1.Adult children may remain as dependents on their parents’ policy until their 27th birthday.
2.Children under age 19 may not be excluded for pre-existing conditions.
3.No more lifetime or annual caps on coverage.
4.Free preventative care for all.
5.Adults with pre-existing conditions may buy into a national high-risk pool until the exchanges come online. While these will not be cheap, they’re still better than total exclusion and get some benefit from a wider pool of insureds.
6.Small businesses will be entitled to a tax credit for 2009 and 2010, which could be as much as 50% of what they pay for employees’ health insurance.
7.The “donut hole” closes for Medicare patients, making prescription medications more affordable for seniors.
8.Requirement that all insurers must post their balance sheets on the Internet and fully disclose administrative costs, executive compensation packages, and benefit payments.
9.Authorizes early funding of community health centers in all 50 states (Bernie Sanders’ amendment).
10.Community health centers provide primary, dental and vision services to people in the community, based on a sliding scale for payment according to ability to pay.
Monday, March 22, 2010
Friday, March 19, 2010
Culmination of Fear Exploitation?
Civil War over something that people have been mislead about. Insurance over state lines is covered under the interstate commerce clause and therefor regulated by the government. It does not infringe on the 10th amendment rights of the states. Massachusetts already has a mandate to buy insurance.
The fears of the people have been co-opted by the establishment to be exploited for more money and attempts to regain the power that they lost. When this inflammatory rhetoric causes someone to get hurt, rue the day the propaganda broadcasters who serve as the "Voice of Fate" realizes the consequences of their words.
The fears of the people have been co-opted by the establishment to be exploited for more money and attempts to regain the power that they lost. When this inflammatory rhetoric causes someone to get hurt, rue the day the propaganda broadcasters who serve as the "Voice of Fate" realizes the consequences of their words.
The Boehner
from thepoliticalcarnival.net
John Boehner Republican (Elected 1991), OH House district
Total Campaign Contributions Received: $3,430,213
Top 10 Interests Funding
Interest Contributions
Insurance $224,720
Securities & Investment $163,000
Electric Utilities $156,950
Banks and Credit $154,250
Health Professionals $139,500
Pharmaceuticals/Health Products $136,900
Real Estate $127,550
Lawyers/Law Firms $127,250
Hospitals/Nursing Homes $99,025
Misc Manufacturing & Distributions $95,000
Contributions from political parties and from other candidates are not included in top 10 lists.
Contributions shown for the last two years of available data, Jan 1, 2008 - Dec 31, 2009.
John Boehner Republican (Elected 1991), OH House district
Total Campaign Contributions Received: $3,430,213
Top 10 Interests Funding
Interest Contributions
Insurance $224,720
Securities & Investment $163,000
Electric Utilities $156,950
Banks and Credit $154,250
Health Professionals $139,500
Pharmaceuticals/Health Products $136,900
Real Estate $127,550
Lawyers/Law Firms $127,250
Hospitals/Nursing Homes $99,025
Misc Manufacturing & Distributions $95,000
Contributions from political parties and from other candidates are not included in top 10 lists.
Contributions shown for the last two years of available data, Jan 1, 2008 - Dec 31, 2009.
Monday, March 15, 2010
30 Years Later And We Are Back Around To This
Concerning the "Slaughter Solution"
"Self-executing rules began innocently enough in the 1970s as a way of making technical corrections to bills. But, as the House became more partisan in the 1980s, the majority leadership was empowered by its caucus to take all necessary steps to pass the party's bills. This included a Rules Committee that was used more creatively to devise procedures to all but guarantee policy success. The self-executing rule was one such device to make substantive changes in legislation while ensuring majority passage."
"Self-executing rules began innocently enough in the 1970s as a way of making technical corrections to bills. But, as the House became more partisan in the 1980s, the majority leadership was empowered by its caucus to take all necessary steps to pass the party's bills. This included a Rules Committee that was used more creatively to devise procedures to all but guarantee policy success. The self-executing rule was one such device to make substantive changes in legislation while ensuring majority passage."
