Monday, June 8, 2009

Oregon Democrats Cram More Taxes Down Our Throats

Would someone PLEASE tell me why the State of Oregon, or the Feds for that matter, feel the need to provide health insurance for EVERYONE?
Now I am not lacking in compassion. I give to many organizations for the poor and I heavily support missions which also help the poor both in Oregon and in other countries.
What I am frustrated about is this: for the first 10-12 years of my adult life I had no insurance. I worked in radio which pays NOTHING. Benefits? Ha!
So, when I had to go to the doctor or dentist I had to work out payments with them, just like any other bill I had. Utilities, rent, credit card, whatever, it was just another bill to pay and I made very little money so I really had to be careful and budget carefully. I cut things out of my life that I couldn't afford until the bill was paid off.
Now, I am most fortunate and God has blessed me with a spouse who has employer paid insurance so I don't have to worry anymore, but, I do know what it is to go without.
Why can't the government just leave us alone? If folks can't afford insurance, they just have to learn, as I did, how to budget and work within their means.
It was NEVER the founding father's intentions to be the "provider" of all things to the people. NEVER!!
The Democrats in the House today passed a $382 million dollar tax on small businesses to pay for health insurance. Where do you think those small businesses are going to cut first to afford this tax? A)Cut employees? B)Cut benefits C)Cut and run to another state? Probably all three.

If you really care, you need to call, email and write our representatives and senators in the Oregon legislature RIGHT NOW and have ALL tax proposals put on a ballot for the PEOPLE to decide!

11 comments:

mick b said...

What was that you said about your spouse's insurance? :) Sounds like a great job! Where do I sign up???

The Blunt Matt said...

Well, Bill...I don't understand why we trust the government to run the military but not healthcare. Can you explain that?

Anonymous said...

But didn't you say Oregon was a Red state a few months back? How have you allowed the Democrats to take over? I am actually a bit surprised that Oregon is still on the map. I mean, surely, if there are so many Democrats controlling the state, it must be in absolute disarray and crumbling as we speak.

Also, how is it that the House is "controlled" by Democrats when the count is currently 31 Democrats and 29 Republicans? I couldn't find the info, but did ANY Republicans vote for it or ANY Democrats vote against it? I see a real lack of responsibility on your part for blaming Democrats for cramming taxes down your throats without all of the proper information or questions asked...

Bill's Waste of Air said...

Matt: I will ask the question back to you that I asked: Why does ANY government feel that they HAVE to provide insurance to EVERYONE?
Military has nothing to do with this, that is a poor argument. You did not answer the question.
As to your question for me, sure the government can run the military, it has for our entire history. Does that make it the right choice to run healthcare?

Anonymous: I assume you are not an Oregonian, since your numbers are a bit off.
The House is 31-24 which means they have the 60% margin they need to pass on party lines, as they have with the $733 million tax increase passed this morning.
NO Republicans voted for it.
ALL Democrats voted for it.
What else do you need to know? Go to www.or.leg.us.or to learn more.
You might also check out the Republican plan by both the House and Senate Republicans for a budget for Oregon, it's called the "Back to Basics Budget" and you can read it as I have at www.backtobasicsbudget.com
Good luck.

Bill's Waste of Air said...

Wait, sorry, my mistake, typo: the House is 36-24 Democrat Majority.
The Senate is: 18-12 Democrat Majority.
Another HUGE reason why they are so drunk with power. OHbama is in the White House and that is making EVERY Democrat a lot more confident.

The Blunt Matt said...

I don't have the answer, Bill. But, if my wife or kids were sick and there was no way to pay for it, I'd probably do something illegal to pay for it. So, I think something needs to be done to make it affordable or the crime rate will go up and it's be worse...otherwise, I say we stop paying for the elderly and let them drop like flies first since they don't really contribute anything of value...

But, I don't know why you're complaining since Republicans had the majority from 1990 to 2006. So, now it's the Democrats' fault for everything, right? That's actually the most flawed of arguements...

But, I keep hearing that government can't work or that it's inefficient and that's why we shouldn't have socialized medicine. But, if they can run the military, why can't they run healthcare. It's a great arguement and you're discounting it because you didn't think of it first...

Bill's Waste of Air said...

Matt: your strugglin' now, your just stirring the pot, as you have basically made a pointless argument that has not a lick of sense to it.
I know you get off on doing that, so, in that light here goes:
I love President Obama. I think he is the greatest President ever. I want universal health care. I want all to be equal, no one gets any more than anyone else.
There. Satisfied?
Now, IF that were really my feelings, I think, due to your NEED to stir it up, you'd find a counter argument for all of that.
So, Matt, get your own radio show and you too can spout off whatever you want.
Good luck, it only took me 28 years to get here, but I got here.

The Blunt Matt said...

You can call it what you want, Bill. And I'm not stirring the pot, but asking a simple question which you have dismissed without comment since you claim it to be irrelevant...which is fine, and that is how conservatives work. Don't address, just belittle and you'll win the arguement. I'm not interested in being right or wrong, but I would rather ask a question than blindly follow. Most of the arguements against government-run healthcare are that the government is inefficient and will only ruin it, yet we trust the government to run our military, education, police, firemen, etc. So, my question is: Why can government run those things and not others?

Also, I'm not sure that government-run healthcare is the answer, but our healthcare system has failed us and it is broken. Nixon allowed the HMO when he knew full well it was not going to benefit anyone but Elliot Kaiser. Since healthcare costs are out of control, they need to be corrected. If the citizenry cannot afford to keep itself healthy, it will not be productive. Without productivity, our economic situation is only going to get worse. So, who fixes that? And why has soicialized medicine worked in every Western nation but ours?

