Nothing going on here other than Harry Reid saying what he wants and then we will hear Nancy tell us what the house wants at some point. They dont necessarily get what they want or at least they are about to find that out.
Note that Olympia and Susan Collins are against the bill and the public option (I do mean to say I told you so) and Olympia is more powerful than Harry. In the end you will see that Olympia is the only repub who has played a real role in trying to stop this without a real fight. Ask Harry what he thinks about Olympia and you will find that he thinks she has been the only thing standing the way. And he would be right. Neither Olympia nor Collins are going to go for anything that even remotely looks like Medicare cuts either and that is a separate but huge fight.
Public option is coming in some form but with triggers and down the road and so is single payer. So it is correct to say this whole thing will always be positioned so that both the dems and the repubs can say they have won. It is also reasonably possible that the public option will be approved but funding deferrred as a separate enabling act. So you end out with a public option on the books but not yet fully funded or an incoming Congress threatening to cut funding for it. This thing will be a mess for years to come. Those who dont have the stomach for trying to figure out what the developments would do well to start tuning it out now. There are still lots and lots of folks here and elsewhere who think we are going to see how this goes this fall and then just go back to working with where we end out of do not end out. Its going to be revisions and add-ons and regulatory changes every few months for the rest of our lives. Just like Canada and the UK.
I am not saying hello to a public option. I am saying hello to a dogfight. Good.
------------------------------------ Spending Our Way to Prosperity
Last I read this morning the opt out provision is for participation not for the funding. I am not against all reform, never have been but all of the provisions being recommended are complete garbage. This is a bloated bill that does nothing to lower costs (actually increases the individual market significantly).
This bill stinks.
All politics.
And where are the Republicans? Very quiet. No alternative plans, no solutions as usual.
And where are the Republicans? Very quiet. No alternative plans, no solutions as usual.
Those of you who referred to Olympia as a tool of Obama are about to get a lesson in how she used Obama to make her the most powerful member of the Senate now, and stands between Obama and his wish list. In addition she has the power to influence all republicans and many dems. Everyone needs to smarten up.
Of course Olympia is going to end out supporting some kind of reform so for those whose gig is to just say no, she is indeed part of the problem. For those who want to keep the bus from going off the cliff completely even if they have to fraternize with the enemy, then she is your Great White Hope. You decide.
Actually...I like the "trigger" option. Assuming the trigger has about a 5-year delay...enough time for the health insurers to get their act together.
The problem with the trigger is that the carriers are being programmed to fail by the government. A trigger tells them basically that if they dont get the cost of health insurance down then the government is going to continue to takeover the industry. Since the carriers dont control the whole supply chain and the bills being considered do nothing about cost containment.then they cannot win.
The government already runs two of the largest public health options on earth: Medicare and Medicaid. So why don't we work it the other way around. Why dont we bring cost control to those programs and after we have done such a crackerjack job make an argument that it should be extended to other segments of the health insurance/reimubursement arena.
I say, kill the public option by at least getting it into a trigger mode and then keep it inactive by recognizing that it is "not the right time to fully fund" it, blah, blah, blah. If we can't contain it there then I am in favor of bypassing the public option completely and adopting the Canadian system. You can't cross a river with one leg in a canoe and another in a rowboat. Do something well even if it is Plan C. Otherwise the whole system and economy are going to go belly-up, faster. The longer we play with public options and co-ops and all of that the longer we are just in frig and diddle mode. Kill it or substantially contain it or the private sector role is just an illusion. You can't compete with a team that owns the umpires. You just can't. United Health and a couple others can because they will be one of the select few that will cut socialist monopolies in the background. It is bedtime for bonzo for the rest if it is not contained.
This thing can be easily beaten though for at least another couple years if people would smarten up so dont run for the lifeboats just yet. And after two years the national budget will walk and talk like California so possibilities and problems get viewed more realistically then rather than all this "yes we can" crap that is still lingering around. Not saying the public option or single payer wont happen. I am just saying you have to live to fight for another day.
To opt in or out is an interesting dynamic. Think about the population and business migrations that would occur. I'm not sure if to opt in would benefit a state or not. Hmm ... opinoins and reasons anyone???
To opt in or out is an interesting dynamic. Think about the population and business migrations that would occur. I'm not sure if to opt in would benefit a state or not. Hmm ... opinoins and reasons anyone???
They are just trying to sugar coat the bill to move it along. They always change the law or use carrots and sticks as needed down the road. There will be lots and lots of incentives for states to cover certain folks and participate in certain fed programs. Maybe even block grants from the states. Oh, your state isnt a public option state? Sorry about that. Might want to look into it.
Maybe even block grants from the states. Oh, your state isnt a public option state? Sorry about that. Might want to look into it.
Usually they play with Highway Funds. Ohhh your state doesn't want .08 limit BAC then no Highway Funds. Same thing with this - don't believe anything you read that would state "optional" there is no such thing when it comes down on a Federal level.
They (feds) played around with highway funds (during Nixon?) when states refused to go along with the 55MPH limit.
Lot's of dirty pool going on in Obamington. More than usual I suspect. Giving federal fund, taking them away. As if is is their money to give . . .
Will be interesting to see what happens here in GA. The Gov. decided no more ARRA signs on road projects. Seems each sign costs the state about $1500 and Sonny decided that putting that $600k to use in actual JOBS was better than erecting temporary signs to Obamaman and his Spendulus money.
Say Hello To The Public Option
Linear Mode
