Miscellaneous
07/28/2009
President Obama might face another hurdle in his push for universal health care. This time, it’s not from lawmakers but from a recent paper on economics, which argues that health insurance makes people fat.
Authors Jay Bhattacharya and Kate Bundorf from Stanford University, Neeraj Sood from the RAND Corporation, and Noemi Pace from University College London all stated that Americans with either public or private health and medical insurance coverage have a higher tendency to become obese. According to weight-gain estimates in the paper, “private insurance increases body mass index by 1.3 points and public insurance increases body mass index by 2.1 points.”
Even before the paper came out, economists already mentioned that fat people are a burden on taxpayers.
According to a study that came out today, overall obesity-related health-care treatment costs have doubled in the last 10 years to $147 billion. The costs have even outgrown the obesity rates, which “only” climbed by 37% for the same period.
The new evidence supports the authors’ argument that health insurance is not just a simple transition of financial wealth from thin taxpayers to fat ones, but instead a “true economic subsidy for obesity.” The study suggests that obesity is literally encouraged by health care coverage. Knowing that insurance coverage provides protection against expenses caused by some weight-related issues, people tend to take weight gain for granted.
Even if the study only gathered weak evidence about more-generous coverage encouraging more people to gain weight, there is “strong” statistical evidence pointing to health or medical insurance coverage boosting obesity and body mass index.
The question now is how the universal health care system, which is still a work in progress, would affect the obesity rates of Americans in the near future.
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07/28/2009
This week, President Barack Obama will be in North Carolina and Virginia to promote health care reform. During the recess next month, the president will be keeping Congress under pressure. The fact that 47 million people are uninsured in America is only one of the arguments that support health care reform. Another argument, which many people are unaware of, is the fact that 25 million people in the U.S. are underinsured.
John Stewardson wakes up very early in the morning and goes to work at the 602 union located in Washington, D.C. He’s home before noon as he needs to prepare lunch for Linda, his wife who is a cancer survivor.
"I'm just going to have to take medicine for the rest of my life," Linda said.
Last summer, she was diagnosed with a tumor in her brain; she is currently in remission. Now, the financial health of her family is at stake, as their group health insurance only paid $150,000 for the treatment. Their savings were demolished by the cost of the treatments, both for the cancer itself and for the side effects.
"It's like she fell out a cancer tree and hit every branch on the way down," said John Stewardson.
The family is around $100,000 in debt.
At the Senate, Sen. Chris Dodd is working to make health choices affordable. He is supporting the government’s insurance plan that would eliminate caps on health plans.
"The underinsured are a critical group," said Dodd. "In some cases, fifty-three percent don't know they're underinsured. So they either have huge co-pay if a problem happens or the deductibles are so high they might as well not have insurance."
John’s union only offered him one plan. After this reached its cap, they were left uninsured. Every day, John calls Medicare and his union to ask for additional coverage. So far, John has had no luck.
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07/28/2009
These days, young adults are learning about individual health insurance the hard way.
Sarah Posekany, a 27-year-old nursing student, was forced to file for bankruptcy. She underwent colon surgery and she was uninsured. Posekany is still in debt and she owes a medical bill of thousands of dollars.
"It's not fair," Posekany said. "We should learn how to be a strong nation and take care of everybody."
Katie Miletti is a 24-year-old college student. Although she survived cancer as a child, she still has to deal with her treatment’s side effects. She was removed from her mother’s policy, as she was already too old. For one month, she was left uninsured. She later qualified for Medicaid, a federal-state program for health insurance.
"Everyone should have health insurance," she said. "I don't think it should matter what your health problems are, how rich you are, or what your income is."
Called “the young invincibles” by the insurance industry, these young adults think that they will never get hurt or sick.
Nick Bernstein felt that way once, too. Bernstein became a waiter to pay off his college loans. He also planned to get a wine-production graduate degree. He filled his leisure time with snowboarding and backpacking.
While snowboarding last April 1, Bernstein had an accident, which left his collarbone broken.
At first, he wasn’t sure if he had insurance at all. Fortunately, his stepfather’s health plan was still able to cover a part of his $27,000 medical bill. However, this coverage might stop before he gets well. He was diagnosed with a staph infection. As he is incapable of working now, he still has to find a way to get insurance before his 25th birthday, as he will be dropped from the policy of his stepfather.
