PIQUA PRESERVATION AND GRAND LAKE ST. MARYS

Last week I drove down to southern Ohio to see one of my sons and his family.  I take a fairly regular route, heading southeast out of Fort Wayne on U.S. 27 to Decatur and then picking up U.S. 33 through St. Marys.  Just outside Sidney, Ohio, I hop onto Interstate 75 south through Dayton, finally catching Ohio 73 to my destination.

I usually stop at the Speedway gas station at the edge of Piqua, Ohio, to take a break and get a fresh cup of coffee.  So a couple of  weeks ago when I received one of my historical magazines, I was quite surprised to see an article with a magnificent restored building located in —- Piqua, Ohio.  The article discussed the restoration of the old Fort Piqua Hotel, and I knew instantly that the next time I headed to southern Ohio, I would be wandering into the heart of Piqua to see the hotel.

The Fort Piqua Hotel suffered from the maladies of its oldness – asbestos and lead paint contaminating its grand interior.  Decaying year by year, the hotel became a victim of indifference and benign neglect.  But its colorful history could not be ignored, and the City set out on a path of restoration of the Richardsonian Romanesque-style hotel.

HISTORY OF THE FORT PIQUA HOTEL

The Fort Piqua Hotel was built in 1891 – almost one hundred years after the founding of Piqua in 1793 by General Anthony Wayne.  The hotel has been home to numerous businesses that have come and gone. Throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the hotel was a hotbed of political activity. During the 1912 presidential election, candidates William Taft, Theodore Roosevelt, and Eugene Debs spoke from the grand balcony over the hotel entrance, drawing spectators from all over Western Ohio and Eastern Indiana.

During the Women’s Suffrage Movement, “Women for Warren Harding” held a rally in the hotel to promote the newly acquired constitutional right to vote. In 1947, in the midst of the National Civil Rights Movement, a lunch counter sit‐in demonstration resulted in an end to segregated restaurants in the City.

By the 1970s, the 85,000-square-foot building, once used as a hotel for transients and a bus depot, was all but vacant and had become the epitome for small-city urban decay.  Numerous developers approached the City over the next two decades, but the scope and enormity of restoring the grand old hotel forced them to back away from the project.

In 2001, the City of Piqua stepped up to the plate, creating a nonprofit development corporation to transform the faded old hotel into a bright new home for the local library.  Federal and state grants and tax credits helped move the massive effort forward, as did City funds and almost $4 million in private donations.  The result?  A remarkable restoration worthy of the award it recently received from the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Fort Piqua Hotel built in 1891

Fort Piqua Hotel built in 1891

Tower of the Fort Piqua Hotel

And then on to the Grand Lake St. Marys just outside St. Marys, Ohio.

St. Marys, Ohio, is up the interstate and not too far from Piqua, so I decided I would stop and see the lake that carried the same name as the river that runs by my home.

I had never been to Grand Lake St. Marys, but the town has a unique curve in its main street with an old theater that sits along the curve.  As I drove into the Grand Lake St. Marys State Park which housed the lake, I wasn’t sure which way to go.  I saw some shimmering water and drove toward it, but it turned out to be simply an inlet.  I was disappointed.  Where was that lake?

I did not give up, though, and I am so thankful I did not.  I kept driving, and as I rounded a curve, I looked out upon a huge expanse of water.  The lake was enormous.   The Grand Lake St. Marys was constructed in the early 1800s as a reservoir for the Miami and Erie Canals.  The Lake – covering 13,500 acres in Auglaize and Mercer counties -  is the largest inland lake in Ohio in terms of land area, but it is extremely shallow, with an average depth of only 5 to 7 feet.

I continued around the Lake and discovered a rocky, narrow jetty that curved like a cupped hand out into the lake.  I parked my truck and began my trek out to the far point of the jetty.  The wind was chilly, but the sun was bright and warm as I stepped onto the well-worn trail.  Huge boulders lined the sides of the jetty, shriveled fish heads lay on the path – evidence that the fowl that languished around the jetty did not go hungry.

As I picked my way over the stones, I stopped several times to stare at the shimmering water.  Somehow several of the huge rocks had come to rest at various points in the middle of the path.  I paused a couple of  times to sit down on the huge boulders and rest – letting the cool, tingly breeze sweep across my face. I finally made it to the end, turning to stare back at the length of jetty.

