Romney's VP, call it

[Goober McTuber]

We already have a grossly progressive federal income tax system, where the top 10% of income earners pay 90% of the income taxes, and the bottom 50% of income earners actually pay no income taxes. But if that isn't progressive enough for you, perhaps you ought to lay out the BizzaroFelice Plan and explain how you can morally take care of the needs of many using the labors of few.

What would be interesting to know is what percentage of this country's wealth the 10% have accumulated and stashed (both here and in Switzerland, the Caymans, etc.) over the past 20 or 30 years.

http://www.businessinsider.com/15-chart ... 010-4?op=1

Interesting. But irrelevant. Basic math indicates that those who earn substantially more than they consume will accumulate wealth, and those who do not earn substantially more than they consume will not.

Also, that those who earn more will pay more in taxes. You cannot possibly argue against the fact that more and more wealth is being concentrated in fewer and fewer hands. Do you honestly believe that that is a good thing?

[Felix]

If you want to feel compassionate and want to help out your fellow man, no one is stopping you. By all means, dig as deep into your own pocket as you want and hand that cash out to whomever you believe would benefit from it.

I don’t hand people cash, but I help people a much different way.....I belong to a group of people that started a program about 20 years ago in an effort to help those less fortunate than any one of us were.....over that 20 year period, we’ve been able to solicit money from friends, family, community leaders, etc. and have pooled that money to purchase houses that were in severe disrepair….we buy them to fix them up in order to provide housing for people that really need it….one of the member of the group owns a lumber yard and provides (FREE OF CHARGE) the lumber needed to bring the houses to a livable state….we have plumbers and electricians that provide their services free of charge….we have reclamation companies that give us fixtures, lights, and other materials free of charge….we have disaster relief companies that donate their time to remediate water damage, mold, etc. our cash outlay to refurb these houses is nominal….we rent these houses to people who are in desperate positions and have nowhere else to turn…..we don’t do it to make money, we do it because it makes fro a better society…..the local paper wanted to do a story about us and we told them no, we wanted no publicity in any way.....right now we own about 60 houses that we’ve rented to people for far below what they could rent for (most of the rental rates are based on the give us what you can rate)...we make enough to pay the taxes and insurance on the properties and if we have anything left over, we start searching for more properties to buy....I'm the real estate guy, so they rely primarily on me to find the propertie

interesting thing, not once have we ever had a tenant trash a house, steal from us, damage the property in any way….they’re grateful beyond words….we’ve had people that formerly used the service that are now serving as members of our organization….they go out and find the families that need our help….I don’t do it because I belong to a political party, I do it because it makes me feel good about myself....I’ve been fortunate in what I have and my parents instilled in me that there is no greater reward than helping your fellow man…..that's what I do….

what the fuck do you do?

let me guess, you throw a $20 bill into the Salvation Army pot at Christmas and feel you’ve done your part.....I know that you live a pretty good life and make decent money......is that all you want out of life?

[LTS TRN 2]

So..you guys are on some Limpdick oxy drip? You know you're pimping a robot, right? Or...do you not know when you're dancing with a blow up fuck doll?

I wonder if it is possible for you to make a post without refering to Limbaugh, or Hannity, or some other radio entertainer. Seems you are fixated on them, and I suspect you listen to that shit a lot.

See, most of us realize they are just that, entertainers, hooking the shallow thinkers, like yourself, into paying attention to their ads. In a mindless manner. Right up your alley.

Oh and try to keep the stupid winks ( :wink: ) to yourself. It just makes you look more gay. Wakie wakie?

Well let's consider, "roach," that you dutiful Tea Baggers in fact parrot the daily mouthings of Hannity. Got it? On every position you are in lockstep agreement. And you refer to them as "entertainers"? Really?



And dins, the fact that Ryan has the barest record of legislation to his credit after seven terms reflects pretty clearly on his estranged and marginalized thinking and goals. Until the Tea Bagger contagion broke out, of course, and suddenly he's a "serious" voice on budget reform. Well, this is patent bullshit, and everyone on both sides of the fake aisle agree that he's a simplistic radical.

