Though most people do agree that the failings of the current healthcare system should be addressed, how that should be achieved is still very much a topic of debate. Unfortunately, this discussion will only occur outside the walls of the Capitol Building.
Advocating the use of budget reconciliation in order to get disputed portions of the reform package through the Senate on a simple-majority vote, President Obama stated, “I believe the United States Congress owes the American people a final vote on health-care reform.”
Assuming that he was, in context, actually referring to the American people and not merely their duly elected doubles, it seems to me an odd statement to make. The fact of the matter is that, according to the most recent Gallup survey the majority of Americans do not want the proposed healthcare reform, at least, not as it stands today. Be that as it may, it has become painfully obvious that our President has designated this particular bill as the rock upon which he will build his legacy. Perhaps firmer footing should have been found.
As early as next week, could come a vote on this piece of legislation. This, in spite of the fact that the Congressional Budget Office has yet to determine what the “reform” will actually cost. The initial projection of “only” $985 Billion over the next 10 years failed to clarify the point that the vast majority of the costs will only begin when the program takes effect… in 4 years. So if we were to honestly review the costs over the first 10 operating years, the number will look more like $2.3 Trillion in increased government spending. Quite a tab to ask the American People to pick up, good thing no one is asking.
Though it would seem that the fire is full to the brim of irons already, Congress has decided to tag another bill onto the already ballooning healthcare monstrosity. Student loan reform. In a surprise move to some, Ms. Pelosi announced that a proposed Student loan overhaul would be attached to the package. This too, is obviously much needed legislation, according to our President. As one of the planks in his campaign platform, the American People are all too aware that this system too is need of government assistance. Despite this public outcry for help, most agree that this bill would be hard to pass in the Senate without riding the coattails of the fast-tracked healthcare train. This could be, in part due to the recent revelation that such reform will now increase deficits by approximately $5 Billion over the next decade, according to Democratic sources.
All of this action, perhaps not surprisingly, comes at a time when President Obama’s approval rating has fallen to 46%. Though his lowest number yet on a rapidly declining scale, he still garners an astounding 91% affirmative response among African Americans. This number has not gone unnoticed either, as the pro-Obama group Americans United for Change is spending in the neighborhood of $500,000 to encourage African Americans to support their House representatives who vote for healthcare reform. This too, comes on the heels of the recent polling showing that nearly 80% of the black adults are likely to vote in the upcoming midterm elections. The topic foremost in their minds? Healthcare reform. Though exploitation of a supporting group is hardly new to the game, this particular move is perhaps a bit more transparent than most. One can only hope that such trust will not lead ultimately to disenchantment with the system itself.
Our system of government was built upon the backs of great men attempting to do even greater things. They saw in our world a chance to begin again, to establish a new world order. In our system, every American has a voice and vote. Recently, those voices have all too often been silent. In a time of great change and uncertainty, the right words at the right time may, in fact, change the world. In the words of Dylan Thomas, let us not go gentle into that good night.
Chris, please allow me to correct a sentence in your last paragraph…
“In our system, every American has a voice and vote. Recently, those voices have all too often been silent.” The last word should “ignored”.
Praise the Lord and pass the ammuntion.
Given that the federal Constitution is silent about public healthcare, the 10th Amendment automatically reserves government power to regulate healthcare to the states, not the Oval Office and Congress. So Obama, Reid and Pelosi are criminally ignoring the following.
Article V requires Reid and Pelosi to rally Congress to propose an appropriate healthcare amendment to the states for ratification. And should the states choose to ratify such an amendment, then Congress would have the power to regulate healthcare.
On the other hand, the states can always choose not to ratify such an amendment, in which case Congress remains without constitutional authority to regulate healthcare.
In the meanwhile, Reid and Pelosi are treasonously basing Obamacare legislation on constitutionally nonexistent federal government powers. So they might just as well make legislation to build a federal prison for corrupt congressmen and move into it.
The bottom line is that Constitution-defending patriots have a big mess to clean up in DC in this year’s midterm elections.
