The government isn't supposed to do much for us.

There job is SUPPOSED to be very limited, doing things such as protecting our rights, protecting our country, and enforcing contract laws. The government is NOT supposed to be a hand out service, own corporations (Fannie/Freddie/GM etc).

And yes, Bush did participate in "helping" us out. It was he who signed the medicare part D program.

The only difference between Bush and Obama was the letter (R or D) that follows their name.

Come on steve peck, get off the coolaid. Just because President Bush wasn't as fiscally respondsible as he should have been, he was WAY less irresponsible in eight years as nobama has been in ten months! If your looking for someone else to fix your problems and pay your way, MOVE TO EUROPE! As far a jackie goes, get off the crack lady. What happens if you are in the 30 million that still arn't going to be covered under nobamacare? huh? Then what? My ins. has gone up to, but NOT because Blue Cross has be making huge profits... they are a NOT FOR PROFIT organization! We don't need the dumocrats HUGE SOCIALISM PROGRAM to solve are health care issues. By the way, it is NOT a crisis!!! TORT REFORM #1, INS. PORTABILITY #2, DRUG PRICING CONTROLS #3, PRE-EXISTING REFORM #4, SAFETY NET FOR LOW INCOME/NO INCOME CITIZENS #5, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY... NO, NONE, NEVER ANYTHING (except a ride home) FOR ILLEGALS!!!!! If we take care of these issues, health care will be just fine, better than fine acually. All you libs that think the gov't can or will fix your problems just need to look alittle closer to what they do now...overcosts/fraud/waste..

My insurance through bluecross has gone up 20 to 40 percent every year, I had to quit last year because i couldnt afford it. I just want to ask you loyal republicans out there what the bush adminastration has ever done to help. All i can see is how bad he has ripped off the this country.

Was watching the national news last night. There was something about this bill and its eventual debate. Senators said they wouldnt vote to debate it unless they got something in return. There was a senator for La. on there. She voted yes because her state was promised 300 million dollars. She even admitted it right on TV. I dont know how right this is, but it the senate is buyinbg votes with taxpayer money, that is at the very least BS (if not illegal and immoral).

Hey Jackie, What good does forcing people to buy something that they cant afford do? The health insurance industry said this bil will increase premium costs. Some studies show that employers will eventualy drop coverage in favor of the 8% tax they will have to pay, because that will be cheaper than buying these policies for their employees. I pay for my own insurance. It costs me almost 1000 dollars a month. Havent gotten a pay raise in awhile, because all of that goes to premium increases. How will anyone be able to afford to buy their own if this bill passes? There are way too many secrets about this bill. The government isnt telling us enough about it either. You can continue to blindly support this legislation though. Seems you are letting politics get in the way of common sense. Then again..most liberals do that..... X

Finally we have a president who is moving this country forward. Plus gettin away from all the fascism that is so apparent in this nation.
We need to get our butts out of Iraq and Afghanistan and stop with all the terroist propaganda we hear from so many people. First I believe that 9/11 wasn't aginst the people of the US. I believe it was a strike against the country trying to bully other nations with military, corporations and above all financial greed that provoked these people into harming us.
Secondly I believe we need to stop giving health care to illegal immigrants. They pay nothing into our system, except ofcourse when they receive a false identity in order to get a job.
Thirdly we need to bring our troops home, instead of promoting this military over powerins stance that is outlined in www.newamericancentury.org. We cannot maintain huge embassies in every country and expect them to have respect for us. This takeover is met with hatred.
We need health care reform. The ones that are creating most of the critism about this are the ones tied to major corporations and dont believe in social action. The last time I looked America was 26th in ranking when it came to health care. That in itself is sad.

Jackie Need Insurance, Traverse City: Health care is NOT a right. FYI the right to life (liberty, and the pursuit of happiness) is in the Declaration of Independence, not the Constitution.

2nd, why should my neighbors or anyone else be punished for my lack of providing for myself? Why should I be put in jail for not paying for my own health care.

While I agree with you, that every working person pays into Medicare, which is also unconstitutional, you do have an option not to pay. That is by not working.

