vernbvb's Comments (250)

“I agree with most of what you say. No, the Obama Administration is not dithering and I hope that is not what i have posted implies. But, the Administration is listening a little too much to all the noisemakers, including McChrystal, and letting a lot of the noise weigh in on decisionmaking. I realize that the politics involved always have to be considered, but like you, I voted for a "thinking" president in whom I have much respect and confidence in his ability to lead. I just don't think he should give others too much room to talk him down on issues. Listen to advisors, Dept. heads, Senators et al, but he should sift through the politics and the bull in making decisions. Again, I think the change regarding Guatanamo was not good for PO's image as a leader. He made a decision and changed his mind after meeting with his advisors and in the process, he lost a very good lawyer and advisor. I think we need our President to make job creation and job training the highest priority right now. The wars along with Corporate theft have sucked our economy to the bone and it is time we stop sending all this money in the name of wars to Corporate and political crooks.

President Obama needs to treat this country as though it were at war and work across the aisles to come up with a strategy to save us. Bring the troops and the money home!”

“Basically, you give the community a chance to come together with local businesses, non profits, CC, political entities and local citizens to assess their strengths and come up with a plan which may or may not include coalescing with several entities. These plans should include ways that new jobs or retraining can be implemented. Working with various entities might also serve to bring in grant money for innovtive ideas. One idea i have that i want to implement in a small community i am working with is revitalization which will involve job training opportunities for the unemployed where they can receive a stipend as well as opportunities to volunteer to assist in helping to revitalize the community. I am sure if communities organize there are many innovative things they can do to stimulate the economy even if in a small way.”

“The biggest problem I see with the Obama Administration addressing the issue of unemployment and other issues is that they keep trying to second guess themselves and appear to be taking advice from the wrong advisors. And, they are letting the noisemakers affect decisions they make which in essence allows those noisemakers to be the ones effecting policy and other decisions. The problem of not supporting his top lawyer and waivering on his decision to close Guatanamo is a prime example. Bush Administration appointees and supporters made so much noise that the Administration became doubtful of its initial strategy and allowed themselves to be talked down.

Now, the same thing is happening with the issue of unemployment. The stimulus cannot be the only strategy the Administration is looking at when it comes to job development and job training. Obama needs town hall meetings in communities across the country focusing on job development, retraining, coalescing and community organization. The Administration should make this a bipartisan effort to address the needs of communities in all Congressional districts.

The issue of unemployment and job readyness is a critical one which demands immediate attention. The President and his Administration cannot, for the sake of this country's economic survival, afford to waiver nor can they allow the noisemakers to make them doubtful and indecisive.”

“Americans really ought to rally against Congress for "dithering". While our country faces crises in healthcare, unemployment, housing and other financial areas, members of Congress act as though the lives of Americans who aren't rich don't matter. They sit and argue about how much individuals can be penalized for not purchasing health insurance; they argue about which treatments should be treated as priorities; they argue about whether or not they are going to support healthcare reform. Those who are watching and suffering because of the economy can only get angrier and angrier at each representative involved because the bottom line is- Mainstream America does not matter to many of them.

And, Mainstream America wasted a lot of time being manipulated into responding to the call to be dissidents in townhall meetings and other forums/rallies. Once this healthcare reform initiative comes to an end, the voting populace needs to send a message to their representative about their poor representation and their manipulive behavior which confused the issues for many. They should actively start seeking individuals willing to go to Washington and focus on solving the critical problems our country is facing.”

“Supposedly, buttering the outside of a paper bag prevented scorching and I must say that it worked. And it really worked better than Reynold's turkey bags but now i use them mainly because it is not a messy task to do so.”

“LMAO!”

“I have never basted a turkey in my life. When I was young, an older lady gave me a recipe which was the best i ever used for baking turkey. It was very simple but involved using a brown paper bag.
First, you buttered the outside of the bag all over. Salt and pepper turkey then rub inside with poultry seasoning and place celery stalks and onion inside cavity. Place turkey inside bag and fold ends under. Bake @360 for about 3 to 4 hours. Now I used this recipe for about 4 years and it was wonderful. Then I switched to Reynolds turkey bags but still season the same. My stuffing is cornbread and sometimes i cheat with Pepperidge Farm Herb seasoned stuffing mix and cornbread. But, I always add at least 3 to 4 bunches of green onions along with stock, celery, sage, poultry seasoning, eggs, salt and pepper. Real simple but yummy. My family would kill me if i changed that recipe.”

“You're joking, right?”

“The real problem with this bill is the way it was initially put forth. The President had a site where everyone was encouraged to have input. Then he invited insurance companies, pharmaceutical companies and other profiteers to the table to give their input.. Corporate America should not have been allowed to drive this legislation from the start. Physicians such as yourself and other caring healthcare professionals should have had more of a role. The legislation is a ridiculous mass of disconnected, convoluted confusing language designed to maintain the status quo. Real reform would have included an exhaustive evaluation of healthcare in its present state with recommendations based on findings (in other words, Congress would not have been allowed to use cost of reform as its primary measure and indicator for change). Congress's only job should have been to vote on recommendations from committees made up of healthcare professionals. The fact that Congress was allowed to politicize a serious social problem in America speaks to the flawed process of how the government responds to a problem.”