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Wife Of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas Launches Tea Party Group
http://www.latimes.com/news/nation-and-world/la-na-thomas14-2010mar14,0,6505384.story
Impartiality questioned? I hope so, life time appointments suck.
Impartiality questioned? I hope so, life time appointments suck.
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Lehman Bros Failure Explained
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
Bill Mahars New Rule
New Rule:
Let's not fire the teachers when students don't learn - let's fire the parents. Last week President Obama defended the firing of every single teacher in a struggling high school in a poor Rhode Island neighborhood. And the kids were outraged. They said, "Why blame our teachers?" and "Who's President Obama?" I think it was Whitney Houston who said, "I believe that children are our future - teach them well and let them lead the way." And that's the last sound piece of educational advice this country has gotten - from a crack head in the '80's.
Yes, America has found its new boogeyman to blame for our crumbling educational system. It's just too easy to blame the teachers, what with their cushy teachers' lounges, their fat-cat salaries, and their absolute authority in deciding who gets a hall pass. We all remember high school - canning the entire faculty is a nationwide revenge fantasy. Take that, Mrs. Crabtree! And guess what? We're chewing gum and no, we didn't bring enough for everybody.
But isn't it convenient that once again it turns out that the problem isn't us, and the fix is something that doesn't require us to change our behavior or spend any money. It's so simple: Fire the bad teachers, hire good ones from some undisclosed location, and hey, while we're at it let's cut taxes more. It's the kind of comprehensive educational solution that could only come from a completely ignorant people.
Firing all the teachers may feel good - we're Americans, kicking people when they're down is what we do - but it's not really their fault. Now, undeniably, there are some bad teachers out there. They don't know the material, they don't make things interesting, they have sex with the same kid every day instead of spreading the love around... But every school has crappy teachers. Yale has crappy teachers - they must, they gave us George Bush.
According to all the studies, it doesn't matter what teachers do. Although everyone appreciates foreplay. What matters is what parents do. The number one predictor of a child's academic success is parental involvement. It doesn't even matter if your kid goes to private or public school. So save the twenty grand a year and treat yourself to a nice vacation away from the little bastards.
It's also been proven that just having books in the house makes a huge difference in a child's development. If your home is adorned with nothing but Hummel dolls, DVD's, and bleeding Jesuses, congratulations, you've just given your children the gift of Duh. Sarah Palin said recently she wrote on her hand because her father used to do it. I rest my case.
When there are no books in the house, and there are no parents in the house, you know who raises the kids? That's right, the television. Kids aren't keeping up with their studies; they're keeping up with the Kardashians. We're allowing the television, as babysitter, to turn us into a nation of slutty idiots. By the way, one sign your 9-year-old may be watching too much One Tree Hill: if she has an imaginary friend with benefits.
Let's not fire the teachers when students don't learn - let's fire the parents. Last week President Obama defended the firing of every single teacher in a struggling high school in a poor Rhode Island neighborhood. And the kids were outraged. They said, "Why blame our teachers?" and "Who's President Obama?" I think it was Whitney Houston who said, "I believe that children are our future - teach them well and let them lead the way." And that's the last sound piece of educational advice this country has gotten - from a crack head in the '80's.
Yes, America has found its new boogeyman to blame for our crumbling educational system. It's just too easy to blame the teachers, what with their cushy teachers' lounges, their fat-cat salaries, and their absolute authority in deciding who gets a hall pass. We all remember high school - canning the entire faculty is a nationwide revenge fantasy. Take that, Mrs. Crabtree! And guess what? We're chewing gum and no, we didn't bring enough for everybody.
But isn't it convenient that once again it turns out that the problem isn't us, and the fix is something that doesn't require us to change our behavior or spend any money. It's so simple: Fire the bad teachers, hire good ones from some undisclosed location, and hey, while we're at it let's cut taxes more. It's the kind of comprehensive educational solution that could only come from a completely ignorant people.
Firing all the teachers may feel good - we're Americans, kicking people when they're down is what we do - but it's not really their fault. Now, undeniably, there are some bad teachers out there. They don't know the material, they don't make things interesting, they have sex with the same kid every day instead of spreading the love around... But every school has crappy teachers. Yale has crappy teachers - they must, they gave us George Bush.
