United States Healthcare Reform

jeffd · 2010-03-23T22:35:46.000Z

Dems will lose seats in November; it has nothing to do with HCR.

Janster · 2010-03-23T22:52:22.000Z

Dems are gonna have to fight a party who base themselves on fear and outright lying.
Fun times.

Angie_Gallant · 2010-03-23T23:08:46.000Z

Our Governor is super pissed at our Attorney General for joining the teabaggin’ lawsuit against HCR.

Gryndyl · 2010-03-23T23:13:32.000Z

Angie Gallant:

Our Governor is super pissed at our Attorney General for joining the teabaggin’ lawsuit against HCR.

Yeah, I was quite annoyed that McKenna jumped us into line with the moron states.

Lux · 2010-03-23T23:22:39.000Z

Janster:

Dems are gonna have to fight a party who base themselves on fear and outright lying.
Fun times.

How is this new?

Pogo · 2010-03-23T23:24:18.000Z

Angie Gallant:

Our Governor is super pissed at our Attorney General for joining the teabaggin’ lawsuit against HCR.

Now that’s a lady with a backbone.

Sharpe · 2010-03-24T01:01:02.000Z

Not just a backbone, but a strong substantive command of the issues, forceful without going over the top. She honestly kicked ass in that clip. If the WA AG thinks he’s gonna score politcal points with this, well he probably will with the 20% or so of folks who are tea partiers. I know nothing of WA politics but my gut tells me that for the remaining 80% of voters, the AG just got his ass-whipped, old school style. We’ll see.

Papageno · 2010-03-24T01:08:14.000Z

Well, Washington is a pretty reliably “blue” state these days, due to the overwhelming population of the Seattle/Tacoma/Redmond megalopolis vs. that of the rest of the state.

Calistas · 2010-03-24T03:12:24.000Z

I sort of wonder how much of the opposition to HCR reform is just from feelings of concern about “big government” “taking over”. Those are the concerns of an American friend of mine and they don’t get any more specific than that. Oh, also, “USA is a republic of free states”, which I think means he doesn’t like big govt.

The irony? Disabled vet who relies on the VA.

If his attitude is common then once the world doesn’t end he might quite like the reform.

Anders_Hallin · 2010-03-24T03:37:01.000Z

Well, there seems to be an undercurrent of “the wrong people” getting it. The ones who they don’t consider having earned it. I think it then gets expressed in generalities because trying to define who’s one of the “undeserving” would be very difficult, and possibly have results that wouldn’t be very nice.

Houngan · 2010-03-24T05:30:27.000Z

Pogo:

Uhhh… “this approach does not meaningfully impact personal tax liability because stock and option grants are treated as ordinary income when they are awarded.”

Unless that’s some rhetoric that’s under dispute, it doesn’t seem like the $1 salary by itself has much of an effect. I’m sure stock taxes are highly complex and filled with loopholes like anything else.

That helps a bit, but there’s a huge difference between taxing a stock grant/option at the current price and not taxing it when it is exercised. Further, it also excludes taxing dividends, which is where these guys actually make their year-to-year money. Bill Gates wasn’t worth $60,000,000,000 when he founded Microsoft, ya know.

H.

Waltzer · 2010-03-24T05:54:33.000Z

idrisz:

if you make 40,000 you are not living hand to mouth.

This is entirely dependent on circumstances. If you are making 40k in New York with two kids, you are living hand to mouth. If you’re making 40k in Louisiana, not so much.

Blackadar · 2010-03-24T06:27:36.000Z

Calistas:

I sort of wonder how much of the opposition to HCR reform is just from feelings of concern about “big government” “taking over”. Those are the concerns of an American friend of mine and they don’t get any more specific than that. Oh, also, “USA is a republic of free states”, which I think means he doesn’t like big govt.

The irony? Disabled vet who relies on the VA.

It doesn’t even have to be a disabled vet. A guy I’ve worked with closely for years is a vet and has, in the past, bragged about the great free VA care he gets. Now he spams my email box about the evils of “socialized” medicine. Oh, the irony.

Dave_Perkins · 2010-03-24T06:32:57.000Z

idrisz:

One of my cousin who is hardcore religious is against health care, blabbering on about his tax going to people who doesn’t deserve it, he joined the group 1,000,000 against health care.

The outrage he must feel to click a mouse.

strummer · 2010-03-24T06:53:11.000Z

Dave Perkins:

The outrage he must feel to click a mouse.

Don’t push him too far or he is liable to type up to 140 characters in anger.

Dave_Perkins · 2010-03-24T06:55:22.000Z

My God.

JonRowe · 2010-03-24T07:08:23.000Z

Here is a response to one of my friends facebook statuses.

its not democratic what OBama doing. ITS FUCKING SOCIALSISM.

JeffL · 2010-03-24T07:13:45.000Z

jeffd:

Did you miss the part about the community rate when you read the bill, JeffL? It’s in there.

Also: Exchanges are empowered to regulate rate hikes. e.g. the insurer could be kicked off the exchange if they just jack rates outrageously.

No, even though the wording is confusing (to me) I read that. However, it is not at all clear to me that it would be much of a speed bump to an insurance company bumping up their rates such that the average American, paying his premiums in an employer provided plan, would feel a significant monthly out of pocket pain.

I.e. it did not read to me very clear cut in terms of a barrier to the insurance companies - it read more like one of those mushy clauses that made me originally so pissed off with the bill, in that it sounded like it was filled with outs and loopholes for the insurance companies.

But it is also very possible that I just didn’t have my +2 Ring of Reading Comprehension on that day.

Matthew_Gallant · 2010-03-24T07:25:53.000Z

WarrenM · 2010-03-24T07:27:47.000Z

Here is a response to one of my friends facebook statuses.

its not democratic what OBama doing. ITS FUCKING SOCIALSISM.

Your friend has a point. Passing bills based on the results of a vote is totally not democratic. eye roll