I just read Paul Krugman's latest broadside at conservatives, etc. Don't know why I read him as I never agree with him and he is an obnoxious dweeb.
Anyway, here is what I think America should do about health insurance. Universal availability, universal pay too. What do I mean by that? The employer is charged a payroll tax of let's say 5% of his total payroll and pays that to the govenment. Then the government issues a voucher to every credentialed American which can be used to buy their own health insurance. Notice I did not say "every working American". So, everyone has a voucher to buy their own insurance. Insurance policies must provide a minimum of "X" levels of coverage and an individual could purchase a very expensive policy (let's call it a cadillac type policy). In that case, the voucher may not cover the total cost of the "cadillac" policy so the individual has to reach in theri own pocket to cover the premium.
My plan gets the employer out of the hassle of choosing the coverage, covers everyone with some type of coverage and does not lead to COBRA type situations when you are between jobs. Plus my plan gives everyone a choice, does not require a fat and wasteful bureacracy (the libs's single payor) and is SIMPLE. Also, would require insurers to agree to do away with the old pre-existing condition factor and would not eliminate an entire industry. Plus my plan is fair- I estimate employers pay at least 5% today to cover their employees.
Friday, April 29, 2005
Thursday, April 28, 2005
Lotta Talk & Little Action
Arianna Huffington is organizing a group blog, the Huffington Post, as a counter-balance to the rightward slant of the blogosphere. She has rounded all the usual suspects and assorted dim bulbs that make up the Hollywood celebrity and literati crowd.
But it has been like 3-4 weeks since she announced this great idea and to date there have been no sightings nor postings to her blog.
Sure I understand her blog will be so cool and complicated but why the big frigging delay? It took me about 30 minutes to set up my blog and it was free too! That's one of the beauties of the blog- it's instantaneous plus it's fast too!
But it has been like 3-4 weeks since she announced this great idea and to date there have been no sightings nor postings to her blog.
Sure I understand her blog will be so cool and complicated but why the big frigging delay? It took me about 30 minutes to set up my blog and it was free too! That's one of the beauties of the blog- it's instantaneous plus it's fast too!
Sunday, April 24, 2005
Filtered News
It's been three days or so since Senator Kennedy's brother-in-law, Raymond Reggie, pled guilty to several bank fraud charges in a federal court in New Orleans.
During his plea, Reggie also admitted he was serving as a government informant in a case against the former finance chief of Hillary Clinton's senate campaign in 2000.
Since I am a news wonk and also like to question the motives behind the media's positioning or hiding a story, I noticed (as of today) of the big media sources, only the NY Times had reported on the Reggie case (in addition to AP). So my hometown paper, the Philly Inquirer and the Wash Post and The LA Times have essentially ignored this story for 3 days.
Do you think they would do that if the story involved Senator Santorum's brother in law? Its unbelievable because it is a BIG news story no matter how you cut it. So, why the seemingly uniform filter from three leading newspapers?
During his plea, Reggie also admitted he was serving as a government informant in a case against the former finance chief of Hillary Clinton's senate campaign in 2000.
Since I am a news wonk and also like to question the motives behind the media's positioning or hiding a story, I noticed (as of today) of the big media sources, only the NY Times had reported on the Reggie case (in addition to AP). So my hometown paper, the Philly Inquirer and the Wash Post and The LA Times have essentially ignored this story for 3 days.
Do you think they would do that if the story involved Senator Santorum's brother in law? Its unbelievable because it is a BIG news story no matter how you cut it. So, why the seemingly uniform filter from three leading newspapers?
Saturday, April 23, 2005
Why is he still alive?
What's it been ..about 16-18 months since Saddam Hussein was captured? How long does it take to try and execute an evil mass murderer like him? I say get that sword sharpened or start building the gallows and send that bastard off to hell now.
Tuesday, April 05, 2005
Fire the city drones but give them a defibrilator as a parting gift
Yesterday, an elderly man collapsed at the Philadelphia airport. In spite of the efforts of a cardiologist who happened to be at the airport, the man died. Reports say the airport had defibrilators on hand and the doctor tried to use 2 or 3 of them but none worked properly. The doctor and several bystanders were quoted in the newspaper as stating the equipment didn't work.
The head of the airport ( a city employee) immediately disputed that claim. I say fire them all if they can't admit a mistake by not maintaining this lifesaving equipment. On the other hand, I don't agree an airport should be required to have that type of equipment available BUT if they do have it at least keep it in working condition.
