the rub is that the consensus wants the change. but to pay for it or other needed government programs calls for higher taxes. the good thing is that obama seems to speak to the country as adults, while the repubs continue to treat us as the nieces and nephews of a despised uncle. to get the infrastructure jumpstarted and healthcare for all, we have to pay more into the pot. that's common sense. however, the other side considers raising taxes to pay for anything anathema to their way of life. starve the beast to shrink it. well, look where their way of life has us. i'm sure if it comes down to it, the american people would pay higher taxes if it assured them they'd have safe bridges, smoother roads, decent school buildings, and healthcare...
but again, i am naive to assume the repubs would actually let this happen, since common sense is not in their strong suit. a blank check for gw is a good thing we go to war, haliburton gets richer, troops die in the showers, fraud abounds. a blank check for obama is socialistic, how droll.
Posted by anthony at December 4, 2008 06:08 AM"charge whatever they want and increase their profits."
Gee, isn't that what they are doing now?
Posted by Judith at December 4, 2008 06:32 AMOops, that is what Kirsch says they want to continue.
I am so doubtful that we will ever get a Health Care system that is fair to all and affordable. It is one of those issues that I will believe when it happens and not before.
Posted by Judith at December 4, 2008 06:39 AMThe basic difference in looking at Healthcare in Europe, Japan, and other countries and US is that those countries consider Healthcare as a Service and we in US consider it as a Business. Until we change our thinking, we will not have an adequate Universal Healthcare in this country.
Posted by suresh at December 4, 2008 08:08 AMOne of the “excuses” I have heard over and over is that one reason hospitals charge so much for their services is that they have a built in cost to cover those expenses of people using the hospital services who do not have insurance and are unable to pay. If that is a true “excuse” – then should not the hospital charges be reduced – if everyone was covered?
By the same token if all services are covered, then all the “hoop jumping” one goes through to obtain pre-approvals should go away – reducing time and cost.
I am sure there are probably a lot of “good ideas” out there to accomplish an universal type coverage. But I believe allowing insurance companies to “propose” changes will accomplish one thing only – benefits for the insurance companies – NOT benefits for the insured people.
I fall in the boat of “let’s get it done” and whatever it takes to get it started and up and running … take the “cost hit” now through taxes or more premium dollars.
Rather than trying to avoid those costs now and ending up with a half-ass system that does not accomplish the goal.
A terrorist cell from that lawless region of the US, Minneapolis, Minnesota has bombed Somalia.
If the leader of Somalia is anything like Bush, we now have to be prepared for a "mouse that roared" version of "shock and awe".
It's plain to see now that supplying Somalia in past years with weather baloons capable of ladyfinger payloads was a mistake.
To the Minnesota church group that imported the terrorists years ago: "No good deed goes unpunished".
Posted by TIKI AL at December 4, 2008 09:22 AMThat crazy Clarence Thomas is opening up the case of Obama's citizenship at SCOTUS.
Some people have way too much time on their hands.
Posted by Judith at December 4, 2008 02:09 PMWould anyone be surprised to learn that Dick Gregory has been tapped to be Tim Russert's replacement on Meet the Press. Baton to be passed Sunday.
Posted by Judith at December 4, 2008 02:37 PMYes, it would surprise me if a 76 year old black comedian would replace Timmeh!
DAVID Gregory is kind of a surprise too.
Posted by TIKI AL at December 4, 2008 03:26 PMI suppose i can always hope that Thomas took this up just because even he's sick of this crazy horseshit about citizenship . .
Posted by idiosynchronic at December 4, 2008 03:30 PMBush has purchased a big ol' house in a well-heeled neighborhood of Dallas. (I guess he doesn't need the ranch anymore now that he doesn't have to pretend to be a man of the people.)
The home, on a Dallas cul-de-sac, sits on 1.13 acres and offers 8501 square feet of living space, according to city appraisal records. The property was purchased for $2.07 million. Built in 1959, the home has been improved with a detached garage (1150 square feet), servants quarters (896 square feet), and a storage building (240 square feet).
How nice for the Bushies. My house isn't much bigger than the servant's quarters.
Posted by Judith at December 4, 2008 03:44 PMLOL Yeah TIKI, it would surprise me too, althought Dick Gregory would be a lot more informative and fun. He certainly wouldn't let guests get by with bullshit answers.
Posted by Judith at December 4, 2008 03:50 PMPretty proves we were right that the Crawford ranch was a prop, huh?
David Gregory's no surprise, he's proven he can kiss GOP ass 10 times over. And he's fookin' boring as hell, dumb as a rock, and will excel in his new job. Can you tell I don't like the guy? He's got a weird shaped head; can't be trusted.
Posted by iamcoyote at December 4, 2008 04:40 PMHe can't dance worth a crap, either. Makes me sick. I vote for Dick Gregory, too, Judith.
If you go to the Dawkins site, coyote, don't forget to click the "Latest News" catagory on the upper right, that's where the action is.
Posted by TIKI AL at December 4, 2008 05:27 PMThanks for the tip, TIKI! Didja hear about the Texas guy who rammed his car into a woman at 100mph because she wasn't driving like a Christian?
How does a Christian drive, I wonder? Also, doesn't petey live in TX? Hmmm.
Posted by iamcoyote at December 4, 2008 05:53 PMJudith please e-mail me... if you can find it on my site.
Posted by Seven of Six at December 4, 2008 06:16 PM