Home     Contact Us    
Main Board Job Seeker's Board Job Wanted Board Resume Bank Company Board Word Help Medquist New MTs Classifieds Offshore Concerns VR/Speech Recognition Tech Help Coding/Medical Billing
Gab Board Politics Comedy Stop Health Issues
ADVERTISEMENT




Serving Over 20,000 US Medical Transcriptionists

Govt is promoting EMR to reduce health care costs.

Posted By: Passing through on 2007-02-12
In Reply to: EMR - CardioMT

Major cuts taking place in Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement. See Bush's Deficit Reduction Act of 2005, billions of dollars being cut. Word is that private insurance will follow suit, with higher deductibles among other things. You can thank the


Complete Discussion Below: marks the location of current message within thread

The messages you are viewing are archived/old.
To view latest messages and participate in discussions, select the boards given in left menu


Other related messages found in our database

I think it's important to note why health care costs are so high, first of all, SM
one big problem is govt involvement, just like with college, the more the govt is involved, the more the cost goes up. Secondly, laywers run up the cost by frivolous lawsuits and docs have to pay higher premiums for their malpractice insurance. Third, we are paying for illegals, people using emergency rooms for care and not paying, the list goes on and on. Hospitals charge people with insurance more to make up for some of this, because they know the insurance will pay for it, so people who do pay cash really end up paying inflated prices too.

It's complicated, but that is the root problem.
Pakistani govt will take care of it. They just arrest union leaders
x
MT in addition to other health care job?

I know that there are MTs out there that are MTs along with another HC job, but have never heard anything specific.


I am about to start MT school but in about 2-3 years the opportunity for me to go to school to become an RRT will present itself (it might not again for another 5 yrs past that point).  It (being an RRT) is something I have wanted to do for a while, but only as PRN or part time work because of the shifts, the ages of my kids and my dh's work schedule (out of town a lot and weird hours).  Because of that, I figure I could work as an IC (obviously 20hrs/wk or less) during RRT school and nights and weekends when I am not at my RRT job. We move every couple of years and IC work (for a national at home) could also serve as a steady income source while I find another RRT position (which could conceivably take a while considering my limitations regarding work hours outside my home). 


Since I obviously do neither job right now, I don't know how realistic my expectations of this are.  Does anyone juggle these two jobs?  I know its most likely nurses that do this, but I welcome anyone's comments.


I definitely plan on going to MT school, because its available now, the work will be there, and being an MT is an excellent fit for me. Just trying to plan ahead - I know dh will want to know if I am giving up plans to go to RRT school because of this.


Thanks.


Socialized health care
http://www.liberty-page.com/issues/healthcare/socialized.html#britain

Here are some stats you might find interesting
Canadian Health Care
A 6-8 week wait time to see a gynecologist? Is that good or bad for the US. I personally have been waiting to see an endocrinologist for 1 year, 3 months...still nothing. Seriously. The wait time for any type of procedure of specialty is actually quite scary. Sometimes it feels as though we are in Russia, we just happen to pay more taxes. We "pay" for our health care with 13% tax on absolutely everything you buy. That is supposedly for health care, but it really doesn't seem to help. I personally believe the problem is in the fact there are not enough doctors. When you compare how many doctors there are in each specialty to the amount of patients that require them, that is where the wait time comes into play. Ironically, Canada is starting to implement "pay as you go" clinics for procedures because the wait time is so ridiculous. It seems that Canada is adopting the US's health system and the US is looking to adopt Canada's system. That reminds me of something...the grass is always greener on the other side (nope, same grass, different place). Take care all.
Whether you like it or not, your private health care is distributed to others
Everytime you are diagnosed, have a test, go to the doctor, everytime you are billed, your information goes into a data base that all health care providers (insurance companies) have access to.  I don't get the big deal over this all of a sudden.  So someone in India finds out you are treated for a wart or depression.  So what?  What difference does it make as far as privacy goes if India MT knows this or Kansas MT knows this? 
I will take canada's health care in a nanosecond
Well, I gotta tell ya, I would love to have Canada's health care, as I dont have health care..You see, if you are an SE, MQ does not offer health care.  So, universal health care through the govt, IMHO, is better than paying out of my pocket.
Anyone have info on K Force Health care? nm
nm
This is an example of our mangled health care system.
So my husband smacks his elbow on something at work at the end of the day and as he is driving home notices his elbow is swelling up huge. He goes to the doctor and they say they can't do anything without his employer's consent to workers' comp and send him home without even an ice pack.  The next day he goes to work and his boss gives him $100 to say it was done at home and to go get it fixed.  I have taken a picture of his elbow and sent him to the doctor.  He had already told them it was done at work when he went in yesterday anyway, so he is going to tell his boss that and give the $100 back.  Amazing.
Aurora Health Care wiscionsin also.
xx
There needs to be a way to provide universal health care BUT sm
I don't believe that a national system is the right answer. If you look to Hawaii which has a law for universal coverage, it works pretty well.

We have had CHiPS which is the child health plan. I know something about that and had it for my own grown kids when it very first started. You get that if you don't qualify for Medicaid, and if your employer doesn't provide or if the premium of what is provided through employment is more than a given percentage of income.

This issue is one that I feel is best handled by the states, not by the feds. All you have to do is look at the No Child Left Behind to see how well that kind of thing works. States know what their demographics look like. They know what sector of the population is without health insurance and they know what funds they provide to various indigent programs to provide for the poor. It is the lower middle class woman and the lower middle class child who is most likely to be uninsured because they make too much for Medicaid and too little for any type of private insurance and most employers in this bracket can't/won't offer anything.

If you look at Medicare, which is a mess actually, and CHiPS which functions better, they are about the same idea for two different sectors of the population. There are HMOs and plans that one chooses. They are all a bit different, but you all know how this works. The companies who insure people through these plans keep costs and premiums down in order to participate.

I am in favor of the federal government figuring out a capitation rate along the lines of Medicare or Medicaid and paying this to the states, but more broadly to cover more people. Then, the states can figure out what they can contribute. If they eliminate funding for indigent services to cover these people under a statewide plan, that can go into the kitty. Every person in every state WITHOUT employer provided insurance, will be required to contribute to the state plan in some way, based on income. Employees with company provided insurance can opt to participate in the state program. The idea is to recoup the money wasted on county, city and state indigent programs and put it to the greater good. With having not to cover unpaid medical bills because there aren't any, anymore, it should help to raise the amount that states and other agencies have to pay into the system. Insurance companies will have to bid lower to participate in this, because I think it is best that they are the ones who administrate, private sector always does better...

well now I am boring you, but I see what I mean! LOL
A husband to take care of the bills and the health
nm
Soon it will be the government, Universal Health Care, nm
xxx
United Health Care medical insurance

Well, I am about to use my vision coverage insurance for United Health Care.  Eye Exam 2000 said they only covered 15-20% of the exam, 20% of cost of lens/glasses.  I have never heard of such a low amount covered.  I guess I have the wrong plan.  Anyone else disappointed with United Health Care benefits besides me?  I work for a large national.


Thanks.  I guess I am hoping someone will tell me I am wrong and that 80% of the bill is covered.  That this is all a mistake.


Signed,


Squinting


you can't insure your body, just paying for health care for it.
x
off shoring tests for health care professionals











Below is an ad I found were they are offshoring the devlopement of questions  now this is scary


 


Title: Healthcare Exam Question Writing


PROJECT DESCRIPTION

The client is based in the United States that is providing training and education to health care professionals.
The client is looking to outsource the process to outsource agents who can write exam questions from the source material (source material can come from journal articles, books, etc.)
1. The client will provide the source material either by email or by providing the web address.
2. The outsource agent will write multiple choice questions from the source material provided. Each question will only have 4 possible answers, with only one answer being correct.
3. The client will designate the number of questions required per course.
4. The outsource agent will format the questions in a format that will be provided.
5. The outsource agent will email the questions to the client for review and editing.
6. The client will email the edited questions back to the outsource agent.
7. The outsource agent will upload the edited questions to the client website.

The client will pay one dollar US ($1) for each question written.

