Market isn't working

Jim Tatro wonders what the difference is between a citizen who offers his/her vote for sale, and a politician who does the same. The difference is that we can get rid of the politician who does so (if we have the will).

Mary Franta, you didn't indicate how you got out to the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone National Park so would it be safe like millions of others like you, got there by using oil?

Look in the mirror for the source of the problem

For reference, I'd be fine with drilling in the area of the Tetons. Angle drilling, along with the fact that the area is heavily forested, would mean you could (if there were oil there) get an awful lot out without any Minnesota visitor ever noticing. Same basic thing with ANWR.

And yes, the "market" for healthcare is not working well. Do you think it might have something to do with government bidding up prices through Medicare and Medicaid, removing individual incentives to take care of one's own health?

Bill Gahr, facts are we've been cooling since 1998, or are you in a state of denial about that?

Jim Trato, by special interest groups I hope you also mean Big Union and Trial Lawyers?

Former Ranger wrote:

Bill Gahr, facts are we've been cooling since 1998, or are you in a state of denial about that?
Jim Trato, by special interest groups I hope you also mean Big Union and Trial Lawyers?

Please back up your statements, please.
Why should we trust you?

Former Ranger - the earth is cooling???? Wow! Even folks who don't think humans are causing it now at least recognize that warming is happening. Even our President is finally on board, based on research NASA and the Natl. Inst. of Science, and he was a hard sell.
But you, and only you, have better info. That's amazing. Even just watching the mountain snowcaps and ice pack retreating can tell the average person that the earth is definately NOT cooling. You're caption is perfect - are you serious?

If $4.50 per gallon gas is "need be" to you, then how would you describe $9.00 per gallon gas?$20 per gallon gas? How about not being able to buy a gallon of gas? The jump to $4.50 per gallon gas could seem trivial in the future. To insinuate we've reached a crisis point that can not or will not be topped in the future is short sighted.

Drill,drill, and when do we get the oil to market? How long will it take to get to St.Paul? None of the drillers has said WHEN. That my friends is the question that needs to be answered.

The only reason the free market won't work is because we don't really have a totally free market. There is government intervention.

Zanmiller, great letter!

See you at the next UFE reunion

Gzaiger, it actually does turn out that over the past ten years or so, there is a slight cooling trend, the opposite of what would have been predicted by the global warming crowd.

All these people who want to privatize SS should take heed from the current MORTGAGE & BANKING screw ups by professional financial managers.IF these guys can't even run their own businesses, how in the heck can we trust them with our retirement money. Sometimes the market works and when it doesn't the capitalist become socialists.( Bail me out don't let me lose my money and position.)

Contrary to claims that government-imposed "universal health care" would solve America’s health care problems, it would in fact destroy American medicine and countless lives along with it. The goal of "universal health care" (a euphemism for socialized medicine) is both immoral and impractical; it violates the rights of businessmen, doctors, and patients to act on their own judgment—which, in turn, throttles their ability to produce, administer, or purchase the goods and services in question."

No man should have a "right" to something that another man is forced to pay for. If someone else has to pay for someone else's "right" , it's not a true "right".

Our healthcare costs what it does because of the "expectations" we place on it. Any patient admitted to a emergency room with symptoms of a heart attack will get the whole works. A bump on the head immediately gets an MRI. We demand RNs, we demand the newest technology, we demand the best service, and we demand choices; that cost money.

With the aging of America, so come higher healthcare costs. Not only will Social Security see a strain, but our healthcare costs will explode. The treatment of age related illnesses will increase, that’s a simple fact.

