WINNERSIt may be his latest "Ron Quixote" move, but give U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) credit for taking a crack at reforming the disaster that is health care. Wyden, who's also pushing uphill on a major tax-reform plan, last week announced a proposal to expand health-insurance coverage for every American, jump-starting a national discussion (and Democratic drumbeat).
The Oregon Education Association and other critics of the Oregon Lottery got a row of cherries last week. The state Court of Appeals agreed with them that the lottery should be making sure bars and restaurants aren't making huge profits when it sets rates on video games.
Freightliner, a loser last week for expected layoffs, again lands greasy-side down this week for a major legal loss. But in the holiday spirit of seeing the good in us all, we make competing truck manufacturer MAN AG the winner after a Multnomah County Circuit Court jury decided that Freightliner must pay MAN AG at least $488 million in punitive damages for accounting fraud.
LOSERS
One week a winner, the next a loser. That's the arc for U.S. Sen. Gordon Smith(R-Ore.), a winner last week for political savvy in trying to defuse Iraq War critics before his 2008 re-election bid. But the senator's turn as a war critic spun back last week when The Register-Guard in Eugene reported Smith (right) "doesn't foresee himself voting against the president on Iraq."
Critics of Portland's public-campaign finance system now have a poster child in the dock, and it's not former City Council candidate Emilie Boyles. Instead, it's Volodymyr Golovan, who helped Boyles collect most of her signatures to qualify for campaign cash she's now on the hook to return. Golovan was indicted last week on charges of forgery, theft and lying to investigators.
Deck the halls of Jefferson High School with a new complaint against principal Leon Dudley, who was supposed to be leading the North Portland school back from the academic brink. Superintendent Vicki Phillips' pick is in the hot seat following the Portland Tribune's report Friday that Dudley's secretary, Kathy Muir, who is white, has filed a racial and sexual harassment complaint against her boss, who is black.
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Where You Stand Depends On What You Think
1. My primary interest is to solve:
A. Oregon's moral and economic health care crisis
B. America's moral and economic health care crisis
2. There is a significantly and arguably greater chance of solving Oregon's moral and economic health care crisis which is to bring affordable health care to Oregonians and Oregon's public institutions by:
A. The Oregon legislature in Salem
B. The national congress in Washington D.C.
3. The profit oriented private health insurance industry which has failed to deliver affordable health care to Oregonians and Oregon's public institutions must not be the model upon which a solution to Oregon's moral and economic health care crisis should be based:
A. - Agree
B. - Disagree
Your answers to these questions will form the foundation for your approach to discussing, debating and finding the solution to Oregon's moral and economic health care crisis which is to bring affordable health care to Oregonians and Oregon's public institutions.
The season to act on your convictions is upon us. Our state legislature and the national congress will soon begin. If your answers were:
1. A - Oregon
2. A - Oregon legislature
3. A - Agree
then please contact our governor, Ted Kulongoski, your state representative and senator and ask them to submit or cosponsor the Oregon Community Health Care Bill under their name or, as a courtesy bill, under yours.
Richard Ellmyer
Oregon Community Health Care Bill author and project champion
President, MacSolutions Inc. - A Macintosh computer consulting business providing web hosting for artists and very small businesses.
Writer/Publisher - Oregon Health Watcher commentary - Published on the Internet and distributed to 17,000 readers interested in public health care policy in Oregon.
http://www.goodgrowthnw.org/health.html
That's one scary bill; you missed the last part where we all stand together wearing puffy green jackets waiving little red books. Your plan is nuts...
PORC
Taxpayer - Afraid of Marxist health care plans.
And people who see this as "Communism" are f***kin' idiots.
As for Sen. Smith, I am disappointed by his pro-W stance but not surprised. He basically is capable of better decisions and should re-think his position.