Many Medical Devices Still Taxed Under Baucus Health Bill
"But the tax, expected to raise about $40 billion over the next decade, is still in the bill and includes items like:
Pacemakers
Hip joint replacements
Gastrointestinal tubes
Artificial hearts
Hearing aids
Porcelain teeth
Heart defibrillators
Prosthetic heart valve rotators
Powered wheelchairs
Ventilators
Groups like the Medical Device Manufacturer's Association said that the tax would hurt them, as well as those who need medical devices.
'Virtually all medical device providers would be affected,'"
Friday, October 02, 2009
Central Florida Enjoys Break From Heat
Central Florida Enjoys Break From Heat
"In fact, Daytona Beach International Airport reported a record-tying low of 58 degrees at 3:33 a.m.
That tied the previous record set back in 2001, when we had another cool start to October."
More "proof" of global warming!
"In fact, Daytona Beach International Airport reported a record-tying low of 58 degrees at 3:33 a.m.
That tied the previous record set back in 2001, when we had another cool start to October."
More "proof" of global warming!
Greg Norman, Chris Evert say they have separated
Greg Norman, Chris Evert say they have separated
"Just 15 months after they were married, golf star Greg Norman (FSY) and tennis great Chris Evert announced they have separated."
"Just 15 months after they were married, golf star Greg Norman (FSY) and tennis great Chris Evert announced they have separated."
GOP seeks 72-hour window to read bills
GOP seeks 72-hour window to read bills
"Most recently, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi brought the Democrats' global-warming bill to the floor 16 hours after they unveiled a 316-page amendment that rewrote much of the legislation...
At a press conference weeks later, Mrs. Pelosi promised to let lawmakers have two days to read the health care bill before she schedules a vote on it."
The democrats voted down this "72 hour window to read the bills" promise.
Imagine the arrogance of these democrat thugs!!!!!
Yes, there is a difference between the democrat and GOPer parties.
"Most recently, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi brought the Democrats' global-warming bill to the floor 16 hours after they unveiled a 316-page amendment that rewrote much of the legislation...
At a press conference weeks later, Mrs. Pelosi promised to let lawmakers have two days to read the health care bill before she schedules a vote on it."
The democrats voted down this "72 hour window to read the bills" promise.
Imagine the arrogance of these democrat thugs!!!!!
Yes, there is a difference between the democrat and GOPer parties.
John Fund: Congress Needs a 72-Hour Waiting Period - WSJ.com
John Fund: Congress Needs a 72-Hour Waiting Period
On Wednesday, the Senate Finance Committee voted 12 to 11 to reject a proposal to require a 72-hour waiting period and a full scoring of the bill by the Congressional Budget Office before the committee casts any final vote.
Only one Democrat, Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas, voted for the waiting period.
Although Barack Obama campaigned last year for transparency and openness in government, their idea has languished in committee since June.
It has 67 Republican and 31 Democratic co-sponsors—a rare show of bipartisanship. .....
But the notion of a 72-hour waiting period is anathema to Democrats"
On Wednesday, the Senate Finance Committee voted 12 to 11 to reject a proposal to require a 72-hour waiting period and a full scoring of the bill by the Congressional Budget Office before the committee casts any final vote.
Only one Democrat, Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas, voted for the waiting period.
Although Barack Obama campaigned last year for transparency and openness in government, their idea has languished in committee since June.
It has 67 Republican and 31 Democratic co-sponsors—a rare show of bipartisanship. .....
But the notion of a 72-hour waiting period is anathema to Democrats"
Jobless rate reaches 17 percent in September - Yahoo! Finance
Jobless rate reaches 9.8 percent in September
"If laid-off workers who have settled for part-time work or have given up looking for new jobs are included, the unemployment rate rose to 17 percent, the highest on records dating from 1994."
"If laid-off workers who have settled for part-time work or have given up looking for new jobs are included, the unemployment rate rose to 17 percent, the highest on records dating from 1994."
