Beating someone to the punch

Awhile back you may remember me discussing some personal issues here on the site, specifically my problems in getting good health insurance.  I got some great advice from readers, ultimately leading me to a good plan that costs around a thousand dollars a month, but is still less than a third of our previous out-of-pocket yearly medical costs.

After I posted about finding the plan and what the cost was, someone emailed me and asked if an “anonymous” benefactor could offer to pay my first year’s premiums.  $12,000.  I was skeptical of course, but since I’m not an idiot, I accepted.  When the check arrived, I was overly cautious.  I tracked the company that issued the check, the bank it was drawn on...I found a hotline you could call to check the status of drafts issued by this third-party company, and the number on the check (actually more like a money order) checked out.  I even went so far as to see where the branches of the issuing bank might be physically located, and there are like five of them within walking distance of Moore’s home and office in New York City.

I was still a bit skeptical, so I opened a whole new account at my bank, waited for it to clear, checked twice with bank personnel to make sure it wasn’t a scam, and waited a full 60 days before spending the money.  At that time, I started drawing on it and paying the monthly premiums until it was gone.  The whole time...from the moment I was first emailed (and I still have all the emails with full headers if it becomes necessary to publish them) I was convinced that it was Michael Moore behind it all.

I knew he was using me.  I knew he would try to turn this to his advantage some day.  That day may be upon us.  I was just warned by someone in the know that Moore is about to drop the hammer on me.

Could this all be nonsense?  Was it a truly anonymous person who was just trying to make my life easier after the hell we’ve been through the past 7 years?  is it possible that Moore has nothing to do with this and never did?

Maybe.

Is it possible that Moore is going to try to make me into one of his little puppets and pull a “gotcha?” Yes.  Yes it is.  I wish I knew what the truth was.  I don’t.  I only know my part in it.

For the record: I’m not an idiot.  I know when to say yes to something, even if the string attached is obvious.  $12,000 was like manna from heaven at that time.  As you all may remember, I was being bled dry by the scumbag that used to host the server on which this site resides.  My business was almost dead, my wife was very, very ill and I was racking up a few little health problems of my own.  That money made it possible for us to begin to turn our lives around.

If I knew that money came from the tax base, if it was government money, I would have said “no.” I didn’t and don’t believe in supporting a “universal” health care system, and I don’t think it’s the role of government to steal from the rich and give to the poor.

What I support, and what I was led to believe, was this was a private individual that wanted to remain anonymous who just wanted to help me on a person-to-person basis.  That is why I said yes.  That, and what kind of moron turns down a free twelve grand?

Again, please let me be crystal clear on what I think is the most important poiunt here: I was told this was a private individual who just wanted to help me personally.  It had nothing to do with the site, politics or anything else.  I was told it was just someone who decided they could help another person.  That is why I said yes.

If this was Moore behind it all, then I have to say...nice try, dude, but I’m not going to play your game.  You can call it a cost of promotion.  This site has sold more books and DVDs for you than that $12,000 could ever buy.  You’ve gotten your money’s worth.  If it was you, Mikey...your $12,000 doesn’t buy my silence.  It won’t buy my affection, nor will I shy away from talking about whatever may or may not be in your new film.  I’ll still be the same guy, expressing my opinion and trying his best to research facts you tend to skip over or ignore.  All you bought for your money - if it was yours - was the peace of mind of knowing you actually helped someone who needed it.  Wouldn’t it be nice if that was where is stayed?  Ultimately, my accepting that donation has absolutely no bearing on the larger debate about health care in America, and I won’t engage you or anyone else in a bank-and-forth on it so you can sound-byte my words into something they aren’t.

You can read all about any response I may or may not have in the future at Moorewatch.com.