Having listened to all of the recent rhetoric about extending tax cuts for the wealthy, downsizing government, repealing the recently passed health care legislation and restoring our "lost freedoms", it occurs to me that all of those proposing these actions might want to assess their positions more carefully.
With our national debt increasing by the day to astronomical levels (see for yourself at http://usdebtclock.org ), how could any fiscally responsible person call for further increasing that debt by granting continuing tax breaks to the wealthiest 1% of our society who on the average actually pay only half of the maximum tax rate of 35%? Their good fortune in a reduced tax bill is due to the nature of our voluminous and complex tax code which contains a whole slew of perfectly legal tax breaks for those who are enterprising enough to take advantage of them. In addition in 2007 this same group shared almost 25% of our total national income for only the second time in our history. The first was 1928 and we all know what followed. While some members of this affluent group like Ben Stein complain about paying any increase in taxes as he did on the CBS Morning Show last Sunday, Warren Buffett summed it up best when he allowed that something is drastically wrong when his secretary pays proportionately more income tax than he. Also, wasn't it Oliver Wendell Holmes who declared that "taxes are the price we pay for a civilized society"? So, if these anti-tax folks get their way, what happens to our infrastructure, defense, education, transportation apparatus, legal system, emergency response capability, parks, homeland security and social services if there is a $700 billion decrease in tax revenue over the next decade as projected due to extending tax cuts to the wealthiest 1% of our population?
Presumably, any reduction in the taxes collected would most likely lead to that very downsizing in government most of these same people want, but at the very time when we need it most. In the 80's it was called "starving the beast", but only five years ago the nation was clamoring to know where that "beast" was when the gulf coast was ravaged by hurricane Katrina, and only five months ago when that same coast was dealt another blow with the BP oil spill. And let's not forget how last year the "beast" virtually saved the financial structure and integrity of this nation on which so much of our economy relies, not to mention the plethora of local, county and state grants, concessions and gifts which are given each year to corporations to encourage them to build or expand plants supposedly to create jobs. Where would that pool of money come from if tax revenue is reduced?
Then, we have the clarion call by many to repeal the new health care law right at the very time its benefits are starting to kick in, some just this past week. Who can argue with lifetime caps being banned, not being kicked off of coverage if you get sick, allowing children under 19 with pre-existing conditions to be covered, being able to get emergency coverage outside of one's network, permitting children under 26 years of age to remain on parents' insurance, providing tax credits to small businesses to offset their health insurance costs and providing consumers much more information on health care options at http://HealthCare.org? As stories of those whose lives have been and will be materially improved by this new law are publicized, I suspect any attempt to do away with it will quickly vanish.
And, finally, there are the most bizarre demands of all that call for "taking back our government" and "restoring our freedoms". What does "taking back our government" mean? Does it mean demolishing the institutions of government including congress and all federal agencies which now serve over 300 million people? Or does it mean a complete overhaul of all processes under which these institutions are created and now function? And pray tell what "lost freedoms" are they talking about? Is it the very freedom of speech they now enjoy in espousing their agenda? Is it the right to bear arms which seem to expand every year with additional venues in which people can now carry concealed weapons including of all places churches and national parks? Is it the right to practice one's religion free from interference and being demonized in a country that has one of the most diverse religious populations on earth? It just seems terribly ironic to me that some members of our society who would benefit the most from a strong tolerant government and its well financed and functioning programs are the very ones complaining the loudest about them.
ARTISTS
Laura Raborn at http://paintingsofhome.com and http://claygifts.com
Jim Johnson at http://yessy.com/jimjohnson/gallery.html
Russ Powell at http://powellphotos.com
Linda Flake at http://lindaflake.com
Tom Herrin at http://tommysart.blogspot.com
Matt McLeod at http://matt@mattmcleod.com
Artists Registry at http://www.arkansasarts.org/programs/registry/default.aspx
Sandy Hubler Fine Art at http://sandyhublerfineart.com
George Wittenberg at http://postcard-art-gallery.com
GALLERIES
Local Colour Gallery at http://localcolourgallery.com
Chroma Gallery at http://chromagallery.com
Cantrell Gallery at http://cantrellgallery.com
Greg Thompson Fine Art at http://gregthompsonfineart.com
Red Door Gallery at http://reddoorgalleryonline.com
M2 Gallery at http://m2lr.com
UALR Gallery Program at http://ualr.edu/art
Gallery 26 at http://gallery26.com
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Potpourri II
For a second time I find my "out basket" overflowing with items to the extent that just presenting random topics in shotgun fashion for comment is the most expedient way to purge that list, thus enabling more directed and focused commentary in future blogs. With rapid fire, multi-faceted news cycles being the order of the day, I suspect this will not be the last of my POTPOURRI postings, but here goes.
