Gov. Pataki with yesterday’s results. His “civil confinement for sex offenders legislation” will not become law under his tenure as NY State Governor. This measure would “keep sexual predators confined to psychiatric hospitals after they complete their prison terms”. The Assembly rejected this proposal, as it does not allow provisions for juvenile offenders. (I speculate that one reason he wanted this legislation to pass was so that he could use this as a talking point in his presidential campaign.)

Barring an unforeseen last-second compromise, there will be no civil confinement for sex offenders the very issue that prompted Pataki to call the special session. Nor will there be more charter schools, early retirement for state employees or raises for lawmakers, at least for now.
(snip)
Spitzer left the door open to pay raises for legislators, judges and state commissioners, if the Legislature enacts wide- reaching ethics, lobbying, elections and campaign-finance reforms.

Timothy’s Law was passed, which mandates for mental health insurance coverage equal to other illness coverage for some mental health issues.

The Assembly also passed legislation requiring insurers to cover certain mental health conditions, including major depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and eating disorders, and to cover up to 30 days a year of hospitalization and 20 days of outpatient treatment. The Senate has passed the bill, but Mr. Pataki has not said whether he would sign it.

…insurers have to allow a minimum of 20 outpatient visits and 30 inpatient days a year for mental illness. Backers said it would put mental illness on a par with physical illness in regards to insurance coverage. Co-payments and deductibles for mental-health visits would have to be comparable to those for physical ailments. More than three dozen other states have such mental-health “parity” laws.

The state would pay for the extra cost of premiums for businesses that have fewer than 50 employees. Large employers would have to provide additional coverage for children and adults. Self-insured companies and governments would be exempt under federal law.

Let’s hope that Gov. Pataki won’t veto this bill.

Both houses appeared to go beyond mere brinkmanship as they closed their sessions. Senators approved some 60 nominations by Pataki of people to various boards and authorities. It also appointed at least five Court of Claims judges, including Lt. Gov. Mary Donohue and Henry Zwack, executive deputy commissioner and general counsel at the Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services, and a former Rensselaer County executive. Also approved for the court was Richard Platkin, one of Pataki’s closest legal advisers.

The Senate did not approve two Court of Claims nominees backed by Silver: Dan Conviser, counsel to the Assembly Rules Committee and Elizabeth Foley, director of special investigations for the New York City Department of Education.

Pataki agreed to leave some key state government positions open so they can be filled by Democratic Governor-elect Eliot Spitzer.
(snip)
Pataki had been criticized by Spitzer and others for filling slots on his way out the door after 12 years in office.

Here’s an honest assessment of yesterday’s session:

“We’re closing the Pataki era in classic fashion,” said state Sen. Eric Schneiderman, D-Manhattan, referring to the governor’s final days in office before his term expires. “There’s a long list of matters we could attend to. But we gavel in and then there’s no agreement on anything and there’s poor communication.”

I can’t wait to see how this legislature is going to operate in conjunction with the Spitzer Administration.

Gov. Pataki supports it. Gov-Elect Spitzer supports it. The Senate decided yesterday to not reject the proposal; the Assembly didn’t touch the subject. All in all, it looks that the Commission for Health Care Facilities in the 21st Century’s proposal for sweeping changes in NY State’s health care system is going to become law. The legislature has until December 31 to reject the plan, but a special session would have to be called, and it appears that this is not going to happen.

Even though it appears that the proposal will become law in its entirety, there may be some room for change in the future:

Richard Gottfried, chair of the Assembly’s health committee, said lawmakers this week began talks with Spitzer’s transition team about compromising on some of the recommendations.

Even after the recommendations become law “room for negotiation” exists, said Bill Van Slyke, spokesman for the Healthcare Association of New York State, which represents hospitals and nursing homes.

The next state health commissioner will have flexibility in how the recommendations are implemented, he said.

As of this writing, I have no idea of details of possible negotiations.

Prior related post: Commission on Health Care Facilities in the 21st Century

Governor-Elect Eliot Spitzer was in Washington yesterday; a meeting was set up with the New York Delegation. Guess who didn’t show up:

None of the six returning GOP members of Congress from New York nor any of their staff attended. Some Republican aides complained of receiving very late notice of the meeting set up by Democratic Rep. Charles Rangel, and others said they didn’t expect anything important to be discussed.

