Trump's Legacy

[billvon 2,434]

Trump's legacy will apparently be . . . tens of millions of Americans losing their insurance.

========================
CBO: Obamacare repeal will increase uninsured by 24 million by 2026
Erin Kelly , USA TODAY
Published 4:19 p.m. ET March 13, 2017

WASHINGTON — An estimated 14 million Americans could lose their health care coverage in 2018, and 24 million by 2026 under a Republican bill to replace Obamacare, the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office said Monday in an analysis that could make the controversial legislation even tougher for GOP leaders to push through Congress.

"Some of those people would choose not to have insurance because they chose to be covered by insurance under current law only to avoid paying the penalties, and some people would forgo insurance in response to higher premiums," the CBO said in its analysis.
=========================

[SkyDekker 1,145]

Trump's spokespeople already pre-emptively stated that the CBO doesn't know what it is talking about. That this is way too difficult for them to provide an opinion on.

[billvon 2,434]

Another gem from the CBO's report:

"Under the legislation, insurers would be able to generally charge five times more for older enrolees . . . . substantially raising premiums for older people."

But really, is that such a big deal? They're gonna die soon anyway. (Sooner, if Trump gets his way.)

[kallend 1,647]

"Nobody knew that healthcare could be so complicated"

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[JerryBaumchen 1,064]

Hi John,

Quote

healthcare could be so complicated

Pretty easy to make it simple: Cover no one



Jerry Baumchen

PS) Even Ryan, MacConnell & Trump could understand that coverage. And then they would have a lots of $$$ for those new bombers.

[Phil1111 913]

'Trump Slump' Could Mean Well Over $10 Billion Per Year in Lost Tourism Revenues

The rise of Trump, and specifically his policies on immigration and the Muslim ban, appears to be causing some foreign tourists to rethink plans to visit the U.S. Search engines reported a steep decline in international travelers looking for flights to America immediately after Trump issued a controversial order banning refugees and immigrants from seven predominantly Muslim countries in early 2017. Many overseas-based tour operaters noticed a sharp dip in bookings to the U.S. around this time as well.

A large slump in international travelers would cause harm to America's tourism industry, and its economy in general. "Closing borders risks jobs," said David Scowsili, president and CEO of the World Travel & Tourism Council, a private industry group, in a speech directed at the administration in mid-February. "The livelihood of millions of Americans depends on people being able to use planes, trains and automobiles to spend their tourist dollars."...

How big could the falloff in international travelers truly be? On Tuesday, the New York Times cited a forecast from the international firm Tourism Economics stating that the number of foreign travelers in the U.S. could drop by 6.3 million annually due to Trump rhetoric and policies. America welcomed about 77 million international visitors in 2016, so that would mean a decrease of 8.2%.

What could such a drop mean in terms of dollars? According to U.S. Travel Association data for 2015, "each overseas traveler spends approximately $4,400 when they visit the U.S. and stays an average of 18 nights." A more recent estimate from the Global Business Travel Association holds that "each overseas traveler spends approximately $5,000 when they visit" the U.S.

Multiply that spending by a theoretical decline of 6.3 million foreign visitors, and what you get is a potential loss of $27 billion to $31.5 billion annually. That would be a devastating slump indeed."
http://time.com/money/4687114/trump-slump-foreign-tourism-us-immigration-travel/

[Phil1111 913]

Trump and the Parasitic Presidency
March 13, 2017, 3:07pm

Charles M. Blow – The New York Times.

We have now passed the 50-day mark of the Donald Trump administration and one thing is clear: There is no new Trump.

There is only the same old Trump: Dangerous and unpredictable, gauche and greedy, temperamentally unsuited and emotionally unsound.

If you were trying to create in a lab a person with character traits more unbecoming in a president, it would be hard to outdo the one we have.

He continues to have explosive Twitter episodes — presumably in response to some news he finds unflattering or some conspiracy floated by fringe outlets — that make him look not only foolish, but unhinged.

