Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Want To Opt Out Of Obamacare? Try Nancy Pelosi's District **UPDATED**

Update below.

I am sure this will be a shock to you, but fully 20% of Obamacare waivers are in Nancy Pelosi's district. (Okay, I cannot restrain myself - how much does it look like Obama is telling Nancy, "don't you worry, sweetie, I will always love you" or something along those lines? Feel free to add your own caption below.)

You are just not going to believe this. Well, maybe you would, but it is just a tad aggravating, as The Daily Caller reports:
Of the 204 new Obamacare waivers President Barack Obama’s administration approved in April, 38 are for fancy eateries, hip nightclubs and decadent hotels in House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi’s Northern California district.

That’s in addition to the 27 new waivers for health care or drug companies and the 31 new union waivers Obama’s Department of Health and Human Services approved.

[...]

Other common waiver recipients were labor union chapters, large corporations, financial firms and local governments. But Pelosi’s district’s waivers are the first major examples of luxurious, gourmet restaurants and hotels getting a year-long pass from Obamacare.

Gee, aren't you also surprised to learn that union chapters were also getting waivers? Oh, I am so sure.

But allow me to give you a glimpse into the kinds of restaurants these are in Former Speaker Pelosi's district getting waivers:
For instance, Boboquivari’s restaurant in Pelosi’s district in San Francisco got a waiver from Obamacare. Boboquivari’s advertises $59 porterhouse steaks, $39 filet mignons and $35 crab dinners.

Then, there’s CafĂ© des Amis, which describes its eating experience as “a timeless Parisian style brasserie” which is “located on one of San Francisco’s premier shopping and strolling boulevards, Union Street,” according to the restaurant’s Web site.

“Bacchus Management Group, in partnership with Perry Butler, is bringing you that same warm, inviting feeling, with a distinctive San Francisco spin,” the Web site reads. Somehow, though, the San Francisco upper class eatery earned itself a waiver from Obamacare because it apparently cost them too much to meet the law’s first year requirements.

The reason the Obama administration says it has given out waivers is to exempt certain companies or policyholders from “annual limit requirements.” The applications for the waivers are “reviewed on a case by case basis by department officials who look at a series of factors including whether or not a premium increase is large or if a significant number of enrollees would lose access to their current plan because the coverage would not be offered in the absence of a waiver.” The waivers don’t allow a company to permanently refrain from implementing Obamacare’s stipulations, but companies can reapply for waivers annually through 2014. [snip] (Click here to read the rest of this story.)

Not to be too cynical or anything (!), but sure seems like a bit of a payback for Pelosi shoving through this monstrosity of a bill. But that's just a guess on my part.

And if THESE companies are struggling to pay for Obamacare with their high dollar menu, what does this administration think is going to happen with small business owners who AREN'T charging comparable rates for comparable services? Will they, too, get waivers? I wouldn't hold my breath on that one, if I were them. Well, unless they happen to be in Nancy's district, and likely a place she frequents (okay, I made that up, but c'mon, it's pretty likely, isn't it, that she patronizes the restaurants mentioned above? I think so.), otherwise, they are just SOL.

Just like the rest of us are.

Once again, this is a glaring example of just how much this is less about the people of this country, and more about political payback. All I can say is I hope the courts do the right thing for US and rule this new law un-Constitutional.

Caption time - what is Obama saying to Pelosi? And consider this an Open Thread. Feel free to talk abt the Govinator's love child, why this IMF chairman, Dominque Strauss-Kahn still has his job after raping someone but Wolfowitz lost his for a consensual relationship, or Trump, Obama's bin Laden bounce already bouncing away, or whoever/whatever is on your mind...

UPDATE: I advise you to not be drinking anything when you read this. Ready? Okay - so, HHS is claiming that Pelosi had NOTHING to do with the 20% of waivers granted in April going to HER district. Nope, zippo, zilch, nada, the big donut hole. Huh uh, nothing at all. Oh, you believe them, don't you? After all, they're the government - they wouldn't lie to you, would they?! Wow...

10 comments:

Mary Ellen said...

Oh dear, that picture has my mind reeling with ideas...will come up with something concrete later. In kind of a bad mood and having a hard time feeling funny.

