FITZ!

Merry Christmahkwanzikah and Happy Festivus, John. :)

Happy holidays to all…

Already asked Santa last year for better leaders. Maybe need to put out more homemade cookies for him this year.

We deserve better, don’t we?

Sorry, Christy, but it seems Santa doesn’t cover this. Maybe it’s time for the three ghosts.

Love Actually is one of my favorite movies…and my 19-year-old daughter’s as well.

EDP — We watched the Alistair Sim version of Christmas Carol last night. And I was thinking about buying it in bulk and mailing it to every Ebenezer I know…but then I realized they wouldn’t get it. SIGH

Dental issues are a big basic health issue. I see no rationale to separate the two (actually three…vision is another concern not included as a basic element in many health care plans). I know that the schools have way too much on their plates already, but it would seem to me that kids should be encouraged to undertake oral care in the schools and there should be programs to get kids to brush at school (not just at home). Home room…then after lunch.

Then kids should be afforded health care throughout their academic years, with basic checkups at schools. At the minimum cavities and cleanings should be available, as well as any surgeries critical to alleviate abcesses. But the goal is to get kids taking care of their dental hygiene. THAT reduces the long term costs and major surgery issues. It makes everything else affordable.

And how a girl could get through school with malnutrition problems is equally reprehensible. A dental check up might have raised a red flag (as it might for some types of drug abuse or heavy smoking).

AHCCCS is Arizona’s Medicaid program and Oregon’s Health Plan Medicaid program both cover dental services. Both have programs that cover up to 200% of poverty. Oregon’s plan was written by Governor & former ER physician Kitzhaber which I credit on its success. My oldest son, wife and my first grandchild was covered under that plan for a small monthly premium. My granddaughter was 5 weeks early, needed to be NICU for two weeks over 100 miles from their home. The Oregon Health Plan paid for their care plus a $200/week stipend to cover expense for the parents to be with the baby.

As yet we have not heard reports how Bush’s new rules are going to dis-enroll or prevent more coverage.

Areas around a Dental School have a higher number of children who receive reduced or free care. It is too bad that there are so few around the country.

All I Want For Christmas Is Leadership

this is the crucial point as to why progressives should NOT be supporting and working for Obama and Clinton - both are capitulators. If either wins it will be 8 years of triangulating, obfuscating, and deceptive political cover-up for cthe same old corporate and plutocrat raping of America wealth at the expense of the average American.

America needs a fighter, someone willing to go to the mat to restore America values and Constitutional principles. Obama and Clinton are insiders that will run interference for the powers that be.
.

This piece from yesterday’s NYTimes is quite on topic here and also quite revealing (disclosure: the writer David Leonart is one of my favorites columnists):

Like thousands of other Americans in a global, high-technology economy in which government was pulling back and wealth was being celebrated, Mr. Edwards and Mr. Romney used talent, hard work and — as both have suggested — luck to amass fortunes. They became a part of a rising class of the new rich.

Whether this class is a cause for concern — whether it deserves some blame for the economic anxiety felt by many middle-class families — has become a central issue in the 2008 presidential race. And Mr. Edwards and Mr. Romney are basing their candidacies in large measure on the very different lessons each has taken from his own success.

“Some people come from nothing to being wildly successful and their response is, ‘I did this on my own,’” Mr. Edwards said in an interview. “I came to a different conclusion. I believe that I did work hard, and I think people should work hard, but I think my country was there for me every step of the way.”

Today, he added, “the problem is all the economic growth is going to a very small group of people.”

Mr. Romney, by contrast, talks about the ways that his experiences at Bain showed him how innovative and productive the American economy can be and, particularly, how free markets can make life better for everyone.

“There is a model of thought among the Democrats — that the amount of money, the amount of wealth in a nation, is a fixed amount,” he said in an interview. “And that if Bill Gates and Warren Buffett are making a lot of money, that just means somebody else is not able to make as much. That happens to be entirely false.”

I somehow became a teacher specializing in “children with issues.” Yeah, yeah, I know, they ALL have issues, they’re kids, but I get the task of going into the homes of kids who are unable to make it in a mainstream setting either due to health or behavior. I just started with this cute little K boy who has serious anger management issues, and of course, the first thing I noticed was his teeth, or what should be his teeth. Mom’s are just as bad, so obviously dental care has not been practiced in this home (and he has 2 younger sisters who will complete the cycle I’m sure). It’s a tough call about whether or not to bring up this topic with single Mom. My job is to educate (the boy), afaiac this fits into that mission, however, my job is not to insult or create bad vibes so it’s a matter of tact, if possible.

