Rainy days and Mondays.....
This is perhaps the most pathetic thing I've ever read. (That the American system of taxation is broken goes without saying, but I'll say it anyway)
The biofuel revolution will be driven by big oil? How long until someone in Congress slips up and tries to punish big oil by removing the tax breaks they stand to get for this? Proving, once and for all, that climate change has less to do with the actual climate than it does the transfer of wealth from an industry that's currently out of political favor to ones who are in favor.
Good news/Bad news for UTMB: The Good news is that they are growing again, the Bad news is the Live Oak on campus is not. Still, on the whole, I'm sure they'd rather have jobs than a tree so read into that what you will.
The times they are a'changin. Not necessarily for the better. (losing broadcast TV would certainly be a change in the way we live our lives, and in inconvenience for many at first. The initial problem would be loss of free, local news, but (as with newspapers) I'm sure something will take its place.)
Until now we've been told that Houston has 'fared better' than most other cities in terms of the recession. That could all be about to change. If the new EPA smog rules are aggressively enforced. (I'm all for clean air, don't get me wrong, but what's the use of having clean air if no-one has enough money to get out and enjoy it?) **Maybe, like me, you're still wondering where the green economy is and why it hasn't started creating at least SOME of the 5 Million jobs we've been promised?**
Of course, expanded bus service could help. Something the County seems to understand but Metro has still failed to fully grasp. (Instead the idea is to cut bus service in an effort to push people toward a tram that doesn't go anywhere. All so more trams can be built which require more cuts in bus service to ramp up ridership.....)
Go on, Go party with Annise. You know you want to.
Sometimes those that don't matter spend the most time telling us what does. (Politics are odd that way)
If you only read one healthcare story today, make it this one by Houston Lawyer Tom Kirkendall. (I also feel that the Government, who ostensibly works for the people and not for profit, has to play a role. I like the idea of them as re-insurer, I'd also add to that the need for a robust system of clinics that are funded by a combination of taxes and user fees. To work though the fees would need to be very low.)
Possibly the best blogger on issues surrounding State politics is re-engaged. You'd be remiss not to keep up with his insight.
1 comment:
The idea of the government as a re-insurer (especially for catastrophic coverage) makes sense, and would allow the removal of the "pre-existing condition" clauses (which of course was what Assurant was trying to invoke in the article Mr. Kirkendall referenced.) Of course, we *still* need to have the discussion about those "hard choices" (particularly the life-extenders which give remarkably little extension for obscenely large sums of money. And just FYI, when faced with the decision, my own mother turned down such treatment.)
Unfortunately, I don't think the current political climate is going allow for these discussions to take place, as they don't make for the soundbites the politicians love.
~EdT.
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