Ferguson

Ferguson

© 2014 Rick Adamson

By Rick Adamson 8.21.14

I have been watching the news concerning Ferguson, Missouri in recent days and there are a few things that I do not understand. This is a City with 21,203 residents almost 70 percent of which are African American (according to the 2010 census). At the same time, the Mayor and most of the City Council are white. The police chief is white and 50 members out of 53 on the police force are white.

Back in 1990, 75 percent of the population was white, so there has been a dramatic change in terms of racial makeup of the City.



One would expect that our system of government would result in elected and appointed officials that are representative of the population of the community as it's composition changes over the years. Not so in Ferguson, however.


Many of the protesters have expressed distrust of the elected officials and, in particular, the criminal justice system and the police. Some feel that their only recourse is to take to the streets in protest. Of course, every American has the right to protest as they so choose, as long as it is peaceful.

I have a suggestion that might help solve some of the issues surrounding representation and distrust. Vote! The turnout for the last Mayoral election was only 12 percent! At last count, votes are color blind but they must be cast to count.

Becoming active in the community and voting would be a more productive endeavor for the Citizens of Ferguson because, the truth is, unfortunately their interests will not be looked after if they do not look after them themselves.

And That’s that!

  

Obamacare III

Obamacare

© 2014 Rick Adamson

By Rick Adamson 11.6.14

A survey of available data concerning Obamacare (ACA) enrollments leads me to the conclusion that the law is not working and will never work. The administration claims 10 million have enrolled. Of the 10 million enrollees 30% went into Medicaid.[1] Three fourths (3/4) of enrollees were previously insured leaving only about 1.7 million (17 percent) who were previously uninsured.[2] Put another way, only 17 percent of the 10 million represent those who were the target of the law (uninsured persons).

To summarize:

Total number enrolled                                                                     10 million

Total new Medicaid recipients                                                         -3 million      

Total previously uninsured                                                         -1.7 million

Total enrollees who were previously insured                           5.3 Million

The idea is that the 5.3 million will pay for the free or heavily subsidized coverage of the 1.7 million and the 3 million. Considering the negative impact on jobs, mass upheaval of the industry, and cost (estimated to be $2.6 Trillion in the first 10 years[3]) it would have been smarter to have given the 1.7 million free or low cost government provided healthcare.

In the end, Obamcare will be accomplish nothing as it is projected by the CBO that upon total implementation 30 million people will still be uninsured. Except, of course, increasing the premiums on the 85 percent (93 million people) of the insured prior to ACA (who are happy with their current coverage), increasing the burden to the government (more Medicaid obligations and other welfare subsidies for the lower income people who sign up) and totally upsetting the current system. [4] 

Just look at the projections:

30 million currently uninsured read more…

-9 million put on Medicide read more…

-7 million enrolling in Obamacare read more…

+16 million who will lose their coverage or not sign up for coverage, equals

30 million still uninsured per the CBO read more…

Note that "subsidies" is just another word for WELFARE for the new medicaid and many Obamacare recipients.

FedGov needs to fix the law by repealing and replacing it or by expanding Medicaid so that it covers the 1.7 million (in addition to the 3 million) discussed above, eliminating the individual and corporate mandates, eliminating the tax on medical devices, restoring the individual market by eliminating the prescribed plan requirement for individuals and leaving in place the provisions concerning pre-existing conditions for group plans, among other corrections.

If not dealt with soon this law will become the largest socialistic entitlement program in the history of the USA. It will benefit no one other than the insurance companies and crooks [5] (who game the system) and will cost the American people dearly.

[1] http://www.newsweek.com/medicaid-enrollments-bring-obamacare-enrollment-more-10-million-244346
[2] http://www.forbes.com/sites/theapothecary/2014/05/10/new-mckinsey-survey-74-of-obamacare-sign-ups-were-previously-insured/

[3] http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/obamacare-now-estimated-cost-26-trillion-first-decade_648413.html

[4] https://screen.yahoo.com/obamacare-impacting-insurance-industry-023346332.html

[5] http://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/gao-sting-finds-it-easy-fake-it-get-obamacare-premiums-n162456