After 40 years spent working, I developed serious medical problems. Because I put money into the social security system, I receive $1400 a month to live on from them, stripped down to $1308 to pay for medicare and medication. My cost of living I've managed to get down to $950 a month by cutting out everything but rent, phone, unilities and transportation. $684 gets spent on medical expenses and medication not covered by Medicare. Until now, the extra $326 has been coming out of savings but savings is almost gone.
Next month that $684 figure will jump to $1,238.00 because medication is only paid for up to a certain dollar amount.
An out cry for change and only this govt can make a difference. bec we have a smart and sensible president. We need a smart & intelligible leader to change this course, who but you Mr.President Obama?
Social security: I often wondered in the two decades I have worked & contributed to this plan called "Social Security", If we call our selves capitalist why are we in a govt prog to save for our future. I can understand a 401k, pension, provident fund etc. but why Social Security, sounds so Russian. The govt is in no better position than any other investor who has lost money in the stock market, bonds etc. Like any other citizen who is in deep waters with their investments, so is the govt today. The trouble has been brewing for quite some years. Perhaps Social Security money has been used for war... Well the glitter of the up market is done with, the invested money ....gone. The Social Security system was truly created for one to invest and to realize its benefits in ones retirement. As time went by Social Security money was being paid by one and was being realized by senior retires, bec their money was spent by the govt. Today my question is why should we invest Social Security money knowing for sure we are not going to see any in another 10yrs. not 2037, I feel this money will be depleted by 2016, at the rate at which we are spending. It wasn't in Economic Times but Vanity Fair had published awareness figures like $14 billion per month spent on Iraq war & $5 Trillion was our deficit in the year 2007. That was an alarm we should have woken up to.Today our deficit is growing $9.6 trillion and ticking.
The govt is making small changes with hope the economy will turn around. It may well turn around, but not too long and too strong. We have to stop the unemployment rate from increasing and work towards creating long term permanent employment. This is only the result of what actions we took for an easy way out to make money, by shipping out our manufacturing to China & other countries, 20 yrs back. Then slowly many sectors were being totally outsourced: Petroleum, steel, technical services, our admin call centers, research, development, technology, production of agriculture,storage of vital information,even our pay roll, automobile we drive, furniture we sit on, clothes we wear, to the souvenirs of this country we treasure and the food we eat. 20 years later,today the result a whole generation is hurt, financially and educationally, A rich country, today much depleted of everything only because of our unwise decisions & reckless spending.20 yrs back no one realized the impact all that would have on a generation of American kids & us today.
The recession we are facing is only the preliminary impact we are experiencing today. How did one think we can have employment & education here and it will survive, if we are paying overseas for all our goods and services. We were for the past decade, surviving on other countries excess dollar invested in this country & merely trading foreign goods, strengthening others economy. The inevitable happened, no circulation of healthy dollar with in the country which led for the longest time to the weakest dollar and the greed artificially elevated inflation. The result economic and fiscal implosion. I am reminded & forced to compare of the first Krakatau's Prelude the largest eruptions in historic times. A mere warning, the real stupendous paroxysmal eruption, a series of cataclysmic explosions happened few months later, it collapsed the island beneath the sea.Just the same the biggest economic explosion is yet to come if we do not change our course or ways, if not it will spell devastation.
Suggestions :
1)Social Security: Effective 2010 Jan 1st, discontinue the prog of Social Security, if you have the interest of the future American generation at heart.a)People who have paid into the prog so far see if it can be paid in some small way, with the premium put away, a plan similar to pension.b)The govt should not touch the money for war or any other govt purpose.c)The prog should be discontinued if the govt can not find a way to do justice to serve the people. Why have a prog which is going to be a failure.
2) Cut budgets on war: If the federal is spending 60cents to a $1, we need to wake up. This country is spending beyond its limits. Osama Bin Laden is one man, has he drained the treasury of this huge and the most powerful country on earth. Is he successful or are we not doing the right thing? The republicans sold Ice cubes to the Eskimos, made Americans believe there was weapons of mass destruction in Iraq for 2 terms. At what cost did we terminate Saddam? I thought the target was Osama. Are the Democrats unable to sell a Ulu to the Eskimos?History does repeat itself, In 1960, did France not demand for payment of its debt in gold rather than its dollar.( when America had unwisely printed money for the Vietnam war & to fund its social prog's) 40yrs later we have not learned our lesson a wrong war in Iraq and a drained economy with weak dollar. Lets not drag it to Afghanistan. Send a special force to finish him(Osama). No need for a war , we do not have the resources, that's a fact.
3)Employment: We have to bring our jobs back to this country. Until then there is no moksha for USA. The CARS for clunkers is a great prog. but a very short term plan. Let us have effective 5years & 10 years plans.a) Bring back manufacturing to this country (composition by sector-Industries GDP is 19.6% 2008est), give incentives for manufactures in this country.We are aware dept. of commerce is putting tariff on smaller industries on various products, not sufficient lets focus on the largest Industry a $500Billion Automobile Industry.Lets reestablish & revive the American automobile brand & production Industry.b)Foreign car companies can export parts and raw materials to USA- but not fully completed cars. Why should we have a Japanese made cars "Toyota" leading in car sales in this country, whose economy are we pampering? why are we proud of it? It's time we begin assembly lines not only for American made cars but also foreign brand cars. Cost of foreign cars will also rise due to domestic productions, The money is in circulation within the country, creation of jobs which will reduce the unemployment growth and this will increase the purchase of power of individuals. c)America has to wake up to support local industries and manufacturing units so any automobile imported in finished product form, the tax imposed is heavy and costly-make it 380% now people will have to buy local cars & the money will be in circulation with in the country.
4)Vital Jobs: Bring back research & development & call centers back, that's our only salvation. Our countries unemployment rate is 9.7% and the fact is 17.8% are below poverty level (54.2million people)(Source:US bureau of labor statistics), Creation of jobs, a way to stabilize & retain a well balanced & sound economy. It will take time to grow but the next generation will be thankful for the change of our actions.
5)Technology:
a)Minimum wage is not an issue here esp in IT industry, because an average employee in an information technology industry makes $50k to $60k if employed in this country, be it an American resident or an individual from another country with work permit and when outsourced from other countries its about $20k to $30k.
b)The next question arises, what %age of computer lit people are available in this country. Well my question is what %age of computer lit are unemployed in this country. Well We got to give first preference to Citizens & Permanent Residents, this will certainly reduce in the incoming employees on work permit.
c)Tax, out sourcing of IT Industry after all IT is a great %age of the service industry which is 79.2% (2008est GDP). The treasury department could find a huge gold mine considering IT industry represents a higher %age of the service industry segment.
6)Money: Track American money invested in other tax heaven countries & bust them, Good job on the UBS Zurich based, Swiss bank. Well that was possible because they made the mistake of opening their banks on the US soil(UBS Bank USA) . Way to go Mr.President. I think its time to put sanctions on tax haven countries, who are helping people launder money & avoid taxes, countries such as Switzerland.
7)Education:Shutting schools & reducing budget on education, Increasing school tuition is not the way to go. we are just making our next mistake which is going to reflect 20yrs from now. In October 2000, some 3.8 million young adults were not enrolled in a high school program and had not completed high school. These youths accounted for 10.9 percent of the 34.6 million, 16- through 24-year-olds in the United States in 2000. This is the status drop out rates over the last decade, between 347,000 and 544,000 10th- through 12th-grade students left school each year without successfully completing a high school program. In the year 2008 it was 1.2 million.
If the United States‘s likely dropouts from the Class of 2006 had graduated, the nation could have saved more than $17 billion in Medicaid and expenditures for uninsured health care over the course of those young people‘s lifetimes.
