- Upcoming Events
- Beware of Medicare Reformers’ Empty Promises
- LPOC Year End Party
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- Upcoming Events
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November 26, 2003 - 7:30 PM
- Libertarian Party of Oakland County general membership meeting. Meeting starts at 7:30. Optional dinner starts at 6:30.
- Location: Sila's Restaurant, 4033 W. Twelve Mile, Berkley, 2 blocks east of Greenfield.
- Contact: Leonard Schwartz Phone: (248) 546-3569 E-mail: schwartz@michiganlp.org
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December 1, 2003 - 7:00 PM
- Kalamazoo-St. Joseph Valley Libertarian Party Regular Meeting (Branch, Calhoun, Kalamazoo & St. Joseph Counties). Order to eat (optional) at 6:30. Open to the public.
- Location: T.G.I. Friday's Restaurant, 5650 W. Main, Oshtemo (at Main & Hwy 131, Kalamazoo)
- Contact: Gerald Phillips Phone: (269) 382-0927 E-mail: gaphillips@jasnetworks.net
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December 4, 2003 - 7:30 PM
- Libertarian Party of Washtenaw County monthly business meeting.
- Location: Cubs' AC Restaurant (located in the Colonial Lanes Bowling Center) at 1950 S. Industrial Hwy, Ann Arbor.
- Contact: Jeff Weber, Secretary Phone: (734) 434-6486 E-mail: humanism@comcast.net
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December 7, 2003 - 1:00 PM
- Libertarian Party of Michigan Executive Committee Meeting. All dues-paying members are welcome.
- Location: LPM Headquarters, 619 E. 9 Mile in Hazel Park, 1/4 mile east of I-75
- Contact: Bill Gelineau Phone: (616) 897-0488 E-mail: wgelineau@firstam.com
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December 11, 2003 - 7:00 PM
- "Affirmative Action" by Tim O'Brien, former LPM Chair. Dinner at 7pm, speech at 7:30.
- Location: Cubs' AC Restaurant (located in the Colonial Lanes Bowling Center) at 1950 S. Industrial Hwy, Ann Arbor.
- Contact: Jeff Weber Phone: (734) 434-6486 E-mail: humanism@comcast.net
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December 11, 2003 - 7:00 PM
- Libertarian Party of West Michigan’s monthly membership meeting,
drinks and dinner at 6:30 PM, meeting begins at 7:00 PM
- Location: Club North (Banquet Room)1359 Plainfield Ave NE
Grand Rapids, MI 49505
- Contact: Tom Horan Phone: (616) 887-2428 E-mail: tomh@lpwm.org
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December 12, 2003 - 8:00 PM
- Holiday Party: The Libertarian Party of Oakland County is sponsoring a pot luck holiday party on Friday, Dec. 12. All LPM members are invited. As usual, it is BYOB. There is no charge. Just bring a dish to pass. You must register in advance at www.lpocmi.org/potluck.php.
- Location: LPM HQ in Hazel Park
- Contact: Leonard Schwartz Phone: (248) 546-3569 E-mail: schwartz@michiganlp.org
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December 16, 2003 - 7:00 PM
- Libertarian Discussion Group. Open to the public.
- Location: Denny's Restaurant, 3817 E. Cork St., Kalamazoo, at Sprinkle Rd. & I-94
- Contact: Gerald Phillips Phone: (269) 382 0927 E-mail: gaphillips@jasnetworks.net
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December 18, 2003 - 7:00 PM
- Discussion of Land Use with Jane Lumm, opponent of Ann Arbor's recent "greenbelt" ballot proposal. Dinner at 7pm, discussion at 7:30.
- Location: Cubs' AC Restaurant (located in the Colonial Lanes Bowling Center) at 1950 S. Industrial Hwy, Ann Arbor.
- Contact: Jeff Weber Phone: (734) 434-6486 E-mail: humanism@comcast.net
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January 5, 2004 - 7:00 PM
- Kalamazoo-St. Joseph Valley Libertarian Party Regular Meeting (Branch, Calhoun, Kalamazoo & St. Joseph Counties). Order to eat (optional) at 6:30. Open to the public.
- Location: T.G.I. Friday's Restaurant, 5650 W. Main, Oshtemo (at Main & Hwy 131, Kalamazoo)
- Contact: Gerald Phillips Phone: (269) 382-0927 E-mail: gaphillips@jasnetworks.net
- More
- For more events, see the online calendar at:
- http://www.michiganlp.org/lpmonline/events.php
- Beware of Medicare Reformers’ Empty Promises
(Washington, D.C.)—Today’s [November 20, 2003] Wall
Street Journal published an op-ed by Newt Gingrich urging
conservatives to support the proposed Medicare reform bill.
He argues Republicans should sign onto the $400 billion
Medicare prescription drug bill because it includes a
provision for Health Savings Accounts (HSAs). But before
Americans take the bait, they should first consider how
previous health reform proposals and laws have failed to
lower costs and increase access to health care.
“With Medicare’s impending bankruptcy, Americans simply
cannot afford any more empty promises,” said Sue Blevins,
president of the Institute for Health Freedom and author of
Medicare’s Midlife Crisis (published by the Cato Institute).
“It is critical for all citizens to become informed about
our nation’s track record on health reform to make sure we
don’t repeat past mistakes.”
She continued, “If history is any indication, the
current proposal of tying HSAs to Medicare reform will cost
us much more than it delivers. Taxpayers should not be
forced to finance a new $400 billion Medicare prescription
drug benefit in order to get tax breaks for HSAs.”
Health Reform Track Record: What Have Past Laws Delivered?
**1996 HIPAA Law Failed to Significantly Improve Health
Insurance Coverage:
The bipartisan “Health Insurance Portability and
Accountability Act of 1996” (HIPAA) was sold to the American
public as a way to make health insurance more affordable and
portable. It also was touted as offering some Americans more
choice by introducing Medical Savings Accounts (MSAs).
However, supporters and critics agree that HIPAA failed to
significantly improve access to lower-cost health insurance
and MSAs have not worked well because of regulatory
barriers.
The one thing HIPAA did achieve is that it included the
Administrative Simplification provision (a key feature of
the Clinton Health Care Plan) that resulted in all citizens
losing control over their personal health information.
**Balanced Budget Act of 1997 Transformed Medicare into a
Canadian-Style Program:
The Balanced Budget Act of 1997 included a Medicare
provision (Section 4507) that limits seniors’ freedom. It
says that before any doctor or other health-care provider
can accept private payment from Medicare-participating
seniors for Medicare-covered services, the provider must
promise not to accept Medicare payments from all
Medicare-participating seniors for two years. This provision
was challenged in federal court, but the court ducked the
question of the section's constitutionality.
***********************************************************
For information about the Institute for Health Freedom (IHF)
and Medicare reform, visit IHF’s Web site at
www.forhealthfreedom.org.
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- LPOC Year End Party
by Jerry E. Bloom
The LPOC will be holding a holiday party in December
instead of their regular monthly meeting on the 4th
Wednesday of the month. The PARTY will be on Friday,
December 12, at 8:00pm at LPM Headquarters at 619 E. 9 Mile
Rd, Hazel Park. (For a map go to http://www.mi.lp.org/hq/ )
As usual it is BYOB.
All LPM members, their family and friends are invited.
Please join us for this festive occasion.
There is no charge, just bring yourself and a dish to
pass, but you must register in advance.
Please go to http://www.lpocmi.org/potluck.php to sign up
for this event.
For additional information call Jerry at 248-649-5416.
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