Apparently Reagan was better working with the opposition than Obama is. You are quite correct that the President can only sign(or Veto) the bills that make it through Congress. Through Reagan's tenure he always had to deal with the opposition and he apparently did it well. Obama doesn't seem to be doing very well working with the opposition. He seems to prefer executive order over negotiation. Over half of the sessions of Congress since WWII had various splits in who controlled the houses of Congress and the White House. I don't recall any president on either side of the aisle that so blatantly refused to work with Congress and tried to do end runs around the Democratic process via executive order.
Politics, Politics, Politics
- Thread starter falcondfw69
- Start date
I guess its based upon which side of the room you sit on as to WHO has been obstructionist and hard to work with. I know when I google Obama & Republican Congress I get 35 pages of material which supports my comments ... every one of them.
I know Republicans go into 2016 having not accomplished ANY of their owngoals. Hummm, what were some of those goals, goals like ... making Obama a one-term president, stopping ACA, jobs-jobs-jobs that they ran on in 2010 and again in 2012. I know President Obama has basically made a laughing stock of this Republican congress and just may go down in history having accomplished more than any president since JFK ... notice I left out the ole great one, Ronnie.
Only thing Republicans presented to the voters is more snake oil with the "Path To Prosperity Budget" instrumented by Paul Ryan ... oh yeah, what ever happened to Ryan by the way? LOL
Path To Prosperity gave more tax cuts to the wealthy, then made suggestions to cut to privatize medicare, education, research, infrastructure, public safety, and low-income programs like Snap, Medicaid, foodstamps.
Oh yeah, and it gave new subsidies to oil and coal companies, like THEY need more corporate welfare. LOL!
Does all this sound familiar? Supply Side ... Trickle Down ... Voodoo ... BS?
And you want to know WHY I'm up in the air about Republicans and their political platform? Thing is, in NC, they've done every bit as bad as Republicans suggest they want to do in Washington, only HERE, they don't have a President that can stop them and the voters (both Republicans & Democrats) are pissed off.
Here, read this ... you'll love it ...
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/cody-cain/first-black-president-out_b_7896968.html
I got an idea, why don't you start SMELLING some of the STUFF you're shoveling out in this forum?
I know Republicans go into 2016 having not accomplished ANY of their owngoals. Hummm, what were some of those goals, goals like ... making Obama a one-term president, stopping ACA, jobs-jobs-jobs that they ran on in 2010 and again in 2012. I know President Obama has basically made a laughing stock of this Republican congress and just may go down in history having accomplished more than any president since JFK ... notice I left out the ole great one, Ronnie.
Only thing Republicans presented to the voters is more snake oil with the "Path To Prosperity Budget" instrumented by Paul Ryan ... oh yeah, what ever happened to Ryan by the way? LOL
Path To Prosperity gave more tax cuts to the wealthy, then made suggestions to cut to privatize medicare, education, research, infrastructure, public safety, and low-income programs like Snap, Medicaid, foodstamps.
Oh yeah, and it gave new subsidies to oil and coal companies, like THEY need more corporate welfare. LOL!
Does all this sound familiar? Supply Side ... Trickle Down ... Voodoo ... BS?
And you want to know WHY I'm up in the air about Republicans and their political platform? Thing is, in NC, they've done every bit as bad as Republicans suggest they want to do in Washington, only HERE, they don't have a President that can stop them and the voters (both Republicans & Democrats) are pissed off.
Here, read this ... you'll love it ...
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/cody-cain/first-black-president-out_b_7896968.html
I got an idea, why don't you start SMELLING some of the STUFF you're shoveling out in this forum?
Medicare/Medicaid are the biggest item in the U.S. budget today. However when Medicare got started in 1966 (The Social Security Act of 1965 was signed by LBJ) Medicare was budgeted for 3 billion dollars. The House Ways and Means Committee projected that, allowing for inflation, that by 1990 Medicare would cost around 12 billion dollars. In 1990 Medicare cost 107 billion nearly 9 times as much. The Congressional Budget Office is predicting a 2 trillion dollar cost to to implementing ACA. (CBO came into being in July 1974, which is why I site the House Ways and Means Committee initially and CBO later.) Of the seventeen state exchanges about half are are in serious financial trouble and will like require bailout by the Federal government.
