http://money.cnn.com/2010/06/09/news/companies/simmons_gulf_oil_spill.fortune/index.htm?postversion=2010060913
The word bankruptsy is starting to spread that BP will have no choice than to file considering the stock has plummeted and they will soon run out of cash.
That's OK. We can just bail them out. :o
I'm not so sure they can successfully get a discharge because lawsuits are pending with open - ended damages. Sure, they could use it as a tactic to try and dissuade additional filings, but they likely would have to liquidate every single asset first. I am hoping the dividend will be reversed, and all the money go into a trust toward damages. >:(
Maybe they will "reorganize" and put the money-losing part into a shell company which will have very little money to pay claims. The value of the rest of the company will go up but there will be no access to that money. Remember the Dalkon Shield?
This reminds me of OU defaulting on the 29 million for the TIF because they have no money in their left pocket. Somebody check the right pocket!
And now BP is wanting to give money to buy positive press and favorable comments from the White House. I say take the damned money they are offering and still stick it to them!!!!
An interesting development is a civil racketeering charge being placed at Bush and Cheney's feet. Hmmm.
Insofar as Great Britain getting cranky toward us because this is affecting their economy via pension payments, well, the investors knew what kind of stock they were buying into, and they have an assumption of risk by doing so. That's called not putting all of your eggs into one leaky basket.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37654270/ns/disaster_in_the_gulf/
::)
Ah, how fondly I recall BP's previous comments that ALL of the revenue from the recovered oil would go toward restoration and cleanup. ::)
Obviously, it will not directly do so. No, BP will retain 65% and then some, and then while their lawyers are busy slowing down the bleeding as long as possible, they will rake in huge amounts of interest until they have to write the check. Again, what the government needs to do is keep sticking it to them, let the price tag grow, and every single Joe Blow out there ought to do the same. Go ahead and get in line. :mad:
Now, the lost income - what's happening (through no fault of their own) to our fellow citizens is heartbreaking, maddening. But why aren't the leaders of the Gulf states at least opening the door for alternative energy money, screaming for it to the preseident and Congress? Get the topic on the table and be the first states to say, "Hey, this is an agenda you have, Mr. President. We want in on the ground floor, and we can provide the most perfect reason to move it through." :confused:
Well, let's not let the Gulf spill hog all the headlines. Now, a pipeline running from Colorado to Utah sprang a 40 - 50 million gallon leak into a prominent Utah pond, and it took them from around 10pm to almost 8am to respond. Good job, Chevron. ::)
Hopefully, that pond is owned by someone very wealthy. Until these spills affect the really rich, dragging of the feet will continue.
I saw a commercial today with the CEO of BP saying sorry and what all they were doing to fix the problem.. :h:
Maybe the commercial the first week or so might have helped but a little to late now!!!
So now reports are coming out about what they are doing with the de-oiled seawater; why, put it in areas of deep rock and sand, surely it won't ever enter into a freshwater source, of course not. What happened to the desalination technology? >:(
A businessman in Louisiana told the press his dumpster was filled with contamination suits from the cleanup crews, all nice and oily. Yeah, this is being handled by BP so well. ::)
Thank goodness they "care about the small people." I was worried.
Teeny tiny people of the Gulf Coast can relax now - the Powerful People have deigned to notice them.
Here's a really interesting article I found this morning, for comparison:
http://feeds.nytimes.com/click.phdo?i=4d479b9a7148e3fe65123d8b0efcb0b3
It only reinforces a) oil companies WILL destroy whatever habitats they enter into without strict regulation (sorry, I'm not buying into the whole "local thieves" bs) and b)without regulation, without accountability, we too could join Nigeria into becoming a country with startlingly-short life spans and devastating economic conditions. So much for being a super power. ::)
OTOH, I will say kudos to Obama for wrangling 20 billion out of BP in startup monies; I don't think anyone could sneer at that amount. Who cares if he made an announcement prior to the ink? I say he made an announcement and then let actions speak louder than words. Some political hacks are saying he put the cart before the horse - I say the action backed up his words.
The problems in Nigeria, including the oil industry, is caused by the corrupt military regimes.
Yep - that's the whole "without regulation and accountability" thing. Poor Africa. ::(:
Corporations won't regulate themselves. There has to be someone in charge who isn't getting paid by the corporation.