I rested one final time and then started back toward my truck.  I climbed into my truck to warm up and spent a few minutes just thinking about how much beauty can be found in nature.  I know I will make it a point to stop at the Grand Lake again when I travel back to southern Ohio.  What a great day!  I saw the Piqua preservation of the Fort Piqua Hotel, and I enjoyed the serenity of the Grand Lake St. Marys.

Beginning of the jetty path

Grand Lake St. Marys - largest inland lake in Ohio

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Boulders lining the jetty path

View of Grand Lake St. Marys from the jetty

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

View from the lake end of the jetty

 

HAYHURST FOCUSES WHILE SOUDER SPUTTERS

Mark Souder has decided the best way to deal with the issues of the Third District is, well, to just ignore them for what he mistakenly believes are better pickins.  Souder, with his little pea-pickin’ right-wing conservative heart, is dodging and weaving like a boxer trying to avoid punches and would rather attack President Obama than deal with the high unemployment rate in the Third District.

Indiana’s Third District is suffering – and suffering greatly.  The eight counties that comprise the district include most of Allen, most of Elkhart, and all of DeKalb, Kosciusko, LaGrange, Noble, Steuben, and Whitley.  The Third District is heavily over-represented in the infamous Top Ten of unemployment statistics in the September report prepared October 14, 2009.

The following unemployment statistics show a discouraging and disturbing picture – a picture that Souder seems content to ignore in favor of attacking President Obama:

IDWD Research and Analysis
Labor Area Unemployment Statistics

September 2009 Statistics

Top Ten Stressed Counties

Elkhart County          15.0
Noble County             14.5
Lagrange County      14.0
Adams County               13.4
Fayette County              13.4
Blackford County          13.3
Steuben County         12.9
Starke County                 12.6
DeKalb County            12.4

An astounding 50% of the Top Ten are in the Third District.  Add to that Whitley County – 11.6% – in the second tier of ten counties and Kosciusko County – 11.0% – in the third tier, and the only county in the Third District that has not broken the infamous 10.0% unemployment figure is Allen County, holding at 9.0%.

Tom Hayhurst has been out in the counties listening to the people and communicating with them.  Since he announced in August that he would again challenge Souder, Hayhurst has traveled from one end of the Third District to the other.  His main concern?  The people of the Third District.

Souder’s main concern?  Holding onto that congressional seat which he said in 1994 that he would vacate in 6 terms.  He has become adept at holding town hall meetings and call-ins slanted to his view point of the present government, thereby feeding his attacks on Obama.

Rather than take a cold, hard look at the high unemployment rate that exists in his own district which he is supposed to be representing, Souder focuses on attacking President Obama.  Souder would rather join a battle over gun rights in someone else’s state than address the needs of his own constituency.

Fine with me – Souder can sputter and fume about Obama, but Hayhurst is doing the work that needs to be done for our Third District – focusing on those who will be his constituency.

 

 

OUT OF THE MIDDLE EAST

How many times do we need to learn a lesson?  The cause in Afghanistan is not winnable.  So listen to the John Fogerty song once again and see if you can learn anything.

 

And, if you can’t, then I really feel sorry for you.

A DRUGGED OUT NATION

While Mark Souder whines and vents about the “War on Drugs” and focuses on restricting marijuana, perhaps he should take a look around at the unbelievable number and kinds of prescription drugs that have us – as a nation – drugged to the hilt.

I receive the AARP magazine – a group I originally swore I would never join.  Really – the Association for the Advancement of RETIRED People?  I have to wonder how many members are actually retired.  I know I have no plans to retire – retirement is something that leads to decline.  Anyways, I received my latest issue of “AARP Bulletin”, and one of the articles was titled “The 50 Most Prescribed Drugs.”

So, much as I hate numbered lists, here goes.  I am listing the drugs, followed by the number of yearly prescriptions written, and finally, the ungodly amount of money generated by the sale of the drug.

