Issues Affecting My Money And My Health

Senator Barack Obama has promised that he will not raise taxes for 95 percent of us and that some of us will see lower taxes, particularly seniors, like me, who make significantly less than$ 50 ,000 a year. Senator McCain says we should not believe Senator Obama. Why should we believe what Senator McCain says? He says that it is “socialism” to restore the tax structure to the way it was under President Clinton when those making more than $250 ,000 a year were paying higher taxes. Nobody thought it was socialism at that time. These are the only people who would see higher taxes under Senator Obama’s tax plan.
Senator McCain promises to balance the budget in his first term of office. To do that he will institute a :spending “freeze”. He will use a “hatchet” to cut expenditures. You can be sure that one of the first victims of the “hatchet” will be Medicare. Senator McCain has already voted to cut Medicare funding, in 1995, and again this year he voted to reduce the fees paid to physicians. How would this affect me and other seniors? Our Medicare premiums would rise, there would be more “out-of-pocket” payments at the beginning of each year, and later in the year when more and more procedures that our doctors felt necessary would no longer be covered. If the physician fees were lowered significantly we would find ourselves with less choice of available doctors.
Senator McCain says that we should improve education in this country. That is the popular thing to say. But you can be sure that money for early childhood education, and for needy school districts would also fall under his “hatchet” and budget “freeze” But big corporations that moved their plants and jobs oversees would not have to worry. They would not be affected. Their taxes would go down. That is a promise that Senator McCain would surely keep.
Remember, Senator McCain called Social Security a “disgrace”. He would allow privatization of a portion of the money that would go into Social Security. That would produce less available money to pay recipients. He could then say that Social Security was not working and strive for its elimination.
Before I vote I must think about what each candidate really stands for. I must decide what will happen to me personally and to my friends and family if that candidate is elected.

Is Social Security a Disgrace?

According to John McCain “It’s an absolute disgrace and it’s got to be fixed”.
Social Security celebrated its 73rd birthday this August. On August 14, 1935. President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act into law. Among other things it was designed to “protect the average citizen against poverty-ridden old age”. And since that time it has been working to do just that. Some of our elderly rely solely on their social security checks to pay for food. housing, medicine, etc.. Others of us need it to supplement modest pensions from our previous employers.

If Social Security is a disgrace what does John McCain propose as an alternative? He agrees with George Bush that Social Security should be privatized. He favors individual retirement accounts with the money invested in the stock market. With little knowledge of the stock market, except an awareness of its inherent dangers and ups and downs, I could never choose wise investments that I could depend upon. There are many people like me, and even some of us that could be scammed into shady investments. Especially today we know how risky the stock market can be. Younger people can continue to work to recover some losses but what would elderly retires do if the Social Security money did not continue to come to pay their bills?

Despite John McCain’s views towards Social Security media reports say that he received $23, 157 in Social Security benefits in 2007 , an average of $ 1,929.75 a month I guess that he could easily manage a loss of that income considering his other extensive assets. But what about the rest of us who receive so much less from Social Security than he does? We cannot depend upon private accounts and the fluctuations of the stock market.

Pit Bulls

This breed of dog is banned in several countries including France, Australia, and some Canadian Provinces. In the United States pit bulls are banned from Dade County Florida, and several other cities. It is commonly used in illegal dogfights and even when owned as family pets reports of vicious attacks on humans are common.

On the other hand many pet owners have and can raise pit bulls to be good, safe, family pets.
According to breeders of dogs pit bulls can be trained to be quality companions, loyal and affectionate. Because of their low threshold for pain they can stand abuse by the children of the family with no problem. But the natural aggressive tendencies and other characteristics of the breed need to be carefully trained by knowledgeable pet lovers and owners.

Just what are the characteristics of the breed? They are good natured, amusing, extremely loyal to their family, They are always eager to please their master. They are aggressive and good guard dogs, but can be irrational while being protective. They can be very willful and become the boss of the household if not carefully trained.

The question I must ask is would you like a “pit bull with lipstick “ who steadfastly holds to the following principles - no abortions for women even after incest or rape – creationism should be taught in science classes – the government can ban specific books in public libraries – to be close to the seat of power in our government, or even at the seat of power in our government?

