Health Care For Less?

So, the Harry Reid health insurance bill going through the Senate will increase taxes by $518 billion initially. I refer to it as the “Harry Reid” bill because it has no resemblance to the bills that came out of the Senate committees and was concocted under the cover of darkness over this past weekend.

Anyway, it will increase taxes by a reported $518 billion for the purpose of insuring the “30 million uninsured.” That comes to $17,266 per individual to insure all of these allegedly uninsured. Or, with the average family consisting of 3.14 persons according to the US Census Bureau, $54,217 per family.

So, I wondered, how does that compare to the average health insurance premium in the United States. Just how much do these “unaffordable” health insurance premiums the Democrats have so vilified as “too expensive” for the average family actually cost?

According to an article on About.com:

In a report (Individual Health Insurance 2009: A Comprehensive Survey of Premiums,Availability, and Benefits) made public in October 2009, America’s Health Insurance Plans (a trade group representing health insurance companies) presented some interesting information that gives a sense of what health insurance policies cost when purchased by an individual.

Across the country, the annual premium was $2,985 for a single person and $6,328 for a family.

The annual premium was very different from state to state. For example, the premium for a family health plan in New York was $13,296, while a similar plan in Iowa was $5609.

The annual premiums for health plans were also very different depending if the annual deductible was high or low. For example, family plans with no deductible had an average premium of $12686 each year, while plans with an annual deductible of $10,000 had an average premium of $5380 each year.

So while the premiums obviously vary widely according to the options a family selects, the average family health insurance premium costs $6,328 per year. Those “outrageous” private health insurance premiums actually cost $47,889 per year less than the “affordable” health insurance plan that Harry Reid has concocted when prorated over his target audience of an allegedly 30 million uninsured.

It seems that the Democrat plan to “lower the cost” of health care is actually going to cost eight and one half times more than what those nasty private insurance companies charge. Perhaps the citizens need to be investigating the excesses and illegal practices of Congress. It appears that the health insurance industry is actually doing a good job holding down the cost of health insurance.

If Reid had thought to simply buy insurance from the private companies for the alleged “uninsured” it would have only cost the taxpayers $60.46 billion. So it makes you wonder, what is this really all about? Is it about insuring the “uninsured” or is it about giving more power to Washington and socializing our national economy? The data would suggest it certainly isn’t about “cutting the cost of health care” as these bozos in Washington continually repeat.

Anybody ready for a tea party?

“We are all in the same boat on a stormy sea and
we owe each other a terrible loyalty.” – G. K. Chesterson

Like A Thief in the Night

The Senate, led by Harry Reid, is planning a preliminary vote on Reid’s “health care” legislation at 0100, that’s 1AM on Monday morning, December 21.

A vote in the middle of the night is very indicative of the nefarious nature of those trying to push this bill through. If it was good for the nation and had the support of the American people this vote would take place in the light of day, in full view on C-Span and in time to make the next day newspaper headlines.

That the Democrat leadership is sneaking around in the middle of the night like cockroaches speaks volumes.

Among other things, to get this bill this far Reid and his cronies has had to tighten rules against funding abortion, rules that will no doubt be stripped in conference. He also, apparently in a nod to his Hollywood supporters, stripped a tax on cosmetic surgery while throwing the youth who supported Obama under the bus by adding a 10% tax on tanning bed services.

This bill will add an additional $1 Trillion to the federal budget and while it is supposedly budget neutral, that is because the collection of new taxes will begin immediately, in some cases retroactively, while “benefits” won’t start until 2014.

So while on paper the bill is “neutral” for the first 10 years, no one, at least on the Democrat side, is talking about what happens after that. Anyone with a 5th grade education can see that after 10 years, this bill will produce at minimum 30% annual deficits. That’s before the inevitable excess costs inherit to every spending bill that has come out of Congress begins producing massive deficits.

