a year to see an urologist – just for a consultation, then you wait for testing, then more waiting for treatment. Once you are diagnosed and have a specialist that will advocate for you, then the quality of care is fairly good. But you have to survive until that point. Not everyone does.
I was just visiting Ontario this past weekend and my in-laws shared a letter they received from a fellow church member. I want to read a couple excerpts from it for you. Keep in mind that this person wrote this to family and friends and probably has never heard of the tea parties. This is just an average Canadian commenting on her experiences to her acquaintances: “As some of you know, over the past year, I have been dealing with some serious but unexplained health issues. The doctor quickly narrowed the cause to a neurological one and we began the long and sometimes frustrating wait for diagnostic tests and specialists. In February, we paid out of pocket to have some testing sent to a specialized testing facility in the US. We got those results today and they were overwhelmingly positive for Lyme Disease. Keep in mind that I have been negative month after month according to Canadian standards for testing. We are grateful for my specialist who has the guts to buck the system that he knows is inadequate and to treat by symptoms alone. He is putting his career on the line for what he knows is best for his patients. Proper diagnosis and treatment of Lyme Disease is challenging at best in Canada.” Doctor are forced to fight the system instead of use it for their patient’s advantage.
And there is a chronic shortage of doctors. One of my Canadian friends noted on facebook yesterday that they had finally gotten a new family doctor. One of the comments under her post from another Canadian read “Consider yourself lucky. We are not allowed to look for a new one if we already have one because there are more than 20,000 in this area without a family doctor.”
One of the most detrimental effects of government intrusion is the loss of personal freedom. Here’s an example: My brother and his wife have a child with a genetic condition that they were told was hereditary. It is a manageable condition which can actually be treated early in a pregnancy but it requires intensive and expensive life-long care. They were told that because of the high cost of pre-natal testing and treatment, if they wanted to have another child, they would first have to seek government pre-approval for the pregnancy. Can you think of anything more intrusive than requiring government pre-approval for a pregnancy?!
One of the most alarming things for me as the parent of a disabled child, is the potential for human life to be devalued. In an interview with National Review before the health care vote, Bart Stupak quoted some of his fellow Democrats as saying “If you pass the Stupak amendment, more children will be born, and therefore it will cost us millions more. That’s one of the arguments I’ve been hearing. Money is their hang-up. Is this how we now value life in America?” Well, my son has rung up nearly half a million dollars in health care bills since his birth. Who is to say that his life is not worth that amount? How much is it worth?
I mentioned the Medicaid cuts the state of Michigan is making but that happens all the time in Canada. When the province has a budget shortfall, hospital beds are shut down, surgeries cancelled, nurses hours are cut, and medical equipment purchases are delayed. No matter how well meaning the policy maker or bureaucrat, that is simply the reality. And it is a reality that my child’s life may depend upon – and so may yours.
So what do we do about all this? First of all, we MUST repeal the health care bill. It is a disaster. While there are a few elements in the bill that make sense – like allowing small businesses to purchase insurance as a group – there are many, many more heavy-handed, expensive, and downright ridiculous provisions. 1. Mandating employers to either offer insurance or pay a fine could very well result in higher unemployment as employers are unable to meet the financial demands of either requirement.
2. Forcing more people onto Medicaid or Medicare– which only reimburses doctors one half of what private insurance does – will result in fewer doctors and longer waits for service. 3. Refusing to allow conscience protections for Christian health care workers who cannot be part of abortions or birth control is just wrong. 4. The estimated $2.4 trillion cost to our already severely debt-burdened country is outrageous. 5. The time, expense and legal necessity involved in trying to figure out what this bill actually says is wasteful. 6. The disregard shown for our constitutional rule of law throughout the process is unforgivable. And that is just the beginning - we MUST start over.
President Obama said in an interview with Brett Baier “Either you vote for this bill or you vote for the status quo.” Nothing could be further from the truth. There are those of us who want health care reform – but we want it to be reform that is respectful of individual liberty, individual choices, and retains the exceptional quality that we currently enjoy.
I happen to believe that my employer has no more business negotiating my health insurance policy than does the federal government. If I can chose and own my auto insurance, homeowners insurance and life insurance, then why shouldn’t I be able to chose my own health insurance – and receive the tax benefit for it as well? Why can’t we have tort reform like that enacted by the state of California that limits punitive damages? Why can’t we have competition between insurance companies across state borders? Allowing interstate competition is actually one of the powers specifically enumerated to the federal government by the constitution. Why can’t states set up high risk pools to protect individuals with pre-existing conditions? That would be in accordance with the Tenth Amendment. Why can’t we fix the wrongs in our system without ruining what is right in it?