We believe that for a typical set of question will require 15 questions and will most likely take about 3 hours to complete. This equals about $5 US per hour. We anticipate rejecting some of the questions that are developed, though the client will consider paying for the development. The client will work with the selected agents in the future to assist with question development.

No Project Files


IL Health Care Worker Background Check Act

Type "225 ILCS 46/" in your search engine.  It should give you the Health Care Worker Background Check Act for Illinois.  There are several proposed amendments regarding non-fingerprint-based ID before the legislature for the 2007-2008 session.  I hope this is what you seek.


OOps meant best health care in the world
x
If you think that's bad, just wait 'til we get "free" health care. NM
xxx
My take on a big part of the high cost of health care and why we are

Do y'all know how much nurses get paid?  My sister is a nurse and gets around $40 an hour, where she works no weekends, no evenings, occasional call for which they get paid very well, OT if they happen to have to go in on the weekend, DOUBLE PAY if they work on their birthday, etc., etc.  And then there's the pension, and the great insurance and on and on.  Sometimes all they have to do is make phone calls to make their dough, and I am not talking OR nurse.  And then we get thrown to the dogs.  And no, I am not going to go into nursing because I am too old.  I am just disgusted. 


Good for you. You're a wise woman. Take care of your health first. nm
x
51yo female, divorced, 20yo son, 35 yrs in health care

Excuse me, but who was the health care worker who then disclosed the HIV status?
Ashe's HIV status and career decline. had nothing to do with a healthcare worker disclosing it.
Here's another reason why health care is so high people can't afford it and ...SM

A while back I had to go to the ER for a particularly bad Meniere's episode.  I asked for an itemized bill, and you know what they charged me for 4 mg of ondansetron? 


$544. 


 


Could your hubs become a patient of a home health care agency and then you could work for them
s
Study found that electronic health records did not boost patient care. sm

Link to article on yahoo news stating that electronic health records fail to improve care, study says.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/records_dc;_ylt=AsT2t1nasUEaoOxgIsyoMUOs0NUE


 


 


I dont care if you stay home because ofyour kids, a health issue - sm
or because you just like to work in tne nude. The fact of the matter is, settling for a lower rate jsut for the convenience of working from home is BS. I've been doing this for 25 years and have been home since 1996 and while I know I am not making the same money I did in the haydays, I sure as he11 will not work for less. Many of these companies are bluffing if they tell you they have to lower your rate. In fact, if you hold your ground and have a decent reputation, you can even make more.

It's too bad that so many people don't believe in their abilities and worth to hold out. You should never base your decision on fear. Use logic and common sense.
Beware of ink replacement costs. The more inexpensive the printer, the more the ink costs.
s
Not to be promoting BOS or anything, but I think it was
originally developed so transcription could become more "standardized" across the board for all MTs,especially with those not familiar with a particular concept so they would know what to do. That is how it was explained to me. Therefore, if a company adopts it across board (after CP of course) then all reports are uniform, and therefore easier to QA no matter what the account.
There's also one under Medicolegal that is promoting a porno site - NM
NM
reduce your stress
i guess you have someone sharing the load. it is hard to reduce your stress level if you are the breadwinner, caretaker, and housekeeper.
EMR will not reduce the need for transcriptionists
What we do at our office is we transcribe the reports and they are scanned into the EMR - the only difference is there is not an actual paper chart anymore.
Yes we could reduce a lot of things in this world.
I think though most things come from a lack of parents being basically parents. That cycle will unfortunately continue. There are always going to be people who are taking advantage, being lazy, etc, always. It is quite unfortunate though that the people who really need the help are sometimes getting the short end of the stick because of the people taking advantage of the system. It is still the government’s fault for allowing it though. Our money could be better spent on redoing the system so that it serves its people in the best way possible. More emphasis on education and programs for children who come from broken homes would go a lot further then that welfare check they send the mom every month, who a lot of the times is not spending it on the children anyways.



