but not how one would think.
A quick comparison of today’s (08/27/09) editorial page and yesterday’s holds few surprises or new information. That’s because 3 out of four letters to the editor appear in identical form in both day’s issues and so does the top of the page oped cartoon.
Thankfully they did spice the page up with a new editorial, Doonesbury comic and one fresh letter.
Recycling is for paper, not content!
when at first we succeed to deceive.
From the NY Times, Waxman Takes on Drug Makers Over Medicare:
In 2003, when the Part D drug program was being planned as part of a Congressional overhaul of Medicare, Republicans insisted that the program be administered by private insurers and that the government be precluded from negotiating prices.
Stephen Schondelmeyer, a professor of pharmaceutical economics at the University of Minnesota who had conducted research for the government and industry, said that in 2003 many in Congress argued that private insurers would be more than capable of negotiating discounts with drug makers.
“That didn’t pan out,” Dr. Schondelmeyer said. The dozens of insurers involved, competing among themselves, simply do not have the government’s negotiating clout. While Medicaid is able to obtain rebates of up to 35 percent from drug makers, the Medicare drug rebates have been less than 15 percent, he said.
Of course those mythical savings didn’t “pan out”, and the reason why there were no savings is very simple to understand.
Premiums that are paid to various insurance schemes companies aren’t collected and stashed inside a warehouse full of mattresses. The cash that you or I send in is either handed over by the ton to the executives and the uber wealthy investor class (and in comparatively sub-atomic amounts to lesser employees and mom ‘n pop retirement account investors) or invested in … get ready for it … THE STOCK MARKET AND VARIOUS FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS! (insert gasp of sudden realization here)
As long as an end result of higher returns for those executives and the uber wealthy investor class is the paramount concern then that’s where the attention will be paid.
So if I’m the ABCD Insurance Co, and I’m willing to have my success judged by return on investment and I can keep my investment in BigPharma, Inc giving me large returns on investment by not making BigPharma reduce their profits … why I’m gonna do it!
I’m gonna do it because I’m supposed to look out for investors first and those needing medical care second … and besides … the guvmint is payin’ me what I, as ABCD Insurance Co, need to pass on to BigPharma (which I’ve invested so much in) so my return on investment balance sheet will look awfully good … and if I’m the CEO of ABCD, I’m gonna reap huge financial windfalls along with my buddies in the uber wealthy investor class.
And why wouldn’t ABCD invest heavily in BigPharama when ABCD can wield so much influence in the profitability of BigPharam?
(We’re not even touching the massive bailout that these insurance companies received from the huge Wall Street bailouts of the cheney/bush and Obama administrations.)
And this is all part of why our for-profit health insurance paradigm should go away … we’re using money that should be spent on medical or health care instead on further enriching the already rich.
And when they start to fail because of excessive risk taking … why … we’ll just bail ‘me out again.
It is no accident those savings didn’t “pan out”. They were never really meant to.
The brief hot and humid summer spell has ended and it is almost as if Vermont Yankee had to leak after that stress. The plant has reduced power by 15% to repair the 3,000 gallon a day leak in the fed water system. Sadly this is such a regular happening that the details are familiar as the spokes persons pre-chewed press statement.
No surprises in that routine.
However Vermont Yankee has won Star status in another area .Today the Brattleboro Reformer reports that Entergy did so well in managing plant safety that it was recognized as a Green Mountain Voluntary Protection Program Star participant. Because Yankee achieved Star status, it is no longer subject to random compliance
Yankee’s safety director does some not unexpected bragging about how wonderful Vermont Yankee is and Entergy in general but then a surprise jumps out that some habitual anti-union folks ought to take note of .Some or perhaps a big chunk of the credit goes to the employees union! Yes an employees labor union, one of those troublesome worker organizations.
Daniel Whipple, a Vermont OSHA compliance assistance specialist, who conducted the site review of Yankee’s safety and health programs points out
Yankee employees also have a union — the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers — that actively works with management to protect its members.
It is a good to reminder that as Yankee gets run for all it is worth by Entergy someone is looking out for those that work there.
http://www.reformer.com/localn…
Totten delivers background on the new head of John McLaughry’s Ethan Allen Institute:
In 2005, Bornemann was fined $5000 by the Federal Elections Commission for taking part in a scheme to funnel $60,000 in campaign contributions to several top Republicans in 2002 while working for the Kansas-based Westar Energy. Those lawmakers included: Tom DeLay (R-TX), Joe Barton (R-TX), Billy Tauzin (R-LA), Sam Graves (R-MO) and Senator Richard Shelby (R-AL).
On his own, according to the FEC, Bornemann earmarked $10,400 to 17 different campaign committees.
According to the FEC complaint, Bornemann wrote an email to his client – Westar Energy – in 2002 that they needed to give money to top members of Congress, including $25,000 to a political action committee backed by DeLay, “to develop a significant and positive profile for the Company’s federal presence.”
Indeed.
Westar was fined $20,000, while two company officials were fined $8500 and $7000, respectively. Bornemann was the only other person fined.
Yick. Here’s a link to the full piece.
Expect lots of blogging fodder from this guy.
“For all those whose cares have been our concern, the work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives, and the dream shall never die.”
— Edward M. Kennedy
Four brothers died serving our country.
Ted Kennedy, like his three brothers before him, took public service to mean just that: serving his country.
Ted Kennedy, like his three brothers before him, took public service to mean just that: serving his country.
It hurts to say anything negative when posting a tribute (and I’ll probably delete this after the emotions ease), but the contrast with Ted Kennedy and his family’s public service and too many in public office today is startling. The health care debate, as just one example, is a Freak-Show. It is a sickening Freak-Show of elected officials using the opportunity of public service to enrich insurance companies, escalate the violence of class warfare and take health care even further out of reach of the average American.
I know the TV and radio will be filled with members of the Republican Caucus of the U.S. Senate paying tribute to their “dear” colleague. The pain of it will be unbearable. Each and every one — literally – each and everyone one of them has spent the entire session of congress committing class warfare. Each and every one of them has spent the entire session of congress – many of them their careers – committing class warfare against the people they represent while enriching fraudulent insurance companies and criminal banking enterprises and sending their sons and daughters to fight in wars of oil opportunity.
What kind of country have we become? Today, as we pay tribute, how can we look ourselves in the mirror and bear to acknowledge the contrast between what Ted Kennedy stood for and what the Republicans and corporatist Democrats in the U.S. Senate are standing against?
Like I said, it hurts too much to even talk about this in a tribute but to me, it sums up so much of what this man’s life has meant. It sums up so much of what he and his family sacrificed and why they did and why we need so many more like them.
Thank you Ted Kennedy.
Thank you brothers Joe, John and Bobby. Thank you sister Eunice.
Slán agus beannacht leat
A very important part of serving on a public committee is learning how to deal with the recalcitrant, the obstinate, the obdurate.
Equally important is understanding when consensus has been achieved and the time to move ahead with a decision has arrived.
We have reached (I’d say long ago passed) the point of consensus on changing health insurance in this country and now is the time to deal with the obdurate and simply move on with or without the obstructionists.
As I pointed out in this recent post, the People of the United States are massively in favor of a solid public option, and support for this public option spreads across age, economic, racial and political bounderies.
Despite this the Democratic “led” White House and Congress still appears to want to reach some form of agreement with those who brought us lies about non-existent “death panels”, non-existent reductions in Medicare services, non-existent medical decisions being made by government and more. (Their latest rendition, which has nothing to do with health insurance reform, is a claim the VA has published a booklet that encourages frail veterans to end their lives quickly rather than live on … total bullshit … read it for yourself).
What the Democratic “leadership” refuses to accept is consensus. Consensus is not about 100% or close to that agreement. Consensus is that point where there is enough support for something that a decision to move on or not can be made and action can be taken on that decision.
This is not the same as a simple majority, although it could be just that. People may not be comfortable pushing someone who disagrees into a corner, and often times even those who disagree will accept a consensus decision and help to make that decision evolve into successful and fruitful action.
We have that political consensus in the United States when it comes to both health insurance reform and the inclusion of a solid public option. The polls prove it! People are ready to say yes and move forward.
Once we realize the consensus is there to make changes to our nation’s health insurance industry (including a strong public option), the next step is how do we deal with the obstructionists, the obdurate, who have as their only goal the desire to stand in the way of 77% of us United Statesians?
Simple … we move on by them, and they will come along because they have to. We’ve tried asking them to stop lying, but, as evidenced by the latest claims over what the VA has (actually hasn’t) been telling the nation’s vets about end of life care, that won’t work.
Hell, the US Senate tried throwing 77% of the nation overboard just to offer these obdurate obstructionist Republicans a washed out, faded version of the public option under the guise of “co-ops”. This hasn’t worked.
No amount of give and take will satisfy … the sole purpose now behind the Republican Party and it’s allied army of obdurate obstructionists is to stop health insurance reform … period!
The public supports health insurance reforms that include a robust public option, and according to House Speaker Pelosi the House of Representatives can’t pass a bill without a public option. The Senate can certainly dig up 51 votes to pass a good solid public option along with other health insurance reforms.
The consensus has been reached, and the time to move past the obstructionist and obdurate is here. Sure they will be kicking and screaming, but they will come along because they really have no more options.
All that’s left now is for the Democratic “leadership” to realize all the above and act responsibly.