We would not have any health care crisis if government did not constantly involve itself. States only allow a couple of insurance companies to sell in the state and they pay the state for the priviledge. If states would get out of the way and allow the free market in then prices would come down as competition (and supply) increased. Then put in place caps on malpractice awards. That is all that is needed.
We can end the jobs crisis by ending the Cap And Trade talk and instead build energy plants. Nuclear or coal and gas: by harvesting our own resources we create jobs right here and we pay our countrymen the money instead of paying the Arabs who pay for terror against us. With cheaper home grown energy and low taxes on business then industry will return to our country and with it, jobs. And when more people are employed tax revenues will increase.
But democrats don’t care about the well being of citizens. They care about getting power and keep power over the serfs. Democrat politicians do not represent citizens: they represent themselves. Why do you think they have exempted themselves from being forced to use the government healthcare? Only the peons like you, the workers, will have to take the government ‘care’. Those senators all feel they are above you and will dictate what you peons are allowed to have.
“So if we were to honestly review the costs over the first 10 operating years, the number will look more like $2.3 Trillion in increased government spending.”
I see there is no link to anything supporting this claim, especially since the CBO numbers say the exact opposite.
Steve in Tulsa —
This is beyond dumb:
“But democrats don’t care about the well being of citizens. . . . Democrat politicians do not represent citizens: they represent themselves.”
If this was actually true, then the Democratic Party would not be the majority party as far as membership is concerned, and Dems would not control the presidency, the House, the Senate, the majority of the governorships, and the majority of the state legislatures. Because the voters would have “wizzed up” wouldn’t they? Your calculus only works if the American people are all stupid. And they are not, of course. The vote their affinities and their interests. And that means that the majority of America rejects the GOP. Unless and until you cons figure out what that is, you are condemned to be a bunch of whiney back benchers. But here is a hint for you: try not to be so friggin condescending when you speak about the American voting public.
“Why do you think they have exempted themselves from being forced to use the government healthcare? Only the peons like you, the workers, will have to take the government ‘care’. ”
Er, dumb-one, they get their health care through the federal government and get their treatment at military hospitals! Why not try to mix an actual fact in from time to time?
“Those senators all feel they are above you and will dictate what you peons are allowed to have. ”
This sentence, in a nutshell, explains why cons have lost the battle on health care. You decry elected politicians calling the shots on what health care people are “allowed to have.” OK. But in the current system, the one you cons are fighting tooth and nail to maintain, insurance companies, accountable to no one, are the ones dictating what care you are “allowed to have.” Cons think this is just swell, which is why they did nothing to address health care during the many many many years they controlled the House, the Senate and the White House. But that is one of the reasons that you guys got shown the door in 2006 and 2008: because you did nothing to address the actual problems people were facing. Oh, sure, you had time and paid attention to passing legislation to deal wit Terri Sciavo. And you did a bang up job passing a drug bill that you neglected to pay for. But did you actually solve any problems? No. You only made sh*t worse. And that, my con friends, is why you are not trusted on the issues and the Dems are.
Well BRob maybe the reason you support the Democons is because your not even smart enough to google effectively. “costs over the first 10 operating years, the number will look more like $2.3 Trillion in increased government spending.” returns links to several studies verifying this. Being an OBOT you will not like these sources. Any form of government run/socialized medicine has resulted in horror stories of incompetence and unbelievable waste of taxpayer money. Only the brainwashed OBOT DRONES ignore that fact with an almost unbelievable level of mindlessness. No other nation has ever tried to run a 300 million plus patient system. It’s going to be a disaster of epic proportions and needless human suffering due to the lazy assed bureaucrats infesting our government who are power trippers. How many new bureaucracies does this central planning monstrosity create? Name one federal bureaucracy that has not been inefficient to the point where it is NOT trillions of dollars in the hole? The government has never done anything effectively or efficiently. Wise up!
