A friend of mine, a chef here in Santa Fe, is trying to raise $15,000 to pay for a prosthetic foot he needs after a terrible accident, so he can get back to work and feed his family.

In every other normal civilized wealthy country — Canada, Switzerland, England, France, Australia, etc. — he would receive the necessary treatment for free.

So what is it the Republican minority is so frightened of that it is working to prevent reform of our health care system? Helping people get back to work? No. They don't care about that. They care about getting re-elected. Senators get free health care, don't forget. They care about the money they get from lobbyists and insurance companies.

The recent health care forum exposed this hypocrisy. And so we still have a pathetic, inequitable health care system in this country, despite what we are led to believe.


Medicare can't take cuts

When you're 75, there's a damn better chance you're going to need medical attention than when you're 25.

Yet the Democratic agenda is to cut Medicare by hundreds of billions by slashing payments to the providers, even though it's getting harder and harder to find primary-care physicians who'll even take Medicare patients.

The idea is that doctors order too many tests. Well, much of the reason doctors order too many tests is because of malpractice liability, and yet the White House won't even consider capping malpractice awards because of the trial-lawyer constituency. How can Democrats and Republicans argue that they are acting in good faith? As always, it's a partisan question of whose ox is being gored.


Not nearly best

At the recent Health Care Summit held by President Barack Obama at the Blair House, two Republican senators stated that we have the best health care in the world. Of course, for senators, not for the rest of us.

It was further stated that two Canadians came to the U.S. for cancer and heart health care. They did not mention that these two Canadians brought pockets full of money to access that best health care. Even the King of Jordan came for health care, but died and left $10 million to the Mayo Clinic. The latest data show we are 37th in health care in the world, right behind Costa Rica and way behind Canada.


Live like us

Here's a proposal for members of Congress: Any health care package they approve for us normal, unconnected plain folk would be the insurance that would cover them and their families.

If Congress fails to pass health care reform, they would have to buy private insurance policies.

How long do you think they would deny themselves and their families coverage? Not too darn long. Congress works for us. We pay their excessive salaries even with their minimal work schedules. They vote themselves the best of benefits, live as the privileged elite and expect that we groundlings will not object or notice. Wrong.


Girl Scout helpers

It's good to see that small businesses in Santa Fe can still find time to give back to the community despite the current economic state. The owners of Mountain Moving and Storage donated their time, moving truck, gasoline, and manpower to help my Girl Scout troop pick up and transport 309 cases of cookies last weekend.

After spending two days on the road, Randy Fortran happily showed up early and not only drove the truck but helped us load and unload all those cases of cookies. We are also grateful to Paula Fortran and their two daughters for sacrificing family time for our troop.


History hash

Recently, a contestant on the quiz show Are You Smarter Than a Fifth-Grader was asked to name the city in which the Bastille was stormed in 1789. "Rome," she replied.

Then she was asked to identify the U.S. president during whose administration the 50th state was admitted to the union. Her answer was John Adams. The contestant was a seventh-grade history teacher. Is it any wonder I'm depressed?