the stimulus bill in Congress

[Guest Paul]

The millions of jobs that are being lost are real, and so are the lives affected by those job losses. The news media tend to report the bickering, but behind all that are real negotiations and legitimate disagreements. Just because an item is pulled from a bill doesn't mean that there isn't a justification for it.

What matters is that a good bill be adopted and signed into law so that millions of Americans can have an income and our economy can get back on track. We also have the opportunity to use this crisis to our advantage by updating our infrastructure and moving our economy toward the technologies of the future. This isn't the time for a report card, it's time to keep our eyes on the ball and let our leaders know that we understand the stakes.

To illustrate just one dynamic, today's New York Times reports that women may outnumber men in the work force this year. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/06/business...ref=todayspaper If you're anywhere near my age, you realize how big a change that is in our economic life. Changes like that require major adjustments. The aging of our population is another change we will have to confront more and more over the next few decades.

I urge all citizens to pay attention, keep a level head, not be distracted by the circus and let your elected officials know that you understand that our first priority is to dig our way out of a major crisis.

[Guest Studies and Observations]

The millions of jobs that are being lost are real, and so are the lives affected by those job losses. The news media tend to report the bickering, but behind all that are real negotiations and legitimate disagreements. Just because an item is pulled from a bill doesn't mean that there isn't a justification for it.

What matters is that a good bill be adopted and signed into law so that millions of Americans can have an income and our economy can get back on track. We also have the opportunity to use this crisis to our advantage by updating our infrastructure and moving our economy toward the technologies of the future. This isn't the time for a report card, it's time to keep our eyes on the ball and let our leaders know that we understand the stakes.

To illustrate just one dynamic, today's New York Times reports that women may outnumber men in the work force this year. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/06/business...ref=todayspaper If you're anywhere near my age, you realize how big a change that is in our economic life. Changes like that require major adjustments. The aging of our population is another change we will have to confront more and more over the next few decades.

I urge all citizens to pay attention, keep a level head, not be distracted by the circus and let your elected officials know that you understand that our first priority is to dig our way out of a major crisis.

My God, a post from you I can agree with. Sadly TOO many politicians saw this "Bailout/Stimulus as an opportunity to fund all of the Pork they had had molding away in the backs of desk drawers for years. It didnt help when the House Leadership went around asking for items for the "Wish List" for this monstrosity. The Congressional Budget Office's report on how the majority of the money that was being paid out wouldnt do didley, in fact the "Infrastructure" sections in some cases wouldnt even BE funded for 3-5 years (You know the construction projects that would actually generate JOBS) showed that they had gone out of control. The Economy isnt going to be fixed by the Govt spending money on itself. The Economy can ONLY be fixed by PEOPLE having money to put into it. That means Tax Cuts, that means incentives to creat Private Sector Jobs, such as the OCnstruction Projects I mentioned for roads, or even subsidy loans for Private construction. NOT 500 Million dollars in Unlisted "Expenses" for one project.

[Guest 2smart4u]

The millions of jobs that are being lost are real, and so are the lives affected by those job losses. The news media tend to report the bickering, but behind all that are real negotiations and legitimate disagreements. Just because an item is pulled from a bill doesn't mean that there isn't a justification for it.

What matters is that a good bill be adopted and signed into law so that millions of Americans can have an income and our economy can get back on track. We also have the opportunity to use this crisis to our advantage by updating our infrastructure and moving our economy toward the technologies of the future. This isn't the time for a report card, it's time to keep our eyes on the ball and let our leaders know that we understand the stakes.

To illustrate just one dynamic, today's New York Times reports that women may outnumber men in the work force this year. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/06/business...ref=todayspaper If you're anywhere near my age, you realize how big a change that is in our economic life. Changes like that require major adjustments. The aging of our population is another change we will have to confront more and more over the next few decades.

I urge all citizens to pay attention, keep a level head, not be distracted by the circus and let your elected officials know that you understand that our first priority is to dig our way out of a major crisis.

