Saturday, February 28, 2009
Rant
I actually wrote this for a comment "awaiting moderation" at another site...but my comments are never approved, so guess I can put whatever I want here where no one reads anything I'm writing anyway ;)
So here we go:
I am really tired of the word “entitlements.” Whatever happened to words like “assistance”? I am an Ivy League-educated woman who cannot fulfill my present dream of working from my computer at home while coping with several serious illnesses including systemic lupus erythematosus…because someone forgot to allow for work incentives in Medicare Part D, and I was moved to Medicare Part D, not of my own choice. I would love to end my since-1988 existence as hated “welfare scum”, but since I am uninsurable as far as health insurance companies are concerned, I would die. And I don’t think anyone should have to die to bring the budget more into balance. There are other things we could slash first before resorting to murder, and I’ll name some gladly if anybody lets me. There are some things in federal disability programs which badly need tweaking, but in the years I have been waiting to be allowed to get out of the poverty that has made my health a lot worse than it ever should have been (and which incidentally stole my life from me, starting at age 23) the options have always been presented as 1) keep the status quo or 2) cut programs with a machete and ignore the collateral damage. I guess what I need is a policy wonk with a heart and a brain. Not more dartboards with the word “entitlements” painted on them…
I know so many brilliant people in the tech field who are now under or unemployed. Maybe we could take a look at the H1Bs we are importing in the tech industry? Just an example. The devil is always in the details.
So here we go:
I am really tired of the word “entitlements.” Whatever happened to words like “assistance”? I am an Ivy League-educated woman who cannot fulfill my present dream of working from my computer at home while coping with several serious illnesses including systemic lupus erythematosus…because someone forgot to allow for work incentives in Medicare Part D, and I was moved to Medicare Part D, not of my own choice. I would love to end my since-1988 existence as hated “welfare scum”, but since I am uninsurable as far as health insurance companies are concerned, I would die. And I don’t think anyone should have to die to bring the budget more into balance. There are other things we could slash first before resorting to murder, and I’ll name some gladly if anybody lets me. There are some things in federal disability programs which badly need tweaking, but in the years I have been waiting to be allowed to get out of the poverty that has made my health a lot worse than it ever should have been (and which incidentally stole my life from me, starting at age 23) the options have always been presented as 1) keep the status quo or 2) cut programs with a machete and ignore the collateral damage. I guess what I need is a policy wonk with a heart and a brain. Not more dartboards with the word “entitlements” painted on them…
I know so many brilliant people in the tech field who are now under or unemployed. Maybe we could take a look at the H1Bs we are importing in the tech industry? Just an example. The devil is always in the details.
Well...damn
US Gross Domestic Product (GDP) contracted 6.2% in the 4th quarter of 2008.
Oh yes, this is going to be a rough ride...and I wish I had better news.
Paul Krugman is saying things are even scarier , considering new unemployment data.
In personal news, nothing has changed allowing me to work and keep my health care, and I wait in poverty for someone to notice the plight of some people on SSDI and Medicare Part D. And the person I live with has been unemployed since mid-November; one of the many good tech jobs that have just vanished.
Frankly, given my health problems, I'm wondering if I'm going to live thru this one. We've reallty got to start pulling together and kicking some economic butt.
My advice: please remember, if you are one of the folks who are still employed: save some, spend some, give some. I think that is either a paraphrase or a quote of what Rockefeller children were once taught regarding money.
Save some, in case something happens to your job or assets.
Spend some, at the vendors which you hope will weather this economic storm, to keep some businesses and jobs alive.
Give some, since friends and family may be in dire straights and need your help to get through this. Ask those whom you think may be vulnerable how they are really doing. Don't wait for their crisis to be even more $$$ or, God forbid, dangerous.
Oh yes, this is going to be a rough ride...and I wish I had better news.
Paul Krugman is saying things are even scarier , considering new unemployment data.
In personal news, nothing has changed allowing me to work and keep my health care, and I wait in poverty for someone to notice the plight of some people on SSDI and Medicare Part D. And the person I live with has been unemployed since mid-November; one of the many good tech jobs that have just vanished.
Frankly, given my health problems, I'm wondering if I'm going to live thru this one. We've reallty got to start pulling together and kicking some economic butt.
My advice: please remember, if you are one of the folks who are still employed: save some, spend some, give some. I think that is either a paraphrase or a quote of what Rockefeller children were once taught regarding money.
Save some, in case something happens to your job or assets.
Spend some, at the vendors which you hope will weather this economic storm, to keep some businesses and jobs alive.
