Thursday, November 5, 2009
Enforcement
I see where they're talking about putting a big tax on beer and whiskey. I think it's a great idea. They ought to really tax it good and take all that money and put it toward enforcing drunken drivers. It might get some of them off of the road.
Spinning
In response to "Unfair, Unbalanced," this person gets the media confused with the spin machines for different parties. MSNBC is the spin machine for the Democratic party, and FOX News is the spin machine for the Republican party. The truth is somewhere in between.
Freeze it
St. Joe doesn't seem to care about people who are losing their jobs. Social Security people don't get a raise, yet you have a water company that wants to raise their rates. Is St. Joe that bad that we can't live a normal life without you people wanting to raise everything when nobody is working? I think a freeze should be put on everything.
One and done
Hooray the school levy passed. I'm really glad. I really hope that the levy is put to good use. I hope that the teachers are not getting a raise out of this. I voted because the schools needed the money, the kids needed the money for new things. And I'm hoping this money is put to good use otherwise the next time they ask for money, I'm voting against it.
Speed demons
I'm just calling in regard to Mason Road, East Hyde Park Avenue and Alabama Street. I'm just wondering why there's never any radar run. Why do they let the trucks run 50 mph in a 30 mph zone? Why isn't anything ever done to slow this traffic down?
More of same
Well, the property owners of St. Joseph had a chance to vote themselves a nice tax cut. Tax cuts won't be coming anywhere in the near future. As a matter of fact, most politicians are talking about raising taxes. But the people here in St. Joseph got led by the nose by these professional politicians on the school board. People, they are licking their chops for the next time they come to us for another levy raise.
Worried Dems
Democrats need to tell our Democratic senators or congressmen or women that we elected them and President Obama to lead. Maybe they can get the word to him that he needs to lead. He needs to quit running around the country talking about every thing but health care. He needs to pass the health care bill so that Democrats can stay in power.
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JAFO says...
this country is so far to the left right now, the pendullum is due to swing to the right. thank heavens.
November 5, 2009 at 12:38 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Wright_Winger says...
Worried Dems, a pre-existing condition?
One of the provisions of the much-touted Democrat version of health insurance reform is that "you can't be turned down for coverage if you have a pre-existing condition." Sounds great, but did you know YOU MUST WAIT SIX MONTHS FOR COVERAGE AFTER YOU APPLY? Also, the pool of monies to be set aside to insure applicants with pre-existing conditions is inadequate to cover the demand. So, if you develop cancer or some other life-threatening condition you ARE NOT going to be offered insurance which will immediately cover your expenses.
Don't believe me, read the AP/Obama article at:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091105/a...
November 5, 2009 at 5:50 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
dges says...
MORE OF THE SAME
It pretty much boil's down to (VOTER TURNOUT) the people of ST.JOE got tired of this issue being thrown in their faces every 2 month's so they turned a deaf ear on it and didnt vote. it's exactly what the yes opponent's knew would happen if they kept pushing !! Another way to go St.Joe moment for the record book's
November 5, 2009 at 9:28 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
just_sayin says...
WW:
Have you compared that 6-month wait time for coverage to private sector insurance? I have received employer-provided insurance from two companies, and each of them required the employees to work for the company an entire year before they could get coverage. Both employers told me the 1-year wait was standard across almost all sectors of our current economy.
One method makes you wait 6 months for coverage after you apply (health reform); another gives you instance coverage once you apply, but makes you wait a full year to do so (current).
November 5, 2009 at 9:56 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Mr_America says...
Enforcement: Why no tax on rum, vodka, gin, etc. Why are you picking on my whiskey? You gonna tax my tattoo ink next? I can't stand you "We will tax anything we don't enjoy or have no interest in" people.
November 5, 2009 at 10:14 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
StJoeMike says...
ust_sayin, you are right.. There is a 12 month waiting period for Pre-Existing conditions.. Of this 12 month waiting period, time can be waived for prior coverage.. For example you worked for a company for 5 years and held coverage.. You get laid off and you opt to take the cobra plan.. you hold the cobra plan for 6 months and cancel it. You are not covered for 3 months and then you take new coverage. Your waiting period would be 3 months because you had prior coverage. This is standard. ALL insurance companies are required to cover your pre existing conditions after your waiting period.
However, that is NOT what this administration wants you to believe. They are trying to scare people in to thinking that their pre existing conditions are NEVER covered. This simply is (as Sen. Joe Wilson calls it,) a lie.
