Seniors for America blogs

A soluotion to one of the USA's biggest problems.

"Cars traveling in a tube"

Here is an idea that could help America with several problems. I believe it would also improve the way we travel. Here are some of the benefits.

A) Reduce the balance of payments. Using electricity instead of fossil fuels would cut our imports of oil. Reduce our dependents on the world oil supply.

B) Reduce the death rate on our highways. No one would be in control of the car and they would be safely inside a Tube. No one should ever be killed or injured.

C) Create faster and more convenient transportation. Not only can cars achieve a much fast speed then can be traveled on the roads of today, they would have the choice of when to go and they would always have transportation to and from the entrance or exit of the tube. Which is not available in other means of mass transit.

D) The scope of a project of this magnitude would cause an upsurge in the whole economy.

E) The money people spend on gasoline for their SUVs could be put to better purposes.

F) Reduce the overcrowding of the highways and the expense of building new roads.

Individuals would purchase the Tube Car just as they purchase the cars today from auto manufactures. The federal government would build the tube that they would travel in just as they pay for the building of the major highways currently in use. If the federal government does not want to build the tubes then private enterprise could do it, if the right of way along major roads could be acquired from the government, and they guaranteed the loans for financing it.

The Tube Car would be able to travel on roads that exist today and would also be capable of traveling in the Tubes. I would think a small engine of no more then 4 cylinders or maybe a hybrid with electrical motors could propel the car outside the tube. Inside the tube electro magnets would propel the car. The technology is being developed for trains and they call it Maglev. It would take less energy to maintain a continuous speed then the energy required to start and stop vehicles that travel in traffic today. The Japanese and the Eruopeans have built trains with this type of propulsion. I think they have had considerable success. The car would sit on a track but would not touch it. It would float a millimeter above the track because of the polarity that would hold it above the track. With no friction and no moving parts there will be very little wear on the car or tube. Inside the tube the occupant would not control the car. The occupant would indicate the exit that he or she planned to use and the car would be controlled by computers. The car would have an electronic number embedded at manufacture that would be read by the computer and the driver would be charged according to the miles traveled in the tube, just like a credit card charge. Upon entering the tube a diagnostic would be run to make sure the car was not damaged and therefore would operate in the tube, the computer would also check the owner’s credit and make sure it would cover the charges to the destination. If either case were negative the car would be expelled from the tube. The collected funds would be used to maintain the tubes and pay for the electricity. The car manufactures would need to be involved with the design of the car and be required to have at least 75% of each car made in the USA. Those who participated in developing the car could be given a certain length of time they would have to sell the car without competition to recover the research cost. Maybe two or all three American automakers would compete for the rights to develop the car with a proto type.

The comfort of the occupants needs to be considered; an example would be heating and air conditioning. The design might consider that occupants would be able to sleep, work, read, communicate with others, or watch TV while traveling.

The government or private enterprise would construct the Tube just as highways are constructed today. The most efficient material would be concrete and the method could be the method used to make the bridge supports at the Chesapeake Bay entrance. They built a machine shaped like a large cylinder and rotated it after putting the wire mesh inside. As the cylinder spun they add concrete. The spinning would help extract water from the concrete so it would harden much faster, it also will be shaped like a tube. If this method were to be used, the tubes could be manufactured at certain plants and then delivered to the road site for installation. The tube location should be placed on the right of away of every interstate highway currently in use. They could be mounted on supporting pillars erected between the current lanes or off to one side. The need for two tubes, one for each direction, may require the tubes to be stacked one on top of the other. A computer would control the entrance or exit or change from one tube to another similar to the way that train tracks are switched today. There would be a lot fewer entrances and exits then there are currently on and off ramps on the interstate highways, because the Tube car would be able to drive on the current roads to their final destination. The entrance and exit could possibly be 10 miles apart in the cities and up to 50 miles apart outside the cities. The single track would simply slide in or out, or up or down to allow cars to enter or exit that tube. The computer would determine when a gap in traffic would allow for a tube car, waiting in the entrance tube or merging from another tube, to then be launched into the main tube. Aircraft carriers use a steam driven piston to launch aircraft. Something similar could be used to propel the car into the main tube at matching speeds. The speed of each vehicle would be controlled by an increase in electrical current to speed up and a brake that grips the track to slow down. If the tubes were sealed and cars entering or exiting were passed through a closing sock, it would be possible to pump air out of the tube and reduce friction even more from the cars that travel in the tube. The optimum air pressure inside the tube could be determined from tests. The computer would control the speed of each car to insure proper separation and gaps for other cars to enter. I think speeds of 300 to 500 miles per hour are a possibility. This kind of speed would only be safe inside a closed environment or at high altitudes. A pebble hit by a vehicle at that speed could cause severe damage.

