Amazon BLOCKED From Filming Union Voting
3 years ago
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
Bill Parscrell during hearing
http://www.youtube.com/v/9owwg1LALxk?version=3&autohide=1&autohide=1&feature=share&autoplay=1&showinfo=1&attribution_tag=JOiqeBNx5dgTec4aMSNqWg
“Rate shock”: The GOP’s shameful new Obamacare lie
“Rate shock”: The GOP’s shameful new Obamacare lie
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If you’re a healthcare reform supporter and have found yourself arguing with a conservative about Obamacare this week you’ve probably been confronted with three different but related complaints.
1. Millions of people with individual market healthcare coverage are getting cancellation notices from their insurers.
2. People who got those notices are now experiencing “rate shock.”
3. President Obama thus lied to the public when he claimed, repeatedly, that under Obamacare “if you like your coverage, you can keep it.”
In a way it’s a healthy development for conservatives because for the first time they’re actually reacting to real testimonials from real people, instead of just regurgitating some derp they invented or read on Drudge.
As always, though, the point of the complaints isn’t to address and rectify problems, but rather to deploy them as subterfuge to wreck the entire reform edifice.
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snip
If you’re a healthcare reform supporter and have found yourself arguing with a conservative about Obamacare this week you’ve probably been confronted with three different but related complaints.
1. Millions of people with individual market healthcare coverage are getting cancellation notices from their insurers.
2. People who got those notices are now experiencing “rate shock.”
3. President Obama thus lied to the public when he claimed, repeatedly, that under Obamacare “if you like your coverage, you can keep it.”
In a way it’s a healthy development for conservatives because for the first time they’re actually reacting to real testimonials from real people, instead of just regurgitating some derp they invented or read on Drudge.
As always, though, the point of the complaints isn’t to address and rectify problems, but rather to deploy them as subterfuge to wreck the entire reform edifice.
Here’s how they fool the Tea Party: GOP votes to disapprove of selves
Here’s how they fool the Tea Party: GOP votes to disapprove of selves
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The face-saving “resolution to disapprove” measure seems to derive from a a 2011 McConnell idea that would have preserved the debt limit as a grandstanding ploy without actually risking default. In McConnell’s plan, the president would be allowed to increase debt limit a little bit at a time, and the Congress would then vote on whether to disapprove of the raises or not. It’s actually pretty brilliant politics, as it would have done two things:
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The face-saving “resolution to disapprove” measure seems to derive from a a 2011 McConnell idea that would have preserved the debt limit as a grandstanding ploy without actually risking default. In McConnell’s plan, the president would be allowed to increase debt limit a little bit at a time, and the Congress would then vote on whether to disapprove of the raises or not. It’s actually pretty brilliant politics, as it would have done two things:
- Forced President Obama to raise the debt limit, which is always politically unpopular, three times in one (election) year.
- Allowed every single Republican in Congress to vote against raising the debt limit without worrying that the U.S. would actually default.
Rand Paul Stole A Speech...From Wikipedia?!
http://www.youtube.com/v/WCqKmQs0Bpk?version=3&autohide=1&autohide=1&feature=share&showinfo=1&autoplay=1&attribution_tag=cf6szGDooJ4YBECiVlgOhQ
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
The Coming Food Stamp Cut Will Hit 900,000 Veterans
The Coming Food Stamp Cut Will Hit 900,000 Veterans: The country's veterans face challenges in the job market and disproportionate homelessness, so they will be even more impacted by cuts.
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Benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), otherwise known as food stamps, will automatically drop come Friday thanks to the loss of additional funds from the 2009 stimulus bill. That cut will hit about 900,000 of the country’s veterans, according to an analysis by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
“Nationwide, in any given month, a total of 900,000 veterans nationwide lived in households that relied on SNAP to provide food for their families in 2011,” CBPP writes. The number varies state to state, with over 100,000 veterans in households that rely on the benefits in Florida and Texas each.
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Benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), otherwise known as food stamps, will automatically drop come Friday thanks to the loss of additional funds from the 2009 stimulus bill. That cut will hit about 900,000 of the country’s veterans, according to an analysis by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
“Nationwide, in any given month, a total of 900,000 veterans nationwide lived in households that relied on SNAP to provide food for their families in 2011,” CBPP writes. The number varies state to state, with over 100,000 veterans in households that rely on the benefits in Florida and Texas each.
Over 10 Percent Of America’s Largest Companies Pay Zero Percent Tax Rates
Over 10 Percent Of America’s Largest Companies Pay Zero Percent Tax Rates
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ke
on October 25, 2013 at 2:06 pm
Among companies listed on the S&P 500, almost one in nine paid an effective tax rate of zero percent — or even lower — over the past year, according to an analysis by USA Today.
There are 57 separate companies listed on the index that paid a zero percent rate from the past year. Those companies include both household names like Verizon and News Corp. and lesser-known corporate giants like the data storage manufacturer Seagate (market value $15.9 billion) and Public Storage (market value $29.5 billion). Many of the companies USA Today identified in its analysis as paying negative rates make the list because they lost money, but several were profitable. Previous analyses have shown that the typical corporation pays a lower effective tax rate than most middle-class families, and a far lower one than the statutory corporate tax rate against which business interests disingenuously rail.
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ke
on October 25, 2013 at 2:06 pm There are 57 separate companies listed on the index that paid a zero percent rate from the past year. Those companies include both household names like Verizon and News Corp. and lesser-known corporate giants like the data storage manufacturer Seagate (market value $15.9 billion) and Public Storage (market value $29.5 billion). Many of the companies USA Today identified in its analysis as paying negative rates make the list because they lost money, but several were profitable. Previous analyses have shown that the typical corporation pays a lower effective tax rate than most middle-class families, and a far lower one than the statutory corporate tax rate against which business interests disingenuously rail.
