Marketing 101 - GOP Style

The GOP's answer to providing an alternative to "Obamacare" as they so gleefully call it, is to "Fire Pelosi".  When you say it out loud it sort of just hangs there.  OK, fire Pelosi.  I don't care for her either.  She's spent more time getting Botox and appearing at press conferences than working to make things better.  Then what?  What on earth will the GOP do next?  The GOP claims they have alternative legislation which is "common sense".  I read through this "common sense" summary.  The only thing certain about this summary is that it's VERY common.  It's more common talking points from a party with few real alternatives.  A party whose entire offering is based upon pointing out deficiencies in the Democratic health care plan.  Let's look at just a few of the statements taken directly from the GOP website. See the GOP Summary here.

• Lowering health care premiums. The GOP plan will lower health care premiums for American families and small businesses, addressing Americans’ number-one priority for health care reform.

This is a great campaign point, but how exactly is this going to be carried out?  I wouldn't know.  There is no information to support this bullet point.

• Ending junk lawsuits. The GOP plan would help end costly junk lawsuits and curb defensive medicine by enacting medical liability reforms modeled after the successful state laws of California and Texas.

Sounds great...except California and Texas are number 5 and 9 respectively on the list of states which have the highest payments for medical malpractice claims. See the list here.  This means... "successful" is NOT a word any reasonable person would use to describe their reforms.  Then there is that whole California is bankrupt...thing.  Why on earth would their legislation be considered a good example of ways to cut costs?  

• Prevents insurers from unjustly cancelling a policy. The GOP plan prohibits an insurer from cancelling a policy unless a person commits fraud or conceals material facts about a health condition.

Hmmm... and who will decide what "material facts" will be defined as?  I am guessing the federal government.  Last time I checked that's still part of the makeup of social medicine.  

• Encouraging Small Business Health Plans. The GOP plan gives small businesses the power to pool together and offer health care at lower prices, just as corporations and labor unions do.

• Encouraging innovative state programs. The GOP plan rewards innovation by providing incentive payments to states that reduce premiums and the number of uninsured.

These two statements use the word "encouraging".  This isn't an after-school special people.  The word "encouraging" is just a marketing word that really means government regulation and legislation...still social medicine.  It's STILL the same thing the GOP says we should all be fighting against.  Additionally, just HOW is the GOP planning to fund these "incentive payments"?  Monopoly money?  Reducing lawmaker salaries?  I think not.  Try higher taxes...which the GOP historically places on the middle class.  The GOP wants us to apply labor union methods to healthcare.  Look how well labor unions worked for the auto industry.  Oh wait...they didn't!  

My personal favorite...

• Allowing dependents to remain on their parents’ policies. The GOP plan encourages coverage of young adults on their parents’ insurance through age 25.

There's that word "encourage" again.  Do you think for a minute that insurance companies won't slap us with more fees and higher premiums if the GOVERNMENT tells dependents they are now allowed, by law, to remain on their parents insurance until 25??  

Finally... The GOP "Scorecard"

Scorecard: Speaker Pelosi’s Government Takeover vs. GOP Common-Sense Solutions

                         Speaker Pelosi’s Bill      GOP Alternative

Job Losses          Up to 5.5 million              0 (Prove It)

Medicare Cuts     $500 billion                     0 (Prove It)

Tax Increases      $729.5 billion                  0 (Prove It)

The Bottom Line:

Just because something is stated over and over again doesn't magically make it true.  The GOP gets an F for effort and an A+ for marketing.  Too bad marketing isn't accepted as a valid form of payment at the doctor's office.

Slow Prescription Drug Abuse: Create a National Prescription Database

The problem with prescription drug abuse in this country is spiraling out of control.  Perhaps the one good thing that can come from the deaths of stars like Anna Nicole Smith, Michael Jackson, and Corey Haim is that this problem can get the attention it desperately needs.