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07/28/2009
Michigan state employees have already dropped their health benefits, Gov. Jennifer Granholm said today while giving a cold shoulder to House Speaker Andy Dillon’s plan to pool some 400,000 public employees covered by individual health plans to help the state save money.
Last week, Dillon, D-Redford Township, claimed this bold health care reform will help the state save as much as $900 million per year. Dillon further said this plan would provide insurance for retirees and local employees who would be covered by a single health plan that would provide extensive health plan options for individuals, depending on the premiums they can afford.
“Show me the money. I do not know where the savings come from,” Granholm told the reporters. She further said she had not seen the details of Dillon’s proposal. “I haven’t seen the legislation and I have a million questions about it,” she added.
The proposal evidently does not work for Granholm. She said it will never resolve the state’s financial problems. She doubted that bigger pools of workers will help the state save money, noting that the state currently has 55,000 employees that belong to big insurance pools.
She further added that she believe that Dillon was wrong to say that state employees pay less for health insurance and receive better benefits than those in private sectors. Granholm then cited last year’s House Fiscal Agency report that reveals that state employees have lower wages and receive fewer benefits than private sector employees.
In a prepared statement, Dillon replied to Granholm, saying, “Change is never easy—there will always be countless reasons not to change. But one thing is clear: business as usual isn’t working.”
He suggested lowering government expenses to prevent layoffs, and decreasing college scholarships. “We need leaders like Governor Grandholm, Senate Majority Leader Mike Bishop and others to work together in the days ahead so we can turn Michigan around,” Dillon said.
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07/13/2009
Rep. Chris Murphy of the 5th Congressional District of Connecticut says that America’s current health care system is sick. "I like to say we've got a disease in our health care system that's very difficult to diagnose. So the solution to that disease is going to be equally complex."
Murphy stressed the need for reforms to cover the uninsured and fix the problems in the current health care system. According to the Congressman, the reforms will be centered on freedom of choice.
Addressing those with individual and business health insurance, Murphy discussed the availability of choices: "If you like what you have, you get to keep it. If you're an individual or a small business that doesn't like what's available, we're going to give you options."
Murphy currently works in the Health subcommittee of the House of Representatives, as well as in two other House committees, writing the health reform legislation. Also writing the reform packages are two committees from the Senate.
According to Murphy, bills are often bogged down because of the number of House committees that work on the actual legislation. "We're trying in the House to have all three committees write a similar bill''
Despite the complex legislation, Murphy is sure that Congress will be prepared to vote on the health care reform before July ends.
The reform will require some changes in the American way of life. Everybody will be required to avail themselves of health insurance. Companies will also be compelled to either offer coverage to their employees or pay costs instead.
As for the insurance industry, the reform will pave the way for a basic insurance package that will be available to all American citizens.
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07/13/2009
The purpose of health insurance is to provide medical and financial protection. But according to estimates, three-quarters of those who filed for personal bankruptcy due to medical problems were actually insured.
As Washington pushes to cover almost every American in the proposed health insurance reform, many health-policy experts agree that having everyone insured will not fix the rough edges of the system. With many people already covered, a medical crisis would definitely mean financial calamity.
Lawrence Yurdin, a computer security specialist, filed for bankruptcy even though he had medical insurance. The 64-year-old’s Aetna policy indicated up to $150,000 worth of coverage per year. However, almost his treatments at a hospital in Austin, Texas, were not covered by his policy. Last December, Yurdin and his wife filed for bankruptcy with $200,000 worth of medical bills to pay.
Lawmakers are struggling with legislation details that would create minimum insurance coverage standards. With the expensive price tag, lawmakers could lean toward less comprehensive coverage for some policy holders.
However, patient advocates stress the necessity of laying down basic levels of insurance coverage to protect individuals like Yurdin from bankruptcy. They also want new federal rules that would prevent some insurance firms from selling worthless and incomprehensive policies.
According to Elizabeth Warren, a law professor from Harvard who studies medical bankruptcies, “Underinsurance is the great hidden risk of the American health care system. People do not realize they are one diagnosis away from financial collapse.”