Obama's taking us down the path to Socialism and Paul thinks it's great. Obama is beginning to show his true colors, no backbone and no leadership abilities. He's allowed Pelosi to highjack his office and dictate the contents of this "entitlement" program. Today he freed one of the terrorists that blew up the Cole. Nice!! I'm sure the terrorists are very appreciative of Obama's act of kindness and will mend their ways.

[Guest Guest]

The millions of jobs that are being lost are real, and so are the lives affected by those job losses. The news media tend to report the bickering, but behind all that are real negotiations and legitimate disagreements. Just because an item is pulled from a bill doesn't mean that there isn't a justification for it.

What matters is that a good bill be adopted and signed into law so that millions of Americans can have an income and our economy can get back on track. We also have the opportunity to use this crisis to our advantage by updating our infrastructure and moving our economy toward the technologies of the future. This isn't the time for a report card, it's time to keep our eyes on the ball and let our leaders know that we understand the stakes.

To illustrate just one dynamic, today's New York Times reports that women may outnumber men in the work force this year. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/06/business...ref=todayspaper If you're anywhere near my age, you realize how big a change that is in our economic life. Changes like that require major adjustments. The aging of our population is another change we will have to confront more and more over the next few decades.

I urge all citizens to pay attention, keep a level head, not be distracted by the circus and let your elected officials know that you understand that our first priority is to dig our way out of a major crisis.

You'd better hope that the stimulus package works or you won't have anyone with money left to sue.

[Guest Paul]

You'd better hope that the stimulus package works or you won't have anyone with money left to sue.

I do hope the stimulus package works.

Right now I'm preparing a case for trial in which a 47-year-old woman was undergoing back surgery when suddenly the anesthesiologist noticed that something was wrong. He asked the orthopedist what was going on, and the orthopedist said he was just operating. The anesthesiologist instructed that the patient be turned over onto to her back and a code was called. A vascular surgeon was called into the operating room, examined the patient and then left saying she wasn't bleeding. A few minutes later the blood results came back from the lab, showing that her hemoglobin and hematocrit had dropped precipitously. She was bleeding.

They called the vascular surgeon back into the room. This time he opened her belly and repaired the two major blood vessels that had been disrupted by the orthopedist. They are located about an inch from where any of his instruments should have been, a far distance in surgery. Although the vascular surgeon did repair the blood vessels, stopping the bleeding, more than an hour had passed. Too much blood had been lost over too long a time. She was pronounced dead on the operating table an hour and twenty-two minutes after the initial injury and a little more than an hour after the vascular surgeon left the room the first time. Surviving her are a husband and two children, 17 and 10.

I don't know whether you would change your mind about the importance of my work if anything like that ever happened to you, but I am quite certain you would change your attitude.

[Guest Keith]

Obama's taking us down the path to Socialism and Paul thinks it's great. Obama is beginning to show his true colors, no backbone and no leadership abilities. He's allowed Pelosi to highjack his office and dictate the contents of this "entitlement" program. Today he freed one of the terrorists that blew up the Cole. Nice!! I'm sure the terrorists are very appreciative of Obama's act of kindness and will mend their ways.

HE didn't release anyone. To no one's surprise you are ignorant of the facts.

[WilliamK]

To no one's surprise you are ignorant of the facts.

He works hard to accomplish that, and is obviously very talented at it.

[Guest Paul]

Obama's taking us down the path to Socialism and Paul thinks it's great. Obama is beginning to show his true colors, no backbone and no leadership abilities. He's allowed Pelosi to highjack his office and dictate the contents of this "entitlement" program. Today he freed one of the terrorists that blew up the Cole. Nice!! I'm sure the terrorists are very appreciative of Obama's act of kindness and will mend their ways.

What I actually think is that we want as much free enterprise as is possible, consistent with the country's needs. That means that if tens of millions of people are falling out of the economic system, then the system isn't working properly. You may not like it, and I have misgivings about it, but government has to be involved in our complex modern economy. We have no reasonable alternative.

