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Name:	lotowner -	Reply
Subject:	Healthcare Bill
Date:	4/1/2011 6:23:54 PM

Why would $2B be hidden in the Healthcare Bil by Pelosi and Reid and signed into law by Obamal for early retirement for unions? This administration operates like Chicago. Buy and sell for political favors and votes.

Name:	Talullahhound -	Reply
Subject:	Healthcare Bill
Date:	4/1/2011 6:35:07 PM

I'm sure it wasn't hidden. They just banked on the fact that the whole bill would not be read. They were right. In Washington, that would be considered good political gamesmanship. Apparently those staffers that get paid to read the bill and summarize it for their official didn't read it either. And BTW, don't tell me that they weren't given time. Those bills circulate in draft before they are put out for final and vote.

Name:	lotowner -	Reply
Subject:	Healthcare Bill
Date:	4/1/2011 6:55:32 PM (updated 4/1/2011 7:03:23 PM)

Did Speaker Pelosi not make the statement "We have to pass the bill to know what's in it". This is corruption at its worst. A deliberate attempt to hide dollars as payback for campaign contributions and support. Private citizens are in prison for behaviors of this type.

And, I understand that AARP will make $1B by "blessing" insurance plans" and enjoys a tax free status. Is it a secret that AARP enjoys a cozy relationship with this administration? Tax Free status for AARP should be removed immediately. This is a "for profit" organization.

Name:	lotowner -	Reply
Subject:	"I Only Lie When My Lips Move"
Date:	4/1/2011 8:57:05 PM

Barack Obama: Losing $84 billion big success

Though Democrats tout the auto bailout as a success, recent reports illustrate the taxpayer cost of the GM auto bailout was substantially larger than the Obama administration and a Congressional Oversight report has owned up to.

"American taxpayers are now positioned to recover more than my administration invested in GM,” President Obama said, according to a piece in USA Today last November. Steven Rattner, former head of the Treasury's auto task force agreed, telling CNN in November: “Recent progress at GM gives reason for optimism that it may be possible for taxpayers to get every penny back.”

In fact, Investor's Business Daily reported that even the White House’s Director of the National Economic Council remarked that the Treasury Department Department had a good chance in "recovering most, if not all, of its investment in" GM.

However, a March 16 Congressional Oversight repor t, tells a different story. It estimates taxpayers will be out of $25 billion. Additionally, the report points out that “full repayment will not be possible unless the government is able to sell its remaining shares at a far higher price.”

That's only the beginning. Both the White House and the Congressional Oversight report omit the fact that during its bankruptcy, GM got a $45 billion tax break, courtesy of the American people.

GM is driving “away from its U.S.-government-financed restructuring with a final gift in its trunk: a tax break that could be worth as much as $45 billion,” reported The Wal l Street Journal last November.

Over one year after the promises President Obama and his administration made about the auto bailout, a February piece on AutoBlog also confirms that GM will also get a $14 billion dollar domestic tax break:

GM will be able to skip its tax tab due to years of massive losses. Companies are typically forgiven a portion of future taxes due to their past losses, but that benefit is typically stripped after an organization goes through bankruptcy.

However, the Obama administration and its allies presently continue to celebrate the success of the auto bailout, regardless of the facts. "I don’t think there’s any doubt that this was a success," said (H/T Detroit News) acting assistant secretary at the Treasury Department Tim Massad, who oversees the TARP program at Treasury, to a House panel on Wednesday.

In Obama's world, success mean taxpayers only lost as much as $84 billion

Name:	lotowner -	Reply
Subject:	And.........................
Date:	4/1/2011 9:06:49 PM

GE's CEO (Obama's Pal and supporter) - $9B overseas income and $5B US income with zero US taxes. And, this is the Obama appointee to help bring jobs back to this country. This is like an appointment of the Fox as guardian of the chicken house. He is doing his job as a CEO but how can he function effectively in the Obama assignment?

Name:	Talullahhound -	Reply
Subject:	Healthcare Bill
Date:	4/1/2011 11:10:47 PM

AARP is a lobbying group. They are not a "for profit" organization, as they don't sell anything. They don't actually sell insurance or any of those other products -- they endorse products in return for contributions to their lobbying efforts. I have no idea if they are any cozier with this Administration than they are with the members of Congress. But, isn't that what lobbyist do? Who knows what Nancy Pelosi meant when she said that? I gather she didn't write the bill. It was a ridiculous comment to make, but then, she's made a lot of ridiculous comments. Most of the Health care bill will not be enacted until 2014. If the Republicans are successful in 2012, then they can repeal the Bill, can't they? Now if they can just find a candidate, they'll be all set.

Name:	Talullahhound -	Reply
Subject:	And.........................
Date:	4/1/2011 11:15:41 PM

According to the GE CEO, they had sufficient losses in their GE Capital segment that they ended up not oweing any taxes. But, he assures of that next year, they will. Personally, I think Obama should fire him. But, wasn't there a lot of people who were complaining that Obama had NO corporate types in his Administration? This is how business (legally) operate. Can't have it both ways.

Name:	lotowner -	Reply
Subject:	Healthcare Bill
Date:	4/2/2011 8:47:15 AM

Why have all the advertising if they are not a "for profit" group. The truth - They exist for profits to support the Democratic Party with several million dollars of campaign contributions. Their membership funds originally from seniors is a mere drop in the bucket. They do not exist as a advocacy group for seniors. They do not resemble the Red Cross, Cancer Society, etc.

Name:	Talullahhound -	Reply
Subject:	Healthcare Bill
Date:	4/2/2011 9:11:01 AM

But they are an advocacy group for seniors. But, I'm not an AARP member, so I see no need to defend them. I take a pretty dim view of lobbyist in general. I think they cloud the issues and unduly influence political officials.

Name:	Barneget -	Reply
Subject:	1168 waivers granted as of March 31
Date:	4/3/2011 10:26:18 AM

Name:	MAJ USA RET -	Reply
Subject:	Oh, the Promise of AARP!
Date:	4/3/2011 12:25:54 PM

AARP advocates for seniors (55 yrs and older… but, more on that later). They advocate that this country is in trouble and we’d better do something about it. But, not with any sacrifice by senior citizens.

Hmmmm… excluding senior citizens and the entitled… sure doesn’t leave many taxpayers to share the pain that funding senior citizens and the entitled causes.

If social security is your retirement income, you are an idiot. If you didn’t start saving for retirement until you were in your fifties… you are an idiot. If you spent it all on self-indulgence as you made it… you have already had the good life.

Do not ask those of us who scrimped and saved and planned ahead, to make up for your ignorance and self indulgence. There has not been a year, since you were in high school that you haven’t heard the admonition about saving for the future. So, now the future is arriving for you and you find that the financial advice and prognoses were correct. I’m so sorry, but you’ll have to make do with whatever social security you get… and, maybe you can reverse mortgage your house. WHAT? You still have a mortgage at age 66!

Oh… just go ahead and stick your knife into the Golden Goose. Hah hah ha ha… joke’s on YOU!

Name:	Talullahhound -	Reply
Subject:	Oh, the Promise of AARP!
Date:	4/3/2011 7:36:44 PM

I saved. And I'll never collect Social Security. To some extent, I agree with you, There are those who never saved and spent their income and had their good time. But, what about those that became disabled? Or were hit with huge medical bills for medical treatments and had to spend their savings paying? Or had to take in grandchildren and raise them? We need to find a way to jettison those that are using the system, but continuing to help those that legitimately need our help.

Name:	MAJ USA RET -	Reply
Subject:	Oh, the Promise of AARP!
Date:	4/3/2011 8:02:26 PM

For those in “true need”, especially children, I agree, Hound. They deserve our support. For those who suck on our largess… let them starve!

Name:	MrHodja -	Reply
Subject:	Oh, the Promise of AARP!
Date:	4/3/2011 8:57:00 PM

But try to sort out the freeloaders from the truly needy and guess who will scream loudest that they have been unjustly denied.

Name:	Talullahhound -	Reply
Subject:	Oh, the Promise of AARP!
Date:	4/4/2011 9:13:20 AM

Sadly, you are right. The one's that yell the loudest are the ones who are afraid of a little hard work. Right now, these "free" cell phones and "free" phone service are really irking me. You know who is taking advantage of that.

Name:	MAJ USA RET -	Reply
Subject:	Oh, the Promise of SS!
Date:	4/4/2011 9:20:50 AM

If you had saved or invested 15% of your income for your entire working life, you’d be SET for your golden years.

Oh! Wait… you DID do that! You saved 7 ½ % and your employer matched it for a total of 15 %. Sure… go back and look on any of your pay stubs. It might be listed as FICA or OASDI… but it is there. Then your employer sent the money off to the Federal Government for safe keeping. The Federal Government invested it for a good return. Right?

But, then the Federal Government needed your money, so they “borrowed” it… Well, the PRESIDENT said they could. They gave you an IOU. Then, after the Federal Government got their hands on the money they gave it to folks who had no money because they couldn’t or didn’t want to work.

Not to worry, the workers who are paying into the nonexistent fund will pay you back… well, sort of… that too is a “moving target.” OMG! The birthrate is dropping just as the biggest bunch of old f@rts are demanding their money back!

I have a few questions for you:

1 - If you put your money in, do you have a right to have it back?

2 - Is that an entitlement?

3 - Whose children are going to make enough money to pay enough taxes to pay for your Social Security?

If you or I set up a scheme like this we would go to prison… like Bernie Madoff and Charles Ponzi.

Name:	MrHodja -	Reply
Subject:	Curious
Date:	4/4/2011 12:02:57 PM

Are your questions directed at me or just overhead questions? Don't think I said anything about the program, only what would happen if a program intended to help the needy were taken away.

Name:	MAJ USA RET -	Reply
Subject:	Curious
Date:	4/4/2011 3:10:14 PM

No, Sir, Mr Hodja. We know who will be rioting and screaming the loudest. We’ve seen examples of that in Athens, London, Dublin, and Madison, WI. We’ll also be seeing it in Sacramento, CA, Springfield, IL, and in Washington, DC.

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