Friday, December 10, 2010

A Call To Arms

On Thursday, December 9th, 2010, the Republican Senate blocked legislation sought to provide medical care to rescue workers and others who became ill as a result of breathing in toxic fumes, dust and smoke at the site of the WTC attack on September 11, 2001.  Usually, TSB attempts to keep this forum as non-political as we can, yet, there is only one word that describes the actions of the U.S. Senate, DESPICABLE.

To hold the brave police, fire and emergency rescue workers hostage over party politics and the passage of a tax bill is immoral.  Where were all these politicians when we were attacked, and after we were attacked?  I implore each and everyone of you to pick up the phone and call every Republican Senator today threatening not to cast a ballot in their next election.  If we have an ounce of decency left in our bones, now is the time to act. Tell anyone and everyone that you meet today to take the time out of their lives and do the right thing.

Whatever happened to the accolades that politicians threw around like a cheap $2 whore, but then, they are pretty good at doing that.  TSB challeges OTW, Orthworld and OrthoSpine News to stop with their daily propaganda and give this issue some visibility.  Let your voices be heard!

53 comments:

  1. Maybe I'm missing something here, but why doesn't their insurance cover the costs? I'm assuming that they had insurance while working for the city of New York.

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  2. Read the bill and you will find out why!!

    Stop grand standing!

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  3. Good point 11:08am!! You know, if liberal democrats like TSB ran the world, we'd all be living off of hefty unemployment checks, and playing golf every day of the week. The bill was shot down because we simply can't afford the $7.4 billion price tag at this point in time ($4.2 billion of this isn't even related to providing medical care to rescue workers). You can't spend it if you don't have it!

    By the way, it was not blocked by a "republican senate" as TSB states. Democrats greatly outnumber republicans in the senate. Republicans won't take the majority until the newly elected GOP senators take their seats in January.

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  4. Everyone (including Harry Reid, but except TSB) knew that the bill wasn't going to pass. Harry only put it up for a vote so that liberal mindless lemmings like TSB would think that Republicans are the great satan.

    If you want socialism go to Europe and get the %!%* out of my great country.

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  5. Rich people are soooo mean! Let's just take their money and put it toward things we decide are better.
    I think when people die we should also confiscate at least half of their earned fortune, business, farm, etc. They owe it to us for getting rich while we weren't as LUCKY as them.

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  6. Hey Knuckleheads 1:14 and 1:29

    Considering that 60 Votes were needed for a majority, since when is 60 a majority, the move received 57 for and 42 against, in addition even the Mayor of NYC, Mr. Capitalist himself Mike Bloomberg chastised the Senate Republicans for not voting for this. As for not being able to afford $7.4 billion, if we could afford bailing out AIG, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, JP Morgan Chase and Citi, I guess we can't afford taking care of people that laid their lives on the line. By the way where was that vigilant President when we were attacked on 9/11? Cleaning brush with Sparky. You're probably one of those people that TSB writes about that compares themselves to the superrich when you're just a working slob like the rest of us. Before you go attacking people understand how many votes it takes to pass legislation in the Senate. Knucklhead

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  7. Free marketeers where were you when the banks were failing and your 401(k)''s were going down the tubes? Didn't hear you standing on your soap boxes screaming let them fail. Socialism for the rich always works doesn't it?

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  8. Anonymous 1:29

    Why all the animus towards TSB? He's just doing his job. But just to refresh your understanding of how the U.S. Senate works you need 60 votes to pass the legislation. So for the record, 57 Democrats voted for and 42 Republicans voted against it, with Sam Brownback a Republican of Kansas abstaining. So before you make anymore ridiculous statements for the record Republicans held up passing this legislation that is long overdue for these people. How is this grandstanding? Don't be so thin skinned this isn't the Middle East, this is America.

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  9. I know that TSB is not a Democrat, he is a realist, that likes practicing the art of inception. I believe that he actually lives by his own code of conduct walking to his own beat. Unlike many of us who are afraid of our own shadow.

