October 20-21, 2016
Oct 20 08:18 SEIU Healthcare hurts families, PCAs Oct 20 09:00 Different districts, different directions Oct 20 10:32 Nolan's anti-constitutional push Oct 20 12:38 Dorholt's questionable priorities Oct 21 04:50 MNsure, the nightmare edition Oct 21 09:56 Tom Bakk, heartless SOB edition Oct 21 11:25 Daudt vs. Obama, ACA edition Oct 21 13:02 Gov. Dayton 'apologizes'
Prior Months: Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep
Prior Years: 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
SEIU Healthcare hurts families, PCAs
This article by Tom Steward of the Center for the American Experiment highlights how corrupt the DFL and SEIU is. At the heart of the matter, personal care attendants, aka PCAs, are trying to decertify the SEIU.
Steward writes "Minnesota Personal Care Attendants (MNPCA) are suing the State of Minnesota for undermining its drive to decertify the Service Employees International Union by failing to provide up-to-date lists of PCAs as required, the coalition of home care workers and advocates today announced at a State Capitol press conference." The SEIU has a perverse incentive for not wanting the PCAs to get up-to-date lists from the Dayton administration.
According to the article "SEIU is estimated to receive as much as $4.7 million in annual revenue from the PCA program." That's exceptionally perverse considering that Kris Greene, a PCA from Lakeville, said "I don't need a union to help me take care of my daughter. And I don't need a union taking three percent of our money," Decertification is the only way to get the SEIU out of our homes and wallets!"
Simply put, the SEIU wouldn't care about these PCAs if they weren't lifting $4.7 million from their wallets. Ms. Greene is right, too, in saying that she doesn't "need a union to help" her take care of her daughter.
This is telling:
SEIU Healthcare Minnesota established the union with the votes of 13 percent of the estimated 27,000 home-based PCAs in Minnesota at the time.
That sounds like a rigged election. The DFL is constantly harping about suppressing votes. This time, they didn't, though that's understandable. The truth is that SEIU Homecare and the DFL love rigged elections if it puts $5,000,000 into the DFL's campaigns each cycle.
"Our impression after contacting thousands of PCAs around the state is that they just did not know about the election, and many still do not know they are being represented by the SEIU," said Kim Crockett, Vice President and Senior Fellow at Center of the American Experiment. "If successful, it may be the largest decertification in U.S. labor history."
If the MNPCA gets an up-to-date list of PCAs, those PCAs will decertify SEIU Healthcare in a heartbeat. This isn't what the PCAs wanted. It got shoved down their throat. Expect a similar result to this decertification vote, if it happens, as the vote by in-home child care providers to reject unionization by AFSCME . Those in-home child care providers rejected unionization by a vote of 1,014-392.
Posted Thursday, October 20, 2016 8:18 AM
No comments.
Different districts, different directions
The St. Cloud and Sauk Rapids school districts sit side-by-side geographically. Despite that geographic closeness, they're heading in opposite directions enrollment-wise. Kirsti Marohn's article on the Sauk Rapids school district shows a vibrant, growing district. Jenny Berg's article tells the story of a stagnating, shrinking district.
Marohn wrote that as of Oct. 1, "the district's total enrollment is 4,459, up from 4,294 at the end of last school year. That's an increase of almost 4 percent." Berg wrote that "The number of elementary students attending St. Cloud schools dropped by approximately 10 percent from last year's numbers, according to enrollment data released by the district Thursday."
Additionally, Marohn wrote "The growth is due to a combination of higher birth rates in the Sauk Rapids-Rice area new families moving into the district and students from other districts choosing to attend Sauk Rapids-Rice schools through the open enrollment option, Bittman said. A demographer's report predicted the district will grow by as much as 17 percent n the next five to 10 years."
Then there's this:
Januszewski predicted Tech would gain even more students in the coming years if the referendum passes and a new school is built on the south side of town. The new school would most likely lure students from other districts, he said.
That's wishful thinking. People are moving into the Sauk Rapids-Rice district in droves. They don't have a shiny new building. What's attracting these students to the district? It might be that parents are using open enrollment to abandon the St. Cloud district's sinking ship.
