Letter to Congressman Matheson

I received a letter from Congressman Matheson about health care that really upset me. This was my response. I know the response is too long to be effective, but it felt good to vent and put some ideas down on paper.

Congressman Matheson,

I wanted to respond to some points of your letter about health care.

Statement #1: "Skyrocketing health care costs are straining family budgets, threatening the survival of small businesses and exploding our national deficit."

I hear a lot about skyrocketing health care costs. Few politicians, however, seem to attribute this increase to its true sources. Greg Poulsen of Intermountain Healthcare points to utilization and technology as the greatest increases to costs. No longer is a two view x-ray sufficient for a sprained ankle - which cost about $60. Now a $2000 MRI is required - required either by the patient who is aware of the technology, by the lawyer who might sue for malpractice if the doctor doesn't give the most complete care possible, or by the physician who may own a fraction of the MRI facility.

All the government can do to stem those costs would be to limit the amount of money a facility can charge for an MRI. What would the effects of price limitations be? It would mean that people would no longer want to build MRI facilities because they wouldn't be worth the cost. Availability would go down, quality would go down, and pretty soon going to get an MRI would be like standing in line at the DMV.

Also, I am fine with paying for my family. I have some choice as a consumer how those dollars are spent, and if I want to spend it at all. I get more upset over the amount I spend for Medicare and Medicaid, of which I have no control.

Statement #2: "Health care costs are the number one driver of our long-term deficits."

I would like you to explain this one a little more. Are you saying that Medicare and Medicaid are expensive and we can't pay for them?

Frankly, medicare is the cause of many of the problems with the health system today. Insurers know that if they can hold off on a particular procedure until the patient is 65 (or whatever the age is), the government will pick up the tab instead of the insurer. So it pays them to ease the patient along instead of fixing the problem until the government will pick up the tab.

Statement #3: "A third of the $2 trillion spent on health care in this country goes towards administrative costs, not to patient care. We need a more efficient, less bureaucratic system."

This statement makes me laugh. The federal government is the cause for this overhead. So why would an additional system make the process less bureaucratic?

I work on a team for Intermrountain Healthcare that is responsible to submit CMS' "core measures" to the federal government. The report requirements, when printed, are 5 inches tall. AND THEY CHANGE QUARTERLY, sometimes even more frequently. Nearly a quarter of our staff worked on the project to keep our submissions updated. Eventually it became too complicated and we had to outsource the process. The government is the cause of the overhead. So how can you use this as the impetus of reform? Just change what you already created. Creating additional bureaucracy will not eliminate bureaucracy.

Statement #4: "Insurers should not be able to deny coverage based on pre-existing conditions."

Insurers are in the insurance business to make money. Unlike the federal government they cannot print money when they run out (which practice I wish the government would stop doing). By forcing insurance companies to pay for everything for everyone, you know you are forcing them out of business. In the end, then, there will only be a single payer left standing - not because they are the best, offer the best service, or have the best outcomes, but because make money by printing it.

Summary
At the fundamental core of this debate should be this question - Do I have a fundamental right to force you to pay for my health care?

My answer is no. And you don't have the right to force me to pay for your health care.

We are Americans. We ask how we can help our country, not what government programs we are entitled to.

We are Americans. We the people sustain the government, the government doesn't sustain us.

We are Americans. We believe that we were all created equal, not that we are going to die equal. We don't buy into socialism.

We are Americans. We created a limited federal authority and reserved power for states and local governments. We didn't and don't want a king. Give us back the 10th amendment.

Please reform health care by removing some of the federal influence, not by imposing more.

Brian Rawlings

PVC Rocket Launcher

So my friend Russ came over today and we made PVC rocket launchers. This was a project I wanted to do when we worked together in scouts but it never happened. Next weekend our ward is having a campout so I thought it would be a good excuse to put one together.

Russ bought his materials first and it cost him about $55. I didn't buy materials until after the first one was together and we learned a bit - so I only spent $30 on my materials. Russ', I think, is slightly better because he used a larger valve and it might be easier to turn. I think kids are going to have a hard time turning the valve on mine. But it works and it was fun to put together.

We used plans from this site: http://stevespanglerscience.com/experiment/00000143

I think this weekend is going to go well.

Praying muscles

Last night I got home after a weekend trip to Nebraska – about 600 miles one way. I like long drives because it provides an opportunity to talk and ponder.

One of the subjects explored was prayer. The LDS bible dictionary explains that prayer is a form of work. I pondered that often times it is the only thing we can do to change a situation. And just like manual labor, or any other type of work, we can get better at it, as if developing muscles. Then strong muscles would help with any task. At least, that is how my pondering went.

So when I got home from the trip I was tired and ready for sleep. But, finding a quiet moment I knelt and tried to exercise my muscles, and share a few concerns with Heavenly Father that I really don’t have any control over. It wasn’t a long conversation but I felt edified.

Also before going to sleep I wanted to do one more task. If I would have been at work I would have spent all day running a data load. I knew that people would be expecting it today so I wanted to get it started before going to sleep. Just as I was about to start the script I felt an unusual desire to check the date the script was last modified. I did, and after some further checking realized that the script was corrupt – that I had accidentally modified the master script last month when trying to fix another problem. Had I executed the script, I most certainly would have been up all night cleaning the data. But because of that feeling, and because I listened to it, I was able to restore a correct version of the script, start it, and get to bed with little delay. The script finished early this morning with no errors.

Some people might call that coincidental. I take it as a head nod from God. God is very gracious.

“As soon as we learn the true relationship in which we stand toward God (namely, God is our Father, and we are his children), then at once prayer becomes natural and instinctive on our part (Matt. 7: 7-11). Many of the so-called difficulties about prayer arise from forgetting this relationship. Prayer is the act by which the will of the Father and the will of the child are brought into correspondence with each other. The object of prayer is not to change the will of God, but to secure for ourselves and for others blessings that God is already willing to grant, but that are made conditional on our asking for them. Blessings require some work or effort on our part before we can obtain them. Prayer is a form of work, and is an appointed means for obtaining the highest of all blessings.” (http://scriptures.lds.org/en/bd/p/54)

The First Last Week of School

Our 5-year old recently finished her "first" last week of school. It was 4 days of fun-filled activites that completely wore her out. The highlight of the week (from this parent's point-of-view) was Wednesday morning--The Dance Festival. 5 and 6 year-olds strutting their stuff to "The Chicken Dance" created a memory I won't soon forget.



Other memorable "firsts" from this school year include:

• Learning to read and completing a first chapter book
• Losing a tooth
• Learning to ride a bike without training wheels
• Riding that bike home from school without parental supervision
• Attending the Fall Carnival
• Participating in the Halloween Costume Parade & Christmas Sing-along
• Enjoying mom's weekly visits as a classroom volunteer

To celebrate the completion this first year of school we took the kids to see the new Disney movie "Up." It turned out to be a fitting choice because the theme of the movie centered around making the most of every moment you have together, but also being able to make your own adventures when the time comes.

I love my family. That may sound trite, especially at a time when so many forces are trying to destroy tradtional family values. But it is true. I have loved every "first" I have had with my husband and kids and I look forward with hope to the many more "firsts" to come.

Thomas the Christmas Stag

Last Friday night I awoke with a start from my oh-so-close-to-sleep to the sound of our doorbell -- it was 10:30pm. "Don't get the door [daughter]," I said in a mild tone, just in case the bell awoke her also.

"Who could it be?" Nancy asked? "I don't know, but nothing good ever comes from the bell ringing this late." I responded. I thought it strange that the bell only rang once. Surely if it was a neighbor needing some help they would be knocking also - or would have called first.
By the time I had put on some shoes the bell rang again. I sauntered to the front door with my emotions bouncing between worried and put-out.

When what to my wondering eyes should appear, than a some bright Christmas lights wrapping a Christmas reindeer. I smiled immediately and recalled a conversation I had last month with a family I home teach. Other neighbors had thrown away the reindeer mads of sticks. My home teaching family had rescued it -- knowing it was to be a joke later on. We laughed together of how they could write a note and put it on a neighbors porch and doorbell ditch.

Who knew that I would be the neighbor they would select. The deer came with a note that we were to take care of the reindeer and pass it from neighbor to neighbor - helping everyone remember the Christmas sprit. But on Christmas, the deer was to return home to the original neighbor who threw it away. I love our neighborhood. We have fun neighbors. Oh - and our daughter fell in love with it and named it Thomas.

The Naked Communist

This week I finished reading a book by Cleon Skousen called, "The Naked Communist." The book is an overview of the history, ideals, and motivations of communism. Though the book was written 50 years ago when, perhaps, communism was more of a global threat. Yet today our country is becoming more and more socialist, and communism is socialism to the extreme. So I found it fascinating both as an explanation of what happened, and also as a call to action to avoid the same problems from happening to our country.

Some of the major goals of communism, as put forward by Marx and Engels in "The Communist Manifesto."

1. End Capitalism


2. Eliminate private property (additionally they say that religion was devised by private property owners to subvert the poorer class, so religion has to be eliminated)


3. Eliminate the family as a social unit


4. Eliminate socio-economic classes


5. Overthrow all other governments so the world is under one communist system.

I have frequently heard the Marx quote, "Religion is the opiate of the masses," but I never knew the context. Often it is quoted by people trying to spurn religion. I better understand the quote now. Here are two reasons for the quote. Marx stated that religion was invented by the land owners as a way to pacify the working class from stealing their property - "Thou shalt not steal." "Thou shalt not covet." So religion had to be extinguished so the working class would revolt against the land owners.

