White House Freak Out?
You know things are bad when the administration's economic aides see health care reform as the easy part of their day.
On Thursday afternoon, as the White House summit on health care reform was ending, a parade of Washington pooh-bahs moved from the Old Executive Office Building, past the outside of the West Wing, to the front entrance of the White House for a final meeting, where President Barack Obama would hold a seminar-like session. ("Senator Mitch McConnell, got any thoughts to share?") As I watched Sen. Chris Dodd, Sen. Jay Rockefeller, Rep. Henry Waxman and others strolling along, I spotted a senior administration official who handles economic issues. He, too, was heading to the East Wing, and he was holding a collection of thick briefing books.
"Having fun?" I asked.
"Any time I'm not working on AIG and Citibank, it's a good day," he said. "Health care is fun compared to that. Believe me, I'm glad to be out of the office doing this."
How encouraging, I thought.
"You know what makes everything so hard?" he asked me. Before I could answer, he stepped closer to me.
"It's the economy," he remarked. "We could deal with any of this"—referring to the assorted financial crises underway—"if the economy wasn't so bad. You have one big insurance company that goes bad? Okay, you can go out and find other companies that will buy up parts of it. You can work something out. That's not difficult to do. But now there's no one out there to buy. You have a home foreclosure crisis. You can put together a plan. But there's no plan that's going to work if the guy who's foreclosed on loses his job and can't make a house payment. You have a major auto company go bust? You can prop it up, throw it some capital. But if no one is buying cars, it doesn't matter. Look at Toyota. It's one of the best run companies in the world. And it can't make it these days."
As he said this, he shook his head slowly. He looked deeply perturbed.
"We can come up with all sorts of solutions," he said. "But it's the economy." He noted that he and other administration aides are working around the clock, that every day he jumps from one crisis to another, and that he feels that he and other administration policymakers have plenty of latitude to craft innovative responses to the assorted economic problems. Yet he said that he and his comrades cannot change the economic environment within which these policies are to be implemented.
I ventured a metaphor: You can modify or retrofit a supertanker, but if there's no water in the ocean, it's not going to be able to change direction. He responded: "There's no oxygen." He then smiled, rearranged the briefing books in his arms, and said, "So that's why I'm happy to be doing health care today." He trotted off to the East Wing.
Oh my, I thought. When the people in charge come to think of health care reform as the easy part of their job, the nation certainly is in deep trouble. But the conversation also highlighted the psychological burden being shouldered by Obama and his aides. They are striving mightily to stave off total economic collapse, and they have no idea if their policies will work. In their free and private moments, do they quietly (and justifiably) freak out? I had the impression that this fellow does. But thankfully, he and his colleagues have diversions--such as fixing the health care system.
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This is change we can do
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This is change we can do without. How can Obama and Congress focus on anything but the economy at this time? Of course, since Obama took office, the stock market has declined 30%. Why? Obama does not know what he is doing and according to the Washington Times, his Economic Council of 16 contains 11 big time Democrat doners, several of whom have very shaky backgrounds.
Investors understand what makes the economy work. Every time Obama announced a new plan, the stock market declined. The reason is business understands what helps or hinders business. Every one of Obama's economic ideas, including the massive borrowing/spending plan, lack of business incentives, and lack of any kind of mortage/housing soluiton were met with another large down-day on Wall Street.
And before some think that's a great idea, remember this... The government can only hand out what they take from you and me (or borrow from the Chinese). That's why it is so important to generate business income... Business, the only source of jobs and taxes.
There are proven economics tactics that will bring an economy back. Using government statistics, three times in the last 20 years the economy went into recession and people lost jobs. Each time the president and Congress did the same thing and each time the economy rebounded and went higher than before. Those three times were 1982, 1992, and 2002. Can you guess what each president did?
Why is it so difficult to do the right thing? What is stopping this president and Congress from following a proven path? What special interests are preventing us from moving forward?
"This Change We Can Do"
To "Barry" a note: If you are reading the Washington Times and have to use an argument from the Washington Times on anything, whatever you say doesn't count because it is a lousy, tainted source.
Thanks to David Corn for making clear what I have been suspecting all along.
I hope the economy goes to
I hope the economy goes to the crapper. Maybe people will become enraged and take some sort of action, nay, any sort of action, to deal with the current situation. Sorry, I'm not for starving kids or anything, but people need to wake up and realize that they are nothing but an extention to machinery to make some capitalist pig money. Don't get me wrong. I don't believe the government can fix what the capitalists ruined. Im not a commie... I'm an anarchist. I'm simply tired of someone else being able to fix what side of the poverty line i'm on. I don't have a job. I barely have income. And i'm in better spirits, physical health, mental health, and more 'well off' than most middle class americans. I'm so far below poverty it isn't a joke, so how come I'm doing alright and the rest of the world is in chaos?
Because 'poor' is a perception. I choose not to be poor, because that means not rich. If by poor you mean no money then yes i'm poor. But to me poor means you're feeling sorry for yourself because you don't have as much as the guy up the road. Then im not poor. Instead, I feel sorry for the guy up the road BECAUSE he has more than me, and all this 'stuff' he has is whats driving him into the ground.
