Author Topic: media analyst Pedro Picasso gets catastrophic  (Read 1522 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline franksolich

  • Scourge of the Primitives
  • Global Moderator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 58679
  • Reputation: +3057/-173
media analyst Pedro Picasso gets catastrophic
« on: January 25, 2008, 11:14:35 AM »
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x2763732

Oh my.

Quote
Atman  (1000+ posts)       Fri Jan-25-08 11:17 AM
Original message
 
Why is a national catastrophic PROPERTY insurance plan okay, but health care not?

I don't get it. My wife brought up this point this morning and I can't believe it hadn't occurred to me. The Republicans think it's perfectly fine to call for a national insurance program which would force all Americans to pay into an insurance pool to protect their valuable ocean-front properties, but if we want something similar to protect the health o every American, suddenly it's SOCIALISM!

This is one of the most blatant examples of GOP hypocrisy (not to mention pandering to the Floridians, who genuinely are being hammered by the insurance companies). Why should the people of Minnesota or Kentucky have to pay to subsidize the insurance costs for people who built expensive homes on sandbars or flood plains?

I dunno.

Quote
havocmom  (1000+ posts)       Fri Jan-25-08 11:18 AM
Response to Original message
 
1. People just = another renewable resouce
 
And we know how little the powers that be think of renewable resources.

Quote
liberal N proud  (1000+ posts)       Fri Jan-25-08 11:19 AM
Response to Original message

2. Because the construction industry doesn't lobby like the Health Care companies

Simple as that.

I beg to differ.

Isn't the real-estate lobby the largest lobby in America, dwarving everybody else, including the pharmaceutical lobby, the abortion lobby, the motor vehicle lobby, the firearms lobby, &c., &c., &c.?

Quote
underpants  (1000+ posts)       Fri Jan-25-08 11:20 AM
Response to Reply #2
 
3. AMA

American Medical Association is heavily a Republican supporter too

I dunno.

The American Medical Association used to be heavily Republican, but alas no more, not since the government started paying for more and more health and medical care, and physicians know who butters their bread.

One suspects most M.D.s these days, because of Lady Bountiful, tend to be Democrats.

And for the record, Pedro Picasso's wife works in medicine, and so has a vested interest in the public treasury; she needs all the paycheck she can get, because having a trophy husband who diddles and dabbles in "art" all day long, he isn't bringing home any bacon.

Quote
plcdude  (1000+ posts)      Fri Jan-25-08 11:20 AM
Response to Reply #2

5. Bingo!

Follow the Money that is all we need to know and do.
 

Quote
zorahopkins (287 posts)       Fri Jan-25-08 11:20 AM
Response to Original message

4. Property Is More Important Than Mere People

Come on.

You know the answer to your question, don't you?

For many Americans -- especially Americans in power -- property is much more important than mere people.

Quote
underpants  (1000+ posts)       Fri Jan-25-08 11:21 AM
Response to Original message

6. *POOF*

That was my mind being blown.

What an excellent point. Truly insightful. Congrats to your wife

Quote
L. Coyote  (1000+ posts)      Fri Jan-25-08 11:25 AM
Response to Original message

8. Workers are easily replaced. Property is an investment.

Quote
TomClash  (1000+ posts)       Fri Jan-25-08 11:35 AM
Response to Original message

9. Rich people get it.

Quote
papau (1000+ posts)       Fri Jan-25-08 11:45 AM
Response to Reply #9

10. Bingo - no reason for national flood insurance program except for rich ownership of our shores

I dunno.

I suspect the expenditure on medical care--many ailments being caused by voluntary behavior--would immensely dwarf expenditures on recompensating for damage to property done by natural events.

I'll bet by several times over, as a matter of fact.
apres moi, le deluge

Offline SSG Snuggle Bunny

  • Global Moderator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 23048
  • Reputation: +2232/-269
  • Voted Rookie-of-the-Year, 3 years running
Re: media analyst Pedro Picasso gets catastrophic
« Reply #1 on: January 25, 2008, 12:54:06 PM »
Actually gov't subsidized insurance worsens economic recovery in disaster areas.

The gov't subsidizes flood zones in SE Florida that are east of I-95 because it costs too much for conventional insurance. Yet, the gov't bureaus are never solvent so they need to be propped-up (read: other people's money in the form of taxes). So in other words, redistributionism is once again making producers pay for consumers based on envy and classism.

I happen to think the solution would be to end gov't subsidy, let insurance rates assume natural market value. It will soon become too expensive to live in hurricane flood zones so people will leave which in turn will lower property values. Once property values tank the property will become cheap enough to repurchase AND insure at more sensible rates; not the artificially inflated rates driven by gov't redistributionism.

If a conservative is endorsing gov't disaster insurance they aren't paying attention.
According to the Bible, "know" means "yes."

Offline Chris_

  • Little Lebowski Urban Achiever
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 46845
  • Reputation: +2028/-266
Re: media analyst Pedro Picasso gets catastrophic
« Reply #2 on: January 25, 2008, 01:21:38 PM »
Actually gov't subsidized insurance worsens economic recovery in disaster areas.

The gov't subsidizes flood zones in SE Florida that are east of I-95 because it costs too much for conventional insurance. Yet, the gov't bureaus are never solvent so they need to be propped-up (read: other people's money in the form of taxes). So in other words, redistributionism is once again making producers pay for consumers based on envy and classism.

I happen to think the solution would be to end gov't subsidy, let insurance rates assume natural market value. It will soon become too expensive to live in hurricane flood zones so people will leave which in turn will lower property values. Once property values tank the property will become cheap enough to repurchase AND insure at more sensible rates; not the artificially inflated rates driven by gov't redistributionism.

If a conservative is endorsing gov't disaster insurance they aren't paying attention.

Perfect solution....allow the market to determine value on both the property and insurance cost side.  The final solution arrived at being that if you choose to live in a high-risk area, you either pay the freight for the insurance, or can afford to absorb the uninsured loss.

That said, once the property values have dropped, there will always be some folks who will buy in cheap, and conveniently forget how they got there, and run whinning to the government or the media when the next hurricane wipes them out.

doc
If you want to worship an orange pile of garbage with a reckless disregard for everything, get on down to Arbys & try our loaded curly fries.