On Jan 21, 1:53*pm, Giles wrote:
On Jan 21, 1:05*pm, jh wrote:





On Jan 20, 3:50*pm, "Tom Littleton" wrote:

Polls clearly indicate, that if political buzzwords get stripped away, the
public wishes to have single-payer public health insurance.

what polls? *single payer system? I don't think so. *The base system
we have is fine - the problem is that the costs are too high- be it
litigation, or overly expensive development costs, or what have you.
The US gvmt is about the worst run corp. in the country - why would
anyone in their right minds want them in the insurance business?

I don't think the medical system we have needs fixed as much as the
insurance industry needs fixed.

I think that what is really needed is a move to major medical expense
insurance- (catastrophic coverage) *and let the individual pay 100%
for minor stuff. *If the policy costs were decreased accordingly and
indiviuals were allowed to establish pre-tax medical savings accounts
that could accumulate, or even be swept into a 401 type plan. *That
would work for most employed people. My policy costs me something like
8k a year- cut it back to 2 k a year and let me dump the 6 into a Med
savings account and I could have paid cash for my gall bladder surgery
a few years ago. *That would cut out gobs and gobs of paperwork.

At issue is really those who are at or below poverty level - so we
enhancement medicare/medicade or some similar system (private,
please!) and we could have the ability to provide medical care to
those folks.

In any case, this whole health plan thing is distant secondary issue
when compared to the economy. *If the US can't get a functional
sustaining economy going we have problems. *The leadership of this
country needs to quit wasting its time on a health plan that is not
needed NOW, and turn its brain power onto the economy and figure out
how to get the US market going on a paying basis in the world
economy. *As long as damn near everything you buy has Made in China on
it, we are screwed.

Even in the event of a us catastrophic economic meltdown though, I'd
still bet there are fish in Fawn Lake.

John

P.s. I'll save Giles the trouble

idiot

So, the government you want to bring its awesome collective intellect
and power to bear on the current economic woes that beset the
nation.....would that be a different United States government than the
"worst run corp. in the country," the one that no one in their right
minds would want in the insurance business?

Moron.

g.
who is happy that, at long last, we have a positive answer to the ages
old question of whether or not stupid people know they are stupid.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Actually I am rather hoping that with some intelligence, along with
some advisors from the hated big business community, they can develop
and pass decent legislation that creates a business environment that
lets US business compete in the world market. I don't actually expect
them to actually run any of these businesses (please!).

I think that is their job (legislation). Maybe they should just do
it. It won't be easy or trivial- as long as China and other places
have $2/hr wages and no environmental laws to speak of, it won't be
easy for the US market to build affordable tennis shoes, electronics,
or cars, or widgets, or ---. I don't think we can wait it out for 60
or 70 years until they have their own ecology movement (and then pass
the "industrial revolution" on to the next batch of up and coming
developing nations.)

I consider myself to be something of an environmentally aware /
responsible person - but I have to say that I was somewhat dismayed
recently when it became good news that the local paper mill is
shutting down. 470 +/- layoffs from the mill directly and another
1200 jobs in related and support industry. This is good news because
something like 7% of the sub 2.5 micron pollution in the Missoula
basin is from the mills hog fuel boilers, and the air quality here may
fail new lower standard EPA regulations. Missoula made the news last
night as being one the top 15 cities in the country for job losses in
the last 16 months. But, by golly, we'll have clean air.

I shoot a lot of skeet these days - The latest panic in the skeet
world is lead shot prices are heading back up to ridiculous levels--
because China shut one of their lead mines down.

john

moron