"Time Will Tell"

The sad thing (4.00 / 5)

is that even if O'Brien is booted, that's the worst thing that will happen to him. He will never have to answer for the short and long term damage he has done to the people of this state.

This is when I'd love to see the return of the pillory and the stocks.

They. Don't. Care.
We do.
Rinse, repeat.

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by: GreyMike @ Wed Jul 27, 2011 at 02:06:44 AM UTC

Pretty telling that (4.00 / 3)

O'Brien is out there all by himself right now, isn't it?

He's heading for eunuch status - that's worse than pillory and stocks.

In the immediate aftermath of Since the start of the financial crisis, the Fed/Treasury lent, spent, or guaranteed $28 $29 trillion to save the banking system.

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by: StraffordDem @ Wed Jul 27, 2011 at 02:40:54 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

What does that make DeeJay? (4.00 / 2)

His manservant?

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by: unhhockey @ Wed Jul 27, 2011 at 02:51:42 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

It makes him (4.00 / 3)

something that it's impolite to say in public.

They. Don't. Care.
We do.
Rinse, repeat.

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by: GreyMike @ Wed Jul 27, 2011 at 03:15:08 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

its okay MIke we're alone n/t (4.00 / 1)

note to close readers: this might be sarcastic so think twice before reading to candidates for use in their attacks on each other

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by: JonnyBBad @ Thu Jul 28, 2011 at 02:12:28 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Analogy (4.00 / 1)

Bettencourt is to O'Brien as Proctor is to Mauser.

Thankfully, Police Academy movie references generally do not appear on the Miller Analogies Test.

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by: dooper @ Wed Jul 27, 2011 at 03:22:29 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

People who fear failure, have good reason. It's a familiar (0.00 / 0)

experience.  Conservatives are like drivers who don't understand that if you look at what you are afraid of hitting (instead of keeping your eyes on the road), you're almost certain to run into it.
Add to that that people who rely on superficial optics do so because their other senses are dull.

On the other hand, a blind man relies on his sense of hearing and touch and smell to inform him about his environment. Sight is actually rather limiting because even our peripheral vision is minimal.  All humans see clearly is what's right in front of their noses.

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by: hannah @ Thu Jul 28, 2011 at 16:35:35 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Pride comes before the fall. (4.00 / 9)

The people he's insulting are respected members of the community - they sit on boards, go to Rotary meetings, and serve on Chamber committees.  They're volunteers for community initiatives, they fundraise, and they care about making our state a desirable place to live.

His propensity to double-down on his stupidity is remarkable.  

http://www.wmur.com/health/286...
"But certainly, we think this budget is going to return jobs to New Hampshire."

I'm sure businesses are drooling all over themselves to move in to a state where the state legislative leaders express a profound hostility to the two institutions most important to employees: Hospitals and schools.

We are so screwed.


In the immediate aftermath of Since the start of the financial crisis, the Fed/Treasury lent, spent, or guaranteed $28 $29 trillion to save the banking system.

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by: StraffordDem @ Wed Jul 27, 2011 at 02:38:20 AM UTC

Good point about (0.00 / 0)

the influential people he has crossed, it's likely that a number of them are actually Republicans. This has gone well beyond the raised eyebrow stage now. I'm guessing one way or another, there will be a new speaker come January 2013. Too bad it will be too late.

They. Don't. Care.
We do.
Rinse, repeat.

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by: GreyMike @ Wed Jul 27, 2011 at 03:14:00 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

That was then... (4.00 / 1)

Bill-O certainly wants to take credit for the low unemployment statistics from JUNE
(see last Friday's Concord Monitor http://www.concordmonitor.com/... ),
but JULY job cuts couldn't possibly be the direct result of HIS budget that went into effect July 1.

"Sorry to see jobs lost in any private business..."

1. I believe Elliot Hospital, like the majority of hospitals in NH, is a non-profit. Yes, a private business, but not a profit-motivated one. And it does a lot of public good.

2. Private sector job loss is regrettable, but not his problem? Isn't that just what his budget was supposed to reverse? "Here come the jobs! Here come the jobs!"????

JillSH

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by: JillSH @ Thu Jul 28, 2011 at 15:12:16 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

That agents of government have obligations just doesn't register (4.00 / 1)

with people who consider the public is theirs to command.
Many people have been misled by the "family values" claim because they don't realize that what not a few parents value is the ability to demand respect, regardless of how poorly they meet their obligations as providers.

