Government & Politics
Fewer to get care with GAMC alteration
Thu, 09/02/2010 - 08:35 — Dave Culver- Now only one hospital remains to offer coordinated care, with 3,500 slots for 18,000 low-income adults.
- Pawlenty Orders Minnesota Not To Apply For Federal Health Care Reform Money
Warren Wolfe, Minneapolis Star Tribune | MN
Because of a change made by state officials Wednesday (September 1), about 2,500 fewer people will get coordinated care in medical clinics taking part in a program for Minnesota's poorest and sickest patients.
Instead, those patients will need to find clinics that offer charity care, wait for a medical emergency so they can get free care in any hospital emergency room, or go without.
Related:
Pawlenty Orders Minnesota Not To Apply For Federal Health Care Reform Money, Eric Kleefeld, Talking Points Memo
Pawlenty Orders Minnesota Not To Apply For Federal Health Care Reform Money
Wed, 09/01/2010 - 11:40 — Dave CulverPawlenty's order contains various points of explanation, taken right from Republican arguments against the new law.
Playing politics with the peoples health. This move to swear off federal health care money could be worth a lot -- namely, a potential gain of five points in the Iowa caucuses in 2012.
Eric Kleefeld, Talking Points Memo
Submitted by Evergreene Digest Contributing Editor Thomas Sklarski
Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R-MN) is taking a bold step among Republicans opposed to the new federal health care reform law. As his latest move, Pawlenty has issued an executive order forbidding his state's officials from applying for grant money from the new law.
Pawlenty's order allows only applications for money that are required by law -- which would seemingly mean that this is not a case of nullification, and falls short of such an extreme step -- or approved by the governor's office.
Pawlenty's order contains various points of explanation, taken right from Republican arguments against the new law, such as: "WHEREAS, the Act represents a dramatic attempt to assert federal command and control over this country's health care system, which accounts for one-sixth of our nation's economy, thereby reducing individual freedom for health care decisions."
Minnesota 2020 Property Tax Report: 2002-2010
Tue, 08/31/2010 - 15:06 — Dave CulverOur latest analysis outlines how eight years of regressive “no new taxes” state policy has forced local governments to rely more heavily on property taxes as a source of revenue while also making deep cuts in education, infrastructure and public services.
Jeff Van Wychen, Minnesota 2020
Property taxes in Minnesota have soared since 2002, the product of state policies that have shifted more public costs on to property tax and more of the property tax on to homeowners. Minnesota 2020 Property Tax Report: 2002-2010 examines the causes of the growth in property taxes and what can be done about it.
The principle culprit behind statewide property tax increases since 2002 is the reduction in revenue the state shares with local governments. In constant 2010 dollars, state aid to local governments has fallen by $2.6 billion since 2002. In response, local governments have increased property taxes by $1.7 billion. However, property tax increases weren't enough to replace lost state aid; therefore, total revenue of Minnesota local governments fell. In fact since 2002, local government revenues have fallen much more rapidly than state government revenues.
What Did FDR Really Do for America?
Mon, 08/30/2010 - 12:51 — Dave Culver
All those Tea Party people who want austerity, to eliminate Social Security, medicare, unemployment benefits, etc., and who think that all sort of jobs are out there and that unemployed Americans laid off in near record numbers are lazy and undeserving leeches, need a history lesson.
Steven D, Booman Tribune
Submitted by Evergreene Digest Contributing Editor Thomas Sklarski
Sometimes its worth taking a moment to remember what America was like the day before FDR's inauguration in 1933. All those Tea Party people who want austerity, to eliminate Social Security, medicare, unemployment benefits, etc., and who think that all sort of jobs are out there and that unemployed Americans laid off in near record numbers are lazy and undeserving leeches, need a history lesson.
And guess what? David Glenn Cox is here to give it to them:
Deregulation, Market Concentration at the Root of Egg Recall
Thu, 08/26/2010 - 12:50 — Dave Culver
- And this is how we get the circumstance that the FDA cannot even recall foods, and has to hope that corporations do it on a voluntary basis.
- Proper levels of funding for the agency have languished
- Please ask your senators to make recalling unsafe food mandatory.
David Dayen, FireDogLake
Submitted by Evergreene Digest Contributing Editor Thomas Sklarski
Jon Cohn explores the egg recall in greater detail, and comes to a similar conclusion as I did: that it just shows a continuation of e.coli conservatism, particularly the fervor for deregulation that goes back 30 years: