Utah, not D.C., points the way for Georgia on health reform
When a judge last month declared ObamaCare unconstitutional, many people in Georgia and the other states suing to overturn the law wondered if they had been freed from its onerous taxes and regulations.
Georgia could stand pat, gambling that the ruling will hold up on appeal. A more prudent tack is to copy a reform model that predates the federal law — and might satisfy it.
Utah created a health-insurance exchange in March 2009, around the time President Barack Obama began his health-reform push. A pilot version was in place later that year, and last fall the exchange went statewide. More companies in Utah offer health insurance to workers now. And they didn’t get subsidies to do it.
Utah’s exchange gives consumers information about plans and helps them enroll in one. Crucially, it allows them to pool health dollars, whether from their employer(s) or their own money, as never before.
“It’s the easiest idea in the world,” says Cheryl Smith, who helped launch Utah’s exchange and now works with other states that want to do the same. (Georgia is not a client, though state leaders are interested in starting an exchange.)
The ability to pool money is key. Smith says most of Utah’s uninsured were employed, but many of them worked multiple part-time jobs and didn’t qualify for health benefits.
For those individuals, Smith says, “if Employer A gave $300 and Employer B gave $200 … we could combine those contributions and help them get a plan.” Both employer and employee can do this with pre-tax money.
Pre-existing conditions aren’t a factor because the exchange helps insurers mimic the size, stability and randomness of large risk pools. In turn, the exchange adjusts the premiums insurers receive for the risk they take on with consumers who have, say, diabetes.
“This is really what most states need,” says Grace-Marie Turner of the Galen Institute, a think tank that promotes free-market solutions for health care. “It allows insurance to be portable because the insurance is owned by the individual.”
State exchanges are also a feature of ObamaCare. But while its requirements for those exchanges are still in the works, they’ll likely be more burdensome than what many states would design. Turner predicts low-premium, high-deductible plans — popular on Utah’s exchange — will be scarce.
The Obama administration’s concept of an exchange is closer to what Massachusetts has done, including the insurance mandate for individuals and subsidies, than Utah’s model.
The Massachusetts plan has attracted more participants than Utah’s — “When you’re giving it away free, it’s not hard to get people to join,” Smith says — but at a far greater cost. The budget for the Massachusetts Connector in Year 1 was $25 million, growing to $30 million. In Utah, the respective figures are $600,000 and $675,000.
But back to the lawsuits moving through the courts. If ObamaCare survives the legal challenges, a state that hasn’t planned its own exchange may not have time to catch up. The consequence: The feds would set up and run an exchange in that state as they see fit.
But if a state already has an exchange that “is getting good results, and they can see that people who are formerly uninsured are becoming insured,” Smith says, “I would hope [the federal government] would have the wisdom to let a state continue to do that.”
Wisdom from Washington? Sounds like a stretch, but it’s worth a try.
– By Kyle Wingfield
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137 comments Add your comment
poison pen
February 26th, 2011
1:36 pm
Sean Smith, did it ever occure to you that those people with “sniveling, obnoxious” children may not want to pay for AIDS CURE, DUH!
Michael H. Smith
February 26th, 2011
1:49 pm
A great number of words in the U.S. English language and dictionaries of today were at some time non-existent in our language including words not found in the Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary until we in the American society chose to make these non-words part of our U.S. English vocabulary.
Merriam-Webster in fact includes on its’ Website a section of New Words & Slang.
http://www.merriam-webster.com/
Of course SOCIALIST LIBERALS never let FACTS get in their way of telling a lie. Especially when defying the use of a word, or words, like ObamaCare which are used to express a national rejection and disdain of their SOCIALIST healthcare agenda solely per se’.
Michael H. Smith
February 26th, 2011
1:54 pm
DLink
February 26th, 2011
12:24 pm
No thank you. “ObamaCare” shall continue to be used and will now remain a word in the U.S. English language.
