Blog Comments and the Lack of Civility

A word to those wishing to comment:

I just deleted another snarky, 'anonymous' comment that was left sometime back. To roughly paraphrase, the comment said: "You're a total blithering idiot. Somewhere but not here there is a village that needs you." It went into more sarcastic detail. The language used wasn't profane, but it was mean spirited, condescending, and generally disrespectful. And like practically all the comments that people leave, it was signed 'Anonymous.'

Here's where I stand on comments. I WILL delete any comment that I don't feel adds something to the thoughts expressed here. I don't expect commenters to always agree with me; in fact I hope they don't. I had a debating scholarship when I was in college, and I love to debate. But debate is done by rebutting the points made by your opponent, and making your own points--not by trying to belittle or disrespect the person you are debating with. The essence of debate is overcoming another's points with your own better thought out, more logical, and better presented points.

Comments left on this blog need to address the issues I have raised, or raise new issues relevant to the discussion. Also, comments must be civil in both language and tone. Otherwise, the commenter is wasting key strokes and can save themselves the trouble.

Will I EVER post a comment here from someone who is 'anonymous?' The answer is yes, I will, and I have provided the poster had something of substance to say and is civil in their manner of saying it.

But I am amazed at how uncivil, disrespectful, sarcastic, snarky, and downright hateful people get under the cover of being 'anonymous.' It isn't just this blog; check out the posts against articles on any newspaper's web site and you will see the same kind of disrespectful incivility in a huge number of comments that people leave.

If anyone reading anything here this feels compelled to tell me that how stupid my opinion is, and/or that I am a fool for daring to expressing it, and/or that my mother drove a beer truck, or other disrespectful or hateful things, you should know this:

You will impress me a lot more--and come a lot nearer having your comment see the light of day instead of being lost forever in my bit-bucket--if you sign your real name.

Its Time For Democrats To Get Going On the Public Plan

Despite the fact that the Democrats seated their 60th senator this week in the person of Al Franken, thereby creating for themselves a filibuster-proof 'super-majority', they certainly are proceeding timidly and slowly towards health care reform.

I keep wondering how much longer they will continue bowing down to the great god Bi-Partisanship. Lord only knows, the Repubs weren't very respectful of it when they had control of Congress and the White House so why should the Democrats be so now.

Seventy percent of American's during a recent poll indicated that they wanted a single payer option, meaning that everyone in the country goes on Medicare or something very like it and we raise taxes accordingly to pay for it.

Considering the health insurance for my wife and I with Blue Cross under a group plan costs runs well north of $1600 a month, if someone in government will make that cost go away, they can raise my taxes quiet a bit and I won't complain, not even a whimper. Our medical insurance cost in total for a year is far more than our federal income tax. My point is there is a lot of room here for negotiation. I don't wish my life away, but from a pure dollars and cents standpoint I can't wait to get on Medicare.

Socialized medicine...at $1600 a month and climbing, BRING IT ON! Right now!

What we seem to be getting from the Democrats in Congress however, is an apparent lack of political will with a 'public option' which is a total no-brainer. Without a public option, the health insurance companies will not only continue to exist, they will have every incentive to find ways around whatever reform is passed to deny people coverage, to deny them care, and to enrich their stockholders and executives.

Health insurance companies are a lot like tobacco companies. They both injure people some to the point of death. They vary in their modus operandi. Tobacco companies make an addictive product that addicts people and keeps them using the product for years until it kills them. Health insurance companies refuse to sell policies to anyone but well people, cancel their coverage at the first sign of health problems, and try to deny or nickle and dime as many claims as possible. You can't tell me that people don't die because of the actions of these insurance companies; they die indeed, and plenty of them.

Why do the tobacco and insurance companies do that? Because they want to make a profit. Profits literally taken over the bodies of their customers. How disgusting is that?

Getting back to the main point here: the Democrats are supposed to be the liberal party, the party of the poor and the middle class. So why aren't they acting timid and bi-partisan on an issue that is killing and bankrupting their party members?

For example, why is our California Senator Dianne Feinstein not in the thick of battle here to at least get a public option enacted. I got a letter from her when I asked her what her position was and here's what she said:

"One of the many proposals being considered to reform our system is to create a health care plan that is publically operated. Please know that I am reviewing all health care reform options and I will keep your comments in mind as the Senate continues to work to improve health care for all Americans."

Boy, I feel better knowing that!

So far I haven't even received a response from Barbara Boxer.

Come on...these women senators are two of the most prominent women in the Democratic party. Why aren't they in the forefront of fighting this battle--perhaps the most important domestic issue in the first half of this new century--on their constituent's behalf.

Senators...please, I implore you, get going on this issue. Today. Now.

Letters On Health Care

I just found a set of letters to the editor on the subject of health care that were published today by the New York Times.

