Don't miss your chance .....

..... to make your voice heard. Gonna do something totally different today and give you a chance to participate in a poll. Yes, I know it's not election time but give it a try anyway. It's simple and only one question. It's to the point. No tricks. No hidden messages. No one can say it's not fair or biased. All you have to do is give your opinion on how Mr. Obama is doing on the economy. Do you think he is the "Change We Need ?" If so, say so. If not, say that too. It won't take 30 seconds of your time and will even show you the current totals after you vote. Give your two cents now by clicking the link below .......

http://js.polls.yahoo.com/quiz/quiziframe.php?poll_id=46067

Eagle Scout project

Happy Tuesday everyone. I thought we'd have some good news today. Oftentimes, the media tells us the bad and completely skips the good. Here's a neat article from the Gazette Extra in Janesville, WI about a young man who is a Boy Scout and is having a blood drive, bone marrow donor drive, and organ and tissue donor sign-up for his Eagle Scout project. We hear so many stories about kids gone astray around the U.S. today. It's great to see this young man doing something that's not only good, but could very well save lives. Maybe there is hope for our country yet. God Bless him. You can read the entire story by clicking the link below :

http://gazettextra.com/news/2009/jul/25/boy-scout-conduct-donor-awareness-drive/

GM (Government Motors) announces 2010 models

The 2010 Obamas are out and have great new innovative features including :

1. They only turn left,
2. runs on hot air and broken promises, and
3. come with 2 telepromters to help the occupants talk their way out of any moving violations.

The good news is that there is an endless supply of fuel for these vehicles in Washington D.C. Get yours before they're gone. "Change You Can Believe In."

Transplant Heroes and Zeros Wrap-Up

Today is part 5 of a 5-part series. I hope everyone has enjoyed it. I'm gonna mix it up a bit today by mentioning both heroes and zeros in the Tennessee legislature. Since my transplant, I've had the honor of being involved in two pieces of legislation involving transplant issues. One was the 2008 roll-out of the Tennessee Donor Registry, and the second was HB 635 / SB 109 during the 2009 session that would have required Tennessee pharmacists to notify a transplant patient's physician any time immunosuppressants were changed. I'll tell you about some of the heros that have been involved in these two pieces of legislation as well as the zeros.

HEROES

1. State Senator Beverly Marrero (D - Shelby Co.) - while her views are usually very different from mine on the issues, she was instrumental in the passage of the Tennessee Donor Registry bill.
2. State Senator Diane Black (R - Robertson and Sumner Co.'s) - strong supporter of the registry bill and State Senate sponsor of SB 109, the physician notification bill for immunosuppressant changes.
3. State Representative Debra Maggart (R - part of Sumner Co.) - supporter of the registry bill and State House sponsor of HB 635, the house version of the physician notification bill for immunosuppressant changes.

ZEROS

State Representatives Mike Turner and Gary Odom (D's - both cover parts of Davidson Co.) - In April 2009 during the sub-committee hearing for HB 635 (notification bill), I witnessed these two "gentlemen" act like anything but public servants. During testimony by Dr. Beau Kelly of Vanderbilt Hospital's Transplant Unit, these two jokers got up and moved around the hearing room, talked amongst themselves, and laughed and goofed-off. Earlier, the sub-committee members had made it clear that they would like to hear from a transplant physician, but when Dr. Kelly testified these two yahoos acted like school boys and didn't pay attention to his testimony. At a minimum they were unprofessional, but in my opinion they were rude. Either way, they were out of line. As a transplant recipient, I was offended because their behavior said to me that they do not care about transplant issues. Therefore, not only do they get a zero, I'm gonna give them the same award TDS got yesterday - THE DOUBLE ZERO (00).

THE JURY'S STILL OUT ....
 
.... on State Rep. David Shephard (D - Dickson and part of Hickman Co.'s) - The physician notification bill, HB 635 / SB 109, did not have the votes to make it out of the sub-committee because of the pressure applied to the sub-committee members by the pharmacy association. However, a compromise was reached which kept the bill from failing completely. The terms of the compromise are :

1. Rep. Shephard and Rep. Maggart and the pharmacy community have agreed to work together to further educate pharmacists across the state on the sensitivities of transplant patients and all the issues surrounding the substitution of anti-rejection drugs.
2. Rep. Shephard and Rep. Maggart will work together to ask the Tennessee Pharmacists Association and other pharmacy organizations in Tennessee to conduct continuing education training on organ transplant issues throughout the remainder of 2009 and early 2010.
   
