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May 25, 2012
Mark Clayton: Is Hillary's State Dept. hacking Al Qaeda? Not quite
Erika Bolstad: Temple cancels Wasserman Schultz speech
The Kosher Gourmet by Ethel G. Hofman: The former president of the International Association of Culinary Professionals, whose members included the likes of Julia Child, is back with contemporary Shavous cuisine: Ruby Fruit Soup, Sweet Noodle Kugel with Cheese, Key Lime Curd, Calsone Casserole Frittata with Wild Mushrooms, Sun-dried tomatoes and Olives, Baked Tilapia with Pepper Cheese Cream and Brown Sugar Shortbread
May 24, 2012
Jeff Jacoby: The peace process battered Israel's reputation
Michael Muskal: 'Pro-choice' position hits record low, according to poll
Chris Farrell: Are We in a Tech Bubble?
The Kosher Gourmet by Penelope Wall: PHILLY CHEESE STEAKS --- hold the steak!
May 23, 2012
Tony Pugh: More private colleges offering tuition discounts
Mary Beth Franklin: How to Choose the Right Annuity for You
Tina Susman: The wig wasn't enough: Man gets 13 years for posing as his dead mom
The Kosher Gourmet by Emma Christensen:A simple way to do fish right
May 22, 2012
Warren Richey: Can US group challenge overseas surveillance act? Supreme Court to decide
Thomas M. Anderson: Walking Away From a Mortgage
The Kosher Gourmet by Megan Gordon: Enjoy a celebration of the most rich and layered flavors: Black bean, sweet potato and quinoa chili
May 21, 2012
Mark Clayton: Cybersecurity: How US utilities passed up chance to protect their networks
Howard LaFranchi: NATO summit: Who will foot the bill for long-term Afghanistan security?
Chris Farrell : Earn Dividends in Emerging Markets with This WisdomTree ETF
Stephen Whiteside, Ph.D. : Mayo Clinic Medical Edge: Social anxiety disorder --- or just shy?
Guy Jackson : Victim's father regrets death of Lockerbie bomber
The Kosher Gourmet by Mario Batali: Famed chef's veal shoulder farsumagru: A festive meat course for late spring
May 18, 2012
Rabbi Berel Wein: Striving: The People of the Book's Book for (All of) the People
Steven Goldberg: 5 Great Stock Picks and the Exchange-Traded Fund that Owns Them
Mary Pickett, M.D.: Ask the Harvard Experts: Don't be forced into gluten-free lifestyle based merely on a doctor's false-positive test
The Kosher Gourmet by Carolyn Malcoun: DIY healthy lunchbox treats: HOMEMADE FRUIT BARS for kids and brown-bagging adults alike
May 17, 2012
Warren Richey: Teacher fired for being unwed and pregnant can sue religious school, court rules
Josh Mitnick: Netanyahu's 'centrist' coalition is already proving it's anything but
Steven Goldberg: Earn Dividends in Emerging Markets with This WisdomTree ETF
Amina Khan: Research links coffee to lower death rates
The Kosher Gourmet by Faith Duran : Cheesy Potato Breakfast Casserole with Cheddar and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
May 16, 2012
Carmen Terzic, M.D., Ph.D. : Mayo Clinic Medical Edge: A variety of exercises can help improve balance
Melissa Healy: National strategy on Alzheimer's disease aims to halt it by 2025
The Kosher Gourmet by Joyce White : GOODNESS GRACIOUS: GREENS! 4 winning recipes that are no longer just for down-home folks (Includes expert tips & techniques)
May 15, 2012
Kristen Chick: Obama administration resumes arms sales to Bahrain despite serious unresolved human rights issues. Activists feel abandoned
Pat Mertz Esswein: Homes are now affordable again and mortgage rates are low. What you need to know before you buy
Kathy Kristof: Our Practical Investor Fights Inflation with These 6 Investments
Sue Hubbard, M.D.: The Kid's Doctor: Lactose intolerant young child? Check again
The Kosher Gourmet by Kathy Hunt: Spread a Little Excitement with EXOTIC CONDIMENTS (4 RECIPES)
May 14, 2012
Lisa Gerstner: How to Protect Your Identity, Finances If You Lose Your Phone
Harvard Health Letters: Heart disease and dementia
The Kosher Gourmet by Megan Gordon: MANGO COCONUT OAT MORNING MUFFINS are a bright but hearty delight
May 11, 2012
Jessica L. Anderson: Get the Best Deal on a Used Car
Jett Stone: Forget face-lifts and fake knees. Scientists have seen the fountain of youth --- and it's broccoli
The Kosher Gourmet by Chef Mario Batali: The famed chef's vegetable dish that tastes true to the season: FAVAS AND SUGAR SNAP PEAS WITH POTATOES AND TARRAGON
May 10, 2012
Sergei L. Loiko: Putin sends warning to U.S., NATO in Victory Day speech at Red Square
Mary Rourke: How being a 'mentch' got Vidal Sasoon his start and fighting in Israel's War of Independence provided him with confidence and a strong sense of his own identity
Jeff Bertolucci: Get Home Phone Service for Less Than $10 a Month
The Kosher Gourmet by Betty Rosbottom: Gleaming with its golden, crimson, and snowy white hues, this silken smooth and creamy STRAWBERRY ORANGE TRIFLE looks impressive, but is easy to prepare
May 9, 2012
Sharon Palmer, R.D. How you can reduce your risk -- or delay -- chronic diseases associated with aging
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Jewish World Review
Oct. 14, 2008
/ 15 Tishrei 5769
The next, bigger bailout is Medicare
By
William McKenzie
http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
If you think this current $700 billion financial bailout is troubling, you haven't seen anything yet. It's just a warm-up act to what we face if Washington doesn't come to terms with Medicare's looming bankruptcy.
