President seeks congressional approval

[Aminifu]

There is no US default. The rent is 9 days late.

Yes, it hasn't happened yet. But is it really wise to let creditors think it is even being considered (especially when the money has not actually run out)?

How would you feel if you were the landlord and had your own bills to pay? What if your employer paid you 9 days late? Everyone is paying someone and/or being pay by someone. The honor system is key to everything financial working smoothly. If you can't trust to get most payments due you on time, what would you do?

[Aminifu]

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my only comment, if there is validity to this report, is: what a complete bunch of asshats.

Truth is stranger than fiction. Assuming these folks won honest elections (big assumption), I would say those that voted for them deserve what they get. But, with our form of government, these a-holes (especially the Senators) get to screw over the rest of us too.

Those congressmen that bring about an unnecessary US default should be charged with treason, imo.

[rockouthippie]

Here is our POTUS crying like a bitch and threatening some imaginary scenario where the US defaulted on it's loans. Please foreigners, don't watch this. It's so humiliating. Nobody is committing treason. Some House politicians are saying WHOA... BAMA! Where are you going with that $20 Trillion? These politicians are elected and they are doing what they were elected to do. Obama included.

You bet the President wants to settle this all now. The House doesn't agree. The constituents that elected them don't agree. It's America. People get to disagree.

[fc*uk]

Some of this is a little over the top; but some of it is not...

Aminifu: great last few posts. I agree. Now, just exactly does one go about convincing the majority of America that is actually the case!

I did not state this and I know I am technically wrong, but my use of tort reform to fix healthcare is really broad monetary reform across the board, which means it's not really tort reform anymroe.

I believe the government should: subsidize medical school costs; limit reimbursement rates for medical procedures; provide a cap on malpractive lawsuits; possibly even subsudize medical costs or pay for them completely (via various taxes/systems where the rich bear the weight and the poor contribute what they can).

A lot of this is already being done either at home or around the world:

1. In France, the government gives you a test. If you score high enough, you get into their government run medical schools, which are the only medical schools in the country. The cost of medical school is 10 euro a semester. I know this because my wife was an exchange student in France. She has kept close with both the family and their children since that time. Their oldest daughter came to the US to spend three months shadowing my wife in residency so she could figure out what she wanted to do in France. She had been accepted into the program. She said the cost was 10 euro a semester.

2. Limit reimbursement rates. Look north to Canada, where my wife spent a year doing a fellowship. I realize the pitfall here. In Canada physicians are governemnt employees, so the government sets the rate and controls it. Regardless, it's absolute bullshit that private practice physicians in this country can personally pocket close to $60,000 for a procedure, no matter how complicated. Looking closer to home. My wife is a state employee (see below), she does not get reimbursed for the surgeries she does.

3. The great state of FL, in which I reside, has a policy in place. Any state employee has sovereign immunity and can be sued for a maximum amount of $40,000. Yes, my wife is a physician, but she is a physician for the University of FL, which makes her a state employee. Bang. Cap on malpracice lawsuits. People at this hospital never get sued unless they really mess up because it's simply not worth it. Now yes, I realize the negative there is if something goes wrong that costs a life.

4. A. Subsudize medical costs or pay for them completely. Again look to Canada. The government owns and runs it. They set the costs. People are taxed an additioal 8% on anything they purchase; this is where I get my "poor pay what they can and the rich buying the million dollar car bear the weight". Now, I've been told that Canada's system only works because of the size of their population; I'm not sure if I buy that. Your population is larger, so it costs more money but you have more people buying things that can contribute.

B. Doing this would mean more government control. Again, Canada ... if you want to buy an apple, you pay the price of the apple +8% medical tax + Province tax; that tax base goes for anything. If you want fast food: price of meal +8% medical tax + Province tax + 5% bad food tax. Bad food tax? Yep, the government does not want you eating it, so they tax it more. The "bad food tax" extends all the way from any meal obtained while dining out all the way to pop --- even diet. Juice (natural only), fruits, vegetables, meat, poultry, and fish about are the only items exempted from the "bad food tax".

I would be for all of that.

But Americans? Well, we want to have our cake and eat it too. Free healthcare with no government control. Free healthcare with no strings attached. It simply can not happen. You just can't have it both ways.

Regarding the pharma industry. Yeah, I hear you. I work in R&D for drug development and know well how much it costs. I don't have an answer there. We want our drugs to be safe and effective. That means clinical trials. When a developmental drug proves to be effective, we still want it to cost the $1.00 it actually costs to manufacture. You can't have it both ways. Average cost of a drug from inception to market is hovering around $15 million anymore. Even at $20, $100, or $400 a pill that is a lot of money to recover. That 15 million is only for clinicals and other stuff the regulatory agencies want; in other words they does not include the cost of your scientists.