This is just more evidence the city has no business being in the airport business; the city should sell the airport to the highest bidder or perhaps the mayor's brother, Milton who would agree to hire many Democratic ward leaders.
The head of the airport ( a city employee) immediately disputed that claim. I say fire them all if they can't admit a mistake by not maintaining this lifesaving equipment. On the other hand, I don't agree an airport should be required to have that type of equipment available BUT if they do have it at least keep it in working condition.
This is just more evidence the city has no business being in the airport business; the city should sell the airport to the highest bidder or perhaps the mayor's brother, Milton who would agree to hire many Democratic ward leaders.
Sunday, April 03, 2005
Dems Losing It
I just heard the city of San Francisco is planning to enact a law that requires blogs to register with city hall if the blog dares to mention the name of a candidate for public office.
Isn't that so ironic?? The great city that helped spawn the inovators of Silicon Valley which in turn enabled the internet and email and web-browsing by and for the masses has now determined it is oh so very important to regulate blogs. I have to say it this way... democrats are truly losing their minds; they have become humorless pessimists that think new laws can solve every one of their problems. Dems rre convinced they are losing the battle of campaign money but they virtually spent as much money as the Republicans in the 2004 election even if you counted all the soft money from groups like Moveon(dems) and Swift Vets (reps), etc.
And if money is their big concern, don't forget the Dems have the by far richest cast of Senators in the land. What did Corzine spend to get six year in the Senate ....almost $75MM??
Come on Democrats. Get a grip- most blogs are just used as a form of personal OPED pages by the author. It's the newest form of diary. Would the dems do the same to some politically oriented graffiti artist? I can just hear the mayor of San Francisco confronted by a once-famous and prolific graffiti artist in Philly.... "this is the mayor- I want you to track down Cornbread and take away his spray can and brushes".
Even Willie Brown would have known better.
Isn't that so ironic?? The great city that helped spawn the inovators of Silicon Valley which in turn enabled the internet and email and web-browsing by and for the masses has now determined it is oh so very important to regulate blogs. I have to say it this way... democrats are truly losing their minds; they have become humorless pessimists that think new laws can solve every one of their problems. Dems rre convinced they are losing the battle of campaign money but they virtually spent as much money as the Republicans in the 2004 election even if you counted all the soft money from groups like Moveon(dems) and Swift Vets (reps), etc.
And if money is their big concern, don't forget the Dems have the by far richest cast of Senators in the land. What did Corzine spend to get six year in the Senate ....almost $75MM??
Come on Democrats. Get a grip- most blogs are just used as a form of personal OPED pages by the author. It's the newest form of diary. Would the dems do the same to some politically oriented graffiti artist? I can just hear the mayor of San Francisco confronted by a once-famous and prolific graffiti artist in Philly.... "this is the mayor- I want you to track down Cornbread and take away his spray can and brushes".
Even Willie Brown would have known better.
The Pope
Admittedly a great great man. He visited Philly in 1979 and I was there on Logan Square with a million or so other people. But I was there trying to pick up girls- the other people were a little more idealistic than me. Almost 26 years later, my father's medicine cabinet still holds a vial of holy water that was blessed that day by Pope John Paul II. I wonder how many more of those vials still exist in Philly?
What I remember most about him is that he struck you as one smart, educated and tough son of a gun. He was only in his late 50's and didn't have any sign yet of being weak or old or just another bookish religious academician (you know the type - wheenie professor or scholar). No, this Pope came from the real world. He clawed and fought his way to the top of one of the toughest Catholic leagues in the world (communist Poland). But I don't remember what event or achievement of his was the first evidence he was destined for greatness. Though I thought his great character was revealed when he took the name John Paul II to honor his immediate predessor who died only 33 days after being selected.
What I remember most about him is that he struck you as one smart, educated and tough son of a gun. He was only in his late 50's and didn't have any sign yet of being weak or old or just another bookish religious academician (you know the type - wheenie professor or scholar). No, this Pope came from the real world. He clawed and fought his way to the top of one of the toughest Catholic leagues in the world (communist Poland). But I don't remember what event or achievement of his was the first evidence he was destined for greatness. Though I thought his great character was revealed when he took the name John Paul II to honor his immediate predessor who died only 33 days after being selected.
Felt like you knew her
No matter which way you leaned on the court and legal battle- you had to feel some sadness when Terri Schiavo died on Thursday. The 24 hour news cycle had to have an effect on you- it made her very familiar and almost close to everyone. So let's agree to wish she can now rest in peace and her survivors find a way to heal the scars each side believed the other inflicted.
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