Not even staff members??? Can it be that NY State’s republicans, including our Representative, Randy Kuhl, didn’t think that this meeting was important enough in establishing and fostering a relationship with our new governor?

As a candidate, Spitzer stressed how he wanted to “organize” the often scattershot congressional delegation from New York, consisting of 29 representatives and two senators.

Even after missing a half-dozen of them at the first meeting, Spitzer said Wednesday he wanted to get them working together to bring back more federal dollars for New York.
(emphasis mine)

Republicans are not the majority party any longer, either at the federal or state level. Its time to start shedding the old ways of doing business and embrace unfamiliar ways for the benefit of the citizens of our state.

Only two for-profit companies have received NY State grants over the past several years. Evident Technologies Inc., received $500,000 (for operating assistance) and has ties to State Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno. Plug Power has received $384,000 (”to install fuel cells at a few area farms and greenhouses”) and has ties to Gov. George Pataki.

Common Cause Executive Director Rachel Leon said the member items going to such companies as Evident and Plug Power “raises red flags.”

“It seems like a slippery slope for government to hand out member items to a for-profit,” she said. “Government is not-for-profit and most of the things supported with member items are not-for-profit. That’s why the sunshine around it is so important.”

Jared Abbruzzese and Wayne Barr of Evident Technologies have contributed to Bruno’s and the Senate Republican Campaign Committee ($42,500 and $14,200 respectively). Abbruzzese loaned Bruno his aircraft several times and is described as a “close friend”. Sherrie Abbruzzese (wife of Jared) participated in a real estate deal with a firm in which Bruno is part owner. Barr was appointed by Bruno to be on the NY Racing Association Board of Trustees. He left that position earlier this year. Bruno and Abbruzzese also have interests in the horse racing arena.

Barr said his and Abbruzzese’s friendship with Bruno had nothing to do with the member item. Evident, he said, made agreements with the state before the money would be released. He would not discuss his private investments.
(snip)
Abbruzzese, a director of the Friends of New York Racing, is “a big racing fanatic and owner, and Sen. Bruno is a big racing supporter, and they talk,” Smith said in a deposition. He added that Abbruzzese helped the group get at least one meeting with the senator.

Barr said he traveled with Bruno to Kentucky last year for a tour of horse country. He said he resigned from the NYRA board a few months later to avoid the appearance of a conflict, since NYRA and Empire were competing for the racing franchise.

Click here for a graphic-type representation of the Bruno/Abbruzzese/Barr relationship and connection from Albany’s Times Union’s website.

Plug Power, the second for-profit company, “has employed officials who have worked for Gov. George Pataki”.

Kudos to the Times Union for their investigative work on this issue.

Governor-Elect Spitzer is wasting no time. Change is in the air. “… Mr. Spitzer is taking the unusual step of voluntarily adhering to tougher rules for himself and his administration, and hoping the idea catches on.”

Spitzer said while he could not force the Legislature to go along with his ideas, he will adhere to these limits “to set a tone, to send a message and to set an example.”

His plan includes:

- stop accepting campaign contributions greater than $10,000
- loopholes in the state’s campaign finance laws won’t be used
- he nor his aides would hold fund-raisers in Albany during the legislative session
- no gifts of more than nominal value (current allowed value is up to $75)
- “neither he nor his lieutenant governor, David A. Paterson, would accept fees for speeches or appear in taxpayer-financed commercials”
- no contributions taken from members of his administration whom he can hire and fire

The changes would be seismic for Albany, where Gov. George E. Pataki has sometimes proposed reforms but has not agreed to abide by them unilaterally. Mr. Spitzer said he hoped the Legislature would follow his lead by passing far-reaching laws that would eventually apply to all state officials and candidates.
(snip)
His announcement put pressure on Senator Joseph L. Bruno, who was re-elected here Thursday as Republican majority leader of the State Senate, one of the three positions that in effect run state government. Mr. Bruno did not sound as if he has any plans to adopt Mr. Spitzer’s ban on fund-raisers in Albany during the legislative session, saying it was “nonsense” to argue that they fostered a bad perception.

“If they want to support people here, they ought to be able to do it,” Mr. Bruno said. “And for anyone that thinks that anybody that makes a contribution buys anything other than indicating their positive support — well, then, they’re just wrong.”