Monday, October 28, 2013
The 12 hardest-to-avoid chemicals that mess with our hormones
The 12 hardest-to-avoid chemicals that mess with our hormones
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BPA: The synthetic hormone was banned from baby bottles and sippy cups, but can still sometimes be found in the lining of food cans, on receipt paper and in polycarbonate plastics -- those labeled with recycling #7.
note: canco folks used bpa in processes
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BPA: The synthetic hormone was banned from baby bottles and sippy cups, but can still sometimes be found in the lining of food cans, on receipt paper and in polycarbonate plastics -- those labeled with recycling #7.
note: canco folks used bpa in processes
Will Obama block the Keystone Pipeline or just keep bending?
Will Obama block the Keystone Pipeline or just keep bending?
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The history of oil spills and accidents offers a virtual guarantee that some of that oil will surely make its way into the fields and aquifers of the Great Plains as those tar sands flow south. The greater and more daunting assurance is this, however: everything that reaches the refineries on the Gulf Coast will, sooner or later, spill into the atmosphere in the form of carbon, driving climate change to new heights.
In June, President Obama said that the building of the full pipeline — on which he alone has the ultimate thumbs up or thumbs down — would be approved only if “it doesn’t significantly exacerbate the problem of carbon pollution.” By that standard, it’s as close to a no-brainer as you can get.
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The history of oil spills and accidents offers a virtual guarantee that some of that oil will surely make its way into the fields and aquifers of the Great Plains as those tar sands flow south. The greater and more daunting assurance is this, however: everything that reaches the refineries on the Gulf Coast will, sooner or later, spill into the atmosphere in the form of carbon, driving climate change to new heights.
In June, President Obama said that the building of the full pipeline — on which he alone has the ultimate thumbs up or thumbs down — would be approved only if “it doesn’t significantly exacerbate the problem of carbon pollution.” By that standard, it’s as close to a no-brainer as you can get.
Republicans’ new anti-Obamacare tactic: Class war
Republicans’ new anti-Obamacare tactic: Class war
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Get this: Late last week the government announced that its online health insurance marketplace — an e-commerce portal for millions of uninsured people in 36 states — would soon be working, and some people were very upset about it.
You read that right. There are actually a lot of people working in politics who want the technical problems that have plagued these marketplaces to persist, so that uninsured people remain unable to purchase coverage.
And here’s a modest prediction: If the marketplaces don’t begin work by about the end of November, these same people will pretend to be extremely concerned for the well-being of the marketplace’s intended consumers, but they’ll actually be extremely pleased that those consumers will be locked out of it.
The right’s reaction to Healthcare.gov’s troubled rollout, and now to the prospect that it will be fixed before it becomes an existential liability to the Affordable Care Act writ large reveals much more than the fact that conservatives really, really hate Obamacare.
click link
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Get this: Late last week the government announced that its online health insurance marketplace — an e-commerce portal for millions of uninsured people in 36 states — would soon be working, and some people were very upset about it.
You read that right. There are actually a lot of people working in politics who want the technical problems that have plagued these marketplaces to persist, so that uninsured people remain unable to purchase coverage.
And here’s a modest prediction: If the marketplaces don’t begin work by about the end of November, these same people will pretend to be extremely concerned for the well-being of the marketplace’s intended consumers, but they’ll actually be extremely pleased that those consumers will be locked out of it.
The right’s reaction to Healthcare.gov’s troubled rollout, and now to the prospect that it will be fixed before it becomes an existential liability to the Affordable Care Act writ large reveals much more than the fact that conservatives really, really hate Obamacare.
Saturday, October 26, 2013
Krugman: Deficit scolds “literally have no idea what they’re talking about”
Krugman: Deficit scolds “literally have no idea what they’re talking about”
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Noting the continued endurance of low levels of inflation and low interest rates, which should contradict the expectations of anyone buying into the looming fiscal catastrophe narrative, Krugman ridicules his opponents for having been so wrong for so long, seemingly without ever giving their beliefs a second thought. “It’s actually awesome, in a way, to realize how long cries of looming disaster have filled our airwaves and op-ed pages,” Krugman writes. He then goes on to cite an Alan Greenspan op-ed in this vein, one that was written nearly three and a half years ago, but that for all intents and purposes could have been published just yesterday.
“So the next time you see some serious-looking man in a suit declaring that we’re teetering on the precipice of fiscal doom, don’t be afraid,” Krugman concludes. “He and his friends have been wrong about everything so far, and they literally have no idea what they’re talking about.”
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Noting the continued endurance of low levels of inflation and low interest rates, which should contradict the expectations of anyone buying into the looming fiscal catastrophe narrative, Krugman ridicules his opponents for having been so wrong for so long, seemingly without ever giving their beliefs a second thought. “It’s actually awesome, in a way, to realize how long cries of looming disaster have filled our airwaves and op-ed pages,” Krugman writes. He then goes on to cite an Alan Greenspan op-ed in this vein, one that was written nearly three and a half years ago, but that for all intents and purposes could have been published just yesterday.
“So the next time you see some serious-looking man in a suit declaring that we’re teetering on the precipice of fiscal doom, don’t be afraid,” Krugman concludes. “He and his friends have been wrong about everything so far, and they literally have no idea what they’re talking about.”
Thursday, October 24, 2013
6 reasons privatization often ends in disaster
6 reasons privatization often ends in disaster
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1. The Profit Motive Moves Most of the Money to the Top
The federal Medicare Administrator made $170,000 in 2010. The president of MD Anderson Cancer Center in Texas made over ten times as much in 2012. Stephen J. Hemsley, the CEO of United Health Group, made almost 300 times as much in one year, $48 million, most of it from company stock.
In part because of such inequities in compensation, our private health care system is the most expensive system in the developed world. The price of common surgeries is anywhere from three to ten times higher in the U.S. than in Great Britain, Canada, France, or Germany. Two of the documented examples: an $8,000 special stress test for which Medicare would have paid $554; and a $60,000 gall bladder operation, for which a private insurance company was willing to pay $2,000.
Medicare, on the other hand, which is largely without the profit motive and the competing sources of billing, is efficiently run, for all eligible Americans. According to the Council for Affordable Health Insurance and other sources, medical administrative costs are much higher for private insurance than for Medicare.
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1. The Profit Motive Moves Most of the Money to the Top
The federal Medicare Administrator made $170,000 in 2010. The president of MD Anderson Cancer Center in Texas made over ten times as much in 2012. Stephen J. Hemsley, the CEO of United Health Group, made almost 300 times as much in one year, $48 million, most of it from company stock.
In part because of such inequities in compensation, our private health care system is the most expensive system in the developed world. The price of common surgeries is anywhere from three to ten times higher in the U.S. than in Great Britain, Canada, France, or Germany. Two of the documented examples: an $8,000 special stress test for which Medicare would have paid $554; and a $60,000 gall bladder operation, for which a private insurance company was willing to pay $2,000.
Medicare, on the other hand, which is largely without the profit motive and the competing sources of billing, is efficiently run, for all eligible Americans. According to the Council for Affordable Health Insurance and other sources, medical administrative costs are much higher for private insurance than for Medicare.
Next stop, impeachment? GOP intransigence is here to stay
Next stop, impeachment? GOP intransigence is here to stay
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You don’t have to rely on mere anecdote, either. Public opinion polling has shown repeatedly that Republican voters value prefer politicians who will make an ideological stand over those they perceive as more willing to bite the bullet and strike a compromise. A September Gallup poll, for example, found that while only 25 percent of adults said it was more important for a politician to “stick to beliefs,” that number ballooned to 33 percent for conservatives and 36 percent for Republicans. A January Pew poll, too, found that while 59 percent of Democrats and 53 percent of Independents chose politicians who would make compromises with the other side, only 36 percent of Republicans did the same.
So when Republicans threaten armageddon rather than compromise on their fundamental beliefs — and make no mistake, opposition to Obamacare has indeed become a fundamental GOP belief — it’s not an example of the system breaking down. It’s not a case of the Koch brothers thwarting the general will. It’s not about a bunch of crazy politicians acting like spoiled children. It’s something that’s arguably much scarier than that. It’s democracy in action, ensuring that for today, tomorrow, and well into the future, the fever that’s consumed Barack Obama’s presidency, and the nation with it, will not break.
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You don’t have to rely on mere anecdote, either. Public opinion polling has shown repeatedly that Republican voters value prefer politicians who will make an ideological stand over those they perceive as more willing to bite the bullet and strike a compromise. A September Gallup poll, for example, found that while only 25 percent of adults said it was more important for a politician to “stick to beliefs,” that number ballooned to 33 percent for conservatives and 36 percent for Republicans. A January Pew poll, too, found that while 59 percent of Democrats and 53 percent of Independents chose politicians who would make compromises with the other side, only 36 percent of Republicans did the same.
So when Republicans threaten armageddon rather than compromise on their fundamental beliefs — and make no mistake, opposition to Obamacare has indeed become a fundamental GOP belief — it’s not an example of the system breaking down. It’s not a case of the Koch brothers thwarting the general will. It’s not about a bunch of crazy politicians acting like spoiled children. It’s something that’s arguably much scarier than that. It’s democracy in action, ensuring that for today, tomorrow, and well into the future, the fever that’s consumed Barack Obama’s presidency, and the nation with it, will not break.
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
Monday, October 21, 2013
New health policies will expose many to higher premiums, more risk : News
New health policies will expose many to higher premiums, more risk : News
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Thanks to government subsidies, many St. Louis-area residents will be able to afford health insurance for the first time, beginning in 2014. But the insurance they’ll be able to buy will offer a limited range of options.
This trend toward less value is not only happening on the new health insurance marketplaces, also known as health exchanges, in Missouri, Illinois and other states, but also on the “open market,” where health policies have traditionally been sold.
In 2014, experts say, health care consumers are likely to face higher monthly premiums and more financial risk as deductibles and out-of-pocket limits rise.
The sticker shock will be greatest for those who already have individual insurance policies and don’t qualify for subsidies.
Compared to the health plans available now, many consumers also will be paying more next year for coverage that offers fewer choices of physicians and hospitals.
“Deductibles are going up. Premiums are going up. (Provider) networks are getting tighter,” said Vincent Blair, a health insurance broker in Webster Groves.\
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note: forced retired from canco and were I working, I would strike of state of my insurance.
click link
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Thanks to government subsidies, many St. Louis-area residents will be able to afford health insurance for the first time, beginning in 2014. But the insurance they’ll be able to buy will offer a limited range of options.
This trend toward less value is not only happening on the new health insurance marketplaces, also known as health exchanges, in Missouri, Illinois and other states, but also on the “open market,” where health policies have traditionally been sold.
In 2014, experts say, health care consumers are likely to face higher monthly premiums and more financial risk as deductibles and out-of-pocket limits rise.
The sticker shock will be greatest for those who already have individual insurance policies and don’t qualify for subsidies.
