Republicans want positions cut

[dan]

I feel badly for you concerned, and this is in no way a shot at you, but this is what happens when we put our trust in Government to solve all our problems. For almost 70 years we have been lulled into a false sense of security by different "fixes" that have or will eventually turn around and bite us in our respective asses, just as this has bitten you. If you and everyone else had the tax monies that have been wasted on redistributing the wealth you could have afforded the private insurance to cover your meds, or the drug companies could have charged more reasonable prices, dictated by a truely free market.

You think it's bad now, wait for "universal health care", where everyone is treated unfairly, but its all equal. I'm not retired but I don't think I will ever see a return on the hundreds of thousands I've "contributed" to the greater good.

[bobbbiez]

Concerned, I'm going through the same bull sh*t you are.

Isn't it nice that they gave us a decent raise in our SS checks this year? Well, I called their office and asked them to take my back. Does that sound crazy? Well, it's not when that raise pushed my income slightly over the amount to get help with my prescriptions and medical care. Now, I have to pay for all in full out of my pocket which is costing much, much more then the raise they gave me. It's totally insane and so unfair to those who have to live on a fixed income and who worked their a**es off all their lives.

We're not asking to get rich. JOKE!! But allow us to live decently and with dignity.

[Swimmy]

Better watch who you're griping to. If NHcitizen18 gets wind of this, he'll likely lecture you on how you wasted your money and planned poorly and therefore deserve to be living in a cardboard box. Obviously, he's never had the burden of living on a meager salary, barely getting by, with expensive student loans to repay, rent, other bills, etc. He also does not understand one of the cornerstones that makes our nation civilized, nor the history dating back to the Greeks.

I think it sucks that I watch my expenses and don't spend much and still only have $2.32 to my name. And I've been gainfully employed for 5 months! Lawyers sure don't make a killing. Try being one...

[bobbbiez]

lol!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Swimmy, just let NHcitizen18 come my way. I'd have a thing or two to tell him and I'm sure he wouldn't like either.

I make no excuses but he has no idea what the hell he is talking about. In my days growing up women were not pushed by anyone to get an education. Once you got out of high school, you were suppose to get married and have children. That's just the way it was.

When I got divorced I worked my a** off in two jobs to support my five kids and made sure all of them got an excellent education, especially my daughter, and you know what she does for a living. She's not struggling. I didn't want any of them to have to struggle as I had to do. There was no extra money to save for my future. Just had enough to survive.

I didn't sit on my a** collecting welfare. I work hard, very hard, for the money I earned to support my family. I know I did a great job for just having a high school degree, but I should be able to live the rest of my life without the struggles I had to endure when I was younger.

Yeah, let NHcitizen18, come my way with his bull sh*t!

[tanouryjr]

I really do wish it was mandatory for all elected officials to read this forum. They could learn a thing or two from all of you. Frank, no problem about asking for your opinion. That's our job - or at least that's what I consider my job to be. We are "representatives" of the people (you), not the other way around. When we vote, our votes are supposed to reflect the will of the taxpayers. So I try to vote with your thoughts in mind.

Hope everyone had a great New Year, and hopefully 2009 will be much better.

[wcup102]

Larry, can you tell me what savings were made to the county by transferring the three OCSO mechanics to DPW? I know it boils down to the Picente/Middaugh grudge match, but the only thing I see coming out of this is delayed service for OCSO vehicles which could/would hinder public service. Is this Picente's underlying goal to build a case for "poor service" by the deputies to show his justification to try to get rid of patrol? If it is, and I see it that way, it is cheesey and dirty politics at his best.

These mechanics have an inate knowledge about our vehicles and needs. I know they are still working on them, but it is at the discretion of DPW. They rotated and worked Saturdays to keep up with the needs of the fleet, and from what I understand that is now gone. Maybe you could "poke" around and find some explanation to all this besides a "playground bullying match". Thanks.

[tanouryjr]

I agree with you 100% wcup102. Myself and a couple other legislators made the same argument. This was among the many reasons that I voted no to the budget. There is absolutely no savings by moving the positions. They also moved a couple payroll positions, which were returned back to the Sheriff's office last meeting. So I'm hopeful that they will come to their senses and put these positions back too. This is just further evidence of why we need fresh faces up there. Too many political games and agendas.

[dgriffin]

I can guess that as we go along, our medical plans will cost more and cover less. That's what seems to be happening. I got a letter from my plan (I don't take Part D) and they wanted to tell me they're changing pharmacy companies. And "oh, the way," so too is the formulary changing. Can't wait to see what they're not going to cover. And another trick is the tiered formulary. "Yes, we cover it, but not at the customary percentage."


Waiting in line for prescription outside CVS. (Only kidding. So far.)

[wcup102]

Thank you Larry.

[Ralph]

If it ain't broke...........try harder.

[Swimmy]

It is too bad the general populace is so apathetic and that the media is in league with these idiots. The way things are run could be much different otherwise.

[concerned]

The ironic part is that my notification about new name and new formulary took part after the open window for changing Part D without being fined.

[Clipper]

All part of the conspiracy Concerned. My dad's plan always had open season with a stipulation that if you did not respond, you were continued in the plan that you had. One year they changed the procedure, and he ended up losing his prescription coverage and had to find an entirely new plan at an increased cost. It was all part of the screwing that Univac gave to their retirees. He retired with his health care assured for life. Within 10 years the cost to him had gone from zero to a point where it ate his entire pension check plus some.

Health insurance costs are out of control. I would presume it is because the costs of medical care are out of control. I agree that with the level of education required, doctors deserve a higher than average wage, but it is ridiculous where that has taken us. Now we pay upwards of $100 in many cases for an office call, and in a high percentage of visits, we see a nurse practitioner or a physicians assistant rather than the doctor's visit that is billed. After we are billed for the office call, we also pay separately for each item used or provided. X-rays have to be read by a separate radiology consultant, blood tests are performed by an expensive outside lab, cortisone injections are billed as a surgical procedure.

I turned in a medical practice here in Tennessee for medicare fraud. My dad was in a nursing home. I happened to notice on one of the "explanation of benefits" statements that he received that medicare had paid $72 per visit for several visits at the nursing home. I happened to have been there for two of them in particular. The doctor had stuck his head in the door, asked dad how he was feeling, lifted dad's pant cuff and looked to see if dad's ankles were swollen and left the room. He stopped in just about every room as he went down the hall. There are 200 beds in the nursing home where dad resided. How much money was gleaned every time the doc stopped by??? Well, if he visited EVERY room in the place, it would be $18,400 for a couple of hours of his time. Pretty lucrative practice if you ask me!

Amazingly, I never heard back from the fraud unit, and the visits and billing continued until the day my father died, several times a month. The doc had certain days he visited the home, and I would assume that he billed for every room he stuck his head into.

[Swimmy]

There are many reasons for the increased cost of health care. Many attribute it to "frivolous" medical malpractice suits that drive qualified doctors away from the profession and leave fewer doctors available to render care, therefore increased demand lack of supply higher prices. While I don't deny there are some very frivolous lawsuits out there, there are many many many malpractice suits that have merit. If the hospitals and the rest of the medical profession did not require doctors to keep such long hours, there might be fewer mistakes and fewer suits.

In any case, there are other reasons for the huge costs. Clipper touched on a huge issue, medicaid fraud. Health care providers are all guilty of this. A double billing here, extra supplies ordered there that never sees the people its intended for. It adds up quickly.

Then there is my favorite, the pharmaceutical companies. These companies dumb billions into R&D on drugs, force the FDA to certify their safety and then cry when they're sued for damages. Vioxx is a quick example. Then more money has to be spent to fix the "minor" side effects.

Another is people who lie on their health insurance applications.

[Swimmy]

Getting back to the article for a second... sorry guys

What good does it do to eliminate the positions for one year? Is that just a time table to experiment and see if it is successful?