1. Hydrocodone (pain) – 121.3 million prescriptions – $1.78 billion
2. Lisinopril (hypertension) – 69.8 million prescriptions – $686 million
3. Simvastatin (high cholesterol) -  60.2 million prescriptions – $1.45 billion
4. Levothyroxine (hypothyroidism) – 58.6 million prescriptions – $546 million
5. Amoxicillan (bacterial infection) – 52.1 million prescriptions – $439 million
6. Azithromycin (bacterial infection) – 49.3 million prescriptions – $1.28 billion
7. Lipitor (high cholesterol) – 49.0 million prescriptions – $5.88 billion
8. Hydrochlorothiazide (edema/hypertension) – 47.1 million prescriptions – $288 million
9. Alprazolam (anxiety/depression) – 43.6 million prescriptions – $468 million
10. Atenolol (hypertension) – 40.9 million prescriptions – $274 million
11. Metformin (type 2 diabetes) – 40.1 milliion prescriptions – $536 million
12. Metoprolol Succinate (hypertension) – 38.9 million prescriptions – $1.11 billion
13. Furosemide oral (edema/hypertension) – 37. million prescriptions – $209 million
14. Metoprolol tartrate (hypertension) – 29.7 million prescriptions – $206 million
15. Setraline (depression) – 29.5 million prescriptions – $648 million
16. Omeprazole (ulcers/reflux) – 29.2 million prescriptions – $1.15 billion
17. Zolpidem tartrate (insomnia) – 28.3 million prescriptions – $742 million
18. Nexium (ulcers/reflux) – 26.9 million prescriptions – $4.79 billion
19. Lexapro (depression) – 26.3 million prescriptions – $2.41 billion
20. Oxycodone (pain) – 26.2 million prescriptions – $683 million
21. Singulair (asthma) – 25.8 million prescriptions – $2.90 billion
22. Ibuprofen (pain/inflamation) – 25.5 million prescriptions – $177 million
23. Plavix (blood clotting) – 25.1 million prescriptions – $3.80 billion
24. Prednisone oral (allergies/inflamation) – 24.8 million prescriptions – $211 million
25. Fluoxetine (deression) – 23.3 million prescriptions – $349 million
26. Synthroid (hypothyroidism) – 23.1 million prescriptions – $515 million
27. Warfarin (blood clotting) – 22.8 million prescriptions – $317 million
28. Cephalexin (bacterial infection) – 22.1 million prescriptions – $256 million
29. Lorazepam (anxiety) – 22.0 million prescriptions – $340 million
30. Clonazepam (epilepsy/anxiety) – 21.8 milion prescriptions – $287 million
31. Citalopram HBR (depression) – 21.6 million prescriptions – $260 million
32. Tramadol (pain) – 21.3 million prescriptions – $302 million
33. Gabapentin (epilepsy/pain) – 20.7 million prescriptions – $809 million
34. Ciprofloxacin HCL (bacterial infection) – 20.5 million prescriptions – $194 million
35. Propoxyphene-N (pain) – 20.4 million prescriptions – $225 million
36. Lisinopril (hypertension) – 20.4 million prescriptions – $687 million
37. Triamterene (edema/hypertension) – 20.4 million prescriptions – $153 million
38. Amoxicillin (bacterial infection) – 20.1 million prescriptions – $807 million
39. Cyclobenzaprine (muscle injury/spasm) – 20.0 million prescriptions – $209 million
40. Prevacid (ulcers/reflux) – 18.6 million prescriptions – $3.30 billion
41. Advair (asthma) – 17.8 million prescriptions -$3.57 billion
42. Effexor XR (depression) – 16.9 million prescriptions – $2.66 billion
43. Trazodone HCL (depression) – 16.7 million prescriptions – $140 million
44. Fexofenadine (allergy) – 16.5 million prescriptions – $772 million
45. Fluticasone nasal (allergy) – 16.2 million prescriptions – $543 million
46. Diovan (hypertension) – 15.7 million prescriptions – $1.28 billion
47. Paroxetine (depression/anxiety) – 15.6 million prescriptions – $359 million
48. Lovastatin (high cholesterol) – 15.3 million prescriptions – $378 million
49. Crestor (high cholesterol) – 15.1 million prescriptions – $1.68 billion
50. Trimethoprim (bacterial infection) – 14.6 million prescriptions – $131 million

Brand names (bolded and underlined) make up only 22% of the list, yet they make up 62% of the total of $53.2 billion cost.  The total number of prescriptions is 1,140.3 billion – that’s 1 billion 140 million + prescriptions.  The population of the United States is approximately 305 million.  That means that every man, woman, and child could be taking at least three prescriptions.

