Excellent. To the point and connecting the dots to expose obvious truths (unlike mainstream media, which acts as a bullhorn for regime messaging and seems a-okay with being manipulated by this and every other Trump-led farce.) I will return here on November to report on the expected increase in my ACA premiums.
Also, speaking of waste, fraud and abuse, Johnson’s leadership is the epitome of it.
Update: My ACA premium will go up by about 22% to $243 (no problem), but the big caveat is that is we have savings to keep our income low enough for me to qualify for subsidies. We can also lower our income if I choose an HSA plan (the $5500 HSA contribution will be a deduction).
Our savings are of more value to us in a tax-advantaged HSA.
How many people living as modestly as we do have savings for these purposes? The savings we are using for health insurance is inherited, reflecting our age/stage of life. Younger people with ACA insurance will not have this cushion to fall back on.
Bottom line—if one already has some wealth, one can benefit under Republican policies. If one doesn’t, tough luck.
Please do let us know. I got booted from Obamacare last year due to low income and enjoyed the switch to Medicaid in the coasting period during the Biden admin's actual support for what we agreed to pay for with our tax dollars. Times have changed. I'll let you know how THAT now turns out.
"It is a deliberate, cynical political strategy engineered by House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and his leadership team, all in service of President Donald Trump."
It's not cynical. It's the greatest transfer of wealth from the Middle Class and the poor to the top 1%. It's the continued support of the Felon making the United States an authoritarian theocracy, with the Felon as leader and the American oligarchs running the Country. It's the manifestation of Project 2025.
Yeah, how's that wealth transfer going to work out for little Mikey? He thinks he'll be invited to the table; maybe, but he'll be the one doing the serving.
Speaking of the war on 670,00 federal workers living in fear for our livelihoods, consider the impact to date. After years of Trump cuts, Joe Biden increased civil servant pay and staffed up agencies to functional levels. Those have now been roughly cut in half. How does your job work with half the necessary manpower? Shittily, I imagine. That is the level of service that this regime has produced WITH YOUR TAX MONEY. The goal is that if agencies can't perform, they can easily be dismantled.
Leaving what? A country that doesn't take care of its own resources and citizens is worthless--to its autocrats, surely, but worth much more to its adversaries. Trump is opening the door wide for someone else to take over. Mister Businessman has shown that he can't run this "business."
He actually showed that a long time ago, with his casino failures in New Jersey and his total of six (or is it seven) bankruptcies. mostly to rip off his sub-contractors, while he was still shoveling the green in.
I have a friend who makes about $30,000/year. She’s very frugal, and was able to afford a Silver-level plan on the ACA this year, which she chose as she knew she needed 2 medical procedures. She was only able to do this because of the subsidies. She now expects that she may not be able to afford ANY health insurance next year. People may not know, but even on the ACA many are slammed with high deductibles and copays. This is a woman who works hard every day and deserves better. Republican politicians are truly awful people, especially that weasel, Mike Johnson.
I am really interested in the propriety of Mike Johnson's not seating Adelita Grijalva. I can barely imagine the melt down from Steve Bannon, Stephen Miller, and Gym Jordan if the shoe were on the other foot. And further, I would imagine throwing a fire blanket over a bunch of child molesters would, in any other universe, be seen as contemptible.
I would be raising hell if I lived in Mike Johnson’s district. How those people put up with his bullshit and lies is beyond my comprehension. Every time they lie and gaslight about the left inciting violence or any other lies they perpetuate the Dems should counter them with facts and verifiable evidence. Period. They really need to be aggressive about that and force them to speak to truth.
What irritates me the most about Mike Johnson is the blatant hypocrisy of his “devout Christianity.“ There’s a special place in hell for people like him.
“Constituency service,” huh? I want to see video of Republicans holding town halls, cleaning up parks, serving meals at food banks, etc. I suspect they’re playing golf or binge-watching Netflix!
Mike Johnson has to be one of the worse things that has happened to the American people in it's 250 year history. He not only squanders the power of the House of Representatives, he does it to increase the power of a dictator. Can't get much more dangerous for democracy than that.
I hope that these kowtowing Republicans will achieve, over their lifetime, many sleepless nights, painful stomachs, headaches, and a sense of having done wrong, wrong, wrong. There really is not much that is as painful as the thoughts that will reside in your head/heart for the rest of your life. That is my wish for these spineless lackeys.
While there's much to worry about, that's not a good/useful thing to do. Preserve yourself with the joys of daily life, the autumn colors, the pleasure of books and whatever else floats your boat. It is one life and it's for each of us to live it.
Well, that's my priority, but I am surrounded by my animals and the gorgeous nature around my home. We're a federal worker household, so yes, the current crisis is on our minds all the time.
... and you were called a criminal and the devil. That's always a morale builder. Thanks for thinking about us. It's a simple act of kindness to consider your neighbor's situation. Best wishes.
Excellent. To the point and connecting the dots to expose obvious truths (unlike mainstream media, which acts as a bullhorn for regime messaging and seems a-okay with being manipulated by this and every other Trump-led farce.) I will return here on November to report on the expected increase in my ACA premiums.
