Well it seems the democrats are up to their old shenanigans yet again. After Nancy Pelosi famously opined that we needed to pass the monstrous health “care” legislation in order to find out what was in it, it turns out that the Democrats already knew what the effects would be. From Gateway Pundit:
More hope and change–
A damning health care report generated by actuaries at the Health and Human Services (HHS) Department was given to HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius more than a week before the health care vote. She hid the report from the public until a month after democrats rammed their nationalized health care bill through Congress.The results from the report were troubling. The report released by Medicare and Medicaid actuaries shows that medical costs will skyrocket rising $389 billion 10 years. 14 million will lose their employer-based coverage. Millions of Americans will be left without insurance. And, millions more may be dumped into the already overwhelmed Medicaid system. 4 million American families will be hit with tax penalties under this new law.
Of course, these were ALL things that President Obama and Democratic leaders assured us would not happen.
Not to mention they were things that the regular folks also knew would happen. But nothing must stand in the way of Hope N’ Change!
So it seems the administration itself was aware of the issue and push this legislation anyway, just so Obama could have his win.
Not only will costs go up, but it seems that many employers may find it much easier to simply dump their insurance coverage (particularly for retirees) and pay the fines, funneling millions into an already overstretched Medicare system: (My apologies in advance for linking to the New York Slimes!):
Under another provision, employers may be subject to financial penalties if they do not offer health insurance to employees. Documents provided to Congress by AT&T indicate that its medical costs in 2009 were $4.7 billion, divided about equally between active employees and retirees — far more than it would pay in penalties if it did not provide coverage.
Verizon said it was taking a $970 million charge against earnings because of the change in tax treatment of a subsidy it receives for retiree drug coverage. In addition, Verizon said it could be affected by a new tax on high-cost health plans that takes effect in 2018.
“Many of the plans that Verizon offers to employees and retirees are projected to have costs above the thresholds in the legislation and will be subject to the 40 percent excise tax,” the company told employees.
In a general analysis of the new law, Verizon said, “To avoid additional costs and regulations, employers may consider exiting the employer health market and send employees” to state-run insurance exchanges, where people can buy insurance.
A Caterpillar executive made a similar point in an e-mail message to colleagues, saying the tax changes could “drive many employers to just drop coverage for retirees altogether, and let the government foot the whole bill.”
Uh huh. Just like everyone (with a scintilla of intelligence) said it would.
Well this seems like a bad thing doesn’t it? And it is until you realize that this will provide the Socialist Democrat party just the excuse it needs to ratchet up even more changes in the health care system, ultimately resulting in a “public option” that will soon become the only option, especially for those too poor to buy their way to better health. And that ladies and gentleman is the ultimate game plan.
The Truth in Black and Right 
So much wrong with this post I don’t even know where to begin.
As usual, TBC, you have seen past the smoke screens to the real objective of truly destructive legislation – to make things so really horrible that radical steps must be taken to make things right (implemented, of course, by the people who have caused the problems in the first place).
This technique is a favorite of the left, since they truly believe that they can have their cake and eat it too, but that they are the only ones who should be allowed to make cakes and should be the sole source of distribution.
Thanks for keeping the heat on those determined to destroy America.
Destroying things intentionally to rebuild them is not new. In the military one of the parts of boot camp is to break everyone down so they can rebuild them into a soldier. The question is if something needs to be rebuilt. In the case of the military you need to take a civilian and turn him into a soldier and train him so he doesn’t get himself or others killed. You have to do it that way. The problem here is you are trying to change a country and it’s not that simple. In the case of turning a man into a soldier they have spent years trying to prefect it and it still isn’t 100% and everyone that goes is trying to become a soldier, they want it, and it still doesn’t work. In the case of a whole country where people are not all trying for the same thing you can’t do it. You can’t break them down and rebuild them because most people don’t want it or at least enough people out there don’t. There are to many competing ideas to do any of this effectively. You can destroy the system but will not be able to build a new one well and in the end you will end up with everything being worse. Revolutionary change rarely ends well. The American Revolution is one of the few exceptions to the rule, in France it was extremely brutal to the point it only caused more problems and in most other places it can best be described as a catastrophe. Even when the outcome is a good thing such as the ending of slavery in America the cost was very, very large amounts of bloodshed. The question becomes “is it worth it”. Sometimes it’s yes and sometimes it’s no and it can take years to fully answer that sometimes (in the case of Slavery is was a yes, before some liberal tries to call me a racist).
Good that you mentioned revolutionary regimes. The only way this sort of “breaking things in order to build them” can work (which it really doesn’t) is to maintain a constant atmosphere of terror, destructiveness, and victim-hood while always projecting far into the future the promise of “things will be better.” I think I’ve just described Soviet communism, and the entire ideology of North Korea in one sentence.