Increasing the graduation rate and college matriculation of male students in the United States by just 5 percent could lead to combined savings and revenue of almost $8 billion each year by reducing crime-related costs.(Source:National Center for Education Statistics (NCES))
The country has not seen a straight forward, honest & sincere President as you, since Abraham Lincoln. Mr.Clinton was a true gift to this country, We need more than one good President.Time for some real action, Change is powerful, more so if its for the better.The real solid growth in any economy is manufacturing, it is the life line of any country. Let us not worry about high cost of labor in this country, when you make the other alternative of import difficult by raising taxes then automatically our cost is of no issue. It is time to be self sufficient and reliable on our selves. I would love to see good ole "Made in USA"!
Dear President Obama and Congress:
Do NOT CAVE and GIVE UP the Public Option. Please Be Strong. So many will be disappointed, and perhaps even worse die without this reform. Please stand up for what you believe in, as do so many Americans, Canadians, and British. Health Care Affordability and Access is as important a human right as is Freedom of Speech and Religion. Of course any reform will be better than none; however, we need big change to fight greed and corruption, as well as ensure quality. We need preventative medicine and stress reduction to be the new focus and health care. Current “Sick Care” is to “Preventative Medicine as “Regular Car Maintenance” is to “waiting till your car breaks down, costing much more money and damage.
Health Care Affordability and Access is as important a HUMAN RIGHT as is Freedom of Speech and Religion! Of course any reform will be better than None; however, we need big change to stop the corruption and greed. We need preventative medacine and stress reduction to be the new focus of health care. It is the difference between getting your car maintatenanced vs. waiting until it stops running to get it fixed for a much higher cost. Pre-existing clauses is why many even wealthy self-employed or underinsured persons cannot get health insurance. Obviously it is not just the dirt poor, disabled, or unemployed suffering, but all the ones WHO Make this great nation go round!
Is it true Medicaid will be expanded to include all people who are under the 133% Poverty line? I am NOT Pregnant Adult Too disabled too work. Won SSI back in 2006. Now that husband left, and I have no income, cannot even drive, I have no health coverage. SSI made me start from scratch all over again. Totally a nightmare, unless it is true that all poor folks, esp. the ones waiting for SSI approval, who I call America’s Forgotten get Medicaid. Current Law in Texas Medicaid only helps kids, the pregnant, those already with SSI approval, and those with rare forms of breast and cervical cancer. Most Americans do not know that not everyone really poor can get Medicaid who needs it. verage either. SSA made me start from scratch all over again. Totally a nightmare, unless this is true that all poor folks, esp. the once waiting for medical SSI Approval, cho I call America's Forgotten get Medicaid. Current lawn in TX Medicaid only helps kids, the pregnant, those already approved for SSI, and those with rare forms of breast/cervical cancer. Most Americans do not know this. Not every state offers medicaid to anyone who needs it.
“Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health care is the most shocking and inhumane”. - Martin Luther King, Jr
It is the moral decent human thing to do, that's why! Pass this bill Now!
Didn't the insurance companies spend over 15 billion dollars in 1994, in negative add campaigns, to kill reform to our health insurance system? I wonder how much they are spending this time?
Colossians 2:8
See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.
Myself and Millions of Fellow Americans are counting on YOU to make the difference!
I grew up in the midwest in a family in which politics was rarely discussed. Nebraska -- mother was from farm country near Sioux City, Iowa. Except for my father, who I think admired FDR for his efforts in alleviating the suffering of the great depression, most of the Nebraska farmers were confirmed Republicans. (Still are, it appears)
I voted that way, too, until the Vietnam war and some university friends pointed out the folly of my thinking. My last GOP vote was for Ike, and I don't much regret it -- he was fine president. Also, the Democratic party was dominated by a southern faction determined to keep Jim Crow in place -- that disgusted me.
My point is that it took a chance encounter at a party, and someone willing to break through the trivial party chatter to wake me up. That shouldn't be the case -- we need to reach across to others and discuss issues, and learn to do it in a dispassionate way. We surely can come together if we are willing to reconsider our own biasses, listen to others, and keep our focus on the common needs of all our citizens.
With Barack in office, I really can hope that a new era is dawning, in which we can discuss the real issues confronting our nation, and the state of California in particular. I'm concerned about many issues, and just can't decide on any particular priority -- Barack is right that liberal progress must proceed on many fronts at once. I'm pleased that he has the wisdom, intelligence and energy to keep on top of them all.
I maintain a web page with a dozen or so essays that I've written, along with a few others from various media articles -- see below. See especially my comments about no child left behind -- George Bush's well-meaning, but terrible educational testing policies. As a university teacher, that strikes home, as I see the results of our educational system in the students that I'm training in computer engineering.
http://www.wbarrett.us/index.html
With the poor economy and the decreased value of many people’s retirement accounts, the number of older people returning to or not leaving the workplace is growing, especially as the Baby Boom generation increasingly reaches retirement age. Why not reduce the age that a person can qualify for the maximum social security benefits from 70 to 62 or 65? This would likely result in the immediate retirement of a large number of people, freeing space for new employees. It would also put money into the economy as both retirees and the newly employed who replace them would have more to spend. If the age were set at 65, retirees would also qualify for Medicare benefits. A cap could be placed on earnings from wages or salary for anyone receiving these increased social security benefits to ensure that recipients actually leave the workforce; anyone exceeding that cap would have their benefits reduced to the old levels. These increased benefits could also be time limited to only those people retiring in, say, the next 3 years. The expense of the increased social security and Medicare benefits would need to be funded, but those costs may be offset by the potential benefits of decreased unemployment. It would be interesting to run the numbers on this idea to see whether it might have merit.
Disclosure: My husband and I wouldn't quality under the time-limited option I'm suggesting, though if the benefits were extended another couple years, we would.
Once again the foes of Social Security are making big noises about "entitlement reform" and the alleged dire consequences of failing to gut Social Security either through benefit cuts or privatization. The Petersen Institute is launching a major TV ad campaign about how horrid it will be if we don't emaciate Social Security (they call it reform, but it's the same idea). They and the Blue Dogs in Congress are calling a "Fiscal Responsibility Roundtable" that Obama has agreed to attend.
Fiscal Responsibility? Where were they during the Bush Administration? When did they oppose the wasteful Iraq War? When did they oppose the massive waste, abuse and fraud in the Pentagon? Apparently that spending was OK, but spending money on poor, old and sick people - that's irresponsible, dontcha know.
The last thing we need Mr. President is to cut benefits to those most vulnerable in this time of economic hardship, but that's just what these people want you to do. In fact, if you really wanted to stimulate the economy you should try increasing benefits. The retirement of the baby boom generation will cause Social Security to use some of its massive trust fund to pay benefits for a few years. The problem is that the government has already spent that money and they don't want to honor their fiduciary obligations to the American people by paying it back. Tough luck!
I'm quite sure that the extra millions that Social Security will need in about 30 years to pay full benefits could be saved from the Pentagon alone, but failing that, simply eliminating the salary cap and making every worker pay the same percentage of income would solve the problem and then some.
Every few years the same people (mostly the banking industry and Wall Street - the greedy bastards who got us into this economic meltdown in the first place) start whining about "entitlement reform". You need to wake up, Mr. President! This is a ruse and we need you to put these people in their place once and for all and tell them there will be no reduction in Social Security benefits on your watch.
