(AP) - Missouri voters on Tuesday overwhelmingly rejected a key provision of President Barack Obama's health care law, sending a clear message of discontent to Washington and Democrats less than 100 days before the midterm elections.
With about 90 percent of the vote counted late Tuesday, nearly three-quarters of voters backed a ballot measure, Proposition C, that would prohibit the government from requiring people to have health insurance or from penalizing them for not having it.
The Missouri law would conflict with a federal requirement that most people have health insurance or face penalties starting in 2014.
Tuesday's vote was seen as largely symbolic because federal law generally trumps state law. But it was also seen as a sign of growing voter disillusionment with federal policies and a show of strength by conservatives and the tea party movement.
"To us, it symbolized everything," said Annette Read, a tea party participant from suburban St. Louis who quit her online retail job to lead a yearlong campaign for the Missouri ballot measure. "The entire frustration in the country ... how our government has misspent, how they haven't listened to the people, this measure in general encompassed all of that."
Missouri's ballot also featured primaries for U.S. Senate, Congress and numerous state legislative seats. But at many polling places, voters said they were most passionate about the health insurance referendum.
"I believe that the general public has been duped about the benefits of the health care proposal," said Mike Sampson of Jefferson City, an independent emergency management contractor, who voted for the proposition. "My guess is federal law will in fact supersede state law, but we need to send a message to the folks in Washington, D.C., that people in the hinterlands are not happy."
Legislatures in Arizona, Georgia, Idaho, Louisiana and Virginia have passed similar statutes, and voters in Arizona and Oklahoma will vote on such measures as state constitutional amendments in November. But Missouri was the first state to challenge aspects of the federal law in a referendum.
The intent of the federal requirement is to broaden the pool of healthy people covered by insurers, thus holding down premiums that otherwise would rise because of separate provisions prohibiting insurers from denying coverage to people with poor health or pre-existing conditions.
But the insurance requirement has been one of the most contentious parts of the new federal law. Public officials in well over a dozen states, including Missouri, have filed lawsuits claiming Congress overstepped its constitutional authority by requiring citizens to buy health insurance.
Federal courts are expected to weigh in well before the insurance requirement takes effect about whether the federal health care overhaul is constitutional.
The Missouri Hospital Association spent $400,000 warning people that passage of the ballot measure could increase hospitals' costs for treating the uninsured, but there was little opposition to the measure from either grass-roots organizations or from the unions and consumer groups that backed the federal overhaul.
Some Missouri voters who opposed the ballot measure cited a potential cost-shift to those who have insurance if some people are allowed to continue visiting emergency rooms without insurance. Other opponents of Missouri's ballot measure said they wanted to give Obama's health care plan a chance to work.
"I don't think people should be walking around sick," said Kathy Ward, a 57-year-old Columbia nurse, who voted against Missouri's law. "The fact remains, people have the right to have health care, and they should get it. It help makes a healthier society."
Showing posts with label Health Care. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Health Care. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Obamacare Only Looks Even Worse Upon Further Review
Kevin Hassett - One of the more illuminating remarks during the health-care debate in Congress came when House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told an audience that Democrats would “pass the bill so you can find out what’s in it, away from the fog of controversy.”
That remark captured the truth that, while many Americans have a vague sense that something bad is happening to their health care, few if any understand exactly what the law does.
To fill this vacuum, Representative Kevin Brady of Texas, the top House Republican on the Joint Economic Committee, asked his staff to prepare a study of the law, including a flow chart that illustrates how the major provisions will work.
The result, made public July 28, provides citizens with a preview of the impact the health-care overhaul will have on their lives. It’s a terrifying road map that shows Democrats have launched America on the most reckless policy experiment in its history, the economic equivalent of the Bay of Pigs invasion.
Before discussing what the law means for you, we have to look at what it does to government. That’s where the chart comes in handy. It includes the new fees, bureaucracies and programs and connects them into an organizational chart that accounts for the existing structure. It’s so carefully documented that a line connecting two structures cites the legislative language that created the link.
Ornate System
This clearly is a candidate for most disorganized organizational chart ever. It shows that the health system is complex, yes, but also ornate. The new law creates 68 grant programs, 47 bureaucratic entities, 29 demonstration or pilot programs, six regulatory systems, six compliance standards and two entitlements.
Getting that massive enterprise up and running will be next to impossible. So Democrats streamlined the process by granting Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius the authority to make judgments that can’t be challenged either administratively or through the courts.
This monarchical protection from challenges is extended as well to the development of new patient-care models under Obama’s controversial recess appointment, Donald Berwick, whom Republicans are calling the rationer-in-chief. Berwick will run the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, where he can experiment with ways to use administrative fiat to move our system toward the socialized medicine of Europe, which he has at times embraced.
Closer to Home
A sprawling, complex bureaucracy has been set up that will have almost absolute power to dictate terms for participating in the health-care system. That’s what the law does to government. What it does to you is worse.
Based on the administration’s own numbers, as many as 117 million people might have to change their health plans by 2013 as their employer-provided coverage loses its grandfathered status and becomes subject to the new Obamacare mandates.
Those mandates also might make your health care more expensive. The Congressional Budget Office predicts that premiums for a small number of families who buy their insurance privately will rise by as much as $2,100.
The central Obamacare mechanism for increasing insurance coverage is an expansion of the Medicaid program. Of the 30 million new people covered, 16 million will be enrolled in Medicaid. And you could end up in the program whether you want it or not. The bill states that people who apply for coverage through the new exchanges or who apply for premium-subsidy credits will automatically be enrolled in Medicaid if they qualify.
Hurting the Elderly
To pay for this expansion, the bill takes $529 billion from Medicare, with roughly 39 percent of the cut coming from the Medicare Advantage program. This represents a large transfer of resources, sacrificing the care of the elderly in order to increase the Medicaid rolls.
For all this supposed reform, you, the American taxpayer, can expect a bill to the tune of $569 billion.
Front and center among the new taxes is the 40 percent excise tax on those lucky people with so-called Cadillac health plans. The higher insurance costs that are driven by the government mandates will push many more ordinary plans into Cadillac territory.
If the idea of taxing people with coverage deemed too good doesn’t bother you, maybe the new 3.8 percent tax on investment income will. That will apply even to a small number of home sales, those that generate $250,000 in profit for an individual or $500,000 for a married couple.
In vivid color and detail, Congressman Brady’s chart captures the huge expansion of government coming under Obamacare. Harder to show on paper is the pain it will cause.
(Kevin Hassett, director of economic-policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute, is a Bloomberg News columnist. He was an adviser to Republican Senator John McCain in the 2008 presidential election. The opinions expressed are his own.)
That remark captured the truth that, while many Americans have a vague sense that something bad is happening to their health care, few if any understand exactly what the law does.
To fill this vacuum, Representative Kevin Brady of Texas, the top House Republican on the Joint Economic Committee, asked his staff to prepare a study of the law, including a flow chart that illustrates how the major provisions will work.
The result, made public July 28, provides citizens with a preview of the impact the health-care overhaul will have on their lives. It’s a terrifying road map that shows Democrats have launched America on the most reckless policy experiment in its history, the economic equivalent of the Bay of Pigs invasion.
Before discussing what the law means for you, we have to look at what it does to government. That’s where the chart comes in handy. It includes the new fees, bureaucracies and programs and connects them into an organizational chart that accounts for the existing structure. It’s so carefully documented that a line connecting two structures cites the legislative language that created the link.
Ornate System
This clearly is a candidate for most disorganized organizational chart ever. It shows that the health system is complex, yes, but also ornate. The new law creates 68 grant programs, 47 bureaucratic entities, 29 demonstration or pilot programs, six regulatory systems, six compliance standards and two entitlements.
Getting that massive enterprise up and running will be next to impossible. So Democrats streamlined the process by granting Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius the authority to make judgments that can’t be challenged either administratively or through the courts.
This monarchical protection from challenges is extended as well to the development of new patient-care models under Obama’s controversial recess appointment, Donald Berwick, whom Republicans are calling the rationer-in-chief. Berwick will run the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, where he can experiment with ways to use administrative fiat to move our system toward the socialized medicine of Europe, which he has at times embraced.
Closer to Home
A sprawling, complex bureaucracy has been set up that will have almost absolute power to dictate terms for participating in the health-care system. That’s what the law does to government. What it does to you is worse.
Based on the administration’s own numbers, as many as 117 million people might have to change their health plans by 2013 as their employer-provided coverage loses its grandfathered status and becomes subject to the new Obamacare mandates.
Those mandates also might make your health care more expensive. The Congressional Budget Office predicts that premiums for a small number of families who buy their insurance privately will rise by as much as $2,100.
The central Obamacare mechanism for increasing insurance coverage is an expansion of the Medicaid program. Of the 30 million new people covered, 16 million will be enrolled in Medicaid. And you could end up in the program whether you want it or not. The bill states that people who apply for coverage through the new exchanges or who apply for premium-subsidy credits will automatically be enrolled in Medicaid if they qualify.
Hurting the Elderly
To pay for this expansion, the bill takes $529 billion from Medicare, with roughly 39 percent of the cut coming from the Medicare Advantage program. This represents a large transfer of resources, sacrificing the care of the elderly in order to increase the Medicaid rolls.
For all this supposed reform, you, the American taxpayer, can expect a bill to the tune of $569 billion.
Front and center among the new taxes is the 40 percent excise tax on those lucky people with so-called Cadillac health plans. The higher insurance costs that are driven by the government mandates will push many more ordinary plans into Cadillac territory.
If the idea of taxing people with coverage deemed too good doesn’t bother you, maybe the new 3.8 percent tax on investment income will. That will apply even to a small number of home sales, those that generate $250,000 in profit for an individual or $500,000 for a married couple.
In vivid color and detail, Congressman Brady’s chart captures the huge expansion of government coming under Obamacare. Harder to show on paper is the pain it will cause.
(Kevin Hassett, director of economic-policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute, is a Bloomberg News columnist. He was an adviser to Republican Senator John McCain in the 2008 presidential election. The opinions expressed are his own.)
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Obama's New Health Care Rationing Czar
There is an interesting article in CNSNews about Obama’s nominee to head the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Donald Berwick, who reveals his passion for central planning and all things socialized.The article links to a June 2009 interview with Berwick in Biotechnology Healthcare. Some snippets from the article:
In a June 2009 interview in Biotechnology Healthcare, Berwick was asked: “Critics of CER (Comparative Effectiveness Research) have said that it will lead to rationing of health care.”
He answered: “We can make a sensible social decision and say, ‘Well, at this point, to have access to a particular additional benefit [new drug or medical intervention] is so expensive that our taxpayers have better use for those funds.’ We make those decisions all the time. The decision is not whether or not we will ration care—the decision is whether we will ration with our eyes open.”
In the same interview, he also said, “The social budget is limited—we have a limited resource pool. It makes terribly good sense to at least know the price of an added benefit, and at some point we might say nationally, regionally, or locally that we wish we could afford it, but we can’t.”
