More broadly, the education "problem" we have in the US at the moment is not one of cognitive ability, good teaching, funding, or anything else related to education. Rather, it's a tradition of racial and economic exclusion in the US that is determining most of the education "gap". Until we get to the root problems inherent (and often praised) failures of late American capitalism - such as chronic underemployment, low wages, a 24/hour economic cycle, and a lack of job security - we will be dealing with the same problems for generations.

 

The older I get and the more I learn, the more I believe that America's problem is that its policies are just irrational by any political standard.

 

I could give you 100 examples from my old life of urban planning, but here's one from my new life in medicine: It's common practice to offer a woman a tube tie while she's getting a C-section. Rationale: she's just had a kid, she might not want any more, and you're already in there so you're saving time and money. A lot of women do it. But, it's illegal to offer it to a low-income mother. The state is afraid that doctors would "abuse their position of power and sterilize the poor." It's one of the small ways that America now has more births poor single mothers than rich partnered ones. That's a promising future.

 

It's a policy that, like many in America, is a train wreck of "personal freedom" meets "political corretness" meets a massive bureaucracy. And it makes nobody happy.

More broadly, the education "problem" we have in the US at the moment is not one of cognitive ability, good teaching, funding, or anything else related to education. Rather, it's a tradition of racial and economic exclusion in the US that is determining most of the education "gap". Until we get to the root problems inherent (and often praised) failures of late American capitalism - such as chronic underemployment, low wages, a 24/hour economic cycle, and a lack of job security - we will be dealing with the same problems for generations.

 

 

 

It's a policy that, like many in America, is a train wreck of "personal freedom" meets "political corretness" meets a massive bureaucracy. And it makes nobody happy.

 

And yet we are the ones trying to spread our brand of democracy around the world...

While I'm not a huge fan of vouchers at least the organizations that get the money tend to be trustworthy.  The problem is any expansion of charter school funding, particularly those run by for-profit companies.  That's where Kasich's ties to folks like Brennan are an issue certainly worth discussing.

 

At the end of the day, however, the problem with both charter schools and vouchers is that they'll only improve educational outcomes marginally while leaving behind the most troubled students in public schools with even less funding.  The math is a bit complicated, but a big part of what it comes down to is that funding for special education services is rarely enough to cover the costs of the mandates imposed by state and local governments, and these are the kids that are generally denied access to parochial and charter schools.  There are other issues, such as who actually has the time and resources to access schools of choice, too.

 

There are costs to taking the potential high achievers out of traditional failing urban public schools, true.  But there are costs to leaving those potential high achievers in those unconscionably hostile learning environments, too--namely, that that potential will never actually be realized, because critical learning years of youth will be lost.  They will be held back by the need to teach to the median (or below it) when that median is unacceptably low; many of these schools do not have the resources for gifted programs (as you note, what resources they do have are often required to go to special education first, and they can't even cover those needs).  In addition, in some of those schools, the academic culture is so hostile that enrolling in a gifted program might as well paint a target on one's back.  Akron Buchtel high school, at least as of a couple of years ago, offered all of one AP exam.  AP tests are huge for talented but poor children because they can shorten the amount of quarters or semesters that one actually needs to be in college, significantly reducing both the expenses of higher education and the time before one can start earning a paycheck with a college degree.

 

If leaving the potential high achievers in the traditional public school environment meant only a small loss of performance for the gifted but serious gains in performance for median-level students, then I'd be more supportive.  The hard evidence for that is extremely thin, however; as best I can tell, the exhortations to leave these students where they are because others will benefit from their presence seems to be mostly wishful thinking.  More accurately, the gifted are neglected and unchallenged while the school's resources and attention are focused on the problem populations; the school's administration in many cases simply has no choice.  That means that the status quo is unacceptable and promises of internal reform are meaningless because they come from administrations that could not deliver such internal reforms even if they wanted.  Refusing to allow high performers a way out of that system does a tremendous disservice to both the students and to the community.