I’ve been in some pretty god awful homes the last 11 years, unfortunately, as your post points out, this is hardly new or surprising, but I usually don’t teach kids this young, so it’s even sadder than normal. With the adults, when teeth are that bad I assume meth use around here. With the kids, it’s just plain negligent. Before the Bush regime, Oregon had one of the premiere state health systems (the Oregon Health Plan) which filled a void for impoverished and low-income families. Along with all the other underlying economic downfalls, this program has taken a tremendous hit and basic health care isn’t getting to those who need it most. Tragic and inexcusable. Thanks a bunch to those GOP-flag-waving-family-values hypocrites.

Oh yeah, Merry Christmas!

Good post.

I can’t believe how shameful and cruel we are in this country. I can’t believe universal free health care isn’t a GIVEN in the richest nation on earth. I can’t believe we spend all our money blowing up poor brown people to steal their oil. Nonetheless, this is what we are. The story’s ending is pre-ordained, unless we experience a transformation as yet unheard of in modern times. It’s going to get a lot worse, too. Wait until a hundred million more lose what pathetic insurance they have through their jobs.

The entire health insurance industry must die, period. There can be no compromise with murderers. Only Edwards seems to understand that.

There is no way to think seriously about assisting people in poverty in any way, shape, or form, as long as our country’s discussion of these issues are dominated by the Bush-era Republicans and their disgusting enablers, like most of the media and the Congressional Democratic leadership.

As long as there is still money to steal, no one gets any help.

Partisan? Not really, no. Any one who can vote against S-CHIP for political purposes is more partisan than I could ever possibly be.

Ummmmm-kay… “Leadership” is not what is can be fit into any (random) 30 second sound bite between now and (let’s pick and arbitrary future date) “Super Tuesday”. I do not see a single candidate, except perhaps John Edwards with his support for union members and Chris Dodd with his support for that quaint 18th-Century document who have demonstrated very much of it.

Well, except to try and lead in the race to put forth the best-sounding Sound Bite.

One more thing: someone above said that “we deserve better.”

Actually, that’s completely nuts. We have exactly what we deserve.

Except for Edwards and Dodd, none of the Dem candidates have done anything but offer the insurance companies more money, so I agree with you, entirely.

I don’t know if you hung around long enough to see MarilynSanAntones post #92 in the last thread, but it deals with the very same issue with an interesting solution as the one Christy notes in her posting above. Marilyn offered an interesting series of graduated programs associated with the schools that would make basic health, dental, and visual available to all kids…then expanding that program.

I think it would show such great beneficial impacts that it would be hard not to preserve and expand such programs.

Spread the good word: digg this post

Happy Festivous for the rest of us…back when I was in school, they taught about dental care, they had dentists come in w/tooth brushes, floss, they taught how to use said items, in elem, middle and high school, we had a nurse to go to for a lay down when ill, for a little quite time. Now there is no nurses office, there is no place for kids to get a little kindness in school, what has happened? btw, it wasn’t that long ago..

We have exactly what we deserve.

Really? You wanna go back and read this post and tell me those kids deserve the health problems they have?

I agree totally with you, Christy — we need leaders who are not driven by the least…compromising away the values they profess to uphold…nor by the focus group. Right is right, and part of leadership is persuading that rightness.

We get what we deserve, as John alludes above…we must both demand better and be better.

Leaving an early Christmas greeting for everyone over at my place this morning. May the spirit of the season sustain you all and strengthen us for the tasks to come.

Stirling Newberry is onto something:

The populist wants to see direct and decisive actions, even if they do not have immediate results. FDR understood this, JFK understood this. It seems clear that the moral cripples in Washington do not understand this, or they would have passed a series of loud populist measures and let Bush veto them, only to turn around and run on those vetoes.

I had expected a populist to emerge in the Democratic primaries. I expected it to be Edwards. He hasn’t. Dodd has failed to convey his views on Iraq in a sufficiently populist way.

But the real failure here is Congressional leadership. They let themselves get gamed in the senate on issues like the minimum wage, which has passed both Houses and never reached Bush’s desk.

Or, as is my new mantra, they simply are not committed to these causes after all, and are legislating what they believe in.

And now the populists are emerging.

On the right. While the immediate progressive reaction is amusement at an apparent self-immolation of the Republican party, these voices are the real voices of change right now.

