Stand Up for Medicare ~ Hey That`s Me !

I  Think that Medicare is GREAT ! It almost as good as the Affordable Healthcare Act ! I believe the whole country should have it ! God Bless you President Obama !

Vice-President Cheney ~ Receives "The Gift of Life"!

VICE-PRESIDENT DICK CHENEY~RECEIVES GIFT of LIFE
Sunday, March 25, 2012
By Michael Smith, MD

Sign up to be a ORGAN Donor > https://www.donatelifetn.org/index.aspx

After a more than 30-year history of heart problems, former Vice President Dick Cheney is recovering from a heart transplant. How successful is a heart transplant in a 71-year old man and what does the road ahead hold in store ?

Cheney suffered his first of five heart attacks in his late 30s. In 2010 he received an implanted device called a left ventricular assist device (LVAD). LVADs were originally intended as a “bridge” to heart transplant while someone waits for an available heart. However, in recent years the technology has improved to the point that people are living for many years with this device, which helps pump blood through the heart. In a previous interview after receiving his LVAD, Cheney had said that he was not sure if he wanted a heart transplant, but he had apparently been on the heart waiting list for 20 months. Heart transplants are truly life-saving procedures. The surgery is done when no other treatment options are available and there is a good chance the person would die in the near future without a new heart. Of course, LVADs have helped increase the amount of time people can wait for a heart. About 75% of people live for at least five years after a heart transplant, with 56% surviving at least 10 years, according to the National Institutes of Health.The question is: how does someone in his 70s fare after such major surgery? Quite well, actually, and the latest research suggests that people over 70 do just as well as younger people after a heart transplant.
Cheney will likely spend one to two weeks in the hospital and then his doctors will watch him very closely over the next three months while his body continues to recover from surgery. If all goes well, Cheney should be able to return to his normal level of activity. In fact, with a brand new heart, the hope would be that he’ll be even better than before. One of the most significant concerns after receiving a new heart is rejection since our immune systems are trained to get rid of any foreign substances, including new organs. To prevent rejection, Cheney will need to take strong medicines to suppress his immune system. This comes with its own risks as these medicines increase the threat of potentially serious infection and even cancer. But keep in mind that people who receive a heart transplant have no other options in order to survive. At any given time there are about 3,000 people in the U.S. on the waiting list for a heart transplant. But only 2,000 donor hearts are available each year. Do the math. There are many people in the waiting list that never receive a new heart and they die waiting for one. For those who are lucky enough to get a new heart, waiting times vary from days (for emergency situations) to many months, as in the case of Cheney. One issue is finding a heart that is a match, meaning the genetic profile of the donor is a close enough match to decrease the likelihood that the heart will be rejected. Assuming the need is similar between two patients, the one who has been on the waiting list longer will typically receive a newly available heart. Over 100,000 people are currently waiting for an organ transplant and 18 people die each day waiting. As a donor, you could save the lives of up to 8 people. That is why it’s so important to be an organ donor. Learn more now.

Editorial : As most of you know, this writer had a life-saving Heart-Transplant over 17 years ago ! There will be a lot of mis-information in regard to the Vice-President receiving a Heart. First of all, I wish him only the best and will be praying for him daily. Although, I did`nt agree with Cheney on any of his political decisions, I do not wish him any ill-will ! According to the information, I have been able to glean, this was handled in a very professional and legal way. No strings pulled here ! I ask you to remember him and his family in this their hour of need. God Speed Mr. Vice-President ! Dick, soon you will be visited by other patients/mentors who have received this precious "Gift of Life" listen to them. I did and it has served me well ! One last comment, I do not believe that Dick Cheney received his new heart, because of who he was or how much money he had. Almost two years on a transplant list is not much fun. I know ! He, like myself is blessed !

Fiat Lux

"Give The Gift of Life, Be an Organ/Tissue Donor, It`s the Masonic thing to Do "

Rep. Andy Holt (R)Tennessee District#76~News !

