Health Care

[pattygreen 5]

No wonder the number of cohabiting couples soared from 400,000 in 1960 to 6.8 million in 2008. Obamacare will add new momentum to the trend. "Government policies on health care should strengthen the well-being of families. There should be no financial disincentives to marriage," asserts Galen Carey of the National Association of Evangelicals.

"Any loopholes which allow cohabiting couples to pay less taxes or lower insurance premiums than similarly situated married couples should be eliminated. Indeed, because healthy families are so important to society and contribute so much to the common good, we should give married couples preferential tax and benefit treatment."

If Obama and the Democratic Congress reject this common sense advice, they will pay a heavy political price for doing so.

[Cleo's Mom 257]

Do you think marriage penalties JUST came about under Pres. Obama? There have been marriage penalties in our tax codes and social security payments forever.

You don't pay into SS based on marital status but you collect based on marital status.

The single standard tax deduction is more than half of what a married filing jointly deduction is.

When two social security recipients get married, they lose some of their SS payments which is why they often just live together rather than marry.

If you want to correct these penalties, they you have to expect to make up these increased payments or tax deductions somewhere. Higher taxes, higher payroll SS payments????

[~Michelle~ 0]

Reagan was an idiot who could deliver a speech. .

I feel this way about Obama...He talked about change, and told people what they wanted to hear, and boom he's president.

For the record I am not a Republican. I have conservative views, and liberal views.

I am 100% against government run health care...first off look at Social Security, look at public schools compared to private schools. The last thing I want to do is put my health in the hands of the government Democrat or Republican.

Second.. if you tax the super rich (and $500,000 a year after taxes, and overhead is not super rich) do you think for one minute they are going to just take the loss, no they are going to pass it on the their comsumers....and who is that????? Stealing from the rich to give to the poor has never worked. Why should someone else pay for my insurance or anybodys elses. Why should the government decide how one's income is spent. I did not earn that money, and the government surely did not earn it.

[plain 12]

I feel this way about Obama...He talked about change, and told people what they wanted to hear, and boom he's president.

There was some change. He's playing with different special interest groups than president Bush played with. Same story, different names.

There is that whole massive expansion of government thing. There's some change you can believe in.

[BJean 16]

Yeah patty, President Obama single-handedly wrote the bill and HATES marriage!! And I have an ocean front lot in Arizona I'd like to sell you.

I do really, really appreciate you posting your sources though.

[BJean 16]

Michelle, so you don't make corporations pay their fare share and that's beneficial to whom? Do you think that for one minute that all the incentives and tax breaks that have been given to corporations has been passed on to consumers? Quite the opposite is true. So your theory just doesn't hold Water.< /p>

[Cleo's Mom 257]

I feel this way about Obama...He talked about change, and told people what they wanted to hear, and boom he's president.

For the record I am not a Republican. I have conservative views, and liberal views.

I am 100% against government run health care...first off look at Social Security, look at public schools compared to private schools. The last thing I want to do is put my health in the hands of the government Democrat or Republican.

Second.. if you tax the super rich (and $500,000 a year after taxes, and overhead is not super rich) do you think for one minute they are going to just take the loss, no they are going to pass it on the their comsumers....and who is that????? Stealing from the rich to give to the poor has never worked. Why should someone else pay for my insurance or anybodys elses. Why should the government decide how one's income is spent. I did not earn that money, and the government surely did not earn it.

Yeah, those making $500,000 and above are rich and represent only a very small percentage of american workers. Only about 7% of people make over $100,000 and only about 1.5% make over $250,000. Far fewer make $500,000 or above. They have been getting a free ride under bush's tax cuts and it's time for them to pay their fair share. Let the tax cuts expire. As a member of the middle class I am tired of just getting their crumbs (known as the failed trickle down, supply side economics).

Since you are against government run health care just make sure you don't sign up for medicare and instead buy private, for-profit health insurance at 65. Medicare is a good deal and the recipients know it which is why they like it.

Comparing private and public schools is comparing apples and oranges. Private schools are not obligated to educate all students. They can reject those with special needs or discipline problems. They don't operate under the same mandates as public schools.

The government takes your (and my) tax dollars and spends them on things many of us don't like. I don't want my tax dollars going to corporate welfare or the Iraqi war. Why should I have to pay for bush's war?

[BJean 16]

Heck yeah, Cleo's Mom! And the number of BILLIONAIRES has increased by massive amounts under the Bush reign of terror. And that is due, at least in part, to cutting out the workers whenever possible, making their employees take salary cuts, decrease in goods and services and in the case of the insurance conglomerates, denying coverage and increasing premiums. These things are why the economy nearly collapsed and why most Americans are not enjoying the fruits of the Bush legacy. And why the Democrats are having to do the unpopular thing - bite the bullet and help right the sinking ship.

[~Michelle~ 0]

Sooo it is Bush's war.....and no one else is to blame for that...ummm interesting..oh that's right everything is Bush's fault, including natural disasters. For the record not a huge Bush fan either, but come on really your gonna pin the war on one man alone?????????

My dad owns a corporation, and I work as the office manager. I know how much his business has to pay towards taxes, really the tax breaks he gets is nothing compared to what he pays out. Trust me he pays more then his fare share. Not to mention that he has to collect all the taxes for our government, and doesn't get anything in return for that. Also he busts his ass to make a profit, why should someone else get that. He lives and breaths his business, and he does have nice things because of it, but no one pays for his insurance....why should he pay for someone else's insurance. Why should he bust his ass for someone else to enjoy. Why should anyone bust their ass to make a living and enjoy nice things, and have to give it someone else who did not earn it. Plain and simple just because your successful does not mean you owe anyone anything, and no one is entitled to something they did earn themselves.

[BJean 16]

Furthermore, I challenge any of you to purchase new insurance when you turn 65. If you've never had surgery or any kind of hospitalization or haven't been treated for diabetes, hypertension or high colesterol, or other ongoing medical conditions, then maybe you would be able to not only be accepted for a good insurance plan but you might even possibly be able to afford it. Otherwise, you'd thank your lucky stars for medicare.

Of course the doctors are beginning to refuse to accept you as a patient if you're on medicare unless you have very specific back up insurance. So just having medicare isn't enough to get you medical care and medications from many doctors these days.

The quality of health care in America is just wonderful if you are wealthy. If you aren't, the best medical care and the best medications are just not affordable. That's why so many people have lost their quality of life trying to pay for it when something happens that requires more than just basic medical care.

And just because some of you are happy with your insurance doesn't mean that we have the best healthcare system in the world. We may have the best quality of treatments and medications in the world, but we sure don't have the best system for Americans to obtain our top-notch quality health care.

Fixing the system we have should be of the highest priority right now. Those of you who are fighting it are out of touch with most peoples' reality.

As for education, it too has tumbled into the crapper from the greed-driven way of life we've all been chasing. Inferior public schools haven't come about over a short period of time. It's come from major, major cutbacks and presidents and congress being satisfied with American children getting a little lost in the shuffle. Throwing money at it won't necessarily solve the problems we have in public schools, but jerking our children out and home schooling them and having rich folks refusing to send their children to public schools is adding to the problem. We need a public initiative to make our public schools a wonderful learning experience for our children. People seem to have forgotten that our children are our future. Turning over the running of our corporations and our country to ill-equipped young adults is, right now, a frightening thought.

[BJean 16]

Michelle - so your dad owns a huge corporation? His company has enjoyed the incentives and tax breaks that the major oil companies, drug companies, chemical companies, etc., have been given?

If he does own one of those companies, which I sincerely doubt, then you should be smart enough to just sit back and enjoy the obscene profits he's been enjoying for the past 10 years or so.

No? He doesn't own a huge congolomerate? Then what qualifies you to speak for those corporations?

Small companies and individuals are the ones who have suffered from the incentives and breaks that we're talkikng about. Having the incentives and breaks that have been unfairly afforded to corporate America taken away will only help you and your dad, not make you pay more. Nobody wants small businesses and individuals to suffer more than they already have by having to take up the slack for the huge money-makers in America.

