Politics

[95NDAlumNM]

I don't think the ACA is a good thing, but the GOP isn't doing itself any favors by trying to roadblock it. They should step aside, let it unfurl, and allow the Dems to own it. If the ACA makes things better, well, then just say "good for you" and move onto other issues (this country has more than a few that need attention). If, on the other hand, the ACA turns into a big mess, then the GOP can step up and say "we told you so, now let's try things our way." Republicans are focusing too hard on this one battle that they risk losing the war.

But they do not have a way. They have not come up with their own plan that fixes the health care problems and I think that is part of the problem. If they had a alternative plan that they could pitch to the American people then maybe people would be listening. Instead they are acting like spoiled children who do not get their way. The rest of your comment I agree with for the most part.

 

[Kanye West]

The invention of insurance has to be one of the worst ideas ever....

 

[Black Irish]

But they do not have a way. They have not come up with their own plan that fixes the health care problems and I think that is part of the problem. If they had a alternative plan that they could pitch to the American people then maybe people would be listening. Instead they are acting like spoiled children who do not get their way. The rest of your comment I agree with for the most part.

There are conservative alternatives. Yes, the GOP is not pushing those options right now, but they do exist, as others on this thread have pointed out. A quick search of National Review or The Weekly Standard's sites will provide you with plenty of articles laying out those alternatives. Maybe the GOP is taking a "one thing at a time approach." I don't know, but I agree that their stance would have more credibility if they were floating their own options along with their anti-ACA stance. They could sell it by saying "We tried it Obama's way, now let's try the American Way." A cheap shot, yes, but this is politics.

 

[Black Irish]

This is an excerpt from an article on Cracked.com. It's a humor site, but they do illustrate a real problem with spiraling health care costs.

"An angiogram in the U.S. costs 26 times what it does in Canada. Canada is right there! Depending on where you live in the States, you could conceivably look out your window at the Canadian border and literally watch $879 burst into flames. But why? It's not (solely) because of socialization, or the lack thereof -- it's because the hospitals and insurance companies are involved in a sort of cold war of blatant fraud that leads to constantly escalating prices. Each hospital has a "chargemaster" -- a list of what it charges for every item or service. No two hospitals' chargemasters are quite the same, but they all have one thing in common: gigantic markups. But the insurance companies know it's a hot steaming wad of crap, so they use their largess to haggle with the hospitals and get upwards of 70 percent discounts off the list prices. Hospitals then have to mark everything up, because they know those bastard insurance companies are only going to pay 30 percent of the asking price. You see where this is going: Those without the necessary influence to haggle (i.e., you, the uninsured jerkwad with third-degree trebuchet burns) are pretty well screwed."

 

[irishpat183]

Maher: California’s economy is booming because ‘we’re tea party-free!’ | The Raw Story

LOL!!!!! My God....You don't even see it.

Worst state to do biz in, debt up to your eyes, cities going bankrupt.

But hey! Bill Maher says you're ok!

 

[irishpat183]

In reality California's unemployment rate has averaged approximately 7.6 percent for the last 35 years. Were you trying to make a point?

I'm sure people that are unemployed now, or moving to Texas to do biz, really give a damn whay your "approximate rate over the last 35 yrs" has been.


CA is an economic cesspool. High taxes and absurd spending. What a healthy combo!

 

[Wild Bill]

This is an excerpt from an article on Cracked.com. It's a humor site, but they do illustrate a real problem with spiraling health care costs.

"An angiogram in the U.S. costs 26 times what it does in Canada. Canada is right there! Depending on where you live in the States, you could conceivably look out your window at the Canadian border and literally watch $879 burst into flames. But why? It's not (solely) because of socialization, or the lack thereof -- it's because the hospitals and insurance companies are involved in a sort of cold war of blatant fraud that leads to constantly escalating prices. Each hospital has a "chargemaster" -- a list of what it charges for every item or service. No two hospitals' chargemasters are quite the same, but they all have one thing in common: gigantic markups. But the insurance companies know it's a hot steaming wad of crap, so they use their largess to haggle with the hospitals and get upwards of 70 percent discounts off the list prices. Hospitals then have to mark everything up, because they know those bastard insurance companies are only going to pay 30 percent of the asking price. You see where this is going: Those without the necessary influence to haggle (i.e., you, the uninsured jerkwad with third-degree trebuchet burns) are pretty well screwed."

I understand your overall point but I have to disagree last sentence. I've negotiated several medical bills. It doesn't require influence or a ton of money. You need some nerve and a little bit of patience. I usually settle between 20%-60% of the total amount owed.