Indeed, a USA TODAY/Suffolk University poll published last week found:

“By 2-1, those surveyed disapprove of Trump’s temperament, a much more negative rating than he gets for his policy positions. Six in 10, including 40 percent of Republicans, complain that he tweets too much.”

In these fits of rage, he generates a lie or repeats one, which shifts the burden of proof to the legitimate media to swat it down and defend the truth. This exercise is already getting old.

Trump’s assaults on the truth are not benign. Presidential credibility is American credibility. There is no way to burn through one without burning through the other.

And when he’s not making explosive charges, he’s taking destructive actions.

He has signed a slew of executive actions to demonstrate his power and signal his administrative direction.

As Business Insider pointed out, as of March 6, “The 45th president has signed 34 executive actions so far, with far-reaching effects on Americans’ lives.” These included “16 executive orders in 45 days.”

In addition, federal agencies and the Republican-controlled Congress have “delayed, suspended or reversed” more than 90 regulations in the short time since President Trump took office, according to a tally by The New York Times.

The Times’s report continued: “The emerging effort — dozens more rules could be eliminated in the coming weeks — is one of the most significant shifts in regulatory policy in recent decades. It is the leading edge of what Stephen K. Bannon, Mr. Trump’s chief strategist, described late last month as ‘the deconstruction of the administrative state.’”

Now, Trump and congressional Republicans have locked arms in an effort to ram through a disastrous Obamacare repeal-and-replace plan — attempting to cast doubt on the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office in the process — that promises to be a boon to insurers and the rich and a bane to the poor and the elderly.

Trumpcare would likely not only be more expensive and cover fewer people, but some people currently in need of care to extend their lives would no longer get it.

Put quite simply: This plan is not only bad, it could be deadly.

Add to these destructive policies the fact that this president and his family are burning through taxpayer funds like it’s Monopoly money.

As The Hill reported on Saturday, “President Trump paid a visit to one of his golf courses again Saturday, marking apparently his ninth visit to a golf course in the seven weeks since he took office.” The site pointed out, “Trump has made several weekend trips to his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Fla., as well, calling the property the ‘Winter White House.’ ”

In February, numerous media outlets pointed out that Trump was spending on travel in a month nearly as much as what the Obamas spent in a year. This doesn’t even include the travel and security costs of Trump’s children or the cost of Trump’s wife and son remaining in Trump Tower in New York, at least for now, which is estimated to cost taxpayers hundreds of thousand of dollars a day.

This was particularly jarring because Trump had been a chief critic of the amount of money the Obamas spent on vacations. Indeed, Trump tweeted in 2012: “President @BarackObama’s vacation is costing taxpayers millions of dollars — Unbelievable!”

No, what is unbelievable is the staggering nature of the hypocrisy of Trump and his current spending and the near silence of Obama’s conservative critics.

Trump appears to view the Treasury as a personal piggy bank and the presidency as a part-time job.

I think any who have been holding out hope that Trump will eventually change into someone more polished, professional and amenable than the man we have come to know must simply abandon that hope.

This is a 70-year-old man who has lived his entire life as the vile, dishonest, incurious creature who got elected. That election validated his impulses rather than served as a curb on them.

Trump will continue to debase and devalue the presidency with his lies. Trump will continue to follow Bannon’s philosophy of internal deconstruction of our government, its principles and its institutions. And Trump will continue to leech as much personal financial advantage as he can from the flesh of the American public.

That’s who Trump is. America elected a parasite.

[aphid 0]

Phil1111

'Trump Slump' Could Mean Well Over $10 Billion Per Year in Lost Tourism Revenues

The rise of Trump, and specifically his policies on immigration and the Muslim ban, appears to be causing some foreign tourists to rethink plans to visit the U.S. Search engines reported a steep decline in international travelers

http://time.com/money/4687114/trump-slump-foreign-tourism-us-immigration-travel/

Girl Guides of Canada has announced it will not be taking any trips to the United States in the near future, citing concerns about inclusivity.

"and any travel that includes a connecting flight through an American airport

source: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/girl-guides-of-canada-cancelling-trips-to-the-u-s-citing-travel-concerns-1.4022985

Not just the young ladies...

