President Obama has been criticized for the feds “slow” response to the oil spill; meanwhile BP has downplayed the disaster. Cheney let oil execs redraft the regulations; now we must clean up yet another Bush administration mess. BP paid $22 million in fines for hazardous waste dumping in Alaska (1990s), $303 million in fines for propane price fixing (October, 2007), and was fined $137 million for 800+ safety violations after a Texas oil refinery explosion (2005).
Obama says he erred in believing BP had their acts together for a worst case scenario. The Obama administration has now: 1) suspended planned exploration of two locations off the coast of Alaska; 2) canceled pending lease sales in the Gulf of Mexico and proposed lease sales off Virginia coast; 3) extended existing moratoriums and suspended new permits for deepwater wells for six months; and 4) suspended action on 33 deepwater exploratory wells currently in the Gulf of Mexico.
Obama says oil will be part of our energy mix, but this tragedy is a “wake-up call” that our dependence on oil is not sustainable; we must focus our resources on renewable energy that will not only protect our environment, but will also “create a new, homegrown, American industry that can lead to countless new businesses and new jobs.” America, with our ingenuity, "know how" and "can do" spirit, can lead the world in renewable energy technologies. And Nevada, with our wide open spaces, can be a national leader, but we must invest now in education and retrain and diversify our workforce. Enough of this “no new taxes/drill baby/anti regulation” nonsense. Let’s clean up this mess and get to work.
Monday, May 31, 2010
Monday, March 15, 2010
Where the stimulus money is going.
The stimulus money is earmarked for programs not unlike the WPA programs (after the Great Depression), except this time we are releasing it not as large government work programs, but as a means for jobs and training. Some funds has gone to what have been coined "shovel ready" programs. There is also a lot of money going to educational and training programs from K-12 to college and vocational training programs. Some of that money is going to private companies who partner with a government entity and some is going to state and local employees. In fact it is keeping our fellow Nevadans at work in basic industries such as police, fire, teachers, and highway construction workers. We should be grateful that Senator Reid has provided opportunities (not earmarks) for us to apply for grants to help stabilize the economic situation in Nevada.
As a long term Nevadan, I care about the future of our state. I have dedicated the last 15 years of my life "giving back" by teaching at our local community college. For the last 6 months I have also assisted our school's external funding and grants office so I know something about the stimulus funding.
The grants are very competitive. The process is rigorous not because of the difficulty of writing the grants, but because of the complexity of filling out government applications and because the turn around time is typically no more that a few weeks. This means organizations that don't have a full time grant writer have little chance of winning these funds. That's why I'm helping our college grant writer at this critical and urgent time.
If each American got a share of that initial total it would have been a little over $2500 ea. vs. saving someone's job or giving them the training they need to get a job. Teach a person to fish. I vote we stay the course. To see where stimulus funds are going in Nevada or any state go to: http://www.recovery.gov
As a long term Nevadan, I care about the future of our state. I have dedicated the last 15 years of my life "giving back" by teaching at our local community college. For the last 6 months I have also assisted our school's external funding and grants office so I know something about the stimulus funding.
The grants are very competitive. The process is rigorous not because of the difficulty of writing the grants, but because of the complexity of filling out government applications and because the turn around time is typically no more that a few weeks. This means organizations that don't have a full time grant writer have little chance of winning these funds. That's why I'm helping our college grant writer at this critical and urgent time.
If each American got a share of that initial total it would have been a little over $2500 ea. vs. saving someone's job or giving them the training they need to get a job. Teach a person to fish. I vote we stay the course. To see where stimulus funds are going in Nevada or any state go to: http://www.recovery.gov
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Coffee Party's first blogger: Annabel
It doesn't matter now what Annabel's background is or is not. The Coffee Party Movement is bigger than that now and our American political grassroots quest for political action is much, much bigger bigger than that.
The vast majority of Americans are profoundly unhappy with the two status quo political parties and together we are searching. Some Americans seem to have found their voice in the Tea Party, but many of us find that party too sheepishly conservative seeming to follow the dictates of Fox news broadcasters. The Coffee Party is a response to that with an emphasis on civil discourse and for some a more centrist agenda. Meanwhile, may recent veterans are restarting the Whig Party. Their politics appear to lie somewhere between Coffee and Tea in temperament.
