Health Reform's Consequences

[hickoryhouse]

Dr. Scott Gottlieb, WSJ

response from healthreform.gov

Both are quite short

[stebo]

If you have ever been in the hospital for a major surgery on an individual plan or had to deal with individual coverage as a self employed person - you would be 100% behind this reform. Group plans are fantastic, I love my United EPO from my company... but when I was self employed for over a decade, I had some major issues with health insurance. I also broke a disk in my back and spent 3 years fighting the insurance company trying to get the surgery paid. During that time, my credit was dropped over 150 points - I was strung along with tactics to try and make me just give up and not bother them... it was devastating. The credit score problems affected my ability to get a job and a mortgage. And this was all for someone that HAD INSURANCE.

The reform package is pretty crappy but it fights for the little guy. This is just the start, hopefully all of these money hungry insurance companies go out of business or clean up their acts. Doctors don't want to deal with many of them and the bureaucracy is just incredible. I spent countless hours and thousands of dollars erasing the problems that the insurance company caused for me. My stringing me along and denying my surgery, the insurance company kept sending me back and forth to different specialists trying to deter me. This just drove up the costs even more for them. It also caused me to be on pain medicine for an extended period of time and that created a whole different set of problems. Insurance companies would prefer for people to keep popping those pills rather than fix the problem, it makes the bottom line look better for their investors.

I really do not know how anyone can defend the practices of for-profit health insurance companies. The entire system is set up to prey on the weak and make as large of a profit as possible. Higher profit means worse care. It is my PERSONAL experience.

I also had a guy that worked for me when I owned the bar - he was dropped from his parent's insurance his Sr year... he figured that he was young and could make it for a year until graduating and getting a real job. His appendix ruptured one night and after 4 days in the hospital, luckily he walked out a healthy man. That healthy man officially had $127K bill to deal with. So a guy that had gone to college and worked his way through school to keep his debt low now graduated with $127K in debt (and counting as fees and interest started to pile up). He had to declare bankruptcy at age 22 and cannot purchase a car or a house. He had trouble finding a good job because employers do credit checks and are not concerned about how the bankruptcy occurred.

These are two small stories regarding my personal experiences with the insurance and medical field industries. I could tell a few more stories about how my grandparents were treated by their insurance companies - eventually they dropped their private insurance in favor of Medicare. They were never happier - until their last breaths. My grandfather fought in The Pacific during WWII and had access to the VA Hospital but our family along with Medicare were able to give him a very nice assisted living center that had a dementia wing. None of that was possible with private insurance, it wasn't until we went with government programs that he could get the care he needed without wiping out his entire savings. Even with all the government help, we were paying out $3800 bucks a month for the facility. Similar story with my grandmother - I am sure that you get the point.

My family has had bad experiences with health insurance companies. Consequently, my brother was in a car wreck and broke his neck. Our CAR INSURANCE (State Farm) treated him GREAT. They paid for everything and settled with him for a reasonable amount in case of future medical problems. So not all insurance is evil - and car insurance is a personal policy, not a group policy. I think that the problem is with a broken health care system that has to answer to stockholders looking for higher dividends and share prices. Insurance companies should probably not be publicly traded.

I know that you ahve all heard stories and I seriously doubt that I have changed a single person's mind about the insurance business. It just astounds me when someone defends an insurance company in any instance. They would never defend you - they are not on your side.

Oh - and yes, I am an Independent that likes some of the Tea Bagger message... I agree with a lot of what Paul has to say, proudly voted for George W Bush (both times) and would not change those votes for the world. I also voted for Clinton the second time around and proudly voted for Obama over the Ghost and Crazy Palin. I wish that people would think for themselves and not just be sheep to their party's messages. This is more propaganda and is horse hockey - it is all about money. If these insurance companies can't make money off of more sick people - those people are going to be better off finding new coverage. These companies will be showing their true priorities over the next few years. Individuals will be able to get better coverage by a system that cares about HEALTH rather than profit.

