Dear Albert McGrath

Like many Americans, I believe health care reform is a critical priority for our country.  Costs are too high and access to high-quality care is difficult for too many families.

But I also believe Congress shouldn’t pass health reform at the expense of our nation’s seniors.  At a time when you are facing skyrocketing prescription drug prices and higher Medicare premiums, reform proposals must protect and strengthen your health care benefits.  Unfortunately, some in Congress do not see it that way.

In order to fund new health coverate for the uninusred, the majority in Congress has Proposed cutting $400 billion from the Medicare program and increasing Medicare premiums.  As your Representative, I think you deserve to know the truth about H>R> 3200 - the 1017 page bill currently being fast-tracked through the House of Representatives.  This proposal could threaten senious’ access to critical services like prescription drug coverage, home health visits, rehabilitation facilities and nursing homes.

The bill’s most dangerous provision could reduce funding for the Medicare Advantage program, which provides high-quality benefits to 11 million seniors across the country.  According to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO), H.R. 3200 would cut Medicare Advantage by more than $150 billion, forcing almost two million seniors to lose access to their current plan.  Many of Michigan’s 300,000 seniors who rely on Medicare Advantage would be at risk of losing their benefits. 

Other cuts found in H.R. 3200 include $50 billion from home health services and $32 billion from skilled nursing facilities.  Hospice services would be cut by $10 billion, and access to rehabilitation centers would be limited by a five billion reduction in funding.  All told, this legislation would cut over $400 billion from critical Medicare programs.

In addition, CBO estimated that H.R. 3200 could force seniors to pay 20 percent more for their Medicare Part D prescription drug insurance.  To make matters worse, seniors would also be punished with a $29 billion increase in Part B. premiums.

Finally, the bill would create a new government board to determine which medical treatments are most cost effective.  Unfortunately, no limits would be placed on this board’s authority.  In order to cut costs, this board could force Medicare to only cover the cheapest services, possibly limiting access to lifesaving medical treatments.  I believe this proposal could give the federal government unprecedented authority over decisions made between seniors and their doctors.

Cutting Medicare benefits to cover the uninusred is not a solution.  I believe seniors deserve better.  That is why I am working every day to oppose these proposals and advocate for a real bipartisan reform to help solve the uninsured problem, lower prescription drug costs, protect your current Medicare benefits, and ensure you have access to the doctors and health providers of your choice.

As someone who could be directly imnpacted by cuts to Medicare services, your voice is needed in this debate.  I hope you will contact leaders in Washington, including our U.S. Senators, and let them know how you feel about this important issue.

You can email me through my website at www.mikerogers.house.gov or call my office toll-free at 877-333-6453 if you have questions or concerns.  Thank you for your attention to this important issue

Sincerely,
Mike Rogers
Member of Congress

To:  American liberals, leftists, social progressives, socialists, Marxists and Obama supporters, et al:We have stuck together since the late 1950’s, but the whole of this latest election process has made me realize that I want a divorce. I know we tolerated each other for many years for the sake of future generations, but sadly, this relationship has run its course.Our two ideological sides of America cannot and will not ever agree on what is right so let’s just end it on friendly terms. We can smile and chalk it up to irreconcilable differences and go our own way.Here is a model separation agreement:Our two groups can equitably divide up the country by landmass each taking a portion. That will be the difficult part, but I am sure

 
our two sides can come to a friendly agreement. After that, it should be relatively easy! Our respective representatives can  
effortlessly divide other assets since both sides have such distinct and disparate tastes.We don’t like redistributive taxes so you can keep them. You are welcome to the liberal judges and the ACLU. Since you hate guns  
and war, we’ll take our firearms, the cops, the NRA and the military.You can keep Oprah, Michael Moore andRosie O’Donnell (You are, however, responsible for finding a bio-diesel vehicle big enough to move all three of them).We’ll keep the capitalism, greedy corporations, pharmaceutical companies,Wal-Mart and Wall Street. You can have your beloved homeless, homeboys, hippies and illegal aliens. We’ll keep the hot
Alaskan hockey moms, greedy CEO’s and rednecks. We’ll keep the Bibles and give you NBC and Hollywood …You can make nice with Iran and Palestine and we’ll retain the right to invade and hammer places that threaten us.. You can have the peaceniks and war protesters. When our allies or our way of life are
under assault, we’ll help provide them security.

