January 28, 2008 Opposing view: Mandatory insurance is wrong way to go by Judy Dugan & Jamie Court - Op-Ed Commentary Those who argue that the bill would reduce the costs of the current system need to read the bill closely, since the medical-insurance complex's charges are uncapped and unregulated in the bill. Drug companies, for instance, recently dropped their opposition after the bill's bulk-purchasing mechanism was neutered. Incidentally, the industry then gave $400,000 to Núñez's term-limits extension measure, Proposition 93. Núñez and Schwarzenegger can still provide subsidies to the poor, universal coverage for kids and make the rules of the insurance market fairer. They should reject the insurance industry's demand that the state be converted to a customer delivery system for an inefficient and unregulated private market....read more December 12, 2007 by Jamie Court & Judy Dugan - OpEd Commentary California's elected officials have failed this year to take care of any pressing state problems -- except their own. No healthcare reform. No prison reform. No solution to the multibillion-dollar budget deficit. Instead, this year's principal public policy result is a ballot measure to extend legislators' current terms in office. The biggest beneficiaries are the most powerful: Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez and Senate leader Don Perata, who otherwise would be forced out of office next year by term limits....read more September 25, 2007 Mandatory health insurance? No sale by Jamie Court - Op-Ed Commentary Forcing citizens to buy an expensive, unregulated private product is nothing less than taxation without representation. If California were to follow the Massachusetts model for mandatory private insurance purchase (the only one in the United States), Californians would have to prove on their tax returns that they were insured or face tax penalties....read more September 18, 2007 Mandatory health care won't curb costs by Host: Doug Krizner / Commentator: Jamie Court (FTCR) Presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton laid out her plan for health care yesterday, which includes mandatory health insurance. But commentator Jamie Court says demanding more cost-effective coverage would be a better solution....read more August 11, 2007 Share the fruits of state-funded research with taxpayers by John M. Simpson - Op-Ed Commentary When venture capitalists provide money to companies they require clearly spelled out conditions and expectations. There is no reason it should be any different when Wisconsin's taxpayers put their hard-earned dollars on the line to fund research. They are entitled to insist upon maximum public benefit for their investment....read more August 7, 2007 Stem cell grant picks ill-served by secrecy by John M. Simpson, Op-Ed Commentary The stem cell committee should direct that scientific review of building projects be handled like the facilities review -- in public. As it stands now, the two-step process is apparently premised on the notion that it's unwise to risk embarrassing an institution for its lack of scientific ability, but it's all right to say it doesn't know how to construct a decent building. That approach serves neither scientist nor architect, but especially not the public....read more July 14, 2007 California group turns up heat on WARF stem cell patents by John M. Simpson - FTCR (Op-Ed Commentary) The Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights and the Public Patent Foundation have filed our formal comments with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office supporting its rejection of human embryonic stem cell patent claims asserted by the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation because the claimed advances are obvious in the light of previous stem cell research....read more June 26, 2007 'Sicko' could cure American apathy by Anchor: Doug Krizner - Commentator: Jamie Court (FTCR) "Sicko" is the latest film from Michael Moore. It's about how the U.S. health system leaves millions uninsured and allows insurance companies to profit by selectively denying care. It's scheduled for release this Friday. Commentator Jamie Court thinks this may be the beginning of something....read more June 21, 2007 by Anchor: Tess Vigeland - Commentator: Jamie Court (FTCR) President Bush has stated that the job of recovering shareholders' money from banks involved in the Enron scandal should be left to SEC attorneys. But commentator Jamie Court contends the best path to justice is through the private sector....read more May 17, 2007 Restrict Big Oil's effort to green-wash image through UC by John M. Simpson - Op-Ed Commentary If BP and the University of California system decide upon a partnership, some minimum standards must be met: The University of California should control the direction and the results of the research. Any patented discoveries should be licensed to all comers on a non-exclusive basis. Secret proprietary research should not be allowed on campus. Any BP marketing efforts using the UC name should be approved on a case-by-case basis by the regents themselves....read more |