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  10. If liberals like TSB ran the world, we would enjoy record budget surpluses, education would be a top priority and world peace would dominate the globe. Unfortunately, liberals like TSB don't, so what we have instead is a world of shit, as Private Pyle once eloquently described.

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  11. Blocking this bill is CRIMINAL. The next time we are attacked, we will call upon the Republican Senators and their immediate families to clean up a disaster.

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  12. For the record who was the President of the United States when the economy collapsed? By the way the last President who effected a surplus was a Democrat.

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  13. Hey 1:55, most of the folks against increased expenditures, including this one, were against the various "bailouts". But besides that, it's an apples to oranges comparison. Agree with it or not, the intent of the bailouts was not to protect the wealth of any particular individuals or groups, but to protect the collapse of the economy or financial function that entity was providing. In other words, protect all of us from a cascade of collapse in the economy. That's why it began with a Republican and continued essentially the same under a Democrat. Whether you agree with it or not, doesn't make a difference, it's not the same as a simple expenditure program, which the 9/11 rescue worker health program is. Having said that, I certainly concur with TSB that we need to provide for those who answered the call on that day. But the program does seem awfully expensive, and I can't help but think it may be rife with fraud and abuse. Even firefighters and police offices have trouble resisting it when a free ride or "free" cash is dangled in front of them. Trouble is, it's not free, it's our money! They have insurance, and they have funds from the government, albeit with limits and caps. This looks like there may be a bunch of lawyers behind trying to fatten the pot in the rescue workers names. But I may be wrong. Glad I'm not voting on it.

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  14. By not pursuing litigation, didn't these people agree to a settlement offer to begin with? By the way has anyone looked at the cost of healthcare lately?

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  15. Maybe if TSB did run the world there would be a budget surplus. There would be no wasteful prototyping of instruments, no free computers, engineers would come to work at 8:00 instead of 10:00 and the CEO would be held accountable for his incompetency, this from someone that has worked for him.

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  16. ... 2:57 here, after looking into it, it appears that a big chunk of this is to pay the settlement that 3:05 mentions. I'm also not seeing any Republican statements regarding this bill being inappropriate, so it appears to be just politics. It'll get passed.

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  17. Shocker same ol same ol with liberals, let's keep spending money we don't have, which is careless and irresponsible, and then blame republicans for not passing every bill that comes through that will only increase our debt. If we had money to throw around sure we could fund it, but we don't, get a clue people. As Micheal Savage says "Liberalism is a mental disorder"

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  18. Obviously if you steal money from the rich you can fill the government coffers and have a surplus. The problem is, you will eventually run out of other people's money.
    How much of my money do you think is fair for you to steal from me to pay for your entitlements? 50%? 70%? At some point I will stop working and making money and join you, mr. Zero liability voter, and I will not be alone. Then who's money will we take?
    This country was not founded on socialist ideals, and they are definitely not what has made us great.
    Should we take care of the 911 workers? Of course, and we will. The vote today was a hoax to make people hate republicans. It was brought to the floor with full knowledge that it would get voted down TODAY. It will pass and they will be taken care of, but you will have already drunk your kool aid and hated who they wanted you to hate. They will have successfully moved your thoughts closer to their socialist ideals.
    Don't believe me? Listen to JFKs speech here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEdXrfIMdiU&feature=youtube_gdata_player and tell me he could get voted in as a democrat today.

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  19. What's scarier than your commentary is that you listen to Michael Savage another in the line of great oracles. Genius do you know that the settlement has already been agreed upon and is part of the bill. I doubt people are faking their illnesses,. Maybe we should have thought about what the Wars in Iraq and Iran are costing us on a weekly basis all in an attempt to catch OBL dead or alive. You want to talk about money we don't have let's start there.

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  20. You are all fools!!!! Republican or Democrat, it is the system that is failing!!!! The machine is broken and as a young man, I know that None will be left for me or my generation.