Spitzer feel differently:

Mr. Spitzer said he hoped to send a message by deciding not to attend fund-raisers in Albany during the session, which typically runs from January through June. “There is an unfortunate reality that there are many fund-raisers here in Albany on nights when the Legislature is in session when lobbyists and others congregate, can contribute to legislators, and then show up the next morning to ask them to consider A, B, or C,” he said. “And so we are simply saying, we will not participate in that.”

Well, at least the governor’s office will have ethics reform on their agenda. Will the legislature follow suit? We will be paying attention to see what they will do.

The Commission on Health Care Facilities in the 21st Century released its report on Tuesday on its “recommendations on rightsizing New York State’s hospitals and nursing homes…(which includes) consolidation, closure, conversion, and restructuring of institutions, and reallocation of local and statewide resources”. Here is a link to the complete report.

Three hospitals in our area, identified as the “Southeast Cluster” in Western New York, (TLC Lakeshore Hospital in Irving, TLC Tri-County Hospital in Gowanda, and Bertrand Chaffee Hospital in Springville) are subjected to recommendations in this report.

Summary of Recommendations:

- Eliminate all medical/surgical beds of TLC Tri-County Hospital
- Reduce the license capacity at Bertrand Chaffee Hospital so that the facility functions with less than 25 licensed beds.
- Eliminate the 40 bed Residential Heal Care Facility (RHCF) license at TLC Lake Short Hospital.
- Submit a CON for the approval of 10 detoxification beds under the Office of Alcohol and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) for Tri-County Hospital.
- Consolidate laboratory services at Tri-County Hospital.
- Emergency and outpatient primary care will continue to be provided at the Tri-County Hospital.

… the provider has advanced a plan that may not be optimum for the region as a whole. … an understanding needs to be reached with regard to the ongoing viability of Bertrand Chaffee Hospital. … Although implied, attention to the Seneca Nation of Indians and its health care needs should be included in any analysis of services in the southern tier. … To date there has been no mention of the needs of the Seneca Nation among the various potential providers.

I found no mention of recommendations for Olean General Hospital in the report. Reaction to Buffalo area closures/reorganizations is mixed:

Kaleida Health’s CEO says he does not accept the commission’s report.

The Catholic Health System believes they have already closed facilities and should not have to close St. Joseph Hospital, as called for by the commission.

In contrast ECMC’s CEO Mike Young sees potential with the plan.

Buffalo area recommendations:

… St. Joseph Hospital in Cheektowaga and Millard Fillmore Gates Circle in Buffalo.

The commission also says DeGraff Memorial should convert to a long term care facility, while Mount Saint Mary’s in Niagara Falls should merge with Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center.

Also, Lockport Memorial could end up merging with Intercommunity Hospital in Newfane.

The commission also recommends closing the Williamsville Suburban Nursing Home.

At least one lawsuit has already been filed:

Governor Pataki and State Health Commissioner Antonia Novello are named as defendants in a law suit by the Catholic Health System seeking to stop the closure of St. Joseph Hospital. “It’s just wrong and people need to understand that, we’ve already paid our dues.” said Dennis McCarthy Catholic Health Systems.

So where does this report go from here?

Gov. George E. Pataki has until Dec. 5 to recommend the report’s findings to the Legislature, which has until the end of the year to reject or accept them. Lawmakers cannot pick and choose recommendations.

I find it highly unlikely that Gov. Pataki will reject the report; however, legislators can pass new legislation that would extend the statutory deadline.

…Governor Pataki negotiated with the federal government a waiver agreement that promises New York State an additional 1.5 billion dollars to help implement the commission’s recommendations.” Sandman said if the legislature were to reject the commission’s recommendations, then the state would forfeit that 1.5 billion dollars.

$1.5 billion is a pretty strong incentive. Any word from Governor-Elect Eliot Spitzer?

In a statement released Tuesday, Spitzer called the Commission on Health Care Facilities in the 21st Century’s recommendation to close 9 hospitals and reconfigure 48 others “one step in the process.” He said it must be “considered as an important element of a broader plan to fundamentally restructure New York’s healthcare system.”
(snip)
“As I have repeatedly stated, fixing our broken health care system will require hard decisions, sacrifice and leadership,” he said. “In the very near future, once I have reviewed the report, I will say whether as governor I would send this report to the Legislature.”

