Only one more day until Nixo- I mean Trump, takes over.



@Guy, yes, sometimes you can work you @ss off, and be smart and get ahead. I too have worked very hard to even get to a point where I can save anything at all, and on my current path I will obtain a better retirement than any of my close friends and even family will (because they too are irresponsible with their money). That said, there are many of us out here who are still grossly underpaid, and my ability to save for retirement certainly comes at a cost (lower standard of living), and any little disaster or illness or unforseen consequence in my life could certainly wipe out everything I've worked so hard to save.
---Good thing we have the 'greatest jobs president' coming in to power now, which will certainly put upward pressure on my wages, I mean, that's what Republican presidents do, right??

oh, and as a proponent of single payer healthcare as I've mentioned many times, I would rather we all pay a little in taxes every week into a socialized system (like Medicare for example) and everyone have coverage. the ACA is not my ideal system, but I also cannot advocate a repeal-without-replace, because then we are once again just leaving our brothers and sisters behind to die.
It's all too easy for those who have, to not care about those who don't and can't have. There aren't jobs for everyone and even people with jobs often don't have access to health care.
What do you suppose those people should do??

Don't compare Trump to Nixon. Nixon was an experienced politician with no small amount of wisdom about things, even if I didn't agree with all of his positions. Sure, he was a bit of an arse, but what politician isn't?

Trump is... Trump. 'nuff said.

About health care...

'Health care' is a combination of goods and services that have to be paid for by *someone*. The question here is 'who' will be doing the paying.

Medicare is financed in four ways. The dedicated taxes, trust funds (HI - Part A, and SMI - Parts B and D), premiums, and transfers from 'general revenue' (to cover the shortfall from the SMI trust fund - already 'depleted').

In the 2016 annual report, the SSA reports the following:

The HI trust fund depletion date of 2028 is two years earlier than projected last year despite the modest changes in projected long-term finances because the revisions to projected income and cost are concentrated in early years of the projection, and also because last year's report projected only modest positive trust fund balances in 2028 and 2029.

and

The Trustees project that total Medicare costs (including both HI and SMI expenditures) will grow from approximately 3.6 percent of GDP in 2015 to 5.6 percent of GDP by 2040 and will increase gradually thereafter to about 6.0 percent of GDP by 2090.

Source:
https://www.ssa.gov/oact/trsum/

So, that is a projected cost of up to 6% of GDP, close to double what it was about 1 year ago. Taxes are going to have to go up significantly to cover this. Just to maintain coverage on just the segment of the population covered by Medicare (the elderly). This is hardly 'everyone'. This is significant seeing as how the total tax burden in the USA is only 26.9% of GDP (in 2015).

The total tax burden (as a % of GDP) is likely to increase on many fronts (not just healthcare). Fewer and fewer citizens are getting productive jobs, and those that do are tending to be smaller in both pay rate and in number of hours.

Yes, sure, it would be nice if EVERYONE could get 'free' health care...

But TANSTAAFL (there ain't no such thing as a free lunch). *Someone* is going to have to pay for it. Who? The remaining workers, with their lower pay scales, and fewer hours?

Prices on EVERYTHING have been going up and up, and wages been relatively static over the last several decades? You expecting someone to come along (like Trump, to hear his supporters talk) and magically pull the solution out of their backside? Yeah, right... Ain't gonna happen.

Oh, and by the way, Trump is not a Republican, but a RINO. He just did a hostile takeover of the GOP so that he could get elected. Said this before, and I will say it again. What, you didn't know that there are rich businessmen in all political parties? Perot from the Reform Party, and Koch from the Libertarian Party, just to name a couple of candidates for President of note. And Soros from the Democrats (who tends to bankroll their campaigns).

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https://youtu.be/iY57ErBkFFE

#Texit

Don't blame me, I voted for Johnson(L) in 2016.

Truth is dangerous... especially when it challenges those in power.

Note to other Posters.

Are you enjoying The Lefts squirming, as I am?

Translation: "Help! I'm being attacked and I sure could use some help from some of the people that have been battling these lefties on the forums. They're starting to make me defensive and I'm losing my cool. Sure could use some backup!"

Nope.

One Non Left or Right poster, with one hand tied behind his back. Can defeated the silliness, and worse, of a Universe of Ideologues.

BTW: You guys are sinking faster and faster.

Translation: "Never show them blood! Never show them your sweat! Never let on how bad you're doing so long as you keep saying you are winning, you're winning!"

I kinda feel like a cat toying with a mouse. I would almost feel bad if you didn't do this to yourself.

I am enjoying this.

BTW: You are the mouse. But you don't understand it.

Excusing "So the Palestinians should be kicked out of Gaza by an invading horde of Jews with an army?