We Americans are going to be punished just on the basis that we exist. If you want, you can work hard, save money, buy land where there's no property tax, utilize solar/wind power, as well as well water and pay no taxes ever again, (except sales tax), but if this bill of destruction passes, that same person will be FORCED to either pay for insurance, or face jail time, for no other reason other than he exists.

Oh, you lost your bet from your 1st post...I have no health insurance, and can't afford it. But I'll fight to keep me from being a burden on your paycheck

Well...first of all you need to reread my comment. No where do I state that this will be FREE healthcare. Nothing is free, Medicaid is not FREE either. Every working person pays into medicare/medicaid and when we fall on hard times it's our RIGHT to utilize this insurance. However, I was talking about the income gap. The gap where a person works and does not qualify for medicaid but can't also afford to pay outrageous health premiums. This plan is suppose to create a competition between companies to lower healthcare premiums. Nobody can predict the future so we will have to see if it really works out the way we hope it will. I'm an optomist. I also am the lucky one that is insured, however my neighbors, family members and friends are among the uninsured- To the person that indicates I should read the constitution or the "Bill of Rights" I'd like you to know that I have..many times and you said it best when you stated "..the right to life." You're absolutely right that everyone has the right to life and without healthcare MILLIONS of people are stripped of this right or their life is cut short because of our failure as human beings to look out for one another instead of being selfish and putting the "me" first.

VOTE SENATOR STABENOW OUT OF OFFICE

These people you all elected, don't know how to count! We have all learned how they inflate numbers to make themselves look good.
Doesn't anyone wonder why this is being rushed so much?? Why it all needs to be done before the end of the year (if Nobama has his way)?
I believe it just might be because of the outcry of millions of Americans saying NO! No to this socialized health care, and if you (our congresspersons) vote FOR this...we will vote you OUT OF OFFICE the very next time we get the chance to do so.
This applies right up to the Nobama man himself. You all do realize that the entire time Nobama is in office, he will be collecting for this, and not doing a damn thing to help anyone!
What is going to happen to all this money he's going to collect? Is it gonna go in a big bank account and draw interest till (if) someone deems it time to spend?
No way. Not our government. There is no way we could put a big stack of money in the middle of the White House, and NOT expect every single person who walks past it, to dip in and take their fair share.
There is just something really fishy with the way this is going down. We'll be paying for our future medical care, AND paying for our current health insurance, for the NEXT FOUR YEARS! Talk about going broke!!

I would still like to know how these same people who can't afford insurance are going to pay for Obomacare. Do they sit in jail or pay the fine instead of buying food or paying the mortgage? What butt thought of this idea? We don't have their kind of money. They know nothing about how we live. They are all butts. LEAVE US ALONE!!!!!

Well Jackie Need Insurance, Where do I begin? First off, no where in the constitution of our once great nation does the Federal Government have the right to force anyone to purchase anything! Second, you state that health care is a right, not a privaledge. I can't find that in the constitution either. We have the right to the pursuit of happiness, to life and liberty. And no I am crippled and have NO Insurance. Have been fighting Social Security for three years and must go to the traverse health clinic for my medical needs.
I however have children and this power grab by the federal government will also affect them and their right to choose what to spend their hard earned money on! Stuff happens to all of us and the government should not and can not be the fix all for all.
The interest on our debt as a countryt is 500 million dollars each day! Wow, lets add some more debt to our national debt so we can end up bankrupt and a wheelbarrow full of dollars wont buy a loaf of bread. Perhaps you could read the Constitution,all of it and let me know where it states that healthcare is a right.

Where have you seen that all these millions of americans will be insured free of charge? The government has made no claim that this bill will give people free anything.

You wrote that you cannot afford an 800 dollar a month policy, yet it appears you dont qualify for free health insurance through government. Well, guess what? You wont get free health care with this bill either. The legislation states that you will carry mandatory coverage at your own expense. It also states that you will be fined if you refuse to get coverage. Both statements are fact, and should be enough for people to question this bill.

I wish the government would explain the basics of this legislation so people could understand it. It amazes me how many people think that everyone will get free health insurance because of this. The old addage "nothing in life is free" has never been so true.

