Governor Jen Granholm has ruined the state of Michigan by pushing and passing high tax increases. With automobile industry in Michigan in crisis. This wacko is making business worse.
Granholm pushes SCHIP which is insuring 70 percent more adults than children in Michigan and they make as much as $83,000. She and our own Dickie Durbin are pushing this program to grease the skids for Hillary socialized medicine. The Democrats don't have the votes to pass this in the House. Steny Hoyer admitted to this this morning on Fox News Sunday. This would concentrate health care in Washington and is just another entitlement program. Jerry White, Sprinfield, IL

I am against that. I think the government should be promoting wellness and healthy living, not encouraging more Americans to become smokers.

Typical republican spin and double speak. This plan is not "encouraging" Americans to smoke, and wellness and healthy living would come from the children being able to afford pro-active health care instead of reactive. Leave it to the republicans to throw a smoke screen into the debate.

Governor Jen Granholm has ruined the state of Michigan by pushing and passing high tax increases.
Posted by: Jerry White | October 14, 2007 10:38 AM

Once again those on the right use misinformation to push their agenda. Michigan ranks 29th in taxes out of 50 states. The problem the automakers have is that they pay higher wages and better benefits than the others...
would you like to take that away from the American workers Jerry?
Not to mention that the 83k figure has already been disproved except for maybe New York. Go live in New York and see how far that 83k lasts.

I see Jerry White from "Sprinfield" is back to sniffing the Hog Gas again.

The government caused the problem with health care in America by over socializing medicine to the extent it is not completive, and we want to exacerbate the problem? Kids have health care. The needy already have health care. The U.S. is not a socialist state ( see http://tinyurl.com/2znnvl ). No one is entitled to be given a house, car, food or health care, etc. If we want these things, we have to earn them. The government does not earn money. Perhaps some of us should take a civics class and learn about America. We all have to labor for what we want. For those who need help there are the charities and state programs. We need to fix the health care issue but we cannot fix it unless we know how it is broken. For the answer, please see http://www.InteliOrg.com/

Democrat Granholm wants to divert attention from the economic disaster that is Granholm-led Michigan.

Prior to the latest tax increase, the Tax Foundation rated Michigan among the states with the heaviest tax burden (14th out of 50). See http://www.taxfoundation.org/taxdata/show/461.html
The recent Michigan tax hikes push Michigan up to 11th highest.

Granholm wants the Congressional Democrats to do to the nation's economy what she has done to Michigan's.

Watching the Republican Party the last few years is like watching a slow motion train wreck.

ABC News/Washington Post Poll. Sept. 27-30, 2007. N=1,114 adults nationwide. MoE ± 3 (for all adults). Fieldwork by TNS.

"Do you approve or disapprove of the way Bush is handling health care?"

9/27-30/07
Approve - 30%
Disapprove - 63%
Unsure - 8%
.
"Which political party -- the Democrats or the Republicans -- do you trust to do a better job handling health care?" Parties rotated

Democrats -56% Republicans - 26%
Both - 2%
Neither - 12%
Unsure - 5%

"There's a proposal to increase federal spending on children's health insurance by 35 billion dollars over the next five years. It would be funded by an increase in cigarette taxes. Supporters say this would provide insurance for millions of low-income children who are currently uninsured. Opponents say this goes too far in covering children in families that can afford health insurance on their own. Do you support or oppose this increased funding for this program?" Options rotated

9/27-30/07

Support 72%
Oppose 25%
Unsure 3%

This is another canard the democRATS are going to throw against the wall to see if it sticks.
Maybe they can find another poor 12 year old to give their talking points. The last one had parents who's net worth was over half a million dollars,sent their children to private schools and drive three late model luxury cars,but can't afford health insurance?
The democRAT party went into the gutter on that one....nothing new.

Paulo

Kids have health care. The needy already have health care.
Posted by: Dr Coles | October 14, 2007 11:50 AM

There's no hunger or poverty either is ther Dr. Zuess?

I for one think all people in the US should have the best health care possible. These children are our future, the people taking care of us when we get old, they'll be fixing our cars and managing our money. Why not have them healthy so they can learn to do all these things and more? By the way, as I understand it these are block grants dollars and it will be up to the states to decide who qualifies, not congress or "The Decider".

Even the insurance industry thinks the SCHIP is a good idea. What is it with Republicans who don't want healthy children?

Bill R., IF the smokers are going to pay for this program like the Demoncrats say, and fewer folks smoke (a trend going on for years), where will the money come from to pay for it then if tobacco sales no longer cover it?
We don't need no stinkin expansion of health care to cover middle and upper middle income folks. We don't need no stinkin government-run health care program either.
Do you ignorants on the Left even know what government-run health care means?

Even the insurance industry thinks the SCHIP is a good idea. What is it with Republicans who don't want healthy children?

Posted by: Cheryl | October 14, 2007 4:58 PM

Has it ever dawned on you that insurance companies are one of the main reasons health care insurance is so high and so hard to obtain for many families? They take more than a third of every health care dollar that passes through their hands. So, if they like it, it is because SCHIP translates into more profits for them and fewer real dollars applied to health care. That is the only conceivable reason they could like it. So instead of making the program look good, the fact insurance companies like the program should tell you something is wrong with it.

BTW, Republican's aren't against healthy children. With regard to SCHIP, they merely want to make sure people who can pay their own way do so, and that they are helping only those who can't pay. We don’t hand out welfare checks to upper middle-class wage earners either, and neither should we hand out health insurance payments – unless you want the creep of socialism to continue. Stop buying into that left-wing propaganda.

We the people;
Need single payer, universal, national health insurance.

I have already posted numbers and links to plans. I am not doing again. Look in the archive.

A word of advice. The private health insurance industry, single handedly, has the ability to destroy the American middle class, working class, and maybe the upper classes.

We the people;
Need single payer, universal, national health insurance.

*****

Posted by: C.Morris | October 14, 2007 8:33 PM

No, we don't.

We need to eliminate insurance companies from the mix, and allow health providers to set up their own enrollment programs. There are successful health care organizations - like Kaiser Permanente - that do exactly that, and they are affordable to most people. These types of health care organizations can succeed and "Thrive" if we let them. As for those who cannot afford such programs, we could then establish a supplemental program to fund health care for the poor. But then we would be expending tax dollars only for the poor – just like we do everywhere else.

This solution has the advantage of keeping prices down through competition. It would also keep the tax-dollar hit down too.

The single payer system encourages the opposite. It would remove any incentive for being efficient or cost effective because there would be no competition for health care dollars. Health care providers would get paid anyway.

We have not yet tried what I suggest. We should give it a try first before we head down the road to socialism.

C.Morris,

We have certain unalienable rights,such as;
Life,Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness...

Now,go find a job,pursue happiness and buy your own health insurance...it's a very simple thing to do.

What's next,should we buy all you libs a car and pay your auto insurance too???

Quit being a dead-beat!

Paulo

* * * * *

Posted by: Don't Taze Me, Bro | October 14, 2007 12:18 PM

I'm glad someone finally posted the actual questions asked in a poll. Now we know why the results are so skewed in favor of the Democrats:

The pollster actually failed to tell those polled that the proposed change actually doesn't insure more children from low income families, as much as it insures children from middle and upper middle class families.

The pollster also failed to tell those polled that the program has been abused by States to insure adults, rather than just poor children.

You see, you can get everything you want out of a poll if you fail to provide the correct info.

Now, only if we could get another poll with the complete picture given to those polled! Yet, we know that will never happen as long as half-truths remain the currency of politics.

Vote for Ron Paul in ’08.

Do you ignorants on the Left even know what government-run health care means?

Posted by: John D | October 14, 2007 5:38 PM

Healthy Children?

"Do you ignorants on the Left even know what government-run health care means?"

Sigh. Yes, Lil' Johnny.