What’s so tragically pathetic is that people continue to fall for this over and over again. The socialist Democrat party is like a large scale version of a suicide cult.
Very well outlined, TBC. You said it all in a very concise way.
By the way, are you familiar with Col. Allen West, who is running for Florida’s 22d District Congressional Seat? If so, I would be interested in your impressions. I am unable to find anything negative about the man and would surely vote for him if he was running for anything in Maine. There should be a way for people outside of a particular state to support outstanding candidates who will have such an impact on national politics.
I’ve heard of him but don’t know much about him. Would be interested to hear more.
Look him up. Allen West is a really good guy, he’s got his head on his shoulders and knows what he is talking about. Give the guy some time and he would be perfect for President. Not yet since I think he needs to get his feet wet in politics first but if you ever see him on a ballot vote for him.
With 20 years of military service behind me, I must disagree with the concept that recruits must be “broken down” or “destroyed” in order to make them into effective soldiers.
It is true that unless a civilian receives adequate training he will be a liability to himself, his fellow military members and negatively effect achievement of the mission.
Initial military training is designed to impress upon the new members that throughout the following years of service life will be very different than what they are used to. Hardship is introduced in order to facilitate this transition. All recruits are treated in a similar fashion in order to help them understand that they are now part of a team and are subject to the same constraints and challenges that each of their compatriots will also face.
The training is difficult, with the goal of not only bringing service members up to a basic level of proficiency but also weeding out those who, for any number of reasons, are unable to meet the requirements. Anyone who has completed Basic Training in any of the Armed Services will be proud that they have met this challenge.
Such training is designed to promote unity. As a service member progresses through their career, they will be encouraged to not only perfect the essential tools of their trade but also to not just react, but “think outside the box” when not faced with imminent danger.
Military training is very different from destroying the social and economic fabric of a nation or a people in order to subjugate them to a system that rejects individual freedoms and demands equality of result (except, of course, for the ruling “elites” who, by reason of their special abilities, deserve their exalted status and privileges denied the members of the commune).
You are right, but to say one more thing on the matter it’s not until it’s over that you realize that your drill Sergent is human, or cares. They have a hard job, knowing any screw up they have will kill their kids. They have to be that hard for a reason and you respect them – well most of them – later no matter how big of a bastard they were. But once again we are talking about smae groups of people all there for the same reason not a nation.
One more thing to touch on that, I do know what you are saying and agree with you for the most part, but the breaking down to build up is part of it. I know I went through it, they told us that was what they were trying to do. Now they are not trying to destroy you, that is the difference, they want to break you down and get rid of the BS so they can rebuild you. Revolutionary governments want to destroy to rebuild not break down and get rid of the bad parts and build up new and better things.
Allen West is the subject of a lengthy profile by Jay Nordlinger in the May 3 edition of “National Review”. Well worth reading. “lettertoadyingdream” has him pegged perfectly as “a really good guy”. It will be interesting to see if he can get elected and if he can then adapt to the world of Washington sleaze, chicanery and corruption and maintain his sense of ethics and honorable behavior.
LtCl Allen West is running for the House in a district south of us in Florida. I don’t remember when I first heard about him, but the first video and every impression so far is stellar. So, I sent a contribution and received a very polite and thankful reply – yes, it was a form letter, BUT, here’s the kicker……..he didn’t ask me for another dime. That is the first and only time that has ever happened! So, after picking my jaw up off the floor, I immediately sent another, much more substantial donation and an email thanking him for his service to our country and walking the walk. Anyone else out there ever contributed and not been begged for more money by your new best friends who need it? Nah, didn’t so.
wow that is impressive… so many good conservative folks out there rising up… lets hope they stay that way, and let’s hope they don’t get co-opted by the republican establishment
TBC,
You hit the nail on the head in your last paragraph. This HAS NEVER been about health care, compassion for Americans, or some notion of ‘social justice’ (whatever that means…). This has always been about controlling one sixth of the US economy and 100% of its citizenry.
In their hubris, the Dems came out of the shoots a bit too fast with the first bill, and Americans shot it down. So now they are boiling the frog a bit more slowly. This HC bill is nothing more than a mechanism to get us all where the wanted us to be all along. They just have to destroy the insurance industry first so that they can blame free enterprise for their take over.
This is nothing less than a coup d’etat against American freedom, and it is tragic that we have allowed it to happen.
Sorry all for my prolonged absence. I’ve been out of the country. Will be back blogging soon
Good thing! We will call in the search planes.
Hurry back.