I have nothing wrong with the pre-existing clause anyway. Think about it.. Can you wait until after you wreck your car to get insurance on it? No.. Can you wait until after your plasma TV breaks 2 years latter to purchase the extended service plan? No.. Should you be able to wait until after your diagnosed with Cancer to get health insurance.. No!
November 5, 2009 at 10:26 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Wright_Winger says...
just sayin...no argument here with your comments, they agree with what I have experienced except my employers only required a 6-month wait time. However, that was over 20 years ago and the wait time could well be a year now.
I am merely pointing out that the Dems have been distorting the facts about their plan's coverage of preexisting conditions as an immediately available benefit. In fact, I have heard many people comment that they would pay the relatively small penalty for not subscribing to a health insurance plan, wait until they had a serious medical condition and then enroll in a private or public plan option. The Dems claims about their bill's coverage of preexisting conditions is false and misleading.
November 5, 2009 at 10:36 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Wright_Winger says...
Another point about the Dems House bill. A person applying to be enrolled in the high risk pool because they have been denied other coverage due to a preexisting condition only has to "ATTEST" to being a resident of one of the 50 states or the District of Columbia. (page 19 of the bill) Proof of residency (citizenship) is not required.
November 5, 2009 at 10:55 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
rk92559 says...
Well guess what..I have been stalled by a health insurance company because of what was deemed a preexisting condition (and it was more than 5 years prior)My employers agent told me no on 2 occasions..I wasn't to be covered. Even though I hadn't been sick, or even to a doctor in several years.I got an attorney that sent them a letter and contacted the state and was told after 6 months they are required to cover me. All the other employees had it.They had a change of heart then. It took me almost a year to get it, and then they tried to tell me the 6 month waiting period started then, not when I first applied.They didn't get away with that either. And the kicker? My family owned the business and paid for the plan.Waiting 6 months is not asking much. That avoids having people wait til they get sick and then run out a get insurance to pay for it.I was lied to, stalled, stone walled..anything to keep me from getting a policy.That is what you get from Private carriers.
I had a bar for several years in KS. I had to pay liqour tax...but on beer?? NO TAX.Because they are bad for you, cigarettes are taxed heavily. They cause all these health problems, so I have to pay 3.00 tax on one pack of smokes. Last I checked, beer and whiskey is not recommended for good health. In fact, people die every day from drunk driving, health issues from alcoholism, heart and liver disease, and a whole lot of other issues. AND NO TAX?? Cigarette companies are not allowed to advertise anymore, but every 5 minutes some cute beer ad is on TV, encouraging young and old alike to guzzle away. AND NO TAX?? They must have one heck of a lobby in Washington to get this done.I like to drink a beer just like anyone. But what is good for the goose is good for the drinker...keeping in line with the cigarette taxes, beer should get a 1.00 a bottle slapped on it, and whiskey should get 10.00 on a fith to help pay for the damage they do.What?? You like to drink and think they need to leave that alone?? TOUGH.
November 5, 2009 at 11:39 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
lbc says...
In the car insurance world, if I had an accident and was standing by the side of the road, could I call an insurance agent....and sign up.....or would that be called a "preexisting condition."
Why do people think they have the god given right to NOT pay for an insurance policy until they have a need to file for beneifts.
I did not have insurance for the first 10 years I was married and I had AND PAID FOR 4 kids. That was my choice and I wrote the checks. Why do people today think they have a RIGHT to game the system. If there are people without insurance , god bless them...it's their choice....even the illegal alliens who think they are entitled to one more beneift for violating our laws.
November 5, 2009 at 1:47 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
rk92559 says...
In the car insurance world, if I had an accident and was standing by the side of the road, could I call an insurance agent....and sign up.....or would that be called a "preexisting condition."
I would assume..yes. If the person that hit you didn't have insurance, your insurance would have to pay to fix your car. 2 years down the road, your insurance company dumps you.You go out to get the required insurance and get DENIED!! Why?? The accident was 2 years ago and wasn't even my fault, and I haven't even had a ticket in 10 years. To bad, we think you will get hit again, it is what our risk management team has determined happens.DENIED!Ok Ok..we will insure you..for 500 bucks a month. Huh?? I can't pay that! We know.
Sounds unreal huh? Well it is reality, that is how much power the monopoly we call Health Insurance has.
