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Re: Man Robs Bank to get Healthcare
GASTONIA, N.C. — A Gaston County man robbed a bank and then sat down on the floor to wait for police to arrest him.
"(This is the) first time I've ever been in trouble with the law,” James Verone said from the Gaston County Jail on Friday. “I'm sort of a logical person and that was my logic. (That was) what I came up with.”
That is how Verone said he came to the decision to rob the RBC bank on New Hope Road on Thursday, June 9.
He didn’t have a gun and he handed the teller a rather unusual note.
"The note said ‘This is a bank robbery. Please only give me one dollar,’" Verone said.
Then he did the strangest thing of all.
"I started to walk away from the teller, then I went back and said, 'I'll be sitting right over there in the chair waiting for the police," Verone said.
And that is what he did.
The teller called 911 and police released the recording:
911 Operator: Is he being threatening to ya’ll?
Bank teller: Yes
911 Operator: What is, he has threatened you?
Bank teller: Yes
911 Operator: To shoot you?
Bank teller: Uh, yes. He’s sitting on the sofa. He can hear everything I’m saying, so I’m in a back room. But there’s four of us here in the bank. Please hurry.
911 Operator: Ok ma’am. They’re just right out there.
So why did Verone do everything he could to get arrested?
"Because I wanted to make it known that this wasn't for monetary reasons, but for medical reasons," he said.
Hoping for three-year sentence
Verone said he doesn’t have medical insurance. He has a growth of some sort on his chest, two ruptured disks and a problem with his left foot. He is 59-years-old and with no job and a depleted bank account, he thought jail was the best place he could go for medical care and a roof over his head.
Verone said he wanted police to arrest him.
"Oh yeah. I went in knowing I was going to jail," Verone said.
He is hoping for a three-year sentence. He would then be able to collect Social Security when he got out and said he would head for the beach.
"I've already looked at a condominium. I've spoken to a realtor on Myrtle Beach," Verone said.
He admits his story is unusual and said he wouldn't recommend anyone else do what he did, but Verone said he has no regrets. He said he is getting good medical care now, but the jail doctor accused him of manipulating the system.
"If it is called manipulation, then out of necessity because I need medical care then I guess I am manipulating the courts to get medical care," Verone said.
Verone may have a problem with his plan because he only demanded one dollar in the bank robbery. Police charged him, not with bank robbery, but larceny from a person. He might not get as much time in the slammer as he was hoping for.
Re: Man Robs Bank to get Healthcare
Heard this. I haven't had Health Insurance for years. Just can't afford it.
I know a guy here in the U.S. that tried to fix that... but we all know how it worked out. He was called Socialist and a Nazi and all kinds of stuff, so everyone smiled and accepted being a brainless zombie for a corporation.
Re: Man Robs Bank to get Healthcare
People might make suggestions about improving the NHS here, but I've never met a single person in real life who would support us having to pay to go to hostipal or the doctors.
I think it's extremely hard for the majority of people who live outside the US to understand, why it wouldn't be a given popular choice.
Re: Man Robs Bank to get Healthcare
Honestly man, and i'm being deadly serious... US citizens are so brainwashed by insurance companies and the capitalism standard, that they will go out and FIGHT (literally, fist fights have broke out) so they can pay MORE to an insurance company.
People are convinced that a government system will lower health care quality. Problem is, very few people know that the U.S. ranks about 59th in the world in health care quality.
That's HORRIBLE, for the leader of the free world. EMBARRASSINGLY HORRIBLE.
People are so lost, so uninformed, and downright ignorant on the issue, that they have no clue that insurance companies have been RAPING THE AMERICAN PEOPLE AT KNIFE POINT for YEARS.
And yet we BEG for them to continue doing it.
And it gets better. The weight of it all is for me, or you, or anyone else to say anything to the contrary - we're a socialist. Which apparently is worse than the "N-word" in this country.
The other problem is, the lack of clarity and perception to the casual citizen on what exactly will be afforded to "illegals", has destroyed it's chances. The casual citizen is convinced they will have to pay for illegal immigrants health care (we already do and have for eons), and trust me, in the U.S.A. outside of maybe California or the north east, anyone that thinks they'll have to pay anything for an illegal, they will stop at nothing to destroy it's chances, even if it hurts them in the process.
Bottom line - nobody on the street really got informed. They just listened to beer talk at their buddy's house, rumor spread, insurance companies fueled it scared of their profit margin being trampled on, Republican leaders ceased the opportunity to spin it and throw bullshit into it, and before long it was such a legendary convoluted clusterfuck, that NO ONE knew what they were getting, not getting, doing, etc.
In the end... it's business as usual in the U.S. Companies are continuing to be protected and allowed to bend us over a table on a daily basis.
Shhh... that's socialist talk! 
Re: Man Robs Bank to get Healthcare
And who would've thought you're from the south comrade Axlin.
My wife got annoyed over my countrys health care. Why? Because she had to pay 60 dollars for it all to be free. In her country, it's all free apperantly.
Different worlds.
I have some friends in Texas. One guy I know refuses to get health insurance saying he will take care of himself regardless. It was a lost cause discussing it.
- Communist China
- Rep: 130
Re: Man Robs Bank to get Healthcare
Our armed services veterans have government run health care. Seen any veterans hospitals? No thanks, not for me.