Thoreau said "Most of the luxuries, and many of the so-called comforts of life, are not only not indispensable, but positive hindrances to the elevation of mankind. With respect to luxuries and comforts, the wisest have ever lived a more simple and meagre life than the poor. The ancient philosophers, Chinese, Hindoo, Persian, and Greek, were a class than which none has been poorer in outward riches, none so rich in inward."
If this is poverty, I hope I'm a bum for the rest of my life!
:)
Slow Down
Well, if Obama and company would get it through their heads that you can't fix everything in a broken economy they might make some progress. Its the economy stupid. Isn't that what Clinton said years ago. Many have said that they have themselves so distracted with all of these other tangents that they can't focus on the key issue which is the economy. When both engines flame out you focus on emergency procedures, not making public announcements to your passengers regarding sight seeing outside the airplane. This bunch simply does not know what it is doing. God help us!!!
Simple plan
Obama you want to fix the Banks? Just let people withdrawl from their 401K or 403 (tax free and penalty free) to pay down their mortgages. Banks are injected with cash. The IRS can collect more in taxes - less mortgage interest deductions. People have more disposable income. This is not rocket science.
Curing the White House Freak Out
(0) reduce corporate taxes to encourage companies to relocate USA (stimulates employment)
(1) cut taxes, particularly capital gains and payroll (stimulates consumer spending and consumer investment)
(2) eliminate SOX (less expensive for start-ups to raise more capital, without spending federal funds stimulates startup tech companies, reduces expenses of publically traded companies, stimulates the financial industry)
(3) start drilling offshore for oil (without spending federal funds stimulates energy industry, reduce oil prices further, stimulating travel, reduces food transport prices)
(4) squash NIMBY syndrome preventing Wind Turbines off Cape Cod, additional high-power transmission lines across America, Nuclear Reactor construction (without spending federal funds stimulates energy industry, lessen dependence on foreign oil)
(5) jack up enforcement (FBI, SEC, IRS) to go after the Ponzi schemers
(6) leave Health Care alone
(7) increase the 401k, IRA limits (stimulates financial sector, raises additional capital investment)
(8) lessen federal regulatory burden on companies (stimulates general hiring, reduces company expenses)
The question is, why are
The question is, why are these guys spending any time on any diversions at all? Why isn't it all hands on deck in search of solutions to our economic crisis? And Jim Cramer has it right. While it would be nice to create some of these new programs, now is not the time to be starting them because of the effort and cost. We need to focus like a laser on solving this economic crisis. You also don't raise taxes during a deep recession, as much as I hate to admit. Wait til we get back on our feet, then I'd be happy to see it happen. I voted for Obama, but his approach to this crisis has me scratching my head.
Freak out
Oh, those poor, hardworking brilliant Obamatons. What martyrs they are, dying of overwork thanks to that evil Bush!
Uh, what happened to all that genius that Obama and his clones had. You know, most brilliant cabinet in history, bla, bla, bla.
Guess it takes more than the Ivy League Mensa Society to run a country.
This "senior official" can spare me his grief
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There are PLENTY of things they can do to restore confidence.
-Suspend Mark-to-Market (how is this rule, instituted in 2007, so vital that we must keep it even as it destroys asset value??)
-slash capital gains
-slash the marginal tax rate
-tax holiday
-provide refinancing options for ALL homeowners, not just hurting and irresponsible ones.
Reward people for investing, instead of making them villains. Unfortunately, the administration is pursuing the exact opposite of these ideas. And the market, and economy, and equity value, are being crushed. That's what happens when there is no incentive to buy. capitulation.
Too little, too late
Let's have another wisecrack about Joe the Plumber's tax lien, Corn.
isn't it amazing
that socialists like David Corn and Maureen Down have become concerned about the state of the foolish capitalists' playtoy economy? It's as if they all woke up from a nap and realized the guy they had asked to drive the car while they slept is driving off the cliff (to use Obama's own metaphor) while smiling and singing Don't Worry - Be Happy! And what awoke them? Maybe seeing their own bank/brokerage account balances and home values going up in smoke with no end in sight?
You are all Hired!
1. Perspective: The citizens of the nation are not being represented right now. I need a new phrase, like Eisenhower's "military-industrial-complex" to describe the Federal-Political-Financial Borgoplex. "It" is using this confusing time to entrench power and tunnel the value out of anything left standing. Congressional leadership is in it, K street, Wall Street, and Obama is now its figurehead and frontman. We're out here figuring out how to pay the bill.
2. Solution: How about we insist that overwhelmed Geithner step down into one of those assistant secretary positions (two key people declined today), and hire the first four commenters above to have a go.
Like many common-sense citizens, they clearly would bring fresh non-Oligarchy thinking to the White House and relieve some of the ideological palsy. Bet the stock market would fly to get clear, focused incentives to thrive.
Change Now!
The Stability of the Markets
Simple.
One. Thing. At. A. Time.