I could give you 100 examples from my old life of urban planning, but here's one from my new life in medicine: It's common practice to offer a woman a tube tie while she's getting a C-section. Rationale: she's just had a kid, she might not want any more, and you're already in there so you're saving time and money. A lot of women do it. But, it's illegal to offer it to a low-income mother. The state is afraid that doctors would "abuse their position of power and sterilize the poor." It's one of the small ways that America now has more births poor single mothers than rich partnered ones. That's a promising future.

 

The offer makes a ton of sense also because if I'm not mistaken, any future kids will also be a C section.  Illegal to even offer is just plain stupid, ad reeks of trying to create a dependent class.

 

How exactly is the 24 hour cycle supposed to be a problem?

^It's a very serious problem because people can't participate as normal functioning members of society when they work all these nights and weekends.

While I'm not a huge fan of vouchers at least the organizations that get the money tend to be trustworthy.  The problem is any expansion of charter school funding, particularly those run by for-profit companies.  That's where Kasich's ties to folks like Brennan are an issue certainly worth discussing.

 

At the end of the day, however, the problem with both charter schools and vouchers is that they'll only improve educational outcomes marginally while leaving behind the most troubled students in public schools with even less funding.  The math is a bit complicated, but a big part of what it comes down to is that funding for special education services is rarely enough to cover the costs of the mandates imposed by state and local governments, and these are the kids that are generally denied access to parochial and charter schools.  There are other issues, such as who actually has the time and resources to access schools of choice, too.

 

There are costs to taking the potential high achievers out of traditional failing urban public schools, true.  But there are costs to leaving those potential high achievers in those unconscionably hostile learning environments, too--namely, that that potential will never actually be realized, because critical learning years of youth will be lost.  They will be held back by the need to teach to the median (or below it) when that median is unacceptably low; many of these schools do not have the resources for gifted programs (as you note, what resources they do have are often required to go to special education first, and they can't even cover those needs).  In addition, in some of those schools, the academic culture is so hostile that enrolling in a gifted program might as well paint a target on one's back.  Akron Buchtel high school, at least as of a couple of years ago, offered all of one AP exam.  AP tests are huge for talented but poor children because they can shorten the amount of quarters or semesters that one actually needs to be in college, significantly reducing both the expenses of higher education and the time before one can start earning a paycheck with a college degree.

 

If leaving the potential high achievers in the traditional public school environment meant only a small loss of performance for the gifted but serious gains in performance for median-level students, then I'd be more supportive.  The hard evidence for that is extremely thin, however; as best I can tell, the exhortations to leave these students where they are because others will benefit from their presence seems to be mostly wishful thinking.  More accurately, the gifted are neglected and unchallenged while the school's resources and attention are focused on the problem populations; the school's administration in many cases simply has no choice.  That means that the status quo is unacceptable and promises of internal reform are meaningless because they come from administrations that could not deliver such internal reforms even if they wanted.  Refusing to allow high performers a way out of that system does a tremendous disservice to both the students and to the community.

 

Even in "good schools" there's usually quite a few poor kids. They still tend to command a lot of attention because they're generally much more outgoing than the middle- and upper-income kids. That's something I noticed at every school I attended. Poor people know they need to be outgoing in order to survive -- think about why people initiate conversations. It's usually because they want or need something.

While I'm not a huge fan of vouchers at least the organizations that get the money tend to be trustworthy.  The problem is any expansion of charter school funding, particularly those run by for-profit companies.  That's where Kasich's ties to folks like Brennan are an issue certainly worth discussing.

 

At the end of the day, however, the problem with both charter schools and vouchers is that they'll only improve educational outcomes marginally while leaving behind the most troubled students in public schools with even less funding.  The math is a bit complicated, but a big part of what it comes down to is that funding for special education services is rarely enough to cover the costs of the mandates imposed by state and local governments, and these are the kids that are generally denied access to parochial and charter schools.  There are other issues, such as who actually has the time and resources to access schools of choice, too.

