The wife and I went though some tough times with SS,Medicare and Medicade with her father who worked all his life,paid his taxes and at age 82 had to go a nursing home.Medicare was cut off after a short time and to qualify for Medicade he had to own nothing! Basically he didn't, just an old Nissan truck and a small life insurance policy to cover his final arrangements. Even those were counted against him! I had to sell his truck and was "advised" to cash in his policy to qualify which I thought was crazy!
After a little research I found out that the policy could be transferred into my wife's name(his executor) and it was legal. I called back to the Medicade office and talked to Carolyn K *(will never forget her name!)the one who "advised" us and I simply asked why she said that and why she couldn't have said transfer the policy so that he could qualify.In a slow voice (being monitored I know) said that If I ask certain questions she could tell me,but she wasn't at liberty to "offer" alternatives! CYA is what she was doing! Same thing on my RA that I called SS about when I was 57. The "person" said that I could not make more than $400 a month,couldn't have a family doctor,would probably be two years before I could even have a hearing on SS disability,and would probably be turned down and have to hire an attorney! From that moment on the wife and I made a 5 year plan to pay off as much as we could and I struggled to keep working through the pain. Made it to 62 and retired early. It's been over 2 years now and I haven't regretted it! This is our beloved government that is supposed to help us when we really need help,but like you jgar,I've seen and felt the frustration. I wish you and the wife the best of luck in getting help for your step daughter. Just like you,sometimes I felt if my name was Jose or Rashonda,I would have gotten better help. I'm through ranting, my fingers are tired and I just get more stressed thinking about it. OPT

 

You guys are preaching to the choir here, I have the unfortunate luck to be living in the ultimate Nanny State, New York. The laws and regulations are just nuts, anything that benefits NYC is done, but don't expect anything if you are one of the Upstate "peasants". We are supposed to keep the beautiful scenery perfectly intact for people to be able to drive thru and look at when they have a long weekend from their city jobs.

For sure, don't try to actually do anything for a profit up here unless you are catering to the city crowd. Having a farm? With actual cows? and cow poop? that smell? OMG, we can't have that... Ya'll just wouldn't believe!

Its alot like the fracking fight here, the landowners are mostly all for it, but it would just ruin the scenery, and you know... fracking is so bad. Its about stupid, we wouldn't want any farmers to actually have any money, and you can't tell me that there is no way to do it safely. So in all, it boils down to the cities not wanting it.

You can bet we all love Bloomberg banning "Assault drinks", he will most likely ban Mcdonalds infamous super size "Assault Fries" next, and lets not forget all those "Assault Deer" out on the roads at night. We will probably have to have some government program to catch them and ship them to a "safe place" where they won't be hunted, and they can live out their happy lives just like Bambi.

My wife is Chinese, and I am ever so happy when we go back to her hometown to visit her family, its just nice to live in such a free place like the Peoples Republic of China.

Sorry for the rant guys...

 

Over the years I've met many recent immigrants from Russia, China, and previously Soviet Bloc countries. Many of them had escaped and got citizenship here the honest way. Every single one of them love it here but said they don't like the direction this country is going in. They all said socialism/communism leads to dictatorships with no freedoms where the higher ups live like princes and kings while everyone else gets to share in a miserable existence.

 

Funny how people want the goverment to control them when it doesn't affect them anyway, but then complain when the goverment goes to the next logical step which happens to be an inconvenience.

If the gov is telling you to wear a helmet, you'd be all for that. If they were telling you to wear a seatbelt, you wouldn't complain. But when they start telling you how big of drink you can have, suddenly that's too much? The way I see it, people asked for it. Your health is your health and you MUST be safe at all costs! (sarc)

When you trade freedom for security, you get neither.

 

well this is my thoughts on helmets and seatbelts. i pay the tolls, fees, taxes, and the costs associated with driving a vehicle on the highway, "they" shouldn't tell me to wear a seatbelt. that should be my choice. sure tell me the speed limit(even though the audobon is a safer highway-but we have too many people that can't handle that kind of freedom), but inside is my choice. i pay to the privilege to drive. if i didn't want them telling me what to do in a vehicle, i don't have to buy and use a vehicle. you know they never tell you how many people die or are seriously injured by the use of a seatbelt.
helmets, there again, that is my choice. sure i will wear a helmet. i have no problem with that. but it is still MY CHOICE. if you're a minor, you should be under the control of a parent/guardian.
i mean really, the govt can't even balance a check book. you know i don't vote the criminal politicians into office to spend too much money and to come up with stupid laws. i vote them in who support my ideas and principles such as lower taxes, smaller govt, keeping the checkbook in the black, protecting the constitution, and making this country great. but those people are starting to be far and few between.