Michael H. Smith
February 26th, 2011
2:01 pm
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act a.k.a OBAMACARE
The nickname “Obamacare” has been characterized as pejorative,[114][115][116] but continues to be widely used to refer to the legislation.[117] Because of the number of “Obamacare” search engine queries, the Department of Health and Human Services purchased Google advertisements, triggered by the term, to direct people to the official HHS site, which provides factual information about the law[117] while referring to it only by variants of its official name.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patient_Protection_and_Affordable_Care_Act
carlosgvv
February 26th, 2011
2:21 pm
The government is in charge of our Military and they seem to do a pretty good job. What makes any of you think they can’t manage healthcare?
Linda
February 26th, 2011
2:21 pm
Here’s a new word I “invented” 2 days ago: killabillibuster.
The definition is the new ploy Wis. state senators use to delay a vote by going on the lam, running away, going into hiding & violating their oaths of office, by immigrating to a safe haven state, such as Illinois, whose businesses are, in turn, migrating back to the state of Wis. since Ill. just raised their taxes by 68% to avoid dealing responsibly with the same problem Wis. has.
poison pen
February 26th, 2011
2:41 pm
Carlosgvv, so you are happy with the Wars that we are in and the Billions that we spend on protecting other countries? are you also happy with the Hundreds of Millions in fraud against Medicare.
If you are truely happy with the job that our Govt. has done to protect our boarders and the job the DEA has done in stopping drugs from entering our country, than by all means support Obamacare, me, I think it sucks.
Austerity Kills Children
February 26th, 2011
3:02 pm
“Two children were killed in a fire in the city’s Olney section Tuesday, and now an official from the firefighters’ union is questioning if Philadelphia’s cost-cutting “brownouts” of fire companies played a role.”
http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2011/02/23/firefighter-union-offical-questions-brownout-role-in-fatal-olney-fire/
Austerity Kills Jobs
February 26th, 2011
3:03 pm
“Spending cuts approved by House Republicans would act as a drag on the U.S. economy, according to a Wall Street analysis that put new pressure on the political debate in Washington.
The report by the investment firm Goldman Sachs said the cuts would reduce the growth in gross domestic product by up to 2 percentage points this year, essentially cutting in half the nation’s projected economic growth for 2011.”
Linda
February 26th, 2011
3:15 pm
carlosgvv@2:21, How old are you? Never mind.
At least it’s just our health the govt. wants to take over. Thank God it’s not the NFL. If it was, we might be able to begin the pre-season by maybe March, with some luck. With hundreds of new departments, commissions & czars to study how the lines on the field are to be drawn (& in what colors, to be politically correct), we could be in for some fascinating new rules & regulations.
The players & owners won’t be too happy with the 90% tax rates for those greedy millionaires, but a little more socialism injected into the economic might finally reach the social justice goal the progressives have been yearning for.
Green energy from the roof to the parking lot will be in order. Solar panels might cause the beer to become hot & the ice cream to melt, but who cares when we can finally rid ourselves of carbon dioxide. All the Chevy Volts in the parking lot will be charged by sixty generators discretely hidden in the end zones.
Coaches’ challenges will receive VIP treatment directly from the Justice Dept. Injuries will be handled on a cost plus, first come, first serve basis by unionized health care providers who, unfortunately, don’t work on weekends.
Linda
February 26th, 2011
3:21 pm
Austerity@3:03, Who do you trust the most: Goldman Sachs OR the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff OR the president’s debt commission?
Woa!
February 26th, 2011
3:34 pm
Wisdom from Washington? Have you lost your mind Mr. Wingfield? Somebody please hurry and call the paramedics and make sure they bring the cute white jacket for Mr. W.
larry.3333
February 26th, 2011
3:45 pm
utah leading the way.
SERVING, “2 MASTERS”.
THE “TROJAN HORSE” WHO IS COMMITTED TO CORRUPT MEXICO AND THE DRUG CARTELS IS MARCHING !!!
