$100 million provision for Lousiana in the Senate health care bill

myp · Nov 21, 2009

The Senate is set to vote on their version of the health care bill tonight. There has been a bit of uproar though, after a provision was added in the bill that would give states which have had a major disaster in the past 7 years medicaid subsidies. It turns out that the only state this pertains to is Louisiana- where the vote of Senator Landrieu is considered one of the must-need votes for Reid and the supporters of the bill. The opposition is calling Reid out, saying that this is simply trying to buy out votes. The provision would send about $100 million in subsidies to Louisiana.

Reference: http://blogs.abcnews.com/thenote/2009/11/the-100-million-health-care-vote.html

In my opinion it is just another example of why government is always politically inclined and why small government is always better. This is what happens when they have too much power. Your thoughts?

deanhills · Nov 27, 2009

myp said:
The Senate is set to vote on their version of the health care bill tonight. There has been a bit of uproar though, after a provision was added in the bill that would give states which have had a major disaster in the past 7 years medicaid subsidies. It turns out that the only state this pertains to is Louisiana- where the vote of Senator Landrieu is considered one of the must-need votes for Reid and the supporters of the bill. The opposition is calling Reid out, saying that this is simply trying to buy out votes. The provision would send about $100 million in subsidies to Louisiana.

Reference: http://blogs.abcnews.com/thenote/2009/11/the-100-million-health-care-vote.html

In my opinion it is just another example of why government is always politically inclined and why small government is always better. This is what happens when they have too much power. Your thoughts?

To me it proves that things are going the wrong way round. The States need to work out their own medical care solutions first and suggestions should come from the bottom up, instead of the top down. But now that it seems to be almost inevitable, Louisiana probably needs huge subsidies as it must be the poorest of States. They are also in need of huge subsidies for education, as the standard of schooling in Louisiana seems to lag that of the United States by a huge percentage.

Dirk · Nov 27, 2009

deanhills said:
The States need to work out their own medical care solutions first and suggestions should come from the bottom up, instead of the top down.

Is there any possibility for legislature at a more local level? Like, for example, a local coucil or something? Better yet, I think there should be created a community assembly, where all residents get to vote on a motion once every Saturday or something. Rather than representative democracy, there could be a localist direct democracy.

Another thing could be that this local legislature is dominant. For example, the People could make legislation for a Local Health Service, which would override the current healthcare legislation. This would ensure that ultimately, the People have the power.

You guys should also REALLY have a Citizen's Initiative, like the Lisbon Treaty that was brought in by the EU. It's just absolutely brilliant.

deanhills · Nov 30, 2009

Dirk said:
Is there any possibility for legislature at a more local level? Like, for example, a local coucil or something? Better yet, I think there should be created a community assembly, where all residents get to vote on a motion once every Saturday or something. Rather than representative democracy, there could be a localist direct democracy.

Another thing could be that this local legislature is dominant. For example, the People could make legislation for a Local Health Service, which would override the current healthcare legislation. This would ensure that ultimately, the People have the power.

You guys should also REALLY have a Citizen's Initiative, like the Lisbon Treaty that was brought in by the EU. It's just absolutely brilliant.

I'm totally for going back to the communities and rebuilding BANKING and MEDICAL CARE from scratch. However I'm not for following other people's examples. People of the United States had good reasons for leaving Europe a number of centuries ago, and they are perfectly capable of sorting out their own solutions. I just think they need to do this from the bottom up. There is too much of Federal Government and people seem to be abdicating their political power more and more to the Federal Government with very dire consequences for all.

DodgeFB · Nov 30, 2009

deanhills said:
I'm totally for going back to the communities and rebuilding BANKING and MEDICAL CARE from scratch. However I'm not for following other people's examples. People of the United States had good reasons for leaving Europe a number of centuries ago, and they are perfectly capable of sorting out their own solutions. I just think they need to do this from the bottom up. There is too much of Federal Government and people seem to be abdicating their political power more and more to the Federal Government with very dire consequences for all.

Yes and a strong desire to suck up to those other countries. Do we really "just want to be loved" around the world? We don't have to be hateful, but being loved around the world is not what made us what we once were. We need to shut up and take care of ourselves in my opinion. Every tub sitting on it's own bottom.

deanhills · Nov 30, 2009

DodgeFB said:
Every tub sitting on it's own bottom.

Well said!

I really believe everything moves in cycles. The US is going through a down cycle in its politics, and the EU seems to be doing OK, but tomorrow the EU may be down again. I also believe that all of it is just an appearance, we do not really know what is going on behind the scenes. What you see about Europe may not be necessarily what you are getting.

Dirk · Nov 30, 2009

deanhills said:
However I'm not for following other people's examples. People of the United States had good reasons for leaving Europe a number of centuries ago, and they are perfectly capable of sorting out their own solutions. I just think they need to do this from the bottom up.

Don't get me wrong, i'm anti-EU myself. However, the Citizen's Initiative is a REALLY great force for People-power. It would be a good, reasonable, practical way of bringing in things that the People actually support.

If you want democracy, that's a good starting point. A proper change will probably require a revolution. Whether you have a Citizen's Initiative, a similar alternative or whatever, I just don't see the point of rejecting a pretty nice democratic idea simply on the grounds that it's foreign.

deanhills · Dec 2, 2009

Dirk said:
A proper change will probably require a revolution.

I hope it is a peaceful revolution, but I agree with you, it would take a revolution to get people out of the apathetic state.

Dirk · Dec 3, 2009

deanhills said:
I hope it is a peaceful revolution, but I agree with you, it would take a revolution to get people out of the apathetic state.

It can be. It largely depends on Government's response, i suppose. They may need to be convinced that:

a) it's a mass popular movement that they can't stop unless they go to war against their own citizens (which i'd hope they wouldn't do)

b) you can take major centres of power like the White House, Congress or whatever

Technically, it could be perfectly peaceful. For example, the Hungarian socialist revolution only became violent because of Soviet intervention. The people had to fight against the Soviet forces.

I'm quite pacifistic myself, so i definitely concur. But i do want change. And real change seems impossible within the current institutions. Also, much of the change i support involves removing Government (or at least reducing it), which it wouldn't do itself.

Abbott Presley · Dec 9, 2020

$100 million provision for Lousiana in the Senate health care bill

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