Stephen Views the News February 18, 2009
http://stephenviewsthenews.blogspot.com/
* “Unsafe sex” ~ getting screwed by conservatives – The heavy petting began with Ronald Regan’s Reaganomics – cut taxes for the wealthy, build up deficits but hide some of the deficits by stealing from Social Security (SS) surpluses. I call it stealing because it was dressed in the alluring lingerie of borrowing that was never paid back – about $200 billion per year. “Each time the government dipped into the Social Security trust fund this way, it issued a legal obligation to pay back the money with interest whenever Social Security needed it to pay benefits… That moment of reckoning is approaching. Uncle Sam owes these trillions to Social Security retirees and has to pay it back or look like just another deadbeat. That risk is the only "crisis" facing Social Security.” The Congressional Budget Office says SS is not broke. It can sustain its obligations for another forty years if nothing changes. Conservatives call SS an “entitlement program.” I suggest that each reader look at their SS statements to see what they have actually paid in to this program. Taking into consideration how much this money would have earned if kept in a private account, it is not likely we each will be paid out what we paid in.
I bring this to readers’ attention because there is a backroom move afoot. Being characterized as fiscal reform some conservative think tanks and influential wealthy interests are pushing for what amounts to the misappropriation of trillions of SS dollars. I urge anyone who will be eligible to receive SS to read this article in The Nation by William Greider, author of the book Come Home, America. We all should be alert to any suggestion to reduce SS benefits and the deceit and lies that accompany such suggestions. It is a Ponzi scheme that dwarfs Bernie “The Goniff” Madoff and directly affects all of us.
* The Fairness Doctrine – This was a federal regulation abandoned in 1987 that required broadcasters to present opposing views on public issues. “More and more Democrats in Congress are calling for action (to reinstate the Fairness Doctrine) that Republicans warn could muzzle right-wing talk radio.” I have mixed feelings about renewing such a law. As much as I abhor the hate, divisiveness and prejudice of Limbaugh, Hannity, Savage and like savages the principle of freedom of speech calls for free speech. I do not think open-mindedness can be legislated. Those who achieve tumescence from hateful talk radio have the same rights as people who want to watch porn or listen to the progressive views of Rachel Maddow. Porn and liberal broadcasters may be less harmful to one’s well being but in a free society it is not our place to restrict viewpoints. And although the majority of radio stations are owned by conservative interests the internet is providing balancing points of view that were not available when the regulation was in effect. There are many situations where government involvement is necessary. I do not think that this is one of them.
* The Unfairness Doctrine – I will leave it to others to determine how disingenuous ideologues reach the pinnacle of mainstream media voices. They are given positions in major newspapers or seats on major television news broadcasts. Much of America relies on their punditocracy in spite of their being either ill-informed or intentionally misleading or in some cases both. Case in point is long-time Washington Post columnist George Will. In his Op-Ed column on February 15, 2009 Will attempted to demonstrate that concern about global warming is misplaced. Supporting his argument Will made the following reference; “According to the University of Illinois' Arctic Climate Research Center (ACRC), global sea ice levels now equal those of 1979.”
Hours after the column appeared ACRC posted the following response on its website: “We do not know where George Will is getting his information, but our data shows that on February 15, 1979, global sea ice area was 16.79 million sq. km and on February 15, 2009, global sea ice area was 15.45 million sq. km. Therefore, global sea ice levels are 1.34 million sq. km less in February 2009 than in February 1979. This decrease in sea ice area is roughly equal to the area of Texas, California, and Oklahoma combined… It is disturbing that the Washington Post would publish such information without first checking the facts.”
Thanks to TPMMuckraker for bringing this to our attention and for providing greater detail about errors in Will’s column. I would suggest that the greatest value of this Washington Post piece is that it can be used to wrap mercury-laden fish that probably smell better than Will’s “journalistic” effort.
* Generational Theft – This is the new Republican buzz slogan prognosticating the effect of the stimulus bill. It speculates that the enormity of the U.S. deficit will burden future generations with untold consequences. We did not hear this swan song when Reagan started the deficit ball rolling. In 2001 Dick Cheney said, "Reagan proved that deficits don't matter." And from 2002 to 2007 few if any of these same Republicans decried the deficit spending they voted for, doubling the deficit from $5 to $10 trillion. Now that they are in the minority, deficits matter. Like many citizens I share concern about deficit effects on subsequent generations so I found an article by economist Ann Pettifor at the Huffington Post of particular interest. At some length Ms. Pettifor describes that this stimulus bill will pay for itself and “not cripple us long-term… when the government invests the bulk of $789 billion in real, productive economic activity - it always gets its money back - plus some.” Since mainstream and cable media are not providing a balanced look at the effects of the stimulus package a read of this article may prove enlightening.
* Get serious Sirius - One of the least talented “entertainers” on the planet is foul-mouth and teenage-horny Howard Stern. He certainly is not to be blamed that Sirius satellite radio offered him a 5-year $500 million contract. Nor is he to be blamed that Sirius is about to file for bankruptcy. Who would not take the windfall? At the same time it is not surprising that financial problems beset a business model that included paying a half a billion dollars for a questionable asset. It reminds one of the many “leading” banks and financial institutions in America and around the world desperately seeking bail (hand) outs from governments.
* Pomp and a great deal of Circumstance – Wes Yoder’s company Ambassador Agency is a publicist for the fundamentalist preacher, author and anti-gay activist Reverend Rick Warren. Just added to the covey of Yoder’s clients is Nadya Suleman. She is the single mother of six that showed America how a stimulus package works when her fertility doctor powered her up to give birth to octuplets. Said doctor can probably use a publicist as his proficiency sans ethics is stimulating the call for regulations and oversight of gynecologic breeding farmers.
* What’s It All about Alfie? – It seemed strange enough when the 13-year old British boy Alfie Patten made the news for fathering a child with his 15-year old friend Chantelle Steadman. British observers described the schoolboy as another symbol of “broken Britain.” Alfie will have to be a part-time dad since he cannot move into the Steadman household until he is 16. In the mean time he has helped change the baby’s diapers before immersing himself in video games.
The saga gets stranger as two other teenagers, one 14 and one 16, claim they may have fathered the child. Generally, when a girl gets pregnant, potential inseminators experience paternus interruptus. Those Brits know how to maintain a stiff upper lip, among other appendages. Alfie’s dad Dennis, no stranger to fathering children, has advised that his son submit to a DNA test. Dennis is the father of eight but two years ago split with Alfie’s mom when he was caught having an affair with a 19-year old. There was no mention in related articles whether the Patten family is philosophically opposed to rubbers, incapable of comprehending the concept(ion) of sex education, or are forming a new cult that will eventually seek to revise inbreeding made infamous by British aristocracy in days of yore. I expect Alfie and Chantelle will headline a new reality show, “The Young and Defiant… and Stupid.” In the first episode the young couple will get home from school and share milk and cookies with their infant and then take turns burping each other. Alfie may have been quoted as saying that when he grows up he wants to be a freshman.
