Me and my bike, I'm the turkey on the bike

New Health Care Rule: You Get More Care for Your Money

blog.aflcio.org/2010/11/22/new-health-care-rule-you-get-more-care-for-your-money/
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) today issued a new rule—known as “medical loss ratio”—that will require health insurance companies to spend 80 percent to 85 percent of your health care insurance premiums on making you healthier instead of overhead costs like advertising or executive pay.

Republicans Could Save $2.4 Million A Year By Forgoing Their Health Care

www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/11/23/republicans-could-save-24_n_787662.html
WASHINGTON -- Some progressive organizations have been making a push in recent days for incoming congressional Republicans to drop their government-sponsored health care on the grounds that keeping the plans would be hypocritical

TAKE ACTION

Denounce GOP Health Care Hypocrisy

www.dccc.org/page/s/rhc
Incoming House Republican freshman Andy Harris is already complaining that the affordable health care coverage he gets as a Member of Congress -- the same coverage that Republicans want to repeal for hardworking families -- doesn’t start soon enough!

One Week Until Deficit Commission Concludes: Time To Speak Out

www.ourfuture.org/blog-entry/2010114722/one-week-until-deficit-commission-conclu...
The White House deficit commission is expected to vote Wednesday, Dec. 1 on a final report of recommendations. And it will likely not be much different than the draft released by its co-chairs Erskine Bowles and Alan Simpson

Vow to Repeal Health Care Holds Little Promise

www.nytimes.com/2010/11/22/us/22iht-letter.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=a24
Republicans won a smashing victory in U.S. national elections this month; no issue resonated more with the party’s base than President Barack Obama’s health care legislation. The House Republicans’ “Pledge to America” vowed “to repeal and replace the government takeover of health care with common sense solutions focused on lowering costs and protecting American jobs.” The party won more than five dozen seats, the most in seven decades.
There is no chance this pledge will be achieved. 

Let the Party begin!www.pnj.com/article/20101120/OPINION/11200302/1020/Editorial--Let-s-%28not%29-ge...
After an eight-year hiatus, Scott is resurrecting the inaugural ball, with two days of festivities around the state to celebrate his swearing in on Jan. 4

He doesn't want us over for dinner, HE WANTS TO HAVE US FOR DINNER!

My Generation=The Who

Scott Maxwell: Florida's failed tax policies have our economy in the tank - OrlandoSentinel.com

www.orlandosentinel.com/news/columnists/os-scott-maxwell-corporate-taxes-1121201...

If the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting 

a different result, then Florida politicians are downright deranged.

Facebook | FIREFIGHTERS PARTNER WITH TOYS FOR TOTS

 AND SALVATION ARMY FOR HOLIDAY TOY COLLECTION

www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=165377888632&topic=14590

FIREFIGHTERS PARTNER WITH TOYS FOR TOTS AND SALVATION ARMY

 FOR HOLIDAY TOY COLLECTION by Palm Bay Fire Rescue on Friday,

 November 19, 2010 at 10:04am

Could She Reach the Top in 2012? You Betcha 

2

www.nytimes.com/2010/11/21/opinion/21rich.html?_r=1

It’s anti-elitism that most defines angry populism in this moment, and,

 as David Frum, another Bush alumnus (and Palin critic), has pointed out,

populist rage on the right is aimed at the educated, not the wealthy.

 Repeal health care? Give up your own first!

2

act.credoaction.com/campaign/gop_healthcare_hypocrites/index2.html?rc=fb_share2

For 2 years, GOP leaders in Congress fought tooth and nail to oppose health care reform. 

They did their best to keep tens of millions without coverage, decrying any effort

 to help citizens as "socialist," "fascist" or some other equally baffling "ist." And incredibly,

 they are now talking about repealing it

New Deficit Reduction Plan from Bipartisan Group - NYTimes.com

2
www.nytimes.com/2010/11/17/us/politics/17fiscal.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=a24
WASHINGTON — A bipartisan group will present a deficit-reduction plan on Wednesday that goes beyond the spending cuts and tax proposals from the chairmen of President Obama’s fiscal commission. It also calls for a one-year holiday from Social Security payroll taxes to encourage hiring and for a national sales tax to reduce deficits

health insurers pay big to defeat public option but pushed mandate to require all to buy their products

www.healthinsurance.org/blog/2010/11/18/86-2-million-to-kill-public-option/
A story on Bloomberg reveals that the leading health insurance industry group – America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) –funneled $86.2 million to an effort by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to oppose the recent health care overhaul and the public option.