The energy requirements would be huge and would require a large capital investment into electrical production. Putting solar cells on the entire tube that is exposed to sunlight should help. Windmills for electrical production could also be used where possible. Along both coast, tide generators could be used. Dams could be built and nuclear power plants constructed. Even coal with the proper scrubbers could be used. The environmentalist who oppose any or all of these methods of generating power should be told that the alternative is for the continued importation of crude oil and all the problems that comes with that importation.

Financing this project should be done with a gasoline tax. The American gasoline is at least a $1.00 or more a gallon less then the Europeans pay. Taxes could be raised by that amount on gasoline to finance construction of the tube and the electric power plants. To prevent putting the burden on commercial business, they could file a tax reduction form and reduce their income taxes by the amount of the gasoline tax. If congress passed this bill it could have an immediate effect on the gasoline usage in this nation. People would stop buying SUVs and pickup trucks that get 12 miles to the gallon. They would also stop being so wasteful when making unnecessary trips. The cost of using the Tube should be about 5 cents per mile at current prices. If the cost of the tube was 5 cents per mile and someone lived 20 miles from his or her place of employment it would cost $1 to get there. A trip across the USA would be about $150. This would be very competitive with current travel prices and encourage its usage. Of course prices would change with needed requirements. Since the tube is closed to weather and there would be less maintenance and wear, the cost should be far below the current upkeep of today’s highways. The public would need to be informed that the high gasoline prices are an investment into the future to release us from our dependence on middle eastern oil.

I believe that this project is not only feasible but could make a huge difference in the economic health of this nation. At the same time it would improve the internal transportation considerable. Americans are too dependent on foreign oil and each year we have a huge deficit of payments, which cannot go on forever. We want to drive large vehicles and have little concern with conservation. I realize that a project like this will require a lot of political support to even get a feasibility study done. I would like to see my country continue to be the leader of the world. I would also like to point out that we are very individualistic and mass transit may work in Japan or Europe but is less likely to succeed here.some other related business. I believe guide lines could be established that would allow growth, expansion and developement equal to what is happening now because the limits would be based on past history. Drug companies like to say that any control of their operation would stifle research. I would like to point out that the huge majority of research is done at universities or by foundations funded by grants. The drug company then purchases the rights to a promising new drug for a relative small amount and pockets the windfall.

The capitalistic system that works so well when dealing in general goods and services does not work in health care. I have never heard anyone say I won't have that operation because it is to expensive. Since insurance rates are based on actuary tables, there is little difference in their rates so shopping around doesn't get one a very lower price.

If government was to take over health care it could also be a disaster. If you were to die in 6 months with out a paticular operation, they would schedule that operation a year from now. I believe that government has to do something to even out how health care is provided for all Americans before only a handfull will be able to afford it. Guidlines can be placed on what an average American should pay as a percentage of their total income for health care. Those that cannot meet the basic health care would receive help from the windfall fund. Health maintenance should be the number one concern.

USA Next - Pro-Seniors or Pro-Conersvative Agenda??

