GOP senators plan move to stop health care reform in Georgia

[kpete]

Source: Atlanta Journal Constitution

Update II: GOP senators plan move to stop health care reform in Georgia

1:15 pm September 3, 2009, by Aaron Gould Sheinin

A group of Republican state senators on Thursday said they want to amend the state’s Constitution in an attempt to stop Democrats in Washington from enforcing health care reform here.

Sens. Judson Hill (R-Marietta) and Chip Rogers (R-Marietta) were joined by about half a dozen colleagues to unveil their plans. The resolution would be introduced when lawmakers return in January.

The proposed amendment would, Hill and Rogers said, would allow Georgia to invoke the 10th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. That amendment says that any power not explicitly granted the federal government in the Constitution is preserved for the states.

Hill and Rogers argue that the health care reform bill being debated in Congress would violate the 10th Amendment and that their state amendment would protect Georgia from having to participate in any federal reform.

Read more: http://blogs.ajc.com/gold-dome-live/2009/09/03/gop-senators-plan-move-to-stop-health-care-reform-in-georgia/

[Beetwasher]

1. Idiots

n/t

[TwilightGardener]

2. People of Georgia: do these guys work for you? Or against you?

[napi21]

7. Unfortunately, other than Atlanta & Athens, Ga. is as red as

SC, AL, & MS. Dems are such a minority here, those 2 idiot Senators ARE working for their constituents! I HATE IT!

[ScottLand]

9. Against.

Georgia is the horse and buggy state. It's one of the few places left that can't sell liquor on Sunday.

[SkyDaddy7]

46. All I can say as resident of Georgia is...

We are so backward down here that I am embarrased to admit where I live...However, I can't hide my "Southern Drawl" so I can't lie.

Look at our education system! We teach kids to be stupid!

[SouthernDemInAtl]

74. For us.....

well, most of us.

[KamaAina]

3. Gen. Sherman, check your inbox...

:P

[drm604]

4. Yea, that would work.

:eyes:

[orwell]

5. Brilliant move...

...I assume they want to opt out of Medicare and SCHIP as well.

Why not take out Social Security while you are at it.

Let's see how that flies...

[mascarax]

10. That's key - force these idiots to renounce ALL "socialist programs"

and that includes Medicare, Social Security...make them spell it out so people understand (those that can, I guess) just *what* they'd need to give up.

Honestly. This is just asinine.

[happyslug]

65. People forget, but any state CAN opt out of Social Security

In the 1930s, it was possible for the US Supreme Court to rule that the Federal Government could NOT set up a Social Security System, so what FDR did was pass Social Security as a three part system.. First the federal Government would run Social Security, second each state would delegate to the Federal Government its power to set up a Social Security Program (Thus Social Security is a program of each state run by the Federal Government as an agent of each state) and three the Federal Government would set the Social Security Tax system (The power to tax was clearly a federal power, so no chance that it would be strucked down by the Courts). Note, the Social Security TAX was independent of the Social Security system. Any state could opt NOT to give its power to set up a Social Security system to the Federal Government (Thus no one in that state could collect Social Security) but since the Social Security tax was a FEDERAL TAX, anyone in such a state would still have to pay the Social Security tax. No state opted to stay out of Social Security.

The same procedure can be done for National Health program. Expand the Social Security Tax to cover the costs of the System, expand Medicare to everyone and lets see what state decides its residents can pay the tax but NOT get the benefit.

[MidwestTransplant]

6. So when the rest of the country is protected against preimum sky rocketing, getting denied because

pre existing condition, the people of Georgia won't want any of that? It's pretty clear who these buffoons work for.

[droidamus2]

35. If that's the case

Let's see I wonder where all the private insurance companies would be going to make their bucks. Maybe Georgia? Nah they wouldn't do that would they?

[MadMaddie]

69. Well if the folks don't have jobs to pay for the sky rocketing insurance

the insurance companies lose.

