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US politics: Donny, you're out of your element


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2 hours ago, Manhole Eunuchsbane said:

 For a short time maybe, but I don't see them being able to enact a sea change in regards to marijuana in the states I mentioned. I lived in the Haight in San Francisco from like 1990-2000, and the beat cops would literally write you a ticket at worst. And that was if they caught you buying on the street. The mindset just isn't there I don't think. 

The current beat cops can be replaced with hardliners. I don't think it will happen, but they could absolutely may a crackdown work if they were dedicated to it. 

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The restriction on media outlets was not a matter of if, but when. If this were 20 years ago there would most likely be a general strike by the rest of the gaggle. Nowadays...well, it's not even a major headline on Foxnews dot com.  

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7 minutes ago, Martell Spy said:

Exclusive: Leaked GOP Obamacare replacement shrinks subsidies, Medicaid expansion
The replacement would be paid for by limiting tax breaks on generous health plans people get at work.

http://www.politico.com/story/2017/02/house-republicans-obamacare-repeal-package-235343

GREAT. That's just great.

 

/Work for an HMO, and have pretty amazing healthcare. Or should I say HAD?

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Just now, Martell Spy said:

Exclusive: Leaked GOP Obamacare replacement shrinks subsidies, Medicaid expansion
The replacement would be paid for by limiting tax breaks on generous health plans people get at work.

http://www.politico.com/story/2017/02/house-republicans-obamacare-repeal-package-235343

Personally, I don't have much of a problem with so called "Cadillac Taxes". It's everything else with the Republican Plan I have a problem with.

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43 minutes ago, Relic said:

The restriction on media outlets was not a matter of if, but when. If this were 20 years ago there would most likely be a general strike by the rest of the gaggle. Nowadays...well, it's not even a major headline on Foxnews dot com.  

While I wouldn't hold my breath on FNC, the WSJ said they would not participate if this happened again.  I would expect pretty much everyone else to as well.

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29 minutes ago, OldGimletEye said:

Personally, I don't have much of a problem with so called "Cadillac Taxes". It's everything else with the Republican Plan I have a problem with.

The cadillac tax was already in place before this. This refers instead to basically removal of almost all of the current tax break corps get for their medical insurance. This is a $260bn tax right now and will affect basically everyone who is employed and likely increase their costs. 

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Just now, Kalbear said:

The cadillac tax was already in place before this. This refers instead to basically removal of almost all of the current tax break corps get for their medical insurance. This is a $260bn tax right now and will affect basically everyone who is employed and likely increase their costs. 

Okay, I'd be opposed to doing that, if it affected most middle class people, unless there was a really good replacement for employer sponsored healthcare. I've never been a big fan of employer sponsored healthcare. That said, I wouldn't want to replace it with something worse.

Maybe I'm reading something wrong here, but:

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The replacement would be paid for by limiting tax breaks on generous health plans people get at work — an idea that is similar to the Obamacare “Cadillac tax” that Republicans have fought to repeal.

Quote

According to the document, there’s only one single revenue generator to pay for the new tax credits and grants. Republicans are proposing to cap the tax exemption for employer sponsored insurance at the 90th percentile of current premiums. That means benefits above that level would be taxed.

 

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Just now, OldGimletEye said:

Okay, I'd be opposed to doing that, if it affected most middle class people, unless there was a really good replacement for employer sponsored healthcare. I've never been a big fan of employer sponsored healthcare. That said, I wouldn't want to replace it with something worse.

Maybe I'm reading something wrong here, but:

 

You're reading that right - but that 90th percentile is what is confusing. 90th percentile based on  the market? Based on the state? based on the country? Median or average? 

If you're feeling generous and saying that it's the 90th median percentile of all current plans in the employer marketplace, that will just make tech companies and HMO plans excessively expensive. So Apple, Google, Microsoft, Facebook, Premera - all will pay a LOT more taxes. If I'm reading it right, that means that basically any 'very good' plan will be taxed heavily, which is going to be basically any good healthcare plan for most major businesses.

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On 2/23/2017 at 5:55 PM, Kalbear said:

That's fair, but it's still not entirely telling or indicative that they'll be unable to get anything through congress. I think, honestly, they're a bit gunshy after the fuckup that was the muslim ban. 

