So are the drug prices. We got the buses full of old people heading across the border here in Texas to prove it.

Then what's Medicare and Medicaid all about?

By appealing to Medicare and Medicaid as the solution, you have fallen into my socialist trap. So you are saying, these large government social programs for the old and the poor, are a good thing? See you both at the next Demo convention, your members now.

I have Government health insurance.

My company pays for it and I write it off, now every American can do that on their personal return, if that's not a government program I don't know what is.

Kirk do you happen to take advantage of tax benefits or do you take just what you need and give the rest back? I'm not flaming or slapping I actually think your funny sometimes and you can appreciate a fine women when you see it, I'm just asking for the sake of civil intelligent discussion.

Yes, but they are an example of my point - democracies have evolved into social democracies as much as their populace will let them, and varying degrees seems to work for some societies in a way that makes their people happy. The world is certainly not becoming more libertarian - heck look at us, we are not as socialized as the Europeans, but just try to whack even 10% off the GROWTH rate of Medicare, and you go from Speaker of the House to speaker on Fox News. Ask Newt. It works in some areas, and doesn't work in others.

They’re not really that much cheaper. They do write the prescriptions for you though if you’re a self-medicator. Well I’m not going to get into my general opinions of the medical profession, but just know that it's a business like any other. I don’t know about quotas of foreign, or foreign trained Dr.’s, but there certainly are many around here – and they tend to be very good. Dr.’s seem to advance their education mostly from drug salesmen after Med. school, so younger seems better, also med. schools can be great. Never go to a doc that has golf mags. in the waiting room. The best guy I’ve found around here isn’t even a Dr., but a super nurse of some type. Mostly I just need a Dr. to patch me up from too much activity – crashes, burns, wounds – stuff I let get infected, you know. Sick – I had the Hong Kong flu in 1969, but accidents have been a *****. It’s not the office doc you really need to worry about – it’s the surgeons.

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89 300E
79 240D
72 Westy
63 Bug sunroof
85 Jeep CJ7
86 Chevy 6.2l diesel PU

"The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane."
Marcus Aurelius

Yea, I write it all off of pre-tax income etc. I may be liberal, but I'm not stupid. It hurts. Health care has become a major problem for small businessmen. That may change the debate, now that their ox is being gored but good. Mine has gone up 25% a year for the past three years. The so-called "lawsuit reform" that was sold as the cureall for this has been a fraud. Its just "profit reform" for the insurance companies with no "rate reform" for me. Same with commercial auto insurance, which in Texas is highest in the nation. On health care,if the government paid it, it would come out of payroll taxes instead of my bottom line. Let the chiselers sue the government and see if they get a dime. I'm also seeing the otherside of high drug prices working with some medical clients - the drug reps are passing out so many free lunches and kickback deals I'm amazed the IRS hasn't come down on them. In Dallas, they are buying lunch, catered in everyday, for the whole staff of these big medical clinics. I'm talking primo resturanto stuff too, and I'm talking all over town. For a wage earner or staff nurse who used to buy his or her own lunch, thats like getting a tax-free 50$ a week raise, paid for by me and you. And thats just the little stuff. I bet there's not a doctor in Dallas whose paid for a fine night out in a long time. I bet its going on all over the country. And they are expensing it. I wonder how much of the "research costs" they howl about are really tickets to the Mavs game.

Tell me, what would a botanist be doing there, seeing visions of dead generals no less?

Papaver somniferum L, perhaps?

To sleep, perchance to dream.

Fuel prices went down locally. It dropped about a nickle. My guilt load is increasing. Could somebody suggest where I can send all my ill-gotten wealth ($1.50/tank saved) from this abundance?

With that extra 3/4 of a gallon/tank from saved money now I'm gonna start driving like a madman!

I took my 3/4 of a gallon and dumped on some tires and set it ablaze.

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http://comp.uark.edu/~dmgill/signature.jpg

Send it to the oil companies. They want it all anyway.