APPLETON, Wis., Dec. 23 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The following statement was issued today by Terri McCormick:

In the rush to pass the so-called “healthcare reform bill,” U.S. Senator Ben Nelson (D-NE) stomped his feet and held his breath until he extracted his presents from Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. One such gift exempts Nebraska from paying the $45 million increase in Medicaid imbursement costs. Nelson was the 60th Democrat to get his stocking stuffed.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20091223/DC30345)

Smart parents know not to give in to spoiled children trying these shenanigans. If we gave kids everything they demanded, our family budget would be as busted as last year’s toy under the couch. You know, the one with batteries that are only made in China.

Each of us will soon pay for the Senate’s extravagant spending. In Senator Nelson’s case, his Nebraska voters will be exempted from the substantial cost increases generated by new Medicare patients mandated by this plan. Wisconsin taxpayers will foot the bill not only for the additional costs for Wisconsinites, but for Nebraskans, too.

Senator Reid is like the parents that give their screaming kids everything they ask for. Here is what the Wall Street Journal reported:

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Mr. Nelson didn’t get special treatment. “I worked with every Democratic senator” to make changes to the bill,” Mr. Reid said. “Ben Nelson was just like the rest of them.”

The majority leader added, “If you read the bill … you’ll find a number of states are treated differently from other states. That’s what legislation’s all about: compromise.”

So giving a present to every one of the 60 Senate Democrats is the way that healthcare funding decisions are being handled in Washington. It is not the way that we did true healthcare reform in Wisconsin; at least not when I was in charge.

In 2002, I led the Speaker’s Taskforce for Local Government Healthcare Partnerships. We used a business model to address runaway healthcare costs to state and local government. We held a dozen hearings around the State, listening to the people as they identified the reasons for cost spikes. With the help of private-sector talent, we crafted and passed the Competitive Prescription Drug Purchasing Pool, which saved $25 million for non-represented state employees alone, in the first year. We recommended the use of Internet transparency for healthcare cost bidding, as well as a quality control system of standards where communities can view provider ratings online.

This approach put free market mechanisms in place to ensure a level playing field for health care competition. Contrast this pork-free plan with the U.S. Senate Christmas-tree bill, and you can see that government can, and must, do better.

So I have a simple solution for all sensible voters this Holiday season. Think about the permissive parents you see that give in to their spoiled children. Compare them to the incumbent politicians in your district and state. Vote out every one of them that can’t say no to more spending. In these economic hard times, that is the only way for our family budgets – and our nation — to survive.

We need to stop giving a “Tickle Me Nelson” to every U.S. Senator.

Terri McCormick is the author of the book “What Sex is a Republican?” She was a Wisconsin State Representative from 2001-2007, and Chaired the House Economic Development committee and Chaired the House subcommittee on Healthcare Cost Reform from 2002-2007. She is a Republican candidate in Wisconsin’s 8th Congressional District. www.themccormickstandard.com

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SOURCE The McCormick Standard

Copyright (C) 2009 by Terri McCormick, M.A.
All Rights Reserved

Popularity: 11% [?]

On September 12th in Washington DC – Citizens from across the country attended a march on Washington and Congress to make their voices heard.  They were from Oklahoma, California, Missouri, Michigan, Texas, Indianapolis … with one message. That message was ‘they are unhappy with the spending of government and were given notice that all incumbents need to go!”

Comments heard were;  “We love our country and we are here to restore fiscal responsibility and limited government.”  “ I want smart capable people to have the ability to earn a living.”   “Many people are here with no party affiliation whatsoever …  it started under George Bush and it is escalating under this current president.”    “I am an independent …. I turned in my republican card.“

The overriding theme of the ‘Citizen March’ can be summed up with “Most people are so sick of the two party mess and the corruption that it has caused —- And they don’t want a part of either party anymore.”  “If I could vote for Thomas Jefferson I would,” said a frustrated American determined to preserve her constitutional rights.

Popularity: 14% [?]

by Terri McCormick
(former State Representative
& chair of Healthcare Cost Partnerships committee)
July 24, 2009

Regardless of political party or ideological persuasion, there are limited resources and outcomes possible with H.R. 3200 America’s Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009.  There is no doubt that the stakes are high for individuals and businesses. It is critical that citizens engage in the discussion and that ‘we the people’ read the bill and act accordingly.