AFL-CIO NOW BLOG | Health Coverage Declines But Companies’ Profits Soar

blog.aflcio.org/2010/11/16/health-coverage-declines-but-companies-profits-soar/
The lousy economy hasn’t had much of an impact on six of the nation’s biggest private health insurance companies which saw their profits increase by 22 percent over last year in the quarter that ended in September, according to a new analysis by Health Care for America Now! (HCAN).

World Comparison Shows U.S. Healthcare Lacking | CommonDreams.org

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www.commondreams.org/headline/2010/11/18
The study is the latest in a series by the non-profit Commonwealth Fund showing that while Americans pay far more per capita for healthcare, they are unhappier with the results and less healthy than people in other rich countries

McCollum, Bondi solicit GOP support for federal health care lawsuit | Post on Politics

www.postonpolitics.com/2010/11/mccollum-bondi-solicit-gop-support-for-federal-he...
Attorney General Bill McCollum and his successor Pam Bondi are urging fellow Republicans throughout the country to join his lawsuit against the federal government over the new federal health care law.

John Bouman: Americans Want Health Care Reform to Go Forward

www.huffingtonpost.com/john-bouman/americans-want-health-car_b_783861.html
But out here, when the issue is reduced to kitchen table reality, people don't think ideologically or politically. They think about their own health care, their families' health care, and their own financial circumstances

Nobody's Buying The Cut-Social-Security Line | OurFuture.org

www.ourfuture.org/blog-entry/2010114618/nobodys-buying-cut-social-security-line
In fact, according to a poll released today by Celinda Lake, not even a majority of your Tea Party loyalists, with their "Taxed Enough Already" signs, are supporting the idea that Social Security benefits need to be cut as part of a deficit-reduction plan

The Truth About Health Insurance Premiums | FactCheck.org

5
factcheck.org/2010/11/the-truth-about-health-insurance-premiums/
Not true. The Kaiser report gave absolutely no indication that “health care costs will skyrocket under ObamaCare.” It found that premiums for families with employer-sponsored health care plans rose a modest 3 percent in 2010, but workers’ share of the cost jumped 14 percent as companies shifted health care costs to employees during the recession. None of those increases had anything to do with the new federal law.

Good private Kitty won't eat the Social Security cat food, Will you?

Poverty rises, while taxes benefit wealthy | Ocala.com

www.ocala.com/article/20101114/ARTICLES/101119865/1183/OPINION?p=1&tc=pg

The number of Floridians living below the federal poverty level increased between

 2007 and 2009 by almost 550,000 — equal to the population

of the cities of Orlando and Tampa combined.

Safer Social Security - NYTimes.com

2

www.nytimes.com/2010/11/15/opinion/15orszag.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=ab1

Social Security is not the key fiscal problem facing the nation. 

Payments to its beneficiaries amount to 5 percent of the economy now;

 by 2050, they’re projected to rise to about 6 percent. Over the same period,

federal health care costs will increase six times as much.

Republicans Turn Against Their Own Health Reform Proposals

www.americanprogress.org/issues/2010/11/health_care_gop_proposals.html

Congressional Republicans are threatening to repeal the Affordable Care Act,

 the recently passed health care reform law. But President Barack Obama pointed out

 on “60 Minutes” Sunday night that the law is very similar to Republican Gov. Mitt Romney’s

 health reform law in Massachusetts. And it turns out the law reflects many other ideas

 that enjoyed Republican support in the past. Here are 10 of those ideas.

News from Florida Alliance for Retired Americans

myemail.constantcontact.com/News-from-Florida-Alliance-for-Retired-Americans.htm...

Today's upcoming report by the White House's fiscal commission is expected

 to include recommendations to raise the retirement age for Social Security

 and cut Medicare benefits 

Florida infrastructure project: Mission Accomplished!

The Hijacked Commission - 

www.nytimes.com/2010/11/12/opinion/12krugman.html?_r=1&src=ISMR_AP_LO_MST_FB

It seemed obvious, as soon as the commission’s membership was announced,

 that “bipartisanship” would mean what it so often does in Washington:

 a compromise between the center-right and the hard-right.

