Rama Set

The chad Stacey Abrams
« on: November 10, 2021, 09:28:04 PM »
https://www.newsweek.com/stacey-abrams-pac-wipes-out-212-million-medical-debt-108000-people-5-states-1643189

Holy shit, someone using wealth, influence and power to benefit large swathes of people. America, there is hope for you yet!

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Offline Iceman

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Re: The chad Stacey Abrams
« Reply #1 on: November 10, 2021, 11:20:57 PM »
I remember John Oliver did the same thing a few years back (much less money spent and debt forgiven  though). Good to see people putting money to use - it's a lot easier to digest this kind of publicity stunt than some of the others weve seen recently

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Offline Lord Dave

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Re: The chad Stacey Abrams
« Reply #2 on: November 11, 2021, 06:04:52 AM »
Hot damn. 
Wonder if the republicans will counter?
If you are going to DebOOonK an expert then you have to at least provide a source with credentials of equal or greater relevance. Even then, it merely shows that some experts disagree with each other.

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Offline Tom Bishop

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Re: The chad Stacey Abrams
« Reply #3 on: November 11, 2021, 06:46:04 AM »
I'm fairly skeptical of charities and handouts and believe that there are better ways to help people. Most charities do help people, but they also take a percentage of the donations as administrative costs. A percentage which sometimes borders on scam. Handouts are good for the individual but also fundamentally bad for society. The money would have had a better effect helping poor people get employment or better employment, which could provide a lifetime of benefit rather than a temporary one.

Wanting someone to come along and pay your debts and eschew your personal responsibility to maintain a job with health insurance is also a very communist thing, and I'm not surprised that you think that this type of charity is inarguably good. It doesn't look like RIP Medical Debt is even giving it to people who have outrageous balances from rare conditions or are in any particularly dire situation. People can't apply for it and they just send it to thousands of people at once indiscriminately by balance portfolios they receive. They do appear to be limiting it to people 200% of the poverty line, which is good and better than the free-money-for-all communist nonsense, but that still includes a lot of people who would have found ways to pay what could be a reasonable bill for them in increments, when the money could have otherwise gone to someone who truly needed it and was truly filing for bankruptcy.

Am I supposed to be cheering for joy that a bunch of random gainfully employed people of society, who probably have insurance, got the agreed upon unpaid portion of their bills by insurance paid off? It really does not sound too amazing when it is put that way.

Still, they are helping the poor. I give it a B
« Last Edit: November 11, 2021, 06:32:18 PM by Tom Bishop »

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Offline Lord Dave

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Re: The chad Stacey Abrams
« Reply #4 on: November 11, 2021, 09:58:02 AM »
Yes, we should help them gain a good job.
Which probably means education.  So back to school (university or trade)

Oh wait.  Can't risk losing on work hours, need to pay my medical debt and, you know, live.


Thats the cycle of poverty.  You have to work so much just trying to scrape by, that you can't get ahead.  Because to get a better job, you need education.  To get education you need money and time.  But if you can't get both of those, you can't get ahead and will be stuck with low skill jobs.

I mean, if you were thown out of your home at 18.  No college education.  Could you survive on your own and get better?
Maybe.  But those who can't are kinda screwed.

So maybe this won't help.them get a better job.  Or maybe it will let them cut their hours so they can do some schooling with a loan? 

If you are going to DebOOonK an expert then you have to at least provide a source with credentials of equal or greater relevance. Even then, it merely shows that some experts disagree with each other.

Rama Set

Re: The chad Stacey Abrams
« Reply #5 on: November 11, 2021, 12:38:50 PM »
Tom doesn’t care. He loves American corporate serfdom.

I saw someone point out that the premise for Breaking Bad is literally unintelligible anywhere else in the developed world. Medical debt is a pernicious phenomenon of a pernicious system. It’s great that in the absence of meaningful reform of the medical system, there are people trying to help others that are the victim of it.
« Last Edit: November 11, 2021, 12:41:26 PM by Rama Set »

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Offline Lord Dave

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Re: The chad Stacey Abrams
« Reply #6 on: November 11, 2021, 05:14:32 PM »
Tom doesn’t care. He loves American corporate serfdom.

I saw someone point out that the premise for Breaking Bad is literally unintelligible anywhere else in the developed world. Medical debt is a pernicious phenomenon of a pernicious system. It’s great that in the absence of meaningful reform of the medical system, there are people trying to help others that are the victim of it.
Even Syria had universal medical care.  Its like America is one of the few nations on Earth that doesn't.
If you are going to DebOOonK an expert then you have to at least provide a source with credentials of equal or greater relevance. Even then, it merely shows that some experts disagree with each other.