* "My husband and I have decided to start a family while my parents are still young enough to look after them." Rita Rudner (born 1953) American comedienne, writer and actress
There are many many people - THE ELDERLY, THE MOST ILL, THE MOST VULNERABLE and literally helpless people in our society who would literally DIE without these programs. And as "spendy" as certain people try to make them out to be - they are the cost of a free-market society that has no other government mechanism to care for the elderly, sick and vulnerable. THIS IS ONE OF THE POWERFUL WAYS TO SHOW THE HUMANITY AND COMPASSION of a wealthy country!. WHY IS IT ALWAYS OK to discuss cutting these two programs - BUT POLITICAL SUICIDE TO DISCUSS HIGHER TAXES FOR THE WEALTHY? I want to see CHANGE bad enough to sacrifice. But if I don't eat or have a place to live - what do I have that can be sacrificed? NOTHING! THESE PROGRAMS SHOULD NEVER _ NOT ONCE _ EVER be allowed to "be on the table" - EVER - until those who vastly benefit from this free-market society are willing to foot the bill of those who cant because THEIR share prices go up by increasing the cost of medical and pharmecueticals - which we the people have to pay. Anyone on SS now, knows how tightly these programs are regulated already(!)- even to get ON the programs - and then when you are SO grateful to get the help - It is NOT EVEN ENOUGH TO BARELY SCRAPE BY ON in the economies of some cities. DON'T LET SPECIAL INTERESTS and REPUBLICAN WEALTHY CONGRESS seats EVEN SUGGEST TOUCHING Social Security. HOW DARE THEY! And what a horrible first "mis-step" to day to have said this, Barak - and said it so concretely and casually - today at the press conference. ANYONE SUGGESTING TO DO THIS, IS ONLY SHOWING a) They do not understand the profound need for these programs and b) they are playing old school politics and c) DO NOT UNDERSTAND THAT WHILE WE MAY NOT HAVE OTHER TYPES OF POWER OR WEALTH - WE CAN SPEAK AND WRITE LETTERS AND BE A CRAZY NUISANCE IF THIS TRIES TO HAPPEN. IT IS NO PICNIC being on these programs - and I'd give anything not to have to be so, but currently I have no choice. So the AGED OLD ARGUEMENT that people want to free-load and that's why the program should be chopped up, is purely politicing. That's like saying someone purposefully breaks their arm for attention. Sure - maybe a 1% crazy demographic. But NOT the vast majority - it's TOO PAINFUL! Even if there ARE SOME "freeloaders" - NO PROGRAM IS PERFECT - and those people should not be allowed to ruin it for he rest of the 95% of us! PLEASE BARAK - BE BIGGER THAN THIS! DO NOT EVEN SERIOUSLY CONSIDER cutting back the funding for the programs. Tighten the restriction - or add mmore frequent monitoring - THEN SEE if money is left over that can be cut! ANYTHING BUT CUT!
ANYONE ELSE OUT THERE CONCERNED ABOUT THIS? SEND A MESSAGE SOMEWHERE SOMEHOW TO President-Elect Obama.
Thank you for listening.
Rock/Seattle, WA
Our working class is dominated by an apparently singular mythos. One that seems to have found it's genesis in heroic literature and in the American west where individual effort resulted in, presumably, heroic consequences. We salute as a body the individual via his efforts. Even Mister Rogers said that we are each special and unique and that we each have a special and unique place in the world, essentially recapitulating the idea that God creates each of us in order to affect some necessary function within the world as we know it. He was by the way an immensely charming man, Mr. Rogers that is, obviously extremely well intended and is well remembered by me and probably all of my peers. Nonetheless this myth is, I think, an antecedent of the deconstruction of the American working class family.
The industrial age at it's inception with its focus on group endeavor made no dent in this powerful myth or communal self description but did add a principle, a sotto voce contractual principle, in which the individual, with uniqueness of function in hand, even if his or her function was only that of a cog for the betterment of society at large, deserved and got substantial support from that society upon retirement.
This addition to our pre-existing working class mythos has no bearing on the way that other, wealthier, classes perceive a working individual or the working class as a whole. And that, in fact, more wealthy classes seem to see this support of the individual worker as a sort of corporate welfare in which their expenses, read wages, are externalized through the exploitation of taxpayer burden, thereby placing the burden of the care of any individual directly on the working class as a body rather than on that individual.
A laudable system actually, one that not only has provided for millions of Americans upon retirement but circuitously, if unintentionally, engaged an interior myth of the working class while solving the problem in a much more rational, less illusioned fashion. It is both elegant and a textbook Klein bottle effect.
But is this not a societal paradigm that begs a question? Does not the assertion that we are each special and unique end in proving that the great mass of the working class is nothing but an exploitable resource?
I spoke to an elderly man in in Berkeley a couple of years ago. We were preparing his house for sale by replacing windows, doors, sheetrock and cabinets. He said that he had to move because it had become too expensive to live there anymore. He said that in the sixties a working guy would sell his home, if he had to move, to another working guy for a price that was fair and that the other guy could afford. He said that in the early seventies the sale of working class homes became an "Investment Opportunity" for working people. He said that this had never happened before and that before that workers stuck together. In addition he suggested that the self exploitation of workers was increasing and very dangerous calling investors in both real estate and the market sheep in wolves clothing that were compromising the only power that the working class have, unity for personal gain and at the same time creating an environment that could no longer support the very people it was created for.I heard him.
Seemingly the last man standing in this socioeconomic spray of imaginary heroics is the one that writes the paycheck for it is he who appears to benefit from the social security system. This may be true but not for the small business owner. Here enters the amazing web of confusing red tape and presumed cost sharing that is the burden of the small business employer. The impenetrable thicket and skyrocketing costs of insurances in combination with a truly amazing body of law is in effect a Lilliputian effort at restraining what could be the only hope of the working class since these employers emerge from the same class as their employees. Essentially strapping the small business owner to debatable civic responsibilities at the expense of the well being of his employees and ultimately himself thereby, perhaps coincidentally, creating a versus relationship therein. As a result of this quagmire of law and insurances the small business owner simply cannot afford to pay his employees what they need to actually support themselves throughout their lives.
The political sphere resonates with domination and power mongering. What was to be a merely organizational effort i.e., government, has blossomed, triumphed. Corporations via the dollar rule with an iron fist the ground they share with citizens. And idealism at best a quaint spark fades and is overshadowed by a realism necessitated by bullies, the creators and maintainers of wealth. Swords are sharpened in wait for the next spending spree; humanism hasn't a shred of hope in the wake of the almighty faceless economic juggernaut that is self interest as expressed by the corporation.
There is a passage in Richard Jefferies' book The Story of my Heart in which he writes "Is there any theory, philosophy, or creed," he says, "is there any system of culture, any formulated method, able to meetand satisfy each separate item of this agitated pool of human life? By which they may be guided, by which they may hope, by which look forward? Not a mere illusion of the craving heart--something real, as real as the solid walls of fact against which, like seaweed, they are dashed; something to give each separate personality sunshine and a flower in its own existence now; something to shape this million-handed labor to an end and outcome that will leave more sunshine and more flowers to those who must succeed? Something real now, and not in the spirit-land; in this hour now, as I stand and the sun burns. . . . Full well aware that all has failed, yet, side by side with the sadness of that knowledge, there lives on in me an unquenchable belief, thought burning like the sun, that there is yet something to be found.... It must be dragged forth by the might of thought from the immense forces of the universe."
Jeffries casts himself as a romantic dreamer whiling away the day while standing before a beauteous terrain lost in thought with his hands in his pockets. But on closer inspection this passage makes a very interesting point and asks an interesting question. What can the working class point itself toward that will aid them in their efforts and keep them trudging foreword in their labors?
I guess the point I was trying to make before I lost my way here was that economically it has been the tack of administrations and the political sphere in general to solve the post industrial working class problem by setting us one against another economically. But that like the old man in Berkeley I believe that unity is the only way out.
During a conversation I had with Taj Mahal several months ago I asked what he thought would become of the working class after the deconstruction of the support systems attendant upon it and the obvious end of the industrial age here in America. His answer was that we as a class should become creative producers in the world arena. He said that creativity could and should be learned and taught in schools. He said that as a body the working class could, utilizing creativity, raise itself from the desperate straits it now faces.
This seemed idealistic to me initially. As I gave it some thought though I realized that I had internalized a presumptive and perhaps arrogant element of our world view that states that creativity and the efforts that it fosters are a realm available to a few.
He may be on to something. I don't know.
