Scott Brown’s win in Massachusetts tonight leaves me with mixed emotions. I think the voters of Massachusetts sent the right message to Washington and the Democratic Party – which has seemingly lost its’ way. Brown wouldn’t be my first choice but sometimes desperate times call for desperate measures. Meetings behind closed doors, late night votes, hurried legislation, and bad legislation at that, is not what Americans want from their leaders.
I don’t want Brown’s win to kill health care reform. On the contrary, I want real discussions between both parties to form real solutions. There are many things, many American’s agree on when it comes to health care reform: the ability to purchase insurance in a competitive market across state lines, the same tax breaks for individuals that businesses enjoy when purchasing health insurance, better efficiency within the health care industry such as electronic medical records, putting an end to Medicare overpayment, fraud and abuse, putting an end to insurance companies denying coverage based on pre-existing conditions, allowing small businesses to form co-ops to purchase insurance at a lower rate . Those changes would be enormous without adding to the deficit, infringing on personal freedoms or hampering job growth.
Most of all, I hope the Democratic Party comes to realize that the American people want honesty, integrity, transparency and the best intentions from their leaders. I almost feel silly for writing such a thing because it seems so ridiculous to still dream that our leaders would possess such basic good human qualities. It shouldn’t be ridiculous to expect such things.
Your kidding me right. Bush was honest and transparent? LOL Now the Republican Supreme court changed the law from 1907 on how much their Corporations can buy election for LOL. The Republicans are on a mission to reject anything this administration does. Even when Obama does the same things Bush was praised for they say he’s wrong. Health Care reform is done, sorry to the unfortunate but this is america and who ever has the best pull and the most money will prevail. Also the state of Massachusets has guaranteed health care so If Brown is a man of his word he will obolish it. Unless of course its ok when a Republican does it, which seams to be their stance. Greed does not produce good human qualities.
I didn’t say Bush was honest and transparent. This isn’t a Republican/Democratic thing. The same garbage has been going in Washington under both parties forever. They’re equally to blame and just as rotten. I’ve lost total faith in both sides. They’re truly despicable.
I think the Mass. win was because of the Independent vote. I hope Republicans don’t think we’ve suddenly fallen in love with them. They stink too. I do give the Democrats credit go at least tackling the health-care issue – something Republicans, as a whole, would never do on any meaningful level.
He ran on the platform to abolish anything that this administration has done. There was nothing in his platform other than to deny Americans the right to health care. In his acceptance speech he basically told Obama I am coming after you even though he did it in basketball senario. So are the Republicans working for the people of the corporations? I think changing the 1907 law guarding against the powerfull rich buying elections pretty much summed it up. According to the exit polls the Independents that voted for a change in the Presidetial election didn’t bother to vote and why should they the republicans have tried to stop every single thing this administration has done. Sure its a Democrat Republican thing thats why we are in the shape were in now.
Nothing will change until we have term limits. I didn’t mean to be negative towards you personally. It just disgusts me when I hear the republicans chastising the President for doing the same thing they did. It amazes me to no end how many people believe that Obama wants to kill off old people. It amazes me that republicans see no problem with the inflated costs of health care that go into the richest of the richest accounts. The Republicans are spending more time and effort covering our last presidents tracks than they are of helping the american people.
Now on to the democrats. What in the world led them to think if we send all our jobs to Countries without human rights or osha that America would be better off. Granted because they don’t have to work to the standards we demand in the U.S. so the products are a little cheaper, but why didn’t they think about how we still can’t buy anything because we don’t have jobs? Its not rocket science to see it didn’t work why the heck don’t they chage it. Its time to replace most of congress they are puppets for money!
I didn’t take any offense personally. I enjoy debating politics and rarely does anyone agree with me 100%. I’m truly amazed when someone does agree with me!
When I said it wasn’t a Democrat/Republican thing – I meant for me personally this isn’t a partisan opinion of my own. Independents were really voting against both parties in Mass. Brown better not get a big head because the win wasn’t about him.
I’m not sure where I stand on term limits. I can see the benefits but I’d prefer that voters actually be informed and not keep voting in the same clowns over and over again but if someone’s doing a good job, they should be able to stay. But since, we as voters, don’t have a very good track record when it comes to informed voting, term limits are probably a good idea.
I totally share your disgust with all the jobs moving overseas. How did they think this country would be able to sustain itself? If we don’t manufacture or produce anything what kind of jobs are left? They tell you to go to college and get a degree to get a good job but those jobs are disappearing too. Not all of us can work in a hospital, doctor’s office, at Wal-Mart or McDonald’s. The last statistic I heard was that are 6 workers for every 1 available job. That’s ridiculous. We have got to move jobs back to this country and if that means higher tariffs and ticking some other countries off, then oh well. It’s about survival. This country will collapse if we don’t bring back the jobs, and as we know, there is no such thing as being too big to fail. Every empire throughout history has eventually failed and their demise is usually due to corruption, incompetence and greed. We’re marching down the same path.
I did read something today that I agree with Obama. Regulating the banks more and making sure none become so big as to become a risk to the entire nation’s economy, when they go belly up, is a good idea.
The banks should be regulated but the problem is they will manipulate everything at the expense of us non millionaires and make it look like an administration problem. Then when they get another republican in that will let them do what they want they will start investing ad call him a savior. Its a loose loose situation for the average American I’m afraid. Now its up to the richest of the rich to buy who they want in office unless Americans start paying attention. Its just a guess but I would say the American attention span is about 6 seconds. Unless we turn back to manufacturing we are only going to have peasants and royalty no in between.
I’m almost too depressed to post… Here I sit 53 years old with a great job I really like that is very very likely to end this year – not being pessimist just realist – I’ve already watched many of my coworkers go this year, like many others I’m sure. These are days of changing work force – no such thing as life time jobs and most people will likely spend more time not less being unemployed and changing jobs. Just the way things are now even before this recession.
Being single, older with a pre-existing (high blood pressure) This leaves me in the likely position of NO health insurance which scares the begeebies outta me. I know how easily something can happen that runs up a tremendous bill even if you’re careful. And next thing you know – EVERYTHING you’ve spent your life building up is GONE. I’ve ALWAYS carried health insurance.
I’ve also already experienced the FREEDOM of our current system. In the early 90′s I lost much of my very small savings due to medical bills of my now late ex-husband due to coverage denied well after the fact of the service he received. Even after verification with the insurance company PRIOR to receiving it….
So I already know that great game Now we are struck with the private industry industry that has done SUCH a wonderful job so far…Just let me say (very very very tongue in cheek)
HURRAH FOR FREEDOM!!!!
Here’s to working for real low wages until we are ninety years old!!
Heres to a lower minimum wage!!
And the end of the restrictive unAmerican 40 hour work weeks!!!
And NO overtime pay!
Take my pension, deny my insurance based pre-existing conditions!!!
Hurrah for FREEDOM!!!
I’m just curious on this but were any of you aware that the Senate bill required Congress and their staff to buy insurance through the exchange? I’ve been paying lots of attention to this and I didn’t know it. I think the media let us down. They are more focused on the fighting then on having sensible discussion.
Also, Kris, how could you think there was no effort to work with republicans. The white house had numerous talks with Olympia Snow and I’m sure they would have with ANY republican that was interested in doing anything other then playing politics. Also the senate guy – can’t of his name -Baucus – he met for months with the “gang of 6″ trying to come up with compromises that both sides could agree on. Finally Grassely just went under to the screams of “death panels” at the town hall meetings and started claiming that too!!! Unbelieveable.
I think this bill was much better than most gave it credit for. And you cannot outlaw denial based on pre-existing condition without requiring everyone to buy insurance…
Oh and what really makes me mad -Mass. ALREADY has a health insurance plan – put in place under a Republican gov – almost exactly like this one!!! Dang they should have to repeal theirs.