Yep...I remember what happened to the trucking industry when it got de-regulated. 80,000 lbs. plus going down America's roadways driven by drivers on speed(or even asleep) so that they could get the "hot loads" to their destinations while lying like a dog on their log books. The drivers weren't the cause of this. It was a "do it or you're fired" situation that came from the owners of the trucking companies. I myself was forced to sit through a 2 hour safety meeting that harped on the company's dedication to safety but then later got told to get a load through even though I was out of hours. We HAVE to put an independant watchdog entity over corporations or they'll just do whatever they want. BP and the rest of the oil industry is no different. I'd say the banking industry is my next choice since they basically caused our latest crash.
Quote from: Whoo on June 17, 2010, 07:38:26 AM
OTOH, I will say kudos to Obama for wrangling 20 billion out of BP in
First, BP should pay for all damages.
Second, there is a procedure for recovering these damages. Why not allow BP to try to settle out of court and if no settlement is reached then take it to the courts. If someone causes damages to me or my property this is the way it is handled. Why allow some third party to decide who gets paid and who does not? Look at the settlement from 9/11 and Katrina! There were a large percentage of claims paid that later were shown to be fraud.
If obama thinks he should be involved why did he wait two months? This guy continues to confirm my opinion of him every day.
Considering the "current" law limits BP's liability at 75 million, I believe 20 billion is a big deal.
Well, from the outset, BP has done nothing but LIE, and in terms of their assertions they are helping displaced workers, businesses, etc., I would counter that paltry $5K they gave out a week or two after the spill is EXACTLY the reason why the seed money needed to be taken, and taken out of their hands. Some of those fishermen were earning $5K per day, and they have been tossed to the wayside, offered cleanup jobs at incredibly low wages and with admonitions not to bring their safety gear or they will be fired. Is that supposed to make them whole? I wouldn't trust BP to willingly pay for jack, and they have already shown they will circle the wagons, try to mitigate damages as much as they can. I say screw them, get some of the money in advance. >:( :mad:
What's getting me is Senator Barton's freakin' apology to BP. Granted, he has been an oil industry ho for decades, has already amassed over $100K in campaign contributions since 2009 from oil lobbyists, and is a head honcho in the Energy Department, but how can anyone have been so stupid? He called it Obama's "shakedown" - well, again, if that's what you want to call it, fine, but get as much as you can out of them. It's not a stretch of the imagination, particularly because BP has been shown to lie about virtually everything, to see the handwriting on the wall - a company with such deep pockets can and will use the legal system to starve people out. They wouldn't be the first to do it. So, waiting for a day in court is not really an option when people need help NOW.
I saw an interview with a BP whistleblower last night, and he is asserting there is another rig close to this one built with the same incomplete blueprints as was used on Deepwater. He also said there was another one (didn't get the location) already showing signs it has the potential to blow, again built with incomplete blueprints. Naturally, when the dude (an engineering expert) voiced his concerns, he was told to shut up, then fired for good measure when he put his concerns into writing.
So, why exactly should we as a country give BP (or any other oil company) any slack? Why should we take them at their word when the words have been one lie after another? >:(
Quote from: Whoo on June 18, 2010, 08:25:23 AM
is EXACTLY the reason why the seed money needed to be taken, and taken out of their hands.
So, we throw due process out the door? That is BS and just one more chunk taken from our freedoms. If we need to change the laws, use procedures in place to change them but we should never go back to vigilante justice no matter how bad the crook!
I don't know - I kinda like vigilante justice. I would prefer them to be afraid of us. Exxon certainly wasn't - years and years and years went by with no help for the people, after the Valdez disaster. The legal system does not favor the small people. Most money finally won will be paid to lawyers, if we do this the Exxon way.
The Dalkon shield suit dragged on for years and years. I read that the average lawyer payment at the end was $21,000.00. I got cancer and $275.00.
The USA was not born out of politeness and rule of law! I'm tired of being a pushover for the monied class.
Quote from: Mr T on June 18, 2010, 09:13:51 AM
Most money finally won will be paid to lawyers, if we do this the Exxon way.
The Dalkon shield suit dragged on for years and years. I read that the average lawyer payment at the end was $21,000.00. I got cancer and $275.00.
