The Other McCain

"One should either write ruthlessly what one believes to be the truth, or else shut up." — Arthur Koestler

When Did Failing Upward Become An American Tradition?

Posted on | July 7, 2013 | 17 Comments

by Smitty

Heritage reports that (presumably blue) cities and states will be dumping employee healthcare costs onto the federal health care exchanges:

Both Chicago and Detroit have explored using the exchanges to reduce massive budget shortfalls, and it could set an example for others. Bloomberg quotes one expert from the Rockefeller Institute of Government: “We can expect other cities to pick up on this.… I expect [employee dumping] to mushroom.”
The incentives for cities—or even states—to dump their workers onto exchanges are significant. Bloomberg notes that reducing retiree health costs could save Detroit approximately $150 million per year—at a time when the city faces a $386 million budget deficit and $17 billion in long-term debt.

Read the whole thing.

Unless these shell games result in improved health and thus lower costs (doubtful), it’s not clear how just deciding those costs are not part of a city or state’s budget actually obviates those costs.

Here is a real opportunity for the GOP to rebuke “the reality-based party” by pointing out to voters that going on a permanent bender is not exactly reality, and last only until the credit card melts.

Category: Democrats, Health Care

Comments

17 Responses to “When Did Failing Upward Become An American Tradition?”

  1. MrEvilMatt
    July 7th, 2013 @ 8:59 am

    When Did Failing Upward Become An American Tradition?: by Smitty Heritage reports that (presumably blue) citie… http://t.co/QsNvhTfngx

  2. jwbrown1969
    July 7th, 2013 @ 8:59 am

    When Did Failing Upward Become An American Tradition?: by Smitty Heritage reports that (presumably blue) citie… http://t.co/jN1nd7MRU3

  3. Lockestep1776
    July 7th, 2013 @ 8:59 am

    When Did Failing Upward Become An American Tradition?: by Smitty Heritage reports that (presumably blue) citie… http://t.co/nqLUTzF8Xe

  4. CHideout
    July 7th, 2013 @ 8:59 am

    When Did Failing Upward Become An American Tradition?: by Smitty Heritage reports that (presumably blue) citie… http://t.co/Ue9jsI3327

  5. Citzcom
    July 7th, 2013 @ 8:59 am

    When Did Failing Upward Become An American Tradition?: by Smitty Heritage reports that (presumably blue) citie… http://t.co/fr3tI9S1li

  6. Gunservatively
    July 7th, 2013 @ 9:11 am

    When Did Failing Upward Become An American Tradition? http://t.co/des1FVBpUh #2MuchGovt #culturalROT

  7. preciseBlogs
    July 7th, 2013 @ 9:12 am

    When Did Failing Upward Become An American Tradition http://t.co/kYSHyAucMN #news #conservative #healthcare #democrats

  8. TakeNoMoore
    July 7th, 2013 @ 9:14 am

    RT @Gunservatively: When Did Failing Upward Become An American Tradition? http://t.co/des1FVBpUh #2MuchGovt #culturalROT

  9. thatMrGguy
    July 7th, 2013 @ 9:24 am

    When Did Failing Upward Become An American Tradition? http://t.co/6dZLOp0aaI

  10. gastorgrab
    July 7th, 2013 @ 9:45 am

    A form of involuntary corporate welfare? If Corporatism is the collaboration between government and big business, does the definition include coercion?

    Why seize the means of production when there is no end to the regulations you can impose on it?

  11. hch242
    July 7th, 2013 @ 11:25 am

    When Did Failing Upward Become An American Tradition? http://t.co/vsky40zI9X

  12. Jack Reno
    July 7th, 2013 @ 12:26 pm

    “Here is a real opportunity for the GOP to rebuke…..” Oh, Smitty, Smitty, unfortunate lad, there were yet again more wasted keystrokes reflecting wasted neural discharges. Here me now or rue it late, any opportunity, any “OPPORTUNITY” at all that happens to fall in the path of the GOP will cause the GOP to change course in its drunken shamble so as to not trip over said opportunity. The only thing th e GOP does intentionally any more is thirst for death.

  13. Dis
    July 7th, 2013 @ 1:26 pm

    The majority of Americans don’t read anything. They get sound bites delivered to them while they live a life of leisure and distraction. Don’t hold your breath. The people simply will not wake up.

  14. reese0325
    July 7th, 2013 @ 1:26 pm

    When Did Failing Upward Become An American Tradition? http://t.co/ShFY8Cpa89

  15. Adjoran
    July 7th, 2013 @ 2:04 pm

    Naturally, dumping currently insured people into the exchanges increases their expenses, meaning they have to do an even better job convincing healthy young people to overpay for insurance so the plans can cover not only transferring clients from municipalities but also everyone who would normally be considered “uninsurable” due to existing health problems.

    But as the Great Unintended Consequence of companies dumping their current coverage or moving employees to part-time to avoid it takes effect, all those people will need the exchanges, too.

    As Obama says, “Math be hard,” but all these unexpected bodies in the exchange queue will mean they will need to get roughly 176% of the eligible healthy young people to sign up, or the whole thing belly flops before the next Presidential election.

  16. BobBelvedere
    July 7th, 2013 @ 5:36 pm

    RT @smitty_one_each: When Did Failing Upward Become An American Tradition? http://t.co/qQDBywjJfG #TCOT

  17. JadedByPolitics
    July 7th, 2013 @ 9:50 pm

    When Did Failing Upward Become An American Tradition? http://t.co/qBHaUFfJ1E