Darn those Koch fed Teabaggers! Call your congressman/women

[skateluvr]

If you live in Ohio, Please call John Boehner. If you are a republican and voted for any teabaggers ion 2010,m please tell them they are not representing you. Many people will be hurt. It takes govt workers to send out SSi, SSDi, Military checks. It is time they stopped taking America hostage. Bill Clinton was right yesterday, they seem to want to destroy America over a poor ideology. 40 Billion in foodstamps cut in 10 years. Our economy IS on the mend. This sends a message to our enemies in the world(and our friends) that we are a house divided about to fall. Please do you duty if you are an American. Never in my life have I seen such insanity. 25% fuel assistance was cut last two years. Oct 1 was time for applications. I cannot go back home to live/or make a decision. I have to know my expenses. Please, many of you are young and think it won't affect you. As Ameruica goes, so goes the world.

Write Obama and say hang tough. Write your congressman to say thanks or set him/her staright.

I never hated people but this is evil, truly evil. The deficit is been cut due to economic upswing. And these idiots will destroy our progress. Please do yourfacebooks, twitter feeds, email list- everyone you know and all your forums, blogs etc. Skating is nice, but this is a matter of life and death if you really get it. Thank nyou fellow skate fans and concerned citizens of USA and the world.

All these 2010 far right congressman will be kicked out next election-but they are millionaires and do not care. Evil men.

 

[Mathman]

Here is the strange thing. There are 233 Republicans in the House of Representatives. 47 of them are members of the Tea Party Caucus. The rest classify themselves somewhere along the continuum from traditional conservative to moderate.

Why is the Republican Party allowing the tail to wag the dog? No matter what happens (i expect that the government will "shut down" for a day or two, then forget all about it and go back to business as usual until the next "crisis") -- no matter what happens, the Republican Party will lose even more traction with the emerging majority of U.S. citizens. This may be good news for Democrats, but it is bad news for people who believe that the two-party system has served us well for a long time.

 

[show 42]

Let's keep our fingers crossed that they come to a speedy agreement. My son bought a house last year and works for the Social Security Department!

 

[Tonichelle]

It's only "non-essential" workers that will be affected. My dad is a government employee and will be working tomorrow.

Thanks to Obamacare I am out of a "real job" and I won't be able to afford my own business. So I'm all for someone speaking up for me. The majority in DC certainly isn't.

 

[oleada]

It's only "non-essential" workers that will be affected. My dad is a government employee and will be working tomorrow.

Thanks to Obamacare I am out of a "real job" and I won't be able to afford my own business. So I'm all for someone speaking up for me. The majority in DC certainly isn't.

I am very sorry you lost your job, but I am having trouble understanding how Obamacare has that much to do with it. For many businesses, paying the penalty is less than insurance. It's sad that the bottom line comes ahead of the benefits for the employee. And for small business owners or the self employed - traditionally those who struggle to afford insurance - the new Health Care Market Place is actually a benefit. Not to mention that there are exceptions for small businesses.

Anyway, it's not just government workers who are affected. There's also contract workers who work in government facilities. The janitor at a social security building? Yeah, they're likely contracted out and they're not going to get paid. I doubt they'll get any back pay either; unlike some government workers. Military? Yeah, they're screwed too. It's also terrible for the economy - think of the people who visit a National Park. They won't be going there (because the parks are closed). They won't be spending money for a hotel. They won't be pumping money into the retail or services of that area. Everyone's going to be affected. (ETA: See this: http://www.motherjones.com/politics...own-poor-people-old-people-basically-everyone)

I am so over the Republicans holding the government hostage with their obstructionist tactics. The Affordable Care Act was signed in 2010. Obama was reelected AFTER that was passed. It was upheld by the Supreme Court. Isn't that how democracy works? Since it's passing the Republicans have tried to repeal it over 40 times. Get over it. Move on and do some actual work that could benefit this country. I fully blame them - the Democrats have already compromised in the wording of the act itself. Not to mention that the ACA is modeled after the system in Massachusetts - created by a Republican!

They're terrified that the ACA might actually work, and that a president they don't even see as legitimate might actually succeed.

(Also, can I mention that these moron politicians get to keep their salaries while the little people are screwed?! Who cares about the people when their egos are on the line?)

 

[show 42]

My son will be working too, but his office was told they would be working without pay and cannot take sick days or vacation days until the government reopens. 42

 

[Tonichelle]

mmm the fine print would suggest otherwise oleada. I work for a small business. I might be able to stay on as a "contractor" but that still puts me in the position to pay for healthcare out of my own pocket.

so that's at least 400$ a month (if I'm lucky) out of pocket plus a skyhigh copay IF I were to ever use it (which I wouldn't go any more than I already do, when I pay out of pocket). And that's "affordable"?

