Just spent 20 hours at the Baltimore Amtrak station. Apparently some storms in the Washington DC area knocked out power. I was actually on my way to Washington when this happened. I spent four hours sitting onthe train before the train was discharged and we stayed in the station. Worst part was the lack of communication. Amtrak kept us very informed at first. They expected power back around 9 in the morning. That changed to noon. Then 3 in the afternoon. Then we got no updates. By 1 in the afternoon I heard there was still no power in DC so I decided to go back. I paid for a ticket to go from Baltimore to Philadelphia. I will try and get a refund on my original ticket and change my return trip as well.
Amtrak still my mode of travel
Saturday, June 30, 2012
Thursday, June 28, 2012
The United States Supreme Court today upheld most of the Affordable Care Act and while I think the Individual Mandate is bad news I have to say I am happy. Republicans, as expected are vowing to repeal "Obamacare" piece by piece and Mitt Romney is vowing to start action against the law as soon as he gets elected.
The Individual Mandate states that people without insurance would get fined about 1% of their income starting in 2014 and that number rises in 2016. If a person can't afford health insurance now what makes the government think the same person can afford the fine?
And as far as republican whining goes, almost two years ago when President Obama inrtoduced the Affordable Healthcare Act republicans all voted against it and offerend no alternative. While I dont think Obama's plan was the best at least he had one. Republicans were acting as if there were no problems. To me if 30% of the people have a problem you need to address it. Nearly half of US citizen admit tio needing a reform to healthcare the way it is.
I am anxiously awaiting the next phase and to see if the Obama Administration will come up with a way for us to affors this new plan.
The Individual Mandate states that people without insurance would get fined about 1% of their income starting in 2014 and that number rises in 2016. If a person can't afford health insurance now what makes the government think the same person can afford the fine?
And as far as republican whining goes, almost two years ago when President Obama inrtoduced the Affordable Healthcare Act republicans all voted against it and offerend no alternative. While I dont think Obama's plan was the best at least he had one. Republicans were acting as if there were no problems. To me if 30% of the people have a problem you need to address it. Nearly half of US citizen admit tio needing a reform to healthcare the way it is.
I am anxiously awaiting the next phase and to see if the Obama Administration will come up with a way for us to affors this new plan.
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
from www.guardian.co.uk
Here is the text version of the story:
If not Obamacare, what healthcare reform do Americans actually want?
written by Harry J Enten
As we await the supreme court's ruling, we're routinely told that Obamacare is unpopular. But that masks a more complex picture
In 2006, then Governor Mitt Romney signed into law a healthcare reform bill that made Massachusetts the first state in the nation to have an 'individual mandate' requiring all citizens to have health insurance. Photograph: Joe Raedle/Getty Images
The US supreme court will decide on Thursday whether or not to uphold fully, uphold partially, or reject the healthcare bill passed by Congress and signed by President Obama in 2010. Much has been made of public opinion polls showing that the majority of Americans oppose the bill.
But can these polls be trusted? What do Americans really believe on the issue of healthcare?
Most Americans may not like Obamacare as a whole, but they seem to like it as long as it doesn't include the mandate. Only 34% of respondents in the CBS poll approved of Obamacare as a whole, but 51% either wanted the bill kept intact or only wanted the mandate eliminated. A Fox News poll similarly discovered that only 40% of Americans favored the healthcare bill as a whole, but 51%, again, wanted to keep either the whole law or most of the law minus the mandate.
You might believe that those opposed to Obama's Affordable Care Act are against it because it goes too far, but an examination of those opposed to his healthcare reform law reveals a more complex picture: 43% of Americans favored Obama's healthcare bill in a recent CNN/ORC poll, while 51% opposed it. Yet, only 34% of the general population opposes Obamacare because it goes too far; 13% of Americans asked actually oppose it because it is too timid. When you combine those who oppose it for not going far enough with those who favor it, a majority, 56%, actually wants Obama's healthcare bill or something more far-reaching. Similar findings have been made in polls done by CBS, Kaiser, and Reuters/Ipsos.
