patrick.net

justme says

>> France Fights Universal Care’s High Cost I am not surprised that WSJ is busy finding imperfections in other countries’ universal health care, and trying to plant the seeds of doubt with it. Certainly, no health care system is cheap, nor perfect. But we have the worst care and LEAST cost effective system in the western hemisphere. France not being 110% perfect is NOT a valid excuse to do nothing.

Right on dude....WSJ, Goldman Sach, JPM ...These are the parasites that have eaten the america's basic fabric. I knew this great engineer who was so good at doing what he used to do..that is code and design....He started reading WSJ and the story of evil people that it tries to narrate and make them like role models...within 2 years the guy is completely broke...he lost lot of money in the stock market also...and since he stopped putting his time in his core skills he also became a prime candidate for layoffs...

TPB shows exactly why they protest, not because they don't want healthcare - but because they fear becoming a white minority. Pathetic. Here is who these dummies screaming at the town hall meetings are protecting. http://sickforprofit.com/ceos/

Absolutely a problem. This highlights the issue of why our current insurance system causes costs to spiral, because patients don’t use health insurance as insurance (which by definition should cover catastrophic things not day to day charges). Unfortunately IMO, universal care tends to make this a larger problem as now everything is paid for by the government and patients aren’t responsible for any of their spend on healthcare Cannot agree more ! HSA's are the right solution but have come too late in the game. The chicken have come home to roost for insurance companies.They tried to milk the system by never offering HSA's and thus dug thier own grave.When they saw that their days' are numbered , they started HSA's as a last gasp effort....but its too late. Its hard to imagine that a simple thing like mandatory high deductible HSA's can fix the entire health care system but it works. A russian diplomat (from planned economy)was equally amazed when he saw a supermarket and asked " how are you able to plan and deliver so many goods so efficiently ?" no market can be more efficient than a well regulated free market ..period. Health care problems : demand side : Insurance making patients price insensitive. supply side : regulation/red tape/licensing..etc limiting supply of doctors, medical schools Any market will break when both demand and supply side are screwed. We never had a free market in health care !

"This is hilarious …its like saying ” H1b’s won’t affect cost of software development because its the software companies which set the salaries and cost of software products” Economics 101 : more labor supply reduces labor cost." Economics 102 says that Economics 101 is only true in free market system. The entire health system is far from free market. Remind me again when exactly it was that the health insurers passed cost savings back to consumers rather than increasing profits or investing in the stock market? "If you can afford a Caddy, you get a Caddy — but if you can only afford a ‘72 Pinto, then that is what you get. Why should those who can pay for a Caddy be forced to: A) Buy everyone a Caddy, B) Give up their Caddy and get a Pinto forced upon them, C) Do both and pay for it all." That is EXACTLY what most of the univeral health systems around the world are. You get basic health care with the public system and if you want access to the private system then you buy private insurance. You get ACCESS to use the pinto for basic transportation but can move up to the caddy if you want to pay for it. Anyone who has health insurance is paying for the uninsured in the US anyway through increased premiums and taxes. Economics 103: ass, gas, or grass no one rides free. "HSA’s are the right solution but have come too late in the game" Big weakness in HSA's (which are a very good idea) is the question why would the 30-40% of people who don't pay any or minimal taxes participate. The entire premise of HSA's is that the contributions are tax deductible.

Economics 102 says that Economics 101 is only true in free market system. why can't we focus on making health care a free market system ? nobody interested or all parties have vested interest in something else?

staynumz says

Thanks for the input. It is a house that has been in thier family for years. The LL bought it from the mother in law for 179K back in 98. I mean, the house has got to be worth high 3’s now. They have thier primary residence and a thriving business, well it used to be thriving anyway. Not sure how it is doing now. I am thinking they must have took out loans against the rental property and are just going to let it go? Either way, I dont mind paying the rent. I just would like to put off moving for as long as possible. If I can last close to a year, maybe I can be in position to buy something.

