My Response Comment on HuffPo Article: "Securing Our Future Through Our Children's Health" by Sec. Tom Vilsack

Will Sec. Vilsack, the USDA, and the First Lady protest hard against the plan to eliminate free/reduced-priced school breakfast program for low-income students by our new VA Gov. Bob McDonnell? Oh, and he also plans to freeze enrollment for the FAMIS program, which gives limited coverage to kids and pregnant women in low-income families earning too much to qualify for Medicaid. That means WORKING parents GROSSING more than $2500 but less than $3675/month for a family of 4. But hey, we only rank a low "39th on taxes as a percentage of personal income" despite ranking "5th in average per capita income," so the well-off needn't worry about supporting pesky, undeserving freeloaders! (even if they are working their asses off full-time for peanuts.) So what if kids are too hungry or sickly to do well enough in school to raise above their station, always need an underclass of peasants desperate enough to do the hard and dirty work, right? When they drop dead from no healthcare as adults, just toss more meat into the grinder!
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

*UPDATE* to Last Post Re: My Husband in the Hospital

I received calls this past Friday morning from both my US Representative's and Senator's offices. I now know I was feverish and quite possibly riding a wave of delirium when I composed my previous entry, with my high temperature peaking Thursday night after I posted it and went to bed. It still hovered around 100 degrees after waking up and I hope I sounded coherent on the phone. The fever lasted through Saturday, and with the big storm leaving me still snowed in, I haven't been able to see my husband in several days.

Husband in Hospital, my Mexican Mother-in-Law needs Visitor's Visa ASAP

The following is my reply in a series of Facebook direct messages between a local community leader and myself, regarding assistance in obtaining a US Visa for my husband's mother to visit him in the hospital, where he is seriously ill:

Hi, thanks for getting back to me on finding help for my Mexican mother-in-law to get permission to come visit my husband in the hospital. Here's my contact info and details of the situation. If you check my FB profile "Wall", I have regular updates beginning Sunday night (or Monday morning) about my husband's condition, "acute pancreatitis with extensive peripancreatic edema and inflammation."

Take 2 on "Illegal Alien" Halloween Costume

(This was posted to address respondents to my first comment on the USA Today article "'Illegal Alien' mask flap spooks retailers" http://content.usatoday.com/community/comments.aspx?id=36565726.story&p=7 )

I realized when I posted my first comment that it would have too many words and be over the heads of those folks that use any excuse to demonize people and hurl insults at Democrats, "libs," President Obama, or whomever else they fear are circling their homes in black helicopters. The scared and pathetic always need an enemy to direct their venomous delusions toward.

My take on the "Illegal Alien" Halloween Costume Controversy

(Note: This was originally posted as an admittedly long-winded comment on USA Today website article "'Illegal Alien' mask flap spooks retailers"  http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2009-10-19-halloween-mask_N.htm )

When I first saw the "Illegal Alien" costume, I took it ironically, as it apparently was intended. It was meant to play on the idiocy of the xenophobes, whose dumbassery hasn't failed to disappoint when weighing-in on this issue.

Don't use me for YOUR propaganda, Caleb Howe!

This blog post is my response to Caleb Howe, another Twitterer who used one of my "tweets", or Twitter comments as a springboard for his rabid-rightwing blog fodder. What's most disturbing is that he isn't just some anonymous twat in a basement somewhere. No, he's a professional twat.

Healthcare Reform: Letter to my U.S. Congressman -- Rep. Rick Boucher (D-VA)

I am writing on behalf of my family, to tell you of our struggles with the current healthcare system and why we are strong supporters of single-payer coverage for everyone, financed though taxes like Medicare. We believe healthcare should be treated not as a corporate commodity, but as a community necessity, like police and fire departments, transportation, and public schools, but with federal funding so that members of less affluent communities have the same access to care.

At free clinic, scenes from the Third World -- latimes.com

At free clinic, scenes from the Third World -- latimes.com

How L.A.'s massive free clinic event came together -- latimes.com

How L.A.'s massive free clinic event came together -- latimes.com

Super-clinic finds super-need in L.A. region -- latimes.com

Don't let Dick Armey/Freedom Works get away without saying how their anti-public option group explains the 10,000 uninsured or underinsured expected to be treated by Remote Area Medical's eight-day clinic in L.A.