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by: hannah @ Wed Jul 27, 2011 at 09:25:17 AM UTC

It's like Lou Reed once said... (0.00 / 0)

"In the name of family values, we must ask: 'whose family?'"

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by: FrankLloydMike @ Wed Jul 27, 2011 at 12:01:30 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

This is just the beginning. (0.00 / 0)

Come Nov. when local tax bills get mailed, the rest of the state will be up-in-arms.

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by: mevansnh @ Wed Jul 27, 2011 at 10:12:15 AM UTC

This is just the beginning because there will be layoffs at all hospitals (4.00 / 2)

O'Brien is a liar who will not take responsibility of the damage he created

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by: Putney Swope @ Wed Jul 27, 2011 at 11:00:30 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Not much down-shifting in this (0.00 / 0)

budget.  There will be some, but the way I understand the budget, most of the cost-shifting is done to us as individuals.  

Massive cuts to Medicaid may or may not bankrupt hospitals, but they are going to result in reduced access to care for individuals, poor or not.  It will probably result in higher medical costs to insurance providers who will certainly pass it on.  And of course, there's the human cost associated with being denied medical services, and the human cost of loss of income related to the cutbacks.

The back of the budget demands that Lynch cut $50 million more from wages and benefits.

Pension contributions from state employees up 2%.  

The budget does cut $130 million in state aid to schools, but doesn't take effect until 2012.

I think people are paying attention now, mevansnh.  In an environment of employment volatility, people are very sensitive to news of layoffs and other economic signals.  These are 182 real people, with real families, who buy real food, and shop for real school clothes in August.  And that's just one hospital.  

In the immediate aftermath of Since the start of the financial crisis, the Fed/Treasury lent, spent, or guaranteed $28 $29 trillion to save the banking system.

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by: StraffordDem @ Wed Jul 27, 2011 at 11:14:07 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Compare the furor over the insurance fund (0.00 / 0)

Lynch, based on Ayotte's analysis, tried to use the big surplus in the state-created malpractice pool for the General Fund. These doctors had been getting below-market rates, but they screamed bloody murder at losing the found money - including on this blog.

Now that Republicans have cut a quarter-billion dollars from patient care, the doctors are quiet.

"First, do no harm [to my portfolio]."

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by: elwood @ Wed Jul 27, 2011 at 10:48:50 AM UTC

Disagree (4.00 / 1)

Elwood, I usually agree with the vast majority of what you write, but I disagree with this.  There are many vocal doctors and senior hospital staff members who have come out against these cuts.

Problem is, and MD can find another practice or hospital to go to, the person who cleans a ward or serves patients, is probably going to have a much harder time.

"We start working to beat these guys right now." -Jed Bartlet

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by: cblodg @ Wed Jul 27, 2011 at 11:30:00 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

In the old days (4.00 / 1)

doctors were generally considered to be among the rich folk, nowadays the ones I know personally are pretty much middle class (albeit upper), and are no more amused with the current state of affairs that we.

They. Don't. Care.
We do.
Rinse, repeat.

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by: GreyMike @ Wed Jul 27, 2011 at 13:09:19 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Mostly, the monetary wealth has gone to middlemen. (0.00 / 0)

Doctors are people who work with their hands, even when they employ sophisticated tools, and manual laborers exist to be exploited by the inept, but verbally competent, middlemen.  People who have no manual skills have to be good at flapping their lips. Vide George W. Bush and a goodly number of the Capitol Hill Gang.

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by: hannah @ Thu Jul 28, 2011 at 16:44:49 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

This has nothing to do with this fund! (4.00 / 1)

Most doctors (including me) are not involved in this fund. They also will not directly bear the brunt of these cuts.

This is entirely caused by the legislature's warped budget priorities.

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by: Putney Swope @ Wed Jul 27, 2011 at 11:47:31 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

There was a line in a movie perfect for Obrien (4.00 / 3)

Its not that you are short----its that"YOU ARE SUCH A LITTLE MAN"

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by: tchair @ Wed Jul 27, 2011 at 11:02:06 AM UTC

Found it (0.00 / 0)

The movie was People will talk and here is the quote,..........Shunderson said

"Mr. Ellwell you are a little man, it is not that you are short but that you are little in the mind and in the heart.  Tonight you tried to go after a man who you could not stand up to his boot, as if he was on a mountain.  And in the end, you turned out to be even littler."

Just sub Obrien for Ellwell and you got it !!!!

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by: tchair @ Thu Jul 28, 2011 at 13:41:30 PM UTC