A Winnipeg junior high school cancelled a trip by its track team to Minnesota in January

Essex County School Board in southwestern Ontario decided in February to cancel a handful of trips

districts in southern Vancouver Island debated whether to ban all U.S. travel

source: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/girl-guides-of-canada-cancelling-us-trips-due-to-uncertain-entry-rules/article34291472/

[SkyDekker 1,145]

And for those who say they are over reacting:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/hamilton-church-volunteers-denied-entry-to-u-s-so-they-wouldn-t-steal-american-jobs-1.4022969

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/canadian-denied-entry-us-immigrant-visa-1.4011202

[billvon 2,434]

And the new approval ratings are in! Let's see what Trump's excellent, awesome, big league healthcare proposals have done for his approval numbers:

55% disapprove
39% approve

[Phil1111 913]

billvon

And the new approval ratings are in! Let's see what Trump's excellent, awesome, big league healthcare proposals have done for his approval numbers:

55% disapprove
39% approve

Next week the long knives come out. Who is to blame.

trump vs Ryan

[billvon 2,434]

From a recent interview of Ron DeSantis of the Freedom Coalition:
==================
BURNETT: Congressman, I want to start with Tiffany's story that you just heard there because of course, the GOP house plan that we've seen does roll back the Medicaid expansion. And I know you don't think it quite does enough on that front. What do you say to Tiffany? I mean, she's a republican, but, you know, she wouldn't be alive, she wouldn't be here without that Medicaid expansion and Obamacare.

REP. RON DESANTIS, (R) HOUSE FREEDOM CAUCUS: . . . . I would say though, and people who supported Obamacare used to this point a lot before it passed, there really is no lack of healthcare. If people really need it, if they show up to the emergency room, they do get care, it just gets passed on to . . .

BURNETT: But not -- I mean, she had $1 million in cancer treatments. You're not going to get that by showing up in an emergency room.
=====================
DeSantis then changed the subject.

So that's how Trumpcare is going to cover everyone. They let you go to the ER instead of getting insurance! Unless, of course, you have cancer.

[kallend 1,647]

billvon

And the new approval ratings are in! Let's see what Trump's excellent, awesome, big league BIGLY healthcare proposals have done for his approval numbers:

55% disapprove
39% approve

FIFY

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[kallend 1,647]

billvon

From a recent interview of Ron DeSantis of the Freedom Coalition:
==================
BURNETT: Congressman, I want to start with Tiffany's story that you just heard there because of course, the GOP house plan that we've seen does roll back the Medicaid expansion. And I know you don't think it quite does enough on that front. What do you say to Tiffany? I mean, she's a republican, but, you know, she wouldn't be alive, she wouldn't be here without that Medicaid expansion and Obamacare.

REP. RON DESANTIS, (R) HOUSE FREEDOM CAUCUS: . . . . I would say though, and people who supported Obamacare used to this point a lot before it passed, there really is no lack of healthcare. If people really need it, if they show up to the emergency room, they do get care, it just gets passed on to . . .

BURNETT: But not -- I mean, she had $1 million in cancer treatments. You're not going to get that by showing up in an emergency room.
=====================
DeSantis then changed the subject.

So that's how Trumpcare is going to cover everyone. They let you go to the ER instead of getting insurance! Unless, of course, you have cancer.

They cover you with a nice clean sheet, and take you to the morgue.

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[Phil1111 913]

kallend

***From a recent interview of Ron DeSantis of the Freedom Coalition:
==================
BURNETT: Congressman, I want to start with Tiffany's story that you just heard there because of course, the GOP house plan that we've seen does roll back the Medicaid expansion. And I know you don't think it quite does enough on that front. What do you say to Tiffany? I mean, she's a republican, but, you know, she wouldn't be alive, she wouldn't be here without that Medicaid expansion and Obamacare.

REP. RON DESANTIS, (R) HOUSE FREEDOM CAUCUS: . . . . I would say though, and people who supported Obamacare used to this point a lot before it passed, there really is no lack of healthcare. If people really need it, if they show up to the emergency room, they do get care, it just gets passed on to . . .

