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Maine: Uk

June 1, 2009 - 12:25 pm
NEWS FEED: Turn Maine Blue

Why health insurance is different, and how that explains its failure

By Gerald Weinand

Peter Orszag, Director of the Office of Management and budget, has a blog. Today's entry is about the administration's effort to reform the health care delivery system in our country, but in a way that still includes for profit private insurers. From it:
On Friday, I blogged about the fiscal effects of health care reform. Since then, the cost containment efforts we are undertaking and their potential impact on long-term health care cost growth have gotten a lot of attention. Our cost containment falls into two categories: Medicare and Medicaid savings that are key to achieving scoreable savings over the medium term but that by themselves would be unlikely to generate substantial long-term efficiency improvements in the health system, and "game-changers" that are unlikely to generate significant scoreable savings in the medium term but that are crucial to moving toward a health system that addresses the issues discussed in Atul Gawande's compelling New Yorker article.

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There have been 89 comments posted in response to this story.

March 7, 2009 - 06:51 am
NEWS FEED: Turn Maine Blue

Open Thread

By Gerald Weinand

Good morning. I'm on the road much of the day.

The bank bailout continues apace in the UK too, but with a difference; from the Guardian:

The government today confirmed it will take majority control of Lloyds Banking Group, with the taxpayer owning 65% of the voting shares in return for insuring ?260bn of the group's toxic assets.

After days of detailed negotiations the terms of the takeover were announced by the Treasury, with Lloyds making a commitment to lend at least ?28bn over the next few years.

The government is to insure the bank's riskiest loans and in return the taxpayer will up its ownership of the bank from 43% to 65% - rising to 77% when non-voting shares are included.

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There have been 46 comments posted in response to this story.

March 6, 2009 - 07:30 pm
NEWS FEED: Turn Maine Blue

Friday Night Music

By Gerald Weinand

THis week's Friday Night Music is dedicated to songs that are in someway about cities. I'll start with this about Baghdad by the Bay - just off Union Square St. Mary's Church stand, the only major building to survive the 1906 earthquake and fire - this song plays on its bells:

Scott McKenzie: If You're Going to San Francisco

From there we'll had east, in a little bit back in time:

Chuck Berry: Memphis

A jump across the pond brings us to the UK:

The Kinks: Waterloo Sunset

Then, hop on the Orient Express stopping first:

Ultravox: Vienna

And then on to:

Four Lads: Istanbul (Not Constantinople)

Hopping on the big bird and bringing it closer to home, you'll need on of these when you arrive at the airport:

Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass: Tijuana Taxi

Coming back over the border to:

Glen Campbell: Galveston

And I know that you'll indulge this boy from Motown:

Kiss: Detroit Rock City

There are plenty more; add yours in the comments.

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There have been 24 comments posted in response to this story.

March 4, 2009 - 08:44 am
NEWS FEED: Turn Maine Blue

Open Thread

By Gerald Weinand

Good morning, and a beautiful start to this day it is. I'll definitely get out on my XC skis later.

British PM Gordon Brown will address a joint session of Congress later today, to expound upon his call for a global new deal. The BBC has this report on his visit and an interview that they conducted with him earlier:

Gordon Brown will urge the US to "seize the moment" to "make the future work for us" when he addresses a joint meeting of the US Congress.

Mr Brown, the fifth UK prime minister to address both houses on Capitol Hill, is set to issue a plea to the US to avoid protectionism.

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There have been 26 comments posted in response to this story.