Texsox

I would think they have a disaster plan in place before this event. So it would not take lawyers at that moment to review the contracts. Having said that, the disaster plan should be as Mike posted, gather as many people as possible and get working.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jul 8, 2008 -> 02:45 PM) i didn't say it was good, I am just rooted in the reality that anyone who says they can treat everyone and not destroy the system is a con artist. Good was a poor choice of words, perhaps a better choice is necessary evil? I agree that we cannot treat everyone as if they were members of congress. I do think we need to improve the system to the point where someone with hepatitis, flu, TB, etc. can more easily receive treatment. I also believe that our system is sized for the paying customers which is why some resources are so over taxed. I also believe it could grow to accommodate the added paying customers. To look at the current infrastructure and say no way it could accept all these new customers, makes sense only if it remains business as usual. I see the explosion in adult day care centers that occurred when money was shifted from nursing home only to day care environments and think a similar expansion could happen with neighborhood health clinics with nurse practitioners and RNs replacing Doctors. Perhaps I'm a con artist, but I think we can make steady improvements to the system until the number of Americans with no access to health care services is a much smaller number.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jul 8, 2008 -> 02:06 PM) There just isn't excess capacity as I see it anywhere in the health care system, especially for 50,000,000 people. There is no where to move the people that we have now, let alone all of the new ones. The difference here is I believe the majority are being treated, just either at none or reduced payments at ERs and other resources that will not turn away patients. Are you suggesting we just have to live with the fact that a sizeable portion of our population will not receive any health care except in dire emergencies? Is that a good public health policy? ANd I agree that the increase in patients will have to be carefully considered.

There is a time to file the grievence and a time not to. Overtime for a Fall Festival and putting up the holiday decorations? File away. Overtime to fill sandbags and help the town? STFU or better yet thank the firefighters for helping save the town.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jul 8, 2008 -> 10:54 AM) Like I said, how many doctors out there do you know of that are underutilized? Between recently having a vacesectomy, sick kids, routine doctor visits, and the wifes follow ups after pregnancy, I have yet to see a doctor that had a bunch of open slots to just accept a bunch of new people. Every doc I have talked to had weeks worth of wait for anything that wasn't an emergency. How many ERs are underutilized? Here it is a 6-7 hour wait in an ER on a good day. I see your point, and it is a excellent one and would have to be addressed for any improvements to our system to work. But which is more feasible, more Doctors and clinics like at Cosco or more ERs offering treatment for no renumeration? Perhaps if providers were actually being paid for treating these patients we would decrease crowding in ERs and Doctors offices could actually expand and shorten up those wait times? I don't think that having millions of patients receiving treatment for free is a good for the system either.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jul 8, 2008 -> 08:13 AM) To where? I don't think I have ever heard of an underutilized facility. How many unemployed Doctors are there that we can use for people? Doctor's offices instead of ERs. Outpatient clinics instead of ERs. Currently, many uninsured and indigent people will show up in an ER with symptoms that do not require emergency procedures. Doctors can, and will, turn them away if they cannot pay, hospitals generally will not. Also, small things become bigger when ignored. When they cannot afford a Doctor and wait, a small infection becomes bigger and they are in the ER. A lack of prenatal care causes some pregnancies to go astray. That is what I meant by a more appropriate facility. Basically what Alpha pointed out with the chain stores offering low cost options. Another local issue here are the expectant mothers from Mexico who just "happen to go into labor during a visit to the US". Generally they cannot pay and their children receive automatic US citizenship. I'm in favor of eliminating the automatic citizenship.

Well when someone looks at the list and says who did not vote Frank #1, it will be me.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jul 8, 2008 -> 07:18 AM) My generation and even the previous one to a great extent is a HUGE "ME" generation. It pains me to see people who give of themselves selflessly get kicked in the face for it. It discourages one of the things that really pushed our country to being one of the greatest in the world. Not being forced to give to those less fortunate, but WANTING to give. I don't think of it as anything special, just something that we all think about, and contribute what we can. Some people can give money, some can give time, others can give both. Most organizations that rely on volunteers and contributions talk about time, talent, and treasure. Everybody has something they can give. I give a little credience to the idea that earning a living in 2008 iss harder then 1950. It takes two wage earners in many families and they are working longer hours.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jul 8, 2008 -> 07:44 AM) Where would we find the health care facilities and professionals to treat something like 50 million more people (the 15% of people number that is being thrown about)? I believe many are being treated already. In hospital ERs, without compensation to the hospitals. One area for improvement is moving these patients from ERs into a more appropriate venue. But that does brings up an interesting point. Perhaps the level of health resources in this country cannot support all the people here and having uninsured people is a good thing?