BURNETT: But not -- I mean, she had $1 million in cancer treatments. You're not going to get that by showing up in an emergency room.
=====================
DeSantis then changed the subject.

So that's how Trumpcare is going to cover everyone. They let you go to the ER instead of getting insurance! Unless, of course, you have cancer.

They cover you with a nice clean sheet, and take you to the morgue.

Yeah but the sheets will be:
http://www.usalovelist.com/buy-bedding-made-usa-ultimate-bedding-source-list/

trumpcare saving entitlements one corpse at a time.

[billvon 2,434]

Now that Trump has met Merkel, made some clarifications on his healthcare plans and announced that he's increasing military spending while cutting every other kind of spending, let's see how much his approval rating has gone up:

Approve 37%
Disapprove 58%

I wonder how low it can get?

[wolfriverjoe 1,351]

billvon

Now that Trump has met Merkel, made some clarifications on his healthcare plans and announced that he's increasing military spending while cutting every other kind of spending, let's see how much his approval rating has gone up:

Approve 37%
Disapprove 58%

I wonder how low it can get?

I'll guess somewhere around 25%.

There seems to be a small but dedicated faction that will support him no matter what. It seems to run around 25%.

I don't know if they are blind, stupid, or simply that bigoted, xenophobic and misogynistic that actually like what he's doing.

You have to admit that he's done a masterful con job.

All of his main campaign points ("Lock her up", "Build a wall & make Mexico pay for it", "Ban Muslims", "Drain the swamp", "I won't take a vacation", ect) have fallen through.
There are fairly clear indications that Russia interfered in the campaign (not the actual election).

Yet his true believers, and more than a few "sorta true" believers ignore those things.

"There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy

"~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

[Phil1111 913]

wolfriverjoe

***Now that Trump has met Merkel, made some clarifications on his healthcare plans and announced that he's increasing military spending while cutting every other kind of spending, let's see how much his approval rating has gone up:

Approve 37%
Disapprove 58%

I wonder how low it can get?

I'll guess somewhere around 25%.

There seems to be a small but dedicated faction that will support him no matter what. It seems to run around 25%.

I don't know if they are blind, stupid, or simply that bigoted, xenophobic and misogynistic that actually like what he's doing.

You have to admit that he's done a masterful con job.

All of his main campaign points ("Lock her up", "Build a wall & make Mexico pay for it", "Ban Muslims", "Drain the swamp", "I won't take a vacation", ect) have fallen through.
There are fairly clear indications that Russia interfered in the campaign (not the actual election).

Yet his true believers, and more than a few "sorta true" believers ignore those things.

I don't disagree. BUT there is a mandate from voters to change the status quo. To institute a national program to promote US workers.

I don't agree that its one to erect trade barriers because they don't work. Venezuela and another populist leader that was almost a carbon copy of trump, Hugo Chavez showed that. Chavez was more socialist than trump.

Democrats and Republicans should recognize this in order to regain the voter in the middle of the political spectrum.

[JerryBaumchen 1,064]

Hi Phil,

Quote

there is a mandate from voters

I disagree. If he had gotten even 51% of the popular vote, then I would give some consideration to it being a 'mandate.'

However, with less than 1/2 of the popular vote, I do not see how anyone can call it a 'mandate.'

Jerry Baumchen

[jakee 1,259]

Quote

BUT there is a mandate from voters to change the status quo.

Trump has no mandate from the voters.

Do you want to have an ideagasm?

[Lawndarter 3]

wolfriverjoe

I'll guess somewhere around 25%.

There seems to be a small but dedicated faction that will support him no matter what. It seems to run around 25%.

I don't know if they are blind, stupid, or simply that bigoted, xenophobic and misogynistic that actually like what he's doing.

You have to admit that he's done a masterful con job.

All of his main campaign points ("Lock her up", "Build a wall & make Mexico pay for it", "Ban Muslims", "Drain the swamp", "I won't take a vacation", ect) have fallen through.
There are fairly clear indications that Russia interfered in the campaign (not the actual election).