The current system is neither socialism nor capitalism (except for veterans, where it's socialism), it's an ungodly mix of both. Government chose to bind health care to jobs, which is akin to a doctor sewing two people together at the hip because one had a bad ankle. Ever since that decision we've been further adjusting a whole set of perverted incentives and now we've ended up with almost the worst allocation of wealth, technology, and skill in medicine that I can imagine.Pr
- Randall Flagg
- Rep: 139
Re: Man Robs Bank to get Healthcare
Our armed services veterans have government run health care. Seen any veterans hospitals? No thanks, not for me.
The current system is neither socialism nor capitalism (except for veterans, where it's socialism), it's an ungodly mix of both. Government chose to bind health care to jobs, which is akin to a doctor sewing two people together at the hip because one had a bad ankle. Ever since that decision we've been further adjusting a whole set of perverted incentives and now we've ended up with almost the worst allocation of wealth, technology, and skill in medicine that I can imagine.Pr
The only reason the health care is that way is because there's no competition to force the health care companies to compete. You don't HAVE to have health care, so they can charge what ever they want, and if you can't afford that, you can just pay the outrageous full amounts outright.
A government market would force them to compete against each other by lowering their prices to win your business, while maintaining supreme quality.
It's simple logic. A consumer will pay the 'extra' if the quality is supreme versus the economic option with poor options.
If anything a government option would improve overall health care quality in the long run.
The problem is the 'in between' time. Insurance companies aren't gonna just roll over and let the consumer or the government have the upper hand. They're gonna fight it tooth and nail, because their profits will go down.
But it isn't like you're gonna lose YOUR doctor or the health care you already have.
"Well I know doctors that have said they'll just quit the profession"
If a doctor became a doctor for the paycheck... you probably don't want that guy as your doctor to begin with.
"Just look at veteran health care"
Veteran health care is like that, because of lack of competition. No BUSINESS wants to hand over free supreme-quality health care, even to a veteran. The government isn't gonna spend too much for it either, because they don't care that much. They care more about pay raises for senators.
Improvement of health care quality will begin with the owners of these insurance companies are FORCED to compete. It might be socialist, but considering that MULTIPLE socialist countries health care systems crush the U.S. ass on their snack break in terms of quality.... I think it's the way to go.
This whole "it'll be worse" idealogy is such a piece of propaganda. I practically see a fat aristocrat slobbering that out of their mouth.
Re: Man Robs Bank to get Healthcare
And who would've thought you're from the south comrade Axlin.
My wife got annoyed over my countrys health care. Why? Because she had to pay 60 dollars for it all to be free. In her country, it's all free apperantly.
Different worlds.
I have some friends in Texas. One guy I know refuses to get health insurance saying he will take care of himself regardless. It was a lost cause discussing it.
Comrade, haha. Yeah i've always considered myself a populist, ala the anti-big government/anti-big business farmer-led populists late 1800s/early 1900s America.
As for your friends, he might not be entirely off. I've known people throughout my life that refuse to get health insurance because they feel it's a "mob-like syndicate".
However these same people are blessed that they rarely get severely ill.
They feel that when they're sick, which is rare, that they just pay their bill and move on. In theory, it makes perfect sense for them.
But I have a mother who has been chronically ill all my life, and trust me there's always more to the story. Some people HAVE to have insurance. And some times they can't afford it, at all.
"Well, get a job"
They're too sick to get a job.
"Well is that my fault? Why should I pay for it?"
You shouldn't, the government should.
"It's the same thing"
No it's not, and that's the biggest lying crock of shit lie continued for decades in this country. The middle class and the poor rarely pay for that kind of stuff.
"Well i'm rich, so I have to pay for everyone"
No, just those who need it.
"Well that's not fair"
Tough fuckin' shit, move out. I'd much rather you make a few bucks less a year, and improve the quality of life for a human being, then you being able to spend 2 weeks on your private island
"That's socialism"
Socialism is only a dirty word to a rich man.
I'll say it again. This problem will not get fixed overnight. It's just not gonna happen. But sitting back and letting it stay the same way it's always stayed isn't going to fix anything. Our health care sucks. Period. If America is gonna set an example to the world for being "compassionate for human life", I think we might start with ending this - "sure we'll treat you with the finest medical science today... and how will you be paying?", "I can't, I don't have the money", "Well there's nothing we can do"
Huh? In the greatest country in the world (I think) we are guaranteed LIFE, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness (you know that little thing in the Declaration of Independence)... but umm... only if we can pay for it...
Re: Man Robs Bank to get Healthcare
Our armed services veterans have government run health care. Seen any veterans hospitals? No thanks, not for me.
My wife uses the VA all the time and care is great. She had a surgery about 18 months ago and the experience was top notch from start to finish.
Our senior citizens have been using socialized medicine for years now and they seem to be quite content with it. I don't see them marching in the streets demanding change. Try taking it away from them and see what happens though...
I wouldn't say our country is an "Ungodly blend" of Socialism and capitalism. It's simply a blend. Something they'll tell you in a basic economics class. We are a capitalistic society with aspects of Socialism sprinkled about. Frankly I think it's worked just fine so far.