Clinton’s decision to run as incumbent, Obama’s appeals to the traditional media’s “centrists” and Edwards’ inability to break through is creating a situation where the Republicans may be able pull a Sarkozy, and run McCain as an agent of change.

With the big 3 advocating no significant change in policy direction on any of the key issues (Iraq, health care, the economy and the environment) but only gradualist reforms and greater competence, the dissatisfaction the country feels is not being addressed.

Another victim of the GOP starve the beast directed at Public Schools. Yes every school or system had a nurse, it was a premo job that nurses who had families stood in line to get any open positions.

I think it was around the time after Measure 5 passed in Oregon (1985) that all the “extra” services disappeared. Such things as shop, drama, music and art went with the dinosaurs along with the School Nurse.

Leadership? Yeppers. I’ll take some of that.

My lady is going to be angry with me tonight. We both agreed we wouldn’t get each other anything for Christmas, and would instead send money to families who needed a hand up in our small berg. But I got her a diamond-white gold necklace. Oh Lord, I’m gonna need some help tonight when she opens her little presento.

Merry Spirit of Christmas everyone!

Yay, my bread finally finished rising and I can now get that baked and ready for dinner. Mmmmmm, fresh bread…

Has anyone made the “no knead bread” that PW posted a while back?

kiddo — She will likely protest, but deep down she’ll be grateful for it. *g* And that you cared enough to get it for her. Just give her a smooch and tell her you love her and let her bluster…

I forget the specifics but wasn’t there the child in the DC area this summer who had an infected or abscessed tooth that Medicaid wouldn’t cover for about $250 (considered it elective care?) that wound up attacking the brain at which point they spent thousands in emergency care and the child still died?

Good dental care is good preventive medicine care which would fall well under good, universal health care coverage.

Leadership. It’s not just a word in the dictionary or a buzz word that consultants prattle on about.

Now this is leadership.

AP - President Bush made Christmas Eve calls to 10 U.S. troops serving in Iraq, Afghanistan and other spots around the world, thanking them for their sacrifice and wishing them a happy holiday even though they’ll be far away from their families and friends.

There I go again. Another broken promise to lahoma; not to be sarcastic or bitter until day after tomorrow. I’m incorrigible and almost beyond control.

Democratic Congressional Leadership seems determined to lead the Republics back to power. At least we’ll remain safe from gay marriage once that happens. I really can’t think of any other upside.

Same story here.
JFK was my President.
Who was yours?

Merry Christmas, Redd!!

I agree with JoFish, John Edwards is the only candidate who will provide this leadership. Sigh.

Meanwhile, Facebook users can go the Hunger Site and join to click to give free food.

I recall the cost as $80k,
Assuming the opposing argument is from the heartless, let them explain the fiscal responsibility of neglecting fundamentals of the commonwealth.
Health care, infrastructure.
The very richest are bleeding the country dry.
It’s that simple.

I’m an Edwards supporter for much the same reason.

best wishes to all for a happy Christmas holiday

Yes, you found me out, the reason why I thought about the no nurse issue, was I went to the hs to pick up my youngest, there was a young girl looking very shaken, I realized there was no where for her to go for a laydown, we have fallen so far as a progressive society…the no hugging students, the detachment for any kindness..

Joyeux Noel!

Back at ya, punaise.

You don’t have to join Facebook to click at the Hunger Site (and the Breast Cancer Site, and the Child Health Care Site and the Literacy Site and the Rainforest Preservation Site and the Animal Rescue Site). I click through all six sites each morning as soon as I’ve reviewed my emails. It takes less than a minute total.

;0)

best wishes to all for a happy Christmas holiday

and to yule and yules

The Hunger Site. Then after you click the yellow button, just click on the tabs at the top and visit each of the companion sites in turn and click there as well. A simple way to do good each day.

All I want from Santa
A MSM, by the people, for the people!.
A truthful Goverment!.
Term Limits .
Impeachment Now!.
NO! private Armys!
NO PAID lobbiest !
Old FISA Back 1978 cica
Freedom of information law with NO Bullshit!
MSM to come clean .
Patriot law cancelled
My blood pressure up ,, i just found out santa’s not real ,,Happy holidays ALL

EPUed:

Sorry. I am referring back to a previoust post. If California has 18,000 deaths a year from lack of health care then in eight years that would be 1,152,000 deaths in the United States over all. This is a rough figure since I only took the percent of population in California and did some multiplication. The 18,000 is the official number. Who knows what the real number is. And since Bush has been denying health care to thousands of children the figure will be much higher. The obvious point is the huge number of deaths. The other point I want to make is that this is more killing than has gone on in Iraq. Neither country deserves what they have gotten from the powers that run this country.
/rant

Thanks for that info. A friend on Facebook invited me, so I assumed only Facebook users can go there.

