GIANT KICKOFF FOR TEA PARTY EXPRESS IN SAN DIEGO & LOS ANGELES

THIS SUNDAY - OCTOBER 25TH

(SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA) - The Tea Party Express II (www.TeaPartyExpress.org) launches this Sunday with a giant kickoff rally in San Diego and a subsequent rally later in the day in Los Angeles.


The Tea Party Express II: Countdown to Judgment Day national tour will span 19 days, rallies in 38 cities, and cover more than 7,000 miles. The tour marks the one-year point from the 2010 elections when numerous members of Congress will be targeted for defeat, as a result of their support of higher deficits, growth in the size and intrusiveness of government, higher taxes, bailouts and more.


Momentum for the Tea Party Express II launch has grown during the past week as word spreads like wildfire of a conservative groundswell too large to be ignored. “The tea party movement was written off earlier this year as a flash in the pan, but nothing could be further from the truth. Americans are taking action to take their government back from the failed and corrupt politicians who are bankrupting our nation,” said Deborah Johns, Vice Chair of the Tea Party Express – and one of the featured speakers on the tour.

The Tea Party Express II will begin in San Diego, and is happy to announce that former Mayor Roger Hedgecock of AM 600 - KOGO, will serve as a featured keynote speaker at the rally. Other featured speakers will include Assemblyman Chuck DeVore, Ventura County Supervisor Peter Foy, and Our Country Deserves Better Chairman Howard Kaloogian. Also returning on tour will be singer/songwriter Lloyd Marcus (who penned the “American Tea Party Anthem”), the television and Internet singing sensation, Rivoli Revue, and patriotic singer, Diana Nagy.

Events on Sunday, October 25th:

11:00am: San Diego, CA
Tuna Harbor Park
Tuna Lane located off N Harbor Drive and W. G Street
San Diego, CA


4:30pm: Los Angeles, CA
Griffith Park (Pad D – Crystal Springs Area)
4730 Crystal Springs Road
Los Angeles, CA 90027


The Tea Party Express II is a 19-day, 7,000-mile journey across the country with a caravan of vehicles holding tea party rallies in 38 cities across America. The Tea Party Express is advocating for less government spending, an end to the bailouts, lower taxes, opposition to government-run healthcare and opposition to the growth in the size and intrusiveness of government in general.

Press Inquiries, please contact:
Levi Russell at 509.979.6615 or Levi@Frontlinestrat.com

For schedule details, please visit www.TeaPartyExpress.org

Sarah Palin Takes On Baucus Health Care Reform Bill On Facebook

Good Intentions Aren't Enough with Health Care Reform

Now that the Senate Finance Committee has approved its health care bill, it’s a good time to step back and take a look at the long term consequences should its provisions be enacted into law.

The bill prohibits insurance companies from refusing coverage to people with pre-existing conditions and from charging sick people higher premiums. [1] It attempts to offset the costs this will impose on insurance companies by requiring everyone to purchase coverage, which in theory would expand the pool of paying policy holders.

However, the maximum fine for those who refuse to purchase health insurance is $750. [2] Even factoring in government subsidies, the cost of purchasing a plan is much more than $750. The result: many people, especially the young and healthy, will simply not buy coverage, choosing to pay the fine instead. They’ll wait until they’re sick to buy health insurance, confident in the knowledge that insurance companies can’t deny them coverage. Such a scenario is a perfect storm for increasing the cost of health care and creating an unsustainable mandate program.

Those driving this plan no doubt have good intentions, but good intentions aren’t enough. There were good intentions behind the drive to increase home ownership for lower-income Americans, but forcing financial institutions to give loans to people who couldn’t afford them had terrible unintended consequences. We all felt those consequences during the financial collapse last year. Unintended consequences always result from top-down big government plans like the current health care proposals, and we can’t afford to ignore that fact again.

