Hit piece on Palin supporting "Death Panels".... I have the facts debunking them.

, Alaska Web Site, JLB sleuthing ^ | 8-14-09 | JLB AKA Republican Extremist

[Republican Extremist]

The loons at "Think Progress" think they have caught Sarah Palin in a flip-flop. They claim that she supported "Death Panels" when she made a proclamation in 2008 on April 16th titled "Healthcare Decisions Day".

Here is the text of the Think Progress hit piece:

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For ‘Death Panels’ Before She Was Against Them? Palin Endorsed End Of Life Counseling As Governor

In recent weeks, right-wing groups have been pushing the myth that health care reform will somehow kill seniors. One of the most high profile voices pushing this lie has been Sarah Palin, who claimed President Obama will institute bureaucratic “death panels.” Today, again on her Facebook page, she continued the attack. Though some Republicans have rebuffed this absurd, inaccurate notion — like Johnny Isakson (R-GA), who called such talk “nuts” — others, like Newt Gingrich, have piled on to agree with Palin.

However, on April 16th 2008, then Gov. Sarah Palin endorsed some of the same end of life counseling she now decries as a form of euthanasia. In a proclamation announcing “Healthcare Decisions Day,” Palin urged public facilities to provide better information about advance directives, and made it clear that it is critical for seniors to be informed of such options:

WHEREAS, Healthcare Decisions Day is designed to raise public awareness of the need to plan ahead for healthcare decisions, related to end of life care and medical decision-making whenever patients are unable to speak for themselves and to encourage the specific use of advance directives to communicate these important healthcare decisions. [...]

WHEREAS, one of the principal goals of Healthcare Decisions Day is to encourage hospitals, nursing homes, assisted living facilities, continuing care retirement communities, and hospices to participate in a statewide effort to provide clear and consistent information to the public about advance directives, as well as to encourage medical professionals and lawyers to volunteer their time and efforts to improve public knowledge and increase the number of Alaska’s citizens with advance directives.

WHEREAS, the Foundation for End of Life Care in Juneau, Alaska, and other organizations throughout the United States have endorsed this event and are committed to educating the public about the importance of discussing healthcare choices and executing advance directives.

Though this proclamation is now deleted from the Alaska governor’s website, it shows that Palin’s current fear-mongering is purely political. Palin is not the only conservative leader completely flip-flopping on this issue. Merely months ago, Gingrich too endorsed end of life counseling. At a conference in April of this year, Gingrich said advance directives can “save money” while also helping to “decrease the stress felt by caregivers.”

http://thinkprogress.org/2009/08/13/...anel-flipflop/

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Now on to the facts.....

The proclamation that Think Progress says has been deleted is readily avalable here:

http://gov.state.ak.us/print_news.php?id=1094

Here is the text:

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Healthcare Decisions Day

WHEREAS, Healthcare Decisions Day is designed to raise public awareness of the need to plan ahead for healthcare decisions, related to end of life care and medical decision-making whenever patients are unable to speak for themselves and to encourage the specific use of advance directives to communicate these important healthcare decisions. WHEREAS, in Alaska, Alaska Statute 13.52 provides the specifics of the advance directives law and offers a model form for patient use.

WHEREAS, it is estimated that only about 20 percent of people in Alaska have executed an advance directive. Moreover, it is estimated that less than 50 percent of severely or terminally ill patients have an advance directive.

WHEREAS, it is likely that a significant reason for these low percentages is that there is both a lack of knowledge and considerable confusion in the public about Advance Directives.

WHEREAS, one of the principal goals of Healthcare Decisions Day is to encourage hospitals, nursing homes, assisted living facilities, continuing care retirement communities, and hospices to participate in a statewide effort to provide clear and consistent information to the public about advance directives, as well as to encourage medical professionals and lawyers to volunteer their time and efforts to improve public knowledge and increase the number of Alaska’s citizens with advance directives.

