Dave Heil wrote:

JJ wrote:

Dave Heil wrote:


Why would paying for your doctor visits and your medications be the
government's responsibility?


Do you pay for all your doctor visits and medications, or does some
insurance pay for a good portion of it? I suppose when you are eligible
for Medicare you are going to refuse it, after all,it should not be the
governments responsibility to pay for your medical, Right?


I'm not old enough for medicare and it matters not whether insurance
covers my visits or medications. Fact is: Government is not paying for
my medical care nor do I feel that I have a right to government
subsidized medical care. That said, care to answer my question?

How about answering my questions. Do you pay for all your doctor visits
and medications out of your pocket? When you do qualify for Medicare,
you are going to refuse?

Kim W5TIT wrote:

"Dave Heil" wrote in message
...
Kim W5TIT wrote:

"Dave Heil" wrote in message
...
JJ wrote:

Kim W5TIT wrote:



You know what? I am not so sure that it would take all that much,
Jim. I
am not even going to pretend to be a financier, but I wonder how
much
of the
Federal Budget, i.e. your and my tax dollars, get spent away from
our
country. Then, how much foreign debt is "forgiven" each year?

I would wager we could cut the foreigh aid we send to support those
little ****ant dictators in some of those ****ant countries and have
more than enough to provide good health care for every citizen.

Foreign aid goes a long way toward having those countries vote in the
U.N. in line with our policies.


Yeah, money always has been very easy to throw around, 'specially when
it's
someone else's.

It isn't "someone else's" money, Kim. It is government money obtained
from those Americans who pay taxes. The money is being spent in the
interest of the people of the U.S.


There's other ways to win friends and influence people--and
ways that would mean a lot more and build better alliances in the
longrun.

What would you suggest, takeovers of countries or free beer at the U.S.
embassy on Friday evenings?


Some of it puts military officers from
third world countries through *our* military academies. It gives
those
officers a chance to live in the U.S. and see how our system works.


Yeah, so they can go and influence a bunch of rebels in their or other
homelands and train enemies to the US.

Is that what you believe is happening?

We don't need someone learning "our"
way of doing things...let them figure it out for themselves.

Not much chance of that. You live here and you haven't figured it out.


Some of the aid brings scholars to the U.S. to study.


So they can go back to their land, grow a company, and somehow through
many
different ways, we end up losing jobs and capital over here.

Do you believe that is the purpose for bringing foreign students to the
U.S. for schooling?


If we build a
needed flood control dam in Sierra Leone, good will toward the United
States is generated.


Give them a very, very low interest loan with a good down payment and
let
them build their own damned dam.

That is quite often done. On other occasions, the money comes in the
form of a grant. The actual construction, by the way, is often done by
U.S. companies.


A decade or so back, Botswana actually weaned
itself from U.S. aid and thanked us.


'Sbout damned time...although I doubt they're as "weaned" as they should
be
or are.

...but that's probably just another thing you know little about, huh?


Why would paying for your doctor visits and your medications be the
government's responsibility?


Uh, because *we live* in this country?

Yeah? So? How does that entitle you to free medical care?

So, you disagree with programs that
improve our infrastructure that is pitiful, helps our kids and elderly
with
healthcare and even education, begins an effort to ending welfare for
the
capable, improves health conditions nationwide--and more, while our
government is off in other lands playing Godfather?! Figures, Dave.

I don't believe that most Americans believe that anyone other than those
children and elderly people should be given free or subsidized health
care.

The people of this country who are being taxed to the hilt are paying
for
the backbone of crap in this country and the rest of the world.

They're paying for what?

It's time
the rest of the world and the nitwits in this country get pushed out of
the
nest. But, of course that ain't happenin' any time soon.

There's the Lucy Van Pelt view of Foreign Policy for you. Why don't you
stick to things you know something about...as soon as you figure out
what those might be?

Dave K8MN


I think you're about the hugest piece of crap I've been witness to in a
long, long time, Dave Heil.

That'd only be because I've refuted your silliness on yet another
occasion, Kim. You'll have to make up your mind on whether I'm the
biggest since you've awarded similar honors to Dwight, Dan, Larry and me
at various times.

You go back into your silver spoon 'gain,
now...

I actually own some silver spoons, Kim, but if you're referring to the
same soon you say I was born with, you're as wrong this time as the
first time.

Buh bye...get another book.

Why, thank you. I have a scads of books but I always enjoy getting a
new one!

Aren't you going to tell me whether you believe yourself entitled to
free health care at government expense? How about whether you think our
foreign policy dollars are being misused?

Dave K8MN

Dan/W4NTI wrote:

"Kim W5TIT" wrote in message

I think you're about the hugest piece of crap I've been witness to in a
long, long time, Dave Heil. You go back into your silver spoon 'gain,
now... Buh bye...get another book.


