What a relief! 5 - 4 the Supreme Court of the United States has upheld the Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare) to be Constitutional. My Facebook is exploding with anti-Obama comments, some pulling out the so-called 'death panels' and other crap that was proven to be false before the law ever passed. I am starting to rethink some of these people on my friends list.
The individual mandate, which was the crux of the constitutionality question, was declared legal but NOT using the Commerce clause. According to Justice Kennedy (paraphrasing here) Congress has the right to levy taxes and it is under that right that the mandate can be upheld. If a person chooses to purchase health insurance they are given a tax break, but a person choosing to not purchase health insurance will be taxed to pay for their care.
I have been a nervous wreck about this one, especially after the Citizen's United ruling was upheld earlier this week. I am thrilled and overwhelmed that the Supreme Court has upheld this law. It does not affect me personally at this time, thanks to DSD's Navy retirement we are covered under Tricare, but I have been that person. I have had to decide between decent food and prescriptions for my child because we could not afford healthcare with a 3 year old with asthma - IF we could have found someone to cover us.
Today is a wonderful day for our country and for so many people who are able to find coverage with a pre-existing condition or to cover a child with a pre-existing condition.
Tonight I shall raise a glass to those 5 who were smart enough to know that this is the best thing for our country and the people in it.
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Juneteenth....
"Celebrated on June 19, the term is a portmanteau of June and nineteenth,and is recognized as a state holiday or state holiday observance in 41 states of the United States," according to my friend, Tracy. Just another example of an important piece of our nation's history that is not really taught in our schools. "It marks the day in 1865 when slaves in south Texas first heard news about the Emancipation Proclamation, more than two years after their freedom had been proclaimed." Of course in Florida's schools if it isn't tested on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) it really isn't important - and there is no history or government questions on the test. Yes, our graduates could be stars on Jay Leno's Man on the Street interviews... showing everything they do not know!
I've missed so much and I have many opinions about all of it, of course. Apparently Florida has done something correctly by the court's declaring that George Zimmerman (and his wife!) are liars and throwing him back in jail. If you perjure yourself once, does that make it impossible for you to even testify in court in the future? I mean, if I am willing to lie about money, won't I obviously lie about the killing of another human being?
Poor Wisconsin - I was on vacation (more about that later) so missed all of the news leading up to and after the election, but WHAT HAPPENED? I read somewhere that the people voted him back in because their only other choice was almost as bad - was that the issue? Someone (besides Florida's Tricky Rick) is worse than Scott Walker?
Arizona didn't fall for the TEA Bagger's BS though, so that is nice. It would be such a slap in the face of Ms. Giffords if her pain and suffering was further exacerbated by electing someone who stood for everything she opposes!
The economy is still pretty horrible. We are doing alright, but so many are not. The foreclosures are still growing, the unemployment is not shrinking, and many programs are going broke. Greece has been on the verge of defaulting. Great Britain's unemployment for those just graduating high school is (don't quote me) something like 30%. Are there any answers? Is the entire world crashing down upon our shoulders? I mean it has to be all the Liberal politics, right, because even the ultra-liberal Australia is.... well, they are doing GREAT!!! Hmmmm, what is the secret? The recession hit them just as it did the rest of the world, what has Australia done differently that their government may show an actual surplus next year (2013?). Did they take austerity even further than Greece has? HELL NO! They raised freaking taxes and SPENT money on government programs to put people back to work. Seems like there is a certain President who has been trying to do that for over 3 years.... yet his programs are failing? Horseshit!
On a more personal note, DSD and I spent an amazing 8 days (10 if you count travel) in Calfornia. El Dorado county, where the wine was good. Sacramento where we enjoyed the Train Museum and Old Sacramento and 2 1/2 days running around San Francisco trying to DO IT ALL. We failed at doing everything, but we had a great time! (Pictures... no, REALLY... will be forthcoming)
And yesterday the lovely FedEx man brought my diploma! It's REAL! I will try to get a picture of that up also.
I am trying to catch up with all of you, but it is slow going! I hope to be back in less than a month!
Happy Juneteenth!
I've missed so much and I have many opinions about all of it, of course. Apparently Florida has done something correctly by the court's declaring that George Zimmerman (and his wife!) are liars and throwing him back in jail. If you perjure yourself once, does that make it impossible for you to even testify in court in the future? I mean, if I am willing to lie about money, won't I obviously lie about the killing of another human being?
Poor Wisconsin - I was on vacation (more about that later) so missed all of the news leading up to and after the election, but WHAT HAPPENED? I read somewhere that the people voted him back in because their only other choice was almost as bad - was that the issue? Someone (besides Florida's Tricky Rick) is worse than Scott Walker?
Arizona didn't fall for the TEA Bagger's BS though, so that is nice. It would be such a slap in the face of Ms. Giffords if her pain and suffering was further exacerbated by electing someone who stood for everything she opposes!
The economy is still pretty horrible. We are doing alright, but so many are not. The foreclosures are still growing, the unemployment is not shrinking, and many programs are going broke. Greece has been on the verge of defaulting. Great Britain's unemployment for those just graduating high school is (don't quote me) something like 30%. Are there any answers? Is the entire world crashing down upon our shoulders? I mean it has to be all the Liberal politics, right, because even the ultra-liberal Australia is.... well, they are doing GREAT!!! Hmmmm, what is the secret? The recession hit them just as it did the rest of the world, what has Australia done differently that their government may show an actual surplus next year (2013?). Did they take austerity even further than Greece has? HELL NO! They raised freaking taxes and SPENT money on government programs to put people back to work. Seems like there is a certain President who has been trying to do that for over 3 years.... yet his programs are failing? Horseshit!
On a more personal note, DSD and I spent an amazing 8 days (10 if you count travel) in Calfornia. El Dorado county, where the wine was good. Sacramento where we enjoyed the Train Museum and Old Sacramento and 2 1/2 days running around San Francisco trying to DO IT ALL. We failed at doing everything, but we had a great time! (Pictures... no, REALLY... will be forthcoming)
And yesterday the lovely FedEx man brought my diploma! It's REAL! I will try to get a picture of that up also.
I am trying to catch up with all of you, but it is slow going! I hope to be back in less than a month!
Happy Juneteenth!
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