Supposedly the Senate Finance bill will be paid for by cutting Medicare by nearly half a trillion dollars and by taxing the so-called “Cadillac” health care plans enjoyed by many union members. The plan will also impose heavy taxes on insurers, pharmaceutical companies, medical device companies, and clinical labs. [3] The result of all of these taxes is clear. As Douglas Holtz-Eakin noted in the Wall Street Journal, these new taxes “will be passed on to consumers by either directly raising insurance premiums, or by fueling higher health-care costs that inevitably lead to higher premiums.” [4] Unfortunately, it will lead to lower wages too, as employees will have to sacrifice a greater percentage of their paychecks to cover these higher premiums. [5] In other words, if the Democrats succeed in overhauling health care, we’ll all bear the costs. The Senate Finance bill is effectively a middle class tax increase, and as Holtz-Eakin points out, according to the Joint Committee on Taxation those making less than $200,000 will be hit hardest. [6]

With our country’s debt and deficits growing at an alarming rate, many of us can’t help but wonder how we can afford a new trillion dollar entitlement program. The president has promised that he won’t sign a health care bill if it “adds even one dime to our deficit over the next decade.” [7] But his administration also promised that his nearly trillion dollar stimulus plan would keep the unemployment rate below 8%. [8] Last month, our unemployment rate was 9.8%, the highest it’s been in 26 years. [9] At first the current administration promised that the stimulus would save or create 3 to 4 million jobs. [10] Then they declared that it created 1 million jobs, but the stimulus reports released this week showed that a mere 30,083 jobs have been created, while nearly 3.4 million jobs have been lost since the stimulus was passed. [11] Should we believe the administration’s claims about health care when their promises have proven so unreliable about the stimulus?

In January 2008, presidential candidate Obama promised not to negotiate behind closed doors with health care lobbyists. In fact, he committed to “broadcasting those negotiations on C-SPAN so that the American people can see what the choices are. Because part of what we have to do is enlist the American people in this process. And overcoming the special interests and the lobbyists...” [12] However, last February, after serving only a few weeks in office, President Obama met privately at the White House with health care industry executives and lobbyists. [13] Yesterday, POLITICO reported that aides to President Obama and Democrat Senator Max Baucus met with corporate lobbyists in April to help “set in motion a multimillion-dollar advertising campaign, primarily financed by industry groups, that has played a key role in bolstering public support for health care reform.” [14] Needless to say, their negotiations were not broadcast on C-SPAN for the American people to see.

Presidential candidate Obama also promised that he would not “sign any nonemergency bill without giving the American public an opportunity to review and comment on the White House Web site for five days.” [15] PolitiFact reports that this promise has already been broken three times by the current administration. [16] We can only hope that it won’t be broken again with health care reform.

All of this certainly gives the appearance of politics-as-usual in Washington with no change in sight.

Americans want health care reform because we want affordable health care. We don’t need subsidies or a public option. We don’t need a nationalized health care industry. We need to reduce health care costs. But the Senate Finance plan will dramatically increase those costs, all the while ignoring common sense cost-saving measures like tort reform. Though a Congressional Budget Office report confirmed that reforming medical malpractice and liability laws could save as much as $54 billion over the next ten years, tort reform is nowhere to be found in the Senate Finance bill. [17]

Here’s a novel idea. Instead of working contrary to the free market, let’s embrace the free market. Instead of going to war with certain private sector companies, let’s embrace real private-sector competition and allow consumers to purchase plans across state lines. Instead of taxing the so-called “Cadillac” plans that people get through their employers, let’s give individuals who purchase their own health care the same tax benefits we currently give employer-provided health care recipients. Instead of crippling Medicare, let’s reform it by providing recipients with vouchers so that they can purchase their own coverage.

Now is the time to make your voices heard before it’s too late. If we don’t fight for the market-oriented, patient-centered, and result-driven reform plan that we deserve, we’ll be left with the disastrous unintended consequences of the plans currently being cooked up in Washington.

- Sarah Palin
http://www.facebook.com/cecilia.trent?ref=profile#/note.php?note_id=155230603434&id=24718773587&ref=mf

Update To "'School Officials Propagates Lie That Sarah Palin Banned Books."

By Adrienne Ross - www.motivationtruth.com

On September 29th, I posted an article called "Public School Library Propagates Falsehood that Governor Palin Banned Books." (See video at the end.)

To recap:

I was walking on my way to the weight room this evening when I stopped dead in my tracks after taking a few steps past the library. I backed up and took in the display in the window, which includes various books, quotes, and poetry about reading and book banning. Only one person's picture is a part of the display--and that person is Governor Palin. It was included in an old article called "Sarah Palin, aspiring book banner?" which was published in the LA Times a year ago. That article makes up a homemade poster that says, "Sarah Palin + Banned Books = Censorship."

Listen, I'm not talking about a local area library. I'm talking about a public school library, where they use this week to demonize Palin as the enemy of free thought, reading, and exploration. Nevermind the plethora of information out there that she never sought to ban books but had asked a general question of a librarian to discover how she would deal with censorship. Nevermind the numerous times Governor Palin has herself stated she never sought to ban books. And nevermind the fact that some of the books on the list, like Harry Potter, hadn't even been published yet! No, facts aren't important.

[...]

On the left and right of the display in the library window is the poem "Manifesto" by author, Ellen Hopkins. In the poem, Hopkins blasts "zealots, biggots, and false patriots," for their desire to censor. This poem is the official poem of this year's Banned Books Week--and Governor Palin's picture is the centerpiece!

What gives them the right to place this attack in the library window? Who approved the display--or who overlooked it? Am I the only person who walked by and saw it? What impression does it give our children? What impact will this have on their vote in a few years? I am livid, as I should be. This is absolutely unacceptable behavior.

[...]

My approach tomorrow? I will go into the library with the facts and present them respectfully. I will ask that Governor Palin's picture and the article be removed. If that is denied, I will request they hang another article next to it--which I will graciously provide--that refutes the falsehoods. If I do not get anywhere with the librarian, well, I'll go to the next level. It is my hope that my talk with the librarian will suffice, but we'll see what happens.


So what has happened? Many of you have contacted me to find out what became of the situation. Time has transpired, but please know that I haven't been sitting around for the last couple weeks. I have actually been very much in the thick of things, battling this situation and standing up for the truth--the truth about Governor Palin, yes, but more importantly, truth for our kids who deserve as much in an educational setting.

So let me take you step by step through this situation.

Tuesday evening, September 29th:
I notice the display.

Wednesday morning, September 30th:
First thing in the morning, I enter the school library with articles that state the truth about the book banning accusation that surfaced during the 2008 campaign. I respectfully address the falsehood. The librarian acknowledges that Governor Palin never banned books, but states that she believes Palin wanted to ban books. Therefore, she feels justified in hanging a poster, which she admits she personally made, that links Governor Palin to banning books. She, too, is respectful, but she refuses to remove Governor Palin from the display. Even after over 20 minutes of conversation, she will not budge--only says she'll do more research. During the conversation I suggest putting up, alongside her display, the articles that I have that state the facts.

Wednesday afternoon:
A co-worker comes to see me because the librarian emailed her a link to the blog I wrote about the display. (Apparently the librarian came upon it in her research.) We engage in conversation regarding the issue.

Wednesday, later in the afternoon:
I haven't heard more from the librarian, and I seek out the principal. I ask him if we can have a meeting about the issue, and I fill him in briefly. I explain that Governor Palin's picture was in the midst of a display with a poem calling out "bigots, zealots, and false patriots." I also tell him the banned books lie was dealt with a year ago. He cuts me off, says a meeting isn't necessary, and that he will take the display down "right now." He tells me he has not seen the display. At this point, I think the falsehood is dealt with and all will be well--responsible action taken.