I've witnessed the effects of prescription drug abuse first hand.  I can tell you there is NOTHING glamorous or acceptable about this issue.  Creating a national prescription narcotic database which every pharmacy is required by law to subscribe to and update in real-time would go very far in slowing this problem.  It would subsequently drive down health care costs by perhaps millions!


The Basic Concept:  When I fill a prescription for a controlled substance, it is automatically updated to a national registry which ALL pharmacies have access to via the web and are required to check for current or pending prescriptions in other pharmacies nationally.  Now, this will also require legislation to make it illegal for doctors to prescribe drugs using pseudonyms.  This is key especially in the case of celebrities.  To remedy privacy concerns, we should mandate privacy laws for pharmacies which not only carry stiffer penalties for breaches in security but also make the breach punishable by mandatory imprisonment for no less than 1 year.  Remember, this is a basic concept, but a very sound one.

The Bottom Line:  It's time to prescribe a real and tangible solution to prescription drug abuse in America.  The only ones profiting from this abuse are the drug companies.  We all know how that story ends.  

Show your support for sound ideas by logging on to http://www.healthreform.gov/

  

Fools "Rush" In

Gas-Bag, Racist, Hater, Asshole, Political Opportunist, Rebel Without any Real Cause...

These are just a few of the titles that accurately describe Rush Limbaugh.

After listening to today's quote about Governor Paterson being a "Massa", I was furious.  Click Here To Listen  This was a blatant reference to the Governor being a "Master"...as in one who owns slaves... as in "yes massa".

It's time we all wake up and realize that Rush Limbaugh does NOT care about America.  His only concern is perpetuating hateful rhetoric and ensuring that his own personal economy remains substantial.  Click Here To See His Forbes Ranking   In 2007, Don Imus made racist remarks on his show.  He was subsequently fired after sponsors, employees, colleagues, and listeners made it clear they would not tolerate this kind of on-air behavior.  One can scream about free speech but this speech is anything but free.  It's being paid for by OUR patronage on a daily basis.

The Bottom Line: While I firmly believe in freedom of speech, do it on your own dime!   It is reprehensible that sponsor companies continue to line Rush Limbaugh's pockets with cash.  Take a look at his sponsor list.  If you find Rush Limbaugh's methods and statements offensive... If you think he should bankroll his show using his own money... Make sure you boycott the following companies:

Parent Company: Expedia

Parent Company: General Motors

Parent Company: American Securities...which is also the Parent Company of: Potbelly Sandwich Works (Sorry Guys)


Sources:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/03/09/rush-limbaugh-hurls-racsi_n_492489.html

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http://www.examiner.com/x-448-SF-Radio-Examiner~y2010m1d13-Rush-Limbaughs-sponsors-Let-them-know-what-you-think-of-his-misusing-the-deaths-of-thousands

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http://www.hotwire.com/about-hotwire/our-company/companyOverview.jsp

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http://www.american-securities.com/Investments/Current

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http://www.onstar.com/us_english/jsp/corporate/index.jsp

Poignant Paint

They say Justice is blind.  I think she just operates in the dark, on her back, and for the right price.

As I awoke this past Monday morning, I was unusually calm.  I was up at 6:30am which, if you know me, you know that is no small feat.  Monday was my scheduled final child support hearing at the Tarrant County Courthouse.  I made my way through traffic with the greatest of ease.  I followed the speed limit.  I wasn't stressed.  It was actually a nice morning.  I arrived in downtown Ft. Worth and made my way to Houston St.  I came to a stop light on the corner of Weatherford St. and Houston St. and looked out my window.  What I saw next was a mixture of poignant and puzzling.  I was face to face with the Tarrant County Courthouse Annex.  I started to look at the walls of this building where justice is handed down daily. From a distance the building was not unlike many others you might see in Texas.  The brick was ornate.  It was built to look older and "justice chic".  Upon my stop light review, I realized that the entire building of law had only been painted to look like it was brick!  I was astonished.  I've seen better artwork in the projects.  You could see how one-dimensional the building really was.  It looked... well... terrible.  I actually laughed out loud.  I had never noticed this on my previous trip to this area of town.

