Archive for the 'Political Powwow' Category

Just Noticing: Observations Of A Blogger

Posted by Michelle Moquin on 8th December 2013

Good morning!

“Just noticing…”

The Huge Obamacare Story You Aren’t Reading

Today it’s a few hundred thousand people. By next year, it will be at least a few million. Their health insurance status is changing dramatically: What they have in 2014 and beyond will look nothing like what they had in 2013 and before. For many of these people, the difference will be hundreds or even thousands of dollars a year. In a few cases, it may be the difference between life and death.

You probably think I’m talking about the people getting cancellation notices about their private insurance policies. I’m not. I’m talking about the people getting Medicaid. Both stories are consequences of the Affordable Care Act. But one is getting way, way more attention than the other.

It’s no mystery why. Stories of people losing something are more compelling than stories of people gaining something. The policy cancellation story is also newsier, because fewer people expected it to happen. Obamacare’s expansion of Medicaid was something the advocates of reform advertised. Reform’s effect on people with skimpy or medically underwritten insurance policies they liked was something that few advocates, including the president, even acknowledged. Had Obama pointed out, all along, that some people might lose existing plans or pay more for coverage in 2014, it would seem a lot less shocking.

But there is also a class element to the way this debate has evolved. By and large, the people receiving those cancellation notices and facing large premium increases are at least reasonably affluent. They’re not necessarily rich, particularly if they live in higher cost areas of the country. Many of them sweat monthly bills just like most of the country does. But, by definition, they don’t qualify for huge subsidies that would offset premium increases mostly or completely. By contrast, the people getting Medicaid are poor. They have to be, because it’s the only way to sign up for the program. And as political scientists have shown, the poor don’t command the same kind of attention from politicians that the middle class—and particularly the upper middle class—does.

And this fact, I suspect, is also magnifying the impact of those cancellation letters. The best estimates suggest that 12 to 15 million people currently buy coverage on their own—i.e, in what’s known as the non-group market. It appears that only a fraction of them will get to keep their current policies. The rest will end up having to get new coverage, or updated versions of their old coverage, that offers greater benefits and/or is available to everybody, regardless of pre-existing condition. That will drive up the price of insurance.

But when you take into account the subsidies, which for many people will knock the price of insurance right back down, and the number of people who would gladly pay more for insurance that offers real protection from financial shock, the number of people who truly end up feeling worse off ends up a lot smaller than 12 or 15 million. And even those people will end up with good health insurance, though they’ll be paying more for it and may not want it.

Meanwhile, the best available projections suggest that 13 million people will eventually sign up for Medicaid. That’s a much larger number of people, most of whom had no insurance—none—before. That doesn’t even include more than ten million presently uninsured people expected to get insurance through employers and the new marketplaces, assuming all of the websites start working better, or the millions of seniors getting extra help with their prescrpition drugs.

Of course, the story of the Medicaid expansion is also one of suffering. But that’s because Republicans governors and lawmakers are blocking expansion of Medicaid in their states. About 5 million people who would be eligible for Medicaid under Obamacare’s new guidelines won’t be getting it. Here’s a mental exercise. How many stories have cable news and the networks run about people with private insurance getting cancellation notices? And how many have they run about people who would be getting Medicaid if only their state lawmakers would stop blocking expansion?

You can find examples, usually from domestic policy writers in print. My colleague Alec MacGillis has waged a lonely crusade to remind people about this situation. The New York Times had a terrific front-page story on this in early October, and Politico‘s Jen Haberkorn wrote about it a few weeks later. In the Washington Post, Ruth Marcus on Friday wrote about Paul Tumulty, in Texas, who can’t get insurance because Governor Rick Perry has blocked that state’s Medicaid expansion. Tumulty, who is the brother of Post staff writer Karen, has kidney disease. Wiithout Medicaid he can’t get comprehensive coverage, because, as Karen put it, “he is, paradoxically, too poor for subsidies.”

But these articles are the exception more than the rule. Obama tried to draw attention to the issue last week, when he visited Texas. But the trip didn’t generate much in the way of new coverage of Medicaid.

Should the president have been more candid about the impact his plan would have on people buying their own coverage? Yes. Should we pay attention to those people, particularly when they must now pay more for equivalent coverage? Definitely. Should this put extra pressure on the administration and some states to fix their websites? You bet. But that’s not the only Obamacare news right now. The law is making life better for a great many people—and would help even more if only Republican lawmakers would relent. Those stories need attention, too.

*****

Thoughts? Blog me.

