Sold my Pony!

Even though you may not have known it had a name, you undoubtedly knew I drove a cute purple car for the last 16 years.

She was The Pony (Blue Highway reference), and today she moved to a new family.

The new owners were very pleasant people, and I feel good about her new home, even if a little misty at this passing of an era!


Oh, and the official name for my new car is Binky.
In a series of oddly funny novels, Death's horse is named Binky, an obviously cute name for a transport of such gravity.
Binky is also smooth and quiet, which fits the hybrid engine quietness really well.
Lastly, Binky the horse is white. And, while my car isn't stark white, most white horses are actually just light gray ones. So, my light grey car fits there, too.

This is silly and pointless, but I'm not sure naming a car should be anything else, so I'm having fun with it!
:-)

How I Celebrated Labor Day

.... by deciding it was damn well time I stopped thinking that it is obvious that we should have a national health care plan. Smug self-assurance that everyone would eventually see the correctness of my view is the bane of the left, and it breeds apathy and - ultimately - failure.

So, I spent the morning sending letters to the President, my Senators, and my Congressional representative.
Below is the one that went to the White House:

Dear Mr. President,
Hello.
I am writing today to clearly communicate my support for the inclusion of a government backed health plan as part of national health care reform.

Below I will say why I think this is a critical element, but first I want to give you my background:
I'm a married woman, have a master's degree, and am employed full time. My employer provides 100% of my medical insurance payment, though none for any dependents.
My spouse is working full time for our small business (cakes and cookies).

I support a government-backed option for the following reasons:
1) As the costs of healthcare increase, those with employer-provided insurance (like myself) will continue to see our benefits reduced or even totally cut unless insurance companies are forced to truly become more wisely competitive. Costs increase = fewer insured = forseeable future where only an elite class has any coverage. This 45 million uninsured figure will be peanuts compare to what's around the corner.
2) I'm a spirited proponent of fair market competition, and am deeply dubious of any insurance company that thinks it can't do better than a basic plan offered by the federal government. The model of the government being involved in an industry - but not dominating that industry - is sufficiently proven through history to be one that provides consumers choice AND allows private companies to offer alternatives for a profit. Everyone wins.
3) I firmly believe that this nation is a creative powerhouse, and if we are committed to goal we can not only do what other nations have done, but we can learn from them and do it better. It is also embarassing that a nation with our wealth and stature has yet to meaningfully prioritize caring for all of its own people at some minimum level.
4) I believe it is in every American's economic self-interest to want this plan: I should not be required to be employed in order to have coverage. Most Americans want stability, and guaranteeing that we do not lose health care when we change employment would be a critical stabilizing effect. Reasons for changing employment are many, and Americans should NOT be punished for them: Need to care for a family member, desire to start one's own business, being laid off, desire to seek different/additional training for career change or enhancement, etc.
Creating a safety net for Americans to make these choices will undeniably promote a more vital, dynamic economy!
5) The fear-mongering that is being orchestrated by health care opponents is, perversely, an indicator that a government-backed plan is the right thing to do.
We are sometimes defined by our adversaries, and their incoherent logic combined with their volume suggests this is really a fight worth having. And winning.

If volume would win the day, your argument must be louder. If logic would win, then you must be smarter. As President, you have the unique opportunity to be both on this critical issue.

Thank you for taking to time to consider these points, and please know that there are a lot of Americans who want this plan and who think it's just logical that it should exist.

On a personal note, I'm scheduled to get an MRI tomorrow because my knee has really been giving me some grief over the last year or so. Chances are I'll have to pay for much of it, and they aren't cheap. It'll be an interesting time to listen to the debate on reform.

Hope you are healthy and well!
And, if you support a federal option (not as a mandate, but as an option), make sure to tell your representatives! It's far easier than building a time machine to go back and let them know what you wanted once the debate is over.