Hint: It ain't health care.
It blows -- totally blows -- my mind that Team Obama is fiddling with health care -- for which there is NO MONEY -- while Rome burns.
You know what? We wouldn't have been this screwed with McCain who said he didn't know much about economy -- but I bet he knows how to balance a check book and not finish the pool house until there's cash flow.
No businesses? No cash flow. It doesn't grow on trees or in people's closets.
Hopeless Change.
The Stability of the Markets
Where was this Anonymous poster when the so financially-wise Bushites were robbing $20.000 out of every single American's pocket (including children, elderly, and homeless, who did not have it) and handed it out to KBR, Blackwater, and their gang of above the law, Dubai based slave trafickers?
Sorry, but don't mention the GOP in the same sentence with balancing a checkbook.
If the democrats can't fix the economy we'll be in hell, but at least we are not wasting any more time with trickle down voodoo economics and other GOP BS. This crisis is the result of such GOP madness. The GOP has committed suicide (which seems only right, after their treason of all American values). RIP. Next.
Delusions
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The business cycle's always been driven by delusions. On the upside, lousy ideas get funded and capital is wasted. Honesty becomes optional for the masters of the universe in Washington and New York. The next round of asset inflation will always be enough to cover up the growing pile of dirty laundry. And then somebody with enough influence decides it's all gone too far and heads for the exits. The stampede doesn't end until there's negative delusions replacing the positive ones. And then somebody notices that they can make a killing buying up assets for a song and starts investing, turning psychology right around again.
Holding up price assets just draws the agony out. Work your tail off, save as much as you can, and buy up the bargains as they appear. Someday we're going to figure out how to get past the delusion roller coaster but not today. When Obama figures that out, he might be able to do something productive.
economy
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close all the 300+ military bases around the world.
single payer health plan
take hold of all of the off shore asset accounts that the major corporations that have recieved bailout monies.
seperate the banks from privatization. Simplify them to be banks only and not asset holders.
get out of Iraq
tax the hell out of large corporations
let us all learn to sacrifice; learn to save; learn the difference between 'needs and wants'
that's a start
economy
From your pen to the Gods. This is clearly the way out of oblivion, but I'm afraid our fellow Americans love their sacred cows too much. Messing with our ridiculously oversized military might proof too castrating for this age; it's just a few years since the TV was raging like some Viking raider, about the riches to be gained from invading Irak, whose oil would pay for any costs, and whose people would love us for bombing them to kingdom come.
The military and the insurance companies are two of the biggest vampires sucking this country dry, and keeping education, health, and financial security away from our people, while making us beg and jump through loops to get crumbs of our own money. Getting rid of the middle man is the way out, but how can this be done?
forget cnbc's
forget cnbc's predictions...
obama has the economy shrinking by only 1.2% for the year,
3.2% growth in 2010, 4% growth in 2011, 4.6% growth in 2012.
does this actually jive with the pessimism corn is reporting?
it's not like they are going to be planning their budgets off these numbers...
won't hold my breath for john stewart to do a show when the results come in, but I hope we still have electricity, and more than a million americans can afford cable.
Obama administration.
Well the only relief I can say I feel these days is that Thank God it is the Obama/Biden administration and not the McCain/Palin administration. If there is any cause for pause and reflection for gratitude these days, that is.
What about looking at a
What about looking at a functioning economy and learn a little bit?
In Denmark, where I live, we have no foreign debt, a small public debt, public health care financed by taxes (with the same overall performance than the health care system in the USA, but with less than 2/3 of the costs allthough all are ci), free education at all levels (actually when over 18 you get paid to study), a large foreign trade with surplus, a GDP pc 20% higher than in USA ( at the current exchamge rate of about 0.8 euro pr USD), a higher employment rate than the USA (unemployment increasing to about 3% due to the finance crisis), a minimum salary of about 17 USD pr hour, 37 hours working week, 6 weeks paid vacation (also when unemployed), 1 year paid maternal/paternal leave pr child, Unemployment benefits for 4 years.
By the way, we have the most equal economy in the world vith a GINI of 24 (USA 46)
On top of that our consumption of fossile energy pr GPD-unit is less than half of that in the USA, allthough we live far to the north of anything in the USA except Alaska.
Economic equality is the way forward, and feeling economic safe is a genuine quality of life, by far surpassing an extra SUV.
You have a reversed Robin Hood system. Taking from the poor to the benefit of the rich.
Try to turn it around.
Actually it works:
An it doesn't hurt productive buisness.
Large Danish firms: Maersk, ISS, Falck-Group4, Lego, Danfoss, Grundfoss, B&O, IC-company, Vestas and so on.
High salaries force employers to maximize productivity by educating and investing in new tecnology thereby making everybody richer.
Mogens
Routing around in the trash bin of failures for a solution
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I see that a lot of MoJo visitors are hung up on retrying failed experiments. Hey, wake up. The blown up test tubes and Erlenmeyer flasks are your failed banking and financial systems, your effective 15% unemployment rate, your crumbling infrastructure, your failing health care system, your ruined families one paycheck away from disaster, your reverse-Robin Hood wealth redistribution scheme. We TRIED that stuff already, were you asleep or daft or just not paying attention? It DIDN'T WORK, in fact it CREATED this mess.