I recently had a 60 year old acquaintance that needed cataract surgery. The exchange purchased plan paid nothing toward the cost. But she can get birth control for free. I have read numerous articles about people with serious medical problems like cancer that have to sell their homes to pay for their treatment because the ACA plan doesn't cover the cost. The only ones that seem to be coming out are people like me that aren't paying for their healthcare and the insurance companies and people like Mac that have a captive audience for their product.
There isn't much argument that insurance can be a good thing. However when it get mandatory things quickly can get out of hand. In my home state of Wisconsin auto insurance wasn't required until a few years ago. A law way passed that made auto insurance mandatory. We were told that once everyone had insurance that our rates would go down. In the 18 months after the law went into effect my rates went up 60%. Same car, same residence, same job, no tickets, no accidents. As of yet I haven't seen any decrease in cost. Of course for most people they can say, you got a new car, you had an accident, you moved to a riskier location or some other excuse to mask what they are doing.
Some insurers are asking for significant rates increases for 2016. The argument is that people were using more health care services than were expected. In a word, bullshit! Any insurance company has a fleet of actuaries who do nothing other than figure out what things are going to cost. If any companies cost projections were off by more than a percent or so some people would be looking for new jobs. I spent most of my life figuring out where businesses were hemorrhaging money, what was a good buy, and what was goodby. The insurance industry goes several orders of magnitude beyond what I ever did. Health care is going to follow the same pattern as all the other insurance products that people are compelled to purchase. Interestingly enough there are a number of medical facilities around the country that are not dealing with the insurance industry. They are going to a cash basis. Office visits seem to be around $50.00. A lot of simple procedures cost less than the deductible with insurance. Health care never was that expensive until the insurance industry got involved.
I recently had a 60 year old acquaintance that needed cataract surgery. The exchange purchased plan paid nothing toward the cost. But she can get birth control for free. I have read numerous articles about people with serious medical problems like cancer that have to sell their homes to pay for their treatment because the ACA plan doesn't cover the cost. The only ones that seem to be coming out are people like me that aren't paying for their healthcare and the insurance companies and people like Mac that have a captive audience for their product.
There isn't much argument that insurance can be a good thing. However when it get mandatory things quickly can get out of hand. In my home state of Wisconsin auto insurance wasn't required until a few years ago. A law way passed that made auto insurance mandatory. We were told that once everyone had insurance that our rates would go down. In the 18 months after the law went into effect my rates went up 60%. Same car, same residence, same job, no tickets, no accidents. As of yet I haven't seen any decrease in cost. Of course for most people they can say, you got a new car, you had an accident, you moved to a riskier location or some other excuse to mask what they are doing.
Some insurers are asking for significant rates increases for 2016. The argument is that people were using more health care services than were expected. In a word, bullshit! Any insurance company has a fleet of actuaries who do nothing other than figure out what things are going to cost. If any companies cost projections were off by more than a percent or so some people would be looking for new jobs. I spent most of my life figuring out where businesses were hemorrhaging money, what was a good buy, and what was goodby. The insurance industry goes several orders of magnitude beyond what I ever did. Health care is going to follow the same pattern as all the other insurance products that people are compelled to purchase. Interestingly enough there are a number of medical facilities around the country that are not dealing with the insurance industry. They are going to a cash basis. Office visits seem to be around $50.00. A lot of simple procedures cost less than the deductible with insurance. Health care never was that expensive until the insurance industry got involved.
And the Democrats are pushing big government and programs that there isn't any money to pay for. Paint it any way you want Mac. The path the Federal Government is currently on is not sustainable. The deficit is out of control and there is no pain free solution. More government isn't going to be any type of a solution. You could push for more Quantitative Easing. I have done a lot better with QE than I ever did with "Trickle Down"
So, are we switching our conversation from Obama & his supposed arrogance with congress, or are we NOW talking specifically about ACA? And thank you, by the way for referring it as ACA and not Obamacare.
OK, let's ride the ACA wagon for a while. The states are proposing rate increases, not implementing them. For one thing, they have to pass the 80/20 claims to premium ratio, which in just 2 years has already refunded over $3 billion of premiums back to the insureds of private policies. Secondly, the procedures being performed are usually negotiated between the providers and the carriers BEFORE the insureds pay one cent. I'll use my dad as an example ... he had a full spine MRI and neck catscan done on his back. The amount billed by the provider was over $26,000 ... the amount was negotiated DOWN to just a little over $7,000, of which the provider paid $6,200 and my dad had to pay just $800. His office visits to his doctors are paid at 100%.