Suggest you start learning the truth here…http://socglory.blogspot.com/
The focus of this blog is on the wonders of government-run health-care everywhere but I also note the damage done to private medicine by a legal system that supports predatory litigation.
The long-established socialized medicine systems in Britain and Australia are a particularly relevant warning about where such systems end up. Posts by John J. Ray (M.A.; Ph.D.)
Or keep drinking the koolaid and pimping for the Prez.
wow 48% against 45% for That is closer than it has ever been, within the margin or error I believe. Of course when Bush was below freezing (32) in the polls some here kept saying that “polls don’t matter” Here is the way I see it the results of the last national poll was 13 months ago Obama won easily 365 to 173. Obama ran on passing a national healthcare plan.
Greg —
Sorry to have to explain this to you, but the CBO numbers call “bullsh*t” on your post.
And another thing: ” It’s going to be a disaster of epic proportions and needless human suffering due to the lazy assed bureaucrats infesting our government who are power trippers.”
As I pointed out before, the con predictions on the effects of the Clinton tax increases, the Bush tax cuts, and Iraq were so astronomically off the mark, you cons have no credibility whatsoever in the prediction department. You might hope everything falls apart, but since it is cons prediction that will happen, it is a metaphysical lock that it won’t. And why are con predictions so off all the time? Because you ignore anything that would undercut your thesis. This is called cherrypicking. It’s the kind of nonsense that got us into a stupid war in Iraq. But you folks obviously haven’t learned a thing about judgment and decision making.
By the way, Greg, have a question. Cons want to get the House and the Senate back right?
What did you accomplish the last time you had it? Name five things that cons accomplished that should make us want to hire you!
And, no, I don’t want any excuses or any “we’re better than the Dems.” They will have the stimulus, the health care bill, etc., to be judged on. But what did you guys accomplish?
john ryan —
pollster.com showed last week that all the polls were tightening. Why? Because when the REAL question is posed “this plan or nothing”, people go with this plan. My prediction: it will pass. Five years from now, people will have more coverage, there will be some changes for the worse and most for the better, and we will wonder exactly what all the fuss was about.
oh lawdy… this may be too much for me to bear with a straight face… A “conversation” between John Ryan and billy bob? ROTF!
Think I’ll head to the nearest preschool and observe some more intelligent commentary.
Steve– you are welcome in very fine company. The illustrious few that have been crapped on by BRob. He lauded you with the esteemed title of “Dumb”.
That’s one of those core republican memes that doesn’t stand up to thoughtful analysis.
The democratic agenda is about getting some greater measure of control over concentrated wealth and power, which treats the majority of the population as serfs, and the people’s government as its own rightful, personal tool. Wealthy special interests deplore any leveling of the playing field, since the tilted field serves them so well.
The persuasive political skill of special interests lies in the art of misrepresenting their assumed license to take advantage as a matter of individual personal freedom.
Greg
Don’t try and mislead anyone on special interests and who you think actually cares about “the people”.
Democrats have received a lot of campaign donations from the unions, and have repaid them handsomely by using “the people’s” money. As for this:
You are right on the money there, especially when it comes to talking about the unions. As for implying that democrats care about the citizens, that is really laughable when considering the spending this congress has done, not only since Obama got elected, but in the two years they had control when Bush was president, and where that money has gone to.
@Greg
Which Party recieved the most special-interest money from the Banks? Corporations have no power over me. The idots in government do.
I don’t need nor want the Government “helping” me. They have no record of improving ANYONES life, except for people like George Soros.
Try comparing the pre and post 50-year data on the conditions of the Blacks they’ve been “helping” for lo these many years…If the goal was 65% of their babies born to poverty-ridden single mothers, then they’ve done just marvie.
GM didn’t destroy Detroit. The unions and the decades of Statists did.
I won’t deny there are instances where union leaderhship has become corrupted, or where union demands have been unreasonable to the point of being detrimental to the common good. Abuses are an ever-present danger with all power structures.
