Triad Conservative

Senate Budget Spurns McCrory's Obamacare-Style ACO's

Much has already been reported about the proposed North Carolina Senate budget.  However, one important aspect has not been emphasized in the mainstream media reports thus far.

The Senate budget would make it impossible for Governor McCrory to implement his Accountable Care Organizations (ACO) plan for Medicaid.  The concept of ACO's, of course, originated with Obamacare.

Here is the language:

The Department of Health and Human Services shall cease any activities related to implementing Medicaid reform based on its proposed accountable care organization (ACO) model.

The Senate is concerned that the governor's plan will not achieve sufficient Medicaid cost-reductions.  But most appropriately, its budget begins to reduce eligibility and services not mandated by the federal government.  This is a much better approach than promoting ACO's.

Lawrence Huntoon recently had a great article that discusses the reality of ACO's:

Just as unmanaged care was the lie du jour in the 1990's, central planners are now touting the concept of paying for value instead of volume so as to justify rationing care.  Independent fee-for-service physicians must be eliminated in favor of accountable care organizations (ACO's) with bundled payments if the socialist system is to work.  The term value in this context means cost containment for the system at the expense of individual patients...

Hospitals, using employment contracts or ACO's, control physician fees.  And physicians, under ACO's, act as agents of the government to ration care provided to patients.  Individualized care is replaced by one-size-fits-all, system-based care....

Patients also likely do not understand that their hospital-employed/ACO doctor is accountable to the hospital and to the system... (These) physicians likely operate on a "don't ask, don't tell" policy.  If patients don't ask, they don't tell the patient what is going on.

This odious framework is unfortunately what the McCrory Administration has been advancing for the health care industry in the state of North Carolina.   It has truly been astonishing to watch a Republican administration-- and much of organized medicine within the state-- cheer on this awful plan.

The North Carolina Senate has a much better idea. 

Update: Here is a great article from Dr. David Stein of Burlington, NC .  It critiques the McCrory ACO proposal.

 

The Role of County Sheriffs

Break...

Have been battling illness for about a week; and need to take a blogging break.  Will be back soon.

Kay Hagan's Household Collecting Legal Settlement from Greensboro Taxpayers

Yes!Weekly:

“It appears that a lot of dirty politics played out in this decision,” said Councilman Tony Wilkins. Wilkins then referred to reports that the judge in the case had ruled in favor of a company associated with Senator Kay Hagan’s husband after Senator Hagan had nominated the judge to a lifetime appointment.

“I could talk all night about the things that were wrong with that case,” said Phillips...

“If we vote against this then we are voting against our own interlocal government,” said Mayor Vaughan. “It’s not a great decision but it’s one that I feel we are bound to go with.”

Rhino Times:

“What bothers me even more is one of the plaintiffs,” Wilkins said.  “Let me ask, in case I got this confused, how is Sen. Kay Hagen involved in this?”

 Former Councilmember Tom Phillips, who is one of Greensboro’s three appointees to the PTRWA board, said he was unaware of any involvement by Sen. Hagan, but that her husband owned part of one of the companies suing the PTRWA.

However, the peculiar history of the lawsuit included an October 2009 decision in favor of the plaintiffs in North Carolina Superior Court.   Shortly before the court ruling, Superior Court Judge Calvin Murphy was one of three people recommended by Sen. Hagan for a lifetime appointment to the US District Court for Western North Carolina.

 Wilkins read from a news article about Sen. Hagan recommending Murphy for the lifetime appointment, and then withdrawing it after being asked for comment.  He said, “I’d say that involved Sen. Hagan.”

Greensboro's own Senator Kay Hagan is an exalted figure locally.  She means an awful lot to the substantial pro-abortion, pro-gay marriage, pro-socialism forces in our fair city.

But even then, it might seem a bit much to recommend a judge who gives you an assist toward getting a financial settlement from city of Greensboro taxpayers.  I wonder how the taxpayers would feel if they truly knew about it, and if the story was reported more widely and clearly.

Of course, Mayor Vaughan did not seem to have a major problem with the settlement.

VA Hospital Scandal and Coal Ash

The first news about the Veterans Administration (VA) hospital scandal was reported approximately four weeks ago.  Since then, it has attained a head of steam.  Once again, the Obama Administration is revealed to have been making false promises.  It is once again revealed to be incompetent.