Do you see the incestuous web the Conservatives are tangled in? I guess it's no real surprise one conservative supporting anohter. But Michael Tackett's story in yesterday's Chicago Tribune (April 10, 2005) nicely laid out the connection between Jack Abramoff, Tom DeLay, USA Next and Alexander Strategy (which has been mentioned in the media a lot lately). The media coverage of Alexander Strategy Group has lead me to conduct a deeper review of the lobbying firm’s true intentions and connections to conservative issues, specifically USA Next and the privatization of Social Security. DOES USA NEXT SINCERELY CARE ABOUT SENIORS OR THE CONSERVATIVE AGENDA? So please help me untangle this incestuous web. Is anyone familiar with “Advocacy Technologies LLC?” I’ve come across this group, but have not found much. According the April 10, 2005 Chicago Tribune, USA Next paid them $1.3 million in 2003 for media placements. They are located down the hall from Alexander Strategy Group at 3000 K Street in DC. Is there a relationship between Advocacy Technologies and Alexander Strategy Group? Here is what I can piece together…

The Degrees of Separation:

Ed Buckham:
Founder of Alexander Strategy Group
Former Chief of Staff to Tom DeLay
Introduced DeLay to Jack Abramoff

Christine DeLay:
Employed by Alexander Strategy Group

Mike Mihalke:
Sr. Partner at Alexander Strategy Group
Founder of Advocacy Technologies LLC
Former Board Member of USA Next

Jack Abramoff:
Former Board Member of USA Next

Beau Boulter:
Former Carmen Group Lobbyist for USA Next
Former GOP Congressman from Texas, one of the "Texas Six-Pack" of Republicans elected in 1984, along with Dick Armey and Tom DeLay.

David Keene:
Carmen Group Lobbyist for USA Next
Chairman of American Conservative Union
Chairman of Conservative Political Action Conference
Ran a PR firm with Craig Shirley from 1987-1992 called Keene, Shirley & Associates
National Political Director for George H. W. Bush in 1980

Karl Rove:
Ran George H. W. Bush's unsuccessful primary campaign for president in 1980.

Thanks,
Browns Fan

Stop George Bush

We must do all that is posible to defeat George Bush tampering with the Social sEcurity System. If we do not then the streets will be full of homeless in the near future. Do we want to return to the good old days of the depression, when seniors had little or no income. I have supported Howard Dean from the start. Join your local Howard Dean group.

A recent letter in the paper spelled out what will happen. If we do not get involved in the political system and vote, soon a idiot will become President. Oh, its already happened.

Achieving a Democratic agenda in a republican controlled congress and executive branch.

Achieving a Democratic agenda in a republican controlled congress and executive branch.

This is a lot to take in at one time, and I only have a limited amount of words to do it in, so ask questions if you need to.

Given that nearly all the democratic agenda is financial in nature and given that a discovery has been made by the people that would provide that funding or additional revenue above and beyond the current 3.5 trillion dollars the government receives.

What would be the logical approach to see to it that the additional money was spent on social security, health care, education, the homeless, food programs and all our social programs?

If we just give it to the congress it will be wasted on special interests at best, finance an even greater war effort at worse.

OR

Because this discovery is intellectual property and owned by the people we have an opportunity (a bargaining tool) to give it to our government under the condition that it be used for those purposes and none other. Literally insuring our agenda was funded by funding it ourselves through our ownership of a discovery that can do it.

The entire message here is just that. A discovery has been made and confirmed as factual and accurate 6 times that will provide to our government enough revenue to fix social security even raise it, provide health care not to just the uninsured but all 300 million of our people, fund education and all social programs and on top of that remove the payment of taxes federal, state and local, as well as remove the national debt and the budget deficit. Add to that miracle that congress would not be required to do anything to achieve it. No cost, no change, at least nothing that could be recognized as a change, no legislation. No controls , we would just be giving money to the government and determining how it will be spent.