Would you like to voice your concerns?

The state Senate Health Committee will hold a public hearing on the hospital consolidation report. It is scheduled for 10 a.m. Friday in Hearing Room A, Legislative Office Building, Albany. The Assembly Health Committee will hold regional hearings and accept comments. E-mail testimony to HealthHearing@ assembly.state.ny.us or mail to 822 Legislative Office Building, Albany, NY 12248. Comments should be received by Dec. 8.

And don’t forget, you can also contact Assemblyman Joe Giglio and Senator Cathy Young. Their contact information is listed on the right-hand side of this page.

In case you may have missed any of these articles. Covering mainly Allegany and Cattaraugus Counties, but WNY regional, state, and national topics of interest are also added.

LOCAL

County approves $188M budget for 2007
… The budget includes a tax levy increase of 3.31 percent over 2006. It will require a tax levy of $41.2 million. The legislature adopted the budget to include amendments recommended by the Finance Committee last week: deferring of tourism grant program allocations to five chambers of commerce/business groups, including the Salamanca Area Chamber of Commerce; an increase in the interest earned from county investments from $700,000 to $900,000; an increase in funding for the Olean Municipal Airport from $22,000 to $27,500; and an increase in funding for bonded capital improvements at The Pines Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center in Olean from $866,650 to $870,000.

City moves closer to reassessing
OLEAN — Members of Common Council’s City Operations Committee agreed to move a plan to reassess all property in the city out of committee Tuesday.

Olean explores creating water, sewer authority
OLEAN — Olean Common Council members are considering creating a regional water and sewer authority to control the city’s water and sewer systems.

Allegany County should end year in the black;
BELMONT - After reviewing the 2007 budget, Allegany County Legislators heard good news from individual departments’ 2006 budget numbers.

Over 2,000 votes later, Szabo loses to Fanton by 19
WELLSVILLE - Even though she won four out of six districts in the Town of Wellsville, after absentee ballots were counted, Democrat Brenda Szabo still lost to Republican Dar Fanton by a margin of just 19 votes in the Nov. 7 election.

Voting machines out of date
BELMONT - Voters pulled the levers on the county’s voting machines in a national election for the last time on Nov. 7.

Tompkins told how he can make changes to sheriff department; Crandall feels legislature will back new sheriff 100 percent
BELMONT - Before Allegany County-Sheriff-elect William Tompkins takes office on Jan. 1, 2007, he wants to make sure some of his new ideas for the department will work.

STATE

New minority leader goes against tradition
ALBANY — When state Sen. Malcolm A. Smith is elected minority leader today — almost certainly by unanimous vote of his Democratic colleagues — he will bring a distinctly new personal, business and political background to the job.

Donohue may don robe yet
Anticipating that soon-to-be-former Lt. Gov. Mary Donohue’s appointment to the federal bench has been delayed or even doomed by the recent Democratic takeover of the U.S. Senate, talks are under way to find her a landing spot on the state Court of Claims, Republican sources say.

Extra school money is cut
The state’s highest court on Monday upheld a special panel’s ruling that New York City schools deserve extra funding but slashed the amount of extra money the state must provide those schools from $5.6 billion to $1.9 billion.

Plan targets lower courts
ALBANY — Chief Judge Judith S. Kaye will unveil a $10 million action plan this morning to reform New York’s nearly 1,300 town and village justice courts.

Pay, reform top new minority leader’s agenda
ALBANY — Newly installed Senate Minority Leader Malcolm Smith on Monday touted legislative pay raises and pledged to work toward reforming state government.

Hevesi probe gains subpoena powers
ALBANY — Gov. George Pataki on Monday signed papers giving special investigator David Kelley subpoena powers in determining whether embattled Comptroller Alan Hevesi should be removed from office.

Court: Pataki violated rights of sex offenders
ALBANY — The state Court of Appeals ruled Tuesday that New York violated the rights of a dozen sex offenders who were forced into psychiatric facilities when their prison sentences ended.

Caution urged on spending by board
ALBANY — A state board is rushing through billions of dollars worth of spending and future debt during the last few months of Gov. George Pataki’s term, Comptroller Alan Hevesi charged Tuesday.

