Emily, very interesting possibilities. The idea involving voluntary acceptance of the ACA by states sounds very interesting, kind of like the states are doing with the Medicaid expansion. However, for those residents of states that decline Medicaid expansion, many must feel like they have been abandoned by their governors, and left without the help that those like them in "other" states DO receive. And as far as your suggestion about setting up alternative prisons, good thought, but I just can't see how it might work. I live in my state's 4th or 5th largest city (~50K) and when I moved here in the early 90's, the county jail was located here on the top floor of the post office building. Subsequently, a new modern facility was built about 8 years ago, housing 288 beds, and it is now over-crowded (330) and in a state of disrepair. There is talk of building a new and bigger county jail of 500 beds, but it is my fear that this too will soon be over-crowded and defaced. Where wold the money come from for these alternative prisons? And are you suggesting that these current prisoners be released into society or what?
Hi Mike: Not only do I think it is possible by working on prison reforms; but legally necessary and inevitable. The funding would come in two concepts combined together (so bear with me, most people can't follow both of these if they are new ideas): a. restitution collected for past crimes by individuals OR corruption/abuses by corporations and govt/party leaders. one is microlending on a local level with individuals, the other is huge debts and damages to taxpayers for wrongdoing, from corrupt govt contracts, to false incarceration currently charged to taxpayers, and costs of executions against protests by taxpayers pushing alternatives, etc. the damages from trafficking, from abusing people and property for gangs and drugs, all that can be seized for public use where RICO applies the dangerous inmates would still be held in detention, but these facilities could be combined with military housing, prisons or teaching hospitals, especially if we built military campus complexes along the border to double as security there: http://www.earnedamnesty.org b. lending credit against these debts, using a system similar to the federal reserve (which currently lends against debt anyway) until these credit accounts are paid back by the wrongdoers not the taxpayers who receive the reimbursement for public funds otherwise misspent wasted or abused for criminal activity or corruption or private profit in conflicts of interest these credits can either be tracked similar to Wall Street or the Federal Reserve keeping track or physical notes could be issued per incident of abuse, and the site or program being funded to repair said damages per community or population affected for referrences 1. ithaca hours already teaches communities legal sustainable systems for issuing and managing local currency based on laborbacked notes http://www.ithacahours.org or .com c/o Paul Glover Also the Times Bank in DC uses a database to manage the labor credits and exchanges between participating community members so this can be done within regional projects per case 2. for the legal work to assess, negotiate and collect taxpayer reimbursement per cse I recommmend going through law schools, law firms that owe restitution for enabling fraud or corruption, and political parties or nonprofits that specialize in researching wrongs owed to taxpayers including corporate fraud, nonprofit or veteran fraud, gambling and securities violations, etc. 3. in order to set up feasible plans for the wrongdoers to pay back huge debts in the millions over time i recommend the real estate investor groups that already teach people how to pool their money to buy the right priced properties so these generate income from rentals, and enough to retire as millionaires in 5-10 years So if crooks who owe millions use this model, they can be held to pay back themoney in 10 year plans instead of costing taxpayers 50K a year sitting in prison for that long. 4. for manual labor to pay back restitution, that is where I suggest converting sweatshops and prisons into workstudy programs where the rehab and restitution can be supervised and ont abused. people caught trafficking peopel or drugs can do this work and let the victims go to school instead of workign as slaves. so an exchange program can be set up, based on voluntary participation, restitution and rehab as an altnerative to death row which doesn't provide physical or financial restitution to society, only symbolic. I believe tying this with medical care is important to make sure we don't keep criminalizing and punishing the mentally ill at higher costs, but intervene sooner to cure mental and criminal illness (see http://www.spiritual-healing.us) so this prevents abuses, saves lives health and costs, and promotes investment in medical facilities and services that help more of the public instead of wasting all the funds on prison populations without curing or preventing the causes of social ills. sorry this is so long. i think if we select key cities or units to try out this model, we can organize resources around it and show it works. that the taxes saved by implementing lower cost social services can potentially convert these prisons and surrounding districts into teaching hospitals, secure detention centers possibly combined with veteran housing and jobs, and housing and health care, run by supervised interns receiving educational credits. if you like this idea, let's organize around it. my friend Ray Hill is a premier consultant on prison policies and reforms. his number is listed on that link above, or you can find him online directly. he would love to get the singlepayer advocates organized round prison reforms, if you can please help us get the ball rolling. do you have any contacts where you are that might work on devleoping such an idea for providing health care through medical facilities and educational campus districts built around public housing, public schools, prisons etc. where the internships are set up to serve the public but in sustainable ways that are cost effective instead of overreliance on welfare and govt handouts. thanks mike!
True but I have serious help pushing me to get Medicaid in Florida and SSI was applied for today, the hospital is helping me and the medical care facility I'm at now p0lus am looking for a good law form to help with SSI if an appeal is needed. I'm declared by several doctors to be unable to work now and a vocational expert says my nerve damage in my hands took away my last options for employment. So I'm confident I will get into the system. But the Medicaid Expansion would have been much easier on that end since my income is considered no other issue in the rules now I musty be declared Disabled. Oh well the system limited my medical care access and now it will support me most likely now the price of its lack of supports. I would rather get Medicaid and work but my current medical issues make that very unlikely. (sigh) I just wish the system was easier to navigate.
I am very sorry to hear of your specific situation. I certainly do understand your plight, just like that of many thousands of my Mississippi neighbors, whose Republican governor and state politicians denied them the Medicaid expansion again yesterday. Maybe in the upcoming elections, your governor will lose his office to a Democratic challenger, and the change to expanded Medicaid can begin. I sure hope so for, your sake especially, but for all the others as well.
I likely will get coverage the hospital, medical care facility I'm in are both pushing and have experts and the medical support for help is impressive. The sad thing is I'm now to disabled to work so need SSI, will get food stamps, likely any other benefits and have to try to get by. IF I had primary care earlier it might have made a difference now. Isn't that the point of the ACA help the poor get needed prevention?
notice how the freeloading left wing moonbats think those willing to work should carry everyone else.
You are correct that that IS one of the purposes of the ACA, to help the poor get needed prevention. I am not poor, but no one would insure me because of my pre-existing condition. I had not seen a doctor in over 3years after my retirement, until the ACA passed in 2010. I then found a regional office in New Orleans, and after proving to them that I had been denied coverage recently, they offered me a choice of a variety of policies. I took one and paid my premium in August 2010, and my coverage began 9/1/2010. I went to the Dr. on 9/2 and he said I needed immediate surgery. I had that in several days and they paid as promised. I suggest you go to a local office in your state, but call first to see what paperwork you need to bring. Good luck and best wishes.
I only can get Medicaid under the ACA, I did fill out the paperwork and they say I should be one it under the ACA income provisions, but I should be able to get it under current state rules and everyone says I can't work anymore so am going for SSI and Food Stamps plus what other programs I qualify for. Anyway its fine the system wouldn't pay for preventative relaible care now I'm to disabled to work and now must get serious support. I believe strongly GOP types have no compassion so why should I vote for them the Democrats are the ones really offering me the benefits I need.
Here comes those, I would say "worthless" but the cost of their unreasonableness and lack of ANYTHING positive accomplished in the House is probably astronomical. Yes, those Republicans have passed another repeal of the ACA---their 50TH TIME to date. Just think of the number of hours these wasteful and do-nothing losers have spent in this stupid effort of theirs. They obviously cannot learn from experience. I wish there was a way to tabulate the number of hours multiplied by the average salaried rate, just to see how wasteful these people are.