As if one described a Black African Country, invading a White African Country as:

"So the Whites should be kicked out of... by an invading horde of Blacks with an army?"

Pure Racist Comment. As "hoard of Jews' is pure Anti Semitism.

Case closed.

https://www.biblegateway.com/quicksearch/?quicksearch=horde&qs_version=NIV

Janne, it helps if you:

1) Think back to some other recent discussions and
2) Note what I quoted, to see the context in which I shared that link.

---

Capitalize on this good fortune, one word can bring you round ... changes.

Well, look at this States Rights. A red state of South Dakota wants to enforce its laws in other states.
http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/state-officials-hope-ruling-moves-case-us-supreme-44865485

---

Well, look at this States Rights. A red state of South Dakota wants to enforce its laws in other states.
http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/state-officials-hope-ruling-moves-case-us-supreme-44865485

That would have very profound effects.
It would be an administrative nightmare for the companies.
It would help local business.
Many consumer choices could go away.
This will be an interesting one to follow.

---

Prof said:

Translation: "Never show them blood! Never show them your sweat! Never let on
how bad you're doing so long as you keep saying you are winning, you're
winning!"

Sweat? Blood? ROTFLMAO!

REAL AMERICANS have BIG BIG BIG Hands. Hands with Cuts; Scrapes; BLOOD; Dirt; Grease; CALLUSES; broken, cracked nails; Gripping POWER; Hands dat WORK. REAL WORK. WINNING, SWEATY Hands.

Not CUBICLE CRYBABY CLOWN COMMIE Work. SOFT HANDS Work. Tiny Hands with paper cuts; Ink&Marker smears; perfumed hand cream; sanitary wiped fingers; hands not able to open a jar. MANICURED Hands.

In 2016 REAL AMERICANS voted for a REAL PRESIDENT, to Get REAL WORK Done.

Pencil Pushin' Yap

---

May we All have a METAMORPHOSIS. REASON. GOoD JUDGEMENT and LOVE and ORDER!!!!!

Well, look at this States Rights. A red state of South Dakota wants to enforce its laws in other states.
http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/state-officials-hope-ruling-moves-case-us-supreme-44865485

That would have very profound effects.
It would be an administrative nightmare for the companies.
It would help local business.
Many consumer choices could go away.
This will be an interesting one to follow.

Heh... That OLD problem. I ran into it over 25 years ago (a couple of years prior to that US Supreme Court ruling).

A customer of the company (multinational corp., but HQ was in Dallas, Texas) I ran got in trouble with the tax department of the State the customer lived in (Illinois or Ohio... one of the two, its been quite a while). Well, a couple of that State's tax agents paid me an unannounced visit one day. They demanded the Sales Tax on that customer's purchases from me.

I called accounting and sales, had them bring that customer's records up a floor to my office, and gave them a glance. I thought so. That customer was buying from me *for resale* (thus not subject to Sales Tax in the State of Texas) by HIS business, and had all the required paperwork on file to keep the State of Texas happy, and all of his invoices from me were clearly marked 'for resale'. That customer had quit buying from me a few months earlier, but while we did business he bought a couple of million $ of product a month from us so he was obviously not buying for personal use.

I cheerfully provided those tax agents copies of my records, explained the situation to them, and told them that if the customer had not paid them the sales taxes he owed them, they should go talk to him about it. That was the problem, it seemed... he had disappeared. Hey... not my problem. Texas law was obeyed. The customer had provided legal paperwork establishing that he was a reseller in his home state, and that since he had apparently skipped out on them without paying the sales taxes he owed to them, they should try harder to find him. They sulked off and left, and I never heard from them again.

Fast forward to today. Texas law handles the situation quite nicely for Texans. If a Texan does not pay sales tax on a non-exempt good they buy, Texas levies a 'use tax'. But, in contrast to that Supreme Court case, the 'use tax' is not levied on the seller for collection, but on the buyer instead. That kinda removes the customer's impulse to try to find a good for sale in a jurisdiction where sales tax isn't required.

Yes, it is hard to enforce, but it is still useful. Remember, they didn't get Al Capone on charges related to murder or otherwise being a gangster... They got Al Capone on charges of Tax Evasion.

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https://youtu.be/iY57ErBkFFE

#Texit

Don't blame me, I voted for Johnson(L) in 2016.

Truth is dangerous... especially when it challenges those in power.

I personally had to pay a $2500 deductible that took almost 3 years when my wife broke her wrist.
I work a good job, but don't have $2500 sitting around. Now, my wife was put on two days a week, and lost her insurance, vacation, holiday pay. I put her on my plan, but $140 a week gets us a $5000 deductible. The US is 27'th world wide in health care. France is #1. I don't understand why we don't look at countries that have success, and keep defending being in 27'th place as the right way to go.