3. Rep. Shepard will assist in having a transplant physician speak at the Tennessee Pharmacy Association annual meeting (summer '09) and other pharmacy organization meetings on transplant issues and issues that may arise from anti-rejection drug substitutions between manufacturers.
4. Rep. Shephard and Rep. Maggart will develop legislation over the summer to create a list of critical dose or Narrow Therapeutic Index drugs to be included on a Tennessee list that would require notification or consultation with physicians prior to an automatic substitution. This legislation will be ready for the 2010 legislative session.

As of today, the only part of the compromise that has been done is number 3 - Dr. Beau Kelly from the Vanderbilt Hospital Transplant Unit spoke at the Tennessee Pharmacy Association Annual Convention this month. If the compromise is completed, it will be a good thing for transplant patients. However, I am disappointed that in the two months since the compromise was reached this is the only item has been done. I will continue to watch the progress on this, and I hope that Rep. Shephard holds up his end of this deal. If he does, he's a hero. If not, he's another zero. As President Ronald Reagan once said, "trust, but verify", and that's exactly what I plan to do with Rep. Shephard.

The sheepdog is watching .......

Transplant Zeros - Part 2

Zero time !! Today, I'm gonna issue the "Double Zero" award. The winner is ....... Tennessee Donor Services (TDS). Before I get into that, I will say they have helped many people, including myself, live quality lives by putting donated organs and tissues and needy recipients together. For that I am grateful. However, the last year has seen them treat "Transplant Heroes" badly in one instance and not stick up for them in another. Hence, they get the "Double Zero" award.

First, think back two days ago when I gave Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen the zero. During the fiasco with his horrible PSA, I contacted TDS on numerous occasions asking them to get involved and get the PSA pulled. I felt like that was something they should do for the donor families. If the local OPO is not gonna look out for these heroes, who is ?? My feeling was that TDS should have put Bredesen's feet to the fire and dogged him until that PSA was stopped and an apology was issued. They did not get it done. The PSA continued to run, and run, and run some more and no apology was issued. I don't know if they were scared of Bredesen or worried about making him look bad or what, but let's face it - they don't have to worry about making Bredesen look bad because he's perfectly capable of doing that just fine on his own. In this instance, TDS appeared to treat donor families like most car dealers treat their customers - once the transaction is completed, you're on your own. In this transplant recipient's opinion, that's unacceptable. Therefore, the first zero.

Secondly, TDS' treatment of the heroes I spoke of yesterday, Misty, Janet, and Jennifer, was at the very least unprofessional. These three were dedicated, loyal, hardworking employees. They went in early, stayed late, and worked weekends. I saw it with my own eyes. They're committed to the cause of organ donation. It is their passion. Misty and Janet were run off in September 2008 and Jennifer in June 2009. Why ?? The volunteers were told it was "performance related" which makes no sense based upon what we had witnessed. The volunteers know there is only one word for their performance - "excellent." The whole thing is a shame because TDS lost three of the greatest assets the cause of organ donation has ever known.

Therefore, one zero plus a second zero nets TDS "The Double Zero (00) Award." Way to go TDS. You should be proud. Maybe Obama will reward you with a bailout or stimilus check.

Transplant Heroes - Part 2

Today, we're back to the heroes part of this series. I'll salute three very special "Transplant Heroes " - Misty Armour, Janet Jarrard, and Jennifer Griffith. I think it would be very hard, maybe impossible to find anyone in the State of Tennessee who has done more to promote and educate the public about the wonderful, life-saving gift of organ donation than them.

