Page 1 of 1

The Truth About Health Care Reform

Posted: Tue Jan 26, 2010 8:00 am
by Hostrauser
http://slacktivist.typepad.com/slacktiv ... rewed.html
The only hope you have of ever seeing another pay raise is if Congress passes health care reform. Without health care reform, the increasing cost of your health insurance will swallow this year's raise. And next year's raise. And pretty soon it won't stop with just your raise. Without health care reform, the increasing cost of your health insurance will start making your pay go down.

13. I wish I could tell you that this was just a worst-case scenario, that this was only something that might, maybe happen, but that wouldn't be true. Without health care reform, this is what will happen. We know this because this is what is happening now. It has been happening for the past 10 years. In 2008, employers spent on average 25 percent more per employee than they did in 2001, but wages on average did not increase during those years. The price of milk went up. The price of gas went up. But wages did not. All of the money that would have gone to higher wages went to pay the higher and higher and higher cost of health insurance. And unless Congress passes health care reform, that will not change.

Well, it will change in the sense that it will keep getting worse, but it won't get better. Unless the problem gets fixed, the problem won't be fixed. That's kind of what "problem" and "fixed" mean.

14. Sadly for any chance you have of ever seeing a raise again, it looks like Congress may not pass health care reform. It looks like they won't do that because they're scared of angry voters who are demanding that they oppose health care reform, angry voters who demand that Congress not do anything that would keep the cost of health insurance from going up and up and up. Angry voters like you.

15. Do you see the point here? You are angrily, loudly demanding that Congress make sure that you never, ever get another pay raise as long as you live. Because of you and because of your angry demands, you and your family and your kids are going to have to get by with less this year than last year. And next year you're going to have to get by with even less. And if you keep angrily demanding that no one must ever fix this problem, then you're going to have to figure out how to get by on less and less every year for the rest of your life.

Re: The Truth About Health Care Reform

Posted: Fri Jan 29, 2010 12:37 am
by maa0162
Forget it, it's over already. The mid-term elections are only 10 months away, which in reality means they will be decided in August when members of congress go home to face their constituents, most of whom work in the private sector anyway (i.e. they pay for their own health care).

Besides, most public school teachers get paid according to a salary schedule and benefits package that has been negotiated by their union team in advance. Such schedules provide for a raise every year. When the union feels the level of raises is not fair, they renegotiate.

Although I am credentialed in California and have worked there in the past, I currently live in a different state. It seems to me that the real issue for California is figuring out that 9 billion state budget shortfall that is comming next next year.

Schools without music are schools that suck. I'll take music before I take a governement handout any day of the week.