:
Will Responsible Republicans Stand up?
The White House's New Healthcare Plan was announced yesterday. This is one take on the plan:
The GOP came out swinging by noting how it was more of the same. The US Senate Republican leader in the Senate, said that the plan should be scrapped all together and start again. To top it all, John Boehner, the House Republican Leader, blasted the upcoming healthcare summit on Thursday as a Democratic Informercial. It was quite a day!!!
The back and forth on healthcare is frankly laughable on both sides. Although healthcare reform is not dead, the fact remains that the Party of No will do whatever it has to do to stop this from coming to fruition. What is clear is that the status quo cannot be acceptable. I only wish that Mr. McConnell would truly listen to a student of mine who talked about it in a paper she wrote on Ethics in Healthcare:
I am a single parent of two children. I do not have any insurance and my children are on Medicaid. If it was not for this system I do not know what I would do for my girls. A lot of elderly people out in the world do not have insurance either and I know from experience that they will not go to a doctor because of the cost which can sometimes become deadly for these people. There are clinics in some areas that are designed to help people in these types of situations. One of these places is called Grace Hill, which is designed for people with no insurance. This place contains doctors and dentists, and individuals can come in, pay small co-pay and that is it, they would not be reliable for the bill because it is picked up by state. Now the problem with this is that the different states are running out of money to support these programs.
The "Fierce Urgency of Now" is ever more. Yet, it is clear that the "New" Republican Party has decided to make the country ungovernable. When Tom Coburn declares that he loves gridlock, it means that he and his ilk are not interested in getting anything done. Thankfully, there are sensible Republicans still left in the Republican Party. They are becoming a very rare commodity. I commend Charlie Crist when he noted that the stimulus has worked and has saved some 87,000 jobs in Florida. I also think that the Governor of California when he reminded the country that some 150,000 people were at work directly because of the stimulus. The Republican Party is truly in trouble when leading lumanries in the party are changing their stripes for the sake of political expediency. Are there any true responsible Republicans left?
:
There is not much a choice....
I decided to hit the pavement to see how things are on the job front. I had a chance to digest the reports and the analysis over the week-end. I found it to be an especially interesting day to say the least. As I was driving up to go out to the local center, I saw at least two people with signs of "I need a job" on the street.
I was quite apprehensive as I drove up to the local "One Stop Center". I did not really know what to expect. One Stop Centers were created by the State of California in partnership with local Community Colleges. When I walked in, I was impressed!! I saw rows of Computers with interenet access, printers, fax machines and copiers available to all. The registration process took a few minutes and I then began the process of taking a look at the job boards and actually did manage to uncover a few possiblities.
As I was walking around the Center, I noticed people from all walks of life who were there. I also noticed how calm they were as I overheard them talk about how the furlough days would in turn be converted to pay cuts. They were resigned to it. I made a point of telling them how at least I appreciated their work. It is quite a feat that they are able to operate in rather trying circumstances. As I signed up for the various services offered to get a sense of the status of my resume and to refresh my job hunting skills, I was concerned. I poked my head into the networking group sponsored by the One Stop Center. One of the volunteers staffing the center noted that he was out there looking for a year. I sensed hope, though. Maybe I was reading too much into it. But, it all begins with the right attitude and outlook. It is not easy. But, I see no other way than to be really look at things as "half-full".
The journey continues.....
:
Why can't America learn from Turkey?
Turkey has been on the march over the last few years. It has worked to help mediate in the Arab-Israeli Conflict, has worked to mend fences with Armenia and has also been flexing its muscles in other ways. Turkey is a fasincating country to watch because it has been able to live up to the Ataturk tradition of secularism while embracing the best of what Islam has to offer. The governing Justice and Development Party has been making its mark in a major way.
I have just been reading about Turkey's work on Healthcare reform. Back in 2005, the IMF sought out changes necessary to deal with Social Security System and broaden access to quality healthcare. One of the things the Government has apparently done is to rein in the cost of drugs. Although the policy in question is going to apparently be revised, at least there is a realization that the costs will have to be brought under control to help mitigate the effect on the average population
[ Click here to read more ]
:
When will the next shoe drop?
California continues to march to the edge of the abyss. The statistics I have seen from Pew Resarch scares the daylight out of me. California's current budget deficit as a percentage of the general fund is estimated to be at 49.3% of the general fund. The numbers I have seen are at 21 Billion Dollars according to a report on PublicCEO.com. It is just as bad in Nevada, which I just visited. It is estimated to be at 37.8 Percent of the general fund.