=================================
Utah Senator Robles holds simultaneous Utah and Mexican Government Offices
February 25, 2011 by randyedye
Mr. Martinez leaves out some other facts that by all accounts, were also unknown by voters during the election that pushed Senator Robles in the political arena. Indeed, Senator Robles is not a political newcomer at all. In fact the Senator is a seasoned veteran, having previously held elected as well as appointed offices, in the Mexican government.
It is important to note that Senator Robles is a naturalized United States citizen and part of that process entails taking an oath of allegance to the United States, the text of which is:
“I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws..
What has not previously been reported or disclosed is the following chronology of Senator Robles’ political career with the Mexican government:
* In September, 2005 Ms. Robles was elected through an electoral process conducted by the Consulate of Mexico to a three year term in the “Consejo Consultivo Del Instituto De Los Mexicanos En El Exterior” (CCIME). The CCIME was an advisory commission created by Mexican President Vincente Fox and placed in within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Mexican Government. source;
* Ms. Robles held her elected position from 2006 through 2008;
* During her tenure with the CCIME, Ms. Robles attended at least seven (7) conferences and served as the Coordinator for CCIME the Legal Affairs Commission for three (3) conferences and as a member on the Political Affairs Commission for three (3) conferences
* Ms. Robles attended her 6th conference after having won election to the Utah Senate and her 7th as an observer after being sworn into the Senate in Utah;
* Three of the conferences attened by Ms. Robles were held at the Presidential Residence in Mexico;
* During the November, 2007 CCIME conference, Ms. Robles was the featured speaker. speech
* At the November 10-11, 2008 CCIME conference, Ms. Robles was the moderator for the “Estados Emergentes” meeting, which was also attended by MALDEF
carlosgvv
February 26th, 2011
4:12 pm
poison pen, Linda
Are you saying the our Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force and Coast Guard are inferior to other countries? If so, what do you base that on. If not, pay attention to what I said, namely, that our Govt. runs our military and if we have a very good military why would you think a Govt. run healthcare would be so inferior?
Linda
February 26th, 2011
4:33 pm
carlosgvv@4:12, If you want to join the military to get military health, go ahead & try. You might pass the entrance exam. Work on your punctuation.
@@
February 26th, 2011
5:02 pm
It just goes to show that in the absence of government, smart and innovative people will come up with their own solutions.
Catastrophic coverage is what my husband and I have. Low premiums, high deductibles.
Thing is, it’s wise to have the deductible on hand. Save it up if you must.
Government doesn’t think people should have to suffer catastrophes…they do though. Best be prepared.
carlosgvv
February 26th, 2011
5:24 pm
Linda
That is not what I asked you. Twice I have asked a question and twice you have dodged it. This tells me your objections to Obamacare are based on nothing more than Republican and Corporate propaganda and lies. Typical Tea Party mentality.
Jefferson
February 26th, 2011
5:58 pm
Let see how much planning the GOP leaders in GA have done to solve Atlanta’s water problem, then decide if they will plan for anything. How are they going to pay back the 630m they owe the feds for unemployment? They have no credibility.
Linda
February 26th, 2011
6:02 pm
carlosgvv@5:24, I am dodging your question. I don’t think I can help you, but let me try from a different perspective.
Half of the uninsured, about 15 M poor people will be placed on the Medicaid rolls. Even tho the fed. govt. pays about half & the states pay about half, the fact that rolls will increase means the overall costs for the states will increase.
#1 How much did both Gov. Purdue & Gov. Deal say that would cost the state of GA?
#2 (Simplified) Multiply that times 49. How much will it costs the states, 45 of which already have budget deficits & some of which are close to bankruptcy?
#3 If the states can’t pay their current bills, how do they plan to pay for new Medicaid expenditures?
There is a shortage of doctors who take Medicare & especially Medicaid patients, especially new Medicare & Medicaid patients.
#4 If these poor people, newly insured by Medicaid can’t find doctors, will they continue to go to the ER when they become ill?
#5 Will these continued trips to the ER bring down health care costs?
There are many people who do not have health care insurance because they choose to spend their money on other things.
#6 Since the cost of health insurance policies is more expensive than the cost of just paying the fines (per the new law), why would this group of people buy health insurance?