 

There are costs to taking the potential high achievers out of traditional failing urban public schools, true.  But there are costs to leaving those potential high achievers in those unconscionably hostile learning environments, too--namely, that that potential will never actually be realized, because critical learning years of youth will be lost.  They will be held back by the need to teach to the median (or below it) when that median is unacceptably low; many of these schools do not have the resources for gifted programs (as you note, what resources they do have are often required to go to special education first, and they can't even cover those needs).  In addition, in some of those schools, the academic culture is so hostile that enrolling in a gifted program might as well paint a target on one's back.  Akron Buchtel high school, at least as of a couple of years ago, offered all of one AP exam.  AP tests are huge for talented but poor children because they can shorten the amount of quarters or semesters that one actually needs to be in college, significantly reducing both the expenses of higher education and the time before one can start earning a paycheck with a college degree.

 

If leaving the potential high achievers in the traditional public school environment meant only a small loss of performance for the gifted but serious gains in performance for median-level students, then I'd be more supportive.  The hard evidence for that is extremely thin, however; as best I can tell, the exhortations to leave these students where they are because others will benefit from their presence seems to be mostly wishful thinking.  More accurately, the gifted are neglected and unchallenged while the school's resources and attention are focused on the problem populations; the school's administration in many cases simply has no choice.  That means that the status quo is unacceptable and promises of internal reform are meaningless because they come from administrations that could not deliver such internal reforms even if they wanted.  Refusing to allow high performers a way out of that system does a tremendous disservice to both the students and to the community.

 

Just about everything you said is absolutely true.  The high achievers in this country are definitely marginalized, but this is a policy situation that starts at the Federal level and goes beyond any decisions being made at the local level.  Local administrators, particularly in urban districts, have their hands tied because their performance is rarely judged on how well their high achievers do, but instead on how much their low achievers make annual improvements.  That's where the focus of the money goes, and as such educational mediocrity is emphasized in this country by political leaders in far away offices.  Local educators are simply adapting to what they've been incentivized to do.

 

The solution for the high achievers is not necessarily more school choice (or more choice beyond public schools).  Charter schools and even most parochial schools aren't usually outperforming public schools with similar demographics, so I'm not sure why expanding access to these types of schools is necessary.  Why is the government's solution to the mess it has created to create another convoluted mess?  Why not loosen special education mandates and encourage tiered levels of public schools (i.e. gifted, average, remedial, special education, etc.) within the public schools system?  There's no reason why the best and brightest should need to leave the public school system to find a superior education.  If the Federal government stopped forcing districts to focus so much of their resources on such a small portion of their enrollment, districts might be able to do some more innovative things to help their high achievers flourish.  Instead of one John Hay type of a school, CMSD should have at least half a dozen, all of which would be a privilege to attend.

Ohio's former Gov. Ted Strickland unleashed criticism on JobsOhio today and suggested it could turn into a scandal that could cost current Gov. John Kasich his job next year.

 

"I think it is scandalous now, and the way it was put together is very, very puzzling," said Strickland.  "Taking public tax dollars, giving them to a private entity, depriving the state auditor, the Republican elected state auditor from having the ability to get in there and see what they're doing, who they're giving money to and what deals have been made.  This is a scandal waiting to happen."

 

This week the Columbus Dispatch reported that a Columbus business is closing its doors only to reopen them - with the state's help - in Wilmington. TimberTech says it will close its Columbus factory and eliminate up to 58 jobs. In the meantime, the company will get an eight-year, 50 percent tax credit from the state if it creates 85 new jobs in Wilmington.

...

"They've already done some things that I think are so horrendous," said Strickland.  "Marathon Oil a multi-million tax cut.  Bob Evans, multi-million dollars to go from South Columbus to New Albany.  There are so many examples of where this governor has taken care of his wealthy friends."