Berwick also talked about his romantic view of Britain’s socialized health care system on page 213 of a report he wrote entitled, “A Transatlantic Review of the NHS at 60,” published on July 26, 2008.
“Cynics beware: I am romantic about the National Health Service; I love it,” Berwick wrote. “All I need to do to rediscover the romance is to look at health care in my own country.”
Lastly, in the 2008 report, Berwick wrote, “Any health care funding plan that is just, equitable, civilized, and humane must — must — redistribute wealth from the richer among us to the poorer and less fortunate.” Here is the 2008 speech where Berwick talks about the “darkness of private enterprise” and lauds a politically accountable system. He adds that “excellent health care is, by definition, redistributional.” Hat tip to Mark Fee for the article.
In a June 2009 interview in Biotechnology Healthcare, Berwick was asked: “Critics of CER (Comparative Effectiveness Research) have said that it will lead to rationing of health care.”
He answered: “We can make a sensible social decision and say, ‘Well, at this point, to have access to a particular additional benefit [new drug or medical intervention] is so expensive that our taxpayers have better use for those funds.’ We make those decisions all the time. The decision is not whether or not we will ration care—the decision is whether we will ration with our eyes open.”
In the same interview, he also said, “The social budget is limited—we have a limited resource pool. It makes terribly good sense to at least know the price of an added benefit, and at some point we might say nationally, regionally, or locally that we wish we could afford it, but we can’t.”
Berwick also talked about his romantic view of Britain’s socialized health care system on page 213 of a report he wrote entitled, “A Transatlantic Review of the NHS at 60,” published on July 26, 2008.
“Cynics beware: I am romantic about the National Health Service; I love it,” Berwick wrote. “All I need to do to rediscover the romance is to look at health care in my own country.”
Lastly, in the 2008 report, Berwick wrote, “Any health care funding plan that is just, equitable, civilized, and humane must — must — redistribute wealth from the richer among us to the poorer and less fortunate.” Here is the 2008 speech where Berwick talks about the “darkness of private enterprise” and lauds a politically accountable system. He adds that “excellent health care is, by definition, redistributional.” Hat tip to Mark Fee for the article.
Friday, April 9, 2010
IRS Buy Health Insurance Or Lose Tax Refund
Individuals who don’t purchase health insurance may lose their tax refunds according to IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman. After acknowledging the recently passed health-care bill limits the agency’s options for enforcing the individual mandate, Shulman told reporters that the most likely way to penalize individuals that don’t comply is by reducing or confiscating their tax refunds.
Speaking at the National Press Club on Monday, Shulman downplayed the IRS’s role in enforcing the recent overhaul of the health insurance industry by claiming the agency would not aggressively target individuals who don’t purchase coverage. He noted that the health-care bill expressly forbids the agency from freezing bank accounts, seizing assets or pursuing criminal charges, but when pressed said the IRS would most likely use tax refund offsets to penalize those that don’t comply with the mandate. The IRS uses refund offsets to collect from individuals that owe the federal government a delinquent debt.
“These are not the kinds of things we send agents out about,” Shulman said. “These are things where you get a letter from us. Congress was very careful to make sure there was nothing too punitive in this bill.”
Many reports have claimed that enforcement of the individual mandate will be non-existent, but Shulman’s answers indicate differently. According to BusinessWeek, starting in 2015 Americans who don’t purchase insurance will be subject to a fine of $325 and that sum increases to $695 in 2016. However, the commissioner seemed confident that in most cases individuals would either receive subsidies to purchase insurance or simply do so on their own in order to comply with the law.
“The vast majority of American people have a healthy respect for the law and want to be compliant with their tax obligations,” Shulman said, mentioning letters, collection notices and offsets as among the various ways the IRS will reach out to people without coverage.
During his speech Shulman said threats against the IRS have not risen despite media reports to the contrary. He disagreed that it has become more dangerous to work for the IRS following the February incident in which a disgruntled pilot flew his plane into the agency’s Austin, Texas office, killing one employee.
“There’s been a lot of stuff in the press around increased threats, which is actually inaccurate,” Shulman said. “What there has been is increased chatter on the Internet that has an anti-government sentiment.”
He also said it is too early to know what additional resources or how many employees the IRS will need to enforce compliance with the mandate and clarified his reasons for using a professional tax preparer.
“I wouldn’t read into anything about me doing it now,” Shulman said. “I’m just a busy guy and have had good service for the past 15 years.”
Speaking at the National Press Club on Monday, Shulman downplayed the IRS’s role in enforcing the recent overhaul of the health insurance industry by claiming the agency would not aggressively target individuals who don’t purchase coverage. He noted that the health-care bill expressly forbids the agency from freezing bank accounts, seizing assets or pursuing criminal charges, but when pressed said the IRS would most likely use tax refund offsets to penalize those that don’t comply with the mandate. The IRS uses refund offsets to collect from individuals that owe the federal government a delinquent debt.
“These are not the kinds of things we send agents out about,” Shulman said. “These are things where you get a letter from us. Congress was very careful to make sure there was nothing too punitive in this bill.”
Many reports have claimed that enforcement of the individual mandate will be non-existent, but Shulman’s answers indicate differently. According to BusinessWeek, starting in 2015 Americans who don’t purchase insurance will be subject to a fine of $325 and that sum increases to $695 in 2016. However, the commissioner seemed confident that in most cases individuals would either receive subsidies to purchase insurance or simply do so on their own in order to comply with the law.
“The vast majority of American people have a healthy respect for the law and want to be compliant with their tax obligations,” Shulman said, mentioning letters, collection notices and offsets as among the various ways the IRS will reach out to people without coverage.
During his speech Shulman said threats against the IRS have not risen despite media reports to the contrary. He disagreed that it has become more dangerous to work for the IRS following the February incident in which a disgruntled pilot flew his plane into the agency’s Austin, Texas office, killing one employee.
“There’s been a lot of stuff in the press around increased threats, which is actually inaccurate,” Shulman said. “What there has been is increased chatter on the Internet that has an anti-government sentiment.”
He also said it is too early to know what additional resources or how many employees the IRS will need to enforce compliance with the mandate and clarified his reasons for using a professional tax preparer.
“I wouldn’t read into anything about me doing it now,” Shulman said. “I’m just a busy guy and have had good service for the past 15 years.”
Friday, April 2, 2010
Krugman Admits Death Panels In Obamacare
Now that Obamacare is law of the land, Dems and their supporters admit what we knew all along.
Amusing how the rest of the people at the table were nervously giggling at the prospect of death panels in anticipation of a resounding confirmation that there are not going to be death panels or anything remotely resembling death panels only to hear this man confirm that there will be death panels and they will certainly save money.
Those giggling idiots have already forgotten how shocked they were for that brief moment of transition from nervous expectation to dumbfounded silence. All in a moment it was all forgotten.
They get paid well to forget so quickly what they held dear in the prior moment.
Amusing how the rest of the people at the table were nervously giggling at the prospect of death panels in anticipation of a resounding confirmation that there are not going to be death panels or anything remotely resembling death panels only to hear this man confirm that there will be death panels and they will certainly save money.
Those giggling idiots have already forgotten how shocked they were for that brief moment of transition from nervous expectation to dumbfounded silence. All in a moment it was all forgotten.
They get paid well to forget so quickly what they held dear in the prior moment.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Obamacare Not Such A Good Deal For Children
Prior to the passage of the “historic” Obamacare bill, Democrats went hither and yon in their effort to sell the insurance corporation crafted plan like snake oil. They said it was for the little people and if you opposed it you were a racist or some kind of rightwing extremist.
Now with the ink barely dry on the bill, the truth is beginning to come out.
“Insurance companies wasted no time after the bill was passed to unearth a loophole that allowed them to deny coverage to children with pre-existing illnesses for the next four years,” writes Sahil Kapur for Raw Story.
Unearthed? They knew it was in the bill all along because they wrote it.
“If a company sells insurance, it will have to cover pre-existing conditions for children covered by the policy. But it does not have to sell to somebody with a pre-existing condition. And the insurer could increase premiums to cover the additional cost,” said William G. Schiffbauer, an attorney who represents insurance companies.
Rest assured. Obama and crew “are working to bridge the gap.” Maybe they would have bridged it if they had read the bill. Nancy Pelosi said they’d have to wait for it to pass before they could read it, though.
Next up, young adults. “Health insurance premiums for young adults are expected to rise about 17 percent once they’re required to buy insurance four years from now,” according an analysis produced by Rand Health.
Not that they can do anything about it. Obamacare is mandatory. If they don’t like it, men in black ski masks will drop by.
No doubt other news about goodies for insurance corporations will emerge soon enough.
Now with the ink barely dry on the bill, the truth is beginning to come out.
“Insurance companies wasted no time after the bill was passed to unearth a loophole that allowed them to deny coverage to children with pre-existing illnesses for the next four years,” writes Sahil Kapur for Raw Story.
Unearthed? They knew it was in the bill all along because they wrote it.
“If a company sells insurance, it will have to cover pre-existing conditions for children covered by the policy. But it does not have to sell to somebody with a pre-existing condition. And the insurer could increase premiums to cover the additional cost,” said William G. Schiffbauer, an attorney who represents insurance companies.
Rest assured. Obama and crew “are working to bridge the gap.” Maybe they would have bridged it if they had read the bill. Nancy Pelosi said they’d have to wait for it to pass before they could read it, though.
Next up, young adults. “Health insurance premiums for young adults are expected to rise about 17 percent once they’re required to buy insurance four years from now,” according an analysis produced by Rand Health.
Not that they can do anything about it. Obamacare is mandatory. If they don’t like it, men in black ski masks will drop by.
No doubt other news about goodies for insurance corporations will emerge soon enough.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
IRS Needs 10 Billion To Enforce Obamacare
The Internal Revenue Service will function as the government’s chief enforcer for health care reform, should President Obama sign the bill into law as expected, monitoring both businesses and individuals to certify whether they have the insurance coverage the government requires.
The tax collection agency will be responsible for monitoring and enforcing compliance with the individual and employer insurance mandates which form the backbone of the Democrats’ hard-won reforms.
The bill states that the purpose of the mandates is to regulate “economic and financial decisions about how and when health care is paid for, and when health insurance is purchased.”
The mandates require that all Americans carry a minimum level of health insurance or pay a separate tax for every month they are without such coverage. All employers with 50 employers or more will also be required to provide their employees with that same minimum level of coverage.
While that minimum level of coverage will be defined at a later date by the Department of Health and Human Services, it will be the responsibility of the IRS to monitor individuals and employers and to punish those who do not comply.
Under the bill, which passed despite bipartisan opposition March 21, starting in 2014 the IRS would be responsible for monitoring which employers are complying with the mandate and which ones are not. The IRS would begin such monitoring of individuals’ health insurance status in 2014 as well.
