Seriously Now.. this is comic relief

I Confess, I am a Political Junkie and totally immersed in Republican Politics. Not that I would ever vote for Romney, Gingrich or Santorum, Its just my favorite TV Pastime.

The most interesting candidate, IMHO, is Santorum; he has some outline of a CONSERVATIVE position. Since I am Catholic, I am Against Abortion, and that creates a dilemma for me. In Deference to church/state separation, I feel that the we should leave this issue where it stands; the Supreme Court made a decision that this was the right of the woman and her doctor to make this decision. Also like most Catholics I oppose the Official church teaching on the artificial Birth control issue. Santorum has not made his position clear. It is Interesting to see how Santorum is squirming with the issue.

I routinely watch MSNBC, and CNN and when there is something hot FOX. Rush Limbaugh is right now creating Big Problems for the Republicans. He has made most women angry with his attack on Flack, and his feeble non-apology. This will surely move many Independent women voters to the Democratic Party.

Do all Republicans have foot in the Mouth Problems?

And what about The New Movie "Game Change" about Sarah Palin.. It is receiving Rave reviews from the Democrats. And most interesting is that Steve Schmidt , now a Political Consultant for MSNBC ... but still a Republican, was the chief recruiter for Palin. He is saying what a terrible decision it was to have selected Palin, really not ready to become president, for Cains Running mate. I am going to have to see the Movie.

Historic Day - Health Reform

When I was three years old, FDR gave us Social Security--- today I enjoy it

When I was thirty seven. LBJ gave us Medicare --- Today I enjoy it

When I was sixty eight Bush and DeLay came up with Prescription Drug Plan D. This is a welfare program benefiting Insurance and Drug companies . It Features a Do-nut Hole in the Coverage that sucks funds from Senior Citizens during the Christmas Shopping season. I did not sign up.

When I was seventy one I developed the New Age Math Health Plan. This free Health plan permits subscribers to reverse digits in their age if they promise to act their New Age. I was Immediately the same age as my Grandson , 17 NAM. I continue to enjoy the New Age Math Plan.

When I was 37 NAM, Barack Obama promised to provide Universal Health care . I enthusiastically supported him.

Now I am 47 and the Historic day has arrived. Its not everything I had hoped for but we have a Great Start... Insurers will no longer to drop you if you get sick! May not consider Pre existing Conditions.. will cover your children through College to age 26. There will even be a subsidy for Seniors to help fill the Plan D do-nut hole... In anticipation of this great step forward I celebrated early by joining the plan.

My Republican friend Dave, who is CEO of a Hospital, was overheard admitting to his Republican friend Rich, that his hospital business should benefit from the Health Reform Plan because it will get more people insured. Here in Texas he explained, " 25% HAVE NO INSURANCE and that is a big problem." He supports with reservations.

Is there any place where I can get a " I Luv Pelosi " bumper sticker?

Obama's Doing Fine

Just dropped in to Say I think Barack Obama is doing fine for the Country.

Day Before Election

I am real excited about the Election...

Voted early and met three candidates while waiting in line...

Just missed meeting Barack Obama.

I think he has it in the Bag...

Will check back tomorrow.

Obama? Clinton? Both?

The Democratic Party is making it real tough for me to choose.

They are Both great Candidates...

I sure hope we can capture them both... and either way would be fine.

Looking Eight Years down the road, how might the pairings work out?

If Obama is chosen VP to Clinton, He, being younger, would be ready in 2016 to take us another Eight years to 2024.

If Clinton is chosen VP to Obama, She, the elder, might not still be up to the job.

I know that's not a very deep reason to prefer Clinton. But It's The best I can come up with today.

Wait a minute... Clinton has not assured us she would ask Obama to team together...

Now ... Why would she? It would spoil all the fun..

Maybe the March 4 primary in Texas will provide the reason to choose.

They sure looked great together in the last debate..

Tirade #2 Pre 9/11 August 2001

In My Opinion - CCI Revisited

Miscelaneous news clippings:

USA TODAY
August 2001.
Consumer confidence fall comes as surprise
Sharp drop hints recovery won't be arriving soon
by George Hager

Worries about the weakening job market drove consumer confidence down more sharply this month than economists had expected, clouding prospects for an economic rebound anytime soon.

