Day 6... Dear Mr. President

Day 6

Dear Mr. President,

Today I’d like to talk to you about family, and raising our children to be responsible adults. Not an easy task these days when so many have a sense of entitlement they have not earned, nor deserve.

I thought about Mrs. Obama and the girls because my son Colt, came up yesterday to build me two raised garden boxes so I can plant some vegetables, and perhaps a few strawberries. My husband Gary, and I live in Rancho Murieta, CA, a place where there is a huge deer and wild turkey population. That is why I haven’t planted a garden earlier, but I’m sure I can outsmart the critters and grow a fine crop of veggies. I was inspired by Mrs. Obama’s white house garden and her message to all of us that we can and should eat more fruits and vegetables. She also encouraged each of us to plant our own, a full-proof way to ensure freshness.

Colt is my youngest son and will turn 40 next month. He lives in Redwood City, CA with his wife and two children. Colt is a contractor now, but he has been in construction since his teens. He is an excellent finish carpenter, and has always had steady work until about two years ago. Because of the economy, people were reluctant to start new construction, or remodel jobs, fearing that they may need the money for necessities like food, insurance, cloths, education, etc… So finding work was difficult at best.

As a parent we do what we can to help our children through difficult times… the trick being, not to have it appear as a handout, because the message you send is that you don’t think they’re capable of taking care of themselves, when really… we just want to help make things a little easier and less stressful for them and their family. So I hired Colt to build my garden boxes, and plant some new trees. The project becomes a win-win for both of us. I get to have an extended visit, cook his favorite things, gain a garden and new trees, and Colt gets to visit, remember what it’s like to get a ‘little spoiled’, and he earns the money for the work he does.

I thought of you and Mrs. Obama, and how you are raising Malia and Sasha to be responsible and self reliant, and I can’t tell you how wise you are, and how right you are in your approach. They may complain a bit, but in the end they will thank you for teaching them these valuable lessons.

I hear so many parents say it’s easier to do things themselves, rather than teach their children how to do the simple household chores, and it’s a shame because the message they send is that the kids aren’t capable and their parents don’t value the contribution they could be making to the family.

You and Mrs. Obama are doing a wonderful job with Malia and Sasha… instilling a strong work ethic, teaching them to be self reliant, and teaching them that as a member of the family… they need to contribute. Everyone needs to feel important and needed, often we are the happiest when we are doing something for the benefit of someone else. Please give my best to Mrs. Obama, Malia and Sasha.

Most Respectfully,

Marcia Reimers

The Gadfly Granny

Day 5... Dear Mr. President

Day 5

Dear Mr. President,

Yesterday I talked to you about fraud, schemes, scams, and cons that cost the Federal Government (the people) billions of dollars a year, and how we might end the abuse. The following example is just one scheme perpetrated by just one company, Genentech… involving just one drug.

Here’s the deal… two of the drugs that Genentech owns have proven to be very effective for treating macular degeneration for the elderly. One is Avastin and the other is Lucentis. Both belong to a new class of medications, and both drugs are covered by Medicare.

Lucentis costs $2000 for just one treatment, and for Avastin the cost is just $50. The FDA has approved Lucentis for this specific disease, while Avastin has not been approved for this treatment because Genentech did not apply for its approval for this particular disease. Avastin does have FDA approval for colon cancer.

Both drugs have proven to be equally effective. The use of the expensive drug for one eye for one year costs approximately $45,000, while the less expensive drug requires fewer treatments and is nearly 100 times less expensive.

So why doesn’t Genentech apply for FDA approval for Avastin? Because Genentech would cut it’s own profits gained when doctors prescribe the more expensive drug treatment. Why do doctors still choose to use the $2000 drug? Because Medicare allows doctors to charge 6% above cost ($120 per injection), and if a doctor gives patients 1000 eye injections a year, that’s $120,000 profit for using one drug over the other. Although doctors are not supposed to be practicing medicine for profit, we all know that money talks. Then if you figure in kickbacks, which we all know companies include as the cost of doing business… they still end up with huge profits.

Just requiring doctors to us the less expensive drug could save the Federal Government a half-billion dollars a year. The bottom line is always this… We, the people, end up footing the bill for this type of scheme.

This information came from Dr. Michael Wilkes, Professor of Medicine at the University of California, Davis. I say send the first $100,000 reward to Dr. Wilkes… a bargain compared to the half-billion it’s costing us for just this seemingly small scheme. Think of all the other schemes that are happening on a much larger scale that we either don’t hear about or know about. I don’t know about you, but it boggles my mind to even think about it.