Give some, since friends and family may be in dire straights and need your help to get through this. Ask those whom you think may be vulnerable how they are really doing. Don't wait for their crisis to be even more $$$ or, God forbid, dangerous.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
And Maldonado got his own way...
He has a rep as a nice guy. He wrote me a nasty letter in response to my problems accessing health care. Not sure how to reconcile those two things. I'll probably write him again, but only when I am feeling "up" enough that I won't care if the response is boilerplate Republican Social Darwinist.
What a lucky guy, though. Imagine being in a position to make demands because the entire budget, dangerously late, needs your vote to pass. I would have loved to have been in his shoes. I would have insisted on every disabled person having the right to work and to be better off if they try to work and certainly not lose their health care benefits. What a different life I and so many others would have if someone would just tweak a few messed-up things and make that happen. I don't think it's going to happen in my lifetime anymore, unless a celebrity shows up who cares about it.
I don't have Abel's luck. In a way, that is my issue with his "I worked my way up from dirt so anyone can if they really try" mantra. I can't work my way up. I get sick enough to die if I work enough to get a job with health care. I lose my health care if I try a little work at home. Choice one, death; choice two, death; choice three, poverty. I'm on number three. And I don't like being told I didn't try hard enough, because I did, through pain and other horrific symptoms, for years. Sometimes a little luck is needed...or at the very least, a little less bad luck. Or people who care who have the power to remove roadblocks to your opportunities.
What a lucky guy, though. Imagine being in a position to make demands because the entire budget, dangerously late, needs your vote to pass. I would have loved to have been in his shoes. I would have insisted on every disabled person having the right to work and to be better off if they try to work and certainly not lose their health care benefits. What a different life I and so many others would have if someone would just tweak a few messed-up things and make that happen. I don't think it's going to happen in my lifetime anymore, unless a celebrity shows up who cares about it.
I don't have Abel's luck. In a way, that is my issue with his "I worked my way up from dirt so anyone can if they really try" mantra. I can't work my way up. I get sick enough to die if I work enough to get a job with health care. I lose my health care if I try a little work at home. Choice one, death; choice two, death; choice three, poverty. I'm on number three. And I don't like being told I didn't try hard enough, because I did, through pain and other horrific symptoms, for years. Sometimes a little luck is needed...or at the very least, a little less bad luck. Or people who care who have the power to remove roadblocks to your opportunities.
California...a budget, at last
It's a sucky budget, but at least it's signed and done with.
I'm for dumping the 2/3 requirement to get a budget passed, a difficult number to reach which we share only with Rhode Island and Arkansas, states that are not so politically divided.
The Republicans will of course oppose changing the 2/3, and naturally we need 2/3 to make the change! Oy vey.
I am still prepared to be inclusive to conservatives, even though so many of them weren't so inclusive to me when they had all the power, and I think they are fortunate to have President Obama who is so interested in collaboration and compromise...find me the Republican equivalent! However, the diehards who would see the economy circle the drain and die, or our state literally stop functioning, rather than raise a tax, have not won my admiration. They claim that their voters would punish them if they did vote for a budget with taxes...since those voters are a minority here, I think they should take a good look at how much better the housing prices are in the red states. Texas, Montana anyone? Normal people do not like taxes but also realize that 40+ billion dollar deficits are something of a problem.
I still think we need a crisp, clear, accurate presentation from someone as to how this deficit came about. Even Ronald Reagan had his charts on tv, folks. This is a massive deficit and something must be very screwed up somewhere.
I'm for dumping the 2/3 requirement to get a budget passed, a difficult number to reach which we share only with Rhode Island and Arkansas, states that are not so politically divided.
The Republicans will of course oppose changing the 2/3, and naturally we need 2/3 to make the change! Oy vey.
I am still prepared to be inclusive to conservatives, even though so many of them weren't so inclusive to me when they had all the power, and I think they are fortunate to have President Obama who is so interested in collaboration and compromise...find me the Republican equivalent! However, the diehards who would see the economy circle the drain and die, or our state literally stop functioning, rather than raise a tax, have not won my admiration. They claim that their voters would punish them if they did vote for a budget with taxes...since those voters are a minority here, I think they should take a good look at how much better the housing prices are in the red states. Texas, Montana anyone? Normal people do not like taxes but also realize that 40+ billion dollar deficits are something of a problem.
I still think we need a crisp, clear, accurate presentation from someone as to how this deficit came about. Even Ronald Reagan had his charts on tv, folks. This is a massive deficit and something must be very screwed up somewhere.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Well...should I send it?
