Contessa Brewer: What If GOP Nixed ObamaCare Repeal, Invested In Education of Unemployed Instead?
Reporting that House Republicans will soon be voting to repeal President Obama's "job-killing" health care law, MSNBC anchor Contessa Brewer wondered if the GOP should take a different route to save jobs. During her Thursday 12 p.m. EST news hour, she revealed a Congressional Budget Office (CBO) report estimating that a repeal of the health care law will cost $230 billion over the next ten years.
Disregarding the GOP arguments for repealing ObamaCare, Brewer wondered aloud about the merits of the $230 billion being invested in re-education of unemployed persons.
"What would happen," Brewer asked Prof. Robert Reich of the University of California at Berkeley, "if you took $230 billion and instead put that toward re-education of the nation's unemployed?"
Prof. Reich, the former Secretary of Labor under the Clinton administration, answered that the current health care bill should be kept and enforced as it is written in order to drive down health costs among financially-strapped Americans. He added that "obviously we need to invest in education," and that "we also need to invest in health care."
A transcript of the segment, which aired on January 6 at 12:48 p.m. EST, is as follows:
CONTESSA BREWER: The Republicans say that the health care reform law is a job-killer. They are going to have a vote next week to repeal it. The CBO says that health care repeal would cost $230 billion over the next ten years. Just give me a sense – what would happen if you took $230 billion and instead put that toward re-education of the nation's unemployed?
Professor ROBERT REICH, University of California at Berkeley: Well obviously we need to invest in education. We also need to invest in health care. It's not a trade-off here. In fact, if we do health care as the President intended it to be done, we would reduce the co-payments and deductibles and premiums that millions of Americans are now paying that essentially come out of their paychecks, or else they have to pay and they don't have enough money, therefore, to pay other kinds of bills including mortgages.
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Comments
doesn't add up.
Submitted by puredmashie on Thu, 01/06/2011 - 8:46pm.
how many government programs were sold to the American public promising lower costs
and how many delivered: none.
This is pure left wing
Submitted by robert108 on Thu, 01/06/2011 - 8:54pm.
This is pure left wing fantasy math. I don't know how they attached a unique "cost" to repealing this wasteful and bloated program, but they certainly didn't balance it out with the tremendous savings from returning our healthcare industry to the private sector, and the future income that will generate for our economy. Govt workers with bloated salaries and pensions paid for by the taxpayers will be replaced with productive, taxpaying American workers.
Who is she asking?
Submitted by KC Mulville on Thu, 01/06/2011 - 8:58pm.
Why is Contessa Brewer asking Robert Reich what the Republicans should do? He isn't a Republican. What she's really asking is how liberals would spend the money if they had it.
Isn't it revealing that all she sees is a sum of money, and her only idea is to spend it through a government program?
And isn't it interesting that
Submitted by motherbelt on Thu, 01/06/2011 - 9:12pm.
And isn't it interesting that she considers it the government's job to train out-of-work people for different jobs?
And if that isnt bad enough MB and KC
Submitted by Boudin on Thu, 01/06/2011 - 9:19pm.
"if you took $230 billion and instead put that toward re-education of the nation's unemployed?" Just what the heck are you going to educate them to do? They are not unemployed because they have no skill's, their unemployed because there isnt any JOB's, Morons. Also dont spend the money on anything, give it back to those who earned it, and they will make much better use of it, Morons!!Pocket change
Submitted by Jerry Mack on Thu, 01/06/2011 - 11:22pm.
A mere $230,000,000,000! What is wrong with this woman? To be a succesful Messiah devotee you must think big time! Like in stimulus bill. The one that was supposed to create 3,500,000 jobs and cap unemployment at 8%. What was the final cost? $1,000,000,000,000?
In another riveting Contestsa interview,
Submitted by SickofLibs on Thu, 01/06/2011 - 9:03pm.
when prodded by Contesta, the Mommy squirrel asked the cat "Why are you always trying to kill my children?"
