Friday, December 11, 2009

How Do We Fix What Is Wrong With America Without Breaking Anything Else?

This is an open thread. Please post nice and have fun educating us. Feel free to ask questions  on any subject you would like. And also fell free to give answers.

34 comments:

  1. There will be NO quick FIX to the Problems that the Politicans have caused over the Last COUPLE Decades. Politicans belive that they for the MOST part are the Elite 535 in Washington DC and DO not NEED to Listen to Citizens or take into Account their VIEWS on Issues. These Politicans have managed to Make this a Us against Them Nation and we will NOT Survive as A Nation with that Mentality!
    First STEP SHOULD be to CLEAN house on the Politicans who have Become to Comfortable with their Status and with the SPENDING of OUR money! Saw a GRAPH today that shows EVERY Tax Payers share of the Deficit right now is OVER 100,000 dollars or so and that is ,these POLITICANS Spending OUR money on things we cannot Afford!
    Start with the Politicans,Citizens, Study them and there Political Leanings, Records and if they PUT NATION before POLITICS. If we continue to VOTE by Party ONLY that is what got us to this POINT and by VOTING Party only this Great Nation is in REAL TROUBLE!

    The Ballot Box is OUR WEAPON and WE must USE it WISELY!

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  2. leading health economist says Senate Democrats' alternative to the controversial "public option" will not only reduce income to hospitals, but it will also drive up the cost of healthcare for senior citizens.

    Senate Democrats are promoting a revised healthcare bill that would expand Medicare by allowing people 55 and older to "buy in" to the entitlement for seniors. The legislation would also expand access to Medicaid and create a non-profit, private insurance option overseen by the federal Office of Personnel Management comparable to the current health plan for government workers.

    Michael Tanner, a senior fellow with the Cato Institute in Washington, D.C., says the Democrats seem to have decided that if one bad idea was not working, they should go with three bad ideas.

    Tanner finds that there is not much reason to believe this compromise will come together, but if it does, he explains that "it would essentially squeeze private insurance from the top and bottom, moving seniors into the government-run Medicare program at enormous cost, move poor folks, the working poor primarily, into Medicaid, and then create a government-supervised, very expensive insurance plan in the middle."

    The senior fellow says senior citizens will be hurt the most by the Senate proposal because with the Medicare "buy in," the people who sign up for the program are likely to be more unhealthy than the general population, which means that they are going to cost more to treat and that will drive up costs for the whole program. Tanner predicts seniors will end up having to pay higher premiums in order to offset that cost.



    What do you believe is the real motive behind the

    Democrats' push for healthcare reform?

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  3. House measures may halt automakers' turnaround
    Jim Brown - OneNewsNow - 12/11/2009 7:30:00 AM
    A regulatory policy expert is criticizing congressional efforts to allow former Chrysler and GM dealerships to appeal their terminations.



    The House yesterday passed a $447 trillion year-end spending bill that gives generous funding boosts to domestic programs despite massive budget deficits.

    The so-called "omnibus" also includes provisions that would set up a binding arbitration process to determine whether former Chrysler and GM auto dealerships ought to be reinstated. Dealers who sold discontinued brands would not be eligible to appeal their termination.

    James Gattuso, a senior fellow in regulatory policy at The Heritage Foundation, says it is yet one more example of political interference in the restructuring of the two automakers that is going to delay or even stop their turnaround.

    "It's interesting that up 'til now, most interference - there sure has been a lot of interference - but most of it has been informal and unacknowledged," Gattuso notes. "But this is the first time since the bankruptcy proceeding that Congress looks like it's actually going to put into the statute a clear provision interfering with the running of these companies."

    When the dealer terminations were first announced, there was much speculation that the terminations were politically motivated and that manufacturers were pressured by the White House to close certain dealerships because of the dealers' political views.
    Gattuso says now that researchers have had time to look at the data, there is no evidence to support such a theory.



