Comments on: The Speech http://lifeandhealtheditor.com/2009/09/10/the-speech/ Bill Coffin Editor-in-Chief Thu, 02 Sep 2010 21:13:50 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Steve Piontek http://lifeandhealtheditor.com/2009/09/10/the-speech/comment-page-1/#comment-135 Steve Piontek Tue, 22 Sep 2009 13:25:28 +0000 http://lifeandhealtheditor.com/?p=71#comment-135 I might remind Mr. Coleman that the President does not write legislation, Congress does. What Mr. Obama did in the speech was outline what he considers the necessary elements of a reform plan. He did this in response to the rap--justified--that no one knew what he wanted in a reform package. Congress will supply the details, as it did only a few days later when the Senate Finance Committee released its draft. I still think the President was wise to lay out the general guidelines of what he wants. It is all too easy for critics to single out one detail, blow it out of proportion and use this technique to discredit the entire venture. Wait, come to think of it, that's exactly what you, Mr. Coleman, did with my blog entry. I might remind Mr. Coleman that the President does not write legislation, Congress does. What Mr. Obama did in the speech was outline what he considers the necessary elements of a reform plan. He did this in response to the rap–justified–that no one knew what he wanted in a reform package. Congress will supply the details, as it did only a few days later when the Senate Finance Committee released its draft.
I still think the President was wise to lay out the general guidelines of what he wants. It is all too easy for critics to single out one detail, blow it out of proportion and use this technique to discredit the entire venture. Wait, come to think of it, that’s exactly what you, Mr. Coleman, did with my blog entry.

]]> By: Patrick Coleman http://lifeandhealtheditor.com/2009/09/10/the-speech/comment-page-1/#comment-134 Patrick Coleman Mon, 21 Sep 2009 14:45:48 +0000 http://lifeandhealtheditor.com/?p=71#comment-134 Interesting analysis of a sales pitch; "[w]hat he did was lay out the necessary elements of reform as he sees it without getting mired down in the itsy-bitsy details that would have become the targets for anyone wanting to take potshots at the entire reform effort." The President is trying to sell us the most comprehensive reform of the nation’s health care and he is applauded for neglecting to identify the plan’s details. I wonder, does Mr Pointek actually believe that when I buy a personal health insurance plan, I should only be interested in the broad intentions the salesman tells me the plan encompasses, or should I be concerned about the 'itsy-bitsy' details? Seems to me that I really ought to know some very specific 'itsy-bitsy' things, such as what will be covered and at what cost. I think I should not be excited about the purchase when the response is, “Oh, it’ll cover everything and there is no cost”, or, even worse, “well, I don’t have any details on what it will cover, nor am I sure how much it’ll cost, but you really need it because its great and not being protected can be disastrous.” Giving your whole-hearted support to a piece of legislation based on general promises, while not caring about the details, seems an odd position to take. Unless, of course, you think that it’s the salesperson’s promise that matters, not the product’s performance. In that case, all we need to do to reform health care is allow agents to promise whatever the applicant wants them to promise and we’ll all be ok. Details be damned. Interesting analysis of a sales pitch; “[w]hat he did was lay out the necessary elements of reform as he sees it without getting mired down in the itsy-bitsy details that would have become the targets for anyone wanting to take potshots at the entire reform effort.”
The President is trying to sell us the most comprehensive reform of the nation’s health care and he is applauded for neglecting to identify the plan’s details. I wonder, does Mr Pointek actually believe that when I buy a personal health insurance plan, I should only be interested in the broad intentions the salesman tells me the plan encompasses, or should I be concerned about the ‘itsy-bitsy’ details? Seems to me that I really ought to know some very specific ‘itsy-bitsy’ things, such as what will be covered and at what cost. I think I should not be excited about the purchase when the response is, “Oh, it’ll cover everything and there is no cost”, or, even worse, “well, I don’t have any details on what it will cover, nor am I sure how much it’ll cost, but you really need it because its great and not being protected can be disastrous.”
Giving your whole-hearted support to a piece of legislation based on general promises, while not caring about the details, seems an odd position to take. Unless, of course, you think that it’s the salesperson’s promise that matters, not the product’s performance.
In that case, all we need to do to reform health care is allow agents to promise whatever the applicant wants them to promise and we’ll all be ok. Details be damned.

]]> By: John http://lifeandhealtheditor.com/2009/09/10/the-speech/comment-page-1/#comment-133 John Fri, 18 Sep 2009 13:26:16 +0000 http://lifeandhealtheditor.com/?p=71#comment-133 Wow, Steve has an opinion. What if he wrote a piece praising Joe Wilson, would that still be biased? And I agree, lets go back to the constitution that way it was written. I'm tired of blacks and women voting and I would like some slaves for my plantation. And the Post Office is horrible. I liked it when letters were hand delivered by horseback. And Social Security is awful too. The elderly who have no savings or income should die in the streets. Animal Control can take care of them. And while I'm at it Animal Control should be privately run. So should the fire department. Can't pay? too bad. Wow, Steve has an opinion. What if he wrote a piece praising Joe Wilson, would that still be biased?

And I agree, lets go back to the constitution that way it was written. I’m tired of blacks and women voting and I would like some slaves for my plantation.

And the Post Office is horrible. I liked it when letters were hand delivered by horseback. And Social Security is awful too. The elderly who have no savings or income should die in the streets. Animal Control can take care of them.

And while I’m at it Animal Control should be privately run. So should the fire department. Can’t pay? too bad.

]]> By: Greg Brown http://lifeandhealtheditor.com/2009/09/10/the-speech/comment-page-1/#comment-131 Greg Brown Mon, 14 Sep 2009 14:35:59 +0000 http://lifeandhealtheditor.com/?p=71#comment-131 Wow, Steve Pointek's articles are really beginning to sound biased... Wow, Steve Pointek’s articles are really beginning to sound biased…

]]> By: Lance Carlson http://lifeandhealtheditor.com/2009/09/10/the-speech/comment-page-1/#comment-130 Lance Carlson Mon, 14 Sep 2009 12:24:59 +0000 http://lifeandhealtheditor.com/?p=71#comment-130 Steve: Being the editor for the national underwriter it seems odd that you would take such a stance with President Obama all the time. This publication would seem to have the insurers and agents best interest at heart. If Obama gets his way, most of the health insurance companies will be put out of business! The government has never made any issue or problem better by getting into the business such as Medicare, Medicaid, US Post Office and Social Security. We have the best health care in the world but it can always be made better, but not with government intervention. I am at the point now that I would like to fire everyone in congress and the white house and get back to the way the constitution was meant to run and that is that we never have "professional politicians" but members of society who go to congress and really have "our" best interest in mind when they right bills and spend "our" money. They work for "us " the Amercian people and the sooner they remember that the better. Steve:
Being the editor for the national underwriter it seems odd that you would take such a stance with President Obama all the time. This publication would seem to have the insurers and agents best interest at heart. If Obama gets his way, most of the health insurance companies will be put out of business! The government has never made any issue or problem better by getting into the business such as Medicare, Medicaid, US Post Office and Social Security. We have the best health care in the world but it can always be made better, but not with government intervention. I am at the point now that I would like to fire everyone in congress and the white house and get back to the way the constitution was meant to run and that is that we never have “professional politicians” but members of society who go to congress and really have “our” best interest in mind when they right bills and spend “our” money. They work for “us ” the Amercian people and the sooner they remember that the better.

]]>