Home > Jay Bookman > Archives > 2008 > December > 11 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USPrivatizing government can backfire
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
For reasons that aren’t quite clear, Georgia may soon try to completely privatize its troubled mental-health system. According to Commissioner B.J. Walker of the Department of Human Resources, privatization offers “another way of looking at things” that could stimulate “real, positive change in mental health.”
There’s no doubt change is needed. Investigations by the Journal-Constitution have concluded that abuse, neglect and shoddy medical care contributed to the deaths of 136 patients within the state system from 2002 through 2007, and the U.S. Justice Department has warned Georgia officials that conditions are so bad that they violate patients’ civil and constitutional rights.
According to documents prepared by Walker’s staff, the state is proposing to hire private contractors to build and operate new hospitals to replace dilapidated state-owned facilities, some of which are more than a century old. The documents claim the step is justified because Georgia lacks the money to build new state hospitals on its own.
But think through the logic, or rather illogic, of that: If a private company builds new facilities on the state’s behalf, where exactly would the company get that money? Inevitably, the cost of those new facilities would still be borne by taxpayers, even if the money is hidden in private contracts.
In theory, of course, the profit motive will drive contractors to cut costs as much as possible, making operations more efficient. But that isn’t the problem here in Georgia. As AJC stories have documented, the deaths of so many patients in the state system can be attributed to insufficient and poorly trained staff, and to the fact that Georgia ranks near the bottom in per-capita spending on mental-health care.
Cost-cutting driven by privatization —- with no increase planned in funding —- is certain to compound rather than cure the problem.
A similar blind faith in the power of privatization is now driving transportation policy as well. With gasoline tax revenues falling well short of what is needed to reinvest in infrastructure, the latest fad is to raise revenue by allowing private companies to build toll roads or convert existing lanes to toll lanes.
In effect, that creates the same kind of shell game driving privatization of mental-health care. The public would still foot the bill, but it would do so through tolls paid to private companies instead of through taxes.
That way, politicians get to claim they’re holding the line on taxes and private companies get lucrative contracts. The only people who lose are the public.
And while tolls do have their place, in many cases the loss to the public is significant. In a survey of toll projects around the country, the Washington State Department of Transportation found that operators spend an average of 22 cents in overhead —- toll collectors, equipment, etc. —- just to collect a dollar in revenue. Raising revenue through the gas tax, by comparison, costs less than a penny on the dollar in overhead, according to data from the Federal Highway Administration.
Privatization also creates a whole new means for politicians to trade contracts for campaign contributions and other favors, as the latest “pay to play” scandal in Illinois demonstrates. Among his many other alleged sins, Gov. Rod Blagojevich is on tape demanding that highway contractors deliver campaign contributions of at least $500,000 in return for his approval of a $1.8 billion private tollway project.
In the popular image of privatization, of course, contracts are awarded only through a tough competitive bidding process. In real life, that’s not how things work.
According to a recent investigation by National Public Radio, the federal government has greatly expanded the number of private contractors it has hired, paying them more than $400 billion last year to do work once done more cheaply in many cases by government employees. “The administration has given the majority of that contract money to companies that didn’t have to compete to get it —- or faced only limited competition,” NPR found.
Katherine Schinasi, a high-ranking official with the Government Accountability Office, told NPR that in many cases, federal officials pay little or no attention to contractors under their supervision.
As a result, they can’t answer even the most basic questions from the GAO, such as whether contractors have done a good job or whether they’re saving taxpayers money.
In certain well-defined tasks, privatization undoubtedly offers significant benefits. But because it has been embraced as a panacea, and because so many have found it a lucrative means of milking the taxpayer, too often it creates far more problems than it solves.
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Comments
By AJC/DNC Management
December 11, 2008 7:18 AM | Link to this
There’s no doubt change is needed. Investigations by the Journal-Constitution have concluded that abuse, neglect and shoddy medical care contributed to the deaths of 136 patients within the state system from 2002 through 2007, and the U.S. Justice Department has warned Georgia officials that conditions are so bad that they violate patients’ civil and constitutional rights.
Is there any one stupid enough to believe government provided health care will be any better?
Oh yeah, the libs are.
By AJC/DNC Management
December 11, 2008 8:19 AM | Link to this
Aahhh, yes, the Wall Street Journal agrees with me-
Mr. Waxman calls it a “myth” that Fannie and Freddie were the originators of the crisis. That’s a red herring. Mr. Waxman’s documents prove beyond doubt that Fan and Fred turbocharged the housing mania with a taxpayer-backed, Congressionally protected business model that has cost America dearly.
