Compromise--Not A Word That Reid Knows

We received the following from a progressive/liberal friend (yes, we have some but only the ones who will allow us to have a discussion) who forwarded the following Twitter thread. It is:

Can I burn down your house?

No

Just the 2nd floor?

No

Garage?

No

Let's talk about what I can burn down.

No

YOU AREN'T COMPROMISING!

The thread got us thinking about the whole idea of the government shutdown and where the problem originated.  Of course, there will be those who think it was the nasty ole Tea Party folks in the House that caused all these problems. However, we think differently.

The House is charged under that antiquated old piece of parchment called the Constitution to originate all spending bills (ironically ObamaCrapCare did not). They are then sent to the Senate either for approval, rejection or to a conference committee to iron out the differences between the bills.

In the past four years a budget has been created in the House and rejected outright by the Senate. Never once was an alternate budget passed by the Senate.   Therefore, this country is operating without a budget. 

The same goes for the current government shutdown. Bills have been passed by the House and sent to the Senate where they are voted down. The Senate has never passed its own bill which would have forced the two competing bills to be sent to a conference committee where a compromise bill could have been created.

So when we hear the Democrats and Harry Reid say that the Republicans are being uncompromising, we find that laughable.  The Senator from Utah does not want to work (or compromise) with the Republicans nor does he want to produce a budget. And when the opposition submits a bill to reduce spending or defund a financial albatross like Obamacrapcare, Reid has the bill voted down and will not negotiate (which would require compromise) anything that will pass.  He and his friends are the problem.

Compromise requires two parties with differing views to reach a mutually satisfactory outcome. However, when one party totally rejects everything that the other suggests and will not submit any ideas (other than getting what he/she wants), there can be no basis for a compromise.  

This occurs in divorces all the time. One party wants the dog and the other (who might never had ever paid attention to the dog) will fight tooth and nail to get the animal. The same goes on for other material things regardless of the value of the trinket. 

A good compromise is a win-win where everyone believes they struck a fair deal. Whereas what we are seeing from the Democrats is a win-lose, more akin to the divorce scenario. They win, Republicans lose.

Until Reid and his cohorts (including those weak kneed Republicans) decide to submit ideas to a conference committee where  a reasonable solution can be created, the impasse will continue. We expect it will be a long time.

We respect those duty bound  Tea Party members who know they are doing the right thing. Rather than destroying anything (as the tweet seems to intimate),  they are the patriots of today fighting to maintain a fiscally sound America.

Our view is that these Conservatives are not  burning anything down, rather they are the ones who are calling the fire department to put out the fire and Reid keeps disconnecting the phone. America depends on the firemen (Paul, Cruz, Lee) and their equipment from arriving while the major damage is preventable. Will they be allowed to do their work or will the real terrorists (Reid, Pilosi, Obama and liberal Democrats) keep firing at them to prevent them from completing their mission?

Conservative Tom

A View Of a Democrat Who Can't Handle Reality

We find it interesting that the left has come out swinging in the government shutdown talks and using words like "anarchists", "Banana Republicans" and "terrorists" to describe the opposition. Yet if the Republicans used the same rhetoric, they would be attacked by the progressives as being uncivil, mean and out of touch.

So goes the following article by Brent Budowsky, a dyed in the wool progressive/liberal who worked for LLoyd Benson and now writes articles. He misses the issue, the concern that most Americans (at least those in fly-over country) are fearing.  That is an America in decline being propelled into the dustbin of history by an out of control spending program called ObamaCrapCare. We simply cannot AFFORD it, no matter how wonderful it might end up being. (We doubt it, but for the second, we will say there is a possibility of good coming out of this tragedy.) 

We would like to own a 30,000 square foot house with a garage filled with 20 exotic cars, however, we cannot afford such a luxury, the same goes for the US. We do not have the resources.  The country is swimming in 16 trillion dollars of debt which is climbing every day. Adding another trillion (the supposed cost of Obamacare as originally proposed) or two (as the CBO now feels the cost will be)  would be insanity. Yet that is what the left is having its temper tantrum over.

The Tea Party has it right. We can fund the rest of the government but we simply do not need nor do a major of Americans want ObamaCrapCare. And folks, we conservatives are winning the day. The left is escalating their rhetoric and  their use of hate language is an indication they are becoming frightened they might lose.  Just read the following article and tell us if you think Brent believes they are winning the day?

The left is losing and they know their President does not know how to negotiate or to cajole or win people over by the force of his personality. One only has to look at the Syrian debacle. Obama was saved by a slip of the tongue by Kerry which was picked up by Putin, who carried the ball.  The occupant of the White House can talk all day about his skills, however, the Syrian near-war was averted only by luck and providence and not by any leadership in the Oval Office.

Unless someone in the White House can slip up and make a reasonable suggestion that can be welcomed by the Tea Party, this is going to be a long fight. We believe that it will not be settled soon and the President will finally give way.

However, in the meantime, we conservatives are going to be called names and the news media will blather on about the shut down and the devastation it is causing average Americans.  It could all be over if the President gives up on or delays the implementation of ObamaCrapCare and he should consider those options.

Conservative Tom

Harry Reid slugs the far-right bully

By Brent Budowsky - 10/03/13 12:07 PM ET

  

Like virtually every Democrat, like most independents, like a strong majority of Americans, I am fed up with the bullying anarchism of the Tea Party right in the House of Representatives, which could, as I charged in my latest column, drive America into a default that would crash the markets. 

Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.), the Majority Leader who acts like a majority leader, is mad as hell and not taking it any more. House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), the Speaker who does not always act like a Speaker, and who is goaded and bullied by the junior senator from Texas and Tea Party anarchists in the House, has so far submitted to the blackmail of the bully and caused a shutdown of the government of America.

Not so for Harry Reid. He is fighting back. I stand with Reid. America should not negotiate with terrorists, and Democrats should not negotiate with Tea Party radicals and anarchists who practice the legislative blackmail to shut the government down and threaten to drive the nation into default. No way. 

There will be a place for negotiations, after the government is reopened and after a clean debt-ceiling increase is enacted and after the bullies are put in their place.

Reid, the former boxer who knows how to take a punch and throw a punch, is fighting back and standing tall and doing the business of the nation and speaking for a majority of our people. The real battle in Washington is Reid versus the far right bully. The leader is leading. The boxer is fighting. The man of the Senate is standing up for the traditions and values and dignity of the Senate and the good of the country and the credibility of the Congress. 

President Obama is right. Get the government working again, pass a clean debt-ceiling bill and then negotiate going forward. In the meantime, the 14th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States says our national obligations must be honored. The president has authority to unilaterally extend the debt ceiling without the bullying of the Tea Party anarchists or the bizarre and destructive obstruction from the Banana Republicans in the House of Representatives.

The American people stand with us. The president should act on the debt ceiling — unilaterally if needed. The majority leader of the Senate and former boxer from Nevada is mad as hell and not taking it anymore, and on this great matter he speaking for the people of the nation. 

Netanyahu's Speech To The UN-Strong and Unwavering But Was The World Listening Or Concerned? The Answer Is Clearly Illustrated By The Applause At The End Of His Speech.

PM Netanyahu minces no words at UN speech – Describes Iran President Rohani as a clever wolf in sheep’s clothing.

I The brilliant PM Benjamin Netanyahu speaks before the United Nations. Please listen and watch the video below. Perhaps Winston Churchill and Demosthenes were his equal?

http://israel-commentary.org/?p=7597

“I wish I could believe Rohani, but I don’t” Netanyahu said, speaking before representatives from the whole world. “Rohani is a wolf in a sheep’s skin”. Netanyahu called to keep the pressure on Iran.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke at the UN general assembly this evening, giving a speech that was dedicated to his diplomatic fight against Iran and its nuclear program.

“Rohani, like the Presidents before him, is heading a dictatorship” Netanyahu said. “He led the national security council in Iran in the years in which the slaughter in the Jewish community in Buenos Aires and the terrorist attack against American soldiers in Saudi Arabia were committed. Are we to believe that he knew nothing of these attacks?”

The Iranian delegation to the UN general assembly left the hall in protest during Prime Minister Netanyahu’s speech, which was broadcast live on Iranian television. Netanyahu stressed in his speech that Rohani was among those who planned Iran’s nuclear strategy. “He may not sound like Ahmadinejad, but with anything that concerns the nuclear program – the only difference between them is that Ahmadinejad was a wolf in a wolf’s skin and Rohani is a wolf in a sheep’s skin.”

