Do voters have a right to know if a candidate is in poor health?

[Koldo]

They can make decisions that aren't popular simply because they do not have to worry about re-election.

Which is, up to a certain extent, an argument in favor of them being able to hold their position indefinitely, but says nothing about whether they should be elected directly.

 

[Nous]

Returning to the title question: Of course voters have no right to know about a candidate's health.

 

[Nous]

The ACA is simply not Constitutional. There is nothing in the Constitution giving the Federal Government the power to require citizens to pay private concerns for anything.

Your state requires you to purchase car insurance from a private company or else you can't get your car registered or inspected, and you get a ticket when caught. Right? (In fact, the inspectors are also private businesses who get a portion of the inspection fee that you pay.)

The ACA is no different: you must purchase health insurance or else you must pay a tax penalty.

Actually, what isn't constitutional is the Secretaries of HHS and the Treasury withdrawing funds from the Treasure to reimburse insurance companies for expenses under Section 1402 of the ACA without an appropriation in the annual budget, which has been happening for the past couple of years. Just a few months ago, the DC district court agreed with the House which challenged procedure. See this popular thread: http://www.religiousforums.com/thre...-on-houses-challenge-to-aca-provision.187279/

There is simply no argument that this reimbursement without an appropriation is constitutional. If Congress doesn't appropriate funds for Section 1402, it is just going to move the ACA along in its death spiral.

 

[Nous]

OK so they judicate instead of legislate, but in the end the effect can be pretty much the same.......

What would you like for the Supreme Court to do when Congress has passed an unconstitutional law?

 

[Underhill]

Which is, up to a certain extent, an argument in favor of them being able to hold their position indefinitely, but says nothing about whether they should be elected directly.

It does when you are pulling them from a pool of federal judges. Do you really want judges in the lower federal courts to make judgements based upon what will be popular at election time?

I've never liked the idea of electing judges. It leads to all kinds of games from the bench.

 

[columbus]

Your state requires you to purchase car insurance from a private company or else you can't get your car registered

Owning a private car and driving it on public roads is not a need. Lots of people don't.

So it isn't really comparable.
Tom

 

[Nous]

Owning a private car and driving it on public roads is not a need. Lots of people don't.

How is that supposed to justify the state requiring a car-owner to purchase insurance from a private company? That's what you said is unconstitutional about the ACA--that there is nothing in the Constitution that gives the "Government the power to require citizens to pay private concerns for anything."

 

[columbus]

How is that supposed to justify the state requiring a car-owner to purchase insurance from a private company?

The state doesn't require me to buy car insurance. How hard is that to understand?
Tom

 

[metis]

At this point, the ACA has been declared constitutional. Also, just reminder that "Romneycare" was operating legally, and it is my understanding that some other states also have similar arrangements.

 

[Nous]

The state doesn't require me to buy car insurance.

The government doesn't require you to purchase health insurance. You can choose to pay the tax penalty.

 

[columbus]

The government doesn't require you to purchase health insurance. You can choose to pay the tax penalty.

Exactly. The penalty is the unConstitutional part.
That doesn't apply to vehicle insurance which is why the two are categorically different.
Tom

 

[Shadow Wolf]

At this point, the ACA has been declared constitutional. Also, just reminder that "Romneycare" was operating legally, and it is my understanding that some other states also have similar arrangements.

A Dutch guy I know was actually excited for the ACA because it's so very similar to the Dutch system.

 

[metis]

A Dutch guy I know was actually excited for the ACA because it's so very similar to the Dutch system.

Yep. The last time I was in Amsterdam, I happened to talk with a woman of Dutch heritage who grew up in New York but then moved to the Netherlands later in life, and she said she loves the medical system there. One never has to worry about going bankrupt because of medical bills or getting prescription drugs, plus their system is actually less of a drain on the GDP than it is here in the States.

BTW, I really liked it there, including the people's overall demeanor.

 

[Wirey]

Yep. The last time I was in Amsterdam, I happened to talk with a woman of Dutch heritage who grew up in New York but then moved to the Netherlands later in life, and she said she loves the medical system there. One never has to worry about going bankrupt because of medical bills or getting prescription drugs, plus their system is actually less of a drain on the GDP than it is here in the States.

BTW, I really liked it there, including the people's overall demeanor.

Plus, they invented the Dutch Oven:

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=dutch oven

A real fun married people game.

 

[Revoltingest]

Plus, they invented the Dutch Oven:

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=dutch oven

A real fun married people game.

And they invented the Dutch treat.....which is a way to make your date pay her own way.
(Apres date results are mixed though.)