Local law enforcement chimes in
By Ray Gomez
Story Created: Aug 21, 2009
Story Updated: Aug 21, 2009
The law states people in Mexico will not be prosecuted for possessing small amounts of marijuana, cocaine, heroin, methamphetamines, and even LSD. As word spreads of this new law, the reaction by local law enforcement has been rather reserved.
Interactive Graphic from Washingtonpost.com shows similarities and differences between the House and Senate bill. According to this graph, the House Bill covers fewer people and is less expensive. The Senate bill covers more people and is much more expensive.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/nation/health/compare-health-plans-2009/?referrer=emaillink
© 2009 The Washington Post Company
Federal Reserve loses suit demanding transparency
Mon Aug 24
NEW YORK (Reuters) – A federal judge on Monday ruled against an effort by the U.S. Federal Reserve to block disclosure of companies that participated in and securities covered by a series of emergency funding programs as the global credit crisis began to intensify.
In a 47-page opinion, Chief District Judge Loretta Preska of the federal court in Manhattan said the central bank failed to show that disclosure would cause borrowers in the Federal Reserve System to suffer “imminent competitive harm,” by stigmatizing them for using Fed lending programs.
“The board essentially speculates on how a borrower might enter a downward spiral of financial instability if its participation in the Federal Reserve lending programs were to be disclosed,” she wrote. “Conjecture, without evidence of imminent harm, simply fails to meet the board’s burden.”
Monday’s ruling comes as lawmakers and investors demand greater disclosure in how the government manages a series of programs designed to lift the economy out of its deepest recession in decades.
The case arose when two Bloomberg News reporters submitted requests under the federal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) about actions the Fed took to shore up the financial system in 2007 and early 2008, including an expansion of lending programs and the sale of Bear Stearns Cos to JPMorgan Chase & Co (JPM.N).
After the Fed resisted the request, Bloomberg sued to compel disclosure.
We all agree on the problem and many agree on the solution. The issue is method.
Howard Dean said it best on Charlie Rose yesterday when he said his wife gets worse health care from her private insurer than on Medicare. Who the enemy is, is of little consequence. The issue is that private insurers are not delivering the quality of care their customers expect for the money they pay. The President’s idea is to correct this problem by placing new regulations on the insurance companies. If this system works as well as the government’s regulations of the banks, we are in trouble.
Dean also said something important about the rate of change and why he supports Obama’s plans to allow the public to choose. By allowing choice we give the public and the insurance industry time to adjust to changes over time.
The combination of authorizing state-run health programs, public choice and regulations on the health insurance industry should have a positive effect, move us in a good direction, and allow the best solution to emerge over time.
The only issue I find somewhat puzzling is why there is no mention of increasing funding to medical schools to graduate more medical practitioners.
The government should also consider a debt payback program for recent graduates that are willing to work as general practitioners in health clinics at reduced pay for a few years as a means for lowering costs.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost
Thanks Bill for saying what I’ve been thinking for some time. We need a new financial model. One that doesn’t depend on bigger and faster, and throwaway stuff to take care of societies needs. Don’t know what it is, but judging form the response to this article, there are quite a few people who seem to feel that you hit a nail on the head.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost
“…I don’t think it is complicated at all. I mean, oversight is oversight. If there are allegations that people in public office committed crimes, than we have an absolute obligation to investigate and find out if it is true,” Edwards said. “I think it is Congress’ job. You could have an independent investigation I suppose. But Congress has to keep control of it. It is Congress’ obligation under the Constitution to do the oversight…”
This former congressman has it right. The fastest way for Republicans to clear their brand is to investigate their own party and admit their own mistakes. Nothing the congress does will preclude other independent investigations. The more information we can get the more likely we can avoid these problems in future. Not likely, but possibly, someone will learn something that will protect us from repeating the mistakes again.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost
How is the health insurance industry like the US car manufacturers that just killed themselves off in the name of quick profit over long-term growth and goals? No support for their clients. No concern for changes in societies needs and demands. No future vision. No respect for technology. No real concern for anything other than the quarterly figures and their rights to enforce high rates of compensation and bonuses.
If the health insurance industry continues to follow the path of the car manufacturers why would they expect a different outcome? All other industries, including banks, and media and local governments are forced to update their business models to adapt to survive. Congress is attempting to set up a relatively painless option that involves phasing in a new health care system. The health insurance industry would do well to embrace this option for a gradual change rather than fighting the will of the public till the public abandons them. It is only a matter of time.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost
It should come as no surprise that scientists support politicians who support the scientific theories, such as evolution, that they have used for decades to develop
and test vaccines and other medical treatments. How many creative theorists are willing to give up on the rewards of medical breakthroughs based on those theories they now deny?
There is a tremendous concern among the scientific and educational community over the lack of interest and study in sciences by upcoming young adults. Some of this lack of interests can probably be blamed on the political discussions and arguments over scientific theories being raged in courtrooms over the rights of religious groups to dictate the content of text books. These legal issues raise questions regarding the validity and ethics of scientists and their methods.
We are back to the middle ages and witchcraft where people much choose between religion and science. Students are confused and staying away from science at the very time society needs to train a new generation to develop new solutions to the myriad of problems we now face.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost
Creative Innovations
“…Timothy Geithner… argued against the abolition of credit default swaps – one of the instruments that helped bring the financial system to its knees – saying such a move would stifle creativity in a market desperate for innovation…”
Huh? How is continuing a failed policy stifling creativity? Isn’t creativity about inventing newer, better products to replace old ones that don’t work? Keeping the credit default swaps makes about as much sense as Apple insisting on producing and selling Apple II’s. Who would want them? Maybe that is the lesson GM never learned. If it doesn’t sell, dump it and replace it with a new product that does.
More on Timothy Geithner
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost
Ellen Brown on Huffington.
I’ve been following Ellen Brown for a few months and I’m pleased to see her here. She has a talent for dissecting the most complicated economic theories and laying them out for the layperson to see clearly.
Speculations on global manipulations by capitalists entities operating under the veil of government sponsored agencies is not a stretch when you take into account the unprecedented changes in the global markets we have witnessed in the last few months. The idea that the crisis was created by an international group of bankers seeking greater control of the political arena is not without merit. Consider the Bay of Pigs fiasco that Kennedy walked into.
Obama needs to tread carefully.
More on The Fed
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost
