Politics Who's Gonna Win?

In a competitive market what would happen under these conditions?
Would the strength of the industry be enhanced, in preparation for periods when losses go outside of the 80/20 ratio?
Would premiums go down?
Would money be reinvested to the long-term benefit of insured's, the companies, service providers, investors, government?

This stuff does not happen in a vacuum - your numbers are meaningless unless they are made relative to alternatives. If your assumption is that this money goes into some type of black hole, your assumption is wrong.
--- merged: May 15, 2012 at 12:20 PM ---

No.

That is not the case.

You have lost me. I don't understand where you are going with this.

 

Coming in fourth in number of delegates is not much of an accomplishment. Although he did more than double his delegate count from 08 when he came in fourth as well.

The question remains as to what Paul might expect in terms of input into the party platform and/or a speaking opportunity at the convention and how his delegates might act when he gets neither. His delegates are a wild card or just wild, on occasion, and could be very disruptive at the convention (they recently booed Romney's son off the stage at the Ariz state convention.).

Can he control his delegates? That is the question.

 

My point was that statistically speaking, the issue you are pushing is not a significant issue. It's a non-issue, just like the others are. We can argue about these thing ad infinitum, but given limited resources and time why focus on something that's not actually a problem when there are real problems? Let's tackle this issue right after we re-hash whether Obama is a Kenyan muslim acting as a puppet for the world-wide establishment of cooperative a Zionist Israeli/Iranian Muslim Caliphate?

 

I asked a simple question, I assume your answer is that you do not have an issue with non-US citizens voting in US elections. I do have an issue with it regardless of the numbers. I think the integrity of elections is of such a high importance that any amount of fraud can have severe consequences to the principle of one person one vote. I also have issue with other potential problems with fraudulent voting in US elections, like the previously discussed voter ID topic.

 

No black hole. It will hopefully do its bit to stimulate the growth of the economy which I consider more important right now than how insurance companies manage to manage your conditions, going forward. If they intend on surviving, they will find a way.

 

In addition to the stimulative effect, the required 80/20 loss control ratio is another tool, along the Insurance Exchanges, that will increase competition in what is now a closed market in much of the country (anti-competitive conditions exist in 4 out of 5 markets -- which might explain why insurance companies have been able to get away with spending less than 80% of premiums on patient care until now).
--- merged: May 15, 2012 at 3:38 PM ---

Despite the fact that more voters could (or would) be disenfranchised than non-citizens committing voter fraud as would be the case with photo ID.

So much for their voting rights, eh?

 

Every little bit helps people who need the money, but we are talking about very small numbers relative to total premium dollars collected - not to mention small numbers relative to the premiums actually paid by individuals. But if a $50 to $100 refund is what we measure success by when some people are paying $600+ per month, so be it.
--- merged: May 15, 2012 at 3:50 PM ---

Why do you persist with this, find someone who actually wants to disenfranchise voters. I would put in fixes for both sides of the problem. I am not motivated to stop anyone from voting who has a legitimate right to cast a vote.

 

I persist because these laws have a very high likelihood of disenfranchising voters. Your motivation does not matter.

What does matter are the laws presently being proposed and/or enacted that mandate a state-issued photo ID that will likely disenfranchise some elderly and minority voters.

Either you support these laws or you dont. Your noble sentiments wont fix them to address both sides of the problem (assuming there is a voter fraud problem, which you have yet to demonstrate).

And yes, I believe Republicans behind these bills absolutely want to disenfranchise voters.

 

What matters is a solution or a compromise solution that will satisfy the concerns of people like me and people like you. The answer is not really a compromise the way you talk about compromise, but in my view, however you describe it, it is addressing legitimate concerns. You can easily close the door on those who really want to disenfranchise people by working with those of us who don't want to. Just like I want to close the door on those who want to manipulate elections using fraudulent voters. This is why nothing gets done in Washington these days.

 

What matters, Ace, is that these laws are in place and people will be disenfranchised in November....which is exactly what the Republicans in these stated wanted.

Are you so naive as to believe they would amend these laws in the manner you suggest to protect elderly and minority voters? That would be self-defeating of their underlying objective.
--- merged: May 15, 2012 at 4:13 PM ---
If there is legitimate concern of voter fraud to any extent, there would be evidence to support it. And yet, we still see no such evidence.

 

I am Republican it is not what I want. Between now and November why not help people get what they need to vote?

If your word for my view is "naive", then I am "naive". However, I think if people like you actually put what I suggest on the table you may find out if it is true or not.

If you don't believe my motivation, I get that - but there are ways to uncover someone's real motivations. For example, I put real plausible solutions on the table and you keep reverting back to the same talking point - I fully understand your motivation at this point.

There is evidence, it may be circumstantial evidence, it may be anecdotal evidence, the evidence may not fit scholarly statistical modeling, but you can not honestly say there is no evidence.

 

Ace, I dont know how you or anyone can help the potentially thousands of people in these states unless they come forward and identify themselves; but the fact is that most wont be denied their voting rights until they arrive at the polls with insufficient IDs.

If you want to help these potentially disenfranchised voters between now and November, I would hope you would, at the very least, support the legal challenges of these existing laws (that dont have your "fixes"} by League of Women Voters, Common Cause, ACLU, etc.

I am not questioning your motivation, but that of the Republican legislators enacting these laws.

Every study done on the subject of voter fraud (multiple voting, dead voters, etc) that I have seen have found that the overwhelming number of cases, in the 99.9% range, are due to clerical error and other non-fraudulent issues.

But I understand now that you evidently believe that circumstantial or anecdotal evidence is enough to impose strict government regulations on US citizens.

 

Here is the problem in your argument.

A) Argue there is no proof of fraud.
B) It is not fraud that can easily be proved. How would we know how many voters are making fraudulent votes? Stipulated
C) Obstruct any effort to prove, monitor and track potential fraud.
D) Argue there is no proof of fraud.

Wash, rinse, repeat. Circular logical fallacy.

Just so you know, I know the strategy being employed - and I know that as long as some think their candidates benefit from voter fraud they will forever be against any effort to bring it to light or do anything about it. I suspect when enough people on the opposite side of my argument realize the importance of maintaining the integrity of elections the problems of voter fraud and potential disenfranchisement will be solved. Both problems can be solved, regardless of what you say to the contrary.

 

Ace...there is anecdotal evidence that criminals are able to buys guns, despite the current background check requirement.

Is it time for tougher gun control laws?
--- merged: May 15, 2012 at 6:31 PM ---

You have been asked repeatedly to provide evidence or proof of any significant voter fraud and you cant.

The best you can come up with is circumstantial or anecdotal evidence, much of which could probably be explained if you were to offer specific examples.

I would suggest your argument is a fraud.

 

No ace. What I'm saying is that you're wasting time and resources on a trivial issue, based on your concerns of voter fraud, and pouring it into an issue that will disenfranchise actual real American qualified voters who lack actual real ID in real actual 4 months. How you can't see this is beyond me.

To wit, I am officially opposed to any law that stipulates that Papua New Ginni pigmy cannibals can purchase my left testicle for their Sunday brunch dessert. I'm sure you will agree that IF Papua New Ginni pygmy cannibals could do such a thing, it would be a major problem. So I want you to start campaigning for legislation to end this potential travesty. While we're at it, I think the Death Star sounds like an awful idea. I think we should start a campaign to keep anyone wearing lots of black clothes from using a Death Star apparatus to destroy any planet named Alderan. I look forward to working with you on these issues in a bi-partisan manner.

 

If Obama makes too big a deal about how well the private sector is doing, it might lead people to question how it is that corporations can be paying ridiculously small effective tax rates while wallowing in money while the rest of us still suffer high unemployment. These questions invariably lead a person to question the wisdom of the dominant economic system - not capitalism, but American Capitalism (TM). The Obama administration is a product of and is owned by the dominant economic system, so he's probably going to pass on anything that will lead people to question it's utility.

 

I support further enhancement of gun control laws, in particular, a national standard for conceal carry training and permitting. I support enhanced punishment for negligence and criminal gun use. I support waiting periods. I support ID and enhanced verification of mental stability, and more detailed background screening prior to purchase. I support restrictions on certain types of military grade weaponry. I support restrictions on certain types of ammunition, that in particular would be used against police equipment and tactics. There are degrees of us folk who "cling to our guns and religion" (I haven't been to a church in ages, but I think God still loves me).

Try again.

Are you actually reading posts?

If taking the position that voters should prove they are who they say they are prior to voting - call it whatever you want. I don't try to hide from my core beliefs.
--- merged: May 17, 2012 at 5:32 PM ---

Do you have proof of this supposed disenfranchisement? All these people still have several months to get their alleged problem solved.

I believe it is illegal for the folks in New Ginni to take your left or right testicle without your consent. And I would hope it is illegal to smuggle human body parts across international boarders - as it is illegal to smuggle some animals and animal body parts. If it is not illegal, I would actually support a move to make it illegal.

I also believe that if Richard Branson, Virgin Atlantic, CEO billionaire know for:


Sir Richard Branson and New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez dedicate the ‘Virgin Galactic Gateway to Space'






Was in reality planning on constructing a DeathStar, I would support pre-emptive legislation to prevent the wanton destruction of other planets. I do not care how he dresses.

Try again.

 

I do not feel Obama's team has done well at selling his accomplishments, and winning the publicity wars. It sure seems to me that the republicans, not including the tea party....their fanaticism might be our savings grace....are winning the publicity battles.
Not sure I can completely blame Obama's team for this, obviously the mainstream media, television in particular,are biased towards Romney. Let's face it, they are big business. Their bias is subtle, not Foxes level, and seems to be more tv time, and positive vs negative stories.
The democrats should consistently be stating Obama's accomplishments regardless of any other message they may be touting at the time. They also have to put away the rabbit ears, and stop being so sensitive to every republican criticism...they are going to do that no matter what.

If you ask me this is one heck of a list of his most significant accomplishments in two years:
Take into account ...list is subjective, for speed purposes I just copied it to quickly to make my point. I like how the author explains the significance of each.

Here is the updated list of what I judge to be Obama’s most significant accomplishments in the less than 2 years since he was elected as President of the United States: As you read through this list, I ask you to weigh the totality of these achievements listed below against those accomplishments of Obama’s presidential predecessors, Democrats and Republicans, and then, after considering this, make your determination of whether you think he has done a good job.
1. Appointing two Supreme Court Justices: When people consider their presidential voting decision, most don’t consider that amongst the most important and enduring presidential responsibilities is the president’s ability to appoint supreme court justices. This is arguably a president’s biggest opportunity to influence his country, because Supreme Court justices sit until they retire or pass away, so the impact of his decision generally will last many decades beyond his years as president. Obama has been fortunate enough to have two Supreme Court Justices retire in his first few years in office and he has managed to secure both of his nominations through wise selection and political skill. He has added two Democrats, replacing two moderate Democrats in the process. If a Republican has won the presidency instead, we would now be looking at an unbalanced Supreme Court with six conservatives and only three liberal judges – a balance that would have been in place for many many decades. In the appointment process, Obama also introduced needed diversity to the bench with two more women on the court, bringing the count to a record three women sitting, while also introducing the nation’s first Hispanic to the Supreme Court with his choice of Sotomayor.
2. Passing Universal Healthcare: Obama accomplished what no prior Democrat could in expanding coverage to 32 million more Americans while simultaneously reducing the deficit by an estimated $1.3 trillion over the next 20 years. It delivers on every provision of the Patient Bill of Rights that Bill Clinton unsuccessfully tried to get passed, including making it illegal to deny coverage for people with pre-existing conditions and capping out of pocket expenses when people get sick (so people don’t go in to bankruptcy after getting ill). It helps shift our medical system’s focus to preventative care by covering the cost of early warning tests so our doctors find diseases before they are too advanced - avoiding larger medical expenses down the road and requires the largest and richest American companies to provides insurance for all their employees. It attempts to lower health care costs by forcing all Americans to have medical insurance and pay their fair share so the system is more efficient – similar to how all Americans need to have car insurance – while providing tax credits to help the poor and small businesses afford this coverage. It increases competition by creating marketplace exchanges to make it easier for small businesses and those without insurance to shop and compare plans. It funds co-ops who can offer competitive insurance plans and provide further competition for insurance companies. It allows insurance companies to offer plans across state borders further increasing the supply of competitive plans. It provides funding, infrastructure, and support to automate, digitize, and unify the country’s outdated medical information system reducing system-wide costs, improving care, and increasing productivity. Perhaps most importantly, it sets up an independent commission of doctors and medical experts to identify and root out medical system waste, fraud, and abuse and includes many pieces of reform that will reduce the most wasteful medical system practices.
3. Financial industry reform: The most sweeping financial industry reform legislation since the Great Depression, this legislation tries to correct those industry issues that helped create the current recession we are still digging outselves out of. It provides a system to allow the government to break apart large financial institutions that threaten the economy, creates a council of federal regulators to coordinate the detection of risks to the financial system, subjects a wider range of financial companies to government oversight, creates a Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection to help protect citizens from unscrupulous practices, and reins in banks’ ability to trade in risky financial instruments such as credit derivatives.
4. Preventing a 2nd Great Depression: While preventing a depression is not sexy and certainly is reactive, history may say that this is still one of his most important accomplishment to date. The vast majority of economists and experts say that the nation had a high chance of slipping in to a Depression had this stimulus not passed along with the innovative actions of the Fed. Obama has worked with Bernanke and the Fed, put a team of some of the best economic minds around him, helped save America’s 3 major car manufacturers from going out of business, passed the largest economic Stimulus Bill in the nation’s history, and executed other legislative changes to keep liquidity flowing in our economy, save jobs that would have otherwise been lost, and fund areas of our economy that are strategic and important for our long term economic competitiveness including health care, education, green energy, science, and infrastructure.
Of course, critics will say that the economy today is still sputtering, holds some risk of sliding back in to a recession, and that a real recovery will take many years. These are all true statements and Obama has not moved us from a possible Depression to a fast growing economy – but this is a completely unrealistic, almost childish, expectation given the severity of the financial crisis, our current debt, and other economic realities that we have to deal with. Could he have done more or done it differently? Certainly. I would have loved to see Obama do more, faster to invest in small businesses, help them get loans, and help them become more competitive with the large corporations that increasingly dominate our economy. But today we are not in a horrible depression and things are stable and this alone is a tremendous accomplishment.
5. Bringing the war in Iraq to an end: Obama has reduced troops from a peak of 170,000 down to 50,000, with the remaining troops focused on training and recruiting Iraqi forces, rather than participating in combat. With this news, Obama delivered on a campaign promise he made while bringing to an end a misguided, expensive, and costly war which served no clear purpose. He also ensured that, in the process of wrapping up efforts in the region, he did so responsibly. Iraq is not in utter chaos as it once was at the peak of the insurgency and it stands a chance of having a reasonable future and being a reasonably stable Democratic state in the Middle East.
6. Passed legislation to curb greenhouse gases and improve the environment: Obama implemented new regulations on power plants, factories, and oil refineries to limit greenhouse gas emissions and curb global warming, required energy producing plants to produce 15% of their energy from renewable sources, allowed states to enact federal fuel efficiency standards above federal standards, increased, for the first time in more than a decade, the fuel economy standards for Model Year 2011 for cars and trucks, funded investment in clean energy technologies through a combination of spending and tax breaks, signed an omnibus public lands bill, which allows for 2 million more acres to be declared wilderness, and issued a Presidential Memorandum to the Department of Energy to implement more aggressive efficiency standards for common household appliances, like dishwashers and refrigerators, which, over the next three decades, will save twice the amount of energy produced by all the coal-fired power plants in America in any given year.
7. Nuclear non-proliferation agreement: Obama met with 47 presidents in a 3 day nuclear summit to lower the nuclear weapons count with a treaty signed between US and Russia, putting the world back on a path to reducing nuclear warheads.
8. Repairing Our Image Abroad: After 8 years of damage to our country’s image, Obama has helped repair badly damaged relationships with foreign powers across the world from Russia to Europe and reached out to the Arab world. This is necessary and critical in order for the most influential countries to work together to fight challenges such as Global Warming and Nuclear expansion. It also helps to fight terrorist recruiting by helping change America’s negative image. It is increasingly important for the US to engage with other countries as fast-growing nations like Brazil, China, and India join the traditional powerhouses and as America adjusts to a world with more diverse and influential players in the political equation.
9. Lifted Bush restrictions on embryonic stem cell research: Obama provided federal support for stem-cell and new biomedical research, helping make it easier for scientists to find cures for our most dangerous diseases.
10. Reversed George W. Bush’s ban on federal funding to foreign organizations that allow abortions.
11. Implemented education reforms: Made higher college more accessible and affordable through significant increases in scholarships and funding, funded early learning programs, and, most importantly, through an innovative program called Race to the Top, spurred reforms in state and local district K-12 education by providing states with incentives to make positive changes to their education systems. Race to the Top prompted 48 states to adopt common standards for K-12. Some notable changes prompted by the program include Illinois lifting a cap on the number of charter schools it allows, Massachusetts making it easier for students in low-performing schools to switch to charters, and West Virginia proposing a merit pay system that includes student achievement in its compensation calculations.
12. Tobacco regulation. On June 22, 2009, Obama signed the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, which, for the first time, gave the U.S. Food & Drug Administration the authority to regulate the manufacturing, marketing, and sale of tobacco.

President Obama’s Accomplishments | 3CHICSPOLITICO

 

Do you mean do I have proof of future events, or can I put up credible studies that indicate that is the most likely outcome? I'm pretty sure the former is a violation of what we currently know about the laws of physics, and the latter has been posted before. I can go retrieve some unless (crosses fingers) redux has it lying about and handy.

Seriously? I'm forced to assume you're choosing to put your head in the sand. I'm not going to bother repeating myself. I can't decide if the depiction below is you or me.