There is a level of disbelief that comes along with that statement. Removing the only source of revenue to the government and fund the government even better then it is. And of course if you don't change anything, how can you achieve anything. But you must understand that in order to make this discovery understandable by you I would have to give you enough information so you could see how that is possible. If I do that I give it to the congress and we lose all benefit we may have achieved by no longer owning it. A dilemma for sure.

To achieve those goals all we have to do is the simplest of endeavors. Search for the truth, request form the media to investigate this and report back to you. The medias confirmation will draw the people we need from the colleges and universities across the country. We need to add to the current 6 confirmations of this discovery with credible irrefutable confirmations from a recognized specialist in the field and best of all a college or university. With that done the only possible option the government will have is to comply with the will of our people and accept a contract between the people and the government to achieve those goals. With the public knowing there is an answer to our social issues the people will not tolerate any more abuses of social security, health care and education as well as the social programs that the less fortunate of us must have to survive.

I am a systems analyst for some 30 years, this information is undeniable from any view point. But my status in the community is not high enough to give it enough weight to be acted on. Your support in this matter is only to do the obvious. Ask the media and your elected officials this question. If there is a potential to achieve these results for the people, Why not investigate it to find the truth. When they find the answer to that question, the answer will carry it to its only conclusion.

Given that everything I have said here is true. This gives the democratic party an opportunity to pass a democratic agenda in a republican controlled executive branch and republican controlled congress. If the Democratic Party supports the peoples contract and the republicans don't, it will collapse the republican party. This contract will serve all our people from the supper rich to the homeless. If the republican party were to stop this, in two years a republican would not be elected to office anywhere in the country.

There is a non profit organization starting up in Washington to bring this message out. Our goal at the moment is simply to notify all the people of the country of this proposal and what it means to all of us. The book I wrote on the subject is called The loading of a Silver Bullet. It will be in print in one month. The book explains what I had to deal with from the beginning of finding this information. It presents the plan to take our government back for our people. And because this is so hard to believe I have presented one of the nine elements that make up the discovery in understandable language, so you will appreciate that there are no gimmicks smoke and mirrors or games. Its a reality, information that has been missed for over 3000 years. There is a Silver Bullet, in fact the whole damn gun.

I am an analyst not an activist. This ground is very strange for me. I am not a socialite either so this is all very difficult for me. Kelly Phong is the founder of the non profit organization that will gather the people that will make all the decisions on the contract and distribution of the funds to the government. Through your interest we can get this in the media. That much is a given. From there we will need a broad range of people to add their expertise in the construction of the agreement with the government.

Because we can do this, we can do it.............. The republicans can control the executive branch and the congress, but they cannot control the will of the people..........

We could give this information to our congress and hope or control it for the people and make it happen.................

for questions,for thoughts,for help.

The only goal here is to make this information available to the public. You can do that by talking to people, copying this message and posting it in blogs, at work, in the super market. Call the media and your representatives. When all is said and done its truth is the only issue. If you are a republican they have all been contacted, they don't care. If you are a Democrat they have all been contacted they don't care. And if you don't care, then my job is complete. Sorry I bothered you.

If you wish to help please contact me.

Thank You,

Frank Houck
396 Park Way
Chula Vista Ca. 91910

fkhouck

Save the Ballot

Hi... I wanted to forward the following email and letter from Rapid Response regarding a letter to Congressional representatives. You may want to read and respond by signing on. I think whatever we can all do to make voting more fair and tallying the vote error free is to be considered seriously.

See what you think. And please forgive me if you've received this many times already.

Thanks.

Stephanie Friedman

From: Lynn Larkin
To: msvoc
Sent: Wednesday, November 17, 2004 1:41 PM
Subject: Fw: Save The Ballot

Help us Save The Ballot: We are gathering signatories for the following letter which will be sent to our senators and representatives in Congress. If you would like to join in this effort to save the integrity of our voting system, please send an e-mail to: RapidResponse_CA If you are not a member of RR you may post to: savetheballot

Please include your name, address, and phone number. with "Save The Ballot" in the subject line.

