Hey, remember when Nancy Pelosi triumphantly predicted that Obamacare would allow artists to have health insurance without worrying about their day jobs?
Think of an economy where people could be an artist or a photographer or, eh, a writer without worrying about keeping their day job in order to have health insurance….
Nancy Pelosi Helath Care Will Give up More of… by GWHH19
It’s a dream come true, and you are subsidizing it, as this NY Times spotlight piece about two artists in Albequerque who quality for free Obamacare plans demonstrates:
Elisabeth and Mark Horst, artists in Albuquerque who earn $24,000 a year between them, qualified for a zero-premium plan.
I have nothing against the Horsts. Living and painting in Albuquerque is a dream for many people.
But why should the taxpayers have to subsidize what clearly is a lifestyle choice? The Horsts are not exactly uneducated or without choices in their lives.
Here’s a part of Mark Horst’s bio at his art website:
Mark Horst grew up in small town Minnesota. He studied pottery and printmaking in high school and college, but his encounter with Dorothy Day and the Catholic Worker led to years of very different work. After earning a Ph.D. in theology from Yale University, he spent time teaching and working toward neighborhood renewal in south Minneapolis. He pursued the craft of painting and drawing at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design and the New York Studio School. He lives in Albuquerque.
If paint were a means of freezing time and protecting us from the dangerous life of the spirit, I would put down my brushes. But, for me, painting is a way of breaking time’s grip and setting loose something wild and strong.
Elizabeth also is highly educated and closed her psychology practice to paint:
I studied philosophy at Yale, psychology at the University of Minnesota, and in addition have trained in Reiki, yoga instruction, and shiatsu. As for art… I taught myself to knit at the age of seven, designed and made my own clothes in high school, stitched a quilt while writing my senior essay in college. Fiber art has always been what I do when I am not required to be doing something else (and sometimes when I am). I began to sell my handwoven scarves at art fairs and farmers markets in 2002, and in 2003 closed my psychology practice to make art full time.
More power to the Horsts. But don’t ask me to subsidize their lifestyle choice. Or that of struggling rock musicians:
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Comments
Part of destroying the work ethic is to glorify low achievers.
Hey now! I’m a low achiever (never had much ambition), but I’m SELF-RELIANT low achiever. I ask no one to support my lifestyle but myself.
The glory of it all, is that I am civil disobedient, not enrolling, even though I would probably qualify even more than those “artists”. I draw comic characters as a hobby, and I drink Lattes. OMG, How many liberal minds just burst from the fact that I’m a tea party conservative?
Here’s a sketch I did as a sample, so you know I’m not blowing wind:
http://www.comicvine.com/images/1300-2570602
You are right, and I stand corrected. I should have written: “to glorify takers.” I am all for people being able to make their own life style choices, so long as they don’t ask others to subsidize those choices.
Thanks for your courteous correction, and I like your sketch.
Thanks for the thumbs up. I may not have ambition, but I really appreciate complimets. 🙂
argh. Compliments*. Spell Checking, where is thy ambition!!! hehe
Have you considered doing your own illustrated ‘On Walden Pond’ with art that contrasts current hegemony of the liberal elite utopians against the backdrop of the efficient economy of the self reliant who leads by example rather than by the individual destroying power of political correctness?
Think about it. You might ‘Kindle’ a re-awaking.
Day-yam… I was just born too soon evidently. Free this and free that!
I could probably be a slacker for life and live well to boot!
Day-yam…
Paul, I’m not trying to be a jerk, but when you put down a link to something, you may want to let people know that they are about to be linked to illustrations of naked women with erect nipples, simply out of courtesy. I’m a celibate clergyman, and I try very hard not to entertain thoughts or images of naked women, especially if they look like the one that greeted me upon linking. When one tries to quiet the mind for prayer, often the day’s most memorable events, images, sounds, etc., try to pry in and disrupt one’s focus. It also helps to avoid temptation, if such images are not before my eyes and in my head. I know that many other men try to keep their virtue intact, not just clergy. The less we see of naked women, the better.
I’m not trying to tell you that you shouldn’t post such things, just that it is common courtesy to let people know that they are about to see something like that, if you’re going to post a link. It’s inconsiderate not to warn people when they’re about to see such content.