The companies understood the risks they were running. But squeezed between the need to meet affordable-housing goals set by HUD and the desire to sustain their growth and profits, they took the leap anyway. As a result, by the middle of this year, the two companies were responsible for some $1.6 trillion worth of subprime credit of one form or another.
Hmmmm, that’s a bigger number than the 700 billion dollar bailout.
I think it is pretty easy to establish who the culprits were.
And when you add in the Oblahmi socialism scare, the democrats have successfully destroyed the economy of the United States.
Merry Christmas all!
By Taxpayer
December 11, 2008 8:19 AM | Link to this
Shocking! What this calls for is more probes.
By antiAJC/DNC Management
December 11, 2008 8:25 AM | Link to this
By AJC/DNC Management
December 11, 2008 7:18 AM Is there any one stupid enough to believe government provided health care will be any better?
Is there anyone stupid enough to bet that it won’t? Maybe we should let those auto execs and bankers have a go at it. They do such a jam up job you know.
By AJC/DNC Management
December 11, 2008 8:28 AM | Link to this
Last week, a new entrant joined the field. Ken Blackwell, a former state treasurer and secretary of state in Ohio who was his party’s gubernatorial candidate in 2006, sent a letter to all RNC members. He calls for returning the party to its Reaganite roots and touts internal reform at the RNC, including “spending smarter, replacing staff and consultants and modernizing our fundraising infrastructure.” Mr. Blackwell is the favorite of many movement conservatives, having served on the boards of the National Rifle Association, the National Taxpayers Union and the Club for Growth.-WSJ
What, we’re not going to follow the “advice” of all these lib editorial columnists??
I mean, really, don’t they know better than us?
Just kidding, Blackwell is a step in the right direction.
By DB, Gwinnettian
December 11, 2008 8:49 AM | Link to this
“Is there anyone stupid enough to bet that it won’t?”
Yes, and most of them live in red states.
Here’s hoping our horrible, decades long experiment with profit-based healthcare insurance is a disgusting, discredited memory in five years, replaced with a single payer system modeled on the way civilized nations do this sort of thing.
By FrankLeeDarling
December 11, 2008 9:18 AM | Link to this
our Jails are another example of privitization gone bad
By Morningstar
December 11, 2008 9:27 AM | Link to this
Privatization also creates a whole new means for politicians to trade contracts for campaign contributions and other favors, as the latest “pay to play” scandal in Illinois demonst
JAY - One has to wonder about funding for mental care facilities???
Funding for state mental facilities has been cut to the bone for years; that is common knowledge. In addition, funding for all social programs have been sliced to nothin. Oh never mind, I seem to have forgotten we needed all the billions for the Iraq war.
Of course oversight is a mite difficult, when no one exists to ‘oversee.’ Remember the banking situation???? Oversight and accountability is always the key.
The private sector providing better care? When pigs fly. The bottom line will be profit!!!!
By "The Corporal"
December 11, 2008 9:27 AM | Link to this
Lukovich’s cartoon was pretty funny this morning but they always make a clear point one way or the other.
In this case, what is his point?
1) The couple watching the t.v. are being made fun of for their honest questions about his birth origin ….
2) Or, Obama being from Planet Zorf represents him not to be the person we think he is (in many ways).
Baseed on the humorous logic of a political cartoon it can’t be both interpretations so which is it?
P.S.
Obama will be my President come January 20th but I will have questions until they are resolved to my satisfaction.
1) Hawaii law at the time of his birth:
”[§338-17.8] Certificates for children born out of State. (a) Upon application of an adult or the legal parents of a minor child, the director of health shall issue a birth certificate for such adult or minor, provided that proof has been submitted to the director of health that the legal parents of such individual while living without the Territory or State of Hawaii had declared the Territory or State of Hawaii as their legal residence for at least one year immediately preceding the birth or adoption of such child.”
2) What is the name of the hospital in Hawaii he was born in?
3) Will he release his college records (did he receive aid as a foreign student at any time)?
JAY and anyone else. These are legitimate questions that I have not found aswers to. If you have the answer (humor excepted) I will accept those answers and apolgize or stand corrected as need be.
By jethro bodine
December 11, 2008 9:30 AM | Link to this
North Carolina (my state of residence) essentially privatized mental health care several years ago and now care for people needing these services is in a state of shambles.
The trouble with privatizing mental health care is that the services providers end up more concerned about making a profit than they do about the service recipients.
Gordon Gekko and his little minion Andi think that “greed is good”. Look at what greed has done to our economy now. The whole system was a house of cards which has imploded on itself.
By Morningstar
December 11, 2008 9:41 AM | Link to this
By jethro bodine December 11, 2008 9:30 AM The trouble with privatizing mental health care is that the services providers end up more concerned about making a profit than they do about the service recipients
Yes! Yes! A million times yes. Greed and avarice, that is what will send billions to hell! It says so in the Bible!
