A "Critical" Look At Tom Daschle's Appointment to be Secretary HHS

Written by: Kevin Lynn on Feb 1, 2009 2:33 AM EST

Linked to groups: California for Democracy, Philly for Change, Democracy For Downtown, DFA Pasadena, PA for Democracy

Linked to campaigns: Obama for America

Dear All,

In his book "Critical", former Senator Tom Daschle argues the federal government should shrink away or rather, shirk the power vested in it and delegate the administration of the nation's healthcare insurance to private interests.  He would if he gets his way, place in charge the very same private interests that are currently responsible for the dysfunctional tripartite between the patient, healthcare provider and the insurer. 

The system he touts would in form resemble the current Federal Reserve System that arose out of the great compromise of 1913.  He proposes "a Federal Health Board, modeled loosely on the Federal Reserve System . . .  It would create a public framework for a largely private healthcare delivery system.  Its main job would be to develop standards and structures for a health system that ensures accessible, affordable, and high quality care."  He argues that "like the Federal Reserve, the Federal Health Board would be composed of independent experts insulated from politics."  He envisions either extending the current Federal Healthcare Benefits Program to all Americans or creating a group purchasing pool akin to it. 

Sound good – not so fast!  This is not Single Payer (SP).  This Federal Health Board would offer a menu of "private" healthcare plans from the current gaggle of healthcare providers.  You know, the same folks whose for-profit business models do well by providing us less care. 

In a pure SP environment the government is the insurance company.  It would be an extension of our current Medicare system with one big difference, the government would have free reign to collectively bargain with pharmaceuticals and healthcare providers.  There are some things the government does well and given its track record with Medicare and Social Security, I would say it should be able to effectively and efficiently deliver health insurance.   The streamlining of administration alone could generate as much as a 20% reduction in overall healthcare costs.  SP would remove the counter productive influences of the private insurers all together. 

The to question to ask is why is Tom Daschle so gung ho on a system modeled on the Federal Reserve?  I believe there are two reasons. 

First and foremost, he finds "a pure single-payer system to be politically problematic in the United States, at least right now."  He states that even though Americans have a highly favorable opinion of Medicare, they fear the "S" word – SOCIALISM.  I would argue that any American who has been in for surgery in the past ten years and inevitably wrestled with their coverage is probably ready for a little bit of socialism.  The second reason is he seems to be suffering from the delusion that the Federal Reserve System was and is some kind of panacea for the nation's monetary woes.

If I may digress, what many Americans fail to understand is that the whole idea of a "Federal Reserve" was not conceived of by economists, bankers, treasury officials, or scholars.   Rather, it was conceived in the late 1800's by barefoot farmers suffering under the practices of Eastern bankers such as J.P. Morgan and an inelastic monetary system that when combined deflated the prices of their crops.  What these early Populists had devised according to William Grieder in his book, Secrets of the Temple was a new monetary system for the nation that would create "money" in the name of the whole people.  This system would ensure ample credit for productive enterprises and free producers from the control of commercial bankers.  The plan was a radical one, perhaps too radical for the times.  But many years later, John Maynard Keynes postulated it would have probably worked. 

So what happened?  Well again, according to William Grieder, "the money system that was adopted in 1913, instead, preserved the banking system as the intermediary that controlled the distribution of new money and credit.  When the Fed expanded the money supply, commercial bankers decided who would get to use it and also how much it would cost."  

In much the same way that the Federal Reserve Act of 1913 neatly rolled the banks that were guilty of being part of the highly exploitative "Money Trust" into the new monetary system, so will Daschle's Federal Health Board allow the current group of insurance companies that we fight with over our coverage today to continue to profit from us. 

This is a real boon for the private insurers.  Under the auspices of the federal government, these companies will be able to greatly expand the pool they cover while being only nominally answerable to the people. 

After all, it probably makes a lot of sense in their eyes.  The insurance companies by now have figured out the average American is only going to get poorer, so what could be better than getting the government to compel all its citizens to pay them their premiums albeit, smaller premiums per capita. . . .  Ah, the best government money can buy!

Perhaps I am being a little conceited here, but if I am going to pay an insurance premium to the government, I do not want those monies finding their way into the pocket of a private for profit firm whose first (as should be expected) priority is to its shareholders.  No sir!  I believe this country not only needs but is ready for a SP.  Daschle argues that his Federal Health Board will ensure that Americans will not be underinsured, denied the care they need or be "forced to run up huge medical bills."  But so will SP, and SP will do it more effectively and efficiently than some quasi public/private system. 

Next week the Senate will move to confirm Daschle as Secretary for Health and Human Services.  There is going to be a lot of talk about the "Critical" issues affecting healthcare delivery.  We are going to hear the term "affordable" healthcare bantered around a lot.  But let's be very clear on one thing – affordable does not equate to SP.  If SP is what you want then let your voice be heard in the Senate chambers!