“I wish I could believe Rohani – but I don’t”

“I wish we could believe that Rohani is being truthful, but we must focus on the Iranian’s actions, and there is great contradiction between his words and Teheran’s actions” Netanyahu continued. “Rohani stood on this stage and praised the Iranian democracy, but the regime he represents assassinates political opposition. He spoke of the tragedy in Syria, but the regime was directly involved in the slaughter Assad is committing against his people. He admonishes terror, but in the last three years alone the regime has initiated 25 terrorist attacks in cities across five continents. I would like to be part of the wave of conciliatoriness, but the only waves are waves of violence and terror. Ladies and gentlemen, I wish I could believe Rohani, but I cannot.”

Netanyahu continued with his indictment of the government in Teheran and attacked the policy of secrecy it has undertaken in the last few years. “In 2002 Iran was caught secretly building centrifuges in an underground facility in Natnaz. In 2009 it was caught again with a nuclear reactor for the enrichment of uranium near Kum. Rohani says that the purpose is not military, but does anyone believe that?”

“Why would a country that wants nuclear ability for peaceful purposes do so in secret?” Netanyahu asked the assembly. “Why would a country with natural resources such as oil need to invest in nuclear capabilities? Why would Iran develop ballistic missiles if not in order for them to carry nuclear war heads? Iran is developing missiles that will be able to reach as far as New York. Why are they doing so? The answer is simple – Iran is developing nuclear weapons.”

“The solution: a combination between sanctions and military threat”

“Subterranean nuclear reactors, advanced centrifuges, heavy water, and ballistic missiles – it isn’t hard to find evidence that Iran is developing nuclear weapons, what is hard to find is evidence that they are not developing nuclear weapons. In my speech last year I determined a red line. Iran has been careful not to cross it, but has succeeded in staying close to it. Iran is interested in reaching a situation in which they can cross that red line without the international community being able to stop it.”

“There is only one way to stop Iran’s nuclear program – a combination of severe sanctions and real military threat. This idea bears fruit and a lot is done under the leadership of the United States. The sanctions hurt Iran terribly, the currency has plummeted and the banks are finding it difficult. The Iranian people are cracking under the burden and that is the reason Rohani began his smiling campaign – in order to remove the sanctions, but he is not interested in stopping the nuclear program in exchange.”

“Rohani’s tactics is to talk about peace and to pay lip service. He is interested in making sure that Iran still has the infrastructure to race towards the bomb whenever it might be convenient for him. He thinks he can continue in this way because he has succeeded in the past. He is even proud of it. In his book he boasted about managing to create a calm atmosphere while at the same time completing the work in Isfahan. Now he thinks he can do so again. Rohani is convinced that he can eat his yellow cake and leave it whole.”

“Northern Korea also said that it was developing a nuclear reactor for peaceful purposes, and back then they were also empty statements meant to ease the sanctions. As dangerous as North Korea is, that danger pales in comparison to the danger Iran poses. Teheran has the ability to put the world in a chokehold in everything concerning energy stores. It will turn the Middle East into the most unstable and most dangerous and nuclear place in the world.”

“I know that many in the world think I am exaggerating. They hear the calls coming from Iran – calls of death to Israel and the US – and are convinced that it is rhetoric for internal purposes. Have they not learned anything from history? The last century taught us that when such a source wields such power – it ends in disaster.”

I PM Netanyahu to UN

We, The Citizens, Are Responsible For The Mess In Washington--What Are WE Going To Do? Sit Here And Take It Or Let Our So Called Leaders Know We Are Upset?

Your Move, America

October 3, 2013 by Ben Crystal 

PHOTOS.COM

The Democrats wouldn’t negotiate. Instead, they slandered their opposition as terrorists, anarchists, cannibalistic pedophiles or whatever. The Republicans wouldn’t back down from their stand against the fraudulently passed and fraud-laden Obamacare. Meanwhile, they all exempted themselves from the main bone of contention. Two sides of the same coin argued over a bureaucratic behemoth that applies to neither of them, and they managed to raise their petty partisan squabbling to a level loud enough to drown out the crowd at a Seattle Seahawks game. And now, they’ve managed to “shut down” the government rather than reach some sort of compromise.

