Usa Thread

[Steve]

With almost 2 out of 3 bankruptcies tied to health costs, I think healthcare as an issue is of paramount importance.

Newt on Heathcare: http://www.newt.org/solutions/healthcare

 

Newt's plan to save lives and save money

 

1.Make health insurance more affordable and portable by giving Americans the choice of a generous tax credit or the ability to deduct the value of their health insurance up to a certain amount and by allowing Americans to purchase insurance across state lines, increasing price competition in the industry.

2.Create more choices in Medicare by giving seniors the option to choose, on a voluntary basis, a more personal system in the private sector with greater options for better care. This would create price competition to lower costs.

3.Reform Medicaid by giving states more freedom and flexibility to customize their programs to suit their needs with a block-grant program similar to the successful welfare reform of 1996. With that block grant, each state can focus on providing the assistance to low-income families that they each need to buy health insurance.

4.Cover the sickest with a High Risk Pool set up by each state to cover the uninsured who have become too sick to buy health insurance.

5.Protect consumers by reinforcing laws which prohibit insurers from cancelling or charging discriminatory rate increases to those who become sick while insured.

6.Extend Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) throughout the health care system. Everyone on Medicare and Medicaid should be free to choose an HSA for their coverage. All workers should be free to choose an HSA in place of their employer coverage if they desire.

7.Reward quality care by changing the Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement models to take into account the quality of the care delivered and incentivizing beneficiaries to seek out facilities that deliver the best care at the lowest costs.

8.Reward health and wellness by giving health plans, employers, Medicare, and Medicaid more latitude to design benefits to encourage, incentivize, and reward healthy behaviors.

9.Stop health care fraud by moving from a paper-based system to an electronic one. Health care fraud accounts for as much as much as 10 percent of all health care spending, according to the National Health Care Anti-Fraud Association. That's more than $200 billion a year. Compare this to the 0.1% fraud rate in the credit card industry thanks to its high-tech information analysis systems.

10.Stop junk lawsuits that drive up the cost of medicine with medical malpractice reform.

11.Speed medical breakthroughs to patients by reforming the Food and Drug Administration.

12.Inform patients and consumers of price and quality so they can make informed choices about how to spend their money on care. Patients have the right to know this information, but finding it is virtually impossible.

13.Invest in research for health solutions that are urgent national priorities. Medical breakthroughs--ones that prevent or cure disease rather than treating its symptoms--are a critical part of the solution to long-term budget challenges. More brain science research, for example, could lead to Alzheimer's Disease cures and treatments that could save the federal government over $20 trillion over the next forty years.

[Steve]

As far as his economic plan I see nothing new or innovative. Its mostly the standard Republican platform. Lower corporate and capital gains taxes, let oil companies drill anywhere it wants for oil.

 

Not that I don't want the corporate rate lowered. However, it does NOT create jobs nor does it stop foreign companies from investing in America. America is the biggest, richest market. Even the poor in America have a color tv set and amenities that middle class folks in 3rd world countries have. Go to a housing project parking lot and you can't find a parking space. American companies have always made money no matter how much you tax them. They are not hiring because they have no faith in the economy and have no faith the populace will spend. Its not because their taxes are too high. Oh, they'll say that when they are asked why they aren't hiring so they can make more money but its not the reason.

 

As far as capital gains, of course it can be lowered but people who invest don't look at capital gains. I've invested. I've worked for brokerages in all levels and those that buy stocks buy it based on it being a good stock and don't buy it based on it being a bad stock. People don't say, "Hmmm...capital gains is too high so I won't buy XYZ stock" Thats BS. They expect to make a killing and will worry about how to get the profits without paying as much taxes later. Its not even a considearation. Many of you have bought and sold common stock and know this.

 

As far as drilling willy nilly, my issue is that it makes us more reliant on oil and being an oil based economy. America is a major world oil producer already. New oil fields are discovered and drilled all the time around the gloe but we don't see the price of oil lowering. Its all bullshit. Oil companies use any issue in the middle east as an excuse to jack prices and we don't even get nearly as much oil from the region as we did in the past. We should moving AWAY from an oil based economy NOT getting more entrenched in it. Oil has been trouble for years now. We've gotten into wars over protecting our source and we're stuck our noses in regions politically because of it.

 

I'm failing to see how lowering taxes creates jobs and not just makes companies richer? I'd like to do both, jobs and profits not just one sided. I don't see where Newt does that.

[kamui]

With almost 2 out of 3 bankruptcies tied to health costs, I think healthcare as an issue is of paramount importance.