If this bill passes, our government will have set in place the tool of its fiscal destruction and the collapse of the American economy. It may not be 5 or 10 or even 15 years away, but with this kind of reckless spending, no individual, business or, yes, even government can even hope to keep its financial head above water.

“We are all in the same boat on a stormy sea and
we owe each other a terrible loyalty.” – G. K. Chesterson

An open letter to the President

Dear President Obama,

The current attempt by this administration to socialize the medical system is a blatant power grab for 17% of the US economy. The majority of Americans are beginning to see this for what it is and to understand this administration’s desire to wreck our free market economy.

I do not support this move by this administration nor do at least 51% of the American people. The more we know about this scheme the less support it engenders. This is a tribute to the intellect of the American people.

That your administration in collusion with the Democrat majority rushes this to a vote before the American people learn more is a testament to your callous disregard for the will of the people.

We will not be dissuaded by high sounding words and misinformation. Stop this insanity, NOW!

“We are all in the same boat on a stormy sea and
we owe each other a terrible loyalty.” – G. K. Chesterson

Just say NO!

We must demand our Senators and Representatives vote against any more bailout of private businesses and individuals with government, taxpayer money. It is time for us to bite the bullet and face the consequences of our irresponsible financial behavior. It is immoral for us to pass on to our grandchildren and great-grandchildren this debt.

The American people were sold a “bill of goods” last October, and it’s happening again now. Throwing more taxpayer debt at the economic problems our nation faces will only at best delay the inevitable while piling up unconscionable debt on our children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Our government now owes more money than all of us in the country put together possess. We now owe nearly $57 trillion while our total net worth is only $56.5 trillion. President-elect Barack Obama has said, “We’ve got trillion-dollar deficits for years to come even with the economic recovery that we are working on at this point.“

Obama’s plan, being promoted by Democrats and Republicans alike, is to pass out money, running up debt that our grandchildren will be forced to pay. Their solution is simple. Throw more money at the problem. Many of the projects clamoring for a piece of the “pie” at best are poor investments. Others just don’t make sense or amount to funding of projects no one else wants or sees a legitimate need of.

Where will the government get these trillions of dollars? They will go to the printing press and print more, which means that dollar in your pocket will be worth less. It also means the government will borrow more. From whom? Try China and the rich oil producing countries. At the rate we are going, China will never have to fight us. They will own us.

We don’t need to keep digging the hole deeper and deeper. Where will the bailouts end? We need some leadership from Congress, and we need it now. In the vacuum of statesmanship out of Washington, the American people must show that leadership. We know that in the real world there is no such thing as a free lunch; we must make sure oblivious Washington insiders know that as well.

They must stop feeding the American people a line of $&#@!. Democrats railed against Republicans over federal deficits during the Bush years. Now they are set to allow nearly as much deficit spending in one year than was incurred during the entire Bush administration, and yawn while doing so.

Stop the bleeding now! Just say NO to any more bailouts, “taxpayer investment” and government wealth transfers of all kinds. I for one am sick of the enormous transfer of wealth from this nation to China and the oil producing nations. Every dollar of deficit spending means more for them.

Write your Representatives, Senators and the President-elect. Tell them, “Stop it…NOW!”

“We are all in the same boat on a stormy sea and
we owe each other a terrible loyalty.” – G. K. Chesterson

SNL Update

YouTube has taken down the video link in the last post.

NBC has stated that the skit failed to meet standards. The question is, whose standards? SNL has never been afraid to lampoon anyone and specifically anyone on the right of the political divide.

They used their editorial commentary skits to skewer most recently Sarah Palin and her family, even going so far as to suggest incest. So I don’t understand what the problem is here unless some very powerful people, i.e. the Sandlers or George Soros, has threatened NBC with lawsuits, or even with buying them and firing them all.

Michelle Malkin is following this closely, visit her site for the latest info.

Here’s the link to the edited version just posted on the NBC Saturday Night Live site. On my first viewing the differences seem minor. The most prominent is the absence of an identifying tag under the Herb and Marion Sandler characters that states “People who should be shot.”

