Hawaii pulls out of nation's only universal child health care p...

From Obama's Healthcare Plan:

"They will also
create a new Small Business Health Tax Credit to provide small businesses with a refundable tax credit of up to
50 percent on premiums paid by small businesses on behalf of their employees. To be eligible for the credit,
small businesses will have to offer a quality health plan to all of their employees and cover a meaningful share
of the cost of employee health premiums.
(4) EMPLOYER CONTRIBUTION. Large employers that do not offer meaningful coverage or make a meaningful
contribution to the cost of quality health coverage for their employees will be required to contribute a
percentage of payroll toward the costs of the national plan. Small businesses will be exempt from this
requirement."

http://www.barackobama.com/issues/healthcare/

McCain brought this up at the debate. What exactly is a "large employer"? Obama wants to "penalize" employers both big and small for not offering healthcare that's acceptable to HIM. That will mean additional costs, decreasing profits, and smaller ROI for shareholders. Somehow I don't think the stock market will react too well to that...

Amazing...we have billions to pour down the rat holes of the Middle and Far East with no hope of winning - we have billions to bail out a bunch of morons on Wall Street but everybody is up in arms about health care for all.

What's Obama got to do with this? We are the richest country in the world and are 21st in child health care...we are very near the top of the list of major countries in countries with the most major childhood illnesses.

All sorts of attention deficit disorders are rampant here....disease among children is escalating at an alarming rate.

And what do all of these letters say? "Wait till Obama gets in". My wife teaches and is completely horrified at the physical and mental condition of her students...they are in really bad shape and many need in depth help.

Just look at the rampant obesity around us...the **** they call fast food....the insane consumption of processed and prepared foods.

It would seem that everybody bitches about the cost and quality of healthcare but when we attempt to deal with the problem everybody gets political.

Well folks...like Fram used to say about car repairs and oil and filter changes..."You can pay me now or you can pay me later".

All I see every day is a ton of young and aging physical wreckage. I am 68 but look 50. Why? I took a little care of myself over the years.

Again, we have billions to pour into ratholes but we don't seem to be able to do something as simple as care for our precious children. Amazing and to be truthful, quite sickening.

Let's face it, socialism doesn't work.

Look at America's educational system. A failure.

Socialized health care would destroy some of the best hospitals in the country. Look at all the hospitals that have closed down in California thanks to no pay illegal immigrants.

This country needs to crack down on welfare. Stop paying for more than 2 children. You say it's there right to have children? Not when other people have to pay for them it's not. Mandatory drug testing for welfare recipients. Cut WIC for illegal immigrants.

I found it sickening that upstate NY actualy ran an advertisement for WIC!

I'm amazed how many illegals can't speak a word of english but know how to ask for WIC and medicaid. That's just wrong!

ha, another government program that didn't work, how shocking!!! think of it in these terms, outside of collecting taxes, what does the government, be it local, state, or federal, do well? correct answer is nothing. if they could only be as good in all their programs as they are in collecting taxes that would be great. hey, how about this, take the guys from the IRS and put them in charge of other government programs.

Independent wrote:

Where are all the Obamanites?? What, no defense? Funny how quiet they all are!
Wake up America! This is a prime example of what is to come under an Obama/Biden administration. Utter disaster and more financial ruin, not to mention undermining the security of our country.

Gotta admit your right on this one. If these people want expensive drugs and procedures they should go to Canada, Cuba and Mexico instead just like everybody else.

The problem appears to be poorly written legislation, similar to Nebraska's safe haven law - which encourages abuses the state never intended, rather than the idea that it is stupid to provide healthcare to children. If I had kids and could save hundreds of dollars a month by not having to pay my kids' health insurance (when the state spends $25?- I agree with the poster who suggested the enrollees pay that $25 to cover the state's expense), and maybe have more to spend more on food and clothing, or even save it for a college fund for them - yeah, I'd do it. But then, I live in the real world, and I have the feeling that most of the responders here live in Bedlam.
The fact that they are gleeful that no child now gets this service is appalling, but generally representative of McCain/Palin supporters attitudes. What's ironic is that McCain is the one who wants to tax health insurance premiums.

Attn Intellectually Lazy wrote:

If I had kids and could save hundreds of dollars a month by not having to pay my kids' health insurance (when the state spends $25?- I agree with the poster who suggested the enrollees pay that $25 to cover the state's expense), and maybe have more to spend more on food and clothing, or even save it for a college fund for them - yeah, I'd do it. But then, I live in the real world, and I have the feeling that most of the responders here live in Bedlam.
The fact that they are gleeful that no child now gets this service is appalling, but generally representative of McCain/Palin supporters attitudes. What's ironic is that McCain is the one who wants to tax health insurance premiums.

You live in CA a (liberal) state that's facing a HUGE budget deficit in part due to spending on ILLEGAL aliens. Who's living in Bedlam? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Correct - maybe repubs WOULD support some of this if it wasn't a poorly written ENTITLEMENT program. But it sounds like you're advocating becoming part of the system even if you CAN afford health care for your kids. You're expecting taxpayers to pay for that or your kids clothes or college education - yeah right...

Forgot to mention McCain's $5k per household refundable tax credit if you know what that means...

Attn Intellectually Lazy wrote:

What's ironic is that McCain is the one who wants to tax health insurance premiums.

Really? Thats funny because I don't think McCain was the one that quoted: "spread the wealth."

Independent wrote:

Where are all the Obamanites?? What, no defense? Funny how quiet they all are!
Wake up America! This is a prime example of what is to come under an Obama/Biden administration. Utter disaster and more financial ruin, not to mention undermining the security of our country.

Of course they are.

Hawaii's health care plan was much closer to what they want than what President Obama is currently proposing.