1. UPDATE OF HEALTH CARE EXPERIENCE: One of my readers called me to task for labeling our health care system as "the finest in the world" two weeks ago while relating my personal experience with a cut finger which required four stitches and over four hours to fix. Among other things she cited was the high incidence of staph infection that occurs in our hospitals, as well as the general level of care patients receive while admitted. While I have no statistics on either and additional information would be appreciated, I was mainly referring to the number and quality of the medical facilities themselves.
2. KUDOS TO LITTLE ROCK CENTRAL HIGH: Once again Little Rock Central High School led the state in the number of National Merit Semifinalists with 15 out of a total of 142. Congratulations to those students, their teachers, the staff at Central and the Little Rock School District for this stellar achievement.
3. ELECTRIFICATION OF CITY AND STATE: With the advent of electric vehicles the challenge for cities and states across the nation will be to provide a sufficient number of electrical power grids to the many stations that will be required to recharge these vehicles, as revealed in a recent article in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Nationwide we are operating at 50% of generating capacity, and one power plant in the southern part of our state is operating at only 24% capacity (re: ON THE HORNS OF A DILEMMA dated March 28,2010). Consequently, Arkansas, as well as the City of Little Rock, may well be in a good spot to capitalize on this potential demand.
4. "MEANEST CITY IN AMERICA" TAG AGAIN?: Several years ago Little Rock was labeled as the "Meanest City in America" as a result of its push to shut down all of the homeless camps that existed. Thankfully, after a hue and cry from many homeless service providers in the city, that push was quickly abandoned. But now there seems to be a move afoot to pass a series of controlling ordinances that are directed specifically at the homeless including where they go, whom they encounter, what they drink and how they are fed. The real solution has been, is and always will be providing the much talked about resource center which again is the subject of an article in our local newspaper today. We will soon celebrate the tenth anniversary of the much touted 10-Year Plan to End Chronic Homelessness without achieving its main recommendation - that resource center. How much longer is it going to take?
5. WHY CAN'T WE LEARN FROM HISTORY?: As the votes continue to be counted in the recent election in Afghanistan, we learn of increased violence, voting irregularities and prevailing corruption with little assurance that things will markedly improve between now and next year when a proposed draw down may begin. With its many tribes, conflicts, warlords and increased Taliban presence and influence, is it realistic to think that Afghanistan can be converted into a centralized modern democracy from our mold even with the might of our military? I have listened to the many explanations of why our policy there is justified, but I remain unconvinced given the horrendous cost in terms of lives and treasury.
6. MADE IN AMERICA POST SCRIPT: It was with some feeling of validation that I read in the September 10th issue of the New York Times Digest provided daily by a friend (thanks Tom) that President Obama was quoted as saying "We've got to go back to making things" (re: Blogs of 08/01 and 08/20). To that end he has appointed a Harvard MBA, Mr. Ron Bloom, as a special adviser to help address the problem by creating tax credits and subsidies (the subject of a future blog unto itself) to kick-start the private sector to manufacture a wide variety of new clean energy products like wind turbines, solar panels and electric car batteries (see item #3 above). The main obstacle will be to overcome China's alleged practice of illegally subsidizing those very same products to gain an unfair competitive advantage.
7. SUPPLYING SKILLED WORKERS TO MEET DEMAND: In that very same issue of the NYT Digest mentioned above was a column by David Brooks that focused on how we have become what he terms "The Genteel Nation". While 65% of Americans think we are a nation in decline, his take is that it is a structural problem due in large measure to a seismic (my term, not his) shift in our work force leaving industry in favor of the service, professional and financial sectors to find the holy grail. The effect is a large gap in the need for skilled machinists in manufacturing relative to the supply that has exacerbated the unemployment situation. Otherwise, the rate would be 6.5%, not 9.5%, a fact substantiated just this morning by former President Clinton on Meet the Press. This is just another piece of that Made in America puzzle that must be found.
