Do the French have it better?

Those who are promoting Obama's universal health care point to the French. Everyone in France has health care, but do they really have it better than we do?

In the U.S., the personal tax rate tops out at around 36%. In France, it's 50%. In France, employers contribute 12.8% of employee compensation for national health insurance. Add that to the 7.65% employers are already paying for social security/medicare, and you will probably price some people out of their jobs.

In France, chronic deficits have forced the government to add large amounts of tax revenue to health insurance financing, including a 5.25% income tax surcharge -- they pay tax on their tax. The situation is so unsustainable, according to the head of the Department of Health Policy and Management at the Institute of Political Studies in Paris, that the French government will either have to raise employee contributions or limit national health insurance to the 10 million people with chronic illnesses.

In France, Elizabeth Dutertre needed surgery to correct double vision. She was lucky the first time -- she was able to have the surgery two months after the diagnosis. When she needed a second surgery, however, she was told it would be two years. She opted to take care of it herself and had the surgery in three weeks. In the U.S. however, though Obama denies it, we are headed for mandatory government health care. No one will have the option to go private.

Doctors in France are opting out of the national health care and giving up government pensions in the process because the government-set fees aren't enough to cover their expenses. Will the same happen in the U.S.? I know of several doctors here who no longer accept Medicaid, so it's not unreasonable to assume their practices won't be able to survive when everything is mandated by the government.

In the U.S., treatments and survival rates for cancers and other diseases are better than in France. And isn't that the bottom line? Universal care doesn't make sense economically or medically.

"France controls health costs." The Dallas Morning News; May 17, 2009; p. 14A.

Duh!

If you're going to be a smart-aleck, you should at least be smart. Gene Furlong of Dallas wrote this pithy little letter to the editor:

"Driving through Highland Park recently made me realize how bad their economy is. I saw a poodle on a leash that wasn't wearing clothes."

In the first place, seems like Gene's got a bad case of class envy. In the second place, what he wrote isn't funny. In the third place, I've never before seen a leash wear clothes.

"HP economy hit hard." The Dallas Morning News; April 29, 2009; p. 12A.

What can you say and when can you say it?

Our Supreme Court made a good decision in April -- the FCC has the right to fine broadcasters when they allow certain expletives to hit the airwaves. But the vote was close -- 5-4. I see that changing if Obama gets more than one new justice pick.

Just imagine what it will be like then -- you won't be able to say, "Jesus" or "God" on the air, but you will be able to take His name in vain and use the "f" and "s" words all you want. What an enlightened society we will be then!

"Justices apply soap to TV foul mouths." The Dallas Morning News; April 29, 2009; p. 6A.

And this is a good thing?

I just heard an ABC report on Obama's trip to the Middle East to "reach out" to Muslim nations. The news correspondent in Egypt was gushing over Obama as news correspondents generally do. He said that when the people on the streets there heard the name Obama, they would break into smiles and nod their heads with, "Obama! Obama!"

The correspondent says this is not due to the color of Obama's skin or to his Muslim name. Rather it is because these people know that Obama will bring U.S. policy much closer to their own.

By the way, Obama also said on French TV that America could be considered one of the largest Muslim nations -- after he denied earlier this year that we are a Christian nation. Heaven help us!

Being too broad-minded can get you into trouble!

In April, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) voted against accepting openly gay pastors. Good for them! Unfortunately, the vote was much closer this time than it was the last time the gay folks forced it.

Tricia Dykers Koenig (is that name appropriate, or what?) said, "The big story here is that many traditionally conservative areas of the country voted to accept gay clergy and lay officers in the church. Our image of what it means to be created in the image of God is broadening."

When I read that quote, I immediately thought of this scripture: "Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat" Matthew 7:13. Maybe her image is broadening, but I don't think God's is.

"Presbyterians reject openly gay clergy." The Dallas Morning News; April 28, 2009; p. 3B.

How long are we going to allow this to go on?

The Alameda County School District in California has instituted a homosexual curriculum for grades K-5. Parents may not opt-out for their kids. School board member Tracy Jensen said, "We are not telling anyone what to think." Of course they are! That's why the classes are mandatory! A woman who examined the curriculum said, "This curriculum ignores the fact that every child has a mom and a dad, to redefine ideas like 'family.' . . . students have to embrace highly controversial social values or risk being labeled as bigots . . . It's social activism."

Here's what they'll be brainwashing the kiddies with:

In first grade, students will read "Who is in a Family?" By Robert Skutch. It explores different types of families. One page states, " … Robin's family is made up of her dad, Clifford, her dad's partner, Henry, and Robin's cat, Sassy." Teachers will ask children to "identify and describe a variety of families" and "to understand that families have some similarities and some differences." "If a student responds that one family in the book is made up of a mother, a father and two children and a cat, you may acknowledge that some families look like this," the curriculum states. Does that sound to you that they don't like a normal family -- that there's something work with it?

Second grade students will read about two homosexual penguins that raise a young chick in the book "And Tango Makes Three" by J. Richardson and P. Parnell. When the male penguins nurture an egg, it soon hatches. "We'll call her Tango," it states, "because it takes two to make a Tango." But not two males!

3rd grade students will watch 'That's a Family' featuring some homosexual couples in addition to traditional families. According to the lesson plan, it aims to "assist students in developing sensitivity to gay and lesbian family structures" and teach "respect and tolerance for every type of family." But what about parents who don't want their children to "respect and tolerate" what God has called an abomination?

Fourth graders will be required to read an essay titled, "My School is Accepting -- but Things Could be Better" by Robert, an 11-year-old who has two lesbian mothers. Teachers are instructed to ask, "How do you think Robert feels when he hears people say things like, 'this is gay' or 'You're so gay'?" Well, Robert should feel embarrassed! Robert should be taught that his "family" is not normal.

By fifth grade, students learn to "identify stereotypes about lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people." They are told that "LGBT people have made important contributions within the United States and beyond." Teachers are asked to write the acronym LGBT and ask students the meaning of each letter. Students discuss why stereotypes are "incorrect and hurtful" to LGBT people and people with LGBT family members. In the first place, most stereotypes are NOT incorrect. There's a reason they become stereotypes -- they're largely true! If you've never had your gay-dar go off, you probably are oblivious to most things around you. The children are provided with a list of famous LGBT people, including novelist James Baldwin, singer Elton John, comedian Ellen Degeneres, pop singer Christina Aguilera, Rep. Tammy Baldwin, poet Walt Whitman, singer Lance Bass, figure skater Rudy Galindo, homosexual politician Harvey Milk, Army veteran Jose Zuniga and basketball player Sheryl Swoopes. Yeah, let's teach our kids that all these perverts are heroes, and they should aspire to be perverts, too!

As Christians and normal heterosexual people, we better start standing up and doing something about this. The homosexual agenda is sending this country down the tubes, and it's doing it fast!

http://www.onenewsnow.com/Education/Default.aspx?id=529992

More Diversity.

On April 23, I wrote about how much diversity there was in the people Obama was appointing to key positions. "The Obama Women," as they are called, are mostly black women. However, last month Obama added some more diversity as he picked a white woman to be the new consumer safety chief, and of course, Judge Sotomayor, a hispanic, for the Supreme Court. On his Supreme Court pick, there were four women and one man on the short list -- the man didn't even get an interview.

Do you think Obama picks so many women because he's a little intimidated by men? Do you think he's picking them because he thinks they're not as smart as he is? Do you think he's picking them because he thinks they'll do whatever he says without question? Or do you think he's picking them because Michelle told him to?

"Obama picks new consumer safety chief." The Dallas Morning News; May 6, 2009; p. 9A.