Doug Berger – Page 32

January 19, 2014April 18, 2020

Before Obamacare The Health Care System Worked?

One of the old tropes used by the GOP and their complaint corporate media drones is that the Affordable Care Act (ACA) will ‘destroy’ a health care system that we were told wasn’t that bad. Opponents to the ACA want us to forget why the ACA was proposed and passed in 2010. Even with the ACA taking full effect there are still examples where the health care system needs further reform for the poor due to lack of funding, red tape, and yes even high costs. Bob’s story shows why this particular conservative argument against the ACA is full of crap.

Watching someone without dental insurance trying to get emergency care is exactly what it was like for all people without health care insurance before the ACA.

January 7, 2014April 18, 2020

Of Course Creating A Church Would Create A Schism Between Atheists

In November, I wrote a post concerning the growing popularity of the Sunday Assembly events for atheists and complaints about the media labeling these events, that happen on Sundays, as a church. To go along with the church motif now a disagreement about the direction of the Assemblies have lead to the press labeling it a schism. It just goes back to my concern about Sunday Assemblies creating confusion and diluting our positive secular message by wrapping it up in warmed over religious packaging.

January 2, 2014April 18, 2020

Florida Judge Finally Ends Drug Testing For Welfare Recipients

U.S. District Judge Mary Scriven ruled on Tuesday that Florida’s law that required welfare recipients to have drug tests before getting benefits violated the 4th amendment against unreasonable search and seizure. The state failed to show that poor people are more likely to use drugs or that testing poor people should be squeezed into the limits allowed by the US Supreme Court.

The judge’s ruling pretty much followed my line of argument on this topic in a previous post:

December 27, 2013April 18, 2020

Findlay Risks Future Looking For Perfect Flood Control Plan

Water Rescue in Findlay Ohio December 2013

I grew up in Findlay Ohio and I have family still living there. Back in August of 2007, Findlay made national news when a massive flood hit the area. The river crested at the same level as the terrible flood of 1913 and caused as much damage. Since then there has been three other major floods including the one that occurred this past Sunday. After each flood the same thing has happened. There has been clean up and talk of doing something about the flooding. Six years on it is still all talk. Dragging out the needed plan will only hurt Findlay in the long term. Maybe they shouldn’t be looking for the perfect plan.

December 26, 2013April 18, 2020

Writer Believes It Is Better To Be A Drug Addicted Christian Than An Atheist

Chris Arnade is an atheist or so he says in an article in the Guardian that was published on Tuesday. He claims that his atheism was tested after working with and photographing homeless addicts in the South Bronx. He is shocked that the people he met weren’t atheists and then he somehow makes the false connection that having faith and hope is better than not being a homeless addict. He does a poor job selling religion.