New Years Resolution: Solve Americas Biggest Problem, End up Bitter and Cynical, Page 2

Americans unequally. This kind of socialized medicine picks up some medical messes that come with aging, poverty, mental illness, diabetes and linger after illness or accidents. It's not the kind that supports financial sufficiency and health of individuals, families, businesses and communities.

  Most political progressives favor Medicare for All, a universal coverage with an expanded single payer system, basically channeling tax dollars or promises of them through the federal or state governments to cover medical costs for everyone, rich or poor.

  It's not a bad idea. But like Dick Gregory said, insurance is like gambling that you're gonna lose. The cost of the single payer systems in place now, Medicare (federal) or Medicaid (state/federal), is growing so rapidly that states will begin to declare bankruptcy under the current load. Even the feds will be staggered in the near future to run the printing presses to "pay" for health care for an aging, unhealthy population. The cost of medical care has been rising at two or more times the rate of inflation for a few decades now, and there's no indication that will slacken.

  The health of Americans is so bad, and the cost of American medical care rising so rapidly that we can't afford medical care for everyone. At least while we're at war with terrorism.

  Starlight and dewdrops are waiting for thee

  New year's resolution: focus on solutions to problems, write about these instead of all that nag, nag, bitch and moan journalism. Never worked nohow. Affirmations are like seeding the noosphere. Not the nonosphere. What's the use of pointing out all the errors of the past? Even those of the present are too well embedded in the matrix to be changed by critique. It's like trying to reason with concrete.

  We are well into a new millennium by now. Progressives will have to create a new Age of Enlightenment, begin a new renaissance if we are unwilling to remain in the Dark Ages. A strong vision of Paradise as a better world, a healthier, safer, cleaner planet, sustained with fairness, justice, peace, shared prosperity and all those good things will go viral.

  Improving the health of Americans to reduce medical care will be easier than lowering the cost of treatment. Less resistance from entrenched interests profiting from treating symptoms, not preventing them. It's not rocket science to improve overall health. Regular exercise, quit smoking, eat more vegetables, blah, blah, blah.

  In a world of temptation it's an uphill effort, more expensive unless you go vegan. A little too much stress and the path of least resistance will be sliding down a greasy chute towards an overstuffed couch in front of someone else's reality TV show.

  Where troubles melt like lemon drops

  We could always outsource our medical treatment. We're already outsourcing our pharmaceutical supplies. If you think Canada has cheap pharmaceuticals, check out Brazil or Mexico. You don't even need a doctor to prescribe them. Just point and nod.

  There is no doubt that it would cost far less to ship our ill, the elderly, the depressed and disabled, injured and addicted Americans off to foreign lands for adequate, if not superior health care. Put 'em on underutilized cruise ships, a medically supervised, low cal diet with spa services-hot stone massage, bikini waxes, the works while en route.

  Drop em off for a few weeks of treatment with whatever the specialty of that port of call is. Chinese herbs, coffee enemas, voodoo pickles, or just plain vitamin D. With our health record we're in no position to point fingers. Pick em up on the way back with a tan, or in a casket if the cure don't take. No need to worry about greedy trial lawyers driving up costs, the laws are different.

  There's no reason patients couldn't choose from preferred locations for their treatment, based on their special needs. There are certain countries that are already known for their slimming diet at a real bargain.

  It's everyone's oyster, step up get your pear

  Screw single payer insurance, catastrophic or preferred provider; just get me on a boat. I don't care where it drops me off, as long as it has warm, sandy beaches, and they put the lime in the coconut, doctor. Even just looking forward to regular health care treatments like this would reduce stress levels better than a placebo. That could reduce symptoms by half, put a slow leak in ballooning medical costs on the home front.

  Of course the medical industry is a significant employer so we'd have to go slowly or we'd kill the economy. Offer relaxing rotations for medical jobs on the cruise ships to lubricate resistance against the idea. Get the cruise ship industry behind it. Link it with lower taxes.

  Start with the elderly who no one visits, the drunks and addicts no one helps, and those who can't be helped, Congress first. Uninsured Americans who are charged several times more for hospital care than insured patients could be offered freedom of choice.