And SS, still goose-stepping your tediously shallow "libertarian" tracts--borne of Koch funded studies, etc. You're aware that Ayn Rand died pleading for Medicare, right? And that Milton Friedman and Alan Greenspan are about as respected as Joe Paterno in the wake of their 40-year Ponzi scam having come to its natural collapse? And that Mittens and Ryan are disgusting robotic corporate whores who make Barry--for all his many faults and failures--look like Lincoln?
And what are you actually supporting? I mean beyond your constant complaints about "government spending"?

[mvscal]

So, paying a guy $193,000 yr for doing nothing is your idea of a perfect government...

Yes, it is. It's far less expensive than having these corrupt dumbshits "fix things" and "help people."

[mvscal]

suddenly he's a "serious" voice on budget reform.

I suppose being Chairman of the House Budget Committee has something to do with it. At least he has a budget proposal. We're still waiting on the Senate to permit debate on a budget...any budget.

We haven't had a budget in over three and half years. Is that your idea of responsible, accountable government? Yes or no.

Needless to say, you and your fellow cum gargling dipshits on the left always duck that simple question.

[LTS TRN 2]

There's no ducking at all of acknowledging the obvious obstructionist agenda of the GOP since Barry was duly elected. And Ryan of course has joined in by way of his stunt of bringing the entire government to the brink of a mid-air stall concerning the deficit ceiling. Of course a budget is in order, but Ryan's so-called plan is utterly toxic--both because of its actual content and moreover the fevered insistence with which such a simplistic analysis of the world's largest economy is offered, as though it was a small business or a lemon aid stand. This sort of sleazy playing to the yokels is shameless and every bit as fake as Ayn Rand and Milton Friedman's similarly simple and crass analyses. The fact that Ryan is appointed to an economic post in congress says nothing more of his expertise than Inhofe's bible thumped interpretations of Climate Change as the chairman of the senate's environmental committee. And as much as that Okie has reset the bar for sheer insanity in office, Ryan is really much more a natural peer of Bachmann as far as reeling radicalism and weird twisted religiosity spinning its wheels while embarrassing whatever the GOP once upon a time pretended to represent.

[Felix]

Props to you. I'm sure the Good Kharma Fairy is following you around like Truman on a Bizzarofelice post.

I'm not looking for props, karma, kudos, or anything else....I do it because I'm in a position to help people, and that's what trips my trigger....

None of your fucking business. But I'm confident that I've got a swarm of Good Kharma Fairies following me around too.

you're right, it's none of my business....

Wrong. But if that was my choice, which it isn't, how would that make it your business in any way? Why should you have any say or interest in what I choose to do with my ducats and time? I'm not advocating that government use its immense force to make you buy, rehabilitate and rent houses at below market rates. I want the government to leave you alone so that you can do more of that if you want to do so.

again, it's not my business....but you were the one that started this by saying if democrats feel so strong about it they should hand out there money....which you've got to admit is probably one of the more idiotic things you've written.....like I said, I don't do what I do because I'm a democrat or a republican, or a libertarian or any other political affiliation....I don't do it for religious reasons, because I'm an atheist......I do it because I can, and I feel a certain sense of obligation to the rest of the people that inhabit this planet....when I was younger, I had some people that helped me out with some monetary problems I was having....I didn't know these people at all other than through a passing acquaintence....one of my friends told them of my situation Roger (the husband) approached me at a party with $200 in his hand and told me he heard I could use a little help.....when I picked my jaw up off the floor I told him "Roger, I can't take your money I don't know when I could pay it back" he responded "but you need it worse than I do and I want you to have it" "pay me back when you can, but if you don't, don't worry about it".....that generousity and genuine kindness has stuck with me my entire life.....it took me two years, but when I handed Roger the money and told him how much it helped me and how grateful I was, he made me promise that if I was ever in a position to do something similar, that I would do it....so what I do is to honor one of the nicest, greatest people I've ever had the priveledge to meet.....Roger passed away about 4 years ago and I was asked to be a pall bearer at his funeral which was a great honor for me because he had so many friends......after the service, I asked Grace (his widow) why she wanted me to be a pall bearer.....she told me that Roger considered me a second son.....I broke down in tears....we all have certain things that occur in our lives that have a lasting effect on who we are....that was one of mine

I would have to say that living a pretty good life doesn't suck. But making decent money has very little to do with having a pretty good life. It has a lot more to do with good relationships, which can only occur when there is mutual trust, respect, honesty and committment. People who fuck other people over regularly or who act as assholes, regardless of their income status, tend not to have a pretty good life because no one wants to have any sort of a relationship with them. What I want out of life is the contentment and enjoyment that comes with fulfilling my responsibilities as a husband, father (and grandfather hopefully someday). The fact that I've managed to make other contributions to and within my community is part of it. But my ability to do such things in no way makes me better or happier than someone who chooses not to do so or is not able to do so.

[/quote]

you want an experience you won't forget? buy a loaf of bread, peanut butter and some jelly and make up a bunch of sandwiches.....then take them down to where the homeless people in your town live and hand them out.....not only does it give them food, but it shows them that there are actually people in this world that care about them.....try it sometime, you'll be amazed at the sense of satisfaction you get from showing genuine compassion for fellow human beings

[LTS TRN 2]

LTS TRN 2 claims everyone who doesn't buy his slanted line of bullshit is getting his/her talking points from some right-wing radio program bought by the Koch brothers. The funny thing is that everything he spews here comes directly from his lib-tard masters. Case in point, Daily Kos "Talking Points" on Paul Ryan:

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/08/1 ... ing-Points

And what makes it even funnier is that the last person LTS TRN 2 pimped for president (the soon-to-be-former Democratic Representative from Ohio, Dennis Kucinich) had a similar history of legislative accomplishment over a longer period of time, and yet that was considered to be meaningless and insignificant.

Dude, why do you even try anymore? The next person you influence with your diatribe will be the first. Don't get me wrong. I'm glad you're around. It is easy to make others understand the lunacy of your position with you showing up to be the punching bag every day. But you should find some new material once in a while. Maybe you should slip on some of Thom Hartmann's dipshitery for size.

When I quote or use a source I always boldtype it. I certainly hadn't seen the site you provided, but looking it over it seems quite accurate--and I sure don't see you attempting to dispute any part of its sourced and verified claims. It's no secret that Ryan is basically just how I describe him. Who's disputing it? Who's actually supporting this guy at all? As with Mitten's, I'm seeing a whole lot of nose holding going on in pretty much every corner of every camp in the GOP circus family. I know you're holding yours, and not just because you're stuck on the West side of Cleveburg.

[mvscal]

When I quote or use a source I always boldtype it.

You never quote or link to your sources.

[mvscal]

There's no ducking at all of acknowledging the obvious obstructionist agenda of the GOP since Barry was duly elected.

Harry Reid isn't a Republican, dumbfuck.

And Ryan of course has joined in by way of his stunt of bringing the entire government to the brink of a mid-air stall concerning the deficit ceiling.

That's because we don't have a budget, dumbfuck, and haven't had one in well over three years. They just spend everything they can right up to the debt ceiling and then throw their hands up, clutch their pearls and demonize anyone who resists raising the limit claiming crisis if we don't cave to their demands...so they can spend even more money we don't have etc. etc.

This administration and the Senate Democrats govern by hostage taking. Anyone supporting that in any way, shape or form should be stood against a wall and shot. Instead of whining about a fucking safety net, you DUMBFUCKS should be encouraging pro-growth policies that will put people to work instead of out of work and on food stamps.

[Van]

Felix, seriously, what the fuck was up with that forever long run-on paragraph, including all those butchered ellipses?

[poptart]

you were the one that started this by saying if democrats feel so strong about it they should hand out there money....which you've got to admit is probably one of the more idiotic things you've written.

It's wise and it cuts right to the point, Felix.


If you want to give your money, knock yourself out.

Forcing someone else to do the same with THEIR money ---> makes you a thief.

Your approach is just simply immoral.

[War Wagon]

the local paper wanted to do a story about us and we told them no, we wanted no publicity in any way.

well, you've achieved some attention here and all I have to say about it is:

Props.

[Dr_Phibes]

Forcing someone else to do the same with THEIR money ---> makes you a thief.

Not really, taxation is a hallmark of any civilised, modernised, society. Some Greeks used public works, some didn't, but they got built in the end. Some Britons got charged window tax, so they bricked them up.

Taxation in itself as theft is ridiculous, wealth isn't created in a bubble, it's created in a society, it's a social product.



intermission:

[Dr_Phibes]

If you knew the extent to which I and my family have volunteered our time and money to feed the impoverished in Cleveland, you wouldn't have written what you wrote. But I agree, it is a good feeling to help those in need.

So you're like 'Tom's Shoes', for every pair of shoes you buy, a free pair gets donated to a needy African. The cultural capitalist

[Dr_Phibes]

I am not opposed to taxation.

Yes you are, you're a liar.

The difference between Poughkeepsie and Pawtucket in regards to the elderly and infirm are nil, you're assuming that the marketplace is moral and rationlal and to some degree, it is.

Moral behaviour is not fully rational in the sense that it introduces inefficiencies into the behaviour of economic agents, who can no longer maximise their benefits in the marketplace. Such irrationality will be punished by the capitalist market, and would therefore wither away over time. In order to demonstrate otherwise, you would have to demonstrate that morality has a rational basis in terms of economic benefits. So far, you have failed to do so, markets are temporary, government isn't.

[Shlomart Ben Yisrael]

...markets are temporary, government isn't.

Temporality is a modern psychosis and byproduct of capitalism's "decay phase".

Sit back, pull up a cold one and watch the curtain descend.

[LTS TRN 2]

Why are you spelling "state" with a capital? too much goose-stepping can have odd effects...er..

[M Club]

So you're like 'Tom's Shoes', for every pair of shoes you buy, a free pair gets donated to a needy African. The cultural capitalist

The only Africans I've helped post on this board, occasionally. And I don't think they received shoes.[/quote]

Reminds me it's about time for a Petrus update:

still in walvis? when do you finish school?

Things did not go according to plan this year. My practical training will not be considered for my certification of competence by the South African Maritime Authority. Apparent I needed to do my practical training on international vessels. Not on my company's vessels where I am now. Anyway it will only delay the completion of my certificate of competence. Otherwise everything is fine.

[Felix]

Why is that idiotic? You have one group who believes it is society's obligation to provide cradle to grave benefits (housing, food, healthcare, education, child care, cell phones, retirement etc. etc. etc.)

which group is that? because I'll be honest with you here I know lots of democrats and there's not one person among them that think this country should be providing benefits to people for their entire life.....insofar as retirement benefits go, I've paid boat loads of cash to social security so isn't it fair that I should be entitled to get some of that money back?

and another group who would prefer not to have those financial obligations on the federal government's bottom line. Absolutley nothing stops the group who wants to provide these benefits from doing so on their own. If they had any balls or credibility, they would establish opt-in programs for their like-minded fellow Americans, pony up their own cash, and make it work. But they won't do that. They want to finance their brand of politics with their opponent's cash.

so by what I'm reading here is that you'd prefer the "everybody for themselves" approach and if somebody happens to fall on hard times, well too fucking bad.....you lost your job, too fucking bad....go scrounge through the dumpster behind kentucky fried chicken and maybe you'll find some old chicken to eat.....your husband got killed in a car wreck and you've got no source of income? tough shit.
Is this really the kind of society you'd prefer to live in

Those who do not want to pay for cradle to grave benefits do not want want anything from their opponents. All they want to do is give them the freedom to do whatever it is they want to do with their own money.

Provide me with a name of somebody that's advocating we pay cradle to grave benefits to anyone....and contrary to what you think, not everyone has lots of money to be buying whatever they want any time they want

If you knew the extent to which I and my family have volunteered our time and money to feed the impoverished in Cleveland, you wouldn't have written what you wrote. But I agree, it is a good feeling to help those in need.

good on you brother......so you do sympathize with the plight of others? I knew you weren't as big a hard ass as you were portraying yourself to be.....look, I'm not in favor of giving lazy assholes money for them to sit around and do nothing....I'm a big proponent of drug testing for people that receive welfare....I'm a big proponent of limiting the amount of welfare someone can receive regardless of how many kids they spawn....people have to accept responsibility for their decisions in life and it's time that we as a society make them pay up for those choices.....

so you see, you and I aren't as far apart as you might think

[Dinsdale]

I'm a big proponent of drug testing for people that receive welfare....

So certain people with certain problems aren't worthy of your charity, and they should just starve?

Placing conditions on charity is deplorable.

[Mikey]

Placing conditions on charity is deplorable.

You mean like income?

[Felix]

So certain people with certain problems aren't worthy of your charity, and they should just starve?

the way I look at it, people in need of help have one of two choices....you can try and better your position, or you can numb the pain with heroin, meth, or any of a myriad of other hardcore drugs.....I'll do everything in my power to help those that want to help themselves....there are free programs they can enroll in to help them get rid of their dependance on addictive drugs...it ain't easy and you gotta want it but it can be done.....

if people aren't willing to better themselves, they can go pound fucking sand for all I care....I have no sympathy for them whatsoever

[Mikey]

You hard-hearted bastard.

[mvscal]

if people aren't willing to better themselves, they can go pound fucking sand for all I care get paid welfare, food stamps and every other unconstitutional entitlement that libtards can dream up....It's the compassionate thing to do.

FTFY, hypocrite.

[mvscal]

good, I'm glad you can grasp that reducing payments to PROVIDERS in no way affects the amount of Medicare senior citizens will receive.

Not sure how I missed this Hope Diamond of stupidity the first time around.

Yes, feelsdix, reducing payments to providers will certainly affect the amount of Medicare senior citizens will receive. We won't have to wait long to find out either. Beginning January 1st, reimbursements to doctors will be cut 31%. That will result in fewer doctors accepting Medicare patients.

The fundamental economic ignorance of liberal fuckwits like you is absolutely astounding.

[Van]

...is...



...mixed with...

[Felix]

if people aren't willing to better themselves, they can go pound fucking sand for all I care get paid welfare, food stamps and every other unconstitutional entitlement that libtards can dream up....It's the compassionate thing to do.

FTFY, hypocrite.

regardless of what you think, my original statement is the truth
I despise welfare mooches that drain our resources and produce nothing in return....

[Felix]

Yes, feelsdix, reducing payments to providers will certainly affect the amount of Medicare senior citizens will receive. We won't have to wait long to find out either. Beginning January 1st, reimbursements to doctors will be cut 31%. That will result in fewer doctors accepting Medicare patients.

The fundamental economic ignorance of liberal fuckwits like you is absolutely astounding.

sad thing about idiots like you is that you think doctors are strictly in it for the money.....I got news for you moron, there are plenty of doctors that aren't in it for the money...

but yeah, Ryan's scorched earth policy is going to produce a much healthier society....of course, the bankruptcy lawyers will be having a field day, and the insurance companies are going to reap profits that have never been seen before....so yeah, the big winners are the insurance giants and the bankruptcy lawyers....and don't forget, when people are forced into medical bankruptcy, that will in turn increase the insurance premiums for people like you and I....it's not like I'm not paying enough already....I should be paying more.....why didn't I grasp the true greatness of this plan

[mvscal]

sad thing about idiots like you is that you think doctors are strictly in it for the money.....

Regardless of personal motivation, they have substantial operating costs which are not covered by Medicare. The cuts to reimbursement will only accelerate the trend. Once again, this is basic economics.

http://www.texmed.org/Template.aspx?id=24764

Ryan's scorched earth policy

Stop lying, you stupid, fucking asshole.

[poptart]

Ryan's scorched earth policy

If that's a serious take, your mind is GONE.


