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Healthcare – not as sick as they say

One year ago, only 29 percent of the likely voters in the United States rated our health care system as good or excellent. Three months ago, that number jumped to 35 percent. Right now, 48 percent of American voters give our health care system high marks.Only 19 percent rate it as poor. Has American medicine really improved 60 percent in 12 months? Of course not. It seems that the more we hear about Obamacare, the more we appreciate the great system we already have. Ya hear that, Chuck?

A very recent Rasmussen Poll tells us that 57 percent of voters oppose the single-payer health care system being proposed by President Obama. Only 32 percent, about one-third, are in favor. A very recent Gershbein poll revealed that about one-third of those asked haven’t the faintest idea of what a “single-payer” system is. Go ahead. Ask the gal at the next desk.

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Who do you think is to blame for the arrest fallout %u2013 Gates, Crowley or Obama?

Here are the results from the Sun-Sentinel, the leading newspaper in Broward County, Florida. Less than 6 percent think that Sergeant Crowley overreacted and caused the mess. Almost 31 percent believe that Professor Gates should have kept his cool instead of challenging a police officer trying to do his job. 57 percent say that President Obama should have stayed out of this situation instead of commenting on it.And this is from a community that voted very heavily in favor of President Obama over McCain, 67 percent to 32 percent. If the election was held tomorrow, some of us are positive that the results would be very different.

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The New York Post asked %u2013 Are you satisfied with how the city is handling the spread of swine flu?Only 38 percent answered Yes. A whopping 62 percent shouted NO! I’m in the majority on this one. I don’t think our governments — city, state and federal — are doing enough. Besides telling me to wash my hands and cover my cough, I think that it is time we sent our military to guard the southern border to prevent anyone from entering the U.S.

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Right now, one of every 10 Americans is on antidepressants. That’s double the number that was taking them a dozen yearsago. Last year more than 160 million prescriptions were written for antidepressants in the United States. The cost for those prescriptions topped 9.6 Billion, that’s Billion with a capital B, dollars. Now, with our economy sinking further into the sludgepond, one has to wonder what that number will be for 2009.

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Mr. Rasmussen tells us that 47 percent of Americans have a somewhat favorable view of unions while 44 percent do not.A new survey tells us stronger feelings on the negative side have grown considerably. Anyone care to tell us why? There are probably many reasons why a large portion of this nation is harboring anti-union sentiments and I’m betting that the United Auto Workers have something to do with it.I am StanGershbein@Bellsouth.net asking you to please Google the question %u2013 “Where Would General Motors be without the UAW?”