Posted on 03/03/2010 6:53:11 AM PST by cycle of discernment
The Wallstreet Journal
March 3, 2010
Abuse of Power
An undemocratic disservice to our people and to the Senate's institutional role.
A string of electoral defeats and the great unpopularity of ObamaCare can't stop Democrats from their self-appointed rendezvous with liberal destiny—ramming a bill through Congress on a narrow partisan vote. What we are about to witness is an extraordinary abuse of traditional Senate rules to pass a bill merely because they think it's good for the rest of us, and because they fear their chance to build a European welfare state may never come again.
*** The vehicle is "reconciliation," a parliamentary process that fast-tracks budget measures and was created in 1974 as a deficit-reduction tool. Limited to 20 hours of debate, reconciliation bills need a mere 50 votes in the Senate, with the Vice President as tie-breaker, thus circumventing the filibuster. Both Democrats and Republicans have frequently used reconciliation on budget bills, so Democrats are now claiming that using it to pass ObamaCare is no big deal.
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
Someone, other than the double retiree, is paying for insurance that isn't needed and can't be used!
Our taxes are paying for federal and state retirees and the private employer is charging more for product to cover that second or third policy ... it isn't huge money in the scope of things but it is OUR money.
Working families very often opt out of one employer's health plan, use only one earner's insurance, and use their contributions to make ends meet.
Others, increasingly, are seeing their private sector retirements stripped of any health care as a cost cutting exercise by their employer. (Note here that your hiring on under a set of rules and promises is NOT considered a firm contract - it can just go away)
I oppose Obama's 'reform' because I'm sure they will make matters worse, not because I'm thrilled with what I have.
Gail, you are right, both were retired bulls from strictly support careers and enjoyed rubbing noses in their status. Others, vastly more admirable characters, never raised the point AND were far more amenable with us mere short term vets.
Mort, I'm going to assume that you meant class warfare to apply to someone other than myself.
No I didn’t miss that part. There are abuses in all levels of government, and no will to fix it on their part.
All the retired Vets in the area where I live that I personally know are great men and women. Even in their 70-80’s and are still doing charity work, after they did their Military career, a second career, the charity being a third career. My husband is one of these type men. He did his 20, went back to school and got his degree, taught on contract for years before getting on with a community college to try and pound remedial math into skulls full of mush, who failed to learn it in HS. Neither retirement is large. Only His Navy comes with health benefits. He’s 70 this July, we are busier than ever with charity projects that help others. He worked his butt off to get to Senior Chief and then teaching. More and more is being asked of us out of what little income we have. Both for charity and taxes at various levels of governments.
I told that to our 2 Tenn. Senators this morning. Where are we supposed to come up with more money at our ages when the various levels of government keeps taking, and taking? We both have some health problems. What savings we have is fast evaporating just keeping pace with home repairs, every day living expenses, increasing utilities, and gas prices. We can’t even sell this nearly paid for house to move into something smaller, houses in our neighborhood are sitting on the market up to 2 years and selling for well below what they are worth. And it’s not an expensive house, it’s just in the wrong neighborhood. We are in a catch 22.
Frankly I’m scared to death, not just for us, but for our grand kids and great grands.
When my mother was going downward I was advised to drain her accounts by gifting and spending, sell her assets off, and then Medical (read "poor house") would take over.
Then there was the reverse mortgage gimmick.
All told, savings and secondary insurance were adequate. It's going to be a lot tougher when the princess has to get by on what I leave behind.
Our secondary health ins is Tricare for Life, facing BIG NEW FEES, along with the cut and gut of Medicare/SS.
With obamadeathcare the nursing homes will become inhumane housing units for the old.
I can’t talk my husband into doing a reverse mortgage, he wants to leave this 40 year old monster to his daughter, who doesn’t want it, she has her own 10 year old house. I told him to do it, and split the money with her. We live in a nice area, but home prices haven’t changed in 20 years. IF this were Cali, the house a (3,800 sq ft) would be worth about $500,000. Here it’d fetch at most and I’m being generous $150 G. House next door went for $130G. Took forever to sell.
Yes - I meant the two bulls who were quad-dipping when I mentioned class warfare.
They are the exception, rather than the rule, IMO. The few retirees I know who use tri-care are quite opposite this pair, according to how you have described them. As the saying goes, “hard cases make for bad law”, which in this case means that the quad-dippers should not be seen as incentive to punish folks who do not have such cushy situations.
In using “hard cases” to form opinions and intentions, debaters such as we can inadvertently slip into the realm of class warfare - although the real purveyors are folks like these two gents and their ilk.
JMO, of course. And please accept my apologies if I have offended.
Please cite a source for your 80%. The most recent numbers I can find are for 2006, and it’s less than half. In the 2004 poll, the percentage of military respondents who characterized themselves as Republicans stood at 60%. By the end of 2005, that had dropped to 56%. And by the end of 2006, the percentage of military Republicans plummeted to 46%. Remember, Obama won 44% of the military vote in 2008. For all practical purposes, that’s half of those who voted.
The 80% figure came off the top of my head, but if your figure of 56% is correct, it still means a majority of the military are Republicans, and I’ll wager that most of these are NCOs and officers.
BTW, did you see this video?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIHz5tevLAw
My figure may be correct...In the Marine Corps, at least.
It’s a purely statistical majority. Real world, it’s a divide. Obviously the GOP needs to more in explaining WHY it’s plans are more beneficial. IMHO, it’s not a revolution we need, but education. A public that’s uneducated on the issues is only going to reach the right decision half the time, and that’s just not good enough.
The public seems to be more educated on the U.S. Constitution than either major political parties, especially the Democrats...Are you a Leftist? Just asking.
Lol, no, I’m a big fan of capitalism, smaller government and a strong military presence abroad. I have little faith in the public however. At least here where I live (Dallas) the public is not educated. I’d wager real money that not more than 1 in 10 people I come in contact with could name half of the 27 Amendments to constitution, name their representative, or give even the most rudimentary definition of federalism.
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