Seriously, this is one of the hassles of renting that I like the least. I have been renting for some years now, and at least 2 of those years, with this final year being the most crucial, the rental has been teetering on foreclosure. The creditor's letters that arrive for the property owner, the photos of my Hummer in the drive~way on foreclosure sites and the fact that it would cost me at @ 15k to have a company move me out lock stock and barrel is not something I want to deal with ever again. If the owner were to be foreclosed while I am the tenant, would then force me to move into something temporary and it is not the sort of problem I need. Who does? I considered withholding rent payments and putting them into an escrow account so that I could pay the bank~~but my attorney informed me that I could be sued by the errant landlord and it could affect my credit rating. I have platinum credit and I don't want to screw it up for the sake of a rental. I have kept my fingers crossed and I am due to move into my newly renovated home in @ a month or so. Enough time to deal with the bank if they come and foreclose on the errant owner. Good luck to you on your rental. Hopefully you will be able to stay there and save up your money to take advantage of the bargains in real~estate.

A good question would be to ask why these notices are being sent to your address in the 1st place. Most people don't even see these notices, just a letter from the bank telling them about the forclosure and the "send all rent money to us" notice. Surely the landlord doesn't have your apartment as his primary address?

Anyways else laughing at Sarah idiot hot ass palin's comment on Obama health care plan as evil...Sooner americans take this woman off their political stage, better for America.

This happened to me last summer. I opened the mail by mistake. We don't usually get the landlords mail and I just tore the top off the envelope and started reading before I realized what I was looking at. First of all the Countrywide rep....yeah, Countrywide, ha, ha, was very rude and told me I had absolutely no right to know what was going on. She sneered at me like I was a piece of trash. (Our family income is most likely higher than hers but I rent so I'm sure that possibility never occurred to her) Anyway there was no way they were going to share any status of info with me. Then I called a lawyer. Now that was a very interesting conversation because he became very irritated with me. He told me that opening someone else's mail was a federal offense that I could be put in jail for. He basically told me I had no rights to protect myself. So do you think he owns rental properties? I made a note to myself (its a very small area where everyone knows each other) not to use his office when I did find a house to buy as it was obvious he had difficulty putting aside his own self interests. We haven't seen any more notices. Perhaps Countrwide contacted the owners and made a change of address, or perhaps they only got behind on the mortgage while on vacation. I do know one thing, they've got this thing levered up way beyond its worth. And they have problems paying their bills on time. (A few utility people were glad to chat w/me on the subject) so I'm preparing myself for a security deposit issue.

I'm with misstrial. It really sucks that a ll would screw someone, and I hope that someone isn't you. But I'd be saving $ to move just in case.

Nomo,
I voted for you, and stand by my choice. That you were born in Mombassa doesn't matter much to me, 'cause I'm a useless POS liberal who is unable to pull my head out of my ass long enough to examine the "evidence" that you've presented. I'm going to buy some of your art, tho:

http://www.regmombassa.com/ (look at the pictures, they're pretty cool).

There's also a really cool artist, Scott A. Blackwell, with a site called mombo company. I have one of his cajun pieces.

Democrats - For the not have's, trying to get free rides for them and getting the vote bank. Republicans - Always been for the insurance, drug companies , super rich. Lobbies - Doctors lobby (for limiting supply of doctors - protectionism), drug lobby ( for monopoly and for profits) , insurance ( for profit) Citizens - for Free market ! Lets fight to get the free market which never existed in health care because we ( the common man ) are the only people who benefit from it, not the democrat party, republicans, insurance companies, drug companies or the lobbies.

Real liberals do have a plan. It's called single payer, like the rest of the civilized world. But conservatives in both parties won't even let it come to the floor. And mindless douchebags like yourself are too busy screaming about liberals and Obama to notice that other countries pay less and get more.

@bap33 "End welfare, outlaw insurance" I concur. Generally complicated problems have simple solution. I don't agree when people say that we don't have a silver bullet for health care. There is a silver bullet ""End welfare, outlaw insurance (except medical catastrophy that too with mandatory % deductible)" Other things will automatically be fixed- its called free market - which made US the most powerful nation economically... .and we somehow magically missed to look at the free market option for health care ?

The shit~eating Hussein lovers are set to tear this country apart. First and foremost the Magic One doesn't even know how to sell the program he's pushing because HE doesn't even understand it. And the ass~wipe 0bamatrons have now been sent out by the White House to fight and beat back any opposition. The politics of Somalia have been brought to America by Obama and his thugz. Hussein is in power and Democrats control congress. It is in the country's interest that they PERSUADE the opposition instead of starting riots. Just like Hussein's blunder with the race~baiting harvard prof (who was calling everyone 'racis') this blunder will only point out to Americans that BHO is nothing more than a Chicago street thug.

