 |
||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
||||
|
Demise of American Medicine During my tenure as the director of the Orange County Medical Association, the dominating issue was to stop government encroachment into the medical care system. Like Bermuda grass invading a lawn, its spread was relentless. The Register’s Mark Landsbaum, Jan. 15, 2012 article “Bad Medicine for California” identifies the absurdity of a legislative proposal by Sen. Mark Leno, D, San Francisco, SB810, a proposal for a state universal health care program. What is he thinking? What are his motivations? California has nearly $80 billion in bond debt and about $60 billion in unfunded pension obligations. The Gross National Debt is $15 Trillion, $211 Billion? The numbers are more impacting when written, rather than just shown numerically. The medical care system has faced mandated change as a result of political obfuscation. Medical care is what you have accepted to be known as health care formerly provided by physicians, known today as providers. Key drivers of these alterations are government intrusion, managed care and an unfettered tort liability system. Medicine has now become a mass production service. Medical insurance is a risk-rated program functioning upon actuarially forecasted data. Government-initiated managed care accelerated the demise of a personalized, caring system, in a wanton effort for cost control. On the horizon is the Patient Protection and Affordable Health Obama just gave $300 million to the Agency for Health-care Quality and Research, yet another bureaucratic entity, to pursue "academic detailing.” See the O.C. Register, Jan. 12, 2012, pg. 8. This is government duplicity of meaningless programs at taxpayer expense. In 1972, Social Security was amended to provide for "Professional Standards Review Organizations," an organization which was to monitor health care services. It was to assure that services provided are medically necessary, meet professional standards, and are most economic medically appropriate. Academic detailing--Here we go again! Twenty-six states’ numerous business and social representatives have sued to block the implementation of Obamacare. California is fully cooperating. The O.C. Register on 1/19/ 2012 quotes Nancy Ann DeParle, deputy chief of staff as saying “No matter where you live, on Jan.1, 2014, an exchange (new health insurance market) will be up and running.” It doesn’t matter what the people want. This is a nasty bureaucratic attitude. The Dept. of Health and Human Services (HHS) has initiated a program for high-risk patients. States have the option for Federal management (control) or state level. California sponsors the Major Risk Medical Insurance Program (MRMIP). Under Federal subsidy, (our money), it offers In January 2012, the Washington Post reported that the insurance pools saw anemic enrollment, a new worry: The high-risk pools attracted such expensive patients that nearly a quarter are running short on cash. California has asked the federal government twice for more money. This is just another political move to garnish federal dollars. Our nation is at horrendous financial risk. To turn over control of our medical care system to the Federal government is simply absurd. It is ludicrous. We are all fed up with politics. One party may say good morning and the other will respond why. We don’t have time nor is there value in playing a blame game. Washington is out of control and we share in the responsibility. Write your legislative representatives and vote in November for the legislative representatives that will pave the way for restoration of our country. John Rette |
||||
|
Ury Strikes Out Mission Viejo Councilman Frank Ury can’t draw a crowd. Patch.com sponsored a chance for Mission Viejo residents to “meet the mayor,” Frank Ury, on Sat., Feb. 11. Following the event, did Patch delay posting photos for a week because it was such a fiasco? Of the five photos, one was a picture of Ury, and another was a close-up of a pastry. A third was Ury and the Patch employee who wrote the article. The other two photos again show Ury and the Patch employee, plus the crowd Ury attracted: four people. The event had been advertised with a come-on of free food paid for by Patch. The Feb. 11 audience of four was a better turnout than a charity event featuring Ury as the speaker on Feb. 12. When Ury gave his speech, he neglected to talk about the charity or the reason for supporting it. Given the incredibly low attendance, almost no one knew about Ury’s gaffes, including his mention of the “Army at Camp Pendleton.” On Feb. 19, some Casta del Sol residents