Affordable Health Care Act: Affordable for Who?

I am not good at any kind of political writing, but I feel compelled to do it any way because I am uber frustrated right now. I write about recovery and my faith, losing weight and dealing with mental health issues. That is my bailiwick. That is my disclaimer because what follows is pure frustration and anger, which are pretty alien to me now that I am in recovery. Now for the rant!!!!

Affordable for who????? They call it the affordable health care act and I can't see how that is. My wife was paying $300 a month for our previous insurance so we opted out of my insurance. Her insurance was a little bit better than mine was, so we went with her. Now that she is stay at home, we have looked back to my work for insurance. My work insurance went up 25% after the new affordable health care act went into effect. That was after them shopping around and changing plans.

We looked at Blue Cross/Blue Shield a month ago, and since the new act went into effect the price they have quoted us was doubled from a month ago. I want to know who this is supposed to be affordable for? Because for most of the people that I know, a 25% increase in one of your monthly bills that is NOW MANDATORY OR YOU GET FINED is too much.

To put the quote into perspective, the price for my wife and I alone is MORE THAN OUR  HOUSE AND TRUCK PAYMENTS COMBINED!!!!! Again I ask, how is that considered affordable? My daughter has insurance through medicaid since she was born with cataracts and is considered legally blind and we only have to pay $75 a month for her. The premium I talk about being more than both payments does not even include that $75.

I guess that if you are disabled or have insanely low income, this may be affordable because you will have medicaid. Other wise, it looks like we are screwed. I will pay almost $10,000 a year for insurance that has a $1,000 deductible and $4,000 out of pocket each maximum. If we both get ill, that is almost $20,000 a year for and with insurance. WHO IS THIS AFFORDABLE FOR!!!!! 

I PAY 20% OF MY GROSS FOR TAXES, THEN I GET TAXED ANOTHER 5-10% ON EVERYTHING I BUY. I PAY PROPERTY TAXES ON MY HOUSE AND CAR AND ANOTHER 20% OF MY TAKE HOME NOW FOR INSURANCE. I WOULD ALMOST RATHER BE A SOCIALIST STATE. AT LEAST AFTER I GOT TAXED 40% THERE I WOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY A MAX OUT OF POCKET!!!!!!

This is by far the most bent out of shape I can remember being in quite some time. I just cannot fathom how we are supposed to be able to live after they take 50% of my pay check then expect me to pay deductibles and everything else. I see why people stay on welfare or disability once they get on it. It sucks to have these stressors. I could just check out and get disability.

I could probably get a disability check for my multiple mental health diagnosis, from bipolar disorder to generalized anxiety and a personality disorder or two to boot. Here is what that would look like: low cost/free housing, medicaid, SSID of about $1000-15000 a month, $600 in food stamps and maybe $300 in TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families). But I will not take that, because I have the ability to work and there are a lot of people who can't function who really need that money.

For those who think that I am going to side with one group or the other, you are out of luck. For the most part politicians are millionaires that we pay hundreds of thousands of dollars a year to do several months of work. Our tax dollar also pays for them and their families to have insurance. Ninety percent of those in congress are so far out of touch with the realities a middle class family faces.

I am almost tempted to just pay the $2,000 per person fine for my wife and I. That is only $4,000 a year and it is cheaper. If I get sick, then I can just file bankruptcy. That would keep me in line with the members of congress. Last I saw, there were over 100 bankruptcies filed by members of congress and the senate. If it is good enough for our leaders, I could just follow their lead.

I am so frustrated and disgusted right now. I am not used to these feelings, so I am using my blog to vent. If anyone agrees with this rant, please let me know. If you disagree, keep it civil but let me know why. And if you have an alternative solution, please share it.

The State of America: 4 More Years

The truth is, I am worried for America. Not because O'Bama is president, or that a democrat is president once again. I have seen some people insinuate that America is heading to hell because we elected O'Bama. How dare you! I will address this statement later. What concerns me is that I have never seen our country this polarized. If we are not united, we will fall. Our hate for each other is causing a divide that someone could easily capitalize on. United we stand, divided we fall is true for our country as it has been true for every super power before us.

Atheists and Agnostics, this is for you. I had a friend say that he is content today knowing everything does not count on this fiction called God. He said that science and common sense once again won out over those who believe in unicorns because O'Bama is president. He said that O'Bama won by secular votes because no Christians would vote for him. I have many friends who are Christians that voted for O'Bama (I don't believe they are going to hell). I know that horrifies both the Christians and non-Christians alike, but it is true.

To address the unicorn part, I don't believe in unicorns but I do believe in God. I find it easier to believe in an all powerful God that has always existed than the uncaused cause causing the Big Bang (just saying that is confusing), chaos causing order, life springing from non-living matter and then micro-evolution. It's called Occam's Razor. I find God to be the answer containing the least assumptions.

To Christians, be careful. Your hate is showing. It is okay to say that you are unhappy about the results, but saying, "Everyone who voted for O'Bama is going to Hell," is taking it a bit far. How about realizing that in the end, all things happen for a reason. A long time ago I learned that not all things happen the way we want them to, but they happen the way they are supposed to. God always has been and always will be in control.