By getalife
December 11, 2008 9:44 AM | Link to this
And the private birther puts his tin foil hat back on but agree the toon is very funny.
Big money to be made in hiring contractors the cheney way.
I doubt the idiots trillions in debt can save the idiots billions in debt with socialism so they go back to the cheney way.
By AJC/DNC Management
December 11, 2008 9:56 AM | Link to this
I agree with Private except for the part about Oblahmi being my president, FT, I didn’t vote for this disaster and in a year from now, when all of the slack jawed dullards in this country come to realize how much better it was with Bush around, no one else will admit to voting for this foreign criminal either.
Let me be the first, bwa.
Other than that, where’s the birth certificate at, barry?
By Morningstar
December 11, 2008 10:08 AM | Link to this
By getalife December 11, 2008 9:44 AM Big money to be made in hiring contractors the cheney way
You betcha. Private companies ‘with lucrative contracts.’ Way to go! Oh wait! Why not just borrow the money from China. They own us anyway.
Kiddies and Grands gonna have a great future trying to fix the mess we’re in. With Georgia’s unemployment insurance benefit claims up 55% in November, from the same month of 2007, I detect an onset of much more depression, i.e. mental illness.
By Bosch
December 11, 2008 10:13 AM | Link to this
Good God! I’m going to have to build an ARK!
The thing about mental health and the shambles the industry is in - in my opinion - is due to the fact that most people just wish crazy people would go away.
Or the homeless, or the mentally deranged, or the bad kids in juvie, or the prisoners.
And the problem is that “mental health” is so broad and sweeping that it’s hard to deal with due to the variety of issues of the individual.
And alot of people think that mental disease or sickness is all in the heads of those who are afflicted, and they should just snap out of it, or they did something to themselves and deserve what they get, or something equally as ridiculous.
You know, in my opinion of course.
By mm
December 11, 2008 10:14 AM | Link to this
Manglement at 9:56,
I didn’t vote for this disaster and in a year from now, when all of the slack jawed dullards in this country come to realize how much better it was with Bush around
Words aren’t even needed for that one.
Good thing the wingnuts are no longer in control of this country. We still may be able to save it in spite of these mental vegetables.
By Bosch
December 11, 2008 10:15 AM | Link to this
mm,
mental vegetables. :-)
good one.
By Bosch
December 11, 2008 10:17 AM | Link to this
But as far as privitizing mental health facilities in this country?
I’m thinking that’s not such a good idea - greed and profit will win out over actual care everytime.
By leni
December 11, 2008 10:21 AM | Link to this
It’s snowing in New Orleans,and the temp is down in the low 30’s. Guess hell might freeze over after all.
By Taxpayer
December 11, 2008 10:23 AM | Link to this
I’m looking for records covering George Bush’s time in the National Guard, his college transcripts, pictures of when he hatched, proof of his IQ, etc. These records should be more than adequate for building a case against his ever being elected as president — not that any of it is needed given all the existence proof that we the people have to deal with every single day. The Republican party is the worst thing that has happened to this country since the great depression. In fact, the Republican party and its lack of leadership has undoubtedly created the greatest level of depression that this nation has ever seen. So, what this country needs now is a healthy dose of ECT to snap us out of this Republican created depression.
Speaking of ECT, it’s a very cost-effective treatment for depression given the low power usage and low cost of electricity. The typical ECT treatment consumes less than 0.000028 kW-hours and with a power cost of about 10 cents per kWh, that’s a real bargain. Just try to get anti-depressants for that price from the major drug companies — even without Bush’s prescription drug company benefit program. How could anyone wonder why we’re so depressed as a nation. Not to worry though. Bush’s reign is almost over and we’re working slowly but steadily at getting rid of the rest of that Republican scourge.
So, if you’re feeling down and all depressed just hop in the car and head on down to Milledgeville and they’ll fix you right up. And, keep in mind that you’ll be supporting the local economy by using power generated right here in Georgia.
By AJC/DNC Management
December 11, 2008 10:24 AM | Link to this
Wonderful:
U.S. President-elect Barack Obama’s administration will offer Israel a “nuclear umbrella” against the threat of a nuclear attack by Iran, a well-placed American source said earlier this week. The source, who is close to the new administration, said the U.S. will declare that an attack on Israel by Tehran would result in a devastating U.S. nuclear response against Iran.
Great, the regime of lunatics in Iran thinks it can usher in the return to earth of Mohammed by killing everybody, so here’s Oblahmi offering to make it happen for them.
Sweet.
All they have to do is roast some Jews and it’s paradise, courtesy of the Wonder Boy.
