Barack Obama Backs Health Care Verification Revisions

Today, I called President Barack Obama at the White House, but I think he may have been golfing. I called (202) 456.1414 and left a message with a White House volunteer staffer thanking him for backing the Health Care Bill, H.R. 3200 that would require verification provisions to ensure that only American citizens receive taxpayer-funded health care subsidies. I also requested that he pressure Congressional Democratic leadership to support these provisions needed in any health care reform bill. In addition, I added that I am opposed to any BROAD AMNESTY for illegal aliens what-so-ever. I asked the volunteer if President Obama actually gets any of these comments that are left by citizens. She politely stated that he is given a detailed list of daily opinions received. I also added that I would like to see revisions allowing for prosecution and/or deportation of individuals who submit false Social Security numbers and falsify paperwork to illegally obtain health care.

Unfortunately, H.R. 3200 - the health care bill will allow illegal aliens to receive free health care services. Currently, the Democratic leadership team in Congress, specifically, Henry Waxman (Dem. California), is actively preventing verification measures to be added to the bill. On September 11, 2009, President Obama remarked and confirmed that a verification provision should be included in any health care bill. The President said:

1. Undocumented immigrants would not be able to buy private insurance on the exchange. Those who are lawfully present in this country would be able to participate.

2. Undocumented immigrants would be able to buy insurance in the non-exchange private market, just as they do today. That market will shrink as the exchange takes hold, but it will still exist and will be subject to reforms such as the bans on pre-existing conditions and caps.

3. Verification will be required when purchasing health insurance on the exchange. One option is the SAVE program (Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements) which states currently use to make sure that undocumented immigrants don't participate in safety-net programs for which they are ineligible.

4. There would be no change in the law that requires emergency rooms to treat people who need emergency care, including undocumented immigrants. There is already a federal grant program that compensates states for emergency room costs associated with treatment of undocumented immigrants, a provision sponsored by a Republican lawmaker.

I left my phone number and asked the volunteer to please have President Obama give me a call back at his earliest convenience. I stated that I know he is a busy man and cannot return every call to every citizen that requests one, but I am one very important individual and want to endsure that my voice is heard. I can probably expect a call within 72 hours right?

If you want change to come, you cannot sit on your duff and hope for the best. You must be proactive and call or write the people in charge. Get the numbers and addresses to your Governor (or Governator in our case), your Senators and Congressmen and your President. You elected them! You have every right to contact them.

Morales Leads Halos To Victory - Magic Number (2)

After the A's battle back from being 7 runs behind on Saturday, 09/26/09, to win 15-10, the Angels rebound behind the flawless effort of Kendry Morales. Before Saturday, the Halos had not lost more than 3 games in a row all season. Saturday's lost made it 4 games in a row and capped off the worst losing streak they have seen. The Angels rallied on Sunday to break that losing streak utilizing flawless defense and offensive might. Morales goes 3 for 3 including his 32nd homer and 3 RBI's to put him over the 100 RBI mark for the season. That is the most RBI's by an Angels firstbaseman since 2000 when Mo Vaughn drove in 117. In addition, Kendry Morales' fielding is coming along very nicely. Not known for his glove, Kendry is making smarter decisions on the hot corner. We may not see a gold glove anytime soon from him, but at least he is playing the position as well as anyone out there.

Joe Saunders grabs up his 15th win for the season, going 6 innings, giving up 3 runs on 7 hits and 1 walk, while striking out 3. Saunders started the 7th inning and gave up all 3 runs to the Athletics while retiring zero. Darren Oliver inherited 2 of those runners in the 7th when he came in and then gave up another in the 8th. Kevin Jepsen came in the game, striking out 2 to close out the 8th. Brian Fuentes earned his league leading 45th save giving up only 1 hit in the 9th inning.

