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A drastic overhaul, a sweeping restructuring is needed of the "fee-for-service" system to fix healthcare, the Obama health "reforms" risk becoming cosmetic.
06/14/2009
Cowen and Samuelson point out that without this big restructuring, taking in the uninsured into the system will only magnify the costs further. It would simply continue a unaffordable system of healthcare, that also delivers poor overall quality of healthcare for a steep price tag.
Linked Articles
Something’s Got to Give in Medicare Spending
New York Times 06/14/2009
Robert J. Samuelson - Wrong Way on Health 'Reform'Washington Post 06/15/2009
The huge downsizing in the auto industry creates the need for big government supported initatives in retraining.
05/21/2009
Vicotr Brown and the 60,000 former workers at GM's BUick City have worked at GM all their lives, and can't imagine anything else. How does one get them from joining the ranks of the permanently unemployed, is a challenge for the government. THe labor underutilization rate expected to reach 20% for 2010, could threaten the economic recovery, and put everything at risk.
Linked Articles
Stuck at Unemployed: When A Layoff Becomes a Lifestyle
Washington Post 06/06/2009
The Last Holdouts Cast Their Lot With G.M.New York Times 05/21/2009
What America can learn from the German example for government help to retrain workers and share costs to hire and retrain.
04/30/2009
The need for initiatives in this area are supercritical to handle the economic recovery correctly because of deepseated changes in the labor markets. In the absence of this high unemployment will coexist with millions of vacancies because of amismatch of qualifications. A lack of worker mobility. because of housing problems compounds this situation.
Linked Articles
Help Wanted: Why That Sign's Bad
BusinessWeek 04/30/2009
Learning Labor Market Lessons from GermanyBusinessWeek 04/30/2009
IMF Conditionality that ignored people in developing countries and exacerbated crises and the new G20 focus on social help and stimulus spending.
03/31/2009
The new G20 mandate for social help and stimulus spending makes official the new policy direction for the IMF. It and marks the end of old style conditions that worsened the living conditions of people in countries that accepted IMF help, and exacerbated crises. Which is why the very word IMF scares people in S.Korea and in Pakistan and in so many other places.
Linked Articles
Steven Pearlstein - A Rare Triumph of Substance at the Summit
Washington Post 04/03/2009
An Empowered IMF Faces Pivotal TestWall Street Journal 03/31/2009
Child hunger in India and India's Food Security legislation in August 2013
03/13/2009
Food expert Rieff cites figures showing child malnutrition at over 40% in India for children under the age of 5 in 2009. A World Food Program report says 230 million people in India are hungry each year. India's Food Security legilation has to be seen in this context. Rieff says India is in danger of losing its demographic dividend as a result of child malnutrition. All developing countries can learn from each other and their programs to reduce child malnutrition, improve health care and vaccinations, and introduce healthy food and sanitary practices. Programs are in place in Brazil, Mexico, Indonesia, India, and China.
Linked Articles
As Indian Growth Soars, Child Hunger Persists
New York Times 03/13/2009
India's Lower House Passes Food Bill to Help PoorWall Street Journal 08/26/2013
Vaccine Maker Pfizer and the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Compensation Program.
01/26/2009
The limits to litigation risk for vaccines is one reason for the attractiveness and growing investment in the vaccines development. Its also what Pfizer hopes to develop with the Wyeth acquisition for $68 billion.
Linked Articles
Wall Street Journal 02/23/2009
Pfizer Agrees to Pay $68 Billion for Rival WyethNew York Times 01/26/2009
A rescue plan would involve dbtholders, unions, and management all taking a haircut.
11/21/2008
How the automakers failed to convince Congress and end up in a three way battle in Congress between the Democrats, Republicans and the midwestern Congressmen with things like automakers private jets drawing scrutiny over how this industry was diffeerent in the way it did things including the higher medical benefits of union workers that burdened the companies.
Linked Articles
Detroit’s Bid for Aid Fails For Now
New York Times 11/21/2008
Terms of a Rescue PlanBusinessWeek 12/11/2008
The poverty rate and wealth gap between rich and poor in New York city and in China and the rest of the world.
08/27/2008
How the New York City experience compares with China's.
