Obama's Shutdown in Perspective

[CrusaderFrank]

Obama shutdown the government because he refuses to delay a program his supporters got exempted from and won't tell us how many people signed up through a $600 million website that doesn't work.

And Nancy Pelosi still hasn't read the bill

 

[Care4all]

the private contractor will be paid 93 million to develop and create/build the site, so the $600 million bull crud lie, needs to be corrected....I don't think he's gotten the full $93 million yet either....

But yes, the Contractor has FAILED, big time for right now...which I am hearing is par for the course on new sites like this.... I still think they've got a chance to correct the problems, so don't know yet if it is a complete failure, I'll give it another month...

 

[daveman]

the private contractor will be paid 93 million to develop and create/build the site, so the $600 million bull crud lie, needs to be corrected....I don't think he's gotten the full $93 million yet either....

But yes, the Contractor has FAILED, big time for right now...which I am hearing is par for the course on new sites like this.... I still think they've got a chance to correct the problems, so don't know yet if it is a complete failure, I'll give it another month...

Actually:

The exact cost to build Healthcare.gov and its related systems is difficult to determine due to the expansive nature of the project and the murky details in federal budgets. But based on the figures and details available, here is my best estimate of what this flawed system has cost us: The most clear data comes from a U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) report from June (pdf), which states that the U.S. Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) spent “almost $394 million from fiscal year 2010 through March 2013 through contracts” to build the “federally facilitated exchanges” (FFEs) – the complex system that includes Healthcare.gov as well as certain state-based exchanges – the data hub, and other expenditures related to the Obamacare exchange system. While GAO states that the “highest volume” of that $394 million was related to the development of “information technology systems,” a more detailed look at that cost shows that a portion that $394 million was spent on things like call centers and collection services. Take that out, and you’re left with roughly $363 million spent on technology-related costs to the healthcare exchanges – the bulk of which ($88 million) went to CGI Federal, the company awarded a $93.7 million contract to build Healthcare.gov and other technology portions of the FFEs.

That’s already a hell of a lot of money, but that does not account for all costs accrued for this project. As the GAO states, the $392 million figure does “not include CMS salaries and other administrative costs” associated with the Obamacare exchanges. In other words, the actual cost for the development and implementation of the total Obamacare exchange system is far higher. We’ve reached out to CMS for an exact figure, but thanks to the government shutdown, we have yet to hear from them on this matter. However, we do know, according to CMS’s 2014 budget request (pdf), that agency spent more than $150 million in 2012 and 2013 in relation to the Affordable Care Act – a lowball figure considering that, in its 2013 budget request (pdf), the agency asked for more than $1 billion in additional funds “needed to support operation infrastructure” and open-enrollment preparations of the FFEs.

At this point I can only speculate on the total cost to build out Healthcare.gov and the overall technology portion of the FFEs. Based on the available data, however, a conservative estimate puts the cost so far at over $500 million. Considering the GAO estimates it will cost approximately $2 billion to build-out and operate the FFEs in 2014, this is, if anything, likely far too low. Once we hear back from CMS on this matter, I’ll update this space with more detailed figures above the $363 million we know about for certain.​

 

[J.E.D]

Obama didn't shutdown the gov't

/thread

 

[TemplarKormac]

Obama didn't shutdown the gov't

/thread

Then why isn't he negotiating?

/argument

 

[J.E.D]

Obama didn't shutdown the gov't

/thread

Then why isn't he negotiating?

/argument

He is; he's just not bending over and letting the GOP get "98% of what they wanted"

/end GOP charade

 

[CrusaderFrank]

Obama didn't shutdown the gov't

/thread

Then why isn't he negotiating?

/argument

He is; he's just not bending over and letting the GOP get "98% of what they wanted"

/end GOP charade

Nobody wants ObamaCare, not Reid not Pelosi not even Obama

 

[J.E.D]

Then why isn't he negotiating?

/argument

He is; he's just not bending over and letting the GOP get "98% of what they wanted"

/end GOP charade

Nobody wants ObamaCare, not Reid not Pelosi not even Obama

Right. Republicans made Obamacare a central part of the 2012 elections; and yet, Obama was re-elected. Because nobody wants Obamacare. You go with that.

 

[The Rabbi]

He is; he's just not bending over and letting the GOP get "98% of what they wanted"

/end GOP charade

Nobody wants ObamaCare, not Reid not Pelosi not even Obama

Right. Republicans made Obamacare a central part of the 2012 elections; and yet, Obama was re-elected. Because nobody wants Obamacare. You go with that.