According to all the studies, it doesn't matter what teachers do. Although everyone appreciates foreplay. What matters is what parents do. The number one predictor of a child's academic success is parental involvement. It doesn't even matter if your kid goes to private or public school. So save the twenty grand a year and treat yourself to a nice vacation away from the little bastards.
It's also been proven that just having books in the house makes a huge difference in a child's development. If your home is adorned with nothing but Hummel dolls, DVD's, and bleeding Jesuses, congratulations, you've just given your children the gift of Duh. Sarah Palin said recently she wrote on her hand because her father used to do it. I rest my case.
When there are no books in the house, and there are no parents in the house, you know who raises the kids? That's right, the television. Kids aren't keeping up with their studies; they're keeping up with the Kardashians. We're allowing the television, as babysitter, to turn us into a nation of slutty idiots. By the way, one sign your 9-year-old may be watching too much One Tree Hill: if she has an imaginary friend with benefits.
Friday, March 12, 2010
Some Dick Heads Thoughts On A Senators Injured Wife
This is utter garbage. I asked a coworker why I get angry and want to be violent towards these people. Well heres an example. I just want to slap them in the face, a loud slap in public hurts more.
From Dan Riehl: (whoever the fuck this guy is)
Isn't It Time To Euthanize Reid's Wife?
I'm not sure I quite understand this, given that cost is so important as a burden to taxpayers when it comes to health care. If Democrats want so badly to abort babies because of it, why are we bothering with someone who has a broken neck and back at 69? It sounds to me like she's pretty well used up and has probably been living off the taxpayers for plenty of years to begin with. Aren't we at least going to get a vote on it?
Sen. Reid's daughter Lana Reid Barringer, 48, who was driving the mini-van, and his wife, Landra G. Reid, 69, a passenger, were both injured. Landra suffered a broken back and a broken neck in the crash; Barringer suffered minor injuries, Sen. Reid's office said Thursday.
I realize her crook of a husband and his pals in Congress have excluded themselves from the mess they're going to compel everyone else to join, but we're still paying the bills, are we not? I don't see that she's worth it at this point, frankly. I can't recall her ever doing anything for me.
Come on, Harry - do your civic duty. The nation's broke and counting on you guy. Pull the plug and get back to work. And don't bill us for a full day today, either. This is no time to be sloughing off. Air freight her home, you can bury her during recess on your own time and dime. Or are you going to bill us for that, too?
Reid has stayed at his wife’s bedside throughout the day Friday and returned to the Capitol in the late afternoon.
From Dan Riehl: (whoever the fuck this guy is)
Isn't It Time To Euthanize Reid's Wife?
I'm not sure I quite understand this, given that cost is so important as a burden to taxpayers when it comes to health care. If Democrats want so badly to abort babies because of it, why are we bothering with someone who has a broken neck and back at 69? It sounds to me like she's pretty well used up and has probably been living off the taxpayers for plenty of years to begin with. Aren't we at least going to get a vote on it?
Sen. Reid's daughter Lana Reid Barringer, 48, who was driving the mini-van, and his wife, Landra G. Reid, 69, a passenger, were both injured. Landra suffered a broken back and a broken neck in the crash; Barringer suffered minor injuries, Sen. Reid's office said Thursday.
I realize her crook of a husband and his pals in Congress have excluded themselves from the mess they're going to compel everyone else to join, but we're still paying the bills, are we not? I don't see that she's worth it at this point, frankly. I can't recall her ever doing anything for me.
Come on, Harry - do your civic duty. The nation's broke and counting on you guy. Pull the plug and get back to work. And don't bill us for a full day today, either. This is no time to be sloughing off. Air freight her home, you can bury her during recess on your own time and dime. Or are you going to bill us for that, too?
Reid has stayed at his wife’s bedside throughout the day Friday and returned to the Capitol in the late afternoon.
Texas Board of Education cuts Thomas Jefferson out of its textbooks.
