The People Say “Public Option, YES! And Tax Those Rich Bastards!”
The health insurance industry has gotten a pretty shitty return on their investment. They’ve spent hundreds of billions of dollars bribing Congress, creating a bunch of slippery TV ads, and using phony “grass roots” front groups to scare Americans about “Death Panels!” and “government takeover!”
And what have they got to show for it?
After months and months of lies and orchestrated “demonstrations,” most Americans WANT government-financed health insurance, aka the public option. For those of you who can’t count to ten without using your fingers (i.e. Republicans), remember: the second part of “public option” is the word.....[drumroll]........"OPTION.” It’s not a “government takeover.” It’s an option. OK?
And what’s the most popular method of paying for health care reform? The public says Tax The Rich. The robber barons — and their legions of simpleminded worshippers — have been blithering about “Class Warfare” for years. Bring it on!
Meanwhile, Senator Tom Coburn (R-Inbred) is threatening to bring the Senate to a grinding halt by reading the entire health reform bill aloud on the Senate floor. Uh oh, this might take awhile. His index finger will be exhausted after being moved slo-o-o-owly across each page, sentence after sentence. And Coburn’s fellow senators will know when he gets to one of them big words with two syllables: His lips will stop moving and a puzzled addled expression will cross his face.
And speaking of class warfare: a House committee has just voted to enable the government to break up financial firms that are so huge, they’d take the rest of the country down with them if they collapsed. YES!!! About fuckin’ time!
If a company is “too big to fail,” it’s too big. Period. Sounds like good old-fashioned common sense to me, but the bill was opposed by Wall Street lobbyists and their Republican prostitutes. The bill was proposed by Rep. Paul Kanjorski, (D-PA). He said:
“No firm should be considered to be too big to fail. Financial firms that want to play in a casino need to have their own resources to cover their bets and not assume that tax dollars are available in reserve if their bets fail.”
The opposing Republican “reasoning” was that this legislation might force large financial institutions to scale back their size.
AND??!?!?!?
Labels: Paul Kanjorski, public option, Tom Coburn, too big to fail
posted by Tom Harper @ 3:36 PM
25 Comments:
Tom they should just do what Waxman did in one of his committees. Get one of those speed readers and then you will see the repubs cave because they don't want to listen. If you look even further into those poll numbers, if it just means getting the people who have no coverage insured the number goes further, I think it is up at 70%+ now. They did just release the numbers from CBO today and it brings the cost to a little under 900 billion over 10 yrs with 167 in savings after that from the deficit. Harry took the Walmart twins, Blanche, Pryor and he had Nelson in a meeting to show them the numbers before he is scheduled to roll it out to all dems. I'm betting he had a come to Jesus meeting with the pant loads.
I was wondering if they had scored the cost curve on private insurance and how that may or may not have been affected. I can't find anything on teh toobs about that. Anyone here know if they did that or will be?
Next yr the tax cuts sunset from the boy kings cuts he gave the richest so I believe that is approx 700 billion. If they start pulling troops out of Iraq there will be savings seen there. I have said this before and will say it again, if my taxes as one who can afford it have to go up to help someone else live, GO TO IT.
As far as the banks, they just want to keep it the way it has been for many years with the privatizing of profit and the socializing of loss. Come on, it has worked for them so long and they are having a really really hard time with the change.
Our resident winner of the, I got my ass handed to me trophy will be here in 3.2.1 with some silly non argument about why this is us just wanting to stomp kittens and eat babies alive. This will ensure her keeping the, I got my ass handed to me trophy.
Ya'know, there is something to be said for the old way of handling schmucks like Coburn...duels. Dueling used to be the sport of choice amongst politicians...just ask Burr. I think we need to resurrect that particular tradition. T'would make CSPAN far more lively, as well.
Patriotism shouldn't be measured by how much you love the flag, or embrace the free trade system, it should be about how much you care for your fellow Americans.
Hey now Bee, I think CSPAN is quite lively as it is now. The duels I could go for. We could have them done on PPV and the proceeds could go to charities or something useful like that.
Part of California's problem is they won't raise taxes to reduce their deficits, so they cut services. TAX THE RICH it's the only way, even the mighty Warren Buffet has said he doesn't pay enough tax and legions of people hang on to his every word, he is the man people look to for answers and he says TAX ME I'M RICH. Listen to the Oracle of Omaha, he knows what he is talking about.
"Tax the rich." Wow, there's a blast from the past. Pre-1980, at least.
Legislation to pare down and break up too-big-to-fail outfits is desperately needed for a variety of reasons. We need to begin thinking in terms of Americans' economic security being just as important as national security. You can be sure the casinomeisters at AIG, Goldman Sachs and the humungous hedge funds see their economic security that way.