Curious, it Ryan's economic polices are scorched earth, what term would you give to ObaMao's economic policies?

Tell me.

[Dr_Phibes]

I'm not sure where you are going with this. My point has always been that the United States is set up to be a federation of sovereign States, with the People in those States setting their own rules for government. If the People of Vermont, for example, decide that they want to tax everyone's income at 60% in order to provide cradle to grave government services, nothing should stop them. Similarly, if the people of North Dakota, for example, decide that they do not want to impose any income taxes whatsoever, and decide not to provide any government services at all, nothing should stop them. They are sovereign States, and the People residing there can make their own decisions.

Old is old and infirm are infirm, regardless of whether you're in Dakota or Mongolia. How a society treats its weakest members reflects your culture's value system.
Considering the impact of spending your twilight years eating dogfood, or being able to conduct yourself with a small modicum of decency isn't something that should be left up to the marketplace. It requires some sort of extra guarantee, especially considering that the old once looked after the young, so should the young look after the old.

I wouldn't put healthcare or pensions in the traditional basket of ordinary goods, like apples or bicycles.

[Felix]

Stop lying, you stupid, fucking asshole.

pull your head out of your ass and tell me this
1. where are all the new jobs these ass hats are promising going to come from....as has been demonstrated time and time again, dressing up trickle down economics and calling it something different isn't going to make it any more successful than that last assholes that tried it...it doesn't work, never has, never will
2. where are the revenues that keep this country running going to come from....as I pointed out earlier, the marginal tax rate for the 10 largest corporations averages about 9%, and now mittens and howdy doody want to continue to lower the corporate tax rate...it's bad enough they essentially want the wealthiest people to pay nothing, but now they want corporations to pay nothing....how are they going to make up this lost revenue
3. what are they going to do to stop the exodus of companies from the us....regardless of how much they cut their taxes, they still have to pay workers a livable wage....of course, that's out of the question so the largest companies are going to continue to escalate outsourcing...what steps are they going to take to stop that.
4. with the reduction in tax revenues, how are they going to address the failing infrastructure in this country.....our electrical grid is basically put together with bailing twine and chicken wire....where are they going to get the money to not only fund new road construction, but maintain the shoddy roads that are long overdue for some serious upgrades.....how are they going to repair our failing bridges
5. when are they going to put a stop to the richest of the rich outsourcing their money to tax haven countries in order to avoid paying what little taxes their asked to pay in the us...
6 in order to increase military spending, there going to have to cut social services which will of course hurt the people that can least afford it....what social services are they going to gut first....
7. How is a voucher system for health care going to make it better for seniors....they whine that obamas health care plan somehow limits what services they receive (although their still a little hazy on exactly what services are being limited)....how is a voucher system superior to obamas health care plan......
8. of course, if they're elected their first order of business will be to repeal obama's plan, and we'll be right back to square one, where people who don't have insurance will continue to show up at emergency wards (where they can't be turned away) and the costs of these unpaid hospital visits will continue to be footed by people like me in the form of higher insurance rates....so how do they plan to curb what are already out of control insurance costs?

answer these and I'll come up with about 20,000 more for you

[LTS TRN 2]

C'mon Van, I'll admit Jim Nabors is a dead ringer for the dog-eyed Ayn Rand groupie, but let's not drag Djokovic down into the muck.

I mean who's next?

I got those New Deal blues...and I'd like to saw off your leg, baby..and then I'm gonna....(wait a minute--solo!)

[Dinsdale]

2. where are the revenues that keep this country running going to come from....as I pointed out earlier, the marginal tax rate for the 10 largest corporations averages about 9%, and now mittens and howdy doody want to continue to lower the corporate tax rate...it's bad enough they essentially want the wealthiest people to pay nothing, but now they want corporations to pay nothing....how are they going to make up this lost revenue


3. what are they going to do to stop the exodus of companies from the us

Uhm, what?

Jaw-dropping, that one was.



