From last summer...
northern lights
he joins his grandkid
chasing fireflies
Showing posts with label kids. Show all posts
Showing posts with label kids. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Haiku 081509
kids peeking
behind tall reeds
a blue heron
****************
Recently, we read the following:
Washington Post: “Consumer protections lost in health care debate” by Ricardo Alonzo-Zaldivar (Associated Press)
“It's one issue in the health care debate that nearly everyone — even the insurance lobby — seems to agree on: Better consumer protections are needed to end the nightmare of not being able to get covered for a treatable, if costly, illness.
“Yet such practical considerations are being overlooked in a debate that's become a passionate argument about the government's reach and role in medical matters.
“Experts say the bills before Congress include significant consumer protections that would end denial or cancellation of coverage for medical reasons, from high cholesterol to cancer.
“Insurers no longer could base premiums on a person's medical history, although they still could charge more to 50-year-olds than to people in their 20s.
“People buying their own policies, and those working for small businesses, would gain many of the advantages employees of Fortune 500 companies now have. That would eliminate 'job lock,' the fear of leaving employment that provides medical benefits…
“The consumer protections are part of what Republican Sen. Mike Enzi of Wyoming calls the 80 percent of health care fixes that there's consensus for. Enzi is one of six members of the Senate Finance Committee who are trying work out a bipartisan solution — with no guarantee of success…
“The federal consumer protections would set a basic standard for the whole country, changing a situation in which state-level safeguards vary widely…”
***************
And we thought:
… In the increasingly heated debate over the proposed health care reform bill, what’s clearly been obscured over the last several weeks are the numerous "consumer protections" the bill proposes to put into place. The spin and the outright lies -- sponsored by the private health insurers and their alter-egos in Congress -- have been getting more media attention so far.
The proponents of health care reform need to do a better job in outlining and highlighting the benefits of the proposed legislation. They need to talk repeatedly -- and consistently -- about the bill’s consumer protections, especially for the most vulnerable demographic groups. Unfortunately, some members of these vulnerable groups are blindly opposing the changes meant precisely to address their concerns.
The private health insurance companies -- like UnitedHealth and Aetna -- and their unscrupulous allies in Congress have thrown the health care reform bill into a swampy muck. These anti-Americans are hoping to hide the bill's merits and benefits from the group of Americans who most need the reforms.
Remember their names: UnitedHealth's CEO Stephen Hemsley and EVP Simon Stevens, McCain, Palin, Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.), Sen. Mark Warner (D-Virginia), Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.), Rep. Jim Matheson (D-Utah), and their ilk. They're the obstructionists and poseurs in our midst. They're the opponents of the long-awaited reforms in the American health care system. They're the real enemies of the American people....
a contemporary haiku and current events blog. occasional notes on [and pokes at] nature and society. and some of their maddening stuff…like the economy finance capital mergers energy health care insurers jobs retirement politics government congress courts conflicts united nations human rights lennon peace culture mores education alienation religion erving goffman artifacts history social change twitter scientific method sports travel environment wildlife carbon footprint global warming earth...
kids peeking
behind tall reeds
a blue heron
****************
Recently, we read the following:
Washington Post: “Consumer protections lost in health care debate” by Ricardo Alonzo-Zaldivar (Associated Press)
“It's one issue in the health care debate that nearly everyone — even the insurance lobby — seems to agree on: Better consumer protections are needed to end the nightmare of not being able to get covered for a treatable, if costly, illness.
“Yet such practical considerations are being overlooked in a debate that's become a passionate argument about the government's reach and role in medical matters.
“Experts say the bills before Congress include significant consumer protections that would end denial or cancellation of coverage for medical reasons, from high cholesterol to cancer.
“Insurers no longer could base premiums on a person's medical history, although they still could charge more to 50-year-olds than to people in their 20s.
“People buying their own policies, and those working for small businesses, would gain many of the advantages employees of Fortune 500 companies now have. That would eliminate 'job lock,' the fear of leaving employment that provides medical benefits…
“The consumer protections are part of what Republican Sen. Mike Enzi of Wyoming calls the 80 percent of health care fixes that there's consensus for. Enzi is one of six members of the Senate Finance Committee who are trying work out a bipartisan solution — with no guarantee of success…
“The federal consumer protections would set a basic standard for the whole country, changing a situation in which state-level safeguards vary widely…”
***************
And we thought:
… In the increasingly heated debate over the proposed health care reform bill, what’s clearly been obscured over the last several weeks are the numerous "consumer protections" the bill proposes to put into place. The spin and the outright lies -- sponsored by the private health insurers and their alter-egos in Congress -- have been getting more media attention so far.
