An Associated Press report titled “Health System Deemed a ‘Mess’” appeared in the Journal-Sentinel in Milwaukee today. It obviously has appeared across the country.
The first two paragraphs read as follow:
“The U.S. health care system is ‘a dysfunctional mess’ and politicians who insist otherwise look ignorant, according to a medical journal essay by a prominent ethicist at the National Institutes of Health.
‘If a politician declares that the United States has the best health care system in the world today, he or she looks clueless rather than patriotic or authoritative,’ Ezekiel Emanuel wrote in today’s Journal of the American Medical Association."
Mr. Emanuel went on to decry our health care results, to express dismay at what is spent per person in the U.S., to advise that our average life expectancy ranks 45th in the world behind both Bosnia and Jordan. He also noted, for good measure apparently, that the U.S. infant death rate is 6.37 per 1,000 live births, higher than that of most developed nations.
First, the AMA was in the company of the AARP and Families USA when, on January 18, 2007 they issued a joint press release announcing the “unprecedented alliance” of themselves and some 13 other organizations which had come together to solve the health care crisis.
A careful reading of that unprecedented agreement suggests that some of what had been more reasonable organizations rolled over and became part of the liberal solution. The solution used several federal programs to expand coverage, increased participation of the uninsured, encouraged state experimentation, etc., etc. There is nothing wrong with any of that, except it is apparent to me that the “solutions” lay on the left side of center. Isn’t that always the case when the left-leaning organizations announce some great new coalition?
Next, Emanuel plays loose with his numbers by not taking into account the variations that exist. We spend more per person and we get more. Countries that spend less ration care to their citizens. Our birth rate adjusted to the manner of accounting employed in other countries would show better survival than the rest since we permit low weight, premature and disadvantaged babies to be born into the world, and then we fight to keep them alive. By the way, we count every live birth. We do not extract from the total those that are unlikely to survive for the first year as is common in many other higher ranking countries.
Is the Journal of the AMA publishing this misinformation simply to try to justify its own beliefs, or did it simply take for granted the veracity of the author? I’ll bet that it didn’t simply print without an editorial vetting.
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Sunday, May 13, 2007
Why Do Our Rulers Not Hear Us?
Wisconsinites are in the midst of the single biggest money grab by any political party in my memory…and that covers some ground.
The combinations of all proposed (some accepted already) new or increased fees and taxes will equal nearly $3 Billion in additional payments to the state. There are some 5.5 Million of us in Wisconsin.
Our rulers are expecting an average of an additional $545 from every person in the state. If you and your wife constitute your household, then you can expect to pony up another $1,091 for the state. If you and your wife have two children at home, then your equivalent share will be $2,182, and so on. These are averages, and the people who pay the majority of taxes (those earning $50,000 and more) will be hit several times harder.
This does not begin to take into account the additions that will be required of communities, and of our school districts, and of our county, and on and on. This does not take into account Governor Doyle’s latest, the promise of a college education in a Wisconsin institution of higher learning for every current eighth grader and all future students who maintain “B” averages, stay out of trouble and sign a contract. So far, many of the 75,000 eligible this year have signed this document even before the program has been approved. By the way, we aren’t even being told the ultimate cost of this boondoggle.
This does not take into account that the state will have managed to move up a slot or two or three on the “Highest Taxed States in the Nation” list that our current rulers seem to think is an honor.
This does not address the negative impact on our business environment, and on the purchase of new vehicles, and on the sales tax collection fall-offs, or our children leaving the state and it does not address another thing…
When, if ever, will enough be enough for Governor Doyle and the Democrats, our rulers?
We are now going through the charade of state budget “debate”. It is during this time that the Joint Finance Committee, comprised of eight Democrats and eight Republicans meet regularly to make changes to the budget submitted by the Governor. One small problem exists, however, in that the Democrat members of this Committee have almost consistently chosen to vote against any changes in the budget as they march to the beat of the Governor's drum.
When this Committee deadlocks at eight to eight, as it usually does, the Governor’s proposed budget remains in place. And, our Governor has chosen to load his budget with nearly every conceivable spending and gifting proposal coupled with increases in everything that already exists. (I use the word “nearly” since his creativity has outstripped my imagination. There are probably more yet to come.)
It would be interesting to see the list of taxes and fees that are not being increased. Certainly it would be easier to list those than all that are going to be, or already have been, increased.
And, what’s worse is that elected Republican officials can do virtually nothing about this except to hold news conferences to try to get the word out. That, too, is made difficult since the mainstream media appears to be enjoying this renaissance with its newly promised government largess.
They can't find time to have a vote on their Sick Leave largess, but raising taxes is good at any time!
These rulers do not represent me. I presume they also do not represent many others! Will our memories last long enough to get us to the polls and to remember that changes are necessary?
It was widely rumored that this was Governor Doyle’s last race for public office. If so, it seems he has decided to get everything on his list accomplished during this last term.
We can only hope for two things: that this is his last term, and that we’ll be able to put food on our tables after he’s gone.
The combinations of all proposed (some accepted already) new or increased fees and taxes will equal nearly $3 Billion in additional payments to the state. There are some 5.5 Million of us in Wisconsin.
Our rulers are expecting an average of an additional $545 from every person in the state. If you and your wife constitute your household, then you can expect to pony up another $1,091 for the state. If you and your wife have two children at home, then your equivalent share will be $2,182, and so on. These are averages, and the people who pay the majority of taxes (those earning $50,000 and more) will be hit several times harder.
This does not begin to take into account the additions that will be required of communities, and of our school districts, and of our county, and on and on. This does not take into account Governor Doyle’s latest, the promise of a college education in a Wisconsin institution of higher learning for every current eighth grader and all future students who maintain “B” averages, stay out of trouble and sign a contract. So far, many of the 75,000 eligible this year have signed this document even before the program has been approved. By the way, we aren’t even being told the ultimate cost of this boondoggle.
This does not take into account that the state will have managed to move up a slot or two or three on the “Highest Taxed States in the Nation” list that our current rulers seem to think is an honor.
This does not address the negative impact on our business environment, and on the purchase of new vehicles, and on the sales tax collection fall-offs, or our children leaving the state and it does not address another thing…
When, if ever, will enough be enough for Governor Doyle and the Democrats, our rulers?
We are now going through the charade of state budget “debate”. It is during this time that the Joint Finance Committee, comprised of eight Democrats and eight Republicans meet regularly to make changes to the budget submitted by the Governor. One small problem exists, however, in that the Democrat members of this Committee have almost consistently chosen to vote against any changes in the budget as they march to the beat of the Governor's drum.
When this Committee deadlocks at eight to eight, as it usually does, the Governor’s proposed budget remains in place. And, our Governor has chosen to load his budget with nearly every conceivable spending and gifting proposal coupled with increases in everything that already exists. (I use the word “nearly” since his creativity has outstripped my imagination. There are probably more yet to come.)
It would be interesting to see the list of taxes and fees that are not being increased. Certainly it would be easier to list those than all that are going to be, or already have been, increased.
And, what’s worse is that elected Republican officials can do virtually nothing about this except to hold news conferences to try to get the word out. That, too, is made difficult since the mainstream media appears to be enjoying this renaissance with its newly promised government largess.
They can't find time to have a vote on their Sick Leave largess, but raising taxes is good at any time!
These rulers do not represent me. I presume they also do not represent many others! Will our memories last long enough to get us to the polls and to remember that changes are necessary?
It was widely rumored that this was Governor Doyle’s last race for public office. If so, it seems he has decided to get everything on his list accomplished during this last term.
We can only hope for two things: that this is his last term, and that we’ll be able to put food on our tables after he’s gone.
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