Compared to the health plans available now, many consumers also will be paying more next year for coverage that offers fewer choices of physicians and hospitals.
“Deductibles are going up. Premiums are going up. (Provider) networks are getting tighter,” said Vincent Blair, a health insurance broker in Webster Groves.\
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note: forced retired from canco and were I working, I would strike of state of my insurance.
Sunday, October 20, 2013
Saturday, October 19, 2013
Yes, conservatives, please oust Mitch McConnell
Yes, conservatives, please oust Mitch McConnell
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These days, angry conservatives seem to get much more excited about campaigns to punish insufficiently conservative Republicans than they do about campaigns to actually defeat Democrats. This is maybe the result of Obama’s reelection, because most Republican losses in the modern era are followed by angry calls for the party to be more conservative. One of the most prominent of the groups currently capitalizing on the fervor is the Senate Conservatives Fund, a group that has made a lot of money shouting fantasies about killing
Obamacare. Now they are going to spend some of that money on defeating Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, which is a very silly thing for conservatives to spend money on.
Oh, but they hate McConnell. Conservatives hate McConnell so, so much. Erick Erickson, a reliable indicator of the mind-set of the “shout harder and we’ll win!” caucus, is sending the Senate Conservatives Fund money “to help with their fight.” The Senate Conservatives Fund has already been running ads attacking him for not defunding Obamacare, so endorsing his challenger is really just the logical next step.
Most of the ways in which the apocalyptic death-cult activist arm of the conservative movement is sabotaging the Republican Party will only be apparent in the medium-term future. Thanks to our political system’s two-party bias, methods of House district-drawing, and the demographics of midterm and statewide electorates, the party will remain competitive for a while even as the percentage of Americans who despise Republicans grows. Stuff like the shutdown and default threat probably doesn’t threaten Republican control of the House that much. Sometimes, though, conservatives try to take immediate action to lessen the actual power of their party. This is one of those times.
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These days, angry conservatives seem to get much more excited about campaigns to punish insufficiently conservative Republicans than they do about campaigns to actually defeat Democrats. This is maybe the result of Obama’s reelection, because most Republican losses in the modern era are followed by angry calls for the party to be more conservative. One of the most prominent of the groups currently capitalizing on the fervor is the Senate Conservatives Fund, a group that has made a lot of money shouting fantasies about killing
Obamacare. Now they are going to spend some of that money on defeating Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, which is a very silly thing for conservatives to spend money on.
Oh, but they hate McConnell. Conservatives hate McConnell so, so much. Erick Erickson, a reliable indicator of the mind-set of the “shout harder and we’ll win!” caucus, is sending the Senate Conservatives Fund money “to help with their fight.” The Senate Conservatives Fund has already been running ads attacking him for not defunding Obamacare, so endorsing his challenger is really just the logical next step.
Most of the ways in which the apocalyptic death-cult activist arm of the conservative movement is sabotaging the Republican Party will only be apparent in the medium-term future. Thanks to our political system’s two-party bias, methods of House district-drawing, and the demographics of midterm and statewide electorates, the party will remain competitive for a while even as the percentage of Americans who despise Republicans grows. Stuff like the shutdown and default threat probably doesn’t threaten Republican control of the House that much. Sometimes, though, conservatives try to take immediate action to lessen the actual power of their party. This is one of those times.
No, the “system” didn’t cause the shutdown — it was extreme GOP nuts!
No, the “system” didn’t cause the shutdown — it was extreme GOP nuts!
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OK, everyone: Stop trying to figure out how to fix the system in order to prevent future government shutdowns. It’s not the system that’s the problem; it’s the broken Republican Party. If your reform isn’t about that, then good or bad, it’s just not relevant to the current situation.
Yes, I’m looking at you, Paul “get rid of the filibuster” Starr. And you, Ryan “bring back earmarks” Lizza. And a whole bunch of people who think the California top-two primary is the right ticket – Reid Wilson, Adam Nagourney, Amy Walters. Oh, and then there’s a whole bunch of people who just believe Madisonian institutions aren’t up to it. There’s more, both in those items and elsewhere. And some of the proposed reforms are great ideas (I like earmarks), even though some of them, such as changing primary election rules, not so much.
But the main thing is that none of these reforms, good or bad, have very much to do with the actual problem that caused the shutdown, which is a broken, dysfunctional Republican Party.
Is divided government the problem? Ever since 1955, we’ve had divided government more often than not. Beginning in 1981, there’s only been unified government in 1993-1994, 2003-2006 (plus a small sliver of 2001), and 2009-2010. And yet: despite all that divided government, there have only been extended government shutdowns three times, twice in 1995-1996 and then this month. Only in 2011, and again this month if we count it, has the debt limit deadline really been threatened. It’s not divided government.
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OK, everyone: Stop trying to figure out how to fix the system in order to prevent future government shutdowns. It’s not the system that’s the problem; it’s the broken Republican Party. If your reform isn’t about that, then good or bad, it’s just not relevant to the current situation.
Yes, I’m looking at you, Paul “get rid of the filibuster” Starr. And you, Ryan “bring back earmarks” Lizza. And a whole bunch of people who think the California top-two primary is the right ticket – Reid Wilson, Adam Nagourney, Amy Walters. Oh, and then there’s a whole bunch of people who just believe Madisonian institutions aren’t up to it. There’s more, both in those items and elsewhere. And some of the proposed reforms are great ideas (I like earmarks), even though some of them, such as changing primary election rules, not so much.
But the main thing is that none of these reforms, good or bad, have very much to do with the actual problem that caused the shutdown, which is a broken, dysfunctional Republican Party.