8. WHAT ARE THESE PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT? As I listen to all of this rhetoric and posturing about "taking back our country", "getting government off our backs", "eliminating taxes" and "reclaiming our freedoms", I would just like to know what they are talking about. We live in the most free, affluent, idolized and sought after country on earth, so just exactly how would these angry people change things if they had "our country" back; how would they pay for the many conveniences, necessities and services we all need and enjoy; and just what freedoms have they lost? If we do not represent all of the good that defines us a democratic nation (what Michael Shermer of the Los Angeles Times described back in May as "the best of times"), then why are we trying to impose our model of democracy on other countries at great cost (see item #5 above)? And for one pundit in particular to say we as a people did not vote for the massive programs enacted this year (e.g. bail out, GM take over, health care reform, etc.) as he did on one of this morning's TV programs is somewhat disingenuous. We didn't vote for two wars either.
Current United States Debt still at http://usdebtclock.org
ARTISTS
Laura Raborn at http://paintingsofhome.com and http://claygifts.com
Jim Johnson at http://yessy.com/jimjohnson/gallery.html
Russ Powell at http://powellphotos.com
Linda Flake at http://lindaflake.com
Tom Herrin at http://tommysart.blogspot.com
Matt McLeod at http://matt@mattmcleod.com
Artists Registry at http://www.arkansasarts.org/programs/registry/default.aspx
Sandy Hubler Fine Art at http://sandyhublerfineart.com
George Wittenberg at http://postcard-art-gallery.com
GALLERIES
Local Colour Gallery at http://localcolourgallery.com
Chroma Gallery at http://chromagallery.com
Cantrell Gallery at http://cantrellgallery.com
Greg Thompson Fine Art at http://gregthompsonfineart.com
Red Door Gallery at http://reddoorgalleryonline.com
M2 Gallery at http://m2lr.com
UALR Gallery Program at http://ualr.edu/art
Gallery 26 at http://gallery26.com
1. UPDATE OF HEALTH CARE EXPERIENCE: One of my readers called me to task for labeling our health care system as "the finest in the world" two weeks ago while relating my personal experience with a cut finger which required four stitches and over four hours to fix. Among other things she cited was the high incidence of staph infection that occurs in our hospitals, as well as the general level of care patients receive while admitted. While I have no statistics on either and additional information would be appreciated, I was mainly referring to the number and quality of the medical facilities themselves.
2. KUDOS TO LITTLE ROCK CENTRAL HIGH: Once again Little Rock Central High School led the state in the number of National Merit Semifinalists with 15 out of a total of 142. Congratulations to those students, their teachers, the staff at Central and the Little Rock School District for this stellar achievement.
3. ELECTRIFICATION OF CITY AND STATE: With the advent of electric vehicles the challenge for cities and states across the nation will be to provide a sufficient number of electrical power grids to the many stations that will be required to recharge these vehicles, as revealed in a recent article in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Nationwide we are operating at 50% of generating capacity, and one power plant in the southern part of our state is operating at only 24% capacity (re: ON THE HORNS OF A DILEMMA dated March 28,2010). Consequently, Arkansas, as well as the City of Little Rock, may well be in a good spot to capitalize on this potential demand.
4. "MEANEST CITY IN AMERICA" TAG AGAIN?: Several years ago Little Rock was labeled as the "Meanest City in America" as a result of its push to shut down all of the homeless camps that existed. Thankfully, after a hue and cry from many homeless service providers in the city, that push was quickly abandoned. But now there seems to be a move afoot to pass a series of controlling ordinances that are directed specifically at the homeless including where they go, whom they encounter, what they drink and how they are fed. The real solution has been, is and always will be providing the much talked about resource center which again is the subject of an article in our local newspaper today. We will soon celebrate the tenth anniversary of the much touted 10-Year Plan to End Chronic Homelessness without achieving its main recommendation - that resource center. How much longer is it going to take?
5. WHY CAN'T WE LEARN FROM HISTORY?: As the votes continue to be counted in the recent election in Afghanistan, we learn of increased violence, voting irregularities and prevailing corruption with little assurance that things will markedly improve between now and next year when a proposed draw down may begin. With its many tribes, conflicts, warlords and increased Taliban presence and influence, is it realistic to think that Afghanistan can be converted into a centralized modern democracy from our mold even with the might of our military? I have listened to the many explanations of why our policy there is justified, but I remain unconvinced given the horrendous cost in terms of lives and treasury.
