Poll - Did President Obama Have His Chance And Did He Fail?

Correct.

bondibox

Good point, and I agree with you that health care and uncertainty about it has played into the economic woes of unemployment as the businesses and corporations are unwilling to commit large mounts of money to expansion with unknown health care costs looming in the future

Health care reform (s part of entitlement reform and tax code reform (corporate and personal) will be critical parts of the economic recovery of the country and will in fact wil be the basis upon which the new manufacturing sector is built and the resurgence of the middle class in the U.S.

Robert,

O.K., let's talk about "entitlement reform."

What programs do you consider to be entitlements? How much do they cost? What would you do to "fix" them?

I have a feeling you're going to wag your finger at Social Security and Medicare, neither of which are burdens on the budged, the latter being $5 Billion in the black.

bondibox

I have a feeling that you have no concept of my ideas for entitlement reform or anything else and unlike many on the NV I do not wag my finger at anyone (those you seem to be doing that with your comment)

To wait until the programs are in the red to think about reform is the clear definition of stupidity.

I do not advocate changes to the basic benefits, though I do think that there should be some means testing (not sure the of exact form) that would allow those that need the benefits most to get more and pay less, while making adjustments to the benefits received by those less in need.

I think that the medicare payroll tax can be increased to 2% on employees and 4% on employees and that the cap on income subject to social security tax should be raised to $500K without raising the cap on benefit received to allow for the raising of the minimum benefits received by those most in need.

I think that we need to reinvigorate a Welfare to Work approach, incorporate mandatory retraining into the UE benefits process and undertake real reform of medical and pharmaceutical industries to lower costs in CHIP, Medicaid and Medicare.

Are all of these the best ideas, probably not but I at least am looking at the problem rather than putting my head in the sand and assuming that all will be okay.

Thanks for the feedback

To wait until the programs are in the red to think about reform is the clear definition of stupidity.

Really? Because I think making reform imperative, when there is no danger of insolvency as being the definition of stupidity. As I pointed out, Medicare is $5 Billion in the black. Social Security is eating away at the surplus it built up, and between now and 2075 Social Security will see a (correct me if I'm wrong) $3 Trillion deficit before it begins to run a surplus again. Furthermore, privatization of Social Security will cost about $14 Trillion.

So these "entitlements," are more solvent than the supposed solution. The "crisis" is wholly fabricated, and the reason why they're on the chopping block is because they are running in the black right now.

I agree with your proposals, but the current wisdom that these programs need to be "fixed" is just a way to Socialize the costs and privatize the profits. It's a transfer of wealth from the hardest working, to those who want to suck up all the wealth without having to pay taxes.

As I pointed out, Medicare is $5 Billion in the blac

Considering that the Medicare costs are in the neighborhood of 500 billion dollars, 5 billion is chump change, CBO estimates that it will pay out more than it takes in in less than 10 years. Not to mention that 500 billion in "savings" are being transferred to fund healthcare reform, based on a law passed in 2003, where providers were to have their pay cut 3pct per annum. To date it has never been implemented, with the result that the cuts are supposed to be 30pct next year, which will of course be kicked down the can once again, meaning there really isnt any savings, and Medicare is in deep doo doo. Its SS that is not in bad shape.

Lampell

As you interject facts into the discussion many will scurry away

Thanks for the feedback

bondibox

If you had actually read the comment I made, you would realize that reform can make the benefit better for those that need it most, can increase and insure the long term solvency for the ages and take these programs out of the political process for good

But since it is not Obama's idea I understand that it is a bad one.

Exactly right. A lot of people don't realize that. Healthcare is the parasite that is slowly eating away at the rest of the economy. Healthcare, jobs, immigration they are all interconnected. But none of our leaders are capable of addressing these problems on a higher level. Instead they resort to symptomatic band-aid solutions that will never get to the root of the matter.

Health care reform yes not the 0'care catastrophe

That's right Doug. What Obama should have presented was an amalgamation of all the Republican sponsored healthcare reform proposals of the past 20 years.

Oh, hold on. That IS what Obama presented.

Correct.

unenrolled voter

The other thing to consider is hat had health care not been rammed through as it was there might have been an entirely different relationship between Obama and the Congress.

But we will never know.

Really you think? Are you implying congress would have played nicer? BS!!!! In fact the last couple of years have shown me that the more cooperative Obama is with the right the crappier they act. They feel they can run all over him and then they get really pissy when he demonstrates he is playing their game and can out smart them. He is a major threat to all they hold dear, republican power.

He is a major threat to all they hold dear, republican power.

The only thing Barak Obama is a threat to is his own legacy which, I might add is not looking too stellar at this point. And Obama couldn't outsmart Big Bird, his moves are as telegraphed as a rookie quarterback.

drummerboy

I think you are correct and that he will start living that legacy in January 2013 as the former president

Exactly Robert. Barak Obama is his own worst enemy.

ma

So are you then advocating obstructionism as a viable political strategy?

I don't advocate that as a politcal strategy but it's high time the democrats start playing by the same lousy rules the republicans play by. Taking the high road hasn't done much for them politically. Sometimes it really pays to fight back when dealing with a bully and the bullys in this case have demonstrated they only understand one type of game and it's dirty.

kim

As long as you do not complain about nothing getting done your position is totally understandable to me

well, actually the Dems are obstructionists right now...the Rep House has passed 20 + bills (one of which is the current budget) and the Senate is sitting on them and have been for months...thankyaverymuch.

Oh and the Dem controlled Senate also sat on 290 bills last year...just sayin...

vol fan

Thanks for the information

Excellent points

Sorry, not gonna happen.

We are not going to just sit back and allow the progressives to ruin this great nation.

You can believe all the finger pointing rhetoric of the powerful progressives, or you can wake up and realize that the "rich" are an equally integral part of the the economic lifecycle. You can't cut the roots off a tree to make the leaves thrive.

whatcha gonna do? Some violence? Poop on some cop cars?

You can't cut the roots off a tree to make the leaves thrive.

exactly (and I ain't rich either).

All I hear and read is a lot B-S from paid hacks!
Be gone with you!!!!

We are not going to just sit back and allow the progressives to ruin this great nation!

But you nit-wits will fight like Hell to keep U.S in the mess your group think put U.S into!

Thanks for F-ing nothing!

#12.1 reported as a blatant personal attack.

uh oh...serious COH violation there, AC. I see you are "new"...might want to read up on the COH.