Tennessee District#76

State Representative Andy Holt(R) News ?Contact Rep. Holt here> rep.andrew.holt@capitol.tn.gov

Contact your Tennessee legislator here > http://www.capitol.tn.gov/house/members/

by Underdog = Don Jones...3/24/12

I have read in my local Weakley County Press that Rep. Andy Holt(R) 76th. District-Dresden, Tennessee, has finally reigned from the Weakley County Board of Commissioners. Rep. Holt was actually holding two positions in government. He was first elected to the County Commission in District#1. He then ran for the 76th. District State Representatives office and was elected. (I`m not sure this is illegal ? It is definitely not needed !) At a meeting of the County Commission, he announced that he would resign, with one contingency, he would pick/name his own replacement. Chairman of the Commissioners, Jimmy Westbrook, in formed Rep. Holt, it did not work that way ! Our TEA/Republican Party friend has very definite ideas. I do not have a problem with Rep. Holt making a recommendation to the commission, in fact it could be a good thing ? Where I have a problem, is with any elected official naming his own successor. This Should not happen ! Mr. Holt wanted to name Bobby Dunlap as his replacement. I don`t know Mr. Dunlap, perhaps he would have been a good choice ? Perhaps not ? As long as Jimmy Westbrook is chairing the County Commission, the proper procedure will be followed. The County Commission on the recommendation of Commissioner John Salmon, appointed James Bynum for District#1-Commissioner. Our Tennessee Legislators are in Nashville passing laws lickety -split. Some of those laws are GUN Laws. Not too Good ! It is almost to the point of paranoia. If they keep up this senseless passing of Gun Laws. Tennessee (legal)permit citizens, won`t know the law and will need a booklet just for hand-gun carriers alone. How silly. Mr. Holt, you can help this situation, if you so desire ? The House also passed a bill to allow public buildings to display, "such historically significant documents" As the Ten Commandments, the Magna Carta and the Declaration of Independence. The Chamber voted 93-0 ! Boy, that's impressive. A non-partisan vote. That`ll get you some votes come election time. (Now do not misunderstand me, I like these laws. Of course, I`m of the Christian/majority persuasion.)I`m wondering if our legislators ever considered what to do, when a Muslim, Hindu or for that matter a Buddist, ever petition them for their historic words out of the Koran or Hindu Books placed on our public buildings ? While all of this may sound good, it could very easily become a slippery slope ! Our lawmakers are still after our teachers. Now, they want to close teacher evaluation data ? Why ? Is it not a part of the public record ? A better question, who does s this evaluation and for what purpose ? Who makes the determination on these evaluations ? one last thing. Rep. Andy Holt(R) Dresden/Palmersville is the new kid on the block, and that is just fine. Who does he listen too ? Ever who it might be, I suggest you find some new advisers. I can name you several, if you ask me ! "Stick a Fork in Me, I`m Done"!

Fiat Lux

REPUBLICANS NEVER GIVE UP~SHAFTING SENIORS~HEY THATS ME !

Benefits for Seniors on Affordable Care Act Anniversary

Today’s two-year anniversary of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) by holding 26 community events around the country, spotlighting new Medicare benefits and educating seniors on where elected officials and candidates stand on health reform. “The Affordable Care Act is helping seniors across the nation better afford to see a doctor and fill a prescription. The 3.6 million seniors with the highest drug costs have already saved an average of $600 on their prescriptions. Thirty-two million seniors have received free, life-saving tests for chronic diseases. The law is closing the ‘doughnut hole’ coverage gap in Medicare Part D, an egregious example of pharmaceutical company profits being placed ahead of the health care needs of our seniors,” http://bit.ly/AaJ8xJ.

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Obama, Romney Differ on Plan to Cut Medicare, Medicaid

Obama and Romney sharply disagreed this week on a budget proposal by U.S. House Republicans that would dramatically change Medicare and Medicaid while lowering taxes on corporations and wealthy Americans. The GOP presidential candidate praised it as “bold and exciting,” while a White House spokesperson called it, “a recipe for destroying Medicare as we know it… it is not a plan that this President could support.” MD/DC Alliance president Frank Stella spoke at a Tuesday rally against the plan, and Alliance Executive Board member Bill Cea is joining Vice President Joe Biden today at an event in Florida to highlight the Administration’s opposition. Read some of Biden’s remarks explaining what’s at stake at http://bit.ly/GIY9Ws.“Under the proposal, seniors would be given vouchers to either buy health coverage in the costly private insurance market, or purchase it from a Medicare program that would be made more expensive by the exodus of younger, healthier retirees,” The plan would also cut spending on Medicaid and turn it over to cash-strapped states, jeopardizing the only way over 70 percent of seniors are able to afford long-term or nursing home care. The budget plan, authored by Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI), was approved by the House Budget Committee on Wednesday and is expected to be voted on by the full House next week. Also, on the same day that Romney endorsed the Ryan plan, one of his top economic advisers, Greg Mankiw, was forced to apologize for a joke he shared on his blog about deporting seniors to lower Social Security and Medicare costs. For the latest facts sheet on the Ryan budget, go to http://bit.ly/GKlJVx.