AGE MATTERS

I know that age discrimination is illegal, as it should be. But there is no law against my sharing my personal discoveries as an older senior citizen. I have found, without a doubt, that my abilities are not the same as they were 10 years ago and definitely not the same as they were 20 years ago.


The physical changes are obvious even though people may say that I remain rather active. I can only swim for a fraction of the time that I did 10 or 20 years ago. I continue to work out at the gym but at a much slower pace.


More importantly I feel that I am still mentally active, but that also is not the same as it was before. I cannot judge other people but I can note changes in myself. My senior friends and I pass emails along about the problems of old age and many of them are true even though we laugh at them. As I look back I realize that I would have been considered rather “sharp” and earned a couple of advanced degrees. I held two jobs at one time, took care of the home, and remembered in my head the myriad of chores that had to be done. Today I most often resort to making lists in order not to forget important tasks to be done. I am the webmaster for two internet sites. I designed and keep them up to date using a program that does the HTML for me. I am sure that if the internet was available 20 years ago I would have been a master of HTML myself and probably a competent programmer. I tried to learn the language of HTML now and gave up on the idea. Many of my older friends use the computer, primarily for email. But some refuse to learn even the basics of computer use. Such seniors forget that they are living in the twenty first century


Yes, I think that age matters when we are choosing our leaders. Experience is important, intelligence most assuredly more important, but we should look to choosing leaders who are at the time of their lives when they are most competent to make decisions clearly and quickly.

I AM A WHITE GRANDMOTHER FOR OBAMA

I am a registered Democrat. I am also an elderly white woman who will vote for Obama in the North Carolina Primary. I had always supported the Clintons and should have been thrilled that a woman was finally running for president of the United States. But as I think about the state of our country today I am dismayed by what is happening in Washington. And the Clintons have been there too long. They have become too cozy with the lobbyists. I get the feeling that they seem to feel a need for continued power, and that it should be given to them. As far as the issues of the campaign are concerned the two candidates are not far apart. But Hillary continues her negative attacks on whatever Obama might say or do.

Barack Obama has superior intelligence. It enabled him, a poor young man, to be admitted to a prestigious university and to teach constitutional law. ( unlike our present president who was a poor student and a drunkard and probably only admitted due to the influence of his father). A candidate also has to have dedication to the ideas he espouses, and the charisma to put his ideas across. I feel that Barack Obama scores highly on these points. As far as the issue of experience – a president needs superior intelligence to pick good advisors, and to be able to sort through the solutions presented to him by his advisors. To me this is more important than being close to the Washington scene of corruption for many years.

Yes, it would be good to see a woman for president of the United States. And yes, it is quite a departure from tradition for us to have a black president. But it is the person who is important, and not the gender or race. I think that Barack Obama has the intelligence, youthful determination, and charisma to pull our country out of the terrible crisis it is in now.

November 4,2007

I AM CONFUSED

When the Bush Administration and the Republican Congress passed the Medicare Part D drug plan they insisted that seniors and others could not import drugs from Canada or European Countries. They said that they could not guarantee the safety of these drugs. But, as I look at the drugs that I am getting through Medicare Part D I notice that many of them are coming from China. Others, contain components from China and are not so labeled. The agency that is supposed to oversee the purity of these imports confesses that they can test only a small fraction of those coming into the country.

Millions of toys come into our country from China and many of them contain lead that is harmful to our children. The agency that is supposed to test these imports has only one agent testing toys and a laboratory no more advanced than one that can be found in a High School Science Department. The Republican head of this department is resisting enlarging the department and is reluctant to accept more funding from Congress. A large portion of the food we eat now is being imported from China and Mexico. But almost none of this is tested for purity.

As for the Democratic majority in Congress, it is still encouraging the influx of illegal immigrants. The Democratic Party has stood for the middle class worker, and for establishing a living wage. The concept of supply and demand tells us that if illegal immigrant workers are willing to accept lower wages, wages, in general will go down. In fact, as our citizen workers have been laid off from good paying jobs they have had to accept jobs with much lower pay.. It is becoming harder for the workers in the middle class of our country to support their families with housing, health care and other vital necessities.

So, I am confused. Our leaders tell us one thing. But, by their actions they are doing something else. Who can we look to now?