Edited May 22, 2010 by stebo

[Rudy]

I don't think that anyone is going to argue that health care is broken and needs overhaul. However, Bigger government is not the answer. I do not see how the federal government can run healthcare.

[UNT90]

This is just the start, hopefully all of these money hungry insurance companies go out of business or clean up their acts. Doctors don't want to deal with many of them and the bureaucracy is just incredible.

You think it's incredible now, just wait. The one thing that the federal government is an expert in is multi-layered bureaucracy. Again, if you think you got the runaround from a private insurance company, just wait. It's comong.

People make choices. If you choose to go without healthcare and then have a major medical emergency, well, you have lost that gamble and are responsible for the consequences. Feel for the college kid, but his parents should have extended him on their coverage until he was our of school. There are actually policies for this. He gambled, he lost. His responsibility.

People just don't want to be accountable for the choices they make in life. They are willing to surrender a little more of their freedom, day by day, to the government because they think it will make their life easier. "I don't want to be responsible for this, so lets just let the government handle it."

[Green P1]

If you have ever been in the hospital for a major surgery on an individual plan or had to deal with individual coverage as a self employed person - you would be 100% behind this reform. Group plans are fantastic, I love my United EPO from my company... but when I was self employed for over a decade, I had some major issues with health insurance. I also broke a disk in my back and spent 3 years fighting the insurance company trying to get the surgery paid. During that time, my credit was dropped over 150 points - I was strung along with tactics to try and make me just give up and not bother them... it was devastating. The credit score problems affected my ability to get a job and a mortgage. And this was all for someone that HAD INSURANCE.

The reform package is pretty crappy but it fights for the little guy. This is just the start, hopefully all of these money hungry insurance companies go out of business or clean up their acts. Doctors don't want to deal with many of them and the bureaucracy is just incredible. I spent countless hours and thousands of dollars erasing the problems that the insurance company caused for me. My stringing me along and denying my surgery, the insurance company kept sending me back and forth to different specialists trying to deter me. This just drove up the costs even more for them. It also caused me to be on pain medicine for an extended period of time and that created a whole different set of problems. Insurance companies would prefer for people to keep popping those pills rather than fix the problem, it makes the bottom line look better for their investors.

I really do not know how anyone can defend the practices of for-profit health insurance companies. The entire system is set up to prey on the weak and make as large of a profit as possible. Higher profit means worse care. It is my PERSONAL experience.

I also had a guy that worked for me when I owned the bar - he was dropped from his parent's insurance his Sr year... he figured that he was young and could make it for a year until graduating and getting a real job. His appendix ruptured one night and after 4 days in the hospital, luckily he walked out a healthy man. That healthy man officially had $127K bill to deal with. So a guy that had gone to college and worked his way through school to keep his debt low now graduated with $127K in debt (and counting as fees and interest started to pile up). He had to declare bankruptcy at age 22 and cannot purchase a car or a house. He had trouble finding a good job because employers do credit checks and are not concerned about how the bankruptcy occurred.

These are two small stories regarding my personal experiences with the insurance and medical field industries. I could tell a few more stories about how my grandparents were treated by their insurance companies - eventually they dropped their private insurance in favor of Medicare. They were never happier - until their last breaths. My grandfather fought in The Pacific during WWII and had access to the VA Hospital but our family along with Medicare were able to give him a very nice assisted living center that had a dementia wing. None of that was possible with private insurance, it wasn't until we went with government programs that he could get the care he needed without wiping out his entire savings. Even with all the government help, we were paying out $3800 bucks a month for the facility. Similar story with my grandmother - I am sure that you get the point.

My family has had bad experiences with health insurance companies. Consequently, my brother was in a car wreck and broke his neck. Our CAR INSURANCE (State Farm) treated him GREAT. They paid for everything and settled with him for a reasonable amount in case of future medical problems. So not all insurance is evil - and car insurance is a personal policy, not a group policy. I think that the problem is with a broken health care system that has to answer to stockholders looking for higher dividends and share prices. Insurance companies should probably not be publicly traded.

