In 2011 the core inflation rate in the United States was 3%. I just got the annual renewal for our HMO and it had an increase of over 16% from last year. As of July 1, we will be paying $2,964 per MONTH or  over $35,500 per year for a policy with no dental, no eye care and high deductible/co-pays.

What percentage of the premium goes to non-medical expenses (advertising, business overhead, billing, accounting, profit, etc)? It is hard to imagine, as inefficient as the Government may be, that a national health plan could not be set up to provide better care at a lower cost.

Lucy and I directly pay 100% of our health care costs so it is easy to see exactly what the costs are and to feel the burden. Perhaps if everyone who received health care benefits as part of an employment package were paid more and then forced to write a monthly check for health insurance premiums, there would be a whole lot more support for universal heath care. The anti-heath care arguments of "government intrusion" and "rationed care" etc are ridiculous and grossly destructive to the fiscal health of the country. The United States cannot afford to devote greater and greater percentages of its economy on health care.

Just saying.

Mitt, Mitt, Mitt


I am sick and tired of Romney's pathetic sycophancy to the Tea Party, but he may have reached a new low. Repeatedly using “we don’t know what’s causing climate change” as an excuse to do nothing to reduce global warming is both idiotic and dangerous. According to Romney:


 "My view is that we don't know what's causing climate change on this planet. And the idea of spending trillions and trillions of dollars to try to reduce CO2 emissions is not the right course for us.."  Oct. 6, 2011"


and

 In an interview with New Hampshire Union Leader, "One, I believe what I said before, I think it's getting warmer. Two, I believe we contribute to it. And three, I don't know by how much -- a lot or a little. And I am not willing to adopt multi-trillion dollar programs to reduce greenhouse gases in America. They don't 

call it America warming, they call it global warming."

Romney repeats this position in campaign speech after campaign speech. 

Hey Mitt, how can you say that you don't know how much we contribute? The US is less than 5% of the world population yet puts out over 18% of global CO2 emissions. Why don't we start by cleaning up our own act before worrying about what others are doing. It is called leading by example.

nuf said

Which Mitt Romney is running for President - Who cares?

Which Romney do we believe?  The pro choice Romney of the past or rabid anti choice Romney of 2012. The pro-universal heath care Governor  Romney or the anti health care candidate Romney. The gun control moderate Romney or the newly minted NRA fanatic Romney.


It really makes no difference, if you are a liberal, you better be worried that he now really believes his campaign hype. If you are conservative you better be worried that his campaign hype is a load of crap just to get your vote. And, whether you are a liberal or a conservative, a Democrat, a Republican or an independent, do you really want a President  whose politics seem to be defined by expedience and a narcissistic desire to get elected?

nuf said

Mitt Romney, yet another flip/flop/flip/flop/flip/flop

As much of the country at least tries to think about "Stand Your Ground" laws, today in St. Louis, Mitt Romney addressed the annual convention of the NRA and told the Association that he was their guardian angel. This is the same Romney who in 1994 said "I don't line up with the NRA."  Then in 2006 he became a lifetime member. Now that he desperately needs (he is that desperate) the conservative vote, he feels the call to "stand up for the rights of hunters, sportsmen and those seeking to protect their homes...."

Sorry if this is mixing the politics of the presidential campaign with the madness of Florida, and 24 others states', "self defense" laws. Perhaps with regards to "gun rights" less radical laws and more reasonable thinking would return some sense of civility to the political discourse and reduce the number of firearms fatalities in this country. Let's not forget that the NRA was one of the primary original backers of Florida's "Stand Your Ground" laws.

On a side note, at the NRA convention, Newt Gingrich, who addressed the convention after Romney, said that the United Nations should adopt a treaty "to extend the right to bear arms to every person on the planet."  Once can only imagine fear what Santorum, Palin or Bachmann would have said.


nuf said

Just paid my taxes. It ain't fair. It really ain't fair. Seriously unfair. 


I (legally) don't pay a fair share of my taxes. I am fortunate enough to have much of my income come from qualified dividends and long term gains.


When Bill Clinton took office capital gains and dividends were taxed at 28%. In 1997, he lowered it to 20% in a deal with the Republicans to create the Children’s Health Insurance Program.  "W" then cut if further to 15%. 


"Trickle down" economics failed under Reagan, if failed horribly under "W", which is why Obama inherited the economy he did. And now, Ryan and Romney would lower taxes on the wealthy even further while at the same time slashing social programs for those who most need them. If Mitt had to pay 20% or 25% on his "carry income", long term gains, and qualified dividends, would it really effect him, his investments or those he is trickling down on? Nope, his investments would not change, he might pocket just a little less at the end of the year, but the same number of jobs would be created AND the additional tax he paid would sustain the government and help society as a whole. Wanna call it socialism, go ahead, I would prefer to call it pragmatism. Guess what Mitt, we go down, you are coming with us. 


Anyone who tells you that investments will not be made or that capital will flee the country if "capitalists"have their gains taxed at a higher rate is just plain wrong. 


Nuf said.

My son calls my posts "Rants." He defines a rant as being longer then 3 paragraphs, so I won't rant and I'll keep this to zero paragraphs:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/09/opinion/krugman-the-gullible-center.html?_r=1

nuf said

God I Love Smart Women!

A recent survey showed that the more educated a woman is, the more likely she is to vote for Obama over Romney. College educated white women favor Obama 66% to 33% for Romney. Only non-college educated women favor Romney. Maybe this is the real reason Santorum bashes getting a college education?

nuf said

Simple question for the day.

Whether you are gay or straight, do you think that you could be convinced to change your orientation?  The "religious" right thinks you could. I guess they don't think much of you. (oh wait, that is not news)

Nuf said.

What must it feel like to be black, male and 18?

Last Wednesday I was on my way to LGA for a flight to Chicago. When I got off of the Grand Central Parkway (while NOT on airport property) I came around a corner to find a NYC cop standing in the middle of the road. He pointed me over to the side, I know I had not done anything wrong, but was not sure. Opened my window and the first thing the cop said was "Don't worry, you did nothing wrong, we are just doing spot checks, show me your ID.) HUH, WHOA, WHAT THE FUCK!! I had a flight to catch and fighting every instinct I had to say "NO, you may not see my ID," I coughed it up.

I'm middle aged, relatively non-descript white guy and I was too afraid of the results to stand up for what I know are my rights. How do you think a young, poor (or filthy rich for that matter) black man would feel and react?

What is the big deal of a policeman asking for my ID?  Seems pretty clear to me. Every little erosion of the constitutional protections we once enjoyed hurt us all.

nuf said.