This administration is like the 16 year-old spoiled daughter of a famous hollywood actor running around with her daddy's credit card. Why not? We're the ones who have to pay the bill! Take your pick, your crappy socialized healthcare programs, or your fancy private jets! How about both? Is there anything else we can buy you?
Absouletly. I put up a post last week on the vent section about cigarette excise taxes (which in Chicago account for almost 60% of the price of a pack, versus the 4% profit margin to the tobacco company... trying to help us? Or tyring to help fund their overspending by taking advantage of a smoker's nicotine addiction?). A colleague of mine had brought up a point too about capital gains taxes. It seems to be a potential target. Right now long term capital gains are taxed at 15% and people will hold off on taking profits (the few that have them). If they raise the cap gains tax, they loose revene from people pulling profits. I didn't get the specifics, not sure if it's Chicago or federal; a tax on candy (unless it includes flour, because then it's good for you...) You couln't be more right, they don't care, they aren't trying to help us, they are replacing deminishing revenue. If they cared about smoking, they would use the tax revenue from cigarettes to buy smokers nicotine patches when they tried to quit... instead of tax nicotine patches for those who want to quit.
Amen! Anyone who actually beleived that he woudln't raise taxes, but was going to change the entire country and introduce all of these "miracle" programs, shouldn't even be allowed to vote, among many other things. Honestly, I can't even beleive it's news... I just always figured it was assumed he would raise taxes. It was just a matter of time.
It's just like she was all of a sudden "against waterboarding." Would someone just send her packing already?! That woman seriously brings the worst out of me.
It's refreshing to hear some voices that see the real reason behind this stuff. There are a couple other things too... we have cameras that take video and mail you tickets if you go through a red light. This is because, "going through red lights is dangerous, and these are here for your safety". Really? If you are so concerned about our safety, maybe you should put a traffic control officer at the intersection... WAIT, NO! That wouldn't generate revenue! Also on the dockett, camera's that send speeding tickets by mail... ON THE HI-WAY!!! I don't even know where to begin on that one. As if traffic isn't bad enough. There may be (in example) 10,000 speeders at any given time on a hi-way, and maybe one accident at the most. Everyone speeds (well almsot everyone). This is for revenue. Nothing more... nothing less.
This doesn't have to do anything with recent media, but I would like to hear some opinions. I am not a smoker, but some friends are. Here in Chicago, they want to raise excise tax on cigarettes to "help people quit". Each pack here is over $9! I did some research, I found out about 5.50 of each pack is taxes!!! I also found the average profit to the tobacco company is about 33 cents! Government has accused tobacco companies of profiting off of people's addiction to nicotine. Seems kind of hypocritical considering government makes 16 times as much off of each pack! Furthermore, I discovered taxes and settlements account for $35 BILLION in revenue nationally every year! Who's really profiting off of addictions?
Point 2 of 2
There are plenty of other ways to control health care costs. There is no perfect solution, and I certainly don't have the right answer. Barrack-O-Lypse already said once; the amount of seen patients has skyrocketed (along with rising costs). Supply and demand... how is insuring everyone and adding to the demand going to lower the cost? IT'S NOT! If the government wants to step in, maybe they should put a cap on malpractice suits. I've heard that malpractice insurance is one of the highest expenses to running a medical practice. So now we're going to insure everyone, and then allow them to sue those "evil" doctors for $20 million because their 460 pound overweight, non-exercising, video game playing son died during high-risk quadruple by-pass surgery???
Point 1 of 2
Washington dems can point all the fingers they want, they can criticize any of their critics... the fact of the matter is HEALTH CARE REFORM = HEALTH CARE SOCIALIZATION, or as I have begun to call it CAPITALISM REFORM.
Of course the insurance companies are going to criticize this bill, because no matter how hard Barrack-O-Lypse tries to assure us it won't be a government takeover; tell me one business that's going to want to pay health insurance premiums when they know a government plan will pick up the uninsured. This is a smoke and mirrors way to eliminate the health insurance industry and implement total government control of health care. (cont...)
Detest: I didn't really mean it in the literal sense that I don't believe it exists... I just think it's so ignorant to judge anyone by color. Like you mentioned on your original post; it really bothers me how a president can say things will benefit the minority. I don't think ANYONE or ANYTHING should be judged by color. I also believe that Washington needs to set better examples by NOT identifying race with issues. Instead of "this program will benefit minorities", you can get the same point across by saying "this program will benefit all american's". There's no need to add anymore fuel to the racism fire.
As far as you mention with taxing the majority to give to the minority... couldn't agree with you more. Have you ever wondered if it crosses any of their minds, "what if the majority packs up and leaves?" It's pretty scary out there Detest!
Neither can I... I just pay for Obama's...
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Contraption