Also, under communism the ends justify the means. There are no laws, no morals, no obligations. Anything the government can do to accomplish it's means is considered perfectly acceptable. Human life is worth no more than that of a caterpillar or bug. So ethics would just get in the way if the government were to tell someone to kill their neighbor and take their property.

I had lots of epiphanies reading the book. Here are just a few.

• I need to teach my kids the meaning of freedom vs. slavery. One of the reasons for the proliferation of communism is that people really don't appreciate their freedom. What is freedom? It is the ability to make choices within the law - freedom to choose your occupation, where you live, how you spend your money and time. Freedom to have a family and teach them according to the dictates of your conscious.
  
• I need to teach my kids to know God, and hopefully come to love Him. As a whole, our country is forgetting God, and is not acquainted with him very well. They are easily convinced when someone tries to kill their belief in God.
  
• It is so evident to me that socialism doesn't work. People work the hardest when they have something at stake and can benefit from their own labor. When the communists took over, production fell to a mere fraction of previous levels, and they had a hard time even providing their bare necessities. I didn't know that things got so bad under Lenin's first attempt at communism that he abandoned it for a more capitalist system.
  
• Communism doesn't achieve any it's objectives. They set out to form the perfect, peaceful, classless, stateless society. Instead, they created the exact opposite. They created a cruel feudal system - where the privileged class (in this case the government) pillaged the non-privilege class, killing millions in the process to bring them into submission.
• God is the author of peace. We cannot achieve peace by Satan's methods - by force. The commandments outline the way of life that will bring the most happiness both in this world, and eternity.

I could go on for a while. I loved the book. It continues my awakening to the political system and wanting to help stop our current trends to socialistic society. I would recommend the book to everyone. - Brian

Family Vacation 2009

We decided to go to San Diego this year for our family vacation, and make our escape the first week of May. Our adventures took us to Balboa Park, Sea World, Legoland, and the beach.

Jay loved the rollercoasters at Legoland, and swimming in the hotel pool.

Isabel liked the beach, swimming in the hotel pool, and Legoland.

Yes, as you can see, we drove 800 miles to get there, and the thing the kids liked the most was swimming in the hotel pool - something we can do for free at the city rec center.

I found Sea World a little too green for my tastes this year. We probably won't go there again for a long time.

Legoland was a blast, and a near perfect match for our kids. The biggest problem was determining before we got to a big ride if Jay was going to be tall/old enough to ride it. A few times Jay was screaming because he couldn't go on a ride at the same time Isabel was too frightened to go. We had the park almost to ourselves and still didn't get through the park. Perhaps if we went again we would spend a second day there.

The beach was a highlight for the whole family -- just unstructured time on the beach, protecting the sand from the unrelenting sun. The water was chilly so we didn't spent any time swimming, but we enjoyed making sand castles.

I'm all for vacations and making happy memories!

Lamanite Arrogance

I just wanted to write a quick note about a scripture that I have been pondering recently.

Alma 18:5 states - "Now this was the tradition of Lamoni, which he had received from his father, that there was a Great Spirit. Notwithstanding they believed in a Great Spirit, they supposed that whatsoever they did was right; nevertheless, Lamoni began to fear exceedingly, with fear lest he had done wrong in slaying his servants." (Emphasis added.)

So I have just been pondering that may times I am as arrogant as Lamoni in supposing that whatever I do is right or OK with God. There isn't an area of my life that this doesn't affect - from the casual conversations I have with friends, to the manner in which I try to teach my kids, to my relationship with my wife and family. Rather than supposing that whatever I do is right with God, I should seek His will first.

Super Saturday

In 2009 we began a new family tradition called "Super Saturdays." Once a month we spend an entire Saturday just playing as a family. We try to choose an activity that is especially fun and out-of-the-ordinary. For example, in January we spent a morning at Kangaroo Zoo--our local fun spot filled with gigantic inflatables where the kids can climb, slide and bounce to their heart's content.

Super Saturdays have been a huge sucess and the kids look forward to each one with great anticipation. In fact, as we were eating breakfast last Saturday Isabel asked, "Is today Super Saturday?" She was disappointed to learn it was still a week away. And even more disappointed to learn that we were going out after breakfast to pull weeds so we could get the front yard ready to plant spring flowers.

Once we got the weeds under control Brian decided to take a break and asked Isabel if she'd like to practice riding her bike for awhile. Last summer we tried to coax her to ride a 2-wheeler but no avail. On this particular morning, however, she must have had an extra serving of determination for breakfast because she jumped right on her bike and after just 2 or 3 tries she was riding like a pro. As she tried to master the finer points of stopping, starting, and turning she would occasionally fall. But every time without fail she would jump back up and say, "I'm not going to give up." She continues to improve each time she rides.