Let me just add a couple thoughts. I have travelled to other countries and I have seen first hand what passes for health care in other parts of the world – in the slums of Bogota and the rural villages of Africa - and I want to remind you to be grateful. Whatever the problems in our health care system, we are blessed beyond measure to enjoy benefits that most people around the world could never even imagine. Our calls for reform should always be tempered with thankfulness.
Secondly, we must take care of one another. When the Good Samaritan saw the injured man lying on the road, he didn’t head out to call for the local government official. Instead, he got down in the dirt on his hands and knees and took care of the man. Then he paid the medical expenses out of his own pocket with no expectation of reimbursement – or even a tax credit! We need to be generous people. We can do that by supporting the charities in this area that care for the uninsured or the under-insured. We can do that by offering a helping hand to a needy neighbor, organizing a fundraiser for someone with medical bills, advocating for a sick family member, etc. We need to have a vision for a community that is so generous, that takes care of its members so well, that the there is no need for the government to do anything.
Real reform will take courage, conviction, and an iron will. Real reform starts with you.
Health Care Freedom Act
The following letter was sent from Grover Norquist to Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC) today. The pdf version can be read here:
Congratulations on your introduction of the “Health Care Freedom Act” this week. This will likely be the best free-market alternative to government health care offered this Congress, and I would encourage all senators to co-sponsor this excellent legislation.
The Health Care Freedom Act raises taxes on no one, and cuts taxes for millions of Americans. While leaving all current tax relief related to health insurance alone, it creates a new tax credit for individuals to purchase health insurance on their own. Individuals not covered by an employer, government, or other third party health insurance plan could use an advanceable and refundable tax credit of $5000 ($2000 single) to offset health costs. In addition, health savings account (HSA) dollars would be eligible to be used to purchase health insurance premiums.
The Health Care Freedom Act gives all Americans the tools they need to purchase health insurance as empowered consumers with options. Families would be free to purchase health insurance offered in any state, not just the one in which they reside (which they are limited to under current law). States would be block-granted money to create viable insurance options for those with pre-existing conditions. The cost of care will be kept low by putting a hard cap on non-economic damages in medical malpractice lawsuits. Finally, the price of health care services for the first time will be made available to any patient wanting to shop around for the best care.
The Health Care Freedom Act represents a bold new vision of free market health reform. It would ensure 22.5 million Americans who currently lack insurance. Its tax cuts are fully-offset with spending restraint, so it won’t create new government debt.
Amendment II to the Constitution of the United States:
A well regarded Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State,
the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.
"When governments fear people, there is liberty.
When the people fear the government, there is tyranny."
—Thomas Jefferson
"The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government."
—Thomas Jefferson
On Sunday, April 19, NRA's executive vice president Wayne LaPierre appeared on CBS' Face the Nation. Wayne stressed that enforcing existing laws was the answer to curbing gun crime, and not enacting failed methods such as renewing the Clinton semi-automatic gun ban proposed by gun control advocates like Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell. Please take a moment to view this segment below.
Concerning the Blair-Holt proposed legislation: Senate Bill SB-2099 will require us to put on our 2009 1040 federal tax form all guns that you have or own. It may require fingerprints and a tax of $50 per gun.
In November, Obama promised he was not going after our Second Amendment rights. This bill was introduced on Feb. 24. This bill will become public knowledge 30 days after it is voted into law. This is an amendment to the Internal Revenue Act of 1986. This means that the Finance Committee can pass this without the Senate voting on it at all.
The full text of the proposed amendment is on the U.S. Senate homepage, http://www.senate.gov/ You can find the bill by doing a search by the bill number, SB-2099.
You know who to call; I strongly suggest you do. Please alert every gun owner you know. http://www.opencongress.org/bill/111-h45/text
Congress is now starting on the firearms confiscation bill. If it passes, gun owners will become criminals if you don't fully comply. It has started.
Very Important for you to be aware of a new bill HR 45 introduced into the House. This is the Blair Holt Firearm Licensing & Record of Sale Act of 2009.
Even gun shop owners didn't know about this because the government is trying to fly it under the radar. To find out about this - go to any government website and type in HR 45 > or
Google HR 45 Blair Holt Firearm Licensing & Record of Sales Act of 2009. You will get all the information.
Basically this would make it illegal to own a firearm - any rifle with a clip or ANY pistol unless: It is registered -You must be fingerprinted. You must supply a current Drivers License You must supply your Social Security # And you will submit to a physical & mental evaluation at any time of their choosing.
Each update change of ownership through private or public sale
must be reported and costs $25 - Failure to do so you automatically lose the right to own a firearm and are subject up to a year in jail.
There is a child provision clause on page 16 section 305 stating a child-access provision. Gun must be locked and inaccessible to any child under 18. They would have the right to come and inspect that you are storing your gun safely away from accessibility to children and fine is punishable for up to 5 yrs. in prison.
Please tell EVERYONE you know,
whether you support the Right to Bear Arms or not. YOUR rights are next. Government is taking away our right to choose, as well as the right to defend ourselves from intruders.