Cheers,

Kevin Lynn

Art of Strategy Workshop Starts February 16th

Written by: Kevin Lynn on Jan 31, 2009 7:29 PM EST

Linked to groups: PA for Democracy, DFALA, DFA-Link Organizers, Democracy For Downtown, DFA Pasadena

Linked to campaigns: Obama for America

Dear All, 

Sun Tzu's Art of War is regarded as one greatest treatise on strategy and tactics ever produced. But more than that, it has a universal style that lends it to helping deal with life experience for anyone, at any time and in any situation. The Art of War has been translated many times over the centuries. In the early 1900's it was first translated into English by British Army officers living the Far East. I've owned several translations and the most useful to me has been R.L. Wing's translation, "The Art of Strategy".

What is profound about Wing's translation is the book is translated verbatim and spliced into 52 topical sections. The intent is for the reader to study a section a week over the period of a year. I think this method of transmission can be very effective in terms of better inculcating the essence of Sun Tzu's teachings into our daily lives.

Wing's book has been on my shelf for some 12 years now and over the years I have read and referenced parts of it many times. But I have not had the discipline to read, ponder, and fully absorb the teachings on a week by week basis as the author intends the reader to do.

With the power of Facebook, I would like to reach out to those "few" eager souls who would like to join me on a year long venture to master the teachings of Sun Tzu. I really believe it will make a profound difference in my life in terms of assisting me in managing conflicts with my self, career, and other people.

If this sounds interesting, please join me. My intent is for our group to begin reading and sharing thoughts on the first section on February 16, 2009. Given the range of political activists, merchants, financiers, salespeople and militarists I know; I'm hoping to have a diverse group with wide ranging viewpoints joining me. Just click on the below link and sign up (If you not a member of facebook, it may require you to complete a profile):< /O>

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=47375235348

New and used copies The Art of Strategy can be found on Amazon.com and I still see it at many book stores. 

Best regards,

Kevin Lynn

lynnke@earthlink.net

626.825.1331

Pasadena DFA 2/07 to 10/08 - Looking Back So We Can Move Forward!

Written by: Patrick Briggs on Jan 29, 2009 1:46 PM EST

Linked to groups: Democracy For Downtown, California for Democracy, DFA-Link Organizers, Glendale DFA, DFALA

To the Pasadena DFA membership:

It's important to look where we have been before deciding where to go next.  With that in mind, I've summarized most of, if not all, the links to past Pasadena DFA Events and DFA Link Blog Postings since the beginning of 2007.

Please take some time to click through some of the links and when you are finished, write a comment to this blog entry or email me at pbriggs@greeneggsandham.org .  We are going to need new leadership in 2009 and new ideas on how to organize our group.  

In the next several days, I will be posting one suggestion of my own (not officially endorsed by the steering committee), to help get the ball rolling.  I will have also sent out an email to the membership duplicating the information found in this DFA Link blog post.  

We cannot afford to let up in our civic activism after President Obama's great victory.  There is work to be done.  The national organization for Democracy for America has great online tools, infrastructure and a solid history of progressive activism to hang all of our hats on.  Pasadena DFA's steering committee needs NEW leadership and it needs the support of its membership.  Step up.

I look forward to your comments and will share them with the current Pasadena DFA Steering Committee over the next 3 weeks.  After which, if there is interest, we will hold a Visioning Meeting which will lead to a changed structure for group and changed leadership (probably to be held at the end of February).

Remember to click through the links below!

Best Regards,

Patrick Briggs,
Pasadena DFA Chapter Coordinator 

Read more

YES on Propositon 11 - End Cronyism in California

Written by: Kevin Lynn on Nov 4, 2008 1:44 AM EST

Linked to groups: DFA Pasadena, California for Democracy, Democracy For Downtown

Linked to campaigns: Obama for America

The below report from the Center for Government Studies comes as
validation for those of us within the California Democratic Party who
have been promoting Proposition 11 as way to end the ridiculous
gerrymandering that has bestowed upon our state the LEAST COMPETETIVE
congressional and state legislative electoral districts in the
nation. I entreat you to read the below and share it with other
California voters. YES ON PROPOSITION 11!!

Best regards,

Kevin Lynn
Delegate and Member Executive Board,
California Democratic Party


For Immediate Release - October 24, 2008
For further information contact: Bob Stern (310.470.6590 x117)
or Tracy Westen (310.470.6590 x114)

The Center for Governmental Studies (CGS) today released
Redistricting Reform in California: Proposition 11 on the November
2008 California Ballot, which makes five key findings:

The independent commission is likely to be more ethnically diverse
than the legislature's redistricting committees. The independent
commission will be more balanced between Republicans, Democrats and
members of neither major party. The independent commission will be
more open to public input than legislative committees.
The districts created by the independent commission will almost
certainly be more competitive than districts created by the
legislature. The independent commission will almost certainly produce
maps through a process that has improved transparency and public
access.