Posted Thursday, October 20, 2016 9:00 AM
No comments.
Nolan's anti-constitutional push
Right after the Orlando night club bombing, US House Democrats pushed a bill that sounded logical but that would've violated Americans' civil rights. That bill was called No-Fly, No-Buy. During the Pelosi sit-in, Rep. Nolan took to the microphone and said "I represent rural communities in northeastern Minnesota. Everybody in my neighborhood has shotguns and deer rifles - including me. I'm proud to strongly support the Second Amendment. But the fact is, when you're out duck hunting, you can only have three shells in your gun. Why? To protect ducks! That's right; we put limits on guns to protect ducks. So why can't we do the same for our elementary schoolchildren? For our friends and neighbors in places of worship? For our families who want to catch a Friday night movie? For our LGBTQ community who just want to go out for some fun and dancing on a Saturday night? Surely they deserve the same concern and safety that we afford to ducks."
This is proof that Rep. Nolan is either an idiot or incredibly dishonest or perhaps a little of both. Stewart Mills' latest videotape highlights what's wrong with Rep. Nolan's thinking (if it can be called that):
Here's a partial transcript of Stewart's video:
One of his initiatives is called No Fly, No Buy. It sounds simple enough, until you understand that if you find yourself on the secret government no-fly list, they can take away your Second Amendment rights. There's no evidence that this unconstitutional proposal, based on an arbitrary set of secret government lists, would have prevented any of the recent terrorist attacks here on US soil. No Fly, No Buy is an assault on your constitutional rights. Not only does it violate our Second Amendment. It also violates our Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments. Government can't take away our rights without due process. Period. Our Second Amendment rights are just as sacred as our First Amendment rights to free speech, to assembly and to religion.
Rick Nolan's speech is a display of Rep. Nolan's apathy towards the Constitution's protections.
As for Rep. Nolan's statement that he strongly supports the Second Amendment, the truth is that he protects a liberal's definition of the Second Amendment. That's a warped interpretation of the Second Amendment. Further, it's totally apparent that Nolan isn't fighting for our Fifth and Fourteenth amendment protections.
Posted Thursday, October 20, 2016 10:32 AM
No comments.
Dorholt's questionable priorities
This morning, I paid a quick visit to Zach Dorholt's priorities page to see what
It's startling because Dorholt avoided talking about the subject on his priorities page. On Dorholt's priorities page, he said "As someone who works in the healthcare field I regularly see issues that if reformed, could make healthcare more efficient and affordable. Too many policies are made in St. Paul without the guidance of those who actually work with patients on a day to day basis. When elected, I will work to make sure that healthcare remains accessible and affordable to all of our citizens and that we get our fair share of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act from Washington."
First, it's noteworthy that Dorholt is an ideologue first. It's incidental that he works "in the health care field." Further, it's noteworthy that working in the health care field doesn't automatically make you an expert on health care policy. That isn't to say we shouldn't have health care professionals on the MNsure board. I'm just arguing that we shouldn't just pick someone for the board because they work in the health care industry.
Next and most importantly, Dorholt's a little late in saying he'd "make sure that healthcare remains accessible and affordable to all our citizens." The premiums in the individual market aren't affordable. That isn't just my opinion. It's also Gov. Dayton's opinion (sometimes) and Bill Clinton's opinion:
It's worth noting that Gov. Dayton initially said that the Affordable Care Act wasn't affordable 2 weeks ago. This week, he's written an op-ed saying things aren't so bad. I'm betting that Hillary's campaign called him and lectured him on saying something like that.
Finally, Dorholt can't admit that the system Minnesota had prior to Obamacare/MNsure, complete with its high-risk pool, did a fantastic job insuring people with pre-existing conditions while keeping health insurance premiums for healthy people relatively stable. I've said this before and I'll repeat it here: the federal government should've modeled their plan after Minnesota's system. Unfortunately for Minnesota, our senators crumpled like spineless wimps and voted to destroy Minnesota's system.