Grassroots Movement behind Effort to Ensure Parents’ Rights to Raise their Children
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE / July 27, 2009 / Washington, D.C. – A Constitutional Amendment to protect the parent-child relationship introduced by U.S. Rep. Pete Hoekstra, R-Michigan, has reached 110 co-sponsors in the House.
"More and more members of Congress are recognizing the threat from government and foreign interference into the parent-child relationship," Hoekstra said. "I encourage my colleagues to support the initiative by co-sponsoring the Parents’ Rights Amendment."
The Parental Rights Amendment (H.J.Res.42) would state explicitly in the U.S. Constitution that parents have a fundamental right to raise their children as they see fit, while protecting against abuse and neglect. Threats to the parent-child relationship include potential Senate ratification of the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child and the erosion of fundamental parental rights in our federal courts.
"Just about every member of Congress agrees with the legal principle that parents have the fundamental right to make decisions for the upbringing of their children," said Michael Farris, J.D., president of Parentalrights.org. "Because of international law and shifting judicial philosophies, the right is being steadily undermined. We now have 110 members of Congress with the foresight to say that we need to protect this long-standing right before the erosion goes too far. We appreciate the leadership of Pete Hoekstra and the 109 other members of Congress who believe that it is important to secure the rights of American families for generations to come."
More information on the Parental Rights Amendment can be viewed here.
More Good News!
In addition, we also received word that Senator Coburn of Oklahoma has signed on as a cosponsor of S.J. Res. 16, the Parental Rights Amendment in the Senate. This brings our total in the Senate to three (3) - a slow but important start.
While there is no way to track the direct effects of your calls and emails and our visits last week, it is safe to assume that at least some of these cosponsors would not have signed on before the summer break without this contact. When we visited Congress last week, everyone we spoke to was already aware of the Amendment - a major change from just four months ago! Our thanks and congratulations to you for your efforts to bring this vital issue to the attention of your Senators and Congressmen. With help like yours, we will win!
We are overwhelmed with the tremendous amount of support and positive feedback from our local community. Thank you for your kind words! Below are emails sent to us from the Hudsonville TEA Party participants.
"Thank You. And a Job Well Done!!!!" —Scott F.
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"Just a note of congratulations is being sent your way for having the tea
party yesterday. Don't let this movement stop, let me know if you have
another one, I thoroughly enjoyed yesterday's." —Carole C.,
Rockford
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"Greetings,
Being a Jenison resident I found it easier to attend the Hudsonville Tea
Party today, which I did with initial reservation. I didn't know what to expect,
attendance wise nor the content of the program.
My expectations were shattered when instead of a handful, I saw hundreds upon
hundreds of fellow citizens turn out in unity to show unity against unaccountable
spending by our servants in Washington.
Organizing rallies is a thankless job at best, so allow me to express my
appreciation to all the organizers for their time and effort and to the speakers for
their inspiring words.
If you have a mailing list with which to spread news of upcoming events, please add
my email address as follows. Thank you." —Al M.
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"Tyler-
You did a fantastic job this morning! I never imagined there would be
so many people! I was hoping to say hello to you, but you were pretty
busy. Tell Kurt and Margaret I said hi and have yourself a great week!
See you at next year's TEA party and if I can help out in anyway,
please don't hesitate to call. Again, great job!" —Shawne B.
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"I just returned from the Hudsonville Tea Party... what a great event! People were
respectful and the speakers were shared honestly.
Each of you put a lot of time and energy into organizing this event, and we
appreciate it SO MUCH! Now we just have to keep the ball rolling! There were too
many concerned taxpayers there to let this die! We need to make our representative
answer to us once again!
Please let us know how and what we can do to help in the future!
We are a team of four not bound by a political party but by a common pursuit of life, liberty,
and the pursuit of happiness. We represent the hard-working taxpayer who wants
lower taxes and limited government. We're committed to and hold in high regard our
founding fathers' dream of one nation under God. We do not endorse any political candidate
but rather hold the ones elected accountable using our Constitution as a measuring tool.
To think, Hudsonville TEA Party started with four concerned Americans and
strangers to each other with one common goal...imagine what a nation of
like-minded individuals can do to shake up Washington!
"Don't ever underestimate the power of the individual!"
If you would like to help with future events, please email us!
We're interested to hear from you! If you would like to help with future events
or to be notified of future rallies, please enter your information below.
NOTE: You will be added to our safe and secure database.
We will not distribute or sell your information to any third party without your permission.
If you would like to send an email directly to us, please click here. Thank you!
If you would like to volunteer your time and/or services for our next event,
please fill in the form below and we will notify you during our planning phase.
Thank you for your interest and willingness to help!
NOTE: You will be added to our safe and secure database.
We will not distribute or sell your information to any third party without your permission.