See what I mean Dave? Totally unable to counter what you said. Because she
knows you are right.

I'm not sure that she knows I'm right but I suspect that she had an idea
that she is incorrect. Kim would rather babble about silver spoons and
books than defend her erroneous claims.

Yep,..... a knee jerk, bleeding heart, commie
liberal.

I don't know if I'd use a term like "commie". Kim writes like a
socialist and most of her positions are based on her emotions and
"feelings" rather than what she knows to be fact.

Dave K8MN

JJ wrote:

Dave Heil wrote:

JJ wrote:

Dave Heil wrote:


Why would paying for your doctor visits and your medications be the
government's responsibility?


Do you pay for all your doctor visits and medications, or does some
insurance pay for a good portion of it? I suppose when you are eligible
for Medicare you are going to refuse it, after all,it should not be the
governments responsibility to pay for your medical, Right?


I'm not old enough for medicare and it matters not whether insurance
covers my visits or medications. Fact is: Government is not paying for
my medical care nor do I feel that I have a right to government
subsidized medical care. That said, care to answer my question?

How about answering my questions. Do you pay for all your doctor visits
and medications out of your pocket?

Your question is irrelevant since I already stated that government is
not paying for my medical care. Neither my parents nor my sister are
paying for my medical care. My Uncle Frank isn't paying and you aren't
paying.

When you do qualify for Medicare,
you are going to refuse?

I'll let you know when the time comes. Is that fair?

Foreign aid wouldn't begin to cover socialized medicine and it is money
well spent.

Dave K8MN

Dave Heil wrote:

Your question is irrelevant since I already stated that government is
not paying for my medical care. Neither my parents nor my sister are
paying for my medical care. My Uncle Frank isn't paying and you aren't
paying.

Earlier you stated, "it matters not whether insurance covers my visits
or medications." Well, if you have no insurance and you can't pay out of
you own pocket when you receive medical care, then yep, your parents,
sister, Uncle Frank and the rest of us are paying for your medical care
with our taxes that subsidize medical care for those who don't pay.


When you do qualify for Medicare,
you are going to refuse?


I'll let you know when the time comes. Is that fair?

Fair, but I bet you don't refuse.

Foreign aid wouldn't begin to cover socialized medicine and it is money
well spent.

Most of it probably, but a lot just goes to line the pockets of little
dictators.

"Dave Heil" wrote in message
...
Dan/W4NTI wrote:

"Kim W5TIT" wrote in message

I think you're about the hugest piece of crap I've been witness to in
a
long, long time, Dave Heil. You go back into your silver spoon 'gain,
now... Buh bye...get another book.


See what I mean Dave? Totally unable to counter what you said. Because
she
knows you are right.

I'm not sure that she knows I'm right but I suspect that she had an idea
that she is incorrect. Kim would rather babble about silver spoons and
books than defend her erroneous claims.

Yep,..... a knee jerk, bleeding heart, commie
liberal.

I don't know if I'd use a term like "commie". Kim writes like a
socialist and most of her positions are based on her emotions and
"feelings" rather than what she knows to be fact.

Dave K8MN

It's a small jump from Socialist to Communist Dave. My life experience
tells me they are one and the same.

Dan/W4NTI

In article , JJ
writes:

The U.S. does need to develope better mass transit in large
metropolitian areas. When I lived in the Dallas/Ft. Worth, Texas area,
the two cities were always complaining about the heavy commute traffic
and how they were not using the available mass transit system. The would
encourage people to car pool or use what mass transit was available, all
the while they were expanding the freeway system to accomodate more
vehicles. If you want people to use mass transit you have to 1) build a
good mass transit system, and 2) don't build massive freeway systems
that make it easier for people to drive their vehicles to work than ride
mass transit.

One of the main problems is that even in the most densely-populated areas
during peak traffic hours, all those cars on the roadway only occupy about
five percent of the available road surface. Intelligent highway systems could
solve that problem by taking the drivers out of the loop during, taking control
of the cars and allowing them to safely convoy almost bumper-to-bumper.
In this way, traffic volume could be multiplied many times without building
more roads. Would you trust a computer to drive your Buick?

73 de Larry, K3LT

In article , Alun
writes:

I think you should build the freeways, but mass transit should be
developped much more as well. I used to commute 23 miles each way into
London by train. I am now 27 miles by road from downtown Washington DC,
but I am 15 miles from the nearest station!!

As long as I have to drive half way there to get to the station I'm going
to drive all the way there. A system where the trains only run about 15
miles out from the middle of downtown is basically hopelessly crippled by
European standards, and doesn't really count as 'available' to most
people.