The USA was not born out of politeness and rule of law! I'm tired of being a pushover for the monied class.
For the most part --- our laws are made BY -- and FOR lawyers !!!!--- ::(:
One reason I think lawyers should NOT be allowed to run for either the House or Senate.
One of the reasons I will NOT be voting for Emily Virgin is her lawyerhood. I have a lot of other reasons, too, but "lawyer" is definitely in there. The number of lawyers in the USA should decrease by 50%. We have WAY too many. They should be kept out of the law-making branches.
Oh, God! :o Now Alan Simpson of the "Deficit Commission" has gotten into a shouting match with a Social Security activist - he snapped at the activist that they were trying to protect the lesser people. :o :o
Not only are we small, we are lesser! Jeebus. ::(:
Quote from: RatSass on June 18, 2010, 08:42:01 AM
So, we throw due process out the door? That is BS and just one more chunk taken from our freedoms. If we need to change the laws, use procedures in place to change them but we should never go back to vigilante justice no matter how bad the crook!
Due process is FOR SALE! That's the best way I can put it. If freedom means the ability to buy your way out of a crime against humanity and the enviroment, then let THAT kind of freedom be dashed upon the oily rocks of reality!
This system of deep water drilling is flawed and problems such as this take a backseat to investor profits. We don't need gasoline as bad as we need food. Also, if this were Long island Sound, heads would be rolling because of the difference in income levels. I know because I lived there and saw the vast wealth that WAS my neighbors.
If we allow companies to pollute like we did in the seventies, then we're moving backward. Backward towards a time when firing up your gas guzzling toy was worth the burning rivers and dead wildlife.
Make'em pay. F**k the investors!!!! Let'em pick a stock that is less deadly!
Hey Ham, don't hold back, let us know how you really feel, lol. ::D:
Quote from: RatSass on June 18, 2010, 08:42:01 AM
So, we throw due process out the door? That is BS and just one more chunk taken from our freedoms. If we need to change the laws, use procedures in place to change them but we should never go back to vigilante justice no matter how bad the crook!
So, what about due process for the people whose lives were lost? What about their families? What about the hundreds of people facing financial ruin because for nearly two months their income has been essentially stopped? Where's THEIR due process? Hey; if the tab doesn't run up to 20 billion, then BP gets the overage back, with accrued interest. >:(
BP's actions have caused an even larger chunk of freedom to be lost - just ask the people of the affection region. They are not free to put food on their table, to keep a roof over said table, to invite tourism which helps a state's overall economy, etc. That's one hell of a loss of freedom, and IMO, the needs of the many far outweigh the wants of a few. Let's also not forget BP will be able to do a tax offset on this sum.
Vigilante justice? Really? Well, if BP had willingly set up a damages fund immediately after the explosion (damnit, they KNEW more oil was gushing out than they were reporting, another LIE), then this would be a moot point. If they were taking a "we don't know how to contain this, so let's try newer technologies being offered by various persons" instead of utilizing a bare-bones tactic of paying things out (whether in damages or prevention) this would be moot. But they didn't. >:(
This is not vigilante justice: the government waited 58 freakin' days to see if BP was gonna do the right thing, and they didn't. I don't blame Obama one bit, and I think it's horrible he is getting so much flak. On the one hand, he followed the rule of law, and people gigged him for not going beyond the law. Then he forced the instatement of a trust fund, and now he's being gigged for going "beyond" the law. How about doing what's appropriate and needed NOW?
The congressional questioning of Hayward was disgusting, but indicative of the approach BP has been taking from the get-go. Keep in mind there is also the issue of criminal industrial homicide due to the deaths of the rig workers. No, they have repeatedly proven themselves to not be trustworthy. Obama's forcing them to put money up front isn't infringing on any American's rights, and any company doing business in the US better have their ducks in a row. >:(
Yeah, What Whoo said, go girl, lol ::;:
I would rather see gasoline and diesel go up to 5 dollars per gallon than to allow anymore deep drilling. This is clearly a new technique and way too risky to continue.
I had a pretty good idea that Suttles was "padding" the information when talking on the news when this first happened. More damage control than real info. These days, investor confidence is far more important than a bunch of Cajuns to these corporations.
