LOCAL and Florida Politics

[jack]

I think the Overton window has shifted as both of you are right. He is center left but would be the furthest president to the left in a generation. 

[spenser1058]

TDT use to mitigate climate change (flooding) and algae blooms along the coasts plus spring renewal inland?

Environmentalists say yes; the tourism industry says no:

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-ne-florida-legislature-hotel-taxes-water-20200213-wacysbuftjf3dixeg5pej6evgm-story.html

From the Sentinel 

[spenser1058]

The powerful Culinary Union in Nevada (with its significant membership of women and Latinos) has embraced Pete’s healthcare plan (“Medicare For All Who Want It”) and rejected Bernie’s “My Way Or the Highway” plan (which stands a 0% chance of clearing Congress, anyway).

https://www.reviewjournal.com/news/politics-and-government/culinary-union-embraces-pete-buttigiegs-stance-on-health-care-1933540/

From the Las Vegas Review Journal

[popsiclebrandon]

20 minutes ago, spenser1058 said:

The powerful Culinary Union in Nevada (with its significant membership of women and Latinos) has embraced Pete’s healthcare plan (“Medicare For All Who Want It”) and rejected Bernie’s “My Way Or the Highway” plan (which stands a 0% chance of clearing Congress, anyway).

https://www.reviewjournal.com/news/politics-and-government/culinary-union-embraces-pete-buttigiegs-stance-on-health-care-1933540/

From the Las Vegas Review Journal

Pete's "plan" for health care is an embarrassment and the biggest reason I can't stand or trust him.  His flip-flop on this subject shows to me he is only interested in getting to the top quickly instead of sticking to any sort of principals and running again in 4/8 years. Re-positioning as a boomer's favorite millenial version of Biden is pathetic and hope we never hear from him again after this. That being said I'd vote for him because there is no other option if he does win.

 

Jeff Stein at the Washington Post got to the bottom of this question in December and reported that it is the latter: the Obamacare mandate on steroids. Under Buttigieg’s plan, rather than paying a $695 fine at the end of the year if you are uninsured (as in the now-repealed Obamacare mandate), you could pay a fine as high as $7,000. This sort of lump sum shock is going to wreck most of the households hit with it and be even more of a political disaster than the much more modest Obamacare fine, which was itself a bit of a political disaster.

 

 

[spenser1058]

If you want universal coverage, there has to be a mandate. Otherwise, healthy people don’t bother until they get sick.

Bernie’s way is to throw 250 million people into limbo and raise taxes by $30 trillion to pay for it.

Pete’s idea is to cap the limits. The $695 penalty gave you nothing. Pete’s method gives you insurance during that whole year paid for at the end if you choose not to enroll in advance. Also, it could be paid for during tax filings - folks who qualify for Medicaid will have rebates or EITC could be increased.

If you want universal coverage, everyone (including healthy folks) has to have it. That’s the way insurance works. You can just blow up the system like Bernie proposes and charge $30 trillion more in taxes and pray corporate America will raise pay to everyone so they can pay much higher taxes (you really think that will happen?)

Most Americans don’t. Or you can phase into it. If you prefer the public option, go for it. If you don’t, you can stay on your private plan.

If the public option really is better, people will gravitate to it. It’s rally the only way to get there. 75 years ago, an error was made in implementing healthcare in the US. It’s going to take time to undo it.

Pete’s plan, with required adjustments made in passing it, is the best option forward. Anything else is DOA when it hits Congress.

 

[jack]

I think the kid seems pretty talented. I would think about voting for him if I could vote in the primary. I am not a fan of an expansion of gov't paid for healthcare, at least his plan is defensible. 

Edited February 14, 2020 by jack

[JFW657]

I'd be happy with some kind of national catastrophic health care protection.

Something like... nobody with income and assets below a certain level, would ever have to pay over x amount for treatment of any catastrophic illness or injury. As an individual's income and assets rose, their required payment would be a percentage, but in no case, would anyone ever have to spend over a certain percentage of their assets for treatment.

Of course, very well off people who can afford good private insurance would be free to use that.

For everything that would be considered standard, everyday health care, like minor injuries and illnesses, regular insurance could pay for that, which the premiums for, I would think, would be greatly reduced since the insurance companies would no longer have to worry about being on the hook for tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars to treat one person's medical issues. 

That's just a rough, general idea of what I'm thinking, and of course there might be factors I didn't cover or consider. But in general, I think that some kind of plan that requires people to pay only a portion of large catastrophic medical bills while a taxpayer funded, govt safety net paid the rest, and private insurance took care of all the minor stuff, might be a workable compromise.