‘Politics as Usual’ bedtime stories, when combined with chicken cordon bleu in the home of large political contributors, does not a good healthcare policy make.  What it makes is a rather redundant kettle of ‘Status Quo Soup’ stirred with the spoon of insider politics.

As Dick Armey recently commented, “President Obama made the mistake of not setting a more specific direction for the democrat dominated legislature in both houses to pursue healthcare reform.”

Who will pay for the Healthcare Reform Act?

The middle class – either those small business owners who gross $250,000 a year or wealthier Americans whose household incomes are over $1,000,000 – according to the President in a press conference on July 23, 2009. The gaping taxpayer hole for the “Reform Act” appears to be  1/3 of the total cost of $1.5 trillion dollars.

Who is the Healthcare Act written for?

A July 21, 2009 headline in the Washington Post read “Industry Cash Flowed to Drafters of Reform”

As liberal protesters marched outside, Sen. Max Baucus sat down inside a San Francisco mansion for a dinner of chicken cordon bleu and a discussion of landmark health-care legislation under consideration by his Senate Finance Committee.

The July 21 story goes on to say:

” Baucus’s fundraising prowess underscores the enduring political strength of the healthcare lobby, which led all other sectors in donations to federal candidates during the last election cycle and has shifted its giving to Democrats as the party has tightened its control of Congress.”

“The sector gave nearly $170 million to federal lawmakers in 2007 and 2008, with 54 percent going to Democrats, according to data compiled by the Center for Responsive Politics, which tracks money in politics.  The shift in parties was even more pronounced during the first three months of this year, when Democrats collected 60 percent of the $5.4 million donated by healthcare companies and their employees, the data show.”

Pay for Play politics does not yield solutions for Americans – it yields ‘deals’ for politicians.

What does the Healthcare Reform Act do?

On page 16 of the 1,017 page document it clearly states “In 5 years all private insurance plans must look like public plans.”

In effect it is a government takeover of the private healthcare insurance industry.  The private sector industry responsible for negotiating price on behalf of the patient will then be eliminated and a government held “system” will replace it.

Does the Healthcare Reform Act lower skyrocketing costs?

It would appear that government rationing is the answer being pursued, with the following examples:

• Consider Elder Care. Instead of a goal to “age with dignity and independence” that most of us have in this country, we will be assigned consultants to review our cases every five years to determine how grave a risk we will be on the federal health insurance system. When we become too high a risk the government will pull the plug. Or we will pay for costs out of our own pocket.
• Limits will be set to control costs for End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) of kidney disease, which many diabetics must face.  The operative word is palliative care.  It means treating the symptoms but not the underlying root cause of the disease.  Give ‘em pain pills and let them go die.
• Congress has the ability to opt out of HR3200 – they maintain their AIG guaranteed pension and healthcare benefits.
• TARP was distributed along party lines – Should Americans be wary of healthcare being dispensed along party lines as well?

The notion of government politicians and bureaucrats making all decisions for the American people should have all of us concerned.  But many Americans have been lulled to sleep, fat, dumb and happy that “the system is taking care of us.”

No need to read the 1,017 page document.  Just trust the lobbyists and long term politicians holding fundraisers throughout the negotiation process of the bill to get it right for all Americans.

For Hospitals, Clinics and Doctors

Is there an increased medicare reimbursement rate and guaranteed payment by the feds to hospitals and doctors who practice in federally approved clinics and hospitals?  If not, the question then becomes ‘What happens when government bureaucrats hold all the insurance options?’

According to former Marine Veteran Carmen Russo   “The bottom line is that government will decide who lives and who dies. That’s what happens.”

Wouldn’t it be better if the Healthcare Reform Act controlled Healthcare costs?