The number of people with at least one prescription increased from 67 percent in 2000 to 74 percent in 2006, and the number of prescriptions per person rose to 14.3 from 10.8 in 2000 – a 32 perent jump.  Unbelieveable.   Is it any wonder that big pharma continues to lobby and push its products to physicians and the consuming public through TV commercials – advertising for every conceiveable ailment?

The audience sees the commercials and runs to doctors to request the drug.  Doctors oblige their patients.  And, don’t forget those free samples that the pharma reps provide to the doctors.  But TV commercials aren’t the only culprit in this drug-dependent nation – our lifestyles have turned us into a reactive nation instead of a proactive nation.

The dichotomy in this scenerio is that while companies and health professionals urge exercise, healthy eating, and routine physical exams to enhance our lifestyles, citizens are becoming increasingly dependent on prescription drugs – a 32% increase in the number of prescriptions per person.

We have a drug crisis in this country all right, but it isn’t Mark Souder’s version.  The list above shows just what this country has turned into – a drugged-out nation.

LETTERMAN NEEDS TO EXIT – STAGE RIGHT

This past week, in a blatant show of protecting his butt, David Letterman made a mockery of his show, his marriage, his fans, and the women with whom he works.  Letterman’s performance was pure CYA.  As he alternately apologized and joked about his now-infamous indiscretions with his subordinates on the show, his audience reacted with confusion – some laughter, some silence, but a heavy dose of “okay, you’ve apologized, so forget about it.”   Is it any wonder that sexual harassment is still rampant in this country and so hard to combat?

Letterman’s actions should be considered sexual harassment, and, instead of feigning concern for his subordinate female employees, he should have been slithering off the set for good.  He acknowledged his actions were “creepy.”  Creepy?  creepy?  The man is a cave man throwback to the days when males in superior positions rode roughshod over their female employees.  Rather than face retribution or loss of jobs, women caved in and were subjected to various means of humiliation in the workplace.

Letterman managed to turn what in many cases are illegal actions into fodder for his evening joke lines.  And, the sad thing?  CBS is cautiously standing behind him and the audiences seem ready to put it all in the past.   On-the-street interviews with average citizens found most of them with the blase attitude of “he did it, he apologized, move on.”

Although the females involved have gallantly stepped up to the plate and stated there was no sexual harassment and everything was just hunky-dory consensual, what seems to be missed in this whole, sorry episode is the concept that when a superior propositions a lower-ranking employee, there is always a measure of coercion.

The coercion may be slight, but it nevertheless exists.  After all, how do  you say no to a boss who controls your destiny without  a fear of consequences?

SEXUAL HARASSMENT

Sexual harassment can be one of two kinds.  The first is what is called “quid pro quo” or a “this for that” situation.  The superior says if the woman will do something for him, he will do something nice and good for the woman.  The key is that in order to establish a case, the woman must show that she was actually harmed in some way if she does say no.  If she says no but cannot show some type of negative retribution, then the legal cause disappears.  This form of sexual harassment is based on pure power – the power of the superior to coerce the underling.

The second kind of sexual harassment is called “hostile work environment.”  This situation usually occurs when women compose a very small percentage of a work force, for example, women in a typically male-dominated environment.  The male counterparts make the environment sexually uncomfortable, often with sexual innuendo, off-color jokes, nude pinups, etc.  You get the idea.

Letterman’s actions should be pursued as sexual harassment, and he should not be able to walk away from this joking all the way to the bank.  Let’s face it, wrong as the blackmailer is, Letterman would not have come forward had the plot not existed.  And, while the public outcry over politicians who carry on affairs reaches a fever pitch, Letterman’s dalliances created a surge – 22% to be exact – in his show’s ratings.

The picture below says it all.  Letterman even joked about Martin Short’s sitting on Steve Martin’s lap by stating that sitting too long could lead to a blackmail scheme.

Wow, and we wonder what has happened in this country.

David Letterman

ARMY CORPS TO BEGIN “TAMIAMI TRAIL” REVERSE ENGINEERING FEAT

Normally, I have little use for the Army Corps of Engineers.  After all, they are the ones who have worked hand-in-hand with the City to build the ugly concrete walls in Fort Wayne that were erected to stop flooding in a number of areas.  Unfortunately, stopping flooding in some areas just increases the flow and direction somewhere else.  And that somewhere else has become my corner of Nelson, Thieme, and West Berry.  And I blame the Corp and the City for their ill-planned barriers.