There is no invisible hand of the marketplace. Markets behave as if there was sometimes, but at other times they don't. We should have learned this from the Great Depression, but Reagan managed to convince us that the government was the enemy, not a difficult task since most Americans wanted to believe it anyway. Over time, anti-government sentiment became more and more radical until eventually the neocons took complete control of the government in 2001. They deregulated nearly everything, gave huge amounts of wealth to the already wealthy, and when Democrats regained control of Congress in 2007, they didn't have a large enough majority to get anything past Bush's inevitable vetoes of any real reform - and they weren't angels either. Meanwhile, the Republicans spent more money on pork-barrel give-away projects than Democrats ever had, so that much of what the federal government was doing wasn't accomplishing anything. Long-term needs were being ignored because they didn't line the pockets the Republicans wanted lined. Now it's all crashing down like a house of cards, and the only entity with the size, power and liquidity to address it is the government. You may not like it, but those are the facts.

Not that it will matter to you, but next time you want to know what I think, ask me.

[Guest 2smart4u]

I do hope the stimulus package works.

Right now I'm preparing a case for trial in which a 47-year-old woman was undergoing back surgery when suddenly the anesthesiologist noticed that something was wrong. He asked the orthopedist what was going on, and the orthopedist said he was just operating. The anesthesiologist instructed that the patient be turned over onto to her back and a code was called. A vascular surgeon was called into the operating room, examined the patient and then left saying she wasn't bleeding. A few minutes later the blood results came back from the lab, showing that her hemoglobin and hematocrit had dropped precipitously. She was bleeding.

They called the vascular surgeon back into the room. This time he opened her belly and repaired the two major blood vessels that had been disrupted by the orthopedist. They are located about an inch from where any of his instruments should have been, a far distance in surgery. Although the vascular surgeon did repair the blood vessels, stopping the bleeding, more than an hour had passed. Too much blood had been lost over too long a time. She was pronounced dead on the operating table an hour and twenty-two minutes after the initial injury and a little more than an hour after the vascular surgeon left the room the first time. Surviving her are a husband and two children, 17 and 10.

I don't know whether you would change your mind about the importance of my work if anything like that ever happened to you, but I am quite certain you would change your attitude.

I wonder how the husband would feel if he read your post. I don't think this is the place to remind anyone familiar with this tragedy.

[Guest Paul]

I wonder how the husband would feel if he read your post. I don't think this is the place to remind anyone familiar with this tragedy.

The husband is already reminded because we are preparing for trial. I'll be meeting with him tomorrow.

He will not be reading this as he does not live in New Jersey and knows nothing about this forum. You may have noticed that I didn't post the name, which is the standard practice when an attorney makes a comment of this nature.

Has it ever occurred to you that there are some things you don't know?

[Guest Guest]

I do hope the stimulus package works.

Right now I'm preparing a case for trial in which a 47-year-old woman was undergoing back surgery when suddenly the anesthesiologist noticed that something was wrong. He asked the orthopedist what was going on, and the orthopedist said he was just operating. The anesthesiologist instructed that the patient be turned over onto to her back and a code was called. A vascular surgeon was called into the operating room, examined the patient and then left saying she wasn't bleeding. A few minutes later the blood results came back from the lab, showing that her hemoglobin and hematocrit had dropped precipitously. She was bleeding.

They called the vascular surgeon back into the room. This time he opened her belly and repaired the two major blood vessels that had been disrupted by the orthopedist. They are located about an inch from where any of his instruments should have been, a far distance in surgery. Although the vascular surgeon did repair the blood vessels, stopping the bleeding, more than an hour had passed. Too much blood had been lost over too long a time. She was pronounced dead on the operating table an hour and twenty-two minutes after the initial injury and a little more than an hour after the vascular surgeon left the room the first time. Surviving her are a husband and two children, 17 and 10.

I don't know whether you would change your mind about the importance of my work if anything like that ever happened to you, but I am quite certain you would change your attitude.

So what is your argument? Did the doctors puposely kill the patient. Surgery is risky. Should we sue doctors every time a mistake is made. You complain that 40 million people can't afford health care. Maybe it's because guys like you force doctors to carry multi-million dollar malpractice insurance policies.

I believe you are one of the ethical ones but your lawyer buddies as a whole leave much to be desired.

[Guest Guest]

HE didn't release anyone. To no one's surprise you are ignorant of the facts.