That's when it hit me...

Justice isn't blind.  She just has shitty painters.  She cuts corners more than any airline.  She looks respectable from a distance.  Once you see her up close, you realize she is just cheap.  Justice is Julia Roberts before Richard Gere took her shopping.

In my experience with the courts, I've come to realize that Justice is not fair.  Our legal system is littered with loopholes and technicalities that make it impossible for anyone making less than six figures to get a fair shake.  I guess I shouldn't really be surprised.  This is a world governed, not by laws, but by money.  If you have enough of it, you might not even notice the courthouse walls.

The Bottom Line:

Don't be fooled by the paint job.  Justice has 20/20 vision and deep pockets sewn into her flowing yet easily removed gown.  Any woman who walks around with a damn sword can't be fully trusted.  ;-)

Home Sweet Home

http://www.udr.com/

Nearly two years ago, I moved to my current apartment community.  I had the unfortunate pleasure of meeting the only male in the office at the time.  He was snide.  He over compensated for being a straight man in an increasingly gay male profession by flirting with any woman who entered the room.  He was rude. He was juvenile.  He got my UDR relationship off on a sour note.  It was like one of those really bad American Idol audition clips that we have all grown to love.  My prayers were answered early on as this delight of a man moved away to Austin.  I don't recall his name because I had a medical procedure done to block it from my memory permanently.

Then there was James...

James didn't really get a fair shake from me because of that Neanderthal that ended up in Austin.  I figured James was Neanderthal Jr. and would typically steer clear of dealing with him. As fate would have it, there were several times I was forced to deal with James because there was simply nobody else to help me.  I started to realize that James might be OK.  He seemed interested in what I had to say for one thing.  That's always a GREAT way to start.  Then he did something else that took me by surprise.  He followed up.  While that may seem like a really lame thing to be surprised by, the apartment leasing world has changed for the worse over the years.  I've lived in apartments all my life.  I've seen just about every type of leasing "professional" you could imagine.  The chance that one of them would follow up with you on an issue or question is about as great as the chance that you would be hit by a truck-driving nun in a school-zone situated in an all Baptist community.  Let's just say that today's leasing professionals don't exactly measure up all the time.  James has always followed up with me.  If he doesn't have an answer...he gets one.

While all this is noteworthy, there is something that sets James apart from even the rest of the staff here in my community.  He has the uncanny ability of "knowing his audience".  He is able to assess WHO he is talking to and engage them in a manner that shows them that he's paying attention.  When he needs to speak slowly and with regard for his words...he does.  When he needs to "be real" and talk to you straight...he can.  When he knows you need a laugh...he makes you smile.  I've personally witnessed him in action.  He is keenly aware of who he is talking to and is able to present himself just as that person needs him to be presented.  This is a quality that is rare.  Most people are only satisfied with coming to terms with how they interact with others.  It's not often that you find those perceptive people who are willing to meet others half way in order to better communicate and build trust.

UDR should be taking notes.  James has a lot to offer any employer.  His abilities make him priceless.  In case you were wondering, I do not know James.  I don't even know his last name.  There is nothing in it for me except the pleasure of being able to brag on someone who is doing a stellar job at treating people like...well...people.  It's timeless.  It's classic.  It NEVER goes out of style.  James should be considered the "new black" in apartment leasing.  Every apartment community should have a James "hanging in the closet".  He goes with everything.

James:  I appreciate you for treating me like a person and not a lease.  I appreciate you caring enough to stay late on a Sunday to update me on an issue I was having with trespassers.  I appreciate you always taking the time to get back to me.  I appreciate you always going above and beyond for even the smallest things.  I wanted to take the time to say thank you and to make sure that everyone knows what a great person and great professional you really are.  It's because of your efforts that I continue to call my apartment...home.  UDR is lucky to have you.

Sincerely,

David by the pool.  :-)