Hawaii Ending Universal Child Health Care After 7 Mos. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,439607,00.html
Dateline: Honolulu
Hawaii is dropping the only state universal child health care program in the country just seven months after it launched.
Gov. Linda Lingle's administration cited budget shortfalls and other available health care options for eliminating funding for the program. A state official said families were dropping private coverage so their children would be eligible for the subsidized plan.
"People who were already able to afford health care began to stop paying for it so they could get it for free," said Dr. Kenny Fink, the administrator for Med-QUEST at the Department of Human Services. "I don't believe that was the intent of the program."
The only real surprise there is the fact that bureaucrats were surprised. While a favorite pastime of some is the vilification of Wal-mart, the reason it is the largest retailer in the world is that people look for bargains. So what did they expect? "Hmmm, Martha, do you want to pay $125 for a doctors visit or get one free?"
It does go to prove the old adage - The road to hell is paved with the best of intentions.
Secret Service visits Lufkin woman after 'death threat' allegation from an Obama campaign volunteer
http://www.lufkindailynews.com/search/content/news/stories/2008/10/07/secret_service.html
Dateline: Lufkin, Texas
A Lufkin woman received a surprise visit from the Secret Service last week because of a "death threat" comment she reportedly made about Sen. Barack Obama to a campaign volunteer asking for her support of the presidential candidate.
Hughes said her words were deliberately twisted by a volunteer who was apparently unhappy Hughes was rude during a phone conversation the two had. The Lufkin mother, a Republican, said she received a call on her cell phone Wednesday from a woman with the Obama Volunteers of Texarkana.
"She asked if I was an Obama supporter, to which I replied, 'No, I don't support him. Your guy is a socialist who voted four times in the state Senate to let little babies die in hospital closets; I think you should find something better to do with your time.' (And then) I hung up."
Seems that 1984 just arrived 24 years too late. Better be careful about what you post about the new messiah, or Big Brother will get you!
Nothing really unexpected here. When you create a religion, people tend to get very aggressive in defending it, and this volunteer's reaction to someone who was rude is just the beginning. IN the next 4 years, it may become commonplace. After all, when anything that is derogatory is said about Obama, is labeled racism, Big brother is already knocking on your door.