#7 Since insurers are required to cover pre-existing conditions, why would any healthy person buy health insurance before they become ill, such as on the way to the hospital/doctor?
You so your own research to answer these questions. You would never believe me if I answered them for you.
Jefferson
February 26th, 2011
6:07 pm
Linda, you get the money to pay for these programs from the folks who have money. You can’t sell a car to someone without a job, you sell them to the ones working. Lighten up, its only money.
Linda
February 26th, 2011
6:27 pm
Jefferson@6:07, The Democrats’ main solution to all money problems is just to raise taxes on people “who have money.” In a speech in ‘63, Pres. Kennedy said, “…the paradoxical truth is that tax rates are too high & revenues are too low, & the soundest way to raise revenues in the long run is to lower taxes now.” His statement only makes sense to business economists.
If you were a businessman looking to relocate your company, you would probably rule out a state represented by a governor who said, “Move to my state. We have the highest taxes in the South!”
I Report (-: You Whine )-: Credible, Compelling, Complete....Bwahahahaha, just sayin...
February 26th, 2011
6:40 pm
If the socialists win the court case, they will hook you up with the “public option,” no matter if you have an exchange or not.
They can maximize the damage to the economy that way.
I Report (-: You Whine )-: Credible, Compelling, Complete....Bwahahahaha, just sayin...
February 26th, 2011
6:49 pm
Budget cuts set off alerts. Recovery could be stifled, economists say. Problems at state, local levels seen as sign of deeper reductions. The clearest sign to date was a report Friday on U.S. gross domestic product for the final three months of 2010. The government lowered its growth estimate, pointing to larger-than-expected cuts by state and local governments.-Urinal
The Tea Party wasn’t even in office in 2010 but when your whole entire world is a lie, are facts really a big issue?
carlosgvv
February 26th, 2011
7:08 pm
Linda
I can only assume you think our Govt. does a good job managing our huge and complex military but somehow is unable to manage a health care program. While I am working on my punctuation I suggest you go back to school and take some courses in logic and critical thinking as these are obviously as alien to you as the backside of the Moon. It goes without saying that this kind of profound ignorance makes you an ideal Republican voter.
MrLiberty
February 26th, 2011
7:25 pm
carlosgvv – The Pentagon spends outrageous sums of money on stuff they don’t need, can’t use, etc. There are literally billions of dollars that cannot be accounted for in Iraq and Afghanistan. The GAO has thousands and thousands of pages of data showing the corruption, abuse, and gross incompetence in the way the Pentagon manages the military, its money, and its personnel.
No, the government CANNOT effectively manage the military or defense (remember how great a job they did on 9-11), and they certainly cannot manage running the entire health care market. Central planning does not work. Americans are no better at being socialists than anyone else in the world. Socialism fundamentally does not and cannot work. It lacks a price structure, a value system, a cost-benefit mechanism and all the important things that allow the market to decide proper allocation of goods, services, and money. Its not about will, or committment, or anything else. The government cannot manage medical care (Medicare should already have proven that clearly) and it should not be allowed to try. In fact, it is their very presence in the market that has cause all of the problems.
And I am very happy for all the things I wrote about earlier. I appreciate all of the positive comments so many of you wrote.
The sad truth in all of this is that only the politicians and the state-run media are being able to get out the message of what is wrong and how to fix it. At the heart of all of their suggestions (except for true Free Market supporters like Ron Paul), is their underlying need for government in some for or another, or a belief that health insurance is the same as health care. Nothing could be farther from the truth.
poison pen
February 26th, 2011
9:00 pm
Carlosgvv, Having the best military has nothing to do with Obamacare, or the other departments that I cited. Our Generals run the military, not Obama, he may be the CIC, but it’s only a title.
You cite the military as an example but don’t want to touch all the other dept’s. Our soldiers are the best in the World, but the Pentagon still pisses away Billions of dollars every year.
You need to get a reality check.