To read some of the comments here I would have to conclude that the laissez-faire capitalists who keep bleating about tax cuts in a time of record deficits must either be from another planet or just be planning to dig out their "share" and bail off to the Bahamas. Good heavens, what possible effect could lowering the capital gains tax have on fixing the economy? You would have to be logically challenged to believe that it could help.
There are some who have hinted that handling one problem at a time is the way to proceed. That's what I've been saying ever since last October when Bush's thugs held the gun to our head and said "Fork over $850 billion or you're dead". I don't believe we will ever adopt that approach, as the first $700 billion has melted away, the $2.2 trillion that was never mentioned is completely gone, and the $817 billion Obama stimulus will soon be followed by an additional $1.2 trillion Wall Street bailout. So much for the "one thing at a time" approach.
However, even within this bewildering framework we can identify and fix problems that we know need to be fixed before our capsized economy will right itself. One of the problems with this massive omnibus appropriations is that they tend to work on the "trickle down" economics theory. Everyone is grabbing for dollars and by the time they get down to our level they are pretty much gone.
Somebody posted above that "health care is not it". Wrong. Health care IS it. Our health care system is crippling our nation's ability to be competitive, it presents us with an unhealthy population of people who do not get any health care other than emergency services, it makes medical bills the leading cause of bankruptcy, it ruins family's budgets and takes money out of the marketplace. For what? For a have/have not system that meters out health care based on your JOB. WTF? Are you SERIOUS? What does your JOB have to do with your health care? Absolutely nothing. We have allowed insurance companies to dream up an Orwellian nightmare system that denies basic services to millions of Americans while sternly warning us that Single Payer will be "socialist" and you might not be able to get that tummy tuck you want. People come here from Canada because it's so bad, they claim. BULLSHIT.
If we want to start breathing life back into the corpse of America, it needs to be through a complete revamp of the health insurance system. (Feel free to substitute the word "shitcanning" for "revamp".) We currently have a system where half of our health care dollars go to profits. Well, guess what? If my health care costs went down by 50%, that would be another $600/month in my pocket. I could use it. How about you?
We need a single payer system in this country and we need to start working on it NOW. It will have to be transitioned in because of the impact it will have on millions of workers who now make their living shuffling papers and denying you the health care you need (that's the "value added"). They know the handwriting is on the wall, too. Have you talked to one of them lately? Give someone a call about an EOB and then ask them what they think is going on... you may be surprised. But I digress. If Obama keeps his promise to offer an affordable plan identical to that which Congress has, why not make that single payer? Then people can decide whether they want to keep their dopey employment-based health insurance or participate in the national system.
This infusion of dollars into the economy from the bottom up will bring it back to life quicker than you can say "another AIG junket". This is where we should be bringing pressure to bear; keep leaning on your congress critter to make sure that they don't get off with some bogus compromise that doesn't get the job done. All "universal" health care plans are NOT created equally.
-Wexler
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If I would have known I was going to live this long, I would have taken better care of myself.
~~~ George Burns
I would have no problem with
I would have no problem with Obama if he surrounded himself with confident, competent White House veterans. Instead, he filled his staff with arrogant egomaniacs like Rahm Emmanuel -- guys who thought Bush was a total f-up because surely President of the United States can't be that difficult of a job.
Now the campaign is over and reality has hit them like a sack of doorknobs to the face. No more fluff speeches? No more exaggerated hype from Hollywood and supposedly unbiased news organization? Facing real problems everyday with people's lives and livelihoods hanging in the balance?? Hmmm, maybe Bush wasn't so much of an idiot after all.
Biden and Hillary were right about one thing whilst on the campaign trail in late 2007: there is no room in this position for on-the-job training.
Yes we can! ... Do what, exactly?
Tax the very rich
Wanna get out of this?
Tax the very rich at higher rates. Use that money to create a European/Canadian style health care system that loosens up the burden of health costs in the lower incomes creating more cash for consumer spending. Deport the very rich who don't want to pay more. The health care industry should not be subject to private ownership - it should be controlled by the populace, not the profiteers.
Mandate salary caps for executives at publicly held companies. No more than $300k/yr in total compensation, including bonuses. Mandate the extra savings that would have been millions upon millions in bonuses for a the very few be channeled into higher salaries across the board for employees.
Legalize and tax marijuana nationwide.
Reverse the tax-free status of churches.
Nationalize the oil industry. Energy/utility should not be subject to private ownership... it should at best a limited monopoly controlled by the people. Use the insane profits to restructure American energy to clean (and most importantly) DOMESTIC control.
Solution - unless we want to keep blowing goats
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In order to truly rebound from this without ending up at the bottom, we need to stop focusing on changing our existing system and instead totally revamp it.
What we need most is to focus on making North America independent from other countries and creating opportunities within. It all lies in Green technology, which North America has the most cutting-edge capabilities that other countries just don't have.