It's a clear indicator of the staff's incompetence.  That is ultimately a management issue, which would be deliciously ironic if it weren't so normatively concerning.  The last two WHO that were close to this amateurish were Carter's and Clinton with Hope, AK pal Mack McLarty as CoS.  The latter took Leon Panetta and the largest shift in congressional composition in a half century to change, and the former was the most ineffectual administration of the modern presidency (well, other than Ford's, but that's an invalid comparison).

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Just now, Kalbear said:

You're reading that right - but that 90th percentile is what is confusing. 90th percentile based on  the market? Based on the state? based on the country? Median or average? 

Surely you not suggesting that the Republicans would be vague and unspecific about their plans. I would never ever believe they'd do that.

Just now, Kalbear said:

If you're feeling generous and saying that it's the 90th median percentile of all current plans in the employer marketplace, that will just make tech companies and HMO plans excessively expensive. So Apple, Google, Microsoft, Facebook, Premera - all will pay a LOT more taxes. If I'm reading it right, that means that basically any 'very good' plan will be taxed heavily, which is going to be basically any good healthcare plan for most major businesses.

 I' m not really worried if very profitable tech companies payed more taxes. But, I don't think that's necessarily the case. There is a good chance the incidence of the taxes will fall on the workers.

Look, I'm not interested in screwing up the average joe's or jane's health insurance. But, clearly there are some people who are doing really well and then on top of that getting government subsidized health insurance for really generous plans. That needs to stop.The regressive nature of employer sponsored health insurance has always been a bit of a problem.

But,again, the devil is going to be in the details. If this turns out leaving a lot of people, who are not excessively well off in the lurch, I'd be opposed.

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2 minutes ago, OldGimletEye said:

 I'm not really worried if very profitable tech companies payed more taxes. But, I don't think that's necessarily the case. There is a good chance the incidence of the taxes will fall on the workers.

Look, I'm not interested in screwing up the average joe's or jane's health insurance. But, clearly there are some people who are doing really well and then top of that getting government subsidized health insurance for really good plans. That needs to stop.The regressive nature of employer sponsored health insurance has always been a bit of a problem.

But,again, the devil is going to be in the details. If this turns out leaving a lot of people, who are not excessively well off in the lurch, I'd be opposed.

 I suspect this is exactly what's going to happen in my case. Both my wife and I work for a large HMO, so we are double covered. She takes many medications as a matter of course, and we essentially pay nothing for them. Our union (SEIU) has seemingly gotten in bed with management more and more over the past 8 years or so (since the inception of the ACA) and they have gradually rolled back retirement coverage and I believe will start rolling back coverage (or increasing costs) for active employees. I have to imagine this loss of a tax break will be passed on to the employees in one form or another. 

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I hope this is true because I just love this sooooooo much!  

Quote

Protest may be the new brunch, but witches are joining together worldwide in a more magical form of resistance to cast a spell on President Donald Trump, reports say.

.....

The binding ritual is to be performed monthly by those who practice the craft until Trump is removed from office.

The mass spell is to be performed on every waning crescent moon at the stroke of midnight EST in order for it to work.

The first spell cast event is set to occur on Friday, Feb. 24. Similar events are anticipated to follow on March 26, April 24, May 23, etc.

...... As some may have already expected, reports say that some Evangelical Trump supporters hip to the witches' plans are prepping to pray en masse Friday night to zero out the spell's effects.

Spells ~vs~ prayers!   How awesome is that?  Will the witches have enough power to make a difference?  :dunce:   Will the Evangelicals pray hard enough?     :dunno:       Stay tuned.......

https://www.aol.com/article/news/2017/02/23/witches-mobilize-to-cast-a-binding-spell-on-president-trump/21720593/

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1 hour ago, Manhole Eunuchsbane said:

 I suspect this is exactly what's going to happen in my case. Both my wife and I work for a large HMO, so we are double covered. She takes many medications as a matter of course, and we essentially pay nothing for them. Our union (SEIU) has seemingly gotten in bed with management more and more over the past 8 years or so (since the inception of the ACA) and they have gradually rolled back retirement coverage and I believe will start rolling back coverage (or increasing costs) for active employees. I have to imagine this loss of a tax break will be passed on to the employees in one form or another. 

We've already lost ours in fear of the Cadillac tax.  They are moving us to  CDHP's and eliminating all other types of plans.

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