primitives discuss 0bamacare closing schools in Tennessee

[franksolich]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10027258676

Oh my.

madfloridian (85,849 posts)    Wed Oct 14, 2015, 04:08 PM

Entire Tennessee school district closed because of Obamacare.
 
From Jen Hayden's diary at Daily Kos. This is unbelievable, but real.

Tennessee official offers mind-blowing explanation for abruptly closing entire school district

A Tennessee school district is making the news after it was announced the entire school district was closing up until further notice due to lack of funding. It is unimaginable this could happen in the United States, right? Especially so abruptly, in the middle of the school year, leaving parents and students in a lurch.

Clay County Director of Schools Jerry Strong has offered an explanation for the shocking closure. Inept management? Nope. Inability to pass local taxes to support the school? Oh, no way. The head of Clay County schools says the whole thing is due to Obamacare:

"Clay County's inability to generate the revenue to offset the mandates is what's caused this to come to a head," he said. "The straw that broke the camel's back was really the Affordable Care Act for us and it has made it very difficult for us to have our employees properly covered and meet the mandates of the law. That was going to require new revenue and the commission felt like they couldn't do that through a tax increase."

Strong said the county commission, which funds the schools, has declined to increase property taxes and a proposed wheel tax referendum vote won't take place until March.

- - - - - - - - - -

Thanks, Obama! Through your insidious plan to get affordable healthcare for educators, you have forced their hand. For a party that once touted themselves as the "party of responsibility," they sure seem lack any personal accountability for their own misdeeds. Clay County, Tennessee residents aren't doing themselves any favors here either. Consistently identified as one of the most impoverished counties in the entire nation, they've turned extremely Republican in recent years.

The district, which Vice President Al Gore once represented, has gone "severely conservative" in recent years. The county went overwhelming for Romney in 2012 (62/37) and they elected Tea Party Republican Diane Black to Congress in the "Tea Party wave" of 2010.

For now, Clay County residents appear to be reaping what they sowed. It is just too sad that the biggest losers in all of this are the children of Clay County.

Blus4u (279 posts)    Wed Oct 14, 2015, 04:22 PM

3. Something smells on this deal.
 
What was the healthcare situation prior to the ACA? 

LonePirate (2,415 posts)    Wed Oct 14, 2015, 04:39 PM

4. So taxes are more important than education for these people?
 
That question is not necessarily rhetorical even if these people are RWNJs.

phylny (3,478 posts)    Wed Oct 14, 2015, 07:29 PM

16. In my red state of Virginia, you betcha taxes are more important than education.
 
Teachers leave in droves to go to other school systems because they HAVE to to live, and this is a very affordable place to live. My taxes are so low for the size of my home and location (lakefront) that it's laughable.

haele (6,301 posts)    Wed Oct 14, 2015, 05:50 PM

9. So, they had cheap "basic" insurance before that covered basic checkups and small emergencies -
 
that provided premiums that did little for the teachers and staff, but sure filled the pockets of the corporation that cut a deal with the district. Insurance for "the healthy" until they needed it. The type of insurance that was basically a coupon or voucher for specific services, but if you really needed health care before you could get old enough to be on Medicare and actually be provided a modicum of wellness care along with health services, you and your family plunged six figures worth into bankruptcy.

And now the district has to purchase something with a minimal quality of health care, so now "they can't afford it". Or maybe they're just digging their heels in because it's "Obummer-care", as our currently uninsured son-in-law's equally (and proudly) uninsured father who pays him to work the family business constantly calls it.

But hey - maintaining tax breaks and cutting pesky regulations for civic moochers who "got theirs" is far more important than those silly liberal ideas like community services, common standards, and fair access to necessary resources. 

madfloridian (85,849 posts)    Wed Oct 14, 2015, 05:54 PM

11. About 10 years before I retired, teachers here had best insurance around.
 
Doctors and hospitals applauded it. Our county took pride in providing it for its teachers.

We did not have to pay for coverage for ourselves, but family insured was still pretty reasonable.

