Dash To Dumb, ObamaCare Edition

Ezra Klein dashes away from dumb by reprising arguments he unsuccessfully made four years ago:

Obamacare’s employer mandate shouldn’t be delayed. It should be repealed.

However, his colleague Sarah Kliff has brain lock in assessing the politics of the delay:

Others dismissed concerns that employers would drop health coverage without the law’s mandate. The vast majority of large businesses already provide insurance to their workers, without any federal requirements to do so.

Groan. For decades there has been a huge tax incentive for employers to offer health coverage - the cost of health insurance is deductible to the employer as a compensation expense but is not taxable to the employee as income.

Other than for so-called "Cadillac plans" that will still be true under ObamaCare. However, ObamaCare introduces a powerful cross-current - employers can drop their coverage, pay a small-ish fine and let their employees fend for themselves on the new, government-subsidized exchanges, or they can shoulder the expense of health insurance as they have in the past. Folks who run the numbers conclude that the fines are low enough and the subsidies for low-income employees high enough that many firms, and their employees, can achieve a win-win by dropping the company health plan and shifting part of the cost to the government.

Ms. Kliff's notion that a tax-subsidized strategy will still be followed after the tax subsidies are drastically changed does not mesh with contemporary economic thought.

Comments

[Ignatz]

Have I mentioned lately how much I detest typepad?

If not, it's only because it won't let me!

[Joan]

I cannot believe this comment from a Washington Post blog:
“I don’t think it’s the end of the world if [the employer mandate] isn’t there, but I hope people don’t complain when the cost of the law goes up,” said John McDonough, a Harvard professor who once served as Sen. Ted Kennedy’s health policy advisor. “This is not a freebie.”

He hopes people don't complain...can this man be lucid? Is he in touch with reality? "This is not a freebie?" Oh, my, oh my, oh my. They leave me speechless...that's why I come here, say something pithy one of you witty ones!

[typepad]

If not, it's only because it won't let me!

All part of the master plan... bwah-ha-ha-ha!

[Frau Eigenwillig]

I guess John Mc Donough does not understand the meaning of "free" health care. What's his problem?

Typepad is also in the transformation business and making us do things we don't want to do.
Coincidence?

[boatbuilder]

"...does not mesh with contemporary economic thought." Heh.

[Gmax]

Dumb and Ezra are intertwined. It is part and parcel of the cat. He can no more run away from dumb than Zero can diss his grandmother who raised him...

[Jane -]

Speculation is that Prosecution is going to rest today. OMeara asked to depose Crum. That would be fun but the judge isn't buying.

[Rob Crawford]

Just saw something on the TV about the army surrounding Morrisey. I don't care for his music, either, but isn't this extreme?

[Janet --- -... .- -- .- ... ..- -.-. -.- ...]

James O'Keefe on CSPAN video. He is so great & well spoken. - http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/Keef

[V]

@ 12:36PM Your opinions are too loopy even for Typepad.

[Clarice]

" The individual mandate, for instance, may now be politically untenable, since, by eliminating the employer mandate but keeping the individual mandate, the administration is freeing large employers but not workers of a burden and would put the government in the position of causing people to be dumped from employer coverage and then fining them for not getting individual coverage in an unfamiliar and expensive new system with lots of growing pains. This is certainly in line with the administration’s broader corporatism, but it is a politically uncomfortable expression of that approach and a huge vulnerability. A move to at least delay the individual mandate could be pretty hard for Democrats to resist.

This concession on the employer mandate also makes other concessions more likely: The administration will certainly face added pressure to ignore various taxes, rules, and mandates that can be shown to have detrimental effects on the economy or on some constituency—and pretty much every line of Obamacare falls into that category in one way or another. They have just announced that they can implement or ignore whatever portions of the law they wish, and so will be feeling lots of pressure from lots of people with lots views about lots of provisions.

Moreover, by announcing that they can implement or ignore whatever portions of Obamacare they want, the administration is also taking even more direct ownership of any other problems that arise with implementation, "
http://nationalreview.com/corner/352657/delaying-obamacare-yuval-levin

[2Jack is Back4]

posting on severjal threads: Email from friend and ex-associate, American convert to Islam, married to Egyptian lady from prominent professional family. Redacted by me in places.

