- Mar 11, 2010 Real Competition Among Health Plans (Politico) John Berlau,Jonathan MooreThe flash point of last year’s health care debate was the public option. Once this insurer got government funding, it began slashing premiums for many of the insurance policies it sells. So have trade groups like the American Insurance Association. more...
- Mar 11, 2010 Right-Wing Groups Bombard Dems (Politico) And there are a number of independent commentators that have reviewed the ad and found it to be truthful in every element. Fox News commentator Dick Morris crafts the ads and has solicited donations on air. more...
- Mar 11, 2010 Create New Jobs And Save The Planet (Politico) By encouraging homeowners to invest in energy efficiency retrofits, Home Star would create an estimated 168,000 manufacturing and construction jobs that could not be outsourced. The second is a more comprehensive retrofit that rewards homeowners for the total amount of energy they save. Our state... more...
- Mar 11, 2010 Senate passes $140 billion in tax breaks, aid to unemployed (Washington Post) Judd Gregg (R-N.H.). "Why do we keep passing debt on to our children? Creating a conference committee could drag out the process in the Senate for several days, unless Republicans cooperate.House Democrats have been broadly skeptical of their Senate counterparts' approach to jobs legislation.... more...
- Mar 11, 2010 Small-business lobby repositions on estate tax, now ready to deal (The Hill) The Senate was expected to take up the bill shortly after its August recess. But Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath threw Congress into chaos and delayed action on the estate tax.The mishandling of Katrina later helped Democrats secure the majority in the next election. more...
- Mar 11, 2010 Unions taking on Dems who do not toe labor line (The Hill) McEntee, as head of the AFL-CIO’s political committee, has been leading that cause.But some union officials grumble it’s a waste of time and resources. For example, SEIU Colorado has gotten behind Sen. He is coming back strong,” George said.SEIU is expected to weigh in even earlier,... more...
- Mar 11, 2010 Pelosi: 'we're Going To Get Started' (Politico) John Adler -- 34 percent favor, 57 percent oppose; Pennsylvania Rep. Jason Altmire -- 30 percent favor, 58 percent oppose; and Colorado Rep. Betsy Markey -- 33 percent favor, 58 oppose.First-term New York Rep. more...
- Mar 11, 2010 Raise taxes or cut education, Quinn says (Chicago Tribune) Ray Long, Monique Garcia and Bob Secter Mar. 10, 2010 (McClatchy-Tribune Regional News delivered by Newstex) -- SPRINGFIELD -- Democratic Gov. I have made some difficult, painful choices in this budget. You must make some tough choices as well." Republican state Sen. more...
- Mar 10, 2010 Insurers test health plans that stress patient choices (USA Today) About 16% surveyed last year by benefits firm Mercer have changed how they structure health benefits, mainly by reducing employee fees for drugs that treat chronic conditions such as heart disease, asthma or diabetes. For instance, studies show that many patients with stable heart disease can be... more...
- Mar 10, 2010 Governor Proposes Rise in Income Tax for Illinois (New York Times) Quinn, a Democrat, told lawmakers in Springfield, as he laid out an austere budget proposal for next year that includes spending cuts, leaving some bills unpaid and borrowing more money. The Republican Party, which has expressed high hopes of retaking the governor’s mansion and a United States... more...
- Mar 10, 2010 Obama Gets Tough on Health Care Fraud (New York Times) Karen M. Ignagni, president of America’s Health Insurance Plans, immediately accepted the suggestion. Insurers said the administration was demonizing them. But House Democrats have balked at the deadline. more...
- Mar 10, 2010 Va. budget plan would shrink general spending to 2006 levels (Washington Post) The preschool program grew rapidly in the past four years. Without those federal funds, the program would probably enroll fewer children and pregnant mothers. In the past six years, eight Virginia hospitals have closed their maternity wings, which tend to serve an especially high percentage of... more...
- Mar 10, 2010 House panel OKs $17.5B budget (Lexington Herald-Leader) Steve Beshear's proposed budget would have pushed the state's debt-to-revenue ratio to 7.66 percent. Fayette County has no Category Five schools and two Category Four elementary schools. For example, Kentucky Educational Television received $2 million more than Beshear proposed over the biennium. more...
- Mar 10, 2010 Pelosi: Dems close on health care agreement (USA Today) The current hope of the White House and Democratic leaders is for the House to approve the Senate-passed bill from late last year, despite serious objections to numerous provisions. Pelosi and other House Democrats want to include Obama's proposed overhaul of the nation's student loan programs in... more...
- Mar 10, 2010 Neighbors Oppose Green Label for the Software Mogul Mitch Kapor's Big House (New York Times) MITCH KAPOR, the software mogul and philanthropist, has given millions of dollars to environmental groups. Kapor wants to build a 10,000-square-foot house, complete with a 10-car garage, in Berkeley, Calif. Kapor’s architect, wrote in an e-mail message that he and Mr. more...