[ensho]

8. if anyone needs health care its the people of Ga.

including mental health

[CurtEastPoint]

11. They will spend the entire session dildoing around on this and it will fail and...

meanwhile NO OTHER state needs will be addressed.

I have lived here long enough to know how those goobers work. Or don't work. Which is usually the case.

Collective IQ for the GA Legislature < 100.

[ScottLand]

12. I love Georgia

but I wish we could make the jump into the 20th Century.

[gratuitous]

13. Georgia GOP to Georgians: Drop dead

The ads nearly write themselves. Republicans: The party of sickness and misery. Republicans: We can afford unnecessary wars, but not your prescription. And on and on.

[high density]

14. So does that mean the Feds can drop Georgians from the rolls of Medicare and Social Security

I mean I wouldn't want them to be forced to participate in such evil, socialized things.

[DBoon]

48. and can we stop spending interstate highway funds there too?

nt

[fjc]

71. Good question.

The opposition here, such as it is, should be asking that very thing.

[RebelOne]

15. I live in this red state. But, fortunately, I have health care

through my employer. And I am also eligible for Medicare, but my employer's health plan is much better, so I'll stay with it until I retire (or if I can ever afford to retire).

[fjc]

73. But if this succeeds,

I don't believe either one of us is entitled to Medicare in this state.

[SnowCritter]

16. These idiots need to read

the first sentence of Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution of the United States which states

"The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;" (emphasis mine)

I think that providing health care to the citizenry qualifies.

[Mr. Sparkle]

17. I wonder how much they are getting paid for that bill , from the healthcare industry.

Sell outs :puke:

[2Design]

18. america has a disease of insanity and it is getting worse n/t

[aquart]

45. Because the president has shown weakness.

He gave in to them. They're now behaving as if he doesn't exist.

[wilt the stilt]

19. I hate it here

I was at the republican rally in Gwinnett disguised as a healthcare town hall meeting last night. they were booing Obama and cheering for his "permanent vacation". I HAD TO LEAVE.

ALL THAT WAS MISSING WAS THE HOODS.

[Name removed]

20. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[drm604]

23. That would have resulted in the continuation of slavery. n/t

[grytpype]

26. Maybe for awhile, but the South would eventually have to give it up.

You don't think they would have slaves working their plantations in 2009 do you?

On second thought maybe they would.

[wilt the stilt]

27. my wife said it best

who would have been the last South Africa or the south to end apartheid. her money is on South africa.

[PM Martin]

56. South Africa would have ended it first.

General Sherman had the right idea.
Also, Lincoln was too kind towards them.

[drm604]

31. Maybe they would still have it,

or maybe they would have eventually given it up. But how long would it have been before they did that? How many more generations would have lived under slavery, and what would the current civil rights situation be in a modern confederacy? What would the civil rights situation be in what remained of the U.S?

Whatever problems we have because of these states, I still wouldn't want the old confederacy to have survived.

[Dogtown]

21. It's a "mini-secession"!

It isn't going to work and they know it, but the mouth-breathers down here will idolize them for their "Why, Ah'll...." attitude.

[kevsters]

22. Everyone Rally Around the Racist, Mark Fuhrman.

All the GOP has to do is hire infamous racist, Mark Fuhrman as a health care reform advisor…Problem solved. Watch this Jack-o flat out lie on national television.

http://progressnotcongress.org/?p=2777

[grytpype]

24. Cut off their Red State Welfare!

Stop spending Federal money in Georgia, let them go back to the stone age.

[KansDem]

33. They do have a history of taking more into Georgia in federal spending...

...than paid to DC in taxes...

http://www.taxfoundation.org/research/show/22685.html

Kind of a mixed bag, but Georgians seemed to fair better under GOP administrations

[barbtries]

25. how dare you

try to make our world a better place?!

[Kablooie]

28. So the people of Georgia alone can die from lack of healthcare. Stellar move guys!!

[Donnachaidh]

29. both from Marietta, I'd say both were heavily greased by WellCare

Emory and all the other medical industrial companies that fund Cobb County. Remember, our congressional reps (Price and Gingrey) were doctors, or so they claim.