 

10TV: Central Ohio's News Leader!

http://www.10tv.com/content/stories/2013/08/02/ohio-governor-strickland-talks-jobsOhio.html

On the other hand, Kasich's job approval rating has rebounded greatly since the SB 5 days, and has been above the 50% mark for a while now:

 

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2013/02/28/quinnipiac-poll-kasich-popularity-peaks.html

 

http://triblive.com/politics/politicalheadlines/4346614-74/kasich-ohio-job#axzz2aKYbSwNf

 

 

If Strickland's going to whine like that, he should be running.  He would have a better chance than FitzGerald.

FWIW, Fitzgerald is also whining about what increasingly appears to be major corruption at JobsOhio.  People who sit on its board are funneling public funds directly to their own private interests.  I don't think it's possible to bring that up too often, because it seems a lot more serious than Coingate.

Ohio's former Gov. Ted Strickland unleashed criticism on JobsOhio today and suggested it could turn into a scandal that could cost current Gov. John Kasich his job next year.

 

"I think it is scandalous now, and the way it was put together is very, very puzzling," said Strickland.  "Taking public tax dollars, giving them to a private entity, depriving the state auditor, the Republican elected state auditor from having the ability to get in there and see what they're doing, who they're giving money to and what deals have been made.  This is a scandal waiting to happen."

 

This week the Columbus Dispatch reported that a Columbus business is closing its doors only to reopen them - with the state's help - in Wilmington. TimberTech says it will close its Columbus factory and eliminate up to 58 jobs. In the meantime, the company will get an eight-year, 50 percent tax credit from the state if it creates 85 new jobs in Wilmington.

...

"They've already done some things that I think are so horrendous," said Strickland.  "Marathon Oil a multi-million tax cut.  Bob Evans, multi-million dollars to go from South Columbus to New Albany.  There are so many examples of where this governor has taken care of his wealthy friends."

 

10TV: Central Ohio's News Leader!

http://www.10tv.com/content/stories/2013/08/02/ohio-governor-strickland-talks-jobsOhio.html

 

If the plant was going to move anyway. does it make sense to help the company relocate within Ohio, rather than simply lure in new companies and let the old ones go to other states?

^Now think about what your response to this program would be if it was spawned by and operated under Strickland or Fitzgerald.  I'm a mild fan of Kasich, but JobsOhio is without a doubt a train wreck (no pun intended) for his administration and political brand.

The same program minus the self-dealing and minus the cover-up might have some value.  As it currently stands, it's an abomination.

If the plant was going to move anyway. does it make sense to help the company relocate within Ohio, rather than simply lure in new companies and let the old ones go to other states?

 

That depends on the size of the taxpayer outlay per job necessary to keep the company in Ohio.  In some cases, yes, the public would be better off letting the employer leave than allowing itself to be held hostage for more than the jobs are worth.

FWIW, Fitzgerald is also whining about what increasingly appears to be major corruption at JobsOhio.  People who sit on its board are funneling public funds directly to their own private interests.  I don't think it's possible to bring that up too often, because it seems a lot more serious than Coingate.

 

Oh, don't get me wrong, I definitely think there's something very slimy going on with JobsOhio.  I'm just very disappointed that Strickland didn't sack up and try to win back the governor's mansion.  Although I don't think his chiming in helps or hurts FitzGerald, I personally just don't want to hear anything come out of Strickland's mouth right now.  He could have had a much stronger stage on which to be lodging his criticisms.

That depends on the size of the taxpayer outlay per job necessary to keep the company in Ohio.  In some cases, yes, the public would be better off letting the employer leave than allowing itself to be held hostage for more than the jobs are worth.

 

That's the type of thinking that will get your "R" card taken away.

I wanted Cordray to run, but I'm happy with where he is now.

I don't have an "R" card, so I think they'll be disappointed if they send their goons to take it from me.

I don't have an "R" card, so I think they'll be disappointed if they send their goons to take it from me.

 

Yeah I was kidding, I know that that description doesn't fit you at all.  I just wanted to applaud the comment.

If the plant was going to move anyway. does it make sense to help the company relocate within Ohio, rather than simply lure in new companies and let the old ones go to other states?

