G.O.P. to Americans With Health Problems: Drop Dead

[Rerun]

That is what I am asking, PT.  Trump said he would supply us all with the best and most affordable health insurance.  So, where is it?  It is a simple question.

Congress would not pass Trumps wonderful Health Care bill.  After the Mid-Terms we will have another chance to pass it. 

[Michael Murphy]

I failed to pass because of the outrage about the end of preexisting conditions ban and the allowance of health based premiums.
Both popular requirements. 

[Bill Peckham]

 It is confusing to continue to see people point to current problems with health insurance markets, blame Obamacare and express relief at the lack of mandates and community pricing (preexisting conditions are not excluded). At some point people will realize that in the States where the Affordable Care Act has political support the system is working much better.


Healthcare - Red states hurt more than Blue states by Trump policies
Employment - Red states hurt more than Blue states by Trump policies by Trump policies
Higher prices - Red states hurt more than Blue states by Trump policies


The state you live in will determine your access to care if you don't have Medicare (for now).

[Simon Dog]

Raise the minimum wage and the economy will be boosted a low minimum wage creates a class that can’t afford to shop at the places they work.

There are some unintended consequences and no free lunch.

• Persons whose work is not worth the new minimum will not be hired, or get fired.  Is a teenager with no experience really worth $15/hour?
• There will be a tendency to hire more adults and fewer 16 and 17 year olds for the min wage jobs.   This will be due to the higher wage pulling more adults into the minimum wage workforce that they currently shun.
• Businesses that cannot afford a high minimum will fold, or not open branches in high wage areas.  This is already happening in Seattle.
• Increased use of automation, such as self-order kiosks in fast food joints
• General inflationary effect, screwing retirees and those on fixed incomes
• Increased taxes as public sector unions demand raises commensurate with the percentage increase minimum wage workers are getting
• Forbes did a great article refuting the Berkley study that was commissoned for the purpose of concluding the $15 wage did not cost jobs: https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaelsaltsman/2017/06/21/the-problems-with-a-new-study-on-seattles-15-minimum-wage/#4c7affb7156a
  

[Michael Murphy]

Every year the middle class is shrinking, the well paying manufacturing jobs are going away.  If a employee can’t afford to buy products where they work the available customer base shrinks, less business less employees, less business less employees.  What ford did was create a cycle of employees making enough to become customers, more customers more employees.  If ou wanted the good workers you had to compete with ford and the other companies who also raised base pay.  It created the economic engine that created the greatest middle class in history.