FBM wrote:Coito ergo sum wrote:?
It's nearly 1 a.m. here, so I'm not going to try to go point-by-point. All I can say is that I grew up poor. If our family's income went over a certain line, no more Medicaid. And I mean that line is very thin. The old system enouraged people to stay poor rather than cross that line.
How, exactly, does that change? Medicaid still exists. People are just forced to buy health insurance if they make above the 133% of the poverty line. They get "some" assistance on a descending sliding scale on up to 400% of the poverty line. Then, those making over $43,000 get pounded in the ass in order to pay for a bunch of other people's free health care. So, a guy who breaks his balls to go to school, get a decent job and make 45,000 or 50,000 a year at a professional job, like an engineer or accountant, gets fleeced.
And, you know what? Lots of us grew up "poor." My parents separated cash in different envelopes each month when I was a kid and paid the bills. They sacrificed, and said "no" to many requests on our part. We were given socks, underwear, hats and gloves along with Christmas presents to make it look like we had more to open. The one thing that my parents gave to me when I graduated high school though, the most valuable thing, was a sense of self-reliance. I would hate to have the sense of entitlement that some people have these days.
FBM wrote:
Cross the line, and no more help from the gummit. Suddenly a broken leg could bankrupt you, well before your annual income climbed to $35~43k. Alternatively, you could seek unreported income, which always ran the risk of landing your poor ass in jail. A lot of options there. The safe bet under the old system was to remain safely poor so that the gummit would take care of you. Good night, and I hope I haven't created any ill-will by stating my viewpoint.

And, nothing changes with this new reform. It merely increases the welfare state, and places additional burdens on those who make the mistake of obtaining a modicum of income for themselves. This is not a case of soaking people who make $250,000 a year and buy yachts. This is a case of soaking a guy or gal who makes $45,000 or $50,000, and handing over a chunk of his or her money to pay for someone else's health insurance. Like it or not - and it's fair enough that a person likes it or doesn't - that's what it is.