So, when I see a Corps project that looks to be doing some good, I will certainly give credit.  The Tamiami Trail project slated for southern Florida will open up a segment of highway so that water can return freely to the Everglades.  To accomplish this feat, the Corps recently signed an $81 million contract that will raise a one-mile segment of Highway 41 – named the Tamiami Trail – in Miami-Dade County, Florida.  The raising of the highway will remove a “plug” of the road which has stopped water on the north side of Highway 41 from returning in a natural flow to the south side of the road and back into the Everglades.

The Tamiami Trail running through Southern Florida - the Poor Man's Alligator Alley

The Trail and the road became an unintentional barrier preventing water from flowing into the Everglades

The Trail – also known as the “Poor Man’s Alligator Alley” – requires no toll and drops down south of Interstate 75, the stretch that requires a toll.  Both cut across the southern part of Florida and through the Everglades. On the north side of the Trail, the public is paying billions of dollars to store and clean water before it gets to the Everglades. On the south side of the Trail is Everglades National Park, which needs the water.

The project – authorized over 20 years ago – would create a roughly 5-foot clearance so that water could flow under U.S. 41 to where it is needed in the Everglades.  In addition to raising the 1 mile, the Corps will raise the elevation of another 9.7 miles, to create enough gradient that water from the “River of Grass” can flow under the bridge.

Everglades ecoregion - includes the Everglades, Lake Okeechobee, the Big Cypress Swamp, the Atlantic Coastal Ridge, the estuarine mangroves of the Ten Thousand Islands, and Florida Bay. (Photo credit Wikipedia)

My own adventure into the The Everglades occurred in May 2001, and it was not planned.  My one son was set to be married in Nassau, Bahamas, so I drove down to Fort Lauderdale where I hopped onto a small plane and flew out to Nassau.  My route took me along the western edge of Florida so I could see my oldest son who was living in Valrico at the time.  My plan was to head south and drive across Alligator Alley – Interstate 75 – and then on to Fort Lauderdale.

I am usually pretty prepared when I am on the road.  I planned on stopping along 75 – silly me – and fill up with gas since my tank was pretty low.  What I didn’t realize was that once you hop onto 75, the gas stations disappear.  One lonely gas station exists between the Naples and Weston tollbooths – something I didn’t learn until it was too late.

As I was tooling along 75, I kept watching my gas needle as it slowly sank lower on the dial.  I anxiously watched the horizon for signs of a gas station – those small signs that say “gas, exit ….”  None appeared, and the miles kept slipping by.  I started to panic somewhat as I knew I did not have enough gas to get me to the other side of Florida.  My mind began to fill with pictures of being stranded on a highway aptly named Alligator Alley for a reason – alligators.

Then I saw the exit for Highway 29 which promised it would take me south to Everglades City.  I could only hope at that point that Everglades City was big enough to have at least one gas station.   I drove along 29 – somewhat dazed at my lack of preparedness and absolutely scared to death I would run out of gas on a forelorn road where alligators would creep up and snap at me.   I didn’t notice any fences or barriers along the two-lane road – oh my God – what if I blew a tire, what if I accidentally got too close to the side of the road, what if – what if.

My lord, there was a lot of water on each side.  I was truly losing it.  I really began to feel sick – I didn’t see any mileage signs to tell me how far Everglades City was, and I kept glancing at that expanse of water and grass stretching for miles on each side of the road.  Finally, I saw signs of what was a small town.  I could see a gas station sign and several other small businesses popped into view.  I had made it to Everglades City.  I filled up with gas, and I can’t tell you how relieved I was to head back up to 75 again to complete my journey.

Everglades City

The Everglades is a marvelous and beautiful place, and, had I not been so preoccupied with my fears of being gasless and encountering alligators, I know I would have appreciated it much more.

The Corps’ project is critical to saving what remains of the Everglades.  So, much as I often complain about the Corps, this Tamiami Trail feat is a much-needed solution to saving the Everglades.  And, I hope that one of these days I will be able to see in person the success of that project.

SOUDER SCROUNGES FOR DONATIONS

Throwing out his old, worn standard – the Liberals are coming, the Liberals are coming – Souder has already saddled up his trusty steed of conservatism and started to send out letters soliciting donations.   Whining that he is a “good” conservative, he is now portraying himself as a poor, beleaguered Indiana conservative fleeing from the “nasty, old Liberals” who are after his seat.