Reduce lighting and screen glare
You might need a screen for your computer monitor to cut down on glare, and/or wear the lightest sunglasses you can find or get a new prescription for glare. You can't get rid of them, but this seems to help. Of course being an MT can cause headaches also, lol
They used to think using hair color could reduce your life expectancy,
but they've since decided that it's not true at all.  I'm sure you can find all sorts of scare websites out there.  My mom is 78 and has colored her hair for decades and is healthy as a horse. 
Next they will reduce the base pay we get just wait and give us incentive tiers which will be almost
impossible to make. Great fun. This company sucks big time. I have never been so sick of jumping around in accounts to make lines and then expected to have no blanks and maintain 98% quality. What A--holes they are. I can hardly stand to even talk to those people anymore. They are nothing but BS like MQ tells them to be.
Yes but what you dont understand is MQ plans to bring out a new pay plan which probably will reduce
the base line rate for everyone and then their it on production and that will make a huge difference in what people get paid.
Fed govt should have been prepared.
Yahoo! My Yahoo! Mail Search the web
Yahoo! News Sign In
New User? Sign Up
News Home - Help
Primary Navigation

*
News Home
*
U.S.
*
Business
*
World
*
Entertainment
*
Sports
*
Tech
*
Politics
*
Science
*
Health
*
Most Popular
*
Index

Secondary Navigation

* Photos
* Opinion
* Local News
* Odd News
* Comics
* Weather
* Full Coverage
* Audio/Video

Search: Advanced
Los Angeles Times
Despite Warnings, Washington Failed to Fund Levee Projects

By Richard A. Serrano and Nicole Gaouette Times Staff Writers Sun Sep 4, 7:55 AM ET

WASHINGTON — For years, Washington had been warned that doom lurked just beyond the levees. And for years, the White House and Congress had dickered over how much money to put into shoring up century-old dikes and carrying out newer flood control projects to protect the city of New Orleans.
ADVERTISEMENT

As recently as three months ago, the alarms were sounding — and being brushed aside.

In late May, the New Orleans district of the Army Corps of Engineers formally notified Washington that hurricane storm surges could knock out two of the big pumping stations that must operate night and day even under normal conditions to keep the city dry.

Also, the Corps said, several levees had settled and would soon need to be raised. And it reminded Washington that an ambitious flood-control study proposed four years before remained just that — a written proposal never put into action for lack of funding.

What a powerful hurricane could do to New Orleans and the area's critical transportation, energy and petrochemical facilities had been well understood. So now, nearly a week into the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina, hard questions are being raised about Washington officials who crossed their fingers and counted on luck once too often. The reasons the city's defenses were not strengthened enough to handle such a storm are deeply rooted in the politics and bureaucracy of Washington.

With the advantage of hindsight, the miscues seem even broader. Construction proposals were often underfunded or not completed. Washington officials could never agree on how much money would be needed to protect New Orleans. And there hung in the air a false sense of security that a storm like Katrina was a long shot anyway.

As a result, when the immediate crisis eases and inquiries into what went wrong begin, there is likely to be responsibility and blame enough for almost every institution in Washington, including the White House, Congress, the Army Corps of Engineers and a host of other federal agencies.

For example, Lt. Gen. Carl Strock, the Corps commander, conceded Friday that the government had known the New Orleans levees could never withstand a hurricane higher than a Category 3. Corps officials shuddered, he said, when they realized that Katrina was barreling down on the Gulf Coast with the vastly greater destructive force of a Category 5 — the strongest type of hurricane.

Washington, he said, had rolled the dice.

Rather than come up with the extra millions of dollars needed to make the city safer, officials believed that such a devastating storm was a small probability and that, with the level of protection that had been funded, "99.5% of the time this would work."

Unfortunately, Strock said, "we did not address the 0.5%."

Corps officials said the floodwaters breached at two spots: the 17th Street Canal Levee and the London Avenue Canal Levee. Connie Gillette, a Corps spokeswoman, said Saturday there never had been any plans or funds allocated to shore up those spots — another sign the government expected them to hold.

Nevertheless, the Corps hardly was alone in failing to address what it meant to have a major metropolitan area situated mostly below sea level, sitting squarely in the middle of the Gulf Coast's Hurricane Alley.

Many federal, state and local flood improvement officials kept asking for more dollars for more ambitious protection projects. But the White House kept scaling down those requests. And each time, although congressional leaders were more generous with funding than the White House, the House and Senate never got anywhere near to approving the amounts that experts had said was needed.