If you can post this to other blogs please let me know so we don't duplicate or spam. We'd like to get as many signatures as quickly as possible.

Dear Senators and Representatives:
We are writing to urge you to introduce and support two measures which we believe will help to restore the integrity of the electoral process, and so, perhaps, help to heal our gravely divided nation. We do not feel that the voting process is being seen seriously enough by those in the government or the media, and we aim to change that for the benefit of all citizens. First, we advocate a law requiring elections to provide a transparent method of verification of the vote by recount. Secondly, we want voter intimidation to become a federal felony.

We believe civil society is largely a matter of trust among citizens. When this trust begins to deteriorate, the consequences are easy to foresee. We are already seeing a palpable increase in the loss of faith in our own electoral system, especially from younger voters and minorities. More serious consequences of flawed elections could be accusations of inequity, fragmentation of society, resentment toward the government, and perhaps even tyranny.

In our civilization, trust must reside in the ballot. Without a true ballot there can be no democracy. The recent and widespread institution of technology that does not permit verification of the vote count greatly concerns us, and we believe that the faith in the integrity of the electoral process is terribly at risk. Fortunately, there are many methods of vote tabulation which provide all the ease and convenience of electronic balloting, with the verifiability of other methods. To illustrate the problems that concern us, we attach the recent letter signed by Representatives Conyers, Nadler, Wexler, Scott, Watt and Holt. (http://www.house.gov/judiciary_democrats/gaoinvestvote2004ltr11804.pdf)

An additional measure that would make voting more reliable and streamlined is to require states to certify only one voting machine system, to be approved by the state legislature. For example, California allows the use of three different voting technologies (Optical Scan, Punch Card and Touchscreen/DRE) on ten different types of machines. While the Secretary of State does certify each one and does provide guidelines and oversight, it makes it much more complicated than it needs to be, and therefore less reliable. Allowing only one voting system per state, with a verifiable paper trail, would greatly increase the confidence in the system and the likelihood that all votes will, in fact, be counted.

Other countries, such as Canada, have resisted the urge to go "high-tech" and have kept in place a system where paper ballots are filled out and counted by hand rather than by machines. This might be the only way to ensure that all the votes are counted and that everyone knows where their votes end up. While we fully support competition in private industry, we do not feel that the right to vote, and our democracy itself, should be subject to error and tampering simply for the sake of being more technologically advanced.

We move now onto the second measure we are urging you to support. In recent elections there have been many reports of attempts to intimidate voters at the polls on election day, most commonly minority voters. In America, the freedom to vote without fear of intimidation and reprisal is a fundamental element of our society. There can be no question that even the appearance of such intimidation has a corrosive effect on the trust between citizens and government. Therefore, we urge you to officially recognize and codify such tactics as a serious crime, to fully investigate complaints as they occur, and to prosecute those who engage in this behavior.

We think these measures are elementary and necessary, and we urge you, as our legislative representatives, to implement them as quickly as possible.

Sincerely,
(all our signatures)

cc: The Honorable John Kerry, 304 Russell Bldg., Third Fl., Washington, DC 20510; fax:

The Honorable John Conyers, 2426 Rayburn Bldg., Washington, DC 20515; fax:

Dean's diagnosis re Big Media: acute failure

Howard -

First thanks to all SFA members who contacted the White House and Congress urging the reappointment of Democratic FCC Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein to a full five-year term (per my post on September 30).

Against tremendous odds because he fought so valiantly with his fellow Democratic FCC Commissioner, Michael Copps, against even greater relaxation of media ownership rules, Adelstein's reappointment was approved by Bush yesterday.

This is a little noticed but significant victory in the long term struggle by ordinary citizens to take back American government from the special interests and relates directly to the incisive remarks Howard Dean made yesterday evening at Yale University about the sorry state of the US media (see story below).