To hear the WSJ tell it (link) the economy was minding its own business and everything was great until Pelosi and Obama decided to spend every dime we have on stuff they don't care about.
We've never fretted over budget deficits, at least if they finance tax cuts to promote growth or spending to win a war. But these deficit estimates are driven entirely by more domestic spending and already assume huge new tax increases.
I guess they forgot that W. left the new President a steaming pile of junk and an economy about to crater.
I guess they forgot about the years the Republicans controlled Congress and never met a spending program/weapons system/war/invasion/tax cut they wouldn’t support.
Are there things I wish Obama would do differently? Sure there are. But to forget eight years of mismanagement and then throw up a headline like this one reminds me why I don’t read this rag – especially their editorials.
Geez. Way back when, I did a linkdump every week. That was a good thing. Why did I stop?
…and a non-blog postscript, there’s a Facebook group that wants to counter the creepy demonstration planned by the Westboro Baptist Church with a bake sale. Here’s the link. I have to say, I think being too close to that crowd would make me a little too nauseous to eat.
( – promoted by odum)
ECFiberNet, the grassroots organized venture that will bring modern day communications to central Vermont, has posted the following email to it’s public list:
After a mammoth effort, our application for financing under the Stimulus program is complete and has been submitted to the Rural Utility Service (RUS).
Atlantic Engineering Group, the design/build construction company, has agreed to begin work on crucial design/mapping work now, in order to maximize speed and momentum so that we can truly “break ground” when the money comes. The fact that AEG is willing to do undertake this phase before the money actually arrives is a testament to their faith in the soundness of the project. AEG will have three trucks in the ECFiber service area beginning in late August, surveying poles and sites to prepare a detailed cable design map. Each truck will display the ECFiber logo.
To acknowledge this first tangible phase of the project, we are holding a publicity event. This will be an opportunity for you to view the trucks and to get a project update, at 10:00 am, Monday, August 31 at the Tunbridge Town Hall. We consider the Tunbridge Town Hall to be the birthplace of ECFiber, where the first organizational meeting took place over 18 months ago.
We greatly hope that you can make it.
For more on ECFiberNet click here.
Little birdies are claiming that Governor Douglas will be there!
Barack Obama’s approval ratings took another slide last week in a Washington Post/ABC poll, but what analysts are starting to notice is that the downturn isn’t simply from independents, or people who think he isn’t Republican enough – he’s starting to lose approval from the left. Via Sargent:
The numbers tell the story: In three key cases where Obama has dropped significantly, he’s also dropped by sizable margins among Dems and liberals. Let’s take the major findings driving the discussion today, and compare them with his drop among Dems and libs:
* The WaPo poll found that “49 percent now express confidence that Obama will make the right decisions for the country, down from 60 percent at the 100-day mark in his presidency.”
On that question, among liberals, Obama has dropped a surprising 12 points, from 90% to 78%, in the same time period. Among Dems, he’s dropped eight points, from 90% to 82%.
Research 2000 polling for Daily Kos found similar results.
Paul Krugman’s related, widely-discussed op-ed suggests that health care is the catalyst for an explosion of progressive frustration with an administration that increasingly looks at its campaign rhetoric as expendable:
A backlash in the progressive base – which pushed President Obama over the top in the Democratic primary and played a major role in his general election victory – has been building for months. The fight over the public option involves real policy substance, but it’s also a proxy for broader questions about the president’s priorities and overall approach.
[…] On the issue of health care itself, the inspiring figure progressives thought they had elected comes across, far too often, as a dry technocrat… Meanwhile, on such fraught questions as torture and indefinite detention, the president has dismayed progressives with his reluctance to challenge or change Bush administration policy.
[…] So there’s a growing sense among progressives that they have, as my colleague Frank Rich suggests, been punked.
But you know how I really know this is getting serious? Here’s Baruth, whose August 16th piece is entitled “Obama Clearly Bagging Public Option; VDB Predicts Approval Rating Below 50% By Late September, And It’ll Be Very Well Deserved”:
Clearly the White House would like to signal that the battle on the Public Option has been fought and lost. Obama, Durbin, Sebelius, all of the Administration’s key health care types have moved publicly to the extremely minimal notion that anything that increases competition and coverage is Good. Anything at all. Which, we suppose, is Change, of an impoverished sort. But not Change We Can Believe In.
Philip was one of the earliest and strongest of Obama supporters. More than simply being supportive, he has (in my opinion) been drawn to the Obama phenomenon as a narrative (hey, he’s a novelist) – and its a compelling one on many levels. As such, this is a guy willing to give Obama a lot of slack.
Shorter version; if Baruth is pissed at Obama, our President has really started pushing his luck with the left.