New health savings?

So, in an attempt to offer health insurance to more people, the U.S. House of Representatives proposed sweeping changes. Now, the debate over a so called 'public option' has played out over several months. However, I have not read or heard any commentary about health savings accounts.

Here's an interesting Bloomberg article that describes the efforts of the House and Senate:

"Employers increasingly are offering such accounts, said Beth Umland, director of research for health and benefits at Mercer, a New York-based human resources consulting firm. About 83 percent of employers with 500 or more employees had health spending accounts in their benefit plans in 2008, up from 52 percent in 1995.

"The plans let workers deposit money before taxes into accounts that can be used to pay health-related expenses. Typically, all the money must be spent within a year to 15 months or it’s forfeited.

"Under current law, depositing $5,000 to pay for a medical procedure such as laser eye surgery would save a worker in the 25 percent income-tax bracket $1,250 in taxes. An employee in the 15 percent tax bracket would save $750. Those tax savings would be cut in half under the proposal to cap the maximum annual contribution at $2,500."

So what's the deal? Why are we increasing the tax burden on middle-income workers and REDUCING options and competition?

Healthcare

The President just finished his Congressional Address. He called for new consumer protections for those with insurance and a marketplace so that those without insurance could find the best coverage a the lowest price. And he wants to require everyone to purchase basic coverage. (He referenced auto insurance, but that is incomparable. What he is proposing is that IF YOU BREATH, YOU OWE SOMEONE SOME MONEY. That is worse than paying taxes, because at least you need a job for that.)

The President wants to create a quasi-governmental insurance company, to be run much like the FDIC, to offer coverage to those in most desperate need. His ambitious plan claims to be deficit neutral. The President proposes to achieve this by embracing technology, reforming tort laws, and streamlining Medicare and Medicaid bureaucracies, as well as by imposing a new tax on insurance companies. The new tax is supposed to encourage private medical insurance companies to reduce cost while improving care.

There were jabs and concessions, but there was an overall genuine desire to work with both sides of the aisle. However, Republicans, stupidly, sat on their hands. They made silly faces and looked out-of-touch. Now mind, you I don't care for the new taxes or the mandatory insurance requirement. But the Republicans looked like jackasses.

Finally, there was NO mention of PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY. Where was the call for Americans to watch what they and their children eat? Where was the emphasis on physical activity and quitting smoking or drinking? And what about relying more on Health Savings Accounts to build a tax-free savings that would allow individuals to offset expensive procedures? Why can't we extend HSAs to allow indefinite savings and use for any health-related expense?

The ONLY way we make ANY REAL CHANGE is if we ALL TAKE PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY for our actions while pushing for technological advances and reducing bureaucracy. We probably wouldn't even have to reform tort laws.

Fall movies

Below are the movies I'm most interested in seeing this fall. What do you think?

9

Extract

The Men Who Stare at Goats

Where the Wild Things Are

2012

The Road

Amelia

Aladin

Empowering men

So there's been a trend as of late (most notably at the University of Chicago) to form groups meant to empower men. I fear however, that, as I have read some objectives, these groups will focus on bringing back 'male superiority'. Though I'm no expert of the women's movement, I think women focused on equality, and even more so, following their dreams. That is exactly what the University of Chicago and other groups should embrace. This is a changing world where men can be successful, proud, and influential despite staying at home or despite their partner's work success. The point is DO WHAT YOU DO BEST. And do it THE BEST (actually commit yourself to working hard).

There are too many excuses out there for both men and women -- quit whining and be a productive member of society in whatever way you can.

H-1B visas and rising unemployment

I've been seeing more articles about Americans feeling betrayed or dismayed about corporate layoffs. And there has been pressure from Washington to artificially deflate the unemployment figures by hiring Americans instead of foreigners. But at what cost? Regardless of the economic situation, all companies should hire the most qualified individuals. There should be no quotas for ethnicity or any other uncontrollable factors. For some jobs, foreigners may be more efficient or better equipped.

Simply put, if you don't get a job, or are fired, you should ask yourself, "HOW CAN I IMPROVE so I get the job next time?". Or, how can we improve our primary education system so that we produce the best college students?

Competition is good - it makes us realize our mistakes. Use these tough times to learn from the past. Do you really want to repeat this mess all over again?

Martin Brodeur

551 wins. 100 shutout wins. Those two stats alone put the New Jersey Devil goaltender in contention for the Hockey Hall of Fame. But apparently that is not enough for the New York Times. Even the NY Daily News and NY Post have covered the Devils as of late.
The Times continues to rely on Associated Press wrap-up articles to cover the Devils. Well, then again, the Star-Ledger posts mostly AP coverage of the Rangers, but it's not like the Rangers are doing anything of note except pick up the schmuck

I just hope that Brodeur and the Devils get some more play among the New York media when they win again on Tuesday.