One thing for sure, we are tired of the business as usual model of the current two party system. The Democrats and Republicans have let us down, proving to be, more often than not, led by people who suffer from some or all of the proverbial deadly sins.
Most of us don't yet know whether the Tea Party or the Coffee Party or the Whig party or yet another party will earn our support in the months ahead. We do we are tired of being manipulated by corporate media and the two majority parties and it is time for us to reclaim our rights and responsibilities and to participate more directly in the governance of our nation.
The vast majority of Americans are profoundly unhappy with the two status quo political parties and together we are searching. Some Americans seem to have found their voice in the Tea Party, but many of us find that party too sheepishly conservative seeming to follow the dictates of Fox news broadcasters. The Coffee Party is a response to that with an emphasis on civil discourse and for some a more centrist agenda. Meanwhile, may recent veterans are restarting the Whig Party. Their politics appear to lie somewhere between Coffee and Tea in temperament.
One thing for sure, we are tired of the business as usual model of the current two party system. The Democrats and Republicans have let us down, proving to be, more often than not, led by people who suffer from some or all of the proverbial deadly sins.
Most of us don't yet know whether the Tea Party or the Coffee Party or the Whig party or yet another party will earn our support in the months ahead. We do we are tired of being manipulated by corporate media and the two majority parties and it is time for us to reclaim our rights and responsibilities and to participate more directly in the governance of our nation.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Simple Bipartisan Plan to Reform American Healthcare
My proposal is simple: Mandatory reporting of medical errors for health care institutions and health care providers PAIRED with a $250K cap on each malpractice lawsuit. Rationale: Medical error is the 7th leading cause of death in U.S. With mandatory reporting and public assess to this data base, there will be a radical change in health care. No longer will bad health care providers be protected by a veil of secrecy. In 2007 then Senators Clinton and Obama proposed mandatory reporting of medical errors but their bill was blocked by Republicans who insisted on putting a $250K cap on malpractice law suits. I say let the Republicans have that. Even with a $250 cap on law suits, how many hits could a doctor or hospital survive before losing their license given a publicly accessible database? Give us a real choice of providers and we will have quality care. By improving quality of care through true oversight by consumers, we can drastically improve the quality of health care and dramatically decrease the cost of health care. Plus with a cap on malpractice law suits, good doctors and hospitals will no longer have to pay premiums to support the bad. Its a win, win, win. The cost of this plan is nominal, the benefits priceless.
Friday, February 19, 2010
How that Hopey-Changey Thing is Working out for U.S.
How that Hopey-Changey Thing is Working Out for U.S.:
http://my.barackobama.com/page/m/55c106b2/504db18c/fef1e531/11886ceb/127712909/VEsH/
http://my.barackobama.com/page/m/55c106b2/504db18c/fef1e531/11886ceb/127712909/VEsH/
Sunday, January 24, 2010
An Open Letter to President Obama and All Americans Who Care About Health Care
I listened to Minority Leader Senator Mitch McConnell this morning (1/24/10)on Meet the Press and first I have to compliment David Gregory for making Senator McConnell stay on track. When asked for the top three items for Republicans on health care reform and his list included the following four: 1) Put the CSPAN cameras in the room; 2) Junk lawsuits for doctors and hospitals (translation tort reform); 3) interstate competition among insurance companies; and 4) Equalize the tax code so that insurance is tax deductible for individuals just as it is for corporations.
Meanwhile the Democrats talk about: 5) universal coverage (i.e. strategies such as a public option, Medicare buy-in, and an insurance coop); and 6) coverage for those with pre-existing conditions. Listening to independent voters I would suggest they would add 7) no changes to benefits or cost for exiting Medicare recipients and 8) no death panels.
So here’s a brief discussion of the Partisan lists:
1) Transparency with television cameras in the room during negotiations
2) Tort reform. This argument was made when then Senators Obama and Clinton tried to pass mandatory reporting of medical errors (the 7th leading cause of death in the U.S.). The Repubs and the health care industry fought back saying they would only support the mandatory reporting with a $250K cap on malpractice lawsuits. I say give it to them. Pair tort reform/paired with mandatory health care reporting (for health care givers and institutions to a transparent registry that the public can access. That will serve to police the health care industry, increase our ability to choose higher quality health care providers and drive down the costs and save lives by improving the quality of health care.
