Public Insurance Off The Table?

[guido911]

You're so very right.  We'll cap your taxes in perpetuity because of your amazing success.  You've worked so hard and been so virtuous that you deserve a permanent tax vacation! 

And we will allow the likes of you to pay little taxes in perpetuity because you chose to pursue a path of mediocrity or failure.

[USRufnex]

And we will allow the likes of you to pay little taxes in perpetuity because you chose to pursue a path of mediocrity or failure.

Hate to be the bearer of bad news, Gweed..... but this is nothing new.... except that taxes on the rich are much lower nowadays than they were back in Fremont, New Hampshire in 1968....  1968 top tax bracket = 75.25%, Obama's tax on the rich = 39.6%

"...a path of mediocrity or failure?"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Shaggs

"The Shaggs. Better than the Beatles -- even today."
Frank Zappa


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxPsXPCR5MU&NR=1

Oh, the rich people want what the poor people's got
And the poor people want what the rich people's got
And the skinny people want what the fat people's got
And the fat people want what the skinny people's got

You can never please anybody in this world

The short people want what the tall people's got
And the tall people want what the short people's got
The little kids want what the big kid's got
And the big kids want what the little kid's got

And my personal favorite....
The Shaggs "My Pal Foot Foot"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yN9UT2zF8c8

[guido911]

It's not the rich vs. not-so-rich thing in this thread. It's the tired "working people" get screwed screed you and others spout off. Believe it or not, there are "rich" people that work in this country, some of them a helluva lot harder than some of those "working people" you champion. And I am going to let you in on a little secret, some of these "working people" actually are working because of rich people.

[FOTD]

It's not the rich vs. not-so-rich thing in this thread. It's the tired "working people" get screwed screed you and others spout off. Believe it or not, there are "rich" people that work in this country, some of them a helluva lot harder than some of those "working people" you champion. And I am going to let you in on a little secret, some of these "working people" actually are working because of rich people.

Republican Family Values:
Narcissism, Greed, Exploitation, Fraud, Ignorance, Hypocrisy, Self-Righteousness.

[Conan71]

Republican Family Values:
Narcissism, Greed, Exploitation, Fraud, Ignorance, Hypocrisy, Self-Righteousness.

I didn't know you were a registered Republijerk, er Repiglican, er Repug

[USRufnex]

It's not the rich vs. not-so-rich thing in this thread. It's the tired "working people" get screwed screed you and others spout off. Believe it or not, there are "rich" people that work in this country, some of them a helluva lot harder than some of those "working people" you champion. And I am going to let you in on a little secret, some of these "working people" actually are working because of rich people.

I generally like the working rich.  (more on that later)....

But I am not of fan of entrenched wealth.... I am no fan of entrenched welfare either.... and I am not a fan of the entrenched working poor.... the working poor I'd rather champion are the ones who are there temporarily.

When minimum wage is frozen for 8 years in the 80s and for 10 years over this past decade..... you are:  SCREWING THE WORKING POOR.

When healthcare costs are spiraling out of control and there is no relief or reform on the horizon..... you are:  SCREWING THE WORKING POOR.

Conversely, when minimum wage is increased from $5.15 per hour in 2007 to $7.25 in 2009, it hurts small businesses more than if those increases were spread out more evenly using a COLA every couple of years or so...... and heaven forbid a small business try to honestly cover its employees using self-insurance groups these days..... Are you a self-employed small business entrepreneur without a trust-fund?  Well, if you want reasonable healthcare benefits to cover you and your wife and kids, I would suggest getting an extra job working part-time at Starbucks....

At the risk of jeopardizing my status as WEALTH HATER AND CLASS WARFARE NINJA on this site because I do not support a flat-tax...... I personally would much rather pay a ten cent tax on every $3 bag of chips and five cents on every two-liter of pop to cover the costs of healthcare reform than levy a Pelosi-style tax on millionaires.....   

But taxing junk food ain't gonna happen anytime soon, despite the fact we already tax the wazoo out of liquor and cigarettes..... all hail Frito-Lay!   

Who do I blame for this irresponsible tax-the-rich hysteria?

I blame the high priests and priestesses of Reaganomics and dogmatic Grover Nordquist zealots.... they've successfully backed liberal and moderate dems and moderate conservatives into a corner..... any compromise that ever raises people's taxes in any way, shape or form has now become such a rallying cry and creates such a hysteria, that we no longer raise taxes in times of war or economic upheaval....

I mean, what if T. Boone Pickens could only afford $180 million to give to the OSU football program?  What if TU could only raise $15 million to renovate Skelly Stadium?  What if the new music school at my alma mater didn't get quite as much money from Wanda Bass after she died?  A few less Steinways?.... a less expensive Atrium?... Sorry, but I don't think we're talking about the establishment of a pinko-commie regime if the federal gubmint simply tries to pay its bills by taxing windfall profits and high end estate/inheritance....

So, the days of tax-and-spend liberals and deficit-hawk conservatives are over... effectively replaced by spend-and-spend conservatives and tax-the-rich-and-spend liberals....

The only time Republicans are interested in curbing the federal deficit is:  WHEN THEY'RE NOT IN POWER.

----You see, I want Tulsa to have a Major League Soccer team.  I believe we have a better fanbase and would be a a better potential market for MLS than Denver, KC and Frisco, TX...

