[OpusX1]

Lou, that is the problem with this bill. I do not agree to pay more and get less but I have no choice in the matter.

[Lou Card]

Originally Posted by OpusX1

Lou, that is the problem with this bill. I do not agree to pay more and get less but I have no choice in the matter.

OpusX1,

I understand Opus, but hopefully you will get a few extra Gold Stars on your life's report card for doing so and I hope that you can feel good about that. I am Tri-Care and if this goes as the GOP says, I will be taxed on my Tri-Care Medical coverage and that will cut into my retirement budget. We are already quite tight and that may mean cutting back on some fun stuff; however, I still welcome the cut-back in order to help those in need.

Lou

[chelsea24]

Lou, I agree with everything you've said, except I don't think we'll have to pay more and get less. This bill is just the foundation and it's a strong one. There will be more improvements to come.

I received a call from friends last night, soooo happy and excited because their daughter, soon graduating from college can now stay on their insurance plan until she is 26 and can get herself settled. BTW, their daughter is diabetic. So, when she does get her own insurance, her pre-existing condition cannot count against her. This is a win-win situation for this couple.

Lou, you sound like you have a giving heart and I applaud your post. I've said this before, but one of my favorite sayings is...

"No man is so tall as when he stoops to help another." It's a wonderful day indeed. A big step in the right direction.

[JimJoe]

Socialism always says its goal is social justice, but it is still socialism. This country was founded upon individualism, and has prospered because if that. No matter how well meaning your goal is, use of socialism as a political solution will destroy this country. It destroys motivation, and the willingness to take risk. I appreciate your honest feelings, they are well intended I am sure, but that political solution to social problems will destroy our political and economic system and like all countries that used socialism to achieve social justice, we will fail.
Social Security was designed to be a way for the government to force workers to save for retirement by extracting money from their wages in exchange for the promise of a retirement check. THEN it was expanded to those who paid NOTHING into it. THEN it was expanded to pay more than you pay in. It will go broke, that is a mathematic certainty. Medicare is the the same. Medicaid is Socialism, I agree.
Medical care for all is good. But everyone cannot get everything free. It must be limited. Mandatory government medical care for all is a disaster.
Your point is since we already have socialism, we should have more.
My point is we are standing on the edge of economic destruction. I want to back away and look for another solution. We should not try to jump and hope we can fly.

Originally Posted by Lou Card

Well JimJoe, with 34 million Americans uninsured, I would say charity is not working very well so lets have everyone give a little more of themselves. I just can't see how helping the sick can be a loss of freedom. I am a 22 year military retired man and I understand and respect freedom. If I need to pay more taxes to help the sick and the poor of this country, then I gladly do so. I will sacrifice for my Family and to me every human on earth is part of my extended family. When I see people dying because of the lack of preventative medicine and proper health care, I don't feel any pride in knowing that I have great health care while millions of people have none. Some say "I worked hard for what I have". Does that mean that the maid that cleans up after you in your hotel room does not work hard or the cook in the diner where you eat your breakfast has an easy job. I don't care if you were born with the old silver spoon in your mouth or you were fortunate enough to make it big in the business world, to think you deserve more than the unfortunate ones among us is a selfish act of personal greed. For every lazy man sitting on the porch that I agree does not deserve free health care, there are many many more working poor that just can not afford health care no matter how many hours they put it at their no health care job. The same people that scream pro life say nay to prenatal health care for the uninsured and that alone accounts for thousands of deaths in the 7th, 8th and even 9th month of pregnancy. I am strongly against abortion, but I see abortion as an act of kindness when compared to a life of misery due to lack of early childcare that causes so much suffering to children. So if like me, you are Pro Life, then accept this health care bill as one more way of sustaining life at all ages from conception all the way to the very old.

Lou

[Chi-Town]

Originally Posted by BlueHeronFan

I'd rather go with a few facts.

http://www.aim.org/briefing/myths-ab...ized-medicine/

Not sure if a blog is a factual source.

