Four Questions should dominate the Health reform debate and the answers to these questions simplify the decision making.
Q1. If you give something away does it increase the demand for it?
Answer: Of course.
Q2. Do we have enough Doctors, Nurses, Technicians, Hospitals and other facilities to take care of our current demand? (Before the "Public Option")
Answer: Apparently not.
There is abundant concern about shortages of everything. Let's take Nurses for example. According to the 2000-2020 projection of the Health Resources and Services Administration of the US Department of Health and Human Services the United States will more than 800,000 more nurses than will be available in 2020 to meet demands. (It takes 2 to 6 years to train Nurses, depending on their skill level).
There are approximate 5,800 hospitals with approximately 950,000 beds currently. For the year 2020 the US Department of Health projects a need for 12,000 hospitals with 2,000,000 beds. The difference is to be answered by Short Term Hospitals or what is more commonly called HMO Facilities. 2020 = 7,690 Short Term Hospitals and 5,270 Long term Hospitals.
(Source, bhpr.hrsa.gov/healthworkforce/reports/behindrnprojections/3.htm). As we move to "Free Health Services" is it not unlikely that Private HMOs will volunteer to provide services to Public Option Patients? The Public Option would necessarily have to compel Short Term, Privately Owned HMOs to serve the Public at reduced costs.
Has that ever worked? According the the Department of Health and Human Services 70% of Doctors will not accept Medicaid (It pays on 71% of what Health Insurance Companies Pay) and Medicare Patients are beginning to have nearly as much difficulty.
Who will have to build the medical infrastructure?
The AMA has reported that the US will need from 8,000 to 20,000 additional Doctors per year from 2016 (=8,000) to 2020 (=20,000) to keep up with the demands of an aging population.
It takes 10 years to make a Doctor so we needed to start the process in 2006.
Q3. If we aren't keeping up with projected demands how will a "Public Option" help?
Answer: It won't "help".
But it must and will set up an aparatus that can ration (just another word for "deny") health care services effectively.
Q4. What will solve the "Health Care Emergency"?
The President's recent Answer: Take "The Pill". Dead people don't require much follow-up.
Answer: The United States must shoulder the AMA aside (they set artificial limits on the Education of Doctors) invest immediately in sufficient education and construction to provide the necessary future Doctors, Nurses, Short-term and Long-term Hospitals.
Take that Capital Investment of $1.3 Trillion in tax-payer money and build an entirely new, efficient and up-to-date Medical Infrastructure. After all, getting the job done is "the American Way". The Health Care Industry is worth our investment and will pay adequate returns to all involved.
The "Public Option" can do little except replace and broaden the current ineffectual and overbudget Medicaid and Medicare programs, establish rationing and hand out "The Pill".
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA
The summit meeting with the Peoples Republic of China and the Coerced Peoples of Tibet, etc (hereinafter referred to as PRC&CPT etc) was a review of the Obama Administration Fiscal Policy. China is the proud of owner of $300 Billion+ in U.S. Government bonds. These bonds ranges mature 3 to 7 years from issuance with an average interest rate of 3.8% (The PRC&CPT etc are also the proud parents of a new baby Panda at the Beijing zoo thanks largely to viagra).
Translated into something less ethereal that debt is equal to $1,000 + interest per American. Every man, woman and child owes The PRC&CPT etc this debt because it is drawn against our Treasury . . . and must be paid through the United States General Fund - which include other non-liquid programs like Social Security and Medicare.
This is only a part of the Foreign debt against our Treasury, albeit the largest single piece, but it is far less than half of the whole. There is a problem with selling Treasury notes to Foreign Governments and Foreign Investors: That is the danger it represents to our economy. It hangs over our economic heads like a sword.
The following expression is generally true:
"If you owe the bank $500,000, then the bank owns you but if you owe the bank $500 Million you own the bank."
So, to some extent, we own PRC&CPT etc. When have them by our balls, more or less.
It is also true that:
"During inflation the debtor has the advantage."
The United States, however, only ever pays interest on these debts, We, the People never seem to actually have the money to pay them off - so 7 year bonds go on and on and on and on. Any Householder with substantial Credit Card debt knows what this means. It means the PRC&CPT etc is building a whole country's infra-structure on our money - this without ever using their own reserves. They do this (and despite what the Obama Administration would have us believe) while we do not even have sufficient monies to repair our own infra-structure. What makes matters worse is all those infernal calls from the Credit Card Company (PRC&CPT etc), the never-ending interest, the nuisance of economic summits and the needful lies.
The PRC&CPT etc wants the Obama Administration to promise that the currency of the United States will not be devalued more quickly than thier interest accrues. (Remember, during inflation the debtor has the advantage). Yet the Obama deficits, soaring to altitudes that concern even the French, can only be resolved by doing one, a combination of, or all of the following:
(1) Printing Money = Inflation
(2) Raises Taxes = Slowing the Economy
(3) Selling the Debt at Interest = Slowing the economy and Inflation.
The PRC&CPT etc wants Obama to Raise Taxes. It is the only way The PRC&CPT etc can be assured that the interest on their debt is paid with valued (not devalued) currency.
But what can they do for us? Why would we do (2) Raise taxes and risk re-entering the recession?
Well, to put it simply, Democrats like taxes. Democrats think taxes redistribute the money among Americans "more equally". Evidently they believe they are Robin Hood. They are not. There is a vast difference between Robin and Barrack. Robin and his Merry Men didn't keep the loot, they lived frugally in Sherwood Forest. Democrats live on Capitol Hill and divvy the loot quite differently.
The Office of the Budget indicates that 38 cents of every tax dollar the government collects returns to the public sector . . . while the remaining 62% feeds government. And for every $1 the government extols from the public they spend $2.60. Robin would never do such a thing. No, not at all like Robin.
What is worse The PRC&CPT etc demands represent an excuse to raise taxes and grow government which invariably slows the private sector. Hence The PRC&CPT etc is generating pressure to force Democrats to do what they would normally do anyway . . . raise taxes.
There is a possibility that The PRC&CPT etc could dump some portion of our bonds on the open market. They would only do this in an emergency, to capture whatever they could from devalued American Currency. They would only do this if Obama continues to push towards large uncapitalized spending - which he is absolutely doing.
If they shed a substantial portion of our debt publicly (say 1/2 of it) the following two things would happen:
(1) The dollars value would drop dramatically - making all foreign goods too expensive to purchase and;
(2) Subsequently drop the United States (A consumer based economy) into a depression from which, when and if we recovered, we would have to build stuff ourselves to get out of . . . that's if the environmentalist who run this administration would let us build anything.
China is no longer the sleeping dragon but it does peer over the Great Wall of debt we owe. They scoof and deride our dirty laundry hanging on the line for everyone to see. They snicker at Obama like a haughty neighbor who sees our poor laundry on the line while he owns an automatic washer & dryer.
Translated into something less ethereal that debt is equal to $1,000 + interest per American. Every man, woman and child owes The PRC&CPT etc this debt because it is drawn against our Treasury . . . and must be paid through the United States General Fund - which include other non-liquid programs like Social Security and Medicare.
This is only a part of the Foreign debt against our Treasury, albeit the largest single piece, but it is far less than half of the whole. There is a problem with selling Treasury notes to Foreign Governments and Foreign Investors: That is the danger it represents to our economy. It hangs over our economic heads like a sword.
The following expression is generally true:
"If you owe the bank $500,000, then the bank owns you but if you owe the bank $500 Million you own the bank."
So, to some extent, we own PRC&CPT etc. When have them by our balls, more or less.
It is also true that:
"During inflation the debtor has the advantage."
The United States, however, only ever pays interest on these debts, We, the People never seem to actually have the money to pay them off - so 7 year bonds go on and on and on and on. Any Householder with substantial Credit Card debt knows what this means. It means the PRC&CPT etc is building a whole country's infra-structure on our money - this without ever using their own reserves. They do this (and despite what the Obama Administration would have us believe) while we do not even have sufficient monies to repair our own infra-structure. What makes matters worse is all those infernal calls from the Credit Card Company (PRC&CPT etc), the never-ending interest, the nuisance of economic summits and the needful lies.
The PRC&CPT etc wants the Obama Administration to promise that the currency of the United States will not be devalued more quickly than thier interest accrues. (Remember, during inflation the debtor has the advantage). Yet the Obama deficits, soaring to altitudes that concern even the French, can only be resolved by doing one, a combination of, or all of the following:
(1) Printing Money = Inflation
(2) Raises Taxes = Slowing the Economy
(3) Selling the Debt at Interest = Slowing the economy and Inflation.
The PRC&CPT etc wants Obama to Raise Taxes. It is the only way The PRC&CPT etc can be assured that the interest on their debt is paid with valued (not devalued) currency.
But what can they do for us? Why would we do (2) Raise taxes and risk re-entering the recession?
Well, to put it simply, Democrats like taxes. Democrats think taxes redistribute the money among Americans "more equally". Evidently they believe they are Robin Hood. They are not. There is a vast difference between Robin and Barrack. Robin and his Merry Men didn't keep the loot, they lived frugally in Sherwood Forest. Democrats live on Capitol Hill and divvy the loot quite differently.