Fellow Tea Party artist here! Went through art school and everything. Maybe that’s why I knew that I wasn’t entitled to “having it all” when the instructors constantly reminded us that not everyone is cut out to be a professional artist? That only the genuinely committed deserve to be professional artists and anyone who wants to have a comfortable lifestyle needs to go back to the office job?
Yes, I know office jobs suck, but only a spoiled entitlement brat poseur wannabe demand taxpayers to fund their lives rather than accepting the struggle that professional art demands. Even Kickstarter rejects projects to “fund my life”!
Art is struggle. If you aren’t struggling and you don’t accept that struggle, you aren’t a professional artist and you haven’t earned the privilege of being one. Last time I checked, no one was wringing their hands and waxing melodramatic over model train enthusiasts who don’t have health insurance. And for some reason, no one would take a Warhammer figure painter seriously for quitting his job to “pursue his passions” to play with toys.
Don’t get me wrong; those of you hobbyists out there who didn’t go through art school and/or don’t want to deal with the struggle and would rather have nice things are not lesser artists for it. It doesn’t mean you don’t take your art seriously if you have a different career. It’s not an easy lifestyle at all, it’s not for everyone, nor should it be. But you (general you) don’t get to decide that if you don’t like your job and want to “follow your dreams” you don’t have to give up a lavish lifestyle to follow them. Not without being mocked and derided by real artists who have to get by on ramen. Yes, if you want to be an artist, you probably have to by cheap food at Smart Shopper rather than organic pro-biotic yoghurt at Whole Foods. Quelle horror.
There is nothing inherently noble about “following your dreams” by itself. The thing that makes it special is that it demands sacrifice. Thanks for cheapening it at the expense of everyone else, poseurs.
I want to stop teaching and be a voluntary, work-from-home video game tester and movie critic.
Thanks Obama!
My garage needs painting and with winter coming on I could use a pair of knitted wool socks. Mark and Elizabeth now have a way to provide me with a service and product that I have already paid them for.
Jeez, instead of struggling to put together a start up so I can be my own boss, I should just paint or something.
These two over-educated airy-fairies are doing lousy art on the taxpayer’s dime, and smugly, too.
Lousy art and smug put-downs of the unwashed are part of what makes them elite. Face it, they’re better than we are. Nice to see that the government knows our place, eh?
Another victory for the General Theory of Liberalism.
Astute gamers of the system will note that in many cases it will make sense to quit your job once you have your mortgage paid off and a good chunk of money put away in retirement accounts, where its growth doesn’t count as subsidy-killing “income.”
Welcome to Free Rider Nation!
Right. We are subsidizing not just educated non-productives. But also millionaires who arrange their affairs so as not to show too much income.
It won’t take long for people to do business under the table. Did these artists report all their earnings? Do they owe sales tax for items sold? The learning curve will be quick for a bartering and cash society to exist. Your maid, lawn guy, tree cutter, and other smart small business owners will quickly see how reporting less income will benefit them when applying for healthcare. Healthcare is not asset tested so you can make sure you don’t earn more than the amount listed in Obamacare. Mediocre wages will be all the rage. If your employer issues you a W-2 will all your earnings then you are going to pay for these lovely artists. Up next? Amnesty. If you like your country-you can keep your country. Amnesty is the redistribution of your country.
It won’t take long for people to do business under the table.
____________________________
If they’re not already. Looks like a pretty nice house for people reportedly making only $24k income a year.
In any event, there is no excuse for the government to be forcing janitors and sales clerks and auto mechanics to subsidize the lifestyle choices of licensed psychologists and Yale Ph.D’s.
I noted that story on another site, and thought, “Free-riders”.
I thought free-riders were supposed to be BAD…??? Wasn’t THAT one of the pretexts for ObamaDoggle?
I don’t want Obamacare, and I don’t need Obamacare. I already have the best health Insurance available for free:
A strong faith in God.
http://phys.org/news159440729.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3GwEJrnC08
Nancy Pelosi “We Have to Pass the Bill So That You Can Find Out..you know the rest, doncha’?
Yeah right pelosi, Americans are finding what is “in it” is the democrat dream of socialism, just like that document you took oath to preserve and defend!
Lemme’ see now, what is that document named, pelosi?
How is this any fault of the Horsts? Who here hasn’t wanted to quit the rat race to follow a dream or passion?
