Perhaps the lack of cooperation is because the FBI forgot to pay its telephone bill again.

Just wondering.

Posted at February 22, 2008 9:44 PM in response to Admin Officials Claim Surveillance Law Lapse Has Led to Gaps in Intelligence

State funded through taxes. Thanks Robert.

Posted at April 13, 2007 11:21 AM in response to Why Wait?

I like your points, but don't think that this would solve the problem of lack of health providers in rural America. But if this was coupled with a program that would allow new providers (doc's and nurses) to have their loans forgiven in exchange to work for x number of years in rural areas, then it might.

I have a cousin that began his dental career in the Navy working on reservations in South Dakota, the only dentist out there.

Posted at April 13, 2007 11:18 AM in response to Why Wait?

Forcing people that already cannot afford private insurance (like the California plan would do) does nothing more than add profit to an already obscenely profitable industry. Private insurers routinely deny claims, and fight providing payment, knowing that many people will simply give up. What percentabge of these newly insured people are going to have the sophistication, time and wherewithal to fight for themselves?

Reforming health insurance is not the answer. Providing free health care to all Americans is.

Posted at April 13, 2007 10:58 AM in response to Why Wait?

One thing that I think needs to be made very clear: any solution that involves for profit health insurers is not goig to work, period. The only way to fix the problem is to provide access to health care, not insurance.

If we need to take a baby step on this issue, let's begin with at least providing free health care to every American under the age of 18. Children did not ask to be born, nor should they bear the brunt of stupid decisions of the parents. This nation can afford to provide free care to all her children, and it will actually benefit us in the long run.

Posted at April 13, 2007 10:06 AM in response to Why Wait?

Any "solution" that involves private health insurance is NOT a solution. The Calif plan to force those already not insured (i.e. too poor to have any) will simply expand the number of claims refused by insurers - and thus their profits.

It isn't rocket science. At the very least our nation MUST provide FREE HEALTH CARE to all persons under 18 years of age. Not free insurance, or insurance of any kind, but free health care.

Posted at April 10, 2007 5:08 PM in response to Thinking Big -- And Thinking Realistically

Well, to give them some creidt, they haven't started killing their own adulteress daughters yet.

Posted at June 15, 2006 7:29 PM in response to "No Knock" Meet "Castle Doctrine"

Madison Idea's comments are snark. Please read them again.

Posted at June 15, 2006 7:27 PM in response to "No Knock" Meet "Castle Doctrine"

I did a quick search, but couldn't find anything online regarding the "No Crime Day" in Detroit, held in the mid 1990's. Isiah Thomas, the Pistons guard, reprised his idea from his days in Chicago, in which criminals were asked to "abstain from crime". No shit.

Those that have spent any time in the city are familiar with the General Tire billboards, which have odometer like devices that record US car production for the year. The murder rate was such that a local talk radio station sponsored its own billboard, with the image of a handgun and an odometer tallying "Murders to Date".

On the Saturday that was chosen for "No Crime Day", there were something like 12 killings, including a police officer that was killed by a man in his 60's or 70's. The man lived in the upper flat of a duplex, and someone had broken into the lower flat. He called the police, and some time later, after the intruders had left, the cops arrived, and the old man thought the steps he heard on his stair were the returning burglars. He pointed his revolver around the corner and fired, hitting his target that he had not even seen.

So yes, we don't need to wait to see what the outcome of this new SCOTUS decision will be.

Posted at June 15, 2006 6:26 PM in response to "No Knock" Meet "Castle Doctrine"

The article also does not point out that family incomes today are typically based on two wage earners, whereas in the previous generation (1980) this was much less common. There are also other inherent costs of two wage earners, must notably daycare, that eat into family budgets.

 Better would be to compare current ratios of mortgages against the entire family debt to that of 1980.

Posted at December 29, 2005 1:44 PM in response to Home ownership is relatively inexpensive, but the news is not all good...