Wednesday, before the end of the day:
I receive an email from the principal stating he has seen the display, has talked to the librarian, and if I need to talk to him further, give him a call. At this point I realize he has not directed the librarian to remove Governor Palin from the display. I call his office, but he is in a meeting. I stop in to see him before I leave work, but he has left. I go by the library--and there the dishonest display remains. (How many students have been lied to by now?)

Thursday morning:
I drop by the principal's office to talk to him. I spend about a half hour discussing the issue with him. I explain that I didn't want to have to come to him, that I was hoping the librarian and I could have resolved it. He has a copy of the article that she posted and says she told him that because Governor Palin is "provocative," she wanted to use her to draw the kids in. I explain that as an educational institution, it is absolutely necessary that we draw kids in with the truth, not lies that amount to defamation. I also say that the librarian has admitted that Governor Palin never banned books, yet is insisting on keeping the display up. I use the example that President Obama is also provocative and that there are many opinions of him, for example the birth certificate issue, but that to put up a display that said, "President Obama + No Birth Certificate = Illegal Alien" or something like that would not only be unfair to him, but it would be unfair to our students. I point out that this is clearly an attempt to demonize Governor Palin and to indoctrinate our students--and neither has a place in a school. He doesn't say much throughout our conversation, just looks at me and allows me to speak. I reiterate that Governor Palin never, ever asked for books to be banned, and that it is on record that no books were ever banned from the Wasilla Library. I have the evidence with me. I mention also that at this point the display has been up too long, hundreds of students have seen it, and the responsible thing would now be to take down the display and post the truth. If we are going to be in the business of educating, it's important to use facts--and when we mess up, just correct it. It's that simple. As the meeting is winding down, he eventually says, "I will speak to her." When I ask if he will ask her to remove the misinformation about Governor Palin from the display, he simply repeats, "I will speak to her." When I ask, "Will you let me know the decision about the display?" he answers, "I will speak to her." I then say, "Well then, I'll follow up," and I leave his office.

Thursday, after school ended and most staff had left:
I walk by the library to see if the display is as it has been. It is unchanged.

Friday morning:
I email the principal to state that the display was still up as of Thursday evening, and that since this is the last day of Banned Books Week, the responsible thing to do in our quest for teaching young adults the truth is to put up a display that states the fact that Governor Palin never banned books. I write that our children deserve as much and that it is our responsibility not to cause even one of them to be misled. I receive no response.

Friday, well after school had ended:
I walk by the library and see that the display is down. I pretty much expected this since Banned Books Week is over. Another display for Day of the Dead is up. I then decide to go to the Administrative Suite to see if the superintendent is still there. He is. I explain the situation to him--and he appears very supportive. He had not been aware of the situation and seems concerned that something of this nature would be displayed in our school. I express that it is not only flat out dishonest, but it is unfair to the students we are committed to educating. He is especially interested in the fact that the librarian has acknowledged that she knows Governor Palin never banned books. I state that the responsible thing to do now is to put the truth up, as we have displayed a lie to hundreds of students in the past week in an attempt to demonize one person and advance a political agenda. My point to him is this: if that wasn't the motivation, why wouldn't she put up someone's picture who actually had banned books? I tell him that I want the truth to be displayed where the lie was for all our students to see, that this is the only responsible action. I state that the only thing that would keep someone from doing so is pride. He suggests that what I'm asking is reasonable but that he wants himself, the principal, librarian, and me to meet. I leave his office feeling good about the meeting and believing we will do the educationally responsible--and moral--thing.

Monday, October 5th:
At the end of the day, I email the superintendent about where things stand in terms of setting up a meeting about displaying the facts. I state that I would really like to get this out of the way.

Tuesday:
I pass the superintendent in the hall in the morning. He states that we will have a meeting and thanks me for the reminder email.

