Why Don't Conservatives Understand Insurance

The conservatives always say that liberals don't understand economics or business. I was reading the paper when it occurred to me that conservatives don't understand how insurance works. Maybe because it is essentially a liberal construct. Insurance works because of a shared risk. Conservatives are fond to say "I don't want to pay for your birth control, insulin, asthma drugs,...". Some of these conditions are charged more because the company has to payout more, but these premiums are subsidized from the healthy people's premiums keeping insurance affordable for all. If you change to what the conservatives want, the high risk patients will be eliminated.

Trayvon Martin Case

So, now we are going after this kid because he was suspended from school for marijuana. This has nothing to do with the fact that he was unarmed and was shot and killed. This guy Zimmerman was looking for a fight from the moment he got out of the car. Maybe this kid did start something because he was afraid of this guy who was following him, I'm not buying that a 140 lb. kid is going to take down someone nearly twice his size. The problem in this case is that it is a he said, he said case where one party is dead. Short of finding a witness there is no case here. Even with a witness who may corroborate Mr. Zimmerman's story, Trayvon may have acted out of self defense again no case. Thank ALEC for laws like the castle laws which sanctions murder.

Obamacare at the Court

I was listening to a story about the Supreme Court case against Obamacare when a Congresswoman mentioned that the person who brought the case before the court has since gone bankrupt because of medical bills. So this person who was adamant that she shouldn't have to buy insurance because it was her right to go without has by virtue of going bankrupt left it to the rest of us to pay her bills. Here is a woman who is going bankrupt by choice (she could have bought insurance. There is no way that she should be able to walk away from these bills. Talk about an entitlement mentality. This is the biggest problem with overturning the law, what do you do with the people who refuse to buy insurance (don't want it) as opposed to those who want insurance but can't afford it? I say that if they can't pay, we shouldn't either. If Obamacare goes down in flames I hope that Congress will repeal the Reagan law requiring that hospitals treat people even if they have no ability to pay and dis-allow medical bankruptcy. If you go broke paying for medical bills you should have to set up a payment plan so that I am not left covering your irresponsible behaviour.

The Ryan Budget

Paul Ryan has proposed his budget where he helps the poor and the middle class by cutting off programs that they need to get ahead and gives more breaks to the wealthy. His budget cuts things like student loans and social security income (if a parent dies). He says that this encourages laziness so his budget encourages incentive through deprivation. I guess that he would know because what he doesn't tell people is that his father died when he was young and the family had to live through the shame and laziness promoting policy of receiving SSI and then grant money for college. So, Paul Ryan knows first hand how these Government programs crush the spirit of Americans. Granted he was able to survive because he's Paul Ryan the GOP savior but he knows that others are not likely to be so fortunate.

Another example of a survivor is the President. Unlike Paul Ryan, President Obama believes that everyone should have the same opportunity that he was given, a chance a college degree, a chance for a better paying job, a chance to get out of the poor neighborhoods, and finally a chance to be President of the United States. Which vision do we want, the one where the safety net is gone or one where the government is actively promoting the general welfare of the people. Do we want a country where only a few people are doing alright or do we want that number to be the majority? Paul Ryan's budget is bad for America, I only wish that we had a time machine so that we could have the young Paul Ryan live under the older Paul Ryan vision for America.

New US Senate Candidate

Eric Hovde is running for the US senate as a Republican. The problem is that he sounds like a progressive on many issues including the bailing out of the banks. He must be counting on the fact that no one remembers that he made his money doing exactly what he is now criticising.

Bad Citizens

Bad citizens, that would be how to describe the Madison Memorial boys basketball team. Okay that might be a little strong it was only 3 starting players who were charged with theft. What I object most to is the school's handling of the players. They should have gotten season ending suspensions along with suspension from spring sports until the criminal case is resolved. What they got was a 1 game suspension based on the ruling of a 4 coach panel comprised of coaches from out of season sports.

What is even more appalling is the apparent lack of reaction from the press and the people of the city. The State Journal went so far as to interview on of these boys after Memorial lost it's state tournament game. This somewhat condones the criminal activity. Then they have only published one letter (and it is from outside the area) about the incident. Either they are not publishing letters on this topic or they are providing cover for these boys.

The one letter wondered how they will manage when they are scholarship athletes in the real world. I think that one just has to look at the players from Marquette who were caught underage drinking to see that athletic justice is different. What the writer should have asked is how will they survive when they are poor and out of college.

Forcing Contraception on the People

Really Obamacare is going to force Catholics to cover contraception?! What the law says is that if you are an insurance company and want to participate in the exchanges to cover 46 million new customers you have to provide uniform benefits. If you are a Catholic insurer or an insurer that opposes this "mandate" don't join the exchanges. You as a corporation or church can do whatever you want except participate in the exchanges. Why is this concept lost in the debate?

Pharmacy

If Rick Santorum gets elected President I think that I will need to open up a pharmacy. Not just any pharmacy but one that will challenge the Federal government regulation of prescriptions. We will fill any prescription, we will fill requests without a prescription, and no employees of conscience. It is about freedom, the tea party should support me but they won't. They are all about freedom except when it comes to drugs and drug policy. Then they are all about big government solutions.

Mining

Today while discussing the mine we came up with a great idea. We'll build the mine to the specs of the compromise bill, promise to buy equipment manufactured in WI, and only hire WI workers. Of course, we don't have any money or knowledge of mining so we would need some state help. The Republicans should help us because we will create jobs we just need a little help to get going.

Gogebic Mining ... quits WI

Unbelievable, Gogebic Mining couldn't get a rewrite of the mine permitting process so they quit the State. Really, there are so many issues here.

1. Nearly everyone concedes that had Gogebic Mining filed for a permit in January 2011 they would have been granted a permit by now.
2. The claim is that the mine is worth $1.5 billion. Does anyone really believe that if a company could make $1.5 billion that they would walk away from a deal because they don't like the process?
3. The Fitzgeralds say they are through trying to compromise on the bill. The truth here is that when a compromise was in the works one brother dissolved the committee and the other brother said that he wouldn't bring the compromise to the floor.

No this whole thing is all a bunch of theater. I would however like to be at the meeting where the President of Gogebic explains how he left Wisconsin and $1.5 billion behind.