wandering hillbilly

pinions of buddy don:
is this inny way to run a bizness?

looks lack that new entitlement fer the prescription drug cumpnies is a'gone pass after all. mayhap it dun has. wuz i thonly one that bought the publican spin that publicans wood be less lackly to increase spendin than the demcrats? i thought tax n spend wuz bad, but borry n spend is even worser on a counta how much we half to pay to cover innerest on the federal debt. we spent $318 billions in debt service jes las year (2003). to give a lil perspective on this, the hole entitlement program fer them drug cumpnies is $400 billions over ten years!

how did we git here? well, frum 1946 to 1980, the federal debt (in current dollars) went frum $241.9 billions to $711.9 billions. frum 1980 till 1997 it went frum $711.9 billions to $3,772.3 billions. it then dropped fer a few years (till we gut a corse correckshun frum the current presdint), goin frum $3,772.4 billions in 1997 down to $3,319.6 billions in 2001, a drop of $452.8 billions. frum then till the projeckshuns fer 2004, its rizin to $4,166.1 billions. thangs keep on thataway accordin to the presidint's OMB perjeckshuns so that by 2008, we should git over the $5 trillions hurdle with a debt of $5,002.9 billions.

sum folks mite thank this new medicare reform law is a benefit fer the folks that needs hep payin fer medicine, but they wood be rong. ifn twere, the federal gummint wood be negotiatin in behalf of them folks n not in behalf of the cumpnies. fer instunts, the veterns administrayshun gits bulk deals frum them drug cumpnies, n that gits thar drug prices down a hole lot. we dun herd bout how drugs is cheaper in canada even tho thar made by the same cumpnies, n thats on a counta buyin in bulk n negotiatin the prices down. so ifn this bill wuz to hep folks, twood do sum bulk price negotiatin of its own, but in sted of that, they gut it tricked out to whar thats eggzackly whut ye aint allowed to do.

let me repeat: with this bill, the feds is prohibited frum negotiatin better prices frum the drug cumpnies! so tiz a gummint of the cumpnies, by the cumpnies n fer the cumpnies, not fer the people on a counta ye kin see witch side the gummint is takin in this fite.

kin ye magine usin this same kinda logick to run a cumpny? say fer instunts that the hed of the cumpny deecides cant nobidy in the cumpny try to negotiate bulk discount rates on computer equipment. in sted, they could tell each departmint that when they buy, they purty much half to pay the seller's askin price. yer ceo runnin a cumpny that way woodnt last one year on a counta how he wooda wasted his cumpnys money.

fortunately, thays sum folks that wins on thisn:

1. folks that contribute to publicans
   
2. folks with holdins in health care cumpnies
   
3. aarp insurance bizness
   
4. drug cumpnies: "The final version, however, omitted the popular idea of making it easy for American consumers to reimport U.S.-manufactured drugs from Canada and other Western countries where the medicines are less expensive."
   
5. drug cumpnies: "No industry in negotiations over the $400 billion Medicare prescription drug bill headed to the House floor today outpaced the pharmaceutical lobby in securing a favorable program design and defeating proposals most likely to cut into its profits, according to analysts in and out of the industry.
   
6. drug cumpnies: "One Republican with ties to the industry said drugmakers eluded the three things they feared most: legalized importation of lower-cost medicines, many of them patented or made in the United States; government price controls; and easier market access for generic drugs that cost considerably less than brand-name drugs. "In their view, by improving access for all seniors, we will ameliorate any pressure on the industry toward price controls or reimportation," the source said."

at least tiz still legal to order yer drugs frum canada, lack my publican in-laws has to do to make ends meet --

oops! rong agin. looks lack my in-laws is a'gone half to go back to wurk to pay fer the drugs they wuz gittin at under half price frum canada: "The bill essentially would prevent Americans from buying drugs in Canada by requiring the Department of Health and Human Services to first certify that it is safe to do so. The department's head, Tommy Thompson, has said he would not do that."