tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-974773076690597683.post994221378263212237..comments2024-03-27T18:00:02.032-04:00Comments on Sardonicky: Rush Limbaugh, Liberal TrailblazerKaren Garciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15612731479365562803noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-974773076690597683.post-65914379315024950812013-11-26T19:46:58.010-05:002013-11-26T19:46:58.010-05:00Zee, many thanks for your input.Zee, many thanks for your input.CitizenXnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-974773076690597683.post-66137708314973849242013-11-26T19:28:31.178-05:002013-11-26T19:28:31.178-05:00@CitizenX--
Several New Mexico law enforcement ag...@CitizenX--<br /><br />Several New Mexico law enforcement agencies are under close scrutiny at the moment for alleged improprieties, to the alarm of those of us who value our civil rights—even sorta-Conservatives like me who <i> try </i> to give the cops the benefit of the doubt when circumstances are not entirely clear.<br /><br />First, the Albuquerque Police Department is under investigation by the Department of Justice for alleged civil rights violations in the wake of several years' worth of questionable police killings:<br /><br />http://www.koat.com/news/new-mexico/albuquerque/dojs-apd-investigation-nearly-one-year-old/-/9153728/22629256/-/s93bwb/-/index.html<br /><br />Next, cops in southern New Mexico have clearly exceeded their authority with unwarranted, excessive and thoroughly undignified “body cavity searches” that—apart from having been entirely illegal to do—came up “empty,” if you will:<br /><br />http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/06/justice/new-mexico-search-lawsuit/<br /><br />Just a few days ago, New Mexico State Police ran amok when a woman whom they had pulled over for a routine traffic stop unwisely decided to flee—a couple of times—with a car full of children.<br /><br />http://www.taosnews.com/news/article_8f887fc2-51f1-11e3-ae5b-001a4bcf887a.html<br /><br />The “vaginal macing” of an inmate in the Bernallilo County Detention Center (BCDC) by a corrections officer (CO) was news to me—I had to Google the story—but nothing coming out of BCDC would surprise me these days, where COs have been charged with having sex with female prisoners, a female CO became pregnant by a <i> prisoner, </i> multiple COs have been accused of smuggling drugs in for prisoners, there have been numerous charges of rapes by COs, and COs have been charged with forcing prisoners to fight for the entertainment of the guards.<br /><br />http://www.kob.com/article/stories/s3226379.shtml#.UpU0ZcTn_IW<br /><br />As to “what gives?”, as I said, I think even Conservatives like me are becoming quite alarmed at the conduct of our various police forces throughout the state, and we are grateful that the ACLU and the local media have been covering these stories.<br /><br />To what do I attribute the increasingly brutal and corrupt behavior of <i> some </i> of our police? Well, I just don't entirely know. I have a certain amount of interaction with APD owing to my participation in a neighborhood association: they all seem highly professional, restrained and, yes, even empathetic, as I have related to Sardonickistas regarding the help they have offered, and watchful eye that they have kept, on a dear friend of ours who has a total, psychotic break with reality.<br /><br />I would like to explain it away as merely a few bad apples spoiling the barrel, but I am concerned that there may be more to it than that. If I were to blame anything, I would say it relates to an increasing arrogance on the part of those in authority in our country—right up to and including the Prez—that they have the right—maybe even the responsibility—to do whatever it takes to impose <i> their version of the law </i> on everybody else.<br /><br />And the increasing amount of firepower that they have at their disposal at a moment's notice doesn't help, either.Zeenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-974773076690597683.post-51694346986413463902013-11-26T18:50:43.938-05:002013-11-26T18:50:43.938-05:00Zee, (and Karen)
Pardon me for barging in, but Ze...Zee, (and Karen)<br /><br />Pardon me for barging in, but Zee is the only NM citizen I know. What the heck is up with your police force? First the internal exams and now mace to the vagina? What's the buzz out there?CitizenXnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-974773076690597683.post-36069867196090712612013-11-26T18:40:36.775-05:002013-11-26T18:40:36.775-05:00As I have tried to explain before, I don't see...As I have tried to explain before, I don't see health care as a “right.” It's a <i> service </i> provided <i> by </i> people <i> to </i> other people: no provider, no right. But it's a service that we should offer to all citizens if we—as a wealthy, nominally advanced society—have the resources to do so. <br /><br />But be that as it may, I'm inclined to agree with Valerie. Something that is seen as being “free” <i> will </i> be abused, to the detriment of the providers and those who actually foot the bill. I think that Fred has found a straightforward solution to the “moral dilemma” that Noodge has raised: Require a co-pay proportional to income in order to place <i> some </i> restraint on “perpetual patients.”Zeenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-974773076690597683.post-43123984731191762042013-11-26T13:59:11.535-05:002013-11-26T13:59:11.535-05:00@VLT (and @all):
I agree that at least in the U.S...@VLT (and @all):<br /><br />I agree that at least in the U.S., people are often too quick to run to the doctor, and one could indeed argue for a co-pay as deterrent to prevent unwarranted use of the system. However, as Noodge points out, the impact --- and therefore, deterrence --- of a co-pay can vary widely, inconsequential for those who are well-off but an excessive deterrent for those of limited means. (I also sympathize with the moral/philosophical argument that he makes about health care being a fundamental right --- and which therefore should be fee-less --- but won't get into that now).<br /><br />My suggestion: Perhaps medical co-pays could be structured similarly to traffic fines in Finland, where the penalty is proportional to one's income (as well as the severity of the offense). <br /><br />http://www.usnews.com/usnews/news/articles/070318/26fines.htm<br /><br />http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Day-fine <br /><br />http://www.stayfreemagazine.org/public/wsj_finland.html<br /><br />Obviously, medical co-pays shouldn't be quite that costly, after all, with regard to medical care, the goal is neither punishment nor an attempt at high deterrence. But it would be much more egalitarian to make co-pays proportional to income.Fred Drumlevitchhttp://www.freddrumlevitch.