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Congressional Voting Record

New Congressional Voting Record Now Available on the Web. The Alliance’s 2011 Voting Record is now available at http://bit.ly/kpet7N. The annual report details the voting record of every U.S. Senator and Representative on key issues affecting current and future retirees. This year's voting record examines the roll calls on issues such as health care repeal; the Paul Ryan budget; and a balanced budget amendment.

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Vice-President Joe Biden on Health Care.

Two years ago today, we passed health care reform.We did the right thing and it's affecting people's lives. Preventive services with no out-of-pocket costs, an end to women paying higher premiums just because they're women, protection from insurance company abuses, 33 million Americans gaining coverage ... and it extends the solvency of Medicare through 2024, while closing the "doughnut hole" in prescription-drug coverage and reducing costs for seniors.It's a long list of achievements that affects each and every one of us.When I hear the other side saying they'll take it all away, that gets me pretty fired up. I'm proud we passed the Affordable Care Act. Let's show just how many of us are willing to protect it. If you're with me, stand up for this landmark legislation today:

http://my.democrats.org/Proud

Thanks, Joe

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Editorial :

Seniors, you better wake up. If the Republicans have their way, you`ll eat dog-food and die ! They could`nt balance the budget on SENIORS if we all DIED TOMORROW ! Republicans call the Affordable Care Act ~ Obama Care. Call it what you like ? I LOVE IT. IT is merely a beginning. I have an idea, let`s cut our elected officials health care out entirely ! Problem solved !

I like Obamacare. I'm proud of it -- and you should be, too. Here's why: Because it works. So if you're with me, say it: "I like Obamacare." Obamacare means never having to worry about getting sick and running up against a lifetime cap on insurance coverage. It gives parents the comfort of knowing their kids can stay on their insurance until they're 26, and that a "pre-existing condition" like an ear infection will never compromise their child's coverage.It's about ending the practice of letting insurance companies charge women 50 percent more -- just because they're women.And Obamacare can save seniors hundreds of dollars a year on prescription drugs -- and gives them access to preventive care that is saving their lives. President Obama never lost sight of the fact that this reform is about people. People like his own mother, who spent the last years of her life fighting cancer -- and fighting with insurance companies, too.That shouldn't happen. And because of Obamacare, it can't. So next time you hear someone railing against Obamacare, remember what they're actually saying they want to take away. And, today, stand with me in saying, "Heck yeah, I'm for Obamacare":http://my.barackobama.com/I-Like-Obamacare

P.S. -- Side note: Can you imagine if the opposition/republicans called Social Security "Roosevelt Security"? Or if Medicare was "LBJ-Care"? Seriously, have these guys ever heard of the long view?

Fiat Lux

ANONYMOUS HATE COMMENTS ! YOU BET`CHA !

ANONYMOUS WRITES HATE LETTERS/COMMENTS to ME

by Underdog = Don Jones

3/22/12

I have a man who reads my blog religiously. I do not know, who he is ? I do know, he is out of Paducah Kentucky. He does`nt agree with me on anything. This blog/article is dedicated to him.