Feel free to pick my idea to pieces.

.

Edited February 14, 2020 by JFW657

[dcluley98]

Yup. 

Add in UBI so that anybody can use it for whatever instead of bloated "aid" systems and you can choose to use your UBI to fund a health insurance premium not tied to employment or build an HSA if you are relatively healthy or start a  business without the risk of not having a safety net in case the worst happens. 

I totally agree with that. 

[spenser1058]

Yang Gang ‘24 (they already released their logo)!

[spenser1058]

Only 4 more days to register to vote in Florida’s presidential primary or switch to Democratic If you want to vote in the Democratic primary (Independents aka NPA can’t vote in this one - Republicans only get to vote in the GOP primary).

Do It today!

20PETE20 

 

 

 

 

[spenser1058]

https://twitter.com/georgehornedo/status/1228404851161403392?s=21

Just one more reason Mayor Pete is my guy. Interesting he knows more about US Allies 101 than the Senator who insists only her experience counts:

https://twitter.com/georgehornedo/status/1228404851161403392?s=21

 

[spenser1058]

Casselberry (who knew?) is planning a referendum to fund $24 million in park improvements and additions:

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/seminole-county/os-ne-casselberry-parks-bond-referendum-20200215-ly4erlsaubhwfidwjszvjdyooe-story.html

From the Sentinel 

[spenser1058]

Total rumor at this point but Schorsch does have ties to GOP politics (although he also spins things for his own purposes not infrequently). If it pans out, it will be huge for the 2022 elections in FL.

https://twitter.com/peterschorschfl/status/1229099388238286848?s=21

 

Edited February 17, 2020 by spenser1058

[spenser1058]

DON’T FORGET- Register by tomorrow (FEB 18) to vote in Florida’s presidential primary.

ALSO, if you’re not currently a Democrat and want to vote in the Democratic primary, you must switch by tomorrow.

Don’t miss out!

Questions? Let me know...

[spenser1058]

I was asked here recently about my challenges with Rep. Stephanie Murphy. This sums it up in a nutshell:

https://twitter.com/fla_pol/status/1231164353707216896?s=21

Mike Bloomberg is the latest rich guy trying to buy his way into office. That may be the Republican way (we’ve lived with over a decade of that so far in Florida with Rick Scott) but it’s not something we respect as Democrats.

As many disagreements as I have with Bernie and his Bros, he has twice now gone through the process and, if he wins, earned the right to be the nominee. All Bloomberg has done is write checks. 

[jack]

On 2/22/2020 at 5:59 AM, spenser1058 said:

I was asked here recently about my challenges with Rep. Stephanie Murphy. This sums it up in a nutshell:

https://twitter.com/fla_pol/status/1231164353707216896?s=21

Mike Bloomberg is the latest rich guy trying to buy his way into office. That may be the Republican way (we’ve lived with over a decade of that so far in Florida with Rick Scott) but it’s not something we respect as Democrats.

As many disagreements as I have with Bernie and his Bros, he has twice now gone through the process and, if he wins, earned the right to be the nominee. All Bloomberg has done is write checks. 

I still don't understand what it means to buy an election. At least how it pertains to Bloomberg. I am being serious. 

[spenser1058]

As much as we all like to whine about the presidential primary process, it serves a very important function.

Despite what Joe Biden or Amy Klobuchar might say, there really is no training for the continuous multi-tasking required of the modern American presidency.

The grueling process of running shows the ability to persevere in a wide variety of environments.

Just as importantly, it requires candidates to actually meet the American people for whom they will work. In the Constitution, the first three words, larger than all the rest, are “We the People”. That’s not just filler and it’s why, contrary to the right’s belief, it’s why government does not work like a business. 

Starting with small retail politics and working up to stadia full of citizens, candidates have on the job interviews.

Bloomberg attempted to circumvent the process and carpet bomb the country with ads instead of actually meeting the people.

That might be fine for selling a product - it’s not fine for being the embodiment of the American nation. Remember, the president here is not just the head of government- (s)he is the head of state and encompasses the values and aspirations of every American (unless, of course, you’re Donald Trump, who routinely ignores or worse about 70% of the country).

We saw in last week’s debate just what happens when a candidate who fails to go through the process is finally tested - a complete meltdown. TV ads are totally controlled by the candidate but in real life the hardest job in the world isn’t nearly that cut and dry.

If Bloomberg wanted to be president, he needed to go through the entire process and earn his place. We Democrats are a big tent and every citizen deserves the right to know who their president really is. The presidency belongs to us all.

 

[jack]

6 hours ago, spenser1058 said:

As much as we all like to whine about the presidential primary process, it serves a very important function.

