When our President is not sucking up all the oxygen in the country, his political opponents are creating a hysteria that they tell us will be the end of him that turns out to be a big pile of cow dung. That leaves little room for the remaining stories of interest that have major effects on our lives. They are basically ignored because of the glow going elsewhere. Let’s spend some time on two issues that deserve some of that glow.
The first story is the medical episode that Senator Bernie Sanders had last week. We were told he had stents put in around his heart. Then we found out he had a heart attack. We were not told how much damage was sustained by his heart as a result of the attack. It may be miniscule or possibly more concerning. I am sure we all wish him good health and a long life in one of his three houses far away from our political system eating lots of beef now that it has been taken off the deadly killer list.
As someone who had three stents put in my main artery and surrounding parts of my heart which had no damage, I can testify that it is not a big deal medically. With capable medical help I was in and out of the hospital in seven hours and went to work the next day under direction from the surgeon. It is quite phenomenal, especially for us lay people who know nothing about this kind of stuff.
The important story is that Senator Sanders — who wants all of us on government-run health care — was whipped into an operating room and had a procedure that may not only have saved his life, but likely prolonged it for many years.
The entire incident gave me a good chuckle. Some might wonder why anyone would be amused by something like this. Because here was Mr. Sanders as the living, breathing proof we should never have government-run health care like his examples Canada or Great Britain. The American medical system saved his life with virtually no risk. He did not have to sit around for hours or days because there were not adequate facilities or personnel to handle the emergency care he needed. Our system treated it as a medical emergency not controlled by a faceless government bureaucrat.
There are plenty of confirmations that it could have been otherwise elsewhere under government run health care. A 2013 analysis showed that the death rates for patients with congestive heart failure was three times higher in Great Britain than the U.S. Senator, please retire but you might not want to cross over to Canada to experience their medical system – the one you have been touting.
One caveat. The elite will always get the medical care in whatever system they design. We want to see that you get the same care that Senator Sanders did so your life would likewise be saved.
The next story centers more on the false take that occurred from it. California lawmakers enacted a law that begins in 2023 allowing college athletes to earn compensation for use of their likeness, sign endorsement deals and hire an agent. This bill is exactly why California government is dysfunctional as they always have the wrong solution for a problem.
I have written on this subject a few times. Here is one https://townhall.com/columnists/brucebialosky/2011/07/25/is-the-ncaa-anti-male-n935340
where I call the NCAA racist for their policy of producing revenues on two sports populated predominately with black athletes (football and men’s basketball) and using that to fund all the white athlete sports. I have supported pay for these black athletes for years as they produce billions in revenue and don’t even have adequate funds to go out on a date and buy a pizza.
The solution is to take the revenue that the universities generate and pay a stipend or a salary to the students producing it. The new law does not address that. It says if an athlete can get someone else to pay them money if they can have it, but don’t look to the colleges raking in the money. What a stupendously abysmal idea.
Our grossly foolish Governor Newsom made this statement, “Collegiate student athletes put everything on the line — their physical health, future career prospects and years of their lives to compete. Colleges reap billions from these student athletes’ sacrifices and success but, in the same breath, block them from earning a single dollar. That’s a bankrupt model — one that puts institutions ahead of the students they are supposed to serve. It needs to be disrupted.”
He says the right thing, actually an excellent statement, about the student athletes and then he signs a law that they should go find their money from someone else.
Here are a few of the problems with that:
1. The athletes are cut off from getting endorsements from the main suspects – shoe and clothing suppliers like Nike, Under Armour and Adidas. Their teams already have an endorsement deal in place so they cannot negotiate in an open market. They can only sign with the outfit the college already has a deal with because the athletes are wearing that gear.
2. Which football players are going to get deals which generate the most revenue? You know –the quarterback, running backs and receivers. How many hogs (down linemen) are going to get a nickel of income? This could create tremendous dissension within the teams as the few will make off while the many still get nothing except their “education” and prayers for a pro career.
3. Graft – What is to stop these starving students from being bribed? You can say that could happen in any sport, but in professional sports everyone gets paid with pretty decent minimums unless you are trying to make it on the golf tour.
This is a charade composed by a group of people who never did a real business deal (California Legislature) and signed by another one who has almost no clue either – Governor Newsom. They did not want to upset the people raking in millions on the backs of the athletes, but they are do-gooders and thought they could come up with a plan. This one isn’t even half-baked.
What needs to be done is the college athletes who produce the revenue — football and basketball players, many from financially challenged black families — need to get, in addition to their free education of dubious value, a real cash stipend of say $25,000 or more a year and comprehensive medical care for any injuries incurred while playing and for the duration of the injury. It might mean the university will have to cut a few white diversity administrators, but then this would be a real act of diversity.
The fact that this law has not been roundly rejected as the laughable plan it is shows how ingrained this racist practice has become. Even LeBron fell for this garbage.
See, there are things of importance other than Trump and those screaming ninnies.