said they didn’t attend an event at their clubhouse because Ury was there. When a Casta resident invited Ury to speak at Casta’s Lincoln Day, what was her point? Ury has made clear for years he favors housing on the Casta golf course. A year ago, he told his planning commission appointee that his two primary goals for the city were to get the old Kmart building demolished (to make way for UDR’s high-density housing project on east Los Alisos) and to build on the Casta golf course. Attendees usually fill the room for Casta’s annual Lincoln Day celebration, and the turnout was noticeably lower this time. Ury is up for reelection in November. With his record of support for special interest, self-enrichment and developers of high-density housing, residents describe him as the most dangerous person on the council. |
||||
|
Non-government Events Following is a sampling of events and activities that are not funded by taxpayers or promoted by the Nanny State. Please support private enterprise and non-profit groups. “Cinderella” and “Hansel and Gretel,” Fri., Feb. 24, Laguna Playhouse Youth Theater, 606 Laguna Canyon Rd., Laguna Beach, visit the Website for schedule, activities and performances in February and March, (949) 497-2787, http://www.lagunaplayhouse.com/ Jazz Monsters will feature the Geoffrey Keezer Trio, Soka Performing Arts Center, Fri., Feb. 24, 7:00 p.m., 1 University Drive, Aliso Viejo, (949) 480-4278, http://performingarts.soka.edu/ Mission San Juan Capistrano, guided tours at 11:15 a.m. on Sat.-Sun,, Feb. 25-26, 26801 Ortega Highway, San Juan Capistrano. For other tour times and dates, activities and art exhibits, call (949) 234-1300, http://www.missionsjc.com/ Meditation, Chanting, Inspiration (Satsang), free class on the last Saturday of each month, Sat., Feb. 25, call or check the Website for time, 3 la Cueva, Rancho Santa Margarita, (949) 226-1607, http://www.omline-ashram.com/satsang.html Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens, “White House Garden Exhibit,” through Feb. 26, the Smithsonian Institution traveling exhibit; closed on Mondays, 415 Avenida Granada, San Clemente, at (949) 498-2139, http://casaromantica.org/events.html Movies, Edwards Kaleidoscope Stadium 10 in Mission Viejo, 27741 Crown Valley Pkwy, (949) 582-4020, get show times, watch movie trailers, see what's coming soon at Big Bucks Bingo, Wednesdays, 6:15 p.m. early bird and 6:45 p.m. regular games, Mission Viejo Elks Lodge, Marguerite and La Paz, Mission Viejo, 949-830-3557. Bowers Museum, “Warriors, Tombs and Temples – China’s Enduring Legacy” ongoing exhibit through March 4, 2002 N. Main St., Santa Ana, (714) 567-3600, http://www.bowers.org “Mercedes Car & Cockpits,” Lyon Air Museum, Sun., Mar. 4, 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m., 19300 Ike Jones Road, Santa Ana, (714) 210-4585, http://lyonairmuseum.org/2012/lyon-air-museum-to-host-mercedes-car-cockpits-event-on-sunday-mar-5-2012/ Senior Surfin Safari afternoon of comedy, Sun., March 11, doors open at noon, lunch at 12:30 p.m. and show starts at 1:30 p.m., $38.50 per person, at Don the Beachcomber, 16278 S. Pacific Coast Highway, Huntington Beach, (562) 592-1321, http://www.donthebeachcomber.com Quarter Mania fundraiser to benefit A Way of Life retreat for women who have had cancer, Sat., April 7, auction from 12:00 noon to 3:00 p.m. Doors open at 10:45 a.m., lunch at 11:30 a.m., $20 cost includes lunch. OLN Conference Center, 1938 Avenida del Oro, Oceanside. RSVP by March 23, Sue LaVoie, 6516 California Avenue, Long Beach, CA 90805. For more information, call Sue LaVoie, (562) 480-4163, or Melissa Maki, (619) 840-0970. |
||||
|
Political and Government Events Calendar Celebrate Presidents Day, Mon., Feb. 20, free admission all day, 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., meet Presidents Washington, Lincoln, Jefferson and Roosevelt, special presentation at 1:30 p.m., Richard Nixon Library, 18001 Yorba Linda Blvd., Yorba Linda, (714) 464-1161, http://events.nixonfoundation.org El Toro Water District meetings: Engineering, Finance, Insurance Committee on Tues., Feb. 21, 7:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.; Board of Directors on Thurs., Feb. 23, 7:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. ETWD, 24251 Los Alisos Blvd., Lake Forest, (949) 837-0660, http://www.etwd.com Debate between Deborah Pauly and Todd Spitzer, candidates for OC’s 3rd Supervisoral District, Tues., Feb. 21, 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., Orange Republican Women Federated dinner and meeting, Foxfire Restaurant, 5717 E. Santa Ana Canyon Rd., Anaheim Hills, (714) 998-9065. Santa