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September 25, 2013
Final Word On Obamacare Coverage: Cheaper Than Expected
www.talkingpointsmemo.com/dc/final-word-on-obamacare-coverage-cheaper-than-expected
"On average, people will have a choice of 56 different insurance plans -- depending on which state you live in, though, that figure could range from seven (in Alabama) to 106 (in Arizona). The average number of insurers in a state is eight, though that again ranges from one to 13 in different states.
As for premiums, before tax credits kick in, they will average 16 percent below the Congressional Budget Office's original estimates for a silver-level plan (which covers 70 percent of costs). The number of insurers in a state is directly tied to how low premiums will be, Lambrew noted. Arizona, with an average of 106 plans to choose from, had the second-lowest average premiums for a 27-year-old adult: $166 a month. Wyoming, with an average of 16 plans, had the highest average premium at $342 a month.
But then the tax credits take effect. Those knock the premium for that 27-year-old, projected to earn $25,000, down to $145 in most states."
"On average, people will have a choice of 56 different insurance plans -- depending on which state you live in, though, that figure could range from seven (in Alabama) to 106 (in Arizona). The average number of insurers in a state is eight, though that again ranges from one to 13 in different states.
As for premiums, before tax credits kick in, they will average 16 percent below the Congressional Budget Office's original estimates for a silver-level plan (which covers 70 percent of costs). The number of insurers in a state is directly tied to how low premiums will be, Lambrew noted. Arizona, with an average of 106 plans to choose from, had the second-lowest average premiums for a 27-year-old adult: $166 a month. Wyoming, with an average of 16 plans, had the highest average premium at $342 a month.
But then the tax credits take effect. Those knock the premium for that 27-year-old, projected to earn $25,000, down to $145 in most states."
Ball On Conservatives Opposing Obamacare
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No, Ted Cruz’s Fake Filibuster Isn’t The Same As Wendy Davis’s Real One
No, Ted Cruz’s Fake Filibuster Isn’t The Same As Wendy Davis’s Real One: Conservatives are upset that the two Texas lawmakers are being portrayed so differently in the media. But that's because they're taking drastically different approaches.
Jon Stewart Eviscerates Cruz and Republicans on Anti-Obamacare Crusade | Alternet
Jon Stewart Eviscerates Cruz and Republicans on Anti-Obamacare Crusade | Alternet
"Jon Stewart had a field day with the Ted Cruz-led Republican Party threat to shut down the government unless the President agrees to defund Obamacare last night."
"Jon Stewart had a field day with the Ted Cruz-led Republican Party threat to shut down the government unless the President agrees to defund Obamacare last night."
How House Republicans Are Preaching A False Gospel About Food Stamps
How House Republicans Are Preaching A False Gospel About Food Stamps: Conservative religious arguments against food stamps run afoul of faith leaders, scripture, and facts.
How Doctors Are Preparing For The Millions Of People Who Will Get Mental Health Care Under Obamacare
How Doctors Are Preparing For The Millions Of People Who Will Get Mental Health Care Under Obamacare: Over 60 million Americans will be newly eligible for mental health care benefits under health reform -- and primary care doctors are getting ready for the influx of new patients.
A New Voice of Morality Responds Bluntly to Right-Wing Rants Against Anti-Poverty Programs | Common Dreams
A New Voice of Morality Responds Bluntly to Right-Wing Rants Against Anti-Poverty Programs | Common Dreams
"The plight of the poor in our Land of Plenty is so dramatic that even the Republican leaders of the U.S. House have noticed them and are reaching out with open hands. Unfortunately, they are not offering a helping hand to the needy, but a cold, hard slap in the face."
"The plight of the poor in our Land of Plenty is so dramatic that even the Republican leaders of the U.S. House have noticed them and are reaching out with open hands. Unfortunately, they are not offering a helping hand to the needy, but a cold, hard slap in the face."
Top Nevada GOPer Brags 2014 Will Be ‘A Great Year For Republicans’ Because Minorities Won’t Vote
Top Nevada GOPer Brags 2014 Will Be ‘A Great Year For Republicans’ Because Minorities Won’t Vote: "Meanwhile, the five Republicans on the Supreme Court gave an assist to many of these voter suppression efforts when they struck down a key prong of the Voting Rights Act last summer. Although that decision will not impact Nevada, which was not covered by the Voting Rights Act’s “preclearance” requirement, Republicans in other states announced plans to move forward with voter suppression laws within hours of the Supreme Court’s decision."
Arizona Republicans File Lawsuit To Make Congressional Gerrymandering Even Worse
Arizona Republicans File Lawsuit To Make Congressional Gerrymandering Even Worse: Democratic House candidates won more nearly 1.4 million more votes than Republicans last November, yet Republicans control the House. Arizona Republicans have a plan to make the House even less democratic.
A Slow-Motion Disaster: One Community’s Fight To Save Itself From Climate Change
A Slow-Motion Disaster: One Community’s Fight To Save Itself From Climate Change: As sea level rise puts many coastal communities at risk, a new video from the Center for American Progress shows the impact that climate change is having on the city of Norfolk, Virginia.
Senator Sanders Continues Relentless Flogging Of Extremist GOP
Senator Sanders Continues Relentless Flogging Of Extremist GOP
"Congressional Republicans are threatening to shut down the federal government next Tuesday unless the Affordable Care Act is defunded. The truth is that they’re just warming up and some of their other ideas are even further “off the deep end,” Sen. Bernie Sanders told radio host Bill Press on Tuesday. Then in a Senate floor speech, Sanders detailed a Republican to-do list that ranges from abolishing Social Security, privatizing VA health care, getting rid of the EPA, junking the minimum wage and more."
"Congressional Republicans are threatening to shut down the federal government next Tuesday unless the Affordable Care Act is defunded. The truth is that they’re just warming up and some of their other ideas are even further “off the deep end,” Sen. Bernie Sanders told radio host Bill Press on Tuesday. Then in a Senate floor speech, Sanders detailed a Republican to-do list that ranges from abolishing Social Security, privatizing VA health care, getting rid of the EPA, junking the minimum wage and more."
New Report: For 95% Of Americans, Obamacare Will Cost Much Less Than Expected
New Report: For 95% Of Americans, Obamacare Will Cost Much Less Than Expected: When uninsured Americans begin enrolling in Obamacare's new health care exchanges on Oct. 1, the overwhelming majority -- 95 percent -- will face health care premiums that are 16 percent lower, on average, than the government had previously projected
DC Republicans in Full Panic Mode: Obamacare Will Be Hugely Popular and There's Little the GOP Can Do to Stop It | Alternet
DC Republicans in Full Panic Mode: Obamacare Will Be Hugely Popular and There's Little the GOP Can Do to Stop It | Alternet
"Thus, their posturing, such as Texas Sen. Ted Cruz’s latest bill for complete defunding and his Tuesday filibuster, needs to be seen as the old cliché it is: a desperate measure for their desperate time.
"Thus, their posturing, such as Texas Sen. Ted Cruz’s latest bill for complete defunding and his Tuesday filibuster, needs to be seen as the old cliché it is: a desperate measure for their desperate time.
What’s scaring Republicans is that the president’s most significant domestic initiative is about to hit prime time. Starting October 1, it is poised to start delivering on its central promise, which is giving millions of Americans more and cheaper choices to buy health insurance."
September 24, 2013
Cruz A Spectacle With Faux Filibuster
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Obamacare Explained By Clinton And Obama
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Hey, white guys: No, you’re not the victim of a “lynch mob”
Hey, white guys: No, you’re not the victim of a “lynch mob”
"To compare being the target of protest or criticism to the shameful, horrific, common practice of lynching — or to think you can append some idiotic modifier like “digital” and use the phrase to mean whatever you want — isn’t just ignorant. It cheapens the phrase, strips it of meaning, and dilutes the awfulness, and the appalling recentness, of a great generational crime against black Americans."
