Written by Linda Mains
Well party people, my day started at 4AM, which was actually 6AM, because of daylight saving time. Starting out that early was a huge test in patience. You're asking me, why the hell, were you up so early? Well my back was bothering me so much this last week. Plus I was having a hard time, taking a deep breaths. So my significant other, decided, to stay up all night. Just so he could take me to the emergency.
Now here's the bad part of my Hellish day. I don't have any health insurance! So he took me to our city's public hospital. When I got there, I was having a hard time taking a deep breath. So I checked in to the emergency room, sat down on one of the waiting room chairs next to a bigger Mexican American man. So of course, we started chatting.
The T.V was on behind us, Japan's disaster, was on one of the new shows, that was on at that time. So we where talking, and I said; that the whole Japan thing sucks. He said; hell ya it did! Ya my Dad had to crack this joke; which I thought was totally inappropriate. Here it goes; two Japanese guys, were actually running from the earth quake. It was an actual clip, that was being shown on the news. Now these guys escaped from being hit by two giant, falling pieces, of concrete, from the building that toward above them. So what did my dad go and say? He said; in a Japanese accent: "oh no God Zilla, RUN!" But then the guy, that I had been chatting with said; his friend had done the same thing. Sorry to say it, even though it's totally inappropriate: it was funny.
So we continued our chat; it's weird to know that even that early in the morning, there were a lot of uninsured men and women, and a few kids in that emergency room. All of whom, were trying to be seen by emergency room doctors. Yes, there was a lot of illegals there, whom where also trying to be seen. I guess because of California's horrible recession. I saw a lot more Americans in the county Emergency Room, that where trying to be seen that day.
I'm assuming, it was people that had lost their jobs, and their benefits, because of the recession. This is off subject, but right now, writing, is total dedication for me. Due to the fact that I'm on 3 vicadins, and my shoulders and back are really jacked up today. All of which is really causing me a lot of pain! Just to let my party people know. What do you think? Do you think that more American citizens, are using county hospitals; simply because, they no longer have jobs, that carry benefits?
Anyway, it really wasn't cool and took 8 hours. I had some really young dude Doctor, whom was an intern; take care of me. He was cool, he made me do the drunk test, to see if I was walking right. But also to see if I hadn't screwed my back up so much, that I could still walk right and stuff. The Doctor asked me all kinds of questions, then they gave me an ex-ray. Making sure, that none of my rib's where fractured. Thank God, everything was fine. Enough about me, lets get to the subject, that I'm trying to discuss.
So after words, I was directed to the place where I could get my prescription filled for free. I'm lucky enough to qualify because I am a Californian; under a program called OSHA, so I didn't have to pay for the emergency room visit, or for my perscribtion. Hey why pay for your drugs when you can get them for free. I waited to get the prescription in their little window. I was number 414, and they finally called my number for that procedure. Guess what happened to me next? Wouldn't you know it; the nurse had forgotten to write my information on the perscribtion. So with an ahcy back, I had to walk all the way back to the emergency room. So I could get the info written on my perscribtion, to be able to get it filled. After doing that, I turned it into the little window, that would send it to the pharmacy. Now this giant procedure, to get the prescription isn't finished yet.
So here's where my deep thought starts: I met another Mexican American man, whom told me: "I'm scared of losing my job!" Your asking my why? Because he had run out of the medicine for his diabetes, and high blood pressure. His blood pressure had gone threw the roof, because he drank like a fish at his mothers birthday party last night. Sense he had no insurance, and his OSHA benefits for free prescriptions ran out. He was stuck in the Emergency Room sense 6AM. It was now 1pm, and he was still trying to get his OHSA paper work filled out. He was just trying get his free perscribtion; for medicine that his low paying job, would never be able to afford. He went on to tell me: "I'm afraid that I might lose my job, if I don't get this handled soon, because the rich bitch that he works for. Would get angry and wouldn't understand that he was sick." Hey guys in reader land, I have a heart, and can understand what he was telling me. I had to tell him, that his health was way more important, then some low paying job! Why? Because if he died because he didn't have his med's, that he wouldn't be making it to his slave job anyway. He then asked me what about my job, and wasn't I worried about it: "no not really, sense I'm typing all day, and sitting at a computer screen. Sense my back was in so much pain; I wasn't capable, in my current condition, to do a good job. So I'm doing my employer a favor, by sitting here all day. With my pain med's, I'll be able to do my job." But what kind of employer, would want to see any employee, in excruciating pain?