Newt on Heathcare: http://www.newt.org/...ions/healthcare

 

 

 

That's the issue no one can understand outside the USA. In no other industrial country people are forced into bankruptcy because they or a member of the family get seriously ill. I wonder how many billions of USD are being wasted, burnt, because families have to reduce or stop spending (consumption, education expenses, e.g.), because they have to pay extreme premiums for health care.

The economical damage for the US society must be immense.

[Hugh_Hoy]

Riley is a documented "hatchet man" for the left. Seemingly, his current job is to attempt to portray any candidate other than Obama as unfit for the office. I find many of Newt's ideas solid, some a bit "shakey", and a few to be of no concern. I say "of no concern", cuz they probably wouldn't get off the ground. Think back to all of the ideas/promises Obama floated around 4 years ago. All of that "hope and change" bullshit. I've read that he made over 300 "promises". How many has he actually been able to keep? Not a lot, thank God. He's done enough harm and potential harm in his 3 years in office.

 

HH

(P.S.: I've voted for ONE Demoncrap in my life. LOL)

[Flashermac]

 I simply can't believe the people would elect Newt Gingrich. He blows his stack quite regularly - not a good thing for a head of state. 

[Steve]

Obama 47 Romney 41.5 Ohio http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2012/president/oh/ohio_romney_vs_obama-1860.html

Obama 43 Romney 39.8 Pena. http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2012/president/pa/pennsylvania_romney_vs_obama-1891.html

Obama 42 Romney 46 Fla (11/11 dated poll)

Obama 41 Romney 46 Mich (11/11 dated poll) *Romney's dad is a former governor there

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2011/11/21/romney_leads_obama_in_florida_michigan.html

 

Obama 305 electoral points v. Romney 220 http://www.nationalpolls.com/2012/obama-vs-romney.html

 

However it will be closer as they placed Floria in leading Dem and I don't see it. Its Romney or toss up at best right now for Obama in Florida.

[Steve]

That's the issue no one can understand outside the USA. In no other industrial country people are forced into bankruptcy because they or a member of the family get seriously ill. I wonder how many billions of USD are being wasted, burnt, because families have to reduce or stop spending (consumption, education expenses, e.g.), because they have to pay extreme premiums for health care.

The economical damage for the US society must be immense.

 

Its simple. The health industry as a collective (HMOs, the doctor guild the AMA, big Pharma, etc.) have successfully been able to not only buy off the politicians have also been able to brain wash the masses with the oft said phrase 'best medical care in the world' and not saying the rest '...if you're rich and its also the most expensive medical care in the world'.

 

The republicans would rather leave it out as an issue. They are forced to address it only because Dems have made it an issue in years past. The republican solution is the 'free market' will lower prices. I don't think it will and if its done as such it will basically make adequate healthcare something only for the rich.

 

Americans travel to India, Mexico, Thaiand, etc. for surgeries too expensive in America. Best medical care? Complete bullshit. Medical tourism is now part of our lexicon because people are priced out of healthcare in America.

 

80% at least of Americans don't have a passport so all they know is what is spoonfed to them. Those of us that do travel see the bullshit for what it is. We get our dental and other medical needs done when we're in the kingdom at a cheaper price.

[Steve]

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/buffett-blames-congress-romneys-15-155000898.html

Warren Buffett, the billionaire calling for more taxes on the rich, said Mitt Romney's U.S. tax rate of about 15 percent reflects poor laws rather than failings by the candidate for the Republican presidential nomination.

 

What makes the lowering of the tax rates that Romney, Gingrich and Republicans in general so odious is that multi millionaires as well as corporations don't pay their rate. There are so many tax write offs and loop holes it makes the existing tax rate a non issue.

 

All of them talk of lowering the corporate rate. How many corporations pay it? I'd be shocked if any of them do. Truly. The tax code and the loop holes are written by the big money companies. They write their own loopholes. Its always been that way. You don't even have to be rich. Years ago I had a "business" that mysteriously lost money each year until I could no longer write off losees then I "went out of business". Its always done. Write off rooms in your home as an home office, etc. The tax rates are bullshit for anyone making decent money. Years ago, I loved tax time because I always got a refund. All legal.

[Hugh_Hoy]

 I simply can't believe the people would elect Newt Gingrich. He blows his stack quite regularly - not a good thing for a head of state. 

 

I can see Michelle doing that. 5555555555555555 (Any doubts that she wears the pants in the family and tells Barry which way to go and how fast?)

 

HH

[Flashermac]

Makes sense ... she is big enough to beat the crap out of him.