Right, taxes start in 2010 and coverage starts in 2014. This is a great bill, it will bankrupt the US in just a couple of years. This bill is a 2.4 trillion increase in the debt of the US. Why isn't congress included in this health care bill. Cut 500 billion from Medicare and it is good for the country. Right. The Dems are the emperor with no clothes. They think they are dressed when the facts are known, they will be naked. Have you seen Sen. Debbie?

Healthcare is a RIGHT not a privledge! Each and everyone of us should be covered. You know that millions of Americans do not qualify for medicaid and can't afford to pay out of pocket premiums of $800 a month? This is WRONG! Our country is run by drug companies and I bet that ALL of you that are scared of paying more have insurance? Ask yourself? Why are you so afraid? Don't let FEAR run your lives. It's time to band together, take care of eachother and stop being scared. You are the government it's not the otherway around.

Gee Debbie If it's such a great plan how come you exempt yourself and the other member of the Senate and Congress from taking part in it?

For sure we are one step closer to socialized healthcare. This woman has drank to much of the coolaid in D.C. if she thinks it will cut healthcare costs,save lives, and save jobs.Doctors,hospitals, and other providers will simply "opt out" of their program as they do now with medicaid. If you want to see Govt Healthcare,you need look no farther than the VA. The quality of care is top notch to be sure, but it is not timely as there are too many patients and not enough providers. I fear that is the path the Dems are leading the country down. Responsible reform is needed, this proposal is not responsible, it is more Washington "I know what is best for you."

I must be confused, how in the world can cutting 500 billion from medicare / medicade to senoir citizens be good for them? I've got a great idea lets regulate the insurance industry, after all it's the industry thats calling the shots on coverage and premiums.First of all strip away that "non-monoply" status that they enjoy, reign in how they act. They should all be required to be non-profits with a salary cap, no more ceo's getting obnoxiously high pay. We pay the premiums so that if we get sick we are backed by a policy that covers the cost. Oh wait that won't work, thats comon sense being suggested. If as much time was spent going after the waste in the spending you could easily expand medicare to cover the uninsured, come on people lets speak up about this, lets make our voices heard.

This CaCa that she says will help people will enact rationing and hurt all taxpayers in this Country! The UK has national health care and do some research as to how well that is working. Canada has National healthcare and do some research and see how that is working out for them.
How come the people that can afford to come to this Country from Canada and the UK to get healthcare come HERE?
It is because National healthcare DOES NOT WORK!
See you all in the soup line in a couple years.

Senator Stabenow should have included in her boasting about the healthcare plan the $500 billion reduction of medicare for senior citizens along with the bogus book keeping of collecting the tax increases up front and not beginning the healthcare services until 3 or 4 years later in order to provide affordable healthcare. The shenanigans of the US Senate will be the financial death panel for all of us.

How in the world can Debbie say it is going to save lives and money. Their will be less screening and taxes will increase. That kind of statement in my mind put another nail in the re-election coffin for her.

She lies! We are all going to be paying through the nose for this health care bill by paying much higher taxes. If she wanted to end "bad insurance company practices", she would have made sure that TORT reform was included in this bill.

This woman needs to be voted out of office.

I will campaign for the conservative candidate in the next election! This vote by Mrs. Stabenow is just one more reason to get her out! This huge power grab by the government into our lives is a CRIME. Not only is it unconstitutional, but it will bankrupt our Country.
When the dollar won't buy a stick of gum, Do Not Blame the fiscally responsible people of this Country. The lawmakers have lost all touch of reality!
We can not keep spending money we do not have !
I sure hope Debbie's stock of food will last the rest of her life, cause her dollars will not buy her anything to eat when her policies bankrupt our Country. Hope she is a good hunter and farmer.

Sen Debbie doesnt have a clue re health care reform or the economic facts of life, either one. She can only parrot the talking points of Obamacare. The hard truth is that Obamacare will bancrupt the country and cut services to seniors, children, doctors and nurses.. Socialized Medicine is bad medicine. This is a Bad Bill and will ruin this country. Stabenow is an embarrasment to the taxpayers of Michigan.

Rod and Lynn Robison
Traverse City

Absolutely agree with the senator.Also 45,000 Americans die annually because of the lack medical insurance.