Recently somebody told me that Health Care Reform has already raised healthcare costs in Massachusetts by more than a third! This statement, if accurate, demands Health Care Reform reform.
In our culter of soundbites and a habit of throwing around "facts" that we have not personally checked, I did some investigating.
In her Boston Globe article of August, 2009, Kay Lazar reported the following:
".. the average family premium for plans offered by employers in Massachusetts
was $13,788 in 2008, 40 percent higher than in 2003. Over the same period,
premiums nationwide rose an average of 33 percent."
Her citation is "a report by the Commonwealth Fund, a non-profit health care foundation".
As far as I can tell, however, we don't have sufficient data to create a definite
causal relationship between premium costs and the health care reform bill which did not
exist as law until the 2010-2011 year. Articles at the Commonwealth Fund seem to support the idea that Health Care Reform laws are causing us harm.
While I agree that more needs to be done, I disagree that the fact of a 33% average
premium cost increase between 2003 and 2008 is sufficient proof that both the baby
and the bath-water should be thrown out.
A stated goal of the "right of center" Commonwealth Foundation is "Challenging the general perception that government intervention is the most appropriate and most efficient means of solving societal problems."
Being concerned that their mission statement might hint of a bias, I continued to dig through to the Congressional Budget Office which provided numbers to both ex-Speaker Pelosi and the current Speaker, John Boehner.
At the CBO you can find the CBO's assessment of the effect of Health Care Reform on our personal wallets as well as on the national debt. Apparently, having analyze it twice, the CBO estimates that reform will save, on net, about $125 billion dollars whereas if it were repealed our debt would increase about $150 billion.
The CBO concedes that, if repealed, individually owned health care plan costs would go down. They explain that this is largely because without the reform, companies would not have to offer as broad a range of services as they do now. They estimate, however, that in the long run, 2012-2021, the cost of premiums obtained through employers would be higher without reform because of the subsidies and tax benefits included in the new laws, which a repeal would eliminate.
There is no question that without health care reform, fewer people in general would be able to have any health care at any price.
All this makes me wonder if there is not a bit of a "placating the bully" dynamic going on. If you don't bother a bully, he wont hit you and if you don't attempt to reform the system, big companies won't run up your bills as fast?
While it can be argued that both Industry and Government have, in turn and in concert played the bully, in this case, it really appears to me that healthcare reform is trying to control the bully, not encourage him. As usual we're getting knocked around a bit extra right now before we see any relief from this tuff.
Kay's article can be found in the Boston Globe archives at:
Bay State health insurance premiums highest in country - The Boston Globe
More current information on the subject of Health Care from the Commonwealth Foundation
can be found at: www.commonwealthfoundation.org
The Congressional Budget Office website is: http://www.cbo.gov/
Friday, February 25, 2011
Saturday, December 11, 2010
On the Ethics of Manipulation
Semantically speaking, to manipulate merely means; to interact with, as in manipulating the rubic's cube. To the extent that one operates upon and controls something by manipulating it, there is no moral aspect to the action. It is mere fact that one manipulates the state of something they wish to change. The ethical line gets drawn when that which we wish to change has free will and a choice in the changing. It rather reminds me of the old joke, how many psychologists does it take to change a lightbulb? Only one, but the lightbulb must be willing to change. If one manipulates the environment of another against that person's will and in the absence of a moral authority, then the manipulators ethics should be questioned.
Friday, December 3, 2010
Military Men of Honor Should Be Allowed to be Honest and honored.
I had an interesting exchange with my son today. He is in the 5th grade and we live in a very conservative town. I heard him call some aspect of his life "gay". To be honest, I do not remember what he was quipping about but whatever it was, it was "gay".
My reaction was strong and I went into lecture mode. I had to point out that when he runs his X-Box and plays "Call of Duty" some of the guys who hit that beach, were gay. I told him that our military has had a policy in which those guys had to lie about how they relate to life even as they execute their duty "to the death". I asked him if he was aware of the military policy of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" and if he cared if our soldiers can fight and die as long as they are not honest about how they live and love?
From a military perspective the question is, as you play call of duty, does it matter if the avatar you drive into a German machine gun nest is gay or strait? Overwelmingly the answer is "fuck no!"
He said that queston was weird and that it did not matter in the least as long as the bunker "was smoked".
I will take that as a moral win for choice and defer to another day the question of whether any avatar should ever take up arms against another avatar (frankly a lost cause.) Certainly the case of cultural genocide is a compelling discussion. For now, however, I will rest on the laurel of knowing that he will not use sexual preference as a criteria for commanding a line into a forward offensive action.
Moral?
"Don't ask, don't tell" is an unnecessary distraction to military commanders in command of groups between a platoon and a command level or above.
