Is Everybody Really Worse Off? Certainly not...

I think I am more aware of what health insurance costs/how much it keeps increasing because I either work for myself or small businesses who reimburse me for it - so I write a check for it every 2 months.

In the last ten years the number on the check has quadrupled. And that's for a HEALTHY person - no chronic health problems, no expensive prescriptions, no surgeries, no pre-existing conditions. Can't begin to think what it is for someone w/ problems.

Health care costs are insane - I broke a bone, went to the Urgent Care Center, just got X-rays, and it was almost $2K by the time they finished with the bills and fine print. No cast, no painkillers, no surgery.

Lynnie - I find it very interesting that you say there is a negligible cost for removing the lifetime cap, yet insurance companies are using that as an excuse to raise prices. (Not that I am surprised.)

To paraphrase:

Nothing changed we just have a black man to blame for it now.

Makes no sense considering he espouses the principles of our founding fathers better than any president in history, including the founders.

I think I am more aware of what health insurance costs/how much it keeps increasing because I either work for myself or small businesses who reimburse me for it - so I write a check for it every 2 months.

In the last ten years the number on the check has quadrupled. And that's for a HEALTHY person - no chronic health problems, no expensive prescriptions, no surgeries, no pre-existing conditions. Can't begin to think what it is for someone w/ problems.

Health care costs are insane - I broke a bone, went to the Urgent Care Center, just got X-rays, and it was almost $2K by the time they finished with the bills and fine print. No cast, no painkillers, no surgery.

Lynnie - I find it very interesting that you say there is a negligible cost for removing the lifetime cap, yet insurance companies are using that as an excuse to raise prices. (Not that I am surprised.)

I started to state that could be a 'ruse,' but that's for someone else to determine. In the big picture, the cost to remove those caps is negligible......how many people have approached $5MM in claims? This was the lifetime max in most policies until this legislation passed. A few plans offered a $10MM lifetime max and the difference in premium was not worth mentioning. So, if someone has a $50MM claim, can you even grasp that? When Christopher Reeves lifetime max was breached, we were all stunned and shocked. And, he was covered under a group plan through SAG.

The major expenses have to do with hospitalization, advances in medical technology and unfortunately, as we have dicussed here a few times, pharmacology as well as those pesky little legal issues.

Seems the bigger corporations are having a great time these last two years:

Seems the bigger corporations are having a great time these last two years:

Profits have surged 62 percent from the start of 2009 to mid-2010, according to the Commerce Department. That is faster than any other year and a half in the Fabulous ?50s, the Go-Go ?60s or the booms under Presidents Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton.​

Read more: Corporate profits' big climb - John Maggs - POLITICO.com​

I know. This is one of the points I discussed with the Economist this week. Until 'access to credit' is balanced, the larger corporations are going to continue to sit fat.

Small business owners can't get the credit they traditionally rely upon and use for growth, expansion and newer technology. Since some people don't like hearing that we should allow free markets to correct with no government intervention, the one way to cure this is to escalate the foreclosures. No one wants to see more people homeless. Since our government is involved of every facet of this economy, we can't readily remove them from the equation....not now, anyway. There are many areas where residential real estate is so upside down, they will never recover and real estate should appreciate at a normal rate congruent with inflation. So, move the property, clear the books and start over. This will help loosen credit in smaller towns (smaller banks), hopefully unemployment will drop and consumer spending will level out.

The good thing happening right now is Americans are saving between 5-6%! In 2006, we saved zip and even went negative one quarter.

Lynnie, what you say makes good common sense but I don't see it happening in the Obama administration as it is responding now. Anyway you cut it, some are going to be hurt in the future. My hope is that it doesn't happen to those who have done it right for decades.

Seems the bigger corporations are having a great time these last two years:

Profits have surged 62 percent from the start of 2009 to mid-2010, according to the Commerce Department. That is faster than any other year and a half in the Fabulous ?50s, the Go-Go ?60s or the booms under Presidents Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton.​

Read more: Corporate profits' big climb - John Maggs - POLITICO.com​

This is without a doubt the highlight thus far in the recovery. The speed at which they pulled this off is just astounding.

graph

Gross: CEO Crybabies - Newsweek

If you think letting free markets correct on their own is a good idea then I've a got an optometrist with un-medicated epilepsy you might want to see.

This is without a doubt the highlight thus far in the recovery. The speed at which they pulled this off is just astounding.

graph

Smoke & Mirrors: Profits tend to fall to the bottom line pretty quick when they don't have to filter into the paychecks of 8 million fewer workers.