Bap33. You are way to obsessed with whether someone else is getting a "free ride". If some medicare patients need a triple bypass cardiac surgery, then I am *happy* that I have good health, rather then being envious of their expensive treatment. You, on the other hand, would be grousing about the free ride. Don't you sense there is something wrong with this picture?

>> it's called free market - which made US the most powerful nation economically… I think you're misguided. The US is the most powerful nation for many entirely different reasons 1. it started out as a largely empty continent which could relatively easily be conquered 2. the indigenous people had no chance to withstand European military technology, might and training 3. there were plentiful agricultural and natural resources that could be exploited 4. there were plentiful immigrants that wanted to escape the old world kings and exploitative oligarchs If you give talented people a fresh start, US is what will happen. However, we have now become a country of oligarchs and financial kings, just like the ones people tried to escape. Sure, relatively free markets help. But you don't seriously think that we ever really had free markets here, do you? Or that this was the sole reason for the 200 year of relatively steady economic progress (although interrupted periodically by excess, decline, recession and depression)?

I have had the same "health insurance" through my job for the past six years. I just got a letter saying they WILL NOT PAY a 3000 dollar medial bill even though it is for procedures specifically covered in their list of benefits. That seems to me like an airtight case for government medical coverage since I couldn't possibly be screwed any worse by government health insurance pencil pushers than I am now being screwed by a bunch of corporate health insurance pencil pushers. How do anti-single payer people defend this kind of jerking around by private "health insurers" when it can hurt them as much as it is hurting me?

I am curious, what was the procedure and were you in networK?

This thread is full of epic fail... TPB I hope you enjoy being an insurance industry shill like the rest of your Repugnican brothers...

Rational thought appears to dead. Half-coherent rants are now what passes for political discourse.

Tenpoundbass says

Now Come on Wanker, after Bush and that whole damn spectacle of over extending their use of power, how can you say that about Obama? It’s crap like that that I can’t genuinely hate the guy, for not being accused of listening to fear mongering crap like that. I don’t think Obama is sinister, I just think he overly optimistic and half assed in his execution of creating a plan. I think is taking on progressive tasks but there is nothing Progressive about him. I think he actually expects some Democrat in Washington to actually have the experience and Vision to actually make his vague ideas into fruition. But unfortunately, he is just sucking wind on that account. Washington is as idea bankrupt as he is. There is not a great visionary in the lot. I don’t think it’s a sinister conspiracy, it’s just a bunch of default idiots, because our political system is depleted of truly “Great” people. And has been for the last 12 years of more. At least since Bill Clinton’s blow job killed the internet.

I despise 'W' only a little more than I loathe Hussein. Because I hate one does not imply support for another.

Some Guy says

WillyWanker says

The shit~eating Hussein lovers are set to tear this country apart. First and foremost the Magic One doesn’t even know how to sell the program he’s pushing because HE doesn’t even understand it. And the ass~wipe 0bamatrons have now been sent out by the White House to fight and beat back any opposition. The politics of Somalia have been brought to America by Obama and his thugz. Hussein is in power and Democrats control congress. It is in the country’s interest that they PERSUADE the opposition instead of starting riots. Just like Hussein’s blunder with the race~baiting harvard prof (who was calling everyone ‘racis’) this blunder will only point out to Americans that BHO is nothing more than a Chicago street thug.

Dance puppet, dance. Big insurance loves you.

The manque poster calls me a 'puppet'. Shouldn't you be screaming 'racism' just about now?

Justme, Your points 1 - 4 apply to Mexico as well. What happened?

Headset, that is a good question. But keep in mind that I did say "for many entirely different reasons", and listed some of them. The list is not exhaustive by any means, but indicates that there are many factors other than "free markets" that are part of the equation. Is it reasonable to think that Mexico would have been a long-time economical powerhouse if only they had "free markets"? "Free markets" was the ONLY factor that the poster rfe-SJ deemed important, and which I was responding to.

When TPB says he is not a Republican and not a liberal, I think his heart is more or less in the right place and he is just confused because he just "knows" he is not liberal or progressive. When the Wanker says he despises W Bush, I do not believe him for a second. Wanker is full-blown neocon shill.