The Office of the Budget indicates that 38 cents of every tax dollar the government collects returns to the public sector . . . while the remaining 62% feeds government. And for every $1 the government extols from the public they spend $2.60. Robin would never do such a thing. No, not at all like Robin.
What is worse The PRC&CPT etc demands represent an excuse to raise taxes and grow government which invariably slows the private sector. Hence The PRC&CPT etc is generating pressure to force Democrats to do what they would normally do anyway . . . raise taxes.
There is a possibility that The PRC&CPT etc could dump some portion of our bonds on the open market. They would only do this in an emergency, to capture whatever they could from devalued American Currency. They would only do this if Obama continues to push towards large uncapitalized spending - which he is absolutely doing.
If they shed a substantial portion of our debt publicly (say 1/2 of it) the following two things would happen:
(1) The dollars value would drop dramatically - making all foreign goods too expensive to purchase and;
(2) Subsequently drop the United States (A consumer based economy) into a depression from which, when and if we recovered, we would have to build stuff ourselves to get out of . . . that's if the environmentalist who run this administration would let us build anything.
China is no longer the sleeping dragon but it does peer over the Great Wall of debt we owe. They scoof and deride our dirty laundry hanging on the line for everyone to see. They snicker at Obama like a haughty neighbor who sees our poor laundry on the line while he owns an automatic washer & dryer.
Friday, July 17, 2009
The Conservative Advantage
There is a strategic advantage directed towards the States in Amending the Constitution. Article V allows the Constitution to be Amended by either: 3/4 of the State Legislatures or by a Consitututional Convention in 3/4 of the States.
A push forward to convene State Constitutional Conventions in 38 States would create, at the very least a great deal of pressure on the Elitist Elected officials. Such a grass-roots movement to Amend the Constitution might also stir opposite forces. However, consent of Congress, The President or the Supreme Court are not required. As such these Amending Conventions might be very contentious and the established political parties would throw a great deal of money to:
Stop the Conventions generally and, if unsuccessful, would try to fill the convention with members of their own ilk.
Nevertheless, as attempts move forward the debate will necessarily shift and give the People a greater voice.
A push forward to convene State Constitutional Conventions in 38 States would create, at the very least a great deal of pressure on the Elitist Elected officials. Such a grass-roots movement to Amend the Constitution might also stir opposite forces. However, consent of Congress, The President or the Supreme Court are not required. As such these Amending Conventions might be very contentious and the established political parties would throw a great deal of money to:
Stop the Conventions generally and, if unsuccessful, would try to fill the convention with members of their own ilk.
Nevertheless, as attempts move forward the debate will necessarily shift and give the People a greater voice.
Friday, July 10, 2009
What Happens if the President Fails?
With the death of Michael Jackson, the Ascendency of President Obama and the incarceration of O. J. Simpson a vast new landscape for viewing African-Americans is beginning to come into focus. Blind Justice was miraculously cured during the 60's. During that period Justice was required to become racially specific - and perhaps the times merited it. However with the Civil Right's Movement minorities inherited certain "super-rights" and that among those rights were, to paraphrase "The Animal Farm" (George Orwell) - all men were somewhat equal and therefor some need to be treated more than equal in order to offset any inequality.
Decades of doing justice differently, though it produced no noticeable improvement in either race relations or minority economics, nurtured the idea of black super-equality and simply outlawed, as racists, any criticism whatsoever of an African-American. It was inevitable that, sooner than later Justice must become blind again.
President Obama faces a stark reality. His Presidency will define how African-Americans will be seen in the future. His popularity is not as remarkable as some indicate because Americans all want the first Black President to prove competitent. But, what if he is not? What if, at the end of two or four years the President fails miserably?
If the President fails what will happen? How might a one term Black President affect the African-American Population? The answers to these difficult questions describe the need for the absolute prejudice by the Media. The media may not allow these questions to be asked because the media did not do its job in vetting the Candidate.
Decades of doing justice differently, though it produced no noticeable improvement in either race relations or minority economics, nurtured the idea of black super-equality and simply outlawed, as racists, any criticism whatsoever of an African-American. It was inevitable that, sooner than later Justice must become blind again.
President Obama faces a stark reality. His Presidency will define how African-Americans will be seen in the future. His popularity is not as remarkable as some indicate because Americans all want the first Black President to prove competitent. But, what if he is not? What if, at the end of two or four years the President fails miserably?
If the President fails what will happen? How might a one term Black President affect the African-American Population? The answers to these difficult questions describe the need for the absolute prejudice by the Media. The media may not allow these questions to be asked because the media did not do its job in vetting the Candidate.
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