RoguePundit

A Reward for Minimal Care

Here's an innovative way of dealing with a shortage of a particular medical expertise.

New Zealand hospitals scrapped an offer Thursday of a supermarket voucher for mothers who leave the maternity ward within six hours of giving birth, after critics slammed it as bribing impoverished women to forgo health care.

The Capital and Coast District Health Board, which runs public hospitals in the capital, Wellington, initially said its offer of a supermarket voucher worth $77 would apply during December and January as a way to combat a shortage of midwives.

But the board was forced to back down within hours of making the proposal public, following an outcry from midwives, interest groups and others.

“It is clear that some people see this as a potential form of bribery, and I acknowledge that is not acceptable,” Wellington Hospital chief executive Margot Mains said in a statement. “I have today instructed staff to scrap the supermarket voucher part of our management strategy.”

Governments with socialized medicine save money by rationing service...which is why for instance the waiting lists for certain specialists, surgeries, etc. can be rather long in Canada, the VA system, etc.  Waiting lists and childbirth don't go together very well...and the Wellington area has a 30 percent shortage of midwives.  Other New Zealand hospitals have been resorting to using untrained assistants to help with deliveries.

Health Minister David Cunliffe said the Wellington scheme was one health provider's response to a staff shortage, and that it was not government policy.

Healthy mothers and babies usually are discharged after 48 hours in a New Zealand hospital ward.

In a straight-forward birth of a healthy baby, 48 hours may not be necessary.  Inducing births unnecessarily can certainly help with some of the scheduling issues...I've heard of that being done here in the U.S.

Pelosi Tells Rural Oregonians to Eat Cake

Nancy Pelosi came to Portland yesterday to raise money from urban Oregonians.  But when it comes to providing rural Oregonians money via timber payments...

Pelosi, visiting Oregon Health & Science University, wasn't exactly effusive about the program, which is ending this year unless Congress renews it.  Asked about it by reporters, she tersely said, "Where we go from here is to see how to phase this system out" over the next few years.

Pelosi's leadership hasn't extended much beyond raising money for other Democratic politicians.  If she supports a phase-out of timber payments, why hasn't the House passed such a bill this year?

Wyden and Smith say they've lined up Senate support for a five-year extension but that Pelosi has prevented that bill from moving in the House. The way Senate sources tell the story is that Pelosi balked at the big price tag--which could be up to $1 billion a year nationally, depending on how you structure the program--and tends to think it mostly helps Republican districts anyway. They thought it was pretty telling that Pelosi--who also had a private chat with Gov. Ted Kulongoski about the program during her visit--didn't have a more diplomatic spiel about the program (such as saying that she wanted to do what she could to help Oregon and she understands the concerns, etc.).

DeFazio, one of the few Democrats representing a district with large amounts of federal forest land in it, has been determinedly defending Pelosi--she is his leader, after all--and he had a pretty tough public exchange with Wyden's chief of staff, Josh Kardon, about this in May.

We got the one-year extension in May after the collapse of the five-year extension referenced above.  In that "pretty tough public exchange," Kardon said the collapse was because "The House leadership chose to stand with President Bush instead of with rural counties."  DeFazio objected, pointing the blame at Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (longer explanation here), whose spokesman blamed President Bush...who as we know isn't fond of timber payments. 

Bottom-line though, under Republican leadership last year and Democratic leadership this year, the Congress has failed to send a longer-term timber payments extension of any kind to President Bush for signature/veto.

Smith should have been able to use his clout to get a long-term authorization passed last year when Republicans still controlled the Senate from his perch on the Finance Committee, said DeFazio. And he also noted Wyden was on that committee as well and was the one who introduced the notion that the program would eventually wind down. "I would not say we're getting any great shakes out of the United States Senate," he said. "Rather than hearing a blame game from the Senate, I'd like to see some heavy lifting."

DeFazio, and Wu spokeswoman Jillian Schoene, both made a big deal of noting that they dealt with the issue in a House energy bill headed for a House-Senate conference while the Senate bill had nothing. But the Senate folks noted that the energy bill only contains brief mention of the program--albeit enough to potentially get it on the conference committee agenda--and that the Senate passed a comprehensive, five-year plan earlier this year.