From what the "sky is falling" media has reported we had a shutdown happen 17 years ago. Shockingly the country survived that whirlwind. I'm sure this will end up in much the same way.

 

[show 42]

That's a rather simplistic point of view when paychecks are on the line.

 

[Olympia]

Thank you, Oleada.

Toni, the people who were hurt in 1996 probably caught up with things after awhile, but it wasn't fun at the time. Did people lose their jobs and have to scrounge around for awhile to find another one? Was someone unable to get a mortgage in time to close on the house they had worked toward for years? The only thing that happened to me was that I had to wait some time to renew my passport, and to me it wasn't a matter of urgency because I hadn't planned to travel. What if a new passport was more urgent to someone? Not to mention the hit our prestige takes around the world. Why would investors come here or other governments listen to us when our own government folds every few years? Can we be depended on, or must someone grease the palm of some representative from a small town in Texas to do business with the United States of America? Is our word good?

And this time is different. People have less in savings to live on this time around because many are still recovering from the bank crisis of 2007.

And to me the ultimate injustice is that the one set of government workers who need not worry about a salary interruption is members of Congress. Many of these people are quite wealthy. Can they not give up their pay in solidarity with the "lesser" employees who won't be able to make their mortgage payments this month?

 

[Bluebonnet]

In my opinion, Obamacare needs to go forward sooner or later but not now when government spending goes sky high and keeps going higher and higher. Obama has spent so much on so many areas which were not necessary.

I have a friend who was an IBMer. She was layed off about five years ago. Her husband has been in high-tech too and still is. They have a very comfortable home and very comfortable life style. Nowhere near poverty line. But she gets $400 pay check per month from US government unemployment program for three years! Three years!!! She didn't even try to look for a job during that time. She was supposed to be nolonger having the eligibility to receive the check anymore after three years. She said, thanks to Obama, she could continue to receive $400 per month after three years. She said she will not look for jobs as long as she could receive the money from the government. She is a nice person. I didn't say anything. She told me that. And I was just like, "Oooo!" "Wowww!" In my heart, I have understood more about Obama and his "helping the poor" policies. It didn't work!!! It will not work!!! After that conversation with my friend, I started to lean more on Romney's "47% Americans are eating government".

I believe, but not sure, in Canada, the unemployment checks from the government was only six months.

 

[Tonichelle]

That's a rather simplistic point of view when paychecks are on the line.

no one seems to care when a strike happens due to a union and so people who are forced into those unions don't get their paycheck even though THEY want to work when others don't. while I sympathize, I don't see it as a sky is falling situation. They "shut down" quite often when congress doesn't get its way and filibusters. They're just trying more scare tactics. Yes people having to stay home and not work is a real deal, but why rely on the government to fix it? The government is the biggest business there is in this country and screws its workers (and bypasses its own laws) on a regular basis. Perfect time to start job hunting IMO.

 

[oleada]

Because the job market is so good these days and you can just find new jobs like that! And because this only affects government workers and not contractors or non government employees who work in government facilities or other industries like tourism and retail.... Oh, wait. Except it totally does.

 

[Mathman]

If Congress wants to debate Obamacare, by all means they should do so. This has nothing to do with legislation providing for the continuation of normal government services.

This tactic of attaching a nuisance rider to every bill that comes out of the House is getting old.

 

[oleada]

Mathman, I agree. If Congress wants to argue about Obamacare, by all means do so (except it is a law and all, but that's another issue). But it is not necessary to hold the country hostage. That is just thugger y.

Besides, 2/3 of Americans disagree with a repeal of the Affordable Care Act.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/theapot...rt-repealing-defunding-or-delaying-obamacare/ (And that's Forbes. Not exactly a liberal source)

 

[Mathman]

mmm the fine print would suggest otherwise oleada. I work for a small business. I might be able to stay on as a "contractor" but that still puts me in the position to pay for healthcare out of my own pocket.

so that's at least 400$ a month (if I'm lucky) out of pocket plus a skyhigh copay IF I were to ever use it (which I wouldn't go any more than I already do, when I pay out of pocket). And that's "affordable"?

Health care is not affordable, period. Sadly. all the people who have relied on their employer to pay for health insurance on their behalf would have soon been out of luck anyway, whether the Affordable Health Care Act had become law or not. Just like you can't afford to pay $400 a month, neither can your employer afford to pay $400 a month for you. This (together with pensions) is what drove big companies like General Motors and Chrysler into bankruptcy, not to mention the City of Detroit, which is in the process of filing in bankruptcy court this month.

