http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/52383502.html

Put the health care reform bill online, now
Examiner Editorial

August 4, 2009 A thousand-page bill hit the House Clerk's desk in the wee hours of June 26, shortly before it was to receive a floor vote. The bill -- the Waxman-Markey cap-and-trade bill on carbon emissions -- had been substantially changed in committee the night before, with a 300-page amendment added. As the debate progressed later in the day, not even the clerk himself had a full, amended copy of the bill the House was about to vote on. Not one member of Congress could have possibly read it, because no complete version yet existed.

We hoped this debacle would not be repeated with health care, but here we go again. The House Energy and Commerce Committee passed a final version of the House health-care reform package Friday before leaving for the August recess. Whatever its merits, the American people must be able to study the approved bill's provisions before they talk to their senators and representatives members.

Unfortunately, the House Energy and Commerce Committee is dragging its feet on posting the final bill. When we called them yesterday morning to get a copy, we were told that the amended version might not be compiled until after the August recess. When we called back for an official comment, spokeswoman Lindsey Vidal gave us the slightly less jarring news that it would take at least two to three weeks, even though we live in an age of computer cut-and-paste.

Yes, more than 50 amendments were added and lawmakers made more than 123 pages of changes on Friday alone, some of them complex in nature. But unless it is being done in longhand, there is no reason not to post the text, amendments and all, immediately. Having millions of constituents reading it during the recess can only help clear up any misunderstandings about the bill's content.

In fact, the very volume of changes to the sweeping bill underscores the importance of giving the public a finished version as quickly as possible. Nearly every American's coverage might have to change because of this bill. Nearly every employer and every individual will be affected. Allowing weeks to go by before posting the text encourages one conclusion - House Democrats are afraid of what people will say when they read the bill. Judging by the tumultuous scenes already recorded at congressional town halls in Missouri and New York, it's easy to see why Democrats - who know what's in their bill - fear facing the music.

UPDATE EDITOR'S NOTE: The bill text that is posted as of 4 pm on Tuesday, 8/4/09, on the committee web site does not incorporate the multiple amendments that were approved by the committee.

I am sure this is merely an oversight. The MOST transparent administration in history PROMISED to post all Bills, and they simply wouldn't lie about it.

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1982 300SD " Wotan" ..On the road as of Jan 8, 2007 with Historic Tags

Well, I found this in about 5 seconds. Do you guys search for what you are seeking, or do you expect it to turn up in your mailbox?
http://help.senate.gov/BAI09A84_xml.pdf

Don't forget all you 65 yr old + folks need to start working on your "End of Life" counseling. YIKES - I only have 13 years to go.

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Jim

I did that 19 years ago when I was headed for major surgery.
There's nothing wrong with making plans so your family knows what to do in case you can't tell them.
No need to jump out your butt, just write down your instructions for your family.

I'm right now trying to locate the suitable Fraggle Rock episode that can explain this better than just the words from the article! I'll post this as soon as I find something.

That way next time an issue comes up everyone can hopefully participate actually knowing the difference between the US House of Representatives and the other legislative branch the US Senate!

If the article is read; it is clear:

"The House Energy and Commerce Committee passed a final version of the House health-care reform package Friday before leaving for the August recess. Whatever its merits, the American people must be able to study the approved bill's provisions before they talk to their senators and representatives members.

Unfortunately, the House Energy and Commerce Committee is dragging its feet on posting the final bill. "

Easy to make this kind of mistake when only taking no more than 5 seconds to respond I guess!

I expect to find what I'm searching for and I'm not expecting that things that I'm not searching for are acceptable instead! Thanks!

Do you think that Obama will include in his "Federal - How I Want To Die - Form US FED 666; a check box with the line " Do everything possible and spare no expense in doing so, I've paid into this system for all my life and have never been notified that there are options that will extend my life but can't be had now!"

I think you're over reacting. A living will and durable power of attorney have been around for many, many years. If you are not aware of this, that only goes to highlight your obvious lack of knowledge.

So I can only guess that you either can understand the question or can't answer the question I asked.

The question is not about whether advanced directives exist but whether under the proposed schemes that the administrators of care will be predisposed or in all probability "incentivized" to steer individuals under their care away from costlier care and towards choices that avoid prolonging the dying process?

With regard to your ignorance as to the extent of my awareness and knowledge, I'm certain that the benefit of having my spouse an RN in long term care facility management for the past 30 years and two adult daughters who also RNs working in long term care facilities provides me with more information and understanding regarding these matters than most. Having my own advanced directives as well is just icing on this cake.


P. S. And don't be bashful just post those links that you find regarding the "unavailable House Energy and Commerce Committee passed a final version of the House health-care reform package" so as to stop all this "disinformation"!

I did post a link. Sorry if you couldn't open it.
So what is your problem? The g'ment is recommending that older persons do as you and I have done. Any other interpretation is based on politics and not reason.

I apologize, and I'm sorry that you still don't know or understand the difference between the United States Senate (and the link you've provided) and the United States House of Representatives specifically the Energy and Commerce Committee which last Friday, July 31, 2009 voted 31-28 to approve H. R. 3200 America’s Affordable Health Choices Act, the subject of the article originally posted.

The Democrat controlled House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee, of the Democrat controlled United States House of Representatives has thus far failed to make the complete and accurate text of H. R. 3200 America’s Affordable Health Choices Act, available for the public, despite allegedly having the complete and accurate text available at the time of the vote. It has become clear and may be acceptable to the illiterates among the population not to read legislation before voting on it but I hope it has not yet become acceptable that the entire population at large, Obamunists obviously excepted.