    What do BrianP and JoeC think about this article? Just thought it would be nice to hear what two UAW members think.

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  4. Chris, those are all the arguments that were used against Medicare.

    The Democrats' motivation is to make sure all Americans are able to get the care they need.

    Single-payer would be the best system and the cheapest. Get rid of money grubbing, criminal organizations, otherwise known as insurance companies. There are needless middle men and 30-40% of premiums go to profit, not medical care and wellness.

    We have a stupid broken system.

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  5. Bruce Once again if BIG Government wants to take care of Uninsured Citizens NO problem. I have seen POLLS where up to 85% of Citizens are satisfied with there Insurance Coverage All Nobama Care is about is Control, and NOT Socialized Medicene BUT Socialized Insurance plane and SIMPLE.This is also a GREAT Example of the Majority DONT Count. To Libs this is Feel Good Legislation,to the SANE it is GOVERNMENT Controlled Health Care. Once again that word PROFIT really bothers you BUT if it werent for PRIVATE SECTOR where would we be. Government JOBS Bruce and hows that working OUT!

    Just for My own Knowledge IF this Government Take over of Health Care does Occurr it does not take Effect until 2013 SO Bruce where in the HELL are the TAX Dollars going for those FOUR years and PLEASE dont tell me a LOCK BOX and GOVERMENT wont be able to touch IT.
    Bringing UP Medicare as Example of well run Government Program Bruce is like Peeing into the Wind,DONT make any SENSE!

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  6. Al, 40% of medical care is already run by the government and they do a damn fine job of it. In fact, when Republicans in Congress were given the chance to do away with Medicare, not one of them voted for the amendment that would have abolished Medicare.

    Why is medical care any different than police or fire protection? Police and fire are socialized systems, but no one used the socialism or government run argument against them. They are always costing more and we pass tax increases whenever police and fire need more money. But you idiots on the right don't see that, do you?

    Yes, people are satisfied with their insurance, until they have to use it when they are seriously ill. They should do another poll where only people that have tried to use their insurance for a serious illness are polled. That would be a better reflection of where we are on private insurance.

    Health care should be part of the commons, just like police and fire. We don't get one more bit of health or wellness for the 20-40% of the premium dollars that go to profit and administrative overhead, do we?

    Medicare overhead 1-2%. Private insurance 20-40% overhead. That's money that could be used to provide care for patients.

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  7. Ok, let's go on acuusing cows on global warming. And it may really be the truth that teir gas is dangerous etc. But what about the result of taht poll on your sidebar. %69 belives that global warming is a hoax. How come? Of course it isn't.

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  8. Bruce Medicare/Medicade Trillions in DEBT,hows that work out to Great Run Program. The Program Bruce is not in DEBT WE the Tax Payers are! I guess the 85% Satisfied DONT Count in your MIND.
    Medicade was to take Care of Citizens without Insurtance and I do have first hand Knowledge that it worked FINE in that INSTANCE being it was a relative of mine. They were given the same TREATMENT as Citizens with Insurance. BUT the Government Program itself is in DEEP DEBT. I am still Trying to figure out HOW you can BORROW 500 Billion from a Bankrupt Program. That has to be some real FUZZY MATH.

    Bruce in case of Fire do you want to call Fireman or LIB!

    Bruce if theres a Crime do you want to call a LIB or Policeman!

    Both Police and Fire are Para Military Organizations and I believe to one extent or the OTHER is In Constitution under Governments Duty to Protect Citizens.

    Have NOT found in Constitution the Guarentee of Health Care only the Opprutunity to WORK Hard and Gain from YOUR Work NOT somebody ELSES!

    Still believe All Citizens should help the Helpless JUST dont THINK Country which is on the FRINGE of Bankruptsy can handle all these Great LIB Ideas without WAY to Actually Pay for it! Please tell me where Four YEARS of TAX money for new Health Care Program is Going if Bill Passes and WHO will OVERSIGHT the Trillions and once again please DONT say Barney Frank!