Joyeux Noel, punaise mon vieux, pour toi et ta famille… Bebemos vino rojo esta noche.

50 dollars buys a water pic (a Fort Collins, USA made factory) You can irrigate a person for a day at a teeth
cleaning–teach them to irragate and they’re good for life. Besides, using a water pick is better standing
up over your sink than sitting down.

tchin, tchin!

No problemo. I’ve been going to the Hunger Site daily for years. One click each day there (and all the companion sites) means I can do something good each and every day.

You can also shop through there and the sponsors will donate even more.

All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth, could be our new national anthem. The amount of money and resourses misspent on bottled water and waste management of the bottles alone, should be more than enough if reallocated properly to provide clean water and dental care for all of us if we would only look at things that way.

My lady is going to be angry with me tonight…. Oh Lord, I’m gonna need some help tonight when she opens her little presento.

I’m thinking that there are a lot worse ways to get in trouble… *g*

mrs. punaise was inspired by this, so it’s what we did this year for our collective gift for family members:

Women for Women International supports
women in war-torn regions with financial
and emotional aid, job-skills training,
rights education and small business
assistance so they can rebuild their lives.
Make a difference today.

Sorry to be OT, but I just found the singular stupidest statement from a candidate for President that I have seen since this race began. It seems that Thompson thinks that immigrants need to take their share of the blame for our sub-prime problem, due to their lack of being able to communicate with lenders! I can’t help it; I think this is just outrageously stupid!

The article in Raw Story end:

For the record, a confluence of negative economic factors, including the burst of the housing bubble, led to the sub-prime mortgage crisis that has shaken the US economy. Language barriers are not widely believed to be among its leading cause.

amen.

which leaves us open to the very real dangers of right wing populism.

another stupid and immoral strategy from my party.

One of my friends serves on the board of Women for Women International, I can vouch for them being an outstanding organization that carefully targets their donations to do the maximum good.

great to hear that.

I’ve come around the “big” is bad and that applies to almost everything… including national politics. As things go big they go bad.

Small is beautiful makes more sense to me these days.

Growth and size brought us economy of scale and all sorts of collateral rubbish.

A Merry Winter Solstice to all.
As Teddy’s brother says, the daylight is increasing every day from now ’til June 22nd.
May John Edwards gain more and more momentum with each brighter day.
Edwards, Dodd and Feingold are the true voices of a progressive, enlightened American future.

OT
Related to a Siun post a couple of days ago, I emailed my friend in Houston about the Iraqi Chaldean refugee children, asking what she knew about it. Here is her answer, Bill being her son:

At the fancy schmancy store Bill worked in for the holidays, there were two Chaldean employees wrapping presents. They speak beautiful English Very Slowly and are working at getting more proficient. One is an optometrist and the other has a masters in chemical engineering; they are also trying to transfer those degrees to the U.S. which is difficult. The Catholic Church is doing a great deal here – as is the Muslim Iraqi community here.

Nice to hear a story like this at this time of year.

Just so folks don’t miss this in the NYTimes story, I want to highlight another passage that I didn’t quote above:

“Under Medicaid,” Dr. Smith said, “the only choice a person with a severe infection has is to have the tooth pulled, even if she’s 25 years old and the tooth is right in the middle of her face.” He added that the program does not pay for root canals or dentures, though it does help pay for a liquid diet for those without teeth.

Medicare, the federal government’s health insurance program for seniors, does not pay for dental services.

No one is immune to facing these kind of issues. Except, of course, folks who have no money worries at all…meaning a very, very few.

Happy Christmas Eve, fellow pups! Snowed 5 inches overnight - light, powdery stuff. ET, Jr. finally up and about after recovering from having 4 wisdom teeth extracted and his jawbone drilled up last Thursday.

You, too, ET — stay warm and enjoy the family time. (Sorry for your son — looks like the holiday meal will be liquid or mashed potatoes for him, eh?)

Merry Christmas Eve, all…

I see an awful lot of kids at my school who desperately need glasses… and God help ‘em if they have glasses and break or lose them…

Hard to learn to read when you can’t see…

Merry Christmas to all.
And to Kiddo I know what you mean I went out bought my sweetie her diamond ring she has always wanted. Christmas will be indeed be merry around here in Cali.