Gateway to lay off quarter of global workforce By Edward Iwata, USA TODAY SAN FRANCISCO — As the personal computer industry flounders, troubled Gateway said Tuesday that it will lay off 5,000 employees, or 25% of its global workforce, and pull out of Asia. Market News Dow and Nasdaq stocks slump Dow Jones industrial average drops 160.32 points to 10,222.03; Nasdaq index falls 47.43 to 1864.98; 30-year Treasury bond yield drops to 5.41%.

08/28/2001 - Updated 08:06 PM ET
Symbolic leadership

Last year, when President Bush was running for office, Social Security was
sacred. Now, says the White House, it's merely "symbolic."

Funny, that's not what the GOP platform said last August. Dictated to the
Republican Convention by Bush's political operatives, it declared: "The Social
Security surplus is off-limits, off-budget and will not be touched."

Twelve months later, the Congressional Budget Office, a non-partisan agency
headed by a Republican appointee, now says that the government will need to
use at least $9 billion in Social Security revenues to make ends meet in the
year ending Sept. 30.

---

When it's time to unwind, Bush goes to
the dogs Spot, Barney -- latest in a
long line of presidential pets -- tag
along on vacation

By Laurence McQuillan
USA TODAY

CRAWFORD, Texas -- For President Bush, these are the dog
days of summer.

Since he left most of his top policy and political advisers in
Washington at the start of the month, Bush has had plenty of
time to kick back with his two pet pooches, Spot and Barney.

He drives them around his 1,530-acre ranch in a pickup. He jogs
with them, hikes with them, even fishes with them.

---

In My Opinion:

Somehow Bush going to the dogs is symbolic of the situation.

Greenspan has done his thing... Maybe it helped...

The Tax cuts have been mailed... I put mine in the Bank yesterday...

BUT things are not looking good... I hear the "R" word a lot...

I do admit that I am 1.2% ahead on investments ytd.
That's better than the -5.2% DOW Loss ytd.
And much better than the -24.5% Nasdaq Loss ytd.
It's mostly dumb luck on my part.
I go to Money Markets when we leave the country.
We did it in February for Cancun, and in June for the Bahamas.
We will stay in Cash while we are in France.
BUT It's uncomfortable dipping into Capital.

Ed's Economic Forecast

In January the "Market Perspective" will change:
The 52 week charts will no longer reflect the highs of the Prosperous Clinton Years.
It has been depressing to see those previous highs.
Once they are off the chart, the Bush year won't appear quite so bad.
Investors will think they are in a rising market.

It will be an Election year(2002), and Democrats will retake both houses.

Under economic pressure Congress will repeal the tax cuts which have not already been paid out!

My Confidence will improve ... and Happy times will return.

Alas, My Prediction did not materialize the Democrats did not regain both houses until 2006 elections. Four years later!!

My First Tirade FEB 2001

George W Bush is hurting the Economy.. Every time he talks about that damn "light on his dash board", (it's his economic indicator) my confidence goes down.

The Consumer Confidence Index is a predictor of economic health.
When Confidence is up the National economy prospers and we have Economic Expansion.
When Confidence is down we have a declining Economy... a.k.a. Recession

The CCI has been high for the past eight years. Under the Democratic Administration of President Bill Clinton we had a continuously expanding economy and a lot of people got wealthy. Confidence was UP!

During August of last year the markets were rising. The National Political Conventions were held. After Labor Day the markets peaked. THEN the realization set in that Bill was not going to be around, and that neither party had a very strong candidate. Confidence began to fall, and soon thereafter the markets.

The debates came, and the people actually started to say things like, "The Vice Presidential candidates look better than the Presidential candidates." Lets face it, we were not impressed. Confidence fell and so did the the markets. By mid October the Dow was down 11%, S&P down 12%, Nasdaq down 25%

Just before election time there was a brief rally. The Democrats were looking stronger. The day before the election marked the end of this rally. Dow only down 2%, S&P only down 6%, Nasdaq only down 19%

As we quarreled about who won Florida, confidence eroded further. Bush celebrated his victory in the Supreme Court, and proceeded to make some disparaging comments about the state of the economy he was inheriting from the Democrats. He should have been looking in the mirror for the answer. He did not inspire confidence

Confidence continued to fall and the day before Christmas the Dow was down 6%, S&P down 16%, Nasdaq down 45%.

Fortunately in January, Alan Greenspan intervened, and cut interest rates. Things started looking up.
By Jan 24 the Nasdaq was UP 15.7% year to date!
BUT
George had been on the job for only two days. He immediately got to work to fix the economy. He polished his tax cut proposal for a week or so. Meanwhile, the Nasdaq is falling. When he sent it to Congress, the market celebrated for 20 minutes, then continued on down.