Our Great-Grandfathers debated blacks in uniform. Our Grandfathers debated women in uniform. Our Parents are debating gays in uniform and, who knows what we will debate at the end of our lives.
My point is simple; every time this issue is raised that which is true must prevail: Men of honor must be celebrated for their honesty as well as their service.
My reaction was strong and I went into lecture mode. I had to point out that when he runs his X-Box and plays "Call of Duty" some of the guys who hit that beach, were gay. I told him that our military has had a policy in which those guys had to lie about how they relate to life even as they execute their duty "to the death". I asked him if he was aware of the military policy of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" and if he cared if our soldiers can fight and die as long as they are not honest about how they live and love?
From a military perspective the question is, as you play call of duty, does it matter if the avatar you drive into a German machine gun nest is gay or strait? Overwelmingly the answer is "fuck no!"
He said that queston was weird and that it did not matter in the least as long as the bunker "was smoked".
I will take that as a moral win for choice and defer to another day the question of whether any avatar should ever take up arms against another avatar (frankly a lost cause.) Certainly the case of cultural genocide is a compelling discussion. For now, however, I will rest on the laurel of knowing that he will not use sexual preference as a criteria for commanding a line into a forward offensive action.
Moral?
"Don't ask, don't tell" is an unnecessary distraction to military commanders in command of groups between a platoon and a command level or above.
Our Great-Grandfathers debated blacks in uniform. Our Grandfathers debated women in uniform. Our Parents are debating gays in uniform and, who knows what we will debate at the end of our lives.
My point is simple; every time this issue is raised that which is true must prevail: Men of honor must be celebrated for their honesty as well as their service.
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Our local natural filtration system
Just as there is a natural Hydrological cycle that consists of evaporation, condensation, and precipitation, a major pollutant in Athol, Mercury, tends to follow this cycle closely. It is introduced into the environmental cycle in a number of ways. Light bulbs, discarded batteries, industrial processes and fertilizers all act as sources of the introduction of mercury into the environment.
The very same conservation lands that have been set aside as habitats for a number of endangered species in northern New England, can serve as a first line of defense against the introduction of heavy metals into the environment. As water soluble mercury travels down river, the sediments in the flood plains tend to provide a large natural filtration system for pollutants. PCB's and heavy metals can become trapped in the sediments of the flood plains and drop out of the water cycle.
Athol benefits from the vast water shed and flood plains that have been set aside and maintained by the Army Corps of Engineers. While not a primary purpose in building them, the function of natural filtration eases the burdens placed on the man-made waste treatment facilities that act as the final arbitrator of these metals in our water supply.
The very same conservation lands that have been set aside as habitats for a number of endangered species in northern New England, can serve as a first line of defense against the introduction of heavy metals into the environment. As water soluble mercury travels down river, the sediments in the flood plains tend to provide a large natural filtration system for pollutants. PCB's and heavy metals can become trapped in the sediments of the flood plains and drop out of the water cycle.
Athol benefits from the vast water shed and flood plains that have been set aside and maintained by the Army Corps of Engineers. While not a primary purpose in building them, the function of natural filtration eases the burdens placed on the man-made waste treatment facilities that act as the final arbitrator of these metals in our water supply.
Community Support for Water Resources
Athol, Massachusetts has a rich set of water resources. Due to several recent community initiatives that have focused on conservation in our region and activity by the Army Corps of Engineers there are a large amount of land reserved as water shed and as protected lake and river habitats within the town limits.
The predominant water resource in our area is the Miller's River which travels seven miles through Athol from New Hampshire to the Connecticut river.
The community exists largely because of it's access to this swift flowing river which, once dammed several times has provided industry in the area the hydro-mechanical power it required to grow as a milling and textile leader in early New England history.
In the 30's and 40's the Miller's river had become so polluted that it would not support fish populations but the residents of Athol started to manage this abuse of the system and have turned it around significantly.
There are, however, 3 major polluters in Athol who continue to cause problems. It is worth noting that all three have put measures in place that should help reduce their impact on the river. The community must be vigilant, however, the industries in this economically depressed region are in a strong negotiating position as the residents object to their use of the river, the community also desperately needs their jobs and local spending to survive.
The predominant water resource in our area is the Miller's River which travels seven miles through Athol from New Hampshire to the Connecticut river.
The community exists largely because of it's access to this swift flowing river which, once dammed several times has provided industry in the area the hydro-mechanical power it required to grow as a milling and textile leader in early New England history.
In the 30's and 40's the Miller's river had become so polluted that it would not support fish populations but the residents of Athol started to manage this abuse of the system and have turned it around significantly.
