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babylonsister

(171,076 posts)
Mon Mar 13, 2017, 06:10 PM Mar 2017

Charles P. Pierce: This Is Not a Healthcare Bill

http://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/news/a53834/cbo-report-republican-healthcare/

This Is Not a Healthcare Bill
It's a tax cut.

By Charles P. Pierce
Mar 13, 2017


Good evening, suckers.

Obviously, we'll have more to say about the political effects of the "scoring" of the Republican proposal to change the way that Americans obtain the peace of mind that comes with actually having health insurance. But the Congressional Budget Office—about which the president* is of two minds, and both of them ignorant—report that came out late Monday made a few things eminently clear.

1) This isn't a healthcare bill. It's really a tax cut.

2) This bill is not concerned with providing affordable health insurance to the most people. It is a designed to give a massive tax cut to the wealthiest Americans.

3) This bill has nothing to do with what people need when they get sick. They are a secondary consideration to the tax cut and, amazingly, to The Deficit, in direct contravention of the Blog's First Law of Economics: Fck The Deficit. People Got No jobs. People Got No Money. As a result of this, Medicaid also will be led to the slaughter pen.


You heard the drums beating all weekend. The Republicans do not care that fewer people will be covered than are covered now. Speaker Paul Ryan, the zombie-eyed granny starver from the state of Wisconsin, was quite plain that he's going to hang his vestigial humanity on the concept of "access," which is a bogus metric on many levels. (Right now, as I sit here, I have "access" to a Cabriolet. Don't have the money to buy it, though.) I just heard a conservative pundit on MSNBC say that coverage is "not a Republican priority" in the healthcare debate, which at least is honest.

And now that the numbers are out, it seems they have been very true to their words. There will be 14 million more uninsured Americans in 2018 and 24 million a decade from now. That's a lot of preventable illness and death right there. The "savings" in the CBO report rely on the notion that the government will save $30 million a year by throwing people off Medicaid. A lot of people are going to lose health insurance, and a lot of people are going to get sick and die who would have done neither if we'd just left everything passed in 2009 alone.

But that's not the point of this bill. This bill is a tax cut in sheep's clothing, and the sheep's clothing doesn't even fit very well over the fangs.
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Charles P. Pierce: This Is Not a Healthcare Bill (Original Post) babylonsister Mar 2017 OP
It is a designed to give a massive tax cut to the wealthiest Americans. Botany Mar 2017 #1
Because 1) the black guy and 2) they had it drilled into babylonsister Mar 2017 #2
And that hate was for a large part fed and fostered by Vlad Putin for the past few years. Botany Mar 2017 #8
Brown people..... AJT Mar 2017 #5
a republican tax cut for the rich Achilleaze Mar 2017 #3
Trillion Dollar Tax break for the wealthest Wellstone ruled Mar 2017 #4
Comrade Casino to republican voters: "Ha ha. Suckers. Ha ha." Achilleaze Mar 2017 #6
And the Guy is treating his own supporters Wellstone ruled Mar 2017 #7
And Just Wait! There's More! n2doc Mar 2017 #16
Yes,along with Wellstone ruled Mar 2017 #17
Oh I'd put the level even higher than that n2doc Mar 2017 #18
I wished, Wellstone ruled Mar 2017 #19
$30 Million? Million? underpants Mar 2017 #9
That is $2.14 for every one of the 14 million who will lose their health insurance Botany Mar 2017 #11
They're "saving" $2.14 for someone to be without any coverage? underpants Mar 2017 #14
The societal costs of illness, including economic hits to employers, is enormous. n/t Beartracks Mar 2017 #12
Yeah underpants Mar 2017 #13
I've heard tell that should be the destination for babylonsister Mar 2017 #25
$30 billion per year! I suspect that 'million' is a typo. VMA131Marine Mar 2017 #27
In their supposed quest for savings, why isn't the GOP interested in saving... Americans? n/t Beartracks Mar 2017 #10
It's why Ryan and Price are happy mcar Mar 2017 #15
And the fangs are HUGE! Mountain Mule Mar 2017 #20
Which means the poor do not make enough to take a tax cut - unless things have changed. kerry-is-my-prez Mar 2017 #21
Turnip said BETTER not worse. pansypoo53219 Mar 2017 #22
This is a big F.U. Obama bill. mwooldri Mar 2017 #23
People will have access to health care just like they have access to a Rolls Royce. tclambert Mar 2017 #24
What a Riot (I'm hoping) Posting Anonymously Mar 2017 #26
if republicans had their way, they would repeal and leave it at that. spanone Mar 2017 #28
K&R Solly Mack Mar 2017 #29
This is a slap bdamomma Mar 2017 #30
The repigs are our homegrown terrorists. babylonsister Mar 2017 #32
They have no fear of losing power over this - its obvious! Generic Brad Mar 2017 #31
I am not for violence bdamomma Mar 2017 #34
It's all about giving more money to the 1%. dalton99a Mar 2017 #33
This colsohlibgal Mar 2017 #35

