The Abe Erickson Show

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The Free Market and Medicare.

Did you know President Barrack Obama praised the Mayo Clinic as an example of ingenuity and quality  when it comes to health care?  If you have followed the health care debacle this year then you heard him say that they, ““the highest quality care at costs well below the national norm.”   The tone was that the Mayo Clinic is an example, because their level of service and overall health care is top-notch, yet the cost of such services is well below the national average facing the rest of the nation.  The insinuation is that the Mayo Clinic along with the Cleveland Clinic serve as proof that health care cost across the country are to high, and I think only  a select few who would argue against this.

This proof of the need for more affordable health care, such as it is, is  given to nudge the American people into supporting the idea that the federal government has to get involved to find a solution. Not only is their involvement necessary. Pieces of legislation exceeding 2,000+ pages reveal this is a complete re-write of the health care system.  Of course this involvement and complete re-write is purely for the public good, it is to make sure all Americans could get the same services at the same cost; not just the ones who have health insurance, but also all those  forced into health insurance system and those without means to buy insurance on their own.  I would love to get into more about  EVERYTHING that is wrong with the idea of the government’s involvement in the free market and in health care in general, but alas I have not the time.

It is true, the cost of health care has risen quickly over the past few decades, but it is also hard to dispute that The United States of America has one of, if not the very best health care available in the world!   If Americans wanted the cheaper health care offered by other countries you would see massive droves of people driving across the borders into Mexico and Canada.  In some cases, the cost of the health care provided in other countries is so much lower than the price of the service offered in The United States that you can pay for a plan ticket and take a mini vacation to receive the needed health services.  While it is true there are some who have flown to other countries to take advantage of lower medical care  prices, Americans have chosen by the majority to receive medical care inside the US.

Show Highlights – Mon. 1/4/2010

Monologue: Honor Veterans – It Makes All The Difference

I just returned from a wonderful week-long family vacation to Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. It was basically one big Christmas present for everyone in the family. We visited each of the four parks and rode all the rides that we wanted to, and visited attractions which we had never done before. It was well worth the time and the money to spend the week with my beautiful wife, my sister, and my mom and dad in the Magic Kingdom. Memories were made which will never be forgotten (since we talk about family vacation memories during every Sunday dinner it’s impossible to forget them; it’s like Groundhog Day). But there was one particular experience that I want to share with you. A conversation with a World War II Vet.

Segment 1: Surprise, Surprise – Obama’s Healthcare Example Will No Longer Be Accepting Medicare At Some Of The Mayo Clinics

Due to loosing money because Medicare pays too little, the Mayo Clinic (once held up as the example to the nation for healthcare reform) will no longer accept Medicare at some of its clinics. No that can not be! Who would not want to accept a government funded health insurance program? After all, isn’t the government good for the money?

Article 1: Mayo Clinic to Stop Accepting Medicare Patients

Article 2: Mayo Clinic in Arizona to Stop Treating Some Medicare Patients

Segment 2: Senator Slashed National Security Funding To Pay Back Pet Constituency

In order to pay back a pet constituency for help in running a failed presidential campaign, Sen. Chris Dodd cut funding from air travel security (particularly screening for explosive devices)- and FEMA security (particularly screening trucks for explosives) to the tune of $4.5 Million and $5.5 Million, respectively. The $10 Million went to a firefighters grant program. All this is revealed in the aftermath of the failed terrorist attack on Christmas Day.

Article 1: Senator Dodd, D-Conn., Slashed Aviation Security Funding for Pet Constituency

Honor Veterans – It Makes All The Difference

I just returned from a wonderful week-long family vacation to Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. It was basically one big Christmas present for everyone in the family. We visited each of the four parks and rode all the rides that we wanted to, and visited attractions which we had never done before. It was well worth the time and the money to spend the week with my beautiful wife, my sister, and my mom and dad in the Magic Kingdom. Memories were made which will never be forgotten (since we talk about family vacation memories during every Sunday dinner it’s impossible to forget them; it’s like Groundhog Day). But there was one particular experience that I want to share with you.

It was New Year’s Eve and we were at Epcot getting ready to see the first fireworks show of the evening (which was fantastic, by the way). My wife and I decided we’d like to spend the time prior to the fireworks standing in line for ice cream. (Not like we hadn’t done enough of that already that day, I mean standing in line. We stood in line for 3 hours for about a 3-4 minute ride. But it was worth it, because it’s like you’re going into space with the gravitational forces and then the weightlessness… It was AWESOME!!! But I digress.) So, there we are standing in line, and my back is hurting so I go lean against a rail to take the pressure off my feet and lower back. As I’m sitting there watching the line to the ice cream stand crawl ever so slowly forward, an elderly gentleman came and stood next to me. We started a conversation. His name is Joe.

