As a society, we've become fragmented by ethnicity, income, red state vs. blue; pro-this, anti-that. But we also divide ourselves with invisible dotted lines. I'm talking about the property lines that too often isolate us from the people we are physically closest to: our neighbors.
That thought first occurred to me in the aftermath of a tragedy on my suburban street in Rochester, New York: a man shot and killed his wife, and then himself; their two young children ran screaming into the night. I knew the couple just a little, enough to wave "hello" if I saw them out jogging together. Later, I learned that on the day she was murdered the wife had feared her husband and had tried desperately to contact her best friend to see if she and her children could stay over that night. What she didn't know was that her friend was out of town on a day trip. And so that evening, when her husband got home and began burning their mortgage papers in the fireplace, she had nowhere to go: despite having lived on our street for seven years, she didn't know any of the neighbors well enough to seek shelter at their homes. Within an hour of his return, her husband killed her.
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March 12, 2010
Insurance, State Lines, and Bears, Oh My!
When one or two firms control upwards of 75% of the market share in many states, it's fair to say that insurance companies aren't really competing against each other. Or perhaps it's more accurate to say that there's a lot of room to inject more competition into the market. As I've written before, both parties agree on this, they just disagree on how we get there. The Republican strategy is to open up the market by permitting the sale of insurance across state lines. Let's see how this works:
I live in North Carolina. Right now, I get my insurance through my employer, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. I'm covered by a Blue Cross Blue Shield plan. I'm also married and my wife has a job with benefits. So, if I wanted to, I could decline the University's offer of coverage and get insurance through my wife's employer. Finally, I could decline both employer-sponsored choices and head out on the individual market, where I would probably be able to find coverage, but would expect it to cost a good deal more and offer less comprehensive benefits. In all three cases, however, my choices would be limited by which insurers opted to enter the North Carolina market and comply with state laws and regulations. Less than an hour to my north, people are facing similar constraints, subject to the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia.
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I live in North Carolina. Right now, I get my insurance through my employer, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. I'm covered by a Blue Cross Blue Shield plan. I'm also married and my wife has a job with benefits. So, if I wanted to, I could decline the University's offer of coverage and get insurance through my wife's employer. Finally, I could decline both employer-sponsored choices and head out on the individual market, where I would probably be able to find coverage, but would expect it to cost a good deal more and offer less comprehensive benefits. In all three cases, however, my choices would be limited by which insurers opted to enter the North Carolina market and comply with state laws and regulations. Less than an hour to my north, people are facing similar constraints, subject to the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia.
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Candice Berner Killed: Wolves Suspected In Death Of Alaska Teacher
ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- Wolves likely killed a teacher jogging alone along a rural Alaska village road, public safety officials said Thursday.
The Alaska State Medical Examiner listed "multiple injuries due to animal mauling" as the cause of death for Candice Berner, 32, a special education teacher from Pennsylvania who began working in Alaska in August. Her body was found off the road a mile outside the village of Chignik Lake on the Alaska Peninsula, which is about 474 miles southwest of Anchorage.
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The Alaska State Medical Examiner listed "multiple injuries due to animal mauling" as the cause of death for Candice Berner, 32, a special education teacher from Pennsylvania who began working in Alaska in August. Her body was found off the road a mile outside the village of Chignik Lake on the Alaska Peninsula, which is about 474 miles southwest of Anchorage.
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March 11, 2010
Where Do Things Stand on International Efforts to Address Global Warming?
It is almost 3 months after the Copenhagen Accord was hammered out by 28 of the world’s key countries that represent over 80% of the world’s global warming pollution and some of the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change (as I discussed here). Given the state of the Accord just after Copenhagen with some calling it a failure, some outlining the foundations in the Accord for international efforts (and as my colleague discussed here), and others…well not quite sure what to make of it, where do things stand on international efforts to address global warming?
If you just picked up the paper, watched TV, listened to the radio, or read blogs you might think that things aren’t really moving as there is very little coverage of international global warming discussions (especially compared to last year when every 5 seconds some news story or analysis emerged). But that doesn’t mean that nothing is happening on the international front. In fact, despite the lack of regular coverage, things are moving forward – albeit tentatively, behind the scenes, and without a big splash. Here are four things that are occurring that are worth following.