Most Respectfully,

Marcia Reimers

The Gadfly Granny

Day 4... Dear Mr. President... 60 Billion a Year in Insurance Fraud.

                                                                                            5/8/11

Dear Mr. President,

Yesterday I mentioned to you that we have innumerable problems in this country that need to be addressed, and I’m going to talk about just one of those problems that costs this country over 60 Billion dollars a year… insurance fraud. I say this country because this country is it’s people, and it’s the people that pay for that fraud through high premiums. This is just one scam… you can just imagine how much it is costing this country if you add all the scams together.

American Greed

You hear about it all the time… people receiving exorbitant medical bills for simple procedures, or for things like a band-aid costing $10 on a hospital bill. Half of the time if a person took the time to actually look at the itemized bill, they would discover that they didn’t receive half of the things their insurance company was being bill for. I know it’s, happened to me. When you bring it to the attention of the doctor, or the billing department, they often apologize and then remove the questionable charges. But, how often do you suppose people just say to themselves, “Oh well the insurance company will pay for it anyway,” not realizing that we all pay for it in higher premiums.

I’m not sure if you are aware of a television program called American Greed, but the purpose of the program is to expose fraud, scams, cons and schemes, perpetrated against the American public and our Government. I’ve watched a few episodes, and I want to tell you… it’s positively disgusting to think that people commit these crimes to get rich at the expense of their fellow citizens. You can Google American Greed and watch a few episodes for yourself, but trust me, you won’t be pleased to learn how much this is costing everyone. And of course, the real irony is… the Government and YOU get blamed for most of it. 

So here’s the plan… Reward people for catching fraudulent schemes, cons, and scams, yes, reward them with… oh, lets say, $100,000. I’ll tell you, people will be looking at everything with a skeptical eye… they’ll go over every bill with a fine-toothed comb… I know I would. See, here’s the thing… when we’re being robbed we scream like hell, but if we don’t know we’re being robbed, we’re silent. I say, “get the people behind you on this”… go on American Greed and pitch it to the public… What have you got to lose Mr. President? The people already think the Government is in collusion on some of these schemes, so again, what have you got to lose?

Most Respectfully,

Marcia Reimers

The Gadfly Granny

Day 3... Declare Victory and Bring the Troops Home.

                                                                                          
Dear Mr. President,

I know this is arriving after the fact, but I wanted all the brouhaha to subside before I sent my thoughts and comments.

Congratulations on bringing Bin Laden to justice… I don’t say for killing him because I think that’s kind of ghoulish, but you did indeed exact justice. In fact, I think it was the perfect solution to an unwinnable problem. If you had captured him like Saddam Hussein then the country would have been further divided by how to handle a trial, his care, his faith, etc… His followers, would never accept how America treated him, no matter what we did. You know that to be true just from how they have responded to his burial at sea. In short, there would be constant criticism, which would only serve as another distraction from our real problems, like unemployment, health care… you know the whole list better than I do.

Promise fulfilled by President Obama

To the point of today’s letter… Now that Bin Laden is out of the picture, you Mr. President, have the perfect opportunity to announce that you will be bringing home a good part of our military men and women deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan… Declare a small victory against terrorism and bring some of our children, fathers, mothers, sisters, and brothers home to their families. Isn’t it time to easy the burden placed on these families that are sacrificing so much for this country? I say the time is perfect for you to fulfill that promise to the American people. You will then truly become an American Hero, at least in the eyes of many and certainly in the eyes of the military families. 

We have so many of our own problems here at home that need our desperate attention… so tomorrow I will talk about some of the problems facing ordinary people… people like my brother who was out of work for so long that the stress finally killed him. People like my sister who is upside down in her house, and cannot get relief from B of A or anyone else she had contacted.

In closing for today, I want to thank you again for fulfilling your promise to get Bin Laden… you did a great job, and please think about bringing home some of our troops.

Most Respectfully,

Marcia Reimers

The Gadfly Granny

Day 2... Planned Parenthood is not just for Women.

                                                                                           

Dear Mr. President,

Charles Stuart Fields

On March 21^st of this year my brother ‘Charlie’ passed away. Charlie was only 57 years old… 7 years my junior. He had high blood pressure (a family trait) and a great deal of stress. Charlie had been out of work for two years, even though he applied for any and all jobs, he was not able to find even a busboy job. His girlfriend, Kari was laid off as a teacher and was also out of work.

