ELECTION CHOICES

Plainfield's fate for the next few years will be decided one week from today, Tuesday.

Although I have not endorsed candidates in the past, this year I am doing so in for the local Council races in the Democrat primary. I will not state why I am not  supporting the other candidates unless forced to do so.

In the First Ward where I can not vote: Independent Democrat Siddeeq El-Amin.

Third Ward where I can not vote: (Not so) New Democrat Charles McCrae

2nd & 3rd Wards Councilor; for whom I can vote: Incumbent (not so) New Democrat Rebecca Williams.

Why these three? I believe that they have the best qualifications to be the best Council members for  our city.

El-Amin has been a dedicated civil employee  in the Police  as well as a former Director of Public Safety and very involved with civic activities.

McCrae has proven to be a highly motivated civic volunteer and has  served as chair for the CBAC.

Williams in her near four years on the Council has shown a high dedication to her Council responsibilities despite a concurrent heavy university teaching workload, along with a  needed degree of sanity to the Council debates.

If these three are aboard next January I firmly believe Plainfield can once again become the Queen City.

THE ATTACK ON HIGHER EDUCATION

One “bitch” that I have repeatedly expressed about the state of our health care system is the practice which started with the HMOs  of the Insurance carriers and which has now been adopted by the Feds in Medicaid and Mediccare to rate doctors as good or bad. There are in between levels, but if you are not “good” you must be “bad”.

The ratings are determined by a set of standards that only an egghead would find infallible. Among the factors by which Doctors are rated are: by (1) the number of tests ordered, (2) the number of hospital admissions (3) and readmissions within a month of discharge, (4) the patients evaluation of the doctor, (5) the doctors following certain specified routines, (6) mortality rate,   (7) use of EHRs, and more such as sending prescriptions to the pharmacy by fax or internet.

On paper that may help find a perfect practice; but (1&2, 3,&6) no account is taken about the nature of the doctor’s practice. It may be one of elderly patients that have more frequent health crisis requiring Hospitalization, (2&3) the old, the ones with other medical problems or too poor to afford medications, those that purely subjective never follow instructions, and a basic high risk patient base. (4) The Patient’s evaluation of a doctor is strictly subjective and often is due to some unrelated incident not the outcome of treatment. (7) EHRs are only as good as the reliability of the doctor or assistant to check all the boxes; it doesn’t assure that the question was asked.

However that is not the object of this blog. Rather the newest goal of the theorists (not realists) in Washington to improve the outcome of higher education by establishing criteria to rate colleges and universities. According to the Times which I quote:    

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          “TheThe rating system, which the president called for in a speech last year and is under development, would compare schools on factors like how many of their students graduate, how much debt their students accumulate and how much money their students earn after graduating. Ultimately, Mr. Obama wants Congress to agree to use the ratings to allocate the billions in federal student loans and grants. Schools that earn a high rating on the government’s list would be able to offer more student aid than schools at the bottom.”

Many college presidents said a rating system like the one being considered at the White House would elevate financial concerns above academic ones and would punish schools with liberal arts programs and large numbers of students who major in programs like theater arts, social work or education, disciplines that do not typically lead to lucrative jobs.

They also predicted that institutions that serve minority and low-income students, many of whom come from underfunded schools and have had less college preparation, would rank lowest in a new rating system, hurting the very populations the president says he wants to help.

**the college presidents said no school can mandate that graduates supply the statistics”

No differentiation is made that students have different occupation goals in mind; not all are going to be executives, lawyers, doctors  engineers, politicians or other high reward occupations; many will be interested in the humanities, musical or visual arts, teaching etc. which always are lower income  professions.

Are schools that focus on those latter subjects going to be rated poorer than those that have connections to place graduates in the best jobs? Should schools be penalized for admitting only superior students?  Or due those social planners what one m old for all under a ridiculous government mold?

Once again we are being forced in to a bigger socialist state under government rule. There is a great danger here in that our government is trying to force us all to be faceless  automatons under the false theory that Big Brother knows what is best for you.