- Mar 10, 2010 Senate extends unemployment (Washington Post) Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.).The Senate measure contains one-year extensions of unemployment benefits and COBRA health insurance, plus extra funding to help states pay for Medicaid. That bill -- which creates a Social Security tax break for companies hiring new employees, and reauthorizes federal... more...
- Mar 10, 2010 Senate extends aid for jobless, health care for poor (USA Today) CHART: Unemployment rises in 30 states in Jan. The sweeping bill cleans up a host of unfinished congressional business from last year that languished as the Senate focused on health care. Federal cash to help states with Medicaid adds about $25 billion more. more...
- Mar 10, 2010 Health secretary calls on insurance providers to back health care overhaul (Los Angeles Times) But you will also be helping to create a sustainable health insurance market where all Americans will be able to buy coverage. Louis on Wednesday afternoon, where he will speak about health care, the president's second trip this week. more...
- Mar 10, 2010 Sebelius to Insurers: It's Not Too Late to Work Together (New York Times) Ignagni said her group would quickly suggest specific ways to improve the bill by strengthening its control of health costs.Ms. Sebelius said the president’s bill would be “the most far-reaching health care cost-cutting bill Congress has ever passed.’’But Ms. Ignagni said.For example, Ms. more...
- Mar 10, 2010 IRS: $1.3 billion still unclaimed for '06, and deadline looms (CNN) The IRS estimates the median unclaimed refund for 2006 nonfilers is $604. The refund, available only on the 2006 return, applies to long-distance excise taxes billed from March 2003 through July 2006, according to the IRS. A standard telephone excise tax refund runs from $30 to $60, though the... more...
- Mar 10, 2010 IRS: $1.3 billion unclaimed for '06 (CNN) The IRS estimates the median unclaimed refund for 2006 nonfilers is $604. The refund, available only on the 2006 return, applies to long-distance excise taxes billed from March 2003 through July 2006, according to the IRS. A standard telephone excise tax refund runs from $30 to $60, though the... more...
- Mar 10, 2010 Ticklish Politics (Politico) The list, with the district number and the sitting incumbent noted parenthetically: Ami Bera (CA-03, Republican Rep. Dave Reichert), Lori Edwards (FL-12, Republican Rep. Joe Wilson), Steve Pougnet (CA-45, Republican Rep. more...
- Mar 10, 2010 Cautious Obama joins climate fray (The Hill) Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Graham that was postponed. more...
- Mar 10, 2010 Paul Ryan's budget proposal does not balance the budget (Washington Post) Paul Ryan sent his alternative budget proposal to the Congressional Budget Office to be scored, there was a bit of a caveat: The CBO doesn't estimate revenues. But the Ryan plan would produce hundreds of billions of dollars-a-year less than that—about 16.8 percent of GDP—a decade from now,... more...
- Mar 10, 2010 Parliamentary Hurdle Could Thwart Latest Health Care Overhaul Strategy (New York Times) “What’s inside the health care cost pie?” the advertisement asks. But health insurance is one of the smallest slices. Health insurance companies’ costs are only 4 percent of health care spending. more...
- Mar 10, 2010 Gov. Pat Quinn budget proposal: Borrow $4.7 billion (Chicago Tribune) Quinn's proposal counts on the federal government continuing to pay a higher reimbursement rate for health care for the poor. Echoing a call by Democratic Comptroller Dan Hynes, Quinn would review, renegotiate or dump many costly contracts that were signed under Blagojevich. Bill Brady of... more...
- Mar 10, 2010 House panel approves $17.5 billion state budget (Lexington Herald-Leader) Steve Beshear's proposed budget would have pushed the state's debt-to-revenue ratio to 7.66 percent. Fayette County has no Category Five schools and two Category Four elementary schools. For example, Kentucky Educational Television received $2 million more than Beshear proposed over the biennium. more...
- Mar 10, 2010 Obama and senators seek climate compromise (Los Angeles Times) By Jim Tankersley President Barack Obama convened a meeting of more than a dozen Democratic and Republican senators this afternoon to discuss energy and climate legislation. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), John Kerry (D-Mass.) and Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.), who are piecing together a large-scale energy... more...
- Mar 9, 2010 Jobless benefit bill moves forward (CNN) In addition to extending unemployment payments and assistance for the unemployed to buy health insurance, the measure staves off scheduled cuts in the payments doctors receive for treating Medicare patients. The measure extends a wide range of tax cuts that were set to expire. Many Republicans... more...
- Mar 9, 2010 China and India to Join Copenhagen Climate Change Accord (New York Times) WASHINGTON — China and India formally agreed Tuesday to join the international climate change agreement reached in December in Copenhagen, the last two major economies to sign up. Ramesh confirmed India’s action in an e-mail message. India sent a letter on Monday to the United Nations... more...