I can certainly identify with them. Temperament-wise, I’m an Idealist-Healer (see http://www.keirsey.com/4temps/overview_temperaments.asp ). True to my temperament, I was writing songs by the time I was 14 and gigging by 16, hoping to make a living at it. However, that wasn’t my father’s dream and in my early 20’s I succumbed to the pressure and started working at the factory that employed him. It paid well, had good benefits and I was good at the job; but I was miserable. Thankfully, life afforded me a do-over at 45 and I resigned that job. My wife made enough to support us, so I set about rehabbing and keeping our homes, doing odd jobs that appealed to me, and resumed my musical interests – writing, recording, gigging.
What I find odd about people, especially those who profess to be Christians, is their tendency to assess valuation of others based on the principals of mammon, and not the things of God – the fruit of the spirit, good works, acts of compassion and charity, etc.
In my case, I went from a $60K/yr income in the 90’s, where I was miserable and produced nothing that anyone would value except maybe Dr. Strangelove, to making less than $10K/yr, happy and fulfilled, writing songs and faith-based articles, performing, etc., which has blessed 10’s of thousands of people.
So which is better?
I don’t like Obamacare, but with regard to this example, it contrasts the difference between medical care because you can afford it, and medical care because you need it.
For the Christians who think they shouldn’t have to pay for another person’s medical care, have you read the story of the Good Samaritan lately, or Matthew 25:31-46?
Show me how the Good Samaritan was forced by the government to do what he did. I’ll be waiting.
You know damn well we aren’t talking about people in need. That is not and has never been the topic of discussion, because this generous country always agrees to help those in actual need.
As for the attitude you seem to despise, there’s a country song about it:
I ain’t asking nobody for nothin
If I can’t get it on my own.
If you don’t like the life I’m living
Why don’t you just leave this long-haired country boy alone?
I don’t mind it if somebody wants to live a minimalist life. I’ve done it, when necessary, and been happy. If need be, I’ll do it again.
But I do not think I should pay for somebody else to loaf. These people are pigs.
Of course; the principle of “if you don’t work, you don’t eat” applies (2 Thessalonians 3:11-13). The Horsts work. The problem is, you do not value their work, so you de-value them.
When we are all given 80 years give or take, how is it that the doctor, lawyer, etc., is valued more highly than the artist or musician?
All contribute in their own way. Some simply generate more money than others.
So, how about really putting your money where your mouth is: IF you do not value artisan types, stop listening to music, remove the paintings from your home, turn off entertainment TV, movies, etc. I think maybe you’ll find artisan types account for a significant portion of your enjoyment.
Ridiculous. Now that you seem to be leaning towards “subsidize artists” I can say with confidence that you are indeed trolling.
I can name dozens and dozens of artists that make way more than the average lawyer. Sorry that the artists you would prefer don’t make a sizable salary, but that’s the free market.
I can admire artists, musicians, etc. I’ll buy their works, with money I earned.
Other than that, I am not obligated to support them. And please don’t start with the biblical quotes, or attacking my Christianity. Nowhere does the bible state that others are to support laziness and lifestyle choices.
Go to Hollywood and leave us alone. The artsy fartsy crowd can subsidize your existence since they are paid mega bucks for singing a stupid song or acting in idiotic movies that deride the country and its values. Take your meaningless art and stupid music which celebrate nothing of value and stick it.
If you can’t earn enough as an artist to support yourself, then you’re not good enough at your art to be considered a professional, and should find alternative means of support (such as through your spouse or a job). Charity is given to those who cannot, not to those who will not. Take what you want from life, but pay for it.
I would agree with that. My wife and I have just swapped traditional responsibilities … she works, I cook, clean, shop, etc. To add value, I’ve remodeled and re-landscaped our home, sold it and bought another that had been partially demolished by a tornado and did the same with it. We decided to keep that home and have retired in it.
The Christian writing and original Christian music is another subject – I’m compelled to offer it freely as the Lord has strongly impressed me with His command “freely ye have received, freely give”. I’ve never sold an album, nor charged for a concert. And I’ve been assailed for it on many occasions, when my FREE CDs were on the display tables next to other musicians and authors who were selling their wares.
This subject of subsidies is strange to me, I mean, to take exception to Obamacare on the basis of it being a subsidy … rich or poor, we all benefit from subsidies of one sort or other …
My employment in the aerospace industry was subsidized by taxes through the US DoD.
Educators / schools are subsidized by the DoE.
Cornell is the beneficiary of federal land grant (subsidies).
Our food is subsidized.
