Tag Archives: Honesty

MIND THE PENNIES

. . . AND THE DOLLARS WILL TAKE CARE OF THEMSELVES. Folk Saying

Do you still pick coins up off the ground? Do you have a savings jar of some sort? Do you remember a time when people were taught that thrift is a virtue? Do your children and grandchildren have piggy-banks and savings accounts?

Having asked these questions I admit the biggest question I hear whispering in my ear is: “What possible difference does it make anymore?” (Shades of Hillary Clinton!) As the putative president of the United States, and his wife, run around the world spending money not their own, one has to ask why any of the rest of us should even “save” a single cent again.

When hosts of citizens don’t understand how the tax system works, or doesn’t work; how they think “drastic cuts” to the rate of growth are actual cuts and don’t know that the government shut down was all contrived; why we need “zero based budgeting” and a Balanced Budget Amendment, even the hardiest souls might quake at how to teach so foreign a concept as “real” government savings. But let’s begin with what that quaint Constitution says on the matter:

Section 7: “ALL BILLS FOR RAISING REVENUE SHALL ORIGINATE IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES . . .”

This means that the House of Representatives holds the purse strings and is charged with submitting a budget for each fiscal year, and there is a debt ceiling which is, supposedly, not to be exceeded. The budget proposed by the House is sent to the Senate where that body adds its demands for funding, then the budget goes before a joint conference committee for resolution. Both Houses vote on the finished product and once it is passed they forward it to the President for veto or signature. At least that’s how things are SUPPOSED to work.

In reality the budget forwarded by the House is loaded with pork barrel spending by the Senate and by both Houses during reconciliation. Thus the politicians can reward themselves and their cronies, and powerful voting blocs in each state get more funding for their pet projects. The longer members of Congress serve, the more powerful they become and the more pork they bring home, keeping their constituents happy and voting for them. So they keep playing the same old game, year after year.

Other methods of increased spending include raising the debt ceiling, supplemental spending resolutions and adding a desired unfunded program or project and cost as a rider on a completely unrelated bill. (Didn’t the Senate promise not to do that anymore? Have they kept their word?) Everyone turns a blind eye to such shenanigans, and yet again the taxpayers are looted.

The President usually also presents a budget, making clear where his priorities lie. This President’s budgets have been rejected every year since he took office. NO ONE IN EITHER PARTY HAS EVER VOTED FOR HIS BUDGETS. Under this President the game has changed and there is a method to his madness. He prefers to have no limits on his power and with the budget and the budget makers under his thumb, he manages to unconstitutionally keep spending. That means that every time we reach the debt ceiling another battle erupts. And the cowards in the House of Representatives never have the courage to close the purse.

The passing of the fiscal budget is a CONSTITUTIONAL REQUIREMENT, so both Houses appear to have evaded their duties. However, the House has regularly forwarded budgets to the Senate where ONE MAN, the odious Senate President, Harry Reid, pronounced them DOA. Did he then negotiate with the House or attempt to resolve the issue? Not Slimy Harry. He threw the budget someplace (a drawer, a garbage can? Who knows?).

Now that a budget deal of some sort has been brokered, Congress can pretend to follow it while everyone happily keeps spending, and the government faces a trillion dollar addition to the “debt ceiling” to allow even more spending. The supposed “cuts” of course are way down the road. As the old children’s song says, “The wheels on the bus go round and round, round and round.”

And so, with no budgetary restraints, the Senate President and the President of the United States have proceeded to rape the Treasury and the citizens of this country, and each year increase their power exponentially. After all, what’s a few trillion between thieves? They now think they are so powerful there’s nothing that can be done to stop them and they can take whatever they want. You can always tell who the bad guys are. . . They are the ones who don’t care what happens to ANYONE but themselves and THEY DON’T CARE IF YOU KNOW IT.

Now we can go on to the next manufactured crises. Is it immigration reform or the minimum wage this week? Both plus Racism? War on Women? Or was that last week?

There are words, dishonorable, oath breakers, liars and sinners come to mind, for those who have no conscience. Those who have eyes to see and ears to hear have many times been shown President Barack Obama, Senator Harry Reid and the House leadership for who and what they truly are. Hypocrites, every darn one of them.

Once again we as a nation are faced with the cowardice and lies of the political class and almost everyone connected with it. Is it even possible to recognize any semblance of truth coming out of Washington, D. C. or from the fools who pass themselves off as the brightest amongst us?