Maybe they were afraid that some of the people they took advantage of in their quest for billions of dollars would see that not as a satirical statement but a suggestion that should be followed up on.

I just located a site with the original unedited version of the skit along with an outtake of the edited portion and a video embed of the edited version from Hulu.

SNL Bailout C-Span Video Clip

Thanks to the internet, NBC can run but they can’t hide. Hmmm, I wonder if someone at NBC, some free thinker, is actually helping to keep this alive as a snub to whomever is trying to shut it down in original form? Ya think?

“We are all in the same boat on a stormy sea and
we owe each other a terrible loyalty.” – G. K. Chesterson

The missing SNL video…

The current brouhaha among political watchers and commentators is the disappearance of a video on the NBC/SNL website of a skit broadcast this past Saturday night.

This skit is a surprisingly honest commentary on the events surrounding the recent bailout, the complicity of the Democrats, the amazing availability of easy money for mortgage loans to people that could in no way qualify without the intervention of the Community Revitalization Act, and the gross greed of those in the mortgage industry who took advantage of the situation.

While the politicians depicted are real, the “victims” are fictional, except for Herbert and Marion Sandler who are real life individuals who profited hugely by focusing of sub-prime mortgages then selling their business to Wachovia in 2006 just before the mortgage meltdown began.

The only primary missing ingredient is a direct reference to the collusion of Congressmen, specifically Barney Frank though he is depicted in the video, to prop the doors to Freddie and Fannie open even while the Bush administration and members of the Republican Congress raised warning flags and tried to reign them in.

I’ll say no more but post links to pertinent articles and say that I’ve downloaded the video, so if it goes missing again, I and many others who’ve done the same will work to keep it alive.

This video, in satire, tells the story that many in the mainstream media won’t touch, and apparently NBC is to dishonest, and apparently frightened by someone, to remain public.

Links:
YouTube – Freddie and Fannie
LA Times – Self-censorship? “Saturday Night Live” pulls bailout skit
Michelle Malkin – The missing SNL bailout skit — and the Soros connection
RedState – NBC Yanks SNL Skit From Internet To Help Democrats
Wikipedia – Herb Sandler
Winston-Salem Journal – Ex-Golden West banker defends his mortgage actions

“We are all in the same boat on a stormy sea and
we owe each other a terrible loyalty.” – G. K. Chesterson

An open letter to Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL),

While I am appreciative of your negative vote on H.R. 1424, I question whether your reasons were the same as mine.

The socialist shifts legislated in 1424 are an affront to our Republic and I fear that Section 110 will cause more damage to our nation and our economy than even the provisions of Section 101.

Short-term relief to mortgage holders who made poor decisions will result in undermining confidence in our nations banks and financial institutions even more so than current events have.

The underlying cause of the current financial and mortgage crisis originated in a Congress which, putting politics over the nations good, created legislation, the Community Reinvestment Act, that served to embolden activist groups to badger, sue and force institutions into making loans that were imprudent and unjustifiable.

It encouraged individuals to purchase homes far beyond their ability and means. Not unlike a Ponsi scheme, when the bubble burst, those caught in it’s midst found a hell hole where there should have been a castle.

Members of Congress, on both sides of the aisle, voted to encourage and allow Freddie and Fannie to dangerously expose their portfolios to these sub-prime notes in an effort to further expand home ownership by many who could not afford the responsibility of such.

While the individuals were certainly to blame to letting their greed and dreams overcome commonsense, and the lenders are to blame for not resisting the dangers of making such loans on the promise of increasing profitability, it is squarely on Congress where the blame must fall for creating the social engineering scheme that created this mess.

While Democrats demonize the current administration and Republicans, and there is blame to go around, the record clearly shows that this administration and certain Republican members raised a clarion call several times since 2001. It was the Democrat members who, though in minority, used procedure to kill these efforts to reign in those out of control entities.