There are two reasons for this. First, health care is expensive because it is expensive. (You can quote me on that ). 80 years ago, if your kidneys failed you died and the cost to your family was $200 for the funeral. Now, you go on a dialysis machine for $50,000 a year.

The second reason is that there are too many old sick people and not enough young healthy people to subsidize them. This is true whether we have a system where every family is on its own, or where the employer negotiates a rate for its entire workforce collectively, or where the government does the same thing on a national scale. The solution...?

 

[Dee4707]

But she gets $400 pay check per month from US government unemployment program for three years! Three years!!! She didn't even try to look for a job during that time. She was supposed to be nolonger having the eligibility to receive the check anymore after three years. She said, thanks to Obama, she could continue to receive $400 per month after three years. She said she will not look for jobs as long as she could receive the money from the government.

From my experience, I was able to get unemployment for 6 months with a 4 month extension and then finished. This took place during August 2012 to June 2013. I'm wondering how your friend was able to get unemployment for 3 years plus. You indeed have to look for jobs to get your check because you have to record your work search on the Department of Labor site.

She is a nice person.

Nice or not...she's a perfect example.

And I was just like, "Oooo!" "Wowww!" In my heart, I have understood more about Obama and his "helping the poor" policies.

I am not sure about Obama's poor policies...I certainly don't consider myself poor, I would just like a few breaks as did your friend collecting unemployment. Let's see....am I Romney's 47% eating government or your friend???

I believe, but not sure, in Canada, the unemployment checks from the government was only six months.

So is the US without the extensions. Right now I don't even know if there are extensions.

 

[Bluebonnet]

Dee, I have no idea how she could claim for over three years and still continuing. I thought it was normal in US. I don't think there was any possibility that she would make up it if it was not true. I have reason to believe that quite a lot of Americans must be doing that, not just a few.

 

[skateluvr]

! billion lost per week to economy. Please pray. The affordable care act is understood by no one... 2,500 humdred pages, and much there to confuse people. But, if you want to understand it, so as to have a non=partisan opinion,there is a 168 page summary by a Phd named Mary Mc something. Gotta Amazon it for you. Best seller. And there are many who will get rich=peddlerS of vaccines and stockowners of certain companies.

Today, 2 mil folks called and crashed servers. I am in a pickle. Please lets all pray it ends quickly. I watch a lot of C-Span, so I don't have to listen to pundits of Fox News or all the lies. Sadly MM, I wonder if people will blame the republican far right extremists who are wagging the tail of the elephant. I am sickened by these men.

I want term limits, like for Pres. return of all the laws they repealed (Bush) when he came in like Glass Steagall.

Until we have an unjustified war WITH draft, IT SEEMS WE WILL NEVER GET YOUNG PEOPLE AND MID AGE INTO THE STREETS. bECAUSE IN THE UNDER 45 CROWD DOES NOT TAKE ON THEIR GOVT they have no future, nor do their teenagers.

The latest climate reports are put and they are understandable. The green house gas billionaires knew for years. As an aside, our world is boiling, and we led the way, did we not with the industrial revolution.

I want to scream at the youth, get off facebook, you're making Zuck a billionaire. Please stop playing games on the I phone-Jobs heir a billionaire, and the middle aged and elderly who consume 33 hours of tv(bad TV cuz we aint got much else).

I have seen how I cannot get volunteer help. 33 hours is full time job. Shut off the TV sets. They make us dumber-the results are in long ago. I only wish the avg. American had the avg IQ of FS fans. We truly are in dire straights as next we have the debt ceiling fight. I have never seen such evil. I know who funded the teabaggers and where they got rich.

Because our govt. is totally ignoring our desires, I am glad we have the right to bear arms. Another revolution is called for to reclaim our govt, but we have more old folk than young. I'll end the thought there on our demographic winter in NA and Europe. Greed has destroyed man made empire. I guess we will be no different.

 

[Bluebonnet]

It is a disgrace that such advanced country like US has such high rate of people who have no healthcare insurance coverage. On the other hand, Obama has made such big mess domestically and internationally. I blame Obama for the US government shutdown because Obama should not have spent so much on so many unnecessary spendings which have lead to GOP's desperate resistance like this.

 

[gmyers]

It is a disgrace that such advanced country like US has such high rate of people who have no healthcare insurance coverage. On the other hand, Obama has made such big mess domestically and internationally. I blame Obama for the US government shutdown because Obama should not have spent so much on so many unnecessary spendings which have lead to GOP's desperate resistance like this.

It's still going to be voluntary. You just have to pay a fine that's cheaper than healthcare if you don't buy insurance. If you want to save money to buy an iphone or pay for your cell phone plan or Netflix subscription the fine over no health insurance is still cheaper than all these things!