Linked Articles
Poverty Rate Declines in New York
New York Times 08/27/2008
World Bank Finds More People Live in Steep PovertyNew York Times 08/27/2008
Rising wages in China a definite trend as sentiment of workers and the government changes towards low wages and low wage jobs
06/30/2008
The government's efforts to shift China away from low wage sectors to more advanced technologies with higher wages. And the growting sentiment in China among workers with the rise of the internet and mobile phones to organize efforts for higher wages in industries that range from older textile plants to automobile factories of Japanese makers, and factories that make parts for western tech hardware companies such as Apple, Dell and H-P. This includes Honda plants and Foxconn factories. This sentiment is shifting to other emerging markets such as Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia.
Linked Articles
China's Export Machine Threatened by Rising Costs
Wall Street Journal 06/30/2008
The Rise of a Chinese Worker's MovementBusinessWeek 06/10/2010
The steep decline in Cherry's car sales in China and the precarious condition of the Chinese consumer- 2008
04/24/2008
The precarious condition of the Chinese consumer and first time buyer of cars, with no safety net in the economy for health care or unemployment. The severe downturn for Cherry and why GM cannot look to China for any kind of relief.
Linked Articles
With First Car, a New Life in China
New York Times 04/24/2008
China's Car Makers Seek Different Help: Lower Sales TaxesWall Street Journal 11/20/2008
China makes a shift in industry as older polluting, low wage low margin factories shut down
02/22/2008
Policymakers and economic change cause China's industry to shift from the low wage low margin model to more innovation, worker protection , environmental protection model.
Linked Articles
China's Export Machine Threatened by Rising Costs
Wall Street Journal 06/30/2008
Many Factories in China's South Sound Last WhistleWall Street Journal 02/22/2008
How McDonalds has changed by borrowing ideas from Starbucks and from the next generation of franchisees
01/07/2008
McDonald's takes the ideas of baristas from Starbucks and gets ideas for picture based ordering, credit card payment and community event participation from younger franchisees. Along the way it is trying to change perception of the chain as not being healthy eating. A lot remains to be done to move away from the super size obsesson.
Linked Articles
McDonald's Takes On A Weakened Starbucks
Wall Street Journal 01/07/2008
'Super Size Me' Generation Takes Over at McDonald'sWall Street Journal 03/08/2012
How increasing temporary workers to about a third of the labor force depresses Japan's consumer spending
01/07/2008
Linked Articles
Wall Street Journal 03/01/2011
Growing Reliance on Temps Holds Back Japan's ReboundWall Street Journal 01/07/2008
The Economist cites IMF economist estimates that the public debt of the 10 largest industrialized countries will jump from 78% to 114% of GDP by 2014, leading to higher interest rates and inflation.
06/11/2009
The rising public debt and its unsustainability is what the future holds. For governments and decisionmakers there are very difficult choices, as fiscaly austerity and premature fiscal tightening or raising interest ratescan choke off a recovery. Raising taxes as happened earlier in Japan's lost decade also can choke off a recovery. Seriously tacklig health care costs and raising the retirement age, are much needed steps.
Linked Articles
Get Ready for Inflation and Higher Interest Rates
Wall Street Journal 06/11/2009
The biggest bill in historyEconomist 06/11/2009
How the Americans and Western Europeans are coping with joblessness in 2009.
05/04/2009
The experience in the USA conpared to the experience in Germany and Spain. How social and family safety nets play a part in Europe in helping Spain cope with close to 20% unemployment and Germany with close to 10% unemployment. Role of immigrtants in Spain and the public sector in France in mitigating effects on older workers with steady jobs who remain only slightly affected.
Linked Articles
Spain Largely Avoids Unrest Even as Economy Slumps
Wall Street Journal 05/04/2009
U.S., Europe Are an Ocean Apart on Human Toll of JoblessnessWall Street Journal 05/07/2009
Paulson-Bernanke's "forced" acquisition of Merrill by Bank of America.
04/21/2009
Questions raised about the efforts by Paulson to prevent Lewis from backing out of the Merrill deal. The creation of even larger institutions through such combinations, and even weaker institutions.
Linked Articles
Economists Seek Breakup of Big Banks
Wall Street Journal 04/21/2009
Busting Bank of AmericaWall Street Journal 04/27/2009
The crisis in Eastern Europe and other developing countries and the G20 policy mandate to the IMF to support social help and stimulus spending
03/28/2009
The G-20 mandate that the IMF be the conduit for funds to help emerging countries, with the policy direction that an additional $850 billion be used not only to fix finances, but also emphasize social goals, and help people in these countries cope with the crisis. This is of great help to countries in difficulty, and assurance that the social fabric in these countries will not be torn apart as has happened before, and that people will get the necessary assistance.