The charges are being dropped. Stop parsing words and stick to smoking.

[Guest Guest]

So what is your argument? Did the doctors puposely kill the patient. Surgery is risky. Should we sue doctors every time a mistake is made. You complain that 40 million people can't afford health care. Maybe it's because guys like you force doctors to carry multi-million dollar malpractice insurance policies.

I believe you are one of the ethical ones but your lawyer buddies as a whole leave much to be desired.

Why do people have to say stupid things like this? Of course we shouldn't sue for every mistake. But if a doctor screws up, why shouldn't he be held accountable?

[Guest Keith]

The charges are being dropped. Stop parsing words and stick to smoking.

It's a technicality. New charges will be brought forth and he won't be getting released into your backyard. Question is, what are you smoking? One more thing. Why don't you have the balls to give a name? That's what I thought............

[Guest 2smart4u]

The husband is already reminded because we are preparing for trial. I'll be meeting with him tomorrow.

He will not be reading this as he does not live in New Jersey and knows nothing about this forum. You may have noticed that I didn't post the name, which is the standard practice when an attorney makes a comment of this nature.

Has it ever occurred to you that there are some things you don't know?

Your make-believe girl friend "Kris" lives in CA. and found KOTW, why couldn't your client? And I don't think he'd like to see his wife being discussed here.

Has it ever occurred to you that there are some things you don't know? Wait, I'll answer that, it's never occurred to you.

[Guest Paul]

So what is your argument? Did the doctors puposely kill the patient. Surgery is risky. Should we sue doctors every time a mistake is made. You complain that 40 million people can't afford health care. Maybe it's because guys like you force doctors to carry multi-million dollar malpractice insurance policies.

I believe you are one of the ethical ones but your lawyer buddies as a whole leave much to be desired.

The law in medical malpractice cases is that the doctor must conform to the standard of care. Not every mistake is grounds for a lawsuit, but when a doctor does not measure up to the standard expected, and harm results, that is malpractice. Intent is not required and is not claimed in the case at hand. I turn down approximately 90% of the people who inquire about a malpractice case.

There is a pattern, though. One of the defendants in the case I mentioned is also a defendant in the next malpractice case I'm scheduled to try after this one. Two or three years ago I tried a case against a plastic surgeon who did a horrible job on breast surgery of a cancer survivor, causing her to be disfigured for life. A few months later he was sitting in another courtroom next to where I tried a case against him, defending another case. Just last week I got a call from another woman who wanted me to take a case against him. A few doctors are responsible for most of the malpractice, and most of the malpractice cases. If doctors would police their own profession, I would be out of business, but they don't so I'm not.

Malpractice cases account for approximately 1% of health care costs. There's no way that 1% is causing 47 million people to be without health insurance. This is insurance industry propaganda, and it's demonstrably false. 47 million people are without health insurance because we have a large population of working poor and no real federal policy for ensuring that everyone has coverage.

[Guest Paul]

Your make-believe girl friend "Kris" lives in CA. and found KOTW, why couldn't your client? And I don't think he'd like to see his wife being discussed here.

Has it ever occurred to you that there are some things you don't know? Wait, I'll answer that, it's never occurred to you.

As she told you when she began posting here, Kris met Matthew when he spoke in Sacramento this past October. It's a pity that no one can have a civil or intelligent discussion with you. You make it impossible.

[Guest Guest]

It's a technicality. New charges will be brought forth and he won't be getting released into your backyard. Question is, what are you smoking? One more thing. Why don't you have the balls to give a name? That's what I thought............

Yes, a technicality that has the guy one step closer to being released. Maybe not in my backyard but to his home country where he'll be let loose to carry on his wonderful work. I'm not smoking anything. I'm not impressed by someone like you that allows himself to be under the control of something that's destroying his health and thinks it's his Constitutional right to inflict it on others.

Don't talk to me about balls. Do you think because Keith is on your post that somehow you've got balls.

[Guest Guest]

The law in medical malpractice cases is that the doctor must conform to the standard of care. Not every mistake is grounds for a lawsuit, but when a doctor does not measure up to the standard expected, and harm results, that is malpractice. Intent is not required and is not claimed in the case at hand. I turn down approximately 90% of the people who inquire about a malpractice case.