6. MADE IN AMERICA POST SCRIPT: It was with some feeling of validation that I read in the September 10th issue of the New York Times Digest provided daily by a friend (thanks Tom) that President Obama was quoted as saying "We've got to go back to making things" (re: Blogs of 08/01 and 08/20). To that end he has appointed a Harvard MBA, Mr. Ron Bloom, as a special adviser to help address the problem by creating tax credits and subsidies (the subject of a future blog unto itself) to kick-start the private sector to manufacture a wide variety of new clean energy products like wind turbines, solar panels and electric car batteries (see item #3 above). The main obstacle will be to overcome China's alleged practice of illegally subsidizing those very same products to gain an unfair competitive advantage.
7. SUPPLYING SKILLED WORKERS TO MEET DEMAND: In that very same issue of the NYT Digest mentioned above was a column by David Brooks that focused on how we have become what he terms "The Genteel Nation". While 65% of Americans think we are a nation in decline, his take is that it is a structural problem due in large measure to a seismic (my term, not his) shift in our work force leaving industry in favor of the service, professional and financial sectors to find the holy grail. The effect is a large gap in the need for skilled machinists in manufacturing relative to the supply that has exacerbated the unemployment situation. Otherwise, the rate would be 6.5%, not 9.5%, a fact substantiated just this morning by former President Clinton on Meet the Press. This is just another piece of that Made in America puzzle that must be found.
8. WHAT ARE THESE PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT? As I listen to all of this rhetoric and posturing about "taking back our country", "getting government off our backs", "eliminating taxes" and "reclaiming our freedoms", I would just like to know what they are talking about. We live in the most free, affluent, idolized and sought after country on earth, so just exactly how would these angry people change things if they had "our country" back; how would they pay for the many conveniences, necessities and services we all need and enjoy; and just what freedoms have they lost? If we do not represent all of the good that defines us a democratic nation (what Michael Shermer of the Los Angeles Times described back in May as "the best of times"), then why are we trying to impose our model of democracy on other countries at great cost (see item #5 above)? And for one pundit in particular to say we as a people did not vote for the massive programs enacted this year (e.g. bail out, GM take over, health care reform, etc.) as he did on one of this morning's TV programs is somewhat disingenuous. We didn't vote for two wars either.
Current United States Debt still at http://usdebtclock.org
ARTISTS
Laura Raborn at http://paintingsofhome.com and http://claygifts.com
Jim Johnson at http://yessy.com/jimjohnson/gallery.html
Russ Powell at http://powellphotos.com
Linda Flake at http://lindaflake.com
Tom Herrin at http://tommysart.blogspot.com
Matt McLeod at http://matt@mattmcleod.com
Artists Registry at http://www.arkansasarts.org/programs/registry/default.aspx
Sandy Hubler Fine Art at http://sandyhublerfineart.com
George Wittenberg at http://postcard-art-gallery.com
GALLERIES
Local Colour Gallery at http://localcolourgallery.com
Chroma Gallery at http://chromagallery.com
Cantrell Gallery at http://cantrellgallery.com
Greg Thompson Fine Art at http://gregthompsonfineart.com
Red Door Gallery at http://reddoorgalleryonline.com
M2 Gallery at http://m2lr.com
UALR Gallery Program at http://ualr.edu/art
Gallery 26 at http://gallery26.com
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Another "Day of Infamy"
Having just passed the ninth anniversary of the tragedy that befell our nation on 09/11/01, it just seems appropriate to dedicate this blog to that event and with minimum comment, as I am sure we all have vivid memories of that modern "day of infamy", where we were at the exact time it occurred and how it has impacted our lives. The full page color pictorial of the twin towers on yesterday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette editorial page was a most vivid reminder of that day, but other moments are captured at http://nymag.com/news/articles/wtc/gallery/. I just hope we all as Americans can focus on rebuilding the world-wide sympathy and national unity that existed immediately following 09/11 while always remembering the fallen heroes of that fateful day.
In that regard it is encouraging to know that there are citizens out there who are still trying to memorialize that heroism. In particular I received an e-mail from an old friend just yesterday who lives in Dallas informing me that his son is Campaign Manager of the effort to raise funds for a memorial to those on Flight 93 who courageously took matters in their own hands, and thereby prevented an apparent second attack on Washington D.C. To that end a website has been established for those who might like to contribute at http://honorflight93.org.
Peace to all!