Is divided government the problem? Ever since 1955, we’ve had divided government more often than not. Beginning in 1981, there’s only been unified government in 1993-1994, 2003-2006 (plus a small sliver of 2001), and 2009-2010. And yet: despite all that divided government, there have only been extended government shutdowns three times, twice in 1995-1996 and then this month. Only in 2011, and again this month if we count it, has the debt limit deadline really been threatened. It’s not divided government.
20 Questions You Have About Obamacare But Are Too Afraid To Ask
20 Questions You Have About Obamacare But Are Too Afraid To Ask: Wondering what exactly October 1 means for you? Not sure why everyone is talking about October 1 in the first place? Get all your questions answered here.
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Thanks To Obamacare, Oregon Cut Its Unsinsured Population By 10 Percent Over The Past Two Weeks
Thanks To Obamacare, Oregon Cut Its Unsinsured Population By 10 Percent Over The Past Two Weeks: 56,000 new people have signed up for Oregon's Medicaid program so far this month. Most of them wouldn't be eligible for coverage without Obamacare.
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lp-Ressler on October 17, 2013 at 4:32 pm
Over the past two weeks, Oregon has signed up so many low-income residents for health coverage that the state has cut its uninsured population by 10 percent, according to state health officials. The majority of those people are newly eligible for public insurance plans thanks to Obamacare’s expansion of the Medicaid program.
The Oregon Health Plan — which is what the state calls its Medicaid-funded program for poor residents — has enrolled 56,000 new people this month. State officials credit those high numbers to a fast-track enrollment system that allows people to easily sign up. More than 250,000 food stamp recipients in the state received a notice informing them that they’ve become eligible for the Oregon Health Plan, and explaining that they can either make a phone call or fill out a form in order to complete the enrollment process.
“This is tremendous news for the thousands of Oregonians anxious to get access to quality, affordable health care,” Gov. John Kitzhaber (D) said in a statement. “We still have a ways to go, but in reducing our uninsured rate by 10 percent in just two weeks, we’re showing what’s possible when a state is committed to fundamentally changing the health care system to provide better access, better health and lower costs.”
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some states are going whole hog for program, others is unknown. Missouri? hillbillies in Jeff city the reason
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lp-Ressler
on October 17, 2013 at 4:32 pm The Oregon Health Plan — which is what the state calls its Medicaid-funded program for poor residents — has enrolled 56,000 new people this month. State officials credit those high numbers to a fast-track enrollment system that allows people to easily sign up. More than 250,000 food stamp recipients in the state received a notice informing them that they’ve become eligible for the Oregon Health Plan, and explaining that they can either make a phone call or fill out a form in order to complete the enrollment process.
“This is tremendous news for the thousands of Oregonians anxious to get access to quality, affordable health care,” Gov. John Kitzhaber (D) said in a statement. “We still have a ways to go, but in reducing our uninsured rate by 10 percent in just two weeks, we’re showing what’s possible when a state is committed to fundamentally changing the health care system to provide better access, better health and lower costs.”
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some states are going whole hog for program, others is unknown. Missouri? hillbillies in Jeff city the reason
North Dakota Landowners Sue Fossil Fuel Companies Over Wasted Natural Gas
North Dakota Landowners Sue Fossil Fuel Companies Over Wasted Natural Gas: Nearly 30 percent of natural gas drilled in North Dakota is intentionally burned off, resulting in a loss of $1 billion and greenhouse gases emissions equivalent to nearly one million new cars on the road. Now, some North Dakota landowners are fighting back.
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Nearly 30 percent of natural gas drilled in North Dakota is intentionally burned off, or flared, resulting in an approximately $1 billion loss, and releasing greenhouse gases equivalent to nearly one million new cars on the road. Now, some North Dakota landowners are fighting back.
Mineral owners from multiple states are suing ten oil and gas companies for millions of dollars in lost royalties for flared natural gas. They claim companies are burning off more gas than is allowed by the North Dakota Industrial Commission, disposing of valuable resources mineral owners should be getting paid for.
The cases filed Wednesday sought class-action certification, and an amount in damages to be determined by trial, based on future flaring and flaring that occurred in for the six years prior.
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Nearly 30 percent of natural gas drilled in North Dakota is intentionally burned off, or flared, resulting in an approximately $1 billion loss, and releasing greenhouse gases equivalent to nearly one million new cars on the road. Now, some North Dakota landowners are fighting back.
Mineral owners from multiple states are suing ten oil and gas companies for millions of dollars in lost royalties for flared natural gas. They claim companies are burning off more gas than is allowed by the North Dakota Industrial Commission, disposing of valuable resources mineral owners should be getting paid for.
The cases filed Wednesday sought class-action certification, and an amount in damages to be determined by trial, based on future flaring and flaring that occurred in for the six years prior.
What You Can Get For The Price Of A Shutdown
What You Can Get For The Price Of A Shutdown: The shutdown may be over, but the cost can't be erased.
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overt on October 17, 2013 at 9:48 am
The shutdown may have ended when President Obama signed a deal late on Wednesday, but some of the consequences will stay with us. Standard & Poor’s has estimated that the shutdown cost the economy $24 billion.