I don't know. Supposedly it's my own state senator who is holding up the budget process at this moment. I've been urged to write him, but I don't know whether to complain or to congratulate him. Btw, for the record, I'm not thrilled with the federal stimulus package, either. I think the current version on the table of the CA budget AND the federal stimulus package have both earned the status of NEs at this point.
NE = necessary evil
Anyway. Not yet sent:
Please Pass the Budget Proposal
Dear Senator,
For the record, I despise the budget proposal. I do not believe the poor and the sick, already struggling literally to survive in the current economic climate, should have been hit by our Governor's cessation of payment of Medicare Part B insurance premiums (having the probably unintended consequence on some of us of potentially threatening our Part D prescription coverage.) I believe this and other targeting of the disabled is unconscionable. We should be able to balance a budget without literally threatening American lives.
I also believe that small businesses desperately need a viable way to obtain health care at a reasonable cost, since there are many who refrain from entrepreneurship due to health care concerns and this is a drag on our economy. I also, for selfish reasons, would really like someone to look at and fix the plight of people like myself who are disabled and overwhelmed by an inability to attempt to get out of poverty due to serious work disincentives, some of which are federal but some of which are state-based. It seems there is never any way to address these and other problems constituents have to report, since California is of late always drowning in budget woes.
This budget contains cuts, taxes (including regressive taxes), increased fees (including regressive fees), and even more borrowing at a time when the last thing our economy needs is anything which will slow it down. I am absolutely appalled at the size of the projected budget deficit and I think that all of us need and deserve a through, detailed, and accurate explanation as to the source of the massive $41 billion of red ink, an amount nowhere close to what any other state is facing.
However, I am very concerned about the costs to our state from the delay in passing a budget, and that those costs may be escalating day by day. Although I am either not privy to or simply haven't uncovered detailed information on those costs, I am wondering if the interest we are paying on our bond debt has been affected by the lowering of our credit rating to rock bottom of all the states during the budget impasse. I did read that we are at this point actually being denied credit. I also am concerned about the cost of lawsuits the state may initiate or have to defend regarding the chaos, past and future, surrounding payment of state workers at this time. Lastly, I am very concerned as to what the issuance of IOUs to workers might do to the already fragile state economy. I'm not sure how well struggling businesses will do if their customers try to pay them with IOUs or stop purchasing goods and services as a result of the IOUs.
Senator, I am not at all unsympathetic to your requests that legislators not be paid for any days in which the budget is late, although I am concerned that this might be yet another barrier the non-rich have to face if they wish to run for state office. However, if it proves to be a negotiating stumbling block, I would respectfully beg you to drop your request for an open primary system for our state to be included in the budget at this time, since the fiscal situation looks to be something of an emergency and we are all probably going to live with this terrible budget as an alternative to no budget.
It is my hope that once this emergency is dealt with that our legislature immediately begin working on what should best be done so that the next and future budgets are not such a disaster for California.
with thanks,
etc.
NE = necessary evil
Anyway. Not yet sent:
Please Pass the Budget Proposal
Dear Senator,
For the record, I despise the budget proposal. I do not believe the poor and the sick, already struggling literally to survive in the current economic climate, should have been hit by our Governor's cessation of payment of Medicare Part B insurance premiums (having the probably unintended consequence on some of us of potentially threatening our Part D prescription coverage.) I believe this and other targeting of the disabled is unconscionable. We should be able to balance a budget without literally threatening American lives.
I also believe that small businesses desperately need a viable way to obtain health care at a reasonable cost, since there are many who refrain from entrepreneurship due to health care concerns and this is a drag on our economy. I also, for selfish reasons, would really like someone to look at and fix the plight of people like myself who are disabled and overwhelmed by an inability to attempt to get out of poverty due to serious work disincentives, some of which are federal but some of which are state-based. It seems there is never any way to address these and other problems constituents have to report, since California is of late always drowning in budget woes.
This budget contains cuts, taxes (including regressive taxes), increased fees (including regressive fees), and even more borrowing at a time when the last thing our economy needs is anything which will slow it down. I am absolutely appalled at the size of the projected budget deficit and I think that all of us need and deserve a through, detailed, and accurate explanation as to the source of the massive $41 billion of red ink, an amount nowhere close to what any other state is facing.