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jul 8, 2008 -> 07:20 AM) So giving people more health care, and less reason to be judicious about the care they seek is going to improve those conditions? No, of course not. That would have to be addressed. Are you suggesting that is an unsolvable problem?

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jul 7, 2008 -> 11:45 AM) How would you add 15% more people to our current medical care capabilities without completely collapsing the system. We can't create more doctors, nurses, hospitals etc. How exactly do we improve the system? I am not certain what you mean. At least in my corner of the country, these people are being treated, often for minor ailments, in hospital ERs. The hospitals are not being compensated, or only partly compensated for these services. So it would seem the question is which is economically best. The providers picking up the tab and passing it on to their patients, or some other plan. Basically it is about the same as the uninsured motorist cost on our auto insurance, only better hidden. In most cases your for profit insurance company is making decisions on what treatments you will receive. Patients without insurance either visit the ER where they know they will be treated, or treat it themselves. While the "handle it themselves" sounds fine, communicable diseases pass from the uninsured to the insured just as easy. I'm also a big fan of small business in America. They are the most likely to invest in their community and not move their jobs off shore. It is tough for them to offer health care benefits to their employees. And someone making $25,000 a year cannot afford to spend 25% or more of their net income for health insurance. And unlike cars and homes, the cost cannot be shared. Four people living in one house divides the rent, but they cannot divide one insurance premium, at least not legally. I think any changes should be in small steps, but just because Canada or Britian has not found a better way, doesn't mean we cannot. We should be able to learn from their mistakes and make our system better. I also think any system will need a private pay option. We may be creating a two tier health system, but even that could be an improvement.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jul 8, 2008 -> 07:18 AM) You have a nutshell right there of everything wrong with 21st century America. Amen. You may or may not have meant it this way, but I took it to mean that not just unions would be guilty of this. I know you are very active in your community, the schools, YMCA, running a community message board, etc. All this our grandparents would have thought of as "community service". Now community service is what a celebrity in California gets for killing his wife. It happened quietly, but we did ourselves a disservice when we made community service a punishment. Following that reasoning, is it any wonder that some workers feel that someone was stealing their bread by performing something like this?

Chalk up another reason why I dislike unions and why they are losing ground in America. I hope even their members are embarrassed by this.

QUOTE (Alpha Dog @ Jul 6, 2008 -> 07:22 PM) If I had actually been in the audience, I would have been outraged. Nothing faux about it. But it gives everyone a chance to talk about race relations and the history of blacks in America. Gee, we can holler n***** in a public park, but this is wrong?

It's art and should be challenging and make you think. Wrong place and time.

Happy Birthday!!

QUOTE (Alpha Dog @ Jul 4, 2008 -> 06:15 PM) Except that is was only the 'small' stations that would get charged the $5000 flat fee. If it was $5000 per station, I don't think the stink would be half as much as it is. The clear channel stations would certainly be charged something several times higher. True, but do you think any would be paying "Rush Limbaugh" money for Rush's Spirit of the Radio? The Beatles catalog = zero value. Rush = $400,000,000.

Oh s***, sucks to be him.

We do not pay taxes to pay for any government program. If we actually paid for government programs, why would Bush cut taxes while increasing spending?

QUOTE (FlaSoxxJim @ Jul 4, 2008 -> 10:25 AM) That's easy, Stren 4lb test on an Shakespeare Ugly Stick with a good old Zebco 33. Oh, wait. you meant bass, not bass, didn't you. My bad. Well pards that may work for sissy Yankee bass, but down here in the Lone Star state, y'all better bring some man size gear. Perhaps a Shimano Curado baitcasting reel on a G-Loomis rod spooled with 20lb test Spiderwire.

Happy Birthday!

I was just listening to the radio and was reminded of another brilliant thing to do, shoot your gun into the air! Yep, down here tonight guys (it's always guys) will aim into the sky and let a few rounds go. And they will come down, and usually someone is hurt.

Where in Texas are you? Seriously, I agree 100%. Leave the fireworks to the professionals.

And no way we could do something better then Canada!

QUOTE (bmags @ Jul 3, 2008 -> 08:14 PM) i had no idea radio personalities were responsible for this much revenue. Seems that asking a music station to spend $5,000 on the 24/7 music they play is a bargain