marmesto Loc: Hamburg, NY

I agree! I thought I was the only one aware.

Jim Plogger Loc: East Tennessee

Good point. Let's put this back in perspective. I, personally, hope that the ACA succeeds. We need a good health care program. The ACA was passed through under the table deals and vote buying. Not one single Republican supported it. I have many doubts that it can succeed without changes. I do oppose any penalty (tax) on any individual who chooses not to sign up. Right now the Republicans have proposed a 1 year delay of the individual mandate. In return the shutdown will cease. So can someone be so kind to explain why Harry Reid will not bring that proposal to the Senate floor and allow a vote? I believe that he knows it would be passed. This is not rocket science! That would allow us to get on with our lives and see if the ACA actually works. It is very difficult for me to understand why anyone would be opposed to this approach.

rrforster12 Loc: Leesburg Florida

I have read the referenced editorial and believe much of it is "opinion" and projections that were written prior to the kick-off of the Exchanges. We now know that the Premiums actually being quoted are far more than was anticipated, and the co-pays and deductibles are simply unaffordable for most of the people that are needing coverage. The true facts about ACA will emerge over the next few months, but the initial reports are not encouraging. Just ask yourself; when has the Government ever put a cost efficient program into effect? ACA will be another massive quagmire of fraud and mismanagement which will eventually morph into a totally taxpayer financed "entitlement".
The Government has already run out of funds to run the country and is forced to borrow a very significant amount of the day-to-day expenses so it can only confiscate more of its citizens wealth and keep borrowing more and more from other countries. Through that ever increasing debt those countries are becoming our Masters, for now only noticed subtlely, but eventually that too will change. Has ANYONE asked (and answered) the question can we really afford this ??

Pentony Loc: Earth Traveller

The existing way is broken why not try something different like Term Limits?

marmesto Loc: Hamburg, NY

The Affordable Care Act is receiving the same scrutiny as Social Security and Medicare.

Someone has to pay for it. Who pays for health care now? No one can be denied emergency room service. Who pays? We payers for health insurance now (and the government). It's time for everyone to pay for their own needs. It's time for everyone to pay for their own health insurance. No one has the right to wait, till they need it to start paying.

Why do we have auto insurance? Everyone pays, before they need it. Everyone is covered (even those selfish enough to drive without insurance).

Pentony Loc: Earth Traveller

Not true. READ THE CONSTITUTION.

We the people can start a grass routes initiative for Term Limits.

Pentony Loc: Earth Traveller

Interesting :thumbup: :thumbup:

Pentony Loc: Earth Traveller

"Twardlow wrote: Social Security was not a disaster, nor was medicare."

The concept of SS and Medicare was not a disaster. The disaster is the way it is being administered especially the disability part which seems to be full of corruption as per CBS 60 Minutes edition 06 Sep 2013.

That just also showed not only is Congress corrupt and stupid, there are a number of local lawyers and judges within we the people who are also gaming the system. How do we the people police are selves?

Pentony Loc: Earth Traveller

Most comments are interesting reads . However, most if not all readers apparently may have forgotten high school US Government and our Constitution.

A short (basic) refresher:
Congress consist of two houses, the House of Representatives and the Senate.
Congress designs and funds laws not the President
- a proposed law (bill) is introduced in the House of Representatives. If it is approved by members of the House, that bill (proposed law) is then submitted to the Senate.
- if that bill is also approved by the Senate then it is submitted to the President for his signature.
- if the President signs that bill, it becomes law.

The Supreme Court if asked can rule that a law is Constitutional (correct) or not Constitutional (incorrect)

A proposed law (bill) can also be initiated in the Senate, which then sends it to the House of Reps.

Responsibilities:
- Initiating laws is the sole responsibility of Congress as stated in the Constitution.
- Congress is also responsible for funding all approved laws.
- The President is empowered by the Constitution to enforce the law. The President can request or suggest that Congress initiate a law but the President can not initiate a law.
This is known as Separation of Powers.

Now this has been a brief synopsis of how a law gets enacted. I'm not getting into what happens if one part of Congress disagrees with the other part of Congress or what happens if the President refuses to sign the proposed law.

READ THE CONSTITUTION!

Thus the Affordable Health Care Law (AHCA) was proposed and approved by Congress, signed by the President and judged to be Constitutional (correct) by the Supreme Court.

Thus if Congress wants to change or repeal the AHCA, the Congress is to initiate (introduce) another proposed bill to do that, not hold the country hostages by attaching a rider on another bill, the budget.

There are those of us who say that most Americans don't want AHCA. If that is true, how come millions of Americans are trying to sign up for AHCA?

Why not allow the AHCA to work? See if AHCA works. If it doesn't work then Congress proposes another law to change or repeal AHCA, instead of Congress trying to undo what Congress did by holding we the people hostages by shutting down the government like little spoiled small minded kings and queens.

Keep the government open or in this case reopened by passing a clean unencumbered budget to avoid default and closures and credit ratings decline.

The Speaker of the House says that the President refuses to negotiate. That is not true. In fact the President has requested that Congress initiated an unencumbered (no attachments) budget to get the government working again and later change the AHCA.

Note if the AHCA law is faulty, that is the fault and responsibility of the Congress. Congress looked out for them selves and not we the people.
- Congress is still receiving their pay checks. Some of us are not.
- Congress has medical benefits. Why not we the people?
- Congress has great retirements benefits. Why not we the people?