Helen: I can’t tell you how shocking it was for me to reach such comments when I first starting reading the comments on my blog years ago. So yes, not censoring works twofold. I don’t censor any comments no matter what. And, when readers can be anonymous here, they don’t need to censor themselves either. So we get to experience truly how people feel – and what they may not say to each other, but they can easily say here without having to fear being known or exposed.

Silvia: Really? Huh…If I remember correctly, back in the day…it wasn’t me that said Doug was “hung like a porn star.” I don’t believe those would be words that would come from my mouth. I believe that it was Azza who had been “looking.” I will speak for myself, and reveal things about myself, but it is not like me to divulge such personal info about my partner. But I could be wrong, and just hinted about it using different words. No biggie. However, if I did it was certainly “a moment,” and one that I won’t repeat here for obvious reasons. :)

But to answer your question, a lover can satisfy me in many ways. Yes, it is very important to me that I have an exciting and healthy sexual relationship. However, I am much more interested in the total package, and I am not just talking about the visuals. What I want from a man is far more than just dick size. So much more has to be revealed to me before he’ll even get a chance of getting a peek at seeing the juiciness between these thighs.

Trina: That’s a good question to ask when you’re applying. Let me know if you get and answer. I’m sure other girls would want to know too. :)

Eddy: Haha! Good for you for having a good attitude and working that asset!

Shelia: Now we’re talking. Good love comes in all sizes.

Brittany: I think you got played girlfriend. You thought you were showing her something. This girl was experienced. She knew way before you kissed her you were her bitch.

Evelyn: That is quite the family story. Yes, life is stranger than fiction. Happy to hear you and your sis made up and all is good. Too bad your parents are racist. They are missing out.

I miss Anna and Peter too. Where are you two? Howie? There are plenty of readers making comments - how about coming back and saying hello?

I love that I have so many readers who visit this blog, but yes, without the longtime faithfuls spending time here, it would be pretty strange. No, ZL and Prism Princess hold their own all by themselves. I barely have enough time to be here everyday as moi. I certainly don’t have the time to be someone else, let alone two girls!

Speaking of…ZL: I’m so happy to hear you and your man are happy, and enjoying each other thoroughly. I could hear it in your voice on the phone. You can’t get any better when mind, body, and spirit are connected.

Troy: Thank God no one agrees with me all of the time, otherwise I wouldn’t get to experience another viewpoint to compare it too. However, with all due respect, I am not sure our opinions differ as I haven’t really given a well-informed opinion yet, which is why I am asking what others think. Like I mentioned I like her, yet I know very little of her, spiritually and politically. What I said was mostly HOPEful thinking.

Dafne: I’m with you sister. My thoughts exactly.

Mike, TM: I am happy to see your comments here. I feel the same way about our president. And I always learn something from your posts. Be well and be safe.

Social Butterfly: Nice to hear from you. Thanks for taking the time to express your informed viewpoint. I agree with you about the need to rely on God – I can’t hang with that one. Although I am not sure that I got the same impression as you did from watching the video. Thanks for posting. With respect to Hillary Clinton, I am still a supporter, and …Elizabeth warren, like you, and Shellie, I think she’s amazing too, and would get my support.

Erica: Thanks for your opinion too. Nicely stated. That was eye opening and didn’t occur to me earlier. I do not trust anyone who uses God to assist in the arguments either, especially in politics. I would HOPE that she would leave the God message out of politics but the truth is…well I think we may already know the answer to that one.

Silva: You’re welcome!

Readers: I am on a deeper spiritual path currently and I am looking to break some limiting beliefs of mine, so my mind is quite focused on the spiritual aspects that she addresses. Not necessarily appropriate for politics. I may have been blinded by the “Light” so to speak. :) So, thank you. This was personally a juicy topic for me. So happy that it spurred some insights for me to think about.

Happy Sunday Everyone!

Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)

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Thank you for your loyal support!

“Though she be but little, she be fierce.” – William Shakespeare Midsummer Night’s Dream

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Posted in ChitChat, Health & Well Being, Journeys within, Just noticing: Observations of a blogger, Political Powwow | 14 Comments »

Wonderful Women Of The World

Posted by Michelle Moquin on 7th December 2013

Good morning!

If you are on a spiritual path and follow new-age gurus then you must know of the spiritual teacher, bestselling author, and speaker, Marianne Williamson. And…you will most likely know that she is running for Congress in Califiornia. For those of you who haven’t heard of her, you may be thinking., “Oh that is soo like California!” :)

Williamson has been a name I have been hearing for years. I haven’t read any of her books but she has come across my plate and into conversations that I have had. And from what I have heard, she intrigued me enough to every now and then follow her by tuning in to a few of her videos for inspiration. Most recently I watched her lecturer on Tedx. I like this woman. A lot. In my book, anyone who wants to spread more love on the planet is a Wonderful Woman of The World.