Obviously impeachment should be seriously considered for the president and Reid. But no one will do it. The court eunuch Boehner needs to face his own devil – himself. He needs to be put out to pasture post haste. The man can’t even find his way to state the facts which support his case and hates anyone who can. He seems to have totally forgotten the most important job of the House of Representatives, that of saving the nation from insolvency, and he seems to have even forgotten his oath of office to protect and defend the Constitution.

John Boehner, you choose dishonor a whole lot and you have now failed everyone. None can trust you again to keep your oath for anything. Anyone who follows your lead is also guilty and should suffer the same fate.

What a shame it is that so few men stand on principle. And so this nation is led by fools and simpletons. Statesmen and oath keepers need not apply.
If political leaders were anything resembling honest, they would admit they have ceased minding any amount of money, whether on behalf of the country or that used for their own greed, power or comfort:

If Congress minded the thousands, would the millions take care of themselves?
If Congress minded the millions, would the billions take care of themselves?
If Congress minded the billions would the United States still be well over seventeen trillion dollars in debt?

Now here we are, another billion or trillion dollars more in debt each time the president wields his pen. Add Obamacare to this mix and try to guess the debt ceiling next time. After all, what’s a few trillion among thieves?

We would do well to remember that if the devil had fingers, his prints would be all over the world, and since the devil is always in the details, that is where his fingerprints are to be found. Unfortunately we know whose fingerprints help make the devilish details, but no political or moral fortitude exists to stop the carnage.

WHEN DOES A STUDENT DOCTOR BECOME A LICENSED PHYSICIAN?

WHERE WAS THE SUPERVISING PHYSICIAN AT BOSTON CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL, AND WHERE ARE THE GOVERNORS OF THE STATES OF MASSACHUSETTS AND CONNECTICUT?

The unseemly horror story of Justina Pelletier taking place in Boston, Massachusetts is so nauseating one wonders at the ability of the physicians involved to live with themselves, to say nothing of the judge and those in Children’s Services.

After reading that the “doctor” who diagnosed Justina with Somatoform Disorder had come from Holland and been a Resident at the hospital for only seven months, I was stunned. It is misleading to treat him as a full-fledged Doctor of Psychology or Psychiatry, and for him to make a diagnoses of Somatoform Disorder, or anything else for that matter, without the direct aid of his Supervising Physician. He had only completed the “Book Learning” portion of his studies (no matter how many “papers” he had authored), and had been accepted at Boston Children’s Hospital as a Resident to train for his medical specialty. Residency requirements depend upon the specialty selected. They vary from three years to become a GP (for instance), or up to seven years for more advanced degrees such as Neurosurgery. THEN the doctor must also complete a Fellowship in his specialty. The Fellowship timing varies from one to three years.

Only after completing all that training may the doctor take the exams for licensing to become a physician all on his own. He would need still more testing and training if he wished to become Board Certified. Thus the doctor in Justina’s case has completed nothing but basic medical school and was performing duties under his Supervising Physician’s license. Who is that person and why did he or she allow this travesty?

Which brings us to the Governors of the States of Massachusetts and Connecticut. Why has Deval Patrick not stepped in to end this matter once and for all? Has it not occurred to him that the anger his Children’s Services are causing by their arrogant and overweening actions is harmful to both him and to his state? Both residents of the state and nonresidents alike are aware of his lack of leadership in this matter. There are those who will no longer visit Massachusetts nor bring their children to its hospitals. All those who have been following Justina’s story and praying for her see what the governor  does, or does not do in this matter and should hold him accountable.

And why isn’t Governor Dannel Malloy of Connecticut demanding the return of a juvenile resident of his State?

There is nothing, absolutely nothing, that can begin to describe the disgust that Boston Children’s Hospital and Judge Johnston deserve.

AM I MY BROTHER’S KEEPER?

WHAT REALLY HAPPENED WHEN CAIN KILLED ABEL?

Now Obama wants to have favored groups, people of color, receive specialized training to prepare for jobs. Funny about that. People of non-color get no such special treatment. Obama uses the biblical sounding group name “Brothers’ Keepers” for his new protected class. In what sense is this a biblical concept?

Did God tell Cain that he WAS his brother’s keeper? Do any of us really want to be our brothers’s keepers? Do YOU want to be “kept?” What is a “keeper” anyway? We should remember that there are keepers who restrict  freedom and even imprison others.