Botany

(70,539 posts)
1. It is a designed to give a massive tax cut to the wealthiest Americans.
Mon Mar 13, 2017, 06:12 PM
Mar 2017

Why the fuck does anybody vote republican if they are not really rich?

babylonsister

(171,076 posts)
2. Because 1) the black guy and 2) they had it drilled into
Mon Mar 13, 2017, 06:15 PM
Mar 2017

their pea brains for years to hate Hillary. So natch, they couldn't vote for her. And he stirred up his supporters with all that hate; for them, what wasn't to like?

Botany

(70,539 posts)
8. And that hate was for a large part fed and fostered by Vlad Putin for the past few years.
Mon Mar 13, 2017, 06:28 PM
Mar 2017

I have seen "it" (the Hillary hatred) 1st hand and these people don't have a pot
to pee in but that gun grabbing b***h d**e didn't win because "we stopped Hillary."

Fox, Rush, and lately the Russians have been stimulating the dumb ass poor white reptilian
brain for years.

I wonder how they will feel when they lose their health care?

Achilleaze

(15,543 posts)
3. a republican tax cut for the rich
Mon Mar 13, 2017, 06:16 PM
Mar 2017

while screwing the poor and the middle class to pay for it.

Surprise, surprise. NOT.

 

Wellstone ruled

(34,661 posts)
7. And the Guy is treating his own supporters
Mon Mar 13, 2017, 06:27 PM
Mar 2017

like sh(t. But,what can we expect from a Fake Apprentice loser.

n2doc

(47,953 posts)
16. And Just Wait! There's More!
Mon Mar 13, 2017, 07:02 PM
Mar 2017

Next up is getting rid of the estate tax so the rich can remain so forever.

 

Wellstone ruled

(34,661 posts)
17. Yes,along with
Mon Mar 13, 2017, 07:40 PM
Mar 2017

other things. My take is this,if you make less than 75k per year,get ready for one hell of a Income Tax smack in the face. First,your standard deductions will exclude Mortgage Interest,out of pocket Medical,most likely any Further Educational Costs. Appears this will produce and average of fifteen hundred to more than several thousands.


Remember most of us are those pesky 47% identified by the GOP during the Romney/Ryan Campaign.

n2doc

(47,953 posts)
18. Oh I'd put the level even higher than that
Mon Mar 13, 2017, 07:43 PM
Mar 2017

Judging from Trumpcare, 200K seems to be the lower target for their 'winners'. And just wait until the deficit skyrockets and they 'just have to' cut social security and medicare to pay for it all....

 

Wellstone ruled

(34,661 posts)
19. I wished,
Mon Mar 13, 2017, 07:57 PM
Mar 2017

understand the Tax Brackets will change supporting a small increase for Households above the 70+k,this is how the Plan covers off sets. Remember,it is all about the Middle Class voters in the Red States in order to protect the GOP . Watched a couple of Trumps so called Economic Advisors on Bloombeg,and their thing is to shift the Tax Burden from Families with income above 75k-200k to the lower percentile population with their theory this group gets more public assistance and there for it will not be a big burden.

Almost fell off my chair when these slugs said this. Only the beginning.

underpants

(182,848 posts)
14. They're "saving" $2.14 for someone to be without any coverage?
Mon Mar 13, 2017, 06:44 PM
Mar 2017

That's just horrific

Th y aren't saving anything. As noted below; social costs, employers, and emergency room/indigent care.

