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Thursday, September 30, 2010

Worst Woman in the World...

Obscenity warning! (I’m pretty pissed off about this!)


Sharon Angle is a scumbag

With each passing day, I become less and less surprised that Conservatives' attitudes towards women are so backwards. I mean… just look at their representative sample: Sarah Palin, Michelle Bachman, Christine O’Donnell, Sharon Angle… You know, maybe if conservative women weren’t so fucking stupid, conservative men might think more highly of women in general. (Of course that doesn’t account for the stupidity of conservative MEN, but that for an entirely different post…)

But Sharon Angle has absolutely topped my list. She’s a stupid, lying, hypocritical, self-righteous, dangerous CUNT. Her latest talking point, following months of lies, distortions, misrepresentation and misinformation? She wants to lower Insurance Costs for the people of Nevada by ending that state’s mandate that insurance companies cover “Autism.”

The “quotes” were hers, BTW. She actually said “Autism” making “quotes” in the air with her fingers.

Candidate Angle? GO FUCK YOURSELF.

A bit of disclosure here: I have two children with “Autism.” No, fuck that: They have AUTISM. And no person with two brain-cells to bounce together (which would apparently exclude Sharron Angle) would deny that they have Classic, Kanner’s Syndrome AUTISM. Another undeniable fact is that the intensive speech therapy and special supports they’ve received have helped them make tremendous progress. Without these interventions, based on the work of many PhD’s and other researchers in the field (something the conservatives always seem to be sadly lacking in) the odds are that they would be (1) Non-verbal today and (2) headed towards a lifetime of being institutionalized. (And yes, that would be on the tax payers’ dime. So really, Sharon Angle’s just an idiot.)

Now… In my home state of Michigan none of this therapy is covered by insurance. Not. One. Penny. Of. It. And up until a few years ago pretty much no states covered it. Today the number is 23 and growing every few months. Autism insurance reform has met with very little resistance outside of the insurance lobby and a very few other special interest groups that put dollars ahead of families and handicapped children. IOW: Scumbags.

Now obviously I'm pretty damned far from being an unbiased debater here. I have no problem acknowledging that I have a dog (two, in fact) in this fight. But why don’t we look at the facts here and see what this “expensive mandate” REALLY costs people.

My family spends about $30,000 per year in speech therapy. Florida (the only state I’m immediately familiar with) covers up to $35,000 per child, but we spend $30K, and have TWO. So let’s use thirty-K as a worst-case number. I don’t know what the rate of Autism is these days, but the rate of “Autism” is about 1%. I’m OK putting that in quotes, because if you use that number, you will be including many children with a level of impairment that only the foremost experts will be able to detect. And they won’t need anywhere near the level of support that my boys do. BUT, in the interest of looking at a worst case scenario, we’ll use the 1% and assume that they’ll ALL need $30 per year.

Remember now: these are absurdly expensive assumptions: We spend $30K on TWO kids, are very happy with the results we've gotten, and a huge portion of that 1% would not need that level of support.

So…

$30,000 per year.

…times a 1% occurrence rate = $300 per year, per family.

= $25 per month.

And that’s just for the 20% of people who pay entirely for their own insurance.

For the other 80% of folks, who’s employer picks up roughly ~80% of the tab?

$5.00 per month.

FIVE BUCKS PER MONTH! Fine: Six, if you want to give a break to the other 20% and not charge their policies extra for it.

FIVE DOLLARS, maybe SIX.

That’s what it costs the people of Nevada, and the other 23 states that have arrived in the 21st Century, to prevent the Insurance Companies from discriminating against people with Autism. To save her voters FIVE DOLLARS A MONTH, ($2.50 each, if we’re talking about a married couple) she’s willing to push tens of thousands of families to the brink of (or squarely into) bankruptcy and condemn tens of thousands of children to living out their lives in state institutions, cut off from the world, unable to communicate even their basic needs and feelings in the process.

Sharron Angle? You are not only a cold, heartless, soulless, hypocritical SCUMBAG, but you’re a cold, heartless, soulless, hypocritical scumbag who’d bad at math.

And remember folks… without that help? Most of these kids would end up in state institutions. That’s what used to happen. Again, I don’t know each what that costs, but it ain’t cheap. (Consider the cost of incarcerations, and tack on whatever you think the additional overhead would be to cover the additional medical and psychiatric staff.) That’s putting aside that this is NOT what anyone would prefer or choose for themselves or their children.

I guess that makes Sharon Angle a “Fiscal Conservative.”

