September 8th, 2009
8:58 am

Tell me it ain’t so! You mean that the Republican notion of trickle down paying for itself is nothing but a joke — a laffer. I’m shocked!

September 8th, 2009
8:17 am

All the changes made in 2001 are going to sunset. It had something to do with senate rules:

“One of the most notable characteristics of EGTRRA is that its provisions are designed to sunset, or revert to the provisions that were in effect before it was passed. EGTRRA will sunset on January 1, 2011 unless further legislation is enacted to make its changes permanent. The sunset provision sidesteps the Byrd Rule, a Senate rule that amends the Congressional Budget Act to allow Senators to block a piece of legislation if it purports to significantly increase the federal deficit beyond a ten-year term. The sunset allowed the bill to stay within the letter of the PAYGO law while removing nearly $700 billion from amounts that would have triggered PAYGO sequestration.[1]”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economic_Growth_and_Tax_Relief_Reconciliation_Act_of_2001

Thanks, TnGelding. Perhaps, the Republicans left it up to the insurance companies to pick the large metro areas that they wanted to run the test in. I wonder why they did not choose to add a large rural area to the test mix as well.

September 8th, 2009
8:23 am

My sister and her husband were here. They are jewels. Every day is a holiday to us retirees.

September 8th, 2009
8:10 am

I couldn’t find anything.

http://www.heritage.org/Research/features/issues/issuearea/Medicare.cfm

“Didn’t get my nap yesterday.”

for good reasons, I hope – did you have good weather for your 3 day weekend??

“How did y’all celebrate Labor Day in the UK?”

we had our end-of-summer bank holiday weekend the last weekend in August, so most Brits celebrated Labor Day by … laboring. I, however, had the day off to be a tourist with my brother and sister-in-law … we went to Abbey Road and I helped them navigate Bond Street, Harrods, Buckingham Palace and Hard Rock Cafe (ewwwww). Although, I did treat them to afternoon tea … Today, they’re off doing St. Paul’s and The Globe, I think, then we’ll meet up and head home together later this afternoon.

and, at this time, I’d just like to say I have the best brother on the planet. yeah, you folks may think yours is good, but he’s not as great as my big brother. just sayin’.

September 8th, 2009
8:05 am

Good morning. I’m never sure of anything, especially this morning. I feel like I’ve been run over by a Mac truck. Didn’t get my nap yesterday. How did y’all celebrate Labor Day in the UK?

September 8th, 2009
7:24 am

Most of them are. Why look a gift horse in the mouth? McCain, Biden and other members of Congress are also drawing SS benefits, along with their huge government “slaries” and health insurance benefit. Some savings can be wrung out of Medicare, but SS is where the tax revenue is. 80% of SS beneficiaries are going to have to start paying more in taxes. There is a lot of fraud and abuse in Medicaid that needs to be eliminated, as well.