In Opposition to the Health Care Bill

Tonight history was made when the Health Care bill passed on the House Floor, 219-212. Call me a closet conservative but I am very against the bill and here's why:

1. The government doesn't have the money for it
With our national debt in the trillions, the United States government is in no shape in providing universal health care. Supporters of the bill cite that countries such as Holland and Australia have a similar system. However, the debt in these countries aren't as high as the US. In addition, these other countries do not face the same issues we do and not as extreme. Personally, I think this money (if it exists) can be put into better use like education reform, research, and technological innovations, moving our country forward.

2. Higher taxes
One of the greatest concerns of the bill is the higher taxes that people have to pay. These taxes will affect all people on the income spectrum. This bill only benefits a small percentage of Americans who are uninsured and hurting many hard working middle-class Americans with insurance. I am not calling anyone out as lazy but it is simply not fair for those who worked hard for their insurance. Nancy Pelosi in her closing remarks stated that this is groundbreaking change, similar to the Social Security Act. In my opinion, the Social Security Act led to detrimental consequences and the consequences of this bill are that of the Social Security Act on steroids.

3. Mandated insurance?
Health care is not an inalienable right and not everyone wants health care insurance in their lives. Thus, having the government mandating that you need health care is just wrong. Who is to say what you can and can not have? I am a staunch believer in individual choice and free society, as these ideologies promote able citizens. Supporters of the bill exemplifies a group of elitists deciding what is right for individuals, limiting citizens ability to choose.

4. People taking advantage of the system
As soon as the bill passed, I called my parents up letting them know the news. Their initial response was of outrage, mostly because of higher taxes. My mom went on ranting about how people in Chinatown clinics take advantage of Medicare and Medicaid without really needing it. As outlandish as her example may be, she proves a point. How do you determine who is really sick and who is taking advantage of the system? Although I would like to believe their are good people out there, people take advantage of what is free. As time progresses, corruption of the health system will take place, limiting its quality.

Beware the Ides of March

Unless you go to one of few select universities, March is the longest month for many people, with no breaks or long weekends. Thus, the creation of many random holidays, including Pi Day and National Potato Chip Day last Sunday and St. Patrick's Day tomorrow. Yesterday was the Ides of March. No, it is not really a "holiday" but I feel a need to write about my night for it is the right amount of absurdity for a blog.

I met up with a friend to see "Next to Normal" on Broadway. We got there at the 6PM for the lottery only to face over 100 tourists and gay men as our competition for the 26 front two row seats that were available. We didn't win the lottery but we got partial view seats as "lottery losers," which we were very happy with because this was our third time trying to get tickets. The show was amazing despite Alice Ripley and Aaron Tveit's absence. I was tearing up throughout the entire second act but was comforted to hear so many people sniffling besides me.

After the show, we had dinner. My friend's parents gave us a call and said they were in the city and can pick us up in about half an hour. This was 11:15PM. Since the restaurant was closing, they were very much ready to kick us out but in a friendly way. We decided to wait at Parson's nearby Fashion Building, home of Project Runway. As we walked down the street, I witnessed stressed out men in suits walking disorderly down the street. Who were these men? Surely, accountants. In fact, that is exactly what my friend's parents were doing- trying to get their taxes in before 12AM deadline. As we waited in Parson's lounge, my friend received frantic phone calls from her parents about postage stamps because they apparently don't sell stamps at the post office after hours. When they finally picked us up at 12:15AM, they told us horrific stories of people at the post office. Picture hundreds of Manhattan businessmen trying to get their forms postmarked on time- it can get pretty scary.

March 15th is always a frantic day for New Yorkers. Whether you are trying to win lottery tickets for a Broadway musical or trying to get your taxes on time, chaos ensues. Well maybe it is just like any other day in the city.

To Be An Orange Technite

So, I started writing about the Health Care Summit two weeks ago but got distracted by schoolwork, meetings, and bi-polar weather conditions. It is a bit irrelevant to continue and post it so instead, I am making better use of this post by writing about the start of my Spring Break (aka yesterday morning).

I flew down from Syracuse to NYC Wednesday night in for my Trustees meeting Thursday morning. This was the first time that I flew from 'Cuse to NYC. It was the shortest flight I have ever been on and I have never been on such a small plane. There were approximately 30 passengers and it was safe to say that none of them were convicts but many of the NY Times crossword puzzles bearing type.

