Steve Hoffacker's Sales Quips

Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J), the 2nd oldest member of the US Senate, has just been diagnosed with stomach cancer. That's unfortunate, but it won't deter him from finishing his current term and even running for another term - which he has announced he intends to do.

Doctors say that he is expected to make a full recovery after a series of chemotherapy treatments over the next 4-6 months. Between treatments he intends to return to the Senate and keep up his fight for the health care bill. In fact, he is one of the Senators that has signed a resolution demanding that the bill be approved through reconciliation - a procedural trick that circumvents legislative debate.

He's where it gets interesting. Lautenberg is 86. Under the health care plan that he so enthusiastically supports - which wouldn't apply to him anyway because he is one of the Washington elite - people of this advanced age might not receive any treatment for an ailment like he has. He might not be considered a good investment of time or money. There's the double-standard.

Life is precious. We need to do all we can to preserve and protect it - from conception forward.

This health care plan must be defeated, and hurrah for the Republicans for opposing it.

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For more information on my coaching and educational programs and services, visit my website stevehoffacker.com or go to my other blog homesalesinsights.com for additional sales tips, insights, and commentary. You can also listen to my free podcast messages at Steve Hoffacker's Happenings.

© Steve Hoffacker, 2010. All Rights Reserved.

Washington, read our lips: we don't want your health care package!

How can we make it any clearer that we want reforms - just not your lame, overindulging plan.

Scott Brown carried Massachusetts against conventional wisdom because of health care - people made themselves clear at their dissatisfaction for what Washington are doing.

Poll after poll for months shows anywhere from 51%-68% of the people don't want this health care package. A few were even in the 70s.

So what do we get?

We get an out-of-control Nancy Pelosi with her "gate, wall, pole vault, parachute" committment that "we will pass this health care" at any and all costs. Talk about being out of touch.

Then, we get Obama that has made basically a speech a day since the State of the Union campaigning for health care passage.

Two things are very clear: (1) Washington leadership is only in this for themselves - they aren't interested in us, no matter what they say, and (2) we need 435 fresh faces in the House come November 2nd and 36 fresh faces in the Senate - not likely to happen, but that's what we need.

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For more information on my coaching and educational programs and services, visit my website stevehoffacker.com or go to my other blog homesalesinsights.com for additional sales tips, insights, and commentary. You can also listen to my free podcast messages at Steve Hoffacker's Happenings.

© Steve Hoffacker, 2010. All Rights Reserved.

Edmund G. Ross of Kansas was the deciding vote in the impeachment trial of Andrew Johnson. His single vote made the difference. Had he voted guilty rather than for acquital, Andrew Johnson would have been removed from office. This would have been a real travesty since the principal charge against was a violation of law which was repealed soon after.

Now, we need another Edmund G.Ross, Who will he or she be? We need one Democratic Senator to vote no on health care. This will end this terrible piece of legislation that - as of this afternoon - over three-in-five Americans want defeated.

It only takes one vote to break from the 60. Will it be Nelson, Webb, Lieberman? Will it be someone not on the radar right now? It can be more than one vote. That would be great.

It only takes one. Please, someone be that one vote.

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For more information on my coaching and educational programs and services, visit my website stevehoffacker.com or go to my other blog homesalesinsights.com for additional sales tips, insights, and commentary. You can also listen to my free podcast messages at Steve Hoffacker's Happenings.

© Steve Hoffacker, 2009. All Rights Reserved.

The President today said that they - the government - have a responsbility to pass health care reform for the American people. Strange way of reading the tea leaves. Most Americans want nothing passed in terms of health care reform by this Congress. They are satisfied with what they have. Survey and survey shows over half of all Americans specifically do not want this Senate health care bill passed.

So where is the responsibility? It's to higher taxes, higher premiums, government-run health care, loss of choice, and to their own egos. They reiterate at every opportunity that generations of Presidents and Congresses have failed to enact what they feel they are so close to doing. Maybe there is a reason for that. Maybe it's just bad policy. Maybe it's bad for America. Maybe the people don't want it. Maybe even the most liberal of Senators and Congresspeople haven't be able in the past to convince their colleages - or themselves - that this was necessary or the right thing to do.

We are being threatened and bullied by the President. He says that if we do nothing costs are guaranteed to go up. Employers are guaranteed to drop coverage. Medicare and Medicaid are guaranteed to break the bank if we do nothing. Guaranteed? Strong rhetoric. How about proving that these conditions won't happen if your bill is passed?

He still is maligning many Americans by whining that there is so much misinfomation about what is in the bill. Well, how about publishing it like you promised? How about going point-by-point over what you feel to be erroneous "misinformation" with what the bill provides?

Don't tell us. Show us. Facts and figures.

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For more information on my coaching and educational programs and services, visit my website stevehoffacker.com or go to my other blog homesalesinsights.com for additional sales tips, insights, and commentary. You can also listen to my free podcast messages at Steve Hoffacker's Happenings.

© Steve Hoffacker, 2009. All Rights Reserved.

When Harry Reid used the lectern in the Senate today to denounce and inflame those would not support rapid approval of his health care bill - namely, Republicans - that was quite inappropriate and beneath his position. He was being a bully from his pulpit.

Republicans, which he has intentionally keep away from the table and out of a closed door meeting yesterday with the President during a special Sunday session that he called only to leave and have the meeting with the President, are said by Reid to be stonewalling. Not since the debate over ending slavery or giving women the right to vote has he seen such a thing - he says. Was he at those events?

Bully politics is his style, but we're tired of it.

Reid says the Republicans don't have a plan and just want to drag their feet on approving his plan. Actually they do have one - he just doesn't want to hear it. If you're not on Harry's team, you're disruptive, mean-spirited, negative, and just un-American.

