We were promised Health Care Reform, not a health care tweak

[BurtWorm]

That's why I'm angry.

This is not change I can believe in. This is not even change.

[lapfog_1]

1. This isn't a tweak.

It's an insurance company wet dream.

30 million new customers, many of them paid for by Uncle Sam.

No cost containment.

Continued monopoly exemption.

Able to locate in the state with the weakest insurance regulations but allowed to do business in any state.

I understand their stocks are way up now.

[AndyA]

2. We were also promised NO NEW TAXES (unless you're hyper wealthy)

This mandatory health insurance is nothing more than a new tax. It's not optional, you have to pay it.

Call it what you want, but it's still less money in your pocket, and more going to those who don't need it so they can pay their $20 million/year CEOs $40 million after it goes into effect.

Phoebe can buy that new Mercedes now! (The old one is already becoming a maintenance nightmare...it needs an oil change! AAACCKKKK!!!)

[Greyhound]

3. With so many anxious to bend over for their corporate masters,

I begin to understand how "the parasites that matter" can view us with such contempt. They know that we will take anything and will never do anything about it, so why not?

[BurtWorm]

4. This poster at TPM gets at another thing that bugs me about how ineffectually this has been handled

by the administration (and the leading Dems in the Congress, though occasionally Pelosi and even Reid made the right kinds of noises): No Fight:


http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Talking-Points-Memo/~3/dWhzcy6s1kM/no_fight.php

I think people are pissed right now less at the fact that they didn't get what they wanted, and more at the fact that they feel like their people didn't really fight for it. Leaders don't always get what they want. But people recognize when true leaders at least give it a shot. And people judge that leadership by what they say in public and how hard they see them publicly pushing for it. Closed door negotiations don't count.

They wanted to see Obama push the public option and say that it was crucial, important part. His broad outlines of "cuts the deficit, improves coverage" is too bland and not something people can rally around, and he gives the impression that he's ceding power and leadership to a less capable bunch in the legislative branch.

They wanted to see news stories about how "staffers close to the majority leader" say that chaimanships and other perks were on the line for any Democrat who talked about filibustering this crucial bill.

They wanted to see congressional leadership and the president campaign hard for an "up or down vote on healthcare" the way the Republicans did so effectively for the judge appointments.

But none of that happened, and the things that people care about died with a whimper.

I know there's been a lot of game theory from people about how that would never work, etc. But the fact is that you can show leadership for big ideas and there's always still room to compromise at the end. At least then it would be clear that there was no other way, that you put up the good fight, better luck next time.

Instead they feel like the people they voted for and trusted to lead them failed. And it's hard to imagine making that same emotional commitment again in the future. Self defeating, yes. Temporary, maybe. But we're talking primal stuff here - people don't like wimps, not matter what party.

[Laelth]

6. Agreed. I was miffed when Obama started downplaying the importance of the PO.

The PO is the only real cost-containment measure in the bill, and cost containment is our biggest problem.

That was disappointing.

:dem:

-Laelth

[Laelth]

5. Ah, but it's not a tweak.

The individual mandate constitutes a massive, new, back-door tax on the uninsured (in direct contradiction to Obama's campaign pledge not to raise taxes on the poor and the middle class). The individual mandate is a really big change. It may even be unconstitutional.

I grant you, however, that the alleged reforms amount to little more than "tweaks."

:dem:

-Laelth