 

[GoIrish41]

I'm sure people that are unemployed now, or moving to Texas to do biz, really give a damn whay your "approximate rate over the last 35 yrs" has been.


CA is an economic cesspool. High taxes and absurd spending. What a healthy combo!

I'd still rather live in California than Texas.

 

[irishpat183]

On the Monday, September 30, The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell, substitute host Alex Wagner read a tweet written by guest Bruce Bartlett in which the former George H.W. Bush administration official expressed hope that the Tea Party would soon "die a well-deserved death."

After Bartlett referred to "Tea Party clowns" as he hoped that Republican leaders would manage to "put them down or limit their influence," Wagner expresed her approval of her guest calling Tea Party Republicans "clowns" as she began her response:

Bruce refers to the "Tea Party clowns," and I think a lot of people would agree with that designation...

Wagner had raised Bartlett's tweet:

Bruce, you sounded a note of hope in the wilderness earlier tonight. You tweeted: "There's a slight possibility that Boehner is a genius and the Tea Party will die a well-deserved death in the next few days. Fingers-crossed."

Lots of fingers crossed on that. Can you explain your thesis there?

Bartlett began:

Well, it was based on a report by Byron York in the Examiner, and Byron is very, very well-connected on the right side of the Republican party, and he was saying basically that there's really only 30 members who are really, really dug in on this anti-Affordable Care Act position and absolutely refuse compromise. And he said there's 175 who will instantly vote for a clean continuing resolution if they are simply given the freedom to cast that vote.

He continued:

And, as yet, they have not been given that freedom. And I think -- my thinking was that Boehner is waiting for the public opinion, for Wall Street, for the other players in the Republican party to finally read the riot act to these Tea Party clowns and maybe put them down or limit their influence in the Republican party to where we can have a meaningful governing coalition.

Before reading a quote from former Senate Republican Leader Trent Lott criticizing the Tea Party, Wagner began her response:

Bruce refers to the "Tea Party clowns," and I think a lot of people would agree with that designation, but the question is, where, what happens at the end of this in terms of national standing? And, in particular, I want to focus on Ted Cruz because David Corn of Mother Jones interviewed former Republican Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott, and Trent Lott said this about the Tea Party wing of the GOP...



Read more: MSNBC's Wagner Touts Guest Bartlett's Call for 'Well-Deserved Death' for 'Tea Party' | NewsBusters

Name calling. How progressive and tolerant of you?

I think most people would say liberals are self-hating, limp dicks.

 

[irishpat183]

I'd still rather live in California than Texas.

Because of the weather? I agree. LOL

 

[ACamp1900]

I'd still rather live in California than Texas.

I have lived in Cali most of my life and have spent more than enough time in Texas... and of course we totally disagree... lol

 

[irishpat183]

The Tea party is the new "Bush" to progressives.

Anything/Anyone to blame to deflect from their own misdeeds.

The entire govenrment has a problem. Yes, this includes the left that passed a bill that no one read and is a total piece of crap.

 

[irishpat183]

I have lived in Cali most of my life and have spent more than enough time in Texas... and of course we totally disagree... lol

He obviously hates his own money...

 

[Buster Bluth]

Besides weather....name them.

Becuase when I choose places to live, tax and being a great place to do biz and the state economy...are pretty important.

Being able to smoke pot, great waves, and celebrity sightings just aren't on my list. But to each his own.

Houston sorta blows.. just saying. I'd live in Austin any day of the week though.

 

[Kanye West]

Never want to live in Cali like ever. Its too expensive, there are running out of water, and its earthquake center. Aside from Austin, I don't want to live in Texas. Oregon, Washington, and Colorado do intrigue me...

 

[Kanye West]

I understand your overall point but I have to disagree last sentence. I've negotiated several medical bills. It doesn't require influence or a ton of money. You need some nerve and a little bit of patience. I usually settle between 20%-60% of the total amount owed.

You shouldn't have to barter for health care. I gurantee that 90% of people don't actually know you can do that. It's all supply and demand and people are willing to pay high prices since there is always freaking demand to save lives. All the government n really needs to do is reorganize policies from insurance companies so they are more efficient and companies aren't crooks and make sure that pricing is consistent through out hospitals. You pay for so much unnecessary crap that its ridiculous.

 

[BGIF]

Never want to live in Cali like ever. Its too expensive, there are running out of water, and its earthquake center. Aside from Austin, I don't want to live in Texas. Oregon, Washington, and Colorado do intrigue me...

