...on health care and why it's time to get our hands dirty

We had a double thunder storm last night that, thankfully, did not involve a lot of wind, but did showcase a long stretch of lightning. I'm glad I was still up watching a movie, because it would have woken me up, it was so bright and sustained. Maybe today won't be so muggy, but if it is, so be it. It's summer. 

The pool is finally warm enough for me to be pleased with it. We will likely get in there again today, but then I'm going to add some water to it and put in a new filter/chlorine tab. We've enjoyed it this week, for sure, and the forecast is still for 80s. 

I think, though, I'd like today to be a relatively quiet day. I'm tired; Holly is a busy kid, and she's been a bit emotionally fraught due to one cat still being MIA. And Meg is working way more hours/days/weeks than is sustainable, at least for Holly. It's no one's fault, really-- they are super short staffed. But still, it's a lot, especially to a four year old who can't quite grasp the complexity of it all. 

Honestly, I don't know if anything will change regarding Meg's schedule, really. It was already a lot before this, and with the fed cuts to medicare and medicaid, revenue is impacted. Thus people leave to find greener pastures where the jobs are not as over-scheduled. Or so they think, anyhow. It's a sad statement that nursing staff is being stretched so thin, but yet there are plenty of admins kicking around. It's approaching critical, and there's more cuts threatened. Welcome to American health care, eh? Just wait and see what'll be the fallout from all of the reductions in vax, in tracking diseases, in access to prenatal care, etc. Where is the money going from all of these cuts? 

Well, there's plenty of cash to go around for vanity projects and bloated non-compete contracts. 

When folks talk about the economic impacts, they often don't stretch their imaginations to encompass the very real results of things like not tracking flesh-eating bacteria, screw-worm, measles outbreaks, etc. Now, local municipalities won't be required to test water for pharmaceuticals and microplastics. The list goes on. It's not just a health care impact; it's also productivity in the larger sense. This is why it is incomprehensible that these measures which will weaken/sicken the work force are being enacted; sick and dying people can't work, thus, nothing gets done, and no one will have money to buy things. The economy in all aspects will grind to a halt. 

Well, let's not forget the proposed regulations that people who are battling aggressive cancer, for example, must work 80 hours a month, or they will receive no help... that's a diatribe for another day. 

I was raised to help others. To not be a burden. To seek out ways I can make a positive difference. To understand that when I have enough, any extra can and should be used to help those who are struggling. Those are family values. Values rooted in what it means to be a good human who is sharing this planet with a whole lot of others. The so-called "Christian values" that we are seeing proclaimed (and maybe mandated) at the upper levels (and on down) of our society are toxic. (Note: they are not Christ-like at all.) I just don't see what the end game is supposed to be. It's an intentional, planned death of what we have built, and we are not going to be able to fix things for generations.

Enough already, though. It's summer. I have to replant some of my garden because the seeds G bought online did not do diddly, and it's too late to plant root veggies. I will put in more green beans, as they stand a chance of bearing fruit. There's work to be done, practical stuff, and I can at least take care of my family the best way I know how: it's time to get our hands dirty. Yes, work that metaphor.

Have a good day, friends. Sorry for the downer. The news cycle is ever with us.

C