Main Menu

Articles and Resources

Living Donor

Find a donor! (click image)
living donor
article

Blog #33 MAGA Outreach - We Only disagree on The Remedy

Details
Written by: Super User
Category: Uncategorised
Hits: 7

After reading this article, it helped me understand the MAGA mind more.  One statement that stuck out for me was: "Youngstown (Ohio) is remarkable for the consensus between people of opposing views about the underlying problems and the frustrations that stem from them. They disagree only on the remedy.".  The citizens of Youngstown have been living in one of the most depressed cities in the US and politicians of both stripes have let them down.  The impression seems to be the Democrats will lie to your face, but the Republicans will screw you over straight to your face - many Ohioans seem to prefer the honest crook!  The honest crook whose "success was a symptom of the Democrats’ failure to address the catastrophic impact of international trade agreements on manufacturing jobs in the US – a failure he pins on Bill Clinton and Barack Obama – and its further failure, under Obama, to take any meaningful action against Wall Street or the big banks after the housing collapse of 2007-08 (which Bush Jr. caused).  I'm understanding the reasoning of the Trump voter, there is the saying "It takes a thief to catch a thief" and there is the fact Trump was looking

 

They see a political class corrupted by big-money donors who, they say, don’t care about communities like theirs.  Democrats will lie to your face - Republicans will screw you over right to your face.

Betras said Trump’s success was a symptom of the Democrats’ failure to address the catastrophic impact of international trade agreements on manufacturing jobs in the US – a failure he pins on Bill Clinton and Barack Obama – and its further failure, under Obama, to take any meaningful action against Wall Street or the big banks after the housing collapse of 2007-08.  Bush Jr. caused the financial crisis with deregulation

Trump is an honest crook (ok).  I understand it takes a thief to catch a thief (not sure I buy it, but I understand the reasoning)  Maybe one thing we have on our side is trump looks close to death.

His future vice-presidential pick, Ohio senator JD Vance, wrote letters to the White House (about East Palestine) to demand a more vigorous response. That was enough to sway local residents

Tim O’Hara, a former president of the United Auto Workers (UAW) union at Lordstown. “One thing I wasn’t then and I’m not now is a racist, misogynistic, uninformed dipshit who enjoys supporting a rapist, felon, traitor … These people have no clue yet what they’ve done, but they will find out.”

Their worries were about the cost of living and taking care of friends they’ve loved for decades and what it means to be working class in an era that has either outsourced or mechanised the work they used to do.

Blog # 28 FTC's Lina Khan and the DOJ's Jonathan Kanter - People with All the Right Enemies

Details
Written by: Super User
Category: Uncategorised
Hits: 112

Update: And it gets worse:  KIDS!!!!

Petition (and see our visit to DC and DC Press Conference + Rally)

 

 

Stoller seiu quote

 

 

Update: And it gets worse:  KIDS!!!!

Petition (and see our visit to DC and DC Press Conference + Rally)

Blog #26 Billionaire Reid Hoffman Makes a Pathetic Attempt to Jusify His Call to Fire FTC Commissioner Lina Khan - an instigator of the Noncompete ban

Details
Written by: Super User
Category: Uncategorised
Hits: 99

Since the advent of John D. Rockefeller in 1916 as the first billionaire, so many more have joined the ranks!  And watching on the sidelines, hasn't it been just peachy keen seeing how some of these people have led such spectacular lives!  From billionaires' romps in space (I would fine with just NASA) to Warren Buffett bathing his town in Romanesque glory, hasn't it been worth it to suffer some income inequality with so many are asking themselves if it is food or rent this month?  We get to see lives lived in the stratosphere where they can gaze upon us mere earthlings struggling to put food on the table.  And best to keep a good distance from us great unwashed!

One person who had to make a tough choice was billionaire Reid Hoffman, his choice was Berkeley or Stanford!  Not exactly a food or rent choice, but if it turns out to be his toughest choice he will be very, very lucky!!  It has led to his many degrees

 

He illustrates why nerds would get swirlies in High School - doesn't know when to shut the hell up!

 

Emails to Rep. Crow

Details
Written by: Super User
Category: Uncategorised
Hits: 142

Jul 15, 2024, 10:31 AM:

Rep. Crow,
 
I have a couple of things - some good news for a change!  I've been writing to you about the conditions in kidney dialysis (horrendous).  And the need to get rid of things like the Stark Law exemption the nephrologists got, which by the way I wrote a blog about - compared it to a town with two restaurants. I've written that the exemption to the Stark Law stifles innovations like 'Community Dialysis Houses'.
 
First good news item: There is a Community Dialysis House in the US that has been going since 2009!  This looks like something that could definitely help rural Coloradoans who have to make long commutes to a clinic!  Not to mention so many others!  And possibly a pilot program wouldn't be needed since we've had something going right under our noses for 15 years?  (if you count Hawaii as right under our noses)
 
Second good news item: Lina Khan at the FTC and friends are going after the big for-profit dialysis companies for the non-compete contracts they have been making the doctors sign!
 
But the main takeaway is you could bring Community Dialysis Houses to Colorado!
 