School Prayer

This is an answer to the various emails I receive expressing the idea that the violence we see today among our young people is due to the fact that we do not have prayer in our public schools. Prayer is important and I will include some paragraphs that I think express that fact well. But my question is Where? and When? and With Whom? and What prayer?

If some of our children lack high moral values whose fault is it? Don’t blame our public education system. The blame lies with the parents and the churches, synagogues, and other houses of worship. They have failed to instill the values in our children. Prayer must be taught and practiced in the home and in the houses of worship. Group prayer is most appropriate there at any time. (Silent, individual prayer is appropriate at any time, when needed, for a person, or child, in a stressful situation.)

When I see busloads of children brought to the ski centers by the Baptist Churches I applaud that move in the right direction. Healthy outdoor activity is an excellent way to direct the excess energy of teenagers and a most appropriate time to teach the high moral values that seem sometimes to be lacking in our culture. I have also seen busloads of children in Utah being brought to swimming pools by the Mormon Church, in summer. We do not need prayer in our public schools, but rather more outreach by the houses of worship. Perhaps it is our religious institutions that have failed us and not our public education system.

When I was teaching, in New York City, a very long time ago, children were released from classrooms to go to their respective religious intuitions on Wednesday afternoons for “religious instruction”. Even if you wanted prayer in the school classroom, what prayer when half of the students were Jewish, another large segment, Catholic, and a few Protestants in some of the classrooms? I am sure that now there are even more religious groups represented in New York City.

About Prayer

“Prayer invites God to let his presence suffuse our spirits, to let His will prevail in our lives. Prayer cannot bring water to parched fields, nor mend a broken bridge, nor rebuilt a ruined city; but prayer can water an arid soul, mend a broken heart, and rebuild a weakened will.”

“Pray as if everything depended on God; act as if everything depended on you.

Who rise from prayer better persons, their prayer is answered.”

The above quotations are from the “Gates of Prayer”A Reform Jewish prayer book

On this note I would also like to comment on the term “Christian Values” that is used in so many of the emails. Aren’t they really Hebraic- Christian Values, going back to the time when Moses received the Ten Commandments from God on Mr. Sinai?

I regularly receive emails from friends expressing various opinions about the state of our country. Sometimes I am tempted to answer them.

I also, have been a student of history for many years. I feel now that our democracy, ruled by the “middle class” is in extreme danger. Statistics and numbers can be used in many ways. Our country’s deficit is now enormous and growing. We no longer produce in our country the materials we need to survive as a country. Our imports grow every day. Manufacturing and jobs have been outsourced. The middle class no longer is in charge. Multinational corporations and big business is in control through George Bush and the Republicans that are still in Congress. But why did our working middle class vote them in? The issues of the election that influenced their vote were, abortion rights, prayer in school, and most ridiculous of all, gay marriage. I respect the sincerity of these voters, but they were and are being USED to increase the profits and lifestyle of corporation executives and those who are heavily invested in the stock market which is doing very well, while wages are falling, healthcare benefits are disappearing, etc.

Yes, George Bush put new members on the Supreme Court. They voted to disallow late term abortions. I do not know if I am personally for or against an abortion at that time but the health and life of the mother was not included in that law. In my religion, it is stated that the health of the mother comes before that of the baby. We, in this country, have many different religions and we should all think about, and respect that. But, more important to me, is the fact that over 3,000 of our young people have been killed in a useless war and thousands wounded physically and mentally. On some days I almost want to cry when I her that more of our young people are being killed. I believe in the “Right To Life” and the life of these young people was destroyed. Why? Not for democracy in Iraq. They do not want it and it is impossible to achieve. Bush and his corporate friends wanted a share in the oil and are now getting rich by participating in the war.

According to the various emails I receive, helping our poor and our citizens is what is bankrupting America. No, it is this useless war, and the money that is going to the corporations that are supplying our troops, particularly Halliburton.

Do I always agree with the Democrats? No. The influx of illegal aliens is another factor that decreases wages and puts a drain on the resourses paid for by our citizens. In this respect, George Bush, and the corporations that hire them are as much to blame as the Democrats who are supporting them. If the influx into our country continues at this rate it can eventually lead to the destruction of the U.S., as we know it.