I guess that makes Sharon Angle “Pro-Family.”

Personally I think it makes Sharon Angle a “scumbag.”

And, if I were Conservative, just more evidence that women have no place making public policy. Hey, with stupid bitches women like Sharron Angle serving as examples, I can almost see where their misogyny comes from.


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BTW… I’m not throwing out the word, “hypocrite” lightly here. If you caught Keith Olberman’s WPITW on Tuesday you’d have learned that:

But our winner, Sharron Angle, the radical Republican Tea Party candidate for the Senate in Nevada. You heard her plans to phase out Social Security and Medicare and her complaints about how she has to pay for other women‘s maternity leave, and how states have to pay for kids with, air quote, autism, end air quote. They were her air quotes. And you heard her talk about how Harry Reid is a socialist or an anarchist or Marxist, or whatever he is.

Turns out Sharron Angle gets government health care insurance. Her husband is retired from the Federal Bureau of Land Management. So he gets the same federal employee health program insurance he got while he worked there. And it covers his wife Sharron, as does his pension, paid for by contributions made by current civil service employees. It‘s the civil service government equivalent of Social Security.

So the next time she whines about ending this or relieving Nevada of the burden of that, let‘s see her start by cutting off that socialist insurance she gets, her insurance that you and I pay for. Sharron Angle, hypocrite, today‘s Worst Person in the World.

Keith? I love you, man. But you're going too easy on her, and I’m going to just have to try and top you here.


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One last note, while I’ve admitted bias in terms on my own personal interest, I want to point out that this is no Liberal / Conservative partisan bias here on my part. The majority of states that have mandated insurance coverage for Autism are in fact traditionally considered RED STATES. More Republican leaning states have passed Autism insurance reform that Democratic leaning ones. That’s a fact. An embarrassing one that many Deomcrats are working to fix, but if there’s any partisan advantage here, the benefit remains with the Republicans! (Tea-Baggers and Sharon Angle excluded.)

For a complete list, and for more information on how you can help make insurance companies do the right thing, while at the same time saving taxpayers millions of dollars in the future and allowing more people to live productive and independent lives, please visit AutsimVotes.org.


And whatever you do, don’t vote for an stupid, autism denialist like Sharron Angle.

6 comments:

  1. For obvious reasons I disagree with some of your generalizations, however I empathize with you.
    Pres. Bush (Sr.) pushed the ADA, Jr. followed through (but not because he had a clue,) so not all conservatives are heartless. (And I'm still waiting for you to get back to me on that point.)
    Unfortunately Oklahoma seems to be as backwards on this front as it is on election laws.
    For what it's worth, I hope that the TPers and the so-called 'conservatives' will be exposed for the frauds they are, and that the older GOPers who were just raised that way (narrow-minded bigots) will die out.
    You fight the good fight on your side and I'll fight the good fight on mine and maybe together we can bring the people back to sanity.
    okiepoli

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  2. Actually I give BOTH Bushes a lot of credit for the ADA. Expanding the ADA was one of precious few things I think W. did right.

    However... Since I'm still feeling a bit snarky, I'm going to see your "ADA" and raise you a "Conservatives always do better the more they act like liberals." ;)

    And hey, give me SOME credit: I did point out that Republican-leaning states with Austism Insurance reform outnumber Democratic ones. So this really isn't about party. And one of thosee "special interests" that's opposed to it in Miching? The UAW! So yeah, there's no denying that some of these things have both stars and dogs from BOTH sides of the aisle. No doubt about it.

    One last thing... Genernally, when I use the word "Conservative" I'm speaking to what that word has BECOME. If the Republican Party was still the Center-Right Libertarian Party of Goldwater? I'd probably be IN IT. If there was any of Buckley left in the movement? I'd probably still call myself 'Conservative.' I did once, you know. A long time ago, before I'd ever heard of the Rush Limbaugh program.

    But what it meant to ME back then, and what they stand for now? Night and day. And as long as the funny-mentalists and industry-whores and science-deniers from both of those camps control the Right? I'll proudly stand with the opposition. (And happily lob shit-balls at them from that side! LOL)

    Now... When Michael more talks about the Government nationalizing the auto iundustry? Yeah, you better believe I'll be right there with you calling him a commie rat-bastard. LOL

    All I can really say is this: When people like you take back the Right? I'll be the left-most member of the RIght once again. I'll call myself "center" on my leftest of days. But right NOW? The Left IS the Center. And the Right is the loony bin.