Regards,
 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 

 

Rep. Crow,
 
Besides having not even kids being spared in kidney dialysis, I thought I ought to mention another God-awful problem that has been around for decades: dialysis patient terminations.  I came close to almost seeing this firsthand years ago when my daughter was in a clinic and I made the mistake of asking too many questions - and not liking the answers.  The charge nurse threatened to kick my daughter out of the clinic, though she and the doctor relented later.
 
The article I linked to had this to say about terminations:
"This profit motive makes involuntary discharge a very American problem. In countries such as Australia, Canada, and New Zealand, the vast majority of clinics must accept everyone. Involuntary discharge “would not be tolerated in the Canadian health care system,” Bear says. “There would be outrage beyond description.”"
 
And:
"In his nephrology practice in Alberta, Bear saw plenty of patients prone to outbursts and disruptive behavior. What he didn’t see over his four-decade career, he told me, was a single involuntary discharge. He attributes this to lower patient-to-staff ratios. The bulk of care in Canadian dialysis clinics is performed by highly paid and well-trained nurses, Bear says. Technicians are responsible for maintaining the machines, not attending patients. This, and the absence of profiteering, he says, has rendered involuntary discharge nearly nonexistent." (all of this for higher costs here in the US of course)
 
Journalist Carrie Arnold wrote much of the article I quoted, she and others were also responsible for a series of articles put out by Scientific American and Undark.
 
So what are the solutions?  They are mentioned in the 2nd half of the article I'm linking to.  The first half of the article summarizes the press conference NYT's best-selling author Tom Mueller had with the labor union SEIU with DC earlier in the year, Tom Mueller has the book 'How to Make a Killing' out.  A book we left with your staff in DC on February 29th.  A book we hope you and your staff had time to look over!
 
 
Sincerely,
 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 
Rep. Crow,
 
I hope the Tom Mueller book 'How to Make a Killing' we left off February 29th at your DC office is making the rounds with you and your staff!  It does talk about what this 20+ year kidney dialysis advocate has seen - and then some.
 
I did want to mention the petition we have out there is approaching 200 signatures!  Possibly people are starting to get appalled by how even kids haven't been spared in all this.  It is right people are up in arms about all the children dying overseas, they might now see it happening here right under our noses.  Also they might see this as what just might be one of the worst, if not the worst abuse of concentrated monopolistic corporate power imaginable!
 
And finally I'll mention a couple of people on social media requested I put together a short summary of why people might want to sign the petition and get involved in this: so in a nutshell.
 
Sincerely,
 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 

 
Mar 18, 2024, 8:51 PM
 
Rep. Crow
 
I thought I would warn you about a bill that looks like it is in the works that appears to only benefit Big Dialysis.  Author Tom Mueller had this to say about it: "The (March) 20th event, being held by Big Dialysis is to try to justify their bogus law (which claims to avoid discrimination against patients who aren’t on private insurance, but actually is about locking in their profits):
 
I thought you might appreciate the heads-up.
 
 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 
Rep. Crow,
 
I just wanted to remind you again of the possible allies you might have in doing things like taking down things like the Stark Law exemption nephrologists have.  One ally I may have mentioned is Senator Chuck Grassley who headed up the committee that heard the 2000 hearing.  At his age maybe he could be haunted by the ghost of Charlie Munger too!  Sorry, just have to have a little fun now and then.  You could always bring up you like Senator Grassley's work with the False Claims Act which author Tom Mueller brought up in his book 'Crisis of Conscience'.  I've got to give Senator Grassley credit for that one!  You could mention to Senator Grassley and our friends that taking away the Stark Law exemption would foster competition with doctors and patients free to choose the best clinics and treatments for them like 'Community Dialysis Houses' - which I could see the clinics not liking.
 
Sincerely,
Chris Schwab
 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Blog #25 Don't End Up at Fred's Discount Dialysis - Get rid of the Kidney Doctors' (Nephrologists) Exemption to the Stark Law!!!

Details
Written by: Super User
Category: Uncategorised
Hits: 187

Suppose a person is wandering the country and winds up in an area where there are only a couple of restaurants: 'Marvelous Mike's Michelin-starred' restaurant and 'Salmonella Sam's Toxic Waste Dump' restaurant where the chef has graduated from "Typhoid Mary's School of Culinary Delights!".  Being hungry, but not knowing the area, it is decided to ask a local wandering by where a person might partake of a good meal and refreshments.  The local assures the traveler he knows the lay of the land very well - but recommends the traveler dine at 'Salmonella Sam's'!  Why?  It isn't because the local hates tourists, turns out the local is co-owner of 'Salmonella Sam's'!  Hey, the local might otherwise be an upstanding member of the community, but good intentions don't feed the bulldog!   

  1. Save the Billionaires Walk and Petition
  2. Dr. Bays and the ESRD Networks
  3. Kent Thiry and Davita trial (February - April 2022)
  4. DE-banner

Page 1 of 2

Facebook

Click the image and visit us on Facebook!
DE Facebook

Dialysis A. on Facebook

Click image to visit Dialysis Advocates on Facebook
Facebook Dialysis Advocates
Need Help? Click the image above.

Propublica on Facebook

Click image for Propublica's investigative reporting on Facebook.
Facebook Propublica
click this link for dialysis expose

Recommended Books

Click Image
Book Recommendations

Other Info