From Think Progress
http://thinkprogress.org/2010/03/12/texas-education-board-cuts-thomas-jefferson-out-of-its-textbooks/
The Texas Board of Education has been meeting this week to revise its social studies curriculum. During the past three days, “the board’s far-right faction wielded their power to shape lessons on the civil rights movement, the U.S. free enterprise system and hundreds of other topics”:
– To avoid exposing students to “transvestites, transsexuals and who knows what else,” the Board struck the curriculum’s reference to “sex and gender as social constructs.”
– The Board removed Thomas Jefferson from the Texas curriculum, “replacing him with religious right icon John Calvin.”
– The Board refused to require that “students learn that the Constitution prevents the U.S. government from promoting one religion over all others.”
– The Board struck the word “democratic” from the description of the U.S. government, instead terming it a “constitutional republic.”
As the nation’s second-largest textbook market, Texas has enormous leverage over publishers, who often “craft their standard textbooks based on the specs of the biggest buyers.” Indeed, as The Washington Monthly has reported, “when it comes to textbooks, what happens in Texas rarely stays in Texas.”
http://thinkprogress.org/2010/03/12/texas-education-board-cuts-thomas-jefferson-out-of-its-textbooks/
The Texas Board of Education has been meeting this week to revise its social studies curriculum. During the past three days, “the board’s far-right faction wielded their power to shape lessons on the civil rights movement, the U.S. free enterprise system and hundreds of other topics”:
– To avoid exposing students to “transvestites, transsexuals and who knows what else,” the Board struck the curriculum’s reference to “sex and gender as social constructs.”
– The Board removed Thomas Jefferson from the Texas curriculum, “replacing him with religious right icon John Calvin.”
– The Board refused to require that “students learn that the Constitution prevents the U.S. government from promoting one religion over all others.”
– The Board struck the word “democratic” from the description of the U.S. government, instead terming it a “constitutional republic.”
As the nation’s second-largest textbook market, Texas has enormous leverage over publishers, who often “craft their standard textbooks based on the specs of the biggest buyers.” Indeed, as The Washington Monthly has reported, “when it comes to textbooks, what happens in Texas rarely stays in Texas.”
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Kansas
http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/03/11/missouri.school.closings/index.html?eref=igoogle_cnn
Ah, Kansas closing 28 out of 61 public schools. Yet another example of destroying education to save money.
Ah, Kansas closing 28 out of 61 public schools. Yet another example of destroying education to save money.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Side Effects of Repub Roadmap to the Future
– Federal taxes would be lower for the richest 10 percent, and higher for all other income groups, than they would be if President Obama’s proposals were enacted.
– The bottom 80 percent of taxpayers would pay about $1,700 more, on average, than they would if President Obama’s proposals were enacted.
– The richest one percent would pay about $211,300 less on average than they would if President Obama’s proposals were enacted.
– The poorest 20 percent would pay 12.3 percent of their income more than what they would pay under the President’s proposal, while the richest one percent would pay 15 percent of their income less than they would pay under the President’s proposal.
– The bottom 80 percent of taxpayers would pay about $1,700 more, on average, than they would if President Obama’s proposals were enacted.
– The richest one percent would pay about $211,300 less on average than they would if President Obama’s proposals were enacted.
– The poorest 20 percent would pay 12.3 percent of their income more than what they would pay under the President’s proposal, while the richest one percent would pay 15 percent of their income less than they would pay under the President’s proposal.
Details to a Water Boarding
Interrogators pumped detainees full of so much water that the CIA turned to a special saline solution to minimize the risk of death, the documents show.
The agency used a gurney “specially designed” to tilt backwards at a perfect angle to maximize the water entering the prisoner’s nose and mouth, intensifying the sense of choking – and to be lifted upright quickly in the event that a prisoner stopped breathing.
The documents also lay out, in chilling detail, exactly what should occur in each two-hour waterboarding “session.” Interrogators were instructed to start pouring water right after a detainee exhaled, to ensure he inhaled water, not air, in his next breath. They could use their hands to “dam the runoff” and prevent water from spilling out of a detainee’s mouth.
