Fess Parker died

2010-03-18 | Filed Under RichardH's Posts |

For those of you who are old enough to know who he was, click this link and sing along.

-RichardH

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Catholic opposition to health bill fades (Boston Globe)

2010-03-18 | Filed Under RichardH's Posts |

In the 18 March 2010 issue, The Boston Globe reports Catholic opposition to health bill fades.

Roman Catholic opposition to the health care overhaul package is crumbling, with some church officials and lawmakers concluding that their long-sought goal of health care overhaul trumps the desire to adopt the severest restrictions on abortion funding.

A coalition of 59,000 nuns released a letter yesterday calling on Congress to approve the overhaul, defying the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, which opposes the measure. The Catholic Health Association, which represents 1,200 Catholic hospitals, has endorsed the package, as have Catholics United and Catholic groups promoting social justice.

-RichardH

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Author’s Response to Social Insecurity – Investment Rules Need Rethinking

2010-03-17 | Filed Under SteveG's Posts |

I solicited a response to my post Social Insecurity – Investment Rules Need Rethinking from Arun Muralidhar a co-author of the book that I mentioned, Rethinking Pension Reform, by Franco Modigliani and Arun Muralidhar, Published October 2004.

I posted it as a comment to that other item, but RichardH urged me to make it more prominent.

Here is what Arun Muralidhar gave me permission to post:

I think the privatization folks have realized that privatization is a pipe dream (especially given that even the Chileans have reformed their system away from privatization) and the market collapse of 2008 demonstrates how individuals who were unlucky to be conceived in the wrong year and month could have been left in poverty at retirement if they were in DC plans. Also, the folks who support no change to current way of financing benefits have got to realize that a PAYGO system is unsustainable and leaves SS contributions very susceptible to small changes in population and productivity growth. The simple solution is to implement what we call “risk sharing through a common portfolio.” Because of continued inaction in Washington year after year (and squandered surpluses), there is a cost to be borne and it is currently a 1.1% permanent increase in SS taxes for all citizens – the worse part, if we keep delaying, the cost keeps rising as this is a ticking time bomb, but the fuse is long so Washington can kick the ball down the road to the next set of representatives!

The sad part is Congress is totally paralyzed (I tried contacting my rep, Congressman Rush Holt, when I lived in NJ and he claimed he did not have the time to meet and I was fobbed off onto a researcher). Someday, I hope that our elected representatives get a backbone to take this on and not strap our kids with a ridiculous tab for our inaction.

In addition to having a decent health care system, shouldn’t we ensure that we do not leave our retirees in poverty or plunder from our children to prevent such an outcome?

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Health Reform in No Uncertain Terms

2010-03-17 | Filed Under SteveG's Posts |

That’s why we need health insurance reform right now

When you hear people more worried about the politics of it than what’s right and what’s wrong…

Follow this link to the page where you can record the results of your call to your Congress people

With just days remaining, the final vote is shaping up to be extremely close. Everything we’ve worked for is on the line, and your voice is needed now more than ever before.

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Social Insecurity – Investment Rules Need Rethinking

2010-03-17 | Filed Under SteveG's Posts |

Follow this link to the editorial in the Worcester T & G.

I posted this response to this Editorial as a comment on the web site:

Wow, I cannot believe that I am seeing this as a T & G editorial. I have been advocating this since at least 2004.

Read the book – Rethinking Pension Reform, Franco Modigliani, Arun Muralidhar, Published October 2004.

http://www.cambridge.org/uk/catalogue/catalogue.asp?isbn=0521834112

It spells out a well thought out plan to modify Social Security investment policy in ways indicated by this editorial.

Imagine if Social Security had been allowed to invest at the depths of the market in March 2009. That investment by Social Security would already be up by 60% or more.

Previous publications by Modigliani and Muralidhar show even more detail than in the book. They had an FAQ that showed how they resolved just about every possible objection to their plan. Ted Kennedy was going to have them testify before Congress, but I don’t think that ever actually happened.

Follow this link to what I posted back in 2004 about this topic.

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The Raging Septuagenarian

2010-03-17 | Filed Under SteveG's Posts |

Follow this link to the article A Look Inside the Life of News Corp. Mogul and Raging Septuagenarian Rupert Murdoch — New York Magazine.

I figure it always pays to understand what motivates an adversary. I think it may be much worse than I imagined.

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Have You Sent Your Letter To Congress?

2010-03-16 | Filed Under SteveG's Posts |

http://my.barackobama.com/DaySix6

With everything on the line and so little time left, we have to bring our voice to Congress through every possible channel.

It takes just a few minutes to write and send your own letter directly to your representative to let them know that you support health reform.

I have made phone calls, sent email, and written on my Representative’s facebook page.

Don’t miss an opportunity to make your voice heard.

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U.S. Anger Over East Jerusalem Row Is Excessive

2010-03-16 | Filed Under SteveG's Posts |

Follow this link to the story in the Israeli newspaper, Haaretz.

This gives the other point of view to my previous post, A Serial Obstructionist.

As with all issues in Israel, I don’t know which side to believe. Of course that’s no different from political issues in this country. Sometimes it is hard to know who to believe.

Of course the Haaretz article doesn’t take into account the political problem faced by President Obama. The Palestinians may be taking advantage of the Obama administration’s seeming anger over the Jerusalem row. However, the Palestinians may be taking advantage of Netanyahu’s demonstration that you can walk all over the Obama administration and they will be powerless to do anything about it.

It is not clear to me which position that Obama could take that would be more harmful to Israel in the end. Netanyahu has made his political calculation to do what he has done. Time will tell who is the better political calculator, Abbas, Netanyahu, or Obama.

As for the analysis in Haaretz, I would hardly call Obama’s attempts to strengthen sanctions on Iran, extending a hand to Iran, unless you mean by hand a closed fist.

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A Serial Obstructionist

2010-03-15 | Filed Under SteveG's Posts |

Follow this link to the article on the ZEEK website which is presented by The Jewish Daily Forward. The article claims that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may have deliberately ambushed Vice President Joseph Biden with the announcement of the plans to build 1600 housing units on the west bank.

You may or may not choose to believe this. I don’t quite know what to make of it.

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