The big question is, can the Angels win in the playoffs with Vladdy in the lineup and Fuentes' shaky outings? I've said it before, Guererro needs to either be dropped to 7th or below in the lineup or be used as a pinch hitter. Vladdy has not been consistent all season and when he is in the lineup, the Angels overall batting average and run production suffers. As for Brian Fuentes, well, he is as scary as Frankie Rodriguez ever was. Frankie nearly gave me an ulcer every time he took the rubber. As with Frankie, we have no idea which Fuentes will show up when he is handed the ball. My thoughts? Utilize either Kevin Jepsen or Darren Oliver in the closing position and see how Fuentes can try to hold the lead. The Angels will need consistency from both the bats and the arms to even consider a run at the World Series title, let alone get past Boston ---- ewwww. The Angels have one of the best teams in MLB and have as good a chance as any other team in baseball. Winning another championship will comedown to how Mike Scioscia manages his staff. I know the Angels can win another World Series, do you believe? Let's go Angels!!!!!!

When the Angels win tonight against the Rangers, we will win yet another Western Division title. Come out and support the Halo's. Let's pack the stands and cheer on the boys to a Red October. I will be slinging bottles in the Knothole Club tonight, but when we win Marco has assured us that the champagne will be flowing.....woooohoooooo......Go Halos.

US House of Reps Vote 259 - 167 To Keep Borders Safer

Yesterday, the US House of Representatives voted a miraculous 259-167 to keep the US/Mexico border safer. The Republicans voted unanimously 174-0 in favor of the pro-enforcement change to H.R. 324 (the Santa Cruz Valley National Heritage Area Act) and it only needed about 40-45 Democrats to vote YES to get the Rep. Bishop (R-Utah) amendment to the bill passed. An astounding 85 Democrats voted YES with the Republicans in favor of the change. In the final minutes of voting, a total of 38 Democrats had changed their NO votes to YES. The bill now goes to the Senate for it's consideration.


What is the H.R. 324 Arizona bill? This bill would establish the Santa Cruz Valley National Heritage Area in Arizona. It would require that the Santa Cruz Valley Heritage Alliance, Inc in Arizona prepare and submit a management plan for the area (Arizona/Mexico Border). In addition, the plan must include and inventory all the natural and historical resources within the Heritage Area that should be protected. The Santa Cruz Valley National Heritage Area would encompass about 3325 sq. miles.

What does Rep. Bishop's (R-Utah) amendment allow for? Well, the original bill did not account for any enforcement dutes of Border Patrol. This huge loophole would have been used to block the efforts to stop the movement of illegal aliens, drug traffickers and human smugglers across the huge Arizona area. This amendment adds the language to guarantee no prohibitions on border enforcement and to make a permanent key highway checkpoint. It would also allow for the establishment of communication towers, fencing, cameras and/or sensors along the US/Mexico border. More than 4,000 people a day illegally cross into Arizona, overwhelming the border patrol and straining communities. Illegal immigration in Arizona accounts for 51% of Border Patrol arrests. Three times as many border crossers get through Arizona than are actually caught. Illegal aliens are taxing the facilities, land and resources in the U.S. Small town hospitals are having to close due to mounting expenses from caring for illigal immigrants. Land owners along the border are beset by cut fences, loss of cattle, theft and pollution.

The bill was voted and defeated by a tally of 249-145 on a Septemeber 8, 2009 consideration, failing to obtain it's 2/3 majority vote requirement. With the new amendment it passed with flying colors. We escaped a potential disaster in which much of southern Arizona would be largely off-limits to intense Border Patrol activities, while leaving it open to the drug and human smugglers.

Morales Filling Rather Large Shoes Left By Teixeira

Yes, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim wanted to resign Mark Teixeira at the end of the 2008 season. Did this happen? No! A huge resounding NO...to the tune of a New York Yankees $180 Million contract. What were the Halos to do now? Who would replace the steady glove and powerful bat of #25...now playing in the house that Jeter built? Will it be Casey Kotchman? Um...another no no no. Didn't Kotch go to the Braves when Tex arrived in Anaheim? The Angels would turn to Cuban born Kendry Morales to fill the large shoes left by Mark Teixeira. The only other player left on the bench that has done major leauge time at 1B for is Rob Quinlan. And, he's nothing more than an inspirational month to month fill in player. Kendry has seemed like the "Player to be Named Later." If you remember that Bull Durham quote, I commend you!