If customers are getting rate increases of just 15%, that's pretty damn good for a fully insured health plan ... medical rate inflation has been running 25+% for years, which is why so few people have insurance. Second, one thing I do NOT like about ACA is the fact that people are joining to get a procedure done, then dropping their policies ... that needs to be stopped ... its anti-selection, and can't be allowed to continue. Also, hospitals are starting to standardize their procedure costs so if I get a heart surgery anywhere in my state it is going to cost relatively the same ... not $30000 on one hospital, and $18,000 at another hospital. So cost standardization is going to eventually come once EVERYONE is insured and learns how to use their policies.
OK, let's ride the ACA wagon for a while. The states are proposing rate increases, not implementing them. For one thing, they have to pass the 80/20 claims to premium ratio, which in just 2 years has already refunded over $3 billion of premiums back to the insureds of private policies. Secondly, the procedures being performed are usually negotiated between the providers and the carriers BEFORE the insureds pay one cent. I'll use my dad as an example ... he had a full spine MRI and neck catscan done on his back. The amount billed by the provider was over $26,000 ... the amount was negotiated DOWN to just a little over $7,000, of which the provider paid $6,200 and my dad had to pay just $800. His office visits to his doctors are paid at 100%.
If customers are getting rate increases of just 15%, that's pretty damn good for a fully insured health plan ... medical rate inflation has been running 25+% for years, which is why so few people have insurance. Second, one thing I do NOT like about ACA is the fact that people are joining to get a procedure done, then dropping their policies ... that needs to be stopped ... its anti-selection, and can't be allowed to continue. Also, hospitals are starting to standardize their procedure costs so if I get a heart surgery anywhere in my state it is going to cost relatively the same ... not $30000 on one hospital, and $18,000 at another hospital. So cost standardization is going to eventually come once EVERYONE is insured and learns how to use their policies.
Well for starters we could go with the "War On Poverty". 50 years after it inception poverty level in this country have dropped about 4 1/2 percent.
I would hope that well Obama leaves office that either the health care industry or Warren Buffett give him a good job. He has made billions for both. Both sides of the aisle have their pockets lined by their respective supports. Quit being such a hypocrite about it. Obama is at least as dirty an any of his predecessors.
15% is pretty damn good? Inflation is around 3%. One of the problems that we have had with healthcare is that the costs increases always exceed the rate on inflation, generally by a factor of 3 or 4. So you think health care exceeding the inflation rate by a factor of 5 is OK? Health care in this country is twice as expensive as the next most expensive country (Norway) and their coverage is universal and the health care far better than the care here. Despite having the worlds most expensive health care in many areas the quality is akin to a third world country.
It's interesting, if you go back and read the points Ronald Reagan was campaigning on when he ran against Jimmy Carter, he was basically saying the EXACT same thing that Republicans are saying today ... almost exactly the same ... not leaving our children a debt, etc. At the time, the national debt was under a $trillion ... when he left office, government had grown and the national debt was $3 trillion ... he spent more than any Democrat had ever spent. Ronald Reagan STOLE the taxes he said he was collecting to shore up SS for twenty years ... instead spent it in the general fund to support his unbudgeted tax cuts for the wealthy. He made villians of the poor ... referring to the "Welfare Queen" who was driving around in a new Cadillac in South Chicago, and collecting $150,000 a year off welfare ... remember that one? Of course it was a big lie, but it connected with the white collar middle class. And his Economic Miracle of jobs, etc ... he borrowed every cent of it and charged it to the middle class and poor. It was Paul Volcker (Federal Reserve Chairman) who put the nation in a recession to arrest runaway inflation, in 1982, then flooded the economy with money and cutting interest rates, fueling the Reagan expansion ... go read about it.
Corporate welfare? How about taking an entire industry and making the purchase of it's products mandatory?
Medical inflation is not the same as economic inflation, Torp ... you know that, for sure. The Economic inflation has been being manipulated for years ... when it comes back, its coming back big time and That's when we should worry about the interest on the national debt. First, we got to get EVERYONE contributing their fair share ... the wealthy and the corporations are stealing a half trillion a year by either not paying taxes, hiding taxes, or tax cuts and subsidies. The poor and middleclass have carried the blunt of the Trickle Down to the point that they are about gone.