To be fair, the Republicans are closer to correct than the Democrats. Obamacare is riddled with fraud and waste, and President Barack Obama and his accomplices left virtually no lie untold in their campaign to impose it upon the rest of us. However, in the interest of further fairness, the Republicans knew this lumbering legislative golem slouched toward Washington, D.C., from the jump. Obama made clear his socialist sympathies long before the closing credits rolled on his coronation telecast. And his war to deploy the Obamacare blanket in order to smother America’s future took longer than the Ottoman siege of Vienna. The Republicans knew it was coming, but they snoozed at their posts until the Turks were in the town square.

Of course, now the GOP is howling at the moon over Obama’s and the Democrats’ mendacious brutality in forcing Obamacare down our throats. And some of them did manage to keep up the fight when Speaker of the House John Boehner and others took their eyes off the prize. Nonetheless, the idea that Congressional Republicans gladly accepted a career exemption from the same legislative monstrosity from which they’re supposedly rescuing the rest of us ought to hike more than few eyebrows.

All this week, both sides have hurled charges and countercharges at one another. But the fact that both sides are soaked in the stench of hypocrisy makes their squabble less Battle of the Bulge and more monkey feces fight at the zoo. The Democrats have proven that they’re better at lying, cheating and mugging than a New Orleans mayor. From exploiting deranged murderers and their victims in order to roll so-called “gun control” laws across America to reading your emails if they contain the words “tea,”  “party” or even “Jesus,” they’ve relentlessly hammered away at our Constitutional freedoms. And while the Republicans have occasionally displayed spinal fortitude at least as resolute as overcooked spaghetti, they’ve cowered more than they’ve crowed.

The Democrats lied. But the Democrats nearly always lie. The Republicans backed up until they realized America was as disgusted by their cowardice as it was by the Democrats’ mendacity. Both played the same roles they’ve been playing for decades. Ultimately, the politicians behaved exactly the way politicians always behave without proper supervision.

And that brings me to the really tough part: If you’re looking for the getaway driver in the Obamacare crime story, take a gander at that cat in the mirror. From the most twisted Democrat to the least forthright Republican, every one of the career politicians in Washington, D.C., supposedly represents a sizable number of Americans. But with spare few exceptions, none of them seem particularly interested in what Americans have to say. And we let them wander this far down the Tyranny Throughway. They may have done the crime, but we’re doing the time.

Next fall, the Nation will head to the polls to judge our would-be leaders. If the past few years have left you feeling as nauseous as a bulimic watching Michael Moore eating dessert, consider your options. You can continue watching both sides gorge themselves on your freedom, or you can stop the gravy train.

Root Suggest GOP Plan To Turn Tables on Dems and Obama--Will They Do It? Will It Work?

How To Kill Obamacare, Turn The People Against Obama And Save The GOP

October 3, 2013 by Wayne Allyn Root 

Hello, I’m Wayne Allyn Root for Personal Liberty. Ted Cruz, the Tea Party and the GOP fought hard and courageously; but it’s time to recognize that we aren’t going to win the current battle. Obama will negotiate with madmen in Iran over a nuclear bomb and with madmen in Syria over chemical weapons, but he won’t negotiate with Republicans in Congress over healthcare. So who’s the crazy one here?

No matter. Obama will not defund Obamacare. He will not even allow reasonable changes. It’s his law and he’s in charge. We are fighting a no-win battle over both Obamacare and the government shutdown — especially because the media protects him at all costs. The message the media puts out is that: “Obama is for the little guy. The GOP is evil and greedy.” Unfortunately, we are playing right into Obama’s hands with both a defunding of Obamacare and a Federal government shutdown.

Great generals change tactics constantly to win battles and wars. They recognize it is all a chess game and that as circumstances change and evolve, tactics must change and evolve. Now, it’s time for the Republican Congress to change tactics.

How can the GOP message be changed to win the battle instantly? By changing our demand. Here’s a way to turn this into a win-win for the GOP. Republicans will, in fact, end the government shutdown, pass the budget and fund Obamacare if this one single simple demand is met: Remove all exemptions, exceptions and waivers to Obamacare. 

