tkhayes

I too have DIRECT experience with both systems, yet we disagree on what 'fair and balanced' is. Studies I have seen show that both systems get abused by people who 'sneeze and then run to the ER.' Even in the 'free' system, it is no more abused than in the pay-for system. I lived in Canada for 34 years and now here for 13 years. I do not go to the doctor any more or any less under either system. I go when I need to go. The hypochondriac will do the same, they do not go more or less often based on the system they have, It's not a 'feeling' Many people simply DON'T have affordable access. Period. And you cut costs in the military the same way you cut it in any corporation. Retire people out, cut programs, scale back production and decide where to best use your dollars. GM and the other manufacturers do it every day. The military can too, but they are not used to operating like that - they are more interested in fat government contracts, massive cost overruns and and endless pot of gold. If we can do that for them, then we can do it in education and healthcare too. But we don't. If taxes go up, so what? The monthly cost of my health insurance bill goes down or even goes away. That is a trade I will gladly accept. I actually do not mind paying taxes if I am getting something for it. The US government is already pretty small. Another cultural fallacy that you have big government and big taxes here in the USA. Go to Canada if you want to see big government and big taxes. But we also have the watchdogs and the government programs for all that are justified by those taxes. (that's why our banks are surviving the financial mess, not failing like yours) Are they all good? No of course not, and I am all for lower taxes and less government, but you get what you pay for, like anything. I am paying $750/month for health care (and please do not patronize me by telling me that I should shop around), it is what it is. That's what I pay. Am I am not getting my money's worth, but I have to pay that. Or go without. For me, it is NOT affordable and there are NO other alternatives. I really doubt my income tax would go up by $750/month to pay for universal healthcare. Or maybe it would if we left George W Bush to run it. TK

All of your questions have answers if you would do a little homework. Canadian healthcare IS worth a damn. We treat cancer too y'know.... even do heart transplants. THIS Canadian on this board has never said the Canadian system is broken. And while every system has problems, NO ONE in Canada would ever think of giving up universal healthcare, NOT EVER. People bitch about everything - that does not mean anything gets scrapped just because of the bitching. Canada is not the only model to follow. The WHO actually ranks Canada 30th and the USA 37th right now in delivering healthcare, so the Canadian system is slipping. There are 15 or so European countries that are in the top 20. Maybe you should do some homework on those countries if you want to find a model to follow. Almost ALL of them are universal healthcare for their citizens and people. Doctors get different pay for different things, procedures, specialties etc, much like here in the USA, we even have agencies that watch over them by God and make sure they are doing a good job. You can even complain about your doctor and even file a lawsuit for malpractice if you would like to keep that part of your system. ;-) Drugs are not free, but some are subsidized. A lot of things are NOT covered, glasses, dental, and each province has its own unique programs, just like here in the USA has different programs in different states. We spend LESS per capita in Canada on healthcare than is spent in the USA. but the difference is that EVERYONE has access to it without fear of bankruptcy or damaged credit scores because you cannot pay the bill. And yes it IS actually easy to say that the USA should have universal healthcare JUST BECAUSE other countries do it. Especially if we want to continue to claim to be the 'best country in the world' How can the best country in the world NOT take care of its own people? A realistic proposal? Easy, take it out of the military budget. It would be a drop in the bucket. http://www.amsa.org/uhc/CaseForUHC.pdf According to this study, less than $70B/year. Military budget currently stands at $500B+ Everyone assumes that t will cost too much. It already costs too much for private healthcare. My wife and I pay $750/month. My insurance is helping to pay for all the people who do not pay. I would rather pay for it in income taxes and 'spread that wealth' The private system IS NOT efficient. There are so many layers that I have to deal with to have a minor knee surgery to repair a tear in a menial meniscus, I got invoices from 13 different companies. The system is LADEN with levels of bureaucracy - and that all costs money. Universal healthcare would have ONE layer. The government. So as I said, the information is out there. The CULTURE of the American people blind them to that reality and they simply say NO. I was told the other day by a rather conservative woman, "Healthcare is NOT WORKING in Europe. It has completely failed" I asked her to define failure and she walked away. Check the WHO stats on where the best healthcare is. Mostly it is in Europe. So where do you people continue to get the idea that this cannot work? "Those of you that say it cannot be done are getting in the way of those of us that are already doing it" Vote for what you believe in. This country (USA) does a lousy job (right now) of taking care of AMERICANS. For some reason, many think that this is acceptable. It is not. All you do is take care of CORPORATIONS. And we all know that corporations do not take care of people - they take care of themselves. personal responsibility yes, but it only goes so far. There are many out there that cannot or do not have the knowledge, education, resources to have the level of 'personal responsibility' that you do. So we spread the 'wealth' a little to help them. And using the business case above - it does not actually hurt the country as a whole. You want rhetoric? Socialism, Communism, etc. What a crock! Look up the definition of Socialism and explain to me how universal healthcare makes this a socialist country. The USA already has socialized public education and a socialized military, plus many other 'socialized services'. The word has been abused. It does not even apply in this case. TK