The 15% Greenspan rally on Nasdaq was totally erased by Feb 9. The Dow and S&P are both posting 0.9% YTD after their recent declines.

Here's the problem. The consumers, us middle class folks, are not inspired to confidence by tax cuts to the wealthy. The rich put their tax cuts in "Leakproof Lockboxes", and Nothing Trickles Down.

It's Saturday Feb. 10 2001 and someone on the TV just used the "R" word.

Now I'm developing into a pessimist, and that's not good either.

I'm hunkering down for now.

Go See "Sicko"

You just gotta see Michael Moore's Latest documentary...
Sicko..

We Need Universal Health Care and we need to abolish HMO's.

The Insurance Companies have No Business telling Doctors how to practice Medicine!

I am a Recipient of Original Medicare... It is well run and has made staying Healthy affordable.

I can't say that about the my friends experience with the HMO Medicare plans..

The Drug and Insurance Companies have sold their programs on the rubric of "Competition is Good. Government is Bad"

Bull shit!

Aetna is Far less responsive than CMS Medicare.

Repeal Medicare Plan D Drug program... It is a subsidy for Drug and Insurance companies and Rips Off the seniors it is supposed to serve.

There , I said it. I feel better already.

My fight with Aetna

I don't Think of Aetna as a Law enforcement agency...

Apparently they do.

Recently they denied $2500 in Perscription drug coverage because I had Purchased the Drugs from a Canadian Pharmacy.

The FDA and Customs has stopped completely their harassment and interception of imported pharmaceuticals.

The US Postal Service Deliveres them to my door.

There is no place in the Insurance plan document justifying this denial. In fact the document supports Coverage of all Prescription Medications.

I have put the documentation of my claim on my Web Page

Check it out at

http://www.remedyandcrew.com/Claim_Dispute/Claim_dispute.html

If you are having a similar problem too, Please contact me.

I am planning to Fight this one.

I feel more angry.

Three and a half years ago I lamented the steps Bush was taking to lead us to war in Iraq...

I was in the minority then. see Feb 2003.

In Sept 2003 I called it a Reckless War

Now it seems the majority feel: there was no need to go to war, that it was a mistake, that it cost us the good will of the world's nations, and that it has made us less safe...

We were lied to.. Is that offense not Impeachable?

DeLay Tom Will Not Run

I live in the Texas 22 District.

I have Never Supported Tom Delay.

I am very Happy that he is moving to Virginia to take up a new Life as a Lobbist.

I plan to work hard for Nick Lampson.

I could just Burst I am so Happy.

Yea Mc Cain and Kennedy !

I don't want to repeat myself... so read my two earlier blogs below.

From what I have read... It appears the senate version of Immigration reform will establish a Path to citizenship for out current alien population... The house version is punative.

I can't read George... He is for a Guest worker program but has not abandoned the "Great Wall".

This is confusing!

Imigration Reform

Let's face it... The vast majority of our Illegal Imigrants are here to work hard and build a better life for themselves and their families. They are not terrorists, not criminals, not banditos and certainly not here to hurt people.

The recent Three part series of articles in the Houston Chronicle is a Must read for all who wish to be informed about the Illegal Imigrants.. They come seeking a better life... they find it.. they do their best to fit in to society. They take great personal risks to come. They are contributing to our healthy economy.

I feel we should give Amnesty to those who deserve it ... Give them the "Green Cards", Visas, social security cards, Drivers Liscences, sign them up as Taxpayers, and set them on a path to citizenship should they seek it.

My caveat, "those who deserve it", means we need to establish some criteria and the INS needs to check them out before awarding the Visa and Green card. Have they means of support? A Job? A place to live? A sponsor? Accepted for University? Do they pass Background Checks?

At the same time we should Strengthen the enforcement of Existing imigration laws. This will probably require more counterfit proof Green Card.

It is Illegal to Hire Undocumented Imigrants... Create a Fast track to identify the "Keepers" and get them Documented. Enlist the support of Employers to sponsor the deserving. Then fine Employers who continue to hire the undocumented.

George's 2000 mile Wall

Dear George,

I don't Think you thought this 2000 mile Border wall through.

It needs to be made of Reinforced concrete, right?

The kind of stuff we use to make Freeways.