When most of the commuters live way, way beyond the end of the line it can
never live up to it's potential. Sure, we are more spread out in America,
but all that should mean is that I may have to drive across town to the
station. It should never mean that I have to drive to another town 15
miles away to catch a commuter train, but that's how it is now, and
needless to say, I don't do it.

Alun:

The situation you describe pretty much sums up the limitations that geography
imposes on public transit systems. A partial solution would be to utilize
demand-
response systems whereby busses travelling flexible routes on flexible
schedules can pick up commuters at their door, and transfer them to the nearest
fixed-route terminal. Once demand patterns are established, the system can be
re-scheduled at will to ensure maximum transit vehicle utilization without
inconveniencing passenger scheduling. This is done all the time in my own line
of work, which is Paratransit operations. The concept can be easily overlayed
on any other route structure, and there would be the advantage that most, if
not all, of the passengers would be able-bodied, and there would be no time
lost loading and securing wheelchairs or providing assistance to slow-moving
people who have difficulty in boarding the bus. The problem, of course, is
that adding such a service would come at a high cost. Would most commuters be
willing to pay the price of being to leave their cars home? A fare structure
which required the rider to pay the full, non-subsidized cost of the
demand-response portion of his transit service would mean forking over a fare
of up to $10-15 for that portion of the ride. Of course, some commuters pay
that much just to park their automobiles for the day. OTOH, they would not have
the option of making a trip to Home Depot on the way home.

The best solution would probably to simply arrange it so that more people were
able to work closer to where they live. Another is to adopt the European
paradigm of establishing communities with higher population density in
residential areas. That would mean more townhouses and condominium apartment
complexes, and fewer single-family homes surrounded by acres of grass and
concrete. When more people live closer together, it becomes much more
cost-effective to provide mass transit.

73 de Larry, K3LT

In article , "Kim W5TIT"
writes:

I tired mass transit when I first started working downtown. Nothing
convenient, friendly, safe, or good about it at all. It was scarey because
of the drivers, inconvenient because I had to work my schedule around
theirs, unfriendly people getting on and off knocking others with their
asses or briefcases, and I'll never do it again.

Kim W5TIT


Here's a little known fact that much of the travelling public would never be
able
to guess: There are no regulations at the state or federal level which govern
how
many hours a transit operator (bus driver, motorman, paratransit operator,
etc.)
can work within a 24-hour period. It is common practice for transit operators
to
work inordinate amounts of voluntary overtime, sometimes putting in double
shifts on a daily basis. The Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) governs the
amount of hours truck drivers can be on duty during a 24-hour period, I believe
the present limit is 10 hours of continuous duty with a mandatory 8-hour rest
period thereafter. Log books documenting time at the wheel and at rest are
required, and in the case of single-operator trucks, the rest periods must be
verified by time and mileage records that are a part of their log.

Since transit vehicles operate within a closed region, as opposed to
interstate, they are not covered by such rules. Therefore, the bus you board
could be being driven by a person who has been on duty for 10, 12, or 14 hours
-- or more! I recently attended a meeting of my local union in which our own
local union President claimed that he routinely worked in excess of 100 hours
per week as a fixed-route bus driver. Keep in mind, there are only 168 hours
in a whole week! This is obviously a shocking hazard to public safety, and
legislation is obviously needed which establish and enforce reasonable operator
duty limits within the transit industry. "Scarey
drivers" indeed, Kim. Who wants to ride a bus being driven by a zombie?

73 de Larry, K3LT

JJ wrote:

Dave Heil wrote:

Your question is irrelevant since I already stated that government is
not paying for my medical care. Neither my parents nor my sister are
paying for my medical care. My Uncle Frank isn't paying and you aren't
paying.

Earlier you stated, "it matters not whether insurance covers my visits
or medications." Well, if you have no insurance and you can't pay out of
you own pocket when you receive medical care, then yep, your parents,
sister, Uncle Frank and the rest of us are paying for your medical care
with our taxes that subsidize medical care for those who don't pay.

That's quite a leap, JJ. If I'm against socialized medicine and have
clearly made known my opposition for government provided medical care,
I'm not likely looking for a handout.

When you do qualify for Medicare,
you are going to refuse?

I'll let you know when the time comes. Is that fair?

Fair, but I bet you don't refuse.

Bet all you like but check with me in twelve years or so.

Foreign aid wouldn't begin to cover socialized medicine and it is money
well spent.

Most of it probably, but a lot just goes to line the pockets of little
dictators.

How much is a lot? What percentage of U.S. aid money lines the pockets
of dictators? Is it enough, as you claimed, to take care of providing
free health care to Americans?

Dave K8MN