Report: Justice courts need $10M in updates
ALBANY — The state’s top judges called Tuesday for reforming New York’s nearly 1,300 town and village justice courts by requiring recordings of court proceedings, monthly electronic revenue reports to the state comptroller, more legal training for non-lawyer justices and assessments of courtroom security.

Pataki transfers campaign funds to travel PAC
ALBANY — Outgoing Gov. George Pataki, who is contemplating a presidential run in 2008, has transferred the bulk of funds left in his state campaign committee to a Virginia-based political action committee he uses to pay for national travel.

Top commissioner weighs exit
ALBANY — Paul Shechtman, a former Pataki administration official and head of the state Lobbying and Ethics commissions, said Tuesday he is contemplating stepping down from his posts.

Bruno details secret spending
ALBANY — Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno on Wednesday released a list of tens of millions of dollars in spending on member items, including the names of Republican legislators that he refused to identify until a court ordered him to do so.

GOP leadership comes into play
ALBANY — A battle is brewing for control of the state Republican Party, with Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno on one side and a former upstate GOP county chairman on the other.

Pataki adviser gets state Senate post
ALBANY — Senate Republicans opened a senior post for one of Gov. George Pataki’s top policy directors.
Jeff Lovell will become the Senate’s top fiscal officer, Majority Leader Joseph Bruno, R-Brunswick, said Wednesday. Bruno’s office would not say how much Lovell will be paid, saying only that it would be more than his $175,100 salary in the governor’s office.

Governor to push bill to commit sex offenders
ALBANY — Legislators will have to work through some major sticking points if they want to pass a bill allowing for the “civil commitment” of dangerous sex offenders who have already served their prison terms, officials said Wednesday.

Court asked to stay out of leak case
WASHINGTON — The Justice Department on Saturday asked the Supreme Court to refrain from stepping into another First Amendment battle featuring federal prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald and The New York Times.

NATIONAL

Schumer sees time for action
NEW YORK — Now that they have won control of both houses of Congress, Democrats must get to work on issues including raising the minimum wage, renegotiating prescription drug prices for seniors and lowering energy costs, Sen. Charles Schumer said Sunday.

Rage, grief engulf Iraq
BAGHDAD, Iraq — At least 101 Iraqis died in the country’s unending sectarian slaughter Wednesday, and the U.N. reported that 3,709 Iraqi civilians were killed in October, the highest monthly toll of the war and one that is sure to be eclipsed when November’s dead are counted.

Congress to focus on drug legislation
WASHINGTON — Efforts to allow Americans access to cheaper prescription drugs from abroad should blossom once Democrats assume control in Congress, but it won’t be a top priority, lawmakers and health care experts said.

Democrats raise security issues
WASHINGTON — Democrats poised to take control of Congress say they’ll work to implement the unfinished business the 9/11 Commission recommended to better protect America from terrorists. But it won’t be easy.

Gates had plan for Nicaragua
WASHINGTON — In 1984, Robert Gates, then the No. 2 CIA official, advocated U.S. airstrikes against Nicaragua’s pro-Cuban government to reverse what he described as an ineffective U.S. strategy to deal with communist advances in Central America, previously classified documents say.

Iraq violence upsets plans for summit
TEHRAN, Iran — Iran and the United States are playing a complicated diplomatic game, jockeying for influence in Iraq as violence there spirals out of control, but there is one major wild card in dueling summits planned for coming days: Syria.

Market pinched by oil firms?
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — In California’s lower San Joaquin Valley, petroleum has gushed up more riches than the whole gold rush. So the rumor that Shell Oil Co. would simply close its Bakersfield refinery seemed to make no sense. Yet it was true

Voting problems persist
After six years of technological research, more than $4 billion spent by Washington on new machinery and a widespread overhaul of the nation’s voting system, this month’s midterm election revealed that the country is still far from able to ensure that every vote counts.

Hopefuls seeking activists’ backing
CONCORD, N.H. — He does not come armed with posies and poetry, but when it comes to courting Democratic activists, John Edwards is a determined suitor.

Cheney meets with Saudi king
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — Vice President Dick Cheney sought Saudi help on Saturday in dealing with Iraq’s spiraling violence and other regional trouble spots where U.S. policy is on the line: Iran, Lebanon and the Palestinian territories.

Democrats vow an array of investigations
WASHINGTON - The incoming chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee is promising an array of oversight investigations that could provoke sharp disagreement with Republicans and the White House.

