bosun.j

Fiscal Responsibility: Obama Takes the Reins

As a retired merchant seaman I recall getting 100% no out of pocket healthcare from the public health service prior to chuckle nuts Reagan getting into office. First class care in every way.

After chuckle nuts Ray Gun got in he screwed us out of that so our next contract provided that the shipping companies had to contribute so much for each day on the ship into our health and welfare account. We then had to find private doctors pay them and submit triplicate forms to get reimbursed. Pretty screwed up. Mostly greedy shitty doctors. I preferred the clinic.

As I aged previous medical problems from my Naval service became serious enough that the VA started treating me. Great cutting edge doctors. Asshole bureaucrats to get through to see the doctor. A fine doctor at the VA hospital in Portland fixed a problem no other Dr could. Yeah, socialized medicine screwed me over. NOT!

Ronnie Ray Gun was one of those assholes who hated people too. (not saying you do!) Hated people, unions and just about anything that wasn't good for his corporate masters. I smile knowing that shitbag is burning in hell! I know his corporate masters are or will be right there next to him in hell.


On Feb 25 03:52 PM Robert Nabloid wrote:

> I don't see where we have a difference in values? We both want people
> to have good health care. My country does socialized medicine and
> is fiscally responsible (most of the time). We do not normally run
> massive defecits to pay for it (though we are going to be running
> a big deficit to "stimulate" the economy (which I don't agree with)).
> In my province 40% of the budget is health care, but we do pay for
> it with higher taxes and mandatory state run health insurance. I'm
> not arguing FOR or AGAINST socialized health care it right now.
> I'm argueing that the US of A can't afford it at the moment without
> raising taxes for ALL, which could in turn hurt the fragile economy.
> If you want socialized medicine, that is fine. But the list of services
> the government is promising continues to grow and none of this is
> fiscally responsible until you honestly tell the American people
> how it will ALL be paid for without taking on more debt. You can't
> tell me Obama, or anyone, is the saviour of fiscal responsibility
> for as long as there is a deficit, PERIOD.
>
> I'm here to tell you, the grass isn't really greener on the other
> side of the fence. We have serious labour shortages for doctors
> and nurses, much worse than in America... wait times ARE killing
> people and this problem is just as bad as not having health care
> because that is essentially what it is at times!
>
> Whether it is socialized or not, the money comes from the same place...
> the people and economy. We can pretend the government pays, but you
> must not forget where the government gets its money - either way
> it comes from the economy THROUGH AN INCREASE IN TAXES OR AN INCREASE
> IN DEBT WHICH CARRIES INTEREST AND HAS TO BE SERVICED WITH TAXES.
>
>
> Why am I mentioning this? This article is on fiscal responsibility,
> not on whether or not we should have these services to begin with
> - that is for another article and is a whole 'nother debate which
> I might be on the same side of with you. We humans need health services,
> we all know that. The argument seems to be over who pays for it...
> when in reality we pay no mater what way you slice it (assuming you
> work). The poor don't generally pay for such services anyways.
> I'm not arguing against socialized medicine - I'm telling you it
> isn't perfect and it still has a cost that the entire society bears,
> whether or not you are rich or poor. Yes, even the poor pay, just
> not out of pocket.
>
> And to answer your question... I don't think the banks should get
> trillions... obviously. We can't afford to give them trillions without
> raising taxes (or going into massive debt of which we now have to
> pay interest on...). I wasn't in favour of bailing out corrupt banks.
> You can't use our fiscal irresponsibility as a reason why its okay
> to be fiscally irresponsible on other matters... I agree, it would
> have been a better fiscally irresponsible use of money to spend on
> health care rather than banks...
>
> The way I look at it, they are bailing out banks, they want to have
> socialized medicine, SS, and a billion other services to be controlled
> by government. All I'm saying is you can't call any of this fiscally
> responsible unless you increase taxes to pay for it. So let's be
> honest here. So far, none of this is fiscally responsible. It becomes
> fiscally responsible when you find a way to pay for it other than
> taking on more debt or printing money out of thin air.