    Nature Boy

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  21. Hey, Tea Partiers, why'd you crawl back under your rock? Shouldn't you be out in force screeching about a 900 billion dollar deficit that's about to result from an extension of Bush's fiscally-irresponsible budget measures?

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  22. and the winner is....4:26! if u dont think so read it again and again and again until you do.

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  23. This blog is complete shit. It's been boring for the last month... and now I drop and see all this worthless crap.
    WGAF
    Stick to the topic... If I wanted to see crap like this I will go to political blogs.

    This blog is worthless to the topic of spine.

    As always, I hate you all and go to hell.

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  24. That's why you're spending your time reading it

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  25. Haha. This blog is my hero for setting off 5:40

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  26. 5:40

    The lunatic is on the grass,

    and if the damn breaks open many years too soon and if there is no room upon the hill and if your head explodes with dark forbodings too I'll see you on the dark side of the moon

    The lunatic is in your head

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  27. if this bill was a "no-brainer" why did it take so long to pass the house - with a couple dems voting NO? then, why did it arrive in the senate at the end of september and then wait to receive attention in december...in a lame duck session?

    It's your blog SB and I typically like it...but I'll keep coming back for the spine talk.

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  28. The last surplus came under a republican congress, in spite of the democratic president. To his credit, president Clinton moved to the right when the people cleaned house in the legislature.

    I also think it is hilarious that people (dems, libs) say that the tax breaks, if extended, will cost $800M. The tax breaks don't cost anything, it is the out of control spending that will cost us. This mindset is proof that the government has you where they want you. They have already spent the money, and want to take more of ours to "make up the difference." If they get the money, they will only spend more, and they will never, nor do they intend to make up the difference.

    Enough is enough.

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  29. Hey 1:34, I heard the same thing about 30 years ago, "America love it or leave it". Whoi the f$$k do you think you are? Take care of those people. The ones who wave the flag the most only think about themselves. TSB is right.

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  30. Take care of the workers but just for fun how about TSB/MM appear on FOX with Glen Beck maybe in a lab coat or scrubs and be eat-n alive.

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  31. A government strong enough to give you everything you want is a government strong enough to take away everything you have. For the record I believe TSB would kick Glen Beck"s ass

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  32. Out of control spending is the root of all evil? Why didn't anyone think about that when the US decided to go to war? How much does that cost the US every day? How much is it costing this country to take care of those that have served multiple tours in two crazy wars that have sustained life long disabilities? If your child has not served, don't dare to pontificate your BS.

    Americans love to spend now and worry about paying it off later, with the Yuan of course, that's Chinese currency for you Glen Beck fans. A simple rule of thumb, when everyone thrives, the economy thrives. Don't be so narrow minded. Those of you that wrap yourselves in socialism, you wouldn't know socialism if it was crawling up your ass. The closest you ever came to it was in some text book.

    As for debt, it's quite simple you have an obligation to pay it off, and where do any of you think that is going to come from? Financial engineering? Some of you need a dose of reality, the good old days are coming to an end and you're all angry. America is a great country and using people that have lay down their lives at Ground Zero is an embarrassment to this country, but I forgot, we would rather subsidize some Islamic Terrorist in Afghanistan or in Iraq who would smile to our face and stab us in the back than take care of our own people, think about it. That's what should scare most of you.

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  33. 7:53: You're right. Let's cut defense spending and other forms of corporate welfare.

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  34. 8:13-- Glenn Beck is a pathetic cry baby. Pretty sure TSB could handle him.

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  35. Getting back to the topic, one reason the bill did not pass is the difference between the payout for someone in the millitary killed in action and those killed during 911. The 911 payout is a lot higher. Shouldn't they both be the same, not one higher than the other?