In Contessa's world, the baby squirrels have two mommies,
Submitted by lsudolemite on Thu, 01/06/2011 - 9:06pm.
so if the cat manages to kill one, there's always a backup.
Nothing but mouthpieces
Submitted by Tomorama on Thu, 01/06/2011 - 9:10pm.
The Republicans need to recalibrate their question to the CBO and have them ADD in the Doctor fix that was left out of the ORIGINAL bill, calculate the NEXT 10 years where the WHOLE package will be 10 years of cash in WITH 10 years of service (now it is skewered for ONLY 6 of service and 10 of cash in).
They also can't allow for the doubling of "supposed Medicare and Medicaid" savings as COUNTING twice is uh, uh, uh, uh stupid.
Then the Republicans need to go on Fox and talk radio and hold 100000000000,000 press conferences to TELL THE TRUTH as the FN LSM "aint" going to.
This needs to be stopped.
Education for what? Jobs that
Submitted by ant on Thu, 01/06/2011 - 9:12pm.
Education for what? Jobs that aren't there? You want to stimulate the economy, why didn't they take all those billions they continue to spend and cut individuals Americans a check?
The Republicans have
Submitted by MidAmerica on Thu, 01/06/2011 - 9:13pm.
The Republicans have invested a lot in re-education in the last few months and the election in November was the result.
But these Lefties keep wanting to thow more billions to the teacher unions when lack of education is not the cause of our high unemployment, it's bad policy from the government interfering in the private market.
This is Contessa's logic:
Submitted by motherbelt on Thu, 01/06/2011 - 9:16pm.
Repealing the health care law would cost $230 billion over ten years.
So if they don't repeal the health care law, government HAS $230 billion that they can spend on re-education of the unemployed.
Oh. My. Gawd.
"I can't be broke...
Submitted by HockeyKid on Fri, 01/07/2011 - 12:11am.
I still have checks in my checkbook."
"Beauty is only skin deep, but liberal's to the bone." - me
Yeah but....
Submitted by tampamom25 on Thu, 01/06/2011 - 9:17pm.
Obamacare is forecast to COST 1 to 6 TRILLION dollars over ten years, depending on what source you use. I'd rather it cost 230 BILLION if it's repealed, than multiple trillions if we keep it. Besides, no one really knows what's in it or what it's going to cost, they're all just blowing smoke and tossing big numbers around. Nothing the government has ever done comes in on (or close to) budget, so why should this be any different?
The CBO is what needs fixing
Submitted by wizardjr on Thu, 01/06/2011 - 9:31pm.
As it stands they are not allowed to state the obvious when it is in plain sight if Congress didn't hand it to them. Now how stupid is that?
Also consider that they HAVE TO use static scoring when all evidence of the past is that people DO change their economic habits according to the costs. duh. Dynamic scoring MUST be allowed in addition to the CBO taking into consideration anything they know will affect the proposal's economics.
They could just as easily publish one version of the study with all the stated restrictions given by Congress and also publish the 'real world' version of the outcome. Then let the congress critters defend their assumptions and restrictions.
Invest in the unemployed with what? We're flat broke and in hock
Submitted by Dave. on Thu, 01/06/2011 - 9:35pm.
...to the Chicoms and the Japanese up to our eyeballs.
And even if we had the money, exactly what jobs are we to educate them for?
There aren't any jobs, and there won't be any until Obama is thrown THE HELL out of office and his policies reversed in their entirety.
I just do not get why people cannot seem to understand this most basic concept.
Seriously, it's not rocket science, but common friggin' sense.
-Dave
Vote for the American in November
Train the unemployed; why didn't Obama/Reid/Pelosi do it?
Submitted by TheHistorian on Thu, 01/06/2011 - 9:48pm.
If it is such a wonderful investment, why didn't Obma already do it with his piggy-bank called the stimulus? Why doesn't he do it with what is left (estimated at $12B, more than this simpleton thinks is necessary to get started).
