What I'm Reading 5.15.09

Here's a list of compelling articles that are shaping my thoughts today. It doesn't mean that I agree with what they said, but I'm reading these things and thinking about them.

Health Costs are the Real Deficit Threat. By Peter Orzag, WSJ
This is one of the biggest problems facing our country today. Write to your Congressman or Senator to get involved. We need bipartisan action to make sure health care really works.

Health Care Leader Say Obama Overstated Their Promise to Control Costs. By Robert Pear, NYT
It's a mistake for the medical industry to backpedal. The administration was responding favorably to a 1.5% cut in growth of health care costs when what we really need is a complete end to growth and cost cutting. The health care industry made those concessions in the first place because they were worried about Congress instituting regulations that would force their costs down. Now, since they are incapable of self-regulating, the backlash is going to call for more federal regulation of the health care industry.

The Sacrifice Gap. By Mike Murphy, Time
Some absolutely idiotic crap in this article. He tries to call out Obama but his claims are fairly empty. In one article he says that "Big Labor is making no sacrifices" and then later discusses the concessions made by the UAW, which seems like a sacrifice from Big Labor to me. His other claims are similarly vapid considering that we are less than 4 months into the term and there have been other priorities. One shining gem of idiocy, he calls for an oppressive new gas tax to motivate people to buy more fuel efficient cars. As if skyrocketing energy costs didn't contribute enough mortgage defaults over the past few years. The GOP seriously needs to get their head straight.

Hurting, Not Dead, GOP Is Working Up Alternative Ideas. By Mort Kondrake, Roll Call
This is part of what the GOP needs. Their message is off, we are in a recession due to massive deflation caused by the crash of the credit markets. Assuming that we aren't building another credit bubble, inflation will fill the gap caused by all that deflation, but with increased savings rather than debt. Additionally, cutting all non-defense spending will result in massive unemployment in a recession. You cut costs during economic prosperity when the market can absorb the losses. In the end though, the GOP needs their own ideas, to get involved by shaping legislation rather than throwing stones from the outside, and to be philosophically inclusive with their message. The best thing that they can do is get a Republican to work with the Democrats on writing Obama's health care bill, making it bipartisan by focusing on common ground of reducing health care costs. Despite having recently been marginalized and a rash of bad policy proposals, the country needs the GOP as much as it needs the Democratic Party.