We’ll keep our Judeo-Christian values.. You are welcome to Islam, Scientology, Humanism and Shirley McClain. You can also have the U.N.. but we will no longer be paying the bill.

We’ll keep the SUVs, pickup trucks and oversized luxury cars. You can take every Subaru station wagon you can find.

You can give everyone healthcare if you can find any practicing doctors. We’ll continue to believe healthcare is a luxury and not a
right. We’ll keep The Battle Hymn of the Republic and the National Anthem. I’m sure you’ll be happy to substitute Imagine, I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing, Kum Ba Ya orWe Are the World.

We’ll practice trickle down economics and you can give trickle up poverty your best shot. Since it often so offends you, we’ll keep our history, our name and our flag.  

Would you agree to this? If so, please pass it along to other like minded liberal and conservative patriots and if you do not agree, just hit delete. In the spirit of friendly parting, I’ll bet you Answer which one of us will need whose help in 15 years.

Sincerely,
John J. Wall
Law Student and an American

P.S. Also, please take Ted Turner, Sean Penn, Martin Sheehan, Barbara Streisand, &
Jane Fonda with you.

P. S. S.  And we won’t have to press 1 for English.

This summer I have been feeling a bit out of sorts with that.  Once these classes were over, I felt lost…  I suddenly found myself struggling to recognize that joyful feeling.  Yes, we have a monthly Stephen Ministry supervision meeting where we have continuing education, fellowship, small group meetings, and a monthly devotional - and I do leave there feeling full of joy again, but it doesn’t seem to last the month. And yes, we have church on Sundays,which always uplifts me and does get me through the week, but I guess I need more.

I think about my faith all the time.  I pray at least daily.  I am excited about the Disciple II class coming up this fall - I think that will help. Don’t get me wrong, I still have my love for God, that will never change!

But tonight while at my monthly Stephen Ministry meeting, the devotion reading really struck a cord with me.  You see, I have always felt God’s presence all around me.  I can see God’s grace in everything.  From the smallest of things like the hummingbird that hovered at my window this morning looking right at me to the amazing beauty Jay and I see when we are out hiking and of the world around us.  I have always thought of these things as God’s earthly rewards to us.

But back to the devotional.  I will probably leave out the most important part of it, but in essence it was to look for “God Finds” in our lives. A “God Find” can be walking your dog on a beautiful morning and noticing the beauty around you.  It can be the unexpected smile from a stranger.  It can be helping someone on the side of the road and the appreciation they show.  It can be someone helping you on the side of the road and the appreciation you feel and express. Seeing the joy in the things and people around you.

What do you do with your “God Finds”?  Jot them down in a notepad.  Then, when you are feeling hopeless, or struggling, or simply having a bad day, revisit your “God Finds” in your notebook and give thanks.

I hope I explained this in a way to do it justice.  I also hope and pray that you will be able to see “God Finds” around you.  I know I will…

The Farm is an old pecan farm in Phoenix at 32nd street north of Baseline.  This is an organic farm where they not only have pecan groves, they grow all their other produce organically as well.  So if you get a sandwich with any kind of greens, etc, they probably grew them there.  There is also a farmers market toward the back, a little cottage with artist’s works for sale and displayed beautifully, a restaurant in the back and a little food “shack” in the front where you can order some great sandwiches - salads - deserts, etc and take outside to eat under the pecan trees.  It’s an awesome place with awesome food!

Parking is a little precarious, you have to park across 32nd st and make the trek across to get to The Farm, but the traffic isn’t too bad.

The day we were there, they were having some sort of “event” out back.  I guess they have a homeopathic Dr on hand there, and I think they were speaking there that day.

So great fun was had by all!  Even Gracie was getting into the spirit of the day!

But Pat is worse than me when it comes to spiders.  She wasn’t comfortable the rest of the time we were out there.  I think she kept waiting for it to come back to life!  : D

So, anyway the next morning we went down to Estrella Mountain Ranch for the fair.  It was  a great event, lots of people.  We sold a lot of jewlery!  My sister Jen and her friend, Tomi came to the event.  Jen bought a couple of pieces then she found these great baubles and bows for Gracie at another booth.  They are too cute, and the young woman who makes them is just as sweet as can be. (Click on the photo to the left to get the full sized image)

What Fun!