Do we the people work for Congress or does Congress work for we the people?????

Power corrupts. Politicians are only lining their pockets. Politicians are corrupt. We the people are suffering.

Solutions: The only way for we the people to make the government work for us is;

1. to vote out all incumbents, vote out all incumbents during the next election and during every subsequent election.

2. then a grass routes initiative by we the people for a Constitutional Amendment to imposed Term Limits on all politicians and judges without special benefits more than we the people enjoy. This initiative is outlined in the Constitution.

All Presidents have term limits. Why not every body else?

READ THE CONSTITUTION!

marmesto Loc: Hamburg, NY

Agree. In hind sight, those "social" programs have saved many from total disaster. They have become second nature. Most of us agree their intention is helpful, and the cost is reasonable.

That's the problem for "the Right." This large a social program makes government responsible for its administration. There is a power shift from private to public sectors. And people will become "addicted" to government support, instead of being self-sufficient. (Problem is; most people will never be completely self-sufficient. The days of survival in the wilderness are over. We live in a community. We are responsible for each other.)

As you well point out, it provides another opportunity for corruption. I offer; corruption will occur anyway. That's; just what bad people do. Perhaps, we can learn from the past to build in safeguards. Though, it's kind of hard to trust these politicians to be that trustworthy.

Pentony Loc: Earth Traveller

Thanks :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:

KW Conch Loc: USA

:thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:

KW Conch Loc: USA

:thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:

KW Conch Loc: USA

And why does Boehner oppose a vote on a clean CR ?

Birdog9999 Loc: New Jersey

Buffett: Scrap Obamacare and Start All Over
By Money Morning Staff Reports
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Updated 11:08am EDT 10/01/2013
When asked, "Are you in favor of scrapping [Obamacare] and going back to start over?", famed investor Warren Buffett said on CNBC March 1, 2010, "I would be — if I were President Obama.”

Buffett insisted that without changes to America's health system average citizens will suffer.

"We have a health system that, in terms of costs, is really out of control," he added. "And if you take this line and you project what has been happening into the future, we will get less and less competitive. So we need something else."

Three debate-ridden years later, millions of Americans still agree.

But now that the exchanges are open, Obamacare has finally kicked off.

The government program, which some economists call the biggest tax increase ever in the United States, is also one of the most hated bills in history.

Ask millions of Americans what they think about the new law, and chances are they're ready to pop a jugular.

Critics heavily oppose the mandate requiring them to purchase health insurance. They're also furious at all the new taxes, fees, and higher premiums they'll be stuck paying, thanks to Obamacare.

Yet, while millions of Americans loathe every facet of The Affordable Care Act, as it's officially titled, another group of Americans see it as a once-in-a lifetime opportunity to get rich: Investors.

Obamacare may cost Americans 25% of their paycheck or more on January 1st. Are you at risk? Find out here.

According to Wall Street expert and Money Map Press Chief Investment Strategist, Keith Fitz-Gerald, Obamacare will create unheard of riches for investors who tap into the right companies.

"Obamacare is one of the single biggest wealth creation opportunities to hit the markets in decades," says Fitz-Gerald. "That's because huge amounts of money - trillions - will be spent as Obamacare gets rolling."

"And trillions more will be reallocated," he adds.

Not all companies will benefit - but a select few are primed for higher returns on a scale that was simply unimaginable before this legislation was passed.

These companies, and their investors, are set to make a fortune in the next several months - and years - as the full Obamacare plan gets underway.

Fitz-Gerald says main street investors will have a chance to reap big paydays - provided they know which sectors stand to benefit most.

Publisher's Note: Fitz-Gerald reveals the two sections of Obamacare that will create a new generation of millionaires.

With the implementation of Obamacare quickly approaching, Americans are asking what they can do to prepare for all the new costs and rules.

One expert, Betsy McCaughey, former Lieutenant Governor of New York and constitutional scholar with a Ph.D. from Columbia University, recently wrote a best-selling book showing Americans how they can survive Obamacare.

McCaughey is one of the only people in the country -- including members of Congress - who has actually read the entire 2,572 page law.

Her book, titled Beating Obamacare: Your Handbook for Surviving the New Health Care Law breaks down the complicated bill into 168 pages of actionable advice.

The book, written in an easy going, easy to read style, shows some startling facts about Obamacare not seen in the mainstream press.

For example, she points to a little known passage in the bill that shows how you could get slapped with a $2,000 fine for not having health insurance - even if you do actually have it.

She also goes into detail explaining how one third of all U.S. employers could stop offering health insurance to their workers.

In one chapter, she shows how ordinary Americans will get stuck paying for substance abuse coverage even if they never touched a drink or drug in their life.

According to McCaughey's research, senior citizens will get hit the hardest. "If you're a senior or a baby boomer, expect less care than in the past," she says. "Hip and knee replacements and cataract surgery will be especially hard to get from Medicare in the months ahead." Details here...

She warns seniors to get some of those types of procedures done now before Obamacare goes into full effect.

In addition, many will find it difficult to keep their medical records private, according to McCaughey.

"The law will compel Americans to share with millions of strangers who are not physicians confidential private and personal medical history information they do not wish to share."

.....