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Offline Tom Bishop

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Re: The chad Stacey Abrams
« Reply #7 on: November 11, 2021, 08:47:48 PM »
Yes, we should help them gain a good job.
Which probably means education.  So back to school (university or trade)

Oh wait.  Can't risk losing on work hours, need to pay my medical debt and, you know, live.

Thats the cycle of poverty.  You have to work so much just trying to scrape by, that you can't get ahead.  Because to get a better job, you need education.  To get education you need money and time.  But if you can't get both of those, you can't get ahead and will be stuck with low skill jobs.

Actually some of these people just need a certification class on driving a forklift to get into the next incremental pay echelon. They don't need to "go to university"  to get by.

In certain fields, such as mechanics or plumbing, you can learn on the job as an apprentice, learn as you go and eventually make and surpass a newhire with a degree. In fact, many fields are like that. If you're in IT help desk you just need something like a Linux certification to have more opportunities open for you, and you do not need to go to university to learn Linux.

Quote from: Lord Dave
I mean, if you were thown out of your home at 18.  No college education.  Could you survive on your own and get better?
Maybe.  But those who can't are kinda screwed.

Well yes, some people are in low paying jobs. The skills and certificates they need aren't unreachable to them though. That's like crying that some help desk workers are able to learn Linux on their own and others can't be bothered.
« Last Edit: November 12, 2021, 06:08:55 AM by Tom Bishop »

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Offline Lord Dave

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Re: The chad Stacey Abrams
« Reply #8 on: November 12, 2021, 07:40:19 AM »
Yes, we should help them gain a good job.
Which probably means education.  So back to school (university or trade)

Oh wait.  Can't risk losing on work hours, need to pay my medical debt and, you know, live.

Thats the cycle of poverty.  You have to work so much just trying to scrape by, that you can't get ahead.  Because to get a better job, you need education.  To get education you need money and time.  But if you can't get both of those, you can't get ahead and will be stuck with low skill jobs.

Actually some of these people just need a certification class on driving a forklift to get into the next incremental pay echelon. They don't need to "go to university"  to get by.
Sure.  "Some".  Classes can still cost between $50 and $200.  And it requires a forklift job to be available.  And since most people in a warehouse can drive a forklift already, its not exactly a sure bet.

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In certain fields, such as mechanics or plumbing, you can learn on the job as an apprentice, learn as you go and eventually make and surpass a newhire with a degree. In fact, many fields are like that. If you're in IT help desk you just need something like a Linux certification to have more opportunities open for you, and you do not need to go to university to learn Linux.
Yeah....
I used https://www.apprenticeship.gov and looked at nyc jobs.
I found one.  In NJ.  Which required a substitute teaching license.
So not sure your option is viable.

As for IT:  linux help desks are rare.  Most companies use microsoft.  But that's largely irrelevant as first line Help Desk is an unskilled position where you use a script or search KB articles for information.  No certification required.
But because of this, most is outsourced to India.  I am an IT expert.  I've seen it happen.  I watched, helpless, as my coworkers left their jobs for the last time because they got replaced by indians in India.

And a microsoft certification runs a few hundred dollars... Just for the test.  Classes can be more so.

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Quote from: Lord Dave
I mean, if you were thown out of your home at 18.  No college education.  Could you survive on your own and get better?
Maybe.  But those who can't are kinda screwed.

Well yes, some people are in low paying jobs. The skills and certificates they need aren't unreachable to them though. That's like crying that some help desk workers are able to learn Linux on their own and others can't be bothered.
Can't be bothered or lack the aptitude.  Because no amount of training is going to make me a heart surgeon. (My hands shake).

But what do you do with the people who are in low skill, low pay jobs and just can't get out? 
If you are going to DebOOonK an expert then you have to at least provide a source with credentials of equal or greater relevance. Even then, it merely shows that some experts disagree with each other.

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Offline juner

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Re: The chad Stacey Abrams
« Reply #9 on: November 12, 2021, 05:16:11 PM »
Okay Tom gave it a B+ and then retracted it to a B.

Either way it is a win for us all, I think.

Rama Set

Re: The chad Stacey Abrams
« Reply #10 on: November 12, 2021, 05:43:41 PM »
If Tom have it an F, I’d be sure of it.