"To compare being the target of protest or criticism to the shameful, horrific, common practice of lynching — or to think you can append some idiotic modifier like “digital” and use the phrase to mean whatever you want — isn’t just ignorant. It cheapens the phrase, strips it of meaning, and dilutes the awfulness, and the appalling recentness, of a great generational crime against black Americans."
Why Ted Cruz’s Anti-Obamacare Grandstanding Doesn’t Matter At All
Why Ted Cruz’s Anti-Obamacare Grandstanding Doesn’t Matter At All: It's not going to do anything to undermine Obamacare -- and it's distracting you from the GOP-led policies that actually are.
GOP rebranding effort is officially dead
GOP rebranding effort is officially dead
"Republicans will go to the electorate in 2014 and perhaps again in 2016, without anything new or different or improved to offer an increasingly liberal electorate."
"Republicans will go to the electorate in 2014 and perhaps again in 2016, without anything new or different or improved to offer an increasingly liberal electorate."
Extreme Energy Extraction Roadtrip — The Scary Ways We're Ruining the Country to Get Fossil Fuels | Alternet
Extreme Energy Extraction Roadtrip — The Scary Ways We're Ruining the Country to Get Fossil Fuels | Alternet
"A look at what fracking, mountaintop removal for coal and other extraction methods are doing to communities across the country"
"A look at what fracking, mountaintop removal for coal and other extraction methods are doing to communities across the country"
AIG CEO Says Executives Were Lynched ‘Like In The Deep South’
AIG CEO Says Executives Were Lynched ‘Like In The Deep South’:
"In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, AIG CEO Bob Benmosche came out with the worst analogy for the 2009 financial crisis. Benmosche compared public outrage over AIG’s bonuses to the Deep South lynching African-Americans."
"In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, AIG CEO Bob Benmosche came out with the worst analogy for the 2009 financial crisis. Benmosche compared public outrage over AIG’s bonuses to the Deep South lynching African-Americans."
Bernie Sanders Slams Gutless Republican Bullies For Beating Up On Helpless People
www.politicususa.com/2013/09/23/bernie-sanders-slams-gutless-republican-bullies-beating-helpless-people.html
"The Republicans who voted for this bill aren’t leaders. They are the most dangerous kind of followers. House Republicans are filled with arrogance, entitlement, hate, and contempt. They lack the courage to do what is right, so they perpetually return to what is easy. (42 votes and counting to defund Obamacare)."
"The Republicans who voted for this bill aren’t leaders. They are the most dangerous kind of followers. House Republicans are filled with arrogance, entitlement, hate, and contempt. They lack the courage to do what is right, so they perpetually return to what is easy. (42 votes and counting to defund Obamacare)."
It's the Austerity, Stupid: How We Were Sold an Economy-Killing Lie
www.motherjones.com/politics/2013/09/austerity-reinhart-rogoff-stimulus-debt-ceiling
"Austerity is working out fine for the 1 percent: Their jobs are safe, their investments are growing, and their taxes are low. But the rest of us are paying a high price in the form of slow growth, high unemployment, and stagnant wages for years to come. All things considered, we've been remarkably tolerant of our fate. The folks who run the world might do well to ponder how long that's going to last."
"Austerity is working out fine for the 1 percent: Their jobs are safe, their investments are growing, and their taxes are low. But the rest of us are paying a high price in the form of slow growth, high unemployment, and stagnant wages for years to come. All things considered, we've been remarkably tolerant of our fate. The folks who run the world might do well to ponder how long that's going to last."
Afghanistan War Veteran Slams Republicans For Cutting Food Stamps In Epic Letter
www.addictinginfo.org/2013/09/24/afghanistan-war-veteran-slams-republicans-for-cutting-food-stamps-in-epic-letter/
"The current crop of conservatives in Congress care nothing for anyone but themselves. They are selfish individuals who want to see America and the federal government burn to the ground."
"The current crop of conservatives in Congress care nothing for anyone but themselves. They are selfish individuals who want to see America and the federal government burn to the ground."
Congress Plans To Spend Less And Less On Children Over The Next Decade
Congress Plans To Spend Less And Less On Children Over The Next Decade: 2012 saw the biggest one-year drop in spending on kids since the 1980s, and it's just the beginning.
