Posted on 04/04/2006 6:14:05 AM PDT by SheLion
AUGUSTA - Expected several months ago, the Baldacci administration on Monday released the first biennial state health plan under the Dirigo Health system that calls for creation of a culture of health and urges Mainers to enter into "Be Fit for Maine" contracts.
"This doesn't have to mean a major commitment to, say, losing 50 pounds, or running five miles a day," the report said. "What we all need to do, though, is to start somewhere - identify one thing we can do that will improve our health and take it from there."
Officials said the release of the report was set to coincide with National Public Health Week and that the report itself underscored the benefits of Maine's controversial Dirigo health plan, a package championed by Gov. John Baldacci and designed to expand access to health coverage for all Mainers.
"The plan is an integral part of Dirigo health reform and includes the tasks we all need to work on to reduce costs, improve quality, and achieve universal access," Baldacci said in a statement.
"Health reform is more than providing an insurance card. To truly restrain the cost of health care and keep our premiums affordable means we need to do a better job in all areas of health care," Baldacci said.
As part of the promotion of physical fitness, the plan proposes boosting the percentage of Mainers who engage in leisure time physical activity from 78.4 percent to 85 percent over two years.
Maine government is trying to get inside our very homes!
Why the hell is government involved in this anyway? It's not their place...
If we enact a national healthcare plan, think of the savings if people are forced to walk and exercise more!
And while we're at it, if we outlaw smoking in all public places (including people's homes because they might get a UPS package delivered and we don't want the UPS drivers exposed to dangerous second hand smoke) people would live FOREVER!
No more junk food! Perhaps we could regulate people's intake of red meat to cut down on heart attacks!
What a wonderful world it will be
This message brought to you by Hillary in '08.
Correct me if I'm wrong here, OK? I could be. Yes it's hard to believe, but The Tongue COULD be wrong. Now that you're settled....
When I first visited the great state of Maine in 1990 on my honeymoon, it seemed a very free state. Low tax, low gubmint interference, etc. Starting about that time though, it got progressive. Someone there told me a real estate tax had been imposed recently, and the signs of it were everywhere on the downeast coastline. Tons of beautiful oceanfront property for sale because people couldn't afford the taxes that had been levied on it. It seems since that point Maine has gone very socialist. Is this right? Or did it start long ago?
"And while we're at it, if we outlaw smoking in all public places (including people's homes because they might get a UPS package delivered and we don't want the UPS drivers exposed to dangerous second hand smoke) people would live FOREVER!"
As a former UPS man and non smoker, I say NAY! Let people smoke their brains out, I'll deal with a little second hand smoke. BUT, don't expect Medicare or Medicaid if you aren't making smart health decisions.
Maine is becoming very scary where the government is concerned. The Governor seems to be gearing up to take all of us over. I know this sounds like a joke, but we aren't far from it at this point.
Gov John Balacci, (D) Maine (little Hitler)
If we enact a national healthcare plan, think of the savings if people are forced to walk and exercise more!
And while we're at it, if we outlaw smoking in all public places (including people's homes because they might get a UPS package delivered and we don't want the UPS drivers exposed to dangerous second hand smoke) people would live FOREVER!
No more junk food! Perhaps we could regulate people's intake of red meat to cut down on heart attacks!
What a wonderful world it will be
Sounds like next the state house in Augusta will be mailing us all brown shirts and jack boots, doesn't it? heh!
Well, we moved up here in August of 83 for Loring Air Force Base. Bought a home and settled in. I wasn't much concerned at that time about politics. Gov Brennan was the Governor when we first came to Maine.
But as I got older and be a home owner, I have started watching our Maine government more. And what I see, I do not like. The Kennedy stink has rubbed off on this state and since it IS a blue state, it's very hard not to stay mad on a daily basis every time I read what the Dems are doing. And we have a lot of RINO'S in this state as well.
How the heck does one win anything when our own side turns against us?
Oh please. Don't get us started on this health care issue and smoking. We have over 1,200 Somali's in southern Maine living off of our welfare system, and if Maine's health care is rising, how about starting with them? We all have to pay for THEIR health care. Maine smokers can't be blamed for all of this. Especially the younger smokers.
And Maine has two meth clinics. Guess who is paying for THEIR health care?! So don't get me started on smokers and higher health care.
You know, I have no idea. I don't believe in it, so I never paid attention. Any one from Maine know if we have assisted suicide in this state?
Isn't this the state that has that huge somalian settlement??
How about we just do away with Medicare and Medicaid, and then I only have to pay for my own poor health decisions and not someone else's?
Didn't they call that "Strength through Joy" in Germany in the 1930's?
In "1984" Winston Smith got in front of the telescreen for his morning exercises under the watchful eye of "Big Brother."
Oh Brother!
Yes. We have over 1,200 Somali's living in Lewiston, Maine. And they are living off of our welfare system. And guess who is paying THAT?! You guessed it!
Sounds great. I know I don't use Medicare or Medicaid. I have TriCare Prime. But the state will have to get the money from SOMEWHERE to pay for the health care for all our uninsured.
I don't know what the answer is. I just know that if I ever get sick, no one pays for me but me!
That's way before my time, but from I have read about Hitler and his ilk during the 40's, it was not good! They say things go full circle and history repeats itself. Maybe it's repeating itself right here in the United States.
I'm from L.A. We hold 11 million illegal aliens here and Villaraigosa is hellbent on making Los Angeles a haven for them. If these politicians want these guys here so bad, they should take them into their own homes and raise them as their own. Leave taxpayers out of their charitable causes.
I'm glad I don't pay taxes in that state.
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