Back on May 2, 2009 my wife and I attended Houston Community College’s annual graduation ceremony at the invitation of a friend who was one of the graduates. I found the keynote address to be rather peculiar insofar as it was not within the general theme of what I expected for a graduation ceremony. At these kinds of events, I have come to expect the keynote speaker to encourage and exhort the graduates as they are entering the next phase of their lives. The commencement speakers I have seen usually gave the graduates their counsel, wisdom and insight on how to navigate through the obstacles and challenges that lies ahead them. However, this was not the case with this keynote speaker. Although he may have had some words of encouragement, the vast majority of speech, was nothing but a bunch of bloviating about the so-called virtues of Affirmative Action. So, who was the keynote speaker at this event? It was none other than the distinguished Harvard professor, Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
After hearing about his July 16th arrest for disorderly conduct after being verbally abusive to a white police officer, I can’t say that I was all that surprised based on what I heard from his boring speech back on May 2nd. The thing that really strikes me odd about this whole thing is that this racially charged incident did not take place in the South. The officer was not a racist redneck who was having a slow shift and was looking to roust a brother. Sgt. Crowley did not hit him in the head with a billy club and called him a “boy.” Nor did he call Dr. Gates the dreaded “N” word. This incident took place in the North, in the Common Wealth of Massachusetts, which happens to be one of the most (if not the most) liberal states in the Union. Dr. Gates lives in a very Pro-Affirmative Action state and he is the Director of the W. E. B. Du Bois Institute for African and African American Research at Harvard University.
In spite of living in the most pro-affirmative action state in the country and having his own department at Harvard, Dr. Gates still wants to belly-ache and play the race card after a police officer responds to a 911 call from someone who thought that a burglar was breaking into HIS HOUSE. I thought Affirmative Action was intended to right the wrongs of the past and bring healing and harmony between the races. Gee, a lot of good all of this Affirmative Action stuff has done. It sounds to me that Affirmative Action is neither, affirmative, or action.
MEMO TO DR. HENRY LOUIS GATES
The few times that I have seen your name published, I saw additional words such as, “Scholar,” “Professor,” “Author,” and “Lecturer,” accompany your name. When I associate those words with an individual, I usually think of a person who is smart. However, the hearing the news of your behavior that led to your arrest, it sounds to me that what you did was… well, shall I say… not smart. In fact, I would say that you behaved, “stupidly.”
Since you pride yourself in being an expert in black culture, I think it would be safe to say that you know who Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is. This is one guy who has probably been arrested more times than you have and has probably suffered from more police abuse than you have. Never at anytime was Dr. King ever rude or impolite when encountering law enforcement officials. He made it a point to keep his conduct and behavior above reproach. I can never imagine Dr. King saying, “yo mama” to a police officer as you did.
You might want to think about using a similar approach as Dr. King did when dealing with the police by being polite. After the encounter is over, and both of you have gone your separate ways, if you think that the officer has acted unprofessionally and that his/her actions were racially motivated, then you deal with it at that time. This is why most police departments have internal affairs divisions and this is why we have civil courts.
Your actions on July 16th will have more of a teaching impact on your students than what you will be telling them in the classroom. You are doing the black community a great disservice by teaching them to have a chip on their shoulder and play the race card every time a mishap, a misunderstanding or a miscommunication occurs between a white and black person. Playing the race card and alleging racism where it does not exist only makes it that much harder for those who are the real victims of racism.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Friday, July 24, 2009
My Solution To The High Cost of Health Care
The reason President Obama and the Democrats can’t get the health care issue right is because their worldview is out of whack. Their thinking is based to two flawed premises:
1 No system that can be created that will ensure that everyone will get full comprehensive health care coverage regardless of one’s ability to pay. This is a pipe dream. No matter what health program is implemented, somebody somewhere will fall through the cracks and not get the health care that they actually need.
2. Whether you like it or not, no matter how you slice it and dice it, health services are a consumer product just as any other type of goods and services that you purchase. Given that, if you want to lower the cost of health care and make it accessible to as many people as possible, it needs to be done according to the same economic principles that are used to lower the price of any other consumer product.
Once you understand those two givens and that we are in a health care cost crisis as opposed to a health care crisis (there is a difference), then the solutions are quite simple. Here is my plan:
1 Implement a sound tort reform plan. Make laws that will prevent frivolous mal-practice lawsuits against Doctors. Also, if a case does go to trial, have it where the looser pays the court costs. This will reduce the amount of mal-practice insurance a Doctor will need to buy, and thus reduce the Doctor’s overhead. This will also prevent the Doctors from over prescribing tests and treatments in order to prevent lawsuits in the first place.
2 Implement a uniform pricing policy regardless of who the payer is. First, allow the heath care providers to set the cost for their services. Then, what ever price the health care provider sets, the cost for that service should be the same whether the service is being paid for directly by the consumer, private insurance, or medicare/medicaid. If the health care providers want to charge an administrative surcharge to cover their cost for processing the non-cash paying costumers, then I would be okay with that as long as it is within reason. Let’s say 5% of the cost, but not to exceed $100 (Those figures can be negotiated, but you get the idea).