I'm glad that you have a different opinion than mine and that's why I like to read your blog. I'm aware that you speak to a conservative audience, but when you make no sense or just blame the Democrats, I find it sad. But, if you can make a living at it, then I say more power to you. It reminds of the "sucker born every minute" quote. So, as you don't want to answer my question because you think it is irrelevant, I'll keep asking until I feel that you have answered it. That's what I do. And I don't need a radio show to foment disinformation and half-truths to make a living. Although I've been told I have a face for radio, I view it as a dead medium and I also like to make money so I won't be searching for my own show anytime soon. Harassing you seems to be enough for now...

The Blunt Matt said...

And, you're right Bill, I didn't answer your question so I will do it for you now...

Your wife's "employer paid" insurance sounds great. But, didn't you say that she was a teacher? If so, then you would be getting government paid healthcare by way of taxpayer money which would actually mean you are already under the umbrella of socialized medicine. And that would seem ironic more than anything...

You're also right about making arrangements with doctors and dentists if you don't have insurance, but here's where it gets confusing...about 16 years ago, I was at a family BBQ and my uncle tripped over the dog and fell into me tearing most of my knee and ankle ligaments. I had private insurance from Blue Cross because that's what I could afford and was told that it would cover major medical expenses. So, I went to the doctor and I needed surgery to fix everything to the tune of $40,000.00 and my insurance company didn't view that as a "major medical" necessity. They somehow thought that the ligaments and everything would heal on their own and that my policy didn't cover that catastrophe. So, who looks out for you when that happens? I had to sue my insurance company to pay the amount I was insured for--80%. They ended up paying $32,000 of it but it took 6 years for me to get the money out of them. By then my credit was a mess and bill collectors were regularly calling for money I didn't have. So, I think our system is broken and it needs to be fixed immediately. I don't know if socialized medicine is the answer, but something needs to be done to control this industry because I feel it has gotten out of hand. Besides, what would Jesus expect the richest country in the history of the world to do to help people who couldn't afford healthcare?

Bill's Waste of Air said...

Jesus would have said: "sell all that you have, give it to the poor and follow me".
Willing to join me Matt?
I will if you will.

Otherwise, don't ask what Jesus would say if you aren't willing to go as far as he asks.

So, you admit you ripped off fine upstanding people like me by suing an insurance company? Well thank you for my rate raise!
It's folks like you, always looking for handouts that drive EVERYTHING up!
How about work hard, pay your bills and sleep well at night?
No, the government should NOT be in the health care business. You want proof? Go to Great Britain and ask how that's going. Or even easier, take a look at the album cover of EVERY single Brit band in history. Look at their first album pics then look at their 3rd. After coming to the US, they all get their teeth fixed from the cluster they had in GB.

Now especially when you know nothing of what you type about, re: radio a dead medium? Hmm...I would gladly point you to several very large newspapers that are not out of biz but radio keeps rolling on.
Our particular station is UP 26% in revenue from this time last year.
Ratings in radio are higher than they have ever been, especially considering the pie has been cut up more than ever.
Radio will never die, as long as people want local news, weather, traffic, personalities, etc.
TV, now that's another story. The switch to DTV is the government's plan to switch us all to PAY TV. Just wait!
So, matt, have a nice day, in la la land.

The Blunt Matt said...

I'm a little confused as to how I raised your insurance rates, which you don't pay for and get through your wife's employer, but.... Perhaps you are not sure how such things work, but I had an insurance policy to cover major medical expenses in case of an accident. I was injured in an accident which is why I had the insurance--just in case something like that happens. Maybe you need to get a grasp of how contracts and insurance works before making bizarre claims that make no sense.

Since my insurance company didn't pay what they were required by their legally binding contractual obligation to do, I had to get a lawyer involved. That wasn't what I wanted to do. I wasn't looking fo a handout. I was looking for them to honor their agreement with me. And they refused to do so. They were wrong and it was ajudicated properly in my favor. That's how the law works as well. So, I didn't raise your rates, Blue Cross did by making it a six year legal battle to avoid paying what they were supposed to in the first place. That's your big, broken, corporate, for-profit private insurance making the mess, buddy, not me...

And, you don't pay for insurance anyway. Remember, you get it from your wife's employer who happens to be the government which means you are currently benefitting from socialized medicine paid for by our taxes...

As for healthcare, dental work is a much smaller issue. Things like infant mortality, expected life span, obesity, etc. are things that you will ignore because you can't admit that every industrailized nation kicks our butt in those categories and they have government-run healthcare. I don't expect you to make a pointed comment, Bill, your job is to try and belittle me and make me feel bad about myself so that I won't post on your flawed blog. That's okay since I know how you and every other "conservative" radio host do things...and to say that I'm looking for a handout and don't work hard and even remotely suggest that I don't pay my bills is somewhat offensive since you don't know anything about me other than that I had to sue an insurance company to make them honor their contract with me. But, good try...and keep up the good, ethical, intelligent discourse...

And, radio is dead. The newspapers refused to believe that the internet could touch them and look at them. Record companies have ignored the internet and look at what is happening to them. It's the baby boomers who are keeping radio barely breathing. You'll have a job as long as old people still find it a viable source of information which can be gathered much faster and with less drivel than a local radio show...and, in case you haven't been paying attention, the corporate takeover of radio is only going to get worse which will also eliminate most of the things you say radio is good for. But don't listen to me, I have no idea what I'm talking about since I use facts, verifiable data, and logic to form my opinions...