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Obama: Every voice must be heard on health reform

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So he's open to compromise on Thursday, but if it's Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday or the weekend, forget about it.

"signaled on Thursday that he’s open to compromise" would have been a slightly better way of putting it, to my mind.

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Did he signal, or was it a teleprompter error?

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Health reform is needed.

Obama is forcing the health care issue because it's been put on the back burner for so long allowing the health care lobbiest to run things as they want.

The health indusrty has mostly gottyen what they wanted. Now it's time to make changes so that people are the center of the industry and not the industry. < :-)

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Health reform is needed everywhere.

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I think Rollonarte would strongly back giving away more money to foreigners, like the previous administration excelled at. :-)

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Health reform needed? Put the people at the center of the industry and not the industry? Can't solve the problem by throwing money at it. EVERY adult individual must be responsible for their health needs -- we don't need a nanny state. All employers should be required to offer health insurance to its employees and if that employee earns below a certain level their payment portion should be supplemented by the government. Emphasis here is on responsibility. No matter how little you earn, you must pay something and employers must offer an insurance plan.

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Health reform is needed everywhere."

No doubt, but guess what, the US is in major need of GOVERNMENT REFORM..... I have no objections of changing the system, making is cheaper,etc.. But letting the gov run is a problem.

Believe me, I worked at the VA for several years before going out on my own. You will be shocked at what is going to happen if we let the gov run it.

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I think Rollonarte would strongly back giving away more money to foreigners, like the previous administration excelled at. :-)" Your right about the admin giving a lot away to foreigners but let's look at reality, the Dems are set to give a whole lot more - they want those votes! I wouldn't doubt the repubs start pandering to them again but in greater numbers.

You all should vote for a change in health care, but letting the gov control it you are shooting yourself in the foot.

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The good thing about having the government "run" health care is that the bums can be thrown out of office by the policy holders. State run public health insurance offers the best of both worlds; competition and accountability. The 50 states could compete in providing better service and lower costs and the state legislators that did not could be fired by the policy holders, i.e. voters. The hospitals should be left private and maximum no-fault malpractice levels set. V.A. hospitals should be closed and patients free to take their business to any private hospital.

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This must be the new administration's code speak for "all 12 million illegal aliens must also have coverage."

You "folks" can pay your deadbeat neighbor's mortgage and provide health care for foreign nationals.

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You can put the responsibility on man to control their health by offering health prevention, an avenue of health service when you do get sick and make it affordable to everyone.

Right now health insurance is so damn expensive and if you don't have insurance the cost of health care is up to 100% more if you don't have insurance.

That's just health care. How about dentist, eye doctors or any other specialist. Hell, I can't afford dental or eye care and what's covered by my health plan is squat.

Health care is great for those who can afford it, for those who can't don't get it. < :-)

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I don't want a sarcastic remark or a poorly executed insult for what I am about to ask. I simply want a straight answer so that I can weigh my own opinion on the matter against.

How can the government be expected to reform healthcare and then relinquish control of its new brain child?

The way I see it the boys and girls in washington won't be able to keep their hands out of it. Pelosi and several other senators are going to want a direct hand in the thing, and I don't think there is a single thing the President can do to stop them. And, divided as we are on this site, I don't think anyone wants washington politics mixing with healthcare.

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Question, it is impossible to give you a straight answer to help you form an opinion as it seems you have already formed an opinion. Let me pose a question to you. Do you trust the insurance companies to act in the best interest of policy holders or stock holders?

I'll attempt to answer that; no.

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The government may always have their hands in it in some way. It's tax dollars we're dealing with. I'm not advocating contracting all this out. A lot of it, but there will need to be some oversight.

Pelosi and the others have too much to do to be involved in running any health effort. Sure they will be involved in some of the discussions, but that's why they are having this summit. Not just democrats w/Pelosi and not hand picked yes-men. This is to get ideas and a working development of a consise health program.

It's going to happen though. And if the republicans stay away from it and just bad mouth it, they will just cut themselves out and be looked at as not wsanting to help the ones who need help. < :-)

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Same old, same old. Obama-shumama.

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aday: That's just health care. How about dentist, eye doctors or any other specialist. Hell, I can't afford dental or eye care and what's covered by my health plan is squat." NO body is going to argue with you about the costs. There are too expensive. however, "Health care is great for those who can afford it, for those who can't don't get it." First of all, every state has a welfare office for those who are poor. Some state even allow illegal aliens to get free health care through its welfare system. So, stop using this poor people don't get anything crap - they do. My mom went on welfare for about five years due to her mental state after dad was killed. We had braces on our teeth, shots taken care of, etc... all free. My older brother got state grants easy to go to school. No, sometimes, being poor in the US care have its benefits. Being mid class however, that's a different story.

no, its those mid class people who are getting hit and if they happen to be small business owners, they get hit even worse. You and Obama, in order to pay for this Obama Care, is going to hurt us even more. Look at your numbers again and get the terms right. and quit jumping just because he says what he says.

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Mr. President, can you assure the concerned citizens of America who haven't left their brains at the door to vote for you that the government is competent to run another government program. Past performance is the only true indicator of future performance and the government has screwed the pooch with social security, medicare, managing the budget, regulating industry, making sure the food is safe, educating the youth of America, the postal service, AMTRACK, securing the borders, my god this list of failures could go on forever.

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skipthesong

First of all, every state has a welfare office for those who are poor.

You ever heard of having too much money to qualify? There are a lot of workers who can't afford health insurance, but make too much money for assistance. Those are a lot of small business workers and even small business owners.

Everybody doesn't qualify for welfare. There are a lot of people right there.

Truth be told, no matter what is decided, you're against any democratic effort to provide health insurance for those who can't get it. And you're all for the republicans efforts of doing nothing more than is being done. < :-)

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my god this list of failures could go on forever.

Let's see here, government in America is not competent enough to run any government programs. Your privately run "financial services" sector on the other hand is so competent that it has bankrupted itself, and your country in the process (shh, don't say AIG). Those so efficient private sector folks in charge of your health care system have brought you the most expensive health care system in the world and, according to the CIA, a ranking in life expectancy of 45th.

What exactly is it that you guys are actually good at again?

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GJ if you can't address the premise of my argument, why address it at all. The American government is one big giant black hole that must constantly be fed by taxpayer money. The reason why the United States is in so much debt is not the Iraq war like so many of small minded lefties want everyone to believe; the root cause is entitlement spending. Nationalized health care will only make the black hole wider and deeper. So good sir, do you honestly think the government can run health care without driving the country further into debt?

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I'm still so deeply bitter and upset about Senator McCain's defeat that I ignore and/or critisize everything the Obama administration does, whether I understand it or not, or indeed if it's good for America or not.

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And you're all for the republicans efforts of doing nothing more than is being done" No I ain't. I worked for the VA under both Bush and then Clinton. Get real. I seen how the government works with health care. Its a horror story. I'd prefer they outsource to a contractor. If we are going to go that far.

Also, my wife is a doctor here in Japan. Would you like me to let you know what is going on behind closed doors in this so called great health care system?

We can make it affordable without the government running it. That is what I am against. By all means, make the damn thing affordable. You have you head so far up the dems butt that no matter they come up, even if it were the reverse, you'd still back it bacause that is the way you are - a cheerleader.

AS for me being some repub, man, how many times I have I advocated in shooting them?>

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Here's my voice on health reform:

Please don't have the government run the U.S. health care system.

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"Please don't have the government run the U.S. health care system."

Heh, who's gonna run it then young man?

Halliburton?

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Even ABC is shooting down Obama. Again, Obama and his admin just don't inspire confidence. The outright lies don't help, nor does the near constant panic mode for every issue on his overloaded agenda.

http://blogs.abcnews.com/thenumbers/2009/03/medical-bankrup.html

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Every voice? Could we please iggy the insurance and drugs companies? That would be a good start.

I wouldn't want the government running the health care system, they are a bunch of incompetents. Bad enough they are going to end up running the banks.

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skip: no, its those mid class people who are getting hit and if they happen to be small business owners, they get hit even worse

Yep. Personally, I sometimes feel like a sucker for actually paying my bills and get this...even paying taxes. I don't default, never have, and I don't plan on it. But it does piss me off to know that I'm spending $136 a month for health insurance only to see illegal aliens getting it for free. My sister defaulted on her credit card, didn't pay for 6 months, then the bank offered to erase all of the negative credit reporting, close the account, and let her pay it off at 2.9% interest per year. And for me? I get a notice saying that my interest rate is going from 7.9% to 19.99% even though I've never missed a payment in my life. That's due to "extraordinary financial circumstances in the market now." Yeah, like my sister and Bank of America throwing billions away on bad management decisions. It makes me feel good to know that I'm paying for other people's mistakes just because I'm one of the people who is able to pay.

Honestly, sometimes I wonder if having enough money is worse than having none at all. I feel like I'm being stripped of any benefit that used to come with being a responsible person. It seems that I'd be better off doing nothing and just getting it for free (or 2.9%).

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I'm still so deeply bitter and upset about Senator McCain's defeat that I ignore and/or critisize everything the Obama administration does, whether I understand it or not, or indeed if it's good for America or not.

Actually Republicans dodged a bullet when McCain lost. Obama getting elected with a strong Democratic Senate and Congressional majority is the best thing that could have happened to the Republican party. It exposes Democrats for what they really are; Tax and Spenders. The economy belongs to them and as they over spend, over tax and make it more difficult for companies to earn a profit, the economy and the American people will continue to suffer and then there will be an opportunity for real reform.

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"Heh, who's gonna run it then young man? Halliburton?"

Heh, no.

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Ok, hear my voice. Get a job, buy health care before you buy that ipod, cell phone plan, a new car AND have kids. Then I won't ask you to pay my bills, and you won't have to ask me to pay yours. Can it get any clearer?

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Go on, uhm...heh, rollo...

...writing it a few more times on JT will make it true.

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vor,

I'm still so deeply bitter and upset about Senator McCain's defeat that I ignore and/or critisize everything the Obama administration does, whether I understand it or not, or indeed if it's good for America or not.

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Madverts, I back you up there. By definition, anything Obama does is wrong, because he's a Democrat party member who won the election. We must rise and resist, remember the Sons of Liberty. We must meet socialist policies with a fist.

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Thank ye Mr Hustler, sir. Remember people...it's one small step from public transportation to communism.

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We must rise and resist, remember the Sons of Liberty. We must meet socialist policies with a fist.

Yes, screw what the majority of Americans voted for democratically, meet those policies that a majority of Americans wanted with a fist and install a dictatorship, so you can dictate to your policies so the majority of Americans can see the error of their ways.

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Madverts: I ignore and/or critisize everything the Obama administration does, whether I understand it or not, or indeed if it's good for America or not.

Kind of like what some people did for the last 8 years under Bush... I don't include you in that group, but needless to say the Obama bashers have a playbook they're following.

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Super,

I just haven't cemented the stock phrase for radical left. It's coming :)

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