Those of us who live in Greensboro might recall a series that ran in the News and Record several years ago.  The series sought to hold up the Veterans Administration medical system as a paragon or model upon which health care reform could be based.  The media/left complex at that time was attempting to portray the VA as a huge piece of evidence that socialized medicine would be our best choice.  They said the VA was doing it right.

Many of us in the medical field have had occasion to complete part of our training in VA facilities.  And we sometimes see in our offices entitled veterans who have difficulty getting themselves care at the VA.  We knew intuitively that the News and Record's claims-- transparently used to advance socialized medicine-- were completely bizarre. 

This is not the only time, however, that our local/regional media has lost touch with reality.

Recently, the coal ash story was magnified and amplified to an almost embarrassing extent.  But the disproportionate media coverage probably has also caused some real harm. 

In Rockingham County, the sensationalistic coverage has probably made the county less desirable from the standpoint of economic development.  I am hearing stories of prospective employers that were considering a move to this economically deprived area, but who decided against it because of the manner in which the coal ash story was reported.

Across the border in Danville, Virginia, the reaction was a bit different.  Clintonista Governor Terry McAuliffe visited Danville and deliberately sought to drink a glass of local water  to demonstrate it was harmless.  He was eager to get the area past any repercussions associated with the incident.

The coal ash story provided the North Carolina media with an opportunity to beat up on big business.  Of course, they relish that opportunity.  But depicting the incident as an environmental catastrophe was excessive; and has apparently had a negative impact.

Sometimes, you can't rely on the mainstream media for a proportioned view of reality.  You can't rely on the perspective they seek to provide.

Read the Text

Political Guilt by Association, Continued

I had described late Thursday how certain members of the local media/left complex had furtively propagated the suggestion that a local candidate for political office has questionable associations.

This made me think back to a series of events that occurred here in Greensboro about 15 years ago.

Many of us who live in the northwest part of town frequently drive on Jefferson Road.  Toward one end of that road sits part of the old Jefferson Pilot property. 

However, all of a sudden, the property was being developed.  An expansive, upscale campus was being constructed; and I seem to recall that there was little advance publicity.  Few seemed to know what it was.

It turned out that it was going to be the new American Hebrew Academy--- a boarding school for non-Orthodox Jewish students.

It was very impressive to observe its construction, and to think about the huge investment that must have been required.  All of this was arising, de novo.

(My own kids at the time were attending a Christian school that started out by using Sunday School space at a church in southeast Greensboro; and that later had to put its students in trailers for a time.)

In any event, this massive complex was being developed; and we did not know how it was being funded.  But then we later learned.

It turned out that an obscure local Jewish man had invested $150 million in the school.

At some point, the News and Record began to report further.

It turned out that this gentleman had amassed his fortune in the insurance business.  He was involved in the reinsurance of aviation companies.  The name of his company was Fortress Re.

9/11 proved to be a defining moment for this particular company.

Because of the huge losses and insurance liabilities associated with 9/11, this gentleman's company was on the hook for massive amounts.  But it did not have sufficient reserves to pay its obligations.

Wikipedia reports that the company was found guilty of defrauding a Japanese insurance company, and was held liable to pay $1.12 billion.  Furthermore, it reports the American Hebrew Academy was also sued in connection with this matter. 

Apparently, the issue was that the company had paid out huge amounts in profits to its principals; and this local gentleman had then given huge amounts to the school.  But the company was unable, in the wake of September 11, 2001, to pay obligations on the "reinsurance" it had marketed.

From what I can discern from surfing online, this gentleman was associated with the local Beth David congregation.  (Correct me if I am wrong about that.)  There are two main Jewish congregations in Greensboro; and at least based on outward appearances, these are fairly similar from the standpoint of cultural and political worldview.  The local Jewish community overall is small, but seems fairly tight-knit. 

The other main local congregation, Temple Emanuel, sits directly across the street from the American Hebrew Academy.  I am speculating there is probably some direct or indirect relationship. 

Would it be fair to besmirch congregants or clergy at Beth David and Temple Emmanuel by virtue of any relationship they might have had with this late gentleman, or with the American Hebrew Academy itself?

Would it be fair to besmirch all those associated with the American Hebrew Academy by virtue of its origins?

Of course not.  It would be terribly unfair.  We all have our own stuff for which we are accountable.

Similarly, I had pointed out Thursday that the de facto owner of the News and Record, Warren Buffett, has been donating massive amounts-- $1.2 billion-- to organizations that kill unborn babies, or that promote the killing of unborn babies.

Would it be fair to besmirch the individual staff at the News and Record because of the activities of this particular owner? 

Of course not.  They are each accountable for their own stuff.

We all have our own stuff.

I think some local folks who have been the object of a concerted media hit job this week are owed a huge public apology.

Greensboro Libel Action Justified

The last several days online have been quite interesting in the Politically Virtuous City. 

News broke that the Riddleberger's and the Adkins' had filed suit against Jeff Martin, a local blogger commonly known as "Fec".   The action essentially alleges libel or defamation.

We have witnessed the usual antics we see in the local blogging and online communities in response to this story.  I have not communicated with anyone about this matter, but a few items merit discussion:

1. I have also been the target of repeated, untrue, hurtful representations originating from Fec's blog. One problem was that I sometimes found it difficult to discern when he was joking around; and when he was being serious.  But it has certainly felt like libel at times.  My own remedy for this has been to stay away whenever I can will to do so.  I have found it best to maintain a distance.

Our friend Fec's online persona is very dark; and he creates an even darker world at his blogs.  Some local liberals and moderates get a huge kick out of it.

2. Some have maintained that his work should not be regarded as libelous because it is satire.  As I noted above, this has sometimes been difficult to distinguish.  But the legal test for differentiating satire from libel, according to one source, is as follows:

If a “reasonable person” could realistically construe your work as truth, not art, you could find yourself in legal trouble.

3. Other reactions online to this story have been fairly bizarre.

Some have claimed that the lawsuit caused the revelation of new, damaging information about the plaintiffs.  In fact, all of this information had been previously reported-- online and in traditional media.

Some meanwhile have argued that freedom of speech requires that Fec be found absolutely blameless.  However, in spite of our constitutional right to free speech, libel law has existed for a long time.  The law recognizes that untrue, harmful representations about people are unacceptable.

We have also seen the argument made that the threshold for libel in this case is much higher because the plaintiffs are public figures.  For the record, neither Brett Riddleberger nor Doug Adkins credibly can be described as public figures.

Finally, we have seen some marvel at how politically unwise it was to file this suit; and how bad the timing was because of the current election season.  However, there is never a good time to file such a suit.  There are elections every year; and legal actions tend to drag through the courts.  From the standpoint of the plaintiffs, to refrain from taking legal action would permit the behavior to continue.  They might regard that as unacceptable; and that is certainly their prerogative, regardless of the outcome.

4. We also witnessed over the last few days the local media/left complex breathlessly express concern regarding the effect this story would have on Mark Walker's campaign.  None of these, of course, would ever want to see Walker elected.  Their objective was merely to get people to perceive Walker as being linked with the plaintiffs.  They were artfully trying to foster perceptions of guilt by association.

But here is the rub.  None of these parties want Phil Berger, Jr. to be elected.  In fact, the News and Record absolutely hates Phil Berger, Sr.

And readers should keep one thing in mind when the News and Record tries to make hay over this story.  The paper is owned by Berkshire Hathaway-- Warren Buffett's baby.  And Buffett has recently been reported to have given $1.2 billion to groups like Planned Parenthood, which is the nation's largest abortion provider.  The News and Record's very existence-- and its revenue stream-- is thereby linked to the killing of unborn babies. 

Abortion, of course, is a profound moral evil.  The News and Record, at this point, has little standing to invite judgment against anyone.

Here is another morsel to consider.  Billy Jones has recently published an amazing series at his blog regarding Greensboro City Council member Yvonne Johnson.    He makes certain allegations that are quite serious. 

Is anyone from the local media/left complex eagerly asking what effect this new information about Ms. Johnson will have on Alma Adams' congressional campaign?  Of course, the two have been allied politically for many years.

Oh, I forgot.  The story has not even been reported beyond Billy's blog.

5. The absurdity of this huge cast of characters inviting and casting judgment over the last several days has been fairly striking.  They fail to understand and acknowledge that everyone has had their own serious imperfections and flaws-- themselves included. 

But my friends the Riddlebergers are very good folks.  They are raising a fine family, and have done great things with their lives.

Only one thing seems certain with this legal action.  The defendant-- like most of us-- will likely get far better, in the long run, than he deserves.

France Decline Predictor for America?

TV Sewer