 

That depends on the size of the taxpayer outlay per job necessary to keep the company in Ohio.  In some cases, yes, the public would be better off letting the employer leave than allowing itself to be held hostage for more than the jobs are worth.

 

That's pretty much a given, and indeed my stricter libertarian instincts wince at the very idea of spending tax money on this.

 

But like tax abatement, that genie isn't going back into the bottle. 

 

I tend to favor helping existing companies over new ones.  It's not as politically splashy, but people who are keeping their jobs make more money and help keep an area stable.

FWIW, Fitzgerald is also whining about what increasingly appears to be major corruption at JobsOhio.  People who sit on its board are funneling public funds directly to their own private interests.  I don't think it's possible to bring that up too often, because it seems a lot more serious than Coingate.

 

Oh, don't get me wrong, I definitely think there's something very slimy going on with JobsOhio.  I'm just very disappointed that Strickland didn't sack up and try to win back the governor's mansion.  Although I don't think his chiming in helps or hurts FitzGerald, I personally just don't want to hear anything come out of Strickland's mouth right now.  He could have had a much stronger stage on which to be lodging his criticisms.

 

I sometimes wonder if Obama/the Chicago Machine had dirt on him.  All he had to do was distance himself from them, in particular Obamacare, and he would have been reelected.

The "machine" told him he would be taking a dirt nap if he didn't join the conspiracy to destroy life as we know it.  It all centered around Strickland's hesitation to install Sharia Law and refusal to order the State's National Guard to operate the air defense system which targets reindeer

FWIW, Fitzgerald is also whining about what increasingly appears to be major corruption at JobsOhio.  People who sit on its board are funneling public funds directly to their own private interests.  I don't think it's possible to bring that up too often, because it seems a lot more serious than Coingate.

 

Oh, don't get me wrong, I definitely think there's something very slimy going on with JobsOhio.  I'm just very disappointed that Strickland didn't sack up and try to win back the governor's mansion.  Although I don't think his chiming in helps or hurts FitzGerald, I personally just don't want to hear anything come out of Strickland's mouth right now.  He could have had a much stronger stage on which to be lodging his criticisms.

 

I sometimes wonder if Obama/the Chicago Machine had dirt on him.  All he had to do was distance himself from them, in particular Obamacare, and he would have been reelected.

 

Under that logic, shouldn't Kasich NOT be pushing an Obamacare-related Medicare expansion against his own party in an election year?

If the plant was going to move anyway. does it make sense to help the company relocate within Ohio, rather than simply lure in new companies and let the old ones go to other states?

 

That depends on the size of the taxpayer outlay per job necessary to keep the company in Ohio.  In some cases, yes, the public would be better off letting the employer leave than allowing itself to be held hostage for more than the jobs are worth.

 

That's pretty much a given, and indeed my stricter libertarian instincts wince at the very idea of spending tax money on this.

 

But like tax abatement, that genie isn't going back into the bottle. 

 

I tend to favor helping existing companies over new ones.  It's not as politically splashy, but people who are keeping their jobs make more money and help keep an area stable.

 

A simple level playing field helps established companies plenty enough.  The first few years of a business' existence are generally the harshest.  Few survive.  That would still be the case even without established companies getting massive direct and indirect subsidies at taxpayers' expense (including the expense of the owners of the startup trying to compete with them).

I sometimes wonder if Obama/the Chicago Machine had dirt on him.  All he had to do was distance himself from them, in particular Obamacare, and he would have been reelected.

 

That would be ridiculous if true.  If I recall, Strickland was a big Obama ally, particularly in helping him win Ohio in 2008.

I sometimes wonder if Obama/the Chicago Machine had dirt on him.  All he had to do was distance himself from them, in particular Obamacare, and he would have been reelected.

 

That would be ridiculous if true.  If I recall, Strickland was a big Obama ally, particularly in helping him win Ohio in 2008.

 

The two aren't mutually exclusive.  Especially where Chicago politics is concerned.

 

A Strickland who distances himself from Obama and wins handily is a potential primary challenger in 2012.