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  36. 7:53 here...You liberals are all so angry (4:49). I am always amazed that when somone states a conservative point of view, liberals start attacking based on assumptions. In this case, the assumption seems to be that:

    1) ...I am in favor of the wars in the Middle East. I am not, nor was I ever. I believe that we fell right into the trap of 9/11. OBL knew that it was the everlasting war in Afghanistan(coupled with SDI) that broke the back of the USSR. 9/11 was simply a sucker punch to get us into a similar war to help destroy our economy. It seems to be working.

    2) ...I am a proponent of "corporate welfare." I am not. In fact, I believe that we should have let the system collapse instead of the bailout and all of the "stimulus" that followed. I really don't think we would have had a collapse of the magnitude that we were led to believe. There is plenty of private money out there, and what is one persons disaster, is another persons opportunity. If stockholders understood or exercised their powers, we would not have the messes that we have on Wall Street. But we are led to believe that the government is the only entity that can fix the problem. The fact is that the process is in place as it always has been, if only the individual was encouraged to take responsibility and accountability for their own decisions (investments in this case.) As an example, I chose to buy financial stocks in banks that were not selling toxic loans. I chose to enter a 30 year fixed mortgage for a home I could afford, instead of a variable mortgage for a home I couldn't. I looked at the choices, and made the responsible decision.

    3) ...Conservatives don't believe that the government should help people who serve in extenuating circumstances. I do, but I also believe that compensation or reparations should only make a victim or survivor whole.

    I believe that if you are maimed in a car accident, the insurance company should pay for your medical bills, and any therapy and counseling necessary to help you deal with your long term disfigurement. They should also pay for your loss of wages. They should NOT, however, be forced to make you wealthier than you would have ever been, just because you were a victim of an accident.

    There are thousands of families that will never have to work again, because they lost a loved one on 9/11. That is wrong, that is not how life should work.

    If the government were in the habit of acting responsible with the taxes we pay, spending a few billion dollars to cover uncovered medical expenses for 9/11 workers would be a no-brainer. Just like a few thousand for extra medical bills wouldn't hurt a well managed family budget. The problem is that our government is living way ouside of their means. It is time for a cold-turkey approach. I doubt we will get it from either side of the aisle. But we need it badly, or we will not have a country to defend or criticize in very short order.

    4) ...Conservatives are just sitting around reaping the rewards without having contributed or served. Trust me, I understand the sacrifices of the military. I don't think that serving is a requirement for having an opinion on anything the military does, whether it is critical or supportive. How come nobody is up in arms about the liberal Washington Post article criticizing the pay increase for our soldiers?

    I am tired of being pigeon-holed as a Republican, simply because I believe in a conservative approach to government. I have just as little faith in most Republican lawmakers as I do Democrats. I do recognize socialism, maybe because it is crawling further up my ass every day.

    Take responsibility for yourself, work hard, plan for the future, and strive for humility. Expect the same of others. That is what built this country.

    To paraphrase Reagan: The government is not the solution to the problem, the government IS the problem.

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  37. 11:23
    what planet are you from?

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  38. 11:41
    Which part seems alien to you? You must have the learning disability called Liberalism...

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  39. MSM, my 11:23 post is mysteriously gone. I can't think of anything that I wrote that is more inflammatory than other posts on here. I am disappointed that you would control the flow of ideas in such a way...yes I know it is your blog, blah, blah, blah. Until now, I thought you were a pretty objective guy, and enjoyed reading and participating. Now I am left to think that the disappearance of my post is an example of tyranny. I will have a hard time staying away, because I do enjoy the exchange with regard to our industry, but I am really disappointed. If there was simply a technical error, then I appologize, but I refreshed the page several times, and the post never reappeared. I know it was there initially, because 11:41 responded to it, and I saw it. Hmmmmm...

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  40. 12:33

    I apologize for the confusion but TSB did not delete your post. This is the first that I am hearing of this. Will check to see if Julian Assamge is attempting to subvert the blog. Resend the post

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  41. OK MM, you aren't a tyrant. It was way too long to rewrite...oh well. I was rather proud of it though. It didn't seem like the sort of thing that would cause you to pull it. Thanks for the blog, it is one of my favorite places to surf.

