Rep. Rick Boucher expresses opposition to public option because it would be ‘very popular.’
Rep. Rick Boucher expresses opposition to public option because it would be ‘very popular.’
Earlier this week, Democrat Rick Boucher (VA) held a health care town hall in Dublin, VA. To his credit, Boucher informed the crowd that “the public option is not socialized medicine,” a statement that elicited boos and jeers from the audience. Boucher said he is a skeptic of the public option because he’s concerned it will be too popular:
“I have a problem with this government option plan,” Boucher said. “I’m troubled that the government option plan could become very popular and if it became sufficiently popular it could begin to crowd out the other” private insurance companies.
But, Boucher “voiced support” for Sen. Kent Conrad’s (D-ND) proposal to create health care co-ops. He said “having co-ops competing in the market would offer a check on the insurance companies, similar to the purpose behind the government option.” So, Boucher is supportive of a check on insurance companies, as long as it’s not a powerful one.
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As long as we wave a dull sword at health care reform, Boucher is happy.
This guy needs to face a primary.
August 20th, 2009 at 12:54 pmToo popular? As in his constituents just might be demanding it? Does this clown think he was divinely selected to dictate his whims versus what the voters in his district might want?
August 20th, 2009 at 12:56 pmThe full text of the remarks. “I’m troubled that the government option plan could become very popular and if it became sufficiently popular it could begin to crowd out the other” private insurance companies that bankroll my campaigns. How am I supposed to get elected without their money?”
August 20th, 2009 at 12:56 pmCo-ops don’t successfully work on anything, in theory they do, in reality not so much.
August 20th, 2009 at 12:58 pm“I have a problem with this government option plan,” Boucher said. “I’m troubled that the government option plan could become very popular and if it became sufficiently popular it could begin to crowd out the other” private insurance companies.
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WTF???
Does this asshat even listen to what he’s saying?
Does he care in THE LEAST about the American people?
Boucher’s comments translated INTO English (from the Gibberish… his native tongue):
“I’m worried about the profit levels of the private insurance companies… the success of the public option could gravely impinge on their ability to contribute obscene amounts of money to my and other elected officials’ reelection campaigns.”
“Those CEOs NEED and DESERVE their multimillion dollar salaries and bonuses, and I need their money to stay in office”
August 20th, 2009 at 12:58 pmDog forbid America ever become a place where what the people on the streets who pay ALL the bills might actually get something they want.
I have an idea. Let’s keep spending money to fund wars that we start so that we never have a chance of ever getting any sort of return on our investment.
August 20th, 2009 at 1:00 pmIf the insurance companies can’t compete with the government public option, then they don’t deserve to exist.
August 20th, 2009 at 1:01 pmit could begin to crowd out the other private insurance companies
How is that a bad thing ?
August 20th, 2009 at 1:02 pmThe guy is Fence Sitting.
August 20th, 2009 at 1:02 pmOh, the poor, victimized insurance companies, how will they be protected?
Doesn’t this whole ‘debate’ show what a croc of sht ‘free market’ is?
August 20th, 2009 at 1:02 pmI would like to see Landrieu face a primary challenge. Everytime there’s a list of sell-out democrats, her goo-head pops up and makes me sick I voted for her.
August 20th, 2009 at 1:03 pmOh yes, those tired, poor, huddled, yearning to breathe free, those wretched, homeless and tempest tossed private insurance companies…those victims of a truly free market where if we had a real choice, we would choice to cast them into the dustbin of history…
August 20th, 2009 at 1:03 pmgrr…we would choose to cast them
August 20th, 2009 at 1:04 pmMaybe I’m missing something…
if a public option became “too popular”, wouldn’t that force insurance companies to adapt in order to compete?
And isn’t that the kind of “competition” that the wingnuts are always worshipping> Doesn’t that spur the kind of “innovation” that the wingnuts claim is at the heart of nation’s medical superiority?
Oh well, I’m sure a troll will be by in a little while to explain why that logic doesn’t make sense.
August 20th, 2009 at 1:04 pmUPS,Fed-Ex competes with the US postal system option and they do fine.
August 20th, 2009 at 1:05 pmFirst problem…
He’s from VA. One of the most backwards-ass states in America.
Next problem…
Dublin, VA. It’s located in one of the most backwards-ass areas of one of the most backwards-ass states in America.
This is a double down on stupidity.
August 20th, 2009 at 1:06 pmWell it be nice to know that the insurance company spending so much money to fight this. that went we get the reform we need i hope they have to come to realize that the billions they spend they will need as the competition will be great.
August 20th, 2009 at 1:07 pmWhy should the insurance industry’s welfare have priority over our quality of life?
American manufacturers and businesses certainly never recieved that kind of protection!
August 20th, 2009 at 1:07 pmI never considered Rick Boucher a BlueDog, but I guess I do now. :(
August 20th, 2009 at 1:08 pmWhy is it that it is ok to spend about a quarter of your income so that some company can make a profit while you have to dig up even more of your income to cover deductibles to give more money to a company that does nothing but collect money to pay people who have nothing to do with whether the services you need are adequate while they ask for more money that they will deny you so that they can live comfortably and well while you scramble to cover the costs they said they would but don’t and…
You get the idea.
August 20th, 2009 at 1:08 pmI guess we can add his name to the list of Dems to target during their next election cycle. Time to clear the party decks of the corporate water-carriers who should be defending American families instead of corporate profit margins.
August 20th, 2009 at 1:09 pmThe public option offers insurers the chance to break the ice and compete against one another for the benefit of the people. The existing model of private insurers–a stranglehold on governments, businesses, and individuals–will fail will a robust public option.
The government’s job is to represent the people, and the people are fed up with a private entity holding so much sway in their pocketbooks for so little in return.