By Morningstar
December 11, 2008 10:26 AM | Link to this
By Bosch December 11, 2008 10:13 AM most people just wish crazy people would go away. Or the homeless, or the mentally deranged, or the bad kids in juvie, or the prisoners.
What most of these ‘kind’ people don’t realize, is that MANY of the homeless wandering the streets of Atlanta, and other places, are individuals who were placed on the streets due to lack of funding for mental facilities.
Mental illness, like learning disabilities, is so complex no one has all the answers. I’ve heard nutty stuff such as ‘spiritual problem’ etc. spew out of the mouths of those who are fortunate enough to be standing in an upright position, at time of the ‘spewing.’ The tune will always change though, when it happens to them or theirs.
And how many children have been thrown away due to a learning disability. One shudders to even think of the atrocities!
By tcoach
December 11, 2008 10:29 AM | Link to this
DB, like civilized nations do.
So it is civalized to wait over 9 months for galbladder surgery? I waited 2 days here with our current system while a collegue of mine and I were talking about how he just got his done 3 weeks ago.
He was diagnosed as needing the surgery on Feb. 24th of last year.
Ever needed to have that surgery, hurts every time you breath or swallow or eat. The rest of the time you are fine.
By Bosch
December 11, 2008 10:30 AM | Link to this
But then again, many people are provided very good care with psychologists and psychiatrists (who in essence operate private companies) because they focus on the individual’s problems and needs instead of a group.
So, as usual, a little of both is good and healthy.
By getalife
December 11, 2008 10:32 AM | Link to this
Andy,
That is Hillary talking except she said we would wipe them off the map.
Iamanutjob welcomes the rapture but Ayatollah does not.
Funny how much in common you have with Iamanutjob.
Reilgious kooks.
By AJC/DNC Management
December 11, 2008 10:38 AM | Link to this
But at some point, Blagojevich seemed to become aware that Obama’s team had no interest in his favored option – he would pick Jarrett in exchange for being named secretary of health and human services, prosecutor allege. How did he know that?
Uh duuuuhhhhhhh.
Criminals and sociopaths, it’s the democrat way.
By Bosch
December 11, 2008 10:41 AM | Link to this
Morningstar,
Exactly, it’s not like the people are going away — mental illness has to be dealt with one way or another.
By "The Corporal"
December 11, 2008 11:00 AM | Link to this
To getalife
’s 2& 3 are very easy questions.Have they been answered?
Has Obama, his family or anyone from his staff every stated what hospital he was born in or do they state he was born at home in Hawaii.
It’s a valid question.
JAY
Are you aware of an answer to this question?
By DB, Gwinnettian
December 11, 2008 11:03 AM | Link to this
tcoach, good golly, how can I argue with such rock-solid data as that? You win! Your mighty cherry-picked anecdotal evidence totally ROX!
By getalife
December 11, 2008 11:03 AM | Link to this
private,
This thread is about a place you need to visit not a birther thread.
I will not engage in your tin foil hat kookiness.
By mm
December 11, 2008 11:06 AM | Link to this
Corporal,
Nobody cares about your questions.
Especially Obama.
By DB, Gwinnettian
December 11, 2008 11:09 AM | Link to this
“Birthers.” Nice. sounds like “Birchers.”
I’ll have to use that henceforth.
By GodHatesTrash
December 11, 2008 11:12 AM | Link to this
And the deranged and imbecilic RightWingnuts drone on and on and on and on and on and on at Bookman’s blog with their bizarre fantasies and perverted obsessions…
By getalife
December 11, 2008 11:14 AM | Link to this
BTW private,
I thought you said the SC ruled and you took off your tin foil hat.
Birthergate is over and Blagogate shows the President is clean.
Hell, his chief of staff snitched Blago out.
Now that is change.
By Bosch
December 11, 2008 11:14 AM | Link to this
If Midori appears today, I’ll have to send her flowers or something. I just read through the thread Jay put up about what questions would you ask Bush, and Midori and getalife’s questions had me laughing so hard I had tears.
By Bosch
December 11, 2008 11:19 AM | Link to this
getalife,
Is it snowing down there? I was in New Orleans a few years ago when it snowed, the locals were freaking out more than they do here.
By AmVet
December 11, 2008 11:23 AM | Link to this
I say let the uber-angry neo-cons have their way on this one.
Screw the loonies.
And the old people.
And the sick.
And the orphans.
They are all in the condition they’re in because of the poor choices they made.
It’s the reich-wing, christian, personal responsibility thing to do.
01-20-09 The End of a National Disaster
By Bosch
December 11, 2008 11:25 AM | Link to this
AmVet,
Orphans? Really? What about homeless puppies?