We are also 29'th in education. It seems to me that as AI and automation continue to take hold, a lack of education will cripple us.

https://www.thebalance.com/healthcare-costs-3306068

This is what is happening to jobs. What happens when this matures?

https://flipboard.com/@flipboard/flip.it%2FJouBYS-bet-you-didnt-see-this-coming-10-jobs-t/f-22fa871a8d%2Ffastcompany.com

Steve

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Warning, addicted to SETI crunching!
Crunching as a member of GPU Users Group.
GPUUG Website

I personally had to pay a $2500 deductible that took almost 3 years when my wife broke her wrist.
I work a good job, but don't have $2500 sitting around. Now, my wife was put on two days a week, and lost her insurance, vacation, holiday pay. I put her on my plan, but $140 a week gets us a $5000 deductible. The US is 27'th world wide in health care. France is #1. I don't understand why we don't look at countries that have success, and keep defending being in 27'th place as the right way to go.

We are also 29'th in education. It seems to me that as AI and automation continue to take hold, a lack of education will cripple us.

https://www.thebalance.com/healthcare-costs-3306068

This is what is happening to jobs. What happens when this matures?

https://flipboard.com/@flipboard/flip.it%2FJouBYS-bet-you-didnt-see-this-coming-10-jobs-t/f-22fa871a8d%2Ffastcompany.com

Steve

Unfortunately the answer is already there. Education. However it has been held back so long by so many that the masses who vote no longer have the ability to see how to connect the dots.

---

I personally had to pay a $2500 deductible that took almost 3 years when my wife broke her wrist.
I work a good job, but don't have $2500 sitting around. Now, my wife was put on two days a week, and lost her insurance, vacation, holiday pay. I put her on my plan, but $140 a week gets us a $5000 deductible. The US is 27'th world wide in health care. France is #1. I don't understand why we don't look at countries that have success, and keep defending being in 27'th place as the right way to go.

We are also 29'th in education. It seems to me that as AI and automation continue to take hold, a lack of education will cripple us.

https://www.thebalance.com/healthcare-costs-3306068

This is what is happening to jobs. What happens when this matures?

https://flipboard.com/@flipboard/flip.it%2FJouBYS-bet-you-didnt-see-this-coming-10-jobs-t/f-22fa871a8d%2Ffastcompany.com

Steve

Unfortunately the answer is already there. Education. However it has been held back so long by so many that the masses who vote no longer have the ability to see how to connect the dots.

Trump's pick DeVos is the daughter-in-law of one of two co-founders of Amway.
Won't get scammed again?
Looks like Daltrey was wrong.

---

Capitalize on this good fortune, one word can bring you round ... changes.

Prof said:

Translation: "Never show them blood! Never show them your sweat! Never let on
how bad you're doing so long as you keep saying you are winning, you're
winning!"

Sweat? Blood? ROTFLMAO!

REAL AMERICANS have BIG BIG BIG Hands. Hands with Cuts; Scrapes; BLOOD; Dirt; Grease; CALLUSES; broken, cracked nails; Gripping POWER; Hands dat WORK. REAL WORK. WINNING, SWEATY Hands.

Not CUBICLE CRYBABY CLOWN COMMIE Work. SOFT HANDS Work. Tiny Hands with paper cuts; Ink&Marker smears; perfumed hand cream; sanitary wiped fingers; hands not able to open a jar. MANICURED Hands.

In 2016 REAL AMERICANS voted for a REAL PRESIDENT, to Get REAL WORK Done.

Pencil Pushin' Yap

OMG!! I graduated to Professor!!! This is SO EXCITING!

pay a little in taxes every week into a socialized system (like Medicare for example) and everyone have coverage.

Medicare was wonderful for my mother in 2014 when she was incarcerated in the hospital for 4 months. Medicare costs her about $200 a month and her supplemental health insurance also costs about $200 a month, but the bottom line was, that 4 months of hell was completely paid for, and no deductibles at all.

I doubt I will have that sort of nice coverage when I'm her age, Trump or no Trump.

---

The mind is a weird and mysterious place

I personally had to pay a $2500 deductible that took almost 3 years when my wife broke her wrist.
I work a good job, but don't have $2500 sitting around. Now, my wife was put on two days a week, and lost her insurance, vacation, holiday pay. I put her on my plan, but $140 a week gets us a $5000 deductible. The US is 27'th world wide in health care. France is #1. I don't understand why we don't look at countries that have success, and keep defending being in 27'th place as the right way to go.

