Jobless and hopeless in America

[MSbklawyer]

I am only suggesting that everyone pay the same price of after tax dollars as Congress -- whatever that may be. However, if that is the costs then it further highlights the problem. Why should government employees - public servants - obtain public paid health care and no one else. We pay the taxes that pay for this benefit. If their health costs are as high as you say -- and presumptively a tax free benefit - how is it right that the common person does not get the same benefit - that should not be the case in a democracy.
And my proposed solution would force the Congress to come to a real solution. Perhaps that would mean they would have to pay more for their coverage or get a policy more like what everyone else has - and costs less. Perhaps they will have to find alternative tax sources to help defray some of the costs i.e. tax fast food, junk food alcohol and tobacco and have it go solely towards health care. This might also perhaps help with a healthier society that would minimize future demand for health care. The less Congress has to live as everyone else the more disconnected they are with the public. We should not let that happen.

Oh, I'm not suggesting that it's right for Congress to have these Rolls Royce healthcare plans while us serfs have to pray that we don't get sick. My point was that there's not enough money in the world to provide those kinds of benefits to everyone.

[msm859]

Well, the price for the health care package that members of Congress have is upwards of $35,000 per year. The government pays for that coverage though as part of their Congressional salary / benefits package. You already have the right to buy the exact same healthcare offered to Congress. Fork over 3 grand a month and it's yours. If you're suggesting that the government pay for it for everyone just like they do Congress . . . that gives a whole new meaning to the idea of government debt.

I am only suggesting that everyone pay the same price of after tax dollars as Congress -- whatever that may be. However, if that is the costs then it further highlights the problem. Why should government employees - public servants - obtain public paid health care and no one else. We pay the taxes that pay for this benefit. If their health costs are as high as you say -- and presumptively a tax free benefit - how is it right that the common person does not get the same benefit - that should not be the case in a democracy.
And my proposed solution would force the Congress to come to a real solution. Perhaps that would mean they would have to pay more for their coverage or get a policy more like what everyone else has - and costs less. Perhaps they will have to find alternative tax sources to help defray some of the costs i.e. tax fast food, junk food alcohol and tobacco and have it go solely towards health care. This might also perhaps help with a healthier society that would minimize future demand for health care. The less Congress has to live as everyone else the more disconnected they are with the public. We should not let that happen.

[MSbklawyer]

Actually I have a "simple" solution to health care. Everyone needs to rally and demand a public option. The public option will be that everyone has the right to buy the exact same health care offered to Congress at the exact same price. Only then will they be forced to fix the problem.

Well, the price for the health care package that members of Congress have is upwards of $35,000 per year. The government pays for that coverage though as part of their Congressional salary / benefits package. You already have the right to buy the exact same healthcare offered to Congress. Fork over 3 grand a month and it's yours. If you're suggesting that the government pay for it for everyone just like they do Congress . . . that gives a whole new meaning to the idea of government debt.

[Egr61]

There's a documentary movie that is pertinent to this thread, I think, called "Collapse", with Micheal Ruppert. It's an interesting movie.

I find it interesting that oil prices are on the rise again, now that the economy is improving somewhat. Is continued economic growth going to be possible without an unlimited supply of cheap oil, which there is not? Remember what happened right after oil hit $147 a barrel? That what was right around the start of The Great Recession.

[tobee43]

Well that is the beauty of the simplicity. Congress makes sure that their coverage is affordable and provides good coverage. If everyone had the option to buy the same coverage at the same price that would force the Congress to make real changes to make health care affordable and available to all. It would also add real competition to private insurers.

good point.....and you're right, if congress can make theirs affordable....darn right we should have the same option!!!

[msm859]

however, what will that cost the public out of their own pockets...with so many unemployed and so many poor now in this country what can people pay. and, will the "rich" get better care? it's very scary!

Well that is the beauty of the simplicity. Congress makes sure that their coverage is affordable and provides good coverage. If everyone had the option to buy the same coverage at the same price that would force the Congress to make real changes to make health care affordable and available to all. It would also add real competition to private insurers.

[tobee43]

tobee, I agree. If that were San Fran, expensive areas of Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, you better believe they would have cleaned that place up as fast as you can say MONEY$$$$

well, i guess there is something to the phrase...."location, location".....