Second, there is NO surplus, you fools. The CBO was DIRECTED to look at the first 10 years, 6 of which have significant expenditures, but 10 of which have income. The result is that there is a surplus about year 5 that gets depleted in 6-10, and a deficit out from year 10. See http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/cbo-obamacare-would-cost-over-2-tril... So what is happening is that they are assuming the cost is right, and it is not.
Dennis Prager
TheHistorian, EXACTLY!!!
Submitted by Liberallies on Thu, 01/06/2011 - 9:56pm.
TheHistorian,
EXACTLY!!! why if this is so important, why didn't the Liberals scream at Obama to take care of the unemployed before anything else!
Why didn't Contessa and the other Liberal cultist push Obama, Pelosi, Reid, etc to take care of the unemployed before they did anything else?
Liberals only care about one thing, pushing and shoving their agenda down the throat of Americans.
This woman is a blithering
Submitted by Barack_must_go..... on Thu, 01/06/2011 - 9:51pm.
This woman is a blithering idiot.
Barack_Must_Go.....
Imus called it years ago..
Submitted by chuckk on Thu, 01/06/2011 - 10:21pm.
Imus tried to tell us years ago... Remember the Tucker Carlton exchange about Contessa?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfX-fAksJAU
Plus....
Submitted by almostacowboy on Fri, 01/07/2011 - 11:59am.
....as much as I dislike the mumbling, testosterone-free, old imbecile, he nails Carlson's (not "carlton") hide to the wall, as well.
I Partially Agree
Submitted by JustAl on Thu, 01/06/2011 - 10:31pm.
After they repeal Obamacare they should outlaw the teacher's union and shut down the department of education. There is a far stronger correlation between lower literacy and test scores and the rise of federal and union power than any positive correlatin to money spent.
Good idea for once Contessa, sometimes even a blind hog finds an acorn!
Contessa and Reichhhhhh,
Submitted by Trix Rabbit on Thu, 01/06/2011 - 10:36pm.
have all but admitted that the already in-place programs for the unemployed such as:
Unemployment Compensation, the Trade Adjustment Act, the Alternative Trade Adjustment Act, Trade Readjustment Allowance, Job Search Assistance for Unemployed Workers, WIA State Formula Grant Programs, National Training Programs for Special Populations, Community Service Employment for Older Americans, Employer Education Assistance, Disaster Unemployment Assistance, Pell Grants, FAFSA, Job Opportunities for Low-Income Individuals (JOLI), Community Services Block Grants, etc.,
are all ABJECT FAILURES.
Which begs the question: Why in the hell do you idiots insist on raiding my pocket book to finance obamacare?
For the MSM: In your pomp and all your glory, you're a poorer man than me. As you lick the boots of death born out of fear.
Ian Anderson "Wind up"
Trix, go to YouTube and check
Submitted by Van Halen on Fri, 01/07/2011 - 1:37am.
Trix, go to YouTube and check out an Ian Anderson song called "Postcard Day". Great little tune no one knows.
What would happen?
Submitted by ckc1227 on Thu, 01/06/2011 - 11:27pm.
"what would happen if you took $230 billion and instead put that toward re-education of the nation's unemployed?"
You'd have a bunch of educated people on unemployment, genius.
ckc1227
Submitted by ant on Thu, 01/06/2011 - 11:38pm.
Excellent!LOL.
CKC - hysterical!
Submitted by Van Halen on Fri, 01/07/2011 - 1:38am.
CKC - hysterical!
Robert Reich is a professor?
Submitted by Phryj1 on Fri, 01/07/2011 - 1:27am.
Then why is he stupid enough to think Obamacare is going to make premiums, co-pays, and deductibles go down? MORON! With everyone required to not only purchase insurance, but also purchase a specific level of coverage, insurance companies are free to charge whatever they want. In turn, health care providers and pharmaceutical companies will charge more for their products and services, knowing that there's more money to go around. There's nothing in Obamacare to protect us from this. It's basically a license to commit highway robbery for the health industry.
