It’s TIME:

After being accused of being a “Liberal” more times than I care to be…

I finally took their (the “Conservatives”) quiz to see if I would blow up the server it was housed on.

I guess they don’t know one of their own when they see me!   SO THERE!!

My Conservative Identity:

You are a Flag-Waving Everyman, also known as a Patriot.

You believe in freedom, apple pie, rooting for America at all times,

and that God gave us a two-day weekend so we could enjoy football and NASCAR.

Take the quiz at www.FightLiberals.com

Welcome to my FRIDAY RANT.  I have decided to keep these to once a week, although I am sure I could find plenty of fodder to do them more often!  It’s just not productive, and it’s not positive, but every once in a while, it’s REAL.  That is when I post it.

A friend of mine sent this to me today in an email.  I read it twice, then decided it needed to be published and shared!

Are you a Democrat, a Republican? An Independent?  A Liberitarian?  A vote who goes to the polls, closes their eyes and pokes a finger or a push pin in the first slot they hit, hoping for the best, against all odds?  Ya know what – it doesn’t matter!  This truth is the same for any of us because we are ALL taxpayers~

How many zeros are in a billion?

The next time you hear  any politician use the world “billion” in a casual manner, think about whether you want a politician spending YOUR tax dollars!  If you hear the word “trillion” well…this post will explain it too…

A billion is a difficult number to comprehend, but one advertising agency did a gret job of putting that figure into perspective.  This you WILL comprehend!

A Billion SECONDS ago it was 1959;

A Billion MINUTES ago Jesus was alive.

A Billion HOURS ago, our ancestors were living in the Stone Age.

A Billion DAYS ago no one walked on the earth on two feet.

A Billion DOLLARS ago was only 8 hours and 20 minutes at the rate that our government is spending it!

Now, while this thought is still fresh in your brain, let’s take a look at New Orleans, LA.

It’s amazing what you can learn with simple division!

Louisiana Senator Mary Landrieu is presently asking Congress for 250 BILLION DOLLARS to rebuild New Orleans.  What does this number really mean?

Well, if you have one of the 188,251 homes in New Orleans, your home gets $1,329.787.00

If you are one of the 484,674 residents of New Orleans (every man, woman, and child last accounted for) your EACH get $516,628.00

If you are a family of four, that means your family unit gets $2,009,012.00

WASHINGTON, D,C.

HELLO!!!! Are all your calculators broken!!???  Here are taxes I am sure all of us have paid in our lives:

• Building Permit Tax
• CDL License Tax
• Corporate Income Tax
• Dog License Tax
• Federal Income Tax (FED)
• Federal Unemployment Tax (FUTA)
• Fishing License Tax
• Food License Tax
• Fuel Permit Tax
• Gasoline Taxes
• Hunters License Taxes
• Inheritance Tax
• Intangible Property Tax
• Inventory Tax
• IRS Interest Tax (taxes on taxes – double taxation?!)
• IRS Penalties (taxes on taxes on taxes)
• Liquor Tax
• Luxury Tax
• Marriage License Tax
• Medicare Tax
• Tangible Property Tax
• Real Property Tax
• Road Use Tax (truckers)
• Service Charge Taxes
• Social Security Tax
• Sales Tax
• Recreation Vehicle Tax
• School Tax
• State Income Tax
• State Unemployment Tax (SUTA)
• Telephone Federal Excise Tax
• Telephone Federal Universal Service Fee Tax
• Telephone Federal State and Local Surcharge Tax
• Telephone Recurring and Non-Recurring Charges Tax
• Telephone State and Local Tax
• Telephone Useage Charge Tax
• Utility Tax
• Vehicle License Registration Tax
• Vehicle Sales Tax
• Watercraft Registration Tax
• Well Permit Tax
• Workers Compensation Tax

and I am sure there are more so feel free to add them as a comment!

Now – explain to me again, why did we break to America to avoid taxation?

NOT ONE OF THESE TAXES EXISTED 100 YEARS AGO!  OUR NATION WAS THE MOST PROSPEROUS IN THE WORLD.  WE HAD ZERO NATIONAL DEBT, AND THE LARGEST MIDDLE CLASS IN THE WORLD…..

AND MOTHERS COULD AFFORD TO STAY HOME AND RAISE THEIR KIDS!

Who is the biggest employer in America?

OUR FEDERAL GOVERNMENT!

“Read this snippet from “Federal Jobs Net”:  The average annual federal workers compensation in 2008, including pay plus benefits, was $119,982compared to just $59,909 for the private sector according to the United States Bureau of Economic Analysis.”

Know how to fix the economy and restore jobs almost over night?

Forget unemployment!  Let’s ALL work for the Federal Government – shortly we ALL could earn an average of $79,197!