And y'all thought we just made airplanes down here. We have a permanent class of medical thieves running hospitals and corporations in the area that would blow your mind. They OWN these two lawn jockeys. If asked, either man would probably give public bowjobs to any republican that asked.

Good old boys, doing there best to keep the wealthy wealthy, and the middle class and poor *IN THEIR PLACE*.

[onehandle]

30. Good. We deserve it for going Republican. Georgia sucks.

Lived here all my life. I can say that.

We are a racist, inbred, anti-American craphole.

[lavndrblue]

32. Maybe they should talk to Michele Bachmann

She stated in her town hall last week that we should 'erase the boarders' to allow the purchase of insurance across state boarders. Man they are all crazy!

[droidamus2]

34. Got news for you nimrods

It is not your place or job to interpret the Constitution. You can pass whatever you want to pass but my guess is that once it was challenged, and I'm sure it would be, the Federal Courts would shoot it down. It is the court's, ultimately the Supreme Court's, job to make the final decision on what the Constitution and the 10th amendment are and how they will be applied. It is not the job of some partisan nitwit state Senators to decide 'on their own' that they don't have to do what the Federal Government says. As a matter of fact didn't we fight a Civil War over that same idea? Yes the 10th amendment reserves rights to the states but unfortunately or fortunately the final arbiter of what those rights are and how they will be applied falls to the Supreme Court.

[NBachers]

36. Short life and cheap death in the Republican Paradise of Georgia

[Demeter]

37. Somebody Should Check for Lead in the Liquor in Georgia

Can't think of anything else but congenital insanity (or syphilis) to explain these tactics.

[Buenaventura]

38. their real fear, of course, is that

extending health care to all will dilute the care now available to their wealthy donors.

single payer NOW!

[kenfrequed]

39. So do it!

Georgia is one of many red states that takes more federal money than it gives back. There have been years where it nearly tops the list. If they want to exclude themselves from such a program then fine. Jobs and citizens will flow out of that state as both employer and employee realize the benefits of having a healthy educated workforce and of having good benefits.

[CitizenPatriot]

40. I am sickened

I live in GA. Not from here. Never lived anywhere remotely near a red area before, so this has been distressing to say the least.

It's like these folks are another species. You can't even talk to people this greedy, selfish, smug, and isolated.

Honestly....we don't need enemies with people like this in charge.

[tomm2thumbs]

41. exercise in futility - the people will want it when they see all the other states succeeding

they'll be shooting themselves in the political foot, so have at it

[ladywnch]

42. okay, no social security or medicare/medicade, college grant monies

(for starters) for the state of Georgia. We get a couple more of these guys, ie: Texas, to take similar measures and those programs will be solvent! LOL

and for those sarcastically challenged: :sarcasm:

[scentopine]

43. Slave states still fighting civil war behaving like red neck hicks

They can set up sweat shops and slave labor camps and watch from their plantations while other people do their work.

The problem with the South is that during the formative years they used slaves and never learned to respect human rights or human beings.

They simply don't know how to work and cooperate with others to do great things. They only understand the bible and guns and slave labor.

Simple - cut off all federal funding from Georgia. Every last dime. Give it to the states who want to keep corporations from ruling over us and making us slaves.

Of course that will be impossible because both dems and reps are in the pockets of insurance companies.

Your insurance premiums are paying for lobbyists fighting against health care reform

There is no sweeter deal for corporate America (except for 3 trillion dollar bailout with no accountability for how the money is spent).

Let's hear it for bi-partisan compromise!

[YoungAndOutraged]

44. As a Georgian, I apologize to the rest of America

It is hard to be even a moderate democrat in Georgia without being severely depressed. You're either an extreme right-winger or you're ridiculed and mentally beaten until you become one. The only other option is to live with depression, if you don't become insane first.