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  9. Bruce;

    "Police and fire are socialized systems, but no one used the socialism or government run argument against them"

    Well first police are REQUIRED to maintain a civil society and firemen are REQUIRED you might say as protection against the spread of fire (fire = socialism),put the fire out at your house so as not to spread to my house,which maintains a safe orderly society.

    But to the point of insurance, I guess we need Nationalized Theft and Fire Insurance Reform too?

    Bruce;
    "Get rid of money grubbing, criminal organizations"
    Then says;
    "40% of medical care is already run by the government and they do a damn fine job of it"

    ????????????????????

    Why do you want the other 60% taken over by money grubbing, criminal organization known as the federal government?

    "damn fine job of it"????????? Broke

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  10. Al, the reason Medicare is in debt is because they have to get approval for tax increases or rate increases, whereas private businesses just say they're raising premiums. Private insurance companies have been doing a damn fine job of that, with no competition from a public option, they will continue to raise premiums.

    I think one could look at health insurance premium increases as "tax increases" just by another name.

    Christopher, I think the "required for a civil society" argument could be made just as well for health care as for police or fire. The H1N1 virus is a good example or AIDS.

    I don't think your paramilitary argument holds any water either, Al. Firemen put out fires. I fail to see how you link that to a military function. Police, maybe, but their job is to enforce laws, not a military function. They are part of our judicial system, no the military.

    The fire department doesn't ask what you co-pay is or what your deductible is before the put out a fire. They just put out the fire.

    I don't understand why conservatives always equate quality of an organization and that organizations efficiency by whether they run a deficit or not. I think a better measure is what percentage of their income is spent on actually providing a service. Private insurance companies can raise premiums when ever they want. If government run systems could raise taxes whenever they were going to run into deficit we wouldn't be having this conversation.

    Medicare doesn't have to return a profit to shareholders and I don't think one penny of a health care dollar should go to profits. 100% or very close to 100% should go to fund care of patients, period.

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  11. Civiliity & health are apples and oranges Bruce. AIDS is a personal responsibility issue,have none,suffer the consequences.

    The government has so far shown how inept they are at healthcare regarding the swine flu not that I believe it is worse than any other seasonal flu. In fact,back in 1978/1979 Jimmy (peanut) Carter was president with a milder form of the same swine flu going around. The "government" distributed vaccinations which actually killed more people than the virus itself! No thank you to government health.

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  12. Bruce By Government having to Raise Taxes to PAY for Medicare is that NOT The same as Raising OUR Premiums and Citizens Paying for the Service. Believe that CALLED Tax INCREASE. Private Sector Raises Premiums to make Profit. Government Raises TAXES to cover FRAUD and INCOMPETENCE!

    I do believe that Private Sector is Responsible for MANY Medical Advancements that with out Profit might not have been INVENTED and at what cost Do we put Lifes vs Profit?


    Bruce you Still Aint Answered The Question! If Nobama Care does in fact become our Health Care and it starts in 2013, TAXES start being PAID on the Program Immediatly. Where do the Trillions GO and WHO will be in CHARGE of it?

    Has Congress released list of the Elite 535 in DC and how MANY will put their Families and Themselves on Nobama Care if and when it Passes?

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  13. Bruce has the be the biggest dumbass I have ever come across, bar none.

    Bruce you are so full of shit and a liar to boot.

    And you don't want to hear any other arguments, such as the point that has been made on this blog several times already, and that is that MEDICARE is the LARGEST denier of claims, bar NONE. So F**K OFF with your Medicare. It's a LOSER program, but what else can be expected from the Hypocrats. If I had the money I have already poured into Medicare and Social Security I would be a VERY wealthy man.

    Bruce, no matter what you think it is a FACT that health insurance is NOT a right. Just like you have the right to PURSUE what you want as long as it is within the boundaries of law, but you do NOT have the right to have it GIVEN to you.