You might should also read about the 80/20 ACA rule for setting premium rates & increases.
http://www.govhealthit.com/news/aca-cost-ratios-reaping-benefits-challenges
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Seems that interest rates are pretty low right and via Quantitative Easing a lot of money is being dumped into the economy. I am not complaining QE has been good to me. Pretty much the same thing happening back then just a different name for it.
As to Reagan stealing anything the Republicans never controlled both houses while Reagan was president. If he stole anything he had to have some help from across the aisle. As to the actual increase in the national debt I though the younger Bush was appalling, however looking at where we are today versus 8 years ago Bush doesn't look quite so bad.
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There's no use trying to debate with you, Torp, you show no documentation, and deny anything and everything I post and document. Our debate is a bit unfair, I think.
If you think Quantitative Easing is the solution, write your frik'n Republican congressman ... hell, Republicans NEED a new idea ... they've been stuck on Trickle Down for 35 years.
I write my congressman 2-3 times a year, and I keep saying Democrats need to establish a BUDGET and quit spending, but its Republicans that have been spending ... as far as I'm concerned, Obama saved this country from going into another Great Depression ... Republicans have been pissed of his election and have fought him all the way.
Sorry, but I must attend to work ... back later tonight. Mac
If you think Quantitative Easing is the solution, write your frik'n Republican congressman ... hell, Republicans NEED a new idea ... they've been stuck on Trickle Down for 35 years.
I write my congressman 2-3 times a year, and I keep saying Democrats need to establish a BUDGET and quit spending, but its Republicans that have been spending ... as far as I'm concerned, Obama saved this country from going into another Great Depression ... Republicans have been pissed of his election and have fought him all the way.
Sorry, but I must attend to work ... back later tonight. Mac
Of course you're not complaining ... if everyone else is getting fucked but you're getting rewarded, you're happy... that's pretty normal ... congratulations.
Medical costs are just one of many factors. There isn't anything special or magical about medical costs. Every year they take a bigger bite out of nearly everyone's paycheck. Things like automobiles, TV's and a host of other thing increase at rates near or below the rate of inflation. Things like automobiles have actually become more of a bargain than they were in past years. The are safer and more reliable. Why? Intense competition. Health care costs continue to accelerate faster than any other goods or services that I am aware of and the quality of care has not improved.
Yes I have done well, and it saddens me that so many of my fellow Americans have not. When circumstances benefit me I take advantage of them. Just as you do in the health care industry.
The current national debt is about 18.3 trillion dollars, per citizens about $57,000, per tax payers about $157,500
In 2008 the national debt was about 10.5 trillion dollars, per citizen about $34,000, per taxpayers about $96,800
Source is the U.S. treasury
And the deficit is no longer falling
In 2008 the national debt was about 10.5 trillion dollars, per citizen about $34,000, per taxpayers about $96,800
Source is the U.S. treasury
And the deficit is no longer falling
No I don't think QE is a solution it is a good part of the problem. I will give you credit for being pretty good at graphic arts but you certainly don't have much of a handle on economics.
I am a conservative but certainly not a Republican. It's too bad that you seem to limited to either or. Not every liberal is Democrat either.
Just read what all this Jade Helm "fear mongering" by the Texas government has produced. Why is it that these conservative governors and senators seem to feel that scaring the public and offering themselves as the solution is doing ANY good for anyone?
Maybe we need to get a giant chalkboard and start writing these scare tactics down and marking them off when they don't come true, just so the public can see what this group of so-called conservatives have become.
Eventually, however, they'll call one RIGHT, and then we won't be able to shut them up. It's the old saying, "even a blind squirrel will find an acorn every now and then."
http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/ho...rous-jade-helm-15-retaliation-plot/ar-BBlqM30
Maybe we need to get a giant chalkboard and start writing these scare tactics down and marking them off when they don't come true, just so the public can see what this group of so-called conservatives have become.
Eventually, however, they'll call one RIGHT, and then we won't be able to shut them up. It's the old saying, "even a blind squirrel will find an acorn every now and then."
http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/ho...rous-jade-helm-15-retaliation-plot/ar-BBlqM30
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I kind of thought that was what Obama has been claiming that he is the solution to our problems