I know that you ahve all heard stories and I seriously doubt that I have changed a single person's mind about the insurance business. It just astounds me when someone defends an insurance company in any instance. They would never defend you - they are not on your side.

Oh - and yes, I am an Independent that likes some of the Tea Bagger message... I agree with a lot of what Paul has to say, proudly voted for George W Bush (both times) and would not change those votes for the world. I also voted for Clinton the second time around and proudly voted for Obama over the Ghost and Crazy Palin. I wish that people would think for themselves and not just be sheep to their party's messages. This is more propaganda and is horse hockey - it is all about money. If these insurance companies can't make money off of more sick people - those people are going to be better off finding new coverage. These companies will be showing their true priorities over the next few years. Individuals will be able to get better coverage by a system that cares about HEALTH rather than profit.

Likes this.

[NMGreen]

if you think gov run health care is the answer go to a va hospital. everytime i leave one i need to be treated for depression. i am there on business and what i see is not good. i am sure they have good docs and nurses but they cant keep up with the numbers. the waiting rooms are always packed. yes we need to do something about health care, my wife has ms and the future is not something i am looking forward to. the post office, va hospitals and irs are examples of gov run agencies can they really run health care? they will decide who gets treated just like ss admin gets to decide who should get disability. it is funny how some ding dong at the ss administration can say someone is not disable when two doctors say the person is disabled.

[UNTflyer]

I really do not know how anyone can defend the practices of for-profit health insurance companies. The entire system is set up to prey on the weak and make as large of a profit as possible. Higher profit means worse care. It is my PERSONAL experience.

I can. Profit is a motivation for all businesses, whether it is selling health care insurance, auto insurance, widgets, or cheeseburgers. Profit ensures efficiency. Profit ensures quality control. Profit creates incentive to serve and keep customers. Profit creates incentive to do things better.

Without profit, we would not have the medical innovations that we have today. Without profit, life-saving drugs may have never been invented. Without profit, cancer research would be 50 years behind where we are today. In fact, one can argue that not-for-profit health care is worse, since the motivation is to minimize costs and offer the minimal services necessary.

Profit is not evil - it is the purest good.

[eeally]

I can. Profit is a motivation for all businesses, whether it is selling health care insurance, auto insurance, widgets, or cheeseburgers. Profit ensures efficiency. Profit ensures quality control. Profit creates incentive to serve and keep customers. Profit creates incentive to do things better.

Without profit, we would not have the medical innovations that we have today. Without profit, life-saving drugs may have never been invented. Without profit, cancer research would be 50 years behind where we are today. In fact, one can argue that not-for-profit health care is worse, since the motivation is to minimize costs and offer the minimal services necessary.

Profit is not evil - it is the purest good.

Except when it is Collusion and Price Fixing and small players can no longer enter the market. Such as Oil, Healthcare, Insurance,Processed foods, Banks, Wall street,

How has your life improved lately....Gas gone down, Cant make the jump to start your own business due to high healthcare costs and Insurance. Still eating Burger King, and how is your 401 K going.

Go Capitalism!

But I agree Gov should not run anything?

[UNT90]

Except when it is Collusion and Price Fixing and small players can no longer enter the market. Such as Oil, Healthcare, Insurance,Processed foods, Banks, Wall street,

But I agree Gov should not run anything?

So funny. Do you not realize that the remedy for what is highlighted is an anti-trust lawsuit? Guess who makes the decision on those lawsuits? Your government. SO, if you want to blame someone for the "too big to fail" companies, look no further than... your government.

Yet another example of something that the federal government is tasked to do, yet fails miserably.

[BeanCounterGrad'03]

So funny. Do you not realize that the remedy for what is highlighted is an anti-trust lawsuit? Guess who makes the decision on those lawsuits? Your government. SO, if you want to blame someone for the "too big to fail" companies, look no further than... your government.

