Day: May 12, 2009

Health Care: How Gullible Are You?

President Barack Obama on Monday portrayed the health care industry‘s promise to cut $2 trillion in costs over 10 years as “a watershed event” in the long search for a solution to the millions of uninsured.

Whether that is true won’t be readily known as debate begins in Congress over sweeping health care legislation. What is known now is that the move puts the industry groups involved firmly inside the process of expanding coverage, with the hope they can steer the final product toward something that doesn’t restrict their profitability.

They told Obama they would slow rate increases by 1.5 percentage points a year by improving coordination, focusing on efficiency and embracing better technology and regulatory reform.

Although the offer from the industry groups doesn’t resolve thorny details of a new health care system, it does offer the prospect of freeing a large chunk of money to help pay for coverage. And it puts the private-sector groups in a good position to influence the bill Congress is writing.

The industry groups are trying to get on the administration bandwagon for expanded coverage now in the hope they can steer Congress away from legislation that would restrict their profitability in future years.

Insurers, for example, want to avoid the creation of a government health plan that would directly compete with them to enroll middle-class workers and their families. Drug makers worry that in the future, new medications might have to pass a cost-benefit test before they can win approval. And hospitals and doctors are concerned the government could dictate what they get paid to care for any patient, not only the elderly and the poor.

That is right, Irene…..the industry is being magnanimous…..why?……they are running scared that their will be a government run single payer system…or universal health care for all…and that is unacceptable….why?….there goes their massive amounts of profit….and that is definitely unacceptable.

After many years of crapping on all health care proposals, these industries are now seeing the light and prepared to help see that everyone has health coverage.  Just how gullible are you?

Economist Says “The End Is Near”

“The macroeconomic data suggests that the worst is over,” said Quincy Krosby, chief investment strategist at the Hartford. “There’s been a healing process in the banking sector.”

How nice….but sorry sir, most of us live in a microeconomic world.”The job market is bad, but not as bad as expected, and headed in the right direction. Monthly job losses averaged 700,000 in the first quarter and appear on track to lose [an average of] 500,000 in the second quarter,” said Mark Zandi, the chief economist for forecaster Moody’s Economy.com. “There will be another 2.5 million in job losses, and unemployment will peak at 10 percent by this time next year.”

Maybe if you are the manager of a hedge fund there is good news, but most of us working stiffs do not see the end anytime soon.

The long-term jobless now are more than 27 percent of all the unemployed, the highest ever since records began in 1948

But the good news is that we did not lose as many jobs as had been thought……(thinking)……try convincing the 500,000+ that lost their jobs last month…bet you will not find too many that are optimstic.

And then there are the foreclosures.

Home values in the United States extended their fall in the first quarter, with more than one in five homeowners now owing more on their mortgages than their homes are worth, real estate website Zillow.com said on Wednesday.

U.S. home values posted a year-over-year decline of 14.2 percent to a Zillow Home Value Index of $182,378, resulting in a total 21.8 percent drop since the market peaked in 2006, according to Zillow’s first-quarter Real Estate Market Reports, which encompass 161 metropolitan areas and cover the value changes in all homes, not just homes that have recently sold.

No matter how one slices the info…..workers and working families are not fine and things are not getting better.

Please…someone show the working class the silver lining…….

Modern Whig Party–UpDate

This is an email I got from the Whig Party…..and you thought they were dead….see what you can learn from reading Info Ink?
To the members of the Modern Whig Party,

Things are now moving very quickly. When a group of returning Iraq and Afghanistan veterans founded this grassroots movement, the initial plan was to implement a methodical and gradual approach. The idea was to ensure longevity and viability, while avoiding the fringe and/or marginalized trappings of other political endeavors. Instead, the idea was to forge our own path for a political movement based on common-sense and mainstream rational thought rather than ideology or political antagonism. But such a plan requires patience and a steady hand. It also requires a lot of work from volunteers across the country. As the Modern Whig Party begins to turn the corner, all of us are seeing the results of our labor.

Countless blogs, forums and other online media outlets are now eagerly following our progress. In addition, mainstream media is taking notice of our efforts with positive articles and favorable political columns such as this. As a result, our national party, along with many state chapters, are reporting extensive increases in new and active membership. It is evident that our message and mainstream approach is moving according to plan. We are certainly not there yet and remain realistic of the formidable hurdles. But as the GOP continues to divide itself and the Democrats to a somewhat lesser extent alienate more of their moderate members, we are putting ourselves in position to welcome and inspire such people to all that we have and expect to offer. It also is important to note that most of us have spent our entire voting lives as part of one of these parties, so we understand the extraordinary leap of faith involved.


Fresh off our successful mass meeting in Washington, DC, more events are in the works. For a list of confirmed Modern Whig Party events and locations, click here. In addition, due to the fact that many members throughout the country have expressed a desire to participate in a mass setting, our second national online meeting is in the process of being scheduled. Speakers will include state chairs, our national chairman and others. Attendees also will have an opportunity to actively participate. Please expect a date and time soon.

The idea is to inspire enough people to become actively involved in our movement that they are inspired enough to organize their own events, send emails about the party, post about it online, contact the media, or do even just the little things to get the word out. Once we get a groundswell of support, we will capture it for purposes of longevity by projecting such grassroots sentiment toward strong and viable candidates and other political endeavors.

As always, we absolutely appreciate your support and patience. A simple online search demonstrates that this patience is starting to pay dividends as we transition from political start-up to political phenomenon. And if we can continue to unify our efforts and succeed in further building this movement, the Modern Whig Party will indeed become a true political phenomenon.
Best regards,

Executive Committee
The Modern Whig Party

http://www.modernwhig.org

If you are sick of the games being played by the GOP…why not check out the Modern Whig Party….you find that they are speaking your language.

Watch Where You Pee

Police said two men suffered injuries after they were beaten after urinating on what they thought was an unoccupied vehicle on Friday morning. Police said the owner got out of the car and assaulted the two men with a golf club. One of the men suffered a possible arm fracture and was transported to Pullman Regional Hospital.

Police Sergeant Dan Dornes said urinating in public is a crime, but the two men will probably not be cited in this case.

Police were trying to locate the owner of the car.

Advice of the day–when peeing in public you migfht want to be sure of what and where you relive yourself–to avoid in pain that may be coming with the act.