That’s not a small amount of money. How does that stack up against other big expenditures? Here’s just a sampling of what else costs that much:
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overt
on October 17, 2013 at 9:48 am The shutdown may have ended when President Obama signed a deal late on Wednesday, but some of the consequences will stay with us. Standard & Poor’s has estimated that the shutdown cost the economy $24 billion.That’s not a small amount of money. How does that stack up against other big expenditures? Here’s just a sampling of what else costs that much:
- The net cost of to the government from the Troubled Assets Relief Program (TARP): $24 billion
- The Department of Agriculture’s proposed budget: $22.6 billion
- NASA’s approved budget: $16.6 billion
- All air transportation programs, including the Federal Aviation Administration, security, research, and other costs: $21.9 billion
- The Child Tax Credit: $22.1 billion
- The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program (formally known as welfare): $17.7 billion
- The cost of Head Start, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and Women Infants and Children (WIC) program combined: $25.2 billion
Blunt lone Republican from Mo. congressional delegation to vote for federal budget measure - Seymour Tribune
Blunt lone Republican from Mo. congressional delegation to vote for federal budget measure - Seymour Tribune
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"It's clear that the government spends too much, it borrows too much," Blunt said. "Those really have to be the two main targets after yesterday's vote, and it's time we got back to the business of debating priorities and setting those priorities and having some process that works."
Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill and Missouri's two House Democrats voted for the legislation. All six Missouri Republicans in the House voted against it.
U.S. Rep. Vicky Hartzler said the compromise did not relieve affects from the federal health care law or address the national debt.
"I could not in good faith support a plan that continues to hurt Americans through its unfair health insurance mandates and raises America's credit card limit while failing to relieve future generations of our enormous burden of debt," she sai----
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note: one hopes hillbillies proud to have cutoff aid to women and children, let dead soldiers families go without and shut down the government. so much for civilized savages in our society
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"It's clear that the government spends too much, it borrows too much," Blunt said. "Those really have to be the two main targets after yesterday's vote, and it's time we got back to the business of debating priorities and setting those priorities and having some process that works."
Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill and Missouri's two House Democrats voted for the legislation. All six Missouri Republicans in the House voted against it.
U.S. Rep. Vicky Hartzler said the compromise did not relieve affects from the federal health care law or address the national debt.
"I could not in good faith support a plan that continues to hurt Americans through its unfair health insurance mandates and raises America's credit card limit while failing to relieve future generations of our enormous burden of debt," she sai----
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note: one hopes hillbillies proud to have cutoff aid to women and children, let dead soldiers families go without and shut down the government. so much for civilized savages in our society
Friday, October 18, 2013
Thursday, October 17, 2013
GOP’s huge Tea Party mess has only just begun
GOP’s huge Tea Party mess has only just begun
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Last night, Republicans stood aside as Congress increased the debt limit and reopened the government. In return, they got nothing. Or more accurately, they got something that already existed, and gave Democrats something they’d been blocking for months.
The deal Harry Reid struck with Mitch McConnell includes a formal negotiation over the federal government, which GOP senators and various House Republicans have objected to since the spring. In exchange, Republicans got a redundant measure to assure Obamacare’s existing income verification mechanisms are actually verifying beneficiary incomes (for a less bullish take on this measure, see David Dayen’s take here).
It’s a fig leaf, minus the properties that allow it to conceal anyone’s nether regions. A fig leaf with the chlorophyll sapped out of it. Republicans can spin it among themselves as a Democratic concession, but they can’t rightly look back at the ruin of the past month, and the content of the deal, and expect that they can extort unreciprocated concessions from Democrats next time around.
click link
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Last night, Republicans stood aside as Congress increased the debt limit and reopened the government. In return, they got nothing. Or more accurately, they got something that already existed, and gave Democrats something they’d been blocking for months.
The deal Harry Reid struck with Mitch McConnell includes a formal negotiation over the federal government, which GOP senators and various House Republicans have objected to since the spring. In exchange, Republicans got a redundant measure to assure Obamacare’s existing income verification mechanisms are actually verifying beneficiary incomes (for a less bullish take on this measure, see David Dayen’s take here).
It’s a fig leaf, minus the properties that allow it to conceal anyone’s nether regions. A fig leaf with the chlorophyll sapped out of it. Republicans can spin it among themselves as a Democratic concession, but they can’t rightly look back at the ruin of the past month, and the content of the deal, and expect that they can extort unreciprocated concessions from Democrats next time around.
Boehner to Tea Party: Shut Yourself Down - Bloomberg
Boehner to Tea Party: Shut Yourself Down - Bloomberg:
click link snip "“Thank you, Mr. President. Signed, John Boehner.”
Deep beneath the year-round tan, the Camel Ultra Lights and the merlot, there beats a grateful heart. Somebody had to take on the Tea Party that has turned Boehner’s tenure as House speaker into a living hell.
Too bad for Republicans, that someone was a Democrat rather than one of their own, which would have signaled that the party is fit to govern. By calling the bluff of a tiny band of burn-the-place-down Tea Party activists leading their colleagues over domestic (the government shutdown) and global (the debt ceiling) cliffs, Barack Obama exposed the fact that they didn’t come to Washington to fix anything, only to tear everything but air-traffic control down."
'via Blog this'
click link snip "“Thank you, Mr. President. Signed, John Boehner.”
Deep beneath the year-round tan, the Camel Ultra Lights and the merlot, there beats a grateful heart. Somebody had to take on the Tea Party that has turned Boehner’s tenure as House speaker into a living hell.
Too bad for Republicans, that someone was a Democrat rather than one of their own, which would have signaled that the party is fit to govern. By calling the bluff of a tiny band of burn-the-place-down Tea Party activists leading their colleagues over domestic (the government shutdown) and global (the debt ceiling) cliffs, Barack Obama exposed the fact that they didn’t come to Washington to fix anything, only to tear everything but air-traffic control down."
