Jindal Watch

The story of the youth correctional facility in need of a direct care provider has the happiest possible ending: the position and candidate were approved by Bobby Jindal and Angele Davis, and the candidate is still available.

I think it's important to remember, however, that the job would have been filled in January if not for the beaurocratic nightmare that ensued after it was advertised. Perhaps some taxpayers can feel good about the fact that two months' salary for this provider has been saved thanks to Jindal's vigilant supervision of the state hiring process. I cannot.

Since this case is closed, please feel free to inform me of any similar situations that come to your attention. I'll be more than happy to offer whatever effect the Funk Bump may have in resolving them :)

Viva...

What Does Bobby Jindal Have Against Children Receiving Health Care?

I promised to keep you updated about the local youth correctional facility in need of a direct patient-care provider. The position was not exempt from Jindal's hiring freeze on state positions (despite the state's current sizeable budget surplus). It was over a month ago that the facility submitted an exemption request. It still has not been approved. And again, if the facility's chosen candidate accepts another position, the facility will have to start over again by submitting another request.

Democratic National Debate #20

I would have blogged this last night, but after enduring pre-debate coverage of Cunningham's introduction to McCain's speech (I won't dignify it with a link), I needed a a glass of wine. It was best for everyone not to hear the things I was willing to say after said glass of wine.

On health care: Despite repeatedly interrupting and re-introducing the topic for 16 minutes (by Brian Williams' count), HRC did not effectively counter the argument below, and it's a good one. Given the caving in and corporate pandering that is central to her voting record, there is no reason to trust that HRC's mandate on individuals to purchase health insurance will be coupled with mandates on the industry. She does not explain how she would enforce a mandate and she does not elaborate on the subsidies she would provide. And as I've said before, mandates on individuals tend to outlast regulation on industry, even if she did enforce regulation on industry. A mandate would enable her to say later, "When I took office, 48 million people were uninsured, and now..." (Pan out to all of us peeping through the bars of debtors' prison).

Additionally, her claim that 15 million people will be left out under Obama's plan is questionable. Perhaps there are 15 million people who "can [ostensibly] afford" health insurance but don't have it. What is the measure by which she can determine this? A crystal ball? She has no way of determining the financial obligations of those 15 million whose salaries suggest that they can afford health insurance. They may be paying child support, massive student loan debts, and/or sub-prime mortgages.

OBAMA: The reason she thinks that there are more people covered under her plan than mine is because of a mandate. That is not a mandate for the government to provide coverage to everybody; it is a mandate that every individual purchase health care.

And the mailing that we put out accurately indicates that the main difference between Senator Clinton's plan and mine is the fact that she would force in some fashion individuals to purchase health care.

If it was not affordable, she would still presumably force them to have it, unless there is a hardship exemption as they've done in Massachusetts, which leaves 20 percent of the uninsured out. And if that's the case, then, in fact, her claim that she covers everybody is not accurate.

Now, Senator Clinton has not indicated how she would enforce this mandate. She hasn't indicated what level of subsidy she would provide to assure that it was, in fact, affordable. And so it is entirely legitimate for us to point out these differences.

But I think it's very important to understand the context of this, and that is that Senator Clinton has -- her campaign, at least -- has constantly sent out negative attacks on us, e-mail, robocalls, flyers, television ads, radio calls.

And, you know, we haven't whined about it because I understand that's the nature of these campaigns, but to suggest somehow that our mailing is somehow different from the kinds of approaches that Senator Clinton has taken throughout this campaign I think is simply not accurate.

While we are on the topic of whining: HRC's whining to Tim Russert that she often gets the first debate question came off as immature and undignified. Obama was often wise to let her carry on in this vain. Whining that the press is Obama-biased is ridiculous, given that that man has 11 straight wins, and she should thank her lucky stars that commentators at large continue to spin for her. Notice that since it's now very unlikely that she will win Texas, the media focus is on her imminent win in Ohio. I've never seen a candidate maintain the spotlight because s/he is perpetually one state away from domininating the race. How long can this go on?

But back to health care and a blatant untruth that shouldn't be perpetuated:

CLINTON: We will continue to have a hidden tax, so that when someone goes to the emergency room without insurance -- 15 million or however many -- that amount of money that will be used to take care of that person will be then spread among all the rest of us.

When these 15 million (?) people go to the emergency room without health insurance, the debt is not spread among all of us. The uninsured patient is billed at a much higher rate than one who has insurance (which caps the amount that a hospital can charge for its services). If the uninsured patient is unable to pay, the hospital can and will hold that individual responsible in the same manner that any financial institution can and will. The only way of avoiding the debt is by claiming bankruptcy, which the 2005 Bankruptcy Reform bill, first introduced in 2001 with HRC's blessing, as Obama later pointed out in the debate, made it near impossible to do for anyone whose income exceeds the median income for their state. I've blogged on this before, and I hate to belabor the point, as I've accused her of doing. But she irks the hell out of me by trying to create a delusion about "universal health care," assuming we'll think that means a single-payer system.