    Bruce, what do you think we should do for the homeless, give them a home? Free homes for everybody, sounds like a great idea to you F**K-head libertards. Well where do I sign up for my "free" home and all this "free" food and "free" medical care? Oh, wait, where does the government get it's money from ... hmmmm...

    And Bruce, I see you refuse to post dissenting comments on your loser blog. So I will post what you censored, while I laugh at you because you say Chris' blog is a big circle jerk but I haven't seen him delete ONE dissenting comment yet, but you sure do. Have fun licking each other's nuts over there on your blog, must be a great time having those two dipshit yes-men vomamike and djfag agree with your idiotic ideas all the time.
    --------
    How's that war-monger president working out for you dipshits?!?! Way to go, we would have been better off with McCain. He knows how the military works, would have made the right decision without dithering for a fucking year and our men and women would have at least been halfway through and packing up to leave. You Dumbocrats have fucked us over again.

    Vomamike, you are even nuttier than I thought. We're more in danger of the next coming ice age that the alarmists of the 70's warned us about than global warming. As a Seattle resident put so succinctly today, when they hit record cold temps, he's been scraping global warming off his windshield the last four days.

    Keep on drinking the kool-aid you dipshits. Better start driving gas-guzzlers though, we need to get this planet warmed up ASAP, let's get it back to where England can grow wine grapes again, that is in my estimation the best temperature for the planet. Do you Hypocrats have a better temperature you want to set the thermostat to using Al Gore's Carbon offset credits?!

    BWAAAAAAHAHAHAHA

    Shove it up your ass if you don't want to post this Failk. I'm copying and pasting it on Chris' blog so everybody can read it anyway. And he has a LOT more readers than you, I'm sure you've noticed.

    BWAAAAAAHAHAHAHA

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  14. Bruce still believes whatever Michael Moore tells him. Bruce, you think Cuban health care is better than the US? BWAAAAAHAHAHAHA

    The UTTER stupidity of Bruce Failk is breathtaking.

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  15. On NPR they stated unequivocally that H1N1 is more mild than the common flu. I posted that the other day, but Bruce Failk never lets a little thing like FACTS get in the way of his outright LIES.

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  16. While I think it is a political move for Congress to try to halt termination of some dealers, I also think it was purely political to terminate that many in the first place. So I don't have a real problem with revisiting amd reviewing.

    I am retired from GM - salaried, and was somewhat close to the dealer - company relationship. I have always been unable to figure what the big cost savings would be to terminate all these dealers, as they are private companies and the factory cost for doing business with them is minimal. As soon as a vehicle is shipped to a dealership, the dealer is invoiced, and the vehicle belongs to the dealer, not the factory.

    While the large number of dealers terminated allowed the company to get rid of some poor performers, I don't see any other real benefit. Anyone have any ideas?

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  17. So, John, is it your right to have police and fire protection? Why are police and fire protection different than health care? Everybody is taxed for those two services and not everybody uses them. I don't see a difference between health care and police and fire protection.

    I'm sure if police and fire socialist protections were to come up in the current environment, you idiot conservatives would be using the same arguments.

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  18. Al, you must have missed the news. The Republicans in the Senate already tried that red herring and the Democrats called their bluff.

    Private health insurance is NOT responsible for ANY medical advances. No one is trying to put government in charge of the drug companies or the medical hardware companies.

    The health insurance companies are another story. All they are is middle men that pay the bill and charge a 30% premium for doing that.

    Name one way that health insurance companies make the health care system better, Al.

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  19. Well sounds great Bruce, just great. Hey, next let's have everybody get taxed, and not have the grocery stores charge anything for food. That would be a great way to make it "free" for everyone, right? Oh, I'm sure people will all want caviar and fine wine to eat, after all, it's "free". Do you realize how moronic you really are Bruce? As I said before, you are THE BIGGEST IDIOT I HAVE EVER SEEN.