4. with the reduction in tax revenues, how are they going to address the failing infrastructure in this country.....our electrical grid is basically put together with bailing twine and chicken wire[/quote]

One of the great lefty talking points... the United States has BY FAR the best, most reliable electric grid on earth.

Remind me of all those times entire regions went without electricity for an extended time that didn't involve a massive natural disaster?

Take your time...

how are they going to repair our failing bridges

I like how Obamao just pressed for some infrastructure projects to be "expidited" -- like our local boondoggle, the Columbia River Crossing.

The CRC has been estimated at $4 billion (outside auditors/engineers estimate $8B). The "problem" is a so-called "bottleneck" that involves 3 feeway lanes on Interstate 5 in each direction that feed into a drawbridge that's 3 lanes in each direction. No one (until very recently, in stark contrast to what previous architectural inspections have said) ever suggested that the Interstate Bridge was about to fall down, short of a cataclysmic earthquake (we're due)...

But these rocket surgeons have decided that traffic will flow better if we take down the existing 6 lane bridge, and replace it with...

are you ready?

A 6 lane bridge.

But it gets WAY better... the new 6 lane bridge will be financed, in part, by tolbooths. Yup, this is modern politicians (in "D" states, anyway) idea of how to speed up traffic... by installing toll booths (and light rail,which the Vancouverites have voted down time and time again).

But if you repeat the phrase "crumbling infrastructure" enough times, the Sheeple will eventually believe it. A giant lie to bilk current AND future taxpayers out of their money, while fixing precisely nothing.

7. How is a voucher system for health care going to make it better for seniors

Maybe your high school Econ101 teacher is still alive, and you can ask them. They'll probably be pissed you fell asleep the very first day of class, but they'll probably still give you an answer.

we'll be right back to square one, where people who don't have insurance will continue to show up at emergency wards (where they can't be turned away) and the costs of these unpaid hospital visits will continue to be footed by people like me in the form of higher insurance rates

But the same system with a few thousand extra pencil-pushers is going to be cheaper?

Forget that "high school econ teacher" line -- I'm sure if they're still alive, they disowned you long ago.

[LTS TRN 2]

A cheap dodge, Dins. Can't you offer anything better than simplistic jingoisms about our nation's power grid? You're kidding, right? Not about the grid, but as to how this in any way addresses the direct and accurate question ..

where are the revenues that keep this country running going to come from....as I pointed out earlier, the marginal tax rate for the 10 largest corporations averages about 9%, and now mittens and howdy doody want to continue to lower the corporate tax rate...it's bad enough they essentially want the wealthiest people to pay nothing, but now they want corporations to pay nothing....how are they going to make up this lost revenue

You say it's "jaw-dropping"? And then you ignore the question entirely. Just like Ryan and Hannity or whichever Tea Bagger is blathering. C'mon, don't be a total fraud. At least take a shot at a real answer.


I..don't actually shoot...(and none of my kids ever played hockey)....

[Mikey]

Remind me of all those times entire regions went without electricity for an extended time that didn't involve a massive natural disaster?

You're kidding, right?

55 million customers in the norteast US and Ontario in 2003

5 million customers in SoCal and Arizona in 2011

There's two off the top of my head. How many is too many?

[Dinsdale]

55 million customers in the norteast US and Ontario in 2003

7 whole hours?

Tragic.

5 million customers in SoCal and Arizona in 2011

13 whole hours?


So, worst case scenario, ~15% of the population had an issue for 7 hours, 9 years ago.


How does this resolve with being "held together with bailing wire"?

How's Japan's grid doing these days?

[Mikey]

Yeah, you're right. No damage done in either of those.

My bad.

[lovebuzz]

55 million customers in the norteast US and Ontario in 2003

7 whole hours?

Actually, that was almost 24 hours in the NE suburbs (read: not black, not ghetto, not unwashed Arab, so save it) of Detroilet.

ps: i'm not bagging on the grid/aligning myself with Felix. I'm simply stating that it wasn't 7 hours for me.
It was fun - - neighbors being neighborly, grills ablaze, libations consumed.
All in all, we had a real good time.