Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Walmart heirs own more wealth than bottom 40 percent of Americans

PolitiFact | Bernie Sanders says Walmart heirs own more wealth than bottom 40 percent of Americans:

As noted in an earlier post, societies with disproportionate wealth distributions, as is now the case in the United States, are subject to social instability and occasional revolution.  Tax policies that result in a handful of families with more wealth than over 100 million families violates any sense of fairness and common sense.  Yet, a segment of the radical right believes that tax policies that favor the wealthy will lead to more wealth for everyone.  Never mind that that hasn't worked the last two times it was tried.  Common Sense thinks that policy needs to support the poor and grow the middle class not make the wealthy wealthier.  That's just common sense if you want a healthy society.
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Monday, July 16, 2012

Fact checking the presidential candidates - The Washington Post

Fact checking the presidential candidates - The Washington Post:

For the most part I'm not a fan of sending along videos.  This one is an exception.

For interested readers, above is a video of a recent speech given by Glenn Kessler on fact checking the statements of President Obama, former governor Mitt Romney and their allies during this presidential season. In the June speech before the National Capital Area Skeptics, Kessler describes the Pinocchio ranking system, explains how he evaluates various claims and provides commentary on various television advertisements that he shows to the audience. He also answers questions — some skeptical — from the audience.




'via Blog this'

Monday, July 2, 2012

When ideological purity trumps common sense

Republicans’ repeal push: Is it the right move? - The Washington Post:


“I will act to repeal Obamacare,” said former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney on Friday. 
“We will not flinch from our resolve to make sure this law is repealed in its entirety,” House Speaker John Boehner said Sunday on CBS’ “Face the Nation”. 
“If I’m the leader of the majority next year, I commit to the American people that the repeal of Obamacare will be job one,” said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) on “Fox News Sunday”.

Florida says no to two U.S. healthcare law features | Reuters:

(Reuters) - Florida will not implement two provisions of the U.S. healthcare law involving an expansion of Medicaid for the poor and creation of a private insurance exchange, Governor Rick Scott said on Sunday.
Two other states with Republican governors, Wisconsin and Louisiana, opted out of the two provisions last week in the wake of the Supreme Court decision upholding the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

And so the games begin.  Lets try some common sense.

Mitt Romney, the man who would be president, who believed in the principal provisions of the Affordable Care Act when he was governor of Massachusetts, now believes that these are, and  here I'll quote Mr. Romney, "bad law."  Curious that and certainly not common sense.

John Boehner and Mitch McConnell want to repeal the law in its entirety.  Thus it follows that they object to elements of the law that prohibit insurance company abuses involving preexisting conditions, insurance cancellation if you become sick, extended coverage for minors, insurance exchanges so those who must buy their own insurance can get a better price.  Clearly the ideology of the radical right trumps what is good for United States citizens.  Certainly not common sense.

Radical right wing ideology extends to governor's offices, at least in Florida, Wisconsin, and Louisiana all of whom object to extending medical care for the poor and setting up insurance exchanges.

In the matter of Medicare the choice is simple, we can provide Medicare insurance to the poor so they are less sick less often or, as the governors seem to believe, we can allow them to become more sick, more often, and then go to Hospitals, the most expensive form of medical care where the cost is ultimately covered by the cost of insurance on everyone else.  Certainly not common sense.

The nonsense with insurance exchanges is equally wrong headed, aka just plain dumb.  By not setting up exchanges these governors require citizens without employer provided insurance to buy as individuals.  Such insurance is, and here I speak from my own experience, much more expensive and consequentially leads many to become uninsured.  The result is as above, more sick, more often, care in much more expensive hospital settings, cost born by everyone else.  Certainly not common sense.

Ideological purity leads to bad government.  It's time for Congress and Governors alike to look to the "general welfare" of United States citizens.  That's one of the principals of our form of government.  That's just common sense.

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