:-)
By professional skeptic
December 11, 2008 11:27 AM | Link to this
Hey Jay… this is somewhat off topic. Actually Wooten addresses it in his column today.
What do you think are the chances that ol’ Sonny will actually fund improvements in our public transportation network with the $1 Billion he wants to borrow? I’m thinking waaaaay back to August when things were all rosy with the world and the Transit Planning Board approved Concept 3.
My sense is that the Rethugs will need at least a coupl’a years to go over the report, then they’ll want to commission another “study” just to make sure the TPB’s transportaion study studied the matter studiously enough. By the time that study is done, it will be time to commission yet another study just to make sure all the numbers aren’t outdated.
Meanwhile, the entire $1 Billion will have funded 30 more Go Fish GA sites all over the state.
Lord help us.
By Dr Abomi Nation
December 11, 2008 11:27 AM | Link to this
Corporal, I’m sending some real nice people over to your house today! These fine people wearing white jackets are your friends. They have a secret jacket they are going to ask you to put on that has many powers. Once you put it on they are going to take you to a very special room. This room is filled with copies of Obama’s birth certificate, it will be so much fun! If you take all them little pills in the cup you may be given a very special badge that makes you Special Agent of the Secret Sheriffs.
You will also be allowed to meet one of your blog buddies during your “visit,” AJC/DNC has been “visiting” for years.
See you soon!
By lovelyliz
December 11, 2008 11:31 AM | Link to this
Privitizing government services goesn’t make the government smaller. It just makes things look that way. They still work for the government but in a less direct manner and still funded by the taxpayer.
By joey
December 11, 2008 11:33 AM | Link to this
“Journal-Constitution investigations.” That’s a laugh.
It is the Public-fication of services that consistantly adds inefficiency and cost.
By getalife
December 11, 2008 11:35 AM | Link to this
Bosch,
I little this morning but just cold rain now.
By "The Corporal"
December 11, 2008 11:36 AM | Link to this
To Getalife, et al
The SCOTUS did not rule on the merits of anything. They simply declined to take the case which is what they do for numerous subjects brought to them.
By doing that, the issue of his Inauguration is closed. He will be the next President of the United States and as such my President.
However, that does not answer questions of historical importance that I have.
Also, keep in mind there will be more challenges. I can assure you that some defense attorney (you know how they are) will challenge a law Obama has signed based on this. They won’t win but it plugs up the already overburdened court system.
Now, I ask again. Has anyone out there ever heard a statement regarding the hospital Obama was born in.
It’s a legitimate question. Jay?
By getalife
December 11, 2008 11:41 AM | Link to this
Okay private,
Calm down.
Dr. Abomi Nation sent his friends and will there soon.
They will take good care of you.
Poor thing.
By AmVet
December 11, 2008 11:42 AM | Link to this
Apparently another RepubliCon just following Tricky George’s lead, and who doesn’t want to get caught with his dick in the mayonnaise.
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — An attorney fired from the governor’s office has said that staffers were encouraged to delete e-mails under the mistaken belief they had found a loophole from public records requests.
According to a deposition released Wednesday, Scott Eckersley said Gov. Matt Blunt’s chief of staff told employees to delete e-mails to disqualify the material as public records.
What are these scumbags trying to hide?
By "The Corporal"
December 11, 2008 11:45 AM | Link to this
From a Conservative Blog - to be sure:
Does dotting every “i” and crossing every “t” when it comes to constitutional eligibility questions for the highest office in the land warrant being characterized as a “tin-foil hat conspiracist” as some of the self-proclaimed truth-detector sites on the Internet suggest?
I don’t think so.
And I’m not afraid of being called derogatory names for defending the Constitution’s literal meaning and clear standards for eligibility for office.
I know where George W. Bush was born – Grace-New Haven Community Hospital in Connecticut.
I know where Bill Clinton was born – the Julia Chester Hospital in Hope, Ark.
I even know Abraham Lincoln was born in a log cabin.
Why is there so much secrecy about the birthplace of Barack Hussein Obama Jr.?
By DB, Gwinnettian
December 11, 2008 11:50 AM | Link to this
Off topic, but it looks like Team Bush may be in full Surrender-Monkey Mode.
Or, maybe they just didn’t have the heart to gratuitously befoul the planet before running off with the silver and china? Whatever the case, glad to hear this.
By Fred S.
December 11, 2008 11:52 AM | Link to this
And John McCain, whom I voted for, was born in Panama. So what! Get over it Corporal. Obama’s your Commander in Chief by a landslide. Or better yet, drop maggot. Gimme 10.
What a moron. No wonder you only got to the rank of corporal.
By AJC/DNC Management
December 11, 2008 11:56 AM | Link to this
According to the FBI affidavit in the case, emissaries for Senate Candidate 5 offered Blagojevich up to $1m for the Senate seat.