It’s that simple. The message is: If Obamacare is so good for the people, then let everyone have it right now, this instant — the poor, the rich, the big unions, the big corporations, the politically connected, the lawyers, the lobbyists and, of course, Congress, too. Everyone means everyone.

“Everyone” must specifically include Senators, Congressmen, their staffs, Obama himself, Michelle, Sasha and Malia. It’s everyone in the rowboat, or no one. That’s the only GOP demand. Forget defunding; it’s not going to happen. Fund it, but only if Obama agrees to end all exemptions, exceptions, and waivers today.

How’s that for a simple, clear and concise, easy-to-understand message, a message that puts the GOP clearly on the side of equality and fairness for all? This is a message a majority of Americans will support. This is a message that puts Obama on the defensive and paints him into a dangerous no-win corner.

That’s how you win the war with Obama and kill Obamacare. That’s how you win the public relations battle. That’s how you leave the media speechless. That’s how you outmaneuver Obama.

Think of Obama’s only two options at that point. He can either tell the American people that government will stay shut “because I refuse to force corporations, unions and Congress to live by the same rules as the rest of you,” or he can immediately reopen the government and fund Obamacare but cause a war inside the Democratic Party by abandoning his big corporate donors and unions. He loses big either way.

If this were wrestling or MMA fighting, the GOP just flipped Obama on his back. How can he say “no” to the GOP demand? Is Obama only for the rich, big corporations and politically connected? What is he protecting the rich and privileged from? If Obamacare is so great, why did he delay it for big corporations? What about the rest of us? Are we human guinea pigs?

More importantly, how can Obama look into the camera and say that Congress and the President should have the right to different healthcare than the citizens? Talk about an unwinnable position. Make him explain why he will keep the government closed so that Congress can have a different healthcare plan than the rest of us peasants.

Obama has broken the law and violated the Constitution with these special exemptions and waivers. Hold his feet to the fire. The GOP isn’t against poor people getting healthcare. We certainly hate Obamacare. We know it’s a disaster for healthcare, jobs and the economy. But if it’s the law of the land (for now), then we demand equality for everyone.

If Obama wants the law, let’s all have the law: everyone. Michelle, Sasha and Malia can wait in the same long lines as the rest of us. So can Congress and their staffs. So can big corporations like GE, Wal-Mart and Exxon. So can every union member. So can every government employee. If the rest of us can’t have “Cadillac health insurance plans” without paying big fines or taxes, then unions and government employees can’t either.

It’s one for all and all for one. Let’s see Obama oppose that argument. Let’s see him defend waivers and exemptions for some, while the rest of us get screwed. Let’s see Obama defend keeping the government closed in order to retain the one-year waiver for big business, while forcing small business and the middle class to suffer immediately.

Obama is between a rock and a hard place. He must agree that everyone gets it today, ready or not, with no exceptions. Or no one gets it.

Suddenly, the GOP has turned the tables. We have exposed Obama as the fraud he is. With this one change in tactics, the GOP represents “equality and fairness for all.” Let Obama defend inequality, unfairness and special favors for the rich and connected. Checkmate.

Obamacare is a disaster. The exchanges aren’t ready. Mass confusion reigns. The people have no idea how bad this is going to get. But it’s clear the unions, big corporations and Congress understand. That’s why they desperately want out. From this day forward, we let no one out. We are all in this together.

Make Obama own it. Make him tie his friends and donors into it right now — with no wiggle room. Then, watch the fun begin. Watch the unions and big corporations demand the repeal of Obamacare. Watch mass protests in the streets by union members. Watch the Democratic Party devolve into screaming and fighting matches among themselves. Watch D.C. implode as Congress, Congressional staffers and lobbyists refuse to accept Obamacare. Watch the rats desert the sinking ship.

But if Obama keeps the government closed to protect his biggest donors, the public will turn on him with a vengeance. By November of 2014, every single Democrat who ever voted for this disaster will be thrown out on his or her ass.

Oh, and one big bonus. I can’t wait to see Michelle Obama’s face when she hears she must live under the same law as the rest of us. I’d pay for tickets to watch that one.

I’m Wayne Allyn Root for Personal Liberty. See you next week. Same time, same place. God bless America.

A Primer On ObamaCrapCare--What You Should Know

7 Things You Need to Know About Obamacare Exchanges

Monday, 30 Sep 2013 01:58 PM

By Nick Tate

Share:

More . . .

