Repair California Now

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is living in his own world. Perhaps he thought being governor was an acting roll. After all wasn’t Ronald Reagan governor of this state? Or, maybe he thinks he can write the scripts for everyone like they do in the movies. The problem is he is not a writer. The part he has now requires more than just acting. He really is the governor of California.

His script, he wrote it, was to support President Obama on the issue of health care. Then he changed the lines to denounce the health care bill. Now he is looking to Washington for $6.9 Billion to balance the state budget. Apparently no one told him the political process. “You support me on something I want and I will support you on something you want.”

Perhaps California will get the money it needs but it going to be our congressman and senators who will get the job done. As Sherry Bebitch Jeffe has written, “Biting the Feds Hand Won’t Bring Money to California.”

What California needs is a revised constitution that will provide the means to manage our state. That is the effort being made by Repair California. It’s a grass routes group that is now ciruclating petitions for just hat purpose. Click on the link and learn how you can help.

Is AARP a Non-Profit Organization?

“UnitedHealth quarterly profit tops Wall Street views”

“UnitedHealth’s fourth-quarter net income rose 30 percent to $944 million, or 81 cents per share, from $726 million, or 60 cents per share, a year earlier, when the company took a big litigation charge.”

This is the company that is in league with AARP as the low cost health care provider for senior citizens. Reuters reports that “For its UnitedHealthcare plans serving employers, the company reported a decline of 130,000 members from the end of the third quarter, to 24.63 million. But it said the plans would have seen growth of 40,000 members if not for job cuts at continuing clients. Total membership stood at 32 million at the end of December.”

Yes, I am a member of AARP.  I am not a United Health member and never have been.  The question is how much does AARP earn through their association with United Health Plan?

Well look what I found reading in part as follows. “The group and its subsidiaries collected more than $650 million in royalties and other fees last year from the sale of insurance policies, credit cards and other products that carry the AARP name, accounting for the majority of its $1.14 billion in revenue …”

My opinion is that AARP is a business that many over 50 years of age think is a non-profit organization.  It isn’t! 

Want proof?  Here are three of many links that also question the the AARP claim that they are a non-profit organization.  Then again may be these web sites have an axe to grind. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AARP

http://seniorjournal.com/NEWS/Politics/2008/20081119-AARPMayFaceSerious.htm

http://www.60plus.org/about-aarp.asp

A New Day for Journalism

I received two messages today that are telling the future of the internet. It’s going to cost more to obtain the news and data than it does today!

You want access to the Wall Street Journal? The cost is $1.99 per week. That was their ad. The New York Times will charge for access in 2011.

What can the print world do? Newspapers and magazines are losing money and many will be going out of business. Newsweek doesn’t provide news anymore. Now it is a magazine of essays and that isn’t working well. Last week’s Newsweek (dated January 18, 2010) had 84 pages. This week’s Newsweek has 52 pages.

Consumer’s Reports subscription includes on-line access for $26.00 per year. Without on-line access the cost is $19.00. If you just want on line access for a month the cost is $5.95.

I expect that all daily newspapers and most magazines will be offering their on-line access for a fee within the next two years.

Haiti – Now What?

Watching the reports on television from Haiti makes me realize that the United States is now involved with a situation that will impact our nation in ways we cannot yet imagine.  I did not know that the U.S. had occupied Haiti from 1915 to 1934 until there was mention of this on a few network broadcasts.  A search on the internet confirmed this fact.  There are various explanations about why and how this occupation occurred.  This link is at least thorough.  San Jose State University in California has an updated history that is probably unbiased.

Everything that has been told and shown about Haiti since the earthquake says years of work to make that country a functioning nation.   Larry King’s drive to collect donations for helping the people there is admirable but falls far short of their needs.

Rebuilding that nation so that it can function on its on feet will take Billions of dollars.  Where will that money come from?

A Church’s Failure

The mere fact that Pope Benedict XVI defended his predecessor Pius XII against Jewish critics speaks louder than all speeches to the world.  Visits to synagogues by Pope Benedict XVI contending that the Vatican “itself provided assistance, often in a hidden and discreet way” only gives recognition to the church’s failure to stand up to all Nazi atrocities.

Most of Europe (and the United States too) stood silent while the massacre of Jews occurred.  What is more astonishing is that millions of non-Jews were also murdered by the Third Reich and the church remained silent.

Pius XII will undoubtedly be declared a saint no matter what the opinion of the rest of the world.  Benedict’s decision to revoke the excommunication of a renegade bishop, who had denied that millions of Jews died in the Holocaust, only adds to the proof that religion is no longer a guiding light.

What Would Teddy Do?

Martha Coakley has been a dud of a candidate for the senatorial seat that was held by Teddy Kennedy.  Reports indicate that she concluded that by winning the primary, her election was guaranteed simply because of the two to one Democratic Party majority registration in Massachusetts.  Her campaign efforts have been poor at best.  Perhaps this situation will be an indicator of things to come in California (a wake up call?).

Would Teddy Kennedy approve of the health care bill awaiting reconciliation?  After all, the bill is too long and complicated.  In all honesty it will probably cost money not save money.  Medicare will be impacted by this law’s passage.   So the election of Massachusetts State Senator Scott Brown may hurt the Democrats but might save our nation from a bureaucratic and financial nightmare.

A Sense of Urgency

The Common Trait of Highly Productive People, Companies, and Countries is a sense of urgency.  In just the past 24 hours we have had a human tragedy in Haiti.  No one knows how many people have been killed by the earthquake that has devestated their capital city, Port- au- Prince.  The president of the United States has said that aid will be sent immediately.  CNN has already reported the sighting of American military personnel. That is an example of responding with a sense of urgency.