What happened this year was typical: Local levee and flood prevention officials, along with Sen. Mary L. Landrieu (D-La.), asked for $78 million in project funds.
President Bush offered them less than half that — $30 million. Congress ended up authorizing $36.5 million.

Since Bush took office in 2001, local experts and Landrieu have asked for just short of $500 million. Altogether, Bush in his yearly budgets asked for $166 million, and Congress approved about $250 million.

These budget decisions reflect a reality in Washington: to act with an eye toward short-term political rewards instead of making long-term investments to deal with problems.

Vincent Gawronski, an assistant professor at Birmingham Southern College in Alabama who studies the political impact of natural disasters, said the lost chances to shore up the levees were a classic example of government leaders who, although meaning well, clashed over priorities.

"Elected politicians are in office for a limited amount of time and with a limited amount of money, and they don't really have a long-term vision for spending it," he said.

"So you spend your pot of money where you feel you're going to get the most political support so you can get reelected. It's very difficult to think long-term. If you invest in these levees, is that going to show an immediate return or does it take away from anything else?"

Gawronski said flood control projects do not have the appeal of other endeavors, such as cancer research and police protection. At the same time, Congress habitually approves billions of dollars for highways and bridges and other infrastructure that politically benefits individual congressmen.

Gawronski called it inexcusable for the United States to have been "gambling so long" that the old levee system in New Orleans would hold.

"Disasters are often low probability, high consequence events, so there's a gamble there," he said. "It's not going to happen on my watch, there's the potential it might, but I'll bet it won't."

In the case of New Orleans and flood control, another factor was at work: the reputation of the Corps of Engineers. Over the years, many in Washington had come to regard the Corps as an out-of-control agency that championed huge projects and sometimes exaggerated need and benefits.

The Corps began as a tiny regiment during the Revolutionary War era; it now employs about 35,000 people to build dams, deepen harbors, dig ditches and erect seawalls, among other things. But critics say some projects are make-work boondoggles.

In 2000, Corps leaders were found to have manipulated an economic study to justify a Mississippi River project that would have cost billions. The agency also launched a secret growth initiative to boost its budget by 50%. And the
Pentagon found in 2000 that the Corps' cost-benefit analyses were systematically skewed to warrant large-scale construction projects.

As a result, said a senior staffer with the Senate Appropriations Committee who spoke on condition of anonymity, requests by the Corps for flood control money were especially vulnerable to budget cutting. "A lot of people just look at it as pork," said the staffer.

The Bush administration's former budget director, Mitch Daniels, was known as an aggressive advocate for Corps reform who cast a skeptical eye on its budget requests.

"The Army Corps of Engineers has a very large budget, and it has grown a lot over recent years," Daniels, now the governor of Indiana, said. "To the extent there's been any limitation of [the Corps'] budget, it has to do with previous tendencies to build marinas and things that don't have much to do with preparing us for disaster."

The Bush White House maintains it never ignored the security needs of the Gulf Coast. "Flood control has been a priority of this administration from Day One," said White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan.

He said hundreds of millions of dollars were spent in the New Orleans area in recent years for flood prevention, and he said the failure of the levees was not a matter of money so much as a problem with drawing the right plans for the dike work and other improvements.

"It's been more of a design issue with the levees," he said.

Other administration officials said there were not enough construction companies and equipment to handle all the work that had been proposed.

John Paul Woodley Jr., assistant secretary of the Army for Civil Works, who has responsibility for the Corps of Engineers, said: "It's true, we cannot accomplish all of our projects at full funding all the time. I think that's true of any agency, particularly any public works agency, but we had a lot of work underway in New Orleans, and I was personally supportive of it.

"As a native of Louisiana," Woodley said, "I understand the problems associated with flooding in New Orleans. I don't think there's any lack of support for flood control projects in New Orleans, particularly within the context of other projects around the country."

On Capitol Hill in recent years, several Democrats warned that more money should be marked for the protection of New Orleans. For instance, in September 2004, Landrieu said she was tired of hearing there was no money to do more work on levees.