Beartracks

(12,820 posts)
10. In their supposed quest for savings, why isn't the GOP interested in saving... Americans? n/t
Mon Mar 13, 2017, 06:37 PM
Mar 2017

====================

Mountain Mule

(1,002 posts)
20. And the fangs are HUGE!
Mon Mar 13, 2017, 08:37 PM
Mar 2017

As an older woman with a disability, I foresee what little I get from medicaid either diminishing or disappearing at a steady pace. It's discouraging, and scary and rage provoking all at the same time. I feel like I am undergoing death by a thousand cuts.

kerry-is-my-prez

(8,133 posts)
21. Which means the poor do not make enough to take a tax cut - unless things have changed.
Mon Mar 13, 2017, 08:44 PM
Mar 2017

When I was a student, I made about $8,000/yr and one year was really sick, where a huge chunk of my salary went towards medical bills. I couldn't deduct it because it wasn't over a certain amount. Totally insane!

mwooldri

(10,303 posts)
23. This is a big F.U. Obama bill.
Mon Mar 13, 2017, 08:55 PM
Mar 2017

Simple as that really.

TrumpCare. RyanCare. Don.T.Care.

Seems like the best business I could start now is a prepaid funeral business. More people are going to die.

tclambert

(11,087 posts)
24. People will have access to health care just like they have access to a Rolls Royce.
Mon Mar 13, 2017, 09:00 PM
Mar 2017

If they can afford it, someone will sell it to them. If they don't have the money, then please step away from the vehicle.

 
26. What a Riot (I'm hoping)
Mon Mar 13, 2017, 09:11 PM
Mar 2017

The U.S. has ZERO legitimacy, morally speaking. If people had half a brain, they'd be pouring into the streets to TAKE BACK their government. The fact that people are not pouring into the streets and taking back THEIR government is PROOF that people do not have half a brain. This is not rocket science...does anybody know how to move their mouth and continuously articulate RESISTANCE??? People are stupid and because they're stupid you see EXACTLY the outcome that you see. This is not rocket science!!! We have full blown fascism and, of late, we now have an avowed government sponsored goal of exterminating the poor by literally denying healthcare to the poor. This country is nuts. Resist!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

spanone

(135,855 posts)
28. if republicans had their way, they would repeal and leave it at that.
Mon Mar 13, 2017, 09:15 PM
Mar 2017

they have no desire to sign on to an 'ENTITLEMENT' program.....this is how they see healthcare

bdamomma

(63,913 posts)
30. This is a slap
Mon Mar 13, 2017, 10:38 PM
Mar 2017

in the face to all Americans. The repigs want to line their own pockets, it's all about the 1% and to hell with everyone else.

People voted for this POS. Give him chance they said??? why did they think this POS was going to do anything for them. Ha you were BS'ed 45 supporters. I hate Paul Ryan how can he sleep at night??? Karma will get them all.

People are going to die sadly this is Bannon's plan of weeding out people. The repigs are our homegrown terrorists.

Generic Brad

(14,275 posts)
31. They have no fear of losing power over this - its obvious!
Mon Mar 13, 2017, 10:56 PM
Mar 2017

Mid-term elections will be suspended or fixed. They do not plan on ever relinquishing power and clearly have no fear of losing. If that were not part of their plan, they would not be openly planning to hurt 24 million Americans and create a permanent underclass.

Nobody is so politically stupid as to do this if they wanted to retain power (unless they were Louis Gohmert).

bdamomma

(63,913 posts)
34. I am not for violence
Mon Mar 13, 2017, 11:09 PM
Mar 2017

but................if they keep pushing.....................I will stop there. You DU'ers are smart enough to come up with a conclusion. But I am angry. All I keep on seeing is how proud Putin must be.

We need to REMOVE this fascist, oligarch regime.

colsohlibgal

(5,275 posts)
35. This
Tue Mar 14, 2017, 07:45 AM
Mar 2017

Paul Ryan isn't even trying to deny it. If millions just quit being Fox News Zombies we wouldn't be in this mess. They are going to quickly find out they have once again been conned.

Progressive folks really need to show up in the next mid term....to stop this fascist plutocratic takeover before it is too late. This is as scary as I have seen, our democracy is hanging by a thread.

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