Stromboli's in Calrgary Alberta - the best.

http://www.gp.org/index.php http://www.votenader.org/ http://www.campaignforliberty.com/ there are other choices, granted some that are not on the ballot should be. Start voting for what you believe in, not for the 2 major parties. Yesterday I spoke with a hate-filled racist woman I have come to know... "McCain is going to do a great job" "I'm a Libertarian at heart" My comment was, "well if you are a Libertarian, then why are you voting for McCain?" Vote for what you believe in - this country actually needs more of that.

nice how you take everything i say and turn it into things I did not say. And assume things that are incorrect. I came to the USA for a job. nothing more. And yes I have the option to go back to Canada anytime I want. And as long as I live here, and worked hard to become a US citizen, then I will, same as you, speak my mind about what is right and wrong. And now, like you, I will change what you said into something that you did not say.... Are you suggesting that I be suppressed of my opinions in this free country?? Or perhaps that people who disagree with you are forced to leave the USA?

yep, typical TK, a guy who cares that the little guy (and me) gets a fair shake. A guy who thinks that it is wrong for CEO's to make hundreds of millions while their employees and stockholders lose their investments. yep, typical TK - how dare he......

Yes, it would hurt, but the corrections would at least be realistic. We have pampered them, and they will do the same again, not to the degree they were, but without full punishment, we will not see full redemption.

I flew into Newark 2 weeks after 9/11. My shit was completely gone through, video camera, software, cd's, everything of any value stolen. American Airlines sent me a letter saying "Sorry, oh and by the way, you have no proof any of that stuff was in your bag anyway"

no one is asking for socialized banking and the bailout is not a socialist move in any way. It is a sad an inexcusable action to fix an industry fucked by its own pursuit (and reception) of few and in some case, no regulations. What it means (and needs) is more regulation. Obviously, if we let the people with all the money run the place without oversight - they will fuck it up. No different than me having to sit in the corner in kindergarten. When you act like a brat, then someone has to be burdened with watching you to make sure you are not able to be the fuck-up that you really can be. Banking needs regulation. To protect the markets and to protect the people (me) and my money. And Bush is not pulling socialist moves - don't give him credit - he really is not that fucking smart. But he just STUPID enough to allow the deregulation and subsequent run on the financial sector, and then call it 'good sound economic policy'. Yes he is that fucking stupid. If you stole a million dollars, you would go to jail for life. These FUCKERS stole hundreds of billions of dollars over years, and are going to get nothing in the end. Maybe fired, if that. Go ahead and fire me (especially if I own 3 jets, 16 properties around the world and have millions in the banks.....) I am all for deregulation, as long as I am allowed to burn down houses and lynch people when they lose my money. I think that bail-out was crap, we should have let them sink. (and then lynched them)

who says Canada would have you? They have more sense than that. anyway, look at all the people that stayed even when GWB got elected....

sure you can be ethical and still make money - lots of companies do. You cannot be ethical and 'maximize' your profits. To absolutely maximize profits, efficiency, employee productivity, and so on, you must be totally focused on the profit line and what makes you dollars and nothing else. I think that is also unnecessary. If you are making a living, then good for you, it is more important to make a living and be happy. Wall Street preaches that you are defined by how much you make. The little guy does not really work that way. TO bad so many Americans think that the 'economic solution' is always the best solution. And it is not. But yes, making a living in ethical conditions is relatively easy to do.

