You Don't Say!

Hello My Dear Friends! Thousands of years ago, Cats were worshiped as Gods. I have not forgotten this but, apparently many of you have! My personal physician has gone on maternity leave. Breeders! WTF! I will be interviewing for a temporary replacement ahead of my six month wellness exam. Anyway, enough about me. Let's talk about your healthcare concerns. What? You say. My healthcare concerns? Whatever do you mean PoKitty? Well, let me tell you. The slimy underbelly of the Affordable Care Act is about to be exposed. It's called "reinsurance". That's a program set up in the ACA that reimbursed insurers (with your tax dollars) for losses they incurred by participating in Obamacare. That program expires at the end of this year and, guess what! Yup. Bend over, here it comes. Many insurers, like UnitedHealth and Humana, have dropped out of the program in many states. Others, Like CareFirst Blue Cross of Virginia, are dropping their Bronze (lowest cost) Tier options. That's going to produce about a 70% price increase to consumers. All insurance carriers will be increasing their rates across the board by about 20%. You see, the creators of Obamacare knew their system would never work. Heck, everyone with a brain knew it wouldn't work. "Reinsurance" was built into the ACA to cover up that fact. It was also deliberately created to expire in 2017 so the next President of the United States would have to deal with the fallout. Classy. Who could've seen that coming! Wondering what's going to happen with your insurance? Insurers have to post their rate increase requests on HealthCare.gov by tomorrow. Check it out, if you dare....
A school district in North Carolina is doing away with the Valedictorian and Salutatorian. Why? Because, according to the Wake County School Board, competition for the honor is unhealthy. UNHEALTHY! LOL! Striving to be the best, working hard to be number one, is a little too stressful. Apparently failure is far better for your well being. Mediocrity is better for the soul. How lucky kids are today! It must be amazing to come of age in a vanilla world where success is a burden, safe spaces protect you from controversy, and everyone gets a trophy! Kumbaya My Lord, Kumbaya!
Veterans' Affairs Secretary Robert McDonald yesterday, while being questioned about the on-going problem of long waits for Veterans to be treated at the VA, put everyone's concerns to rest when he said hey, "When you go to Disney, do they measure the number of hours you wait in line"? Well, no Mr. McDonald, they don't. Gosh darn it, you have a point! Of course, I don't go to Disney for treatment of pancreatic cancer so the urgency factor isn't really there. But I get you. If you can't fix the problem, mock it! Well done Mr. Secretary. Well done!
Po

Mind;Blown!

Hello My Dear Friends! I have two stories to tell you that I believe highlight why I have doubled my catnip budget. First the story of Braxton Linton. Mr. Linton served 14 months in prison for using sensitive information on his employers computer to steal $70,000 through a credit card scam. Upon leaving prison, he was promptly hired by the Department of Veterans Affairs as a department head at the VA hospital in Puerto Rico overseeing, of all things, purchasing. After receiving information that Linton was steering contracts to one company in exchange for bribes and investigation was launched. The VA's Inspector General found that the amount spent on contracts had increased 6 fold since Linton took over and that criminal misconduct was taking place. Nothing was done. A deputy director at the hospital notified the Department of Veterans Affairs that Linton and the hospital director DeWayne Hamlin had racked up $1.2 billion (that's BILLION) in "problematic credit card charges" in an 18 MONTH period. Nothing was done. Now a worker at the hospital, who was arrested for Armed Robbery, has been given her job back because, according to VA Under Secretary David Shulkin, "criminal prosecution or conviction for off-duty conduct does not automatically disqualify an individual from federal employment".  It all makes perfect sense once you hear the argument the armed robber used to get her job back. She argued that she couldn't be discriminated against as a felon since the hospital's HR director is a convicted sex offender! I told you it all made perfect sense. Thank Goodness Mr. Obama has cleaned up the Veterans Administration or we would be in real trouble!
Second is the story of William Johnson. Mr. Johnson is apparently a "White Supremacist" who was selected as a delegate from California by the Trump team. Mr. Johnson is the leader of the American Freedom Party which, according to their manifesto, "exists to represent the political interests of white Americans" and to "uphold the customs and heritage of European American people". Mr. Johnson denies that label and explains his organization this way: (I'm paraphrasing here) 'People of every race take pride in their heritage and are encouraged to to do so. African American, Hispanic Americans, Arab Americans all freely and openly celebrate their heritage but, when Caucasian, Anglo Saxon Americans show pride in their heritage they are labeled racists, supremacists or hate mongers. This isn't right nor is it fair. You can be proud to be black; you can be proud to be Hispanic but if you're proud to be white, you're a racist'. He says he doesn't believe that being white makes you better than anyone else (the definition of a supremacist) but he also doesn't believe that being proud of it makes you a racist. Hmmmm. You be the judge.
Po

Just To Be Clear

Hello My Dear Friends! Secretary of State John Kerry, during his commencement speech at Northeastern University, took a shot at Donald Trump by saying "We will never come out on top if we accept advice from sound-bite salesmen and carnival barkers who pretend the most powerful country on earth can remain great by looking inward". Really? So, Mr. Kerry, it is your contention that if America looks inward, to it's people, it will fail? Wow. He went on to say to the graduates that they are embarking on a borderless world". Seriously? I hope they don't take him at his word and wander into Mexico! My point is, Mr. Kerry, like many of his contemporaries, believes that the American people, left to their own devices, would implode and perish. He is, of course, wrong but this is the message he chose to pass on to the next generation of leaders; 'If you look inward you will fail'. Thanks for that, Secretary Kerry. You are a Goober.
A Pennsylvania girl was denied entrance to her prom because she wore a tux. The clearly stated dress code was girls in formal dresses so, she was denied at the door. Whatever. It was a private Catholic school and they have the right to make the rules. However, as a Catholic school, it seems a bit bizarre that this...

is unacceptable, but this....

is perfectly fine. Catholic school has changed A LOT since I was young! Call me crazy but I would rather have my 17-year old daughter covered up a bit but who am I to judge. Rules are rules.

Finally, the Great American Bathroom Law War continues. The Fed is threatening to sue North Carolina if they pass their law banning cross use of bathrooms. I'm sure you know the story. Now, however, with this battle growing more and more contentious, I have a new fear. I read a comment recently from a North Carolina woman who said she was "bringing her gun" into the bathroom to protect herself from the "perverts". Yikes! I have a friend, she's older, wears her hair short, loose clothing, and has, more than once, been mistaken for a man. She has been humiliated, while waiting in line for the bathroom, by morons who say "I think you're in the wrong line" or "This is the line for the ladies room". Not everything or everyone is as they appear. Now we have to worry that a version of said morons might pull out a gun! Is there no end to this nonsense? People, until unisex or family bathrooms are available everywhere, please, just pee, wash your hands and leave. It really is that simple. No eye contact, no chatter, just do your business and be on your way. You have nothing to fear but pee itself!

Po