    Furthermore, who is to say what innovations may have been made were police and fire privatized? Privatization of health care has led to a LOT more breakthroughs in medicine idiot Brucetard. That's how the "REAL" world works Brucetard. Just like LASIK surgery. It was new and innovative just a few years ago, right? The *GASP* rich people could afford to have it done, and subsidized the technology. Now, what a shocker that without ANY government intervention, it is a LOT cheaper AND better, allowing poorer people (like my wife, for instance) to afford it.

    Bruce, you are a blind fool. We all get it, you think Medicare is the greatest thing since sliced bread. It's NOT. But you keep living in your fantasy world Bruce. You are NEVER going to convince me, or any other sane person, that expanding the government's power and decision-making ability over their lives is good for ANYTHING.

    Bruce, do you think you would settle for the hamburger when you can eat steak every night, and it doesn't matter because the grocery store doesn't have any prices listed, you just give them your government card, and you only have to pay $20 deductible when you go through the checkout? Do you realize that the cost of that steak that EVERYBODY is now buying will not only go UP, because now there is a huge demand for steak but low supply, but that YOU and I will really be paying for that steak, and the steak's increased cost, PLUS the % that government waste incurs?! Do you realize how STUPID you really are now?

    Final note idiotard Brucetard. How many times are the firemen used in your neighborhood? Maybe a few times a month? Same with the police, they patrol sure but how often in your lily-white neighborhood do they really catch some crooks? Not very often idiot. Now, how many people go to the doctor and the hospital every day?!? Get the idea f**k-face? You are clueless man. Every time you write something I just have to laugh at how stupid you sound and are. 1/6th of our economy Bruce. Does that compare to our fire and police? Don't think so you turd.

    Once again Bruce, you've been attending the school of the Big Dawg. Hope you were taking notes shithead.

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  20. Oh, and you think Detroiters are happy with their socialist police department Brucie? Too F**KING bad that they only solve about 10% of the crime. Too bad, because that's what they're stuck with in the socialist mind of Bruce Failk.

    That's an awesome analogy you picked Bruce. Let's give Detroiters the same kind of socialized health care as police care. They're only blacks after all. You stay classy Bruce.

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  21. Oh, and ANOTHER thing Bruce, funny you should ask but no it is NOT my right to have police protection. That's why I have guns, to protect myself for nutjobs like you.

    See, a woman a while ago had trouble with her ex-husband. She filed a restraining order on him, and I don't remember the EXACT details of the case mind you but her ex kidnapped their kid and killed him while she begged and pleaded with the police to go to his house and stop him. When she tried to sue the police department, guess what Brucie? Not their problem. So no Bruce, it isn't a "right" to have police protection any more than it is a "right" to have my health care paid for by somebody else. Any more than it is my "right" to have somebody pay for my groceries or my house. It is my "right" to study, work hard, get a good job, maybe open a business, and pursue my dreams. It's not my "right" to make YOU or Chris or Christopher or Al to pay for my dream. Just like alternatively it is my right to go out and party and get wasted and drop out of school and run the streets and do nothing with my life and get stuck in a dead-end job, but it still isn't my "right" to have anyone pay for my mistakes, health care, car, house, abortions, etc. We all have rights, and that includes the right to suffer the consequences. You liberal jerk. You make me sick to my stomache.

    So there, I believe I answered all your questions. Now why don't you answer mine, starting with what you think of Cuba's health care system? Think Michael Moore will be heading over there for his next colonoscopy or getting his arteries cleaned out, or for his adult on-set diabetes or heart disease problem because he is so fat and has gotten so fat and disgustingly huge off of our capitalist system?

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  22. Bruce I am saying Private Sector made MANY more Advancements in Medicene than Government. Did NOT say Private Insurance Companies DiD!

