So are Republicans now openly terrorists?

by Simon 369 Replies latest social current

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  Marvin Shilmer

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  In recent weeks my time has been consumed working through the ACA. I've spent tons of money on lawyers and spent countless hours with insurance company reps. All in an attempt to navigate my companies through the new land of healthcare insurance.

  I've learned some interesting things leading me to conclude that a lot of people are going to be really upset once they realize what this is going to cost them.

  Things I've learned:

  - "Affordable" under the ACA is defined so that what many companies have historically offered employees as a benefit is, by comparison, very generous. The exchanges set up by the Federal government is a place employers can send employees to show how generous previous plans have been. But that was then. Now we have the ACA. Based on "affordable" under the ACA I predict a lot of companies will change the benefit they offer employees so that more of the cost is shifted to the employee and away from the employer.

  - Though businesses offering health care insurance must offer dependent coverage, there is no requirement to make this coverage "affordable" by a company offer to cover part of the premium costs. When employees go to the health care exchange they'll get sticker shock at what the premium is going to cost them. Employers can offer very little in the way cost-sharing for dependent coverage and make it less costly than the exchange, which will steer employees back to the company's plan. Bottom line is that employees will be paying a lot more for dependent coverage.

  - Based on how the ACA treats smoking and smokers, it will become much, much easier for companies to shift premium costs to employees who are smokers. Smokers better gird up their loins. They're about to meet Mr. Premium in ways they never did before. Alternately, smokers can successfully complete a cessation program. I'm sure that'll work. Right?

  I'm not a die-hard Republican, but I am a fiscal conservative. I believe in working hard and paying my way. I believe in helping people who are unable to work hard and unable to pay their way as a result. I don't believe in paying out of my pocket for my neighbor to live like I do, and vice versa.

  Politicians frustrate me. I like ideas from both sides of the proverbial aisle. It's true that the ACA was legally passed. It's also true that what's going on right now in DC is legal. Because Obama was re-elected does not mean other duly elected representatives have no duty to constituents. The United States is a republic. All elected officials have a duty to represent the interest of their constituents. Separation of powers under the US Constitution places an additional burden on representatives. All elected officials (including the President) have a duty to find compromises that can survive the litany of hurdles the US Constitution establishes. I emphasize that all elected officials have this burden.

  I predict that a lot of people are going to get really pissed off about what health care insurance premiums are going to cost them.

  I predict that a lot of people are going to get really pissed off when they find out what is covered by "affordable" health care insurance.

  We'll see.

  Marvin Shilmer
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  designs

  How will this change affect your corporate taxes.
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  Band on the Run

  We need health insurance. Other countries that are decent have it. America is not exceptional. This place can be much better. The ACA will be hard to implement. The initial experience is guaranteed to be rocky.

  This legislation passed both houses of Congress and was signed by the President. Further, the U.S. Supreme Court, with John Roberts writing the decision, held that most of the law was constl. Some GOP members of the House decided that democracy rules should not exist. They are the American Taliban. Civility does not matter.

  Tension should exist between major parties. It has since George Washington retired from the presidency. I can't recall a similar incident in the past. Maybe the Dems did something bad once upon a time. I suspect the pre Civil War period. It appears we are heading to Civil War.

  I started auditing a comparative politcal science course tody at Columbia University. The prof spoke of what constitutes a democracy, what is a state, and other fundamentals. I enjoyed the comparisons across a wide body of possible governing styles. Dictatorships were also studied. Once upon a time, America stood for majority rule with the rights of the minority protected by the U.S. Supreme Court.

  This law was upheld by the Court. Give me a break. I now have a nugget to add to the asssertions of the Tea Party that we are a Christian nation. We never were. It would take an amendment revoking the First Amendment. Michelle Bachman and Rick Santorum are lawyers. They should be disbarred. People who have no idea of civics rely on their statements. No one can even say we have a Christian culture anymore.

  Sometimes it is embarassing to be American. Elementary school teachers should stop with the stories of George Washington and a cherry tree and teach James Madison and Alexander Hamilton. We once were not a nation of dummies. Mainstream GOP House members should get some balls and stand up to the zealots destroying this country.

  If you don't like ACA, don't vote for the Democratic candidate in the next presidential election. Vote for U.S. Senators and Representatives who will repeal ACA. Reconstruction. Of course, this also affects our foreign policy. Syria, Iran, and North Korea get a front row seat to see how powerless we are.
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  LostGeneration

  Marvin nails it.

  I wish health insurance was free for everyone. But simply wishing for somthing doesn't make it happen.

  People are going to realize how much it costs, and not sign up - and of course not pay. Business owners in tight margin industries (restaurant, retail, etc) have already adjusted their models to legally evade. This pushes low wage earners into the "sign up" pool where they are going to experience the sticker shock we are already seeing.

  Enforcement is going to be impossible simply because of the massive number of evaders (illegal immigration part deux). Without the funds that were expected from all of the evaders, the system will simply collapse.
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  Marvin Shilmer

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  “How will this change affect your corporate taxes.”

  The best answer I can give to this questions is, I don’t know for sure at this moment.

  But here is something I do know: Privately held companies are not in business to lose money, and if they do end up losing they’ll cease to exist if they don’t change it and change it right quick.

  So, corporate tax? It’s an expense. Whatever occurs with corporate tax is something that will end up being passed on to consumers as a cost of doing business. You will pay my corporate taxes. That’s who’s always paid it.

  Does that answer your question?

  Marvin Shilmer
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  LostGeneration

  Amen.

  I cringe when I see people up in arms about forcing corporations to pay their "fair share", whatever the hell that means. Take an economics class people. Corporations are simply entities made up of people. The corporation doesn't have a brain, its a collective of a dozen or a hundred or a hundred thousand people. Customers in the end pay the taxes 100% of the time, not corporations.

  If and when the government ever wants its pockets overflowing with cash, they will elimnate corporate income tax and allow the economy to roar like a finely tuned engine. Oh, but then smart, innovative people will make a lot of money (and of course pay taxes on it) and we can't have that now!
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  Berengaria

  How many Economics classes have you taken Lost Gen?
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  LisaRose

  Honestly, I have no idea if ACA will suceed, but if it's so bad, so unworkable and so expensive, I have to feel it will be repealed faster than you can say "John Boehner is a fat head". So why are they so desperate to torpedo it before it gets a chance? It seems like right wing scare tactics like the "death squads" that Sarah Palin was blathering about a few years ago. I have right wing relatives who think it will cause them to lose access to all health care. Good grief.

  Obviously, the need is there, the ACA severs failed as so many people signed on today. My son and his wife are part of the working poor it was designed to help. They don't have insurance and due to preexisting conditions, couldn't afford it if they could get it. To pay what any large employer pays per employee would be a dream come true for them, and they would sacrifice to pay for it. Currently they often have to choose between health care and food. Any emergency means they fall further into medical debt.
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  designs

  How much can you currently deduct for the medical insurance the corp. pays for. This should be a straight formula. It would seem it is just shuffling dollars- either to a insurance company and pay fewer dollars to the Federal and State or pay more to the governments and less to an insurance companies.

  Since private parties with have this as a deduction and tax credit it should work similar, in other words my current $1900.00 per month pemium plus meds is around $44,000.00 per year and my taxes are low, under ACA my premiums will drop to around $800.00 so the taxable portion will go up.
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  LostGeneration

  Quit trolling ber, if you have something to say, then say it.