New NY 23rd

Ask your doctor if waawa-woowoo (with a long list of horrifying side effects) is right for you.–Seen all too often on TV.

According to recent polling of American adults, lowering prescription drug prices is one of the most important public issues, regardless of party (Figure 1). Americans are understandably concerned about a reduction in affordability, the disparity between U.S. drug prices and prices overseas, and well-publicized episodes of price manipulation.—CEA-Rx-White-Paper-Final2

There is much more in the referenced article than I understand or can explain. I am indignant about affordability and well-publicized episodes of price manipulation. I am not at all concerned about low prices overseas–I see high prices here as a result of collusion between our government and domestic manufacturers–there is a reason that a drug company–Novartis–showered money on Michael Cohen. I doubt that the solution to high prices at home lies in higher prices overseas. Do we really believe that drug companies won’t innovate unless they anticipate enormous profits?

The report concludes:

The objective of government in biopharmaceutical policy is to ensure that firms invest in meaningful innovations that lower the price of health, rather than provide incentives that dampen rather than promote competition between innovations. Additionally, it is also the role of government to help solve international problems such as global free-riding on drug innovation, which harms U.S. citizens. Bad government policies or insurance programs that prevent, rather than foster, healthy price competition often induce artificially high prices in the United States. The U.S. biopharmaceutical industry is the engine of worldwide biopharmaceutical innovation and an important part of our economy. Preserving this industry and encouraging it to innovate while making drugs more available and affordable for all Americans is an attainable goal.

•  ensure that firms invest in meaningful innovations that lower the price of health (care)
• (avoid) incentives that dampen rather than promote competition.
• solve international problems such as global free-riding on drug innovation.
• (avoid) policies or insurance programs that prevent, rather than foster, healthy price competition.
• The U.S. biopharmaceutical industry is the engine of worldwide biopharmaceutical innovation. (really, or is this political propaganda?)

I don’t believe drug companies are as likely to invest in innovations which will lower prices as they are likely to invest in innovations which will increase profits due to high priced products. They all want to find the wonder drug–expensive and popular with the public.

I’m from Missouri. Current government policy encourages high prices. Will that policy be reversed? Not likely if large drug company contributions to politicians can prevent it. We’ll see.

Click to access CEA-Rx-White-Paper-Final2.pdf

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I care about … –Rep. Tom Reed

Tom Reed’s mantra is “I care” A caring person can’t be cruel, yet Tom Reed’s indifference to human needs is cruel. Here are some overt examples:

• Lower taxes for the rich, benefit cuts for the rest.
• Opposition to funding for food stamps (SNAP).
• Opposes health care affordable by all.
• Puts firearm sales before children’s lives.
• Tom’s answer to the cost of higher education–don’t bother with college.

Since Tom Reed supports whatever President Trump may propose, he tacitly supports Trump’s cruelties:

• Separating children from parents.
• Detention facilities for children.

Tom says he cares about his constituents’ concerns, but there is little evidence that he does.

Inasmuch as one wonderful thing leads to its exact rotten opposite, November 8, 2016 was to blame. It was a gem of an autumn day. Cool air, brilliant sunshine, full fall-fabulous foliage. A friend and I decided to drive to Rochester and visit the grave of Susan B. Anthony. And so did several hundred others. The line to the grave was two hours long, but nobody seemed to mind. People smiling ear to ear, hugging, taking pictures. It was a sacred pilgrimage. We had all just voted for the first woman president, and that was going to change everything. EVERYTHING! It was the dawning of a common sense world. A practical, no-nonsense, kinder, gentler, America. And the rescue of democracy from the threat of …

Well, you know what happened. The shock of it. The say-it-isn’t-so of it. The Women’s March of it. The Allen-Town-Hall-in-a-mud-puddle of it. The DON’T-LOOK-AWAY-NOT-FOR-ONE-MOMENT of it. It’s that right there.