Some highlights:

"...I don’t understand why America is still talking about providing all its people with health insurance, as opposed to providing them with health care. Health care is a necessity of life..." ~ Vicki Riba Koestler, Alexandria, Va.

"Why can’t the United States accept health care as a natural right for all citizens and not a tortured compromise between the government and business profit? In Canada, when we turn on a tap we expect water. When we flip a switch we expect light. When we get sick, we expect health care..." ~ Peter Ryan, Vancouver, British Columbia

"...Health care is already being rationed. Major health care decisions are already being made every day by insurance companies, not doctors." ~ Dzung Vo, San Francisco

There is more...read the whole thing.

There are awesomely good insights; these folks cut right to the heart of the health care issue. If these folks were in Congress right now, I would feel a lot more comfortable about where the whole health care issue is going.

Sarah Palin's Next Move

I remember a popular computer game from the 1990s called 'Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?' Lots of folks--myself included--would paraphrase that in relation to Sarah Palin: 'What in the World is Sarah Palin Doing?'

Opinions abound and the press and the blogosphere are full of them. Jonathan Alter at Newsweek thinks that her resignation is the opening shot of a presidential bid for 2012. Over at Slate, Mickey Kaus has documented some fourteen Palin theories and is still counting. Andrew Malcolm on the LA Times blog page asks a question about Palin: Timeout or Flameout?

Who knows what Palin is up to. Whatever it is, this exceedingly unflattering--to Palin--Vanity Fair article "It Came From Wasilla" gives a good indication of what the public is likely to continue to see from Palin in the future:

"The clouds of tabloid conflict and controversy that swirl around her (Palin) and her extended clan—the surprise pregnancies, the two-bit blood feuds, the tawdry in-laws and common-law kin caught selling drugs or poaching game—give her family a singular status in the rogues’ gallery of political relatives. By comparison, Billy Carter, Donald Nixon, and Roger Clinton seem like avatars of circumspection."

It will not be surprising if Palin does plan a run in 2012. If so,more power to her. Her political sweet spot is the most unappealing and marginal--yet vocal portion far right wing component of the Republican base.

Sarah Palin in 2012: She'll be Dan Quayle in high heels with special guest appearances on Jerry Springer.

TANC Has Tanked

We wish that we could claim that because Cat-E-Whompus wrote about TANC, that the walls of Jericho had come tumbling down. However large our ego here at the blog, we can only take credit for being one voice speaking out against this big lumbering dinosaur of a project that threatened to trample the rights thousands of property owners in the North State.

Collectively, however, our voices have been heard--at least in Sacramento. The Sac-Bee reports here that SMUD--aka the Sacramento Municipal Utility District--has 'pulled the plug' on TANC.

Apparently, SMUD decided that the TANC project wasn't going to 'pencil out' for them and pulled out, leaving TANC with a gaping 35% hole in the project's budget. I suspect that SMUD figured out that there was a gathering storm of opposition by property owners and North State environmentalists to TANC that was going drag the name of SMUD through the political mud.

So, for now TANC has tanked; their existing schedule 'public outreach' has been cancelled.

TANC's dead for now, but like Frankenstein, it could lurch back to life via the machinations of its remaining municipal power company backers, which includes the city of Redding's power company. We can sleep better for now, but we still need to keep and eye out for signs of life in this thing down the road.

TANC's Lines of Mass Destruction

If you live in that part of California commonly known as the North State--including Redding, Cottonwood, Red Bluff, Corning, Chico, Orland--and many other towns and cities in the area, you should make it a priority to get up to speed on the plans of TANC, which is an acronym for the Transmission Agency of Northern California. Here is a link to their web site. Below is a picture of what you may be looking at out your front window if TANC gets their way.



TANC has a plan to run approximately 600 miles of 230-kilo volt (kV) and 500-kilo volt transmission lines and substations through the North State. Following is an overall map (courtesy of Stop TANC!)




These proposed transmission lines will--if built--transmit so-called 'renewable energy.' This energy will be generated in northeastern California and northwestern Nevada, and then carried by the proposed lines down to Sacramento and the Bay Area.

The North segment of the line is planned to run from the point of origin through Burney to Redding where it will connect into a substation in Olinda. From there, there are three proposed routes between Redding and Tracy. This segment is called the the Central Segment on TANC's web site. Their site says about this segment:

"The Central Segment would begin at the Olinda Substation and extend south to Tracy. It would include a new, 160 to 180 mile, double-circuit, 500-kV transmission line through the Central Valley, with an interconnection to a new substation in southern Sacramento County. Three alternative corridors have been preliminarily identified for the Central Segment: the western, central, and eastern alternatives. From the proposed new substation in southern Sacramento County, each of three alternative corridors would continue 40 to 45 miles southwest to a proposed new substation near the Tracy Substation."