Further more, we are to show love to our fellow man, not hate. Empathy not apathy. This election outcome impacts a temporary world, not the eternal Kingdom we should be focused on. If you are feeling hopeless today because of the election's outcome, that is not a political problem. That is a spiritual problem. Remember who is in control. 

I would encourage all to pray for our country, as well as all of the other countries out there. I would encourage you to pray for the leaders on a local, state, national and global level. We are to be salt and light, and I am not seeing that the way I would like to today. We need to be that for people. We are to love our fellow man, not hate on him. So let's start doing that!

The Bible says we should pray for our leaders. Please, join me in praying this day and every day after for the United States and other countries, for Democrats and Republicans, for blacks and whites for the rich and the poor. All people deserve our prayer and love, not our derision and hate.

For those who say, to quote one of my friends, "If you didn't vote then keep your mouth closed you have no right to say anything" I guess I had a little to say. Since my friend was a Christian who said that I will say that my kingdom is not of this world. I have my eyes focused on the eternal. I look forward to that kingdom finally coming. Until then, I will pray for all politicians and all nations to have the wisdom and courage to do what is right. Maybe someday they will.............

Why I Have Chosen Not to Vote

I know that this will anger a lot of people. I am no longer going to be a good American, based on their their beliefs. I will also not have the right to complain, because I didn't vote. After all, I have been reminded often that it is my duty as an American to vote and that you have no right to say anything if you don't vote. In order to be a good citizen, voting is considered to be a requirement. If you want to have an opinion, then voting is a must.

I would wager that there were many great Americans that were unable to vote before the 15th Amendment was passed in the late 1800's. I would also guarantee that there were ladies with very good opinions before the early 1900's, when the 19th Amendment was passed and they gained the right to vote. But, according to some people they could not have been because they didn't vote. That is pure and absolute hogwash. (I know that is not what they are saying, but I am making my point through an example. Sure they couldn't vote, but this is an extreme example.)

So, I have decided that I will not vote in the presidential elections this year. This is done while knowing that it is my duty as a citizen and Christian. Yes, I have also heard that as a good Christian you must vote. I guess that I will be not only a bad American but a bad Christian, too. Although I am unsure what the measurement is for good/bad American and good/bad Christian. If voting is your measurement, than you need a new way to measure. Not judging, I'm just saying.

So, here is why I have chosen not to vote:

1. I am tired of voting against someone and not for them. I should not have to cast a vote to the lesser of two evils. Why can I not have a candidate for president that I truly can stand behind?
2. I do not really agree with the way the candidates are living their lives. If I can not outright support somebodies actions, choices and morals I can not support them. Period.
3. I want a candidate that tells me what he/she will do and not how bad their opponents suck at life. Act like a gentleman and show people some respect! I have never seen so many negative campaign ads in my life.
4. After watching the primaries I have heard most of the parties bash their candidates. I heard it this year for the Republicans and in 2008 for the Democrats. If so many of their own party members were very recently against them, how can I possibly be for them?
5. I want someone who does what they say they will do. I have not seen that from any of the candidates.

I know that voting is a priviledge. I chose not to take advantage of that priviledge. Gun rights are a priviledge, yet I know a lot of people without guns. I guess they are bad Mericans'. I am sure that there are people who would die to have the right to vote. There are also many who would die to have food, yet there is a lot of it allowed to rot or get thrown away over here. That is flawed reasoning.

So, should you vote? That is entirely on you and you alone. You are not any better or any worse than the next guy if you do or don't vote. If there are issues that speak to you, then by all means vote. It is your right to vote. Use it if that is what you are led to do. I would say pray and let the Spirit lead you. After all, that is what I do.

I am a Christian and every day I pray that God use me as His hands and feet and make me more like Jesus. So, before I came to this decision I prayed about it. I heard that whisper tell me not to vote for Romney or Obama. I immediately began to question where governments came from and why there is so much name calling and strife in them. They are man made, not God made no matter what anyone says. How dare a candidate or party claim to be "God's Choice."

It was laid on my heart to do what Christ would have done. Who would Jesus vote for? I don't think He would have voted. He would have prayed for ALL of the candidates and ALL of the voters, though. How dare anyone call themselves a Christian one minute and then say that anyone voting for ________(fill-in name of candidate or political party here) will go to Hell the next minute. SHAME ON YOU!!!

Christ would have seen that there are inherent evils in every political party. Yes, even you 3rd and 4th party candidates have huge flaws. He would have seen that there was also good in all political parties in this election. Then He would have continued to heal the sick and lead the lost. He would continue to talk, but not about how much better He was making this world or some politician was making this world. He would say, as He did to Pilate, "My kingdom (government) is not of this world."

Because of all that, I chose not to vote this year in the presidential election. Does that mean that I don't want change? My life is spent in service to others. Therefore, I will continue to enact change through my daily life. I will use my life to impact others. My eyes are not focused on the next 4 years, or even the next 20. Afer all, I am a citizen of a far greater Kingdom than the United States. I have my eyes cast on a much higher governing body.

I know that I am blessed to live in the United States because of our many freedoms. I do not take that for granted, nor do I take it lightly! I will not, however, cast my vote this year because none of the candidates are the ones I would stand behind. Instead I will continue to help those who are struggling with their faith, addictions, mental illnesses, or other life consuming issues and I will continue to preach the gospel. After all, that is what Christ would do.