Cain killed Abel, his brother, because he coveted his property and his standing with God. When he was confronted by God who asked where his brother was, he tried to change the subject. Cain was the one who  challenged God by asking, “Am I my brother’s keeper?”  The answer is of course not, but he WAS his brother’s murderer.

What exactly do we owe our brothers? To do them no physical harm nor cause them mental anguish; to not steal ANYTHING from them, INCLUDING their spouses or children, nor their property; to not bear false witness against them or ruin their good name; to covet NOTHING that is theirs. There go those Ten Commandments again. God’s prescription for civilized society.

Most of the time we should just leave our brothers and sisters alone. Let them live their lives as they desire. We do have a responsibility to be civil and aid our neighbors in their need. But once the aid is given it is not our place to enslave each other. If our aid includes gifts, it is not up to us to tell our brothers how they must use that gift. Their property, once they have received it, is their own to use as they see fit. If you think your gift has been misused then don’t throw your help that way again.

We are “keepers” of our young children until they are able to care for themselves, and, insofar as we are able, we must care for those who are incapacitated. Again, we only do what our brothers NEED and ASK of us and what will not weaken them.

Politicians and government should NEVER be our keepers, however much they pretend to be the only ones capable of helping.

If you wish to support a charity you should investigate where its money really goes. Several charities have high overhead and leaders who make VERY large salaries. We can all be fooled but we can try to be careful. Many years ago Bear and I wanted to find a group that helped children. We received heart-rending appeals from a religious order showing the priests holding and feeding stick-thin African babies with huge bellies and flies on their faces. I actually had the checkbook out to make a donation when I heard on radio news that the very group I was addressing was facing indictment for theft and that NONE of their donations were actually used to help anyone but themselves.

Do not, as a rule, make charitable donations to a government entity. Find a private charity you trust and follow its record carefully.

We may not be our brothers’ keepers, but we should be generous when disaster strikes and our help is needed.

THE TENTH COMMANDMENT

THE TENTH COMMANDMENT:  YOU SHALL NOT COVET YOUR NEIGHBOR’S WIFE. YOU SHALL NOT CRAVE YOUR NEIGHBOR’S HOUSE, OR HIS FIELD, OR HIS MALE OR FEMALE SLAVE, OR HIS OX, OR HIS ASS, OR ANYTHING THAT IS THY NEIGHBOR’S.  Deuteronomy 5:12 . Tanakh Version, Jewish Publication Society.

The use of the word “crave” in the Tanakh translation is illuminating. My reaction to “covet” is strong, but to “crave” something hits me in the gut. Covet sounds like it could be a longing from afar, almost like a “wish” for something, but a craving sounds beastly and uncontrollable. That may be because of drug associations with the word. The King James Version is different still and uses the word “desire” in relation to  your neighbor’s wife, and “covet” where the Tanakh uses “crave.” Our grandson and Bear both find covet to be a stronger word.

At any rate, the commandment is very clear that we are not to desire, crave, or covet our neighbor’s family, property or goods of any kind. Bear says that should cover all the bases.

I cannot help but think that of all the commandments that deal with our relationships to our “neighbors” or fellow men, this particular one is presented last in order for a purpose. This one warns us of the beginnings of sin that lead to greater sin: bearing false witness, stealing, adultery and murder, all the ways we can harm one another, and we have already been told not to do those things.

When we wake up and find ourselves taking the path of covetousness, while we still have the capability and strength to see clearly our need to repent, we must do so and stop our downward slide into those greater sins.

In our youth, many of us succumb to jealousy over the beauty, poise or apparent riches of others. Teenagers may feel ugly, unloved and stupid, and so jealousy of others takes over. This is one of the reasons youth require much positive training and reinforcement in proper behavior. At any age, though, we all need to learn to restrain jealousy. Keeping any of The Ten Commandments takes self awareness and self control, virtues disdained in our society today. Many seem to have fallen into a degree of hedonism that can lead to the destruction of civil society if we do not reverse course.

Do not covet anything that is thy neighbor’s also has political repercussions as class warfare is used to divide us as a people. Do you think another’s money should be confiscated by tax policy to be given to others? Do you really believe that redistribution of wealth is a worthy goal? Who gets to decide what you do with what you have earned?

How should charity be handled, by the heavy hand of government, or by individuals acting freely out of love for their fellow men? Where is the most individual growth fostered?