What Michelle Obama told the International Olympic Committee about her Chicago (and father)
What Michelle Obama told the International Olympic Committee about her Chicago (and father)
"Sports were a gift I shared with my dad -- especially the Olympic Games.
Some of my best memories are sitting on my dad's lap, cheering on Olga and Nadia, Carl Lewis, and ...
... others for their brilliance and perfection. Like so many young people, I was inspired."
What a nice story!
20 year old Michelle (born in 1964) sitting on her dad's lap while watching Carl Lewis win the gold in his first Olympic visit (1984)..........ummm does anyone find this lie bigtime creepy?
And the poor guy had MS while big Miche was watching TV on dad's lap!
What a family!
"Sports were a gift I shared with my dad -- especially the Olympic Games.
Some of my best memories are sitting on my dad's lap, cheering on Olga and Nadia, Carl Lewis, and ...
... others for their brilliance and perfection. Like so many young people, I was inspired."
What a nice story!
20 year old Michelle (born in 1964) sitting on her dad's lap while watching Carl Lewis win the gold in his first Olympic visit (1984)..........ummm does anyone find this lie bigtime creepy?
And the poor guy had MS while big Miche was watching TV on dad's lap!
What a family!
Finance Committee Democrat Won’t Read Text of Health Bill, Says Anyone Who Claims They’ll Understand It ‘Is Trying to Pull the Wool Over Our Eyes’
Finance Committee Democrat Won’t Read Text of Health Bill, Says Anyone Who Claims They’ll Understand It ‘Is Trying to Pull the Wool Over Our Eyes’
"Sen. Thomas Carper (D.-Del.), a member of the Senate Finance Committee, told CNSNews.com that he does not “expect” to read the actual legislative language of the committee’s health care bill because it is “confusing” and that anyone who claims they are going to read it and understand it is fooling people.
“I don’t expect to actually read the legislative language because reading the legislative language is among the more confusing things I’ve ever read in my life,” Carper told CNSNews.com."
"Sen. Thomas Carper (D.-Del.), a member of the Senate Finance Committee, told CNSNews.com that he does not “expect” to read the actual legislative language of the committee’s health care bill because it is “confusing” and that anyone who claims they are going to read it and understand it is fooling people.
“I don’t expect to actually read the legislative language because reading the legislative language is among the more confusing things I’ve ever read in my life,” Carper told CNSNews.com."
Representative Pete Hoekstra to Host Health Care Town Hall Meeting in Muskegon
Representative Pete Hoekstra
"Hoekstra to Host Health Care Town Hall Meeting in Muskegon
U.S. Rep. Pete Hoekstra, R-Holland, will host a public town hall meeting on health care in Muskegon on Monday, Oct. 5 at the Reeths-Puffer Rocket Centre for the Fine Arts Auditorium."
"Hoekstra to Host Health Care Town Hall Meeting in Muskegon
U.S. Rep. Pete Hoekstra, R-Holland, will host a public town hall meeting on health care in Muskegon on Monday, Oct. 5 at the Reeths-Puffer Rocket Centre for the Fine Arts Auditorium."
Olympics | Live - 2016 Olympics decision day
Olympics Live - 2016 Olympics decision day
"BBC News' Adam Brookes in Chicago: 'The shock of Chicago's elimination was greater for the fact that it came in the first round.
And greater for the fact that President Obama had taken valuable hours from his packed and tense political schedule to travel to Copenhagen.
The afro-american host on CNN looks like he's gonna cry..... bummer dudes.
But there is still:
1. It's bush's fault!
2. The other guys cheated!
3. We're sending in ACORN to do a recount!
This vote just saved our country about $100 billion!
Right on!
"BBC News' Adam Brookes in Chicago: 'The shock of Chicago's elimination was greater for the fact that it came in the first round.
And greater for the fact that President Obama had taken valuable hours from his packed and tense political schedule to travel to Copenhagen.
The afro-american host on CNN looks like he's gonna cry..... bummer dudes.
But there is still:
1. It's bush's fault!
2. The other guys cheated!
3. We're sending in ACORN to do a recount!
This vote just saved our country about $100 billion!