Mr. Barney Frank was a primary contributor to killing these attempts and he should be a primary target of investigation for deliberately ignoring his fiduciary duty to the American people.

But Mr. Frank is not solely to blame. Every member of Congress who participated in this social engineering scheme is a fault and in my opinion should be turned out of Congress.

It is imperative that if this Republic, this great American experiment in democracy, is to survive, the People need representatives who truly represent the interest of the people. I fear this Congress is enamored with their own selves, with their quest for power, and have lost that vision, assuming they ever subscribed to it.

Write your Representative: How did they vote?
Write your Senators: How did they vote?

“We are all in the same boat on a stormy sea and
we owe each other a terrible loyalty.” – G. K. Chesterson

An open letter to Sen. Bob Martinez (R-FL)

I am very concerned by your vote in the affirmative for H.R. 1424. This bill was rushed through the legislature and little time was given to investigate alternative solutions that would be more effective and less costly to the American taxpayer.

Even now our President and other leaders are backing off their urgent pleadings, telling us now that this bill will not be implemented for several months and will have little effect on our economic crisis.

I am very disturbed by the legislation provided in Section 110. It appears to me that this Congress has created provisions that, even more than Section 101, will advance socialism in the United States and the federalization of our financial markets.

I am surprised that your college, Mr. Nelson (D-FL), voted against this bill despite on its language that socializes the US financial markets and our banks via:

1) Government ownership of financial institutions, and
2) Unwarranted government intervention into private mortgage contracts.

This slippery slope will only become steeper if Democrats, now encouraged in their agenda, retain their majority.

I plead with you to set aside political considerations and make a stand for the future of our Republic.

Alexis de Tocqueville said, “The American Republic will endure, until politicians realize they can bribe the people with their own money.”

Our legislators discovered this long ago, the people are swallowing this hook into their collective gut that will eventually rip them inside out.

Write your Representative: How did they vote?
Write your Senators: How did they vote?

“We are all in the same boat on a stormy sea and
we owe each other a terrible loyalty.” – G. K. Chesterson

Congressional statesmen hold the line for the people.

An open letter to Florida Rep. Ric Keller:

Thank you for your vote against the flawed Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 – H.R.3997. It was and remains deeply flawed and fails to address the fundamental problems underlying the current weakness in the credit markets.

It seems that many in Congress have the mindset that the only solution to a problem is to “throw” money at it. You cannot fix is problem caused by bad legislation with more bad legislation.

There is a much better solution that will be less costly to the American taxpayer. According to William Isaac the Fair Value Accounting rules, better known as mark to market, are a prime culprit in the current crisis.

According to Isaac, “This is contrary to everything we know about bank regulation. When there are temporary impairments of asset values due to economic and marketplace events, regulators must give institutions an opportunity to survive the temporary impairment. Assets should not be marked to unrealistic fire-sale prices. Regulators must evaluate the assets on the basis of their true economic value (a discounted cash-flow analysis).”

One Rep. John Linder has said that were this rule returned to mark to par almost every financial institution that is now in trouble would be back on solid footing. Mark to par served our nations financial institutions well for 220 years. FAS 157 and mark to market has resulted, in conjunction with other flawed legislation such as the Community Reinvestment Act, in the current crisis in our financial markets.

The CRA requires banks and lending institutions to make loans to that were otherwise fiscally indefensible. Many of the loans made under CRA form the basis of the current sub-prime mortgage foreclosure problem.

Community organizers have used CRA to force banks to make loans they otherwise would not have extended. A.C.O.R.N., for one, is well know for its methods of “shaking down” lenders and requiring them, under the auspices of CRA, to make “exotic” loans to unqualified applicants.

Contrary to assertions by Democrats, deregulation by Republicans has not been a factor in the current crisis in the financial markets. To the contrary, Sarbanes-Oxley, voted into existence by a Republican Congress in response to Enron, WorldCom, Tyco, et. al., was a buzz saw where a scalpel was needed.

