All things political. Coronavirus Edition. (4 Viewers)

[Maxp]

I fear we are really going to be in a bad place due to the obvious cuts to the federal agencies that deal with infectious disease, but also the negative effect the Affordable Care act has had on non urban hospitals. Our front line defenses are ineffectual and our ability to treat the populous is probably at an all time low. Factor in the cost of healthcare and I can see our system crashing. What do you think about the politics of this virus?

 

[SystemShock]

And I still wonder how so many people fall under the spell of so many lies... But as I had said before. This probably stems all the way back to the education system. DYK - we even have political debates at the secondary school level? Politicians from all parties are invited to talk and take questions from grades 8-13 before elections? (and trust me some of them hate it lol - those youngsters are not fazed by a member of parliment and WILL ask tough questions. Most of the kids are too young to vote but they sure knows BS when they hear it

I don't think it has anything to do with the education system, but more to do with the culture.

 

[DaveXA]

I don't think it has anything to do with the education system, but more to do with the culture.

Indeed.

 

[MT15]

Reading this morning that CT is lifting restrictions on business capacity while leaving the mask mandate in place (for now). This makes so much more sense than TX because CT has 2x as many people vaccinated (21%, IIRC) AND they are leaving the mask mandate.

If Abbott had left the mask mandate in place, his other moves would have made more sense as well.

 

[wardorican]

Sorry - but I find her message far more important than the "characterization" you make of her...

So what if she lives a different livestyle? The fact that the GOP cares so little about the people who elected them can't be repeated enough! But in classical GOP style - they attack the messenger - not the message..

A lot of people do that. BTW. Sometimes it is warranted. I prefer to attack the message though.

 

[GMRfellowtraveller]

 

[insidejob]

About time Democrats pulled something off.

 

[DaveXA]

Hahah, that's friggin awesome.

 

[wardorican]

Is this a typo? Even with that I think the corrected value should be, heck of a razor thin difference between full and none.

Joe Biden's stimulus check changes: Do you still qualify for $1,400?

To win Senate passage, Biden agreed to make millions ineligible for the third checks.

finance.yahoo.com

But to win over the Senate's more conservative Democrats, Biden agreed this week to narrow the eligibility for stimulus checks, according to multiple media outlets. Here's how it would work:

• Individuals earning less than $75,000 and couples making under $160,000 would still receive a full $1,400. Then, payments would start phasing out.
• There would be no money for single taxpayers earning more than $80,000 or joint filers with incomes above $160,000.

Previously, the cutoff points were incomes of $100,000 for individuals and $200,000 for couples. With the change, close to 17 million fewer Americans would get payments this time, according to an analysis from the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy.

I think the first joint filer value should be $150k. But 150-160 is pretty tight. Same for 75-80.

 

[insidejob]

I swear...if I catch some "Don't Mess With/Everything's Bigger in TX" folks who want to act a fool in Louisiana because we are sandwiched between the states with the two dumbest governors in the country screw with people in LA who are being responsible and also following our state's guidelines. You know these Trumpists love to vocally hate the masks and the people who wear them, so now that they've got government backing, they're going to flip their shirt. The instances will probably pile up over the next few months.

Clerks in gas stations should do everything they possibly/legally can to arm themselves to the teeth for the first few weeks of those idiot states having their Masks are Un-American and Fascist Tools of the Liberals funded by George Soros just so he can bask in his power. It ain't like these Trump obsessed morons morons are going to just abide quietly to the requests of stores (even in TX) in states where they still have mandates.

Hell no. Because Freedum.

 

[Saint by the Bay]

Is this a typo? Even with that I think the corrected value should be, heck of a razor thin difference between full and none.

Joe Biden's stimulus check changes: Do you still qualify for $1,400?

To win Senate passage, Biden agreed to make millions ineligible for the third checks.

finance.yahoo.com

I think the first joint filer value should be $150k. But 150-160 is pretty tight. Same for 75-80.

I think that's a typo on the top level. What I read previously was $1400 up to 150k and phasing out up to 160k. Nothing over 160k.

 

[JRad]

Same for 75-80.

Yea that is way, way too tight. Like a good year of bonuses or commissions would basically bring you from 1400 to 0 at a time when you could really need it.

 

[zztop]

This is a pretty long read, with some quotes by some (R) as to why they oppose certain aspects. Here is one such example:

"They want to send wheelbarrows of cash to state and local bureaucrats to bail out mismanagement from before the pandemic," Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said Wednesday. "They're changing the previous bipartisan funding formula in ways that will especially bias the money toward big blue states."

Biden's relief bill isn't getting bipartisan support like previous stimulus bills. What do Republicans dislike so much?

All Senate Republicans voted against even starting debate on the $1.9 trillion measure on Thursday.

www.usatoday.com

 

[SaintForLife]

My understanding is Texas has vaccinated less than 10% of its population

I'd think the threshold should be at least 50% before we start talking about removing mandates

Texas has given 13.6% of their population 1 dose, 7.5% are fully vaccinated, & they have used 72% their vaccine doses.

The US has given 16% of the population 1 dose and 8.4% are fully vaccinated.

 

[SaintForLife]

Is this a typo? Even with that I think the corrected value should be, heck of a razor thin difference between full and none.

Joe Biden's stimulus check changes: Do you still qualify for $1,400?

To win Senate passage, Biden agreed to make millions ineligible for the third checks.

finance.yahoo.com

I think the first joint filer value should be $150k. But 150-160 is pretty tight. Same for 75-80.

The problem is that it's based off of the 2019 tax returns and people who were above the income limit in 2019 could have made less in 2020 due to the pandemic.

 

[Saint by the Bay]

If you file your 2020 taxes before the IRS starts processing payments it will use your 2020 taxes. If they vote this weekend it will probably be too late because the IRS will start processing them early next week and I’m not sure the timing for getting it into the IRS system.

 

[DaveXA]

If you file your 2020 taxes before the IRS starts processing payments it will use your 2020 taxes. If they vote this weekend it will probably be too late because the IRS will start processing them early next week and I’m not sure the timing for getting it into the IRS system.

Iirc, you could use either 2018 or 2019 for the first payments last summer. Maybe they'll give people that option? I made next to nothing in 2019 when I was looking for work. 2020 was my first full year, but still under the max benefit limit.

 

[Saint by the Bay]

Iirc, you could use either 2018 or 2019 for the first payments last summer. Maybe they'll give people that option? I made next to nothing in 2019 when I was looking for work. 2020 was my first full year, but still under the max benefit limit.

They said it will use the most recent. I’ve been encouraging my friends and family who took big hits in 2020 to get their taxes filed. Fortunately I came through last year unscathed so I still won’t get any stimulus, but I know guys who dropped from 300k in 2019 to 60k in 2020.

 

[DaveXA]

They said it will use the most recent. I’ve been encouraging my friends and family who took big hits in 2020 to get their taxes filed. Fortunately I came through last year unscathed so I still won’t get any stimulus, but I know guys who dropped from 300k in 2019 to 60k in 2020.

That makes sense. I haven't done my taxes yet. I'm actually waiting til it's a done deal, lol.