stlouiedipalma;609674 wrote:http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch/worker-safety/132907-health-bill-for-911-workers-fails-key-vote


According to this, the bill is paid for by closing a tax loophole by foreign multinational companies. That explains the Republican opposition completely.

How?

stlouiedipalma;609674 wrote:http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch/worker-safety/132907-health-bill-for-911-workers-fails-key-vote


According to this, the bill is paid for by closing a tax loophole by foreign multinational companies. That explains the Republican opposition completely.

Again, we aren't paying for anything...we're running trillion dollar deficits, and are scheduled to continue doing so for at least the next 6-8 years.

C'mon, don't be such a di**. Everyone knows that the Republicans won't do anything which endangers the profits of multinational companies.

Manhattan Buckeye;609558 wrote:I'm for the bill. We should pay for it by having Congress give up their healthcare benefits unless they have an immediate family member in the military...and their salary...and their pension.

And Jon Stewart can help out by donating to the Wounded Warrior project...and if this was so damn important to the DEMS they should have passed it when they had control of the country for two years.

This.

Yeah you're right, all the GOP wants to do is screw over everyone else - the DEMS are just better at actually doing it.

What is your point? I'm a dick for pointing out our country is economically screwing itself? Really? How do you think this is going to end? Come on what? What part about $13T in debt, that is expected to rise as high as $20T by 2020 is not concerning to you?

Our country will either default or monetize our debt, neither will be a pleasant experience. At this point do we care about $6B? After all it is a drop in huge bucket.

Manhattan Buckeye;609682 wrote:Yeah you're right, all the GOP wants to do is screw over everyone else - the DEMS are just better at actually doing it.

What is your point? I'm a dick for pointing out our country is economically screwing itself? Really? How do you think this is going to end? Come on what? What part about $13T in debt, that is expected to rise as high as $20T by 2020 is not concerning to you?

Our country will either default or monetize our debt, neither will be a pleasant experience. At this point do we care about $6B? After all it is a drop in huge bucket.

First of all, you're not the di**. That was directed at Center. I apologize if the sh** hit the wrong fan.

The bill is paid for by closing the loophole which allows foreign multinational corporations to set up tax havens, effectively avoiding paying income taxes. What's wrong with that? A reasonable person would say "nothing". Republican politicians obviously have a problem with that.

stlouiedipalma;609661 wrote:Don't hold your breath waiting for Boehner and his cronies to pass this in the new Congress. They have job creation to worry about. If this isn't passed in the current session, it will die as surely as some of those First Responders will.

LOL. First responders will die if the lame duck congress does not act now. People like you are the problem when it comes to political decisions. No first responders will die. They will be taken care of and you know it. The lame duck congress is playing politics. I am not naive and would not be surprised if the new congress does so as well. Either way the first responders will be taken care of. The only question is where the funds will come from to pay for it.

Sen Tom Coburn's stance on this bill. Interesting reading...

http://coburn.senate.gov/public//index.cfm?a=Files.Serve&File_id=0dd6b4cf-6b22-4337-9ca3-d6dc11545017

major, if you think I have any influence on political decisions, then you are a bigger fool than I.

Prescott;609690 wrote:Sen Tom Coburn's stance on this bill. Interesting reading...

http://coburn.senate.gov/public//index.cfm?a=Files.Serve&File_id=0dd6b4cf-6b22-4337-9ca3-d6dc11545017

Well, that sure changed my mind about this. I had no idea that they were already being taken care of. Hell, after reading this I have to wonder if there are any gaps in coveraage at all. What is all of the outcry about? Just tell these folks to apply for their benefits and they should receive them, according to Coburn's press release.

stlouiedipalma;609692 wrote:major, if you think I have any influence on political decisions, then you are a bigger fool than I.

Never said you personally have any major influence on political decisions. But those with your mentality that make threats that if a particular bill is not passed now, people will die. Though no factual evidence is provided to prove such deaths would occur as a direct result of not passing a particular bill in the lame duck congress. Tell me who is the bigger fool?

Manhattan Buckeye;609670 wrote:"The. Bill. Is. Already. Paid. For."

In what world do you live in? We're 13T in debt. Have we got to the point where the numbers mean nothing? It appears so. Eff it, let's just monetize our debt already, just print out money and we'll all be rich.

