Firing Geithner, Economic Gamble, Health Care for Troops, True Cost f Health Care Reform
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Friday November 20, 2009
The Weekend Edition
Today's Zinger:
Perception Is Reality Until Reality Overcomes Perception
The Morning Briefing:
Tim Geithner: The Economic Fall Guy: Many in Congress are calling for the replacement of Tim Geithner as head of the Treasury. The question is not if Geithner should be replaced, rather why was he confirmed in the first place?
The President's Economic Gamble: With the economy sputtering, the administration finds itself in the tough position of admitting the current economic policies are not working and propose another stimulus bill or gamble that the economy will correct itself.
Health Care For Troops. Give Me Health Care and I Will Give You Troops. The decision on Afghanistan does not require more information or analysis, the administration is waiting on health care legislation.
Federal Math. I’ll Give You Six, You Give Me 15. The True Cost of Health Care Revealed.
Who Said It:
Within the first few months, I discovered that being president is like riding a tiger. A man has to keep on riding or be swallowed.
The Discussion:
The Fall Guy.
Tim Geithner, head of the U.S. Treasury, is under attack from both the Left and the Right. The Left claims that Geithner has be ineffective in handling the economic recovery as unemployment continues to rise. Many economists are now predicting an economy that may actually go into a second recession, a very rare occurrence. The Right claims that he is in bed with his Wall Street colleagues and his decisions are not for the benefit of the American people.
Tim Geithner should not be fired; he should never have been hired in the first place. Geithner is a man that knowingly cheated on his taxes for years. For five years he submitted the paperwork to obtain tens of thousands of dollars from international agreements from the government then “forgot” to include it on his US taxes. How can you remember to file the paperwork to obtain the cash but forget to file the paperwork to pay the taxes? Tim Geithner’s ethics were on display and anyone that thought he would demonstrate better judgment and ethical behavior as head of the Treasury doesn’t understand human nature or just didn’t care about his tax cheating ways.
Now the Democrats are blaming Geithner for the bad economy saying he is mismanaging the recovery. Amazing, the Democrats that drove a $787 billion stimulus bill through Congress to turn the economy around are blaming someone else for its failure. It sounds to me like not only should Tim Geithner be removed from his office but all those that now blame the economic problems on Geithner, yet confirmed him for Treasury Secretary, should also be fired.
Behavioral Scientists have studied the effects of lying and cheating for decades. The consensus is that if an individual is willing to lie or take liberties with the truth, even on small things, they are willing to lie and cheat on bigger issues. In our “its all about me” society, lying and cheating have become common place. The real concern is that we, as a society, have come to expect it and more importantly to accept it. Many of our politicians count on it.
The President’s Economic Gamble.
Over the past two months the administration has talked up the good economic news and attributed it to the $787 billion stimulus bill working. The government paid people to buy cars, they paid people to buy houses, they paid people to buy appliances, they paid people to get mortgages and they paid people to stay unemployed while paying for their health care. We used to call this a sugar daddy but I guess that is not PC. Now that the government is not paying for everything and we are on our own, the economy is faltering. This should not be a surprise.
Our economy needs more stimulus and the politicians are too afraid to propose it. After building a war chest filled with massive debt and the American people beginning to revolt against further borrowing, the politicians are afraid of the public outcry that would accompany such a proposal, and it is coming at the wrong time. Without a stimulus bill, we run the risk of falling into another recession that could be devastating. The stimulus programs that have been used were not effective and the programs that are needed will require the administration to admit they have been ineffective.
This administration has been megaphone of self-promotion and it will be political suicide to admit their economic policies did not work. But now they are left with an even greater dilemma. Should they propose additional stimulus (they won’t be able to blame this round on Bush)? Should they stay the course and hope that the economy recovers on its’ own and run the risk that we fall into another recession?
The war in Afghanistan was the first real executive decision President Obama has had to make. How to deal with the economy going forward is his second real executive decision.
Health Care For Troops. Give Me Health Care and I Will Give You Troops.
