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May 25, 2012
Mark Clayton: Is Hillary's State Dept. hacking Al Qaeda? Not quite
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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
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May 23, 2012
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May 22, 2012
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Thomas M. Anderson: Walking Away From a Mortgage
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May 21, 2012
Mark Clayton: Cybersecurity: How US utilities passed up chance to protect their networks
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Chris Farrell : Earn Dividends in Emerging Markets with This WisdomTree ETF
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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
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The Kosher Gourmet by Carolyn Malcoun: DIY healthy lunchbox treats: HOMEMADE FRUIT BARS for kids and brown-bagging adults alike
May 17, 2012
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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
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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
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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
Nov. 16, 2010 / 9 Kislev, 5771
The Happy Meal Banners and Their Ilk
By
Mona Charen
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http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
What are we to make of Nancy Pelosi's home town's measure to ban Happy Meals? Shall we say that the San Francisco board of supervisors got a little carried away in their zeal to prevent childhood obesity? Or is it about time someone staged an intervention to shake Americans out of their sickening (literally) eating habits?
Well, maybe, but not this way. When liberals unleash their coercive urges as the supervisors in San Francisco have done, even some Democrats -- notably the mayor -- are forced to protest. Would we like it if McDonalds changed its menus in response to social pressure and consumer demand? Yes. And by the way, that is happening. Customers at McDonalds can now choose salads, fruits, and quite tasty coffee in addition to the usual fatty fare. But that clearly didn't satisfy the food cops.
So imagine a parent in San Francisco who has made the following deal with her child: Eat five servings a day of fruits and vegetables, and three servings of milk or yogurt, and on the weekend, you can have a Happy Meal. Not anymore.
While banning Happy Meals (the law actually just banned meals with toys that failed to meet certain nutritional guidelines -- but the shorthand is accurate) will probably have no effect on the health of San Franciscans, there are ways in which the law could be changed to reward healthy behavior. Unfortunately, the Democrats failed utterly to consider them when revamping our health care system.
The Obama Democrats took a system that was groaning under the weight of exploding Medicare and Medicaid costs and made it worse by adding another entitlement. They took a system that encourages voracious consumption of health care services (because a third party is paying) and expanded it. They took a system that already inhibited choice (by, for example, imposing costly mandates on insurance carriers) and restricted competition still further.
President Obama claims that his is a (cough, cough) non-ideological administration. He has promised many times to invest only in "what works." But the Massachusetts health reform (aka Romneycare) adopted very similar reforms to those in the Obamacare law. It's been a failure. The Massachusetts experiment has failed to reduce costs (they are the highest in the nation), and has reduced quality as physicians flee the state, leading to longer wait times for appointments. This information was available in March.
In the midst of the health care debate, the CEO of Safeway Inc., described the kind of reform that has a track record of success. Steven Burd began by noting that 70 percent of health care costs are the direct result of behavior, and that 74 percent of health care dollars go to just four conditions -- cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, and obesity. Eighty percent of cardiovascular disease and diabetes is preventable, as are 60 percent of cancers and more than 90 percent of obesity. His company, which self-insures and thus makes its own rules, offers employees tests for those four conditions, which include questions about tobacco use, weight, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels. Safeway then provides discounts for those who achieve good scores. If, a year after receiving a bad test result, the employee is able to reverse it through good habits, the company offers a refund equal to the premium difference.
The results, as Burd described it in the Wall Street Journal, were arresting. Between 2005 and 2009, Safeway's per capita health spending remained flat while health spending in the rest of the economy increased by 38 percent. A survey of employees found that 76 percent wanted more incentives for healthy behaviors, and 78 percent rated the program as good, very good, or excellent.
Whole Foods, another supermarket player, adopted its own form of health savings accounts that allow employees to keep and roll over any unused portion from year to year.
Each of these companies adopted programs that rewarded individual responsibility. There was no coercion, but rather incentives for healthy choices and careful consumption of health care. Not only did Obamacare fail to take account of these excellent models, it will very likely force these companies to abandon them.
Another sad report: As of Nov. 1, 111 labor unions and politically well-connected businesses had secured waivers from the Secretary of HHS from complying with the onerous taxes, fees, and requirements of Obamacare. This cronyism is brought to you by the same kind of people who banned Happy Meals. "What works" is completely irrelevant to them. The important thing is that government decides.
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Mona Charen Archives
© 2006, Creators Syndicate
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