Wednesday and Thursday:
I receive emails from the principal and his secretary about meeting with him. These emails amount to: I state that we have already met privately and that I would like to have the meeting the superintendent and I discussed--with everyone present. I send emails to all involved stating again that I'd like to do the responsible thing and correct the wrong by displaying the truth for our students. I email my times of availability to meet during the day or after school. I receive an email from the principal's secretary stating he can meet eight days later. I respond by stating that date is too far away and perhaps something will open up sooner. The principal emails that it is very difficult to arrange a meeting that fits everyone's schedule and would let me know when something opens up. I send him a "thank you" email.

Friday:
At the end of the day, as I am co-teaching a class, I receive a phone call from the principal's secretary stating the superintendent, principal, and librarian are waiting for me to attend the meeting. Apparently there was some miscommunication because I had never been notified that the meeting was arranged. I leave the class in the hands of the co-teacher and go to the meeting.

Meeting:
I am asked to share my concern again. The superintendent expresses his viewpoint, which is that this should have been taken care of when I first went to the librarian. In other words, the display should have simply been taken down, as I came respectfully and directly to the librarian. The librarian states that she wanted to draw the kids' attention to Banned Books Week and Governor Palin could do that. When asked if it worked, she says that it did work, that many students came in to ask questions and to borrow books. There is a lot of discussion, which boils down to my stating that it is dangerous to use people and lies to shape the thinking of children. The superintendent voices his concern about the display and states that it should have come down, but says that he isn't sure he wants to become like a newspaper and retract what was up. I maintain that as educators this is the right thing to do. After all, the librarian herself said that many students took note of the display and discussed it. I express again that using only one person's picture--and someone who never banned even one book--to be the poster child of a display about "bigots, zealots, and false patriots" is unacceptable. I say that the librarian is entitled to think Governor Palin wanted to ban books, but she is not entitled to take that thought to the next level and present it as fact, which is exactly what a poster that says "Sarah Palin + Banned Books = Censorship" and an article about it does. I also state that if she thinks the governor wanted to ban books, then maybe she should wait until "People I Think Wanted to Ban Books Week" to put her in the midst of a display! When the superintendent asks the principal what he feels about the retraction display I am requesting, the principal doesn't commit one way or the other, just states that he understands both sides. The superintendent hears from the librarian, who asks if I am requesting displaying the truth in my classroom. I say, "No, in the same place the misinformation was." (Why would I put it in my classroom? I have nothing to retract, and the affected students aren't in my classes, as I teach in the connected junior high school, not the high school.) She goes on to say that my addressing it to "the whole world" on my blog and Twitter page should suffice, and the library is her classroom. The superintendent states that what I write or do outside of school is not his concern but the school is. She says in no uncertain terms she doesn't want the display I am proposing and that something else is already displayed in that space. I tell her that I understand that teachers like things in their rooms that represent them to a certain extent; however, this cannot come at the expense of providing our students with the truth. The meeting winds down and I am told that after I leave, the three of them will discuss the issue further and a decision will be made.

Monday, October 12th:
Columbus Day--no school.

Tuesday:
I email the superintendent and ask what decision he reached. I thank him for his attention to the matter. I don't get a response.

Wednesday:
No response

Thursday, end of the day:
I email the superintendent again and state that, having not heard back from him, I will assume he has decided not to approve a display that will provide our students with the truth to correct the falsehood they have been given.

Friday, today:
No response

Surely it is clear that I went above and beyond to do things properly in this situation. I never wanted to go to anyone in the district but the librarian. I never wanted to go over her head. That is simply not my heart. However, I do believe that it is becoming more and more important for people to stand up for what's right. In too many situations, like in New Jersey, students are being indoctrinated to almost reverence the president. The reverse of that seems to have taken place here, with a door being opened for students to despise Governor Palin. Neither is appropriate.

Even more upsetting than the demonization during Banned Books Week of one person who never banned books is the failure to act to correct it. It's easy to take the back door approach, to say, "What can we learn from this?" and never re-educate those who were miseducated. It's much more difficult--albeit responsible--to correct the misinformation. I have been teaching for fourteen years. I cannot say that I have done everything right all the time. No way. But I have at times had to humble myself before my students and apologize when I have done them wrong--and our students were done wrong here, as was Governor Palin.