But MLS has become a billionaires club... multi-millionaires need not apply.

Portland, Oregon will be getting an MLS team in 2011.  They will be converting PG&E Park to soccer but will be losing their AAA ballclub to..... Jenks.... er, uh.... Beaverton.  The same multi-millionaire who owns Portland's AAA baseball team also owns Portland's USL-1 soccer team....

His name:  Merritt Paulson.  You might have heard of his... cough, cough..... dad.... cough, cough...

----Now, I'm gonna let you in on a little secret..... if I want to lobby the county to see if a USL-1 team could play at the old Driller Park next summer or 2011, how do you think I'm gonna find the "local investors" to support such a venture?

A covered dish dinner for the working poor at the Wagoner Elks Lodge?  Forget about it.

A kegger at D-fest?  Nope.  Try again.

A soiree for "interested parties" at 320 S Boston?-- complete with a soccer ball made of caviar and cream cheese or goat cheese as piece de resistance?  Getting warmer....

But alas, my schmoozing skills are rusty, and my stylish olive green double breasted suit and Italian tie are too dated to use anymore..... How can I ever get my schmoozing mojo back?....... (RecycleMichael to the white courtesy phone please.... RM to the white courtesy phone.....)   

$$$ makes the world go around.

/rant.

[Conan71]

I generally like the working rich.  (more on that later)....

At the risk of jeopardizing my status as WEALTH HATER AND CLASS WARFARE NINJA on this site because I do not support a flat-tax...... I personally would much rather pay a ten cent tax on every $3 bag of chips and five cents on every two-liter of pop to cover the costs of healthcare reform than levy a Pelosi-style tax on millionaires.....   

You're screwed with this crowd now

[FOTD]

You're screwed with this crowd now

LOL!

Joe Scarborough Is Shocked, Yet Awed by Single-Payer Logic

http://www.thenation.com/blogs/notion/464837/joe_scarborough_is_shocked_yet_awed_by_single_payer_logic

"Well, he didn't use those exact words, but Joe did seem to finally get that America has granted insurance companies the right to create bottlenecks in the financing of healthcare in order to extract profits out of the suffering of ordinary people--without providing any actual healthcare whatsoever.
"Why are we paying profits for insurance companies?" Weiner asked Scarborough. "Why are we paying overhead for insurance companies? Why," he asked, bringing it all home, "are we paying for their TV commercials?"

Moron Joe was Shocked! Shocked to find logic in the room!
This will not be POTUS OBAMA's Waterloo.

Ruf....put me down. Great ideas.

[Hoss]

Sometimes the most powerful arguments come in the most unlikely of places.

Roger Ebert's take on health care reform(yes, THAT Roger Ebert).

http://blogs.suntimes.com/ebert/2009/08/im_safe_on_board_you_can_pull.html

[guido911]

Steny Hoyer believes the public option may have to go:

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0809/26335.html

It saddens me that our elected officials must resort to representing their constituents.

[USRufnex]

It saddens me that our elected officials must resort to representing squeeky wheels and liars and the industries and special interests who finance them.

There. Fixed it.

June 20, 2009
Poll: Most Back Public Health Care Option
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/06/19/opinion/polls/main5098517.shtml

Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Without Public Option, Enthusiasm for Health Care Reform, Especially Among Democrats, Collapses
http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/current_events/healthcare/august_2009/without_public_option_enthusiasm_for_health_care_reform_especially_among_democrats_collapses

Poll Bankrolled By Foes Of Health Care Reform Finds Overwhelming Support For Public Plan
http://theplumline.whorunsgov.com/president-obama/poll-bankrolled-by-foes-of-health-care-reform-finds-overwhelming-support-for-public-plan/

August 20, 2009
"Analysts say "Romney care" is basically "Obama care" minus the public option."
http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/08/20/romney.health.care/index.html?eref=rss_latest
"A new NBC News poll shows only 21 percent approve of the Republican Party's handling of health care, while 62 percent disapprove. In contrast, 41 percent approve of Obama's handling of the issue, while 47 percent disapprove."

[nathanm]

It saddens me that our elected officials must resort to representing their constituents.

I believe you are confusing constituents with donors. They are certainly being forced to listen to the latter. Not so much of the former.

After all, most people want a public option. They don't want to be forced into it, but they want it available should they so choose. Sounds pretty damn American to me. The freedom to choose.

[Red Arrow]

After all, most people want a public option.

I think they really want a reasonably priced option, it doesn't need to be a public option.

[Conan71]

One thing these polls don't indicate is how well people understand what a public option entails.

Saying that the majority support such a measure is one thing.  Actually grasping what's involved is another.

[USRufnex]

One thing these polls don't indicate is how well people understand what a public option entails.

Saying that the majority support such a measure is one thing.  Actually grasping what's involved is another.

Okay, so now that the GOP have clarified that a public option means "death counsels" and a "government takeover of healthcare" and "rationing" .....

Since Republicans refuse to support even the most humble of public options, what will members of the GOP do next in response?

A)  Support a McCain-style tax on benefits.
B)  Support a Massachusetts style program that does little to reduce costs.
C)  Support price controls.
D)  Trot out their old warhorse-- the magic bullet of "tort reform."
E)  None of the above.  IOW, support the status quo.