Yet another example of something that the federal government is tasked to do, yet fails miserably.

Hear ye! Hear ye!

Let it be known on this, the twenty-fourth day of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand ten, UNT90 has argued FOR more government intervention.

That is all.

[yyz28]

I can. Profit is a motivation for all businesses, whether it is selling health care insurance, auto insurance, widgets, or cheeseburgers. Profit ensures efficiency. Profit ensures quality control. Profit creates incentive to serve and keep customers. Profit creates incentive to do things better.

Without profit, we would not have the medical innovations that we have today. Without profit, life-saving drugs may have never been invented. Without profit, cancer research would be 50 years behind where we are today. In fact, one can argue that not-for-profit health care is worse, since the motivation is to minimize costs and offer the minimal services necessary.

Profit is not evil - it is the purest good.

Dead on right.

...Stebo, there are many things that can be done in reforming the system to help close the loopholes in the system you have lived through and witnessed that doesn't include the Government managing 1/6th of the American Economy.

As we've come to find out if you've bothered to pay attention, all of the things that we were screaming to high heaven about this bill including a direct course to a one-payer system like in the bankrupt EU, rationing and "death panels" which make decisions about treatments based on their cost effectiveness, and what patients have the best percentage of such effectiveness are real. ...all of that, and the cost - oh, yeah, that's way higher than the CBO estimated too.

All the stories about how the health care system screwed you or anyone else aside - this country is in debt that it can never repay. The social programs in place now that are a fraction of the cost of this thing are all failing, bankrupt or both. How, in the name of God, can anyone support this thing with the economic weight of it? ...the country can't afford the tax-payer provided health-care it provides today, how can we possibly take on more?

We can't without ever higher taxes and rationing care, and even then, if Europe is any example, we still won't be able to afford it as the negative impact of a tax system to support this type of Health Care system on the Economy will be too great to overcome.

66% of Voters support a repeal of this law for a reason. It isn't because they don't all think we need health care reform - you'd have to be blind to see that the system doesn't need work - but this reform that is currently law is not the way to solve the problem, and the majority of the country can see that clearly.

[UNT90]

Hear ye! Hear ye!

Let it be known on this, the twenty-fourth day of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand ten, UNT90 has argued FOR more government intervention.

That is all.

File this under: We all see what we want to see.

[BeanCounterGrad'03]

We all see what we want to see.

The most accurate statement of the entire thread.

[UNT90]

The most accurate statement of the entire thread.

Human Nature.

[UNTflyer]

Except when it is Collusion and Price Fixing and small players can no longer enter the market. Such as Oil, Healthcare, Insurance,Processed foods, Banks, Wall street,

Probably the most ignorant statement I've heard from you yet.

In every one of those industries, small players enter the market all the time.

Take oil and gas for example. Just over 17% of the oil produced in California comes from small producers who pump out ten barrels or less a day. I work for a gas pipeline company that was started by three guys. When I was first hired on, it had 20 employees. Now we are a $3 billion company with over 900 employees transporting over 1.5 billion btu a day.

In health care, independent doctor offices still exist and thrive. Same in insurance, banks, etc., etc.

I'm sorry you think the American dream is dead. I can't imagine going through life with such despair in my heart. But the American dream is not dead, and the American corporation provides a quality of life for our citizens that is the envy of the world.

Even if you were partially right about small players having difficulty entering the market, you have to recognize the benefits of large corporations in terms of cost reduction, efficiencies, TQM, and JIT processing. You can't do these things as well in a small shop.

[eulessismore]

So funny. Do you not realize that the remedy for what is highlighted is an anti-trust lawsuit? Guess who makes the decision on those lawsuits? Your government. SO, if you want to blame someone for the "too big to fail" companies, look no further than... your government.

Yet another example of something that the federal government is tasked to do, yet fails miserably.