GM -107,000
Citigroup -73,000
HP -47,500
Verizon -39,000
Pfizer -31,700
Caterpiller -23,000
AT&T -18,400
DOW -17,500
Dupont -17,000
Ford -15,900
Sprint -14,000
Boeing -13,700

...just to name a few.

Yes, the Newsweek article points out:


It's a bad time to not be at the top.

Smoke & Mirrors: Profits tend to fall to the bottom line pretty quick when they don't have to filter into the paychecks of 8 million fewer workers.

GM -107,000
Citigroup -73,000
HP -47,500
Verizon -39,000
Pfizer -31,700
Caterpiller -23,000
AT&T -18,400
DOW -17,500
Dupont -17,000
Ford -15,900
Sprint -14,000
Boeing -13,700

...just to name a few.

I love that manufacturing / chemical is profitable....and, cutting workforce is /was part of it, but they shifted gears quicky. We are still exporting more than China right now, which has the largest economy in the world, but when you break it down to per capita, the United States is still tops!! :clap:

I love that manufacturing / chemical is profitable....and, cutting workforce is /was part of it, but they shifted gears quicky. We are still exporting more than China right now, which has the largest economy in the world, but when you break it down to per capita, the United States is still tops!! :clap:

Are you seriously applauding the making of money off the downsizing of American jobs?

Other than money and jobs, what exactly are we exporting?

Per Capita is on way of hiding it, if it weren't for the 1.2 billion Chinese the hemorrhaging would be more obvious.

Other than money and jobs, what exactly are we exporting?

The US is the largest exporter of debt to the rest of the world.

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Are you seriously applauding the making of money off the downsizing of American jobs?

There are some exceptions...ST JOE still hasn't figured out how to do this.

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Are you seriously applauding the making of money off the downsizing of American jobs? NO, but you need to believe whatever you need to believe to get on with your day.

Other than money and jobs, what exactly are we exporting? Hard goods that were manufactured here.

Per Capita is on way of hiding it, if it weren't for the 1.2 billion Chinese the hemorrhaging would be more obvious.

No one is hiding the per capita issue. China's economy is very large and it should be based upon population. However, per capita, the US economy is still larger.

The US is the largest exporter of debt to the rest of the world.

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I was throwing that one in with "money".

No one is hiding the per capita issue. China's economy is very large and it should be based upon population. However, per capita, the US economy is still larger.

Let me put it more succinctly.

You did in fact state that you "loved" that they were laying people off. I was giving you an opportunity to explain your thinking, unfortunately there wasn't any of that involved.

I was throwing that one in with "money".

Debt = Money? That's what started this whole mess in the first place.

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Debt = Money? That's what started this whole mess in the first place.

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Money and Jobs seem to be the only thing leaving this country. In the past we even held our own debt in the form of savings bonds, treasury bills, etc. However that is being exported to other countries.

I'm still curious what goods we are exporting other than food?

Then you should Google! I did, and found out that food is only 7.9% of exports in 2010. The largest category is Industrial Supplies, then Capital goods.

I know this goes against the commonly held belief that we don't make anything here anymore, and that you have to move all of your factories to Malaysia and employ 12-year-old girls, but we make a TON of stuff here, and apparently pretty well. Of course, we also export scrap metal....

Lots of numbers and the like here:

News Release: U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services

Let me put it more succinctly.

You did in fact state that you "loved" that they were laying people off. I was giving you an opportunity to explain your thinking, unfortunately there wasn't any of that involved.

DO NOT take words out of context. Is that succinct enough? When the approach is accusatory and less than reproach, I just don't see the need to bother.

Then you should Google! I did, and found out that food is only 7.9% of exports in 2010. The largest category is Industrial Supplies, then Capital goods.

I know this goes against the commonly held belief that we don't make anything here anymore, and that you have to move all of your factories to Malaysia and employ 12-year-old girls, but we make a TON of stuff here, and apparently pretty well. Of course, we also export scrap metal....

Lots of numbers and the like here:

News Release: U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services

Exactly, and from Shelly's list, it is pretty obvious we are exporting high ticket machinery and China is a big customer to Caterpillar right now. America has not lost her industrial advantage.

DO NOT take words out of context. Is that succinct enough? When the approach is accusatory and less than reproach, I just don't see the need to bother.

Perhaps you should go back and read your own context.

Perhaps you should go back and read your own context.

I did. When you want to have a debate or a discussion in a civil manner without being blatantly nasty, mean-spirited and rude, maybe some more people will engage.

I have no desire, however. Take care.

I don't see how asking for a perfectly reasonable clarification of a debate point was rude in this case.