In my experience this year working with both Dean and Kerry grassroots groups, I found that seniors understand this issue in ways younger generations do not and are poised to play a catalytic role across the country to educate and involve all Dean supporters in practical local efforts to address this central problem.

John Boyer
Media for America
www.mediaforamerica.org

Dean criticizes news media
Yale Daily News, November 17, 2004
By Yotam Barkai

Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean '71, a former candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination, spoke Tuesday at Yale about the shortcomings of today's print media and the importance of an ethical media in a working democracy.

In the symposium, titled "The Media and the Election: A Postmortem," Dean stressed corporate ownership of the media and the increased focus on entertainment as problems with today's media, and he emphasized the importance of diversity and regulation in fixing these problems. Panelists Evan Thomas, an assistant managing editor for Newsweek, and Martin Nolan, a political reporter and editor of The Boston Globe's editorial page, defended the media's integrity and objectivity.

"The media is a failing institution in this country," Dean said. "They are not maintaining their responsibility to maintain democracy."

One of the major problems Dean focused on during the talk is the media's increased focus on entertainment at the expense of investigative journalism.

"The Monica Lewinsky scandal exploded," Dean said, "and suddenly the way to get to the top [in media] was salacious gossip and sex scandals. There is no investigative journalism worthy of the name."

The television networks, especially Fox News, are most to blame for the increased focus in journalism on flash and entertainment, Dean said. Dean said these networks aim to entertain because "entertainment sells better than news." The infamous "scream speech," often blamed for Dean's loss to Sen. John Kerry '66 in the Democratic primaries, was partially a media fabrication because it was appealing for its entertainment value rather than its newsworthiness, Dean said.

"The media is trained to get the entertainment value and screw the facts," he said.

But Thomas said entertainment in the media is a necessary tool to attract the public.

"You do need to entertain a little bit," Thomas said. "You get people to read about serious issues by — putting a [famous] person on the cover."

During the discussion, Dean said the media has almost completely lost its objectivity.

"You can't read a piece of newsprint very often in this country without being told what to think," he said.

Nolan defended the media against Dean's claims of bias, and Thomas said while there is a slight liberal bias in the media, reporters generally search for objectivity.

The solution to restoring an ethical media, Dean said, is to ensure diversity and cap corporate ownership of media outlets. He said he supports government regulation of media ownership.

"[The media] are incapable of regulating themselves," Dean said. "What's at stake is our democracy. If you think that American democracy can survive without an ethical media, then you are wrong."

Dean received a standing ovation and an enthusiastic response from the audience. Approximately 200 members of the Yale community attended the symposium.

Many students said they agreed with Dean's comments.

"Dean was spot-on," Aaron Ring '08 said. " He talked about [the media] as being entertainment and just profit-seeking, and he's absolutely right."

Tuesday night's symposium was the third in a series organized by political science professor Stanley Flink, who teaches the course "Ethics and the Media.

Peggy Deras: Help fund the Ohio recount

Finally! Something we can do besides sending each other all these great emails...

There's going to be a recount in Ohio, instigated through a joint endeavor by the Green and Libertarian Presidential Candidates (David Cobb and Michael Badnarik).

They need $150,000 by Monday, Nov. 15. Current count is $71K and has more than doubled the $35K it was at 8AM this morning. I just donated some money because I think this is the only way to prove fraud.

Check it out and pass this message along:
http://www.ohiogreens.org/
http://www.votecobb.org/
http://badnarik.org/

Let's get to the bottom of this and find out who really won!

Peggy Deras, CKD, CID

Kim Theobald-Stark: a cover-up in the Bush Medicare and Medicare Drug Bill.

Howard,

Hi. So good to hear from you. I would like to point out a cover-up in the Bush Medicare and Medicare Drug Bill for a Part D and what else that bill does to the consumer for health care that is not being brought to the forefront of discussion by our politicians, our lawmakers and yet little ol' me has found it to be true simply because I am a licensed insurance producer, that means sales and service agent of health care products. I have a captive license means I work exclusively for Combined Insurance Corpporation of America, an AON company.