Ok, I'll send out the first +1 from me to you, since you've eloquently taken a position which was so eloquently stated by a liberal justice (who had never been a judge), Louis Brandeis. Here's his Wikipedia link:

Louis Brandeis bio:

I find this quote to contain some real insight:

Brandeis furthermore denied that large trusts were more efficient than the smaller firms which were generally driven out of business. He argued the opposite was often true, that monopolistic enterprises became "less innovative" because, he wrote, their "secure positions freed them from the necessity which has always been the mother of invention." To him there was no way an executive could learn all the details of running a huge and unwieldy company. "There is a limit to what one man can do well," he wrote. Brandeis was naturally aware of the economies of scale and initially lower prices offered by growing companies, but he emphasized the future by claiming that once a trust drove out its competition, "the quality of its products tended to decline while the prices charged for them tended to go up." Eventually, he felt, the trusts would be like "clumsy dinosaurs, which, if they ever had to face real competition, would collapse of their own weight."

I have certainly felt that way about any of the large banks I've dealt with, who seem to feature that "clumsy dinosaur" effect, but maybe they're just not interested in providing customer service. Maybe you'll like it that he also positioned himself against FDR's "centralizing" at times. After a unanimous court declared the National Recovery Act unconstitutional, this is what he had to say:

Speaking to aides of Roosevelt, Justice Louis Brandeis remarked that, “This is the end of this business of centralization, and I want you to go back and tell the president that we're not going to let this government centralize everything."

I just thought you might find that interesting; I still consider myself a liberal, but maybe conservatives and liberals can find some problems with bigness, whether corporate or governmental.

Edited May 25, 2010 by eulessismore

[UNT90]

Ok, I'll send out the first +1 from me to you, since you've eloquently taken a position which was so eloquently stated by a liberal justice (who had never been a judge), Louis Brandeis. Here's his Wikipedia link:

Louis Brandeis bio:

I find this quote to contain some real insight:

Brandeis furthermore denied that large trusts were more efficient than the smaller firms which were generally driven out of business. He argued the opposite was often true, that monopolistic enterprises became "less innovative" because, he wrote, their "secure positions freed them from the necessity which has always been the mother of invention." To him there was no way an executive could learn all the details of running a huge and unwieldy company. "There is a limit to what one man can do well," he wrote. Brandeis was naturally aware of the economies of scale and initially lower prices offered by growing companies, but he emphasized the future by claiming that once a trust drove out its competition, "the quality of its products tended to decline while the prices charged for them tended to go up." Eventually, he felt, the trusts would be like "clumsy dinosaurs, which, if they ever had to face real competition, would collapse of their own weight."

I have certainly felt that way about any of the large banks I've dealt with, who seem to feature that "clumsy dinosaur" effect, but maybe they're just not interested in providing customer service. Maybe you'll like it that he also positioned himself against FDR's "centralizing" at times. After a unanimous court declared the National Recovery Act unconstitutional, this is what he had to say:

Speaking to aides of Roosevelt, Justice Louis Brandeis remarked that, “This is the end of this business of centralization, and I want you to go back and tell the president that we're not going to let this government centralize everything."

I just thought you might find that interesting; I still consider myself a liberal, but maybe conservatives and liberals can find some problems with bigness, whether corporate or governmental.

Monopoly does not equal capitalism. Capitalism is all about free market competition. Monopolies eliminate that competition.

I think some of you are missing the point. If you believe that government has failed to stop these monopolies, do you really think the answer to that problem is more government control? The federal government and it's policies had a HUGE hand in the banking collapse by mandating loans to people who couldn't afford them, fom loan companies (Freddie Mae and Faanie Mac) that many on here think were close to being a monopoly.

[eeally]

Probably the most ignorant statement I've heard from you yet.

In every one of those industries, small players enter the market all the time.

Take oil and gas for example. Just over 17% of the oil produced in California comes from small producers who pump out ten barrels or less a day. I work for a gas pipeline company that was started by three guys. When I was first hired on, it had 20 employees. Now we are a $3 billion company with over 900 employees transporting over 1.5 billion btu a day.

