Balance of power

[Greg_W]

quote:

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Originally posted by eric8:

Greg W next time DAF is in seattle come find me and you will get a beer. I could have free health care from my parents but I use the health care from my work, instead. I don't have to pay for this except for deductables and stuff but it isn't free because i work for it.

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WooHoo!! Free beer for Greg W!!! Thanks Eric8

[Dr_Flash_Amazing]

quote:

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Originally posted by eric8:

Greg W next time DAF is in seattle come find me and you will get a beer. I could have free health care from my parents but I use the health care from my work, instead. I don't have to pay for this except for deductables and stuff but it isn't free because i work for it.

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It is free; you're not paying for it. You may have to work for it, but you're not paying out of pocket, aside from your deductibles.

[Greg_W]

quote:

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Originally posted by allison:

And one more thing:

 

I am a middle-class blue-collar worker with full benefits. Can someone tell me how we got to the point where a person like me has to put up with mediocre at best HMO health care? The quality of care that we all should have access to is only available to people with PPO insurance, and the poor in certain cases.

 

I guess I think there should be some sort of health care revolt going on in this country. A lot of the middle class are getting seriously screwed by the HMO system.

 

Oh, and Greg, please leave me out of your defense. Thanks.

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Your whole post smacks of the attitude that someone owes you something better. What a crock of shit. If you don't like it, get a job with better benefits.

 

Regarding your "healthcare revolt", apparently others across the country don't agree with you.

 

Lighten up, honey.

 

Greg W

[allison]

My company? I'm afraid it doesn't work that way.

 

We have this insurance by virtue of a Taft-Hartley Trust, which is managed by a board consisting of rank and file union members and employer reps. The money in the Trust is paid as a Health and Welfare benefit by the employers, at 8% above wages. The contribution on my behalf is around $300 a month.

 

We have exactly what we can afford to have. PPO insurance is way out of our reach, and had been for a very long time.

[Greg_W]

quote:

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Originally posted by Dr Flash Amazing:

quote:

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Originally posted by eric8:

Greg W next time DAF is in seattle come find me and you will get a beer. I could have free health care from my parents but I use the health care from my work, instead. I don't have to pay for this except for deductables and stuff but it isn't free because i work for it.

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It is free; you're not paying for it. You may have to work for it, but you're not paying out of pocket, aside from your deductibles.

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You owe me beer, bitch!!! Pay up...the work he does generates revenue for the company which gives it the capital to pay for his health insurance; it's part of his compensation package.

[Greg_W]

quote:

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Originally posted by Dr Flash Amazing:

quote:

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Originally posted by Greg W:

We could solve a myriad of problems with we cracked down on illegal aliens and deported these criminals.

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Like the problem of having dirt cheap produce because the agriculture sector has to pay so many people sub-minimum wages?

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No, like illegals sending their children to schools, taking healthcare services, accepting government food subsidy programs, etc. Not to mention crime.

[allison]

Ah, Greg, you're probably right about the health care issue. I am really frustrated by this right now....I'm in beweeen a rock and a hard place with my upcoming surgery, and scared to death about it.

 

Obviously everyone else's HMO experiences have been just fine or this would be a topic of national discussion...oh wait...never mind.

[Dru]

quote:

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Originally posted by Greg W:

quote:

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Originally posted by Dr Flash Amazing:

quote:

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Originally posted by Greg W:

We could solve a myriad of problems with we cracked down on illegal aliens and deported these criminals.

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Like the problem of having dirt cheap produce because the agriculture sector has to pay so many people sub-minimum wages?

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No, like illegals sending their children to schools, taking healthcare services, accepting government food subsidy programs, etc. Not to mention crime.

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So you would rather none of those services was available to them, hence increasing the crime rate?

 

Fact is illegal and legal immigration to USA is what keeps your country going. Its called a cheap labour pool and habving a large labour force and relatively high unemployment among the unskilled keeping wages low and industry competitive.

[Dr_Flash_Amazing]

Greg,

 

If they came here legally, they'd still be dirt-poor and sending their kids to school, plus using all the social services you mention. And they ARE doing a lot of the work in this country that no one else wants to do.

[Greg_W]

quote:

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Originally posted by allison:

On the other hand, I wish the voters of this state would allow their elected leaders to do their job. To wit: we voted in favor of Sound Transit four years ago. Now I understand that the Sound Transit thing is a bit of a mess right now....but, yesterday we removed its major funding source. We made an unfunded mandate. Now what shall we do? Vote on Sound again? I'd like to hear from someone who voted Yes on 776 to tell me what their idea of a next move is on this.

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Even though I am not allowed to acknowledge your existence, I will respond to your post. I voted 'yes' on I-776 and I will tell you why. I have no confidence in the government or Sound Transit to control the costs. They have proven this by doubling the price tag and halving the mileage. I don't like the general plan, either. They are lying through their teeth when they say that there will be no more cost adjustments; change orders are the nature of public works projects. I just don't think it's a good plan. Plus, it's a regional issue not a state issue. Additionally, I feel vindicated in my vote when I hear this morning that they are still going to shove Light Rail down our throats by cutting other services, when the passage of I-776 and the defeat of R-51 are a clear message that the people of Washington do not want Light Rail.