They were allowed six separate 40-second “applications” of liquid in each two-hour session – and could dump water over a detainee’s nose and mouth for a total of 12 minutes a day. Finally, to keep detainees alive even if they inhaled their own vomit during a session – a not-uncommon side effect of waterboarding – the prisoners were kept on a liquid diet. The agency recommended Ensure Plus.
http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2010/03/09/waterboarding_for_dummies/index.html
The agency used a gurney “specially designed” to tilt backwards at a perfect angle to maximize the water entering the prisoner’s nose and mouth, intensifying the sense of choking – and to be lifted upright quickly in the event that a prisoner stopped breathing.
The documents also lay out, in chilling detail, exactly what should occur in each two-hour waterboarding “session.” Interrogators were instructed to start pouring water right after a detainee exhaled, to ensure he inhaled water, not air, in his next breath. They could use their hands to “dam the runoff” and prevent water from spilling out of a detainee’s mouth.
They were allowed six separate 40-second “applications” of liquid in each two-hour session – and could dump water over a detainee’s nose and mouth for a total of 12 minutes a day. Finally, to keep detainees alive even if they inhaled their own vomit during a session – a not-uncommon side effect of waterboarding – the prisoners were kept on a liquid diet. The agency recommended Ensure Plus.
http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2010/03/09/waterboarding_for_dummies/index.html
Monday, March 8, 2010
Nothing Special
http://thinkprogress.org/2010/03/08/oklahoma-divorce/
After Telling Women, Gays How To Live, Oklahoma GOP Outraged At ‘Government Intervention’ In Divorces
“How far do I want government to come into my home and your home about private personal matters?” asked Rep. Leslie Osborn, a Republican from Tuttle, in a debate.
It reminds me of the signs; "Keep your government hands out of my medicare!"
Last fall, the Oklahoma passed a law that would have collected personal details about every single abortion performed in the state and posted them on a public website. (The Oklahoma County District Court struck down the law last month)
After Telling Women, Gays How To Live, Oklahoma GOP Outraged At ‘Government Intervention’ In Divorces
“How far do I want government to come into my home and your home about private personal matters?” asked Rep. Leslie Osborn, a Republican from Tuttle, in a debate.
It reminds me of the signs; "Keep your government hands out of my medicare!"
Last fall, the Oklahoma passed a law that would have collected personal details about every single abortion performed in the state and posted them on a public website. (The Oklahoma County District Court struck down the law last month)
Sunday, March 7, 2010
The Site Big Journalism Is Garbage
From Breitbart's Big Journalism
"Mark Steyn is always right, whether he's writing about Andrew Lloyd Webber or, in this case, the suicide-bomber-in-chief, Barack Obama, who doesn't much care how many Democrats get sent to the electoral Elysian Fields -- or even whether he gets a second term -- as long as he can blow up the capitalist system from within. Excuse me -- effect "fundamental change." And what better way to get Hussein's camel's nose under your hospital gown than by taking over the American health-care system, all under the guise of "reform?"
Really? Equating our president to a terrorist. Camel nose? I really hate these people.
And I guess he thinks the Democrats who vote for the health care bills are heroic and virtuous because the Elysian Fields is where their souls go when they die in the Elysium part of the underworld.
"Mark Steyn is always right, whether he's writing about Andrew Lloyd Webber or, in this case, the suicide-bomber-in-chief, Barack Obama, who doesn't much care how many Democrats get sent to the electoral Elysian Fields -- or even whether he gets a second term -- as long as he can blow up the capitalist system from within. Excuse me -- effect "fundamental change." And what better way to get Hussein's camel's nose under your hospital gown than by taking over the American health-care system, all under the guise of "reform?"
Really? Equating our president to a terrorist. Camel nose? I really hate these people.
And I guess he thinks the Democrats who vote for the health care bills are heroic and virtuous because the Elysian Fields is where their souls go when they die in the Elysium part of the underworld.
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Praise to the Student Protester
I'm proud of the protests that happened on March 4th. Education always gets the shaft when the greed and mismanagement of a budget finally catches up to the times.
Education should be one of the major pillars of our society, it spurs our growth as a nation and betters our overall living conditions. When we neglect our education it has ripple effects throughout all aspects of our lives. Teenagers who turn to violence or drugs, never forming the drive to want to do better for themselves, their family, culture or country. Those kids grow up into stagnation and end up leeching off of their friends or the programs designed to keep people from bottoming out.