I get this way in an airplane. As soon as the movie’s over, I start. Gotta pay attention to every sound, every little bump and sway; strangle the armrests, keep an eye on the ground, and sweat. How else is this plane ever gonna land safely?

That’s me, since November 8, 2016. Well, People, you’re on your own now. I quit. I yield back my time. Check it out: I don’t know what You-Know-Who tweeted while we were sleeping. Joe Scarborough can rant until the cows come home, but I won’t hear him; I’d rather hang with the cows. I will miss Ms. Maddow and long for Ari Melber, but something had to be done. I knew it when my partner said I needed an intervention. He’s a resourceful man, and there’s no telling what he was up to. But when he said, “think of all the things you could be doing with your time,” well, I did. And by “time,” I believe he was taking the longer view. Not just this morning or this day, but this life. There’s only so much time, full stop.

So you’ll have to go on without me. Our cat has taken my place on the couch, and there’s no arguing with Sluggo. I am painting. Re-reading To Kill A Mockingbird. Playing the piano. Messing with words again. Walking in the woods. Cleaning the refrigerator. And making phone calls for the Mitrano campaign, so yes. I have some responsibility as a passenger on this plane. But I don’t have to land it. I yield back my time. To me!

Oh, by the way, I have concocted a plan that would kneecap racism and save our democracy. If you’re interested, write to me.

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Some countries have a very, very tough penalty — the ultimate penalty — and by the way, they have much less of a drug problem than we do.–President Donald Trump

This bill amends the Controlled Substances Act and the Controlled Substances Import and Export Act to impose a criminal penalty of life imprisonment or death on a person who commits a drug offense involving a specified quantity of heroin that contains a detectable amount of fentanyl or fentanyl that is represented to be or sold as heroin, if death or serious bodily injury results from the use of such substance.--CRS Summary for Tom Reed’s Help Ensure Lives are Protected Act of 2016 or the HELP Act of 2016. This bill died in committee.

Criminologists have studied the relation between crime and punishment for centuries. In some cases–mostly white collar crimes–the threat of punishment deters crime, but less so for violent crimes such as armed robbery, assault, murder. Would the threat of harsh punishment deter drug dealers? Probably it wouldn’t. Drug dealers must envision a short violent life with or without the threat of punishment. They might expect to live longer in prison than on the street.

The black market for illegal drugs is subject to market forces–supply and demand. The demand curve is inelastic–addicts need for drugs is independent of price. Thus cutting the supply by arresting dealers can be expected to drive up the price of illegal drugs and make dealing more profitable. New dealers will fill vacancies in the distribution chain. Thus President Trump’s proposal is unlikely to have much effect on the drug market other than to possibly drive up prices.

I am not a criminologist nor an economist. Perhaps my ideas are wrong. President Trump is neither a criminologist nor an economist either, and is notoriously uninterested in scientific fact. The same goes for Tom Reed. I am not as sure that my ideas are right as I am certain that Reed’s and Trump’s are uninformed and likely wrong.

https://www.politico.com/story/2018/03/01/donald-trump-death-penalty-suggestion-opioid-crisis-376176

https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/3/16/17126430/trump-opioid-dealers-death-penalty

https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/6158

Click to access deterrence_economics_and_the_context_of_drug_markets.pdf

There are/will be many rallys schedule to react to  the White Supremacy activity in Charlottesville, Virginia. The rallies I have heard about request the signs to be positive and not aimed at particular politicians or parties. Here are some ideas for Peace Signs that could be used at local rallys.

The Huffington Post has an article, “10 best sign/slogans post Charlottesville” that you might want to check out.

Feel free to add other slogan you like in the comments.

Demonstrators hold signs outside of the White House on August 13, 2017 in Washington, DC, during a vigil in response to the death of a counter-protestor in the August 12th “Unite the Right” in Charlottesville, Virginia.
A woman died and 19 people were injured in the city of Charlottesville when a car plowed into a crowd of people after a rally by Ku Klux Klan members and other white nationalists turned violent. / AFP PHOTO / ZACH GIBSON (Photo credit should read ZACH GIBSON/AFP/Getty Images)

CHICAGO, IL – AUGUST 13: People gather downtown protest the alt-right movement and to mourn the victims of yesterdays rally in Charlottesville, Virginia on August 13, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois. One person was killed and 19 others were injured in Charlottesville when a car plowed into a group of activists who were preparing to march in opposition to a nearby white nationalists rally. Two police officers were also killed when a helicopter they were using to monitor the rally crashed. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Activists hold signs during a protest against President Donald Trump outside of Trump Tower in Manhattan, New York, August 15, 2017. REUTERS/Amr Alfiky

Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.— Dr. Seuss, The Lorax

Do we care about the less fortunate among us? Will we be silent while benefits like food stamps are cut?

Do we care about seniors? Will we accept cuts to social security and medicare as necessary?

Will we accept the claim that low taxes for wealthy individuals and corporations benefit all?

Can we be unfair to immigrants and minorities? Must dreamers wait indefinitely while politicians wrangle?

Do we care about students? Should our system of education be oriented to our need for educated citizens or toward exploitation of students and families, social stratification, and private profit.

Do we care about the ballooning deficit only during a Democratic administration?

Are tariff wars a good thing if the President believes they are?

Should our priorities include military parades and border walls?

Will we accept disruption of government as a good thing?

Is it acceptable that government workers or former officials be punished for their political views or a spouse’s views?

Will we accept anything labeled conservative as good, no matter how mean-spirited, short-sighted, or radical?

Do we care about good government. Will we accept government corrupted by special interest money? Is a federal administration mired in criminal conspiracy acceptable?

Do we care about clean air? Will we be silent when automobile and power plant emission standards are scrapped?

Do we care about affordable health care? Will we accept the idea that no more health care is needed than one can afford?

Do we care about honest representation in Congress? Will we accept a representative whose priorities are self-interest, party interests, and special interests?

Dropping the pilot.

Après moi, le déluge.— attributed to King Louis XV of France.

James Comey had better hope there are no tapes of our conversation.–President Trump

Lordy, I hope there are tapes.–James Comey

President Trump can’t be happy to learn that Omarosa was able to carry a recording device, possibly a cell phone, around the oval office and made recordings secretly. Nor can he be happy with Omarosa’s story that Kelly, the puppet master, is the real power in the White House while Trump is clueless. What will happen next? Can General Kelly survive this. I hope he can; the likely consequence otherwise is chaos.

Some handy links:

Rep. Sempolinski’s web site

Rep. Sempolinski’s official facebook page

Rep. Sempolinski’s sponsored legislation

Rep. Sempolinski’s cosponsored legislation

Rep. Sempolinski’s votes. It would be better if he would explain them.

Note: The votes page includes procedural votes normally voted on party lines. This explains why some bills are listed more than once. Usually, the latest vote would be on passage.

This entry was posted in Congress, Political and tagged Rep. Joe Sempolinski. Bookmark the permalink.

Rep. Tom Reed handed out four papers to those who attended his December 10 Town Hall Meetings. At the Barrington Town Hall Meeting he quickly went over the Congressional Priorities, spoke about the “Simple, Fair Tax Filing Postcard” and made quick references to the last two, the Circle Graph of the 2015 spending budget, and the chart comparing the congressional past, present, and predicted future  Mandatory Spending budgets. He gave few details.

A click on a document will take you to a larger, printable, sharable pdf copy.

Rep. Reed’s priorities? They are the GOP conservative ideals written as shiny advertisements to entice voters to buy what they are selling:  His catalog includes  reforming the health care system (although it is never mentioned that there will be more out-of-pocket expenses.) and it reinforces they generation that poor people are lazy. His last priority sounds like a trade deal to me. Reed even threw a little Elizabeth Warren in there by saying he supports reducing college costs. Before you buy that, check out the GOP record on opposing PELL Grants and lowering college costs.  We should pay attention to what Reed does, not listen to what he says.

What is missing from his priorities? Where does he stand on Immigration, the Military, money in government, civil rights, infrastructure and the environment? I’m not surprised that Green Energy, nor income equality made his priority list.

What are your priorities? He asks us to let him know our ideas and he listed his Washington phone number, ( (202) 225-3161.) Use it.

Next is the “Simple, Fair ‘Postcard’ Tax Filing” form. It is straight from the Paul Ryan playbook. It looks simple (14 lines) but who knows if it is fair. Forbes magazine looked at this form in June.  commented on each line and called the form “misleading”.

Some highlights:

• Line 1 is simple if you worked for one company, but not if you changed jobs during the year, or work part time for two or more employers.
• Line 2 would be simple unless you have investments from more than one source.
• Line 3 would be simple if you (and your spouse) have only 1 saving plan.
• Line 9 is not very simple for a divorced couple.
• Are Social Security benefits, IRAs and 401k’s, Unemployment comprehension all tax-free?

Give his office a call and have them explain it to you. (202) 225-3161.

Why did Rep. Reed  include Social Security and Medicare in this budget? Aren’t they funded by salary deductions and the funds are placed in their own separate accounts?  Give him a jingle at (202) 225-3161 and see how they explain it.

?

I question a chart when a message is overly simplified. What is Reed trying to say?   Is Rep. Reed suggesting we should reduce spending on Mandatory items? I would think that mandatory items would be important items. What exactly are the mandatory items? What are Discretionary items? Call (202) 225-3161 to have his office staff explain this chart  to you.

Rep. Reed passes these out at all Town Hall Meetings. If you plan to attend one of his meetings you may want to return to this page and prepare your questions/comments for these handouts.

…my administration has already removed more than 1,500 VA. employees who failed to give our veterans the care they deserve. —DJT

So tonight I call on Congress to empower every cabinet secretary with the authority to reward good workers and to remove federal employees who undermine the public trust, or fail the American people.–DJT

In the early 19th century, positions in the federal government were held at the pleasure of the president—a person could be fired at any time. The spoils system meant that jobs were used to support the American political parties, though this was gradually changed by the Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act of 1883 and subsequent laws. By 1909, almost two-thirds of the U.S. federal workforce was appointed based on merit, that is, qualifications measured by tests. Certain senior civil service positions, including some heads of diplomatic missions and executive agencies, are filled by political appointees. Under the Hatch Act of 1939, civil servants are not allowed to engage in political activities while performing their duties.– Wikipedia

Does an incoming presidential administration need to staff the government with persons loyal to the new president? There is danger in that idea.

• Watching the PBS series on Queen Victoria, I learned that if there was a thief in the Queen’s kitchen who ccouldn’t be identified, the entire staff would be replaced.
• From Aleksandr Isayevich Solzhenitsyn’s novel, The First Circle, I leaned that if the spy in the Soviet Foreign Ministry couldn’t be identified, there was a simple solution–shoot them all.
• From Ryszard Kapuscinski’s Travels with Herodotus, I learned that the Persian Shah’s retreating army might have been cut off from home at the straits and destroyed, but the local rulers, “the tyrants,” were appointed by and owed their loyalty to the Shah. Thus the opportunity was missed.
• President G. W. Bush reportedly hired many lawyers for the Justice Department Civil Rights Division from Regent University (they could be presumed to lack enthusiasm for enforcing civil rights legislation).
• President Trump in his first State of the Union Address bragged that the VA had fired more than 1,500 employees and asked Congress to give Cabinet Officers more authority to fire people.

Now President Trump may seek to fire all FBI employees or perhaps use “extreme vetting” to weed out Democrats and others who might not “have his back.” He isn’t the first tyrant to suggest such a measure.

https://www.politico.com/blogs/politico-now/2008/06/ig-report-doj-under-bush-favored-gop-conservative-job-candidates-009900

http://archive.boston.com/news/education/higher/articles/2007/04/08/scandal_puts_spotlight_on_christian_law_school/