The IRS would monitor individuals and businesses’ health insurance statuses through the mandatory reporting the bill requires. Under the law, every individual and most businesses are required to report to the IRS, on their tax returns, whether they have purchased or provided the required level of coverage and disclose to the IRS which months, if any, in which they failed to do so.
Using this information, the IRS would then determine whether an employer or individual falls under the mandate, which contains exceptions for religious conscience, hardship, incarcerated persons, and members of Indian tribes.
If either an individual or a business has failed to comply with this mandate for any month out of the year, they are required to pay a separate tax to the IRS. For individuals this is a maximum of $750 per person (up to $2,250 per household) and $750 per uncovered employee for businesses.
Because these penalties would each apply on a monthly basis, individuals and employers would have to pay 1/12th of the maximum penalties for each month they failed to comply with the mandates.
In order to carry out its new monitoring and enforcement duties, the Congressional Budget Office estimated that the IRS will need $10 billion in additional funds, funds which were not made available under the health reform bill.
An analysis done by Republicans on the House Ways and Means Committee estimated that this $10 billion could go to fund an additional 16,500 new IRS agents and other personnel to monitor and enforce the new mandates.
“[T]he IRS could add more than 16,500 additional agents, auditors, examiners, and administrative support personnel to enforce large portions of the nation’s health insurance system,” the report said.
The IRS will also be in charge of collecting the new taxes on high cost insurance plans and on so-called unearned income from couples making over $250,000 per year and single filers making over $200,000 per year.
Both of these provisions could be modified should the Senate approve a budget reconciliation measure the House also passed March 21. Whichever final form they take, they are both direct taxes and thus will be directly administered by the IRS.
Because these new mandates and taxes are under the purview of the IRS, taxpayers and businesses could incur additional penalties normally reserved for normal income tax cheats, paying fees over and above those for not complying with Congress’ new mandates.
The IRS currently charges potentially hefty penalties for, among other things, filing false or fraudulent returns, filing late returns, and failure to pay a tax on time.
Taxpayers and businesses could be hit with these extra penalties because they are required to use their tax returns to prove to the IRS that they are complying with the mandates and because they will have to pay any tax penalties to that agency as well.
The tax collection agency will be responsible for monitoring and enforcing compliance with the individual and employer insurance mandates which form the backbone of the Democrats’ hard-won reforms.
The bill states that the purpose of the mandates is to regulate “economic and financial decisions about how and when health care is paid for, and when health insurance is purchased.”
The mandates require that all Americans carry a minimum level of health insurance or pay a separate tax for every month they are without such coverage. All employers with 50 employers or more will also be required to provide their employees with that same minimum level of coverage.
While that minimum level of coverage will be defined at a later date by the Department of Health and Human Services, it will be the responsibility of the IRS to monitor individuals and employers and to punish those who do not comply.
Under the bill, which passed despite bipartisan opposition March 21, starting in 2014 the IRS would be responsible for monitoring which employers are complying with the mandate and which ones are not. The IRS would begin such monitoring of individuals’ health insurance status in 2014 as well.
The IRS would monitor individuals and businesses’ health insurance statuses through the mandatory reporting the bill requires. Under the law, every individual and most businesses are required to report to the IRS, on their tax returns, whether they have purchased or provided the required level of coverage and disclose to the IRS which months, if any, in which they failed to do so.
Using this information, the IRS would then determine whether an employer or individual falls under the mandate, which contains exceptions for religious conscience, hardship, incarcerated persons, and members of Indian tribes.
If either an individual or a business has failed to comply with this mandate for any month out of the year, they are required to pay a separate tax to the IRS. For individuals this is a maximum of $750 per person (up to $2,250 per household) and $750 per uncovered employee for businesses.
Because these penalties would each apply on a monthly basis, individuals and employers would have to pay 1/12th of the maximum penalties for each month they failed to comply with the mandates.
In order to carry out its new monitoring and enforcement duties, the Congressional Budget Office estimated that the IRS will need $10 billion in additional funds, funds which were not made available under the health reform bill.
An analysis done by Republicans on the House Ways and Means Committee estimated that this $10 billion could go to fund an additional 16,500 new IRS agents and other personnel to monitor and enforce the new mandates.
“[T]he IRS could add more than 16,500 additional agents, auditors, examiners, and administrative support personnel to enforce large portions of the nation’s health insurance system,” the report said.
The IRS will also be in charge of collecting the new taxes on high cost insurance plans and on so-called unearned income from couples making over $250,000 per year and single filers making over $200,000 per year.
Both of these provisions could be modified should the Senate approve a budget reconciliation measure the House also passed March 21. Whichever final form they take, they are both direct taxes and thus will be directly administered by the IRS.
Because these new mandates and taxes are under the purview of the IRS, taxpayers and businesses could incur additional penalties normally reserved for normal income tax cheats, paying fees over and above those for not complying with Congress’ new mandates.
The IRS currently charges potentially hefty penalties for, among other things, filing false or fraudulent returns, filing late returns, and failure to pay a tax on time.
Taxpayers and businesses could be hit with these extra penalties because they are required to use their tax returns to prove to the IRS that they are complying with the mandates and because they will have to pay any tax penalties to that agency as well.
Monday, March 22, 2010
Obamacare The End Of The American Republic?
Obama Care is a trojan horse for single payer. It is the first step towards it.
Democrats in Washington are so excited about passing Obamacare right now before their radical unAmerican butts get thrown out of office. They know passing this current Obamacare bill is simply the trojan horse.
That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.
Once people are addicted to receiving care, even if rationed, they know that we will never turn away. When the nationalized retirement through social security, they knew it would be impossible to take away. Medicare, medicaid.
That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends.
The Democraatcs have managed to pass the Trojan Horse Health takeover bill, it will be just the beginning of the end for our liberty, prosperity, and freedom. Folks, that means the end of America. They fully intend to further destroy the fabric of our nation. You cant fundamentally transform something you truly love. You don’t use corruption to enact the will of the people. You use it to trick the people.
It is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it.
They will regret it if they pass this. America will not sit back and watch its government assault itself.
But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.
Recognize the highlighted lines above? Yes, that would be from the document that started it all for us. The Declaration of Independence.
of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States.
Do you see it yet, our Government now closer resembles the one we revolted from then it does the one established when we were first freed.
Wake up America!
Democrats in Washington are so excited about passing Obamacare right now before their radical unAmerican butts get thrown out of office. They know passing this current Obamacare bill is simply the trojan horse.
That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.
Once people are addicted to receiving care, even if rationed, they know that we will never turn away. When the nationalized retirement through social security, they knew it would be impossible to take away. Medicare, medicaid.
That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends.
The Democraatcs have managed to pass the Trojan Horse Health takeover bill, it will be just the beginning of the end for our liberty, prosperity, and freedom. Folks, that means the end of America. They fully intend to further destroy the fabric of our nation. You cant fundamentally transform something you truly love. You don’t use corruption to enact the will of the people. You use it to trick the people.
It is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it.
They will regret it if they pass this. America will not sit back and watch its government assault itself.
But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.
Recognize the highlighted lines above? Yes, that would be from the document that started it all for us. The Declaration of Independence.
of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States.
Do you see it yet, our Government now closer resembles the one we revolted from then it does the one established when we were first freed.
Wake up America!
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Obama And Pelosi Destroyed The Constitution
On Thursday, Robert Gibbs, Obama’s press secretary, responded to a question about the so-called “Slaughter Rule” (named after Rep. Slaughter, who sits on the rules committee) that will be used by Democrats to force through Obama’s totalitarian care bill, probably over the weekend.
Gibbs’ answer was deliberately opaque. By not addressing the question, he essentially said “deem and pass” will be used in the future to enact unpopular legislation, including a bill that will legalize millions of illegal immigrants.
It is now official — the Constitution is dead. It may as well be used to wrap fish.
Article 1, Section 7 of the Constitution requires that both houses of Congress hold recorded yea-or-nay votes on a bill before it can be presented to the president for his signature and before it can become law.
Obama approves of sabotaging the Constitution. He said he does not “spend a lot of time worrying about what the procedural rules are,” in other words violating the spirit and law of the Constitution is not a biggie for him. “What I can tell you is that the vote that’s taken in the House will be a vote for health care reform. And if people vote yes, whatever form that takes, that is going to be a vote for health care reform,” he told Bret Baier of Fox News.
“These constitutional rules set forth in Article I are not mere exercises in formalism,” former federal appeals court judge Michael McConnell told the Wall Street Journal earlier in the week. “They ensure the democratic accountability of our representatives.”
Author and talk show host Mark Levin’s Landmark Legal Foundation plans to file an immediate lawsuit if House Democratic leaders try to use the unconstitutional maneuver to pass the Senate version of Obama’s totalitarian care.
Good for Levin. However, according to constitutional experts, the underhanded procedure is unlikely to be reversed by the courts.
In short, Obama and Congress will not be called to task. The Constitution is now about as relevant as the Sunday funnies
Gibbs’ answer was deliberately opaque. By not addressing the question, he essentially said “deem and pass” will be used in the future to enact unpopular legislation, including a bill that will legalize millions of illegal immigrants.
It is now official — the Constitution is dead. It may as well be used to wrap fish.
Article 1, Section 7 of the Constitution requires that both houses of Congress hold recorded yea-or-nay votes on a bill before it can be presented to the president for his signature and before it can become law.
Obama approves of sabotaging the Constitution. He said he does not “spend a lot of time worrying about what the procedural rules are,” in other words violating the spirit and law of the Constitution is not a biggie for him. “What I can tell you is that the vote that’s taken in the House will be a vote for health care reform. And if people vote yes, whatever form that takes, that is going to be a vote for health care reform,” he told Bret Baier of Fox News.
“These constitutional rules set forth in Article I are not mere exercises in formalism,” former federal appeals court judge Michael McConnell told the Wall Street Journal earlier in the week. “They ensure the democratic accountability of our representatives.”
Author and talk show host Mark Levin’s Landmark Legal Foundation plans to file an immediate lawsuit if House Democratic leaders try to use the unconstitutional maneuver to pass the Senate version of Obama’s totalitarian care.
Good for Levin. However, according to constitutional experts, the underhanded procedure is unlikely to be reversed by the courts.
In short, Obama and Congress will not be called to task. The Constitution is now about as relevant as the Sunday funnies
Friday, March 19, 2010
16,000 New IRS Employees To Enforce Mandated Health Care Reform
House Republicans say the IRS will hire more than 16,000 new employees to enforce the so-called healthcare individual mandates requiring people to buy coverage.
Republicans also say the new healthcare bill will require 10-billion dollars to pay for new auditors, agents and employees at the IRS.
Herger says it’s another reason to oppose the legislation.
HERGER: “One-sixth of our entire economy to be taken over by Washington… by the federal government, with the IRS implementing this, enforcing it I should say is just one more outrage among many many outrages.”
Democrats say their overhaul plan will reduce health care costs over time – by making the size of the insurance pool larger. The House is expected to take a final vote on the plan Sunday with no Republican support.