America’s response to the bombing of Pearl Harbor was accomplished with a sense of urgency.   Henry Paulson’s message to Congress for aid to the banking community was quickly answered with TARP.  However, America’s response to the devastation brought on by Hurricane Katrina did not show the same sense.   California’s serious debt problems have not been addressed with a sense of urgency.

Corporations have also had mixed responses to their predicaments.  General Motors did not apply sensible action to their faltering sales for years.  That is a company that didn’t need urgency.  All they needed was attention and they failed.  Union Carbide showed no sense of urgency in the chemical spill in Bhopal, India.

The entertainment and news industries are fast to respond.  With falling rating it didn’t take long for NBC to determine that Jay Leno’s primetime show had to move to late night or be canceled.  The making of Avatar took two years (excluding the writing).  All the networks have significant reporters in Haiti in just 24 yours.  All of them had reports on their news programs within hours of the earthquake.

We need a sense of urgency in getting our economy functioning properly.  The politicians would rather squabble.  Their behavior ought to give us the motivation to show them the door.  Unfortunately democracy does not provide a sense of urgency.

The Guide to Happiness

9 Things You Can Do to Be Happy in the Next 30 Minutes

Surprising ways to instantly improve your mood

by Gretchen Rubin on http://www.realsimple.com

Being happier doesn’t have to be a long-term ambition. You can start right now. In the next 30 minutes, tackle as many of the following suggestions as possible. Not only will these tasks themselves increase your happiness, but the mere fact that you’ve achieved some concrete goals will boost your mood.

1. Raise your activity level to pump up your energy. If you’re on the phone, stand up and pace. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Put more energy into your voice. Take a brisk 10-minute walk. Even better… 

2. Take a walk outside. Research suggests that light stimulates brain chemicals that improve mood. For an extra boost, get your sunlight first thing in the morning.

3. Reach out. Send an e-mail to a friend you haven’t seen in a while, or reach out to someone new. Having close bonds with other people is one of the most important keys to happiness. When you act in a friendly way, not only will others feel more friendly toward you, but you’ll also strengthen your feelings of friendliness for other people.

4. Rid yourself of a nagging task. Deal with that insurance problem, purchase something you need, or make that long-postponed appointment with the dentist. Crossing an irksome chore off your to-do list will give you a rush of elation.

5. Create a more serene environment. Outer order contributes to inner peace, so spend some time organizing bills and tackling the piles in the kitchen. A large stack of little tasks can feel overwhelming, but often just a few minutes of work can make a sizable dent. Set the timer for 10 minutes and see what you can do.

6. Do a good deed. Introduce two people by e-mail, take a minute to pass along useful information, or deliver some gratifying praise. In fact, you can also…

7. Save someone’s life. Sign up to be an organ donor, and remember to tell your family about your decision. Do good, feel good―it really works!

8. Act happy. Fake it ’til you feel it. Research shows that even an artificially induced smile boosts your mood. And if you’re smiling, other people will perceive you as being friendlier and more approachable.

9. Learn something new. Think of a subject that you wish you knew more about and spend 15 minutes on the Internet reading about it, or go to a bookstore and buy a book about it. But be honest! Pick a topic that really interests you, not something you think you “should” or “need to” learn about.

Some people worry that wanting to be happier is a selfish goal, but in fact, research shows that happier people are more sociable, likable, healthy, and productive―and they’re more inclined to help other people. By working to boost your own happiness, you’re making other people happier, too.

Take California Away From the Politicians

The “Golden State” had a golden age in the late 50s and throughout the 60s.  It was made the official State Nickname in 1968.  Freeways were under construction everywhere.  The educational system was flourishing from kindergarten through university.  Industries were booming all over the state.  Los Angeles was closing in on Chicago as the largest manufacturing area in the country. The state’s population was burgeoning.

Then politics, corruption, special interests, and incompetence took control.  Added to that was Gerrymandered representation that resulted in the grid lock that has held the state in its grip ever since.  Is it no wonder that Gary Davis, past governor, was recalled.

Since Arnold Schwarzenegger became governor everything has become worse.  Even beyond the $20 billion deficit there are issues related to everything from education to water.

As things stand now the next governor will not be able to improve the way this state functions given the outmoded state constitution. The state constitution has 522 amendments and is 110 pages long.  It was adopted in 1849.  Initiatives approved by voters have tied the hands of the legislators.  As an example there is an article titled PUBLIC HOUSING PROJECT LAW, and another titled MOTOR VEHICLE FUEL SALES TAX REVENUES AND TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT FUNDING.

Repair California, Sponsored by the Bay Area Council, a San Francisco area business group, is proposing two initiatives that will (1) “Allows voters to place question of calling a constitutional convention on the ballot.”  and (2) “Calls a limited convention to propose changes to state constitution.“

Many newspapers throughout California have given editorial support to this effort.  The Los Angeles Times has given wholehearted support to this idea.  The idea of a constitutional convention has been covered extensively in the media since the publication of Jim Wunderman’s Opinion Editorial in the San Francisco Chronicle.

Californians have the opportunity to fix state
San Francisco Chronicle, January 3, 2010

A smart convention plan
Los Angeles Times, January 3, 2010

Anything but the best is unacceptable
Lompoc Record, December 13, 2009

Our View: Clean up mess in governance
Pasadena Star-News, December 12, 2009

This is our home.  We need to take it back from the politicians.