Art Break - Enjoy

Linda Dumont "Purple Congress Avenue" Sphere: Related Content

Recession Over Says WSJ Forecasting Survey

Survey of economists by the Journal shows most economist think the recession is over. They also want to Ben Bernanke reappointed.

The WSJ report. Sphere: Related Content

Looking Abroad For Public Policy Insight

In many discussions of public policy governments and policy experts look to other countries or states for ideas and evidence of results of policy choices. Often public policy is copied from other governments and adapted to fit a new structure. For example in recent New York City transportation initiatives Janette Sadik-Khan looked to Copenhagen for policy direction. This is a very efficient way of evaluating and understanding policy options. It reduces the time, energy and pecuniary costs of formulating new policy proposals.

With that said, Alex Massie, writing the The Spectator, asks why "no-one sees fit to copy the American system?" He is of course asking about health care. I am sure some will answer this query with a response as dumb as "they're socialists." As if the rest of the world were socialists. Even if the rest of the world were socialists would that preclude them from acknowledging the positive efficacy of the American health system is there was such an effect. The power of its success would draw people to adapt a more American approach, but that doe not happen.

Massie writes:

"In Britain you worry what will happen when you fall ill; many Americans worry about what will happen if you fall ill. Will your insurance cover you? Often (but not always), yes it will and the best American care probably is better than the best British care, but there's a greater psychological security to the British system."

As Massie asserts Americans worry about what will happen if you fall ill while Brits worry about what will happen when you fall ill. It is a strange distinction but a very important one.

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The Brits Won't Let Stephen Hawking Die

A defense of health care reform from afar. Hugh Muir writing in London's The Guardian newspaper offers this defense of the British NHS:

"So Barack Obama is facing the fight of his life (another one) as he attempts to reform the US healthcare system. The 'special interests' – doctors, healthcare companies – don't like it. The 'birthers' – crazy types who hope to prove he is not American – smell blood. The danger, says the Investor's Business Daily, is that he borrows too much from the UK. 'The controlling of medical costs in countries such as Britain through rationing, and the health consequences thereof, are legendary. The stories of people dying on a waiting list or being denied altogether read like a horror script … People such as scientist Stephen Hawking wouldn't have a chance in the UK, where the National Health Service would say the life of this brilliant man, because of his physical handicaps, is essentially worthless.' We say his life is far from worthless, as they do at Addenbrooke's hospital, Cambridge, where Professor Hawking, who has motor neurone disease, was treated for chest problems in April. As indeed does he. 'I wouldn't be here today if it were not for the NHS,' he told us. 'I have received a large amount of high-quality treatment without which I would not have survived.' Something here is worthless. And it's not him."

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Free Market Health Care Is The Real Death Panel?

Joe Conason discusses how the uninsired delay treatment because they can't pay for a visit to a doctor.

Conason writes:

"The ugly fact is that every year we fail to reform the existing system, that failure condemns tens of thousands of people to die—either because they have no insurance or because their insurance companies deny coverage or benefits when they become ill."

So who are the death panels? Sphere: Related Content

Senator Grassley Says We Should Not Have Government Policy That Pulls The Plug On Grandma

Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley took that amazing and courageous position on a non issue today during his town hall meeting in the park.. In response to question about health care killing old people Senator Grassley said there are people in Washington that a bothered by old people being in hospitals connected to tubes and machines. He also said that we should not have end of life counseling. He said he would not name the people who want to kill old people.

Grassley had the opportunity to tell hi constituents truth. Perhaps he should watch the video of Arlen Spector from Lebanon, PA.

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How Can We Expect Civil Discourse When...

Officials such as Rep. Paul Broun of Georgia use language in the health care debate like this:

"Folks, this is Obamacare," he said, holding the binders over his head.

"Let me start this by telling you what I think of this bill and (President) Obama," he said, and slammed the binders on the ground.

"This is a stinking, rotten fish, and they don't want you to smell it, and they want to shove it down your throat and make you eat it before you smell how rotten and stinky it is," he said.

He also spoke of a "socialistic elite" - Obama, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid - who might use a pandemic disease or natural disaster as an excuse to declare martial law.

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Why Do Politicians Insist On Taking Questions From Children On Important Issues

This question reminds me of George Bush town halls.
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Rick Santorum Is Over 35 Years Old...

Former Penn. Senator Rick Santorum is planning a run for president. Sphere: Related Content

Is The Truth “Missing In Action?” Update

2parse blog has an excellent post in response to the Chuck Norris Column.

The sarcasm spill over the side when:

"Chuck’s anger reaches a crescendo as he asks:

How contrary is Obamacare’s home intrusion and indoctrination family services, in which state agents prioritize houses to enter and enforce their universal values and principles upon the hearts and minds of families across America?

…Government’s real motives and rationale are quite simple, though rarely, if ever, stated. If one wants to control the future ebbs and flows of a country, one must have command over future generations… It is so simple that any socialist can understand it. As Josef Stalin once stated, “Education is a weapon whose effects depend on who holds it in his hands and at whom it is aimed.”

