Federal Government, Day 2

The other day the Federal Government shut down. What does that mean? Nothing really. All "essential services" are still up and running. So the IRS still collects money. The NSA is still reading our emails. The TSA is still molesting people at the airports. What IS closed? National parks. So I hope you don't know anyone planning on visiting the Statue if Liberty, or Yosemite. I think the Grand Canyon might be closed too. 

Of course the shut down is more complicated than just that. Plus if you haven't actually read what's IN IT, you don't know what it truly does. Don't rely on any politician or news source (either side) for information. You need to know the source literature. People in healthcare and accounting have to be intimately aware with this legislation! 

So...
 

I try to explain to people that this is NOT what they think it is. The Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) isn't universal / socialized medicine. It's supposed to be health insurance reform. The intention was to remove some of the laws so that you can comparison shop for health insurance. If it worked out that way, great! Cheaper insurance is awesome! But they had to go and federally mandate that you MUST have insurance coverage or get hit with a TAX. The government can't constitutionally mandate that a citizen must buy anything, but they CAN impose taxes on anything they like. I know doctors who are retiring early because of this or changing fields. My sister is in medical billing and she says this has created a hysteria as the process has become way more complicated. Companies are making changes and hurting employees in order to comply. People who fall in that small zone just above the poverty line will have to choose between health insurance or rent and food because premiums have now SKYROCKETED instead of being driven down by competition. The list of people who get HURT by this legislation is far longer than the list who can actually benefit from it. as far as I can see it, the health insurance companies will now PROFIT from this, as they have captive clients, and the Fed Government, as they hired, what?,  16,000 new IRS agents to enforce this new law. yep. BTW: All of the politicians exempted themselves from this (just like they can participate in insider trading LEGALLY!) which is illegal. What applies to us is supposed to apply to them as well.

The GOP, certainly not angels, have presented four budgets and prepared to negotiate. It is a government of the people, negotiation is part of the process. The dems, certainly not angels, wouldn't even come to the table and, instead, threw a victory party at Hillary Clinton's Washington DC home. Why? The media (left controlled) is busy smearing the repubs over this.