In health care, independent doctor offices still exist and thrive. Same in insurance, banks, etc., etc.

I'm sorry you think the American dream is dead. I can't imagine going through life with such despair in my heart. But the American dream is not dead, and the American corporation provides a quality of life for our citizens that is the envy of the world.

Even if you were partially right about small players having difficulty entering the market, you have to recognize the benefits of large corporations in terms of cost reduction, efficiencies, TQM, and JIT processing. You can't do these things as well in a small shop.

I agree with this person being ignorant!

However, the small business person is who is currently squeezed. Paying a majority of the income taxes while being held hostage by government in the following areas.

Health Insurance: Tort reform needed to help healthcare providers lower costs. Red tape to get basic prescriptions.

Banks: Only loans available are at astronomical rates. How can I expand paying over 15% for anything. Did we just not bail them out. Also they get gov $ to loan at o%. They say Bankruptcy is killing them but they are the ones who extended bad credit in the first place.

Oil.. Well I don't know as much about this subject but when the 3 big oil companies are the of the largest corporations in the world and they donate to every party well if that is not collusion then I don't know what is.....

When you have corporations gouging the little guy at every turn it is hard to go out on your own.

I just want a fair shake for the middle class. Our system is set up to be indebted to the banks, healthcare, and there is no alternate transportation besides using gas to get around.

Too much goes to making laws and servicing these laws....We don't let large corporations fail. Why? We let small business' fail every day. We don't have the political power to have a say in government.

99/100 people are not entrepreneurs. Some are just intelligent folks who want to have a home, family, work hard!

That is not possible in this country anymore. A truck driver and waitress have to live in squalor with limited healthcare and rent.

Our money continues to fly out of this country overseas, to Mexico, and in the pockets of the elite ....

I think you are ignoring the real middle class....the forgotten class that works at blue collar jobs.

[KRAM1]

However, the small business person is who is currently squeezed. Paying a majority of the income taxes while being held hostage by government in the following areas.

Health Insurance: Tort reform needed to help health care providers lower costs. Red tape to get basic prescriptions.

Banks: Only loans available are at astronomical rates. How can I expand paying over 15% for anything. Did we just not bail them out. Also they get gov $ to loan at o%. They say Bankruptcy is killing them but they are the ones who extended bad credit in the first place.

Oil.. Well I don't know as much about this subject but when the 3 big oil companies are the of the largest corporations in the world and they donate to every party well if that is not collusion then I don't know what is.....

When you have corporations gouging the little guy at every turn it is hard to go out on your own.

I just want a fair shake for the middle class. Our system is set up to be indebted to the banks, health care, and there is no alternate transportation besides using gas to get around.

Too much goes to making laws and servicing these laws....We don't let large corporations fail. Why? We let small business' fail every day. We don't have the political power to have a say in government.

99/100 people are not entrepreneurs. Some are just intelligent folks who want to have a home, family, work hard!

That is not possible in this country anymore. A truck driver and waitress have to live in squalor with limited health care and rent.

Our money continues to fly out of this country overseas, to Mexico, and in the pockets of the elite ....

I think you are ignoring the real middle class....the forgotten class that works at blue collar jobs.

OK, where to start. Amazingly, some of what is said here is pretty fair, but this "Poor Me" stuff has got to stop! America is still the land of big dreams and still the place where dreams CAN and DO happen for the small businessman each and every day.

Yes, tort reform needs to happen for the health care industry...this statement from you does surprise me a bit because it makes good sense and is a definite means to lower health care costs. Do you realize that the VAST majority of plaintiffs attorneys give BIG bucks to "your side of the aisle" to keep tort reform from happening?

