March 19, 2010

Tea Party calls 'instant' rally at City Hall Saturday

President Obama's attempt to get a health care bill through Congress this weekend has spurred a local organization to action -- in opposition.

The Racine Tea Party -- the "Taxed Enough Already" folks -- have scheduled "an instant TEA Party" for Saturday at 4:30 p.m. in front of City Hall. "In light of what is happening in DC this weekend on The Health Care Plan, we made a urgent decision," said an organizer. An email blast to over 1,000 on its mailing list states the event will be "very informal, last-minute and we will be using a bullhorn! Please be there if you can."

Says one member of the organization: "This is HUGE and we have only 24 hours to Stop the Health Care Debacle! It looks like it was dead, but it's almost back."

Yesterday, on its website, the Racine Tea Party issued an "action alert" calling upon members to call any and all Wisconsin Congressmen to urge opposition to the health care bill. The site states:
"We learned at the American Dream Summit that every Congressman keeps a "scorecard" for comparison with their peers. Wouldn't you love to hear the following: "I received 2,000 calls today opposing the health care bill! Maybe I should consider voting NO."
Racine's Tea Party is the same organization that held a bonfire tea party in Franksville in January, that drew more than 3,000 people to hear speakers that included Joseph Wurzelbacher, a k a Joe the Plumber. LiberTEA Racine also held a previous anti-tax rally at City Hall back in April 2009.

Picture from the Jan. 16 bonfire tea party in Franksville

78 comments:

  1. Another gathering of the goofs. These are not patriots -- these are your average fruit cakes!

    Always around -- but no one really wants them!

    ReplyDelete
  2. lol. "We have to stop the bill in Congress! Quick, everyone get to Racine city hall!"

    Even though our congressman is already a firm 'no' on the bill and no one else gives a shit about a bunch of fat, selfish, old people chanting lazily while sitting in lawnchairs on city property.

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  3. THE ONLY GOOF IS THE 5:17pm GOOF. THE TEA PARTY PEOPLE ARE REAL PATRIOTS AND WE NEED TO STOP THE SOCIALIST OBAMA FROM DESTROYING OUR COUNTRY WITH RUN AWAY FINANCIAL RUIN.

    ReplyDelete
  4. 6:03 - STOP SHOUTING AT US. Your caps lock button will thank you. But then again, that "socialist Obama" will probably use tax payer dollars to provide every poor american with extra caps locks keys. Darn those Americans living in poverty and their caps lock keys, I want my money back. LOL

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  5. Downtown Brown3/19/2010 6:18 PM

    Thanks Pete and Dustin for the Posting. Hope everyone who cares can show up for a few minutes and join your voice to the chorus. Everyone knows the Current plan won't fix Health Care, Won't "save" any money and will not improve the Health Care for Americans. There are options that would improve Health Care, But they're not in this Bill. The US Congress is about to use an Alternate form of "passing" the Bill without actually "passing" it. Neither option should be voted for. Thanks to Paul Ryan for trying to shed light on this bill in every venue he could attend. If you can't be in DC tomorrow; Then come Downtown Racine and speak your mind!
    In Ain't over until it's Over!!

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  6. And we can plan to toss every Democrat and Rino out of office

    ReplyDelete
  7. 6:01

    That was a great summary of the whole Tea Party movement.

    After George Bush brings America to the brink of total financial ruin these people beat up on the only people who really care.

    Shame on you!!!

    God Bless Obama!

    God Bless America !!

    ReplyDelete
  8. HahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahaHahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahaHahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahaHahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahaHahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahaHahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahaHahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahaHahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahaha

    wait, wait...catch my breath.....ok

    HahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahaHahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahaHahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahaHahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahaHahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahaHahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahaHahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahaHahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahaha

    wait, wait...catch my breath.....ok

    HahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahaHahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahaHahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahaHahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahaHahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahaHahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahaHahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahaHahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahaha

    wait, wait...catch my breath.....ok

    HahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahaHahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahaHahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahaHahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahaHahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahaHahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahaHahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahaHahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahaha

    ReplyDelete
  9. I'll be there with the other patriots. Maybe we can collectivelly get our false president to prove his real place of birth.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I have to re-post these words written by a "great American" from Racine, Wisconsin

    Randolph said...

