Friday, April 16, 2010

Yoo Hoo, Tea Party People!

So, yesterday, thousands of angry Tea Nuts went to their state capitals, the major cities and Washington, D.C. to protest, well, who knows what? They complain that they are getting taxed to death and that they don't want their hard earned tax money to go to help poor people, disabled people or the elderly. My God, that would be just pure socialism to ask people to act in a socially responsible manner.

But enough snark.

My question is this: How many went to West Allis to protest outside UnitedHealthcare?
UnitedHealth Group Inc. CEO Stephen Hemsley received nearly $9 million in compensation for 2009, an increase of almost $6 million from the previous year.

Hemsley’s salary remained unchanged from a year ago, standing at $1.3 million. However, he received more than $5 million combined from stock-award and stock appreciation reward (SAR) compensation in 2009. He didn’t receive either SAR or stock-award pay in 2008.

In 2009, Minnetonka, Minn.-based UnitedHealth awarded Hemsley nearly $2 million in non-equity plan compensation, up from $1.8 million in 2008. Non-equity compensation pay is tied to a company’s performance.

Hemsley received $86,913 in compensation under the “all-other” category, which covers various executive perks. That’s down from $119,023 in 2008.

UnitedHealth, parent of UnitedHealthcare of Wisconsin in West Allis, reported a profit of $3.8 billion in 2009, up 27 percent from $2.98 billion in 2008. The health insurer's revenue rose to $87 billion, up from $81 billion in the previous year.

There is no way on earth to justify holding a mass protest because you think your taxes went up (which they didn't unless you make a bazillion dollars) to give a poor person health care coverage, but are perfectly fine with one health care executive walking away with $9 million of your money to benefit only himself.

AFTERTHOUGHT: Any guesses if this guy is one of Walker's brown baggers?

31 comments:

  1. Taxes didn't go up but health insurance premiums soared. They protest the former and pass on the later. That's, stupidity. Next up, Dan.

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  2. How much did dear leader make this past year??
    Oh yeah 5.5mil

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  3. That's still half of what the UnitedHealthcare CEO made. And people have a choice on whether or not to buy Obama's book.

    Milwaukee County only offers coverage through this company, just like a lot of other employers. Not much choice there.

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  4. So, "Tea Nuts", is neither boorish or as you said "...the standard, consider it to be common sense and common courtesy."

    As to your reference on choice. You can always purchase the product on your own...the limited choice is placed by you, not on you.

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  5. Wow, I'm county executive now? I get to pick what to offer to the workers?

    I'd better get cracking.

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  6. Yes simple concepts are tough for you, as evidenced by your bad math skills and now your illogical reasoning abilities.

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  7. Well, then I would have the same qualifications as Scott walker, wouldn't I?

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  8. In a market such as health insurance where there is a lot of collusion there are no choices, so wipe that nonsense out of your head. Or the other choice is no health insurance, which is really like telling someone, "why don't you just die."

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  9. Nonsense is acceptance of a false position as relevant truth. You might not like the choices, but they are still choices; hence, your stated opinion of "there are no choices" is false.

    You can attempt to word smith out of a logical discussion as capper does or you can debate from a reasoned position of facts...your choice, again.

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  10. Nonsense is acceptance of a false position as relevant truth.

    Hence, your arguments are rejected.

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  11. Which arguments are those, my retort on your boorish hypocritical "Tea Nuts", your inability to perform simple math, or your nonacceptance that you have choices?

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  12. There was no retort, just snarking.

    My math is just fine, even if you don't like the truth.

    Or the point that I don't really. I have to take the insurance, without the option of opting out, and they only offer one agency, which is obviously being way overpaid.

    Sorry, but your circular logic is letting you down again.

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  13. lol, double standards are nice.

    Your math would get you fined if you were a CPA.

    The point you don't like, which in you have difficulty facing is you do have a choice. If you don't like the options offered you can opt out and purchase your own...welcome to the real world.

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  14. So, you make vague and overgeneralized comments without support, and I'm supposed to be worried about that?

    And no, under the contract, I cannot opt out and buy my own. Your facts are again faulty.

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  15. Vague? "Tea Nuts" was your very clear term, hardly vague. Questioning your double standard in writing boorish remarks vs reading boorish remarks is the problem area, you have.

    You can always purchase your own insurance in this country, this is still a free country...even union people have choices.

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  16. Ah, but then I'd have two insurance policies since I still couldn't opt out of the current one. That is Walker type of budgeting nonsense that got the county in its current mess.

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  17. Glad you admit you do have a choice.

    I see you have now added "Tea Bangers" to your boorish yet common courtesy approach to hypocrisy...

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  18. A false choice is no choice, and what you call a choice is as false as your rhetoric.

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  19. Keep chasing your tail...

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  20. You can surely opt out- I know I work there. Additionally, you have the choice of HMO with different provider systems(I have Aurora Advanced Healthcare) or PPO coverage. So choices galore :)

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  21. If you truly work for the county, you'd already be aware that the only health care coverage provider is UnitedHealth. You're confusing health care provider with health care coverage. Not an uncommon mistake for conservatives.

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  22. You’re confusing personal responsibilities with being taken care of...not an uncommon mistake for liberals.

    You complain of no-choice, when you are offered a choice; the issue you don't like is making this choice, on your own, will not be provided for you it will cost you...personal responsibility.

    All medical benefit programs are enrollment based, if you enrolled, you accepted the choice provided for you. If you are unhappy with the provided insurance pony up and purchase your own. That is the biggest issue with liberals. Always wanting to complain of others not buying them enough...

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  23. LOL!

    You just don't get it. There is this thing called a contract. I don't get to opt out of the insurance. It is part of the agreement between the county and the unions. And I honor what I agree to.

    But then again, contracts and honor are things that are alien concepts to Walker Republicans.

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  24. You don't get it. If you don't like your insurance you can buy your own; at your own cost...it is called making a choice. The insurance is provided, but you still must enroll in a medical plan, if you picked a plan provided, you accepted their choice...clueless.

    Because a benefit is part of your contract does not mean you MUST use it. There is a vast difference between honor and partaking in a lemming’s parade pretending you have no choices.

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  25. So, you're saying I should pay for the insurance, and then not use it. Then I should go out and buy my own insurance again, duplicating the first benefit that I am not using.

    Are you part of Walker's budgeting staff?

    BTW, your suggestion would only make the original point of the post all the more sincere, and proves why we need health care reform. To keep the insurance companies and people like you from bankrupting us all.

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  26. Also, what you propose is a false choice, and thus no choice.

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  27. You are indeed a follower. You chose to work for the government, you chose to be a union member, and you chose to vote for the contract. Thus you decided to be exactly where you are.

    You also still have the choice to purchase your own insurance if you don’t want what you have.

    Your disingenuous dig on me, "keep...people like you from bankrupting us all", is a knee slapper. You are the one whom DECIDED to be exactly where you are...complaining of having no choices; when in reality you have many choices, but being the liberal minded lemming you don't want to pay for them.

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  28. The same circular logic and semantic games.

    BTW, when I chose to take this job, there was no Scott Walker and no limit on choices. Sorry about that one, but you are wrong as usual.

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  29. Ok, Barnaby the bumbling accountant is declaring others of playing semantic games;
    lol, always someone else that caused your issues...no personal responsibility.

    Reality is a tough issue for some to grasp. Your inability to grasp you live in a free country that offers choices is perplexing even for a person who voluntarily works for the government and belongs to a union.

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  30. Yawn. Repetition does not make you correct, only redundantly wrong.

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  31. Your choice of a double negative is interestingly positive Barnaby.

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