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QUOTE (Reddy @ Jun 25, 2017 -> 12:45 PM) Seriously? You're talking about tone while Republicans are literally killing people for personal profit. Ok. SMH at those in the healthcare industry (yes, including you) Yes I am. anyone who paints every other person with a broad brush just because they once voted for a Republican is the reason that no one can seem to reach a compromise and get anything substantial done in politics. People in the healthcare field will realize this more than most. I have patients who had a poor standard of living because under ACA they had to stop PT because their insurance stopped all care because they were at a maintenance level and weren't progressing even though they needed help. They may be alive but their standard of living was awful. I'm not saying this version is great either but if the politicians could get off their high horses (as you are currently) maybe they could compromise and come up with a good plan. As long as their is this current attitude there will only be one extreme or the other and that never works well.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jun 24, 2017 -> 10:54 PM) If you have voted for a single Republican at the state or national level in the past 10 years, you have openly endorsed families being ruined for someone getting cancer. Or whatever. A single Republican vote was an endorsement of this. They made this 100% clear. Preexisting conditons, lifetime caps, ending Medicaid - they have said this over, and over, and over again. Remember that. This is the reason that nothing can get done in the government. Its if you are on the other side you are the worst thing possible and the cause of all the problems. There can be no compromise and no deals because the other side is so wrong that we can even meet. Look at how messed up Illinos is from this attitude. There is too much polarization in politics today. Too much animosity.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Jun 24, 2017 -> 10:41 PM) Sure. It's a utopian view that is almost impossible. Making those companies who are having record profits go back to being a non profit service to the people is a huge obstacle. I just believe the for profit model for things like this seem to work out for the very fortunate only. And a large part of me feels it's wrong. I'm a social liberal and a fairly conservative person financially. But I do not think systematically keeping care from the poor is right. There has to be a better way than what we are doing. I've seen cancer treatments ruin families. That's something that should never happen. If you child gets sick and you are on the hook for millions, that's a pretty clear sign we aren't Doing this correctly. Imo. This is your only option and I would agree with it. It would be unfair to the companies or owners to just take it over. The government or someone would need to compensate them for it. the insurance companies are having difficulties like all other companies world wide. My wife's company just laid off 20% of their North american and European work force. Being in the medical field I appreciate the debt a person or family would go through in your scenario. The primary question remains though, who should pay for that millions of dollars for healthcare? In an ideal utopian world, your right everyone would get the care and not need to worry about it. However, in the real world someone will need to pay for it. That is the cost of healthcare not the cost of an insurance company. The only way to do it is to run a version of socialized, government run single payer where the cost of healthcare can be controlled. however, there are many issues with that as well.

QUOTE (Brian @ Jun 23, 2017 -> 03:40 PM) You're never going to have 100% of people on the same page at the same time. Even 9/11, there were probably a sick few that thought we deserved it. I'm not sure what your definition of come together. This is true. Even when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, there was one congressional vote against going to war. It was by the first woman elected to Congress. She stuck to her values as a pacifist.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Jun 24, 2017 -> 02:32 PM) That depends if you thinks its a human right to be cared for if you are ill. So they can be the same thing actually. Again, healthcare and profits for insurance companies are not the same thing. You can care for people, you can take control of healthcare without saying to insurance companies, "you can only have a 10% profit margin."

QUOTE (soxfan49 @ Jun 23, 2017 -> 06:39 PM) Love the doofuses saying the Hawks got Saad back because they needed more toughness. Christ people, they traded for Brandon Saad, not Cody f***ing McLeod. That is part of it though. Panarin is like Kane they need space to work and mostly work the edges of the ice. They Hawks have lacked the player who will get infront of the net and put in the rebound shots. You can play the edges in the regular season but need the "tough" goals in the playoffs when the game changes. The NHL more than most sports has a totally different game in the post season. look at the Hawks last year. They had one of the best records in the league but get swept in the first round and only 3 goals in 4 games doing it. They didn't need the "toughness" as in fighting but needed the players who can play in the middle.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Jun 23, 2017 -> 08:25 PM) Not sure Healthcare and human rights fit into the same category as computers. Lawyers do have non-profit and court appointed arms already. These are not the same thing. Human rights are very different from insurance companies. Limiting how much profit a company makes is not in the same category as limiting human rights.

