California’s universal health coverage plans

June 5, 2017

The state of California is currently considering programs to offer health care to all of their residents.

One of the suggestions is that sales taxes be increased at the consumer level and that a gross receipts tax be imposed upon businesses.  Most businesses would probably increase their prices so that they do not get stuck with their new bill.

Without regard to the economic considerations of such plans, let’s consider another consequence.

Immigration

Will residents of other states move to California to take advantage of their universal coverage?  Will people with expensive health conditions move to California?  Will it only take an airplane ride to a California airport to become a resident or will California  have to implement some kind of visa system?

Will California resort to building a wall to keep foreigners out?

We deserve better

Brutus

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Changing Times

June 4, 2017

A knowledgeable reader reached out to us the other day and suggested that we are being too hard on the Times.

The reader was employed in the newspaper business many years ago.

He pointed out the difficult financial situation that the Times is in and how, with limited resources, it is hard for the Times to meet our expectations–ones that are based upon older economic and social situations.

He was of course right.

We argued that most of our discontent was with their meddling in the political arena.

As is the case in many discussions we were concerned about different things.

For our part we will endeavor to avoid writing about their functional failures as much as we have.

Unfortunately the Times has not figured out how to remain relevant.

We do feel that what they are doing now is making their situation worse.

Might they change course?

Brutus

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EPISD–marketing

June 3, 2017

This came in from Dan Wever:

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EPISD–special board meeting videos

June 2, 2017

It appears as though EPISD is no longer posting the videos of their special board meetings on their website.

The video of the March 15, 2016 special board meeting is the last one that is available.

Now they not only convene “special” meetings when it is inconvenient for the public to attend, they also don’t publish the videos so that we can see what happened.

We deserve better

Brutus

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EPISD–unauthorized closed meeting

June 1, 2017

The EPISD board of trustees went into closed session the other day to discuss “legal aspects of political activities by trustees and employees”.

Not allowed

The school district has published written policies.  The link below will show you the one that addresses closed meetings:

Board policy BEC–closed meetings

Policy BEC lists the reasons the board may meet in closed session.  It lists no provision that allows a closed meeting for the item as it was worded on the agenda.

We deserve better

Brutus

 

 

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