Back in the summer of 1941, Joe was serving in the U.S. Army. He was transferred to Hickam AFB at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. He was receiving training on becoming a machinist. And then December 7 happened – the day that changed Joe’s life. He was in his barracks when the first wave of Japanese planes launched their devastating attack. He and his buddies sprung into action, but there wasn’t much they could do. In a short time, Joe and some of the other servicemen found themselves in the small fire station near their barracks, which got destroyed by Japanese bombs. One bomb fell very near where they were in the fire station, only yards away. The blast was terrifying. Joe went on to discuss some of the history behind that Day of Infamy, which he learned only after the fact. For example, the mismanagement of the newly installed radar system, and how things would have been different had the B-17s that were coming in from the mainland been there a little sooner. Joe also discussed other life experiences he had and how the world had changed during his lifetime. Man, Joe has seen and been through a lot.

We continued our discussion a while longer, and when we were just beginning to discuss how the mentality of Americans today differed from his generation during World War II it was time to help my wife with the ice cream order and carry the cones with chocolate and vanilla ice cream back to the family waiting next to the water for the fireworks display. Unfortunately, I had to end my discussion with this amazing man, a hero. I told him I was sorry that we couldn’t continue, and then went on my way. As soon as my wife and I delivered the ice cream to the family, I told them that I would be right back. I hurried over to the refreshment stand where I knew Joe would still be standing, because the lines weren’t moving very fast at all.

As I came up to the line, I saw Joe standing there, leaning up against the rail with his family close by. As I approached him, he saw me coming and I noticed a big smile come across his face. I reached my hand out to this brave man, and he extended his. Our hands grasped and I thanked him for the wonderful conversation we had and we finally exchanged names. Still grasping Joe’s hand, I looked him in the eye and thanked him for his service and sacrifice. Oh, I wish you could have seen his face. His smile went from ear to ear. I noticed his family looking on, watching the scene unfold and seeing a husband, a father, a grandfather beaming. Smiles were an order, and everybody had one. I thanked Joe once again, shaking hands, and then we parted ways.

That final encounter with Joe was short, but sweet. For him, somebody remembered and appreciated the personal sacrifice made by him and the millions of others serving in various capacities during World War II. For me, it was a reminder how precious yet under-appreciated our veterans – our fighting men and women – are. They deserve our full gratitude, regardless of how old they are, or what war they fought in. And when we express that gratitude with a handshake and a thankful heart, it makes all the difference in those veterans’ lives, and it will make all the difference in your life, too.

Congress Looks To Mandate Volume Levels For Content On Your Tube

Every once in a while I like to sit down with my wife and watch a show or two on our TV. As a part of that experience we have the wonderful opportunity of viewing a wide variety of advertisements.

I actually like watching commercials for a number of reasons. Since I am president and owner of a small video production company, I often find myself asking, “How’d they do that?” on commercials (or “Man, they really need to redo that commercial, and I know just the company to do it, too!). Of course, there are those commercials that are just great to make fun of, and those where you ask yourself, “What the heck are they trying to sell me? What’s their message? This commercial is an EPIC FAIL (as you may see posted on Twitter by your Tweeple).”

But nothing bothers me more than when audio levels from TV show to commercial, or even more annoying is from commercial to commercial, aren’t leveled properly and instead of using my remote control for channel surfing I am using it as a mini “mixing board” just to try and make the audio sound consistent from content to content.

Isn’t there a better way? Well, of course there is, and my Dad and I have spoken about it a time or two: SELF-REGULATION!!! It would be quite simple to do really.

When you submit a commercial for broadcast today you are given certain guidelines which the video needs to be submitted in, like QuickTime 1080p or 720p with AAC or AIFF audio. But they never request the audio level, and believe me when I tell you that it would be easier and better to set those levels in post-production rather than at broadcast. And how difficult would it really be to have commercials be at the same audio level? Just tell us what level you want the audio at and we’ll deliver. It’s much easier now than it’s ever been to do that, because everything is digital now. Streamlining content for delivery is possible, and the industry better get crackin’ on self-regulation soon, or Congress will do it for you.

California Rep. Anna Eshoo, a Democrat, has submitted legislation to regulate the audio levels of commercials which has already passed the House floor and is confident that the Senate version will pass with no problems. The question is whether the Legislative Branch (or any branch of the government, for that matter) has Constitutional authority to regulate and so micro-manage such issues as audio levels for TV commercials. Will it carry over to radio? How about the Internet? Where does it stop?

One point from the article that may bother me more than any other is that one of the most common complaints received at the FCC is related to the audio levels of commercials. Does anybody see a problem with that? Why are we as a Americans, generally speaking, turning to the federal government for issues that can more easily be dealt with in the private sector? Have we become so narrow-minded that we go straight to the FCC to address this issue, or the federal government to address other issues? That is not the nation we should be. For me, the issue of audio levels can and ought to be handled by the private sector, not the federal government.

It always starts with a flaxen chord, but before you know it you are bound by chains.

Story Link:

http://m.npr.org/news/front/122130312

Discussion Question:
Is it the governments place to regulate the audio levels of content coming across your tube?