I became acquainted with these ladies in the summer of 2007 about six months after my transplant. I wanted to help spread the word about the miracle of organ donation in order to help others get the same second chance that I got. Misty, Janet, and Jennifer worked in the Public Education Department of Tennessee Donor Services (TDS), the Organ Procurement Organization (OPO) for Tennessee, and led a group of dedicated volunteers made up of organ recipients and their family members, donor families, and others who believed in the cause of organ donation. We worked together not like TDS employees and volunteers but like family with one common goal in mind - to put an end to the needless dying of people on the national waiting list due to a shortage of organs. Misty, Janet, and Jennifer poured their hearts and souls into their work because they were driven to try to save lives. They went to work early, stayed late, and worked many weekends to try to make a difference. The other volunteers and myself witnessed it first hand day in and day out. Janet had a personal interest because she was blessed with several extra years with her husband, John, a kidney recipient, because of the life-saving gift of a donor. She knew first hand - it works.

Today, they are on different endeavors. Janet and Jennifer have have started their own businesses and Misty (http://www.myspace.com/mistyarmour) is pursuing her dream of a country music career. I have no doubt that each of them will be successful in whatever they do because they love people, have integrity, and work hard. I'm also certain they will continue to advocate for organ donation no matter what they are doing. In this life, they will never know the numbers of lives they touched, improved, and most importantly saved through their work at TDS. However, Misty, Janet, and Jennifer would probably all agree that even if their work saved only one - it was worth it. And to that I say ...... Amen.

Please visit their businesses :
Janet - http://janetjarrard.myrandf.com/
Jennifer - http://jgriffith.myrandf.com/
Misty - http://mistyarmour.myrandf.com/

Also, in September Misty will be singing at the annual John Jarrard Benefit Concert in Georgia. For more info on that, please visit http://www.johnjarrardconcert.com/.

Tomorrow, I'll cover why these Heroes are on these new endeavours in "Transplant Zeros - Part 2."

Transplant Zeros - Part 1

Today, in "Transplant Heroes and Zeros", we'll talk about a zero - Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen. Yeah, yeah, I know that in the Spring of 2006 he signed into law the bill that created the Tennessee Donor Registry - a good thing as over 1 million Tennesseans are registered to be organ and tissue donors. However, in the fall of 2008, he made a blasphemous PSA that dishonored organ donors and their families. Hence, he gets the "zero" today.

If you had the misfortune of seeing this PSA, you undoubtly formed your own opinion. Out of respect for donor families, I will not stoop to the level of the "good" Governor by running a copy of this PSA here. The PSA was titled "Harvest" which itself is a blunder. The proper term is "recover." Maybe the Governor should hire staff that actually does their homework and attempt to make sure he looks like he knows what he is talking about whether he actually does or not.

The PSA was part of a series in the Governor's Highway Safety Office (GHSO) "Booze It and Lose It" Program. Usually the PSA's have been professional and well done. However, this one told the story of a teenager who was tragically killed by a drunk driver and was an organ donor. The PSA showed an operating room, medical staff conducting a recovery, and then one of them leaving with the recovered organ(s). The first time I saw it was on October 26, 2008 during the NASCAR Sprint Cup race from Atlanta. I was angry because it seemed to be inferring one of 3 things : 1) drunk drivers cause people to be organ donors, 2) the penalty for drunk driving is organ donation, or 3) organ donors are the collateral damage of drunk drivers. Whichever way you look at it, it is an insensitive and reprehensible PSA that should never have been aired. Organ donation, a wonderful and unselfish gift, should never, never be associated with the senseless, selfish, life-destroying act of drunk driving. The following day, I e-mailed Governor Bredesen expressing my outrage asking him to do three things : 1) pull the PSA immediately never to be aired again, 2) destroy all media it was recorded on, and 3) issue an immediate apology to the all the donor families across the state of Tennessee. Besides myself, several other organ recipients and their families, donor families, and others e-mailed, called, and wrote letters to members of the GHSO staff and Bredesen himself. The responses we received said the Governor and the GHSO were proud of the "Booze It and Lose It" PSA's and did not intend to pull this one because not enough people had complained. Then, they proceeded to air the PSA again during NASCAR coverage on November 2, 2008 and November 16th as well as at other sporting events in Tennessee. Apparently, dishonoring Tennessee's donor families once was not enough as the PSA aired numerous times after they were called on it. The numbers of transplant recipients and donor families across Tennessee is not very large. We could be considered a minority. Anybody wanna bet how quickly Mr. Bredesen would have pulled the PSA if he had offended some other minority group and they had complained ?? Quicker than Ted Kennedy can down a shot of whiskey ....... quicker than Nancy Pelosi can say the CIA lied ....... quicker than Mr. Obama can blame George Bush - anyway, you get the idea. It would be pretty darn quick.