I totally understand Sue. I want insurance for everyone who wants it. How we go about doing that, I don’t know. I think it’s going to have to be a step-by-step process. Philosophically I’m opposed to mandates. Even when Hillary proposed the same thing during her campaign, I didn’t care for it. There’s a lot of people in the middle-class who simply can’t afford to pay for it, and the more money we take out of their pockets for health-care, the less there is for everything else, so that would mean more job losses, small businesses closing, foreclosures, etc. We might solve one problem but create an even bigger one.
I think what we should do right now is move ahead with what most of the nation agrees with. I don’t want reform to stop.
This is just one source, but it seems like there’s a lot of people in Massacusettes who would love to repeal the current plan:
“Even though Massachusetts law requires everyone to buy health insurance and makes sure there are so-called affordable plans for all, some small percentage of state residents remain uninsured. Many more are unhappy with the requirement to buy insurance. Another starburst to Democrats: If they push through national health care reform similar to the plan in Massachusetts, they stand to lose the independent support that is key to national victory.
Also, there are several predictable problems with Massachusetts health care reform that are sure to be repeated on a national scale if the Democratic Congress and President Obama succeed in pushing through their version. The Massachusetts plan has become unaffordable for the state and is just about bankrupt. The state has had to trim hospital reimbursements to remain in business. It has also eliminated coverage for the 30,000 legal immigrants in the state (that’s LEGAL, not illegal.)”
Here’s the full article. http://www.politicsdaily.com/2010/01/19/why-coakley-really-lost-massachusetts-health-care-reform/
I understand where you are coming from on that… but still you tell me how you outlaw denying insurance for pre-existing conditions – without requiring everyone who can afford to to purchase coverage? Of course people don’t like being forced to buy it – hate to be so negative but people are selfish. They may not want to pay for insurance but they sure want their lives or their families saved if they get hurt or sick!!! (Kinda funny that you are arguing the Obama campaign line and I’m arguing Hillary’s….:-) I think Obamas popularity is failing since people realized he can’t give them everything they want for free!!
That is funny Sue! I also agreed with Obama about not taxing “Cadillac” health insurance plans and that’s what McCain wanted. And I think you’re right about why people are disappointed in Obama: “Wait a minute, we got to pay for all this stuff? WTF!”
I pay for my health insurance now. It continues to go up, I pay $100 more a month than I did 5 years ago. We are not on medication, so our health didn’t decline but the insurance still went up. Why – because my husband and I are older than we were five years ago. It is the one industry which seems to get a pass on discrimination against aging. How long before we are “priced out” when it gets so high we can no longer afford the premium. If we don’t have it and something happens we stand to lose a home we have worked for. I think insurance companies need to be regulated, the pre-existing clause thrown out, let the people who have to buy their own insurance be able to write some of it (at least) off on their taxes. My husband is retired, his pension will never go up, but everything is.
Em – that is standard AND exactly why just because people THINK they are fine with their insurance now they need to beware it changes and quickly. A good friend of mine, self employed, was paying around 300 a month – hit 55 and it jumped to 465! There you go… And I agree regarding letting people write some of it off. But both plans were offering subsidies did you qualify in either case?
Go to this site and you can pick the bill – house or senate and put in your info and see whether you would get help and how much.
http://www.kff.org:80/healthreform/sidebyside.cfm
Kris, I was against taxing the cadillac plans originally as well but from reading I know that most experts agree that unlimited tax breaks for employer provided health insurance is driving health care costs up for all of us. It encourages people to over use health care. And it is the 3rd biggest subsidy next to medicare and medicaid. And it is poorly designed. Since it gives all to a few and none to others. It encourages people to have a more generous policy than they generally need. So it is my opinion that
Obama was doing the RIGHT thing inspite of the polical consequences by supporting a tax on the cadillac plans even though he had to change his original position. In my biased opinion I see this behavior in Obama over and over.
I should have been more specific. The behavior I see in Obama that I admire is being perfectly willing to CHANGE his position in luu of new evidence and if he thinks to do so is the right thing to do. I admire this but it does not play well in the press or public that is always playing back you said this and you said that.