Miscellaneous And Off Topic Subjects

[entropy]

hoss.. LOL

I'd say I'm rubbing off on you, but that would only excite wiz..

[iam416]

Lots of news on the Supreme Court front. Lifting the stay of the travel ban certainly suggests they disagree with the lower courts. Shocking.

They also agreed to hear a case about bakers being compelled to bake cakes for gay weddings.

They also handed down a fairly significant case about Missouri's exclusion of grant money to religious schools.

Good stuff.

[Da Geezer]

Whether the care is being delivered efficiently -- or rather -- efficiently enough -- is an open question. I actually agree with Williamson that ridding ourselves of the employer-based model and going Swiss in that regard is a necessary step. I also agree with the higher deductible/co-pay plans.

Agreed. How do you figure we accomplish that?

What I proposed above is basically tax reform, taking away the tax benefits of employer-based health insurance. When you consider the friction that is being expressed nationally for what is essentially individual care for 10,000,000 non-Medicaid individuals plus Medicaid expansion, imagine what changing the insurance system for the 80-90% of those who are tied to an employer-based system would entail. Inertia is a powerful force in politics.

[iam416]

I know my limits, Geezer. Or, at least, I know when I'm wildly past my limits. I don't really feel comfortable opining on macro health care policy, and I certainly can't offer up any specific policies other than to regurgitate something someone has written that strikes me as rational.

So, ummm, fuck if I know.

[Wild Hoss]

hoss.. LOL

I'd say I'm rubbing off on you, but that would only excite wiz..

Nobody wants that. Especially Mrs Wiz.

[THE_WIZARD_]

heh

I mean...STFU

[Dr. Strangelove]

As noted the travel ban injunction has been lifted for a majority, though not all, cases. Foreign students or foreign nationals who have employment in the States will not be blocked from coming back.

Thomas, Gorsuch, and Alito dissented, saying the ban should've been upheld to cover everyone from those six countries, legitimate relationship in the US or not.

Of course the whole rationale for the travel ban going back to January was to give the Administration time to develop an awesome 'extreme vetting' plan. The Admin promised it only needed 3 months to come up with an ingenious scheme to protect the homeland from the swarms of Somali terrorists currently bound for our shores. Well, it's been 150 days, and I'm not clear on how the injunction prevented a plan from being developed in the meantime.

[Da Geezer]

Talent:

Lots of news on the Supreme Court front. Lifting the stay of the travel ban certainly suggests they disagree with the lower courts. Shocking.

Not a surprise, but certainly welcome. Unanimous.

Gorsuch, Alito and Thomas dissented in part to the "bona fide relationship to the United States..." exception of the other five. It's worth reading. Under the decision, we will now need to set up a bureaucracy to adjudicate what exactly is a "bona fide relationship..." I certainly hope Kennedy retires.

https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/16pdf/16-1436_l6hc.pdf

[THE_WIZARD_]

Can we please get back to our roots here...what happened to the mindless banter that made this place what it is? Ya'll too uptight...

[Wild Hoss]

STFU

You're welcome.

[THE_WIZARD_]

Much appreciated. Asshat.

[Dr. Strangelove]

Previous Trump EO said ban would take effect 72 hours after injunction lifted. So it'll be in effect from 6/29/2017 to 9/29/2017...till October 29th for refugees...during which time we'll get the extreme vetting in place which couldn't have been done without a travel ban. I believe it'll be over before the Supreme Court even hears the full case.

[iam416]

It would appear that the reason the stay was mostly lifted was b/c the Courts made no fucking finding of "irreparable harm" -- required to enter a preliminary injunction -- for foreign nationals with no ties to the US. Well, no fucking shit.

I'm not sure how much it portends their ultimate decision. Hopefully a lot -- I'd rather have Congress and the Executive making immigration policy than some district court judge in Honolulu.

[iam416]

What's interesting about the Court's opinion is that it's basically an absolute primer on standing. The Court, including all of the liberal justices, is hinting very fucking strongly that foreign nationals w/ no ties to the US have no fucking standing to challenge this law. Again, another duh.

They seem concerned enough about relatives or employees of institutions to suggest that they can challenge the law.

I could easily see something of a split decision where the Court first says that generic foreign nationals have zero ability to challenge the law, so that stands; then says foreign nationals w/ sufficient ties can challenge; and then says the EO goes to far/doesn't provide sufficient process.

[entropy]

One annoyance I've experienced with some recent travel changes is the no fluids on flights coming into the US. So I board a plane in Lima Peru and I'm told I can't take on any water (luckily, it was the person selling the water who told me that... people in Peru were great.. fantastic culture really.... anyways..). So ok, I'll have water on the flight. American Airlines came through twice, including breakfast, for drinks on a 7 hr flight.

yes, there are bigger issues in the world and this is relatively small, but it was annoying and avoidable. Security in Lima was tight and I had more questions asked of me than I do in the US. Selling water post security should be fine in cases like that..