Anyhow, first my beef is the same with the Medicare Drug Act for 2006 and the changes it brings in benefits and options for drug cost help as most seniors have. As Senator Kennedy and our Minnesota state Medicare department representative spoke at Anoka Senior Center on this bill in their attempt to glamorize it and run point for the government in their attempt to basically get in on the baby boomer market in the industry of drug revenue from this huge age group approaching retirement. They said the average senior, being according to them approximately 28 to be precise who responded prior stating they need drugs but could not afford them need this bill. Yet they bragged like it was so great, the savings was going to save this person 10-12% off the cost of their drugs!

What this bill states is that private insurance companies can no longer sell a medigap insurance policy with drug coverage in it after 2006, those grandfathered in are OK. What they don't tell you is that that policy in Minnesota for example is our Extended Basic Policy, other states Plan H or J I think, is those policies are providing long term care in the home and nursing homes for the highly medicated or early medicare disabled citizens who stand a snow balls chance in hell of getting through underwriting to get this kind of care the only other way it is available, unless one is wealthy and self-funds, by virtue of a Long Term Care policy! These wonderful Extended Basic policies provide 80% drug coverage and 100% after a $1000 out of pocket simultaneously is tabulated at the 80% level! My own company watchguards how many of these we agents sell because 5% of the senior population buys them because although expensive at $500+ a month for the supplemental policy, usually their drug expense, long term care, and all the other benefits it gives far exceed the policy premium. My own company tells me the expense of these policy for the insurance company 110% of the premium received so they are a burden for insurance companies. Wah, Wah, then my own company should raise it, as other companies Extended Basic policies run as high as $978 per month.

Did you understand that Howard? So after 2006 the passage of this drug bill puts the most critically healthy individuals literally on the streets for their home care and long term care or further driving up Medicaid and bankrupting this country instead of on the insurance companies which can leverage themselves well enough and raise rates to avoid bankruptcy if left alone. Analysis shows Part D only benefits the highly medicated because you don't even really started to save anything to make it better than other programs out there that can save you 30-60% through a Medicare approved pharmacy like SavRX, etc. But does it really benefit them, they need these Extended Basic policies as they cover all of ones out of pocket costs after Medicare pay first, and many things Medicare doesn't like custodial care, wheel chairs, ramps up the homes, major dental, and nursing home care. We are indeed in very scary times in this country. Bush stood on values, whose values? Big Business is a materialistic value core when you suffer your elderly and your children and they are so good are covering this up in the passage and discussion of this bill!!!

And also what's wrong with Medicare contracted with these HMO companies like Blue Cross Blue Shield? Lots, that is what's wrong with Medicare, is it has misled too many seniors to believe they still have Medicare when they are actually no longer in FULL medicare when they choose any other option than a private insurance supplemental to Medicare. And then they suffer high, unpredictable and unexpecgted and unpromised out of pocket expenses to one of our most vulnerable population groups. (OK BCBS does have an insurance division, but only sell their HMO/PPO product, senior gold to seniors), Medica, Health Partners and U-Care (Our Minnesota based Medicare Managed Care contracted companies) and then there is even more fundamentally wrong with the Unicare and Human choices being allowed to manipulate advertising to seniors to falsely represent their coverage)

Well, my kids are home and have earned a chinese dinner out for chores well done!

bye Howard,

Kim Theobald-Stark

Charles Auld: What else can go wrong?

Let's see ... Fallujah is being claimed a victory, despite the fact that even the military is beginning to admit that it did nothing to weaken the enemy; they didn't find Abu Musab al Zarqawi and hundreds of "foreign insurgents." The power of martyrdom in the Islamic culture was badly underestimated ... the defenders of Fallujah are becoming national heroes.