WHEREAS, the Foundation for End of Life Care in Juneau, Alaska, and other organizations throughout the United States have endorsed this event and are committed to educating the public about the importance of discussing healthcare choices and executing advance directives.

WHEREAS, as a result of April 16, 2008, being recognized as Healthcare Decisions Day in Alaska, more citizens will have conversations about their healthcare decisions; more citizens will execute advance directives to make their wishes known; and fewer families and healthcare providers will have to struggle with making difficult healthcare decisions in the absence of guidance from the patient.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Sarah Palin, Governor of the state of Alaska, do hereby proclaim April 16, 2008, as:

Healthcare Decisions Day in Alaska, and I call this observance to the attention of all our citizens.

Dated: April 16, 2008

Printed on 8/14/09 at 2:07:16 PM by 146.63.16.195

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Okay, so we know that the article they say doesn't exist actually does. Notice in the article the bolded area which the Proclamation refers to Alaska Statute 13.52 ....

So what is Alaska Statute 13.52 about?

Death Panels?

Nope...... It's about organ donation!

Read the text of the bill here:

http://www.legis.state.ak.us/basis/get_bill_text.asp?hsid=HB0214B&session=24

Stop the lie right in it's tracks. We have the truth on our side, and all it takes is a little digging to expose these frauds.

JLB

[Republican Extremist]

They just make it too easy.....

[Anti-Bubba182]

End of life counseling could easily turn into a “Death Panel”.
It is a stupid idea for a government program. It pushes all the wrong buttons.

[Sarah Barracuda]

Yep, even Sarah herself yesterday on her facebook page already debunked the latest liberal smear. These libs make it too damn easy don’t they. They are drowning badly so they bring up something Sarah did as Governor and it turns out to have NOTHING to do with end of life, absolutely hilarious. I hope Soros didn’t waste too much money on this one

[skeeter]

Its the Leftists’ MO... provide the drooling liberal media with lying smears they can run with for a day or two before the truth can catch up.

[Republican Extremist]

Read the bill. It was only about making sure that if they were organ donors that the state had to follow through on their wishes.

[Al B.]

I hope Soros didn’t waste too much money on this one.

I hope he wasted all $5 million on this...LOL.

[Sarah Barracuda]

Knowing the way Soros blows money, I wouldn’t me surprised if he pissed away 10 mil on this “project”

[militanttoby]

“They just make it too easy..... “

They are desperate, but as you say easily debunked.

Thanks for post.

[annies mom]

I am trying to understand. If Sarah was really talking about organ donations, wouldn’t she have cited 13.50 instead of 13.52? 13.50 is ALL about organ donation. The bill text talks about amending organ donation language in 13.50 and 13.52. In the latter, that occurs in section 200 only. And there are lots and lots and lots of sections in 13.52! So..... please help me understand this!

[Condor51]

I think Obama's Deathcare needs an Anthem
(His little Obamabots can sing this in school)

KILL 'EM ALL (midi)

There'll be many American who'll die-off today
Doctors can't decide any more;
There's now a new panel of bean countin' men
Deciding whose worthy of more.

It may be your sister who needs a new liver
Or Daddy who just broke his arm.
They wont get any lotions or new fangled potions
The panel said they all have to go.

(Chorus)
Kill 'em all, Kill 'em all
The old, the infirm, and the small
From granny and grandpa and old uncle Ned
To poor little Jenny who lays sick in her bed

We're saying goodbye to them all
Back to their beds they all crawl
They're no longer useful so we've cut of their meds
We'll save money the sooner they're dead.

I did this quick, still needs a little touching up.

[freethinker_for_freedom]

We seem to be getting different information. I pulled up Alaska Statutes Section 13.52 and I got this:

“(b) An adult may execute a durable power of attorney for health care, which may authorize the agent to make any health care decision the principal could have made while having capacity. The power remains in effect notwithstanding the principal’s later incapacity and may include individual instructions.”

So it appears that it is not limited to organ donation.

[SuperLuminal]

bttt