OK I started waiting for my pain med's around 12PM. It was turning 1:30PM, and I had been waiting for 2 hours, for my one bottle of pain medication. My number to get my medication was 59896. At that moment I was looking at a T.V screen, that looked like something, that might be on a race track somewhere. So the Mexican American guy and I were still chatting, at this point he asked me: "so doesn't this remind you of hell?" My awnser was: "no! I believe hell, is probably an express service place, where there will be plenty of people I know." OK, ya I started losing my patience at this point. So I told him, maybe my Dad was right, about collective bargaining rights. Especially when it came to public employees.
My father had basically said; that a lot of public employees where lazy, and that threw their Unions and because of collective bargaining rights. Most of these employee's where sitting on there lazy asses. So for the most part not really doing their jobs, in a timely and professional way. I had to ask my father; what about teachers? He then told me; that a lot of teachers, where not good enough to be teaching, and that most where only teachers, because of their paychecks, and because of their unions. He went on to tell me, that in States that didn't have Unions, or collective bargaining rights for teachers. Those teachers where better because they taught, because they wanted to teach, not because they wanted "giant-unionized-paychecks!"
All of which makes me wonder, when it took me over 3 hours to get a simple perscribtion filled. With most of those city employees being in unions, with rights against being fired if they are incompetent. I went on to tell The American Mexican man, look at city bus drivers. They have a union, and sometimes they won't be on time, or they will just pass you by! They don't care if you make it to work on time or not. Those lazy bus drivers don't care, if you lose your job or not, because no matter what they do, they won't lose theirs. Another job that is federally funded.
So do unions and bargaining rights, make city and county employee's lazy? Should city and county workers, have the right to be organized in unions? I'm not sure? But I really believe, it's the quality of the care that you're getting that important. That care might make you really want to consider, if Unions for city and county employees, is a good or bad thing for citizens whom count on those services. My boyfriend say's yes, that my dad is right to a certain extent. That if employee's suck, they shouldn't be allowed to hide behind the might of their unions. Those employee's should be able to be fired! But he also stated that unions, need to be fixed, and not destroyed. I'm not really sure, what should be done about city and county workers unions; are you? That's the end of this deep thought moment.
Well party people, my day started at 4AM, which was actually 6AM, because of daylight saving time. Starting out that early was a huge test in patience. You're asking me, why the hell, were you up so early? Well my back was bothering me so much this last week. Plus I was having a hard time, taking a deep breaths. So my significant other, decided, to stay up all night. Just so he could take me to the emergency.
Now here's the bad part of my Hellish day. I don't have any health insurance! So he took me to our city's public hospital. When I got there, I was having a hard time taking a deep breath. So I checked in to the emergency room, sat down on one of the waiting room chairs next to a bigger Mexican American man. So of course, we started chatting.
The T.V was on behind us, Japan's disaster, was on one of the new shows, that was on at that time. So we where talking, and I said; that the whole Japan thing sucks. He said; hell ya it did! Ya my Dad had to crack this joke; which I thought was totally inappropriate. Here it goes; two Japanese guys, were actually running from the earth quake. It was an actual clip, that was being shown on the news. Now these guys escaped from being hit by two giant, falling pieces, of concrete, from the building that toward above them. So what did my dad go and say? He said; in a Japanese accent: "oh no God Zilla, RUN!" But then the guy, that I had been chatting with said; his friend had done the same thing. Sorry to say it, even though it's totally inappropriate: it was funny.
So we continued our chat; it's weird to know that even that early in the morning, there were a lot of uninsured men and women, and a few kids in that emergency room. All of whom, were trying to be seen by emergency room doctors. Yes, there was a lot of illegals there, whom where also trying to be seen. I guess because of California's horrible recession. I saw a lot more Americans in the county Emergency Room, that where trying to be seen that day.
I'm assuming, it was people that had lost their jobs, and their benefits, because of the recession. This is off subject, but right now, writing, is total dedication for me. Due to the fact that I'm on 3 vicadins, and my shoulders and back are really jacked up today. All of which is really causing me a lot of pain! Just to let my party people know. What do you think? Do you think that more American citizens, are using county hospitals; simply because, they no longer have jobs, that carry benefits?
