Usa Thread

[Steve]

Scranton is a blue collar, industrial, factory town from decades ago. Cities like these that are all over Pennsylvania, Ohio and Michigan, states that were the heart of industrial America have been suffering since the '70s. Some a slow death, some rapid. Lots of these jobs are overseas.

 

This city is a prime example where massive inftrastructure projects could be useful. Money doesn't go anywhere, it simply transfers from place to another.

 

http://bottomline.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/07/10/12659748-scranton-pa-slashes-workers-pay-to-minimum-wage?lite

Unions representing civil servants in Scranton, Pa., filed suit Tuesday after the mayor cut pay for police, firefighters, garbage collectors and other public workers to minimum wage, saying that was all the city could afford.

Unions representing police, fire and public workers in the city of 76,000 filed three lawsuits after the city defied a judge's order and issued paychecks Friday that paid 398 city employees at the minimum wage of $7.25 an hour, according to the Scranton Times-Tribune.

The lawsuits against Mayor Chris Doherty include one filed in federal court under the Fair Labor Standards Act accusing the city of failing to pay wages on time and failing to pay overtime. Another lawsuit seeks to hold the mayor in contempt for violating a judges order. Yet another alleges that benefits for disabled police and firefighters were cut without a hearing.

The Times-Tribune, quoting City Business Manager Ryan McGowan, reported that as of Monday the city had $133,000 in cash, but owed $3.4 million in vendor bills. One of those bills was health insurance, McGowan said.

Scranton is among a number of cities struggling to pay their bills amid rising labor costs. Earlier this month, Stockton, Calif., became the largest city in U.S. history to file for bankruptcy protection from creditors.

Scranton's mayor and the city council have been locked in a dispute over how to raise money in a city that has steadily lost population over the past 50 years and has been hit hard by the real estate slump and the Great Recession that followed. Doherty has argued that the city needs to increase taxes, but council members want to find other ways to raise money. Doherty is a Democrat. The city council is comprised of Democrats.

The Scranton newspaper said the city has been designated as financially distressed for 20 years.

[Steve]

http://news.yahoo.com/gop-offers-health-care-repeal-without-alternative-204054205.html

GOP offers health care repeal without alternative

Not surprising they don't. Howevver the article did say that the '09 Republicans offered this, which I think is good and a bear minimum.

 

Republicans in both houses have suggested numerous measures in recent years to remake parts of the sprawling health care system. The last time the party offered a full-fledged legislative alternative was in 2009, meaning that none of the dozens of first-termers elected in 2010 were involved in its drafting.

That measure called for capping medical malpractice judgments, allowing insurance companies to sell policies across state lines and permitting small businesses to pool together to purchase coverage for their employees.

It also would have provided funds to the states to help maintain high-risk insurance pools for people with pre-existing conditions, for whom insurance is otherwise either unavailable or prohibitively expensive.

Taken together, Republicans said at the time their alternative would have reduced federal health care costs as well as the deficit. It also shunned the government mandates at the heart of the law that eventually passed.

 

The power of the insurance lobby is evidenced in that you can't sell insurance across state lines. Its crazy that they can't. I read where Wellpoint raised fees 39% in the last few years in California and no one can do anything about it because they are one of the only games in town so you pretty much have few alternatives.

 

I'd even allow FOREIGN insurance companies in IF they meet certain financial requirements, have a cash reserve that will adequately cover claims. They have to be strong enough to enter.

 

The problem with the above suggestions is that it doesn't cover the uninsured. You lose your job, what happens? There are millions on social welfare. I don't like it but they have to be taken care of.

 

We also need to loosen restrictions and allow a whole lot more doctors, nurses, anesthesiologists, etc. in. Increase the competition. Pharmacist companies like Rite Aid and such wanted to have clinics on location as well and the AMA fought that. They don't want any competition and they site 'health care' concerns which is a crock of shit. These clinics take care of basic needs. They're not doing brain surgery...literally. Those get referred to experts. They would take care of the same things that your family doctor did many decades ago. They should allow this in areas with a high number of poor like the inner city and rural America like West Virginia as well as older folks like retirees in Florida and Arizona for example.

[Hugh_Hoy]

No one pays the penalty if they have health insurance.