Right on!
Kausfiles : Rattner's Legacy: The Chooch Is At the Door
Rattner's Legacy: The Chooch Is At the Door
GM's sales are down 45% from last September (when sales were already bad enough to drive the company into banrkuptcy). Chrysler is down 42%. Ford is only down 5%. Car buyers are clearly punishing the two bailout recipients brutally. Robert Farago of Truth About Cars predicts that GM and Chrysler will both 'go down by the end of next year' without a second, new federal bailout. The only question, he says, is whether the two bailed out manufacturers will need the cash before the 2010 midterm elections."
GM's sales are down 45% from last September (when sales were already bad enough to drive the company into banrkuptcy). Chrysler is down 42%. Ford is only down 5%. Car buyers are clearly punishing the two bailout recipients brutally. Robert Farago of Truth About Cars predicts that GM and Chrysler will both 'go down by the end of next year' without a second, new federal bailout. The only question, he says, is whether the two bailed out manufacturers will need the cash before the 2010 midterm elections."
Thursday, October 01, 2009
Bra converts to gas-mark, creator wins IgNobel | The Australian
Bra converts to gas-mark, creator wins IgNobel The Australian: "ENGINEERS who invented a brassiere that converts quickly into a gas mask, pathologists who determined that beer bottles can crack your skull even when empty and Irish police officers who mistakenly wrote tickets to 'Driver's License' have all won 'IgNobel' prizes.
Prizes also went to Zimbabwe for issuing banknotes that range in value from one Zimbabwean cent to 100 trillion Zimbabwean dollars, Mexican scientists who made diamonds out of tequila and executives of four Icelandic banks that suffered spectacular collapses.
The IgNobel prizes are given out by the Harvard-based humor magazine Annals of Improbable Research.
The Public Health prize went to Elena Bodnar of Illinois, who designed and patented a bra that can be quickly converted into a pair of gas masks, one for the brassiere wearer and one to be given to some needy bystander.
Ireland's police won the literature prize from writing more than 50 traffic tickets to a frequent visitor and speeder named Prawo Jazdy."
Prizes also went to Zimbabwe for issuing banknotes that range in value from one Zimbabwean cent to 100 trillion Zimbabwean dollars, Mexican scientists who made diamonds out of tequila and executives of four Icelandic banks that suffered spectacular collapses.
The IgNobel prizes are given out by the Harvard-based humor magazine Annals of Improbable Research.
The Public Health prize went to Elena Bodnar of Illinois, who designed and patented a bra that can be quickly converted into a pair of gas masks, one for the brassiere wearer and one to be given to some needy bystander.
Ireland's police won the literature prize from writing more than 50 traffic tickets to a frequent visitor and speeder named Prawo Jazdy."
Detroit Bribes Students to Boost School Attendance
Detroit Bribes Students to Boost School Attendance
Public school districts across Michigan mobilized Wednesday to boost attendance for Count Day, the annual fall roll call that largely determines how much money each district receives under the state's per-pupil funding system.
Students in Detroit were treated to free meals, ice-cream parties, T-shirts, celebrity visits and a chance to win iPods and a plasma-screen TV — just for showing up for class.
Districts received an average of $7,810 per student last year, but that could decline by more than $200 a pupil this year as Michigan looks to close a $1.7 billion budget hole.
Every student in class Wednesday represented funding for the school year."
Public school districts across Michigan mobilized Wednesday to boost attendance for Count Day, the annual fall roll call that largely determines how much money each district receives under the state's per-pupil funding system.
Students in Detroit were treated to free meals, ice-cream parties, T-shirts, celebrity visits and a chance to win iPods and a plasma-screen TV — just for showing up for class.
Districts received an average of $7,810 per student last year, but that could decline by more than $200 a pupil this year as Michigan looks to close a $1.7 billion budget hole.
Every student in class Wednesday represented funding for the school year."
Sympathy for the Devil
Sympathy for the Devil
"So is this what am I saying: that President Bare Heart is at the helm, with a bunch of loose cannons possibly running the show?