POST MEMORIAL WEEKEND POTPOURRI

Tonight the Council will meet and after a public hearing on the amended budget vote to accept it.

It is not too late for common sense instead of tunnel vision to be enacted
and for the Council to restore funding for those position which are essential for Plainfield to be able to compete as a civic center by bringing in new commercial enterprises to would be attractive to new residents who would enrich the city's ambiance. At the same time the upgrading of the city's atmosphere would also make it attractive to  enterprises that would increase ratables and employment. 

Monday afternoon/evening has  been a period of recuperating from a strenuous three days.  I note this because in Monday's Times there is an article about Obama's plans to have a federal rating systems for colleges and universities. I plan to write my concerns about this and similarities in the Health Care Field ASAP.

I do have a physicians appointment today which of course compromises my time for this report. 

MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND REDUX

Some peace and quiet has descended on my domain. DAWG can relax after 2 days of high speed romping in house with perpetual playboy .Slapshot, my daughter's much bigger Aussie. The two had a ball,only knocked over one lamp that was repairable and back in service.

The last three of the OH HELLERS left at noon. Due to company, meals, the 48 hour visit time available to the Ohioians, and 60 hours for the Virignians games were limited to just  4.

Out of the 5 regulars Jill had the best series winning two games outright,beating me by 1 point in one and we tied for 1st in another.

My overall score was a tie for second place. I had also been denied a first in another game by 1 point. Scores ramged from a high of 99 in the game I had 98 to a low of 55.

There most likely will not be another large family get together until Christmas time.

Now for some rest and tomorrow a doctors appointment and the Council Budget public meeting.

NON CONTROVERSIAL POTPOURRI

This should be the last blog for several days; the “OH HELLERS” will be arriving starting about noon today and leaving Monday.

Monday is Memorial Day, and we should honor but have forgotten those from Plainfield including many who were my high school friends who gave their lives in WWII as well as others in the subsequent wars.  I wonder if anyone has an idea of how many WWII combat veterans are still in the Plainfield area?

On a different subject than the Holliday or Plainfield’s politics; of present national interest is the scandal that is emerging in the VA’s medical system.

The apparent rationing of care by delaying visits and treatments to veterans for an unreasonable time which may have resulted in death is a practice that will, not may, become more prevalent in our everyday life as so called universal care and limited resources have a greater impact on health care.

That is long convoluted sentence but the lesson is there. Health care costs money. When it is lacking the resources needed both human and facilities become limited. This leads to waiting periods that will stretch out more and more until that in its self becomes a threat to life.

I have talked about this frequently and I am sure we have all already felt some of the effects. The worst is that human nature being what it is; there are those who will find a way to game the system for their own personal benefit. This is true of both patients and providers.

I cannot offer any solution since experience in other countries has shown that there will develop a two tier system; one an affluent one out of the universal care system with its inadequate compensations to providers and dwindling physical resources. We here in Plainfield have felt the financial effect in the loss of the hospital due to operating deficits. And that was before ACA. However the dependency was on payments from Medicaid, which was very inadequate, Medicare which was restricted and below operating costs, and the HMO insurance carriers who negotiated  competitive selective  low reimbursement rates with hospitals.

Like everything else we must find ways to finance what we promise. We also have to save funds by reducing the bureaucracy that overloads this type system.

YOUTUBE LINK

The youtube referred to by  anon 4:35pm in post "Mapp's talk--" is

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQPT-sTv2NY

MAPP TALKS ABOUT HIS POSITIONS

For  quite a while I have bee requesting that the PCTV schedule weekly best but that days will do, be posted on the City site preferable on the home page.


 If someone had not sent me this Youtube link of Mayor Mapp's  public address on the day (5/19)before the Council's last meeting I would have missed his excellent defense of  his and the City's position needs.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pr_lAUXytdg
This is important a must view-17 minutes. Perhaps the Councilors might listen and drop all the c*** and for once act for the City.

If the link does not work paste it your address bar.