Medicaid Fraud Uncovered

Fox News reports, “Medicaid Fraud Uncovered” and to the tune of $65,000,000 (yes, $65 million) prescription drug fraud between 2006 and 2007. Medicaid paid for prescriptions for dead people too.

I suspect this is nothing new and has been ongoing for years, well over a decade. And if $65 million was lost due to fraud between the years 2006 and 2007, how much do you think was wasted in 2008 and worse yet – how much was lost this year? This answer most likely will not come until 2011 or 2012.

Is this a growing problem? I would think that is very likely. And if so, how fast if this problem growing in terms of dollar amounts?

Personally, I think this is another example of poorly governed policies, with little to no accountability. The only way to get to the heart of this [yet another] fraud, will be a deep audit that penetrates all the way down the line of every hand that played a part in each fraud case.

If this was done, I am most certain a pattern would be exposed: Department heads, particular problem offices, certain supervisors – in addition to relationships of the people [or their businesses] involved in this fraud, as well as those receiving benefits from this fraud.

While there are 100’s of thousands [maybe millions] of people with legitimate needs, many of whom are put through a meat grinder in an attempt to obtain benefits they truly need and deserve – but too many thieves are slipping through the cracks and creating a burden on the tax payer. Furthermore, these thieves are depriving those who are deserving of assistance.

There are thousands of government offices, with hundreds of departments across this country – rest assured this fraud is one of many problems, yet to be exposed. How many millions of our tax dollars are being lost to misspending and/or fraud? Could this amount be reaching billions?

Do you know where your tax dollars are going? And, are we going to pay higher taxes in future due to this fraud? Did you answer no and yes, respectively? Is this another example of what American Justice has come to?

America, it’s time to get active and involved. Call your Representatives and demand accountability [some real change] – before it’s too late.

Jena 6 The Verdict is IN

After all this time, the Jena 6 case against the remaining five defendants has finally come to an end. Initially, charged with murder and attempted murder, the case made national attention after the first conviction. The remaining five defendants plead “No contest” to a charge of Simple Battery. None of these defendants will have to serve any time under this agreement.

Had it not been for “Southern Poverty Law Center” stepping in, these boys would have surely been convicted and forgotten, as do so many poor defendants.

While there are many perps out there who are deserving of life prison sentences, we must guard against the type of practices some law enforcement use to obtain convictions. Top that with the incompetence of public defenders and more often than not, justice is elusive.

Many thanks go out to groups like “Equal Justice Initiative” and “Southern Poverty Law Center” for their dedication to justice for indigents.

May you, the reader, be fortunate enough to never need their assistance.

Executive Order: Close Down Guantánamo Bay

“We intend to win this fight, but we are going to win it on our terms.” President Obama, made this statement yesterday, January 22, 2009.

President Obama signed three executive orders yesterday, one of which was to close down Guantanamo Bay.

President Obama also said, “The message that we are sending the world is that the United States intends to prosecute the ongoing struggle against violence and terrorism and we are going to do so vigilantly and we are going to do so effectively and we are going to do so in a manner that is consistent with our values and our ideals.”

Guantanamo Bay’s prison has been plagued with rumors and accusations of torture and humiliation of prisoners. While some citizens might not see where that is a problem, others will readily acknowledge this is a very serious problem. Our system is based on the precept all people are created equal and ‘entitled to a fair’ trial. These prisoners are being held under ’suspision’ of crimes. Held for years without the benefit of trial, some with only the ’suspision’ of guilt by association — no proof! (If you know someone who robbed a bank, does that make you guilty too?)

When we give in to the idea of ‘acceptance’ of practices we know are unfair, torturous or inhumane, we become the very people we despise, the very terrorists we are fighting against — and accuse them [the prisoners] of being.

If we are to remain the Greatest Nation on Earth, we must raise our standards of justice, not sully them by turning a blind eye to the reality of what is going on, and has been going on for years at Guantanamo Bay’s prison.

President Obama, you get double kudos from me, for taking the first step towards Justice concerning the prisoners and detainees at Guantanomo Bay.

This is not to state there aren’t some concerns with the terms of President Obama’s Executive Order to close down Guantanamo Bay.

Transcripts of the executive order, along with a video clip can be found at the following link: DailyKOSTV