"We're told, can't do it this year. Don't have enough money. It's not a high enough priority," she said in a Senate speech. "Well, I know when it's going to get to be a high enough priority."

She then told of a New Orleans emergency worker who had collected several thousand body bags in the event of a major flood. "Let's hope that never happens," she said.

But in May 2004, then Senate Minority Whip Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said he had visited the levees as a guest of Landrieu and believed them adequate.

He praised the ancient water pumps for keeping the waters from cascading into the city, proclaiming them "these old, old pumps that hadn't been changed since before the turn of the century, that still keep New Orleans dry."

"It was as clean as a restaurant," he added. "These big old pumps work."

Today, eight of those 22 pumps are underwater and inoperable.

Over the years, several projects either were short-changed or never got started. The Southeast Louisiana Urban Flood Control Project was authorized by Congress after a rainstorm killed six people in May 1995. It was to be finished in 10 years, but funding reductions prevented its completion before Katrina struck.

The Army Corps of Engineers did spend $430 million to renovate pumping stations and shore up the levees. But experts said the project fell behind schedule after funding was reduced in 2003 and 2004.

The Lake Pontchartrain Project was a $750-million Corps operation for new levees and beefed-up pumping stations. Because of funding cuts, it was only 80% complete when the hurricane hit.

The project that never was started was an examination of storm surges from large hurricanes. Congress approved the study but did not allocate the funds for it.

In May, AL Naomi, the Corps' senior project manager for the New Orleans district, reminded political and business leaders and emergency management officials that a Category 4 or 5 hurricane was always possible. After that meeting, Walter Brooks, the regional planning commission director, came away shaking his head.

"We've learned that we're not as safe as we thought we were," he told the local newspaper, the Times-Picayune.

Last week, Corps commander Strock defended past work, saying, it was his "personal and professional assessment" that work in New Orleans was never underfunded. What he meant by that, he explained, was that no one expected such a large disaster before all the renovations and other improvements could be completed.

"That was as good as it was going to get," he said. " We knew that it would protect from a Category 3 hurricane. In fact, it has been through a number of Category 3 hurricanes."

But, he said, Katrina's intensity "simply exceeded the design capacity of the levee."

Asked whether in hindsight he wished more had been done, Strock said: "I really don't express surprise in my business. We don't sit around and say 'Gee whiz.' "

Times staff writer Mary Curtius contributed to this report.

* Email Story
* IM Story
* Discuss
* Printable View

RECOMMEND THIS STORY

Recommend It:

Average (899 votes)
4 stars
» Recommended Stories
Full Coverage: Hurricanes & Tropical Storms

Off the Wires
* 59 dead in first official New Orleans hurricane toll AFP, 14 minutes ago
* Louisiana says 59 confirmed deaths from Katrina Reuters, 15 minutes ago

Feature Articles
* Despite Warnings, Washington Failed to Fund Levee Projects at The Los Angeles Times (reg. req'd), Sep 04
* The Prologue, and Maybe the Coda at The New York Times (reg. req'd), Sep 04

News Stories
* Military, Civilian Satellite Tools Help In Hurricane Response SPACE.com/LiveScience.com via Yahoo! News, Sep 04
* NASA Facility Struggles in Wake of Hurricane Katrina SPACE.com/LiveScience.com via Yahoo! News, Sep 04

Opinion & Editorials
* An open letter to the President at New Orleans Times-Picayune, Sep 04
* Falluja Floods the Superdome at The New York Times (reg. req'd), Sep 04

Top Stories
* New Orleans Begins Counting Its Dead AP
* Lawmakers Scramble to Replace Rehnquist AP
* Texas to Airlift Some Katrina Refugees AP
* White House Ramps Up Katrina Response AP
* Saddam to go on trial October 19, faces hanging Reuters

Most Viewed: Top Stories
* Louisiana official haunted by drowned woman Reuters
* New Orleans collects its dead in 'ugly' search Reuters
* US accepts offer of UN help in Katrina aftermath Reuters
* Saddam to go on trial October 19, faces hanging Reuters
* Kuwait donates $500 mln oil products for Katrina Reuters

Los Angeles Times

* RESCUE ME: A Dog's Journey Through the Canine Underground Railroad
* WAL-MART COUTURE: Retailer Aims Upmarket
* HBO's "Rome" Wasn't Built in a Day
* Web Mystery Sensation "Piano Man" Debunked

Los Angeles Times

Add headlines to your personalized My Yahoo! page
* (About My Yahoo! and RSS)
Top Stories - Los Angeles Times
Add to My Yahoo!

» More News Feeds
NEWS ALERTS
alerts

Get an alert when there are new stories about:

* President Bush
* Pentagon

» More Alerts
Full Coverage
hurricane coverage
Hurricane Katrina

Latest news, features, photos, video and more.
» More Full Coverage
Full Coverage
supreme court
Supreme Court

News and more on Chief Justice Rehnquist's death, and John Roberts' nomination.
» All Court Coverage
ALSO IN Y! NEWS
Tech Tuesday
Opinion and Editorials

Diverse views on news from the right, left, and center.
» All Opinion
MOST POPULAR
most popular
Popular Photos

The most popular photos and slideshows.
» All Most Popular
YAHOO! SEARCH
More News in Yahoo! Search

Premium subscription news content now in Yahoo! Search.
» Learn More

Yahoo! - My Yahoo! - Mail
Search: Advanced
Primary Navigation

* News Home
* U.S
* Business
* World
* Entertainment
* Sports
* Tech
* Politics
* Science
* Health
* Most Popular
* Odd News
* Opinion

Copyright © 2005 Los Angeles Times
Copyright © 2005 Yahoo! Inc. All rights reserved.
Questions or Comments
Privacy Policy -Terms of Service - Copyright/IP Policy - Ad Feedback
http://news.yahoo.com/s/latimests/20050904/ts_latimes/despitewarningswashingtonfailedtofundleveeprojects
they deserve the 2,000 from govt
Do you keep track what is happening to our tax money for Iraq?  Halliburton?  FEMA?  Homeland Security Dept?  How much do we pay each politician and do they work 8 hours or more a day?  Did they check with the tax payer when they went on a months paid vacation?  Our taxes also pay for politicians health plans.  Dont worry you wont feel it, you will continue to pay the same taxes.  These people were displaced, due to a major screw up, either local, state or federal govt..The investigation will tell.  In the meantime, they no longer have jobs, escaped with the clothes on their bodies, they have no money.  The govt is now their employer until they can get new jobs and homes.  Do you tell your employer what you do with each paycheck?  Well, they shouldnt have to either.  They werent asking for hand outs, then the hurricane and levee broke.  It is not their fault, they are victims..It is the govts fault, either local, state or federal.  Buy alcohol?  LOL, I think I would buy them a beer after all they have gone through and still are going through.  Our tax money is wasted every day by the govt, give aways, pay offs, pork, mismanagement.  At least I know my tax money is going to human beings that are in dire need.  God help them all to get over this preventable tragedy.
Govt responsibility
Totally agree with you.  I dont care if some were not prepared..what I care about is now they are hungry, thirsty, homeless..It is the responsibility of our government and the brothers and sisters of America to help other Americans when they need help.  I am from NY and I have been through quite a few hurricanes..nothing like what Florida goes through but I do know hurricanes hit sometimes when you are a day or two from your paycheck and really dont have any money to go shopping or rent out a hotel room.  It scares me that so many Americans blame the victim and turn a blind eye and deaf ear to Americans in need. 
Too dependent on the govt?
Too dependent on the govt?  Then what the heck is the govt for?  Where is my tax dollars going?  Lets just get rid of the govt and have a free for all..Why depend on the govt to repair our bridges, pave our roads, conduct school?  Lets just do it ourselves..Ridiculous..The govt is there to care for this country and its people when the people cant do it themselves.
Govt contracts... been there
done that.  I wouldn't do another one in a million years.  Most are one-year contracts with 4 one-year renewals (their discretion, no guarantee).  Their systems are mostly Dictaphone, some with VPN for voice.  Most of the cost is on you for anything connected to account such as C-phones.  The amount of paperwork and reports they wanted daily was overwhelming.  They call you every 10 minutes 24/7 with "need it right now" stuff.  The 2 facilities I did had about 75% ESL doctors that rotated in/out every few months -- especially if a military hospital.  Then, because it's posted on the web site who was awarded the bid, I started getting a lot of calls from offshore companies wanting to work on the accounts, asking me not to tell the contractor.  I also got a few calls from offshore companies asking if I would "front" for them and bid on contracts cuz they needed an American company to actually have the contract.  As of just a few months ago, you needed evaluation from D&B (your cost $250) and their required liablity insurance limits (varies with accounts).  You don't just go in and bid -- it's a process of applying to be a vendor first and filling out LOTS of tedious paperwork.  (My last contract was about 80 pages long to fill out).  If you miss one little thing in this paperwork, your bid gets bounced.  They do call all of the required references, and if you haven't done the VA contract volume before, it's not likely they will award you contract.  Getting paid took literally months - I was about broke and had borrowed money before I got my first check.   (We didn't do anything incorrectly for billing, just took that long cuz it sat on somebody's desk)  I'm sure others have had better luck - this was just our experience with these contracts.   I wish you better luck!
good ole' govt
I was shocked to find that Pres. Bush states that offshoring helps our economy. Was all over the news last week. Was going to take some time out to read more online about his thoughts, but realize, I have too much work to do and would prefer to read up on who is running next year, so why give him anymore of my time. I am one of many hardworking Americans trying to raise my family and provide for them, I do not need him or anyone else telling the US that outsourcing is good for anyone.
Exactly! If the govt was not using the money for --sm
everything else in its brother, there would be enough for all of us who are paying into the system, and I really do not believe that the original system was designed to help only those who fell on hard times, or that it is a handout. It was supposed to be used as an "account" for those who wish to retire. and to the person who said that SS disability money came from the same account, sooo wrong. entirely different program, entirely different funds. SSI and SS are two different entities.
Quit the job and let the govt pay. sm
The way I look at it, 49% of the people in this country voted to have the govt take care of them, so go for it. It's what they want.