Here in Georgia, the poor are viewed as disgusting parasitic leeches, even by most other poor people. Seeing pickup trucks with those stupid plastic testicles is an every day thing, depending on where you live. Teachers are considered evil socialists and you'd be lucky to find someone who even admits that homosexuality exists. The people claim to be Christian, yet can't tell the difference between John Galt and Jesus Christ. I f'ing HATE it here and would move anywhere else in the world if I had the money.

I once took a trip to Pennsylvania and was shocked to not find a single road with cracks or a single patch of grass in public that was not trimmed. Here in Georgia, the highways are virtually destroyed and the grass around courthouses nearly blocks the entrances. Folks from Northern states don't know how good they have it.

[dccrossman]

47. I hate my state government

What a pack o' loons.

But Rogers isn’t convinced. He said to ask “our friends in Canada” if they like government-run health care.

Yes, Mr Rogers, they do.

I wish I was in a financial situation where I could get out of this state.

[RubyDuby in GA]

49. This will be what makes us move. Oregon here we come!

I swear to gawd that these morans will be the death of this state. Figuratively and literally.

[MadMaddie]

70. Hey Ruby why not Washington State?

My folks are down in Ga, I visit one week once or twice a year and that's about the limit of my tolerence.

Anyhoo....Washington is amazing. Not perfect but I like it a lot!

[d_r]

50. on this good side

Maybe this will keep them busy enough after football season is over that they will stop crying about moving the state border to try to still water from the TN. river.

[Kingofalldems]

51. Close Fort Gordon now

I don't want my tax dollars spent there.

[martymar64]

64. Move the CDC and Ft Benning to a different state as well

Any other state would be thrilled to have those federal jobs that will leave 'sovereign" GA.

[Edith Ann]

52. Stupid

but what do you expect. This will hurt new business in Georgia. Why would a company relocate if they and their employees won't benefit from new health care options. Also, if I lived in Georgia and got sick, I'd move out.

[Politicub]

53. What a fucking useless state that I live in

Just when you think GA lawmakers can't get any lower, they decide to try and not allow its citizens to take advantage of any kind of healthcare reform. What a bunch of immoral pukes.

Sometimes I hate living here.

[mitchum]

54. I can't wait to get out of this fucking redneck backwater

[PM Martin]

55. redneck backwater

[mitchum]

57. Once a penal colony...

always a penal colony

[cstanleytech]

58. And people wonder why I hate living in this state *sigh*

[Zorra]

59. Will this amendment deny VA Benefits and Medicare to the people of Georgia also?

These "legislators" are so ignorant, they are probably unaware that the VA and Medicare are administered by the Federal Government.

[BluDemocratGirl]

60. What century are those 2 fools are living!

I hope that the GA Dems put an end to the Greedy Obnoxious Pigeons bulls**t! Health care reform WILL get pass. I fthey don't life, then they can go haul ass to Aruba somewhere.

[depakid]

61. Southern Republicans- cutting off their constituents noses to spite their faces. Again.

[Vinca]

62. What the hell is wrong with these people?

Put them out into the private insurance market immediately. Let them experience the joy of forking over $12,000+ a year and never meeting their deductible, having co-pays and half of all claims denied. Someone said we shouldn't call our opponents idiots or morons. I strongly disagree.

[martymar64]

63. Fine, we'll just close Ft Benning and all other military bases in GA

Also no FEMA should go to any disasters that hit GA. No highway funds or college grant money either. Can't have those Federal $s being wasted in a state that hates the US. Let GA defend itself.

[and-justice-for-all]

66. I hope their ridiculous behavior sinks in with their constituents

and they ALL lose their seat next election.

[Arkana]

67. Dear anyone that has a brain and is currently living in Georgia,

GET OUT NOW.

[MadMaddie]

68. While they are at it why don't they opt out of federal funding

for Highways and Education, that should complete their independence. Of course it won't help the citizens of GA but that really doesn't matter to these jackasses anyway.

[Endangered Specie]

72. Im sure not having a sick workforce falls under interstate commerce?