Category: Community

April 15^th… that dreaded date is rapidly approaching. As we scramble to pay “our fair share,” one question seems to get lost in the shuffle: What did I just pay for? Well, a lot of things. Some of which are going to surprise you. Perhaps you thought you were paying thousands for assistance to countries whose citizens seem to like to stomp around and burn our flag? No … it’s about $40 a year. Keep in mind now that if interest rates rise so will interest on the debt—and that could get nasty. Then again, if a major war breaks out, we’re all going to have to ante up.

 

 

The average household paid about $13,000 in income taxes to Uncle Sam for 2015. (We haven’t paid for 2016 yet remember.) Of that $13,000, the federal government spent:

$3,728.92 (28.7 percent) on health programs

$3,299.13 (25.4 percent) on the military

$1,776.06 (3.7 percent) on interest on the debt

$1,040.93 (8 percent) on unemployment compensation and labor programs

$771.26 (5 percent) on veterans’ benefits

$598.74 (4.6 percent) on food and agriculture programs

$461.59 (3.6 percent) on education programs

$377.50 (2.9 percent) on general government expenses

$250.03 (1.9 percent) on housing and community programs

$207.68 (1.6 percent) on energy and environmental programs

$194.29 (1.5 percent) on international affairs programs

$150.68 (1.2 percent) on transportation funding

$143.20 (1.1 percent) on scientific funding

Next question….Who’s actually paying most of the taxes? Do the wealthy pay less taxes than the middle class and the poor?

The study, from the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, found that “virtually every state’s tax system is fundamentally unfair, taking a much greater share of income from low- and middle-income families than from wealthy families.” The report added that state and local tax systems are “indirectly contributing to growing income inequality by taxing low- and middle-income households at significantly higher rates than wealthy taxpayers.” In other words, it said that the tax systems are “upside down,” with the poor paying more and the rich paying less. Overall, the poorest 20 percent of Americans paid an average of 10.9 percent of their income in state and local taxes and the middle 20 percent of Americans paid 9.4 percent. The top one percent, meanwhile, pay only 5.4 percent of their income to state and local taxes.

But numbers like these can be misleading, and there are two sides to every coin. Drawing a far different conclusion, the more conservative Tax Policy Center has concluded that the “top one percent of Americans paid 33.4 percent of their expanded cash income (a broad measure of pretax income) in federal taxes. Middle class Americans—or those in the middle 20 percent —pay 13.7 percent of their income to federal taxes, while the poorest pay 3.1 percent.

Up to now, it doesn’t appear that any study has looked at the combined federal, state, and local tax burdens as a share of certain income groups. But Roberton Williams of the Tax Policy Center said that combining all taxes would almost certainly show that the wealthy pay more than the rest.

In other words, we’re probably not going to be able to give you a final answer on that one any time soon. So I guess, as Einstein would have said, “Everything is relative”…even taxes.

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I recently went to a dental lecture where the Veterinary Dentist referred to a dog with a complete mouth of diseased teeth that needed to be removed as “toothanasia.” On the ride home from the lecture, my wife asked me if I have ever had to do that and I told her about Princess the Maltese.

Princess was not a princess. She was one of the only Maltese that I have ever had to muzzle so an oral exam was not going to happen and dental home care was also out of the picture. One day the owner brought in a video of Princess eating. She would go over to the food bowl and pick out a piece of kibble and chew it then spit it out. Then she would pick it up with the other side of the mouth and chew some more and then eventually swallow it. The time to finish the entire meal took her hours and she would frequently walk away without finishing. When the owner gave her a soft meal or canned food she would swallow it whole. I told them that it sounds like she is having dental pain and unfortunately I have to recommend a dental procedure without actually being able to look at the teeth. They were concerned about how many teeth would need to be extracted but were excited that the breath would be better and she would not be in pain anymore.

The owners were nervous about Princess and I told them if they wanted to stay for the induction of anesthesia and actually see her teeth before I x-rayed them then that would be fine. Her pre-surgical bloodwork was fine and I placed an IV catheter and gave her the sedative. From there we put in the endotracheal tube and was able to see a mouth of green and black teeth. The closer we looked the more the smell of the mouth hit us. We keep a jar of Vicks vapor rub that we can put a dab under our nostrils if the smell is that bad and for Princess it was. I decided to bring Mom and Dad in to see. I showed them that 85 percent of the teeth were actually loose in the mouth. When I took my probe to the molars her jaw would tremble. Under anesthesia, she should not be feeling any discomfort but a metal probe to the tooth root is uncomfortable. I let them stay in the other room while I took the x-rays and every tooth except the four canines was either abscessed or did not have enough bone coverage to make the tooth sturdy and solid.

Mom was upset and dad was concerned that if we took out all of the teeth minus the four canines how she would eat. I reminded them that the reason we got to this point is that they brought in a video showing that Princess could not eat pain-free and at home dental brushings were not possible. Not that the whole episode needed more drama, but when I was probing one of the premolars with my dental probe the tooth actually fell out. Mom looked at me and was mortified. She wanted to see the tooth and when she brought it close to her face the smell hit her. She was wondering why Vicks was on the table and now understood. So we all agreed based on x-ray we were going to perform the necessary extractions.