Do not covet that which is not yours, and become adult enough to work for your own daily bread.

THE “HELL” THAT MEDICINE CAN BE

BOSTON CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL – REDUX

Now that Alaska has its own scandalous medical situation, I wonder how many other states and hospitals are as sleazy as Boston Children’s Hospital. When the word finally got out that the “doctor” who diagnosed Justina Pelletier with Somatoform Disorder was in the United States to complete his medical training and had been at the hospital for only seven months, all kinds of red flags got raised for me.

First of all, this guy would probably be only a resident. That means he is not even yet a full-fledged doctor of anything. My experience with residents has been less than wonderful at times.

When our daughter was at Boston Children’s she had a resident come in and tell her that they would not give her her thyroid medication because her blood tests indicated she was fine and didn’t have any thyroid problems at all. She told him she had been taking the medication for two years and that was why her levels were normal, so if they took her off she would no longer be “fine.” He continued to argue but finally conceded the point and gave her the medicine. Why should she have had to defend herself? If the guy had any brains at all the situation should have been obvious.

One of the worst problems with residents is they tend to think they know it all and many of them stay that close minded in spite of what happens around them.

For the life of me I cannot understand how this “doctor” at Boston’s has been given leeway to do what he has done. And where has his supervising physician been in this mess?

The DFS in Massachusetts has been less than stellar in their handling of Justina’s case. For them now to say their goal has “always” been to do what’s best for Justina and reunite her with her family as soon as possible is a complete joke. Who does anyone believe anymore? Any patient, or their guardian, at any time has the right to request a second, third, or fourth opinion, and they also have the right to leave a hospital when their needs are not met.

And Judge Johnston needs to be thoroughly investigated. Who does he think he is and what conceivable right does he have to issue a “gag order” in such a matter?

This whole case is such a travesty, both medically and legally. Whatever can be done to restore trust in a hospital with such policies? I sincerely hope Justina’s family sues the hospital, the doctors and the state of Massachusetts, and that they sign no non-disclosure agreements.

In the Alaska case, I know that if our Governor does not at least speak out soon, I will work tirelessly against his reelection, and when the judge comes before voters for retention I will work just as tirelessly against him. When the names of the doctors are known I think they should be sued, individually and as a group. I will never again set a foot in any Providence medical facility if I can possibly help it.

What are the laws in your state governing what the medical profession can do to you? You might check out your state’s Youth and Family Services while you’re at it.

McDUCK

A PENNY HERE A PENNY THERE IS ENOUGH TO MAKE A MILLIONAIRE.    Uncle Scrooge McDuck

Everyone loved Donald Duck and his rascally nephews, Huey, Dewey and Louie. Uncle Scrooge, being a Scotsduck, could be nothing but parsimonious, but he was kind of lovable, too.

The first time I saw a Donald Duck comic book, Donald and his nephews were visiting Uncle Scrooge at McDuck Mansion and he took them to his treasure room where they stood on his boundless expanse of gold coins and jewels while Scrooge dived into the piles as though he were swimming in them. I was just a little girl and was enthralled by enough money to swim in, and then Scrooge informed the boys that, “A penny here a penny there is enough to make a millionaire.” It sounded good to me, but I knew my mom and dad saved pennies, dimes and quarters in an orange carnival glass on their dresser and we sure weren’t millionaires. I’ve never been quite sure why they didn’t save nickels, too, but they never did. Maybe dad saved nickels for buying coffee with his friends. Yes, that was what a cup of coffee cost then.

My older brother read the same comic book and immediately came to the conclusion that Donald and the boys were dumb and should just take whatever money they wanted and Scrooge would never know the difference. (Bilbo Baggins might tell him a thing or two about dragons, though.)

My brother’s take on the matter horrified me. Good people, like good ducks, would never, ever take what did not belong to them. I’m still absolutely certain that Uncle Scrooge earned his riches righteously, and that Donald and his nephews were absolutely trustworthy and honest.

Sometimes when I think about my parents savings being mere pennies at times, I marvel at how honest they were. It’s funny to think about now, but my father would go to the grocery store and check off the items on the tape when he and mom would put the groceries away. If there was a discrepancy on either side, even if it was only a penny, he would return to the store and either pay them or ask for a refund. The clerks never questioned his veracity.

What a legacy of savings and absolute honesty I was given. If you are honest, also be grateful, if you are not, best to at least think about what you do to yourself.