Republican senator Charles E. Grassley from the Senate Finance Committee points out the same thing as he emphasizes the need to make “meaningful” insurance policies more accessible and affordable. “Until that happens,” Grassley continued, “any presentation of limited-benefit plans ought to be completely straightforward, and not misleading in any way.”
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07/13/2009
Most health insurance providers in Guam will start covering ambulance services as the Guam Fire Department starts to charge fees for the use of ambulances on July 1.
According to Bri Hosei Habin, Health Care Management Division chief at Moylan\'s NetCare Life & Health Insurance program, various health insurance plans provide different levels of coverage for ambulance services. This means that a subscriber must pay ambulance fees or make a co-payment if he does not meet his health insurance deductible.
Based on Public Law 29-02, the Guam Fire Department will charge $95 for non-emergency ambulance services and $195 per transport for emergency ambulance services.
The bills for the services rendered will be mailed to health insurance providers while those uninsured will be charged directly, Edward Cruz, Fire Chief Aide, said during a press conference.
Cruz said that beginning July 1, the Guam Fire Department will issue ambulance invoices and bill health insurance providers.
Invoices for non-emergency purposes will cover the transport only while the fees for emergency services will include equipment and supplies used to provide medical care, such as a defibrillator, masks and oxygen, Cruz added.
Cruz also said that the funds from the ambulance services will be utilized to train personnel and maintain medical equipment.
Calvo's Select Care program health plan administrator, Frank Campillo, said that most ambulance services in the country’s mainland are offered by private companies. He further added that ambulance services are given by most health insurance companies in the island but that the Guam Fire Department did not charge for this before and will only start charging for them now.
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10/03/2008
As children, we never dreamed of the day that our country would be faced by such a health insurance crisis. According to Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States, the number of uninsured Americans would increase to a record high of 47 million people in 2006. That is over 13 percent of the population. As a nation, we cannot say that we didn't see it coming. Healthcare costs were on the rise; unemployment was on the rise too. The cost and development of new technology would continue to increase as would gas and transportation costs. All of these had a major impact on the healthcare industry.
Some American simply claim they cannot handle the increasing cost of healthcare. Meanwhile, some employers do not even afford coverage to employees. And for those that do, many Americans continue to lose their coverage as companies downsize and turnover employees. So all the while, those who may in fact need the healthcare coverage most are stuck standing out in the rain.
No one has to be stuck in that position. Since 2006, healthcare has taken a turn in the opposite direction. America has seen over a 1% increase in health insurance coverage. This is not to say that we will see the same healthcare costs that we became accustomed to only 2 decades ago, but healthcare is becoming somewhat affordable again. And as cost of insurance improves, most of us will continue to hope that we will see a correlation in the extent of coverage as well.
Healthcare is a hot topic of discussion, especially during this election year. Some believe that it is up to the government to take action to get America out of yet another crisis. But regardless of what the government plans on or objects to doing, it is important that individuals take note of their own healthcare situation. After all, it is the individuals who will actually be impacted by these circumstances.
Purchasing insurance coverage is now simpler than ever. Today, we see more individual healthcare companies on the rise, opening new doors and opportunities for those without coverage. Companies like these are making it nearly impossible to not have healthcare coverage or insurance. Health insurance is readily available through a simple search online or by directly contacting health insurance providers regarding personal health insurance.
Imagine your child lying there ill and you not being able to do anything about it. It is up to you to protect your family. And if you don't, who will?
Ultimately, that choice is left up to the individual level. Yet in the long run, those without insurance coverage may find themselves further in debt than if they taken advantage of these opportunities in the first place. And these will be the Americans left standing in the rain.
Source: C. DeNavas-Walt, B.D. Proctor, and J. Smith. Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2007. U.S. Census Bureau. August 2008.
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09/16/2008
Although traditional methods of purchasing and maintaining insurance aren't likely to disappear anytime soon, the option to purchase policies online is the fastest growing method of distribution for insurance product, and appears unlikely to lose popularity any time soon. Too many customers are calling for innovative products that take less time and add less inconvenience to their already hectic lives, and insurance companies are answering that call by selling their products online.
