The Official "Making America Great Again" Thread

[CAA Flagship]

It's hard to keep up with all the accomplishments.

Indeed. I know all of our lives are so much better now than they were under Obama....or if Hilary would have won.

Well, in talking with my former colleagues, they are very busy now.
And in talking with people in the golf business outside of the Palousian wasteland, business is better.
And of course, health insurance companies continue to flourish.

[kalm]

Indeed. I know all of our lives are so much better now than they were under Obama....or if Hilary would have won.

Well, in talking with my former colleagues, they are very busy now.
And in talking with people in the golf business outside of the Palousian wasteland, business is better.
And of course, health insurance companies continue to flourish.

Whoopie anecdotal!

I have a relative about to declare bankruptcy with a 6 figure income due to healthcare expenses. I have friends with similar incomes (which is a ton in the Spokane economy), living paycheck to paycheck.

My parents 30 years ago were retiring in their 50’s, traveling the world, and owned a vacation home on teachers and coaching salaries.

I knew people who worked their way through college.

(Not all Trumps fault...and I’m sure he’s working on it)

[UNI88]

It's hard to keep up with all the accomplishments.

Indeed. I know all of our lives are so much better now than they were under Obama....or if Hilary would have won.

My life is definitely better.

[AZGrizFan]

Well, in talking with my former colleagues, they are very busy now.
And in talking with people in the golf business outside of the Palousian wasteland, business is better.
And of course, health insurance companies continue to flourish.

Whoopie anecdotal!

I have a relative about to declare bankruptcy with a 6 figure income due to healthcare expenses. I have friends with similar incomes (which is a ton in the Spokane economy), living paycheck to paycheck.

My parents 30 years ago were retiring in their 50’s, traveling the world, and owned a vacation home on teachers and coaching salaries.

I knew people who worked their way through college.

(Not all Trumps fault...and I’m sure he’s working on it)

Word of advice: tell that relative to file a MEDICAL bankruptcy. And yes, its a thing. Will be looked at differently than if he just says “fuck it” and throws in everything.

[Ibanez]

I've been in and out of meetings today but I thought I heard on Fox this morning that Mexico agreed to a lot of this stuff in March and that the only thing this threat did was accelerate the timeline.

It was Fox News so who knows...

Here:

Mexican negotiators persuaded President Trump to back down from his tariff threat by agreeing to an unprecedented crackdown on Central American migrants and accepting more-expansive measures in Mexico if the initial efforts don’t deliver quick results, according to officials from both governments and documents reviewed by The Washington Post.

The enforcement measures Mexico has promised include the deployment of a militarized national guard at the Guatemalan border, thousands of additional migrant arrests per week and the acceptance of busloads of asylum seekers turned away from the U.S. border daily, all geared toward cutting the migrant flow sharply in coming weeks. The measures, described by officials from both sides and included in Mexican negotiating documents reviewed by The Post, appear to be more substantial than what the Mexican government has attempted thus far during the precipitous rise in migration to the U.S. border.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/immigrat ... b94ceebadd

Yup. The link is from WaPo. Teeth gnashing and all.

Lol. FWIW, It was on CSPAN. unnamed White House source remarked that they got Mexico to spread up the timetable on things they had already agreed to.

The truth is somewhere in the middle

The deal to avert tariffs that President Trump announced with great fanfare on Friday night consists largely of actions that Mexico had already promised to take in prior discussions with the United States over the past several months, according to officials from both countries who are familiar with the negotiations.

Friday’s joint declaration says Mexico agreed to the “deployment of its National Guard throughout Mexico, giving priority to its southern border.” But the Mexican government had already pledged to do that in March during secret talks in Miami between Kirstjen Nielsen, then the secretary of homeland security, and Olga Sanchez, the Mexican secretary of the interior, the officials said.

The centerpiece of Mr. Trump’s deal was an expansion of a program to allow asylum-seekers to remain in Mexico while their legal cases proceed. But that arrangement was reached in December in a pair of painstakingly negotiated diplomatic notes that the two countries exchanged. Ms. Nielsen announced the Migrant Protection Protocols during a hearing of the House Judiciary Committee five days before Christmas.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/08/us/p ... riffs.html

[HI54UNI]

Well, in talking with my former colleagues, they are very busy now.
And in talking with people in the golf business outside of the Palousian wasteland, business is better.
And of course, health insurance companies continue to flourish.

Whoopie anecdotal!

I have a relative about to declare bankruptcy with a 6 figure income due to healthcare expenses. I have friends with similar incomes (which is a ton in the Spokane economy), living paycheck to paycheck.

My parents 30 years ago were retiring in their 50’s, traveling the world, and owned a vacation home on teachers and coaching salaries.

I knew people who worked their way through college.

(Not all Trumps fault...and I’m sure he’s working on it)

No health insurance?

[Ibanez]

Whoopie anecdotal!

I have a relative about to declare bankruptcy with a 6 figure income due to healthcare expenses. I have friends with similar incomes (which is a ton in the Spokane economy), living paycheck to paycheck.

My parents 30 years ago were retiring in their 50’s, traveling the world, and owned a vacation home on teachers and coaching salaries.

I knew people who worked their way through college.

(Not all Trumps fault...and I’m sure he’s working on it)

Word of advice: tell that relative to file a MEDICAL bankruptcy. And yes, its a thing. Will be looked at differently than if he just says “fuck it” and throws in everything.

I didn't know that existed. Does it still destroy your credit?

[kalm]

Whoopie anecdotal!

I have a relative about to declare bankruptcy with a 6 figure income due to healthcare expenses. I have friends with similar incomes (which is a ton in the Spokane economy), living paycheck to paycheck.

My parents 30 years ago were retiring in their 50’s, traveling the world, and owned a vacation home on teachers and coaching salaries.

I knew people who worked their way through college.

(Not all Trumps fault...and I’m sure he’s working on it)

No health insurance?

She has it but it’s not great coverage and a massive deductible. There are always other factors but the medical bills and drug expenses tipped her over the top.

[AZGrizFan]

Word of advice: tell that relative to file a MEDICAL bankruptcy. And yes, its a thing. Will be looked at differently than if he just says “fuck it” and throws in everything.

I didn't know that existed. Does it still destroy your credit?

Yes, but they're looked at differently by creditors than a full on Chapter 7. You only write off the medical bills associated with some catastrophic procedure, but don't lump in the credit cards, cars, etc., etc.

When I was a mortgage loan officer back in the day for B of A, I wrote approximately 1200 mortgage loans in 2 years...58 of those were filed by people who had a BK on their credit report. ONE of those 58 got approved...and it was a guy with a medical BK, who went into the doc for a routine exam and ended up having a heart attack on the exam table....they had to open him up and do an emergency triple bypass and the dude didn't have health insurance.

[AZGrizFan]

No health insurance?

She has it but it’s not great coverage and a massive deductible. There are always other factors but the medical bills and drug expenses tipped her over the top.

Six figure income
"Massive" deductible???

Sounds like somebody is living the American dream (as in, "beyond their means"....)

[kalm]

She has it but it’s not great coverage and a massive deductible. There are always other factors but the medical bills and drug expenses tipped her over the top.

Six figure income
"Massive" deductible???

Sounds like somebody is living the American dream (as in, "beyond their means"....)

No doubt, but most Americans at the income level and below are closer to the edge than many people think.

[AZGrizFan]

Six figure income
"Massive" deductible???

Sounds like somebody is living the American dream (as in, "beyond their means"....)

No doubt, but most Americans at the income level and below are closer to the edge than many people think.

Sadly, you are correct. And by their own volition....

[UNI88]

No doubt, but most Americans at the income level and below are closer to the edge than many people think.

Sadly, you are correct. And by their own volition....

True.

