The site for ranting and reporting by John Masters
Stories related to the economy and economic conditions.
Ed Schultz of The Ed Show interviews Robert Greenwald about an investigative report on the CEO of United Health Care Group. Turns out the guy is making about $102,000 per hour. At one point a few years ago his salary alone accounted for $1 in every $700 spent on healthcare in America. The fact is, in this country we have always recognized that some things are not best left to the marketplace.
Read moreAs is so often the case, Bill Moyers does another outstanding job of pointing out the differences in how healthcare is viewed. I continued to be amazed at the absolute stupidity of people who can’t understand that their version of “free market” healthcare is not, and will not work. In the free-market, companies are out to make a profit. They don’t make a profit by paying for your care.
Read moreLeave it to Bill Moyers to be the voice of sanity in an otherwise insane discussion about healthcare reform. A recent report showing the majority of bankruptcies in America are healthcare related (and most of those people have healthcare insurance) should be causing Americans to demand that our Congress Critters take a serious look at single payer as the only real way to reform healthcare.
Read moreChuck Schumer is calling bullshit on these Republican Governors who are grandstanding on the stimulus bill. According to Talking Points Memo Schumer has written a letter to the White House saying the stimulus bill does not include any provision allowing Governors to pick and choose which parts of the stimulus money they want to take. Schumer is telling the Administration to tell the governors that it’s all-or-nothing.
Read moreThe Raw Story is reporting that some bloggers have been checking out the telephone and address listings for the many offices Diebold is claiming to have around the country. It turns out that most of them have phones numbers that go unanswered and the listed addresses turn out to be Wal-Mart or Sam’s club addresses.
Read moreOK, I couldn’t resist that one. But the real question is…does anyone in Washington bother to pay their taxes? Having just filed mine, and seeing just how much I paid, this all sets me back on my heels a bit. Apparently even the guy picked to head the Treasury Dept. (including the IRS) has problems being clear about the tax code.
Read moreAs in “Shit and fall back in it.” The Republican plans were completely repudiated in the last election, they are scrambling to try to dress up the brand, and their only solution is to try and obstruct an economic recovery. It seems they went off to their big annual meeting, and applauded each other because every one of the Republicans in Congress voted No on the economic stimulus package.
Read moreThat didn’t take long. John McCain is on TV this weekend saying he won’t vote for the stimulus package. Other leading Republicans are complaining about the package not having enough tax cuts…blah, blah, blah. Of course they’re also on all the Sunday morning talk shows complaining about the dangers of closing the Guantanamo Bay prison, and prattling on with the lies about all the released prisoners “returning” to the battlefield. The Republicans seem to have always thought that bipartisanship means that everyone must agree with them. For some reason, the spineless Democratic leaders in the House and Senate have gone along with the bullies, thinking somehow the Repubs won’t be so mean to them, if they just give them everything they want. I’m hoping that Obama is going to demand that Pelosi and Reid grow a spine. It sounds like maybe he has one. It’s been reported that Obama, during a White House meeting with Congressional leaders last week, said matter of factly, “I won.”
Read moreNo blogging or politics last week, as I was on the road from Monday to Friday. I drove up North Carolina because we had a business meeting in Burlington Wednesday, and then I took two days off, visited Mom and drove home. It was actually a pleasant week. i also took some photos around Kings Mountain and Shelby.
Read moreHarry Blivins, at 37, is an industrious guy. Harry is a supervisor with Tampa Downtown Partnership’s Clean team. This is Tampa initiative to keep the downtown clean. Harry also has a lawn service he operates on the side. Unfortunately, he got a little over-ambitious in his efforts to keep Tampa clean.
Read moreI know, I have not been posting much lately. Once again, work has been extremely busy with some travel thrown in for good measure. Since my work involves a lot of writing, by the time I have time to write here, I’m just too wrung out to carry on. I do have some things percolating in my mind that I want to get set down here, so I’ll to get more posted this evening, and I do owe you a few movie reviews. I guess the biggest story though is my first trip outside the U.S. You got it, I’m 49, and just now have crossed the border. I went to Toronto on business, and must say, I was impressed with the little I got to experience of the city. As is so often the case though, air travel chaos accompanied me as I headed home last Wednesday (and then into Thursday).
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