'A very historic moment': Locals weigh in on the House bill

A historic moment, indeed, komrades! Next, the proletariat rises, smashing the chains of the despot warlords!

pffft! "Paid For." Google "Smoke and Mirrors Budgeting," you'll probably see how this is paid for.

It's about time. Keeping our citizens robust and healthy to enjoy their unalienable Rights, such as Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness, has taken more time than it has ought.

If we are afraid of "socialism," then let us look first to the U.S. military.

All Thompson said was lies. This bill is communism. If you think its good because you don't have to pay for it. YOU are a fool. You will pay. We will have inflation. Our dollar will loose value. Interest rates will climb.

we're going to be working on this forever. AND PAYING FOR IT FOREVER AND EVER.

or face a 2.5 percent income tax penalty. SO WE HAVE A MANDATORY BUYIN. OR BE FINED. WOW JUST LIKE A COMMUNIST COUNTRY. GIVE TO THE STATE.

add competition to the marketplace and bring down costs. LIE! THE PRIVATE INSURANCES WILL BE FORCED OUT OF THE MARKET IN FIVE YEARS.

�It's a good bill and it's paid for,� Thompson said. YOU BET. YOU ARE GOING TO PAY FOR IT. WITH MORE THAN CASH.

The Congressional Budget Office estimates the bill will cost about $1 trillion over 10 years. In order to pay that price tag, the bill would raise taxes on individuals making more than $500,000 a year. SO NOW THE RICH WILL DIVERT MORE MONEY OUT OF COUNTRY. THE COST GOES UP TO DO BUSINESS AND YOU PAY MORE FOR ALL PRODUCTS AND SERVICE.

Congressional Budget Office estimates the bill will reduce the national deficit by some $30 billion. LIE! THIS IS AN ESTIMATE. NOT FACT. AND WILL SOON BE FORGOTTEN. THE COST WILL BE INCREASED BECAUSE IT WILL COST MORE TO EVERY BUSINESS.

are people overlooking that line that says people with no health insuurance will pay an extra 2.5% tax who are those people working poor working for a small business or not working full time

why the need for jail time for those who don't carry or can't afford a health plan?

“Criminal penalties
Prosecution is authorized under the Code for a variety of offenses. Depending on the level of the noncompliance, the following penalties could apply to an individual:

• Section 7203 – misdemeanor willful failure to pay is punishable by a fine of up to $25,000 and/or imprisonment of up to one year.

• Section 7201 – felony willful evasion is punishable by a fine of up to $250,000 and/or imprisonment of up to five years.”[page 3]

Did Mike vote for that? Or did he demand that be pulled our before he voted on it? "Not perfect."?

the failure to comply with the individual mandate to buy health insurance contained in the Pelosi health care bill (H.R. 3962, as amended) could land people in jail. The JCT letter makes clear that Americans who do not maintain “acceptable health insurance coverage” and who choose not to pay the bill’s new individual mandate tax (generally 2.5% of income), are subject to numerous civil and criminal penalties, including criminal fines of up to $250,000 and imprisonment of up to five years.

WSJ - What the Pelosi Health-Care Bill Really Says
• Sec. 224 (p. 118) provides that 18 months after the bill becomes law, the Secretary of Health and Human Services will decide what a "qualified plan" covers and how much you'll be legally required to pay for it. That's like a banker telling you to sign the loan agreement now, then filling in the interest rate and repayment terms 18 months later.

• Sec. 303 (pp. 167-168) makes it clear that, although the "qualified plan" is not yet designed, it will be of the "one size fits all" variety. The bill claims to offer choice—basic, enhanced and premium levels—but the benefits are the same. Only the co-pays and deductibles differ. You will have to enroll in the same plan, whether the government is paying for it or you and your employer are footing the bill.

• Sec. 59b (pp. 297-299) says that when you file your taxes, you must include proof that you are in a qualified plan. If not, you will be fined thousands of dollars. Illegal immigrants are exempt from this requirement.

• Sec. 412 (p. 272) says that employers must provide a "qualified plan" for their employees and pay 72.5% of the cost, and a smaller share of family coverage, or incur an 8% payroll tax. Small businesses, with payrolls from $500,000 to $750,000, are fined less.

• Sec. 1302 (pp. 672-692) moves Medicare from a fee-for-service payment system, in which patients choose which doctors to see and doctors are paid for each service they provide, toward what's called a "medical home."