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-974773076690597683.post-80969195274814203962013-11-26T10:37:00.565-05:002013-11-26T10:37:00.565-05:00Yeah, Noodge, that's what the Declaration of I...Yeah, Noodge, that's what the Declaration of Independence said, but, unfortunately, that's not what they did, beginning with the Constitution, which was carefully crafted to benefit the plantation South and the budding mercantile North. The Shays' and Whiskey rebellions were early examples of the true intent of the 'founding fathers'.James F Traynornoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-974773076690597683.post-22434336565486844142013-11-26T08:46:08.886-05:002013-11-26T08:46:08.886-05:00@ VLT: I agree those costs are reasonable and that...@ VLT: I agree those costs are reasonable and that most households can afford them. But we have a system now with costs that most households can afford. The problem isn't "most households," and it never has been. The problem is the large minority of households that can't afford health care at all.<br /><br />Let me ask: When you make the decision whether to see a doctor for some malady, do you decide to go based on the $40? Of course not. But what about the people for whom that $40 is a lot of money?<br /><br />For a minimum wage worker in the US, a $25 co-pay represents about 10% of a week's after-tax income. I understand your concern, and you're right; you're getting a little grief from a liberal over it. ;-) But this goes beyond practical considerations for me. I see this issue as being a moral/philosophical one.<br /><br />Our government was created for the purpose of securing our rights to life and liberty and to promote the general welfare. Being able to receive medical care is an essential element of the right to life. Telling people to pay for the privilege of exercising their rights is anathema to me.Noodgenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-974773076690597683.post-53783423163939379992013-11-26T01:47:12.983-05:002013-11-26T01:47:12.983-05:00Although I am a big fan of a single payer system, ...Although I am a big fan of a single payer system, the pragmatic Valerie says there needs to be some kind of co-pay that is reasonable - some kind of contribution on the part of he people consuming the services. Otherwise, too many people will run to a doctor for a cold, a flu, a graze - which will ultimately clog up the system. Like it or not, having to pay $25 a visit to the doctor IS enough to slow people down. I know this isn't going to be a popular position with my liberal compatriots but I need to speak what I see as an economic truth. We should pay something for our medical care. What is unfair and unreasonable is to have to pay $800 a month per adult in a household like we would have had to pay to add my husband to my insurance. There was no way we could absorb that kind of hit. <br /><br />Right now my husband and I pay (in Australia) $150 a month for our family to have supplemental health insurance and between $40 and $65 a doctor visit. Prescriptions are $33 whether it is an expensive chemo-therapy drug or a generic anti-biotic. These are reasonable costs that most households can absorb.Valerie Long Tweedienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-974773076690597683.post-74529741284201748312013-11-25T17:27:21.803-05:002013-11-25T17:27:21.803-05:00Although Vermont can be a role model for how to gi...<br />Although Vermont can be a role model for how to give its people good quality health coverage, it is a rather unique state. Its current population is only 626,146 with a small land mass and is the lowest in population next to Wyoming.<br /><br /> Vermont is the least religious state in the US with only 19% claiming<br />to be 'very religious. Vermont has become a trailblazer for gay rights. In April 2009, Vermont became the fourth state to legalize gay marriage. It was the first state to legalize gay marriage by a legislature's vote. The House and Senate voted to override Governor Jim Douglas' veto. Prior to this vote,<br />Vermont was the first state to legalize same-sex civil unions.<br /><br />It has a fairly liberal history with Democratic dominance from 1962– <br />currently. In 2007, with three-quarters of the state opposing the Iraq War, the state nevertheless had the highest rate of deaths there in the nation. This was due to volunteers and participation by the Vermont National Guard.<br /><br />All in all, not representative of the rest of the country. Therefore, before being able to institute proper health care in the United States, the forces that are preventing it in the nation as a whole would have to change drastically with Vermont's successful program being highly criticized and dismissed by the private sectors in control.<br /><br />We have a long way to go, and before praising California, we had better wait and see how that works out which could help or hinder further changes for the better. Regardless, as Karen has pointed out so well, as long as the private health care organizations are in control, the costs alone cannot be sustained. We need a political revolution in order to accomplish a system as we have in <br />Canada which is supported by all the parties and population. The changes in Canada were opposed at first but once in place were solidly supported and that is what will have to happen in the U.S., which is a formidable <br />challenge. <br /><br /><br /><br />Pearlnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-974773076690597683.post-22256369033823171942013-11-25T14:11:01.670-05:002013-11-25T14:11:01.670-05:00Gotta love those public/private partnerships. I wa...Gotta love those public/private partnerships. I was in Chicago last weekend and got to experience firsthand the wonderful new Ventra system!<br /><br />http://jacobinmag.com/2013/11/ventra-capitalists/<br /><br />btw, my captcha was: ttrientr <br />very subliminal...The Black Swanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03988752808485377434noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-974773076690597683.post-50679145673945035672013-11-25T13:33:11.332-05:002013-11-25T13:33:11.332-05:00Sadly, I doubt that the cratering of ObamaCare wil...Sadly, I doubt that the cratering of ObamaCare will in any way usher in an American single-payer system.<br /><br />Rather, I think that it will reinforce in the minds of the public that government really <i> can't </i> do anything well, and we will return to the <i> status quo ante </i> for quite some time to come.<br /><br />Certainly, it's a long way to <br />the midterm elections, but I don't see Democratic prospects as being very good for 2014, which is what would be required to transform ObamaCare to single-payer any time soon.Zeenoreply@blogger.com