Linked Articles
Steven Pearlstein - A Rare Triumph of Substance at the Summit
Washington Post 04/03/2009
Eastern Europe and the Financial CrisisWall Street Journal 03/28/2009
"So am I", the President responds to special interests gearing up to thwart his plans to revamp the economy.
03/01/2009
My message to them, is this: "So am I", with that remark in his radio address Obama says he knows special interests are gearing up for a fight to prevent needed change in education oppportunities that otherwise would close the door on the middle class, on health care coverage that otherwise will leave in addition to the 46 million not covered an additional number of that magnitude uncovered as unemployment rises and insurance premiums become unaffordable, and on energy that leaves energy policy to oil and gas companies that have done little to promote conservation or new technologies to reduce demand amid mushrooming global demand.
Linked Articles
Obama Calls His Budget Needed Change
New York Times 03/01/2009
Liberal Groups Are Flexing New Muscle in Lobby WarsNew York Times 03/01/2009
The shortsigtedness of Detroit automakers union and management.
12/05/2008
Both the automakers unions and management lacked the vision and courage to break totally with the status quo. The unions in hanging onto higher medical benefits and the management onto their higher compensation, and the management failing to shift to higher fuel efficiency standards comparable to competitors in Europe as mandated by the EU. In the process they stand to lose the higher medical benefits, and the higher compensation under government oversight as condition for loans, and along with that the jobs of unions and of management as well as the huge downsizing occurs in 2009.
Linked Articles
New York Times 12/05/2008
Toyota delays new Prius plantDetroit News 12/16/2008
Changing picture- as Democrats take control of White House and Congress- in the drug industry and health care
11/06/2008
Linked Articles
Medicare, Medicaid Deficits Loom Over Health Priorities
Wall Street Journal 11/06/2008
New FDA Leaders Could Be Tougher on Drug MakersWall Street Journal 11/06/2008
Reports linking Karzai's brother to heroin trade fit in with Scweich's account in the NYT.
07/27/2008
Schweich is deputy to Anne Patterson Asst Secretary of State for international narcotics and law enforcement. His story in the New York Times fits in with accounts of links to the heroin trade of Karzai's brother who heads the provincial council in Kandahar. This also shows how trust is being lost in the Afghan government among the people as stated in a cable by a senior career foreign service officer from Britain in Kabul to the French government.
Linked Articles
Reports Link Karzai’s Brother to Heroin Trade
New York Times 10/05/2008
Is Afghanistan a Narco-State?New York Times 07/27/2008
Board meetings at GM and the how the culture and style of management stalled decisions on fuel efficiency and small car development.
05/15/2008
The evolution of the old management styles and attitudes as Ford brought in outside management and Bill Ford took a new tack, and at GM where old management plodded on inexorably in the old way. Which is quite different from what Alfred Sloan had advocated in his memoirs when he insisted on discussion and debate on critical decisions in board meetings for them to be worthwhile.
Linked Articles
BusinessWeek 05/15/2008
Bill Ford on Tipping Points and Thinking SmallBusinessWeek 07/31/2008
How parttime workers are shaping the unemployment picture in the US.
03/08/2008
Just as happened in Japan and continues to this day parttime workers are shaping the USA unemployment picture as employers increasingly resort to parttime workers to cut costs. With underutilized workers the USA unemployment rate reached 12% in October 2008.
Linked Articles
Labor Data Show Pain Across Economy
Wall Street Journal 11/08/2008
More People Pushed Into Part-Time Work ForceWall Street Journal 03/08/2008
The crisis at Motorola in 2008 and at Nokia in 2012
02/01/2008
Smartphone competition from Chinese and Korean brands, Huawei and Samsung, and new technologies with the Android smartphones and the Apple iPhone have upended the market for mobile phones. Nokia an established competitor finds itself in a dangerous situation with a precipitious loss of market share at the low end and the high end, and eroding margins.
Linked Articles
Motorola to Spin Off Handset Unit, As Icahn Waits
Wall Street Journal 02/01/2008
Nokia Posts $1.2 Billion Loss as Sales Drop 29%New York Times 04/19/2012
The increase in temporary workers in the U.S. and Japan and the consequences in higher inequality and poverty.
01/07/2008
About one third of workers in Japan, and one fourth in the U.S., are temporary workers. The consequences for Japan include the effects of lower consumer spending in the economy reducing the growth rate.
Linked Articles
The Rise of the Permanent Temp Economy
New York Times 01/26/2013
Growing Reliance on Temps Holds Back Japan's ReboundWall Street Journal 01/07/2008
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