Benefits to Consumers
As consumers became comfortable purchasing products on the Internet in the 1990's, insurance companies began to offer policies online. As technology and information sharing grew more and more reliable, online aggregators began to collect information on policy prices. These aggregators allow consumers to compare the costs and coverage between companies. Although many consumers purchase insurance online, an even greater number research online before purchasing more traditionally through an agent. Comparison shopping benefits consumers by providing them with more variety of choice in coverage and price. This availability of information to consumers in almost instant, and thus increases competition between insurance companies to provide a quality product at a competitive price.
For most online insurance purchasers, ease of comparison shopping, personal convenience, and savings are the top reasons for using online services. Before online comparisons for insurance premiums were available, shoppers got on the phone or in the car and spoke to an agent. This made comparison shopping take longer and added agent pressure tactics and inconvenience to the cost of purchasing insurance. Purchasing online takes away the salesperson pressure, and allows customers to take time and review the differences in coverage as well as in price. Further, the only appointment online shoppers have to make is with their laptops!
For those who crave a little human contact, or have questions, over 80% of sites offering online purchasing have links to contact an agent available, and the ability to contact an agent or representative to insure there are no unforeseen gaps in coverage or to get answers to questions consumers might have is another service online insurers offer their customers. Agents are trained to help consumers find the policy that covers them comprehensively, and to answer questions about the product.
Purchasing online insurance is certainly easier and more convenient, but is it really cheaper? Purchasing insurance online saves consumers an average of $600.00 per year, but insurers insist that the policies are not cheaper online. Insurance companies point out that the online format allows for more comparison shopping, which is what generally saves the consumer money.
Benefits to Insurance Companies
Insurance companies save money on commissions when consumers purchase policies directly from the company, because they don't have to pay the agents. Further, as policies purchased online generally require less paperwork and man hours to process, companies save time and money in this way as well.
Insurance consumers like online product. This benefits companies because policy holders use insurers that offer product that benefits them and cater to their lifestyle. Some companies are beginning to allow policies and proof of insurance to be printed offline, which makes the company seem greener to environmentally conscious consumers. Other companies donate to environmental causes out of online sales in an effort to support the growing interest in green lifestyles of many of their purchasers.
Future of Online Insurance Sales is Bright
Recent research shows that 21 percent of all new customer insurance sales occur online, according to the Insurance Information Institute's online discussion (http://www.iii.org/media/hottopics/insurance/distribution/?table_sort_782813=5). This is a significant amount of purchasing power.
This trend seems to be growing quickly. The Insurance Information Institute also reports a 37 percent increase in online sales from 2006-2007. The increases are expected to continue. The largest anticipated increase is in the auto insurance industry, where Celent estimates online sales will increase from 70 percent of sales in 2007 to 90 percent by 2011. J.D. Power and Associates reports that 39 percent of purchasers switched insurance companies, up from 33% in the 2007 study.
Free quotes, less pressure, more choices, and added convenience have made shopping for insurance online a commonly used method of purchasing car insurance today, and the trend is becoming more popular daily. Policies are available for everything from auto insurance and life insurance to individual health insurance, and consumers are appreciative of the added conveniences this type of service offers. According to J.D. Power's most recent survey, consumers will likely continue to make the switch into 2009.
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03/05/2007
HILARY JOFFE: Bruce, new business sales were down 1% one percent?
BRUCE HEMPHILL: On balance these are a good results, with earnings per share and embedded up quite nicely. Embedded value is up despite the fact that there was a return of capital to shareholders last year - if you factor that in it's quite a bit more than the 12% - but I guess the real issue is the question of new business. Liberty traditionally has always generated very healthy growth in new business, but last year proved to be the exception with overall indexed new business was down 1%.
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03/05/2007
It';s time to revisit one of my favorite subjects: debunking the Lancet study that claimed 650,000 Iraqi civilian deaths in the first three years of the Iraq War. The London Times:
The statistics made headlines all over the world when they were published in The Lancet in October last year. More than 650,000 Iraqis - one in 40 of the population - had died as a result of the American-led invasion in 2003. The vast majority of these "excess" deaths (deaths over and above what would have been expected in the absence of the occupation) were violent. The victims, both civilians and combatants, had fallen prey to airstrikes, car bombs and gunfire.
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03/05/2007
According to the website www.icasualties.org , total U.S. deaths in Iraq were 3,255, as of March 3.
In addition, U.S. deaths in Afghanistan stood at 308, as of February 24, according to the Pentagon.
