All-purpose news and politics thread: Two Steps Beyond!

[InformationGeek]

And now an update with news from my state... *sigh*

State workers and their family members would see their main out-of-pocket health care costs double next year under proposed budget cuts officials will take up Tuesday.

The state Department of Employee Trust Fund’s Group Insurance Board is expected to vote on the proposal, which would satisfy requested cuts to worker benefits in Gov. Scott Walker’s proposed budget.

The changes, which include increases in co-payments, deductibles and drug costs, could help the state avoid an Affordable Care Act “Cadillac tax” beginning in 2018, officials said.

However, the proposal would also introduce an aspect of the federal health law that was so controversial it was dropped: consultations about end-of-life care, which some called “death panels.”

Self insurance, a controversial model in which the state would pay benefits directly instead of buying insurance from 18 HMOs, is not part of the proposal, but it is being considered for 2017.

The changes to be considered Tuesday would cut $85 million over two years from the $1.4 billion health insurance program that covers 240,000 state workers and family members, most of whom live in Dane County.

Workers’ premiums, as a percentage of overall health care costs, would not change.

But co-payments, deductibles and out-of-pocket limits would go up, resulting in a doubling of those costs for nearly all state workers, according to Segal Consulting, an Atlanta-based firm hired by the state. Those costs, however, would remain among the lowest in the region, Segal said.

[Spike-X]

What the ****?

http://forums.talkingpointsmemo.com/...troyed/20737/3



What the /****/?

(The judge says one of the victims requested it. Even so...)

And guess who appointed the judge? No, go on, guess.












*hint* It was Mike Huckabee, who sure seems to have changed his tune since he said this about Roman Polanski a few years back:

Some things are either right or wrong. It doesn’t matter who does them. When Hollywood hero Roman Polanski drugged and raped a 13-year-old girl and then fled the country instead of facing the consequences of his own guilty plea, there should be no defense of him from anyone. What he did was evil and reprehensible. The fact that he is a great director doesn’t obscure the fact that he robbed a child of far more than Bernie Madoff stole from his victims.

What has our culture become when people can commit despicable criminal acts and yet get defended and excused because they are celebrities. If David Letterman takes advantage of subordinates who work for him, then it’s not funny, it’s pathetic and immoral. The audience shouldn’t laugh and applaud; they ought to walk out in disgust. And instead of actors and even governments seeking the release of Roman Polanski, they should be screaming for justice.

[Spike-X]

Here's what Mike Huckabee and his friend, the judge, don't want you to see.

[Tendrin]

And now an update with news from my state... *sigh*

We can call it Scott Walk It Off Care.

[Paradox]

Jeff Brady shouldn't think too highly of that:

Bernie Sanders immediately dismantled that argument.

A twelve-year old kid could dismantle that argument.

[Handsome men don't lose fights]

Here's what Mike Huckabee and his friend, the judge, don't want you to see.

Disgusting. That report details outright predation. Attacking those girls multiple times while they were sleeping was not a 'one time screw-up' or whatever his defenders are going on about like idiots; Oh and he never received treatment. Yaaaay. Pray the rape away?

If Huckabee had smart handlers, he'd keep a thousand miles away from this one. That clemency issue where he put his christian values to work and released dangerous inmates who went on to kill and rape ought to have taught him his lesson about what happens when you're too quick to forgive people who keep re-offending. Jeebus, didn't he get a bunch of police officers killed a few years back? Why should anyone listen to him when it comes to serious crime?

[Tendrin]

It's only a problem when someone who doesn't have 'good Christian values' does it. Or is black.

[Handsome men don't lose fights]

It's only a problem when someone who doesn't have 'good Christian values' does it. Or is black.

Oh, Huckabee didn't see race when he was letting out those nutjobs during his tenure as Governor. That's about the only nice thing you can say about him. The only qualification you needed to be considered for clemency during his tenure was a devout belief in Christ. The results were predictably horrifying.

[Tendrin]

[Handsome men don't lose fights;1216696]Oh, Huckabee didn't see race when he was letting out those nutjobs during his tenure as Governor. That's about the only nice thing you can say about him. The only qualification you needed to be considered for clemency during his tenure was a devout belief in Christ. [url=http://www.addictinginfo.org/2015/02/03/mike]

Yeah, I remember. I was more implying that we're just not as far from Willie Horton as we thought when Huckabee can do that, but Dukakis gets what he got.

[worstblogever]

Disgusting. That report details outright predation. Attacking those girls multiple times while they were sleeping was not a 'one time screw-up' or whatever his defenders are going on about like idiots; Oh and he never received treatment. Yaaaay. Pray the rape away?

If Huckabee had smart handlers, he'd keep a thousand miles away from this one.

I'm starting to think the only "smart handler" Huckabee listens to is Jesus.

Not the actual one, though. Just the voices in his head he attributes to having to be Jesus.

[worstblogever]

It's our latest reminder of what a crock the statement "Nuh uh. Both parties are just as bad," actually is...

It’s Your Crazy/Stupid Republican of the Day!
(And please, for those who those who really felt the "Both Parties are Just as Bad" statement is defensible, remember, I'm still challenging you to write your own essays each day, to keep pace with me, if it's actually "just as bad". Keep in mind, you have to pick someone from politics who has either ran for, held office within the past 5 years, and have multiple verifiable news sources to any quotes/beliefs they might have to build a solid, established track record of stupid that clearly isn't a fluke. Hell, we'll even accept people who help write party platforms within that time frame. Current crazy/stupid scoreboard, is now 316-12, since this was established on 7-18-14)


Norman McAllister

Up until today, CSGOPOTD had yet to profile any Vermont Republicans. And then, the news on Norman McAllister, all-around creepy bastard hit the news. Serving as a member of the Vermont House of Representatives for a decade from 2003-2012, he made the jump to the Vermont State Senate after the 2012 elections. But as his colleagues have been shocked to discover, McAllister was a legislator by day, and a skeevy sex criminal night.