- Mar 9, 2010 Illinois governor unveils harsh budget plan (Chicago Tribune) Quinn's proposal counts on the federal government continuing to pay a higher reimbursement rate for health care for the poor. Such a plan, he said, would provide up to $300 million in savings in the budget proposal. He also proposed a tax cut for small businesses that create jobs, while his... more...
- Mar 9, 2010 Global warming skepticism rising in the GOP (Los Angeles Times) The shift by Rubio and Pawlenty as well as other prominent Republicans reflects the rising power of climate change skeptics in the GOP, where global warming is becoming a litmus test for conservatives. Charlie Crist, over Crist's support for emissions limits. Even 2008 GOP presidential candidate... more...
- Mar 9, 2010 Economic Scene: Wishing for a Health Care Plan That Cuts Costs (New York Times) Hospitals that committed certain medical errors — harmful, costly errors — would face financial penalties. So I agree that health reform should do more to reduce spiraling medical costs. Mainly, the subsidies appear to benefit drug makers, hospitals and insurers. more...
- Mar 9, 2010 Health-care reform's sickeningly sweet deals (Washington Post) And the health-care "reform" bill is, consequently, more expensive by billions.Yes, gone (sort of) is the so-called Cornhusker kickback, extended to Nebraska Sen. All states now will get their own Cornhusker kickbacks. Which isn't exactly true, of course, but point taken.The effort to push any... more...
- Mar 9, 2010 Health care ad cyclorama to clog airwaves (USA Today) Health care costs will go even higher, making a tough economy worse. Stop this health care bill we can't afford to pay."The Chamber would not list the 17 states in the ad buy. He says Obama's bill doesn't do enough to drive down health care costs. "It's a missed opportunity," he says.Yahoo! more...
- Mar 9, 2010 Square Feet: Landlords Show Tepid Response to Hourly Electricity Rates (New York Times) They then pay prices that change each hour with changes in overall demand. Edward V. Piccinich, executive vice president for the big landlord SL Green Realty, said that an ESCO contract could save 4 to 5 percent on electricity transmission costs. For smaller landlords, even smart meters might not... more...
- Mar 9, 2010 Unemployment benefit bill moves forward in Senate (CNN) Eight Republicans joined with all Democratic senators except for Ben Nelson of Nebraska on the vote to end debate on the bill, which still must be merged with a companion bill in the House. The measure extends a wide range of tax cuts that were set to expire. Many Republicans opposed the bill... more...
- Mar 9, 2010 Ex-GOP lawmaker who helped write business tax cuts is hired to extend them (The Hill) ...tax rates. McCrery said that he had originally wanted to set taxes on dividends at zero.McCrery said a key aspect of the cuts under the Bush administration was to link capital gains and dividends policy. If Congress does not act and the tax rates revert to pre-2003 policy, the rates would be... more...
- Mar 9, 2010 Ten Tax Breaks for Parents (New York Times) The credit would be taken against maximum qualifying expenses of $3,000 for one qualifying dependent and $6,000 for two or more. The comparable income limits for single filers are $69,950 to $84,950. Up to 40 percent of the credit is refundable, depending on income. more...
- Mar 9, 2010 China and India Join Climate Accord (New York Times) WASHINGTON — China and India formally agreed Tuesday to join the international climate change agreemen reached last December in Copenhagen, the last two major economies to sign up. Ramesh confirmed India’s action in an e-mail message. India sent a letter on Monday to the United Nations... more...
- Mar 9, 2010 Israel, Syria announce nuclear energy ambitions (USA Today) Landau stood firm against Iran's nuclear plans. Mekdad did not elaborate on specific nuclear plans. Borloo was enthusiastic about that idea, Landau said. more...
- Mar 9, 2010 Israel, Syria announce intent to develop nuclear power (Los Angeles Times) The construction of a nuclear reactor could draw international attention to Israel's nuclear activities. Borloo was enthusiastic about that idea, Landau said. Israel has never acknowledged being a nuclear power, following a policy it calls "nuclear ambiguity." Israel also has a smaller nuclear... more...
- Mar 9, 2010 Anthem becomes Obama's Exhibit A for health-care reform (Los Angeles Times) The day after Anthem's filing, the bill passed the House on a cliff-hanging vote. About a third are covered by Anthem.California allows increases in the individual market so long as insurers spend at least 70 cents of every premium dollar on health care. Kathleen Sebelius, the secretary of Health... more...
- Mar 9, 2010 Obama, Insurers Wrestle Over Rates (Politico) But, mostly, the two groups seemed to talk past each other, attendees said.The one bit of intrigue came when Obama dropped in for an orchestrated moment via anecdote. The president read a letter he had received from Natoma Canfield, who saw her premiums increase by 40 percent this year. She asked... more...