Rich people being more important than the rest of us is class war. Class war IS the man behind the curtain. "He" is providing many of the problems going on today in our country. As corporations combine and grow more powerful, their power and influence will increase to the point where there will be no more government of the people. It will be a corporate government. Of course, if it ever gets to the point where this DOES happen, the rich will no longer be safe. They'll be fighting for their OWN place on the ladder. While the ghettos get larger, the country club will get smaller.
Anything that Obama does, right or wrong, is gonna get a negative spin from the right. Any true assessment of his performance as POTUS will get mucked up(like crude on a pelican) in partisan bashing. That's the way the game is played.
Maybe we should do what the right says. Maybe we should put Obama up on charges, let BP off the hook and then pay THEM for what they've spent already like we did the investment banking folks. Who knows....maybe they'll be so happy with us that they'll create a whole bunch of high paying jobs like the investment bankers did...uh well...will in the future, I'm sure :o. Yeah right!!
::D:
BP has, by their risky endeavors, caused the deaths of their workers and caused the worst pollution in American history while leaving a whole industry drydocked and several southern states without their tourism income. I cannot believe that there are those that would have us just absorb the losses and let this multi billion dollar company off the hook. Go to some right wing sites if you don't believe me. They're out there bashing Obama for inaction while at the same time calling the 20 billion dollar payout a crime against the oil company.
Deep sea drilling and wells are quite like outer space missions, --- and should be handled in very much the same way. We have learned that in space missions the smallest of error can cause huge problems and try to work and rework in detail every small thing.
I believe in deep sea drilling --- but much more care needs to be taken in the planning and execution of doing it !!!! If we have the knowledge to do something this extreme -- then it should be done in the most prepared and thought out way possible -- without any shortcuts !!!!!
Human existence and advancement has always hinged on the TRUSTing of other humans.
The problem is knowing who to trust with such important missions.
By RAPHAEL SATTER
LONDON (AP) - BP chief executive Tony Hayward, often criticized for being tone-deaf to U.S. concerns about the worst oil spill in history, took time off Saturday to attend a glitzy yacht race off England's Isle of Wight.
Fiddling while Rome burns !!! ----- ::;:
Quote from: OBSERVER on June 19, 2010, 11:26:36 AM
By RAPHAEL SATTER
LONDON (AP) - BP chief executive Tony Hayward, often criticized for being tone-deaf to U.S. concerns about the worst oil spill in history, took time off Saturday to attend a glitzy yacht race off England's Isle of Wight.
Fiddling while Rome burns !!! ----- ::;:
And we all know what happens when Italians get mad.
THIS is yet another reason that we need a watchdog group that will not and cannot take money from lobbyists and/or company execs. This group would have the power to levy large fines for cutting corners too. The damage to the enviroment and the people along the coastline is NOT a concern of Hayward's. Hitting his money source WILL!!
...and the longer an entity waits to take money from another entity, the more difficult it becomes to obtain it. ;)
I'm still mad that Obama didn't punch Tony Hayward in the nose when he said he wanted his life back. Maybe it's just a result of being the only girl and having three brothers, but my brothers would have punched him if he treated me like that. :mad:
I know I'm old, and the world has moved beyond me, but sometimes somebody really needs a nose-punch, in defense of honor and good.
Yeah, or a good swift kick to the na-na's with a steel-toed boot! >:( ;D
The way I see things in terms of the monetary "shakedown", and aside from the legal crap sure to follow over the next few years and more, it's one of those, "out of sight, out of mind" things. BP was hoping like hell this fund wouldn't be set up (I'm sure they felt the siphon fund was enough of an olive branch), and then with the legal wranglings and them keeping the possibility of bankruptcy on the table, they would have to pay less and less. I do believe the other two companies involved will ultimately have very little to pay out of this (well, except for the manufacturer of the blowout preventer, perhaps).
Here's the circling of the wagons:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37817700/ns/us_news-washington_post
Eghads, once again Oklahoma is being mentioned in the same breath as OIL and SPILL. ::)
May want to check out the other links on the page, too.