Margarita Water District Board of Directors will meet on Wed., Feb. 22, 7:00 p.m., 26111 Antonio Parkway, Rancho Santa Margarita, (949) 459-6420, http://www.smwd.com/about-us/meeting-agendas.html Aliso Viejo Republican Women Federated, Thurs., Feb. 23, 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., featured speaker will be Brad Dacus, founder and president of the Pacific Justice Institute, Aliso Viejo Conference Center, 31 Santa Barbara Drive, Aliso Viejo, RSVP to (949) 859-2818. Concert at the Nixon Library, Sun., Feb. 26, violinist Drew Tretick. Doors open at 1:15 p.m., and concerts begin at 2:00 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Concerts are free and open to the public. Schedule is subject to change. Richard Nixon Library, 18001 Yorba Linda Blvd., Yorba Linda, (714) 464-1161, http://events.nixonfoundation.org South Orange County Community College District Board of Trustees, Mon., Feb. 27. Meeting times unless otherwise posted: open session convenes at 5 p.m.., followed by adjournment to closed session, open session reconvenes at 6:00 p.m. or 6:30 p.m., adjournment by 9:00 p.m. Ronald Reagan Board of Trustees Room, Room 145, Health Sciences/District Offices Building, Saddleback College, 28000 Marguerite Parkway, Mission Viejo, (949) 582-4999, https://www.socccd.edu Orange County Board of Supervisors, Tuesday, Feb. 28, 9:30 a.m. (No meeting on Feb. 21.) Board Hearing Room, First Floor, 333 W. Santa Ana Blvd., Santa Ana, (714) 834-3100. http://www.ocgov.com/ocgov/Government/Board%20of%20Supervisors Saddleback Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees will meet “if necessary” on Tues., Feb. 28. The next meeting will be on Tues., March 13. The board workshop on board policies will begin at 4:30 p.m., open to the public. The regular board meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. at the district office, 25631 Peter Hartman Way, Mission Viejo, (949) 586-1234, http://www.svusd.k12.ca.us Capistrano Unified School District Board of Trustees, special board meeting on Mon., Feb. 27, 6:00 p.m., and regular meeting on Wed., Feb. 29, 7:00 p.m., 33122 Valle Road, San Juan Capistrano, agenda and supporting documentation are published on the website 72 hours prior to a meeting, (949) 234-9200, http://capousd.ca.schoolloop.com/ Atlas PAC mixer featuring Assemblyman Tim Donnelly, Thurs., March 1, 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Donnelly in his first term has taken tough stances against the governor’s budget, CARB and the DREAM Act. Mixer will be held at the Auld Dubliner Irish Pub & Restaurant, 2497 Park Ave., Tustin, RSVP to rsvp@atlaspac.org Moulton Niguel Water District meetings: Community Relations on Wed., March 7, at (9:00 a.m., Engineering and Operations on Mon., March 12, 9:00 a.m., Finance and I.T. on Wed., March 14, 9:00 a.m., Board of Directors on Thurs., March 15, 5:30 p.m., 27500 La Paz Road, Laguna Niguel, (949) 831-2500, http://www.mnwd.com/board-of-directors/agenda.aspx Rush Limbaugh Club of OC, Sat., March 10, breakfast meeting 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Guest speaker to be announced. Casta Del Sol Golf Club, 27601 Casta Del Sol Road, Mission Viejo. RSVP to Bruce Brown, (949) 487-5288 or limbaughcluboc@aol.com. http://www.rushlimbaughcluboc.com ACT for America, Mon., March 12; the meeting starts promptly at 7:30 p.m. Program to be announced. The meeting will be held at the Norman Murray Community Center, 24932 Veterans Way, Mission Viejo. Saddleback Republican Assembly meets on Thurs., March 15, 7:00 p.m., program to be announced. SRA meets on third Thursdays at the Norman P. Murray Center, 24932 Veterans Way, Jacaranda Room-B, Mission Viejo. For information call (949) 360-1717. Celebrate Pat Nixon’s Centennial Birthday, Fri., March 16, free admission to the Nixon Library. Julie Nixon Eisenhower opens the new Pat Nixon Centennial Exhibit, “People Were Her Project.” Activities, featured guests and programs, Richard Nixon Library, 18001 Yorba Linda Blvd., Yorba Linda, (714) 364-1120, http://events.nixonfoundation.org |
||||
|