'via Blog this'
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
“Once-in-a-decade” typhoon could make everything at Fukushima even worse
“Once-in-a-decade” typhoon could make everything at Fukushima even worse
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Heavy rain, flooding and gale warnings have been issued for Tokyo as Typhoon Wipha makes its way across the Pacific. But while the capital is preparing for the storm to make landfall Wednesday morning, the real concern is where it’s headed next: 130 miles northeast, near the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant.
A major storm like Wipha’s shaping up to be, warns Climate Central, “likely would complicate cleanup efforts, or possibly pose an even greater danger to the facility”:
Ryan Maue, a meteorologist at WeatherBell Analytics, a private forecasting firm, told Climate Central that the storm poses a “huge flood potential” for the Fukushima area. “Deep convection on the westward flank of the storm . . . plus the topography of Japan means heavy rain for the coastline regardless of the Typhoon’s track,” he said in an email message. “Wipha is extra-large size-wise,” Maue said, predicting it will grow and strengthen as it makes its closest pass to Japan, aided by strong jet stream winds in the upper atmosphere.
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Heavy rain, flooding and gale warnings have been issued for Tokyo as Typhoon Wipha makes its way across the Pacific. But while the capital is preparing for the storm to make landfall Wednesday morning, the real concern is where it’s headed next: 130 miles northeast, near the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant.
A major storm like Wipha’s shaping up to be, warns Climate Central, “likely would complicate cleanup efforts, or possibly pose an even greater danger to the facility”:
Ryan Maue, a meteorologist at WeatherBell Analytics, a private forecasting firm, told Climate Central that the storm poses a “huge flood potential” for the Fukushima area. “Deep convection on the westward flank of the storm . . . plus the topography of Japan means heavy rain for the coastline regardless of the Typhoon’s track,” he said in an email message. “Wipha is extra-large size-wise,” Maue said, predicting it will grow and strengthen as it makes its closest pass to Japan, aided by strong jet stream winds in the upper atmosphere.
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
Get Your GOP Hands Off My Medicare | Leo W. Gerard
Get Your GOP Hands Off My Medicare | Leo W. Gerard:
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At first, the GOP and Tea Party thought it was all good. They hate the government, so shutting it down was fun for them. They hate the Affordable Care Act, so plotting extortion to destroy it was a kick for them.
But then, stuff started going wrong for them.
The American people didn't like the government shutdown. They wanted their national parks open. They wanted their food inspected and salmonella outbreaks stopped. They wanted all World War II veterans to regain easy access to the monument dedicated to them. They wanted the families of soldiers killed in Afghanistan to be flown to meet flag-draped caskets.
Businessmen and women were angry too. The indefinite shutdown created uncertainty and cut profits. More than 800,000 furloughed federal workers weren't spending money on Main Street. Untold millions weren't visiting national parks and monuments, and thus weren't spending at local hotels and restaurants. Businesses couldn't get federally guaranteed loans.
While Americans weren't happy with politicians in general, they blamed Republicans in particular. The GOP favorability rating dropped ten percentage points in a month to the lowest for either party since Gallup began asking the question in 1992.
By contrast, the Affordable Care Act seemed to get high favorability ratings. After the exchanges opened on Oct. 1, high demand caused delays and crashes on the web site where the uninsured could sign up for coverage.
Saturday, October 12, 2013
Friday, October 11, 2013
Peabody, union settle dispute over retiree health funding : Business
Peabody, union settle dispute over retiree health funding : Business
click link
Hundreds of retired miners and their dependents also sent handwritten letters to the bankruptcy judge describing the hardships they faced if health benefits were discontinued or diminished as part of Patriot’s reorganization.
And the union sued Peabody and Arch in a Charleston, W.Va., federal court a year ago, seeking to force the companies to fund retiree health benefits. A judge dismissed the lawsuit last month.
Patriot and its creditors also won bankruptcy court approval to investigate Peabody and Arch to determine whether the divestitures of subsidiaries constituted a “fraudulent transfer” under bankruptcy law.
The union said the settlement with Peabody and Patriot represents a big step forward in efforts to provide health care funding for thousands of retirees.
But Roberts called on Arch Coal to “step up and meet its obligations to retirees” and said the union would “encourage the company to do so in the coming days.”
Roberts also said the settlement doesn’t provide enough funding to maintain health care for retirees in perpetuity, and the union is asking Congress to pass legislation that would provide long-term health benefits under the Coal Act.
click link
Hundreds of retired miners and their dependents also sent handwritten letters to the bankruptcy judge describing the hardships they faced if health benefits were discontinued or diminished as part of Patriot’s reorganization.
And the union sued Peabody and Arch in a Charleston, W.Va., federal court a year ago, seeking to force the companies to fund retiree health benefits. A judge dismissed the lawsuit last month.
Patriot and its creditors also won bankruptcy court approval to investigate Peabody and Arch to determine whether the divestitures of subsidiaries constituted a “fraudulent transfer” under bankruptcy law.
The union said the settlement with Peabody and Patriot represents a big step forward in efforts to provide health care funding for thousands of retirees.
But Roberts called on Arch Coal to “step up and meet its obligations to retirees” and said the union would “encourage the company to do so in the coming days.”
Roberts also said the settlement doesn’t provide enough funding to maintain health care for retirees in perpetuity, and the union is asking Congress to pass legislation that would provide long-term health benefits under the Coal Act.
Pipeline leak spills 20,600 barrels near Tioga - Williston Herald: News
Pipeline leak spills 20,600 barrels near Tioga - Williston Herald: News
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A leaking pipeline has spilled an estimated 20,600 barrels of oil near Tioga, a leak that was originally reported by Tesoro Logistics on Sept. 29.
