A car of interest....

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by jayeh

I just don't get it! I don't even agree with the concept of for profit healthcare.

So it's okay that Obama lied to us because we know his goal is a single payer system . Not that this would be true of any of my neighbors, but if my neighbor down the street is the same age and also doesn't smoke, but weighs 500 pounds and drinks a bottle of vodka a day (I don't drink and am not obese), why should we pay the same for health insurance? ObamaCare only allows physical location, age, and smoker vs non-smoker to be taken into consideration re insurance rates.

I don't understand how anyone could think the united states is anywhere close to that!

Our national debt is already a fair amount higher per capita than Greece. Some people think that doesn't matter because of the different nature of our economy. I still think it matters. Some people think that conservatives in the U.S. are selfish because we want to cut government spending and we don't want to pay higher taxes. I say what could possibly be more selfish than to borrow money for excessive things that are desired (but not needed) now (what many liberals want) and make kids, grandkids, great grandkids, great great grandkids, etc. (who have no say in the matter) pay that money back.

You might want to check your sources on that statement about the corporate taxes.

In late March of 2012 the corporate tax rate in Japan dipped just below ours, giving the U.S. the highest corporate tax rate in the developed world. Liberals here will say that is a conservative talking point and is inaccurate because the U.S. has the second lowest corporate tax rate among such countries when expressed as a percentage of GDP. IMO, that is liberal drivel. Talk to the CEO of a company headquartered outside the U.S. who is thinking about relocating his company from its current location. He's not going to care what the U.S. corporate tax rate is as a percentagle of GDP. He's going to care what his company would have to pay.

I guess I'm just a socialist at heart!

I guess so .

[jayeh]

Originally Posted by nookandcrannycar

So it's okay that Obama lied to us because we know his goal is a single payer system . Not that this would be true of any of my neighbors, but if my neighbor down the street is the same age and also doesn't smoke, but weighs 500 pounds and drinks a bottle of vodka a day (I don't drink and am not obese), why should we pay the same for health insurance? ObamaCare only allows physical location, age, and smoker vs non-smoker to be taken into consideration re insurance rates.

I don't know the answer to that, but here alcohol and cigarettes are taxed to the sky so it kind of evens out.

I'm also shocked by how much people pay for health insurance in the first place. I was reading that somebody my age would pay about what I pay in a year for income tax for their health insurance alone, plus about the same amount of income tax!

I'm fascinated by the social programs in the US. They seem to be somewhat jumbled and inefficient and with a great variance by state.

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by jayeh

I don't know the answer to that, but here alcohol and cigarettes are taxed to the sky so it kind of evens out.

I'm also shocked by how much people pay for health insurance in the first place. I was reading that somebody my age would pay about what I pay in a year for income tax for their health insurance alone, plus about the same amount of income tax!

I'm fascinated by the social programs in the US. They seem to be somewhat jumbled and inefficient and with a great variance by state.

The difference between states fascinates me. I was getting gas for my Yaris in East Brunswick, New Jersey in 2010 and I asked the attendant why gas is so much cheaper in New Jersey than in New York or Connecticut. He said it is because the gas tax is so much lower and New Jersey makes up for it by having higher cigarette and alcohol taxes than New York and Connecticut. I like the approach New Jersey takes on this because most people have to buy gas, but people don't have to smoke or drink. I just wish the State of New Jersey would let people pump their own gas!

California has been notorious in the past for providing generous social benefits, with some cities going beyond that and providing even more assistance. As a result (at least partially) California has nearly 1/3 of all welfare recipients in the U.S. while having about 1/8 of the population.

A few months ago I was walking into an older Kroger supermarket in Humble, TX (a city that is south of me (in Harris County) and also east of me. This particular Kroger is near a lot of apartments. I noticed what was essentially a government ad promoting food stamps with an eligible income re size of household grid . This same 'promotion' is NOT on the door of my local Kroger (I think because the median income in my area is too high), but I did notice that 'Obamaphones' are available at my local Kroger .

I've also been told there are ads currently running in Mexico instructing people how to get food stamps in the U.S. once they get across the border. Why are government workers doing this (and squandering taxpayer money in the process), and why is it the policy coming from above? Because the more people there are enrolled in the program, the more government workers are needed and both of these groups can, *BINGO*, be relied upon to vote for Democrats....and many people believe that this last reason is why the administration has taken the stances it has in various situations re immigration. I think people seeking out the Food Stamp benefit and getting it if they qualify is one thing, but I think initiating/promoting more (some of it BORROWED) money that the taxpayers are on the hook for is despicable. If a certain amount is 'budgeted' and the managers feel or require that that all has to be distributed, then that process needs to be revised.

[tooter]

Originally Posted by nookandcrannycar

California has been notorious in the past for providing generous social benefits, with some cities going beyond that and providing even more assistance. As a result (at least partially) California has nearly 1/3 of all welfare recipients in the U.S. while having about 1/8 of the population.

A few months ago I was walking into an older Kroger supermarket in Humble, TX (a city that is south of me (in Harris County) and also east of me. This particular Kroger is near a lot of apartments. I noticed what was essentially a government ad promoting food stamps with an eligible income re size of household grid . This same 'promotion' is NOT on the door of my local Kroger (I think because the median income in my area is too high), but I did notice that 'Obamaphones' are available at my local Kroger .

I've also been told there are ads currently running in Mexico instructing people how to get food stamps in the U.S. once they get across the border. Why are government workers doing this (and squandering taxpayer money in the process), and why is it the policy coming from above? Because the more people there are enrolled in the program, the more government workers are needed and both of these groups can, *BINGO*, be relied upon to vote for Democrats....and many people believe that this last reason is why the administration has taken the stances it has in various situations re immigration. I think people seeking out the Food Stamp benefit and getting it if they qualify is one thing, but I think initiating/promoting more (some of it BORROWED) money that the taxpayers are on the hook for is despicable. If a certain amount is 'budgeted' and the managers feel or require that that all has to be distributed, then that process needs to be revised.

You're quite correct, nook...
The California State government uses taxpayer money to pay for radio advertising campaigns promoting its food stamp program SNAP, Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program.

Since June 2009, 1,300,000 more people have filed for disability benefits which has become the new welfare.

Last month, while 87,000 new jobs were created, 496,000 people had left the work force. So 6 times more people left the work force as reentered it.

The percentage of working-age adults in the labor force, the participation rate, fell to 63.3 percent last month, breaking the record low set in May 1979 which was the last major recession 34 years ago.