This should be revisited and repealed in part or, better, in whole.

Additionally, updating F.D.I.C. insurance to cover up to $250,000 in deposits will ensure small businesses that the money they need for payrolls and operating expenses will be there when needed despite the turmoil in the credit markets.

I’m not financial wiz, but I do understand that when government gets involved in the private sector, the primary result is chaos and disruption. There is a place for prudent regulations and laws to punish abusers.

But government manipulating the private sector for the purpose of advancing “progressive” policies that fly in the face of common sense and good business practice must stop.

Further reading:

Wikipedia – Mark to Market
Talk Gwinnett – 10 Reasons Why Republican Oppose the Bailout
TMP Cafe – William Isaac’s quote
Wikipedia – Community Reinvestment Act
Michelle Malkin – The A.C.O.R.N. Obama knows
Wikipedia – Sarbanes-Oxley Act

“We are all in the same boat on a stormy sea and
we owe each other a terrible loyalty.” – G. K. Chesterson

Wow Crowds in The Villages Frighten Dems

Sunday we headed south to The Villages to be part of the crowd welcoming Republican V.P. Nominee Sarah Palin. We left early because the crowds were anticipated to be in excess of 30,000. That estimate was based in part on the 30,000 event tickets that were snatched up by Florida residents who were anxious to see this charismatic candidate.

However, on Friday before the event, the Republican Party of Florida announced that all comers would be welcome; no one would be turned away. With that, the doors swung wide and the thousands who couldn’t get to a local party office to retrieve their free tickets stormed this small but growing retirement community 65 miles northwest of Orlando and 85 miles northeast of Tampa.

We arrived about 3 hours before the event was to begin and after waiting in traffic for an hour, only to learn that the parking for that area was closed, we turned around and headed back to another access. When we discovered we were in stopped traffic moving at a pace that would easily give a turtle first place, and finding ourselves 3.5 miles away we decided to reevaluate.

I needed to be back home to get some rest before getting up at 1:30 am for work and realizing, with the crowds and traffic, it would be hours after the event before we were able to get out of the heavy traffic and begin the drive back home. So we made the hard decision and turned around and left.

It was disappointing to miss being a part of this event, but duty called. When I learned the following day that the crowds were estimated to be 60,000, I wasn’t’ surprised. Though I had in no way got close enough to get a visual, and when we left it was still 2 hours before the event, the number of folks already there was amazing and there was no apparent end that we could see.

I’ve read a number on online accounts of the event but really not that many. It was heavily covered locally, but national coverage was limited. Newspapers close to The Villages reported the crowd at 60,000 estimated by the fire chief whose job it is to know such things.

There are anecdotal stories of people traveling in excess of 100 miles to be part of this event, the first by Mrs. Palin out from under the wing of Senator McCain. The crowd was hoping for a glimpse of this energetic and engaging newcomer to the US political scene. The media was hoping for a gaff.

A number of liberal papers and news sites disputed those numbers citing unnamed individuals in the crowd or pitting their reporters estimate of the crowd as low as 20,000 against the numbers cited by the professionals. They questioned the validity of the estimates and on Washington Post columnist suggested that the McCain campaign released the numbers provided by the Secret Service, which the columnist offered doesn’t provide numbers.

I think they are trying to diminish the welcome Florida gave to Palin because of the poor showing for Obama earlier in the week. The Miami Herald described Obama’s visit to Jacksonville, a metropolitan area of 1.3 million and heavily Democrat as attended by an “overflow crowd…capacity 13,000.

Oh, by the way, The Villages is a community of roughly 70,000 with the much larger metropolitan areas of Orlando and Tampa 1 ½ to 2 hours away. So it seems that even in something a benign as crowd estimates, the bias of the media shows through.

“We are all in the same boat on a stormy sea and
we owe each other a terrible loyalty.” – G. K. Chesterson