Zephorah

This is why I worry. It’s likely correct in that we’re heading for fallout. But here we are.

This is not my area. I’ve simply consumed a lot of Heather Cox Richardson. She’s a Harvard educated American History professor. Posts on YT. Not very popular last check.

It’s calm, historical perspective which I rather enjoy.

Here’s another issue. Can we believe any of the numbers being posted on federal .gov sites any more?

I’ve been reading a lot about the inception of the welfare Queen idea, as pushed by Reagan first in California and then in our government as a whole ever since. So I initially started reading this as Trump numbers to support that nonsense.

I want to believe it is what it says it is, a warning sign to us all.

He started that evil welfare queen idea back in California. It gained traction there so he continued to use it on the national side.

The timeline is this. The 1950s boomed and created the middle class. Why? FDR decided subsidizing the American people, instead of the robber Baron class, was the way. This subsidy approach to the working class had never happened before in American history.

A middle class cannot happen organically in a capitalist society. It requires government subsidy.

The 50s were built on the backs of women, forcibly ejecting them from workplaces to be housewives, and excluded people who were not white. But the American middle class was born due to these subsidies.

And so it went.

Then, in the 80s. The concept of the evil welfare queen was touted on the national level, and our government decided subsidizing corporate instead of a middle class was the way.

This doesn’t happen overnight, but they begin chipping away at subsidies for Middle Class America and flip those subsidies to corporate America. The belief is, or at least the sales pitch is, subsidizing corporate America is more fiscally efficient than subsidizing the middle class and will ultimately benefit everyone to create a booming, thriving nation.

And so it goes for 40 yrs. Both parties, in tandem.

The chipping away to go back to the subsidizing of a middle class started in the oddest of places. 2020. After the massive destruction of the middle class, and abject proof of how disastrous to the working class subsidizing corporate America is, absolutely squeezing everyone making less than $300k/yr, by the numbers, it was that old man’s admin that tried to shift back on the disaster. Infrastructure, junk fees, internet as an essential utility, student loan forgiveness, etc

The breadth of the problem cannot be fixed in 4 yrs. Or even 8 yrs. Consider how long it took from the 80s to truly feel the oppressive shift of the subsidy change. (I’m old. I mark ~2012-2014 when things started to feel squeezed.)

Also note that you can’t mention Reagan or trickle down economics in this or you lose people.

I love how so many believe anyone and everyone can “just move”. Moving, even locally, is beyond the means of many.

CNAs, RTs, and Nurses can, and often do, live paycheck to paycheck. This is variable among mid levels.

Maybe doctors can “just move”. It’s more likely, based on income. And backgrounds. Maybe. Again, you can’t know the circumstances or the breadth of the language barrier.

Canada maybe. It’s my understanding the income is fixed, across the board, and RNs with 2yr degrees could only work as LPNs in Canada, regardless of experience.

Again. Circumstances vary.

“Just move” isn’t good advice unless you know someone well enough to know it’s good advice for them.

Healthcare started laying people off, including nurses, engaging hiring freezes, and tightening 2 months ago. After the senate pass, they’ve promised more cuts.

This is simply how the GOP raises money now.

I feel called out. I immediately thought of this TOS during that Seinfeld episode.

And the judicial branch of government is officially dead.

Don’t forget about defunding rural hospitals.

Hospital income is 30-60% Medicare & Medicaid. Urban leans towards 30%. Rural and critical access lean heavily to the 60% side of things.

As such, the expectation should be cuts in medical service availability.

The biggest loss leader in the medical hospital line up is mother/baby & NICU. This is why not every hospital has these services. Or why a corporate chain in an area has 1 between their hospitals. The expectation here needs to be that less mother/baby services will be available going forward.

Don’t think for one second that hospitals cannot shut down.