Stumbles for HRC: Pro-Iraq war, then against it. Pro-NAFTA, then against NAFTA, well kind of. Confident on creating 5 million jobs, actually losing 30,000 once in office, then admitting her estimate was contingent upon Al Gore becoming president, then having the gall in this debate to promise 5 million jobs again. Gleefully joining into the Rev. Farrakhan smear (yet another attempt by the press to associate Obama with the concept of "Islam" one way or another--would he have to "denounce" Muhammad Ali's support, too?) when it was none of her business, implicitly accusing Obama of anti-Semitism, and, by a very weird extension, trying to march him into the appalling lock-step favoring Israel's policies carte blanche.

Good things for Obama to call her out on: Counting her period as First Lady as "experience," cherry-picking and taking responsibility for popular [Bill] Clinton legislation, and most most most of all, driving the bus into the ditch.

Full transcipt of the debate.

If Only We Were So Lucky

Isn't it a buzzkill to see all this promise in the national elections, only to return to the bleak reality that we're stuck with abysmal state and local leadership?

I promised I'd keep you informed with any anecdotal evidence on the state hiring freeze. (here)

The youth correctional facility in need of a direct healthcare provider is still awaiting approval from Bobby Jindal's office. It is unlikely that the unemployed provider of their choice will still be available as time passes, and passes, awaiting that approval. If the chosen candidate accepts other employment before (and if?) an approval is granted by Angele Davis/Bobby Jindal, the facility will have to choose another candidate and start from square one.

But we're all saving money here, right?

More Anecdotal Evidence Regarding Bobby Jindal's Hiring Freeze

A local youth correctional facility is in need of a health care provider. The position is not exempt from the state hiring freeze. That facility must choose a candidate, explain to the candidate that the position pends approval from Jindal's office, then send an exemption request and wait for an answer from Angele Davis. What are the chances that an unemployed health care provider in this area will still be available when/if the request is approved? Stay tuned and I'll tell you. Tick tock.

Mardi Gras, Ups and Downs

Photo Credit: G.J. Charlet

Though Lundi Gras and the build-up to Fat Tuesday were fun and exciting, and I'm so glad to be in New Orleans, I was gripped by an unexpected and deep-seated funk on the big day. Made it to Zulu, which was wonderful, but afterward somehow didn't feel like doing much of anything for the rest of the day.

BUT, many links to great Mardi Gras photos from N.O. bloggers posted by Sophmom at DotCalm!

From Times-Pic, 2/5/2007, "Mardi Gras Uplifts a Beleaguered City":

"Things are pretty hard around here," Handy said. "People didn't have much before the storm and a lot less now. So a nice day with the kids having fun is a good thing."

As a more somber tone dominated on Ash Wednesday, it was clear Mardi Gras had delivered a much-needed tonic.

Hotels reported occupancy rates near 95 percent — an encouraging achievement considering Mardi Gras' early date kept away the spring break crowd.

With slightly smaller crowds and the attention of the national news media focused on the Super Tuesday elections, local residents found Carnival 2008 a time to relax and reconnect with neighborhood traditions.

Still, the fatigue of the storm — which flooded 80 percent of New Orleans and killed 1,300 in the area — could be felt.

Carnival provides a respite, but it also creates problems, said Dr. Mark Townsend, vice chairman at the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center.

"From a psychiatric standpoint it lifts people's moods," Townsend said. "But it also stressed the psychiatric system that we have. We can't take care of many people now and this morning we have more than a dozen people here awaiting emergency beds."

Since Katrina, New Orleans has been gripped by a shortage of psychiatric services, with fewer than 100 beds available for acute treatment, Townsend said. Health groups have reported a surge in mental care needs attributable to the storm.

That's on top of the emotional free-for-all that accompanies the excesses of Carnival.

"Mardi Gras often causes an uptick in psychiatric problems because people are using alcohol or drugs or can't get their medications," Townsend said. "It's not a good time to have a psychiatric problem here."

And I have it from reliable local sources that though the hiring freeze was "lifted" for many state direct-care providers, it still creates myriad problems in filling a lot of direct-care and support positions quickly in state hospitals. And that is a huge sign of a big "psychiatric problem" in our state government.

Also, some must-reads: Maitri's in-depth post on "rebuilding below sea level." And Gentilly Girl's killer rant against corporatizing Mardi Gras.