I got up excruciatingly early in the morning to commute to the Upper East Side. On the subway, I ran into my high school music teacher. We have ran into each other on the train a few times in high school and our conversations were usually awkward. Conversations like what kind of toast I was having for breakfast or how my mallets are missing again. But I guess things change when you graduate where either I became more mature or there were less limitations on what I am able to know. During that 45-minutes ride from Coney Island to Atlantic Avenue, I learned the latest Brooklyn Tech gossip, how 80% of teachers never intended to be teachers, and how people think you are important if you are dressed up. When my teacher stepped off the train, I became immensely grateful to have had teachers that were so passionate with what they do and their devotion to their students. Things like this make me proud to be a Technite.

As I continued with my ride and eventually arriving at the Lubin House, I became aware of the things that make me proud to be Orange. I felt out of place with my attire but for a good reason. All the trustees and Chancellor's cabinet were wearing orange for the game against Georgetown at noon, prompting me to go want to go shopping for more orange business casual wear. They actually moved the meeting from 11AM to 8AM so they can make the game at noon. It makes me happy to see how alums are so proud of where they came from and how trustees are so enthusiastic about the decision-makings of the university. Despite the fact that many people do not agree with the decisions that are made, including I some times, trustees go out of their way to give back to the University the best they can.

Needless to say, I am incredibly proud of the schools I have attended for some really good people shaped my experiences. It is a bit nerdy to talk about school to kick off my spring break but I am looking forward to a busy week ahead.

Greyhound Buses and Red Envelopes

Instead of my usually commentaries, I am writing about my trip home for Lunar New Year.

The two bus trips I made were the most intense/interesting rides I have taken in a while. For my outbound trip, my friend and I sat across from three recently released prisoners. At first glance, you would have a hard time knowing that they were prisoners. They had an all-beige uniform on instead the traditional orange and carried a mesh baggie with textbooks and school supplies. That's borderline Kindergarten or cult-status. I had an inkling but how did I know they just got out of prison for sure? They talked about it rather loudly the entire trip and exchanged witty banter with the bus driver (we were sitting in the back). I was not disturbed because of their presence but more annoyed that the bus was so rowdy. On the bus back to Cuse, I was supposed to meet up with the same friend to take the 7:15PM bus. However, my phone died when I got to the station and she didn't make the bus. It was an uncomfortable bus ride because I was freaking out over the fact that I abandoned someone at the bus station and the woman that sat next to me had a baby who was fussing the entire ride. My freaking out status got up to the point where I got off at the Scranton station to charge my phone next to the water fountain. When I got back to campus, I felt much better knowing that my friend missed the bus and was safely on the next one.

My Lunar New Year celebration was uneventful this year, as was my Valentine's day. I had reservations about going home because of other obligations but my parents eventually coerced me to do so. It felt like any usual weekend home. I had dinner, debated on current events issues with my parents, annoyed/motivated my brother about school, and did my homework. On top of all this, I was sick for the weekend but I received red envelopes to make up for it.

Needless to say, I did enjoy the time I spent with my family and my cold went away over the course of the weekend. I am definitely looking forward to the new lunar year because that means any resolutions I broke in the last six weeks, I can do that now. 新 年 快 乐！

An Unnescessary Education

At what age did you start school? I began my schooling at the age of three at a private Catholic daycare and continued throughout my Kindergarten years. At the age of six, I began my (rather lengthy) public school career. So yes, I did received a "boost" in my education at an early age, and one that came with a price tag. However, in the 21st century, some parents are pushing their children to attend some of New York City's most selective elementary schools before they can even start walking.

This post is my reaction toward the cover article of this week's issue of New York Magazine. There are parents out there who have been pushing their children as early as age one to prepare them for the best preschool and elementary programs in the city, in hopes of putting their children on the right track fast. They spend hundreds of dollars for a private tutor to prepare their children for the ability examination that is required for gifted programs offered by both private and public schools. This examination consists of a booklet filled with multiple choice questions, similar to many of standardized tests you see today. Now, imagine being 4-years olds and taking an examination like that. Personally, I've been through a watered-down version of this. I remembered prior to attending my elementary school, I had to interview a woman who asked me some fundamental skills questions. I also remembered being smart-alecky throughout the process and not knowing why I was there. When she asked me what color roses are, I answered they can be many different colors. When asked why the children were wearing galoshes and rain coats, I answered because it is either raining outside or to match their outfits. No, my process is not as hard as the ones that many children endured today, but intense competition to get into a good school still remains.