Kris Roberts, environmental geologist with the North Dakota Department of Health Division of Water Quality, told the Williston Herald on Thursday the leak was caused by a hole that deteriorated in the side of the pipe. He added it isn't known how long oil was leaking, which is still under investigation.
Roberts said the Bakken crude came to the surface on Sept. 29 and was reported to all the needed agencies on Sept. 30. Tesoro was given permission to burn the surface layer of 750 barrels in order to excavate the land to reach the pipeline.
Roberts said the company plugged and clamped the lead as a temporary fix and determined there was a “very porous” and permeable soil down to 10 feet, which is where the company ran into a 40-60-foot pocket of clay.
“No water, surface water or ground water was impacted,” Roberts said. “They installed monitoring wells to ensure there is no impact now or that there is going to be one.”
Tesoro also dug several recovery trenches to vacuum the oil off and as of 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, the company had recovered an additional 1,165 barrels, not including the original 750.
The company also retained Antea USA, formerly Delta Environmental, of the Twin Cities to develop a remediation program that will be submitted and reviewed by the Department of Health. Roberts said the Environmental Protection Agency was updated Thursday morning but is not involved in the investigation because ground and surface water wasn't involved.
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Pipeline leak spills 20,600 barrels near Tioga
Jerry Burnes | Posted: Thursday, October 10, 2013 12:01 pmA leaking pipeline has spilled an estimated 20,600 barrels of oil near Tioga, a leak that was originally reported by Tesoro Logistics on Sept. 29.
Kris Roberts, environmental geologist with the North Dakota Department of Health Division of Water Quality, told the Williston Herald on Thursday the leak was caused by a hole that deteriorated in the side of the pipe. He added it isn't known how long oil was leaking, which is still under investigation.
Roberts said the Bakken crude came to the surface on Sept. 29 and was reported to all the needed agencies on Sept. 30. Tesoro was given permission to burn the surface layer of 750 barrels in order to excavate the land to reach the pipeline.
Roberts said the company plugged and clamped the lead as a temporary fix and determined there was a “very porous” and permeable soil down to 10 feet, which is where the company ran into a 40-60-foot pocket of clay.
“No water, surface water or ground water was impacted,” Roberts said. “They installed monitoring wells to ensure there is no impact now or that there is going to be one.”
Tesoro also dug several recovery trenches to vacuum the oil off and as of 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, the company had recovered an additional 1,165 barrels, not including the original 750.
The company also retained Antea USA, formerly Delta Environmental, of the Twin Cities to develop a remediation program that will be submitted and reviewed by the Department of Health. Roberts said the Environmental Protection Agency was updated Thursday morning but is not involved in the investigation because ground and surface water wasn't involved.
WV MetroNews – UMWA, Patriot, and Peabody settle long dispute
WV MetroNews – UMWA, Patriot, and Peabody settle long dispute
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“Peabody has continued to fund healthcare benefits for retirees during Patriot’s bankruptcy proceedings,” said Alexander C. Schoch, Peabody Energy’s executive vice president and chief legal officer. “We are pleased to resolve the uncertainty among Patriot retirees by providing substantial funding for the newly established Voluntary Employee Beneficiary Association (VEBA). Future healthcare benefits for Patriot retirees will now be determined by managers of the new VEBA.”
Under terms of the settlement, Peabody will provide $310 million to fund the VEBA over the next four years. The agreement terminated Peabody’s contractual obligation to certain retirees of Patriot. Additionally the healthcare of those retirees will also be funded in the future by the VEBA.
Patriot will contribute $15 million into the fund next year and $60 million over the next three years. Union officials said production-based royalty payments from Patriot will also be paid into the fund.
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“Peabody has continued to fund healthcare benefits for retirees during Patriot’s bankruptcy proceedings,” said Alexander C. Schoch, Peabody Energy’s executive vice president and chief legal officer. “We are pleased to resolve the uncertainty among Patriot retirees by providing substantial funding for the newly established Voluntary Employee Beneficiary Association (VEBA). Future healthcare benefits for Patriot retirees will now be determined by managers of the new VEBA.”
Under terms of the settlement, Peabody will provide $310 million to fund the VEBA over the next four years. The agreement terminated Peabody’s contractual obligation to certain retirees of Patriot. Additionally the healthcare of those retirees will also be funded in the future by the VEBA.
Patriot will contribute $15 million into the fund next year and $60 million over the next three years. Union officials said production-based royalty payments from Patriot will also be paid into the fund.
Saturday, October 5, 2013
Friday, October 4, 2013
Thursday, October 3, 2013
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
Missouri health exchange opens for business : Stltoday
Missouri health exchange opens for business : Stltoday:
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The online benefits calculator also will provide Missourians a glimpse into the amount of government subsidies they can expect to receive to offset actual out-of-pocket policy costs. But those subsidies won't be available to adults below the poverty level because the law assumes those people would get coverage under Medicaid expansion. Missouri is among 26 states that have not expanded coverage under the federal insurance program for poor, another key part of the contentious federal law.
Missouri had about 835,000 uninsured people in 2010 according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Beneath the state's largely hands-off approach to the health insurance exchange, an undercurrent of more forceful opposition to President Barack Obama's signature policy measure remains. Republican Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder is encouraging "active resistance" to the program, urging people last week to register their objections by not signing up for coverage.
In advance of Monday's roll out, state health care advocates warned consumers to be patient and expect some possible technical glitches early on. Program details can be found online at http://www.healthcare.gov.
Missouri Health Care Exchange Information | Enroll Missouri
Missouri Health Care Exchange Information | Enroll Missouri:
click link for obamacare info in missouri
click link for obamacare info in missouri
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