Imagining most of us are low-middle income wage earners and therefore pay less in taxes than upper-income earners – so while we enjoy the same benefits (roads, parks, etc.), we enjoy them at lower tax rates.
Give tithes and offerings to a church and deduct it on your income tax return? Such could be seen as the gov’t subsidizing your church or reimbursing your charitable giving through lowering your taxes …
Exempting your church building and grounds and minister from taxes? Subsidized.
As artists, Horsts are invested in free market enterprise and earn a wage accordingly … strange to pitch a fit about artists – when in reality, they’re less subsidized than educators, farmers, churches, etc …
I made something and sold it, is far purer than taking out a low-interest government student loan to attend a gov’t subsidized school erected on gift/grant government land, etc.
The former is far less of a moocher than the latter.
MrE, it doesn’t matter whether I value them. It matters whether society values them. Money is one way society assigns value. It’s true, you could look it up in any economics textbook. Money is how we assign value and make choices.
So if you’re not making much money selling your art, it may be that YOU value your lifestyle, but society doesn’t think much of your art.
The issue isn’t your intrinsic sense of worth, but rather whether you should be able to appropriate other peoples’ money (e.g., get them to pay for your health care) so that you can live the life that fits with your own sense of worth. If this couple wants to live in New Mexico and create art, great. If they’re happy, fabulous. But if their art doesn’t make enough money to cover the nut, they either have to change their life (and make some money) or sponge off me.
It’s obvious which of those options they prefer. Now do you see what people are angry?
Hi Steve,
It’s not the Horsts who are appropriating your money, it’s the government.
At $24,000/year income, I doubt the Horsts had insurance – a choice they made when they gave up their careers to create and sell art. They are caught up in the same boat the rest of us are – a new law, demanding compliance within 90 days under threat of penalty.
So they get free coverage? That’s the fault/result of Obamacare, not that they’re somehow morally wrong or takers or pigs as one poster called them, to have resigned their careers to pursue art …
Like everyone else, if the Horsts don’t sign up, they’re penalized.
Is it fair to rail about them as others have done in this thread?
There’s more than enough to rail about concerning the law; I’m just disillusioned to see the Horsts attacked because they obeyed the law, applied and just happen to get free coverage.
BTW, I qualify for expanded Medicaid through Illinois; but I’m not following through on it. Instead, thanks to the list of exemptions for Obamacare, I learned about Health Care Sharing Ministries and have signed up for $150/mo. I like that money is going directly to people in need and wish I’d found it earlier. I’ve been paying $458/mo. for a high-deductible plan through BCBS-IL, which replaced an $800/mo. plan I had last year through the Teachers Retirement System.
Insurance has always chafed at me – for interfering with testing and treatment(s) my doctors ordered and were turned down in preapproval, and because insurance companies prey on fear. In 38 years of buying my own insurance, it’s been used for hospital/surgery just twice. I’ve paid in far more than I’ve ever gotten out of it. So, I’ve already been subsidizing others who are insured with the same company. I’ve often wondered why there’s never a rebate of premiums paid in excess of actual medical expenses. Chaps my hide.
You have the right to do what makes you happy, as long as you find a way to support your choices. You don’t have the right to ask me to pay for your choices.
The rest of us have took that factory job, lived frugally and set aside (or invested) substantial savings so that we could eventually pursue our old passions or new ones we had discovered along the way. And most of us learned how to make sure those new interests were self sufficient.
I think it’s called ACTING like a grown up.
We are Judaeo-Christians; don’t confuse us with Communists. By the sweat of your brow, you shall eat bread; work hard; the poor you have always with you; be discerning; reject sloth and avarice; charity is not about paying people to live on the dole; helping the needy is not an invitation for them to live on welfare; rendering to Caesar
There’s nothing in Judaeo-Christianity that encourages us to be or support moochers. We don’t demand jizya.
In sum, the letter was not addressed to you, and it is clear you don’t understand it; so, you should really stop talking about stuff you neither know nor understand.
So, you live off your wife’s paycheck and call it moral enlightenment.
Could we have her opinion, please?
Sure.
She thinks you’re a jerk.
Dear Mrs. E,
I was just wondering, is there any way you might see fit to support your own husband?
I’m sure he’s a nice enough man and all, but YOU’RE the one who married him, not me, so if he refuses to work and earn his own keep, he’s YOUR dependent, not mine.