I mean, whoa. Health care reform is secretly really about “Government” forcing its way into your homes and indoctrinating your children to become socialists!"

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Is Barack Obama The Luckiest Cat

Niall Ferguson has an excellent essay in the FT. The Ascent of Money author sums up the beginning of the administration. Ferguson compares the President to Felix the Cat. He think Barack Obama has worked hard but has been really lucky. After six months of the worlds toughest job Ferguson is surprise that presidents popularity is holding up well considering what he has to deal with.

On the economy he writes:

"Consider the evidence that the economy has passed the nadir of the “great recession”. Second-quarter gross domestic product declined by only 1 per cent, compared with a drop of 6.4 per cent in the first quarter. House prices have stopped falling and in some cities are rising; sales of new single-family homes jumped 11 per cent from May to June. Credit spreads have narrowed significantly and the big banks are recovering, some even making enough money to pay back Tarp bail-out funds. The S&P 500 index is up nearly 48 per cent from its low in early March. Best of all, the economy lost fewer jobs in July than most pundits were expecting. Non-farm payrolls declined by just 247,000, half the number that were disappearing each month in the spring. The unemployment rate has actually declined slightly to 9.4 per cent."

But Ferguson gives credit where it is due:

"Credit where it’s due: although the gold medal for staving off depression goes to Ben Bernanke, the Federal Reserve chairman, and the silver medal to China’s leaders for their even more impressive stimulus, the president deserves at least bronze. According to Moody’s, the ratings agency, the stimulus package has saved more than 500,000 jobs. Without the jump in government spending, GDP would still be in a nosedive."

Overall Ferguson's position is positive but he sees some road blocks that could cause a stumble for Barack Obama. Sphere: Related Content

Sandra Day O'Connor Is Still Working

Great story in the Wall Street Journal about Justice O'Connor.

"As a substitute judge, Justice O'Connor has heard nearly 80 cases and written more than a dozen opinions. In her 24-year Supreme Court tenure, she often provided the pivotal vote on such issues as abortion, affirmative action and religious freedom. Nowadays, she decides such matters as whether a drug dealer could escape punishment because a search warrant listed one household trash can instead of two."

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Is The Truth “Missing In Action?”

During these “political hot August nights” Chuck Norris has been reading the health care bill. Bullshit, I don’t believe Chuck Norris has read the 1,000+ page bill nor has he done research. Anyway, he says he has done it and he thinks he has found bad things in there. Bad things that need some ass kicking, but has he really found things that are bad or is he trying to kick the truth’s ass?

The “dirty secret” of “Obamacare” is that “the government's coming into homes and usurping parental rights over child care and development.” There is another dirty secret, Norris is wrong or lying.

Norris says that sections 440 and 1904 of H.R. 3200 usurp parental rights. Norris’s first error is that section 1904 is a provision to amend part B of the Social Security Act by adding section 440. This may be a minor error but on that is important to the claim that Norris is wrong or lying. Part B of the Social Security Act is designed to promote the safety of children in poverty, protect abused children, encourage that at-risk children are returned to families quickly and promote development of an educated child development and welfare workforce.

Norris writes:

“It's outlined in sections 440 and 1904 of the House bill (Page 838), under the heading ‘home visitation programs for families with young children and families expecting children.’ The programs (provided via grants to states) would educate parents on child behavior and parenting skills.

The bill says that the government agents, ‘well-trained and competent staff,’ would ‘provide parents with knowledge of age-appropriate child development in cognitive, language, social, emotional, and motor domains ... modeling, consulting, and coaching on parenting practices,’ and ‘skills to interact with their child to enhance age-appropriate development.’”

The first issue with these statements is that this section is about what a state program should contain before it applies for funding from the federal government. It is not a provision to be applied in communities. Norris is quoting from subsection (f) of subpart of the proposed amendment to the Social Security Act. Subsection (f) is titled Eligible Expenditures. Again in order to apply for funding the states need to fill these general requirements. The change to the Social Security Act does not mandate any action. This leaves answers to the questions Norris asks up to the states. Local control, I thought that was good.

Next, Norris makes an argumentative mistake in relation to child development. Norris asks:

"Are you kidding me?! With whose parental principles and values? Their own? Certain experts'? From what field and theory of childhood development? As if there are one-size-fits-all parenting techniques! Do we really believe they would contextualize and personalize every form of parenting in their education, or would they merely universally indoctrinate with their own?”

The outrage is very compelling, but unfortunately the standards and benchmarks for developmental psycho-social and physical skills are practically standard no matter what your parental philosophy. These standards of developmental benchmarks are not values they are clinical conclusions. So Norris outrage is misplaced.