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Jun 23, 2017 -> 06:55 PM) The economic system should serve humanity, not the other way around. In utopia, I would agree. however, in reality it will not happen.

QUOTE (Jack Parkman @ Jun 23, 2017 -> 06:30 PM) This is the same surgery that John Danks and Johan Santana had. If their recoveries (or lack thereof) are any indication of what is to come, the Dodgers had a guy go from top overall prospect to non prospect Is it a capsular repair? i can't seem to find any information on it. If so, it's a tough one. One major advantage is age. He is quite a bit younger than either of them were at the time of surgery. edit: i found it. It is the same surgery for the capsule. Much will depend on the extent of the damage to the cuff or the labrum.

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Jun 21, 2017 -> 12:33 PM) Do you know anything about the medications that one would take to treat it? The statements that were released specifically talked about the medications and its side effects, maybe that had an extra negative effect on him? oh yeah. the meds can definitely have an adverse effect. They are pretty strong especially if it's a bad case. They need to be on them for a long time during the season.

QUOTE (flavum @ Jun 23, 2017 -> 04:54 PM) That's what I thought too. My recollection was that he hated all of that rookie hazing bs. That type of stuff is absolutely hilarious. Of course some go too far but in baseball they have so much time to kill with the amount of travels that it really does make the time go.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Jun 23, 2017 -> 03:06 PM) At what point do we realize those companies should be serving the people instead of shareholders and profits? Never. They are companies created to make money. Someone started those businesses to do just that.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Jun 23, 2017 -> 08:13 AM) Should insurance/HC companies be allowed to be as profitable as they are? Should they be able to conduct themselves in such a way to make them a Fortune 100 company? Should pharma companies be able to charge whatever they want to increase profits on everyday medication? There are so many issues/other avenues to bring down costs for people outside of scrapping the ACA, but we cannot even think about doing that since our politicians are bought and paid for. And Washington is doing a great job having the people fight over a bill that was originally designed to help them, and now only serve as a distraction from the real issues that would help. It's sad. Should lawyers be allowed to be as profitable as they are? How about Apple or IBM? It's not fair to limit one group just because one groups deems it unfair.

QUOTE (Tony @ Jun 23, 2017 -> 11:19 AM) What is happening to this franchise The Cubs ruined it for everyone. Now all franchises know the the fans will accept years of being bad because "rebuilding" is now fashionable. Tear down the team, tell the fans this is the right way to rebuild the team and the fans accept it. In the good old days a bad team was just a bad team. Now the fans "embrace the tank"/ slightly green

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ Jun 22, 2017 -> 09:58 PM) https://twitter.com/travellegaines/status/878078236780937218 Read that. It's Jimmy's trainer. Now notice where it was posted from - Paris. Jimmmy is there and saw the tweet before it was posted. We are done for. No player will come to Chicago. Not that they wanted to before. Why would this make a difference. Another article said his agent called him as soon as it happened at around 2am because they pretty much knew a trade was going to happen.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Jun 22, 2017 -> 08:28 PM) What other first world democracies take this same stance with their citizens??? That neither the government nor the rich should subsidize the middle class and poor, at least until Social Security and Medicare kick in...does that about summarize it? That helping them when a person is not working will make families reliant on others, and that the only true path to dignity lies through meaningful work. Republican health care plan: a win-win for the wealthiest http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option...p;jumival=19387 I'm not saying it's right. i'm just saying that the way they look at it. As far as other first world democracies are concerned, the USA has many unique variables that others don't. First off the population. Trying to fund healthcare for the large number of people compared to any other first world country is the primary problem. another is the tax structure. The USA pays less taxes than other countries, in general. You really can't compare the USA to any other country, just like states, countries are unique and what works well in one won't necessarily work in another. I would be in favor of a VAT tax such as the EU uses to fund any of these type of things. I just have a problem in principle of forcing the people who have more to give more just because they have more. Believe me as a college professor in Illinois. I'm not in the group that would have to pay more.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jun 22, 2017 -> 08:00 PM) Personally, I feel the Republicans believe that poor people have not earned treatment more than anything else. That is their policy. The tax cuts are a side point. They say it explicitly. They believe how well you do in life has nothing to do with anything other than how hard you work, and if you are on minimum wage it's your own fault. If you make the mistake of getting sick while on minimum wage, both of those were decisions you made incorrectly. If you are rich and white and inherited money, you made the right call by accepting that inheritance and you deserve treatment for whatever you come down with. I think it's more that they don't think that people shouldn't have to pay for for other people's healthcare. The whole take from the rich and give to the poor philosophy. The distribution of wealth philosophy is the fundamental difference.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jun 22, 2017 -> 07:48 PM) They traded Jake Peavy for him, and handed him RF right off of the bat. He did look like he was ready based on his late season and playoff run with Detroit.