A look at the individual policies besides the mandate also tends to find broad support for Obamacare. In fact, the Kaiser tracking poll has found majority approval for almost all provisions in Obamacare aside from the mandate: from prohibiting health insurance companies from charging older people more than younger people for insurance, to closing the so-called "dougnut gap" that requires seniors to pay the full cost of their medication, the individual components of Obamacare are more popular than the whole.
The Kaiser tracking poll has, for instance, continuously found majority favorability, 60% in their latest poll, for a ban on health insurance companies being able to deny insurance based on past medical history. A late 2010 Marist poll determined that 68% of Americans wanted to keep the provision that allowed children to stay on their parents' healthcare plan until they were 26 years-old.
Still, there are reasons to be distinctly cautious about these polling results.
Many Americans probably don't understand the healthcare bill as well as many in the media might assume. Only 51% of adults in an April 2012 Kaiser poll responded that they had enough information to understand how the law would impact them personally. A March CBS poll gave pretty much the same result. How can Americans judge a healthcare law that will make a difference in lives, if they don't comprehend how it will?
Even when you broaden it out to the healthcare law as whole (without taking into account its personal impact), only 18% of Americans in a Pew poll felt they understood the law very well, while 31% said not too well or not very well at all. Who is to say, then, that Americans' opinions wouldn't change were they to gain a better grasp of what the law entails?
History also tells us that opinions on healthcare can change depending on the wording of the questions about the policy. Consider a March 2010 NBC/Wall Street Journal poll, for which the right-leaning Media Research Center took NBC to task. By a 12 percentage point margin, Americans said Obama's healthcare plan was a bad thing. Still, by a 1 percentage point margin, Americans felt the law should be passed. Which question is more telling? I'm not sure, to be honest. Both are getting at something similar, yet they offer very different results.
Jay Cost discovered the same phenomenon when he investigated support for the public option back in 2009. What's interesting is that when Americans were asked if they wanted a public option to "compete" with private insurance agencies, the vast majority of Americans supported that proposal. But whenever you use the word "government-run", instead of "compete", you were likely to find, at best, a 50:50 split or even a majority opposed to the public option.
I can only imagine what might happen to polling on the individual mandate if, instead of "mandate", respondents were asked: "Do you believe it is fair that American taxpayers have to foot the bill for those who refuse to pay for health insurance when they are young and only join a health insurance plan when they are old or sick?"
The truth is that healthcare reform is a very confusing and highly technical topic. Americans may support a policy presented in one form, but not in another. Americans may approve of certain individual policies of Obamacare right now, but may not once a strenuous debate takes place. For many, Obamacare remains for the most part an abstraction, which they find hard to judge without having directly felt the effect of several key measures, such as the individual mandate.
In Massachusetts, where the "Romneycare" healthcare bill has been law for more than five years, residents now approve it by a 62% to 33% margin. Likewise, they may actually like Obama's strikingly similar healthcare reform – if they ever get to experience it. But that has become a big "if", pending the supreme court's Thursday ruling.
But can these polls be trusted? What do Americans really believe on the issue of healthcare?
Most Americans may not like Obamacare as a whole, but they seem to like it as long as it doesn't include the mandate. Only 34% of respondents in the CBS poll approved of Obamacare as a whole, but 51% either wanted the bill kept intact or only wanted the mandate eliminated. A Fox News poll similarly discovered that only 40% of Americans favored the healthcare bill as a whole, but 51%, again, wanted to keep either the whole law or most of the law minus the mandate.