If you took a Freeway and tilted it in its side, It would be a Wall.

To get such a wall built in the Harsh Desert Southwest you need Concrete, Steel and Labor.

The nearest Low cost supplier of these three commodities Is Mexico.

The Winning Contractor will use all three... Just like Freeway construction in Texas.

George, I think your plan will backfire. It will cause an employment boom for illegal Mexican workers.

Please forget the wall idea. Besides while they are building it, the workers would probably install hidden tunnels.

Medicare Plan D Tax Credit

In an earlier post I established that My participation In Medicare Plan D would result in a claim 0f $1,431. This is the projected claim I would be awarded in 2006 if I joined and purchased our usual drug supply.

Trust me, I will Not be Joining Plan D... Plan D will not have to pay this amount to me. Medicare can keep this money.

Should this be a Charitable Deduction or a Tax Credit?

Because I have contributed this amount to the Plan D program, I plan to enter this amount on IRS Form 1040 line 50 Tax Credit

"50 Retirement Savings contributions credit. Attach form 8880 50 __$1431_ "

It seem only fair to do it as a Tax credit.

Most of us seniors don't get much mileage with Itemized Deductions.

Suddenly Senior. Updated daily.

Suddenly Senior has thoroughly vetted the Medicare Plan D

Try it you will like it!!!

Drug and Insurance Companys are Happy

Lets face it the real beneficiaries of the Medicare Part D Rx Drug Plan are the Drug companies and the Insurance companies. The seniors on Medicare will benefit little if at all.

Marion and I were at the local CVS Pharmacy filling a prescription for an Ointment that relieves fever blisters. Marion was dealing with the pharmacict and I was shopping for batteries for our Gate Opener.

Marion found me in Xmas lights and said, "Honey are you ready for the price they want?"

"Let me guess" I answered, "about $50 ?"

"No its $95." she said. "Then I asked if they considered my TRS-Caremark Discount Card. They hadn't; so I got them to reprice it.. they still want $88. That only saves $7. I think I can forget buying this."

"Well the doctor prescribed it... you get blisters from time to time... " I replied. "It probably will be a lifetime supply... If it has good shelf life I think you should invest in it"

I went back with her and, while she purchased it, I asked the Pharmicist about the New Plan D.

"Will I pay the same for this drug under the new Medicare Plan D?" I asked.

"Yes you will." he replied, "Any benefits you get will come from the Insurance Company when you file with them."

"The dicsount card will no longer be honored, is that true?". I was on to something.

"Thats true... we will collect the full price," he answered.

"Then Medicare Part D will be less Headache for you and you will sell at full price, Right?" I asked.

" That's true."

I felt like Michael Moore doing one of his famous interviews... too bad I didn't have a TV camera to record it all. I had the goods on the Drug Companies.

I need help to establish just where my new premiums will go... The Government will collect the money? Or the Insurance company will collect the money?

I think the answer is, "All of the money I pay for premiums goes to the Insurance companies."

The Insurance companies will need to hire a bunch of GED Level claims adjusters and pay them. They will use the money for that, and more computers, and more answering machines, and more 800 Numbers.

That does not buy any Drugs for Seniors. I think the Medicare plan D program probably funds the drug claims. This is the part I am not sure of.

Here is my understanding of how the program will work.

If I buy Exactly $250 in drugs my annual expense will be $250 to the Drug Company plus $400 to the Insurance Company. Total $650 cost for $250 drugs. Not a Good Deal! Medicare pays a claim $0.0.

More realistically One of us has Drug bills of about $1,350 per year the other about $3,250. After meeting plan deductibles and premiums for the year, plan D will reimburse $381 of the $1,350 expense for one of us and $1,056 of the $3,250 expense for the other.

Summarizing. We buy $4,600 worth of drugs. We pay $800 in premiums. Medicare pays us $1,431 in claims. Adjusted Cost 4,600 + 800 - 1431 = $3,969 That is a good deal, right? The drug companies and the insurance companies want you to think so. So does George because his plan "gave" us $1,431. But remember we paid a $800 premium. Total savings over not participating 4600 - 3969 = $ 631.

Here is Ed's Plan. Buy the same drugs in Canada and take advantage of the cheaper prices. Get the same stuff for 39% less. That means I pay $2,806. Instead of $4,600 and save $1,794. Plus I don't have to shell out $800 to the insurance company. Total Savings = $2,594.

