Tonight's Debate

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-07-2008
Tonight's Debate
211
Tue, 10-07-2008 - 10:21pm

is anyone watching the debate? What do you think so far? Who is 'winning'? They don't seem to be answering many audience questions.

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iVillage Member
Registered: 04-29-2003
Wed, 10-08-2008 - 11:59pm

I'll repost what I wrote and I don't care if it's an electric bill, gas bill, cable, phone or cell phone bill, direct tv, property taxes trust me, you are paying for misc. taxes you are not aware of.

Avatar Image"The Small Peanu
iVillage Member
Registered: 10-08-2008
Thu, 10-09-2008 - 12:08am

You're very welcome.

Sometimes, when I make this case, people will argue "well, you could do that with just about any business or industry: say that it'd be easier if the government just provided it all, instead of having all these competing companies, etc." But healthcare is a different animal from all of the rest of the examples which often get used: everyone needs it throughout their lives, and it isn't something which can be improved by competition, especially not competition among INSURANCE COMPANIES.

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-08-2008
Thu, 10-09-2008 - 12:11am

Now you're being ridiculous, and I suspect on purpose. So I'll answer this one last one, and then I'm going to bed.

No, obviously, the government doesn't owe you a PERSONAL subscription to a newspaper. But we DID decide long ago that the government did owe its citizens a subscription to a few periodicals/newspapers.....that IS one reason taxpayer-funded libraries exist: so that people can access the wealth of human knowledge if they wish, with little or no cost.

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-19-2008
Thu, 10-09-2008 - 12:12am

I am acutely aware of what I pay in taxes. I have no desire to add to them, particularly to pay for what is frequently irresponsibility on other people's parts.

BTW, no employer "gives" health insurance to their employees. An employer has to purchase it; the money used to purchase it will be money not paid to those employees in salary or other benefits.

mccain image

Obama image
iVillage Member
Registered: 02-19-2008
Thu, 10-09-2008 - 12:16am
Libraries are a town or county issue, plus no town or county is required to fund them.
mccain image

Obama image
iVillage Member
Registered: 10-08-2008
Thu, 10-09-2008 - 12:20am

I'm pretty sure SP knows this; most people do.

What you may or may not have considered is that, when employers do so, they're often able to access group rates which are far better in terms of both coverage and price than the workers would be able to get on the open market themselves. Also, those funds are not TAXED....though they will be for the first time in HISTORY if John McSame's elected and is able to get his plan passed. But currently (obviously) and actual MONEY your employer pays to you IS taxed as income...meaning that any money which might be hypothetically turned over to you by your employer in lieu of the health care benefits they'd previously been helping provide would a) be taxed, leaving you with less, and b) not be able to buy as inexpensive a care-plan as you would've had access to through your employer.

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-08-2008
Thu, 10-09-2008 - 12:21am

Right.

Can you think of any that don't?

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-29-2003
Thu, 10-09-2008 - 12:22am

BTW, no employer "gives" health insurance to their employees. An employer has to purchase it; the money used to purchase it will be money not paid to those employees in salary or other benefits.


I always get the salary I'm worth which does not reflect on what the company pays for health insurance. However for me, that is something I take into consideration when I take an offer

Avatar Image"The Small Peanu
iVillage Member
Registered: 02-19-2008
Thu, 10-09-2008 - 12:23am
Irrelevant. It is not a requirement.
mccain image

Obama image
iVillage Member
Registered: 09-26-2008
Thu, 10-09-2008 - 12:29am

>>> I am confused, I thought your name was Obamanation? Did you change it or do you have two names?

What's in a name?... sahasranama means 1000 names. ; ) Obamanation offended some sensitive folks.

>>> You have an interesting interpretation of 'substance' it would seem that whether or not there is 'substance' depends on if one supports a candidate or not.

Not at all...I don't think either campaign's commercials (the ones that dealing with "issues") are particularly deep on substance, but as i said, how substantive can you get in 30 seconds, but I've heard Obama speak many, many times and heard his surrogates speak many, many times and to this day, I don't think I've ever heard a substantive word come out of his mouth. He speaks in rhetoric and platitudes. McCain, on the other hand, has spoken about specifics and, perhaps more importantly, has a record that one can examine to understand who he is and what he stands for. Obama...not so much.

>>> As a yet not fully committed voter I disagree with your analysis. For example, in the debate McCain proposes to buy all the bad mortgages - how exactly will this be accomplished? Is it an empty promise designed to entice the soon to be forclosed to switch votes as a last minute desperate attempt to stave off forclosure?

McCain only mentioned this idea last night, so I haven't heard about it in detail. But as far as "empty promoses" are concerned, it's interesting that you zero in on this issue while completely ignoring Obama's healthcare plan, his "tax cut," his Global Poverty Act, his carwash for dogs with three legs plan...the Government just spent more than a trillion dollars...where's this money coming from?

>>> As to Bill Ayers - I think you are the one being deluded. Here in DC I travel in some pretty wide circles comprised of both parties and I have yet to meet a person to who Ayers is a real issue. More like drama of the moment. The 60's were a turbulent time, maybe you aren't old enough to remember. I am. There was a lot of violence, most have moved on since then. Certainly Ayers has not continued to be violent so again it is a non-issue for me. But if it gets your panties in a knot then don't vote for Obama.

Aah...so I take it that if McCain had a rally in Bin Laden's cave that it really wouldn't be an issue for you...as long as he hasn't blown anything up recently, of course.

>>> The problem I have with Palin is that the more I learn of her the less I like her. I guess since I have lived in a more metropolitan area my whole life I just don't get the populist appeal of 'middle America' that she seems to think she represents. I don't know how she would fit in here in DC - she seems more of a novelty. Again, I did WANT to like her, for the past year I thought I was going to vote for McCain, I voted for him in the primary, I just don't know if I can anymore.

Well, I don't know...you're whole "I don't like Sarah Palin, just because" is a pretty compelling argument, especially when you consider that she's actually run something...like being a Governor of a state with an $11 billion dollar budget...while Obama has experience...um...campaigning. Yes, I can see why an intelligent person would choose the least experienced person as President of the US.

>>> For the record I don't think I have bought the 'propaganda' from my party or from the democrats, but lately the republican spending spree has been more 'democratic' so I'm just not sure I can stick with it anymore.

Wow...your support of a guy who wants to add $800 TRILLION in new spending because you're tired of government spending sounds almost as compelling as "I don't like Sarah Palin just because." You're absolutely right, it doesn't sound like you've sucked up the Dem propaganda at all.

>>> Especially if it will mean bailing out Wall Street and now buying bad mortgages while my investments tank. Just don't like what I see.

You mean the "rescue plan" that was formulated by the Dems and given the thumbs up by Obama? LOL!

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