Not only does he read my blog daily, he searches my archives and reads past articles. He calls me names, not too nice names.Why he reads my blog is beyond me. He does`nt agree with anything, I write. He writes comments to be posted on my blog. He always signs anonymously. Of course, I do not publish them. In fact, I usually read the first paragraph and then delete. I believe he know`s me. He calls me by my first name. Just today, he wrote that President Richard Trumka, AFL-CIO and Jimmy P. Hoffa, General President of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, should be in jail. Of course these statements are based on his facts. Dear Paducah Sir, You are entitled to your opinion, just as I am. We do not put people in jail based your opinion. You see, in my opinion both of these men are American Patriots ! Our Paducah critic seems to blame everything on our news media. Of for that matter, anyone who does`nt agree with his philosophy. He says he has a great education. It does`nt show. He says that the RICH owe me nothing. I agree. However, they do owe this great Country something. I think they should pay their fair share of TAX`S instead of hiding their accounts off-shore ! Just today, he said, "You call yourself a "Christian" man ? "You are a HYPOCRITE and a UNION GOON" sympathizer, that's what you are ! Yes, Paducah sir, I not only call myself a Christian, I am one ! Hypocrite ? My opinions are my opinions. Union Goon ? I`m not sure what that is ? I know, that I believe you are wrong more than you are right. I`m not a physician/psychiatrist. I do believe you would better serve yourself and others by not reading my blog ! In today's world, you would be called a stalker. Please be kind to those who disagree with you. He says that all Union workers are Crooks and Lazy. Wrong ! He is still blaming all our problems on President Bill Clinton. Wrong ! I`m just guessing, but, I bet Paducah sir is a TEA-Party Republican. In 1933 Adolph Hitler made a speech in Munich or Berlin, I can`t remember which now. I suggest that Paducah Sir, read it. Being that you are so big on history. My final bit of advice, STOP Reading my Blog. It just seems to upset you so much. At times your critique is longer than my BLOG ? You are not only wasting my time, but yours. Paducah Sir, "May The God of Love and Peace Delight to Dwell with and Bless You !

Fiat Lux

“A GOVERNMENT OF, BY AND FOR THE 1%,”

BIG MONEY and THE REPUBLICAN$ !

The House Republican budget, crafted by Rep. Paul Ryan (R- Wis.) and unveiled today, provides a blueprint of what America would like look under Republican control, “A Government of, by and for the 1%,” says AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka.

House Republicans have dropped all pretenses and laid out their plan to destroy Medicare and Social Security…The Republican plan would not only keep Bush tax cuts for the wealthy from expiring, but would actually cut taxes for rich people even further….The Republican plan would throw even more money away by giving multinational corporations massive new tax breaks to encourage them to export U.S. jobs overseas. Trumka says the Ryan/Republican budget is a rehash of “the failed economic policies that caused the Great Recession.”
Working people overwhelmingly rejected Rep. Ryan and Republican leaders’ last irresponsible budget proposal and will resoundingly reject them again.
Click here for the full statement. How much is enough ?

Fiat Lux

REPUBLICANS ATTACKING SENIORS~ HEY, THAT`S ME !

REPUBLICANS on ATTACK ! TARGET`s = Social Security & Medicare

https://secure.healthcareforamericanow.org/page/share/2012-ryan-budget

Why is it the Republican Party/Tea Party Want to Balance The Budget on the Backs of SENIORS ? Back/Middle Class ? Social Security and Medicare, the two best tax-payer programs ever devised !

The House Republicans’ plan to end Medicare as we know it is coming back this week. Please take this opportunity to share information about this reckless plan with your friends and family. The House GOP budget would fundamentally change Medicare from a single-payer plan that provides guaranteed benefits and coverage into a voucher plan designed to pay a portion of premiums to private insurance companies. Representative Paul Ryan's (upper left) budget plan would so drastically change the way America’s seniors are provided health care coverage that it becomes a completely unrecognizable, inferior and dangerous program.
The Ryan plan essentially would revoke the guarantees that provide seniors and people with disabilities a specific set of benefits and services, replacing it with vouchers covering a portion of premiums to private insurance companies. If Republicans get rid of the guarantees to benefits and services, it will destroy the Medicare program that seniors have relied on for nearly 50 years. They talk about providing a traditional Medicare option at first, but the way they designed this guarantees it will soon fail and have to be eliminated.
We have paid into the Medicare system our entire working lives. Under the GOP's plan, guaranteed coverage would be phased out over time. When we retire, whether that’s in 10 years or 40, we would be enrolling in a Medicare system based solely on private insurance companies. Private insurers seek to maximize profits while minimizing costs. This leads to a health care system that wasn't designed to ensure that seniors get quality care, but instead is designed to line the pockets of insurance company executives. Click here to share information about this dangerous plan with your friends and family. In the coming weeks we will send you more information about this attack on Medicare.

Fiat Lux

Thanks for all you do ,

Underdog = Don Jones

BUY AMERICAN ~ YOU BET ` CHA !

Senate Passes Amendment for Stronger Buy America Preferences in Transportation Project

Watch Iowa Floor Speech here > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUIYjLJkEtU

03/13/2012

Today the U.S. Senate passed an amendment offered by Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) to strengthen Buy America preferences for transportation projects.

