The Best That You Can Hope For Is To Die In Your Sleep
My apologies for the late posting. I was driving back from San Antonio after speaking on a social media panel this morning, which means I sat in front of attendees and prayed that no one asked me anything while twirling my hair (nervous habit no longer endearing). The panel was part of the Stop Predatory Gambling conference and when I first heard about it, I was all ROLL THE DICE MAMA NEEDS A NEW PAIR OF SHOES but turns out the foundation is actually against gambling. They define predatory gambling as “the practice of using gambling to prey on human weakness for profit and it has become the preferred method for government to raise money for public services.” It actually is truly awful, although I only started researching it last night in my hotel room while watching Dancing With the Stars and drinking $10 bottled water.
In other news, the health care bill continues to be a rallying point for conservatives as it makes its way through the Senate. A group called the League of American Voters is sponsoring an ad that’s a parody on the popular PC/Mac commercials. (I knew I wasn’t going to trust them after seeing “Read Dick Morris’ Urgent Letter to Stop Obama Plan.” Toe sucker.) The PC guy is “Government Health Care” and the Justin Long guy is a concerned young citizen named “Janie,” who is also dating Drew Barrymore. Weird. My favorite part of the exchange is when they’re talking about the Obama plan and taxes:
Janie: “Taxing pacemakers and wheelchairs?”
Government Guy: “You don’t need one.”
Janie: “Yeah, well, my grandmother does.”
Oh, poor misinformed Janie. Read the bill. No one cares about your grandmother. That’s what the death panels are for.
[via Ben Smith]
Tagged: league of american voters, stop predatory gambling.
LegeBoy says:
This is all sad considering the bill is a giant piece of shit anyway. Why don’t Republicans understand that the bill FORCES people into privatized insurance plans? They should be thrilled! The profits lost by insurance companies with the 10 million people who actually qualify for the public option will easily be offset by forcing 25 million more people onto private plans. This bill HELPS insurance companies. Insurance companies keep Republicans, and apparently Democrats, in office. It’s status quo! What’s not to love!?
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treehugger says:
You could have bought 10 lottery tickets for that 10 bucks. Why do you hate education? Is it because you have no children?
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Tickled Pink says:
Lottery = tax on stupid people.
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potted meat Reply:
November 10th, 2009 at 2:47 pm
TP…
They think it’s a retirement plan.
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Eileen Reply:
November 10th, 2009 at 7:59 pm
I know for a fact that you buy lottery tickets every day. YOU CAN’T WIN.
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potted meat Reply:
November 10th, 2009 at 8:19 pm
ME?
Quit stalking me, and I’m buying cheap coffee, not lottery tix.
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Jed says:
maybe. it also happens to be the ultimate regressive tax.
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Rog says:
The odds of winning the lottery, between someone who bought a ticket and someone who didn’t, are statistically insignificant.
The odds you will be subjected to an armed robbery standing in line to buy a lottery ticket are better than the odds you will win the lottery.
The odds that Republicans will make a coherent argument against Health Care? Same as the odds for winning the lottery.
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West Texas Hillbilly says:
Silly ad. Conservatives don’t use Macs. PCs are PC for puritans.
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JerrolLeBaron says:
As has been mentioned here, reading the bills is important.
Gross government waste or violations routinely come about when the bills are not read. Witness: Bush Bailout, Stimulus Package, Patriot Act.
I don’t care what Party a person belongs to. If a lawmaker is going to vote in favor of the bill, that person has a moral and fiduciary responsibility to read and thoroughly analyze the bill. This applies to any bill, not just the healthcare bill.
Competent deliberation is not possible if no one has read the bill. Read it. Understand it. Have a fine-tuning debate about it. Make the healthcare or any bill as good as it can be.
We’ve already had enough slipshod laws passed over the last decade. Let’s get some good ones passed now.
Jerrol LeBaron
Executive Director
Honor In Office
http://www.HonorInOffice.org
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Credentials says:
“It has become the preferred method for government to raise money for public services.”
That’s a bit much. The government has all kinds of ways they like to raise money for public services. Suggesting that it tops their list is just paranoid and sensational.
I don’t disagree that gambling can destroy lives. But to say that the lottery is “predatory” is just stupid. You can buy lottery tickets at any convenience store in Texas, just about. It’s not like they’re extra-available in poor or minority neighborhoods.
Now. Liquor stores that populate the poor and minority neighborhoods by a 2-to-1 margin in relation to middle-class and upper-class neighborhoods? THAT’s predatory.
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