Covered California released its initial report on premiums, premium assistance and plan participation for the coming year (2020). Premiums are down; plan participation is up; coverage is more affordable, and subscriber participation is expected to increase.
There are lots of conflicting signals.
The United States of America has been a beacon of hope – starting with the Declaration of Independence, the Revolutionary War, the founding of the United States of America and the enduring principles of the United States Constitution. We fought a Civil War to end the unspeakable crime of slavery. We welcomed immigrants fleeing poverty, persecution and violence.
We also have many episodes of our history that we must remember with shame, and we must acknowledge our grievous harm to many innocents.
I have been re-reading the stirring words and the history leading up to our Declaration of Independence and reflecting how our founding fathers were prepared to lay everything on the line – their lives and their fortunes – to bring us the freedoms we enjoy, and may take too much and too comfortably for granted today.
The Democratic debates featured a split between those supporting Universal Health Coverage and those supporting Medicare for All. There is a huge difference that needs to be understood as voters begin to assess these issues being espoused by the candidates. There is a vast amount of misinformation being spread on all sides that really confuses people.
There were 20 well-spoken and thoughtful candidates – any of whom would be a huge step forward from President Trump. The debates were thoughtful, informed and respectful – a far cry from the name-calling and school yard bullying and ridicule that characterized President Trump and his Republican challengers in 2016.
President Trump and his cabinet secretaries and his political appointees take oaths of office to abide by the Constitution and to faithfully execute the laws of the land.
The Governor and State Legislators have agreed to fund new coverage opportunities for the uninsured.
The 16¢ per square foot parcel tax was badly defeated – getting only 46% of the vote when it needed 66% (due to Prop 13). It would have raised close to $500 million to offset the costs of the recent contract negotiated between LAUSD (Los Angeles Unified School District) and the teacher’s union (UTLA).
The latest count of the homeless is that nearly 59,000 are homeless in the county of Los Angeles and 36,000 in the city of Los Angeles. The homeless growth rates are 12% and 16% over the past year.
President Trump is proposing to use the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to impose tariffs of 5% growing to 25% on Mexico to deter illegal immigration from Central America. This will hurt our economy, and Mexico’s economy because we are each other’s largest trading partners. Citizens and businesses in Texas and California will be particularly badly hurt by the tariffs. The impacts will be felt on prices in the supermarket, the price of cars and many other consumer goods.
I think Special Counsel Mueller’s presentation yesterday means that the House will be under unremitting pressure to begin impeachment proceedings.
Every elected President has an agenda for the nation. Every President swears an oath to uphold the constitution in so doing. All Presidents get sued, but no President within my memory or knowledge has so consistently violated the nation’s laws and its very constitutional framework as President Trump has over the past 2.5 years.
Proposition EE
I hope you’ll support Proposition EE, which is on the June 4, 2019 Ballot. It would increase the local parcel tax by 16¢ per square foot of homes and businesses to fund the financial impacts of the settlement of the Teacher’s Strike earlier this year. https://achieve.lausd.net/cms/lib/CA01000043/Centricity/Domain/172/Measure%20EE%20Fact%20Sheet%20-%20FINAL.pdf
Just the other day I read a news blurb about an election reapportionment case from my home state of Ohio. Reading further, one of the chief counsel was a remarkable woman I’d worked closely with more than 40 years ago in Boston. So I downloaded it for a little light reading. The opinion is 300 pages long and fascinating reading. It highlights the extremes of partisan gerrymandering, and the efforts of a thoughtful three-judge court and highly technically proficient counsel to assess and then remedy it.
Tariffs are taxes on imported goods. They are a sales tax that the buyers/ US consumers and business must pay. So when the President raises taxes on Chinese goods; he is adding 10% and now 25% to the costs of goods made in China. He also may be raising the prices of goods made in America by indirection as the domestic manufacturers have fewer competitors and are thus able to raise their prices. The same applies to foreign steel and aluminum, to foreign made cars, to washing machines and solar panels.
The Governor’s Proposed May Revise has nearly $3.2 billion in new revenues. For the most part they are constitutionally committed to debt reduction, reserves and increased school spending.
Our Democratic system is based on three co-equal branches of government whose roles are described and circumscribed by the US Constitution and by respect for the laws they enact and the court decisions they render. Even as we may disagree on policies and politics of these three branches, we need now more than ever the support and leadership of individuals who value the pillars of American democracy.