A large cost that our hospitals face and roll over to others inevitably is those associated with illegal aliens. Ironically, this single aspect accounts for more than 1/3 of those so called "uninsured," and our government shuns from dealing with this issue. As our political parties play their mating game with various voting blocks and promise the stars, they seem to be reluctant to mention that much of our so called "uninsured" problem and even a large part of our healthcare costs are from these people they simply would rather see as undocumented workers or whatever other euphemism they can come up with that day. Has anyone noticed that this is never mentioned by the Presidential contenders? I haven’t heard Hillary mention the minor detail that over 1/3 of our uninsured are illegals? Even McCain is silent. I wonder why?/sarc If they don’t want to really deal with the issues, I suggest these frauds chasing votes keep their mouth shut and talk about some soft topic like global warming.

Allow people to purchase catastrophic only, high-deductible plans that don't cover the day-to-day minutiae of health care. That stuff should be purely pay-as-you-go. Health insurance is more affordable in the states that have done that.

In the states that mandate full-blown coverage and low deductibles, private, non-work-subsidized health insurance is out of reach for most of the middle class--by design.

Jabber wrote:

All these people who want to privatize SS should take heed from the current MORTGAGE & BANKING screw ups by professional financial managers.IF these guys can't even run their own businesses, how in the heck can we trust them with our retirement money. Sometimes the market works and when it doesn't the capitalist become socialists.( Bail me out don't let me lose my money and position.)

Senate Votes To Privatize Its Failing Restaurants

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/...

Dem Senators oppose those eeeeeeevil private companies EXCEPT when their own delicate palates are threatened!

You have to read the whole thing to appreciate the deep irony here. I'll give some of my favorite snippets below.



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The financial condition of the world's most exclusive dining hall and its affiliated Capitol Hill restaurants, cafeterias and coffee shops has become so dire that, without a $250,000 subsidy from taxpayers, the Senate won't make payroll next month.[Also, the food sucks.]
In the past 10 years, only 20 new items have been added to the Senate menus....wages of the approximately 100 Senate food service workers average $37,000 annually.

My favorite parts:

Feinstein made another presentation May 7, warning senators that if they did not agree to turn over the operation to a private contractor, prices would be increased 25 percent across the board.[Oh yeah, raise prices on a sub-par product...that'll fix it!]
...and

Eventually, Democrats agreed to pass legislation that includes guarantees for those who go to work for Restaurant Associates. They would retain their current salaries and federal health and pension benefits. Employees who choose to leave instead would receive buyout packages of as much as $25,000 -- paid by the Senate.[Note to reporter: that should said "paid by taxpayers!] Half the current employees are likely to take that deal.


good luck

Jabber wrote:

Drill,drill, and when do we get the oil to market? How long will it take to get to St.Paul? None of the drillers has said WHEN. That my friends is the question that needs to be answered.

Destroying the economy until we bring back Carter's "Misery Index" in time for the HOPE AND CHANGE election, of course.

Jabber wrote:

Drill,drill, and when do we get the oil to market? How long will it take to get to St.Paul? None of the drillers has said WHEN. That my friends is the question that needs to be answered.

Well Jabber, it may take a few years. So let's just forget it, right?

Without liberals p*ssing and moaning and wringing their hands, this country can do anything.

Jabber wrote:

Drill,drill, and when do we get the oil to market? How long will it take to get to St.Paul? None of the drillers has said WHEN. That my friends is the question that needs to be answered.

Sorry, just gotta chime in here-- no matter how long it takes, it's still sooner than if we just left it sitting in the ground.

..."it'll take 7-10 years" . I guess we won't use oil in 7-10 years and neither will anyone else!?

You guys don't know that I'm all for drilling. I just want to know how we are going to there out 5-7 yrs without giving away a larger share of our country's wealth. There is not a politician's plan that gets us results fast which is what we need. Nuclear power plants take years (NIMBY) to build, solar will take years to develop on a large scale, electric cars need coal fired plants, windmilis are going up fast, etc. ALL of these are 3-5 years out or longer. What about TOMORROW?

Solutions NOT partisan bitc*ing.

Also boys , we (TAXPAYERS) are on the hook for a lot of money on the financial markets. Some guy will get rewarded for selling assets 28 cents on a dollar. I hope we don't go under.