Banks did not force anyone to take out a loan. I recall loans rates well above where they are today...mortgage rates...my first home mortgage rate was 9.5% and that was a VA loan. Rates went above 14% on mortgages and small business loans were Prime+2% with prime well above 10%. Guess what, businesses were making it work at those rates! Doesn't mean high rates are good for business as they are not, but success can still take place for those who are prepared for the task (it is extremely hard and takes long long hours) both emotionally and financially. The rate on a loan is not what makes or breaks a small businessman. If you are paying 15% or more today, you must be using credit cards to finance a business...not a sound business idea at all and a possible reflection that other financial "challenges" exist with the business.

Corporations are gouging the little guy? Please explain this comment? Which corporation is gouging the little guy? You really think corporations are sitting around figuring out how to gouge the little guy? So just how is it they gouge the little guy? Because he cannot buy in the bulk size to get the discount? Because he is on "cash terms" until he establishes a credit track record? Please explain further.

A fair shake for the middle class? The fact that we have a middle class is a pretty darn fair shake when you look at the rest of the world! That says a great deal for the American system. The banks, health care system and oil companies are not what keeps anyone out of the middle class. There is mass transportation (subsidized by the taxpayer in almost any city of any size in the country). You can make it work without a car. Every heard of buses, trains, motorcycles (less gas than cars), bicycles (I have two friends who ride bicycles to work every day), your feet (walking is good for you I am told). A lot depends upon where you live and where you work. Want to live in Dallas and work in Denton or vice versa? That is not problem of big oil. Figure it out. Lots of people have found a way to be in the middle class without a car...even in Texas.

You definitely have the political power to have a say in Washington. Ever hear of the Tea Party movement? They do seem to be having a say and that is a bunch of individuals tired of the way things are going in Washington. No, if you just sit around and don't make your feelings known, then, yep, you have no say. Get involved, write your representatives, go to meetings, serve on local boards, volunteer your time and you'll find you have much more say than you think.

A truck driver and a waitress can make over $100,000/yr together in this great nation of ours. I dare say that is not squalor wages! I know a couple doing just about what you mention...he drives a truck for a company (company owned truck) and makes over $65,000/yr. His wife works for a local medical provider and she makes just over $40,000/yr. without a college degree. Can happen...does happen. BTW, they both work very hard and often long hours.

Our money does fly out of this country way too often. Not sure what you mean by going to the elites. Can you explain that one? The reports I see do not show are aid dollars ending up in the elite's hands as a general rule. Sure graft and corruption exists in many oplaces and that hurts, but it doesn't mean that the majority of US aid dollars goes to some elite either in the US or in a foreign country. But, I agree that way too many US taxpayer dollars go out and more should remain here as there is much work to do at home these days.

These sort of comments about the "poor middle class" and "big evil corporations" sadden me for so many reasons, not the least of which they often come from people who are very misguided in their beliefs of what is and what is not "fair". No one said it would be easy, and no one was promised a middle class existence. It takes a lot of hard work and the willingness to get an education and pay the price by working hard. People seem way too quick to blame everyone and everything for their situations except themselves. People make choices. Choices have consequences. If you want a better life, go get one, but be willing to make the hard choices to get what you want. Maybe it means eating beans and rice for three years and working 18 hour plus days to get that small business off the ground, maybe it means taking on a second and/or third job to tide the family over while things get better, maybe it means both husband and wife work, maybe it means moving to a different city or state and leaving friends and family behind, maybe it means the kids work to help pay for their educations, clothes, cars, etc. Anyway, you get my drift.

I chose to work "for someone else" in my career as I did not want to start my own business as my Dad had done. My choice and I live with that choice. Could I have made more money working for myself? Maybe, but I wasn't willing to take that risk as my Dad had done and as my brother did. God bless all those who are willing to take that risk. It's a tough road, but a road still open to anyone in the U.S. willing to work hard enough to make it happen.

OK, you can tun off the patriotic background music now and I'll get off my soapbox. I am just saddened to see people who have bought into the "I can't do something because other people won't let me and the system is stacked against me" mindset. Go talk to every successful small business owner in Denton as there are plenty and you will find it can happen and does happen, but it takes a plan, it takes, guts and it takes sacrifice!