—- oh wait, that would be socialism!  Never mind! (p.s.  if socialism is less bothersome to you than say, being homeless or starving, click the link above for Federal Jobs Net, look for a job and APPLY OFTEN!  Imagine what might happen if suddenly millions of us did that.  Beyond the possibility of being employed with great pay, we might even restore our “NEW” economy!)

Well, my friends, it’s happened!

Residents of of the State of Florida now have a health option similar to the one I took a poll on two months ago…

Remember when I asked if you could get health care for $15 a week, would you buy it?

Well, if you live in Florida, you can get it now!

It’s NOT hospitalization but you can get good health care at a price most of us can finally afford!

The plan is from Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Florida and it’s called GoBLUE. Just walk right into your local CVS and go to the pharmacy counter.  Ask them for the GoBlue card.  Seriously!

I just spent the last 6 hours researching this against the plan I intended to launch in 2010.

Here is the breakdown:

GoBLUE PLAN: click the link, enter your age and zip code and find out how much per month your plan will cost.  What does it cover?  Read on:

When you use In-Network Physicians and vendors:

$59 per member initial card purchase, then $24 to $59 per month. (age based only!)  No questionnaire, no approval or denials

Physicians:  Family doctor, specialsts and urgent care.  You pay a co-pay to the doctor of about $26 per visit.

$15 toward generic and brand name prescriptions

100% coverage on all lab work as long as you use Quest ($0.00 out of your pocket)

Basic Dental too!  Up to $50 toward dental work (Fillings, cleaning, X-rays and crowns).

I checked out the participating physician lists (make SURE you choose the GoBlue plan in Step 2, before doing your search!)  in my area as well as near the college I go to just to see if they had a sufficient number of doctors.  In my area there were 179 participating doctors.  Near my college – using a 5 mile radius – there were 176 participating doctors  - some close enough to walk to!

This is good news for all of us!  Even better, the cards at CVS can be used as Holiday Gift Cards!!

No, this is not a typical medical plan – Emergency Room,  Maternity Care,  Surgery and Hospital care is not included.

But for the average person who has been avoiding the doctor because the visit and any blood work or other tests they prescribe usually run several hundred dollars, this is a way to get to the doctor when you need them!

I used their website and found that at my age (51) my monthly cost for this plan would be $44 a month.  BEWARE they have two plans!  Read carefully!!  Plan 90 and Plan 91 showed up for me:

Plan 91 one had $15 per prescription allowed, while Plan 90 had only $5 per prescription. The difference was $34/mo vs. $44/mo for the monthly plan cost.  For my daughter, $24 a month (she is 25 years old).  Just goes to show, you have to pay extra for all that wisdom I have earned.

Desipte the fact that I have discussions with my doctor to ensure they are prescribing generics as often as medically possible, I still would want the $15 allowance because I know from experience that the $4-$8-$10/mo generic offers have restrictions so that if my doctor prescribes more than they include, I have to pay the regular price.  With $15 coverage per medication I have a safety net.

In addition, that $15 credit toward the medicine is for generic AND name brand – just be sure to call and get prices.  If you can’t afford it, call the doctor back and ask him if there is a cheaper medicine or generic you can get.  Never go without – something can always be done!

My Take On It:

It’s pretty clear from my investigation that they would much rather sell their other full insurance to you – it’s very easy to get lost once you pass the landing pages linked above.  Why do you think I spent 6 hours doing this!  It was a nightmare just getting to the right information and figuring out how to find the participating doctor’s lists.  THAT is why I provided the links above.

If they REALLY wanted to make this as easy as walking into CVS, buying the card and calling them to get on the plan, they would have simply build a website specifically for this product.

Sort of like they did for their other product, FamilyBlue – a discount card in the event you can’t afford the above basic care premium…..

Option 2:  FamilyBlue.com They offered another plan called FamilyBlue, a Discount Card for $19, then you choose a plan for $14.95 or $19.95 a month.  This was a list of preferred providers offering a discounted rate for a vast array of necessary services, including prescription, dental, vision, chiropractic care, not to mention a nurseline AND a Medical Advocate assistant to help you when you face large medical bills.  They help to negotiate your medical bills and find charities and other ways of paying them.

If you can’t afford GoBlue for each of your family members, then FamilyBlue is the next best thing.  At least you are getting discounts – and that is a big deal, because BCBS has the power to negotiate good deals with many of the best doctors in Florida.  I used to do this for myself, but if you aren’t a negotiator and don’t have the time, then this is the next best thing – and way better than going with out and going it alone!

Follow up with me in 30 days!

I am signing up to see how this works – I will be posting again in early January  to let you know my experience step by step!  Check back and get caught up!