3 Implement laws that will encourage the insurance companies to write policies that will cover only the high dollar and catastrophic cases. This will lower the insurance premiums. In the long run, it is a waste of resources for insurance companies to cover routine Doctor visits for minor illnesses and injuries. Those expenses should be paid for out of pocket by the consumer.
4 Implement laws that will encourage and enable the insurance companies to write national policies. This will give the consumer the option of having some mobility. As of now, the medical policies are written per each individual state. The problem with that is, if one wants to move to another state, one has to change policies.
5 Revise the tax code and allow individuals to have a tax break on their health care costs. Allow everyone to pay up to $5,000 per year for their insurance premiums or regular out of pocket medical expenses with non-taxable income. Business are not taxed on the money they spend on insurance premiums, so I say give the individual the same benefit that the businesses have.
6 Revise the tax code so it will encourage Medical Savings Account tax shelters. The more money the consumers have to spend, the more they are impowered to shop around and choose their health care providers.
These are just a few ideas that I have thought of, I am sure there is more. Will any of those ideas that I just outlined create the perfect health care system if they are fully implemented? I don’t think so. However, I will submit to you that if they are fully implemented, our health system will be far better than it is now. When it is all said and done at the end of the day, any solution to our health care problems should be free-market based and should incite competition between the health care providers. Competition is what will drive the cost of health care down, not government intervention. And the lower the cost of health care, the more accessible it will become to those who need it.
1 No system that can be created that will ensure that everyone will get full comprehensive health care coverage regardless of one’s ability to pay. This is a pipe dream. No matter what health program is implemented, somebody somewhere will fall through the cracks and not get the health care that they actually need.
2. Whether you like it or not, no matter how you slice it and dice it, health services are a consumer product just as any other type of goods and services that you purchase. Given that, if you want to lower the cost of health care and make it accessible to as many people as possible, it needs to be done according to the same economic principles that are used to lower the price of any other consumer product.
Once you understand those two givens and that we are in a health care cost crisis as opposed to a health care crisis (there is a difference), then the solutions are quite simple. Here is my plan:
1 Implement a sound tort reform plan. Make laws that will prevent frivolous mal-practice lawsuits against Doctors. Also, if a case does go to trial, have it where the looser pays the court costs. This will reduce the amount of mal-practice insurance a Doctor will need to buy, and thus reduce the Doctor’s overhead. This will also prevent the Doctors from over prescribing tests and treatments in order to prevent lawsuits in the first place.
2 Implement a uniform pricing policy regardless of who the payer is. First, allow the heath care providers to set the cost for their services. Then, what ever price the health care provider sets, the cost for that service should be the same whether the service is being paid for directly by the consumer, private insurance, or medicare/medicaid. If the health care providers want to charge an administrative surcharge to cover their cost for processing the non-cash paying costumers, then I would be okay with that as long as it is within reason. Let’s say 5% of the cost, but not to exceed $100 (Those figures can be negotiated, but you get the idea).
3 Implement laws that will encourage the insurance companies to write policies that will cover only the high dollar and catastrophic cases. This will lower the insurance premiums. In the long run, it is a waste of resources for insurance companies to cover routine Doctor visits for minor illnesses and injuries. Those expenses should be paid for out of pocket by the consumer.
4 Implement laws that will encourage and enable the insurance companies to write national policies. This will give the consumer the option of having some mobility. As of now, the medical policies are written per each individual state. The problem with that is, if one wants to move to another state, one has to change policies.
5 Revise the tax code and allow individuals to have a tax break on their health care costs. Allow everyone to pay up to $5,000 per year for their insurance premiums or regular out of pocket medical expenses with non-taxable income. Business are not taxed on the money they spend on insurance premiums, so I say give the individual the same benefit that the businesses have.
6 Revise the tax code so it will encourage Medical Savings Account tax shelters. The more money the consumers have to spend, the more they are impowered to shop around and choose their health care providers.
These are just a few ideas that I have thought of, I am sure there is more. Will any of those ideas that I just outlined create the perfect health care system if they are fully implemented? I don’t think so. However, I will submit to you that if they are fully implemented, our health system will be far better than it is now. When it is all said and done at the end of the day, any solution to our health care problems should be free-market based and should incite competition between the health care providers. Competition is what will drive the cost of health care down, not government intervention. And the lower the cost of health care, the more accessible it will become to those who need it.
Friday, July 10, 2009
And The Winner Is... Donny Osmond!
During the decade of the 70s there was a sort of a perceived rivalry by many between Donny Osmond and Michael Jackson. Donny, Michael and myself are contemporaries. I am 11 months older than Donny and 19 months older than Michael. So I had the opportunity to observe of both of their careers and draw comparisons. When it comes to sheer talent, there is no question in my mind that Michael far surpassed Donny. Michael won more Grammys and sold more records than Donny could ever dream of. And, Michael had a much broader fan base and had a farther reaching influence on pop music.