Kendry Morales was born in Formento, Cuba in the summer of 1983. The switch hitting powerhouse played for the Cuban National team up until 2003. In 2003, during Olympic qulifying rounds in Panama, Morales was released from the team and sent home on suspicion he might defect. Kendry, back in Cuba, was forbidden to play baseball again. With the game in his heart and determined to play again, he attempted to defect a total of 12 times. All he wanted to do is play baseball....it's what he knew and what he loved. Morales was finally successful in 2004. Out of Cuba, he quickly was signed as undrafted free agent in 2004 by the Angels.

Morales platooned between the minor league and the bigs, going back and forth on several occasions. Kendry's best year with the senior team came in 2007 when he posted a .294 AVG with 4 HRs, 15 RBIs on 35 hits in 119 ABs. In 2008, with Kotchman and then Teixeira holding tightly to the 1B position, Morales on played in 27 games and made only 65 plate appearances. He posted a paltry .213 AVG with only 13 hits....barely worthy of a starting bid for the Angels.
But, with Casey Kotchman gone and Mark Teixeira uncertain where his cleats might land, Morales took his off season serious in hopes of making the 2009 roster at 1B. As we all know, Mark Teixeira went off to play for the "evil empire" and their deep pockets. It was now time for Kendry Morales to show off his talents. Show he was ready to take his place at the corner that gets more action than any other fielding position other than pitcher and catcher. Could he fill the lofty shoes of #25? Could he fulfill his destiny?
To tell you the truth, I was a non-believer. I did not think that Kendry Morales had it in him. I really wanted the Angels to bid long and hard and get Teixeira. And, if not TEX....then go out and get someone comparable to man 1B. Someone with power, poise and a glove made of gold.

When the 2009 MLB season started, my fears were realized when Kendry stepped onto the field as the Los Angeles Angels' starting first baseman. All I could think is, "this guy is horrible." He can't hit, he can't field, he can't do much of anything good, except blast big bombs once in a blue moon. And, I let everyone know how I felt. Friends, fans and even a letter to the Angels asking why they didn't try harder with Mark Teixeira. As a fan, I was disillusioned and overcome with depressing thoughts of a lackluster season.

Morales began the season living up to the potential in which I had believed he was capable of. Starting the season slow and not making an impact at any position in the lineup, Kendry was actually doing worse than I thought he would. Then, all of a sudden, out of nowhere he started hitting. Hitting like a madman is more accurate. Morales made some miraculous adjustments and tweeked his approach at the plate. He started hitting. Hell, he started hitting everyone BIG.
Now, with a 6 year contract, that is good through 2010 of $4.5 Million, his numbers are right there with the man who went to the Yankees for a whopping contract worth $180 Million. Mark Teixeira is batting .285 with 35 HRs and 111 RBIs. And, what kind of numbers could Kendry Morales be putting up to make me think he is deserving of an American League MVP? Morales is batting a mere .306 with 30 HRs and 98 RBIs. Don't give me that look!!! My buddies laughing at me saying, "now do you believe he's good." Well, yes....HELL YES!!! I cannot imagine where the Angels would be without this powerhouse in the lineup. He'll probably never win a gold glove on the 1B bag. *DISCLAIMER* If Teixeira gets hurt and is out a season and Morales does it again....revamps his game and adapts....my foot will be in my mouth again. I tell you what, I look forward to the day that Kendry Morales makes me eat my words again. Morales has made me a believer.

Can you imagine if players like Bobby Abreu, Torii Hunter, Juan Rivera, Howie Kendrick and Vladimir Guerrero get hot? Can you imagine if it starts happening now, while we're in the race for the AL West Division title for the 5th time in 6 years? Can you imagine if the Angels are able to string together a monster month like they had in August? Can you imagine if the starting rotation and the bullpen are able to pull it together? Can you imagine another 2002? Well, I CAN. YES WE CAN!!! YES WE CAN!!! Do you remember that chant? Do you want to hear it again?