Despite what Joe Biden or Amy Klobuchar might say, there really is no training for the continuous multi-tasking required of the modern American presidency.

The grueling process of running shows the ability to persevere in a wide variety of environments.

Just as importantly, it requires candidates to actually meet the American people for whom they will work. In the Constitution, the first three words, larger than all the rest, are “We the People”. That’s not just filler and it’s why, contrary to the right’s belief, it’s why government does not work like a business. 

Starting with small retail politics and working up to stadia full of citizens, candidates have on the job interviews.

Bloomberg attempted to circumvent the process and carpet bomb the country with ads instead of actually meeting the people.

That might be fine for selling a product - it’s not fine for being the embodiment of the American nation. Remember, the president here is not just the head of government- (s)he is the head of state and encompasses the values and aspirations of every American (unless, of course, you’re Donald Trump, who routinely ignores or worse about 70% of the country).

We saw in last week’s debate just what happens when a candidate who fails to go through the process is finally tested - a complete meltdown. TV ads are totally controlled by the candidate but in real life the hardest job in the world isn’t nearly that cut and dry.

If Bloomberg wanted to be president, he needed to go through the entire process and earn his place. We Democrats are a big tent and every citizen deserves the right to know who their president really is. The presidency belongs to us all.

 

That ship sailed when TV was introduced and greatly accelerated w/ social media. The nominating process you describe doesn't really exist anymore for the national office and barely exists in state wide races (Ron Desantis).  I am not saying that is a good thing, just how I see it.

Money is not as important as name recognition (see Donald J Trump). Bloomberg polls well because he was the mayor of a city that has a gdp and population greater than most of America. Good or bad, it goes a long way. 

Most people do not watch the debates and have no idea what happened last week with Bloomberg. 

Like it or not, there is a strong chance the nomination will come down to Bloomberg and Sanders. 

 

[spenser1058]

Woohoo! The Orlando Sentinel endorses Mayor Pete in the Democratic presidential primary.

Charge On!

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/opinion/editorials/os-op-sentinel-endorses-pete-buttigieg-for-democratic-nomination-20200228-dj3f2nisljdqlko7f7m5r3yf3e-story.html

[popsiclebrandon]

 

 

Quote

 

Yes, his political experience consists of two terms as mayor of a mid-size city.

But lack of political experience didn’t stop America from electing a no-term reality TV star.

 

 

Oh by all means lets keep electing people with no experience, its working great!

[spenser1058]

Yep, people like Abraham Lincoln and Dwight Eisenhower make lousy presidents, right? Conversely, LBJ and Richard Nixon had more experience than God and both had failed presidencies. Maybe Washington experience is not the common denominator to success.

Edited February 28, 2020 by spenser1058

[nite owℓ]

On 2/24/2020 at 5:15 PM, jack said:

Most people do not watch the debates and have no idea what happened last week with Bloomberg.

Curious, should debate performance matter so long as the candidate's initiatives & values align with your own?

[spenser1058]

23 minutes ago, nite owℓ said:

Curious, should debate performance matter so long as the candidate's initiatives & values align with your own?

I think if you support a candidate you are unlikely to be swayed by how they do. Heaven knows nothing that comes out about Bernie has any impact on the Bros except they get meaner.

Apparently, the debate which featured Bloomberg’s first appearance had an audience similar to a World Series game. Also, clips exploded on social media adding another universe of folks exposed.

Did it matter? Nate Silver at 538 reports a 3-point dropoff for Mike afterward. More importantly, his invincibility took a huge hit among the chattering classes and may have helped Biden to soar in SC. Despite the pundits’ desire to call this, we’re likely to see more twists and turns. We should know more after next Tuesday.

Most Democrats have no use for Bloomberg and prior to the debate little was known about him. Going forward, if he does well, it will be because of independents and GOP crossovers more than Dems.

 

 

 

[bqknight]

The Sentinel endorses Buttigieg. WOOHOO!

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/opinion/editorials/os-op-sentinel-endorses-pete-buttigieg-for-democratic-nomination-20200228-dj3f2nisljdqlko7f7m5r3yf3e-story.html

[jack]

1 hour ago, nite owℓ said:

Curious, should debate performance matter so long as the candidate's initiatives & values align with your own?

For most people, no. I can see if someone is on the fence they may be swayed by the performance. But that means they must be paying attention to the debate in the first place.  

2 hours ago, popsiclebrandon said:

 

 

 

Oh by all means lets keep electing people with no experience, its working great!

That is a reasonable assessment but nothing prepares you for the presidency. And we still do not have a consensus of what a successful presidency is.