SC #5 being Jesse Jackson Junior, no less.
I wonder what Oblahmi offered? After the proper two year grace period that is.
Emails, AmVet?
By Tom
December 11, 2008 11:57 AM | Link to this
The “Corporal’s” love of the Constitution obviously begins and ends with Obama’s birthplace, based on some of his views on the 4th amendment.
By AJC/DNC Management
December 11, 2008 12:04 PM | Link to this
I’m just curious but why would you deny this-
One report out of Chicago suggested the possible tipster was Rahm Emanuel, Obama’s pick for chief of staff and a potential conduit for any communications from Blagojevich’s office to Obama. But Emanuel’s office has denied that story.-Politico
Isn’t this something you would want to use to burnish your anti corruption credentials?
It wouldn’t make a rat’s as-s difference to any ongoing investigations.
Waz up, barry?
By AmVet
December 11, 2008 12:07 PM | Link to this
Yep, emails.
The technology-challenged flat earthers think they’ve hidden their crooked deals, pedophilia, etc.
Will you nuts EVER learn a thing from that disgrace called Nixon?
Keep it up, though. I’m all for it.
A few more electoral bloodbaths should cleanse the sin out of the GOP…
By tcoach
December 11, 2008 12:09 PM | Link to this
DB, sorry I was unaware we were in a court of law.
So if you want to be a funny guy show us your evidence that is factual not your opinion or someone else’s. To show that we are not a civilized country.
Don’t back down you coward, come with hard core evidence or don’t ever make a false unsubstantiated claim.
If you choose not to then do not ever bother to type a word to me about evidence.
Everyone on here uses hearsay on a consistent basis, however you want evidence from me while all you are ever able to show in the form of evidence is cut and paste.
I have an actual business contact with numerous overseas coaches and man6 of my former teammates are still playing professionally in the countries you think are so civialized. I too played there for 2 years. But we will take your word since you have most likely never lived there, never visited and most likely don’t have a passport.
But we should all take your word on it.
By DB, Gwinnettian
December 11, 2008 12:30 PM | Link to this
Oh noes! the scary tcoach has called me a “coward!”
You’re a laugh, tcoach.
And your case still sucks. Donkeys. Smelly ones.
I’m not going to compare frickin boner fee-days over who knows the most furriners, although I suspect mine would crush yours like a grape. I’m making an assertion: A competently administered single-payer plan replacing our nation’s crappy semi-private healthcare (I say “semi” because vast swaths are already covered by Medicare, Medicaid, the VA) would result in much better coverage and lower costs.
Of course, it would mean some serious financial displacement for health insurance industry people who’d be out of work, and we’d have to account for that.
Now if you want to go on about Aunt Gladys’ gall bladder, you go ahead. I’m done here.
By tcoach
December 11, 2008 12:40 PM | Link to this
So DB have you ever LIVED in a foreign country? I have giving me insight into their situation.
Also what is your evidence that we are not a civilized country?
Those were your words stand up like an adult and defend them or retract them. I did not force you to make a false assertion. You chose to blabber all on your own about how we are all uncivialized.
If we do go to your sugested plan am I going to get a refund from the government for me being responsible and paying my premiumes on time and taking care of my family? Or do I get nothing for doing the right thing and those who did not get something for free or discounted?
I mean since you are so knowing of the subject matter.
I will give you time to google and cut then paste.
By Fred
December 11, 2008 12:45 PM | Link to this
Any action can ‘backfire’ Jay. Leaving fields of specialized expertise in the hands of government bureaucrats is the biggest mistake you can make… unfortunately, those same dullard (and/or corrupt) bureaucrats are the ones deciding who would get the privatized contracts…. and thus begins the cycle again.
By Taxpayer
December 11, 2008 1:04 PM | Link to this
With the economy in dire straits and jobs dropping faster than Republican congressional seats, where are the real Republicans when we need them most? Where is that oft touted philosophy of smaller government? Step up to the plate, Republican politicians and do the right thing — resign. Give us that smaller government…Now!
By "The Corporal"
December 11, 2008 1:07 PM | Link to this
To Fred S.
A couple of points sir:
1) McCain was born to parents who were both U.S. Citizens. That is an important distinction under the law.
2) If Obama was born in Hawaii - no problem. Since one of his parents was not a U.S. Citizen and if he was born in Kenya - that is a problem.
3) I don’t know if you were ever in the military but if so you would know that Obama is Commander in Chief only to those under the Chain of Command.
Therefore, he is NOT Commander in Chief to citizens but only their President. In other words, his military orders have no direct legal authority on us as citizens (i.e., get a haircut) ……….. :o)
Even this lowly Corporal learned that in boot camp.
