By Michael LeMieux
June 21, 2010
NewsWithViews.com

On June 10th of this year Dear Leader BH Obama signed a decree (Executive Order) that created within the federal government another executive branch council called the “National Prevention, Health Promotion, and Public Health Council.” Here we go again!

Having spent the majority of my adult life in and around government organizations; the one thing I have learned is that government is very purposeful in its actions. When a mission/goal is defined, a team is built utilizing desired capabilities and strengths that will provide the best opportunity for success.

With that in mind and reading the declaratory establishment clause we find that this council will be established within the Department of Health and Human Services. Okay, so far so good, we have what sounds like a health council created under a health department. Then we start looking at the membership of the council which includes the Surgeon General as chair and the following:

(1) the Secretary of Agriculture;
(2) the Secretary of Labor;
(3) the Secretary of Health and Human Services;
(4) the Secretary of Transportation;
(5) the Secretary of Education;
(6) the Secretary of Homeland Security;
(7) the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency;
(8) the Chair of the Federal Trade Commission;
(9) the Director of National Drug Control Policy;
(10) the Assistant to the President and Director of the Domestic Policy Council;
(11) the Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Indian Affairs;
(12) the Chairman of the Corporation for National and Community Service; and
(13) the head of any other executive department or agency that the Chair may, from time to time, determine is appropriate.

I must admit that I was somewhat puzzled as to why a “health” council would need the Secretaries of Labor, Transportation, Homeland Security, EPA, Trade Commission, Drug Control, and the Corporation for National and Community Service (although I was not surprised that a community organizer would select the last group to help implement such a policy). However, after reading through the rest of the “decree” it became quite apparent.

According to the stated purposes and duties of this council it was reported that they would assist in creating and “integrative health care in the United States.” He goes on to inform us that this council was to develop “a national prevention, health promotion, public health, and integrative health-care strategy that incorporates the most effective and achievable means of improving the health status of Americans and reducing the incidence of preventable illness and disability in the United States…”

A health-care strategy for improving the “health status” of Americans! Really? The first question that came to mind was – Just how in the world is this going to happen in a land of free will and free choice? Are Americans now going to be required to exercise for a determined length of time each day? Are we going to be limited on what we can eat and drink to ensure we follow the imposed guidelines? And what will be the enforcement mechanism to “ensure” this happens? Ahhh, maybe that is why we need the Dept. of Homeland Security --- I needed to know more.

As I continue to read the Executive Order I found that the recommendations of the council will be provided to the President and to Congress to make recommendations in our nations “Federal policy” on how to achieve this “national wellness.” Okay, more law telling Americans what they should and should not do to obtain health enlightenment to ensure we reduce our “tobacco use, sedentary behavior, and poor nutrition.” And because these are the ones he listed, to ensure they are contained in the council’s recommendation, he must think there is an epidemic of fat slobs sitting around watching TV, playing video games, and eating tater-chips and Bon Bons.

But the council will not have to do all the dirty work themselves; the President’s Executive Order also creates an “Advisory Group” to assist and report back to the council president. But this is not your ordinary, run-of-the-mill, advisory group, but a hand picked group picked by the President himself.

The advisory group will have expertise in worksite health, community service (there’s that community organizer thing again), preventive medicine, health coaching, public health education, geriatrics, and rehabilitation. This sure sounds like a smorgasbord of federally funded community organizing to me.

All of these folks then go out and get all the information they need and brain-storm on how to make all this happen and then report back to the President and Congress to determine the best “National Strategy” to make this happen.

The Executive Order then goes on to outline what the national strategy will do stating:

• The national strategy will set goals “for improving the health of the United States through federally supported prevention, health promotion, and public health programs, consistent with ongoing goal setting efforts conducted by specific agencies.” If you understand how the government currently manages people, business, states, and agencies you will understand that anyone that is receiving a particular benefit will be required to abide by the rules upon which that benefit applies. For instance; if a person receives unemployment insurance benefits he is required to submit certain paperwork, submit a certain number of job applications/resumes, obtain a certain number of interviews, etc. If a state agency receives funding for a particular federal program they are obligated to enforce the federal law upon which that funding is predicated. He who receives the benefit must also bear the pain.

Then every year the council will submit a report that says how they are doing. Among the reports the President wants reported “contains a list of national priorities on health promotion and disease prevention to address lifestyle behavior modification (including smoking cessation, proper nutrition, appropriate exercise, mental health, behavioral health, substance-use disorder, and domestic violence screenings) and the prevention measures for the five leading disease killers in the United States;”

So now dear leader wishes to make sure everyone is thinking correctly and if not, if you do not toe-the-line then perhaps you may fall under the watchful care of the “lifestyle behavior modification” czar (yet to be named). And who decides what is and is not appropriate exercise? You, your doctor, Dear Leader, or perhaps the council and their advisory group?