To be clear, I wasn't asking for a display that stated, "I lied! Sarah Palin never banned books. I made that up, purposely misinformed kids, and demonized someone to promote a political agenda." I could have asked that because I believe the facts show that this is exactly what took place. However, all I was going to display was a poster that stated the fact that Sarah Palin never banned a book and an article with a few quotes. I told them I have the official word from the Town of Wasilla written on their own letterhead.

If we had simply done the right thing, the display would have been up and down by now. I believe that a person without an agenda would not have objected to correcting the display--for the sake of the students, if nothing else. But we're not stupid. This was no honest mistake. And who pays the price for something like this? Our children do, of course. They get lied to, and their impression of a public figure gets tainted. Wasn't that the point, though?

I have personally done all I can on my end to hold people accountable in this situation and to ask for assistance from those who have the power to provide it. As I told you when this first happened, I will let you--the concerned public--know how it turned out. I asked you to be patient and not to react before the wrong had a chance to be righted. You obliged, and I thank you. I wish I could tell you now that your patience amounted to the defamation and misinformation being corrected. All this time later, it has not.

I place no further demands on your patience.

Below is an interview I did on the Eddie Burke Radio Show. At 2:19 in, you will see pictures that show the display.

Tea Party The Documentary Trailer

TEA PARTY: The Documentary Film
Liberty’s march has a new generation of patriots.

About The Film
The Tea Party movement of 2009 shocked the political establishment, the nation at large and left a big media machine dizzy in its wake. How did it happen? Where did it come from? Now, experience the story of the movement that's driving our national dialogue against big government spending and a Constitution under assault. "Tea Party: The Documentary Film" follows the struggles of five grassroots individuals and their transformation from home town rally goers and rally organizers to national activists in the 912 March on Washington. In the process, the film reveals what is at the heart of this nationwide surge of civic engagement - a return to and respect for a Constitutionally limited government, personal responsibility and fiscal restraint at the Federal level.

Goals for the Film
The film seeks to further the conversation about the principles of the movement among tea party activists and provide a compelling means to share the story with those on the outside who are looking to understand its true nature.


Find out more about this powerful film at http://teapartymovie.com/index.html

Breaking: Controversial Democratic Rep Alan Grayson One Ups Olympia Snowe?

Political Satire:

In an direct slam at Sarah Palin,the ankle biting AP today lauded Republican RINO traitor, Olympia Snowe, as being the "real maverick in this party" for crossing party lines and voting with the Democrats. The AP never misses a chance to attack Sarah Palin. But I digress.

Not to be outdone, the loud mouth, attention seeking Florida Democratic Representative, Alan Grayson, who was recently in the news for his controversial statement accusing Republicans of wanting people to "die" has seen the light. Hmmm.....Talk about crossing party lines! Bawahahhahah!!!!



AP......This One Is For You


I wonder what Bill Maher has to say about this when he interviews the traitor later this week on his show's finale. Stay tuned! Wink Wink. You betcha!

Obama Care News- Olympia Snowe- GOP Traitor- told in tweets

Conservative across Twitter land waited with baited breath to see how Republican Olympia Snowe would vote on the Baucus Health Care Reform Bill up for vote in The Senate Finance Committee. The bill passed 14-9. The vote of approval moves a health care overhaul closer to reality than it has been for decades. Sen. Olympia Snowe of Maine was the only Republican to join 13 committee Democrats in voting "yes" to the outrage of conservatives throughout Twitter Land. Tweeps were not shy in tweeting their outrage over the betrayal. The consensus to put it bluntly.."The Rino traitor needs to go"!