The $200+ million the insurance companies are spending to snuff out reform, YOUR insurance premium dollars, is evident enough that massive overhead takes priority over more claims that could be approved.
August 20th, 2009 at 1:09 pmAAAAAWWWWWWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAWWWWWWWWEEEEEEEEEE!!
I want to screem…..ARE THESE PEOPLE FU**EN STUPID!!!!
I DON’T WANT IT BECUASE IT WILL BE TO POPULAR?? Uh??? Tell me again why you don’t want a public option?
BECASE IT WILL BE TO POPULAR.
Ffffffffffffffffuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuccccccccccccccckkkkkkkkkkk
Who in the hell do you work for???????? HOW DO YOU ELECT SUCH STUPID PEOPLE…PLEASE EXPLAIN TO THIS CANADIAN….PLEASE before I pull more of my hair out having to listen to this supidity.
U S A
August 20th, 2009 at 1:11 pmN T m
I U e
Q P r
U I i
E d c
L a
Y n
Um, Boucher? That’s not a bug. It’s a feature.
August 20th, 2009 at 1:12 pmamish_edison says:
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I guess we can add his name to the list of Dems to target during their next election cycle. Time to clear the party decks of the corporate water-carriers who should be defending American families instead of corporate profit margins.
That’s the plan, stan. We got a half-ass majority now so it’s time to begin pinching off the sell-out dems with primary challenges. Step #2.
August 20th, 2009 at 1:13 pmI don’t understand that cockamamie logic –
the public option will probably be “too popular” and therefore, because so many persons may opt for it, he prefers a system wherein the insurance companies still make the rules??
Does he realize how ridiculous he sounds?
These guys are just so damn afraid that the money insurance lobbyists put in their campaign coffers may dry up and they will have to actually work for the people and ask them for donations.
Campaign finance reform coming on the horizon??
August 20th, 2009 at 1:13 pmThe whole problem with free market competition is that all the insurance companies are playing the same game. If no one challenges the process because playing insures more profits, there is no real competition.
When was the last time you ever saw a gas station cut their prices more than a few cents?
August 20th, 2009 at 1:14 pmThe Republic of Stupidity says:
Boucher’s comments translated INTO English (from the Gibberish… his native tongue):
“I’m worried about the profit levels of the private insurance companies… the success of the public option could gravely impinge on their ability to contribute obscene amounts of money to my and other elected officials’ reelection campaigns.”
“Those CEOs NEED and DESERVE their multimillion dollar salaries and bonuses, and I need their money to stay in office”
August 20th, 2009 at 12:58
Yes, sir. That is the perfect translation. Thank you for being the Babble Fish of underlying special interests.
August 20th, 2009 at 1:15 pmYeah, I hear ya: Gosh, that would be so good for the American people and therefore hugely popular so we can’t have that!
August 20th, 2009 at 1:15 pmBoucher, Baucus and the rest of the Blue Dogs all are pushing the meme that they are for reform but not at the expense of the healthcare idustry’s bottom line. Are they serious??!! Isn’t THE MAIN POINT of reform supposed to be a serious effort to put a firm check on rising costs? The ONLY way to guarantee this is through a strong public option (other than single payer which died before it even left the box). Are we as a Nation supposed to assume that the DINOs are NOT in the HC industry’s back pocket with statements like this??
August 20th, 2009 at 1:15 pmThis disappoints me. Still, I doubt he’ll face a credible primary over this. The VA 9th is the second most conservative district in the state (Cook rating of R11…McCain won there by 19 points)…it’s damn miraculous that a pro-choice, pro-environment, (moderately) pro-civil liberties Dem could win in a district that conservative.
A statement like the one he made shows he’s hedging his bets. If a final bill containing the public option comes up for a vote, I think he’ll support it.
August 20th, 2009 at 1:16 pmToo popular??? Every time you think Repubs could’nt get any further removed from reality, another one opens their mouth and takes stupid to new levels of excellence.
Repubs praise the benefits of the “free markets”, yet are terrified of any new competition, proving free markets are a myth.
They are losing the health reform battle, expect a whole lot more crazy BS before its all said and done.
Peace :)
August 20th, 2009 at 1:21 pmROTFLMAO!
YOU can’t have it because it is too popular!
YOU can’t have healthcare like I get!
ROTFLMAO!
Thank for that Rep. Jerk Face.
August 20th, 2009 at 1:22 pmYeah, they are losing the heathcare issue now. You can feel it. The white trash morons who showed up at the townhall’s to create a scene have been roundly mocked and kicked to the curb which is how you have to treat trash.
August 20th, 2009 at 1:24 pmIt’s not only that private insurers have no incentive to save, but they pass on additional costs to other sectors through their inefficiencies.
August 20th, 2009 at 1:26 pmOur firm receives reams and cases of paper Explanations of Benefits that we have to pay to have transcribed into electronic format, because ‘it costs too much’ for the insurance companies to do it.
Fukc them!
If there was truly a free market,
August 20th, 2009 at 1:26 pmour access to affordable healthcare and prescriptions
wouldn’t be dictated by the giant corporate healthcare bullys.
…or maybe Boucher is really concerned about his “coffers?”
Rick Boucher (D-Va)
August 20th, 2009 at 1:27 pmRecipient Detail
Contribution(s) found: 364
Total: $587,817
Total from individuals: $40,167
Total from PACs: $547,650
WillowOrchid says:
The guy is Fence Sitting.
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You misspelled “Sitting”…
You left out the “h”…
August 20th, 2009 at 1:30 pmokie dokie says:
——————————————————————————–
If there was truly a free market,
our access to affordable healthcare and prescriptions
wouldn’t be dictated by the giant corporate healthcare bullys.