Reid is trailing badly in the polls in Nevada so this hopefully is his last few months in office. Maybe this explains his unabashed rush to pass this bill and his ill temper. At any rate, America wants a better plan than what we have heard presented and debated thus far. Some of the proposals the Republicans are said to want don't sound too bad.

We still don't need the massive reform that is being contemplated. We are being manipulated. Still, more competition is always a good start. Let more insurance companies compete for our business with a myriad of plans from which we can pick and choose our coverages.

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For more information on my coaching and educational programs and services, visit my website stevehoffacker.com or go to my other blog homesalesinsights.com for additional sales tips, insights, and commentary. You can also listen to my free podcast messages at Steve Hoffacker's Happenings.

© Steve Hoffacker, 2009. All Rights Reserved.

The Senate is now debating a lousy health care bill. It has nothing that people want and plenty that we don't.

Don't just take my word for it. A recent Gallup poll reports more Americans (all Americans - not just registered or likely voters) are now opposed to the health care bill than ever were for it at the height of it popularity.

Here's some of what the bill promises: higher taxes, higher premiums, and less choice.

It still leaves somewhere between 12-30 million people uninsured. It will result in rationed care and in government restrictions on what's covered (remember the mammogram study released last week).

Most of all, it does nothing to stimulate competition. If we were free to choose any of the 1,500 companies offering health insurance, it would look like Black Friday with advertised specials constantly flooding our inboxes.

This bill has been bad from the start - the entire concept, regardless of which of the many versions you look at. Now, it's getting even more onerous.

We never wanted this, it's bad for America, and it does nothing to solve what it purports to do. This is simply an attempted power grab of colossal proportions by the Congress and the President.

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For more information on my coaching and educational programs and services, visit my website stevehoffacker.com or go to my other blog homesalesinsights.com for additional sales tips, insights, and commentary. You can also listen to my free podcast messages at Steve Hoffacker's Happenings.

© Steve Hoffacker, 2009. All Rights Reserved.

This Congress has no fiscal restraint. Budget, fiduciary, fiscal responsibility, and stewardship are terms just not included in the official Congressional glossary.

Stop this bill, and stop the power grab and erosion of our rights. Then vote against every incumbent who dares support this or some of the many other riduculous programs (cap and trade, cash for clunkers, TARP, stimulus, omnibus, card check, net neutrality). Actually, vote them all out.

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For more information on my coaching and educational programs and services, visit my website stevehoffacker.com or go to my other blog homesalesinsights.com for additional sales tips, insights, and commentary. You can also listen to my free podcast messages at Steve Hoffacker's Happenings.

© Steve Hoffacker, 2009. All Rights Reserved.

Let's talk about the health care debate.

First, this was important but not as high on the public's agenda as other issues going into the 2008 election. It was number one or two on the candidates' agendas.

Second. over half of the public - depending on which survey you look at - does not want health care reform unless it can save them money. They do not want anything that has been proposed so far.

Third, if there is to be any type of reform, the public insists that there be tort reform. Congress refuses to consider it.

Fourth, the labor unions don't want the bills as proposed. A 40% premium on their plans is included. I suppose their opposition could go away if that provision was removed.

Fifth, seniors don't want this reform because it would be paid for with a $500,000,000 contribution from the failing and pre-bankrupt Medicare system.

Sixth, seniors also were informed that they would not be getting their 3% cost-of-living adjustment to social security because the money isn't there. Still, Obama wants to placate them by giving a one time $250 check to a seniors - which there still is no money to pay for.

Seventh, doctors in this country don't want the plan. Numbers approaching half have said they are willing to quit their practices than live with this "reform."

Eighth, insurance companies don't want it, but that is not a great surprise.

Ninth, overwhelmingly the public does not want the government option plan - a precursor to the single-payer, socialized medicine system.

Tenth, we can't pay for any of this - actually this should be number one because all other arguments are irrelevant.

Eleventh, the only ones who do want this reform - and the ones willing to overlook all of the above - are Obama, Pelosi, Reid, and all the Democratic Members of Congress.

You do the math, clearly number eleven trumps one through ten.

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For more information on my coaching and educational programs and services, visit my website stevehoffacker.com or go to my other blog homesalesinsights.com for additional sales tips, insights, and commentary. You can also listen to my free podcast messages at Steve Hoffacker's Happenings.

© Steve Hoffacker, 2009. All Rights Reserved.

Not unexpectedly, the Senate Finance Committee today voted passge of the Baucus Bill by a vote of 14-9. This after they insured that there would be no last minute public comments by holding the vote the first thing after the Columbus Day recess.

Olympia Snow, a Republican that often votes with the Democrats, allowed the White House to claim "bipartisan" support even though hers was the only Republican vote in the Committee. She added that in so voting, it did not mean necessarily that she would maintain support on the final version.

The Baucus Bill does does include the onerous government-run health care, but Committee member Bill Nelson (yes he's from Florida) vowed to get it in the final bill. Pelosi has vowed the same from the House. Funny, both (as well as others) are determined to give the public specifically what they do not want in reform.

I hear that the labor unions are coming out against the Baucus Bill tomorrow because of the 40% tax on "Cadillac plans." That should be interesting.

The Republican members of the Senate say that they will attempt to get tort reform and cross-state options included. I have to admit that is more reform that I have seen proposed so far.

Oh, and Obama needs passage this year. Or what, everyone turns into a pumpkin?

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For more information on my coaching and educational programs and services, visit my website stevehoffacker.com or go to my other blog homesalesinsights.com for additional sales tips, insights, and commentary. You can also listen to my free podcast messages at Steve Hoffacker's Happenings.

© Steve Hoffacker, 2009. All Rights Reserved.