A Curmudgeon's Notebook — Thoughts on values, education, engineering, politics, civility, . . . . . . . by Don Nordeen

Extend federal tax cuts for several years

2010 November 13
Last edit:  2011 Jan 29.  Click on History for changes and updates.

    Everyone needs more stability and predictability on tax issues.  The current gridlock in Congress and with the White House seems to be based on ideology, rather than good public policy.  Class warfare helps no one. 

    The continuation of this post discusses a few ideas to use the expiration of the tax cuts to address long-standing issues in the tax policy.

Don Nordeen
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• Key Words:  Federal budget, Federal income taxes, Federal business taxes, pubic policy, economy, Arthur Laffer, Dr. Christina Romer, Congressional Budget Office

Senator Harkin, Is Health Care a Right?

2010 March 24
Click on History for changes and updates.

    The continuation of this post is my Letter to the Editor of the Des Moines Register on the important subject of whether or not health care is a right. 

Don Nordeen
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• Key Words:  Current Affairs, Health Care Issues, Public Policy Issues, health care, human rights, legislation, rights

 

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Letter to Senator Stabenow Re Health Care

2009 September 24
See History for brief descriptions of changes and updates. 

    The continuation of this post is my letter to Senator Debbie Stabenow re Health Care Legislation.  While there is strong public support and bipartisan support for Health Care reform, none of the five bills in Congress has super-majority support from the public nor bipartisan support.  In fact, polls show a super-majority of citizens oppose the current bills.  Doesn't the U.S. have a representative government?  How can bipartisan support be obtained when the bills are drafted by the majority party and almost all of the amendments to the bills during mark-up made by the minority party are defeated along party-line votes?

    Because of the importance of health care legislation to all citizens, no bill should be approved by the Congress unless it has strong support from the public and bipartisan support. 

Don Nordeen
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• Key Words:  Health Care Issues;  Public Policy Issues;  legislation;  Medicaid ;  Medicare;  public policy;  tort reform

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End-of-Life Provisions in HR 3200 on Health Care

2009 September 05
See History for brief descriptions of changes and updates. 

    Any bill in Congress that is 1000 pages or more should give concern to all citizens regarding the content.  The bill is justified on the basic provisions (which could be defined in 50± pages, but the compromises of freedom and liberty are in the detail (the other 950± pages) that is often not discussed.  To what extent will the detail in the other 950 pages potentially result in a decrease in the health care currently provided to the 85% of the people who have health care insurance that provides what they want?  

    Our Constitution is based on a principle that the powers of the government must be defined and limited to avoid tyranny of the government.  The same principle should apply to legislation that grants new powers to government.  

    Two quotations are in order:

• "I would not give a fig for the simplicity this side of complexity, but I would give my life for the simplicity on the other side of complexity."  Wikipedia, Oliver Wendell Holmes.  I interpret give my life as "devote my life". 

• "Make everything as simple as possible, but not simpler."  Wikipedia,  Albert Einstein, which is related to Occam's razor.  

The second quotation discusses the importance of simple but not simplistic as an integral part of understanding.  The Constitution is an example of the application of the above two quotations.  The 1000-page bills are an indication of lack of understanding by the drafters of the bills.  That may help explain why the drafters are reluctant to discuss the details.

    In a field as complex as health care, one cannot hope to define legislation that is a simple as possible but no simpler without extensive committee hearings with testimony from many groups and experts.  And that applies to each and every aspect of the health care legislation. 

     The continuation of this post discusses one aspect of the many, potentially disastrous, details in HR 3200 — the End-of-Life Provisions. 

Don Nordeen
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• Key Words:  Ambiguity;  Ambiguous;  Bill of Rights;  Congress;  Constitution;  House of Representatives;  Health Care;  Ill-Defined;  Limitations of Government;  Myron Tribus;  Perversity Principle;  Powers;  Michael Huckabee;  Senator Edward Kennedy;  Ration;  Rationing

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Commitments for Health Care Reform

2009 August 11
Last edit:  2009 Oct 23.  See History for brief descriptions of changes and updates. 

Introduction

    In language that most people should be able to understand, the continuation of this post lists one-sentence descriptions of the objectives (commitments) and for the opportunities for facilitation by government to improve quality and reduce costs.  Also include are several paragraphs of explanation.  (Added 2009 Sep 19)>>>A description of the underlying problem is proposed.  Defining and understanding the underlying problem that has prevented health care reform in the past is essential.<<<  Your comments are welcome.  Scroll down from the end of the post for the comment form. 

Don & Kate Nordeen
Gaylord, MI  49735
(989) 939-8240
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• Key Words:  Current Affairs;  Social Values;  commitment;  health care; legislation;  national;  principles;  tort reform; 

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