You gotta be kiddin' me :mad:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37841204/ns/disaster_in_the_gulf/
Well....after reading about this oil company patsy, Feldman, I just thought of another use for that steel toe boot. I wonder what the punishment is for kidnapping a judge and dragging him through the oil sludge until he no longer feels so strongly in favor of his benefactors? :o
BTW, this is Hammondjam. I forgot to check who's logged in again.
http://ac360.blogs.cnn.com/2010/06/22/video-survivor-leak-spotted-not-fixed-on-rig/?hpt=T2
Well there it is, gross negligence on BP's part? They knew the blowout preventer was leaking and would not work in the event of a blowout and they did not close the well and fix it. It took almost two months but now it comes to light.
See, that's all a part of the pending criminal industrial homicide issue...they have fought the "leaking" of insider information with a passion. The thing is, it's not just BP, it's the entire freakin' industry. :mad:
Just when we thought oil was the worst of the problem, we get THIS news...
http://laudyms.wordpress.com/2010/06/15/bp-oil-spill-corexit-dispersants-suspected-in-widespread-crop-damage/
I've been really concerned about the dispersant as much as the oil - the amount of the stuff used thus far will most definitely do as much damage to the ocean as the oil. I don't see a snowball's chance in hell of the fishing industry reviving in the Gulf for at least a decade. :mad:
Welcome to the end result of massive de-regulation. America has been fed a continual lie that big business is our friend and would never do anything to hurt us. Sometimes we do need to be protected from those whose would rick our health to make a few more bucks.
Quote from: soonertoad on June 28, 2010, 12:21:51 PM
Welcome to the end result of massive de-regulation. America has been fed a continual lie that big business is our friend and would never do anything to hurt us. Sometimes we do need to be protected from those whose would rick our health to make a few more bucks.
Big business IS our GOOD friend. :o They ALWAYS do what's right(no pun intended). 8) Karen Silkwood comes to mind when I think about how much Big Business cares for their workers. :-X
Well, I've believed for some time that, as with so many other systems/laws in our country, our labor laws are old and antiquated. Americans are working harder and longer hours, and their pay isn't commensurate to that time spent. Wage gaps are terrible, safety is a joke in too many occupations. Of course, as soon as grumblings begin, corporations just say screw you and take those jobs overseas. I think they should have to pay a penalty for that, or not be allowed to sell their product in the US. >:(
Oh, BTW - hi, Soonertoad! :G:
(Hey Jeffrey - I have the same problem with the jumping frog as I did the scrolling text; I kept trying to click on the frog as it moved, rather than just the space, ha ha! :-[ )
:confused:
Note the frog jumping: do I click on the space, or try to click on the frog when he is in mid-jump? Ha ha, remember when I was doing that with scrolling text, I was chasing the text rather than just clicking on the space?! Agh, blond moment. :-[
I guess I missed that, lol.
so i mentioned the ruined crops to hubz today. He pretty much said bp shouldn't take the blame for that, it should be considered collateral damage and aren't there gov't subsidies for lost crops already?
I argued that bp is too responsible and should be held accountable!
Thoughts?
If a plumber comes to your house and ruptures your gas line while digging up your sewer line, the liability would, in most cases, lie with the plumber. If same plumber attempts to shut of gas and ignites gas, burning your house down in the process, would that be collateral damage or just MORE damage?
We probably need an agriculture attorney on this one but I DO know that farm subsidies don't go to everyone. It depends on the crop(s).
This risky form of underwater drilling is a result of certain industries and politicians holding on to crude oil in a white knuckled death grip. Not too long ago I heard alternative energy research referred to as a "fantasy" by some folks who get nice checks from oil and gas.
Yeah, and look at what those nice checks bought them.
javascript:ijv.launchVideo('38028832');
:mad: The entire pods of dolphins dying just breaks my heart. ::(: ::(:
Nanners, as to the farm issue, even collateral damage is compensable. As with other industries that have been affected by the spill that are not directly related to the fishing industry, etc., they are litigants as well, and BP will be the source for their damages.
Oops, it took me too long to find the link and modify my post:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38032854/ns/disaster_in_the_gulf
Scroll down on the page and look for videos. Find the one that has the picture of smoke on the water from the fires they are setting. Disturbing when I watched it last night, still disturbing this morning. This conservationist is a pretty brave guy for doing the flyovers and putting his videos out there for anyone to see.
I also agree with Ham. Subsidies are only paid for certain crops to insure a good supply of crops, to insure the the farmer will make a profit (income stabilization) and to provide an incentive to plant certain crops when the farmer would prefer to plant something else more profitable.