Marianne Williamson, New-Age Guru, Seeks Congressional Seat

Monica Almeida/The New York Times

Marianne Williamson, a best-selling author and lecturer who is running for a House seat, speaking last month at a bookstore in Redondo Beach, Calif.

Instead, they found Ms. Williamson, a best-selling author known for her new age spiritual guide “A Return to Love,” arguing against drone strikes in Yemen, denouncing the influence of money in politics and soliciting donations for her latest campaign — for Congress.

After three decades as an author and speaker, Ms. Williamson, 61, is stepping onto a path familiar to California celebrities, with a midlife career shift into politics.

It is a transition plenty of Hollywood entertainers have sought to make — take Ronald Reagan and Arnold Schwarzenegger — some more successfully than others. Ms. Williamson, however, would almost surely be Congress’s first new age guru.

“I’m sure they’re going to say I’m a new age nutcase, dragon lady, lightweight thinker,” she said, as she waded into the crowd of about 100 people.

In these first days of her unlikely campaign, Ms. Williamson is making the case that an injection of her brand of spirituality is what American politics needs. “America has swerved from its ethical center,” she said. “Most of us want to feel that we can have a progressive conversation and contextualize it morally. To me, drone use is a moral issue.”

Almost as an afterthought, as if mindful of her new profession, she added, “And also, I think strategically it’s just absurd.”

Ms. Williamson has chosen an unusual race for her initial foray into politics. She faces the daunting task of trying to unseat Representative Henry A. Waxman, a popular Democrat who has coasted to re-election for nearly 40 years, in an increasingly Democratic state. The district stretches south along the coast from Malibu, through some of the wealthiest communities in the country.

Ms. Williamson will label herself an independent on the June ballot. But in an interview, she described herself as a “lifelong Democrat” and acknowledged that she had voted for Mr. Waxman many times herself.

She offered very few substantial policy differences with him, and, perhaps unsurprisingly, she has adopted rhetoric more common to positive spiritual discourse than traditional campaigns, declining to refer to him as her opponent. (“We are just two people applying for the same job,” she said.)

As with most celebrity candidates, she is facing questions about why she is running, particularly against someone she disagrees with so little.

Mr. Waxman pointedly noted the lack of differences in a written statement, signaling a potential weakness in her challenge.

“I’m gratified Ms. Williamson thinks I’m doing a good job and agrees with me on most issues,” he said. “And while some think it would make more sense for her to challenge a Republican and help us regain control of the House, I respect her right to run.”

In 2009, Ms. Williamson explored running in a Northern California district near San Francisco. Instead she chose to run in her home district, where she said she would have the best chance to alter the political discourse, which she called her primary goal.

“Democracy as we know it is being dismantled in front of our eyes,” Ms. Williamson said. “I can’t any longer toe the line that if we just vote here a little different or vote there a little different, that it will all be O.K., when both major political parties are moving in such a corporatist direction.”

She added, responding to critics, “Would a man ever be called vain for speaking his mind?”

Bob Shrum, a Democratic consultant, said celebrity candidates had been successful when they had a well-established history of serious political involvement (like Reagan before his successful run for governor in 1966), or they faced another candidate whom the public simply could not stomach (like Mr. Schwarzenegger, who took advantage of the recall against the unpopular Gov. Gray Davis to win office in 2003).

Mr. Shrum said he did not understand why Ms. Williamson was running.

“It seems like a candidacy without much rationale,” he said. “Henry Waxman is doing everything he can to prevent the House Republicans from acting like crazy people, and I think folks know that.”

With a redrawn, less Democratic district, Mr. Waxman may be more vulnerable than in years past, if only slightly. He faced his toughest re-election bid last year, when Bill Bloomfield, the co-founder of the bipartisan group No Labels, took 47 percent of the vote after spending millions of his own money to paint Mr. Waxman as a stubborn partisan who had spent too long in Washington.

Ms. Williamson appears to be hoping to tap into that same anti-Washington sentiment, a popular tactic that cuts across ideological lines in a year when congressional approval ratings have fallen into single digits. (Brett Roske, who has also declared for the race, is also running as an independent.)

She has presented her scant political experience as an asset, and at the bookstore last month, she played on her own mistrust of government. (“Look at Fukushima,” she said of Japan’s crippled nuclear plant. “Should we or should we not agree with the U.S. government that none of that radioactive energy is making its way here? Hello!”)