Mr. Bredesen's starring role in this horrible PSA degraded the life-saving gifts that scores of donors and their families have given across the great state of Tennessee and the U.S. The wonderful gifts they have given me and many others have allowed us a second chance to enjoy life. I expect better from a public official. Bredesen has had ample opportunity to make this right. He has even been encouraged to make another PSA that honors donors and their families for being heroes. Unfortunately, he arrogantly has chosen to do nothing. Would you believe that he was rumored to be Mr. Obama's choice for Secretary of Health and Human Services shortly after this all took place ?? Fortunately, he was not selected. However, I sincerely hope that when Mr. Bredesen's current term as Tennessee Governor concludes, his political career is done. I know that if he does decide to run for an office again, I will work diligently to help his opponent defeat him. You can take that to the bank.

Transplant Heroes - Part 1

Today we'll start this week's series - "Transplant Heroes and Zeros." We'll start with the heroes by telling Kent's story.

I first learned about Kent (pictured) back in April of 2007. One evening, I was blessed with the privilege of speaking to his mother, Ruth, on the phone. It became quickly apparent that she, as most mothers do, loved to talk about her kids. Ruth told of how she and her family had just recently lost Kent at the young age of 46. He had passed away after waiting four years on a liver transplant. She told about how he had fought and fought and then ran out of time. However, from Kent's death came forth blessings for several in need. Due to his own liver disease and time on the waiting list, he understood the importance of each of us being organ and tissue donors. So. he chose to be one even if the liver he so desperately needed did not come in time. In his own death, Kent saved several lives by donating his organs and improved several others by donating his tissues. Ruth told me of two elderly people who now see because they each received one of his corneas. Two people received one of his kidneys. One of them, a minister, was able to return to the ministry. Another received his pancreas. Another man, who was 37 years old at the time, was the fourth life that Kent saved. He was so sick he could not walk from one end of his house to the other without being exhausted and short of breath. His hands and feet were cold and blue from lack of circulation and oxygen. He had been forced to quit work, give up his hobbies, and become a hermit because he was slowly dying a miserable death from congestive heart failure caused by emery-dreifuss muscular dystrophy. On February 21, 2007, this man received Kent's strong, healthy heart and can now breathe normally and his hands and feet have returned to their natural color and are nice and warm. He has now returned to work part time, resumed his hobbies of hunting, fishing, and going to ballgames and NASCAR races. In case you have not figured it out by now, that man is .......... ME !! Yes, me. I'm alive because a man I had never met cared enough to give the gift of life. What a great legacy to leave.

I learned that Kent and I had grown up only a few miles apart, had attended the same high school, and had graduated from the University of Tennessee with the same degree. In fact, in high school, I played in marching bad with his younger brother. Some would say it's all a big coincidence. However, I do not believe in coincidences. I believe that God had a hand in putting all these "pieces" together - period. It's the only way the course of events make any sense.

Nowadays, we hear the term "hero" thrown around frequently. Usually, it is synonymous with police officers, fire fighters, soldiers, or others who risk their lives for the good of others. Often, it's for people they do not know. In my opinion, organ and tissue donors and their families should be added to this list. They save countless lives every year by caring about others in need even in the midst of their own tragedy. In Tennessee, we refer to them as "The Ultimate Volunteers." You can be another Kent - a hero. Just visit the Donate Life America website by clicking here.

To Kent and his family and all the other organ donors and their families ........ THANK YOU.