The yellow-magnet "patriots" are anything but, Lew. They are selfish, grubby bastards who don't mind cratering every opportunity someone after them might have had as long as THEY get to keep THEIRS.
All "conservatism" amounts to these days is fig-leafing greed and selfishness. This isn't at all what people like Theodore Roosevelt, or Wendell Willkie, or even Everett Dirksen had in mind.
Though I like to think that we could just get along with 'taxing the rich', I really think it's time for a more comprehensive change: Tax everyone, but most importantly those individuals who act as parasites on our society. (Wrote about this today.)
Time for some good old fashioned socialism.
Now to be fair, I want them to tax the rich who are not bastards as well.
Failure is not an option even if you can't get a mammogram until you're 50 or until we execute KSM or KFC or whatever pal name we have for him today.
Waterboarding is torture but the president is calling for his "head".
When in doubt, always see what Lemmy thinks.
Lisa said:
So what is your point as it pertains to this particular discussion? Are you maybe confusing blog postings, because I see NOWHERE here, where Tom talks about "the girls"* or Khalid Sheikh(sp) Mohammed(sp) and the water play by the good old boys in Gitmo.
We are now on to today's edition of, follow the ball with Lisa, so she can try and keep up with new topics. Today's topic is HCR, and how do we tax for the cost of it so EVERYONE pays into the general fund for it. Second topic is banking and how do we get back to actual regulation of the industry. Hope this helps clear up your confusion. If not, go see what the overlords are talking about today and we'll see if we can correct those points down for you. I'm up for that.
*boobs, ta-tas, whatever you call them here. They are the girls to me, we go everywhere together, so you all know :)
Tax the Rich now there’s a joke!
Even though some of our prosperous times have been during modest tax increases on the rich (Roosevelt, Post Roosevelt and Clinton) Every President has cut them so much, I’m surprised we get anything out of them at all.
I meet so many people who think it’s unfair the rich pay nothing, who then back down when the rich reply- it’s pathetic.
The Rich either show the charts that say they actually do pay more in taxes, but it’s only how much they are supposed to pay NOT how much they actually do pay. Or they threaten to leave this country or say the rest of us will pay higher prices for everything if they do. Or the most laughable one, they produce charts that say it would only be a drop in the bucket.
They will always produce some hardworking slob who makes over 250,000 a year (remember Joe the Plumber?) who is just like you. “He doesn’t live in a mansion or drive a Porsche!”
Most surprisingly, I meet conservative working class people who think the Rich are privileged because they worked HARD to get where they got (and they probably want to be there themselves so why mess with the system?). Believing that work ethic myth that they got all got there from slaving over a desk 100 hours a week, rather then corporate welfare, cheating and/or inheritance.
If they get a modest increase AND somebody makes sure to collect it! (ie enforcement and no loop holes) I will be shocked.
If they paid everything they are already SUPPOSED to pay, we’d be in fat city..er country!
Erik
Erik it would be no drop in the bucket and the wealthy don't need anymore damn money. Even the king Ronnie Raygun knew that and taxed people. Hell, if they only went back to the levels of his time, it would get us half way to the place we need to be. GREED is what it is all about, nothing else. I think it was Goldman that did not pay penny one in taxes last year. There were a couple of other places too, but I know GS was one of the big ones. You then get the reps saying, oh our corporations are taxed higher than anywhere else in the world.
When 70% of small business make up the work force that is who it affects because they won't be able to hire more workers. We're not talking multi-million dollar companies in regards to corporate welfare.
Have you seen how many strip malls already have vacant stores?
That's the new talking poi t Jess "Failure is not an option" they used it about the terror trial and the health care bill.
What they mean is they can't afford to fail at passing a bill regardless how shitty it is.
The rich in this country don't pay anywhere near their fair share in taxes.
I don't think the public option is enough. I want straight up single-payer, out of pocket to nobody, nationalized health care.
Is it too much to ask that the United States have what every other industrialized nation has?
Jess: I like that 70% figure. I'll be glad when Dumbya's tax cuts expire. Between that and ending the quagmires in Iraq and Afghanistan (if we ever do), we'd have money to buy a Cadillac policy for every American citizen.
You were right about Lisa's upcoming comments. You 2 must be on the same wavelength :)
Bee: Sometimes I'd really love to see the Coburns and McConnells get into an old fashioned duel. (Provided they lose, of course!)
Lew: That would be my definition of patriotism too. Unfortunately, too many wingnuts disagree.
Holte: You're right about California. There's no way out of their crushing debt except to raise taxes. Either that or keep cutting services until they turn into a third world country. Or maybe they already have.
SW: I think even during Reagan's tenure, taxes on the wealthy were a lot higher than they are now. There was something in the news a few months ago, where Congress wanted to raise a certain tax rate back to where it was in 1986. Republicans all shouted "class warfare!" and "businesses will leave!"
It's definitely overdue to break up those "too big to fail" companies.
JR: You're right about Theodore Roosevelt and Everett Dirksen. They'd be turning in their graves if they saw what their party begat.
Kvatch: Good post. Yes, definitely tax those parasites.
Robert: Damn right. If they've got it, tax it.
Randal: Excellent advice from Lemmy, as always.
Jess: "Follow the ball with Lisa" LOL.
Erik: I know, it's unreal how many charts and statistics the Right has, showing that the wealthiest Americans are paying more taxes than ever. Talk about "lies, damn lies and statistics."
And like you said, enough people assume that they'll play their cards right and end up rich too. And too many people are just brainwashed into believing that this is the "right" way to do it, or this is the way it's always been, or that taxing the rich equals "socialism."
Jess: You're right, if we returned to the tax brackets of Reagan's era, we could wipe out a huge part of the deficit.
Lisa: At least now you're on topic (sort of). Don't forget, "failure is not an option" first got used during the Iraqi war (usually shouted out by chickenhawks).
Libhom: They sure don't.
Thomas: I agree about single payer. But if Obama is having this much trouble getting the public option passed, I think the single payer system wouldn't have a chance. Hopefully we can get it eventually.
Randal - As a food source the rich are way too fatty.
“When 70% of small business make up the work force that is who it affects because they won't be able to hire more workers. We're not talking multi-million dollar companies in regards to corporate welfare.
Have you seen how many strip malls already have vacant stores?”
Actually Lisa it IS about Corporate Welfare because it has come at the detriment of small business.
During Carter and Reagan, a series of small business bills were passed so that you ran a burger stand, a pizza stand, or a hardware store – you can compete with McDonalds, Pizza Hut and Home Depot who had the advantage of bulk buying, marketing, and assets.
Then during the Gingrich years the big boys went to the Republicans and said “you know the guy in your neighborhood is a franchise and that makes him a local small businessman so he should get those tax breaks” and sure as rain the franchises were let in on those breaks. Never mind that most franchises are part of large investment groups and usually have around 100 stores – now they get the same break as the small guy it was intended for – and strip malls start getting empty.
The 2nd reason is those tax breaks that Wall Mart, Cabelas, Bass Pro and others demand from the local government that gives them an automatic profit. Locals (up to the state level) do this at the detriment of the small business already there. These large stores have specialty staff that seek and make up these deals around the country. And if that isn’t bad enough, many cities have these “Enterprise Zones” lower or tax free areas trying to revitalize their downtowns. Then they invite big stores to take them. Many stores have described it as “free money” that’s being thrown at them with no negotiation. Many stores shop for those deals and reportedly make more money with subsidies and tax breaks then they do with sales. These breaks are given at the cost of schools, roads, parks, and utilities. Taxes are then increased to compensate and many of the people paying those increased taxes are the small business who are now put in the position to support their competitors and are sooner put out of business. – and strip malls start getting empty
A 3rd reason is, thanks to the Republicans, another group was given those small business breaks – One person businesses that don’t contribute to the job force. The self incorporated consultant, the one person Lawyers, or CPA office and even the CEO who rents out his summer lodge all now count as small business people.
These are the people Republicans are protect when the talk of taxing people who earn over 250,000 because THEY ARE SMALL BUSINESSMEN!
We as a country need to re define the rules of small business to what they used to be; encourage the people that really employ people and they will be able to prosper and afford healthcare. We need to get rid of the Corporate Welfare!
Erik
I didn't know Coburn could read!
And it's about fucking time we get to regulating giganto-firms.
Sorry I haven't been by this week. Traveling on business. I won't mention the travel nightmare during yesterday's FAA system failure. ;-)
Once again,great stuff Tom-thanks.
Appreciate the comments too.
Well,most of them.
'Lisa'? -Try to find a clue.
well anon I won't be looking for any clues from you
Erik: Excellent points. I didn't even know a lot of that, but it figures. I did know about Big Box stores getting the red carpet treatment (courtesy of local taxpayers) from small towns who beg them to locate there.
And it figures that huge corporations are expert at disguising themselves and saying "Hi, I'm a little guy, just like you." A retired executive who's now a consultant and qualifies as a "small business" -- LOL. Not that it's funny.
Carlos: It's hard to imagine him reading. I'm sure he needs help with the big words.
Anonymous: Thanks. Uh oh, looks like Lisa really nailed you. Hope you'll recover :)
Lisa: There's always "takes one to know one" or "I am rubber, you are glue..."
No don't tax the rich Tom, their wealth will trickle down and reward us. Pass the burden to us instead so they may prosper.
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