The military announced that, within the next few days, U.S. and Iraqi troops are likely to begin establishing a permanent presence in Sadr City, a Shiite dominated stronghold in the northeast section of Baghdad named for the father of anti-American cleric Muqtada Sadr.
Yesterday, Sadr issued a statement which, while it fell short of threatening force against the troops, it definitely disavowed the planned incursion.
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03/05/2007
"Kinder, gentler" conservatism gave us the largest tax increase in our history and President Bill Clinton. "Compassionate" conservatism has given us No Child Left Behind, Medicare prescription drugs, open-borders, and Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
This is not a coincidence. Throughout the last three decades, a simple, if inconvenient, truth has emerged: when conservatives run on principle, we win, and when we run from principle, we lose.
For years, conservatives have been warned by political professionals of the costs of standing too strongly on principle. Today, ladies and gentlemen, we're paying the price for not standing on principle at all.
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03/05/2007
Drugs policy has failed. Do not take my word for it. That was, essentially, the conclusion of the Prime Minister's strategy unit in a report published last year after initially being suppressed. The aim of drugs policy over the past four decades has been to reduce demand and curb supply. It has done neither. Crime associated with drug-taking is as rife as ever. A new way needs to be found.
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03/05/2007
Ahmadinejad tries to calm Saudi atomic fears
Teheran agents smuggled in missile that shot down RAF helicopter in Iraq
Iran has trained secret networks of agents across the Gulf states to attack Western interests and incite civil unrest in the event of a military strike against its nuclear programme, a former Iranian diplomat has told The Sunday Telegraph.
Western interests in Dubai could be attacked the Iranian regime's agents
Spies working as teachers, doctors and nurses at Iranian-owned schools and hospitals have formed sleeper cells ready to be "unleashed" at the first sign of any serious threat to Teheran, it is claimed.
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03/05/2007
The statistics made headlines all over the world when they were published in The Lancet in October last year. More than 650,000 Iraqis - one in 40 of the population - had died as a result of the American-led invasion in 2003. The vast majority of these “excess” deaths (deaths over and above what would have been expected in the absence of the occupation) were violent. The victims, both civilians and combatants, had fallen prey to airstrikes, car bombs and gunfire.
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03/04/2007
United States
Fatal drug overdoses double
Fatal unintentional drug overdoses in the United States almost doubled from 1999 to 2004, to become the second leading cause of unintentional death after car crashes, government figures have shown. The number of deaths from unintentional overdoses rose to 19 838 in 2004 from 11 155 in 1999, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. They did not say which drugs played the greatest role. Researchers said that they thought sedatives and prescription painkillers were the main cause of the rise (www.ap.org).
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03/04/2007
Sir Godfrey Hounsfield (born 1919) won the Nobel Prize for medicine for co-inventing the CAT-scan (computer assisted tomography).
Sir Godfrey Hounsfield pioneered a great leap forward in medical diagnosis: computerized axial tomography, popularly known as the "CAT scan." Ushering in a new and sometimes controversial era of medical technology, Hounsfield's device allowed a doctor to look inside a patient's body and examine a three-dimensional image far more detailed than a conventional X ray. The importance of this advance was recognized in 1979, the year Hounsfield received the Nobel Prize for physiology or medicine.
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03/04/2007
SimmonsCooper law firm wrung a settlement out of an inactive OxyContin class action that the Korein Tillery firm dumped three years ago.
In December, SimmonsCooper and Purdue Pharma jointly dismissed a suit that Judy Cates of Korein Tillery filed in 2001.
They dusted the suit off after more than two years on inactive status.
When Cates filed it for Allied Services of Edwardsville, she proposed to represent all who suffered damages from abuse of the painkiller.
She claimed Purdue Pharma failed to prevent prescription abuse.
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03/04/2007
IRAN has trained secret networks of agents across the Gulf states to attack Western interests and incite civil unrest in the event of a military strike against its nuclear program, a former Iranian diplomat has revealed.
Spies working as teachers, doctors and nurses at Iranian-owned schools and hospitals have formed sleeper cells ready to be "unleashed" at the first sign of any serious threat to Tehran, it is claimed.
Trained by Iranian intelligence, they are also said to be recruiting fellow Shiites in the region, whose communities have traditionally been marginalised by the Gulf's ruling Arab clans.