I heard on NPR this morning that the Obama administration would be taking on Big-Ag next because of its monopolistic practices. I want them to pursue food safety, too. So I’m leaning back into Obama’s corner. Starting to feel better about it. Hope I’m not wrong.
August 20th, 2009 at 1:31 pmMr. Cobb says:
“UPS,Fed-Ex competes with the US postal system option and they do fine.”
You are partly correct. And the USPS will remain in business because UPS and Fed-Ex still have to abide by the private express statute that binds the USPS with respect to ‘general mail delivery’. Private contractors cannot route deliver letter mail or handle contract mail such as registered mail, etc.
However, it’s a well known fact that UPS and Fed-Ex have contracted with the USPS to haul mail on their aircraft. I expect that the ‘private express statute’ will eventually be scrapped for private enterprise and the USPS will be a shell of what it used to be. The USPS has micromanaged itself out of business.
August 20th, 2009 at 1:32 pmOfficials from the Obama administration will be meeting with small family farmers across the country to discuss unfair practices by Big-Ag.
August 20th, 2009 at 1:33 pmbuffalo nickel says:
Too popular??? Every time you think Repubs could’nt get any further removed from reality…
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Unfortunately… Boucher is one of ours… (D)…
Perhaps it s/b Boucher, (SO*-V)…
*Sell Out…
August 20th, 2009 at 1:33 pmFor the People, by the People…nah…just kidding.
August 20th, 2009 at 1:35 pmMcWars says:
Thank you for being the Babble Fish of underlying special interests.
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Babble Fish? Never heard of it… that is a good thing, right? Right?
August 20th, 2009 at 1:36 pmBoucher needs to learn that Democracy is a form of a popularity contest. If a public option is popular, that is because a majority of “we the people” like it.
Boucher clearly shows that he is not in favor of Democracy itself.
August 20th, 2009 at 1:37 pmTell em this and watch em shit their pants:
A Day in the Life of Joe the Shitheels Republican
Joe gets up at 6 a.m. and fills his coffeepot with water to prepare his morning coffee. The water is clean and good because some tree-hugging liberal fought for minimum water-quality standards. With his first swallow of water, he takes his daily medication. His medications are safe to take because some stupid commie liberal fought to ensure their safety and that they work as advertised.
All but $10 of his medications are paid for by his employer’s medical plan because some liberal union workers fought their employers for paid medical insurance – now Joe gets it too.
He prepares his morning breakfast, bacon and eggs. Joe’s bacon is safe to eat because some girly-man liberal fought for laws to regulate the meat packing industry.
In the morning shower, Joe reaches for his shampoo. His bottle is properly labeled with each ingredient and its amount in the total contents because some crybaby liberal fought for his right to know what he was putting on his body and how much it contained.
Joe dresses, walks outside and takes a deep breath. The air he breathes is clean because some environmentalist wacko liberal fought for the laws to stop industries from polluting our air.
He walks on the government-provided sidewalk to subway station for his government-subsidized ride to work. It saves him considerable money in parking and transportation fees because some fancy-pants liberal fought for affordable public transportation, which gives everyone the opportunity to be a contributor.
Joe begins his work day. He has a good job with excellent pay, medical benefits, retirement, paid holidays and vacation because some lazy liberal union members fought and died for these working standards. Joe’s employer pays these standards because Joe’s employer doesn’t want his employees to call the union.
If Joe is hurt on the job or becomes unemployed, he’ll get a worker compensation or unemployment check because some stupid liberal didn’t think he should lose his home because of his temporary misfortune.
It is noontime and Joe needs to make a bank deposit so he can pay some bills. Joe’s deposit is federally insured by the FSLIC because some godless liberal wanted to protect Joe’s money from unscrupulous bankers who ruined the banking system before the Great Depression.
Joe has to pay his Fannie Mae-underwritten mortgage and his below-market federal student loan because some elitist liberal decided that Joe and the government would be better off if he was educated and earned more money over his lifetime. Joe also forgets that his in addition to his federally subsidized student loans, he attended a state funded university.
Joe is home from work. He plans to visit his father this evening at his farm home in the country. He gets in his car for the drive. His car is among the safest in the world because some America-hating liberal fought for car safety standards to go along with the tax-payer funded roads.
He arrives at his boyhood home. His was the third generation to live in the house financed by Farmers’ Home Administration because bankers didn’t want to make rural loans.
The house didn’t have electricity until some big-government liberal stuck his nose where it didn’t belong and demanded rural electrification.
He is happy to see his father, who is now retired. His father lives on Social Security and a union pension because some wine-drinking, cheese-eating liberal made sure he could take care of himself so Joe wouldn’t have to.
Joe gets back in his car for the ride home, and turns on a radio talk show. The radio host keeps saying that liberals are bad and conservatives are good. He doesn’t mention that the beloved Republicans have fought against every protection and benefit Joe enjoys throughout his day. Joe agrees: “We don’t need those big-government liberals ruining our lives! After all, I’m a self-made man who believes everyone should take care of themselves, just like I have
August 20th, 2009 at 1:38 pmI don’t think the insurance lobbyists would have spent over 200 million dollars so far and have 6 of their lobbyists for every 1 Congress person is they totally controlled things. There’s still a way. Keep hope alive and keep that energy level up!
August 20th, 2009 at 1:39 pm“Babble fish” is a reference from a science fiction novel by Douglas Adaams, “The Hitchhikers Guide to the Universe”.
August 20th, 2009 at 1:39 pmThat does sound like good news, Mr. Cobb @1:21pm.
Speaking of fair market,
August 20th, 2009 at 1:40 pmthe small farmers should enjoy at least the same subsidies as big-ag.
46.
Man. That was awesome. Thank you.
August 20th, 2009 at 1:40 pmLevi the Dungbeetle says:
“Babble fish” is a reference from a science fiction novel by Douglas Adams, “The Hitchhikers Guide to the Universe”.