Yes, well, that's the sort of blinkered, philistine pig ignorance I've come to expect from you non-creative garbage. The opinions of so many Americans scare the hell out of me. Sad part is that they get to vote. Which of course I fundamentally agree with. These people do not know that Kenya is not an Arab country, and for that matter could not find Kenya (or the middle east) on a map if their life depended on it. I hear the faint cries of the radical right-wing as their ship continues to sink..... too bad one (at least one) of them will probably try to be a 'hero' by taking a shot at Obama after he gets in office. TK

let me correct that: If we are voting in a PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION....... nit pick all you want, the arguement is valid and the system is at least partially broken.

as a new citizen who gets to vote this year, I am already simply amazed (and appalled) at the voting system, how it varies from county to county even, and the shit that is so broken but no one seems to care if it is fixed, unless of course they get to fix it so it benefits one side or the other. The pencil and piece of paper, purple thumb is probably the EASIEST system you could come up with. And if we are voting for the President, since that is federal, why would I have to register at all? I should be able to simply prove that I am a citizen when I show up at the polls and get to vote, ANYWHERE, ANYTIME Federal elections should not be run by county officials, who are also elected. It is completely corrupt already. State officials seemingly do little to ensure that EVERYONE gets to vote, they are more concerned with finding ways to STOP people from voting. And anyone can challenge my registration without my knowledge. something broken there too. ridiculous.

this ranks as one of the stupidest threads I have ever seen on DZ.com You might as well start a thread "McCain chosen by divine intervention....", it is just a believable. Obama has spent his entire life as a US citizen. No one of any authority has ever questioned that. Some idiot(s) in Penn. filing a lawsuit does not mean that it has any basis. As we know in skydiving, ANY idiot can file ANY lawsuit, regardless of its merit.....thank God for the good ol' USA. I am sure the folks who decide who gets to 'officially' run for President have already done their homework......

I have been subscribed to their newsletter for years now. THey were funnier a few years ago - lately getting stale I think, but all still good stuff. Take their quizzes, they are hilarious TK

http://health.discovery.com/tv-schedules/series.html?paid=62.10307.109090.27468.x Sept 30 at 5am (it's been on for a couple years now) they cannot even spell my name correctly.....

same shit, different show - seen all the stuff somewhere else. These shows continue to come out with supposedly a 'new angle' on it, but in the end, it is all the same. When I got involved with Discovery Health CH, they wanted to do the "Impact" series, and called me about breaking my neck. I was tired of the freak shows, so I declined. They convinced me that it was all about the recovery, the treatment, how you got better etc..... so I did it. We shot at the hospital, the DZ, the ambulance guys, everything recreated over and over and down to great detail. Final edit? 30 seconds of the hospital at the most and then showed the actual crash 21 times. Complete bullshit. Another way of putting it into perspective, I had a conversation years ago with the producer of the Guiness book of World Records show that was on TV about 10 years ago. They were thinking of shooting some stuff at the DZ here. Producer: "So have you seen the show?" Me: "I have seen it a couple times, not really my bag." Producer: "What do you think of it?" Me: (without trying to be insulting) "It's a bit of a freak show." Producer: "A BIT OF A FREAK SHOW? IT'S A COMPLETE FREAK SHOW - THAT'S WHAT WE DO!!" there you go.....

a week is a tight schedule for anyone anywhere. It generally does not allow for weather days, fatigue, etc. Sure we have people who do it, but it is rare. I would plan 10-14 days of skydiving to finish your A license. We wrote a good doc about getting your license (at our place), but a lot of the info applies to skydiving in general. http://www.skydivecity.com/html/students/aff/documents/AFFInformationPackage.pdf

Z-Hills of course. especially if you want the fun factor. showers, food, firepit, all disciplines, lots of great people

does not actually matter what Bush said or tried to say or called for or whatever. The FUNDAMENTAL beliefs of Bush and the Republican party are that the govt should NOT be involved, and let capitalism do their damndest. So there was no intervention. Now they are trying to save the election by going against their own beliefs just because everyone is screaming for a quick fix- McCain and the GoP will look pretty bad if the market collapses. The fact of the matter is that SOME regulation is required to manage the markets and the banks. This is not all to blame on one person or one party, but it could have been minimized by many tactics from many sources, from the government to the SEC to the corporations to the general public. However, laying blame does not fix it. i no longer believe that these is a fix. I believe that everything is coming down, whether or not we spend $700B, so therefore I believe we should not spend it and let the chips fall where they may.