A    A   |

   Email Us   |

   Print   |

   Forward Article

• 0
  inShare

Ready or not — and like it or not — enrollment in the Obamacare Affordable Healthcare Exchanges has begun, providing a new way of shopping for health plans if you don't get your insurance from your employer, Medicare, or Medicaid.

If you've decided you want to buy insurance through the exchange offered by your state or the federal government — or maybe you're just curious about the offerings? — here's a primer on the exchanges and a step-by-step guide to picking a plan, calculating costs, and determining if you're eligible for a federal subsidy.


 

How will buying insurance through an exchange be different?

Each state, and the District of Columbia, will have a health insurance exchange that will run like a complicated version of Expedia. Individual consumers will be able to go online to make apples-to-apples comparisons of various insurance policies, pick a plan, and enroll.
 

Some states, like New York and California, will run their own exchanges, with insurance companies offering dozens of qualified plans, each with varying costs. Others, like Florida and Texas, will be run by the federal government. Still others, such as Illinois and Michigan, are partnering with the federal government to run their marketplaces.
 

For information on what your home state is doing, to find your exchange, and enroll if the federal government is handling the program in your state, you can log onto the federal government Website: HealthCare.gov and follow the prompts

 

When does the enrollment period end?

Enrollment begins Oct. 1 and ends March 31, 2014. If you pick a plan by Dec. 15, 2013, your coverage begins on Jan. 1, 2014.
 

If you miss the March 31 deadline, you will be required to pay a tax penalty next year to the IRS — $95 per individual (or 1 percent of your income, whichever is greater), $285 per family. That fine rises to $325 per individual (or 2 percent of income), $975 per family in 2015. The penalty maxes out at $695 per individual (or 2.5 percent of income) and $2,085 per family in 2016.
 

After March 31, you can only apply for insurance if you experience a major life change, such as job loss, divorce, or birth in your family. The next open enrollment period (for 2015) will begin Oct. 15, 2014.
 

Employees of small employers can sign up for coverage through the SHOP exchanges at any time.
 

What if I don't have access to a computer?

Toll-free call centers will also be available, with trained experts, to detail your options and enroll you in health coverage.
 

For information, call 1-800-319-2596. The line is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

How can I find out if I qualify for a subsidy?

Up to 26 million Americans will be eligible for federal tax subsidies to help defray the cost of their insurance premium. Only qualified individuals who sign up for insurance through the exchanges will be able to get the subsidies, which kick in next year.
 

If you earn less than 400 percent of the poverty level — about $46,000 for an individual; $90,000 for a family of four— you may qualify for a subsidies. For instance:

• A family of four on the high end of the scale — with an annual household income of $88,200 — will pay a maximum of 9.5, which amounts to $8,379 per year for a health insurance premium, and the rest would be subsidized
• On the bottom end of the scale, a family of four with an income of $29,327 will only have to pay 2 percent of household income — or $587 per year for the same plan that will cost the higher-income family $8,379.

In addition, low income residents in about half the states that plan to expand Medicaid under Obamacare will also qualify for free or low-cost healthcare through the federal program for the poor. Applicants earning up to 133 percent of the poverty line — just under $30,000 a year for a family of four — who log onto HealthCare.gov will be directed to Medicaid or the Children's Health Insurance Program.


 

What kinds of plans will be offered?

 

The exchanges aim to simplify the decision-making process, with insurers offering four standardized insurance plans — designated bronze, silver, gold, platinum. Each will cover 10 categories of essential benefits, set by the federal government — such as emergency service, prescription drug coverage, preventive care, and mental health treatment — but will vary in cost, as follows:

 

• Bronze plans: Offer the lowest amount of coverage — 60 percent of medical costs on average — but will have the lowest premiums.
• Silver: 70 percent of costs are covered.
• Gold: 80 percent of costs are covered.
• Platinum: 90 percent of costs are covered, but these plans will have the highest premiums.

 

What does the application process involve?

 

The U.S. Department of Health and Humans Services has devised a three-page application (down from the original 21 pages) for individuals to apply (online or on paper). You will need to provide the following types of information: 

• Name and personal facts (address, Social Security number, date of birth).
• Health status (pregnant, physical/mental conditions).
• Employment status and household income level (using pay stubs or W-2 forms).
• Current health insurance coverage (if any).
• Permission to give an authorized representative or “navigator” access to application information.

What about small businesses?

Small businesses — those with fewer than 50 workers — will also eventually be able to shop for coverage for their employees through the so-called Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP), that is a part of the healthcare exchanges.
 

The SHOP exchanges aim to help small businesses, which have historically paid more than large companies to insure their workers — not only in premiums, but also in administrative costs — in part, because they have a smaller pool of employees with which to negotiate deals with insurers.

 

The SHOP exchanges pool small employers together so they bargain with insurance coverage as a group. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office has estimated the SHOP exchanges will lower annual premiums for businesses by 1-4 percent. But there are some problems with the rollout of the SHOP exchanges.
 

Last week, federal officials announced that small businesses will not be able to enroll directly on Oct. 1, as planned, unless they work through an insurance agent. Officials expect the exchanges will be open to small businesses by Nov. 1.
 

In addition, the Obama administration recently said it is delaying the full implementation of the SHOP program until 2015. In most states employers — where federal officials are running the exchanges or  operating them in partnership with the states — small businesses will not be able to provide workers with a choice of health plans as the law intended. Instead, they will be limited to a single SHOP plan next year.
 

For more information: HealthCare.gov, 1-800-318-2596.

 

© 2013 Newsmax. All rights reserved.

Government Closes Open Air Memorials, Parks While Employing Guards To Protect And Fencing Off Buildings--Some Shortage of Money

Feds Back Down to Allow Vets Access to World War II Memorial

Wednesday, 02 Oct 2013 03:32 PM

By Andrea Billups

Share:

More . . .

A    A   |

   Email Us   |

   Print   |

   Forward Article

• 0
  inShare

(AP)

Hours after a feud looked certain to blow up over access to Washington's World War II Memorial, the federal government backed down and said veterans would be allowed in.

The news came in a Twitter message from Carol Johnson, the National Mall's public information officer.



The climbdown was the result of a groundswell of complaints joined by a growing contingent of lawmakers who met the vets at the memorial site Wednesday morning to ensure a dignified visit. There, the scene was emotional as one veteran played Taps and most stood in rapt attention, BuzzFeed's Benny Johnson tweeted

Hundreds of veterans are due to fly to Washington to visit the memorial, which was barricaded Tuesday because of the government shutdown. About 90 veterans who turned up Tuesday got access only after Republican Rep. Steven Palazzo of Mississippi helped to cut police tape and move concrete barriers.

The scene was expected to be repeated Wednesday, before the Park Service climbdown.

Palazzo, a Gulf War Marine veteran, had planned to sponsor legislation that would have allowed access during the shutdown, saying the Obama administration was using politics against men who deserve to be honored, not pushed aside.

"At first I thought it was a huge bureaucratic oversight, but having talked with officials, I can't help but think it was politically motivated," Palazzo told the Daily Caller.

"Honor Flights, which bring WWII veterans to the nation's memorials, are planned a year in advance and can cost anywhere between $80,000 to $100,000. How low can you get with playing politics over our nation's veterans?"

Palazzo added, "This is an open-air memorial that the public has 24-7 access to under normal circumstances – even when Park Service personnel are present. It actually requires more effort and expense to shut out these veterans from their memorial than it would to simply let them through. My office has been in touch with NPS officials and the administration to try to resolve this issue."

Reps. Vicky Hartzler of Missouri and Mike Pompeo of Kansas were among a growing contingent of lawmakers on site at the memorial Wednesday morning. Pompeo put his thoughts on Twitter.



Honor Flight's board Chairman Jim McLaughlin told Newsmax on Tuesday that about 3,500 vets are slated to take free flights to Washington in October alone, creating scheduling concerns as lawmakers seek compromise to end a government shutdown that has shuttered national parks nationwide.

For many, he said, the trips mark their last chance to see the monuments, and they deserve proper dignity on their trips.

The Lincoln Memorial is also closed to public visitors, even as some have argued that it costs the Park Service more to close it than to keep it open, given that it is an open-air monument and not a site to be toured, legalinsurrection.com reports.






© 2013 Newsmax. All rights reserved.