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Sunday, October 13, 2013

Sunday Funday: 10/13/13 News

Five days before the debt ceiling is reached and the Government remains shuttered. The House has adjourned until Monday, spinning their WH discussions as they left. The Senate has the ball. They couldn't garner 60 votes to invoke cloture and pass a motion to extend the debt ceiling until the end of 2014 and reopen Government. Sen. Reid has rejected Sen. Collins bipartisan proposal, although the sides are still talking. It's time to move the obstructionists out of the way and find a path to a deal.

The debate has shifted from the Affordable Care Act to spending cuts and those who closed the Government look to save face. With a Federal Holiday Monday, we'll have to wait and see how the markets react if there is no deal by Tuesday. Hint: After the shut down the markets were down most of the first seven trading sessions. When word leaked that the sides were talking and a deal might be had, key indices were up 2% on Thursday and close to 1% on Friday.

For Wojo: Marine layer giving way to sunny skies, light breeze, high in the low 70s.

What I'm reading today:

Nurses: Five most deathbed regrets: http://tinyurl.com/crfu4d3

On the lack of compassion: http://tinyurl.com/m82a76h

Cook Partisan Voter Index: http://cookpolitical.com/story/5604

Upset Saturday: Mizzu over GA, Utes over Stanford, PSU over Mich (4 OTs!), Texas over OU, WI over Northwestern. Tide, Ducks roll, Clemson, A&M, Texas Tech, among others survive.

MLB: For the first time in history, two 1-0 playoff games in the same day. Cards take a 2-0 lead as the series shifts to LA on Monday. Tigers Annibel Sanchez has 12Ks and 6BBs in six no-hit innings leading five pitchers to a 1-0, one hit shutout of the Red Sox. Game 2 today.

Lots of interesting games today. Buffalo just scored on a Thaddeus Lewis QB draw - the first time the Bengals have given up a TD on their first drive in 22 games! 10-7 Bengals early. I had tickets to the game. #shutdown #dearcongress

Sunday Funday!

Saturday, October 12, 2013

On the myths I've been reading lately regarding the Affordable Care Act

I personally went to the website - www.healthcare.gov - and was able to navigate it with no issue. If your state has set up their own marketplace (i.e.: CA, OR, WA, NY, KY, ID, MN, CO, NM, NY, MD, MA, RI, CT) it's different and perhaps a bit easier than the states that refused and are using the federal marketplace. It's still not that difficult and the website is working just fine.

The individual mandate was the brainchild of The Heritage Foundation - a right-wing think-tank, and was embraced by Governor Romney as a centerpiece of health care reform in MA.

The ACA is not socialized medicine. The Government does not provide health care nor control the costs. Insurance is purchased from marketplaces where private companies compete for your business.

As of January 1st, preexisting conditions will no longer prevent you from obtaining health care. This is huge for millions of Americans. The Government rolled out a pilot program earlier this year where 100,000 people with preexisting conditions obtained coverage.

Congress is not trying to protect you from a bad law, from Socialism or from something bad for you. They are trying to protect corporate interests. Period. You and I are pawns in this. They couldn't care less about us. It's all about their sugar-daddies that keep them in office.

If you liken the ACA to slavery in ANY way - that is to say, if you think it's like slavery, as bad as slavery or that the law can be changed because slavery used to be the law as well, take a seat at the kiddie table while the adults talk. You also may want to start cutting the pills in half.

In the news today (10/12/13)

Five days until we reach the debt ceiling. The House R's are now racing to come up with a solution before the Senate R's and moderate D's swoop in an steal their so-called "thunder". Vegas odds have the Senate leading us out of this mess with a token win for the R's, a debt ceiling increase to take us past the 1st of the year, changes to the sequester to allow Gov't agencies more flexibility, a repeal of the medical device tax and some changes to so-called entitlement programs.

Michelle Bachmann believes President Obama is leading us towards the end of days. His Presidency is apparently the biblical sign of the apocalypse.

Senator Cruz tried to argue for repeal of the Affordable Care Act to the President at the White House. That went over like a fart in church.

The St. Louis Cardinals took a 1-0 lead in the best of 7 NLCS with a 3-2 win in 13 innings on Carlos Beltran's RBI single. Beltran drove in all three runs for the Cards. Game 2 is this afternoon. Game 1 of the ALCS between the Tigers and Red Sox is tonight.

For college football fans, OU at Texas, Georgia at Mizzu, Florida at LSU, Oregon at Washington. Happy Saturday!

Friday, October 11, 2013

Today's public service. Here's a summary of the news:

Government is still shut-down. We hit the debt ceiling in six days.

2M Government workers just got their pay statements, a little over half of what they actually earned.

Aviation safety professionals held a rally on Capitol Hill calling for an end to the #shutdown. The motorcade of Congressional leaders leaving their White House meeting passed right by the rally.

The air traffic control system is reaching a state of "yellow", meaning that in the 11th day of the furlough of those workers who maintain the equipment necessary to do my job, we're approaching a state where the system is stretched beyond its limitations.

House R's want to take away Treasury Dept ability to reinvest the Gov't money when we're bumping up against the ceiling - an idea that benefits those who love to take our Gov't hostage and no one else, quite frankly.

The markets responded positively to news that talks over a budget deal *may* be thawing. Anyone who thinks the #shutdown isn't having an impact, have you checked your 401K recently?

Elisabeth Hasslebeck thinks cell phones and air conditioning are the "ugly side of welfare".

Glenn Beck thinks we should physically abuse our children until they believe in God.

Ted Cruz called birth control "abortifacients".

Happy Friday everyone!

Friday, October 4, 2013

Day 4: America Held Hostage

In case anyone feels as if the Gov't shutdown isn't having an impact: One Congressman said it's a "few million". It's actually estimated at $12.5 million per hour.

1 million essential Government workers are on the job and will not get paid for work performed after October 1st until the shutdown ends. My personal experience: the talk at work is how people are going to manage without one or two paychecks, whether the bank will take an IOU for the mortgage or car note. Just what I want - air traffic controllers separating airplanes with concern over paying their bills in the forefront of their minds.

Yes, we're professionals and we go to work and do our best work regardless of the circumstances. We still kick ass for the flying public, just like the other 985 thousand that are working for an IOU. Sure, I will eventually get paid - unlike the 800 thousand furloughed Government workers who may or may not. It's just not a very good feeling to have this dangling over our collective heads. I'm not angry at the hatred and vitriol towards us who work for the Gov't. They're blinded by their ideology and hatred of the POTUS. They'll lie about anything to further their agenda, which is, was and always will be to make sure this President is not successful. We're just the middle man.

I am greatly disappointed in my Agency, and they have forever lost my trust. They had an opportunity to work with my Union and show us what true collaboration is all about. Instead, they did just the opposite, harkening back to the days where we lived under imposed work rules rather than an agreement that was collectively bargained. We don't need a "partner of convenience".