It was so exciting to watch my oldest child reach another major milestone in her development. I learned from her example that it isn't necessary to run faster than you have strength--in Isabel's case to try to ride a 2-wheeler before she was ready. But that when you set your mind on a task and work at it with determintation and pace yourself you can accomplish anything.

In my humble opinion, this was the best "Super Saturday" yet. (Think of me fondly as I spend next Saturday hanging out at Chuck E. Cheese.)

Fishing with Jesus

I work with Priest age (16-18) young men in my LDS ward. There are several of the young men that don't participate with the group for whatever reason. I haven't devoted much time recently to maintain contact with them, and I have felt a mounting desire over the last few weeks to do more.

On Monday for Family Home Evening it was my turn to teach. I shared a quick lesson about Jesus asking Peter to let down his net and go fishing. (I love stories about Jesus, especiallly ones that involve fishing.) Peter didn't want to fish because others had been fishing a long time and hadn't caught anything. Jesus told him to let down his nets anyway. As you may recall, the nets were filled to capacity. I bore testimony that when Jesus asks us to do something he will make our efforts worthwhile.

As I was testifying I had the thought, "Does that apply to _________ in your quorum?"

I responded, "I have tried so many times before and nothing came of it. I am just pestering him at this point."

"Do it anyway."

So on Tuesday I stopped by the houses of three young men and invited them to an activity we were having the following night. One of the young men was sick and his dad though he wouldn't be able to make it. The other two were wisy-washy and non-committal. I sent a text message to the rest of the quorum asking them to pray that young man would feel better.

At the activity the next day all of those young men were in attendance and had a great time. It was a testimony to me that Jesus still fishes. The scriptures are true. They apply to me.

The Balloon Incident

So the other day I took Jay with me to pick up a pizza. The pizza place was giving away balloons which delighted Jay. As we were getting back into our vehicle the balloon somehow came loose from Jay's wrist and it floated away. Jay was distraught, angry and comfortless. He cried [insert loud adverb here] all the way home.

As I was driving home with the noise, I pondered what had happened.

We were happy before we went into the pizza place.
We weren't expecting a balloon.
The balloon was free

Yet, when that free, unexpected gift was lost, Jay became distraught.

I began to think of all of the free gifts I have received in life - and how distraught I get when one is lost, broken, temporarily unavailable, or taken away. Perhaps there is a key there for me - to recognize free gifts. I should take care of them while they are in my possession, but I shouldn't let the loss of a free gift make me unhappy.

I Love Technology

Technology has become such a part of my day-to-day life. I depend on it for my very existence. I have said on numerous occasions that it feels like my arms are broken if the internet connection stops working for more than 30 seconds. I am a huge fan of texting, instant messaging, and blogging. And recently I discovered the joy of re-connecting with old friends via Facebook.

My children are also growing up amazingly techno-savvy. I smile every time Isabel tells me she wants to check "her websites" for the latest updates or how easily she speed dials the cell phone to call her dad. But this afternoon I saw just how deeply indoctrinated they have become when my 2-year old announced that he wanted his new name to be "Jayboy.com."

I love technology.

Kids say the darndest things

Last Saturday night Nancy and I had a church meeting to attend. We wore our Sunday best. After changing, Jay came in the room, looked at Nancy and said, "Mom you look beautiful."

"Why thank you Jay that is sweet," Nancy was about to say until he continued. . .

". . .like a donkey."

I want to know what love is

No, it’s not lyrics to a song by foreigner, but a genuine question – what do you think love is?

Several events in the last few weeks prompt the question. Some have scoffed about “so called love” as a trite emotion. Others have used love as an excuse for inaction, other as an excuse for meanness. Some have even twisted it into an ultimatum. Nancy and I have had several discussions about it because of these events. We have come to a definition that goes something like this:

“Love, true love, means providing someone with something which they need without thought of reward.”

The trick then to loving is to figure out what your loved one needs, and then meeting that need to the best of your ability. In line with that thought is putting someone else’s needs before your own. Also, love isn’t about what someone else can or should do; it is only about what you can do.

God’s ability to love is infinite because he both knows our precise needs – all of them – and also is able to fill them – all of them. The utmost example of his love is the gift of his only begotten.

Jesus showed love in many ways. Everywhere he went he performed outward healings. Sometimes he showed love by not condemning in a moment of crisis. Sometimes he held his tongue even though he was wrongfully accused. And sometimes he gave people a figurative swift kick in the behind. But he always provided something that was needed without thought of reward.

So what is your definition?