We drop the arts programs, the much needed spark to open the creative flood gates and replace them with sports programs. Who cares if bobby can be an excellent painter and sell it for a couple hundreds of dollars when we can make a football breeding camp and get these kids hundreds of thousands of dollars. Why would we want to offer all sorts of avenues for our children to choose what they want to do with their life, let them experiment with different fields till they find what fits them the best? Because we don't want to pigeon hole them into a limit occupation field. I'm sorry Jessica, we can only afford a base line curriculum and crap standards and classes that only teach to pass a test. You know Jessica, management positions at McDonald's are easy to achieve if you just put your tenure into the company.
Glennbeckistan said education isn't a right its a privilege. Maybe the higher levels of education are a privilege, the Masters and Doctorate levels. But education shouldn't be cost prohibitive. And the doors should be open to all. The rich parents already are at that level and can take care of their kids but the lower income level kids should be able to access the same institutions. Then that child, when he grows up, can do the same for his kids. We better society as a whole if we bring everyone up with us.
I would be a fan of low cost of attending but higher demands of achievement. I just believe that if we better everyone around us, we better ourselves. If our friends do better, then so do we. We shouldn't let corporations persist with the tax loopholes and avoid paying their dues. Taxes pay for social programs and we let the biggest tax payers off the hook with crap conservative economics.
Higher education is an investment in yourself, but you should not have to be bankrupted by that investment due to bad lending practices and overpriced for-profit schools. Young people are the driving force of our capitalistic society, if most of their money is tied up in loan repayments then that is money is not being spent in the markets.
Adult learning is essential also. When one sector of the economy goes away or crashes they should be easily able to learn a new field and adapt to the ever changing economic landscape.
We should not neglect our youth and their educations, we should not be limited by financial boundaries as potentials for growth. We should strive to be the smartest amongst the world and strive to better our position in the world.
Education should be one of the major pillars of our society, it spurs our growth as a nation and betters our overall living conditions. When we neglect our education it has ripple effects throughout all aspects of our lives. Teenagers who turn to violence or drugs, never forming the drive to want to do better for themselves, their family, culture or country. Those kids grow up into stagnation and end up leeching off of their friends or the programs designed to keep people from bottoming out.
We drop the arts programs, the much needed spark to open the creative flood gates and replace them with sports programs. Who cares if bobby can be an excellent painter and sell it for a couple hundreds of dollars when we can make a football breeding camp and get these kids hundreds of thousands of dollars. Why would we want to offer all sorts of avenues for our children to choose what they want to do with their life, let them experiment with different fields till they find what fits them the best? Because we don't want to pigeon hole them into a limit occupation field. I'm sorry Jessica, we can only afford a base line curriculum and crap standards and classes that only teach to pass a test. You know Jessica, management positions at McDonald's are easy to achieve if you just put your tenure into the company.
Glennbeckistan said education isn't a right its a privilege. Maybe the higher levels of education are a privilege, the Masters and Doctorate levels. But education shouldn't be cost prohibitive. And the doors should be open to all. The rich parents already are at that level and can take care of their kids but the lower income level kids should be able to access the same institutions. Then that child, when he grows up, can do the same for his kids. We better society as a whole if we bring everyone up with us.
I would be a fan of low cost of attending but higher demands of achievement. I just believe that if we better everyone around us, we better ourselves. If our friends do better, then so do we. We shouldn't let corporations persist with the tax loopholes and avoid paying their dues. Taxes pay for social programs and we let the biggest tax payers off the hook with crap conservative economics.
Higher education is an investment in yourself, but you should not have to be bankrupted by that investment due to bad lending practices and overpriced for-profit schools. Young people are the driving force of our capitalistic society, if most of their money is tied up in loan repayments then that is money is not being spent in the markets.
Adult learning is essential also. When one sector of the economy goes away or crashes they should be easily able to learn a new field and adapt to the ever changing economic landscape.
We should not neglect our youth and their educations, we should not be limited by financial boundaries as potentials for growth. We should strive to be the smartest amongst the world and strive to better our position in the world.
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