Also, speaking of waste, fraud and abuse, Johnson’s leadership is the epitome of it.
Update: My ACA premium will go up by about 22% to $243 (no problem), but the big caveat is that is we have savings to keep our income low enough for me to qualify for subsidies. We can also lower our income if I choose an HSA plan (the $5500 HSA contribution will be a deduction).
Our savings are of more value to us in a tax-advantaged HSA.
How many people living as modestly as we do have savings for these purposes? The savings we are using for health insurance is inherited, reflecting our age/stage of life. Younger people with ACA insurance will not have this cushion to fall back on.
Bottom line—if one already has some wealth, one can benefit under Republican policies. If one doesn’t, tough luck.
Please do let us know. I got booted from Obamacare last year due to low income and enjoyed the switch to Medicaid in the coasting period during the Biden admin's actual support for what we agreed to pay for with our tax dollars. Times have changed. I'll let you know how THAT now turns out.
"It is a deliberate, cynical political strategy engineered by House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and his leadership team, all in service of President Donald Trump."
It's not cynical. It's the greatest transfer of wealth from the Middle Class and the poor to the top 1%. It's the continued support of the Felon making the United States an authoritarian theocracy, with the Felon as leader and the American oligarchs running the Country. It's the manifestation of Project 2025.
Yeah, how's that wealth transfer going to work out for little Mikey? He thinks he'll be invited to the table; maybe, but he'll be the one doing the serving.
Speaking of the war on 670,00 federal workers living in fear for our livelihoods, consider the impact to date. After years of Trump cuts, Joe Biden increased civil servant pay and staffed up agencies to functional levels. Those have now been roughly cut in half. How does your job work with half the necessary manpower? Shittily, I imagine. That is the level of service that this regime has produced WITH YOUR TAX MONEY. The goal is that if agencies can't perform, they can easily be dismantled.
Leaving what? A country that doesn't take care of its own resources and citizens is worthless--to its autocrats, surely, but worth much more to its adversaries. Trump is opening the door wide for someone else to take over. Mister Businessman has shown that he can't run this "business."
He actually showed that a long time ago, with his casino failures in New Jersey and his total of six (or is it seven) bankruptcies. mostly to rip off his sub-contractors, while he was still shoveling the green in.
I have a friend who makes about $30,000/year. She’s very frugal, and was able to afford a Silver-level plan on the ACA this year, which she chose as she knew she needed 2 medical procedures. She was only able to do this because of the subsidies. She now expects that she may not be able to afford ANY health insurance next year. People may not know, but even on the ACA many are slammed with high deductibles and copays. This is a woman who works hard every day and deserves better. Republican politicians are truly awful people, especially that weasel, Mike Johnson.
I am really interested in the propriety of Mike Johnson's not seating Adelita Grijalva. I can barely imagine the melt down from Steve Bannon, Stephen Miller, and Gym Jordan if the shoe were on the other foot. And further, I would imagine throwing a fire blanket over a bunch of child molesters would, in any other universe, be seen as contemptible.
I would be raising hell if I lived in Mike Johnson’s district. How those people put up with his bullshit and lies is beyond my comprehension. Every time they lie and gaslight about the left inciting violence or any other lies they perpetuate the Dems should counter them with facts and verifiable evidence. Period. They really need to be aggressive about that and force them to speak to truth.
They are probably “low information“ individuals.
What irritates me the most about Mike Johnson is the blatant hypocrisy of his “devout Christianity.“ There’s a special place in hell for people like him.
“Constituency service,” huh? I want to see video of Republicans holding town halls, cleaning up parks, serving meals at food banks, etc. I suspect they’re playing golf or binge-watching Netflix!
We will remember in November (‘26)
Mike Johnson has to be one of the worse things that has happened to the American people in it's 250 year history. He not only squanders the power of the House of Representatives, he does it to increase the power of a dictator. Can't get much more dangerous for democracy than that.
I hope that these kowtowing Republicans will achieve, over their lifetime, many sleepless nights, painful stomachs, headaches, and a sense of having done wrong, wrong, wrong. There really is not much that is as painful as the thoughts that will reside in your head/heart for the rest of your life. That is my wish for these spineless lackeys.
I certainly have racked those up because I literally think about the impending loss of our democracy every day, and some days all day.
While there's much to worry about, that's not a good/useful thing to do. Preserve yourself with the joys of daily life, the autumn colors, the pleasure of books and whatever else floats your boat. It is one life and it's for each of us to live it.
Well, that's my priority, but I am surrounded by my animals and the gorgeous nature around my home. We're a federal worker household, so yes, the current crisis is on our minds all the time.
I can imagine the stress of being a federal worker household by imagining what would happen if my Social Security benefits were not funded.
... and you were called a criminal and the devil. That's always a morale builder. Thanks for thinking about us. It's a simple act of kindness to consider your neighbor's situation. Best wishes.
Are the Democrats holding daily news conferences also? Is there one specific spokesperson doing it? Is the media not covering it?
Excellent article! Succinctly written. Thank you Jeff Nesbit!!