Democrats angry over Obama tax deal talk 

www.politico.com/news/stories/1110/45003.html

Between Obama’s weekly address Saturday and comments Wednesday 

by his senior adviser David Axelrod, the White House has made clear

 that it intends to compromise — ceding to Republican demands to extend

 the high-end tax cuts temporarily in exchange for renewing

 the middle-class tax cuts due to expire at year’s end.

Riding the Rails, Looking for Work | CommonDreams.org

2

www.commondreams.org/view/2010/11/11-0

Who says stimulus programs don't work? Or that all that insane corporate spending

 on the elections didn't do some good? Gosh darn it, if you're an aspiring barista,

 you'll be thrilled to learn that Democratic campaigns spent $24,000 at Starbucks,

 Republicans $17,000. And gym rats and personal trainers, be of good cheer.

 According to the Post, "The Democratic National Committee spent $41,000

for memberships at a Results gym about seven blocks from its Washington

 headquarters," keeping its candidates in physical trim if still flabby when it came to policy,

 decision making and vote getting.

More than 60 top staffers in Legislature drawing six-figure salaries

www.tampabay.com/news/politics/legislature/more-than-60-top-staffers-in-legislat...

TALLAHASSEE — To help shrink state government, the new leaders of the Legislature

 have brought in a stable of advisers at six-figure salaries

• 106,000 jobless Floridians face benefit loss - St. Petersburg Times

• www.tampabay.com/news/business/workinglife/106000-jobless-floridians-face-benefi...

• The clock is ticking for about 106,000 unemployed Floridians

• Martin Erzinger, Morgan Stanley Wealth Manager, Won't Face Felony Charges For Hit-And-Run

• www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/11/08/martin-erzinger-morgan-stanley-hit-and-run-_n_...

• A Morgan Stanley wealth manager will not face felony charges for a hit-and-run because Colorado prosecutors don't want him to lose his job.

• Officials optimistic about funds for Jax-Miami Amtrak route | floridatoday.com | FLORIDA TODAY

• www.floridatoday.com/article/20101108/NEWS01/11080314/1086/

• The most recent funding request for $268 million to develop the route was not awarded, though federal officials did award an $800 million grant for high-speed rail linking Orlando with Tampa. "It's frustrating the project wasn't funded this time

• After light rail tax defeat, doubts about Tampa-Orlando high-speed rail line « Florida Independent: News. Politics. Media

• floridaindependent.com/13157/after-light-rail-tax-defeat-doubts-about-tampa-orla...

• Voters in Hillsborough County not only struck a blow to hopes for light rail in the Tampa Bay area by refusing a penny sales tax increase; the overwhelming defeat now has high-speed rail plans in the area under fire

• An unneeded session - Orlando Sentinel

• articles.orlandosentinel.com/2010-11-06/news/os-ed-eager-legislature-110610-2010...

• On Nov. 16, the day they're sworn in as Florida's legislative leaders, Rep. Dean Cannon and Sen. Mike Haridopolos plan to get to work. They'll hold a one-day special session to override some vetoes issued by Gov. Charlie Crist

• Florida Democrats back to drawing board in Tallahassee – Central Florida Political Pulse – Orlando Sentinel

• blogs.orlandosentinel.com/news_politics/2010/11/florida-democrats-back-to-drawin...

• Tuesday’s election all but eliminated the Democrats’ influence in Tallahassee.They’ve not enjoyed much clout in the last 12 years. But since 2006, they have at least had a voice in the Cabinet, a governor sometimes sympathetic to their needs and enough seats in the Legislature to occasionally bog down the Republican agenda.

• 10 things Alex Sink should have done differently - St. Petersburg Times

• www.tampabay.com/news/politics/elections/10-things-alex-sink-should-have-done-di...

• That Democratic gubernatorial candidate Alex Sink came within 65,000 votes of Rick Scott in a huge Republican-dominated midterm election perhaps is testament to how strong a campaign she ran.

• Will Crist pardon Doors' Jim Morrison? | floridatoday.com | FLORIDA TODAY

• www.floridatoday.com/article/20101108/BREAKINGNEWS/101108014/1086/

• With only two months left in office, the highest profile decision left on Crist’s agenda may be whether to issue a posthumous pardon to Jim Morrison, a Melbourne native, FSU alumnus and front man for legendary 60s rock group, The Doors.