552 for #30.

Wild and crazy stock market

I think we have reached a bottom for the market: DJIA: 6500. What does that mean? Well, not all that much. The market may not continue to rise, although we're in for FOUR STRAIGHT DAYS so far. Really, it means that we are beginning to see a surge of new information - companies are sharing more financial details and the government is trying to exude confidence. (Personally, I don't believe in half of the government programs we've announced nor the speed with which they were approved; however, I do recognize the necessity to invest in America (infrastructure, education, and many other programs).)

See the steady climbing DOW (courtesy of Yahoo! Finance):

Consumers are a little more confident, and businesses are still operating. We've seen some big merger moves, especially in health care as the government signals a major shift in policy trying to reduce overall costs. And while consolidation might not be good for jobs in the short term, the healthcare industry may be responding appropriately, recognizing change is on the horizon - they are planning for the future. And that is something many companies, individuals, and the US Government have failed to do for a long time.

Bottom line: We've got to be in this for the long haul. I don't think we really start to recover until the end of 2009 at the earliest. But that is ok. We're making some substantial changes to our personal and business lives. It'll do us good to slow things down anyway, given how fast we've been moving in the information age.

Rebirth

Straight talk from Jon Stewart:



The show exposes financial news networks and reporters for failing to publicly recognize the fraud and ridiculous behavior at the heads of Wall Street and the big banks. The news media didn't call out government actions either. So, now we're starting to get some truth -- Wall Street and Washington have misled the public yet again.

But blaming others helped get us into this mess just as much as crooked businessmen and politicians. We should claim back our country - demand and validate more information.

This isn't the end of capitalism, it's the beginning.

Metro complaint

Here's what I've just submitted to Metro's customer comment form:

"The L2 bus headed southbound on Connecticut Avenue toward McPherson Square never showed up this morning. It was scheduled to depart Connecticut Avenue at Nebraska Avenue at or about 6:34 this morning. The next scheduled bus appeared to be late as well. Instead of waiting any longer, I just walked to the Van Ness Metro and boarded a southbound train to get to work. There was little traffic, as cars, trucks, and "Not in Service" Metro buses zoomed by.

It just seems to me that Metro employees need to be held accountable for poor job performance and Metro needs to better monitor whether buses depart on or close to schedule. Metro has made some improvements, however, Washington, DC deserves a world class public transit system, and we are a long way away from that."

I don't understand why, living near the beginning bus terminal, any bus is late or doesn't show up. It is not hard: show up for your job and work. If you don't like it, find a new one. If you can't, try to educate yourself and then find a new job. Why do you deserve to get paid if you don't do your job? Everyone can understand if there are exigent circumstances because stuff happens.
But it is Metro's fault, too. They don't have a system in place to allow for another bus to be quickly deployed. They don't hold employees accountable. How about this: set up a better customer complaint system, put GPS in all the buses, post 'next arrival' times at most stops (with real-time data), teach manners and better driving skills, and use on-time and other performance measures to hold drivers accountable. And if you need to raise fares to accomplish this, by all means do so. I think most people would welcome such change.

Save UDC

A small protest in front of UDC's campus in upper NW garnered support from passersby this evening. Though many of the signs held by those gathered did not explain the situation.

As I understand it, there is a plan to combine UDC and South Eastern University. This would alter the teaching structure and does represent significant change. However, I'm not convinced the plan is entirely bad. Hopefully, the students will get a voice in the matter as a result of this protest. We will have to see.

UPDATE: Apparently tuition will be nearly doubled to about $7,000/year. The additional money raised would probably offset cuts in the District's budget and will help the school improve its campus (buildings and staff). If you look at state schools across the country, many, if not most, have already crossed the $10,000/year mark, so if District residents can get a decent education for less than average, quit complaining. Besides, some of the students will qualify for financial aid (probably a mix of school grants and federal loans).

Van Ness protest (anti genocide)

I couldn't really figure out against whom they were protesting, but I do know genocide is bad and the children are being stolen.

UPDATE: This was a protest against the ongoing war in Sri Lanka. The war pits the Sri Lankan military against the violent group Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). Thousands have been displaced by the fighting and there have been countless deaths. Check out the latest Reuters story.

The 51st State

For years many have been debating whether the Constitution should be amended to allow for District of Columbia statehood. And the efforts are laudable. Let's face it, there should be no area of the country unrepresented. However, as George Will points out in his Washington Post column today, Congress today has an ulterior motive: beef up its majority without proper Constitutional consideration. In addition, it would appear unconstitutional to move forward with the current plan.

The Constitution was meant to be a living, breathing document and it clearly offers means of amending so as to conform to new social, political, and economic conditions and norms. If the case for statehood is great, why not put it up for an amendment again (see the 1978 amendment)? According to DC Vote Voice, a 2005 survey found that 78% of Americans didn't know that DC had less representation than the rest of the country. The case seems clear to me -- propose an amendment to the Constitution and put it up for a vote.

Plain and simple - we need to get away from these subversive tactics. Be open and straightforward and help people understand your objectives. Maybe it'll make you think twice before you ASSuME that no one will know the difference.

Terrorism on the rails

A man is arrested for taking photographs of "shiny" trains for Amtrak's photo contest.

The Colbert ReportMon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c

Nailed 'Em - Amtrak Photographer

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Colbert does a nice job telling the story. But how ridiculous? Oh, and a thanks to DCist sharing the video.

Tax problems

'Tis that time of year. And boy does the President have some tough decisions to make. The Senate has not made cabinet member confirmations easy. We've had tax scandals with Geithner, Killefer, and now Daschle. Never mind the pay-to-play scheme Bill Richardson set up in New Mexico.

Here's what the WSJ wrote about Daschle: "Daschle ended his bid to be Health secretary after failing to pay more than $100,000 in taxes, saying he 'will not be a distraction.'"

For Democrats, these guys sure don't like to pay taxes.

UPDATE: Sen. Gregg and Commerce

This morning the Wall Street Journal reported: "Sen. Gregg said in a statement Monday afternoon, 'I have made it clear to the Senate Leadership on both sides of the aisle and to the Governor that I would not leave the Senate if I felt my departure would cause a change in the makeup of the Senate. The Senate Leadership, both Democratic and Republican, and the Governor understand this concern and I appreciate their consideration of this position.'

Republican Bonnie Newman was expected to succeed Sen. Gregg in the Senate, according to an Associated Press report. Ms. Newman was Sen. Gregg's former chief of staff and has held prominent leadership positions in government, higher education and the private sector."

I'm quite proud of Sen. Gregg's negotiations and am feeling a little better about the President's nomination. One small victory for honesty and a more effective government.

A little math can't hurt ...

Try this out. (I got all the questions correct.)
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/x-equals-why/2009/01/do_you_dream_of_factoring.html

Obama to tap Republican as commerce secretary

It is looking like New Hampshire Senator Judd Gregg will be nominated as the next Secretary of Commerce. He is a Republican and will likely advise President Obama against protectionism. However, his vote in the Senate will be sorely missed.

You see, for all of the rhetoric, nothing has changed -- it is politics as usual. When Sen. Gregg is nominated and confirmed, the Democratic Governor of NH, John Lynch, will nominate a Democrat to fill the vacant seat.

What does that mean? This will effectively give the Democrats a filibuster proof margin. No filibuster=larger "stimulus"=larger welfare state=larger nanny state=larger deficits=you and I pay up the wazoo in taxes=inflation will skyrocket=BIG PROBLEM. We need debate before legislation gets passed and we need to protect the country from protectionism and anti-globalization sentiment. We are globalized. Face it. You know you love to go to Wal-Mart and buy cheap goods.

Instead of shutting ourselves in, lets work on a way to be the future -- innovation, education, and more. But lets instill confidence in the individual - that we can initiate change and work together. We don't need Big Brother breathing down our necks telling us what to do.

On the other hand, we do need to vote out the lot of 'em and one-by-one is better than nothing.

UPDATE: The WSJ reports: "Sen. Kyl said the balance-of-power issue has 'been thought through,' but he declined to say whether a deal had been struck to ensure that New Hampshire Gov. John Lynch would appoint a Republican to finish out the balance of Gregg's term, which is up next year, if Gregg were to become commerce secretary."
Certainly this was a concern on the Hill but the White House was willing to negotiate. However, I won't back down from my comments above until this is verified.

Protesters Rally Against Kremlin's Economic Course

"Activists of the Young Russia pro-Kremlin youth group acknowledged in the past that they received special training to disperse opposition protests."

What?? What does that statement remind you of? I guess some things never change.

http://mobile2.wsj.com/device/article.php?CALL_URL=http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123340914883636371.html?mod=WSJ_TimesEMEA

CVS in Glover Park

This is pretty funny:

: Busy week ...

It's been a busy week at work-lots of TARP stuff going on. It doesn't help that I finish my detail in two weeks. But I think I'll be glad to get back to my old job. We'll see.
On the plus side, I bought a new phone (on which I'm writing now)-the BlackBerry Storm. It is great. It has a good media player, too so I don't have to carry my iPod anymore. It will make writing on this blog easier, so maybe I'll have more posts.