Michael H. Smith
February 26th, 2011
10:08 pm
Suggested reading for those who don’t understand Federalism (the distribution of power between the different levels of government) and need to ask why the Federal Government was entrusted with this nations military but not trusted with things like healthcare:
The Federalist Papers
http://thomas.loc.gov/home/histdox/fedpapers.html
Linda
February 26th, 2011
10:11 pm
carlosgvv@7:08, I admitted that I dodged your questions earlier today, because I didn’t think I could help you, but after you kept questioning me, I gave you some facts & asked you to do your own research to answer seven key questions that had to do with the health care bill. I challenged you to come up with your own conclusions. I spent a great deal of time formulating these facts & questions.
You set me up. You wasted my time. You should be ashamed. I should have known better.
You were too lazy, incompetent & partisan to answer even one question. All you did was attack my intelligence & education. You displayed to everyone who reads this blog that you are helpless & hopeless.
Liberals have a problem with the C’s: common sense, common decency & comprehension, to name a few.
I have a science degree, an economics degree from one of the largest universities in the southeastern US & courses in advanced studies. If anyone needs to go “back to school” to study “logic & critical thinking,” it might be you.
Outside the Perimeter
February 26th, 2011
10:23 pm
@Vuduchld, 11.58; it’s apparent your mental condition can use a new medicinal sedative/treatment for your paliperidone palmitate condition, AKA aute schizophrenia. It’s called Invega Sustenna. Not gonna guarantee it will do you any good given your abstract rant but you may want to try it and, when you are almost normal again, try another blog that makes sense. Phew! Not even LSD in its best days could have caused that!
Linda
February 26th, 2011
10:26 pm
Mr. Liberty@7:25, poison pen@9:00 & maybe Michael H. Smith@10:08, Thank you for going to bat for me this evening in my absence.
Michael H. Smith
February 26th, 2011
10:37 pm
The “C” word with which the socialist liberals have the greatest difficulty is Capitalism as a result of their “zero-sum thinking” that says wealth is confined to a “zero-sum game”, wherein wealth can only be transferred by way of someone winning at the expense of someone else losing. Therefore, wealth is never Created, another “C” word that poses a Conundrum for socialist liberals .
Michael H. Smith
February 26th, 2011
10:57 pm
You are very welcome, even though IMHO you didn’t need any defense, Linda. However, those who often blog on this page do have a great need to at least read the following entirely and very slowly: The Declaration of Independence, The U.S. Constitution and the Federalist Papers.
Michael H. Smith
February 26th, 2011
11:06 pm
Oh and by the way, Linda… I doubt you need to re-read the suggested list for the umpteenth time, your comprehension is very good.
poison pen
February 26th, 2011
11:15 pm
Linda, you don’t need any help, you are better than everyone in explaining things to Liberals, the problem is that they have absolutely no comprehension skills.
Linda
February 26th, 2011
11:42 pm
Michael@10:37 & etal, I’ve added your “c” word to my list, & it should have been first.
I might not have needed a defense but we always need to support each other during attacks.
Liberals think everyone is helpless & need handouts, even farmers, corporations & countries.
Liberals think women could have never driven cars until automatic transmissions were “invented” by “progressives.” They are SO wrong. Women could have run them down on muddy roads in open cars, wearing high heels.
Liberals, never underestimate women. We can take care of ourselves, but need comrades to watch our backs.
I’m in the process of reading the Federalists papers again. I’m embarrassed to say how long it’s been.
Linda
February 26th, 2011
11:44 pm
poison@11:15, I do need help & appreciate yours.
Ralph
February 27th, 2011
1:53 am
This discussion is really amazing. Get rid of medical licensing? This sounds like Rep. Franklin’s crazy idea to get rid of drivers licenses and just let each 12 year old decide for himself when he is really to drive in traffic with the rest of us!
I Report (-: You Whine )-: Credible, Compelling, Complete....Bwahahahaha, just sayin...