We aren't paying for anything now.

Our. grandchildren. will. pay. for. this. and. spit. on. our. graves.

And this is the bottom-line isn't it?

I'm with several other posters on this one. How much money have private charities, private insurance companies, local, state, and federal funds have already been distributed to the 9-11 first responders over the past 9 plus years? Where does the 7.4 - no - now 6.2 billion dollar figure come from? 10,000 first responders? Really? Who comes up with this stuff?

It's been 9 plus years and all of a sudden now that arguably the most leftist Congress in American history is about to have its ass kicked to the Pennsylvania Avenue curb guys like Jon Stewart suddenly boo hoo about this issue right before those eeeeeevil racist, sexist, homophobic wascally Republicans take over the House? Seriously?

I'm not saying we should now ignore the NYC 9-11 first responders, but they did indeed choose their own careers knowing the possible dangers that come along with it.

The greater community has been paying for this for nearly 10 years. How many more years do the taxpayers need to keep paying before douche bags like Jon Stewart are satisfied we've done enough?

Manhattan Buckeye;609670 wrote:"The. Bill. Is. Already. Paid. For."

In what world do you live in? We're 13T in debt. Have we got to the point where the numbers mean nothing? It appears so. Eff it, let's just monetize our debt already, just print out money and we'll all be rich.

We aren't paying for anything now.

Our. grandchildren. will. pay. for. this. and. spit. on. our. graves.

Then I assume you didn't support extending the tax cuts for millionaires (or anyone). Oh wait, you were really for that. It's fine to add to the deficit if we call it a tax cut right?

stlouiedipalma;609677 wrote:C'mon, don't be such a di**. Everyone knows that the Republicans won't do anything which endangers the profits of multinational companies.

You can name-call all you want (I thought you were older than Gibby), but you didn't quite explain your emotional conclusion clear enough. I mean, that's all you can come up with as to a reason why some people are against this, even some democrats?
Which, by the way, I'm sure those democrats that would vote against this ... they would be all about profits for companies, also? Is that what you're saying? Or is it just the republicans?

LOL!

I wonder why the focus has shifted to worrying the "hows" from the "whys". I mean, in my mind, it seems unreasonable not to consider both how/why along with just exactly how much of $6BILLION will get lost in bureaucracy.

Wait! Didn't think about that now did we? My money's saying about $2 billion (if not more) of that getting lost in the shuffle, if this goes through and there won't be anybody getting help from that "lost" money.

I see people getting all their yaya's off of the idea and not worried one bit how the government would screw it up anyway, regardless if the numbers are correct or not.

SMH...

If the Republicans really were so concerned with the deficit as the reason for not passing this bill then they would drum up a bill to close the corporate tax loophole instead. I bet that doesn't happen.

Why isn't this being handled by the state of New York?

bases_loaded;609897 wrote:Why isn't this being handled by the state of New York?

I guess we're supposed to stop asking questions now; seeing as how people only want to focus on why the republicans don't want to vote for it haha!

bases_loaded;609897 wrote:Why isn't this being handled by the state of New York?

Fund is depleted.
There was a 2006 law that New York passed, but the funds are maxed out as they did not anticipate the high numbers of people to apply.

I would be in favor of hearing and discussions next year and even better ways to fund the measure. But, since the state, local and private sector cannot help these workers who dealt with these material without masks, the feds should provide a fund.

majorspark;609648 wrote:This is politics plain and simple. This lame duck congress will be dead in a little over a week. The newly elected congress will deal with this in a few weeks. Republicans are not ogres for stopping the lame duck congress from legislating law. The republicans are right in deferring this legislation to the newly elected congress who will take power in just a few weeks. 9/11 first responders will not die or suffer unjustly till the new congress takes power. The will be given just care. Period.

How we fund it is up for argument. Stopping the lame duck congress from using this as a political tool is the right choice. They will be taken care of. We all know it. The best method of paying for it is something for us to wisely consider. Let the new congress handle this. Hopefully the will find a better solution.

Those were my thoughts exactly. I'm wondering if it was pushed to the lame duck session so that when Republicans take issue with it, they can be labeled cruel and heartless.

believer;609734 wrote:And this is the bottom-line isn't it?