Regarding the IMF chairman, just check my blog. Ben Stein, of American Thinker wrote a post defending this guy...feeling bad because he's in jail and should have been treated better in court because he's innocent until proven guilty. My bad mood played out in my post...unfortunately, but the list that Ben put out was just over the top. Ugh! I'm so sick of women being treated like sex toys for men.

Not surprised about the waivers for the party favorites, they don't even try to hide it anymore, they just do what they want because they have the media in their pocket.

Switch Pelosi with Hillary in your mind. Could you imagine the foam and spittle that would be coming out of Chris Matthew's mouth as he reported this on his show? Now....it's not even mentioned in the MSM, especially on MSNBC and CNN.

SFIndie said...

I'm almost sure of what Barry is telling BFF Nancy .... "Don't worry, Nance, honey...no matter what happens, your botox treatments will ALWAYS be paid for by the taxpayers."

Waivers for such places as Boboquivari's is symbolic of what SF has become. Can't wait to leave this town!!

Rabble Rouser Reverend Amy said...

ME, I completely understand not feeling funny right this minute, but yeah - every time I see that photo, it just makes me ill.

ABSOLUTELY - if this was Hillary, or PALIN, or McCain, or ANYONE else, the talking heads at CNN and MSNBC would be exploding with outrage. Can't you just see how outraged Ed Schultz would be if this was, say, Michelle Bachmann? Oh, the hue and cry would rise up all over this land.

As for Strauss-Kahn, it really is remarkable that, as Stuart Varney pointed out, still has his position with the IMF! WTF? Seriously - if Wolfowitz lost his position because of a MUTUAL relationship, how in the HELL does this man retain his job given the laundry list of crimes he allegedly committed from kidnapping to rape??

Goddess, I am so sick of the hypocrisy. SO sick of it.

Thinking of you, friend...

Rabble Rouser Reverend Amy said...

SFIndie, you totally crack me up! And, yes - I can surely see that being what he is saying to her. Of course, we can't really tell from her facial expression... ;-)

I hope you can get out of there soon, too. I mean, how does it feel to live in a city that does not think it is obligated to follow Federal and state laws? Just wondering...Ahem.

Mary Ellen said...

Oh yeah...I believe that Pelosi had nothing to do with all those waivers granted. Uh-huh. And if you believe that, I have a stimulus package I'd like to sell ya.

Honestly, Rev. Amy, do they honestly believe we are that stupid?

Rabble Rouser Reverend Amy said...

Well, ME, I think the short answer is, YES - yes they do think we are that stupid. Obama did get elected, after all, so they might have a point...

Ahem.

SFIndie said...

Oh, San Francisco is ABOVE the law, didn't you know that? In fact, SF makes its OWN laws. After all, we're the Unicorn City by the Bay! No pitiful people grasping onto their guns and bibles here, unh unh, no sirree, nope. We drink our koolaid, ride our Unicorns, give sanctuary to law breakers, then shake our heads sadly at the state of the economy and wonder What Happened??? But it's not Nancy's fault, oh no. Nor Bab's fault. And Di had nothing to do with it, either. Nope. All those waivers? Just...you know...they deserved it....nuthin' to do with Botox Nancy...course not...gotta go, time to feed my Unicorn and pull some more money off the money tree...

Yep. Can I opt out of San Francisco now??? :-)

Rabble Rouser Reverend Amy said...

DAngit, I want a unicorn and a money tree!! Though, come to think of it, my Homeowners Assooc. won't let me have one since we are on the water (only interior lots can have horses and unicorns). But I sure could use that money tree! :-)

And yes, apparently SF does think it is above the law. It doesn't seem to think it is above getting taxpayer;s money, just following the same laws the rest of us do. Must be nice, but it can only happen when the gov't ALLOWS it to happen.

I have no doubt those who are crafting these policies think they are above the law, and are very sanctimonious and arrogant abt it. But of course they are above such pedestrian things...Blech.

I hope you can get out of there soon, too, but you'll have to change your moniker! :-D

Mary Ellen said...

I wouldn't mind a unicorn but it has to be glittery and rainbow-y.

Rabble Rouser Reverend Amy said...

ROTFLMAO - hell to the yes! No common unicorn for you, ME!!