    I want a strong defense for my country … but I don’t want to pay for it.
    I want my garbage picked up … but I don’t want to pay for it.
    I want the police to come when I call … but I don’t want to pay for it.
    I want kids to go to school … but I don’t want to pay for it.
    I want people to have enough to eat … but I don’t want to pay for it.
    I want homeless people off my street … but I don’t want to pay for it.
    I want kids to get health care … but I don’t want to pay for it.
    I want old people secure … but I don’t want to pay for it.
    I want sick old people cared for … but I don’t want to pay for it.
    I want bad guys locked up … but I don’t want to pay for it.
    I want streets and roads … but I don’t want to pay for it.
    I want more jobs … but I don’t want to pay for it.
    I want disabled people helped … but I don’t want to pay for it.
    I want college for smart kids … but I don’t want to pay for it.
    I want natural disasters fixed … but I don’t want to pay for it.
    I want more teachers … but I don’t want to pay for it.
    I want more police officers … but I don’t want to pay for it.
    I want safer food … but I don’t want to pay for it.
    I want sewers … but I don’t want to pay for it.
    I want clean water … but I don’t want to pay for it.
    I want clean air … but I don’t want to pay for it.
    I want a strong economy … but I don’t want to pay for it.
    I want peace … but I don’t want to pay for it.
    I want snow and ice cleared … but I don’t want to pay for it.
    I want everything I have now and more … but I don’t want to pay for it.

    Tea, anyone?

    ReplyDelete
  11. Absolutely priceless.

    Those words should be printed in every newspaper in America.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Who would you rather have a conversation with? Randolph or the person who wrote --

    HahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahaHahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahaHahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahaHahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahaHahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahaHahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahaHahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahaHahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahaha

    wait, wait...catch my breath.....ok

    HahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahaHahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahaHahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahaHahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahaHahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahaHahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahaHahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahaHahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahaha

    wait, wait...catch my breath.....ok

    HahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahaHahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahaHahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahaHahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahaHahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahaHahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahaHahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahaHahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahaha

    wait, wait...catch my breath.....ok

    Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah

    ReplyDelete
  13. Nobody said they don't want to pay for services. But the services I get should be the services I want, based on a mutual exchange of value with the person providing them - not expropriated at gunpoint by the government. My health insurance is none of the government's business.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Three words: Supreme Court Appeal

    P.S. I never ASKED for any of those services. Half of them are unnecessary.

    ReplyDelete
  15. TEA PARTY MAVERICKS WILL STOP THIS FOREIGN BORN MOSLIM PRESIDENTS SOCIALIST AGENDA.

    JOIN ME AND THE MAJORITY OF AMERICANS AT RACINES CITY HALL TO STOP THIS MADNESS. BRING BACK AMERICA TO IT CRISTIAN ROOTS.

    GO REPUBLICANS!

    ReplyDelete
  16. I want to see John McCain's Panamanian birth certificate.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Time for another Tea Party!

    http://tinyurl.com/teapartypatriot

    ReplyDelete
  18. This country is F-ed.....This state is even worse off.. This shi-t is scary.....Wow how we have fallen

    ReplyDelete
  19. Shouting angry birthers hippies with spelling and grammer problems.

    That inspires me to go to city hall.

    It might actually be interesting to see what recovering drug users from the 1960s look like today.

    ReplyDelete
  20. I got mine, screw everyone else.

    ReplyDelete
  21. The U.S. offered everyone the opportunity for a better life from the time WW II ended through the
    70's then along came R Reagan and the middle class was destroyed, unions were broken, taxes we cut in favor of the rich, and it was every person for themself.

    Now we have a President who wants to level the playing field for the majority of us, but so many have been fooled by right wing nuts and special interest lobbyist that they have forgotten how well off we were. I have never been a union member but my father was and he was able to provide a better life for his family. How many of you complaining that we cannot afford what this president is proposing remember how your parents fought big business and won. How many of you remeber when GM, Ford, Case, and so many more were great companies that provided their workers with outstanding wages and benefits? Some will say that is what brought done these companies but if you look back the profits these companies were making while providing for their employees were great, I think they just got greedy and did not re-invest.

    What has happened will take a long time to fix and if you think continuing done the path that Reagan begin will give you a better life I feel sorry for you.

    ReplyDelete
  22. I am an American Patriot who will have nothing to do with this group of racist fanatics! All sane Americans will look back and say that the passing of this bill was an historic event that is good for all americans not just the select few who "drink the tea".