If we pour money and people into this, we'll create jobs in a new industry that can only grow and prosper with time, rather than dumping cash into failing industries that are getting us nowhere and leaving us in the poorhouse. Let them fail, they have no part in our future.
Oh yeah, and then we can reduce the amount of foreign oil that we buy, wouldn't that be nice? Maybe someday US troops can even leave Iraq.
America signified, for a long time, beautiful opportunities and freedom and innovation for people around the world. Now they just think we're a bunch of douches. The fact is, people around the world still follow our lead, and we have been setting a bad example.
So quit bailing out banks and dumping cash on the failing automotive industry. Put health care of the back burner. America is BROKE, we're POOR as a country. How about doing something to put us back in the black? Green green green.
... probably would have happened already if it weren't for all the puppet strings around here. I'm moving.
It stands to reason that the
It stands to reason that the White House staffers would see health care reform as being the easy part since they are at least trying to work on the economic crisis but aren't working on health care reform. The Obama Adminstration has abdicated leadership on health reform and given it over to special interests while seeming to be in-charge simply by playing host.
the absurdity of curing a crisis with its cause
It's funny how many people comment that business is the answer to the economic crisis when it is big business that got us into this mess to begin with. It's like saying that the cause of the problem is the cure. We are in a financial crisis because of deregulation of the markets and trade and investment liberalization; therefore further deregulation cannot be the answer. This is a crisis of the whole neoliberal capitalist economic framework.
And because this economic crisis is a crisis of our entire economic system, it is a global crisis in which the people of the third world (and women in particular) are being hit the worst. Why don't you tell people in the third world who have been in the grips of a food crisis for the past year because of deregulation and trade liberalization of food commodities (which are a result of trade policies that our government, along with the EU, the IMF, and the World Bank forced down through their throats by hanging debt over their heads) that further deregulation of their agriculture is the answer? Then you would see how completely catastrophic your solutions would be.
Reviews on the Above
Points to Ponder:
1. Great article in England’s TimesOnline. See what their perspective is regarding our president’s economic prowess at http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/guest_contributors/article5854168.ece
2. Carol in Oregon: Thanks for the props, but I am not an expert macroeconomist… oh but wait… that actually qualifies me for the job! btw…I grew up in Grants Pass. Looking forward to a conference in Portland next week!
3. Wexler the Socialist: you are paying $1200/month for health insurance? That must be some policy you have there. If you really want to solve some of the health care costs, support legislation that limits medical malpractice awards. Many doctors must pay hundreds of thousands in dollars in insurance premiums. To cover their legal backsides, doctors order every test under the sun and prescribe everything they can to ensure they are covered when the lawsuit comes. The CBO estimates that tort reform would save the Federal Government $44B per year. Check it out at http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/71xx/doc7174/04-28-MedicalMalpractice.pdf
4. Rachel… poor naïve Rachel...the Wannabee Socialist (are you and Wexler related?). You said “It's funny how many people comment that business is the answer to the economic crisis…” Rachel, just who do you think funds the various government handout programs, whether that be welfare, free medical clinics, or student grants? Do you believe the government pays for these things? No…It is business. Businesses and their employees actually add value and produce things or provide services. In a free-market, those that do it best survive and flourish. Their rewards for their investments, be that dollars or their labor, is they make some money and then turn over 30% to 40% of it to the government. The government then doles that money back out to whomever. But don’t ever kid yourself, that money you want from the government to pay for social programs first came from some one working his/her butt off. Just because people got greedy (including homeowners that bought more than they could afford or who spent second and third mortages on frivilous toys and vacations) and in some cases broke the law - that does not mean that capitalism failed…it means that people behaved irresponsibly. Responsible. We are able to choose our responses. People chose poorly.
5. Our Danish Friend: Denmark taxes over 60% of a person’s income…now that is re-distribution of wealth. But wait…there’s more! Denmark just lowered it’s individual tax rates… hmm…why do you suppose they did that? See here: http://www.taxindenmark.com/article.40.html
comment to barry
We already know what Laizzes Faire and neo liberalism have done to destroy our country. The robber baron (the 10% that control 90% of the wealth) have ripped the middle class off and moved all our production jobs overseas to third world slave labor countries.
So, do we want more of the same or would we like to bring those jobs back home and create a WE society rather than some Libertarian society where it's each man for himself.
I'll choose the WE society every time. We've had enough the ME crap.
Michael, you and I are to blame
You said: "The robber baron (the 10% that control 90% of the wealth) have ripped the middle class off and moved all our production jobs overseas to third world slave labor countries."
The fact is, you and I and every other U.S. consumer drove the jobs overseas. Huh?
A major driver in a consumer's buying decision is price. Why do we all shop at Walmart? Costco? Sam's Club? Lower prices.
The four major components in cost of consumer goods are material, labor, taxes, and regulatory burden. Material is now so generic and easily shipped, that is little competive advantage there anymore. However, in the U.S., we expect higher wages for our workers. We expect benefits for our workers. We expect our companies to follow stacks of rules and regulations to protect the environment, meet zoning requirements, and protect worker safety. We create large state and federal cost burdens to pay for whatever make corporations pay corporate taxes. All of these become a cost of doing business and that is reflected in the selling price of the product or service.
I am not saying any of the above is a bad thing, Michael. But the fact is we have, through our expectations, forced competitive companies to find ways to lower their total overall costs. For many items, that means moving production offshore.
You can try to blame the "robber barons," but the facts are they are doing what they must to stay in business because we have demanded the above.
Recovery with Health Care
Recovery with Health Care.
Sadly this is not a recession but a DEPRESSION. The last one FDR fixed with similar actions like those of President Obama. President Obama's job is even harder than FDR's was! FDR had only idle factories and offices to restart, while over the last 8 years President Bush and his Republican Party made sure that most of our factories were shipped to China and offices had been outsourced to India. I am very surprised that most commenters here do not seem to appreciate these fundamental economic facts of life, where 'Obama Care' is also part of the Total Economic Recovery Plan. In my close family we have 4 professional engineers; Computer Industry(yours truly), son: Civil Engineering (Masters from North Eastern), daughter & son-in-law; Mechanical Engineering (daughter; Masters in Public Health from San Diego & 2 kids). We know how to count on our fingers & we are all Obama supporters with most of our Nation's sane 80%! -- George (Minnesota)
PS. Our latter day Hooverite Republicans are again also trying to sink even farther our economy and are supported in this by the fatally lost right wing intellectuals of the media like David Brooks of the NYT. He seems to forget (with all the other NYT Columnists but the Nobel Economist Krugman who supports the Obama Recovery Plan) that it was the 1900 Century Otto von Bismarck who created the first comprehensive National Heath Care System and not the hapless French! President Obama is just trying to upgrade the USA to a 200+ year old Human Social Standard. Employing frequently Sick People with rotting teeth tends to destroys productivity.)
Give me a break
I love how all the Republicans have all this wonderful advice that they give with this holier than thou attitude.
Who's been in charge the last eight years? Who gave us this "awesome" economy as a legacy? It wasn't all the Bush white house, but Republicans in general who suck.
Reply to Barry the Beaver
Gee, Beev....
Regarding the assertion that medical malpractice insurance results in unnecessary tests....
That's not what my MD says. Shes says that on the contrary, everything that she does is under the scrutiny of the insurance company, and they have two controls to prevent what the CBO claims is going on. First, they can outright deny to pay for the test (which has happened to me on more than one occasion). Second, they can give the physician a low "grade" on their website. Yep, insurance companies are now rating physicians as to compliance with their "standard" treatment for various conditions and telling us who can be trusted to treat us for various maladies. I'll bet the CBO would love this. Actually, I've not seen this system in place but it will be up soon on a website near you.
In actual practice I have been sent out of the ER twice without a diagnosis with a life threatening condition. First was acute appendicitis, which led to an emergency ambulance ride into town a few hours later and turned into a week stay in the hospital. The second was that my wife had a stroke, and we were sent home with no diagnosis and told to schedule a MRI at a later date. Yep. TWICE we were denied tests that put our lives at risk, even though we have BCBS. So I think either your information from the CBO is bogus or outdated or it's just some lies that somebody told them trying to add some legal controls on a situation where they don't really apply.
The truth is that physicians and the American people overwhelmingly hate their insurance companies and want to get single payer in place as soon as possible. Employers hate it, too. They used to like the control of being able to hold onto employees, but now it's too expensive. So if everyone involved hates the system except the insurance companies, what does THAT tell you? That maybe it's time for some "socialism" in the US?
-Wexler
_____________________________________________________________
If I would have known I was going to live this long, I would have taken better care of myself.
~~~ George Burns
Wex Wrong
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tagged as:
- result
Wex
You need to update your facts/beliefs. As always, I try to provide data to back up my positions.
You state “The truth is that physicians and the American people overwhelmingly hate their insurance companies and want to get single payer in place as soon as possible.” We may hate them, but here are some survey facts related to this topic that contradict your basic premise (btw…I hope the personal health issues are better now).
First, can we agree that Rasmussen’s Reports is a reliable and accurate public polster? They were rated the highest among all polsters regarding the 2008 elections.
Rasmussen surveys find that 49% of people want Obama to delay health care reform and focus on the economy first. Only 42% think he should move forward now on health care reform.
http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/business/healthcare/49_say_obama_should_delay_health_care_reform_until_economy_is_better
Next, Rasmussen found that forty-six percent (46%) also believe that lawsuits play a Very Significant role in the rising cost of health care, but Obama is not expected to push tort reform because of the heavy support trial lawyers give the Democratic Party.
As in my previous post, I provided a link to the CBO report that said tort reform would save the Fed Govt $44B/year in their health care costs, not to mention the rest of us. That is why many states are passing tort reform laws so doctors’ liability insurance premiums stay competitive with other states. Illinois, for example, is suffering a dearth of OB/GYNs due to liberal tort laws. Guess who is the majority party in Illinois?