    One way Private Insurance makes coverage BETTER is the Government is NOT Involved in it!

    I have asked you in Two Blogs today Questions that you HAVE failed to respond to so I aint going to ask you them again,YOUR avoiding the Answers are the Answer I thought you would give!

    Private Sector is the answer to most of the Economic Problems right NOW not Government Involvement. JOBS are not going to come back with Administration HELL bent on distroying it as WE know it.If this Administration gets its AGENDA in place which will be the END of this Nation and are Downward Fall into Third World Status WHO bill be Paying the Freight for ALL those LIB Feel Good Program Bruce!

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  23. John, really? You think people should have to protect themselves and enforce our laws by themselves? I think that's called anarchy.

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  24. Bruce There are OCCASSIONS when if you Dont Protect Yourselve you pay the Price! Old Saying "Better to be JUDGED by 12 than Buried by 6 "and to me thats GOOD Advice!

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  25. Interesting emails from Climategate

    http://www.eastangliaemails.com/emails.php?eid=1037&filename=1254751382.txt

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  26. Bruce is a total moron, and yes Al, he refuses to answer questions because he has NO answers. Just shows he can't defend ANY position he takes. What do you say about Cuba Bruce? What do you say about Al's questions? Oh Al, he'll probably say something like "those questions are irrelevant". I bet he wishes he could shut our comments out like he does on his worthless blog. He loves his little lame-assed circle-jerk echo-chamber. Chris just shows how he is a better, more open-minded person than Bruce.

    Bruce, I don't wish harm on anyone but if it has to come to anyone I hope it's idiots like you that think they have a better chance of waiting around for the cops to come in and defend you and your family. You stick with calling 911, and maybe offer to pay for the intruder's health care insurance, I'll stick with my guns and we'll see who get's there faster. Idiot. I obviously wasn't talking about vigilante justice or taking the law into your own hands, I was talking about defending yourself. An idiot trying to twist what I am saying is a person without any sense or argument to hang his hat on. You have just proven (for the millionth time) what an idiot you are.

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  27. Craven, here are some great blogs regarding climategate:

    Bishop Hill has been on the forefront of exposing these hucksters: http://bishophill.squarespace.com/

    Likewise Andrew Bolt: http://blogs.news.com.au/heraldsun/andrewbolt/

    Roger Pielke Sr. is actually a well-known, ne renowned climatologist, who actually seems to believe in anthropomorphic climate changer, but his latest articles seem to have revealed that even he is changing his tune due to the CRU revelations of ClimateGate:
    http://pielkeclimatesci.wordpress.com/

    It's AWESOME to see the lies becoming exposed. What is it that Palin says, sunlight is the best disinfectant? Well we have a long way to go to clean up this infection that the liberals have created, but we'll get there.

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  28. Bruce, I know you quoted Rasmussen Reports earlier, so I'm sure you put a lot of stock in their polls. BWAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHA!

    http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/obama_administration/daily_presidential_tracking_poll

    The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Saturday shows that 25% of the nation's voters Strongly Approve of the way that Barack Obama is performing his role as President. Forty-one percent (41%) Strongly Disapprove giving Obama a Presidential Approval Index rating of -16. That’s the lowest Approval Index rating yet recorded for this President (see trends).

    The 25% who Strongly Approve matches the lowest level of enthusiasm yet recorded. That’s partly the result of declining enthusiasm among Democrats. While Democrats continue to offer their approval, just 43% Strongly Approve.

    Among all voters, 36% now believe that the president is doing a good or an excellent job handling the economy while 45% rate his performance in this area as poor. Seventy-one percent (71%) of Democrats say he’s doing a good or excellent job on the economy while 74% of Republicans say poor. Among those not affiliated with either major party, 52% give the President poor marks when it comes to the economy.