Souder has the ability to talk much and say little.  I have found in the few conversations I have had with him that it is hard to get a word in edgewise, and that tactic becomes useful when you have little to say in an unrehearsed situation.

But, Lord, give him a rehearsed forum, and he can ramble for hours without taking a position a la his performance in 2008 at a meeting he held to try to explain what was happening with the VA inpatient issue in Fort Wayne.  By the time the meeting was over, few understood what he had just said and even fewer understood his position.

But, Souder’s hypocrisy has never been more visible than his recent assault against President Obama, calling the President a “liar.”  Apparently Souder has forgotten the following pledge that he took in 1994 as he signed the now-infamous Contract with America (bet he had his fingers crossed behind his back):

CONTRACT WITH AMERICA

As Republican Members of the House of Representatives and as citizens seeking to join that body, we propose not just to change its policies, but to restore the bounds of trust between the people and their elected representatives. That is why, in this era of official evasion and posturing, we offer instead a detailed agenda for national renewal, a written commitment with no fine print.

Within the first hundred days of the 104th Congress, we shall bring to the House Floor the following bills, each to be given a full and open debate, each to be given a clear and fair vote, and each to be immediately available this day for public inspection and scrutiny:
1. The Fiscal Responsibility Act: Balanced budget amendment & line item veto
2. The Taking Back Our Streets Act: More prisons, more enforcement, more death penalty
3. The Personal Responsibility Act: Limit welfare to 2 years & cut welfare spending
4. The Families Reinforcement Act: Use tax code to foster families
5. The American Dream Restoration Act: Repeal marriage tax; cut middle class taxes
6. The National Security Restoration Act: No US troops under UN command; more defense spending
7. The Senior Citizens Fairness Act: Reduce taxes on Social Security earnings
8. The Job Creation and Wage Enhancement Act: Incentives to small businesses
9. The Common Sense Legal Reforms Act: Limit punitive damages
10. The Citizen Legislature Act: Term limits on Congress

Further, we will work to enact additional budget savings, beyond the budget cuts specifically included in the legislation above, to ensure that the federal budget will be less than it would have been without the enactment of these bills. Respecting the judgment of our fellow citizens as we seek their mandate for reform, we hereby pledge our names to this Contract with America.

Hmm – didn’t Souder say he would only run for six terms?  Gosh, I guess he lied.

REPUBLICAN ANGST OVER ACORN LEADS TO UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES

The angst over ACORN has led to introduced legislation that – whoops – well sweeps in such entities as military contractors and could conceivably lead to defunding of some of the military-industrial giants.   Representative John Boehner, the ever-omnipotent partisan pol from Ohio, has introduced H.R. 3571 – Defund ACORN Act.

Ah, that good ole’ law of unintended consequences.  Rep. Alan Grayson (D-Fla.) picked up on the legislative overreach and asked the Project on Government Oversight (POGO) to sift through its database to find which contractors might be caught in the ACORN net.  A preliminary search turned up such giants as Lockheed Martin and Northrop Gumman, with 20 fraud cases between them, and the longer list is a Who’s Who of weapons manufacturers and defense contractors.

Whoops!  Or perhaps, whoopee.  And, among the sponsors of the legislation, why Indiana’s own Republican klan of Mark Souder, Mike Pence,  Steve Buyer, and Dan Burton.  The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse – riding astride those mighty steeds of indignation against ACORN.

Now, I don’t know whether or not ACORN has committed acts of fraud – that is for others to determine through the proper channels.  But what I do suspest is that legislation that targets ACORN will no doubt be declared unconstitutional.  The Constitution prohibits Bills of Attainder – that device that says laws cannot be drafted that punish specific groups.

Hmm – wouldn’t the “Defund ACORN Act” also sweep in Halliburton – the Cheney-led company that skipped out on the U.S. and established its headquarters in Dubai so it would be less accessible to prosecution in the United States for numerous alleged fraudulent activities resulting in ripoffs of billions of dollars of taxpayer money involving the Iraqi conflict?

Halliburton - Cheney - Credit to Mike Keefe of the Denver Post

Well, let’s see where this goes.  I would almost guarantee that the indignent and outraged Republicans will – of necessity – back off this legislation.  Defunding ACORN may well be what they intended with their legislation, but certainly what they didn’t intend to do was sweep in their buddies in the military complex.  Ouch!

