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Ignore Ignatius Pugg
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In United States
Registered Apr 21, 2010

Ignatius Pugg's most recent comments:

• On 5 Nov 2012 in Simple, doctors are overpaid, Ignatius Pugg said:

  Meccos says
  

  marcus says

  Logically, I don't see that the crazy increases in health care costs can be attributed to doctors pay.

  Because doctors made as much (more really if you adjust for inflation) 30 years ago than they do now.

  I do think that the profit motive in general doesn't have a place in health care, at least not in the direct sense where more money is always made if you do more tests and more procedures.

  Marcus,

  you are right. although costs in health care have risen, doctor pay has actually dropped, even without calculating inflation.

  doctors in the US only make up about 8.5% of total healthcare costs, which is actually one of the lowest...

  Glad to see this sensible and informative reply to a really misguided line of reasoning. You can name any trade or profession you want, but nobody short of some pretty high public authorities carries a higher degree of personal responsibility and personal liability (in the US) as an everyday physician. No lawyer, no cabinet minister, no professor, nobody, even though these folks may certainly earn more.

  It takes years and years of long hours to learn a practice that has immediate impact on people's lives. You must be available 24/7. Make a mistake and you'll tell it to the jury. This function cannot be outmoded by the abusive marketplace-- so instead the HMO MBAs purposefully undermine the authority of doctors (insurance reviewers now wear white coats in hospitals) while ensuring that the doctors continue to bear the full responsibility for any outcome (the law is called ERISA).

  Unless you do away with the massive doctor's headaches from trial attorneys and private insurance companies in the US, lowering doctor's salaries would drive those of us with skills into other work, and your care would suffer. Of course I would rather have both happen, but not the second without the first.

• On 18 Oct 2012 in , Ignatius Pugg said:

  EXACTLY. The gubmint will not allow housing prices to fall because then the banks would fall. Housing costs are now close to 50% of people's income on the coasts... so what? Let them rent! Securitize their rents so that investors can profit even more! Let them eat cake! Let them do anything so long as it keeps income streaming to investors and away from people who work for a living.

  It appears to me that aside from the occasional Apple computer ooh ahh moment, the main products of the United States of America these days are: 1. Weapons, 2. High tech financial scam instruments, and 3. Huge numbers of under-educated males, mostly of color.

  Not a pretty forecast I'm afraid.
  StoutFiles says
  

  War says
  

  
  

  
  

  With a globe full of land where 95% of it is undeveloped?

  
  

  There are plenty of diamonds out there yet they cost outrageous prices. It's the same with housing. The supply is limited just enough, making most good homes laughably unaffordable.

  
  

  I wouldn't bet on prices to fall much further though, because the govt. is going all in on propping up home prices. At this point, if housing fails, the country does.

• On 21 Sep 2012 in Here's Why There's No Housing Recovery And Prices Will Collapse, Ignatius Pugg said:

  Ignatius Pugg says
  

  FortWayne says
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  I tell you, Fed is pumping a lot of money into this market and it makes me feel uneasy. This isn't recovery, it's a big giant lie that will only stay afloat as long as there is free Uncle Ben's money in it.

  Freedom 1789-2012

  
  

  
  

  Yup, And they are going to keep on pumping money into it until inflation has eaten away the difference in prices. I was/am a big bubble sitter waiting and hoping for a crash, but I think the reality is that this artificially-sustained-on-life-support bottom is here to stay. It is a fixed entity that everything else will adjust to because the banks want it that way. There will never be a "Do Not Rescuscitate Order." There should be, but there won't be. That's my take.

  But whatever happens, at least I never have to live in Phoenix! :)