Even ACORN gets its share -

• Sec. 399V (p. 1422) provides for grants to community "entities" with no required qualifications except having "documented community activity and experience with community healthcare workers" to "educate, guide, and provide experiential learning opportunities" aimed at drug abuse, poor nutrition, smoking and obesity. "Each community health worker program receiving funds under the grant will provide services in the cultural context most appropriate for the individual served by the program."

These programs will "enhance the capacity of individuals to utilize health services and health related social services under Federal, State and local programs by assisting individuals in establishing eligibility ... and in receiving services and other benefits" including transportation and translation services.

• Secs. 1158-1160 (pp. 499-520) initiates programs to reduce payments for patient care to what it costs in the lowest cost regions of the country. This will reduce payments for care (and by implication the standard of care) for hospital patients in higher cost areas such as New York and Florida.

• Sec. 1161 (pp. 520-545) cuts payments to Medicare Advantage plans (used by 20% of seniors). Advantage plans have warned this will result in reductions in optional benefits such as vision and dental care.

• Sec. 1402 (p. 756) says that the results of comparative effectiveness research conducted by the government will be delivered to doctors electronically to guide their use of "medical items and services."

THANKS, MIKE. And thanks to all the reporters who got interview time with Mike who didn't ask about any of these provisions, but instead commiserated with the poor fellow for having to deal with those nasty Tea Parties and Town Hall meetings.

Most of you are young, take a deep breath, because you have now been saddled with the cost of Mike's decision.

"North Coast Congressman Mike Thompson doesn't think the House of Representatives health care bill is perfect, but he thinks it's a historic step forward."

Nancy's lap dog is elated to goose step with his comrades.

Nobody will argue that a person should have health care, the question is how will it be paid for. Do you really think our country, which on a whole is in the same shape as the Big 3 car companies, can fund such a program without putting us so far in debt we will never get out of it? Our debt and deficit are scary. Look at the numbers, its mindboggling. If you were spending 2x what you were making and projected that to be the case for the next 10 years, you would be crazy. The same it true for our country.

I'm not pretending to be an expert, but how can you work out the devils and ripples in the system after it is already law? Can you go back and change things you don't like? Not likely. It's far from good, but let's pass it anyway, we'll worry about it later. I doubt Mike read 2000 pages of anything in the past 5 years,let alone this bill.

How can all these congress people listen to and go along with some crazy old lady at the top?

"This is like any other major piece of legislation -- we're going to be working on this forever."

Wow! This is about the first time I've ever heard Mike speak the truth. Is dementia beginning to set in?

Now health care is along side Social (IN)Security as a wedge issue politicians will use to leverage their power against the voting public, and as Mike stated, "forever".

This legislation should never have been legislated. It should have been worked out by the health care industry themselves. When you get Congress and politicians involved you can forget about arriving at a common sense solution.

Those with the lobbyists will be the big winners. And the rest will be losers.

As long as liberals believe the government is an equivalent to their childhood Santa Clause expect to see more of this nonsense out of Washington, and Sacramento.

Brian wrote:

why the need for jail time for those who don't carry or can't afford a health plan?

At least they'll free health care while in jail/prison. Nothing different or new in that situation.

Mike Thompson does not care what was in the bill. He was going to do what he was told and vote for it no matter what it said.

Look back. He was going to vote for it in the VERY BEGINNING, when they were pushing to vote it through before the Recess, before the Tea Parties, before anyone had seen it or could read it, before there could be any debate – he was going to vote for it without knowing what was in it.

Mike Thompson did not need to show up for the vote - we knew how he was going to vote and we know how he IS going to vote. So, why bother wasting money sending him to DC? He can sit on his couch playing video games and you will get the same result.

There's an election coming. Make it count.

reader wrote:

As long as liberals believe the government is an equivalent to their childhood Santa Clause expect to see more of this nonsense out of Washington, and Sacramento.

I fully agree, you're so correct in this comment.

This is the first time in history that our federal government will be forcing the people to buy something that many don't want or need.

The penalties will be severe, up to & including jail time if you don't buy the insurance.

It will add trillions to our national deficit & eventually will place the entire health care system under government control.

The federal government has totally botched the flu vaccine delivery this year. Severe shortages in not just the Swine Flu vaccine, but now the regular flu vaccine as well.

Yet the nincompoops on the left want it to take over 17% of the entire economy?