Yet his true believers, and more than a few "sorta true" believers ignore those things.

It'll go lower than that. Those people will start dying once Medicaid's rolled back, EPA and workplace safety rules go, and mine safety inspections aren't legally required. Oh, and with more mentally ill people able to get guns, that'll thin out the numbers nicely. The silver lining, I guess, is that a lot of Trump voters won't be around in 2020.

[Phil1111 913]

JerryBaumchen

Hi Phil,

Quote

there is a mandate from voters

I disagree. If he had gotten even 51% of the popular vote, then I would give some consideration to it being a 'mandate.'

However, with less than 1/2 of the popular vote, I do not see how anyone can call it a 'mandate.'

Jerry Baumchen

I'll rephrase that by stating that he has a duty to every American. Those that voted for change and those that did not. A substantial portion wanted a change or shakeup in Washington. Because they felt that they had not had their concerns addressed by either traditional republicans or democrats. Certainly the votes cast for congress and house members count as much because there are three partners in the government.

My point would be, that both republicans and democrats need to address the voters that have seen a recovery without rising wages. Those who believe that the federal government is not protecting well paid manufacturing jobs. Together with the role and direction that national leadership can bring to that equation. To increase the competitiveness of US manufacturing and see those benefits be directed to workers.

Obviously some jobs, some manufacturing sectors will never come back. Its also a fool's game to throw corporate tax breaks, tariff barriers, or to lay waste to the environment. To save or create false employment.

[wolfriverjoe 1,351]

Phil1111

I'll rephrase that by stating that he has a duty to every American. Those that voted for change and those that did not...

Trump has lots of duties and responsibilities as President.

I have yet to see him actually DO any of them.

He's a fraud. As I've said - He pulled off a hell of a good con.
Unfortunately, he's now President. He can't just 'take the money and run' like usual.

"There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy

"~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

[Stumpy 256]

wolfriverjoe

He can't just 'take the money and run' like usual.

Yup, and judging by today, I suspect he's a bit scared by that right now.

Never try to eat more than you can lift

[Phil1111 913]

wolfriverjoe

***

I'll rephrase that by stating that he has a duty to every American. Those that voted for change and those that did not...

Trump has lots of duties and responsibilities as President.

I have yet to see him actually DO any of them.

He's a fraud. As I've said - He pulled off a hell of a good con.
Unfortunately, he's now President. He can't just 'take the money and run' like usual.

One of his promises was to eliminate IS. The Iraqi Prime Minister was visiting the WH today. He could have delivered a coherent message on how he was going to do that. Instead all the coverage was...covering up his lies. Russiagate. Likely bragging up how great he is on giving Iraq an exemption on the travel ban.

Increasing coverage, reducing costs for the trumpcare bill. There is supposed to be a vote Thursday. The budget, has had no discussions.

Meanwhile trumps legacy has slipped a bit.
"US president Donald Trump’s fortune has fallen by about $1bn to $3.5bn over the past year, as measured by Forbes magazine in its annual list of the world’s billionaires...

The fall in Trump’s net worth is due to a drop in the value of office space in Midtown Manhattan, where the president owns about 10 buildings. Forbes said Trump had fallen from the world’s 324th-richest person to 544th.

“Forty percent of Donald Trump’s fortune is tied up in Trump Tower and eight buildings within one mile of it,” Forbes said. “Lately, the neighbourhood has been struggling (relatively speaking).”

Trump has refused to publish his tax returns to show the true scale of his wealth, but during the campaign he claimed he was worth “in excess of $10bn”.

Dolan said that in previous years the real estate tycoon had challenged Forbes for underestimating his fortune. “We contact everyone we can to give them the opportunity for feedback. Over the last 31 years we have been compiling this list Trump has given us a lot of feedback, believe me, ‘You guys are too low I am worth far more than you say’,” she said. “He didn’t call back to dispute our estimate. I would hope that running the country is more important to him right now than Forbes’s value of his net worth.”
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/mar/20/forbes-billionaire-list-trump-loses-1bn-as-elite-club-welcomes-233-new-members