    ReplyDelete
  23. 3/20/2010 7:19 AM
    If you want to know what a 60's drug user looks like, take a good long look at Nancy Pelosi. She is the one that hopped from Chevy van to Chevy van spreading the wealth. By the way, all you cowards that hide behind "Anonymous" PLEASE come out and prove me wrong. You see I think when someone feels passionate about a cause they don't hide in secret. No, to the contrary, they come out in force and demand to be heard. I would enjoy speaking to each and everyone of you cowards. I will be easy to spot. I'm wearing an IMPEACH OBAMA TEA-Shirt. I will be easy to find. PLEASE step up and speak your mind.
    "ANONYMOUS COWARDS" HA HA HA

    ReplyDelete
  24. Taking my children to this rally would be quite educational:

    Look Johnny, that's a republican. The only word he knows is NO.

    Look Susie, that is a McCarthyist. They scare people by using words like socialist and communist.

    Oh look, a Christian. Sometimes those are called Hypocrites or Xenophobes.

    Wow, look at this! That relic is called a Birther! They are still fighting a discredited argument from years ago! In time, they just shout louder! People just shake their heads at those rare birds!

    And finally Tea Partyers. These angry older people use words like Liberty and Patriot to make them feel better about themselves! That disdain anyone who doesn't look like them and share their narrow beliefs. These card carrying FOX news network zealots will tell you to think otherwise is unamerican.

    So, for the sheer freak show value of it all, I will see you at City Hall!

    ReplyDelete
  25. I'm afraid of selfish gun toting rednecks. So I will remain anonymous.

    ReplyDelete
  26. 3/19/2010 7:19 PM
    Why would you say "God bless Obama" when his minister for over 20 years says "God dam America"?
    "God bless Obama"?
    Obama voted three times as a Senator in Ill. to NOT give infants who survive late term abortions medical care. To just let them die. He said: "It's above my pay grade" was his answer to "When does life start"? This is an abomination to God.
    Your just a little confused.

    ReplyDelete
  27. 3/20/2010 8:40 AM
    I feel sorry for your children.

    3/20/2010 8:43 AM
    Hi Kaye,
    How they hanging?

    ReplyDelete
  28. Anon 12:00 AM, John McCain DID provide his U.S. birth certificate as proof that he IS a natural born U.S. citizen. He was born on a U.S. military base (which is considered U.S. soil) in Panama to parents serving on active military duty. Obama has NOT provided a U.S. birth certificate and has hired a legion of lawyers to block any investigation into his true birth record. These are facts substantiated by numerous mainstream media outlets worldwide.

    Anon 7:54, when you say "...the passing of this bill (will be) an historic event..." you are absolutely correct. It will be a major step for the Marxist in the Oval Office to move our country one giant step closer to being the United Socialist States of American, one more step closer to destroying our Constitution and proof that you rotten liberals have no compunction about ignoring Constitutional Law and will do anything to pass your unethical, immoral, freedom hating, and often illegal agenda. You'd better work fast because the end is coming on you much faster than you think.

    ReplyDelete
  29. 3/20/2010 7:54 AM
    "racist fanatics"
    You either have no concept of what your talking about or you are a pathological liar.

    ReplyDelete
  30. To the coward hiding behind the Anon 8:40 handle, if you would step up and be a man so we could recognize you, I would point to you and tell my child, "Look Sally, there's a liberal, anti-American, stupid, idiotic, name calling, hypocritical, welfare perpetuating, illegal alien loving, Marxist, fascist, baby killing, Constitution destroying, anti-second amendment, anti-first amendment, un-patriotic ass. He wants to rob you of your freedoms, your financial future, your country's sovereignty and take what you work hard for and give it to those who won't work at all."

    Hunter John, all that liberal jerk can do is try to deem US racist because the TEA parties aren't dark enough for HIM. So, who's the real racist here?

    ReplyDelete
  31. I was amazed last night while watching a news program on TV where a constitutional expert said that what is going on in congress related to healthcare is not legal under the constitution. But the expert went on to say that the courts would likely not get involved because it was political.

    For all the dem outrage over what the GOP did when in power, the only change has been to do even worse things while they have the power. Whatever the GOP did seems tame compared to what Pelosi and Reed are doing now. No wonder the congressional approval is now under 20%. I hope the voters take swift action in November.

    I haven't talked to one dem who is proud of what is going on under dem leadership right now. Some have said that to their dismay they will not vote for their dem representatives come November. For some it is the first time in their life.