Topics like this remind me why I recoil each time St. Ronald Reagan is remembered as a great man.
From about 1932 through his election there was real progress made in this country towards attending to the needs of our less fortunate fellow citizens. Then, he came along and made us comfortable with our greed and prejudices. His legacy is the two Americas that inform Edwards’ campaign and shame us as a nation.

Here’s why AHCCCS is not good as it is and why we should support Obama and his open plan. Any forced closed plan-like Clinton’s -is too controlling and big trouble.

As a boomer Mom and as one who aids others, my years have taught me that we have to be able to change plans as our circumstances change -your plans need to be flexible.

I had to use the existing state plan for a time when I was younger -here’s why we need Obama to improve on it: My daughter broke a back tooth. It abcessed quickly and the dentist wanted to do a root canal and crown. AHCCCS would only pull the bad tooth. Period. Cheap and quick is the name of their game.

The disabled woman I occasionally help has other Medicare stories -she likes Medicare but it too -takes the cheaper non-preventative route time and time again. Once when a Doctor prescribed specific new stomach medicine known to have less side effects -Medicare refused to pay for it only because of the cost. A recent more humorous example occurred when the Dr. told her she needed to have her first colonoscopy.
Doctors normally prescribe a medicine prior to the actual procedure to cleanse the bowell. Medicare won’t pay for it because it’s too expensive.

Instead she was told to drink 20 oz of magnesium citrate and give herself an enema.
She’s disabled and can’t do it alone. She was humiliated to call me.

People who need help don’t want to feel they have no control over their own bodies, they want a voice in the matter, and should never feel belittled.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year Christy, Jane and all the troops. Happy Holidays to all the Firepups as well. I wish I was up in my mountain momma celebrating the holidays. Something about the West Virginia hills seems to make the season come alive.

Peace and Love.

Merry Christmas Christy, very late to this thread.

PEACE
God bless everyone, no exceptions

If anyone reading this hasn’t gone to John Edwards’ website, www.johnedwards.com, looked at his positions on the issues like poverty or listened to his speeches on you-tube, you’d go out of your minds like we Edwards supporters have! We have a incredible opportunity to have a real truth-teller, a fighter, with an awesome personal story and family. Please endorse, support, contribute, or in any help him beat the mainstream media silencing.

Laurenc, I don’t have to go to the Edwards website; but then, I’ve been trying to pay attention all along.

I want Edwards to be President for his vision and drive to do good, his absolute best, for all.

WHY do I believe in this one candidate, over all the others? I can’t tell you. Maybe that’s why I want Dodd for Veep (if not prez), because he has equal drive, and quite possibly unequaled skills in getting the job done.

Just a gut feeling from a “homemaker” in OH. File it however you wish.

Happy Holidays folks. Give eachother a hug, and those you meet a smile, just because. And then work like HEQQ to get some sense of decency and humanity restored to government in this nation. I’ll try to do my part.

p.s., I still feel I’d vote for ANY of the Democratic Party candidates over ALL the […] that the repubbles seem able to drag forth, if it comes to that after the primaries, caucuses, & conventions. We DO have the high ground, for what it’s worth. Let’s build on that and … cope the best we are able with whatever the repubble brats have strewn about.

In the meantime, I’ll keep pestering our own congresscritters plus any others who have “ambitions”, if you guys will.

happy new year…. well, hopefully productive anyway.

went with the dinosaurs

My father was an elementary teacher (and sometime principal) and he believed young kids needed a lot of freedom to play and do what they liked. He was big on teaching reading too.

I sometimes think we need to teach several matrices of fundamentals for young people: communication skills, thinking skills, culture, basic knowledge (history, if you will), creative expression. But, for higher grades the kids need more specific things like sciences, higher maths, etc.

But, then, sometimes I think a person just imparts to a kid or teen whatever that student is ready for and needs to progress.

Having an agenda of what to teach is one thing and meeting the kid half way to give them what they can accept is entirely different.

I have spoken with several teachers and they are usually frustrated by the difficult of getting kids to open up to them, so they can cram their agenda down the kid’s throat. Is it any wonder kids don’t always listen.

Edwards, Dodd and Feingold are the true voices of a progressive, enlightened American future.

There are some others like Senator Durbin and Chairman Howard Dean, so we’re not fighting a losing battle of 2 or 3 against a million.

We just have to continue to work together to win battles where we can and assert ourselves.