There is a pattern, though. One of the defendants in the case I mentioned is also a defendant in the next malpractice case I'm scheduled to try after this one. Two or three years ago I tried a case against a plastic surgeon who did a horrible job on breast surgery of a cancer survivor, causing her to be disfigured for life. A few months later he was sitting in another courtroom next to where I tried a case against him, defending another case. Just last week I got a call from another woman who wanted me to take a case against him. A few doctors are responsible for most of the malpractice, and most of the malpractice cases. If doctors would police their own profession, I would be out of business, but they don't so I'm not.

Malpractice cases account for approximately 1% of health care costs. There's no way that 1% is causing 47 million people to be without health insurance. This is insurance industry propaganda, and it's demonstrably false. 47 million people are without health insurance because we have a large population of working poor and no real federal policy for ensuring that everyone has coverage.

Thanks for expanding on your post.

Do you know what malpractice insurance costs?

[Guest Radagast]

As she told you when she began posting here, Kris met Matthew when he spoke in Sacramento this past October. It's a pity that no one can have a civil or intelligent discussion with you. You make it impossible.

Paul,

I know I sound like a broken record on this matter, but I will say it again. There is no such thing as an 'intelligent discussion' with an entity that has no concept of what either word means. You give it far more credibility by responding to it. Fight the urge, let it talk to itself.

[Guest Guest]

Yes, a technicality that has the guy one step closer to being released. Maybe not in my backyard but to his home country where he'll be let loose to carry on his wonderful work. I'm not smoking anything. I'm not impressed by someone like you that allows himself to be under the control of something that's destroying his health and thinks it's his Constitutional right to inflict it on others.

Don't talk to me about balls. Do you think because Keith is on your post that somehow you've got balls.

What does "one step closer to being released" mean? Either he's in or he's out.

I'm not impressed by your making this personal to Keith's smoking.

[Guest Keith]

Yes, a technicality that has the guy one step closer to being released. Maybe not in my backyard but to his home country where he'll be let loose to carry on his wonderful work. I'm not smoking anything. I'm not impressed by someone like you that allows himself to be under the control of something that's destroying his health and thinks it's his Constitutional right to inflict it on others.

Don't talk to me about balls. Do you think because Keith is on your post that somehow you've got balls.

I'm not inflicting anything on you. I would'nt smoke in your house but if a bar allows smoking, don't go in. If you demand that all bars eliminate smoking then I would have to ask who is inflicting what wherein you would have a choice and I would not. Talk about socialism.

Keith, that is my name. I've been posting here for a while and at least people know who they are dealing with wheter they agree with me or not.

[Guest Paul]

Thanks for expanding on your post.

Do you know what malpractice insurance costs?

I don't, but it does depend on the specialty. Dermatologists, who are rarely sued, pay low premiums, while obstetricians and orthopedists pay higher premiums.

Another dynamic to consider is that managed care has reduced the incomes of doctors by nearly half. As a result, doctors are trying to see more patients, which lowers the quality of care. The future result will be that the best students will be less likely to become doctors.

The anger against trial lawyers is a strategy to deflect attention from the real causes of the health care problem. That's not to say that there aren't meritless lawsuits, but that's not the problem with health care. Meanwhile, cases like the ones I take on do the system good, in my opinion.

[Guest Paul]

Paul,

I know I sound like a broken record on this matter, but I will say it again. There is no such thing as an 'intelligent discussion' with an entity that has no concept of what either word means. You give it far more credibility by responding to it. Fight the urge, let it talk to itself.

I keep hoping to get through to him someday, but you're probably right. Thank you.

[Guest Guest]

I'm not inflicting anything on you. I would'nt smoke in your house but if a bar allows smoking, don't go in. If you demand that all bars eliminate smoking then I would have to ask who is inflicting what wherein you would have a choice and I would not. Talk about socialism.

Keith, that is my name. I've been posting here for a while and at least people know who they are dealing with wheter they agree with me or not.

You've got it backwards again Keith. If the bar is open to the public then I should be able to go in. It must be the CO.