This is Better than Medicare Plan D.... I don't pay premiums, I have no dedictible to meet. The Canadian government negotiated a great deal.

Several States have recognized the savings possible and are buying Canadian drugs for their State employee benefit plans.

Medicare Plan D is crafted by the Drug and Insurance companies and pushed forward by George Bush. He will Never allow negotiations for reduced prices from the Drug companies. This might actually benefit Senior citizens.

I plan to opt out of Medicare Part D unless it will reimburse Prescriptions Purchased in Canada... Then it might be a Good Deal.

Fat chance of that happening... That loophole has been shut in secret negotiations between the drug Lobbyists and the Republican party.

Lets Rob the Rich

I like the Robin Hood approach.

Its Good old-fashioned Keynesian economics: Take from the rich, whose marginal propensity to consume is low, and give to the poor, who will spend every extra dollar you give them and then some.

That's the way Bill Clinton got rid of the deficit.

Back in those good old days, even the poor were getting rich.

Stop those Tax Cuts

Yes I benefit from the Tax Cuts. But we don't need them.

Taxes are the way we pay for Government. (I did not say Good Government or Bad Government. Just Government.)

Right now our Government is Borrowing Money to pay bills... This Borrowed Money will be paid by our Children and Grand Children... That's Not Fair.

We have worked up a lot of extra ordinary bills... Katrina Bills... Iraq Bills... Medicare part D bills.

Even if we get real smart in Cutting Waste we will be paying more out than we get in. This is no time to also be cutting Taxes.

Besides the tax cuts are principally benefiting the wealthy... The ones who can best afford to help.

And I don't want to hear about how their Riches Trickle Down. I have not seen that happen because they are Hermetically sealed containers.

Justice Without DeLay ?

DeLay's attorneys, Dick DeGuerin and Richard Keeton of Houston, got a visiting judge to remove state District Judge Bob Perkins from overseeing the criminal case against U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay.

They argued that their effort was not just a matter of trying to get a Democratic judge removed from hearing the case of a Republican officeholder. They said it was a matter of removing a judge whose contributions showed him to be a "staunch Democrat" presiding at the trial of the nation's "most partisan Republican."

Who will get the Job of trying DeLay?

It will really smell to High Heaven if they pick a Staunch Republican.

I say Move the Case to Canada.... Or Maybe better yet to the UN world Court.

The Rich are not Paying Their Way

I think that Trickle down is not effective.

It's supposed to work like this.

Don't Tax the wealthy so much. They will have more to invest. And they will have more to spend. This is supposed to create more worker jobs.

More workers means more taxpayers. Everyone knows: Workers Pay Taxes. Wealthy Avoid Taxes. Also there are more workers than wealthy.

So there you have it... The treasury gets a Lots More Money from workers by reducing taxes on the wealthy.

I tried to create a Mathematical Model of this process but I kept getting Error messages that critized my competence. It insisted "17 - 4 is not equal to 23". So I gave up on that feature of the model. When I abolished the Tax Cut for the Wealthy in my model, I found the treasury had some money to reduce the deficit.

I feel the more you have recieved, the more you owe back to society. The Graduated Income Tax embodies this principle.

I also feel it would be good to actually employ some of the Idle Wealthy. Then they could have Real Jobs and Pay taxes like the workers do. This involves a small but Untouched population. It would allow the Rich to Pay Their Way.

My Social Security Opinion

Two Principles shape my position:

• "Ownership is Fostered by Savings Not by Taxes"
• "Preserve The Social Security Safety Net... It Works"

George Bush would divert a portion of Social Security Taxes into Private Accounts... This will Reduce the Guaranteed Safety Net component of Social Security and will add a small Private Account tied to Stock and Bond performance. Options for investment will be Government Controlled. Performance of the accounts are doomed to be less than the market averages because of the Investment fees and Overhead of the system.

False Security

Even if the account does better (and that is debatable) than the Guaranteed Segment which it displaces,
this is a False Ownership... It is not Savings... It is Tax money. The Citizen is duped into believing that he is providing for his future and reduces needed retirement savings. This Is a BAD Result.

Social Security is meant to be a safety net; it was never intended to be a complete retirement program. Employer pension programs and self directed savings programs are the other components of a retirement program. In these programs there is True Ownership. These programs come in a wide variety of options. Some are tax free going in and some are tax free coming out. The Government encourages both kinds of savings with these tax break options... That is Good.

