From Adam Smith on Health Care

In response to an email I sent to Rep. Smith:

Dear Jonathan,

Thank you for contacting my office with your comments regarding the House health care reform bill H.R. 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act. I appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts with me on this very important issue.  As you may know, H.R. 3962 was passed in the House of Representatives on November 7, 2009 and I voted in favor of it. I’d like to take this opportunity to share with you my thoughts on the bill.

Throughout the health care reform debate I have continually stated that our healthcare system must be reformed. It costs too much, doesn’t cover enough people, and incentivizes inefficiencies. Reform must expand access, reduce the overall amount of money we spend on health care, and promote quality of care over quantity. In order to succeed, real reform must be built on these three pillars, without which we will not be able to provide sustainable universal access.

Real reform cannot take place unless the process continues to move forward and despite my strong misgivings with the current bill, I fundamentally recognize the dire need for health care reform in our country.

There are far too many people in our country who either do not have insurance or are underinsured. This represents both a moral and economic problem. Additionally, and most importantly, our health care system needs cost containment reform, without which many individuals who currently have insurance will be unable to keep it. It is expected that next year employers who offer health insurance will likely see a 9 percent increase in cost. On top of recent increases, if costs continue to rise at this rate employers will no longer be able to afford to offer insurance to their employees and many more Americans will become underinsured or uninsured. This problem must be addressed.

Additionally, the United States currently spends more per capita on healthcare than any other country in the world. Beyond this, our government spends more per person than many countries with single-payer systems. If we do not address the inefficiencies in our system and rein in the cost of care, difficult as it may be, we will never be able to provide sustainable universal coverage to all Americans. The costs will simply be too high to sustain and will weigh down our economy.

The initial bill before Congress, H.R. 3200, had significant problems and would not have received my vote. The current bill, H.R. 3962, has made progress toward achieving the kind reform I have consistently advocated, but any final bill must go even further.

One of the most important changes from H.R. 3200 is the inclusion of a geographic variation study that will reassess the unfair reimbursement rates across the country and benefit seniors in Washington state.  While the study could have been more aggressive and could be enacted sooner, this is a very positive step toward correcting the unfair bias that has hurt Washington state’s seniors for too long.

In addition, H.R. 3962 takes some real steps toward addressing the inadequate fee-for-service model through the establishment of several pilot projects aimed at changing the way we pay for health care.  These changes are a step in the right direction.  H.R. 3962 also includes incentives to promote bundling of services and payments, which has proven in many settings to reduce the cost of care while maintaining a high quality.

Further, H.R. 3962 begins to address some of the inefficiencies in Medicare and slows the rate of growth in Medicare spending from its current rate of 6.6% to 5.3% annually. It also decreases the national deficit by $109 billion in the first ten years and is projected to continue to reduce the deficit in the second ten years.

Finally, I do appreciate the process that gave sufficient time for all of us to thoroughly examine the details of this important piece of legislation. I was deeply troubled by the push to vote on the original bill last July before the August recess. The additional three months given to consider the bill was a very positive step. I also appreciate that we have had the full text of H.R. 3962 available on line for over a week.  Far too often in the past major legislation has been rushed to a vote in a matter of hours.

While these steps show real progress, more must be done. This bill still costs too much and does not do enough to rein in the cost of care. Moreover, the many regulations in this bill can and should be simplified to make it easier for businesses and individuals to understand and comply with them. The final bill will need to make great strides in these areas to earn my vote.

My vote, in effect, is to move the process forward. This is not the final phase in the process and in the weeks ahead the Senate will vote on its version of the bill and then the House and the Senate must reconcile their differences. I am hopeful that through this process my remaining concerns will be addressed and we can finally move to provide universal access to health care and reform our system in a way that protects individuals and reins in out of control costs. More than anything, my ‘yes’ vote today reflects the fact that, despite my concerns with the current bill, I cannot vote in favor of the status quo.