Thanks ever so much!
Amy <3
P.S. If I must support your Mr. E., could you at least send me a photo of him that I can put on my fridge next to the other needy children I help support, and maybe have him write me a letter once a month telling me what he’s done with my charity and how much it’s helped him? That’d be great! Bless your heart! xx
You’re too funny. I did work for 30 years, then spent 10 years remodeling 3 homes, selling 2 for profit, did solo gigs, designed web sites, made and sold photo/videos, recorded other artists in my home studio, built and repaired computers and a few other odd jobs that keep me from going crazy / being idle. I/we pay our own way.
My deal? I marvel at the indignant Christians who complain that they have to help others with their health needs … there are several examples in scripture of doing just that – the Good Samaritan story, Matthew 25:31-46, the last few verses of Acts 2 and Acts 4, Galatians 6:2 – the latter goes so far as to say that to “carry each others burdens” is to “fulfill the LAW of Christ” …
No surprise Christians who ignore the law of Christ would also take exception to the PPACA law … at least they’re consistent!
Wow, you’re quite a Christian, aren’t you?
You can do anything that you want to but don’t do on MY Nickel!
OK?
You’re getting lost in the weeds. Obama(doesn’t)Care was NEVER about “health care.” From the get-go, it was a power grab by Progressives, who have been chomping at the bit for a hundred years to destroy capitalism. The Dims and that jack@$$ who is our Liar-in-Chief are all too happy to relieve us of our liberty, and if there happens to be some money to “redistribute” (which will end up getting “redistributed” to cronies and limousine liberals) in the process, well that’s a happy bonus.
Only a fool thinks he’s going to get “health care” (free, subsidized, or otherwise) as a result of Zerocare. Whatever we get, it sure as hell won’t be “free,” it sure as hell won’t be available in a timely manner, and it sure as hell won’t be high quality.
We are to bear each others burdens; that does not mean it is okay to make yourself a burden for the purposes of getting free stuff from others. Surely you don’t think that is Christianity?
These two wimps from MN are typical of the type — only my desires are important. I want, therefore I should have — I got a degree, I don’t have to work. College campuses are full of these freeloading freaks; most of the time, they call themselves professors, and they pass on their leeching ways to their unfortunate students.
They hate effort and hard work and believe that their desired lifestyle is their due. The twentieth century is filled with crap art and crap music from these types. It is from such as these that communism was born, and it is from such as these that it gets its energy.
Of course not; but you’d know that if you had read all my comments in this thread.
What is also obvious to me is, how little people know about the inspiration, passion, time and dedication it takes to make art. Making art is all consuming, it knows no hours, chasing the muse of inspiration 16+ hours a day, 7 days a week, sometimes pulling an all nighter.
I’m reminded of one concert I did 25 years ago, where the pastor took a free-will offering for me, but when he saw how much it was, held it back saying “some people don’t like it when someone comes in, sings for an hour, and walks out with $500” …
I replied “I understand, but, you know I didn’t just pick up the guitar and start playing this morning. I’ve been at it for over 20 years of lessons and practice several hours a day. The guitars and sound equipment you see here cost about $10,000. I loaded the truck with equipment 4 hours before the concert, drove an hour, unloaded, set up, performed, and will now tear down, pack up, drive home and unload. Putting on a concert takes about 20 hours a week in addition to my full time job. Still, I understand how people can be. For the record, I’ve never really understood why a pastor makes $50,000 a year just for preaching 20 minutes on Sunday morning”.
He spit and sputtered and blurted out “I WORK FULL TIME” … “Exactly, I said. But if it really bothers you, keep the offering. I don’t want it. I am not paid for these concerts. I would have turned over to the local food bank, which is what I always do”.
Several weeks later, a check showed up for $150. It was less than a third of the offering taken that night.
He was clueless.
Hey mr e …
Please show me where the bible says that you should pay someone’s medical bills with someone else’s money?
Somebody poke you in the eye or something? Burden bearing (Galatians 6:2) is the central theme of the Good Samaritan story (Luke 10:25-37) and caring for someone who is sick (or not) as a basis for judgment (Matthew 25:36, :39, :43-44).
While Galatians and Matthew do not speak to money, Luke does. Galatians and Matthew require more than money, they require time and effort to care for one another / the sick.
Of course, the Bible is speaking to Christians and the Church, not the government. If however Christians and the Church were DOing the gospel with regard to caring for one another’s healthcare needs, would the government have intervened?