Should Sotomayor be confirmed ?? - Part 2

Sonia Sotomayor's hearings for her nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court are over. The question is, what did we learn about her from them ?? In regards to her views on three of the most talked about issues of our day, we learned absolutely nothing. When asked about her stances on abortion, gun ownership, and government intervention in our lives, she either side-stepped the questions or completely refused to answer. So, I'm wondering - what's she hiding ?? I believe that no matter which side of those issues you stand on, whether you support, oppose, or are somewhere in the middle, you deserve to know where a Supreme Court Justice stands. How can a U.S. Senator vote for a nominee without knowing his or her views ?? I don't know. Maybe it's kinda like voting for a 1000+ page bill that you haven't read. Are they negligent ?? Are they not practicing due diligence ?? Or, even worse, is it dereliction of duty ?? However, you look at it, the fact remains that Sotomayor is unfit to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court. Contact your Senators (http://www.senate.gov/) and tell them to vote NO in opposition to Sotomayor's confirmation. They will be voting soon. So, contact them today.

Next week - transplant issues. See ya then.

Healthcare Reform

Health care insurance is an issue that is important to me. As a heart transplant recipient, I went through many years of suffering prior to being transplanted. I know firsthand how difficult it is to get health insurance. It's virtually impossible for someone with a pre-existing condition. If you're lucky enough get coverage, the cost is very high. Mr. Obama and Congress are working to implement his campaign promise of universal health care for everyone. Estimates are that over 47 million Americans lack health care insurance. However, the estimates may be inflated. These include about 10 million people who are only without coverage for part of the year, about 10 million people who are not citizens, and another 10 million eligible for public health insurance that have not enrolled in it (source http://www.factcheck.org/). The estimated cost of universal health care is about $1 Trillion over 10 years, and if you look at the proposed plan only 17% of that will be spent in the first five years with the other 83% being spent in the last five years. I'll tell you why that's important later.

Canada and England have universal health care. In England, cancer patients are dying because the government will not pay for life-saving cancer treatments. New life-saving technology is not being developed because the government will not pay for the research. The Canadian Supreme Court has said that Canadians are dying waiting for care. Their average wait times are :

• over a month to get a CT scan after seeing their primary care physician (PCP).
• over two months to get an MRI after seeing their PCP.
• over four months to see a specialist after a PCP referral - double from 15 years ago.
• over 8 months for neurosurgery and 9 months for orthopedic surgery after PCP referral.

Much of Canada's medical equipment is old and outdated including :

• 21% of bone densitometers (used to measure bone density in osteoporosis patients) are over 10 years old.
• 28% of SPECT units which are used to take 3D images of the body are over 10 years old.
• 33% of gamma cameras used in nuclear medicine imaging are over 10 years old.
• 25% of angiography and cardiac catheterization labs for heart ailments are over 10 years old.
• Of the few lithotripters available to fight kidney and gall stones, 33% of them are over 10 years old.

Old equipment can lead to break downs during treatment and give doctors faulty information leading to misdiagnoses. The U.S. currently has a form of socialized medicine, Medicare, and it's a disaster that is currently going broke due to mismanagement by the Federal government - the same people who will manage universal health care. Plus, the benefits are lousy.




I told you earlier that 83% of the estimated $1 Trillion cost of ObamaCare will be in the last 5 of the first 10 years. It's because the cost of the confusing government bureaucracy created (see chart - source (http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/07/15/republicans-warn-web-bureaucracy-democrats-health-care-plan/) will increase as the program goes along because the government mismanages everything it touches. Obama wants to pay for this plan by raising taxes on anyone making over $350,000 per year. As the costs increase, Congress will probably lower that. First to maybe to $200,000, and then even lower until eventually everyone's taxes are raised. The increase will raise taxes on most small businesses who will have to pass those along to customers in the form of higher prices. The government will begin rationing care at some point to try to lower costs leading to them deciding who gets treatment and who doesn't. It already happens in Canada and England. Basically, they play God deciding who lives and who dies. In England and Canada, care is often rationed based upon age. Often, the elderly do not get the care they need and are allowed to suffer and die. In fact, Sen. Tom Daschle, author of part of the bill, recently said that under ObamaCare "healthcare reform will not be pain-free. Seniors need to be more accepting of the conditions that come with age instead of treating them." What ?? Are you kidding me ?? Is he a doctor ?? Does he think he's God ??

Guess who's exempt from ObamaCare ?? Yep, you guessed it. The plan's namesake and members of Congress. Why ?? Because they've got their "own plan". The question I have is if ObamaCare is so great, why won't they enroll in it ?? Could it be that it's not so great. A resolution is currently being circulated in Congress asking it's members to sign and pledge to enroll (http://www.fleming.house.gov/) We'll see how many sign it.

