Surprise! Health insurance went up again this year , at many times the inflation rate. A family of four now must spend more than $15,000 for health insurance. By the time deductibles and co-pays are factored in, who but the rich can afford it if they aren’t getting it from their employer? Other countries have [...]

A lot is being made these days of the so-called Texas miracle, in which that state has bucked the national unemployment trend. Governor Rick Perry hopes to ride that success all the way to the White House, with the promise of extending that miracle to the rest of the country. Sounds great, doesn’t it? Except [...]

Once upon a time, Republicans could have original ideas, could differ from others in their party on substantive issues, and could come up with creative pragmatic solutions to problems. That was then. Now, it is required that all candidates adhere to the right wing dogma of the day. Policy has become religion, and one dare [...]

I shouldn’t be any more, but I’m still surprised when people argue vehemently against their own self-interest. The health care debate has taken this disconnect to new levels. The states that seem to have the strongest polling against health care reform are those where people would be helped most by the reforms. The arguments I [...]

The Census Bureau has just released a study that shows that you are more likely not to have health insurance if you live in a state that generally votes Republican. These states (Texas is the worst, surprise, surprise) send people to Congress who oppose health care reform, and their legislatures are stingier in providing child [...]