Lets examine a small town General Practitioner. What is the cost of doing his or her business? Well the first and arguably the most relevant expense of the business, is the repayment of any financial aid incurred during their educational experience. After that, you would have expenses related to physical property, equipment and staffing. 

Rent or mortgage payments are fixed and predictable for budgetary purposes, and essential for the purpose of receiving patients, they have to have a location to be seen. As a matter of good business practice, the doctor would have in place insurance against loss for the physical property and contents, most particularly any equipment needed in the daily conduct of his or her business. Medical equipment is generally quite expensive, and replacement cost is high, so it stands to reason that a doctor’s business & property insurance would be higher than that of the rest of the practicing professionals on Main Street. 

So far, I do not see much out of the ordinary and therefore no need to intervene on the doctor’s behalf to help reduce his costs. The educational experience has prepared him; they have hung their shingle, and are now ready to begin receiving patients. This is where the costs begin to spiral out of control.

Staffing for the practice requires much more than the commitment to the hourly wage of the individual staff member. One third to one half of the hourly rate of an individual is additionally required to satisfy local, state and federal government taxes. (Looks like an opportunity for savings to me) Another area of concern is that the staff are not usually primarily involved in the management of patient care and record keeping, but they are mostly involved in activities that ensure compliance with a staggering list of government mandated regulation. The implication here is that in an effort to ensure “fairness” government intrusion in private business has compromised the mission of the caregiver.

Now the first patient has arrived, but is the doctor ready to discuss & evaluate the problem? No. What if there is some real or perceived mistake made? Risk management requires malpractice insurance. I wonder why it costs so much? Hmmmm…..

Wake up and get real.

Republican or Conservative?  These have become distinctly different.

For some time, I have felt that the Republican Party has not represented my views and interests. Fortunately for me, there has begun a conservative movement across the country that does reflect not only my values, but also the ideals that were put forth in our founding documents. We now have a choice, and it is not as far fetched as others would have you believe, illustrated by the narrow loss of Mr. Hoffman of New York. The Conservative Party is a legitimate contender because of its core values and purposes.

Any American who feels as though the federal government has overstepped its constitutional authority and needs to be made responsive to the will of the people again, should take the time to search out conservativepartyusa. Yes, it is a David vs. Goliath type scenario, but one voice at a time we have the power to restore sanity.

By establishing a base of support at the local & state level first, then the national offices, the conservative party could tip the balance of power back to the people. We should recognize that it has taken eighty or ninety years to reach the level of ideological corruption that we see in Washington today, and it will take considerable time to correct. There is no magic pill. 

I urge you to look past the well funded, media savvy “experienced” leaders of the next election cycle and consider one who rises up from the huddled masses. Common sense is the greatest virtue of a common man.  

Diversity and Inclusion…Racism and Greed…The very core of the arguments I hear most often against conservatives. Democratic and Republican Leaders alike, and most high profile media types, are telling us that we need political parties that are diverse and all inclusive. At the same time, they categorize American citizens into groups and then sub-groups that we must reach out for.    

I could not agree more that diversity and inclusion contribute to a healthier and more robust community and economy. I also believe that the establishment of the Conservative Party puts this political topic to rest for good. Consider the first of the party’s core principles. The individual is sovereign. We are the kings of our own castles so to speak, responsible for the persons and contents therein.    

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

There could be no clearer statement of respect for racial diversity, or the desire for the inclusion of all regardless of ethnicity. 

Racism exists in America, but we cannot change yesterday, we can only move forward through today and hope for a better tomorrow. In every community, and in every state you could find some level of bigotry and hatred, if you chose to look for it. But it is the person who labels an American citizen by ethnicity that is promoting racism. I am not talking about the simple observation that a person is black or white or brown, I am talking about anyone who categorizes groups of American citizens for political purposes. 

I believe it is illogical to suggest that disagreement or criticism of an ideological position, is equivalent to racism, in the same way that I believe it is illogical to suggest that the accumulation of wealth by good stewardship, through legal business activities is equivalent to greed. Without a doubt greed also exists in America. However, where there is greed there is also charity, so this is not a political issue. 

These issues are questions of morality, and therefore find no answers through public discussion. The answers will be found within the hearts of our individual citizens.