  With tangerine trees and marmalade skies

  There's a way to use this outsourcing to clear up both the undocumented alien and social security mess. Offer quid pro quo visas to countries for their citizens or refugees. Fair Trade U.S. patients who choose to get their medical care, or retirement in that country.

  The documented workers could pay into social security, with a percentage going into their own foreign retirement funds. The balance would fund the booming masses of American retirees, who could then affordably retire to foreign lands.

  Sick Americans would be providing employment in poorer (but healthier) countries. There'd be fewer foreigners who'd want to work in some far away, unhealthy country for minimum wage or worse. Then our own teenagers would have to take those jobs, paying for their grannies stay in Baja. It could get ugly.

  Of course there's always gonna be resistance to any progressive idea. The naysayers, nattering nabobs of negativity, the no-noers. Dreamers of Paradise just have keep pushing the snooze button on their alarum.

  AFFORDABLE HOUSING: AN IDEA WHOSE TIME HAS PAST

  February 2005

  Still keeping my New Year's resolution: all about solutions, not problems. Eliminate the Negative News. There's just so much bad news. The grinding you hear is not my teeth. I've got my TMJ mouth guard on. That's the gears in my head cranking.

  It's lovely to have so much energy again since the meds ran out. The TV has stopped talking to me since I sent it to the landfill. I'll take on the garbage problem later, first I'm solving the un-affordable housing situation. Tackle the biggest problems first. Being homeless sharpens the mind. Last month I solved the health care mess. It wasn't easy but someone had to do it. The biggest problem with un-affordable housing is that there's so much of it.

  Un-affordable Housing owners want to keep it that way on their property, in their neighborhood, even in their watershed.Poor people are always going to be screwed by the wealthy. As Jesus said, that's insoluble, so we'll leave that alone. Pick apart the biggest problem, break it down into smaller tasks that can be accomplished. Strategize. Then delegate those tasks to others. That's government protocols.

  Right now, zoning regulations and government bureaucracy are the single biggest impediment to building affordable, healthy, safe, communities for po' people. It's in the vested interest of zoning and government officials whose jobs depend on property taxes, to protect property values, inflated or not.

  Castles Built on Sand

  An idea man like me is never going to outsit those iron ast bastards to change bureaucratic regulations. That's like watching cement crumble. Never fight with your weakest asset, unless it's your only one, as old Lao Tsu, or Sun Tsu or Who Tsu said. I'll delegate the zoning issues to whoever has the hardest ass.

  It's not just the actual costs of housing that creates unaffordable housing, although that's part of the problem. There's also the 30 year mortgage, which quadruples the price paid for a structure to the banks, which technically own it until it's paid off. At four to one return, thanks to the miracle of compound interest. If there was ever a scam to have gold roll downhill into banker's vaults, that's the one. Leave that for later.

  Americans' medical costs and insurance to prevent economic catastrophe from illness or injury, drain dollars that co
uld go to housing expenses. My proposal to outsource those costs for a dime on the dollar will change that and fix social security, too. Still there are the inherent costs of shelter.

  There's maintenance to keep the place up and insurance to protect the investment in case it burns down, collapses in earthquakes, mudslides, tsunamis or hurricanes, or carried off by floods or tornadoes. There's heating and cooling costs, ever increasing for most unaffordable housing. Water and waste removal fees and expenses. Lights, frig, stereo/TV, furnishing and renovating. Tools, materials and equipment to maintain it and the grounds it's piled on.

  There's the transportation costs to travel from house to market, employment, recreation, services and medical appointments. Basically if you don't drive, you're screwed, so that's a hole you pour money into. The less money made, the greater percentage spent on transportation. Except in my case, walking is free. .Just as true for the cost of food and beverages.

  That's too much bad news already, even with my improved mood swings. Let's just focus on the actual construction of affordable housing. Putting up a pile. After all, if you build it they will come. But if you think about building it, and scatter ideas like grass-seed, they may also come to hang out on the lawn, and might even do some work, if you provide drinks. It's all about