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Thursday, January 18, 2007

Wish List for 2007

• That the U.S. will sooner rather then later finally begin to participate in the international “Global war on terror.”
• That this will be the year people connect Bush economic (tax) policy to higher local taxes and run-away debt.
• That Wisconsin municipalities, townships and school districts disqualify out-of-state residents for vacant top positions.
• That the next time wealthy people want to gift something to their community, they ask for nothing in return.
• That healthcare for all is permanently ingrained as the number one environmental, economic and social mission.
• That the next time wealthy people want Rock County residents to support their ideas, they don’t hire a special interest Republican consultant to connect with the people.
• That corporate developers and private investors will stop buying low priced wetland and delicate natural wildlife properties in Wisconsin, only to fill and destroy for their commercial needs.
• That candidates running for city council, school board and other non-partisan public office completely inform voters of their political philosophy including associated party leanings.
• That state and local government officials cannot appoint private citizens (cronies) to form oversight and appeals boards.
• That cities like Janesville will outlaw “sprawl” and encourage economic growth from “the inside out.”

Of course, "Peace on Earth and good will to all" is assumed to be the wish of a terror-hugging liberal peacenik, free-loading entitlement democrat, pro-choice welfare socialist do-gooder, so I won’t offer such a radical statement as something to wish for.

21 comments:

Russ said...

YOU SIR ARE A SOCIALIST. SURLY YOU KNOW SOCIALISM HAS FAILED IN EVERY COUNTRY IT'S EVER BEEN ADOPTED.

Anonymous said...

On the third point; why on earth would you want to disqualify out of state applicants? If an out of state applicant is most qualified, that person should be hired. Anything else is known as discrimination.

Lou Kaye said...

Russ - I've been called worse. I know I take chances using words like "social" and railing against corporatists, but it's worth it.
Rob - I don't discriminate against out-of-state residents, I just think the most qualified applicant for Wisconsin top leadership jobs are Wisconsinites and Wisconsin graduates.
J.J. You know as well as I how tough forward progress and change is. The status-quo will categorize it with negative connotions first and just hope it goes away.

Russ said...

J.J.
Health care costs are out of control in this country for one glaring reason. The consumer does not do the shopping as they do for every other service.
Creating a government health care system of any kind would be THE worst pssible path. Government in charge of the shopping? That will lead to even higher prices or rationing or both.
You are proposing the creation of a health care monopoly. That's Socialism. We have one service Socialized in Wisconsin now. K thru 12 education. You want to start telling me how well that's working in Milwaukee as they spend $11,000 or more per student.
two things must happen to get health care under control.
1 We must adopt individual / family HSAs to create the incentive for the consumer to "shop" for both quality and cost.
2 Providers must be required to publish prices for all common services.
Would it work? It already works with lasik eye surgury. Competitive market forces have reduced prices substatially.

Anonymous said...

AMEN RUSS you know the truth. God Bless.

Lou Kaye said...

Russ,
You make it sound like people can actually shop for healthcare. What?like we shop for gasoline. The one glaring assumption here is the idea that all business sectors in America are operating in true and free competitive markets, unsubsidized, unhindered and uncontrolled by government and/or corporate manipulation. Nothing could be further from the truth, but lets pretend and call it competitive free enterprise.

You view public entities as "socialist" programs, so tell me what do you call yourself.
1. HSA's are timebombs.
2. Publicizing prices is a step in the right direction, but how can we shop for doctors when their work history is removed from public record. You can get more information on your neighborhood auto mechanic.

Anonymous said...

What good is an HSA for a person that lives below the poverty level? Oh that's right, their poor, who cares.

Anonymous said...

You can ask your neighbors and family members about a doctor. How do you think we find good doctors now? For poor people they could get medicare/medicaid as they do now. Health savings accounts allow people to ask how much a procedure is going to cost them. I'm enrolled in a MSA and my employer puts 100% into my MSA. I can add more to it if I wish. They put enough each year into my account to cover my deductible in case something comes up and I need major medical attention. If I don't use the money in the one year It stays in my account and builds up. If I do use it for a doctor's visit I write the doctor a check from the account and that amount comes off of my deductible. It works very well for my family and I. My employer is small we have 5 employees and if it wasn't for a MSA we probably wouldn't have any insurance at all. When's the last time you went to a doctor's visit and asked them how much it's going to cost? Most people go to the dentists office and the dentist right up front will tell you how much a root canal is going to cost. It should be the same with doctor's. And for the arguement that we know more about our local mechanic how do we know about the mechanic? Word of mouth that's the best way to learn about dentists, lawyers mechanics, plumbers etc. It shouldn't be any different with a doctor and from what I have experianced it isn't. The family doctor our family goes to was refereed to us by a family member. Common sense Lois.

Russ said...

To: Louis Kaye
I call myself a capitalist. I believe the roll of government is to create an enviornment for the private sector to competitively provide goods and services to consumers. The key is "competition". In my 62 years, if I've learned anything, it's the fact that human nature is fixed. People can and will "shop" for health care, if and when, government provides them the ability to do so. In a nutshell, competition works, monopolies don't, period. If consumers spend their own money from their own HSA they will "shop". If consumers spend the governments money they will not. Yes, it's just that simple.
You mentioned, Doctors do not publish their work history. That is wrong and government should require all providers to open their work history to the consumer.
Solving the nations health care problems is simply a matter of removing the shackeles from the consumer and allowing him or her to control prices.