Iraq group a study in secrecy, centrism
WASHINGTON - In the history of U.S. foreign policy, there’s been nothing like it: a panel outside government trying to bail the United States out of a prolonged and messy war.

The handwriting on the greenhouse wall
While the political debate over global warming continues, top executives at many of the nation’s largest energy companies have accepted the scientific consensus about climate change and see federal regulation to cut greenhouse gas emissions as inevitable.

New issues likely to emerge under Democrats
Black lawmakers are likely to lead key committees in the new, Democrat-led House, and that means issues such as Hurricane Katrina relief, hate crimes and voting problems are likely to get much more attention.

Huckabee goofs may not bode well for ‘08
… Arkansas’ Ethics Commission has admonished Huckabee for violations five times in 14 years, once for taking money from an organization whose donors have never been listed. He jokingly attributed his weight loss to a “concentration camp” diet and once called his state a “banana republic.”

Is America ready for a Mormon president?
BOSTON - A charismatic communicator with an actor’s good looks, a glowing resume and socially conservative politics, Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney could be a dream candidate for Republicans in the 2008 White House race.
But is America ready to elect a Mormon president?

McCain stands alone on Iraq troops
WASHINGTON - As violence grips Iraq, some White House hopefuls want U.S. troops to start coming home now, or at least soon. Others say the United States must win at all costs. One has called for Iraq to be carved up along ethnic lines. And then there’s Sen. John McCain.

Reno, ex-Justice officials criticize terror law
WASHINGTON - Former Attorney General Janet Reno and seven other former Justice Department officials filed court papers Monday arguing that the Bush administration is setting a dangerous precedent by trying a suspected terrorist outside the court system.

How Moqtada al-Sadr Controls U.S. Fate in Iraq
Dec. 4, 2006 issue - One way to understand Moqtada al-Sadr is to think of him as a young Mafia don. He aims for respectability, and is willing to kill for it. Yet the extent of his power isn’t obvious to the untrained eye. He has no standing army or police force, and the Mahdi Army gunmen he employs have no tanks or aircraft. You could mistake him—at your peril—for a common thug or gang leader. And if he or his people were to kill you for your ignorance, he wouldn’t claim credit. But the message would be clear to those who understand the brutal language of the Iraqi Street.

Marines’ commander: Corps may need to grow
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Marine Corps may need to grow to sustain commitments in Iraq and Afghanistan and remain ready for other crises, the force’s new commander said Wednesday.

For a lengthy period of time I’ve wondered about the support of Senators Clinton, Lieberman and other Democrats for staying the course in Iraq. During the election cycle Senator Clinton almost sounded like she was opposed to our policy in Iraq. Now, that the election is over the pols are quietly returning to their normal selves. They are cautioning that we can’t “cut and run” from Iraq. We need a new direction, but it would be very destabilzing to the Iraqis if we just left them. It almost sounds like they gave a damn about the Iraqis. For four plus years now I’ve been puzzled about why we invaded a country that we had boxed in with a “no-fly zone” and we really had under wraps. Why the trumped up war with Iraq? The neo-cons get the blame, but it’s even deeper than that and very few really know the answers.

Last week while reading Huffington Post I came upon a link to a Youtube video of Scott Ritter that gave me some new direction in my thinking and provided me with some answers to the direction of our foreign policy which seems to be divorced from the interests of the American people. Watch this video.

After you’ve had a chance to watch the video follow this link to the campaign contributions of the Pro-Israel PAC and you’ll begin to get an answer to our intractable Iraq policy. Americans are dying in Iraq because it’s in the best interests of the State of Israel, not because its in the best interests of the United States. We’re not allowed to have a discussion about these issues because just like Mr. Ritter states in his video the press gets defensive. So too do the politicians. Look closely at the list and you’ll see some interesting names in both parties who got major contributions from the Pro-Israel PAC. It’s a bipartisan sellout. Notice the names that are missing: Murtha, Kucinich, Rangel, Kerry, Kuhl. Notice the names that are there: Clinton, Lieberman, DeLay, Hoyer, Hastert, Pelosi. Is it any wonder that we aren’t being heard in Washington? Where does this figure in our invasion of Iraq. An American type democracy between Iran and Israel is in Israel’s best interests. Permanent American military bases on Syria and Iran’s border are in the best interests of Israel. Putting young Americans in the middle of a seething cauldron of regional hatred isn’t in our best national interests, but if you can influence enough politicians with enough money you can do what’s best for Israel and manage to fool most Americans into believing that their children’s lives are worth sacrificing in this mess.