“There is an insidious lockout,” she said. “Financial leverage determines political influence in a very disproportionate way. Looking to the political status quo to fix this situation, when the political status quo created this situation, is naïve at best.”

Southern California voters have shown a willingness to give celebrity candidates a serious listen, though they are just as frequently the subject of lampooning.

Mr. Schwarzenegger endured nonstop jokes about his role in the “Terminator” movies, but was able to capitalize on his fame and access to well-heeled donors.

Acknowledging that she would need to raise millions of dollars to be competitive, Ms. Williamson has begun tapping her nationwide network of supporters, many of them in Hollywood. Jane Lynch, star of the television series “Glee,” is throwing a house party for the campaign.

Still, Mr. Waxman’s last opponent, Mr. Bloomfield, who left the Republican Party to run as an independent, appealed not only to anti-Washington voters, but also to the conservative voters in this redrawn district.

That is not a constituency likely to respond to Ms. Williamson, who is advocating free college, universal health care, universal preschool, gay marriage, an end to domestic nuclear energy production and “massive investment” in renewable energy.

At the bookstore last month, one man in the crowd suggested, “You need new voters, I think.”

Ms. Williamson disagreed. But when asked what constituencies her campaign might target, she said there were none. “The kind of politics that sees some voters as more important than other voters, that’s not why I’m doing this,” she said. “I’m speaking to the American in people.

*****

Readers: Do I think she could be a great representative for California? Basing my opinion on what little I know of her, which is mostly her spiritual beliefs, I want to say “Yes! I think she could be pretty darn amazing, and quite refreshing in the House.” And, however as much as I agree with some of the issues that she stands for, I am not familiar enough with all of her political views to make a well-informed opinion right now. But…I can tell you, I am HOPEful.

What are your thoughts? Fill me in with what you know. Blog me.

Peace & Love…

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)

Or if you would like to send a check via snail mail, please make checks payable to “Michelle Moquin”, and send to:

Michelle Moquin PO Box 29235 San Francisco, Ca. 94129

Thank you for your loyal support!

“Though she be but little, she be fierce.” – William Shakespeare Midsummer Night’s Dream

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Posted in Political Powwow, Wonderful Women Of The World | 26 Comments »

Flap Your Lips Friday

Posted by Michelle Moquin on 6th December 2013

Good morning.

Nelson Mandela died yesterday. He went from prisoner to President, but in the eyes of many, including myself, he was a Hero and a peacemaker who dedicated his life to fighting white minority rule bringing apartheid to an end, and freeing the African people. And that is just a few of his achievements in his 95 years of life.

Although he has passed, Mandela’s wisdom, unwavering commitment, and courageous achievements have left a lasting impression that will continue to inspire, influence, and move us for many more years to come.

It’s hard not to agree with Obama’s words on Mandela:

“Today he’s gone home, and we’ve lost one of the most influential, courageous and profoundly good human beings that any of us will share time with on this earth,” Obama said.

May this sweet and charismatic man rest in peace knowing that he brought so much good to the world.

A beautiful write from the Chicago Tribune, honoring an amazing man:

NELSON MANDELA: 1918-2013

Nelson Mandela remembered: ‘He achieved more than could be expected of any man’

Nelson Mandela served for five years as South Africa’s first black president after his African National Congress party helped end apartheid in 1994. He has died at the age of 95 (Source: Bloomberg)

Nelson Mandela, who guided South Africa from the shackles of apartheid to multi-racial democracy and became an international icon of peace and reconciliation, died Thursday at age 95.

Mandela will be laid to rest at his ancestral village of Qunu in the Eastern Cape on Dec. 15, President Jacob Zuma said on Friday.

A week of national mourning would include an open-air memorial service at Johannesburg’s Soccer City stadium – the site of the 2010 World Cup final – on Dec. 10, Zuma said.

Desmond Tutu said Friday that Mandela’s legacy would carry on.

“The sun will rise tomorrow, and the next day and the next. … It may not appear as bright as yesterday, but life will carry on,” the retired Anglican bishop said in a statement.

“To suggest that South Africa might go up in flames — as some have predicted — is to discredit South Africans and Madiba’s legacy,” Tutu said, using Mandela’s clan name, a term of affection and respect.

Imprisoned for nearly three decades for his fight against white minority rule, Mandela emerged determined to use his prestige and charisma to bring down apartheid while avoiding a civil war.