The proponents of health care reform need to do a better job in outlining and highlighting the benefits of the proposed legislation. They need to talk repeatedly -- and consistently -- about the bill’s consumer protections, especially for the most vulnerable demographic groups. Unfortunately, some members of these vulnerable groups are blindly opposing the changes meant precisely to address their concerns.
The private health insurance companies -- like UnitedHealth and Aetna -- and their unscrupulous allies in Congress have thrown the health care reform bill into a swampy muck. These anti-Americans are hoping to hide the bill's merits and benefits from the group of Americans who most need the reforms.
Remember their names: UnitedHealth's CEO Stephen Hemsley and EVP Simon Stevens, McCain, Palin, Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.), Sen. Mark Warner (D-Virginia), Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.), Rep. Jim Matheson (D-Utah), and their ilk. They're the obstructionists and poseurs in our midst. They're the opponents of the long-awaited reforms in the American health care system. They're the real enemies of the American people....
a contemporary haiku and current events blog. occasional notes on [and pokes at] nature and society. and some of their maddening stuff…like the economy finance capital mergers energy health care insurers jobs retirement politics government congress courts conflicts united nations human rights lennon peace culture mores education alienation religion erving goffman artifacts history social change twitter scientific method sports travel environment wildlife carbon footprint global warming earth...
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Haiku 032209-b
mallards
on glimmering water
kids in coats
Recently, we read the following:
Wall Street Journal: "Top Official Sees End to Russia's Financial Crisis"
"A top official said Russia was at or close to the bottom of the financial crisis, adding that the Kremlin was happy to see foreign creditors take stakes in major companies to claw back bad loans. In comments to foreign media, First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov said the government was increasingly upbeat about the Russian economy and hoped it would start growing again by the end of this year if the global economy doesn't sharply deteriorate.
"As oil prices have risen above $50 a barrel and the ruble has steadied against the dollar, the Kremlin says there are tentative grounds for optimism, sounding an increasingly confident note about its handling of the financial downturn. "The first phase is over," said Mr. Shuvalov. "Most businesses have already adapted and the budget is not playing out according to the worse scenario."
"Mr. Shuvalov confirmed that the Kremlin was no longer willing to offer large-scale bailouts to distressed corporations, something it did during the first stage of the crisis, but said that the government would help strategically important firms that had a genuine need. He stressed that commercial banks were now awash with cash, however, and could cover many of the lending requirements...."
***************
And we thought:
…. Mr. Shuvalov’s optimism, like Obama’s, hinges on long-term measures taken to lay the foundation for sustainable economic recovery. Ironically, this is the kind of strategic thinking that, by most indications, many Wall Street types don't seem accustomed to. For all their keen minds, they don't seem able to see beyond quarterly results, which is certainly silly. Maybe they need some financial advice? Again, silly. Or, maybe they're just plain greedy…. =)
mallards
on glimmering water
kids in coats
***************
Recently, we read the following:
Wall Street Journal: "Top Official Sees End to Russia's Financial Crisis"
"A top official said Russia was at or close to the bottom of the financial crisis, adding that the Kremlin was happy to see foreign creditors take stakes in major companies to claw back bad loans. In comments to foreign media, First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov said the government was increasingly upbeat about the Russian economy and hoped it would start growing again by the end of this year if the global economy doesn't sharply deteriorate.
"As oil prices have risen above $50 a barrel and the ruble has steadied against the dollar, the Kremlin says there are tentative grounds for optimism, sounding an increasingly confident note about its handling of the financial downturn. "The first phase is over," said Mr. Shuvalov. "Most businesses have already adapted and the budget is not playing out according to the worse scenario."
"Mr. Shuvalov confirmed that the Kremlin was no longer willing to offer large-scale bailouts to distressed corporations, something it did during the first stage of the crisis, but said that the government would help strategically important firms that had a genuine need. He stressed that commercial banks were now awash with cash, however, and could cover many of the lending requirements...."
***************
And we thought:
…. Mr. Shuvalov’s optimism, like Obama’s, hinges on long-term measures taken to lay the foundation for sustainable economic recovery. Ironically, this is the kind of strategic thinking that, by most indications, many Wall Street types don't seem accustomed to. For all their keen minds, they don't seem able to see beyond quarterly results, which is certainly silly. Maybe they need some financial advice? Again, silly. Or, maybe they're just plain greedy…. =)
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