After listening to the reasons the protesters gave for demonstrating, reading a few comments from the bloggers, and a hearing the different versions for protesting from the pundits, I have come to the conclusion that as a whole, we're skirting the issue. Health Care reform solutions are rarely mentioned. If the democrats were to eliminate the “living will” clause, the public option, or a clause barring a universal or single payer bill from being introduced in the next 10 years, the protesters will still show up at the town hall meetings and the republicans would still be a “no show” on Health Care Reform.
The town hall meetings remind me of the safety meetings we used to have; it was just a rant session about everything but safety. The anti- government protesters are really anti-tax protesters. That's pretty easy to do since President Eisenhower installed the interstate system, FDR gave us Social security, and LBJ chipped in with Medicare. Today the infrastructure needs repair and the entitlements need an overhaul, so the taxpayers have to pick up the bill. The tax protesters know it's not popular to attack those items, so they use a straw man argument like, welfare, wealth redistribution, and socialist agenda, in trying to drum up new recruits for their cause. I have listened to the stories of the tax protesters for over 30 years. This one co-worker even bought a $400 book that was supposed to detail a constitutional way of avoiding taxes. The author of that book ended in Federal prison for tax evasion. My friend avoided the same course, after Human Resources warned him of the consequences of falsifying an official document, like a W4. My friend only had two dependents but listed nine exemptions to avoid income tax being withheld. I imagine he's in lockstep with the protesters. They should have protested against waste, fraud, bail outs, and accountability.
MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell interviewed the young lady that approached Senator Arlen Specter, to complain about the socialist direction this country is going in. Lawrence O'Donnell admitted that he thought Social Security and Medicare were good socialist programs but did she want to repeal the programs. It was obvious she was caught off-guard, but she went ahead and said yes she would. The town hall meeting should be a two- day event, with the first day set aside to educate the participants, on the very basics of the issue, parliamentary procedure, and the players and their agendas..
It was disappointing to hear Senator Grassley of Iowa, pandering to the base, by a telling them that they should fear the “kill granny” provision in the bill. He had a major role in forming the senate bill, so he should know better. It seems like Senator Grassley is going to abandon his bipartisan position, for political purposes. The senator is up for reelection next year.
Every debate should have a few rules…..IMO (1)… State your agenda (we all have one) (2)……Provide sources (3)……Be concise as possible.
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itisi
This is what I meant when I told Kenneth that the opposition have a legitimate complaint that they should use but it would exploit them because they are the ones that agreed to it in the first place….The New York Times and the Los Angeles Times realesed this memo of an agreement between the administration and the drug companies that is not good for the consumer…I mentioned it yesterday.
White House agreed to oppose any congressional efforts to use the government's leverage to bargain for lower drug prices or import drugs from Canada -- and also agreed not to pursue Medicare rebates or shift some drugs from Medicare Part B to Medicare Part D, which would cost Big Pharma billions in reduced reimbursements.
In exchange, the Pharmaceutical Researchers and Manufacturers Association (PhRMA) agreed to cut $80 billion in projected costs to taxpayers and senior citizens over ten years. Or, as the memo says: "Commitment of up to $80 billion, but not more than $80 billion.
See I can be truthful, once in a awhile..:-)…The taxpayer will always lose to the lobbyist and big money.
August 13, 2009 at 4:36 p.m.Thanks, I agree.
Like I said, all of us retirees will get the short end of the stick, because there are no plans to fix Medicare. I fear long lines and having to camp out just see a doctor..
August 13, 2009 at 4:28 p.m.itisi
Medicare will have to be fixed before 2013 because it will have many baby boomers into the system by then…The president said the pharmaceuticals will chip in $80 billion over the next 10 years in order to bring down prices but I think they can do better than that by allowing Medicare to buy in bulk for the same discounted price the VA gets…A person that has health insurance pays a lower price for a drug than someone on Medicare…Aetna will become my secondary provider…Then there is that monster..Medicare Part D….
Unless the public option passes,(not likely..IMO) the changes will not affect those that want to keep their insurance or on Medicare.
Medicare will go bankrupt by or before 2019, if congress does not find a way to fix it…
August 13, 2009 at 4:18 p.m.Mike,
I should have phrased my question on healthcare a little different. In 2013 it will go into effect if made law. How will it effect you & you’re family? What benefits you must from a new healthcare system that is untried & untested? I think us retirees will get the short end of the stick on this deal. My opinion is based on everything I have read..
August 13, 2009 at 3:58 p.m.Hello Suzy
August 13, 2009 at 3:41 p.m.I agree because about 99% of the Republican legislators agree; we absolutely need Health Care Reform but they pretty much left it to the Democrats...GOP Chairman, Michael Steele said “you have the votes, pass anything you want.” Now, they are going to be left with a “I told you so” strategy but in the meantime they will use fear mongering tactics to kill it…They better hopes their tactics works or they will go the way of the Bull Moose and WHIG party.
itisi
First of all I gave credit to the commentator and his employer (MSNBC) so others that are familiar with Lawrence O’Donnell’s style can read more into that sentence. Not everyone hates MSNBC...That's ok,I say the same about the anti-Obama channel ,Fox.:-)
I know it’s not only about health care..That’s the name of the blog..”Skirting the issue”…The protesters are using straw man arguments that are not in the bill.
It is pretty well documented that a depression was averted but the economy is still struggling…What is not clear is how much can we attribute it to the initial Bush bail- out ,the 20% stimulus money that has been released, the action of the Fed , or the other bail-outs.
The president has stated how his administration was going to pay for it, many times…You may not believe him, but he and his advisers have a plan…If it does not work then he will be voted out of office, along with the democrats…This mess was not started overnight nor will be fixed overnight…It’s going to take to take about three years…I’ve have said I put my money where my mouth is…I transferred my safer Money Markets funds to mutual s.
I have not, nor will I ever attend a town hall meeting…Anything can be on the agenda but unless it is an orderly meeting, nothing will come of it.
Come on, my opinion on the Health Care Reform is pretty easy to get to....Ad Nauseam,some say.
What’s my true opinion?…That’s common trait in conservatives, if I don’t agree with their opinion, I am either wrong or lying…
August 13, 2009 at 3:20 p.m.Ha, I think it is simpler than that. They have to try and discredit anything the Dems come up with, expecially Obama, if they want a shot at winning the next election.
August 13, 2009 at 2:45 p.m.What I think the real problem is...they are afraid it is gonna work. That would pretty much cut them out of the next election.
Mike ole buddy,
It’s not just about healthcare, in 6 months, bail-outs, stimulus, government own auto makers, Bills flying around congress like hurricanes. How is this mess going to be paid for? Why you continue to use MSNBC as a source of information, their like a bunch of coyote’s chasing a young calf in the middle of the night then ripen it a part.
You have your rant about the right and you’re certainly entitled to that opinion. We all have the right to protest what ever issue is at hand.
What is the purpose of a town hall in you’re opinion? What is you’re true opinion on the healthcare plan? You and I are close in age, I would like to hear that opinion..
August 13, 2009 at 2:41 p.m.It could be out of Pelosi's playbook but I wrote the very same thing in my other blog,yesterday...Maybe I should change it to ,"won't participate","continue to try and kill it" but I think you get the picture..:-)
Senator Grassley was one of the senators he was bragging on...The president was not aware Grassley would abandon ship.Still have two Republicans working on the senate bill.
The president would prefer a bipartisan bill but "you can only lead a horse to water."
August 13, 2009 at 2:37 p.m.The Republicans are a no-show on health care reform? That sounds like something straight out of Nancy Pelosi's newsletter.
Hmmm, just the other day, at a town hall, Obama was giving props to Republicans for their contributions and was looking forward to future discussions with Republicans to arrive at a better health care bill.
Was he lying?
August 13, 2009 at 2:26 p.m.