The Brown-Merkley amendment #1819 improves the effectiveness of existing Buy America preferences for transportation projects by boosting transparency, requiring annual reporting on the use of waivers, and closing an egregious "segmenting" loophole that can be used to evade Buy America.The amendment was adopted unanimously by voice vote. Meanwhile, in the House of Representatives, Representative Chip Cravaack (R-MN) was successful in attaching similar language to a House version during consideration by the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.The Alliance for American Manufacturing (AAM) congratulates Senators Brown and Merkley for their leadership on Buy America. Together, these improvements will help to ensure that tax dollars spent on transportation projects support American workers and do not unnecessarily subsidize workers in China or elsewhere.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Iowa State Senate Passes Buy American Act
03/16/2012

Earlier this week, the Iowa Senate voted 37-13 to pass (SF2287.)

The Iowa Buy American Act (Senate File 2287), sponsored by Senator Dotzler, Senator Bolkcom, Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal and others, would require contracts for public improvements to use U.S.-produced iron, steel and manufactured goods. The requirement may be waived if it is not in the public interest, if American products are not available in sufficient quantities, or if the cost of the contract would increase by more than 5 percent.
The legislation now goes to the Iowa House.

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Editorial : It is amazing to this writer, that we need amendments or laws to support AMERICA ? Sometimes, not often, our elected officials, get it right ! The U.S. Senate got it Right ! The Iowa State Senate got it Right ! I`m wondering if Tennessee`s State Officials would follow Iowa`s example ? Ya` Think ?

Fiat Lux

THE POOR GET PORRER ~THE RICH GET RICHER !

The Widening Wealth Divide, and Why We Need a $urtax on the $uper Wealthy
Posted: 03/13/2012 By Robert Reich

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/top-1-percent

Let Santorum and Romney duke it out for who will cut taxes on the wealthy the most and shred the public services everyone else depends on.

The rest of us ought to be having a serious discussion about a wealth tax. Because if you really want to know what's happening to the American economy you need to look at household wealth -- not just incomes.

The Fed just reported that household wealth increased from October through December. That's the first gain in three quarters. Good news? Take closer look. The entire gain came from increases in stock prices. Those increases in stock values more than made up for continued losses in home values. But the vast majority of Americans don't have their wealth in the stock market. Over 90 percent of the nation's financial assets -- including stocks and pension-fund holdings -- are owned by the richest 10 percent of Americans. The top 1% percent own$ 38 percent. Most Americans have their wealth in their homes -- whose prices continue to drop. Housing prices are down by a third from their 2006 peak. So as the value of financial assets held by American households increased by $1.46 trillion in the fourth quarter, the wealthiest 10 percent of Americans became $1.3 trillion richer, and the wealthiest 1% percent became $554.8 billion richer. But at the same time, as the value of household real estate fell by $367.4 billion in the fourth quarter, homeowners -- mostly middle class -- lost over $141 billion (owners' equity is 38.4 percent of total household real estate). Presto. America's wealth gap -- already wider than the nation's income gap -- has become even wider. The 400 riche$t Americans have more wealth than the bottom 150 million Americans put together. Given this unprecedented concentration of wealth -- and considering what the nation needs to do to rebuild our schools and infrastructure while at the same time saving Medicare and reducing the long-term budget deficit -- shouldn't we be aiming higher than a "Buffet tax" on the incomes of millionaires? There should also be a surtax on the super rich. Yale Professor Bruce Ackerman and Anne Alstott have proposed a 2 percent surtax on the wealth of the richest one-half of 1 percent of Americans owning more than $7.2 million of assets. They figure it would generate $70 billion a year, or $750 billion over the decade. That's half the savings Congress's now defunct Super Committee was aiming for. Instead of standing empty-handed while Santorum and Romney dominate the airwaves with their regressive Social Darwinism, Democrats need to be reminding Americans of what's happening in the real economy -- and what needs to happen. The wealth gap i$ widening into a cha$m. A $urtax on the $uper rich is fair -- and it's necessary. Robert Reich is the author of Aftershock: The Next Economy and America's Future, now in bookstores.

Editorial : Right On !

Fiat Lux

OBAMA CARE = AFFORDABLE ACT in your STATE

The Affordable/Obama Care Act in Your State
By Jeanne Lambrew

March 05, 2012

For the past year, Amy Ward of West Des Moines, Iowa has been living through a medical emergency that sounds like a TV plot line. Months after returning from a vacation, she came down with a rare fungal infection – a disease that only a tiny fraction of the population contracts – and nearly died.

On her road to recovery, Amy's had to be on ventilators and dialysis. She's needed potent anti fungal agents that cost up to $1,600 a dose. Her medical expenses quickly added up. Without the Affordable Care Act, Amy and her husband may not have been able to afford all the care she needed to recover. Before the new health reform law, Amy's health insurance policy had a lifetime dollar limit of $1 million. While it sounds like a lot, Amy's expenses exceeded that amount within months. Lifetime limits used to be common – in 2009, nearly 60 percent of employer-sponsored plans and 89 percent of individually purchased coverage had them. Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, Amy is one of 105 million Americans – and nearly 1.2 million Iowans – with private health insurance who no longer will face lifetime limits on their care. You can read the Department of Health and Human Services' latest research on the number of people who no longer have a lifetime limit on their insurance plan here. This lifetime limit ban is just one of many new consumer protections created by the new law. Annual dollar limits on coverage are being phased out. And 54 million Americans received new coverage of prevention without cost sharing in 2011.Today, the Obama Administration released a new source of data, Health Reform: Results in Your State, to show how the law's benefits and protections are helping Americans across the country. To see how many people in your state are benefiting from the Affordable Care Act, click here (23.5KB XLSX file). Related Topics, click here : Health Care

Editorial : If you have great health care coverage, I`m so happy for you. If you do not, then welcome to my world. Thank you so much Mr. President ! This is definitely a good beginning.

Fiat Lux

TRANSPLANTS WITHOUT DRUGS ?

Transplant Without Drugs ?

By Edyta Zielinska March 8, 2012

A new method for transplanting immunologically mismatched organs may remove the need for life-long immunosuppressive drugs to prevent rejection.

Organ TransplantationWikimedia commons, Espa1010

Researchers at the University of Louisville in Kentucky found a way to trick the body of a mismatched organ-transplant recipient into thinking that the organ is a perfect match, in a study published this week in Science Translational Medicine.
Previous studies attempted to get the same effect by injecting some of the donor’s bone marrow, which contains new-immune-cell generating blood stem cells that would recognize the donor organ as self , into the recipient, reported Nature. After removing the bulk of the recipient’s native immune cells with radiation and chemotherapy, the donor’s bone marrow would be injected and repopulate the immune system with immune cells that would tolerate the new organs. The approach had some success in the clinic, although not all patients benefitted in the long term. Instead of using donor cells, University of Louisville researchers created a cocktail of engineered blood stem cells, in addition to a novel type of immune cell they discovered called facilitating cells, which they plan to commercialize through a company called Regenerex. Five of the eight recipients were successfully weaned off their immunosuppressants a year after their operations, and none of the patients had antibodies against the new organ, suggesting the organ was not being rejected. Will the patients manage to keep their new organs without immunosuppression in the long term? “You would hope that it’s true, but it’s a little early to claim that,” David Sachs, director of the Transplantation Biology Research Center at Massachusetts General Hospital told Nature.

"Give The Gift of Life, Be an Organ/Tissue Donor, It`s The Masonic Thing to Do"!

KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE ? TOO MANY UNANSWERED QUESTIONS ?

GAS WAS $365 A GALLON TODAY in MARTIN TENNESSEE

The Senate narrowly rejected a GOP-sponsored measure that would have bypassed the Obama administration's objections to the Keystone XL pipeline and allowed construction on the controversial project to begin.
Fifty-six senators voted in favor of the amendment -- four short of the 60 required for approval. The proposed 1,700-mile long pipeline expansion, intended to carry crude oil from Canada's oil sands to the U.S. Gulf Coast, has become a political lightning rod. Supporters, including the oil industry, say it's a vital job creator that will lessen the country's dependence on oil imported from volatile regions. Opponents say the pipeline may leak, and that it will lock the United States into a particularly dirty form of crude that might ultimately end up being exported anyway. President Barack Obama rejected a bid in January to expedite the pipeline, arguing that a decision deadline imposed by Congress did not leave sufficient time to conduct necessary reviews. Administration officials have said the president may still eventually give the project a green light, though critics accuse him of trying to delay a final decision until after the November election.
Obama personally lobbied wavering Democrats to block passage of the amendment.

