- Thread starter
- #41
- 2,908
Yup. Apparently the 5000 black prisoners that she says the feds shot execution style during Katrina are still missing too. Another government cover-up.
Reform: Obama Plan Beginning to Gasp for Air
- Thread starter Winter_123
- Start date
Yup. Apparently the 5000 black prisoners that she says the feds shot execution style during Katrina are still missing too. Another government cover-up.
- 15,319
Good point. I am a small business owner as well. My health premiums keep rising as well. Currently over $7K a year. I think it started out over $3K a couple of years ago. I also throw another $1,500 toward medicare. I see alot of complaints, mostly about how it would cost to much etc.. However, where do we start? You know the MARKETS are not going to fix it. Heck, if any new reform don't work after a couple of years could not a new adminstration change it again? I have not figured out if all the big numbers everyone is throwing around is over a one or two year period or a decade? I am not for gov't control but am for gov't involvement. Kinda like when the oil gets out of contol and everyone wants the gov't to get involved and drive prices down. Thats because it hits everyones pocketbook. I guess if EVERYONE had health insurance then there would be alot more complaining to the gov't to fix the spiraling upwards cost. I know we all complain when auto and homeowners premiums get out of control and want the state to get involved to lower them.
Sorry for the random venting.
Sorry for the random venting.
Dinner with Obama, a parable.....
Once upon a time, I was invited to the White House for a private dinner with the President. I am a respected businessman, with a factory that produces memory chips for computers and portable electronics. There was some talk that my industry was being scrutinized by the administration, but I paid it no mind. I live in a free country. There's nothing that the government can do to me if I've broken no laws. My wealth was earned honestly, and an invitation to dinner with an American President is an honor.
I checked my coat, was greeted by the Chief of Staff, and joined the President in a yellow dining room We sat across from each other at a table draped in white linen. The Great Seal was embossed on the china. Uniformed staff served our dinner.
The meal was served, and I was startled when my waiter suddenly reached out, plucked a dinner roll off my plate, and began nibbling it as he walked back to the kitchen.
"Sorry about that," said the President. "Andrew is very hungry.
"I don't appreciate..." I began, but as I looked into the calm brown eyes across from me, I felt immediately guilty and petty. It was just a dinner roll. "Of course," I concluded, and reached for my glass. Before I could, however, another waiter reached forward, took the glass away and swallowed the wine in a single gulp.
"And his brother Eric is very thirsty." said the President.
I didn't say anything. The President is testing my compassion, I thought. I will play along. I don't want to seem unkind. My plate was whisked away before I had tasted a bite.
"Eric's children are also quite hungry."
With a lurch, I crashed to the floor. My chair had been pulled out from under me. I stood, brushing myself off angrily, and watched as it was carried from the room.
"And their grandmother can't stand for long."
I excused myself, smiling outwardly, but inside feeling like a fool. Obviously I had been invited to the White House to be sport for some game. I reached for my coat, to find that it had been taken. I turned back to the President.
"Their grandfather doesn't like the cold."
I wanted to shout- that was my coat! But again, I looked at the placid smiling face of my host and decided I was being a poor sport. I spread my ha nds helplessly and chuckled. Then I felt my hip pocket and realized my wallet was gone. I excused myself and walked to a phone on an elegant side table. I learned shortly that my credit cards had been maxed out, my bank accounts emptied, my retirement and equity portfolios had vanished, and my wife had been thrown out of our home. Apparently, the waiters and their families were moving in. The President hadn't moved or spoken as I learned all this, but finally I lowered the phone into its cradle and turned to face him.
"Andrew's whole family has made bad financial decisions. They haven't planned for retirement, and they need a house. They recently defaulted on a subprime mortgage. I told them they could have your home.. They need it more than you do."
My hands were shaking. I felt faint. I stumbled back to the table and knelt on the floor. The President cheerfully cut his meat, ate his steak and drank his wine. I lowered my eyes and stared at the small grey circles on the tablecloth that were water drops.
"By the way," He added, "I have just signed an Executive Order nationalizing your factories. I'm firing you as head of your business I'll be operating the firm now for the benefit of all mankind. There's a whole bunch of Erics and Andrews out there that shouldn't have to come to you for jobs groveling like beggars."
I looked up. The President dropped his spoon into the empty ramekin which had been his Creme Brulee. He drained the last drops of his wine. As the table was cleared, he lit a cigarette and leaned back in his chair. He stared at me I clung to the edge of the table as if were a ledge and I were a man hanging over an abyss. I thought of the years behind me, of the life I had lived. The life I had earned with a lifetime of work, risk and struggle. Why was I punished? How had I allowed it to be taken? What game had I played and lost? I looked across the table and noticed with some surprise that there was no game board between us.
What had I done wrong? As if answering the unspoken thought, the President suddenly cocked his head, locked his empty eyes to mine, and bared a million teeth, chuckling wryly as he folded his hands.
"You should have stopped me at the dinner roll," he said.
"The Constitution is not an instrument for the government to restrain the people; it is an instrument for the people to restrain the government -- lest it come to dominate our lives and interests."
Once upon a time, I was invited to the White House for a private dinner with the President. I am a respected businessman, with a factory that produces memory chips for computers and portable electronics. There was some talk that my industry was being scrutinized by the administration, but I paid it no mind. I live in a free country. There's nothing that the government can do to me if I've broken no laws. My wealth was earned honestly, and an invitation to dinner with an American President is an honor.
I checked my coat, was greeted by the Chief of Staff, and joined the President in a yellow dining room We sat across from each other at a table draped in white linen. The Great Seal was embossed on the china. Uniformed staff served our dinner.
The meal was served, and I was startled when my waiter suddenly reached out, plucked a dinner roll off my plate, and began nibbling it as he walked back to the kitchen.
