1/ Paul Krugman with a spirited defense of Medicare - excellent article.....
The air is so clouded with BS from the right about health care that every now and then one needs to read an article like this to reestablish the facts and a sense of reality....
OP-ED COLUMNIST
Medicare Saves Money
By PAUL KRUGMAN
Published: June 12, 2011
Every once in a while a politician comes up with an idea that’s so bad, so wrongheaded, that you’re almost grateful. For really bad ideas can help illustrate the extent to which policy discourse has gone off the rails.
Fred R. Conrad/The New York Times
Paul Krugman
Related
Times Topic: Medicare
Readers' Comments
Readers shared their thoughts on this article.
And so it was with Senator Joseph Lieberman’s proposal, released last week, to raise the age for Medicare eligibility from 65 to 67.
Like Republicans who want to end Medicare as we know it and replace it with (grossly inadequate) insurance vouchers, Mr. Lieberman describes his proposal as a way to save Medicare. It wouldn’t actually do that. But more to the point, our goal shouldn’t be to “save Medicare,” whatever that means. It should be to ensure that Americans get the health care they need, at a cost the nation can afford.
And here’s what you need to know: Medicare actually saves money — a lot of money — compared with relying on private insurance companies. And this in turn means that pushing people out of Medicare, in addition to depriving many Americans of needed care, would almost surely end up increasing total health care costs.
The idea of Medicare as a money-saving program may seem hard to grasp. After all, hasn’t Medicare spending risen dramatically over time? Yes, it has: adjusting for overall inflation, Medicare spending per beneficiary rose more than 400 percent from 1969 to 2009.
But inflation-adjusted premiums on private health insurance rose more than 700 percent over the same period. So while it’s true that Medicare has done an inadequate job of controlling costs, the private sector has done much worse. And if we deny Medicare to 65- and 66-year-olds, we’ll be forcing them to get private insurance — if they can — that will cost much more than it would have cost to provide the same coverage through Medicare.
2/ A recent bill in Connecticut mandating 5 days sick leave for low wage workers was exoricated by the Republicans in the State Senate as "communism", but think about it - everyone gets sick at some time during the year and most corporations with white collar employees have a number of leave days one can take, but god forbid a waitress dare take a sick day - no pay for you, bitch!
Look at the highlighted paragraph below in Robln Blumner's article in the St. Pete Times.....so true....
I heard a wonderful phrase on the radio yesterday about the new jobs in America that are being created that registered - ding!
Here it is - "I suppose slaves had a job, it just wasn't a good one".
Welcome to the new Corporate States of America......
A bill passed by the Connecticut Legislature earlier this month was denounced before the vote by House Republican leader Larry Cafero as "the absolutely worst thing we could do."
What do you think that was? What was the absolute worst legislation that could possibly be passed in the eyes of the state's Republican leadership?
The answer: a bill that provides low-paid service sector workers with sick leave.
The new law will give workers such as cashiers, hotel maids, waiters and security guards in businesses that employ 50 or more people one hour of paid sick time for every 40 hours worked, up to five sick days per year.
Statistics show that 75 percent of low-wage workers are not given a single sick day off. That means restaurant staff is coming to work with the flu and serving you food; and infectious nursing home attendants are caring for Grandma.
The question isn't how Connecticut could pass something like this — it's why isn't mandatory paid sick leave federal law for every worker in the country?
Maybe it's because Republican lawmakers and the business community treated Connecticut's modest measure as if it were the coming of the Red Army. They vehemently condemned it, warning of inevitable job losses.
But what America needs is more goodjobs. The kinds of jobs that provide a semblance of economic security, as opposed to those with low pay and no sick leave that leave workers at constant risk of financial calamity.
3/ Lady Gaga refers to her legions of fans as "Little Monsters, so she has created a 90 second commercial .....especially for YOU, you monster.
4/ Al Jazeera English is turning into a pretty good news organization, and they air the stories the corporate media in this country don't want you to see - like Fukushima.
"It's much worse than you think" is the title of this story, and Fukushima is a bigger disaster than Chernobyl.....
Thankfully we in Florida won't be affected, but the US West Coast is vulnerable.....
Good journalism, and start looking for iodine tablets....
"Fukushima is the biggest industrial catastrophe in the history of mankind," Arnold Gundersen, a former nuclear industry senior vice president, told Al Jazeera.
Japan's 9.0 earthquake on March 11 caused a massive tsunami that crippled the cooling systems at the Tokyo Electric Power Company's (TEPCO) nuclear plant in Fukushima, Japan. It also led to hydrogen explosions and reactor meltdowns that forced evacuations of those living within a 20km radius of the plant.