November 5, 2009 at 2:25 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
StJoeMike says...
rk92559, it doesn't sound unreal.. It sounds like business. It is called weighing the risks. However your story sounds a little farfetched to me. When I buy auto insurance or homeowners insurance they ask the question, "Have you filed a claim in the past x years/months?" Let us say you run a Bank.. You have an open teller position and "Bob" applies for the job. Bob has had 5 teller positions and every single one he was fired for taking money from the bank. Are you going to hire Bob? I don't think so. Insurance companies have to do the same thing. You can't go out and buy a million dollar life insurance policy after you have been diagnosed with a terminal disease and given weeks to live.. Give me a break.
November 5, 2009 at 3:57 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
rk92559 says...
I don't need you to explain the insurance business to me..but thanks.Before you lecture everyone on the basics of being denied insurance, you might want to look up what a pre existing condition is . It is whatever an Insurance company wants it to be.Far fetched is using an example of someone with a terminal illness trying to get insurance. You give me a break.
November 5, 2009 at 7:38 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
pops says...
One and done:
It's obvious you have NO idea what teachers make. Our teachers in St. Joe are some of the best anywhere, yet they're paid much less than anywhere else. They DESERVE a raise!
I heard it said once that it's one thing to be thought a fool, but it's something else to open your mouth and remove all doubt.
In your case, it was more about typing text into a text box....but the result is the same. How foolish you really look!!!
November 5, 2009 at 8:43 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
10377586 says...
You want to compare a wrecked car to a person with a serious illness?
November 6, 2009 at 7:39 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
bdog says...
pops i read many of your comments and i respect your thoughts about many things, but again teachers in st. joseph earn $235.00 to 253.00 a day for 6.4 hours of work
i am not saying they do not earn the money but this seems like a lot of money for those of us who are stuggling to keep our houses, cars and food on the table for our families
and are earning much less than the teachers earn, yet to raise taxes on us so the teachers can earn more than they are now just does not seem fair, especially since the average family income is only around 28,000 to 30,000 in st. joseph, and that includes a lot of families with two people working
November 6, 2009 at 8:13 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
pops says...
Teachers may only be at the school for 6.5 hours, and actually, that's disputable. That's only the hours school is in session. Teachers are there BEFORE the students, and are still there long after the students are gone. In addition to that, they take things home....grading papers, lesson plans, etc. Many teachers put in a full 8 - 10 hour day. How many of St. Joe's OTHER workers would be willing to do that?
I can't believe people are crying about what teachers make. It's paltry, compared to what they COULD get with a college degree.....
November 6, 2009 at 8:20 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
drbjr says...
The comparison is about insurance. A pre-existing condition is a pretty standard definition. The problem is here that rk92559 thinks the exclusion period when the insurance company will not pay claims related to the condition should start running when he applies for the coverage not when he starts being covered by paying a premium.
There is a chicken and egg problem here. You choose not to pay for coverage until after the condition requiring the coverage exists. That defeats the concept of insurance. Insurance is merely a pooling of risks. I pay my homeowners insurance hoping to never have a claim. If I never make a claim then my premiums has gone to pay the claims of others insured by the same company. That is the entire crux of insurance. RK here wants to not pay premiums for years, keeping the money in his pocket, and then be able to tap into the pool of money created by those of us paying our premiums for years without a claim. Just doesn't work and is fundamentally unfair.
November 6, 2009 at 8:48 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
dillygent1 says...
St. Joseph teachers do get paid reasonably well, FOR ST. JOE. If they are not paid a salary commensurate with the training they have received, they can leave town, leaving the district with a bunch of young, inexperienced, just-entering-the-job-market teachers. The problem is not the teachers and their salaries. The problem is the pay for the St. Joseph WORK FORCE. It is abysmally LOW. It always has been. That is why all revenue issues are going to have trouble passing. I would also suggest those who look at the work day of a teacher, figure out what a teacher should be making for the overtime they put in, or for the extra classes and workshops they take. I am sorry but I think the six and a half hour comment is grossly unfair. How many people working at fast food jobs or riding on a trash truck would be willing to work excessive overtime regularly, and not be paid for it?
November 6, 2009 at 9:09 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
drbjr says...
dillygent1, the market pays what these folks are worth. If they think they are worth so much more then they can move too.
November 6, 2009 at 9:20 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
pops says...
Which leads me to think, drbjr, you would step in and teach in their place?
November 6, 2009 at 10:03 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
drbjr says...
Please let me clarify, I was referring to the workers (non-teachers) referred to in these posts.