Does Israel have a right to exist? Absolutely! Do our politicians need to be accountable to us instead of the Pro-Israel PAC? I happen to think so. Do you? Shalom.

Charlie Rangel is talking of reinstating the draft. I don’t agree with that, but I understand where Charlie is coming from. He’s trying to insure that there is shared sacrifice by all Americans. Charlie believes that if middle class kids have to go to Iraq, Afghanistan and eventually Korea and Iran that somehow or other the country will change course. We tried that before. From 1940 until 1973 we conscripted young American men. Some would argue that conscription was necessary for World War II and if you accept that WWII was unavoidable then perhaps you’re right. On the other hand the conscription gave a “peace time” military a tremendous supply of manpower that the military industrialists found useful in Korea and Vietnam.  Right about now everyone who’s reading this is sure that I’m either un-American, un-patriotic or just plain crazy. That’s your priveledge. It’s also my priveledge as a veteran of military service here in the United States Military to assert that the military industrial complex is responsible for provoking most of the wars we’ve been in with the exception of World War II.

The Treaty of Versailles and the harsh treatment of post-World War I Germany by the allies spawned Hitler. It was like most wars avoidable. The industrialist-nationalist warlords who reap tremendous profits from murder and mayhem would have us believe that war is inevitable and unavoidable, but the truth is we have the power and intellect to minimize and nearly eliminate war if we’d turn our swords into plowshares. Imagine the good will generated if we spent the nearly 1 trillion dollars we will spend this year on the military, its munitions and the debt of previous conflicts on humanitarian aid for the world.  It doesn’t take much intellect to realize that considerable good will could be generated. The punditocracy and the industrialists will argue that this is a waste of time and precious money. The money is precious to them because it would not be spent enriching them and their myriad corporations.  However, skillful planning could ensure that no one loses a job. Arguably the same man power would be required to deliver these weapons of peace. Good will would go a long way towards eliminating global terror. Mahatma Gandhi once said that “poverty is the worst form of violence.” Is it any wonder that the world’s poorest nations are also the home of terrorists.

I know that Congressman Rangel’s idea of reinstating the draft sounds like a good way to force this President and his minions to change course in Iraq and elsewhere but it won’t work. It’s doomed to failure. You can’t get an alcoholic sober by giving him more whiskey and so giving the President more manpower even if it comes from predominantly middle class homes won’t end this or any other war. It will only exacerbate a broken system. Until we starve the military industrial complex and retool for a real war on terror we will be doomed to fight wars without end and in the process we’ll likely destroy ourselves and our planet. Peace.

From the Buffalo News:

Number of uninsured children in state up 17%

ALBANY - The number of children in New York State without health insurance grew by 17 percent last year, marking the first time that it has gone up in nearly a decade, according to a report released Tuesday.

The spike marks a turnaround after years of steady progress in reducing the ranks of uninsured children in the state. Between 1998 and 2004, the number of uninsured children in New York was cut nearly in half, according to the Children’s Defense Fund of New York, which produced the report.

The increase last year means there are now about 415,000 uninsured children in the state, or 9 percent of children and teenagers. The vast majority of uninsured children - 70 percent - are eligible for state health insurance programs, according to the group.
(snip)
More families could simply be dropping out of increasingly costly private health insurance programs, Bragdon said. Rather than increasing enrollment in state insurance programs, he said, the report shows the need to make private health insurance more affordable.

Even if the 70 percent of uninsured children eventually are covered, that still leaves 124,500 children who are not be eligible for the state-run programs. This is simply unacceptable.

The “self-regulating market policy” is no longer an effective policy for health care in the United States.

The high cost of health insurance is affecting many aspects in our country, including employers, employees, and families and/or individuals who try to seek coverage on their own initiative. Its time for a change; time to no longer allow people to fall through the cracks; time for people to receive medical attention no matter their income level; time to let lapse the policy of people becoming extremely ill or even dying because they cannot afford medical care.

It is shameful that in a country as rich and advanced as the United States, we allow this type of (non) treatment to happen.