Then suddenly a few years ago about 2009 teachers became the bad guys. The insurance here now I understand is just plain lousy. 

teach1st (4,206 posts)    Wed Oct 14, 2015, 06:11 PM

13. I rarely use my school-board insurance
 
I'm a teacher, and my insurance used to be decent. Now, I go to walk-in clinics for the minor health problems. It's cheaper and save hours of waiting room and paperwork time. My insurance declines to cover treatment that would help my major health issue. 

DisgustipatedinCA (9,918 posts)    Wed Oct 14, 2015, 06:20 PM

15. Revenue comes from taxes. Republicans believe taxes are evil.
 
So why in the hell are they surprised when they don't have operating capital? It's what they've wanted all along. So celebrate, Republicans. This is exactly the win you've been hoping for. And when your schools have been closed for a generation, good luck figuring out the velcro technology that holds your shoes closed. Dumbasses.

[Carl]

When there is no more money to take from people where do these dolts think it is going to come from?

I know,a rhetorical question as no DUmbass will accept that the money tree can ever die.

[Maxiest]

When there is no more money to take from people where do these dolts think it is going to come from?

I know,a rhetorical question as no DUmbass will accept that the money tree can ever die.

This is the question I have always asked liberals and have never received an answer.  When the takers out weigh the givers what happens?  Answer me DUmbasses!!!!!!

[DLR Pyro]

Entire Tennessee school district closed because of Obamacare.

If you like your school district, you can keep your school district......

[Chris_]

Clay County has a 7.9% unemployment rate and a per household income of $29,727.  What magic beans were these DUmmies expecting to pay for all the new entitlements?

[SVPete]

When there is no more money to take from people where do these dolts think it is going to come from?

I know,a rhetorical question as no DUmbass will accept that the money tree can ever die.

Libs & Progs seem to think that businesses, property owners, and "the rich" are infinitely milkable cows. They don't realize that the cows they are milking can "die" or move away.

This is an example of why one-size-fits-all dictated-by-Washington-DC crap is foolish. A handful (relatively speaking) of bureaucrats CANNOT know what will work in every part of the country. Pragmatically speaking most bureaucrats don't care either.

[Duke Nukum]

Um, Primitives...

 

This is your Brave New World Order, your Fundamental Transformation of America, your Hope, your Change.

You guys should be dancing in the streets.  This is exactly what you voted for.

[DumbAss Tanker]

I live in a very rural county and an awful lot of the real estate tax base are old guys and widows who are hanging on with social security, partial VA pensions or survivor benefits, and union pensions (Many reduced by graft and corruption after their retirement).  They don't hate education, but they live pretty close to the bone as it is and not much gets a rise out of them quicker than the words "Tax increase."

[jukin]

You know when teachers go on strike for even more lavish benefits and double digit percentage wages?  That is for the kids.

Here in SoCal the teachers have great insurance that costs the district over $900/month with a minimal contribution by the teacher. . But get this, when they retire they get that same fantastic insurance for ZERO dollars a month.  That is most likely why this school district is closing. For every teacher in the classroom there are 4-5 on retirement.

[67 Rover]

LonePirate (2,415 posts)    Wed Oct 14, 2015, 04:39 PM

4. So taxes are more important than education for these people?
 
That question is not necessarily rhetorical even if these people are RWNJs.

Did this idiot feel the same way when weekend at Bernies state of Vermont decided that a 29% tax is too damn much to pay for the vaunted cure all single payer insurance?

[obumazombie]

Um, Primitives...

 

This is your Brave New World Order, your Fundamental Transformation of America, your Hope, your Change.

You guys should be dancing in the streets.  This is exactly what you voted for.

According to some of the DUmmies replies, they aren't owning it yet.
They are still making excuses.

[franksolich]

According to some of the DUmmies replies, they aren't owning it yet.

They are still making excuses.

The primitives are never going to own it; in their infantile world, all that's bad that happens is someone else's fault, not theirs.

Just as on January 20, 1981, the homeless flung out on the streets by Jimmy Carter suddenly got blamed on Ronald Reagan, the (R) who takes the presidency on January 20, 2017, is going to get an earful of Democrats, liberals, and primitives whining that all the problems actually created by their MiracleMan 0bozo, were caused by his successor.