I can envision the Sea of Red now. I can hear the Thundersticks booming in the background. I can see the Rally Monkey jumping up and down...Jump Around...Jump Around....Jump Up... Jump Up and Get Down!!!!! Do you smell the hot dogs and the popcorn and the over priced beer? I do. I was on the rails of the Knothole Club in Anaheim to watch every game of the World Series in 2002 and will be there again. I stood there drinking my Guinness and was filled with incredible school boy jubilation when Erstad made that final out. Yes, I will be there again....we will be there again. I can feel it. LET'S GO ANGELS!!!!!!!

ANGELS CLINCH WEST......

At least that's how the headlines read this time last year. It's a tough race in 2009. With last night's victory over the Mariners, the Angels remain 4 1/2 games up on the Rangers in the Division race. And, with 7 games remaining against Texas in the regular season, it should be a hard fought run to the finish. The Texas Rangers have played exceptionally well against the Halos this year....posting a 9-3 record vs Angels thus far. What will it take to beat the Rangers and capture another Division title?

What needs to take place is.....both pitching and hitting for the Angels need to come together. Throughout the month of August, the offense picked up the slack for lackluster pitching with a force!!! The Halos scored a massive amount of runs. Now, in September, the pitching is keeping us in the games while the hits and runs are far and few between. While winning is great, it would be nice to do it without having to worry about one hit changing the outcome of the game in the 8th or 9th inning. What we are hoping for is that the boys of summer head into the Fall Classic with a head of steam....powerful arms and more powerful bats.

Maybe last night's game gave us a little glimpse of both. Jered Weaver pitched outstanding giving up 2 runs on 7 hits and no walks, and tallying 8 strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings. Weaver made only 2 mistakes, giving up solo homers to both Lopez and Johjima. Juan Rivera blasted a towering shot into the center field rocks where the camera crew resides to give the Angels a nice cushion for the win. The Seattle Mariners fall to the Los Angeles Angeles of Anaheim 6-3.

Last season, we clinched the West with 17 games left in the season. This year we'll be going down to the wire. This is going to be great and builds a more competitive race for the division title. The Texas Rangers will be right on our heels all the way to the end of the season. It will keep our players working hard and trying to do their best at all times. The hard push to the finish should also keep the guys in shape and ready for any team we happen to meet in the 1st round. We need to shake off those early playoff departures and get back into the World Series.

LET'S GO ANGELS!!!!! LET'S GO ANGELS!!!!!!

Letter to President Obama - Oppose Health Care Bill for Illegal Aliens

President Barack Obama

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue

Washington, DC 20500

Dear President Obama:
Sections 242, 1702, and 1714 of the America's Affordable Health Choices Act are vaguely worded and would easily allow illegal aliens to receive taxpayer-funded health services. Please do all you can to make sure these sections are reworded to prevent abuse by illegal aliens.Unfortunately, the America's Affordable Health Choices Act is riddled with loopholes. Section 1714 states, "in determining eligibility for services under this subsection, the State may consider only the income of the applicant or recipient." This means that for certain non-essential services, a state can disregard an individual's immigration status and look only at the individual's income. Section 1702 of the bill requires that "the State shall accept without further determination the enrollment under [the Medicaid program] of an individual determined by the Commissioner to be a non-traditional Medicaid eligible individual." However, the bill does not require the government to apply the existing citizenship and identity verification requirements that exist in the current Medicare statute. Section 242 is supposed to allay the fears of people like me because it states that "undocumented aliens" are prohibited from receiving health care. Unfortunately, the bill fails to prescribe a method for determining if an individual is in this country illegally. Current programs such as SSI and Medicare require an individual to present proof of citizenship and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) already has a program (the SAVE program) for determining if an individual is eligible for social services. Please urge Congress to modify Sections 242, 1702, and 1714 in a positive manner (i.e., require individuals to produce proof of citizenship or entitlement). Allowing illegal aliens to access taxpayer-funded health care will only increase the burden for future generations.