 

Not really true, in that those who have their own private insurance have already seen their premiums increase and they will continue to increase. As for those who are tied to Medicare, while benefits may not decrease, the premiums will increase. So the middle class gets it in the ass by Obamacare. All of this shit cuz maybe 15% of the population doesn't have health insurance. Lots of reasons for that. In the meantime, lots of luck finding a doctor who will accept Medicare and these "exchange" policies. Many already do not accept those patients and even more limit the number of patients they see who are so covered. Obama doesn't give a shit. He and his socialist fucksticks don't have a clue what they are doing. Well, maybe they do. Put em all up against the wall. Obama has told so many lies and half-truths about his "signature" legislation, that it's tough to keep up. A couple of them are addrssed in the first 2 sentences above.

 

HH

[cavanami]

I don't live in the USA, haven't for a few decades...now I am FORCED to buy healthcare? Will BUPA suffice? Wanna bet it won't?

 

It's bad enough I have to pay for Medicare and can not use it outside the USA, now Obamacare...a HUGE insult to injury!!!

[kamui]

Not really true, in that those who have their own private insurance have already seen their premiums increase and they will continue to increase. As for those who are tied to Medicare, while benefits may not decrease, the premiums will increase. So the middle class gets it in the ass by Obamacare. All of this shit cuz maybe 15% of the population doesn't have health insurance. Lots of reasons for that. In the meantime, lots of luck finding a doctor who will accept Medicare and these "exchange" policies. Many already do not accept those patients and even more limit the number of patients they see who are so covered. Obama doesn't give a shit. He and his socialist fucksticks don't have a clue what they are doing. Well, maybe they do. Put em all up against the wall. Obama has told so many lies and half-truths about his "signature" legislation, that it's tough to keep up. A couple of them are addrssed in the first 2 sentences above.

 

HH

 

I guess everybody knows that the US health care system is completely fucked up. You pay more than any European citizen while in Texas alone around 25% are uninsured. I have read that 1/3 of the bankruptcies in middle class families are caused by exploding health care costs.

 

I guess you have the health care system you deserve, because of your "each on his own policy" and because you let the health care industry let run the show. This policy doesn't work in health care. I's like being forced to pay for your own policemen or firefighter for your house...

[Steve]

HH!! Its been way too long!! I hope (was gonna say pray but not with this anti religion crowd on here) all is well. Good to see you haven't forgotten us and you took a break from chasing ass to give an opinion.

 

Cav (and others), I don't know much about Obamacare admittedly. So, just want to make sure its confirmed that expats will have to pay?

Were permanently overseas I wouldn't want the added expense. If that is so, isn't there an amount of income that if you're below it, you either don't have to pay or its fairly low (although I can understand it if ANY additional expense is not wanted)? How would they enforce it? I know you have to file taxes...technically, but I know more than a few Americans overseas who haven't filed for years.

 

There is one thing though is that the way we dispense and pay for health care MUST be reformed.

 

To see just how receptive Americans are to it, I'd like to see a full vote, President, Congress and Governors, to either make health care a right and add to the constitution with other rights or don't.

 

 

Make it a national debate so we can address some core issues.

[allistar]

HH, I think that Unit 731 was referring to the penalty charged by the IRS to those that don't buy health insurance under Obamacare. If you buy the insurance, you don't pay the penalty. Concerning Americans that live overseas, I did quote one chat form that stated if you lived outside the U.S. for over 300 days, you would not be required to buy health insurance. Maybe, someone should check with HRS to see if that is the government's official policy. In any case, I'm all for constructive changes to Obamacare, to make it better, particularly in containing xosts. I'm not for throwing the whole thing out.

[unit731]

Not really true, in that those who have their own private insurance have already seen their premiums increase and they will continue to increase. As for those who are tied to Medicare, while benefits may not decrease, the premiums will increase. So the middle class gets it in the ass by Obamacare. All of this shit cuz maybe 15% of the population doesn't have health insurance. Lots of reasons for that. In the meantime, lots of luck finding a doctor who will accept Medicare and these "exchange" policies. Many already do not accept those patients and even more limit the number of patients they see who are so covered. Obama doesn't give a shit. He and his socialist fucksticks don't have a clue what they are doing. Well, maybe they do. Put em all up against the wall. Obama has told so many lies and half-truths about his "signature" legislation, that it's tough to keep up. A couple of them are addrssed in the first 2 sentences above.

 

HH

 

 

No one pays penalty if they already have heath insurance.

You can dance around this fact. But it is fact.

[unit731]

Presidential canditate Romny booed during speech at NAACP today.

 

Boo came when candidate Romney stated he would do away with current health care.

[kamui]

Presidential canditate Romny booed during speech at NAACP today.

 

Boo came when candidate Romney stated he would do away with current health care.

 

I guess the NAACP audience especially didn't like that Romny used the GOP speech of "Obamacare". They might have seen it as a double attack...