There are, however, 3 major polluters in Athol who continue to cause problems. It is worth noting that all three have put measures in place that should help reduce their impact on the river. The community must be vigilant, however, the industries in this economically depressed region are in a strong negotiating position as the residents object to their use of the river, the community also desperately needs their jobs and local spending to survive.
Friday, November 12, 2010
Changing where a menu points in Drupal 6
In Drupal 6, I am using Drupal 6.19 and pathauto. If you use custom menus and need to change the path (the node) a menu item points to, do the following:
1. Go to your new page: http:/YOUR-DOMAIN/YOUR-PAGE/
2. Edit it by clicking the edit tab
3. Notice the URL is now: http:/YOUR-DOMAIN/YOUR-PAGE/node/NODE-NUMBER/edit
4. jot down the node number,NODE-NUMBER above.
5. go to Home › Administer › Site building › Menus ›
6. edit custom menu
7. find the specific menu item and edit it.
8. first item is menu path. change it to the new one: node/
9. save and test
It's that easy! We love Drupal!
-Stev3
1. Go to your new page: http:/YOUR-DOMAIN/YOUR-PAGE
2. Edit it by clicking the edit tab
3. Notice the URL is now: http:/YOUR-DOMAIN/YOUR-PAGE
4. jot down the node number,
5. go to Home › Administer › Site building › Menus ›
6. edit custom menu
7. find the specific menu item and edit it.
8. first item is menu path. change it to the new one: node/
9. save and test
It's that easy! We love Drupal!
-Stev3
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Whose Responsibility is our world anyway?
When considering the issues involved in the current environmental controversy the economic issues stand out as the low hanging fruit. The first time I because fully aware of the conflict between the environment and the economy was 30 years ago when the company I worked for, a computer manufacturer was accused of dumping large quantities of ferric chloride into a local river. Ferric Chloride is a by product of the circuit-board manufacturing process and is produced as copper is etched off of the boards put inside computers.
The economic benefit of not having to deal with this by-product allowed the growth of the computer industry. After being forced to deal with it, it was discovered that by reclaiming the base chemicals in the waste, much of the toxic by-products could be turned into a secondary revenue stream.
The ethical implications of knowing one is causing harm to others, even if those others are not human is clearly an ethical issue for all but the hardest of hearts. In the Boston area, the Alewife, an indigenous fish has come back from the brink of extinction by the proactive conservation efforts of many groups in the Boston area including the Army Corps of Engineers whom I worked with on the Gridley locks in Boston Harbor which included a stepped system to allow these fish into the Charles River to spawn.
Socially the topic of conservation is considered politically correct. We all pay lip service to our concern. when push comes to shove, however, the question inevitably arises; "whose responsibility is this anyway?" What is really being asked is who will pay for it? This is generally determined by who governs the domain in which a specific issue arises. Certainly the plight of the African Elephant is not mine, I live in the north east of the United States and the only African Elephants in my area are in zoos. On the other hand, the plight of the Alewife, mentioned earlier, is not the concern of the Egyptians, most of whom have never heard of this species of fish.
In consideration of aesthetics, this is the hardest issue to speak to. Perhaps here is where I confess to having a pessimistic view of mankind's willingness to "step up" to the challenges of conservation. Even as the Whale, the Butterfly, species of beautiful flower and the Florida wetlands are all in danger of long term damage, we worry more about the cast of Jersey Shore instead of the Mississippi delta.
The economic benefit of not having to deal with this by-product allowed the growth of the computer industry. After being forced to deal with it, it was discovered that by reclaiming the base chemicals in the waste, much of the toxic by-products could be turned into a secondary revenue stream.
The ethical implications of knowing one is causing harm to others, even if those others are not human is clearly an ethical issue for all but the hardest of hearts. In the Boston area, the Alewife, an indigenous fish has come back from the brink of extinction by the proactive conservation efforts of many groups in the Boston area including the Army Corps of Engineers whom I worked with on the Gridley locks in Boston Harbor which included a stepped system to allow these fish into the Charles River to spawn.
Socially the topic of conservation is considered politically correct. We all pay lip service to our concern. when push comes to shove, however, the question inevitably arises; "whose responsibility is this anyway?" What is really being asked is who will pay for it? This is generally determined by who governs the domain in which a specific issue arises. Certainly the plight of the African Elephant is not mine, I live in the north east of the United States and the only African Elephants in my area are in zoos. On the other hand, the plight of the Alewife, mentioned earlier, is not the concern of the Egyptians, most of whom have never heard of this species of fish.
In consideration of aesthetics, this is the hardest issue to speak to. Perhaps here is where I confess to having a pessimistic view of mankind's willingness to "step up" to the challenges of conservation. Even as the Whale, the Butterfly, species of beautiful flower and the Florida wetlands are all in danger of long term damage, we worry more about the cast of Jersey Shore instead of the Mississippi delta.
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