Obama's In Trouble With Health Care

[Flashermac]

I had a friend whose brother was a Coast Guard lighthouse keeper (Morro Bay). He got up early, put on his uniform, checked the lights to see they were functioning properly, shut them off, then drove home, changed ... and went to work! Early evening, he'd put on his uniform, check to see that the lights were functioning, switch them on, then go home. He did that for 4 years, working full time on the side. Unfortunately, the Coast Guard automatic the lighthouses and he had to go back to real duty. He decided not to re-up.

 

p.s. http://aclu.org/pizza/images/screen.swf

 

 

 

 

[Bangkoktraveler]

I had a friend whose brother was a Coast Guard lighthouse keeper (Morro Bay). He got up early, put on his uniform, checked the lights to see they were functioning properly, shut them off, then drove home, changed ... and went to work! Early evening, he'd put on his uniform, check to see that the lights were functioning, switch them on, then go home. He did that for 4 years, working full time on the side. Unfortunately, the Coast Guard automatic the lighthouses and he had to go back to real duty. He decided not to re-up.

 

p.s. http://aclu.org/pizza/images/screen.swf

 

 

 

 

 

What is sad, he is not the only person who gets paid for doing almost nothing. Surprising, none of these people consider what they are doing as being 'wrong'.

[youngfarang]

You know, when GWB was doing really bad stuff, like getting us into a war without evidence, etc. youngfarang so nothing wrong with that. Even when the Patriotic got passed and more was added on to it, youngfarang so nothing wrong with that. Even when the USA pays the tab for Iraqi health care, he saw nothing wrong with that.

 

But when it comes to do something for our own people, he claims that is terribly wrong. I can't figure the guy out, can you?

 

The way the situation is being handled by the Obama administration is terrible.Rushing it through Congress and the Senate so no one can read it again. I guarantee you some congressman haven't even read the first page of the bill.

 

I will tell you what is included in this bill because I am pretty sure you have no idea what is in it.

 

"WHO'S COVERED: Around 94 percent of non-elderly residents (those not covered by Medicare, which kicks in at age 65) would be covered -- compared with 81 percent today. Nearly half of the 17 million non-elderly residents who remain uninsured would be illegal immigrants.

 

COST: About $1.5 trillion over 10 years.

 

HOW IT'S PAID FOR: Revenue-raisers include: $544 billion from a new income tax surcharge on single people making $280,000 a year and households making $350,000 and above; $37 billion in other tax adjustments. About $500 billion in cuts to Medicare and Medicaid. About $200 billion from penalties paid by individuals and employers who don't obtain coverage.

 

REQUIREMENTS FOR INDIVIDUALS: Individuals must have insurance, enforced through tax penalty with hardship waivers. The penalty is 2.5 percent of income.

 

REQUIREMENTS FOR EMPLOYERS: Employers must provide insurance to their employees or pay a penalty of 8 percent of payroll. Companies with payroll under $250,000 annually are exempt."

 

http://bulletin.aarp.org/yourhealth/policy/articles/a_look_at_the_house_democrats_health_bill.html?CMP=KNC-360I-GOOGLE-BULL&HBX_OU=50&HBX_PK=health_care_bill

 

[rchapstick]

You know' date=' when GWB was doing really bad stuff, like getting us into a war without evidence, etc. youngfarang so nothing wrong with that. Even when the Patriotic got passed and more was added on to it, youngfarang so nothing wrong with that. Even when the USA pays the tab for Iraqi health care, he saw nothing wrong with that.

 

But when it comes to do something for our own people, he claims that is terribly wrong. I can't figure the guy out, can you?[/quote']

 

The way the situation is being handled by the Obama administration is terrible.Rushing it through Congress and the Senate so no one can read it again. I guarantee you some congressman haven't even read the first page of the bill.

 

I will tell you what is included in this bill because I am pretty sure you have no idea what is in it.

 

"WHO'S COVERED: Around 94 percent of non-elderly residents (those not covered by Medicare, which kicks in at age 65) would be covered -- compared with 81 percent today. Nearly half of the 17 million non-elderly residents who remain uninsured would be illegal immigrants.

 

COST: About $1.5 trillion over 10 years.

 

HOW IT'S PAID FOR: Revenue-raisers include: $544 billion from a new income tax surcharge on single people making $280,000 a year and households making $350,000 and above; $37 billion in other tax adjustments. About $500 billion in cuts to Medicare and Medicaid. About $200 billion from penalties paid by individuals and employers who don't obtain coverage.

 

REQUIREMENTS FOR INDIVIDUALS: Individuals must have insurance, enforced through tax penalty with hardship waivers. The penalty is 2.5 percent of income.

 

REQUIREMENTS FOR EMPLOYERS: Employers must provide insurance to their employees or pay a penalty of 8 percent of payroll. Companies with payroll under $250,000 annually are exempt."

 

http://bulletin.aarp.org/yourhealth/policy/articles/a_look_at_the_house_democrats_health_bill.html?CMP=KNC-360I-GOOGLE-BULL&HBX_OU=50&HBX_PK=health_care_bill

 

A few questions YF:

 

(1) I agree that the process seems rushed, but as I am neither a senator nor a congressman, I have no idea if it actually is rushed, or if no one has time to read it. I would assume you are in the same boat.

 

(1a) Many (myself included) would say that the previous administration did the same thing with the Patriot Act(s). Did you think those are being rushed as well?