[rockouthippie]

Average cost of a drug from inception to market is hovering around $15 million anymore.

And they're often developed to replace drugs that already exist and have equal efficacy. The difference is a patent. There isn't any money in making drugs that's patents have expired, so we need to invent new drugs that do the same thing.

One great example is all the beta blockers people my age are eating with absolutely no indication it improves outcomes. Another is sleeping pills. We wouldn't want to get you addicted to Benzos. Those are cheap. You need some Ambien which is 10X as expensive and only slightly less addictive.

Free healthcare with no strings attached. It simply can not happen. You just can't have it both ways.

Sure it can happen. It just can't happen while the cartel that controls our medical, drug and legal industries survives.

Now we overpay by twice or thrice, have worse outcomes, and leave 30 million people still uninsured.

This was a win? The landmark we're supposed to pat Barry on the ass for?

The next time I see big pharma, big law and big medical meet, I don't want to see any smiles.

[Aminifu]

You bet the President wants to settle this all now. The House doesn't agree. The constituents that elected them don't agree. It's America. People get to disagree.

With gerrymandered districts we get extreme views on all sides. But people here are not allowed to be irresponsible (for the most part). You can't yell fire in a crowded theater and get away with it (most of the time). Although the percentages are changing.

The past 10 years I've been semi-retired, so I've come to get my info on our Government activities from watching C-Span. For those who don't know, C-Span broadcasts complete unedited Congressional (House and Senate) sessions, hearings, speeches, news conferences, etc. It also broadcasts complete unedited speeches by the President and White House news conferences.

While time consuming, watching and hearing all that is said provides an understanding that is completely different than that gained from reading media accounts or watching/listening to what is presented on tv and radio 'news' and talk shows. It's even better than browsing various internet sources. It makes it easy to detect where the bias is and on what side.

It has all the comedy, drama, and reality you ever want to see. It's educational (like debate club) to watch opposite sides 'spin' the same set of 'facts' to support their views. It's hilarious to see folks try to reverse their own statements when what they originally said doesn't go over well (often weeks or months later). It's heart breaking to see how a few can cause distress for so many. It's frustrating when all sides present compelling arguments.

Yes people get to disagree in America, but when an agreement must be made, the best were made when neither side gets things all their way. Compromise is one thing, capitulation is something else. Reasonable people should be able to tell one from the other, but they need the all the info (or at least some info from all sides) to come to a reasonable determination.

Our system of government has devolved to 'numbers and nonsense', imo. Those with the best nonsense gets the numbers. It would be very entertaining, if it wasn't real.

[rockouthippie]

The irresponsible ones are the Democrats. They made this sweetheart deal for their liberal pals. It has more pork than a ham sandwich. They never have exactly figure out how to pay for it. Then the Republicans come along and say "Whoa!" and they should be saying "Whoa". Everybody should be saying "Whoa!".

The President and pals came up with this crackpot idea and now it's the Republicans are evil and self serving? Bullshit. The only reasonable thing for any reasonable person to do is oppose this son of a bitch. If that shuts down the government for a couple weeks, so what.

Next time I need a health care bill that twice too expensive and doesn't cover everybody, I'll call the Democrats.

the best were made when neither side gets things all their way.

It's the President that won't negotiate. It's the President that rammed this thing through with a very brief supermajority. The public liked the ACA so well, most of the people who voted for it lost re-election.

Like most liberals, you think you are in the majority with your opinions. Most Americans don't like Obamacare and the more educated they are about it, the more they don't like it.

The Republicans are now following the public will.

[Aminifu]

It's the President that won't negotiate. It's the President that rammed this thing through with a very brief supermajority. The public liked the ACA so well, most of the people who voted for it lost re-election.

Like most liberals, you think you are in the majority with your opinions. Most Americans don't like Obamacare and the more educated they are about it, the more they don't like it.

The Republicans are now following the public will.

It is clear than the GOP is following your will.

I think I'm more in the middle (left leaning) and see sense in many of the right's positions. I just don't like how the GOP is playing the 'game'. I believe some things should not be used as bargaining chips. The 'rules' changes that they are trying to force will have dire consequences.

I guess most Americans did not vote in the last election (or gerrymandering won/lost?).

[rockouthippie]

It doesn't take being right wing to be very concerned about what the President and Congress is doing. Some people disagree with it enough to shut the government down for a bit. When they start auctioning things off, I want the Lincoln Memorial.