Thank you again for contacting me and please do not hesitate to contact me in the future with any thoughts you may have on this or any other subject.

Sincerely,

Adam Smith
Member of Congress

“Reject” R-71

There is a simple reason why I rejected R-71. Let me list the most important one.

It is this simple fact: All children deserve a loving father and a mother who love each other and have bound themselves with the bonds of marriage. That is the ideal.

Any law that would equivocate any other type of relationship with the ideal marriage says that children do not deserve the ideal.

And we the people, as individuals, have an interest in seeing children get a loving father and mother who love each other in the bonds of marriage.

That’s the simple answer.

It’s a simple answer that anyone with a modicum of a conscience can see plain as day.

Unfortunately, with many of those who have spent their lives wantonly pursuing their lusts, this kind of conscience is wholly absent from their thoughts. If it does exist, it exists as compass that points south to them.

Why Marriage Matters: For the Evolutionist

I’m going to argue against homosexual unions from a different direction today.

Suppose you believe in evolution. I certainly don’t, but let’s say we argue from that foundation.

What is the highest good in a universe where life evolves to higher forms through reproduction? Well, if you value life, and if you value life of higher forms more than lower forms, or even if you wish humans would evolve into something better, then the highest good is REPRODUCTION.

That is, making babies, the old-fashioned way, the way that got us where we are today. The more we, as a society, make babies, the more likely we are, as a society, to evolve to the next level. The more individuals make, the more likely they are to be the proud parent of the next iteration of Homo Sapiens.

Let me explain. The way evolution works, every time a child is conceived, the random mutations genetic combination of the parent’s genetic code may produce:

1. Something unviable. A child born to certain, premature death or as a burden to society.
2. Something viable and normal. Like the vast majority of children born in the US, the child will be healthy and strong, but otherwise mostly normal.
3. Something viable and evolved. There is a small, small chance that your child will carry the genetic code that will be the foundation of the next evolution of Homo Sapiens.

If you look at the above like a game of sorts, and you want to play the game by the rules, and your goal is to produce the next evolution of Homo Sapiens, then how should you play?

The answer is: REPRODUCE. Not only for yourself, but do everything you can to get others to reproduce, even if they don’t really want to. Make it the top priority of society, as the highest goal that can be achieved. Make it so that the more babies you make, the better standing you have.

There are other things you have to do, like segmenting the population, or making the world a difficult place to live so only the best can survive, or preventing certain kinds of people from reproducing, and so on. The Nazis had a hey-day with this, along with several other philosophies of that day, such as Planned Parenthood. But adding these conditions and restrictions amount to nothing unless the human race is reproducing.

And there are some problems with reproduction, problems like a population boom and resource competition. But we needn’t let that discourage us. Focusing on these kinds of negatives is exactly what got certain species completely extinct before they could evolve to the next level, right?

Now, with that in mind, what kind of laws should we have on the books? Is it good to have a law that suggests that sexual activity outside of the kind that makes babies is somehow equivalent to sexual activity that makes babies?

Of course not.

Thus, it is in the interests of every individual in our great society to oppose homosexual relationships, especially long-term ones that look like marriage. It is in our own interests to see that children are raised in families where heterosexual relationships are the norm, and where reproduction is valued as the greatest good.

Thus, if you believe in evolution and believe that life is good and evolved life is better, then you will come to the same conclusion I have: homosexual marriage or anything like it is not good for us as individuals and thus us as a society.

On Sarah Palin

My final verdict on the Sarah Palin resignation: It is right.

Governor Palin is two things: One, the governor of Alaska. Two, Sarah Palin.

The people of Alaska deserve an need a governor who can govern appropriately. Sarah Palin was that governor. Today, she is not. Not because of anything she has done, but because of the vicious and evil attacks against her, against all that is just and good and moral in this country. She has become the de-facto lightning rod of evil and tyranny in this country.