On November 4, 2008, Californians may have their last opportunity to
change the redistricting process before maps are redrawn in 2011—when
new districts will be locked into place for another decade.
California's current legislative redistricting law, under which
legislative committees draw the lines for state electoral districts,
usually benefits incumbents and the political party in power. This
leads to decreased competition; since the last redistricting in 2001,
only one seat changed parties due to competition in 459 legislative
and congressional races.

Proposition 11, by contrast, could increase fairness and public
involvement in the redistricting process, and it could decrease
political manipulation of district boundaries by requiring an
independent commission to follow specific criteria in drawing State
Assembly, State Senate and Board of Equalization districts.

Redistricting Reform in California: Proposition 11 on the November
2008 California Ballot and other CGS reports are available on the CGS
website, www.cgs.org. The James Irvine Foundation and Carnegie
Corporation provided generous funding for this report, but they are
not responsible for the statements or views it expresses.
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Read more

Oil Crisis: Oil Industry's method of raising prices and cutting their own taxes

Written by: James Dunn on Jul 8, 2008 11:15 AM EDT

Linked to groups: Democracy for Yolo, Atlanta DFA - Voter Registration & Education, Southwestern New York for Peace, Babson College, dfatucson

Regarding opening environmentally protected areas for mining and pumping oil:

There is over 200 years of oil in the 48 contiguous States that are capped up by oil companies to monopolize world energy. There is no need to violate our environmentally protected areas, just to allow oil companies to further monopolize their strangle hold over our lives.

They are creating a media frenzy just to increase the price of oil; very successfully I might add. However, there is no immediate threat for an oil shortage !!! The oil companies have ONLY created the perception that there is a shortage !!!!

I personally believe that ALL mineral rights belong to the American People, NOT souless corporations!!!

I applaud Venezuela for nationalizing the oil assets in their country!!!!

We should be doing the same thing here in the United States !!!!

Ethically Eliminate ALL Political Corruption

http://blog.360.yahoo.com/jamesbdunn?p=57

Climate Change Legislation and The Selling of Indulgences

Written by: Kevin Lynn on Jun 4, 2008 3:52 AM EDT

Linked to groups: PA for Democracy, Democracy For Downtown, DFA Pasadena, California for Democracy

Dear All,

In the grand tradition of the savings and loan debacle of the 80's, the mortgaged backed securities meltdown that currently threatens to undermine our financial markets, NAFTA, GATT, and the invasion & occupation of Iraq, our leaders in the Senate are once again preparing to hoist upon an unsuspecting public another catastrophe in the making.  I am referring to Senate Bill 2191, America's Climate Security Act.  This insidious piece of legislation crafted by Senators Lieberman and Warner and lined with ways for the most clever and unscrupulous among us to make "big bucks" includes the: 

Establishment of a greenhouse gas (GHG) registry and a GHG emission allowance transfer system for covered facilities, including specified facilities within the electric power and industrial sectors and facilities that produce or entities that import petroleum- or coal- based transportation fuel or chemicals. Sets forth emission allowances for 2012-2050, with a declining cap on GHGs;

Read more

How I Intend to Spend My $600 Stimulus Package Allowance . . .

Written by: Kevin Lynn on Apr 30, 2008 10:21 AM EDT

Linked to groups: DFA Pasadena, Democracy For Downtown, California for Democracy

Dear All,

Later this week each taxpayer in this country will be receiving their portion of the economic stimulus package that was passed by what can only be described as the combined stupidity, irresponsibility, and corruption of our executive and legislative branches.  Granted there were those who tried valiantly to craft a just and effective package but in the end we got what we got because ultimately influence is for sale in D.C. and the majority of our representatives served us the 21^st century version of the phrase “let them eat cake.”

I mean really, does any thinking man or woman believe that a paltry $600.00 is going to revive an economy and nation that is trillions in debt, hemorrhaging billions of dollars each month in the most failed and reckless military venture in our nation’s history, and running record trade deficits??

I believe the $600 check I will be getting is nothing more than an attempt to divert attention from the hundreds of billions being spent to bailout the perpetrators of the current financial fiasco.  In a word I am disgusted.  But what can I do?  What can we do?

Well, I could drink the kool-aid and buy that iPhone made in China for $300 that I have been “Jonesing” for the past couple months; or, I could make a month and half worth of minimum credit card payments; OR, or I could do something that could (with the help of millions of other patriotic Americans) do some real good.  Imagine if the checks we are given help to some day bring Bush and his cronies to justice.  I am going divvy up my $600 (or whatever amount I get) in the following manner to the following causes and campaigns:

Read more