Scrooge and the Good in the Holidays

The holidays are here. Yeah. But they are tempered by some scrooge visits already happening. So here are my nominations, my opinions, for Scrooge of the Year:

The entire Republican Party: they know nothing about compromise and constituents and pay more attention to PAC funds from Managed Care Insurers then the health and well being of their constituents.

Senator Lieberman: who cares more about getting his name in the press then about health care or common sense issues.

President Obama: this one pains me greatly as I supported him and believed in him; and to an extent, I still do. But he did not step up to health care and is happy about a bill that will take 4 years to implement (unneccessarily) while impacting the over 160,000 people who will die over those years. Keep it simple and make it happen should be the mantra here.

My former employer which also pains me greatly. While this company does good things for people who reside in their communities, public documents filed in their recent bankruptcy show they made sure to financially stuff the pockets of the chosen few executives just 4 days prior to the filing while not paying the accrued time off earned by employees who agreed to stay to the end as part of a signed agreement with those people. These are people like you and me; good workers with families who got no money; no payment for time earned and not used which is a policy of this company, no severance and are struggling to live and provide for their children. Chances are these individuals will become part of the uninsured, the foreclosed and more. While executives were enriched. I wonder how the leaders can sleep at night, especially this holiday season.

The good: the kindness of strangers, friends and family to help each other in good times and bad. I wish for these people the best life has to offer. I wish for peace and joy and justice in 2010 and I want to especially acknowledge the employees of Social Security who are kind and never recognized. They helped me to get Medicare health coverage for 2010 so I would not be one of the uninsured. Thank YOU!

So Happy Holidays to all and to all, thoughts and prayers for a healthy and happy 2010!