    ReplyDelete
  32. "Don’t fire unless fired upon, but if they mean to have a war, let it begin here." -- Captain John Parker, 1775

    I think before this is all over we will see Obama declare marshal law to save the Democrats from losing office. I am sure we will see searches for legal owed weapons, as well as our kids being told to inform on Mom and Dad.

    ReplyDelete
  33. I can't believe what is being said in name of American freedom. Are you all crazy, talk of revolution, for what? because one party happens to be in control? What about all those years the GOP was in control why did they not address the social issues you so violently oppose?

    I hope for the sake of the U.S. you are just a bunch of idiots who have nothing better to do because I cannot comprehend that you really believe the things you are saying.

    And for all of you birthers, please get over it, its just another excuse to show you lack of any degree of intelligence.

    ReplyDelete
  34. Racine doesn't have a Tea Party. This organization is based in Franksville. This is the Franksville Tea Party.

    ReplyDelete
  35. We will take the country back one step at a time and stop this nightmare of a president from doing anymore damage.

    ReplyDelete
  36. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2010/03/19/national/w131302D40.DTL&tsp=1

    The Bill is one heap of lies stop it NOW

    ReplyDelete
  37. Graham,

    I am 8:40. You said about me:

    To the coward hiding behind the Anon 8:40 handle, if you would step up and be a man so we could recognize you, I would point to you and tell my child, "Look Sally, there's a liberal, anti-American, stupid, idiotic, name calling, hypocritical, welfare perpetuating, illegal alien loving, Marxist, fascist, baby killing, Constitution destroying, anti-second amendment, anti-first amendment, un-patriotic ass. He wants to rob you of your freedoms, your financial future, your country's sovereignty and take what you work hard for and give it to those who won't work at all."

    Actually, other than the name calling part (and in part the 2nd amendment) I am none of those things. I just don't live in fear like you do. Additionally, I can afford to relocate from here, unlike what you've said about yourself. I continue to wait for your address to send you a check so you can move from our socialist, Marxist, fascist, unsovereign country in decline.

    ReplyDelete
  38. I would go except that the NCAA march madness is going on and I'm doing really well in my bracket. I'd go to the next one though.

    ReplyDelete
  39. There are a lot of vindictive bloggers out there. If your not for something, just explain why. Not degrade anyone with opposite views.
    For the Reagan blogger, your correct and his trickly down affect has yet to reach me. The republician party doesn't EVER explain why in the 12 years they held congress nothing was ever done about healthcare for the working people. George W. Bush said were not patriotic if we don't back the war in Iraq. The cost was/still is $4M a day. Hello healthcare. It seems there are those who like paying the "they tried to kill my daddy' war cost instead of fixing this country.
    Were the most wanted to be in Country in the world we treat all alike...er a..except for a lot of the above bloggers.

    ReplyDelete
  40. Sam writes: "I think before this is all over we will see Obama declare marshal law to save the Democrats from losing office. I am sure we will see searches for legal owed weapons, as well as our kids being told to inform on Mom and Dad."

    The president has said he doesn't even care whether he's re-elected; I don't think he'll be calling out the militia to stay in office. Besides, since gun rights have been expanded under the Obama administration more than any other previous president, everybody would be well armed, just in case.

    ReplyDelete
  41. I believe the tea party movement has more to do with having a black president in office than any policy issue.

    ReplyDelete
  42. I believe the world is flat.

    ReplyDelete
  43. 3/20/2010 12:12 PM
    You are a bigot.

    ReplyDelete
  44. Take back our country.....From what?

    ReplyDelete
  45. It is a sign from my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ that it is snowing on the same day of this event. God is telling us that it is only white people. He sent us snow after days of 60 degrees. Praise be to God and I hope they see the wrong of their actions.

    ReplyDelete
  46. There was no Tea Party movement during the Kennedy,Johnson,Carter or Clinton administrations. What is different this time? Hmmmm

    ReplyDelete
  47. All real Americans just want to depose that foreign-born, Muslim false president whose socialist minority minions and illegal immigrants fraudulently stole the government away from good Christians, who now simply want to redeem the country by eliminating this ungodly, unnatural, ruinous leadership and restoring our good ol’ natural leaders to power. Once everybody and everything’s back where they belong, it’ll be as it used to be, with everything in its rightful, God-given order.

    Naw, no racism there.

    ReplyDelete
  48. Well there was the Klan and then later the militia movements. These kind of extremists have always been with us in form or another. What is different now is that the GOP is courting this group publicly and not since the John Birchers have they become so brazen in radicalizing the conservative party.