I do know that something has to happen though. The burgeoning working class is far too large to fit in the service industries and the service industries cannot pay their employees enough to ever buy a house or send even one kid to college.
Anybody got any ideas?
You see I know from personal experience that things often don’t end the way they do in the movies. I did everything right, went to college, worked for over thirty years, had good credit, paid my bills on time etc. Unfortunately I got sick in America. After a freak accident, I almost died, had to have brain surgery, and now have several incurable autoimmune diseases. That was hard enough to deal with, but when I filed a claim to get a government insurance policy (Social Security Disability Insurance) that I paid for every week out of my wages, just like many of you do, my life was permanently destroyed with the stroke of a pen, by a government worker to whom I was just an SS number, and who did not do their job properly. I lost all my life savings, and pension money while fighting for my benefits, and will never be able to recover from the emotional, physical and financial devastation that had on my life.
Unlike Frank Capra’s character George Bailey, there are no bailouts for me, or others like me. While family and friends have good intentions, they are not much better off either, so they really can’t help like they might want to, and I don’t qualify for Social Service programs. I don’t know how I am going to survive without some miracle like winning the lottery. I am now doomed to spend what’s left of my days here on earth, living in poverty, in addition to all my medical concerns. I will never be able to own a home, or get another car. My current vehicle which is on death’s door, is the only method of transportation I have for survival. Then there is always the struggle of deciding whether I should buy food, or get medicine, that much needed medical test, or see the doctor instead. When things break down now, I cannot fix them and have to do without. This totally unbearable, continuing source of stress and frustration, is killing me. I tell you this not for pity but to warn you that anyone of you reading this could end up just like me, and have your life changed forever by an unfortunate illness, accident, vicious act, service to our country or natural disaster. Remember that disease and tragedy do not discriminate on the basis of age, sex or race, and if you think this could not happen to you – you could be dead wrong, just like over 16,000 Americans in the last two years who did not survive the wait to get their Social Security Disability benefits.
Since most of our elected officials will probably never experience this scenario personally, because they usually have a nice financial cushion to fall back on, I don’t see any hope for change in regards to this problem, no matter who is in office. Let’s be brutally honest here. The first thing to get cut in local, state and federal budgets is always the money to fund programs that help the people who need it most. This problem has festered for decades and nobody is going to convince me that they don’t want us to give up or die. They continually talk about helping the upper class and the middle class. What about the millions of Americans that do not fit either of those categories? Thanks to their neglect of our situations, they continue to prove that they have no class. The only thing that ever trickles down to us is too nasty a word to mention, and the only light at the end of the tunnel is a freight train! Buildings are not built from the top down, and a chain is only as strong as it’s weakest link. You can judge a country by how it treats it’s most vulnerable citizens, and we have been left to die in the streets, and on hospital waiting room floors. Based on what I have seen, heard, and personally experienced, America should hang its head in shame! Unfortunately for myself, and others like me it’s not such a wonderful life. There is no possibility of the American dream, only the reality of the American nightmare. My only hope is that it never happens to you.
Dear Barack,
If you ever read these things, and I highly doubt that you will ever see this, we really need to talk!
The rest of my horror story can be found on my website “A Bump On The Head” at:
http://www.frontiernet.net/~lindaf1/bump.html
LJ Fullerton - Social Security Disability Coalition
Well ... In spite of all the blog not to Bailout, we have bailed out. Now, the car companies want billions. Seems we've opened our wallets and everyone wants a hand out! Stop the Bailout! Make those free-enterprisers pay for their own mistakes and lack of planning. Wells Fargo Bank (not in trouble) was forced to take 25 billion they didn't even need! Let the car companies go into bankruptcy, just like the airlines ... except use a little more common sense on the number of hours an employee has to work (Flight Attendants work 14 to 18 hour days!). The UAW needs to look at the non-union auto makers and lower the $28/hour they demand down to non-union pay. A large majority of the $70 per hour cost that auto companies incur goes to retired auto workers. Let's pay back all the monies we've stolen from Social Security and pay the retired auto workers their due portion from there. Social Security (of course) is not enough to retire on. The 1937-Act was passed to supplement Social Security. Fund and beef up 1937-Act Funds to supplement Social Security. In the meantime, Bankruptcy should force the auto makers to move to making reasonably priced green autos, only. Toyota's Prius is a prime example (just make them good-looking). This Bailout is forcing our government into the Private Sector. Yes, because of Man's greed, government needs regulate. However, with the exception of California's Governor Arnold Swartzenegger, I would guess not many of our legislators have made most of their fortune outside of government.
I have two suggestions, one a motto for the Inaguration Speech and the other an easily understood and doable action that can be taken to effect a middle class tax cut without a lot of juggling of the tax code.
1.MOTTO: Liberal in Thought, Conservative in Action
For too long Republicans have fostered, and Democrats have allowed, the term "Liberal" to be a dirty word equivalent to communist or socialist and raising taxes and giving welfare to people who are too lazy to work. and rather take and even cheat to get a government handout.
Liberal should mean caring for and consideration of the plight of our fellow human beings.
From the perspective of "Liberals" , "Conservative" is a dirty word that means narrow-minded people who think that only their views have validity and those who talk about small government while enriching themselves with tax breaks and avoiding regulation.. It no longer means "conservation" - to keep what is good and to protect our natural environment and resources. It no longer means to act only after a careful deliberation.
This motto (Liberal in Thought - Concervative in Action) which I conceived and adopted as my personal motto, represents the majority of those who supported Obams's candidacy and a significant number of "liberal or progressive or moderate" people who supported Senator McCain. This motto combines both liberal and conservative without making them deogaotry terms. I can be accepted by both groups because it doesn't make either one give up their identities "Liberal or Conservative." Instead, it combines the best of the two views in a way that can satisfy both without negating the other. It embodies the "liberal" in us who have elemental feelings of compassion for those with less, for the underdog, and would like to see a just and peaceful world. It is what makes Americans the most generous giver when there is a natural disaster anywhere in the world. At the same time it shares the "conservative" in all of us, that would like to have an efficient government that isn't wasteful or corrupt and makes decisions with "deliberate haste", with an emphasis on "deliberate."
To govern all of us President Obama will have to these good motives, both liberal and conservative. He can't afford to ignore these terms but must redefine them. That is what Candidate Obama said were his intention. That is what President Bush said he would do but he did the opposite (he failed to be compassionate and decided to be a nation builder outside our borders). I also believed Candidate McCain in 2000 but then for the next 8 years he bent his principals to gain the support of those non-compassionate conservatives who supported President Bush. I think a large portion of the McCain voters wouldn't have support a significant number of the other potential Republican candidates and they selected McCain as the only Republic who had any chance of winning against all odds. Now the Obama administration must convince as many of those who voted for McCain by using words (Motto) and deeds (Action) to show that he is the President for all Americans. He can start with a motto like the one I have suggested.
2. ACTIONS. Working Americans may not realize that net income upon which their tax rate is calculated, doesn't exclude (deduct) their Social Security and Medicare taxes. That is, the income that is deducted for Social Security and Medicare is taxed.
A. The taxes on the middle class could be lowered by deducting part or all of their social security taxes from their gross taxable income.
B. An alternative would be to make the Social Security and Medicare taxes Progressive, i.e., deduct from the top of the income and work down until it covers the amount needed for the present and future.