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Hooookay… just making sure…
Never read that book, BTW…
August 20th, 2009 at 1:43 pmralph the wonder llama says:
Oh well, I’m sure a troll will be by in a little while to explain why that logic doesn’t make sense.
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And if they can’t explain it…
***eyes roll***
At the very least, they’ll jump up and down frantically, shouting “Yabba Yabba Yabba” and occasionally call us all “Stupid Libtards”…
August 20th, 2009 at 1:46 pmThe USPS has micromanaged itself out of business.
No, USPS has been offset by another inexpensive, highly accessible commodity — the internet. The USPS maintains an excellent delivery timetable and overall great service. Not to mention, they don’t receive a taxpayer subsidy. It isn’t the poor reflection on USPS that wingnuts insist to be the case–it just says a lot that an easy task in itself–affixing a stamp to an envelope and lifting a flag on the mailbox–is cumbersome in comparison to the speed of e-mail and payment systems. Don’t forget the extreme gasoline prices of last summer that helped color them red. They will adjust accordingly and continue to provide that great service in proportion to the needs of the public.
August 20th, 2009 at 1:46 pmThe Republic of Stupidity says:
Hooookay… just making sure…
Never read that book, BTW…
August 20th, 2009 at 1:43 pm
You should! They are excellent. :)
Just don’t eat that Babble Fish.
August 20th, 2009 at 1:46 pmhttp://babelfish.yahoo.com/
It’s a text translation site, TRoS!
August 20th, 2009 at 1:47 pmGood post, realityhasaleftwingbias @ 1:38pm
I’ll have to send that to some right-wing whiners I know.
August 20th, 2009 at 1:49 pmWait, I mistook “Babble” for Babel, didn’t I? I almost make it sound like an insult!
August 20th, 2009 at 1:51 pmMcWars says:
It’s a text translation site, TRoS!
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Just wanted to make sure… heh.
August 20th, 2009 at 1:52 pm#42 TRoS:
My bad..I made the same mistake yesterday on the Baucus thread. (hanging head in shame)
In my defense, both of these “Dems” are doing their best to slow or stop real reform….I like your moniker, sell out, LOL
If it waddles like a duck, quacks like a duck….
August 20th, 2009 at 1:52 pmrealityhasaleftwingbias says:
Excellent post. Where inded would we be if we ignore the United part?
August 20th, 2009 at 1:52 pmTroll dropping @ #56
5..4..3..2..1
August 20th, 2009 at 1:55 pmMcWars says:
——————————————————————————–
Wait, I mistook “Babble” for Babel, didn’t I? I almost make it sound like an insult!
lol Well, “babble” does come the word “Babel” from the buy-bull.
August 20th, 2009 at 1:56 pmrealityhasaleftwingbias, I work with quite a few of those “Joes”…ugh on a daily basis…
August 20th, 2009 at 1:58 pmPart of what has been lost in the framing of these issues is that health care is NOT a commodity you buy and sell on an exchange. It is literally peoples lives, liberty and the pursuit of happiness per the Declaration of Independence. These bozos embarrass themselves daily trying to tell me what the Constitution says as they proceed to butcher it. If the powerz can’t get past the fact that they are trying to commoditize humanity, we have to admit we have an insurance CARTEL in this country that rations healthcare just as surely as the world has OPEC, the oil cartel that gouges and rations customers worldwide. While their practices are just as sinister, oil we can live without. We cannot live without medicine and doctors. This system is immoral.
August 20th, 2009 at 2:02 pmDemocrat Rick Boucher sure seems like some serious laid back idiot without a conscience to sleep at night. Turn out the lights, and he starts snoring.
August 20th, 2009 at 2:03 pmReality at #46
This says it all! Thanks. See if you can get this around to as many people as possible!
August 20th, 2009 at 2:13 pmCan we send this to friends plus any thoughtless folks like Joe?
Yes, what a horrible thing to give the people what they want & what is needed by them. Repubs are so afraid to do that.
August 20th, 2009 at 2:14 pmWhy doesn’t he just join the repiggies and get it over with?
Stupid, stupid, stupid…
Screw the repiggies, and screw the teabagger trash.
The Dems need to pass health care reform the way the majority wants, not the manner in which the health insurance oligarchs want.
August 20th, 2009 at 2:14 pmI agree, covered_10.
I’m sure it never occured to the framers of the constitution that someone might withhold medical treatment or foreclose on someones home for payment for services.
In the new world, our ancestors looked out for each others well being and survival.
August 20th, 2009 at 2:15 pmProfiting off someones misery would be dishonorable and immoral.
Insurance companies are spending at a rate of 1.4 million PER DAY on just lobbying (bribing) the House and Senate.
Is it any wonder the congress-critters are balking at ending the Insurance Companies gravy train fueled by denying people the coverage they are supposed to be paying for, when they actually get sick?
August 20th, 2009 at 2:16 pmEasy to see who the repugs care most about and it’s not those they are elected to represent, eh?
August 20th, 2009 at 2:19 pmWhat if we gave a public option…
August 20th, 2009 at 2:20 pmand it succeeded?
Oh, wait, he’s a dem, eh?
So, we see who needs removed and quickly. When is he up for re-election?
August 20th, 2009 at 2:21 pmToday’s Fargo Forum noted Conrad’s co-op idea is receiving lukewarm receptions, at best, in his North Dakota Town Halls.
Lukewarm sums his plan up nicely. Kind of like peeing in a dark blue suit…
It give you a warm feeling & nobody notices; but you still pissed your pants.
August 20th, 2009 at 2:25 pmIowa legalized health-care co-ops several years ago. The one that started up lasted less than two years because they could not compete with the “big boys”. I guess that is considered a roaring success by GOP and Blue Dog standards.