As is the case with any area of life, talent is not everything and Michael’s death only proved that. So what does Donny have? Well, for starters, he is STILL ALIVE. Michael may have had more talent than Donny when he was alive, but Donny was a better steward of his talent than Michael was of his, and Donny is still able to use his talent. The bad choices that Michael made over the course of his life put him on a path of self-destruction. So much so, that Michael’s talent could not even save him from the consequences of his bad choices.
I am not privy to Donny’s financial situation, but if I were to venture a guess, I would say that Donny is far more financially solvent than Michael was. Although Michael made more money, his obsessive and compulsive spending habits left his estate more than 400 million dollars in debt when he died. Donny may have had his ups and downs since his hay days in the 70s. In spite of that, I would contend that proportionately, Donny has done more with less. There is no doubt the Michael was a great entertainer. However, he failed in the areas of life that mattered the most. So, as for the so-called, “rivalry” between Michael and Donny, I officially declare Donny the winner by default.
MEMO TO DONNY:
Donny, in the event that you read this, I would just like to say that even though I do not know you personally. I think I know you well enough to know that you do not take any pleasure in winning this so-called, “rivalry” with Michael. Also, you don’t strike me as the type of guy who would have begrudged the fame and success that he achieved. I think we would agree that we would have preferred that Michael would have made better choices and put his life on a more constructive path.
If I may, I would like to offer you some words of encouragement. We are both still in our early 50s. Even though we have crossed the halfway point in our lives, we still have some productive years ahead of us. Whatever you do, don’t stop working in show business. You have a God given gift. Remain a good steward of your talent and God will reward you for it. Keep on working your projects. If one fails, don’t worry about it. Just get back on your horse and move on to the next one. You have a broad enough fan base and are well respected and loved enough that an occasional failed project will not kill your career. It is important that you keep working and get your projects in. This way, people will be able to judge you based on your entire body of work.
Take a look at Melissa Gilbert. You two have something in common insofar as both of you started in show business when both of you were a child. Melissa is at a point in her career where she realizes that she will probably not get the big blockbuster projects. She has resigned herself to the fact that she may not get all the millions and the Oscars. However, she has set her sights on getting the Life Time Achievement Award. Although most of her projects were not blockbuster hits, they were successful enough for her to put food on the table and hopefully money in the bank before moving on to the next project.
My advice to you is to take a similar approach to what Melissa is doing. As the old adage goes, “How you finish is far more important than how you start.” If you take this approach, I think you will leave a good legacy that you and your family can be proud of. See ya at the finish line.
As is the case with any area of life, talent is not everything and Michael’s death only proved that. So what does Donny have? Well, for starters, he is STILL ALIVE. Michael may have had more talent than Donny when he was alive, but Donny was a better steward of his talent than Michael was of his, and Donny is still able to use his talent. The bad choices that Michael made over the course of his life put him on a path of self-destruction. So much so, that Michael’s talent could not even save him from the consequences of his bad choices.
I am not privy to Donny’s financial situation, but if I were to venture a guess, I would say that Donny is far more financially solvent than Michael was. Although Michael made more money, his obsessive and compulsive spending habits left his estate more than 400 million dollars in debt when he died. Donny may have had his ups and downs since his hay days in the 70s. In spite of that, I would contend that proportionately, Donny has done more with less. There is no doubt the Michael was a great entertainer. However, he failed in the areas of life that mattered the most. So, as for the so-called, “rivalry” between Michael and Donny, I officially declare Donny the winner by default.
MEMO TO DONNY:
Donny, in the event that you read this, I would just like to say that even though I do not know you personally. I think I know you well enough to know that you do not take any pleasure in winning this so-called, “rivalry” with Michael. Also, you don’t strike me as the type of guy who would have begrudged the fame and success that he achieved. I think we would agree that we would have preferred that Michael would have made better choices and put his life on a more constructive path.
If I may, I would like to offer you some words of encouragement. We are both still in our early 50s. Even though we have crossed the halfway point in our lives, we still have some productive years ahead of us. Whatever you do, don’t stop working in show business. You have a God given gift. Remain a good steward of your talent and God will reward you for it. Keep on working your projects. If one fails, don’t worry about it. Just get back on your horse and move on to the next one. You have a broad enough fan base and are well respected and loved enough that an occasional failed project will not kill your career. It is important that you keep working and get your projects in. This way, people will be able to judge you based on your entire body of work.
Take a look at Melissa Gilbert. You two have something in common insofar as both of you started in show business when both of you were a child. Melissa is at a point in her career where she realizes that she will probably not get the big blockbuster projects. She has resigned herself to the fact that she may not get all the millions and the Oscars. However, she has set her sights on getting the Life Time Achievement Award. Although most of her projects were not blockbuster hits, they were successful enough for her to put food on the table and hopefully money in the bank before moving on to the next project.
My advice to you is to take a similar approach to what Melissa is doing. As the old adage goes, “How you finish is far more important than how you start.” If you take this approach, I think you will leave a good legacy that you and your family can be proud of. See ya at the finish line.
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