Posted Thursday, October 20, 2016 12:38 PM
No comments.
MNsure, the nightmare edition
This article highlights how screwed up the ACA is. First, it's noteworthy because it's written by a lefty. Next, it's noteworthy because the author admits that it's messed up. It's impossible to miss Marshall Helmberger's disgust with the ACA, especially when he says "The el-cheapo UCare bronze plan that my wife Jodi and I bought for 2016 went from $657 a month to $1,221 a month , or $14,652 a year. And that is for an insurance plan with a $13,900 deductible , which means we would need to spend $28,552 before we would see any actual benefit from our insurance, beyond a free wellness visit or two."
That isn't affordable. That's outrageous pricing. What's worst is that the person is technically insured but this couple can't afford to use it to get health care. What good is health insurance if you can't use it?
Helmberger's disgust with the ACA boiled over again when he said "Now, one of the principles of the Affordable Care Act was supposed to be affordability, as you might have guessed. In theory, you were supposed to be able to buy a silver-level plan for about ten percent of your annual income, which to most people would be considered affordable. But the theory isn't met by reality these days. If you assume a fairly typical household income of $65,000 for two middle-aged (age 55) adults in Minnesota, you would qualify for no subsidy whatsoever under MNsure. At the same time, the cheapest silver plan you can buy in St. Louis County for next year has a monthly premium of $1,477 a month, or $17,724 a year, which would entail 27-percent of that same household's income . Add in the thousands of dollars in deductibles and co-pays that this same couple would need to cover if they actually utilized any medical services and it easily pushes the actual cost of such a plan to one-third of their household income. That's not affordable - it's soul-crushing, and it would prompt most healthy people to abandon their insurance and pay the fine for going uninsured."
We didn't experience these type of outrageous premiums when Minnesota's high-risk pool was in effect. Why didn't DFL legislators keep that system in place? The DFL, starting with Gov. Dayton, Sen. Bakk and then-Speaker Thissen, had the opportunity to display leadership. Instead, they showed they were President Obama's puppets. Thanks to their unwillingness to lead, Minnesotans are hurting more and more each day.
Posted Friday, October 21, 2016 4:50 AM
No comments.
Tom Bakk, heartless SOB edition
Sen. Bakk stabbed Gov. Dayton in the back again , this time disagreeing with Gov. Dayton's statement about the Affordable Care Act not being affordable. Gov. Dayton's statement was "I'm not trying to pass the buck here but the reality is that the Affordable Care Act is no longer affordable for an increasing number of people. We're going to need both state and federal governments to step in and do what they need to do to remedy these problems."
When asked if he agrees with Gov. Dayton's statement, Sen. Bakk said that he disagreed, saying "No," Bakk said when asked if he agreed, then continued "It's 5 percent of the marketplace. We've got some problems in the individual market for people that can't access the federal tax credit, for people over 400 percent of the poverty line. That's the cohort where we have a problem. For 95 percent of people and for the people that are able to access the tax credits in the exchange, you know, I think this system is working."
Essentially, the argument that Sen. Bakk is making is like a carpenter's argument that the roof is waterproof except for the big hole in it. Saying that 250,000 people who are either getting gigantic premium increases or who can't afford to buy health insurance isn't a problem is what a heartless SOB might say in a difficult political situation right before an election. I'd triple-dog dare Sen. Bakk to tell these people that they don't have a problem.
In 1980, Ronald Reagan famously said that "a recession is when your neighbor is unemployed" and that "a depression is when you're unemployed", then finishing by saying "the recovery starts when Jimmy Carter is unemployed." Applying President Reagan's principles to this situation is helpful. The Obamacare/individual market problem will get fixed when Sen. Bakk is no longer the Senate Majority Leader. The DFL has spent the last 3 years bragging up the ACA, accusing Republicans who said it wasn't working well that they were employing political gamesmanship.