Gundersen, a licensed reactor operator with 39 years of nuclear power engineering experience, managing and coordinating projects at 70 nuclear power plants around the US, says the Fukushima nuclear plant likely has more exposed reactor cores than commonly believed.
"Fukushima has three nuclear reactors exposed and four fuel cores exposed," he said, "You probably have the equivalent of 20 nuclear reactor cores because of the fuel cores, and they are all in desperate need of being cooled, and there is no means to cool them effectively."
Japan's 9.0 earthquake on March 11 caused a massive tsunami that crippled the cooling systems at the Tokyo Electric Power Company's (TEPCO) nuclear plant in Fukushima, Japan. It also led to hydrogen explosions and reactor meltdowns that forced evacuations of those living within a 20km radius of the plant.
Gundersen, a licensed reactor operator with 39 years of nuclear power engineering experience, managing and coordinating projects at 70 nuclear power plants around the US, says the Fukushima nuclear plant likely has more exposed reactor cores than commonly believed.
"Fukushima has three nuclear reactors exposed and four fuel cores exposed," he said, "You probably have the equivalent of 20 nuclear reactor cores because of the fuel cores, and they are all in desperate need of being cooled, and there is no means to cool them effectively."
5/ Very funny Jon Stewart where he compares the answers in Tuesday's Republican debate......6 minutes......
Tuesday night's "Daily Show" focused on the second debate between the GOP's potential Presidential candidates, this time taking place on CNN instead ofFox News.
In this "Indecision 2012" segment, Stewart is able to grade Santorum, Bachmann, Pawlenty, Gingrich, Romney, Cain, and Paul on their answers to the typical questions at every early debate.
First there was the "comparing of the Christmas cards" as Stewart put it, where the candidates list all their children and describe their families in the noblest of lights (except Newt Gingrich). Stewart declared Michele Bachmann the "winner" with her five children and 23 foster kids. No argument here
6/ "What's wrong with the economy?" - Robert Reich explains in 2 minutes, 15 seconds how we fell off the economic cliff....well at least the middle class did.
This is worth passing on to Fox viewers....it's simple, clear and short, so it might sink in......no big words either, and he uses a Glenn Beck blackboard!
7/ Great story about the specifics of how the dysfunctional scum we elected to ruin our lives are playing evil politics. The Republicans are playing a dangerous game, derailing the economy on purpose so they can have a chance of regaining power in 2012.
So if you are out of work, tough titties. They don't care about you, they don't even notice you - you're just a pawn in the Washington game....
Welcome to the miserable world of no-way-out politics.
The economy needs another jolt, but Congress is in gridlock. Democrats, or most of them, realize that their political futures and the well-being of millions of households hang on whether unemployment can be brought down. Yet Republicans have the capacity to block even the smallest steps forward.
Here’s what the Democrats’ agony looks like from the inside. Last Thursday, Senate Democrats devoted their weekly policy lunch to a simple question: What proposals to spur job creation have any chance of passing Congress, given Republican control of the House and the effective veto power the GOP has in a Senate where a simple majority no longer rules?
The agenda was organized by Sen. Charles E. Schumer of New York. He doesn’t need a pollster to tell him that jobs are his party’s make-or-break issue.
“The voters gave us two mandates in 2010, not one,” he said in an interview. “They told us we should reduce the deficit and get rid of wasteful spending. We ignore that at our peril. But they also told us to create jobs, grow the economy and help the middle class stretch their paychecks.” Washington, Schumer says, is ignoring the second instruction.
8/ Good grief - a country club for cars. A five minute video about a new concept that has just opened in Minnesota, which is a garage condo complex where the car collectors of Minneapolis keep their cars.
There truly are two worlds, two sets of realities in this country.....this is an example of the reality for the top 5%.....
9/ Last DDD had an article by Nancy Argenziano, and Scott Maxwell discusses the piece here......lots of discussion in Tallahassee, because she's a Republican insider, telling all.....
There's a link to the article at the end of this short story.....
Argenziano: My GOP has sold you out
Political Insider, Uncategorized — posted by scottmaxwell on June, 13 2011 2:22 PM
http://blogs.orlandosentinel.Political Insider, Uncategorized — posted by scottmaxwell on June, 13 2011 2:22 PM
One of the harshest indictments of current GOP leadership in Florida comes from a member of the party itself: former State Sen. and PSC member Nancy Argenziano.