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Jun 22, 2017 -> 07:45 PM) There are various taxes within the ACA, not a specific "ACA tax." They are cutting taxes for the wealthy and paying for it by taking health care from the poor and middle class. There are widespread effects beyond that, as well. just within the ACA itself? It is by no means as simple as the way you are stating it. They raised taxes for the wealthy to pay for healthcare for the poor and middle class for ACA and it didn't work very well.

QUOTE (OmarComing25 @ Jun 22, 2017 -> 07:36 PM) Yeah I get the bullpen has been overworked but this is unnecessary. He's got a shutout going. He needs to get to 115 pitches or so consistently especially with the way others are only going 80 or so,

QUOTE (chitownsportsfan @ Jun 22, 2017 -> 12:55 PM) His comp remains Alexei 100%. We are basically watching a 23 year old Alexei imo. Rough around the edges, can't walk for s***, but solid raw power and incredible defensive tools. Anybody that says they don't "remember" TAs defense last year is crazy. He made so many crazy plays ranging to his right, including that one incredible play he made on the popup in shallow left where he outran everybody. He was +11 runs by Fangraphs metric for a reason. People seem to think that baseball is a linear progression. You start at point X and steadily climb. There is a reason people refer to a Sophomore slump. Not that is always happens but there is a learning curve for the league. They figured out what he did well last year and they are exploiting his weaknesses this year. He needs to learn to adjust. It's a process. look no further than Schwarber.

QUOTE (Middle Buffalo @ Jun 22, 2017 -> 06:50 PM) I've heard and read in different places recently that "the ball is juiced" this year. Heard radio show hosts suggest it. Have read it on message boards and in the comments below articles. Are we falling for this again? Aren't people suspicious of PEDs again? I am. I don't know that I'll ever trust athletic accomplishments again. Until they start doing baseline blood serum levels, you always need to be suspicious of new designer PEDs.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Jun 22, 2017 -> 06:37 PM) The Great Premium Debate Continues http://www.factcheck.org/2014/11/the-great...bate-continues/ Average Annual Percent Growth in Health Care Expenditures per Capita by State of Residence http://www.kff.org/other/state-indicator/a...22:%22asc%22%7D For US as a whole and Illinois as a state, 4.9% increase per year from 1991-2014 8 Charts That Explain the Explosive Growth of U.S. Health Care Costs http://mediatrackers.org/national/2013/10/...alth-care-costs Wow. according to chart 2 in that last group of charts, out of pocket spending as increase almost nothing relative to healthcare costs. Up until 2010 anyway. It would be interesting to see what it is now.

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Jun 22, 2017 -> 06:19 PM) I know what you're asking. I don't agree with the way you're trying to frame it. It was "just" a tax to pay for health care for millions and now we're giving millionaires a $50k/year tax cut instead. We're cutting a tax specifically for health insurance CEOs. That is the policy preferences of Republicans. There is no other way to phrase it. Either they are only repealing the special tax to fund the ACA or they are cutting taxes beyond it. That's it. I don't see how it's a difficult question to unless you are intentionally trying to bias the answer. The part dealing only with Healthcare CEO's is obviously not tied to the ACA tax. So the answer would be yes they are cutting taxes other than just the ACA special tax.

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Jun 22, 2017 -> 06:08 PM) It's a trillion dollars in tax cuts for the wealthy so they can gut Medicaid. That's the policy choice being made here. It also adjusts the baseline for when they move on to tax"reform" next so they can make even deeper upper class tax cuts. Let me ask it again as I'm not familiar with the amounts of money in each tax. Was this just the tax to pay for ACA or does it go above and beyond that?