I agree things will get ever more dicey for states, and this bill makes it worse. But that would be true under a straight expansion of Medicaid, which I would be for regardless. State fiscal crises are bad for the poor and working class, no doubt about it. How bad will depend on Federal action, which itself will depend on mass mobilization.
On Wed, Mar 24, 2010 at 11:46 AM, Alan Rudy <alan.rudy at gmail.com> wrote:
> So, you're saying the piece isn't spin? Or are you saying that Leonhardt's
> argument (translated) that Obama is actually a compassionate conservative
> response to the lack of compassion in Bush/Reagan (who "went too far" down
> the right road) is a ray of light? Or are you saying that Leonhardt's
> implicit claim that the Obama only appeared to be flailing about for a
> sstrategy for 12 months when, actually, he was strategically playing a
> pragmatic game to level the socioeconomic playing field is right. Or are
> you saying that Larry Summers is, and his buddies are, someone/s anyone
> should trust?
> After reading the Piven/Cloward exchange it seems to me that one almost sure
> consequence of this bill - whether or not there is a concerted push on the
> left to enrol everyone and their cousins - is a deep intensification of
> fiscal crisis at the state, city and local level, a consequence that will
> only exacerbate inequality. Pretty much everywhere in the country - with
> the possible exception of TX where they don't believe in this stuff anyway -
> state, city and local fiscal crises are playing themselves out on the backs
> of the poor, the incarcerated, children, the elderly, the built environment
> and external nature... if the health insurance reform bill that Summers and
> Obama can now count as their contribution to major social legislation does
> all the good stuff proponents say it will but exacerbates fiscal crises
> below the federal level across the country, how much is it actually likely
> to do to address social inequality?
> Or have I completely misunderstood your one-line response? Which I do
> sometimes... if so, mea culpa.
>
> On Wed, Mar 24, 2010 at 11:21 AM, Max Sawicky <sawicky at verizon.net> wrote:
>
>> If saying made it so, this would be a damning critique.
>>
>>
>> On Wed, Mar 24, 2010 at 11:08 AM, Alan Rudy <alan.rudy at gmail.com> wrote:
>> > Largely spin, there's certainly an attempt to show that there's a ray
>> here.
>> > My sense is that if Obama and his admin actually had the goals Leonhardt
>> > attributes to them they'd have played this game very very differently.
>> > Last, I don't trust much of anything from someone who has semi-regular
>> > casual conversations with Larry Summers.
>> >
>> >
>> > On Wed, Mar 24, 2010 at 9:25 AM, Max Sawicky <sawicky at verizon.net>
>> wrote:
>> >
>> >> http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/24/business/24leonhardt.html?hp
>> >> ___________________________________
>> >> http://mailman.lbo-talk.org/mailman/listinfo/lbo-talk
>> >>
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > --
>> > *********************************************************
>> > Alan P. Rudy
>> > Dept. Sociology, Anthropology and Social Work
>> > Central Michigan University
>> > 124 Anspach Hall
>> > Mt Pleasant, MI 48858
>> > 517-881-6319
>> > ___________________________________
>> > http://mailman.lbo-talk.org/mailman/listinfo/lbo-talk
>> >
>> ___________________________________
>> http://mailman.lbo-talk.org/mailman/listinfo/lbo-talk
>>
>
>
>
> --
> *********************************************************
> Alan P. Rudy
> Dept. Sociology, Anthropology and Social Work
> Central Michigan University
> 124 Anspach Hall
> Mt Pleasant, MI 48858
> 517-881-6319
> ___________________________________
> http://mailman.lbo-talk.org/mailman/listinfo/lbo-talk
>