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Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Red New York

CNN: New York money woes to bring spending cuts
Mayor Michael Bloomberg said the city would prepare for the gloomy forecast by cutting spending 5.6 percent and delaying some capital outlays.

State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli said in his own report released Monday that Wall Street, which drives the city's economy, lost a record $11.7 billion in 2007 and another $22.4 billion in the first quarter of 2008.

Board member Jeffrey Halis, president of Tyndall Management, projected health coverage for retired city workers to reach more than $85 billion by fiscal year 2012.
No matter which way you turn, health care costs in the USA strangle the economy. Besides sub prime mortgage fiascoes and a virtually non existent energy plan when we really need one with value, health care is sinking us. We need a better system.

4 comments:

Glynn Kalara said...

I just lost my job and my wife has no health policy where she works. I have a COBRA ( aptly named) for 18 mos. that will cost us 1,350 a month! Healthcare is ruining us. Should all Drs. expect to make $250 K right out of school when the average person is making less then 30K without benes.? The country cannot sustain a medical and pharma industry that is a new nobility without titles.

Jim Sande said...

gk I am sorry to hear that. Something needs to open up for you guys. Its just not right.

If you heard Democracy Now this morning, they went over a lot about health care in the USA. Not only is it expensive and 1 in 6 don't have insurance, but Americans have shorter life spans. Is it any wonder considering the kinds of stress we are under to break even, or just stay afloat. And with the economy tanking, some parts of the country are sunk.

Kids getting out of med school rack up about $400k in debt. Right after school they get about 30k for 2 or 3 years as intern/new residents, then they move on to the 100k plus jobs except they have massive debt. Except for the few who come from privilege. So that's pretty f'd up too.

Jim Sande said...

gk I am sorry to hear that. Something needs to open up for you guys. Its just not right.

If you heard Democracy Now this morning, they went over a lot about health care in the USA. Not only is it expensive and 1 in 6 don't have insurance, but Americans have shorter life spans. Is it any wonder considering the kinds of stress we are under to break even, or just stay afloat. And with the economy tanking, some parts of the country are sunk.

Kids getting out of med school rack up about $400k in debt. Right after school they get about 30k for 2 or 3 years as intern/new residents, then they move on to the 100k plus jobs except they have massive debt. Except for the few who come from privilege. So that's pretty f'd up too.

Glynn Kalara said...

Yes, many do have big debt this is true. But, they have jobs that can fairly easily pay it off. Many other kids have huge college loans as well for jobs that never allow them to be free of debt.As for the stress your right. I'd rather have the stress of a job again. I worked 10 hrs. a day these last 4 mos. The job I had was a good 1 but the people who hired me lied too me about what it really was going to be. When I say good it was a good wage. In the end they never intended to keep me no matter how hard I worked. They really only hired me to help them get a new property up and running. They laid me and many others off as soon as it opened. ( a new hotel) I was promised so much and when I arrived they followed through with none of it. Flat out lied to me. Then they treated me like garbage.Abused the crap out of me. On the one hand I was sorry to lose the job on the other it was a liberation of sorts. Also, I drove 80 miles a day back and further. It all added up to a 12 hr. day. All for naught it seems. Now, I have to start over again. Sande , I'm almost 60 and I've had 5 jobs in the last 3.5 yrs. It's starting to get too me.