After Igniting Wall St. Protests, Magazine Proposes One Clear Demand
By J. DAVID GOODMANThree months ago, the Canadian magazine Adbusters called for a protest on Wall Street, providing the spark that began a wildfire of protest across the country and, over the weekend, in an increasing number of cities around the world.
That first call included a poster of a ballerina on the Wall Street bull, and a question: “What is our one demand?”
At the time, the answer was simple: gather in downtown Manhattan.http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/10/18/after-igniting-wall-st-protests-magazine-proposes-one-clear-demand/?pagemode=print
It Didn’t Add Up
The Obama administration was wise to suspend a long-term care insurance program that was part of its health care reform package. The program, which was to be financed by the premiums paid by enrollees, seemed unlikely to remain financially solvent in coming decades.
Don’t be misled by Republican war whoops proclaiming the demise of this single program as proof that reform is doomed and ought to be repealed. The decision shows a welcome flexibility by the White House that bodes well for carrying out all provisions of the reform law.
U.S. Moves to Cut Back Regulations on Hospitals
By ROBERT PEAR
WASHINGTON — The Obama administration moved Tuesday to roll back numerous rules that apply to hospitals and other health care providers after concluding that the standards were obsolete or overly burdensome to the industry.
Kathleen Sebelius, the secretary of health and human services, said the proposed changes, which would apply to more than 6,000 hospitals, would save providers nearly $1.1 billion a year without creating any “consequential risks for patients.”
Republican health care law already causing price spikes, fear
Posted Sept. 12, 2011, at 3:28 p.m.
With the summer coming to an end, many of the laws passed by the Maine Legislature will be going into effect this month. One of those laws is the major health insurance overhaul Republicans pushed through a few months ago.
We are already seeing the negative effects of this health insurance overhaul. The Ellsworth American reported recently that some small businesses in rural Maine will be seeing their health insurance costs go up more than 60 percent as early as October.
According to the report, small businesses in Hancock, Washington and Aroostook counties will see insurance premiums rise more than 60 or 70 percent. One company in Presque Isle may see an increase of 90 percent.
Health care survey results misrepresented
Posted Sept. 16, 2011, at 1:34 p.m.
The Bangor Daily News’ decision to publish an editorial by Rep. Walter Kumiega on Maine’s new health care law is unfortunate (BDN, Sept. 12). It would be one thing if Kumiega were just misrepresenting the facts. But he is making them up out of whole cloth.
Kumiega sites a poll done by Market Decisions that finds “21 percent of Mainers fear losing their health insurance over the next 12 months, and nearly 40 percent of those individuals said the top reason for their fear was the new health care law passed by Republicans in Augusta.”
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