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A Supreme Court ruling against Obama-care mandate, leaves us where?

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Obama care

image source www.doh.statefl.us

The Supreme Court will rule on the future of health care in this country and what will the ruling be? If you have been listening to Hannity, Limbaugh or any other of the so-called protectors of our Constitution, they believe the mandate will be shot down. They do seem rather happy, better yet elated at the potential ruling. If any of Obama care remains, without everyone participating, there is no chance the nation will get control of the costs.

“Charity care” or uncompensated care is one of the biggest expenses that the insured has endured. The other, the locked in costs on Medicare, that doctors agree to accept. If we are to ever get control of health care costs in the private insurance industry these two issues will need to be addressed. Billions of dollars are spent each and every year covering people who do not have insurance. What alternative do we have? Stop the free coverage, end charity care. As for medicare, throw it into the free market system, with no caps or subsidies from the government. With no more caps, our seniors will be paying more money for what they receive today.

This idea, though not stated by the Republican Party in this fashion, is what they want. The Republicans are just using different language, such as “entitlements are unsustainable” and “the Obama mandate is an attack on your liberties”. If the GOP were to say, charity care must end or Seniors need to pay their fair share and stop free loading, maybe the public would have a different view on the mandate.

So while we wait for the Supreme Court to decide the future of Obama care, we need to think about what our future holds. Ruling against the mandate or all of Obama care leaves us with, the same problem. Too many uninsured people with more and more soon to be joining the ranks. What will the GOP do if they win, besides gloat?

Scrutinizing the handout to the homeless

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image source: www.economicnoise.com

Homelessness is a sad reality we are confronted with almost everyday. As the economy has sputtered along, the homeless population has grown and expanded into the suburbs. Having been confronted with the homeless in suburbia and requests for ‘help” numerous times, has me scrutinizing the request for  ”help”. It isn’t about the dollar as much as are they in need? Homelessness in suburbia is rather new to New Jersey.

The Republican response often is, they are homeless by choice and go get a job. This of course is ridiculous to tag on all the homeless, but it certainly could apply I’m sure. My example’s are these: Woodbury, NJ, the homeless man who resides at the bus stop. Their day in and day out, sometimes at night sometimes during the day. Never in poor weather, and he is rather neatly kept for being homeless.

On Thanksgiving day, waiting at a red light in the small town of Stratford, a woman approaches my car in a very nice hunter green pea coat. She begins to ask for some money so she can get a bus ride. Again, if it is to be based on appearance, she doesn’t look as if she needs help. Could it be she is recently homeless? Maybe she was fortunate to receive the coat from a generous donor? Or, this is her job, panhandling.

These are sad to say, the thoughts that run through your mind when confronted with the homeless. Their negative portrayal in the media, the right-wing media, has planted some seeds of doubt. To anguish over this, I guess is a waste of time. Life is difficult enough to navigate without this added burden. If they are homeless or jobless, standing on the corner/ bus stop begging for money doesn’t look appealing. Scrutinizing my hand-outs? If it feels good at the moment, I’ll do it if I can. They are less fortunate, if it’s by choice or not.