Republicans also say the new healthcare bill will require 10-billion dollars to pay for new auditors, agents and employees at the IRS.
Herger says it’s another reason to oppose the legislation.
HERGER: “One-sixth of our entire economy to be taken over by Washington… by the federal government, with the IRS implementing this, enforcing it I should say is just one more outrage among many many outrages.”
Democrats say their overhaul plan will reduce health care costs over time – by making the size of the insurance pool larger. The House is expected to take a final vote on the plan Sunday with no Republican support.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
I Sold My Soul To Obama For Healthcare
In Obama’s bizarro world, health care at gunpoint will reduce premiums. Obama went to Cleveland recently and peddled his fantasy world. “You’ll be able to buy in, or a small business will be able to buy into this pool,” Obama said. “And that will lower rates, it’s estimated, by up to 14 to 20 percent over what you’re currently getting. That’s money out of pocket,” reports the Associated Press. “Your employer, it’s estimated, would see premiums fall by as much as 3,000 percent, which means they could give you a raise.”
Obama had summoned Kucinich to Air Force One and Dennis kissed the ring.
Or rather money taken out of your pocket by a predatory state.
In fact, according to reality-based experts, Obamacare enforced by cops and SWAT teams will crank up your premiums.
Premiums are likely to keep going up even if the health care bill passes, experts say. “There’s no question premiums are still going to keep going up,” said Larry Levitt of the Kaiser Family Foundation, a research clearinghouse on the health care system.
If cost controls work as advertised, annual increases would level off with time. But don’t look for a rollback. Instead, the main reason premiums would be more affordable is that new government tax credits would help cover the cost for millions of people, according to the Associated Press.
Of course, any “tax credit” realized under the scheme will be annihilated in the coming months and years as the federal and state governments raise taxes to cover the losses to their shakedown due to the engineered collapse of the economy.
Obama’s voodoo math was a mistake, according to a White House spokesman. If health care costs dropped by 3,000 percent, as Obama said, government health care would be free many times over. In fact, Obama meant to say $3,000 not 3,000 percent.
Where did Obama get the $3,000 figure? From a report produced for the Business Roundtable, an association of big company CEOs. The report was issued in November and did not consider the final legislation Democrats in the Congress plan to ram through without actually voting on it.
Obama’s claim that an individual will save 14 percent to 20 percent comes from a Congressional Budget Office report based on earlier Senate legislation. The premium reduction of 14 percent to 20 percent that Obama cited would apply only to a portion of the people buying coverage on their own.
In December, the Congressional Budget Office and the Joint Committee on Taxation said people who pay for their own insurance would see a higher bill.
Meanwhile, Obama managed to arm-twist one-time totalitarian care opponent Dennis Kucinich into backing the plan Democrats say they will enact without votes in Congress. Obama had summoned Kucinich to Air Force One and Dennis kissed the ring. “Even though I don’t like the bill, I’ve made a decision to support it in the hope that we can move to a more comprehensive approach once this legislation is done,” he told reporters.
Apparently Kucinich no longer consider Obama’s totalitarian care plan a sham. In October, he said the entire legislative package was “a bailout for insurance companies.” The American people are “being mandated to buy private insurance. If you read the bill, the people are going to end up paying — the insurance companies can raise rates 25 percent right off the bat, if you read the bill,” said Kucinich.
Dennis Kucinich, one of a very small number of Democrats who originally opposed Obamacare, now apparently believes it is fine and dandy for the government to force the commoners to buy health care insurance at gunpoint. He also believes large insurance corporations deserve a monopoly in partnership with the government.
Should we ever trust Dennis Kucinich again? I think not.
Obama had summoned Kucinich to Air Force One and Dennis kissed the ring.
Or rather money taken out of your pocket by a predatory state.
In fact, according to reality-based experts, Obamacare enforced by cops and SWAT teams will crank up your premiums.
Premiums are likely to keep going up even if the health care bill passes, experts say. “There’s no question premiums are still going to keep going up,” said Larry Levitt of the Kaiser Family Foundation, a research clearinghouse on the health care system.
If cost controls work as advertised, annual increases would level off with time. But don’t look for a rollback. Instead, the main reason premiums would be more affordable is that new government tax credits would help cover the cost for millions of people, according to the Associated Press.
Of course, any “tax credit” realized under the scheme will be annihilated in the coming months and years as the federal and state governments raise taxes to cover the losses to their shakedown due to the engineered collapse of the economy.
Obama’s voodoo math was a mistake, according to a White House spokesman. If health care costs dropped by 3,000 percent, as Obama said, government health care would be free many times over. In fact, Obama meant to say $3,000 not 3,000 percent.
Where did Obama get the $3,000 figure? From a report produced for the Business Roundtable, an association of big company CEOs. The report was issued in November and did not consider the final legislation Democrats in the Congress plan to ram through without actually voting on it.
Obama’s claim that an individual will save 14 percent to 20 percent comes from a Congressional Budget Office report based on earlier Senate legislation. The premium reduction of 14 percent to 20 percent that Obama cited would apply only to a portion of the people buying coverage on their own.
In December, the Congressional Budget Office and the Joint Committee on Taxation said people who pay for their own insurance would see a higher bill.
Meanwhile, Obama managed to arm-twist one-time totalitarian care opponent Dennis Kucinich into backing the plan Democrats say they will enact without votes in Congress. Obama had summoned Kucinich to Air Force One and Dennis kissed the ring. “Even though I don’t like the bill, I’ve made a decision to support it in the hope that we can move to a more comprehensive approach once this legislation is done,” he told reporters.
Apparently Kucinich no longer consider Obama’s totalitarian care plan a sham. In October, he said the entire legislative package was “a bailout for insurance companies.” The American people are “being mandated to buy private insurance. If you read the bill, the people are going to end up paying — the insurance companies can raise rates 25 percent right off the bat, if you read the bill,” said Kucinich.
Dennis Kucinich, one of a very small number of Democrats who originally opposed Obamacare, now apparently believes it is fine and dandy for the government to force the commoners to buy health care insurance at gunpoint. He also believes large insurance corporations deserve a monopoly in partnership with the government.
Should we ever trust Dennis Kucinich again? I think not.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Obamacare Supporters Hold Americans In Contempt
President Obama and Congress appear to be holding the American people in contempt. The Dictionary defines contempt as "Lack of respect or reverence for something; disdain; The state of mind of one who despises, the act of despising something." That seems to be the state of mind of a majority in Congress and Obama: lack of respect, reverence and actually despising the American people. It is this contempt that should propel Americans to a second -- but peaceful -- American Revolution to replace elected officials at all levels with those who believe in limited government and individual liberty by January 2013.
Despite overwhelming evidence that the vast majority of Americans are rejecting the proposed government and corporate take over of health care, Congress and the President are demonstrating their abject contempt for the American people in their determination to ram this bill through Congress and have the President sign it into law.
They fail to respect several key demonstrated proofs of America's disapproval. Scott Brown's victory in Massachusetts -- taking a seat held by liberal lion Kennedy in large part due to rejection of the health care agenda. They ignore consistent polls showing growing rejection of Congressional plans. Bills passed only by narrow, dark of night votes in Congress requiring back room deals, political threats, and shedding of key policies favored by liberals while completely ignoring reasonable compromises offered by Republicans. The only Republican component included is one that punishes doctors for spending "too much" on their patients -- a hold over from the Bush years: Pay for Performance.
The House passed a bill by three votes in November 2009 that included a public option. The Senate could only pass a Christmas Eve bill without the public option and in its place is a transfer of $350 billion to the insurance companies in Federal subsidy money to buy mandated health insurance. This shows contempt for the liberal base of the Democratic party that wants government control -- not more money and power for the insurance companies. Of course, the creation of a mandate to buy health insurance shows contempt for individual rights and the U.S. Constitution.
The House bill passed ONLY because of a ban on federal money for abortions that was stripped from the Senate bill. Now the House is asked to vote for the Senate bill as is and hope that an abortion funding compromise will occur in the Senate. This is proposed after the President makes the Senate bill the law of the land; no such compromise will occur. Contempt for the principles and the intelligence of those Democratic Congressmen behind Bart Stupak's vote-getting amendment. Disdain for Americans who refuse to allow their tax dollars to pay for abortion.
Speaker Pelosi says that once the bill passes, then Americans will see how good it is for them (and can then see the language). She asks the House to pass a Senate bill on the promise that some sort of revisions will pass later through parliamentary tricks. In fact, Congresswoman Slaughter of New York suggests that the House "deems" the Senate bill to have passed that body without a vote! Contempt for the constitutional requirements of how Congress should pass laws. President Obama states that Americans just don't understand what he wants and they just need another speech so he can enlighten them. Contempt for the basic intelligence of Americans and a demonstration of sheer arrogance.
The proposed "reform" policies themselves show contempt. Buy health insurance or go to jail. Contempt. Medical care practiced by committee and not your doctor. Contempt. Doctors penalized for spending "over budget" on patients. Contempt. Ten years of revenue with six years of spending to "balance the budget". Contempt! The open display of corrupt political deals for votes show contempt: the Louisiana Purchase(Landrieu-La), the Cornhusker Kickback (Nelson-Neb.), Gator-aid (Nelson-Fl). So many political "coincidences" happen simultaneously while yes votes are gained or no votes neutralized: FBI investigations and ethics probes end (Mollohan-W.Va.), brothers gain judgeships (Matheson-UT), a Congressman quits to avoid an ethics scandal (Massa-NY). Strong-arm tactics to coerce votes and contempt for the intelligence of Americans. The most contemptuous policy: A federally appointed, unaccountable arrogant elite panel (the Independent Medicare Advisory Board) to create rationing and committee medical practice directives for doctors. Write into law that no future congress can even consider a motion to abolish the panel (page 1020 of HR 3590 passed by Senate). Contempt for the simple words in the US constitution that Congress writes the laws -- such a power of a future congress can't be abolished by a current Congress. Contempt.
The President holds a Blair House summit with Republicans and Democrats on health care and before the sun sets on that day, the Democrats advise the Republicans in attendance that the Senate bill will be passed using reconciliation and other political maneuvers with no attempt at including Republican compromises. Contempt.
The President claims all meetings on health care will be televised on C-span while the only TV image we get is a closed door in front of a meeting of politicians and special interests. The government shows contempt for Americans when they will have secret meetings with the AMA, AARP, the insurance industry, PhRMA, Families USA, Unions, and other special interests but refuse to listen to or respect Americans in Town halls, in polls or phone calls to congressional offices.
The President convinces his democratic party that without a victory on health care HIS presidency is in jeopardy -as if it is his personal possession. His legacy will be lost. The president thus shows the most contempt for the American people by claiming that his personal position of power and his legacy are more important than the wishes or the best interests of the American people. That is the type of contempt that is demonstrated by kings, dictators and tyrants. It was King George III who said: "I desire what is good. Therefore, everyone who does not agree with me is a traitor."