“The time for the healing of the wounds has come. The moment to bridge the chasms that divide us has come,” Mandela said in his acceptance speech on becoming South Africa’s first black president in 1994.

“We have, at last, achieved our political emancipation.”

President Barack Obama hailed Mandela as a leader who left his country with a legacy of freedom and peace with the world.

“He achieved more than could be expected of any man,” Obama said at the White House shortly after the announcement of Mandela’s death.

“Today he’s gone home, and we’ve lost one of the most influential, courageous and profoundly good human beings that any of us will share time with on this earth,” Obama said.

‘The time for the healing of the wounds has come’

Nelson Mandela guided South Africa from the shackles of apartheid to multi-racial democracy, as an icon of peace and reconciliation who came to embody the struggle for justice around the world.

Imprisoned for nearly three decades for his fight against white minority rule, Mandela emerged determined to use his prestige and charisma to bring down apartheid while avoiding a civil war.

“We have, at last, achieved our political emancipation.”

In 1993, Mandela was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, an honor he shared with F.W. de Klerk, the white Afrikaner leader who freed him from prison three years earlier and negotiated the end of apartheid.

Mandela went on to play a prominent role on the world stage as an advocate of human dignity in the face of challenges ranging from political repression to AIDS.

He formally left public life in June 2004 before his 86th birthday, telling his adoring countrymen: “Don’t call me. I’ll call you”. But he remained one of the world’s most revered public figures, combining celebrity sparkle with an unwavering message of freedom, respect and human rights.

Whether defending himself at his own treason trial in 1963 or addressing world leaders years later as a greying elder statesman, he radiated an image of moral rectitude expressed in measured tones, often leavened by a mischievous humor.

“He is at the epicenter of our time, ours in South Africa, and yours, wherever you are,” Nadine Gordimer, the South African writer and Nobel Laureate for Literature, once remarked.

Mandela’s years behind bars made him the world’s most celebrated political prisoner and a leader of mythic stature for millions of black South Africans and other oppressed people far beyond his country’s borders.

Charged with capital offenses in the 1963 Rivonia Trial, his statement from the dock was his political testimony.

“During my lifetime I have dedicated myself to this struggle of the African people. I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination.

“I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities,” he told the court.

“It is an ideal I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.”

Destined to lead

Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was born on July 18, 1918, destined to lead as the son of the chief councilor to the paramount chief of the Thembu people in Transkei.

He chose to devote his life to the fight against white domination. He studied at Fort Hare University, an elite black college, but left in 1940 short of completing his studies and became involved with the African National Congress (ANC), founding its Youth League in 1944 with Oliver Tambo and Walter Sisulu.

Mandela worked as a law clerk then became a lawyer who ran one of the few practices that served blacks.

In 1952 he and others were charged for violating the Suppression of Communism Act but their nine-month sentence was suspended for two years.

Mandela was among the first to advocate armed resistance to apartheid, going underground in 1961 to form the ANC’s armed wing, Umkhonto weSizwe, or ‘Spear of the Nation’ in Zulu.

He left South Africa and travelled the continent and Europe, studying guerrilla warfare and building support for the ANC.

After his return in 1962, Mandela was arrested and sentenced to five years for incitement and illegally leaving the country. While serving that sentence, he was charged with sabotage and plotting to overthrow the government along with other anti-apartheid leaders in the Rivonia Trial.

Branded a terrorist by his enemies, Mandela was sentenced to life imprisonment in 1964, isolated from millions of his countrymen as they suffered oppression, violence and forced resettlement under the apartheid regime of racial segregation.

He was incarcerated on Robben Island, a penal colony off Cape Town, where he would spend the next 18 years before being moved to mainland prisons.

He was behind bars when an uprising broke out in the huge township of Soweto in 1976 and when others erupted in violence in the 1980s. But when the regime realized it was time to negotiate, it was Mandela to whom it turned.

In his later years in prison, he met President P.W. Botha and his successor de Klerk.

When he was released on February 11, 1990, walking away from the Victor Verster prison hand-in-hand with his wife Winnie, the event was watched live by television viewers across the world.

“As I finally walked through those gates … I felt even at the age of 71 that my life was beginning anew. My 10,000 days of imprisonment were at last over,” Mandela wrote of that day.

Elections and reconciliation

In the next four years, thousands of people died in political violence. Most were blacks killed in fighting between ANC supporters and Zulus loyal to Mangosuthu Buthelezi’s Inkatha Freedom Party, although right-wing whites also staged violent actions to upset the moves towards democracy.