I'm with several other posters on this one. How much money have private charities, private insurance companies, local, state, and federal funds have already been distributed to the 9-11 first responders over the past 9 plus years? Where does the 7.4 - no - now 6.2 billion dollar figure come from? 10,000 first responders? Really? Who comes up with this stuff?

It's been 9 plus years and all of a sudden now that arguably the most leftist Congress in American history is about to have its ass kicked to the Pennsylvania Avenue curb guys like Jon Stewart suddenly boo hoo about this issue right before those eeeeeevil racist, sexist, homophobic wascally Republicans take over the House? Seriously?

I'm not saying we should now ignore the NYC 9-11 first responders, but they did indeed choose their own careers knowing the possible dangers that come along with it.

The greater community has been paying for this for nearly 10 years. How many more years do the taxpayers need to keep paying before douche bags like Jon Stewart are satisfied we've done enough?

Just FYI, John Stewart has been complaining about this for months, had a segment about it in August.

You can disagree with him, that is fine and i understand what you're saying, but at least be intellectually honest enough to recognize that Stewart didn't just take up this cause a week ago.

P.S. Your constant mention of how people think of you as part of some sort of "eeeeeevil racist, sexist, homophobic" party reminds me of some emo 12-year old girl who likes to complain constantly about how other people think of her, even though that really isn't the case at all. But, the attention is always nice, i guess. And i thought that the Dems had the "victim card" all figured out. But, you play it pretty well also.

ptown_trojans_1;609567 wrote:And two, blame the R's who balked at anything that was done before the tax deal being done. If they would not have balked at the tax deal (which we got done), then it could have been passed. That is why it is in the Lame Duck now. It has been blocked by R's since the summer when it passed the House.

stlouiedipalma;609661 wrote:Don't hold your breath waiting for Boehner and his cronies to pass this in the new Congress. They have job creation to worry about. If this isn't passed in the current session, it will die as surely as some of those First Responders will.

stlouiedipalma;609674 wrote:http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch/worker-safety/132907-health-bill-for-911-workers-fails-key-vote


According to this, the bill is paid for by closing a tax loophole by foreign multinational companies. That explains the Republican opposition completely.

stlouiedipalma;609677 wrote:C'mon, don't be such a di**. Everyone knows that the Republicans won't do anything which endangers the profits of multinational companies.

stlouiedipalma;609686 wrote:The bill is paid for by closing the loophole which allows foreign multinational corporations to set up tax havens, effectively avoiding paying income taxes. What's wrong with that? A reasonable person would say "nothing". Republican politicians obviously have a problem with that.

I Wear Pants;609835 wrote:If the Republicans really were so concerned with the deficit as the reason for not passing this bill then they would drum up a bill to close the corporate tax loophole instead. I bet that doesn't happen.

cbus4life;610118 wrote:Just FYI, John Stewart has been complaining about this for months, had a segment about it in August.

You can disagree with him, that is fine and i understand what you're saying, but at least be intellectually honest enough to recognize that Stewart didn't just take up this cause a week ago.

P.S. Your constant mention of how people think of you as part of some sort of "eeeeeevil racist, sexist, homophobic" party reminds me of some emo 12-year old girl who likes to complain constantly about how other people think of her, even though that really isn't the case at all. But, the attention is always nice, i guess. And i thought that the Dems had the "victim card" all figured out. But, you play it pretty well also.

Honestly Cbus.... You don't see a pattern here? You really don't understand EVERYTHING that Believer is referring to?
It's right there. It's on this forum, it's on the news, it's in DC, it's everywhere.

If we're going to be "honest", that means all of us, not just some.

Looks like a deal has been reached and will be coming to the Senate in an hour or so after New START:
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/12/22/deal-for-911-health-bill-reached-in-senate/?hp

I Wear Pants;609796 wrote:Then I assume you didn't support extending the tax cuts for millionaires (or anyone). Oh wait, you were really for that. It's fine to add to the deficit if we call it a tax cut right?

I'm all for higher taxes, even as a conservative.

IF they lower spending FIRST to balance the budget, once the budget is balanced first by spending cuts, they by all means raise my taxes to actually pay on the debt's PRINCIPLE (a novel idea).

It just paced by voice vote in the Senate, will head to the House where it should be passed later today. $4.28 billion over five years, with funds by closing a corporate tax loophole.