Hey Reader,
I'm learning how to let go in real time. I was preparing for the day today and while doing so a task came up on my schedule that was left over from yesterday. In that moment a decision was made that if I didn't do it, it wasn't going to be done. The thing i'm referring to was relatively low stakes so it was easy to let go of, but also because of that, it informed my thought process on what it's like to let go of certain things.
"The Autobiography of Malcom X" Progress Update
This is my last required book for the year. You can keep up with my reading list on GoodReads, and I'll occasionally share reviews or what have you when compelled. I've gone through a lot over the last month and I haven't read beyond the middle of the fourth chapter. That said, I find myself being impacted by his story so far, more than I anticipated. I was compelled to read this book, beyond the fact that it is a goal of mine, because I am on a journey of actualizing myself in a unique way that I was informed to believe that Malcom's story could speak to. So far the book is living up to that expectation. I wanted to say this more sophisticatedly but, I appreciate the identifiable commonalities in our characters.
The Government Shutdown Drones On
I talked about the United States government shutdown on day 16/17 on X, I'll share that post below this. But, as we move into day 27 I feel compelled to discuss of the merits of the issue in terms of the policy in question. The democrats in the senate are squeamishly choosing to not vote in the affirmative for the clean continuing resolution to re-open the government. They are doing this because they want to extend Covid era Affordable Care Act enhanced premium tax credits.
These tax credits are not part of the original ACA and were voted in via a the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, which was a partisan bill enacted via reconciliation by the democrats and President Biden. All of that at face value would be fine to me if covid wasn't over. President Biden ended the national emergency response to covid in April 2023. Additionally, there were other covid subsidies that were in place that were ended even before 2023, during Biden's presidency, that objectively hurt a lot of people.
What exacerbates this narrative is the fact that the people benefiting from the enhanced premium tax credit are individuals well off enough not to need it. The enhanced premium tax credit makes it so there is a subsidy in place for individuals who purchase healthcare through the marketplace, and make over $62,600 a year. Over $128,000 for a family of four. More than 50% of the people who take advantage of this subsidy are between the ages 50-64. These individuals are early retirees and business owners.
Democrats are choosing this hill to die on because healthcare is usually a winning issue for them, even though they only cosplay being for universal or adjacent healthcare. Democrats want to show their base that they have some fight left in them but their base is disgusted with them for reasons similar to fighting to make sure the relatively wealthy and well off have the resources they need while everyone else struggles.
I said it before and I'll say it again, I think this is a losing issue for the democrats. The answer isn't to not pay government employees going into the holiday season because you are fighting for healthcare for your well to do constituents. The problem is the American healthcare system is broken and instead of doing universal healthcare or expanded medicare we have a marketplace. But then people don't want to have a substantive debate on why the democrats always seem powerless even when they have the presidency, the house, the senate, and super majority, or why Luigi Mangione did what he did. Healthcare is such an easy issue to be in favor for but that doesn't mean anything if what matters with respect to an issue isn't supported. Fighting for lower premiums for people who can afford higher premiums isn't a winning issue and if you're not getting paid over this issue, you're being insulted.
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Have a splendid week!