I have always believed that California is a leading indicator of what is going on in the Country as a whole. Although I think that California will be back, it will be quite a while. An indication of the steep climb California has is what happened with the University of California System. The UC trustees just approved a 32 percent tuition hike for students along with some massive budget cuts. With the steep cuts, I see these folks cutting the legs from under future development. I see the continued evolution to be such that Education may end up belonging to the rich and the well-off. Some may not think Education to be a Civil Right, but it seems to me that if there is anything that would help guarantee a reasonable future is Education. My own local school district is dealing with a 25 Million Dollar deficit. The School Board has decided to balance this budget by going after teacher salaries and pensions
[ Click here to read more ]
:
The Terrain is scary.....
Workers continue to be worried as reports of layoffs and missed earnings keep coming. One such law in California to at least help mitigate the shock is the California Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act. The so-called WARN ACT requires certain employers to give affected employees at least 60 days advance written notice of an intended plant closing or mass layoff. 147 companies will either have a mass layoff or an outright plant closing during this month alone. For instance, in January 2009, a major regional hospital in Orange County California filed to shut down with some 500 employees. Things continue to move in the wrong direction.
As for the sickly auto industry, I reported on the drastic measures being taken by Chrysler to pare its' dealer network. When the folks are not buying the cars, there is no reason to support such a extensive network. My initial estimate of the number of jobs lost was apparently way understated. The estimated job losses are slated to be around 38,000 people. GM is also right behind Chrysler. They are cancelling 1100 dealer contracts. The National Automotive Dealers Association is politically connected. After the dust is settled, only the major players (Penske, AutoNation) will survive. All others will fall by the wayside
[ Click here to read more ]
:
Truth is Tough to Embrace......
I have been assessing the continued economic challenges we have been facing in the country. It has been extremely worrisome. In California, the unemployment is at double digits. Los Angeles County is at double digits. Other counties continue to bleed jobs throughout the state as the country tries to live through the worst economic times since the great depression.
I have been assessing the flow of monies coming to the states. I have been especially interested in Educational Funding coming from the stimulus package. The funding coming to California reflects, for instance"....nearly $8.6 billion in Recovery Act funding to
[ Click here to read more ]
:
Serious Stuff Indeed!!!
The talk of the media during the past week was Cramer vs. Stewart. Jim Cramer is the host of Mad Money on CNBC and Jon Stewart is the host of The Daily Show on Comedy Central.
Stewart went after him and rightly so!!
[ Click here to read more ]
:
Will we ever hear any good news at all?
The blood letting in the markets has continued nonstop. The Dow was as choppy as ever as I was monitoriong the daily trading. Beyond that, there is not much good news that I could hold on to.
I did find the Adminstration's annoucement of a new trillion dollar loan facility interesting. But, the problem I see is that the Opposition will continue to throw whatever roadblocks it can. The need to move and spur investment is driven by how bad things are for the financial system and the overall economy. I found the news about Ford's Feburary Sales to be especially shocking. Sales dropped 48% from the same period last year. People have just simply stopped buying. I view Ford as the one that has a fighting chance to emerge from the carnage in the Auto Industry. It will be a shadow of its' former self, but at least it will survive
[ Click here to read more ]
:
Now the Real Work Truly Begins.....
The Congress has passed the Stimulus Plan. I was getting the twitter updates throughout the day as the proceedings continued. Three Republicans (or as the Repubicans say RINO's) joined the Democratic Caucus in voting to enact it. The U.S. President is slated to sign it into law on Monday.
I view the three Senators who voted for this as courageous. Olympia Snowe, Susan Collins and Arlen Specter have gone against the grain consistently. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins are two Senators who are from the Republicans of years past as the party evovled. Arlen Specter gained my respect when he grilled Alberto Gonzales during his disastrous tenure at the Justice Department. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins don't have to worry about their consitituents. Arlen Specter will probably have a fight on his hands as he faces re-election. But, the man has faced down cancer, twice. One of his nemesis in his home state called him a houdini
[ Click here to read more ]
:
How scary will it get? I just don't know.....
The debate on what to do about how to jumpstart the US Economy rages on. I personally have received appeals from both Senator McCain's new CountryFirst PAC and President Obama's Organizing for America Organization. The roundtable held earlier between four leading lights of the U.S. Congress on NBC's Meet the Press underscores this divide.
As the debate continues, teachers, fire fighters and cops are on the chopping block. States are in dire straits. California continues to operate without a budget.
[ Click here to read more ]
:
Why did it have to come to this?
California is broke. As I write this, the reputed 8th largest economy in the world and the biggest state in the United States is operating without a budget. Right now, it is at 92 Days and counting.