However, I am very concerned about the costs to our state from the delay in passing a budget, and that those costs may be escalating day by day. Although I am either not privy to or simply haven't uncovered detailed information on those costs, I am wondering if the interest we are paying on our bond debt has been affected by the lowering of our credit rating to rock bottom of all the states during the budget impasse. I did read that we are at this point actually being denied credit. I also am concerned about the cost of lawsuits the state may initiate or have to defend regarding the chaos, past and future, surrounding payment of state workers at this time. Lastly, I am very concerned as to what the issuance of IOUs to workers might do to the already fragile state economy. I'm not sure how well struggling businesses will do if their customers try to pay them with IOUs or stop purchasing goods and services as a result of the IOUs.
Senator, I am not at all unsympathetic to your requests that legislators not be paid for any days in which the budget is late, although I am concerned that this might be yet another barrier the non-rich have to face if they wish to run for state office. However, if it proves to be a negotiating stumbling block, I would respectfully beg you to drop your request for an open primary system for our state to be included in the budget at this time, since the fiscal situation looks to be something of an emergency and we are all probably going to live with this terrible budget as an alternative to no budget.
It is my hope that once this emergency is dealt with that our legislature immediately begin working on what should best be done so that the next and future budgets are not such a disaster for California.
with thanks,
etc.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
California's Credit Rating Cut To The Lowest Of All Fifty States
More bad news.
Raise your hand if you are surprised...
I'm not. Although I do remember a time when our state's credit rating was wonderful...so wonderful that we were urged to fund things by passing bonds instead of raising taxes/making cuts in other budget items...to take advantage of that credit rating.
Guess that process went a little too far?
Raise your hand if you are surprised...
I'm not. Although I do remember a time when our state's credit rating was wonderful...so wonderful that we were urged to fund things by passing bonds instead of raising taxes/making cuts in other budget items...to take advantage of that credit rating.
Guess that process went a little too far?
Monday, February 2, 2009
Let Them Eat Cake, Say The States...and the Feds
I am pretty certain that there has been something of a loss of compassion for the nation's poor in the U.S. in the years since Ronald Reagan won his 1980 landslide. Having lived through these years and having a serious income-changing life event happen to me during them, I got front row seats. The "welfare queen in a Cadillac" did its job. So did the passions surrounding the issue of illegal entry into our country, the difficult economics households faced who needed incomes from two working adults where formerly one would do (yes I'm old enough to remember THAT!) and policy decisions made by people who genuinely believed that the long-term income transfer of wealth into the coffers of the extremely wealthy in our country was somehow good for the economy.
And it was nice for an awful lot of folks to be given the chance to believe that they not only needed, but deserved, to enjoy services, administration, and even functions such as our national defense provided by government but at the same time should have low or no taxes to pay since (again somehow...a strange little wave of a magic wand here) this is what it took to keep the economy going.
Now that the economy is starting to unravel just a bit, I personally think it's time to question a lot of the assumptions we've had about what is good for it. But old habits die hard. The first thing we see (and possibly the last thing I'll see, since I'm on the list of those most vulnerable) is the needs of the poor and of at least part of the middle class for some kind of assistance becoming greater just as the federal government is dogged by an historic amount of red ink and the states are choosing to cut (and destroy jobs as well as reduce the spending power of the lives of those who depend on benefits -- meaning a blow to customers which will result in less business which will probably result in more layoffs, and circle the drain down and down we go) rather than assist and stimulate.
The big red-ink state of California, while not wanting to raise taxes of any kind for funds for assistance or even for continuing to provide state services for that matter, is yet willing to waste all kinds of money caused by the delay in passing a budget. Sometimes idiocy becomes impossible to even describe properly. Probably California voters now need to take a very serious look at their 2/3 requirement for passing of the budget by the legislature, since these deadlocks are proving so expensive as well as dangerous to both many citizens of the state and its economy as a whole.
Anyway, in my house the wage earner has been unemployed since mid-November. Brother, can you spare a dime, because there will be nothing but more pain from the elected officials of California. I vote for cessation of their salaries and benefits until they pass a damn budget, but I'm not in charge. Anyone unwilling to compromise and who is proud of it should be facing a recall right now, AFAIC.
A sample of the less-than-cheerful economic news:
Ok, that's enough. But the point is that it is a terrible time to be economically vulnerable for any reason. Single parents, those who have been laid off with no prospects for jobs in sight, the chronically ill...we're all scared, and sometimes it seems not only does no one care, but we are truly invisible. The funds...the borrowed funds, that is...are not being trickled down in our direction.
Yes, I do believe people will lose their lives over this. But we already have an estimated 18,000 - 25,000 per year who lose their lives due to our horribly unfair health care delivery system, and few know or care about that.
But don't let me ruin your Groundhog Day...!
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