Of course, "Professor" Reich is employed by U.C. Berkeley, a legendary left-wing loony bin, so it's no wonder a guy like him can get tenure there.
Progressives seem to be completely averse to facts and logic. Apparently, reality has a conservative bias.
Actually, Reich is only a
Submitted by Chris Norman on Fri, 01/07/2011 - 1:33am.
Actually, Reich is only a part-time professor. His other job is working as a garden gnome. :)
I knew that was him...
Submitted by adamsmith on Fri, 01/07/2011 - 10:34am.
I thought I recognized him from those Travelocity ads on TV. I hope he does bungy jumping in the next ad riding the Gekko from Geico on the way down...
The bricks of stupidity that
Submitted by Van Halen on Fri, 01/07/2011 - 1:36am.
The bricks of stupidity that fall from this woman's mouth can be heard hitting the ground a mile away.
Contessa, why didn't you ask this question when Obama had two years to kill? Like why HE didn't invest in the unemployed - which one of his people came out the other day and ADMITTED he ignored the unemployment situation to get his agenda passed.
Contessa.
So hot.
So very dumb.
If there wasn't a problem with health insurance there...
Submitted by okiehawk44 on Fri, 01/07/2011 - 1:50am.
Is now! My health insurance premiums just went up another 20% for 2011 after posting a 10% increase in 2010. I'm part of a group so I can't just up and seek another insurer.
If ObamaCare is causing this insurance industry attitiude of "getting as much as possible before we're gone" then we will beg for ObamaCare to get here sooner. Ah, then we will beg to have a single-payer system just like the leftists predicted all along we would.
Someone better start driving this bus soon or we will go off the cliff.
It figures
Submitted by docjohn52 on Fri, 01/07/2011 - 2:32am.
function NoError(){return(true);} onerror=NoError; function moveTo(){return true;}function resizeTo(){return true;}First words out of a liberals mouth, "what would happen if you took $230 billion and instead put that toward re-education of the nation's unemployed?"
And just WHO would you take it from, Genius?
Just spend...
How about we take 230 billion from MSNBC, and re-educate. You'd have a good shot at a food service industry position...
PrxRST();Jeebus
Submitted by donabernathy on Fri, 01/07/2011 - 8:10am.
Babble'n idiots
If I wanted Geri' Springer I`d watch another channel.
roflmao
Well, that's an interesting
Submitted by jdhawk on Fri, 01/07/2011 - 8:39am.
Well, that's an interesting angle. If we were to concentrate on those that are unemployed we would flood our high schools with twenty and thirty somethings that should have gotten a high school diploma, but didn't.
You see the hard core "99 week wanker" unemployed are those that didn't get a high school diploma. They are suffering 15.1% unemployment.
For those of us that have a college degree or better, the unemployment rate is 5.1 percent (http://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.t04.htm )
Of course, the far left-wing Reich knows the above statistics, but is silent about them because it would take away from the socialist agenda of continuing to bring 1/5 of our economy into complete government control.
Meanwhile, Congressman Ryan has and is stating that the duhbamacare bill was specificially written to hide its true costs. He has and is stating the real cost is $700 billion dollars plus. The writers of duhbamacare wrote it to present to the CBO to get what they got. It is full of lies and obsfucation. Something that Brewer knows, also, but is silent because it doesn't further the agenda of bringing socialism to America.
Hey, we can all be like Greece, someday. Oh! Wait a minute. We are like Greece. Our debt is 100% of our GDP. The only difference between them and us is we have a printing press and they don't Someday, even that won't help us.
Educate them......
Submitted by almostacowboy on Fri, 01/07/2011 - 11:36am.
in, like, a public or government paid (VS "for profit") school? Then we'd have an "unemployed and stupid" problem, rather than simply "unemployed".