British Columbia Parks and Recreation

Recently we took a trip up the Alaska Highway. From North Dakota back to Alaska--a short jaunt --ha, ha. What struck us as the most amazing thing about our trip wasn't the stone sheep, grizzly bear, or caribou we saw--but the British Columbia Park system. What a pleasant surprise! The public playgrounds/picnic areas/benches were the nicest we have ever seen--and we stopped at three different parks there. We also noticed all the workers buzzing about--cleaning the outhouses, emptying recycling bins, etc....The public bathrooms at Laird Hot Springs even had a 4 stall public composting restroom--and no, it did not stink!

So we don't really know what this all means--we stopped in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Yukon as well--and Yukon parks are very nice too--but B.C. just kicks it up a notch. Do they pay more in taxes?? And how about the economy--do park budgets get cut in Canada?? Or do they just value them more?? (We did not even have to pay any day use fees, except for the hot springs).

As someone who seriously appreciates everything a park offers, I am always upset when Alaska or any other state closes parks first due to "budget shortfalls". As if they don't value them at all, nor does the public find them that important.
I haven't really gotten to why the thinking is so different, but it is amazing nevertheless.

The Diabolical Nature of the Healthcare Debate

Today I saw a TV ad from a breast cancer organization helping spread fear about health care reform. Mainly they warned that the US currently has good cancer care, but that the goofballs in Government are going to put restrictions on that.
The diabolical irony here is that--has everyone read their own private insurance plans??? Most people have cap limits, or a $$ when they are "maxed out". I personally know of a brain tumor patient simply booted out of their private health care plan. And guess who is picking up the tab for his chemo now?? Well big bad government, that's who (Medicaid/Medicare). The same system the "right" usually hates. But now the "right" is sooo worried about human life. Well only rich people's lives actually....

Sarah Palin is the Real Elitist

So Ms. Sarah feels good that she has exposed the bogeyman of healthcare reform--discussion about end of life and excessive medical procedures. True enough she smelled the rat of socialized medicine. BUT the big BUT is our American butts for one....we with our "free will" food choices have caused these insurmountable health care costs (heart disease, diabetes, etc.) that's where all those Medicare dollars are going folks like it or not.

Secondly--Sarah feels we all have rights to "life expanding" treatments, indefinitely??Well who pays for it now?? Often the taxpayer. And who will pay for it in the future, as these procedures get more complex and expensive??
Regular private insurance already practices the "death march"--but they do it in a less tacky way by calling it all financial--sorry dude, but you've maxed out. And this happens to many average Joes that get severely disabled or get "life expanding treatments" that go beyond their coverage. Then they fall back on to Medicaid. So the only ones in the end who can actually afford fancy technology and "life at all costs" are the republican elitists. The same folks that hate Medicaid & Medicare , the so called "entitlement programs" that actually keep people alive ....