Because money was tight, Charlie got his high blood pressure medication from Planned Parenthood in Santa Cruz, CA. This was a godsend for him because, of course, he had no medical insurance. Sadly, the stress was ultimately too great and Charlie died of a heart attack. The purpose of this, my second of a daily letter to “My President”, is to implore you to keep Federal Funding for Planned Parenthood in place. Please do not let the Republicans run rough shod over the women and MEN, who depend on these vital services. Thank you for all you do, and your attention to this request.

Most Respectfully,

Marcia Reimers

The Gadfly Granny

Day 1... Dear Mr. President... Greetings from The Gadfly Granny.

Letters to President Obama:

Marcia Reimers, The Gadfly Granny

This will be a series of letters to My President, most days, gleaned from the news or just from my own thoughts on a particular subject. My plan is to send those thoughts, ideas, opinions, criticisms, expectations, disappointments, thanks, congratulations, and suggestions, and to be a small voice of the change that is constant in all our lives whether we welcome it or not.

I am “The Gadfly Granny” and my definition of a gadfly is:

One that acts as a provocative stimulus; or a goad. That is my intention... to give a gentle prod or stimulate an idea or observation. 

Day 1

Dear Mr. President,                                                                        5/5/11

        You don't know me yet.  But I found your website the other day. You know the one about the video showing what happens to letters sent to you, the President. We agree. There is nothing more serious or important than hearing from your supporters. For you to hear what's on our minds, and to understand what's in our hearts. And, thankfully we don't all come with "complaints". A lot of us have ideas. Good ones too. So my purpose is to offer ideas, observations, and hopefully partial solutions that can help you continue your promise to make positive changes in all of our lives.

        With great sincerity and appreciation for the wonderful job you are doing, and the thoughtful person you are, I will be sending you a letter each day.

Most Respectfully,

Marcia Reimers,

The Gadfly Granny

The Vagina Vigilantes vs The Penis Police

I’ve had it up to my eyeballs with “men” talking about and voting on women’s reproductive rights. It is my opinion that since men never can, and never will be pregnant, then they should shut the hell up on the whole subject.

Women are the only ones at risk for unwanted or unplanned pregnancies, and they should be the only ones to determine what to do about it. Our bodies are the only bodies at risk if something goes wrong with the pregnancy, and only our health is at risk if we are unable to afford to get proper care.

I think it’s about time the women in this country formed a group of “Penis Police” to go after the guys who rape women, and who get women pregnant and then disappear after all of the fun and never having to face the responsibility for their part. Their “boys” are allowed to swim freely wherever they want without any consequences, and yet we do nothing to impose restrictions on their “freedom”. Well maybe we should, maybe it’s time to hunt them down and castrate them or at the very least perform a vasectomy if they impregnate anyone other than their wife. Maybe the Penis Police could hunt down all the guys that jack off on a regular basis, because after all, those "boys" could have potentially been a baby maker. Isn't it about time that the men in this country have to worry about where they inject their penis' the same way women have to worry about the consequences of having their vaginas invaded?

The Vagina Vigilantes (mostly old white men or bible thumping thugs) think nothing of standing on corners with their vile posters, or shouting obscenities at women entering reproductive clinics, or stand up in pulpits across this country and tell women what sinners they are if they have an abortion. I’ve read so many letters to the Editor from men condemning women for having an abortion, and they have the nerve to write letters praising the illustrious Representatives that voted to defund Planned Parenthood. That’s right Dan Lungren, Wally Herger, and Tom McClintock (all ‘white’ Republican males) voted for the Pence Amendment to defund Planned Parenthood. In fact all the Republicans in the House voted to defund Planned Parenthood.

Why should these Vagina Vigilantes be allowed to vote on anything involving a woman’s body? Oh they’ll say that it’s their tax dollars that are funding these groups and it’s their job to control those tax dollars. Well let me ask them this… whose tax dollars are used to defend the rapist, the murders who shoot abortion Doctors, the children in Foster Care, and the unwanted children born to mothers who cannot take care of them and didn’t want them in the first place? How many murdered children do we have to read about before we address the real issue of child abuse in this country? The answer is, we all pay for it, and it will get exponentially worse if we deny women and men a place to go for contraception, sexually transmitted diseases, critical health screenings, and yes, abortions if that’s what the ‘woman’ wants.

But I’ll make you guys a deal… you keep your votes off of my vagina, and I’ll keep Lorena Bobbit off of your penis… deal?