We are also 29'th in education. It seems to me that as AI and automation continue to take hold, a lack of education will cripple us.

https://www.thebalance.com/healthcare-costs-3306068

This is what is happening to jobs. What happens when this matures?

https://flipboard.com/@flipboard/flip.it%2FJouBYS-bet-you-didnt-see-this-coming-10-jobs-t/f-22fa871a8d%2Ffastcompany.com

Steve

Major you were dealing with incompetents.

---

Trump arrived in Washington DC for the inauguration.

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#resist

Who paid to wash his airplane? Is that yellow dye or? And would that be EPA safe?!

---

Who paid to wash his airplane? Is that yellow dye or? And would that be EPA safe?!

Sad, sick joke, whoever paid for it.

---

"Freedom is just Chaos, with better lighting." Alan Dean Foster

pay a little in taxes every week into a socialized system (like Medicare for example) and everyone have coverage.

Medicare was wonderful for my mother in 2014 when she was incarcerated in the hospital for 4 months. Medicare costs her about $200 a month and her supplemental health insurance also costs about $200 a month, but the bottom line was, that 4 months of hell was completely paid for, and no deductibles at all.

I doubt I will have that sort of nice coverage when I'm her age, Trump or no Trump.

Heh.. You are lucky it is not 2016-2017... Nowadays you are out in 5 days, ready or not... unless you absolutely unable to live without life support. A friend of mine's mother was in the hospital a few months ago with pneumonia. On the 5th day, they sent her home. She said she didn't feel well enough. They still forced her to go home. She died that night at home... of pneumonia.

Medicare used to be a lot nicer before the beancounters started running it.

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https://youtu.be/iY57ErBkFFE

#Texit

Don't blame me, I voted for Johnson(L) in 2016.

Truth is dangerous... especially when it challenges those in power.

Who paid to wash his airplane? Is that yellow dye or? And would that be EPA safe?!

Sad, sick joke, whoever paid for it.

Notice the dailyshow tag in the upper left. That video clip is edited, with the yellow added. Notice the 'yellowed' area is wider than the water stream, especially visable on the left hand truck's spray near the nozzle. 'Fake news'.

But, I do agree... Sick joke.

---

https://youtu.be/iY57ErBkFFE

#Texit

Don't blame me, I voted for Johnson(L) in 2016.

Truth is dangerous... especially when it challenges those in power.

pay a little in taxes every week into a socialized system (like Medicare for example) and everyone have coverage.

Medicare was wonderful for my mother in 2014 when she was incarcerated in the hospital for 4 months. Medicare costs her about $200 a month and her supplemental health insurance also costs about $200 a month, but the bottom line was, that 4 months of hell was completely paid for, and no deductibles at all.

I doubt I will have that sort of nice coverage when I'm her age, Trump or no Trump.

Heh.. You are lucky it is not 2016-2017... Nowadays you are out in 5 days, ready or not... unless you absolutely unable to live without life support. A friend of mine's mother was in the hospital a few months ago with pneumonia. On the 5th day, they sent her home. She said she didn't feel well enough. They still forced her to go home. She died that night at home... of pneumonia.

Medicare used to be a lot nicer before the beancounters started running it.

I don't have any idea how my mother's Medicare and supplemental insurance would work for her nowadays, but she was completely covered in 2014. I rescued her from the hospital and got her back in her home as soon as they finally were able to disconnect her trach and feeding tube, but it took 4 months. I think you may be confusing Medicare with Medicaid.

---

The mind is a weird and mysterious place

pay a little in taxes every week into a socialized system (like Medicare for example) and everyone have coverage.

Medicare was wonderful for my mother in 2014 when she was incarcerated in the hospital for 4 months. Medicare costs her about $200 a month and her supplemental health insurance also costs about $200 a month, but the bottom line was, that 4 months of hell was completely paid for, and no deductibles at all.

I doubt I will have that sort of nice coverage when I'm her age, Trump or no Trump.

Heh.. You are lucky it is not 2016-2017... Nowadays you are out in 5 days, ready or not... unless you absolutely unable to live without life support. A friend of mine's mother was in the hospital a few months ago with pneumonia. On the 5th day, they sent her home. She said she didn't feel well enough. They still forced her to go home. She died that night at home... of pneumonia.

Medicare used to be a lot nicer before the beancounters started running it.

I don't have any idea how my mother's Medicare and supplemental insurance would work for her nowadays, but she was completely covered in 2014. I rescued her from the hospital and got her back in her home as soon as they finally were able to disconnect her trach and feeding tube, but it took 4 months. I think you may be confusing Medicare with Medicaid.

He isn't, but it is 14 days, not 5. However she had supplemental, which might have been paying after medicare automatically stopped on day 14. Of course she could have had a DR. who knew how to do some creative writing and the trach would qualify.

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Countdown to the beginning of the end.

t -6

Have fun while you still can!

https://youtu.be/Pep_2gRJ3pw

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