P.S. Guess who else is not in the Chain of Command?
By "The Corporal"
December 11, 2008 1:12 PM | Link to this
To Tom
You lost me. Translation?
By "The Corporal"
December 11, 2008 1:15 PM | Link to this
To mm
Sir/Madam:
Please tell me why it is wrong to ask what hospital he was born in? It should be a matter of historical record for anyone later writing a biography of him, or a plaque in the hospital, etc., etc.
By Jaxon
December 11, 2008 1:24 PM | Link to this
The reason government is in this business of mental health care at state facilities is because 1) poor people do not have insurance or personal funds to pay for it themselves, and 2)there is no real profit in providing quality care because if there was, we wouldn’t have state run facilities in the first place.
Privitazation for public health care does not work, period! What happens is that the taxpayer ends up paying for the executives perks, bonuses and shareholder dividends.
As well as the expenses and re-election costs of the politician that sold the contract to the “privateer”…
By rd
December 11, 2008 2:04 PM | Link to this
I read the AJC’s series on mental health, including the chart they have that shows spending in Georgia’s mental health hospitals:
http://www.ajc.com/health/content/health/stories/mentalhospitals0107.html
My my calculations, Georgia is spending $315 million per year to house 1200 patients, or nearly $266,000 per person. That’s $800 per day!
While Andy Miller, who does a lot of the AJC’s reporting wrote this in another article:
“$22.31: Georgia ranked 35th in per-person spending on state psychiatric hospitals”
(http://www.ajc.com/search/content/news/stories/2008/08/21/mental.html?cxntlid=inform_artr)
So which is it? And, at $800 per day per patient, I think that the private sector might very well do better than the state at housing and treating mental patients. At least then, there would be someone held responsible for the abuse that goes on behind closed doors (a private company rather than the nebulous “state”).
I , frankly, was astounded that we spend more than a quarter million dollars per year per patient. People say that this isn’t enough because other states spend more? Why isn’t a lot less EVERYWHERE? I think there needs to be an accounting for the costs to house each patient. You want more money, tell us why, rather than a lame comparison to other states. For $800 a day, each patient could have their own private nurse in a private home and still do better than the cost the state is extracting from the taxpayer.
By williebkind
December 11, 2008 2:21 PM | Link to this
NO YOU CAN NOT PRIVATIZE the mental health institutions. That would lower the liberal registration and voting base. NO more huge get out to vote parties and enrolling everyone to get that special liberal voted into office. Of course you have to point at the area to press or check so they can vote. NO WAY for privatization. We cannot discrimminate against the liberals voting base by withholding state funded mental health.
By Big Brother
December 11, 2008 3:08 PM | Link to this
Want a picture of government run healthcare? We’ve got it right now—called the VA system. I’ve worked there until recently. It is the most expensive, ineffecient, bureaucratic, frustrating system for healthcare imaginable. Not to mention INCREDIBLY wasteful in terms of money and capital. Don’t believe me, just walk in and take a look around-there are more paper pushers there than healthcare providers—by far! We’ve done analysis where you could take the hundreds of billions of dollars wasted on the VA system and you can buy every veteran the “gold plated” health insurace that members of Congress currently have, and plenty of money to spare.
Chew on that before we ask for cradle to grave government health care
By CommunistAJC
December 11, 2008 3:18 PM | Link to this
Here Jay. Here is an article that makes a lot more sense than anything you’ve written. Oh, and if any of you libs try to paint this guy as a moron know this. He works and teaches at Stanford.
Blame Bush, Obama — Or Us?
By Victor Davis Hanson
When someone screams about a terrible policy of the present administration, just pose four questions:
First, was the controversial decision taken with bipartisan support? Second, were there precedents for such action in prior Democratic administrations? Third, will such polices continue under the newly elected Obama administration? Four, have the media changed their position on the issue since the November election?
If the answer is yes to these questions, then the acrimony was probably about politics and style, not principle and substance.
Take the so-called war on terror. The Patriot Act passed Congress in October 2001 by majorities in both parties — and was reauthorized in 2006. The original versions of the FISA wiretapping accords were enacted under the Carter administration in 1978.
Both the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq were given authorization by Congress. The pre-9/11 precursor for the removal of Saddam Hussein was the unanimous passage of the 1998 Iraq Liberation Act — prompted by then-President Clinton’s warnings about Saddam’s dangerous weapons: “Some day, some way, I guarantee you he’ll use the arsenal.”
President-elect Barack Obama no longer believes that the controversial FISA accords should be repealed. And the retention of George Bush’s secretary of defense, Robert Gates, along with the impressive appointments of Sen. Hillary Clinton as secretary of state and former Bush Mideast envoy Gen. James L. Jones as national security adviser — all of whom were in favor of removing Saddam — suggest that those who once supported the Iraq war will have more foreign policy influence in the Obama administration than those who opposed it all along.
