Campaign 2016 Part XVI: KICK THE BABY!

[joecct]

Re: Campaign 2016 Part XVI: KICK THE BABY!

Who will be the 2016 equivalent of Alexander Butterfield?

(how many of you had to google him? )

[St. Clown]

Re: Campaign 2016 Part XVI: KICK THE BABY!

Who will be the 2016 equivalent of Alexander Butterfield?

(how many of you had to google him? )

Not me. Because I don't give a **** who Alexander Butterfield was or is.

[Kepler]

Re: Campaign 2016 Part XVI: KICK THE BABY!

Not me. Because I don't give a **** who Alexander Butterfield was or is.

Here's a hint: you should.

[bronconick]

Re: Campaign 2016 Part XVI: KICK THE BABY!

Having googled it, it's too rare of an event for anyone to be the 2016 equivalent. It's about as common as the moon landings. Big deal in the late 60's/early 70's and a resounding meh now.

[Handyman]

Re: Campaign 2016 Part XVI: KICK THE BABY!

The private sector works.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/24/us...smtyp=cur&_r=0



**** you, Mylan.

It Gets Better

"According to a report from NBC News, from 2007 to 2015, Mylan CEO Heather Bresch’s salary went from $2,453,456 to $18,931,068, a 671 percent increase.

During that same period, Mylan raised EpiPen prices from $56.64 to $317.82, a 461 percent increase."

But I am sure we will hear all those free market lovers defend this ****.

[The Rube]

Re: Campaign 2016 Part XVI: KICK THE BABY!

It Gets Better

"According to a report from NBC News, from 2007 to 2015, Mylan CEO Heather Bresch’s salary went from $2,453,456 to $18,931,068, a 671 percent increase.

During that same period, Mylan raised EpiPen prices from $56.64 to $317.82, a 461 percent increase."

But I am sure we will hear all those free market lovers defend this ****.

For legit medical things, the rules should be a bit different (if there's a better phrasing, let 'er rip). This is serious bullsh*. For free market, sure that tank top you really really want....hey charge $300 for it. If someone wants to pay that, go for it. Stuff like Epi-pens? No. Not cool, if it can be lower-priced.

[5mn_Major]

Re: Campaign 2016 Part XVI: KICK THE BABY!

For legit medical things, the rules should be a bit different (if there's a better phrasing, let 'er rip). This is serious bullsh*. For free market, sure that tank top you really really want....hey charge $300 for it. If someone wants to pay that, go for it. Stuff like Epi-pens? No. Not cool, if it can be lower-priced.

Inspite of the risk of getting raged at...

Epi Pens scenario are occurring because they lack free markets...not because of them. Price competition from $50 generics would not allow this to occur.

United Healthcare made $11B in income last year. Other insurance companies the same. And they don't actually deliver health care themselves. Now that's a pretty good business to be in. And they hate the Obamacare markets. Why? Because they bring competition and free markets. So Epi Pens is just doing what its allowed to do. Not sure if I would, but many people would take a big pile of money if its sitting on the table. Blame for and any solution rests with the system that's broken and a lack of free markets that allow them to get away with it rather than Epi Pens and UHG CEOs.

[Rover]

Re: Campaign 2016 Part XVI: KICK THE BABY!

So the Trump campaign uses campaign donations to buy copies of his book?

His campaign has to be the biggest grift in the history of politics. I also read that he tripled the rent his campaign is paying to Trump Tower now that more donations are rolling in.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/article...ml?via=desktop

[burd]

Re: Campaign 2016 Part XVI: KICK THE BABY!

So the Trump campaign uses campaign donations to buy copies of his book?

His campaign has to be the biggest grift in the history of politics. I also read that he tripled the rent his campaign is paying to Trump Tower now that more donations are rolling in.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/article...ml?via=desktop

He's a dishonest con artist, no doubt, but there appear to be some legitimate explanations why rent went up so much.

[ScoobyDoo]

Re: Campaign 2016 Part XVI: KICK THE BABY!

Hey, Mylan. **** off and die.

[Wisko McBadgerton]

Re: Campaign 2016 Part XVI: KICK THE BABY!

Seeing that many seem to think Hill will be Bill III, I'd be interested to hear what your opinions are on the net effect of Bill's 8 years on matters of economy and foreign policy.

In '92, Bill's "Third Way" was much closer to guys like Kasich or Jeb! on economic policy. Here's the 1992 Platform. Interesting that some of the preamble echoes a portion of the current right, with an appeal to an angry middle class and, of course, returning America to economic Greatness! It proposes a pro growth, fiscally responsible policy that is also tough on crime while remaining socially to the left. (I also note that it's a couple of pages and easy to get the gist, in contrast to today's party platforms that run 50+ pages at a time in history when this post itself is so lengthy that it probably necessitates a TL;DR)

The 2016 Democratic Platform has been pushed a good ways to the left of President Obama by Bernie, so if Mrs. Clinton pursues it aggressively (something the far left is pretty doubtful about) I guess one could best characterize it as "Hillary I". It's probably "Obama III" if R's retain congress, as they are likely to just call a recess until mid-terms. It's "Bill III" maybe in the one sense that it seems the President would likely be the subject of one or more Federal investigations.

