Ask someone with no healthcare and a family to feed that same question.

Tell them to go through the local SBA and ask about group rates...I did it for years and got a discount rate on insurance.

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1987 560SL
85,000 miles

So you are saying some guy who works at Jack in the Box should go to the SBA? Right....

Why would someone attempt to raise a family while working fast food? That's just crazy...

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1987 560SL
85,000 miles

I changed the channel after the millionth round of senseless applause... Kinda hard to follow a speech if its broken up by applause at every stupid thing

Nobody's looking for your sympathy, just stating the facts. But you have my admiration: Not everybody can work hard, AND surf the web in the middle of a work day. I guess I shouldn't talk. The fact is people like us who manage to make ends meet and have their needs taken care of are falling into the minority. So people like us have to be pro-active on many fronts to try to determine the outcome. I don't want my health care changed either, but I suspect if you personally knew and cared about someone who was shortchanged by the current system, your views might be different.

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1985 380SE Blue/Blue - 230,000 miles
2012 Subaru Forester 5-speed
2005 Toyota Sienna
2004 Chrysler Sebring convertible
1999 Toyota Tacoma

I found it to be more like a rather large ego stroking party...

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1987 560SL
85,000 miles

Jolly,
"The days where our national agenda was Death and Destruction in Iraq, a Free Ride For The Rich and No More Regulations for Corporations are over, we are to become a society centered around the needs of the average person, not around the needs of corporate fat cats and military-industrial complex oligarchs."


If only that were true. I am afraid we have simply traded one group of fat cats who get rich off the government for another group of soon-to-be fat cats getting rich off the government.
I only WISH the government was really concerned about the welfare of the "average" American. I feel the only time they care about me is when they want my vote. After that, some have even been know to ridicule that idea that citizens should have any input that runs contrary to what they want to do.

Call me a hopeful skeptic, or skeptically hopeful. Maybe "trust, but verify" says it best. I HEAR what President Obama is saying; I will judge his ACTIONS rather than his words. Is that fair?

Its OK to enjoy the democrat majority, but that power is mingled with massive responsibility. If the democrats go back to their pork barrel business-as-usual approach, they too, will be turned out of office. Rather than steam roll the opposition, sometimes its best to use them as a buffer to restrain the party in power from their own excesses.

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1982 300SD " Wotan" ..On the road as of Jan 8, 2007 with Historic Tags

Wake up dude....not everyone works for a wealthy defense contractor that pays good salaries and benefits. Perhaps in a year or two when Obama slashes the military budget and you become unemployed, you'll understand what many Americans are encountering.

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Question Authority before it Questions you.

Exactly. The way the media spins it, you'd think there was lineups of Canadians outside hospitals with their hearts connected to iPods for pacemakers, awaiting surgery.

The reality is that the quality of care in Canada, and the facilities and technology is absolutely world-class and on par with any system in the world, including the US.

I doubt there is a perfect health care system anywhere in the world - if there is, I admit ignorance as to its existence. Canada's system does have flaws, but IMO they far exceed potential drawbacks. There are waits for some procedures in Canada, but they are generally the non-critical procedures. Anyone requiring acute or critical care gets it, and receives that care in a timely mannner. I've had senior family members who recently required cardiac and cancer care - the outcomes of which were successful. In one case, major surgery was performed within hours of admittance.

In Canada, the best doctors are available to everyone. Surgical success rates are not prepared to market to the rich, and conversely potential patients aren't pre-screened on a candidacy basis for the likelihood of reducing said success rates. Care is universal and not at the whim of a company whose goal it is to derive profit from its premiums. That tenet alone is condratictory enough in nature to make me reject it in principle. When you have to balance profit vs. the best care, the victim won't often be the wallet.

Canada's system is very expensive and we all pay extensive taxes to fund it. However, it keeps my mind at ease knowing that if I get deathly ill - especially chronic illness - I will get the care I need and it will not cripple my family financially to provide it.

All IMHO.

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Chris
2007 E550 4Matic - 61,000 Km - Iridium Silver, black leather, Sport package, Premium 2 package
2007 GL450 4Matic - 62,000 Km - Obsidian Black Metallic, black leather, all options
1998 E430 - sold
1989 300E - 333,000 Km - sold
1977 280E - sold
1971 250 - retired

"And a frign hat. They gave me a hat at the annual benefits meeting. I said. how does this benefit me. I dont have anything from the company.. So they gave me a hat." - TheDon

I am one of the lucky few that works night shift for a temporary amount of time...I'll be back on days soon and less 'net surfing will result in that.

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1987 560SL
85,000 miles

Minimum wage was never meant to support a family on...Dude!

Once our next engine comes on line, we won't have to depend on defense spending to keep busy. Imagine this...a jet engine that runs on methane from chicken/turkey turds that runs a generator and provides cheap energy...That's a reality that will be up and running in Oklahoma within the next couple of weeks.

I doubt I'll become unemployed through this recession. We also have plenty of NATO engines that are in high demand as well...

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1987 560SL
85,000 miles

Someone needs to explain to me how attacking someone who is financially better off than you are is of any help. If they were suddenly unemployed, how would that improve your situation? Unless you simply want "revenge" or some sort of schaddenfreud ( If I spelled that even close, I'm happy).
If this is simply about hurting the wealthy, or even the near wealthy, I feel that is an unworthy, as well as not helpful goal. Isn't the goal for everyone to do better? As Kennedy, and others observed, " a rising tide lifts ALL boats". Or do you want to sink some people's boat.
What's the deal?

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1982 300SD " Wotan" ..On the road as of Jan 8, 2007 with Historic Tags

"Only when the tide goes out do you discover who's been swimming naked."
Warren Buffett

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cult plus time equals religion

Warren Buffett swims naked?? EEEWWWW!!!!

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1987 560SL
85,000 miles