Senate votes down controversial House budget
By ANDREW TAYLOR, Associated Press – 2 hrs 30 mins ago
WASHINGTON – Joined by several moderate Republicans, Democrats controlling the Senate rejected a controversial House budget plan for turning Medicare into a voucher-like program for future beneficiaries.
Five Republicans joined every Democrat in the 57-40 vote killing the measure, which calls for transforming Medicare into a program in which future beneficiaries — people now 54 years old and younger — would be given a subsidy to purchase health insurance rather than have the government directly pay hospital and doctor bills.
So what would this bill have really done? It would have given all medicare money to private corporations. Those who bought their insurance with these "Vouchers" would have received the lowest level of care available. Those with the vouchers and another $2k to spend per month on healthcare would receive the finest treatment in all the land. This would have created a two teared healthcare system in America with separate hospitals and other facilities for the two classes and even different doctors. DOs and MDs from local less accredited med schools would work in one level of facilities and MDs from the finer schools would work in the higher level healthcare facilities. The entire complex would be run by corporations whose sole purpose would be to make as much profit as possible. IF that thought doesn't terrify you, then you are not thinking.
When is America going to get tired of these corporate whores taking shots at the very fabric of our society? When are we going to get tired of all our resources going into the pockets of the corporate elite uber rich?
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3 comments:
"The entire complex would be run by corporations whose sole purpose would be to make as much profit as possible. IF that thought doesn't terrify you, then you are not thinking."
I'm beginning to think that the federal deficit was orchestrated to benefit corporations, and to create favorable conditions for profit taking, and exploitation--conditions that, as you say, should "terrify" us all.
When Bush came into office, budget surpluses were predicted in the billions for several years thereafter.
Republicans knew that as long as the federal government showed fiscal health, they wouldn't be able to reduce the size of it. They lacked justification.
So they had to starve the beast.
Massive tax cuts for the rich and the middle class ensued, as did a Medicare prescription benefit that wasn't paid for, and two wars (one elected), that were financed by borrowed money from abroad.
Now with the nation's deficit in the trillions, the Republicans finally have the justification they need to slash the entitlements that compete with the private sector, reduce government's role in keeping corporations honest, and putting the democratic power of the people into the hands of corporatists.
This is not unlike what we're seeing at the state level around the country. It's the same plan, but modified for local consumption.
"When is America going to get tired of these corporate whores taking shots at the very fabric of our society? When are we going to get tired of all our resources going into the pockets of the corporate elite uber rich?"
As long as we're obsessing over President Obama's birth certificate, whether he salutes the flag or not, wears a flag pin or not, is secretly a Muslim or not, the anti-Christ, or a Manchurian Candidate, we won't see--because of these manufactured distractions--the slight of hand maneuvering that's fleecing us blind.
I say it's a good chance that we won't "tire" anytime soon. We're allowing our biases--political or otherwise--to take the lead.
Unfortunately, some deeply held biases can be manipulated and exploited, either for gain or profit, or both.
You got it BD. IF it's happenin in American politics, it's probably happening on purpose and those who make things happen are those with the dollars.
FOLLOW THE MONEY!
Word I've been reading today is that if Obama compromises any on cuts in Medicare, it's the knife in the heart for 2012. Gawd please Obama, be the badzz that you is.
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