"Dear Jack,
Its always great to hear from you. I hope you and Mrs. JiB are enjoying South Hampton. I actually read your email from Tahrir Square where we spent the last couple days and will be heading down there in half and hour or so. You just cant imagine how horrible Morsy turned out and we and 33 million other Egyptians were in the square to demand I kind of mass "reality" referendum that concluded "leave". While we all admire that he was elected in a fairly run election, and seemed to embrace the democracy that provided the framework for his ascendancy to power, he sought systematically to "brotherhoodize" and Islamize all institutions and governging structures in Egypt since that election and to lay the framework for a return to Mubarak type dictatorial rule but with an Islamic character. He and the Islamists pushed, cajoled and rammed a flawed, horrible constitution upon the Egytian people that offended large segments of this complex society.
I believe in second chances and the Egyptian people have or are taking the liberty of a second chance at getting their democracy right - inclusive of all Egyptians, backing freedom of religion, backing human and wormens rights, and attracting the best and the brightest to serve in a new parliament and government.
Anyway Jack were fine. We will probably spend the summer here since my son is coming over in August with his fiancee "

[lyle]

Isn't sex with a minor still illegal? Isn't that the best description of Klein and the progs?

[Comanche Voter]

It's good to be King. Don't have to follow any rules, laws, regulations or whatever that you don't want to. And you can use some of those rules, laws, regulations or whatever to punish the snot out of whomever or whatever you don't like.

You tell your IRS barons, "Who will rid me of those troublesome Tea Party folk?" and lo and behold some thugs ride out to do the deed.

[Bruce Hayden]

The problem that I think will become more and more apparent is that health care is going to get more and more expensive, and is going to cost governments more and more money. Purpose of these mandates was to force people to carry approved insurance coverage, spreading out the cost over a national pool of subscribers. The point of vulnerability has always been free riding in the form of waiting until one needs insurance to get it. Which turns the system from insurance to pooled reimbursement.

[Janet --- -... .- -- .- ... ..- -.-. -.- ...]

Seriously, the O'Keefe video is great. Wow. He is something.

[Rob Crawford]

So, has anyone identified the parts of the Obamacare law that let them delay its implementation?

Think we could convince the left to impeach Obama for failure to implement the law they're all so proud of?

[Gus]

Bruce, the entire idea of Obamacare is to destroy the insurance industry and force people on to a single payer system. Obama has said that in the past. The insurance companies will eventually and happily acquiesce and become part of the "management" of Obamacare. Win win for them. NOTHING KEEPS COST DOWN EXCEPT RATIONING.

This is MARXISM pure and simple. Control every aspect of the economy.

[Captain Hate]

How many lamps do you think the HMS Pantsuit has thrown at Clenis for praising Gaylord Focker passing FockerCare at the donk convention.

[Rob Crawford]

CH -- I don't think HMS Pantsuit is upset over Obamacare. It's such a total mess it will need to be fixed, and who better to "fix" it than the architect of HillaryCare?!

[Captain Hate]

I dunno, Rob; Jane was complaining about RomneyCare's costs and I doubt if Cankles the Stumbling Drunk is better at getting things to work somewhat efficiently than Willard the Timid.

[Gus]

If the GOP can't bludgeon Rodham to smithereens, they party of Little Johnny Boner is dead.

[Rob Crawford]

CH, the left isn't interested in actually FIXING anything. They just want to pile on the problems until everything collapses.

[Jane -]

Janet,

OKeefe is supposedly going on our cruise next month.

[Captain Hate]

Oh that I agree with, Rob. And Gus of course, although my faith in the GOP is as close to zero as you can get without being it.

[Captain Hate]

To Boehner's credit somewhat, events have occurred in such a manner that he can slatter Gaylord at will if he plays it right.

[Janet --- -... .- -- .- ... ..- -.-. -.- ...]

Very cool, Jane. He is calm & articulate in that video. He didn't rise to any bait...& stayed on point. Impressive.

[Jane -]

Looks like the coup is complete.

[Clarice]

And here==people are watching a stupid trial that never should have been brought. Do yo suppose that coup fervor could catch on in Fla?

[Danube on iPad]

The GDP of the Soviet Union before its collapse was $2.5 Trillion in 1989 dollars. The U.S. healthcare industry is roughly $2.5 Trillion in today's dollars. Obamacare is certain to fail for the same reason the Soviet economy failed: it is far too large and complex to be centrally planned; the planners simply cannot obtain the knowledge necessary to make all the required decisions rationally.

[Captain Hate]

@pourmecoffee: Egyptian military has control of state-run TV & is now playing patriotic music & the George Zimmerman trial.

[Frau Eigenwillig]

How long before The Preezy take credit for the Egyptian rejection of Morsi's MB theocracy?

[Captain Hate]

David Burge ‏@iowahawkblog
MSNBC announces revamped primetime lineup with "Maddow & Morsi"

[2Jack is Back4]

The State is going to rest its case today. Defense wants to depose Crump tomorrow (ha) and Nelson wants the defense to start Friday over many objections. She feels sorry for her own sequestered jury - actually the defense wanted a sequester on steroids.