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  29. can you tell how new I am to all of this blogging? I JUST now saw a comment from you from a few months ago. I feel very rude for not responding. Good threads here for sure, I am now following and will be checking in to see your different views. Thanks for stopping by my page too :)

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  30. http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/obama_administration/daily_presidential_tracking_poll

    The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Sunday shows that 23% of the nation's voters Strongly Approve of the way that Barack Obama is performing his role as President. Forty-two percent (42%) Strongly Disapprove giving Obama a Presidential Approval Index rating of -19.

    Today is the second straight day that Obama’s Approval Index rating has fallen to a new low. Prior to the past two days, the Approval Index had never fallen below -15 during Obama’s time in office (see trends).

    The 23% who Strongly Approve matches the lowest level of enthusiasm yet recorded. Just 41% of Democrats Strongly Approve while 69% of Republicans Strongly Disapprove. Among voters not affiliated with either major party, 21% Strongly Approve and 49% Strongly Disapprove.

    Among those who consider the economy to be the most important issue, just 26% Strongly Approve of the President’s performance while 39% Strongly Disapprove.

    Among those who consider fiscal policy issues the most important, just 1% Strongly Approve and 81% Strongly Disapprove.

    The President’s Approval Index rating is -2 among voters under 30 and -29 among senior citizens. From an income perspective, the President’s ratings are weakest among those who earn $40,000 to $100,000 annually.

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  31. from Afghanistan13 December, 2009 14:44

    Great thread.

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  32. Wow, a lot of great posts this weekend. Please feel free to post any thoughts or questions you may have on any subject.

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  33. Why Switzerland has one of the lowest crime rates in the world:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6nf1OgV449g

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  34. Your Representatives and Senators need to hear this from you:

    The new proposal to replace the "public option" by expanding Medicaid and Medicare is like replacing one cancer with an even worse cancer. These programs already face $89 trillion in unfunded liabilities, and now Senate leaders want to make the problem even worse?! No wonder politicians are held in such low regard.

    http://www.ncpa.org/pub/ba662

    Look, this is really simple -- if you want to make health insurance and healthcare less expensive, while also improving healthcare quality, then you have to restore consumer control. There are two SIMPLE things you can do to achieve this . . .

    First, pass legislation permitting consumers to buy health insurance across state lines. This will allow us to avoid the corporate welfare mandates imposed on insurance policies by state governments. That, in turn, will force state legislatures to compete with each other by repealing their corporate welfare mandates. This one simple change will . . .

    * Help restore the traditional major medical policy as the dominant form of health insurance
    * Make insurance premiums plummet while the number of people covered soars
    * Cause consumers to start paying the cost for basic procedures, and only use insurance for the big stuff
    * Make consumers cost-conscious, leading to increased competition between healthcare providers, which will drive down costs and increase quality.

    This is simple. You could do it with a short bill -- so short you could actually read it! DO IT!

    Second, break the tax incentives that tie health insurance to employment. Create incentives that will lead consumers to own their own health insurance policies, so they won't have to risk losing their coverage if they lose their jobs. All you have to do is raise the amount of money people can contribute to a Health Savings Account. Here's the goal . . .

    Expand HSAs to the point where the tax benefits of having one are equal to the tax benefits of having employer-provided health insurance. This will . . .

    * Cause people to favor owning their own health insurance, instead of having it tied to their job
    * Reduce the number of people who lose coverage because of unemployment or pre-existing conditions
    * Give people tax-free money they can use to pay for preventative care
    * Allow people to save for the future, further reducing their dependence on insurance
    * Make consumers cost-conscious, leading to increased competition between healthcare providers, which will drive down costs and increase quality.

    This too is simple. Once again, you could do it with a short bill -- so short you could actually read it! SO DO IT!

    I mean really, favoring costly complex schemes that will make things worse, when there are simple, low-cost solutions that will make things better, makes you guys look pretty stupid. It also makes a lot of us question your motivations.

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Please keep it clean and nice. Thank you for taking the time to post you thought. It means a lot to me that you do this.