Readers, please note this carefully. There is a VERY LARGE amount of private real property threatened by the TANC project. TANC can and will use the power of eminent domain to seize your property if it is located in the path of the route that they select. While TANC must compensate you if they take your property, the fact that they will be doing this is taking of property at a time when property values are very depressed is no accident. You can bet your bippy that TANC is looking to secure the routes for their big ugly power lines at today's depressed real estate prices; this way, we as citizens of the North State will be even bigger losers in this deal than we otherwise would be.

However, residents of the big metro areas to our south stand to benefit a great deal from our misfortune if this project goes through.

Kick us while we are down, seems to be the TANC philosophy.

You can go to here to see Google Earth Maps depicting the three alternative TANC power line routes. You can enter your street address and email id and the site will display a map that zooms in, showing you where your property is situated relative to the TANC routes.

If you haven't done this, you should; its an eye-opener. In my case, I found that the westerly route bypasses my property by about a half mile (whew!) but many are not so lucky. Depending on the route that TANC selects, thousands of people could find their property value destroyed--at least what little remains here in the depth of the recession--to provide homeowners and businesses in Sacramento and the Bay Area with so-called 'Green Power.'

There is a Stop TANC! web site; you will find it here. If you are concerned about TANC like I am, the site has a number of public officials you can call, write, or email. Congressman Wally Herger leads the list in my book. You can email him to express your dismay at this project here.

Support a Public Health Insurance Option

Dear Readers and Friends,

With nearly 50 million Americans lacking health insurance, and premiums rapidly rising, it's time to address the health care crisis in our country. All Americans deserve access to affordable, quality health care -- and today, nearly one-in-six of us don't have it.

This month, Congress is working on new reform legislation that will make quality health care available and affordable for all Americans. In particular, Senators Dick Durbin, Patrick
Leahy, and Chuck Schumer are working for a public health insurance option that would foster greater competition in the marketplace, create more choices for consumers, and lead to
lower costs and better quality.

Please join me in supporting their work to pass strong health care reform legislation this year by signing the online petition at http://ga3.org/campaign/healthpetition?source=hc_taf

Or, click the link below:
http://ga3.org/campaign/healthpetition?rk=odtv479aen1DW

Can You Really Count on Your Health Insurance?

When it comes to health care, I can't wait for socialized medicine. And fortunately--at age 62, I don't have too long to wait. If I was younger, I would start thinking about moving to Canada.

I strongly believe that we desperately need a single payer health care system in our country. There are several reasons for that opinion, not the least of which is that most people I know who are on Medicare like it. The biggest reason however is that it really is the only way to fix the health care cost crisis that this country is in. I'll say more on that in another post.

One huge factor however is the way ordinary people who have health insurance are treated by their insurance companies. Actually I should say mistreated.

This article I found in the Los Angeles Times spells it what these companies do in detail. Here are a few highlights:

"Executives of three of the nation's largest health insurers told federal lawmakers in Washington on Tuesday that they would continue canceling medical coverage for some sick policyholders, despite withering criticism from Republican and Democratic members of Congress who decried the practice as unfair and abusive.

An investigation by the House Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations showed that health insurers WellPoint Inc., UnitedHealth Group and Assurant Inc. canceled the coverage of more than 20,000 people, allowing the companies to avoid paying more than $300 million in medical claims over a five-year period.

It also found that policyholders with breast cancer, lymphoma and more than 1,000 other conditions were targeted for rescission and that employees were praised in performance reviews for terminating the policies of customers with expensive illnesses."

There is considerably more to this story, so I highly encourage readers to link to the story.

Wow! These three insurers cancelled coverage for 20,000 people! who developed expensive illnesses!. The stockholders of these companies and the managers and executives (who received incentive bonuses) must have done well financially, because the companies collectively saved 300 million bucks!

The executives who appeared in front of Congress claimed that the persons whose policies they rescinded lied about pre-existing conditions, and that therefore they were justified.

The reality is that many of these people had had their policies a long time. Then they got sick, seriously ill. At that point, these fine upstanding examples of private enterprise started looking at the records, trying to find any excuse to get them out of paying the bill. Even a small occurrence--sometimes it was something that showed up on a test report that their doctor felt so innocuous that he didn't even find necessary to discuss with them -- suddenly became all the excuse the insurance company needed to rescind their policy.

The Congressional investigation found that the employees of the these insurance companies were praised in their performance reviews.

And you know what else? This is routine standard operating procedure. It goes on all the time. If you are insured and if you bought an individual policy where you had to go through medical underwriting, you can be sure that if you get seriously ill, these folks are going to be scrutinizing your coverage.

The executives very politely refused to tell Congress that they would cease doing this.

Congress needs to vote in a strong public plan as part of the health care effort. They also need to pass legislation that outlaws consideration of preexisting conditions, and rescission of policies because of them.

They need to do it yesterday. We need to write and call our representatives and DEMAND that they pass this legislation now.