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Thoughts about the health care speech. Mind you, I am very cynical about all of this:
Hmmm...say what you want, President Bush was very punctual in starting these speeches.
815 - I see Mrs. Clinton and Mrs. Pelosi have nearly the same pants suit... :)
817 - Patting himself on the back for the economy avoiding collapse - doesn't he realize very few are hiring right now, and that is the problem.
818 - Are we back from the brink yet? Economic numbers are cloudy.
819 - Okay, now onto health care. - Did Teddy R call for health care reform?
He says that we are at the breaking point. Uninsured again?
Again, we are not a Democracy, but a Constitutional Republic. Why do they lose their coverage, because they change or lose their jobs?
Ah...horror story time. But he is right about the way certain people have been treated...but not everyone.
Rising costs are a real problem...but what is the fix?
Interesting that he brings up the taxpayer, which is who is going to pay for the eventual cost of a government option?
825 - Are we going to get specific now?
Partisan spectacle? It is infighting between Democrats that has stalled the process, plus the uncertainty of the plans
Goals
More security for those who have
Insurance for those who don't
Control costs
Details:
1. If you have health insurance, nothing will require a change of doctor you have....what you have...No denials for pre-existing condition. Stop dropping coverage when you get sick, no caps per year or lifetime....Limit out of pocket expenses....Preventive care is an important part.
2. Health insurance for uninsured. Insurance exchange - shopping for competitive prices. Tax credits for those small businesses cannot afford, exchange in 4 years. Low cost coverage for those sooner. Those that choose to not have coverage (persons or businesses), individuals will be required to get health care....same with small businesses, 95% of small businesses can get exemption.
"Death panel" is a lie.
No insurance for illegal immigrants.
No federal funding of abortions.
Blaming Wall Street?????????
Non-for profit public option in the insurance exchange...ahhh...Public insurance option must be self-sufficient.
Finally....how do we pay for it?
No plans to adding to deficit. Provision for spending cuts if the savings do not meet expectations.
How does he plan on reconciling with the CBO?
Independent commission in charge of looking for waste.
Wait - didn't we get senior drug coverage under the Bush administration?
Waste will pay for most of the expense - and then charge insurance companies for the rest? Doesn't make sense.
Tort reform, with trials in different states?
900B in 10 years? He think it will reduce the deficit by 4T in the long run?
Our deficit is still going to grow whether or not this happens.
Now back to fear tactics.
An article in our local newspaper, the Gainesville Sun, announced that a local medical firm will be receiving money from the National Institute of Health to develop an inhaled vaccine for smallpox. Smallpox has all but been eradicated in nature since 1977, with the WHO declaring it eradicated in December 1979. So, why are we working on an aerosol vaccine for something eradicated nearly 30 years ago? Are there any biological terror threats we need to be aware of??
The White House finally acquiesced to the fact that the deficits projected by the Congressional Budget Office are more in line, saying that the deficits projected over the next 10 years will approach $9 trillion. This would push the national debt to $20 trillion, which is nearly 50% more than the 2008 GDP of the entire United States (which was around $14.3 trillion). Where's the money going to come from? Also, is the the CBO right about the projected costs of the Health Care proposals?
What is going to happen with auto sales now that the Cash for Clunkers program is over?
Apparently, criminals in the Heartland Payments Services, Hannaford Brothers, and 7-11 hacks have been indicted and arrested for their crimes. According to this Wall Street Journal Article, they netted around 130 million credit card and debit card numbers, and were responsible for the TJX breach as well (which were 40 million cards). These compromised cards were sent to different sites within the United States and overseas to Latvia, the Netherlands, and Ukraine (no surprise there). Do you think that this may be one of the reasons that the "price" for compromised cards has gone down in the black market.
Some of these criminals must learn the rules of free market supply and demand.
:)
It is very interesting on how different partisans view dissent as the rulers changed in Washington DC. As the party not in power, those against the war in Iraq said that dissent was the highest form of patriotism. Now that the Democrats are in power, I guess that dissent no longer is patriotic. There have been many stories out there where various public officials do not want and fear protests on the health care "reform" that is working through the House of Representatives. People like Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reed, and others have called the protestors Swastika Carrying, Brown Shirt Wearing, and otherwise scolded for protesting.
Where is the freedom that was given to the anti-war protestors. Former President Bush had Cindy Sheehan protesting outside his personal property for 2 years. But if an individual protests the growth of spending in the Federal government (see TARP and Stimulus programs) and especially the Health Care reform bill, they are corporate organized, racists, Nazis, among other things. Even if you find a site that might disagree with the health care reform, our executive branch wants you to report them to flag@whitehouse.gov. That tactic should be controversial, since there is a freedom of speech in this country, at least according to the First Amendment. How a lawyer that was elected to the White House doesn't think about it being a borderline issue is beyond me.
They must be so afraid of public dissent. That explains why they try to rush and pass bills without allowing the public to read (against Obama's campaign promise).
What is in the health care bill do they need to rush through? Analysis here, and bill here.
You decide....