[Clarice]

From the trial of the century--as we take bets on the future career of the prosecution team:

(LI--Branca author)Under O’Mara’s questioning it became clear that much of the content put into evidence by the State may have been contained in the class textbook but was never actually covered in class. The greatest blow, however, came with O’Mara’s last question (as has happened before) when he asked Pleasant what Zimmerman had told him about his career goals. Pleasant answered,”he said he wanted to be an attorney, and eventually become a Prosecutor.”

How the State might seek to spin a desire to be a State prosecutor as evidence of a seething hatred that would drive a person to commit depraved mind second degree murder should be interesting to observe.

[Jane -]

Did the mother testify?

[Ignatz]

If the Egyptians chucking an Army dictator for democracy was the Arab Spring, what is it called when the people en masse call on the Army to chuck a democratically elected president; the Arab Spring Roll?

[pagar]

Somethings get accomplished fairly quickly.

http://blogs.militarytimes.com/battle-rattle/2013/07/03/police-department-cancels-use-of-dod-ribbons-following-navy-cross-recipients-call/

With all the veterans in Fl I can't believe this hasn't came up before.

[jimmyk]

Well, since it's the summer, maybe they have to go with Arab Summer Breeze. Or maybe the Arab Summery Execution.

[centralcal]

Re Eqypt and the coup:

‏@markknoller

Under U.S. law, no American aid can go to any country "whose duly elected head of government is deposed by military coup."

[narciso]

Anyone see that anvil, Rionda dropped on himself,

[Clarice]

I am going to run off with Iowahawk--He doesn't know that yet though, CH. I plan to disguise myself as a vintage hotrod.

[Account Deleted]

"Did the mother testify?"

No, and West has the DNA expert on cross. He may try and put everyone to sleep until the judge recesses for the day. I don't think he wants the day to end on Sabrina Trademark's "Das my baby, I swears it." He'd rather have that on Friday morning and follow it with the defense opening.

[Clarice]

Jane, not while I was watching. And the defense IIRC does get to depose Crump, the discussion was about when they can do this because Crump seems to be making himself unavailable when the defense is free and the judge will not allow a recess to do that,

[jimmyk]

Under U.S. law, no American aid can go to any country "whose duly elected head of government is deposed by military coup."

Which only means that Obama will duly ignore yet one more law, and no one in the media or Republican party will call him on it.

[centralcal]

To add a little info to Rick's reply, the live twitter feed at L.I. says that Trayvon's mom did not return to the courtroom when the recess ended, presumably because she is next to testify.

If West does as RB speculates, she will probably be very aggravated. However, the Judge was pretty forceful in saying she would go as long as necessary to end the prosecutions case today. Looks to be interesting on who prevails.

[Captain Hate]

Clarice, anything you need me for to facilitate your Iowahawk plan, just let me know.

[Jane -]

What a day! And it's not even 4:30.

[Jane -]

Do you guys think if Lois Lerner is given immunity, she will tell the truth?

[narciso]

No, Jimmy, it's Macho Grande, I mean Honduras all over again,

[Clarice]

Thankss, CH. I just knew I could count on you.

[Account Deleted]

c-c,

I hope the Kleagle does as she promised. West will have the jury completely stultified by the time Sabrina puts on her act and the networks are full of the carrion stench of BOzo's Arab Spring.

Assad should step up the bombing of headchoppers in Syria while the "world" wrings its hands about Egypt. I wonder how Erdogan is sleeping these days.

[narciso]

Well it's probably taken attention off the opthalmologist at for a while.

[Frau Quatsch]

Clarice, you might want to check your supply of Mothers Car Care products. They ain't the "Deep Gloss" Experts for nothing.

[jwest]

Let's go through each and every blood spot again - one by one - in detail this time.

It's the only way the truth is going to come out.

[Danube on iPad]

Branca at LI:

Then West led Carter through a lengthy discussion–a lecture, really–of Florida’s self-defense law. It was like a legal seminar for the jury, and West particularly emphasized that there was no legal requirement to have actually incurred any injury whatever before you can act in self-defense. Carter even opined that you definitely would not want to wait to act in self-defense until you had been seriously injured. As the State saw the narrative spinning against them they repeatedly objected, constraining West’s cross. By then, however, the damage had largely been done to the State’s theory of the case.

[Frau Steingehirn]

Why don't Pelosi and Kerry volunteer to be human shields for Catholics in Syria?