That said, platforms seem fairly secondary in this election, thus far.

[Wisko McBadgerton]

Re: Campaign 2016 Part XVI: KICK THE BABY!

Inspite of the risk of getting raged at...

Epi Pens scenario are occurring because they lack free markets...not because of them. Price competition from $50 generics would not allow this to occur.

United Healthcare made $11B in income last year. Other insurance companies the same. And they don't actually deliver health care themselves. Now that's a pretty good business to be in. And they hate the Obamacare markets. Why? Because they bring competition and free markets. So Epi Pens is just doing what its allowed to do. Not sure if I would, but many people would take a big pile of money if its sitting on the table. Blame for and any solution rests with the system that's broken and a lack of free markets that allow them to get away with it rather than Epi Pens and UHG CEOs.

I agree that with regulation and a large barrier to entry you don't have a free market. And obviously pharmaceuticals and health care requires regulation so it's a problem that hasn't been solved at all within current policy.

How much large insurers and large providers hate the ACA... well I'm not sure about that. The group of largest insurers and largest providers have outperformed the (recovering) S&P by 200% to 500% since the ACA. It's not everything but it certainly is an indicator to me that a system that was supposed to drive down costs seems to have still been generating an awful lot of profits for the largest companies operating within it.

[Rover]

Re: Campaign 2016 Part XVI: KICK THE BABY!

To Sanders' credit, I think he helped Hillary choose whether we were dealing with Clinton's 3rd term or Obama's 3rd term as she seemed really unfocused on that. In time she or her campaign realized 1992 didn't have a lot of resonance with core Dem voters particularly younger ones who wanted to keep moving left, so she went all in on Obama 3. Nostalgia sells well with the right because depending on their age they all either wish it was still 1980 or 1950. Libs tend to be a younger crowd, so not too many want to relive the 60's which the 50 and under crowd has zero recollection of.

Regarding tax policy, simply put nothing will get done without a Dem House. As about 30 Goopers sit in Dem districts (on a Presidential level) and that's the size of their majority, it is almost entirely within the power of Dem leaning voters to get back to parity in the House if they vote a straight line ticket.

For Wall St. regulation its absurd to think Hillary won't move left on this. Simply for political calculations, its an easy win. You don't need new laws just changing existing regulations which she or her appointees can do. The biggest obstacle for the Dems isn't Hillary, its Chuck Schumer. Using existing levers she can easily work around him and keep the Elizabeth Warrens and Sandernistas happy.

Hillary's biggest impact assuming divided govt will be with the budget. Bill Clinton ate the GOP for lunch. Obama was way too deferential to The Boner and it took him 6 years to figure out he was getting jerked around. I'm skeptical Hillary will give it that long and her negotiating skills will be very interesting to watch.

[St. Clown]

Re: Campaign 2016 Part XVI: KICK THE BABY!

Inspite of the risk of getting raged at...

Epi Pens scenario are occurring because they lack free markets...not because of them. Price competition from $50 generics would not allow this to occur.

United Healthcare made $11B in income last year. Other insurance companies the same. And they don't actually deliver health care themselves. Now that's a pretty good business to be in. And they hate the Obamacare markets. Why? Because they bring competition and free markets. So Epi Pens is just doing what its allowed to do. Not sure if I would, but many people would take a big pile of money if its sitting on the table. Blame for and any solution rests with the system that's broken and a lack of free markets that allow them to get away with it rather than Epi Pens and UHG CEOs.

First, the ACA did not bring free markets to the healthcare industry. Quit distorting that term, it makes you look wholly ignorant when you're trying to impress people.

Second, health insurance rates are tightly governed by the states. It's a regulated market with large entry barriers established long ago. (I can't setup a St. Clown Health Insurance Co. and start selling my plans without a great deal of haggling with the state beforehand.) In many states, including MN, an insurance company has to submit to the state's commerce department - there's a group within insurance whose whole job it is to approve and monitor insurance companies' pricing strategies and force them to justify their planned rates. So all of these profits they earn, those profits you and so many others bemoan, aren't just legally permissible, they're almost granted to the companies by the states. And it's been that way for decades. The states have established healthcare oligopolies. The ACA only made side-by-side comparisons easier when price-shopping the various plans offered within that state exchanges.

[ScoobyDoo]

Re: Campaign 2016 Part XVI: KICK THE BABY!

Because they bring competition and free markets.

Please share whatever you're taking with the class.