That he's giving a wink-wink to miscreants both here and abroad?
That the New Weird Order is starting to unhinge the already unbalanced, and bring new, vulnerable people, into its fold?
That Obamaphobia is real, and we ignore it at our peril?
Yes.
But don't listen to me.
Don't listen to anyone: not the mental midgets who call you 'racist;' not your brother in law who says you're nuts; not the Talking Heads who paint you as stupid trash.
Pay attention to no one, to nothing, except the light of truth revealing itself to you."
"So is this what am I saying: that President Bare Heart is at the helm, with a bunch of loose cannons possibly running the show?
That he's giving a wink-wink to miscreants both here and abroad?
That the New Weird Order is starting to unhinge the already unbalanced, and bring new, vulnerable people, into its fold?
That Obamaphobia is real, and we ignore it at our peril?
Yes.
But don't listen to me.
Don't listen to anyone: not the mental midgets who call you 'racist;' not your brother in law who says you're nuts; not the Talking Heads who paint you as stupid trash.
Pay attention to no one, to nothing, except the light of truth revealing itself to you."
Young thugs at Walmart
My Walmart experience last night.
I pushed my cart to my car and was, surprisingly, surrounded by 4 young "mixed race" (in the old days we'd call them black) thugs.
They taunted me "hey, how 'bout some money for the children?" and "don't you care" and more but I was so shocked that I just went to my car and started to put my groceries in my trunk.
And, like yellow jacket bees they came back and demanded "hey, how 'bout some money..."
I charged them and said get away... they ran a bit and laughed at me.
As I finally closed my trunk, they were still close and I had to yell at them again to get them away from me.
I'm almost 6 foot tall.
How do women protect themselves?
These 12-17 year old monsters are cruising our Walmart parking lot.
Does anyone care?
And the "event" happened at the Norton Walmart.
I reported it to the asst. store manager today and he was concerned and said they'd take my report very seriously.
With our governor emptying prisons and 50% of young people unemployed, this may be a harbringer of our future.
I pushed my cart to my car and was, surprisingly, surrounded by 4 young "mixed race" (in the old days we'd call them black) thugs.
They taunted me "hey, how 'bout some money for the children?" and "don't you care" and more but I was so shocked that I just went to my car and started to put my groceries in my trunk.
And, like yellow jacket bees they came back and demanded "hey, how 'bout some money..."
I charged them and said get away... they ran a bit and laughed at me.
As I finally closed my trunk, they were still close and I had to yell at them again to get them away from me.
I'm almost 6 foot tall.
How do women protect themselves?
These 12-17 year old monsters are cruising our Walmart parking lot.
Does anyone care?
And the "event" happened at the Norton Walmart.
I reported it to the asst. store manager today and he was concerned and said they'd take my report very seriously.
With our governor emptying prisons and 50% of young people unemployed, this may be a harbringer of our future.
Dealers stunned after Saturn deal with Penske collapses, GM prepares to shut down brand
Dealers stunned after Saturn deal with Penske collapses, GM prepares to shut down brand
"Saturn Corp., established two decades ago by General Motors Co. as an innovative import fighter, will disappear after entrepreneur Roger Penske's firm unexpectedly ended talks to acquire its dealer network"
"Saturn Corp., established two decades ago by General Motors Co. as an innovative import fighter, will disappear after entrepreneur Roger Penske's firm unexpectedly ended talks to acquire its dealer network"
Roman Polanski's real "defense"
Roman Polanski's real "defense"
"Polanski can, of course, argue extenuating circumstances at a sentencing hearing. However, the truth seems to be that he just wants to have sex with young girls. As he put it a few years after he fled to Europe:
If I had killed somebody, it wouldn't have had so much appeal to the press, you see? But... f___ing, you see, and the young girls. Judges want to f___ young girls. Juries want to f___ young girls. Everyone wants to f__ young girls!"
