The U.S. tax system is a mess. But overhauling it is a daunting task. The last time in happened, in the 80s, it was more of a miracle than anything else: the stars aligned, both sides wanted reform, and the leadership was strong enough to turn aside the special interests. It is these special interests… Continue reading The grand tax-reform bargain
Category: Politics
Health care reform priorities – Cost or Coverage?
A lot of people who are opposed to the current health care reform bill in Congress believe that it focuses on the wrong priority: instead of working to cover everybody with insurance, as the current bill attempts, more effort should be put into lowering costs first. I agree that lowering health care costs is just… Continue reading Health care reform priorities – Cost or Coverage?
Health care and "freedom"
Ask anybody who has had their house foreclosed upon if the government guarantees a place to live. Ask anybody who has lost their job if the government guarantees employment. Ask anybody visiting a food shelf if the government even guarantees a minimum amount of food on the table. In the U.S., the government guarantees next… Continue reading Health care and "freedom"
Where are the free-market proponents?
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know that there is currently a shortage of H1N1 flu vaccine, and that as a result receivers of the vaccine are being prioritized. High-risk groups, such as young children and health care workers, are getting it ahead of other groups. Even with this prioritization, clinics and phone… Continue reading Where are the free-market proponents?
Post-mortem on election 2009
A lot of people have already commented on the results of yesterday’s closely-watched races, and I pretty much agree with them: the election results are not a referendum on Obama or Democrats by any means, but they should certainly make elected Democrats think long and hard about what they are doing in Congress. If they… Continue reading Post-mortem on election 2009
Wall Street bonuses aren’t the problem
The news is awash with stories about how Wall Street bonuses are reaching all-time highs this year, despite the near-total collapse of the economy last year and the continuing woes in just about every sector except for finance that we are still seeing. It didn’t take long for Wall Street to bounce back from its… Continue reading Wall Street bonuses aren’t the problem
Missile defense shield: still a stupid idea
A little more than nine years ago, when I was a columnist for the Minnesota Daily, I wrote a column expressing my opposition to a planned missile defense shield. In the wake of President Obama’s decision to cancel the planned defense shield in Eastern Europe, I went back and re-read that column, and what was… Continue reading Missile defense shield: still a stupid idea
You can’t have it all
I’m sure everybody’s heard the old joke that goes along the lines of "Your ideal spouse: Rich, Educated, Beautiful. Choose Two" or "Computer software: Fast, Easy, Affordable. Choose Two". No matter how much we want everything, it’s almost impossible to find something that has every positive aspect you are looking for. The same goes for… Continue reading You can’t have it all
President Obama’s Target Center visit
Yesterday Julia and I had the exciting pleasure of volunteering at President Obama’s first White House rally at the Target Center in Minneapolis to argue for health care reform. We we asked to volunteer on Wednesday shortly after the visit was announced, and we jumped at the chance. Following a training session on Friday night,… Continue reading President Obama’s Target Center visit
Why health reform requires mandated universal coverage
If we are to have serious health care reform in this country, it will require everybody to have coverage. Universal coverage isn’t just a nicety, or “the right thing to do”, it’s an essential. Without it, real reform won’t be harder; it will, quite simply, be impossible. The reason is purely economic, and revolves around… Continue reading Why health reform requires mandated universal coverage