Mandela prevented a racial explosion after the murder of popular Communist Party leader Chris Hani by a white assassin in 1993, appealing for calm in a national television address. That same year, he and de Klerk were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

Talks between the ANC and the government began in 1991, leading to South Africa’s first all-race elections on April 27, 1994.

The run-up to the vote was marred by fighting, including gun battles in Johannesburg townships and virtual war in the Zulu stronghold of KwaZulu Natal.

But Mandela campaigned across the country, enthralling adoring crowds of blacks and wooing whites with assurances that there was a place for them in the new South Africa.

The election result was never in doubt and his inauguration in Pretoria on May 10, 1994, was a celebration of a peoples’ freedom.

Mandela made reconciliation the theme of his presidency. He took tea with his former jailers and won over many whites when he donned the jersey of South Africa’s national rugby team – once a symbol of white supremacy – at the final of the World Cup in 1995 at Johannesburg’s Ellis Park stadium.

The hallmark of Mandela’s mission was the Truth and Reconciliation Commission which investigated apartheid crimes on both sides and tried to heal the wounds. It also provided a model for other countries torn by civil strife.

In 1999, Mandela, often criticized for having a woolly grasp of economics, handed over to younger leaders – a voluntary departure from power cited as an example to long-ruling African leaders.

A restful retirement was not on the cards as Mandela shifted his energies to fighting South Africa’s AIDS crisis.

He spoke against the stigma surrounding the infection, while successor Thabo Mbeki was accused of failing to comprehend the extent of the crisis.

The fight became personal in early 2005 when Mandela lost his only surviving son to the disease.

But the stress of his long struggle contributed to the break-up of his marriage to equally fierce anti-apartheid campaigner Winnie.

The country shared the pain of their divorce in 1996 before watching his courtship of Graca Machel, widow of Mozambican President Samora Machel, whom he married on his 80th birthday in 1998.

Friends adored “Madiba”, the clan name by which he is known.

People lauded his humanity, kindness, attention and dignity.

Unable to shake the habits of prison, Mandela rose daily between 4 a.m. and 5 a.m. to exercise and read. He drank little and was a fervent anti-smoker.

An amateur boxer in his younger days, Mandela often said the discipline and tactics drawn from training helped him to endure prison and the political battles after his release.

‘If cancer wins I will still be the better winner’

But prison and old age took their toll on his health.

Mandela was treated in the 1980s for tuberculosis and later required an operation to repair damage to his eyes as well as treatment for prostate cancer in 2001. His spirit, however, remained strong.

“If cancer wins I will still be the better winner,” he told reporters in September of that year. “When I go to the next world, the first thing I will do is look for an ANC office to renew my membership.”

Most South Africans are proud of their post-apartheid multi-racial ‘Rainbow Nation’.

But Mandela’s legacy of tolerance and reconciliation has been threatened in recent years by squabbling between factions in the ANC and social tensions in a country that, despite its political liberation, still suffers great inequalities.

Mandela’s last major appearance on the global stage came in 2010 when he donned a fur cap in the South African winter and rode on a golf cart, waving to an exuberant crowd of 90,000 at the soccer World Cup final, one of the biggest events in the country’s post-apartheid history.

“I leave it to the public to decide how they should remember me,” he said on South African television before his retirement.

“But I should like to be remembered as an ordinary South African who together with others has made his humble contribution.”

*****

Readers: When I think of all that this man has done, and all that he has given of his life so that others may have a better life, I am moved beyond words. I think of my own life and what more I can do for others.

If we all only did for each other a tenth of what Mandela has done in his life for others, the world would be drastically changed. If there is one thing we can do, can we remember this courageous man, who achieved more than could be expected of any man, and be inspired to do more ourselves, for each other?

Peace & Love.

Blog me.

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)

Or if you would like to send a check via snail mail, please make checks payable to “Michelle Moquin”, and send to:

Michelle Moquin PO Box 29235 San Francisco, Ca. 94129

Thank you for your loyal support!

“Though she be but little, she be fierce.” – William Shakespeare Midsummer Night’s Dream

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Posted in Good Reads and Good See'ds, Human Rights and Equality, Political Powwow | 11 Comments »

Money Matters

Posted by Michelle Moquin on 3rd December 2013

Good morning!

This is an article from last year and it is so worth reading that I am posting it today on “Money Matters.”

Form Forbes:

Who Is The Smallest Government Spender Since Eisenhower? Would You Believe It’s Barack Obama?

It’s enough to make even the most ardent Obama cynic scratch his head in confusion.