Wyden aide Kardon, being careful not to publicly diss DeFazio, noted that "Sen. Wyden produced the only multi-year re-authorization plan that has received a vote in either House...Speaker Pelosi was being very candid (Tuesday) and that is to her credit. Despite the excellent efforts of Representative DeFazio, the House has not accepted the five-year Wyden-Reid five-year reauthorization plan"

Pelosi wasn't being candid about the phasing out of timber payments.  The payments have ended, and the legislation to create a phase-out is languishing.  This year, that can't be blamed on the Republicans.

Spending the Kicker Checks

Here's what some of the local folks will be spending this year's kicker on...bills.  From today's Daily Courier.

Plans for locals who expect kicker checks uniformly turned to one topic. Vacations, fancy Christmas presents and shopping sprees were not among the plans listed by any approached recently at the Grants Pass Shopping Center and asked about the tax refund.

"I hadn't really thought about it," said Ravae Black of Grants Pass. "Probably pay bills."

"I don't know what I'll do," said Lana Rossiter, who was shopping with her son Sam. "Probably pay bills with it."

"Pay off debt," said another Grants Pass resident, Rocio Murillo.

"Pay bills," said Rogue River resident Lonnie Duron, who told her daughter, Shaunte Duron, that she can probably expect a kicker check, too, this year.

From an article in the Oregonian last week...

The timing is perfect for nonprofits. Not only is the state putting an average of $612 into taxpayers' pockets, but the checks will arrive during the peak giving season. So United Way, the Portland Art Museum, the Portland Schools Foundation and other groups are mentioning the kicker in their year-end requests for donations.

"It's a huge opportunity for people to give back to the community, and it's a huge opportunity for nonprofits to sharpen their message as to why it's important to support them," says Tripp Somerville of the Portland Schools Foundation. "It's a no-duh opportunity."

...

Oregonians tend to contribute more to charities when they have more financial resources, says Greg Chaille, who has been president of the Oregon Community Foundation for 21 years. The foundation publishes an annual report on charitable giving in Oregon, which totals more than $1.2 billion a year.

Chaille says he won't be surprised if 10 percent of the more than $1 billion in tax refunds makes its way into charitable donations. "In fact, I would expect it," he says, "given the past pattern of generosity by Oregonians.

The per capita income in Multnomah County is 50 percent higher than it is here in Josephine County.  Skipping the debate over who tends to give how much of their income to charity...

It's sport amongst Oregon's liberal elite to decry the kicker and lament the possibilities regarding what the state could be doing with the money.  Governments can always do more with more, but is that the best way that our money can be spent?  Letting the people who made the money pay off some of their bills, donate the money to charities, etc. isn't a bad thing.  And, only a tiny percentage of Oregonians trust the state enough to let it keep the kicker.

Targeting Solar Panels

From a February 1999 article entitled, "The Challenges of Vandalism Along California's Highways."

Electrical power theft has become an issue in many landscaped areas where homeless encampments exist. Some roadside inhabitants in the Los Angeles area have been so bold as to cut in to the 120-volt service line and plug in televisions, microwaves and even air conditioners to make their temporary structures more livable. Where energy theft has become an issue, designers have looked toward alternative sources of energy and increased visibility to the controller. Solar powered controllers that require a minimal solar panel surface have proven to be a good solution for reducing the theft of power and to reduce the possibility of tampering with the controller. However, solar panels also become targets for vandals and theft.

From an article today entitled, "Roadside Solar Panels New Theft Target." 

It seems that even crooks have jumped on the renewable energy bandwagon.

The Oregon State Police says about a half-dozen solar panels have been stolen in the past year from changeable message signs.

Those are the kind that warn drivers about things like icy roads or construction zones.  The solar panels allow the signs to be placed in remote locations without easy access to electricity.

Oregon State Police Lieutenant Greg Hastings says the crimes appear to be pre-meditated.

Greg Hastings: “Someone would need to probably pull up in a pick-up or a utility type of a truck. It’s not something that you would take off and then walk down the highway unnoticed by anyone as you carry it away.”

It doesn't take much googling to find examples of the theft of solar panels all over the world.  They're expensive, provide something valuable, and often sit out in the open.  People steal generators...what a shocker that thieves might target solar panels.

Where's the Less Expensive Beef?

Predictably, opening our borders to older Canadian cattle (previous blog here) has helped cut into beef prices.  Strange how we're not seeing much benefit from that at the supermarket.  From an article on how the drought in Arizona is affecting its ranchers...

Parsons also said prices that producers can command have plunged 30 to 40 percent in six weeks, though beef prices in stores haven't followed suit.

Factors spurring the drop in ranchers' prices include resumption of cattle being imported from Canada and the cost of grains, Parsons said.

"The cost of grain has really gone up, and that makes the cost of cattle go down," he said. "The producer always gets hit when there is something in the commodities chain that goes up. The farmer, the rancher is the one that's going to get hit - the one on the bottom."

Yearling producers are seeing a 30 to 40 percent price decrease, he said. A 500-pound steer will sell for about 90 cents a pound on the hoof. It was commanding $1.25 to $1.30 a pound six weeks ago, he said.

A comparably sized heifer now brings 80 cents a pound.

Back in 1980, a 500-pound steer brought that same 90 cents a pound.  Beef is another of the commodities that has helped keep inflation low for years.   

Because of the money squeeze, some ranchers are looking to sell or subdivide some property or are considering other alternatives like on-ranch ecotourism ventures such as hunting lodges.

Meanwhile, the major meat processors and grocers are making a tidy profit on beef.

Self-Esteem and Materialism

The following studies are interesting, though it's worth bearing in mind that they were done by marketing professors. 

In the first study, they found that materialism increases from middle childhood (8 and 9 years old) to early adolescence (12 and 13 years old) but then declines by the end of high school (16 to 18 years old). This mirrors patterns in self-esteem, which instead decreases in early adolescence but increases in late adolescence.

“The level of materialism in teens is directly driven by self-esteem,” said John. “When self-esteem drops as children enter adolescence, materialism peaks. Then by late adolescence, when self-esteem rebounds, their materialism drops.”

In a second study, John and Chaplin boosted self-esteem by giving children positive information about peer acceptance. Children were given paper plates with positive descriptors about them, such as smart and fun, which were provided by their peers in a summer camp setting. This seemingly small gesture drastically reduced the high levels of materialism found among 12 to 13 year-olds and the moderate levels of materialism found among 16 to 18 year-olds.

“Particularly relevant,” said John, “is the fact that by simply increasing self-esteem in teens, we see a decreased focus on material goods that parallels that of young children. While peers and marketing can certainly influence teens, materialism is directly connected to self-esteem.”

I'm sure there are more variables at play...self-esteem is a rather complex topic.  Nonetheless, there's little wonder why so many advertisers make products and the children using them seem cool.

Happy Thanksgiving

I've got relatives coming in later today for the extended weekend, thus blogging will be at best light.

Opening Our Borders to More Disease

As scheduled...

Older cattle from Canada began moving across the border into the United States on Monday, despite last-minute court appeals by some U.S. cattle groups and ranchers concerned about mad cow disease in Canada.

...

USDA banned all Canadian cattle in May 2003, when Canada found its first case of BSE. In July 2005, it relaxed the ban, to allow cattle younger than 30 months.

Since 2003, Canada has reported 10 cattle with BSE, a fatal neurological disease with no cure. It has been linked to variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans, although there have been no confirmed reports of human deaths from infected cattle in North America

But the border has remained closed to older cattle until now.

Remember that bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) is the formal name for mad cow disease.  Note that our borders are now open to more than just the older cattle that are more likely to carry the disease.  Switching links...

The trade rule to be implemented Monday allows the import of meat from all older animals and any live cattle born after March 1999--when a feed ban aimed at stopping the spread of BSE came into effect in Canada.

Repeat, "meat from all older animals."  And as I've noted before (most recently here), half of Canada's ten mad cow cases occurred in cattle born after the feed ban.  Obviously the ban hasn't been air-tight, and Canada admits that it hasn't been able to identify and destroy a fair number of the cattle that came into contact with the sick cows.  Canada's sloppiness is now our risk, thanks to the USDA.

A number of folks are pointing to the strong loonie as a reason that Canada won't export as many older cattle as was originally estimated.  Wow, a supposed benefit of the weak dollar.  But actually, we're importing more cattle this year than last.  It's better economically right now for Canada to export feeder cattle to the U.S. than to finish them up there.  So what's the motivation for continuing to feed older cattle in Canada when there's now a market for their meat here?  In fact, some U.S. producers are selling part of their stock in anticipation of a glut and thus lower prices.

More country-of-origin labeling would sure be nice right now.

Growing Despite the Lottery

The Lottery isn't the only type of gambling that's doing well in Oregon.  So is pari-mutuel betting on-line.

Fueled by a record total from TVG, wagers handled through Oregon hubs jumped 19.7% for the third quarter of 2007, according to data released by the state’s racing commission.

Total handle from seven wagering entities operating in the state hit $445,788,221, up from the $372,525,644 accumulated during the same period of 2006. TVG, which handled $151,407,372 in the three-month period of July, August, and September accounted for a third of the final tally.

“Our record handle demonstrates the value our customers find in our partner tracks, state-of-the art account wagering platforms, and broad television distribution,” TVG general manager David Nathanson said in a statement. “We couldn't be more pleased.”

...

The gross handle total is also a record for hubs operating in the state, which has been releasing figures since 2000. The previous record of $445,106,894 was set in the second quarter of this year.

The following list shows eight hubs...but Churchill Downs Incorporated now owns both America TAB and Twinspires.com

FYI, TVG is owned by Gemstar-TV Guide International.  But, you wouldn't know that by how the company describes itself.  From its most recent earnings statement, which never mentions horse racing, gambling, etc....

Gemstar-TV Guide International, Inc. (the "Company") (NASDAQ:GMST) is a leading global media, entertainment, and technology company that develops, licenses, markets and distributes products and services that maximize the video guidance and entertainment experience for consumers. The Company's businesses include: television, publishing, and new media properties; interactive program guide services and products; and intellectual property licensing.

TVG is a network...that offers wagering services in 12 states.

TVG, the leading interactive horseracing network, combines the excitement of live horseracing with the convenience of wagering from home. TVG’s entertaining in-studio and on location team of anchors and reporters, including 3-time Kentucky Derby winner Gary Stevens, brings viewers the races, the headlines and the stars from the world of horseracing.

TVG offers four ways to wager – online at TVG.com, automated phone, with the remote control on DISH Network, and through Internet enabled mobile phones.

The company, which is headquartered in Los Angeles, has its customer service and wagering operations in Beaverton (maybe ODS Technologies rings a bell).

Another Big Settlement for the Victims of Priests

Sadly, the sexual proclivities of Jesuit priests in Alaska have made ripe blogging fodder (examples here, here, and here).  A number of priests made native villages their perverted playgrounds.

Attorneys for more than a hundred people who say they were victims of abuse involving Jesuits in Alaska announced Sunday they have reached a $50 million settlement with the regional Jesuit province.

The 110 people, all Alaska Natives, said they were abused by 15 Jesuit priests, brothers or those supervised by Jesuits from about 1961 to 1987, said Ken Roosa, their Anchorage-based attorney.

Roosa said his clients ranged in age from about 5 to 16 when they were abused, and the abuse occurred in remote villages along the coast of Western Alaska and along the Yukon River.

"In some villages, it is difficult to find an adult who was not sexually violated by men who used religion and power" to abuse and silence the children, Roosa said in a statement. "For our clients, this settlement represents a long overdue acknowledgment of the truth of their stories of abuse."

Officials at the Society of Jesus, Oregon Province—the formal name of the Jesuits in the Northwest—would neither confirm nor deny the settlement Sunday, saying details had yet to be worked out.

Between the Province and the Archdiocese, imagine the manpower decisions that were being made by the Catholic hierarchies in Portland.

In the past several years, many cases have been filed against the Jesuits in the Northwest, and the province has considered filing for bankruptcy. It is not clear how Sunday's announcement would affect any bankruptcy decision.

Excluding the Sunday announcement, the Oregon Province—which includes Washington, Alaska, Oregon, Montana and Idaho—has spent about $16 million to settle claims with 61 victims against 41 priests since 2002.

...

Most of the cases filed against the Oregon Province have involved those serving in Alaska. For years, the Jesuits had sent priests to serve in remote Alaskan villages and some victims' attorneys have contended that Alaska was where Jesuit leaders sent troubled priests—a contention Whitney, head of the Oregon Province, has vehemently denied.

He also denies that Jesuit leadership ignored the abuse.  But with everything that's already come to light...