Starting now, services are starting to be cut back. For instance, The State Department of Motor Vehicles is being shut down two days a month. State workers are being forced to take two days off without pay, amounting to a cut of 10% of their pay. Suppliers have not been paid. Expense Reimbursements are being stopped. Projects have been stopped. California's Bond Rating has suffered. The State can't borrow money to fund its' obligations. Local Governments are threatening to withhold remittance to Sacramento. It is an absolute disaster--the likes of which has not been in a long time
[ Click here to read more ]
:
..and the hits keep on coming.........
In my almost daily columns/comments on the Economy, I had thought about the calamity as a Tsunami. With a Tsunami, there is at least a chance to see Sunshine. However, I think the better term for it is a Winter Storm. I continue to wonder when we will see sunshine.
On Wednesday, the bleeding continued. Cisco Systems, the leading network gear maker, missed the numbers. Alcatel-Lucent continued its' downward slide which has been on-going for a number of years. Disney missed then it came out with its numbers and annouced jobs cuts totaling some 400 workers at the ABC unit. Earlier in the week, Electronic Arts annouced a job cut and delay in new games
[ Click here to read more ]
:
The Bad News Gets Worst!!!
The new month continues the bad news we have been subjected to since mid-2008. Right now, Ryannair has posted a loss of 130 Million Dollars for the final 3 months of 2008. Ryannair is oen of the leading budget airlines in Europe, based in Ireland. Going around the world to China, China has just come out with a report noting that some 20 million Chinese workers no longer have jobs to go back to. According to the statistics reported, this represents 15% of the workforce.
As the flow of red ink and bad news continues, we have the give and take in Washington. There is at least consesus that something has to be done. But, states and local governments in the United States continue to suffer. The Governor and the Legislature are continuing their game of political football. This is the California Governor's Take on this
[ Click here to read more ]
:
When will the bleeding stop?
Although the Dow went up today, the bleeding has continued. Over 70,000 job cuts have been announced. This include massive cuts at Catepillar, Sprint/Nextel & Phillips. Auto Suppliers are getting ready to go to the Federal Government with a request for $ 10 Billion. To add insult to injury, Citigroup is about to take delivery of a $ 50 Million private jet.
Right now, The President has been given $ 350 Billion to Spend. He is pushing for another $ 825 Billion. Out of that, about $ 500 Billion is cash. So, he'd have a Trillion Dollars to spend. I will be many who will be holding his feet to the fire in terms of transparency. We will need to figure out how to jumpstart the economy. So far, nothing has worked. It is scary to see what is going on right now. The President spoke to this on Saturday during his weekly address. I wonder if the Republican Leadership was listening or truly understood what he was saying when he met with them at the White House. What he said was clear enough
[ Click here to read more ]
:
The suffering continues...with no end in Sight....
Gaza continues to burn. Yet, other challenges continue to overwhelm us. Just today, over 200 members of the Orange County California Social Services Agency have received their layoff notices. This is to try and bridge a 30 Million Dollar Budget gap. One of them is an Army Reservist serving in Iraq right now. In the Los Angeles Unified School District, letters having gone out to 3,000 non-permanent teachers telling them that they may not have a job next year. It is not pretty at all right now. At the State level, The State of California continues to grabble with a 18 Billion Dollar Budget Deficit. On the Business Front, Alcoa has announced a 13% Job Cut and massive reductions in its capital spending.
These developments are quite worrisome. I saw the "celebrations" as the New Congress began its work on Tuesday. Although I was not in Washington, it was as if I was in the visitors gallery watching the proceedings. The House Majority Leader has said that the stimulus package is going to be delayed. While the politicans meet and greet, ordinary people are losing their jobs and are losing hope. That's the problem as I see it. The President-Elect seems to understand it based on what I have seen so far
[ Click here to read more ]
With thirty days remaining in the campaign, the McCain-Palin campaign has adopted swift-boat III. Governor Palin was out apparenlty yesterday calling William Ayers, a 60's radical, a Pal of Barack Obama. I was glad to see that the Obama Campaign came out with a swift response. This is the kind of gutter politics that must not b tolerated by anyone. I spoke up for Governor Palin. I do condemn her stance in thinking that she's more American than the rest of the us who disagree with the Republican Ticket. I have seen NOTHING except talk about reform. Many of us are trying to look ahead. Yet, our conservative friends and the McCain-Palin campaign seem to want to fight the last election. Let's focus on the future!!!
Mike Pouraryan
Add Comments
Comments (1)
Read More
