Tom Toles for August 29, 2013

  1. Missing large
    Don Winchester Premium Member over 10 years ago

    Blame Obama then, since sequester was HIS idea…

     •  Reply
  2. Birthcontrol
    Dtroutma  over 10 years ago

    It is interesting the number of well, alleged, physicians on the Republican side of he aisle who all say, “Heal thyself”.

     •  Reply
  3. Missing large
    Brutatowski  over 10 years ago

    What we need to do with the social programs is the exact thing that Obama said he would do is get rid of the fraud. I used to work with a girl who did not feel she was getting enough benefits for her and her child. So she told them she was pregnant, which consists of a urine test. Her solution was to sneak in urine from a pregnant friend. Put some affordable bounties on fraud and those who are doing it will at some point find a reason to turn on each other.

     •  Reply
  4. Giraffe cat
    I Play One On TV  over 10 years ago

    Your doctor is either a fool, intentionally misinformed, or has an agenda, as that is not at all what Obamacare is about. The biggest problem with Obamacare is that it is corporate welfare for insurance companies. Insurance companies are in total control of whether we make minimum wage or not (or less). (Reference: Where does a 600-pound gorilla sit?)

    For years, Obamacare haters have tried to portray the program as government health care. The letters to the editor in my hometown newspaper are considerable proof that this intentional subterfuge is working.

    It is not. It directs people to buy insurance from insurance companies. If a lawyer thinks this is a tax, he/she is welcome to do so, but remember that lawyers think that you can bill far more than 24 hours in a day, so make of that what you will.

    Again, private insurers cause me much more headache and are way more arbitrary and unfair than Medicare or Medicaid. Keep in mind that the subcontractors for those government programs, private insurers, have made those programs look far less valuable than they would have been if there were no subcontractors: they save money by reducing payments to doctors and hospitals, but then take the savings and line their own pockets.

    One day this country will wake up to the fact that insurance companies have turned into pimps: someone that regular folks have to go through to be “connected” to a doctor. Maybe we will learn how to find doctors without having to pay someone to introduce them. Dare to dream.

     •  Reply
  5. Ssejhill hiker sq
    ssejhill  over 10 years ago

    How is that relevant? The old GM bondholders actually did receive something in the new GM … an equity stake. It’s better than nothing, which is what stockholders received. And in case you don’t find that acceptable you might want to study bankruptcy law and the concept of cram down that is available to the courts to force stakeholders to accept a bankruptcy plan.

     •  Reply
  6. Giraffe cat
    I Play One On TV  over 10 years ago

    While I understand your frustration with those who do not think the way you do, I can tell you that I have met no one in my life who wants to steal money from wage-earners and give it to lazy people, regardless of political stripe.

    I recognize that the road to hell is paved with good intentions; I recommend you do the same. Perhaps one day we will use the energy we waste on this thread to try to convince our “leaders” that good ideas that have gone bad should not be allowed to continue. Although I do communicate frequently with my representatives, I include myself in that category.

     •  Reply
  7. Topzdrum 1w
    Hawthorne  over 10 years ago

    “Poor people can’t afford to fix up their houses so the government will pass a bill to mandate a tax and force all carpenters, plumbers, electricians, drywallers etc to work for free?”

    I’m not a lib, but I want to know how you equate construction with health care?

    I also want to know why it is that other countries with universal health care aren’t awash in poverty stricken doctors, or people dying on the street of treatable diseases.

    Oh, sorry, I forgot – most of those other countries have single payer health care, and the few which don’t appear to be able to manage their programs competently.

    I agree that that is an unlikely thing to happen, in this country. My bad.

     •  Reply
  8. Giraffe cat
    I Play One On TV  over 10 years ago

    You misunderstand me. I never equated unemployment with lazy people; indeed, many people who are truly worthless are well-paid for doing so (see: Congress). I was trying to make the point that many conservatives seem to believe that one of liberalism’s basic tenets is to seek out people who don’t want to work and enable them by stealing money from working people, and that is not true.

    I fully support giving a helping hand when it’s necessary, and agree that present-day economic issues are heinous. I do not feel that being in a tough spot at this particular moment means that government support should last throughout this person’s lifetime and into the lifetimes of their children, which is what I was referring to when I spoke about good intentions. You can take anything too far. I apologize for appearing to be anti-poor; it was not my intent.

     •  Reply
  9. Madmen icon
    McSpook  over 10 years ago

    What is equally amazing is ANYONE’S pro-Republicanism, unless they’re an elderly-rich-white-Christian-heterosexual male.Outside of that minute demographic the voter is simply voting against his/her own best interests. I’m all of those things (except rich), but the callousness and selfishness of the GOP truly offends me.

     •  Reply
  10. Madmen icon
    McSpook  over 10 years ago

    You should have said “he goes through wives like Rush Limbaugh.”Rush Limbaugh goes through wives like boxes of candy (and Rush looks like he eats a LOT of candy).

     •  Reply
  11. Madmen icon
    McSpook  over 10 years ago

    “we’ll see armed soldiers in the doctor’s offices.”Now there’s some good old-fashioned down home right wingnut paranoia for ya.I’ve heard of “drinking the koolaid,” but that rant sounds more like a combination of moonshine and meth.

     •  Reply
  12. Madmen icon
    McSpook  over 10 years ago

    Being an adopted child, I applaud your very fine suggestion.

     •  Reply
  13. U joes mint logo rs 192x204
    Uncle Joe Premium Member over 10 years ago

    “My doctor said that the new Obama care/tax/mandates will make the healthcare system people work for minimum wage…”Yeah, I think I’ve seen your doctor’s billboards around town…

     •  Reply
  14. Birthcontrol
    Dtroutma  over 10 years ago

    Just got a letter from VA defining some things on the ACA, and that it won’t affect my VA programs, but that carrying private insurance in addition, while not necessary for ME, doesn’t mean don’t have it. My group policy is to cover my spouse, and yes, they also cover some of the drugs I take not on the VA formulary (though one isn’t covered by either VA OR my ‘private carrier" as it’s owned by a drug company that does NOT make that product, so it’s not on their formulary either!)

    The “penalty” for being charged for participation in the ACA works out to about the same as what my private policy costs, and that would apply only to those who don’t sign up. Signing up, and getting that coverage, mandated by Republicans in the bill to be PRIVATE companies, isn’t all that expensive, but would be even cheaper if “single payer” made a bigger pool, and the insurers had to compete.

     •  Reply
  15. Albert einstein brain i6
    braindead Premium Member over 10 years ago

    “I wouldn’t doubt that we’ll see armed soldiers in the doctor’s offices in a few years, forcing the doctors to treat people. This administration is going down a slippery slope!”-You want the government to keep its hands off your Medicare, right?

     •  Reply
Sign in to comment

More From Tom Toles