Election Day Thread

[amanda6035]

Alabama PROPOSED STATEWIDE AMENDMENT NUMBER SIX (6)
Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, to prohibit any person, employer, or health care provider from being compelled to participate in any health care system. (Proposed by Act No. 2011-617)

I wasn't able to vote this morning because I live in a boarder town and work in GA, but my polling place is open 7am-7pm central. I'll be going after work. I'm really excited about the above proposed amendment. Please, Alabama, get it right.

I wish these amendments, though, would be written in plain English. The one above was the shortest, and easiest to understand. I'm likely to not vote yes OR no on the rest of them because the wording is such that I can't figure out what I would actually be voting for or against.

[DeltaBetaBaby]

Originally Posted by amanda6035

I wasn't able to vote this morning because I live in a boarder town and work in GA, but my polling place is open 7am-7pm central. I'll be going after work. I'm really excited about the above proposed amendment. Please, Alabama, get it right.

I wish these amendments, though, would be written in plain English. The one above was the shortest, and easiest to understand. I'm likely to not vote yes OR no on the rest of them because the wording is such that I can't figure out what I would actually be voting for or against.

I think this is a REALLY GOOD non-partisan breakdown of what each one means:

http://www.lwval.org/election2012/st...ts.11.6.12.pdf

[AGDee]

Originally Posted by DeltaBetaBaby

Typically, I don't spend a lot of time trying to parse them on my own, and instead check out what the LWV has to say. They are non-partisan, and spend a lot of time studying these issues.

I agree. Sadly, they didn't do our county proposals, only our state proposals.

I find that Alabama proposal interesting:

The proposed amendment represents a state’s rights stand relative to the mandates in the federal health care legislation that were upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court. It would apply to all Alabama residents and has the following provisions:
1. No person, employer, or health care provider could be compelled to participate in any health care system.
2. A person or employer would be able to pay directly for health care services and not be required to pay penalties or fines for paying directly for lawful health care services.
3. Health care provider could accept direct payment for lawful health care services and not be required to pay penalties or fines for accepting such direct payments.
4. The purchase or sale of health insurance in private health care systems shall not be prohibited by law or rule.

That's interesting because ACA does include any of those things. Under ACA, nobody is compelled to use any health care system. You cannot be forced to go to a doctor or hospital. Under ACA, employers can still be self insured and anybody can still pay for their care out of pocket if they choose. Under ACA, health care providers can still accept money out of pocket without penalties or fines. And under ACA, the purchase or sale of health insurance in private health care systems is not prohobited by law or rule.

I don't see how this proposal would do anything at all.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by AGDee

I don't see how this proposal would do anything at all.

As best I can tell, it's a purely symbolic "we don't like Obamacare" measure.

[amanda6035]

Originally Posted by DeltaBetaBaby

I think this is a REALLY GOOD non-partisan breakdown of what each one means:

http://www.lwval.org/election2012/st...ts.11.6.12.pdf

Thanks for this!