The surgery went well and Princess was sent home with a week of antibiotics, pain medications, and recommendations of soft food. I asked to see her a week later and mom said that she couldn’t make it, but she was doing well with the soft food. I eventually examined her one month later and could not believe the change. She was eating her hard food again. The owners were totally fine with the canned food but caught her eating a dog biscuit and enjoying it. They gave her the hard kibble and seemed to gum it and be more satisfied with eating it compared to the canned food. They put her on my examination table and without hesitation opened her mouth for me to see and it looked great. No teeth but for the first time I was able to look at her mouth without a muzzle. I felt a little lucky so I approached Princess to look a little closer and the growling started. I had to remember that Princess was no princess.

Glenn Kalick, DVM is a veterinarian at Brookside Animal Hospital. Visit Brooksidevet.com.

 

If you’re hosting a Superbowl party this month, you know how much work goes into the preparation process. If the stress starts to feel overwhelming, just be thankful you’re not responsible for throwing a week-long Superbowl party for all South Florida that will be scrutinized by economic, sports and pop culture analysts and historians.

 

That’s the weight on the shoulders of Mike Zimmer, president of the Miami Super Bowl Host Committee. After a 10-year drought, South Florida will host Superbowl LIV (54) in 2020.

“Ninety-nine percent of residents in Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties won’t go to the game, so my primary goal is to bring the game to them,” Zimmer said. “We’ll hold events in their neighborhoods so they have the opportunity to celebrate with the players, NFL Hall of Famers, and team mascots. Every person in South Florida will have the opportunity to touch the Superbowl.”

Cities that want to enter the Super Bowl bid process must form a host committee to lead the presentation. After selecting Miami for Superbowl LIV, the committee – not the Miami Dolphins or any government organizations – enters a contract with the NFL and serves as the primary liaison between the league and the entire tri-county community.

Zimmer had the same position from 2008 to 2011, where he was directly responsible for overseeing and coordinating the daily operations and preparations for Super Bowl XLIV and the NFL’s Pro Bowl in 2010. That game was the 10th Miami hosted. When the ‘Big Game’ returns in 2020, it will make history for both the league and South Florida.

Although it will be the 54th Superbowl, 2020 will mark the NFL’s Centennial anniversary (dating back before the merger with the AFL). Miami will be the host city for a record-setting 11th time, breaking the current tie with New Orleans for the most ever. Both are significant milestones to add to the long sports and pop culture timelines that tie the NFL and South Florida together.

Miami played host to four of the first 10 Super Bowls, beginning in 1968 with Superbowl II. The Green Bay Packers beat the Oakland (later Los Angeles, then Oakland again, and soon-to-be Las Vegas) Raiders 33-14. That game was Vince Lombardi’s final game as the Packers’ head coach. The Superbowl trophy carries Lombardi’s name and he remains the icon that all other coaching greats like Shula, Knoll, Landry, Gibbs, Parcells, and Belichick are compared to.

The Pittsburgh Steelers and Dallas Cowboys teams of the 1970s, led by quarterbacks Terry Bradshaw and Roger Staubach, clashed in Superbowl X and XIII. The Steelers won both by a total of eight points.

The San Francisco 49ers quarterback Joe Montana helped cement his own Hall of Fame legacy in 1989 by leading the game-winning drive against the Cincinnati Bengals from his own eight-yard line with just over three minutes to play. The famous Montana to John Taylor touchdown pass with only with 34 seconds left on the clock remains a staple of any Superbowl all-time highlights reel.

Speaking of great quarterbacks, Steve Young, John Elway, Peyton Manning, and Drew Brees all won their first Super Bowls in Miami. Yet none of these games may be as famous as “The Guarantee” game – Superbowl III in 1969 between the Baltimore Colts and New York Jets.

Jets quarterback Joe Namath guaranteed his team would win the game in the days leading up to Superbowl Sunday. It was a seemingly ridiculous, arrogant statement to make considering the Colts were the heavy favorite and teams from the NFL had won the previous two Super Bowls against teams from the old AFL. But Namath led his team to a 16-7 victory in a game that not only made football history but also brought the NFL into popular culture.

Namath was as much a cultural icon as a great football player, lounging poolside before the game and making public appearances in full-length fur coats. Can you imagine how large his Broadway Joe image would have become if he had access to today’s social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram? He’d be bigger than the Kardashians.

Remember the famous Coca-Cola commercial that first aired during Superbowl XIII in 1979 featuring the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Mean Joe Greene tossing a little boy his jersey? The halftime show for Superbowl XXIII in 1989 was broadcast in 3-D, including the first-ever 3D TV commercial for Diet Coke.
There have been some amazing Superbowl halftime shows featuring legendary artists such as Bruce Springsteen, The Who, and Beyoncé. Yet they were all eclipsed by Prince’s performance in Miami during Superbowl XLI in 2007. There was a steady rainstorm through the first half, and the downpour threatened to ruin the halftime show. But when a Superbowl official alerted Prince he’d have to sing and play his electric guitar, Rolling Stone magazine reports Prince simply asked, “can you make it rain harder?”

