Obama and His Accomplishments

I can go with this. Shit....the wife is calling. So much for sneaking away.

 

I didn't take this as an attack at all. It's good discussion. I agree 100% that eventually people and businesses have to sink or swim on their own. As to the rise in the welfare rolls, we are coming out of the worst economic times since the Great Depression. We all have a mutual interest in helping folks get back on their feet- both morally and socially. Now, I don't mean to imply that this help should be unending. I stated that I would favor limits on benefits that can be received. I am also in favor of returning to FDR's original concept of workfare relief getting away from LBJ's change to welfare. As to the Robin Hood concept, governments' ability to tax is a Constitutional concept so that the common good can be provided for. Now, I in no way mean to imply that we should be playing the game of economic equality games as in a communist regime. It's as natural as gravity that the more wealthy will bear the largest tax burden. With the undeniable wage gap that is approaching Gilded Age levels, you will see the tax burden on the wealthy increase. It like the thief being asked why he robbed the bank. His reply: it's where the money's at. It is undeniable that the chasm that separates CEO's and white collar and blue collar labor is expanding rapidly, approaching historic levels. As it did in the end days of the Robber Barons, there will be a tipping point where the shit hits the fan. Then wage gap will narrow again. The one absolute that I can depend on about this country is that we don't learn shit from history. We continue to make the same mistakes time and time again. We deserve what we get.

 

I agree with this all day long.

Whatever happened to churches and shelters for people needing help? I could rant about that for a few days too.

 

Everyone should.

 

I think that's humanity and not really limited to one country or society.

 

My church is really good with this. I get that some aren't, but mine is.

It's been my experience that every major city has very good shelters and such for helping homeless/others. KARM in Knoxville is about as well ran as they come.

However, on the flip side, the number of people that try to play the system on church generosity is mind-boggling and sad as well. That and too many people have a sense of foolish pride to ask for help. It's also been my experience that if you reach out and ask for help if you need it, you will find it.

 

Agreed. Humans are stubborn SOBs.

 

Everyone with an income needs to kick in a bit.

 

Absolutely. Even if only a few dollars.

 

Anybody want to guess as to what the most exploited tax loophole is?

 

Number of dependents claimed?

 

Partially correct.

Earned Income Tax Credit.

 

To keep the arguments going and to fan the flames of discord, I am thinking it must be those super rich bastards' practice of deducting the interest paid on all 10 of their $20million dollar vacation homes' mortgages.
Or their earned income tax credits for the rich's hybrid Bentleys, Rolls-Royce's, and Lamborghinis....

 

The individual mandate should be unconstitutional, even if it isn't ruled as such. You are requiring people to pay for something through a third party. It is unconstitutional.

You can equate this to car insurance, and I'll ask you if you have to have car insurance if you don't own a car. No. They don't equate.

Individual mandate is and should be ruled unconstitutional, the rest is just hand waiving to avoid the bigger picture.

 

Interesting.

25% strongly approve
44% strongly disapprove

Daily Presidential Tracking Poll - Rasmussen Reports™

You can spin this however you like, but all sides typically agree Rasmussen is about as fair in polling as it gets.

 

I don't understand.

 

I laughed

 

Float- I have some views on healthcare that are probably vastly different than many on the board. They have been formed by my experiences having to fight and claw with my insurance company to live up to their end of the legally binding contract between us. I pay the agreed upon premium, they provide coverage. They have tried their damnedest to get out as much as they possibly can. They have tried to deny medications that I had been taking for 5 years that were previously approved. They have tried to deny approval for covered tests/treatments. It is a constant battle. It shouldn't be that way. I honor my end of the contract. They should do the same without the harassment.

I have been with the same company for 17 years. In the beginning, they had no qualms when they were getting more in premiums from me than claims they were paying. Now that it's reversed, it's a different story. Those SOBs try to duck and evade more than a professional boxer. I am a persistent and onery cuss. I won't give in to them, but how many others just sit back and take it because they lack the drive or have no knowledge on how to fight on behalf of one's self? I understand they lose money on me. I czn't help that. I wish that they were still making money off of me. My medications alone cost in the neighborhood of $5,000/ month. No shit. This will be for the rest of my life which at 40 I hope there's a good number of years left. I take 3 shots/week of a beta interferon. Nothing magical-been around for a good while. These 12 shots/month cost $3,000 alone. That's freaking ridiculous, but drug companies are an entirely different story.

As to healthcare reform, I think this crisis is every bit as big as our debt crisis. In fact, it exacerbates that problem. One of the major causes of bankruptcy is a health crisis. That's pitiful. No one jn our nation should be subject to that or denied life saving treatment. Yes, they can go to the ER, but that doesn't mean they get the long term treatments needed. It's stabilize and discharge in the ER. It's as big of a moral crisis in our country as any other , imo.

The argument of a gov't beaurocrat coming between patients and doctors is the biggest horseshit argument there is. We already have that. Folks with business degrees (if you're lucky) or someone with a GED reading from a list already stand between patients and doctors. They tell the doctors what treatments can and can't be done because most can't afford treatments without insurance coverage. That's bullshit personified. I would say it's criminal. So, I don't buy the coming between patients and doctors. It's the red herrings of all red herrings.

If I knew the answers, I'd be rich and living the good life on some Caribbean island. I do favor a break even/not-for-profit system. Many if not most hospitals operate on this premise. Some are the best of the best. I do have a problem with profiteering off of someone's health. Some things are more important than the profit motive. Allowing insurance companies the power to deny legit covered claims as spelled out in the legally binding contracts, allows them to control their profits. The fox is guarding the chicken coup.

Full disclosure: I don't know if my history of calling bullshit on my insurance company coupled with my attorney having numerous conversations with them has anything to do with it, but I was pleasantly surprised two weeks ago when they approved a drug that is not approved for trestment of my condition. Studies have been done that pointed to the fact that it was effective. We tried every approved drug with no results. After 2 weeks on this medication, I have completely come out of a relapse. I didn't want to mention it on the board because I didn't want to be an attention whore. In this short amount of time, I have gone from being off work for nearly 3 weeks and walking with a cane to returning to work, ditching the cane, and hitting 1 1/2 hours of defensive practice at softball and being able to throw batting practice to the whole team. It's been nothing short of a miracle in my eyes. I appreciate my insurance approving the drug because at around $500 for 30 pills, there's no way I could afford it on my own.

 

The Rasmussen Report for DAILEY approval ratings. Sorry cant link it from my phone.

I googled Obama job approval

http://www.rasmussenreports.com/pub...a_administration/obama_approval_index_history

got the computer from my wife finally

 

Me too! Teachers and Coaches are the highest, most well paid professionals there are! I thought everyone knew that? Why we got a new summer home 3 years ago, found it the camping section at Wal Mart! Sleeps 10 and bathrooms galore!