[mulligan]

I feel there may be some good workable ideas in the bill, but the fundamental model was based on our mandatory health-care here in Mass. The problem here is masscare, which covers those that cannot or will not buy insurance, is experiencing a $295 million dollar shortfall just for the last quarter. Most of that deficit comes from reduced federal aid. If the fed cannot support 1 state, what happens when 49 more jump on board ??

[BobKat1]

The true effects of the bill won't be felt for some time. As with most things like this, the results will fall somewhere in the middle. Not as rosy as some would like us to believe, and not the end of the world as others would like to think.

[ejp52]

Yes it is a great day,IF burdening our children and grand children with the massive spending this health care bill will cost.

[PR1234]

Originally Posted by Lou Card

Well JimJoe, with 34 million Americans uninsured, I would say charity is not working very well so lets have everyone give a little more of themselves. I just can't see how helping the sick can be a loss of freedom. I am a 22 year military retired man and I understand and respect freedom. If I need to pay more taxes to help the sick and the poor of this country, then I gladly do so. I will sacrifice for my Family and to me every human on earth is part of my extended family. When I see people dying because of the lack of preventative medicine and proper health care, I don't feel any pride in knowing that I have great health care while millions of people have none. Some say "I worked hard for what I have". Does that mean that the maid that cleans up after you in your hotel room does not work hard or the cook in the diner where you eat your breakfast has an easy job. I don't care if you were born with the old silver spoon in your mouth or you were fortunate enough to make it big in the business world, to think you deserve more than the unfortunate ones among us is a selfish act of personal greed. For every lazy man sitting on the porch that I agree does not deserve free health care, there are many many more working poor that just can not afford health care no matter how many hours they put it at their no health care job. The same people that scream pro life say nay to prenatal health care for the uninsured and that alone accounts for thousands of deaths in the 7th, 8th and even 9th month of pregnancy. I am strongly against abortion, but I see abortion as an act of kindness when compared to a life of misery due to lack of early childcare that causes so much suffering to children. So if like me, you are Pro Life, then accept this health care bill as one more way of sustaining life at all ages from conception all the way to the very old.

Lou

Lou....you are MY kind of MAN!!!

[elevatorman]

I believe the AIM Blog is very bias. Try this on for facts.

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE62K1IV20100321

[golf2140]

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) reports that this bill cuts Medicare by half a trillion dollars, raises taxes, and dramatically expands Medicaid. It increases the cost of health insurance for all Americans, and then it mandates that you buy the coverage. It puts an unelected bureaucrat in control of your healthcare. And if you try to escape any of it, there are 16,500 new IRS enforcers created by this bill just to track you down.

From Ginney Brown

[Taj44]

Originally Posted by ejp52

Yes it is a great day,IF burdening our children and grand children with the massive spending this health care bill will cost.

Actually, the Congressional Budget Office estimated the bill would cut the deficit by $138 billion over the next 10 years through new fees, taxes and cost-saving measures. For that reason, and for the ethical reasons others have stated, I'm thrilled over its passage. We have the most expensive healthcare system in the world, and yet so many people in our country have no insurance or access to health care at all. In the long run, this bill will give us almost universal healthcare, while reducing costs. I think we'll get a lot more out of this expenditure than all those years in Iraq.

[Avista]

Lou , 2Young, Tag44, I agree with you!

[Spectreron]

I'm sure everything will be fine....look how well the gov't has done with Indian Reservations, VA Hospitals, Post Office, Soc. Security, Medicare, stimulus spending......

Throw the bums out of office....and start from the top down.

[ijusluvit]

Lou Card's generous spirit is terrific. But the best part of this new health care reform bill is that only those who can most afford it will be required to pay more. Remember, you have to make over 200k PER YEAR as an individual, before your taxes increase to pay for health care reform. My firm belief is that virtually none of those folks whose taxes will increase will experience even the smallest impact on their lifestyle. For them the worst that might happen is to end up choosing a 75-foot instead of an 80-foot yacht.
And for those who say that it is still not fair to single out certain people to pay more, remember that what they've earned, inherited, etc., is in large measure because they live in this great, free country.