The two aren't mutually exclusive.  Especially where Chicago politics is concerned.

 

A Strickland who distances himself from Obama and wins handily is a potential primary challenger in 2012.

 

"Chicago politics"? Sounds like you've been watching too much Boss.

 

Kasich rode in on a wave of Tea Party angst.  That was a close election and Strickland was going to be associated with Obama either way.  Your landslide talk makes no sense...but what makes even less sense is that idea that Obama was going to get a primary challenge from anyone other than some redneck, DINO from Tennessee or West Virginia.

The two aren't mutually exclusive.  Especially where Chicago politics is concerned.

 

A Strickland who distances himself from Obama and wins handily is a potential primary challenger in 2012.

 

"Chicago politics"? Sounds like you've been watching too much Boss.

 

Kasich rode in on a wave of Tea Party angst.  That was a close election and Strickland was going to be associated with Obama either way.  Your landslide talk makes no sense...but what makes even less sense is that idea that Obama was going to get a primary challenge from anyone other than some redneck, DINO from Tennessee or West Virginia.

 

Or history.  You don't think the Daleys play those sorts of games?  What do you think happened to Blagojevich?  (sic)  Perhaps he was thrown under the bus for trying to sell something that belonged to them?  Perhaps this was a warning to Obama?  Around here we are used to thinking of corrupt machine politicians as buffoons.  That's not the case 300 miles to our west.  They practice "preventive politics".  Remember Jack Ryan's divorce records?

 

The "Tea Party" was more about national politics and Kasich wasn't a TP darling anyway.  Strickland could have filed an anti-Obamacare suit instead of bringing him to Cleveland.  If that's the case, and he runs on his relatively good record, he wins.  Do you think a perceived-moderate rural governor of a deep purple state from Appalachia who won during the Tea Party wave scared Obama and his minders?

Gov. Strickland was an enthusiastic backer of Hillary Rodham Clinton, not Barack Obama. Now this:

 

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/national_world/2013/08/06/sebelius-to-release-exchanges-rates-soon.html

 

FACTUALLY INCORRECT

Forecasts by some U.S. states that show health insurance costs skyrocketing under Obamacare are “factually incorrect,” Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said yesterday.

 

Sebelius, President Barack Obama’s top health-care adviser, did not name the states but said that the administration will set the record straight on costs for the uninsured in September.

 

She also criticized conservative groups for trying to discourage enrollment in the new health-insurance exchanges and lamented that the Obamacare rollout will not have a bigger marketing budget available.

 

“It’s unfortunate that in some instances, I think, erroneous information is being advanced as if these are the final rates available in the marketplace and that this is what consumers will be paying. And that’s just not accurate,” Sebelius said during a conference call with reporters.

***

Workers who lost their jobs before age 65 only have *the exchanges* to buy health care from. Gov Kaligula is harming Ohio's middle aged workers.

Gov. Strickland was an enthusiastic backer of Hillary Rodham Clinton, not Barack Obama. Now this:

 

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/national_world/2013/08/06/sebelius-to-release-exchanges-rates-soon.html

 

FACTUALLY INCORRECT

Forecasts by some U.S. states that show health insurance costs skyrocketing under Obamacare are “factually incorrect,” Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said yesterday.

 

Sebelius, President Barack Obama’s top health-care adviser, did not name the states but said that the administration will set the record straight on costs for the uninsured in September.

 

She also criticized conservative groups for trying to discourage enrollment in the new health-insurance exchanges and lamented that the Obamacare rollout will not have a bigger marketing budget available.

 

“It’s unfortunate that in some instances, I think, erroneous information is being advanced as if these are the final rates available in the marketplace and that this is what consumers will be paying. And that’s just not accurate,” Sebelius said during a conference call with reporters.

***

Workers who lost their jobs before age 65 only have *the exchanges* to buy health care from. Gov Kaligula is harming Ohio's middle aged workers.

 

In a related story, Toyota has said the recent problems with their cars have been overstated.

 

Her job is to sell this thing.