Everything is relative. US has "free markets" relative to other nations. You cannot have absolute free market. Establishing free markets is not easy. You need right kind of judicial system and political system. Even though we crib, there is no country on the planet as good as US in that regard. We are not perfect but better than other countries. been there and seen it in other countries first hand.Our struggle is to make US better and not get enslaved to bad ideas (socialism) like other countries. Free markets are the "primary" reason for our success. We cannot have free markets without other freedoms. Our contitution was written for making us free and equal.Socializing health care is step back in free markets.We never gave free markets a chance in health care ..how sad. You can have the best resources ( south america, parts of africa..etc) but without a framework to establish free markets you can never shine like US. BTW, Free markets also mean that the participants in the free market are also free !

>>Free markets are the “primary” reason for our success. I don't think so. The problem is that some of these free-market fundamentalists confuse "free markets" and the more important aspects of society, such as a democratic constitution, near-universal suffrage (voting rights), and the rule of law. And universal health care, in those places that are so lucky. The kind of fake "free market" we have had in the US is highly overrated. It's been a nasty monopolistic mess most of the time.

You are being manipulated, these spontaeous uprisings are no more grass roots than were the tea parties (that made a chunk of change for Lipton, by the way). http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/08/06/tampa-town-hall-on-health_n_253478.html http://mediamatters.org/research/200908060014 http://www.boston.com/news/politics/politicalintelligence/2009/08/labor_weighs_in.html http://blogs.ajc.com/jay-bookman-blog/2009/08/07/town-hall-protestors-forget-the-lessons-of-kindergarten/?cxntfid=blogs_jay_bookman_blog http://mediamatters.org/research/200908040053 Probably the most pertinent and informative article: http://www.theonion.com/content/news/town_hall_meeting_gives?utm_source=infocus

Speaking of good news, right now there is a TV program (or infomercial) in Mandarin langauage called Financial World of Wonders on channel 38.1 here in Silicon Valley. They have a bunch of chinese realtor and mortgage broker types apparently trying to talk up the local market. You gotta give it to these people, they actually have graphs of asking versus selling price and other data. Does anyone in the know want to translate what the spiel is?

You cannot have free market without "democratic constitution, near-universal suffrage (voting rights), and the rule of law" I am taking about the free market in the true sense not just the "market" I think US is far more superior to other countries in this aspect even though we are not perfect. You have to stay in other countries to appreciate that, not just read some literature. I don't believe we ever had free market in health care.

that this was the sole reason for the 200 year of relatively steady economic progress US had a constitution primarily focused on one thing "freedom" A free market is a natural by product of those freedoms. "freedom to buy and sell goods with everybody having equal rights"

>>You have to stay in other countries to appreciate that, not just read some literature. Uh, dude, I have plenty of first hand experience in that department. Why do you think I state with such certainty that the US "free market" is overrated? It is based on personal observation and experience, that's why. Unlike nutbag neocons (not necessarily you), I form opinions based on observation and analysis, not what tripe Rush Limbaugh is spewing.

I agree when you say US “free market” is overrated but i still believe we have the most free markets in the world and health care is an exception ( black mark) I never liked rush..he is just a clown whose sole purpose is to make money by saying what people want to hear and not what is right....but thats just the way the whole media is now days. I think universal health care is much better than today's system but a free market health care would be the best. don't tell me that health care system in US as of now is free market...it would be an insult to free markets to say that.

rfesj, Of course health care in the US is not a free market. >>I think universal health care is much better than today’s system Can I count on your support for universal health care? That would be great. Single-payer, with price negotiations for everything. The works. The reason single-payer is having so much trouble is that people are off squabbling about little details, Which is exactly what the Republi-cons want to happen. Don't be fooled.

I think universal health care is much better than today’s system but a free market health care would be the best The only problem with universal health care is that its a one way. once we adopt it, its over..we can never come back to any other system. I would give free markets a chance. reform health care so that its a free market and then wait for results ( couple of years) .if that does not work, i am all for universal health care. The real roadblock is that making health care free market is not easy,...you need real balls to do that. Todays system is worst of all thats possible. its worst of both socialism and capitalism.

renter for ever_san jose says

Everything is relative. US has “free markets” relative to other nations. You cannot have absolute free market. Establishing free markets is not easy. You need right kind of judicial system and political system. Even though we crib, there is no country on the planet as good as US in that regard. We are not perfect but better than other countries. been there and seen it in other countries first hand.Our struggle is to make US better and not get enslaved to bad ideas (socialism) like other countries. Free markets are the “primary” reason for our success. We cannot have free markets without other freedoms. Our contitution was written for making us free and equal.Socializing health care is step back in free markets.We never gave free markets a chance in health care ..how sad. You can have the best resources ( south america, parts of africa..etc) but without a framework to establish free markets you can never shine like US. BTW, Free markets also mean that the participants in the free market are also free !