As I said, I can relate to the many that have no health care. It is a problem. However, I do not believe putting the government in charge is the answer. The U.S. has the greatest doctors, nurses, medications, medical technology, and equipment in the world. People from other countries come here for medical care because it's so good. That will change if ObamaCare becomes reality. Our quality of health care will go down considerably. I believe there is a better way to get more Americans covered through things like incentives or tax breaks offered to private insurance companies that will encourage them to offer affordable health care to all, including those with pre-existing conditions. Many say the private insurance companies are making too much money and their executives are paid too much. Not true. Factcheck.org shows that less than 1% of health costs are due to insurance company profits. Furthermore, only .005% of health care costs are due to CEO salaries. We've put Americans on the moon, defeated tyrants in two World Wars, invented the automobile, and perfected many other technologies with Amrican ingenuity. I'm sure we can figure out a health care solution without putting bureaucrats in charge. I believe that if we had universal health care, I would be dead today. The medicines and devices that kept me alive for 11 years and the heart transplant that ultimately saved my life would not have been available under a government run plan. I want to encourage you today to look at the information and watch the videos available at :

• http://www.freeourhealthcarenow.org/
• http://www.cprights.org/
• http://www.facesofgovernmenthealthcare.com/

These websites are where most of the info I have shared came from. After looking them over, please contact your Senators (http://www.senate.gov/) and your Congressman (http://www.house.gov/) and tell them to vote NO on Obamacare. We need health care reform to some degree but a government run plan is not the answer. Remember, when they start talking about "free universal health care", it isn't free. Someone will pay, and it will be you and I, the sheep, in the form of higher taxes, poor quality health care, and very possibly our lives. I'm not willing to pay those prices. Are you ??

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Should Sotomayor be confirmed ??

The U.S. Senate begin the hearings today on whether Judge Sonia Sotomayor should be confirmed as the next U.S. Supreme Court Justice and replace Justice Souter who is stepping down. She would be the first appointment to the highest court in the land made by Mr. Obama. However, rulings made by her on previous cases that have appeared before her as well as public comments made in the past raise serious concerns about whether she is the right person for the job.

Ever since Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. began the civil rights struggle in the 1960s, the U.S. has made huge strides to eliminate racism, discrimination, and the other biases that have divided us. We have not eliminated these problems yet, but we are a lot closer that we were when Rev. King gave his life for the cause of equality. Judge Sotomayor's record shows at least an internal bias and at worst racism. By now most of us have heard her speech where she said that a wise Latina woman (such as herself) with all of her life experiences could come to a better decision than a white male. After all the strides our country has made to eliminate discrimination, why are we considering taking a step back now by considering someone for the high court who has a record of such bias ?? A judge's role is to rule on each case they hear based upon the evidence presented and the rule of law. Their personal life experiences, biases, and feelings should not weigh in on their rulings. They are to enforce the law equally not based upon someone's race, socio-economic status, gender, etc. I do not believe that Sotomayor can nor will do that.

Please contact your Senators (contact info at http://www.senate.gov/) and ask them to vote NO on her nomination. I believe that one day there will be a well-qualified, fair and just, female Hispanic justice on the U.S. Supreme Court. However, Sotomayor does not fit that description. Mr. Obama needs to present a better, unbiased candidate for the position of U.S. Supreme Court Justice. One that will enforce the Constitution fairly based upon the rule of law. Too much is at stake.

That's it for today. Next up on Thursday - Universal Healthcare a.k.a. Socialized Medicine a.k.a. ObamaCare.