3) Interstate competition among insurance companies…why not? Increase the pool, improve the cost
4) Tax deductions for individuals…again, why not? Dems might be afraid it will justify corporations throwing their employees under the train, but they are doing that anyway. I live in Nevada where there is talk about gutting the health care benefits for state employees. As a college professor in a state college, this would cost me a lot.
5) Universal coverage: I’m an advocate of the public option, but I have accepted the fact that Congress doesn’t have the balls to pass it. The coops have not yet been tested; there have been no objective third party studies to determine if they are an effective method. I think the solution is the 55 year old buy in to Medicare with emphasis on buy-in. They pay their way so there is an infusion of case from younger recipients paying into the system. Perhaps we can cap it for people making less than $25,000 so it’s not a huge magnet for everyone who could afford an alternative private policy. Plus it will be a money maker because of the infusion of cash from the younger recipients who are paying into the system.
6) Coverage for people with preexisting conditions: I understand even the insurance industry has now come to table on this one…done
7) No change in benefits or costs for those already covered by Medicare; let’s cap this at folks making $250K so the rich don’t get a free ride here.
To sum, here below is a list that would fix Health Care as a BIPARTISAN solution:
1. Transparent and televised coverage of negotiations
2. Tort Reform (cap to $250K per malpractice lawsuit) PAIRED with mandatory reporting of medical errors for health care providers and institutions to a publicly accessible registry.
3. Interstate competition among insurance companies
4. Equalize tax code: allow individuals to deduct insurance premiums like corporations do
5. Medicare buy-in for 55 year olds making less than $25K
6. Coverage for those with preexisting conditions.
7. No increases in cost or reduction of coverage to existing Medicare beneficiaries making less than $200K.
I urge President Obama to give the Republicans, Democrats and Independents what they want, put it on TV and see what happens.
Meanwhile the Democrats talk about: 5) universal coverage (i.e. strategies such as a public option, Medicare buy-in, and an insurance coop); and 6) coverage for those with pre-existing conditions. Listening to independent voters I would suggest they would add 7) no changes to benefits or cost for exiting Medicare recipients and 8) no death panels.
So here’s a brief discussion of the Partisan lists:
1) Transparency with television cameras in the room during negotiations
2) Tort reform. This argument was made when then Senators Obama and Clinton tried to pass mandatory reporting of medical errors (the 7th leading cause of death in the U.S.). The Repubs and the health care industry fought back saying they would only support the mandatory reporting with a $250K cap on malpractice lawsuits. I say give it to them. Pair tort reform/paired with mandatory health care reporting (for health care givers and institutions to a transparent registry that the public can access. That will serve to police the health care industry, increase our ability to choose higher quality health care providers and drive down the costs and save lives by improving the quality of health care.
3) Interstate competition among insurance companies…why not? Increase the pool, improve the cost
4) Tax deductions for individuals…again, why not? Dems might be afraid it will justify corporations throwing their employees under the train, but they are doing that anyway. I live in Nevada where there is talk about gutting the health care benefits for state employees. As a college professor in a state college, this would cost me a lot.
5) Universal coverage: I’m an advocate of the public option, but I have accepted the fact that Congress doesn’t have the balls to pass it. The coops have not yet been tested; there have been no objective third party studies to determine if they are an effective method. I think the solution is the 55 year old buy in to Medicare with emphasis on buy-in. They pay their way so there is an infusion of case from younger recipients paying into the system. Perhaps we can cap it for people making less than $25,000 so it’s not a huge magnet for everyone who could afford an alternative private policy. Plus it will be a money maker because of the infusion of cash from the younger recipients who are paying into the system.
6) Coverage for people with preexisting conditions: I understand even the insurance industry has now come to table on this one…done
7) No change in benefits or costs for those already covered by Medicare; let’s cap this at folks making $250K so the rich don’t get a free ride here.
To sum, here below is a list that would fix Health Care as a BIPARTISAN solution:
1. Transparent and televised coverage of negotiations
2. Tort Reform (cap to $250K per malpractice lawsuit) PAIRED with mandatory reporting of medical errors for health care providers and institutions to a publicly accessible registry.