Amidst all the cries of Barack Obama being the most prolific big government spender the nation has ever suffered, Marketwatch is reporting that our president has actually been tighter with a buck than any United States president since Dwight D. Eisenhower.

Who knew?

So, how have the Republicans managed to persuade Americans to buy into the whole “Obama as big spender” narrative?

It might have something to do with the first year of the Obama presidency where the federal budget increased a whopping 17.9% —going from $2.98 trillion to $3.52 trillion. I’ll bet you think that this is the result of the Obama sponsored stimulus plan that is so frequently vilified by the conservatives…but you would be wrong.

The first year of any incoming president term is saddled—for better or for worse—with the budget set by the president whom immediately precedes the new occupant of the White House. Indeed, not only was the 2009 budget the property of George W. Bush—and passed by the 2008 Congress—it was in effect four months before Barack Obama took the oath of office.

Accordingly, the first budget that can be blamed on our current president began in 2010 with the budgets running through and including including fiscal year 2013 standing as charges on the Obama account, even if a President Willard M. Romney takes over the office on January 20^,2013.

So, how do the actual Obama annual budgets look?

Courtesy of Marketwatch-

In fiscal 2010 (the first Obama budget) spending fell 1.8% to $3.46 trillion.
In fiscal 2011, spending rose 4.3% to $3.60 trillion.
In fiscal 2012, spending is set to rise 0.7% to $3.63 trillion, according to the Congressional Budget Office’s estimate of the budget that was agreed to last August.
Finally in fiscal 2013 — the final budget of Obama’s term — spending is scheduled to fall 1.3% to $3.58 trillion. Read the CBO’s latest budget outlook.

No doubt, many will wish to give the credit to the efforts of the GOP controlled House of Representatives. That’s fine if that’s what works for you.

However, you don’t get to have it both ways. Credit whom you will, but if you are truly interested in a fair analysis of the Obama years to date—at least when it comes to spending—you’re going to have to acknowledge that under the Obama watch, even President Reagan would have to give our current president a thumbs up when it comes to his record for stretching a dollar.

Of course, the Heritage Foundation is having none of it, attempting to counter the actual numbers by pretending that the spending initiated by the Bush Administration is the fault of Obama. As I understand the argument Heritage is putting forth —and I have provided the link to the Heritage rebuttal so you can decide for yourself—Marketwatch, in using the baseline that Obama inherited, is making it too easy on the President.

But then, with the Heritage Foundation being the creator of the individual mandate concept in healthcare only to rebut the same when it was no longer politically convenient, I’m not quite sure why anyone believes much of anything they have to say any longer. With their history of reversing course for convenience, I can’t help but wonder, should they find themselves reviewing the spending record of a President Romney four years from today, whether they might be tempted to use the Obama numbers as the baseline for such a new Administration.

*****

Readers: It’s a bit quiet out there. No doubt you are having trouble getting on. (sigh)

Peace & Love….

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)

Or if you would like to send a check via snail mail, please make checks payable to “Michelle Moquin”, and send to:

Michelle Moquin PO Box 29235 San Francisco, Ca. 94129

Thank you for your loyal support!

“Though she be but little, she be fierce.” – William Shakespeare Midsummer Night’s Dream

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Posted in Political Powwow | 19 Comments »

Americans Want Obamacare

Posted by Michelle Moquin on 27th November 2013

Good morning!

If you think people don’t want Obamacare or aren’t interested in Obamacare, think again.

From Think Progress:

A Million Shopping for Obamacare

First Look at Obamacare Enrollment Numbers

This afternoon, the Obama administration released long-awaited details on the number of Americans enrolling in Obamacare through HealthCare.gov, state-based marketplaces, and Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program.

Despite the well-publicized woes with the HealthCare.gov, approximately a million Americans are shopping on the marketplaces and more than 100,000 Americans have already chosen a health insurance plan. To put that into perspective, during the first month of Romneycare only 0.3 percent of the eventual total — just 123 actual people — signed up for coverage.

ThinkProgress breaks down the numbers and what they really mean:

106,185: filled out the application and have selected a plan through a federally run or state run exchange.

79,391: filled out the application and have selected a plan through a state-run exchange.

26,794: filled out the application and have selected a plan through a federal exchange.

846,184: filled out the application but have not yet selected a plan

1,509,883: individuals applying for coverage with completed applications

1,081,592: total individuals eligible to enroll in an exchange plan

396,261: eligible for Medicaid or CHIP.
Enrollees by state: California 35,364; Federal exchange 26,794; New York 16,404; Washington 7,091; Kentucky 5,586.

