Illegal drug proposal?

We are loosing the drug war. More drug busts causes price of drugs to go up which in turn entices more people to peddle drugs. We are fighting the supply demand laws. The drug addicts will steal, prostitute themselves or do whatever to get another fix. What we need is a method to drive down the price of drugs, which would cause drug peddlers to be less interested in the risk of jail time for lower profits. The drug addict should be treated as a medical problem. The first step in resolving this problem is to identify those addicted. Use our tax dollars to ask the addicted to identify themselves? Why would they do that? After we get a database maintained by a Government organization (like the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA)), then we set control the addict by requiring them to attend meetings (like the AAA) and supply free drugs to the addict as prescribed and controlled by the doctor. The DEA or other Government agency could pass a controlled amount drugs at no cost to the abuser. The amount of these drugs will be decreased until the abuser has control over his life. If the abuser does not follow the program them he goes back to jail. The idea is to get the abuser so that he is not so dependent on drugs and he has some control over his life and to also drive down the cost of drugs on the street so that drug cartels will make nothing and at the same time prosecute them. This will make peddling drugs not feasible because without profit and a penalty, it will not be feasible or practical. The demand for illegal drugs will be diminished so much the drug peddler will go out of business over time. It will tend to take the profit out of illegal drugs. Drug violence will also diminish over time. Non-violent prisoners jailed because of drugs can be freed on the condition that they participate in the controlled DEA drug program. Because drug addicts are no longer stealing to control their habit, a lot of crimes will also decrease and make it a little better for us all.

This simple idea saves billions of dollars and thousands of lives, so why not? Lets be smart and have not only a life but also a better life for everyone.

Humane treatment for killer whales?

If you attach a large dog to a chain and feed him raw meat, tease him and not let him go year after year it will become vicious. If you place a man in a small jail cell day after day and year after year and not let him go he will no longer value anyone’s life including his own. If you place a killer whale in small confines like Sea World day after day and year after year it is likely to develop resentful behavior characteristics in which the killer whale lashes out by killing its trainer. Perhaps a better solution would be for Sea World to allow killer whales to access to the sea and train them to come back to do their shows. It would be the ultimate and humane treatment challenge for Sea World.

Are we agressive enough about jobs? Tax laws will make the difference.

I was talking to an old timer, Clel Sexton. He asked me if I knew about the battle of the bogal? I said that I did not. He the explained to me that the battle of the bogal, back in the 20’s, started when the coal mining executives decided that they were going to import cheap labor from Hungary. These imported Hungarians were referred to as “Hunkies”. The Hunkies had established a shantytown at the edge of Jasonville, In. This stirred up the local miners who gathered at the edge of this shantytown with guns. The miners asked them to come out and talk the situation over. I do not know what type of talking we were going to do with all these guns, Clell chuckled. Clell said, suddenly, guns blazed. During the gunfire, I reached up and wiped my head. It was blood. I made a quick trip to the doctor. The doctor told me mot to worry. A bullet had evidently hit the tree beside me and the bark flew up and grazed my head. Unfortunately, others were not as lucky. The aftermath resulted in seven killed and 14 wounded.

Clell described how about 10 years later, I met one of these Hunkies in Terre Haute, In. He said, “You are one of he Sexton brothers, aren’t you?” We ended up going out and having coffee and enjoying ourselves. It was all about jobs.

The problem we now have is that today’s laborer is not aggressive about jobs. I do not advocate violence, however I do advocate aggressive voting at the polls regarding jobs. The politician promised that NAFTA would reduce the lower paid jobs and bring in higher paid jobs. I have not seen this. I have seen NAFTA being responsible for the area loosing thousands of jobs. There has little or no jobs brought in. Howard Dean has he right idea about NAFTA and jobs, however he does not go far enough. Doctor Dean’s solution is to allow NAFTA only after the playing field is fair. China has unfairly devalued their currency, which makes their job hourly rate a bargain. Furthermore, foreign countries do not abide by the same labor practices or environmental concerns that our country has. Howard Dean’s proposal is to require the same labor practices in foreign countries as this country has; other wise tax the goods that are imported. I myself, in addition, would like to require a trade balance. That means that if we import one billion in goods and services, China has to do the same. Otherwise we tax on an escalating basis. This will not only help our deposit, but will also help the farming industry. That means that the more imbalance the trade is, the more we tax. In addition we still need tax incentives to locate manufacturing plants in the United States. The Toyota plant in Princeton Indiana is an example. The bottom-line that with tax incentives etc. It is more profitable for the Japanese to manufacture cars in the United States.