"For instance in the 2002 Farm Bill, for every bushel of wheat sold farmers were paid an extra 52 cents and guaranteed a price of 3.86 from 2002–03 and 3.92 from 2004–2007.[17] That is, if the price of wheat in 2002 was 3.80 farmers would get an extra 58 cents per bushel (52 cents plus the $0.06 price difference)."
It is my understanding, the farmer will get nothing if they loose or produce no crops. The get a subsidy based upon the crop and how much is produced. Even if they received a subsidy for lost crops, as you can see, getting 58 cents for something worth approx. 4 dollars would put a farmer out of business.
If you get hit and it is the others persons fault, does your insurance pay or does theirs? BP is negligent so they need to pay every person they have harmed for their negligence.
So, why is the Dept. of Agriculture offering to pay farmers to turn their fields into wetlands for the birds in the spill regions? The area is a major pit stop for millions of migrating birds soon, and the numbers would be catastrophic if they don't have somewhere else to land, molt, get their other feathers in for the long flight. Is this something that had been considered when deciding to have BP pony up the 20 billion? You screwed up this entire region. Here's a bill for ya! ;D
Here's more ugly on the subject of oil wells in the Gulf:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38113914/ns/disaster_in_the_gulf
I would figure the underwater wells would be more unpredictable than those on land in terms of stability and how effective the seals are. Out of sight, out of mind, indeed. Man, I hope all of the crap the oil industry has hidden finally comes to light, because we are gonna need all the ammo we can get to convince a fickle public to change their way of thinking about alternative energy. :mad:
So, any wagers on whether the removal of the cap and replacement of a bigger cap is gonna make things better or worse? Yeah, I know there will be a 48 hour period where the oil will flow freely, but I think the real reason why they are doing it is we are on the verge of seeing a HUGE blowout and BP doesn't want to let the cat out of the bag. I think the damaged pipeline is under so much pressure there are a bunch of smaller problems popping up and no one wants to talk about it. OTOH, I didn't realy see significant flow reduction with the cap on anyway. I think also they have ran into some big issue with the alternative lines they are drilling, and this is just their way of trying to break bad news to us gently. ::) :mad: >:(
Read an article this morning (then MSN removed the damned thing before I could go back to it and link it >:( ) about BP considering selling its' most productive rig, in Alaska - to an independent oil company in Texas, Apache Corporation. The article said it is so BP can ensure they have lots of money on hand to spend on cleanup costs, etc. I say if one were to read between the lines, this is BP's way of gathering their toys and going elsewhere.... to someplace where they can skirt regulatory issues, more likely. ::)
Now they have delayed the pressure test. I think you are right - there is other stuff broken down there and they don't want to tell the truth all at once.
We have GOT to stop buying things made from petroleum. NO PLASTICS! Especially disposable things. No plastic wrap, no baggies, no trash bags, no lighters or razors.
These are recent things in our lives - surely we can remember what we did before we had these things.
Quote from: Mr T on July 14, 2010, 09:49:06 AM
Now they have delayed the pressure test. I think you are right - there is other stuff broken down there and they don't want to tell the truth all at once.
You know, now I am wondering a legal question - is the government now liable for what could go wrong from this point onward? Shared liability, "you had your opportunity to conduct your tests and you decided to give us the green light to cap baby cap, drill baby drill, now you share the costs of any new future damages"? Eghads. :o
Okay, so now Hayward is getting the boot in exchange for 1.6 million, plus he will get the full retirement benefits, approx. $900,000 and change per year. Now, that's penalizing someone for poor performance. ::)
What I find more disturbing is BP's plan to take a 10 billion American tax exemption this year...yep, they are gonna try to stick it to the taxpayers after all.
:35:
Sure, they will stick it to the tax-payers any way they can, and boy howdy, they have a LOT of ways. Our tax code is set up to protect the wealthy. They are a very protected class.
Our economy is unsustainable and it will crash.
I've said it before, though it's been a long time, maybe even on the old forum: the US could really, really help our own economy if we would take even just ONE year off from doling out money to other countries in the form of aid and hold onto it ourselves. That could at least make a dent in the debt.
