gdp's Comments

Change.gov : Join the Discussion: Former Sen. Daschle responds on health care | Change.gov: The Obama-Biden Trans

Thu, 4 Dec 2008 04:52:32 +0000

This is so important to remember! I have a couple good friends who can't work because of mental health diagnoses, and so many people still treat mental illness as if it's 'fake' or something they should be able to 'get over.'

Change.gov : Join the Discussion: Former Sen. Daschle responds on health care | Change.gov: The Obama-Biden Trans

Thu, 4 Dec 2008 04:50:56 +0000

If you read the other comments I've made, you'll notice that I've already told them that it's a judgmental attitude. But yours is downright nasty and that is only going to make people defensive; it's not going to help us work together.

Change.gov : Join the Discussion: Former Sen. Daschle responds on health care | Change.gov: The Obama-Biden Trans

Thu, 4 Dec 2008 04:39:47 +0000

This is a great suggestion, MarthaElaine! I love my sugary sodas, but I also realize that they're not a substitute for drinking water. I honestly believe that a strong partnership with food producers and better education would help Americans eat better than just putting a tax on junk foods that plenty of us do enjoy responsibly.

Change.gov : Join the Discussion: Former Sen. Daschle responds on health care | Change.gov: The Obama-Biden Trans

Thu, 4 Dec 2008 04:31:55 +0000

I agree with you in theory, but there's no need to be judgmental in return. I don't think accusing people of being the cause of the problem really helps solve anything.

Change.gov : Join the Discussion: Former Sen. Daschle responds on health care | Change.gov: The Obama-Biden Trans

Thu, 4 Dec 2008 04:25:50 +0000

I tried to google a reference for degausser pension to find out more about what that means, and I can't find the term anywhere on the internet. Can you link me to some further reading?

Change.gov : Join the Discussion: Former Sen. Daschle responds on health care | Change.gov: The Obama-Biden Trans

Thu, 4 Dec 2008 04:24:56 +0000

Oreos and Twinkies won't kill you if you eat one a day. You CAN eat junk food responsibly. There is no such thing as smoking a mass-produced cigarette responsibly.

Change.gov : Join the Discussion: Former Sen. Daschle responds on health care | Change.gov: The Obama-Biden Trans

Thu, 4 Dec 2008 04:23:17 +0000

What is absurd about veggie burgers costing more is that the ingredients actually cost less-- ground beef is more expensive to produce than beans and grains!

Change.gov : Join the Discussion: Former Sen. Daschle responds on health care | Change.gov: The Obama-Biden Trans

Wed, 3 Dec 2008 23:25:44 +0000

Perhaps the right way to do this is to tax MANUFACTURERS who opt for cheap, unhealthy alternatives, and reward manufacturers who use the healthy stuff!

Change.gov : Join the Discussion: Former Sen. Daschle responds on health care | Change.gov: The Obama-Biden Trans

Wed, 3 Dec 2008 05:44:08 +0000

I don't think it's quite the same. Sometimes a doctor will do the right procedure, and will do it perfectly, and it still won't work. The doctor still needs to get paid for the time they spent doing the work, even if the outcome isn't positive.

Change.gov : Join the Discussion: Former Sen. Daschle responds on health care | Change.gov: The Obama-Biden Trans

Wed, 3 Dec 2008 05:20:46 +0000

"it tends to take more money out of the health care system and redistribute the same money to non-health care professional" Do you think that doesn't happen in the private system? I think a lot of our money gets lost in red tape here, which is what inflates prices so much.

Change.gov : Join the Discussion: Former Sen. Daschle responds on health care | Change.gov: The Obama-Biden Trans

Wed, 3 Dec 2008 05:14:41 +0000

This would also seriously help prevent a lot of drug addiction that happens as a result of people not being able to afford emotional care and turning to drugs instead.

Change.gov : Join the Discussion: Former Sen. Daschle responds on health care | Change.gov: The Obama-Biden Trans

Wed, 3 Dec 2008 05:13:42 +0000

I want to second the point about emotional care. So many people see this as medically unnecessary, but it is so important.

Change.gov : Join the Discussion: Former Sen. Daschle responds on health care | Change.gov: The Obama-Biden Trans

Wed, 3 Dec 2008 05:13:11 +0000

Except that we'd kind of like to provide free health insurance to EVERYONE.

Change.gov : Join the Discussion: Former Sen. Daschle responds on health care | Change.gov: The Obama-Biden Trans

Wed, 3 Dec 2008 05:12:08 +0000

As a lot of people have already pointed out, the whole idea of allowing insurance companies to continue to exist as private entities without checks and balances and then give people tax credits. This is similar to what John McCain proposed and it was one of the most laughable parts of his campaign because the amount of money he was able to come up with to give people was less than most health plans cost. Your suggestions also make little sense because if you are only going to provide a tax credit on plans that comply, how does that incentivize plans to comply? They'll simply keep their throttle on their programs, give employers neat shiny bonuses for using them, and the people on the bottom rungs would still be screwed. It doesn't hold water.

Change.gov : Join the Discussion: Former Sen. Daschle responds on health care | Change.gov: The Obama-Biden Trans

Wed, 3 Dec 2008 05:06:24 +0000

I agree with this.

Change.gov : Join the Discussion: Former Sen. Daschle responds on health care | Change.gov: The Obama-Biden Trans

Wed, 3 Dec 2008 05:06:01 +0000

From all the people who've lost their jobs recently :-P There is already an infrastructure in place. It just needs to be turned back on.

Change.gov : Join the Discussion: Former Sen. Daschle responds on health care | Change.gov: The Obama-Biden Trans

Wed, 3 Dec 2008 05:00:57 +0000

From everything Julie said, she IS being personally responsible-- choosing her health over the fabricated "American Dream" of owning property. And I would be happy to pay for Julie's health right now if she pays for mine later!

Change.gov : Join the Discussion: Former Sen. Daschle responds on health care | Change.gov: The Obama-Biden Trans

Wed, 3 Dec 2008 04:58:26 +0000

Comments should be taggable with their main subjects, and it should be easier to link directly to a comment. The linking directly to a comment doesn't work for me right now, and I have difficulty finding the comments I've made previously.

Change.gov : Join the Discussion: Former Sen. Daschle responds on health care | Change.gov: The Obama-Biden Trans

Wed, 3 Dec 2008 04:56:24 +0000

I would really like to see some better community tools, more along the lines of something like http://www.livejournal.com offers.

Change.gov : Join the Discussion: Former Sen. Daschle responds on health care | Change.gov: The Obama-Biden Trans

Wed, 3 Dec 2008 04:55:04 +0000

Yeah, I agree. It struck me as the idea of AIDS being a "gay cancer" which really hindered prevention and treatment in the early years because people were more interested in judging homosexuals.