“Well, I LOVE it ! ! !”

“I can only hope that as the Senate debates the bill, some of that compassion for the people that Bush used to talk about finds its way to a majority of our Senators. We need them to stop posturing and campaigning and trying to sabotage the President. They should evaluate the problems with healthcare that too many Americans are facing. If they don't think they can manage to pass strong changing legislation, they should table the legislation. What we don't need is weak legislation that penalizes poor people while rewarding Corporate America.”

“As sad as it makes me to admit it, you are probably right. We should just pull the legislation and not take a vote because the legislation is so convoluted and will definitely reward insurance, pharmaceutical and other medical entities. If regulation was difficult before, it will become impossible with this ridiculous bill. Initially, i was glad to see it pass the House, but if the Senate cannot get a strong public option or single payor bill on the table, then the bill will do more harm than good.

The proposed legislation in its present form will penalize poor people while rewarding Corporate America. It also will infringe on a woman's right to choose especially if she is poor (isn't that discrimination?).

I don't like Medicare at all. It is riddled with fraud and corruption. I am a Gerontologist and have become frustrated at how medical equipment companies, therapists and specialists abuse Medicare.
What we need is a single payor system with well defined regulations, monitoring and stiff penalties for abuse.

I love your idea about supporting medical students who go into primary care but I support any program rewarding medical students in all areas and believe that an interdisciplinary approach with strong emphasis on preventative maintenance and geriatric care would enhance healthcare in general.”

“Fanned and faved! Very wise!”

“You have touched on many concerns which I have regarding our President's initiatives to make a number of changes in many areas. But, President Obama hasn't failed us yet. He is trying to do so much and in order to do a more effective job, I think he needs different advisors in a few areas. When it comes to the military involvement in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan, I think he is not being well served by his advisors. He has generals leaking memos and going to meetings discussing strategies before the Commander-in-Chief weighs in. Many factions want wars to continue because they are benefitting from them. Closing of Guatanamo has become a political hot potato. The President should make a decision regarding the closing date and stand by it. He cannot be perfect but he needs to be more decisive when it comes to security issues.

I don't agree with you that our President lacks substance. He has accomplished a lot but at the same time he has not been able to get his party behind him.

The author made some excellent points in his propositions and within those propositions challenges were addressed. These challenges (healthcare reform, gay rights, economy, etc) are also the perceived weakness of the administration and some are hoping that the Adm. will fail.

It isn't that President Obama is failing us, it is that he trusts Congress and Administrative personnel to provide leadership in addressing America's problems, but they are coming up short.”

“David I love President Obama and you too, but I beg to differ. There is a significant difference between the candidate Obama and President Obama. Candidate Obama demonstrated great leadership in bringing democrats together when it was necessary. President Obama appears to be looking for the leadership to come from various others on key issues. Because of the makeup of both major parties, and the President's desire for Congress to show bipartisanship while working on legislative issues, most of the Obama Administration's initiatives are an exercise in futility. Leadership in Congress is extremely weak and there is so much disrespect of the President by some of the conservative republicans. We need our President to lead strongly for the next few years and for him to get the Bluedog democrats and the liberal democrats to find a way to work together for the good of all the people. it is not his fault that some have hidden agendas or that some want to show loyalty to certain groups or principles. But, before the administration decides to make public the decision to work on a legislative initiative, they should analyze and evaluate the possibility of success. Then, if they decide to make public, the Administration needs to get out in front of it because change requires real leadership.”

“Bill, it may well be that Prez Obama is pacing himself but he cannot afford to have a "getting to know you year" with the Congress which we have in place. The real problem is that our President made the mistake of thinking Congress was competent enough to draft legislation with weak leadership. Our legislators for the most part are making decisions based on their self interests and the interests of individuals and corporations who pay to play.

We have already witnessed for the past 8 years what this type of decision making yields. Hopefully it is not too late for the President to pick up the gauntlet again and guide our legislators as we wait for competent leaders to emerge who will do what they were elected to do while always being mindful of the general welfare of the entire populace.

As far as I am concerned, they can put healthcare reform on hold until a more rational approach can be taken to draft a thoughtful and meaningful piece of legislation which will address healthcare needs of all Americans.”

“The Obama Administration should try a new approach with Commissions. Any serious research and evaluation pertaining to the economy, healthcare, Social Security Cap and Trade should include experts and scholars who are not part of major corporations, lobbyists, legislators or political think tanks and other orgs. Appointments would be confirmed by the President after recommendations and screenings from various individuals and organizations. This is one way we can stop the misinformation and biased polls and reports. The final report would be sent to the GAO for review and then on to Congress. Congress would then have valid facts to utilize for making informed decisions.