Doesn't that make you, Kanye East?

 

[ACamp1900]

San Antonio has Houston and Austin both beat for my money...

 

[Wild Bill]

You shouldn't have to barter for health care. I gurantee that 90% of people don't actually know you can do that. It's all supply and demand and people are willing to pay high prices since there is always freaking demand to save lives. All the government n really needs to do is reorganize policies from insurance companies so they are more efficient and companies aren't crooks and make sure that pricing is consistent through out hospitals. You pay for so much unnecessary crap that its ridiculous.

We "barter" for everything. Why should health care be any different?

You think the government can make anything more efficient? Holy hell.

 

[GoIrish41]

Looks like millions of people are seeking out the healthcare exchanges. Pretty robust participation for a program that nobody wants.

 

[Whiskeyjack]

AmCon's Pat Deenen just published a compelling article titled "Two Nations, Under Mammon" that sums up my political views pretty well:

William Galston has written an important column in the Wall Street Journal, devoted to an assessment of Tyler Cowen’s new book, Average Is Over. The book tells of a coming(?) nation of two economic classes, the meritocratic elite and an increasingly poor, even third-world economic class of underemployed who gather in large ghetto areas (e.g., Texas) with poor public services but plentiful distractions (think: internet porn, 24/7/365 football, and soon-to-be legalized marijuana delivered by e-joints).

...

Galston is correct to raise alarm bells about this “inevitable” future. But there is currently no major figure in the public sphere that sees with any clarity the deep collusion of the all key players in its construction. So we continue down a road that will give rise to two nations, the winners wringing their hands all the way to the bank, the losers narcotized on a steady diet of cheap and deforming delights.

 

[Ndaccountant]

Looks like millions of people are seeking out the healthcare exchanges. Pretty robust participation for a program that nobody wants.

Well, it's not like they have a choice, do they? Pay the IRS or pay for coverage.

 

[GoIrish41]

Well, it's not like they have a choice, do they? Pay the IRS or pay for coverage.

It is a six-month open enrollment period, but millions jumped on it the first day. Doesn't look like people who are being forced to do anything. Looks more like people who couldn't wait to sign up.

 

[irishpat183]

Houston sorta blows.. just saying. I'd live in Austin any day of the week though.

Austin is fantastic. I love the hill country. That whole San Antonio/Austin area is great.


But I'd never live in Austin. Horrible traffic (due to the university and a liberal festival every damn weekend), homeless capitol of the world...city has to shut down for ACL and SXSW. Unless you work in technology, or wait tables, there isn't **** for jobs.

It's a cluster. But awesome to visit. My wife's sister lives there.

 

[irishpat183]

San Antonio has Houston and Austin both beat for my money...

Just got back from there...My Cuz is an ER surgeon at Baptist. Amazing house and property he lives on. Just beautiful

We are seriously thinking about relocating...but again, small city and jobs just aren't there.

 

[irishpat183]

Looks like millions of people are seeking out the healthcare exchanges. Pretty robust participation for a program that nobody wants.

Saw this morning on CBS... 45% approve of the ACA, 47% don't.

So it's still, after all this bullshit, unpopular.


And of course millions are signing up....there are millions of zero liability voters out there. No surprises there.

 

[irishpat183]

It is a six-month open enrollment period, but millions jumped on it the first day. Doesn't look like people who are being forced to do anything. Looks more like people who couldn't wait to sign up.

I'd like to see the age and income demo on those...

 

[GoIrish41]

I'd like to see the age and income demo on those...

I'm sure we'll see it soon enough. Just thought the numbers were much higher than I thought they'd be. I think they are going to have to hire some more IT support though.

 

[GoIrish41]

Saw this morning on CBS... 45% approve of the ACA, 47% don't.

So it's still, after all this bullshit, unpopular.


And of course millions are signing up....there are millions of zero liability voters out there. No surprises there.

Unpopular in a poll is meaningless. The proof is in the pudding.

 

[FLDomer]

Looks like millions of people are seeking out the healthcare exchanges. Pretty robust participation for a program that nobody wants.

Hahahaha....THEY HAVE TO or get penalized. My families current coverage thru my wife's work is changing (not for the good) and it looking like we will have to change to my organizations plan (which will be more expensive). A good friend of mine is self employed and his plan is increasing by over $200 a month, so of course they are shopping around now. Oh and if my friend wanted to keep his current plan it would not only cost him $200 more a month his deductable would jump from 2500 to 5000....