Tuesday, September 15, 2009

My Apology



I have never killed anyone.
I have never stolen anything.
I have never been arrested.
I have never cheated on my wife.
I pay my taxes.
I don't covet other people's possessions.
I don't spread lies.
I don't use racial epithets.
I am productively employed.
I exercise regularly.
I eat fruits and vegetables.
I keep myself well-informed.
I never hit my children.
I donate to charities.
I recycle paper, cans and plastic.

I am sorry.
Being good is boring.

Please forgive me.


Sunday, September 13, 2009

Joe Wilson's outburst


Rep. Joe Wilson's (R -SC) shouting "You lie!" during President Obama's nationally televised speech to a joint session of Congress last week proved that Van Jones was right when he said the Republicans are assholes.


Thursday, September 10, 2009

A health insurance mandate without the public option is a real loser


In his speech last night President Obama for the first time made it clear that he will be insisting on a mandate for individuals and most companies to buy health insurance.

This is a huge boon for the private insurance companies who stand to gain millions of new members. However, if as proposed they will not be allowed to "cherry pick" subscribers or deny benefits for pre-existing conditions, then their bottom-lines will also take a hit.

The natural thing for them to do would be to pass on these additional costs to their members in the form of higher premiums, larger deductibles, fewer benefits or all three.

If there is no strong national nonprofit public health insurance plan they are competing with, this is just what they will do. The result will be a government mandated windfall for the private insurance companies, and higher (not lower) premiums for the insured.

With a public plan, however, they will be forced to offset the increased costs of "stable and secure" health insurance with real efficiencies and even, perhaps, by forgoing some profits and disappointing their Wall Street analysts.

This is why having a public health insurance option is so essential to the overall effectiveness of health insurance reform.

Wishing to secure insurance industry profits, some Repbulicans are now proposing that there be a waiting period before the public plan is introduced, and suggesting a trigger under which it would only be introduced after this period if the anticipated cost savings in health insurance do not materialize.

The idea of delaying implementation of a public option so the insurance companies can enjoy several more years of windfall profits is crap that ought to be firmly rejected. Those who favor this idea are counting on being able to demonstrate that the reforms enacted this year did not reduce costs (as they won't without a public option) and then arguing for their repeal hoping that this will give them an issue to regain control of the Congress several years down the line. In the meanwhile their allies in the private insurance business will be reaping the benefits. This is why stock in the major private insurers rose after Obama's speech.


Addendum (9/11/09) An interesting commentary by R J Eskow published this morning makes a similar argument while also explaining why health insurance company stocks went up the day after the President's speech.

Addendum (9/12/09) Jed Lewison has also noticed that a mandate without a robust public option is a gift to the private health insurance industry.

Addendum (9/13/09) David Sirota provides examples of other "triggers" that are legislative bullcrap.