You might believe that those opposed to Obama's Affordable Care Act are against it because it goes too far, but an examination of those opposed to his healthcare reform law reveals a more complex picture: 43% of Americans favored Obama's healthcare bill in a recent CNN/ORC poll, while 51% opposed it. Yet, only 34% of the general population opposes Obamacare because it goes too far; 13% of Americans asked actually oppose it because it is too timid. When you combine those who oppose it for not going far enough with those who favor it, a majority, 56%, actually wants Obama's healthcare bill or something more far-reaching. Similar findings have been made in polls done by CBS, Kaiser, and Reuters/Ipsos.
A look at the individual policies besides the mandate also tends to find broad support for Obamacare. In fact, the Kaiser tracking poll has found majority approval for almost all provisions in Obamacare aside from the mandate: from prohibiting health insurance companies from charging older people more than younger people for insurance, to closing the so-called "dougnut gap" that requires seniors to pay the full cost of their medication, the individual components of Obamacare are more popular than the whole.
The Kaiser tracking poll has, for instance, continuously found majority favorability, 60% in their latest poll, for a ban on health insurance companies being able to deny insurance based on past medical history. A late 2010 Marist poll determined that 68% of Americans wanted to keep the provision that allowed children to stay on their parents' healthcare plan until they were 26 years-old.
Still, there are reasons to be distinctly cautious about these polling results.
Many Americans probably don't understand the healthcare bill as well as many in the media might assume. Only 51% of adults in an April 2012 Kaiser poll responded that they had enough information to understand how the law would impact them personally. A March CBS poll gave pretty much the same result. How can Americans judge a healthcare law that will make a difference in lives, if they don't comprehend how it will?
Even when you broaden it out to the healthcare law as whole (without taking into account its personal impact), only 18% of Americans in a Pew poll felt they understood the law very well, while 31% said not too well or not very well at all. Who is to say, then, that Americans' opinions wouldn't change were they to gain a better grasp of what the law entails?
History also tells us that opinions on healthcare can change depending on the wording of the questions about the policy. Consider a March 2010 NBC/Wall Street Journal poll, for which the right-leaning Media Research Center took NBC to task. By a 12 percentage point margin, Americans said Obama's healthcare plan was a bad thing. Still, by a 1 percentage point margin, Americans felt the law should be passed. Which question is more telling? I'm not sure, to be honest. Both are getting at something similar, yet they offer very different results.
Jay Cost discovered the same phenomenon when he investigated support for the public option back in 2009. What's interesting is that when Americans were asked if they wanted a public option to "compete" with private insurance agencies, the vast majority of Americans supported that proposal. But whenever you use the word "government-run", instead of "compete", you were likely to find, at best, a 50:50 split or even a majority opposed to the public option.
I can only imagine what might happen to polling on the individual mandate if, instead of "mandate", respondents were asked: "Do you believe it is fair that American taxpayers have to foot the bill for those who refuse to pay for health insurance when they are young and only join a health insurance plan when they are old or sick?"
The truth is that healthcare reform is a very confusing and highly technical topic. Americans may support a policy presented in one form, but not in another. Americans may approve of certain individual policies of Obamacare right now, but may not once a strenuous debate takes place. For many, Obamacare remains for the most part an abstraction, which they find hard to judge without having directly felt the effect of several key measures, such as the individual mandate.
In Massachusetts, where the "Romneycare" healthcare bill has been law for more than five years, residents now approve it by a 62% to 33% margin. Likewise, they may actually like Obama's strikingly similar healthcare reform – if they ever get to experience it. But that has become a big "if", pending the supreme court's Thursday ruling.
courtesy of The Guardian
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/jun/26/obamacare-healthcare-reform-americans-want
After listening to the debate of "Obamacare" for over a year I have decided I am for it even though I do not particularly like the plan. Specifically I do not like the part about being fined for not having healthcare. That particular part I hope gets struck down by the Supreme Court. With that you are asking people who cannot pay for insurance to either choose between health insurance and food or rent or pay a fine you similarly cannot afford. At the same time though Republicans have yet to offer a counter plan to the president's. So the bottom line in my eyes is at least President Obama addressed the issue of healthcare reform.