Now they plan a vote on health care during the week of 3/15/2010. The President delays his taxpayer-funded family trip to Australia and Indonesian childhood stomping grounds to break more arms for votes and Pelosi promises passage. She will likely pass the Senate bill and there will be cheers in Washington elite circles.
But the cheers should be loudest among Americans who love liberty. While Americans may view passage of a government take over of medicine as a defeat, they should instead see it as a motivating and key moment in American history -- when they realized that it is time for a peaceful overthrow of our leadership in government. It is time to reject a hundred years of big government policy and dependency on D.C. that has placed us in the position we are now: flat on our backs with the boot of government on our throats. American liberty has had three major defeats in the last one hundred years: the 1913 creation of the Federal Reserve and Income Tax; the failed New Deal that started and ended the depression with a 20% unemployment rate and instilled big government as a way of life in America; the Lyndon Johnson Great Society that created the now $38 trillion unfunded liability of Medicare, the failed medical ghetto of Medicaid and welfare programs that had to be repealed in the '90's. We lost those first three great battles and now the fourth attempt of collectivism/big government is upon us in the agenda of Obama. This fourth invasion of collectivism will threaten our national sovereignty with generations of debt owned by foreigners and shadowy bankers. This latest battle against collectivism is one we can't lose as it will mean the end of liberty and property rights in America and America itself.
The Tea Party movement over the last year has been like the Boston Tea Party: a powerful demonstration to the King that free Americans are not going to live under contempt and tyranny any longer. The Boston Tea Party was an event as is the Tea Party movement. It is now time for the next phase: a full Campaign for Liberty. The Liberty movement is here and tea party movement got us started. It has recruited soldiers and found leaders, causes and resources. It has fought and lost and fought and won. George Washington was soundly defeated so many times after he chased the British out of Boston in March 1776 and then himself was chased out of Manhattan and into Pennsylvania. But he had inspirational victories when crossing the Delaware on Christmas of 1776 and Americans fought and stayed with him and finally defeated the British at Yorktown and gained freedom for our country in 1781.
This is our moment for a rebirth of Liberty in America. This is the moment when we must recruit soldiers to the Liberty Movement and fight for the next several years for victory. The victory we need is election of a majority of principled, liberty-loving leaders to Congress, state and local government in 2010 and again in 2012 with an inauguration of a new President in 2013 that will put government where it belongs again. Not with its boot on the throats of the American people, but with the government on its knees before the American people -- begging for its favor and respect. That will be a time when Americans can stop holding their government in contempt and begin again their efforts to bring prosperity and peace to our generation and future generations of Americans.
Despite overwhelming evidence that the vast majority of Americans are rejecting the proposed government and corporate take over of health care, Congress and the President are demonstrating their abject contempt for the American people in their determination to ram this bill through Congress and have the President sign it into law.
They fail to respect several key demonstrated proofs of America's disapproval. Scott Brown's victory in Massachusetts -- taking a seat held by liberal lion Kennedy in large part due to rejection of the health care agenda. They ignore consistent polls showing growing rejection of Congressional plans. Bills passed only by narrow, dark of night votes in Congress requiring back room deals, political threats, and shedding of key policies favored by liberals while completely ignoring reasonable compromises offered by Republicans. The only Republican component included is one that punishes doctors for spending "too much" on their patients -- a hold over from the Bush years: Pay for Performance.
The House passed a bill by three votes in November 2009 that included a public option. The Senate could only pass a Christmas Eve bill without the public option and in its place is a transfer of $350 billion to the insurance companies in Federal subsidy money to buy mandated health insurance. This shows contempt for the liberal base of the Democratic party that wants government control -- not more money and power for the insurance companies. Of course, the creation of a mandate to buy health insurance shows contempt for individual rights and the U.S. Constitution.
The House bill passed ONLY because of a ban on federal money for abortions that was stripped from the Senate bill. Now the House is asked to vote for the Senate bill as is and hope that an abortion funding compromise will occur in the Senate. This is proposed after the President makes the Senate bill the law of the land; no such compromise will occur. Contempt for the principles and the intelligence of those Democratic Congressmen behind Bart Stupak's vote-getting amendment. Disdain for Americans who refuse to allow their tax dollars to pay for abortion.
Speaker Pelosi says that once the bill passes, then Americans will see how good it is for them (and can then see the language). She asks the House to pass a Senate bill on the promise that some sort of revisions will pass later through parliamentary tricks. In fact, Congresswoman Slaughter of New York suggests that the House "deems" the Senate bill to have passed that body without a vote! Contempt for the constitutional requirements of how Congress should pass laws. President Obama states that Americans just don't understand what he wants and they just need another speech so he can enlighten them. Contempt for the basic intelligence of Americans and a demonstration of sheer arrogance.
The proposed "reform" policies themselves show contempt. Buy health insurance or go to jail. Contempt. Medical care practiced by committee and not your doctor. Contempt. Doctors penalized for spending "over budget" on patients. Contempt. Ten years of revenue with six years of spending to "balance the budget". Contempt! The open display of corrupt political deals for votes show contempt: the Louisiana Purchase(Landrieu-La), the Cornhusker Kickback (Nelson-Neb.), Gator-aid (Nelson-Fl). So many political "coincidences" happen simultaneously while yes votes are gained or no votes neutralized: FBI investigations and ethics probes end (Mollohan-W.Va.), brothers gain judgeships (Matheson-UT), a Congressman quits to avoid an ethics scandal (Massa-NY). Strong-arm tactics to coerce votes and contempt for the intelligence of Americans. The most contemptuous policy: A federally appointed, unaccountable arrogant elite panel (the Independent Medicare Advisory Board) to create rationing and committee medical practice directives for doctors. Write into law that no future congress can even consider a motion to abolish the panel (page 1020 of HR 3590 passed by Senate). Contempt for the simple words in the US constitution that Congress writes the laws -- such a power of a future congress can't be abolished by a current Congress. Contempt.
The President holds a Blair House summit with Republicans and Democrats on health care and before the sun sets on that day, the Democrats advise the Republicans in attendance that the Senate bill will be passed using reconciliation and other political maneuvers with no attempt at including Republican compromises. Contempt.
The President claims all meetings on health care will be televised on C-span while the only TV image we get is a closed door in front of a meeting of politicians and special interests. The government shows contempt for Americans when they will have secret meetings with the AMA, AARP, the insurance industry, PhRMA, Families USA, Unions, and other special interests but refuse to listen to or respect Americans in Town halls, in polls or phone calls to congressional offices.
The President convinces his democratic party that without a victory on health care HIS presidency is in jeopardy -as if it is his personal possession. His legacy will be lost. The president thus shows the most contempt for the American people by claiming that his personal position of power and his legacy are more important than the wishes or the best interests of the American people. That is the type of contempt that is demonstrated by kings, dictators and tyrants. It was King George III who said: "I desire what is good. Therefore, everyone who does not agree with me is a traitor."
Now they plan a vote on health care during the week of 3/15/2010. The President delays his taxpayer-funded family trip to Australia and Indonesian childhood stomping grounds to break more arms for votes and Pelosi promises passage. She will likely pass the Senate bill and there will be cheers in Washington elite circles.
But the cheers should be loudest among Americans who love liberty. While Americans may view passage of a government take over of medicine as a defeat, they should instead see it as a motivating and key moment in American history -- when they realized that it is time for a peaceful overthrow of our leadership in government. It is time to reject a hundred years of big government policy and dependency on D.C. that has placed us in the position we are now: flat on our backs with the boot of government on our throats. American liberty has had three major defeats in the last one hundred years: the 1913 creation of the Federal Reserve and Income Tax; the failed New Deal that started and ended the depression with a 20% unemployment rate and instilled big government as a way of life in America; the Lyndon Johnson Great Society that created the now $38 trillion unfunded liability of Medicare, the failed medical ghetto of Medicaid and welfare programs that had to be repealed in the '90's. We lost those first three great battles and now the fourth attempt of collectivism/big government is upon us in the agenda of Obama. This fourth invasion of collectivism will threaten our national sovereignty with generations of debt owned by foreigners and shadowy bankers. This latest battle against collectivism is one we can't lose as it will mean the end of liberty and property rights in America and America itself.
The Tea Party movement over the last year has been like the Boston Tea Party: a powerful demonstration to the King that free Americans are not going to live under contempt and tyranny any longer. The Boston Tea Party was an event as is the Tea Party movement. It is now time for the next phase: a full Campaign for Liberty. The Liberty movement is here and tea party movement got us started. It has recruited soldiers and found leaders, causes and resources. It has fought and lost and fought and won. George Washington was soundly defeated so many times after he chased the British out of Boston in March 1776 and then himself was chased out of Manhattan and into Pennsylvania. But he had inspirational victories when crossing the Delaware on Christmas of 1776 and Americans fought and stayed with him and finally defeated the British at Yorktown and gained freedom for our country in 1781.
This is our moment for a rebirth of Liberty in America. This is the moment when we must recruit soldiers to the Liberty Movement and fight for the next several years for victory. The victory we need is election of a majority of principled, liberty-loving leaders to Congress, state and local government in 2010 and again in 2012 with an inauguration of a new President in 2013 that will put government where it belongs again. Not with its boot on the throats of the American people, but with the government on its knees before the American people -- begging for its favor and respect. That will be a time when Americans can stop holding their government in contempt and begin again their efforts to bring prosperity and peace to our generation and future generations of Americans.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Bart Stupak: Obamacare Is A Death Panel For Children
“If you pass the Stupak amendment, more children will be born, and therefore it will cost us millions more. That’s one of the arguments I’ve been hearing,” Stupak says. “Money is their hang-up. Is this how we now value life in America? If money is the issue — come on, we can find room in the budget. This is LIFE we’re talking about.”
If was any doubt that Sarah Palin’s warning about the death cult the democrat party has become since the ultra-radical progressive movement wrested control of the party from it’s more reasonable members, the above quotes should end that debate for all time.
Those words come from democrat Congressman Bart Stupak. Congressman Stupak is one of just a handful of principled democrats left in government, and a real hero.
Stupak, of course, is talking about abortion funding here. You see, like most Americans, Congressman Stupak believes in the sanctity of life. He is leading a small group of like minded democrats who oppose tax payer funded abortion.
When Sarah Palin wrote her famous blog post pointing out the reality that her beautiful son, because of his disability, and her parents, because of their age, would not fare well when they went before ObamaCare’s “death panels” she was dead on.
Of course, the radical progressives lost their minds, and tried to discredit Sarah with all kinds of caterwauling and slight of hand, but at the end of the day, all Americans will face ObamaCare’s “death panels” each and every time they need health care.
Look, I won’t rehash all of this over and over. Long time readers as well as newcomers can search my blog archives for complete analysis. But here are the highlights:
First of all, yes, there will be “death panels” and no, they won’t be called that. As we have talked about, ad nauseam, there will be “comparative medicine boards” where a group of faceless, nameless bureaucrats will decide who gets care and who doesn’t. This won’t be based on what will be best for the patient, these people won’t be weighing on the best medical practices for an individual.