Anyway, it really wasn't cool and took 8 hours. I had some really young dude Doctor, whom was an intern; take care of me. He was cool, he made me do the drunk test, to see if I was walking right. But also to see if I hadn't screwed my back up so much, that I could still walk right and stuff. The Doctor asked me all kinds of questions, then they gave me an ex-ray. Making sure, that none of my rib's where fractured. Thank God, everything was fine. Enough about me, lets get to the subject, that I'm trying to discuss.
So after words, I was directed to the place where I could get my prescription filled for free. I'm lucky enough to qualify because I am a Californian; under a program called OSHA, so I didn't have to pay for the emergency room visit, or for my perscribtion. Hey why pay for your drugs when you can get them for free. I waited to get the prescription in their little window. I was number 414, and they finally called my number for that procedure. Guess what happened to me next? Wouldn't you know it; the nurse had forgotten to write my information on the perscribtion. So with an ahcy back, I had to walk all the way back to the emergency room. So I could get the info written on my perscribtion, to be able to get it filled. After doing that, I turned it into the little window, that would send it to the pharmacy. Now this giant procedure, to get the prescription isn't finished yet.
So here's where my deep thought starts: I met another Mexican American man, whom told me: "I'm scared of losing my job!" Your asking my why? Because he had run out of the medicine for his diabetes, and high blood pressure. His blood pressure had gone threw the roof, because he drank like a fish at his mothers birthday party last night. Sense he had no insurance, and his OSHA benefits for free prescriptions ran out. He was stuck in the Emergency Room sense 6AM. It was now 1pm, and he was still trying to get his OHSA paper work filled out. He was just trying get his free perscribtion; for medicine that his low paying job, would never be able to afford. He went on to tell me: "I'm afraid that I might lose my job, if I don't get this handled soon, because the rich bitch that he works for. Would get angry and wouldn't understand that he was sick." Hey guys in reader land, I have a heart, and can understand what he was telling me. I had to tell him, that his health was way more important, then some low paying job! Why? Because if he died because he didn't have his med's, that he wouldn't be making it to his slave job anyway. He then asked me what about my job, and wasn't I worried about it: "no not really, sense I'm typing all day, and sitting at a computer screen. Sense my back was in so much pain; I wasn't capable, in my current condition, to do a good job. So I'm doing my employer a favor, by sitting here all day. With my pain med's, I'll be able to do my job." But what kind of employer, would want to see any employee, in excruciating pain?
OK I started waiting for my pain med's around 12PM. It was turning 1:30PM, and I had been waiting for 2 hours, for my one bottle of pain medication. My number to get my medication was 59896. At that moment I was looking at a T.V screen, that looked like something, that might be on a race track somewhere. So the Mexican American guy and I were still chatting, at this point he asked me: "so doesn't this remind you of hell?" My awnser was: "no! I believe hell, is probably an express service place, where there will be plenty of people I know." OK, ya I started losing my patience at this point. So I told him, maybe my Dad was right, about collective bargaining rights. Especially when it came to public employees.
My father had basically said; that a lot of public employees where lazy, and that threw their Unions and because of collective bargaining rights. Most of these employee's where sitting on there lazy asses. So for the most part not really doing their jobs, in a timely and professional way. I had to ask my father; what about teachers? He then told me; that a lot of teachers, where not good enough to be teaching, and that most where only teachers, because of their paychecks, and because of their unions. He went on to tell me, that in States that didn't have Unions, or collective bargaining rights for teachers. Those teachers where better because they taught, because they wanted to teach, not because they wanted "giant-unionized-paychecks!"
All of which makes me wonder, when it took me over 3 hours to get a simple perscribtion filled. With most of those city employees being in unions, with rights against being fired if they are incompetent. I went on to tell The American Mexican man, look at city bus drivers. They have a union, and sometimes they won't be on time, or they will just pass you by! They don't care if you make it to work on time or not. Those lazy bus drivers don't care, if you lose your job or not, because no matter what they do, they won't lose theirs. Another job that is federally funded.
So do unions and bargaining rights, make city and county employee's lazy? Should city and county workers, have the right to be organized in unions? I'm not sure? But I really believe, it's the quality of the care that you're getting that important. That care might make you really want to consider, if Unions for city and county employees, is a good or bad thing for citizens whom count on those services. My boyfriend say's yes, that my dad is right to a certain extent. That if employee's suck, they shouldn't be allowed to hide behind the might of their unions. Those employee's should be able to be fired! But he also stated that unions, need to be fixed, and not destroyed. I'm not really sure, what should be done about city and county workers unions; are you? That's the end of this deep thought moment.
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