Sample Tweets:

AmericanInkling Snowe:”When history calls, history calls.” Even Hitler could say that. #obc50 #tcot

RT @freedomist Olympia Snowe is not on Twitter. Soon, she won’t be in Congress. #ocra #tcot #cleansweep #obc50

JasonMeyers_USA Goodbye, Snowe. You sold out your country! @WestWingReport Sen. Snowe votes for the Baucus bill. Says she backs it with trepidation #obc50

memoriadei @JohnBoehner It’s safe to say, if you wish to, to Snowe that she hasn’t a snow ball’s chance in hell of being re-elected. #obc50 #ocra

Tbtall @casseyozzy Olympia snow has the spine of an earthworm. There is no compromise to a "good" healthcare bill. You can't add to bad&improve.

SeanGeno That damn Olympia Snow...she might as well switch parties like her buddy Spector.

OrlandoRecruit Olympia Snow, Arlen Specter is holding the door open for you in Democrat, big-spending hell - don't bother saying goodbye when you leave.

TSPLC RT@kmb57 @Daggy1 Olympia Snowe must go #obc50

aurich109 The idea that Senate HC is bipartisan is a Snowe job thx 2 traitor Olympia the RINO in the room http://tinyurl.com/ygko8w3 #tcot

escubarm Olympia Snowe: The Cancer of the GOP http://tinyurl.com/yffwycs "Maverick" #tcot #teaparty #palin12 #palin #iamthemob #spwbt #sgp #mob #gop

iDefendFreedom RT @libertyrant: "The GOP [ship] has a hole in the bottom of its hull, &her name is Sen Olympia #Snowe." http://shrt.st/90v #rnc #tcot #GOP

StopTaxingUs Olympia Snowe said that its her historic vote. No, it's her hysterical vote. Recall her !! #tcot #healthcare

pir8gold mmm, mmm, mmm Olympia RINO Snow. mmm mmm mmm pack your bags mmm, mmm, mmm #tcot

My feelings, I don't care what the RINO calls herself. She votes with the Democrats on all major issues. If if walks like a duck.....

Team Sarah Review Board Findings Page 36 Co Ops

Page 36 paragrah 3 Chairman's Mark: $6 billion fund for creation of multi state CO OP insurance providers for individual and small group markets.

Pages 37-39. This section of the Bill deals with Co Ops starting at the end of page 36. Baucus calls this Co Op program (The Consumer Operated and Oriented Plan Program and the language in this draft bill is very vague but I will do my best. CO-OP grantees would compete in the reformed individual and small group insurance markets.Here are the highlights in a nutshell.

1. Six 6 Billion will be allocated to foster the creation of non-profit, member-run health insurance companies that serve individuals in one or more states. These funds will be either grants or loans authorized by the Secretary of HHS.

2. Co-ops must be non profit

3. Cannot be sponsored by government agencies or insurance companies.

4. All insurance sold must be to small business owners as defined by state law typically 50 or less employees and to individuals.

5. Co-ops will not be able to band together to negotiate with providers but may band together to negotiate with businesses to sell goods and services such as computers and actual services.

These Co_ops will be taxed exempt and would be requires to use any profits for lowering premiums, improve benefits, or for other programs intended to improve the quality of health care delivered to members.

That's it folks. Like I stated, the language is very vague and there are no specifics such us who will be creating these co-ops, how will they do it, or what they will look like. The only thing we know for certain is the Secretary of HHS will be the one approving these grants and loans for a vague program. There are more questions than answers,

Another noteworthy fact: Grant and loan awards will be made by the Secretary of HHS in consultation with and advisory board chaired by the Secretary of HHS or his or her delegate and the other members appointed by the Majority Leader of the Senate (four members), the Minority Leader of the Senate (three members), the Speaker of the House of Representatives (three members) and the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives (three members).

Findings: Since grants and loans will be awarded by the Secretary of HHS with recommendation from this advisory board made up of legislators from both houses, they are subject to extreme lobbying efforts by special interest groups seeking to profit from the allocated funds. The potential for corruption cannot be ignored.