With a corrupt government in place, the Taliban making a comeback, Al Qaida becoming more aggressive in Pakistan and our troops under greater attack in Afghanistan, it is fair to say that the war in Afghanistan is not going well. The Generals on the ground are requesting more troops, but with the costs of war escalating, the President has taken a timeout to reconsider his options. Months have passed and still no response, other than an announcement that “he is getting close to making a decision.” The enemy understands weakness and is being more aggressive than ever during this period of indecisiveness. But is the lack of a decision based on the need for further analysis, or is there another political agenda?
The options are well known and well understood, so why is it taking so long to make a decision? Maybe, it’s the American Health Care legislation. It’s all about timing and this administration has been extraordinary in its ability to manage a message and implement a communications campaign to sway votes.
The House has finalized and approved a health care insurance reform bill. The Senate has finally submitted their bill and the objective is to drive the bill to the floor for a vote in the next few weeks. I believe the administration would like to finalize the health care debate before taking on the strategy and cost of the war in Afghanistan. They know that the American people will baulk at the cost of the war ($1 million per soldier per year). The American people are already baulking at the cost of health care reform (which will be billions of dollars more that the administration is saying).
So, it’s all about timing. Get health care approved and then deal with the war because the combined cost will surely shock everyone and there is no appetite in American public to increase Federal spending. The Republicans will support the cost of the war but they won’t support the cost of health care. The Democrats know they must fight the war, despite its costs, but don’t want to give up health care.
My guess is that we will see a vote for cloture in the Senate that will force the bill to a vote. Before the vote they will modify the bill and it will be approved with 51 votes. Then it must be reconciled with the House version. This will allow the politicians that need to say they voted “for” health care reform to do so and will allow the politicians to say the “voted against” health care reform to do so. And it will allow the American people to get angrier at our political system.
Federal Math. I’ll Give You Six, You Give Me 15. The True Cost of Health Care Revealed.
You give me fifteen (15) dollars and I'll give you six (6) back. How does that sound?
This is what has been proposed in the Senate Health Care bill. Lets not forget that the 2010 Federal Budget includes $600 billion pre pay on health care (the equivalent of 5 years of premiums). Now the Senate wants to tax us for four years (2011-2014) of health care before any health care program goes into effect. That’s nine years of taxes before the first patient is seen. Then they will pay for 6 years (2015-2019) of benefits. That’s a billion dollars of prepaid medical premiums followed by 6 years of coverage, 15 years of paying in for 6 years of coverage.
Who Said It:
Within the first few months, I discovered that being president is like riding a tiger. A man has to keep on riding or be swallowed.
Harry S. Truman
Today's ZingerToon:
Recent ZingerKing Articles:
Articles can be found under “Recent Articles” in the purple sidebar. Older articles can be found in the archives that are stored by month. These are found at the bottom of the purple sidebar. Here is a list of the most recent articles.Click here to access the archives www.ZingerKing.com
Torture, Rendition and Iran's Nuclear Ambition
2009 Elections. How Losers Become Winners
The Cost of The Olympics. Chicago's Bid
Health Care and Illegal Immigrants
Obama's Eight Month Report Card
Climate Change and Afghanistan
Missile Defense in Czech Republic and Poland
Escalating the War in Afghanistan: Pelosi and Obama
President Obama's Speech To Congress Regarding Health Care
Part I: Implications of a Radical Change in Life Expectancy
Zingers Alternative For health Care Reform
The Tug Of War Of Special Interest Groups and Health Care Reform
Credibility Of The Administration Is Challenged
You can access these and other articles at www.ZingerKing.com
Shameless Request For Support:
ZingerKing operates without advertising or government funding (obviously). The purpose is to inform and educate its readers about economic and political issues that affect our lives.
Help ZingerKing grow. Have you Zinged someone lately? Please forward a link to ZingerKing to a friend, family member or neighbor. If you enjoy reading the Zinger please subscribe (see the subscribe box at the top of the article in the purple side band). Subscribers receive the"Morning Briefing" when published with a link to the full article.Periodic alerts are sent to subscribers only with important updates and insights into critical issues. Your email address will not sold to others and will not be shared.
Write To Us:
You can comment on any article by clicking on the comment button at the bottom of each article or you can write to us at ZK@ZingerKing.com
____________________________________________________________________________
Friday November 20, 2009
The Weekend Edition
Today's Zinger:
Perception Is Reality Until Reality Overcomes Perception
The Morning Briefing:
Tim Geithner: The Economic Fall Guy: Many in Congress are calling for the replacement of Tim Geithner as head of the Treasury. The question is not if Geithner should be replaced, rather why was he confirmed in the first place?
The President's Economic Gamble: With the economy sputtering, the administration finds itself in the tough position of admitting the current economic policies are not working and propose another stimulus bill or gamble that the economy will correct itself.
Health Care For Troops. Give Me Health Care and I Will Give You Troops. The decision on Afghanistan does not require more information or analysis, the administration is waiting on health care legislation.
Federal Math. I’ll Give You Six, You Give Me 15. The True Cost of Health Care Revealed.
Who Said It:
Within the first few months, I discovered that being president is like riding a tiger. A man has to keep on riding or be swallowed.
The Discussion:
The Fall Guy.
Tim Geithner, head of the U.S. Treasury, is under attack from both the Left and the Right. The Left claims that Geithner has be ineffective in handling the economic recovery as unemployment continues to rise. Many economists are now predicting an economy that may actually go into a second recession, a very rare occurrence. The Right claims that he is in bed with his Wall Street colleagues and his decisions are not for the benefit of the American people.
Tim Geithner should not be fired; he should never have been hired in the first place. Geithner is a man that knowingly cheated on his taxes for years. For five years he submitted the paperwork to obtain tens of thousands of dollars from international agreements from the government then “forgot” to include it on his US taxes. How can you remember to file the paperwork to obtain the cash but forget to file the paperwork to pay the taxes? Tim Geithner’s ethics were on display and anyone that thought he would demonstrate better judgment and ethical behavior as head of the Treasury doesn’t understand human nature or just didn’t care about his tax cheating ways.
Now the Democrats are blaming Geithner for the bad economy saying he is mismanaging the recovery. Amazing, the Democrats that drove a $787 billion stimulus bill through Congress to turn the economy around are blaming someone else for its failure. It sounds to me like not only should Tim Geithner be removed from his office but all those that now blame the economic problems on Geithner, yet confirmed him for Treasury Secretary, should also be fired.
Behavioral Scientists have studied the effects of lying and cheating for decades. The consensus is that if an individual is willing to lie or take liberties with the truth, even on small things, they are willing to lie and cheat on bigger issues. In our “its all about me” society, lying and cheating have become common place. The real concern is that we, as a society, have come to expect it and more importantly to accept it. Many of our politicians count on it.
The President’s Economic Gamble.
Over the past two months the administration has talked up the good economic news and attributed it to the $787 billion stimulus bill working. The government paid people to buy cars, they paid people to buy houses, they paid people to buy appliances, they paid people to get mortgages and they paid people to stay unemployed while paying for their health care. We used to call this a sugar daddy but I guess that is not PC. Now that the government is not paying for everything and we are on our own, the economy is faltering. This should not be a surprise.
Our economy needs more stimulus and the politicians are too afraid to propose it. After building a war chest filled with massive debt and the American people beginning to revolt against further borrowing, the politicians are afraid of the public outcry that would accompany such a proposal, and it is coming at the wrong time. Without a stimulus bill, we run the risk of falling into another recession that could be devastating. The stimulus programs that have been used were not effective and the programs that are needed will require the administration to admit they have been ineffective.
This administration has been megaphone of self-promotion and it will be political suicide to admit their economic policies did not work. But now they are left with an even greater dilemma. Should they propose additional stimulus (they won’t be able to blame this round on Bush)? Should they stay the course and hope that the economy recovers on its’ own and run the risk that we fall into another recession?
The war in Afghanistan was the first real executive decision President Obama has had to make. How to deal with the economy going forward is his second real executive decision.
Health Care For Troops. Give Me Health Care and I Will Give You Troops.
With a corrupt government in place, the Taliban making a comeback, Al Qaida becoming more aggressive in Pakistan and our troops under greater attack in Afghanistan, it is fair to say that the war in Afghanistan is not going well. The Generals on the ground are requesting more troops, but with the costs of war escalating, the President has taken a timeout to reconsider his options. Months have passed and still no response, other than an announcement that “he is getting close to making a decision.” The enemy understands weakness and is being more aggressive than ever during this period of indecisiveness. But is the lack of a decision based on the need for further analysis, or is there another political agenda?
The options are well known and well understood, so why is it taking so long to make a decision? Maybe, it’s the American Health Care legislation. It’s all about timing and this administration has been extraordinary in its ability to manage a message and implement a communications campaign to sway votes.
The House has finalized and approved a health care insurance reform bill. The Senate has finally submitted their bill and the objective is to drive the bill to the floor for a vote in the next few weeks. I believe the administration would like to finalize the health care debate before taking on the strategy and cost of the war in Afghanistan. They know that the American people will baulk at the cost of the war ($1 million per soldier per year). The American people are already baulking at the cost of health care reform (which will be billions of dollars more that the administration is saying).
So, it’s all about timing. Get health care approved and then deal with the war because the combined cost will surely shock everyone and there is no appetite in American public to increase Federal spending. The Republicans will support the cost of the war but they won’t support the cost of health care. The Democrats know they must fight the war, despite its costs, but don’t want to give up health care.
My guess is that we will see a vote for cloture in the Senate that will force the bill to a vote. Before the vote they will modify the bill and it will be approved with 51 votes. Then it must be reconciled with the House version. This will allow the politicians that need to say they voted “for” health care reform to do so and will allow the politicians to say the “voted against” health care reform to do so. And it will allow the American people to get angrier at our political system.
Federal Math. I’ll Give You Six, You Give Me 15. The True Cost of Health Care Revealed.
You give me fifteen (15) dollars and I'll give you six (6) back. How does that sound?
This is what has been proposed in the Senate Health Care bill. Lets not forget that the 2010 Federal Budget includes $600 billion pre pay on health care (the equivalent of 5 years of premiums). Now the Senate wants to tax us for four years (2011-2014) of health care before any health care program goes into effect. That’s nine years of taxes before the first patient is seen. Then they will pay for 6 years (2015-2019) of benefits. That’s a billion dollars of prepaid medical premiums followed by 6 years of coverage, 15 years of paying in for 6 years of coverage.
Who Said It:
Within the first few months, I discovered that being president is like riding a tiger. A man has to keep on riding or be swallowed.
Harry S. Truman
Today's ZingerToon:
Recent ZingerKing Articles:
Articles can be found under “Recent Articles” in the purple sidebar. Older articles can be found in the archives that are stored by month. These are found at the bottom of the purple sidebar. Here is a list of the most recent articles.Click here to access the archives www.ZingerKing.com
Torture, Rendition and Iran's Nuclear Ambition
2009 Elections. How Losers Become Winners
The Cost of The Olympics. Chicago's Bid
Health Care and Illegal Immigrants
Obama's Eight Month Report Card
Climate Change and Afghanistan
Missile Defense in Czech Republic and Poland
Escalating the War in Afghanistan: Pelosi and Obama
President Obama's Speech To Congress Regarding Health Care
Part I: Implications of a Radical Change in Life Expectancy
Zingers Alternative For health Care Reform
The Tug Of War Of Special Interest Groups and Health Care Reform
Credibility Of The Administration Is Challenged
You can access these and other articles at www.ZingerKing.com
Shameless Request For Support:
ZingerKing operates without advertising or government funding (obviously). The purpose is to inform and educate its readers about economic and political issues that affect our lives.
Help ZingerKing grow. Have you Zinged someone lately? Please forward a link to ZingerKing to a friend, family member or neighbor. If you enjoy reading the Zinger please subscribe (see the subscribe box at the top of the article in the purple side band). Subscribers receive the"Morning Briefing" when published with a link to the full article.Periodic alerts are sent to subscribers only with important updates and insights into critical issues. Your email address will not sold to others and will not be shared.
Write To Us:
You can comment on any article by clicking on the comment button at the bottom of each article or you can write to us at ZK@ZingerKing.com
Posted by ZK at 11/20/2009 12:43 PM 
Categories: Bailouts, Taliban, Health Care, Obama Administration, Congress
Categories: Bailouts, Taliban, Health Care, Obama Administration, Congress
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