My whole outlook on this country and its people has changed since the election. I've worked for 36 years, since the age of 16, have always supported myself, but paid taxes upon taxes to support others because they were too lazy or too entitled to support themselves, and now they have voted to have more of my hard work be THEIR reward. Screw 'em all.

My husband's job is going to Mexico soon. His prospects will be dim for anything other than a minimum wage job (age and lack of degree), so you can bet I will now take advantage of everything our wonderful govt has to offer; food stamps, healthcare, unemployment pay, paid job training, assistance with utilies. You name it. I'm taking it. Maybe I'll even be able to qualify for (un)Earned Income Tax credits. Woohoo!

I'm going to quit smoking (no support for SCHIP), quit consuming (no sales tax), drive an older model car (less personal property tax in the till), earn only what we need to stay under the income guidelines. Yeah, let's have some more of that redistribution of wealth as it sure won't be dollars earned with my blood, sweat, and tears they redistribute. Not anymore.
why are you allowing the govt to keep your money

Federal Govt program (sm)
I am going to ask my tax person about this. I am currently working for a company as an IC, but now I'm thinking it should actually be called SE status, since they withhold, what looks like, about 7% of my income for OASDI and medicare. I also worked for MQ as an SE and they took out FICA, so I think I'm okay for now. However, if I switch jobs, I will need to make sure this is taken care.
I don't want the govt telling businesses how
That is MY privilege to negotiate with my employer!

Too much interference by governments already by forcing minimum wage, etc.

You'll have businesses closing down if you put too much mandatory regulation in the mix. It's a free enterprise, you know.


Maybe the govt will give them a bailout
x
No, she does not.She will be asking us "the govt" to supply her necessities
and we will do it.  You and I, who carry Wal-Mart purses (speaking for myself, of course).  Makes me mad too.  I also noticed the Budweiser can.  Jaundiced eye?  I think not.
Govt should help the citizens in natural disasters
I disagree 100%.  If you dont have the govt to turn to, who can you turn to?  What are we paying taxes for..to continue a never ending war around the world?  What is FEMA for..to pay big salaries to Bush's cronies?  My gosh..if families didnt get water and food in time, I say government get your stuff together you need to help the citizens of America.