Phony Crisis

Back in the early 80's we had one of these alarms... the funds won't be there in 2001... A high level Commission Studied the problem and came up with a workable solution. They found that you can't promise higher wage indexed benefits if you don't have a payroll tax for anything over $45,000. The solution was: to gradually increase the base on taxes to $90,000 (that's where it is now) and to gradually increase the retirement age for "Full Benefits" from Age 65 to 67 (where it now). As a result of those actions Social Security is running a Surplus, and this surplus is serving to reduce the need for Borrowing in the federal budget.

This solution used again will work out into the future and there will be no need to borrow money to fund the "Private Accounts".

Fairness

Today all who make less than $90,000 pay a 6.2% tax on their wages and the employer also pays 6.2%. Believe me there are people who make more than $90,000 a year. These persons are not paying as high a percentage of income as those sweating to make ends meet at $50,000. A person making $180,000 a year pays 3.1% of income. It is Not Fair in my opinion to provide the safety net for 3.1% of wages to wealthy, when everyone earning under $90,000 is paying 6.2% --- Twice that percentage.

Solution

Reconstitute the Commission to review the Funding .... Eliminate the Cap... Adjust retirement age if necessary...

Make Social Security Mandatory for All wage earners. For example teachers in Texas are exempt from participation.

Enhancements to Encourage Retirement Savings

Make the 401K, 403b, Teacher Retirement, and other Tax deferred plans mandatory at age 30. Promote Generous matching contributions by employers. Continue to enforce penalties for early withdrawal.

I found that when we retired we paid more in taxes than when we were working. I was surprised, because I had always heard that taxes would go down due to a lower living expenses. We found, however, that our "Living Expenses" rose dramatically. We had more time to spend having fun, and we spent more money having fun than we ever could have while working. That lasted for the first five years of retirement...

It sure would be a great incentive for Retirement Savings if the withdrawals were taxed at a lower rate than Ordinary Income... We do it for Capital Gains! We do it For Social Security Income! Why not for Retirement Income from bona fide plans?

Summary

Strengthen the Social Security Net... It works!

Make Retirement Savings Accounts mandatory for all wage earners age 30 and above. Contributions by both Employer and Employee are Tax free going in. This is true Ownership. Make these programs "No Brainer Attractive" so all will take advantage of these plans.

Greenspan should love it.

Debate 1 Kerry Scores Well

I was Overjoyed by John Kerry's performance in the first Debate on Foriegn Policy... Mainly Iraq.

John Kerry's message on Iraq is quite clear. Saddam Hussein was a threat yet we did not need to rush to war without a plan for peace. Diplomacy should have been exhausted.

I would go further and say the war was not justified. Our sanctions were working and Saddam Hussein was not a threat to our security. But I can accept his position.

Kerry went further and assured the nation that he would stay the course in Iraq but would strive to bring the international community into the solution.

Bush presented no plan for securing Iraq and at one point even fell back to his misleading rhetoric saying that "the enemy attacked us," presenting the impression that Iraq was somehow linked to the attacks on September 11.

Bush spreads confusion when he links Al-Qeada with Iraq.
But he is consistent in his confusion.

Ed Herndon
October 5, 2004

Time To Change Leaders

At the time Bill Clinton left office, he briefed incoming president George Bush that the most pressing foreign problem was the defeat of Al Qaeda. George disagreed and said he was sure Saddam Hussien was the biggest threat and that he was going to do something about Iraq.

Michael Moore in his recent documentary reveals a very chummy relationship between the Bush Family and the Saudi Arabian Monarchy. It goes a long way toward explaining why George Bush was so hot to get Saddam even before the September 11 attack. You really ought to see Fahrenheit 9/11 to get the real scoop on George's performance.

More recently the 9/11 Commission points out that Bush was briefed a month before 9/11 of the Osama ben Laden threat. He was still focused on Iraq. After 9/11 he did not pursue the enemy immediately so Osama is still at large.

In my pre war comment I noted that the sanctions appeared to be working and felt we should just keep Saddam bottled up. In my year ago comment I too asked where are the Weapons of Mass Destruction? Why this reckless war?

In the past year we have gone from "Liberator" to "Hated Occupier", and we have lost our reputation of "Peacemaker" and gained the sobriquet "Gunslinger".

I don't think George Bush is can fix the problems he has created with this reckless war.

It Is Time for a Change.