Lou Kaye said...

I, too believe it is that simple to fix. But in my short time here, if I've learned anything, greed is a prominent factor in human nature. You mention government as a "providing" source. Strange talk from a capitalist.

We could argue these points all day. My wish - That healthcare for all is permanently ingrained as the number one environmental, economic and social mission....is something that you strongly disagree with, I understand.

Anonymous said...

Do we not pay 36% of our Taxes to the government?
The question is what are we getting for these taxes that we pay to the government!
European's pay the same amount of taxes, or less now a days in many countries,
and they get Universal health care plus much more. What do we get? A bloated military invading one poor defenseless country after
another. We get military bases in 128 different countries. We get nothing of the benefits of paying so much in taxes. Where are all of China’s bases all over the world? Where are Russia’s? What have we done as a nation to have 128 military bases all over the world, and still not feel safe?
How is that possible that we pay the same Taxes as Europeans and we do not get something as basic as Universal health care for our money?
It is because US is not a Democracy, it is a tyranny of Big media moguls and corporatists controlling and brain washing the country into believing we have free markets.
Wanting affordable healthcare for all is nothing to be ashamed of. Keep punching.

Anonymous said...

It seems that DIAMOND JIM DOYLE just can't wait to punish the less fortunate people that happen to be addicted to smoking. First he is going after their pocketbooks with a $1.25 tax increase per pack on cigarttes then he's going after the business owner telling the business owner how to run his/her business by asking for a satewide ban in public places. You lefties should be real proud of this idiot we elected to office for another four year term. Heck one day after he is sworn into his secind term he raises taxes. This is going to be a long four years my fellow Wisconsinites. He says the extra money generated will go towards special "programs" theses that word the lefties love "programs" seems we don't have enough programs now. Why should we believe him that he will use the money for the funding of these "programs"? He has made a carrer out of lying to the Wisconsin people. He raided the transporation fund to balance the budget. What about the billions the state made off of the tabbacco companies a few years back. That was supposed to be enough money to fund special "programs" and healthcare related to smoking. Seems he lied to us about that to. The funny thing about this new tax is that the Indian tribes are exempt from this tax. The very tribes that Diamond Jim is in Bed with/. Looks like the tribes will make some more money off of this deal as well. Seems that diamond Jim's campaign coffers will again be lined with indian money. This is just the beginning folks. Just the beginning.

Anonymous said...

The comment above states that Doyle raised taxes the day after he was sworn in for his second term. I feel it is important to note that neither the governor nor the president has the power to raise or lower taxes. All they can do is approve or reject what the legislative branch sends them. It is up to the state senate and assembly to pass a budget that raises or lowers taxes. They then send it on to the governor to sign or veto. If they don't approve it (and it takes both the senate and the assembly to approve it), the governor doesn't have anything to sign. Yes, the governor can request items and attempt to influence the resultant budget, but he cannot raise or lower taxes without the legislature's approval.

Anonymous said...

To the comment above. It's a democratic controlled senate. They like taxes and Doyle. They will raise taxes. Heck they are the ones that came up with the idea in the first place. Get your facts straight you dolt.

Anonymous said...

I hope Doyle gets justice served and his illeagl activities he has been doing. Seems we don't really care though. I hope justice prevails and the truth is uncovered and we will see what kind of corruption we have in this state. Down with Doyle!!!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

Tell ya what, lets trade. You can have Doyle investigated when we get Bush investigated for everything he's done. Then we'll see who's bad.

Anonymous said...

Doyles a duchebag. Much worse than Bush. I tell ya what if Doyle was a republican he would have already been thrown out of office. You can be corrupt if your a democrat it's part of the agenda. Just look at the scumvag from Louisana he got caught redhanded with $70,000 of illeagl money and gets re-elected. At least republicans step down and have morals and values. The democrats are just fucking loosers.

Anonymous said...

Where are the morals and values of a certain pedophile and all those that knew and yet did nothing? He stepped down, so it's excusable? Man your too easy a target to even aruge with.

Anonymous said...

To 7:00 pm, Yes it is a democratic controlled senate in Wisconsin, but what is the assembly comprised of? That's right, now say it with me, Republican controlled, 52 to 47. And since BOTH the senate and the assembly needs to approve any increase, a republican controlled assembly would need to vote to raise taxes too. I think someone needs to get their facts straight, but it is not me. (And I will refrain from the name calling.)

Anonymous said...

You may want to look at some of the voting record of some republicans in the assembly. They may have an (R) next to their names but, they tend to side with dems. We call them RINOS (republican in name only). So, I do have my facts straight you obviously don't.

Anonymous said...

Everybody wants cooperation and bi-partisanship. People say we are a divided country. Others say "can't we just get along." When we do, and some Republicans work with Democrats or vice-versa.... what do we do? We label the uniters as defeatists, appeasers or Rinos. Good going.

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