Capitol Hill – DiabetesDad

A Short Letter to Our Elected Officials………..This is Because of YOU!

Posted on October 9, 2013 | by tomkarlya | Leave a Comment

Dear Leaders on Capitol Hill,

Because there is a clause, a statement, a law, a glitch, an understanding, a phrase called mandatory spending; you all get a pay check this week.

And yet there are no provisions from the country they served, and gave their life, for a mother to bury a returning soldier?

Shame on all of you! It’s not about a stalemate, a point to be made, a bending of the rules…..there are American lives you are impacting in this ridculous-ness.

Seriously, a mom or dad cannot bury their child. Seriously. SERIOUSLY!

That really sucks!

Period.

I am a diabetes dad.

Please visit my Diabetes Dad FB Page and hit ‘like’.

Can We Discuss the Government Shutdown? I Wonder if Anyone has an Opinion?

Posted on October 9, 2013 | by tomkarlya | 3 Comments

I just want to make sure I have my facts straight.

One of the main focuses or duties of those who serve on Capitol Hill is to pass (or not) spending bills that fund the government?

Should the House not be in agreement how money should be spent, the Federal Government ‘shuts down’ until such time an agreement can be had….good so far?

During a ‘government shutdown’, those federal employees, who DO RECEIVE income, do so because there are also laws in place known as “Mandatory Spending”. This includes many essential aspects of government that must continue running but also includes the salary of the President, Senate, and Congress; correct?

The reason that there was not an agreement is because the House Republicans will not agree to new spending until such time that there are provisions to de-fund or derail Obamacare or the Affordable Care Act (ACA) (they are the same thing)?

Obamacare or the ACA is already a signed law that has withstood the test of ridicule/challenges all the way to the supreme court…..yes?

Should the Democrats agree to provisions to ‘lessen’ Obamacare or the ACA than the Republicans would be satisfied and would stop withholding votes and would pass on the federal budget that they have not done; thus crippling federal offices….correct?

So as it stands, if I understand this correctly, a law that was passed by both houses and was signed into law by our President, AND was upheld in our Supreme Court, is being held ‘hostage’ by a group (in this case Republicans) demanding that provisions be made to the very same law both houses voted into law and was signed.

Now this is where I am troubled because to change that law under any other circumstance would require a process whereas an amendment is added to the law changing whatever is/was wrong about it in the first place. There is a procedure for that and I do not know of the ‘keeping a law’ hostage act anywhere in this great country of ours being lawful.

Also, it seems to be that the United States’ credit card of 16.699 trillion dollars will also be held hostage for the very same reason should it make sense to raise the limit (debt ceiling). Whether THAT is the right thing to do is not my point but rather just the fact that the consideration if that step would be held hostage for the same reason the government shut down….right?

Okay.

I sense a pattern here, anyone else see it?

This is not about whether Obamacare/ACA is correct or not; that discussion was done a long, long time ago. The fight was at that time, not now. It is now the law of the land. Period.

Now if everything I have stated is correct and actions continue, and I have been examining this for a few days now, have we not set force an extremely dangerous precedent of measures that may be taken when a group can somehow think or believe that a United States Law, enacted by our Congress and Senate and not only signed by our President but upheld as Constitutional by our Supreme Court; the highest court in our land; then have we not broken down every single thing that our fore-fathers put into place for us in 1776? Have we not made a mockery of how this great country began in the first place?

Something……..SOMEthing is not right here. In many ways I am a Republican and in many ways my viewpoints reflect being a Democrat, and that is MY absolute right as I am an American and if I have this scenario correct…….I am also deeply ashamed on what we have become. Is anyone else?

Someone please tell me I am wrong, and if so, why?

I am a diabetes dad.

Please visit my Diabetes Dad FB Page and hit ‘like’.

What Will Happen in Washington?

Posted on February 5, 2013 | by tomkarlya | 6 Comments

They are on their way to Washington. Seems that letters went out to the many of 150 children who were chosen as delegtes for the JDRF Children’s Congress. When I was part of the program we called it the ‘Run Up the Hill’, a great choice on the name now used.

The testimony and the few days from July 8th to July 10th spent in our Nation’s Capitol will probably be remembered by these kids for the rest of their lives. They have a job to do and they will do it well. They will move lives to move mountains. Nothing is more powerful than hearing directly from children what they life through everyday with diabetes. The agenda will be set and it will be followed.

There was a record number of applicants this year according to the Children’s Congress website. There needs to be a limit on how many kids can convene in the halls of Congress and the kids will be well furnished with what they need and will be guided by the JDRF on what can be distributed to the members of Congress. But it is their voices and their stories that will have the biggest impact.

That said, if you would like to do something and be involved in meeting your congressman either in your hometown or in DC; perhaps everyone can take a page from Elizabeth Gar McCrary who is creating a book of faces and stories to take with her to share with our nation’s elected leaders when she goes to meet with her congressperson. What a FABULOUS idea. Magnificent. (JDRF Government Day is set for March 18-19)

The American Diabetes Association will also hold their Call to Congress from March 5th-March 7th this year as well. Their message will be to ‘Stop Diabetes’ and surely that is a message that needs to be delivered loud and clear.

Here is the ADA Information about their call to congress. The ADA will also train people and let them know exactly how to the biggest impact with the leaders they will be meeting.

Seems to me that our elected officials need to hear the stories about diabetes and they need to hear it many times. Find out if you can be part of and join in these incredible initiatives meeting with our congressional leaders and testifying before congress.

Find out if your congressional leader is part of the diabetes caucus. I was part of the team that worked to create this in 1995 with the result occurring the following year. It became the largest caucus on Capitol Hill. If your Congressperson is not part, ask them to join it because it is THAT important.

There is strength in numbers and a unified voice is one that cannot be shut out or silenced; call these organizations and find out what you can do ‘On the Hill; or even at home if all the slots are filled.

Say nothing and nothing will surely get done.

I am a diabetes dad

Please visit my Diabetes Dad FB Page and hit ‘like’.