[Aminifu]

Some people disagree with it enough to shut the government down for a bit.

Some people disagreed with the 2 major wars (1 of which is still going on) and the seniors drug bill (prohibiting bargaining for lower prices) that the previous GOP administration put on the country's credit card. But a Government shutdown and threats of default did not happen.

The GOP's current tactics are hurtful for hundreds of thousands and dangerous for everybody, but you will never publicly admit that.

[rockouthippie]

A

but you will never publicly admit that.

I absolutely admit that.

. But a Government shutdown and threats of default did not happen

Nobody ever permanently wanted to turn 20% of the GDP over to a few companies.

You mentioned Bush's drug bill. I had an ill parent. This saved me $10,000's of thousands I would have had to pay myself. It was still the wrong way to do it. It's the same with Obamacare. When you notice you are getting robbed, you make it a law that you must pay the muggers?

Most people don't like Obamacare. House Republicans want something. Something that should have been in it like tort reform. They wanted not to take $600BN from medicare. My mom is already dead, but tell me that you want $600BN less for your parents or mine.

So it's not like the House are a bunch of terrorists. Just people with conviction.

The Republicans didn't get any say with the Democrat super majority. Now they are trying to get a say. Remember? People fired the Democrat super majority. The politicians that are in office now were elected to stop or take a serious whack at Obama's spending ideas. They think it's gonna crash the economy. I think it isn't gonna do it any good.

This will be over in 72 hours. March will be interesting.

I'm more blue dog than conservative. I don't think abortion clinics need a drive up windows. Feminists piss me off. Basically anybody who is bitching pisses me off. It means they didn't have enough to do.

My brother told me that righteous anger was how we get things done. I think that's a bunch of crap. The way we get things done is with our hearts and our hands.

I notice some of the docs rebelling a bit too. There is a doc down the street here. She just has a house and a sign out front like the old days. They have to want $8000 a month for the medical buildings 2 miles away. I'll bet this place doesn't cost her $1000 and she lives there.

[Aminifu]

This will be over in 72 hours.

I hope so and in a positive way.

March will be interesting.

The rest of Obama's term will be interesting, since the GOP doesn't want to let him do anything (good or bad) or give him credit for anything (good). As for the ACA, I don't know what most people like. The people I've talked to seem fairly evenly divided. They like some parts of it and dislike other parts.

Basically anybody who is bitching pisses me off. It means they didn't have enough to do.

My brother told me that righteous anger was how we get things done. I think that's a bunch of crap. The way we get things done is with our hearts and our hands.

I'm confused.

Are you pissing yourself off or is a lot of what you've been saying not bitching?

Does righteous anger exclude using our hearts and hands?

She just has a house and a sign out front like the old days. They have to want $8000 a month for the medical buildings 2 miles away. I'll bet this place doesn't cost her $1000 and she lives there.

Yeah, the old days. Our 'family' doctor made house calls when I was a kid.

As to that 8 grand, it's just another example of the current run-away greed in our culture. The realtors think all doctors make a lot, so they feel justified charging a lot. Then the doctors have to charge more (to pay their bills). A vicious circle, that's replicated all over the place. Prices have nothing to do with what something may be worth or the cost to provide it, it's all about charging the most the market will bear. The same item will have vastly different prices depending on where it is sold and to whom (even accounting for exchange and inflation rates).

Profit is fine and necessary. It becomes a problem when it is obsessive and determining when that point occurs is a problem too.

[rockouthippie]

The industry hasn't done medical personnel any favors. Your normal doc doesn't get paid much less in the UK than they get here. They don't pay administrators 8 figures, but docs get paid. Unfortunately, you're buried under a student loan because medical school is a racket too.

[rockouthippie]

In todays, news, Boehner and the House are going to be given a bill to sign from the Senate. It should look something like the Nazi's giving Rommel a cyanide pill, but I'm sure he will sign it and get the House to go along.

[Aminifu]

If only Boehner could have the intellect and savvy that Rommel had, the tragedy of the last 16 days would not have happened. The man wanted the job as Speaker, but (unlike Nancy P) he can't keep his ducks in a row.

The 'can' is expected to be kicked down the road for 3 months, then the 'circus' starts all over again.

What makes the tactics the GOP tried even more stupid is that more (known and unknown) unnecessary costs will be added to the country's credit card anyway. The very thing they claim to be trying to avoid.

It would be funny, if so many people were not being hurt. If only I could fast forward 20 - 30 years. I'd love to read what the history books then say about all this.