Now, as to teaching, you don't want me because I do not have the temperament to teach. Now the teachers compensation includes salary, good health benefits, a generous retirement system which allows retirement at an early age, a highly defined compensation structure which rewards tenure (small t) and additional education. It does provide extended time off (summer) should the employee chose it. Also, teacher has historically not been a highly paid profession so some of the griping is unwarranted as the teachers knew this when they choose to get into the profession.
dillygent1 also makes a poor, but common mistake, teaching like many other professions requires odd and long hours at times. It is not a job that is paid on an hourly basis. It is wrong to think of "overtime" in the context of teaching.
November 6, 2009 at 10:25 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
pops says...
True...teachers are paid a salary...not by the hour. Still, I'd bet they spend more hours working THEIR job than almost ANY worker in St. Joe. I'd also point out they are REQUIRED to continue their education...which means they have to attend college classes during the summer....they're not just "off" loafing. Also, has it escaped many of you that teachers are still at school for as much as two to three weeks AFTER school is out, and they're usually back at the school, preparing for the first day, as much as two to three weeks before your students hit the classroom?
Again, ANYONE who wants to step in and trade places with a teacher....I DARE you....
November 6, 2009 at 11:39 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
drbjr says...
pops, sorry, I have to disagree on the hours to a point. I know many doctors, lawyers and indian chiefs that work many many more hours round the clock seven days a week. For example you can't go to Heartland without hearing one particular doc paged. It seems like he is there night and day and I'll bet he puts in 80 plus hours a week. Now, I do think highly of this particular doctor, but it illustrates my point.
yes, like many professions they are required to have continuing education. That's why they have days off and early outs for the kids. Some choose, voluntarily, to get advanced degrees. Largely this is to further career goals including salary increases. I know several who got their graduate degree late in their careers as it increased their retirement pay.
November 6, 2009 at 3:30 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
tydej says...
Teachers are not paid what they are worth for what they deal with. Many times teachers spend more time with children than the parents. People send their kids off to school and expect the system to raise them. Parents may complain that once every now then they have to attened a conference with the but the teachers have to conduct these with each parent. Some teachers make themselfs available by phone in the offtime to talk with parents. Teachers are insulted on a daily basis by students while their parents defend such actions. Teachers mentor their students and often don't as much as a thank you. They give so much yet recive so little. If they go to other places to teach we will be left with less teaches and a growing number of students making the teacher to student number worse than it is now, crowding already crowed classroom, and students getting less personal attention that's needed. Students deserve better and we should support them by supporting the teachers with competitive wages that will make them want to stay in the area to teach the youth an contribute to the community and local economy. As far as the unnamed Dr. I am sure even though he may work often and works for a saleray that he dosen't worry about paying the bills as a teacher dose.
November 6, 2009 at 4:12 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
bdog says...
there are many workers who put in 10-12 hours a day and make a lot less than teachers, plus they also have to help their kids with homework,cook, clean, take and pick up the children on school activities, pta's etc. enough about the low pay st, joseph teachers make, they earn a lot more than the teachers in smaller towns i say if they think they are worth more and can earn more because of their education go for it, there are plenty of qualified teachers who are looking for a job, now as far as taxes, i don't care what they tax, soda, alcohol,cigs, etc. more taxes means lay offs or job losses, as far as healthcare costs, the biggest health cost is overweight,or obesity, maybe they should tax all people who weigh more than they should, tax them for each pound they are over their health weight, why not just tax everything
ooops, i forgot they have started that with our new president
November 6, 2009 at 4:44 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
drbjr says...
The reality of the world is simple. There are a lot of people who can do many jobs. It does not take much education or training to be the clerk at the drive through window thus the job does not pay much in a relative sense. Being a specialist doctor takes a college degree, a medical degree, an internship, a residency for three years, do a couple of years in a sub-speciality, pass your boards, do a fellowship for three years, pass more board and then find a job so you can work 80 to 100 hours a week. (All along you have been working that many hours.) Don't think that everyone can do that.
Does a guy with a CDL and experience get paid more than the guy without? Yes. It's no different. Get your degree, get your certifications, get your license if you want to get paid more. (Or just get elected to office or appointed by your buddy the governor even when you have no applicable skills!)
November 6, 2009 at 5:55 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
pops says...
Hmmmm, drbjr....
Methinks you just made my point for me. Now....let's see....in this corner you have a doctor, making....well....6 figures. In THIS corner you have a lawyer, making....well....6 figures. In THIS corner, you have a teacher making......
Don't blame ME....YOU made the comparison!!!
November 6, 2009 at 6:32 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )