Althouse: "Now is not the time to search for nonexistent loopholes that preserve a broken system."

March 30, 2010

"Now is not the time to search for nonexistent loopholes that preserve a broken system."

Writes Kathleen Sebelius, cowing the insurance companies into foregoing the use of a loophole that existed in the text the Democrats hastily scribbled.

225 comments:

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Jeremy said...: Michael, You appear to have both sides of that little brain of yours working today. One is for the private sector, the other is for the government.

Here are two of your comments:

Michael said..."Jeremy: Let's try another angle. Is there anything that you think the Government doesn't do better than the private sector? Anything at all. Name something."

And I said there were probably things the private sector could be better. So, yes, I agreed. There are things the government does not do as well.

Then, for whatever reason, you come back with this:

Michael said..."Jeremy: Let's try one final time. Name, actually name, one thing that the Government cannot do better than the private sector. N a m e o n e."

So which is it, Mikey? Are you asking if there's really anything the government "CAN'T" do better...

or...

Are you asking me if there's really "ANYTHING" the government doesn't do better?

Methinks you need to s-l-o-w down and think before you post.; 3/30/10, 3:46 PM
Michael said...: OK, Jeremy, you won't give a single example of a private company that can do something better than the Govt. I will give you a few examples of poorly run Govt. operation that could easily be improved by the private sector.

1. Govt. routinely demands a monopoly position with respect to bus service in major metro areas. The problem, of course, is that the buses do not go where the people want to go. Private bus services do an excellent job of providing poor people with service to the areas they want to go. Very difficult for them to get licensed because the Govt. does not want competition.
2. Service employees at public schools dwarf the teaching staffs and suck most of the money out of the education system. Private workers would deliver the same services for a fraction of the cost with the benefit inuring to the benefit of the students. Govt workers in this sector are highly unionized and thus an impediment to improvement.
3. The dept. of motor vehicles is a function that could be let to bid every few years with its service function given over to customer friendly staff whose performance would impact the renewal of the contract.
4. Most road work within major cities could be completed faster and cheaper with a lot less shovel leaning than is currently experienced.
5. In general any service that requires a personal "touch" between a citizen and a service provider where the exchange of money is involved. You have conceded the Post Office, but they serve as a great example. A long line at the checkout counter in the grocery is met with an intercom call for help at the front. No such urgency is felt at the PO, the DMV, the marriage bureau, etc etc.; 3/30/10, 3:49 PM
Jeremy said...: Michael said..."OK, Jeremy, you won't give a single example of a private company that can do something better than the Govt."

You never asked for a "single example," dickwad.

Maybe the prison system or the postal service (although we have the very best in the entire world right now) or some of the smaller social services.; 3/30/10, 3:59 PM
Michael said...: Jeremy: "You never asked for a "single example," dickwad."

Scroll up to your long post quoting me and you will see a couple of phrases of mine.
1. "Name something"
2. "Name, actually name, one thing that the Government cannot do better than the private sector. N a m e o n e."

I think these might qualify, fat boy.; 3/30/10, 4:05 PM
Jeremy said...: Michael -

1. Govt. routinely demands a monopoly position with respect to bus service in major metro areas.

Aren't most bus companies already privately owned companies?

2. Service employees at public schools dwarf the teaching staffs and suck most of the money out of the education system.

I wasn't aware of the massive cost of serving lunches or janatorial services at public schools. I have a friend who serves lunch a t a nearby scholl and she makes minimum wage. Do you have any real numbers to support your theory?

3. The dept. of motor vehicles is a function that could be let to bid every few years...

Maybe, but I have a feeling the amount of "private" data involved would be terribly difficult to control without tremendous measures to insure complete assurance to consumers. Banks do it, so I suppose...but I don't think most DMV workers make that much money in the first place.

4. Most road work within major cities could be completed faster and cheaper with a lot less shovel leaning than is currently experienced.

Most road work I'm aware of, with the exception of CAL TRANS in California for instance, and other government entities that provide regular upkeep, are already jobbed out via bids...to private companies.

5. In general any service that requires a personal "touch" between a citizen and a service provider where the exchange of money is involved.

You'd have to name the services you're talking about. People bitch about the postal service all the time, but anybody who's lived elsewhere will tell you we have the best of all.

And as to this: A long line at the checkout counter in the grocery is met with an intercom call for help at the front. No such urgency is felt at the PO, the DMV, the marriage bureau, etc etc.

I live in California and we make appointments at the DMV, and the post office offers stamp machines and a counter for quick pick-ups.

As for marriage licensing...I suggest everybody hold off as long as they can.

Your list is wafer thin and really I can't see how your suggestions would impact our overall government budget or the services you describe to any great extent.; 3/30/10, 4:10 PM
Jeremy said...: Michael - When you say: "Name, actually name, one thing that the Government cannot do better than the private sector. N a m e o n e."

What the fuck are you asking me?

If you're asking me to name anything the government doesn't do better...doesn't that make your argument moot...that the private sector would do a better job???

And I did provide the postal service and maybe the prison systems as to what the private sector might do better.

You need to read what you're writing before you hit enter, Dude.; 3/30/10, 4:13 PM
Jeremy said...: Michael - Get some sleep.; 3/30/10, 4:14 PM
bagoh20 said...: Jeremy: "You must be referring to Medicare and Medicaid and the Veteran's Administration.

Right?"

Yes, I am. All three deliver lower quality care than the private sector. Having family currently using all three, they are in awe of the quality of my privately provided health care. I don't have any of the delays, paperwork, nor invasion of my personal finances that they endure. What's really pathetic is that my coverage is paid for and theirs requires robbing their grandchildren, even though they have paid all their lives for it. Great plan or as you would say: "duh".; 3/30/10, 4:18 PM
AllenS said...: This is a big fucking deal.; 3/30/10, 4:19 PM
bagoh20 said...: "This is a big fucking deal."

Allen, you ARE still talking about health care, right. You're not naked are you?; 3/30/10, 4:28 PM
Michael said...: Jeremy: http://www2.census.gov/govs/school/07f33pub.pdf; 3/30/10, 4:30 PM
AllenS said...: bagoh20--

I'm talking about Joe Biden. One of the most amazing men of our generation. A man who can dive off a 100 foot cliff into a cup of water.; 3/30/10, 4:34 PM
bagoh20 said...: "The Republicans controlled Congress for 12 of the last 14 years and could have fashioned any kind of bill they wanted."

Why didn't they?"

It's not their job either.; 3/30/10, 5:00 PM
Alex said...: The Republicans controlled Congress for 12 of the last 14 years and could have fashioned any kind of bill they wanted.

The Dems have controlled Congress for 3+ years and have done horrific damage to the economy and our world standing. Democrats are always more efficient at doing this.; 3/30/10, 5:04 PM
traditionalguy said...: The Military Draft was ended in 1969 by Nixon. The draft of all Americans in health care was started last week. The care now promised by Congress to be "Given" will not pay salaries to keep competant doctors and no one will volunteer for a draftee's pay for an entire career. Castro's Cuba has a better functioning system now since no one in Cuba really expects any thing they need after 50 years of medicine by draftees. Other than that, everbody except the Government guys will get equally bad services. Did China but any US Bonds lately??? If not, then the draftees will be unpaid slaves soon.; 3/30/10, 5:54 PM
Unknown said...: "Now is not the time to search for nonexistent loopholes that preserve a broken system."

"You can always stick it to those rich, white people who are already paying premiums."

Okay, I made up the last part, but that's the meaning, isn't it?; 3/30/10, 6:04 PM
Unknown said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 3/30/10, 6:42 PM
Unknown said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 3/30/10, 6:46 PM
Unknown said...: Jeremy said...

edutcher said..."Once again, every one of those governments is on the verge of fiscal collapse, even as we speak."

That's partially true, but I'm glad you threw in that "fiscal" thing.

The "governments" themselves aren't on the verge of collapse...the "governments" of each state and locality is struggling to survive the economic crisis we and the rest of the world is dealing with.

When governments themselves "collapse," we have much bigger problems than we see right now.

This is an economic crisis...the United States is not "collapsing."

First, thank you for using my name.

Second, when the Weimar Republic collapsed, it was because the economy had done so, inflation was out of control. Half a dozen nations are on the chopping block, Greece foremost among them, and most of the rest not far behind. This is why there was such panic a couple of weeks ago when Germany refused to bail them out - partly because Germany isn't that well, either.

In sum, you're playing with semantics. A government whose economy has collapsed is usually in deep trouble otherwise.

As to the US economy, the current administration is attempting to take over one sixth of the economy and has designs on another sixth. Already, we're seeing how corporate America is taking a $1.5B hit and that doesn't include small business, which will have to institute layoffs to make ends meet. In an already troubled economy, this will push up unemployment and business closures.

Spending in one year of this administration is quadruple the amount spent by the last in eight. Long term treasuries are not being bought and being devalued on the world market. Add to that the insistence of the Left for cap and trade which will give us $8 a gallon gasoline and the 70s will look like a picnic.

I don't want to hear about Reagan or W. When you're trying to get out of a hole, you don't keep digging and that is exactly what this administration is doing with a lot of neo-communistic programs that have already proven financially ruinous around the world.

Finally, if the government is so great at running people's lives, why isn't everybody trying to live on Indian reservations? Nobody in this country have been greater beneficiaries of the government's patronage than the Indians; 3/30/10, 6:49 PM
Big Mike said...: Sebelius clearly misspoke (miswrote?) when she called it a "nonexistent loophole" -- by definition the loophole did exist.

In this case I think the system worked the way it was supposed to, but it inadvertently exposes the dirty little secret of Washington politics -- the key is not what's in the legislation, it's in the regulatory enforcement mechanisms. And they can be at substantial variance with respect to the actual wording of the law as passed.

But the basic question posted earlier by Professor Althouse still stands: what else is hidden in this law that we aren't going to like?; 3/30/10, 7:52 PM
Tony said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 3/30/10, 8:16 PM
AlphaLiberal said...: Another example of conservatives denying racism within conservatism.; 3/30/10, 9:33 PM
Big Mike said...: My dear Alpha, are you saying that the Tea Party would be in favor of ObamaCare if he was white?

John Lewis was lying. Deal with it.; 3/30/10, 10:03 PM
Opus One Media said...: hey kids. you lost. the people won. and Sebelius has it exactly right.

behave.; 3/31/10, 9:13 AM
Jason said...: Good old Sebelius.

When that incompetent wreck was the Insurance commissioner for the state of Kansas, she tried to micromanage health insurance premiums even then.

Twelve different companies got so fed up with her stupidity that they pulled the plug and quit doing business in her state - leaving 60,000 or so people uninsured.

Thanks, libtards!

WV: Besser. Besser get me a bucket.; 3/31/10, 6:28 PM