Next, nearly half of U.S. voters (46%) say the quality of health care will decrease if the government oversees a national health plan. Only 30% think it will improve.
http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/business/healthcare/46_say_quality_of_health_care_will_suffer_under_government_plan
Lastly, (big finish!) fifty-one percent (51%) of U.S. voters oppose the creation of a single-payer national health insurance plan overseen by the federal government. 30% favor single payer and 19% are undecided.
http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/business/healthcare/51_oppose_government_run_national_health_plan
I suppose these polls are just hogwash, then
I am not willing to agree that Rasmussen or any other single poll is authoritative on health care. Ask that same sample group the same questions after they walk out of a screening of "Sicko" and you would get an entirely different result. The reason for that is that the facts are obscured by propaganda, and trying to get data on this from polls is like asking lemmings if they think they can swm all the way to Iceland.
Here are some more general polls; there are plenty of polls to look at, I hope you find these as entertaining as I found your Razmo poll. Not elucidating, but entertaining. BTW, why is it that the political persuasion of the polling institution always seems to get reflected in its polls?
http://www.wpasinglepayer.org/PollResults.html
-Wexler
______________________________________________________________
If I would have known I was going to live this long, I would have taken better care of myself.
~~~ George Burns
Wake up and smell the reality!
It is pretty clear from many of the comments posted that some people just don't get the reality of what is going on in America these days. "Reduce corporate taxes", "focus only on the economy", etc. These are people who clearly do not realize that this is what the past administration did, and look at the perpetual mess that they made of things. Someone early on tried to use the bogus example of the stock market lowering each time President Obama comes up with a new policy to justify their position, but that is probably the weakest of examples that could be used. When you consider that the "stock market" is Wall Street, then of course they are going to react negatively, since the reforms that are coming out on a daily basis are driven on the format of fixing the problem, which of course has largely been Wall Street and the false traders who spent years buying and selling "assets" that never even existed, except in their own minds.
The simple truth is that there is no one-stop fix for what ails the economy. This isn't just an American economic crisis, this is a global economic crisis. So all you nay-sayers who keep trying to pretend that this is all the Obama Administrations fault clearly were asleep during the past decade as Georgie W. Bush and his cronies dismantled the safeguards that protected US the actual America and enabled that 1% to become both richer and greedier at the same time. They created this mess, and they did it by sneaking in one new provision after another through executive orders and bogus legislations, and yet it is these same diehards that have profited hugely from all this bogus work that now want to cry foul because "America" has taken back their country and has demanded that it be fixed.
Remember, the U.S. Constitution states that if our government is no longer working for us then we should dismantle it and go start a new one just over the hill. Well that's what America did back in November. Time to get with the program you right-wing lackeys, a new day has dawned on America. Wake up and smell the reality!
white house freak out
In one of the books I read about FDR, in the first one hundred days he would wake up in the middle of night with a panic attack.
Eight years of Bush and trickle down theory, what do you expect? Be thankful we have a president with a brain and good administrative ability to work this out.
Give it time. We will come through this. Right on Sage Advice!
It's no fun for the uninsured
I'm glad the administration is having fun. I assure you that the millions of Americans without health insurance are not.
http://illinillinois.blogspot.com
Yes We Can: Help Give US Hope
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tagged as:
- solution
You are the Breath of Hope to restore America. We cannot sit, watch and wait, and see what happens. We need to take action. So I come to you- We are humbling asking you to join us in our effort to restore this nation’s economy.
'Help Give U.S. Hope Foundation' is a new, non-for-profit organization that is being developed to assist the American People who are in jeopardy of foreclosures, need food, utility assistance, etc., Nationwide. We believe the economic recession is a National Crisis that is affecting more and more individuals and families every day. As each day passes, more people become unemployed, homeless, and hungry.
While there is assistance that is available through government agencies and charitable foundations, those budgets are outdated and have very limited resources. They are unable to reach all the people in need. And when another day passes, there are many more seeking out resources that are scarce, depleted, and/or unavailable to them because of boundary issues. Most typical resource centers and organizations have regional boundaries, and prohibit their organization from reaching out to the needy beyond township, county and state borders. Not only are the boundaries a limiting factor, resources are much too scarce to accommodate a nation in distress. Even non-secular organizations, e.g., Churches, Synagogue, etc, follow the same boundary restrictions. They typically limit their financial resources to members and local residence; however they do put aside funds for missionary work in 3rd world countries, or collect funds for National Disasters, i.e., Hurricane Katrina.
The difference, 'Help Give U.S. Hope Foundation' is a faith based organization who goes beyond the norm, and breaks those boundaries. We believe that the economic crisis IS A NATIONAL DISASTER- it is a national crisis. Our mission is to stimulate the economy from bottom-up. We recognize that consumers control supply and demand- More specifically, the middle-working class. They make up make up the majority of society, estimated between 80-90%. They are voters and consumers. They are blue and white collar workers, teachers, accountants, engineers, etc. They are two income families working from paycheck to paycheck. Middle class is shrinking. And if we do nothing, middle-class will continue to shrink to lower-class, It is our hard working middle-class who has been struck hard by the economic recession. We have but once – in a lifetime – opportunity to change a person’s life.