The Buzz Todd Spitzer will debate Deborah Pauly at the Orange Republican Women Federated meeting on Tues., Feb. 21, 6:30 p.m. Price of $15 includes dinner, Foxfire Restaurant (off the 91), 5715 E. Santa Ana Canyon Road, Anaheim Hills. Reservations are required, (714) 998-9065 or passchier@aol.com. Spitzer and Pauly are candidates for OC’s Third District seat. The activist who emailed the information added what is likely an understatement, “This should be interesting.” *** Former Congressman Jim Rogan was the guest speaker at last week’s Saddleback Republican Assembly meeting. Attendees described him as “inspiring” and “the best guest speaker I’ve ever heard.” Rogan’s new book, “Catching the Flag,” tells what happened behind the scenes of Bill Clinton’s impeachment. Rogan’s words from the book’s jacket, “Yes, I know, most of you out there in America hated Clinton’s impeachment, and you hated us for doing it. But take this with you: because we impeached him, today you live in a country where every future president is on notice that perjury and obstruction of justice is a one-way White House eviction notice – as long future Members of Congress have the spine to stand up to him.” *** Quarter Mania puts the “fun” into fundraising for A Way of Life retreat for women who have had cancer. Come to Quarter Mania on Sat., April 7. Doors open at 10:45 a.m., lunch at 11:30 a.m., and an auction runs from noon to 3:00 p.m. Cost of $20 includes lunch. OLN Conference Center, 1938 Avenida del Oro, Oceanside. RSVP by March 23, Sue LaVoie, 6516 California Avenue, Long Beach, CA 90805. For more information, call Sue LaVoie, (562) 480-4163, or Melissa Maki, (619) 840-0970. *** A group of Mission Viejo residents protested Barack Obama’s Feb. 15 fundraiser in Corona del Mar. A liberal writer (at OC Weekly) reported the protesters and supporters of Obama were equal in number – not true. Martin Wisckol (OC Register) estimated protesters outnumbered supporters 4:1, which was closer to reality. Perhaps members of the liberal press were bolstered by the fact that many attendees weren’t holding anti-Obama signs. A notice that went out to Tea Party Patriots invited participants to bring signs or American flags, and there were many American flags. Why would anyone think an Obama fan would carry an AMERICAN flag? *** Here’s a message to Obama from Tea Party.org on Feb. 15: Tea Party Patriots see our freedom being uprooted and replaced with federal control. Individual rights are replaced with herd mentality, names are being replaced with numbers and our traditional values are crushed by the global one-world agenda. Schoolchildren are forced to participate in government-mandated brainwashing administered by the failed public school system, and it doesn't stop there. Whole industries are being nationalized; the banking industry has been eviscerated. One by one, states’ rights are being eroded. It turns out, 911 planes flew into buildings, and today the Obama administration is flying into our beloved Constitution. Like “Ground Zero,” our Constitution is burning and slowly collapsing into a heap of twisted and mangled confusion. *** The following paragraphs may have been missed in a mid-January issue of The Buzz. Attendees of a political meeting in San Juan Capistrano heard Wendy Bucknum describe how she’ll finance her campaign for a Mission Viejo council seat in November 2012. Bucknum indicates she’ll to run on Other People’s Money, either because she can’t afford to run or doesn’t need to run on her own money. Bucknum works as a lobbyist for a property management company, and her support of more high-density housing in Mission Viejo is quite clear. From a Jan. 10 press release published in the OC Register’s online version about Bucknum’s employment: “Wendy Bucknum has exhibited leadership, involvement and passion for the CAI mission of assisting community associations in promoting harmony, community, and responsible leadership through volunteering for CAI-OCRC and her work as an association manager. Her contributions have been instrumental to the success of CAI by expanding its influence though partnership with regional organizations, government agencies and elected officials.” http://www.ocregister.com/news/community-336401-cai-united.html *** Kevin Jackson writes: “Why is Obama launching Truth Squads all over the country, and who pays for this? When you have added $6.2T to a deficit you said you would cut in half, maybe you need somebody to help cover up the truth. Who is heading up these ‘Truth Teams?’ It's Democrats all over the country. Attorneys Generals are part of the Truth Teams. How intimidating is this? Can a public servant paid by taxpayers represent a sitting president in a Truth Squad? You want to know who sets up Truth Teams? BLATANT LIARS!” http://theblacksphere.net/truth-team-brain-dead-drones/?utm_source=Humor+-+The+Antidote+for+Liberalism++v8-2012&utm_campaign=02-19-12+Newsletter+-+The+Black+Sphere&utm_medium=email |
||||
|
To Comment on any of our articles this week please email us by clicking on this link. All emails will be held in the strictest confidence. If you want you comment considered for publication, please put “Publish” in the subject. |
||||