why does Ron Paul have to have a solution? One can see flaws in a plan without having a plan themselves. I have no idea what the 'solution' is either. More and more I feel that there is no solution. Therefore let it fall. Let the depression happen. Let the people become unemployed. At least then, they will have more time on their hands to protest, form lynch mobs and burn down the houses of the CEO's and bankers that got us into this mess. That might in the long term do more for the economy than spending MY MONEY on helping some fuck CEO get his $100M bonus. The very fact that Bush tells me on TV last night that "we must do this" leads me to believe that there is something fundamentally wrong with it. I do not believe nor trust a single fucking word that comes out of that assholes mouth. Neither party is going to fix this. But are the republicans going to spend $700B in a panic buy just so the Republican Party can look good and help to get McCain elected? Stinks of the Patriot Act. Let's rush some ill-thought stuff through on a knee jerk reaction to solve a problem that has been years/decades in the making. Un-regulated capitalism that allows the lobbyists to buy the legislation that controls them yields these results. The system is broken. Let it break so we can all learn from it. You stop the bleeding by stopping the bleeding. Stop spending my money. Control the deficit. That includes the military, the government, the projects, the whole budget. TK PS - Christ - I sound like a Republican......

we use the motorola Spirit radios, not sure if you still get them new but find them on Ebay a lot as well. You can change the frequency, they come in UHF or VHF, so you have ot make sure you get the right models. We make a pocket that hangs on the chest strap and tilts the radio more toward their face to make it easier to hear. http://cgi.ebay.com/6-Gang-Motorola-Spirit-Radio-MU21CV-Two-Way-VHF_W0QQitemZ170263084022QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item170263084022&_trkparms=72%3A1205|39%3A1|66%3A2|65%3A12|240%3A1318&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14 we are pretty happy with them, lots of battery life and good range. THey used to sell variations at Home Depot for job sites and stuff.

I don't disagree with the stats if you compare the number of aircraft to the number of aircraft, but if you compare the number of flights or the number of hours flown, I think we are probably safer per/hour or per/flight than GA. Most dropzones do hundreds or thousands of loads each year. Even a small charter operation flying full steam is unlikely to do 1000 flights in a year. And other GA I refer to still covers commercial flights, as well as private. The fact is that I have no idea how we compare. I am really asking that question, How DO we compare to other operations? It is a component of the investigation, and if they are going to slap restrictions on us when we can show that we are no less safe than anyone else, then I have a problem with that. It's like saying skydiving is unsafe because 30 people die each year. But if 43000 people die each year on the highways, apples, oranges or whatever you want to call it, don't tell me that skydiving is unsafe.... I have seen plenty of unsafe skydiving operations in my day. And for years they operate and no one gets hurt. I have seen plenty of safe skydiving operations where people get killed. Everyone makes mistakes and everyone is vulnerable to the crash situation every day. Everyone cuts corners SOMEWHERE in their operation, whether you are DZO "Bubba' or American Airlines. How much money and how much effort are we going to put into making rules that will probably not be followed anyway by at least some of the people. The enforcement of what we have already is far cheaper than raising the bar for the entire industry. As yes, we do have a higher responsibility since yes we are carrying paying passengers, I agree with that. I think there are just as many private/commercial pilots out there that ball up their airplane because they tried to fix their carb heat themselves and there are just as many that do not have the requirements or medical as in ANY other facet of aviation, except for the major airlines. I think that is true, and therefore I think that skydiving should not be singled out for a 'repair' by the FAA or the NTSB. Look at the number of flights, the number of passengers-hours flown and I expect we are doing a pretty good job. Fix the problem. We just differ on what the problem is. If the FAA decided to inspect all the dropzones & their aircraft in the USA right now due to the outcome of this report, I would be OK with that. A lot of things would get fixed. A LOT of things. It would cost some operators a lot of money. It would cost all of us some money. But a lot of things would get fixed. If you change the rules and raise the bar, it will cost ALL of us A LOT of money. And arguably may not save any lives in the long run.

my fear at both an operator and a skydiver is that the cost will far outweigh the benefits. The thing I did not see in the NTSB's findings was any comparison to other GA accidents and such. is 172 dead people over 32 years (or whatever is was) out of line for aviation accidents? or are we being singled out because of the nature of our sport. It is always some spectacular headline when a skydiver is killed. But the guy who flies his airplane into the ground is on the news for 1 episode and then forgotten. The FAA already has standards and procedures in place to regulate us (airplanes). It also sounds to me like the inspections, FAA oversight (at least in the case of Missouri) and such were NOT being done. So we are going to make MORE rules and set MORE standards that will also likely not be followed? If you are willing to spend $400 on a tandem jump, and $55 for a jump ticket, then fine. I will go buy a new 400 series Twin Otter and keep it at 135 standards for all of you. But I bet you aren't, and I bet we (mostly) all go out of business.