Editorial : Hey, I want lower gas price`s more than most. My problem is all those unanswered questions about the pipeline. Read prior blogs for my questions ?...just type in Keystone Pipeline XL in search engine at top of page.

Fiat Lux

PULMONARY HYPERTENSION~ VANDERBILT- NASHVILLE TN.

http://www.phassociation.org/

Nashville Pulmonary Hypertension Support Group

Shortness of Breath, Not Much Fun !

What : Nashville PH Walk 2013

WHEN : Saturday, April 21, 2012 <> 11:30 AM - 2:00 PM

WHERE : Logan’s Roadhouse
2400 Elliston Place
Nashville, TN 37203
(615) 320-1161

RSVP : Please RSVP by Thursday, April 19, 2012

CONTACT: Evette Britton (615) 230-7040

or
e-mail > ebrit0164@comcast.net <

Please use Mapquest:
( http://www.mapquest.com/ ) for directions.

This meeting is sponsored by Lung Rx

Pictured Above Vanderbilt`s Finest ! (L) Dr. Anna Hemnes (L) Dr. Bonnie Slovis

(R) Dr. Ivan Robbins

"Give The Gift of Life, Be an Organ/Tissue Donor, It`s The Masonic Thing to Do"!

AMERICAN WORKERS = THE BEST in THE WORLD !

American Workers: The Best Bet !
Posted: 03/ 5/2012

By Leo Gerard, President USWA (upper left)

Remember the fear in 2008 ? Think of the collapse of Bear Stearns and Lehman Brothers. Wall Street melting down. Pension savings disappearing. Housing values plunging and foreclosures skyrocketing. Three million workers losing their jobs.

It had all the makings of another Great Depression. As Barack Obama took office on Jan. 20, 2009, he faced a dilemma. In this crisis he could play it safe and hold steady on his predecessor's path of pampering the rich and pandering to corporations, pretending that possibly, eventually, some benefit would trickle down to workers. Or President Obama could keep candidate Obama's promises of change. He went with change. He focused on workers, believing restoration of the nation's great middle would drive economic recovery for all. He secured an economic stimulus package and rescued the American auto industry. Both measures worked to halt, and eventually reverse, the previous year's relentless economic decline. Both, as well as other changes President Obama has proposed, emphasize creating and securing jobs for everyday workers. He wagered on American workers. And it paid off. As unemployment slowly eases, as the Big Three automakers report huge profits and hire workers, as the stock market slowly climbs and foreclosures slowly drop, Republicans, particularly the GOP presidential candidates, refute it all. They simply deny that the stimulus created the 1.2 to 3.3 million jobs that the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office reports it did. They continue to insist that America should have let Detroit go bankrupt. Instead of betting on American workers, they would double down on Bush's tax breaks for the rich, subsidies for fabulously profitable corporations and deregulation of Wall Street. GOP frontrunner Mitt Romney supported the government bailout for Wall Street but opposed rescuing GM and Chrysler. Like so many Republicans, he's all for preserving the jobs and institutions and million dollar bonuses for executives. But Republicans offer nothing but cutbacks and pain for workers.They want to cut back food stamps, raise the retirement age, slash funds for education and Pell Grants for college, slice Medicaid and repeal the health care reform law that will lower the deficit while enabling 32 million uninsured American to get coverage. At the same time, all four GOP presidential contenders would lower or eliminate corporate taxes and further cut levies on the wealthie$t so much that their budget plans would increase the national deficit that they're so keen to criticize. They're betting that more tax cuts for the rich will prompt reinvestment and economic resurgence. That's the gamble former President Bush took when he twice cut taxes on the wealthiest. After seven years, here's how Bush's bet on the rich paid off: the economy and jobs were contracting at an alarming rate. Remember the fear in 2008?
Now, three years later, after President Obama placed his faith in workers, the nation's economic outlook is brighter. As is that of GM and Chrysler.
Both companies suffered managed bankruptcies. Tens of thousands of workers lost jobs. Retirees took health care benefit cuts. Remaining workers accepted pay reductions. Plants and dealerships closed. It was pain all around.
Now, GM is back as the world's number one automaker, making the highest profits in its history. Chrysler is growing faster than any other American car company. Ford is investing $16 billion in its American operations and plans to bring thousands of jobs back from overseas. Altogether, the industry added 200,000 jobs. In addition, rescuing the industry meant preserving hundreds of thousands of jobs in auto parts factories across America, and all the service jobs they support. Here's what President Obama told the 2012 United Auto Workers convention about his wager on them: "I placed my bet on American workers. And I'd make that same bet again any day of the week. Because three years later, that bet is paying off for America. Three years later, the American auto industry is back." In the past few weeks, President Obama has doubled down on his wager on working Americans. He has called for a tax break reversal -- ending the deal corporations get for shipping jobs overseas and instead giving it to those who move jobs back on shore. And, just last week, he demanded an end to the $4 billion in subsidies that taxpayers give massively-profitable oil and gas companies, explaining: "You can either stand up for oil companies, or you can stand up for the American people."
Republicans immediately attacked the president for the proposal. They criticized him for talking to the auto workers as well. While Republicans regard workers in general as second class citizens, not to be given the deference they reserve for the rich, members of the GOP particularly despise auto workers because they're members of a labor union. Republican lawmakers hate unions -- maybe even more than they loathe President Obama. They can't tolerate any organization of workers that succeeded in bargaining with fat cat factory owners for weekends off, paid sick days, good pensions and middle class wages, even though the GOP lawmakers themselves benefit from decades of union activism by receiving weekends off, paid sick days, good pensions and very decent wages. Obama, by contrast, told the auto workers he was honored to be with them, to bet on them: "It's unions like yours that fought for jobs and opportunity for generations of American workers. It's unions like yours that helped build an arsenal of democracy that defeated fascism. It is unions like yours that forged the American middle class -- the greatest engine of prosperity the world has ever known."!