Yes. Your question is disingenuous, at best, or haven’t you read the criticism of private foundations for doing charitable work: that this should be done by the government?
Greedy politicians love to have other people’s money for doing “charitable” work. Like crooked preachers, they get something of value (the good opinion of others) along with the power to decide who gets what, including the contracts to supply a need. Government “charity” is a scam.
You may not have noticed under the exclusions of Obamacare, but they recognize HCSMs. I’ve been in conversation with 2 of the big 3 for a couple weeks and will be signing up before years end.
There’s a stark contrast between the number of Americans who identify as Christians, and the number of members at the 3 HCSMs. In fact, that the HCSMs exist at all, with less than a half million members between the 3, strongly suggests that the local churches are failing miserably at bearing one another’s burdens.
Strange that most Christians in this supposedly “Christian Nation” turn to secular insurance companies to meet their medical needs, instead of being able to rely upon the local body to help?
If however Christians and the Church were DOing the gospel with regard to caring for one another’s healthcare needs, would the government have intervened?
______________________
Yes, the government would — and did — intervene.
Once upon a time in this country, there were thousands of church-run charity hospitals and clinics that offered free or low-cost health care to the poor. Most of them have closed their doors, due to government regulations with which they could not, or would not, comply. A recent article reported that 800 Catholic-run charity hospitals in the U.S. have closed down because the government regulated them out of business.
The fact is, Christians (and non-Christians) were providing health care services to the poor for many years, until the government put them out of business. Socialized medicine isn’t about “helping the poor” — it’s about controlling the poor, and everybody else.
You ever read Matthew 25? How many of “the least of these” have you lent a hand to? When you go out and feed the hungry, clothe the naked, help the sick and spend some time with those in jail, then you can whine about the government “stealing” your money to help poor people. Unless you personally spend your days doing this work, then you have no right to whine.
As a conservative and a starting-out scifi/fantasy author (I have one book out and another on the way, won’t post the link unless asked), I think this is pretty ridiculous.
When I made the decision to quit my full-time job to pursue this wholly, my wife and I agreed that I could only do it if we could pay our own bills. She works as an English teacher (and my editor), so we’re not exactly living high on the hog, but we’re responsible enough as a young couple with a baby on the way that we’re not going to live off someone else’s tax dollars because I want to write.
I’ll support a conservative in my fav genre.
I’ll add to that a responsible one who has done something I’ve dreamed of doing but never took the plunge on.
Please post the link when you get a chance.
By the way, I read Terry Brooks “Sometimes the magic works: Lessons from a Writing Life”. For those that don’t know, he is a quite famous Fantasy author who started off as a lawyer.
One of the first things he said was have a year’s worth of what you could live on stashed away in a separate account in the bank in case you need it. That is how bold but responsible risks are taken.
With inflation and the destruction of our economy, that is near impossible for most of us these days. My student loan debt alone won’t allow me the chance to even make that decision for 20 years.
My novel Dead Man’s Fugue on Amazon.
Got it man its on my Christmas list! (just wanna get free shipping by bundling up 35)
It will be nice to read a book that is either apolitical or slightly to the right. It gets nauseating to read progressive themes pushed into books and videos all the time in a very artificial and obvious way.
“Man cannot live by bread alone.”
Sounds a bit old. Needs updating.
“Man cannot live by low-premium, catastrophic health insurance alone.”
Good. My work is done here.
Now the questions remains: why can’t we all quit our jobs and paint?
Nanny State’s lecture is a perverse twist on a John Adam’s quote:
“I must study politics and war that my sons may have liberty to study mathematics and philosophy. My sons ought to study mathematics and philosophy, geography, natural history, naval architecture, navigation, commerce, and agriculture, in order to give their children a right to study painting, poetry, music, architecture, statuary, tapestry, and porcelain.”
John Adams
Yeah but those ‘finer things in life’ don’t keep the lights on. And, those things certainly don’t subsidize big government.
This couple should create something of real value, of real currency – create wealth that raises the tide for all Americans so we can all flourish (& paint).
Does A.F. Branco have free birth control and maternity coverage?
I’d hate to think the answer is “No.”
I’d miss his cartoons.
Artists don’t need to care about health insurance? But of course! One doesn’t need health insurance to self-destruct!