You don't think the Daleys play those sorts of games?  What do you think happened to Blagojevich? 

 

The old Daley machine has been gone for 30 years. Richie Daley surely played some patronage politics, but the party machine in long gone. You can't have a political "machine" with just a powerful politician. The machine is the system and all of its cogs -- the army of precinct captains and ward committemen and their lieutenants, people who don't really buy votes, but are out in the community addressing problems and ingratiating themselves and their party to the citizens. And, of course, handing out patronage jobs. I'm not saying there's no more patronage and no more corruption, but there's no more well-oiled, highly organized and effective machine. Certainly nothing that can throw a buffoon like Blagojevich under the bus. I think the fact that a buffoon like Blagojevich can get as far as he did is evidence that the machine is gone.

Do you think a perceived-moderate rural governor of a deep purple state from Appalachia who won during the Tea Party wave scared Obama and his minders?

 

No.  But I do think Strickland losing the election might have helped Obama.  Strickland would have never signed SB5.  There would have never been the massive pushback against State GOPers which translated into a net positive in 2012 for Obama.

Instead of Strickland opposing Obamacare, which would have baffled everyone, Kasich is backing it in the form of Medicaid expansion. 

 

Ohio law allows insurance companies to refuse coverage-- at any price-- to people with preexisting conditions.  Obamacare is likely to be very popular here and Kasich knows that.  He can let Taylor tow the party line, but he realizes he has to come to the middle.  Which is good.

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/national_world/2013/08/06/sebelius-to-release-exchanges-rates-soon.html

 

FACTUALLY INCORRECT

Forecasts by some U.S. states that show health insurance costs skyrocketing under Obamacare are “factually incorrect,” Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said yesterday.

 

Sebelius, President Barack Obama’s top health-care adviser, did not name the states but said that the administration will set the record straight on costs for the uninsured in September.

 

She also criticized conservative groups for trying to discourage enrollment in the new health-insurance exchanges and lamented that the Obamacare rollout will not have a bigger marketing budget available.

 

“It’s unfortunate that in some instances, I think, erroneous information is being advanced as if these are the final rates available in the marketplace and that this is what consumers will be paying. And that’s just not accurate,” Sebelius said during a conference call with reporters.

***

Workers who lost their jobs before age 65 only have *the exchanges* to buy health care from. Gov Kaligula is harming Ohio's middle aged workers.

...

Her job is to sell this thing.

And Mary Taylor's job is to lie?? That propaganda about "death panels" is proof that the GOPs are not above that.

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/national_world/2013/08/06/sebelius-to-release-exchanges-rates-soon.html

 

FACTUALLY INCORRECT

Forecasts by some U.S. states that show health insurance costs skyrocketing under Obamacare are “factually incorrect,” Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said yesterday.

 

Sebelius, President Barack Obama’s top health-care adviser, did not name the states but said that the administration will set the record straight on costs for the uninsured in September.

 

She also criticized conservative groups for trying to discourage enrollment in the new health-insurance exchanges and lamented that the Obamacare rollout will not have a bigger marketing budget available.

 

“It’s unfortunate that in some instances, I think, erroneous information is being advanced as if these are the final rates available in the marketplace and that this is what consumers will be paying. And that’s just not accurate,” Sebelius said during a conference call with reporters.

***

Workers who lost their jobs before age 65 only have *the exchanges* to buy health care from. Gov Kaligula is harming Ohio's middle aged workers.

...

Her job is to sell this thing.

And Mary Taylor's job is to lie?? That propaganda about "death panels" is proof that the GOPs are not above that.

 

Are you saying the plan does not ration health care?  Are you saying that such will not give negative preference to older people with multiple health issues?  Are you saying that “end of life counseling” does not mean encouragement to not fight death? 

 

“Death Panels” is not the rationing boards’ official name, of course.  But we’ll reach our own conclusions based upon the evidence that’s there.

