Archive for category Tim Walz
Canadian denied health care goes to Mayo Clinic
Posted by Bruce Kaskubar in Tim Walz, health care on March 8, 2010
In Best of the Web Today, James Taranto tells a story of Canadian health care that includes the Mayo Clinic.
[H]ere’s a story of someone facing bankruptcy owing to medical costs. The twist is he’s Canadian. From the Toronto Sun:
Now, with the Mayo Clinic having done what the Alberta Cancer Board wouldn’t authorize or even explain, but with the tumour unable to be totally removed, the province will now not fund the expensive drug, Avastin, that the Mayo prescribed to keep him alive and keep the remaining tumour from increasing in size–despite the costs of the drug being totally funded by the province for other forms of cancer.
Had he lung cancer, breast cancer, or colon cancer, then the cost of the drug–$4,555 per treatment, two times a month–would be totally covered by Alberta’s version of OHIP [Ontario Health Insurance Plan].
Suffering from brain cancer, Kent Pankow was literally forced to go to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. for lifesaving surgery–at a cost to family and friends of $106,000–after the health-care system in Alberta left him hanging in bureaucratic limbo for 16 crucial days, his tumour meanwhile migrating to an unreachable part of the brain, while it dithered over his case file, ultimately deciding he was not surgery worthy.
And so he is not only a victim of brain cancer, he is also a victim of arbitrary discrimination.
But he doesn’t.
Kent Pankow, as it turns out, has the right disease but he has it in the wrong place.
The good news is that President Obama remains committed to bringing U.S. health care into line with Canadian standards. If he succeeds, sick Canadians will eventually be set free from the ruinous temptations of places like the Mayo Clinic.
For some reason, Tim Walz hasn’t shared Mr. Pankow’s story with us.
Is Tim Walz Minnesota’s Porkmeister?
Posted by Bruce Kaskubar in Opinion, Tim Walz on January 27, 2010
The Let Freedom Ring blog wonders about Tim Walz.
Congressman Walz 2009 Highlights
“While Walz campaigns on being a moderate voice for the people of southern Minnesota, his voting record has become notably more liberal,” First District Republican Chair Steve Perkins said. “A voting record in line with Nancy Pelosi 96% of the time shows a clear disconnect with the voters.”
- Walz feels that Minnesota should be open to holding suspected terrorists in Minnesota.
(Walz: Minnesota should be open to holding Gitmo detainees -MPR 6/3/09) - Walz supports government run health care, and votes in favor of the Pelosi health care bill.
(HR 3962 – 11/7/09) - Walz votes against making it illegal to use taxpayer dollars to pay for abortions.
(HR 3962 H Amdt 509 – 11/7/09) - Walz votes for the cap-and-trade energy tax, adding an estimated $2,000 a year tax on the average American family. He says the CBO says it will only add $175 per year per family but the CBO also said that figure was for managing the program, not the economic impact of having the program.
(Energy Law Amendments – HR 2454 – 6/26/09) - Walz co-authors the Card-Check bill, placing Union Bosses over Employees in denying them the right to vote by secret ballot.
( HR 1409 – 3/10/2009) - Walz wants to help pay for out-of-control health care bill with a “soda-pop” tax.
(Walz: “Open” to Soda-Pop Tax Rochester Post-Bulletin, Oct. 8, 2009) - Walz voted for the 2009 economic stimulus plan that did not lower unemployment and provided groups like ACORN surplus funding.
(HR 1 – 2/13/09) - Walz Supports Cash for Clunkers, and then MORE cash for MORE clunkers.
(HR2751-6/9/09 & HR3435 – 7/31/09) - Walz votes himself the ability to continue spending, by raising the national debt ceiling to $12,394,000,000,000
(HR 4314 – 12/16/09) - Walz votes to take funds from stabilizing the economy to create more government jobs.
(HR 2847 12/16/09)
Honorable Mentions:
- Walz holds only two town hall meetings on healthcare during the entire August recess, spending more time hobnobbing at fundraisers. Afterward, he sent his staff through the district to hear from the voters.
Albert Lea Tribune | Walz staff makes office stops through southern Minnesota
The Free Press, Mankato | Walz to hold town hall in Mankato
KTTC | Walz holds town hall style meeting in Rochester - Walz helps reduce the $12 trillion national debt (which he also voted to raise) by returning $2,196 of his office supply budget to the U.S. Treasury. This $2,196 was returned out of the over $300,000 budgeted to him.