But this Executive Order also effects current health care institutions as well; paragraph 6(e) directs the council to provide a list of programs and offices “determined to be ineffective in meeting the priority goals of the Health People 2020 program...” they may be targeted for elimination. So just like the slacker that wants to be left alone to eat his Big Mac in peace, or a health provider that does not want to join the group think mentality – there will be consequences comrade!

So once again I ask, having read through the entire Executive Order, why would he need the Secretaries of Labor, Transportation, Homeland Security, EPA, Trade Commission, Drug Control, and the Corporation for National and Community Service for a “health” bill?

And as the EO does not elaborate on what each group brings to the table we are left to speculate based upon the assets each group has that would benefit the mission. So let’s take a look at what each of them will have to offer from a “health-care” prospective:

• Secretary of Labor – Hilda Solis heads the Department of Labor who’s stated mission is to “fosters and promotes the welfare of the job seekers, wage earners, and retirees of the United States by improving their working conditions, advancing their opportunities for profitable employment, protecting their retirement and health care benefits, helping employers find workers, strengthening free collective bargaining…” Okay, there is the hook – health care benefits and the union payback “strengthen free collective bargaining.”

• Secretary of Transportation – Ray LaHood heads the Department of Transportation whose mission is to look after the transportation system. Absolutely no tie to health care but perhaps if we expand the scope to include movement of labor workers who may be in need of some small behavioral modification adjustment this might come in handy. Or if we need labor to arrange for infrastructure improvements that could be done to assist in the collective group thing of behavioral modification, I bet they could have some great input.

• Homeland Security – Janet Napolitano heads the DHS which includes 16 distinct departments for National Protection, Science and Technology, DHS Management, Policy, Health Affairs, Intelligence Analysis, Operations, Federal Law Enforcement Training, Nuclear Detection, Transportation Security, Border Patrol, Immigration, Customs, Coast Guard, FEMA, and Secret Service. With all this focus on security and intelligence every zeroed in on Health Affairs as the possible link here. In fact the Health Affairs here, according to the DHS website, is only involving “incidents having medical significance.” So other than having a place to house (FEMA) all those folks who need a little modification this group seems to have a pretty heavy enforcement slant.

• EPA – Headed by Linda P. Jackson with the mission of “The mission of EPA is to protect human health and to safeguard the natural environment -- air, water and land -- upon which life depends.” Okay, this sounds kind of health-ish; and I think they could provide a bit of input to ensure healthy standards -- like allowing the introduction of known poisons into the water systems – like fluoride. Have you looked at what fluoride is? It is a compound of fluorine – fluorine is “a nonmetallic univalent halogen element that is normally a pale yellowish flammable irritating toxic gas.” Yummy, could I have some more please.

• Trade Commission – Headed by Jon Leibowitz who has the mission of “vigorous and effective law enforcement; advances consumers’ interests by sharing its expertise with federal and state legislatures and U.S. and international government agencies; develops policy and research tools through hearings, workshops, and conferences; and creates practical and plain-language educational programs for consumers and businesses in a global marketplace with constantly changing technologies.” This one would be quite a stretch to assist in health matters unless of course you wanted to use that “law enforcement” power to target some of those institutions and business for elimination that didn’t meet your standards.

• Drug Control – White House Office of National Drug Control Policy director is R. Gil Kerlikowski with the mission “to reduce illicit drug use, manufacturing, and trafficking, drug-related crime and violence, and drug-related health consequences.” Well I guess as long as we are going to keep open borders to allow the free flow of drugs into the country we probably will have to have someone involved in the behavior modification to reduce drug use. Although I think the better suited organization would have been Narcotics Anonymous or one of the other groups with better track records. Since this group has been in business (1988) drugs are more prevalent, higher quality, and at higher volumes – I don’t think they are doing so well. Unless those outcomes were truly their goal, in which case they did a bang-up job.

• Corporation for National and Community Service – Headed by Mark D. Gearan with a mission “to improve lives, strengthen communities, and foster civic engagement through service and volunteering.” A volunteer organization with a budget of over 1.14 Billion dollars. Although there are many needy and worthwhile volunteer organizations across America is this really a Constitutional power of the federal government? I looked all through Article I, Section VIII of the Constitution and could not find one instance that granted the power to Congress to spend tax money on this type of endeavor. But I guess if you want to introduce and influence behavior modification into the local communities this is the way to do it.

This same line of logic has been employed throughout the history of mankind. Russia, China, Cambodia, religious history (both current and historical) has used the concept of wrong think as justification for a means of controlling another sect of society. If you don’t agree and think like us then you are mentally damaged and must be enlightened, by force if necessary, for you own good and for the betterment of society as a whole. It was wrong then and it is wrong now.

This Executive Order is not about helping Americans, this is about control. Control over those that stand in the way of Dear Leaders Health Care program. Control over businesses that do not play ball with the new team. Control over the minds and bodies of the American people. This is another unconstitutional program, in a long string of unconstitutional programs and laws, bent on expanding government reach and control, nothing more and nothing less.

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