Mitt channels Ebenezer Scrooge on 60 Minutes

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Romney says that Americans without health insurance can just go to ER. (photo: Laniado Hospital)
By Dr Jen GunterWielding the Lasso of Truthreadersupportednews.org 25 September 12
ast night on 60 minutes Mitt Romney was questioned about health care. When asked if the government had a responsibility to care for the fifty million Americans who don't have health insurance he replied,

"Well, we do provide care for people who don't have insurance, people - we - if someone has a heart attack, they don't sit in their apartment and - and die. We - pick them up in an ambulance, and take them to the hospital, and give them care."

What Mr. Romney fails to understand is that there is a difference between acute health problems that require an emergency department and, well, the other 99% of medical care. It is true, due to EMTALA if you are uninsured and have a medical condition requiring emergency care that you will not be booted out of the emergency department. Medical professionals don't look at your insurance card before pulling out the crash cart, so you are likely to get excellent emergency care regardless of your ability to pay. 
However, the 70-year-old stroke victim who needs physical therapy can't get that in the ER.
Neither can the two-year-old who needs feeding therapy.
Or the 42-year-old woman who needs chemo for her breast cancer.
Or the 47-year-old man who needs insulin for his diabetes.
Or the 22-year-old who needs a Pap smear.
Or the 6-year-old who needs an influenza vaccine.
What happens when people rely on the ER for their safety net is that they go without care or get a bill that they can't ever hope to pay (and still likely didn't get the care they really needed because an ER can only do so much). Hospitals then have no choice but to either charge health insurances more to recoup their losses or to close their emergency departments.
That is why, Mr. Romney, I have seen and wept over women with breast cancers eroding through their skin. Something that could have been prevented by a mammogram and lumpectomy four years earlier. And I have wept over women with cervical cancers who bled to death for want of a Pap smear and a simple office procedure 5 years earlier.
Mr. Romney, what would you say right now to someone suffering from an illness that is inadequately treated (or perhaps not even treated at all) because the have no health insurance or enough money to pay for care. "Are there no emergency rooms?"What's next, "Are there no work houses?"
Beware ignorance, Mr. Romney.
Dr. Jennifer Gunter is a nationally and internationally renowned obstetrician/gynecologist. She is the recipient of numerous research awards and has published extensively in medical journals and authored many book chapters. "The Preemie Primer" is her first book. Her writing has also appeared in USA Today, the A Cup of Comfort series, KevinMD.com, EmpowHer.com, Exceptional Parent, Parents Press, Sacramento Parent, and the Marin Independent Journal. Dr. Gunter also writes a sexual health column for examiner.com. She has been interviewed by numerous national media outlets and magazines, including CNN.com, More, US News and World Report, Runner's World, Glamour, Redbook, Woman's World, and Shape.
Dr. Gunter was born and raised in Winnipeg, Canada, and graduated from The University of Manitoba School of Medicine in 1990 at the age of 23. In 1995 she completed her OB/GYN training at the University of Western Ontario and moved to the United States to complete a fellowship in infectious diseases at the University of Kansas. After completing her fellowship she continued her studies in pain medicine and currently is the only OB/GYN in the United States who is board certified in both OB/GYN and pain medicine. Dr. Gunter is one of the select few physicians in the United States who holds four board certifications.

Miss AZ has eye on Miss America crown

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By Sarah-Jayne Simon
U of A News

Few students have had to take semesters off to prepare for a national pageant.

Piper Stoeckel, a Prescott native and broadcast journalism senior at the University of Arizona, was crowned Miss Arizona last June and will be competing for the title of Miss America in January.

Stoeckel is currently taking the year off from classes to focus on a competition she’s been involved in for a number of years.

“I had my eye on pageants junior year,” Stoeckel said. “I admired the community service and talent. I watched Miss Arizona’s 2011 winner, Jennifer Sedler, and saw her doing the most incredible things, and she really inspired me to get involved.”

Megan Alletson, a senior and journalism major at UA, is one of Stoeckel’s closest friends.