That must be why we hear so little about Medicare's finances from Congress, most reporters or the presidential candidates. The tendency is to avert our eyes when faced with a crisis that will add trillions of dollars to what's already a $9 trillion debt.
My new hero, Michael Leavitt, isn't ducking, though.
The secretary of health and human services is a prophet in pinstripes. As the person in charge of our health care system, the former Utah governor is traveling the country talking about this disaster in the making.
Too strong? Hardly. Medicare's hospital trust fund will go bankrupt in 2019, and there is no plan to keep it afloat. (For comparison, this catastrophe will hit 20 years earlier than Social Security's coming insolvency.)
When we spoke Friday about Medicare's finances, Leavitt, tall and unassuming, described Congress' bailout of the financial industry as "a walk in the park in a soft spring rain" compared with Medicare.
This federal program, focused on doctor visits, hospital care and medicines for senior citizens, faces two inescapable problems:
_There will be too few workers to pay for the benefits Medicare has promised today's workers. Right now, there are about four workers for every Medicare beneficiary. In 20 years, that ratio falls to about 2.5.
_Second, benefit costs will explode in inverse proportion to that dwindling work force. Leavitt projects that Medicare will rise from about 13 percent of federal spending today to about 23 percent in 20 years.
In sum: "Higher and higher costs are being borne by fewer and fewer workers."
If we don't recognize those realities, banks around the world will notice for us. Just as they worried about mortgages dragging down financial houses, they'll take their money elsewhere instead of buying up our long-term debt. Why should they, when we show no signs of dealing with Medicare, preferring to drive up the federal debt?
And Leavitt is right that we have missed a chance in this election to have a more serious debate about health care.
John McCain is the candidate who made spending restraint an issue and took tough votes to control Medicare's growth. Yet he hasn't made entitlement reform the centerpiece of his economic plans, as Ross Perot did. That's unfortunate, because he could have used it to show that he would take on problems no one else would touch.
Thankfully, Leavitt has a solution that doesn't require benevolent statesmen, only each party's self-interest. Legislators would buy into it when they realized that the costs of not acting would be far worse – for them.
His idea would work this way:
Democrats and Republicans would agree that if Medicare spending increases from around 3.2 percent of the gross domestic product today to, say, 4 percent of GDP in the future, Congress automatically would set up a commission similar to the one used to close down unnecessary military bases.
The commission would design a plan to curb Medicare's costs. This could require changes in how much hospitals and doctors get paid, as well as reductions in benefits for wealthier beneficiaries. Medicare is a technical program, so there are plenty of places to start tinkering.
Once that's done, the president receives the report and must accept it in full or reject it. If accepted, Congress votes up or down on the package. If the plan gets turned down, a set of default reforms would go into effect.
As unsettling as this problem is, I felt enthused for the first time in a decade after hearing from Leavitt. There actually is a way to reform Medicare. With the financial bailout signed into law, why don't we start talking about this one?
Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in the media and Washington consider "must-reading". Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.
William McKenzie is an editorial columnist for The Dallas Morning News. Comment by clicking here.
10/02/08: McCain would be wiser on regulation
08/27/08: Can Obama score among values voters?
08/20/08: McCain needs to push health care edge
08/06/08: How Bush can help McCain
04/09/08: To win, McCain must take his party in a bold, daring direction
03/26/08: To win, McCain must take his party in a bold, daring direction
01/30/08: Finally, Bush speaks up for relevancy
01/24/08: After Bush, who's going to crusade for education?
12/20/07: Candidates who prey on fears may generate votes at this moment in our cycle, but we really need to think hard about how far inward we turn
10/30/07: Is America building an empire? That is a central question for the next presidents
08/28/07: Don't let Gonzales' record taint all Bush appointees
08/16/07: Rove was half right: He got the big picture, but didn't belong in the White House
02/01/06: GOP needs changes, but it can't forget the big picture
03/31/05: Mexico fixes problems when it wants to
12/06/04: Bush's new team has a Texas feel
11/08/04: Second chances shouldn't be wasted
08/25/04: Bush could profit from being like Ike
© 2008, The Dallas Morning News Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
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