Keep Dithering, Idiots

A recent editorial entitled "Deadly dithering: People are dying while politicians debate health care" which printed in the Sunday Trib states:

"A report by Families USA, whose Web site decribes it as a national nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that advocates for high-quality, affordable health care, estimates that three people between the ages of 25 and 64 die in Utah every week because they did not have health insurance."

"A lack of adequate health care led to the deaths of 150 Utahns in 2006 and more than 800 between 2000 and 2006, the report declares."

Let's put aside the question of how these estimations are made, and focus on a few key facts:

"A lack of adequate health care" does not mean inadequate health insurance, although that is clearly what the report and the editorial want you to think.

150 deaths in 2006 equals 0.98% of the total deaths in Utah for that year. So we're talking about less than one percent. This is not the halocaust, folks.

If you are uninsured in the state of Utah, it's more likely by choice rather than circumstance. Having spent a good portion of my career as a health insurance agent, I can tell you from personal experience that the most common reason for going without health care coverage is that people just don't think they need it.

Most people, especially younger people, are relatively healthy, and don't feel they need health coverage. Or at least, they won't go out of their way to purchase it. More than that, no one will give up their Starbucks, McDonald's and Coca-Cola or their gas-guzzling pickup truck in order to work health insurance into the budget.

The irony is, once you need health insurance, it's too late. It's your good health that buys health insurance, the money just pays for it. My advice: get a policy in force while you're young and healthy. Not only is it more affordable then, but you'll be glad you had it when you need it. And you WILL need it eventually.

Now for those who are unaware, here are your options for health care coverage in Utah: If your employer doesn't offer Group coverage, you can get individual coverage. If you are medically declined, there's the state High-Risk Insurance Pool (HIP). If you are low-income, there's Medicaid. If you don't qualify for Medicaid, and can't afford a Major Medical policy, there's Limited Medical, HSA's, and Catastrophic Coverage available. (Or perhaps you should consider trading in your pick-up truck.) You can even get a Health Savings Discount Card for about $15.00 which will get you discounted PPO rates for doctor and hospital services.

I support the following Health Care Reforms found in The Comprehensive Health Care Reform Act (H.R. 3343):

http://action.downsizedc.org/wyc.php?cid=90

Do you ever wonder why computers get better, faster and cheaper while health care gets slower, poorer, and more expensive?

Which is regulated more?

Next time you find yourself inclined to advocate for a Communist health care system, ask yourself honestly, "how much more like the DMV do I want my doctor's office to be?

I'm going straight to Hell for this one

The media here in Utah is all aglow over these "Pliggies" the Texas department of opression has been rounding up and sorting out. I wanted to avoid barking about this particular topic, and did a pretty good job holding out ... for a whole day. So not that it matters at all, allow me to precipitate my vomitous thought on the topic.

First of all, why is polygamy, or more accurately, polyamory illegal? Could someone please explain this to me? You see, from my point of view, freedom is inclusive of non-agressive acts between consenting adults. Polygamy/polyamory between consenting adults is generally a non-agressive act, participated in voluntarily, when it's legal.

Now this FLDS case in Texas is empowering all the fidgety marms in law-enforcement and renewing the public's revulsion toward polygamy/polyamory. They are continually vandalizing our televisions prattling on about the rampant and obvious child abuse (kid fucking, brainwashing) occuring within the confines of this FLDS community. "You see!" they proclaim, "Polygamy is wrong and inevitably leads to child abuse!"

But with all the twaddle spewing forth from the media, there is one huge elephant in the living room of which no one is speaking. And that is this: how did this community come in to being in the first place? What circumstances created the perceived necessity for the FLDS founders to confine and isolate themselves?

Put simply, that great big elephant is the government's prohibition of polygamy. It is this prohibition which caused the Fundamentalists to isolate themselves in closed communitites, intermarrying, brainwashing, kid fucking, and the whole bit. You see, when the government prohibits a behavior, that behavior doesn't stop, it simply goes underground. So it is with polygamy that those who wish to practice it must confine themselves in closed communities, isolated from the outside world, in order to protect themselves from what they perceive as religious persecution.

Over time, the leaders of these underground societies are sure to become corrupted, abusing their power over their followers. Always they use brainwashing. And sometimes they turn to kid fucking.

What the leaders of this religious sect did was wrong, inexcusably wrong. Let me be very clear about that. These are evil, evil men.

But it's high time to realize that it is the government's prohibition on their religious practices which creates the environment in which these evil acts can occur.

May our chains rest lightly upon us

West Jordan Mayor David Newton insults and disgusts me with the following defense of a proposed new tax for the city's residents:

"We don't want to raise prices, but like any business, when prices for the material that we buy and the labor that we hire goes up that needs to be passed on to the consumer," he said.

Mr. Newton, government is not a business. Nor is it LIKE a business. Businesses obtain their funds voluntarily, by providing it's customers with a product or service in exchange for a mutually agreed upon fee. Or by providing investors with cause to expect a higher return on their investments. Or by borrowing against its assets. All of these means are voluntary.

A government obtains its funding through coercive taxation. This is not voluntary. Taxes are not prices. I don't get to choose to pay taxes. I MUST pay taxes. OR ELSE. Need I point out the gun in the room?

Here's an idea: If your services are becoming too expensive to provide, how about not providing them? If there is indeed a market demand, there will be a business ready to provide that service for a fee that is reasonable to both the business and the consumer.

It's not rocket surgery. It's freedom.

Let's just monopolize everything, then!

Suppose you were recieving a service, say, a refuse and recycling home pick up service from a private business. Suppose that you were paying a monthly fee for this service. Now suppose that you were, for some reason or another, dissatisfied with this service. What would you do?

Go ahead, think about it for a minute or two.

My bet is that you would discontinue this service with a not too polite call to the purveyor. I would also venture that you would seek another vendor to provide this service to you.

According to the Bluffdale City Council, this type of freedom is simply unacceptable.

"It approved a new ordinance requiring residents to participate in the citywide collection - whether they want to or not. The service comes at a minimal cost of $13 for one trash can and one recycling bin."

But it's okay, because it's ONLY $13 per month. So what's the big deal right?

Thank you City of Bluffdale, we certainly needed $13 per month more fascism in our lives. Now, could you please move on to the critical business of voting on what I must have for dinner?

mmmmm ... Soylent Green. My favorite.

Recovery

I've been meaning to resurrect this blog for quite some time, now. So here I go ...

Since I'm an opinionated bastard, I'm going to continue my focus on news, current events and making fun of the retards who spoon-feed your ideas to you.

So relax, splash some cold water on your face, and get ready for a swift kick in the arse.