Ocassional Thoughts of an Independent Progressive Atheistic Humanist
The founder and CEO of Papa John’s Pizza, John Schnatter said during a shareholders conference call last week that if the Affordable Care Act wasn’t repealed it would add up to 14 cents onto the cost of a pizza. It’s good too know that Papa John thinks 14 cents is far more important than affordable health care for his minimum wage workers.
Many people, including myself, were shocked when the US Supreme Court upheld the Affordable Care Act. The decision was based on the grounds that it fell under the taxing authority of Congress. Republicans and other Conservatives lost their mind screaming like little children about a TAX!!!!! OMFG A TAX!!!! Well like a majority of GOP talking points this too is false and shows they really have no idea how insurance works.
The penalty, which would only affect less than 1%, that people would pay for not buying health insurance is more like the fine you pay if you get a speeding ticket. No rational person would claim that the fine from a traffic ticket is a tax.
The US Supreme Court is hearing arguments about the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). Specifically 26 states are challenging the individual mandate which requires all people to buy health insurance. The largest voice against the mandate are Republicans. Why are Republicans so against a pro-business policy like the individual mandate?
As much as the crowd reaction, during the recent CNN Republican Debate, to the hypothetical person without health insurance dying angered me, I wasn’t that surprised. The heartless bastards that make up the Tea Party Republicans and who are in love with Randian Ron Paul have been around for many years. A friend of mine asked what did Paul want us to do, put donation jars on the counter of every convenience store and restaurant in the country to help those without insurance. The graphic below is what such a donation jar could look like.
The last two cheap labor Republican debates have attracted a crowd that is part ugly and douchebaggery in the extreme. In the debate last week the largest cheer was when it was pointed out that Governor Rick Perry oversaw 234 executions. Monday night Ron Paul got applause and someone shouted out “Yes” when he was asked if someone without health insurance should be allowed to die, and Michelle Bachmann tried to claim a cancer vaccine caused brain damage. Is this what we have become? Really?
Teapublicans cheer death for uninsured (09/12/2011)