Some suggestions:

Recommendations made on a Committee I chaired in the Wisconsin Legislature in 2002

• Create pools for prescription drugs, cooperative insurance pools, association pools nationwide and other insurance pools so that the free market has the opportunity to work. (Savings in WI first year alone was $40 million. WI ETF source)
• Hold government bureaucracies and government funded hospitals accountable by enforcing lean management controls on monies distributed on behalf of tax payers.  (Ever wondered why vertical impact machines were so expensive?  You should – they are hammers!)
• Get government out of the business of private business and into the role of ensuring a safety net for those Americans who need catastrophic care and government secured insurance.
• Never forget for a moment that the largest increases in health care costs are our individual choices that come with individual responsibility such as; our weight, exercise, smoking habits and life style choices.

We cannot regulate personal choices.  But we can regulate government stupidity caused by incremental policy based on campaign contributions.  The problem is both political parties have lost the public’s trust.

It is time to get behind candidates who we trust to change the way things are.  We cannot hope and pray for change without action.

It is time to act!

© 2009 Terri McCormick

All Rights Reserved

Popularity: 33% [?]

“It is from numberless diverse acts of courage and belief that human history is shaped. Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring those ripples build a current which can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and injustice.”

- Senator Robert F. Kennedy

A 21^st Century Education requires that all students learn ‘how to learn’ in order to help create new professions needed that have not yet been created…  New languages, cultures and protocols are necessary tools needed to compete as global citizens in world markets and global industries.

The most successful methods and curriculum will be viewed in the Education Standard with the presumption that all children and adults may learn provided they have world class methods, curriculum, and opportunities to learn and be educated.  Harvard studies emphasizing the modalities of learning; as well as a variety of literacy and communications methods will be used as world class examples of successful education methods.

The politicization of education has too often acted as a barrier to the science and art of educating all students to their potential. President Obama has most recently referred to the politicization of education as unnecessary ‘culture wars.’ Obama uses public and independent charter schools as examples of education reform. Proposals of merit pay and world class standards are currently being discussed in the Obama education.

Please join in the discussion on both levels of interest; world class methods and strategies that have proven results, as well as political challenges that prevent educators, parents and students from reaching each child in the classroom.

Literacy and the Neuhaus Education Center

Neuhaus has been long established as a resource for educators interested in reaching all children with proven literacy methods. Literacy takes on a holistic approach empowering students with the skills of; listening, speaking, reading, writing and thinking strategically. Pronunciation of letters, syllables, words and statements is used as a foundation for higher order thinking and writing.

You may find the Neuhaus Teacher and Parent Resources here: http://www.readingteachersnetwork.org/

Current Webinars can be found here:  http://www.readingteachersnetwork.org/Forms/webinarslibrary.aspx

Popularity: 9% [?]

Let the Debate Begin!

Corruption, Scandals, imprisonment and finger-pointing … have framed the American economic and political landscape for the past four years. The result has been an economic collapse and an imploding ‘political class’ scrambling for the delete button on mismanaged television messages and talking points.

To the disdain of party bosses, this debate is a mounting tug of war between those that would cling to the ‘pay for play’ politics of greed, and those that would return America to the Constitutional Republic of the people.
The power of the internet and emerging social technology has made it possible for the public to self educate and lead in business and government as they never have before.  George Lucas recently said this in regard to the opportunity of new technologies, “Americans are now using media to communicate with each other instead of sitting passively watching their life go by.”

We are taking photos form our cell phones, publishing them on face book, interacting globally with linked in, responding to international crisis by changing our careers and moving abroad, and publishing our ideas on e-book using e commerce to market those ideas.

Traditional views of American and Global Citizenship is quickly fading just as quickly as the ‘political class’ control over political candidates and politicians. Further, media spin and control of message through traditional multi-media sources has been derailed due to 21st century interactive technologies. A call to arms in an intellectual war of words calls on the “New We” – as a New American Revolution is now underway.

Beginning today – we will provide a vehicle for discussion on major policy ideas. We ask you to use thoughtful conversation, credible research, news reports and insightful commentary on the issues of; jobs and the economy, excellence in education, alternative energies, news and world views, and the future of our two party system.

The stakes are high; we will seize the challenge and rely on the ideas and innovations of our participants and contributors.

“At this moment of incredible crisis and great necessity for the American people, we must not lose sight of the fact that the tailwinds of greed and corruption have brought us to this point in our history.”
- Terri McCormick

Speak Up — Get Involved – Lend Your Ideas and Solutions – and Let the Debate Begin!

Popularity: 8% [?]