Phone me if you would like to talk about this,

Mr. Jon Andres

P.S. Mr. President, Californians are expecting great things from you. While we are traditionally a Republican state, we supported you in the polls. We are hoping you can turn this country around. We are hoping you can bring jobs to AMERICANS. We put our faith in you. Now put your faith in us. Keep jobs in the United States for it's CITIZENS. Best Regards.

Angels fail to go 10-0 against the Royals

Ervin Santana's record falls to (7-8) after pitching 5 2/3 innings at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City. Santana gave up 5 runs on 9 hits, including a pair of towering homers to Billy Butler. He also committed an error in the 1st inning which led to the Royals' initial lead. Ervin struck out 5 and walked 2 stated he, "felt strong and confident." Not confident enough to put together some quality pitches and grab up the 10th win against the Kansas City Royals though.

While Erik Aybar made an incredibly stellar diving play, robbing Yuniesky Betancourt of a line drive base hit, the Angels played less than stellar defense. The Angels went into today's game with only 64 errors - giving them an American League leading .987 fielding percentage. Bobby Abreu, Kendry Morales and Ervin Santana all have errors in this game. Santana's error was in the 1st inning allowing the Royals to score their 1st 2 runs. Both Morales and Abreu allowed balls to roll under their gloves for their costly mistakes.

The Los Angeles Angels managed to put together 10 hits and 8 walks, but only were able to get 3 runners across home plate. Abreu smacked a homer in the 5th to give the Halos their 1st run of the game. Abreu scored again in the 7th, as well as Guerrero in their failed attempt at rally. The Angels record drops to (81-55), but remain 5 games up in the AL West over the Rangers. I have a feeling the division race will come down to the wire.

The Angels thin out their triple-A Salt Lake Bees team by calling up 4 players tonight.

Infielder Freddy Sandoval

Pitcher Rafael Rodriguez

Catcher Ryan Budde, and

Outfielder Terry Evans will all join the team in Anaheim on Tuesday, 08 September 2009.

Pete Carroll Taking A Gamble - USC SUCKS

Now, let's start off by saying I am one of the biggest USC haters you will find. That being said....It is being shouted all over the country that Pete Carroll, USC coach, is taking a huge, if not detrimental gamble starting Matt Barkley as quarterback for the Trojans. The quarterback situation for possibly one of the best programs in the country is in dire need of leadership. This being the case, Carroll is opting to start a freshman instead of the incumbent Aaron Corp.

This guy has coached players that have gone on to win the Heisman Trophy and become Pro Bowlers in the NFL. If anyone on this planet knows talent in a football player, it would be Mr. Carroll. Yes, I can hate the team, but I truly respect a guy that can put together a winning program year in and year out without question. I mean, the USC football program has 7 consecutive seasons with 11 or more wins. And, they have been in BCS Bowls, including four straight Rose Bowls. How can you question a record like that? How can you question a man whose expectations for his team is still as high as the clouds and is fired up about a freshman?

Matt Barkley hails from Mater Dei High and, according to Steve Carroll, is more advanced than any other previous USC freshman quarterback at the same stage. Barkley will have all the time in the world to hit those wide open receivers. USC returns to the field with eight offensive linemen from last season and 4 ready and willing tailbacks - including one Joe McKnight. McKnight may not be as good as Reggie Bush was, but wait til the end of the season. As a Bruin fan, I wish we could say the same for our team. We will contend, but USC should roll.

I have to give Pete Carroll props for putting his decision out there right now and not at game time. This gives the media and fans a chance to get it all out now and get to game time on Saturday against San Jose State. Just imagine if Carroll happens to be right, as a Bruin fan I hope he fails, but imagine. The Trojans will have 2 more than capable quarterbacks and will solidify their offense for years to come. - Jonny Andres