4 ms·

You find something you made up hilarious? That's kind of sad, don't you think? I said individuals are routinely prosecuted, which doesn't take a massive effort

You find something you made up hilarious? That's kind of sad, don't you think? I said individuals are routinely prosecuted, which doesn't take a massive effort, it takes a regular effort. It would take a massive effort to do something about Rick Scott's $100M+ fraud, and since he's in the Senate, you can be sure I don't think that.

monero-xmr 2y ago
I know someone involved in organized crime, and the entire crime is around stealing from Medicaid. The scam he is a component of involves hiring an immigrant to get into a contrived accident, then they go to their clinic to get treatment, then go to their specialists, and so on. All of it bilks Medicaid. There is literally no one who could care if I report this, and probably I would be killed. The mafia never disappeared. They just fleece the government now. Much safer than shaking down pizza shops
- arrosenberg 2y ago
  Cool story? Doesn’t conflict with what I said. Medicaid still does way more good than bad and has lower overhead and waste than private insurers. The alternative is the working poor dying in poverty from a lack of available care.
  - monero-xmr 2y ago
    This is the core difference in opinion. You are empathetic, which is a noble virtue, and give the benefit of the doubt. I am a hustler, and I understand the mindset of hustlers, and there are way more hustlers out there than you think, because your virtue and good nature has made you think the vast majority are this way. Unfortunately the hustlers are businessmen, and their business is stealing from taxpayers. We need to do far, far more to prevent the fleecing of taxpayers from top to bottom. It is endemic and I have seen it with my own eyes in so many ways.
    - arrosenberg 2y ago
      I am empathetic, but my viewpoint is based on the math that it's cheaper to provide basic care from cradle to grave than to shoulder the cost of chronic diseases - regardless of how you manage them. Even if you adopt the ultimate individualist position and decide everyone is on their own. Sick citizens make bad workers, bad workers have low output. Sick kids don't learn, don't gain skills, don't become the future. Hustlers spend all their time thinking about how to fleece people, while people like me bake that in as a cost of doing business. There is always some waste, because at some point it's cost prohibitive to root it out. I would argue your nature makes you far too cynical - you probably see other scammers everywhere because that's where you look, but don't seek out the vast amounts of good those programs do, so your priors are messed up.
      - monero-xmr 2y ago
        And my counterpoint is that the lack of effective counter-measures to prevent fraud and abuse erodes the basic trust that society requires in order to support such societal welfare funded by taxpayer dollars. Biden trumpeted hiring 80,000 new IRS agents to audit taxpayers. The IRS is now auditing people who sell $600 on etsy and ebay https://www.cnbc.com/select/irs-600-reporting-rule-delayed/#:~:text=The%20new%20%22%24600%20rule%22,K%20for%20reporting%20the%20income. https://www.cnbc.com/select/irs-600-reporting-rule-delayed/#... Where is the outrage and indignation for people who make millions from government programs? Why not hire 80,000 agents strictly to audit NGOs, politicians, and anyone who sucks from the government tit? I believe you would find far more fraud, and it would be much more politically popular. Then hire 80,000 IRS agents to attack actual productive members of society
        arrosenberg 2y ago
        No, Fox News and right-wing media erode basic trust by heavily overemphasizing the waste aspect vs. the utility aspect, just like you are doing now. There is more waste and fraud happening with private insurers than Medicaid, so unless you have an alternative to health insurance, you are tilting at windmills. > Biden trumpeted hiring 80,000 new IRS agents to audit taxpayers. To audit wealthy* taxpayers. Working class people were already being audited because it's really easy to audit an incorrect return that only has a W-2 and Schedule A. > The IRS is now auditing people who sell $600 on etsy and ebay That's a lie and I'm assuming it is in bad faith since the article you linked doesn't support what you said. Having to enter a 1099-K is not the same as being audited. You are ridiculous.

monero-xmr 2y ago

I know someone involved in organized crime, and the entire crime is around stealing from Medicaid. The scam he is a component of involves hiring an immigrant to get into a contrived accident, then they go to their clinic to get treatment, then go to their specialists, and so on. All of it bilks Medicaid. There is literally no one who could care if I report this, and probably I would be killed. The mafia never disappeared. They just fleece the government now. Much safer than shaking down pizza shops

arrosenberg 2y ago
Cool story? Doesn’t conflict with what I said. Medicaid still does way more good than bad and has lower overhead and waste than private insurers. The alternative is the working poor dying in poverty from a lack of available care.
- monero-xmr 2y ago
  This is the core difference in opinion. You are empathetic, which is a noble virtue, and give the benefit of the doubt. I am a hustler, and I understand the mindset of hustlers, and there are way more hustlers out there than you think, because your virtue and good nature has made you think the vast majority are this way. Unfortunately the hustlers are businessmen, and their business is stealing from taxpayers. We need to do far, far more to prevent the fleecing of taxpayers from top to bottom. It is endemic and I have seen it with my own eyes in so many ways.
  - arrosenberg 2y ago
    I am empathetic, but my viewpoint is based on the math that it's cheaper to provide basic care from cradle to grave than to shoulder the cost of chronic diseases - regardless of how you manage them. Even if you adopt the ultimate individualist position and decide everyone is on their own. Sick citizens make bad workers, bad workers have low output. Sick kids don't learn, don't gain skills, don't become the future. Hustlers spend all their time thinking about how to fleece people, while people like me bake that in as a cost of doing business. There is always some waste, because at some point it's cost prohibitive to root it out. I would argue your nature makes you far too cynical - you probably see other scammers everywhere because that's where you look, but don't seek out the vast amounts of good those programs do, so your priors are messed up.
    - monero-xmr 2y ago
      And my counterpoint is that the lack of effective counter-measures to prevent fraud and abuse erodes the basic trust that society requires in order to support such societal welfare funded by taxpayer dollars. Biden trumpeted hiring 80,000 new IRS agents to audit taxpayers. The IRS is now auditing people who sell $600 on etsy and ebay https://www.cnbc.com/select/irs-600-reporting-rule-delayed/#:~:text=The%20new%20%22%24600%20rule%22,K%20for%20reporting%20the%20income. https://www.cnbc.com/select/irs-600-reporting-rule-delayed/#... Where is the outrage and indignation for people who make millions from government programs? Why not hire 80,000 agents strictly to audit NGOs, politicians, and anyone who sucks from the government tit? I believe you would find far more fraud, and it would be much more politically popular. Then hire 80,000 IRS agents to attack actual productive members of society
      - arrosenberg 2y ago
        No, Fox News and right-wing media erode basic trust by heavily overemphasizing the waste aspect vs. the utility aspect, just like you are doing now. There is more waste and fraud happening with private insurers than Medicaid, so unless you have an alternative to health insurance, you are tilting at windmills. > Biden trumpeted hiring 80,000 new IRS agents to audit taxpayers. To audit wealthy* taxpayers. Working class people were already being audited because it's really easy to audit an incorrect return that only has a W-2 and Schedule A. > The IRS is now auditing people who sell $600 on etsy and ebay That's a lie and I'm assuming it is in bad faith since the article you linked doesn't support what you said. Having to enter a 1099-K is not the same as being audited. You are ridiculous.