TheWiseOldFart

Op-ed by TheWiseOldFart     If you are like me and my wife, you are a member of one-half of our country’s population and fear many things which could place us heavily in debt and even homeless. At ages 77 and 73, we could face a medical emergency at any moment, not one of which we have sufficient income to pay for the exorbitant cost of caring for such a devastating situation .    Fact: medical care in the United States is the most costly and least effective in the free world. Only the wealthy can afford the best doctors and the best hospitals. The average cost of a single night’s stay in a hospital is ludicrous.   “ Recent statistics show the price of a one-night hospital stay is around: $13,600 with Medicare; $9,800 with Medicaid; $10,900 with private insurance; and $9,300 without insurance .”   Millions of Americans remain without any healthcare. My wife and I have Medicare part "A,” but are unable to afford Medicare part “B.” No other nation in the world forces their senio

  Op-ed by TheWiseOldFart The first popular American Republican president since Dwight Eisenhower was elected in 1980. His name was Ronald Reagan. Those of us who voted for him were fooled by a movie star, not a great leader. He immediately began wars on the working class, minorities, women, and all other religions other than Christianity. His support for the wealthiest Americans soon became the policy of the entire Republican Party, and continues to this day. The truth is, that over the last 42 years, our nation is now controlled by plutocracy. The recent “Greedflation” was a clear example of this ongoing situation. There was no viable reason for corporations to raise prices on everything from gasoline to the price of eggs, but profits are the only concern of corporate America and the party who calls themselves “Republicans” today. Today, Walmart, Kroger, and other major stores have decided that billions of dollars in profit each year were not enough. Therefore, they decided to en

Op-ed by TheWiseOldFart I am registered as a Democrat, but only because if I am not, I cannot vote in the primaries. In reality, I have been a lifelong Independent, and believe that everyone should reject all political parties. Every voter should cast their ballots for the best candidate regardless of the party funding their campaigns. Voting for a party is an act of pure ignorance. What I am proud of is being a liberal, or if you choose, a progressive. If you are not a liberal, why not? Liberals care about others. We are concerned about the future of our nation’s people; all of them. We are also involved in the fight against climate change, a woman’s right to make decisions about her personal physical and mental health, and the right to have access to healthcare without excessive and life-altering financial burden. We care about the growing gap in income inequality, and will protect the Constitution: all of it, not just the Second Amendment. Unlike those who call themselves “conservat

Op-ed by TheWiseOldFart   Consumer Cellular, Hartford Insurance; these are two major companies who actually care about the American people. These two companies appreciate seniors and offer great service at a fair price. However, most corporations take advantage of older Americans and make our final years more difficult. My bride and I are seniors. We have our monthly social security checks as our sole income. Neither of us were ever employed in a business which offered a realistic retirement plan. Therefore, every dollar is crucial. Most of our creditors don’t care. NV Energy recently raised our gas and electric bill 37 percent, although our usage has been lower than in years past. In an act of pure “Greedflation,” corporate America has raised prices on everything. Our grocery bill is 12 percent higher than one year ago. Although we received an 8.5% increase in our monthly income last year, it was far below what we needed to compensate for our government’s failure to protect consumers.