 

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2009/dec/18/politifact-lie-year-death-panels/

The nursing home leaned on my mother to not offer end of life counseling or hospice care for my father. "Nobody starves at Glenridge" was the director's proud pronouncement. My father had quit eating after one of his ministrokes. He had dementia and could not decide for himself, so the nursing home forced a feeding tube up his nostril and down into his stomach like he was some kind of IRA terrorist on a hunger strike. He pulled it out, so they restrained him and put it back in.

 

His body did not want food, because he was shutting down. They gave him an enema on the last day of his life. Sorry, Dad. I tried to stop  them.

This is getting pretty far off topic. Please keep discussions to the appropriate areas.

 

Oho Gov. John Kasich and Sen. Rob Portman at bottom of GOP presidential pile in New Hampshire

 

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- January 2016 is a long ways off, but if Ohio Gov. John Kasich or Sen. Rob Portman plan to run for the White House, they have a lot of catching up to do.

 

A poll released this week in New Hampshire -- the all-important, first-in-the-nation presidential primary -- shows both at the bottom of the prospective Republican pack.

 

Less than 1 percent of the 200 likely GOP primary voters surveyed for the WMUR Granite State Poll said they would support Kasich or Portman. That puts them well behind New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who is leading the Republican field with 21 percent.

 

Not like polling is really that important at this point anyway though... The election is still 3 years away. Still interesting. I think the reason is that neither candidate has really made a name nationally for himself aside from the flurry of news outlets covering Portman's change in stance on gay marriage (which probably would help in the primaries).

Instead of Strickland opposing Obamacare, which would have baffled everyone, Kasich is backing it in the form of Medicaid expansion. 

 

Ohio law allows insurance companies to refuse coverage-- at any price-- to people with preexisting conditions.  Obamacare is likely to be very popular here and Kasich knows that.  He can let Taylor tow the party line, but he realizes he has to come to the middle.  Which is good.

 

I think it's going to be quite popular everywhere.  I can see a swath of the population being unhappy, perhaps even some people that voted for Obama, but overall I think this thing is a game-changer.  Of course I say that as someone who has a pre-existing condition and who has, at times, been between jobs and had to pay through the nose for insurance, so I realize I do have some bias.  But there are a lot of things about the law to like, including the field-leveling aspects.  As I've said before, there are still big issues on the cost side with what providers are able to get away with, but it is my hope that this is just a first step towards something better.

We went through a hell of an experience. Sorry to bother you.

 

Kaligula and Taylor are trying to ruin the health care exchanges so that my jobless peers with preexisting conditions have no health care options. "Go home and die" is the real death panels.

The Gov will have a Libertarian challenger - Charlie Earl

He served in the house in the 80s as a Republican.

 

http://news.cincinnati.com/viewart/20130919/NEWS010801/309190073/Libertarian-joins-2014-race-Ohio-governor

 

The Gov will have a Libertarian challenger - Charlie Earl

He served in the house in the 80s as a Republican.

 

http://news.cincinnati.com/viewart/20130919/NEWS010801/309190073/Libertarian-joins-2014-race-Ohio-governor

They'll probably split the Tea Party vote then and make it easier on Fitz.

^I doubt it.

Ok, split is too strong, but he'll pull some votes that would otherwise have gone to Kasich.

I hope he can siphon off some votes from Kasich, but I'm skeptical.

Question for Cinci and Columbus and Toledo folks---is Fitzgerald known to folks in your areas? I have no idea, but my feeling is, outside of Cleveland, he may not be known very well.

^His name gets dropped occasionally in the newspaper or in my conversations with other people who are up-to-date with politics, but I believe a large majority of people in SW Ohio wouldn't know what office he is running for if you asked. I'm sure coverage will ramp up in the spring, but until then he isn't going to be a household name around here.

^His name gets dropped occasionally in the newspaper or in my conversations with other people who are up-to-date with politics, but I believe a large majority of people in SW Ohio wouldn't know what office he is running for if you asked. I'm sure coverage will ramp up in the spring, but until then he isn't going to be a household name around here.

 

He'll be a "household name" all right:

 

http://www.publicofficial14.com/