Obama`s approval rating drops dramatically

ironsides

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Feb 13, 2009
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If you read that brief "The Hill" article to its very end, you see the comment from the Sen. Baucus spokeswoman saying that the health care reform bill will lower premiums and cap out-of-pocket costs, the reasons for having this particular medical expense deduction. Presumably, the deduction will no longer be needed. Sounds reasonable to me.


I read it, but I cannot see the day that medical expenses just go away. If they do, your right there will be no need for the deductions, but were talking about maybe. In the meantime we have almost 8 more years before the plan is in full effect.
 

Icarus27k

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Apr 4, 2010
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Now, on another topic:

The Rasmussen Reports daily tracking poll for today has Obama at 48% approve, 51% disapprove. That's pretty good for Obama on that particular poll. If he crosses into more approve than disapprove on that, I'll be impressed.

According to Rasmussen's own analysis, the improvement for Obama on this poll is that a bunch of liberals/Democrats who were skeptical of Obama have decided they like the health care reform law, and decided they approve of Obama again because of it.

It's happened. The Rasmussen daily poll for Wednesday, April 14, shows Obama with a 50% job approval and a 49% job disapproval.

That's great news for Obama. What's been going recently, besides the health care law? Perhaps Americans like the idea of international summits and nuclear disarmament? But, we like to bomb things. I'm so conflicted.
 

EagleSmack

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I read it, but I cannot see the day that medical expenses just go away. If they do, your right there will be no need for the deductions, but were talking about maybe. In the meantime we have almost 8 more years before the plan is in full effect.

Of course they won't go away. More taxes and more value added taxes. Those are the taxes that aren't really taxes. The government will tax the medical industry on profits and sales. The medical industry will simply hike prices. The tax rate will be the same, the product will cost more.
 

Icarus27k

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Apr 4, 2010
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Of course they won't go away. More taxes and more value added taxes. Those are the taxes that aren't really taxes. The government will tax the medical industry on profits and sales. The medical industry will simply hike prices. The tax rate will be the same, the product will cost more.

This is different from the medical expense deduction that ironsides and I were talking about eariler, but yes, the health care bill does increase taxes on medical supplies companies. These are taxes on companies, not individual consumers, so it doesn't violate Obama's pledge of "no tax increases for individuals making less than $200,000 a year".

It will trickle down to consumers, but the taxes are set up in such a way that the 10 largest medical supply companies will pay something like 85% of the new taxes. These companies are big enough, with so many customers, that whatever price increases that trickle down to consumers will probably be insignificant to individual customers.
 

EagleSmack

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This is different from the medical expense deduction that ironsides and I were talking about eariler, but yes, the health care bill does increase taxes on medical supplies companies. These are taxes on companies, not individual consumers, so it doesn't violate Obama's pledge of "no tax increases for individuals making less than $200,000 a year".

It will trickle down to consumers, but the taxes are set up in such a way that the 10 largest medical supply companies will pay something like 85% of the new taxes. These companies are big enough, with so many customers, that whatever price increases that trickle down to consumers will probably be insignificant to individual customers.

LOL to all of this. Of course our taxes are going to go up and companies will not take a loss for the good of the health plan. We will all feel it eventually and in one way or other.
 

Icarus27k

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Of course ... companies will not take a loss for the good of the health plan. We will all feel it eventually and in one way or other.

My post before this one said exactly this, except I said that what individual consumers feel because of the tax on medical supply companies will probably be insignificant because the total amount of money will be made up for from a large group of customers.

An illustration: If I needed $20, but I had 40 people willing to give, it would only be 50 cents per person.
 

Icarus27k

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Apr 4, 2010
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Besides, taxes can be really good. Another one of the tax provisions in the health care law is a tax increase on expensive health insurance plans.

This tax not only increase government revenue, but also raises workers' wages since it will encourage employers to convert compensation from insurance benefits to salaries.
 

EagleSmack

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My post before this one said exactly this, except I said that what individual consumers feel because of the tax on medical supply companies will probably be insignificant because the total amount of money will be made up for from a large group of customers.

An illustration: If I needed $20, but I had 40 people willing to give, it would only be 50 cents per person.

At this time he hasn't but raising taxes on the middle class but if you read the bill as the Health Care Plan comes to fruition we will be paying more taxes and not able to deduct as much yearly.

So YES he may be able to say at this time he hasn't raised taxes but down the road they will kick in and households making $200K and less will be paying more in taxes.

Taxpayers earning less than $200,000 a year will pay roughly $3.9 billion more in taxes — in 2019 alone — due to healthcare reform, according to the Joint Committee on Taxation, Congress’s official scorekeeper.

