It's Been Longer Than I Thought....

I knew it had been a couple months since I had posted last, but I had no idea it had been since July!!!!  Good night how the time sure does fly....even when you really aren't having all that much fun. =)


Let me share a bit about what has been going on with me since my last post. 

Budget cuts may force California child health insurance premiums onto parents

June 1, 2009

Parents who have been taking advantage of California child health insurance programs that lowered costs may have to look to the capitol in Washington DC for help: Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is still facing a $24.3 billion budget deficit and says that health care coverage to less-than-affluent children may have to be cut to make up some of the difference.

For children whose parents make a combined $22,000 to $55,125 and were normally covered by the state's Healthy Families program, Schwarzenegger announced that he would try to save $305 million by cutting their coverage, a process that would take away in turn roughly $600 million more in federal matching funds, according to the Sacramento Bee.

Other health care cuts in the state budget helped to bring the total to $2 billion, out of a total $14.3 billion still facing the state after cuts made earlier in the year. Other programs that may be cut based on a vote in the legislature include funds for treatment of breast and cervical cancer, as well as counseling and testing programs for HIV, according to the Redding Record Spotlight.

"We're working very hard to find other alternatives, but if you're a free-standing rural health clinic today I don't see surviving these times," Cathy Larsen, CEO of Southern Trinity Health Services told the news provider. "We're not only going to have jobs and services lost, but we're going to be losing federal dollars coming into the state, which will just mean the loss of more jobs."

Just over the border, many Americans are finding that they can afford to get prescriptions in towns like Tijuana, in spite of turbulent drug-related warfare and the recent swine flue scare, according to UCLA researchers who estimate that just under 1 million Californians cross the border each year for health insurance, primarily Mexican emigrants who cross back over.

While legislative officials may not all be on board with the cuts, some told the Sacramento Bee that the state can't afford the benefits it provides, and Assemblyman Chuck DeVore said, "When you have an unemployment as high as it is in this state, it should be a signal to people to look for jobs in other states with more jobs and a lower cost of living."

Working with health insurers that offer California child health insurance plans could save money for some families, including ones where a child may have autism. One provider of autism spectrum disorder services, Wellspring, is offering a seminar on June 11 in Burbank to show families how they can get coverage through their current insurer, without worrying about further state budget cuts.

Calfornia Child Health Insurance News provided by healthinsurancefinders.com

Irritating Ignorance....

Until recently I was blissfully unaware that there was an infestation of the airwaves known as Michael Savage. Apparently his radio show is widely syndicated, and he recently addressed the autism epidemic:

SAVAGE: Now, you want me to tell you my opinion on autism, since I’m not talking about autism? A fraud, a racket. For a long while, we were hearing that every minority child had asthma. Why did they sudden ⎯ why was there an asthma epidemic amongst minority children? Because I’ll tell you why: The children got extra welfare if they were disabled, and they got extra help in school. It was a money racket. Everyone went in and was told [fake cough], “When the nurse looks at you, you go [fake cough], ‘I don’t know, the dust got me.’ ” See, everyone had asthma from the minority community. That was number one.
Now, the illness du jour is autism. You know what autism is? I’ll tell you what autism is. In 99 percent of the cases, it's a brat who hasn't been told to cut the act out. That’s what autism is.
What do you mean they scream and they’re silent? They don't have a father around to tell them, “Don’t act like a moron. You'll get nowhere in life. Stop acting like a putz. Straighten up. Act like a man. Don’t sit there crying and screaming, idiot.”
Autism ⎯ everybody has an illness. If I behaved like a fool, my father called me a fool. And he said to me, “Don’t behave like a fool.” The worst thing he said ⎯ “Don't behave like a fool. Don’t be anybody’s dummy. Don’t sound like an idiot. Don’t act like a girl. Don’t cry.” That’s what I was raised with. That's what you should raise your children with. Stop with the sensitivity training. You’re turning your son into a girl, and you’re turning your nation into a nation of losers and beaten men. That’s why we have the politicians we have.

Mr. Savage apparently didn’t take his father’s advice. He’s behaving like a fool. Mr. Savage is an idiot. No, that gives idiots everywhere a bad name. There really is not a good adjective to describe him. Does he really think that families all over the world are going through this for all the perks that come with having an autistic child? Does he really think that the stimming, the sensory problems, the communication problems, the gut issues, and the rest of the laundry list of symptoms you can add in here are voluntary?

Mr. Savage, stop acting like a putz!

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to find out if one of my local radio stations carries this A-Hole’s show. If so, I’ve got to make sure the buttons in my car radio don’t include that station.

UPDATE:

NAA has asked for an apology and retraction from Savage, as well as time on his show to educate this buffoon. It's a nice thought, but I won't hold my breath.

Listen to the recording below and decide for yourself if an apology is required and a retraction necessary, I bet you will say "YES, both are definitely very much needed, and soon!!