C. Combinatoin of A and B.
Who are the "middle class"? They are workers who pay social security and medicare taxes on their income. They also retirees who pay taxes on their Social Security benefits. In that sense, they are taxed three times (twice when they are working via paying taxes on their income that is pre-social security deduction, second via the SS deduction, and third when they retire and receive the SS benefit. Two of these taxes shouldn't be taxes at all. If SS and Medicare were exempt or partially exempt from taxes, then the tax rate on the income for which they were taxed could be raised to partially cover the difference lost income tax and at the same time the tax rate could be raised for those who have very high incomes, whose primary income comes from stocks, bonds, bonuses, golden parachutes, stock options, inheritance and also the corporations. These latter groups, can afford a tax attorney to help them avoid paying taxes and are represented by lobbyist who make the tax laws benefit them by contributing to election campaigns. These are the individuals who earn over $250,000. If their income is from working i.e., they have a payroll withholding or estimated tax, then this deduction will be fairly innoxuous. Most of the high income category aren't paying SS tax or it is a small part of their income. After all, SS deductions is based on the lower end of the income (regressive). Another approach would be to deduct Social Security from the top of the earned income and lower the level until there is enough to cover the cost. In either case there would have to be a modification for civilian government employees who are exempt from Social Security. Perhaps they should be part of the SS system?
These actions won't reward or injure those who aren't working because those individuals aren't paying SS taxes.
It will only target those who are working, i.e., who pay SS taxes and it would favor those with lower incomes. It would by definition increase taxes on "Unearned" income i.e., income that didn't come from "working".
If the data were available to me I could determine the cost of this approach by seeing to what level one would have to raise the social security deduction (on the paycheck) to offset the lost taxes on the Social Security deduction (on the income tax return) or conversely, for alternative B, where we would have to stop before not deducting for Social Security? Perhaps it would end at $60,000, i.e. no Social Security Deduction or Medicare Deducation if you earned less than $60,000? This would be coupled with an increase in the progressive general tax rate on those in the upper income bracket.
Martin MacIntyre, taxpayer, social security recipient, more than $100,000 in income, and one who supports your ideas.
First congratulations to everyone!
Now, the hard works starts in clearing up this mess. How can I work with the disability team some? I could not move to DC to work with the team, but I could over the Internet.
The first thing that must be done is to look at the SSA Rules for SSDI and how people with disabilities can make money without bring punished. I cannot make over $940.00 and as a teacher assistant for my University I am making a little over $1000.00 a month. The SSA have over paid me for 07 to the $6000.00, and they want the money back. Working for a University as a TA should not count against me as substantial work!
If I was blind I could make $1,570 before I was cut off. It does not make since to have two different numbers and rules for different groups. Since I am on Texas Medicaid also, I cannot have over $2000.00 in my bank account, so I don't have the money to pay back without doing payment plan.
Either raised the amount people with all disabilities to a high same amount that they can make on a job like $2000.00 a month! or college students that are working for the University should not be held to the same standards.
How can I save any money if the SSA and state medicaid count any types of the usual way of saving money as income?
Before we can put people with disabilities to work that really mean something, these rules must be straighten out and may fair for all!
Thanks,
Tom Roome
What follows is my final appeal to Lee's Summit residents on behalf of Senator Obama. This letter was preceded by a very well-written letter addressing the role of government. Mr. Lewis made a compelling case for limited government, but did not acknowledge the unique situation we are currently faced with. As I mentioned before, my letters get pretty long. I will put the first paragraph here, and the rest after the jump.
William Lewis wrote an excellent letter about the nature of freedom and government in America. Although candidates often say this, we are at a unique point in history. Our country has faced many of the current challenges before, but never all at once. We are faced with a war on two fronts, an economic crisis, an energy crisis, and an environmental crisis. I am a big believer in the power of the free market, but the free market is just not enough to get the job done before it is too late.
Letter to Mr. Obama
Dear Mr. Obama, Here is my take on current problems and some solutions:
> Terrorists… Bring back the MAD strategy ( Mutually Assured Destruction ) Since we know who they are and where they are from tell the home countries of the terrorists that they will be held accountable for their people … If a Iranian terrorist bombs something like the world trade center that we will take a week or two to verify the origin of the perpetrators and then we will destroy one of their cities doing 10 times the damage they did …this will put the policing of the terrorists on their shoulders not ours .
> Bring home all National Guard units… The National Guard is only to be used in case of a world war type of situation when we have been attacked or we are in an all out declared war. It was never to be used like a regular standing army… If we need to increase the size of out regular standing army than that is what we need to do. Better yet keep it small and quit trying to be the world’s policeman. Afghanistan broke the USSR what were we thinking to go there with supply lines that reach around the world?
I would have no problem with having our people in a UN armed forces unit as “peace keepers” They should be a mixed country units maybe something along the lines of the French foreign legion? The force should include. Armed forces & police, to keep the peace, Teachers , Engineers and workers to teach the local people to build and the repair the infrastructure to keep people healthy , hospitals, clean water supply , sanitation , power , food, farming , schools , etc…If the UN goes into a country that is having problems; floods, civil war, famine or whatever .. It should be able to solve them or at least give the people a start towards solving their own problems.
> Social Security--- The system was set up as a pay as you go with taxes high enough to pay the bills for the current retires every year. Looking ahead and realizing that the baby boomers generation had fewer children than their parents, pay as you go wouldn’t work anymore. We followed the recommendations of the Greenspan Commision so starting in “93” we have been paying more in than the system needed to build up a “reserve” for the baby boomers retirement, although this extra money isn‘t in a “lockbox” waiting it was rolled into the general fund to hide true size of the deficit. Baby boomers have paid for their SS benefits so we can’t be screwing them out of benefits they have paid for and are counting on. And don’t be complaining we have a low savings rate. SS deductions have doubled since we started working. We boomers could have taken that money and put it into our own investments or saving instead of trusting the governments SS insurance program … In view of the problems in the stock market I still wouldn’t invest SS money there. My take is the big boys are looking for a new source of money so to prop up prices so they can pull their money out and leave someone else holding the bag when it all melts down …And finally think about the 30 million plus people that were aborted since “72” and how they would have changed the payer/recipient ratio for the SS system for the better. Can we cut benefits for the people who killed their children who would be supporting them in their retirement? Just a observation … If we quit exporting good paying manufacturing jobs and replacing them with minimum wage jobs people would be paying in more to the SS system and it wouldn’t be having the problems it is now.
> Credit ---Want to help the middle income people let them deduct the interest they pay on their credit cards again …maybe make them apply any tax savings from this automatically to pay down the balance on a credit card , auto or home loan. The less money people owe the more money is freed up and that will keep interest rates down … I also would like to see a cap on interest rates of say 18 or 20% MAX the 33+% penalty rates they want to charge people is nothing but usury designed to force them into bankrupts or moving debt to seconds on their homes so the banks can more easily repossess peoples houses if they have problems. Never mind the profit from all the fees they charge for new loans. Also something must be done to limit the card issuers from raising peoples rates just because they feel like it, when you talk to them they don’t even give people a specific reason just a vague “a report from xyz “. They should have to provide a specific reason in writing - IE you were late on a payment on this date. Or if based on a report from xyz agency be required to send you a hard copy of the report when notify you of a rate increase. That way people have a chance to challenge it if it’s based on wrong information. Currently it’s a huge hassle to get credit reports from all 3 major reporting agencies figure out what they are saying then figure out what it was that triggered the increase in interest rates than make them correct it and get interest rates rolled back. The current system puts the burden on the consumer to prove they are not guilty of screwing up not on the company to prove they are. If they can afford to send out all the junk mail and other offers they send out it shouldn’t be to much to of a problem to sent out information they have in hand on why they are increasing rates. ( THE PLAN --<a> give them cheep credit, <b> raise their rates, <c> get them to move their debt to their houses, <d> outsource their good paying jobs and close down the company they work for, <e> when they can’t make their house payments on the low pay service industry job take their house. <f> sell the house to someone else and repeat.)
> Identity theft --- We never had a problem until banks started using peoples SS number for a identification number so use our names and birth date and place that should be more than enough to track people…
> I would like to ban on ALL automated telephone dialers. I can think of more irritating than running to answer the phone and then having a recording spewing crap in your ear during dinner or wakening me up in the middle of the day when I am sleeping because I work swing shift or grave yard … they force you to listen to them until finally most of them have a press X to be removed from the list … or the ones from someone looking for someone that doesn’t live at your number “ this is a important call for Mr. xxxxx please return this call at xxx-xxx-xxxx when you call them it is just a recording that wants you to leave a message and they will get back to you so you are playing phone tag with them for months ( I still can’t get them to stop calling AAAaaaaaaa (primal scream of total frustration)
> Guns we all should be allowed to have any gun we want including military automatic weapons … the reason for the second amendment is to have a armed citizen population to defend your home and family and the country in case of invasion and to keep OUR government in check as well as hunting and recreational shooting
> Bailing out home loan mess … let borrowers that are in trouble borrow against their SS accounts if someone works for 10 years and makes 40,000 a year they would contribute 7% or $28,000.oo matched by the employers contribution would be 56,000.oo let them borrow their own SS money up to what ever they have contributed at prime plus the rate of inflation so they will have to pay back what they borrow in constant dollars plus a little. (Like borrowing against a 401K? This line of credit could only be used for makeing payments on peoples house ..To insure repayment make it an automatic paycheck deduction And no way to bankrupt out of repaying it. ) This will give people a chance to build up equity in a house even if they have hard times and miss a payment or 10 or let them make smaller payments or skip some payments because of unemployment or bad health. It is their own money and if they don’t pay it back eventually it will only reduce their future SS income. If they want to retire they first will have to take out a conventional loan and refinance what ever they still owe on their house SS loan to collect full SS payments or reduce their SS income by what ever the loan payment amount is to make the payments. If they die before repaying the loan, than their SS loan account still holds the papers on their house and will have to be paid back or a new loan taken out for a survivor based on the survivors SS account. We can’t be turning out the wife if she survives the husband.
> I think the CEOs and all the upper management of the failed banks should be held responsible for the problems they let happen on their watch. They should be fired and stripped of ALL their personal assets to help pay back what they lost. They should be forbidden from ever holding a job in the finance or banking industry or any management position where they could manage money for life. Then they would have to work for living digging ditches, working at McDonalds or Wal-Mart or wherever they can find a job. They have no honor they need to be made an example of that will be remembered in the future. I would even vote for the death penalty for them because of all the damage they have done to this country… They have cost us more than the 9-11 terrorists.
> Rebuilding flooded areas beach front property etc. if a federally insured or backed loan or flood insurance we need to have a stop loss thing if a property is in a flood zone and has been destroyed and replaced twice than buy out the property and NEVER waste taxpayer money building on that property again. Help the owner get a loan to build somewhere else and make the property a flood zone green space… if they can come up with private insurance fine but if the property is a loss again, the private insurance company must cover it, no federal bail out… I would limit the number or % of such coverage private insurance companies can issue so a big loss won’t take them down or result in higher rates for their other customer. This will result in very high insurance rates for some properties but how many times should someone else have to bail people out before they have to pay for their own stupidly. If it means abandon a whole city because of flooding so be it. It has happened many times through out history we wouldn’t be the first or the last.
> Oil--- Keep ours in the ground it is like money in the bank use up all the other countries oil first and ours will be worth all that much more.
> what about a speed limit on interstates go as fast as you want as long as you get better than 25 MPG or you are limited to 55 MPH this should be a good incentive for people to move to smaller or more efficient cars .It would be easy to add a small computer that would measure gas milage, keep a log for verification and display a green light on the back of the car if people were getting more than 25mpg.
> Trade --- if a country doesn’t have environmental standards as tough as ours impose a environmental penalty on goods manufactured in a “dirty” factory .This will provide incentive for them to clean up and level the playing field for our manufactures and remove incentives to outsource dirty industry to avoid pollution laws.
> Health Care --We spend more money on health care any way you want to measure it than any country in the world as a % of GDP we spend 13.9, Germany 10.8, Switzerland 10.9 .
Some good measures of a health care system are:
Life expectance at birth………….We are 44th.
Probability of reaching 65 …….. We are 32nd.
Hospital beds per 1000 …….……We are 27th.
It seems to me we can do better. I am Union Millwright we are part of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters. We negotiate a wage and benefit package with our employers. We are paid an hourly wage and benefits; Health insurance, Retirement and training that are taken out of our pay… Our pay package is $33 and change an hour 1.00 goes to our apprentice and journeyman training, 2 dollars to retirement and 4.30 to pay for health insurance. I spend over 12% of my pay package on health insurance, if I add the 1.45 % Medicare deduction and the employers matching 1.45% that amounts to over 15% of what I earn going to health care !!! For that I should have 100 % coverage 100% of the time… Instead I get coverage that covers 80% of “reasonable and normal” a catch phrase for what the cheapest doctor in the country charges for a procedure not what the local doctor will charge… After paying the annual deductible I get reimbursed 80% of that and have to pay the rest out of pocket … when construction work is slow I often run out of hours in my insurance “bank” and have no health insurance… to be fair we do have a annual “stop loss’ so after paying 2000.00 out of pocket they are suppose to pay the rest .. The sad part is that because I have insurance I get charged more for the same thing than people who don’t have insurance or who are on welfare or Medicare. So I pay for my insurance, than pay extra if I am sick to help cover the people who have no insurance and I pay taxes to cover the people who are on welfare…or Medicare … What a Fu--ed Up system !!!
I would take the 2.9 we pay combined medicare tax and take another 10% of my check that’s 12.9 % of what I am paid. If that isn’t enough money add a tax on every share of stock that is sold just a nominal amount like 1 or 2 cents per share right off the top of any stock share selling for say over 5 dollars a share . I’m talking about fixed tax per share not a % of stock price. Lets hit the big players who move thousands of shares not the mom and pop small investors don’t move enough stocks often enough to notice a 1dollar per 100 shares tax the big boys that move tens of thousands of shares a day have all the money and can afford to pay more in taxes … this also has the advantage of taxing foreign investors for our health care ..We pay for theirs already since it is part of the price of the goods we import since all the major industrial countries already have a nationalized health care system…
When Bush took office $100.oo would fill a normal sized shopping basket at the grocery store. Now, after 7 years of Bush’s economic warfare on the American people my $100.oo will only fill one of the new small shopping baskets .I call them… BUSH BASKETS J they are the epitome of the Bush administration..
Have a good day, Kevin Davis
DEFINITION“The average number of years to be lived by a group of people born in the same year, if mortality at each age remains constant in the future. Life expectancy at birth is also a measure of overall quality of life in a country and summarizes the mortality at all ages. It can also be thought of as indicating the potential return on investment in human capital and is necessary for the calculation of various actuarial measures.”
http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/hea_lif_exp_at_bir_mal-health-life-expectancy-birth-male
Health Statistics > Life expectancy at birth > Total population (most recent) by country
Rank
Countries
Amount (top to bottom)
#1
Andorra:
83.52 years
#2
Macau:
82.27 years
#3
Japan:
82.02 years
#4
San Marino:
81.8 years
#5
Singapore:
#6
Hong Kong:
81.68 years
#7
Sweden:
80.63 years
#8
Australia:
80.62 years
#9
Switzerland:
#10
France:
80.59 years
#11
Guernsey:
80.53 years
#12
Iceland:
80.43 years
#13
Canada:
80.34 years
#14
Cayman Islands:
80.2 years
#15
Italy:
79.94 years
#16
Gibraltar:
79.93 years
#17
Monaco:
79.82 years
#18
Liechtenstein:
79.81 years
#19
Spain:
79.78 years
#20
Norway:
79.67 years
#21
Israel:
79.59 years
#22
Jersey:
79.51 years
#23
Faroe Islands:
79.49 years
#24
Greece:
79.38 years
#25
Austria:
79.21 years
#26
Virgin Islands:
79.2 years
#27
Malta:
79.15 years
#28
Netherlands:
79.11 years
#29
Luxembourg:
79.03 years
#30
Montserrat:
79 years
#31
New Zealand:
78.96 years
#32
Germany:
78.95 years
#33
Belgium:
78.92 years
#34
Saint Pierre and Miquelon:
78.76 years
#35
Guam:
#36
United Kingdom:
78.7 years
#37
Finland:
78.66 years
#38
Man, Isle of:
78.64 years
#39
Jordan:
78.55 years
#40
Puerto Rico:
78.54 years
#41
Bosnia and Herzegovina:
78.17 years
#42
Bermuda:
78.13 years
#43
Saint Helena:
78.09 years
#44
United States:
78 years
#45
Cyprus:
77.98 years
#46
Denmark:
77.96 years
#47
Ireland:
77.9 years
#48
Portugal:
77.87 years
#49
Albania:
77.6 years
#50
Taiwan:
77.56 years
Total expenditure as % of GDP by country
13.9 % of GDP
10.9 % of GDP
10.8 % of GDP
9.4 % of GDP
9.3 % of GDP
9.2 % of GDP
9.1 % of GDP
9 % of GDP
8.8 % of GDP
8.6 % of GDP
8.5 % of GDP
8.3 % of GDP
8.1 % of GDP
8 % of GDP
7.8 % of GDP
7.6 % of GDP
7.5 % of GDP
Hungary:
7.4 % of GDP
Czech Republic:
7.3 % of GDP
7 % of GDP
6.9 % of GDP
Poland:
6 % of GDP
Mexico:
5.9 % of GDP
Slovakia:
5.6 % of GDP
Weighted average:
Public spending as % of total by country
91.4%
89.1%
85.4%
85.3%
84%
83.4%
83.1%
78.5%
77.9%
76%
75.7%
75.6%
75.2%
72.4%
71.4%
71.2%
70.5%
70.2%
69.9%
57.9%
52.9%
44.9%
73.7
Hospital beds by country
18.3 per 1,000 people
16.4 per 1,000 people
14.4 per 1,000 people
11.1 per 1,000 people
9.7 per 1,000 people
9.2 per 1,000 people
8.8 per 1,000 people
8.7 per 1,000 people
8.4 per 1,000 people
8.3 per 1,000 people
8.1 per 1,000 people
8 per 1,000 people
7.9 per 1,000 people
7.6 per 1,000 people
7.3 per 1,000 people
6.2 per 1,000 people
Korea, South:
5.5 per 1,000 people
5.1 per 1,000 people
4.9 per 1,000 people
4.5 per 1,000 people
4.1 per 1,000 people
4 per 1,000 people
3.9 per 1,000 people
3.7 per 1,000 people
3.6 per 1,000 people
Turkey:
2.6 per 1,000 people
1.1 per 1,000 people
Probability of reaching 65 > Male by country
85.1%
84.8%
84.4%
84.2%
83.2%
82.7%
82.3%
82.2%
81.6%
81.5%
80.9%
80.7%
Kuwait:
Barbados:
80.6%
Costa Rica:
80.1%
80%
79.8%
79.7%
79.6%
79.2%
78.6%
78.3%
Cuba:
78.1%
78%
Jamaica:
77.5%
77.4%
The rampant corruption - yes, corruption, let's call it what it is - in Washington must end, and it must end now. The corporate plunderers and their puppet politicians have, literally, bled this great nation dry. Our nation's capital has been nothing less than a porkfest picnic ground for many years, and through a number of administrations (of both major parties). We're not just talking about "earmarks", or even "corporate welfare". These are both parts of the big picture, but let's not forget government an defense cotracts, or the actual legislative acts that pander to "special interests". Government has become a "for profit" business.....for private, not public, profit. This must stop, and it must stop now, or the America we grew up in, the America we love, will be just a memory.
We choose to believe, and pray, that Barak will be different, will stay true. He claims to represent the majority of the people, not the majority of the wealth. God, please let it be so. The American majority cannot wait another four years for change. This is the truth that we, the people, know all too well, as our ability to make (the most essential) ends meet has all but disappeared, into the pockets of the "porkers".
But, there remains the question of just how deeply Barak understands our middle class plight. He promises tax breaks, but let's be honest. Most of us would happily pay more taxes, when it would mean that we are earning more. Senator Obama, the people's plight is not about taxes, it's about our incomes. A 15% tax break, for most families, is worth two weeks of medical insurance, maybe. And, at the rate that medical costs are rising, it will be worth two days insurance by the time your tax break is legislated. Because our incomes are in decline, savings are down (or gone), while costs (of essentials) are skyrocketing, and debt (incurred to pay the skyrocketing cost of essentials) is staggering.
We, the working majority of Americans, need jobs. Good, stable jobs that provide living wages. Most of the employment growth has been in the "service sector". While we're being "real", let's also be realistic. The only significant job creation in this country has been in poverty level jobs. Yes, these jobs are necessary.....for kids who need money for their Friday night dates. But, staying "real", these jobs can't begin to support a family, even a two parent family with both parents working two full time jobs. It just ain't gonna happen. Not here, not now.
We need jobs, real jobs. And, we need to fill them with real people. The working people of today's America. The displaced, the downsized, the disenfranchised. These are the people who must be trained for "new" jobs.
Barak, if you could take a survey of all the "baby boomers" who are nearing "retirement" age, you'll find a very, very large percentage have been herein described. They/we are desperate, with falling incomes or unemployment, no savings, and massive indebtedness. Retirement isn't/won't be an option, unless/until forced by failing health.
For them/us, social security looks simultaneously like a supplimental income and a curse. The current laws assume that they/we will have adequate savings when we begin collecting. But they/we don't. And, the pittance allowed (before benefits are penalized) won't be enough.
I am a 59 year old married man. I have a grown son, but I also have a baby daughter who will soon be 2. She will graduate high school (and begin college) when I am 75. I am now earning the same amount (in actual dollars) as I was in the 1970's. My health is failing (which I can't afford because I'm earning 1970's money). I have no savings (because I'm earning 1970's money). I have far too much debt (because I'm earning 1970's money). A tax credit of 15%, or even 100%, isn't going to fix the problem, because I'm earning 1970's money.
I, and the working people of America, of whom I'm sadly representative, are not earning wages that meet the needs of the 21st century. This, Senator Barak Obama, is the problem that must be immediately addressed. We pray you understand, and put our faith in you.
With all the turmoil in the economy over the last month, there is no clearer time to highlight the need to protect Social Security and not leave it to the whims of Wall Street. This was a major topic of conversation at the Fort Collins Senior Center on Friday morning.
State Senator Bob Bacon joined a packed room of seniors to discuss Senator Obama's plan to protect Social Security, reform our health care system to make insurance affordable, and reform our tax policy so people on fixed income aren't overburdened by taxes.
"There are enormous problems every four to eight years. Some are of our own making, some we have no control over. We need someone who will tell us the truth because fixing these problems won't be easy."
Betty lives in The Worthington Independent Living in Fort Collins and volunteers at the Campaign for Change office every week. She laughed as she talked about her volunteer experience.
"I've been working every Tuesday from 1:00 to 4:00. I've been so pleased with the number of young people coming in. It's so important that they take an interest. They need to save their country."