After listening to the debate of "Obamacare" for over a year I have decided I am for it even though I do not particularly like the plan. Specifically I do not like the part about being fined for not having healthcare. That particular part I hope gets struck down by the Supreme Court. With that you are asking people who cannot pay for insurance to either choose between health insurance and food or rent or pay a fine you similarly cannot afford. At the same time though Republicans have yet to offer a counter plan to the president's. So the bottom line in my eyes is at least President Obama addressed the issue of healthcare reform.
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
SIDE BAR: more stop and frisk
The move to end stop and frisk is heating up and I am still on the fence on the issue.
On one hand I completely acknowledge the fact that the police have abused and misused their power in the past and especially when dealing with people of color. They will no doubt continue doing this and use the program to harass young Hispanics and Blacks in hopes of getting them in jail on some small charge.
At the same time I have to acknowledge the fact that violent crimes in my community are committed mostly by young people of color. Recently a young Black man in Harlem was shot and killed while playing a basketball game. There is obviously a need for some type of action.
One problem I continue to have is that opponents of stop and frisk are not doing enough to end violent crimes committed. Someone gets shot and the neighborhood is outraged. One or two people make interesting sound bytes about how the violence needs to end. Meantime the "no snitch" policy in our community prevents people from at least getting the criminals off the streets after they commit a violent crime.
So I remain "conflicted". In general stop and frisk does not effect me. In most cases cops are looking for someone a lot younger.
On the bright side my position has shifted more towards the left.
On one hand I completely acknowledge the fact that the police have abused and misused their power in the past and especially when dealing with people of color. They will no doubt continue doing this and use the program to harass young Hispanics and Blacks in hopes of getting them in jail on some small charge.
At the same time I have to acknowledge the fact that violent crimes in my community are committed mostly by young people of color. Recently a young Black man in Harlem was shot and killed while playing a basketball game. There is obviously a need for some type of action.
One problem I continue to have is that opponents of stop and frisk are not doing enough to end violent crimes committed. Someone gets shot and the neighborhood is outraged. One or two people make interesting sound bytes about how the violence needs to end. Meantime the "no snitch" policy in our community prevents people from at least getting the criminals off the streets after they commit a violent crime.
So I remain "conflicted". In general stop and frisk does not effect me. In most cases cops are looking for someone a lot younger.
On the bright side my position has shifted more towards the left.
Thursday, June 21, 2012
SIDEBAR: Family, friends remember causeway attacker as kind, caring - Miami-Dade - MiamiHerald.com
I know this is off topic for my blog and I know the crime Mr. Eugene is accused of committing is particularly heinous. However I am moved by both the victim and the accused. I sincerely pray that Ronald Poppo recovers and can live as normal of a life as possible. At the same time I really feel for the family of Rudy Eugene. While I hope they find out what caused this I pray for closure for the family
Family, friends remember causeway attacker as kind, caring - Miami-Dade - MiamiHerald.com
Family, friends remember causeway attacker as kind, caring - Miami-Dade - MiamiHerald.com
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
ON A PERSONAL NOTE: Mom's Eyes part 3
Spoke to Mom again last night. She was sleepy and waiting to let the new
girl out but overall she was feeling ok.
She took an aspirin because she said the eye felt a little sore at times
but not as bad as it did the previous day.
The eye wasn’t as cloudy according to her. I am of course monitoring everything. Everything seems to point towards either
cataracts or her sinuses. I am still hoping
that the cataracts can hold until I get there at least in September but preferably
in December. I need my cousin down there
for assistance. I will be frank; I am
not optimistic. I fully expect to talk
to her today and hear that the eye is giving her more trouble. I pray to God I am wrong but at her age
things don’t usually get too much better.
I do have to call the
Volusia Council for the Aged though.