COMPETITON IN HEALTH INSURANCE BUSINESS A MYTH

Competition in the health insurance business is a myth.  Those who oppose President Obama’s public option are crying foul that a public option would tilt the insurance coverage playing field unfairly.  Bull – the health insurance field is already tilted in favor of just a few insurance companies and is dominated in almost all markets by one or two companies which have swallowed up smaller companies and continue to grow, thus creating even less competition.

The American Medical Association’s 2007-2009 report on competition in the health insurance field finds that in the majority of Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSA), a single health insurer dominates the market. Competition is undermined in hundreds of markets across the country.

Over the five years since the AMA’s first study, the country’s largest health insurers have continued to pursue aggressive acquisition strategies. The largest insurer, WellPoint Inc. (formed from the merger of Anthem Inc. and WellPoint Health Networks), has acquired 11 health insurers since 2000. The second-largest health insurer, UnitedHealth Group (United) has also acquired 11 health insurers since 2000.

In 2000, the two largest health Aetna and United, had a total membership of 32 million lives. As a result of mergers and acquisitions since 2000, the top two insurers today, WellPoint and United, each have memberships, respectively, of 34 million and 33 million, totaling more than 67 million covered lives.

While large health insurers have posted very healthy profits since 2000, premiums for consumers have increased without a corresponding increase in benefits. In fact, during the same time period, consumers have faced increased deductibles, co-payments and co-insurance. This has effectively reduced the scope of their health benefits coverage.

In our own Fort Wayne MSA, the two largest provides, WellPoint and Lutheran Preferred, control 52% and 23% of the market, respectively – those two companies alone control 75% of the Fort Wayne MSA.  Not much competition there.  The AMA’s report gives a picture of competition in all 50 states.

In Gary, Indiana, an area known for its poverty, two companies, HCSC (BCBS) and WellPoint control 68% and 24%, respectively.  Two companies – 92% of the market.  Hmm – where is the competition?

The American public is being sold a lie when the opponents of the public option cry that it will cut competition.  Little competition currently exists, and, as the major insurance companies continue to aggressively swallow up smaller companies, even less competition will exist.

What the mega insurance companies really want is to control even more of the market and, God forbid, that a public option would get in the way.

Chart with examples of lack of competition in the health insurance industry

BOOT THE BLUES – DOGS THAT IS

What do Joe Donnelly, Brad Ellsworth, and Baron Hill have in common?  They have decided to enter into the ranks – 52 in all – of the Blue Dogs, or more accurately, as newer members of Congress are called the “Blue Pups.”  Just what is a Blue Dog?  The Blue Dogs are a group formed in 1995 in response to the Democratic losses of 1994 – although they haven’t barked too much until recently.

Blue Dogs call themselves moderate to conservative members of the Democratic Party who, according to Pete Geren  have been “choked blue” by “extreme” Democrats from the left.  Hmm, wonder where the “Red Rovers” are – you know, those Republicans who have been strangled by the right-wing of the Republican party?

Part of the Blue Dogs’ motivation in opposing President Obama’s health care proposals may be attributed to the vast contributions they have attracted from medical interests, who are spending an additional $1.3 million a day on lobbying. The Washington Post reported:

The Blue Dog group has set a record pace for fund raising this year through its political action committee, surpassing other congressional leadership PACs in collecting more than $1.1 million through June … More than half the money came from the health care, insurance and financial services industries.

Of course, Donnelly, Hill, and Ellsworth aren’t the only offending members of Congress.  Evan Bayh of Indiana has decided that his bread is better buttered by the medical insurance and pharmaceutical companies and has opposed many of the components of President Obama’s health care reform plan under the guise of working for the “citizens of Indiana.”  The ads, of course, have been paid for by big Pharma.

Senator Bayh’s wife Susan, a former Lily pharmaceutical executive, received $2.1 million over the last several years for serving on the boards of health-related firms like WellPoint, the nation’s largest insurer, based in Indianapolis.  Kind a hard to bite the hand that feeds you.

WellPoint alone accounted for the biggest single source of Susan Bayh’s board income, paying her $976,000 in cash, stock options and stock awards from 2006 to 2008, according to Equilar, a California-based executive-compensation research company.

Blue, purple, or green – it really doesn’t matter.  It is pretty apparent from where their dog food comes, and, as long as their dog bowl is full, well, again, why bite the hand that feeds you.

Joe Donnelly

Brad Ellsworth

Baron Hill