Executive Council: "Ain't Going to Happen"

Based on the US House vote? (4.00 / 2)

What planet is Wheeler living on?

Since when does the US House make bills into law without the US Senate and US President?

This vestige from the 18th century, whose names 99% of Granite Staters do not know, threaten the well-being of Granite Staters with their painfully ignorant rhetoric.  

birch paper; on Twitter @deanbarker

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by: Dean Barker @ Thu Feb 03, 2011 at 11:30:13 AM UTC

What Wheeler is saying (4.00 / 3)

(I think): The Republicans in the US House intend to block any new funding needed to implement the health care bill. They believe there are enough components that require new spending authorization, that they can cripple it.

We have already seen that they are willing to block medical care for 9/11 first responders to make cheap political points, so the threat is real.

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by: elwood @ Thu Feb 03, 2011 at 11:51:52 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Irresponsible. (0.00 / 0)

The way the Congress works is that it passes authorization acts to create and modify programs and it passes appropriations acts to fund them. Unless Republicans in Congress can get the authorization acts for HCR repealed--and they have already failed to do that--they need to fund existing programs.  Especially complicated ones with obligations for other people and levels of government.

--
Hope > Anarch-tea
Twitter: @DougLindner

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by: Douglas E. Lindner @ Thu Feb 03, 2011 at 17:19:04 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Planet Wheeler (4.00 / 6)

David Wheeler is one of the worst elected officials in New Hampshire history. I first heard of him when I attended a legislative committee hearing on lead paint when I was on the board of the NH Womens Lobby. He was in the state senate, and opposed to strengthening the lead paint laws. He was defeated for re-election after a controversy over his efforts to spread sludge on his property over the protests of his neighbors. He managed to return to office with his first election to the Executive Council. Before being defeated in 2004, Wheeler was known for such things as objecting when a judge ordered forfeiture of guns in a domestic violence case, and for voting against the state accepting a donation of $1,415 in children's books, including the Harry Potter series, from a literacy foundation.

Now that he is back in office, Wheeler is trying to stop the DMV from moving its Milford substation to Nashua, even though Nashua, with its larger population, makes more sense. While local town clerks can handle most registrations, registration of commercial vehicles of more than 26,000 pounds has to be done at a DMV office. Wheeler lives in Milford, and drives a 32,000 pound dump truck. Better to inconvience all those people in Nashua with heavy trucks by having them drive to Milford, than David Wheeler drive to Nashua.

Not surprising that Wheeler will obstruct anything and everything.

http://www.democracyfornewhamp...

http://www.nashuatelegraph.com...




"When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on."  Franklin D. Roosevelt    

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by: Kathy Sullivan 2 @ Thu Feb 03, 2011 at 13:22:40 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Priceless (0.00 / 0)

A Republican literally spreading sludge?

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by: FrankLloydMike @ Thu Feb 03, 2011 at 14:31:14 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

figuratively and literally n/t (0.00 / 0)

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 Feb 03, 2011 at 20:30:54 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Feelings. That's what the instinct-driven follow. (0.00 / 0)

Their feelings.  "I feel. I know."  These are not people who think.  They are followers.  They don't just follow other people, they follow their emotion-driven instincts.  And one of the primary emotions, which arises whenever they don't get satisfaction, is resentment.  The Sununu sons, no doubt, have been nurtured in a sea of resentments.

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by: hannah @ Thu Feb 03, 2011 at 11:57:37 AM UTC

That said. The federal grants to fund the development of state (4.00 / 1)

supervision of insurance companies are nothing more than bribes.  Bribes are a traditional Washington tool for getting compliance with policy from the states.  There's really no reason why our insurance commissioner's staff need to contract for outside regulatory advise.
If our Governor wants his executive departments to focus more on consumer/patient interests, rather than how local insurance providers can be supported, he should be able to make that policy determination.
Micromanagement by legislators should be nipped in the bud.

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by: hannah @ Thu Feb 03, 2011 at 12:04:00 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Hey, What's an Exchange? (4.00 / 4)

Christian Science Monitor:

... they're an attempt to inject some retail competition into a marketplace that today is not exactly teeming with bargains.

Theoretically, they'd allow individuals and small businesses to band together and get better prices and more variety in health insurance options - the kinds of breaks that big corporations can negotiate for their employees today (emphasis mine)

.

The exchanges themselves would inspect offered policies to make sure they meet government standards. They're supposed to make sure the plans are "in the interest" of buyers, according to the healthcare reform bill.

They are prohibited from setting premiums. They can, however, ask insurers to justify rate hikes - and if they're unsatisfied with the answer can use price as a reason to ditch that particular plan from their product lineup.

Then the exchange would offer approved policies to interested buyers. They're supposed to have four levels of plans to offer, of declining expense. The levels would be labeled "platinum," "gold," "silver," and "bronze."

You would be able to buy health insurance for yourself outside the exchanges. They would not be monopolies. But an insurer would have to charge the same rates outside the exchange as it does inside, for comparable plans, among other new regulations.

If our Legislature won't even adhere to standards for insurance companies/insurance products that are defined by our NH insurance commissioner, etc., they're surely not going to go along with national standards.

This is an extension of their power grab over all other bodies in NH and the country. They want to control it all. This time it's for insurance companies and insurance brokers. Next time it will be for gun owners/manufacturers, board of education, and on and on.

Their actions seem to me to be extralegal.

""Hope is the dream of a soul awake.""

/French Proverb quotes.

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by: susaninrindge @ Thu Feb 03, 2011 at 12:18:37 PM UTC

not seem Susan (0.00 / 0)

I would go so far as to say 'are illegal' but that's just me. I am not attorney or politician and I don't play one on TV.

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 Feb 03, 2011 at 13:27:45 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

then what's the recourse (0.00 / 0)

to illegal activity by our elected officials? Who initiates what action?

""Hope is the dream of a soul awake.""

/French Proverb quotes.

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by: susaninrindge @ Thu Feb 03, 2011 at 13:55:26 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

We can pressure the Council (4.00 / 2)

Reading today's report in my local paper (Valley News) it was clear that Burton is willing to support the Insurance Commissioner.  We need to fight this. This is a big deal because progress on the exchanges begins the process of implementing the health care law. I think this is a "rubber meets the road" moment.  So, what is the action plan? And who is organizing it?  

whp

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by: whp @ Thu Feb 03, 2011 at 14:16:06 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

We could set up a wiki for this issue and (4.00 / 3)

chart out a course of action.  We can invite BLH members (each one gets a permission).

I don't think we want to clutter BlueHampshire with a lot of brainstorming/planning activity, etc.  In addition, this is a public forum and we might not want to have a public dialogue on this.

Anyone know of a better tool for this purpose?

""Hope is the dream of a soul awake.""

/French Proverb quotes.

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by: susaninrindge @ Thu Feb 03, 2011 at 15:34:10 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Could be a workable approach (0.00 / 0)

I'll look into it, a wiki may work.  It does strike me as odd that there is no established method/structure for sending out alerts and calls for action.  Weird, don't you think?

Do we simply want to talk to ourselves?  


whp

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by: whp @ Thu Feb 03, 2011 at 16:18:23 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Lots of tools... (4.00 / 1)

Not that you'll want me part of your actual discussions, but regarding how to use Wikis, Forums, and other tools for improving your activism, I'd be glad to make some recommendations, especially no-cost solutions... For example Google Docs might be all you really need, depending on the time/resource needs.  I'm a general advocate of these things, regardless of the party or cause, because the folks I oppose today may be working with me on another issue tomorrow, and having people who know how to use the tools already and effectively makes them better allies.  Tools aren't partisan.  I know I've used code written by Democrats, and shared with me (and the rest of the world), and vice versa, they've used code I've written.  This is one reason I want to see NH embracing Open Source more (see HB418): it's not just a good use of taxpayer money, but it foster better government code not just in NH, but potentially all over, socially good as well as economically good.

Feel free to email me or call me, I'd love to talk about it.

BH's token Republican / Libertarian / TeaPartier / Free Stater, courtesy of a Federal Affirmative Action grant, despite many of his comments being marked down and hidden.

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by: SethCohn @ Thu Feb 03, 2011 at 20:56:39 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Don't hold your breath! (0.00 / 0)

""Hope is the dream of a soul awake.""

/French Proverb quotes.

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by: susaninrindge @ Thu Feb 03, 2011 at 21:55:54 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

I have a list we can use for call to action. (4.00 / 2)

""Hope is the dream of a soul awake.""

/French Proverb quotes.

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by: susaninrindge @ Thu Feb 03, 2011 at 21:58:04 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

More fnformation from Robert Wood Johnson (0.00 / 0)

For the full report or executive summary  on Laying the Foundation for Health Reform, go to http://www.rwjf.org/coverage/p...

Here's a relevant section.

States are considering whether or not
they will operate an exchange. In 2010,
states applied for and received exchange
planning grants, in part to help them
make this important decision. In addition,
states are using those resources to hire
initial staff, host planning and stakeholder
input meetings, assess current information
technology infrastructure, and collect data
on demographics and the insurance market
that will inform future decisions.

More to come.

whp

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by: whp @ Thu Feb 03, 2011 at 16:56:00 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Arrogant and Shameless n/t (0.00 / 0)

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 Feb 03, 2011 at 20:31:55 PM UTC

When do you suppose (0.00 / 0)

that someone on the O'Brien team will introduce the bill to name the Ruger SR-556 the official New Hampshire State Gun?

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by: mevansnh @ Thu Feb 03, 2011 at 23:43:36 PM UTC

great minds think alike (0.00 / 0)

http://www.bluehampshire.com/s...

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 @ Fri Feb 04, 2011 at 01:59:35 AM UTC

[ Parent ]