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SaltonSeaSaga

SaltonSeaSaga: "'Praise ignorance, for what man has not encountered he has not destroyed.'
Wendell Berry"

I met Sam on his photo shoot at Salton Sea Beach, and me being just a hobbyist photographer, I introduced myself. He said simply that he was a writer and photojournalist. He did not elaborate, but told me to go to his site, http://www.samlow.com ----

His article is an accurate depiction of the plight of the Salton Sea.

Jim

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/20/AR2010042005183.html?wpisrc=nl_most

For an accounting of how the Bush regime ignored, bent, broke, and otherwise got around domestic and international law and moral norms, read the fascinating book by Marjorie Cohn entitled, "COWBOY REPUBLIC"

I think it's important that the Republicans, who unanimously opposed passage of this bill, read this post gleaned from the blog of Michael Moore.  Too bad, I say.  Just too damned bad.  Cry in your beer.

The Great Thing About the Health Care Law That Has Passed? It Will Save Republican Lives, Too (An Open Letter to Republicans from Michael Moore)


Monday, March 22nd, 2010

To My Fellow Citizens, the Republicans:

Thanks to last night's vote, that child of yours who has had asthma since birth will now be covered after suffering for her first nine years as an American child with a pre-existing condition.

Thanks to last night's vote, that 23-year-old of yours who will be hit one day by a drunk driver and spend six months recovering in the hospital will now not go bankrupt because you will be able to keep him on your insurance policy.

Thanks to last night's vote, after your cancer returns for the third time -- racking up another $200,000 in costs to keep you alive -- your insurance company will have to commit a criminal act if they even think of dropping you from their rolls.

Yes, my Republican friends, even though you have opposed this health care bill, we've made sure it is going to cover you, too, in your time of need. I know you're upset right now. I know you probably think that if you did get wiped out by an illness, or thrown out of your home because of a medical bankruptcy, that you would somehow pull yourself up by your bootstraps and survive. I know that's a comforting story to tell yourself, and if John Wayne were still alive I'm sure he could make that into a movie for you.

But the reality is that these health insurance companies have only one mission: To take as much money from you as they can -- and then work like demons to deny you whatever coverage and help they can should you get sick.

So, when you find yourself suddenly broadsided by a life-threatening illness someday, perhaps you'll thank those pinko-socialist, Canadian-loving Democrats and independents for what they did Sunday evening.

If it's any consolation, the thieves who run the health insurance companies will still get to deny coverage to adults with pre-existing conditions for the next four years. They'll also get to cap an individual's annual health care reimbursements for the next four years. And if they break the pre-existing ban that was passed last night, they'll only be fined $100 a day! And, the best part? The law will require all citizens who aren't poor or old to write a check to a private insurance company. It's truly a banner day for these corporations.

So don't feel too bad. We're a long way from universal health care. Over 15 million Americans will still be uncovered -- and that means about 15,000 will still lose their lives each year because they won't be able to afford to see a doctor or get an operation. But another 30,000 will live. I hope that's ok with you.

If you don't mind, we're now going to get busy trying to improve upon this bill so that all Americans are covered and so the grubby health insurance companies will be put out of business -- because when it comes to helping the sick, no one should ever be allowed to ask the question, "How much money can we save by making this poor bastard suffer?"

Please, my Republican friends, if you can, take a quiet moment away from your AM radio and cable news network this morning and be happy for your country. We're doing better. And we're doing it for you, too.

Yours,

Michael Moore

MMFlint@aol.com

MichaelMoore.com

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-greenwald/killing-enthusiasm-presid_b_478733.html

The problem with the banks is really very simple, but politicians try to mask it with complicated terminology. In a free market economy we must let businesses that make bad decisions suffer the consequences. These banks are owned by shareholders who have taken on the potential risk and reward of these banks. We have the FDIC that offers limited protection up to $100,000 per account to prevent a run on the bank, and to protect the majority of people’s savings. The biggest part of the problem is the “savior” mentality, that we can save these banks. The best way to have sustainable banks is to allow them to fail if that is the result of their bad business decisions.




— Chris Lyons

http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/no_obama_obituaries_please_20100120/

After today's disastrous ruling by the supreme court that corporations can spend unlimited amounts of money to influence elections, we are now, officially, a fascist state. (The definition of fascism is the combining of corporations, governments and the military.) Once the corporations own the government our military becomes their beck and call billy club around the world for their profits--not only that but with this kind of influence they will only allow those who will agree to transfer the greatest amounts of our collective tax wealth to them through wars, contracts, subsidies, etc. They will have it all and social safety nets will be drastically reduced to feed this horrible beast.




We need a constitutional amendment and we need for everyone in this country to sign onto the idea. So when you get this email, if you will copy and paste it into a new mail each time so it doesn't end up as one of those indented messes after 10 reiterations, that would be great. People for the American Way are starting an action page to get the word out and to take action against this anti-democratic abortion that has been inflicted upon us. I really hope you sign on and pass this on to EVERYONE. it is the most important email I have ever sent; yes, even more important than the contamination of our food sources with (genetic mutation) and chemicals because now that company will own Washington. It is the end of America and democracy if we allow this decision to stand. We may as well be piss ants for the corporations to burn under their magnifying glasses as they laugh all the way to the bank with our tax dollars. They've gotten a lions share of them for many years not but you ain't seen nothing yet. If we can't change this, it is the beginning of the end.



Pigs at the trough.



Shelley



Jim Pankey, USN (Ret.)





http://site.pfaw.org/site/PageServer?pagename=Amend&autologin=true