It's taken eight long years, but as of today, with Barack Obama becoming the 44th President of the United States, I feel this country is finally getting back on track. Millions of people are flooding Washington D.C. today just to be a part of this historic day. Many of those people have waited hours and hours in below-freezing temperatures just to be there, and some of them will have to see it on large video screens. Even my ex-wife was planning to be there today, but changed her mind when she found out that all train tickets had been sold out weeks ago (that, and the fact that there is one port-o-potty for every 6000 people!)
I was reading the other day that one of the first things that Obama wants to do while in office is expand the "CHIP" program. CHIP is the "Children's Health Insurance Program." Under his policy, he will raise the annual income level (for a family of four) to qualify for benefits from about $43,000 to about $60,000. Bush had vetoed this bill twice already. Under this new policy, both of my children will now qualify for this coverage. Since I'm currently paying over $320 a month for health insurance, this would help us out quite a bit.
By comparison, what are some of the first things that George W. Bush did as president during his first 100 days? Here are just a few:
1. He cut funding for international family planning groups.
2. He reversed a rule reducing the levels of arsenic in drinking water.
3. He rejected the Kyoto treaty, an international agreement to fight global warming.
Quite a difference, isn't it? Like literally comparing Good Vs. Evil. I mean, I can kind of understand why he would cut funding for family planning. Most conservative Republicans would love to see Roe V. Wade overturned and have us return to the old days of women using wire hangers. But arsenic in the drinking water??? This is a real head scratcher.
I told my wife recently that I'm glad our children would be growing up with Obama as the president of the country, and not some right-wing war hawk like Bush or Cheney or McCain. Now is the time when people are feeling optimistic for peace and positive change. Many of us are looking at Barack Obama as the savior of this country. To take us out of the darkness we've been in so long: the wars, the torture, the rape of the environment and human rights, the subjugation of the poor. Let's hope this is the beginning of the end of this. Obama has a big job ahead of him.
I was reading the other day that one of the first things that Obama wants to do while in office is expand the "CHIP" program. CHIP is the "Children's Health Insurance Program." Under his policy, he will raise the annual income level (for a family of four) to qualify for benefits from about $43,000 to about $60,000. Bush had vetoed this bill twice already. Under this new policy, both of my children will now qualify for this coverage. Since I'm currently paying over $320 a month for health insurance, this would help us out quite a bit.
By comparison, what are some of the first things that George W. Bush did as president during his first 100 days? Here are just a few:
1. He cut funding for international family planning groups.
2. He reversed a rule reducing the levels of arsenic in drinking water.
3. He rejected the Kyoto treaty, an international agreement to fight global warming.
Quite a difference, isn't it? Like literally comparing Good Vs. Evil. I mean, I can kind of understand why he would cut funding for family planning. Most conservative Republicans would love to see Roe V. Wade overturned and have us return to the old days of women using wire hangers. But arsenic in the drinking water??? This is a real head scratcher.
I told my wife recently that I'm glad our children would be growing up with Obama as the president of the country, and not some right-wing war hawk like Bush or Cheney or McCain. Now is the time when people are feeling optimistic for peace and positive change. Many of us are looking at Barack Obama as the savior of this country. To take us out of the darkness we've been in so long: the wars, the torture, the rape of the environment and human rights, the subjugation of the poor. Let's hope this is the beginning of the end of this. Obama has a big job ahead of him.
You know what doesn't make sense to me? Conservative Republicans fussing so hard over Roe V Wade.
ReplyDeleteIf it was overturned, it would only be turned back over to the states. It is seriously doubtful that most of the states would outlaw abortion.
So, if they want to get rid of abortion, they are going about it the wrong way.
Not to mention that the Supreme Court Justices act on the law, not on emotion. If the law is strong and valid, they won't overturn it, even if they wanted to.
I think abortion is horrifying and not part of a compassionate society. BUT, I don't think the overturning of Roe V Wade will do anything to stop it.
I think we need a all 'round kinder society where everyone feels more positive and compassionate, both. We need to get rid of the death penalty, not entertain the idea of euthanizing our aged or ill, and other means of premature death.
We need to support and nurture everyone, from babies and their parents to the very elderly and their families.
I know those are lofty, perhaps unattainable goals, but they seem more sound to me and more realistic than ever attempting to simply outlaw abortion.
I am pretty much politically neutral (neither republican or democrat), but I found this post from yahoo answers interesting.
ReplyDeleteQ "Why did Bush veto CHIP?"
A "
First off, the bill effectively defined a "child" as a person under the age of 25 dependent of a parent. This is outrageous considering that for tax purposes, in most cases 18 is the cutoff and what kind of country would we be with 25 year old children running around. At what point does responsibility come in?
Second, the bill identified that families living within 400% of the poverty line would be elegible for CHIP. This means that a family with two children will qualify forCHIP coverage as long as their income does not exceed $88,000 per year. This defeats the purpose of CHIP because it would be provided to people who don't need it contrary to it's intended purpose and at the expense of the tax-payer. Effectively, it seems that its sponsors intended this bill to be the precursor to Socialized Healthcare.
There was other pork hidden in this bill as well, including items which allowed for easier access by illegal immigrants to healthcare and even included gun-control items.
This is the game that politicians play. They put together a bunch of ideas that have failed before and would still fail if proposed by themselves and they hide it in important legislation with the label, "Children's Healthcare." This puts political pressure on congress to pass it and even more pressure on the president to sign it. They treat the American people like we are dumb - which sorry to say, most are. No one reads what the bill really says, but support it anyway because it's titled "Children's Heathcare...". Then, when the president does not sign it (because he actually read it) everyone gets mad, "but Mr. Bush it's for the children!" and "You are so evil denying healthcare to poor kids." Well, it never really was for the children, as much as it was for the personal agendas of its authors."
Most of the people who constantly gripe about politicians, politics and issues wouldn't have a clue where to begin were they to find themselves in the President's chair. Let your votes in elections and letters to your representatives be your voice. Everything else is noisy waste. Politics are a person's private business, like faith.
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