 

(2) What parts of the bill do you find "terrible"? Surely you do not make more than $280k per annum (unless french fry cooks are making more than I thought).

 

(3) Given that you did not choose to respond to my earlier post, let me ask you again ... where did you get your figures for 50mm uninsured actually equals 8mm uninsured. Please do enlighten us.

 

(4) If you are such a deficit hawk, than why did you not complain as loudly when the previous administration spent like a drunken sailor in their so-called war on terror?

 

Personally, I have not decided if I am for or against the bill. It does feel rushed to me, and I do not sense that there is a strong mandate for cost reduction (thanks, no doubt, due to lobbying efforts by big pharma and the insurance industry). There will be a cost, and I for one am willing to pay my part for it, as the costs of doing nothing are even higher.

[shygye]

[ I don't see the right/republicans coming up with any alternative plan... The best alternative they seem to come up with is "fuck the guys who don't have it and can't afford it...".

 

Rarely has a poster written so much and said so little that is accurate. So I'll just the note the above. The Republicans have offered a different system of delivering health care...and I'd bet you have no idea of what it is like. It is at least half as expensive as the Demoncrats plans and focuses on those who really need the assistance. Best of all' date= it doesn't include some "star chamber" made up of unelected folks who will dictate if you are "too old" or "too young" to receive a certain procedure or a drug is too expensive...in short, it doesn't cut quality to keep the costs down.

 

...

HH

[/quote]

 

Geesh, the mythical GOP health plan that surprisingly was never brought up during the 6 years the GOP had control of Congress and the Whitehouse. I see even you can not state the particulars of this plan, but only give GOP platitudes.

 

Do you think it is best for private health insurance companies to decide who lives and who dies? The unelected corporate that maximize profits by denying health care.

[Old Hippie]

So we shouldn't rush it through this year...? ok, when should we have it? truth is, we should have had this years ago...but those who have are content to wait...just wondering what HH will do if he ever becomes an invalid, and has to go on some extended care not covered by his plan...spending all he has worked for before medicare kicks in and pays...happens to many...

 

Also wondering how YF as learned so much and become so wise in his what 20-21 years under his daddy's arm...? Perhaps he will ask his daddy for an answer to out questions? But I do find it good that a privileged kid who pays taxes on his minimum wage job worries where the money goes.

[rchapstick]

So we shouldn't rush it through this year...? ok, when should we have it? truth is, we should have had this years ago...but those who have are content to wait...just wondering what HH will do if he ever becomes an invalid, and has to go on some extended care not covered by his plan...spending all he has worked for before medicare kicks in and pays...happens to many...

 

Also wondering how YF as learned so much and become so wise in his what 20-21 years under his daddy's arm...? Perhaps he will ask his daddy for an answer to out questions? But I do find it good that a privileged kid who pays taxes on his minimum wage job worries where the money goes.

 

I'll agree OH that there is a balance between doing something too quick, and getting it wrong, versus waiting too long and letting people suffer. Or in the extreme doing nothing at all (see Bubba, W, et al). I am not as well versed on the details to opine as to what the sweet spot here is.

 

What is interesting now is that corporate America seems behind the idea of reform (save big pharma and the insurance industry). And health care costs will only get worse if left unchecked.

 

[rchapstick]

BTW YF, do you have any idea how much decent family coverage costs, and how much it has gone up in the last 10 years? Oh wait, DADDY is handling that part for you ...

[Flashermac]

<< The President has no Constitutional authority to do most of the things they claim they can do. They can only ask the Congress to do what they want. The Congress could have stopped everything that's happening; the wars, the Wall Street takeover, the TRILLION DOLLAR defense budget they just passed. Our so-called representatives have sold us out so many times it makes my head spin and what do we all do? We not only let them keep their jobs, but you watch, they will most likely give themselves a raise, like they always do, for the fine job of screwing us they've done over the last two years. The way we hold our representatives accountable is to let them keep their $174,000 a year jobs so they can stick it to us for another two years! In case you're wondering, that's $14,500 a month, which includes another $4,700.00 raise they just gave themselves.

 

Listen. If we are ever going to get a grip on our government, we're going to have to start acting like the employers that we are. The Congress critters work for US, not the central bankers and transnational corportions. What would you do If you owned a company and none of your employees listened to you, they lied to you, didn't do the jobs you gave them to do, and in fact, were actually working for your competition and selling your company down the river as fast as they could? I don't think you'd keep them on and give them a raise!

 

Well, that's exactly what we've been doing, only in this case, your company is our Federal Government, and your employees are the 435 members in the House of Representatives and the 100 members of the Senate, virtually all of them working for the transnational corporations (the competition) and they have already achieved a hostile takeover of our government on every level and are using the powers of our own government against us in order to take over our entire nation. >>

 

 

http://kickthemallout.com/

 

[dean]

If it's not passed and signed by the end of the year, I think it gets passed extremely watered down. 2010 is an election year and no politician wants his or her election decided by a bill whose long term benefits won't be shown for years but the taxes start immediately. After the 2010 elections, I expect to see a substantial republican increase in both houses of congress, which would rule out true health care reform. By the way, when Bush won re-election in 2004, his top priority was passing a bill which would allow one to pay less into social security and more into an IRA. This may have posponed the enevitible crash by a few years but would have lost a lot of people a lot of money when the crash came. Given Bushes desire to use his political capital in 2004, I have never understood his choice of IRA' over health care reform.