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Health Care Costs Rise, Wages Fall |
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Anyone with health care coverage knows that costs are rising far faster than their paychecks are growing. Last month, we highlighted several reports on the topic, including Premiums vs. Paychecks, produced by Families USA. In recent days, Families USA has updated the report with its new state-specific data on health costs and wages from 2000 to 2007.
Here are some of the new state data:
- Colorado: Health care premiums rose 74.8 percent and wages 15.5 percent.
- Missouri: Health care premiums rose 76.1 percent and wages 17.3 percent.
- New Mexico: Health care premiums rose 92.3 percent and wages 20 percent.
- Virginia: Health care premiums rose 82.5 percent and wages 20.2 percent.
In some states, the report finds, premium costs have risen more than eight times as fast as wages since 2000.
Even as we pay more for health care, our coverage has grown thinner over the years, forcing us to deal with higher deductibles, co-payments and co-insurance. As a result, America’s workers are paying more but receiving less in health care coverage.
Health care is one of the top issues on voters’ minds this fall—and the presidential election offers a choice between two vastly different visions of health care reform.
Sen. John McCain wants to tax employer-provided health care benefits—a move that could lead to employers dropping health care coverage for as many as 20 million workers. In addition, McCain has proposed deregulating the private health insurance industry along the lines of the financial industry’s deregulation.
Sen. Barack Obama’s plan would enable families to keep their existing health care coverage if they are satisfied with it. His plan also offers other options that include letting individuals who don’t have coverage at work and small businesses join cost-effective large insurance pools. By extending coverage to more people, encouraging preventive care and updating health care technology, Obama’s plan would lower costs for working families. Lower health care costs will take a lot of pressure off families getting squeezed in this economy.
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You cannot do a kindness too soon, for you never know how soon it will be too late.
The only constant is change.
The nine biggest banks that will get 250B now give out pay raises to their management of 3% and more, while the American people are loosing their jobs, benefits and dignity, all the American people are getting is the shaft.
The government wants to give a $600.00 stimulus check to the American people, WOW. Let’s stop the waste at the CEO’s, the banks and actually help the American people. Look at the waste below that is just going to get worse as time goes on. We are told to unplug our transformers for our electronics to save power, our losses are only paper losses and do not worry. We watch our savings go down the toilet, our jobs go overseas, and our health benefits go away, with food and prescriptions going through the roof. When the CEO’s are collecting millions for just working weeks, 10’s of millions in bonuses and hundreds of millions for ripping off the American people.
Has anyone seen any help for the middle class? All this money is going to the super rich; the people because of their greed, who placed us in this, position now, and blame everyone else. Let’s not forget 250B to the 9 Bankers who put us in this position in the first place.
I’m in favor of an amendment giving $85,000,000,000 to the American people placed in harms way because of the CEO’s, banks and our government, in a “We Deserve It Dividend”. 40B from the original 700B, 2B from the 250B they want to give to the banks and 25B from AIG because they are wasting the money now on facials for the executives and overseas hunting trips.
To make the math simple, let’s assume there are 200,000,000
bonafide U.S. Citizens 18+.
Our population is about 301,000,000 +/- counting every man, woman
and child. So 200,000,000 might be a fair stab at adults 18 and up…
So divide 200 million adults 18+ into $85 billion that equals
$425,000.00. My plan is to give $425,000 to every American citizen 18+ as a We Deserve It Dividend.
Of course, it would NOT be tax free. So let’s assume a tax rate of 30%.
Every individual 18+ has to pay $127,500.00 in taxes. That sends $25,500,000,000 right back to Uncle Sam.
But it means that every adult 18+ has $297,500.00 in their pocket.
A husband and wife have $595,000.00.
Pay off your mortgage - housing crisis solved and banking problem being solved.
Pay off Credit Card Debt.
Repay college loans – this will make more money available to loan out.
Have the college tuition to go to school.
Put away money for college - it’ll be there.
Save in a bank - create money to loan to entrepreneurs.
Buy a new American car - create jobs.
Invest in the market - capital drives growth.
People would retire creating new jobs for the young and the unemployed. What would you do with $297,500.00 to $595,000.00 in your family?
Help parents and family.
Enable Deadbeat Dads to come clean - or else.
Let’s not forget the help to the States that would be provided, welfare almost gone, unemployment compensation almost done, food stamps almost gone.
People would give money to charity.
How would this help charities, one big chance to refill there bank, with less going out to help the less fortunate.
Remember this is for every adult US Citizen 18+ including the folks who lost their jobs at Lehman Brothers and every other company that is cutting back and of course, for those serving in our Armed Forces.
Look at the numbers and the benefits to the different companies, wouldn’t this end so many problems and benefit the American people with a good start to help the American economy from the American People.
As this 700B plan comes to light there is one ceo getting 13m for three weeks work, another ceo 430+m and this is just the beginning of the theft of the 700B. What will follow in the coming weeks and months?
Here it is
#1. “The CEO PAY/BONUS for running a company in to the ground.”
Countrywide 361.7M Wachovia 16M
Fannie Mae 20M AIG 25.4M
Freddie Mac 20M Merrill Lynch 66M
Bear Stearns 70M WaMu 36M
Lehman Brothers 213M CiTi 41.5M
#2, Reports that AIG’s executives, after the bailout spent roughly $440,000 for rooms, banquets and spa services
#3 another 250B for the Banks, I cannot wait to see what the 9 banking CEO’s will steal now. Who really believes the banks will help the people who need it before the money is given to the CEO’s for their golden parachutes? Did we just put 250Bin the hands of the nine banks that screwed the American people, “AM I the only one who sees this as wrong?”
#4, AIG is at it again $86,000.00 for four executives to kill partridges in a pear tree, Christmas is here early for the privileged again after the buyout. Let’s hope they don’t start shooting at the American people, OR “have they?”
If we’re going to do a $700 billion bailout, let’s bail out every adult
U S Citizen 18+!
As for Wall Street – Firmer Action. CEO pay and bonus will be stockholder voted.
Let the private sector bargain hunters cut it up and clean it up.
Here’s my rationale. We the American people deserve it and Wall Street, the banks and the government doesn’t.
Sure it’s a crazy idea that will “work.”
But can you imagine the Coast-To-Coast relief of the American people who played by the rules and were placed in jeopardy by others!
How do you spell Economic Relief?
I trust my fellow adult Americans to know how to use the $59.5 Billion
“We Deserve the Dividend” more than on Wall Street, Banking or in Washington DC.
And remember, the plan only really costs $59.5 Billion because
$25.5 Billion is returned instantly in taxes to Uncle Sam.
Let’s see if the legislatures can pass this amendment for the American people as fast as the passed the 700B for the thieves who but us here in the first place because of their greed.
Senate
http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm?OrderBy=state&Sort=ASC
House of Representatives
http://www.house.gov/
You know, it is not only the banks and lending institutions that have made a fortune using unethical business standards. There are those in the sleaze machine profession that also rake in the millions. Bill O’Reilly, the right-wing fanatic, makes $15 million a year, complements of FOX Noise, by attacking progressives and liberals, usually fabricating information or twisting the facts to prove a point.
Decent human beings who go about their business doing a job they were hired to do, just trying to earn a decent living and support their families can’t seem to get a break. It seems our government and the corporations that support it not only allow the most reprehensible things to occur, but the most dishonest, corrupt practices are equated to the most outrageous salaries.