So Sarah Palin made a wise decision.  Rather than allow the people of Alaska to suffer for her decision to stand up for what is right and thus become the lightning rod, she is going to allow someone else who is competent and capable to be governor. That is a humble sign of maturity, to step aside when you are no longer the ideal person for the job.

Now that Sarah Palin is freed from the governorship, she is free to fight the only battle worth fighting: exposing evil for what it is and standing up as an example of righteousness. That is what she intends to do. That is the fight of the true statesman, and that is what she has become.

Like the city of Sodom and Gomorrah, we need only a handful of Sarah Palins in this world to turn America back on track. One righteous person does much more good than a million evil people can do evil.

Let us all follow the example of Sarah Palin. Let’s make a decision to first stand for righteousness and then to keep standing, no matter what the cost. Should we decide to do so, our future is guaranteed to be glorious and peaceful.

I pray to God that He will support her as she carries the cross into battle against the hordes of evil who are attacking her.

Anti-PATRIOT Act People: Fear Obama

President Bush pushed congress to pass the PATRIOT Act so that he would have the authority to pursue terrorists at home and abroad. All evidence says that he lived by whatever laws congress wrote faithfully. If anything, he was especially careful to not push the line or even to keep well behind it when the situation was questionable. When there was a problem, he would quickly deal with it and prosecute those who abused their power.

I support the PATRIOT Act. I believe it is necessary if we are going to fight the type of enemy we face today, and enemy that President Obama refuses to label “terrorists”.

President Obama has already well exceeded the limits of the PATRIOT Act. He is acting beyond the law, as if the law is no limit on his behavior at all. (link)

If this is true, it is time, right now, for congress to impeach this president. Such behavior is intolerable. Any president who believes they have the power to infringe upon our God-given rights without the people’s say in the matter is no president of this United States.

officials with both the House and Senate intelligence committees said they had concerns that the agency had ignored civil liberties safeguards built into last year’s wiretapping law. “We have received notice of a serious issue involving the N.S.A., and we’ve begun inquiries into it,” a Congressional staff member said.

The Unknown Sponsors of Terrorism

Ever heard the saying the best place to hide something is in plain sight? It has come to my attention that there is an unknown and invisible sponsor of terrorism yet to be sanctioned. You do know that the U.S. and it’s allies are cracking down on known terrorist organizations? How would you stop terrorism? Cut off the flow of money maybe? That’s what the U.S. and many of it’s allies are doing.

I have found a hole though. First off, let’s qualify what makes a terrorist organization. How would you define it? An organization that supports the murder and killing of civilians not at war? An organization that does not adhere to the rules of engagement? Perhaps an organization that attacks at will for no reason? How about a financial support of such a group?

These are all intelligent questions to be answered. You should be proud of yourself for being able to answer and define terrorists and their supporters.

Now the bad news. Did you know the Obama administration is writing a $900 million check to the support of the Palestinians? Where do you think that money is going to go? Ever heard of Hamas? It’s a name on the list of recognized terrorist organizations, did you know that? Did you know that Hamas is the “political” group elected to lead Gaza?

So, let me ask you this…

Shouldn’t the fact that the U.S. and Great Britain are financially supporting known terrorists put them on the list of known sponsors of terrorism? Wouldn’t that also make the U.S. a hypocrite? This is the tough one for me… by being a tax payer, we are all sponsors of terror. Isn’t it illegal to do that? Shouldn’t our leaders be locked up and tried for treason for sponsoring the same terrorist organizations other administrations have pointed to as terrorists?

The Last Hurrah?

My friends, I come to you this day to let you in on a secret, doctors have given me only a few more months to live. There’s a reality check for anyone to dare take. As many of you will or would do in my shoes, I have grown closer to seeking the truth for myself and my hope is to pass it on to you. So I ask you, How would you come to grips with the fact that your life is ending? I guess the reality is we are all going to pass away… I’m just going to beat most of you to it – on the lighter side – if it’s a race to the death? I win again!

It’s funny, because I predicted this would happen just a few years ago. Looking back, even I have suddenly grown tired of being right all the time! Talk about the power of the spoken word! I pray heaven is all I have read and been told and that the good seeds I have sewn into different ministries across this nation are worth a lot more than my stock value is today.

So, let me ask you: Would you have any regrets? I did find a few.

I actually voted for several pro-choice candidates in my life. I shouldn’t have done that. Pondering upon the ramifications of that saddens me. How many children have I shared in the responsibility of their death because I supported pro-choice at a time in my life? How many blessed children could these children have produced? Come to think of it, I even worked on the campaign for one of them, even though he was a better choice, both candidates were pro-choice. What’s the saying: “If I only knew then what I know now”.

As with many of this age, I didn’t get the whole message about “You’re forgiven, go and sin no more”. It’s the first part most people hear and the second that separates the wheat from the chaff. I know for a time I continued doing the same old things that had gotten me into trouble in the first place. It’s only been in the last decade or so that I caught the second half of the message and became more like I was supposed to be.

As a Bible believing Christian, I know I’m going to a better place. I recommend you all get Jesse Du Plantis’s “Close Encounters of the God kind” to see what I am talking about.

Knowing the time is near, gives you a lot to think about… family and friends. Did you make the right choices? Did you set the right example? I will be leaving many great friends behind. Friends my wife and I have tried to convince that voting party lines when the party clearly and knowingly supports gay rights, gay marriage, abortion and visibly makes a stand against Godly principles… lump supporters in with these devils. If you support ungodly principles and those that undermine the laws of Moses you might as well be one of the devils own, since you buy into the lie. That’s been my take on it anyway.

It may come as a surprise to you, but over two decades ago, I too was a pro-choice leaning Republican myself. One day I made the choice many Christians do, and asked for a more personal relationship with God. Be careful of what you wish for, the truth will set you free. Very shortly after making that choice, I was quietly reminded by the voice of the Holy Spirit in my heart that there is no righteous abortion in the Bible. None. I found I had bought the lie, like so many others do, because it was all wrapped up in the sugar coating that women have rights and should have a choice over their body. A statement I agree with, but when it comes to a baby? The woman is no longer making a choice over JUST her body but the very body and soul of another living being as well. That is murder. They don’t tell you that at Planned Parenthood. It’s a fetus, an embryo anything but a living child… that’s the lie they sell and so many buy. Of course once the truth began entering my heart, many other truths followed.

Mainstream science today is making it harder to believe in God. You hear a bombardment of lies claiming ice to be millions of years old, bones to be that old as well and that the earth itself is billions of years old. Have you by chance seen the movie “Expelled” by Ben Stein? Have you read a book on hydrogen diffusion dating? How about asking an evolution scientist to show you how life began? If evolution were real there should be a huge tree of life… instead the facts will tell you that life suddenly exploded onto the earth and since then there have been a number of mass extinctions that the earth and the tree of origin has never recovered from by introducing other genealogy into the system.

Did you know that mainstream colleges actually fire teachers that believe in a newer earth and creation? I mean, if you’re going to make sure that educators starve for their beliefs in God? Where is it going to end? The very government set up to protect us is failing to do so, in fact taking more of our rights away to protect ourselves… or haven’t you figured out that is what gun control is all about? Putting guns into the hands of authorities only means that it’s just a matter of time before the authorities have nothing to fear from a peoples revolve because the people are helplessly unarmed. There is something evil afoot. You know that brings about an interesting domino effect. Because of this kind of one sided oligarchy replacing our Republic, I see some very bad things coming.

I could see masses of people buying into the lie that getting an implant chip is for your own good, for your security, for making your life easier that a debit card and for protecting your children against being kidnapped… whatever the lie? It’s the devil’s plan. How do you control an entire society? Well to control the masses and be able to track everyone how better to do it than with a method of integrating commerce with a method to track everyone. You see if you have a chip implant, and it is linked to your bank account? If a time comes when a person thinks the gov’t is wrong, when he/she learn the truth of God and don’t agree with what the gov’t says, or what the devil says? Just like the universities are doing with educators clinging to the truth of the Bible over the mistakes of man, the chip implanted in them will be turned off and they will not be able to buy or sell anything – including food.

You see, I foresee a time when there are masses of people that are “bad” Christians – that is they are those clinging to the skirts of a religion that they do not truly understand the power of, the meaning of or fully believe in or observe correctly – and because they haven’t been paying attention to events around them, these folks are alive when the church is taken away and the devil himself rules this earth. My question at this hour of my own demise, is will the church be taken away spiritually or will there be some disaster to “cover up” the evacuation? Will there be a day when two billion people suddenly die for a lack of reasoning, leaving the rest of the world to bury them? Will any of my own children be left standing there wondering why the rest of the family has suddenly passed away?

I can see the masterminds of global warming, the scammers that are preparing the world for an explanation as to why the sun is suddenly so hot, why the seas seem to boil as frozen methane is released from the slumber of the deep seas…. scammers like Al Gore trying to get richer from exploiting the foolishness of fools, by selling useless carbon credits… I can see the scientists that have blamed the global industrialization as the cause. I can see a day when the sun itself is blown out like a candle. When scientists that have said the earth is billions of years old finally realize that the sun is running out of fuel – when it too is supposed to last for millions of years more. I can see scientists scrambling to find excuses for their foolishness. Lastly, the one sign that will not be able to be explain away? I can only hope that this will be at least one undeniable sign given to this world that the Lord God created it all. The end is at hand when there is a sudden realization that no more babies are being born into this condemned world for the Almighty God of Heaven, the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and the nation of Israel, is the Almighty and as a just, caring and loving God – will not allow for an innocent child to suffer through the tribulation hour.

I have also put it together that if the US is destroyed financially and the rapture of the church does come and the Persian alliance does lob a couple of nukes in to our nations backyard… within three years most of the world will starve. Many of the nations that are Islamic are dessert waste lands. If you think about it – probably for a good reason. Many nations in Africa will not be able to support their populations. The Christian church will be taken away and so will their professional health care and food services. Basically the good people of this earth that are the bread basket and producers blessed by God to be a light to the world will be gone. So, what happens when you take the spiritual light out of the world? The world plunges into darkness. Hope is taken out of the world. Praise the Lord the children will not suffer this punishment, but the adults that should know better will be punished.

I can see that the saying: “Those who do not know history are doomed to repeat it” being the epitaph for Iran, thanks to Mr. Ahmadinejad who chooses to selectively ignore history. Has this guy ever been to Auschwitz? Dachau? Berlin? Has he visited the USS Arizona? I mean this guy has got some blinders on. His own parents should be old enough to tell him how things were in the 1940’s.

I have spent a lifetime studying and learning as much as I could from high tech skills to build robotic machines to engineer solutions and computer programs for nearly anything I put my mind to. Never really built anything for myself though, other than a tree house and now a deck I may never finish.

For years when I was chasing the dream, I treated some of my own family with less respect than I would for a total stranger all because the job mattered that much. My excuse was I was doing it all for my family. Somehow it doesn’t seem that way anymore. Debt will do that to you – having to pay 3 and 4 times what a thing is worth just to carry a note for years and make it affordable in the short term – foolishness. I learned this late in life. They sure don’t teach credit and debt as a wealth killer and a parasite on society as a whole. Think about it, what would you do with the extra money you had if your house was paid off and all your cars were paid. What if you had no monthly payments and paid for everything with cash? Would you have more money at the end of the month?

A couple of friends have noticed I have changed since going back to school to finish my MBA. Yeah, I must admit I have grown weary of arguing with foolish people so much and not changing anything. As much as I love to do research and read about everything, even though I love being right – it is a curse. At least I have learned one thing and that is to use Socratic Method more and ask “Why?” several times.

Even I can see there are a lot of things I know now, that I totally missed the boat on. Yet many others I was knocking it out of the ball park and no one noticed. Someone told me a few months back though, that no one wants to be around somebody that is always right and that knows everything. Maybe they are right? After spending a lifetime acquiring all the knowledge, I grew up wanting to be like Spock and Mr. Scott always having the answers and being able to solve problems but here we are and what do I have to show for it but useless trivia knowledge?

For years I chased the dream, like many do, of having a good job, making something of myself and climbing that corporate ladder. I even enrolled in school several times to get certificates in management, leadership and public speaking. Too bad they didn’t teach tact! Huh? Perhaps I should have gone to finishing school instead!

You know, It’s a real shocker for anyone to reflect back on a life they have and to do a summary asking “Did I make a difference” or “Did I set the right example?” I know Gayla and I tried to change things in town, to bring some of the foolish decisions being made by the city into the spotlight. I guess there is a good thing to say about the bait and switch – I won’t have to pay for the Community Center, the AMC high rise that hasn’t risen or the Arts building to come.

I do wish I could have a few more hours with each of my boys. Granted, I have two older kids raised that are out of the house… that might miss me, but I spent a lot more time with them growing up, what with being a single father on welfare most of their lives. Today most of my children are still young, and I have gone out of my way to make sure each of them know how much I love them with all my heart – all without you know, getting too serious and making them worry.

Then there are the family members that I didn’t get along with, I really should have cut those ties earlier. That alone probably could have saved my oldest son from a life of paganism. I did finally cut off all contact with some of my family because they were very negative and super critical of everything. I made more money than they did, I had a better grade point average in college, I actually finished several degrees. I beat them at everything… but now, even my father will live longer than me. How just is that?

It is said that the more educated you become, the more foolish you realize you are… I’m not so sure the translation is accurate but I do know the more one becomes educated the more questions they have than before. I have all sorts of questions to ask, but mine will be asked of Jesus Christ I think.

You won’t catch me crying. You won’t catch me saddened… well much anyway. I still have the blessed hope that I’m not just in denial! I will still fight the good fight to the end – I promise you that. In fact I’m still planning on getting a robot lawn mower built to teach the kids robotics. I’m also hoping to finish my MBA next year and in the mean time get a good job using the degrees I already have. It’s tough these days to find a job making $50 and $60 an hour like I have been making though. Just keep your prayers heading our way and like I said… learn from my mistakes and find a deeper meaning for life in your own.

Yours in Christ

Frosty E Hardison

Who do you Think you Elected?

The Daily Show just figured out that President Obama isn’t going to do much differently than President Bush. (link)

Can’t Email Rep. Smith

I’m getting a lot of errors trying to email Rep. Adam Smith on his page.

Anyone have his real email?

Welcome 2009

I don’t really have that much to be optimistic about in 2009, at least from what is readily apparent.

Politically, it appears like the fiscal and defense conservatives are in the decline. The moral conservatives are in disarry. Internationally, the world is suffering from too few nations willing to stand up and fight in the name of liberty, and too many nations willing to play games with people’s freedoms. But politics is a fickle thing, seemingly random. It would take a single leader to change everything. Obama, of course, is not that man.

Economically, I don’t see my job bringing in many more dollars than it did last year, and I don’t see those dollars buying as much freedom as they did last year. It’s hard to be the sole income earner for a family of seven, but I am not in life to get rich, so I can’t complain. But perhaps 2009 will be the year I set out on my own to see if my fortune is any good in the world of entrepeneurism.

Religiously, I don’t know that 2009 will be much different from 2008. I am going to do what I can to see that the message of peace and love and repentance spreads, and perhaps economic hard times will soften people’s hearts some. I don’t have any reason to expect 2009 to be better than 2008, though.

But I am still hopeful. Time marches on, and just like the sun rises each day, so does a new year begin, and offer hope for a new and better life. So I remain optimistic and happy, since each day is another opportunity.