FREE SPEECH ZONE | Why the public option is needed in Minnesota

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Those who oppose including a public option in health care reform do so for a variety of reasons and motives. At the most obvious end, is the Republicans who simply wish to kill health care altogether, thus the public option becomes a leverage point for their opposition.  At the other end are those (mostly Democrats) who are frightened at the prospect of being labeled some sort of left wing liberals beholden to government intervention, when the next election rolls around this November. In regard to the Republicans, and others stonewalling reform, their suggestions are pretty clear, and disingenuous at best.  Often they offer spurious ideas which they know are ineffective or unacceptable – simple solutions like tort reform, and “letting insurance companies sell across state lines”.  Some Democrats have suggested the use of “exchanges or co-ops” in lieu of a public option.  In either case, the absence of a public option will be harmful to Minnesota consumers. Here’s why. To begin with, the market share of health insurance in our state is incredibly controlled almost exclusively between two companies now. Continue Reading

FREE SPEECH ZONE | Massachusetts voters have no idea who REALLY won the Senate election

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Well, it is over. Scott Brown is a new Senator, so the assumption is that Brown is the big “winner” in this election. Yes, but he is not at the top of the heap. Maybe it is the Republicans? Good guess, but wrong again.  We do know who the losers are: it would be anyone in America who has the misfortune to fall ill without any (or adequate) health insurance.  But as to the winners, there you have to dig a bit deeper than the choices mentioned above. Continue Reading

FREE SPEECH ZONE | The REAL reasons Americans oppose health care reform

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Relax…this will not be more about the Health Care Bills now in Congress, which have been sliced, diced, vetted, digested, regurgitated, and pretty much beaten to death. Well, maybe not “death” as they lurch toward a final showdown. This is an attempt to understand why Americans – according to a variety of polls – now oppose health care reform, even as many dislike their present medical insurance, or more importantly, lack thereof. FREE SPEECH ZONE The Free Speech Zone offers a space for contributions from readers, without editing by the TC Daily Planet. This is an open forum for articles that otherwise might not find a place for publication, including news articles, opinion columns, announcements and even a few press releases.Right off, I can guarantee you that their opposition is absolutely, positively not because they object to what is in the Senate and/or House bills now struggling through Congress. Continue Reading

FREE SPEECH ZONE | The Viet Nam/Afghanistan analogy…fact or fiction?

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Recently, President Obama stated there were many differences between our actions in Afghanistan and those in Viet Nam. And no wonder – the Viet Nam war was so damaging to our country, so divisive for our society, and so destructive to our deficits that every one who supports ratcheting up our efforts in Afghanistan wants to stay away from that comparison like the plague. That is a futile effort, because in virtually every way, Afghanistan is Viet Nam! Let us count the ways.    FREE SPEECH ZONE The Free Speech Zone offers a space for contributions from readers, without editing by the TC Daily Planet. This is an open forum for articles that otherwise might not find a place for publication, including news articles, opinion columns, announcements and even a few press releases. Corrupt governmentsViet Nam had a corrupt government that lacked broad based public support. Ngo Dinh Diem was named premier of South Vietnam in 1954 by former emperor and Head of State Bao Dai. Continue Reading

Myles Spicer

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Graduate U of Minn 1954. Flying officer USAF 1954-57 honorably discharged from reserve with rank of Capt.  Owner several ad agencies in the Twin Cities and San Diego for over 45 years. Won several national creative awards in my career; and was a published author. Continue Reading

A positive solution for excessive Wall St. bonuses

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Perhaps nothing in our economic system in recent times has been so offensive, so egregious, and so repulsive to the American public as the obscene bonuses paid to Wall Street bankers and investment companies.  Exacerbating this situation is the fact that the largest of these firms were essentially “saved” by government intervention, yet the top executives of these companies seemed to thumb Continue Reading

Where have all the Republicans gone?

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First a brief disclaimer.  As an unrepentant and long time liberal, why should I even care?  All I know is that the real Republicans seem to have gone into limbo, and the GOP as I knew it, appears to be slowly evaporating.  And even as a liberal, that is cause for concern for a vibrant political dialogue, and a balanced desirable two party system in Minnesota. Continue Reading