"Sorry about that," said the President. "Andrew is very hungry.
"I don't appreciate..." I began, but as I looked into the calm brown eyes across from me, I felt immediately guilty and petty. It was just a dinner roll. "Of course," I concluded, and reached for my glass. Before I could, however, another waiter reached forward, took the glass away and swallowed the wine in a single gulp.
"And his brother Eric is very thirsty." said the President.
I didn't say anything. The President is testing my compassion, I thought. I will play along. I don't want to seem unkind. My plate was whisked away before I had tasted a bite.
"Eric's children are also quite hungry."
With a lurch, I crashed to the floor. My chair had been pulled out from under me. I stood, brushing myself off angrily, and watched as it was carried from the room.
"And their grandmother can't stand for long."
I excused myself, smiling outwardly, but inside feeling like a fool. Obviously I had been invited to the White House to be sport for some game. I reached for my coat, to find that it had been taken. I turned back to the President.
"Their grandfather doesn't like the cold."
I wanted to shout- that was my coat! But again, I looked at the placid smiling face of my host and decided I was being a poor sport. I spread my ha nds helplessly and chuckled. Then I felt my hip pocket and realized my wallet was gone. I excused myself and walked to a phone on an elegant side table. I learned shortly that my credit cards had been maxed out, my bank accounts emptied, my retirement and equity portfolios had vanished, and my wife had been thrown out of our home. Apparently, the waiters and their families were moving in. The President hadn't moved or spoken as I learned all this, but finally I lowered the phone into its cradle and turned to face him.
"Andrew's whole family has made bad financial decisions. They haven't planned for retirement, and they need a house. They recently defaulted on a subprime mortgage. I told them they could have your home.. They need it more than you do."
My hands were shaking. I felt faint. I stumbled back to the table and knelt on the floor. The President cheerfully cut his meat, ate his steak and drank his wine. I lowered my eyes and stared at the small grey circles on the tablecloth that were water drops.
"By the way," He added, "I have just signed an Executive Order nationalizing your factories. I'm firing you as head of your business I'll be operating the firm now for the benefit of all mankind. There's a whole bunch of Erics and Andrews out there that shouldn't have to come to you for jobs groveling like beggars."
I looked up. The President dropped his spoon into the empty ramekin which had been his Creme Brulee. He drained the last drops of his wine. As the table was cleared, he lit a cigarette and leaned back in his chair. He stared at me I clung to the edge of the table as if were a ledge and I were a man hanging over an abyss. I thought of the years behind me, of the life I had lived. The life I had earned with a lifetime of work, risk and struggle. Why was I punished? How had I allowed it to be taken? What game had I played and lost? I looked across the table and noticed with some surprise that there was no game board between us.
What had I done wrong? As if answering the unspoken thought, the President suddenly cocked his head, locked his empty eyes to mine, and bared a million teeth, chuckling wryly as he folded his hands.
"You should have stopped me at the dinner roll," he said.
"The Constitution is not an instrument for the government to restrain the people; it is an instrument for the people to restrain the government -- lest it come to dominate our lives and interests."
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Wait, this sounds like WALL STREET and my brokerage firm. Before I knew it 40% of my portfolio was wiped out and the brokers fat and happy. To make matters worse I was stuck for almost a year with about $300K of CDOs that I was told was basically a CD, earned more interest, was safe, and could pull money whenever I needed it. Since market greed is not going to fix health cares spirling cost, what do we do? I don't think the county hospitals are going to stop taking the uninsured (who either can't afford it or don't want it) which means you (local or gov't taxpayer) still get stuck paying their bill. Perhaps we could pay for all this by adding .03 cents to every purchase of goods. That way everyone could get to participate in sharing the cost. Lets see, if we have about 150 million US citizens participating then add all the illegals and tourist then we could probably raise about a trillion a year or more.
Problem is, government greed is less beneficial than private greed.
I'm a little thick-headed, but I don't understand how the government plans to make my health insurance cost less. This is the problem everyone wants fixed (including most agents). If it did solve this problem, then they wouldn't be having this problem on how to pay for it.
The basics are lost in the conversation.
Dan
I'm a little thick-headed, but I don't understand how the government plans to make my health insurance cost less. This is the problem everyone wants fixed (including most agents). If it did solve this problem, then they wouldn't be having this problem on how to pay for it.
The basics are lost in the conversation.
Dan
- 388
You're not thick-headed at all. Big gov doesn't want the citizens to understand or give them time to understand how/if it works. Ram it through quickly as possible so nobody can have a chance to learn, digest, or ask questions.
Heck, the average citizen thinks there really will be competition between this public plan & private ins. That's all we hear from the talking head, but we know the honest truth.
this would be great for folks to view...
Video - CNBC.com
-Wes
- 868
Blue Dogs Walked Out Of Markup Committee
- Thread starter
- #50
- 2,908
The dynamics now seem to be that the House does not want to be the canary in the mines with the voters and move ahead of the Senate. This will cause circular gyrations for some time to come.
Barry wanted to close the deal and leave the house with the check in hand before August. That is understandable because if you dont do that you begin to get the "talk to me after the kids are back in school, after the holidays, after I talk to my brother" etc. We know how that goes. Doesnt mean he wont make a sale of some sort. Just means that he has lost control of the process and the voters will be talking to lots of other "salespeople" in addition to you. Again, we know how that goes or can go.
He is going to go public with some really nasty swipes at the insurance industry very soon though. He has no choice.
Question for Obama: If the public option is so spiffy and the key to reducing costs and fraud and abuse and getting rid of evil insurance companies, why dont you start working that magic on the two public options we have already- Medicare and Medicaid. How is the cost containment and reduction in fraud and abuse coming along there? You can get back to me later if you need to have one of your czars look into it.
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