Why californians didn't start a proposition to abolish state income tax? (venue)

[2sleepy]

Originally Posted by Ultrarunner

Do you have any sources Medicare is being privatized?
I've heard this several times since the election and can't find sources.

This is what Tom Price said a few days before his appointment as secretary of HHS

"Price's comments suggest privatization won't be part of the first round of legislative initiatives rolled out by the Trump administration and GOP-controlled Congress. Price also noted that Republicans are eyeing using a tactic known as budget reconciliation to make the change. That process allows Republicans to pass bills with a simple majority in the U.S. Senate. When asked by TPM about timing for changes to Medicare, Price said "I think that is probably in the second phase of reconciliation, which would have to be in the FY 18 budget resolution in the first 6-8 months." http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewir...erhaul-in-2017

I'm sorry but as dumb as I think Trump is, I don't think he would have picked Price unless he agrees with that agenda. The framework of privatization would probably encompass most of Paul Ryan's ideas in his "Better Way" plan Medicare in Ryan's 2015 Budget | Center on Budget and Policy Priorities

And here's a slightly different Ryan plan. (If you ever hear a Politician claim that "decreased utilization" is a good thing for health care recipients you should be aware that the term really means we will make health care so unaffordable that people will avoid going to the doctor) Note the euphemistic use of 'lower utilization

"However, under the plan proposed in “The Path to Prosperity”, the beneficiary would pay 68 percent of the cost of currently covered services and the premium support payment would pay 32 percent of the currently covered services. In part, this would be because both administrative costs and profits would be higher in a private plan, and payment rates to providers are higher for private plans than for Medicare. They estimated that utilization would be less because private health insurers would probably impose greater utilization management than occurs in Medicare and increased cost sharing with beneficiaries would encourage lower utilization" Federal Privatization: The Ryan Plan | League of Women Voters

[Ultrarunner]

I work in medical and some are let's say regulars.

It's too bad we can't have a happy medium between those where everything is a visit to the ER to get checked out and those on death's door before they come in.

[2sleepy]

Originally Posted by Ultrarunner

I work in medical and some are let's say regulars.
It's too bad we can't have a happy medium between those where everything is a visit to the ER to get checked out and those on death's door before they come in.

I know..we've all seen the same thing but I think the way to fix that is to use a "Kaiser" model of healthcare where if you show up at the ER with a bad cold you are triaged out and handed a phone and told to call the advise nurse. Unfortunately as long as we have a fee for service model with ER's making tens of millions off of these non-emergency visits there is no incentive for them to put a stop to it.

[Ultrarunner]

To some degree... but many Hospitals have trouble keeping the ER open.

Contra Costa just had a Hospital Close citing massive unreimbursed ER costs.

[2sleepy]

Originally Posted by Ultrarunner

To some degree... but many Hospitals have trouble keeping the ER open.
Contra Costa just had a Hospital Close citing massive unreimbursed ER costs.

It sounds like it wasn't that they weren't reimbursed, but that almost all of their patients were on medi-cal or medicare which both have lower rates of ER reimbursement than do private insurers. I could be wrong, but that's what it says here:

"Much of its financial problems arose because more than 80 percent of its patients were covered by Medicare or the state-federal Medicaid program known as Medi-Cal. Fewer than 10 percent of the hospital’s patients had private insurance. As the East Bay Express noted in a series of articles, many public hospitals such as Doctors Medical Center, have shouldered the burden of caring for the poor, while private hospitals fail to do so despite being given huge tax breaks."
"Very Sad Day:" Doctors Medical Center Closes Amidst Financial Woes | NBC Bay Area

It's sad though, I lived in west county and remember that hospital very well, it used to be called "Brookside"

[Ultrarunner]

Reimbursements are dropping as cost rise... especially Drugs... interesting that some Drugs are not available under contract pricing but are at higher prices.

Same thing happened to San Leandro Hospital which was transferred to the county...

It was not lack of utilization but reimbursement.

Medical is undergoing a huge shift... joint replacement at out patient ASC would have been unthinkable...

With an ASC the procedures are elective and coverage is verified at the time procedures are scheduled and even with this some cases are turned down because reimbursement does not cover cost.

[shooting4life]

Originally Posted by 2sleepy

you are just being silly now. Do some research on the structure of property tax in other states, find one you think is more equitable than California's come back with the details of it and we can discuss it.

Most states don't have a tiered system. Lots of other states manage while taxing everyone less than our current rate. 16 states have lower property taxes than ca, not to mention the plethora of other taxes in this state.
https://wallethub.com/edu/states-wit...y-taxes/11585/


Like I said, everyone wants to get rid of loop holes and lower tax rates until it is their loophole being removed.

Everyone seems to forget about the thousands of individuals who cannot afford to own their home because of the current tax structure.

[2sleepy]

Originally Posted by shooting4life

Most states don't have a tiered system. Lots of other states manage while taxing everyone less than our current rate. 16 states have lower property taxes than ca, not to mention the plethora of other taxes in this state. https://wallethub.com/edu/states-wit...y-taxes/11585/ Like I said, everyone wants to get rid of loop holes and lower tax rates until it is their loophole being removed. Everyone seems to forget about the thousands of individuals who cannot afford to own their home because of the current tax structure.

I asked you to find a state with a a more equitable property tax system than California and we could discuss it, I don't see anything in this post that addresses it. And prop 13 is most definitely not a "loophole"

[Ultrarunner]

Originally Posted by shooting4life

Most states don't have a tiered system. Lots of other states manage while taxing everyone less than our current rate. 16 states have lower property taxes than ca, not to mention the plethora of other taxes in this state.
https://wallethub.com/edu/states-wit...y-taxes/11585/


Like I said, everyone wants to get rid of loop holes and lower tax rates until it is their loophole being removed.

Everyone seems to forget about the thousands of individuals who cannot afford to own their home because of the current tax structure.

I don't see a tax based an acquisition a loophole...

I also believe Prop 13 is even more valid as Prop 13 was given no chance of passage, every politician and just about every Union Group spent money to defeat is and yet a grass roots groundswell of support made it law.

Even Governor Brown has repeatedly said it is settled law... who should know better as he has found peace with it...

Again, Prop 13 is not a Loophole as it applies equally to all taxable real property in the State.

The other part is the voter requirement for new assessments... if anything, this last election has shown voters have no problem supporting new property taxes for things they want... something like 75% voter support for BART... it does blast the argument that 55% or even a 2/3 passage requirement is setting the goal too high.

[Big-Bucks]

BTW is California going to lower taxes now that it will be reaping in the wealth from taxing Marijuana?