Ed Herndon
August 29.2004

Medicare Prescription Benefit Ripoff

In My Opinion

It did not take a lot of analysis to persuade me. The Medicare Prescription Benefit is not a Benefit; it is a Rip Off.

Here are the facts: Joining the prescription plan means a $420 annual Premium. There is a $250 annual deductible. The plan pays 75% of Prescription Drugs between the $250 deductible and $2250. From $2250 to $3600 it pays Nothing. After $3600 The Plan pays 95% of prescription costs.

This rather complex formula is plotted in the figure below. The Green Line labeled Cost shows what you will pay for your Drugs. The Red Line shows what you pay without any coverage. The Blue line is your Savings line. Blue = Red - Green .



The Blue line is interesting. You don't save a cent until your drug costs reach $810. The maximum benefit is $1080. Well, you ask, what's wrong with that? If you are unfortunate enough to have bills from $2250 to $3600 you are stuck with no more coverage.

It is not clear to me whether Drugs purchased in Canada will be covered by the plan. I doubt it. That's what many do to Save money. If you save 33% by purchasing in Canada your drug costs are shown by the Yellow Line. This line crosses the Green Line at $1500. That means you don't save a cent until your drug costs reach $1500. $1500 is interesting to me because that's about what I pay each year.

Quite obviously if you can save 40% the crossover point moves further out.

For Most people the wisest thing to do is to self insure and shop for your drugs in Canada.

The big beneficiary of this program is the Drug companies. Seniors joining the plan will buy their drugs at high US Prices. They will be not be covered for Shopping in Canada. The Administration of the program will be oursourced to the Big insurance companies. What is missing is a strong government hand to negotiate reduced drug prices for the Medicare program. Meanwhile the Republicans will fleece the vast majority of Seniors to the tune of $420 a year. If enough seniors join the plan it could become a great source of revenue.

Unfortunately my Congressman, Tom DeLay, is at the Heart of this conspiracy. Writing him would be no help. And President George Bush, the misguided, thinks he is a big hero for providing this Benefit to Medicare recipients.

The only good feature of the program is that you can opt out. Which is what I will do.

Marion said "Your Blood Pressure is too High." I know Why.


Ed H
Dec.31, 2003

Reckless War

George Bush lead us to war because, he said, there was an immanent threat from Saddam Hussein and his Weapons of Mass Destruction.

We have not found any. In the mean time we have made a mess in Iraq, ruined friendships around the world, and piled up a lot of bills to pay. Not to mention needlessly placing our brave soldiers in harm's way.

We had him bottled up and he was certainly not a threat to the US. One false move and he would become history, as we aptly showed. We did not have to start a war; we have never done so in the past. Now we have a reputation as "Gunslinger."

This was reckless behavior. I agree with Wesley Clark.

It's time for a regime change. (In Washington DC)

Ed H

No Need to Attack Iraq

I feel we have made our point. Iraq has not cooperated on Disarmament.
The world seems to acknowledge that as a fact.

We have bottled up Iraq with sanctions. We have No Fly Zones where only we can fly.
We routinely blast Iraq Radar and SAM sites. It is doubtful that Iraq could mount a serious
offensive strike against any nation.

It seems we are in control of the situation. Certainly more so than Iraq.

It is not time for War... It is time for letting the message sink in.

The World wants Iraq to disarm. War is unnecessary; just keep up the pressure.

In time Iraq will change, if only because it needs to survive.

Patience is OK.

Ed H

Smoke and Mirrors Tax Relief

The President's proposed Tax Break on Dividend Income is smoke-and-mirrors economics in its highest form. My retirement funds are in tax-deferred 401(k) and conventional IRA plans. These plans collect dividends now, but do not pay taxes on them. So there is NO double taxation, the principal reason advanced by the Bush Administration to abolish such taxation.

When I withdraw money from my IRA or my 401(k), I pay taxes as ordinary income on the withdrawals. That's the way these retirement savings programs work. Contributions, capital gains, and dividends are all taxed. That's where the double taxation occurs. The President is not proposing to exempt any of THESE dividends from taxation.

The only people who will benefit from removing individual taxes on dividends are the very wealthy who have large holdings in taxable brokerage accounts. We, the working middle class, put the overwhelming majority of our savings into our tax-deferred retirement plans. We will see no tax reduction at all.

In short, the working middle class sees no benefit. Only the very wealthy do.

Now you see tax relief. Now you don't.

Ed H