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03/04/2007
Iran has trained secret networks of agents across the Gulf states to attack Western interests and incite civil unrest in the event of a military strike against its nuclear programme, a former Iranian diplomat has told The Sunday Telegraph.
Spies working as teachers, doctors and nurses at Iranian-owned schools and hospitals have formed sleeper cells ready to be "unleashed" at the first sign of any serious threat to Teheran, it is claimed.
Trained by Iranian intelligence services, they are also said to be recruiting fellow Shias in the region, whose communities have traditionally been marginalised by the Gulf's ruling Sunni Arab clans.
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03/04/2007
Over the past 15 years, America's armed forces have taken huge strides to retain married service members -; improving schools, health programs and child care.
But now, as never before, the military is struggling with the toughest home-front problem of all: Doing right by the often outspoken and ever-growing ranks of the bereaved.
Of the 3,350 Americans who died in Iraq and Afghanistan through early January, 1,586 of them -; 47.3 percent -; were married. Those fallen warriors left behind 1,954 children, according to the Pentagon's Manpower Data Center. More recent deaths have pushed that figure past 2,000.
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03/04/2007
But health services costs rose more than that, 7.5 percent, and the result was a net underwriting loss of $39 million.
Most of that was covered by investments that HMSA maintains for precisely this purpose, investments that appreciated by millions of dollars in 2006. HMSA also is reaping a tax gain from the settlement of a dispute with the IRS.
A key factor in the higher than expected costs was higher payments to health-care providers -- doctors, hospitals and the like.
"Payments to health-care providers in 2006 represented 93.4 percent of revenue, which is higher than HMSA's historical average of 92.
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03/04/2007
You've probably heard about the possibility of flooding in our area
if the Wolf Creek Dam in south central Kentucky fails. The U.S Army
Corps of Engineers and local government agencies are holding
meetings to educate citizens about the situation, and
representatives from Cumberland Electric Membership Corporation are
attending these meetings so we may be fully informed about the
risks.
We encourage everyone to assess their
individual risk level and be prepared to act quickly in the event
flooding happens.
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03/03/2007
THE ENTIRE history of capitalism is punctuated by workers struggles, strikes, and revolutions-;from the Paris Commune of 1871 to the 2001 resource wars in Bolivia. Yet the intermittent character of the class struggle and the constantly shifting nature of capitalist production have always provided space for those who argue that Marxism';s emphasis on the revolutionary role of the working class is irrelevant or outmoded. As the late U.S. socialist Hal Draper put it, declarations about the end of the working class have been made ";since the early nineteenth century, that is, virtually since the rise of the modern proletariat.
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03/03/2007
THE U.S. death penalty system is in retreat-;around an issue that few people fighting capital punishment would have predicted a few years back: problems associated with lethal injection, the primary method of carrying out executions. As of early February, of the thirty-eight states that have the death penalty, executions were on hold in fifteen (as well as in the federal system) as a result of court rulings or executive or legislative action. In most cases, these halts are related to the question of whether lethal injection violates the Constitution';s ban on cruel and unusual punishment.
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03/03/2007
March 02, 2007
As The Poll Turns.
It's good, every once in awhile, to dig through a comprehensive poll and see where the country's at. For instance, I wasn't aware that only 20 out of every 100 people approved of George W. Bush's job performance. I thought he'd have at least, oh, four more supporters in there. And I am surprised that only 23% of the country thinks the country is on the right track. That matches the low from May 2006, and the two are lower than at any point in the past 25 years.
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03/03/2007
A proud military mom who wanted to honor her only son with a song touched a nerve among pro-troops Americans as she wrote and recorded that tune and began spreading it far and near.
"So Brave" is a song by Angela Lashley, whose son, Jonathan, is a young U.S. Army soldier in the 82nd Airborne Division. About a year ago, Jonathan "felt compelled" to suddenly leave college and join the Army. The evening after Jonathan flew off to join the service, Angela asked her husband, "When did he become so brave?" They began to discuss events during his childhood that showed something of a pattern.
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03/03/2007
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) - She's a climber with heart, and it's not even her own.
Kelly Perkins, a 45-year-old Californian who had a heart transplant more than a decade ago, has added a dangerous free climb in the Andes to a string of mountaineering feats.