No one knew what Obamacare was at that point. Now that people have some sense that Obamacare is not unlimited free medical care, they're even less happy about it.
But Obamacare was always opposed by the majority. The numbers keep getting worse.
Quit spinning the 2012 election as some kind of referendum onObamacare. The truth is Obama won because he committed fraud in key districts in swing states.

 

[JakeStarkey]

The perspective of the far right reactionaries is nothing more than staring into a corner.

 

[decker]

The perspective of the far right reactionaries is nothing more than staring into a corner.

deep down i think gop lacked a plan when going into a shutdown. not though through. same time both sides need to come to deal over debt limit. if your country goes into default nobody wins and it will show a congress that has let down its people.

i hope for your country sake and the world ecnomey their is no default.

 

[JakeStarkey]

The GOP leadership seems to have trouble visioning exist strategies and benchmark evaluations.

Split planning because we are so divided now as a party. The Dems know that feeling.

 

[Zoom-boing]

Obama shutdown the government because he refuses to delay a program his supporters got exempted from and won't tell us how many people signed up through a $600 million website that doesn't work.

And Nancy Pelosi still hasn't read the bill

Isn't it interesting that the Canadian company contracted to build the aca website is expert extraordinaire on single payer systems.

CGI Federal is a subsidiary of Montreal-based CGI Group. With offices in Fairfax, Va., the subsidiary has been a darling of the Obama administration, which since 2009 has bestowed it with $1.4 billion in federal contracts, according to USAspending.gov.

The company is deeply embedded in Canada’s single-payer system. CGI has provided IT services to the Canadian Ministries of Health in Alberta, British Columbia, New Brunswick, Quebec and Saskatchewan, as well as to the national health provider, Health Canada, according to CGI's Canadian website.

As Canada’s No. 1 IT provider, the company states on its website that “95 federal departments, agencies, and crown corporations and most of Canada’s provinces partner with” the firm.

For being Canada's #1 IT provider, they sure missed the mark with the aca website. Three and a half years ... you can't create an account and they have to shut down the website three days after opening? Maybe the obama should have stuck to an American company. Oh wait, his priority was a company that had massive experience running single payer systems. obama the boy scout? Always be prepared.

Canadian firm hired to build troubled Obamacare exchanges | WashingtonExaminer.com

 

[CrusaderFrank]

He is; he's just not bending over and letting the GOP get "98% of what they wanted"

/end GOP charade

Nobody wants ObamaCare, not Reid not Pelosi not even Obama

Right. Republicans made Obamacare a central part of the 2012 elections; and yet, Obama was re-elected. Because nobody wants Obamacare. You go with that.

He was elected because Romney was ObamaCare-lite and turned off his base

 

[ClosedCaption]

Then why isn't he negotiating?

/argument

He is; he's just not bending over and letting the GOP get "98% of what they wanted"

/end GOP charade

Nobody wants ObamaCare, not Reid not Pelosi not even Obama

The election says otherwise

 

[birddog]

The perspective of the far right reactionaries is nothing more than staring into a corner.

"One Trick Pony Dumbass Alert!"

 

[daveman]

He is; he's just not bending over and letting the GOP get "98% of what they wanted"

/end GOP charade

Nobody wants ObamaCare, not Reid not Pelosi not even Obama

Right. Republicans made Obamacare a central part of the 2012 elections; and yet, Obama was re-elected. Because nobody wants Obamacare. You go with that.

Do you think the GOP candidates were elected to rubber-stamp Obama's agenda?

 

[CrusaderFrank]

The perspective of the far right reactionaries is nothing more than staring into a corner.

"One Trick Pony Dumbass Alert!"

Jake collects another 25 cents from Soros through his OFA

 

[Katzndogz]

Nobody wants ObamaCare, not Reid not Pelosi not even Obama

Right. Republicans made Obamacare a central part of the 2012 elections; and yet, Obama was re-elected. Because nobody wants Obamacare. You go with that.

He was elected because Romney was ObamaCare-lite and turned off his base

obamacare could still ride along on what it was supposed to do instead of what it was doing. No one expected the nation to become a country of part time workers. No one expected the sticker shock of the cost. When obama was reelected the majority of people still bought into "free health care". The ignorant populace thought that everyone was going to get state of the art medical care absolutely free.

It's not unlike California's bullet train. Everyone imagined that there would be a train going from Los Angeles to San Francisco, paid for by a tax only on the very rich. It passed with 52% of the vote. Today, now that the people see the train only going from one place in the desert to another place in the desert, and the cost 70% of the people would vote AGAINST it.

 

[CrusaderFrank]

Obama is using his shutdown to cause a default. Why is Reid now refusing to accept a clear CR?

Is this Obama's end game for the US small business and middle class?