City health departments do some useful work, on balance. They were mostly born of the “sanitary” and “hygienic” movements of the late 19th and 20th centuries. Appalled by the squalor and disease in the nation’s crowded tenements, volunteers — at first — set about informing people about how diseases were transmitted, stressing the importance of […]
In 2004, New Jersey Democratic Assemblyman Joseph Cryan had a brilliant idea. Only rich people get cosmetic surgery, right? So — if one of the goals of the redistributive state is to impoverish the rich, thus discouraging them from investing their money in job-creating businesses — why not tax cosmetic surgery? After all, a 6 […]
What was it like to go to a doctor in America 60 years ago? The family doctor couldn’t offer high-tech diagnostic tests or treatments, mind you. But neither would you find the office full of employees negotiating on telephones with Medicare, Medicaid, or private insurers, trying to determine what treatments would be “covered,” and what […]
When a reporter for CNSNews.com last Thursday asked House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., where in the Constitution Congress is delegated the specific power to order Americans to buy health insurance — a mandate included in both the House and Senate versions of Obamacare — Ms. Pelosi responded: “Are you serious? Are you serious?” “Yes, yes […]
Halloween, the day when many an American parent will suit up the little ones in black robes, matching 17th century conical hats, and over-sized warty noses, sending them off to delight the neighbors with this impersonation of a witch, as traditionally represented from 17th century Austrian paintings of the Hexensabbat right up through Disney’s “Snow […]
Following Barack Obama’s speech to Congress on health care Wednesday evening, and despite unified opposition from minority Republicans, Democratic congressional leaders said Thursday they expect to pass “reform” legislation within the next few months. They have the votes; there’s little reason to believe they won’t.
Congressmen Henry Waxman, D-Calif., and Bart Stupak, D-Mich. have sent a letter to an estimated 52 insurance companies asking them to provide detailed information on their company-funded executive conferences and retreats, as well executive pay for individuals making more than $500,000 per year including salaries, bonuses, stock options, pensions, and percs — both executives and […]
A key contention of President Obama and the congressional sponsors of health insurance “reform” is that a health insurance “exchange” — allowing consumers to choose between private health plans with premiums artificially jacked-up by government mandates, and a government program with artificially low premiums — would increase competition. In fact, “It would reduce competition by […]
For her birthday I bought the brunette a cat door. I realize that on the list of great romantic gifts — the one with “surprise getaway to Tahiti” and “romantic cruise down the Seine” near the top — this entry ranks somewhere down near “cordless electric drill.” But if you’d spent months having to get […]
None of the Democrats’ current health care “reform” bills will meet President Barack Obama’s stated goal of slowing the ruinous rise of medical costs, Congress’ budget umpire warned last Thursday. In fact, they could break the bank. The sobering assessment from Congressional Budget Office Director Douglas Elmendorf came as House Democrats pushed to pass a […]