3. Interstate competition among insurance companies
4. Equalize tax code: allow individuals to deduct insurance premiums like corporations do
5. Medicare buy-in for 55 year olds making less than $25K
6. Coverage for those with preexisting conditions.
7. No increases in cost or reduction of coverage to existing Medicare beneficiaries making less than $200K.
I urge President Obama to give the Republicans, Democrats and Independents what they want, put it on TV and see what happens.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Sue Lowden: More of the Same?
Two themes emerge in the posts on the Facebook page for Sue Lowden's campaign: strong dislike for Reid and a lack of knowledge about Lowden by her supporters. I’ve met both of them, Lowden is way more personable, but neither is very forthcoming about their backgrounds or (oftentimes) their positions on key issues. When they do provide statements it is typically sanitized political party line talking points.
Much of Reid’s background is Nevada history and lore, but Lowden’s own bio on her webpage is missing some key pieces of info. She says she is a philanthropist, so where did she get her money? Before I throw my support behind any candidate, I “Google” them. When I researched Sue Lowden, I found her business affiliations with her husband Paul at Archon. Then I Googled “Paul Lowden and Harry Reid” I found some provocative links. I’m sure some are fabrications, but all should be critically evaluated. I sent Sue Lowden’s campaign a query asking them to clarify between Argent and Archon Corporations and to please provide statements about various articles’ alleged ties between the Reid, the Lowdens, and the mob. So far I have received no response.
I consider myself very patriotic and I want what is best for my country. I am not wed or beholden to any political party and I believe it is my civic duty to be an informed voter. I wish both major parties would stop exploiting their loyal bases to advance the agendas of whoever might be their favored sons or daughters of the day, sometimes at the expense of what is good for the future of our country.
I would encourage all citizens to fight back against the ignorance and blind loyalty that the Republican and Democrat parties are promoting. Stop following Fox on the right and CNN and MSNBS on the left for political commentary. Network news is obliged to big money corporate interests, not the viewers. Strive to find more independent sources of news. Push the media to practice due diligence, but don’t rely others to do all your research. We now have the internet at our fingertips, the most powerful research tool ever devised.
As Americans I believe we have a responsibility to voraciously pursue accurate sources of information, to make politicians and government agencies more accountable and transparent by forcing them to put critical statements and documents on the record. And we should find and support the best political candidates, those who truly represent our views and values. In my opinion it is short-sighted, perhaps self destructive, to set the bar at “anyone but Harry.” We owe it to our country and ourselves to demand more. Perhaps that is Sue Lowden. But shouldn’t we demand to know?
Much of Reid’s background is Nevada history and lore, but Lowden’s own bio on her webpage is missing some key pieces of info. She says she is a philanthropist, so where did she get her money? Before I throw my support behind any candidate, I “Google” them. When I researched Sue Lowden, I found her business affiliations with her husband Paul at Archon. Then I Googled “Paul Lowden and Harry Reid” I found some provocative links. I’m sure some are fabrications, but all should be critically evaluated. I sent Sue Lowden’s campaign a query asking them to clarify between Argent and Archon Corporations and to please provide statements about various articles’ alleged ties between the Reid, the Lowdens, and the mob. So far I have received no response.
I consider myself very patriotic and I want what is best for my country. I am not wed or beholden to any political party and I believe it is my civic duty to be an informed voter. I wish both major parties would stop exploiting their loyal bases to advance the agendas of whoever might be their favored sons or daughters of the day, sometimes at the expense of what is good for the future of our country.
I would encourage all citizens to fight back against the ignorance and blind loyalty that the Republican and Democrat parties are promoting. Stop following Fox on the right and CNN and MSNBS on the left for political commentary. Network news is obliged to big money corporate interests, not the viewers. Strive to find more independent sources of news. Push the media to practice due diligence, but don’t rely others to do all your research. We now have the internet at our fingertips, the most powerful research tool ever devised.
As Americans I believe we have a responsibility to voraciously pursue accurate sources of information, to make politicians and government agencies more accountable and transparent by forcing them to put critical statements and documents on the record. And we should find and support the best political candidates, those who truly represent our views and values. In my opinion it is short-sighted, perhaps self destructive, to set the bar at “anyone but Harry.” We owe it to our country and ourselves to demand more. Perhaps that is Sue Lowden. But shouldn’t we demand to know?
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