“[Stoeckel] really does adapt to any situation and I have yet to meet someone who didn’t like her immediately,” Alletson said. “She makes a fantastic Miss Arizona because she breaks any negative stereotypes of pageantry. She is one of the most intelligent people I know, is obviously stunning and most importantly really cares about her platform and making a difference.”

Stoeckel’s platform includes child abuse prevention and awareness at the Southern Arizona Children’s Advocacy Center. She is currently on their board of directors and volunteers with them. Stoeckel is also active within the Boys and Girls Club.

“As this year has gone by I want to take the time to empower the next generation in any way I possibly can. During my senior year of high school, I decided that was the one cause that I wanted to work for and improve,” Stoeckel said. “One of my closest friends in high school was abused and I remember thinking, that was one of the worst things that could happen to an individual. I feel like that is what I was caused to serve.”

Stoeckel said she draws much of her inspiration from her family. Her older brother, Karl Stoeckel, was deployed to Afghanistan a week before his sister competed for Miss Arizona.

“He told me, I want you to go into this wanting to serve while I am serving,” Stoeckel said. “He inspires me every single day. I want to use this position to selflessly serve in Arizona. It is an odd dynamic for me this year because yes, I have these amazing things happening, but at the same time I am very humbled that a very important person in my family is in an extremely dangerous and courageous position.”

Laura Lawless Robertson, who was crowned Miss Arizona in 2002, has known Stoeckel since she earned the crown in June. Robertson said Stoeckel’s dedication to her platform is what allows her to fit the Miss Arizona title so well.

“I think she is a woman of character,” Robertson said. “She is hard-working and devoted to what she does. Having walked in those shoes as Miss Arizona before, I know how important it is to be passionate. It is not measured by the fame you achieve but the change you make in the service of the state and she has that quality. On top of being beautiful and having the potential of doing great at Miss Arizona, she is a hard worker and as an Arizona sister, I treasure that.”

After the Miss America competition, Stoeckel said she hopes to finish her classes at the UA and get an internship for broadcast news.

“I’ve joked that I want to be Piper Stoeckel when I grow up, but in all seriousness I think she is a wonderful role model and no better person could represent the state of Arizona,” Alletson said.

Forest is free on Saturday

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Fees waived for Public Lands Day, Sept. 29No Tonto Passes required at day-use sites
Phoenix (September 25, 2012) -- Tonto National Forest, joining with other agencies included under the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act (FLREA), is hosting a  fee-free day on Saturday, Sept. 29. 
Day-use fees will be waived at all standard amenity fee sites operated by the forest.  Camping and campground fees are not waived.
This year’s last fee waiver date will beVeterans’ Day, Mon. Nov. 12 (federal holiday).
During all other times, the Tonto Pass is required at more than 50 recreation sites including Salt and Verde river locations, boat launch ramps, swimming areas, day use areas, and campgrounds.
A list of Tonto Pass vendor locations is available at the Tonto National Forest website,www.fs.usda.gov/tonto, or call the Tonto National Forest at 602-225-5200. 
The U.S. Forest Service mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations. The agency manages 193 million acres of public land and is the world’s largest forestry research organization.

Teens on the Road: The Process to Getting a Driver's License - Part One

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Having a teenager begin to drive can be stressful enough; add in trying to understand the process to get them their first driver's license, and the experience can be downright frustrating.  In this three part series we are going to discuss the process, the steps you need to take, and the documents you will need along the way. 
The first thing you need to know is that it is a three stage process referred to as the New Mexico Graduated Licensing System.
Stage One: Instructional Permit
To get an Instructional Permit, a teen must be at least 15 years old, enrolled in Driver’s Education and go into a MVD Express office with the following documents: 
·         Driver Education Referral Card·        Original State Issued Birth Certificate·         Original Social Security Card·         One Proof of New Mexico Residency·         A Parent/Legal Guardian must accompany new teen driver
Once the permit has been received it must be held for a minimum of six months.  The Driver will be issued a maximum of two Instructional Permits.  The Driver must drive with an adult 21 or older who has been licensed for a minimum of three years.  The Driver must also complete a detailed log of at least 50 hours of supervised driving practice, in which 10 of these hours must be at night.  A parent or guardian must certify in writing that these hours have been completed.  The Driver will need to maintain a clean driving record for the 90 days preceding the application of stage two - the provisional license. 
Effective June 17, Senate Bill 9, enacted by the 2011 Legislature, amends Sections 66-5-8 and 66-5-9 NMSA 1978 to provide that:The six-month minimum period for which an individual is required to hold an instruction permit before obtaining a provisional license is extended by 30 days for each traffic violation, committed during the time the individual was driving with the instruction permit, for which the individual was convicted or adjudicated delinquent.

Teens on the Road: The Process to Getting a Driver's License - Part Two

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In Part One of “Teens on the Road” we discussed the process of obtaining an Instructional Permit.  Today we will discuss stage two of the New Mexico Graduated Licensing System, the Provisional License.
Stage Two: The Provisional License
To obtain a Provisional License the teen driver must be at least 15 ½ years old, fully completed Stage One of the Graduated Licensing System, held a clean driving record for 90 days preceding the application of the Provisional License, and go into an MVD Express office with the following documents:

• Expired Instructional Permit
• 50 Hour Driving Log (must include a minimum of 10 hours of night driving)
• Certificate of Completion (from a driving school such as McGinnis School of Driving)
• Parent/Legal Guardian

In addition to the above items, if the teen driver does not hold a State issued Instructional Permit they must also bring in the following documents:

• Original State Issued Birth Certificate
• Original Social Security Card
• One Proof of New Mexico Residency

Once the Provisional License has been received it will need to be held for a minimum of one year or until the teen reaches the age of 18.  The teen driver may not have more than one passenger in the car under the age of 21 who is not an immediate family member.  The teen driver may not operate the car between the hours of midnight and 5:00 a.m. unless accompanied by a licensed driver who is 21 years or older.  Exceptions are permitted for school, employment, family and medical need, or religious functions.  During times of these exceptions the teen driver must carry a statement from the appropriate school, employer, Doctor, Religious Official or Parent/Legal Guardian.


Effective June 17, Senate Bill 9, enacted by the 2011 Legislature, amends Sections 66-5-8 and 66-5-9 NMSA 1978 to provide that:


The 12-month minimum period for which an individual is required to hold a provisional license before obtaining a regular driver's license is also extended by 30 days for each traffic violation, committed during the time the individual was driving with the provisional license, for which the individual was convicted or adjudicated delinquent.

On The Road: Sea Lions, Bird Rock, the Stench

Sea lions on Bird Rock.

Just a portion of the hundreds of sea lions that hang out at Bird Rock, off the Monterey Peninsula.

My little point-and-shoot camera can't really capture much resolution at that distance, but take my word for it, there were lots of them.

And they stink. I have seen sea lions before, but never what looked like a sea lion feedlot.

The wind off the rock is like dog anal-gland secretion times one thousand. The old days of guano-mining here cannot have been any worse.

Major Conservation Easement for Southern Colorado

Louis Bacon, current owner of what used to be the Forbes Trinchera Ranch, has placed a 77,000-acre conservation easement on the property.

This builds on the June announcement that he would donate a perpetual conservation easement on his 90,000-acre Blanca Ranch.

Together, they bring the total amount of permanently protected land to nearly 170,000 acres — the largest easement ever given to Fish and Wildlife.

It's good to see a hedge-fund trader do something worthwhile with the money. I had the opportunity to travel around on parts of that land back when Malcolm Forbes owned it, and because it was managed partly for trophy elk hunting, it was in excellent condition — great wildlife habitat. 
Forbes, however, had sold off a lot in 5-acre lots —the "own your piece of Colorado" ads were everywhere in the 1970s and 1980s. You could still get one, I am sure, but they tended to be the lower altitude, drier parts of the land. The Blanca Ranch had been subdivided back then, but not put on the market, so I hope that this means it never will be.