They have a service that will have a person take her to the doctor and
wait with her then take her home. No I
am not fond of that because I haven’t met the person. However I don’t have much of a choice. My mother and my aunt do know people down
there but they are all older adults close to their age. They are not in a position to do much. To be honest I doubt if they would if they
were able. This is one of the reasons I
feel certain services should be government run.
People on their own generally do not want to be burdened with other
folks’ issues…but that’s another entry for another day.
The members of the church they attend are older or too young
or working folks. That never affects the
need a person may have though.
Getting old sucks
ON A PERSONAL NOTE: Mom’s eyes part 2
6/20
Feeling frustrated right about now. Spoke to Mom a few hours ago and she tells me
the eyes are still bothering her a bit.
Additionally the right eye is a little cloudy. I looked that up at Web MD and APPARENTLY the
problem could be the cataracts or it could be her sinuses. There are a few other possibilities but those
are the two best. Neither is good for
me right now. I really can’t afford to
go back out to Florida right now. It’s
extremely inconvenient for a lot of reasons.
I am really trying to rebuild my leave.
I am just getting settled again.
I think my last paycheck had to be the third at my regular pay. I need to build up funds. I am going to try and get one of two female
cousins to go down and assist if she has to have cataract surgery. At this point Mom would need another female
to help her anyway. I knew about the
cataract situation for a couple of years but ultimately I am hoping and praying
the eye surgery can be put off until December.
ON A PERSONAL NOTE: Mom's EYES
6/19
Don’t feel that well this morning. I did not get much sleep last night because I
am concerned about Mom. She complained
yesterday about a pain near her eye. She
said that when she turns her head she felt a pain behind her eye. The pain caused her to miss church.
My immediate concern is stroke. However when I looked her situation up on Wed
MD I found that after eliminating a few other problem her situation might be
brought on by her sinuses again even though she has not complained about them
recently.. None of the symptoms
indicated stroke though and she has not felt any tingling or weakness.
The situation has got me on alert though. It made me realize that I have to get a bag
ready in general in case I have to just run out there. I mean I am ready but not where I can just
grab and go. I also HAVE to call the
people I spoke with in Daytona in case she has to go to the doctor
quickly. That idea is hard because she
is not completely for the idea of a stranger helping out.
Monday, June 18, 2012
SIDEBAR: Voting for Obama
Very short and to the point this is one big reason I support President Barack Obama: He deserves a second term. I listen to republicans complain that Obama has no economic plan and that they are against Obama-care and the bottom line is:
1. The country is in a depression because of George W Bush
2. Obama-care might be bad but republicans had no counter-proposal
Furthermore I think it is best to vote Obama because:
1. Republicans seem to feel that it is perfectly ok to model their policies for only republicans. I need a president who wants to govern everyone and not just democrats. Liberals do not benefit from conservative values and vice-verse.
2. I believe that the wealthy should pay their fair share of taxes.
3. I want affordable health care for everyone
4. Not enough emphasis is being placed on social programs.
5. I am tired of gay marriage being a part of government debate
6. I sincerely feel that job makers are manipulating the system to make it appear that the president is failing.
7. I am tired of the republican belief that allows people to do whatever they want as long as you can make money
Friday, June 15, 2012
SIDEBAR:pervs
This morning it was anno0unced on the news about yet another accused of molesting a student. Today's announcement makes number 10 for the year. Like most people I feel there is no place for this in our schools. Anyone found guilty of inappropriately touching a child should go to prison. Any school employee found guilty of that should immediately lose their job and get twice the amount of prison time.
However I differ when it comes to the accusation.
It is too easy to accuse a person of sexual assault. Right now you can accuse a person of molestation and have their name all over the news whether they are guilty of the crime or not. The alleged victim's name is never released. I think there should be a law that acknowledges the privacy of both the victim and the accused. If the accused is convicted then the name should be released.
It is too easy for a disgruntled studied to make a false accusation regarding a teacher or staff person. A Virginia teacher a couple of years ago was exonerated of molestation charges and is still trying to clean up his reputation. The problem is you almost never get to clear your name. Once you win your case, clearing your name is hard.