CMD Launches OutsourcingAmericaExposed.org to "Expose the Private Companies Behind the Corporate Takeover of Public Services"
CMD Launches OutsourcingAmericaExposed.org to "Expose the Private Companies Behind the Corporate Takeover of Public Services"
"Across the country, for-profit companies are engaged in a hostile takeover of our schools, roads, prisons, drinking water, and even local government itself"
"Across the country, for-profit companies are engaged in a hostile takeover of our schools, roads, prisons, drinking water, and even local government itself"
Shutdown: Here Is What Will Happen If Congress Doesn’t Get Its Act Together By Monday
Shutdown: Here Is What Will Happen If Congress Doesn’t Get Its Act Together By Monday: If Congress fails to pass a continuing resolution in six days, the federal government will come to a standstill, shuttering "non-essential" services and operations that are deemed unnecessary for the safety of human life and national security.
Obamacare: Scare Tactics vs Reality
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Getting The Facts Straight On Obamacare
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Failed GOP Obamacare Stunt Makes Cruz Pariah
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20 White Males from the Power Elite Who Belong in the American Hall of Shame | Alternet
20 White Males from the Power Elite Who Belong in the American Hall of Shame | Alternet
"Out of 300 million Americans, a few thousand wield disproportionate economic and political influence because of their positions at the pinnacle of America's corporate and media establishments or their roles as political allies (or puppets) of the corporate ruling class."
"Out of 300 million Americans, a few thousand wield disproportionate economic and political influence because of their positions at the pinnacle of America's corporate and media establishments or their roles as political allies (or puppets) of the corporate ruling class."
Cruz Commits 'Legislative Arson'
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GOP Governors Picking Businesses Over People?
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Steve Doocy's Big Math Problem
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How Labor Policies Affect Workers' Happiness
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September 23, 2013
Decreased Profits For Darden Owned Restaurants Will Really Hit The Wait Staff
Decreased Profits For Darden Owned Restaurants Will Really Hit The Wait Staff
"The entire tip-sharing system is a scam. It's nothing more than a way for business owners to pay less, while putting some of the financial liability on those that don't deserve it - the $3.85/hr waiter. In a common-sense world, it would be illegal.
"The entire tip-sharing system is a scam. It's nothing more than a way for business owners to pay less, while putting some of the financial liability on those that don't deserve it - the $3.85/hr waiter. In a common-sense world, it would be illegal.
My suggestion is to ask next time you go to a restaurant. Ask the host if they do tip-sharing/tip-pooling. If the answer is yes, then leave. Sure it still hurts the staff, but now it also hurts the company and management. It's time for them to feel the pain they have been pushing off onto their employees."
Washington Healthplanfinder
www.wahealthplanfinder.org/
For Washington residents who currently do not have affordable, quality health insurance the first place to look for insurance is at the Washington Health Benefit Exchange, also called the Washington Healthplanfinder. While the exchange officially opens for business on October 1, you can search their website today at wahealthplanfinder.org or you can call for information or to ask questions at 1-855-WAFINDER (1-855-923-4633) or TTY/TDD 1-855-627-9604.
Some additional online resources include:
· The federal government has its own marketplace website called the Federal Health Insurance Marketplace at HealthCare.gov
· Medicaid eligibility has been expanded so you might want to look at Medicaid Coverage at medicaid.gov
· If you need insurance for children DSHS provides through Apple Health for Kids at hca.wa.gov/applehealth/
For Washington residents who currently do not have affordable, quality health insurance the first place to look for insurance is at the Washington Health Benefit Exchange, also called the Washington Healthplanfinder. While the exchange officially opens for business on October 1, you can search their website today at wahealthplanfinder.org or you can call for information or to ask questions at 1-855-WAFINDER (1-855-923-4633) or TTY/TDD 1-855-627-9604.