If and when you find a link to the complete, accurate, and full text of H. R. 3200 America’s Affordable Health Choices Act feel free to enlighten the rest of us.

Sorry, I'm not your secretary. Anyone with any sense can find the House bill in a few seconds.

The Emperor's New Clothes
A very old fable, the moral of which is: Some things never change.
Two rascally con men came into town and told the emperor that they were skilled weavers of very special cloth. It was made from very special thread that they spun themselves, from a process that they had generated themselves, that was quite secret.

Naturally the emperor, a very vain and self centered person, who was always thinking of how he looked and indulging himself in the finest of clothing wanted to have this cloth for a new set of clothes. He would spare no expense.

So he had the men installed in the best guest suites at the castle overlooking his world renowned fish pond. They were given his credit card and told to charge what they needed to set up their workshop.

They had a blast. They ordered a spinning wheel and pretended to spin, while eating and drinking from the King's best provisions. When the King came to see what they were doing all he could see was an empty spinning wheel.

"What's this" he exclaimed. "There is Nothing on this spinning wheel."

Oh! "This is very special thread" they told him. "It has a very special quality" "It is very Distinctive." "Only those people who are worthy of their office and intelligent enough can see it."

"It is a beautiful irridescent shade of royal blue with beautiful earth tones running through it"

One of the men held up his hands with the imaginary skein.

"You Do see it don't you?" he asked in an incredulous tone to the King.

"Um, Oh yes indeed, I do see it!" the King said, not wanting to be thought of as unworthy of his office or stupid. "Of course I see it."

And the more he looked the more he imagined he could see it. "I like the purple and gold flecks, very Distinctive. I've never seen anything like it."

And he went and told his prime minister, his wife, his kids and the royal court all about these talented crafts people who were spinning this incredible threads to weave this incredible cloth.

After hanging around for several weeks, "spinning" the thread and amusing themselves at the king's expense, the rascally con men moved the "thread" to the loom and started to weave.

To save time in this retelling, I'll just skip over to the fact that everybody went to see for themselves and nobody wanted to admit that they saw Nothing, since that would mean they would be deemed unworthy and stupid. The more people who saw it, the more elaborate the descriptions of the cloth became, till eventually there was no adult in the kingdom who had not either "seen" the cloth first hand or heard the telling about it in the marketplace or in popular songs of the day.

In fact, the king had decreed since the cloth had the ability to tell if people were worthy or intelligent, it became a necessary prerequisite to hold office, to view the cloth and describe it. So there was a fairly steady parade of cabinet members and court officials visiting and complimenting the weavers on their work.

The rascally con men drug out their little pantomime as long as they could, putting the king off, postponing the time he would finally get to wear his new clothes.

"We've got an Advanced weaving system that will take some time. There is a lot of Self Expression that goes into tailoring. We need to take your measurements exactly. This is a very special work we are doing for you, etc, etc." Finally, after many adjustments, and repositionings and lots of free food and drink, the master weavers, allowed the King to try on his new clothes down to the hand monagrammed extra silky imaginary underwear.

"How do I look?" he asked his weavers.

"Oh, your majesty! You look Transformed!" one con man said. "Your court will really notice the difference in your highness." the other one said.

"How do I look?" he asked his Prime minister.

"I've never seen anything like it." his prime minister truthfully replied.

The King asked all his court, his wife, his children, his royal bakers, Everybody in the palace gave the highest compliments to the vain king.

"I shall parade down main street at 6'oclock so that my loyal subjects can see my wonderous new clothes. I declare this a New Age in finery." said the king in his most important Kingly voice.

And so he did, parade, in all the glory that God had seen fit to endow him with, with royal trumpeterss in front and royal knights behind.

The crowd murmered their admiration and approval, each one not wanting to be thought unworthy or stupid.

All except one little girl, who looked at the king with wonder and surprise and piped up with a clear, bell like tone that carried quite far into the crowd.

"Mommy, why is the King naked?"

Her mother was very embarassed and tried to hush her little girl, but she was a strong willed young lady and not easily put down.

"But Mommy!" She screamed even more loudly, "He is wearing Nothing at all."

Suddenly the crowd began to laugh and pass the comment to their neighbors and as if breaking from a trance, they all realized it at once.

"The child is right!"

"He is naked!" "Oh my gosh" And they started to laugh and point and wonder.

The King came to his senses, also, as if woken from a trance and realized that he had wasted untold amounts of money, and time at fittings, and was now standing in his altogether, being ridiculed by the populace.

"Bring me those weavers" he bellowed to his guards.

Ah, but it was too late, they had fled town hours before, crossing the river and sailing far away.

Laughing as hard as they could they travelled all the way along to another town, where they looked up the most self-centered, important citizen to start their scam all over again.

Jeez, dude, go find a 12 yr old and get a lesson on "Google":

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=h111-3200

I often find myself saying this:
a little education can go a long way.

http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=111_cong_bills&docid=f:h3200ih.txt.pdf

Its amazing what 5 seconds on Google can do.

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TC
Current stable:
- 2004 Mazda RALLYWANKEL
- 2007 Saturn sky redline
- 2004 Explorer...under surgery.

Past: 135i, GTI, 300E, 300SD, 300SD, Stealth