What winners do is look at the new rules and learn how to use them to their advantage.
Making it a tax moves it into the budget making area. All kinds of opportunities lurk there.
Even if we can't use reconciliation to repeal it, which I suspect we can, it can be tied up for years and caused to die a natural death by underfunding, etc.
The ruling that old money can not be denied for states who do not participate is a major win.
States have been bullied for years by the threat that funds will be withheld if the states to not bend to federal rules.
Highway funds are a big winner here. No more can the feds set speed limits, DUI laws, restrict sale of beer to 21 and above, etc. All of these battles will end up in court and the states will win.
That has been one of the worst things to erode state rights and through that your rights and mine.
Same thing goes for the department of education.
There are many other examples, but you should get the point.
But the bottom line is that losers sit around d crying over their wounds and winners take advantage of whatever breaks they get.
The crap in this article is akin to George Washington crying about his feet being cold instead of marching on Valley Forge.
Great points, old curmudgeon. With this total focus on the cost - the finances of it all - that will be horrendous to so many people, we have lost the main points of the Health Care bill that are totally Unconstitutional.
I’m 47, married with kids,do have health insurance - got scared about the fines! How dare they threaten us into accepting something out of fear! Then Nancy Palosi said: sign it, then read it.
Our country has an absolutely fantastic American Democracy-a Constitutional Republic that has checks a balances that no other country has - so that things don’t get out of hand.
Yes, the states have “wide powers that the Federal Government can not interfer with”. They are NOT suppose to be threatened - as well the citizens of the states by the Federal government.
Some states rights: Marriage and divorce are controlled by states laws.....Right?
Well, on page 489 of the Health Care Bill: The Federal Government will cover marriage and family therapy. Government intervenes in your marriage.
State and education: each state has almost complete control of education. Our founding fathers were smart: they knew how important education was to Democracy. Democracy depends on people being educated - not controlled by a possible Executive branch that may want to destroy Democracy.
In the Health Care bill: the Government will have more power over education and take control of student loans.
(Sorry, can’t find the page #, but it’s in there)
There are so many things in the bill that are real”head scratchers”:
Page 272.Cancer treatment patients....their treatment will be rationed!
Page 170: Any Non-Resident alien is exempt from individual taxes.
Page 354: Government will restrict enrollment for special needs individuals.
Page 541: IRS can disclose “certain tax return information” to the Health Choices Administration.
There is really so much. Especially all of the restrictions on doctors - we will see a whole bunch of doctors going into selling cars...
Then there is a “Tribunal”, a group of men and women who will determine if you are worth that surgery, worth that physical therapy...and put a “cap” on how long you have to “heal”.
Page 425 and Page 427 have to do with “End-of-life” treatment! The government is going to step up to that too.
I thought I was done with school - especially Civics. Guess what - I think we all need a “refresher course” on it.
How to pass a bill? The responsibilities of Congress...21 of them, because our founding fathers just knew the power of the Executive branch could get out of hand.
Most of all: I have been talking and talking to my kids about how absolutely, positively HORRIBLE-MONSTEROUS-DESTRUCTIVE....a real man-woman-child killer Socialists and Communists are! We just have to get back into our history - I bought an old Encyclopedia (World Book), then read other books on Communism - Socialism is just a step away from it: Lenin Dumped “Socialism” as soon as he got into power and went “full-blown Communism” and killed 10’s of millions of people..”regular People”. Fear tactics, Starving people, labor-work camps.
Our kids need to know this, and people iin their 20’s, 30’s.
Kids aren’t getting that education in school! We have just got to show them that OUR DEMOCRACY: WESTERN-PURE, DOWN TO EARTH DEMOCRACY, is OUR-STANDING!
Our HEALTH CARE PLAN should be: keep America healthy, Celebrate what we have!
Sorry for going on and on- I’m just HOT! We can’t fight Americans against Americans - we JUST CAN’T FIGHT EACH OTHER! The top 1%, who met in Chantilly Virginia want that, they are “banking” on that so that they can step in with the UN and NATO troops. NOPE! Not on our watch!
We must pull together. Stand together, shoulder to shoulder and say NO!
Love this country! I’m heading for the country to fish with my kids. Man do we have it great: Happy 4th!
Get “high” on life - NOT drugs!