On May 8th, 2015, McAllister was arrested by police in outside the state Capitol, in Montpelier, and charged with sexually assaulting three different women, who he had apparently coerced into a sex-for-rent arrangement, and faces a potential sentence of life in prison if convicted. The details are more sordid even than that, including one of the victims saying McCallister was also encouraging her to have sex with farm workers he employs to have her rent lowered even farther, and another who he "punished" during a sexual encounter for injuring one of his farm workers with a tractor. One of his victims is also believed to have worked for him as an intern in the state government, and working at his farm. There is some confusion in reports if she was 16, or 18 at the time.

The case against him includes recorded phone conversations where he discusses his crimes with his victims, the callers, so it's going to be an uphill battle for his attorney, to say the least. While Democrats and Republicans around Vermont have a bipartisan agreement to strip McAllister of his State Senate Committee positions, forcing him out of his role in the state government is a whole other matter. He's out on $20,000 bail, and shockingly, has no plans to resign. He still could face more charges of human trafficking, before all is said and done.

I don't really know if compared to other profiles, we really need to look at McAllister's voting record to think he's on the wrong side of things, because that's about as much "wrong" as we've ever profiled. I mean, on his heartfelt Christian principle (that exists in spite of him trying to moonlight as a pimp), he voted against Same Sex Marriage being legalized in Vermont. And, he once expressed concerns over undocumented workers from getting driver's licenses, saying it would "jeopardize farmers". But apparently it's the farmer who had people at risk in his own domain.

He also proposed a bill two months ago to try to drug test all those detestable poor folks on welfare. Those people should get a job (I'm sure as an amateur pimp, McAllister would be willing to offer one to the women). A man of his conscience couldn't allow those deadbeats to take advantage of the state like that. Even if in spite of every other state who has attempted such a law seeing it overturned as unconstitutional by way of the 4th Amendment, but after it lost a small fortune for those states in the cost of drug testing while finding almost no drug use.

Perhaps then, I should close with the story of the 2012 Election battle between Norman McAllister and Joe Sinagra. You see, at the time, there was some controversy over the fact that Sinagra had registered "NormMcallister.com" as a domain name, and when you clicked on it, it also gave you Sinagra's campaign website. Some would call that savvy. But Norm McAllister didn't like that one bit, being quoted in local media in Franklin County as follows:

"This is the big-time politician sleaze as far as I'm concerned."

Y'know, I'd say this is a fine case of the pot needing to meet the kettle, considering at the time that quote happened, McAllister was already victimizing women. And if that's not "politician sleaze" I don't know what is.


YAY FOR THE GOP! THE PARTY OF FAMILY VALUES!

[WestPhillyPunisher]

*hint* It was Mike Huckabee, who sure seems to have changed his tune since he said this about Roman Polanski a few years back:

I guess Roman isn't a right wing supporter like the Duggars are. That makes all the difference.

The more I read about the Josh Duggar mess, I don't know what makes me angrier: the legions of right wing nutjobs like Huckabee bending over backwards defending that pervert, or the relentless victim blaming by said nutjobs which has probably left those poor girls permanently messed up in the head both emotionally and psychologically. Speaking of Huckabee, that man is scary dangerous as hell, given his past of releasing violent predators from prison because they claimed to have found God. That lunatic is the poster child for the importance of the separation of church and state.

As an aside, with TLC having lost Honey Boo Boo and the Duggars because of molestation scandals, I wonder if the honchos running the channel will experience a "moment of clarity" like Jules Winnfield in Pulp Fiction and ditch their remaining freak shows in favor of returning to being The Learning Channel....or will they simply find more freaks to fill the void. Sadly, my money is on the latter.

[worstblogever]

I guess Roman isn't a right wing supporter like the Duggars are. That makes all the difference.

The more I read about the Josh Duggar mess, I don't know what makes me angrier: the legions of right wing nutjobs like Huckabee bending over backwards defending that pervert, or the relentless victim blaming by said nutjobs which has probably left those poor girls permanently messed up in the head both emotionally and psychologically. Speaking of Huckabee, that man is scary dangerous as hell, given his past of releasing violent predators from prison because they claimed to have found God. That lunatic is the poster child for the importance of the separation of church and state.

As an aside, with TLC having lost Honey Boo Boo and the Duggars because of molestation scandals, I wonder if the honchos running the channel will experience a "moment of clarity" like Jules Winnfield in Pulp Fiction and ditch their remaining freak shows in favor of returning to being The Learning Channel....or will they simply find more freaks to fill the void. Sadly, my money is on the latter.

My wife was watching "Say Yes to the Dress" on TLC last night.

I couldn't help but start trying to spot the child molester. No leads at this time, thankfully.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

My wife was watching "Say Yes to the Dress" on TLC last night.

I couldn't help but start trying to spot the child molester. No leads at this time, thankfully.

Does, or did Mrs. WBE watch the Duggars?

[worstblogever]

Does, or did Mrs. WBE watch the Duggars?

She did not watch the adventures of, "Hey, guys, look at all the people who fell outta my vagina", no.