August 20th, 2009 at 2:30 pmTranslation: “I’m troubled that the public option might actually provide better service than the insurance companies do and all our fear-mongering will be proven wrong.”
August 20th, 2009 at 2:34 pmMcWars says:
The USPS has micromanaged itself out of business.
USPS has been offset by another inexpensive, highly accessible commodity — the internet. The USPS maintains an excellent delivery timetable and overall great service. Not to mention, they don’t receive a taxpayer subsidy. It isn’t the poor reflection on USPS that wingnuts insist to be the case–it just says a lot that an easy task in itself–affixing a stamp to an envelope and lifting a flag on the mailbox–is cumbersome in comparison to the speed of e-mail and payment systems. Don’t forget the extreme gasoline prices of last summer that helped color them red. They will adjust accordingly and continue to provide that great service in proportion to the needs of the public.
You are correct about the delivery and service overall. However, I have worked for USPS in the past (13 long years as an MTEc), and have been party to a great deal of bad management. Revenue pours out of the USPS like water through a sieve, and few of the managers take steps to control the revenue loss. Back in the early ’90’s, when the internet was just getting a foothold, I floated the idea of the USPS getting involved with it then–offering services such as bill-paying, express messaging and flat-rate parcel service–but the idea was vetoed because of the neolithic managers who were in charge. It took the USPS almost ten years to upgrade their computer systems from an old DOS system to Windows, and even longer for them to upgrade their systems to handle the volumes of mail that peaked in the 1990’s. They are just now offering the flat-rate parcel box–so you get my drift as to how neolithic the thinking is/was at the post office.
If you recall, during the UPS strike in the late ’90’s, the USPS processed almost a billion mailpieces in a month’s time–taking up the slack that the UPS strike created. The USPS stepped up and handled it without a hitch. I know because I and a lot of other dedicated postal employees worked double shifts to clear the volume. Yeah, it was he** for a while, but we got the job done.
I have no problems with the USPS other than the management–it’s still a good deal for half-a-buck, and should remain that way for a while anyway.
I read too much Bukowski though, so I still have a sour taste in my mouth from working at the post office.
August 20th, 2009 at 2:35 pmJust another Republican dweeb masquerading as a Democrat. Don’t any of these folks realize that as soon as they open their pie holes they re exposed as frauds???
August 20th, 2009 at 2:40 pmgully foyle says:
You are correct about the delivery and service overall. However, I have worked for USPS in the past (13 long years as an MTEc), and have been party to a great deal of bad management…
Arguments based on claimed personal experience are invalid by default. Check this out:
“As someone who has been a manager for USPS, FedEx and UPS, I know for a fact that everything runs like clockwork at the USPS as compared to the slipshod ways that the private delivery companies do it.”
See what I did there? Totally invalidated your claim with mine. Do you believe me? Well, I don’t believe you either. Even if I did, working somewhere doesn’t necessarily make you an expert on the overall operation unless perhaps you ran the place.
In actual fact, I work for Pitney Bowes, which is involved in postal-related stuff all the time. So I do have to know quite a bit about how the USPS functions. Mind you, it does say something bad about them that an entire corporation can exist solely to make using the USPS easier, but then again Microsoft has a lot of add-on companies too.
.
gully foyle says:
Back in the early ’90’s, when the internet was just getting a foothold, I floated the idea of the USPS getting involved with it then–offering services such as bill-paying, express messaging and flat-rate parcel service–but the idea was vetoed because of the neolithic managers who were in charge. It took the USPS almost ten years to upgrade their computer systems from an old DOS system to Windows, and even longer for them to upgrade their systems to handle the volumes of mail that peaked in the 1990’s. They are just now offering the flat-rate parcel box–so you get my drift as to how neolithic the thinking is/was at the post office.
Until fairly recently, the USPS did have a significant problem with management: namely, all rates and services had to be passed as a bill by Congress. So your nifty ideas? Pointless unless a Congressman introduced them on the House floor, and what are the odds of that happening? Could you imagine any private company being so hampered? They simply couldn’t implement something like flat-rate pricing until the the Postal Reform Act of 2006. Now they have considerably more flexibility, and should be able to do better in the future.
.
gully foyle says:
If you recall, during the UPS strike in the late ’90’s, the USPS processed almost a billion mailpieces in a month’s time–taking up the slack that the UPS strike created. The USPS stepped up and handled it without a hitch. I know because I and a lot of other dedicated postal employees worked double shifts to clear the volume. Yeah, it was he** for a while, but we got the job done.
Yes, it’s incredibly impressive how much the USPS gets done, isn’t it? Seriously, the sheer scale of how much stuff they move every year, and how fast they move it now, is literally awesome.
August 20th, 2009 at 2:57 pmTAKE BACK AMERICA says:
Very popular, with dumb poor people.
Actually, the Republicans actually seem to be against it for some reason.
August 20th, 2009 at 3:04 pmIs this a Representative Democracy?
He’s saying… he is reluctant to get behind a policy because the vast majority of his constituents might be in favor of it… WTF?
August 20th, 2009 at 3:15 pmTAKE BACK AMERICA says:
Very popular, with dumb poor people.
as opposed to mindless automatons programmed by the corporate interests who want to kill health reform? How does it feel to be a pawn, a tool to be thrown away and pissed on when the need comes for corporate America to satisfy its insatiable need for profit?
August 20th, 2009 at 3:16 pmTAKE BACK AMERICA says
August 20th, 2009 at 2:51 pm
Very popular, with dumb poor people.
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I see. And a “smart” poor person — one who doesn’t have health insurance from a for-profit company because he can’t afford it — wouldn’t sign up for a public option if it was available?
What do you think the options are for poor people? Oh…right…they can always go to an emergency room. Brilliant plan.