The new law raises $15.2 billion over 10 years by limiting the medical expense deduction, a provision widely used by taxpayers who either have a serious illness or are older.

Taxpayers can currently deduct medical expenses in excess of 7.5 percent of their adjusted gross income. Starting in 2013, most taxpayers will only be able to deduct expenses greater than 10 percent of AGI. Older taxpayers are hit by this threshold increase in 2017.

Once the law is fully implemented in 2019, the JCT estimates the deduction limitation will affect 14.8 million taxpayers — 14.7 million of them will earn less than $200,000 a year. These taxpayers are single and joint filers, as well as heads of households.
 

EagleSmack

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Besides, taxes can be really good. Another one of the tax provisions in the health care law is a tax increase on expensive health insurance plans.

Yes, unless your title has Congreman/woman and Senator as they made themselves exempt from this per usual.

This tax not only increase government revenue, but also raises workers' wages since it will encourage employers to convert compensation from insurance benefits to salaries.

This is absolute nonsense. Do you think that companies are going to transfer wealth to their employees because of this bill? Bigger companies have already come forward and said the bill is going to cost them more than they already pay.

Get your feet back on the ground new guy.
 

FiveParadox

Governor General
Dec 20, 2005
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Ohh No! I hope they aren't like the Canadian death panels they are constantly compared to.

Yup. We regularly pick off one of the healthy ones just to keep everyone in their place. It’s the only way we can keep our socialist health care working properly. And that’s only in-between our bi-hourly oaths of allegiance to The Queen that broadcast across all radio and television networks.
 

JLM

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Nov 27, 2008
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Besides, taxes can be really good. Another one of the tax provisions in the health care law is a tax increase on expensive health insurance plans.

This tax not only increase government revenue, but also raises workers' wages since it will encourage employers to convert compensation from insurance benefits to salaries.

That is totally backwards thinking. Just remember TAXES ARE BAD. One of the worst things about them is the bureaucracy they create to collect them.
 

Icarus27k

Council Member
Apr 4, 2010
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Do you think that companies are going to transfer wealth to their employees because of this bill?

Yes, I do. Because it goes beyond theory; it's almost fact that if you tax the health insurance plans that companies offer their employees, it means the companies will get cheaper insurance plans and make up for it by offering the employee a higher salary. Economists from all political perspectives agree with this.

Source: NPR.org Economists: 'Cadillac Tax' May Mean Higher Wages

This is one of the benefits of having a society where people get their insurance coverage through their employers. If you ever have a problem with stagnant salaries, you can just tax the employees other benefits, and it improves the salaries.
 

EagleSmack

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Yes, I do. Because it goes beyond theory; it's almost fact that if you tax the health insurance plans that companies offer their employees, it means the companies will get cheaper insurance plans and make up for it by offering the employee a higher salary. Economists from all political perspectives agree with this.

Source: NPR.org Economists: 'Cadillac Tax' May Mean Higher Wages

This is one of the benefits of having a society where people get their insurance coverage through their employers. If you ever have a problem with stagnant salaries, you can just tax the employees other benefits, and it improves the salaries.

How long have you been in the work force here in America?

Companies are loyal to the bottom line and not the work force for the most part.
 

Icarus27k

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Apr 4, 2010
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It is the bottom line that leads companies to offer higher salaries in exchange for less luxurious non-salary benefits. Companies have a natural self-interest in retaining their employees. Or, so say most economists.
 

ironsides

Executive Branch Member
Feb 13, 2009
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Yup. We regularly pick off one of the healthy ones just to keep everyone in their place. It’s the only way we can keep our socialist health care working properly. And that’s only in-between our bi-hourly oaths of allegiance to The Queen that broadcast across all radio and television networks.

Is that why Canada only has 33 million people?? My god we will have a similar smaller population when Obama is thru with us. :lol::lol::lol:
 

Icarus27k

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Apr 4, 2010
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Really, the increase in the employer health insurance taxes would have been a momumental accomplishment on its own, but it came with all the other stuff in the health care reform law: gets insurance to 32 million uninsured Americans; bans denial of coverage based on pre-existing conditions; reduces the federal deficit; more regulation of the health insurance industry, etc.
 

Tonington

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Oct 27, 2006
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Last US sardine cans being packed in Maine

Thank you President Obama for allowing another industry to move out of the U.S..

For the past 135 years, sardine canneries have been as much a part of Maine's small coastal villages as the thick Down East fog. It's been estimated that more than 400 canneries have come and gone along the state's long, jagged coast.

Last US sardine cans being packed in Maine - Yahoo! News



So...you want Obama to force consumers to buy sardines? You want him to say the hell with fisheries biology, and remove all quotas?

Just what is it you would do?

The industry peaked in the 50's. This was a long time coming.