pettie4sox

QUOTE (HickoryHuskers @ Nov 21, 2013 -> 12:50 PM) This is my solution to the problem, though it encompasses far more than health care. First of all, yes, contraception should be widely available, but find some other way than forcing people who have religious objections to provide it. That's an absolutely terrible way to go about it. Planned Parenthood gets hundreds of millions of dollars in government money and tens of millions more in political donations, so if they're going to continue to get that money, make them responsible for providing it. Secondly, nationwide, but especially in poor areas, we need a dramatic increase in education spending. Getting a kid a basic education and high school graduation is the best way to reduce the chances that he'll be a drain on government resources the rest of his life. Aside from teachers, schools need paraprofessionals whose job it is to be out in the community interacting with parents and making sure kids are at school when they're supposed to be. Also aside from teachers, schools need child care facilities that take kids age 3 and up from 6am to 9pm, so that parents can be free to have jobs without worrying about who will be caring for their kids. Yes, this is going to cost a lot of money, but a combination of cutting pork from the budget, modest tax increases, and the expected decrease in the need for other entitlement spending can cover this. Thirdly, let's pass a law that automatically pegs the minimum wage to the cost of living. Having to have Congress argue about it every couple years doesn't help anybody. There's probably more, but this is a start. Sad that a non politician like yourself can come up with ideas like this but the politicians in Washington are so inept.

QUOTE (DukeNukeEm @ Nov 21, 2013 -> 11:57 AM) Heres the issue I have, You provide college free, as so many here seem to want. They call it an investment and we'll get our money back. Then you create a big plan to provide basic income, so listless 20-somethings dont have to worry. Its an investment, we'll get our money back. Now theyre getting a little older. Their bodies are developing some issues that cost money to fix. But it keeps them working, its an investment we'll get our money back. Soon they make an oops. Credit card debt, foreclosure, they get laid off. We'll take care of that too, its an investment we'll get our money back. Now theyre 50, knocking on the door of retirement. They demand the SS and Medical coverage because they paid into it. They dont want to work anymore, either. Our investment? More like a Ponzi Scheme. Who is the hypothetically "they" you speak of? The generalizations are detrimental to the points you're trying to make.

Duke I think you're being some what stubborn about this topic. Think of it like this, college and insurance are very similar volatile topics. In college, you either had your parents pay, took out loans, or were subsidized via financial aid. The very few were given scholarships. Your tax money is spent to help poor people go to school so that they may have a chance some day. Some people, take advantage of it fully and will become productive members of society and the cycle will start again since they will be paying into the system. Insurance, now, is working in a similar way. It's trying to give everyone a chance. Not everyone has the same deck of cards. Reddy is chasing his dream and if he succeeds, that subsidized insurance he got will be a drop in the bucket compared to how they'll tax his multi million dollar paycheck. Of course this is hypothetically speaking. Don't look at everything as black and white as they will only cloud your view. Sometimes you just need a little grey to see a greater perspective. All in all, don't let the losers who milk the system ruin it for those who could benefit. I for one am happy my tax dollars goes to help people instead of the rotten corrupt politicians in Washington.

QUOTE (DukeNukeEm @ Nov 21, 2013 -> 10:13 AM) Am I wrong? Dude doesnt make any money (though who really knows now since he let it slip hes just gaming the system), chooses to live in the most expensive place in America, has frivolous medical expenses like having his vocal chords checked then complains about the people subsidizing this life of his? You want to be a struggling actor in NYC? Fine. Thats your choice, but you gotta own it if you go that route. Its complete bulls*** that the rest of us make all these sacrifices to do a fraction of what we want while this guy cries poor living in New York. You can be upset man but calling him names because of what he chooses to do with his life is just crass. He's doing what he wants to do and he's not sitting on his hands. Hopefully one day, his work will pay dividends as he'll be the next Brad Cooper or something. You should be pissed at the people who are capable of work but seriously sling dope all day and milk the system. Those are the true parasites.

QUOTE (DukeNukeEm @ Nov 21, 2013 -> 10:02 AM) Oh man, this pisses me off a lot. If I wasnt just going to take the penalty I'd be furious paying for your care. "Doing the actor thing", motherf***er thats your choice. Dont go asking other people to make up for the fact it doesnt support your lifestyle. Duke... wow man. You really need to chill out.

QUOTE (Reddy @ Nov 21, 2013 -> 09:54 AM) Aw you're not much older than me. I'm 27. Heck I've even got a thing with a 37 year old executive director of an acclaimed professional orchestra - so I'm not completely ignorant your trials and tribulations. Cougar hunter...

