If America truly is serious about dealing with its deficit problems, there's a fairly simple solution. But you're probably not going to like it: Enact a single-payer health care plan.

Confidence shot. Tempers up. Patience spent. This economy has Americans feeling cooked. It had been one bummer of a summer, conservatives and liberals agreed, even before the news late Friday that Standard & Poor’s reduced the nation’s top credit rating from AAA to AA-plus. The previous day, after a federal debt deal averted government default, the European credit crisis and fears of a double-dip U.S. recession crashed the Dow anyway — erasing all gains of 2011.

Central Florida Regional Medical Center nurses spoke out Friday, citing serious patient care issues at their hospital.

The National Nurses United union will be picketing outside of the Central Florida Regional Hospital at 5pm today.

Tuesday afternoon several dozen nurses employed by the University of Michigan Hospital and Health System held a press conference at the Michigan Union. Speaking on behalf of the 4,000 or so nurses in the U-M health system, the nurses alleged unfair labor practices on the university’s part and announced plans to picket if conditions don’t improve.

The University of Michigan nurses filed an amended complaint with the state that alleges bad bargaining practices on the part of their employer, they announced at a press conference today.