February 27th, 2011
7:33 am
I did everything I could this morning to well up a tear on behalf of “oppressed” government employees, the angry incompetents at the Post Office who burn through tax money like it grows on trees, the DOT workers who block roads off for no reason while 15 of them watch 1 work, the long line creators at the DMV office, the marauding IRS agents who mail you threatening lien letters over a mistakenly incorrect social security number (you non income earning libs are going to have to take my word on dealing with the IRS, just sayin..) but I am unable to make it happen, for some odd reason-
Union backers rally at Ga. Capitol -Urinal
It’s about time somebody told these people no.
@@
February 27th, 2011
8:54 am
Andy:
How’s it goin’?
I see your posts here and there but not you-know-where. They still make me smile.
My brother had his own problems with the IRS years ago. My husband is presently dealing with an error THEY made but refuse to acknowledge. My money’s on him (my husband).
Michael H. Smith
February 27th, 2011
9:40 am
Rep. Bobby Franklin Looks to Criminalize Miscarriages
Now that the name has been brought to fore I can’t keep myself from commenting further. As many do know I’m very PRO LIFE. However, this Franklin fellow bugs me about as much as some of the “death squad Democrats”. Has this guy ever been personally close to a female that suffered the loss of a child because of a miscarriage?
No wonder the socialist liberals have a field day with the so-called “values voters” and can rip apart the sincere motives behind the PRO LIFE agenda. I truly hope the other Republican Legislators in this State put this guy in a closet somewhere in the basement under the gold dome. Surely you elected Republicans will not pass THIS… bill into law?!
Take a look at this portion of Franklin’s Bill
114 (2) ‘Prenatal murder’ means the intentional removal of a fetus from a woman with an
115 intention other than to produce a live birth or to remove a dead fetus; provided, however,
116 that if a physician makes a medically justified effort to save the lives of both the mother
117 and the fetus and the fetus does not survive, such action shall not be prenatal murder.
118 Such term does not include a naturally occurring expulsion of a fetus known medically
119 as a ’spontaneous abortion’ and popularly as a ‘miscarriage’ so long as there is no human
120 involvement whatsoever in the causation of such event.
http://www.legis.ga.gov/Legislation/en-US/display.aspx?Legislation=31965
~
A naturally occurring expulsion of a fetus has the natural human involvement of the female’s body.
Is it therefore now the onus of any female that suffers a miscarriage in this State to prove the natural intent of her own body was the sole causation of such event?
I’m sure Rep. Franklin has capture the vote of every woman in Georgia by offering this bill for passage into law. Run ladies, the radical Christian Taliban has emerged in Georgia.
Michael H. Smith
February 27th, 2011
10:12 am
Liberals think everyone is helpless & need handouts, even farmers, corporations & countries.
A result of their zero-sum thinking, Linda. Socialist liberals don’t believe wealth can be created, it can only be transferred in a zero-sum game. Obamacare is one good example of the zero-sum game.
Did you happen to notice that only recently, after two years, trillions of dollars wasted, and virtually no jobs created dear leader Obumer finally wises up to the fact that he doesn’t know how to create wealth, so he turns to the very people who actually do know how to create wealth over at the Chamber of Commerce meeting. Of course, dear leader Obumer was about as welcome in this group as a proverbial skunk in a overcrowded elevator stuck between floor during a power failure on a mid-July day. He barely managed to move that group slightly to his side only twice with his speech. As a result he failed to do what he should have done on day one after becoming President in reaching out to the very Capitalist that are known to produce Capital and create jobs.
Voice of Reason
February 27th, 2011
11:43 am
A question for all the champions of “taking care of each other”: precisely what do you mean? Do you include optional procedures in your healthcare plan (consider cosmetic surgery, in vitro, D&C, gastric banding) ? Do you cover all pharmaceuticals, or just some (e.g., contraceptives, experimental drugs, medical marijuana, ED drugs, cholesterol drugs, contraceptives)? What about medical care driven by lifestyle choices (Type 2 diabetes, addiction treatment and counseling, STDs, e.g.)? If we choose only “proven” remedies, who decides what is proven?
