Comments on: Your forum for feedback and about improving the print and online AJC Tue, 07 Feb 2012 19:29:06 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Mel http://blogs.ajc.com/ajc/?p=386/comment-page-1/#comment-2848 Mel Sat, 13 Feb 2010 14:35:01 +0000 http://blogs.ajc.com/ajc/?p=386#comment-2848 What you got with the Senate healthcare bill was written largely by Liz Fowler, top aide to Senator Max Baucus. She can into that congressional staff job directly from being the director of public policy at Wellpoint, the nation's largest health insurer. Her predecessor in the Baucus staff position was Michelle Easton, who left to go to work for the lobbying firm of Tarplin, Downs, & Young representing guess who??? WELLPOINT. The reason the Senate bill and other efforts in Congress have turned into such monstrosities is that they are industry-written, as are most bills now. Until we stop the revolving lobbyist-congress staff door, nothing coming out of Congress will work for US. The healthcare industry now has over 6 lobbyists for each member of congress and over 500 of them are former congressional staffers. None of them are working for US. They are handing our reps already written bills and greasing their way to passage with tons of campaign cash. Fix the money or fix nothing. What you got with the Senate healthcare bill was written largely by Liz Fowler, top aide to Senator Max Baucus. She can into that congressional staff job directly from being the director of public policy at Wellpoint, the nation’s largest health insurer. Her predecessor in the Baucus staff position was Michelle Easton, who left to go to work for the lobbying firm of Tarplin, Downs, & Young representing guess who??? WELLPOINT. The reason the Senate bill and other efforts in Congress have turned into such monstrosities is that they are industry-written, as are most bills now. Until we stop the revolving lobbyist-congress staff door, nothing coming out of Congress will work for US. The healthcare industry now has over 6 lobbyists for each member of congress and over 500 of them are former congressional staffers. None of them are working for US. They are handing our reps already written bills and greasing their way to passage with tons of campaign cash. Fix the money or fix nothing.

]]> By: Katharine C. Otto, MD http://blogs.ajc.com/ajc/?p=386/comment-page-1/#comment-2831 Katharine C. Otto, MD Wed, 09 Dec 2009 21:05:13 +0000 http://blogs.ajc.com/ajc/?p=386#comment-2831 President Obama and Congress are practicing medicine. The entire health care industry is skewed toward what government and insurance will pay for. As long as American taxpayers are willing to pay absentee bosses micromanage their lives, they deserve what they get. Insurance and government collect money for doing nothing, then make it as hard as possible for individuals to collect on their investments. Dr. Obama and Congress are guilty of medical malpractice and should be personally accountable for their decisions. We expect no less from doctors. KC Otto President Obama and Congress are practicing medicine. The entire health care industry is skewed toward what government and insurance will pay for. As long as American taxpayers are willing to pay absentee bosses micromanage their lives, they deserve what they get. Insurance and government collect money for doing nothing, then make it as hard as possible for individuals to collect on their investments.

Dr. Obama and Congress are guilty of medical malpractice and should be personally accountable for their decisions. We expect no less from doctors.

KC Otto

]]> By: cp http://blogs.ajc.com/ajc/?p=386/comment-page-1/#comment-2519 cp Sun, 13 Sep 2009 03:38:49 +0000 http://blogs.ajc.com/ajc/?p=386#comment-2519 Hey, did anything happen in Washington today? I guess not. Surely it would have been covered by AJC.com, right? Hey, did anything happen in Washington today? I guess not. Surely it would have been covered by AJC.com, right?

]]> By: Peaches http://blogs.ajc.com/ajc/?p=386/comment-page-1/#comment-2513 Peaches Mon, 07 Sep 2009 23:55:42 +0000 http://blogs.ajc.com/ajc/?p=386#comment-2513 You do have a better mix of opinion columnists. Interesting though that the AJC would not cover Van Jones until he resigned. I have never been as concerned about the editorial mix of the AJC as I am about the hard news reporting. We still have heard nothing about the paid pro Obamacare demostrators even when evidence of the payments is plentiful. Lot's of ignorant speculation about astroturf for those who are opposed to Obamacare but not a word about the bought and paid for attendees of town halls. Your credibility progress has lapsed. You do have a better mix of opinion columnists.
Interesting though that the AJC would not cover Van Jones until he resigned. I have never been as concerned about the editorial mix of the AJC as I am about the hard news reporting.
We still have heard nothing about the paid pro Obamacare demostrators even when evidence of the payments is plentiful. Lot’s of ignorant speculation about astroturf for those who are opposed to Obamacare but not a word about the bought and paid for attendees of town halls. Your credibility progress has lapsed.

]]> By: Shawn McIntosh, AJC Public Editor http://blogs.ajc.com/ajc/?p=386/comment-page-1/#comment-2497 Shawn McIntosh, AJC Public Editor Sat, 05 Sep 2009 14:58:17 +0000 http://blogs.ajc.com/ajc/?p=386#comment-2497 Roy, Have you checked out the lineup of opinion columnists lately? We've been getting good feedback for what many readers consider a more balnced mix. Roy,

Have you checked out the lineup of opinion columnists lately? We’ve been getting good feedback for what many readers consider a more balnced mix.

]]> By: Roy Skinner http://blogs.ajc.com/ajc/?p=386/comment-page-1/#comment-2490 Roy Skinner Fri, 28 Aug 2009 02:51:28 +0000 http://blogs.ajc.com/ajc/?p=386#comment-2490 Atlanta needs a regional newspaper, so its sad that the AJC is adamant about staying a tool of the democratic party. Fox news isn't in lack of financial supporters in the form of advertisers because it actually has people who use it for news on a national level. The AJC management continues to limit its usefulness in this day and age for local news in a major American metropolitan era by its continued biased coverage of liberal/conservative causes. I am sorry to hear of the weakening of the AJC staff because of its support for blind faith in unfair coverage. It would be better if the owners and those who recognize that the AJC as a center of Atlanta entity could fill a vital place if it didn't keep limiting its usefullness by its editorial board liberal fanaticism while winkingly pretending to be a fair news gatherer for Atlanta. Atlanta needs a regional newspaper, so its sad that the AJC is adamant about staying a tool of the democratic party. Fox news isn’t in lack of financial supporters in the form of advertisers because it actually has people who use it for news on a national level. The AJC management continues to limit its usefulness in this day and age for local news in a major American metropolitan era by its continued biased coverage of liberal/conservative causes. I am sorry to hear of the weakening of the AJC staff because of its support for blind faith in unfair coverage. It would be better if the owners and those who recognize that the AJC as a center of Atlanta entity could fill a vital place if it didn’t keep limiting its usefullness by its editorial board liberal fanaticism while winkingly pretending to be a fair news gatherer for Atlanta.

]]> By: PoliticalMan http://blogs.ajc.com/ajc/?p=386/comment-page-1/#comment-2488 PoliticalMan Wed, 26 Aug 2009 17:37:50 +0000 http://blogs.ajc.com/ajc/?p=386#comment-2488 Tort reform is the bogeyman of health care reform. Law suits are our regulatory system. Where is doctor and hospital regulation up front? There are hundreds of thousands of negligent acts by health providers every year. The average person must have recourse. In any event lawsuits and insurance premiums for malpractice constitute only a samll percentage of the health care budget. Tort reform is the bogeyman of health care reform. Law suits are our regulatory system. Where is doctor and hospital regulation up front? There are hundreds of thousands of negligent acts by health providers every year. The average person must have recourse. In any event lawsuits and insurance premiums for malpractice constitute only a samll percentage of the health care budget.

]]> By: Bill http://blogs.ajc.com/ajc/?p=386/comment-page-1/#comment-2487 Bill Tue, 25 Aug 2009 20:49:39 +0000 http://blogs.ajc.com/ajc/?p=386#comment-2487 Obama and Congress is quick to throw the first punch at healthcare and insurance reform. However, has anyone noticed that they are not addressing one of the primary reasons for the rise in healthcare costs? This has to do with tort reform. Because lawyers are the first to get rich on malpractice cases, there is no incentive to address this issue. Until we can get some semblemce of sanity into this area, malpractice insurance for the medical profession and the healthcare practice will continue to rish astronomically. Why hasn't this issue been addressed? Obama and Congress is quick to throw the first punch at healthcare and insurance reform. However, has anyone noticed that they are not addressing one of the primary reasons for the rise in healthcare costs? This has to do with tort reform. Because lawyers are the first to get rich on malpractice cases, there is no incentive to address this issue. Until we can get some semblemce of sanity into this area, malpractice insurance for the medical profession and the healthcare practice will continue to rish astronomically. Why hasn’t this issue been addressed?

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