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  42. Just a reminder, TSB doesn't delete any comments unless they are derogatory or attack anyone's wife, mother, father, etc..... you get the drift. I still don't know why the post disappeared, I'm in the process of finding out if WikiLeaks was on the blog.

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  43. I have no interest in politics because I already follow sports. Wake up, go to work, pay your taxes, live your life. Politics is just another form of sports.

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  44. Hang on to your pantywaist...the GOP doesn't have a problem with the payment IF it doesn't add to the deficit. It can be paid and not add to the deficit - so let them do the political stuff since you are locked in your basement not understanding the total issue (obviously).

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  45. Yeah, no worries if the tax cut for millionaires raises the deficit, but god forbid we raise the deficit to help the unemployed or 9/11 rescuers! #!@$% wanker.

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  46. Extending the tax breaks does not increase the deficit, doofus. Spending increases the deficit. The idiots on the left that claim that this will increase the deficit, have already planned to spend the money that they would collect if the tax breaks were allowed to expire. You COMPLETE MORON LIBERALS will never learn. I have a great idea, pay for the health benefits for 9/11 workers out of the unspent $400B or so from the first stimulus debacle. The government needs to quit trying to take care of us, quit trying to employ us, quit trying to moralize us and quit trying to justify themselves. The government does nothing well, nothing economically, and nothing that the private sector cannot do better. You liberals are destroying our industry and our country. You liberals have no conscience, nor any common sense. Leave us alone, mind your own business, and everything will be fine. Keep up the current direction and pace, and we will only have a memory of true liberty.

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  47. Conscience: the ethical and moral principles that control or inhibit one's conduct. Hey Glen Beck, the people that run our industry are Republicans, MacMillan, Hawkins, Lukianov etc..... Glen Beck: A person who frightens others or demoralizes the government by terror, oops, that's the definition of terrorism. LIke many have said before, you probably earn a nice living, but are another working slob that loves to compare yourself to the 2% that live in a whole other world. While you bitch and moan about the liberal boogie man, the nutty liberals, did you notice what the investment banking industry did to this country in the last couple of years? I forgot, that's the private sector..... hey I must stop my Dennis Miller rant, I need to go to work.

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  48. why did tsb delete the 11:23 post?!!??

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  49. Hey moron's there never was a surplus! It was a BS accounting trick. Sales people are the easiest sale, especially liberal ones. And there is no tax break from the rich. These tax rates have been in place for a decade.

    I do believe the real rich, Top .01%, should pay some more but $250k? Please. What a joke. And if you like then cut an extra check yourself. No one is stopping you so quit your whining. Just remember that the morons in office will NOT be spending it to help anyone but themselves.

    Starve the beast!

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  50. How about a flat tax? If an 18% tax ACROSS THE BOARD were levied, we could balance the budget. It is the 43% of working households that don't pay ANY tax that are screwing the country, not the 2% that already pay the most. Most Americans (57%) would see their tax bill go down by 5-10%. The problems are so damn simple to solve. Those who proclaim to take care of, and fight for the little man, have a very strong interest in keeping the little man down...think about it.

    The leaders of businesses in our industry are conservative, thank God! It is the liberals in the general population that continually allow, and welcome the government into our lives that are ruining the industry. Place the responsibility on the individuals: the MD's, the hospital CEO's, the reps, the manufacturers, and , oh yeah, the patients! Patients need to learn to become their own advocate. They need to educated themselves, just like they would for any other large expense.

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  51. And why exactly is a flat tax a joke?? I didnt write the post about the flat tax, but I do agree with the person. How can that not be fair for everyone. The dems push for equality for everyone, this would solve it, but its just darn easy isnt it??? Then you couldnt hide all your tax deductions and everything else under the sun to reduce your taxable income. But, just saying flat tax=joke, isnt a very bright argument.

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