Sh*t, Nancy! I’m pretty sick to death of doing my art and NOT making money at it!
This is just a sad, sad post. It’s such a shame that people can’t just be happy for others. They’re doing something worthwhile for society. How many of us would want to live in a country that had no artists? No writers? No musicians?
Everybody has a calling in life, something we’re meant to do, something we feel like we were put on Earth to do. It would be nice, theoretically, if musicians made as much money as the C.E.O. of some big, international combine, but we know that isn’t how society sees fit to spread things around. So we live with that. But that means it’s harder to get by writing or playing music.
And now they get a pittance to help them get health insurance. Good for them. I for one am happy that some small share of what my wife and I pay in taxes goes to help these people, and other people, too, many of them truly poor. I wish more of my money went to things like that, and less to charity for Archer Daniels Midland.
But you can’t look at somebody else being happy and feel anything but anger and resentment. With people like you, there’s never any way that somebody else can be happy without it taking some happiness from you. And for you to be happy, you have to grind somebody else down. It’s sad that you can’t look at a happy person and say, “I’m glad for that guy.” All you can say is, “That guy is happy and I feel violated. He might be getting a break from somebody that he didn’t earn! The outrage! The injustice!”
You’re the kind of people who foam at the mouth at the thought that some poor soul got a hand from the government to get by. But even more than that, you even work yourselves up when some poor single mother or somebody gets a little help from a PRIVATE charity, one that cost you nothing, because maybe she didn’t “deserve” it in your eyes.
You can’t be happy for the musician who wrote in above, because his wife is the earner. No. You feel aggrieved because, in your eyes, he’s getting a better deal than he “deserves”. You don’t care that he’s happy, and his wife is happy; all you see is that he has a good life–which cost you nothing, by the way–and you seethe over it, as if he stole his happiness from your personal stash.
I guess it’s no wonder you can’t be happy. Anything good that happens to anybody else feels like a slap to you. You people will never understand that happiness isn’t some finite resource, one that you have to take some from one person to give to another. There’s an endless wellspring of happiness. You don’t have to give up yours for somebody else to get a break.
It makes me sad that you can’t see that. But at least I don’t have to live your sad, small lives.
Mumphrey: What makes us angry is how some folks believe that they are justified in taking from us to support a lifestyle that they chose. The people who rob gas stations have a similar perspective – they believe that someone else should pay their way.
You don’t get it at all.
The Horsts simply changed careers. They still work and in all likelihood, longer hours than before. They still earn money, just not as much as before. In living within their means, they moved to a more affordable area and as artists, likely for community. Earning $24,000 per year, it’s likely they did not have insurance.
Along comes Obamacare which MANDATES individual compliance with health insurance, under threat of penalty for non-compliance. So the Horsts complied.
Accordingly, you are wrong to impute motives on the Horsts. There is no indication they feel “justified in taking from us”.
It’s the GOVERNMENT and the PPACA law that “takes from us”.
But apparently you need to paint a face on the problem and this sad excuse for a BLOG post gives you one; the Horsts.
The only thing sadder than this POST, are the responses, by people I thought were Bible-believing Christians. Never would I have imagined a dozen thumbs-down on pointing out scriptures that promote community, charity, taking care of the sick, etc.
It’s a good thing I didn’t mention Romans 13 in regards to Obamacare. Yikes!
Would you consider them working if, say, their love was playing pool, and they gave up their 6 figure income as attorneys to spend 16 hours a day at the poolroom? Problem in my mind is if they are capable of supporting themselves, but instead rely on the government to allow them the living standard to do what they really want to do.
My view is that if they could make enough to support themselves doing something else, but insist on doing art instead, depending on the government to get by, then it isn’t work they are doing, but rather play, at the public expense. No different than if they spent their non-work time playing pool, gardening, building stuff in the shop out back, exercising, etc. There are always things that we would rather be doing than going to work and earning a living. It is just that most of us are honest and moral enough to go to work instead of leaching off society. I look at these people as the type who go to church to take food from the donation box, when they could afford to buy the food on their own. They could afford to pay for themselves, but find it more pleasant to take from others instead, likely voting to put and keep, politicians in office who will add cars to the gravy train.
[…] stable careers to become artists – artists who make a combined $24,000 per year. (Hat tip: Legal Insurrection.) Mark Horst has a Ph.D. in theology from Yale University; his wife, Elizabeth, has a Yale degree […]