With huge premium increases in the individual market and unaffordable deductibles, the DFL's chickens are coming home to roost. Contrary to Sen. Bakk's statement, this is a crisis. Gov. Dayton admitted as much in this video:
Of course, Gov. Dayton has reversed course since then, now insisting "'Hundred of thousands of Minnesotans' will NOT see actual health insurance increases of 50% or more, because many people, who buy their policies through MNsure, will receive federal tax credits that will significantly lower their costs."
Which is it, Gov. Dayton? What changed from the time you said that the ACA wasn't affordable "for an increasing number of people" to the time you wrote that dishonest op-ed? Did you suddenly start thinking that it's affordable? Did you get pressured by DFL candidates who said that they lost support right after you made that statement? Or are you just that dishonest?
Posted Friday, October 21, 2016 9:56 AM
Comment 1 by eric z at 21-Oct-16 01:28 PM
Becky Otto agrees with your headline in general, but she'd focus on a different edition.
Response 1.1 by Gary Gross at 21-Oct-16 01:42 PM
Is Ms. Otto running for governor in 2018?
Comment 2 by Chad Q at 21-Oct-16 06:14 PM
So those on MNSure won't pay higher prices because the sucker taxpayer will fork over more money in the form of higher taxes. Progressives need to be drawn and quartered for this mess.
Response 2.1 by Gary Gross at 21-Oct-16 11:10 PM
Chad, check out my LTE on MNsure. It's time to start pummeling DFL legislators with the information in this LTE. I wouldn't ask an arsonist to put out a fire. I certainly won't ask the DFL, who created this disaster, to fix it.
Comment 3 by eric z at 22-Oct-16 12:12 PM
Romneycare anyone? A name that has disfavor among Republicans. Give them what they say they want; they don't. How do you deal with that? Call it dissembling? Or just same old, same old GOP obstructionism?
Response 3.1 by Gary Gross at 22-Oct-16 02:22 PM
Terrible policy is terrible policy. I hated Romneycare. Period. The ACA, or whatever you call it, is a disaster. More people are insured but most people who've bought policies through the individual exchange can't afford to use their insurance because the deductibles are expensive. Think in terms of $12,000-$14,000 a year for a family on a bronze plan, which what most people can afford.
Lots of families are spending 25%-35% of their income on their health insurance premiums & deductibles. That isn't affordable. That's downright expensive! Single-payer would be worse but the costs would be hidden with higher taxes. What's worse with single-payer is the gov't price controls, which would lead to doctor shortages.
Minnesota had the right system. Then the DFL, led by the head cheerleader Gov. Dayton, demolished that system. Now they're whining that Republicans didn't fix it? It'll be fun watching the voters punish the DFL for creating this disaster.
Comment 4 by Chad Q at 23-Oct-16 08:23 AM
Problem is the voters won't punish the DFL for the mess they created because the DFL is so good at creating the narrative that this is all the GOP's fault.
Progressives don't care that Obamacare is a disaster because it was never meant to work in the first place and they will replace this mess with single payer, their goal all along.
Response 4.1 by Gary Gross at 23-Oct-16 08:38 AM
Chad, this time, you're wrong. They'll punish the DFL because it's hurting real people. The DFL specializes in spin, which helps them get away with lots of stuff. Every so often, though, the DFL collides with an issue that isn't spinnable. This is one of those times.
Daudt vs. Obama, ACA edition
Kurt Daudt is stepping up in grade now that he's taking on President Obama over the ACA . This fight started when Democrats, including DFL Gov. Mark Dayton, said that the ACA wasn't affordable to an increasing number of people.
President Obama, thin-skinned as always, defended his signature 'accomplishment', saying "it's worked," but admitted the program wasn't perfect. "No law is." Enter Speaker Daudt. Speaker Daudt said "It's absolutely unaffordable. I don't even consider that health coverage." Then Speaker Daudt added "It's catastrophic."
Actually, that's exactly what it is. It's catastrophic insurance at Cadillac plan rates. That's verified by the fact that "one Arizona town [saw] a 75 percent hike and another in Minnesota seeing a 190 percent increase in deductibles over the course of four years." Only an elitist or a politician thinks that's affordable.
Speaker Daudt is right because the deductible is too high. That's bad enough. Unfortunately for people who've bought through the individual market, that's just part of the problem. The other part is the skyrocketing health insurance premiums. High deductibles and high premiums equal an unaffordable double whammy for families. Then there's this:
With some families forced to shell out $2,000 a month for insurance that comes with a whopping $13,000 deductible, Daudt said for some the only option is to pull their coverage and pay a fee for not having insurance, which in 2016 came out to $695 per adult and $347.50 per child (up to a maximum of $2085.)
That isn't affordable. That's downright expensive.
This statement from DFL Sen. Tony Lourey is quite telling:
"This is sort of a one-time solution for 2017 to take the sting out of the rates for individuals, but we'll still be feeling the pressure to find a longer term solution," Sen. Tony Lourey said.
TRANSLATION: We know it's bad. We just don't want to lose the majority because we a) voted for MNsure and b) bragged about how wonderful it would be .
Posted Friday, October 21, 2016 11:25 AM
No comments.
Gov. Dayton 'apologizes'
Gov. Dayton just issued a faux apology about his statement that the Affordable Care Act is unaffordable. In Gov. Dayton's faux apology, Gov. Dayton said "Last week I said that the Affordable Care Act 'is no longer affordable to increasing numbers of people.' I regret that my statement was wrongly used against Democratic candidates in Minnesota and elsewhere." That's proof that my translation was right in this post .
In that post, I quoted Sen. Lourey, the chief author of the bill that created MNsure in the Senate, as saying "This is sort of a one-time solution for 2017 to take the sting out of the rates for individuals, but we'll still be feeling the pressure to find a longer term solution." My translation read "We know it's bad. We just don't want to lose the majority because we a) voted for MNsure and b) bragged about how wonderful it would be ."
Gov. Dayton's faux apology isn't that health insurance premiums in the individual market are skyrocketing. Gov. Dayton's faux apology isn't about the fact that deductibles make the ACA insurance policies essentially unusable. Gov. Dayton's faux apology is to DFL candidates who've gotten hurt because Gov. Dayton unintentionally told the truth. In politics, that's known as a gaffe. Here's Gov. Dayton's letter:
The other thing that Gov. Dayton said that caught my attention is where he quoted President Obama. Here's that portion of the faux apology:
"Yesterday, President Obama said 'Just because a lot of the Republican criticism has been proven to be false and politically motivated, doesn't mean there aren't some legitimate concerns about how the law is working now.' I agree. For the 95 percent of Minnesotans who are covered through the Medicaid expansion, MinnesotaCare or through their employer, it's working. It's working for the 3 percent who qualify for the federal tax credits through MNsure. But the law isn't working well for the 2 percent of Minnesotans in the individual market who don't receive any financial assistance to pay for their coverage."
That's spin of the worst kind. When a little town in southern Minnesota gets devastated with a tornado, Gov. Dayton wouldn't issue a statement saying that most Minnesotans weren't affected, that only a tiny portion of the state's population was devastated.
Statistically, Gov. Dayton is partially right. Everyone that's buying health insurance is getting hurt either through high premiums or high deductibles or both. The thing that can't be ignored is the fact that these people in the individual market are getting hurt because the ACA's structure is flawed. Had the ACA been built with a high-risk pool, people wouldn't be suffering through these skyrocketing premiums and unaffordable deductibles.
Finally, it's time to shove President Obama off the national stage. He's lying when he said that "Republican criticism has been proven to be false and politically motivated." President Obama's statements are spin. President Obama's statements are politically motivated, too. He'd love to see a Democrat majority in the Senate. He doesn't want to see his signature 'accomplishment' criticized by historians because it's a total disaster. That would damage his legacy bigtime.
Gov. Dayton apparently hasn't learned the first rule of holes. By admitting that DFL candidates are getting hurt because he told the truth in saying that the ACA isn't affordable, he's essentially admitted that the ACA is terrible policy. He was right the first time. It's terrible policy.
Originally posted Friday, October 21, 2016, revised 25-Oct 11:28 PM
No comments.