Fiat Lux

Tennesseans Can Create Their Own Petitions !

Go Tennesseans ~ Start Your Very Own Petition

Create Petition here > http://www.signon.org/create_start.html?source=suggestive&id=36528-8490862-GNMcJSx <

Dear Tennessee Underdog Readers ;

The Tennessee legislature is facing an agenda packed with urgent issues: Attacks on workers' rights. A wave of gay-bashing bills. More budget cuts—and tax cuts for the rich. Tennesseans want to make their voices heard on these issues and many others being debated in Nashville. But first someone needs to take the lead. That's where you come in. To help, MoveOn has launched a website called SignOn.org, where you can create your very own petition to Governor Bill Haslam or the Tennessee legislature on whatever issues you're most concerned about. We'll help make sure all the signatures get delivered and even send the most popular petitions to other MoveOn members in the state. But don't wait—it is urgent that you act now before these issues are decided. To get you started, I have a petition going now. Please sign it here > http://wwwsecondchance.blogspot.com/2012/02/underdog-petition-please-help.html <
Click here to create your petition to Gov. Haslam or the Tennessee legislature.

Thanks for all you to do,

Don Jones = Underdog

Fiat Lux

LABOR UNIONS ~ AMERICAN as APPLE PIE !

Unions Boost Usa All
03/01/2012
Mike Hall

Union bashing may the popular sport for Republican presidential candidates (click here for more > http://www.aflcio.org/Blog/Political-Action-Legislation/What-Unites-Republican-Candidates). But a new report looks at some of the real stories about how unions and union members are having positive impacts on jobs, health care, education and their communities.

Beyond the Weekend by American Rights at Work (ARAW) reveals that when employees come together in the workplace, the benefits of their collective action extend far beyond themselves.

The reports key findings show that:

•Frontline union health care workers are collaborating with hospital administrators to find real solutions that improve patient care and control costs.

•Partnerships between union-represented teachers and school administrators are boosting student achievement in schools that serve disadvantaged families.

•Union members’ pensions funds are financing public and private projects that create good American jobs.

•Building trades unions are partnering with community groups to create new career paths for veterans, workers of color, and women.

•Child care providers are gaining new skills and resources through their unions to improve how they care for children of low-income families.

Beyond the Weekend points out that:

In an era where employees’ basic rights to come together in the workplace are increasingly at risk Americans need to understand what is at stake, if these rights and resulting opportunities are lost.

Editorial : Labor Unions are taking a shellacking at present. Uninformed people are being very misinformed. When Labor Unions are against the law, everyone will lose basic American constitutional Rights/Liberty !

“We must close Union Offices, confiscate their money and put their leaders in prison. We must reduce workers salaries and take away their right to strike." !

Adolph Hitler - May 2,1933
Editorial : This may sound radical...It happened ! History, relived ?