Though the figures fall short of the 500,000 private enrollees the administration had predicted would take-up private coverage before the launch, the numbers come in the midst of highly-publicized technical difficulties with HealthCare.gov, during which neither the administration nor its allies could deploy a public campaign urging uninsured people to sign-up for coverage.

Ultimately, the numbers provide only a snapshot into a six-month long enrollment process.

Administration officials have for weeks tampered down expectations, arguing that website issues may have led some enrollees — particularly the younger and healthier population who does not absolutely need coverage — to put off enrollment. They insist that the website will be operational for the vast majority of users by the end of the month and predict that the uninsured will be able to successfully enroll in insurance by Dec. 15 for coverage that begins on Jan 1.

Some of that optimism is informed by past enrollment experiences, in which people waited until the last minute before enrolling in coverage. Officials point to the fact that just 123 people enrolled in Commonwealth Care — the Massachusetts health care exchange for subsidized care — during its first month in February of 2007 and after the first four months, just 15,560 of an estimated 80,000 uninsured who qualified for coverage signed up.

Here is a chart of enrollment for Commonwealth Care in 2007, the low-income program:

Enrollment didn’t spike until December of 2007. Enrollees also preferred to window shop, making an average of 18 different contacts with the website, call centers and other sources provided by the state” before ultimately settling on a plan.

“Enrollment in new programs begins slowly and often takes several months to build momentum,” said Avalere CEO Dan Mendelson, whose firm has independently tracked enrollment. Indeed, The Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and President George W. Bush’s Medicare Part D experienced this very same enrollment pattern. CHIP, a bipartisan Clinton-era initiative that primarily provides health insurance to children in families with incomes too high to qualify for Medicaid, initially fell far short of enrollment goals.

Similarly, more than half of the seniors who signed up for Medicare Part D didn’t do so until after the initial enrollment period and enrolled despite the Bush administration’s well-publicized initial glitches in extending coverage to low-income beneficiaries.

The Congressional Budget Office estimates that 7 million enrollees will participate in the marketplaces in 2014; 9 million will sign up for Medicaid. By 2023, the exchanges will hold 24 million people and the law’s Medicaid expansion will accompany another 13 million.

*****

Readers: I’d like to know how many republicans are signed up, wouldn’t you?

Blog me.

James: Thanks for the reminder. Readers: Please pay attention to the Blog Rules of Conduct #3. Thank you.

Jennifer: The beauty of this blog is you can do as you please. So go for it.

Peace out.

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)

Or if you would like to send a check via snail mail, please make checks payable to “Michelle Moquin”, and send to:

Michelle Moquin PO Box 29235 San Francisco, Ca. 94129

Thank you for your loyal support!

“Though she be but little, she be fierce.” – William Shakespeare Midsummer Night’s Dream

" Politics, god, Life, News, Music, Family, Personal, Travel, Random, Photography, Religion, Aliens, Art, Entertainment, Food, Books, Thoughts, Media, Culture, Love, Sex, Poetry, Prose, Friends, Technology, Humor, Health, Writing, Events, Movies, Sports, Video, Christianity, Atheist, Blogging, History, Work, Education, Business, Fashion, Barack Obama, People, Internet, Relationships, Faith, Photos, Videos, Hillary Clinton, School, Reviews, God, TV, Philosophy, Fun, Science, Environment, Design, The Page, Rants, Pictures, Church, Blog, Nature, Marketing, Television, Democrats, Parenting, Miscellaneous, Current Events, Film, Spirituality, Obama, Musings, Home, Human Rights, Society, Comedy, Me, Random Thoughts, Research, Government, Election 2008, Baseball, Opinion, Recipes, Children, Iraq, Funny, Women, Economics, America, Misc, Commentary, John McCain, Reflections, All, Celebrities, Inspiration, Lifestyle, Theology, Linux, Kids, Games, World, India, Literature, China, Ramblings, Fitness, Money, Review, War, Articles, Economy, Journal, Quotes, NBA, Crime, Anime, Islam, 2008, Stories, Prayer, Diary, Jesus, Buddha, Muslim, Israel, Europe, Links, Marriage, Fiction, American Idol, Software, Leadership, Pop culture, Rants, Video Games, Republicans, Updates, Political, Football, Healing, Blogs, Shopping, USA, Class, Matrix, Course, Work, Web 2.0, My Life, Psychology, Gay, Happiness, Advertising, Field Hockey, Hip-hop, sex, fucking, ass, Soccer, sox"

Posted in Health & Well Being, Political Powwow | 1 Comment »

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First Look at Obamacare Enrollment Numbers