There is no SS trust fund. They are words on paper and do not mean anything. It is purely and simply an accounting gimmick that you would go to jail for in your own business.

This health bill will only allow people to drop their employer insurance, save the 5,000 - 8,000 a year, pay the meager fine, and re-purchase insurance under gauranteed insurance. Good look supporting this bill when millions drop their high price insurance and only purchase it a gain when they need some sort of care to expensive to pay out of pocket.

Such rocket scientist.

Social security is proably the best indicator of how the gubment takeover of health care will be run. It has all the requirements of a feel good social program that the leftists love to endorse. Helps the poor. Check. For the good of the public. Check. Expansion of government. Check. Higher taxes. Check.

This social health care plan was declared unfeasible during the Clinton administration when the economy was in a "little" better shape than it is today. How can one be led to believe we can afford it today with our spiraling deficit. We're also losing the taxable base to support these feel good programs as unemployment passes 10%. It's pretty naive to think the goverment is going to save us money by introducing this turd of a bill. Think DMV, VA hospitals, Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac, welfare programs, public school systems and social security all rolled into one big fat package.

That is all comrades.

The far right's opposition to health care reform is destined to further alienate their politics from the mainstream of american thought. So clearly, they had engaged in a campaign, led by their favorite radio talk hosts, and by whipping up anger and fear, they tried a blitz which almost worked. But the amazing thing is that most americans have had enough of a system that is broken and is designed basically to make sure that if you get sick or injured, they don't have to cover you anymore. Along the way, most americans have figured this out, so now we have this campaign to tell us it is a government takeover. That's baloney as most of those shouting that are on MediCare and like it. Fact is, as an employer, we better get reform or most small businesses will not be able to provide health insurance for their employees for much longer. This is an historic time to get this system reformed so we can get back to being competitive and entrepreneurial.

...that the ability to think independently and to analyze all potential outcomes including unintended consequnces are unnecessary in today's partisan society.

Either pick a side or get out of the way. There's no room for debate here.

Who cares if private insurance company go out of business? It want take a dime out of your pocket. I would rather pay into a government run insurance just like I do for social security. At least i know it will always be there.Your talking points are politically motivated. You wake up every morning enjoying government run program, But you don't complain or call them socialistic programs. Never has a bill drawn so much attention. Not even in war time.

The insurance industry has spent millions of dollars fighting any kind of reform whatsoever when they've claimed for years they hardly make any profit. They obviously fear having to deal with any possibility of competition. That would force them to provide people with reasons to go with them instead of any other option.

The government is NOT going to take over the health insurance industry: it is just going to give it a good kick in the pants, a kick it has needed for quite some time.

What he's really saying is he doesn't want to lose one of HIS primary consituents, to which he conveniently (and willfully) prostitutes the body politic.

So if it's a choice between your welfare and the money laden insurance companies (or any other deep pocket corporation he submits to), you'll lose every time.

His position on this matter has nothing to do with health care. It's all about campaign contributions; nothing more, nothing less...

"No longer will those of us with health insurance have to subsidize (with higher insurance rates) those families." Referring to the uninsured who use emergency rooms.

Because without the parentheses, you would have claimed we wouldn't be subsidizing them.

OF COURSE WE WILL BE SUBSIDIZING THEM! It will be through taxes and, in some cases, it most certainly WILL be through higher insurance rates.

Where do you THINK the money will come from to pay for their treatment?

Public defenders aren't available to all citizens in all situations. The TVA doesn't make power available to folks from coast to coast.

Argue all you want about the pros and cons of a public option. But any plan that is open to all and competes on price with private insurers leaves room for the possibility that government will one day become the primary provider. Competition is good for the public, but it also drives companies who can't compete out of business. A favorite Dem argument is based on lack of options.

If you don't acknowledge the possibility that a government run plan could some day result in government becoming the primary provider, you are either blind, ignorant, or a mindless partisan follower who can't see beyond what your leaders are telling you.

If the folks in Washington who are looking out for my interests want to convince me that the government wont someday become the primary provider, they'll have to include some pretty strong controls in whatever bill they pass.