Current United States Debt still at http://usdebtclock.org
ARTISTS
Laura Raborn at http://paintingsofhome.com and http://claygifts.com
Jim Johnson at http://yessy.com/jimjohnson/gallery.html
Russ Powell at http://powellphotos.com
Linda Flake at http://lindaflake.com
Tom Herrin at http://tommysart.blogspot.com
Matt McLeod at http://matt@mattmcleod.com
Artists Registry at http://www.arkansasarts.org/programs/registry/default.aspx
Sandy Hubler Fine Art at http://sandyhublerfineart.com
George Wittenberg at http://postcard-art-gallery.com
GALLERIES
Local Colour Gallery at http://localcolourgallery.com
Chroma Gallery at http://chromagallery.com
Cantrell Gallery at http://cantrellgallery.com
Greg Thompson Fine Art at http://gregthompsonfineart.com
Red Door Gallery at http://reddoorgalleryonline.com
M2 Gallery at http://m2lr.com
UALR Gallery Program at http://ualr.edu/art
Gallery 26 at http://gallery26.com
In that regard it is encouraging to know that there are citizens out there who are still trying to memorialize that heroism. In particular I received an e-mail from an old friend just yesterday who lives in Dallas informing me that his son is Campaign Manager of the effort to raise funds for a memorial to those on Flight 93 who courageously took matters in their own hands, and thereby prevented an apparent second attack on Washington D.C. To that end a website has been established for those who might like to contribute at http://honorflight93.org.
Peace to all!
Current United States Debt still at http://usdebtclock.org
ARTISTS
Laura Raborn at http://paintingsofhome.com and http://claygifts.com
Jim Johnson at http://yessy.com/jimjohnson/gallery.html
Russ Powell at http://powellphotos.com
Linda Flake at http://lindaflake.com
Tom Herrin at http://tommysart.blogspot.com
Matt McLeod at http://matt@mattmcleod.com
Artists Registry at http://www.arkansasarts.org/programs/registry/default.aspx
Sandy Hubler Fine Art at http://sandyhublerfineart.com
George Wittenberg at http://postcard-art-gallery.com
GALLERIES
Local Colour Gallery at http://localcolourgallery.com
Chroma Gallery at http://chromagallery.com
Cantrell Gallery at http://cantrellgallery.com
Greg Thompson Fine Art at http://gregthompsonfineart.com
Red Door Gallery at http://reddoorgalleryonline.com
M2 Gallery at http://m2lr.com
UALR Gallery Program at http://ualr.edu/art
Gallery 26 at http://gallery26.com
Monday, September 6, 2010
American Health Care - Laudatory But Extravagant
As a result of a mindless accident on my part last Saturday while working in the yard, I found it necessary to go to the emergency room of one of our city's magnificent health care institutions to get a cut finger attended to. The idea was that I would go, check in, get it stitched up and be back to my chores in fifteen, maybe thirty minutes at most, to continue enjoying being outside on one of the most glorious days of the year. As you will see that turned out to be wishful thinking on my part.
After being greeted by a lovely and accommodating lady at the receptionist's desk to whom I give the requisite insurance information, I am wrist banded and informed that there was only one person ahead of me. Great, I thought, just as planned, so I take my place in the waiting room, begin watching Georgia beat up on some lesser team and patiently wait to be called. Ten minutes pass that then turn into twenty when I hear my name called by a man dressed in scrub bottoms and a T-shirt. OK, things are on schedule, as he's no doubt the doctor who is going to take me back to his fix-up room, do his thing and I'll be gone in the anticipated maximum thirty minutes. Wrong! His function was to just take my vitals (temperature, blood pressure, heart beat), confirm the information previously provided by the lovely lady, wrap my cut finger, which by then had stopped bleeding, with an entire roll of gauze that looked like a chicken drumstick when he had finished and then usher me back out to the receptionist area. Time continues to tick away, Georgia's lead increases by leaps and bounds and the once virtually empty waiting room is now beginning to fill up.
Thirty minutes becomes an hour which then becomes two hours when I am finally called back behind two closed doors by nurse #1 who escorts me past several rooms filled with patients to a room that is empty. It is complete with bed, television, sink, cabinets and all of those medical gizmos on the wall behind the headboard you see in conventional hospital rooms. She tells me to lie on the bed and wait for one of the doctors on call. Minutes later the door opens and another kind lady from administration comes in to re-confirm my basic information including insurance coverage, and gets me to sign the ever present forms granting the facility the right to treat me, as well as my commitment to pay for any service not covered by Medicare and my supplemental insurance. She leaves and I then start watching the Texas-Rice game, as Georgia had already devoured its opponent. Later nurse #2 comes in to see what my problem is, removes my drumstick bandage, looks at my finger and agrees with me that all that needs to be done is stitch up my finger up, give me a tetanus shot and get me out of there. It is then that I first learn that there is way more than "one person ahead of me", but given the routine and minor procedure required she offers to try and get one of the doctors to handle my case with dispatch.
Over three and a half hours have now passed when the young doctor comes in, agrees with nurse #2 and my assessment of the situation and says he will be right back. Texas and Rice are tied 3 - 3 in the second quarter. When he does return several minutes later, Texas leads Rice 17 - 3. How quickly things change. It's now over four hours by the time he finishes repairing my finger with not quite enough deadening from my perspective, but by then I just want it all to be over. We exchange pleasantries, he leaves and then nurse #3 comes in, finishes the bandaging process, and gives me a handful of band aids, packets of gauze and tape. Then, surprisingly, he offers me the set of instruments just used to perform the stitching procedure, as their policy requires that they otherwise throw everything away when finished. So, four and a half hours after this experience began I am back home with a beautiful afternoon totally ruined, albeit due to my own carelessness.
What's the point of this tale? Well, first, I will tell you what it is not. It is not to ridicule our medical system in the U.S., as no one will argue with the fact that it is the finest in the world. Rather, it is simply to give one small example of how our medical system is seemingly out of whack when it comes to administering medical services commensurate with the actual need. What should have been a very minor procedure that any walk-in medical clinic could have performed in fifteen or twenty minutes turned into something that resembled performing major surgery. Is there no way to balance the two by initially assessing the injury, determine if it is major or minor and treat accordingly? No telling what this half-day ordeal cost, but I've got my suspicions that it isn't going to be cheap, and that's the rub facing any overhaul of our health care system. In that regard one of the real encouraging aspects of this experience was to learn that the nice young doctor who treated me Saturday was, in fact, a primary care specialist, a very rare breed in today's medical world where exotic high-earning specialties seem to be the order of the day. Primary care in my view is going to be one of the essential components of a comprehensive health care system from everything I read and hear on the subject.
Another reason to relate this story on this Labor Day 2010 is to acknowledge and thank the wonderful health care team who treated me, and ask you to please think of the many workers across this land like them with whom we all come in contact every day who tend to our every needs and wants to make our life so much more convenient and pleasant. Please let them all know how much you appreciate what they do for you, and have a safe and happy Labor Day holiday.
Current United States Debt still at http://usdebtclock.org
ARTISTS
Laura Raborn at http://paintingsofhome.com and http://claygifts.com
Jim Johnson at http://yessy.com/jimjohnson/gallery.html
Russ Powell at http://powellphotos.com
Linda Flake at http://lindaflake.com
Tom Herrin at http://tommysart.blogspot.com
Matt McLeod at http://matt@mattmcleod.com
Artists Registry at http://www.arkansasarts.org/programs/registry/default.aspx
Sandy Hubler Fine Art at http://sandyhublerfineart.com
George Wittenberg at http://postcard-art-gallery.com
GALLERIES
Local Colour Gallery at http://localcolourgallery.com
Chroma Gallery at http://chromagallery.com
Cantrell Gallery at http://cantrellgallery.com
Greg Thompson Fine Art at http://gregthompsonfineart.com
Red Door Gallery at http://reddoorgalleryonline.com
M2 Gallery at http://m2lr.com
UALR Gallery Program at http://ualr.edu/art
Gallery 26 at http://gallery26.com
After being greeted by a lovely and accommodating lady at the receptionist's desk to whom I give the requisite insurance information, I am wrist banded and informed that there was only one person ahead of me. Great, I thought, just as planned, so I take my place in the waiting room, begin watching Georgia beat up on some lesser team and patiently wait to be called. Ten minutes pass that then turn into twenty when I hear my name called by a man dressed in scrub bottoms and a T-shirt. OK, things are on schedule, as he's no doubt the doctor who is going to take me back to his fix-up room, do his thing and I'll be gone in the anticipated maximum thirty minutes. Wrong! His function was to just take my vitals (temperature, blood pressure, heart beat), confirm the information previously provided by the lovely lady, wrap my cut finger, which by then had stopped bleeding, with an entire roll of gauze that looked like a chicken drumstick when he had finished and then usher me back out to the receptionist area. Time continues to tick away, Georgia's lead increases by leaps and bounds and the once virtually empty waiting room is now beginning to fill up.
Thirty minutes becomes an hour which then becomes two hours when I am finally called back behind two closed doors by nurse #1 who escorts me past several rooms filled with patients to a room that is empty. It is complete with bed, television, sink, cabinets and all of those medical gizmos on the wall behind the headboard you see in conventional hospital rooms. She tells me to lie on the bed and wait for one of the doctors on call. Minutes later the door opens and another kind lady from administration comes in to re-confirm my basic information including insurance coverage, and gets me to sign the ever present forms granting the facility the right to treat me, as well as my commitment to pay for any service not covered by Medicare and my supplemental insurance. She leaves and I then start watching the Texas-Rice game, as Georgia had already devoured its opponent. Later nurse #2 comes in to see what my problem is, removes my drumstick bandage, looks at my finger and agrees with me that all that needs to be done is stitch up my finger up, give me a tetanus shot and get me out of there. It is then that I first learn that there is way more than "one person ahead of me", but given the routine and minor procedure required she offers to try and get one of the doctors to handle my case with dispatch.
Over three and a half hours have now passed when the young doctor comes in, agrees with nurse #2 and my assessment of the situation and says he will be right back. Texas and Rice are tied 3 - 3 in the second quarter. When he does return several minutes later, Texas leads Rice 17 - 3. How quickly things change. It's now over four hours by the time he finishes repairing my finger with not quite enough deadening from my perspective, but by then I just want it all to be over. We exchange pleasantries, he leaves and then nurse #3 comes in, finishes the bandaging process, and gives me a handful of band aids, packets of gauze and tape. Then, surprisingly, he offers me the set of instruments just used to perform the stitching procedure, as their policy requires that they otherwise throw everything away when finished. So, four and a half hours after this experience began I am back home with a beautiful afternoon totally ruined, albeit due to my own carelessness.
What's the point of this tale? Well, first, I will tell you what it is not. It is not to ridicule our medical system in the U.S., as no one will argue with the fact that it is the finest in the world. Rather, it is simply to give one small example of how our medical system is seemingly out of whack when it comes to administering medical services commensurate with the actual need. What should have been a very minor procedure that any walk-in medical clinic could have performed in fifteen or twenty minutes turned into something that resembled performing major surgery. Is there no way to balance the two by initially assessing the injury, determine if it is major or minor and treat accordingly? No telling what this half-day ordeal cost, but I've got my suspicions that it isn't going to be cheap, and that's the rub facing any overhaul of our health care system. In that regard one of the real encouraging aspects of this experience was to learn that the nice young doctor who treated me Saturday was, in fact, a primary care specialist, a very rare breed in today's medical world where exotic high-earning specialties seem to be the order of the day. Primary care in my view is going to be one of the essential components of a comprehensive health care system from everything I read and hear on the subject.
Another reason to relate this story on this Labor Day 2010 is to acknowledge and thank the wonderful health care team who treated me, and ask you to please think of the many workers across this land like them with whom we all come in contact every day who tend to our every needs and wants to make our life so much more convenient and pleasant. Please let them all know how much you appreciate what they do for you, and have a safe and happy Labor Day holiday.
Current United States Debt still at http://usdebtclock.org
ARTISTS
Laura Raborn at http://paintingsofhome.com and http://claygifts.com
Jim Johnson at http://yessy.com/jimjohnson/gallery.html
Russ Powell at http://powellphotos.com
Linda Flake at http://lindaflake.com
Tom Herrin at http://tommysart.blogspot.com
Matt McLeod at http://matt@mattmcleod.com
Artists Registry at http://www.arkansasarts.org/programs/registry/default.aspx
Sandy Hubler Fine Art at http://sandyhublerfineart.com
George Wittenberg at http://postcard-art-gallery.com
GALLERIES
Local Colour Gallery at http://localcolourgallery.com
Chroma Gallery at http://chromagallery.com
Cantrell Gallery at http://cantrellgallery.com
Greg Thompson Fine Art at http://gregthompsonfineart.com
Red Door Gallery at http://reddoorgalleryonline.com
M2 Gallery at http://m2lr.com
UALR Gallery Program at http://ualr.edu/art
Gallery 26 at http://gallery26.com
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