[Ranger]

Doesn't look like the Brotherhood is going to go easily into the night (via AJ again):

The President's Office has released the following statement in addition to the video [Arabic] of Mohamed Morsi reacting to the army's statement effectively overthrowing him.

Dr. Mohamed Morsi, President of Egypt, emphasizes that the measures declared by the Chief Command of Armed Forces represent a military coup d’état, which we categorically reject, in whole or part by all the honest honorable men who struggled for the transformation to democracy. The president stresses, in his capacity as the president of the republic and chief commander of armed forces, that all the citizens, civilians and militarians, leaders and soldiers, are required to adhere to the Constitution and law; not to respond to this coup which will throw Egypt back to the dark ages; and to maintain peaceful behaviors and avoid bloodshed.

But they are losing their tools to communicate with the population:

Reports of police arresting crews of local TV stations affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood.

It could be long night in Cairo.

[Danube on iPad]

More from Branca:

You may recall that the State’s opening statement placed a very considerable emphasis on two forensic facts: (1) that Zimmerman’s gun had been “pressed” into Martin, with a contact shot to Martin’s sweatshirt, and (2) that Zimmerman’s gun had been carried “ready-to-fire” in an apparently careless manner. O’Mara eviscerated both histrionic points in his cross of Siewert. She first testified that although the muzzle of the gun did appear to have been in contact with Martin’s sweatshirt, she was not prepared to testify that it had been pressed into his skin....

Next she testified at some length that the manner in which Zimmerman carried the gun–loaded to capacity, including a round in the chamber–was the manner in which the gun was intended to be carried, was how law enforcement officers are trained to carry their firearms, and was in no particular way unsafe.

[NKonIPad]

A Lerner immunity? Those grants are set up to induce the witness to blab everything about everything because full transactional immunity prevents proaecution based on anything they say. If they kie the deal is off and they can be prosecuted based in their testimony and plus perjury. The trickis to get a comprehensive enough 'proffer' of what the testimony will be in order to determine if the immunized testimony is worth the grant of immunity.

[centralcal]

Judge Alex (on the Twitter feed at L.I.) says:

I think defense is making sure that Sabrina Fulton's emotional testimony is not the last evidence jury hears before they break for July 4.

---------

Seems like a wise strategy - and BDLR has seemed antsy a few times getting up, pacing, coming back. Bet he's frustrated.

[narciso]

He seems to rubbing it in, Rick;

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/07/03/us-egypt-protests-syria-idUSBRE96218O20130703

[Jane -]

I know all that NK. I still wonder if she will tell the truth.

[Janet --- -... .- -- .- ... ..- -.-. -.- ...]

Why don't Pelosi and Kerry volunteer to be human shields for Catholics in Syria?

Great point, Frau! Where's Code Pink?

[Clarice]

Where's Mc Dermott of Assad's good pals Pelosi and Kerry and Rockefeller?

[2Jack is Back4]

test.

[Jeff Dobbs]

Obamorsi.

[Neo]

The real unseen problem (?) is that the Congress has never legalized abortion or criminalized, by statute, it either.

The bills making abortion illegal after 20 weeks are also, for the
first time, making abortion legal, by statute, before 20 weeks on the federal level.

[Account Deleted]

The Kleagle called it quits. No Sabrina close up until Friday morning.

[Clarice]

Yeah! I'm glad I'm not on the defense bench I would not be able to restrain myself from laughing at this clown show.

[2Jack is Back4]

Clarice,

Please change your residence to Florida and help us primary Scott.

[Account Deleted]

Dunno, Clarice. The defense may be writing thank you notes to BDLR for calling Captain Carter, certainly the blackest and arguably the most intelligent witness to appear to date, to testify to Zimmerman receiving an A in his course after starting off with "Hi George, how're you doing?". SNL could do a sketch summarizing the entire prosecution effort based upon calling Captain Carter - over strenuous defense objections.

[2Jack is Back4]

RB,

Bernie does look like Inspector Cleauseu doesn't he.

[narciso]

It was a choice between Kang and Kodos;

http://pjmedia.com/blog/why-president-morsi-is-in-trouble/

[Neo]

Jonathan Alter Links Egyptian Military Coup To Obama's Cairo Speech

Fifth Grader in Podunk Links Egyptian Military Coup To Barack Obama's Golf Handicap

I'm not sure which one is more impressive, but I'll go with the golf handicap

[narciso]

But they won't they do not 'hath enough understanding' to do so,

[narciso]

OT, there's a new spy thriller, Red Sparrow, which has the interesting detail, that each chapter ends in a recipe, including the Moscow version of the Cuban sandwich.

[Threadkiller]

For millions of California homeowners, Saturday was a day that will live in infamy. Without a single public hearing, the California Assembly passed Assembly Constitutional Amendment No. 8 (ACA 8), the most egregious attack on Prop. 13 ever to come out of the Legislature.

ACA 8 would repeal Prop. 13’s requirement that local “special taxes” (taxes intended for a specific purpose or purposes) be approved by a two-thirds vote. Instead, special taxes imposed for the repayment of local bonded indebtedness would be reduced to 55%. The ostensible justification for ACA 8 is to make it easier to finance local “infrastructure.”

http://www.hjta.org/california-commentary/aca-8-direct-assault-prop-13

[Neo]

There is this Russian joke ...

Lenin is in a railroad car traveling until the train get stuck.
Lenin says "get rid of the engineers and bring in the proletariat."

The train starts to move again .. until it get stuck again.

By this time Khrushchev is in charge.
Khrushchev says "bring back the engineers, they knew what they were doing."

The train starts to move again .. until it get stuck again.

By this time Brezhnev is in charge.
Brezhnev says "pull down the shades and pretend the train is moving."

... you got to ask when the Egyptians will opt to pull the shades ?

[Ranger]

AJ reporting that their Egyptian operation has been shut down and all employees and guests at their building have been arrested. So much for a light touch.

[Ranger]

BBC Live Feed:

Ayman Mohyeldin NBC tweets: Just had a group of men come to our office overlooking #Tahrir looking for Al Jazeera journalists

Looks like a little score settling under way.

[Stephanie]

Maybe a refresher ride through Splash Mountain at Disney World would learn BDLR some court sense about calling witnesses. That briar patch is getting kinda mangled looking from all the escapes by MOM.

[centralcal]

Ranger, I saw one twitter report that some Al Jazeera reporters were arrested while they were on TV, live.

[Ranger]

Well, AJ was a big factor in the push to oust Mubarak. I'm not surprised they are feeling the sting of the Army's wrath now.

[Threadkiller]

Soledad O'Brien hardest hit.

[Gmax]

Al Jazeera is the mouthpiece for the Islamists. Why would anyone be surprised if they were rounded up to hold down the agitprop?

[Gmax]

The military aint stupid after all. They watched the last movie, decided they did not want this one to end up like the first one.

[2Jack is Back4]

At least the Cigar Emporium on the mezzanine level of The Intercontinental is still in business. That alone probably had more to do. with western support.

[Extraneus]

Thanks for the O'Keefe video, Janet. I love that guy. He got the only donations I've made in a while. I think I'll give him more right now.

A great American.

[Gus]

Yeah Egypt really sucked under Mubarek. All the starvation and gang rapes. I can't wait for Barry the WonderBoy to tell us how Hagel is "Monitoring" the situation. Someone might ask Obama and Reporting for Doody, exactly who has our F-16's and money at this moment and why. Meanwhile back in Jordon, we are supplying weaponry to Syrians "rebels" with no end game and no assurances of their intent.

[narciso]

Well because her track record is so sterling:

http://twitchy.com/2013/07/03/too-funny-tweeter-suggests-ted-cruz-could-win-in-2016-fmr-presidential-campaign-co-chair-for-mccain-and-huntsman-mocks/

[Threadkiller]

“The Egyptian people have made it clear that there is no going back to the way things were: Egypt has changed, and its future is in the hands of the people. Those who have exercised their right to peaceful assembly representthe greatness of the Egyptian people, and are broadly representative of Egyptian society. We have seen young and old, rich and poor, Muslim and Christian join together, and earn the respect of the world through their non-violent calls for change. In that effort, young people have been at the forefront, and a new generation has emerged. They have made it clear that Egypt must reflect their hopes, fulfill their highest aspirations, and tap their boundless potential. In these difficult times, I know that the Egyptian people will persevere, and they must know that they will continue to have a friend in the United States of America."

”http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2011/02/10/president-obamas-statement-on-egypt/

[Jane -]

Kirsten Powers is out-conservating Charles Krauthammer on Obama and Morsi. It's great.

[Clarice]

Rick, Carter was the cherry on top the banana split today.

[Threadkiller]

That was then...

[narciso]

It certainly is 'Duck Season', Clarice,

[Clarice]

Here's Alexis Carter's testimony today in case you missed it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-qAJmzhzJs&feature=player_embedded

[narciso]

Is there such a thing, as too much material, for your Sunday Column?

[Jeff Dobbs]

clarice:
And here==people are watching a stupid trial that never should have been brought.

Was "here" intended to mean JOM?

[Clarice]

No, hit, I meant the US of A. Narciso, it's an overwhelming amount.. a real embarrassment of riches.