Smear and Fear

This letter was written to a very dear family member and former fellow conservation activist in the Florida Keys. The topic is Obama Care. I know you "don't want to talk about it," but I am reminded of 1997, when you and I and a handful of volunteers worked to support the FKNMS. Don't stop reading this!! If you love me and respect me at all, please read this entire message. Remember all the lies people were saying, just because they were afraid of government and losing their rights to fish and dive? I am afraid that you are falling victim to the same type of smear campaign. That campaign was based on ignorance and unfounded fear. You need to take the time to learn the truth, just as we did in the Keys. I haven't done all of the research that I am going to do. But, so far, I haven't found any -- not a single website -- that had concrete facts that would justify fear of the PPACA. I read several sites and blogs that indicated 80% - 90% of physicians were thinking of quitting because of Obama Care. I read further and I discovered that most of the doctors' concerns were based on expected increases in the amount of paperwork required by the act and mandatory eventual transition to electronic medical record keeping. I know that government wastes a lot of paper and bureaucracy is inefficient. But, far worse than those inefficiencies would be the lack of bureaucracy and regulation. Take the Keys, for example. If there were no regs, no bureaucrats, no government involvement, you know as well as I do that every single piece of coral would have been taken for a coffee table decoration. There would be fewer fish than there are now and no lobster, no conch (almost gone, anyway), no seagrass flats ... the list goes on and on. Only we few Reef Bitch -types care about the environment and the betterment of the world because it's the right thing to do. The large majority of people are oblivious that need regulations to guide their actions. The other end of the spectrum is a handful of people who are not oblivious and do know better, but are selfish and short-sighted and truly do not care about the future for their children nor their impact on our planet. Open your mind and your heart, and, while you're at it, open your ears and your mouth! Ask the people who tell you Obama Care is going to put them out of business what specifics in the act they are worried about, are those specifics in the actual health care act, and ask them where they got their information. Then, check it out from a reliable source, NOT from a blog that is supported by big oil and selfish right wing types. If you find the source, you will probably get down to the basic answer that I believe is causing the uproar: Proposed income taxes for the wealthy. Obama wants to raise taxes on people who make a net taxable income (after deductions and write-offs) of more than $250,000 per year. And, most of the tax increase is proposed to affect people who make more than $1,000,000. $1,000,000 PER YEAR! Of course those wealthy people don't want to pay more taxes. I get that. They'd rather spend their money on second and third homes, big boats, fast cars, and fancy jewelry. But, the income tax issue IS NOT RELATED to Obama Care. The PPACA is a convenient scapegoat that allows the wealthy to avoid saying, "I don't want to pay more taxes to support the middle class and to reduce the federal deficit." Not coincidentally, that higher income tax bracket includes most physicians who are complaining about Obama Care. Here are the facts about the presidential election the way they relate to you, personally, in my view: Obama Care won't affect you at all. Your practice doesn't even take insurance. Your boss will have to provide health care to his employees, but he will get related tax credits to offset his additional expense. If Romney gets elected, he will approve the fracking shale oil pipeline from Canada to Texas which will ruin hundreds of thousands of acres of natural habitat on the North American continent and pollute the watershed all along the way. Romney says he doesn't believe in global warming and he will do everything in his power to increase domestic fossil fuel production. EVERYTHING IN HIS POWER. Romney will end tax credits for renewable energy (which will put your dad and me out of business and we'll have to move in with you and Jeff! I guess we're selfish after all, too, but at least we're trying to save the planet. If Romney is elected: NPR and PBS and Planned Parenthood will go away. Upcoming vacancies on the Supreme Court will be filled by right-wing conservatives, which means ... Roe vs. Wade will be overturned Stem cell research will end Here's a link that can start your personal awareness campaign: http://www.healthcare.gov/news/factsheets/2010/07/preventive-services-list.html#CoveredPreventiveServicesforAdults Please seek the truth. Be careful where you look for the truth and whose words you believe. Consider who is voting for Obama -- Jim and I are. Do you trust us? I think you should. Love you, Reef Bitches Forever!