Right now our legislators look like an unorganized group of wannabe's groping their way through many hidden agendas. Whatever happened to the intellectual capacity with which elected representatives are supposed to be endowed?”

“Parents have to intervene. This behavior cannot be allowed and we have to treat them harshly unless we want it to escalate. Think of a teen in a locked bathroom with his cell texting to a girl in her bathroom. Suppose this escalates to both of them sending texts to each other with images of each of them masturbating. If you are concerned about minors, then get on board with those of us who want our teens to have a fun, healthy life free of unnecessary serious criminal offenses.

It is just an unhealthy thing for them to be doing in more ways than one and it will take serious parental involvement to help prevent this behavior or they may find themselves facing criminal charges.”

“This is a disturbing trend and one that has made sex more casual than the '60's and '70's era. I am now of the opinion that all teens should have their text messages monitored. Parents may not catch all the nude or pornographic pictures (that's right, i said pornographic), but just the knowledge that they are going to be monitored may help prevent some of the nudity texting. We all know that during adolescence, the hormones are raging. Not a lot we can do if teens decide to engage in sex or to have what they call phone sex. We can though, help prevent the immoral trend of sending pornographic images on their cells. I don't allow my grands to take phones in bathroom anymore. Parents should know they are using it for more than talking and listening to music.

If i seem to be going on and on about this, it is because i was privy to the interception of a pornographic image sent to my friend's daughter. It was clear that he was in the bathroom taking a pic of himself with a full erection. The erection in my opinion made it hardcore porn. My friend immediately erased it after we both looked at it. She didnt share with her husband or try to find out who the young man was, although i suspect she had an idea. Parents have to be responsible for teaching their kids about these illegalities because they can have serious ramifications.”

“Sounds like you are talking about Bush. We are talking about OBAMA here and he certainly is no GW.”

“Aside from a general who is trying to undermine the President, President Obama has another problem. Making decisions about WAR is a serious business and one which requires intelligence from advisors and the Pentagon that is not politically or monetarily motivated. As intelligent as he is, our President's lack of a military background is somewhat of a weakness for him. It shouldnt be a weakness, but it is precisely because of the politicization of the war in Iraq and Afghanastan. It is sad when you have your advisors and generals campaigning for their strategies before the President has weighed in. They should be meeting with him and not with NATO defense ministers without the President's approval and the President's strategy. It is totally inappropriate. But, if the President gave approval then he is definitely misleading us and not being transparent.

The war in Afghanistan and Iraq has been totally mishandled from the beginning in my opinion. We are putting our troops in harms way without a decisive plan of action and we keep changing our purpose and our minds about what we should be doing in both wars. Let's just bring our troops home and fight terrorism at home. For years the Soviets had nuclear missles but we weren't in Russia trying to make sure they didnt use nuclear arms against us.”

“My heart goes out to physicians. While some of them are very adept at using insurance systems including Medicare, others get really nervous about using treatments and interventions which might be preventative for fear of being denied by insurance companies. Sometimes when physicians who are understaffed try to serve a large clientele, they just don't have time to assess their client for preventative measures. A number of physicians don't have time to monitor their clients when starting new treatments or new meds. Monitoring should be a necessary component of physician's practices so that they can evaluate how their prescribed treatment is working or so that they can intervene early if they see evidence of a problem with the treatment. But most physicians rely on clients' self-reporting which, while important, is not good enough if the focus is on preventative care. Sound evaluations, individualized treatment plans, education and monitoring should be the foundation of preventative care.

It is critical that insurance companies and their "casemanagers" get out of the way of physicians and allow them to do their job. If a physician writes an order for a procedure, it should not be denied or put on hold by a casemanager. Instead they should consult with the physician if they have a question or let the physician know if the insurance can't cover the client any longer. But all medical decisions should belong to the physician. Give them their respect.”

“Something strange happened as I tried to contact Republican Senators in my district. I received the same phone message on each of their phones every time I dialed their number. In essence, the message informed me that the phones were not operating at the time. No busy signal, no voicemail, no "all lines are busy" but the same strange message which made me think i had dialed a wrong number. As a matter of fact I entered wrong on the call report. Now i am wondering if something unethical wasn't going on.”

“I noticed that too, but I keep praying that as the plan unfolds, these elements will show themselves specifically because Obama PROMISED the American populace.

If he can't keep this promise (even though it is not the best healthcare reform) the poor will continue to get poorer and sicker and many middleclass Americans will find themselves in real financial trouble all because of the inflated cost of health care which any other plan will cause.

Because of the disparity in incomes between the top 10 percent of the country and the rest of working class Americans, we cannot expect the economic situation to get anything but worse. Healthcare will not be much of an option for a lot of people because they will be using most of whatever income they are left with to survive and pay for mandatory insurances and taxes. So, even if they have health insurance they will not be able to afford the deductibles, copays, and don't even think about labs, vision, and dental care.”

“Twice this guy called ACORN a "criminal organization". That is both slanderous and scandalous!!”