{"id":24556,"date":"2012-07-20T06:01:08","date_gmt":"2012-07-20T06:01:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/newspaper.ctsi-logistics.com\/?p=24556"},"modified":"2012-07-20T06:01:08","modified_gmt":"2012-07-20T06:01:08","slug":"let-the-games-begin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/let-the-games-begin\/","title":{"rendered":"Let the games begin"},"content":{"rendered":"
U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Roberts said in his confirmation hearing that he\u2019d be playing the role of an umpire, calling strikes and balls. As conservatives see it, Roberts must call balls and strikes as he sees it, not according to the whims of the crowd sitting on the bleachers. But out of nowhere he called a ball.<\/div>\n

Essentially, he told voters, “If you don\u2019t like the bums, throw them out of office!” He also crystallized that the U.S. Congress and President Obama lied that it isn\u2019t a tax. But the core logic of Robert\u2019s decision-employing judicial restraint-was a model of analytic clarity, according to some legal analysts. Others say he “bequeathed the country a monstrosity” that will “grow, fester, and metastasize”. I won\u2019t turn apoplectic for the political toxicity or otherwise of the decision.<\/p>\n

Perhaps Roberts came close to following the dissenting view but found respite, focusing on the authority of Congress to tax. His decision opens up 21 new taxes while leaving hollow hope for individual and religious freedom, the more difficult legal issues.<\/p>\n

Retired Judge Andrew Napolitano observed: “Perhaps Justice Roberts really means what he wrote-that congressional power to tax is without constitutional limit-and his opinion is a faithful reflection of that view, without a political, legal or intra-court agenda. But that view finds no support in the Constitution or our history. It even contradicts the most famous of John Marshall\u2019s big-government aphorisms: The power to tax is the power to destroy.”<\/p>\n

The former judge added, “The logic is so tortured, unexpected, and unprecedented that even the law\u2019s most fervent supporters did not make or anticipate the court\u2019s argument in its support.\u201d He pointed out that a “tax must originate in the House, which this law did not, and it must be applied for doing something, like earning income or purchasing tobacco or fuel, not for doing nothing.”<\/p>\n

What it means for Medicaid<\/strong><\/p>\n

When your doctor decides to refer your case to a medical specialist here or in off-island medical facilities, the cost associated with it must ALL come from your pocket. I recall that at most even a high option health insurance only covers $50,000 that must be mirrored against, e.g., heart surgery, that runs between $40,00 to $280,000, depending on the complexity of your condition.<\/p>\n

This aspect would be devastating for those with or without Medicaid assistance. It could easily drain the family of its last savings, including the sale of property to meet this cost. I\u2019ve seen this happen already and it is mind numbing the instant loss of treasured family land and the subsequent hardship it must face as a result of having to pay costly medical bills. Remember, it deals with medical conditions requiring the attention of medical specialists.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s also the humorous side of the Roberts decision: President Obama\u2019s oxymoronic view that it isn\u2019t a tax, but the court said it is a tax! Too, he misunderstood the difference between access to health coverage and access to healthcare. Mr. President, why can\u2019t you say what you mean and mean what you say? It helps clarify the issue for all Americans who now must figure out how to fit a huge elephant into a needle\u2019s hole via their pocketbooks.<\/p>\n

The fortunate part of the recent decision lies in the fact that agreeable and disagreeable we may be, the whole issue reverts to “We the people” and this November the voice of the people would effectively remove threats to our freedom before it literally rips our dreams from rebuilding the path to a more prosperous future for our country. \u00a0Let individual freedom ring!”<\/p>\n

****<\/p>\n

New illness: Magas-itis<\/strong><\/p>\n

Warning: If you\u2019re in middle management and up, you could be at risk of contracting magas-itis (magasitis). It\u2019s a serious affliction of arrogance plaguing people picked for powerful posts.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re suffering from the following symptoms you might want to see your physician in immediately. They include: tendency to be a loner, belief that you\u2019re smarter than others, preference for loyalists, stubborn attitude to changing course even in the face of failure-and love of royal treatment like taxpayer-paid steak and lobsters.<\/p>\n

If perchance the power you have gets into your head, there\u2019s a likelihood that you\u2019d act imperiously as though the universe revolves around your teeny self, seemingly equipped with undeveloped brain cells. If you don\u2019t find time soon to get your feet back on the ground, you\u2019d be sailing the fearful dark skies out west with destination unknown as you struggle shamefully to deflate your overblown ego. Before you do, please consult your physician. If not, see me so I could get you an escort at top speed to Fiscal Cliff near Banzai.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ve seen aplenty the corrupt attitude of neglect or isolation from people at the helm suffering from juvenile magasitis. We could set their eyes aglow by jerking their subdued demeanor. Invite them to a staged ceremony to hand them their golden trophy of “Do-Nothing.” Throw the bums out this November and substitute it with adios-itis! (adiositis). It\u2019s the only cure to magasitis!<\/p>\n

****<\/p>\n

Deluge of bankruptcy<\/strong><\/p>\n

Is there a ray of hope for something better amidst the deluge of bankruptcy? I have a feeling the next level is prayer for divine intervention. With the guys and gals snoozing heavily, ma\u00f1ana is in full bloom.<\/p>\n

Does it mean we must wait for a miracle of sorts to ease the mounting fiscal trauma at home? But we know that the genesis of the financial trauma is far removed from myth and legend. It is solely and factually based on a healthy business climate and the derivatives from it. But the business climate is very poor. Would we use the cargo cult mindset?<\/p>\n

****<\/p>\n

Entitlement assistance is fine for those who really need it. Admittedly, this is the case here and across the country. I can understand and feel for those of our people who have to swallow their pride by accepting NAP assistance. There\u2019s the quiet sentiment of humiliation but what\u2019s the choice when one is jobless because city hall has failed on wealth and jobs creation. NAP recipients still say that rugged individualism is the hallmark of hardworking people. Most prefer meaningful jobs versus feeding off a hog\u2019s back.<\/p>\n

By John S. DelRosario Jr.
\nContributing Author<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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