It may not be possible to make the Superbowl itself any bigger than it has become. Thirty-second TV commercial spots go for millions of dollars, and celebrities from all over the world will attend the game. So Zimmer and the Miami Superbowl Host Committee are going to make the days leading up to Superbowl Sunday bigger than ever. The centerpiece of events and celebrations that will take place across Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties will be the transformation of downtown Miami into Super Bowl Park.

“We’re going to take over 43 acres across 14 city blocks stretching between Bayfront Park and Museum Park,” Zimmer said. “Superbowl Park will be on a scale never done before. We’re partnering with the NFL, the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the Dolphins and countless other organizations to put on exhibitions, concerts, and activities for kids. Basically, we’re turning downtown into an enormous, family friendly tailgate party.”

Although the game is three years away, Zimmer and his team are already under a time crunch. The priorities are creating the sales and marketing teams that will raise the more than $20 million dollars necessary to put on such a massive undertaking.

Estimates for the economic impact to South Florida are expected to exceed $200 million. That does not include the publicity and future tourism dollars the event will generate.

“When you consider the media exposure our communities, businesses, and tourism destinations will receive for one week, you just can’t buy that kind of publicity,” Zimmer said.

The only thing that would make it crazier for the South Florida native? The Miami Dolphins becoming the first team to play for the Superbowl trophy in its hometown.

“That would be off the chart,” Zimmer said. “We’d have the combination of the NFL’s 100th anniversary and the team’s own rich history. I’m a big Dolphins fan, so I don’t fear that scenario. I’ll take the Dolphins in the Superbowl anytime, anywhere.”

 

PHOTOS:

 

SB3Namath: Joe Namath plays Super Bowl III.

Meanjoegreene: Diet Coke commercial featuring Mean Joe Greene.

Prince; Prince playing the halftime show in the rain at Superbowl XLI.

Women’s Health

As a practicing gynecologist in Coral Springs for many years, and as a menopause specialist (NAMS Menopause Practitioner), one of the most common conditions I diagnose and treat in the 50 to 90 age group is vulvovaginal atrophy, now known in more current terminology as Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause. This condition encompasses a multitude of symptoms which are disruptive to menopausal women’s quality of life and relationships. The symptoms include vaginal dryness, irritation, itching, burning, and discomfort with intercourse. Urinary symptoms can occur as well, including discomfort during urination, urinary frequency and urgency, and some types of incontinence.

 

How do we treat women who have one or more of these symptoms? Many women will initially utilize over-the-counter lubricants and moisturizers. In most cases these are only minimally effective. Local vaginal estrogen therapies are available and are effective for some women. Many women fail to adhere to the regimen of inserting creams or tablets, and some are concerned about using a hormonal therapy, although the risks are minimal with local therapies. However many women who have had breast or uterine cancer are cautioned not to use estrogen therapy. There is an oral medication available for these symptoms which is effective for some women, but does have some minimal risks.

 

Enter a new player to the field of treating symptomatic menopausal women. There is an exciting new treatment available for the restoration of vaginal health. This therapy is known as the MonaLisa Touch laser procedure. This CO2 laser technology was developed in Europe where many women have been successfully treated. The procedure has been embraced by many female pelvic health experts in the United States. It has been performed in the U.S. for two years and is cleared by the FDA. It is backed by several scientific studies that have been published, and there are several studies ongoing. The initial study published in the U.S. was done by well known urogynecologists Dr. Eric Sokol and Dr. Mickey Karram from Stanford University and Christ Hospital in Cincinnati. Results of this study showed significant improvement in all symptoms, including vaginal pain, burning, itching, dryness, discomfort with intercourse, and discomfort with urination, at both three and 12 months post-treatment.

 

So how is this procedure done, and what should a patient expect? The procedure is performed in the physician’s office. It is considered to be minimally invasive. Only topical anesthetics are used. A CO2 laser is employed to deliver energy to the vaginal wall and on the external skin to remove damaged cells and create a mild thermal effect. The thermal effects promote the synthesis of new collagen and elastic fibers, as well as re-establishing normal blood flow to the area. The procedure takes a few minutes and has very minimal discomfort. The patient receives three treatments at six week intervals. One yearly maintenance treatment is recommended for continued vaginal health.

 

The MonaLisa Touch laser procedure is safe for women who have had breast or uterine cancer. No estrogen or topical steroids are involved. Besides the symptoms already mentioned, the procedure can be used for women with other vulvar skin conditions such as lichen sclerosus, with proven success. It can be used for women who have had a hysterectomy in the past, a group that typically has pronounced vaginal atrophy if the cervix and ovaries were removed. There are also applications for other types of skin damage in other areas of the body.

 

In summary, the MonaLisa Touch laser procedure for treatment of Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause, is a very effective, minimally invasive and safe procedure, which has been scientifically proven to help women with restoration of vaginal health, improvement of sexual function, improvement of urinary symptoms, and overall restoration of quality of life in menopause.

 

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