Depositions and Other Forms of Torture

I had to give my deposition in a lawsuit earlier today, and I've got a massive headache now. Spending 6 hours of my day answering questions about things that happened 4 to 6 years ago is not my idea of fun. On the spectrum of fun, it falls somewhere around root canal, full cavity searches and being beaten with blunt objects. Y'all talk amongst yourselves. Don't burn down anything important.  Replace anything you drink from the liquor cabinet.

Where's My Battleship?

With the possible exception of thermonuclear devices, I think a free person's arsenal should be limited only by their checkbook and mental health status. Though I would not be opposed to variation on the Swiss system of encouraging responsible gun ownership and marksmanship proficiency.

Lawyers, Liars and the Legal System

 

The meme has nothing to do with today's subject except maybe tangentially, but it does kick over my giggle box. That said, there is a corollary to the meme that the scales of justice can be tipped with the sufficient application of large amounts of untraceable cash or other valuable consideration. The fact that Hillary Clinton and the cast of characters in Jeffrey Epstien and Giselle Maxwell's Client List Little Black Book are still walking free is no coincidence. 

Despite the fact that I make a living dealing with lawyers and the legal system everyday, I am not a fan of either. Too much familiarity with the sausage making process to trust it fully I suppose. So, it is with no small amount of loathing and reluctance that I agreed to give a deposition in a lawsuit arising out of a claim I handled several years ago. I could have said "go pound sand" and been well within my legal rights to do so. 1) I am out of subpoena range, 2) I am no longer employed by the company I was working for at the time, 3) they nuked the bridge from orbit which means, 4) I have no incentive to play nice. 

Unfortunately for  me, I am a stand up guy at heart. So, despite the fact that I will not get so much as an "attaboy", I now get to spend my free time for the next few days preparing for my deposition (which is the mental equivalent of a colonoscopy without the benefit of anesthesia) and then spend the better part of a day on a video conference being grilled by various attorneys about events and thought processes that took place 4 to 5 years ago now just so a few insurance companies can battle it out over who should pony up a couple of million dollars. 

There's not enough Bourbon to make this little misadventure fun. Just saying. 

Dear Paul Ryan (an Obamacare Rant)

Dear Paul Ryan,

Just a few short months ago, Republicans were swept back into full control of the government on a huge groundswell of populist support. Full repeal of Obamacare was one of the cornerstone planks of the platform that led to that support.

Now, you want to foist off your own "lite" version of an abysmal, abomination of a law that was passed through deception and outright lies. Then you have the audacity to tell the press: "Obamacare is collapsing. If we just did nothing, washed our hands of the situation, we would see a further collapse of the health insurance markets. So we feel an obligation to step in front of that collapse and replace this law with one that works, that has more freedom."

I strongly urge you to rethink that plan. Stepping in front of that collapse will get you crushed like a bug by a pissed off electorate. I'm not saying do nothing. Quite the opposite. By all means necessary, REPEAL BUT DO NOT REPLACE. Please allow me too explain further.

Prior to Obamacare's inception, I had decent healthcare coverage paid for by payroll deduction through my employer. Not the Cadillac coverage congressmen and administration officials enjoy, but functional and usable. Deductibles were either $500 or $1000. Premiums for me and my family were manageable and within our budget. Since Obamacare, the lowest deductible my (now former) employer offers is $5000 at essentially triple the premium.

Let me be clear, this makes my healthcare plan functionally unusable to me and my family. I have no choice but to take it unless I want to be penalized for not having health insurance.

No where in the constitution is healthcare listed as an inalienable right. It is not the government's business to mandate healthcare or be involved in it in any way. Government involvement in healthcare (or any industry for that matter) is antithetical to the principles of freedom upon which this country was founded.

If you want to do something productive, figure out a way for health insurance carriers to sell coverage across state lines so that something approaching free competition is possible.

So,  again, I urge you and your fellow Republicans to REPEAL Obamacare and let the free market sort itself out. 

Sincerely,

Daddy Hawk