In the latest case, a teacher from Harlem was accused of inappropriately touching an eight year old. His name is all over the papers. What if the girl was lying or made a mistake or lied because the instructor disciplined her for some reason?
However I differ when it comes to the accusation.
It is too easy to accuse a person of sexual assault. Right now you can accuse a person of molestation and have their name all over the news whether they are guilty of the crime or not. The alleged victim's name is never released. I think there should be a law that acknowledges the privacy of both the victim and the accused. If the accused is convicted then the name should be released.
It is too easy for a disgruntled studied to make a false accusation regarding a teacher or staff person. A Virginia teacher a couple of years ago was exonerated of molestation charges and is still trying to clean up his reputation. The problem is you almost never get to clear your name. Once you win your case, clearing your name is hard.
In the latest case, a teacher from Harlem was accused of inappropriately touching an eight year old. His name is all over the papers. What if the girl was lying or made a mistake or lied because the instructor disciplined her for some reason?
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
SIDE BAR: Finally a hint of justice
The officer who allegedly shot an 18 year old unarmed young man was indicted today. Granted he was released on $50,000 bond but at least it is a start and an indication justice will be served. Ramarley Graham was shot in his bathroom after the cops stormed his grandmother's house. You can see the police on camera kicking down the door. I am hoping this case opens up the door to information that can stop the unfair treatment Blacks and Hispanics get from the police. I want to hear from this cop why cops were so certain Graham had a gun
SIDE BAR: Penn State
I have been listening to the news and have been hearing about Jerry Sandusky and I want to go nuts. Fifty-two counts against him and 10 alleged victims of child molestation. WTF.
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
SIDE BAR: Stop and Frisk and pot Oh my
Governor Andrew Cuomo is pushing to decriminalize pot. Currently, during STOP AND FRISKS once the citizen empties his pocket after being asked to, and the marijuana is in plain view the subject is arrested. The governor wants to make small amounts of pot a violation, punishable by a fine instead of an arrest.
What if the person stopped refuses to empty his pockets in the first place?
What if the person stopped refuses to empty his pockets in the first place?
SIDE BAR: Hoodies
The Trayvon Martin shooting is not about hoodies. It’s really not that much about Florida’s STAND YOUR GROUND law. If Martin was a thug with an extensive criminal record in the act of robbing someone he should still be alive today. In my opinion this case is about a man with OCD and racist tendencies overly aggressively bullying a teenager. If George Zimmerman really thought Trayvon Martin was “threatening” why would he approach him unless he anticipated a confrontation? The hoodie doesn’t matter. That’s window dressing. Even the bruises Zimmerman allegedly got from Martin aren’t the point. Focus on the physical action.
GENERAL NEWS: Stop and Frisk
This is why I am am almost totally for Stop and Frisk:
http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/4-teens-shot-harlem-basketball-court-article-1.1089256?print
http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/4-teens-shot-harlem-basketball-court-article-1.1089256?print
SIDE BAR: Sudary drink ban
Mayor Bloomberg is reportedly one step closer to getting his sugary drink ban. If he gets his way it will be harder to get regular sodas in New York City. I think the mayor is full of sugar (avoiding the use of a nastier word).
1. If he really cared about the health of New Yorkers and kids in particular he would stop cutting funds to after school programs.
2. If he cared he would go after video game companies. Kids don't play sports or anything anymore. They sit home and play video games
3. This will only make soft drink companies richer since I will have to buy two 16 ounce drinks instead of one 20 ounce drink
1. If he really cared about the health of New Yorkers and kids in particular he would stop cutting funds to after school programs.
2. If he cared he would go after video game companies. Kids don't play sports or anything anymore. They sit home and play video games
3. This will only make soft drink companies richer since I will have to buy two 16 ounce drinks instead of one 20 ounce drink
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