And while our troops were preoccupied with that disaster, the freedom fighters have retaking Ramadi, Samarra, Latifiyah, Kirkuk, Mosul and several suburbs in Baghdad. It looks like the US hold on the "Green Zone" is increasingly tenuous ... Sunni clerics are calling for a boycott of the January elections, which I doubt will take place during that month.

What else can go wrong?

Charles Auld
Arab, Alabama

Johanne M. Dictor: I say Dean should start his own 3rd party.

Howard -

If Dean can't get the nomination to head up the DNC then I say he should start his own 3rd party.

I can't take the Democrats anymore. They are just a bunch of wimps. The other night I heard Pelosi quoting out of the bible. So, it looks as though they think we should take on religious zealots.

Johanne M. Dictor
Oakland CA

Steve Ybarra: Concerning Gov. Dean for chair of the DNC.

Concerning Gov. Dean for chair of the DNC.

OK, so here is the deal.

Get the list of the members of the DNC from the DNC. Get each DFA group to take on contacting the local member of the DNC and meet with them personally.

Then you will have a campaign.

Steve Ybarra
Sacramento CA

Jean Hehn-Bradley: attempts to weaken protections for our nation's wildlife and wild places.

Post-election Riders Threaten Wildlife & Habitat

Dear Friend of Wildlife:

Post-election attempts to weaken protections for our nation's wildlife and wild places have already begun. Behind closed doors -- with no public debate or scrutiny -- members of Congress are considering a
proposal to undermine protections for the wildlife and wild places that American cherish.

In question are a series of legislative riders that may be tacked onto the must-pass Omnibus Appropriations bill due to be voted on any day now. Legislative riders are backdoor attempts to pass legislation that
would likely not withstand votes on their own. Included on this list of threats are provisions that would approve a 200,000 acre land swap in an Alaskan Wildlife Refuge to promote oil and gas development, waive environmental reviews for cattle grazing on our public lands and prevent citizens from challenging timber sales in our nation's largest National Forest.

Another possible rider would literally gut the Endangered Species Act -- our nation's bedrock wildlife protection law. In this specific case, the rider would amend the Endangered Species Act to allow critical
habitat areas to be destroyed and to require continuation of development plans that are proven to threaten endangered species. If passed, this legislation would be the most major rewrite of the Endangered Species
Act since 1982!

ACTION: Help stop these attacks on wildlife by calling your representative and two senators. Be sure to make the following two points:

1) Tell them to oppose any riders that would undermine protections for America's endangered species and special places like our national forests, wildlife refuges and other public lands.

2) Urge them not to let these devastating riders be attached or voted through on the Omnibus coattails. Let them know that massive public policy changes should not be done through stealth riders. Rather, they
should be subject to rigorous public review and debate.

To reach your senators, call the Capitol Switchboard at .

To find your members of Congress, go to: http://action.nwf.org/nwf/leg-lookup/search.tcl

We need more recovery of endangered species and more protection of essential habitat areas, not less.

Thank you in advance for taking the time to speak out on behalf of our nation's wildlife and wild places!

NWF's Wildlife Team

P.S. Called your members of Congress and want to do more? Tell your friends and family to call their members of Congress, by forwarding this alert along to them.

Let us know you took action by sending an email with your name and address to alerts.
Please include "Appropriations" in the subject line.

Jane Cutler: Dear Friends - take heart!

Dear Friends - take heart! Listen to Mr. Jefferson:

Jane Cutler

"A little patience, and we shall see the reign of witches pass over, their spells dissolve, and the people, recovering their true sight, restore their government to its true principles. It is true that in the meantime we are suffering deeply in spirit, and incurring the horrors of a war and long oppressions of enormous public debt. But If the game runs sometimes against us at home we must have patience till luck turns, and then we shall have an opportunity of winning back the principles we have lost, for this is a game where principles are at stake."

--Thomas Jefferson, June 4, 1798, in a letter to John Taylor after passage of the Alien and Sedition Acts