Cap and Trade

What's cap and trade ?? It's a way for a government to control emissions by capping the amount of pollutant a company can emit. Permits are sold for a fee (basically a tax) which allows the company to emit the amount of pollutant on the permit. Companies that do not use all of their allowance may sell / trade their remainder to companies that have gone over their allowance. Some refer to it as a "Carbon Tax". Cap and trade came about based upon global warming / greenhouse gas emissions concerns. However, depending on which scientist you talk to on a given day, global warming may or may not be a problem. Some claim it is a scam for making the so-called "green industry" investors rich. Recently, we learned an EPA report disputing the effects of so-called "greenhouse gases" on global warming was suppressed by the Obama Administration. The report said the earth's temperatures are no longer rising, are stable, and may even be falling (read it http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-10274412-38.html). A few countries have already implemented Cap and Trade with disappointing results. Australia is scrapping their carbon tax proposals because of what's happened in Spain and Germany. One of the reasons the Obama Administration is pushing this legislation is because they claim it will create millions of "green jobs" which will be good for our bad economy. However, since Spain implemented their own cap and trade, the country's unemployment rate has climbed to over 18%. For every 1 "green job" created, 2 jobs have been lost. Germany has seen emissions drop 18%. However, according to The Washington Post half of that has been due to a dramatic fall in it's industrial output. In other words, it's due to a decrease in manufacturing NOT an actual decrease in emissions. At the same time, German homeowners have seen their utility bills increase 25% while the electric companies are enjoying record profits.

In late June, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the American Clean Energy and Security Act (also know as the Waxman-Markey Bill) by a 219-212 vote (see how your Respresentative voted http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2009/roll477.xml). It would implement cap and trade in the U.S. The U.S. Senate is to take up the legislation soon. Mr. Obama has stated that "under my plan of a cap and trade system, electricity rates would necessarily skyrocket." Estimates are the average American home's anuual electricity bill would increase $150 to $3000. However, these numbers vary depending upon which "expert" you listen to. The $3000 number seems to be the worst case scenario. If the increase were to be $3000, that equates to about $250 per month. Why ?? Because cap and trade will lead to increased costs for the electric companies as they pay the cap fees (tax). They will pass that on to us the consumers. Can you afford an extra $250 per month on your electric bill ?? Also, under this plan, the cost of a new car is estimated to increase by $1300 due to new increased fuel mileage standards. However, the increased costs don't stop here. Think about it. All prices in the U.S. economy are driven by energy prices. Remember how the cost of everything shot up when fuel prices skyrocketed - same thing will happen due to this legislation. ALL U.S. businesses will see their costs of doing business increase. Who will they pass that along to ?? Yep ..... you guessed it - the sheep a.k.a. you and I ?? So, we know the sheep are gonna pay for this. Now - who are the wolves a.k.a. the money makers in this deal ??

1) Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House - has $50,000 -$100,000 invested in Clean Energy Fuels Corp. She could make a ton.

2) Rep. Edward Markey - author of the bill has $51,000 - $115,000 invested in Firsthand Technology Value Fund (solar energy manufacturers). The solar energy industry stands to make huge profits from this bill.

3) Al Gore - has a venture capital firm that is highly invested in a new software company that's making software that helps companies track emissions. He, too, will make a fortune.

Does anything about this group jump out at you ?? I believe these the same people that cried "Foul" and said the Bush Administration was corrupt. Does this sound like a conflict of interest to anyone but me ?? These and others in the "green industry", including General Electric, stand to make millions possibly even billions on this deal. They will get rich off our backs. What can we do about it ?? The U.S. Senate still has to vote on this bill. So, I want to encourage you to go to this link (http://www.senate.gov/) to find the contact information for your two Senators. Call or e-mail them and tell them to vote NO in opposition to the The American Clean Energy and Security Act. Why ?? Our economy is in one of it's worst recessions in history. This is not the time to be increasing energy costs. It will only make the economy worse. We can NOT afford it. Besides, global warming may or may not be an issue. Why spend billions on something that may not even exist ?? Well, obviously you would not. Unless of course your name is Pelosi, Markey, or Gore.

Oh yeah, there's one other thing in this bill that you need to know about. If it passes, it will give the Federal Government the authority to tell us what we can set our thermostats on. This bill is not about combating pollution and global warming -it's about control and greed. I actually called my Congressman, Jim Cooper - D, to get his office to explain why he voted for this bill. The guy that answered the phone stammered uncontrollably and transferred me to another staff member's voice mail. She hasn't returned my call. If I was a betting man, I'd bet she won't.

Monday's post will discuss Judge Sonia Sotomayor's Supreme Court nomination. Her Senate hearings begin next week. You will not want to miss it.