[helpme2010]

tobee, I agree. If that were San Fran, expensive areas of Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, you better believe they would have cleaned that place up as fast as you can say MONEY$$$$

[tobee43]

It breaks my heart to watch this country continue to outsource our jobs, not invest in new industries/technology like other countries are doing, continue to allow the richest citizens to find loopholes or prosper, often while harming the poorest. Is there any wonder why we have such a shrinking middle class, such a growing class of poor, and why we keep rewarding the CEO's and top executives of corporations that screw our country, while we bail them out and then allow them to get even larger bonuses after they run their companies so poorly and require the taxpayers to bail them out. Just look at what the banking industry has done to us. They were supposed to take the bailouts and invest in the citizens that needed loans, but instead they hoard the money and invest in derivatives and offshore investments.

Every elected official in this country is out for himself or herself, including harming our country to go with their party which helps the elected official stay in office that much longer. Greed is literally turning our country into a 3rd world country. So sad. And all of us are the ones paying the price.

my parents were telling me that people are coming into the bay area with BAGS of money and buying up all the huge homes...and the news even said today that supply of these mansions are down and demand is way up...but it's people from other countries buying NOT us...

i have mentioned this before, but when i saw the scenes from katina we didn't just look like a 3rd world country...i think for that week we were...

[helpme2010]

I have been in and out of jobs for 10 years now. And this is the worst I have seen the job prospecting, ever. The worst part and I hate to sound like a broken record is that I did the right thing, I went back to school during the recession and earned my degree with top grades. And yet nobody wants to hire me. Again I ask why do we have college and degrees if they are so worthless to hiring companies?

All I can say is the government had better keep unemployment extensions going, period. I don't care if someone is out of work for 3 months or 3 years, this is the only help we have until we find jobs again.

[helpme2010]

It breaks my heart to watch this country continue to outsource our jobs, not invest in new industries/technology like other countries are doing, continue to allow the richest citizens to find loopholes or prosper, often while harming the poorest. Is there any wonder why we have such a shrinking middle class, such a growing class of poor, and why we keep rewarding the CEO's and top executives of corporations that screw our country, while we bail them out and then allow them to get even larger bonuses after they run their companies so poorly and require the taxpayers to bail them out. Just look at what the banking industry has done to us. They were supposed to take the bailouts and invest in the citizens that needed loans, but instead they hoard the money and invest in derivatives and offshore investments.

Every elected official in this country is out for himself or herself, including harming our country to go with their party which helps the elected official stay in office that much longer. Greed is literally turning our country into a 3rd world country. So sad. And all of us are the ones paying the price.

[tobee43]

Actually I have a "simple" solution to health care. Everyone needs to rally and demand a public option. The public option will be that everyone has the right to buy the exact same health care offered to Congress at the exact same price. Only then will they be forced to fix the problem.

however, what will that cost the public out of their own pockets...with so many unemployed and so many poor now in this country what can people pay. and, will the "rich" get better care? it's very scary!

[tobee43]

My hat goes off to Tobee43 and the contributing posters.

A very good article as well as additions. What I make out of all your posts is one thing in common. Whether REP, or DEM, THIS president is selling us out, and bankrupting this Nation. I did not like Clinton, I did not like Nixon, but I have to abhor this president for what he is doing and the way he is doing it.

Clinton sold our secrets to China. Nixon brought us to China, and Carter gave our Panama Canal away and China is running it. He invented the false oil shortage, PresBO is continuing it as paying other nations OUR money to explore OUR Gulf of Mexico but cutting our drilling off for seven years. WTF?

I've said it before, and again now: You ain't seen nuthin yet!! 'Hub

i'm with you on this hub....i think this is the top of the volcano!

[AngelinaCatHub]

My hat goes off to Tobee43 and the contributing posters.

A very good article as well as additions. What I make out of all your posts is one thing in common. Whether REP, or DEM, THIS president is selling us out, and bankrupting this Nation. I did not like Clinton, I did not like Nixon, but I have to abhor this president for what he is doing and the way he is doing it.

Clinton sold our secrets to China. Nixon brought us to China, and Carter gave our Panama Canal away and China is running it. He invented the false oil shortage, PresBO is continuing it as paying other nations OUR money to explore OUR Gulf of Mexico but cutting our drilling off for seven years. WTF?

I've said it before, and again now: You ain't seen nuthin yet!! 'Hub

[discouraged]

What has happened to us? Our generation is the one that fought for so many things. And we turned around a lot of things. How did we become so complacent? I think because, until now, we DID have good jobs. We had security - and now we see it vanish before our very eyes.

My hope is that the younger generation will look back and see what we accomplished and start fighting back. It wasn't easy and it was often ugly, but we sure did accomplish a lot.

I hope to see it happen once again, people banding together for a common cause.