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State Legislatures Take Aim at Women
State legislatures are often fertile ground for contentious or ribald behavior. And, while great strides have been made in the past decade to diversify our state representatives, the good ol' boys network seems to be prevailing. Just in the past month two shockingly retro bills have either passed or been discussed in legislatures on opposite sides of the country.
Let's start with my home state of the past 18 years, Virginia. Never known for its progressive politics or willingness to embrace change, things are not looking up in the state that once proudly used the slogan "Virginia is for lovers." In recent years, we have not been a warm and loving place for gay people to live. Now it's looking less friendly for heterosexuals, at least based on a recent bait-and-switch ploy in the Virginia statehouse.
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Let's start with my home state of the past 18 years, Virginia. Never known for its progressive politics or willingness to embrace change, things are not looking up in the state that once proudly used the slogan "Virginia is for lovers." In recent years, we have not been a warm and loving place for gay people to live. Now it's looking less friendly for heterosexuals, at least based on a recent bait-and-switch ploy in the Virginia statehouse.
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American Took a Big Step Yesterday
It's the dawn of a new era. America took a big step forward yesterday and you probably missed it. The nation's governors and state school chiefs released Common Core State Standards to a decidedly mixed buzz--there is something for everyone to criticize. Before the carping, editing and adding reach a fever pitch, two important points need to be made: this is good and important work.
First, the Common Core is a thoughtful framework that expresses with elegance and clarity what students should know and be able to do. The project mission of "fewer, clearer, and higher" expectations for American students is manifest in the draft released yesterday. The expectations are clearly stated but it's not a national curriculum--states and districts will need to decide who to teach to these standards. The standards are internationally benchmarked (which is important because, as the Senate heard Tuesday, American kids lag international counterparts by about a year). And while there will be great temptation to add to the list from everyone who cares about a subject, the standards include just enough but not too much (EdWeek.org has good early coverage of the debate).
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First, the Common Core is a thoughtful framework that expresses with elegance and clarity what students should know and be able to do. The project mission of "fewer, clearer, and higher" expectations for American students is manifest in the draft released yesterday. The expectations are clearly stated but it's not a national curriculum--states and districts will need to decide who to teach to these standards. The standards are internationally benchmarked (which is important because, as the Senate heard Tuesday, American kids lag international counterparts by about a year). And while there will be great temptation to add to the list from everyone who cares about a subject, the standards include just enough but not too much (EdWeek.org has good early coverage of the debate).
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March 10, 2010
Stopping Too Big to Fail is Vital to a Healthy Economy
Just because our financial system is becoming more complex and interconnected does not necessarily mean the institutions within it must follow suit by becoming larger. Complexity, interconnectedness, and size became core issues as the financial crisis unfolded and continue to plague our financial system. Despite assurances from federal regulators and lawmakers large financial institutions with concentrated positions in risky assets continue to pose a significant threat to our still fragile financial markets.
As a former Georgia State Senator along with having served several roles in the community banking arena, I understand the concerns of the small investor, the retiree, and even the student in need of a loan. And as these constituents continue to play a vital role in the framework of society, I find it critical that their desire for financial safety become a priority as our nation develops financial reform measures. I am inspired to lead the organization, 'Stop Too Big to Fail' for this reason; the root of reform must begin by breaking up too-big-to-fail banks, thereby ending the notion that a single institution can pose a systemic and catastrophic risk.
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As a former Georgia State Senator along with having served several roles in the community banking arena, I understand the concerns of the small investor, the retiree, and even the student in need of a loan. And as these constituents continue to play a vital role in the framework of society, I find it critical that their desire for financial safety become a priority as our nation develops financial reform measures. I am inspired to lead the organization, 'Stop Too Big to Fail' for this reason; the root of reform must begin by breaking up too-big-to-fail banks, thereby ending the notion that a single institution can pose a systemic and catastrophic risk.
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“Burying” the Truth: Nightline Reporter Channels Bill O’Reilly and Does a Hatchet Job
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