 

Greg W

[allison]

Greg, the thing is, we already approved light rail. I'm not sure that the RTA/guv has any choice but to provide it unless we repeal. So, what's our next step?

 

As far as you not being able to talk to me, I don't know what you are talking about. I just know that I asked you to lighten up on me a few times.

 

We can discuss this more in PM if you like, but please don't send me a pm unless you unblock me so I can respond. Thx.

[rbw1966]

quote:

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Originally posted by allison:

Obviously everyone else's HMO experiences have been just fine or this would be a topic of national discussion...oh wait...never mind.

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Can anyone remember a time within the last 100 years that health care was NOT a topic of national discussion? Like most things that are important to us, its in a constant state of evolution/flux.

 

I know many people who are perfectly happy with their healthcare. I for one am but then nothing major has gone wrong with me. Not all HMO's (or other health care organizations) are created equally.

[allthumbs]

Allison, I want to know why you've blocked me. Haven't I always stood by your side? Did I not offer you good advice on Gerber multi-tools?

 

Oh, and another thing, why do you always want to take shit offline and screw around with PM's. Can't you just state your case like everybody else?

 

Your new friend,

trask

 

[ 11-06-2002, 03:37 PM: Message edited by: trask ]

[Greg_W]

Allison, Point taken (look, me being reasonable!! ), I don't understand why someone hasn't written an initiative simply repealing Light Rail. Instead they have choked off the money source hoping it will just die. This doesn't seem to be happening, and I'm not sure why. My opinion is that too many people (Ron Sims and others) have staked too much of their political careers on this pet program and they would be fucked if it goes away. Not to mention the social engineers who think they know what we want/need.

 

I don't know how we would go about repealing Light Rail, but I would think that if the funding source (extra money on your license tabs) disappeared so would the program. Proof again that government is ever increasing, never decreasing.

 

Greg W

 

P.S. I might unlock your pm status. Can we talk dirty?

[allthumbs]

quote:

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Originally posted by Greg W:

P.S. I might unlock your pm status. Can we talk dirty?

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I don't see why not. Ya always talk dirty to me, ya bastard.

[jon]

The balance of spray was disrupted but returned to equilibrium.

[Dr_Flash_Amazing]

Jon -

 

Check's in the mail!

 

- DFA

[Fence_Sitter]

quote:

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But maybe you are listening to the Bible thumpers at your school

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man if you only knew how much i hated that school... that is the reason i am studying in europe...damn they are freaking nuts there... cant drink smoke even have girls in your rooom...WTF...seriously...they hate me there almost as much as i hate them...but i am not alone.... the deviants of TWU...ironically enought they are 90% climbers... eh well eyah i would like to see the show...see ya there and mabe put a face with a name...take it easy...canuck...

[E-rock]

quote:

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Originally posted by ScottP:

What with all of this snapping and snarling and pontificating and proselytizing about nothing more than media-induced perception, I would like to know if anyone has any

concrete

examples of how any of this political shit you keep dragging out and beating each other with is going to affect your lives personally.

Just curious, because you all are acting like it's some big fuckin deal.

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Complacency in politics gets us nowhere. If George Bush can appoint judges who will make insane rulings that uphold the legality of arrests for minor traffic offenses, then that DOES affect my life immensely even if I never do get arrested. If he now has a Congress that will not challenge his appointments, that affects me, whether or not I ever go to court. I want to live under a system that has the potential to be fair when I need it most.

[allthumbs]

ScottP, it's about ideas and thoughts. There's more to life than just....

[bobinc]

Well said. The main question at hand should be, "what kind of society do we want to live in," regardless of our position in that society. Just because I am relatively well off does not mean I stop caring for everyone else's rights and standard of living. If we take ourselves and others seriously, we cannot assume our actions have no effect on others.

[MtnGoat]

"Greg, the thing is, we already approved light rail."

 

Kind of. What was approved is not the same as what is now presented. The new plan has what, half the coverage, at 2x or 3x the cost?

 

If an approved plan changes, it is not the same plan that was approved and needs to be reapproved. If this is not convenient, IMO this doesn't matter, because it is not intended to be, what is intended is for voters to approve what they will be getting, not approving one thing, and getting, and paying for, another.

[allthumbs]

I get your point goat, but your post sounds like doublespeak. I had to read it three times to get your drift. What you're trying to say is "give em' what they pay for". NO?

[Off_White]

quote:

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Originally posted by allison:

Greg W is white

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I'm off white. Actually, if you leave me out in the sun too long, I'm pink. In a few more years I'll qualify to change my name to Antique White. It is however unlikely that I'll be Navajo White in this lifetime.

[Fence_Sitter]

quote:

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an

actual elected leader,

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yeah you mean whenever he wants to call a vote, he can? that is bull shit man... canada is fucked up. whenever a leader is up in the polls, he simply calls a vote and is good for the next 4 years...total bull...and you thik the U.S. isn't democratic...at least our pres. doesn't call whn the elections take place...