FireDogLake: "kill the healthcare bill" - is this REALLY happening?

[upi402]

Here's the hotpoints from an email from Ms Hampsher;

"1.Forces you to pay up to 8% of your income to private insurance corporations -- whether you want to or not
1.If you refuse to buy the insurance, you'll have to pay penalties of up to 2% of your annual income to the IRS
1.After being forced to pay thousands in premiums for junk insurance, you can still be on the hook for up to $11,900 a year in out-of-pocket medical expenses.
1.Massive restriction on a woman's right to choose, designed to trigger a challenge to Roe v. Wade in the Supreme Court
2.Paid for by taxes on the middle class insurance plan you have right now through your employer, causing them to cut back benefits and increase co-pays

1.Many of the taxes to pay for the bill start now, but most Americans won't see any benefits -- like an end to discrimination against those with preexisting conditions -- until 2014 when the program begins.

2.Allows insurance companies to charge people who are older 300% more than others
1.Grants monopolies to to drug companies that will keep generic versions of expensive bio tech drugs from ever coming to market.
1.No reimportation of prescription drugs, which would save consumers $100 billion over 10 years
1.The cost of medical care will continue to rise, and insurance premiums for a family of 4 will rise an average of $1000 a year -- meaning in 10 years, you family's insurance premium will be $10,000 more annually than it is right now."

Is this really happening? Do Dems insist on losing the election in 2012 and 2014 too?

unreal

[tomm2thumbs]

1. am i completely off base, or can George Soros please start a proper Insurance Company now?

someone with the wherewithal to start a company could stand to make a killing, EVEN WHEN BEING FAIR AND A GOOD CITIZEN COMPANY

If the states aren't going to be allowed to have an option, can't someone start a company and make it affordable and won't folks just flock to it? I am not talking the existing companies - they are too corrupted by themselves, but a new player.

Even Southwest Airlines managed to break the monopoly of high prices in the heavily entrenched airline industry, but it took ONE CEO to have the guts and determination to make it happen.


* George Soros is just an example - whomever has the notion to do good and make a mark on this country for OTHER than merely stockholders

[Cleita]

2. No, you are not off base. Someone if not him needs to do it so that

everyone has a place to be insured and therefore can cancel the insurance that they have. Killing this industry is the only way to get real health care reform.

[Clear Blue Sky]

3. Good points.

Lousy bill and will put someone like Palin in the WH in 2012.

[frazzled]

4. Boy, using the republican strategy: scare tactics and lies

Her numbers are totally off (see this table of what average premiums will be with the current legislation vs. no legislation here: http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2009/12/the_most_important_table_youll.html); the 2% penalty has been debunked repeatedly; dead wrong about the excise tax on insurers; etc.

This reminds me of articles I used to read in The Nation back during the Clinton Welfare Reform Bill era--blood was going to run in the streets, millions would die, children would starve. It didn't happen.

What the hell does Jane Hamsher know about health care reform policy, besides some slogans someone whispered in her ear? She is totally not an expert.

And finally, what she is offering you is worse than this bill: it's nothing. Thousands WILL die because of her ill-informed, libertarian (not progressive) views. The choice is not between this and something better. It's between this and nothing. Going back years, I always wondered what the attraction of Jane Hamsher was: her opinion is no more valid than yours or mine. And a bit of a con-artist.

This is not a serious article. Sorry you fell for it.

[upi402]

12. It was an email. Not an article that I read.

and I did ask the 'is it real?' question. Kinda implies I didn't fall.

But you should also recall the countless times the TV News, NY Times, and WaPo were utter BS, while the wackos online had it 100% correct. Time will tell, but I generally am not a 'fall for it' type at all.

Right now I have a gut feeling that the corporatists want us to fall for the idea that it's an improvement, like NAFTA would create jobs, etc. Should I go on endlessly here?

If this is reform, who's falling for what?

[man4allcats]

5. I asked the same question

in so many words earlier. It got 3 recs and dropped off the page. Sometimes this board amazes me.

[ixion]

6. apparently, they insist

because they're going to get their asses handed to them because of this travesty.

[butterfly77]

7. If they kill it..

it will won't be brought up again for a long time and we know how long it took to get this far..I don't like a whole lot in this bill. I think we just need to pass it and add on. After we get rid of a lot of the Bluedogs..

[Raineyb]

9. That's ridiculous! Do they or do they not control the agenda?

It's perfectly within their ability to bring up decent health CARE reform (not insurance thank you very much) every session. That they refuse to and then try to make people eat a shit sandwich by saying it'll never come up again is extremely disingenuous on the part of our politicians. It's bull! If they can't be bothered to bring it up every day of every session then what the hell are they there for? They never give up on things that benefit the corporations so why should we accept that argument from them on things that are supposed to help US.

[butterfly77]

11. As we have seen for months..

the CONS are controlling the agenda with lies. The Repugs have a strategy throw out lie after lie. THe dems sat back and let them control the agenda all summer long.

If this bill is killed now we will spend all of 2010 trying to knock back the lies while trying to deal with climate change and a whole of of other issues that the Repugs will throw out there and the Dems will act shock as though they don't know who they are dealing with along with the media's help...

[thotzRthingz]

8. k&r (see my comments linked within -- otherwise n/t)

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x7289131

[FLAprogressive]

10. yes it is. thank god it's passing!!!!!

[Mithreal]

13. If you don't have trouble lying, canvassing and phonebanking should be a breeze.

For the national party, that is.