November 22, 2009
Comments by SAXTON
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An outstanding letter from Mr. (or Ms.) Griffin. If we had more people like him or her, we would have a different set of politicians both in Missouri and in California where I live. I voted for my fellow Californian (Ronnie) the first term based on his fiscal responsibility as governor in raising taxes to order to balance the budget. His complete reversal to fiscal irresponsibilty as president moved me to
vote for the democrat in the next election. I had voted for Bush Sr in the primary vs Reagan and I was happy with the change to fiscal responsiblity during his administration and that of his successor, Bill Clinton. Most of the last 30 years however, I have been very unhappy with both Federal, State & Local politics & policies by gerrymandered voting blocs here in California and across our country.
From a Liberal Republican (voting as a Republican for 63 yrs).
On Your letters, Sept. 21, 2009
If employer plans were done away with and everyone were on their own, we would have health care reform post haste. As it is with the current health care system for the majority partly paid for by $300 billion plus of federal and state tax subsidies there is no real incentive for reform of our health care non-system nor any a real support of the majority of our citizens. This is particularly true since the politicians and other public employees have the best medical care paid for by all of us. As long as this situation exists, the fate of the increasing percentage of the minority of the population will just get worse until that minority becomes the majority. Perhaps in my lifetime, we will have a true health care system that treats everyone the same, but I doubt it.
On Blunt calls health-care reform bill unaffordable
See my post on the 8/27/09 "It"s Your Call" re the socialized medicine in this country called employer paid health insurance (for the benefit of a decreasing percentage of the population thanks to the decline in our economy).
On It's Your Call, Aug. 28, 2009
All of the people and employers with employer paid health insurance are in a socialized health care system subsidized by the state & federal government tax subsidies of $300 billion plus per year. That is in addition to all the other tax subsidies for all the other plans for various purposes. This largely came about starting in the sixties as employers and unions realized that that enormous savings in income and employer taxes (including social security) were possible if part of employee pay was paid in the form of tax free benefits instead of taxable wages. The biggest moves in this movement were the Big Three Car Companies and the UAW and govermental bodies and their employees. These savings came about at the expense of the self employed and smaller employers and their employees who could not afford these expensive shifts in the way that compensation is treated. Some of the primary objections to a national health care system come from those involved in the employer employer paid socialized medicine health care system for the majority who are reluctant to give up their perks under the current system. As it is, they are subsidized by those of us who pay for our own medical expenses with after tax dollars. I am thankful that I have finally reached the age for Medicare and don't have to pay ten thousand plus a year for medical insurance although like most people, we pay 100% of our dental expenses (only the mostly heavily subsidized plans have dental coverage).
On It's your call, Aug. 27, 2009
I have noticed that most of the people objecting to health care reform have employer provided health insurance with a Federal & State Tax Subsidy of $300 billion per year. This version of socialized medicine applies to the majority and the tax burden is paid for by the whole population including people who pay for their own care as well as for the majority who benefit from their tax dollars.
P.S. I felt the pain of being unable to get medical
insurance coverage for a dependent because she had
a medical condition that might pose a problem for an
insurance co in the future. (Note that 22 years later
this condition has never caused a medical problem. I'm
to say that she has that other version of socialized
medicine now called Medicare.
On Health plan costs could rise 10 percent
It's good to see that St. Jo has nice people just like we do here in California (and I am delighted that I have relatives like her). I have more empathy with her as my wife is recovering from breast cancer surgery & undergoing further treatment (so far so good).
Charles Gilpin
Formerly of Saxton, Mo. and now in
the San Francisco Bay Area
She should be here in the San Francisco Bay Area. Teachers with her experience make 80 grand a year and can retire in their early sixties @ 70+ grand a year. Cops, firemen, prison guards, highway patrolmen etc start out @ 80,000 a year plus full benfits as rookie and can retire in their early fifties with at 75 to 80 thousand a year plus free medical. The majority are doing so because continuing to work would would not increase their net. Those retiring at supervisory levels get well over a hundred thousand dollars a year and will receive many millions of dollars over the rest of their lives. Obviously this is an untenable situation insofar as local and state goverments are concerned (another aftermath of the gogo period from 1995 to 2005. Most of these well educated people are well aware that this will come to a head over the next few decades (see the City of Vallejo bankruptcy). By the way I have a friend who is a retired Colorado policeman whose retirement is 1/4 of what it would be here. Denver will not face the same problems as we will here having to decide whether to pay the retirees or to keep bodies in the streets and schools.
(nor will St. Joe).
I really feel for teacherlady having to pay 200 dollars a month out of pocket for medical and dental insurance with her after tax dollars. Reminds me of the same money I had to pay my Kaiser Plan in the early nineties for health coverage alone for my wife and I. We paid for (and still do) our own dental care which was and is far more expensive here in California than in Missouri. As a self employed person, I also paid 14% of my self employment income with after tax dollars for SS & Medicare taxes. Those of us who subsidize all the pretax benefits for public and private employers and employees who mostly have higher incomes than we do would like to see all compensation taxed as such thus treating all of us alike. The current level of such payroll subsidies consumes several hundred billions of taxes on the federal & state levels.
My condolences. I was a good friend of Conrad's for a few years in the mid forties before I left St. Joe for California in 1950. My brother, Conrad and I attended the old Junior College at the same time. With the exception of the War, it was a wonderful time for we young people in the old river town.
Charlie Gilpin
On Obituary for Virginia Morris
My feeling is that if we don't do the bridge loan, we will trigger a major recession and those who vote against it will be remembered for many elections to come by the millions of people who will be adversely affected by such an outcome (in particular, those who voted for the previous 750 billion bailout package who vote against this 15 billion
bridge loan which will directly affect far more people than
the bigger bailout bill).
On Inaction on Big 3 would cost taxpayers billions
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