August 20th, 2009 at 3:27 pm#66 ljm: Hell yeah. I’ve sent it to hundreds of insane neo-clowns all over youtube, Drudge, etc. Don’t expect any converts, though. They laugh and call you a libtard and go about their day. There’s nothing going on upstairs.
August 20th, 2009 at 3:41 pmTAKE BACK AMERICA says:
——————————————————————————–
Very popular, with dumb poor people
Right, unlike all you edumacated hillbillies. Let me ask you something, TAKE BACK AMERICA: when did your America get taken? And who took it? And how is your life different now that the scawy bwack man is trying to take all of your freedoms? Please, you don’t have the guts to admit your racism, but I can see it from miles away. And who said America was YOURS to TAKE back? Hmmm? America belongs to us all. God, you are the epitome of scumbaggery. You’re like the dogcrap that gets gunked onto my shoe: It smells awful, looks worse, and I have to scrape it off with a stick.
August 20th, 2009 at 3:46 pmThe CARS (Cash for Clunkers) program has been popular, too. Does this mean we shouldn’t have done it?
August 20th, 2009 at 3:50 pmWith Democrats like Boucher who needs Republicans? While you have to give him credit for honesty, you have to wonder how he’s so utterly forgotten the fact that he was sent to Congress to represent PEOPLE and his corporate teat is just the means, not the end.
August 20th, 2009 at 3:53 pm#46
Another Day in the Life of Joe
Joe gets up at 6 a.m. and fills his coffeepot with water to prepare his morning coffee. The water is clean and good because to supply water of poor quality would result on no consumption and the water company goes bankrupt.
With his first swallow of water, he takes his daily medication. His medications are safe to take because the free market ensures so, otherwise he could sue the pants off the pharmaceutical company that made them that way.
All but $10 of his medications are paid for by his employer’s medical plan that Joe has no knowledge or care how much its cost to provide because some union workers threatened their employers for paid medical insurance – now Joe expects it too.
He prepares his morning breakfast, bacon and eggs. Joe’s bacon is safe to eat because selling sub-stands foods would not be purchased by anyone.
In the morning shower, Joe reaches for his shampoo. His bottle is properly labeled with a list of ingredients that mean nothing to the common man. If the shampoo was substandard it would not sell.
Joe dresses, walks outside and takes a deep breath. The air he breathes is clean because some environmentalist in league with zillions unions priced their jobs out of the market and now the steel and ships are made in Asia.
He walks on the government-provided sidewalk to subway station for his government-subsidized ride to work. It saves his city considerable money to provide these rather than parking lots, road maintenance and transportation fees.
Joe begins his work day. He has a good job with excellent pay, medical benefits, retirement, paid holidays and vacation that at the first sign of depression he will loose as his company can’t sustain them when times get hard. Joe’s employer pays these standards because they are free market forces in action. Joe does not have to work there, his employer does not have to hire him.
If Joe is hurt on the job or becomes unemployed, he’ll get a worker compensation or unemployment check for a limited time. If only he could have put his contributions into a free market account rather than a no choice contract with the government who long ago gave his money to someone else, he might just be able to keep his home because of his temporary misfortune.
It is noontime and Joe needs to make a bank deposit so he can pay some bills. Joe’s deposit is federally under insured by the FSLIC because some fake do gooder wanted to get in on the action too.
Joe has to pay his Fannie Mae-underwritten mortgage and his below-market federal student loan because we must all pay our debts. If only some elitist politician had not decided to get involved with loans, there may be more Scholarships available to people who really need them. Joe also forgets that his in addition to his federally subsidized student loans, he attended a state funded university and had his brainwashed to think that all was good and this world owed him a living.
Joe is home from work. He plans to visit his father this evening at his farm home in the country. He gets in his car for the drive. His car is among the last to be built in America because someone threatened Strike for unrealistic wages and benefits that could not be sustained in the real-world and killed the car industry.
He arrives at his boyhood home. His was the third generation to live in the house his family worked hard and paid the mortgage off by the end of the 2nd generation before big government took hold raised his taxes to pay for their mistakes and poor management skills.
The house didn’t have electricity until it became economically possible to distribute electricity in low population density areas.
He is happy to see his father, who is now retired. His father scrapes by on the meager Social Security checks that delivered a poor return on investment compared to a free market pension because some government bureaucrat could not manage his money on his behalf as well as a real Actuary.
Joe gets back in his car for the ride home, and turns on a radio talk show. The radio host keeps saying that these guys are bad and those guys are good. He mentions that all Washington career politicians have their own agendas that serve themselves first but the people can flourish better if Politicians stopped meddling in things they long ago lost contact with. Joe agrees: “We don’t need big-government ruining our lives! After all, everyone should be responsible for their own lives, actions and reap the benefits of free markets.
August 20th, 2009 at 4:11 pmThis moron wants to stop the public option, “because it would be too popular?” It might cut back on corporate greed? Off hand, I would say that this man is insane with stupidity and arrogance.
Co-ops? Several years ago, when I was doing some technical writing, I joined a professional guild of writers to gain access to group medical health care insurance: a co-op. It worked fine for me for several years and paid for three needed operations with only a thousand dollar co-pay. Finally, the co-op’s insurer, another private insurance company, got tired of not making a lot of money on middle-aged sickly writers, so they dropped our business. End of co-op. At age 63.5 I called around and the cheapest health insurance was offered to me at $1,600/mo. I said no thanks, crossed my fingeres and got onto federal medicare three weeks before turning 65. Waltzed into a hospital ER on the weekend to get an emergency tetanus shot; oops, that cost me $1,485; Medicare doesn’t cover that…
August 20th, 2009 at 4:32 pmCall your doctor and have him or her approve your hospital admission and save yourself about #1,300…
Sorry about the delay, I had to get the kids to the bus.
ElBruce says:
…working somewhere doesn’t necessarily make you an expert on the overall operation unless perhaps you ran the place.
You are correct in your refutation in re: personal accounts. I only saw things from the point of view of a worker–not a manager (I was an expediter). There were many, many times I wished that I did run the place!
It is true that few ‘employee’ ideas ever come to fruition relative to the workfloor, but the assumption that all services must pass congressional muster is not completely true. Rates, yes. Some services, yes. But many suggestions from the workfloor are often implemented at the facility level–usually as a ‘test’ to determine the feasibility of the suggestion. Example: The waterproof GoreTex® mail sack that superseded most of the older canvas sacks. I know this is a minor detail, but the suggestion was implemented service-wide, so it was a small victory for the worker(s).
Thanks for the point-by-point refutation–you’re a good debater. I would much rather discuss and debate than wade through troll scrap.
August 20th, 2009 at 5:22 pmSomething that keeps your average person from dying from treatable conditions without bankrupting them becoming popular—nobody saw that coming.
August 20th, 2009 at 5:48 pmUndecided says:
Joe gets up at 6 a.m. and fills his coffeepot with water to prepare his morning coffee. The water is clean and good because to supply water of poor quality would result on no consumption and the water company goes bankrupt.
Except that as a utility, they enjoy a monopoly in the local area. Without competitors, they don’t need to do anything they aren’t made to.
.
Undecided says:
With his first swallow of water, he takes his daily medication. His medications are safe to take because the free market ensures so, otherwise he could sue the pants off the pharmaceutical company that made them that way.
…until the GOP, screaming about “trial lawyers” passed repeatedly reducing caps on what people could sue for, as well as raising the evidentiary standard. The drugs are making everyone slowly sick, but they can’t prove it, and wouldn’t be able to win much if they could.
.
Undecided says:
All but $10 of his medications are paid for by his employer’s medical plan that Joe has no knowledge or care how much its cost to provide because some union workers threatened their employers for paid medical insurance – now Joe expects it too.
Joe has employer-based no-choice health care because the GOP blocked real health care reform in the Senate. This is what he’s stuck with after they killed the public option.
.
Undecided says:
He prepares his morning breakfast, bacon and eggs. Joe’s bacon is safe to eat because selling sub-stands foods would not be purchased by anyone.
Surprisingly, sub-standard foods are purchased by most everyone, so nobody cares. After all, it’s only the dirty libtard hippies who care about “organic” food. Genetic and hormone manipulation helps the bottom line so all of the companies do it roughly the same slowly-increasing amount.
.
Undecided says:
In the morning shower, Joe reaches for his shampoo. His bottle is properly labeled with a list of ingredients that mean nothing to the common man. If the shampoo was substandard it would not sell.
Again, it sells anyways because all of the shampoo companies take the same shortcuts. Except for that “organic” stuff that the libtard hippies buy. Stupid hippies!
.
Undecided says:
Joe dresses, walks outside and takes a deep breath. The air he breathes is clean because some environmentalist in league with zillions unions priced their jobs out of the market and now the steel and ships are made in Asia.
The globalization / “free trade” Republicans, who refused to put any trade pressure on Asia to have them clean up their region are responsible for the lost jobs. If only we required countries we trade with to have the same restrictions we do, we’d still have some of those jobs. But the GOP’s donors didn’t like that, because they were too busy sending their investment dollars overseas also.
.
Undecided says:
He walks on the government-provided sidewalk to subway station for his government-subsidized ride to work. It saves his city considerable money to provide these rather than parking lots, road maintenance and transportation fees.
Correct.
.
Undecided says:
Joe begins his work day. He has a good job with excellent pay, medical benefits, retirement, paid holidays and vacation that at the first sign of depression he will loose as his company can’t sustain them when times get hard. Joe’s employer pays these standards because they are free market forces in action. Joe does not have to work there, his employer does not have to hire him.
Joe clearly doesn’t live in the U.S.A. of 2009, a product of eight years of right-wing policies.
.
Undecided says:
If Joe is hurt on the job or becomes unemployed, he’ll get a worker compensation or unemployment check for a limited time. If only he could have put his contributions into a free market account rather than a no choice contract with the government who long ago gave his money to someone else, he might just be able to keep his home because of his temporary misfortune.
Of course if he had done that, he would have lost it all in the latest economic crash brought about by deregulation.
.
Undecided says:
It is noontime and Joe needs to make a bank deposit so he can pay some bills. Joe’s deposit is federally under insured by the FSLIC because some fake do gooder wanted to get in on the action too.
The FDIC only insures Joes bank account up to $250,000. Apparently Joe has more than that amount in liquid capital, but he’s still vaguely angry about something? Perhaps Joe is embezzling.
.
Undecided says:
Joe has to pay his Fannie Mae-underwritten mortgage and his below-market federal student loan because we must all pay our debts. If only some elitist politician had not decided to get involved with loans, there may be more Scholarships available to people who really need them. Joe also forgets that his in addition to his federally subsidized student loans, he attended a state funded university and had his brainwashed to think that all was good and this world owed him a living.
To this day Joe is bitter and angry that he couldn’t have been home-schooled in a trailer out in the woods like those lucky, lucky Republicans.
.
Undecided says:
Joe is home from work. He plans to visit his father this evening at his farm home in the country. He gets in his car for the drive. His car is among the last to be built in America because someone threatened Strike for unrealistic wages and benefits that could not be sustained in the real-world and killed the car industry.
Joe believes that it was unrealistic for the strikers to settle for an amount already considerably less than what they had been getting for decades. The fact that the car companies continued to make gas-guzzling behemoths for years after it became obvious that smaller cars were what was wanted didn’t have anything to do with it at all, of course.
.
Undecided says:
He arrives at his boyhood home. His was the third generation to live in the house his family worked hard and paid the mortgage off by the end of the 2nd generation before big government took hold raised his taxes to pay for their mistakes and poor management skills.
The house didn’t have electricity until it became economically possible to distribute electricity in low population density areas.
Of course, wiring those areas, adding plumbing, law enforecement, fire prevention, emergency services, and everything else that makes his home safe and comfortable don’t have anything to do with those taxes he’s complaining about, did they? They come from maaagical free service fairies!
Perhaps it wasn’t a left-wing education after all that makes Joe think he’s owed everything for free.
.
Undecided says:
He is happy to see his father, who is now retired. His father scrapes by on the meager Social Security checks that delivered a poor return on investment compared to a free market pension because some government bureaucrat could not manage his money on his behalf as well as a real Actuary.
… until the market collapsed because of deregulation. Or the time it collapsed before that due to deregulation. Or the time before that.
.
Undecided says:
Joe gets back in his car for the ride home, and turns on a radio talk show. The radio host keeps saying that these guys are bad and those guys are good. He mentions that all Washington career politicians have their own agendas that serve themselves first but the people can flourish better if Politicians stopped meddling in things they long ago lost contact with. Joe agrees: “We don’t need big-government ruining our lives! After all, everyone should be responsible for their own lives, actions and reap the benefits of free markets.
Unbelievably, Joe actually believes this crap in spite of the evidence in front of his face at every moment of every day.
August 20th, 2009 at 6:10 pmAnother fake Democrat!
August 20th, 2009 at 6:31 pmNice to see you back, Elbruce. Your patience and meticulous attention to detail is phenomenal.
August 20th, 2009 at 6:32 pmConservos talk out of both sides of their mouth.
On one side they complain that a public option would be too popular and be able to outcompete the private insurers but on the other they say it will not provide good care with long waits, etc.
They can’t have it both ways.
August 20th, 2009 at 7:10 pmHey Boucher, you know what else is ‘too popular?’ Your mom. Yeah, that’s right.
August 20th, 2009 at 9:39 pmUndecided says:
Joe begins his work day. He has a good job with excellent pay, medical benefits, retirement, paid holidays and vacation that at the first sign of depression he will loose as his company can’t sustain them when times get hard. Joe’s employer pays these standards because they are free market forces in action. Joe does not have to work there, his employer does not have to hire him.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
The only reason any of those benifits EXIST is because they were union demands. The only reason Joe has them is he is in a union or a skilled job that HAS to offer those or lose him TO a uion job. Joe doesnt have to work there. The employer HAS to hire SOMEBODY if he didnt he couldnt live off the sweat of others. THEY do the work and get SOME pay the employer sits back and gets his CUT of what the workers CREATE. ALL wealth being created by workers and ZERO wealth created by those who buy and sell. Joe should get down on his knees and thank all those union workers that fought and DIED for decent working conditions decent wages and benifits
August 21st, 2009 at 12:45 am.
Q U E S T I O N:
Why does Democrat Rick Boucher (VA), think his constituents and fellow Americans do NOT deserve affordable heath care?
.
August 21st, 2009 at 12:45 am.
Q U E S T I O N:
If a public option is THE popular opinion of the people…
… The just WHO is Democrat Rick Boucher (VA) Representing when he chooses NOT to Represent the popular opinion?
.
August 21st, 2009 at 12:47 am.
Dear Congressman Boucher,
Please resign!
You’re choosing Corporations OVER the People.
Thus, making YOU a fraud!
XXOO
America
.
August 21st, 2009 at 12:49 am.
Dear Undecided,
So when Corporations conspire to limit care to sick and dying patients…
… It’s a good thing?
Please, do tell…
… Why don’t Americans deserve affordable health care?
.
August 21st, 2009 at 12:52 amFree market is the shiny object the Plutocracy dangles in front of simple minds like Undecided to hypnotize him. No one in high level business or the Political arena beleives in it or would have any PART of a read free market. No in THIS economy, risks and costs are socialized and profit is privatized. As soon as the Casino financial market crashes all that free market talk goes out the window and its WWWWWWAAAAAAHHHHHHHH save us bail us out. Remember the Savings and Loan debacle? Our high tech industry wouldnt even EXIST without the taxpayer subsidies from the Department of Defense. Do you really think we spend as much money as the rest of the world on defense even with two good allies and two huge Oceans seperating us from all threats because it costs that much to DEFEND ourselves? HA it costs that much to do the research and development for industry. That PC you are sitting in front of right now would NOT be an American product if it existed at ALL if not for the research the DOD did. Nor would the internet, cellphones, the silicon chip itself from Bell Labs which had not only a monopoly but a COST PLUS GAURANTEE. Free market. Yeah you keep buying that bridge.
August 21st, 2009 at 12:52 amWell, let’s pressure this guy. His district gets a lot more progressive beginning next week I believe (Virginia Tech).
August 21st, 2009 at 2:59 pm@GullyFoyle,
I don’t believe USPS owns any planes of its own. It has always used the scheduled carriers for air mail. It makes a lot of sense to use UPS and FedEx planes for letter mail; it’s just one more bag sized “express” shipment that happens to be headed to a mail distribution facility.
UPS and FedEx don’t want letter mail, meaning the stuff we write to one another. It’s too expensive to distribute. Anyway, they already handle a large volume of the much more lucrative intra- and inter-corporate letter mail, inside their “Express” flats. They have the business they want, and USPS has to handle the irritating bulk stuff and take the heat for it. Nice deal for UPS and FedUp.
August 21st, 2009 at 3:48 pmGod forbid that congress would vote for something that THE AMERICAN PEOPLE WANT.
August 21st, 2009 at 5:53 pm