Perkins, the first person to climb the Matterhorn, Mount Fuji and Mount Kilimanjaro with another person's heart beating in her chest, recently completed a challenging roped ascent with her husband, Craig, up the side of an unexplored peak in the South American chain.
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03/03/2007
Mr. Rawles,
I reviewed the article from MSN Money regarding property taxes by state, mentioned by "J Eagle". I could not help to look at Alabama because that is my home state. Unfortunately, I am not there now. However, property tax is low in Alabama but they have a 5% personal income tax and sales tax is charged on everything one purchases. This includes big ticket items such as cars and tractors (at a reduced rate from normal sales tax) to basic necessities (food, clothing, guns and ammunition at the normal sales tax rate). They also charge the pharmacies a tax of $1 per prescription filled, which is ultimately passed onto the consumer.
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03/02/2007
The Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) has issued a report this week that should lay to rest the argument made by some that immigrants compete for jobs and lower the wages of U.S.-born workers. This comprehensive study, based on data between 1960 and 2004, has great significance for California policymakers as well as federal officials grappling with what should be done about immigration. In California, this issue has been identified in polls of the PPIC and the Field Survey as either the most important issue to voters or certainly in the top ones that are mentioned by them.
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03/02/2007
ROGERS -- The feds apparently want more information from Rogers before the city is allowed to train and equip its police officers for immigration enforcement.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement responded last week to Rogers' request to participate in the program, questioning how the program will assist the city in complying with a 2003 racial profiling lawsuit settlement.
A Jan. 5 letter from Erik Meder, staff attorney for the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, to the Department of Homeland Security raised the issue of a possible conflict between the settlement and the city's participation in the 287(g) program.
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03/02/2007
Libs have been pushing for socialized medicine for years. Just another way to control your life. It is a disaster. Canada is now moving away from it. One of the FOX guys told how he and his wife were in London when she became ill and had to be hospitalized. Despite their good health insurance, (which is scorned in Europe) she was put in a huge ward.over 25 patients. The place stunk of urine, (and other things)they rarely saw a nurse. She was stuck there for nearly a month. He said he will never forget it. It was a nightmare. They saw ONE man with a bucket of filthy water cleaning the floors occassionally.
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03/02/2007
It's an expensive business having your laptop stolen, as the Nationwide Building Society found out last month - and Worcestershire County Council may soon discover.
But the biggest cost doesn't necessarily come from having to replace the lost system. Rather, in Nationwide's case, the main outlay ended up being the 980,000 fine imposed by the Financial Services Authority, for what the regulator deemed were serious information-security lapses. Much time and money were also spent in informing customers of the potential risks they could be exposed to because of the theft, which took place at an employee's home in August 2006.
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03/01/2007
Hamish Davidson
Wednesday February 28, 2007
The Guardian
Born between 1946 and 1964, I am a "boomer" and proud of it. I am part of this select group that has been credited as having invented the teenager, before moving on to sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll. We were pioneers. We threw ourselves headfirst into "new" things such as divorce and cosmetic surgery. We loved being young and, as we head into our supposedly mature years, it could be said that we are the first generation that is looking forward to old age.
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03/01/2007
The New Wijit Tetra DBS™ and Wijit VOYAGER are Now Available
The new Wijit Tetra DBS and Wijit VOYAGER are now available at a participating dealer near you! For individuals unable to locate a participating dealer, you may contact us to place an order. If you are a dealer interested in carrying the Wijit Tetra DBS and Wijit VOYAGER for your customers, please visit our Dealers section.
The Wijit VOYAGER is the first healthy, safe way for children to propel themselves in a manual wheelchair.
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01/22/2006
Off-Label Use of Blood Clotting Drug, NovoSeven, Linked to Deaths and Strokes - FDA
THIS IS BUT THE LATEST EXAMPLE OF THE EXTREME DANGER ASSOCIATED WITH THE OFF-LABEL USE OF PRESCRIPTION DRUGS FOR CONDITIONS THEY WERE NEVER INTENDED OR APPROVED TO TREAT
Jan 19, 2006 | www.newsinferno.com
According to the FDA, a blood clotting drug for hemophiliacs has been linked to heart attacks, strokes, deaths, and other health complications in patients given the medicine for other types of out-of-control bleeding, such as cerebral hemorrhages.
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