MinnPost – D.C. Dispatch | Rep. Walz uses $2,196 from pay hike to pay down national debt - The Cook Political Report downgrades Walz’s chances of re-election. If you’re wondering why, see above.
The Cook Political Report | Rep. Tim Walz
Perkins concludes, “In 2009 we were represented by an extreme liberal agenda, and the voters will remember that on November 2, 2010. Instead of re-electing someone who will grow increasingly liberal in voting habits, we need a Congressman who will be responsible with taxpayer money, allow for a choice in health care, and be pro-jobs, pro-agriculture, and pro-small business. With every vote it becomes increasingly clear that we need to dump Tim Walz.”
Walz reiterates support of federal health care reform
Posted by Bruce Kaskubar in Tim Walz, health care on December 16, 2009
The Olmsted county GOP considers a Post-Bulletin article about a meeting held by Tim Walz in Mankato.
Why Canadians come to U.S. for surgery
Posted by Bruce Kaskubar in Tim Walz, health care on December 10, 2009
See the post over at Olmsted County GOP
Walz townhalls on video
Posted by Bruce Kaskubar in Tim Walz on November 9, 2009
Congressman Tim Walz held two health care townhall meetings in our district. We have video of each. One was in Mankato on August 20. The other was in Rochester on September 12. He made some unqualified statements regarding requirements for legislation he could support. Was his “yes” vote consistent with those statements?
Some of them are mentioned in an article at the Olmsted GOP’s site.
Mr. Walz ‘Waltzes’ with the District
Posted by Site Administrator in CD1 News, Tim Walz, health care on November 3, 2009
A revelation came out of Washington last week: Congressman Tim Walz supports the public option for health care. We have been asking our friends and neighbors this summer and fall if anyone had heard the Congressman’s position, and got the same, unsure response. But it wasn’t until a Howard Dean political action group outed Walz that we knew his true feelings.
Seeing politicians stumble around answers and hide behind special interest groups is not a new thing. It’s the old political “two-step”, saying one thing back home and voting another in Washington. While we as constituents should have known first and face to face, the political reality is that Walz’s position comes at odds with the district. When that happens, you do the Walz Waltz: let someone else be the messenger and hope the voters forget.
It should come as no surprise that Congressman Walz is once again voting against southern Minnesota. His political cues are clear and his desire to increase government will not be tamed. This desire was most recently highlighted when Walz proclaimed his openness to a “soda-pop tax” (Rochester Post-Bulletin, Oct. 8, 2009). Congressman Walz can’t find a tax he doesn’t like.
This was most revealing in his support of the Cap and Trade bill, aptly named the “energy tax”. Independent projections keep rising, most recently pricing cap and trade as a $2,000 annual tax hike for the average family. [Walz has claimed the cost is $175 per family per year but that CBO number is for managing the program, not the economic costs of living with it.] But our farm families in the First District are not considered “average”. Even though they produce green fields and green energy, farmers will be taxed more for the energy used to plant and grow the world’s food supply.
Farmers are not the only ones seeing greater working challenges with each of Tim Walz’s votes. Walz’s support of the so called “card check” affords that union leverage efforts on employees when asked to vote on unionization. In the card check scheme, union bosses have more rights in looking over the shoulders of employees, so how many votes will be cast out of intimidation?
The freedom to let your vote truly be your own at the work place is disappearing, and we see Washington taking more and more control. Tim Walz’s pop tax is the first example of the negative effects from the public option. It has not even become law and politicians are already talking about taxing our food in the interest of health care.
My question is: what won’t be done in the interest of health care? While Walz’s office would never give us a straight answer, his voting record speaks for itself.
Support for the public option really means government run health care. This is a position opposed by almost everyone in the First District. The Mayo Clinic, highlighted by President Obama as an example of quality and cost efficiency, is opposed to government run health care. Our Minnesota Hospitals oppose it. Most doctors say no to socialized medicine. Our farmers and small business people also agree, Walz should stop waltzing and quit doing the old political two-step.
Even though the election is still a year away, I am confident that southern Minnesota will remember Tim Walz’s voting against their interests. Families will remember Walz when they are paying a $2,000 energy tax so they can drive to work and heat their homes. Our neighbors will remember Walz when they go to work and a Chicago-style union boss is standing over them to make sure they vote “the right way” on a union issue. And, when America goes broke on the public option, and the government is entitled to intervene in every aspect of our personal lives, we all will remember Tim Walz.
It may be wise for Congressman Walz to be open to a ginkgo biloba tax instead of a pop tax.
Steve Perkins
Luverne, MN
507.920.3532
Mr.Perkins is the former Mayor of Pipestone and the Chair of the First Congressional District Republican Party of Minnesota.
Mr. Walz Quit Quacking
Posted by Bruce Kaskubar in Tim Walz, health care on August 26, 2009
In an open letter to congressman Tim Walz written on August 20, First Congressional District Republicans Chair Steve Perkins calls for more town hall meetings. (We didn’t have this blog up until after the letter was written so couldn’t post it then.)
Sad Stories
Posted by Bruce Kaskubar in Tim Walz, health care on August 26, 2009
Our congressman Tim Walz loves to use sad stories to sell legislation like ObamaCare. EVERY system has cracks; sad stories will always exist because this is planet Earth. For some reason, Walz doesn’t publicize stories like this one. Mr. Walz: The best public policy comes from honest understanding of all the realities that face us and all the realities of suggested solutions, not just the ones that suit our fancy.
Tim Walz’s Mankato Town Hall
Posted by Bruce Kaskubar in Tim Walz, health care on August 23, 2009
Congressman Tim Walz held a health care town hall meeting in Mankato on Thursday evening, August 20. Several of us were there. Here are some statements from that meeting, made by our congressman. They are paraphrased, quotes will come after video is analyzed.
“Tort reform is not a big part of the health care cost problem.”
Results in Texas after tort reform indicate a 35% reduction in practice insurance rates and an influx of physicians. See this WSJ article.
“That’s right.”
A response to Mayo Clinic’s health policy leader Dr. Doug Wood that, “Value based reimbursement is what health care reform should look like.”
It’s not in H.R.3200.
“Charles Krauthammer may be right: paying for preventive care will not save money.”
It’s in H.R.3200 Sec.122 and 1305 and elsewhere. Krauthammer’s article is at the Washington Post and an other is here.
“The Congressional Budget Office says the Cap and Trade bill – Walz voted for – will cost about $175 per year per family.”
Congressman Walz wanted us to believe that fact or discard what the CBO is saying about H.R.3200 (below). The problem is, the CBO’s statement about Cap and Trade was only referring to the administrative costs to RUN the program, not the economic impacts DUE TO the program. Even President Obama has admitted that, “under my cap and trade plan, energy costs will necessarily skyrocket.” Do you know anybody who buys energy or things that rely on energy to get to where they’re purchased or used? That’s right: everybody and just about everything. Their prices are going to go up. For everybody. But it’s not a tax increase. Uh uh. Just a government program. The WSJ covered the CBO report and YouTube has a video of the President’s statement.
“The only bill I will support must be deficit neutral.”
Our congressman wants us to believe the CBO on Cap and Trade (see above). Here’s an excerpt from the CBO’s report on H.R.3200, page 2:
“…enacting H.R.3200 would result in a net increase in the federal budget deficit of $239 billion over the 2010-2019 period. That estimate reflects a projected 10-year cost of the bill’s insurance coverage provisions of $1,042 billion…”
“In sections 1047-1052, if we base the public option on Medicaid, it’s no good.”
“We want choice and portability.”
Free markets give us choice. We don’t need a public option for health insurance any more than for car insurance or fast food. Health insurance is made artificially more expensive by state mandates. Minnesota has more health insurance mandates than any other state. Portability could be assisted by encouraging insurance purchases by individuals instead of as employer-supplied benefits. Then, coverage is not affected by job changes.
“I think [tax equivalence for businesses and individuals paying for health insurance] is important”
It’s not in H.R.3200.
“On June 15 there was no Republican plan.”
On June 15, there was no Democratic plan. The Democrat’s H.R.3200 was not introduced until July 14. There is no Democratic health care plan introduced in the Senate. The Republican’s Patient’s Choice Act was introduced in the Senate, S.1099, and in the House, H.R.2520, on May 20. As of this writing, S.1099 remains buried by Democrat Max Baucus’ Finance Committee and H.R.2520 by Democrat Charles Rangel’s Ways and Means Committee. Is Tim Walz misleading his constituents or “just” uninformed?