However, I don't think the government, particularly in this teabagger climate, can continue waiting around for someone in the private sector to move forward with a manufacturing business that could be easily expanded from state to state (hear me, WIND FARMS). And whatever happened to all the talk about Medicare moving forward with plans to change things to where people in need of nursing care could stay in their homes and a friend or relative could receive home health certification and payment accordingly to take care of said loved one? They are money savers, home savers!!!
Don't expect the private business to do much until all the details about the healthcare bill are known. New things pop up each day that discourages small business expansion. I have been ready to partner up with some family and friends and start a small manufacturing business with 36 employees to start. We have a proven business model with almost a million is cash between us waiting to go. The problem is not knowing what the taxes, health care cost, and unnecessary paperwork will cost.
There is also the fact that in the near future I will be required to buy health insurance for myself or pay a fine. I am 100% disabled all service connected. Why should I pay a fine when I use the VA healthcare system?
Why will you be forced to buy private insurance? Do you have to have some sort of supplemental thingie to cover stuff not service-related? Is VA supposed to cover everything even if it isn't service-related? Will you not be eligible for Medicare when you are 65 because you have VA?
I don't understand. ::(:
The Obamacare insurance requirement is one year before I am eligible for medicare. There are no provisions in the bill for disabled service members. Everyone must have insurance or pay the fine. I am not sure but I think the first year fine is $596 or 1% of income whichever is higher.
Thanks! I didn't understand. :smile:
Actually, Rat, I believe servicemembers are exempt and/or eligible for waiver. I would check into that. One of the things Obama was adamant about, and as he said even while he was campaigning for the job/during the debates, was that disabled vets and people who were living at or below poverty level would receive waivers. ;)
In terms of business, there will be tax breaks for employers, both big and small....I actually believe there is a greater tax advantage for the smaller businesses. Also, a Health Savings Account is tax-deductible and you would be covered under that as an owner/employee (I am sure of this, as I just finished helping get one set up through Republic for my boss.) Yeah, there's alot of details still kinda murky, and I'm sure it will be tweaked more, but I still think this plan is better than giving free reign for insurance companies to raise rates at will and deny coverage ad nauseum.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38570559/ns/us_news-the_new_york_times
Ah, the apportionment of liability begins! ::) >:(
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38719452/ns/disaster_in_the_gulf
Hungry, anyone? ;D
Seriously, though - it is my understanding the oil is detectable to taste, and if ingested would give people stomach aches without any lingering effects. However, the dispersant is a different matter and to me, is reason enough not to eat anything from those waters. I hate it for the fishers there, but I think it's waaaaaaaay too soon to be going after products from that region.
On another note, has everyone noticed that virtually every commercial from BP now has someone from the US being the mouthpiece? I knew they'd replaced Hayward with an American, but I've noticed "lower level" personnel being used in their commercials - ones with more southern accents and such. It's kinda insulting BP would think that would make us change our minds and start believing them over a difference in accents. >:(
Yup, it is hard not to notice when they say my name is so and so and I grew up here and I care about these waters blah blah blah.
Well, I want to know what the deal is with Admiral Thad Allen - there's just been something about him I didn't trust, and still don't. Now he's waffling about whether or not to tell BP to proceed with the bottom kill; he's thinking they may not need to do it. I don't give a damn what BP thinks, or even what he thinks - seal the damned thing once and for all. >:( :mad: >:(
I find it sarcastially funny that they are concerned about 40,000 gallons/barrels (?) of oil that may leak from between the casing and the outer wall of the well. With the amount that leaked daily, does it really matter?
Ah, the manipulation goes into full swing:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38983701
Can BP be any more slimy? If the Gulf drilling accounts for only 11%, that means they have 89% ability to pay! Hell, they forked out 93 million in advertising to try and convince us they are "good guys who are really sorry about the unfortunate accident", to say nothing of the kajillions of bucks they spent buying out Hayward. I'd say that was plenty of money to help pay for many oil spill related costs. We'd better call their bluff and keep their feet to the fire. Bastards. :mad:
Agreed but it is equally slimy of the law in the process of passing only bars them from future drilling. They made big mistakes but at least they stepped up to the plate were most businesses would have ran.
http://www.newsok.com/cement-flows-for-permanent-plug-of-bps-gulf-well/article/3496476?custom_click=headlines_widget
Finally pumping in the cement to plug this beast!!!