    Thanks for your comment.

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  3. On your comment about conservative opinions of woman, the first thing that popped into my mind is that the stupidity of conservative women (like Angle, O'Donnell, or Palin) must be the reason why so many conservatives cheat on their wives...

    As for the costs of something like Autism, there need to be more people like you who can illustrate the problems with Angle's comments - as well as the problems with the current health system. The media might air the controversy but there is rarely anybody who is willing to delve into WHY her comments were so bad.

    The right wing loves to bash the reform but they rarely look at the problems of today - you would think that with Trig Palin around, people like Angle would watch their step, which makes me wonder - where was Sarah Palin for Angle's remarks? She was quick to jump on the "retard" attack against Rahm but gave Rush a pass, and I don't think Angle's comments could be classified as "satire."

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  4. Holy shit, Eddie! I've only been visiting your site for a few months now, so I didn't know your back story. And a truly amazing (and heartbreaking) story it is. (Oh, and I don't mind the harsh language, and I can't find a point of disagreement with you on this.)

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  5. @Kevin - The more I do this, and the more I read sites like MMFA, the more I come to the conclusion that the media basically DOESN'T WANT to inform people. One might argue that in the name of objectivity they avoid taking sides, but when the issue is a clear-cut as this one, that objectivity is really just false balance and a cover for conservative bias. OR, giving them the benefit off the doubt, they just want to keep covering the CONTROVERSY because that's the EASY STORY. Pointing out one side's lies or misinformation takes WORK, but being able to say, "And the controversy rages on" requires no effort at all. And the next day? It will still be right there, waiting for you! Even absent of any actual conservative bias, they're still a lot like Republicans in that they'd rather continue to benefit from problems rather than solve them.

    As for Trig Palin? Well... They'll stop short of using the "R-Word," of course, just like they've managed to avoid the N-Word. And of course Palin would still break out the pity-party if a Democrat ever came within a thousand miles of it... Talk about her momma-grizzly bullshit and all that. But I'd bet that even if some Tea-Bagger DID go and call his opponent a "retard" or something, you wouldn't hear a peep about it from the Right and, if the Democrats pointed it out, Palin would have the gall and/or stupidity and/or hypocrisy to accuse THEM of "politicizing it."

    And speaking of pity parties....

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  6. @ Sammy - As always I appreciate the kind words, but I wasn't trying to start a pity party here. ;) LOL. Actually, THANK YOU, but I still prefer the facts to stand on their own. Otherwise I'm no better than that firefighter on Fox protesting Park51 based only on his own emotion and our sympathy for the man, his profession and 9/11 rather than the FACTS or the PRINCIPLES we're fighting for. Of course this IS an emotional issue for me. There's no way around that. (You know... momma Grizzlies and all that... LOL) And while my presentation IS probably a simplification, I've yet to see any counterarguments from the law's opponents that demonstrate why it's a particularly egregious one.

    And yes, unlike someone like Rush Limbaugh talking about how our health care system is "wonderful" because it "only" cost him about $20-grand to find out that he was having indigestion instead of a heart attack, MY knowledge of this issue comes first hand, not only seeing the effect it has on my family (which isn't quite as bad as it sounds, because we're relatively well-off) but also in talking to other families who are in my income bracket, but who don't have the same RESOURCES available to them.

    It's tough. They're here through no fault of their own. What little help there is is very expensive and the progress is slow and tedious. The stress is constant, to the point where it destroys marriages and impacts careers. And, unlike if you have a kid with (for example) Down's Syndrome, people around you can't SEE Autism. There are no physical markers. They just assume you have a bad kid and that you're lousy parents. I'm not saying that's BETTER (not by a long shot) but people DO react DIFFERENTLY. They makes different assumptions. Sometimes you have the opportunity to explain that they're autistic; and awareness HAS comes a long way... But that's what's so infuriating when a dipstick like Sharron Angle makes "quotes" in the air with her fingers. It's one thing when Mike Savage or Dennis Leary engage in autism denial. They're assholes, but few people really take them seriously. (And those that do are beyond help anyway.) But when a serious candidate for the Senate puts herself on that level? She just undid a decade's worth of progress on the awareness front in her State. I just hope the next time there's a family in Nevada who's kid is having a meltdown in the mall, and their explanation of "Autism" is met with rolled eyes instead of understanding and assistance, they remember who it was that enabled that kind of ignorance and apathy. (And what political persuasion she comes from.)

    Thank you both for your comments.

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