“Taking care of each other” sounds great if it is only vaccines, routine check-ups and screenings–but it quickly becomes a blank check for every conceivable need, remedy and ailment. If you think this all sounds cost-prohibitive, you are starting to catch on. If you think it sounds like a recipe for lobbyists and lawyers wrangling and special interest deals, you are getting the picture. And if you believe the same people who live inside the Beltway and the courts might not be the best ones to decide how well you get taken care of, then you are onto something.
Ultimately, my definition of taking care of you and how you want to be taken care of likely aren’t the same thing. What starts out as a nice notion becomes either an idea totally divorced from reality, or a phony cover for separating me from my money, or both.
Government Union Goon
February 27th, 2011
12:02 pm
Weren’t those union thugs at the state capitol lovely and peaceful.
Did you see the video of the guy in his red t-shirt walking by a group of folks waving his middle finger with some other dude laughing and encouraging him? That is certainly a positive example for others…
The best video was the one of that little twerp with his “stop the war” sign and his yellow flyer… What was on his yellow flyer? — “The Revolution we need…The leadership we have. A Message, And A Call, from The Revolutionary Communist Party, USA. And this is NOT the best of All Possible Worlds… And We Do NOT Have to Live This Way”
It’s real and it happened twice in Atlanta, at the state capitol, in the last week.
Why hasn’t AJC covered this? Why hasn’t WSB covered this?
You, the readers, are not being told the truth by the MSM.
Go down to one of the rallies… Take a look at the Nazi signs and thew Raised Up Fist posters and pix of Che or American flags hung upside down.
It would be funny except the socialists and communists are making a genuine play with the unions.
Wake up America. Wake up Atlanta.
Government Union Goon
February 27th, 2011
12:27 pm
did you see the video on local TV?
well gee whiz, it made youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nND6dLXwQco&NR=1
Government Union Goon
February 27th, 2011
12:35 pm
Class War? Not a real war? “I don’t know.” – That what the eff are you holding that sign for you nasty, oinking, troll?
Didn’t see this on TV either. Why?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gta3eKqk1Fk&NR=1
Jeremy Engdahl-Johnson
February 27th, 2011
1:29 pm
Employers ask: Keep providing health coverage to employees? Or drop coverage, let employees buy insurance throughd exchange? http://www.healthcaretownhall.com/?p=3649
Linda
February 27th, 2011
2:39 pm
Michael@10:12, No, O has NOT wised up to the fact that he doesn’t know how to create wealth. He doesn’t want wealth created. He only wants to redistribute what is existing. The only jobs he wants to create are “green” jobs, govt. jobs & union jobs.
What we need are red, white & blue jobs. We need jobs that pay taxes, not jobs paid for by taxes.
He is extremely intelligent, knows exactly what he wants & how to accomplish it & reaching his goals.
Linda
February 27th, 2011
3:07 pm
Does anyone know why the Obama adm. has granted waivers to Obamacare to:
the Teamsters Union for 17 locals
the United Food & Commercial Workers International Union for 28 affiliates
the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers for 8 affiliates
the Communications Workers of America for 19,000 of its members
the Service Employees International Union affiliates including:
SEIU Local 2000 Health & Welfare Fund with 161 enrollees
SEIU 32BJ North Health Benefit Fund with 7000 enrollees
SEIU Local 300, Civil Service Forum Employees Welfare Fund with 2000 enrollees
SEIU Health & Welfare Fund with 11620 enrollees
SEIU Local 25 in Chicago with 31,000 enrollees
SEIU Local 1199, Greater New York Benefit Fund with 4544 enrollees
SEIU Local 1 Cleveland Welfare Fund with 520 enrollees
(about 45,000 workers represented by 7 SEIU locals)
?
Linda
February 27th, 2011
3:10 pm
correction: the SEIU Health & Welfare Fund has 1620 enrollees, not 11620
Linda
February 27th, 2011
5:27 pm
These are questions for liberals/Democrats only:
Should state workers have more or less competitive bargaining rights (for wages & benefits) than federal workers? Why?
Should state workers &/or federal workers be required to join a union? Why or why not?