In a lengthy, pull-no-punches piece for her hometown Citrus County Chronicle – one that’s generating buzz throughout Tallahassee and the state — Argenziano says GOP lawmakers have been selling out citizens to the highest special-interest bidder.
She cited leadership attacks on everything from nursing-home watchdogs to utility regulators — alongside gifts to the power business industry — as proof that Florida’s contemporary conservatives have abandoned the “Republican principles of long ago.”
Yet any Republicans who dare speak out are attacked, she said, arguing that “anytime an elected Republican official would not go along with the crooks that stole the party, they were labeled as Republicans in name only …”
Writes Argenziano: “”Today’s Republican leaders demand a total beehive mentality even as they stray further from real Republican principles. There are boys with little life experience running the fourth-largest state. … I see hardly any independent thinking occurring among our elected officials.”
You can read Argenziano’s full piece here.
10/ The "Book of Mormon" is the hottest show on Broadway, and swept the Tony awards last week. Here's a song from the show - "I Believe".....beautifully sung, and very funny......
Bit of "culture" for you folks......not just rock stars eh?
The 'South Park' guys have done it again.
Trey Parker and Matt Stone's first Broadway show 'The Book Of Mormon' took home nine Tony AwardsSunday night, including the illustrious Best Musical. And during a special performance of the climactic song "I Believe," most watchers got their first look at the breakout musical of the year.
The parody musical follows two young Mormon missionaries sent to Uganda to spread God's word, only to find themselves in the most hellish situations imaginable. In the scene below, Elder Price (Andrew Rannells) has lost his faith and attempts to regain the courage to fight an evil warlord aiming to control the Ugandan people.
As you'll learn via the hilarious lyrics in "I Believe," "The Book Of Mormon" is as much about mocking Mormonism as it is about celebrating i
11/ Excellent Time Magazine article titled "Swampland", about our bug-eyed, slimy piece of rat turd Governor.....I'm sure he's texting pictures of himself to someone, somewhere.....
Florida Governor Rick Scott was in Canada last week, trumpeting the news that three companies there are bringing operations, and more than 200 jobs, to the Sunshine State. The deals were started by Scott’s predecessor, Charlie Crist, before Scott took office in January. But Scott is taking credit for them anyway – and who can blame him? If you were America’s most unpopular governor, posting a voter-approval rating of 29% after less than six months in Tallahassee, you’d be willing to go to the North Pole to beg Santa Claus to relocate to Daytona Beach.
12/ Florida is stone last again.....employment outlook is the weakest in the country.
Not surprising, is it? Employers are looking for potential staff with a decent education, and Florida has one of the stupidest pools of people in the nation [they elected Rick Scott, I rest my case], and arguably the most corrupt political system. And with what Rickybaby is doing to the public schools, the stupidity is guaranteed to get worse.
If you were an employer, would you add jobs here?
Manpower survey: Fla. employment weakest in U.S.
By Anthony Clark
Business editor
Business editor
Published: Tuesday, June 14, 2011 at 12:15 a.m.
Last Modified: Tuesday, June 14, 2011 at 12:20 a.m.
Florida employers expect to hire at a steady pace in the next three months but the state's employment outlook is one of the weakest in the nation, according to a survey by the Manpower employment services firm.
The Manpower Employment Outlook Survey shows that 17 percent of Florida employers interviewed plan to hire more employees from July to September, while 10 percent expect to reduce staffing for a net outlook of 7 percent. Another 70 percent expect to maintain staffing and 3 percent are not certain.
13/ A 6 minute mini-movie set in New York....just a nice film with a charming story, about two young Jewish guys and two nuns.....amusing, with a kicker at the end.....
Todays video, a DDD favourite.....the Best Seatbelt Commercial....Ever.
Made in the UK by Sussex County Council......love this one, still get's a chokelet in the old cynical throat.....
Todays funeral joke
An acceptable reason to laugh at a funeral...
A Cardiologist's Funeral
A very prestigious cardiologist died, and was given a very elaborate funeral by the hospital he worked for most of his life...
A huge heart... covered in flowers stood behind the casket during the service as all the doctors from the hospital sat in awe.
Following the eulogy, the heart opened, and the casket rolled inside. The heart then closed, sealing the doctor in the beautiful heart forever.
At that point, one of the mourners just burst into laughter.
When all eyes stared at him, he said, 'I am so sorry, I was just thinking of my own funeral... I'm a gynecologist.
The priest fainted................
The priest fainted................
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