November 20, 2009 Southwest News-Herald - City & Suburban
Healthcare for All, Except for Americans
I’ve been in awe of the government sponsored healthcare plan that citizens of Israel get. There is a simple message that everyone in Israel is entitled to health care services and they don’t have a “lobby” controlled by the health insurance industry.
Citizens in Israel get everything and for a very low fee. It’s something like four percent of their salaries and the companies they work for pay four percent of half of the wages paid. So, for a few hundred dollars a year, Israelis are healthier and happier.
Ironically, one of the big supporters of government health care for Israelis is U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman, the failed vice presidential candidate and the failed Democrat.
It’s ironic that Lieberman fights so hard to insure that Israelis get government sponsored health care services at minimal cost because Lieberman is the very same member of the U.S. Senate who has vowed to destroy the health care reform package introduced by President Barack Obama.
Lieberman says that Israelis can have great health care but Americans can’t. And to make it even worse, Lieberman also says that Israel’s health care can be subsidized by the billions of dollars in U.S. Tax dollars that, thanks to him, are taken from us and given to Israel.
This issue isn’t about Israel. It is about a hypocrite named Joseph Lieberman and questions about where his loyalties really rest.
GITMO PRISONERS IN ILLINOIS
Why not? I don’t get the hysteria of the debate. Prisons are not summer camps. The alleged terrorists — we don’t even know if any are really guilty because former President Bush didn’t want them to have trials just in case he was wrong and he was more concerned about being embarrassed politically.
We have an empty prison near the Mississippi River on the northwest side of the state that has been nearly empty and that cost more than $145 million to build. Bring the alleged terrorists there and maybe create some jobs while we are at it.
And, how about becoming real Americans again and wrap ourselves with the U.S. Constitution rather than angry alleged patriotism? If they are guilty, a trial will show that. If not, let them go.
By the way, the hokey claim that bringing the GITMO prisoners to Illinois sounds a lot like the Orland Park fanatics who complained at a public hearing in 2004 that building a mosque in the southwest suburb of Orland Park would result in Osama bin Laden attacking that suburb. Yes, you heard me. If they built the Orland Mosque (which was built), bin Laden would attack Orland Park.
I can just see him sitting in his cave with a big map of the United States on the wall asking his terrorists, “Who’s in charge of Orland Park?”
COOK COUNT BOARD
Cook County Commissioner Elizabeth “Liz” Gorman has been pushing for the repeal of the 1 percent repressive Todd Stroger sales tax since it was adopted. In fact, while other commissioners had wanted to give up many months ago, Gorman persisted and three attempts were made to repeal the tax. Her efforts were so impressive that it moved the Illinois General Assembly to lower the votes needed to override Stroger’s veto. Another Gorman drive to repeal the tax is expected this week. I’d rather have my elected officials fight for our rights as taxpayers and lose than to have them support a tax and spend county board president who cares little for our well-being. Go Gorman Go!
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