"Polanski can, of course, argue extenuating circumstances at a sentencing hearing. However, the truth seems to be that he just wants to have sex with young girls. As he put it a few years after he fled to Europe:
If I had killed somebody, it wouldn't have had so much appeal to the press, you see? But... f___ing, you see, and the young girls. Judges want to f___ young girls. Juries want to f___ young girls. Everyone wants to f__ young girls!"
Do American Schoolkids Need 9/11 Education?
Do American Schoolkids Need 9/11 Education?
"In Shira Engelhart's 4th grade class in Virginia, students asked why the pilots on the plane didn't just say 'no' to the hijackers on 9/11.
In his journal, an elementary school student offered a possible explanation that the attacks were perpetrated by German soldiers during the period when there were frequent wars between the U.S. and Germany.
When Ms. Engelhart asked her class what happened on 9/11, eight out of 24 of her students knew that something bad occurred but were not sure what, while the rest of her class did not know the day is significant."
"In Shira Engelhart's 4th grade class in Virginia, students asked why the pilots on the plane didn't just say 'no' to the hijackers on 9/11.
In his journal, an elementary school student offered a possible explanation that the attacks were perpetrated by German soldiers during the period when there were frequent wars between the U.S. and Germany.
When Ms. Engelhart asked her class what happened on 9/11, eight out of 24 of her students knew that something bad occurred but were not sure what, while the rest of her class did not know the day is significant."
Senators turn back ID requirement for immigrant healthcare - The Hill's Blog Briefing Room
Senators turn back ID requirement for immigrant healthcare
- The Hill's Blog Briefing Room: "Senators turn back ID requirement for immigrant healthcare
By Jeffrey Young - 09/30/09 01:03 PM ET
Senate Finance Committee Democrats rejected a proposed a requirement that immigrants prove their identity with photo identification when signing up for federal healthcare programs.
Finance Committee ranking member Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) said that current law and the healthcare bill under consideration are too lax and leave the door open to illegal immigrants defrauding the government using false or stolen identities to obtain benefits.
Grassley's amendment was beaten back 10-13 on a party-line vote.
The bill, authored by committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.), would require applicants to verify their names, places of birth and Social Security numbers. In addition, legal immigrants would have to wait five years, as under current law, after obtaining citizenship or legal residency to access federal healthcare benefits such as Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program or receive tax credits or purchase insurance through the exchange created by the legislation.
But the would not require them to show a photo ID, such as a drivers license. Without that requirement, the bill 'remains dearly lacking when it comes to identification,' Grassley said. 'Frankly, I'm very perplexed as to why anyone would oppose this amendment,' he said.
But Democratic Sen. Jeff Bingaman, who represents the border state of New Mexico, said that the type of fraud Grassley said he wants to prevent is highly uncommon. 'The way I see the amendment, it's a solution without a problem,' Bingaman said."
- The Hill's Blog Briefing Room: "Senators turn back ID requirement for immigrant healthcare
By Jeffrey Young - 09/30/09 01:03 PM ET
Senate Finance Committee Democrats rejected a proposed a requirement that immigrants prove their identity with photo identification when signing up for federal healthcare programs.
Finance Committee ranking member Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) said that current law and the healthcare bill under consideration are too lax and leave the door open to illegal immigrants defrauding the government using false or stolen identities to obtain benefits.
Grassley's amendment was beaten back 10-13 on a party-line vote.
The bill, authored by committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.), would require applicants to verify their names, places of birth and Social Security numbers. In addition, legal immigrants would have to wait five years, as under current law, after obtaining citizenship or legal residency to access federal healthcare benefits such as Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program or receive tax credits or purchase insurance through the exchange created by the legislation.
But the would not require them to show a photo ID, such as a drivers license. Without that requirement, the bill 'remains dearly lacking when it comes to identification,' Grassley said. 'Frankly, I'm very perplexed as to why anyone would oppose this amendment,' he said.
But Democratic Sen. Jeff Bingaman, who represents the border state of New Mexico, said that the type of fraud Grassley said he wants to prevent is highly uncommon. 'The way I see the amendment, it's a solution without a problem,' Bingaman said."
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