On average, US companies are increasing employee contributions to health care by 8-10% in 2008. As a result, employee contributions will increase about 11% for 2008. (Source: my 2008 annual enrollment information.)

As has been mentioned time and time again, employer subsidized health care costs reduce competitiveness by American companies relative to the foreign counterparts. Sooner or later, corporate America will figure this out and DEMAND universal health care.

Ahhh, Chimpy, thank you for providing the facts that the ding dongs on the Left have no clue what government-run health care means.
Healthy children. Please.

Why do the ding dongs on the Left automatically assume that some government progrma is a cure all. Do you folks not watch the news? How is the CTA doing? How is the Chicago Public School system doing? How is the government of Illinois doing? How is Crooked County, er Stroger Hospital doing? Crooked County government?
How is the VA doing? And before you ding dongs begin blaming the Bush administration, the VA hospitals have been pretty rotten for decades.

John W., your solutions are intriguing. But your question about the creep of socialism, that is what these Lefties here want. They want a socialistic, far left government.

Now C Morris, about the insurance companies wanting to destroy middle class America, why do they want to do that? Isn't Middle Class America the biggest customers to the insurance industry? And doesn't the insurance industry employ hundreds of thousands of Middle Class Americans?

Perhaps some of us should take a civics class and learn about America. We all have to labor for what we want.

Posted by: Dr Coles | October 14, 2007 11:50 AM

Access to quality health care is a "NEED", not a "WANT".

It is certainly not a luxury to be able to only be afforded by the wealthy. This is not a Lexus or an HD Plasma TV we're talking about.

It's quality health care for children.

Healht care costs have been rising exponentially in relation to wages. This "upgrade" in coverage is necessary to insure families have adequate health care for their kids.

It is hardly "socialized" medicine.

Why do the ding dongs on the Left automatically assume that some government progrma is a cure all.
Posted by: John D | October 15, 2007 9:08 AM

Yes, market solutions are sooo innovative and cost efficient.
It's called corporate welfare, Dude.
Haliburton, Bechtel, Enron, Blackwater, etc.

The Republicans can only gain a shred of credibility on this issue if the acknowldege the following reality:

1. Middle class incomes are down. The median income for full time workers has fallen for the past three years (Down a total of 2% since 2000).

http://www.epi.org/content.cfm/webfeatures_econindicators_income20070828

2. Health care costs for the middle class have skyrocketed. In that same period, health care premiums went UP 87%.

http://www.kff.org/insurance/7670.cfm

There is a very real problem here for the middle class. If the Republicans don't want a "socialized" system they have to come up with a competing solution to this problem.

[quote]
Do you ignorants on the Left even know what government-run health care means?

Posted by: John D | October 14, 2007 5:38 PM
[/quote]

1. Medicare
2. Medicaid

Now,go find a job,pursue happiness and buy your own health insurance...it's a very simple thing to do.
Posted by: Paulo | October 14, 2007 11:03 PM

How much does your wife pay for group insurance at Loyola for you and your child?
I'll bet you're praying she doesn't dump you for a surgeon.

C. Morris a single payer universal national health care is socialism. You are taking one-fifth of our economy and giving it to Hugo Chavez or Bill or Hil or Edwards or Obama they all think a like.
Steve34 why don't you Dems push for free cars it would help the auto industry--we don't care if you need health care it's like any other commodity you must pay for it. Not saying stickem up while holding a gun to me and all the other taxpayers. You freebie seeking liberals scare me. Jerry White, Springfield, IL By the way that 12 year old victim boy is already covered by the SCHIP program. Stop wanting to bankrupt the nation asking for 35 billion more, when Bush has already offered more than 5 billion the issue is not giving health care to poor children it's giving money and insurance to people making $83,000 a year. Jerry White, Springfield, IL

And BC, how well are Medicare and Medicaid doing? Not too well and that has been the case for years.
Do premiums for seniors keep going up? Yes
Is Medicare and Medicaid behind in payments? Yes.

So, tell me, BC, how exactly is Medicare and Medicaid better?