By and large, however, American workers and the American middle class have unions to thank for elimination of many of the deplorable, exploitive situations that were pretty much the norm during the late 19th and early 20th Centuries. The days of majority-America’s rapildy improving standard of living pretty much corresponded with the rise of American organized labor.
In more recent years unions have been in dramatic decline. Presently only about 12.3% of the American workforce is unionized. I have serious doubts about the average American being better off for it.
Corporations have no power over you?
I think there are very few aspects of most American’s daily lives that they don’t have some involvement in.
Greg.
That 12.3% includes government workers….Monies taken out of circulation. Monies that could have and should have remained in private hands to create more wealth. While they had their usefulness in the past, they are now obsolete. Now they take from their own workers.
Have you ever got a job-offer from a poor man? I’ve started companies, and helped start others. None union. I know for certain my efforts made billions of dollars for workers and stockholders alike. I have been well compensated for the RISKS I took, and have at time LOST because of taking the same sort of risk.
@Greg. They have influence, but no power. They can’t fine me, nor jail me, nor take my property.
Neither unions nor government create wealth…the risk-takers are the ONLY ones who do.
I agree. Which is why it is even more imperative that we shrink the most powerful of them all…The state and federal governments.
Ask yourself why the best and most successful modern companies are non-union, and have happy, well-paid employees. (Microsoft, Apple, Google, HP, etc)
Why are Toyota workers better off than unionized GM workers?
As far as I’m concerned, Bill Gates is under-paid.
Involvement, yes. Power, no. They can’t jail me, nor take my property.
Patvann
You are right on the money with your last statement. Corporations may have some involvement in everyone’s life, however, they don’t have power over me, and if they choose to do something that I don’t like, I don’t have to buy their product. Example: Apple, to me, is a company that promotes values that I don’t agree with, therefore, I don’t buy any Apple products, regardless of how well their products perform. Example: GM, Chrysler and Ford all have given in too much to the UAW, which I don’t agree with, therefore, I purchased a Toyota as my last new vehicle and have been very happy with my decision.
Greg
The unions are corrupt, by and large, and they don’t care any more about their members other than to get more of them. Companies are always reviled when they reduce benefits, or reward the management at the expense of the workers, but the unions do it more often, and put their members at a greater disadvantage, and no one says a word. The union management now has golden parachutes that rival the top companies, yet are constantly reducing member’s retirement benefits. I know this, as I work alongside guys from several different unions and most are bitching about the reductions in benefits and having to work far longer into the future than they had planned to initially, while their union management is increasing salaries and benefits constantly. Unions had a place at one time in the workforce, but it is over now.
Unfortunately, I am late to the party, but would like to clarify my posting.
BRob, if you would take a moment to actually study both my original missive and the CBO numbers to which you so vehemently cling, rather than spewing playground condescension, you may actually learn something. As I clearly stated, the numbers listed were a representation of the costs for the first 10 OPERATING years of H.R. 3590. Again, for those unaware, this will not take effect until 2014 with full cost adoption not being realized until 2016. Unfortunately, the CBO numbers extend only until 2019. The 2.3 Trillion, which is a conservative estimate I might add, is based simply on utilizing the numbers listed on table 3 of the CBO estimate for 2016 to 2019 and continuing the pattern with a modest 8% increase annually. I utilized 8% in my figures, as it represented an average of the healthcare cost increase over the last 5 years. If you would prefer, you could utilize the 7.4% increase that your beloved CBO is projecting between 2018 and 2019. Doing so would place the total 10 year expense at $2.265 Trillion. Of course, they are also predicting a 15% increase in costs between 2015 and 2016 if you would prefer to utilize that metric the total 10 year operating cost would be $2.726 Trillion. Either way, in reality the CBO does support the information I referenced.
Sorry to have to explain this to you, I understand that math can sometimes be tricky…
(http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/113xx/doc11307/Reid_Letter_HR3590.pdf)
CBO:
Garbage in, garbage out.
The difference is the level of stench.
Even the numbers that come out on the supposed “our side” of the discourse are terrible.