    Teabaggers like to believe they are the future, but they are laughably wrong. They are a throwback and as they age, they die. That's what makes them so mad. They are the last dying breath of a past the rest of us want to bury.

    Get a shovel, the funeral starts Sunday in the House.

    ReplyDelete
  49. Pathetic modern Conservatives. Just more ad hominem with absolutely nothing of substance to add to the debate. True on the local and the national. What a tragedy to have come from a once-proud political tradition.

    Not a shred of dignity left.

    ReplyDelete
  50. 1:22

    They were not Socialist.

    ReplyDelete
  51. Anon 2:28
    Great Society and Hillarycare were WAY more socialist than anything that has even been proposed in the Obama administration. If you can't see that then you know absolutely nothing about policy.

    ReplyDelete
  52. Be so nice when the GOP gets back into power to remove Obamacare
    The Government ownership of GM.
    Lower taxes.
    Drill for oil here. Maybe next to the Russian and Chinese oil rigs!

    ReplyDelete
  53. The teabaggers and the party of right-wing Repubs (count Ryan in that crowd) are the real authoritarians who want to control our lives and thinking. They are not real patriots because they are selfish, self-absorbed whiners who don't give a rat's #@% about anybody else. They look to the past rather than the future.

    ReplyDelete
  54. Anon, 3:13,

    Yeah, I'm sure everybody's going to be eager to give up their hard-won health insurance once the Republicans get back in.

    You know, just like everybody wants to give up their Social Security and Medicare.

    ReplyDelete
  55. The concern I have with the pending legislation is that it expands "free" healthcare in the form of medicaid. The problem is that "free" things tend to have no value to the recipient. If one never receives a bill, or is not expected to pay anything in return,the system quickly becomes abused. A 2,000 dollar ER visit for a stomach ache is incurred. Tax dollars pay for it, the insured pay for it. Unless individuals pay something to be in the game, the systems costs will continue to spiral out of control. Right now, states are struggling to pay these costs. Where will they find the resources to pay for another 15 million people placed into the system?

    ReplyDelete
  56. The fact that a check up for a stomache ache might be billed at $2000 is part of the problem. Which is why this bill had to tackle so many aspects simultaneously -- to bring down costs while ensuring greater coverage.

    And I think it's incredibly naive to point to the expansion of medicare as some kind of giveaway to the lazy. The whole reason that this expansion is necessary is because more and more of the WORKING POOR (formerly MIDDLE CLASS) are unable to afford private insurance.

    It's a fucking tragedy that the conservative propagandists have once again twisted public opinion by demagoguing the VICTIMS of their corporatist masters.

    ReplyDelete
  57. The reason the ER visit for a stomache ache costs 2,000 dollars is because physicians truly do have to practice defensive medicine. While it may seem reasonable to some of us to take a tums or an advil, in the ER setting a CT scan or an ultrasound might be ordered. My point is not to prevent the poor from receiving care, only to have them understand the costs associated with these visits. Those with private insurance, or paying out of pocket must do that. This is not conservative propaganda, this is the reality. There are not unlimited tax dollars available to sustain this system as is. Thus the outrage over the special deals for Nebraska and Louisiana.

    ReplyDelete
  58. Yes, I'm sure poor people want to use the emergency room for their medical care rather than a family doctor at a fraction of the cost. Much better than way. I don't mind paying 30-40 percent more for my health insurance to make up for it. The insurance companies deserve those increased premiums. Let's just leave things as they are.

    ReplyDelete
  59. My point exactly. If there was a requirement that they first use the clinic physician over the ER doctor for non-urgent appointments, thousands could be saved. An individual on medicaid has access to both. Why not mandate non-urgent concerns be addressed in clinic, not the ER. My private insurance encourages it by charging me a premium. What is wrong with expecting some level of responsibility for health care provided by the tax payer?

    ReplyDelete
  60. 5:33,

    Under health-care reform, 32 million more people will have exactly the option you advocate.

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  61. But the estimates are that 15 million of those will be put into the medicaid pool. My question is how will states afford those costs unless changes are made to the present system? Wisconsin had to temporarily suspend its' Badgercare plus program due to lack of funding. Where do you think the state will find the dollars to insure another influx of recipients? There is no "free" healthcare.

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  62. The Senate's bill extends Medicaid coverage to single adults making less than $14,000 a year in the 15 states that now provide no coverage at all for these people. Most commonly, they're disabled people awaiting Social Security disability and Medicare coverage, a process that can take between 2 and 5 years. Right now, these people typically have no choice but to utilize public emergency rooms, since they have no means or coverage to see a doctor and they've long since lost any insurance, along with their jobs. Health care reform changes that.