What qualifies as a massive deductible? My family routinely carried a $5k deductible but we did it because we could cover it in an emergency and our premiums were low enough to more than pay the difference between that and a lower deductible. We saved money year to year.

[Skjellyfetti]

Not sure it's the case in kalm's realative's case... but, annual/lifetime maximums can be a backbreaker at no fault of your own.

[AZGrizFan]

Not sure it's the case in kalm's realative's case... but, annual/lifetime maximums can be a backbreaker at no fault of your own.

That's true. And in today's world, it doesn't have to be cancer or some other long-term chronic thing...My BIL just had a heart transplant...he spent four weeks in the ICU at UW Medical Center (figure about $10k/day?) and then has to stay IN Seattle for another 3 months and go back every day to the hospital. I can't even imagine what the final tally will be when he's done....and he'll never really be "done". He will take up to 60 pills a day now for the rest of his life. And he's only 61.

[HI54UNI]

I thought Obamacare prohibited lifetime limits and maximums?

[Skjellyfetti]

Kinda.

There are plenty of exceptions. Obamacare improved things... but, it's not perfect. It can definitely be improved further.

[AZGrizFan]

Kinda.

There are plenty of exceptions. Obamacare improved things... but, it's not perfect. It can definitely be improved further.

It didn't improve things. But keep flailing.

[SDHornet]

Yeah curious what Trump could do other than how he has played it already. Maybe kalm is outraged about the kids in cages narrative...I mean never mind that that started before Trump took office but whatevs yo!

Umm....start jailing illegal employers, build the wall, bomb Mexico.

[SDHornet]

Kinda.

There are plenty of exceptions. Obamacare improved things... but, it's not perfect. It can definitely be improved further.

It didn't improve things. But keep flailing.

Next thing you know he's going to be telling us that Trump colluded with the Russ...oh wait.

[SDHornet]

She has it but it’s not great coverage and a massive deductible. There are always other factors but the medical bills and drug expenses tipped her over the top.

Six figure income
"Massive" deductible???

Sounds like somebody is living the American dream (as in, "beyond their means"....)

My thoughts exactly. Spending less than you make is not that fvcking complicated.

[css75]

Kinda.

There are plenty of exceptions. Obamacare improved things... but, it's not perfect. It can definitely be improved further.

Actually it sucks, but keep on trying.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[kalm]

Six figure income
"Massive" deductible???

Sounds like somebody is living the American dream (as in, "beyond their means"....)

My thoughts exactly. Spending less than you make is not that fvcking complicated.

You’re correct in a way but if it were only that simple. Not that she doesn’t own the situation but there are kids involved also with health issues, parenting agreements that required living in a high rent area, absentee ex’s, mental health issues, etc. And this is one of the smartest and at one point most successful people I know.

And she’s not alone. There were many truly smart people who went down or barely held on after the Great Recession.

Point being, as I said earlier, the financial cliff edge is way closer than we think. It’s the American way.

[JohnStOnge]

Here is the best article I've seen so far on Trump's regulatory reform related to environmental regulation:

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/201 ... backs.html

There are a lot of things in there but the authors did a nice short summary of each of them. Doesn't take long to scroll through and get an idea.

[SDHornet]

My thoughts exactly. Spending less than you make is not that fvcking complicated.

You’re correct in a way but if it were only that simple. Not that she doesn’t own the situation but there are kids involved also with health issues, parenting agreements that required living in a high rent area, absentee ex’s, mental health issues, etc. And this is one of the smartest and at one point most successful people I know.

And she’s not alone. There were many truly smart people who went down or barely held on after the Great Recession.

Point being, as I said earlier, the financial cliff edge is way closer than we think. It’s the American way.

Assuming the health issue is hereditary, pretty much all of what you listed can be attributed to poor/questionable life decisions. For the most part, people living on the edge of financial ruin have only themselves to blame.

I also put a lot of blame on the education system for failing to prep people with basic life skills. I never learned budgeting in school, my dad taught me all I needed to know about it which is spend less than you earn. It's not that complicated or hard.