Some additional online resources include:
· The federal government has its own marketplace website called the Federal Health Insurance Marketplace at HealthCare.gov
· Medicaid eligibility has been expanded so you might want to look at Medicaid Coverage at medicaid.gov
· If you need insurance for children DSHS provides through Apple Health for Kids at hca.wa.gov/applehealth/
Latest Budget Crisis Is Another Product of Conservative Media Hucksterism
www.mediamatters.org/blog/2013/09/23/latest-budget-crisis-is-another-product-of-cons/196034
"Hawking shady products - gold coins sold at a 30-percent markup, "survival seeds," and financial newsletters only designed to enrich their authors -- has long been the core strategy of funding the conservative media enterprise.
"Hawking shady products - gold coins sold at a 30-percent markup, "survival seeds," and financial newsletters only designed to enrich their authors -- has long been the core strategy of funding the conservative media enterprise.
But the deleterious effect of the latest conservative media scam threatens to be far greater than a tube of seeds that will yield no fruit.
The conservative media, along with Senators Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Mike Lee (R-UT), have conned their base into believing that shutting down the government -- unless Barack Obama agrees to stop the implementation of Obamacare -- is a strategically and politically salient idea for the GOP and the conservative movement. Senator Richard Burr (R-NC) earlier this summer dubbed it "the dumbest idea I've ever heard"."
Add It Up: The Average American Family Pays $6,000 a Year in Subsidies to Big Business | Common Dreams
Add It Up: The Average American Family Pays $6,000 a Year in Subsidies to Big Business | Common Dreams
"Overall, American families are paying an annual $6,000 subsidy to corporations that havedoubled their profits and cut their taxes in half in ten years while cutting 2.9 million jobs in the U.S. and adding almost as many jobs overseas.
"Overall, American families are paying an annual $6,000 subsidy to corporations that havedoubled their profits and cut their taxes in half in ten years while cutting 2.9 million jobs in the U.S. and adding almost as many jobs overseas.
This is more than an insult. It's a devastating attack on the livelihoods of tens of millions of American families. And Congress just lets it happen."
Congressman Suggests Pushing Nation To Default Unless Obama Slashes Health Care Coverage For Seniors
Congressman Suggests Pushing Nation To Default Unless Obama Slashes Health Care Coverage For Seniors: "During an interview with Minnesota Public Radio on Friday, Rep. John Kline (R-MN), Chairman of the the Committee on Education and the Workforce, hinted that Republicans should refuse to raise the debt ceiling unless President Obama agrees to raise the eligibility age for the Medicare program, keeping millions of younger seniors from receiving health care coverage"
The Middle Class Does Better In States With Lots Of Union Members
The Middle Class Does Better In States With Lots Of Union Members: Middle class families bring home significant more money where unions are strongest.
Buy a House, Make Your Payments, Then Discover You've Been Foreclosed On Without Your Knowledge | Alternet
Buy a House, Make Your Payments, Then Discover You've Been Foreclosed On Without Your Knowledge | Alternet
"This should never happen, but it did, thanks to the sordid mortgage servicing industry."
"This should never happen, but it did, thanks to the sordid mortgage servicing industry."
6 Shocking Revelations About How Private Prisons Make Their Money | Alternet
6 Shocking Revelations About How Private Prisons Make Their Money | Alternet
"Imagine living in a country where prisons are private corporations that profit from keeping their beds stocked at, or near, capacity and the governing officials scramble to meet contractual “lockup quotas.” Imagine that taxpayers would have to pay for any empty beds should crime rates fall below that quota. Surprise! You already live there."
"Imagine living in a country where prisons are private corporations that profit from keeping their beds stocked at, or near, capacity and the governing officials scramble to meet contractual “lockup quotas.” Imagine that taxpayers would have to pay for any empty beds should crime rates fall below that quota. Surprise! You already live there."
As Colorado Moves Toward Legal Pot Shops, More Than 100 Localities Ban Or Delay Sales
As Colorado Moves Toward Legal Pot Shops, More Than 100 Localities Ban Or Delay Sales: Last week, the small town of Norwood, Colo., joined more than 100 other cities and towns in the state that have banned marijuana sales or imposed a moratorium, as the state implements a legalized recreational pot market.
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