Cap and Trade post

Hi guys. I promised you Cap and Trade today, a.k.a. Cap and Tax. However, I've run across some more info that I want to include so I have delayed it until tomorrow because I want to be thorough. It's gonna be a long read but, to use one of Glenn Beck's analogies, "it's gonna make blood shoot out of your eyes !!" Why ?? You're gonna be very, very ticked at the Federal government after you read it. Don't miss it. Till tomorrow ......

News abundance over July 4th weekend !!

Wow, there was an abundance of news this weekend. Let's take a quick look at the highlights nationally and U.S. Politicsin the sports world :

1) Coke Zero 400 - was probably the most exciting race of 2009 to date. Tony Stewart won another one in exciting fashion. I'll be honest. When he left Joe Gibbs Racing last year to form his own team, I thought he made a big mistake. He has proven me wrong. I did not think he would be competitive, but he has won races and currently leads the points standings. Kyle Busch - I've been predicting for 2 years that his wreckless driving style of swerving and blocking would eventually lead to a big wreck. Saturday night he proved me right by taking himself out, costing himself a win, and taking out a bunch of other drivers in the process. Thankfully, no one was hurt, but I fear it's only a matter of time until someone will be if he doesn't change.

2) Steve McNair - what a tragedy. Bad way to go out. Bad legacy to leave. My next comment is not gonna be popular, but it needs to be said. Wolves can be bad decisions. Guys, we need to learn from this. We need to be men of integrity 100% of the time. That means we don't make bad decisions that can lead to destruction and our families being heartbroken and betrayed. They deserve better. It's our responsibility to give them better. McNair's wife and children are the real victims here. My heart and prayers go out to them.

3) Sarah Palin - now this is the real shocker !! Sarah-Cuda announced Friday that she will not seek re-election in 2010 and is stepping down as Governor of Alaska on July 26th. The pundits are already at it. Some say she stepped down to get an early start on her 2012 presidential campaign. Some say she stepped down to help the Republican Party re-energize it's base by campaigning for GOP candidates. Still others say that she had enough of the abuse that she and her family had endured during the last year and she's done with politics. What's the truth ?? Only time will tell. Personally, I hope it doesn't turn out to be the latter and she's done. Whether you like her or not, you have to admit that she spiced up and made interesting the 2008 election.

This Thursday, I'll get down to business of what this blog is about. The topic - Cap and Trade. You'll learn what it is, who's gonna get rich off of it, and who's gonna be paying for it. Make sure you take your blood pressure medication that day.

In memory of ....

America begins its 234th year today, and I had planned to comment on last night's Coke Zero 400. Unfortunately, those plans changed. Shortly, after posting my first blog entry last night, I received a phone call telling of my friend Robert's sudden passing. Therefore, this entry is to honor his memory. Robert was a great man. He would give you the shirt off his back even if it was the last stitch of clothing he had. He had few material possessions because he gave everything away to help others. Robert loved his children (please remember them in your prayers), his church family, and his country. He served our country bravely in the 82nd Airborne years ago. He fought to protect our independence we celebrated yesterday. If you ever needed anything, he was always there. I can remember the many times Robert sat with me to keep me company and help out during my recovery from the heart transplant. I'm forever grateful for his giving spirit. About 3 weeks ago, Robert e-mailed me the On Sheep, Wolves, and Sheepdogs article that inspired this blog. I had never seen it or heard of it before. Needless to say, with each future post I will think of him. It seems strange that just a few hours after the first post on this blog he would be gone. Our loss is heaven's gain. He will be sorely missed, but I know that one day we will meet again. Until then old friend and fellow sheepdog, until then .....

Happy July 4th !!

A big "Happy July 4th !!" to everyone. I hope everyone has a wonderful, wonderful day. My day has consisted of cutting the grass and getting ready for the Coke Zero 400 from Daytona. However, I want to encourage everyone to remember what this day, Independence Day, is truly about. Our country is now 233 years old. The men who founded it endured much persecution from the British when they took the bold step of forming this land. Many of them lost everything after putting their signature on The Declaration of Independence. As we hang out with friends and family today eating hamburgers and hotdogs and watching fireworks, let us not forget the sacrifices those brave men and their families made. Let us never take the freedoms we enjoy for granted. If we do, they may be taken from us.