Posted on 11/14/2014 11:06:10 AM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
It’s not exactly the Ems Dispatch (the diplomatic cable Bismarck doctored to provoke the 1870 Franco-Prussian War). But what the just-resurfaced Gruber Confession lacks in world-historical consequence, it makes up for in world-class cynicism. This October 2013 video shows MIT Professor Jonathan Gruber, a principal architect of Obamacare, admitting that, in order to get it passed, the law was made deliberately obscure and deceptive. It constitutes the ultimate vindication of the charge that Obamacare was sold on a pack of lies.
“Lack of transparency is a huge political advantage,” said Gruber. “Basically, call it the stupidity of the American voter or whatever, but basically that was really, really critical to getting the thing to pass.” This was no open-mic gaffe. It was a clear, indeed enthusiastic, admission to an academic conference of the mendacity underlying Obamacare.
First, Gruber said, the bill’s authors manipulated the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, which issues gold-standard cost estimates of any legislative proposal: “This bill was written in a tortured way to make sure CBO did not score the mandate as taxes.” Why? Because “if CBO scored the mandate as taxes, the bill dies.” And yet, the president himself openly insisted that the individual mandate — what you must pay the government if you fail to buy health insurance — was not a tax....
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
While the Gruber statements only confirm what many suspected. Let’s not forget while the GOPES (gop elite statists) are busy pointing fingers now. They were running the show during the 2012 re-election campaign and had the opportunity to read and explain what was in Obamacare during the 2012 election then, but didn’t do so.
Crony capitalism.
From top to bottom.
These amounts are small potatoes for big govt but still appalling.
Classic. A brilliant recommendation. Make it happen.
bttt
The fundamental issue is access to healthcare and at least 50% of healthcare costs are driven by local and state zoning and licensing rules. Hospitals get monopolies. Medical schools get slavewage interns, etc. Pharmacists cannot write scrips only fill them.
Any state could increase the competition and drive down healthcare costs by simply allow doctors from other states to practice without new exams, etc. Doctors get rated now and that’s improved service already.
What the Feds could have done was:
1. Change the tax code and it would have made healthcare portable.
2. Use its Commerce Clause power to create what America was meant to be: a free trade zone. Let people buy insurance across state lines.
There were a dozen really good changes that would have increased healthcare competition. Democratcare was nearly the worst and they would have made it even worse, but couldn’t get away with it.
Imagine just a simple change to medical device and pharmaceutical access - life saving choice. If you’re terminal you get to use whatever you want. Over time you’d see that slowly migrate out toward all kinds of chronic diseases.
How about allowing immediate access pending FDA full approval to all drugs approved in Britain, Germany, France and Japan?
The key to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness is less government.
so, Justice Roberts was right....... vindicated by Grueber
you are wrong...... read the article
Justice Roberts was absolutely correct...... he nailed it. It’s a tax
You are steeped in FR doctrine that is also being shown to be incorrect
To demonstrate how clueless they were, recall the surprise when they learned -years after passage - that it applied to them, and they went begging to Obama to be allowed an exception.
“To demonstrate how clueless they were, recall the surprise when they learned -years after passage - that it applied to them, and they went begging to Obama to be allowed an exception.”
I remember, but didn’t Reid’s $inate pass exceptions for them, which Herr Obozo signed to include all of Congress.
“How about allowing immediate access pending FDA full approval to all drugs approved in Britain, Germany, France and Japan?”
Besides saving money re lower costs and more competitive new drugs, we could save a ton of money by eliminating FDA’s costly repetitive over studies that create jobs for left wing MDS in lef wing medical schools.
Obama did it on his own, as I recall. No legislation. It seems to me there was also a “sign up by the deadline or lose the benefit forever” stipulation as well.
As soon as you can prove through actual fact and experience that a freer market and more competition lowers prices Democrats cannot win.
Keep in mind that some 50% or more of medical costs are driven at the state and local level via permitting, licensing and zoning laws. Hospitals are granted geographic monopolies. Doctors already licensed cannot open a practice without permission from a zoning department or board. It’s nuts. A doctor in one state cannot simply cross the boarder and practice in another state. A doctor from Britain or Canada or Germany, a top practitioner in his field cannot work in the US. It’s nuts.
This isn't exactly the way I expected to have that interpretation supported by the administration, but in fact, yes, that's exactly what Gruber is saying. And that they had to lie about it to pass it, and that they don't care so long as it's "established law".
Well, La Dee Freakin' Da, he still voted to make it the Law of the Land.
It's ALL ABOUT CONTROL OVER US!!!
Except Judge Roberts NAILED it as a TAX!!
I thought the Comic Book was a joke....but it’s REAL!!!
"Change the tax code and it would have made healthcare portable." I think we are saying the same thing, make it so either your employer has the tax benefit or you do, i.e. you buy the policy and you get to deduct it on "Line 29". Their may have to be an option time for transition or it may not work. Much like my CPA wonks tell me a Flat Tax would need to be an option on your 1040 as the system won't take the dramatic switch or make it through Congress as stand-alone code, give people the choice. You bring up some points that I was unaware of in regards to licensing and Zoning Codes. Perhaps we need new Hospitals that are Modules like Charters Schools, pre-planed pre-manufactured, then erect it. Also I like your idea of reciprocity of State Exams. It is that way with Insurance license(s) ( or was ) although you have to apply to that state, pay a fee etc, and that is so 10th amendment based it isn't funny. On the Pharmacist, that is a great idea as well, as well as immediate access and open door for those with no options to try things as they are approaching end of life. Outstanding post 1010RD....
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