Chuck Schumer Talks…

5 Comments so far ↓

• danbmil99 // May 13, 2009 at 8:51 pm

  Here are my first 5 priorities:1) healthcare2) healthcare3) healthcare4) credit card reform5) healthcareThink about this argument: we are supposed to be the land of opportunity. But the way things are organized today, I am petrified to stop working and start my own business because I will almost surely end up leaving my family uninsured or underinsured while I get the business up and running.Non-group insurance plans are obscenely priced, and have all sorts of caveats regarding existing conditions. The end result is a serious barrier to entrepreneurship and an almost European-like catch-22 that encourages you to stay with a boring job rather than take any career risks at all.

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• Mheer // May 13, 2009 at 9:28 pm

  Of course, if the old Republicans do what danbmil99 what, then the Democrats will either label the Republicans racist homophobes who created imperfect reform out of evil intent or take credit for the reform themselves. The old Republicans will stand mute either way, lending credence to the charges. Millions of young people will revile them and hate evil Republicans.New Republicans, now what would they do? They might take a page from the tribal politics of the left. Who to cull out of the herd? Simple enough, Federal workers. Overpaid, underworked, loaded to the gills with high priced benefits. Take away their health plans, put them all on Kaiser HMO. Take away their retirement, put them all on Social Security. One small step for politics, a giant step for civilization.

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• balconesfault // May 14, 2009 at 10:43 am

  I agree with danbmil99 – if we went to a single payer system, America would see one of our biggest booms in entrepreneurism we’ve ever had. I have no doubt that all across America there are people with great ideas and great energy who work for corporation that has too much bureaucratic momentum to properly use those ideas and energy – who are too risk aversive to put their families healthcare on the line by jumping out on their own. And there are small businesses who are reluctant to take on additional employees not because of the things Repubs usually talk about – taxes and unemployment and unions – but because of the moral responsibility that you assume when you start paying someone’s healthcare … and know that cutting them back in the future would leave them and their families without that healthcare.Not to mention that side benefit to all companies that work in the import/export market – subsidies to business will get your wrist slapped by the WTO, yet most of our competitors subsidize their export industries via national health care. We’ve been handicapping Detroit for years … and we’re surprised that they have problems?

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• danbmil99 // May 14, 2009 at 3:42 pm

  for the record, I’m not sure a single-payer system is the way to go. I’m afraid that it will end up like Canada, with no market incentives for innovation or efficiency.Obviously the status quo cannot hold. Everyone has to be forced to pay for insurance or only the sick will do it and it won’t make economic sense. It’s a tricky issue, and so far I see lots of ideas from the left, and a huge, vacuous whishing sound of escaping air from the right.The GOP is like a deer in the headlights of a car. If they dare drift even microscopically towards liberal positions on social issues, they are skewered by the social/religious right. If they try to come up with innovative ideas on health, energy, or climate, they are skewered by the uber-libertarians and anti-science crowd (note that Ron Paul does not believe in evolution!)I say a pox on both your houses.

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• Claude // May 16, 2009 at 7:15 am

  How about doing something about loud TV commercials? A decibel limit on Billy Mays would be immensely popular.

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