You see, these “comparative medicine boards” will be made up of accountants, bean counters. Their only goal will be saving the government, which will be in complete control of health care, money. The easiest way to cut costs is to deny, or limit, coverage to those deemed “unworthy.”
The ramifications from this twisted thinking are enormous.
Even worse, we all know that it is all but impossible to fire a government worker, once they are entrenched, and there will be almost no way to meaningfully appeal one of the poor decisions made by these government drones.
The bottom line is this: Once ObamaCare becomes law, the only thing that will matter to the government is shaving costs. Let’s face it, the government, because of entitlements already promised, is broke. Adding a couple of trillion dollars more, just to start, isn’t going to help matters a whole lot.
How will the government save money? By only treating the “productive” members of society, of course!
Rahm Emanuel’s brother, Dr Ezekiel Emanuel, Obama’s health care advisor, literally wrote the book that sets up, not only the “death panels” but the guidelines for who should be allowed to live, and who can be left to die.
Emanuel, vying for the title of “America’s Josef Mengele” wrote about the “complete lives system.” This lays out the argument that only the most productive deserve the best health care. Every American should read this. It comes from a truly diseased mind, and represents the progressive movement that controls the democrat party completely. Read it all here.
Here is a chart that explains the thinking of the radical left:
As you see, once you get past 30 years of age, the government won’t think very much of your ability to be productive. How insane is that?
What is so glaring to me though, is just how vile and cold these progressive democrats are. Of course, progressives have pushed the mass murder of babies since the turn of the last century. Ever since Margaret Sanger worked to make abortion acceptable, to “cleanse” the earth of blacks and other “human weeds” (her words) progressives have been on board. Sanger’s Planned Parenthood is the holy church of the progressive movement. The right to murder babies is one thing this bunch will actually go to war over.
Even so, for the death cult to openly admit they want massive tax payer funded abortions, and less babies…LESS AMERICANS… to save money for this unconstitutional ObamaCare boondoggle is simply breathtaking.
Quite simply, fewer babies means fewer people ObamaCare will have to cover.
There is something inherently evil in this sort of thinking.
Congressman Stupack made the above comments as part of a lengthy interview with National Review Online. The interview paints a horrific picture of what is happening with the health care debate is a must read. Here’s some more:
Sitting in an airport, on his way home to Michigan, Rep. Bart Stupak, a pro-life Democrat, is chagrined. “They’re ignoring me,” he says, in a phone interview with National Review Online. “That’s their strategy now. The House Democratic leaders think they have the votes to pass the Senate’s health-care bill without us. At this point, there is no doubt that they’ve been able to peel off one or two of my twelve. And even if they don’t have the votes, it’s been made clear to us that they won’t insert our language on the abortion issue.”
According to Stupak, that group of twelve pro-life House Democrats — the “Stupak dozen” — has privately agreed for months to vote ‘no’ on the Senate’s health-care bill if federal funding for abortion is included in the final legislative language. Now, in the debate’s final hours, Stupak says the other eleven are coming under “enormous” political pressure from both the White House and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.). “I am a definite ‘no’ vote,” he says. “I didn’t cave. The others are having both of their arms twisted, and we’re all getting pounded by our traditional Democratic supporters, like unions.”
Read it all here.
The sanctity of life, the protection of the innocent, is what sets us apart from the lower species. It should alarm all people, worldwide, that this President and his Congress not only want to promote the destruction of human life, in a crass attempt to save money for a health care overhaul that the American people don’t even want, but want the American people to pay for it too!
It’s fantastically evil.
It’s also one more reason that ObamaCare must be defeated and the progressives run completely out of government for all time.
If was any doubt that Sarah Palin’s warning about the death cult the democrat party has become since the ultra-radical progressive movement wrested control of the party from it’s more reasonable members, the above quotes should end that debate for all time.
Those words come from democrat Congressman Bart Stupak. Congressman Stupak is one of just a handful of principled democrats left in government, and a real hero.
Stupak, of course, is talking about abortion funding here. You see, like most Americans, Congressman Stupak believes in the sanctity of life. He is leading a small group of like minded democrats who oppose tax payer funded abortion.
When Sarah Palin wrote her famous blog post pointing out the reality that her beautiful son, because of his disability, and her parents, because of their age, would not fare well when they went before ObamaCare’s “death panels” she was dead on.
Of course, the radical progressives lost their minds, and tried to discredit Sarah with all kinds of caterwauling and slight of hand, but at the end of the day, all Americans will face ObamaCare’s “death panels” each and every time they need health care.
Look, I won’t rehash all of this over and over. Long time readers as well as newcomers can search my blog archives for complete analysis. But here are the highlights:
First of all, yes, there will be “death panels” and no, they won’t be called that. As we have talked about, ad nauseam, there will be “comparative medicine boards” where a group of faceless, nameless bureaucrats will decide who gets care and who doesn’t. This won’t be based on what will be best for the patient, these people won’t be weighing on the best medical practices for an individual.
You see, these “comparative medicine boards” will be made up of accountants, bean counters. Their only goal will be saving the government, which will be in complete control of health care, money. The easiest way to cut costs is to deny, or limit, coverage to those deemed “unworthy.”
The ramifications from this twisted thinking are enormous.
Even worse, we all know that it is all but impossible to fire a government worker, once they are entrenched, and there will be almost no way to meaningfully appeal one of the poor decisions made by these government drones.
The bottom line is this: Once ObamaCare becomes law, the only thing that will matter to the government is shaving costs. Let’s face it, the government, because of entitlements already promised, is broke. Adding a couple of trillion dollars more, just to start, isn’t going to help matters a whole lot.
How will the government save money? By only treating the “productive” members of society, of course!
Rahm Emanuel’s brother, Dr Ezekiel Emanuel, Obama’s health care advisor, literally wrote the book that sets up, not only the “death panels” but the guidelines for who should be allowed to live, and who can be left to die.
Emanuel, vying for the title of “America’s Josef Mengele” wrote about the “complete lives system.” This lays out the argument that only the most productive deserve the best health care. Every American should read this. It comes from a truly diseased mind, and represents the progressive movement that controls the democrat party completely. Read it all here.
Here is a chart that explains the thinking of the radical left:
As you see, once you get past 30 years of age, the government won’t think very much of your ability to be productive. How insane is that?
What is so glaring to me though, is just how vile and cold these progressive democrats are. Of course, progressives have pushed the mass murder of babies since the turn of the last century. Ever since Margaret Sanger worked to make abortion acceptable, to “cleanse” the earth of blacks and other “human weeds” (her words) progressives have been on board. Sanger’s Planned Parenthood is the holy church of the progressive movement. The right to murder babies is one thing this bunch will actually go to war over.
Even so, for the death cult to openly admit they want massive tax payer funded abortions, and less babies…LESS AMERICANS… to save money for this unconstitutional ObamaCare boondoggle is simply breathtaking.
Quite simply, fewer babies means fewer people ObamaCare will have to cover.
There is something inherently evil in this sort of thinking.
Congressman Stupack made the above comments as part of a lengthy interview with National Review Online. The interview paints a horrific picture of what is happening with the health care debate is a must read. Here’s some more:
Sitting in an airport, on his way home to Michigan, Rep. Bart Stupak, a pro-life Democrat, is chagrined. “They’re ignoring me,” he says, in a phone interview with National Review Online. “That’s their strategy now. The House Democratic leaders think they have the votes to pass the Senate’s health-care bill without us. At this point, there is no doubt that they’ve been able to peel off one or two of my twelve. And even if they don’t have the votes, it’s been made clear to us that they won’t insert our language on the abortion issue.”
According to Stupak, that group of twelve pro-life House Democrats — the “Stupak dozen” — has privately agreed for months to vote ‘no’ on the Senate’s health-care bill if federal funding for abortion is included in the final legislative language. Now, in the debate’s final hours, Stupak says the other eleven are coming under “enormous” political pressure from both the White House and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.). “I am a definite ‘no’ vote,” he says. “I didn’t cave. The others are having both of their arms twisted, and we’re all getting pounded by our traditional Democratic supporters, like unions.”
Read it all here.
The sanctity of life, the protection of the innocent, is what sets us apart from the lower species. It should alarm all people, worldwide, that this President and his Congress not only want to promote the destruction of human life, in a crass attempt to save money for a health care overhaul that the American people don’t even want, but want the American people to pay for it too!
It’s fantastically evil.
It’s also one more reason that ObamaCare must be defeated and the progressives run completely out of government for all time.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Moscow's First Tea Party
When the global elite had perfected their world stage by making Barry Soetoro their main star to bring down the United States of America, were they planning ObamaCare in time for Easter 2010?
Dates are significant to the One World Order cabal, and now Easter Sunday will join Christmas Eve as the countdown to the Health Care bill.
Pompous, self-important and power-crazed global PoohBahs don’t stop to consider that bunnies everywhere won’t duck as Puppet Obama takes aim and fires at the population of the United States of America.
Obama lacks the courage to tell it like it is; that he can have the Dems pass his Health bill any old day; that if it couldn’t be done on Christmas Eve, for symbolism Easter’s even better.
Taking calculated potshots from a distance is so much easier than telling the truth up front. This is a “leader” who always leaves it for the rest of us to go figure.
Obama has his needs, and like all sworn to the evil cause of the global elite, symbolism adds to the pain.
But even as he preens, boasts and bullies his way through taking over America’s health care system, Obama has a few little flies in the proverbial ointment.
At Easter, people come both spiritually and physically out of the dark, during a renewal when even the pagans come out to play.
This winter was brutal, and all winter long Mother Nature refused to dance with Obama. There were the snowstorms that shut down Washington, D.C.; tens of thousands in the Northeast were shut-ins with no heat and light.
So easy to tease and torment the masses when the wind is howling around their huts. Not so easy when Spring is in the air.
Freedom lovers expect Obama, who continues on a maniacal path to socialize America, to “overreach”.
Tyrants much tougher than the Pocket Messiah fell when they attempted the same strategy.
We take you back to May 1, 1990; to one of the global elitists now hovering in the dark of Obama’s corner.
It was May Day in Moscow, captured for posterity by Bill Keller in a special to the New York Times: ”President Mikhail S. Gorbachev and the Kremlin leadership were jeered today by throngs of protesters who were allowed to march through Red Square at the end of the annual May Day parade.”
Scribes of the day could easily have termed it “Moscow’s First Tea Party”.
Back to Keller: “The Soviet leaders watched in evident amazement from the top of Lenin’s mausoleum as (a) shouting, fist-shaking column milled underneath waving banners that condemned the Communist Party and the K.G.B., and supported Lithuania’s Declaration of Independence.
“Chants of “Resign!” and “Shame!” were largely drowned out by the blare of parade music, but foreign visitors who watched from the reviewing stand said they could clearly hear the shriek of hoots and whistles that rose up from the cobblestoned square as Mr. Gorbachev led the others off the mausoleum after enduring 25 minutes of protest.
“The banners and speeches warned against unemployment, private property and unregulated prices, and one placard called for the removal of Prime Minister Nikolai I. Ryzhkov for failing to lift the country out of its economic misery.
“Mr. Gorbachev’s economic advisers say the threat of a worker uprising is the main reason they have pulled back from a “shock therapy” transition to a market economy.”
Even the New York Times included (albeit down copy) a small reference to the humble monk whose heroic gesture was to soon change the world by unleashing the passion of little people everywhere that the mantle of Communism could be thrown off: ...”and at the front a monk from the Russian Orthodox monastery at Zagorsk who held up a nearly life-sized rendition of Jesus on the cross and called out to Mr. Gorbachev, “Mikhail Sergeyevich, Christ is risen!”
At that moment, Gorbachev turned heel and walked off of the reviewing stand. At that time in history, the Berlin Wall had fallen the year before and the Iron Curtain was about to fall during the following year.
History was to record that even before the fall of the Iron Curtain, Gorbachev had bailed out to America, where friends had raised $3.3 million for him to run his Foundation from San Francisco’s Presidium.
To this day, Gorbachev is an unsung cheerleader in the Obama corner.
Meanwhile there are those who claim that Barry Soetoro is attempting to emphasize the vision of `Obama, the Messiah’ by forcing ObamaCare on the population “in time for Easter”. But the immortal words, “Christ is risen” belong to the real Messiah. Incredibly, no one seems able to stop Obama’s push for Marxism—the same one that began to fail on May 1, 1990.
Dates are significant to the One World Order cabal, and now Easter Sunday will join Christmas Eve as the countdown to the Health Care bill.
Pompous, self-important and power-crazed global PoohBahs don’t stop to consider that bunnies everywhere won’t duck as Puppet Obama takes aim and fires at the population of the United States of America.
Obama lacks the courage to tell it like it is; that he can have the Dems pass his Health bill any old day; that if it couldn’t be done on Christmas Eve, for symbolism Easter’s even better.
Taking calculated potshots from a distance is so much easier than telling the truth up front. This is a “leader” who always leaves it for the rest of us to go figure.
Obama has his needs, and like all sworn to the evil cause of the global elite, symbolism adds to the pain.
But even as he preens, boasts and bullies his way through taking over America’s health care system, Obama has a few little flies in the proverbial ointment.
At Easter, people come both spiritually and physically out of the dark, during a renewal when even the pagans come out to play.
This winter was brutal, and all winter long Mother Nature refused to dance with Obama. There were the snowstorms that shut down Washington, D.C.; tens of thousands in the Northeast were shut-ins with no heat and light.
So easy to tease and torment the masses when the wind is howling around their huts. Not so easy when Spring is in the air.
Freedom lovers expect Obama, who continues on a maniacal path to socialize America, to “overreach”.
Tyrants much tougher than the Pocket Messiah fell when they attempted the same strategy.
We take you back to May 1, 1990; to one of the global elitists now hovering in the dark of Obama’s corner.
It was May Day in Moscow, captured for posterity by Bill Keller in a special to the New York Times: ”President Mikhail S. Gorbachev and the Kremlin leadership were jeered today by throngs of protesters who were allowed to march through Red Square at the end of the annual May Day parade.”
Scribes of the day could easily have termed it “Moscow’s First Tea Party”.
Back to Keller: “The Soviet leaders watched in evident amazement from the top of Lenin’s mausoleum as (a) shouting, fist-shaking column milled underneath waving banners that condemned the Communist Party and the K.G.B., and supported Lithuania’s Declaration of Independence.
“Chants of “Resign!” and “Shame!” were largely drowned out by the blare of parade music, but foreign visitors who watched from the reviewing stand said they could clearly hear the shriek of hoots and whistles that rose up from the cobblestoned square as Mr. Gorbachev led the others off the mausoleum after enduring 25 minutes of protest.
“The banners and speeches warned against unemployment, private property and unregulated prices, and one placard called for the removal of Prime Minister Nikolai I. Ryzhkov for failing to lift the country out of its economic misery.
“Mr. Gorbachev’s economic advisers say the threat of a worker uprising is the main reason they have pulled back from a “shock therapy” transition to a market economy.”
Even the New York Times included (albeit down copy) a small reference to the humble monk whose heroic gesture was to soon change the world by unleashing the passion of little people everywhere that the mantle of Communism could be thrown off: ...”and at the front a monk from the Russian Orthodox monastery at Zagorsk who held up a nearly life-sized rendition of Jesus on the cross and called out to Mr. Gorbachev, “Mikhail Sergeyevich, Christ is risen!”
At that moment, Gorbachev turned heel and walked off of the reviewing stand. At that time in history, the Berlin Wall had fallen the year before and the Iron Curtain was about to fall during the following year.
History was to record that even before the fall of the Iron Curtain, Gorbachev had bailed out to America, where friends had raised $3.3 million for him to run his Foundation from San Francisco’s Presidium.
To this day, Gorbachev is an unsung cheerleader in the Obama corner.
Meanwhile there are those who claim that Barry Soetoro is attempting to emphasize the vision of `Obama, the Messiah’ by forcing ObamaCare on the population “in time for Easter”. But the immortal words, “Christ is risen” belong to the real Messiah. Incredibly, no one seems able to stop Obama’s push for Marxism—the same one that began to fail on May 1, 1990.
Friday, February 26, 2010
DNC Instructs Obamaites To Call Conservative Talk Radio
Instructions have come down from the Obama Borg hive in regard to talk radio.
“The fate of health reform has been a focus of debate in living rooms and offices, on TV and online — and on talk radio,” states Obama’s activism website. “And since millions of folks turn to talk radio as a trusted source of news and opinions, we need to make sure OFA supporters are calling in with a pro-reform message.”
Organizing for America is a netroots project of the Democratic National Committee and establishment Democrats.
Most of the talk shows recommended are hosted by the usual neocons and faux conservatives, including Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, Neil Boortz, Dennis Miller, and the Watergate era criminal G. Gordon Liddy.
“Be polite, respectful, and clear. Remember, you represent Organizing for America,” Obama’s site instructs.
Organizing for America is a netroots project of the Democratic National Committee and establishment Democrats who are itching to force “health care reform” on you at gunpoint.
Obama’s site encourages MoveOn (a George Soros project) and other globalist organizations to “get involved locally.”
“Some hosts may challenge your views,” the marching orders continue. “Stay calm and firm. Sharing a personal story about how health reform affects you and your family is a great way to show the importance and urgency of health reform.”
No doubt the suggested neocon talk show hosts will respond in predictable left versus right fashion and call Obama’s proposed “mandate” socialism.
In fact, the only relevant argument against health care “reform” at gunpoint is that the debt creation plan is an egregious violation of the Constitution (under the Commerce clause) and the Tenth Amendment, specifically: “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.” Once upon a time, this was accepted as a truism.
Thankfully, as of October 2009, five states have introduced legislation that would declare certain provisions of any proposed national health care bill to be null and void within the state under State Sovereignty Resolutions and Nullification Acts. On February 1, 2010, the Virginia Senate took a stand against a key provision of a proposed federal health care overhaul, passing legislation declaring that Virginia residents cannot be forced to buy health insurance.
More states need to follow suit before the Democrats finagle this monstrosity into law.
“The fate of health reform has been a focus of debate in living rooms and offices, on TV and online — and on talk radio,” states Obama’s activism website. “And since millions of folks turn to talk radio as a trusted source of news and opinions, we need to make sure OFA supporters are calling in with a pro-reform message.”
Organizing for America is a netroots project of the Democratic National Committee and establishment Democrats.
Most of the talk shows recommended are hosted by the usual neocons and faux conservatives, including Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, Neil Boortz, Dennis Miller, and the Watergate era criminal G. Gordon Liddy.
“Be polite, respectful, and clear. Remember, you represent Organizing for America,” Obama’s site instructs.
Organizing for America is a netroots project of the Democratic National Committee and establishment Democrats who are itching to force “health care reform” on you at gunpoint.
Obama’s site encourages MoveOn (a George Soros project) and other globalist organizations to “get involved locally.”
“Some hosts may challenge your views,” the marching orders continue. “Stay calm and firm. Sharing a personal story about how health reform affects you and your family is a great way to show the importance and urgency of health reform.”
No doubt the suggested neocon talk show hosts will respond in predictable left versus right fashion and call Obama’s proposed “mandate” socialism.
In fact, the only relevant argument against health care “reform” at gunpoint is that the debt creation plan is an egregious violation of the Constitution (under the Commerce clause) and the Tenth Amendment, specifically: “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.” Once upon a time, this was accepted as a truism.
Thankfully, as of October 2009, five states have introduced legislation that would declare certain provisions of any proposed national health care bill to be null and void within the state under State Sovereignty Resolutions and Nullification Acts. On February 1, 2010, the Virginia Senate took a stand against a key provision of a proposed federal health care overhaul, passing legislation declaring that Virginia residents cannot be forced to buy health insurance.
More states need to follow suit before the Democrats finagle this monstrosity into law.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Ed Schultz Uses Cheney's Heart Condition To Pass Health Care Reform
MSNBC Host Ed Schultz Said Tuesday during his that Vice President Dick Cheney was the so-called poster boy for nationalized health care in America. Ed Schultz said, in a sarcastic way that he, wished the former Vice President had a speedy recovery becasue he is now the poster child for health Care in America said Ed Schultz to the Huffington Post's Sekoff. "I mean, five deferments and five heart attacks," Schultz continued. "That's a hell of a life, isn't it, Roy?" (video embedded below the fold with transcript, h/t Story Balloon):
ED SCHULTZ, HOST: Dick Cheney going to be released from a hospital in a day or two after suffering a minor heart attack. I wish the former Vice President a speedy recovery because he is now the poster child for healthcare in this country. Americans would love to have the same healthcare coverage that Dick Cheney has. Joining me now for all of that is Roy Sekoff, founding editor of the Huffington Post. I mean, five deferments and five heart attacks. That's a hell of a life, isn't it, Roy?
ROY SEKOFF, HUFFINGTON POST: You nailed it, Ed. He's now matched the deferments as he has with the heart attacks. But, as you say, you know, the average American, if Dick Cheney was Joe Schmoe, you know, he would have lost his insurance a long time ago. He would have lost his house, he would have lost his job, he would have lost his car, he would have lost his credit cards. You know, because we know that 50% of all bankruptcies are the result of a medical emergency like this. So, you can imagine. Could you imagine if Cheney if he was an average guy trying to get insurance? Can you imagine that call, Ed? "Yeah, I'm 69. I have had five heart attacks. I have had quadruple bypass, two angioplasties, and I've had a defibrillator stuck. Hello? Hello?" You know, not going to happen.
SCHULTZ: Roy, I think that the Democrats should use Dick Cheney as the example as to what the Republicans have been voting against all along. This is the kind of healthcare Americans could have if we went with President Obama's plan. Thanks to Newsbusters.com for transcripts.
ED SCHULTZ, HOST: Dick Cheney going to be released from a hospital in a day or two after suffering a minor heart attack. I wish the former Vice President a speedy recovery because he is now the poster child for healthcare in this country. Americans would love to have the same healthcare coverage that Dick Cheney has. Joining me now for all of that is Roy Sekoff, founding editor of the Huffington Post. I mean, five deferments and five heart attacks. That's a hell of a life, isn't it, Roy?
ROY SEKOFF, HUFFINGTON POST: You nailed it, Ed. He's now matched the deferments as he has with the heart attacks. But, as you say, you know, the average American, if Dick Cheney was Joe Schmoe, you know, he would have lost his insurance a long time ago. He would have lost his house, he would have lost his job, he would have lost his car, he would have lost his credit cards. You know, because we know that 50% of all bankruptcies are the result of a medical emergency like this. So, you can imagine. Could you imagine if Cheney if he was an average guy trying to get insurance? Can you imagine that call, Ed? "Yeah, I'm 69. I have had five heart attacks. I have had quadruple bypass, two angioplasties, and I've had a defibrillator stuck. Hello? Hello?" You know, not going to happen.
SCHULTZ: Roy, I think that the Democrats should use Dick Cheney as the example as to what the Republicans have been voting against all along. This is the kind of healthcare Americans could have if we went with President Obama's plan. Thanks to Newsbusters.com for transcripts.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
White House Health Care Summit is A Excuse to Pass Health Care Via Reconciliation Bill
The game of chicken commenceth — right now.
In the course of unveiling Obama’s new health reform proposal on a conference call with reporters this morning, White House advisers made it clearer than ever before: If the GOP filibusters health reform, Dems will move forward on their own and pass it via reconciliation.
The assertion, which is likely to spark an angry response from GOP leaders, ups the stakes in advance of the summit by essentially daring Republicans to try to block reform.
“The President expects and believes the American people deserve an up or down vote on health reform,” White House communications director Dan Pfeiffer said on the call.
Pfeiffer said no decision had been made how to proceed, pending the outcome of the summit. But he added that Obama’s proposal is designed to have “maximum flexibility to ensure that we can get an up or down vote if the opposition decides to take the extraordinary step of filibustering health reform.”
Translation: If the GOP doesn’t cooperate with us in any meaningful sense, we’re moving forward on our own.
Also on the call, White House advisers detailed Obama’s new proposal, which was just posted on the White House web site, and discussed the ways it seeks a compromise between the Senate and House proposals. Among the details:
* As expected, the plan has no public option — but this does not preclude a reconciliation vote on the public option later.
* The proposal boosts the threshold for the “Cadillac” tax on the most expensive health plans from $23,000 for a family plan to $27,500. That’s actually a better deal than some labor officials were expecting, though some House Dems will still be angry that the tax is being included at all.
* The proposal also preserves the Senate bill’s state-based exchanges, and does not have a national exchange, as the House bill did.
* However, House Dems will be cheered by the fact that Obama’s compromise closes the Medicare prescription drug “donut hole” coverage gap.
* Also, the bill nixes Ben Nelson’s Nebraska deal and boosts Federal financing for Medicaid expansion in all states.
* And finally, as expected, Obama’s proposal creates a Federal panel to monitor and block exorbitant rate hikes and other unfair practices by the insurance industry.
One final note: On the call, Pfeiffer was careful to note that the proposal is not the product of an agreement between the House and Senate, but rather is “the President’s bill.” This is meant to preclude GOP efforts to cast the proposal as the product of a backroom deal. The lines are drawn.
In the course of unveiling Obama’s new health reform proposal on a conference call with reporters this morning, White House advisers made it clearer than ever before: If the GOP filibusters health reform, Dems will move forward on their own and pass it via reconciliation.
The assertion, which is likely to spark an angry response from GOP leaders, ups the stakes in advance of the summit by essentially daring Republicans to try to block reform.
“The President expects and believes the American people deserve an up or down vote on health reform,” White House communications director Dan Pfeiffer said on the call.
Pfeiffer said no decision had been made how to proceed, pending the outcome of the summit. But he added that Obama’s proposal is designed to have “maximum flexibility to ensure that we can get an up or down vote if the opposition decides to take the extraordinary step of filibustering health reform.”
Translation: If the GOP doesn’t cooperate with us in any meaningful sense, we’re moving forward on our own.
Also on the call, White House advisers detailed Obama’s new proposal, which was just posted on the White House web site, and discussed the ways it seeks a compromise between the Senate and House proposals. Among the details:
* As expected, the plan has no public option — but this does not preclude a reconciliation vote on the public option later.
* The proposal boosts the threshold for the “Cadillac” tax on the most expensive health plans from $23,000 for a family plan to $27,500. That’s actually a better deal than some labor officials were expecting, though some House Dems will still be angry that the tax is being included at all.
* The proposal also preserves the Senate bill’s state-based exchanges, and does not have a national exchange, as the House bill did.
* However, House Dems will be cheered by the fact that Obama’s compromise closes the Medicare prescription drug “donut hole” coverage gap.
* Also, the bill nixes Ben Nelson’s Nebraska deal and boosts Federal financing for Medicaid expansion in all states.
* And finally, as expected, Obama’s proposal creates a Federal panel to monitor and block exorbitant rate hikes and other unfair practices by the insurance industry.
One final note: On the call, Pfeiffer was careful to note that the proposal is not the product of an agreement between the House and Senate, but rather is “the President’s bill.” This is meant to preclude GOP efforts to cast the proposal as the product of a backroom deal. The lines are drawn.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Congresssional Black Caucus Holding Finanical Reform Up For "Ransom"
The Congressional Black Caucus has joined a growing number of members of Congress who are holding White House Legislation up for "Ransom" to get there much needed votes to pass Financial Reform on Wall Street. There are members of the CBC who are frustrated with the pace of the economic recovery. The CBC is leading the way with criticism and anger at the Obama Administration because, of lack resources spent in the African-American community. The CBC is extremely angry because, the African-American Community has the highest unemployment rate at 15.2% but, real unemployment rate which is about 22%. The CBC wants more money from the 787 billion dollar stimulus plan, mortgage assistance for low income housing, job training and longer unemployment benefits. This financial reform bill faces strong opposition to enact sweeping changes to financial system while trying to create jobs in America. President Obama loyal allies in the Congressional Black Caucus, are mystified by the Obama administration handling of the economy. The CBC had no choice but, to block President Obama top priorities, using a a seldom used legislative maneuver to postpone the approval of financial reform legislation by a key committee. The recession has created a unique systematic risk that threatens all parts of the African-American community, including the poor and middle class,"said Rep. Maxine Waters (D-California), a subcommittee chair, in a statement after shutting down the vote. "I have always been committed to addressing the risk and will continue to do so. The critical issue is my constituents. The CBC has seen Sen. Landrieu (D-Louisiana) hold health care bill hostage and receive 300 million dollars for her vote so, the CBC has decided to join the party and get a piece of the Money Grab for the African-American community. Finally, when the Obama Administration and Majority Leader Harry Reid made a tremendous mistake when they decided to bribe Sen. Landrieu for her vote for health care because, they opened up a Pandora's Box, all Congressmen and Senators will now hold out for more money when they know President Obama is trying to pass crucial legislation in Congress. How long will it take before the African-American community finds out that President Obama is a incompetent socialist elitist liberal who could careless about African-Americans living in inner-city America. WELCOME TO OBAMAMERICA
Monday, November 23, 2009
"Money Grab Bag" Sen. Landrieu, Nelson, Lincoln, Byah and Snowe Will Vote For Obamacare
The Conservatives can put all the pressure they want on Moderate Democrats Blanche Lincoln (D-Arkansas), Ben Nelson (D-Nebraska) and Mary Landrieu (D-Louisiana) but they will all eventually in the end vote for some version of Obamacare. The President and Congress has the power of the the taxpayers pocketbook and they will bride all five of these Senators into voting for a water down version of Health Care. We have already seen Sen. Harry Reid give Sen. Landrieu and the State of Louisiana 100 million dollars for disaster relief and 200 million Medicaid for Sen. Landrieu vote for Obamacare. It almost seems like we are re-purchasing Louisiana from France again to get Obamacare passed through Congress. Damn, I thought that Louisiana was part of the United States. This health care debacle will turn into a "Grab Bag" for these important senators. Sen. Blanche Lincoln will be next in line because, the longer you hold out the more money your state and friends will receive from the federal government. The grab bag list will also, include Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) and Evan Byah (D-Indiana) will probably be the last two Senators to get the "Christmas Goodies" from the taxpayers. My favorite Republican "Sellout" in the Senate is Olympia Snowe (R- Maine) this joker will say all the right things but in the end she will vote for Obamacare. Sen. Snowe had another meeting with the "Messiah" on Air Force One and he promised her the sun and moon. Sen. Snowe of course will believe every word that comes out President Obama mouth. Sen. Snowe voted for 787 billion dollar stimulus bill that has not created or save any jobs. I want to apologize to the White House for not reading and believing the fictitious job statistics on Recovery.Org a fraudulent website. Sen. Snowe should be held accountable for heinous actions for voting for a stimulus bill that will increase the Federal deficit for our children. This health care bill is becoming a financial windfall for states and federal government because they are passing money around like it is "Monopoly Money" when we owe China trillions of dollars. Moreover, I have not talked about the bribes given to the Unions, AARP, AMA, Pharmaceutical industry and abortion organizations that will profit from this ridiculous health care bill. The Democrats have been waiting 50 years to pass a government run health care bill and there is not enough political pressure that will stop them from passing the "Holy Grail" of socialism. WELCOME TO OBAMAMERICA.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Less Breast Cancer Screening For Women "Welcome To Obamacare"
The preview of rationing health care under President Obama has already begun with a federal panel calls for less screening breast cancer for women and they have not passed Obamacare through Congress yet. The pathetic new guidelines and recommendations were passed without a "Oncologist Doctor" on this government panel. The government claimed that it would be the championing increased spending and prevention for breast cancer. We now have a government panel wanting to cut back on the number of mammograms preformed, mammograms that could be potentially life saving, because you can get a false positive and feel anxiety. Therefore, most women I have talked to yesterday say, I would rather be safe than sorry. They would rather get the mammogram and have doctors look into a suspicious lump false positive or not, than just shove it off for a few years and end up having cancer in a more sever stage Isn't this what the Obamacare Panel is recommending. These jokers are not just going after mammograms. They don't even want women doing self examinations anymore. This government panel does not want to take a risk of a woman too young finding a lump on her breast and getting it checked out to be safe. That you means that government run health care is spending too much money. The motivation here is clearly not to save lives or to decrease anxiety women get over there mammograms. It is all about the money and how we can keep Obamacare under budget. Finally, God showing us a preview of "Obamacare" and there will be a non-qualified bureaucrats in Washington making decision about your health care.
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