Tax refunds proposed as incentives do not to do this country a lot of good when about 80% of it ends up in either China or Japan. Mean while we are saddled with a escalating sea of debt which will hinder us for years to come.

We need to volt for smart politicians who know how to bring jobs into this country. We need to vote for politicians who will do what is good for America and not the ones who are bribed with campaign funds for the benefit only of corporations. The question remains, will the voters be smart enough to separate the politicians with selfish desires and the ones who do what is good for America and the worker? So far this has not happened.

Email to Senator Lugar

Dear Senator Lugar:

Did I understand your email correctly, that since our country is so bad off financially, your proposal is to do nothing about health care?

The reason our country is in such dire straights financially is that our Congressmen and Senators allowed the free market to go wild. They essentially did nothing. They made loan derivatives possible by overriding President Clinton's veto and the out of control irresponsibility and greed that followed brought our financial institutions to their knees. We even went to war with Iraq and what did our Senators do? They jumped on the war bandwagon which further drove our country into financial ruin lost thousands of our soldier’s lives and accomplished nothing. We now have a heath care dilemma which causes our factories to be noncompetitive, drives up our country debt, causes people to die by the tens of thousands, and is a basic reason why over 60% of our countrymen loose their homes while some senators do nothing but collect or have collected millions for the health insurers. Your idea to do nothing while our country suffers is a poor and pathetic excuse especially when the public option will save the tax dollar, reduce how much we pay individually and even allow every citizen in this country to have heath care. Do not expect the American public to buy your defective reasoning for doing nothing about health care. I know I do not!

I had an impossible dream, Peace.

I had the honor of attending a dinner celebrating the Jewish New Year. I enjoyed the friendly atmosphere where we were free to exchange ideas. The idea most noteworthy was the Golden Rule,"Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." This rule cited by Christ and in other religions was proposed to be the solution for World Peace. How would the Golden Rule apply to Israel and Palestine? I heard Prime Minister Netanyahu describe how nice he was reducing the number of road blocks in Palestine territory. If you were a Palestine, would you not want all the road blocks removed and Israel to stop building Israel settlements on Palestine land? Could Prime Minister Netanyahu have enough heart and be bold enough to not only stop the Jewish settlements but build housing for the Palestine people? If Netanyahu was bold enough to commit to such an action, would the Palestine people respond by not hating the Jewish population and reciprocate with a greater deed of joining together to build a Peaceful Palestine community? Is it not time for the Palestine and Jew to join together in harmony as brothers and build countries that share in peace and prosperity?

Act of Terrorism?

We heard President Jimmy Carter cite the right wing as depicting President Obama as reincarnation of Adolf Hitler and they should have buried Obama along with Kennedy. President Carter referred to this rhetoric as being racist. I have even noted that Obama has been referred to as Stalin. This not only appears to be disrespectful of our President but isn't this dehumanization of President Obama? Is not this type of dehumanization the type of action that Hitler took prior to the holocaust to dehumanize the Jewish population? Has not this type of speech crossed the bounds of freedom of speech and should not this rhetoric be regarded as an act of Terrorism? I haven't heard of such inflammatory rhetoric come from Hamas which is classed as an terrorist organization. Does not this type of rhetoric increase the probability that some fruitcake or emotionally unstable individual bring great harm to the President?

France's health care

• Doctors in France are self employed and free to prescribe what they want
• French can choose their doctor are free to see any doctor or specialist they want
• World Health Organization rates France first in health care and US and 37 th.
• France’s infant rate is 3.9 per 1000 compared to 7 in U.S.
• France life expectancy is two years more than US.
• France has more hospital beds and doctors per capita than U.S. and far lower rates of death from diabetes and heart disease.
• Deaths from respiratory disease, an often-preventable form, are 31.2 people per 1000 in France and 61.5 in U.S.
• 65% residents in France are satisfied with their health care compared to 40% US residents.
• France spends 10.7 % of their gross domestic product compared American which spends up to 16 % more than any other nation.
• France has no deductibles for the chronically ill.
• Almost all Frenchmen buy supplemental insurance which covers extra expenses such as private hospital rooms, eyeglass, and dental care
• In France, the sicker you get the less you pay. There are no deductibles
• Chronic diseases such as diabetes and critical surgeries such as coronary bypass are reimbursed 100%
• Cancer patients are treated free of charge. For example patients suffering from colon cancer can receive Genentech Inc.s (DNA). A patient in US may pay 48,0000 per year.
• French doctors are reduced at a lower rate than doctors in U.S., however French doctors do not have to pay back their student loans and the French Government pays the doctors social security tax which is typically 40% of their income.

France pays for health care to of general revenue and mandatory payroll taxes. Like the US these costs are escalating, but again most everyone is satisfied.