This issue Norris raised about parenting practices are more complicated. Even well educated people in the field of child development will not be familiar with all philosophies of parenting. They also don’t need to be for this program to work. The nature of this provision is voluntary. I think people who participate in this program are very likely not to have a well-defined parental philosophy. Hell, I am a parent and could not articulate my philosophy. Perhaps caused by years of playing shell-shocked Vietnam vets Norris has become paranoid. I only mention that because he does not think this is voluntary, even though it says voluntary. Norris writes:

"Does that imply that this agency would just sit back passively until some parent needing parenting skills said, ‘I don't think I'll call my parents, priest or friends or read a plethora of books, but I'll go down to the local government offices’? To the contrary, the bill points to specific targeted groups and problems, on Page 840: The state ‘shall identify and prioritize serving communities that are in high need of such services, especially communities with a high proportion of low-income families.’

Are we further to conclude by those words that low-income families know less about parenting? Are middle- and upper-class parents really better parents? Less neglectful of their children? Less needful of parental help and training? Is this ‘prioritized training not a biased, discriminatory and even prejudicial stereotype and generalization that has no place in federal government, law or practice?”

In case you want to look at this stuff he is quoting from pages 838-839 of HR 3200 not page 840. To answer his question in order, No, No, No, No, No. To elaborate, research shows that families in poverty have tougher times parenting. Evidence show that many low income parents do not read to their children, don’t encourage a proper diet or don’t have the resources of middle and upper income family. It is not that poor people are worse parents but the hurdles can be more difficult without resources.

Lastly, maybe I have become too sensitive to people calling others Nazis or socialist, but does Norris compare proponents of health care reform to Stalin? Norris writes:

“Government's real motives and rationale are quite simple, though rarely, if ever, stated. If one wants to control the future ebbs and flows of a country, one must have command over future generations. That is done by seizing parental and educational power, legislating preferred educational methods and materials, and limiting private educational options. It is so simple that any socialist can understand it. As Josef Stalin once stated, ‘Education is a weapon whose effects depend on who holds it in his hands and at whom it is aimed.’”

I am glad that Norris likes kids. I would hope that he was fonder of truth, facts, reading, context and comprehension. Sphere: Related Content

Man Brought A Gun To The Presidents Town Hall Today

Matthews gets upset with this man and the fact that he brought a gun to a presidential event.

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White House Upset By Reference To Obama Daughters

The White House is upset by the use of the Obama daughter's on a poster advocating healthy lunches in public schools. Politics Daily reports:

"One day after the posters went up, White House Associate Counsel Karen Dunn and Deputy Associate Counsel Ian Bassin called PCRM President Neal Barnard to request he pull the campaign, according to The Post."

Did this organization, Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, cross some line in referring to the President's daughters in the ad? My initial reaction is that they did not. I may not be seeing all the issues surrounding the use of the use of the duaghter but they are part of the image of the President. It does seem appropriate to highlight the disparity of choices between the privileged and those not privileged.

I am wrong?
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Yglesias On The Brits Silence Regarding Lies About NHS

Yglesias writes:

"It honestly strikes me as strange that all these bizarre health care scare stories come from friendly, well-known English-speaking countries like Canada and the UK. You would think that to get away with weird lies about the horrors of 'socialism' that people would need to at least pick more obscure countries; talk about how rotten everything is in Portugal or something."

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Meteor Shower Overnight

Space.com:

In North America, the best time to watch will be between midnight to 5 a.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 12, but late Tuesday night and also Wednesday night could prove fruitful, weather permitting.

Thanks Heidi
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Cash For Clunkers Environmental Victory?

NY Times reports today:

"'What we ended up with,' said one senior Obama administration official, who would not speak on the record because he was being critical of his own administration’s environmental bona fides, 'is a program in which you trade in old clunkers for new clunkers.' Less discussed is the second critique of the program: It rewards drivers who chose to buy gas guzzlers a few years back, but not those who spent more to buy fuel-sippers (although in recent years those who purchased efficient new hybrids got generous tax credits)."

We should not be fooled, Cash For Clunkers was a program to help the auto industry clear inventory. There will be a environmental benefit but it could have been greater. It has been reported that the under the program trade ins have had 50% benefit in term of MPG. Cash for Clunkers has proved that with an incentive people will buy a more fuel efficient cars. That is great, but why not make threshold hold greater than only five MPG. Why not require consumers to purchase cars with at least a ten MPG improvement? Why not encourage people to purchase used fuel efficient hybrid?

Previous Cash for Clunkers posts here. Sphere: Related Content

Barack Obama Is Literally Hilter

We have proof now. Check it out.



Found through the Daily Dish Sphere: Related Content

What Have Governemnt And Taxes Ever Done For US

Dan Schreiber writes a good column at Smile Politely. Schreiber writes:

"There must be something about being out of power that frees you from the traditional constraints of logic, decency or sanity. A significant minority of the country seems untethered from all three since Obama was elected."

He goes on:

"To be fair a lot of these crazies are the same people, and not all of them are Republicans. Moderate Republicans, if there is such a thing these days, have at least stuck by their old mantra: the government can't do anything right, so it shouldn't be involved in healthcare."

The great service that Schreiber performs is to bring the wisdom of Monty Python to the debate. What have taxes done?

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