Story Once upon a time in a forest there was a huge uproar. It seems a new authority had come up and it started enforcing rules that meat eating animals can only eat certain number of other animals that mostly survived on grass. Lions and Tigers opposed the system completely. So far they have been enjoying fine deers and cows in unlimited number and suddenly this new rule had meant they will have to be contended with eating for survival. Without the rules so far, lions and tigers were having feast every weekends and obesity had become a major issue in the forest, not to mention the fact that population of animals surviving on the grass was coming down everyday. Lions, Tigers and Leopards clamored for free markets. It was the best system they said that ever existed. On the other hand deers, oxen and other grass eating animals hated free market, because free market meant that they were nothing but fodder for animals higher in the food chain. End of Story Moral of the stroy is that free market is like Jungle rule. What makes us humans and different from savages and animals is our capacity to reason and be compassionate to our fellow human beings. Socialism per se is not bad. Capitalism is not bad either. When "isms" are taken to extreme things become ugly. If you are such a huge proponent of free markets how do you explain 72 bank failures and the current mess that we are in now. How come free markets in financial world failed us completely. And who paid the price ? Not Vikrams Pandits, Henry Paulsons and Chuck princes of the world, but people on the main street. Were ordinary people in America responsible for the mess we got ourselves into. Now you would say well this happened because we did not have regulations. In a free market, regulations always come after the fact. Do you think this mess won't happen again. This is probably what they said during last bank failure era of 1907 too. Free market participants will always find ways to use others as fodder like in our forest story. Now I am not totally against free markets, but everything should be done in moderation. There are situations where free market is good and there are situations where socialism is good. Hey we just saw the fine example of socialist ideas used in saving wall street bankers. I bet likes of Sarah Palin did not find that evil at all.

How sad ...that lot of people don't understand free markets. free market does not just mean free "market". it also means (atleast by my definition) that market participants are free and EQUAL. there are no lions and dears in free market.everybody has equal oppurtunity and treated equal under law. BTW, health care in US in NOT free market.Don't look at flawed systems in US and blame free markets. Just for the record, "Without the rules so far, lions and tigers were having feast every weekends and obesity had become a major issue " This is theoritically impossible and never happens. ask any ecologist. the more the deers the more the lions and the lions compete for food. Only when somebody interferes with the eco system , like killing lions that excessive grazing turns the land barren and forrest become deserts. the financial meltdown that happened was not because of free markets ... the markets were not free at all. Free markets means everybody has equal oppurtunity and are treated fairly under law. when did that happen in the past bush era?...never. Free market doesn't mean a group of people cheating the rest ( housing bubble and financial bubble) You need rule of law and proper regulation for free markets to work. people manipulate the system to thier advantage under the guise of free markets ( when the govt is republican) and under the guise of regulation (when govt is democratic). free markets and regulation are just scape goats.greed and evil don't have party affiliations/color/creed.

renter for ever_san jose says

How sad …that lot of people don’t understand free markets. free market does not just mean free “market”. it also means (atleast by my definition) that market participants are free and EQUAL. there are no lions and dears in free market.everybody has equal oppurtunity and treated equal under law. BTW, health care in US in NOT free market.Don’t look at flawed systems in US and blame free markets. Just for the record, “Without the rules so far, lions and tigers were having feast every weekends and obesity had become a major issue ” This is theoritically impossible and never happens. ask any ecologist. the more the deers the more the lions and the lions compete for food. Only when somebody interferes with the eco system , like killing lions that excessive grazing turns the land barren and forrest become deserts.

Dude, You are so wrong on this. Health care cannot afford to have complete free market only. In your free market a begger hit by a car will have nowhere to go. You need to have money in a free market to go to a doctor. I am saying no problem in that. But we need a basic system where we can provide basic "free" (tax paid) health care to anyone who needs it. Be it the begger on the road. After all you don't want a begger on the road to die from excessive bleeding in your so called most successful society. If we can provide this basic common denominator, having free markets where henry paulson and steve jobs can get kidney transplant is fine.

>>The only problem with universal health care is that its a one way. once we adopt it, its over.. Reason: it is so much better that we'd never look back again.