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  63. The Senate bill provides additional federal funding to assist states to expand medicaid to these poor, often disabled non-elderly adults, covering the full cost for the first few years, then sharing costs with the states long-term. In most jurisdictions, they'll be able to see a private doctor for as little as a $3 co-pay rather than relying, as they do now, on going to the emergency room, which costs hundreds, if not thousands of dollars. The medicaid expansion actually provides more federal dollars for most affect states, many of which are now having difficulty meeting their medicaid budgets.

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  64. I am an RN for a physician in town. Daily, I sort through labs and diagnostics done the previous night in the ER. These are patients of the physician I work for. Mostly these are young, single and otherwise healthy people who have gone to the ER with a non-urgent problem. They are not waiting for Social Security, or other benefits. I think there is a gross lack of understanding regarding the costs of healthcare. Unless some level of responsible stewardship of these resources is mandated, simply throwing millions of more into the system will simply cause the program to implode.

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  65. About 11 million adults would be affected. They are among the poorest people in the country, many disabled, who now receive no regular medical care at all, unless they check into the er, mostly at far greater expense. These are the folks who balloon your private insurance rates, because hospitals have to charge everybody so much more to make up for them.

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  66. 5:55, I think you're confused about the billing problem here. People who are NOT on medicaid OR private insurance are the most likely to go to the emergency room for their primary care. A flaw in the system which is costing all of us in taxes and inceased premiums. This bill decreases that problem.

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  67. 5:55,

    Ah. You've hit upon the people who are really gaming the system - young people who take advantage of the er so they don't have to buy health insurance. These, actually are the ones who will be required to buy insurance and pay their own way from now on under health-care reform.

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  68. ... or, we all could just leave things the way they are and continue to pay more and more and more and more, year in, year out.

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  69. I am not talking about the uninsured, I am speaking about those who are already covered under the medicaid program. They will still not be required to pay into the system. There needs to be some accountability on their part to use healthcare facilities in a more judicious fashion. Again, if you never receive a bill, you have no understanding of the costs you've incurred. Adding more people to this program will only inflate the costs.

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  70. ... and, of course, if the patients are under 26, they can remain on their parents' health insurance, so at least some responsible party's responsible for the bill.

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  71. Something that's been lost in this debate is that the health-care reform bill isn't designed to provide free medical care - it's to expand private medical insurance to more people. The vast majority of people will have to pay for their insurance themselves, and practically everyone will at least have to pay something. The poor and very poor will get government tax credits to help pay the premium, but not for the care itself. It's designed to make people assume more personal responsibility for their health care, not less.

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  72. Many of these people are generational medicaid recipients. These are not recent college graduates waiting to enter the work force. Many remain in this system for years. The provision that children remain on their parents' policy until 26 does not apply to the majority of people enrolled in medicaid.

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  73. As noted, but as an aside, it increases federal aid to some states so they can provide medicaid coverage to very poor single adults who right now have no medical care at all and no reasonable prospects for it.

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  74. Please point out where in the bill it states that those currently in the medicaid system or the 15 million new to the program will have to pay anything? They don't now and I don't believe the healthcare bill changes that.

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  75. 31 million uninsured people will become eligible for health insurance they'll have to buy themselves, though some will get tax credits if they don't make enough money to afford the entire bill themselves.

    Another 11 million poor, non-elderly single adults, many of whom are disabled but not yet eligible for Medicare, will become eligible for medicaid in the 15 states that now disallows them. They make $14,000 or less per year, so they won't pay anything.

    Or, we could continue to pay for these people through higher emergency room charges paid by everybody else.

    Or, I suppose in the extreme alternative, we could simply close emergency rooms to the poorest of the poor, let them fend for themselves without any medical care whatsoever and, thus, over time reduce the surplus population.

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  76. So you're criticizing "generational medicaid recipients" and say we should not expand coverage for "these people." I'm just curious.. if they're not covered under medicaid YET, how can they be these "generational medicaid recipients"?

    The fact is, these are victims of the system being demagogued by conservative ideologues. The facts and the figures show us that these are people who work hard who have been priced out of private insurance.

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  77. I am talking specifically about current medicaid recipients and the way the current system is run. Unless there is an overhaul of the entire system, more tax dollers and an expansion of it will do nothing to keep healthcare costs under control. And isn't controlling healthcare costs the argument for passing this bill?

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  78. What would you propose for the working poor who cannot afford 10k a year for insurance?

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