And if you don't want to call it Bush's war, to whom do you wish to give all the credit? Dick Cheney? Well, yeah I agree it's Cheney's war too. They're the ones who pushed the envelope and lied and led the Congress and America down a merry path to death and destruction in Iraq. It's the truth and my dear, and the Republicans must live with it.

[~Michelle~ 0]

No... my dad does not own a huge corporation, but he will fall into the tax bracket that Obama wants to tax more, so it will affect smaller corporations also. Not just your huge oil companies. Even so why should the huge corporations flip the bill for me, I did not do anything to earn that income.

Here are some recent poll outcomes in regards to the health insurance issue. I would say most Americans do not want the government involved in their health. Hope I post the link right..

CNSNews.com - Poll: More Than Half of Americans Say Health Reform Is Not Worth Increasing the Deficit

Health Care Reform - Rasmussen Reports

[~Michelle~ 0]

And if you don't want to call it Bush's war, to whom do you wish to give all the credit? Dick Cheney? Well, yeah I agree it's Cheney's war too. They're the ones who pushed the envelope and lied and led the Congress and America down a merry path to death and destruction in Iraq. It's the truth and my dear, and the Republicans must live with it.

This is completely off subject....but I gotta say that Republicans, Democrats, the media, and Hussain, took us into this war. Bush/Cheney did not do it alone. . Also a huge majority of Americans were on board.

Congress authorized the 2003 use of armed force against Iraq by votes of 296-133 in the House and 77-23 in the Senate in a Joint Resolution to Authorize the Use of United States Armed Forces Against Iraq. This is every bit the Congress’s war, the Democrats war and the people’s war.

Problem is Democrats don't want to share responsiblity. It is easier for them to claim they were lied to, and misled, oh and threatened....but come on...you really buy into that. Because our politicians are so honest right??? I am not saying that Bush did not have a hand in it, but he DID NOT act alone.

Edited December 29, 2009 by ~Michelle~

[tdslf1 0]

Hello All,

Instead of taking a survey of the who have insurance, let's take a poll of the people who don't have insurance. Like, the people who can't afford phones to answer the survey or the people who can't afford to pay the mandate or better still the people who keep working at a job they have done for 25 years because they can't afford to quit because of not having insurance? Oh, I know... people between the ages 18 to 30 who make up a big part of the part time work force. Let's ask them if they think they need insurance. Me, I want health reform because the less fortunate don't have it and can't get it. I have insurance through my employer. I pay $60 dollars a month for 6 people. $10 per script and $50 for ER. $10 copay for office visit. Not having it is not the issue. Get it done for all those who have shtty insurance and people who can't get it. DOn't give a ding about Bush, what he did or didn't do, Obama, what he did in the past.

[pattygreen 5]

Throwing money at it won't necessarily solve the problems we have in public schools, but jerking our children out and home schooling them and having rich folks refusing to send their children to public schools is adding to the problem.

What!!!??? Who do you think you or anyone else is to say that parents can't or shouldn't do what they feel is best for their kids? Public school educations stink. We pay higher and higher taxes for lousier and crappier results. Why shouldn't someone Homeschool their kids? So that your kid who has to go to the crappy public school could get more funds? Too bad for you. I work hard for my money. I pay for everyone elses kids to go to the public schools, even though mine aren't in them. I also pay for my own kids to be homeschooled. Did you know that Homeschooled kids fair far, far, far better than the public schooled kid academically? You know what it costs me? Less than $350. a year per child to educate them, and it's a better education. Somethings not right here! I can educate my child on $350. a year, and you think it's the rich guy who is the problem for education? The problem lies with the teachers who refuse to compromise. In Naugatuck, CT where I live, the ed. budget is 2 million dollars in the red. Their solution was to have the teachers take 2 days furlow and get no raises this year. do you think they would compromise? No. The other option was lay offs. The union wouldn't budge. They are still in a dead lock. Practically everyone who is working today had to forgo a pay raise because of the economy, but not the teachers. No. I didn't get a raise this year at work. They're better than the average Joe, I guess. They already make more money than most people and work only 180 days a year or so.