The time is now to make a difference, to help give America hope. Too many individuals and families have already lost; they lost their home to foreclosure; their business and/or personal finances to bankruptcy; they are on unemployment and welfare. Some live in shelters- they have nowhere to go. Many more responsible citizens will continue to become unemployed, under-employed, and face losing their job as the country’s financial system continues to break down. “Help Give U.S. Hope’ provides assistance for all American People that have been greatly and negatively impacted by the distressed economy, of no fault of their own.
I am the founder of this fund-raising campaign and would like to establish a business relationship with one of you. For you are our leaders, our workers, entrepreneurs, and fellow citizens. Together we can make a difference. We can rebuild this nation, and strengthen our economy. Please join us and contribute as a sponsor and/or donator to promote and fund this program, that will give U.S. Hope.
Every dollar donated to ‘Help Give U.S. Hope Foundation’ will be used to strengthen the economy. Americans in distress, in dire straits, in jeopardy of foreclosure, in the dark, hungry, and homeless will be able to participate in the program to get assistance for their needs.
We would like you to sponsor this program and an offer a donation to support our effort to give to the needy. Any amount, no matter how large or small, will be appreciated and used to stimulate the economy. Our goal is grand- we are aggressively asking people and organizations to contribute to this program, in order to meet our first goal of raising $10,000,000.00. We realize that amount is only a drop in the bucket, because the demand continues to grow every day. As the demand grows, as so will our fundraising goals to campaign. But, it is up to “US” to change the downward trend. Give, and it shall be given away, so that no one is hungry, homes shall be saved from foreclosures, and utilities will be working. The more we do, the more we give, the more will be spent. Spending, is the key to a healthy economy. In addition, please pass this message forward. Also, we take pleasure in assisting in fund raising events. We will help you host an event at your schools; cities and townships; and work places. We ask that you take this opportunity to make a difference. Your generous offerings and sponsorship will ‘Help Give U.S. Hope’.
We invite you to join our loyal contributors in lending your support Donations can be made on the website: www.HelpGiveUSHope.org. However, the website is presently and partially under construction. It is being developed by a volunteer sponsor, and should be fully functional by the end of next week. In the interim, donations are being accepted via check and postal service. We are seeking donations now to prepare for the anticipated large volume of application for assistance one the Application is available on the website. Help Give U.S. Hope Foundation is a non-profit organization exempt from taxation under the Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. All gifts are tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law. We urge you to bookmark the website, www.HelpGiveUSHope.org, and check it daily for updates. Secure donations can be made online, once the site is has been updated to include electronic payment information. For your review is information about our Fund-raising Campaign, which is or will be added to the site. In the website and document attached, you will see what this foundation is based on, and learn more about what we are doing to help the American People and our economy.
In addition, if you should know somebody or a family that is in need of assistance, please share with them this information, and our website. Financial assistance will not become available until sufficient funds are collected, and they will be allocated on a first come, first serve basis. People in need, should also bookmark the site, and visit it regularly. Our goal is to have the Application available to download on or before April 15th.
Anyone, donors and applicants, please feel free to contact me if you have any questions, comments or suggestions.
This is for US people. I have been creating this Foundation, so that there really is help out there. After spending many months of struggling with my Contracting business, and seeking help and sources of funding for operational cash flow, my business finally closed. Because we are so small, the government cannot see us. Financial Institutions do not care. Well I care. And it is time for US to ban together and help ourselves. Help Give U.S. Hope is her to help you. So, please print and post this message throughout your communities. Pass them out at churches, community events, schools, etc. Post it to websites, bulletin boards. Give a copy to your local businesses, neighbors, friends and families. Contact your local and state government representatives. Help spread the word by contacting your local radio news papers, and news stations. We are seeking donations, and we will stimulate this economy, beginning with the working class. We are the majority of consumers, and if the health of this nation is going to improve, then we need financial stimulation.
Be blessed, and I look forward to your involvement and contributions to “Help Give U.S. Hope”.
Respectfully,
Debra Petersen
Phone: 815-782-8925
Fax: 815-828-0643
email: hope@helpgiveushope.org
www.HelpGiveUSHope.org
Help Give U.S. Hope F
Of course a wellfare state
Of course a wellfare state costs higher taxes; nothing is free, but it is sometimes smarter to join forces to solve the problems.
Most danes think that health care, education, social security, unemployment benefits, reasonable accomodation, paid maternal/paternal leave, a reasonable short working week and paid vacations are basic rights.
Those rights must not depend on your income.
By the way; the overall taxation is about 48% of GDP compared with 30% in the USA. For the last 18% we get all those benefits. It is actually cheaper that way.
A former foreign secretary said, that the Danish system is the 90% richest supporting the 90% poorest. That gives the robustness of the system.
In the good times we used the surplus to pay our debt; both the public debt and the foreign debt, meaning that today, when times get rough, we have possibilities for action.
Mogens
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