QUOTE (DukeNukeEm @ Nov 21, 2013 -> 09:46 AM) So its ok for you to get his money because he works harder than you? Damn right you appreciate it man, hes allowing your parasitic lifestyle. The mentality of the poor is so annoying. If you actually worked as hard as the rest of us you wouldnt be so willing to pay more. You just dont have any concept money because like some teenager from Wilmette driving a German luxury sedan to New Trier, you dont have any idea what goes into making that wealth just that youre entitled to a cut. Youre not allowed to say youd pay more if you could, you cant. You cant relate to the rest of us who support you. Duke, do you know Reddy personally to make those types of egregious claims?

QUOTE (Jenksismyb**** @ Nov 21, 2013 -> 09:42 AM) "If young people have to go to war and die to preserve our freedom, well, so be it. I support that. What you can do for your country..." - me, 31 year old who wouldn't be eligible for a draft. They really like to keep them young. Once you're 27, you no longer are eligible.

QUOTE (Y2HH @ Nov 21, 2013 -> 09:36 AM) It's easy to say that when it's not the case. It's always easier to spend other peoples money, isn't it? Now, when it comes to me, I actually CAN say that. Where you pay 50$ a month, I get to pay 400+$ a month for my family, and I work for the industry, no less. Who told you to stick your pecker in your wife and produce kids?

QUOTE (Reddy @ Nov 20, 2013 -> 09:58 PM) $50/month for full health care including dental, specialists, etc, etc with max $1,000 out of pocket and a $0 deductible? Thank you Obamacare! Wake the f*** up America. No vision plan?

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Nov 20, 2013 -> 04:30 PM) Because Trayvon Martin is still alive? There are many more victims of gun crime because people use the tool with malicious intent.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Nov 20, 2013 -> 03:48 PM) "Live near the guy who lives by the sword, also die by the sword." Hyperbole.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Nov 20, 2013 -> 02:00 PM) I know how he can protect himself. More guns. Live by the sword, die by the sword.

Zimmerman is such a numbskull. He really wants to die it seems.

QUOTE (DukeNukeEm @ Nov 14, 2013 -> 03:08 PM) Look I'll be happy to have this discussion in another thread. But this is about Elizabeth Warren winning the presidency in 2016 and me being very sad about that. You have to blame the republicans for putting out s*** product. No one is buying what they are selling except the usual suspects.

QUOTE (bmags @ Nov 12, 2013 -> 04:58 PM) He was a legitimate candidate that was undercut by his own side. Had he run on his actual credentials he would have been fine, though likely still lost. Instead he basically had to constantly avoid any of his accomplishments and basically run against himself. You have a point but him not having a spine showed a lot about his flip flopping nature. How can you govern when you don't really have a platform to stand on?

QUOTE (bmags @ Nov 12, 2013 -> 01:27 PM) 2012? lol yeah... Romney was a real weiner.

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Nov 12, 2013 -> 01:06 PM) Conte and Wright are pretty bad. I would take the gamble But but but but the interception...

When is the last time the GOP put out a respectable candidate for President?

QUOTE (thxfrthmmrs @ Nov 12, 2013 -> 05:58 AM) And both baskets came after a push off from Kyrie, which could have been call offensive fouls Yeah those were so subtle, I doubt a ref would call it.

PLAYOFFS?!?!?!?!?!?

Wow D.Wade.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Nov 10, 2013 -> 03:49 AM) You guys disagree with me, but I still say he'll go down as the worst president in the last 50 years. That's laughable. The president's recent predecessor did some shady things that's still affecting the economy today but you're entitled to your own opinion. I think Obama at least tried to help Americans. I just think he didn't really count the costs of doing so. Trying to give Americans access to the healthcare is a noble gesture, it just seemed rushed and not clear cut and now things are started to look dismal. You could argue Obama was probably a bit over his head a bit but all in all I really think he had good ideas on paper but just could not execute them. He still has a couple years left to salvage whatever he can but to say he's the worst president is just disingenuous. Since Obama raised the age to 26, I was able to get some important healthcare services done while I was still in school and not having to rely on my s***ty university one. So I'm grateful.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Nov 8, 2013 -> 02:55 PM) You want to talk to me about health care costs wiping out a life savings in an instant? Try having a spouse who is sick, actually needs medical coverage, and is uninsured. Come back to me when you've paid $1000 to go to an urgent care center who do a couple tests and give her antibiotics that are useless because you can't actually get a regular doctor to see you. Try putting together an application for individual coverage and being flatly denied because of that pre-existing condition or getting a quote that is more than you make in 2 years. How would you like to have a family member of yours in constant pain, basically unable to do anything for years, because they lack health insurance? Get back to me when you've gone through that agony and I might have a tiny bit of sympathy. You want to talk about a website being embarrassing? We should be embarrassed that people go through this crap in a civilized country every single day, but we're not because they're not important enough. This. I think the true embarrassment is that things like this do happen in our country which allegedly the "greatest" in the world.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Nov 8, 2013 -> 02:27 PM) This health care glitch may be one of the biggest embarassments/hassles to the American people in history. DAT HYPERBOLE