Now, is all this really necessary for a successful life and career? I do not think such an intense preparation is necessary. The process is even harder for private schools, which includes observations, interviews, and examinations. When admitted, the tuition is around $20,000 a year, which is more expensive than some colleges. All this to buy your children a good education and bright future, which is not even guaranteed (just look at those NYC Prep kids). My advice to all the the parents out there is to send your kids to public schools- it builds character- and invest your money into something that your children are passionate about.

Some Criticism and Praise of Last Night's SOTU Address

I haven't been able to post anything or update my blog in a while because of a hectic first two weeks of classes. Since my last post, a lot has happened in the political realm, including Scott Brown winning Ted Kennedy's Senate seat in Massachusetts, advancing a bill that legalizes medical marijuana in New York State, and the latest State of the Union address. For today, I am going to write about the latter.

Praise
Everyone expected this speech to be one of Obama's most pivotal point in his career. What is he going to do with health care reform? Instead of focusing on health care reform, Obama mentioned the issue briefly and addressed other issues, particularly the jobs and economic development and many other things. Because he covered so much ground, Obama was able to please both parties. Democrats and liberals were pleased with his strong stance on tax cuts, repealing the "don't ask don't tell policy" for gays in the military, and proposing a job bill. The Republicans were particularly satisfied with him insisting that large banks pay back their bailout money.

Criticism
Although Obama covered a lot of ground, he didn't go into much detail on one particular subject. When he said he wanted a job bill soon, he didn't go into any further detail in regards to the framework of the bill or its timeline. He did, however, hinted that it will be tied to technological advancements in energy. The biggest problem I had was his strong stance on the federal government spending freeze for the 2011- fiscal year. First of all, McCain proposed this idea back in 2008 and Obama was very much against it. Second of all, Obama did not have the strongest rationale: "I am absolutely convinced that the stimulus was the right thing to do, but families across the country are tightening their belts and making tough decisions and the federal government should do the same."

Overall, I think Obama did a decent job. Unlike his precedent speeches, he was more realistic where he acknowledged that change would not be easy and he cannot do it alone. However, I did think the GOP had a few wins last night. There were a few points that deserved criticism from the conservatives and the GOP response was very well delivered. Governor Bob O'Donnell of Virginia delivered the speech, specifically criticizing Obama's safe approach to terrorism. The speech was live, with people around O'Donnell, and an Asian man, a Black woman in the background to strut the party's diversity for the camera. Definitely a step up from Bobby Jindal.

At least I sleep in on some days at school

I am back in Syracuse and just got settled in my room. I am proud to say that I had a very productive break, where I was probably busier than I am at school. Over winter break, I . . .

1. worked and as a result, made enough money to pay my parents back for the new macbook they bought me (after the incident)
2. met up with various people and friends (a more diverse variety than I usually hang out with over vacations)
3. spent ample time with my parents and family
4. completed many internship applications
5. and subsequently going on a few interviews, leading to some offers
6. wrote wikipedia articles for "Project Syracuse Wiki"
7. organized buses again for winter and spring break
8. had a root canal on New Year's Eve, resulting in a very trippy night
9. wrote an angry letter to the MTA about the bus line in my neighborhood
10. read A Farewell to Arms, The Good Earth, and Blink
11. went to the cinema and watched Up in the Air, Sherlock Holmes, and The Lovely Bones
12. tried Sri Lankan, Tibetan, and Ethiopian food and Cakeman Raven
13. completed 195/195 countries on sporcle.com
14. became a aficionado of 90's German techno
15. started this blog

How did I do so much? I worked four days a week where I got up at 6:30AM on those days. On my "off" days, I did not sleep past 9AM to get things done. I did not spend any days lounging at home or spend much time at home. My commute to work was about 3-4 hours every day, where I had time to accomplish miscellaneous tasks. So, my winter break was not really a "break" but a period of time where I had a chance to do non-school things. I am looking forward to this semester because it'll probably won't be as busy as these last four weeks.