Talk of a shredded Constitution and the need to immediately shut down Guantanamo Bay are no longer daily fare in the U.S. media — particularly after the terrorist attacks in Mumbai. Suddenly we have sober reflection about how to stop such a paramilitary attack here in the U.S. — and what to do about monsters in custody in Guantanamo, such as Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the self-proclaimed architect of 9/11.
Like it or not, radical Islamic terrorism antedated George Bush and will continue after him. And while we may lament how Bush sometimes conducted or articulated his policies, his support for beefing up homeland security, hitting terrorists hard abroad, supporting Democratic movements in the Middle East, and replacing two odious tyrannies with consensual governments once appealed to a broad number of Americans.
Because they are largely sound strategies, they will not change much under a more charismatic President Obama — who for at least a while will enjoy the benefit of the doubt when confronting the same old nasty lose/lose choices.
On the economic front, we can apply the same type of critique to the present meltdown.
The origins of our current mess were threefold: high energy costs, reckless borrowing and skyrocketing housing prices that squeezed family budgets. Promiscuous lending at Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae created undue risks and increased foreclosures. The lack of proper oversight of Wall Street speculation ensured that a ripple of worry soon became a torrent of panic.
But deregulation of Wall Street finance accelerated first under Clinton Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin. Radical risk-taking at Freddie and Fannie was overseen by former Clinton officials and heartedly supported by Sen. Chris Dodd and Rep. Barney Frank, the chief Democratic congressional watchdogs.
The controversial Bush bailout plan will be continued — or expanded — by a President Obama. We may see Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke remain in office in the manner that Bush extended Alan Greenspan’s eight years under Clinton.
Faulting Bush for the wild climbs in oil prices to $147 a barrel would mean also praising him for reducing gas costs below $1.50 a gallon as oil in tough times crashed to less than $50 a barrel. In truth, American dependency on foreign oil and vulnerability to wild swings in price have been chronic since the first Arab embargoes over three decades ago. Note that President-elect Obama has dropped talk of a windfall-profits tax on omnipotent oil companies. Supposed energy cabals that jacked up gas prices have now morphed into clueless oil companies that can’t stop them from crashing.
Many of our unpopular policies concerning terrorism, energy and finance are of long duration. They resulted from collective decisions by Congress, past administrations — and us, the people, in our daily lives. They were no more the fault of George Bush than they can be easily be solved by Barack Obama.
We should remember that fact in 2009, when the once-messianic Obama will become all too human, as he is overwhelmed by structural problems of terror, war and money not all of his own making — and the once-demonized but now retired George Bush will seem downright competent.
By Peadawg
December 11, 2008 3:44 PM | Link to this
Socializing EVERYTHING can also backfire too…stupid dems
By Hillbilly Deluxe
December 11, 2008 4:18 PM | Link to this
I don’t think mental health should be privatized. These are the people who are least able to fend for themselves.
By John Galt Jr.
December 11, 2008 5:38 PM | Link to this
You are right Jay. We should also turn over all newspapers to be run by the government, since they do such a good job with schools, medicare, social security.
By Craptastic
December 11, 2008 5:46 PM | Link to this
Let me point out that this “plan” by BJ Walker and Sonny Perdue has NO backup plan for our mentally ill when it fails, NO penalties for the company who fails Joe Taxpayer, and NO way to measure improvement for Joe Taxpayer to look at.
On a purely business side, what company would not want to be involved in this? The company will get the contract, start building and tear the current under-funded system apart and then come right back in a year or so saying they need more money. Duh, contractors do this at the federal level every day! Can you imagine hiring a contractor to paint your house for $500, he gets halfway through and tells you that it’s going to now cost $2000? Welcome to privatization, baby!
By Engineer
December 12, 2008 12:37 AM | Link to this
This privatization plan is doomed to failure! It is flawed in to many ways to count. Patient outcomes will be worse, there will be more injuries in both the caregiver and patient populations. It has already been announced that the private company that will be taking over the mental health care will be cutting the pay of the rank and file caregivers from $12 per hour with benefits to $7.50 per hour without benefits. How many people do you know who would be willing to work with sick people every day for no more than they would make working at McDonalds? Would you be willing to go to a hospital for treatment if you knew your nurses were making minimum wage? Can you say “hello 50 percent turnover”? If this is an example of the private company’s payscale, can you imagine them being able to recruit highly educated people to work in rural Georgia? NOT! To paraphrase OJ’s latest judge, the people who concocted this scheme are both arrogant and stupid.