Wait, watch, and see if I'm not right.

[98ZJUSMC]

Um, Primitives...

 

This is your Brave New World Order, your Fundamental Transformation of America, your Hope, your Change.

You guys should be dancing in the streets.  This is exactly what you voted for.

There it is.

[landofconfusion80]

Our property taxes this year we're 1600. 1000 of that goes to the school district. Needless to say my homeschooling wife wasn't too happy about it

[miskie]

Let me start by saying I know nothing about this problem, other than what the DUmmy posted, and frankly, I have no intention of looking any further.

Anyway, my immediate take was a bit different.

Could it be that the teachers had a 'Cadillac' plan, one that will require higher payments under the ACA, and when the teacher's union was presented with that, they said 'no.' - and expected the town to cover the difference ?

Since the town saw no need to force everybody else to pay for the teachers, they did what happens every time union demands outstrip what the business owner (in this case, the town) is willing to pay ?

They closed the shop.

[Carl]

Our property taxes this year we're 1600. 1000 of that goes to the school district. Needless to say my homeschooling wife wasn't too happy about it

Here in the commie state of NY my school taxes due the 5th of this month were almost $3300.00 with another bill of over 2 grand for the county will arrive at the end of December.

I think close to half of the houses and property in the county are for sale.

[SVPete]

Our property taxes this year we're 1600. 1000 of that goes to the school district. Needless to say my homeschooling wife wasn't too happy about it

Ours are a bit more than double that, but not as bad as Carl's. That CA isn't as bad as NY can be attributed to Prop 13, passed in 1978, which limited property and some other taxes. Needless to say teacher's unions - and other Libs/Progs - have been assailing Prop 13 from before the vote to the present (and into the future, for that matter). Prop 13 is probably so hated and "infamous" that it's become a national-level Lib/Prog bogeyman.

But I understand your and your wife's feelings about property taxes funding public schools you aren't/won't be using. We also homeschooled "K-12", and to rub things in, we live across the street from a school district office (we're the second homeschooling family in this house, BTW, ).

[Mary Ann]

Let me start by saying I know nothing about this problem, other than what the DUmmy posted, and frankly, I have no intention of looking any further.

Anyway, my immediate take was a bit different.

Could it be that the teachers had a 'Cadillac' plan, one that will require higher payments under the ACA, and when the teacher's union was presented with that, they said 'no.' - and expected the town to cover the difference ?

Since the town saw no need to force everybody else to pay for the teachers, they did what happens every time union demands outstrip what the business owner (in this case, the town) is willing to pay ?

They closed the shop.

You are probably right about that.

[DumbAss Tanker]

Let me start by saying I know nothing about this problem, other than what the DUmmy posted, and frankly, I have no intention of looking any further.

Anyway, my immediate take was a bit different.

Could it be that the teachers had a 'Cadillac' plan, one that will require higher payments under the ACA, and when the teacher's union was presented with that, they said 'no.' - and expected the town to cover the difference ?

Since the town saw no need to force everybody else to pay for the teachers, they did what happens every time union demands outstrip what the business owner (in this case, the town) is willing to pay ?

They closed the shop.

It's more likely they had a standard plan that covered the normal stuff, with co-pays for things like birth control and preventive health screenings, and possibly excluding some things like abortifacients, same-sex partners, and pre-existing conditions, which means an Obamacare-compliant policy probably tripled the cost.

[I_B_Perky]

The primitives are never going to own it; in their infantile world, all that's bad that happens is someone else's fault, not theirs.

Just as on January 20, 1981, the homeless flung out on the streets by Jimmy Carter suddenly got blamed on Ronald Reagan, the (R) who takes the presidency on January 20, 2017, is going to get an earful of Democrats, liberals, and primitives whining that all the problems actually created by their MiracleMan 0bozo, were caused by his successor.

Wait, watch, and see if I'm not right.

I agree with you, Frank.  Nothing is ever the dems fault.  If we had even a modicum of a non biased MSM there would never be a democrat elected president again.