 

I agree with you, but in my experience, most people don't. You won't find many on this forum who oppose helmet laws. Then the same people turn around and complain about the gov telling them what to do.

Its a slippery slope. Helmet laws, then atvs, then driving anything but the safest cars, then what food you're allowed to eat, what guns you're allowed to have... it goes on and on until you're not allowed to leave the safety of your house because you can't be trusted to keep yourself safe... you need the gov to tell you want to do.

 

I think the helmet laws came about when the states realized how much health care was costing them. If they can force you to wear a helmet, it might save them a few bucks.

If they could be reasonably sure you would die in an accident, they would probably say helmets are dangerous because they block hearing and vision, and should be outlawed.

Matt B

 

I don't want to speak for everyone, but I kinda like having some common sense laws. Helmets and seatbelts mandatory for anyone under 18, if you are an adult and don't want to wear your helmet, thats fine, but you shouldn't expect people to go to excessive lengths to save your life after an accident. I mean, come on, you CHOSE not to wear proven safety equipment, why should large amounts of money be spent to save your life?

You could argue "hey, I pay insurance" but I don't see why an insurance company should pay to save your life, give you reconstructive surgery and so on, if you weren't doing the most to insure that you would survive an accident.

Now, soft drink sizes and that crap? Feel free to drink and eat whatever you want, if you can't control your own impulses to maintain safe weight and health, sucks for you if you get sick. I see plenty of people riding around on insurance or medicare paid "mobility scooters", that could really use some exercise. I mean dang, go to some other country and see how many people are riding those around at Walmart. I will clue you in to something, I have never, and I mean never, seen some huge *** person riding one of those scooters in China, or Japan, the Philippines, Korea, Vietnam, Thailand, Mexico, or any of the 'stans.

Sure, sure you can say they are 3rd world countries or whatever you want, but those people are always out and about doing something. The wife and I just spent Spring Festival in Beijing. (stupid place to be in February) It was 20 degrees out, wind whipping, and there are people out walking, old people doing tai chi in the park, parents and little kids playing on the playground, kids playing basketball. How often do you see that here in the US? In Beijing there is a MacDonalds or KFC on every corner, and you even see some fat people, but no one blames the restaurant for making them fat.

Now, for needing everything so "safe"? Getting hurt is part of life. I think its a big part of some of the problems we are having here in the US lately. We can't hurt peoples feelings, but once they hit adolescence somebody picks on them and they decide to get dads gun and shoot those bullies. Kids are rambunctious and rowdy, but instead of spanking them for doing something bad, most people just want to drug their kid cause that keeps them "calmer".

Let's sue MacDonalds cause I burnt myself with the hot coffee.. Or sue because the hair dryer did not have a tag that says DO NOT use in the shower. People are suing for common sense things, so that means somewhere along the line they are losing common sense. You learn alot of that from being outside playing, falling down, touching something hot, or getting a swift hand across the but and a serious "NO!" Its all cause and effect.

A criminal breaks into someones house and gets shot, then sues the homeowner for shooting them. Where is the common sense in letting that happen? Or the family sues because the criminal is dead... even more stupid... I believe that anyone who knowingly does something illegal should be aware that getting a death sentence is a possibility. I don't mean getting arrested for jaywalking and getting the electric chair, but if you are jaywalking and get run over accidentally, oh well, sucks for your team...

I would really be happy if we adopted some of China's laws. I just don't understand how we can let proven murderers, rapists, or pedophiles out on probation. They have violated someones civil rights, so I think they should also forfeit their own civil rights. Whats wrong with tattooing a big "R" or "P" on someones cheek, so that everyone who meets them will know what they are... of course for them a few well placed "snips" wouldn't hurt either.

OMG, I wrote a book... sorry for that ya'll...

Moderators can delete if you feel you need to. I hope it doesn't seem like I was trolling.

 

Your post is fine with me. I like common sense. It's sorely lacking in this country right now.

 

Its kind of funny.
We who are in the trades deal with this all the time. OSHA says over 6' up you must be tied off with a harness. The guys will moan and groan about it at 6'-7'-8' up. Even tho if you fall from those heights you can blow out your ankles, fracture your skull and so on. Yet when you tell the same guys to go up 60'-70'-80' with no fall protection they will cry like a little girl, boo whoo
So if we are free market, freedom kind of men. The guys who refuse to go 70' up with no fall protection should be replaced with those who will, right?
See where I'm going with this? When it comes to safety there has to be some standards and someone has to set them.... Even if they seem silly like tying off at 6'.