Category: News and Opinion

Socialized Medicine? Get Real, It’s Already Here

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On another topic, Rock Hackshaw asked my opinion of government-funded healthcare, ie. "socialized medicine."  I responded by sending him an essay on health care finance I wrote a few years back during the recession, and he said I should post it here.  It’s long, but he seems to think it’s worth the read.

A spreadsheet backing up my assertions, produced some years ago, is attached.  The government share of health care spending is surely higher today.  Note also that when I make the case that, directly or indirectly, the federal state and local governments are already paying for most healthcare in any event, I included the share of private insurance that is purchased on behalf of public employees, but not the share purchased on behalf of public employee retirees, which I have no way to measure.  Add another few percent to the share of healthcare already funded by tax dollars, even as many are uninsured and get nothing despite paying taxes.

Kevin Powell To Withdraw From 10th Congressional Race

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A development that is sure to raise more interest in the 10th Congressional race/ Brooklyn, is about to unfold. Kevin Powell, the young hip-hop guru, is about to withdraw from the race, leaving three candidates standing at this point. Those still entered are: Ed Towns (incumbent), Assemblyman Roger (The Dodger) Greene and Councilmember Charles Barron. Word on the street is that Roger’s candidacy is also shaky, because of his misdemeanor guilty plea and subsequent conviction.

Powell, whose entrance was met with controversy, hit the wall rather early, when his own writings were used to attack him. He is an admitted ex-woman-beater, and there were also stories of his wild party-hearty days of wine, women and song. Insiders are saying that this was no way to be introduced to the voters, and likened it to the introduction that Geoffrey Davis (the brother of deceased NYC Councilmember James Davis) received, when he was substituted as a candidate after his brother’s death. It can be recalled that Geoffrey’s baby-mamas dramas, problems with child-support payments, drug use, and prostitution solicitation, were all highlighted in the media right out of the box. He never recovered, and lost on the Democratic line to Tish James (WFP). It is the only time that the Working Families Party has won an election in New York City’s history.

Political Dynasties

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Tuesday’s Daily News had a story about Thursday’s Bronx Democratic County Committee Dinner.

One line in the story got me thinking –

The party has also been criticized for creating so many political dynasties, with a number of incumbents’ sons and daughters in office.

I have heard this criticism many times. But is this unique to the Bronx? To New York City?  To Democrats?

To answer those questions, I decided to look at all the present members of the NY State Legislature and the NY Congressional Delegation to see how many were related to other elected public officials.

How 9/11 Changed the NYC Local Government Budget

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I have finished compiling the census bureau’s state and local finance data for Fiscal 2004, and you can have the spreadsheet if you e-mail me at vampire-state (at) att (dot) net, putting state and local finance in the subject so I know the e-mail is not spam.  Since the Bureau also compiled data for Fiscal 2002, the last budget before 9/11, we can see how that event affected the city’s finances, and thus how that affected us all.  The answer is the city became worse off, in part because when all the dollars are counted, Albany and Washington reacted to the tragedy by directing more money away from New York City.  And the many ways in which New York City and state differ from the national average became more pronounced.

How 9/11 Changed the NYC Local Government Budget

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I have finished compiling the census bureau’s state and local finance data for Fiscal 2004, and you can have the spreadsheet if you e-mail me at vampire-state (at) att (dot) net, putting state and local finance in the subject so I know the e-mail is not spam.  Since the Bureau also compiled data for Fiscal 2002, the last budget before 9/11, we can see how that event affected the city’s finances, and thus how that affected us all.  The answer is the city became worse off, in part because when all the dollars are counted, Albany and Washington reacted to the tragedy by directing more money away from New York City.  And the many ways in which New York City and state differ from the national average became more pronounced.

How 9/11 Changed the NYC Local Government Budget

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I have finished compiling the census bureau’s state and local finance data for Fiscal 2004, and you can have the spreadsheet if you e-mail me at vampire-state (at) att (dot) net, putting state and local finance in the subject so I know the e-mail is not spam.  Since the Bureau also compiled data for Fiscal 2002, the last budget before 9/11, we can see how that event affected the city’s finances, and thus how that affected us all.  The answer is the city became worse off, in part because when all the dollars are counted, Albany and Washington reacted to the tragedy by directing more money away from New York City.  And the many ways in which New York City and state differ from the national average became more pronounced.

How 9/11 Changed the NYC Local Government Budget

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I have finished compiling the census bureau’s state and local finance data for Fiscal 2004, and you can have the spreadsheet if you e-mail me at vampire-state (at) att (dot) net, putting state and local finance in the subject so I know the e-mail is not spam.  Since the Bureau also compiled data for Fiscal 2002, the last budget before 9/11, we can see how that event affected the city’s finances, and thus how that affected us all.  The answer is the city became worse off, in part because when all the dollars are counted, Albany and Washington reacted to the tragedy by directing more money away from New York City.  And the many ways in which New York City and state differ from the national average became more pronounced.

You Get What You Pay For

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The Wall St. Journal has a web site called Opinion Journal’s Political Diary. It’s a pretty interesting combination of opinions & political rundowns, with the Journal’s political biases.

The site is not usually free but they are offering a free two-week trial.

But sometimes you get what you pay for.

From the June 21st Political Diary –

Marylanders opposed to the state’s new Early Voting law reached a milestone this week with enough petition signatures to bring a November referendum into the realm of possibility. Not a happy omen for the state’s heavily Democratic legislature and its most blatant effort yet to club Republican Governor Robert Ehrlich.

Is This Really The Best Use Of His Time?

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DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff participates in a 10:00 am ET panel sponsored by the Heritage Foundation: "’24’ and America’s Image in Fighting Terrorism: Fact, Fiction or Does it Matter?" The three "24" cast members who are expected to participate: Mary Lynn Rajskub (Chloe O’Brian), Carlos Bernard (Tony Almeida), and Gregory Itzin (President Charles Logan). Rush Limbaugh takes the day off from the radio show to moderate.

State Assembly Disses Knick Fans

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New York Legislature honors Pat Riley as homegrown star

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) _ The Miami Heat’s Pat Riley was honored Wednesday by the New York Assembly as a homegrown New York star a day after he won his fifth NBA championship as head coach.

"I fondly remember the days many years ago, playing basketball with Pat, and working basketball summer camps with him," said Assembly Minority Leader James Tedisco, who grew up in Schenectady with Riley.

Riley was a basketball and football star at Schenectady’s Linton High School. With Riley, "The state of New York and its citizens," reads the proclamation, "offer good wishes, admiration and congratulations."